Unit : IV Chapter 1 An Introduction By Kamala Das About .

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Paper IVIndian Writing in English ENGBA (604)Unit : IVChapter 1An introduction by Kamala DasAbout AuthorKamala SurayyaKamala Surayya (born Kamala; 31 March 1934 – 31 May 2009), popularly known by herone-time pen name Madhavikutty and married name Kamala Das, was an IndianEnglish poet as well as a leading Malayalam author from Kerala, India. Her popularity inKerala is based chiefly on her short stories and autobiography, while her oeuvre inEnglish, written under the name Kamala Das, is noted for the poems and explicitautobiography. She was also a widely read columnist and wrote on diverse topicsincluding women's issues, child care, politics among others.Kamala Surayya

BornDiedPen nameKamala31 March 1934Punnayurkulam, MadrasPresidency, British India31 May 2009(aged 75)Pune, Maharashtra, IndiaMadhavikuttyOccupationPoet, novelist, short story writerNationalityIndianGenrePoetry, novel, short story, memoirs

NotableworksEnte Katha, My Story, TheDescendantsNotableawardsEzhuthachan Puraskaram, VayalarAward, Sahitya Akademi Award, AsanWorld Prize, Asian Poetry Prize, KentAwardSpouseK. Madhav DasChildrenMadhav Das NalapatChinnen DasJayasurya DasRelativesBalamani Amma(mother)V. M. Nair (father)Her open and honest treatment of female sexuality, free from any sense of guilt, infusedher writing with power and she got hope after freedom, but also marked her as aniconoclast in her generation. On 31 May 2009, aged 75, she died at a hospital in Pune.Awards and other recognitionsKamala Das has received many awards for her literary contribution, including: 1963: PEN Asian Poetry Prize 1968: Kerala Sahitya Akademi Award for Story – Thanuppu1984: Shortlisted for the Nobel Prize in Literature1985: Kendra Sahitya Academy Award (English) – Collected Poems1988: Kerala State Film Award for Best Story1997: Vayalar Award – Neermathalam Pootha Kalam2006: Honorary D.Litt by University of Calicut[24]2006: Muttathu Varkey Award[25]

2009: Ezhuthachan Award[26]WorksEnglishNovel 1976: Alphabet of LustAutobiography 1976: My StoryShort stories 1977: A Doll for the Child Prostitute1992: Padmavati the Harlot and Other StoriesPoetry 1964: The Sirens1965: Summer in Calcutta1967: The Descendants1973: The Old Playhouse and Other Poems1977: The Stranger Time 1979: Tonight, This Savage Rite (with Pritish Nandy)1984: Collected Poems1985: The Anamalai Poems1997: Only the Soul Knows How to Sing1999: My Mother At Sixty-six2001: Yaa AllahMalayalam 1964: Pakshiyude Manam (short stories)1966: Naricheerukal Parakkumbol (short stories)1968: Thanuppu (short story)1982: Ente Katha (autobiography)1987: Balyakala Smaranakal (childhood memoirs)1989: Varshangalkku Mumbu (novel)1990: Palayan (novel)1991: Neypayasam (short story)1992: Dayarikkurippukal (novel)1994: Neermathalam Pootha Kalam (novel)1996: Kadal Mayooram (short novel)

1996: Rohini (short novel)1996: Rathriyude Padavinyasam (short novel)1996: Aattukattil (short novel)1996: Chekkerunna Pakshikal (short stories)1998: Nashtapetta Neelambari (short stories)2005: Chandana Marangal (novel)2005: Madhavikkuttiyude Unmakkadhakal(short stories)2005: Vandikkalakal (novel)An Introduction by Kamala DasKamala Suraiyya, sometimes named as Kamala Madhavikutty (31 March 1934 – 31 May2009) was a majorIndian English poet and littérateur and at the same time a leadingMalayalam author from Kerala, India. Her popularity in Kerala is based chiefly on her shortstories and autobiography, while her oeuvre in English, written under the name Kamala Das,is noted for the fiery poems and explicit autobiography.Her open and honest treatment of female sexuality, free from any sense of guilt, infused herwriting with power, but also marked her as an iconoclast in her generation. On 31 May 2009,aged 75, she died at a hospital in Pune, but has earned considerable respect in recent years.THE POEMI don't know politics but I know the namesOf those in power, and can repeat them likeDaysofweek,ornamesI am Indian, very brown, born in Malabar, Ispeak three languages, write in Two,dream in one.Don't write in English, they said, English isNot your mother-tongue. Why not leaveMe alone, critics, friends, visiting cousins,Every one of you? Why not let me speak inofmonths,beginningwithNehru.

Any language I like? The language I speak,Becomes mine, its distortions, its queernessesAll mine, mine alone.It is half English, half Indian, funny perhaps, but it is honest,It is as human as I am human, don'tYou see? It voices my joys, my longings, myHopes, and it is useful to me as cawingIs to crows or roaring to the lions, itIs human speech, the speech of the mind that isHere and not there, a mind that sees and hears andIs aware. Not the deaf, blind speechOf trees in storm or of monsoon clouds or of rain or theIncoherent mutterings of the blazing Funeralpyre. I was child, and later they Told me Igrew, for I became tall, my limbsSwelled and one or two places sprouted hair.When I asked for love, not knowing what else to askFor, he drew a youth of sixteen into the Bedroom andclosed the door, He did not beat me But my sadwoman-body felt so beaten.The weight of my breasts and womb crushed me.I shrank Pitifully.Then I wore a shirt and myBrother's trousers, cut my hair short and ignoredMy womanliness. Dress in sarees, be girlBe wife, they said. Be embroiderer, be cook,Be a quarreller with servants. Fit in. Oh,Belong, cried the categorizers. Don't sit

On walls or peep in through our lace-draped windows.Be Amy, or be Kamala. Or, betterStill, be Madhavikutty. It is time toChoose a name, a role. Don't play pretending games.Don't play at schizophrenia or be aNympho. Don't cry embarrassingly loud when Jiltedin love I met a man, loved him. Call Him not byany name, he is every manWho wants. a woman, just as I am everyWoman who seeks love. In him . . . the hungry hasteOf rivers, in me . . . the oceans' tirelessWaiting. Who are you, I ask each and everyone,The answer is, it is I. Anywhere and,Everywhere, I see the one who calls himself IIn this world, he is tightly packed like theSword in its sheath. It is I who drink lonelyDrinks at twelve, midnight, in hotels of strange towns,It is I who laugh, it is I who make loveAnd then, feel shame, it is I who lie dyingWith a rattle in my throat. I am sinner,I am saint. I am the beloved and theBetrayed. I have no joys that are not yours, no Aches whichare not yours. I too call myself I.SUMMARYKamala Das’s poem ‘An Introduction’ is included in her first collection of poems, ‘Summer inCalcutta’. In the poem, she speaks in the voice of a girl, rebelling against the norms anddictates of a patriarchal society which ask her to ‘fit in’ and ‘belong’ against her own wishes.

‘Malabar’; a south Indian location, covering a large part of Kerala which also extends to partsof Karnataka.Her rebellion against patriarchy is to secure an identity for herself in a male-dominated world.The poem begins with the assertion, ‘I don’t know politics, but I know the names of those inpower’ which shows her distaste for politics in a country where politics is considered a domainfor men. Next comes her defiant assertion of her right to write in any language she likes, inresponse to suggestions that she should not ‘write in English’. Her reply to her critics is areiteration of the (language of) appropriation of a colonial language to serve native needs.‘Categorizers’; an allusion to those who see and group other people in different structures orbrackets: the term suggests the tendency to stereo-type people.From the issue of the politics of language, the poem moves on the subject of sexual politics.The poet is in utter bewilderment during her pubescent years, her sudden marriage and herfirst sexual encounter all leave her traumatized. On an impulse, she defies the gender codeand dresses up as a man by wearing a shirt and a trouser and ‘sits on the wall’. The guardiansof morality force a respectable woman’s attire on with instructions that she should fit into thesocially accepted role of a woman as a ‘wife’ and a ‘mother’. “Madhavikutti’; the pseudonymKamala Das used while writing in Malayalam.‘Schizophrenia’; a disorder that results in the misinterpretation of reality: the perceptionchange is now seen as being a health condition as well as the case of social insufficiency:following thinkers like Michel Foucault, now schizophrenia is understood to be a reflection ofa society’s inflexibility as much as it is associated with an individual’s mental state. Identifyingherself with other suffering women of the world, Kamala Das universalizes suffering and seeksfreedom and love. The poem becomes a statement on gender differences and a move totranscend the restrictions imposed on a woman by seeking individual freedom, love thatallows the body to come to terms with its own needs and a self that is allowed to celebratelove’s true glory.EXPLANATION“An Introduction" is Kamala Das's most famous poem in the confessional mode. Writing toher, always served as a sort of spiritual therapy:" If I had been a loved person, I wouldn't havebecome a writer. I would have been a happy human being."

Kamala Das begins by self-assertion: I am what I am. The poetess claims that she is notinterested in politics, but claims to know the names of all in power beginning from Nehru. Sheseems to state that these are involuntarily ingrained in her. By challenging us that she canrepeat these as easily as days of the week, or the names of months she echoes thatthese politicians were caught in a repetitive cycle of time, irrespective of any individuality.They did not define time; rather time defined them.Subsequently, she comes down to her roots. She declares that by default she is an Indian.Other considerations follow this factor. She says that she is 'born in' Malabar; she does notsay that she belongs to Malabar. She is far from regional prejudices. She first defines herselfin terms of her nationality, and second by her colour.I am Indian, very brown, born in Malabar,And she is very proud to exclaim that she is 'very brown'. She goes on to articulate that shespeaks in three languages, writes in two and dreams in one; as though dreams require amedium. Kamala Das echoes that the medium is not as significant as is the comfort level thatone requires. The essence of one's thinking is the prerequisite to writing. Hence she imploreswith all-"critics, friends, visiting cousins" to leave her alone. Kamal aDas reflects the maintheme of Girish Karnad's "Broken Images"-the conflict between writing in one's regionallanguage and utilizing a foreign language. The language that she speaks is essentially hers;the primary ideas are not a reflection but an individual impression. It is the distortions andqueerness that makes it individual. And it is these imperfections that render it human. It is thelanguage of her expression and emotion as it voices her joys, sorrows and hopes. It comesto her as cawing comes to the crows and roaring to the lions, and is therefore impulsive andinstinctive. It is not the deaf, blind speech: though it has its own defects, it cannot be seen asher handicap. It is not unpredictable like the trees on storm or the clouds of rain. Neither doesit echo the "incoherent mutterings of the blazing fire." It possesses a coherence of its own: anemotional coherence.She was child-like or innocent; and she knew she grew up only because according to othersher size had grown. The emotional frame of mind was essentially the same. Married at theearly age of sixteen, her husband confined her to a single room. She was ashamed of herfeminity that came before time, and brought her to this predicament. This explains her claimthat she was crushed by the weight of her breast and womb. She tries to overcome it byseeming tomboyish. So she cuts her hair short and adorns boyish clothes. People criticize herand tell her to 'conform' to the various womanly roles. They accuse her of being schizophrenic;and 'a nympho'. They confuse her want of love and attention for insatiable sexual craving.

She explains her encounter with a man. She attributes him with not a proper noun, but acommon noun-"every man" to reflect his universality. He defined himself by the "I", thesupreme male ego. He is tightly compartmentalized as "the sword in its sheath'. It portraysthe power politics of the patriarchal society that we thrive in that is all about control.It is this"I" that stays long away without any restrictions, is free to laugh at his own will, succumbs toa woman only out of lust and later feels ashamed of his own weakness that lets himself loseto a woman. Towards the end of the poem, a role-reversal occurs as this "I" graduallytransitions to the poetess herself. She pronounces how this "I" is also sinner and saint",beloved and betrayed. As the role-reversal occurs, the woman too becomes the "I" reachingthe pinnacle of self-assertion.Analysis of An Introduction Lines1-13In the first section of An Introduction the speaker begins by comparing her knowledge ofpoliticians to the days of the week and months of the year. Although she does not havea firm grasp on politics itself, those in power have remained in her mind. This showstheir power to be much greater than their role should allow. The first of these she is ableto recall is “Nehru,” who served as India’s first prime minister after the withdrawal of theBritish.After these opening lines that set the scene, the speaker moves on to describe her ownbeing. She is “Indian” and she is “very brown.” Lastly, she is from Malabar in southwestIndia. These are the basics of her life, but of course not everything. She adds that she isable to,[ ]speak three languages, write in Two,dream in one.She continues to describe language and the role it plays in her life by saying that she isjudged for writing in English. It is not her “mother-tongue.” Whenever she is criticized forhow she speaks and writes she feels as if she is alone. There is no one, not her friendsor cousins, who back her up. They are critics “Every one.”She directs the next line at this group, asking them why they care what she speaks. Shefeels a deep connection to the words she uses and how, through “distortions,” herlanguage can only be defined as her own.Lines 13-25In the next thirteen lines the speaker goes on to describe herself as “half English, halfIndian.” She sees a humour in this combination and acknowledges that fact as it is“honest.” This seems to be one of the most important parts of her, a desire for

authenticity and honesty. Her identity, as seen through her voice, is “human” just as sheis human. It should be held under that single defining category and no other.Das describes the control she has over her voice, whether through speech or text. It candisplay all of her emotions and her,[ ] mind that sees and hears and Isaware.Human speech is to humans as roaring is to lions. It is intelligible, unlike the roaring of astorm or the “mutterings of the blazing fire.” The speaker defines her freedom throughthe use of her voice. In the next lines she explains to the reader that there are othercircumstances in her life that infringe on that freedom. They are out of her control. Sheintroduces this section by stating that she only felt older as she grew because she wastold of her own physical changes.Lines 26-38Her unhappiness is defined in the next section of lines and is directly related to a needfor freedom. When she was young she “asked for love,” because she didn’t know whatelse to want. This ended with her marriage at sixteen and the closing of a bedroom door.Although her husband did not beat her, her,[ ] sad woman-body felt so beaten.This line of An Introduction is interesting as she is placing her own body in one of thecategories she rebelled against in the first stanza. It is due to this simplification of awoman as nothing more than a body that led her to marriage at sixteen. She also placesblame on her own body for leading her to this place. Her distinctly female parts, “breastsand womb” are a crushing weight on her life. The pressure placed on her by herhusband and by her family led to an emotional and mental shrinking. It was a“Pitiful”process. But it ended.She goes on to state that a change came over her. She decided to put on her “Brother’strousers” and cut off her hair. The speaker is ridding herself of the female image that hasharmed her. Now that she is remaking her identity she is able to say no to the traditionsof womanhood. These include fitting in and dressing in “saris.” The “categorizers” mighttell her not to,[ ] peep in through our lace-draped windowsBut she is not going to listen. She chose to move her life beyond the traditional andtherefore expand her presence in the world.

Lines 39-50In the first two lines of the next section of An Introduction it becomes clear that thespeaker is truly meant to be the poet herself. She wonders at her own identity andmarvels over the fact that she can now be,Amy, or be Kamala. Or, better Still,be Madhavikutty.It is by this final name that the poet, Kamala Das, came to be known and is still called.Das added another few reminders on behalf of the “categorizers.” She shouldn’t “playpretending games” or “cry embarrassingly loud.” Her role as woman is supposed to bemeek, quiet, and contained.She goes on to describe a time in which she met and loved a man. This person isreferred to as “man,” he is not named. This strips him of some of the agency he is so incontrol of in the next lines. Additionally, the name is of little importance as he is meant torepresent every man in the world who uses women as he pleases.At one point, at the height of her emotions, she asks the “man” who he is. He replies “itis I.” The “I” represents the agency he has in the world. Men make their own decisionsand have the ability to use the pronoun in order to get what they want.Lines 51-60An Introduction begins its conclusion with the speaker acknowledging the constantpresence of “I” around her. In the world she’s a part of there are “I” men everywhere shelooks. A person of this nature is able to go and “Drink at twelve” and stay in “hotels ofstrange towns.” As the lines continue the division between the speaker and the “I” isblurred. Eventually a reader comes to understand that she is trying to come to termswith her own independence and identity as both “saint” and “sinner.”She is trapped between her own need for a free life and the world which tries to keepher contained. The final statement is one of protest and resistance. Das states that shehas “Aches” which belong to no one but herself. She too can be “I.”An Introduction Questions and AnswersQ. Critically analyse the poem An Introduction by Kamala Das in your own words.

Ans:- The poem, An Introduction by Kamala Das was included in Kamala Das's first volume of poetry, Summerin Calcutta (1965). The poem begins with a statement that shows her frank distaste for politics, especially inpolitically free India ruled by a chosen elite. The poet asserts her right to speak three languages, and defendsher choice to write in two--her mother-tongue, Malayalam, and English. She doesn't like to be advised in thismatter by any guardian or relations. Her choice is her own: authentic and born of passion. The poet looks uponher decision to write in English as natural and humane.From the issue of the politics of language the poem thenpasses on to the subject of sexual politics in a patriarchy-dominated society where a girl attaining puberty istold about her biological changes by some domineering parental figure. As the girl seeks fulfilment of heradolescent passion, a young lover is forced upon her to traumatize and coerce the female-body since the sameis the site for patriarchy to display its power and authority. When thereafter, she opts for male clothing to hideher femininity, the guardians enforce typical female attire, with warnings to fit into the socially determinedattributes of a wom

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