Writers are Rebels and So Am I!

As a literature student, now, an MA in English, I dissect a writer’s life, works and therefore his/her oeuvre. It is tacit and goes without saying that every writer is a rebel for a reason and perhaps a cause. Writing is an effective channel of expression and every writer expends it as a vent to convey and communicate his/ her thoughts, feelings, opinions and perceptions.

One such writer who thrived in prolific confessional poetry is Kamala Das. Her poems were prescribed for our fourth/final semester exams: “An Introduction” and the “Old Play House”. What inspired me to write this post is the news of her death; she passed away early this week. Both the poems are poignant as they portray the raging conflict between her opinions and those around her. She wrote in times when women were beginning to enter the portals of schools and universities. Das tells in her poem “An Introduction” that people (could be her parents, extended families, neighbours etc) around her, asked her to refrain from writing in English and said “don’t sit on the wall, don’t peep through window, be Amy, be madhvikutty (she is a malayali and that’s her pet name)”. This is precisely how girls are conditioned and silenced. She confesses how growing up was an unpleasant experience for her as it added to her insecurity. She broke the stereotype and revolted by cutting her hair and wearing her brother’s clothes.

Irrespective of a girl or a boy, we all do find ourselves at loggerheads with our parents and the world at some point in time. Most often than not, one can feel the heat when points of view do not match, when you feel a proclivity to some norm fabricated by your parents or the world around you. I’m born to orthodox and conservative parents and there is a lag of about 30 years between my parents and me. So, one can understand the intricacy here, though, I believe that it’s a boon to have seasoned parents; as they have seen the world more than you have! They admitted me into the best educational institutions: Rosary Convent, St Francis and Osmania University College of Arts and Social Sciences and ironically didn’t expect me to be opinionated and make my own choices. “Minu (my pet name) don’t laugh loudly, don’t wear this, don’t talk like that”; was the rhetoric doled out to me. I’m neither hesitant nor apologetic to say that I was a rebel when I was in my teens and often couldn’t see eye-to-eye with my parents on most matters. I took a bold stance and candidly confessed that I will live life on my own terms and will not let anybody live my life. Things gradually changed and today I make my own choices, opinionated, bask in my freedom and live life on my own terms, and my folks, are happy and proud of who I’m.

At college, we as a batch both in Francis Junior and degree college rebelled against the dress code: salwar kameez; and retorted by wearing casuals. Some other rules charted by the college wouldn’t make any sense. In junior college, we assiduously created a chart, wrote few catchy, pejorative sentences and pinned them up on our notice board. We never revealed our identity though and had the principal guessing if it was the Sciences, Maths or Arts group. She was such a pain in the neck. However, most conjectured, it could be us, as the sciences and maths group will not have ample time and the guts to manipulate. It is college damn it and let us be as we are! While pursuing MA, the entire class forayed into rebelling. College days were so much fun! I wish I could turn the clock and go back in time. Those beautiful moments today, have become most cherished and sweet memories and will remain green in our minds.

Shakespeare, the romantic poets: Keats, Wordsworth, William Blake; Elizabeth Barrett Browning were all rebels who produced finest pieces in literature. Though they were a host of them, I put only few names coz this post is only getting longer. So folks, feel free to add other writers who you think were rebels of their times.

MA Madness

I was feeling really weird and eerie on the last day of my final MA exam. We all were giving our 5th and final paper: Modern Classics in translation. Anyway, coming to the weird part of it, instead of being happy - is definitely because I knew our stint with 2 years of MA is over.

So what? This is always what we wanted! All throughout the course of 4 semesters, I hankered for MA to finish. Each day, I remember, for the sake of not missing the enriching lectures, I did attend classes whenever I could. It was not only difficult but sometimes pathetic for me to attend , toting the 3 kg Laptop (includes the cable also and a novel) hanging on my right side and my big handbag hanging on my left side that contained a Tiffin, a book, a pen, my wallet some essentials needed to freshen up once I reached office, post college. It was hell doing it everyday and for 5 days consecutively. Though we had holiday on a second Saturday, I would still bunk college on every Saturday. A self-declared holiday influenced very much by my corporate lifestyle: working only 5 days a week.

Our Rendezvous with MA and our professors was certainly an uplifting, rewarding and enriching experience- something that we will cherish all our lives. MA gave me so much! How much? It made us better persons, honed our life skills, I must say, opened the window to the world and how it works, a doorway to knowledge, empowerment of sorts, It certainly added to my courage and audacity, it moulded our perspectives, views, opinions; to question and react to things, doing what you want to do rather than being compelled by people and circumstances and the list will go on and on…

We always feel happy when we are on the precipice of accomplishing various phases of our academic life: schooling, intermediate, graduation and PG. I have felt happy at the end of every phase, but this one! The reason is that at the end of every phase I knew what I will take up next. It was very much decided. Now, I was apprehensive as to what next? Where will I be heading? and yes, this insecurity, though I’m working and positioned well, in the field of my choice. Marriage is definitely not on the cards anywhere in the near future. Not at least when I’m so young. I need options man. Got to make something of my life! I do have some plans though of either pursuing higher studies or switch from corporate life to some other field. I will let you folks know when the time is opportune!

As of now, I’m sure all my classmates and friends are going through the MA hangover. I’m doing both: the hangover and work (it’s been a week since I joined). We wake up and realize that, things that have been so much a part of our life, are not now anymore. I’m talking about things intrinsic to MA: the rushed affairs in the mornings to make it to college by 10 am , but ending up there by 10 30 or eleven am; the internal 10 marks assessments, the semester exams, mind boggling lectures, the fun and much more!

PS: The photograph in this post is one taken during one of the photo sessions, during out last days of MA. One can see my classmates standing with our professors. I couldn’t make it coz of office :-(

Love, Loathe and Lessons

As I sit here (my room) in isolation, reminiscing the two rapt years spent in MA, English Lit; I also ruminate on whats to love, loathe and lessons learnt well in MA. I spoke about love and loathe, about Arts College in my very first post: Best of both Worlds. So let me put that for you in not more than a nutshell. Colleges best are- the remarkable professors, some of whom are touted to be the best in India. Whats to hate? The mass populace and the management without a scruple.

Let me delineate and count the hailstorm of lessons that I learnt and made note of; not only in books but also my brains.

1.Each of us has spilt personalities or possess Schizophrenia. We like and hate the same thing: We love our country but we also wait in long queues for visas to go abroad.
2.Moulin Rouge- Not the movie starring Nicole Kidman, the place in Paris still exists today and fraught with pimps and whores who practice more of kinky sex than normal sex.
3.We were always conditioned by history to remember India’s independence and overlook the partition. It was shocking to know the whopping statistics: More than 5 million were killed and 4 million Sikhs lost homes. As against the misconception that it was done on agreement by Mahatma Gandhi, partition was done at the instance of the British.
4.Women who were estranged and displaced from their families during partition were not welcomed and accepted when they returned for the most obvious reason that they could have strayed from their values and lost their chastity, which, I feel, is ridiculous!
5.Written literature is considered to be the best literatures but African writers like Wole Soyinka, Chinua Achebe proved that oral literature is equally stimulating and are a great piece de resistance in literature.
6.Indian Aesthetics believe that every time you see a piece of art, it must evoke a 'Rasa' or emotion in you.
7.The character ‘Krishna’ in Hindu mythology is a blue black God, as in, that was his colour. One of my Professors Meera Manvi, who is also the Dean of our Arts College, had told us that almost all Hindu Goddesses like Lakshmi, Parvati etc are black and yet revered. So why is India obsessed with fair skin? This has infiltrated into the Indian matrimony. Why every matrimonial alliance reads ‘fair’ in wanted requirements? I’m not making this statement because I’m super dark but Meera mam actually made us ponder on these lines.Which I think is absolutely true! She further said Indians are dark skinned people and thus labeled so by the West and why can’t Indians stop imitating the West?
8.The distinction between European and Indian Art is that European art imitates the picture while Indian Art represents the idea that reminds you of the picture.
9.Shakespeare’s plays were always written to be enacted and staged rather than to be read.
10.According to Sigmund Freud whose theories are considered to be the Bible of Psychology, Human mind is made of conscious, unconscious and sub-conscious mind. The sub-conscious side occupies the major part of brain and apparently all the dark desires emerge from the sub-conscious mind. Interesting! Isn’t that?
11.Orientalists have a fixed and a biased view about the East. This statement tells you that the Orient referred to countries of the east. Oriental literature was used as a strategy to conquer colonies and like we have read and learnt, western colonies were successful in their attempts and efforts.
12.We often think and believe that Leaders of any kind, especially, political figures are flawless. They are put on a pedestal and worshipped, but what we forget is that, they are mere mortals just like us and possess aberrations. If we believe they are larger-than-life, they ARE! The moment you are practical about them and accept their flaws, you know they are NOT. In the novel, “Kongis Harvest”, the author, Soyinka uses the method of ‘De-flation’ to puncture the image the of the Leader in that novel.
13.Michel Foucault, a famous New Historian said that “Madness is a sociological character and not just a clinical term.
14.A noted American writer said that those without DREAMS should PERISH. That’s one reason why Americans today, still believe in the Great American Dream their founders or 13 “Pilgrim Fathers” had set for them. Those who heard Obama’s dream speech will know what I’m talking about.
14.The first 3 or trimoorthy Indian writers who set trends for the later Indian writers are- Raja Rao, R.K Narayan and Mulk Raj Anand.
15.Salman Rushdie’s “Midnights Children” won Booker prize thrice and it also includes Readers choice of ‘Booker’ of ‘Booker Winners’.

I know it’s a long post but neither am I apologetic nor hesitant about the same because I know it’s worth the read. This is all I can recall, will spill more beans after I finish writing my 4th and Final Semester exams that I will be taking in a few days time.

For my MA Classmates (including me), who are reluctant to study for exams during this scorching summer, hope this post will be of some motivation :-)

Blogs are a contesting space. So jibes, comments, arguments and contradictory statements are more than welcome!

'Jest' a sweet Memory!

I remember the moment when I whipped up a Coffee for my ailing Mom who was down with Flu. I was barely ten years and prepared a Coffee when she was snoring loud in a sound sleep.

This was my first ever when I scoured the Utensils in the Kitchen, to find the right bowl for Coffee. I felt like a Stranger in my own home. I had no cue in which boxes was Sugar and Coffee Powder stacked. I put the bowl on the Stove first; I at least knew how to light the Stove as sometimes I observed my Mom and Maid doing it. Next I filled the bowl with a glass of water and a half cup of milk in tow. After a long quest, I poured the coffee Powder and Sugar in the simmering Concoction. I carefully tip-toed to confirm if my Mom was sleeping and voila she was staring in my face and asked what I was doing. Before I could respond, she surmised that I was making Coffee. It’s the strong aroma of Coffee beans that woke her up.

The Coffee was not as bad as anticipated; teaspoon of Coffee and Sugar was not measured proportionately. I took away half teaspoon of Sugar and put an extra amount of Coffee Powder. Thank heavens… I made Coffee and not Tea!

PS: Coffee was not a herculean task as it was similar to mixing milk with milk powder and sugar. Had I made Tea, it could have been awful!