The Seventeenth Century (1603-1660) and Metaphysical Poetry:

General Introduction and Historical Background:

The beginning of the 17th century as whole was more relaxed when compared to Elizabethan age as the renaissance enthusiasm had spent itself. There was also a great divide in the minds of the people regarding religious or political matters. There was uncertainty about the future of oneself or one’s country. The earlier spirit of adventure was missing in the people. As far as literature output was concerned, it did not decrease but it had lost its vigor and creativity as it had spread itself thin over wider fields. Before the end of Elizabeth’s rule there had been a change in the spirit of the century. As the queen grew old her nation also seemed to lose its youth and vigor. After Elizabeth James I succeeded her to the throne.

The last decade of the 16th century presents a new kind of poetry with John Donne (1573-1631) whose work belongs to the period of James, though he was 30 years old when he died. In spirit Donne belongs less to the Elizabethan poetry and more to the period of James. Hence we can say the major poets of the early 17th century were john Donne and other metaphysical poets. The early seventeenth century extends from the accession of the first Stuart king (James I) in 1603 to the coronation of the third (Charles II) in 1660.The events that happened between these two historical dates can  bring clarity and give a complete understanding if viewed as a larger picture. It is true that between these two important dates, greater social and political events occurred to shadow the two monarchical rule of the sixteenth century and the eighteenth century The early seventeenth century felt a deep sense of dissatisfaction and challenge in the literary sphere. As a reaction we see the poetry of Donne and his school. We see the fusion of intellect and feeling in Donne and his metaphysical poets

At the same time we cannot forget the important influence of the Puritan Revolt of 1640-60 which brought in secular stability to the country of England. The century together with the English Revolution was a time of intense turmoil in all areas of life —religion, science, politics, domestic relations, culture. That turmoil was reflected in the literature of the era, which also registered a heightened focus on and analysis of the self and the personal life. However, little of this seems in evidence in Michael Drayton's long "chorographical" poem on the landscape, regions, and local history of Great Britain (1612), which appeared in the first years of the reign of the Stuart king James I (1603-1625). The great seventeenth-century heroic poem, ’Paradise lost’, treats the Fall of Man and its tragic consequences.

The century saw the emergence of important issues such as: "Gender, Family, and Household. “Seventeenth-Century Norms and Controversies" provides important religious, legal, and domestic advice. It helps clarify cultural assumptions about gender roles and the patriarchal family, through texts and illustrations. It also invites attention to, how those assumptions are modified or challenged in the practices of actual families and households. It also throws lights on various gender issues such as women speaking in church, divorce, women's worth, talents, and rights; and especially in the upheavals of the English Revolution. The period also saw the great work of Milton “Paradise lost”

The great epic forces the readers to examine how it utilizes and interprets the Genesis story, how it uses classical myth, how it challenges orthodox ideas of innocence, and how it is positioned within but also against the epic tradition from Homer to Virgil. The most important thoughts that occupied the people’s mind and forced them to think were on politics, religion and culture. It provides an opportunity to explore some of the issues and conflicts that led to civil war and the overthrow of monarchical government (1642-60). The highlight to all this was the highly dramatic trial and execution of King Charles I (January 1649),

Outline of seventeenth century:

James I. Elizabeth was followed to the throne by James VI of Scotland, who became James I of England. James believed in the absolute power of the monarchy, and he had a unstable relationship with an increasingly demanding

Parliament .Her successor James I of England was a bigot. Under his rule the court corruption increased. During James' reign radical Protestant groups called Puritans began to gain a sizeable following. Puritans wanted to "purify" the church by bringing down church ritual, educating the clergy, and limiting the powers of bishops. The nation found itself divided into two factions .One the one hand there were cavaliers, courtiers ,nobles, the church and on the other hand the puritans comprising the large number of middle class controlled by the religious principles of reformation. The puritans advocated strict views on life and conduct. The gulf widened. Puritanism emerged as a great national power. Puritanism became a great moral, political and religious force. The upper class had the sympathies of serious men of society and thus increased its social and moral influence.

Political and religious tensions intensified under James’s son, Charles I, who succeeded to the throne in 1625. Parliament made increasing demands, which the king refused to meet. Neither side was willing to budge. Finally in 1642 fighting broke out. The English Civil War (1642-1646) divided society largely along class lines. Parliament drew most of its support from the middle classes, while the king was supported by the nobility, the clergy, and the peasantry. When King Charles tried to encroach upon the civil rights of the people, a great conflict broke out. In 1642 under the rule of Charles I civil war broke out.

The civil war officially ended in 1649 with the execution of Charles I. The period which follows is known as the Interregnum (from Latin), implying a "time between" kings, because there was no king during this time. For most of it, England was ruled by Oliver Cromwell as Lord Protector (a sort of dictator/president), and the government was styled, first, a Commonwealth, and then a Protectorate. In 1660 Parliament offered to restore the monarchy if Charles would agree to concessions for religious toleration and a general amnesty. Charles was not as hard-headed as his father, and he agreed to the proposals. Monarchy’ was restored in 1660, which we refer to as ‘The Restoration. He returned to London on a wave of popular support to be crowned Charles II (1660-85).  Less than two years after Cromwell's death; his son and followers simply couldn't muster the iron will or the personal and military power to keep the nation unified after his death.

The war and its consequences had tremendous effects on the literature of the day. Most of the writers in this period considered themselves "Cavaliers," that is, they supported the monarchy. But "Cavalier" implies more than just "Royalist" term for the troops and forces of the King, and later those who wanted to restore the monarchy). It implies, for instance, a particular class of man: Courtly, well-educated, and genteel.

The effect of Puritanism on the general English life and attitude was very deep. The spirit of Puritanism that was introduced was noble and fine but at the same time it was very rigid and stern. This brought about narrowness in its outlook. In its preoccupation with the moral and religious things it neglected science, art, knowledge and beauty which gave life value and happiness. Puritanism destroyed humane nature and tried to confine literature in its own field of particular interests. This restricted art as well as literature. It was a rare writer who would be able to rise beyond its narrow confines.

The absence of any sharp line of separation between the literature of the reign of Elizabeth and of those of James I and Charles I is very visible in poetry. In Milton we find the greatest writer, the product of Puritanism, in whose work is found moral and religious influences of Puritanism as well as free spirit of renaissance Milton is the greatest English poet. we find in him the wonderful combination of intellect and creative power, both at their highest. He is the most sublime of the English poets, the master of grand style. In his descriptive power and language he cannot be compared to anyone, he was superior. His subject matter had majesty of thought. His poems had beauty and style. . His life falls naturally into three periods: 1. Youth and preparation, 1608-1639, when he wrote his shorter poems. 2. Public life, 1639-1660, when he wrote, or at least published, in poetry, only a few sonnets. 3. Later years, 1660-1674, of outer defeat, but of chief poetic achievement, the period of 'Paradise Lost,' 'Paradise Regained,' and 'Samson Agonistes.'

Two short poems were written during his college days. Milton had planned to enter the ministry, but it was not possible because of circumstances around him. on leaving the University in 1632 he retired to the country estate  His poems 'L'Allegro' and 'Il Penseroso' describe the pleasures of suburban life viewed in moods  of light-hearted happiness and of reflection. His poem 'Comus,' the last of the Elizabethan and Jacobean masks, combines an exquisite poetic beauty' Lycidas' is one of the supreme English elegies; though the grief which helps to create its power sprang more from the recent death of the poet's mother than from that of the nominal subject, his college acquaintance, Edward King.

Milton's first period ends with an experience designed to complete his preparation for his career as a poet.He embarked on a fifteen months' tour in France and Italy, where the highest literary circles received him cordially. The twenty years which follow, the second period of Milton's career, developed and modified his nature and ideas in an unusual degree and fashion which helped in his poetic creativity, Milton stands out as a noble figure In the remaining fourteen years which make the third period of his life. His very obstinacy and egoism now enabled him to maintain his proud dignity in the middle of the lost cause of his support towards republic ,though he had by then become poor, lonely and blind.. The important fact of this last period, however, is that Milton now had the leisure to write, or to complete, 'Paradise Lost. In this purpose he was entirely successful. As a whole, by the consent of all competent judges, 'Paradise Lost' is worthy of its theme, perhaps the greatest that the mind of man can conceive, namely 'to justify the ways of God. ''Paradise Lost' was published in 1677. It was followed in 1671 by 'Paradise Regained,' only one-third as long and much less important; and by 'Samson Agonists.' The Metaphysical poets who followed Donne (such as Herbert, Crashaw, Vaughan, and Cowley) tried to reinforce the traditional lyric forms of love and devotion by stretching them to contain new and extreme intellectual forms. In the other direction, Jonson and his “disciples” the so-called Cavalier poets (such as Herrick, Suckling, Lovelace, Waller, and Denham) generally tried to compress and limit their poems, giving them a high polish and sense and in the process restraining the intellectual content.  The common contrast of Cavalier with Metaphysical does describe two poetic alternatives of the early century.  Yet both style were wholly inadequate to come up to the lofty style and high thinking of Milton. Metaphysical poetry was unconventional and uses such unconventional figures such as a compass or a mosquito to reach surprise effects .Donne uses material from unlikeliest sources, partly from the activities of everyday life, but especially from all the sciences and knowledge of his time. The material is abstract but Donne gives it poetic picture. Because of this quality Dr Johnson applied to Donne and his followers the term metaphysical poets.

In one of Donne’s poems, the point of a compass represents two lovers where the woman is waiting at home and the man being a wanderer is anchored by the woman. Separation makes the heart grow fonder. Donne possessed the keenest intellect and had genuine poetic feeling. He studied law and theology. In this period he wrote love as well as religious poems. The distinguishing feature of Donne’ poetry is the combination of intellect and feeling. Donne’s poetry attracts in a unique manner. By detailed elaboration and extreme exaggeration, Donne carries Elizabethan conceit to the extent possible.

Summary:

Elizabeth I died in 1603 after four decades of rule on the throne. James VI succeeded her to the throne. He had literary interests. Yet he supported strict theories of kingship and gave rise to corruption in his court. Political and religious tensions intensified under James’s son, Charles I, who succeeded to the throne in 1625.Charles tried to encroach upon the civil rights of the people. It intensified the already existing divide between the puritans who advocated strict views on life and conduct and the cavaliers (who were the supporters of the king), the church, the courtiers and the nobles. In 1642 civil war broke out. The conflict ended with the beheading of Charles in 1649.

Oliver Cromwell ruled England as the lord protector. He was as autocratic as Charles was. After ten years Charles’ son Charles II was invited home from exile. He ruled England as King from 1660-1685. These twenty-five year period brought about concepts such as separation between church and state, freedom of expression, freedom of press that would continue for centuries to come.

Early seventeenth century writers such as John Donne, George Herbert, Robert Herrick, Thomas Carew, and Andrew Marvel distinguished themselves as metaphysical poets. They were men of learning. Their thoughts are new but never natural. Their work is filled with affected writings, conceits, strained metaphors, far-fetched similes and the most exaggerated hyper-bole. They combine intellect with feeling. The civil war was not profitable to royal theatres, many of which closed down. The two best writers of this period Milton and Andrew Marvel supported the republic. On the restoration of monarchy, Milton was arrested. He was later released and allowed to live in political obscurity. He was by then blind, poor and lonely. Milton was bitterly disillusioned where revolution failed to realize his ideals.

History and Development of Poetry from Chaucer to the present time:

The Sixteenth century poets: Chaucer, Wyatt and Surrey, Sir Philip Sidney, Edmund Spenser

Introduction:

The period between medieval times and Chaucer is very important from the point of view of English language as well as literature. During this time English was slowly evolving out of the usage of different languages; Norman French and Anglo-Saxon English. The final outcome was a compound language .English was broken up into different dialects such as Northern English, Midland English and Southern English. It was that when Chaucer started writing, he chose Midland English as his medium of writing. We thus have Chaucer as our first of English poets, followed by Wyatt, Surrey, Sidney and Spenser. We also will be able to see their characteristic way of writing and their famous poetic works. Literary historians and critics feel that Chaucer is the father of English Literature.

Geoffrey Chaucer (1349-1400) was the greatest poet of the English literature of the 14th Century, born during the rule of Edward III, lived through the rule of Richard II. His life thus covers a period of social and political changes. It was also a period of English idea of a perfect life where everything around was perfect and a standard for imitation. Geoffrey Chaucer is by common consent the greatest English Medieval author. His popularity is timeless .He was different from his fellow poets in the sense he used rhyme.  There were a lot of English writings before English established itself strongly. Anglo-Saxon chronicles (record of events in order of occurrence) had many colorful passages in them which are of interest because of their story line. French and Latin verse chronicles were more popular.     

Chaucer began his poetic career by translating the popular French poem ‘Roman de la Rose’. This gave him the flexibility to use octosyllabic couplet, a language unit of eight syllables, usually a complete line of verse but occasionally just a word. He is also well versed in the art of story telling using allegory (narrative, using symbolic and abstract meaning) and psychology. The first of the poet’s gift is to feel, the second is to express. Chaucer possesses both of these gifts in equal measure. The point which the later poets note in him is not only his power of story telling, his tragedy, his humor, or his character drawing but also his language. Lydgate called him’’ The noble poet of Britain”

Chaucer is often hailed as ‘the morning star’ of English poetry .English did not enjoy a good status when compared with that of French and Italian poetry of the fourteenth century. Chaucer was inspired by the French and wrote in a language which was very intense. This English was the midland Dialect (form of speech special to particular region) of England which became fixed as literary language of England because of its vast artistic possibilities. He did not follow the earlier style of English versification which lacked the natural grace and music of English speech. This Midland dialect of English became the cultural language to correspond with the social and political developments of his country.

        

Chaucer also chose for his English poetry, subjects from common life around him and also characters from popular tales of his times .He did not take subjects from court life but chose those characters which were common such as carpenter, miller and prior who did not appeal to the fashionable audience of the court. His characters bring to life the ideals (the idea of what is supposed to be perfect) of his own age .His narrative poem the prologue to Canterbury Tales represents the cross section of English society. Here we have representatives from the clergy, the merchant and the warrior classes. Chaucer’s characters are types as well as individuals (we see them as imaginary characters but are also able to see them as people we can identify with in real life).Chaucer grew up among the last generations in England that used French as an official language. He has enriched English with borrowed words from any language that has come in his way.

It was from Italy that Renaissance came to England. Sir Thomas Wyatt (1503-42) let the renaissance into the English verse (poetry). He was a diplomat and was sent on many important missions to Italy and France. He brought from Italy  new poetic patterns popularized by Dante and Petrarch, the Italian poets. He introduced sonnets into English language. Sonnet is a poem of 14 lines He is called the father of English sonnets. He has written 32 sonnets which deal with Petrarchan love themes and are full of lyric grace and passion. Wyatt began the task of enlarging the scope (range) of English poetry. It was continued by his contemporary (the poet of his own time) Henry Howard, the Earl of Surrey. With Wyatt he was the co-founder of the English sonnet.

   

Henry Howard, Earl of Surrey (1517-47) is not such a prolific (producing large amounts of literary output) writer as Wyatt but his work is more varied in character. He wrote sonnets, lyrics, elegies, translations from the classics and other small poems in different measures. Though he uses sonnets he uses them in more natural style than Wyatt. In Surrey’s poems we find a love of nature which we do not easily find in Wyatt’s poems. His most important contribution to poetry apart from introduction of blank verse (unrhymed verse) and pastoral elegy (song of sorrow in a rural background) is the manner in which he has harmonized the measures introduced by Wyatt. The poetic effect of Wyatt and Surrey was felt only after their famous collection called ‘Tottel’s miscellany’ was brought out by a printer Richard Tottel in June 1557.This collection marks the beginning of modern English poetry. Renaissance attitudes influenced the literature of the Elizabethan period. Elizabeth came to the throne at a time when England was poor economically. She became a legend and won the hearts of the people. She encouraged art and Literature. The characteristic features of Elizabethan poetry are passion and an eye for beauty. Two poets who represent the best of Early Elizabethan poetry are Edmund Spenser (1552-1597) and his friend and patron Sir Philip Sidney. Sir Philip Sidney came from an aristocratic class and symbolized its values-taste, courtesy and culture. His poems are simple and delicate. His poems, sonnets do not contain any profound thoughts. Sometimes the poet’s expression is exaggerated but the emotion in it is genuine. He used sonnet as a medium to express his love. Sidney uses in his sonnets many expressions, metaphors, antitheses and much verbal elaboration. The structure is very compact. It is also noted for its note of simplicity. The poet’s passion is genuine but its expression is often exaggerated. Edmund Spenser symbolizes the beauty of renaissance. His period is filled with new learning of renaissance period. His poems are musical and filled with pictorial (words capable of evoking picture in the mind) quality. Spenser’s poems influenced other poems of the Elizabethan period. He influenced the poetry of Keats, Tennyson and W.B. Yeats .They followed his pictorial language. By now Elizabethan inspiration was declining. The subject matter of love was getting exhausted. There was a huge tendency to imitate the poets of their own age.  In such circumstances a new kind of poetry made its mark in a period when James ruled England after the death of Elizabeth.

Summary: Chaucer is considered the greatest poet of the 14th century. His appeal is not restricted only to the 14th century .His literary creations still retain their freshness as his characters are ordinary people from common life.  He used rhyming style in his poems. He made English language rich by adding new words that came his way. He popularized English language and made it the cultural language of England .He brought flexibility and conversational ease into his English poetry. Chaucer is praised as the morning star of English poetry. Sir Thomas Wyatt brought new verse techniques into English poetry from his travels abroad to Italy. He introduced sonnet, the 14 line poem into English language. He is called the father of English sonnets. Henry Howard the Earl of Surrey is the co-founder of sonnets with Thomas Wyatt. Their famous literary collection is brought out in the collection called Tottel’s Miscellany. The Elizabethan period was influenced by the attitudes of the Renaissance period. The two famous poets of the Elizabethan period are Edmund Spenser and his patron Sir Philip Sidney. Philip’s poems are simple and delicate without any deep thoughts in them .He uses sonnets to express his genuine feelings of love which seems exaggerated on the surface .Edmund Spenser brings out the beauty of Renaissance in his poems .His language is capable of creating images in our mind. His poems are full of music. His poems have influenced other poets of his time. So he deserves to be called a poet’s poet .Spenser was different from other poets in his treatment of love .He was greatly influenced by Chaucer and deserves to be called as the greatest poet next to Chaucer.

     

A reading list: On Indian Women Writers

Antharjanam, Lalithambika. Cast Me Out if You Will. Trans. Gita Krishnamurthy. Calcutta:  Stree Publications, 1998. Beauvoir, Simone de.  The Second Sex.  Trans. H.M.Parshley.  NY: Bantam and Alfred A. Knopj.inc, 1970. Chakravartee, Moutushi. “Isolation, Involvement and Identity: Indian Women as Autobiographers.” Indian Literature. 167(1995):           139-151. ---. “Gender, Relation and Difference in Psychoanalytic Perspective.” Feminist Social Thought: A Reader. Ed., Diana Tietjens Meyers. NY: Routledge, 1997. Desai, Neera. “Women’s Studies in India: An Overview.” Women’s Studies in India: Some Perspectives. Bombay: Popular Press, 1986. Dhawan, R.K. Writers of the Indian Diaspora. New Delhi: Prestige Books, 2001. Donaldson, Laura. De/colonizing Feminisms: Race, Gender and Empire Building. Chapel Hill: U of North Carolina P, 1992. Ferguson, Ann. “On Conceiving Motherhood and Sexuality: A Feminist Materialist Approach.” Feminist Social Thought: A Reader. Ed., Diana Tietjens Meyers. NY: Routledge, 1997. Freud, Sigmund.  An Outline of Psychoanalysis. Standard Edition. Vol. 23: (1940): 188. Friedman, Marilyn.  Autonomy, Gender and Politics.  London: OUP, 2003. ---. “Beyond Caring: The De-moralisation of Gender.” Feminist Social Thought: A Reader. Ed., Diana Tietjens Meyers. NY: Routledge, 1997. Greene, Gayle, and Copphelia Kahn. Eds., Making a Difference: Feminist Literary Criticism. London: Routledge, 1986. Gilligan, Carol. “In a Different Voice: Women’s Conceptions of Self and Morality.” Feminist Social Thought: A Reader. Ed., Diana Tietjens Meyers. NY: Routledge, 1997. Harish, Ranjana. Indian Women’s Autobiographies. New Delhi: Arnold, 1993. ---. The Female Footprints. New Delhi: Sterling Publishers, 1996. Heilbrun, Carolyn G. Writing a Woman’s Life. NY: Ballantyne Books, 1988. Iyengar, K.R.Srinivasa.  Indian Writing in English. 1962; 5th edition. New Delhi: Sterling, 1985. Jacobus, Mary.  Ed., Women Writing and Writing about Women.  NY: Barners and Noble, 1979. Jain, Jasbir. Women’s Writing: Text and Context. Jaipur: Rawat Publications, 1996. ---. “Gender and Narrative Strategy.” Between Spaces of Silence: Women Creative Writers. Ed., Kamini Dinesh. New Delhi: Sterling, 1994. Jelinek, Estelle C. Ed., Women’s Autobiography: Essays in Criticism. Bloomington: Indiana UP, 1980. Jopling, David A. Self Knowledge and the Self.  London: Routledge, 2000. Juhasz, Suzanne. “Towards a Theory of Form in Feminist Autobiography: Kate Millet’s Flying and Sita; Maxine Hong Kingston’s The Woman Warrior.” Women’s Autobiography: Essays in Criticism.  Ed., Estelle C. Jelinek. Bloomington: Indiana UP, 1980.  Kakar, Sudhir. Culture and Psyche: Selected Essays. New Delhi: OUP, 1997. Kaplan, Cora and David Glover. Gender: The New Critical Idiom. London: Routledge, 2000. Meyers, Diana Tietjens. Ed., Feminist Social Thought: A Reader. NY: Routledge, 1997. Miller, Jean Baker. Towards a New Psychology of Women. Boston: New Beacon Press, 1997. Nancy, Friday. My Mother, My Self. Glasgow: Fontana, 1990. Parikh, Indira J and Pulin K. Garg. Indian Women: An Inner Dialogue. New Delhi: Sage, 1989.  Personal Narratives Group Ed., Interpreting Women’s Lives: Feminist Theory and Personal Narratives. Bloomingdale: Indiana UP, 1989. Peterson, Linda H. “Institutionalizing Women’s Autobiography: 19th Century Editors and the Shaping of an Autobiographical Tradition.” The Culture of Autobiography: Construction of Self-Representation. Ed., Folkenflick Robert. Stanford: Stanford UP, 1993. Ramamurthy, K.S.  The Rise of the Indian Novel in English. New Delhi: Sterling, 1987.  Rich, Adrienne. Of Woman Born: Motherhood as Experience and Institution.  NY: Norton, 1976. Rowbotham, Sheila. Woman’s Consciousness, Man’s World. England: Penguin, 1973. Ruddick, Sara. “Maternal Thinking.” Feminist Social Thought: A Reader. Ed., Diana Tietjens Meyers. NY: Routledge, 1997. Ruthven K.K. Feminist Literary Studies: An Introduction. Cambridge: Cambridge UP, 1984. Singh, Mohinder. “The Search for Feminine Integrity.” Indian Book Chronicle. Jan. 1981. Sunder Rajan, Rajeshwari. Real and Imagined Women: Gender, Culture and Post-Colonialism. NY: Routledge, 1993. Sanders, Mark A. “Theorizing the Collaborative Self: The Dynamics of Contour and Context in the Dictated Autobiography.” New Literary History. 1994: 25. Tharu Susie and K.Lalitha. Ed., Women Writing in India: 600 B.C. to the Early Twentieth Century. Vol.1. New Delhi: OUP, 1991. ---. Women Writing in India: 600 B.C. to the Present Vol. 2. Delhi: OUP, 1993.

Gently Falls the Bakula by Sudha Murthy

Gently Falls the Bakula is a story written by Sudha Murthy in the milieu of traditional 1980s which is relevant even today. It is Murthy’s first novel and remains close to her heart. The story probes the values and ethics of modern life and marriage. Murthy has the knack of writing about issues much debated about and still adds fresh perspective to it. In the process, she compels us to take a look at age-old values and the dissonance of gender inequality with in the Indian society. The idea of woman recognizing her own individuality and seeing her worth beyond that of a wife is explored in a very realistic way in an Indian context.

Bakula is a tiny flower which has no attraction when in comparison with an elegant rose or a fragrant champak. Yet it holds a special place in the hearts of Shrikant and shrimati in the novel as it was the tree under which their love for each other bloomed. Star students of their school, off-spring of acrimonious neighbors in a small neighborhood of Hubli in North Karnataka; no one would expect them to fall in love with each other. The dashing Shrikant and charming shrimati are competitors in their studies but soul-mates in love. Despite stiff opposition from their respective families, their marriage boat sails gently on the benign ocean of love. Shrikant is quickly absorbed into IT sector and starts climbing the corporate ladder to success. Shrimati settles down uncomplainingly into the role of a dutiful corporate wife while abandoning her academic aspirations. Things come to head one day when shrimati meets her old history professor and examines her life. Her life is strangely empty and devoid of any verve or color. She wonders where her passion, curiosity and zest to live her life to the fullest have fled.

Shrimati had given up her career aspirations to marry Shrikant. Moreover, she never gets accepted as a daughter-in-law because of family feud going back many decades. She does not come from a wealthy family. It is her effort, sacrifice and support that lets Shrikant reach the pinnacle of success. By the time shrimati takes stock of the situation, it is too late. She has neither children to fill her life nor love of Shrikant to sustain her. It makes her question her life-choices and whether her sacrifices have been worth it. Why is it that in every culture woman has to make sacrifices to keep aloft her family while the man forges ahead in his career? Are women happy with their choices? If not, how can they turn their life around?

Shrimati was an achiever, the topper of her class with razor- sharp brain. She had studied History for the love of it and held a full scholarship for a PhD program in USA. In spite of her sacrifices, she gets treated shabbily by Shrikant. With his sprint towards his goal, Shrikant can only dimly perceive Shrimati as his soul-mate while beholding her as a glorified secretary. Being childless and denied permission by Shrikant to adopt a child only adds to her woes. Shrimati embodies countless spouses who according to Indian tradition sacrifice their career aspirations for the sake of the family. Much is written and spoken about emancipation of women, career choices, freedom to pursue their vocation etc but scratch the veneer; you will find nothing has changed. An Indian woman is still responsible for the upkeep of her home, family and children with no slack accorded even if employed. She becomes a super woman, a super mom and a super wife to balance her home and career. It is true in the case of 80% women in India.

Murthy’s story telling technique reminds one of R.K. Narayan as using a very simple yet refreshing language she weaves a visual treat with her words, for the reader. It is as if the story is being enacted. She focuses on very realistic and simple life situations one could relate to. Reading her novel is like interacting with her personally. She very beautifully blends the pastoral life of Hubli-Dharwad and mechanical, fast-paced life of Mumbai in her novel. While neither justifying one nor glorifying the other, Murthy very realistically holds mirror to traditional Indian society. She forces us to introspect on the choices we have made or the choices that made us who we are today. Somewhere or the other, Murthy has left a subtle warning against those of us women who allow family commitment and responsibilities to overcome our own aspirations.

Anita Nair's Creative Works

Nair has written novels, short stories, children’s novels, a book of poems, collected myths and fables of India and the World. She has written articles and edited others’ articles. These creative works reveal Anita Nair’s versatility. Her creations include: Satyr of the Subway & Eleven Other Stories (1997),  Malabar Mind (1997), The Better Man (2000),   Ladies Coupé (2001), Puffin Book of World Myths and Legends (2004), Mistress (2005), Adventures of Nonu, the Skating Squirrel (2006),  Living Next Door To Alise (2007), Goodnight and God Bless (2008), Magical Indian Myths (2008), Lessons In Forgetting (2010).

Satyr of The Subway: Urban Tales was first published in 1997 but re-revised in 2006, where the writer has revisited her characters or situations long after she first visited them. It consists of twelve stories, each worked around a dramatically different situation ranging from the mundane to the bizarre. It traverses the entire gamut of human emotion, penetrating in their insight into male-female relationships and seriously funny in their take on the futility of expectations-from life or from lovers. (Back cover).

Malabar Mind, Anita Nair’s debut collection of poems, explores the real and the corporeal, landscapes and mindscapes with a rare fluidity of ease. From the quirky symbol of toddy shops in Malabar - a full bottle of toddy crowned with a red hibiscus - to the stressed drone of television newscasters during war time, from the apathy of non-stick frying pans to the quiet content of cows chewing cud, Anita Nair rakes through the everyday, seizing an unusual moment. And then she turns them into metaphors that cast a glow, suffusing ordinary things with extraordinary dimensions, capturing the strength and resilience of life.  It is like a poem in parts, rich with rhyme, rhythm and alliteration. (anitanair.net)

 A Better Man is Anita Nair’s debut novel which is an excellent effort. It is a novel written by a woman with a man’s sensibility, a man’s perspective. It is a realistic description of the violence and conflict lying underneath the deceptively calm surface of village life. It is a straightforward tale set in a village in Kerala. It is perhaps the only novel written by a woman which is not about an Indian woman. (Naik, 2001).  Nigam writing for India Today declares The Better Man is the journey of a soul, the story of a retired government officer Mukundan Nair, who returns to his Kerala village. But this means coming face to face with his dead past, millions of grey shadows and ghosts of his dead mother and ancestors haunting and tormenting him. (Nigam, 2000). Anita Nair has proved her mettle by fathoming the deepest recesses of man’s psyche and depicting it realistically. It is a psychological novel which discusses the emotional strains and traumas undergone by the characters. In this context I term it a psychological novel.  Nair’s fiction conveys her vision of life: change is always possible; hope never dies; and happiness can be found. You just have to look for it and when you find it, take chances even if by doing so, the rest of the world might turn against you. The Better Man describes every individual’s attempt to better himself.

Ladies Coupe Anita Nair’s second novel has the main action taking place in a coupe/compartment reserved for women. It is a novel in five parts with each chapter laying bare the dark patch the woman has traversed to come to terms with her life, finding her life force and failings as she does so. Nair’s message is implicit with the viewpoint that when life hands out bitter lemon, it is in your hands to make it lemonade. As Davaseeli argues “There is a strong message of hope through change.” She portrays women who stay within the orbit of social ties and protest against injustice (Davaseeli, 2008).  Vasanthakumari asserts “All these lives form a kind of mirror in which Akhila sees her reflection made whole, she is clear about grasping the happiness she has a right to. Akhila was struck by the condition of individual lives.” (Vasanthakumari, 2008).   

Mistress, Anita Nair’s third novel, explores the depth of human relationships while in a parallel strand unravels the knot that marriage has become in the society. Mistress can be very demanding even when it is art (35). Mistress is the story of Koman’s art Kathakali and his life. It also includes the triangle, Radha, husband Shyam and travel writer Chris who arrives in Kerala to write about the famous Kathakali dancer Koman. Chris draws into his vortex of charm, not only Koman but Radha too. Radha’s unhappy yet trundling on marriage lies in shambles and any hope of making it work is lost forever when she moves away mentally and physically from her husband and embraces Chris, in whom “order and chaos exist together...”(9).. The narration in a stream of consciousness technique, moves back and forth unfolding the ins and outs of the personality of Radha and Shyam, laying them bare before our eyes, while introducing us to various characters who helped shape the personality of Koman.

Lessons in Forgetting, Anita Nair’s fourth novel is a beautifully told story of redemption, forgiveness and second chances. When we first see Meera, she is a carefully groomed corporate wife with a successful career as a writer of cookbooks. Then one day her husband fails to come home after a party and she becomes responsible not just for her children but her mother and grandmother, and the running of Lilac House, their rambling old family home in Bangalore. Enter Professor J.A. Krishnamurthy, or JAK, a renowned cyclone studies expert, on a very different trajectory in life. In a bedroom in his house lies his nineteen-year-old daughter Smriti, left comatose after a vicious attack on her while she was on holiday at a beachside town. A wall of silence and fear surrounds the incident—the grieving father is helped neither by the local police, nor by her boyfriend in his search for the truth. Through a series of coincidences, Meera and JAK find their lives turning and twisting together, with the unpredictability and sheer inevitability of a cyclone. And as the days pass, fresh beginnings appear where there seemed to be only endings. Crafted to echo the stages of a cyclone, Lessons in Forgetting is a heartwarming story of redemption, forgiveness and second chances. (anitanair.net)

Goodnight & God Bless spans a literary career of a decade. This wise and witty book offers an ironic take on nearly everything, drawing from the experiences of the author as a woman, mother, daughter, wife and writer. Peppered with deliciously amusing quotes, footnotes and other erudite diversions, mostly unnecessary and unabashedly trivia, it is the perfect book to keep by the bedside, to dip and delve into anytime. (anitanair.net) Anita Nair’s informal autobiography contains all her life’s smaller and bigger moments. On the surface this seems like a hilarious thought, as she takes us through some of her experiences. These range from humorous anecdotes of being introduced as some one’s ex-wife, to possessing common quirks and qualities with others with a common surname ‘Nair’. Anita writes of someone, “‘Cherian’s books called, beckoned and gestured quite rudely’ explicit of its overflowing sexual content just like sex comforters of red-light areas.” She has a way with words, the knack of wrapping up whole imagery in a few pithy words. The caring way and the care with which she has arranged the chapters, varied topics to pique one’s interest, footnotes to satisfy one’s curiosity, and her idea that books written in with metaphor adds on extra element of everydayness, makes her book special.

Anita Nair delineates roles men and women play, and at the same time sends out the message that they can rise above their roles (like an artist can rise above himself and be a character) and be their natural self instead of toeing the line that society has drawn for them. Though her novels seem to lean towards women’s problems, discussing women’s roles in society, she writes with both male and female perspective and transcends the boundaries of what is supposed as female fiction.