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Question
What aspects of Indian society and history get highlighted in the poem?
Solution
Kamala Das is a great literary figure who writes on the status of women and sensitive issues of society. This poem reflects various aspects of Indian society and history. I believe this poem has the degree of feminine, depicting various aspects of women of different ages.
It shows that one woman can well understand another woman and can connect with her on a personal level, maybe that is why Kamala Das, unlike her brother, could empathize with her grandmother so much.
The women (great grandmother of Kamala Das) who once bestowed with jewels - sandals (for perfume) - oils -elephant rides which are all symbolic of her extravagant youth and her marriage to a prince, and then the sudden loneliness after his death within a year of their marriage, plucked all those flowers from her garland show the status of women in the society after the loss of their better half.
People used to get attached to their inherent heritage. Like the 300-year-old house of a poet who had an eternal connection with her great grandmother.
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RELATED QUESTIONS
What makes the depiction of a crumbling village house so authentic in the poem? Is this a common feature of most village houses in the context of rapid urbanization? Is the poet speaking from actual experience?
Does the poem bring out the contrast between tradition and modernity? Illustrate your answer with examples from the poem.
While the poet respected her grandmother’s sentiments of royal grandeur, we can also see that she revolts against it. Identify the lines which bring this out.
Which lines reveal the poet’s criticism of class distinctions?
Is it ‘selfishness’ and ‘callousness’ that makes the poet break her childhood promise to her grandmother of renovating the house? Why does she do nothing about rebuilding the house?
What do you understand of the conflict in the poet’s conscience?
