Exploitation and Deprivation of Women in Jayanta Mahapatra'S Poems

Exploitation and Deprivation of Women in Jayanta Mahapatra’s Poems
EXPLOITATION AND DEPRIVATION OF WOMEN IN JAYANTA

MAHAPATRA’S POEMS
Rita Shanthakumar
Lecturer, Department of
English, Cauvery College
for Women, Trichy.
Jayanta Mahapatra’s male dominated menfolk in need of sex. In the poem, the
world in Orissa believes in the reader can see the men folk being free
emancipation of women to be liberated having a wide ranging social life of
and considers them to be a human being immoral behavior and the prostitutes seek
and not as an object of sexual interest. for money by being as pleasure givers
From time immemorial women are forever but inwardly they are sad and
considered as the weaker sex, food giver, anxious to rush home to be with their
pleasure maker but never has her status families.
and dignity of being a woman respected in
the society and at home. Women are never “Perhaps their reminding
treated in par with men especially in the themselves of looked after children
state of Orissa wherein the poet gives an and of home;the shooting stars in
insight that patriarchal society plays a the eager darkness of return”.
major role wherein women are dumb and
silent bearers of humiliation and shame. Mahapatra considers the prostitutes
The denial of recognition and struggle for as a part of the society and an identity is
a social entity determines a psychological created by him as he deals with pain and
ambivalence of the patriarchy. Mahapatra agonizes the less unfortunate ones in
voices the staunch reality to the readers confronting the cultured society. In the
through his poems that women are not poem “Dawn at Puri” Mahapatra exposes
dolls but with persons to be dealt with the pathetic plight of the widows who are
humanitarian concern. He gives voice to left forsaken and jilted by the society.
the deep concealed emotion of the woman Even the widows are left behind to wait
because he feels that through literature the until the auspicious ceremony is over in
agonies, pain and frustration be given the temple. The poem evokes pity on the
recognition it deserves. part of the readers.
Mahapatra is able to foresee the mind “Their austere eyes

and feelings of the deprived prostitutes stare like those caught in the net”.
who are left forgotten in the society.
Society hardly cares about them. In the A simile is presented portraying the
poem “The Whorehouse at Calcutta widowed women’s plight to that of the
Street ” Mahapatra probes into the insight fishes caught in the net whose eyes stare
of the prostitutes that they are human patiently waiting to enter the temple.
beings who have left their families behind Mahapatra explores deeply the tragic
to earn money by giving pleasure to the situation and the mind of the widow who
Cauvery Research Journal, Volume 2, Issue 2, January 2009 121

Rita Shanthakumar
is in darkness after the death of her and the sexual needs of the strangers. In
husband is considered as a bad omen. In the poem “Lost” the speaker is addressing
the poem “A Missing Person” the woman to the woman whom he happens to fondles
talks to her own self as she has no one to her but his lover does not reciprocate her
talk to and a mild form of narcissism is love. The predicament of the lover is that
sketched by the poet wherein the lady falls he wants his desire to be met not wanting
in love with her own image and self love to know why she is far away from
is exposed. responding to his love. Physically he longs
for her to feel the pleasure of sex but he
Marriage, homemaking and child identifies himself as a misplaced watch as
rearing are some of the dictums that define their love turns out to be sour.
a woman. Man on the other hand is
regarded as a gift of God right from the Mahapatra is unhappy with the
ancient times.The birth of a male child is people of India for being so cruel to Indira
expected with great anxiety, love, smiles Gandhi. The outlook of the people and the
and celebration in India. Women are present condition of the country depresses
denied freedom and a widow becomes an the poet. He fondly remembers Indira
outcaste particularly in Orissa where a Gandhi who fell to the assasin’s bullet like
widowed woman must never join the Gandhiji having rendered invaluable
family members when it is dinner time. services to the country. In the poem “A
Sullen Balance” Mahapatra portrays the
At this juncture when the rules sacrifice of Mrs.Gandhi to keep our
become more rigid and strict, the younger country united but in turn she received her
generation is given an eye opener by end.
Jayanta Mahapatra claiming that women
must break the shackles of superstition, Mahapatra draws a keen insight of
narrow mindedness, suppression that have the silent woman who is left unknown and
been tied around them restricting their uncared and being treated as a toy in the
movements. hands of men. Mahapatra blames that
poverty is the root cause of prostitution in
In the poem “Hunger” the poet has India. In the poem “Slum” the protagonist
focussed the reality occurring in India sees an old whore on the road and looks
where poverty plays a pivotal role for a customer. Mahapatra exposes the fact
promoting sex to earn money. “Hunger” that the whore’s breasts look tired as she
involves the hunger of money to satisfy has exposed her breasts to the customers
physical hunger and the hunger for sex. in order to earn money for her living.
The reader is astounded to see the father of Mahapatra also depicts a lonely girl who is
the daughter allowing strangers to have as sad as her life being ruined as she had
sex with his own child. failed to lead a respectable life and hence
becomes a young whore. The poet portrays
The line “feel her, I’ll be back soon” the plight of women slum dwellers who
dumbfounds the reader with awe and are an expression of insolence and
disgust that money plays a major role in defiance painted on their faces. The truth
satisfying the physical hunger of the girl is well portrayed by the poet dealing with

Exploitation and Deprivation of Women in Jayanta Mahapatra’s Poems
the hidden women, women of the dark, the forsaken woman pointing out the fact
women of money, tortured women, that men are responsible and blamed for
penniless women and the atrocities faced their act of treating women as forgotten
by women from men exists from the members of the society.
ancient to the modern times. Women must
see the dawn of the light breaking the REFERENCE
darkness and need to be empowered to • The poetry of Jayanta Mahapatra
face the challenges in the male dominated (Third Revised and Enlarged Edition),
world enhancing life style and status in the By Bijay Kumar Das.
society for a bright future. Mahapatra’s • Indo Anglian Poetry by Ramji Lall.
characters well portray the true picture of

Exploitation and Deprivation of Women in Jayanta Mahapatra'S Poems

Uploaded by

Copyright:

Available Formats

Exploitation and Deprivation of Women in Jayanta Mahapatra'S Poems

Uploaded by

Document Information

Original Title

Copyright

Available Formats

Share this document

Share or Embed Document

Sharing Options

Did you find this document useful?

Is this content inappropriate?

Copyright:

Available Formats

Exploitation and Deprivation of Women in Jayanta Mahapatra'S Poems

Uploaded by

Copyright:

Available Formats

Exploitation and Deprivation of Women in Jayanta Mahapatra’s Poems

EXPLOITATION AND DEPRIVATION OF WOMEN IN JAYANTA

Mahapatra is able to foresee the mind “Their austere eyes

Cauvery Research Journal, Volume 2, Issue 2, January 2009 121

Cauvery Research Journal, Volume 2, Issue 2, January 2009 122

Cauvery Research Journal, Volume 2, Issue 2, January 2009 123

You might also like

Pfad - The Proxy pFad of © 2024 Garber Painting. All rights reserved.