Postcolonial Feminist Theory: An Overview - Igcollege.org

Proceedings of National Seminar on Postmodern Literary Theory and Literature , Jan. 27-28, 2012, NandedAnother equally important women character in the novel is Masamai, the narrator’s mother.Masamai was initially married to Ithal Kamble, who leaves her when he discovers Masamai’s secualrelation with Hanmanta Limbale, a Patil and the landowner. Masamai was forced to leave her littlebaby and four year old son due to her liason with Limbale. Ithal Kamble remarried after thisseparation. The writer aplly comments on the difference between the man and woman in our society :“A man can eat paan and spit as many times as he likes, but the same is not possible for a woman. Itis considered wrong if a woman does that. Once her chastity is lost, it can never be restored” Out ofthe union of Masamai and Limbale the narrator is born.The narrator reflects on the dilemma of Masamai, which is in a way the dilemma of every womanwho loves and is lost. The reflections voice the situation of a dalit women who becomes a tool toassuage the lust of the powerful people: "Why did my mother say yes to the rape which brought meinto the world? Why did she put up witli the fruit of this illegitimate intercourse for nine months andnine days and allow me to grow in the foetus? Why did she allow this bitter embryo to grow?" (p. 37).After birth of the narrator, Limbale started avoiding Masamai and refuses to acknowledge the narratorhis son. The result of which was that Masamai had to take shelter in the house of Shantamai. The allaccepting and forgiving characteristic of woman is emphasized when the narrator comments that"only a mother and the earth can accommodate and stomach everything" (p. 37). The beauty of awoman becomes a curse for her if she is born in a low caste as she lias to constantly bear the assaultsof lustful people. The writer forcefully and realistically presents their condition in our caste governedsociety where they are taken as nothing more than tools for sexual gratification: "The Patils in everyvillage have made whores of the wives of Dalit farm labourers. A poor Dalit girl on attaining pubertyhas invariably been a victim of their lust. There is a whole breed born to adulterous Patils. There areDalit families that survive by pleasing the Patils sexually. The whole village considers such a house asthe house of the Patil's whore. Even the children born to her from her husband are considered thechildren of a Patil" (p. 38). Later Masamai becomes a keep of another Patil, Yeshwanlrao SidramappaPatil who is called Kaka and gives birth to eight children. Despite her liberality in sexual matters, sheis portrayed as a victim of the social order which makes the dalit women an easy prey to the licentiousupper caste landlords. The shift of allegiance from Kambale to Limbale and then to Kaka makes thenarrator vender about her life: "What sort of life had she been living, mortgaging herself to one ownerafter another and being used as a commodity? Her lot has been nothing but the tyranny of sex" (p. 59).The abject poverty and helplessness of these women made them surrender to the lust of Parels and theso-called illegitimate children were born out of such unions. In the Author's Note the writer calls her"not an adulteress but the victim of a social system" (P. ix) who has been raped by the upper castemen. Despite bearing so many children, she is not allowed to visit Kaka's house, who lives with hislegally wed wife and children in a big house. On rare occasions when she visits his house, she istreated I'ke an outcaste by the wife of Kaka, who does not hide her displeasure from her. Thus it is not349 PLTL-2012: ISBN 978-81-920120-0-1