A Multidisciplinary Research Journal - Devanga Arts College

servant-maid. On being constantly pressurized by her husband to cope with her new society and
having been used to the sophisticated life of her new society, in her new found freedom, she
acquires certain bad habits. As she is compelled by her husband to indulge in the social activities
much against her nature and traditional brought-up, she is psychologically affected to lose her
balance and she goes to the extreme of spending all her time in the parties and clubs.
The daughter being a school child begins to feel the long absence and long for the tender
care of her mother who spends all her time in the club and parties. The child becomes
uncontrollable and a problematic one which is not satisfied with the treatment and care of her
servant-maid. Manohar himself, who is responsible for the changes in her, is appaled to see her
terrible present condition. The traditional male in him springs upto question her and his way of
life perhaps by his new acculturation, Acquired habits ofcourse defeat his ego and pretence. He
cannot shut down his cultural and traditional background. In a similar manner, Nirmala’s
acquired culture spoils all her sterling qualities, making her almost a derelict.
A lady who is brought up in a traditional way cannot fit well in an ultra-modern society.
A psychological imbalance caused in Nirmala by a strange social situation leads to irretrievable
damages – to Nirmala and her family.
Having been victimized by the evil of the sophisticated and untraditional way of life,
Manohar resigns his job and takes her daughter to his Native place, Tiruchi, where her mother,
Rukkumani amma lives. Manohar brings up her daughter so carefully that she can play the
traditional role of a woman successfully. Being strict with her daughter and having insisted on
many doe’s and do’s right from her childhood, he thinks, he is getting her daughter, Sudha
prepared for a traditional life of an ordinary woman. She is not allowed to move outside her
house except to her school, to move with her neighbours and to talk to any one of the young
boys. Being confined to her father and grand mother Rukkumani Amma, a typical woman of
orthodox family, she is against playing the role of a traditional woman.
Studies reveal that both children and young adolescents acquire
patterns of behaviour similar to those of family members. Living
with parents who are nervous, anxious and lacking in a sense of
humour makes children highly nervous and subject to frequent
out bursts of temper.(Hurlock 353)