Mother-in-law
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January 27, 2019
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I find there is nothing new to learn
from their arrogance and their stories of the past refusal to admit the truth of anything
accept change, feeding the crows with balls of rice taken from her plate before she eats the first mouth lurching unsteadily into the garden staggering oil pebbles
the golden orioles flyaway, the crows pursue.
"It is for Swami," she says
"That is what Yogaswami has told.
You people all are gulping down your food
first before thinking of the gods;
it is our custom to give the first mouth to the gods the crows are the vahanam of Sank" she says
The crows flap about with waiting wings,
To swoop down with raucous beaks
picking at god-food. It is the daily dana.
Who am I to forbid the gods to feed at my pots and pans?
"Look the crows are coming right into the kitchen," I say.
"Yes, it is so every day now," the maidservant says. "Next time I will eat all. If you don't want,
Then I won't give."
The stray dog sniffs at the food sometimes, she
comes in muttring, 'No fish, no meat so even
dog will not eat."
She is pure vegetarian, won't touch
Jean Arasanayagam
In this poem, 'Mother-in-law' Jean Arasanayagam unveils the traditions and behaviour patterns prevalent in the Hindu Society and how as a young woman wholly westernised gets subjected to tremendous, unpleasant behaviour patterns quite foreign and peculiar to her.
Getting frustrated listening to the ancestral procedure inherited by the traditional Hindus. Refusing to accept new changes. Rejecting the truth they cling on to the Faith and Traditions of their ancestors.
"I find there's nothing new to learn from their arrogance and their stories of the past" - refusal to admit to the truth of anything accept change, feeding the crows with balls taken from her plate before she eats the first mouth..." and their chutzpah expecting everyone to follow their traditions. The young daughter-in-law hates to see her mother-in-law chasing away the golden orioles giving priority to crows.
"... taken from her plate before she eats the first mouth,
lurching unsteadily into the garden staggering on the pebbles,
the golden orioles fly away, the crows pursue."
She takes pleasure in condemning other cultures
"You people are all gulping down your food,
first before thinking of the gods,
it is our custom to give the first mouth to the gods
the crows are the "vahanam of Sani" she says."
The mythical belief rooted in the old woman
The poet has specifically emphasised the old woman's mentality and the young woman's attitude towards mythical belief rooted in her mother-in-law in an ironic manner.
"Look the crows are coming right into the kitchen."
The mother-in-law's traditional vegetarian food style does not please the young daughter-in-law and her attitude towards non vegetarians treating them as 'flesh eaters.'
"You are all flesh eaters," she says with disdain.
The mother-in-law's attitude towards 'flesh eaters' reflecting her hatred for such people.
"Flesh eaters. I, said flesh eaters?" Those are people who eating human flesh no. In
Africa they are called cannibals."
The mother-in-law self pitying unable to continue her argument further compels them to send her to a 'Home for the Aged.'
"Beggars, I am old dog. No use to anybody."
"If you all can't keep, put me in the naki madama, I will go there very good, very good" and her young family members treating her words as a joke.
... wait and see, in six weeks.
They will chase her away," chuckles with ironic glee..."
Jean Arasanayagam has revealed clearly and in picturesque manner, the rooted beliefs and social behaviour patterns and the insincerity in modern perceptions.
In spite of her being old, feeble and helpless the old mother-in-law trying to dominate the whole family is emphasised in logical manner and her attempt to bring before the readers the usual conflict between an old-mother-in-law and a young daughter-in-law, alien and indifferent to old Hindu traditions.
The mother-in-law's relentless ambition to dominate the entire family by the power of her words. The poet, depicting clearly and descriptively the outcome of evil attitudes and false superiority in effective and dramatic manner.
"They said wait and see, in six weeks
they will chase her away," chuckles with
ironic glee, that the prophesy has not been
fulfilled does not move to her on whit."
The poet's diction style, simple and direct and appropriate wording keeping the images created whimsically alive.
Mrs. C. Ekanayake,
Retd. Specialist Teacher Eng.
Christian meat, egg, fish:
"You all are flesh eaters," she says with disdain. "Achchi, do not call us flesh eaters," says the grand daughter. "Flesh eaters? I said flesh eaters? Those are people-who ar eating human flesh no InAfrica they are called cannibals. I did not say. Ohfright then I am eating eating all day fish and meat and purging, purging." Raises her voice becomes deaf to rationale. "Begging bowl ! Beggars. I am old dog. No use to anybody, Can't scrap a coconut halfeven. Yes, yes., they said let them keep her now now it is his turn. They said first you must ask permission from the lady of the house. It is the son's duty to look after the mother. It is not the duty ofthe son-in-law. If you all can't keep, put me in the naki madam. I will go there, very good, very good; they said wait and see, in six weeks they will chase her away." chuckles with ironic glee. that the prophecy, has not been fulfilled does not move her one whit. Her fingers flick sweetness to the tongue, her lips pucker with little gasps at chillie, her hands move over her food with the delicacyof fingers tracing alponas and kolam:
on the threshold oilier life the barren patch before the breaking structure of her house patterns that weave through the famine of herage into gnarled branches and withered leaves the grains going awry, the magic of ritual dispersed so that new rains come, no new harvests begin, and the scarecrows in the starving fields cry with toothless mouths to the parching wind. The purificatory rites she is reluctant to perforn. curving palm over forehead and broat to feel fire where there is only ice. "Fever 1 have today," she says "I won't take bath today, you all are very clean. Like Brahmins. Your servant maid, niso, is clean like lady of the house very sensitive no! Sometimes cleaner than house people . I am like a piece of stinking dried fish, kunu malu." Stings her haggard flesh with her own vituperation still the rubies like pomegranate seeds split her eat lobes, the skin now like brown kahata; and the brilliant in her right nostril glitters a vanishing beam of lost firefly. "Use coconut husk to scrub me," she says "but you will not make my skin white." She makes profound statementsabout the English language to Miyuki:
"English is the greatest language in the world, everybody in the world know Engtish Even in Africa' they al speak English no?" "Which country you are from?" she continues: "Japan?Ah! In Japan there is great pagoda. Did you know Toya Menka Kaisha? Where are you studying? You want to know who am I? I am their father's mother," she says pointing to the grandchildren. "My son luv marriage. They met in University. My son in England also luv marriage," pointing to a photographof her grandchildren she says with pride:
"Just like England children no?" "Old people", She says, "we are old people, we are from Jaffna. We are from the village. We have to come here to learn manners. Etiquette. We criticize everything . We never say thank you. We are only saying too much uppu in that and this. We do not praise." Her eyes sparkle with irony flicks us off like dust of her toes.
Jean Arasanayagam
In this poem, 'Mother-in-law' Jean Arasanayagam unveils the traditions and behaviour patterns prevalent in the Hindu Society and how as a young woman wholly westernised gets subjected to tremendous, unpleasant behaviour patterns quite foreign and peculiar to her.
Getting frustrated listening to the ancestral procedure inherited by the traditional Hindus. Refusing to accept new changes. Rejecting the truth they cling on to the Faith and Traditions of their ancestors.
"I find there's nothing new to learn from their arrogance and their stories of the past" - refusal to admit to the truth of anything accept change, feeding the crows with balls taken from her plate before she eats the first mouth..." and their chutzpah expecting everyone to follow their traditions. The young daughter-in-law hates to see her mother-in-law chasing away the golden orioles giving priority to crows.
"... taken from her plate before she eats the first mouth,
lurching unsteadily into the garden staggering on the pebbles,
the golden orioles fly away, the crows pursue."
She takes pleasure in condemning other cultures
"You people are all gulping down your food,
first before thinking of the gods,
it is our custom to give the first mouth to the gods
the crows are the "vahanam of Sani" she says."
The mythical belief rooted in the old woman
The poet has specifically emphasised the old woman's mentality and the young woman's attitude towards mythical belief rooted in her mother-in-law in an ironic manner.
"Look the crows are coming right into the kitchen."
The mother-in-law's traditional vegetarian food style does not please the young daughter-in-law and her attitude towards non vegetarians treating them as 'flesh eaters.'
"You are all flesh eaters," she says with disdain.
The mother-in-law's attitude towards 'flesh eaters' reflecting her hatred for such people.
"Flesh eaters. I, said flesh eaters?" Those are people who eating human flesh no. In
Africa they are called cannibals."
The mother-in-law self pitying unable to continue her argument further compels them to send her to a 'Home for the Aged.'
"Beggars, I am old dog. No use to anybody."
"If you all can't keep, put me in the naki madama, I will go there very good, very good" and her young family members treating her words as a joke.
... wait and see, in six weeks.
They will chase her away," chuckles with ironic glee..."
Jean Arasanayagam has revealed clearly and in picturesque manner, the rooted beliefs and social behaviour patterns and the insincerity in modern perceptions.
In spite of her being old, feeble and helpless the old mother-in-law trying to dominate the whole family is emphasised in logical manner and her attempt to bring before the readers the usual conflict between an old-mother-in-law and a young daughter-in-law, alien and indifferent to old Hindu traditions.
The mother-in-law's relentless ambition to dominate the entire family by the power of her words. The poet, depicting clearly and descriptively the outcome of evil attitudes and false superiority in effective and dramatic manner.
"They said wait and see, in six weeks
they will chase her away," chuckles with
ironic glee, that the prophesy has not been
fulfilled does not move to her on whit."
The poet's diction style, simple and direct and appropriate wording keeping the images created whimsically alive.
Mrs. C. Ekanayake,
Retd. Specialist Teacher Eng.
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