CHAPTER-V

THE IMAGE OF WOMAN

The women in India did not enjoy the privileges their counterparts had in

European countries. The condition of woman was in general backward at that

time and the status of the Indian woman was very low. The tradition-bound

Indian society was slow in accepting changes. Hence, there was not much of

an impact of the Women's Liberation Movements in India. Though the woman

was glorified in the Hindu texts and religion, she was in real life subservient

and was looked upon as a dependent. The attitude of the lndian society

towards woman was, in a way ambivalent. The Hindu Philosophies have

reiterated the superiority of man. But, at the same time woman was

considered as the 'essential' half. Samkhya philosophy considers woman as

the Divine Sakti, Advaita considers her as 'Maya', Tantric Philosophy extols

woman as the creator of the universe. Neverthless, there was a wide gap

between the theoretical status and actuality right from the beginning. As the

Hindu laws had prescribed a social structure and role for each community,

they had also prescribed familial roles and structure. Keen observers notice

that these norms have many objectionable aspects; the codes and rules

laid down for women were in accordance with the wishes of the patriarchal

society.

As Ursula King rightly points out: "The scriputes of all the world

religions, even those which assign a relatively high status to women -

contain passages expressing the subordination or inferiority of women, even

when the language is not explicitly anti-feminist" (1993: 43), and thus the

religions also contributed to the subordination of women. As Germaine Greer

observes, "Her value is solely attested by the demands she excited in others.

All she must contribute is her existence" (1971: 67). In the Hindu religion and

mythology women who were loyal and respected the authority of the

patriarchal society were idealized and praised, thus creating an expected

pattern of behaviour. According to Celly Anu, "The traditional concept of

femininity in India crystallizes the woman's role in relationship to others

especially to man and defines her role as a wife, mother, sister, daughter etc.,

depending on respective adaptability to all these successive stations in life"

(1 9931 0).

Treated as a non-entity, her desires and feelings were not respected

and her individuality was suppressed. The Hindu cultural tradition thus

envisaged a place of subordination and subjugation for women. Women

writers on sociology like Uma Shankar Jha, Arati Mehta, and Latika Menon

hold the opinion that the Hindu religious concepts are partly responsible for

this condition. "Women are conditioned to revere the father and serve the

husband as a devotee serves God. Devotion to the husband is cultivated

among girls of all religions, but it is particularly idealized and firmly

institutionalized in the Hindu concept of pativrta" (I 998: 123).

However, there was a great awakening after the introduction of

Western Education. The new education and the Western impact gave the

women an awareness of their abilities and rights, opened up new

possibilities for them and women started questioning the existing norms;

they demanded equality and a recognition for their individuality. However,

the conventional Hindu society did not immediately accept the new notions

and the women had to struggle hard to come to the forefront. Hence, in the

Post-independent period there were two categories of women-conventional

majority and a protesting minority.

Literature of the period reflected the contradictions that existed in the

society. It portrayed the glorification as well as the exploitation of women. It

also portrayed the emancipation of women. In the words of Dr.Yashodha

Bhatt:

There was- and perhaps it is there even today- a duality in the

projection of the image of woman in Literature. There are

deified archetypal images and there are also debased and

degraded images. Literature also portrays a few insurgent

minority who protest against the existing ills (I 993: X).

Both Raja Rao and L.S.Ramamirtham depict in their works, women

who* reflect the notions, ideals, codes and principles which shaped the

destiny of many lives in the South Indian families at that time. Raja Rao

gives a realistic picture of the Indian society of his period in his novels

and short stories. S.C.Harrex points out the realistic quality in Raja Rao's

stories: "Arousing compassion and presenting a clearly documented sense

of place and psychology, these stories are essentially humanist and

realist" (1988: 592). Raja Rao has portrayed accurately the condition of

woman in an orthodox milieu. Without open comments or statements, the

reader is made to understand about the social background from the

treatment of the woman and the reaction of the characters. . He presents

women from all strata of society. Akkayya and Javni are two memorable

characters from the whole gamut of Raja Rao's characters. They reflect the

pitiable plight of the widows in India in the early 2oth century. Akkayya

belongs to the brahmin family and Javni to the low caste. However, both of

them endure their fate silently. Akkayya, who becomes a widow at a very

young age, remains a dependent and a burden for others all through her

life. In fact, her death does not perturb but relieves the other members of

the family. The boy who narrates the story says, "we duly bathed, changed

our clothing, and after dinner we went to the cinema" (PR: 60). Again, no

one is ready to perform Akkayya's obsequies. Akkayya remains lonely all

her life. Her life would have been different had she married again, but such

a thought as remarriage would never enter their mind because it was a

practice unheard of at that time.

Javni's (PR) life is more pathetic. Through her, Raja Rao presents the

problems of the single woman in a low caste family. She is poor,

uneducated and simple. She is faithful, good, sensitive and sensible. She is

exposed to humiliation and ill treatment, as there is no one to protect her.

She, like the servants of the time, believes in caste division and is very

humble. She does not take liberties with her mistress. Frustrated by the

straining situation at home at one stage, she even thinks of committing

suicide, but gives up the idea as irreligious. Thus, the ill-fated women

accept their lot without any protest and continue to suffer.

Raja Rao's concern with social realism and the condition of women is

revealed in many of his short stories. Women at that time did not have the

right to choose their partners. Young girls were married off to old men and

widowers. . This situation is brought out well in Kanthapura, where

marriage offers come for Bhatta who is ready for the second marriage after

the death of his first wife: "[ ...I soon offers for marriage came to Bhatta from

here and there ... a thousand rupees cash and five acres of wet land

beneath the Sethur canal. And a real seven-day marriage" (K: 29).

A similar situation, in fact a more shocking one, is presented in "Akkayya",

where Akkayya is married to a very old man:

Minister Ramakrishnayya was an intelligent and able

administrator- having already lost his second wife. He was

intending to marry again .... Ramakrishnayya had never .'i

expected to marry the daughter of an ex-minister of Mysore

State; and he was so flattered with the proposal that he came

running and accepted the hand of Akkayya with becoming

humility and grace. Akkayya must have been about eight years

of age then and Ramakrishnayya, I can not well remember, but

his son already had three children of his own (PR: 47).

Through "Akkayya", he brings out the sad fact that women were treated as

mere commodities. Rati and Beti in "The Little Gram Shop", victims of

man's brutality, find no way to escape a violent partner and endure their

cruel treatment. This was a common scene in many families in the male

dominant society of the early 2oth century. Women were taught and trained

to be docile. Rati is the daughter of rich parents but her life after marriage

is dull and dross. She hopes and prays that her condition change for the

better but the gods fail her too. The society does not question the inhuman

treatment of her husband. Her brother does not even write to her. Her life

goes on lifelessly. Beti's case is not very different from that of Rati's. Raja

Rao has very competently and convincingly depicted the plight of many a

woman at that time, through these two characters. However, he portrays

not only suffering women but also the cunning and scheming type.

M.K.Naik observes, "Raja Rao is no dreamy-eyed romantic however, and

not all his women are angels or Griseldas. Narsiga's shrewish aunt and

Sata, the good Ramakrishnayya's widowed daughter, "greedy, malicious

and clever as a jackal ... these provide admirable foils to Javni and her i l k

(1 972: 49).

Raja Rao also pictures women taking part in the national movement

in Kanthapura. It is with the help of women that Moorthy, the Gandhi-man,

brings in a lot of change in the village. He has a good understanding of the

women in the village, talks to them in a friendly manner and with respect,

and tries to convince them. He creates an awareness in the villagers about

the freedom movement through Harikathas, which appeal specially to

women. He feels that by combining the religious with the political, he can

convince them. In Kanthapura, the author has tried to bring out how the

women came out from their domestic confinement for the first time and how

minor differences disappeared when they joined hands in such a major

activity.The portrayals of women in his early works reveal his social

consciousness and his concern about the sad plight of women.

In L.S.Ramamirtham's works also, there are a number of women

characters; in fact, his main focus has often been on woman. Through his

women characters, the reader can learn about the condition of women in

the early 2oth century. In L.S.Ramamirtham's Kalugu and in his short

stories like "Taya" and "Aravan", without any comment or observation, he

picturises the woman of his time. His short story "Tayi" brings out the

feelings of a woman whose husband had left her in the early days of their

married life. She lives with her brother. The embarrassment and pain felt by

her when people ask about her husband is brought out effectively in the

story. Women, who lost their husbands and women who did not live with

their husbands were considered unlucky during that period. Taya's

husband leaves her soon after marriage and she spends her days in the

hope that he would return one day. Her hopes are answered. One day

when she is about to give alms to the beggar at the door, she realizes to

her shock that it is her husband. In "Tays", through the conversations of

her sisters, the reader comes to know about the plight of women at that

time and about the male dominant Hindu society. In "Kannan", . . (Alaikal),

is described the sufferings of a woman who comes back to her brother's

house as a dependent after her husband's death. In his KaJuku, the

focus is on psychological problems of a woman who had become a

widow at a very young age. Ampi the protagonist runs away from home

because he feels that Kzmuppatti, . . the widow who brings him up, is

perverted and has a sadistic pleasure in exercising all her power on a boy

who had no one to protect him. She hurts the boy talking about the past.

There is also a hint that she tries to use the boy to satisfy her physical urge,

thinking that the boy would not realize. Ampi, when he leaves the house tells

Ksmuppaffi boldly, "No Grandma. Had you married again, you could have

become a better being. But it is a pity the society has "de-formed" you by

giving you the widow's attire ... "The society that does not allow us the

satisfaction of a life that is lived in a proper way" (Ka: 31).

In the same novel, through the character of Bala, he pictures the life of a

girl who is raped by some rogues when she is just a girl. Bala does not

overcome the shock for many years. The mother, unable to bear the

shock, is already dead. The father, when he narrates the incident, tells

Ampi with a heavy heart: "In Hinduism there is a belief that girls who die

before marriage are wedded to Lord Vishnu. Such a mantra is uttered in

their death rites. Like that Bala is also wedded to Lord Vishnu" (Ka: 206).

The father thinks that if Ampi marries her it will be a protection for the girl.

But Bala does not allow Ampi near her, as she had not forgotten the

dismal incident The father decides to give poison to her before his death.

Both of them have a sorrowful life and a sad death. The father's sorrowful

exclamation, "what other way do we have?" (Ka: 212) is really thought

provoking.

Most of the women characters in Raja Rao and L.S.Ramamirtham

cherish traditional notions. Influenced by Hindu myths and philosophies and

the cultural tradition they believed in patriarchal authority and are

submissive. In Kanthapura there are many traditional characters like

waterfall Venkamma, Narasamma, (Moorthy's mother) and Kamalamma,

who believe in caste-hierarchy and gender-hierarchy. Kamalamma's

daughter Ratna is modern in her views and she does not dress up like a

widow in spite of being one. Her mother Kamalamma scolds,her and the

village women talk ill of her:

[...I when she was asked why she behaved as though she

hadn't lost her husband, she said that that was no body's

business[ ...I but Kamalamma silenced her and called her a

shameless and wicked tongued creature and said that she

ought never to have been sent to school and that she would

bring dishonour to the house [...I and when Karnalamma was

gone they would spit behind her and make this face and that

and throwing a handful of dust in her direction, pray for the

destruction of the house" (K: 37).

In The Serpent and the Rope, the Little Mother remains. in her

husband's house even after his death and takes care of all the children.

She is very traditional woman. She thinks women must marry and give birth

to children: "The temple needs a bell ... and the girl a husband, to make the

four walls shine" (TSTR: 278). "Her womb is her life" (TSTR: 260). Even

Savithri, though educated abroad and is westernized socially is traditional

in her outlook and views on marriage. Savithri tells Rama, " 'And I would go

round you three times, once, twice, thrice and fall at your ash-coloured feet,

begging that the Lord might absorb me unto himself ... I am a woman'. she

added hesitantly, 'a Hindu woman"' (TSTR: 21 1). And it is this traditional

outlook that appeals to Rama. In The Cat and Shakespeare too, there are

two or three women characters, Shantha, Tangamma and Saroja. All the

three characters are typical Indian wives. Tangmma, Govindan Nair's wife,

is traditional, ever offering coffee to her husband and his friends; Saroja,

Ramakrishna Pai's wife is materialistic and complaining; and Shantha,

Ramakrishna Pai's love, is affectionate, loving and caring.

Most of L.S.Ramamirtham2s women characters are traditional too.

They have no other desire than to do their domestic work, help the

husband, serve his parents and have a peaceful home. The life of Hindu

women in the early 2othcentury was patterned in this manner. The woman

had neither the freedom to choose a partner nor the right to free herself

from an irresponsible one. L.S.Ramamirtham pictures the life of the

traditional woman in many of his stories. In "~arafikini", Taraf ik i~i narrates

how her mother used to suffer because the father was irresponsible,

leaving his wife on and off without informing her or providing for her. His

"M3yam2nU presents a different situation. The wife philosophically accepts

the extra-marital relationship of her husband with the cook. She justifies

her husband's action on the ground that she is sick and cannot give him a

happy life. She says she had to take into consideration the demands of his

youth. "PZykatall' is another story where a woman expresses her feelings

through a letter to her husband who is away on the first DiwZli day after

their marriage. The wife is not allowed to go to her house, as is' the

custom because the husband is away. The wife begins the letter in a

complaining tone but ends it with a note of acceptance. She writes;

"Family is a 'P2rkatalJ[sea - . of milk]. Goddess Lakshmi,

lravatham and Uchravas - all came only from that. Only from

that did I get you. The poison Alakala came from that and the

elixir which is the antidote of poison also came from that very

same sea of milk" (Ava!: 51 1).

The short stories "PUra?ifl and "Putra" bring out how women were devoted

to the husband and his family. The mothers in both the stories recollect

how they had taken care of the family with devotion and attachment.

Both the writers show how some of the characters, even if they

question the existing set-up, do not show their feelings outwardly because

of the patriarchal system. Saroja and Sukumari in The Serpent and the

Rope reflect this type of Woman. Saroja's grumble, "We girls are thrown to

other families as the most intimate, the most private of our clothes are

thrown to the dhobi on Saturday morning1' (TSTR: 259), exposes her

frustration about the condition of women. Saroja and Sukumari represent

women who seek freedom for expression and freedom of choice regarding

career, life-partner etc., but are restricted by the social convention and

family set up.

P%rkavils husband in L.S.Ramamirthamls "PZirkavi", is irresponsible and

dishonest. Her mother-in-law insults her because she is not blessed with a

child. Life is miserable for her because husband does not bother about her

feelings. When she hears about the death of her husband she ponders over

their relationship: "I have a doubt. When I think of my husband do I think of

him as 'avar' (They-respectful plural) or avan (he) or atu (it)?" (Itakal: 133).

Through this the author conveys that a woman does not respect a man simply

because he is her husband; she will only be contemptuous of such an

unworthy man. However, she is not able to show her anger outwardly,

because of the patriarchal set up. In Ps~katal, "Putra", and "Pfirani" and in

many other stories through the portrayal of the life of women, he has given

a picture of the patriarchal society, the joint family system and the social

conventions that restricted the freedom of women.

However, the major concern of Raja Rao and L.S.Ramamirtham is

not social realism. Both the writers are more concerned with the

metaphysical aspects of life. In his early short stories and his first novel

Kanthapura, Raja Rao's focus is on society and the condition of women at

that time. Nevertheless, there is a shift of focus from the social to the

metaphysical in his later novels and short stories. Hence, the writer

concentrates more on the experience of the individual and the evolution of

the character.

Raja Rao has often been praised for his skilful delineation of

characters. Celly Anu points out that "Raja Rao traces the delicate

contours of human mind and personality, with amazing skill and also

examines the warp and woof of inter-personal relationship with a sensitive

hand" (1995: 1). Even in his early writings, in spite of his concern with

social realism the characters are not flat, but are well defined. Raja Rao

has brought out the individuality of the characters and has rendered them a

true to life quality by portraying their personalities - by their conversations,

their opinions about life and marriage, and their comments on people. The

character of Little Mother in The Serpent and the Rope is one such well-

defined character. She remains in her husband's house even after his

death, and takes care of all the children. She does not shirk from her

responsibilities. Most women were expected to do this and were doing it at

that time. But, the Little Mother is different in that she accepts her fate

philosophically without grudging about it. She treats Rama and the girls as

her own children. She is friendly with Rama, writes letters to him, informs

him of the family matters and asks for his suggestions when she needs

them. She is sincere and devoted. Little Mother might be uneducated and

simple but she has a great strength of character and motherly affection,

which binds the family together. As Dr.Nagarajan rightly comments, "Little

Mother's life illustrates the more balanced and sober view of marriage in

tradition" (1 988: 61 1).

Raja Rao has portrayed the characters of Savithri, Madeleine,

Jayalakshmi, Suzanne and Mireille with a psychological insight. He depicts

the female characters with an understanding of the feminine sensibility.

Raja Rao describes the different aspects of Madeleine's (TSTR) character-

her moods, attitude, her perception of life, which render individuality to the

character. She, unlike a European, is very sensitive about physical

contacts and touches and this suits Rama, who has a similar attitude. She

is good, loyal and compassionate. She attends to the smallest needs of

Rama and respects his sentiment. She cooks what she thinks would

please him. Madeleine's feelings, her anger, her expectations, her

possessiveness, her desires and disappointments - in fact, every aspect of

her character has been brought out very effectively by Raja Rao.

Madeleine's views on religion, life and India are presented through

discussions and conversations. She differs from Rama in her notions, and

the failure of their relationship is due to these individual and cultural

differences. She is not able to reconcile to the male-oriented outlook of

Rama, who expects the feminine to be subordinate to him. She is not able

to satisfy Rama like a traditional Indian Hindu woman who could think of

her husband as her Lord. Madeleine is juxtaposed with Catherine, who is

not philosophical like Madeleine. "Catherine is a prototype of a woman for

whom happiness lies in a home and a hearth, and who der ives true

happiness by making undemanding efforts for the happiness of others"

(Anu, 1995: 55).

Savithri is another memorable character in The Serpent and the

Rope. She is the daughter of a Raja, engaged to Pratap, a friend of Rama,

but unwilling to marry him. Rama has been asked by Pratap to convince

Savithri and get her consent for the marriage. Raja Rao descr ibes the

beauty and the lively nature of Savithri. She is appealing though n o t very

beautiful. She lives in the present and enjoys herself wherever and with

whomever she is. "She is herself and in herself at all times" (Raine,

1988: 604). When Rama and Savithri meet each other, they fall in love.

According to Kathleen Raine, "Rama and Savithri do not so m u c h fall in

love as recognize in one another an eternal love without begin,ning o r end"

(Raine,1988: 604). Rama and Savithri consider each other as an "ideal

partner". Savithri, like a traditional Hindu wife, considers Rama as her Lord

and Rama considers her as a part of himself: "She became the awareness

behind my awareness, the leap of my understanding. I lost the w o r l d and

she became it" (TSTR: 172). Savithri is philosophical in nature and this

differentiates her from other women. According to Celly Anu, "her

importance lies in entering the pure realm of love where the ego is dead

and man achieved salvation" (1 995: 101 ).

Savithri and Madeleine of The Serpent and the Rope seem to come

back as Jayalakshmi and Suzanne of The Chess Master and his Moves.

Savithri and Jayalakshmi stand for the ideal and the traditional. Madeleine

and Suzanne are also similar in many ways. Both of them are shy and

sensitive about touch and relationship, very understanding and attending to

the needs of the husband. But Madeleine and Suzanne are independent,

having an identity of their own. They do not lose their identity and become

one with the hero whereas Jayalakshmi and Savithri surrender absolutely

to their partners, Sivarama and Rama respectively. Hence, when the

marriage breaks, Madeleine turns towards Buddhism and practices

austerity, whereas Suzanne changes her attention from Sivarama to

Michael.

The minor women characters in The Chess Master and his Moves

are also portrayed effectively. Urna is a typical, Indian sister who admires

her brother and is also possessive of him. She hopes her brother will help

her to get the expert treatment in France, which would enable her to have a

child. By bringing out the desires, anguishes of Uma, her love for her

brother, her observations about European and Indian culture, Raja Rao

brings before us the typical woman in a South Indian Brahmin family.

Raja Rao has a deep insight into the feminine sensibility and is alive

to the beauty of women and exhibits a close knowledge of small and big

problems of women, their perception of lives and has given expression to

all that in his portrayal of women. In Raja Rao's novels and short stories

there is a wide range of women characters- educated, uneducated, village

women who gossip, women who are active, loyal and faithful and

intellectuals like Madeleine, Savithri, Mireille, Suzanne and Irene.

Kathleen Raineobsewes, "I know of no contemporary author whose

understanding of women is full of beauty and depth and love as is Raja

Rao's" (1988: 605).

L.S.Ramamirtham is also more concerned with metaphysical truths

than with social realism. His short stories and novels analyze the nature of

life. More than the society he is interested in the individual. By telling the

story in a flash back method using the stream of consciousness technique,

he brings out the inner desires, frustrations and questions in human mind.

His works reveal an unerring understanding of women, their problems, their

expectations and their likes and dislikes.

L.S.Ramamirthamls focus is on the individual rather than on society

as a whole. In his works he depicts the feelings and emotions of the

individuals. Parkavi (Italka!) tries to endure the ill treatment of her mother-

in-law patiently as she does not have a home to go back. Her mother is

dead and she does not want to trouble her old father. She is very sensitive

and recollects how as a child she used to question her father about flowers

that do not bloom. Father, being conventional, thinks it is inauspicious for a

girl to talk about flowers that do not bloom. She compares herself to a

flower that does not bloom. Thus by juxtaposing the past and present the

writer throws light on the predicament of Parkavi, after marriage. The

mother character in "Putra" is another finely depicted character. Being very

sensible, she understands the good qualities of her mother-in-law, and has

great pleasure in serving the mother-in-law. But, she is not submissive like

the traditional characters. She is stronger than her husband and takes care

of him. She is very open in her comments. In L.S.Ramamirtham, each

character is an individual. With a deep insight, he brings out the inner

feeling and desires of women characters. Sruti is possessive of her

husband. The husband who cannot bear such expression of love decides

to leave her. E~s, (Anjalr) is a wonderful creation of L.S.Ramamirtham. - EkZ is pure as the sky (her name is symbolic) loving, innocent, noble and

pure. When she dies, her mother-in-law tells her son, "Eka is not dead.

She has become one with the sky. It is better that she died rather than

being like this. It is good for her also. Only Our follies are our support"

(Anjali: 256). In his En Piriyamulla . . cinekitanukku, Anu, the heroine, like

Nalayini, by sheer prayer and determination, brings her husband back to

life. The strength of her love gives life to her husband. Through the

delineation of Anu's character, L.S.Ramamirtham brings out the power of

love and determination. His concept of the feminine which he has imbibed

from the Hindu religion and culture is discernible in his portrayal of women.

Many such traditional women feature the short stories of

L.S.Ramamirtham. They have all the characteristics of submissive wife -

"beauty, passivity, acknowledged inferiority to the husband and complete

obedience to his commands" (Ferguson, 1973: 11). Tikgiyani (Paccai)

does not even visit her family because it would displease her husband.

~arariki!i (AW~ is a lovable character, who asks her husband to marry

another woman because she can not give birth to a baby. Knowing her

husband's past, his sufferings she is ready to sacrifice her happiness,

though she herself had an unpleasant past. Most of L.S.Ramamirthamls

works reflect the author's traditional outlook. There is only one novel where

he seems to justify a woman who decides to live without her husband.

K6mati (Kal Cirikkiratu) tries to correct her husband who is irresponsible,

wastes all his money and does not bother about his wife and children.

After bitter experience and after the realization that the husband would

never become responsible, she lives separately with her children. In "Tail1,

and "Parivaft~m" the wives leave their husbands because of their

selfishness but only spoil the peaceful and happy family atmosphere and

their own happiness. The short stories prove the writer's traditional notions

about the role of women.

L.S.Ramamirtham confines himself to women in the traditional Hindu

family, but within this short sphere, he gives a variety of women characters.

Some are compromising, submissive and affectionate and others

materialistic, quarrelsome, short tempered, egoistic and unfaithful. The

wives of the protagonists in "Kastiri" and "Saptavsti" are unfaithful to their

husbands. The heroine in "~ikku!i" is too egoistic to bear the compliments

paid for her husband. The mother in "TGtu" is very materialistic and

quarrelsome. The wife in "Tai" is very selfish and stubborn.

L.S.Ramamirtham does not paint the characters red or white.

They are true to life. The mother-in-law might be dominant and

extracting work from the daughter-in-law but not altogether bad and

inhumane. His stories present family situations with varied characters

having different attitudes and moods. That is why they are humane and

realistic.

Both L.S.Ramamirtham and Raja Rao present the traditional women in

their works, which demonstrate the novelists' concept of the feminine

principle. Both of them seem to believe in the Hindu religious concept that the

female principle complements and completes the male. They believe that man

can do nothing without woman and that the world would lose its meaning

without woman. According to them, "woman is the miracle who makes man's

life meaningful". Sivarama in The Chess Master and his Moves says, "The

woman is a miracle. She subsumes you with her presence and makes you

know yourself'(TCMM: 44-45). Both the writers respect woman and

womanhood.

As Shyamala Naryan observes, 'Rao's view of life is too inclusive

to be tied down to anyone system , and in Raja Rao's portrayals of women

one can see the influence of Samkhya Philosophy, Advaita Philosophy and (19sa : 4 8 )

also Tantric Philosophy./ Sage Yagnyavalkya's utterance, which is

repeated in several places in The Serpent and the Rope brings out his

conviction that one can realize the self through the Union with the other:

"for whose sake, verily, does a husband love his wife. Not for the sake of

his wife, but verily for the sake of the self in her" (TSTR: 26). The same

idea is reiterated in The Cat and Shakespeare through Shantha: " ' 1 say, to

say I love you is to say I love myself' 'Who said so Shantha?' 'Sage

Yagnyavalkya said so"' (TCS: 82). The influence of Tantric philosophy

could be perceived in his glorification of women. As Dayal observes,

"The exaltation of woman in The Serpent and the Rope has Tantric

connotations. In this novel, woman is personified as a goddess and she

is considered "the priestess of God". Raja Rao's principal characters

idealize their beloveds and worship them as the emblems of Sakti or the

Female Principle" (1991:32). One can find this glorification of the Female

Principle in The Cat and Shakespeare also. However the major influence is

that of Advaita, and advaitic notions of woman, and man-woman

relationship is spread through the novel. Rama's conviction in the non-

dualistic philosophy is revealed in every statement and conversation:

'If you become me, then there is no problem'

'How so?'

'Then you, become me will be the real Savithri'

'And who's the Satyavan?'

'The self, the Truth,' I said, ...( TSTR: 365)

'Man sees himself in woman as essence, the fact of

womanhood is the meaning of life' (TSTR: 172).

Similarly L.S.Ramamirthamls "Janani" brings out the author's belief in

the advaific conception of man-woman relationship. Lord Siva tells Janani

that it is time for her to join him. He says, "though you are me, I can only

remain myself. I can only be myself. I can not become you. Only you can

become me. The nature is such that I can not change myself' (Ava! : 158).

Rama (TSTR) thinks that "all the world is spread for woman to be and

in making us know the world woman shows that the world is oneself seen

as the other." Thus, the woman is the activating principle. A woman who

helps the man to realize the self in him would be his ideal partner according

to Rama. Rama considers Savithri to be his ideal partner because he says,

"Savithri proved that I could be In(TSTR: 172). According to him,

"Buddhism, died in India because it became ascetic and so denied

womanhood its right to exist." (TSTR: 172) Rama sees woman in

everything :

Woman is the earth,air, ether,sound. Woman is the microcosm

of the mind, the articulation of space, the knowing in

knowledge; the woman is fire, movement, clear and rapid as

the mountain streams; the woman is that which seeks against

that which is sought. To Mitra she is Varuna, to lndra she is

Agni, to Rama she is Sita, To Krishna she is Radha"

(TSTR: 357).

Thus, he sees woman as the ideal partner, activating power and as all

pervading. The same idea has been expressed in The Cat and

Shakespeare also. The narrator Ramakrishna Pai exclaims, "Lord, how

beautiful thou hast made woman! She tells you. If woman were not

would you know you were? Shantha said: "You" and I saw I" (TCS: 32).

Rama admires the woman in the Little Mother. In Madeleine and

Savithri also he finds the different lovable aspects of woman. Similarly, for

motherhood in their novels and short stories. Both of them write on the

greatness of motherhood.

Celly Anu observes, "The most prominent image of womanhood

reflected in the lndo Anglian Literature is that of a mother" (1995: 67).

The mother in the Indian tradition is selfless, affectionate and devoted to

her children. She sacrifices her pleasures for her children. The literary

tradition preserves this concept of mother. Mother's selfless love and

the child's longing for mother's love are given repeated expression in

Indian Literature. In the works of Raja Raoand L.S.Ramamirtham also

motherhood is eulogized. In Raja Rao and L.S.Ramamirtham there is a

yearning for the love of the mother and a recollection of the childhood

with mother. The Serpent and the Rope begins with Rama pondering

over the nature of life and death and his recollection of the death rites he

performed for his mother, which brings out how deeply he is affected by

her death:

"So with wet cloth and an empty stomach with devotion and

sandal paste on my forehead, I fell before the rice-balls of my

mother and I sobbed. I was born an orphan and have

remained one. I have wandered the world and have sobbed

in hotel rooms and in trains, have looked at the cold

mountains and sobbed for I had no mother. One day and that

was when I was twenty two I sat in an hotel - it was in the

Pyrenees - and I sobbed for I knew I would never see my

mother again" (TSTR: 1).

L.S.Ramamirtham, in his "Aval", recollects the days spent with mother

and observes , "Not even a single day goes without thinking about her.

She shines perfectly in the sky of my heart, in her voice, in her pitch, in her

thought, in her words, in her deeds, in her happiness and in her sorrow"

(Ava!: 6).

This attachment and love for the mother is expressed in many ways in

many places, through different characters. Motherhood is always

associated with protection and love. The children feel protected and cared

when the mother is around. In Raja Rao's Kanthapura motherhood is

represented by Kenchamma. Kenchamma the Goddess is described as

having motherly affection for the villagers. She protects them from sickness,

diseases, provides them food and shelter, forgives them when they take to

evil ways. A mother's affection for her son, is shown through Moorthy's

mother who could not tolerate her son being excommunicated. The very

thought depresses her and she commits suicide. According to Raja Rao,

mother's love protects us always. "Man is protected. You could not be

without a mother. You are always a child." And he feels that the woman

who gives us that love and affection is like a Mother, "the wife is She who

make you the child" (TCS: 33).

The same idea is presented in a different way in

L.S.Ramamirthamls 'Putra'. The mother-in-law tells the daughter-in-law:

We are only great ... I am telling about women. Men, from the

father to the husband, including small boys-they are only

children - petted children, foolish children, stubborn children

... W e should only be patient and manage. This lesson

nature has given us in the form of motherhood (Aval: 435).

And like RajaRao, L.S.Ramamirtham also sees the mother in every

woman. He says, "the thread of motherliness runs through all her

relationships as mother, wife, sister, lady love, whore, child, grandma etc.,

and behind the various expressions of her feelings like cruelty, anger,

sympathy, ignorance, innocence etc" (Ava!: xxxxi).

This love for the mother and the desire to see that love in every one,

are highlighted in the works of both the writers. Rama in The Serpent and the

Rope finds that love in his Little Mother, "My new step mother loved me very

dearly and I could not think of a home without her bright smile and the song

that shone like the copper vessels in the house." Again in The Serpent and

the Rope , Saroja takes care of her brother like a mother. In

L.S.Ramamirthamls "Jamatakni", Jamatakni's sister Lakshmi takes care of

him like a mother. She says, " I am like a mother to you all. Including Dad.

Look! mummy is helpless. All of you, including my mother,. .. you are all

my children" (Anjali: 66).

Both of them conceive all women to be potential mothers. In The

Chess Master and his Moves, when Mireille takes care of her mother

Sivarama says, "Mireille would be such an attentive daughter. And under all

circumstances was Mireille the best of mothers herself' (TCMM: 31). E ~ P

(Aiij'ali) tells her husband that she is like a mother to him. "you are my

husband in this birth. But in the earlier births I was your mother"

( ~ q a l i : 254). In L.S.Ramamirtham2s 'l jakarnulG tik evararnrna', the

protagonist sees the wife of his mentor as a mother. She also showers love

on him and attends to his needs like a mother. A number of such instances

may be seen in both the writers. Everything that is comforting and pleasant

is given the mother figure. Even the Ganges is referred to as Mother

Ganges in on the Ganga Ghat. Madhobha, who sells sandalwood on the

Ganga Ghat thinks of the Ganges as his mother: "Gangaji, do be kind to

me. You know, I have no time to come and bathe in you often.'^ sit under a

tap, by the shop, and have a quick shower. But all water is Ganga water.

Gangaji, you know my heart is all with you. I worship you, Mother, as a calf

worships its COW" (OGG: 31). L.S.Ramamirtham writes about the greatness

of mother in his "Avaln collection. He quotes Sankara: "0 mother, there

might be a bad one among women but is there a bad one among

mothers?" (CN: 2) and adds that there may be doubts and arguments

about the existence of Godhead but no one can doubt about the

permanace of motherhood, not even a useless son." (CN: 1)

L.S.Ramamirtham believes that "the whole universe is bound by the same

umbilical chord" (Aval: 15).

His love for mother is also revealed in the delineation of mother

characters. Most of the mother characters in L.S.Ramamirtharn are noble.

L.S.Ramamirtham says, "I see my mother through the important characters

of most of my stories" (Aval: XXXX). In Raja Rao also, Little Mother and

Suzanne's mother are portrayed as good mothers. Suzanne's mother has

a great love for her daughter. Though she works hard for her livelihood she

has great dreams about her daughter and she thinks Suzanne would

become, "une grande dame" (TSTR: 4). Little Mother in The Serpent and

the Rope treats Rama as her own child. She accepts Madeline as her

daughter-in-law and sends the toe-ring of Rama's mother as a gift for her.

She is affectionate and is concerned about the well-being of all the

children. Similarly Shantha treats Usha, Saroja's daughter as her own child

and Usha loves Shantha more than her own mother: "...so the house is

Usha's and Shantha will come, for Usha is a grown-up child, and she loves

her mother, who is Shantha, for Shantha is kind, and will not talk of the

Dutch." (TCS: 60).

In L.S.Ramamirtham7s short stories, the mothers are selfless and

affectionate. In "Amali", the mother loves her children and trusts them:

"The Children are not so bad as you think. We should trust them. If we fear

that the food that we eat will block the throat and choke us, then we can not

eat at all" (Ava!: 199-200). She cannot bear the very thought of separation

from her husband and cannot bear to think that her sons would be so

materialistic as to separate the father and the mother in order to share the

burden. In his "Pu_rrun also the mother's affection for the son has been

brought out very effectively. She commits suicide because she could not

see her son taking to evil ways.

In the same way, children's love for the mother and their longing for

mother's love are touchingly portrayed in many stories. Rama's love for his

mother and his loneliness after the death of his mother has been depicted

in The Serpent and the Rope. In The Cat and Shakespeare Ramakrishna

Pai brings out the greatness of motherhood. Shantha in The Cat and

Shakespeare is a mother archetype. Her selfless love pervades the novel

and contributes to the woman theme. As Kalinnikova rightly points out,

"The author glorifies in woman Shantha's unselfishness and her readiness

to sacrifice- the qualities which characterize the woman-mother"

(1 980: 26).

167

In L.S.Ramamirthamls, "Ore Muttam", the boy remembers the kiss

the mother gave him before her death. He is not able to overcome that

thought and cherishes the memory for a long time. Again, the miserable

condition of a small boy who has lost his mother and his deep sorrow

and the longing for the company of the mother have found powerful

expression in "Kannan". . .

Like Raja Rao, L.S.Ramamirtham also idealizes and deifies woman.

In fact, it is striking to note that there are some passages which are very

similar in Raja Rao and L.S.Ramamirtham . In Raja Rao's The Serpent

and the Rope , Rama voices the opinion of the author when he says,

"Woman is the world, woman is the earth and the cavalcade, the curve

of the cloud and the round roundness of the sun . . . ' I ( TSTR: 358).

L.S.Ramamirtham, in his article in ''Avay says, 'She is the central figure

of the dream I cherish. She is my goddess, she is my love" (Aval: xxxvi).

According to him woman has many roles - as sister, wife, mother and so

on. All these are only different faces of the Goddess. He says, "Deivam

manushya rupena" (God in human form) and that he sees God in the form

of a woman. He says that even the sage Sankara who renounced the

world liked to see the Omnipotent in the form of woman (Aval: XXXII).

According to L.S.Ramamirtham, "God is everywhere and in every

action". He sees the manifestation of the Goddess in women.

The womanhood in all its forms is celebrated by both Raja Rao and

L.S.Ramamirtham. L.S.Ramamirtham brings out the greatness of woman in

the following lines:"Woman is the witness for everything, but she is beyond

proof. She has the contrasting aspects hidden and embedded in her. She

is graceful, yet stronger than the silk thread" (Aval: xxxxii).

Their comments and their portrayal reveal their attitude towards

women. Both the writers recognize the greatness of women and pay

homage to her through their words.

There is a view that Raja Rao is anti feministic in his portrayal of

women. In most of his novels the woman is content to be subordinate to

man, considers him as her Lord and is ready to surrender herself to him;

and the man expects her to be submissive and compliant. Ramals

marriage fails because of this attitude of Rama. Sivarama, the protagonist

of The Chess Master and his Moves, is also uncompromising and hence he

decides not to marry Suzanne. Esha Dey observes:

The basic inability to sustain any relationship with someone

who is different reveals the Narcissist core of all Siva's

encounters with women, which may tempt one suspect

profound though incipient misogyny seeking an elaborate

disguise in the whole paraphernalia of symbolist embellishment

often associated with Rao's description of the female form

(1 992: 241 ).

But, as Rao's protagonists talk about woman's surrender they also talk about

man's worship of the woman. Rama says:

The woman needs our worship for her fulfillment; for in

worshipping her, we know the world, annihilate it, absorbing it

into our self. We should be Siva that woman be dissolved - and

with her the world. For the world is meant not for denial but for

Dissolution (TSTR: 174).

And Sivarama says, "without woman, J, as you know there is no kingdom,

is no world" (TCMM: 83). From this it is clear that Rao's concept of the

feminine is mainly the Advaitic concept of woman. In Advaita, "Maya is not

an independent principle like prakrti of the Samkhya . It is dependent on

lsvara. It is his energy (Sakti)" (Sinha, 1952: 528). That is probably why

they believe in the subordination of woman. Sivarama's conversation with

Suzanne brings out this Advaitic notion:

True , one is unique. How can one merge with any one, you

asked, did you not?

Yes I did.

Your St. Theresa would not ask that. Nor to speak true would St.

John of the Cross. Unless the two become one (TCMM: 315).

As Vijayasree rightly observes:

Raja Rao's concept of womanhood is the traditional concept,

almost untouched by the vicissitudes the social status of

woman has gone through over the centuries. Neither male

chauvinism nor the women's liberation movement has had any

impact on RajaRaoJs image of woman. To him woman is the

symbol of the eternal all pervading feminine principle at work in

the Universe (1 994: f07).

Ashok.K.Jha is of the opinion that "without being feminist of a

superficial modernistic kind he has responded both to the carnality of such

a phenomenon as well as its chief values in thought and life obtaining from

the Indo-European traditions" (1992: 34). Raja Rao's works are indeed, "a

rich tribute to womanhood, a veritable recreation of the primeval image of

an Indian woman and a welcome assurance that Indian Woman stands not

as much in need of emancipation as that of rediscovery" (Vijayasree,

1994: 1 1 3).

The same is true of L.S.Ramamirtham also. In "Janani" the voice

tells her "Janani, if you dissove in Me, you will become Me and this is

your rescue" (Aval: 158). This might sound self-assertive but here the

writer is talking about the union of souls through which the Jeevatma

merges with the Paramatma. L.S.Ramamirtham, in "Avay, speaks

through the child in the womb and pays a tribute to the woman. "You

gave me for myself and you gave the world for me to live" (Aval: 461).

The comments and observations of these two writers on woman

show the influence of the Vedic tradition and their conviction in it. In their

works, the reader can find only a desire for the extinction of ego on both

the sides and a happy union of the souls. They see woman as the

essential half-one who helps the man to know his Self, as the mother

who protects him and as the activating force of the Universe.