“Perumal
Murugan, the writer is dead. As he is no God, he is not going to resurrect
himself. He also has no faith in rebirth. An ordinary teacher, he will live as
P. Murugan. Leave him alone,”
These were the lines which piqued my curiosity. As a blogger, I prize each thought, each line, each blog post that I have written. It is hard to imagine the feeling when one's book is being burnt/pulped/banned. In this case offensive parts of his book were deleted. It is easy to find a copy online.
My account only treats the story and what it made me feel. For, I'm incapable and even unwilling to delve deeper in the controversy surrounding this book.
One
Part Woman
Starting at the start, this story is set in the 1940's India. Perumal has built solid characters, each having his own world, and it is easy to get drawn in to any world.
The story of Kali and Ponna is the central piece. Their relationship has several elements that can easily form a part of the modern 'Relationship Goals' list. The deep love, passion, understanding and the mutual support that defines their relationship leaves you very happy despite the large cloud of sadness always looming on the happy couple.
And, the cloud of sadness is the inability to conceive an offspring. If Ponna and Kali had to live just with each other, they would most likely have filled this gap by their happy and hardworking ways.
But they are pushed and punished by constant social chatter which repeatedly stresses on their unseen disability. The transition of Ponna from a loving, chirpy girl to a haranguing recluse is shown clearly. Anything that goes wrong in presence is attributed to her 'barrenness'. Even strangers indirectly comment on this.
Kali is under constant pressure to remarry. But he is uninterested in this. His love for Ponna is too deep. Also there are other factors like what if he is the barren one and the whole exercise is futile, on their hand, what if the second wife is able to conceive in which case Ponna will surely die a slow death, and most importantly: is it even possible to live with two wives!
Kali is a sensitive husband but a practical man, he sees the futility of the scheme of another marriage despite both his parents and parents-in-law supporting this. His love for Ponna is unadulterated and as he coaxes, cajoles and charms Ponna out of her depressions, the reader too falls in love and feels for Kali. Kali suffers a lot himself but is always Ponna's rock and friend.
Determined to have a progeny, the two start praying, coaxing the gods, performing sacrifices, fasts at a war-footing. Nothing is too costly or too difficult. The stories narrated by Kali's mother and grandmother further push the couple in appeasement exercises. These stories, about the curse on their family due to some previous acts, scare the couple in submission and obeisance for every deity that they encounter. There are moments when their faith reaches heights and they are filled with confidence. And even a day of delay in Ponna's menstrual cycle fills her with joy. But soon, the blood appears and the monthly mourning commences.
There are moments when the couple resign to their fate and try to be happy anyway. Such moments of sparkle are fleeting for example when Kali's uncle visits. He is a practical man who has decided to remain unmarried and is the butt of family resentment. He cleverly disallows his brother to take away his property on account of him being childless. There is a funny incident about when he chops of his hair and the entire village reacts angrily. His words are like a balm on Ponna and Kali's wounds.
Other characters are also sketched well. For example; Kali's mother, who herself has faced the stigma of widowhood. She still raised her son as an excellent man. Or Ponna's family, out of whom Muthu (Ponna's brother, Kali's best friend) is most prominent. All these characters, too, are troubled by the plight of Ponna and Kali.They can see glimpses of the couple’s private world and the deep attachment and friendship. But all this appears superficial to them with the core, viz. a child, missing.
In their struggle with infertility, fingers are pointed at Kali too. He is called 'The Impotent One' and sometimes kept away from social events. His earlier free and festive ways and is confined to his Mecca: his barnyard. He is even prepared for adopting child from a lower class even though it is forbidden.
The families decide upon a last resort to pull Kali and Ponna out of their misery somehow. They think of resorting to an old practice. There is an annual Chariot Festival in the town. On the 14th day of this festival, each man is considered god. Childless women can expect to get pregnant on this night with help of one of 'the gods', a completely different variant but somewhat like the practice of Niyoga.
Kali is appalled even by the thought of this. He attacks this practice as a superstition. He is deeply upset that Ponna could even consider such a thing. Ponna is torn between the pulls of her family, her empty womb and her loving husband.
The reader is torn when Ponna is made to attend the chariot festival by means of wedging a misunderstanding in the couple. She is convinced of her husband’s approval. Kali who had refused another wife vehemently is distraught when he discovers what might have happened. The reader doesn't know what happened or what the outcome is. And that is where Perumal leaves you.
The book opens and closes with a Portia tree which is ironically a symbol of fertility. The deity Maadhurobaagan is who is one part women also appears in relevant spots.
The feeling of 'lack of closure' is the most prominent feeling at the end of this book. One can sense the deletions as one traverses through One Part Women.
The construction of people, feelings and relationships makes One Part Women, an experience one must not miss, even in it's truncated form.
Other Reviews:
https://sharanyamanivannan.wordpress.com/2014/02/07/review-of-one-part-woman-by-perumal-murugan/
http://creative.sulekha.com/madhorubagan-a-review_622299_blog
http://creative.sulekha.com/one-part-woman-by-perumal-murugan-a-review_622048_blog
