The portrayal of Marginalized Women Experience in Imayam’s
The Beast of Burden
Abstract
Imayam is an Indian Dalit novelist, short story writer, essayist, and critic. His writings often centered on the lives of the Subaltern people, especially Dalit women, and also presents the stark depiction of Dalit lives in the northern part of Tamil Nadu. Through his writings, he shows how Marginalized women are subjected to sexual harassment, in law, verbal or physical behaviour of a sexual nature, especially in the workplace. Imayam adopts a moral and traditional stand concerning marginalized women’s sexual conduct that issue with respect to sexual assaults on Marginalized women. He holds them responsible for their conduct befalls them without taking into account the biased, oppressive casteist, patriarchal structure within which they are located. Women in his novels get hysterical over “loss of honour” and are emotionally dependent upon men and crave for male protection. In The Beast of Burden, the poor, marginalized women workers, like washerwomen, faced sexual atrocity by the upper caste village head, and they are forced to remain silent so as not to lose their livelihood. The present paper highlights how Marginalized women discriminated by upper caste and also how they have pushed to commodity themselves in order to stave off poverty and help themselves and their dependents survive.
Keywords: Dalit, subaltern, marginalized, sexual harassment, discriminated, poverty.
Introduction:
Imayam is a widely acclaimed Indian novelist, and his writings appear originally in the Tamil language. His original name is V.Annamalai, but his writings come under his pen name Imayam. He has written five novels, five short story collections, and a novella. He got his school education at Govt. School in Tittagudi, and he received his degree in Periyar E.V.R. College, Tichy. At presently, he is working as a P.G. Assistant in Government School, Villupuram district. Now, he is residing at Virudhachalam, Cuddalore district, Tamil Nadu. His significant novels include Koveru Kazhuthaigal (1994), which is translated into English as The Beast of Burden in 2001, Arumugam (1999), and Sedal in 2006. Besides, he has also authored two short story collections, namely Mannbaram in 2004, and Video Mariamman in 2008. Some of his novels are prescribed in many universities for undergraduate and postgraduate studies. He had been selected for the ‘Tamil writers – 2009 Award. Imayam also depicts the life and experience of Marginalized women. The novel The Beast of Burden reveals the despair experience of washerwoman (Vannathi), Arokkyam. This novel developed how caste and religious discrimination practiced in the villages and how the marginalized people subjected such kinds of oppression, atrocities, and humiliations.
Review of Literature:
Brindha, in her article “Waxing of Hope in the Lives of the Wretched with Reference to Imayam’s The Beasts of Burden” explains that Dalit women are the victims of sexual abuse, they are the ones who are cursed and criticized. Men who abuse women are not questioned or criticized due to the fact that they belong to the upper caste. They consider that Dalit women have succumbed to the desires of upper-caste men. Ii is obvious when Mary has gone to collect clothes for washing, as Arokkyam is sick, she has been exploited and harassed by Chadayan, the Kothukkaaran. He is a long-established resident of the colony and able to do what he is pleased to do; nobody questions him. Mary, for whom the pain is unbearable, has been weeping ceaselessly, and it has been a terrible weeping that has grown, out of helplessness, humiliation, and extreme loss, shaking the hut. The men, who have committed a crime by harassing a woman, have no feeling of guilt. They conveniently blame women, making them worthless and pitiable.
Arulselesteen Prema and Kalaimani, in their article entitled” The Beyond the Barriers: Astudy of Imayam’s The Beast of Burden and Arumugam,” highlights the novel The Beast of Burden the reveals the real condition of the Dalit people who are living under the control of the upper caste people. They express their feelings through muttering songs. The novel represents the struggle of a community, making a critique of the religious life and the poor condition in the village. The novelist describes the dreadful division and oppression. It is an elegant manner, the division that exists between the caste Hindus and the untouchables.
Prasanta Chakraborty’s article “Dalits and Indian Literature” explores that the Dalits are considered as polluted people in the society, and they are generally oppressed and segregated from participating in Hindu social norms. While some change has taken place, the lot of the majority of this section of Indian society continues to be useful. The Dalit problem has a new dimension as well, in its close proximity to issues concerning the subaltern literature, within Indian literature.
Marginalized Women’s Experience:
In The Beast of Burden, the protagonist Arokkyam is a washerwoman who belongs to subaltern caste. Her husband’s name is Savuri. They are a washer couple in the village. The novelist presents the experience of the marginalized woman, Mary. One day morning, Arokkyam’s daughter Mary had gone from the street to collect the washing clothes from the houses. When Chadayan teased her, a quarrel had broken out between her and Chadayan. After she returned home, she reported that incident to her mother, Arokkyam. Mary had wept the whole day, and she did not do any household work. Mary quarreled with Arokkyam on her failure to arrange a marriage for her and to take care of her. Arokkyam asked Mary what happened in the morning. Mary revealed her experience and how she was assaulted by the dominant caste Chadayan. Mary also asked her mother why her body was like a rolling-pin body so that many people teased her. People of the village, who wanted to nip her body but not care about her because she was low-born, Arokkyam’s heart-beat stopped while and asked Mary. Mary’s anguish is the ill-treatment of Chadayan, who tormented low-caste girls. Initially, Mary was angry, and later, her anger turned into tears on the pathetic plight of low-caste girls like her. In the village, even old men also teased her, they made her too angry, and they were always staring at her lower belly. Wherever they went, they would still be behind village people. The village people always ill-treated them because of their low-duties and low-caste. Arokkyam told Mary they should never lose their heart and that they should make their heart as stone. Mary had gone inside her home. Arokkyam wept throughout the night, and she had remembered on her daughter’s humiliation in a public place. After that, Arokkyam was extremely concerned about Mary’s marriage.
In the Village, there is a rich family Subbu Gaunder and had gained enough strength from his childhood. In his house, Azhagan is working as a bonded labour. He belongs to the Dalit community in this village. Azhagan’s father and his mother had worked as bonded laborers in the same Subbu’s house. So. Subbu had exploited Azhagan’s family for low wages towards a lifetime. In due course, Subbu had arranged for Azhagan’s marriage. Subbu had spent more money on his marriage than other landowner did their labourers usually. Subbu’s daughter’s house was in Niramani, where Karuppaayi is working as a bonded labour. So, Subbu arranged Azhagan’s marriage with Karuppayi easily. After she married Azhagan and she started to work in Subbu’s house. When an illegal relationship developed between Subbu and Karuppaayi, Subbu becomes seriously ill. He was afraid that he might be dying at any moment. He presents his field and threshing floor to Karuppayi as a gift by writing. The whole town people knew and Azhagan about their illegal relationship. The townsfolk gossiped Karuppaayi and Azhagan how they got Subbu’s field. But Azhagan never said a single word about his presentation as a gift to her.
Azhagan told Savuri to scoop the grain with his winnowing tray. Arokkyam pushed forward and gave him the new winnowing tray that she held in her hands. Savuri was just scooping the grain. Azhagan stopped him summarily and gave him an old, threadbare, partly split winnowing tray instead. Karuppayi has been gathering the rubbish from the threshing floor and throwing it earlier. She comments, “Scoop it with this, da’. ‘I can’t measure it with that, Saami’. ‘If you can’t, then just go.’ ‘Why are you speaking so sharply, Saami? Where can we go it we just leave you?”(Beast of Burden 65).
Arokkyam never expected that Azhagan would speak to her so. Savuri behaved nothing had happened there. Arokkyam thought something and swept herself. She realized that the sugarcoated words Azhagan and Karuppayi had spoken to them since the morning till now. Arokkyam did not even know what to say to them. Azhagan kept staring at Arokkyam:
Arokkyam broke out,’ we are people who depend upon you, Saami, in order to work and made a living.’ ‘You shut you bold female.’ ‘Just ask a few of the other elders, like you, what is right.’ ‘Ei, a donkey of a washerwoman, are you trying to tell me about justice, mongrel bitch?. (Beast of Burden 66)
Arokkyam and Savuri had worked for him until their waists are broken, and their joints ache. Azhagan could not give them a couple of measure worth, out of the generosity of his heart. Arokkyam thought that she might be going to build herself a mansion out of this much? Azhagan told her that “if she had land, she would know the pain and anxiety of it, a washerwoman. What did he care for them? Savuri was scooping the grain, “When you big men say something, is there any way that we can go against your word? No, you keep it yourself, Saami” (Beast of Burden 66).
Savuri was still silent, and his wife Arokkyam did not know what she should do. She could not understand why Azhagan spoke to her. She tied up the Varagu into the bundle and thinking that whatever was bound, Arokkyam picked up an empty rice vessel and stared at Karuppayi stood in her way and stopped her. She called Arokkyam that they would not lose anything to give her a couple of Murams worth. Karuppaayi also told her that why did Karuppaayi and Arokkyam make an argument when the Goddess Lakshmi enters the house? Arokkyam and Savuri took their portion for their work. Savuri took two scoops of the grain with a new winnowing tray, which he dad used earlier. When he tried to take the third scoop of grain, Azhagan plucked the Muram from his hands as flung it away:
‘Get out now.’ ‘But it’s the custom to take three scoops, isn’t it?’ ‘ That’s was all in the past. For all the work you’ve done, two scoops are more than enough. Now go’ ‘In this whole town, it is only you who can claim a harvest of forty or fifty kalams. If you yourself do this, then what will the others do, Saami?’ ‘What do I care what they do? Do you want me to heap up the entire harvest for you?’ ‘Please don’t start a new custom in this town. Give us our three Murams worth, Saami.’ ‘Hereafter it is to be two Murams worth. If you like it, you can winnow for us; otherwise, you don’t have to come next year.’ ‘ If you say that, then where are we to go?’ ‘What does that matter to me?’ ‘Saami, we are humble people.’ ‘There is no place here for a female who talks about justice and the law.’(Beast of Burden 67)
Arokkyam did not say goodbye to them. But Karuppayi interrupted with her what was it, why did she talk? Where would it go? Karuppaayi told her that she would give two extra scoops herself when the harvest of Corn. She also told her to go quiet when Lakshmi stands. She could not contain her frustration and anger. She went to her home directly and put her bundle and moved towards Chadayan’s granary. Joseph and Mary had also worked at his house. They were coming towards her. Arokkyam took Mary’s bundle onto her head:
‘What is it, da, Thambi, it feels less than usual’ ‘That’s all.”What do you mean, that’s all?”They would holy allow us to take two Murams Worth.’ ‘And why was that?’ ‘Why don’t you go and ask them? If you ask me, how can’ ‘Say?’ ‘And how do they suppose we are to survive if they keep on decreasing our share by a Muram each Year?’(Beast of Burden 68)
Arokkyam began to go towards Azhagan’s threshing floor. Azhagan came along with a cart full of bundles of grain. Arokkyam stepped one side and no signs of Savuri. Azhagan said, “The Vannaati woman is coming opposite us. It’s certainly an auspicious sign. Next year the crops should be good” (Beast of Burden 69). A man walking behind the cart said that. In the darkness, Arokkyam could not find out who it was. She glanced at Azhagan’s threshing floor when she saw the two dark shadows emerging from behind the straw heap. She walked back to her home swiftly, without saying a single word.
The next day Mary’s brother, Peter, was beaten where he was playing with them. He returned home with heavy bloodshed. Mary scolded him because whenever he played with them, they had always beaten him as days passed; he stopped to obey the words of Mary. It had rained recently. The boys had patted the wed mud and packed it into an empty coconut shell. They tipped these and mated a pile of round mud cakes. They had divided the entire pile into rice, curry, and so on. They sat down to eat and shared their portion with each other when Peter was thrashed by them because they had arranged one side for the crow, the dog, and the washerwoman boy:
‘Peter spoke with his mother, Arokkyam that night.’ Amma, why do we have to call at houses for our Evening Meal? Why can’t we cook at home every day?’ ‘Why da?’ “Why don’t you cook at home, like everyone else?” ‘I’ll twist your arms and legs for you, son of a donkey!”All the boys torment me, calling out”raachoru, raachoru”. ‘What shame in there in that, let them say what they like.”They keep on calling me “The Vannaan lad” and showing me away’ ‘All right, shut up now.’ ‘Why can’t we go for coolie work?’ ‘Is it likely well be given it? “It will be the case of losing.”The chicken first and the monkey after it. Everybody else does’.’ Everybody else has a bit of a garden or a Piece of land.”And why haven’t we got any?’(Beast of Burden 8)
Arokkyam told him that his father was not born from the king’s family. He had no acres of land. She said to him that useless son of a bigmouth. Peter told her he would not go to the washing place. Arokkyam wondered whether he was going to cultivate his father’s garden. Arokkyam told him that if he would not collect the clothes and food from their house.
Arokkyam had wailed. Nowadays, even small children called out her ‘Vannaathi woman!’ When she smiled and asked them what was the news. She would think herself, nowadays her children also called by their name. Her family was a humble community, and what is the use of getting angry them. She forgot the whole heart rendering incident immediately. Otherwise, she would become mad when she recalled her family humiliation against the village people. Natesan’s son Sivaraman loved Mary. So, he had sent Rani to speak to Mary on his behalf. Rani was Mary’s close friend; Mary got angry. Mary made a terrible fight with Rani, “Don’t come to me with talk like that.’ ‘Why di?’ ‘It’s got to be possible. You should only talk about such things.’ ‘Are you saying it’s not on?’ ‘Of course,’ ‘Shy, di?” (Beast of Burden 94).
Mary said to Rani, and she was a woman who made a living by washing the polluted clothes from his family. She talks as if she did not know anything. Rani told her that he was a good man.’ Mary told her that if he was a good man, would that stop him from putting a childish action into her. Rani asked her, ‘Have not you ever dreamt dreams. In this regards, she states that:
I don’t know how to weep inside the water. You come with the story of an elephant marring a mouse. You can drink the water from a running stream, or bathe in it, that’s all; what else can you do with running water? Is it enough for a beggar boy to have big eyes? Even dreams have to be appropriate to the eyes. (Beast of Burden 94)
At last, Natesan had married another girl near the village. After his wedding, he offered a meal to people and Joseph’s family. He had given an obligatory presentation to Joseph and also dhoti with a sari. In that village, nobody had given them anything more than the obligatory presentation of money. Then, Mary also married her aunt’s son Dhiraviyaraj. Afterward, Arokkyam had thought that she had no fear for her daughter. But what had happened the day before yesterday had been in stark contradiction to that hope.
Mary usually collected the clothes from the house. She had not quite finished. But, Chadayam called her from the opposite where he was seated. When she heard his voice, Mary felt that her breath had gone away:
‘I’ll just take these clothes to the end of the street and then come back Saami!’ ‘Come and take this as well’ ‘It’s heavy, Saami let me take these away and then come back;’Vannaati girl, are you so impertinent?’ ‘No Saami, Please….It’s very heavy.’ (Beast of Burden 98)
Chadayan frightened Mary through his voice. She was always terrified by the presence of Chadayan. Mary trembled and dropped the bundles of clothes from her head and waist in the middle of the street. She entered his house with shivering and fear. She remembered that she often collected clothes or food. Chadayan spoke provocatively to her. He was a Kothukkaaran, a long-established resident in the colony. He could do what he pleased to Mary. Nobody would question him. He collected severe penalties and beatings them when the Panchayat met if the people committed any crime. So, people did not have enough courage to go against him. Kothukkarar and Karaikkaran were in his hands. Chadayan could find an opportunity to make her stand in the Panchayat. If they had not washed the clothes properly, Arokkyam’s family was doing the lowest service to the whole town, “Tell them to bring out the clothes, Saami.’ ‘She’s out of doors. Go and take them yourself, from the corner where they are lying.’ ‘Saami!” (Beast of Burden 99).The high caste village leader Chadayan sat in his balcony. Mary never came there herself, so Arokkyam would always send Peter along with her. Now, Mary wished desperately, and she had brought him. She prayed in her mind, to saint Anthony of Malnariappanur, “Saami, push the clothes out a stick’ ‘Chi, who can touch all that pollution? How can a man do t’ ‘Where are the clothes, Saami?’ ‘Inside.”Ammov, I’ve come; it’s the Vannaati’s daughter. Who’s at home?”(Beast of Burden 99)
When Mary went inside Chadayan’s house to collect clothes for washing. Chadayan’s wife Amaravati was there. He lived in a big house in the upper. In the whole colony, it is the only house with rooms and upstairs. Everyone in the town called Chadayan, the owner of the house with the upper storeyed. He tried physical assault to Mary, and she refused and shouted that “Don’t, please, Saami. It’s wrong, Saami. It’s not right, Saami. I’ll lose my reputation, Saami. “I am unable to show my face in the street, Saami.” The family will be finished forever, Saami” (Beast of Burden 99). Mary did not have much physical strength. She was filled with fear. Her body quaked, and she had ‘terrible cold. She held tightly to his feet as she pleaded with him. She was trapped against the corner of the house. She was in a room full of old bundles and luggage. She prayed desperately to Saint Anthony. When she thought herself that the townsfolk would accuse her to set out deliberately to seduce the Kothukkaran. Her eyes began to dim with terror. She could no longer utter a sound. She thought his entire body gave off a stink of toddy. She wondered what would happen; she was shouted.
Conclusion:
The women of the Dalit community have always been a victim of sexual abuse and harassment. They are viewed as decorative toys to be played with, rather than a human with flesh and blood. The upper caste man Chadayan could do whatever he wished. He could say that the washerman was not good. He could say that they definitely needed a different washerman in this town and drive them away. He could have a new washerman in his place. He could do anything. Savuri’s family was a very low born one. Savuri’s father did not know how they had first come to this place as a washerman. It possible that Savuri’s grandfather would have known because he established himself as sole waterman for this town. Neither Arokkyam did not know the details, nor did the people of this town realize their need for a new washerman. People had said among themselves, neither did she know who had been installed nor how all that had happened.
References
Arulselesteen Prema and Kalaimani .” The Beyond the Barriers: A Study of Imayam’s The
Beast of Burden and Arumugam.” International Journal of English Language, Literature and Translation Studies.Vol.3, no.3, 2016.pp.695-702.
Brindha.“Waxing of Hope in the Lives of the Wretched with Reference to Imayam’s The Beasts of Burden.” Bodhi International Journal of Research in Humanities, Arts and Science. Vol. 2, no, 10, 2018.pp.9-12.
Chakraborthy, Prasanta. Dalits and Indian Literature.” Language in India. Vol. 11, no. 4, 2011. Pp..1- 6.
Imayam.The Beast of Burden. Trans. Lakshmi Holmstrong. Chennai:Manas Publishers,2001.
Imayam. “Ninaivilirundhu Konjam.” Kalachuvadu (2004): 34-39. Print. Imayam. “Vattara Vazhakum Adhan Vanappum.” Lecture at Tamil Sangam. New Delhi. 02 Jan. 2013.
Pillai.K.K.The Caste System in TamilNadu,Chennai:MJ Publishers,2007.
Swaminathan, Venkat. “The Dalit in Tamil Literature -Past and Present.” Indian Literature 43. 5 (1999): 15-30. JSTOR. Web. 10 July 2013.