Marikolanthu’s assertiveness in the midst of adversities in Anita Nair’s Ladies coupe
Marikolanthu’s
assertiveness in the midst of adversities in Anita Nair’s Ladies coupe’
D. Leema Davidson
Ph. D Scholar,
Department of English,
Thiagaraja College,
Madurai
It
is true that a human being cannot live without the help of his fellow beings. But
many times in order to live his life, he preys on other human beings. This is
where violation of human rights arises. Though the reasons for suppression or
cheating may vary and their characteristics differ, yet all their destination
results in sucking out the lives of others for his well being. Double the power
is necessary to live – first is not to get into problems and the second is to
face life boldly if problem occurs.African-American First Lady of the United
States- Michelle Obama in her speech to schoolgirls in north London on April
2009said,“Whether you come from a
council estate or a country estate, your success will be determined by your own
confidence and fortitude”. It is utter foolishness to expect someone else to
fight for one’s rights in this modern era. Every human being should have full
right to live his/ her life. If not, it ought to be taken in his/her hands.
Literature
reflects life and life becomes meaningless if there is no room for human
rights. Thus Literature and human rights become inseparable aiming at human
welfare. Anita Nair is one such writer who makes almost all her female
characters to identify their problems and solve them by themselves to assert
their rights. She makes her female characters aware of their existence and
encourages them to face the harsh realities of life. Though there are many
charactersin Ladies Coupe’Marikolanthu
stands unique facing problems always with her strong determination. Confidence
and fortitude always go hand-in-hand with Marikolanthu. Her alienated heart
never forgets to safeguard her right throughout her life in the novel.
The
novel charts Marikolanthu’s fall into unfaithful relationships, a bitter
alienation and her final recovery. Deeply saddened by her failures in life, Marikolanthu
separates herself from the members of her family and suffers from an acute sense
of alienation throughout her life but she never gives out her confidence. She
is alienated from her mother, brothers, Missy V, Missy K, son, Sujata and
Sridhar for the no fault of hers.Marikolanthu’s story portrays how basic rights
that a human being should relish are denied to her and how from her birth,
Marikolanthu tries her level best to face and adapt various situations. But in
all circumstances, she behaves according to her own will and choice. In doing
that, she faces existential struggle.
Marikolanthuwished
a very simple and peaceful life when she was young. But situations and
circumstances changed that to the core. Even from the beginning of the story,
Marikolanthu is used as a weapon in the hands of all people –Amma, Murugesan,
her brothers, SujataAkka and Sridhar anna.Marikolanthu is made to long for good
education, money, good relationship, decent married life, loyalty and the worst
part of it is that she is forced to lose her virginity.She being a bold person
from the very beginning of the story strives hard to have an independent and
dignified life. But she is pulled inside a life where she is the extension of
some one’s or something’s identity.
Education
is a fundamental human right because it has an important impact on every aspect
of one’s life. But poor Marikolanthu is denied to have that. After her father’s
death, Marikolanthu’s mother took risk to educate her sons but not
Marikolanthu. Everyone in Marikolanthu’s life played a trick against her. Her
Amma who had sent her brothers to school by bus everyday failed to send her to
school. The poor reason that she gave for that was money is not a matter, but
how can a girl be sent to school by herself.Due to their poverty, Marikolanthu
entered Chettiarkottai but that has changed her life bitterly.
gradually, Marikolanthu becomes a prey
to Sujata. She admires her beauty and always enjoys the company of her without
having an aorta of doubt that she too would cheat her very soon. Marikolanthu
looks at Sujata as a princess who ought to be happy always. Her heroine –
worshipping makes her choose foolish decisions and she becomes a prey to the
selfishness of Sujata and Sridhar. Her mother insists Marikolanthu always “you give
your heart too easily, Child. They’ll break it into a thousand pieces and leave
it on the ground for others to trample into the dust” (LC 216).
When she grows, her mother insists
her to be very humble and careful because she is no more a girl. According to
Simon de Beauvoir, “One is not born, but rather becomes, a woman” (293). Only
the pubertal transformation of her body should teach a girl that she has become
a woman. But, it is very pathetic to note that the socializing processes of
culture and tradition influence how she should be and how she ought to be.Women’s
freedom is caught up in the name of tradition.
According
to Brownmiller, “basic truth that rape is not a crime of irrational, impulsive,
uncontrollable lust, but is a deliberate, hostile, violent act of degradation
and possession on the part of a would-be conqueror, designed to intimidate and
inspire fear”( 324).To add fuel to the fire, she is brutally raped by
Murugesan. Many of the women feel bad to
talk about the sexual harassment they face in their day-to-day life.
Marikolanthu does the same. Instead of moving towards Chettiar’s courtyard to
seek justice, she comes back home saying to herself again and again that
‘nothing has changed’ (LC 241). But she fails to identify that, that incident
is going to change her life entirely.Weeks later when she becomes pregnant and
tells about Murugesan, none believes her and nothing changes thereafter “you
were raped and you kept quiet about it. A man steals your virginity and you
think nothing is going to change… you expect me to believe that?”(LC 243).
Sujata suggests a job for
Marikolanthu with a hope that her future husband will protect her, at least for
her job. Because society always prefers marriage as a qualification for a fulfilled
woman, no matter how worthless her husband may be.Marikolanthu questions
herself on the term ‘husband’s protection!’ The entire society expects
Marikolanthu to feel ashamed for what had happened. She never paves way for
worries, for which she is not responsible. Inspite of difficulties and cruel
blaming caused by the society, she never loses her strong urge to survive. She
determines to reject tradition which plucked all her rights from her and
decides to live life of her own. She stands as a unique woman fighting for her own
rights to live her life as she decides. She stands as a unique woman with a
bold attempt questioning the unquestioned behaviour of the brutal chauvinist, “I
don’t want to have anything to do with that filthy animal, I said I’d rather
die than marry him” (Lc 245).
Her
hatred for Murugesan (a brutal rape) kindles a strong hatred for her own son
Muthu. She questions herself why woman’s nature is always judged biologically.
She decides to behave indifferent to the custom and practices of the society. She
searches her identity even in the midst of her existential struggles and
situations.
Her mind starts to ruminate why
chastity is gender biased and why should woman care more of chastity than man.
She goes to the extent of satisfying the sexual desires of Sujata and Sridhar
by herself. Though both Sujata and Sridhar are responsible for this fault,
Sujata blames Marikolanthu for taking away her husband from her. Marikolanthu
does not regret and tries to console Sujata saying what she has done is correct
and her sole aim is to save Sridhar from going to other concubines.
The
relationship between Marikolanthu, Sujata and her husband is a complicated one.
Both Sujata and her husband use Marikolanthu as a prey for their sexual hunger.
Marikolanthu’s heroine worship makes her commit mistake knowing pretty well
that her life would be at stake. Even then, she does things to satisfy Sujata.
Marikolanthu knows well that “Neither of them loved me. But they needed me.
Those who can’t have love have to settle for need. What is love if not a need
disguised?” (LC262).Sujata curses her saying that she is an unnatural being who
had turned away from her own child and preferred the company of a mad person.
Marikolanthu is sent out without mercy. She becomes lonely, homeless and
stranger to her own world. But, she never gives up her hope.
Though she tries to prove herself
rightly to the society, the society always looks at her with suspicion. She
undergoes punishments from the beginning to the end for the no fault of hers.
Shame, fear, guilt, anger, anxiety are something that are thrust upon her by
the society. Even in the midst of all her worries, she has not lost her
confidence to move forward to acquire her right to live. She faces all her
existential struggles boldly.Though at the outset, Marikolanthu’s life looks
like a failure, her strong determination throughout her life stresses her
thirst to enjoy her rights.
Martin Luther King.Jr.’s Address at
the Youth March for Integrated Schools on 18th April, 1959 at
Washington,D.C states, “ Commit Yourself to the noble struggle for human
rights. You will make a greater person of yourself, a greater nation of your
country and a finer world to live in.”The sole mantra of human rights is to
live and let others to live. Marikolanthu fights for her rights from the
beginning and the novel ends with her decision to grant all rights to her son
Muthu. Her brutal behaviour towards Muthu turns all of a sudden when she sees
Muthu as a keeper of graves.Marikolanthu is denied to enjoy all basic rights
throughout her life and now she realizes that she has also done the same to
Muthu. So she feels very bad and ashamed of her own behaviour for using Muthu
as a scapegoat. After the death of Murugesan she realizes that she should not
have avoided Muthu for his father’s sin and is ready to accept him as her son.
“For so long now, I had been content
to remain a sister to the real thing. Surrogate housewife, Surrogate mother, Surrogate
love. But now I wanted more. I wanted to be the real thing” (LC 268).Through
her non-stop efforts for acquiring her rights, she adds meaning to her life.
Even though she is an uneducated girl, she proves her identity as a human being
stressing her rights with her assertiveness in the midst of her adversities. She
decides to redefine who she is. She makes up her mind to launch a new life for
her son, Muthu.She does not allow her past to enslave,and resolves,not to let
her past holds her in thrall.Thus, throughout the novel Anita Nair’s
protagonist Marikolanthu moves actively to attain her rightsin spite of her
worries and frustrations. The novelist’s voice gets reflected through
Marikolanthu, “I’m not telling you that women are weak. Women are strong. Women
can do much more. But a woman has to seek that vein of strength in her.It does
not show itself naturally”(LC209-10). She proves herself as a determined woman asserting
her rights throughout her life.
Works
cited
Borde,
Constance, and Sheila Malovany.Simone de
Beauvoir’sThe Second Sex. trans. London: Vintage
Books, 2011. Print.
Brownmiller,S.
Against Our Will: Men, Women and Rape.
New York: Simon & Schuster, 1975. Print.
Nair,
Anita. Ladies coupe’. Mumbai:
Penquin, 2014. print.
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