One-Eyed
-Meena Kandasmay
One-Eyed is a poem by Meena Kandasmay. And in this blog, I am going to discuss a few points through the Glass of I.A.Richards.
the pot sees just another noisy child
the glass sees an eager and clumsy hand
the water sees a parched throat slaking thirst
but the teacher sees a girl breaking the rule
the doctor sees a medical emergency
the school sees a potential embarrassment
the press sees a headline and a photofeature
Dhanam sees a world torn in half.
her left eye, lid open but light slapped away,
the price for a taste of that touchable water.
Some points do not make much sense. Here are they:
1] The pot, Glass, water, school, press, and harm can not see. and Light can not be slapped away.
2] Drinking water can't be the reason for a Teacher to punish a student, even after punishment, one can never get such harsh punishment that led the student to a medical emergency. Breaking rules can not give embarrassment to the school.
The one, who is not in touch with literature or with any kind of art form, must think the way I have mentioned above. But students of Literature can get all these metaphors from this poem very well. The poem sheds light on the harsh reality of the discrimination faced by Dalit women and the callous attitude of those in positions of power and authority toward their suffering. The use of inanimate objects such as a pot and water to symbolize compassion highlights the lack of empathy and humanity in society. The imagery of Dhanam losing her eye in her quest for water is a powerful metaphor for the sacrifices and injustices faced by Dalit women. The poem highlights the need for a more humane and equitable society where everyone is treated with dignity and respect, regardless of their caste or gender.
The poem "One-Eyed" by Meena Kandasamy has been published in Ms. The poem is about Dhanam, a little girl who is thirsty and touches the pot, drinking a glass of water from it.
Pot with her "clumsy hand" to quench her thirst. The school's learned teacher slapped the little girl on the cheek specifically for breaking the rules. The concept of untouchability is primarily used against lower caste and lower section people. They are the most afflicted. They accept subjugation mutely because they lack the political and economic power to challenge the upper class's supremacy.They cannot express their circumstances and present themselves to the world. Even the inanimate objects surrounding her feel the pitied condition of the girl:
“the pot sees just another noisy child the glass sees an eager and clumsy hand the water sees a parched throat slaking thirst”
Even the pot, glass, and water feel sorry for the girl. These inanimate objects care about her and offer to quench her thirst. In reality, Dalits are not permitted to interact with the general public and are not permitted to touch vessels or other items used by the upper caste. They must use separate vessels, pots, glasses, and so on. Dhanam is a submissive girl in the poem. She doesn't even react to the upper class's dominance. But she sees a world that is split in two. The poem is tragically concluded by the poet as follows:
“dhanam sees a world torn in half. her left eye, lid open but light slapped away, the price for a taste of that touchable water”
Water is a natural resource that never gulps but rather sacrifices itself for all living things on the planet. However, some people divide water between the upper and lower castes. It is absurd to think deeply about the classification and caste system that still exists in some places. Meena Kandasamy has focused on the pessimistic image of her homeland, providing insight into rural India and mentioning atrocities committed on the Indian subcontinent. untouchables. Children from lower castes were denied the right to drink water with others; Dhanam was severely slapped when she drank. What is the cost of tasting that untainted water? It is nothing more than a slap, and as a result, one eye is damaged. She sees a shattered world but not its entirety. In her eyes, the world appears to be biased in favor of a particular group.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
* Hate Watch: Dalit boy in MP dies by suicide as teacher allegedly made casteist remarks
* UP Teacher Thrashes Class 7 Dalit Student for Drinking Water Out of Teacher's Pitcher
No comments:
Post a Comment