[This is an excerpt from the introduction I wrote to the translation of Lalitambika Antharjanam’s Agnisakshi, published by OUP in 2015] Continue reading “Agnisakshi: Lalitambika Antharjanam’s Critique of Individualism”
Tag: early feminism Kerala
“Don’t We Need Variety?”: K Saraswathi Amma
Surrounded by all those medicine-bottles, seated on the chair with the book open on her lap, shielding her eyes from the light with her right hand and sniffing the inhaler held in her left, Susheela looked the very archetype of the Sick Woman. She lifted her head and looked at the clock. Nearly two o’clock. Her husband was still not home. She put the book on the table, got up and took the feeding bottle. Raising the mosquito-net, she fed the baby with it. Continue reading ““Don’t We Need Variety?”: K Saraswathi Amma”
Family Eminence: K Saraswathi Amma
The clouds of dusk had already turned the fine sand in the front of the house to gold. As soon as she reached home from the printers’, Kamalamma pulled off the neryathu, brooch and all, and threw it on the clothesline before she ran to her mother. “Wretchedly tired from composing,” she said, “lots of material had to be printed urgently today – can I have gruel and whatever’s for dinner right now, Amma?” Continue reading “Family Eminence: K Saraswathi Amma”
‘Malayali Marriage Modified’: K Padmavathy Amma
Translated by J Devika
[an earlier version of this appeared in my book Her-Self, published by Stree/Samya, Kolkata, 2005]
The damsels, they run, they hide,
Seeing the man with beard all gray 1
In those days, it seems, shaving was not as common as it is now. If it had been common, then Sheelavati’s husband wouldn’t have been so aggrieved. Continue reading “‘Malayali Marriage Modified’: K Padmavathy Amma”
Swatantryavaadini 