An Introduction by Kamala Das Questions and Answers

 

 

Short Essay Type Questions with Answers

 

Q. 1. What does Kamala Das talk of language in this poem? Or, Does KamalaDas’s ppem throw any light on the issue of language -use in postcolonial Indian societies? Argue. 

Ans. The poem, “An Introduction” by Kamala Das is not only regarding how patriarchy oppresses women physically and psychologically but also it deals with linguistic colonisation in post-colonial society.

Kamala Das explains with the reference of her own life that patriarchal society doesn’t allow even an educated woman in politics. It is completely male dominated sphere.

She explains that she becomes a victim of linguistic colonisation in the then society. Patriarchal society doesn’t allow her to write in English which is her passionate language. According to them, as English is the language of colonize masters, British, we should not use it. Probably, it is a tool to oppress women even in post-colonial Indian society.

Kamala Das is not agree to admit their logics rather she counters against them saying that language is a medium to express something. So, there should have no objection of using it. She raises her voice against her friends, cousins and critics saying that this language becomes her own as it expresses her joys, sorrows, hopes and longings. She is comfortable with this language.

She says that this language is not deaf and blind as the trees can’t say anything in storms or a female can’t protest when they are thrown away in her husband’s funeral forcefully. This language is able to express her feminine sensibility. Again, it can send a message to the every woman to become rebellious against patriarchal oppressions.

She also confesses that she can’t utter English perfectly as it is not her mother tongue. It is half English and half Indian. Sometimes it seems funny but she is not ashamed of it. Rather she accepts its distortions and queerness happily. She makes her society known that she would not be going to be British using their language, she would remain Indian forever. On the other side, she expresses her love for her mother tongue. It is also a protest against British authority regarding language in post-colonial Indian society, Thus the poem deals with language.

Q. 2. How did Kamala Das defy gender stereotyping in this poem?

Ans. Kamala Das being an agency on behalf of every suppressed and oppressed woman in patriarchal society defies gender stereotyping.

In one side, she protests against linguistic colonisation and substantiates her argument and challenges that she must write in her passionate language, English which becomes a weapon against patriarchal society to express feminine sensibility.

She explains with anger that when her limbs swelled and hairs sprouted at her sexual parts due to hormonal activities, not knowing about her childish soul society considers that she has grown up and when she asked for a pure love, her father being an agency of patriarchal society, sends her in bedroom making her married with a youth of sixteen. This expresses the pitiful and painful state of women in this society. Patriarchal society makes it decided what to wear and how or woman. But Kamala Das, a ‘new woman’ leaves her so called ‘womanliness’ denying patriarchal interpretation regarding women. She wears shirt, trousers and cut her hair short.

Kamala Das shows how society draws an inequality between male and female. She doesn’t call her lover in any name as according to her, he represents every patriarchal figure who consider female body as a soft flesh to satisfy sexual pleasure. On other side, she becomes a representative of every woman who waits tirelessly to get a man with pure heart full of love. She is waiting to see a new dawn with equality between male and female. Here, Kamala Das is optimistic.

Again, Kamala Das explains that she is not different than males in any aspects. Sometimes she does wrong and sometimes she does right like males (“I am sinner, I I am saint.”). She challenges against male dominated society that she would introduce herself by saying ‘I’ as the male figures do.

Thus, in “An Introduction” Kamala Das defies the gender stereotyping.

 

Q. 3. What kind of introduction do you see in the poem “An Introduction”?

Ans. Being a representative and an agency on behalf of every suppressed and oppressed woman in patriarchal society, Kamala Das raises her voice against the physical and psychological tortures they have been gone through by the authoritative patriarchal figures. Kamala Das counters also against the meaningless linguistic colonisation that becomes a tool of oppressions and intrusion in their freedom.

The poem “An Introduction” is an introduction/beginning of destroying the tool of inflicting tortures upon women regarding linguistic colonisation. She says that this language becomes alive through her poetries as it can express her feminine sensibility. This language spreads a message to every woman to become rebellious against patriarchal authority. She calls this language ‘human speech’ as it expresses her mode of joys, sorrows, hopes,longings and whatever it is. Being a female, she also protests against British colonizers confessing that she is not ashamed as she can’t utter English perfectly as it is not her mother tongue. She utters it with half English and half Indian which sometimes becomes funny to the listeners. She pays equal honor to every language.

On the other hand, it not only is a beginning/introduction of raising voice against the patriarchal oppressions but also it is an introduction to introduce themselves (females) with their own identity. It is an introduction of establishing their own existence going beyond someone’s daughter/wife or mother. It is an introduction of taking their entry in public sphere beyond domestic sphere constructed by patriarchy.

Kamala Das explains with both of grief and anger that when her limbs swelled and hairs sprouted at her sexual parts due to hormonal activities, society certifies her that she has grown up. They don’t care about her childish mind. Again, when she asks for love with pure heart, her father being an agency of every patriarchal figure, makes her married forcefully with a guy of sixteen years old and sends her in bedroom with him.

She says that she becomes a victim of ‘marital rape’. Therefore she feels pain both of physically and emotionally.

Kamala Das begins her protest against these wearing shirt-trousers and cutting her hair short. She actually violates social constructed ‘womanliness’. But there is another problem. Society starts to say to dress and behave submissively which would prove her as a girl or woman. Denying all of these comments, she makes the society known that she is not different that males of society in any aspect. So, she would introduce herself saying ‘I’ which the male figures do.

 

Q. 4. How does Kamala Das present her husband?

The poem, “An Introduction” by Kamala Das not only deals with linguistic colonisation but also equally it deals with how the patriarchal society inflicts terrible oppression upon females. Ans.

This poem undoubtedly expresses the authentic feminine sensibility denying male interpretation regarding women.

Kamala Das explains that when she seeks for love, her father, being a representative of every patriarchal figure, makes her married and sends her into bedroom with him. He never asks her decision if she is agree or not.

Kamala Das describes that her husband is a youth of sixteen. She doesn’t utter his name even for a single time. Probably, she indicates that he is not a particular man rather he represents every authoritative and oppressive patriarchy figure.

She explains with both of anger and grief that though he doesn’t beat her physically, he involves sexually with her forcefully. He never seeks to ask her concent.

Due to unwilling and forceful involvement, Kamala Das feels pain physically. It is an intrusion in her privacy denying her own right on her own body. She breaks down psychologically also.

This man actually represents every man in patriarchal society who considers female nothing but as a sexual toy to satisfy his physical demands. There is no psychological connection between the married couple. Thus, Kamala Das describes her so called husband as a inhuman being.

Q. 5. How did categorizers try to suppress Kamala?

Ans. In “An Introduction”, Kamala Das represents the whole class of suppressed women in patriarchal society. In this particular poem she deals with both of linguistic colonisation in the then society and physical and psychological colonisation by patriarchy.

At the very first of this poem we can see the though Kamala Das is well educated she is not allowed in political sphere. Even she has no liberty to choose any language in which she is comfortable to write in. Her friends, visiting cousins and critics – everyone in patriarchal society criticizes her saying that English is not her mother tongue and she would not permitted to write in a language of colonizers.

Again, when Kamala Das becomes a tomboy wearing shirt – trousers and cutting her hair short the categorizers again starts to criticise asking her to dress in saree. They decides what to do or what not to do. They asks her to be embroiderer, be cook or to be quarreller with servants and forbids her to sit on wall or to peep through windows. In a word, they asks her to remain submissive in patriarchal society which proves her as a ‘girl’ or ‘wife’. Actually, these are their strategies to keep women under them.

According to Kamala Das, thus the categorizers, representative of patriarchy figures try to suppress Kamala Das.

Q. 6. “I don’t know politics but I know the names Of those in power, and can repeat them like Days of week, or names of months, beginning with Nehru” — Explain

Ans. • The quoted lines are extracted from “An Introduction” by Kamala Das. • Though Kamala Das knows enough about the names of politicians, she is not allowed to enter in political ground. In this context Kamala Das utters these lines.

• These very first three lines of this poem, explores the well educational background of Kamala Das. She can easily say the names of politicians who are in power and knows enough regarding political history beginning with the name of our first President, Nehru. Being a female she is restricted to take entry in male dominated political sphere in patriarchal society. This event shows how the women remain at a corner by the so called ‘first sex’ in patriarchal society.

On the other side, it can be said that Kamala Das talks of domestic politics. She knows the patriarchal figures who keep the women suppressed under them. She can easily tag them but doesn’t know their intentions of doing such evils with them.

Q.7. “… Why not leave Me alone critics, friends, visiting cousins, Everyone of you” – Explain 

• These lines are quoted from “An Introduction” by Kamala Das. •Kamala Das suffers from a kind of claustrophobic atmosphere due to the intrusion by the patriarchy figures into her privacy. In this context she utters these lines.

Kamala Das represents every woman in oppressive patriarchal society. Throughout this poem, we see that she is not only oppressed physically and mentally by patriarchal society but also she has no freedom to write in with the language in which she is comfortable.

Patriarchy figures don’t permit her to write in English as English is not their mother tongue and it is the language of colonizers. Actually, it is a strategy of them to keep her suppressed.

But Kamala das defies against all of these meaningless comments saying that English is her passionate language and it can express her feelings of happiness, sadness , hopes and longings. She raises her voice forbidding them to interfere in her privacy. She wants freedom to do whatever she wants.

Q. 8. “he drew a youth of sixteen into the Bedroom and closed the door, He did not beat me But my sad woman-body felt so beaten. The weight of my breasts and womb crushed me” – Explain

Ans. •These lines are quoted from Kamala Das’s poem “An Introduction”. • In the context of expressing both of physical and psychological painful condition of women in oppressive patriarchal society, Kamala Das has written these lines.

• Kamala Das being a representative of every woman seeks a pure love. When she asks for love, her father makes her married with a sixteen years old youth. He sends her in bedroom with that guy and closed the door without her concent which symbolically shows that Kamala Das becomes ‘caged’ in her husband’s home – in domestic sphere. This event shows how the patriarchal society interpret feminine sensibility wrongly. Kamala Das doesn’t call her so called husband with any name as he is not a particular figure rather he represents every dominating male figure. She painfully describes that the guy never asks her permission. Therefore, she feels pain physically and psychologically due to having sex unwillingly. Even her heart breaks into pieces as it is an intrusion in her privacy . Probably, the last line of this quotation indicates that she becomes pregnant when she is not psychologically prepared.

Kamala Das, an agency of herself and on behalf of every woman has expressed authentic feminine sensibility which had been hidden throughout years.

Q. 9. “… Dress in sarees, be girl Be wife, they said. Be embroiderer, be cook, Be quarreller with servants. Fit in. Oh,

Belong, cried the categorizers.” Locate and annotate.

The quoted lines are extracted from “An Introduction” by Kamala Das. Ans. • In the context of how patriarchy keeps Kamala suppressed deciding what she should wear and how she should behave to be an ideal woman in the eyes of them, she writes these lines.

• The ‘categorizers’ are none but the patriarchal figures. The author Kamala Das becomes a mouthpiece of every suppressed and tortured woman in patriarchal society. She represents all of those oppressed women under patriarchy.

Kamala Das describes that she makes protest against those patriarchal oppressions she has gone through physically and psychologically. Wearing shirt-trousers and cutting her hair short she makes a protest against ‘gender stereotype’ regarding dress code. But there is an another problem. Very naturally the, the patriarchal authoritative figures do not accept it and counter against it. They make a barrier for her. They order her not to wear such dresses and not to behave thus which seems ‘strange’ in the eye of society. They order her to dress in Saree, to be a cook, embroiderer and to quarrel with servants which prove her as a submissive lady under patriarchal society. According to society, she has to remain in domestic sphere constructed by them and she should not try to be equal to the so called ‘first sex’, males.

Exploring the picture of the then society, Kamala Dad exposes the evil image of patriarchy.

Q. 10. “Who are you, I ask each and everyone,

The answer is, it is I. Anywhere and,

Everywhere, I see the one who calls himself I…” Locate and annotate.

Ans. • These lines are quoted from Kamala Das’s “An Introduction”. • In the patriarchal society, only males can introduce themselves with their own identities but females cannot. To show the pitiful condition of women, Kamala Das quoted such lines.

• “I” symbolises power, authority, identity, existence, achievement and selfhood. Kamala Das notices everywhere and everytime that males introduce themselves as “I” with their own identities but the females have no right of it. They are introduced just as someone’s daughter when they are unmarried/wife when they get married or mother after delivering children. –

Kamala Das exclaims that the male figures possess the power in society. They remain at the centre throwing females at periphery. Only they have the right to establish themselves in public sphere and to establish their identities. But females are ‘caged’ in domestic sphere. Though males have a strong existence in society, females have no place. Females are just like puppets on the hand of patriarchy. Males are proud of their selfhood and authority.

At this point, Kamala Das being an agency on behalf of every woman raises her voice if the males have that right and power then why females have not the same. She challenges the society that females are not inferior in any aspect than males.

Kamala Das craves for a new dawn with a society that would not make difference between males and females. She craves for a society with equality and harmony. She is eagerly waiting for that day when every female would introduce herself with their own identity going beyond someone’s daughter, wife or mother.

Short Questions with Answers

Q. 1. “I don’t know politics, but I know the names” – What does the poet mean by this?

Ans. In “An Introduction”, through this quoted line the poet, Kamala Das challenges the patriarchal society saying that though she knows enough regarding politics and the names of political leaders, Kamala Das, being a female, is not allowed in political ground. It is male dominated sphere in patriarchal society.

On the other hand, probably she is talking about social politics that keep women suppressed under them. Kamala Das can’t do the same but she knows the patriarchal figures who keeps them suppressed inflicting tortures upon them.

Q. 2. Why did Kamala Das bring reference of Nehru, in “An Introduction”?

Ans. In “An Introduction” by Kamala Das, uttering the name of Nehru, the first president, Kamala Das shows her educational background challenging the patriarchal interpretation regarding women that they don’t know anything beyond domesticity. On the other hand, uttering the name of a male political leader, probably she criticises that females are not allowed to enter in political sphere in patriarchal society.

Q. 3. Where does Kamala Das born? How many languages are there she can speak in?

Ans. Kamala Das born in Malabar.

• According to her, she can speak in three languages.

Q. 4. “I speak three languages, write in Two, dream in one” – What does the poet mean by this?

Ans. Probably, the three languages she can speak in are her mother tongue, English and Hindi.

She can write in her mother tongue and English and perhaps her dream language is feminine language that dreams for freedom and equality. Through the quoted lines Kamala Das not only shows that she is not less educated than the so called educated male figures, but also being an agency of herself and on behalf of every woman she expresses the authentic feminine sensibility which says about what they actually craves for.

Q. 5. “Don’t write in English” – Who said this? What is the logic they show to Kamala Das not to write in English?

Ans. In “An Introduction”, according to Kamala Das, her friends, critics and visiting cousins – everyone of patriarchal figures said this to her.

• According to them, as English is not their mother tongue, she would not be allowed to write in this language.

it is a kind of intrusion Probably, it is a strategy to keep women behind them in her freedom snatching her passionate language from her.

Q. 6. What does Kamala Das mean by ‘why not leave me alone “?

Ans. In “An Introduction” we can see that Kamala Das, the representative of every suppressed and oppressed female by patriarchal society, caged not only by physically and psychologically but also she is dominated by linguistic colonisation. It becomes an claustrophobic atmosphere for her.

She craves for freedom to do what she wants. She wants equality in society. In this context she utters this line raising her voice against the patriarchal society.

Q. 7. “The language I speak, Becomes mine” – explain

– Ans. Kamala Das is colonised by linguistically by patriarchal society. According to the patriarchal society, she would not be allowed to write in English – British language. It is a strategy also to keep women suppressed under them. In this context Kamala Das, the representative of every woman says so.

She justifies her point saying that language is just a medium to express something. She would not going to be a British if she uses this language rather she is comfortable with this language. Therefore, there could have no objection of using this language.

Q. 8. “funny perhaps” – What is described as ‘funny perhaps’?

Ans. In “An Introduction”, according to the poet Kamala Das, being an Indian she can’t utter English language perfectly. It becomes half English and half Indian and sometimes it seems funny to the listeners.

In one hand, she justifies her point that she would not be like British colonizers using their language, rather she uses it in her own ways to express herself. On the other hand, it can be said that it is a counter attack to the foreigners who underestimate our mother tongue and seems their language supreme. Kamala Das pays honor to all languages.

Q. 9. What is described as ‘human speech’?

Ans. In “An Introduction”, English language which the poet Kamala Das uses is described as ‘human speech’.

She explains that the language becomes lively when it is used in her poetries. She explains that it is able to express her joys, sorrows, longings, hope and everything of her feelings. She says that the language magically expresses her feminine sensibilities which have been unexpressed and unaccepted by the patriarchal society that is why she described it as ‘human speech’.

Q.10. “they Told me” explain

Ans. In the poem “An Introduction” by Kamala Das, ‘they’ refers the patriarchal figures among her relatives and neighbours.

When they saw that her limbs swelled and hair sprouted at her sexual organs due to hormonal activities, they told her that she has grown up. And when she asked for a pure love they make her married with a youth of sixteen. They never tried to feel her childish soul.

Q.11. What did her father do when Kamala Das ask for love?

Ans. In “An Introduction”, the poet Kamala Das explains how women were colonised physically, psychologically and linguistically by the patriarchal society. She describes that when she asked for a pure love, her father being a representative of patriarchal society, make her married with a youth of sixteen and send her to bedroom with that guy.

This not only shows both of painful and pitiful condition of women but also it proves the wrong interpretation of feminine sensibility by patriarchy.

Q.12. Why was “my sad woman-body felt so beaten”?

Ans. Kamala Das was not prepared for marriage at that particular time.

She was not physically and psychologically prepared to have sex. Having sex

forcefully with her so called husband she felt pain physically. On the other hand, it was an intrusion in her privacy that is why she broke down.

Q.13. “ignored My womanliness” How did she ignore?

Ans. Kamala Das wore a shirt and her brother’s trousers, she cut her hair short which violate the norms and barriers for women constructed by patriarchy. Thus she ignored her womanliness.

Kamala Das challenges the ‘gender stereotypes’ regarding dressing code. Going through so many tortures and oppressions she gets prepared to make counter attack against them.

Q.14. What did the patriarchal figures say when Kamala Das ignored her womanliness?

Ans. When Kamala Das ignores her womanliness wearing shirt, trousers and cutting her hair short, the patriarchy starts to criticize her. They asks her to wear saree, to be a cook and embroiderer, forbids her to sit on wall or to peep through windows. They asks her to be submission which proves her a girl or woman to the society.

Women have no right even on their own body and own life.

Q.15. “Fit in”-Do you find any inner-meaning of this phrase? Or, “Belong, cried the categorizers.” – What is the role of the “categorizers” in the conservative social setting? 

Ans. This phrase shows how the categorizers who play the role of the patriarchal figures in society construct a barrier for women. They are not allowed to establish themselves in public sphere. They decide their (women) duties which are to be cook and embroiderer, to quarrel with servants, forbid to sit on wall or to peep through windows.

Even they decides that women have to to wear nothing but sarees. According to them, these are the criterias to be a girl or woman. This phrase clarifies that the women are completely dominated by patriarchal society.

Q.16. What does Kamala Das mean by ‘he is every man’?

Ans. Kamala Das does not call the guy in any name whom he meets and loves. According to her, he represents every man in patriarchal society who keeps women suppressed and dominated. They consider women as nothing but sexual toy to satisfy their physical demands. bod na

Q.17. How does Kamala Das describe ‘the woman who seeks love’? 

Ans. In the poem “An Introduction”, Kamala Das describes ‘the woman who seeks love’ as ‘the oceans’ tireless waiting’.

It is their tireless waiting to have a man with pure heart that will not consider female just as a soft flesh to enjoy to satisfy physical pleasures. It is their tireless waiting of a new dawn with equality between males and females in every aspects.

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