Table of Contents

THE INTRUSION

QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS BY SHASHI DESHPANDE

Short Essay Type Questions with Answers

Q. 1. How does narrator present intrusion in her life?

Ans. The word ‘Intrusion‘ means taking entry without having right. The concept of intrusion is very much relevant with the suppressed lives of women under patriarchal society. In the short story “The Intrusion” by Shashi Deshpande, the narrator, being a representative of every woman under patriarchy, has described how patriarchal figures intrude into her life both of physically and psychologically.

In case of her marriage, her family becomes intruder into her life as they never seeks her permission rather they take her as granted.

At the very beginning of this text, making the dried fishes as the representative of the narrator as well as every woman, Shashi Deshpande indicates the upcoming death of her privacy, her own right on her own body, identity, existence by her so called husband who would ultimately rape her.

Thereafter, we see that there is no time for her to enjoy the surroundings as she has to hurry behind the man which is a kind of intrusion into her liking. The man never ask her what kind of atmosphere she would like before selecting their honeymoon room in a solitary place to have ‘complete privacy’.

The man begins to touch her body sexually whenever he pleases as few unknown people do with women in crowds. The narrator feels extremely uneasy with all of these.

Though the narrator primarily makes herself free from him protesting against the man when he comes close to her face with a sexual intention, ultimately she gets failed. At the midnight, he rapes her. He forces his body upon her with ceaseless pounding. Her own right on her own body gets completely denied. Her identity, existence gets destroyed. It is an intrusion into her privacy. She becomes a victim of marital rape. Now, she cannot hear the sound of sea which stands for positivity. Thus, the writer Shashi Deshpande has shown intrusion into the life of narrator, throughout the text.

Q. 2. Describe the room the narrator’s husband selected for their honeymoon.

Ans. The narrator of “The Intrusion” gave a brief description of the room her husband selected for their honeymoon. It somehow explored the cheap mentality and preferences of the man.

The narrator described that the atmosphere of the room was not suitable for honeymoon couples rather it was clear that the room was being used to stay for short times and they go without leaving any impression of their moments. Probably, the men came here with prostitutes. The room was full of disgusting smells of bedbugs. She was suffering with a claustrophobic atmosphere.

According to the man, they were fortunate enough to get this room with ‘complete privacy. There was undoubtedly a sexual indication in his tone which make the narrator sicken as she was not liking these. The sheets and pillow covers were looked grubby and greasy which proved that there was not any touch of family in this room rather she seemed that prostitutes who were experienced to make their customers satisfy with their behaviours, used to come at this place.

Though she wanted to see the sea which symbolises positivity, it was far away. The breeze full of strong smells of dried fish was indicating her upcoming psychological death the death of her privacy, identity and existence.

Thus, the room selected by the narrator’s husband for their honeymoon becomes symbolic.

Q. 3. Is there any journey in “The Intrusion”?

Ans. In “The Intrusion” by Shashi Deshpande, the physical journey of the narrator and her husband towards their honeymoon spot significantly indicates the life journey of the narrator.

At the very beginning of this short story we see that the path of their journey is not indicative of anything positive. The narrowness of the path probably indicates that the possibility of the happy life of the narrator is getting narrowed. The curious eyes of the people make her feel uneasy.

Probably, the dead fishes in the fishing village stand for the upcoming emotional death of the narrator.

She describes that their honeymoon room is situated in a solitary place, at the top of the hills which is appropriate to do evil deeds avoiding human eyes. The rocky paths indicate the struggling life journey of her, as well as every woman under patriarchal oppression.

The zigzag path which was appeared from their hotel room, proves that her journey would not be smooth and straight. The zigzag path indicates that it would not going to be a happy honeymoon journey – she is not going to have a happy, smooth and peaceful married life with a supportive and friendly man who would feel her heart entirely.

This journey becomes symbolic to predict the upcoming difficult and deadly phrase of life of the narrator who would ultimately be a victim of marita! rape by her husband denying her existence.

Q. 4. How does the narrator show difference of her pre marital and post marital life?

Ans. In the short story “The Intrusion”, the narrator presents two contradictory phrase of women’s life. She shows the differences between her pre marital happy life and the sufferings of her post marital life.

She becomes nostalgic reminding her past happy days. She is missing her own narrow bed at her parental home and the way she was sleeping with her own comfort. She used to read books at late night. She reminds her mother’s face, father’s laughter and sister’s chatting. But after marriage, there is no freedom of her. She feels herself as a ‘caged bird’ under her husband’s authority. She has no right even on her own body, therefore she gets raped denying her privacy and existence.

Indicating such differences between pre marital and post marital life, the writer Shashi Deshpande somehow criticizes the institution of marriage which forces women to leave her all happiness of her parental home.

On the other hand, she explains that her decision regarding her own life gets priority neither to her parental home nor after her marriage. Women are under complete authority of patriarchy. Therefore, none of them asked her if she was agree to marry that man or not. They had taken her for granted. Equally, her body is treated as taken for granted by her so called husband. He never feels her heart and never seeks her permission before touching her sexually. Though the narrator makes protest against him when he intends to intrude into her privacy considering her as his own property , ultimately she gets raped by him at midnight to satisfy his physical demands making her as a sexual toy. It violates feminine sensibility which craves for warmth, love, passion and a friendly treatment.

Q. 5. Describe the feminine sensibilities expressed in the short story?

Ans. The short story “The Intrusion” not only deals with how patriarchal society inflicts tortures upon women but also through this text the writer Shashi Deshpande being an agency on behalf of every woman under patriarchy expresses feminine sensibilities.

The narrator describes that she is never asked if she is agreed in that marriage or not. She is taken for granted. The mother of her husband demands two contradictory virtues i.e, simple and sophisticated in her daughter in law who will able to entertain the colleagues of her son.

She painfully describes that the man has selected a room for their honeymoon which is not even suitable for married couples rather that is suitable for prostitutes who are experienced to entertain their customers.

The narrator painfully explains that she has no freedom to go to outside whenever she wishes. Her so called husband becomes the decision maker of her life in every context. She criticizes the institution of marriage as it compels women to leave her parental home and the past happy days.

We see that she gives no name to her husband as he is not any particular figure rather he represents every dominating male figures in patriarchal society who considers female body as a sexual toy to satisfy their sexual pleasures. Female body is nothing but soft flesh to devore to them.

She has no right on her own body so that the man touches her sexually without asking her permission. He has never wished to create a friendly bonding between them rather marriage is only a license to him to have sex with her.

The narrator wishes a man with a friendly hand who would wipe her tears and would realize her heart entirely. But denying all of these feminine sensibilities he wants only to have sex.

Though she protests against him when he is going to involve with her without her concent, ultimately at midnight her so called husband rapes her. He not only rapes her physically but also he rapes her psychology – he destroys her identity, existence, privacy and so on. She becomes a victim of marital rape.

Becoming a representative of every woman under patriarchal society, the narrator presents how patriarchal society makes women a puppet under them denying authentic feminine sensibilities.

Q. 6. Explain: “we are looking for a girl, simple but sophisticated”?

Ans. The quoted line is extracted from “The Intrusion” by Shashi Deshpande. The narrator explains how she becomes commodified by the family of her would be husband. In this context she mentions the quoted line uttered by the mother of her husband. Throughout this short story the narrator being a representative of all women under patriarchal society, presents how the authoritative patriarchal society keeps women suppressed under them. She explains that women are nothing but commodities on the hand of patriarchy. Describing a painful incident happened before her marriage, she says that the mother of her husband demands two opposite virtues i.e, simple but sophisticated in a girl as her daughter in law. His mother adds that she has to be able to entertain the colleagues of her son. It seems that they have come to a market to choose a product which would fulfill their criterias.

The narrator continues that none of her own family and the people of her husband’s family asks her permission in this marriage rather they have taken her for granted denying her feminine sensibilities.

It shows that being a female, the mother of the man becomes an agency of patriarchy considering women as puppets.

This quoted line significantly shows the painful and pitiful condition of women under patriarchy and nobody seeks their concent in case of their own marriages.

Q. 7. How does the narrator present her husband in the story?

Ans. The husband of the narrator is not any particular figure rather he stands for every male figures in patriarchal society who consider the institution of marriage as a tool to oppress women physically and psychologically denying authentic feminine sensibilities. Therefore, she denotes no name to that man. Probably, she cannot accept him as her soulmate.

The narrator explains that she is being taken for granted all the time. He has selected a solitary place for their honeymoon to have complete privacy’. According to the narrator, the room is ideal for prostitutes who are experienced to satisfy their customers with their behaviour it is not suitable for married couple. –

The man is insensible person who never seeks to feel her heart which a female expects from her husband. She considers his wife as a sexual toy to satisfy his physical demands. He is an authoritative figure. He considers the narrator as his own property. The narrator is not free to go to outside without his permission.

She feels extremely uneasy when he touches her body sexually without her consent. Though she protests against him when he tries to intimate with her forcefully, untimely he rapes her at midnight establishing his husbandly right. The narrator painfully describes that she gets raped both of physically and emotionally. He destroys her identity, existence and privacy violating her own right on her own body. She becomes a victim of marital rape.

Thus, the writer Shashi Deshpande presents the pity condition of women under patriarchal society.

Q. 8. What does the narrator intend to mean “I want to see sea”?

Ans. Sea is a symbol of positivity. Her craving for seeing sea probably indicates that she is searching positivity in her alienated and devastated life. She wants to be free from her caged life in which she is suffering from a claustrophobic atmosphere.

She describes that not only the room her husband selects for their honeymoon but also his attitude towards her makes her uneasy. According to her, the room is not suitable for married couples rather the atmosphere of the room makes her feel that it is used for the prostitutes who are experienced and feel easy to make their customers satisfy laughing and chatting with them.

She describes that he has selected their honeymoon room in a solitary place far away from locality which is appropriate to do something evil behind human eyes. He says with a sexual tone that they are fortunate enough to get a room with ‘complete privacy’. –

Though the narrator wishes to chat with him to create a friendly bonding between themselves, he doesn’t feel any need of these. His only concern is to have sex with her making her a sexual toy.

He comes close to her with carnal desires and intends to have an animalistic kind of sex devoid of any passion and emotion. At this moment, she wishes to see sea going to veranda. Probably, it is an excuse to escape from all of these. On the other hand, as these happening makes her feel extremely uncomfortable he wants to breathe fresh air – to have something positive in her life. In this context, she utters this line.

Q.9. “And at present we were not friends, not acquaintances even, but only a husband and wife” – locate and annotate.

Ans. This line is quoted from “The Intrusion” written by Shashi Deshpande. In the context of describing her painful condition as she becomes a sexual toy on the hand of her so called husband whom she doesn’t even know, she utters this line.

This single line is enough to describe the miserable condition of all women under patriarchal oppression. The narrator is not any particular figure rather she stands for all women who are going through physical and mental tortures. Though the narrator wishes to know the man entirely before involve sexually the man, being a representative of all male figures in patriarchal society, doesn’t care of it. Marriage becomes a license to have sex with her whenever he wishes. There is no need to take her concern.

Therefore, her saying not only expresses her pain but also it becomes a criticism against institution of marriage.

Q. 10. What does the narrator mean by “yes, but before the morning there’s the night”?

Ans. Forbidding the narrator to go down to the sea at night her husband asks her to go to the sea in morning. Both of the sea and morning indicate something positive where the night stands for something ominous. This kind of reply by the narrator indicates that she is afraid of spending even a single night with the unknown man. She is afraid of losing her privacy and existence of her by the man. She is feeling insecure with the man whom she has married without her consent. The narrator is not quite sure if she will able to see the morning sun after this night. She is afraid of losing the light of her life i.e, her identity as a free human being, forever. Probably, she can predict what is going to happen with her throughout this night – probably, she can foresee her ultimate destruction by the man.

Q. 11. “I felt a constriction in my throat, a longing for all the things I had left behind of me forever: a melancholy that always assails one when away from home at this time, neither day nor night” – Explain.

Ans. This quoted line is extracted from the short story “The Intrusion” by Shashi Deshpande.

• In the context of celebrating nostalgic happy memories the narrator says so. On the other hand, through the line the narrator, being a representative of all women under patriarchal society, shows the differences between pre marital free life and the sufferings of post marital life.

• This line shows the homesickness of the narrator. She criticises the institution of marriage which forces women to leave their parental homes forever. She reminds the way of her sleeping on her own narrow bed and how she read books at late night. But now she is caged under her husband’s physical and psychological oppression. Through this quoted line, the narrator being an agency of women, expresses the authentic feminine sensibility.

Q. 12. “And again rows and rows of fish hung up to dry, looking at us and at the blue of the sky with sightless, accusing eyes” – Explain.

Ans. This line is quoted from “The Intrusion” By Shashi Deshpande. • To describe the fishing village which the narrator and her husband are passing, this line is uttered. On the other hand, this line indicates the upcoming destruction of the narrator by her so called husband.

• This description of the fishing village is not indicative of anything positive rather it predicts that something ominous and destructive is going to happen. Probably, the dried fishes stand for Shashi Deshpande herself and all the suppressed and oppressed women under patriarchy. The dead fishes indicates the upcoming psychological death of the narrator by the man. It indicates the destruction of her identity, selfhood, privacy and existence. The writer Shashi Deshpande has selected the term ‘dried fish’ very significantly to describe the narrator’s life devoid of any vitality and spontaneity.

The eyes of the dead fishes accusing the fishermen who have killed them without having right. Their accusing eyes significantly indicates the accusing eyes of the narrator towards her husband for violating the authentic feminine sensibility and for destroying her everything intruding into her privacy. She also accusing the male dominated society who considers women as their properties. It also can be said that looking at the blue sky, she accuses the supreme power, God as He has never protected women from such violent tortures inflicted by patriarchy.

Q. 13. “I smiled as I said it, a painfully awkward smile, the smile one gives a distant acquaintance.” – Explain.

Ans. The quoted line has been extracted from “The Intrusion” by Shashi Deshpande. In the context of expressing the narrator’s uneasiness and feelings of strangeness with her husband whom she scarcely knew a month ago, and distant unification, the narrator uttered this line.

not Shashi Deshpande, in this text, has shown how women are taken for granted both by their hegemonic parents and husband. They are denied their agency to express their sensibilities. These are indicated through the quoted line also. The narrator has been wedded to a man whom she doesn’t know properly. Before being so called husband. wife, knowing each other minutely becoming friend is most important which has happened in case of the narrator as her husband is a typical patriarchal husband. Her husband, therefore, remains a kind of distant person in her life, not her soul mate. The quoted line excellently presented these things.

Q. 14. “I imagined myself returning to my parents’ home, shamed and rejected, and the consternation and grief it would cause there, my sisters’ marriages held up for ever, my parents disgraced – all because of me” – Explain.

Ans. Through the quoted line,Shashi Deshpande, the author, in “The Intrusion”, has expressed the caged condition of women who remains a burden to their parents even after their marriage.

In the context of showing how difficult it becomes for any married woman like the narrator in this particular story, to return to her parents after ending her relationship with her husbands if they failed to cope up with, the narrator uttered this line.

The narrator has been wedded to a man whom she doesn’t even know properly against her will. Whenever, she had informed her parents that she doesn’t want to marry, they have refused her by informing her various socio-economic and political reasons. She has been trapped in the institution of marriage from where there is no escape. If she returns to her parents, societal pressure will be on her parents making them shamed. She has to go through ill treatment from the society. Even, her sisters marriage will also face difficulties only for her decision to end her relationship with her husband and come back to her parents who will not accept her whole-heartedly out of socio-economic and political pressure. All these are excellently expressed through the quoted line.

Q. 15. “And the cry I gave was not for the physical pain, but for the intrusion into my privacy” – Explain.

This quoted line is extracted from “The Intrusion” written by Shashi Ans. Deshpande.

• The narrator gets raped both of physically and psychologically by her husband. In the context of violating feminine sensibility by patriarchy, the narrator utters so. • Throughout this short story, the writer Shashi Deshpande being a female agency expresses the authentic feminine sensibility which craves for equal rights and honour in every aspect. She raises her voice against patriarchal oppression running upon women. The narrator describes that her body is considered nothing but a commodity on the hand of her husband. She attacks the institution of marriage saying that it makes women sexual toys to make their husbands’ physical demands. Patriarchal society is not concerned about the emotion and consent of females. Equally, the narrator

becomes a victim of marital rape by her husband. The man rapes her at midnight making the institution of marriage as a license to have sex whenever he wishes. She says that it not only makes her feel pain physically but also he destroys her identity and existence intruding into her privacy.

The narrator actually becomes symbol of every woman who gets rapped in every night by her husband.

Q. 16. How does the narrator respond to different kinds of sounds and noises in The Intrusion?

Ans. Writers skilfully use various sounds as literary devices in order to create a suitable atmosphere which perfectly present the thematic concern of the text. “The Intrusion” by Shashi Deshpande is no exception as the ways the narrator responds are indicative of expressing feminine sensibility attacking patriarchy.

She uses various sounds and noises to challenge the prejudiced interpretations of feminine sensibilities by patriarchy. Her skilful use of the sounds expresses authentic feminine sensibilities.

Among various sounds, the sound of sea and the narrator’s response to those sounds is most important one. The sea with its vastness symbolically stands for the vast freedom the narrator wishes to get. The sea and the sea beach become a site of her freedom. This is not only the physical sea. Rather she talks of the sea like vastness she wishes to feel in her psychological landscape. Whenever she feels suffocated with the erotic indications of her husband whom she hardly knows properly, she wishes to go and stay near the sea. She wishes to hear the sound of the seas from the room and veranda that signify her desire to inculcate the sea like happiness in herself. Apart from the sound of the sea, the sound of breeze is also mentioned. While they are marching towards their honeymoon site through the villages, the breezes begin to blow. This breeze does not sooth the narrator. Rather, it makes the narrator feel sick. The irritating sound of this breeze expresses the irritated psychological state of the narrator. At the end of the story, the sound of violent love-making by her husband is mentioned. The husband rapes her while she sleeps. Initially, the narrator cannot realize what is happening to her. She takes wrongly the sound of her husband’s violent sex making as the long-desired sound of the sea waves. She tries to protect herself by pushing her husband away .She fails.

The replacement of the sea sounds with the sounds and noises of the violent sex making by her husband shows the intrusion of her identity and existence. She wishes to achieve sea like vastness in her life along with her husband by becoming a friend at first. What she achieves is the violation of her secrecy and the intrusion of her existence which is symbolically expressed by the intrusion of the sounds of sea with the sound of violent love-making by her husband.

After intruding her, the marital rapist goes on snoring loudly that indicates the oppressive and autocratic nature of patriarchy. The long-cherished sounds of sea is eclipsed with this snoring which signifies the destruction of the selfhood of the narrator. To conclude, it can be said that the author has successfully presented the ways feminine sensibilities are interpreted by patriarchy by killing their ontological existence through the use of different sounds in The Intrusion.

Short Questions with Answers

Q. 1. Mention the “signs of fishing village”?

Ans. In “The Intrusion” by Shashi Deshpande, the narrator describes that men are appeared wearing lungis at fishing nets, drying fishes are laid down in rows on poles and women are appeared with bold faces and wearing gold ornaments. This are the signs of fishing village that newly married couple are passing. Such kind of atmosphere is not suitable for honeymoon. The fishes are dried. There is no

vitality and spontaneity just like there is no spontaneity in the narrator, Shashi Deshpande.

On the other hand, probably these dry fishes represent the narrator, as well as every woman in patriarchal society. As the fishes are killed without having any right of the fishermen, equally the narrator’s identity, existence and privacy is going to be destroyed by her so called husband who would ultimately rape her physically and psychologically.

Q. 2. What does the narrator mean by “sightless, accusing eyes”?

Ans. In “The Intrusion” by Shashi Deshpande, it is the sightless accusing eyes of the dead fishes who are accusing the fishermen who have killed them without having any rights.

It can be said that the dead fishes are accusing God for their painful death, looking at the blue sky with their sightless, accusing eyes.

Th On the other hand, the accusing eyes of fishes stand for the accusing mind of the narrator, Shashi Deshpande who represents every woman in patriarchal society. Probably she is accusing her husband as well as the patriarchal society. She is accusing also her family who have thrown her away in hell namely instituțion of marriage taking her for granted.

Q. 3. Why does the narrator describe the holding by her husband as “constricting grips”?

Ans. In the short story, “The Intrusion”, the narrator describes the holding by her husband as “constricting grips” as there is no trace of expected love and emotion rather it is too tight to feel comfortable with this holding.

On the other hand, she gets married without having her consent. It becomes a cage where she can’t breathe in fresh air. So she describes it as “constricting grips”.

Q. 4. “But – horrors!” – What was horrors?

Ans. The narrator of “The Intrusion”, bend down to pick up a shell to loosen the firm holding of her husband. There was something alive in that shell which seemed horror to her. Probably, it was an indication of her upcoming horrible times.

Q. 5. How was the second village different from the fishing village?

Ans. According to the description of the narrator, Shashi Deshpande, there was no fishing nets and no dried fish which makes the second village different from the first one. There was appeared drumstick trees standing sharply against the sky and the drumsticks were hanging from the branches.

Q. 6. “I had no time to look around” – Why had the speaker no time?

Ans. The speaker had no time to look and enjoy the surroundings as her husband had already reached at the top of the hill with suitcases and she had to hurry behind him.

It shows the mechanical and time bounded lifestyle of post modern human beings. It also shows that the man was not interested to enjoy the beauty of surroundings with his newly married wife, rather he hurried towards their hotel to begin their intercourse.

Q.7. “Isn’t this nice?” – What was nice to the speaker? Why was it nice to the speaker?

Ans. In “The Intrusion” by Shashi Deshpande, the hotel room was nice to the speaker, the husband of the narrator.

• Their hotel room was in a solitary place and it was very much clear that the room was used only for love making with prostitutes. Therefore, in such solitary place he would able to enjoy sexuality.

It actually indicates that he had come only to enjoy sexual pleasure with his wife – not to enjoy their days with her.

Q. 8. What does the narrator mean by “painfully aware of a secret smile”?

Ans. The narrator is aware of the secret smile on the man’s face which indicates what he has come here for, i.e., to enjoy sexual pleasure making her a sexual toy. The phrase ‘painfully aware’ indicates the pity and painful situation of her, the representative of every woman in patriarchal society. She becomes a victim of marital rape.

Q. 9. Why does the husband of narrator think themselves fortunate to get that place for their honeymoon?

Ans. The husband of the narrator is representative of every male figure in patriarchal society who considers marriage as nothing but a license to have sex.

The man describes that the top executive has cancelled their visit at the last moment, so they get that place for their honeymoon with ‘complete privacy’. He feels themselves fortunate as nobody could disturb them when they would involve sexually. The man is not interested if his wife is agree to involve or not. His attitude proves that there is no trace of love and emotion rather he wants only sexual pleasure.

Q.10. What does narrator’s husband intend to mean by ‘Complete privacy’?

Ans. In “The Intrusion” by Shashi Deshpande, the term ‘Complete privacy’ uttered by the narrator’s husband, is a sexual indication. It exposes his attitude,i.e, he wants considers his wife nothing but a sexual toy to satisfy his physical demands devoid of any psychological connection with her.

Q.11. What did the narrator mean by ‘other women’?

Ans. Through the term ‘other women’ the narrator, Shashi deshpande probably indicated the prostitutes who were experienced how to satisfy their customers laughing and chatting with them. They would not feel uneasy as the narrator did.

Q.12. “I wish I was back home” – When did the speaker felt it and why?

Ans. The speaker, Shashi Deshpande described that she was too tired even to examine her own emotions. At that moment, laying back on a chair she felts so. • Home is a place of both of physical and psychological security. The speaker was feeling insecure and alienated with the man. Therefore, she felt if she could go back at home.

Q.13. What ‘smelt of kerosene’?

Ans. In “The Intrusion”, The tea smelt of kerosene.

This smell is ominous something. Kerosene is a symbol of destruction. Therefore, it predicts the upcoming destruction of the speaker’s identity, privacy and her own right on her own body. On the other hand, it indicates animalistic kind of sexual desire devoid of emotion, in her so called husband.

Q.14. ‘Ridiculous!’ – What was ridiculous and why?

Ans. In “The Intrusion”, the narrator’s mother had packed sweets in her bag. It was ridiculous to her as according to her, none can go on honeymoon with sweets in suitcase.

Q.15. “but only a husband and wife” – What does the speaker mean by this?

Ans. The quoted line from “The Intrusion” written by Shashi Deshpande, expresses the painful state of the narrator’s mind. The quoted phrase becomes ironic as an ideal husband wife relationship should based on emotion, love, trust, bonding and friendship between them. But in this case, the speaker describes that they are not friends or even not acquaintances. There is no psychological bonding between them. The institution of marriage becomes a licence which permits the man to involve sexually with her whenever he wants. The husband wife relationship becomes a tool not only to suppress women but also to use them as sexual toys.

Q.16. “It sickened me” – What did sicken the narrator?

Ans. When the man whispers in her ears touching her waist with a sexual indication the narrator felt sicken.

The narrator painfully describes that that was not a touch full of emotion, passion and love which is expected from husband rather that was full of carnality like furtive touches by unknown people in crowds.

Q.17. “…all the things I had left behind me” – What are those things?

Ans. According to the narrator, the things she had left behind, are her narrow bed at her parental home on which she would lie, curled comfortably and she would read books at late night.

She becomes nostalgic reminding those past happy days. It also expresses her painful state of mind. She is now caged under her husband’s authority by both of physically and emotionally. On the other hand, through this line, probably Shashi Deshpande, being an agency of all women, criticizes the institution of marriage as women have to leave her own home.

Q.18. Why does the narrator wish to stay “anywhere but here”?

Ans. In “The Intrusion”, the narrator being the representative of every woman in patriarchal society, wishes to stay anywhere but there. It becomes impossible for her to stay with an unknown man in an unknown room. Being an agency of all females the narrator expresses feminine sensibility.

Q.19. “Why don’t you change?” – How does it seem to the person spoken to?

Ans. In Shashi Deshpande’s “The Intrusion”, when the husband of the narrator asks it to her, it seems to the narrator that it is not said quite normally rather he asks it with a different intention. Probably there is a touch of eagerness and excitement regarding sexuality, in his tone. The man doesn’t even care of if his wife likes all of these or not.

Q.20. Why does the narrator describe her husband as nameless stranger?

Ans. The narrator, Shashi Deshpande describes that the eyes of her so called husband were busy to examine her body parts, sexually as few unknown persons do in crowds. At that moment, her body was considered as a soft flesh to increase his carnal desires. She was treated as a commodity which is not expected from husband. Therefore, she describes that man as a ‘nameless stranger’.

Q.21. “I wanted to scream” – Why did the speaker wanted to scream?

Ans. The man ordered the speaker to come to him and his arms began to touch her body sexually without asking her permission. She was feeling extremely uneasy with all of these. He came close to her face and the scrapping of his chin hurt her both of physically and psychologically. His tight embracing was full of complete carnality devoid of passion and love. Her feminine sensibility got violated when an unknown person intrude into her privacy. So, she wanted to scream to protest against him expressing her pain.

Q.22. Why was there a “foolish, angry look on his face”?

Ans. The man intended to satisfy his physical demands considering the narrator as a sexual toy and his own property as he had married her. But the narrator turned her face from him with both of pain and disgust as she was not agree to involve with an unknown person. Therefore, the man missed to kiss her lips and due to that struggle between them his glasses fell down. It attacked his so called manliness. She exclaimed how being his wife, she dared to refused him. So, there was a foolish and angry look.

Q.23. What was the reply of the man when the narrator said “we scarcely know each other”?

Ans. Denying to involve sexually with her husband when the narrator answered his question that they were still unknown to each other, her husband got surprised. He replied that there was nothing to know about each other, rather as they were married, she should not deny to have sex with him. According to him, there was no need to create a psychological bonding rather they should involve sexually to know about each other. It shows how feminine sensibility gets violated in our patriarchal society. Marriage is a license to have sex making his wife a sexual toy.

Q.24. What does the narrator want to know about her husband?

Ans. The narrator, being the representative of every woman in patriarchal society, wants to know everything about her husband. What he feels, why he gets agreed to marry her, how he feels regarding the ceremonies they have gone through, if he would like those things which she likes or if both of them would laugh at the same jokes and both of them would like the same books. She wants to know even every trivial things about him like if his breathe smells, if his feet large and dirty with uncut toenails, if he chews foods noisily.

Actually, she wants to create a friendly bonding between themselves. She wants to know her husband completely before involving sexually. She expresses what women actually crave for. Sex is not only thing they want from their husbands.

Q.25. “I wanted to tell him” – What did she want to tell him?

Ans. The narrator wanted to express her feelings to her husband. She wanted to tell him that she was frightened to expose all privacy regarding her body to him. She was missing her mother’s face, father’s laughter and sister’s chatter. She was missing everything of her parental home.

Actually, the narrator wanted a friendly hand who would wipe her tears – she wanted a man who would feel her entirely.

Q.26. “I felt I had committed a crime” – What was the crime?

Ans. The narrator wished to talk with him whole night as in the morning they could seem themselves as old friends who know every corner of minds of each other. But she could do nothing of these rather looking at his angry face she bursted into tears and the man turned away from her with both of disgust and violence. The narrator seemed herself guilty for creating such an awkward situation. It showed the pity situation of all women in patriarchal society. Her tears indicated the helplessness and alienated psychological condition of her.

Q.27. What was “my first thought”?

Ans. The narrator’s first thought was that she could not hear even the sea ultimately. Sea is a symbol of positivity. Being raped by her so called husband the narrator gets psychologically devastated. She has lost her privacy, identity, existence, place, right on her own body and her trust on institution of marriage. The possibility of happening something positive with her got vanished.

Q.28. Why does the narrator in “The Intrusion ” think of her own narrow bed at home’ with ‘a wistful pang’?

Ans. Though the narrator came to spend honeymoon period, she felt homeless to stay under the same roof with her husband who was a stranger to her as she hardly knew him properly. With her look and expressions, the husband hints at his carnal desire which made her feel sick. Her husband’s giving priority to sexual relationship ahead of developing friendship and knowing each other made her think of her own narrow bed at home which reminds her of her feeling at home.

Q.29. “He was all keyed up for a different experience and for him other things would come later” – What does the narrator mean by “other things”?

Ans. Before being so called husband and wife with sexual relationship, the narrator wished to be a good friends by knowing, in details, about her husband. To be an ideal husband wife, becoming friend is important as it helps to feel more comfortable to the husband. By ‘other things’, the narrator means these. But instead of these things, what interested him most is the sexual relation which made the relationship mechanical.

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RAED MORE….

THE INTRUSION SUMMARY BY SHASHI DESHPANDE

THE GHOSTS OF MRS GANDHI QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS

THE GHOSTS OF MRS GANDHI SUMMARY

THE FREE RADIO QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS

THE FREE RADIO SUMMARY BY SALMAN RUSHDIE

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