A TOUR OF HISTORY THROUGH VISUAL NARRATIVES AND WRITTEN ACCOUNTS

Navya Denis

              History is a weave of moments, remains of a time behind gathered together to speak of the making of the present. It can be traced through multiple parallel narratives in various mediums and forms. It is represented through different pairs of eyes at every point, we can often see myriad views on the same subject projected through similar or diverse mediums. The stories of history therefore from single narratives of experiences are often incomplete. Visual narratives play a seminal role in such a discovery of history. They portray the perspectives of the respective artists or creators of the narratives, who in turn project a subjective view of their own. Therefore, all narratives are extremely layered, they are sieved through visible, rather obvious layers of interpretations as well as extremely subjective personal world views. Mark Twain, once rightly said, “History doesn’t repeat itself, but it does rhyme.” Accordingly, seemingly same or repetitive histories, for example, consecutive colonisations of a country is seen to differ in its essence and results. Obvious changes are observed along with specialised adaptations to the current regime. Impressions of such transitions are left on the minds of the people and therefore on the various narratives of history. A closed-reading of such narratives helps us to point out the sharp turns, the violent and absolute alterations in the course of being a colonised space. Visual narratives hold the best depictions of these, maps showing demarcations of territory tracing the expansion and even abridgement of power. Similarly, paintings and sculptures of the time act as markers of time and sensibilities particular to a time, even photographs from more recent history contributes to this understanding of the past. Further, reading these along the written and oral narratives will result in a more wholesome understanding.
The combined reading of historical writings and documents along with visual narratives gives us not only the intended meanings but also the inherent, unsaid emotions, which therefore implies the political and social spheres of the time. Such a combined reading facilitates a multifaceted and wider understanding of history. The objective quality of the proposed version of history is enhanced when we use visual narratives as it reduces room for imagination, it offers a more packed image for our study. Maps, paintings, sculptures and architecture of a time act as the connecting links, a sort of continuation that takes us into the next phase of history, almost as if to avoid blank spaces in between. It also provides an overlap of seams that joins history together thus darkening the shadow lines, blends together hues to produce a close-to-truth depiction. The basic instinct behind museums and heritage sites is not different. They make use of the exploratory quality of visual narratives and puts up a logical narrative to depict history, focusing on events that are said to be key to a time.
We will look at Kochi through its making, the ingenious blend of currents from times behind. It is often said that this city in Kerala holds almost a cosmopolitan spread of people and cultures. It contains obvious traces of its antiquity and holds it with pride. In Kochi, we do not require to visit a museum to see the impressions of another time. It is seen in the architecture, statues, paintings, milestones in memory of war and so on. The memories of multiple imperium are seen to be overlapping with each other, giving us a vision of the consecutive succession of colonial powers.
Cochin Saga, by Sir Robert Bristow is one of the important sources of historiography of Kerala. The author was a British harbour engineer, best known for his contributions to the development of the port of Kochi in India. Cochin Saga (1959) tells the history of Kochi as four parts, of which part one is of relevance to our examination. Politically, it shows how the alternating accessions to supremacy by European nations displaces previous powers in their influence abroad and also affects the fortunes of those countries with whom the previous powers had formerly traded.
Sir Robert Bristow has selected the history of the port of Cochin, where he spent the last twenty-one years of his Government service to trace the development of Cochin as an important mark on the trade map. Cochin is the centre of Malabar and South Indian commerce, but originally, and within the same area of the sheltered lagoons or backwaters which characterize the coastline of Kerala, lay the port of Muziris- the first and chief emporium of India, according to ancient writers.
For many centuries up to and during the British Raj, the city of Kochi was the seat of the eponymous princely state. It traces its history back many centuries, when it was the centre of Indian spice trade for hundreds of years, and was known to the Yavanas (Greeks and Romans), Jews, Arabs and Chinese since ancient times. The city earned a significant position on the world trading map after the Muziris port at Kodungallur (Cranganore) was destroyed by massive flooding of the river Periyar in 1341. After the destruction of the first and chief emporium of India, according to ancient writers, Kochi emerged as an important centre of commerce in the trade map. Now, this port city also played a seminal role in the colonisation of the region making it one of the most sought after colonies owing to its riches and produce.
Till the 14th century, there wasn’t any trace of Kochi in the travelogues of many historians and travellers like Ptolemy, Marco Polo and Ibn Batuta, which makes it clear that Kochi was nothing more than a little village then. The earliest documented references to Kochi as a port occur in the books written by the Chinese voyager Ma Huan, during his visit to Kochi in the 15th century as part of the treasure fleet of Admiral Zheng He. There are also references in accounts written by the Italian traveller Niccolo Da Conti, who visited Kochi in 1440.

European  commercial, economic and political interests found their way to different countries of the East,  subordinating  their  institutions,  ideas,  economies,  cultures,  political systems  and  practices,  in  short,  the  whole  way  of  life  of  the  peoples  to  the needs of each individual maritime power(22)

says Dr. T.K. Raveendran in his book History of South India.
This process of modern colonisation began with the coming of the Portuguese, making it the scene of the first European settlement in India. The presence of the Portuguese in Kochi and the history of that phase of colonisation is featured across this city. Traces are strewn across varied spheres of living- religion, music, architecture, art forms and so on. Latinisation  of  Christianity  and  the  conversion of  the  entire  populations  were  the  twin  aims  of  the  Portuguese  besides  the promotion of commerce.  Visual narratives that clearly depict this presence are found in many places in Kochi especially in the Santa Cruz Basilica, where the architecture and paintings are predominantly indicative of these influences.  The columns are decorated with frescoes and murals, including seven large canvas paintings on the passion and death on the Cross. Worthy of special note is the painting of the Last Supper, modelled on the famous painting of Leonardo da Vinci, and the beautiful stained glass windows which add to the artistic grandeur of the place. The paintings that adorn the ceiling depict scenes from the Via Crucis of Christ.
Similarly, St. Francis CSI Church, in Fort Kochi (a.k.a. Fort Cochin), originally built in 1503, is the oldest European church in India and has great historical significance as a mute witness to the European colonial struggle in the subcontinent. The Portuguese explorer  Vasco da Gama died in Kochi in 1524 when he was on his third visit to India and his body was originally buried in this church, but his remains were moved to Lisbon in 1539.           Fort Immanuel, situated at Fort Kochi is a bastion of the Portuguese in Kochi. It was a symbol of the strategic alliance between the Maharajah of Kochi and the Monarch of Portugal, after whom it was named. Built in 1503, the fort was reinforced in 1538. By 1806 the Dutch, and later the British, had destroyed most of the fort walls and its bastions. Today, remains of this once imposing structure can be seen along the beach.
Further, The  arrival  of  the  Dutch  in  India  in  1602  turned  the  tide  against  the Portuguese. The  Dutch  came  into  cordial  relations  with  the  local  rulers  of  Kerala  with  the  aim  of  strengthening  their  trade relations with Kerala and reducing the influence of Portuguese in the local politics of the land. The  Dutch,  when  compared  with  the  Portuguese,  made  very  little  contribution  to  Indian  life.  Their primary aim was to promote trade to their best advantage.
The Mattanchery Palace was built and gifted by the Portuguese as a present to the king of Cochin around 1555. The Dutch carried out some extensions and renovations in the palace in 1663, and thereafter it was popularly called the Dutch Palace. Today, it is a portrait gallery of the Cochin Rajas and notable for some of the best mythological murals in India, which are in the best traditions of Hindu temple art. The palace was built by the Portuguese to appease the king after they plundered a temple nearby. The palace is a quadrangular structure built in Nalukettu style, the traditional Kerala style of architecture, with a courtyard in the middle. Certain elements of architecture, as for example the nature of its arches and the proportion of its chambers are indicative of European influence in basic Nalukettu style.
One of the oldest existing Dutch palaces outside Holland is Bolghatty Palace, a quaint mansion, built in 1744 by the Dutch traders, was later extended and gardens were landscaped around it. The building was then the Governor’s palace for the commander of Dutch Malabar, and later in 1909 was leased to the British. It served as the home of the British Governors, being the seat of the British Resident of Cochin during the British Raj.
Chavittu Nadakam is a highly colourful Latin Christian classical art form originated in Gothuruth, Cochin. It is noted for its attractive make-up of characters, their elaborate costumes, detailed gestures and well-defined body movements presented in tune with the rhythmic playback music and complementary percussion. This art form highly resembles European Opera. Chavittu Nadakam is believed to be originated during the 16th century AD, the era of colonisation in Kochi. The most sensual blend of cultural influences can be seen in this Latin Christian dance-drama.  Historical incidents like the life and adventure of heroes like Charlemagne; stories of Alexander and so on were the themes of Chavittu Nadakam during the time of its origin. Moreover, the costumes used are clearly showcasing the local perception of the foreign from stories and what they saw. This is clearly a connecting visual narrative between two cultures.
Further, Sir Robert Bristow proceeds to talk about the British influence in Kochi, especially on the economic front. They took over other structures left by their predecessors and considered trade as their prime territory. The reign of three colonial rules have brought tremendous changes in the mood of the city right from the Portuguese invasion in the year 1500 followed by Dutch invasion in 1662 and the British dynasty that followed. A hundred years before the English East India Company had been conceived, English merchants had sought a direct route to the Far East. An important icon of British domination is the Aspinwall House. The property was originally the business premises of Aspinwall & Company Ltd. established in 1867 by English trader John.H. Aspinwall. Under the guidance of Aspinwall the Company traded in coconut oil, pepper, timber, lemon grass oil, ginger, turmeric, spices, and hides and later in coir, coffee, tea and rubber. The important monuments that calls out for attention during this era is the Cochin Port and also Willingdon Island. In an attempt to save a good 580 miles of navigation towards Bombay, the port of Cochin was made the port of call.   Built under the guidance of Sir Robert Bristow the port influenced the destiny of the city to a great extent. Willingdon Island, the first man-made island in the world was formed using the sand dredged out for the port. Bristow emphasises on the point that ‘The history of civilization is written largely in the history of its ports’.
Cochin Saga, which is a great book for the historiography of Kerala, however holds elements of Anglocentric superiority complexes. Written by a British deputy in a colony, the book has many descriptions of the yet to be civilised and appropriated by the English forces. Bristow makes comments on the life and ways of the local people in his accounts. A sense of the Orient and the features attached to it as presumed and therefore perceived by the Occident are quite evident in his writing. If not prescriptive in his attitude towards the natives, his position is clearly of an outsider, clearly depicted by the shift in his tone while speaking of anything that is indigenous to the colony. For example, in the following extract, Bristow describes a marketplace, known as ‘pandikashala’ where the majority of business exchanges took place:

British  Kochi and Mattanchery were the crowded fringes of the harbour water-front: a few rows of houses or business premises, and, behind these, leagues of coconut groves sheltering tiny habitations of hard earth or bamboo and leaf, each set in a small compound with an open tank for its brackish surface water, the beach nearby for its sanitary convenience. Children not to be counted, naked and happy, played with each other, or with a dog, or a fowl, staring round-eyed at passing strangers. Child-mothers, baby on hip, carrying water or food, were ubiquitous; wrinkled and grizzled grandmothers sat at the doors of the huts, silent but seeing. Such was Cochin. (Bristow 55)

CONCLUSION

Cochin Saga is indeed a great record of history, but takes a colonial attitude in its descriptions. Though we cannot say that Bristow’s work is an absolutely belittling or oppressive text, yet it contains traces of the flawed viewpoints of a coloniser’s gaze. The above extract tells us the way in which an English highly placed official on deputation to a colony would typically look at Cochin.

Bibliography

Bristow, Robert Charles. “Introduction.” Cochin Saga; a History of Foreign Government and Business Adventures in Kerala, South India, by Arabs, Romans, Venetians, Dutch, and British, Together with the Personal Narrative of the Last Adventurer and an Epilogue. Second ed. Ernakulam: Paico Pub. House, 1967. 55+. Print.

Chapter. British Colonization in Kerala (n.d.): n. pag. http://shodhganga.inflibnet.ac.in/bitstream/10603/22485/13/13_chapter3.pdf. Web. 10 Jan. 2017.

Chopra, Pran Nath., T.K Ravindran, and Nainar Subrahmanian. History of South India. New Delhi: Chand, 1979. Print.

Objective corelative

Keerthi Sebastian

Rain.. let me transfer my pain to you.

Fall…Splash…weep

For you’re the object I choose to show

My readers

The depth of my pain.

Fall heavily

Beget landslides and earth-falls

Create floods

Drown the green

Because today,

You’re the symbol that I choose-

To show the gravity of my woe.

HOME

Tasmina Harda

On a hectic Monday evening
Towards the frightful end of September
Just as the clock struck 6
On my desktop computer
I prepared to shut down the system
Relishing the idea of being back home
Just as I lifted my tired body
And mind filled with worries of bills
My boss scurries towards my cubicle
“You have to stay. I messed up.
Help me and pay you extra I will.
Numbers and profits are your forte.Stay.
You have the required motivation and skill.
You will be paid double for your hour
Your expertise will help add to your till”
I was torn between going home to her and duty
The extra coins alluring
I could spend an hour or two working late
But is it worth knowing she would be waiting?
I look down to my desk and say I am sorry. I cant
I have made a promise that I should be keeping
I grab my coat before I change my mind
Blocking the temptation I keep walking
I reach my car and try to convince myself
She is more important than the bills impending
I open the door still immersed in my thoughts
Cant help but smile when I hear her laughing
I knew you wont be late to my tea party daddy
Ok..so you are the superman today and I am the barbie.

Motorcycle Diaries

Dan John Matthew

It was almost four in the morning in the month of January, my friend came to my house and we both left to go out. I see the city of Bangalore every single day. The traffic, the dust and smoke, a two lane road filled with two cars, one auto rickshaw and four bikes racing with each other to reach God knows where. But this was early in the morning when there was no light and it was freezing cold outside. We went through the roads that we had never been on before. We went through Kengeri and entered NICE Road. There was no trail of the sun even at six in the morning. The stars were shining bright in the sky and we felt it was getting colder as the time passed. Due to the chilly weather, we weren’t going fast, we kept an average speed of 60-70kmph. We covered around 40 kilometers between 4am and 6am before we stopped.

We saw the sky change colors from black to slightly orange. We were happy that the sun was on its way out. We took off from there and in 15 to 20 minutes the roads were clear and we could see without the headlights. It was then that we started enjoying the roads. It seemed as though the roads before us stretched on forever. There were hardly any other vehicles around us. When there was light on the roads our pace increased from 80kmph to almost 110kmph. The roads were crazy and the places were beautiful. But since we were flying we couldn’t concentrate much on the places but on the roads. In an hour or so we reached a place called Mandya. The traffic was starting there with cars and school buses and bikes. There were school children on the road too. We didn’t stop anywhere; we were just following the roads where it lead and in another half an hour or 45 minutes we were in Mysuru.

It was a national highway but surprisingly there weren’t many vehicles on that road. We slowed down in a junction with a huge board which gave directions to places like Kozhikode, Coimbatore, Hassan, Chickmangaluru, Ooty, Bandipur. We took a left from there which goes to Bandipur, Kozhikode, Ooty. But there was something that I noticed there: the other road on the opposite side also went towards Ooty. I wondered how this could be.

This road that we were in was so beautiful and there were absolutely no vehicles other than our own. The roads were clean and it was a 3-lane road on one side. We stopped there for some time and started again from there. Since there were no vehicles we drove quite recklessly. Like slithering snakes, we followed the white lines that divided the roads. There was a change in the culture and vegetation there. The fresh air that greeted our senses while we were there can be found nowhere in a city like Bangalore.

It was around 9 in the morning by this time; we stopped in a place called Nanjanagudu for around half an hour. It was a busy place when compared to the other places we had seen before. There were many tractors with sugar canes and hay passing through that road. After some time we left from there again and continued through the Kozhikode-Mysore-Kollegal Highway. My friend was roaring and flying on the road and then he was slowing down and was stopping in between. We absolutely had no idea about what was happening to him. He kept stopping on the road and by then there were buses and trucks and other vehicles on the road and it was dangerous for him to stop in the middle of the road. The roads there were also under construction and therefore it was even more dangerous. We reduced our speed and went in maximum of 60kmph and still he kept stopping in between. Somehow we went through Begur and Bendahalli and stopped at a petrol bunk near Gundlupete. After filling fuel, his engine did not start at all. It then started after some time and again stopped completely in the Gundlupete junction. One of the mechanics told us that it’s a problem with his battery and it will take time for him to recharge the battery. I waited with him for around one and a half hours and then continued on with my journey.

Now I was all alone on the road. I continued the journey to Bandipur, which was just 18 kilometers from the Gundlupete vehicle check post junction. The roads were getting more beautiful than ever. On both sides of the road there were huge banyan trees which had their branches shaped like arches welcoming the vehicles to their land. The place was so beautiful and clean and there was so much peace there. I reached Bandipur National Park by 11:45 am and the road became very narrow and two vehicles could not pass through it at the same time. It was a ride through the forest. There was deers grazing right after the entrance on the national park. I continued the journey and I saw common monkeys and another type of monkey, birds, small animals etc. it was so silent that I could hear my own thoughts echoing in my ears. I passed through Bandipur National Park and reached Mudumalai Tiger Reserve. All of these places were just absolutely mind blowing and I just flowed through those roads. But there were speed breakers every kilometer or so and therefore I couldn’t go fast. Almost at the end of the Mudumalai Reserve I saw a board that said 36 kilometers to Ooty. I did not think about anything else and just took off to Ooty.

Now these roads cannot be explained through words. There were ghats to be passed on the way. I climbed the first hair pin bend and a board said 36^th of the 36 hair pin bends. I kept climbing the mountain and as I was getting closer to the sun it was getting colder. I could see the beauty of Ooty while I was climbing the mountain through those roads. The road that I loved the most throughout the journey was that road that goes through Ooty. I saw huge trees with green barks and big branches so dense that they did not allow the sun pass the light through them. It was the best road that I have ever been through. I roamed around Ooty and explored the place for an hour or so. There were many horses, which decorated the road. I even took a picture with one of them.

Then it was time for me to go back and I left from there and went back to Gundlupete where my friend was waiting. He was all set and ready. It was around 5 in the evening when we left from Gundlupete, flying through the roads we came through without looking anywhere other than at the roads and the fellow vehicles. The traffic was too much when compared to the morning time but still we managed to zip through the roads. By 10 in the night we had reached Bangalore. We travelled approximately 650 kilometers that day. It was one hell of a ride!

And of course, I forgot to tell you about us. I am a Royal Enfield, Classic 350, Ash. And my friend is a Royal Enfield, Classic 350, Silver.

Contextualising the contemporariness of the classical text of Shakespeare: The Tragedy of Macbeth

Venkatraman Ravindra

            The Tragedy of Macbeth, has lived for four centuries and a decade since its birth. I don’t think that I’d be going too far if I said, that it will continue living, for another four (or more). Though too stretched the time might seem, given the rate of change humankind is going, but it’s no exaggeration really. As the amount of four hundred years is only infinitesimal in the fraction of our entire existence on this planet (and when I say our, I mean humankind’s).

Macbeth is one of Shakespeare’s darkest, murkiest, and goriest of plays, also the shortest and my most favourite of the ones of which I’ve read.

I suppose we would not still be interested in Shakespeare at all if his characters all seemed unrecognisably strange and alien to us. After all, Harold Bloom has famously claimed in Shakespeare and the Invention of the Human (1998) that Shakespeare invented humanity as we understand it, and he would surely never have been able to make such an assertion if it were not at least partly true that we can recognise Shakespeare’s characters as being like ourselves. [1]

High Middle-Age was the time when Macbeth, the Red King, ruled Scotland. Elizabethan was the age, when the play was dramatized from Holinshed’s Chronicles (1577) of Macbeth, but contemporary it is, in most, if not in all ways. And subtly modern is the nature of the whole play and if it were to be retold, today, and if there was a writer as gifted (talented), then I see no reason why the play would be changed in any way or written any different (other than the archaic language of course).

What’s ironic is that ‘Macbeth’ means ‘the son of life’, but what he does is take lives. And the cause for him to commit murder you ask? Well, it’s power of course. Power is the supreme motivator to cause such dreadful deeds. Power is also a pre-dominant and powerful theme that runs throughout the play. Shrewd Macbeth is with a shrew for a wife, who is not only a ‘companion’ just bound by the definition of the word, but also a partner in crime, his (not so) better half.  Seeming to outdo, outwit, outfox, outstrip, outmatch and outsmart all others than himself (and the Lady), in his blind passion for power, Macbeth, takes the immoral road, which by a series of fatalistic and deterministic events, led by the three witches, to the throne, and ultimately to his doom.

I’ll try to explain the contemporariness of the play with the word ‘Macbethism’, which I’ll define and apply for all the three methods, and also which I’ll elaborate. The threefold isomorphisms between the play and the modern world (id est, the political, psychological and the supernatural similarities).

Macbethism (n.)

1. A doctrine of sovereignty attained by consciously refusing to accept the principles of morality, or in simple terms, the immoral road taken to gain power.
2. A frenzied, sleepless delirium accompanied by wild and frightening hallucinations. (corybantism).
3. The quality of being attributed to power that seems to violate or go beyond natural forces.

Now that the word is defined, we come on agreeable terms, and now that we know many a people who fall under (any one of) this threefold philosophy of Macbethism. And when I say fall, yes, I mean fall, as in the fall of Rome, or perhaps the fall of Lucifer, or better still, the fall of man. Macbethism continues and continues to continue, either till, (as I mentioned in the abstract) our evolution, or our extinction.

On Political Isomorphisms

                                                                   Fair is foul and foul is fair.  [2]

Everything’s fair in the game of politics. Fair, as long as you’re on the winning side of the table. And vice-versa for foul.

From Napoleon Bonaparte to Napoleon of the Animal Farm, power has corrupted everyone alike, be it in a piece of fiction, or otherwise (real). It gets hold of our very nature of being human and turns us into something we’re not. Something dangerous. Danger to ourselves and to the others around us. The greatest of the political leaders we’ve come across in history, the people to have tasted the best flavours of the fruits, power had to offer, are examples of the drasticity of how powerful, power itself can be. The many matricides, patricides, sororicides, filicides, fratricides, avunculicides, perricides and mariticides that have happened in history, to gain power, are scenes seen too often a time. Power is one of the main aspects which defines Macbeth. It shows us how the search for power and the paths taken to attain it are often morally questionable, and oftener end up in insatiateness and unhappiness.

Politically, Macbeth is the story of a brave general, who heeds to a trio of some unreliable strangers (strange are the witches) who will prophesise of him gaining the highest power, the crown, though an irresistible temptation he has, his moral foundations will hold him back from doing an undoable deed and he’ll have his doubts. But Lady Macbeth is persuasive

Was the hope drunk
Wherein you dressed yourself? Hath it slept since?
And wakes it now to look so green and pale
At what it did so freely?
…Art thou afeared
To be the same in thine own act and valour
As thou art in desire
…When you durst do it, then you were a man;  [3]

         These are the lines she tells her husband, questioning his manliness, wanting the power of the throne, as she has already made up her mind to murder Duncan, disregarding or not bothering about the means to attain that power.

The play has sprung an innumerable number of movies, TV shows, poems and other works of literature. It wouldn’t have happened if it weren’t for the timelessness of the play. Retelling the story of Macbeth has never been too old. The many great examples of retellings and adaptations of the play, inspired by, similar to, or completely alike, Macbeth, with the political ramifications in modern account (from rising to power to the eventual and inevitable doom), include-

The House of Cards trilogy, the British political thriller television drama serial, which includes House of Cards, To Play the King, and The Final Cut, containing four episodes each, and which aired from 1990-1995, is the story of the antihero, Francis Urquhart, a fictional Chief Whip of the Conservative Party. The plot follows his amoral and manipulative scheme to become leader of the governing party and, thus, Prime Minister of the United Kingdom. The story of House of Cards is adapted from a novel written by Michael Dobbs, a former Chief of Staff at Conservative Party headquarters. Political elements of Macbeth are quite evident in the series.

House of Cards (2013-Present), an American political drama television series. The series deals primarily with themes of ruthless pragmatism, manipulation and power. House of Cards is the story of Francis Underwood (whose character is in many ways similar to Macbeth), a Democrat from South Carolina’s 5th congressional district and House majority whip who, after being passed over for appointment as Secretary of State, initiates an elaborate plan to get himself into a position of greater power (which being the position of the president of the United States), aided by his wife, Claire Underwood (who’s pretty much like Lady Macbeth).

Maqbool is a 2003 Indian crime drama film directed by Vishal Bhardwaj, The film is based on William Shakespeare’s Macbeth and with Mumbai underworld as its backdrop. Maqbool is the right-hand man of Jahangir Khan (alias Abba Ji), a powerful underworld don. Maqbool is grateful and feels a close connection and personal indebtedness to Abba Ji. The movie gains pace with two corrupt police-men predicting that Maqbool would soon take over the reins of the Mumbai Underworld from Abba Ji. These two thus play a role akin to the three witches in the original play. [4]

Scotland, PA (2001). The tragedy is reworked into a dark comedy set in 1975, centered on “Duncan’s Cafe”, a fast-food restaurant in the small town of Scotland, Pennsylvania. The character of Macbeth is presented as “Joe ‘Mac’ McBeth”, Lady Macbeth as “Pat McBeth”, Duncan as cafe owner “Norm Duncan”, Macduff as “Lieutenant Ernie McDuff”, and Banquo as fry cook “Anthony ‘Banko’ Banconi”. The Three Witches are presented as a trio of bohemians. [5]

To me you speak not.
If you can look into the seeds of time,
And say which grain will grow and which will not,
Speak, then, to me, who neither beg nor fear
Your favors nor your hate.  [6]

       These are the lines of Banquo, right after hearing the three witches prophesising that Macbeth will become the Thane of Cawdor, and that shalt be King hereafter! Quite certainly apparent that he too was seeking a kind of solace in wanting to know of the future, he desired to know on his own future (of power), from the imperfect speakers.

Here are some names of hungry-for-power real people who are quite similar to Macbeth by means of attainment of that power and by the means of ruthless murders and genocides. The lust for power is startlingly, starkly and grimly evident in these “humans”.

 

 

• Crown Prince Dipendra of Nepal

• Kim Il-Sung

• De facto leader Kim Jong Il (N. Korea)

• North Korean leader Kim Jong-Un

• Soviet Union leader Joseph Stalin

• The Führer Adolph Hitler

• Ugandan dictator Idi Amin

• Libyan potentate Muammar al-Qaddafi

• Iranian subverter Ruhollah Khomeini

• Napoleon Bonaparte

• Fidel Castro of Cuba

• Che Guevara (Cuban Revolutionary)

• Robert Mugabe, Ruler of Zimbabwe

• Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, Supreme Leader of the Islamic Republic of Iran

• Ho Chi Minh, Vietnam

• Foday Sankoh, Leader and founder of the RUF, Sierra Leone

• Benito Mussolini

• Yahya Khan, Pakistan

• Mullah Omar, the spiritual leader of the Taliban

• Jonas Savimbi, Angolan political and military leader

• Tōjō Hideki, Japan

• Haji Muhammad Suharto, Indonesia

• Saddam Hussein, President of Iraq

• Jean Kambanda, Rwandan dictator

• Mao Ze Dong

• Leopold II of Belgium

 

• Augusto Pinochet, Chilean dictator

The list goes on and on… There are more Macbeths in reality than one can imagine. Macbethism is more prominent today than it ever was. But instead, there are adaptions and amendments to it, without the element of murder, in other subtler, illegal and immoral means all the same.

On Psychological Isomorphisms

Is this a dagger which I see before me,

The handle toward my hand?  [7]

The psychological disorders of the characters in the play elicits feelings in its readers and adds the interesting element to the play. As I feel we can relate to those feelings the characters are undergoing. Some moments in the play, is a play on our psyche, evoking thoughts on why a character would do or think that, or what we, ourselves would do, if in that situation.

The emotions and the personality itself of the characters of the play metamorphosizes drastically as the play is a short one, and it brings the thrilling shift in the minds of the readers as well.

In Macbeth (1606) Shakespeare took two different stories from Holinshed’s chronicle of Scotland (Donwald’s murder of King Duff and the career of Macbeth) and worked this somewhat primitive material into a profound dramatic presentation of progress of evil within a human personality. The tragedy is given power and scope by the poetic expansion of meaning through imagery as well as by the persuasive and moving projection of character. [8]

Conscious actions by Macbeth and Lady Macbeth, yield unconscious results. Their consciously thought out and executed murder of Duncan and later Banquo, results in them acquiring the fated psychological disorders. If Lady Macbeth, today, were to be examined by a psychiatrist, she would probably be diagnosed as a victim of manic-depressive psychosis, bipolar disorder, with post-traumatic stress disorder, and in the end, the gnawing guilt drives her insane, leading to her somnambulism and clinical depression. When she cannot take the guilt no more, she ultimately commits suicide.

She should have died hereafter; [9]

This is the reaction of Macbeth after hearing the death of his wife which suggests his perfunctoriness. Delusions of grandeur, megalomania, paranoia schizophrenia, whose symptoms include false beliefs, unclear or confused thinking, auditory hallucinations; and immortality and invincibility complex are some of the disorders that can be diagnosed with Macbeth. The second definition of Macbethism is applicable to both of them here.

Some of the famous people who had the similar mental illnesses as Macbeth and Lady Macbeth. Ludwig van Beethoven experienced bipolar disorder, so did Winston Churchill and Vincent van Gogh. Stephen Fry and Carrie fisher also have it. Diana, the princesses of Wales, experienced bouts of depression. Ernest Hemingway suffered from suicidal depression. John Nash, the Nobel Prize winner, had schizophrenia. Heath Ledger battled insomnia, drug abuse and depression. Issac Newton’s main symptoms were melancholia, or depression, with a desire to withdraw from contact with even good friends, apathy, insomnia, loss of appetite, a period of persecution when he suffered the delusion that his friends were turning against him, and possible loss of memory and amnesia. [10]

Hell! What is hell to one like me

Who pleasures never knew;

By friends consigned to misery,

By hope deserted too?  [11]

Macbeth can be a reminder of the dire effects on the psyche of a person and can lead to a whole lot of psychological disorders, or reactions that is a consequence of unscrupulous causes or actions.

On Supernatural Isomorphisms

 

A title so feared,

Cursed is the same

Then curse be endeared,

For Macbeth is the name.

The reality of witchcraft or enchantment, which, though not strictly the same, are confounded in this play, has in all ages and countries been credited by the common people, and in most, by the learned themselves. These phantoms have indeed appeared more frequently in proportion as the darkness of ignorance has been more gross; but it cannot be shown that the brightest gleams of knowledge have at any time been sufficient to drive them out of the world. [12]

The quality of being attributed to power that seems to violate or go beyond natural forces, the supernatural element in the play, is the modern equivalent to superstitions. And superstition can be defined as an irrational belief arising from ignorance or fear.

By the pricking of my thumbs,

Something wicked this way comes. [13]

          The use of the supernatural element in the play, increases the suspense of the readers, and after the decisions of Macbeth, taken by constantly relying on the prophecies of the three witches. Not unlike Macbeth believing in prophecies, the modern world too believes in pseudoscience, horoscopes, astrology and all sorts of other superstitious nonsensical disbeliefs.

The Forer effect (also called the Barnum effect after P. T. Barnum’s observation that “we’ve got something for everyone”) is the observation that individuals will give high accuracy ratings to descriptions of their personality that supposedly are tailored specifically for them, but are in fact vague and general enough to apply to a wide range of people. This effect can provide a partial explanation for the widespread acceptance of some beliefs and practices, such as astrology, fortune telling, graphology, religion, aura reading and some types of personality tests. [14]

Though not as explicit the witches prophesise the fate of Macbeth, or anything close, the Barnum effect is the closest thing that can hoodwink you to fatalism and determinism today. Many books too, such as The Secret of Rhonda Byrne, based on the superstitious law of attraction, can mislead people into believing the absurd and make them something they’re not. Here are some of the statements that are vague and general enough to most people, from Bertram’s test, the demonstration of psychologist Bertram R Forer his Effect.

• You have a great need for other people to like and admire you.
• You have a tendency to be critical of yourself.
• You have a great deal of unused capacity which you have not turned to your advantage.
• While you have some personality weaknesses, you are generally able to compensate for them.
• Disciplined and self-controlled outside, you tend to be worrisome and insecure inside.
• At times you have serious doubts as to whether you have made the right decision or done the right thing.
• You prefer a certain amount of change and variety and become dissatisfied when hemmed in by restrictions and limitations.
• You pride yourself as an independent thinker and do not accept others’ statements without satisfactory proof.
• You have found it unwise to be too frank in revealing yourself to others.
• At times you are extroverted, affable, and sociable, while at other times you are introverted, wary, reserved.
• Some of your aspirations tend to be pretty unrealistic.
• Security is one of your major goals in life.

Belief in the paranormal

There is evidence that having prior belief in the paranormal correlates with greater influence of the effect.  Subjects who, for example, believe in the accuracy of horoscopes have a greater tendency to believe that the vague generalities of the response apply specifically to them. This suggests that individuals who do not believe in astrology are possibly influenced less by the effect. [15]

I conclude by saying that all the three of the comparisons I made between the play and some of the aspects of the modern world, it can be agreeable that Macbeth is a sublime play of human character and cannot be agreeable that it isn’t contemporary.

 

Notes

 

Beginning Shakespeare (page 20)
The Tragedy of Macbeth (1.1.10)
The Tragedy of Macbeth (1.7.35-49)
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Maqbool
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Scotland,_PA
The Tragedy of Macbeth (1.3.57-61)
The Tragedy of Macbeth (2.1.33)
A Critical History of English Literature volume two (page 280)
The Tragedy of Macbeth (5.5.16)
http://rsnr.royalsocietypublishing.org/content/62/3/289.full
The lines are from the poem “The Suicide’s Soliloquy.”  Abraham Lincoln is assumed to be the author of the poem published on August 25, 1838. And also believed he suffered from depression.
From Johnson’s Shakespeare (1765) [Shakespeare: Macbeth, casebook series].
The Tragedy of Macbeth (4.1.45)
& 15. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Forer_effect

Bibliography
Shakespeare, William. Edited by- Wilks, Robert. Macbeth. Singapore, Pansing Distribution Pte Ltd, ISBN: 981 3030 038, 2006.
Hopkins, Lisa. Beginning Shakespeare. Chennai, Manchester University Press,                   ISBN: 0-7190-6423-6, 2007.
Daiches, David. A Critical History of English Literature. London, Secker & Warburg ISBN: 0-436-12105-0, 1994.
Wain, John. Shakespeare: Macbeth, A Casebook. Hong Kong, Macmillan Press Ltd, ISBN: 0-333-53356-9, 1994.
Shakespeare, William. Shakespeare: The Complete Works. Mumbai, Wilco Publishing House, ISBN: 978-81-8252-462-0, 2013.
Bloom, Harold. Bloom’s Shakespeare Through the Ages: Macbeth. New York, Bloom’s Literary Criticism, ISBN: 978-0-7910-9594-2, 2013

 

 

Structural Analysis of ‘Lunch atop a Skyscraper’

Rajalekshmi L S

            According to philosopher Simon Blackburn, structuralism is “the belief that phenomena of human life are not intelligible except through their interrelations. These relations constitute a structure, and behind local variations in the surface phenomena there are constant laws of abstract culture”. Structuralism is the theory where the elements of human culture are understood in terms of their relationship to a larger, overarching system or structure. It works to uncover the structures that underlie all the things that humans do, think, perceive, and feel.

This research paper will attempt to do a structural analysis of the famous photographer ‘Lunch atop a Skyscraper.’ The paper would go on to explain the class structures prevalent in the society and how this photo is a representation of it. It will also attempt to analysis the novella ‘A Christmas Carol’. The paper will also look into how the image is used a propaganda tool.

‘Lunch atop a Skyscraper’, is a famous photograph taken as a publicity stunt. ‘The photograph, showing eleven men side by side with their lunch pails on the 69th-floor skeleton of what would become the RCA Building at Rockefeller Centre, was taken on September 29, 1932, as a promotion for the development, and first appeared in The New York Herald Tribune a few days later.’ (nytimes.com n.p.)

If you see, the photo shows these men smiling and eating their lunch. One of them lighting a cigarette for another, others making small talk and enjoying the view from the top of the scraper while the New York City is in the backdrop. We always consider a photo as a representation of life, as a moment in life captured to be remembered forever. But this is a perfect example of how a photo can be manipulated to bring out a message. The workers are shown sharing the food, when they have no enough food to feed themselves. They are smiling in the photo hiding many emotions behind their eyes.

In the essay ‘Rhetoric of the Image’, Roland Barthes talks about how an image can be manipulated to construct meaning. He analyses an advertising image and uses it as a means of teasing out how different messages are conveyed by a system of signs. The central question of his essay – can images truly function as conveyers of meaning given that they are essentially imitations or direct analogical representations of something else. Similarly in this, the image is constructed to convey specific messages to the public and is trying to say something about the group.

Furthermore, the image shows how the workers are ‘on top of the world’, when they are from the lowest sections of society, dappling in hunger, surviving on the bare minimums and at the mercy of others. They are representative of many others who are suffering under the structure. In addition, they are made to sit on the scrapper, some hundred feet above, without any protection in the open. They are also hiding the fear of falling and losing their lives, which is symbolic of their lives. Yet the fact that the workers are still posing for the photo despite all the problems reminds us of the structure that is working behind it that has the power to instruct them what to do keeping away their individuality. That there is someone who is asking them to put up this show and hide there emotions and this someone hold power. Now what is this structure? How does it function?

The structure is the power relations present in the society. This power relation is manifested through the class distinctions. Class distinction is the division of the society on the basis socio-economic, political and cultural status that people hold – where those wielding power becomes the dominant class and the others under them become the lower class or labour class and they are all part of the structure. Other parts of structure are patriarchy, religion, caste system, government and many more. Now, the dominant class holds power because they are in control of the means of production – land, labour, capital and organisation. In a Capitalist society, according to Karl Marx the capitalist or the Bourgeois own the means of production, while the lower class forms the Proletariat, who are economically and culturally backward. The power here is the form of money and money is what defines power. The ones who have it are the ones who own the means of production.  The base of this society is the economy as Marx calls it and it is on this base that the entire society is built which forms the superstructure.

According to Structuralism, money or capital is what keeps the structure in place. The need for money is felt in all section of the society. The capitalist work towards profit by setting up factories while the working class work towards earning money and imitating the dominant class to moving up the social ladder. It is called the trickle down method where the profit the dominant class gained in a way determines how much money the lower class should get. The dominant class on one hand reaps the benefits of the hard work of the working class and also exploit them in the name of labour. In other ways, this capital is a tool to make sure that the structure remains where it is. The increasing cost of goods and services, the higher tax rates, unemployment, illiteracy, poverty are all consequences of this structure being in place. It is a vicious circle and we cannot break away from it.

According to Pierra Bourdieu, the economic capital influences the cultural capital and vice versa. The cultural capital is where the economic capital is embodied. Taking the example of India where caste system plays a major role in the lives of the individuals in the society. The people from the upper caste are in control of panchayat and other major religious and social institution. The economic hierarchy reflects in the cultural hierarchy. The dominant and the lower class are determined by the caste system, which is based on ones job. As long as the lower class continues to performs the menial jobs they are assigned to do and as long as the upper keeps the major institutions under their control, the caste system is going to remain in the same manner.

In addition, the heterogeneity of the caste system is never acknowledged. The diversity of the society is represented through the image where workers are clothed differently, but again they are taken as a homogenous section, and the same rules and laws are implemented. Their identities are determined by the work they do and the wage they are paid.  These economic practices reinforce the structure.

As mentioned earlier, power defines everything that is part of the society. The power is exercised either through consent or by coercion; it is usually both working together. In the picture, the workers are posing for the photo shows us how they have consented to it. But is it entirely true? This can be connected to what Marxist point out – the false consciousness, the idea that we are blind to our conditions. Louis Althusser, speaks about how the ‘Ideological State Apparatus’, distorts our view of the true nature of our conditions. The domination of certain ideas and beliefs which are put forward by – organised religion, the law, political system, education and so on forms a part of this apparatus and in a way shapes our thoughts and actions. Here the structure is concentrated upon. The workers are not acting out of ‘free will’, actually it the person behind the camera who is holding the will. The workers are paid for what they do. The hegemony is established through the capital they are paid for their labour.

In the play, Christmas Carol, by Charles Dickens, we can clearly observe the points put above. The novella met with instant success and critical acclaim. A Christmas Carol tells the story of a bitter old miser named Ebenezer Scrooge and his transformation into a gentler, kindlier man after visitations by the ghost of his former business partner Jacob Marley and the Ghosts of Christmas Past, Present and Yet to Come. We are shown how Ebenezer Scrooge holds the power because he owns means of production. While his overworked, underpaid clerk Bob Cratchit is seen toiling day and night to meet the ends of his family. Now, one might think as to why is Bob still working under Mr. Scourge even when he being paid less, not provided basic amenities or a holiday for Christmas. This is because he is aware of the situation in Victorian England – unemployment, disease, poverty etc. Between unemployment and restricted freedom, he chose the latter – to feed the stomach of his family. This same constraint to break away from the system is what makes us remain in the system. We are forced to consent even.

Coming back to the image, it was said how the image was used as a propaganda tool. This again is a part of the whole process of keeping the structure intact. The image is selling happiness to people when they avail to the services of the company; that is the promise the company makes. When we see the photo the first time we see as a bunch of worker enjoying their lunch. However, the fact that the image is manipulated tells us how the photos can create illusion in the minds of people. The emotional influence created by this photo is what determines its success. This same emotional appeal is what advertisement companies try to achieve even today.  Ads are supposed to play on our intuition, our conscious and subconscious desires. The idea is to sell as many products to the masses as possible.

The new Maruti Suzuki Ertiga (2015) is a TVC with the tagline ‘For the feeling called Love’. The commercial along with selling the product is selling a dream or aspiration. It adds value to the commercial. This attracts the audience to come and buy the product. Similarly, religious, education, political system propagate a certain idea of the structure that is followed by the people, which later becomes a set norm or standard. To survive in the society one needs to follow it.

This is what the Structuralist approach is about. It uncovers the structure for us and presents it to show us how we are part of this structure irrespective of who we are and were we are from. The structure is become an integral part of our lives and we do not question it. However, this scenario is changed and today we are questioning the air we were breathing all this while. The structure of society that was Euro-centric, patriarchal, capitalist is changing to give space to the unheard. The centre of the structure is shifting and is becoming inclusive. Deconstruction of the established ideas is a way to provide opportunity for others. Racism, casteism, communalism, capitalism are all questioned and social mobility of different classes are made possible. Anyway, we should also understand that we could not entirely function without this structure in place. The total deconstruction of this structure can lead to chaos and confusion. Therefore, the ultimate solution is to balance things out because we cannot imagine a life without the economic capital.

Works Cited

Barthes, Roland, and Stephen Heath. Image, Music, Text. New York: Hill and Wang, 1977.

Print.

Bertens, Johannes Willem. Literary Theory: The Basics. London: Routledge, 2001. Print.

Bourdieu, Pierre. Outline of a Theory of Practice. Cambridge, U.K.: Cambridge UP, 1977.            Print.

“Dickens Chronology.” Dickens Chronology. Web. 21 Jan. 2016.

Maruti Suzuki Ertiga. Maruti Suzuki Ertiga. Web. 21 Jan. 2016.

Pollak, Michael. “Answers to Questions About New York.” The New York Times.

The New York Times, 2012. Web. 21 Jan. 2016.

“The Rhetoric Of The Image – Roland Barthes (1964).” Traces Of The Real. 2009. Web. 21 Jan. 2016.

Derek Thompson. “Thinking vs. Feeling: The Psychology of Advertising.” The Atlantic. The Atlantic, 27 Oct. 2011. Web. 21 Jan. 2016.

 

 

My Merriest Christmas

Chinchu VJ

The 2015 Christmas vacation days were the most beautiful for my family and me, because a new member came into our home: My nephew, Joseph Henry. He made us all very happy. December 28^th was his baptism and I was waiting for that day. He was with my sister-in-law at her home and on the day of the baptism, my sister-in-law and her family members came to my parish and we celebrated his baptism. I was waiting to see him till that day. I couldn’t see him before because I was in Bangalore.

He is my first nephew, a first not only for me but also for my family. So, that was a beautiful day for us. I reached home on the 24^th and I didn’t waste any time because I was busy with the preparations for the baptism ceremony. Finally, the day of his baptism arrived. We went to parish in the morning and the moment I saw him I couldn’t control myself, I took him in my arms and I kissed him. I think that was the happiest moment of my life. My cousins scolded me telling that shouldn’t kiss the baby’s cheek. They were probably right, but he is my nephew, who else would kiss him? I was angry.

I understood how a mother cares for her child and how sweet it is being a mother. I could see a glimpse of motherhood. I could see the innocence in his eyes. I realized how special and difficult it was, to look after a child. I have attended many baptisms, but I was never this excited or happy.

This was the first time I experienced such joy attending a baptism. I clicked many photos with him. When he cried, I would carry him and soothe him and he would stop crying at once. This made me so happy, to think I could stop his tears. When people would talk, he would smile in an adorable way that captured the hearts of all people who saw his face. I never anticipated that I would be so happy when I would have a nephew. We waited for him for three years. He doesn’t understand what I say to him because he is just two months old. Although, whenever I talk to him, he smiles at me, and when I see that, I feel like he understands me.

I was never bothered about things like how a baby grows up or how much the parents suffer, but this vacation taught me that, too. The night of his baptism, he didn’t allow us to sleep, he was crying the whole time. He’d sleep the whole day and keep us up at night. He would sleep and within five minutes he would wake up. I couldn’t shut my eyes at all that night. Next morning, my mother took him to take bath, he was happy till the moment water was poured on him. When I saw him crying, I scolded my mother. My sister in law said that it was natural for babies like him to cry while being bathed, and it was not my mother’s mistake.

Every day, I prayed to God to not let the days pass by, because I would have to come back to Bangalore eventually, once vacations ended. Then I won’t be able to see my nephew. Till 3^rd January, I spent time with him. Whenever I spent time with him, I felt like I am the happiest person in the world. I miss him so much. Whenever I call, he makes some sweet noises and it makes me happy as well as sad. The 2015 Christmas vacation was the most beautiful and memorable vacation for my family and me. It was a first and a new experience, attending my nephew’s baptism and spending time with him. It was a vacation I will always cherish, the merriest Christmas I’d ever had…

Yunagi no Machi, Sakura no Kuni by FumiyoKouno

Bhavana Chandra

Japanese graphic novels have gained popularity in recent decades. Manga has created its own world of literature. Brazenly different from classical novels, poetry and the film industry, graphic novels create a space of intensity delivered by both language and illustrations.

FumiyoKouno is a Mangaka by profession. Her most famous work is Yunagi no Machi, Sakura no Kuni, roughly translated to ‘Town of Evening Calm, Country of Cherry Blossoms.’ The novel was published in 2004 and is famous for its artfully intricate weaving of a story succeeding the bombing of Hiroshima near the end of the Second World War.

The manga comprises two stories. ‘Town of Evening Calm’ is the point of view of twenty three year old Minami Hirano, a victim of the devastation of 1945. She is plagued by the experience and has lost most of her family to it. Ten years after the event, she too succumbs to the after effects of being exposed to the bombing. ‘Country of Cherry Blossoms’ is in two parts, both of which are from the perspective of Minami Hirano’s niece, Nanami Ishikawa. Shown as a ten year old and then a twenty seven year old woman, the new protagonist is a second generation survivor. Her brother, Asahi Ishikawa, has had bouts of Asthma attacks which people attribute him to being the son of a Hibakusha victim. Their mother had been ‘caught in the flash’ of the bomb as an infant and passed away years afterward as shown in a tormenting flashback.

The story is applauded for its honest and powerful depiction of lives affected by the atomic bomb. Many read about the facts of the destruction and see the loss as a statistic, but FumiyoKouno has captured the truth of the pain and the reality of the consequences. Her interpretation of the characters stems from her own feelings towards the event and the necessity of having to tell the tale of the people who have still not escaped the damage. The sketches are a clever rendering to show the emotions of the characters and the placement of the scenes. There is a play on light and shading in many panels to show the past’s influence on the present.

The world war was waged to defeat countries, but it also resulted in destroying lives. The manga explores the scars left on the bodies and minds of the survivors and puts forward the tale of Hiroshima, which was known for its yunagi and sakura trees, a place brimming with life and love.

This manga is definitely a recommended read. It has its slices of humour and affection interspersed naturally with the tragedy and healing of people.

WINGS OF ENCHANTMENT

Navya Dennis

Life is not what one lived, but what one remembers and how one remembers it in order to recount it…
–Gabriel Garcia Marquez, Living to Tell the Tale

        Magical Realism is one of the most enchanting genres of literature; the union of two supposedly conflicting areas of magic and realism. It portrays magical or unreal elements as an organic part of an otherwise realistic or mundane environment. The term ‘magical realism’ first appeared in 1955. The term Magischer Realismus, translated as magic realism, was first used by German art critic Franz Roh in 1925. He used it to refer to a painterly style also known as Neue Sachlichkeit (the New Objectivity).
Characterised by unique features, magical realist texts carry the reader away to another universe within the realms of its nexus of reality. They form a borderline between what actually exists and what does not, which in turn entertains the reader. The term “magical realism”, as opposed to magic realism, first emerged in the 1955 essay Magical Realism in Spanish American Fiction by critic Angel Flores to refer to writing that combines aspects of magic realism and marvellous realism. The features of this genre forms a subjective interplay displaying ambivalent emotions within the readers’ minds.  It brings fables, folk tales, and myths into contemporary social relevance. Fantasy traits given to characters, such as levitation, telepathy, and telekinesis, help to encompass modern political realities that can be phantasmagorical. The existence of fantasy elements in the real world provides the basis for magical realism. Writers do not invent new worlds but reveal the magic in this world, as was done by Gabriel García Márquez who wrote the seminal work of the style, One Hundred Years of Solitude. It holds an authorial reticence where the narrator is indifferent, a characteristic enhanced by the absence of an explanation for fantastic events. The story proceeds with “logical precision” as if nothing extraordinary had taken place. A complex system of layering is another important feature of the kind. It can also be viewed as a political critique as magic realism’s ‘alternative world’ works to correct the reality of established viewpoints (like realism, naturalism, modernism).
This article will examine two works of magical realism which have invited critical acclaim. Their similarities and differences emerge from their diversity in origin. The short story Death Constant Beyond Love is one of the numerous short stories by the great Gabriel Garcia Marquez. The second text under examination is the 2013 Malayalam film Amen, whose maker Lijo Jose Pellissery was highly inspired by Marquez’s imagination.
The name of the story Death Constant Beyond Love is a take on a famous sonnet written by the Spanish poet Quevedo called Love Constant Beyond Death. By naming his short story Death Constant Beyond Love, Marquez is rejecting the idea that love conquers all and is instead asserting that it is actually death that rules our lives. The names used in the story itself suggests the presence of magical realism. We open with an “illusory” village-Rosal del Virrey, a town so dreary and sordid that “even its name was a kind of joke, because the only rose in that village was being worn by Senator Onesimo Sanchez himself”(Marquez). The Senator’s rose is illusory as well; it hints of growth and promise and love and beauty, but he brings only props and shills that suggest his campaign promises are as empty and illusory as the desert town. He carries lust, not love in his heart, and his body carries impending death, not the bloom of youth. Laura Farina (her name meaning wheat or cereal or grain–like Demeter, goddess of grain to the Ancient Greeks, Ceres to the Romans) sustains and survives. She represents grace and life and nature with her soft, young body and her “woods-animal armpit” which the dying Senator tries to take refuge in. Like the trickster being tricked in a folk tale, her father bests the Senator by locking Laura in a chastity belt and therefore, what appears to be an easy seduction is not. The simple, earthy folks of the village and the simple reality of poverty and death eventually win out over the Senator’s meaningless pomp and puffery. The penultimate irony of the story (death itself provides the ultimate irony to a life built on pretence and a notion that position equals power) is the scandal that chases the Senator to the grave:

“Six months and eleven days later he would die in that same position, debased and repudiated because of the public scandal with Laura Farina and weeping with rage at dying without her.” (Marquez)

       The setting of Death Constant Beyond Love suggests the Latin American political situation which Marquez mocks; the empty promises made during elections which are never realised. It also points towards the scandalous state that exists in the realm of politics, especially bribery in various forms. The declined conditions of the village indicate the constant manipulation which continues, irrespective of the ruler or party.
The film Amen, the second text under examination, begins with the historic mysterious storytelling about the popular legend devoted to the Saint Geevarghese of Kumaramkari. The Saint had made an appearance before Tipu Sultan, when Tipu and his military were trying to gain control over the church during his invasion. Further, it speaks about social fragmentation in a manner that echoed expertise and close observation. The podium of the movie is the church controlled Syrian Christian village and its innocent people. The autocratic church makes them believe that all the people of the village should continue their life under the shadow of church driven orthodoxy. Two other lines of struggle run parallel to this; the love story of Solomon and Sosanna who belong to varied social stratus and the struggle of the dying Geevarghese Band to maintain itself, is the other plane of struggle. The coming of a young priest, Father Vincent Vattoly, shakes the existing ideas of normalcy and breaks the village away from the orthodoxy that plagued it to destructive measures. His thoughts, perception and vision of society and life, and the understanding of the Bible is entirely different from others. His heart is solely driven by the peace and love. He also maintained a friendly relation with Michelle, the French woman and thus became a rebel in the diseased social system. Moreover, the film ends with the revelation that Fr. Vincent Vattoly who brought reformation to the village and revived its musical tradition was actually St. Geevarghese(George), himself. The image of Esthappan and his angels is another element that contributes to the magical realism effect. Moreover, the two angels who are shown to be dancing with Fr. Vincent Vattoly deconstruct all notions of the image of an angel derived from ancient scriptures. This film is indeed a commendable manifestation of magical realism along with others like Life of Pi, Leela etc. which question existing norms and hard core realities of human fallacies.
The examination of the two texts mentioned above, are connected primarily by their common magical realism backgrounds. They are further entwined by the similar sensibilities of people who live a hemisphere apart. Both take pride in their innumerable legends and supernatural tales born out of wild imagination, strong beliefs, huge families and a culture that propagates family values. Perhaps it also has to do with the strong Christian culture and its rituals in our state. Finally, like most other magical realist texts in the world, Amen is also a figment of a writer who is highly influenced by the great Gabriel Garcia Marquez. Lijo Jose Pellissery is recorded to have said in an interview, “Definitely, Gabo’s works have influenced my thoughts and works – the magic realism, the larger than life characters, fantasy and imaginary spaces. I did use a Marquezian landscape for Amen.”

Works Cited

2011. Marsh. “”Death Constant Beyond Love” (Marquez).” EN 208 (World Lit II) – Fall 2011. N.p., 11 Dec. 2011. Web. 26 Aug. 2016.

Harpham,Geoffrey Galt. “Magical Realism”. A Glossary of Literary Terms. By M.H.Abrahams.11th ed.Fort Worth:Harcourt Brace Jovanovich College,1993.288.Print.

Morris, Ryan. “Literary Analysis.” Latin American Literature by Ryan Morris. N.p., n.d. Web. 26 Aug. 2016.

Murali Margarassery. “Amen: Magical Realism Stands in Opposition to the Syrian Christian Orthodox Social Arrangement.” Tag Archives: Magical Realism in Malayalam Cinema. Word, 04 May 2013. Web. 25 Aug. 2016.

Zamora, Lois Parkinson and Wendy B. Faris. Ed. Magical Realism: Theory, History, Community. Durham: Duke UP, 1995.

A Pinch of Salt

Imtiyala Jamir

God has been kind this year. The mountains seem alive with the constant chirping of exotic birds, the gentle strides of fauna that abounds this lush mountain and the steady thumping of the gushing streams. Beautiful bright pink rhododendrons run parallel within the perimeter of Longkhum village and it almost seems like the flowers are cradling and nurturing them with their dazzling exuberance. They seem to be echoing the elation of the people by exuding their towering magnificence. The people of Longkhum village have been blessed generously with a good harvest this time around and this will be enough to sustain them till the next reaping season. The grueling hard work which had been invested in clearing the fields, burning the jungles and sowing the seeds for paddy has not gone unnoticed. It is almost time for Tsüngrem Mong, the harvest festival of the Ao Nagas and the natives of this Ao village are gearing up to celebrate their bounty. But before the celebrations can begin, the men of the village have to travel all the way down to the plains where they have to collect salt for their families, which is indispensable for the festival feast and their livelihood. A week before the festival commences, they gear up and make their journey to the land of the tzümars.

 

A young lad has just turned 10. As a gift, he has been allowed to accompany his father and make this strenuous journey alongside him. He has been anticipating this day for a very long time as he believes it will be his passage into manhood; he is excited and determined to prove his father that he has what it takes to take on the bigger responsibilities of the village. Tsüngrem Mong is not only a festival to celebrate God’s providence but it also enables the younger generations to demonstrate their intellectual capabilities and physical strength. This adventure would be the perfect chance for this lad to show that he is no longer a child with whimsical fancies but is ready to become a mature adult. The journey down to the plains would take two days on foot and three days back uphill; they would have to carry the heavy load on their backs and the absence of well paved roads would not permit an easy walk either; the terrain was rough and uneven, it had slippery slopes, sharp cliffs and sleeping in the cold, damp wilderness among unnamed creatures was inevitable. Any ten year old would cringe at such a thought today but this daunting task did not deter the young lad as he was resolved to impress his father and he made a promise to himself that no matter how difficult and tiring the journey would be, he would not utter a word of complaint about the arduous trek.

 

Each slab of salt weighed around 10 kilograms. The men of the village would usually carry three to four slabs each for their families and this would last them an entire year and sometimes more. The young sons of these men were only expected to carry one slab each.  However, this young lad despite his father’s warnings made up his mind to carry two slabs of the salt, which was almost equal to his own weight and would be extremely difficult for any ten year old boy to carry for three days. He was adamant to such a degree that there was absolutely no way to coax him out of his resolution and so they made their journey downhill. The women of the village had packed sufficient food for them to last three days and the necessary materials which they would require to built temporary make-shift tents to sleep at night. They had also set aside a separate bag in which there were grains and other farm produce which were to be exchanged for the salt. As was customary, all men also carried a traditonal dao, a sort of a flat asymmetric rectangular axe, in order to cut their way through bushy shrubs and tall grasses but also to protect themselves from unexpected dangerous creatures.

 

Trekking downward to their destination passed by quite effortlessly and was not that difficult. The young lad however, stumbled and fell for the most part as he was not accustomed to walking in such bumpy ground and had not yet learned to walk with strong firm strides like his father which was essential to survive in the jungle. It was quite natural for him to face these obstacles as he had very little experience in this area. He would learn it soon enough nevertheless, accompanying his father in his various hunting expeditions. But for now, he had to struggle to keep up with the group, lest he be left behind which would be humiliating for him.

 

It was strange place for him. The people of the plains spoke in a language he could not understand. His father and the other men of his village spoke with hand gestures with these tzümars and their communication seemed limited to pointing at their goods and displaying a certain number of fingers on their hands which was an indicator of the number of the slabs of salt they wanted. He watched in silent wonder at the barter that was happening right before his eyes and he tired to remember every detail of the exchange as he knew that one day it would be him in his father’s place.
As for the this new foreign land, he did not like it much. He was already missing the cool winds of the hills and the smell of fresh air which rejuvenated even the weariest soul.  He was drenched in sweat from the hot humid weather and flies buzzed all around reminding him of the staleness of the air. He was desperate to go back home.

After the exchange was completed, they began their journey back home. Heaving their respective stacks the young lad seemed the only one out of place with his twenty kilograms strapped behind his back. The first day of the trek uphill went by rather quickly as he climbed with confident steps and his heart filled with immense pride and he knew that this would impress his father a great deal. The strength of his resolution however, could not possibly overcome the physical strength of a ten year old boy and slowly like a clock being watched, the weight on his shoulders started draining the energy out of his feeble body and his footsteps became harsher and his calves strained with the load on his back. As the sun scorched every inch of his body and sweat dripped down his face, he grew weary and his spirit weakened; he contemplated giving up justifying his thoughts with the fact that his father probably never expected him to complete his task anyway. But that was exactly what he wanted to prove wrong; he was not a quitter and he was absolutely capable of finishing this mission. He had come this far; he could not possibly throw in the towel now with only a day left even if it meant swallowing the excruciating pain he was subjecting his body to bear .

 

It was now the third and the last day of the trip and it was a marvel that he had come so far without a word of complaint. The father deliberated whether to carry his son’s slab seeing him tired and worn out but decided against it and allowed him to continue his journey alone as he feared it would hurt his pride. He saw a great deal of himself in his son and he remembered how just like him, he too once wished to make his own father proud. To break his spirit now by acknowledging his weakness would cause an irreparable blow to his self- respect and dignity as a man. It would be best if he didn’t say anything and proceed forward. Meanwhile, this stubborn young lad looked at his father and reflected on how much he loved and respected him; the last thing he would want to do was disappoint him by giving up. It would be a shame for him and his family if he returned back home without fulfilling his task and this would invariably affect the mood of the entire festivity as well. The desire to uphold the family name further spurred him on and gave him enough juice to complete the last leg of his journey. For a young lad of his age, the caliber and maturity that he displayed on those three days surpassed even the most able men of his village.

 

He grew up to become an admirable and sought after leader of his village, respected and applauded especially for his moral fiber. This young lad was my great grandfather. Even today, a common sight in the kitchen of my grandparent’s home is the stack of neatly piled salt packets adorning the mantle of the fireplace. One would think this to be quite ridiculous as salt is easily available in the market and rather cheap as well. But my grandmother is bent on following the tradition in remembrance of the difficult lengths my great grandfather and the generations before him had to undergo just in order to obtain salt. Courtesy of my absent-mindedness one evening, I had forgotten to add salt to a dish during my initial amateur attempts at cooking. Consequently, my family was subjected to some rather tasteless chicken which they were gracious enough to gulp down so as to not upset my sentiments.  It was then that my grandfather shared this anecdote about his father and it was only after he had finished his story that I realized the missing ingredient from my chicken and how it was in dire need of some salt. Had it not been for this incident, my grandfather in all probability would have never shared this story with us and it would have eventually been erased from history, forgotten and unacknowledged.