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A Reading of Goat Days Research Journal of English Language and Literature (RJELAL) A Peer Reviewed (Refereed) International Journal Vol.6.Issue 3. 2018 Impact Factor 6.8992 (ICI) http://www.rjelal.com; (July-Sept) Email:[email protected] ISSN:2395-2636 (P); 2321-3108(O) RESEARCH ARTICLE EVADING THE POWER APPARATUS: A READING OF GOAT DAYS SMITHA MARY SEBASTIAN Temple Road, Nalanchira, Trivandrum [email protected] ABSTRACT The paper focuses on Dispositif or apparatus, a theoretical term used by Michael Foucault, and further expanded by Giorgio Agamben, with special reference to Aadu Jeevitham by Benyamin (translated Goat Days by Joseph Koyippally). The disciplinary actions are identified with Panopticism, the inaudible fear induced by persistent surveillance. Accordingly the paper encapsulates various power structures at play, elaborating on Arbab, Language, Uncharted terrain, Dreams and the Power of the Unknown. The protagonist Najeeb's attempts to evade and later yield to the machinery are discussed. The landscape is read as a microcosm of the world at large and of Najeeb, the Other. Keywords: Power, Panopticism, apparatus, AaduJeevitham . Introduction apparatus always involves the process of subjectification. Michael Foucault defined apparatus in The Benyamin's AaduJeevithamcatapulted him Confession of the Flesh as 'a thoroughly to fame winning the Abu Dhabi Sakthi Award in 2008 heterogeneous ensemble consisting of discourses, and the Kerala Sahitya Academy Award in 2009. It institutions, architectural forms, regulatory has been translated to English as Goat Days by decisions, laws, administrative measures, scientific Joseph Koyippally.The English translation of the statements, philosophical, moral and philanthropic novel appeared in the long list of Man Asian Literary propositions- in short, the said as much as the Prize in 2012 and in the short list of the DSC Prize for unsaid’(194). Accordingly, any aberration from the South Asian Literature 2013. The real life events of structure will be considered abnormal and Najeeb’s ordeal in the desert were recounted to consequently punished. The power and discipline Benyamin who remained faithful to the story administered by these apparatus presents a parallel avoiding pretentious diction over clear, lucid style. universe, of those without a history. It is this honesty in the narrative that sets the work For Giorgio Agamben, a leading Italian apart. “Most expatriates are hiding their lives, and philosopher and radical political theorist the term people back home don’t even know what job their apparatus designates that in which and through husbands or sons are doing out there. They only which, one realizes a pure activity of governance know the glittering part with expensive wrist devoid of any foundation in being. ‘I will call an watches and cooling glasses,” says Benyamin, at The apparatus,’ he writes, ‘literally anything that has in Hindu Lit for Life 2013. some way the capacity to capture, orient, Goat Days presents the story of vicious determine, intercept, model, control, or secure the ostracism undergone by Najeeb, the protagonist at gestures, behaviors, opinions, or discourses of living the hands of an Arbab, the Arab master. His beings’(14).He states this as the reason why movements are controlled, supervised and 238 SMITHA MARY SEBASTIAN Research Journal of English Language and Literature (RJELAL) A Peer Reviewed (Refereed) International Journal Vol.6.Issue 3. 2018 Impact Factor 6.8992 (ICI) http://www.rjelal.com; (July-Sept) Email:[email protected] ISSN:2395-2636 (P); 2321-3108(O) surveilled throughout the day where he is detained. The only human left other than Najeeb and The book goes on to chronicle his escape from the arbab is the ‘scary figure’ (61). 'He had matted hair tyranny of the arid landscape. Najeeb, a Keralite, like that of a savage who had been living in a forest struggling with the meager income he earns from for years. His beard touched his belly. He had on the sand mining is elated when he comes to know of a dirtiest of Arab clothes’ (61). Though acts of visa for sale. By mortgaging, selling and borrowing dominance are perpetrated on Najeeb; the weak, he secures the money to reach the city of his the scary figure perceives the ruthlessness of Arbab dreams. Najeeb along with Hakeem, another boy and works without a moment's rest. The scary who received visa, sets to 'the outside world’ figure, an unnamed man, a man without history together (39). The city of dreams soon turns out to foreshadows Najeeb's future in its entirety. On the be a nightmare, when they both are taken in by the third day of Najeeb's arrival the scary figure escapes wrong arbab after waiting hours for their sponsor in permeating a ray of hope in him to wait for the the Riyadh airport. Hakeem separated, Najeeb opportune moment. On the contrary he later finds realises what the future holds in store for him. His the putrefying corpse of the scary figure thereby job is to herd and milk goats, ‘Rows of goats, coming in terms with the air of resignation Arbab undulating like a sea’, in addition to filling water, had when he came to know about the scary figure’s hay, wheat, fodder in the containers for goats and abscondenceand the meaning of his master camels (59). demonstrating the power of his binoculars and gun. This discovery that the man vested with power can 1. Arbab murder without a speck of remorse seals the desire The embodiment of power in Goat Days is for escape. the Arbab, the Arab master. The fear he instills in Witnessing a goat giving birth Najeeb takes Najeeb even on their first meeting is appalling and it as a good omen of his wife Sainu’s childbirth, capable of silencing him forever. The Arbab, the pregnant when he left her. The newborn goat is custodian of his dreams, hopes and future is not a named Nabeel, and his 'reward for trying to help a debonair figure as he imagined, but a rugged man goat deliver her baby was severe words, a kick, with a 'severe stench’ (48). When Najeeb tries to enough spit, two or three belt whippings and reason with the Arbab, the former is met with the starvation at noon’ (109). Najeeb identifies Nabeel, blood-curling whoosh of his belt. Starvation and the baby goat as his own son. Threats and back-breaking work become the new norm for even harassment become commonplace but Najeeb is an unconscious attempt to violate a rule. stupefied when the young Nabeel is castrated. Only Anticipating that Najeeb might try to select male goats were allowed to live with their escape while herding goats to the wilderness, Arbab virility, all the rest were ‘castrated and made into exhibits the machinery through which he is to be eunuchs. They were meant for slaughterhouses’ subjugated: a pair of binoculars and a double (113). For Arbab this vicious act of castration barrelled gun. Escape being a distant dream, Najeeb corroborated his power despite Najeeb’s realises that his life has 'become inescapably bound supplications to spare Nabeel. 'A maleness that was to those goats’ (73). The binoculars and gun serve to to the arbab a small piece of meat and a little blood’ induce in the inmate a state of conscious and (113). permanent visibility that assures the automatic 2. Power of the Unknown functioning of power in short the Panopticism. Thus power is visible and unverifiable. These two pieces The hideous underside of desert life is of apparatus represents the way in which discipline chronicled in vivid terms. The stultifying life in the and punishment should be enforced in the masara. masara lasts for three years, four months and nine It is this indeterminate array of actual and days, wherein loneliness, fear, social alienation and ideological machinery that surrounds and defines corporeal trauma are aplenty. The debilitating life is the human subject. in stark contrast with the 'host of dreams’ he dreamt (38). 'Perhaps the same stock dreams that the 1.4 239 SMITHA MARY SEBASTIAN Research Journal of English Language and Literature (RJELAL) A Peer Reviewed (Refereed) International Journal Vol.6.Issue 3. 2018 Impact Factor 6.8992 (ICI) http://www.rjelal.com; (July-Sept) Email:[email protected] ISSN:2395-2636 (P); 2321-3108(O) million Malayalis in the Gulf had when they were in respective countries. If the previous day was one of Kerala - gold watch, fridge, TV, car, AC, tape tears, the next was one of joy’ (25). recorder, VCP, a heavy gold chain’ (38). To Najeeb's horror Hameed is identified Held captive, tortured physically and and captured by his Arbab.Contrary to his firm belief mentally Najeeb nurses hopes of abscondence. Najeeb's Arbab comes in search of him. Though Waiting for the opportune moment and relying on terrified to the core Najeeb stands audaciously God’s Providence Najeeb's captivity lasts years. waiting for his doom but Arbab relinquishes his Finally with Hakeem and Ibrahim Khadiri from the claim on Najeeb. Praising Allah’s mercy and arbab's nearby masara Najeeb sets out for the high-strung kindness for sparing him Najeeb realises the stark perilous journey. Crossing the desertwithout food is truth that he was taken under someone else’s visa. a Herculean task and menacing with zero knowledge The Arbab wasn't his sponsor and had illegally held of the 'desolate and empty’ land (193). Panic and Najeeb captive. Three weeks later Najeeb secures perplexity constantly stalk their tracks wherein 'free out pass to India … a government project to being captured is death and not coercive deport unauthorized residents the countries of their mutilations. In resemblance to the torture they origin’ (252). The sight of the group walking towards endured in the masara, the land exerts its viles and the plane reminds Najeeb of 'herding a flock of goats vices in abundance.
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