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Migrant Women and Church in Literary Narratives

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Migrant Women and Church in Literary Narratives International Journal of Advanced Research in Management (IJARM) Volume 8, Issue 4, October-December 2017, pp. 18–21, Article ID: IJARM_08_04_002 Available online at http://iaeme.com/Home/issue/IJARM?Volume=8&Issue=4 Journal Impact Factor (2017): 7.3240 (Calculated by GISI) www.jifactor.com ISSN Print: 0976 - 6324 and ISSN Online: 0976 - 6332 © IAEME Publication MIGRANT WOMEN AND CHURCH IN LITERARY NARRATIVES Dr. Deepa K. N Govt. College, Kasargod, Kerala, India ABSTRACT Literature reflects the socio-cultural and economic aspect of the people of a society. Though literature is a product of the imagination of the author it is helpful in analyzing the stereotypical images that circulate in the society over a particular period. The relationship between images created by fiction and its internalization by the society at large has been the subject of analysis, both by history and cultural studies. This paper tries to analyze the religious aspect reflected in the Malayalam novels. The novels taken for analysis are Vishakanyaka by S. K. Pottekkatt, Orotha by Kakkanadan and Chulli by Joseph Kuravilangadu. The historical experiences of the migrants from the Central Travancore are vividly portrayed. Key words: Victorian Morality, Labouring Subjectivity, Agrarian Labourers Cite this Article: Dr. Deepa K. N, Migrant Women and Church in Literary Narratives. International Journal of Advanced Research in Management, 8(4), 2017, pp. 18–21. http://iaeme.com/Home/issue/IJARM?Volume=8&Issue=4 1. INTRODUCTION Kerala through the Ages had seen migrations of people but the causes of their migrations varied. The inhabitants of Tamil Nadu migrated towards Kerala for their better economic and job opportunities.1 The internal migration in Kerala mainly occurred in the period 1920 to 1960 from Central Travancore to the uplands of Malabar. The beginnings of these waves of migration could be seen coinciding with the Great Depression, Second World War, population growth and a consequent land hunger. The opening up of the highlands of Malabar to plantation led the peasants to seek the virgin uplands of Malabar to improve their lifestyle. The people who migrated to the high ranges of Malabar had to first clear the dense forest areas and then start cultivation in that areas. The process was not an easy one as they had to content with adverse natural conditions, wild animals, malaria and even fraudulent middlemen. Malayalam literature reflects the socio-cultural and economic aspects of the people of a society. Though literature is a product of the imagination of the author it is helpful in analyzing the stereotypical images that circulate in the society in a particular period. http://iaeme.com/Home/journal/IJARM 18 [email protected] Migrant Women and Church In Literary Narratives Literature and history varies from each other. History is the record of the life of the people while literature reflects the society. This is why it is often called the mirror of the society. Malayalam, the youngest of Dravidian languages, developed a literary idiom of its own only by the sixteenth century.2 The genre of novel is even younger in its case. The appearance of the novel in Malayalam literature like in the case of other vernacular languages of India is a result of colonial influence. From the beginning the genre of novel caught the imagination of the public who read them with great fervor. Social scientists have often used novel to analyze images that circulated in the society and how these influenced people. The emergence of cultural studies as a discipline has led to the further closing of the gap between literature and history. 2. METHODOLOGY OF THE STUDY Methodology of the study is analytical and narrative. Literary Narratives are used for analysis. 3. OBJECTIVES OF THE STUDY • To find out the role of women in migrant literary narratives • How religion acts an important role in Migrant narratives This paper is the study of the three Malayalam novels that are set against the backdrop of the migrant life in Malabar. The focus of this paper is the portrayal of migrant women in three Malayalam novels, Vishakanyaka by S. K. Pottekkatt, Orotha by Kakkanadan and Chulli by Joseph Kuravilangad. The novel ‘Vishakanyaka’ is often compared with the Classic Grapes of Wrath of John Steinberg set in the dusty bowls if the American West. The importance of ‘Vishakanyaka’ is that it is the first novel in Malayalam literature which was set against the backdrop of migration. From a historian’s point of view what is interesting is that the author S.K Pottekkat who is known for his travelogues across the world stayed with the migrants to understand their life.3 The novel was written in 1948. The story revolves around the areas of Wayanad and the migrants started cultivation in these areas. The novel ‘Chulli’ was written by Joseph ‘Kuravilangad in 1977. The story is about the middle class family who migrated to Malabar as their money lending ‘chitti’ business had failed and they were left penniless.4 They then migrate to the uplands of Malabar in the hope of reviving their fortunes but finally they leave Malabar defeated. Their hope being the new job Johnykutty was able to secure. ‘Orotha’ the well-known Malayalam novel written by Kakkanadan in 1982 is the third novel analyzed. This novel centers on the heroine Orotha who along with her family comes to Chemberi to seek her fortunes but soon she looses family there after which she lives for the community and dies going in search of a water source. Though the three novels were written in three different periods, all the three present migration from the development discourse point of view. Even in Orotha there is no critique of this development where forests are cut down for the sake of progress.5 A number of literary commentators are now beginning to argue that migration, dislocation and ensuing marginality are some of the most important influences subverting long standing beliefs in the linearity of progress and the stability of cultural identity, and that these have been determining influences on the inner conditions of contemporary humanity.6 http://iaeme.com/Home/journal/IJARM 19 [email protected] Dr. Deepa K. N 4. RELIGION AND IDEOLOGY Religion is one of the strong bastions that preserve the ideological leanings of a society. In the case of Malabar migration, the overwhelming majority of the migrants were Christians. Church had prominent role in shaping the morality of the community with stringent demarcations between the right and the wrong. The nineteenth century church in Kerala had been influenced greatly not only by Victorian morality but also done a lot in popularizing a labouring subjectivity. In many cases church was established by the migrants themselves by donating lands to the church. Once established, the church was actively involving in developing the area that at times even the old names of these places were changed leading to the creation of a different spatial geography.7 Mariam is shown as a devout person who keeps praying for her own prosperity. As against this her husband Mathan throws stones at the cross as he fears that Jesus sees all his wrong doings. When Thomman a migrant in ‘Vishakanyaka’ seeks the help of the church the priest is not helpful except by saying “believe in God then everything will be right.”8 In ‘Orotha’ Vettukattu Pappan is depicted as a typical church going Christian. Orotha though has sexual relation ship with Muthukrishnan she knows that it is ‘sin.’ Here her Christian morality surfaces. Another facet of Church that comes in the novel is the conversion activity of the church. The agrarian labourers like Panias and Malayas are tempted through material benefit to covert. The apprehension of the native population against such conversion surface is seeing in ‘Vishakanyaka.’ The natives of Malabar believed that “migrants ate the flesh of cow also.”9 While the church is inactive in ‘Vishakanyaka,’ in ‘Chulli’ it is through the church that Johny is able to get a new lease of life in the form of the job on the recommendation of the Bishop.10 The migrants see the natives as the other. Similarly for the natives too the migrants with their strange customs and practices were a revelation. They are shown look at the migrants suspiciously.11 A study of these novels throws up the typical images of women from the male gaze. The characters that stand out are Orotha and Mariam the two women who assume larger than life proportions. Kakkanadan in fact tries to even deify. Orotha when he calls her ‘Devi.’ Rescuing of the child Baby from stream by Orotha leads his parents to say that she is an incarnation.12 The fact that after Orotha had lost her family she is shown to assume leadership of the group and work for the welfare of the people of Chemberi. In the end the author shows her disappearing while in search of water source. 5. CONCLUSION Church stands here as a parasite and as a supporter too. Morality was shaped by it. In these three novels the women characters dreamt of Malabar as their dream land where all their dreams come true. Their duty is to work hard. They suffered a lot in the migration process. They believed that church will help the people. They struggled against Malaria, touts, forests, wild animals etc. In Chulli, church helped the migrant but in Vishakanyaka Church stands as an institution which supports only those families who has close relationship with the Church. In the end the Mathan the male character gives his son to church and he commits suicide. He believed that Church would look after his child.
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