SHORT STORIES
Clear messages
A.J. THOMAS
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A significant anthology of Malayalam short stories by women writers.
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Onion Curry and the Nine Times Table: The Samyukta Anthology of Malayalam Short Stories; edited by G. S. Jayashree and Sreedevi K. Nair, New Delhi, 2006, Woman Unlimited, Rs. 175.
THE Samyukta Women's Studies Collective publishes Samyukta: A Journal of Women's Studies from Thiruvananthapuram. Apart from regularly bringing out this uniquely sumptuous journal covering the intellectual activities of women in various fields, the collective has taken the initiative to highlight the accomplishments of women in Malayalam literature.
The present volume is an anthology in English translation of short stories by noted women writers.
Something special
The present anthology is something special. This is probably the first attempt to bring out an anthology of short stories by women writers. Understandably, Lalitambika Antarajanam and Madhvikkutty do not appear in this anthology, because they are well represented in translation. But it is not clear why such accomplished writers as Ashita and B. M. Suhra were left out.
The title story, "Onion Curry and the Nine Times Table" by Priya A. S., translated by Mary Nirmala with Niharika Gupta, presents the picture of little Janu, dreaming of projects that will bring her pots of money and luxury cars. Her father has left her mother and the mother struggles to make both ends meet with her meagre salary as a primary school teacher. Janu is leaving nothing to chance in her struggle to succeed at business and so, she strives to accomplish the almost impossible task of learning by rote the "nine times... " part of the multiplication table!
Priya A. S. is noted for her supreme dexterity in crafting her stories with typically laconic and understated expressions, presenting shocking details in the most `ordinary' way, as if through sleight of hand.
"The Fire" by S. Sithara, translated by R. K. Jayasree, is the supreme example of women's fiction writing in Malayalam.
Priya, a victim of gang rape, considers herself unclean in her initial shock. Then she slowly decides that she is going to call the shots, and tackles the three attackers singly, and shatters them with her mind-games. Sithara's Priya is strong enough and independent to the point of giving herself auto-suggestions, and turning the table on her attackers single-handedly.
Feminist attitude
The stories in this anthology send out the message loud and clear, "Feminism is an attitude. It is an attitude that affirms self-esteem and spurns subservience," as it appears in the opening paragraph of the Introduction. One wishes Samyukta would come out also with anthologies of poetry and critical writing by women, say, during the post-Independence period, in English translation, so that a fuller representation of significant women's writing in Malayalam would become available to the outside world.
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