Mahasweta Devi’s Mahasweta Devi’s Breast-GiverBreast-Giver

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QuizQuiz1. How does Kangali lose his legs and feet? 1. How does Kangali lose his legs and feet? 2. How does the Lionseated appear to Joshoda in her 2. How does the Lionseated appear to Joshoda in her

dreams while Kangali is in the hospital? dreams while Kangali is in the hospital? 3. What solution does Haldar’s second son find for 3. What solution does Haldar’s second son find for

keeping his wife beautiful and “fruitful,” in terms of keeping his wife beautiful and “fruitful,” in terms of bearing children? (bearing children? (

4. Why does Joshoda have 20 children? How does this 4. Why does Joshoda have 20 children? How does this tie in with her professional life?tie in with her professional life?

5. When, approximately, does Joshoda die? (What 5. When, approximately, does Joshoda die? (What decade?)decade?)

6. Of what does Mrs. Haldar die? 6. Of what does Mrs. Haldar die? 7. Where does Joshoda stay when it becomes evident 7. Where does Joshoda stay when it becomes evident

that she is quite ill? Who takes care of her? that she is quite ill? Who takes care of her? 8. Who does Joshoda think is taking care of her in the 8. Who does Joshoda think is taking care of her in the

hospital? hospital? 9. List two questions you have about the story.9. List two questions you have about the story.

Some Info . . .Some Info . . . Lion Seated GoddessLion Seated Goddess Another ImageAnother Image Lion Seated Goddess, often seen with a lotus in one hand Lion Seated Goddess, often seen with a lotus in one hand

and a shaft of wheat in the other, is associated with wisdom and a shaft of wheat in the other, is associated with wisdom and eroticism.and eroticism.

ShaktiShakti is the mother goddess. Like Shiva, she can be either is the mother goddess. Like Shiva, she can be either beneficial or fierce, depending on her form. As Parvati she beneficial or fierce, depending on her form. As Parvati she is depicted as a beautiful woman in middle age. As Kali she is depicted as a beautiful woman in middle age. As Kali she is a giantess with black skin, a blood-red tongue, and large is a giantess with black skin, a blood-red tongue, and large tusks. tusks.

Kali carries an assortment of weapons and wears a garland Kali carries an assortment of weapons and wears a garland of human skulls around her neck. The mother goddess thus of human skulls around her neck. The mother goddess thus stands for all aspects of nature from birth to death. stands for all aspects of nature from birth to death.

Western Influences CriticizedWestern Influences Criticized Breast-Giver Breast-Giver finds fault with a kind of materialism finds fault with a kind of materialism

that seems specifically Western in its forms and that seems specifically Western in its forms and origins. By attaching brand names like origins. By attaching brand names like Studebaker to the artifacts for which the Halders Studebaker to the artifacts for which the Halders (and by extension, Indian society) have corrupted (and by extension, Indian society) have corrupted themselves, Mahasweta signals the degree to themselves, Mahasweta signals the degree to which the importation of the colonizers' values which the importation of the colonizers' values have eroded whatever ethical proprieties might have eroded whatever ethical proprieties might once have guided families like the Haldars. The once have guided families like the Haldars. The second son who wants to preserve his wife's second son who wants to preserve his wife's beauty while propagating more children on her beauty while propagating more children on her body exults in the solution provided by Jashoda's body exults in the solution provided by Jashoda's milk: "Way found" to keep the Haldar wives in milk: "Way found" to keep the Haldar wives in "blouses and bras of 'European cut'". "blouses and bras of 'European cut'".

QuestionQuestion

The conclusion of The conclusion of Breast-Giver Breast-Giver suggests suggests that modernity, brought about by contact that modernity, brought about by contact with the West, has torn the old social with the West, has torn the old social fabric that had sustained the Hindu fabric that had sustained the Hindu experience. Discuss the imagery of the experience. Discuss the imagery of the disconnected phone, the hospital morgue, disconnected phone, the hospital morgue, and "the death of God". How would you and "the death of God". How would you characterize Mahasweta's view of her characterize Mahasweta's view of her society's relation to the colonial society's relation to the colonial experience.experience.

QuestionsQuestions Writing in Bengali, Mahasweta uses English words Writing in Bengali, Mahasweta uses English words

and phrases to highlight the clashing assumptions and phrases to highlight the clashing assumptions that bedevil postcolonial existence. (Those words that bedevil postcolonial existence. (Those words italicized in the text, were in English in the original italicized in the text, were in English in the original text.) The simple response would be to think that text.) The simple response would be to think that she was thereby underlining the difference between she was thereby underlining the difference between the inauthentic impositions of imperial England and the inauthentic impositions of imperial England and the native virtues that have managed to survive the native virtues that have managed to survive occupation. occupation.

What is the impact of the narrative's use of English-What is the impact of the narrative's use of English-language words? What kind of words are "welkin" language words? What kind of words are "welkin" and "bodkin"? Contrast their contribution to the and "bodkin"? Contrast their contribution to the texture of the story with that of words like texture of the story with that of words like "epidemic" and "mammary gland“. What different "epidemic" and "mammary gland“. What different aspects of the colonial experience do these aspects of the colonial experience do these linguistic borrowings represent? linguistic borrowings represent?

Is this all?Is this all?

Does she only critique the Does she only critique the inauthenticity of Western values?inauthenticity of Western values?

What or who else does she critique?What or who else does she critique?

Critique of Hindu PietiesCritique of Hindu Pieties Mahasweta's story takes direct aim at the Mahasweta's story takes direct aim at the

most sacred of inherited Hindu pieties. most sacred of inherited Hindu pieties. From beginning to end, the author spares From beginning to end, the author spares no one. Naming her protagonist after the no one. Naming her protagonist after the iconic mother of the god Krishna, she iconic mother of the god Krishna, she seems at first to invite pity for her seems at first to invite pity for her JashodaJashoda's hard life, but the last lines of the 's hard life, but the last lines of the story make a brutal assertion that requires story make a brutal assertion that requires readers to reassess whatever sentimental readers to reassess whatever sentimental notions they may have entertained about notions they may have entertained about the "professional mother's" plight.the "professional mother's" plight.

Critique of Patriarchal StructuresCritique of Patriarchal Structures

A feminist as well as a Marxist, Mahasweta A feminist as well as a Marxist, Mahasweta widens the scope of her narrative as she criticizes widens the scope of her narrative as she criticizes the hypocrisy of the Indian male intellectuals who the hypocrisy of the Indian male intellectuals who profess to value female virtues: profess to value female virtues:

Even those who . . . wish to slap current posters Even those who . . . wish to slap current posters to the effect of the "eternal she" -“Mona Lisa"-"La to the effect of the "eternal she" -“Mona Lisa"-"La Passionaria"-"Simone de Beauvoir," et cetera, Passionaria"-"Simone de Beauvoir," et cetera, over the old ones and look at women the way over the old ones and look at women the way that way are, after all, Indian cubs. It is notable that way are, after all, Indian cubs. It is notable that the educated Babus desire all this from that the educated Babus desire all this from women outside the home. When they cross the women outside the home. When they cross the threshold they want the Divine Mother in the threshold they want the Divine Mother in the words and conduct of the revolutionary ladies. words and conduct of the revolutionary ladies. The The process process is most complicated. is most complicated.

Question:Question:

How does Jashoda's presence in the How does Jashoda's presence in the Haldar household transform the behavior Haldar household transform the behavior of the men of the house? Discuss the of the men of the house? Discuss the concluding paragraphs to Chapter 2 of concluding paragraphs to Chapter 2 of Breast-GiverBreast-Giver, analyzing the way in which , analyzing the way in which European ideas influence the behavior of European ideas influence the behavior of the daughters and daughters-in-law who the daughters and daughters-in-law who take advantage of Jashoda's professional take advantage of Jashoda's professional assistance. assistance.

Religious Beliefs are a target, too.Religious Beliefs are a target, too.

Performing ritual observances, such as a Performing ritual observances, such as a pilgrimage to the temple of Durga, makes them pilgrimage to the temple of Durga, makes them oblivious to the social problems that surround oblivious to the social problems that surround them. Jashoda's hapless husband, Kangalicharan them. Jashoda's hapless husband, Kangalicharan the Brahmin, ekes out an existence by cooking for the Brahmin, ekes out an existence by cooking for the visitors to the Lionseated goddess's temple, the visitors to the Lionseated goddess's temple, who pride themselves on their proper reverence who pride themselves on their proper reverence for the Brahmin and, for the Brahmin and, Breast-Giver Breast-Giver seems to imply, seems to imply, therefore take no responsibility to improve the therefore take no responsibility to improve the life of their impoverished neighbors. Like the life of their impoverished neighbors. Like the popular comic books that render Indian epics and popular comic books that render Indian epics and mythologies accessible to the unlearned, a mythologies accessible to the unlearned, a trivialized appeal to tradition satisfies the trivialized appeal to tradition satisfies the pilgrims' spiritual needs. pilgrims' spiritual needs.

Two more questionsTwo more questions Why does the marriage of Kangali and Jashoda Why does the marriage of Kangali and Jashoda

disintegrate? Discuss their quarrels (p. 277). In disintegrate? Discuss their quarrels (p. 277). In what sense has the traditional Indian family what sense has the traditional Indian family been undercut by Jashoda's integration into the been undercut by Jashoda's integration into the Haldar family? Haldar family?

How important is the Indian caste system to the How important is the Indian caste system to the characters in this story? How does the narrative characters in this story? How does the narrative treat the traditional reverence for Brahmins? treat the traditional reverence for Brahmins? Would you attribute the tone taken toward Would you attribute the tone taken toward Hindu social customs to the influence of Hindu social customs to the influence of Western values? Western values?

One more . . .One more . . .

How would you describe the attitude How would you describe the attitude toward the body and bodily functions in toward the body and bodily functions in Breast-Giver Breast-Giver ? Of what does Mrs. Haldar ? Of what does Mrs. Haldar die? How are the physical infirmities die? How are the physical infirmities suffered by Jashoda and Kangali suffered by Jashoda and Kangali described? Do you think this attitude is described? Do you think this attitude is typically Indian, or influenced by India's typically Indian, or influenced by India's colonial inheritance, or does it simply colonial inheritance, or does it simply reflect the author's sensibility? reflect the author's sensibility?

National Allegory?National Allegory? Could you match the characters in the story to Could you match the characters in the story to

the events in Indian History that I shared earlier?the events in Indian History that I shared earlier? Is Mr. Haldar, for example, the British East India Is Mr. Haldar, for example, the British East India

Company? Mrs. Haldar, then, the Queen? Does Company? Mrs. Haldar, then, the Queen? Does Jashoda represent India-as-exploited by colonizers Jashoda represent India-as-exploited by colonizers and various factions within India? Do Kangali and and various factions within India? Do Kangali and the various sons and daughters represent those the various sons and daughters represent those factions – Sikhs, non-British principalities, factions – Sikhs, non-British principalities, Christians, Hindus, westernized Indians, etc? Christians, Hindus, westernized Indians, etc?

Then we see Jashoda’s victimization and her Then we see Jashoda’s victimization and her complicity in it in a more political way, maybe?complicity in it in a more political way, maybe?