“An Introduction poem by Kamala Das is a stringent criticism of the patriarchal society”. Discuss.
“An Introduction poem by Kamala Das is a stringent criticism of the patriarchal society”. Discuss.
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The poem An Introduction is written by Kamala Das who is famous for her Confessional Poetry. She was married to an old man at a very young age. The words, “he drew a youth of sixteen into the Bedroom and closed the door” clearly show that her husband had no love with her but used her a an object to satisfy his lust. “The weight of breasts and womb crushed” her because her husband was only interested in her body and not her.
In the beginning, the poet says that she does not know politics and throughout the history, she has heard the names those in power, which are men. Here the poet is indirectly saying that there is no representation of women and only men rule.
Women are objects in a patriarchal society. To justify this claim, the poet raises a rhetoric question, “I am human, don’t You see?” According to her, she was quite young but she was told that she has grown up and was married off without her consent. The poet believes that though her body grew, he was still a child. On the other hand, her husband was quite old and had no love for her. He would go to the room and after satisfy his lust. He never bothered to make the poet feel loved.
In addition, the poet says that she tried to hide her womanliness by dressing like men and cutting her hair. However she was criticised by the society which did moral policing. This signifies that she, as a woman is bound it live according to the rules formed by patriarchal society. Thus the poem is a stringent criticism of the patriarchal society.