The portrayal of women by two writersJohn Steinbeck of America and Palagummi Padmaraju of Andhra Pradeshhas certain cultural analogies, which merit critical evaluation. In a poignant short story, "The Chrysanthemums", Steinbeck evokes the feeling of frustration of Elisa with an indifferent husband and her dream of getting away from sordid domesticity. In the Telugu story, "The Boat Moves On" (Padava Prayanam in Telugu), Padmaraju presents the sense of fulfillment experienced by Rangi in her attachment to her husband, Paddalu, who ill-treats her and even tries to burn up her hut. It is a love which defies all rationalization. Both the writers, although hailing from vastly different cultural ethos and social milieu, present memorable portraits of women.
The
presentation of the internal compulsions and psychological
complexities of women especially, by male writers-offers
an interesting study. In this paper, I wish to examine
the portrayal of women by the American writer, John
Steinbeck, and the Telugu writer, Palagummi Padmaraju.
For a close study, I have chosen a short story from
each of these writers: Steinbeck's "Chrysanthemums,"
and Padmaraju's "The Boat Moves On" (Telugu
title, Padava Prayaanam).
I
do not pretend to introduce Steinbeck to this august
academic gathering. I would, however, like to attempt
a brief introduction to the literary work of Padmaraju.
Padmaraju is one of the outstanding intellectuals of
Telugu writing who enriched Telugu short story with
incisive psychological analyses of the humans whom,
he chose from the rustic people of Andhra Pradesh. He
was a recipient of an international award for his short
story, "The Cyclone" (Thuphanu in Telugu)
from the New York Herald Tribune. Originally
a Professor of Chemistry, he moved to the movie world
and did some memorable story/scriptwriting for movies
made by the celebrated director B N Reddy, who gave
the immortal Malleeswari, with N T Rama Rao and
Bhanumathi in the lead. He was also a poet and literary
critic-all rolled into one. |
