 Action/Adventure: May 23, 2018 Issue [#8912] |
  Action/Adventure
This week: Culture and Adventure (Part #2) Edited by: THANKFUL SONALI Library Class!  
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In my last Action Adventure Newsletter, "Culture and Adventure" , I talked about my Dad's thread ceremony.
This time, I talk of more children's actions and adventures, in a cultural context, but from a published book classified as 'faction' -- fact/fiction.
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Dear Reader,
I think people enjoyed reading my last 'Culture and Adventure' newsletter, so I decided to do another -- this time from a published book.
The book, Songs of the Cauvery is set in the transition years between the nineteenth century and twentieth century, along the fertile delta of the river Cauvery. The backdrop: the early stirrings of the freedom struggle against British colonial rule.
In those days, female literacy in India was about 1%. Often girls were married at age 8 or 10 and sent to the husband's house after they 'came of age' (got their first periods). Then they were so involved with housework that even if they wanted to and others were around to support them, they couldn't study.
Against this backdrop, Janaki, a strong female character and the sister of the protagonist, wants to be the first local female with a college education. Other aspects of the culture and beliefs are explained within the extract itself.
Given below is an edited extract from the book.
AN EDITED EXCERPT FROM: SONGS OF THE CAUVERY
BY KALYANARAMAN DURGADAS
Janaki consoled herself quickly. “This is not a battle I’m going to lose.” She sat alone for a long time, marshalling her thoughts. She looked for inspiration in the book that she was holding, but a dictionary is not useful in such a situation. She gave herself an hour to consider her strategy before she approached her father.
“Appa, I want to know the purpose of human existence. Why are we born on earth?”
Her father Sambu was taken aback at this sudden question, but his face showed that he was pleased. “I am sure you know the answer to the question. We are born to do our duty, work hard, and attain moksha or salvation.”
“And what does one need to do to attain salvation?” asked Janaki.
“Now you seem to be testing me. Anyway, our gurus have said there are many ways to attain salvation. I firmly believe in the path of knowledge.”
“Is this path of knowledge only for boys or men?” she asked.
“Not at all. Great women scholars are mentioned in our ancient texts.”
“And the knowledge is gained by ...?” the child persisted.
“Learning at the feet of a guru.”
“Appa don’t you want me to have that?” she asked.
“What do you mean? I want the best of everything for you,” her father insisted.
“So I can go to school!” said Janaki.
“Yes. No. What about your marriage? What will the neighbours say about my letting a daughter go out of the house?”
“Appa, have you always acted according to what others say?”
“Me? No, I have always done what is right.”
Note: Janaki succeeded in going to school, and, in fact, went on to become the first girl in the district to attend college.
What was appealing about this extract? The little girl wanting to go to school? The way she tricks her father into letting her go? The father's easy conversation with his daughter, in an era when children should've been seen and not heard?
I think the extract evokes empathy. We're rooting for this kid. We want her to get to go to school. When she wins, we smile.
The next extract is about Janaki's brother, Panju. I'll let you read it before I comment.
AN EDITED EXTRACT FROM: SONGS OF THE CAUVERY
BY KALYANARAMAN DURGADAS
Panju ran in to the store-room, where he had carefully kept his prized top that his father had bought him during the l ast Brahmotsavam festival. The top was red and blue. He had rubbed the metal nail on a granite slab till it was blunt and spun beautifully without jittering. His sister Janaki had made a hole in a bottle cap and threaded the spinning rope through it, knotting one end of the rope to keep it in place. Over the last week, Panju had spent practically every waking moment in learning to spin the top and pick it up by looping the rope once around it while it was still spinning. He would then flick it up by tightening the rope and catch it neatly.
The top was now to go on its first outing. Kuppu, who lived in Kudiyanavan Street had agreed to a match. Today was the day! Panju polished the top once more with his veshti and was off.
Kuppu was already waiting. “Nice top,” he said, and laughed.
The game began. Kuppu flicked his rope. He caught the top neatly, whipping it up in to his hands without it touching the ground. Panju was much slower, despite winding the rope around the top only halfway through to save time. Consequently, he had to keep his top inside the circle drawn on the ground.
This time, Kuppu’s top hit his squarely, knocking it off the circle, and spun on the ground for Kuppu to pick up with his rope. Panju had lost the match almost before it had begun. Time for the forfeits. The forfeit allowed the winner to inflict damage on the loser’s top by stabbing it five times with his own top.
Now Kuppu produced his surprise, a top that he used only for giving and receiving forfeits. It was a huge top, bigger than Panju’s fist, made of hardened wood with a thick, inch-long nail, honed impossibly sharp, gleaming wickedly.
Panju started to protest, but Kuppu’s top had already struck once. When Kuppu lifted his top, Paju’s top stuck to his.
“No!” shouted Panju, as the second blow sunk the nail deeper.
“Don’t, don’t ...” Panju’s breathing became heavier and was coming out in big gasps.
The next blow broke Panju’s top cleanly in two.
A toy from a long-forgotten era -- the spinning top?
Again, a surge of empathy for this child who has lost a precious new toy under somewhat unfair circumstances. But also, the realisation of a deeper truth -- that childhood is not always bright and sunny, and that there are children who have a cruel streak in them.
So -- some universal truths, longings, emotions and bonds that span time and space and hold our attention. Add action and adventure to culture, and you have a memorable mix.
Thanks for listening!
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Thank you for the responses to "Culture and Adventure"
A*Monaing*Faith 
Cute story about your dad! I love learning about other cultures, it was a little hard to imagine, how far apart were the water lines and how far did he have to run? Crazy awesome your family had not just one but TWO chauffeurs?!
Response: I'm thinking the lines of water were parallel, about a foot apart. He would've had to run just a bit -- maybe a few more feet. Yes, labour is cheaper in India than gadgets, so having someone do the work for you is preferable to spoiling the machinery. While we personally don't have the system any more, in some families having more than one chauffeur is still the norm!
Quick-Quill 
Sonali you indeed captured all the nuances of an adventure. What I liked best was the ending. Here you told the reader your trick of the trade. You literally wrote out the form for creating an adventure. I'm keeping this because. 1)you knew your audience. With out the precursor we probably would have skimmed it and went on. 2) You hooked the reader by throwing in your DAD's adventure. 3)You told the reader HOW you performed the trick. It's called MAGIC. The Pledge, the Turn and last the prestige. Look it up, you followed it perfectly. It equates to writing an adventure also.
Response: Wow! I'm  . So glad you liked it!
dogpack saving 4premium 
I enjoyed learning about the ceremony. You're correct because I had something to relate to I am able to better remember the events you shared in this news letter.
Response: Thank you! So glad you like it.
Christopher Roy Denton 
Hello, Sonali! I just wanted to say how much I enjoyed this newsletter and the story of your father's thread ceremony. I actually lived in a shared house with a Jain from Mombassa for two years when I was in my twenties, so it's wonderful to hear old stories from that area. My friend, Bhavin, used to tell me he remembered the sounds of the bombs when he was a small child during the India-Pakistan war. Bob
Response: Hello, Bob! Thanks for your feedback, glad you enjoyed the newsletter! Well, I'm guessing Bhavin would be closer to my generation than Dad's ... since you and I are almost the same age. I have some memories of the 1971 war myself.
Facebook response, on combining culture and adventure:
Nancy Snell One is important to the other, it seems. Very well told. |
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