Non Verbal Communication

Voices in the City

 Publisher - Orient Paperbacks

     Price:  60                                           

     ISBN:  81-222-0053-2

    Author: Anita Desai   

   Pages:  257

    Part- 4

    Edition: Hardcover

    Volumes:   7

   Published: 9thprinting-2001

                                                   

Anita Desai like her first novel  Cry the Peacock (1963) wins the Sahitya Academy award for her second novel too-Voices in the City (1965) concentrating on the theme of occurrence of displacement after marriage. Be it Maya in Cry, the Peacock or be it Monisha in Voices in the city – both are not able to free themselves from old accustomed, traditions, beliefs and feelings that repress their self-expression and are an obstacle to their talent, endurance and their self-control. In fact, Maya in Cry, the Peacock and Monisha in Voices in the City are well educated, emotional sensitive, self-conscious women. But they are not able to revolt against tradition and this becomes one of the major reasons as change does not come until their death. The eternal silence of these two characters Maya and Monisha can be called as surrender to the diverse socio- cultural circumstances categorized as the silence of despair, anger, protest, agony, cultural duality or combinations of all having deep agonizing experience in the process of settlement in a new place as one undergoes to cultural dilemma and panic feelings of displacement.

Background of novel is set in Calcutta. Calcutta served as the capital of India till 1911. Many people are from Calcutta among several Nobel laureates have contributed to the arts, the sciences, and other areas. Calcutta the principal commercial, cultural and educational centre of East India is described with the images of Howrah, Choringhee, and Grand Hotel, Victoria Memorial etc. There is ample evidence of culture of Calcutta displaying food (non vegetarian pan), cloth (sari, dhoti), place, language (Bengali), tradition (Kumkum, red Sari), religion (Durga Puja) etc. According to Hindu mythology we are now in Kali-Yuga -the fourth stage of the cosmic time frame which will eventually lead to the final dissolution of the universe. That is the reason this is called as Kaliyug. The old name of Calcutta is Kali-kata.  In Hinduism, Kali is the most ferocious deity form with destructive power -standing with one foot on the thigh, and another on the chest of her husband, Shiva. The voice of city Calcutta -is voiced as a city of ‘death’. Anita Desai's matchless, sharp and meticulous narrative technique of art to portray each and every little feature of the scene, manner of walking, speaking, wearing clothes - an image as if it is happening right now in front of us-around. Calcutta is the city of Kali.

The novel Voices in the City (1965) a story of a psychological problem of a Bohemian family-Arun, Nirode, Monisha and Amla and their mother. The story revolves around the cultural change of city Calcutta and its repercussion on them. Voices in the City is divided into four separated chapters dealing respectively four major characters- Nirode, Monisha, Amla, and Mother. Arun (sent to England for higher studies) is a successful person who achieves glorious awards and bright opportunities to move further in life. However, Nirode feels envious due to pessimistic opinion of childhood days spent with Arun under father care. It leads severe friction in his life. Niride, Monisha and Amla are the victim of personal suffering who needs guidance, direction and inspiration to satisfy young hopes and aspiration in cultural sphere of metropolitan life. Mother has very formal, distant relationship with their children because of her extra marital affair with major Chaddha. Nirode is obsessed with her unfair relationship and considers her a she-cannibal as she has an affair in Kalimpong which itself is a consequence of dissonance in husband-wife relationship.

The novel begins with Nirode’s frustration, disappointment and hopelessness towards life. Nirod is financial weak who wants to get the chance to start up a new carrier as an editor of vastly artistic little periodical ‘Voice’. Like boss-as editor of ‘Voice’, Nirode allows him to grow professionally to become tender towards his beloved friends to make his relationship comprehensible and organized- Sonny (son of Jamindar who loves dogs and whose father is fond of owning leopard), Professor (who is an old man, writes school text, teacher of primary school, wears dhoti.), Jit Nair (who has the brilliant prodigy of Southern university and has come to Bengal to assert himself amongst the renowned artists and litterateurs. Jit is married to Sarla, mourns over his lost days often.)Dharma (married with a woman who is simple, cultured, wears red Sari, Kumkum marked hair. Dharma is only the man whose criticism and advice Nirode takes seriously), David (Whose company Nirode likes very much) and discuss on painting, fable from Panchtantra ,Picasso ,eminent poets, love for Tagore’s Gitanjali, creative writing, non vegetarian food (i.e. meat ball, pulaos ) Nirode however, dislikes dogs at Sonny’s home but likes Bengal Pan. Nirode loves historical places in Calcutta and has a good discussion with Sonny’s father on comparison between greatest classical artists and contemporary artists reminding Mumtaz and Jahan Ara begam.  In company of his good friends he feels serene and surprisingly cheerful at work with promising good career advancement. Nirode finds her mother’s letter but Nirode's relationship with his mother is a love-hate relationship.

While his elder sister, Monisha is married to Jiban lives out a traditional Hindu life. Monisha is misfit in her husband’s home. After marriage, Monisha is subjected to serious nature of loneliness and lack of communication leading displacement problem. Also difference between the two person and two family background and incompatible temperament results displacement. Monisha's husband Jiban is captivated in conservative culture. He believes that a woman’s most important roles besides child bearing are cooking, cutting vegetables, serving food and brushing small children's hair under the authority of a stern mother-in-law. Monisha is childless woman. Jiban is never with her; always he is busy with his middle rank government job earning money for his joint family. He ignores her newly married wife’s desires and expectations. As a result, Monisha feels deserted. Her diary shows as she is imprisoned in four wall of conventional culture of her matrimonial family. She desperately yearns to have her own baby. Due her Gynecological problem she can not have a child and suffers from severe mental disorder- Claustrophobia like Maya in Cry, the Peacock . She is alienated from his mother as well as her husband. Monisha experiences difficulty in transforming from old atoned mental, emotional framework into the changed new identity. Monisha is the reflections of misbehave and domestic violence by her husband and family. No one is there with Monisha to think of her agony and solve problem. Her sister Amla is a commercial artist in Bombay who does not find ways to life in Bombay and returns Calcutta and falls in love with -Dharma. As Monisha is not able to become mother she is blamed as a thief of gold necklace at her own home by her husband and mother-in-law that was unbearable for her. She experiences hurt and humiliation in Jiban's world. To get relief from disturbed mental condition; to find emotional treatment she seeks solution in detachment theory of Gita and ultimately finds no way of survival. These all cruel realities of life as a self -punishment caused her to commit suicide. Similarly, Nirode’s frustrate, disappointed mind becomes hindrance in the path of peace and hope which ultimately pushing him in blind valley of death.  In the words of Salman Rashdie in Imaginary Homelands: Essay and Criticism: “Sometimes we feel straddle two cultures; at other times. That we fall between two tools”.

Work Cited

Desai, Anita. Voices in the City. Delhi, Orientpaperbacks, 2001.Print

Rashdie Salman, Imaginary Homelands: Essay and Criticism: 1981-1991 Diaspora