Non Verbal Communication

Where Shall We Go This Summer

Price:   Rs. 60

ISBN:  81-222-0088-5

Author: Anita Desai   

Pages:  157

Part- 3

Edition: Hardcover

Volumes:   7

Published: 7thprinting-2001

   Times of India rightly describes the novel as,-“ Skilful dramatization...the narrative is precariously perched between myth and social reality...for the talent itself, as the novel evidences, is exceptional in its innate sensibility and awareness of the craft of fiction." There is no doubt that Anita Desai has a distinguished style of writing.  Use of adjective, rich vocabulary, long complex sentences, hyperbole in this novel revivifies the readers in surroundings of sea beaches, natural beauty of village and villager’s magnificence at Manori  Island in Mumbai. The book Where Shall We Go This Summer is dedicated to her husband Ashwin Desai has three parts . There is a symbolic query of women protagonist to go to such place where she can get answers of her miseries--which shows lack of suitability in city life- however novel ends with happy note with the treatment of cultural agony. The center character Sita feels frustration in suffocative environment of a four walls flat life in Mumbai. Raman and Sita- husband and wife have incompatible temperaments and attitudes towards life. Raman – her husband is busy in his job. He fails to fulfill her wife’s expectation. Hence, Sita remains lonely even after marriage. Sita -middle-aged woman represents a world of sensitivity, high ambition, emotion, confusion and feminine sensibility while Raman is very firm and practical, he never hesitates- everything is clear to him and simple. Like earlier novels, this novel also illustrates the cultural agony of woman -loneliness, alienation, nostalgia, up rootedness, loss of Identity, lack of communication in married life - Deasi's experience of disorders and agony caused by marriage.

Like Maya in Cry, the Peacock- Sita is motherless. However, her father is a freedom fighter but always surrounded by his friends, always busy with his chelas and patients. She yearns to have the attention and love. In lack of mental and emotional company -most of the times, Sita feels herself as an ignored personality since childhood. Desai once again shows the glimpses of repressed childhood neurosis in this novel too which makes Sita disappointed and nostalgic. Childhood memories bewilders her psyche to go back to her father escaping city life of Mumbai-- reality and responsibilities of adult and mature life. In order to spend her days at Manori island to which she considers as the land of miracle -to get treatment of her problem in her fifth pregnancy about seven month with her four children -she moves towards Manori island- a beautiful sea beach full with abundant natural and rustic beauty.

 On the contrary, Raman is unable to understand –Sita as a sufferer from pessimism, worry and anxiety with which Sita reacts against every incident. Menaka her daughter wants to make her career in Medical -Science. In order to pursue her career she writes a letter to her father Raman without informing Sita to fetch them from Manori to Mumbaiu. However, Sita does not want to return home but when Raman comes and clears the situation to face reality of life, to give birth to child as she can not keep it in her womb forever as per her abnormal wish. Sita does introspection of her husband’s quality, her behavior and attitude towards her and decides to go back happily to Mumbai with her children and husband- her family.