Humanities and Social Sciences

Humanities and Social Sciences ISSN: 0974-0066 Exponentiation of Culture and Nature in Association with Man and Woman in One Part Woman through Some Eco-feministic Concepts Geesha G PhD Research Scholar, PG & Research Department of English, Government Arts College (Autonomous), Coimbatore -641018 Dr. N. Vijayasamundeeswari M.A., M. Phil., M.S., PhD., MBA (HR)., PGDCA, Assistant Professor, PG & Research Department of English, Government Arts College (Autonomous), Coimbatore -641018 Abstract Man is dependent on nature but seldom recognizes its importance. As Man is ultimately supreme among the other species, realizing his dependency on nature is quiet far. If nature is associated with femininity, culture is associated with masculinity. If both are facilitating each other, it would be like Madhorubagan . How women are associated with nature is proved here through the incorporated text passages and substantiated through the views of eco feminism. The imbalanced and unravelling of Eco-feministic perspectives on Ponna and cultural constraints of Kali as a symbol of the entire men, in Perumal Murugan’s One Part Woman are an objective of this research article. It highlights how women are associated with the degradation of nature in the male dominant society resulted with different ends due to ifs and buts. Keywords: ecofeminism, women, nature, barrenness, concept of Arthanareeswar Introduction Man is dependent on nature for each and everything right from the moment he is born till he gets buried, yet he is considered superior to nature and other species in the hierarchy. As humans hold more power, they practice dominating and controlling qualities upon others, and ultimately it paves a way for the degradation of nature. Thus, ecology becomes an irresistible topic of discussion in the contemporary world. Eco-literature is a wide range of study which deals with the interconnection of human and nature. One stop ahead, man exercises superiority over the part of his own being, none other than no man. He feels himself more superior than a woman. As a result of the long era of man's suppression on woman, different feministic movements also have upraised in different times. Feminism is a social movement started to voice out gender inequality in the society. Feminist movement started in the year 1960s and it is continued till date undertaking various changes in it. "A major interest of feminist critics in English-speaking countries has been to reconstitute the ways we deal with literature in order to do justice to female points of view, concern and values"(Abrams, Harpham 126). Feminism is against male-chauvinism, domestic violence, and sexual harassment. It supports gender equality and women's rights. As a byproduct of different feministic movements ecofeminism also emerges. Vol 84, No.1, January - June 2023 (UGC-CARE List Group I) 17 Humanities and Social Sciences ISSN: 0974-0066 Ecofeminism Ecofeminism is the branch of ecology and feminism that deals with the relationship between woman and nature. Associating woman with Nature in a long-term practice, everywhere in the world. The term Ecofeminist was coined by a French feminist Francisco d' Eaubonne in 1974 in her book Le Feminism ou la Mort which means Feminism or Death. Early works on ecofeminism largely consists of historical connections between women and the nature. The modern ecofeminist movement arose in late 1970's and early 1980's with the increasing consciousness of the relationship between women and nature as a series of conferences and workshops held in the US by a combination of various academic and professional women. They discuss the process in which feminism and environmentalism might be blended to promote respect for women and protection to nature, which have a long connection for the oppression of both. Women and nature are often portrayed as chaotic, irrational and in need of control. While men are frequently characterized as rational, ordered and thus capable of directing the use and development of women and nature. The hierarchical structure that grants power to men and allows for the exploitation of woman and nature, particularly how they are associated with each other. The exploitation of nature and women is basically deep routed as doctrines for the eco-feminists. To overcome this, one needs to restore and redefine the underlying patriarchal principles and structural relations of one's culture and encourage equality, non- violence, non-hierarchical forms of administration to during about new social forms. Women have intrinsic closeness to nature. The natural characteristics of woman have the specific interest for nature. They usually don't like the violence and the cruelty. We used to call nature as "Mother Nature" and earth as "Mother Earth". Both nature and women are associated with reproduction and nurturing. Both have ecological characteristics like reciprocity, co-operation, love, caring, etc. Nature is also an integral journey of a human being; it starts from mother's womb and ends in mother earth's soil. Women are associated with nature and men are associated with culture. In the notable paper entitled Ecofeminism at the Crossroads in India: A Review, Manisha Rao mentions that “Ecofeminist literature portrays the historical exploitation and domination of women and nature as going hand in hand and both are seen as victims of development. It is taken as self-evident that any harm to nature harms women equally, since women are seen as closer to nature than men"(Rao 127). Ecofeminism exposes the ways in which patriarchal society oppress women and exploit nature. Our society associates woman with nature and man with culture. “Feminine qualities such as co-operation, nurturing, being supportive, non-violence and sensuality are especially appropriate for creating an environmentally aware society. Because of women’s greater bodily involvement with the natural functions surrounding reproduction, she is seen as more a part of nature than men” (Khanduja 106). When there is a disturbance in nature it affects women more than a man. That is why it is said, there is a strong interconnection between woman and nature. Ecofeminists claim that men dominate the nature in the same way they dominate women, and they view patriarchy as responsible for the current status of both women and nature. So, Ecofeminists support women to come out of the patriarchal dominance and help them live independently. They also assist women attain a respectable position in a society. Vol 84, No.1, January - June 2023 (UGC-CARE List Group I) 18 Humanities and Social Sciences ISSN: 0974-0066 This paper intends to study the interconnection of women and nature in the male-dominant society, and it also details the oppression of women and exploitation of nature by male chauvinists. This paper also focuses on how patriarchy affects the woman and nature by analyzing the framework of the characters in the novel. The main objective of the study is to analyze and interpret the textual and conceptual aspects of ecofeminism in the select novels of Perumal Murugan. Perumal Murugan is a famous writer, poet and scholar who writes in Tamil language. Perumal Murugan was born in 1966 to a family of farmer who had small lands near Thiruchengodu, a town in Tamil Nadu. Murugan began writing from an early age and some of his children's songs were featured on ALL India Radio. He has written six novels, four collections of short stories and four anthologies of poetry. Few of his novels have been translated into English language. His notable work, One Part Woman (Madhourbagan) was short listed for the crossword Award and won the Prestigious ILF Samanvay Bhasha Samman in 2015. Perumal Murugan' s novel Madhourbagan, was published in Tamil in 2010 and later translated by Aniruddhan Vasudevan as "One Part Woman" in 2013. The title indicates the Goddess Parvathi in Arthanareeshwar. Aniruddhan Vasudevan was awarded Sahitya Akademie Translation prize in 2016 for this book. In One Part Woman (Madhourbagan), the writer Perumal Murugan weaves the story around an affectionate young couple Kali and Ponna, who have been childless for more than twelve years. The couple is mocked and humiliated by the society for her bareness and his impotency. Kali and Ponna are deeply plunged into this matter and fond of having a child of their own. They perform all the rituals and offerings that people have suggested them to conceive a child, but nothing helped. no other things have bothered them except this issue. Ponna and Kali are inseparable, thus Kali refuses the idea of second marriage. Kali’s mother along with Ponna’s family comes up with an idea to send Ponna to the Chariot festival. On this night the men in the festive ground are considered as gods and the consensual union of any woman and any man is approved by the society. Ponna is deceives everyone that Kali has permitted her to go to the festival but when Kali learns the truth, he is shattered, and he feels that Ponna has betrayed him. The story ends with Kali trying to kill himself by hanging on the branch of the Portia tree in his village. The story is continued in two parallel sequel- A Lonely Harvest (Aalavaayan) and Trial by Silence (Ardhanaari) each with two different futures for Ponna. In A Lonely Harvest, Kali who tries to hang himself succeeds. Kali is not able to accept the fact that Ponna has been with another man, he kills himself and torments her throughout her life. Ponna is devastated by Kali’s death and confines herself to the barnyard. Meanwhile Ponna conceives a child and that slowly changes her life. Ponna’s mother Vallayi and mother-in-law Serrayi help Ponna survive through the difficult situation. Growth of a child within her gives her a ray of hope and she takes care of the field in a good way. Finally, she delivers baby boy and learns to lead the rest of her life by herself. In Trial by Silence, Kali who tries to hang himself survives his attempt, but he is unable to forgive Ponna and all others who have helped in conspiring against him. He punishes Ponna and his mother through his silence and confines himself to the barnyard. Ponna breaks her ties with her family for ruining her marriage life by lying to her about Kali’s consent. Even when Ponna conceives, Kali Vol 84, No.1, January - June 2023 (UGC-CARE List Group I) 19 Humanities and Social Sciences ISSN: 0974-0066 doesn’t come home to see her. In the end, Ponna delivers a baby boy, but Kali doesn’t accept the child, unable to withstand Kali’s silence Ponna tries to commit suicide, but she is stopped by Kali. Women and Nature In all three books Murugan clearly portrays the ways in which woman and nature are dominated by the men and society in various situations. It is an unwritten norm that a woman becomes complete only when she becomes a mother. Giving birth is the purpose of her existence. If she doesn't, she is oppressed and humiliated by the society. Reproduction is considered as a major duty of women. The ability to reproduce is also a reason that connects women with nature. The protagonist Ponna is humiliated at various instances for being childless, she is compared with dry land, and even healthy seeds do not grow when the land is dry. "When his own wife is a dry land, what is he going to do with this new one?" (One Part Woman). She is compared with the barren land, the land which is poor to produce any crops. And she is also compared with wasteland, the land which is totally unfit for vegetation. People humiliate a childless woman saying even her touch is ominous. “That barren woman ran up and down carrying seeds. How do you expect them to grow once she has touched them? "(One Part Woman). Ponna has not been invited for any auspicious occasions or ceremonies. Even if she attends such functions, she is not allowed to stand in the front. The pressure from the society is so harsh and, in all dimensions, thus she restricts herself from being sociable. In the end, when Ponna has conceived, almost everyone in the village visits Ponna and bless her. Those who have told her she is barren now comes to her praising. Pregnant women are praised and celebrated by the society as she is carrying the family lineage. It is the offspring that makes husband and family proud. Chellappan a man who has dealt with the cattle in the village, indirectly tells Kali, "‘Maapillai’ That is just how some cows are. No matter what you do, they never get pregnant”. Here Ponna is compared to a cow, which doesn’t have the ability to get pregnant, he means that Ponna is infertile. He tells Kali to “Just quietly change the cow. If you say yes, I can fetch you one right away". (One Part Woman). He tells Kali to get ready for second marriage. The preconceived notion of the society for many centuries about the childlessness is mainly due to some defects of women and impotency of a man is quite remote. So, women are susceptible and vulnerable to accept all blames. “When we tie a rope muzzle on a calf, it can't do much. It's the same thing with people” (A Lonely Harvest 128). Calf is compared to a woman, like the calf woman is also tied with the duties of her home and husband. cows, goats and women are treated in the same way. Only if they conceive, they are praised and kept at home. If they don't conceive, they are considered worthless. Thus, women and animals are treated alike by male dominant society as a so-called social norm. Ponna tirelessly practices all religious beliefs in all possible ways to get pregnant. Ponna and Kali together go to many temples they hear about for performing rituals and offering Pongal, to conceive a child but their hopes are nullified. The Maladikkal, the barren rock, is like Paalai - not fit for vegetation. The name Maladikkal, malady (மலடி) refers to a woman who is infertile and kal (கல்) refers to the stone. This refers to a symbolic worship. It is believed that "any woman would be blessed with a child if she walked around the barren rock"(One Part Woman). Walking around this rock is Vol 84, No.1, January - June 2023 (UGC-CARE List Group I) 20 Humanities and Social Sciences ISSN: 0974-0066 equal to suicide yet Ponna risks her life and performs the ritual, but it turns out to be of no use. Ponna’s mother-in-law together with Ponna’s parents sends her to Chariot festival, as it is the last possible way for them to have a child. Even though the day of consensual sex is approved by the society. The men who have attended the eighteenth day of chariot festival are considered as gods whereas the women who go to the festival are known as whores. This reveals how patriarchy portrays women biased. Though the protagonist Kali is in the same thought process, he says to Muthu, “When they play with the child that comes from this how they could not remember that it was some other man's child? And the women who went there once - won't they be tempted to go again? You have turned my home into a whore house!” (Trial by Silence 38). Deities and demons are all named after women. This concept reveals that women are labelled as they are emotionally imbalanced ranging from serenity of Goddess to uncontrollable demons. Women have two natures. One, they are soft to people who treat her good. Two, they become wild and uncontrollable when someone treats them bad. Similarly, nature is good to the people who treat her good. If somebody tries to harm her, she too will become wild and uncontrollable and destroy everyone. "Like the Mother Earth images wild uncontrollable nature was associated with the female. The images of both nature and woman were two-sided. The virgin nymph offered peace and serenity, the earth mother nurture and fertility, but nature also brought plagues famines and tempests. Similarly, woman was both virgin and witch." (Merchant 1983: 127). A young tribal girl was ravished and strangled by four men in the forest. This shows that men take women and nature for granted and make use of them only to satisfy their needs. Kali and Ponna fear that the curse of the girl has affected the family lineage of those four men. And they try to quench the anger and break the curse by performing rituals and offering Pongal. During famine, people find deity Bathrakali enshrined in the forest. Famine is considered as the outcome of the anger of nature. Thus, famine is compared with goddess Bathrakali, Bathrakali is a ferocious goddess, who kills a demon. Here demon is referred to as the brutality of men. Nature and other facets of nature are associated with women. It can be viewed in the description of a goddess, "When he stood at her feet, she appeared to be lying there with full confidence that the entire land was hers. Her arms and legs were as big as the trunks of trees. She had a round face, her wifeopen eyes met his in an unwavering stare. “(One Part Women) Men are trying to confine nature within four walls as they did to women, but nature has spread herself and shows that she cannot be restricted. “She roams freely around the forest. Can you confine her within walls? "(One Part Woman). “When Kali survived Serrayi says that "we cannot have this tree here anymore. It has become Yamen to the very who planted and nurtured it"(Trial by Silence17). So, they cut a branch of the Portia tree. Blunder is committed by men, but the tree pays the price. Serrayi chopped off a rooster's head and made an offspring of it under the tree. "She spoke to the tree: Is this enough blood for you? Did we let you grow and thrive here all these years so that you can take one of our lives? You must end it all with this offering, all right?" (Trial by silence 19). Nature and small creatures suffer so that a man can live. Nature is being exploited by man as he is considered powerful. "Wanting to express his irritation at the dirge, Kali picked up a club and hit the ox brutally on its back" (Trial by Silence 56). An animal is brutally beaten by the protagonist Kali as he was not able to show his anger on his mother. The animal is punished for the man's mistake. Even after the childbirth whenever Kali is angry, he shows his anger on the cattle’s by "hitting the oxen chasing the sheep and throwing stones at the Vol 84, No.1, January - June 2023 (UGC-CARE List Group I) 21 Humanities and Social Sciences ISSN: 0974-0066 dog"(Trial by Silence 173). Women or animals both are same for men, superiority of men can be witnessed in the way they abuse women and nature. Patriarchy doesn’t look at women as their equals, rather they try to dominate and degrade them in all possible ways. Nallayan's brothers and their sons are ready to send their wives to sleep with Nallayan to acquire Nallayan's land. Men neither respect their wives nor the land, they just make use of both. The brother’s wives are used as bait to inherit Nallayan's property. The women in white, a widow is considered unlucky, and they are not allowed to take part in any auspicious function. They are not allowed to come before men, and they are mostly confined to their houses. Patriarchal norms mean that a woman is nothing without her husband, she is respected only when she is with her husband. Deity Madhourbagan stands combined with goddess to show people that, “There is no female without the male, and there is no male without female. This world goes on only when they come together” (One Part Woman). But the male-centered society do not accept this idea, they look at women as weaker ones and they expect the women to be dependent. In A lonely Harvest, Ponna takes charge of land after Kali’s death. Ponna’s knowledge and experience in the field work shows how she is interconnected with the nature. She makes major changes in irrigation, sowing, storage and cattle rearing according to her convenience. Once she starts introducing new techniques in land usage and farming it gives her a new hope to survive in solidarity. In Trial by Silence, when Kali goes on for pilgrimage trip, it is Ponna who has taken care of the land. She makes useful changes in the land and barnyard and takes care of it so well. But when Kali returns, he was not happy with the changes. "Looking at these changes, Kali felt like he was increasingly becoming old and irrelevant"(Trial by Silence 160). He is thinking that those women would have left the field as it is, and he can still do better next year. The field at good condition, triggers his male ego and makes him angry. He wants his wife and mother to be dependent on him. He doesn't like when women bring all changes on their own without his help. He doesn’t want the women to be independent. Men and Culture Kali ‘s denial of remarriage of his, his refusal of the abandonment of Ponna, his strong objection of her participation to the festival for the sake of baby and keeping sexual intercourse with Sakti, as a permitted practice, made him commit suicide once he comes to know about his impotency and her betrayal of his impotency to the world in the second volume of One Part Woman , living his life as a walking dead man and being docile to Ponna as a punishment for her and as it is a kind of self-suffering in the third volume of One Part Woman are the best examples to say how men are associated with culture. Nature and women are unprecedented and unsteady in most of the occasions. But men and culture are slow and at times act as a catalyst for changes. Similarly, how nature is exploited by men and in the name of culture, they neglected both women and nature. When the oppression goes beyond, both show their hard and rude faces. Vol 84, No.1, January - June 2023 (UGC-CARE List Group I) 22 Humanities and Social Sciences ISSN: 0974-0066 Conclusion Perumal Murugan' s novel gives a transparent view of ecofeminism in his novels through a typical south Indian society. Androcentric attitude is also a cause for ecological destruction and gender issues. The current state of women and nature necessitates us to study further on this issue. It is important to address all the facets of ecofeminism. The consequence of dominating nature not only affects the environment, but it also has a deep impact on both animate and inanimate objects in the world. So, we should take proper measures to protect and conserve the nature. Finding possible solutions for empowerment of women and nature is crucial. It can be done by rejecting conventional and superstitious practice, broadening the thought process, and accepting that men, women and nature are interconnected, and we need each one’s help for survival. Works Cited [1] [2] [3] [4] [5] [6] [7] Abrams, M.H, and Geoffrey Galt Harpham. A Glossary of Literary Terms. Wadsworth Publishing Co Inc, 2014. Khanduja Geetika. Prakriti and Shakti: An Ecofeminist Perspective. Jindal Journal of Public Policy, Vol.3, Issue 1. pp. 105-114. Murugan Perumal. The One Part Woman. Translated by Aniruddhan Vasudevan, Penguin Books, Kindle ed., 2016. Murugan Perumal. A Lonely Harvest. Translated by Aniruddhan Vasudevan, Penguin Books, Kindle ed., 2018. Merchant, Carolyn. The Death of Nature. Harper & Row, 1983. Murugan Perumal. Trial by Silence. Translated by Aniruddhan Vasudevan. Penguin Books, Kindle ed., 2018. Rao, Manisha. Ecofeminism at the Crossroads in India: A Review. DEP n 20/2012. pp. 124-142. Vol 84, No.1, January - June 2023 (UGC-CARE List Group I) 23