From Magic Lamps to Silent Victims

     Has there ever been a childhood that didn't yearn for a magic lamp like Aladdin's? Was there ever a childhood that didn't long for a friend like Mayavi? Can anyone truly say they never wished to be a remarkable wizard like Harry Potter, in possession of a wand to bring about good fortune? The cloak of invisibility would surely have been in high demand!

    Narratives are the manifestations of imagination, crafted skillfully by authors to transport readers to worlds they have never experienced. These are realms where unfamiliar characters come to life, stories unheard of until then.

    A Thousand Splendid Suns was recommended by a student as a weekend read, but the impact of Mariam's confinement, both inside and outside prison bars, made it difficult to embark on another journey too soon. The scene of Mariam's mom's feet hanging from behind the strands of the willows, still startles the reader. The echoes of Afghanistan lingered, with the haunting cries and sorrows of helpless women hidden behind the purdah.

    Days and nights were spent in Aymanam for over a month. The river that claimed Sophie's young soul whispered incessantly, the scent of leaking pickles from the Paradise Pickles and Preserves shop prickled the nostrils, and the moans of Velutha, a low-born man who loved a woman beyond societal norms, after the police attack, resonated. Every juice shop near the theaters served as a reminder of the Orangedrink Lemondrink Man and the innocent Estha. The twins, who were entwined in the womb and lied together, were born only to be separated on Earth.

    The stay in the Sundarbans, as Ghosh rowed the boat with Piya towards Fokir, was prolonged, with attempts to adapt to the unpredictable climate and its fluctuations. Tears were shed in support of Piya when the tiger was burned alive, and finally, both Piya and Fokir clung to a tree branch to escape an unprecedented storm. Unlike Fokir, Piya survived to continue her journey.

    Anees Saleem's writing style was not unfamiliar. In 'An Odd Book of Baby Names,' the reader leaps from one character to another, observing the Sultan on his deathbed from various angles. The nine children born to a single father are torn apart as the center can no longer hold, and everything falls apart. The question of illegitimacy looms!

    While a Frangipani tree silently witnesses the events in the aforementioned novel, it is a Gulmohar tree that helplessly observes Lathif's life. At the age of seventeen, while his peers rejoiced, Lathif was compelled to work at 'The Paradise Lodge,' ironically a last resort for those who had chosen to end their lives. The fans and walls of the rooms bore witness to the countless deaths they silently and helplessly observed. Room 555 haunted both Lathif and the reader, as it marked a turning point in his story. Despite being a bit eccentric, Lathif found solace and motherly affection from Stella, his lunch mate and the housekeeper. Lathif enjoyed watching movies at his neighbour's house but would leave midway if he sensed a tragic ending. The boy who was haunted by his childhood memories at school left the reader haunted by his own fate in the end.

    A reader would find joy in witnessing Latheef finally receiving the coveted white shirt he longed for, in Stella buying him a new pair of shoes, and ultimately, in his prospects of securing a higher-prestige job. The phrase "Happiness was but the occasional episode in a general drama of pain" clearly reflects the reality of Latheef's life.

    The novel serves as an example of how the weak and marginalized are exploited by those with influence. As the story concludes, Stella visits Lathif's home only to discover that his mother and sisters have taken their own lives. Like any reader, one wishes for Lathif to find better opportunities and for his family to experience good fortune. The author also questions the efficacy of the judicial system. The novel paints a bleak portrayal of a community that remains unknown and seldom discussed, their voices either silenced or ignored.

    Would Velutha have faced such adversity if he had been born into a higher social class? Would Mariam have endured harassment and torture if she had been a citizen of a more developed country? Could Fokir have survived if he hadn't been born as the son of a forest-dweller? Could Latheef have achieved the life he yearned for, marrying a lovely woman, dressing in finer clothes, and providing better living conditions for his family, if he hadn't been labeled as "insane"?

    We often wish for a magic lamp or a wizard's wand to bring an end to Mariam's suffering, to reunite Velutha and Ammu, to find solace in harmony with nature, and to prevent the tragic fate of individuals like Fokir. We long for the ability to assist struggling souls like Latheef, the flower that withered away before it could fully blossom and shine!

 References

Ghosh, Amitav. The Hungry Tide. Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, 2005.

Hardy, Thomas. The Mayor of Casterbridge. Penguin Classics, 2003.

Hosseini, Khaled. A Thousand Splendid Suns. Riverhead Books, 2007.

Roy, Arundhati. The God of Small Things. Random House, 1997.

Saleem, Anees. The Bellboy. Random House, 2022

MS. Saritha. K, Head, Dept. of English, Al Shifa College of Arts and Science, Kizhattor, Perinthalmanna