A matrilineal society, breast tax, women’s education, unique traditional practices – our neighbouring state of Kerala is explained through these topics in history texts. While what we see now is quite different, how was the state in the early years of the 1900s? What led to the changes? Author Sangeetha G paints a picture of Kerala against the backdrop of the floods of 1924, in her debut novel Drop Of The Last Cloud. Through the story of Gomathi, the ill-fated protagonist, we learn of the shift in tides in Kerala’s societal landscape and its impacts in women’s lives.
“I have started getting feedback from readers and most of them are encouraging. I am glad that the main narrative of the transition from matriliny to patriarchy and the caste struggle has reached my readers. My attempt to tell a fictional story in a historical context too has been well-received,” she says. While the story ends much before Sangeetha’s generation, the stories that she might have heard in her childhood or characters she has come across have in some way inspired her. The author, in conversation with us, unveils more about the book. Excerpts follow:
What made you choose this setting – of the 1920s?
In recent years, we have seen several attempts by the so-called traditionalists to glorify the ‘great past of India’. But they have been quite selective about the past. Even in the Nair community, traditionalists uphold patriarchal practices as their past, conveniently forgetting that just a few generations back they followed matriliny. The transition from matriliny to patriarchy started less than a century back and I found that there was a need to tell how that affected the lives of people, how they embraced or were forced to embrace patriarchy.
Through Drop of the Last Cloud, set between early 1920s and late 1960s, I have tried to understand how the events during that period affected the lives of people. So you will see the story starting with the floods of 1924. Abolition of matriliny, early Communist movement, second world war – all steer the course of the story. The main narrative is the transition from matriliny to patriarchy.
The transition drove women out of their homes and their lives and happiness became a matter of chance. In the novel, we have women who feel homeless after being transplanted into a new environment; some resist the change and end up leading lonely lives after joint families break up; and a few who are happy with their husbands. But essentially, their happiness in a new household became a matter of luck. Even today, in our patriarchal society, the situation is not different.
The story also looks at how society made significant strides to move away from the rigidity of the caste system. But I chose to show the caste system and the struggles of the workers from the perspective of the Nair community. So you see characters who oppress the workers, some who prefer the status quo to enjoy their privileges and then a few seeking a change in the community.
Oppression, caste abolition — what pushed you to opt for these topics?
Kerala is an outlier in terms of the social mobility achieved by the worker castes, though we have to go a longer way to annihilate caste from our minds. But that is not the case outside Kerala. In many Indian states, caste oppression is still a reality. The work towards creating a hierarchy-less society and establishing equality is not just a function of the oppressed classes. The book also tries to portray a few characters who could think above their caste privileges and dream of an egalitarian society, strongly advocating that change should be broad.
Often we have protagonists having a strong background, or someone whose life is supposed to inspire readers. Here we have Gomathi who doesn’t lead a happy life. Were you trying to shed light on mental health through the protagonist’s inner turmoil?
You are right. Usually, stories are written about people who show extraordinary strength, struggle against societal norms and lead lives that are inspirational. Such people are just a handful in every society. A whole lot of others are those who succumb to the pressures of society. Everyone wants to be the ‘good girl’ or ‘good woman’ — those who do not take decisions on their own, who do not think independently and who don’t stand for themselves. In order to remain acceptable they try not to stand out or go against the flow.
But they too have their stories of struggles, however uninspiring they are.
There is nothing heroic about Gomathi. She is the quintessential woman of all times, seeking validation of others and ignoring her personal desires. But she, too, has a story that needs to be told for the sake of all those Gomathis out there. You might sympathise with her, you would disapprove of her for the choices she makes and at times you would dislike her. I wanted to portray Gomathi as a real-life character with all her insecurities, vulnerabilities, confusion and indecisiveness.
The story definitely sheds light on her mental health, though I have not openly talked about it. Gomathi finds her life purposeless and whenever guilt overpowers her, she goes into depression. We see that even in her childhood, when she hurts herself due to self-loathe and low self-esteem.
Have the characters been inspired from real life?
I have tried to keep all characters as real as possible. All of them have shades of grey. Govindan, despite being a disaster as a lover, is a good father. Though Madhavan is sensible and sensitive, he makes impulsive decisions. Parvathy embodies strength and logical reasoning, but we see her helpless many times. What Gomathi, Govindan and Madhavan go through in their life is due to the choices they make, though they blame others for their plight.
Book: Drop of The Last Cloud
Publisher: Ukiyoto Publishing
Pages: 243
Price: Rs 238 (Amazon)
Also read: Breaking shackles of caste