Echoing Eco -feminism in Requiem for the Living

This paper attempts an eco feministic reading of Johny Miranda’s Malayalam novella Jeevichirikkunnavarkku Vendiyulla Oppees translated into English by Sajai Jose as Requiem for the Living. Johny’s book exposes the lives of ‘Parangis’ a creole community, known by the genre name Anglo Indians. Inhabited along the fringes of islands of coastal Kerala, away from the main stream community, they face double insulation. Believed to be the descendants of Portuguese, the members of the community share features both facial and anatomical and preserve practices and rituals pertaining to Parangi community. One of the six minority communities in India, the position of Parangi identity is precarious. Since the community is an amalgamation of colonial and native elements, it lacks, to be precise, it is denied acceptance by the main stream culture. Though The male members of the community exhibit a kind of patriarchal dominance, one comes to recognise the empowered women of the community as custodians of Parangi identity, safeguarding, nurturing and preserving it without much loss. In this context, the role of Juana Mamanji is crucial and dominating. Her routine ritualistic practices which she performs with great dexterity exemplify the caliber of a matriarchal imprint. Other female characters like Petrina and Ida also encompass the matriarchal figure but to a lesser extent than Juana Mamanji.
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⁠Ecofeminism is an integration of ecology and feminism. Coined by Francoise d’ Eaubonnein 1974, she urged the women to lead an ecological revolution to safe guard earth. To protect earth in this way ensures protection of women and exploitation of earth naturally signals exploitation of women. Eco-feminism treats women and nature on equal footing. Patriarchal dominance inflicted on women is similar to exploitation of earth. Ecofeminist claims that, a feminist perspective does not place women in the dominant position of power, but rather calls for an egalitarian, collaborative society in which there is no one dominant group. Ecofeminist portrays the connections between women and nature in culture, religion, literature and questions the similarities between the oppression of and the oppression of women. Ecofeminism cements the importance of both women and nature and also establishes the fact that women as the curators of nature and defenders of traditions and rituals.
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⁠The novella begins with the introduction of main characters viz Josy pereira, his father Franso Pereira, mother Petrina Pereira, grandfather Casper Pappanji and grandmother Juana Mamanji. Oppression of women is analogous to oppression of nature. If so, dominance of women can be equated to dominance of nature. Much debated and often quoted statements like this defines the position of women in the society. As the novella unravels the mystery surrounding the creole community, as the characters ebb and flow, female characters step aside re recasting them, as custodians of traditions, customs and rituals. The link between women and nature is woven intricately into the fabric of the female characters as opposed to male characters. Though the protagonist, Josy Pereira and an array of male characters enrich the frame work of the novella, without any pretension the image created by female characters caste aside the supposed dominance of male figures. Rather than patriarchal domination, we witness patriarchal degradation which percolates into the life of female characters.
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⁠Juana Mamanji is the connection between nature and women. Her place in the community as the maker of a tharavad shows her prowess as matriarchy exemplified. Contrary to the traditional concept of male as the bread winner and builder of a home, a tharavad is materialised by the daunting Juana Mamanji. It was Joana Mamanji "who built the imposing tharavad, one sees today, with mortar and laterite stone; a house that could be considered grand for those days. A house with facing windows and doors large enough for souls to come and go easily; with a verandah, a large hall, and an attic" (Jose 2). The economical house that Mamanji built is integrated with nature with its big windows and doors. The role played by women and the economic security she ensures, relegates the male characters to the background, foregrounding the female acumen. “Juana Mamanji always carried a small cloth bag with money in it” (Jose 2).
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⁠The dress of paranghi community is peculiar. They preferred cotton clothes. The men wore mudu and half sleeved shirt called Kammeesa. Women, called choochiis, wore the traditional clothing called thuni and kavaya. These thunis were printed with large blue or red checks. “The collarless kavayas, stitched from fabric of bright colours and shiny patterns, were held together with copper pin - hooks and worn with their long sleeves rolled - up” (Jose 3). Mamanji’s belief in local myths deems her as the protector of indigenous culture. “wearing that ventheenja, Mammanji would say, made it easy for women to give birth; and it protected everyone from ghosts, spirits, demons and fear”(Jose 3).
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⁠Casper Pappanji, Juana’s husband preserves the purity and sanctity of sacristan work. Usually the men folk of Parangi community incur the wrath of God by indulging in illegal activities while working as a sacristan. But Casper Pappanji never incurred such wrath. Though no specific reason is mentioned, one may attribute it to the influence of Juana Mamanji. Even Mamanji exhibits her audacity in labelling him as good for nothing. As the earning member of the family Mamanji’s enterprising business of selling - “appam, puzhungunda, chukkunda, puttu, idiyappam” (Jose 5). All homemade natural foodies keeps her close to natural sources. Mamanji was the last word for everything in the family and also in the parish. People turned to her for advice, from matters ranging from child birth to death. In addition to her knowledge about local customs and rituals, she penned a booklet on the rules to be followed in making holy bread and sauce during Pesaha season. During the lent season, on Maundy Thursday, it is the head of the family that breaks the holy bread and distributes it in the family. But here it is Juana Mamanji who does the revolutionary act of breaking the bread. This act of breaking bread performed traditionally by the head of the family, which is supposed to be the prerogative of male members is shattered and crushed in the hands of this female figure. Devastha, a ritual practised by Latin Catholics along the coastal belt of Kerala during night carrying a big wooden cross, believed to cast of evil spirit was done by men only. Here too we find Mamanji taking the lead performing the ritual of calling Devastha, which was purely a male domain.
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⁠Preserving culture and nurturing nature is ingrained in Mamanji’s life. She exhibits a great deal of respect and worship for the world around them. Natural remedies prescribed and prepared by Mamanji to cure inflamed tonsils, mumps, jaundice tells us her proximity to nature. Her knowledge of medicinal plants and their proper concoction for various illness labels her as apothecary. None of the male characters are endowed with such curative skills. Thus an ecological awareness is created by Mamanji through her deeds. Women are culturally clipped to nature according to Ecofeminist.
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⁠Edmund Burke in Reflections on the Revolution in France said that “a woman is but an animal and an animal not of the highest order” (149). Jonathan Swift said that “ I cannot conceive of you to be human creatures, but a sort of species hardly a degree above a monkey" (Morgan 191). These references appear misogynistic and derogatory. Many traditional sources and great literary works have portrayed nature and women as equally powerful. Juana Mamanji's life serves to contradict the superficial patriarchial ideaology manifested in the male dominated society. None of the male members could stand on a par with this doyen of the family. Mamanji performs a special ritual on first Friday’s of every month. Attired in the traditional kavaya and decked with kotheenja, silver bangle, a scapular, shoes called sappath and a large hat she attends special service at the church. Her relatives -“kunjathas, kunjathos, kumbaris, and kumbarichis, peelas children and nonas and susis would gather at her home” (Jose 9). After the church service she would enter the river wearing all her ornaments. She then makes her return trip to the house fully drenched, “dripping wet” (Jose 10). She walks with a peculiar rhythm clicking her fingers, dancing to the tune of a strange song. On the way back home she would stare at everyone, checks whether they were wearing ventheejas, if not she will spit on their face. She would also predict their future and answer their queries. She would then lie belly down on the table already laid down with lot of dishes. Later everything is thrown into the river. Apart from this a rare feet performed by Mamanji really makes us spellbound. Mamanji could levitate on top of a plantain leaf without breaking it. Once this performance gets over she emerges out, transformed. She asserts that it is this ritualistic practice that gave her strength for everything. The power she acquires symbolises empowerment. The nature - culture nexus weaves into the fabric of Mamanji’s life. This shows that female- nature connection is more of strength than weakness. She blends in with the rhythm of nature and natural elements like the river in which she takes her ceremonial dip empowers her. In this context one could juxtapose male - female attributes, with women as life giving power, nurturing a dynamic relationship between women and nature. On the other hand men are portrayed as incapable of bonding with nature, which in turn, becomes a destructive control over women and environment. Nature in all its manifestation has been respected and understood in the actions of Mamanji. From an ecofeminist point of view this is seen as an important notion because the connection between the female character and nature is one on a spiritual level.
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⁠Mamanji’s withdrawal from her responsibilities as the custodian of rituals and practices never lets it fade into oblivion. After the death of Mamanji, Josy’s mother took the reins of this customary practice. She started “assisting at child birth and in bathing and preparing of the dead for burial” (Jose 60). She distributed consecrated waist-cords to the childless, exorcized evil spirits. Like Juana Mamanji, she started giving ventheenjas, scolded those who did not attend the church and even predicted their future. Josy Pereira’s mother transforms into a noble lady “noble and serious looking choochi”(56) after receiving Mamanji’s chest. Mamma even cured jaundice patients the same way Mamanji did. For this purpose she “planted castor saplings in the yard and tended them carefully” (65). Even though she had an extra marital relationship with Xavy, nature becomes a source of transformation for her. In other words the culture of the society had a bad influence on her but nature and her preparation of natural remedies elevates her to a noble status. On viewing this from an Ecofeminist point of view it shows the impact of nature on a women’s mind. She establishes her position in the domestic world around her by reenacting the ritualistic ceremony performed by Mamanji. Thus a peculiar ritual is revived and propagated by another female character, Osha’s mother, Pertina. Both the women characters experienced a sort of spiritual awakening. The protagonist and other male characters with the backing of patriarchal culture remain insignificant and incapable as bearers of tradition. Women emerges as torch bearers of culture and tradition where as male characters like the protagonist (Osha)Josy Pereira, his father Franso Pereira, Jacentha’s father Thummi Chettan remains passive spectators.
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⁠From an ecofeminist perspective, this novella shows how the two genders think and interact with their natural environment. The ecofeminist view is that women are physically and psychologically connected with nature. Women and the natural world around her are in this sense interconnected. They talk about the oppression and denigration of women as equal to exploitation and plundering of nature. Even though ecofeminists vocal arguments on issues concerning women and nature are related to male dominance, this novella has presented female characters as dominating and overbearing than their male counter parts. The androcentric world view creates a society where women are perceived as home makers, takers of husbands name in marriage, receivers of less salary for equivalent job, and opting for caring professions rather than political careers.
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⁠Requiem For The Living can be treated as a Requiem for the age old fragile patriarchy. The dichotomy between women as the victim and men as the oppressor shrinks into oblivion as the female characters headed by Juana Mamanji scales the pedestal of Matriarchy, treating women and nature as equally powerful. This female lead character and her relationship with nature is spiritual as ecofeminist would say, interconnected or linked.
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