(AUTHOR)Vikram Seth is one of the most important literary figures as well as the most prolific and powerful writer of contemporary fiction. Beastly tales from here and there is highly regarded by both the academic and literary worlds that makes it clear that it does not simply exist for the pleasure of reading it. Seth’s poetry and fictions put continuous emphasis on love and relationship and explore the dimensions of the changing and corroding background of his age. At the same time he incorporates together human nature and the complementary segments of life which is experienced in the modern world into a meaningful form. Beastly tales from here and there (1992) implies a moralistic attitude where the animals take the characters of humanistic form. By subverting the animal characters into humanistic form Seth has featured several national and international forums of modernity. In his introductory note Seth says that his tales come from different parts of the world which signifies the universality of his tales. It is blatant his tales do not confine to a particular area or society, in fact it deals with the events and structure of the whole modern contemporary society.22222222222222222222222222222222222222222222222222222(CORRUPTION) Corruption Of power and corrosion of values becomes a significant phenomena that has occupied place in the life of modern world. Every individual has his or her own values and yardstick. Values can differ from person to person depending on heredity, religious, economic, political and environmental background. In the Tale The Crocodile and the Monkey Vikram Seth denotes how human values differ considerably by speaking through his animals characters and skillfully humanizing it. At the outset of the tale the crocodile and the monkey are shown to have deep friendship. The crocodile is contented with their friendship when he confesses to the monkey that his sweet love entices him most rather than the fruit. Human values differ from time to time which inherently reveals that our previous values have been replaced by the new one. The crocodile’s wife profusely prompts her husband to get the heart of the monkey who is the intimate friend of her husband. For her the fruit taste bitter and assumes the monkey’s heart to be something sweet. Her intense desire to eat the monkey’s heart denotes that her power is corrupted and misuses her power. The power bestowed to her by her husband has become so corrupted which makes her incapable of perceiving kindness, affection and benevolence shared to them by the monkey. The tale can be interpreted as a satire on modern politician who misuses their power and deceives people by taking advantage of their trust. Mrs. Crocodile luring her husband to take advantage of the monkey’s trust by reminding him “he trust you” denotes her intention to possess everything more than what she really needs. Kuroop insistence to make the monkey gaze at his wife’s eyes which will make him enter paradise becomes a crucial issue in the tale. He thinks that he has the power to make the monkey enter paradise and possesses the power to conduct the life and death passage of the monkey. Kuroop is the uxorious crocodile who is ready to sacrifice his friend to the unbridled whimsical tastes of his mate. The tale infuses human society which is dominated by incompetent boors who employs their own pompous rules. In the tale The Elephant and the Tragopan the speech given by Bigshot denotes the atmosphere and realistic scene of modern world: “The operative world is votes And next to that comes rupee notes” (Seth 112). The speech declared by Bigshot is a blatant confession and revelation of modern world scenario. The term vote signifies an intense urge for power and authority. Besides, a rupee note signifies an aspiration for wealth and materialism. Corruption, materialism, power and authority go hand in hand which has entrapped the psyche of modern world sensibility. In the tale irony plays a significant role to appropriate human actions and feelings. The Great Bigshot number one says that he rules by anointment and tells the tragapon that he has to meet him by appointment. The use of the term anointment and appointment connotes different aspects altogether. The former signifies religious order while the latter signifies political and personal aspects. Taking the two terms and blending both of them as a part of his administrative system, the Bigshot is committing a blasphemy. At the same time the prevailing issue of nepotism is reflected in The Elephant and the Tragapan because When the whole town is suffering from shortage of water the municipal supply water at the wedding of Bigshot’s daughter. The tale demonstrates the whole account of the politicians and their deceitful and injustice ways of sticking to power without any consideration of the welfare of people.2222222222222222222222222222222222222222(MASS MEDIA) It is undeniable facts that modern world put Mass media on the pedestal and it enjoys a very significant role in our lives and on the society at large. The power of media is recognized by everybody in terms of advertising, marketing and a medium to broadcast information to people at large. Since mass media is used to communicate and interact with people from different walks of life, it can often result in conflict of options. The question whether media is reliable and credible in the present world in giving information is questioned by Vikram Seth in the tale The Hare and the Tortoise. In the tale the author shows the power of media which has wielded the world of the tortoise and the hare. They are accepted as a fact where the beasts do not have the opportunity to question the publishers and editors. From the tale the author shows how media feeds into our narcissism and ego. The hare underestimates the tortoise because he is by feature less attractive and slow in speed. The hare is always the winner and attain the status of celebrity but fails to realize her flaws. Media becomes the sociological tool that erodes her personal and communal values which causes nihilistic attitude in her. When the race is about to start the hare still wears nigh tie and keeps on staring at the mirror worshipping her image. The pressmen are overwhelmed by the hare by taking her words down and publishing it in the Rhyme and Runny news. The tortoise who turns up for the race in the stipulated time is neglected while the reporters are sitting besides the hare who are themselves fitting perfectly into the self- worshipping mirror like the hare. The author addresses the Beastly Broadcast Company to “sleepy BBC” which manifests the unreliability and monotonous information they have denoted in the newspaper. The hare impresses the pressmen who make her think that she is beyond comparison with the tortoise. In order to make the situation more precise the author says that the BBC has quoted the stories of the hare which appears in the front page of the paper. They have published outrageous news addressing to the readers that hare’s failure to win the game is in fact a situation where the entire world should mourn. The press has mentioned her name often to make money because the news holds the attention of many readers. What comes after the race becomes more important than the race itself. Although the hare is defeated by the tortoise she still grasps attention and publicity. The author portrays a realistic picture of modern society that pampers the unworthy against the people of real worth. The hare ceases to be a hare; she becomes a modern overreacher and fits with the taste and preferences of the modern society and modern living. The author stresses the issue of media in The Elephant and the Tragapon and informs how media encourages people to consume what is being portrayed even if the information is situated in unreality and subjugates the consumers. In the tale the Bingle Telegraph acts as the source of information. The narrative of the tale says that the language of Bingle telegraph is “chilling and exact” where a reliable informant gives information. But in the tale the reliable informant fails to mention the mission of the Beastly Board of Forest Folk. Their meeting, suggestions, questions and their intention to outmaneuver man is not highlighted in the telegraph. The Great Bigshot Number One intention to alleviate the water shortage in the town which is written in the Bingle telegraph remains unaccomplished and common people get water only on alternate days. The rally and parade initiated by the beast is not mentioned at all although the whole population of the beast excluding the trout is present. The press men only mingle with the parade to interview instead of paying attention to the need for preserving the Bingle valley. The wretched condition of the pipes and the urgent need for renovation, corrosion and leaking of storage tank where the valves are loose remains unattended. The author says: “News-reporters clicked and whirred At limbs of man and wing of bird” (Seth 119) The description of the news reporters contributes a lot of humour to the tale, it shows that they are not really concerned with the reestablishment of the society and do not pay any tribute to the tragapan’s schemes and mission. The ending of the tale becomes a debatable issue where the Bingle telegraph seeks suggestions from its readers what will be written on the tragapan’s cenotaph Instead of emphasizing the tragopan’s abundant contributions to save the Bingle valley. According to the author it is the responsibility of the media to give reliable information to the people by avoiding the creation of false image and identity because it is not only meant for advertising and marketing. It is only after the death of the tragapan his stories appear in the newspaper. He has immortalized himself through his deeds, actions and determination to save the Bingle valley in spite of all the hardships and frustrations. There can be an assumption that if the informant has mentioned specifically the demands and mission of the tragopan and his parties in the beginning the tragopan would not face all the hardships and psychological trauma which eventually leads to his death.2222222222222222222222222222222222(ECONOMIC) Studying Children’s literature as a cultural phenomenon immediately transforms the task into extra literary exercise. Vikram Seth denotes the sense of life in an unregulated, rapidly expanding free market economy in a fragmented society. He has also demonstrated that power goals and values are rapidly changing in response to modern numerous technological, economic, demographic and political changes. The Frog and the Nightingale reveals the hyperbolic representation of time as an industrial construct, where time is shown to be ridiculous but has an actual connection with money. Besides the issue of capitalism, expansion of consumerism, machinery and the mechanically measured time as a dominant force is seen in the tale. The frog croaks every night from dusk to dawn and minstrels around till morning although other creatures hold grudge against him. The standard nature of time does not exist in the tale; time is controlled both by the frog and the nightingale. Certain terms like “fee”, “admission”, “silver”, “beast flocking together”, “sold”, “tickets” and “shillings” demonstrates the presence of consumerism. Consumerism has emerged through a historical process as well as globalization. It has created a capitalist society which is shaped by mass market and cultural attitudes that can cause decadent behavior. In the tale Vikram Seth has denoted the nature of capitalism which is an important economic concept in the modern world. The frog is trying to create his own private ownership by utilizing the nightingale’s melodious voice and get money. Every day the frog sells her song for silver and prompts her to make the public happier to attract more audience. The frog becomes more and more greedy and forces the nightingale to aim for better billings and accuses her of being a debtor who owes him sixty shillings. Throughout his tale Vikram Seth manifests the pros and cons of capitalism which is practiced in almost every society. Both the frog and the nightingale have the economic power and freedom where there is no government intervention. If government owns the means of production and set prices, it will ultimately lead to large bureaucracy that may extend into other areas of life. The frog and the nightingale generate money from other animals miles around and lives independently in terms of economic sphere. At the same time the cons of capitalist societies is reflected by the author because in capitalist societies there is often great inequalities between owners of capital and those who work for firms. Moreover, modern capitalist society not only fails to create equality of outcome it fails to provide equality of opportunity, where inequality creates social divisions. In the tale the frog fails to maintain equality with the nightingale, he uses her as a powerful machine to earn money but there is no equal distribution of money between them. The former remains boastful, possesses all the money while the latter is undergoing a sorrowful and depressed life. The frog gears all his anger on her calling her “brainless” when she in capable of exercising her voice, which makes the nightingale trembled, terrified which ultimately leads to her death . So, the inequality under the capitalist society which is reflected in the tale is a blatant manifestation of the economic order of modern society that is still rampant today.2222222222222222222222222222222222222(GENDER) Vikram Seth Beastly Tales from here and there deals with a controversial issue called gender. The concept of gender has fitted perfectly into the genre of literature which further denotes that it is a worldwide concept. Gilbert and Gubar in one of the chapters of their essay The Mad Woman in The Attic highlight how Victorian women are stereotyped by male authors during the age. According to them a woman is portrayed as two forms of opposing extreme images in the form of monster or angel. In the course of the tale The crocodile and the monkey Mrs. crocodile is portrayed as plotter, plot maker, schemer almost like a witch, impersonator, a woman of almost of infinite energy, witty and self- absorbed. She is shown to be a tempter as well as a monster who has an intense desire to eat the monkey’s heart. Her initiative to eat the monkey’s heart manifests her monstrous nature who has no concern for her fellow creature. By denoting all these qualities it is discernible that Mrs. Crocodile is devoid of morals where as the Crocodile is shown to be the perfect embodiment of morals when he first refuses to fulfill his wife wishes. The angelic nature of women as passive, weak, who do not possess any creative energy, is manifested in the tale The Frog and the Nightingale. The nightingale has an immense power to appeal the other animals with her melodious voice but unfortunately she is subjugated by the frog. The frog thinks that he is the authoritative figure who has control over her; he sells her songs for silver and rebukes her if she does not fulfill his expectations. He has humiliated her in public when her voice is hoarse and quivering because she is sleep deprived. The frog does not have any heartfelt connections with her although she has contributed her voice and energy to extract money for him. The nightingale suffers psychological trauma and pain inflicted by the brutal frog: she is helpless, deprived of spontaneity who does not have the opportunity to assert her anger and opinion. The frog considers her to be the other, an object as well inferior being by mistreating her making her perform only the archetypal female role. The two extreme opposing images demonstrated by Gilbert and Gubar reveals considerably how women are treated in society at large. The stereotypical false image has to be discarded because it hinders the scope for asserting one’s own identity for women. Like the noted feminist and activists Seth is aware of gender inequality and the outcome of patriarchal society. He therefore infuses an important point that gender equality and injustice should be ensured as it is the stumbling block to cultivate an ideal society.(ENVIRONMENTAL) The issue of environmental awareness has become the urgent need of contemporary society due to the increasing global warming. The calm and peaceful atmosphere of the Bingle valley is denoted by the author where there is neither hut nor field which attains the status of minor paradise before. In the tale The Elephant and the Tragapan Man’s hostile attitude towards nature is reflected by the author where man hatches crazy schemes for his own benefit. The tales remains one of the most significant tales in order to highlight the reality of modern contemporary world. The minor paradise has been destroyed by man because of man’s propensity to destroy everything for his selfish ends. Certain terms like “shops”, “wires” and “forest fires” denotes the industrial and scientific developments that have caused a devastating environmental degradation. Being a writer with conscience Vikram Seth is aware of the changes that have taken place, so, he skillfully weaves all the prominent issues in his tales. Contemporary writers do not deal with unrealistic and ethical abstract ideas to impart moral lesson, they instead prefer to write the realistic issues and the changes that takes place in the world. But this does not mean that they have discarded the former writers, they are trying to comprehend the world with its pace. William WordsWorth who is often called the nature poet, who is drunk with nature, denotes the importance of nature in his poetry. For him nature acts as the primary source to write poetry where as in the case of Vikram Seth the portrayal of nature is unpleasant which will never inspire a poet to write poetry. The world of Bingle Valley he presents is bleak and unattractive because of the extensive degradation of forest’s resources. The tales in certain ways is tragic in nature because only the beasts are concerned with the extensive degradation. The elephant and the tragapon appear more or less riding a verbal crest where they can only rail and rant helplessly. Besides Seth speaks through the character of Smallfry who is aware of the rich flora and fauna of Bingle valley and is akin to the demands of the beast. He could not take it for granted that his father’s decision will turn the Bingle valley in to a minor desert. Seth speaks through him to proclaim to his audience how scientific and technological development has not always worked in a positive manner as supposed to be, which in fact makes him attain the status of a hero in the modern world. 2222222222222222222222222222222(CONCLUTION) Beastly tales from here and there is a Meta narrative; it is a smaller narrative where important issues are highlighted. In the tale the scenario of contemporary world is presented only at a superficial level but an extensive amount of information can be extracted out of it. Vikram Seth does not create his tale for the sake of pleasure reading, he is denoting the confines of self- centered existence. At the same time he is trying to make significant contributions to life as well as makes his readers encounter the prevailing issues through his tales. The nature of capitalism is shown where capitalism, consumerism and popular culture are acts of decadence. The crucial issue of media is portrayed, which has extended its territory and encapsulates the magnificent power to create Identity. The collapse of morality accompanied by corrosion of vales is highlighted by the author that leads to an enormous transformation in the quality of everyday life. Moreover, the controversial issue of gender inequality and injustice constructed by society is demonstrated. In the tale the focus of attention rest on the need for protecting the environment where ecological system has been deteriorated by modernization. By incorporating all these significant issues from political, religious, personal and economic level the tale rather becomes a global curriculum where ambitious reform is necessary.
Posted on: Tue, 16 Jul 2013 13:52:59 +0000
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