A LOOK BACK

{REVIEW OF THE CHAPTER “‘TATTERED BLANKET”’}

-NIMIL MEHMAR

THERE ARE DIFFERENT KINDS OF STORIES,POEMS AND OTHER WORKS IN LITERATURE.THE MESSAGE FROM THE STORY MIGHT HAVE SAD ENDINGS OR HAPPY ENDINGS.BUT IF A READER LIKES A WORK OF LITERATURE AND KEEPS IN MIND,IT WILL MOST PROBABLY BE A TOUCHING STORY.

ONE OF THE STORIES OF THIS KIND IS KAMALA SURAIYA’S ‘THE TATTERED BLANKET’.THIS IS ONE OF HER EXTRODINARY WORKS IN MALAYALAM, TRANSLATED INTO ENGLISH.THE STORY OF GOPI AND HIS AMMA,WHO HAS ‘ALSHIMES’,IS A TOUCHING STORY INDEED.AMMA,S DAUGHTER KAMALA IS ACCOMPANING HER.KAMALA IS OFTENDED BY HIS BROTHER,GOPI,WHO LEADS HIS OWN PRIVATE LIFE IN NEW DELHI AND DOESN’T CARE FOR HIS MOTHER AT ALL.

ONE DAY GOPI COMES BACK TO THIRUVANANTHAPURAM,NOT TO VISIT AMMA BUT TO SELL OUT THE PROPERTY OF THE FAMILY WRITTEN IN HIS NAME.AMMA WHO DOSESN’T EVEN REMEMBER THE RECENT THINGS HAS A SPECIAL ROLE HERE.SHE ASKS GOPI FOR A BLANKET.BUT WHAT SHE ACTUALLY NEEDS IS THE WARMTH OF HER SON,GOPI’S LOVE.

AMMA, THE ROOTS WHICH MADE GOPI BLOOM AND HE IS TRYING TO FORGET EVERYTHING THAT AMMA DID FOR HIM.THIS SHOWS HOW HATRED GOPI IS.EVEN AFER ALL THIS HE HAS NO FEELING TOWARDS HIS AMMA.THROUGH THIS MAGNIFICIENT,TOUCHING STORY,KAMALA SURRAIYA IS TRYING TO SHOUT OUT THAT HOW EVER SUCESSFUL WE ARE,WE MUST REMEMBER ABOUT OUR ROOTS WHO GAVE OUR LIVES.