Marigolds

"Marigolds" is a story of an "unaccommodated man",whose whole existence has been in bad faith.The story, at the end reveals that he is a migrant, one might say that this is the story of a migrant/uprooted community but in my opinion the alienation faced by the character stems from his inability to connect with other human beings (including his brother, and his daughters.,his wife,his colleagues.)He is trapped in his own consciousness.The character is acomplex one..While from the beginning we find a streak of violence within him(reflected in his act of knocking down of the doll's head whose gaze reminded him of his wife's controlling gaze.)Yet he is a man who has not lost all his sensibilities;he single handedly tended the school's garden,he brings a marigold for his wife after knocking down the doll and in a typical modernist style ,precociously comments on the'" film of tears in her glassy eyes." "Marigold" significantly brings out the issues of gender,generationality and family.The narrator's ageing mother leaves his house accusing him of neglecting her, the narrator cannot communicate with his neices who in turn accuse him of smelling like an old man.His marital life is completely broken down .His wife cringed with fear when she saw a knife in the hands of her husband and kept herself locked for hours and the violent abuse she is subjeced to ,by her husband ,at the end of the story.The violence and the complete crumbling down of of the family is seen as part of the customs and history he had inherited.as he states;"there is no alternative life,a hundred years of history on these islands has resulted in the wilderness and distress". It is interesting that such a morbid story is entitled 'Marigold" a very bright flower ,which is used mainly in religious occasions across north India. he writes ,"with my eyes shut Imuse about the marigolds,groping through a labyrinth which is now a crater ,now atomb ,waiting for the delirously happy state of being suddenly afloat.............I propel myself higher with my elbows-its one skill i'm sure of-into a vast,open field of heavy blowing marigolds.acres of succulent plants,the size of sunflowers,blazing maddeningly in the sun,still straining for growth ". In his dreams ,the marigolds symbolise his burning desire to escape .Bringing a marigold for his wife may be seen as an attempt on his part to share his dream with his wife.However his act of mouthing the marigold states that the dream can never come true.

Drishadwati Bargi
PG I