Abitha
Abitha (1970) is a short story written by La. Sa. Ramamrutham. This novel employs the stream of consciousness method. Memories, language play, and alliteration are incorporated in the novel; La. Sa. Ramamrutham also talks about the divine power in women, from his perspective.
Writing, Publication
In 1968, La. Sa. Ramamrutham wrote this novel while he worked in Tenkasi. It was published in 1970.
Synopsis
Ambi, the protagonist, goes to Karadimalai along with his wife Savitri. He reminisces about his childhood days and Shakunthala, his childhood infatuation. He left Karadimalai as a young boy and therefore happened to meet Savitiri’s father; he gave him a job and married off Savitri to Ambi. However, they did not have a child after their marriage; this strained their relationship. Ambi learns about Shakunthala’s demise when he goes searching for her in Karadimalai. Shakunthala is survived by her daughter, Abithakuchalambal, she’s the same age as Shakunthala when Ambi left town as a boy. She is a carbon copy of her mother. Ambi was enraged to know that his step-uncle likes Abithakuchalambal. Later, she dies in an accident while travelling with her step-uncle. He’s glad to know that she died as a virgin. "Among the goddess' many names, one is Apeethakuchalambal. In Tamil, Unnamulai amman. (The mother whose breast is not suckled upon). In spoken usage, it became Apeetha, and was further shortened to Apitha. This term expands into a latitude of interpretation and imagination, and I gave it my own meaning. Apeetha - Untouched, One who cannot be Touched" La.Sa.Ra mentions in his foreword to the book.
Literary Significance
The cyclical narrative and memoir style writing of La. Sa. Ramamrutham was praised. The use of images such as Ambal and Shivalingam was appreciated as well. This novel emphasises on how women are possessed like commodities; paradoxically the same women are worshipped as a goddess’ and mothers’. These layers make the novel a remarkable work.
Links
- http://www.omnibusonline.in/2019/03/blog-post.html
- http://manidal.blogspot.com/2013/05/blog-post.html
- கமலதேவி அபிதா பற்றி
- http://vasagarkoodam.blogspot.com/2014/02/blog-post_23.html
- அபிதா சிலிக்கான் ஷெல்ஃப்
- https://bookday.in/abitha-book-review/
- அபிதா தினமணி
- https://www.tamilhindu.com/2012/05/la-sa-ramamirtham-1/
- https://www.projectmadurai.org/pm_etexts/pdf/pm0533.pdf
- https://paazhiblog.wordpress.com/2017/12/29/abidha2/
