Jayanta mahapatra is the first ever Indian poet to win sahitya akademi award for English poetry. The poem 'hunger' was originally a part of the poet's collection "A rain of rites". The poem is a post facto narration of an event.
My point of view
The title depicts hunger of two kinds
. One is the hunger of food and the other is sexual gratification. The issue highlighted is the insignificance of woman's body. The way the fisherman talks about the girl and casually asks the narrator to 'feel' the girl who is actually his own daughter not only disgusts but also leaves a huge question mark on the mere existence of a female. its not general discrimination but harassment because of gender bias. The oil lamp's spot shows the routine behaviour of the act. The girl opens her legs absent minded-ly. Is she left with any life in her?
The poet tries to reason the act by mentioning the severe poverty faced by the fisherman and her family. at the age of laughing and learning the girl has been made a prostitute(no softer word). I understand that the person cannot afford education or even food for the child. but somehow. It is still not enough for a justification. For to die inside is no less than dying outside. For to me food is just as important as dignity. For life is not just about physical presence or bodily existence. It is more than that
which the fisherman seems to either not understand or neglect. and the leaves the narrator in a dilemma questioning his complicity. His confused desperation can be understood in lines such as 'hope lay perhaps in burning the house I lived in'.
However All these supposedly 'bad' things makes us hover only on the practical side. what about philosophy? I fail to understand. The meaning of prostitution. or the meaning of the term given to selling of one's body. One comprises. of mind and body, everyone says. exploitation of mind for money is fair but exploitation of body for money isn't? what does it mean? body has more worth than mind? or the body matters Oh - my - god so much. why doesn't one understand that it is equally important for dignity to sustain for a living as it is for the stomach.(as said before) to earn to eat. to live. can lead to selling of body. why is it a crime anyway? If it's not forceful. well it becomes forceful for its termed bad. If beauty if paintings can cost. If beauty on stage can cost. why can't beauty in bed cost?
If life gave a chance no one would probably choose to fall. but if fall isn't in selling a body then one would probably not miss the chance.
If its all about money. then please let it be all about money. plus. its not. even regarding human emotions directly. she is not paid to love. she is paid to have sex. and if you think it can emotionally detoriate a person. any job can. washing a vomited sink can.
But no. what's wrong is the word. prostitute.
Why? simply. cause it's. - "bad"
When someone is miserable,dear. when someone has nothing to give. no service no good. She gives what is naturally given to her and is naturally asked for.
She gives her body.
And when thirst and hunger kills.
It doesn't bother.Nothing does.
SemestaCruinneArt
The title depicts hunger of two kinds
. One is the hunger of food and the other is sexual gratification. The issue highlighted is the insignificance of woman's body. The way the fisherman talks about the girl and casually asks the narrator to 'feel' the girl who is actually his own daughter not only disgusts but also leaves a huge question mark on the mere existence of a female. its not general discrimination but harassment because of gender bias. The oil lamp's spot shows the routine behaviour of the act. The girl opens her legs absent minded-ly. Is she left with any life in her?
The poet tries to reason the act by mentioning the severe poverty faced by the fisherman and her family. at the age of laughing and learning the girl has been made a prostitute(no softer word). I understand that the person cannot afford education or even food for the child. but somehow. It is still not enough for a justification. For to die inside is no less than dying outside. For to me food is just as important as dignity. For life is not just about physical presence or bodily existence. It is more than that
which the fisherman seems to either not understand or neglect. and the leaves the narrator in a dilemma questioning his complicity. His confused desperation can be understood in lines such as 'hope lay perhaps in burning the house I lived in'.
However All these supposedly 'bad' things makes us hover only on the practical side. what about philosophy? I fail to understand. The meaning of prostitution. or the meaning of the term given to selling of one's body. One comprises. of mind and body, everyone says. exploitation of mind for money is fair but exploitation of body for money isn't? what does it mean? body has more worth than mind? or the body matters Oh - my - god so much. why doesn't one understand that it is equally important for dignity to sustain for a living as it is for the stomach.(as said before) to earn to eat. to live. can lead to selling of body. why is it a crime anyway? If it's not forceful. well it becomes forceful for its termed bad. If beauty if paintings can cost. If beauty on stage can cost. why can't beauty in bed cost?
If life gave a chance no one would probably choose to fall. but if fall isn't in selling a body then one would probably not miss the chance.
If its all about money. then please let it be all about money. plus. its not. even regarding human emotions directly. she is not paid to love. she is paid to have sex. and if you think it can emotionally detoriate a person. any job can. washing a vomited sink can.
But no. what's wrong is the word. prostitute.
Why? simply. cause it's. - "bad"
When someone is miserable,dear. when someone has nothing to give. no service no good. She gives what is naturally given to her and is naturally asked for.
She gives her body.
And when thirst and hunger kills.
It doesn't bother.Nothing does.
SemestaCruinneArt
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