The Farmer’s Wife Summary | English Notes

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Introduction

Volga is the pen name of the well-known Telugu writer P. Lalitha Kumari. Her works reflect well-articulated feminist positions.

Synopsis

“The Farmer’s Wife” is about agony, frustration and challenges of a woman following the suicide of her farmer husband. This poem is also about changing the stereotype. A society that looks at a woman as a burden and disgrace is questioned. Male chauvinism is challenged by the poet. She targets this long-held view of patriarchy and its underlying liberties attached. However, she declares her commitment to live her life with “the harvest of her womb” determined to face the challenges. She vows to teach her children those values and skills of life which shall never let them think about cowardly measures when faced with challenges.

Theme

India has witnessed an alarming number of farmer suicides in the last decade owing to the loss of crops and mounting debts. Despite the attempts from the government of state and centre, this trend continues to be unabated. There are several factors involved: social, economic, psychological and cultural. The poet, Volga has clearly reflected the aftermath of a farmer’s suicide in the poem, “The Farmer’s Wife”. This poem is written in the form of an address by the farmer’s wife to him. The first line opens on a sarcastic note referring to the dead farmer as virtuous. The poet uses a series of contrasts through the speaker’s words. The farmer’s widow says that he remained virtuous by ending his life whereas she remains sinner in the eyes of an orthodox society.

The man has escaped from the creditors and society. Every time there was a crop failure, he had to bend his head with hand stretched before his creditors or he could sell his crops if he had any. But, now he crossed over all of these options.

Though the poem begins addressing the husband for his desperate act, it continues on a feminist ground. The speaker presents a contrasting picture wherein she was born girl child with her head bent and a hand outstretched because the male-centric society wouldn’t welcome the birth of a girl child.

The speaker questions not only her husband but the system which doesn’t approve of a woman, especially a widow facing society independently. She asks her husband how he could do that knowing very well that in his absence the dependent family would be put to suffer unbearable consequences. She says that the cotton crop is just yesterday’s but their family has to live longer. She also says that even she had testing times but she would never think of an extreme step. Though he had abused her, reviled her several times, she thought it was alright for a man to do that! But, she had never thought about his suicide.

Now that he has killed himself, her life is miserable without any crop, with unsettled debt and the dignity biting the dust. In addition to these vows, there are children who cannot be left to the wind. The speaker is extremely annoyed with this mindset. She says that it just takes a moment to think extreme but to face life, it needs a brave heart. She is determined to be one. After all, she is going to teach her children to fight the odds and the lessons of life. In any case, they shall not outstretch their hands seeking compassion but they shall win the battles of life. She concludes with a beautiful message that life is a wonderful gift. It is to be lived. Death is not the solution, but it is just an easy escape for people like her husband. So, she is determined to embrace life.

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