Critical Analysis of ‘The Purpose’

Critical Analysis of ‘The Purpose’
S.B.Gardi DEPAERTMENT OF ENGLISH
M.K.BHAVNAGAR UNIVARSITY
Written by: Devikaba Gohil J
Roll no.: 06
Course Name: Indian English Literature – Pre Independence

 
t.p.kailasam

ABOUT HIM:

His full name is Thyagraja Paramasiva Kailasam (1884-1946). He was born 29 July 1884, Bangalore, India. He was a prominent writer of Kannada literature. He also contributed to Kannada Theatre so, Kannada Theater gave him the name “The Father of humorous plays” for his humorous plays and later he was also called as “Kannadakke Obbeane Kailasam” means “One and Only Kailasam for Kannada”. He contributed to local theatre, and his humors and revolutionary applications left an impression on Kannadigas. He was invited as chair person at Kannada Sahitya Sammelana in 1945. He was unhappy with modern use of Kannada language. His humorous and satiric play was legendary that the plays are still popular among the people. He not only writes play but also write poems. His English Plays:
§  Fulfillment
§  Purpose
§  The Brahmin’s Curse
    His Poems:
§  The Dramatist
§  Eternal Cain
§  Truth Naked
§  The Lake
§  Mother-Love
§  The Sixth Columnist 1943
§  A Monologue
§  The Recipe
§  The Smilin’s Seven
§  The Artist
§  Kaikeyee
§  Commiseration (Karna)
§  Drona
§  Krishna
§  Subhadra
 
His one of the most famous plays ‘THE PURPOSE’.
 Full Title: The Purpose: A Playlet of Ekalavya published in 1944.
In the very beginning of the play he writes that “The scenes and words you’ll see and hear, I’ve seen and hear before, as king or priest, poltroon or peer, somewhere… Some when of yore!” He also dedicates this play he writes that ‘DEDICATED IN ALL HUMILITY TO MY YOUTHFUL BROTHERS OF MY MOTHERLAND IN HAPPY MEMORY OF MY YOUTHFUL YEARS.’ “I f Youth but Knew! If Age but Could!”

Personae:

BHEESHMA- The Patriarch of the Royal Kuru House
ARJUNA, NAKULA and SAHADEVA- Bheeshma’s Grandchildren
DRONAACHAARYA- Preceptor to the princes
EKALAVYA – A Nishaada (Non- Arya) Boy

Period:

The Aadi Parva of THE MAHAABHAARATA
Here he presents the same scene from the myth in a different way. The play is made of two acts. The second act starts after six years. When the play opens we will find Guruji Dronaachaarya giving lessons of archery. In the very beginning we will find Sahadeva learing archery from guruji. He was just a little boy so he tried his best to lift up the bow. But he the bow was bigger than the boy so was failed to lift that bow, and then the play process. We will find totally different play from the myth. In the mythical ‘MAHAABHAARATA’ we find Ekalavya Nobel person, even the protagonist of the play Arjuna was also Nobel person, but here we will find Ekalavya more Nobel than Arjuna and mythical Ekalavya. It shows the skills of the writer that how skillfully and under his control his break the myth.

critical analysis:

COMPARITION BETWEEN MYTHICAL CHARACTERS AND THE CHARACTERS IN THE PLAY:
In this play the writer gives his own twist and turn, so the play differed from many mythic. Like,

·       The character of Arjuna: In this play we will find Arjuna as an ambitious boy as he was in the Indian epic poem. But here his intentions are changed. Mythical Arjuna was so loving and caring person that he never tried to hate anyone, but here in the play we will find Arjuna arguing against his Guruji and his Hatred for Ekalavya. The myth says that Arjuna was so Nobel person that he also regretted when Eklavya cut his right hand’s thumb and give it to his Guruji. Here we find Arjuna becomes and happy and even careless that whatever Eklavya was not so important for him, because his Guruji promised to his Thaathaajee (Bheeshma) that he will make Arjuna the greatest archer in the world. Here we will find that the learing of archery for Arjuna is to prove himself as the greatest worrier in the world, not a Nobel intention. He wants to satisfy his ego. He is shown as an egoist person in the play.

·       The character of Ekalavya: In the myth it is said that Ekalavya cut his right hand’s thumb because his Guruji order him to give his thumb so that he can fulfill his promise which he gave to Bheeshma. He wants to saw Arjuna as best archer in the world. Whereas here in the play Ekalavya himself cut his right hand’s thumb, because Arjuna was questing Guruji so much, so save the pride of Guruji he cut his thumb. In the myth it is also said that after giving his thumb he never regret, whereas here he cries a lot that for whom he sacrifices? To save his Guruji’s pride he sacrifices for Arjuna indirectly. He is shown as more focused than Arjuna in the play. He learn archery very well that even Guru Drona when show his archery he was amazed by his skill of learning. Guru Drona never taught him how to learn archery. Ekalavya develops this skill while Guruji was teaching to Arjuna. He makes an idol of Guruji and thinks that he is now his real Guruji and start learning. In the second act we will find that for the first time Guru Drona saw him after six years and was amazed and shocked by his skill of archery and ask him about his Guru. First Ekalavya was failed to recognize Guruji but then he recognize him and said that you are my Guru (teacher) at that Arjuna blamed Guruji that secretly you taught that nishaada boy the skill of archery. At that moment he becomes angry because could not bear that some come and abuse his Guruji so he cut his thumb and give to his Guruji. Then he regret a lot because his aim of leaning archery was Nobel one. He want to save all those animals’ life who were weaker and also he want to learn because he was living in the forest with his mother and every night the wild animals disturb their sleep sometimes he and his mother spend sleepless nights in the forest. So his aim was Nobel to learn archery. But in anger he lost everything. His father was died while serving at a war.

·       The character of Dronaachaarya: Like the other characters Guru Drona is also different from the mythical character of Drona. In the play Guru Drona to teach archery to Ekalavya, because was belongs to Nishaada community and taught only those who belong to Aryan community. It shows that how partial he was. We can also see him for conditioning the mind of the little prices. It is given in the play that once when Sahadeva was failed to lift up that bow and complained about it to Guruji at that time Guru speaks this line that, “Bow too big for you? But my little man, you seem to forget you are a Kshatriya! Why, no bow in the world is really too big for a Kshatriya- not only to lift, but to bend, string, and shoot with!” so, here we can see that how though he is a teacher but conditioning the mind of the children. We can also see a good side of him when Ekalavya came to him and asks him to teach archery at that time for a while he was regret because he wanted to learn him but because he was a Nishaada boy he cannot and other reason was that if he will learn him archery then what about his promise which he give to Bheeshma. The mythical character of Drona order Ekalavya to give his right hand’s thumb as his Guru’s fee (Gurudakshina). But in this play Ekalavya willingly gives his thumb and when he was crying not because of pain but because he sacrifices so many animals’ lives at that time even Guruji for whom Ekalavya does everything left him all alone.                       

·       Character of Bheeshma: This is another character important character of the myth and of the play both. Bheeshma is the grandfather of the prices of Hastinapur. He loves Arjuna so much in the myth also and in the play also. May be because he can see his childhood in him. In the mythical character we will never find a minor weakness in this character, but here in this paly we can see that he is now so much tiered of from his life. The mythical character of Bheeshma never said that now I want a long rest of my life (symbolically death) but here we can see him that now he is tiered by mind, by body and also by soul. Now want a long rest (death) so he want to see his kingdom in the safe hands so pressures Guruji to train the princes as early as possible. It is shown in the play that once when he asked the process of learning of the prices to his Guruji, their Guruji replyed that steadily and slowly. At that time he becomes so angry and speaks these lines, “Slowly? But it must not be “slowly”! Forgive me, Aachaarya(Guruji) but the sooner they are fitted for the purpose which is no more than haze to me, the sooner shall we both earn the rest that I at least crave for! I am tired, Aachaarya, tired of body, mind and soul! I want rest! A long and final rest!”

·      The minor characters: It is true that Arjuna and Ekalavya play a vital role in this play but there are also some other characters like Nakula and Sahadeva. Here in this they don’t do much but in the myth they play a vital role. So, because we are watching this play according to Kailasam so we don’t know much about these characters.

So, we can say that mythical characters and the characters presented in the play are quite different from each-other. As we know that Kailasam is known for his satiric writing. We also find satire in this play.   

Symbols:

We can find so many symbols in the play which the satire on the society. Like when Guru deny to teach archery to Ekalavya, which shows that how class conscious we are. If someone really has that potation and skill, still they cannot come out because of the class discrimination. Though kailasam choose the mythical characters to convey his views but in a way he is trying to show the modern problems of the society. At the end, Ekalavya sacrifices, by cutting his thumb, which shows that weaker and class wise lower has to suffer and has to sacrifices. We always think that the character of Arjuna was the best and he was humble and was so Nobel person, but here writer breaks out thinking and myth both, which shows that the writer gives a new imagination, which we never imagined. In the myth the character of Ekalavya is marginalized character, where as in this play he is the protagonist of the play. Here writer uses the technique of decentering. Here we will find the shisyas (students) learning archery. Means if we want to do archery then we have to focus a lot, here the students are focusing but every one’s focus are different. We can also find out another symbol that they all are very near to the nature. It is said that when people go near to the nature then they become very true to their self but we are shocked that how every person is true to their self, how harsh the reality is. At the end Ekalavya cries a lot because he give up his thumb and he cries in front of that idol whom he was thinking that is his guruji. And also complained that why don’t you stop me when I was giving my thumb. He said lines to the idol of Guru which he make that: “IN MY MAD LOVE FOR MY GURU, GAVE TO HIM WHAT WAS Never Mine to Give! WHAT WAS always Yours! ONE MOMENT OF MAD LOVE FOR MY GURU, I FORGOT YOU ALL AND Forgot too the whole whole purpose of my archery.” “I NEVER KNEW WHAT I WAS DOING! I NEVER KNEW! I NEVER KNEW! BUT HE KNEW! GURUJEE KNEW! HE MUST HAVE KNOW! HE MUST HAVE STOPPED ME!” It is true that the writer give more space to the marginalized character but still it is worthless because here no one is hearing him. In the myth it is said that after giving his thumb Ekalavya never regret and even spoke a single word, but here he cries a lot and speaks long speeches. In the myth he even speak a word and here he speaks means at the end he is speaking but at the front of the idol means he is speaking but no one was there to hear his pain, his agony, what he has done indirectly for Partha (Arjuna), sacrifices his right hand’s thumb, sacrifices his Nobel intentions, his Nobel aims. Alas! What he has done?

Here the most important symbol is the title of the play itself “THE PURPOSE”, may be here writer present different type of purposes from the different view point. The purpose of Ekalavya to learn archery was Nobel one. He wants to save the lives of deer and all those animals, which are weak so that they can spend their life fearless and without hurting themselves. The purpose of Arjuna to learn archery was not Nobel one. Because he was just learning archery to show off himself and he can take pride among the mankind. He just wants to learn archery because he can win the wars. Even when he tells his intentions to his Guruji and Thaathaajee they said that it is wrong that you are learning aechery just because you can satisfy but your intention must be the royal one because you are a prince and in future you will be a king.               

CONCLUSION:

I conclude that the writer puts his views in a different way. And even the title of the play suggests everything. As we know that Kailasam write satirist writing. We can say that this is also satire on society. We can consider this play as tragic play of Ekalavya, because at the end he has to cut his thumb. He does this sacrifice willingly and yet no one cared about him. Not even the Guruji for whom he does this all, to save his pride, to save his promise which he give to Bheeshma. In a way writer puts different perspective of the characters of the play and also the harsh mentality of human mind.