Aunty
Scorpion
The
link to the text is given below:
NOTES
Meanings
of Difficult Words:
- Castigate: punish or rebuke severely.
- Invectives: abusive language.
- Reclining: leaning.
- Congregate: assemble.
- Diatribe: strong verbal attack.
- Petrified: stiff from fear.
- Imprecations: spoken curse.
- Malediction:curse.
- Virile: vigorous, strong and manly.
- Laxative: tending to stimulate or facilitate bowel evacuation.
- Calamity: an event causing great damage.
- Quibble: petty objections.
- Stature: importance or reputation gained by ability.
- Adept: very skilled or proficient.
- Fencing: the sport of fighting with blunted swords.
- Reviled: criticize abusively.
- Devout: deep religious commitment.
- Vagrant: a wanderer.
- Penchant: strong liking or inclination.
- Debauch: corrupt.
- Insipid: lacking flavour or interest.
- Dacoit: a member of a band of armed robbers in India or Burma.
Few
Important Lines:
- If someone needed Rahman Bhai's services he was simply given an order along with, “Haven't we given you permission to continue living here?” And Rahman Bhai quietly submitted because he considered this to be an honor.
- It was really disastrous when Bichu Phupi's daughter, Musarrat Khanum, fell in love with my mother's brother.
- Bichu Phupi didn't see her daughter's face again and announced she would henceforth hide her face from her brother. She was already estranged from her husband and now she turned away from the rest of the world. What was it but a poison that invaded her heart and her head; her life threatened her like a viper.
- In her eyes, which were usually vicious like a lion's, was a fearful, cowering expression; large tears rolled down her marble cheeks.
- It is true that a sister's curses cannot harm her brother. They are dipped in mother's milk.
Important
Points:
This
story is based on a character specifically. It discusses the
stereotypical thinking patterns of one person, and the norms and
traditions of a specific society. The story is of a microlevel, there
are many details to be considered. It can be related to and
identified with. Ismat Chughtai is famous for her art of storytelling
and how to touch people's hearts.
The
one thing to be kept in mind about the story is the characters and
their relations. Exposition is about the story of Rahman Bhai. It is
more about what are the perceptions and thinking of the outsiders in
this case. We are shown what the people think about Rahman Bhai. He
is treated like a social outcast. Rumors are spread like wild fire in
this society and it is not important if they are true or false.
Social structure and its practices are revealed in the story.
The
story has a lot of mingled relationships. This is the way a typical
family is structured in this society and the structure of the family
represents that of the whole society. Traditions and family values
were crucial and at peak.
The
narrator is a part of the family. First person perspective is used
but she is telling a story of her family members, not her own. The
writer has adopted a typical storytelling style.
With
regard to this story, the plot and the characters are significant.
The
writer has gone into detail about the behaviour and personality of
certain characters in order to make them appear more realistic to the
readers. There is a psychological analysis of these characters.
We
also get a glimpse of the thinking of the people, how they judged
others on basis of profession such as in case of Bichu Phupi and her
ancestors.
Bichu
Phupi is a very arrogant, dominant and headstrong character but she
has a soft heart. She is seemingly bad and outwardly harsh but there
are hints of a good heart inside of her.
There
is a lack of communication in case of Bichu phupi. We judge people on
the basis of their outlook, appearances and what we hear about them.
We only believe in the stereotypes of people that are created by the
society. But we need to judge people as individuals and as human. We
need to understand why people do the things they do. We all have our
own baggage of problems, worries and tensions. Therefore, it is only
fair that we believe other people have theirs too and these may be
the reason for their certain behaviours.
A
lot of stereotypes are created in the society. During the time
depicted in this story, there were clearcut rules of right and wrong.
But in the modern time the notion exists that there can be many
truths, there is acceptance in the society. There is also, diffusion
between right and wrong.
We
start to sympathize with the main character of the story only when we
understand why she was angry and swore so much. We start to feel for
her and relate to her pain. Love marriage was not favored in the past
and betrayal of her daughter made Aunty Scorpion angry and bitter.
Abba, being the elder brother of the family took the couple (Musarrat
Khanum and Uncle Muzaffar) in, as a responsibility to keep the family
together. He knew that Bichu Phupi loved her daughter very much and
so it was necessary to take care of the young couple. However, Bichu
phupi took it as a betrayal from her brother as she had banished her
daughter from the family.
Symbolism
of a Scorpion: It is a seemingly calm creature and it is emotionless.
It lives in isolation. Every animal lives with a female but the
scorpion kills its female. It is deadly and dangerous creature. It
numbs the prey and then kills it by trickery. It is passionate and is
known for protection as it takes care of its babies. The first thing
that comes to mind when hearing the word scorpion is destructive,
deadly and dangerous. A scorpion likes to remain in control. It is
very calculative in killing, the victim does not realize he has been
stung.
With
Bichu Phupi there are two layers of ambivalent characteristics
associated. She is kind, passionate, simple and caring. Yet, she uses
foul language, and is disliked by all because of her show of hatred
towards all.
We
can see the practice of matchmaking at work in the story Aunty
Scorpion. It would be incorrect to assume that the tradition of
matchmaking has died out; in India and Pakistan there are still
households where the practice follows a somewhat similar, if not
identical, route. One may also learn in the same story how a Muslim
shroud is prepared, how the cloth is squared and measured and ripped
by hand, without the use of scissors.
Main
Themes:
Appearance
vs. Reality.
Class
Difference
Family
Unit and Familial Relationships.
Relationships
between men and women.
Conservative
and Orthodox society.
Psychological
analysis of people.
Credit- Muneeza Rafiq
wowww, that was such a good analysis
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