Sketches from my past
Subtitle: encounters with India's oppressed
By: a translation of Mahadevi Varma's Ateet ke Chalchitra by Neera Kuckreja Sohoni.
Contributors: Sohoni, Neera K. (Neera Kuckreja),
Series: Women's life writings from around the world.
Publisher: Northeastern University Press
Published: 1994
Place of publication: Boston
Language: eng
Number of pages: 142
Description: Now available in English for the first time, Mahadevi's poignant memoir-tales bring to life the degrading experiences of the faceless and nameless multitudes. Whether it is Binda, the lonely orphan girl victimized by her stepmother; Bhabi, the emotionally and physically abused child widow barred from any contact with the outside world; or Sabiya, the poor sweeper woman deserted by her husband shortly before the birth of their child, the subjects of Mahadevi's memoir convey her universalist vision to resurrect the inner dignity of "these wounded and mauled lives." Through her recollective tales, Mahadevi connects the exploitation of her characters with the subjugation of all women, indeed of all oppressed people. Her compelling memoir transcends the borders of culture and time.
Notes: Includes bibliographical references.