Discuss the social and cultural aspects related to only of two short stories that you have read

            The chosen short stories are “Ratnamuni” and “The Dream of Vasantha”, both written by the literary artist, K.S. Maniam. Maniam has explored and revealed a range of Malaysian landscapes for the people who live there. Landscape can be defined as the “living process” of the authentic Malaysian mosaic. From the aspects of landscape, social is described as the relations of human beings in a community whilst the culture of a community is an additional aspect to be examined. By means of culture, it is the behaviors and beliefs characteristic of a particular social or ethnic. Like Maniam, whose birthplace was Bedong in Kedah, both stories take place there and in terms of social and culture, the stories are heavily linked to each other.

            “Ratnamuni” highlights the plight of Indian immigrants in an unknown land. The line ‘the people going from one darkness to another darkness’ pointed out that the future of Indians during that period are bleaking. Indians are treated only as mere slaves and shall be in the low class social status. Education seems to be the way out from the oppression of low class society. Maniam himself affirms that the English education has given him a center to life. The character, Muthiah, had proven so after hours of having his nose in a book, he is placed in a comfortable spot in the society by being a clerk. But for the illiterate people like Muniandy, he had to perform odd jobs such as boat rower, a medium and cart pusher. During that era, Indians are placed to live in the rubber estates, separated from other races as well. It is a part of the reason why Indians are looked down because they are not given the opportunity to improve themselves in other areas of life.

            There is a change from the story “Ratnamuni” in “The Dream of Vasantha”. Vasantha is a single mother who wants nothing else but to achieve her dream, which is bringing up her child as an honorable person. Vasantha will go through the hardship she faced without fail just to earn some money for her son’s education. Vasantha clearly sees education as the light to escape from the grasp of society that classify Indians as the low class community. Vasantha also has to work numerous job to gain more income such as dhobi and ironing clothes service. In this story, the community in the village is also the same as the community in the story “Ratnamuni”. The people obviously like look out for other family’s affair and it had become an unhealthy norm. The news of Ganesh travel quickly among the villagers while Ratnam’s misdoings are known by everyone in the village.

            The Indian immigrants in “Ratnamuni” also face conflicts as they undergo the attempt to transplant an uprooted culture in the new land. As Muniandy says, “When my wife bent over me in the mornings.. I was too happy to see the customs from the Big Country still used in my house”. The challenge Muniandy faces, the culture shock and the difficulty to fit in are his endeavor to retain his culture in Malaya. Women are also the subjects of their husbands, as they are very submissive to their men. It is substantial for them to show obeisance by knocking their hand on their husbands’ feet in the morning, an act to show their loyalty and obedience. Malini actually took her own life because she could not bear the shame of being raped and giving birth to a “bastard”, the child of her rapist, as she feels unworthy of her husband.

            Vasantha is also quite particular to the Indian culture even though she is a widow. She told herself that she would remain true to her dead husband. The relationship between men and women are mentioned in both stories to show the importance of women being submissive to their men during that period. Vasantha vowed that she will never be with another man as she is tied to one man in her lifetime, dead or alive. In the Indian culture as well, the boys in the family seem to be more pampered and loved. Ganesh is so well treated by his mother until he starts to climb the ladder to suppress his mother. “Ratnamuni” reflects the same predicament as Ratnam became ungrateful and selfish to Muniandy after being cared and brought up by his only father. Ratnam only goes to his father for money.

            Maniam had gone to depth to tell about his experience in Bedong from his early years. These social and cultural aspects that he experienced during the pre-independence era, the plight of Indians are written clearly in both of the stories. It is understandable that their lifestyle is different from ours because of the different practices and cultures from the locals here. The inferiority among the community is caused by the division of race, that made them being looked down. Maniam stresses on these topics to make us realize the importance of peace among races and also maintaining our traditions and customs for future generations. In conclusion, these aspects help us to understand more about our country’s history and the Indian culture.

6/9/2012