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Books

resources needed for the stories are from a female Nagamani are resilient and are presented with such
legal proceedings. At first, perspective, it is women’s a friendship buds between complexity that readers
she indignantly responds, voices that are dominant them in the unlikeliest are forced to set aside their
“Every criminal dog tries and their characterisation of places, a graveyard. presentations and under-
to escape using his caste. is highly impressive. Imayam’s writings are stand the characters. For
Did he not know my child The women in forceful enough for us to example, none of the male
was from his caste when he these stories resemble consider the proposition protagonists is vilified in
was abusing him? Let him individuals we see in our that male writers are any of the stories.
try to talk about caste and everyday life, women who inept at drawing women The honesty and
I will slam him with my are able to pick themselves characters and can’t fully earnestness with which
winnow.” However, in the up no matter what life do them justice. Imayam narrates these
end, she is overpowered by throws at them and Imayam’s wariness stories are remarkable.
her community. exhibit courage in most of being labelled a ‘Dalit They are not instruction
All the ten stories in unexpected ways. writer’ is reflected in his manuals on social justice,
this collection present Vasantha refuses to writing, as the characters and his characters don’t
raw sketches of lives that touch the compensation he constructs are not parrot political rheto-
are often invisibilized or money offered and walks confined and restricted ric. The day-to-day lives
marginalised in art. Oc- away while Santha is to their caste and gender of people that Imayam
cupying centre stage are forthright in putting an identity. There aren’t any presents to his readers are
homemakers, teachers, of- end to her employer’s stories that pit two castes political, yet, the treatment
fice peons, hostel wardens, unwanted advances. or genders against each of the characters is marked
construction workers and Valliammai is practical, other, where one caste with an empathy that is
grave diggers. It is their decisive and unafraid to or gender is villainised truly befitting an artist.
lives in its fullness that is override her husband’s while the other is shown A. AAZHI ARASI (The
captured. Since most of the illogical wish. Sita and as victimised. The stories Book Review)

186 EDUCATIONWORLD OCTOBER 2023