Mahasweta Devi: Short Stories Essay Questions

In "Breast-Giver," why does Jashoda's job as wet nurse come to an end?

Jashoda is at the Haldar household while she useful, to be succinct, and when she is no longer useful, she no longer has a place there. Mrs. Haldar dies and the daughters-in-law, who are more modern and do not want to have many children, no longer want Jashoda's services. They do not all want to live in the same house and they do not need a woman like Jashoda anymore. In a larger sense, Jashoda's job comes to an end because women are valued for their youth, fecundity, and ability to nurture, and Jashoda is past her prime. Additionally, she develops cancer and this further diminishes her standing in the household.

In "Giribala," why do the other villagers shift their attitude towards Giri?

There is sympathy for Giri when Bela is taken from her, but such sympathy begins to wane relatively quickly. Both Giri's own father and Bangshi express their desire to move on, with Bangshi later wondering why Giri cannot forgive Aulchand, as he just made a "mistake." But it is likely that the villagers still sympathize with her at this point, having lost two daughters to Mohan's greedy machinations. It is Giri's choice to leave her husband and her home and take her two remaining children away that turns the villagers against her, for it is one thing for a woman to be long-suffering as long as she still carries out her duties, but it is quite another to defy societal conventions in the way Giri does. Leaving her husband is threatening to the stability of the community, as it reveals her a woman who does not know or respect her place.

In "Draupadi," what does Dopdi fight for?

Dopdi is fighting for two reasons: the first is to honor her husband's memory, and the second is to help bring down the corrupt members of society. Dulna expresses it well when he tells Dopdi, "Landowner and moneylender and policemen might one day be wiped out!" Dopdi fights for harvest workers and villagers and all subalterns; she fights to honor her tribal ancestors, for her "blood was the pure unadulterated black blood of Champabhumi."

In "Bayen," why does Chandi not welcome her son when he comes to visit her?

Bhagirath is curious about and sympathetic to the woman he learns is his mother, but when he visits her she refuses to engage and orders him away. This is heartbreaking for many reasons: there is no reconciliation between mother and son, and it is clear that Chandi has internalized her society's patriarchal and superstitious views about her being a witch. She is barely a person anymore and rarely lets her mind clutter with thoughts; she has fully diminished her subjectivity, swallowing the community's injurious label hook, line, and sinker.

What do the women of the stories have in common?

Devi's women are victimized by the patriarchal society in which they live: they experience sexual violence, discrimination, a lack of education, terrible marriages, the loss of children, and much more. Yet many of them find a way to endure or to stand up to their oppressors, whether it be through the simple act of asking questions (Moyna) or by literally standing in front of their oppressor and demanding they be seen (Draupadi) or by running away (Giri). But Devi does not sugarcoat the experiences of women, and some of her characters do not have a way out (Jashoda's death by cancer and Chandi's ostracization and death by train). She seeks to give a full picture, however bleak, of the lives of Indian women and girls, especially those of the lower castes.