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A Disobedient Girl
by Ru Freeman
Disturbing
and challenging
In A DISOBEDIENT GIRL, Ru Freeman
tells the story of two women separated by time through the use of
alternating chapters and alternating use of third and first person
narratives. Latha is a servant girl to the Vithanages.
Raised
alongside their daughter Thara, Latha feels herself better than her
current position in society. Latha seeks to grab and hold onto
what she feels is hers, yet her actions have consequences for those
around her. Ruled by desire for possessions, friendship and
romance, she experiences loss after loss. In a separate first
person narrative, Biso speaks of her escape from an abusive husband and
her train journey to her arrival at her destination. On her way
to the better life she plans for her children, Biso encounters hardship
and difficulties at every turn.
Set against the backdrop of Sri Lanka's fight for independence, Ru
Freeman tells a story history will not --- the struggles of two
individual women and two different generations. Although Ru
Freeman notes the actions of the Tamil Tigers and other revolutionary
groups in passing, A DISOBEDIENT GIRL
focuses on the interior lives of these two women and the connection
between them that unfolds as the narrative brings them together.
As each strives for a better life, class and set social structures
conflict with the longings of their hearts. Against tragic
circumstances surrounding them, each woman fights to preserve what is
most special to them.
A DISOBEDIENT GIRL
is a disturbing novel, both in form and and content. The alternating,
seemingly unconnected narratives present such a contrast of
characterization that their connection becomes apparent only as the
narrative moves forward. The change between first and third person
voice jolts the reader --- but less so than the story itself. The
discongruity of the form emphasizes the jolting content of the story,
even more so when the reader reaches the end. Between the two
narratives, Biso's tragic story is the more moving and least unsettling
-- at least in the beginning but by the end, her story haunts and
disturbs the imagination. In contrast, from the beginning, Latha
is not that likable a character. One wants her to succeed but her
choices and actions irritate at the same time. How does one
respond to the younger generation and their desires? How does the
past influence the present? Ru Freeman's provocative novel jolts
and challenges a reader with a story that will leave readers asking
questions, not only about her characters, but also the lives of women
and our own response as women readers.
A DISOBEDIENT GIRL
would make an excellent choice for women's groups, in particular
sparking several intriguing discussions in feminist reading groups.
Latha's story poses several intriguing problematics for feminist
readers --- particularly how one aligns oneself with the advancement of
women when the individual and particular woman herself is more complex
and not all that admirable. Not only do Biso and Latha live in a
culture different than that experienced by Western women today, but the
inner desires and choices of the characters themselves trouble,
provoking many stimulating questions long after the last page.
Publisher: Atria
(July 2009)
Reviewed by Merrimon,
Merrimon Book Reviews
Review Courtesy of Amazon Vine
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