what was really really good was how the title has "Panchali" and not Draupadii. she is the "daughter of" Panchal, a subjugation, a secondary in the chain, subservient. she's the daughter of the land. that's her position. love that can easily be tied down to the contemporary magnified grief of the rulling party about "the complete staggering state of the misguided children." we are the children of the state first, then an individual with a mind tethered to a lynched body.
this also reminds me of how body politics often involve the female body as a warzone (the simple act of invasion becoming a phallic stand-in) during any geopolitical hazard (like this recent democratic protest was confounded as).
i love how you could mythologise the entire thing without diluting the two.
i will insufferably, however, dwell on the patriarchal positioning. i loved how you simply wrote "abuse a father" and not "her" father. this simple linguistic altercation paved the way to universalising how a "daughter" position remains transfixed as a daughter in this social structure: her "honour" is the honour of the land. in fact, every man's a father unless they reach too close to what's between her legs: then he just becomes a groom. the line "why was she angry, when she could have been sad?" is also very economic: rage cannot be profited in, sadness is very saleable because it promotes inaction, and that's very "misguided" innit.
i know there's a lot more to say about it, but lines like this ("What does a woman mean? It only matters: she’s here and we’re here and pity’s too rich for us.") really makes one think of the sheer payout humanity requires to do whatever they have done: through history and myths.
ohmygod this is such a poignant reading… i really like how you understood each reference like right from the name to the universalization of fathers and basically institutionalising misogyny and the convenience of a helpless woman so i love love the way aap read karte
we’ve been running the same script for centuries and just changed the backdrop. remarkable as always, damn. thank you for writing this
never changes really
an amazing read as always.
what was really really good was how the title has "Panchali" and not Draupadii. she is the "daughter of" Panchal, a subjugation, a secondary in the chain, subservient. she's the daughter of the land. that's her position. love that can easily be tied down to the contemporary magnified grief of the rulling party about "the complete staggering state of the misguided children." we are the children of the state first, then an individual with a mind tethered to a lynched body.
this also reminds me of how body politics often involve the female body as a warzone (the simple act of invasion becoming a phallic stand-in) during any geopolitical hazard (like this recent democratic protest was confounded as).
i love how you could mythologise the entire thing without diluting the two.
i will insufferably, however, dwell on the patriarchal positioning. i loved how you simply wrote "abuse a father" and not "her" father. this simple linguistic altercation paved the way to universalising how a "daughter" position remains transfixed as a daughter in this social structure: her "honour" is the honour of the land. in fact, every man's a father unless they reach too close to what's between her legs: then he just becomes a groom. the line "why was she angry, when she could have been sad?" is also very economic: rage cannot be profited in, sadness is very saleable because it promotes inaction, and that's very "misguided" innit.
i know there's a lot more to say about it, but lines like this ("What does a woman mean? It only matters: she’s here and we’re here and pity’s too rich for us.") really makes one think of the sheer payout humanity requires to do whatever they have done: through history and myths.
you're v cool, pls don't go bald. love ya
ohmygod this is such a poignant reading… i really like how you understood each reference like right from the name to the universalization of fathers and basically institutionalising misogyny and the convenience of a helpless woman so i love love the way aap read karte
i promise i won’t go bald pakka
Itna acha kaise likhte ho bhai, every line has depth and layers, dont get kidnapped by a brain surgeon
thank you sm🥹 vaise brain surgeons mujhse hi door rehte🥹
It’s probably my first time reading your post, I am IN AWE<3. This was genuinely so well written! I’ll read your other posts fatafat now
hahah, do tell how you like it tho… thanks for reading 🥰
Brooo you are spoiling me atp, pls don make me expect you to write everyday😭
accha🥹 ab ni karunga promise🥹