NAME : Mahida Bhumika Prakashbhai
M A Sem - 3
ROLL NUMBER : 4
ENROLLMENT NUMBER :3069206420200021
SUBJECT : Paper 202 Indian English Literature ( Post Independence )
ASSIGNMENT TOPIC : A Critical Study of Social Criticism in Final Solutions
Introduction:
Mahesh Dattani
Mahesh Dattani is an Indian director, actor, playwright and writer. He wrote such plays as Final Solutions, Dance Like a Man, Bravely Fought the Queen, On a Muggy Night in Mumbai, Tara, Thirty Days in September and The Big Fat City. He is the first playwright in English to be awarded the Sahitya Akademi award. his plays deal with gender identity, gender discrimination, and communal tensions. the play 'tara' deals with gender discrimination, '30 days in september' tackles the issue of child abuse head on, and 'final solutions' is about the lingering echoes of the partition.
About the story:
Final Solutions is one of the best creations of Mahesh Dattani‟s literary landscape.
Dattani deals with the social issues in almost all of his plays. In Final Solutions he has
woven in its fabric, the most contemporary social issue. Dattani has excelled in the
field of playwriting because his plays are the far-sighted vision of life. They talk
about life and realities. They present reality of the society as it exists. That is the
reason his plays can be understood well on the ground of social criticism. Final
Solutions addresses an issue of utmost concern to our society i.e. the issue of
communalism. The word, communalism in India can be understood in somewhat
different way. It signifies the variance among the different religious groups and
communities. It is a multi-religious and multi-cultural society. Thus communalism
becomes an important topic here. Such malicious mentality to divide one religion
from another on the ground of religion breaks the societal norms. Communalism is a
political trade in religion. It is an ideology on which communal politics is based.
Consequence is the communal violence in the society, which is the consequence of
communal belief. According to Wikipedia:
The term social criticism often refers to a mode of criticism that locates
the reasons for malicious conditions in a society considered to be in a
flawed social structure. It may also refer to people adhering to a social
critic's aims at practical solutions by way of specific measures either
for consensual reform or powerful revolution .
Literature can have a significant social impact. Like other art, literature is not created
in vacuum. It examines the cultural, economic, and political context in which it is
written. It explores relationships between author and society.It can look at sociological status of author, and the role of audience in shaping literature. Thus the
core belief of social criticism is that literature is a reflection of its society. It maintains
that the literary work can‟t be separated from the social context it was created.
Dattani, who dwells upon contemporary issues, shows utter interest in search
of identity and inner harmony. He is always aware that personal identity and national
identity are intimately linked in India.When there is conflict between social identity
and religious identity, it leads to an identity crisis. In India where there are various
religions , there is always a chance for conflict between two different religions. This is
the stark reality of Indian society which can‟t be ignored. In Final Solutions, Dattani
deals with such kind of identity crisis. Such crisis is there because of the existence of
majority and minority classes in the society. In India, the Hindus are treated as the
majority class and the Muslims considered the minority or the „other‟ because of
political prostitution.
Commenting on identity Erikson says, “identity is the relationship of the self
of a man with the others; it is the persistent sameness within oneself (self-sameness)
and the persistent sharing of some kindof essential character with others” (6).Our
society is very narrow-minded. It works on the principle of uniting with the individual
who has the same ideology in various ways. Unfortunately it hates the individual who
may vary on the ground of religion, culture, gender, nation or race.Thus the members
of the society who do not meet this criterion are secluded and segregated from the
stream of the society. They are blamed and made the scapegoat. Thus in India the
Muslims are considered the minority class. So they are the victims of the double
standard and the mentality of our society. They are left isolated. In some cases they
are bereft of equal rights in the society. They are an important part of society but
unfortunately because of personal, social, and religious prostitution they face the
wrath of one particular community. In such society they become a victim of identity
crisis. Sometimes such identity crisis takes the form of violence. Each community
sees others with prejudice, hatred and suspicion. What Dattani focuses in this play is the psychology of this „other‟ and the circumstances that make him so. In an interview
to Angelie Multani, Mahesh Dattani says:
It is one thing focusing on these areas in the human condition that
leave the individual with a sense of displacement or being the „other‟.
But it‟s what the character does under those circumstances that make
him or her interesting. Ultimately all good writing is about character
revelation and journeys. The provocations that are connected with a
person‟s marginalised identity are what spur the character into action
(Multani166-167).
At the same time, Dattani is preoccupied with socio-political realities in India today. His thrusts for such issues lead him to trigger one of the recurrent themes of modern writing in Indian English literature ‒ the theme of communal conflict in Final Solutions. No doubt, he has raised the social issue on a wider canvas in this play. It is the extension of his early concern. To quote Asha Kuthari Chaudhuri:He turned here from the intensely personal focus that marked his earlier works, and looked at history and its ramifications within the localized context, with simple and powerful visual texture that made it one of his most important performed plays (Chaudhuri131).
Final Solutions elucidates various sorts of communalist attitude prevalent in Indian
Society. It is a play where Dattani attempts at portraying communal conflicts in India.
It was such a tremendous success that it was translated and performed in Hindi at
various venues scattered across India. It proved to be a turning point in the dramatic
career of Dattani. The theme of Hindu-Muslim hostility is introduced as the
background of the play through the device of chorus/mob. The chorus/mob
comprising five men and ten masks on sticks is the omnipresent factor throughout the
play, crouching on the horse-shoe-shaped ramp that dominates the space of the stage.
The masks lie significantly strewn all over the ramp, to be worn when required. The
men in the chorus/mob put on Hindu masks and Muslim masks alternatively,
revealing thereby the set-views of the Hindus and the Muslims towards one another.
The lack of understanding and unacceptability between the two communities gives
rise to acrimony resulting in communal conflict and tension. The tension in the play
develops in Ramnik Gandhi‟s house when two Muslim young men, Babban and Javed
seek shelter during a riot. The liberal humanist, Ramnik cannot but think of giving
shelter to the Muslim boys. However, his wife, the religious-conservative Aruna and
his mother, Hardika, whom the past incidents have made an anti-Muslim cannot
accept the situation. The past reveals itself and it is learnt that Ramnik‟s father had
actually made use of riots to obtain the shop that belonged to Hardika‟s friends and
Hardika had been wrongly soured against the Muslims. Ramnik transfers his
resentment at his own father‟s black deed to his mother. His daughter, Smita, who is
secretly in love with the Muslim boy, Babban hits out at her mother, Aruna. Alyque Padamsee is highly critical of the communal disharmony in the society. He questions,
in A Note on the Play to Final Solutions,
Is life a forward journey or do we travel round in a circle, retuning to our starting point? Can we shake off our prejudices or are they in our psyche like our genes? Will we ever be free or ever locked in combat…Arabs against Jews, whites and blacks, Hindus against Muslims? Are they any final solutions? (Dattani161)
The play opens with Daksha, a young bride attempting to pour out her feelings
in a diary written forty years before, thinking back on the riot that exploded in 1947.
The mob whispers: “Freedom! At last Freedom!”(Dattani166) Her childhood
memories are fouled with communal riots, which are associated with her father‟s
death. Daksha recollects the incident because “Things have not changed much” (167).
She is bewildered to think that a period of 40 years is a long period for a nation.
However, there is no change even after so much education and development. But
unfortunately People have not forgot their prejudice and hatred against the other
community. A riot has again broken out but this time at Amargaon.
Daksha has a deep sense of hatred for the Muslim community. The seed of this
hatred and anger is sown at the time of India-Pakistan partition. She with her husband
Hari, suffers in her married life as her movement is highly restricted because of the
imposition of family and society‟s strict attitudefor female dignity. This gives her a
way to befriend Zarine. When Daksha learns that Zarine‟s family is in financial
trouble as their cloth mill is burnt, she requests her husband to help him. But the offer
is manipulated and her-in-laws put her in dark about it. They say that the aid offered
by Hari is rejected by Zarine‟s father and this enrages Daksh .
Daksha grows old to be called Hardika, and encounters a strange situation
when her son Ramnik Gandhi decides to give shelter to two Muslim boys, Javed and
Bobby, during communal clashes in contemporary India. They are being chased by
the mob. In spite of powerful protest by Aruna and Hardika, Ramnik insists in
rescuing those boys. It is here that the tussle begins and reveals the making of Jihadis
and a clash between liberalism and radicalism. Thus a complex situation is created as
men and women of different faiths and attitudes are thrown together to interact and
the characters exhibit changing patterns of thought processes.
To tackle such a sensational issue, Dattani has used chorus /mob in the play as
a dynamic technique. He has presented a socio-psychological interpretation through
the use of chorus. The chorus has been used as a magnificent technique, uniquely
blended with sound and dialogues. The chorus / mob represents the inner voice of
both the communities. Illustrating the role of chorus, Alyque Padamsee says:
The mob in the play is symbolic of our own hatred and paranoia. Each member of the mob is an individual yet they meld into one seething whole as soon as politicianplay on their fears and anxieties(Dattani161).
he two Muslim boys, Bobby and Javed are trapped in the curfew. They come in the
grip of Hindu chorus. Two members of the chorus assault them and snatch their
watch. Ramnik Gandhi, a Hindu opens the gate and gives them shelter. When
Ramnik comes to know about the real identity of Javed that he is a riot-rouser and is
hired by some suspected people of society for their political purpose, Ramnik‟s
liberalism comes to stake. Ramnik who earlier offers him job, now doubts his
intention. Both start a reasoned argument on communalism. Dattani through the cross-
examination of Javed and Ramnik tries to reflect on the roots of motive behind the
passion for communal violence. It is not a natural calamity but man-made chaos that
primarily springs out of the loss of human values. Actually religious fanaticism or
religious prejudice is the sole reason for communal disharmony. Apart from this,
personal prejudices are also the central potent motive behind communal disharmony.
People in today‟s world are self-centred. They don‟t care for the sentiments of others.
To suit their selfish purpose, they make discrimination on the basis of creed, class,
caste, colour and sex. When it is the case of marginalized group like minority and
refugee, the discrimination is very extensive and painful.
The Indian political system is no less responsible for the communal riot.
Politicians exploit every sensitive issue by hiring youths like Javed for their political gains. They heighten their religious faith. Through the mouth of chorus, Dattani has
aptly presented a leader‟s intentions.
Chorus 1: ….We doubt the leader‟s intentions. (Pick up his Hindu mask) They want our blood to boil. They have succeeded. (Wears his mask) (Dattani188).
The study of this play under the canon of „social criticism‟ gives insightful ideas
about creating a peaceful and progressive society. Mahesh Dattani has tried to convey
the message that the solution of such communal attitude is forgiveness, generosity and
realisation. The generosity of Smita and the realisation of Bobby are the only possible
„Final Solutions‟ to save the nation from the cloud of disharmony and violence. It is
the false assumptions presented by the communal elements of the religion that create
bias and hatred for other community. Life is to be meant for peace and brotherhood.
The final solution lies in tolerance and respect for other human beings. Dattani
without being didactic gives the above message magnificently.
References:
Chaudhuri, Asha Kuthari. Mahesh Dattani. Delhi : Foundation Book, 2005. Print.
Dattani Mahesh. Collected Plays. New Delhi : Penguin Books, 2000.
Dhar, Subir. De-scribings, Semiotics, Literature, Cultural Studies. Calcutta :Avantgarde Press, 2005. Print.
Erikson, Eric. “The Problems of Identity”. Identity and Anxiety. Ed. Maurice Stein etal .Glence, III, 1960. Print.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Social_criticism. Web.
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