Literary Endeavour (ISSN 0976-299X) : Vol. X : ssue: 2 (April, 2019) www.literaryendeavour.org 18 04 JON: EXTERIORIZING MALE FANTASY IN BALLADS OF NORTH MALABAR "BEHIND THE FACADE OF SUBVER VADAKKAN PATTUKAL Annapoorna. R., PRD Schotar Conte for English Snutien, Shootof Language ICultine Studies, Jawaharlal Nehru University, New Defl Abstract: Generally set against the backdrop of the feudal and medieval Kerala, ballads of Northern Malabar glorifi’ and exalt the adventures of valiant men and women of Northern Malabar: This study mainly aims to demonstrate the apparent female heroism depicted in these ballads as sheer patriarchal constructions. The main objective of this study will heto challenge the hitherto notions generally attached to Vadakkan Pattukal as they constitute a paragon of female enpowerment, Much attention has been offered tothe studvofspecifichatiad, Mathileri Kani, fromthe pointofits porteavalofheroicendeavours of the female characters, My intention iv to look atitanevs wading it against the grain ofthe dominant patriarchal scholarship. In order to achieve this Iwould attempt to re-read the ballad by paying more attention fo tsnarrative and poetic strategies thatconstructits meanings, thereby positioning the readers fo understand the underlying patriarchal constructions employed in it from a specific point of views Furhermove, in thispaper I wouldcriticaily explore the various tropesof depiction of women which w evidently help to prove the deliberate obscuring of the maleagencies. Moreover, the proposed study will str pusirate how the general perception of cross-dressing as a possible avenue for exhibiting female sexualassertionandasa generalliberative praxisgetsconpletelyovernurned. we 10 den Keywords: Vadakkan pattukal, patriarchy, stereotypes, gender female hemism Generally accepted as heroic ballads that exalt the adventures of valiant men and women of Northern Malabar, Vadakkan Pattukal holds superior position in Malayalam folk literature. Among the diverse thematic and structural varieties of VadakKan Paitukal, ‘Ottapattukal’ or single songs form a popularsubgroup of balladsofgrcat historical relevance. These are ballads that commonly laudtheheroie endeavours of women. For the stud the research fas concentrated mainly on one such ‘Ottapatt” Maihiteri Kani, Belicved tohave originated in the 12° and 13" centuries, the ballad is primarily centered onthree female protagonistsand distinctly portraysasocial satireof thetime Mostof the Vadakkan Pattukal deals ith theexploitsinbattlesand in love.ofthe legendary heroie men and women of medieval Kerala, Among them, Mathileri Kanni distinguishes itself arresting. primarily for its complex plot structure. It largely centers around three powerful noble women. namely Mathileri Kanni, \enadu Poonkoyilom Kanni and Churiyamanikoyilom Kanni, The title character Mathileri Kanni, the daughter of Chirakkara Lord of the Kolathiri provinee, was brought upby her father vwho taught hermartialarts in whichshe proved herself'sa great warrior, She marries Venadu Prince who leaves hisnewlywedwifeinher Father'scare and goesback to hishomeland to address political strife. In aninteresting turn ofevents, Mathileri Kanni inthe guiscota male warrior Ponnan, goes tobattle inorder to save herhusband. Pleased with Ponnan, the Venadu Prince compels him to stay back in Venadu and entrust him with new administrative duties. Meanwhile, Venadu Prince's sister. Venadu Poonkoyilom Kanni madly falls in love with Ponnan whom she believed to be the man of her dreams, The plot gets furthercomplicated henChuriyamani Kani, consumed by her love for'Venadu Prince, murder hersister Mathileri Kanni, Witnessing the death of his only daughter the Chirakkara Lord diesheartbroken and the"BEND THE FACADE DF SUBVERSION: ENTERIORIZING MALE FANTASYIN VADAKKAN INTIUKAL'S BALL IDS OF VoRTHE... 19 Feeling ofbereavement was so intense that Venadu Princealso dies. Thus, the balladends tragically with thedeathoFall the three maincharacters The general reception of the ballad Mathifer? Kann’ throughout the ages as the embodiment of femaleempowerment sadlyislefi unquestioned, Readersare therefore inelinedto identify this ballad asan instance of femalechivalry, Bul whatevermay beasserted about the female heroismof the ballad there are strong grounds to defy these contentions in order to bring into light the underlying male polities. The popularnotion ofexaliing Mathileri Kanniassubversiveisbased on fallaciousaccountssitisnotentirely free from the hold of dominant ideologies. The invisible power dynamics sneaking behind the extravaganza need to be unveiled, The moder scholarship of the ballad fails to identify the oppressive Structures used in the ballad that restrict the female characters from expressing their implicit privileges Marilyn Frye asserts that oppression manifested can be “hard to recognize because individual, social political oreconomicarrangements, whentakenontheirown,do notseemto limita person'sfreedom. His only when one studies thew hole system that it ecomesclearthat such structures limit the lives” (72). It willbe through these lenses that I wouldcritically endeavourto unravel theballad’s much distorted heroic understanding of the three female characters namely Mathileri Kanni, Venadu Poonkoyilom Kanni and ChuriyamanikoyilomKanni Except fora few published works, thestudies so fardoneon Marhileri Kannihavenot receivedany seriousacademic exploration, No official translations of the ballad have been reported. Most readings on Mathileri Kannihaveassumed that theballad reflects the socio-cultural reverberationsof medieval Kerala and mostlyin the lineof casteand class, Besidesa sacial-culturalapproachtowards Mathiteri Karimi, most ofthestudiesthat have touchedupon gender have interpreted themasa vehementattack on thepatriarchal society of thetime. These studiesdepictthe women in the ballad as courageous, aggressiveand powerful, challenging the opprestive socio-cultural barriers, For inttance, Payanmur Balakrishnan't Vadakkanpantukalile Weeranganamar. a collection of filiy one stories of the heroic women of Vadakkan Pattukal, depicts Mathileri Kanni as an expression of female heroism, Through the current study, 1 primarily aim to prove that such general exposition of Mathiler? Kanni as an assertion of female empowerment couldnotbeimpulsively applied. The two main textual scholarships done on this particular ballad areby V. T, Kumaran and M. K Panikkotti. Theirstudies seem facile asthey evade hard political questionsabout gender and sexuality in Mathiieri Kanni, These studiesprimarily foreground and idealize feminine stereotypes, V, T. Kumaranin hiscritical work studiesthe three central female characters, Mathileri Kanni, Venadu Poonkoy lom Kanni and Churiyamanikoyilom Kanni, Ie classifies them according to the three gunas advanced by the sanhkhyaschoolof Indian philosophy, namely'sattvat,"rajas'and'tamas’ respectively, Furthermore, VT, Kumaran declares that Mathileri Kani epitomizes the ‘sattvie' love; Venadu Poonkoyilom Kann, the ‘rajasic’ infatuation and Churiyamanikoyilom Kanni the ‘tamasic’ sensuous love. Similarly. M. K Panikkott's critical study “Mathilerikanniyenna Mahakavyam” categorizes three female characters as Mathileri Kannias vttama; Venadu Poonkoyilom Kanni as madhyamaz and Churiyamanikoyilom Kanni asadhama characters, Such male denominations exclude Female characters from articulating their true feminine selfandthusindulgein censoring of feelingsand emotions. The portrayal of female sexuality in Machileri Kanni seems itself quite vexing, Representation, according to Rey Chow,"isa word which indicates the process of the ‘ereation of'signs'things that stand for’ or “take the place of something else” (39), The depiction of female charaeters exereised in this particular ballad can be denounced and examined on various fronts, It is important therefore to cross examine and locate such erroneous depiction of feminine chivalry within the framework of oppression How far does a women centered ballad like Mathiferi Kanni exhibits female self. desire and femininity? The suspicion lingers in its portrayal of female characterseither as weak oras devious, Butler asserts that the portrayal of female characters is often linked with several otheraspects that essentially carry certain Literary Endeavour (ISSN 0976-299X) : Vol. X : Issue: 2 (April, 2019)"BEHIND THE IACADE DF SUBVERSION EXTERIORIZING MALE FANTASYIN VADAKKAN INTIUKAL'S BALL DS OF NORTH... 20 implications for how one should be viewed and treated; insofar as we structure our social life to accommodate the cultural meanings ofthe female (and male) body, females occupy:an oppressed social position” (Subjects of Sex 160). Drawing cues trom Butler’scritical observations one can thus distinetly makeaseriousconneetion between representationand oppression. The question of representation of women characters and its polities practiced in Math need to be seriously re-read in order to unravel its underlying patriarchal ideology. Each representation shrewally concealsthe political ploy by rendering ita naturalized outlook, Mostoficn such representations materialize itself as the result of male fantasies and anxieties. The male monolithic stereotyping of the female characters in the ballad further substantiates this. Male fantasy best gets exemplified in the delineation of the title character Mathileri Kanni, Strikingly enough, her disposition and temperament is absolutely defined from the moral and aesthetic demand of men. Mathileri Kanni is romanticized and sidelined in the entirety of the balladby not providingsulficient space for conveying her true Feclingsand emotions. The portrayal of the title character provides a typical example of male fantasy. The general understanding of theballad’ssubversivenessmainlyensuesfromthectoss dressing trope. Mathileri Kanni cross-dressesand takesthe disguiseotthewarriorPonnan. Even whensheappropriatesmasculineidentity and goes for the battle, the ballad fails to prove its transgressiveness. The character Mathileri Kanni appropriates specitie male virlues along with conventional assigned feminine virtues, Mathileri Kanni is depictedas amalgamating male virtues withoutdisrupting the feminine. Onesuch instancecanbe noted in thescenewhere her father Chirakkara Lord giving adviceto her beforeshe takes the disguise of themale warrior, Hesays, Amanmustbeknownbyhishighandmighty valour Whileawomanbyhermodesty andrestraint. by theresearcher translation) Chirakkara Lord thus reminds his daughter not to flout her femininity even when she appropriatesa male disguise, Such a demand obviously reflects a warning against the disgrace that may fall on the Family. Mathileri Kanni was asked to subsume male valour with female dignity thereby strongly restrieting her possibility of any kind of female transgression. Against the common perception that cross-dressing is @ strategy to violate disciplinary patriarchal rules thereby acting as an empowering project for female characiers, cross-dressing in the ballad does not necessarily curtail and reform the patriarchal dictates Cross-dressing in Mathileri Kann is a “vexed issue precisely because it explores the murky interfuce between the resilience of the individual pleasure and the constraints” (Bronfen 217) of male lav, Located in such a paradigm, the question that needs to be seriausly asked is what kind of subversiveness daes the dominantreadershipascribestothis ballad, Isit thesupposed femalcheroism portrayedin theballad? IfSo. can Mathileri Kanni’s actions be termedas heroic? And whodecides what female heroism is? Is thereany power politicsinvolved in preventing the femalecharacters fromany kind oftransgression Inthe entirety of the ballad. itis found that Mathileri Kanni stickingto theidealand thusher cross dressing is nothing but a harmonic blending of male and feminine virtues, What kind of transgression occurs in the ballad even when the charaeter is Seen unwilling to sacrifice the typical feminine ideals aitached to her? On this ground the general exposition of this ballad as an instance of female subversion shatiersintonothingness. Furthermore. the lastepisodeor the ballad where Mathileri Kanni dies pleading forgivenessatherhusband'slap fordefyingthe lawsonceagain reinstatesthe abovepoint. Here the reders find thecrossdressedfemalcisbeingpenalized with deathpunishment forhersupposed transgressiveness Atthis juncture, Butler's critical observation seems relevant, She asserts that ifat all any sort of female subversion takes place ina work powerful in its patriarchal reverberations “it will bea subversion from within theterms ofthe law” (Butler, Gender 93). I isspecifically along this line of thoughtthe researcher ‘wants (© argue that the crossdressing trope used in this bullad eannot be read in the light of its disruptive traitsprimarily because it failsto repudiatethedominant patriarchal frameworks eri Kanni Literary Endeavour (ISSN 0976-299X) : Vol. X : Issue: 2 (April, 2019)"BEND THE IACADE DF SUBVERSION” EXTERIORIZING MALE FXNTASVIN VADAKKAN INFTUKALS BALLADS OF NORE... 24 Moreover: it goes without saying that Mathileri Kanni'sabsohutc humility through the entirety of the ballad seems deplorable. Thisisnothing buta kindof victimization, Readingalong this line, that all her actions are carried out in the form of sacrifice, which eventually ends in her Fatal death Mathileri Kanni plainly acceptsher victimization from thevery beginningot the ballad, Forinstance, even afierknowing thedangersthatlurk behind being onsuchanexpedition, shedeterminestosacriticehersell forthe VenaduPrine Fvenit I perishand hattered by bladesinthehattle Iwoulddieseeing his face, my father! (Mytranslation) These linessuggestherabsolute love andadoration forherhusband whichnecessarily qualitiesherperfect and therefore ‘uttama’ for Panikkott. “Self-abnegation” (Glover and Kaplan 40) of power, a phrase also used by Lynne Pearce in her essay “Sexual Polities”, seems to be the marker of her femininity which further pointsto the power dynamics underplayed, Mathileri Kanni’s selt-effacing character possesses no sign of interest to develop her own identity, She constantly appears in the ballad as someone who continuously merges her identity with that of her husband's and thereby deriving a state of eontentment Mathileri Kanniasacharacterthusproves itseltas the fallaciousextremity ofpatriarchy, The type of feminine characterization the ballad exposes is fundamentally one of the male prejudices. Sucha patriarchal enterpriseseemstoaffirm only thosefacetsof femalecharacterthatconcern to the masculine neads. Critically examining the three main female characters: Mathileri Kanni, Venadu Poonkoyilom Kanni and Churiyamanikoyilom Kani of the ballad, one could easily discern the patriarchal monolithic stereotyping of the female. This in turn can be considered as an instanceof male ‘oppressiveapparatus’ used in ihe ballad, Strikingly enough, the titlecharacter Mathileri Kanniandall her importance is primarily detined and determined from the male point of view: Her nature and virtues are precisely defined from the moral expectations omen, Furthermore, it isessentially themale fantasy that determines femininity intermsofemotion, sensibility andsentiment In the essay “The Anxiety of Authorship”. crities Sue Spaull and Elaine Millard draw largely on Gilbert and Gubar's observations regarding the male narratorsattempttocarvea “pertvet” imageryolthe womencentral tothe*maledreamotfemaleperieetion”¢125). Thismaledream,accordingtotheerities, is themost detrimental imagery dictated upon women characters. Spaulland Millarderitically comment on how the two proliferating images of women, the'angel’ and the'monstrous’, in themale discourses holda similarend’"(125}, The'end in tselfis the diseipliningandsubjugationof women characters, Developing these observations and applying them to the study of this ballad specifically draws our attention to the patriarchal ascendaney over the female characters, namely Mathlieri Kani, Venadu Paonkoyilom Kanni and ChuriyamanikoyilomKanni, Denying these women aspecitieplace inthe social order, abdueting their freedom and subjectivity by the dominant male agenda evidently projects these women characters in a lightofambiguity finally categorizing themas the ‘other’. More pertinentto thisdiscussionishow themale narratorwithinthe patriarchal schemaconstructsanambiguity that encireles the femalecharactersinorder to establish their otherness, Spaull and Millard’s subsequent analysis of the ‘angel' and "monster lying withina female character shows how she can readily mediate between both these images, Within this, focus, we could trace a patriarchal schema adopted by the narratorial voice, especially in the case of \enaduPoonkoyilomKanni, Sheis portrayed bothasan'ange!’ anda'monster intheballad. Thedominant scholarship of the ballad iddontitiesher monstrosity in terms of her being a seductress compelling Ponnan into adultery. Accordingly, Spaull and Millard suggest haut these “contradictory imagesof woman created by man eneapsulate his ambivalence towards female sexuality” (128). Venadu Poonkoyilom Kannis explicit sexual desire results in the sidelining of the character and causes ambiguities in the male scholarship. Herintense sexual urge for Ponnan can be clearly discerned during herconversation withher maid Kuttythe Literary Endeavour (ISSN 0976-299X) : Vol. X : Issue: 2 (April, 2019)"BEND THE FACADE DF SUBVERSION: EXTERIORIZING MALE FANTASYIN VADAKKAN INTIUKAL'S BALLADS OF Vor... 22 Ifcansurfeitmy craving forhimnotata rendezvous, Lavillquenchmy thirstwitha blissful conjugal life withhim, Forego will princely amenitiesand VenaduitseltTor that Regaliaand riches.titleand whatsoeveravertmenot.( Iranslationby thereseareher) Thus, the dominant male scholarship accordingly categorizes the female characters of the ballad into'good bad’. Onesuchreadingis V.T. Kumaran’s study ofthe ballad MarhileriKanni, Hiscategorization of the female characters is primarily based on the guna theory of the Sankhya school, Accordingly, he classifies them as instances of 'sattva’‘rajas'and’tamas' respectively, Thus, these characters are assessed on their implied inherent sexual desires, In contrast to the ideal title character, Mathileri Kanni, both Venadu Poonkoyilom Kanni and Churiyamanikoyilom Kani apparently exhibit their sentiments and emotions. Thisin turn isseverely against the patriarchal morality and its censorship. Consequently, both the female characters are labelled as aberrant and ignoble. A similar partisan observation on female characterisation can be noted in M.K. Panikkott’s scholarly study conducted on the ballad Mathifert Kani, Inthe particular work, he classifies Venadu Poonkoyilom Kanni as ‘madhyama’ and Churiyamanikoyilom Kanni as'adhama' characters. I1is Churiyamanikoyilom Kanni'sbold exposition of hhorsexual desiresthat made the male scholarship to codity her asevil. The male readership identifies her sexwaldesireand instinetsas unclean mainly becauseatthe common patriarchal delusion that women are barred from voicing their sexuality, tis also along this vein that Venadu Poonkoyilom Kani had been fatally criticized chiefly for declaring her love for Ponnan. Ifa female character falls for her passion and. desire, she is demeaned and exeluded fram the mainstream. Thisexplains the negative reception of bath Churiyamanikoyilom Kanniand Venadu Poonkoyilom Kanniinthemainstream scholarshipotthe ballad Furthermore, Wolti’claims that we ean identity clear manitestationsof patriarchal agendaunderlying such stigmatizationsoffemalecharactersw hich urtherpointstowardstheirsubjugation. According toher, the male projects his own broken emotions on to the women around him by mainly categorizing them into two distinet classes, namely ‘good! and bad’, Consequently, 'good! womennecessarily emanate his fondness and respect whereasthe'bad'womenarouse him sexually, In literature itis such projections of the man’s feelings that pave way to the stereotypes of the virtuous woman (whoreflects his inhibitory tendencies (his'superego’) andthesensuouswoman(whoreflecishis libidinal or'id'tendeneies)( Wali 208), Viewed thus, it couldalsobe commentedon the tone of the language employed by the narratorin thisballadtodepictthe women characters, which unquestionably discloses“the moral evaluation” (Wolll 209) of the female characters. Being presented as virtuous, Mathileri Kanni is essentially marked by certain aspects, such as, one who could bear untold miseries, who possesses unconditional love and devotion, and finally, who is “incapable of moral outrage” (Volt 211), Again, Woli?s detinition of the virtuous woman as onewhois never permitted tofeel anger(211 seems very trueinthecascof Mathileri Kani, Moreover, according to Wolll.the character Venadu Poonkoyilom Kanni, and more specitically, Churiyamanikoyilom Kanni, can be considered as “sensuous” women as they: both exhibit certain characteristics which are generally claimedas “disruptive” in nature (209), For instance, V.T. Kumaranin his study defines Churiyamanikoyilom Kanni's desire for the Venadu Prince as emanating from intense lustandnot loveandeategorizesherlove forhimassomethingbarbaricin nature According to Wollf, the “sensuous woman is defined as sensuous because she affects men ina certain way (she arouses them, she makes them tend toward ‘Sinful’ behaviour she intrudes into their domestic arrangementsin short, sheis disruptive); and there isnoplace forsucha characterinany work of literature that is meant to conclude with social order” (209), This explains the general tendency of the dominant scholarship in viewing Churiyamanikoy ilom Kannias sensuousand the subsequent sidelining of the character, Since the male scholarship fails to see her attempt to seduce the Venadu Prince as an expression of sexual instinct, itofien gets misinterpreted and categorized as vile. Thecritical explorations Literary Endeavour (ISSN 0976-299X) : Vol. X : Issue: 2 (April, 2019)"BEND THE FACADE DF SUBVERSION: ENTERIORIZING MALE FANTASYIN VADAKKAN INTIUKALS BALLADS OF YoRTHE.. 23 about the categorization of the female characters into ‘good’ and ‘bad’ evidently signifies the underlying male agenda and more pointedly its reductive structure, The common critical praetic Churiyamanikoyilom Kanni's sexual desire as perverse and therefore unacceptable, according to Wott. necessarily reflects the patriarchal morality that governs the dominant readership of the ballad Deconstructing the general interpretation of the characters as sexually perverse, Churiyamanikoyilom Kani and Venadu Poonkoyilom Kanni can tur out to be much strongand powerful as they distinetly voice their innate sexual desires, Unlike Mathileri Kanni, these two female characters, to an extent, challengethe patriarchal agenda by refusing tosuecumbtoitsmoral censoring Again, the concept of ‘chastity’ can be considered as a symbolic dimension of patriarchal domination, Being @ submissive and obedient wife gains her the Favour of the Venadu Prince. The seemingly transgressive aspect of the ballad completely collapses when Mathileri Kani attunes to the male daminationscheme, Itneeds tobeacknowledged that the dominant male readership inevitably hasa sympathetic view of her submissiveness and passivity, mainly for silently conforming to the traditional Jeaol’PativrataDharma’(Sujathaaind Gokilavani46), The fact thattheeharacterof MathileriKanniisnot ‘oe from the sympathetic reception furtherexpases the male motif! According tothe critics K.R. Sujatha and S. Gokilavani, the patriarchal authority inevitably devises concepts like "good'bad’ and ‘acceptable’ wicked’ in order to characterise their ideologies. They further assert that “individual identity canbe acquired only when these canceptsare flouted” (47). The fact that Mathileri Kanni had never once attempted to transgress the male rules confirms her lack ofan individual identity, Veena Jainargues that, “Patriarchy lays down the rules for the annihilation of the selfor the female” (40). This observation gets reinforced in the ballad specifically when the narratorial voice exereises a moral appraisal of the female characters. Venadu Prince's extended speech on Mathileri Kanni's moral excellence exposes the devious patriarchal standardization enterprise. Venadu Prince draws largely on her moral attributes, beauty. intelligence that readily distinguishes Mathileri Kanni fromother women of the eighteen landsandorthe tendifferent clans. He praises her ability to conform to therules of four different clans. Such idealization and worshipping, aecording to thecritic Veena Jain, inevitably intends to restrict female sexual liberty Undoubtedly, Mathileri Kanni’s moral excellence curtailshersexual liberty by denying heranageney for expressing her innate desires and feelings. She is not presented as herself and, moreover, her ‘self is delinedandregulated by thedominantmale voice. Moreover, the association of the female self with sentiments and slavery forms one of the main frameworksin whieh the patriarchal thought manifests, Prominent within these critical explorations, John Stuart Mill positionsseemssulstantial, He examinesmainly theworkingotmalepsychic regulation of the femalesel Millthusasserts that, Men do not want solely the obedience of women, they want their sentiments, All men, exceptthe most brutish, desire tohave, inthe woman mostnearly connected withthem, not aforcedslave buta willingone. not aslave merely, buta favourite, They had therefore put everythingin practicetocnslave theirminds(21) 1zly, Mathileri Kanni's psychological temperament completely fits to thiseritical paradigm. [tis through therealm of sentiments and emotions that shehas been subdued. Her idealness primarily restson her unconditional love for her husband, Venadu Prince, Analyzing the character Mathileri Kanni in the light of the traditional prototypeorchaste wifealso binds hertothe patriarchalagenda, Drawingarguments fromthecritic Vial Plum ood, Veena Jain furtheranalysesthe role ofthe powerstructure by underiyin common practice of attributing virtues to women and the subsequent categorization. She remarks that categorizing women as ‘good’ does not necessarily empower them, but instead ostracizes them from the mainstream Furthermore, the illustrations of women characters in Mathifer? Kanai are not free from the dominant maleparadigm of womanhood which is deeply inherentin “grooming and beautification” (Jain, of viewi he Literary Endeavour (ISSN 0976-299X) : Vol. X : Issue: 2 (April, 2019)"BEHIND THE IACADE DF SUBVERSION: EXTERIORIZING MALE FANTASYIN VADAKKAN INTIUKALS BALLADS OF YoRTHE.. 24 1.83). From the beginning of this ballad, one could easily decipher that itis the male focal interest that solely defines Mathileri Kanni and the other two female characters’ sexual appeal. This argumentean be furthersubstantiated by the way they haveofienbeenportrayedin the text, specifically through theeyes of men. Their body parts are described sensually, exclusively projecting “its objectitied appeal and its objectified vulnerability” (Glover and Kaplan 28). Implicit to women character descriptions in the text is the explicit sensual concentration on parts of their body, The reader'sattentions are diversely directed to specific partsnamely. theirhair, eyes, checks, neck, bosomandarms. Forinstance, the ballad uses. listo? phrases that describes female body parts namely, “thatthamma chundu’, ‘aalila vayaru’, 'kannadikotha kavilu’,‘chitira pookavilu'’, poovinodotha pallu’ , Moreover, the ballad indeed has numerous instances of enduringeroticization of bodily parts which oftenare impregnated withsymbolie sexual implications, OF which themost frequently usedin these istheeroticizationatthecharacters'bosom, Marilemarathaka kunninotha Marwm mutathadam mudivectum Marunirathalithankathali Marinadivaram thanuminni (Kumaran 58) In these lines, the narrator describes Mathileri Kanni’s physical beauty which is primarily loaded with implicitovertonesof sexuality: Theinitial word mar’ correspondsto ‘maridam' which referstothebosom and the repetitionof the word clearly implies thesexualemphatsis placed onher bodily parts, One finds too many unnecessary sexual descriptions of female body parts clubbed on a single page. Evidently, the ballad’ presentation of the female characters’ seductive appearances is meant to gratify the pleasure and supportthe privilegedmale reader’spower, All beingsaidot thedirectandindirectmalegaze inthe ballad. therepresentationof femalecharactersalso takes place inthe ballad, throughthecharacter'sownretleetion in the mirrors, through the eyes of other women and even through the narratorial voice. The range of “natratorial collusion” (Glover and Kaplan 30) with sexualized imageries does indeed mark theballadas mirroring the patriarchal sexual oppression, ‘Thus, in accordance to Sandra Bartky’s view, sexual objectification serves male dominance since it dissects an individual into parts in order to “elevate one interestaboveanother™{ 108). Again, in her essay “Five Faces of Oppression”, Marion Young takes up the question of respectability and locates it in the context of oppressive structures, She primarily does it by relating the idea of “discrimination” as an “instrument of oppression” (Young 92). These critical observations can furtherbeextendedin theanalysis ofthe cross-dressing trope used inthe ballad, The female character who disguises as a male warrior fails to get the same respectability of that ofa man. Even though Mathileri Kani appropriates the male mannerism of dressing, for instance, the 'veeralipattu, ‘adayala mothiram’ ‘kachat and ankathali, which can be identified as symbolic representationsof masculine honour, itseems that Ponnan is deprived of the duc revere that his position as a chieftain offers. The ballad represents Ponnan primarily as sexual object for both male and female, Forexample, the following lines said by the Venadu Prince portray hisinterest in Ponnan and which in turn situates the latter as an object of sexual pleasure forthe VenaduPrinee Onbcholdingyoureleganceandhandsomeness Heltasenseofhewilderment Amysteriousdesire for youaroseinme Verily Leovetedyoudeepin my heart(My translation) In the contextof sexual objectification of Ponnan, the ballad exhibits “paradoxical oppression” (Young 101) wherethe femalecharacterisdemarcated by bothstereotypesandrendered asinconspicuous. Anotherserious issue that has to becritically examined in thiscontextisthequestion of mobility, Theeritic Tim Cresswell detines mobility in terms of “socialized movement” (176), In hisarticle entitled “Embodiment, power and the polities of mobility: the ease of female tramps and hobos”, he brilliantly Literary Endeavour (ISSN 0976-299X) : Vol. X : Issue: 2 (April, 2019)“BEND THE IACADE OF SUBVERSION: EXTERIORIZING MALE IANIASV IN VADAKNAN BNVTUKALS @iLL IN OF YORE... 25 analysestheidea of mobilityasasocialaspect that is chiefly linkedwith "meaning and power” (Cresswell 176).Inthesame vein, it would besuggested thateven when Mathileri Kanni disguises Ponnan nd tries to appropriate masculinity, she failsto enjoy ‘mobility’ completely, I istrue that she goes tothe baitleand thereby partially succeeds in penetrating the public space confined formen, Yetshe does not wholly gain the social mobility assigned for a male chieftain, Implicit in this working is the traditional patriarchal notion of impurity and its constrictive structure, It can be substantiated by looking at the patriarchal restriction imposed on the characterduring her menstruation period, even when thecharacter is underthe disguiseofa man. Thisgetsreflectedinthe followinglinesof theballad: Whenthechiefwarrior, Ponnan Takeshismonthly fourdays' fasting Heshall nottobesoughtinhischamber Norhis Lord waits for him. (Translated by the researcher) Even the disguised character Ponnan does not necessarily escape the constrictive patriarchal customsand practices, The idea of ‘pollution’ or 'uneleanliness' caused by a woman who has menstruation also gets entrenched in the ballad, when the character Ponnan is secluded into @ four-day silence, Here, one could trace the dominant patriarchal animosity towards women. Thus, contrary to the general conception of crossdressing maintained in the ballad as a ‘Wiberativepraxiy, it iS a typical farcical portrayal of the female. ‘The way in which Ponnan's plot of fallaciousidentitiesmarks the comic glee built by theperplexity ofcleargendercategoriesapplicd ineross dressing must be considered seriously. ILreflects completely a new dimension of misogyny depicted in the ballad, Such a critical reading can beattained only by exploring how the gender roles and sexual desires constructed and developed in the course of the ballad. The crossdressed female warrior, Ponnan, who becomesthelocus ofboth maleand femaledesire,isseen successfully performing theamorous play more tactically thanany male characters. This can bean instanceathumorausdevicewhere ironic implications areaimedto achievea parody. Thepassionateepisadebetween VenaduPoonkoyilomKanniandPonnan in the former's private chamberis greatly charged with eroticism. The “verbal exchange between the cross dressed heroine and the desiring subject” (Walen 65) is highly packed with sexual reverberations, For nstance, Venadu PoonkoyilomKanni's following words validatesit, Fromthevery day oftheroyal feast beheld yourenchanting countenance Some unusualdesiresurgedin me Anever-ceasingdesireas never before.( My translation) The bedchamber episode is further amplified by the sexually charged scenes where the desiring subject, Nenad Poonkoyilom Kani, tries hard to seduce Ponnan. Initially, it is found find that Ponnan devivit much pleasure in Venadu Poonkoyilom Kanni’s sexual entreaties. This can be asserted by the manner in which Ponnaninciteshertoexpressavertly herpassionateatfeetions forhim. Even though, Ponnanclearly recognizes her intentions the former pretends as if s/he is bewildered, Ponnan repeats the following question fourtimesin theentirety of bedchamberepisode, Lotitbe letitbe, My Lady Whatisthereason of summoningme?( Translated by thereseareher) and each time VenaduPoonkoyilom Kanni answersanovertexposition ofhersexualeraving forhim, Such an enterprise could be apparently understood as a move tactically employed by Ponnan to essentially derive pleasure from Venadu Ponkoyilom Kanni's sexual appeals, Thus, the whole bedchamber episode cancritically beapprehendedas an instanceof comical device where iranic overtonesare mainly aimed to altaina parody, Even when this specific ballad is widely acclaimed to bea womencentered text it fails to convey a genuine femaledesire. Attimes, reading the balladone may also feel thatitdoesnotseem to exist at all, What is portrayed as female heroism in this ballad isevidently an instance of trickery, The idea of Literary Endeavour (ISSN 0976-299X) : Vol. X : Issue: 2 (April, 2019)“BEILND TE INCADE OF SUBVERSION: ENTERIORIZING MALE FANIASYINVADAKKAN INPIUKALS UL ADS OF NORTE... 26 female heroism supposedly presented in this ballad is nothing but a mockery essentially reflecting the “insignificanceotwomen"(Fryc86) WorksCited Primary Source 1. Kumaran, VT. MathileriKanni: Nadan Pattukayyam, KeralaSahitya Akademi Publications, 1979 Secondary Sources 1. Bartky, Sandra, “On Psychological Oppression”. Feminist Theory: A Philosophical Anthology. Edited byCudd.Ann E.,and RobinO. Andreasen, Blackwell Publishing, 2005, pp.104-110. Bronfen, Elisabeth. “Redressing Grievances”, Feminist Consequences: Theory for the New Century. Edited by Bronfen, Elisabeth, Misha Kavka, Carolyn G Heilburn, and Nancy K. 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Cynthia Griffin, “A Mirror for Men: Stereotypes of Women in Literature”. The Massachuserts Reviewsvol, 13,00, |, 1972, pp.205-18 JSTOR. hutps:! www.jstorory stable/2S088222 17, Young. Iris Marion. “Five Facesof Oppression”, Feaninist Picory:A Philosophical Ant byCudd, Ann. andRobinO. Andreasen, Blackwell Publishing, 2005. pp. 91-103 ters, Regal Publications, ology. Edited Literary Endeavour (ISSN 0976-299X) : Vol. X : Issue: 2 (April, 2019)