What is My Name?

What is my name?

A. Answer the following questions in about 100 words.

1. What kind of role that the housewife had taken on since marriage?

A young man marries a young, educated, cultured, intelligent and capable young woman for her beauty, intelligence and the dowry she fetches. He ties three knots and makes her a housewife. Soon after reaching her husband’s home the housewife takes charge of daily chores. She tucks the end of her saree in at the waist and takes up activities such as swabbing the floor and drawing muggulu. She scrubs the house neatly and decorates the floors with colorful designs. She does the job as if it is her life’s mission.

2. Why did Mrs. Murthy want to go to her parents’ place?                                                    

Soon after the marriage, Mrs. Murthy takes charge of daily chores. She tucks the end of her saree in at the waist and takes up activities such as swabbing the floor and drawing muggulu. She is so involved in household work that she forgets her name. She wants to know her name and asks her servant maid, her children and her children for her name. No one is able to answer her. She asks her husband. Mr. Murthy suggests that she should look for her name in her certificates. Since she left her certificates in her parents’ place she wants to go there and get her certificates.

3.  Describe Mrs. Murthy’s search for her certificates at her parents’ place?

At the suggestion of Mr. Murthy, Mrs. Murthy wants to find her name in her certificates. Since she left her certificates at her parents’ place, she goes there. Her mother says that they have cleaned the almirah and kept important papers in the attic. They searched for the certificates on the attic till dawn. But they could not find the certificates. So, Mrs. Murthy asks everyone for her name including the trees, ant-hills, the pond, the school she studied and the college. At last, she meets her school friend Prameela and recovers her name. 

4. How did her school friend Prameela transform her life for her?

As she could not find her certificates in the attic of her parents’ home, Mrs. Murthy asks everyone for her name. She asks the trees, ant-hills, the pond, the school she studied and the college. At last, she meets her school friend Prameela and recovers her name.  Prameela reveals her name as Sarada and tells her that she stood first in X Class. Prameela also told that she was victorious in singing competition in college and that she painted well. Sarada is overjoyed as she got her identity. She tells Prameela that she would have gone mad if she didn’t know her name. Thus Prameela transforms her life for her.

5. How did the visit to her parent’s place change her view of life and of herself when she returned to her husband’s house?

Mrs. Murthy is so involved in household work that she forgets her name. Mr. Murthy suggests that she should look for her name in her certificates. Since she left her certificates in her parents’ place she goes there. There she meets her school friend Prameela and recovers her name.  Prameela reveals her name as Sarada and tells her that she stood first in X Class. Prameela also tells her that she was victorious in singing competition in college and that she painted well. Sarada is overjoyed as she got her identity. She goes back to her husband’s house and insists that he should call her by her name, Sarada. She takes pride in showing her children the album containing her paintings.

B. Answer the following questions in about 200 words each.

1. The story builds on the theme of complete surrender of the married woman to the requirements of her husband’s household. Discuss this in the light of Sarada’s tale.

2. The title of the story represents a search for an identity that has been lost. Explain this in your own words.

Sarada’s tale is a good example of how married woman surrenders to the requirements of her husband’s household. The story represents a search for a lost identity. The story goes like this.

A young man, Mr. Murthy marries Sarada, a young, educated, cultured, intelligent and capable young woman for her beauty, intelligence and the dowry she fetches. He ties three knots and makes her a housewife. Soon after reaching her husband’s home the housewife takes charge of daily chores. She tucks the end of her saree in at the waist and takes up activities such as swabbing the floor and drawing muggulu. She scrubs the house neatly and decorates the floors with colorful designs. She does the job as if it is her life’s mission. She is so involved in household work that she forgets her own identity.

Her school friend Prameela helps her in recovering her name.  Prameela reveals her name as Sarada and tells her that she stood first in X Class. Prameela also tells her that she is victorious in singing competition in college and that she painted well. Sarada is overjoyed as she got her identity.Though she is a first-class student, prize-winning singer, and good painter, she is limited to doing household work.