Study Notes

Gift in Green by Sarah Joseph

Aathi, a "green bangle" village, is a picture-perfect environment that empowers and preserves human and animal life.
The village is surrounded by water, backwaters, green bangles, birds, oysters, and fishes, and is cut off from the rest of the land.

Kumaran's Story

Kumaran, a young man, leaves his homeland Aathi and later understands the importance of nature.
He aspires to live a decent life, but disagrees with his parents about his plan to despise water life.
Kumaran's mother reminds him of his ancient family roots, but he decides to move to the city for modernity.

Kumaran's Return to Aathi

Kumaran returns to Aathi after many years with a large crew and government support to transform Aathi into a personal paradise.
His love for the homeland is whispered all over the village, but his arrival is not a promising start for Aathi.
The villagers are unhappy with his plan, and it marks an unpleasant beginning for Aathi.

Aathi's Unique Environment

The people of Aathi have an unusual relationship with their homeland, where trees and birds understand no taboo or untouchability.
There is no religious intolerance, and the trees, birds, fishes, earth, and water all beckon the people to come again.
The children of Aathi adore the variety of fishes and feel at one with the trees, birds, water, and land.

The People of Aathi

The people of Aathi reflect on how they landed in Aathi by swimming, groping, and stumbling.
They saw life as a deep, bottomless lagoon, and water was a never-ending, ever-renewing spring of life that gave them hope for a better life.
Aathi is an undiscovered island, untouched by human hands, and the sweat of their ancestors can still be smelt on the land.

The People's Livelihood

The people of Aathi cultivated rice and their livelihood included prawn farming, fishing, and oyster collecting.
The Thampuranshrines guard and protect the Aathi's people and their property.

Opposition to Kumaran's Plans

Dinkaran, Ponamani, Markose the poet, and Noor Muhammad the storyteller begin to oppose Kumaran's plans.
Dinkaran and Markose alert the people of Aathi against falling into Kumaran's trap, while young people like Ambu, Prakshan, and Chandran are enthralled by the possibility.

Description

Test your knowledge of Gayatri Spivak's influential essay "Can the Subaltern Speak?" by answering questions about the author, the main focus of the essay, and the meaning of the term "subaltern" within its context. Delve into this important postcolonial text and see how well you understand its key concepts.