“The Management of Grief” by Bharati Mukherjee is a narrative about a woman, Shaila Bhave, heading to cope with the passing of her partner and sons in a tragic accident. It is a story about grief, cultural heritage, and how we adapt to demise. The report examines societal pressures concerning how to cope with grief through its protagonists and their backdrop. Shaila, in particular, is captured between the anticipations of her cultural Indian heritage and those of the Colonially culture in which she resides. This inner turmoil is finally solved when Shaila accepts her despair and cultural heritage. The chapter starts with Shaila in the vicinity of her grief. She is distraught and struggles to comprehend the truth of her deficit. She is compelled to face the anticipations surrounding her as the narrative unfolds. She must adhere to a particular societal standard regarding how one mourns in the Indian community. She is assumed to be in deep despair over several months and to express her grief publicly. The Western civilization, on the other hand, intends her to keep moving on, to find peace, and to “handle” her distress. Therefore, her prose style is calm and precise, and her most distinguishing feature is her unbiased self -consciousness. This is also a controversial trait because it implies she cannot ignore the truly horrible incident that occurred to her. Bharati Mukherjee, therefore, employs the personalities of Shaila Bhave and Kamla Bhave to exemplify the intricacies of grieving and the idea that despair is invariably an internal personal feeling.
Bharati Mukherjee employs the personalities of Shaila and Kamla Bhave to showcase the subtleties of despair, and that grieving is a personal internal feeling. Therefore, Mukherjee’s utilization of the two-character types’ emotional responses to their common deficit makes it possible for the reader to comprehend that pain is an intensely personal voyage that no one experiences the same as one. Shaila Bhave illustrates a protagonist who expresses her despair to the general populace. She joins a governmental support network and depicts her narration with the other member nations, seeking solace in her interactions with them and sharing her tale. This public spectacle helps her comply with her anguish because it allows her to comprehend her condition, connecting it to that of others and conveying her grief in front of a sympathetic listener. Kamla Bhave, on the contrary, takes a more secret technique, infrequently discussing her experiences or emotional responses with anybody. She proceeds to do her usual house chores and other responsibilities to distract herself from the anguish of her deficit, and her surrender reflects her need for confidentiality. Their connections further show Mukherjee’s employing the two protagonists to demonstrate the complexities of misery. Shaila finds solace in Kamla’s cocksure attitude and stoic distress, while Shaila’s phonation of her emotional pain illustrates what Kamla might do to seek comfort. The two protagonists take comfort in one another’s reactions to a similar common tragic incident, realizing that distress is a personal story with no proper or incorrect mourning manner. Mukherjee highlights the reality that pain is an individual thing that cannot be extrapolated through the protagonists of Shaila and Kamla Bhave. The different responses of the main individuals to the same tragic incident demonstrate that no two individuals mourn comparably.
Mukherjee utilizes Shaila’s personality to demonstrate how anguish can be repressed, as Shaila avoids expressing feelings and asserts that her family’s tragedy was “inevitable.” Her actions reflect her conviction that by suppressing her emotional states, she can escape the distress of her deficit. She depends heavily on her belief and the love of her family and close companions to assist her in coping with her despair. Still, she persists in being resolute and eschews showing emotion. This mindset is evidenced by her connections with Mrs. Sahib, the social worker. Shaila declines Mrs. Sahib’s assistance, claiming she is ” Not the type of woman who requires guidance on what to do”( Mukherjee): Remaining calm and reluctant to express her feelings by maintaining her composure, thus attempting to control her emotional pain. On the other hand, Kamla’s personality exemplifies that distress must be conveyed for it to be maintained where she prefers to confront her despair head-on, expressing her feelings through temper tantrums of rage and weeping. In contrast, to Shaila’s polite demeanor, Kamla is boldly sentimental and expresses her grief on the cusp of her family’s bereavement. She also participates more in her grieving process management, desiring Mrs. Sahib’s assistance and participating in collective grieving ritual practices. Kamla can work through her feelings and healthily task her anguish by conveying her distress. Mukherjee depicts the complexities of despair and the necessity of individualized approaches to its administration through the protagonists of Shaila and Kamla. Mukherjee illustrates the value of enabling people to regulate their anguish in the manner that is most effective for them by demonstrating that despair can be repressed or articulated, implying that People can only start recuperating from their deficit through this method of self-exploration. As a result, Bharati Mukherjee engages the character traits of Shaila Bhave and Kamla to illustrate the complexities of grief and the notion that frustration is inevitably an intrinsic and private emotion.
Mukherjee’s writing style delves deep into the protagonists’ emotional responses throughout the book, demonstrating that anguish is an internal power battle. The writer’s application of vivid description language and visual information aids in engaging the reader and establishing a correlation between both the protagonists and the readers at large. Mukherjee writes of Shaila crying in the airport, that she could not control the tears that ran down her cheeks and left blotchy paths of loreal on her face. This detailed depiction of Shaila’s weeping conveys the essence of her emotional anguish and aids the audience in comprehending the depth of her anguish. Correspondingly, Mukherjee writes explaining that Kamla trawled for a way to resolve her blame for her behavior and rifled her heart for some sign of compassion, and found only desolation. The author’s symbolism throughout the story supports the notion that distress is inherent. The sanctuary, for example, represents the protagonists’ inner battle with grieving. A temple is a place where the protagonists can find some peace and comfort, and it also serves as a realization of their internal distress. Correspondingly, the protagonists’ dress represents their inner turmoil. Shaila and Kamla dress in white to represent their pure and innocent natures. Mukherjee points out that distress is an individual’s perception by using emblems to depict the character types’ internal turmoil.
In conclusion, Bharati Mukherjee’s short story “The Management of Grief” is a heartfelt examination of emotional pain, loss, and fortitude in the aftermath of a tragic situation. Mukherjee portrays the complexities of despair and the notion that it is an intimate encounter through the protagonists of Shaila and Kamla Bhave. Her writing style design is quiet and concise, and her most notable characteristic is her impartial self-consciousness. This is also a contentious attribute since it presupposes that she cannot forget the horrific event that happened to her. Therefore, Bharati Mukherjee’s “The Management of Grief” reminds us of the strength of anguish and the conscious spirit’s adaptability. Besides the horrific event that has bedeviled the Bhave household, they assemble to memorize and respect their deceased loved ones and, eventually, to figure out how to move forward. In this manner, Mukherjee’s narrative serves as a powerful cautionary tale of the resilience we all acquire in times of difficulty.
Work Cited
Mukherjee, Bharati. “The management of grief.” (1988): 304-15.
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