Papathi, mother of Sivananda Perumal is one of the key characters in the novel. She easily represents a type of character in Indian literature i.e. that of an aggressive and arrogant mother-in-law. She is notorious for her lashing tongue and selfish nature. As her husband, Kannu Pillai has been suffering from some disease, she has mercilessly driven him out of her house thereby falsifying the high ideal of a Hindu wife. “Kannu Pillai, the father was a sick man. His face was swollen with some disease. His fingers were contracted, wrinkled and always dirty. Saying it was contagious, his wife, Papathi had driven him away from home. That house, that shop and all that they had, had been his property. He was living with the Krishna
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The effect of modernity on the people of Chettiar community is rather slow. Whereas the first generation represented by Unnamalai Aachi is very rigid in its adherence to the community ideals, the second generation represented by Nagaru Pillai, Kuttalam and others is less rigid in its adherence to the old ideals and willing to adapt at least partially to the modern situations of life. The third generation represented by Diravi is readily willing to absorb modernity as much as it can. Behind all the events in the novel, one may easily perceive the transition of values from the old to the new due to the effect of Time. In this sense Generations may be described as a …show more content…
Ethnologists have a rich treasure here for analysis and comparison with other ethnic groups. The novel is written is a realistic style. The inter-personal and inter-familial relationships within the Chettiar community have been depicted very authentically and convincingly. In spite of the rich regional flavour, the novel has a universal human appeal. Neela Padmanabhan “does not squander his narrative resources and every word, image and anecdote has a bearing on Diravi’s development” (P.XIII). The novel begins in the present, goes back to the past again and again through the memories of Unnamalai Aachi and connects the past and the present to convince the young Diravi. Generations is indubitably a significant novel, which captures the quintessential spirit of Tamil culture of South
The effect of modernity on the people of Chettiar community is rather slow. Whereas the first generation represented by Unnamalai Aachi is very rigid in its adherence to the community ideals, the second generation represented by Nagaru Pillai, Kuttalam and others is less rigid in its adherence to the old ideals and willing to adapt at least partially to the modern situations of life. The third generation represented by Diravi is readily willing to absorb modernity as much as it can. Behind all the events in the novel, one may easily perceive the transition of values from the old to the new due to the effect of Time. In this sense Generations may be described as a …show more content…
Ethnologists have a rich treasure here for analysis and comparison with other ethnic groups. The novel is written is a realistic style. The inter-personal and inter-familial relationships within the Chettiar community have been depicted very authentically and convincingly. In spite of the rich regional flavour, the novel has a universal human appeal. Neela Padmanabhan “does not squander his narrative resources and every word, image and anecdote has a bearing on Diravi’s development” (P.XIII). The novel begins in the present, goes back to the past again and again through the memories of Unnamalai Aachi and connects the past and the present to convince the young Diravi. Generations is indubitably a significant novel, which captures the quintessential spirit of Tamil culture of South