The Bangle Sellers

The Bangle Sellers

Sarojini Naidu

ASSIGNMENTS

I. (i) The shining bangles that are being carried by the bangle sellers to the temple fair for sale are referred to as shining loads. Women of every age group are the prospective buyers of these bangles

(ii) Temple fair is the place which is visited by women of all age groups. Here the bangle sellers can sell their goods to "happy daughters and happy wives."

(iii) The figure of speech used here is a metaphor as multi hue'

II (i) bangles are compared to the radiant lives of "happy daughters and happy wives." The multi-coloured bangles have been linked to the dreams, youthfulness and aspirations of "happy daughters and happy wives." The bangle sellers are the carriers of those "shining loads" that glorify the idea of Indian womanhood. They try to convince buyers of the spiritual and symbolic importance of the bangles in the lives of "happy daughters and happy wives."The bangles are symbolic of different stages of womanhood. The bangle sellers go the temple fair to sell bangles as women of every age would be present there. The poet's descriptive skills are reflected in the way she has expressed the different stages in a traditional Indian woman's life. For example, in a single stanza she has described bangles as "shining loads", "Rainbow-tinted circles of light", and "Lustrous tokens of radiant lives". Silver and blue coloured bangles are befitting a maiden's wrist. These bangles are compared to blue and silver mist of mountains as they symbolise the freshness and the beauty of young maidens.

(ii) The bangles are suitable for the bud-like young maidens who dream of their happy future. They dream of growing up and blossoming like beautiful flowers. The figure of speech personification.

(iii) Some of the bangles have shades of pink of yet to bloom flowers on a woodland stream. The bangles suitable for maiden's wrist are seen in association with the clear dew drops on newborn leaves. The "new born leaves" are symbolic of maidens who are pure, fresh and chaste. They are yet to see to the world.

• Silver and blue: Like the mountain mists or streams maidens are fresh beautiful and evolving.

• Shades of pink: Like buds of flowers maidens dream of a happy future.

• Clear and green: Like dew drops on new born leaves maidens are pure, fresh and chaste. Golden or yellow coloured bangles, suitable for a bride are compared to "fields of sunlight corn". The corn fields — a proof of Mother Nature's fertility are symbolic of the fertility of a young girl getting married.

(ii) Refer to Notes, Page 39. These phrases are compared to the bangles suitable for a bride,

which are luminous, bright and tinkling. The bangles are symbolic of her entry into a new life.

(iii) Simile, in which a likeness between two different things is stated in an explicit way using the words 'like' or 'as'. In these lines the golden and red coloured bangles suitable for a bride are compared to the flame of her marriage fire and the love that she would experience in her new life.

(iv) The colour of the bangles suitable for a woman on her wedding day is compared to the reddish yellow flame of marriage around which the bride takes marriage vows with her groom. The flame-like colour of bangles is appropriate to symbolise the flame of love in marriage.

(v) The bangles worn by a bride in a Traditional Indian Wedding have spiritual and symbolic significance. Refer to Celebration of Indian Womanhood, under Themes, Page 40.

(i) For a woman "who has journeyed through life midway" and has gained experience and wisdom. These bangles symbolise that phase when the maiden turned bride becomes a proud mother and responsible wife. She has experienced all the aspects of being a woman.

(ii) Colours represent various moods and aspects of life. In the above extract, all the aspects of being a woman have been experienced. The colours chosen for her bangles are purple and gold flecked grey. Purple colour indicates power, authority, pride and dignity and gold flecked grey, a sober colour, indicates experience and wisdom. Thus, the woman wearing purple bangles has gained maturity, reared her children with love and at last has achieved the fullness of her role as wife and mother.

(iii) The lines are relevant to the concept of Indian motherhood. The bangle sellers attribute purple and gold flecked grey bangles to the mother who. has attained maturity by rearing her children. The bangles are suitable for those hands that have cherished, loved, blessed and cradled her sons.

(iv) "Fruitful pride" is a significant phrase in context of a woman who has "journeyed through life midway"; she has been a loving daughter, a happy bride; a responsible wife and mother. Her experiences have made her a perfect Indian woman. She has been productive and fecund for her family and thus "serves her household in fruitful pride."

(v) Refer to the Themes, Page 40.