TSMSPJep:26*2.5.17:My Impressions* "clothes maketh the man"..
Title, famous lines from Shakespeare's Hamlet, basically it's about the importance of how one appears before others.Apparel one dons may also speaks about one's, station, stature ,and profession.The Greeks expressed it by the words, "the garment makes the man", the sixteenth century coined it around the sartorial element thus saying it's the "tailor that makes a man.Since this episode follows on from the previous one, is also preoccupied with Kanak's apparel..my impression too, plays around with phrases that lend themselves to clothes, garments, dress ,apparel. It's clear that with dress comes, sense, and appropriateness, as its public, i exhibited ,and thus judgement is passed upon it by on lookers. People form opinions about the quality of the apparel, and upon the person who wears it. This is exactly what happens to Kanak.She wears a dress to make a broad and loud statement about how she feels about the household she's forcibly kept in.
Her presence for worship is seen as airing her dirty linen in public. Whatever disagreement she has with Uma Shankar , via her dress sense she brings to full public attention! Many a tongues wag, but only Uma has the right to deal with the situation without coming apart at the seams! By the arm he whisks her away! Leaving the spectators with the justification he's the husband, first point of call he will sort matters out. Maasi keeps her shirt on ,stays calm , and still manages to keep up appearances by saying , what can one expect from Uma's wife, she is as patent and unique like him..what irony ,as in thought ,word and deed, their uniqueness holds very little uniformity.
Back in the privacy of their room, for Kanak, Uma Shankar ,whatever way she looks at him ,he remains a wolf in sheep's clothing! Not to be trusted. If he has his sleeves rolled up to tell her off like a teacher in authority , she too has her sleeves rolled up ,ready to thwart his fancy talk. It's hard to keep his shirt on, her behaviour has been appalling! Testing the limits, looking like the way she is! How she looks as his wife, reflects on him her husband! initially when she gets shirty ,he does burst at the seams and raises his palm!..whether he intended to strike her , it was a threatening action in itself! But Uma shows wisdom and controls this nearly violent slip.. and instead lapses into this sandalwood fragrance phase! I wonder if Kanak takes on board that he nearly snaps! Uma also makes the below the belt comment about how his family dresses up for worship as opposed to perhaps how her family dresses up on sacred gatherings. Kanak boldly refutes him, she too is unsure of what he expects of her? but she is not some ,frail, demure celluloid figure ,but a real life person, who dresses for personal pleasure, comfort and ease and not to please or impress others! Kanak , actually fights the case for the often concealed , charm, intelligence , humour ,sensitivity of a person that may lie dormant under the obvious covering of ones garments! she feels rightly so , for under fine garments may lie an worthy or baseless person. Take Uma, for example, in his silken kurtas, and dhoti's, he still , is a wolf who forced her to marry him!and usurped his Bhabo's business papers!
As for changing her clothes, Uma can bet his boots! Kanak will not comply. Maasi , with the tough as old boots attitude! turns up to their room to stick her oar in! Its clear she supports Uma, his respectability, and treats or certainly hints at Kanak being as common as an old shoe! ill mannered, of a class or two lower than the mighty Uma! Maasi stoops low ,in fact goes totally on the defensive by calling Kanak , arrogant , thinking much of her beauty, which is short lived any way! Does Maasi herself worry about her beauty fading away? ageing at the drop of a hat? Does she fear old age? Kanak too bursts at the seams and refuses to dress by maasi's choice! Uma does lay the law of this house now! he will not tolerate her being disrespectful to Maasi in particular ,as Maasi occupies the same devotion and reverence as his deities do. Kanak's snide comment to Maasi regards ancient words, is symbolic of the regretful jarring division that remains between progressive thinking that the likes of Kanak profess,and what Uma and his traditionally orthodox family maintain. Will a midway point be reached where both opposing parties can come to an agreement? On the basis of an individual's recognition, love, honour ,respect and where one is filled by love for humanity, rather than be weighed down by handed down obsolete ,unrealistic goals!
Kanak was not taught to mince her words, and she points to Uma and Maasi .. two cut from the same cloth! Two very similar in thinking! and two almost party into forcing her into this farcical marriage far from ordinary living to exceptional life style!to her she is a caged creature, subjected to instructions to perform before others. Kanak of course means dolling up! and following their required fashion to dress the part of Uma's the wolf in sheep's clothing wife! Uma decides to back off. Once they leave and Kanak gets things off her chest! But she still has a bee on her bonnet! About, Mission retrieve Bhabo's papers! Donning the apparel they want, and performing for them is but a small price, Kanak will pay to win back Bhabo's love!
With hat in hand, humbled , by her own ulterior motive! Kanak runs after them, tenders apology to Maasi ,makes know she will comply, only wants simple , ornaments! Uma gives consent for the safe to be opened and she be given the choice to select. Suman breathes down her neck before the open vault.. Kanak , tries to tackle the situation thinking its under her belt , to ward off Suman, so she can fumble through the papers! Unfortunately the deeds are not there! But Kanak very nearly expects the shoe drop on her head! When Suman finds her hanging about longer than expected at doing what she was meant to do.. look for the appropriate jewellery! Thank heavens when Suman raises the alarm and Maasi turns up! Kanak is seen to be making the fashion statement the family wants to see her in! and Suman who acts too big for her boots! Is gob smacked!
Finally Uma Shankar exclusive wife, walks dressed the part in the worship! Mind you Kanak walks slowly keeping a secret under her hat! Which none sees or knows about! in fact we can conclude..she laugh's up her sleeve! when she steals a glance at the wolf in sheep's clothing.. he sure does sit in a huff! Hot under the collar! Well he will think twice before messing with her!
Overall an interesting episode. True colours are coming out. Maasi is a right old boot! and Suman! is too big for her boots , thinks too much of her position. Kanak needs to put on her thinking cap, find out where else can the papers be? and find out how does he know her name? hamlet53.3.5.17
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