Student Question

Does Kamala Das's poem "An Introduction" represent a quest for identity?

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The poem "An Introduction" by Kamala Das does not so much represent a quest for identity as a declaration of the identity that she already has. However, as a part of this declaration, in the midst of the poem she alludes to the quest for identity she went through when she was younger.

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In the poem "An Introduction" by Kamala Das, the poet asserts her independence as an individual in a male-dominated society. She begins by acknowledging that she is aware of the men in political power, including Nehru, India's first prime minister. She introduces herself as "Indian, very brown, born in Malabar." She knows three languages but prefers to write in English, for which she is criticized by her relatives and friends. To Das, however, the English language gives her a voice to express her joys, longings, and hopes.

The first part and the conclusion of the poem, in which Das declares that she has the right to be an individual "I" just as men do, comprise not so much a quest for identity as a declaration of identity. The poet knows who she is and what she stands for, and she is proclaiming this to her readers.

Within the larger framework of this declaration, she shares some background concerning her own quest for identity in the middle of the poem. For instance, when she sought love when she was young, she was pushed into marriage when she was still a teenager. Although she was not physically beaten, she felt oppressed by her womanhood, which was supposedly an indication of inferiority. In response, she cut her hair, wore men's clothes, and rebelled from the traditional roles that women were expected to play. In her rebellion, she was in opposition to strident voices calling upon her to conform to society's expectations. All these responses to external pressure were part of her quest for identity.

We see, then, that the poet's quest for identity comprises a part of the poem, but the totality of the poem is a declaration of the identity that she has already found.

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