Vapid, overtly feminist fiction
The stance of popular literature has also nurtured images of women trapped by circumstance, fluttering their wings in situations they seem to have little control over. As slogans, such short stories probably are a 'feelgood' pill to (primarily female) readers who, as sahahridayis, feel the suffering of protagonists reflects their own—real or perceived—suppressions. This brand of short story in India has become a cementing force for social bonding or re-awakening, rather than empowering fiction.
It is in this vein that in A Purple Sea makes rather vapid reading. The women carry their feminist banner too enthusiastically to let their lives become real encounters. Written in various literary and other journals and at various points in time, these unidimensional tales seem quickfixed by manifesto rather than literary inspiration. Whether it be Chhaya rebelling at the hairless chest of her miserly spouse in Wings I or Aniana in Trisanku flapping against a series of physical and intellectual assaults till she speaks out at a seminar, the women in Ambai's tales seem to be overall cued by deja vu.
One seems to have read it all in Femina, or (horrors!) even in Women's Era. Whether this is translator Holmstrom's failure or author Ambai's is the question. The book is a poor read. But don't wait for Asha's tale in next week's issue, go ahead and buy it as a present for your office colleague (female!). You'll be a real hero.