The poem “Marriages Are Made” by Eunice De Souza deals with the theme of
gender discrimination in Indian society. Discuss.
Answers
Explanation:
‘Marriages are Made’ by Eunice de Souza
My cousin Elena
is to be married
The formalities have been completed:
Her family history examined
for T.B and madness
her father declared solvent1
her eyes examined for squints2
her teeth for cavities3
her stools for the possible
non-Brahmin worm.
She is not quite tall enough
and not quite full enough
(children will take care of that).
Her complexion it was decided
would compensate, being just about
the right shade
of rightness
to do justice to
Francisco X. Noronha Prabhu4
Good son of Mother Church
1
Solvent (adj): the ability to pay off loans
2
Squint (n): a condition caused by a weakness of the eye muscles which makes the eyes to look in different
direction from each other
3
Cavities (n): holes in teeth
4
Francisco X. Noronha Prabhu: prospective groom for Elena. The name is used exaggeratedly as a satire on male
dominance in marriage. Critical Appreciation
Marriage is a social institution. By social institution, I mean social custom. It is supposed to be a
sacred and happy institution for husband and wife. There is a common saying that ‘marriages are
made in heaven’. Eunice de Souza’s poem is a satire5
and she deliberately truncates6
the title
and keeps it open-ended as ‘Marriage are Made’. The title of the poem is ironic7
as the poem
reveals that marriages are not made in heaven. They are made on earth as socially constructed
entities. Our societies are male dominated societies. The institution of marriage in our society is
also man made. The poem highlights the humiliation faced by a woman during the preparations
for marriage. The occasion of the poem is the marriage of Elena, the cousin of the narrator of the
poem. The formalities to be completed for her marriage highlight the oppression of women in
male dominated societies. Elena has to prove herself worthy for the prospective bridegroom. Her
eyes are scrutinized for squints and her teeth are examined for cavities. Even her family history
is examined for possible diseases and conditions. How can she be happy with such a marriage?
She is treated as an object and her role in the marriage is negligible. Her passiveness is
highlighted by the fact that she (Elena) does not have any surname as if she does not have any
identity of her own. She is not allowed to speak or say anything. Eunice de Souza smashes the
romantic notions of marriage as a union of love and respect between man and woman. Hence, the
style of her poem is aptly anti-romantic. She refrains from using the basic poetic devices like
simile, metaphor, assonance, alliteration etc. She rather uses litotes, a figure of speech by which
an affirmation is