Question and Answers from “Laburnum For My Head” by Temsula Ao

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1. Summary of the story 'Laburnum for My Head'

2. Laburnum for My Head as a Feminist Story

Answer the following questions in 2-3 sentences each.

1. What role do Temsula Ao's female characters generally play in the lives of men in the North-East region of India?

A: Temsula Ao's female characters in the North-East region of India play a crucial role in anchoring the lives of men amidst violence. They pacify fears, save lives, and act as a driving force in the men's struggle for survival.

2. Why does Lentina prefer laburnum flowers over gulmohars, and what symbolic meaning does this choice hold?

A: Lentina prefers laburnum flowers for their femininity, contrasting them with the more brazen gulmohars. This choice symbolises her politics of identifying with victims of aggression and her desire for easing tensions in a troubled political context.

3. How do the laburnum flowers, as described in the story, challenge the traditional markers of male prominence and societal hierarchy?

A: The laburnum flowers are described as concealing monuments on graves, thereby erasing marks of prominent men. This signifies nature's victory over patriarchal creations and brings about a sense of equality, defying the forgetfulness imposed by death.

4. How does society's reaction to Lentina's love for laburnum flowers demonstrate its intolerance towards women's choices?

A: Society's intolerance towards women's choices is shown when Lentina's love for laburnum is deemed a "fetish" and openly discussed, forcing her to stop planting saplings in her garden. This illustrates the pressure placed on women to conform.

5. What significant patriarchal tradition does Lentina challenge by joining her husband's funeral party at the gravesite?

A: Lentina challenges the patriarchal tradition that reserves participation in the last rites at the gravesite exclusively for men by deciding to join her husband's funeral party. This is presented as a challenging act that goes against established norms.

6. What qualities does Lentina demonstrate through her struggles to acquire a piece of land of her own choice?

A: Through her struggles to buy a piece of land, Lentina demonstrates extraordinary powers of perseverance and determination. Her success in this endeavour leads her family members to acknowledge her strengths and seek her advice.

7. How does Lentina redefine her relationship with Babu, the driver, from its initial patriarchal dynamic?

A: Lentina redefines her relationship with Babu, the driver, from a master-slave dynamic to one of 'ever faithful friend' and confidant. This transformation signifies her breaking free from patriarchal relationship structures.

8. What is the broader political context of the North-East region of India that informs Lentina's preferences and desires?

A: The broader political context is the "troubled politics of the North-East," characterised by violence perpetuated by both rebel forces and government forces. This backdrop makes Lentina's desire for the "golden shower" of laburnums symbolic of a longing for peace.

9. Beyond personal desire, what societal message does Lentina's love for the 'golden shower' convey?

A: Lentina's love for the 'golden shower' of laburnums, beyond a personal desire, conveys a societal message of advocating for the victims of political aggression in Nagaland. It also symbolises a yearning for easing tensions and bringing about peace.

10. In what ways do Temsula Ao's female characters, including Lentina, actively resist and question established power structures?

A: Temsula Ao's female characters, including Lentina, challenge the injustice of the patriarchal system and question the cruelties perpetrated by both rebel and government forces. They demonstrate agency by making their own choices and breaking free from oppressive norms.

‘Laburnum For My Head’ as a Feminist Short Story

Temsula Ao has presented striking women characters in her works. Her female characters hail from the North-East region of India and they play a crucial role in anchoring the lives of their men amidst the violence looming large around them. These women challenge the injustice practiced by the patriarchal system and also question the cruelties perpetrated by the rebel forces and the government forces alike. They save men’s lives, pacify their fears and act as the moving force in their struggle to survive.

    Lentina, the central character of the story, is a woman of her own choices and the story is a record of her struggles to fulfill her desire to have some Laburnum bushes in her garden. It is interesting to note that she loves laburnum flowers because of their femininity and contrasts them with the brazen orange and dark pink blossoms of gulmohars. In the context of the troubled politics of the North-East, her preference for the yellow mellow beauty of laburnum over the dark pink blossoms of gulmohar is very significant. Traditionally, the colour yellow refers to happiness, optimism, enlightenment and creativity whereas the dark pink is associated with energy, passion etc… This choice of colour itself informs her politics of identifying with the victims of political aggression in Nagaland and her desire for the golden shower definitely evokes a desire for easing down the tensions. She attributes humility to the way the laburnum flowers hung their heads earthward. In short, her love for the flowers spring out of their femininity and humility.

    In the beginning of the story, the writer offers a stunning impression of a laburnum in blossom and describes how the flowers conceal the monuments erected by men of prominence on their graves. It is customary among the wealthy to erect marble/granite or concrete structures on their graves to keep their memories alive and to defy the forgetfulness imposed by death. The feminine flowers of the laburnum help to erase the marks of prominent members of the society and bring out a sense of equality among all humans and declare the victory of nature over everything the patriarchs have created. In another instance, Lentina’s love for the flowers is taken as a fetish and is openly spoken about in close family gatherings. This shows the intolerance practiced by the society on women’s choices and how it forces her to stop planting saplings in her gardens. Though this stops her from talking about the tree in public and planting them in her garden, her love for the golden shower does not cease.

    Lentina’s decision to join the funeral party of her husband to takepart in the last rites at the gravesite is a challenging act to the patriarchal tradition which reserves this to man. Though she is not warmly welcomed, no one stops her from carrying out her plan as the gravity of the situation requires them to keep calm. Her strength lies in her sensitivity to the cultural codes of the society. Her struggles to buy a piece of land of her own choice brings out her extraordinary powers of perseverance and make members of her family to acknowledge her strengths and seek her advice on matters running business and family.

    In her search for fulfilment, she breaks free of human relationships established by the patriarchal system and redefines them. For example, the nature of her relationship with Babu, the driver, was that of a master-slave and now she considers him as an ‘ever faithful friend’ and a confidant. Her determination to select a plot for herself and negotiations with the Town Committee show her strength as a woman and she erases marks of patriarchy in the process.

Click on the links below to read more about the story

1. Summary and Analysis of Laburnum for My Head

2. Question and Answer from Laburnum for My Head