Eunice de Souza (1940- ) Catholic Mother; Autobiographica
Catholic
Mother:- The Poem ‘Catholic Mother’ written by Eunice de Souza on the catholic
faith in India. The poet wants to expose the strong faith of such community
through their deep feeling toward religion. In the poem, the poet has depicted
an imaginary character, Francis D’ Souza as the father of catholic church and
his wife, addressed on mother showing as Christian nun. The father and his wife
had a large family with seven children in seven years. They had strong faith on
God’s grace. They believed that they won their seven children by the grace of
God otherwise it would not be possible. They never showed any reaction against
having such host of children because according to them God is all in all. They
believed that everything happened as God’s wish and command. They did not
follow family planning to control their children. They were dead against of it.
Even, they criticized the family planning policy, imposed by the Indian
Government. The poem is set of the catholic faith with the justification of
enlargement of the family. A strong satirical tone pervade through the poem
which highlights the crucial role of religion in our day to day life. The poem
also reveals the fatalistic attitude of Indians and it shows vividly their
religious faith overrules common sense of people. The national family planning
policy mentioned in the poem, the antagonized outlook towards other faith and
the insistent patriarchy structure that dominate the narrate issue of
motherhood in the poem. The experience of motherhood is weighed down by the rhetoric
of faith. The mother who stands behind the father in the poem is not considered
as an individual. The poem speaks-about the outcomes of patriarchal practices.
Here, the catholic church represented by parish priest and the nun continues to
deny women’s control of their bodies in giving birth of children. Through the
poem, the poet has brought to light the clear picture of catholic Christian
communities faith in God through violation of materialistic world. Married
women’s role in showed here as weak and passive. Here, a better understanding
conjugal lie comes to right candidly. The poet has showed the justification for
the enhancement of the family beautifully.