44 SOCIAL SCIENTIST has commanded her to be, can be understood only in terms of the duality in the life style of an Indian woman. The Indian woman^s external physical living is shaped by western values but her being itself is governed by deep-rooted, static, stagnant values which give her no scope to be different. The Tamil woman is no exception. Her expression has to be understood in the context of this duality of westernization and cultural inheritance. Tamil women, as a group, fall into the over-romantic and obsessive Tamil need to glorify the past. However, there is no unique "liberation" or "awareness" that could happen to women alone. Only a convulsive, violent social catharasis that would create a new value system free from exploitation and ambiguity could produce new forms of expression for writers in general. Until then, by and large, the image of a Tamil woman would be what the ancient code of ethics laid down: a woman is one protected by her father in her childhood, the husband in her youth and her sons in old age; there is no doubt that freedom is not for her.20 Also, until then, what would be depicted in literature would mainlv be an urban middle-class way of life narrated as broken-up incidents which may in time give way to the fashionable cry for "liberation" and "freedom" from a particular group of writers. The fact that the shoals of freedom for rural and lower-class women an" in direct contrast to what would constitute freedom to the urban middle-class women cannot be grasped and reflected in literature until an awareness is created about the existence of deeper, poisonous roots. 1 Thirukkural, cliapter 6, kural 56, 'Thirukkiiral, Tirunelvcli 1962, p 16. 2 Ibid., kural 55. » Ibid., kural 907 and 910, pp 243 and 244. 4 Vedanayagam Filial Penn Kalvi, Madras 1950, p 3 if. • 7W.,pl65. 8 V Kalyanasundaram, Pennin Pernmai, Madras 1953, p 85. 7 Ibid., p 20. 8 Maheswari, 'Tamizh Madarukku Angila Kalvi Avasiyama?^, Anandha Bodhini, 14 January 1923, pp 263-66. It is interesting to note how much importance is given to this aspect of waking up in the morning in Tamil culture. Beginning with Thirukkural that talks of a woman who sleeps after her husband and wakes up before him as the "perfect'^ woman to the present day fiction, a ^good", "educated", typical Tamil woman always wakes up before her husband. It was part of her femininity to wake up, freshen up and greet her sleepy husband with a cheerful appearance. It would be interesting if a study was made to trace the historical roots of this custom. 9 Asalambigai Ammaiyar, "Pengal Nilai", Lakshmi^ August 1926, pp 37-40. 10 Asalambigai Ammaiyar, ^Pcnnai Tyalbu", Ananda Bodhini, 15 June 1930, pp 721-24. 11 B V Sarojini Devi, ^Pengalum Sudandiramum", Lakshmi, March 1927, pp 382-871. 1 a Personal interview with Kumudhini 18 Mangai, June 1948, p24. 14 /^W,,July 1947, pp 14-16. 16 MS Kamala, ^Hridayeswari", Bharatha Mani, January D46, pp 29-31. lc Anandavikatan, 3 October 1943, p 32. 17 Kuili Rajeswari, Anbu Sudwn, Madras 1974, p 75. 18 Vinaala Ramani, "Agni Pravesam", June-July 1967 (from personal typed copy of the author, no page number.)