K. V.
Dominic’s Tales of Ethos
Reviewed
by
Dr.
Suresh Chandra Pande,
Former
Lecturer,
Department
of English,
Government
College Phool Chaur,
Nainital,
Uttarakhand, India.
Tales of Ethos | Short Story | K. V. Dominic |
Authors Press, 2025, INR 295, pp. 150
21st-century short fiction,
particularly from an Indian perspective, is typified by its engagement with
myth and globalization, urban realities, gender, race, and history. The theme
predominantly partakes in magic realism, humor, satire, irony, and paradox, so
as to proffer a critique of contemporary Indian society and its changeable
reality. This is more obviously achieved by exploring the complexities of daily
life, rapidly urbanizing cultural ethos, and contemporary challenges. This is
particularly noticeable in diaspora literature shaped by eminent writers such
as Arvind Adiga, Arundhati Roy, Jhumpa Lahiri, Amitav Ghose, and Chitra
Divakaruni—as a conspicuous conflict between native-Indian and transnational
culture. Narrative technique often centers on intricacies and diverse modes of
practices that additionally interlock the author into various Indian literary
languages and vernaculars, showcasing its one-off evolution—unequivocally known
as linguistic hybridity. However, the impact of globalization and the influx of
new technologies, such as digitalization in literature, are often explored,
exhibiting the clash between traditional and modern values and the experiences
of the upwardly mobile and socially liberated faction. This trend is usually
presented with experimental techniques, which is why it has a broader appeal to
international observers. A significant female-based approach questions the very
legitimacy of established roles, rules, and positions of women in society,
taking into consideration LGBTQ relationships. Religious diversity and disputes
are also key themes. Translation from regional literatures into English also
creates inquisitive issues/concerns.
In the sprightly light of the above,
I hereby take for critical assessment K.V. Dominic’s 4th collection of 25 short
stories, titled Tales of Ethos.
A few of them had appeared earlier to tantalize his avid readers, while the
rest are meant for a new, innovative look, as the author states in his preface:
"Both religion and politics fail to impart moral values to the people. I
believe that writers can influence society if their writing is capable of
injecting good values into the minds of the readers. This book is aimed at
it."
As a whole, this book presents the
rot and degeneration in ethical values where morality is at stake and ethics is
a forgotten version of the original text. The creative resourcefulness and
artistic ability of K. V. Dominic in these short ethical tales not only evoke
beauty and tang in aesthetic perspectives but also present a realistic
portrayal of the local color and culture of a specific region that is a class in
itself.
For instance, the initial phase of
the story “Who is Responsible?”
introduces Rehman and Ramla in a simple, down-to-earth, and innocuous demeanor.
By and by, interconnected events sequentially drive the narrative, often
involving the family in facing and resolving conflict. Their simple, household
mode of living and guileless, virtuous lifestyle is suddenly disrupted by
family feuds of a detrimental nature. Love, marriage, and conjugal family
relations reach a defining point when Anwar and Aisha arrive in Ootty, where
"Connubial bliss seemed like heavenly bliss." Everyone in the family
is extremely grieved at Anwar’s departure to Oman. Moreover, to create doubt
about the truth of the story and generate suspense, the narrator impeccably
projects Rahul, a young and handsome chauffeur. The part of the storyline that
occurs after the climax—the immediate consequences of the wrecking
conflict—transitions the narrative toward its conclusion. The gloom and despair
in Rehman and Ramla’s house, the elopement of Aisha and Anwar, and the
appearance of the postman with a registered letter—all these unlikely events
draw the narrative to its final denouement: bloodshed, violence, and waste.
Another tale “Aren’t they our Sisters?” stimulates
the awareness of dishonesty, depravity, and venality, along with such corrupt
practices prevalent in a society that treats woman-folk as a commodity one can
buy and sell. The brothel is the example where hypocrisy, dependence,
duplicity, and deceitfulness are exercised in an existential dilemma—the only
means of survival. Rajesh, being a class in itself, experiments for the
betterment of the brothel's inhabitants by providing them an alternative source
of income. It is a step taken forward for the deliverance and manumission of
the depraved, immoral, and ill-used womanhood. The narrative procedure drags out
on a simple and straightforward course.
“A Good Samaritan” has stems rooted in
Christianity, the world's largest monotheistic religion, primarily based
on St. Xavier, a patron saint of foreign missions, and his doctrines. The
autobiographical narration begins the story reliably by juxtaposing fact and
fiction level-headedly: "I am going to narrate an incident that is three
fourths real and the rest blended with some fantasy" (24). In the
first-person pronoun, the narrator introduces himself as a real-life person
called Prof. Mohan, driving along the national highway to attend a seminar
at Thrissur, a town in Kerala, India. On the way, he sees a man bleeding
profusely and lying numb. He was hit by a vehicle and overthrown. Then and
there, Prof. Mohan lifted him up and took him to nearby Amala Hospital. After a
fee of Rs. 10,000 paid by Prof. Mohan, the patient in a critical stage was
admitted and operated on. Even after removing the clot, symptoms of paralysis
and memory loss persisted. It is a no-win situation; the sufferer was utterly
at the mercy of the doctor. A life-altering, life-saving machine at work was
convincing Xavier's wife, Mariam in particular, and his family, kith, and kin
in general, that the survival of the patient was certain. Immediately after the
tension diminishes, the escalating conflict begins to resolve the strain and
stress. The anxiety subsides in a mutual exchange of thoughts and shared
understandings built on Christian philosophy and humanitarian ethics. Strong
faith in the savior Jesus's religion and succeeding aspirations for some
imminent miracle bring the story to a close.
The philosophy of M.
K. Gandhi and his thoughts form the backdrop in "Best Government Servant," against which the protagonist
is introduced as a good orator and an academic par excellence. But the
ridiculous nature of higher education comes to the fore when Dr. Krishnan
Namboodiri goes to join as a Lower Divisional Clerk in the Taluk office at a
small town in the state of Kerala. The story presents a beautiful, impressive
contrast between Krishnan's family life and his office colleagues. As he
appears settled in his work as a clerk, the transgression of truthful and
upright values hits him hard. He immediately repudiates the unconcealed
malpractice of kickbacks and bribery that perforates his decent moral demeanor.
Krishnan, the protagonist, placed in a difficult situation, determines to opt
for a better and significant value perspective by resisting the mainstream
convention, by going against prevailing norms and opinions. But what adds to
his discomfort and annoyance is his transfer order to a village office in a
remote place. After reporting his duties to the village office, Krishnan is
least distressed by his decision. In no time, as decided, he files a bribery
case in the high court against the Tahsildar, Superintendent, and the entire
staff of the Taluk Office. It was a clear case of bribery. The judge pronounced
the verdict. It was in favor of Krishnan; he was given Rs. 2 lakhs as a reward
by the opponents. Additionally, he should be, as per the verdict, transferred
to his hometown with two additional increments to his credit.
The next one, “An Email from Senthil Kumar” embarks,
not usually, but in a first-person confessional style to critique deep-seated emotions
amid the complexities of human relations. Professor K.V. Dominic’s anger and
anguish at the protracted silence of Senthil Kumar through email
opens up to the confessions of the latter. Long-lasting illness among family
members, weakness, occasional cardiac complications, demise/bereavement, and
other remedial/emotional connections breed sentimentalism. Its primary goal is
to stir emotion over rigid logic. The ability to feel deeply and show empathy
for the emerging sentiments of the vulnerable forms the sine qua non, without
which the storyline would have been embryonic and inadequate.
“Sanchita Karma,” the sixth story in
this collection, has two footnotes. The first interprets Sanchit Karma as
the vast storehouse of all accumulated actions from past lives—good and bad,
not yet manifested in the present (Prarabdha), but physically
influencing future experiences. The second explains Moksha as
liberation from the worldly cycle of birth, death, and rebirth. The story
focuses on the Indian philosophy of Karma. It features seven cats, two
rats, and their narrator, Preethy, the grandma of these cats. Yes, these cats,
with their bushy tails and snow-white fur, are of Ootty pedigree. Additionally,
Preethy reveals the two rats were human beings in their past life—one an
advocate named Stephen and the other his wife, Stella. They poisoned the cats.
Now, it is the cats' turn to kill the rats. At Preethy’s behest, they are
killed by the cats to have their meal.
Subsequently, “The Twins” shares sensible views on
household cats. The story opens its conflict effectively, as the narrator’s
conversation with his wife regarding Sundari, the cat, is at once thrilling,
intriguing, and genre-specific, further setting the tone for the rest of the
story. Later, the two cats, almost identical in appearance, become an intrinsic
part of the narrator’s family life. Their excrement causes consternation, but
their overall affection passionately attaches them to the family, including
their old, fragile mother. As the small events develop and progress with
the angelic play of the twins, uninvited malice causes a menace to the family
through the obstinate and willful conduct of the twins. To chastise and
reprimand them, the twins are put into a carton and left in a lonely spot near
the road. But an inadvertent message from the mother prompts the return of the
cats to their former state of love and care: a eucatastrophe. This provides a
slight clue to St. Francis, the patron saint of animals. Scrupulous tenacities
fit the internal logic, and the resulting actions and motivations pursue
delight and a willingness for a happy ending of the prized tale.
The next story, “World Environment Day,” has a
strong thematic structure and is imbued with the protagonist, Kaatturaja. His
journey from illegitimate birth to an outlawed forest thief, then his
transformation from prison house to release/liberation, and his subsequent
emancipation into a civilized human being with a team of 20 afforestation
workers in a forest that later became a Model Forest, leads to his nomination
for the "UNITED NATIONS FOREST FOR PEOPLE AWARD."
Character formation is
the major part of the story “Is Human
Life Precious than Animal’s?” It opens with Professor Antony Francis,
whose inquisitiveness and love for animals, further augmented by a video clip
from the Asianet News Channel, completely takes him aback and leaves him
nonplussed. Teresa, Antony’s wife and an associate professor at St. Anne’s
Women’s College, argues in a brief tete-a-tete to favour man, who stands higher
than his animal peers in the entire creation of God. But Antony contradicts and
refutes her claims by stating that all creatures—be they a bird, beast, or
quadruped—are also dear to God. God loves them all as His own children. The
narrator then draws the reader’s attention toward Mr. Anthappan, the center of
the action, to let the tale grow around his trade. His trade involves a timely
supply of cattle to the slaughterhouse in Kerala. Naturally, therefore, with a
flimsy fenced truck overloaded with cattle, Anthappan plies on streets already
overcrowded from Andhra Pradesh or Tamil Nadu to Kerala. The tale activates
with the inciting of an unpleasant incident: a cow cowers, trying to jump out
of the fence. She succeeds by instantly jumping onto the road, then crossing
the divider and running in the opposite direction. Meanwhile, a hurrying
vehicle—a truck—crashed into the cow. She fell with a loud scream, her limbs
trembling violently, and instantly died. The owner of the truck was lamenting
not for the animal, but for the monetary loss. Again, Professor Antony and
Teresa get into a long discussion about the dead cow, the truck, and its owner,
using Christian morality as a backdrop. Not only this, Antony further prepares
a case to chastise Anthappan in the High Court of Kerala. The judgment is in
favor of Antony, while Anthappan and his trade have a criminal record/offense.
As per the verdict, Anthappan shall be imprisoned for three years, and a fine
of Rs. 100,000 shall be collected as an offense for the ill-treatment of the
animals.
Another one, “Multicultural Harmony,” has no
complexity of theme, character, or structure. In a simple but mystical way, the
narrator portrays the inscrutable dilemma characters undergo in the course of
their material and spiritual excursion. As the title vindicates, the ensuing
tale is set in a small village, Devlokam—God’s own country—inhabited by the trio:
Amar, Akbar, and Anthony. Yes, the trio; they had their schooling in the same
government school, and they lived in such a secular mode that religion never
interfered with or inhibited their social life. Living in complete harmony was
a divine attribute they shared in their healthy and heavenly abodes,
respectively. Years passed by; the trio's children grew up, became adults, and
after finalizing their engineering course, moved to career contracts in the
Wipro company at Bangalore. The cohesive, compelling narrative edifies the
reader through conflicts and complications leading to a satisfying end,
postulating love. Love between Anand—Amar’s son—and Anthony’s daughter Celine,
had had personal connections from early school days, and now it matures with
their mellowness of sensibility: a personal, secretive, and profound emotional
response to each other. Alongside the growth of love, the fear of religion,
family, and social taboos also increased. When the affair comes to the notice of
their parents, a feud occurs. Friendly, affable families are turned into
bitter, insolent foes. All mediation and negotiation efforts by Akbar have no
effect and go in vain. As a miraculous marvel, the rising conflict falls
to declivity. Because of unceasing headaches, Celine’s health deteriorates. She
is admitted to a hospital and is reported to be a kidney patient. The kidney
specialists detected mutilation of the kidney. There was no other discretion
except transplantation of kidneys. Anand’s kidney was found good enough and
acceptable for Celine’s body. Accordingly, it was transplanted successfully
after completing the kidney donation formalities and several hours of hard-task
clinical surgery. Celine’s survival gave delight to one and all. It was
miraculous. A temple witnesses their much-favored marriage and union in the
presence of all three families, who live happily ever after.
Next, the reader meets
“Clement’s Return from UAE” to
go back to pandemic days. The dialogue begins telephonically, and we know about
Clement’s parents, who are old and sick at Kochi, India. He, in the UAE, is
working as an accountant, favored by Arvind, a classmate. In these pandemic
days, the UAE is gripped by Covid-19, besides other Gulf countries. His
employer, the owner of the company, is compassionate, but increasing Covid-19
cases induce one and all to leave the UAE for their native countries. Clement
is one among them. By the Saturday flight, he reaches Kochi and calls his wife,
Merlin. Merlin replies positively in a love-affirming timber. But tentative
misfortune from Clement’s mother’s side builds tension. He is fully aware that
his own house cannot afford 14 days of quarantine, so he is inconsolably
shilly-shallied. His loud cries and sobs touch other co-passengers. Fortunately,
to his pleasant surprise, a voice from among the crowd comes, “Sir, I am
Krishnan, your student.” Krishnan by and by becomes aware of unfortunate
Clement’s predicament and, with great deference, takes him to his large house
20 kilometers away in a hired taxi to provide him with all possible comforts.
The end presents the gravity blended with levity to fuel creativity and
innovation.
“Fate of Migrant Labourers” is one more story related to the pandemic period. It opens in
Kerala, rises to go back to Kolkata, and then again, for the denouement, it
terminates at Kochi. There are four laborers—Aminul, Emran, Shakib, and
Tarique—united with Arjun, an architect-cum-builder settled at Kochi. He
employed nearly 20 laborers working simultaneously at four to five sites. In
2020, when lockdown started, Arjun Saab was forced to stop construction, and
all the laborers, except the four, went to their respective homes. The
principal character is Aminul, whose wife’s fate, favored by Arjun Saab, culminates
into calamitous solace.
“Nature Teaches” teaches the meaning
of nature and its human concerns. Being conversational, the storyline is
interactive. There is a fantastic interaction in the mute dialogue between
human and non-human creatures that decides the denouement in favor of
afforestation. There is a big fig tree on the roadside facing the municipal
plot. It has to be cut as per the ruling of the counselors for building a
shopping complex. But due to the opposition of nature, particularly signified
by the wasps and the team of nature-lovers, the municipality and its chairman,
notwithstanding their best efforts, fail in putting their scheme into action.
Therefore, the municipality decides to plant trees on the roadside for the
delight of all, human and non-human. The story is an instance of magic realism.
“Seetha’s Resolve” opens with marital
rhetoric between Seetha and her parents, Laxmi and Raveendran. Being 27 years
old, her marriage is preset with Anand, the son of Raveendran’s classmate.
Soon, the action diverts: Seetha’s neighbor and classmate Venu, because of
distrust and envy, flings acid on her face one morning unpredictably. Venu is
imprisoned. Seetha is hospitalized. After three months, she recovers. Invited
and welcomed, she recommences her college procedures. Deemed best, Seetha is
given the ‘Best Teacher Award’ by the President of India. It’s a story having
upright values at its crux.
Another one “Old Age Home” uses dialogue: a spoken
conversation between two characters, Ravi and Jacob. This sort of genre is
mainly seen in short stories, plays, and screenplays. The preliminary discourse
reveals Ravi’s personality, motivations, background, and emotional state,
giving him a unique individual inflection. While Jacob moves the story forward,
adding depth and length and uncomplicated candor to make the dialogue more
engaging and meaningful. A sudden and unexpected conclusion, the demise of
Jacob, evokes poignant resonance and perceptual changes, such as experience,
emotion, physical health, and environmental factors.
“Compassion Rewards”
has Madhavan Nair and his wife Suseela, both as protagonists, living in a small
house in Thrissur. They live generously despite their meager income. All goes
well as long as they are hale and hearty. But shortly, Madhavan has a severe
stomach ache worsening into cirrhosis, or liver damage. Liver transplantation
is the only option proposed by medical experts. Madhavan is unable to bear the
operation cost. An advertisement in the local daily, Mathrubhoomi,
appears for economic assistance and support. Fortuitously, one of Madhavan’s
old students, Rahim, a software engineer in the UAE, comes to his teacher’s
doorway and credits 20 lakh rupees into Madhavan’s A/C, or account. The grace
of God is the denouement, but the final chapter of the protagonist’s life
remains unwritten.
Another story, “Coffin Maker,” is also in dialogue
form. The conversation centers around father Peter and his daughter Elsy. It is
all about the coffin—its sale, user, and maker. The conversation is well-timed,
intercepted by a stranger who happens to be Afsal, an old classmate of Peter.
Afsal diverts Peter’s attention from the shop and engages him in a more
expedient conversation pertaining to the business. He offers him money as well
as a job in a factory at Kuwait, which exports organic chemicals. Peter agrees
with Afsal’s proposal and subsequently, bestowing home and domestic affairs to
his son and daughter, leaves for Kuwait accompanied by Afsal. The entire story
unfolds through the words Peter, Elsy, and Afsal speak to each other and also
uncovers friendly relations between man and man and unexpected support that
comes on behalf of God.
A distinct humanitarian story, “Sweeper’s Dreams,” creates a
narrative that focuses on alleviating Laxmi’s sufferings by protecting human
dignity and decorum. Laxmi is a contingent sweeper of Thodupuzha Municipality.
She is very punctual and prompt in her duties and work. Racial discrimination
against Laxmi’s sweeping work, caste, class, and status creates an air of
dislike and disparity until the events precede the action. As the events
expand, Laxmi comes out as a rescuer by saving the life of a little child
chased by wild dogs. In this life-risking save, Laxmi herself is injured. But
the reward recompenses. She is offered the work of an accountant in the Arabian
Sweet Factory by Salim, the father of the saved child. Additionally, Laxmi is
also awarded by the Municipality chairman in an organized meeting promoting the
sweeper clan.
The story, divided
into parts, such as "Postman,"
seems less intimidating and more invigorating, so it is easily digestible. Part
division also signifies a fundamental change in the story’s structure. It
deliberately slows down or speeds up the pace of the story. Building
anticipation and emphasizing a shift in perspective is another trait. The
milieu is more or less the same as in other stories. Sivakumar is a GDS (Gramin
Dak Sevak) serving in the Head Post Office of Kerala as a postman. Kerala is a
State where there are six months of monsoon and six months of summer. Sivakumar
visits house after house and has to deliver innumerable letters, parcels, and
money orders in the town. Being a harbinger of love and dreams, Sivakumar feels
the greatest happiness of the profession when he sees smiles on the faces of
the addressees. He is not only a postman to the village but a guide and teacher
to the illiterate people there. His wife, Suseela, has two sons, and he is
happy with them. The second part of the story is about the telegram saga
that adds a story within a story. The poignant story of a martyr sacrificed for
the sake of the country, and Sivakumar’s rendering of selfless service to the
needy forms the crux. Years pass, and the Municipal town hall is well decorated
with lights and flowers to celebrate Sivakumar’s birthday. Nearly 500 people,
with the District Collector as the Chief Guest, the Chairman of the
Municipality, the Postmaster, and Sivakumar’s valued colleagues, filled the
hall and elevated podium. All dignitaries were in praise of Sivakumar’s
selfless service of 40 years. The Postmaster too speaks about the proposal of
the current year’s Dak Sewa Award for Sivakumar. A story within a story of P. S.
Krishnan felicitates all. Sivakumar thanks and shows gratitude to the audience
and the village people. The program ends with the national anthem.
"Savitri and Her Child" is the story of Prof. Laxman as the protagonist, whose journey,
decisions, and conflicts propel the narrative forward. Experiences, memories,
and palimpsest clarify Prof. Laxman’s actions and connections. Action leads to
an event—an event as facetious as the suicide attempt of Savitri and her child.
Prof. Laxman, the savior and protector of their lives, first saves them at the
railway track and then delivers them to Sister Nirmala. Both the cause of
suicide and the meeting with Circle Police Inspector Stephen Joseph become
unequivocally graphic. At Sister Nirmala’s convent, Savitri and her child
Poornima are admitted at 5000 per month. Prof. Laxman paid 5000 rupees
instantly, and for every coming month, he remitted the same sum for the Sister.
Years and years later, Prof. Laxman knew through the sister that Savitri has
done a great yeoman service and her daughter also is getting education free of
cost. The next phase of the story that leads to a conciliatory end is about
Prof. Laxman, his after-retirement life, the death of his wife Sumathi, and his
two married sons settled abroad. Being alone now, Prof. Laxman is no longer
healthy, and he has regular diabetic and asthmatic complaints. Once, when he
was voyaging through his golden past, the sound of the doorbell agitated him.
He moved to the door and, as he opened it, to his surprise, he saw a beautiful,
well-dressed lady. He could not recognize her. But on inquiry, he knew she was
Poornima. After a gap of 23 years, she had come to see her supposed father—she,
now a doctor (MBBS, MD). Both are happy for the old/ageing man. Poornima, as a
daughter, is no more than a God-sent angel to assist and serve.
Another simple and
straightforward tale, "Narendran’s
Destiny" narrates the quandary of a farmer, diabetic with one leg
amputated, and an ultimatum notice from a nationalized bank for loan dues of
525,582 rupees. Both his wife, Rekha, and daughter, Sapna, woeful as they are,
ruminate over consulting the Kerala C. M. or their relatives. They already have
some money but not the whole loan amount. Their growing fear of land/house
confiscation reveals psychological trauma. It reaches the point of crisis when
the Bank Manager with a police escort arrives to confiscate their possessions.
"A friend in need is a friend indeed"—this epigram proves true. Their
neighbor, Narendran’s classmate Akbar, who works in Kuwait, appears meanwhile
to oust the sorrow of the family by handing over a cheque for 3 lakh rupees
because of the waived interest. He additionally hands over 10,000 rupees to
Narendran for their well-being and healthiness before leaving for Kuwait. The
end looks usual/familiar, encouraging a new deliberate partnership.
"Vikas The Butcher" is fictitiously based on irrational beliefs and haunting
superstitions. Vikas and his four-member family seem truncated and in saturnine
dispositions. They are all resolved to get rid of their vocation. There are
events like the escape of a large buck from the butcher’s knife and Vikas being
hit by a truck passing through the road. Recovered as he is, Vikas, possessed
of his love for the cows and the Gaushala, soon jettisons his slaughtering business
and joins to serve the cows in the Gaushala at Haryana.
"If There is a Will…" has a traditional story pattern which opens the event on April
23, World Book Day. A Government School is celebrating the day by organizing a
meeting presided over by the District Collector. His speech gives impetus to
the students who listen to him raptly. He narrates his own story: how in his
school days he was spoiled by drug users in his class and how he overcame the
situation at home and at school. His speech closes with a student who serves as
his mouthpiece to justify the aphorism, "Where there is a will, there is a
way," and half of the title as well.
"Who is to be Blamed?"—a mixture of fact and fiction, is admirable in both thematic
construct and structural sound. Simple-hearted Majid, a Muslim by birth, and
his Hindu wife, Saritha, as a bond of love, have a son and a daughter—Salim and
Bindu. The school where they study has organized a tour program. Besides giving
permission, their parents also accompany them to the school for a final
see-off. It is monsoon season. One night, when Majid and Saritha, in the
absence of their children, were sleeping, unaware of the impending peril, a
series of tragic landslides transpired. They, along with 420 people dead, 397
injured, and 118 missing, were reported to be nowhere. It was a huge calamity,
so much publicized, even aired and broadcast. Meanwhile, the school bus comes
back to shelter in relief camps set up by government agencies and the NDRF.
Ravindran and Sangeeta are both professors without children. They view the
tragic news of the landslides on TV and immediately leave for the relief camps,
remit 1 lakh rupees to the C. M. relief fund, and after completing the
formalities of adoption, take Salim and Bindu to their house at
Thiruvananthapuram.
The last story of this collection, being
humanistic, narrates instructively the tale of Radha and Resmi (“Radha and Resmi”). There is no
conflict, and events occur in a harmonious/agreeable way to resolve whatever
adversities Resmi undergoes with her mother-in-law and daughter, Shruti. Each
and every time, Resmi candidly admits her own family’s teething troubles before
her mistress, Dr. Radha, the gynecologist. Radha, affluent as she is, in turn
rewards Resmi always more than her needs. Shruti has got the employment of
Lower Divisional Clerk in the Revenue Department at Kottayam Municipality.
Besides, she has qualified for a B.Com with 80% marks. Dr. Prakash and Dr.
Radha’s daughter, Twinkle, after passing MBBS, got employment as a doctor in
the hospital at Kottayam. The doctor’s family was happy, and Resmi’s family
days also flowed smoothly for months and years. Now, the task of marrying their
daughter, Twinkle, was foremost before Dr. Prakash and Dr. Radha. They looked
for a suitable groom through a matrimonial agency and settled Twinkle’s
marriage. Resmi, too, chose a groom for her daughter, who was a teacher in a
government school. At Dr. Prakash’s behest, Twinkle and Shruti’s wedding date
was fixed. They were married together at the Kottayam Sree Kishna Temple on 10th
May. Dr. Prakash and Dr. Radha appeared as Messiahs to all the guests present
there, besides their dearly loved maid, Resmi.
Conclusion
To sum up, the short
story is a significant vehicle for exploring contemporary identity/reality:
contemporaneity—as evinced by the above-mentioned scrutiny of all 25 stories
truncated together from Tales of Ethos. These tales, being traits
of modern short fiction, altogether capture the complexities or simplicities of
a globalizing nation, besides remaining rooted in the Indian social landscape,
in the changing and urbanizing pace of Kerala’s history.
Characterized by a
diversity of themes, such as love, power, identity, justice, coming of age, the
struggle between right and wrong, survival, betrayal, and freedom, K. V.
Dominic’s short fiction, instead of clogging the story with too many ideas,
concentrates on a few central themes to maintain clarity, coherence, comfort,
and concord. There are a few stories wherein the narrator leaves some questions
unanswered so as to create space for reflection and thought. The unexpected
turn of events gives an effective, more powerful, and graphic twist to the
choice of the protagonist’s action, and he resolves the conflict
instantaneously to sprinkle subtle clues all through the narrative. All praise
goes to the author for creating such powerful, thought-provoking, and
entertaining tales.