Identity and Selfhood in Kamala Das’s “Punishment in Kindergarten” and “An Introduction”

Abstract

The research examines how Kamala Das uses her poetry to explore the theme of identity and selfhood through her two essential works Punishment in Kindergarten and An Introduction. The two poems provide a personal view of the poet's life, which shows how she progressed from being a silent child to a woman who proudly displays her unique identity. The poem Punishment in Kindergarten describes an experience from the past when the speaker experienced public shame because his silence showed his complete powerlessness and emotional suffering. The poem An Introduction establishes itself as a declaration of independence which enables the speaker to exceed both gender limitations and societal expectations. The poem shows the poet's desire to create her identity through personal methods which lead to her choice of nonconformity and unrestricted artistic expression. The research paper demonstrates how Kamala Das uses the study to show her path from weakness to strength through her life experiences which shape her poetry. The study investigates how the two works create different emotional experiences through their use of pictures and words which bring out the emotional journey from nostalgic feelings in the first poem to the bold rebelliousness present in the second one. The study shows how Kamala Das uses her poetry to express herself while using it as a method to reclaim her identity from the control of male society.  

Keywords: Confessional Poetry, Identity, Selfhood, Childhood Trauma, Feminist Assertion