The Sacred Turtles of Kandavu A Fijian Legend 1. What is a legend? A legend is a very old story or set of stories from ancient times about famous events or persons. These stories are not always true . 2. Where does the story “The Scared Turtles of Kandavu” take place? The legend of the sacred turtles of Kandavu takes place in the Fijian island of Namuana. 3. Fiji: Fiji, a country in the South Pacific, is an archipelago (group of islands) of more than 300 islands. It's famed for rugged landscapes, palm-lined beaches and coral reefs with clear lagoons. 4. How, according to the legend, did the warriors of Kadavu save themselves a long journey by sea? The Fijian islands are surrounded by sea. The legends says that the warriors of Kadavu saved the time for a long journey by sea, by sliding their canoes on rollers up over the narrow neck of land. 5. What is the strange custom observed by the women of Namuana? The women of Namuan
Character
Sketch of Nomita
Nomita
in the story Matchbox written
by Ashapurna Debi is a typical Indian housewife who is bound to sacrifice many
of her ambitions and hopes and be enslaved in the kitchen. Ashapurna Debi
portrays her colorless – without the hues of a happy life. Her widowed
mother thinks that she is successful in consigning her daughter to a rich
family which is not on the merit of finance but by looks alone. Nomita
expects a minimum freedom of reading the letters addressed to her. Her
husband seems to be dubious about the letters when he tries to read it
without her consent.
It
is true what Ashapurna Debi says about Nomita and women in general that
they are like matchboxes settled at the corners of the house with their
hidden power to explode at any time. Nomita follows the example of a
matchbox and she burns with anger when she is helpless. To break the
shackles of marital slavery she is ready to kill herself. Again, she is
depicted as a meek innocent woman who smiles in front of others when a
volcano is burning inside her. She can tear off the mask of her husband’s
large heartedness, but she doesn’t. Thus, she proves to be a prototype of
an Indian woman who is meek as a lamb.
Character
Sketch of Ajit.
Ajit, in the story
Matchbox by Ashapurna Debi, is the husband of Nomita. He belongs to a rich
joint family. He married Nomita, a member of a poor family, just because of her
beauty. He often makes fun of her family and her old mother. He has a habit of
reading letters that come for his wife. Nomita does not like this. She had told
him many times not to open letters addressed to her. Her taking offence, anger,
or trying to shame him is of no use. This ugly habit of his won’t go. When
Nomita questions him about the letter from her mother, he tries to laugh it
away. He did not like sending money to her mother. During their arguments Ajit
uses harsh words against Nomita, scorns her poverty and calls her a dung
picker’s daughter. He is offended when she calls him a common vulgar
man. He knows that Nomita is not a physical threat. That is why he
asks her what she can do. He did not expect Nomita to set fire to her sari. He
is frightened. He puts out the fire but is afraid of the fire that is burning
in her eyes. He is the typical Indian husband who like to dominate his wife,
insensitive to her feelings and emotions.