“Reading Vaidehi’s Vasudeva’s Family: Asprushyaru Through the Lens of Food”

Abstract

Vaidehi’sVasudeva’s Family: Asprushyaru is another novel that draws attention tohegemony through food. The novel subtly unfolds the practice of Untouchability. Parthakka,Vasudeva’s widowed sister lives with his family, as she refuses to live with her son, who hasmarried an untouchable woman. Vaudeva’s son Sheena is a radical thinker who supportsParthakka’s son Bhaskara, who has married a low caste (Koosa) woman. His other children toothink for themselves and question the traditional beliefs and practices. Though he belongs to the older generation, Vasudevaraya too is known for radical thinking. For instance, he drinks coffee with a low caste officer who comes to meet him at his house. Vasudeva too admires Bhaskara and is fond of Bhaskara’s rational ways of dealing with things, but he is obliged not to hurt the sentiments of Parthakka. The story ends with Vasudevaraya bringing Parthakka’s daughter-in-law Kumudhini, who is a pregnant to his house as Bhaskara has been arrested. The narrative is interspersed with the binaries of purity and pollution delineating the discriminatory practices perpetuating untouchability.