Catholic Mother by Eunice D'Souza - Summary and Analysis

        The “Catholic Mother” by Eunice D’Souza is a poem about a mother. But if we closely examine the poem, we could hardly get any description of her or any details pertaining to her character. The title is ironically used here as the primary focus of the poem and the majority of the lines in the poem’s length are solely dedicated to the father.

              The poem begins with the description of the father, who is cleverly named Father X D’Souza. By naming him X, he can symbolically be representing anybody or any group(s) of people. The second line reveals that he is the father of the year and hoarding of his photo and name are placed everywhere. He has a big smile on his face, indicative of the pride that he takes in his ‘achievement’. It is later revealed that he is been felicitated to have fathered 7 children in 7 years. And he says in pride that,

“we are one big happy family”

 Here, Mr. X is speaking on behalf of the family and he is being rewarded for fathering 7 children in 7 years but nobody is bothered about the mother. The mother who bore these 7 children one after the other. The physical and mental toll on her is not even slightly mentioned anywhere in the poem and this approach of the poet is successful in exposing the extent of deep-rooted patriarchy in Indian society where even if the woman rightfully deserves to be credited the men do not leave any opportunity to steal the credit.

 

                Later, the father says,

“God always provides”

                Meaning, it is the duty of the god to provide for these children as these are gifts from him.

             

               The father also comments on the family planning measures introduced by the Indian government to control the rapid expansion of India’s population. The father criticises these policies of the government and is cursing the government that the country will suffer for its wicked ways. He also criticises the Hindu population of India saying that they do not have ethics. This explains the conservative attitude and prejudice of Mr. X against people of other faith.

 

               In the following stanza, it is portrayed how Father X is being held high by the parish priest who calls him the pillar of the church, and the Mother superior who says he has a lovely catholic family. These remarks of the priest and mother superior might have larger significance considering the minority status of Christianity in India and the Christian missionary’s quest to always expand their religion and perhaps Mr X by fathering 7 children has done a great service pertaining to their cause.

           But behind all this agenda and celebration, the mother, or the pillar’s wife as she is referred to in the poem, says nothing. The men or the people in authority in this poem have taken the mother for granted. Nobody has asked her whether or not she wanted to have as many as 7 children. Her consent perhaps is not an area of concern for anybody.

 

           The final line of the poem (“the pillar’s wife, says nothing.”) is especially effective and hard-hitting because of the lines that precede it. Until then, there’s not a single detail of the mother mentioned in the poem. The father is rewarded for being dutiful towards his religion and having 7 children. But the woman who actually bore these 7 lives is completely forgotten as though she did not have any part in it.

              the mother says nothing because maybe she is not allowed to say anything. Maybe she has never said anything before. This is indicative of the patriarchal mindset of the society where the women who roughly constitute half of the population have no right to speak for themselves.

 

            It is also interesting to note how in the final lines the mother is referred to as. She is referred to as the “Pillar’s wife” – as though being Mr. X’s wife is the only identity she has. This also comments on the lack of opportunity or freedom the women have to establish themselves and have their own identities.

 

            Overall, Catholic Mother is a short yet very powerful poem that can be debated over and over again. It talks about the deep-rooted and problematic attitude of society towards women and the urgent need to reform it.