The Crow Eaters by Bapsi Sidhwa

 
Bapsi Sidhwa belongs to India, Pakistan and United Nation. She likes to be called as a Punjabi-Pakistani-Parsi woman. She started writing at the age of twenty-six, like many other unknown writers. Bapsi Sidhwa was born in an eminent Parsi family of Karachi in 1939. Her first two novels The Bride and The Crow Eaters bought her recognition. She is one of the most promising English novelists from South Asia. She was awarded the Sitara-i-Imtiaz by the government of Pakistan and the National award for English literature by the Pakistan Academy of Letters in 1991. She is the first English writer in Pakistan to receive international acclaim.
She is a prominent writer of diaspora of Pakistan. As a writer of Parsi origin, Sidhwa deals with ethnic identity. She has talked about the problems of being native of an alien land and suffering identity crisis. She has taken up the issue of cultural differences and also discussed problems arising out of it in her novel The Crow Eaters. Randhir Pratap Singh in his book Bapsi Sidhwa concludes “The Crow Eaters has influenced not only a new generation of Parsi writers but also many Indian and Pakistani writers who are introducing Parsi characters in their work more freely” (Singh 86).
Sidhwa writes about the Parsi community because she is born into that community and knows about beliefs, customs and psyche of people belonging to her community. Bapsi Sidhwa in her novel “The Crow Eaters” has given information about the customs, ceremonies, beliefs, superstitions, rites, rituals, myth, legends and various other aspects related to Parsi life. Overall, she has tried to show a different aspect of Parsis life in her novel. She tries to familiarize the non-parsi world with the parsis ways of life, their faith and values. She is successful in preserving Parsi community way of life and traditions through her literary works. She says “Because of a deep-rooted admiration for my diminishing community – and an enormous affection for it – this work of fiction has been a labour of love” (Sidhwa) This is her first novel which reveals the Parsi community achievements like despite being a tiny community, it has managed to survive and prosper without losing identity.
In the novel The Crow Eaters, the title refers to the crow which symbolizes high pitched garrulousness of the Parsis. It was the limited status of a minority community like Parsis which forced them to pay homage to the Britishers. The main protagonist Fardeeon’s views represent Parsi compromise as they were loyal to land, they inhabit and adopt whichever culture. Faredoon Junglewalla leaves his ancestral village in the central India, with his wife Putli, mother-in-law Jerbanoo and infant daughter Hutoxi to seek fortune in the pastures of Punjab. Faredoon has ultimate aim to get wealth and status. He is ambitious and influential man. Sidhwa has presented the marginal personality aspect within the Parsi milieu. The Paris wanted to gain protection from the ruling British authority by being loyal to them. This is exactly what is conveyed in this novel. Freddy took every opportunity to demonstrate his loyalty to Britishers. Loyalty and faithfulness towards the ruler are a feature of Parsis.
The Crow Eater is a study of Parsi value systems and customs. Parsis are strict follower of religious teachings, which can be seen through characters of Putli and Jerbanoo. Sidhwa’s works depict the Parsi identity through traditional dress or costumes. It can be noticed that Faredoon and his family took pride in their traditional costumes but the new generation of Parsis like Behram and Tanya discarded it. Bapsi has also portrayed the changing generations in the Junglewala family. For example, the new generation becomes increasingly westernized.