The Faces Of The Dead

Subrabharrathimanian's Novel!
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------ R Balakrishnan --------

Subraharathimanians fictions palpatitate with passion for the poor and the marginalised based on the Tiruppur of 15,000crores rupees export town,Tamil nadu and related settings they deal with lives of migrant and unorganised workers and probably children, their plight etc.., This novel "Faces of the Dead" is a translation of his "pinakalin mughankal"in tamil. this work is thematised on how the strong, physical components of the body of the children are exploited by various, especially the hardcore labour system... Male ones are given jobs which are more for their capacity and female ones are sexually too exploited. Their parents are from a community of descendents who have neither anyform of possessions nor meaning behind their lives.These helpless ones are thrown into a space where the thoughtless plundering of the natural resourses take place from sunrise to sunset. Kanagu, senthil, devaki, veni, poorani are all central charaters of this novel, children they are in the beginning of their teens but are exposed the nearbig atire which never suit to. Instead of their dreams or even a persuit of heigher education they are exposed to hard working conditions- as their families need their salary. The Tamil original has been translated into English by R.Balakrishnan, a poet and an English lecturer.

Kanagu and senthil are packed up, leave their school after the last working day. Kanagu has a dream to pursue higher education, wherever senthil belongs to a still poorer family wants to take up an errand job after holidays. Kanagu's father finds his job work in weaving indoldrum and gets difficult to make up both the ends meet. Hence Kanagu is forced to take up a small job at a nearby textile unit. Poorani is one such a ward, though interested in learning she finds it difficult to make herself comfortable in huge schools. The teachers too are seemingly threatening. She believes a job would bail out her from her troubles; so also her family, sheis given a small job of taking care of a mentally disturbed women Meenakshi. When days role by she finds how difficult it is to do a job instead of leaving Kanagu and Senthil find their pockets swell with a bit of money earned through hard work.., they spend lavishly, learn to smoke and drink too. Senthil develops a feeling for one of his colleagues in the mill, Devaki though she is older than him. she is a migrant from downsouth. Yet he got appalled in a situation after finding that she is sexual exploit of the mill owners,. the agonies of Meenakshi grow more and totally it results in sending out poorani from the job. Meanwhile the city is targeted with a terrorist attack, bombs serially exploidng everywhere hit the normal life and people lose jobs too as the city's economy is badly affected. This is the time perhaps Poorani may leave the town to find an another job, leaving her affectionate family at a tender age. There is an abandoned house, find a space a wide canvas of this novel which is probabily a place meant for illegal activities and brothel. Fire burns this small edifice and the story ends up into an epic setting burning.

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