Analysis of Ice Candy Man by Bapsi Sidhwa
Have you ever wondered how women experienced the partition of India and Pakistan in 1947? How did they cope with the violence, exploitation, and oppression that resulted from the political and religious turmoil? In this essay, I will argue that Ice Candy Man is a novel that portrays the complex and tragic consequences of partition on women, minorities, and children, and how they cope with violence, oppression, and identity crisis.
Bapsi Sidhwa’s novel Ice-Candy-Man is a realistic narrative, set in Lahore. The story takes up the themes of communal tensions using religion as a way to define individual identity, territorial cravings, political oppressions, power and love, and binds them together in a very readable narrative. The novel revolves around people from diverse religious backgrounds—Muslims,
Hindu, Sikh, and Parsee—living in complete harmony till the rumours of the sub-continent’s imminent division tear them asunder. The novel is narrated by Lenny, a young Parsi girl who suffers from polio and lives in Lahore with her affluent family. Lenny's narration starts in her fifth year and ends after her eighth birthday. She says "I am four years old when I first become conscious of my shadow" (p.1) and "I am eight years old when I see my mother cry for the first time" (p. 201). Lenny's passionate love for Ayah and the loss of innocence that accompanies their changing relationship through partition is an energetic centre of the plot. The tale revolves around Ayah and her several suitors of different religions and cultural backgrounds, and what becomes of them interestingly enough.
One of the major themes of Ice Candy Man is the role of women in society and how they are affected by partition. Sidhwa shows how women are subjected to various forms of violence, exploitation, and oppression by men who use religion as an excuse to justify their actions. Women are also seen as symbols of honour or dishonour for their communities and are often kidnapped, raped, mutilated, or killed during the riots. For example, Ayah, Lenny's Hindu nanny who attracts many admirers from different faiths, is gang-raped by a mob led by Ice-Candy-Man, one of her former lovers who becomes a fanatic Muslim after his family is killed in Gurdaspur. Ice-Candy-Man then forces Ayah to marry him and takes her to Hiramandi, the red-light district of Lahore, where he becomes a pimp. Ayah has now a new name, Mumtaz. She represents the thousands of women who were abducted and forced into prostitution or marriage during the partition.
However, Sidhwa also shows how women are not only victims but also agents of change in a turbulent time. She shows how women use their strength, courage, intelligence, compassion, and creativity to survive and resist the patriarchal system. Women also support each other and form bonds of solidarity across religious and cultural differences. For example, Lenny's mother transforms into a social worker who helps the victims of the riots. Along with Lenny's Electric Aunt, who is a feminist and a rebel, she provides people with petrol who want to cross the border and helps the raped and exploited women. She also supports Lenny's education and encourages her to pursue her dreams. Lenny's Godmother is another strong and independent woman who defies the norms of society and runs her own business. She also rescues Ayah from the brothel with the help of her contacts and moves her to a camp for recovered women near Lenny's bungalow.
Another theme of Ice Candy Man is the impact of partition on minorities and children. Sidhwa shows how minorities such as Parsees are caught in a dilemma between loyalty to the British Raj or support for Swaraj (self-rule). They are also afraid of being marginalized or persecuted by the dominant communities after independence. For example,
Col. Bharucha warns his fellow Parsees to stay out of trouble and not to get involved in the political conflict between Hindus and Muslims. He says "Hindus,
Muslims and even Sikhs are going to jockey for power and if you jokers jump into the middle you will be mangled into chutney" (p.36). Sidhwa also shows how children are affected by the violence and chaos that surround them. They lose their innocence and security and witness the horrors of human nature. For example, Lenny is haunted by nightmares of a hungry lion that symbolizes the predatory and savage nature of human beings that is unleashed by the partition, as well as the fear and vulnerability of the innocent victims, such as Lenny and Ayah. She also sees the destruction and the killing of people from different faiths, and how her friends and family are changed by the partition. For example, Ice-Candy-Man becomes a religious fanatic and a pimp, Imam Din loses his entire family in Pir Pindo, Ranna survives a massacre in his village, and Hamida is rejected by her family after being raped.
Sidhwa also uses various symbols and metaphors to convey the themes of the novel. For example, the ice candy that Ice-Candy-Man sells is a metaphor for the false promises and illusions that politicians offer to the people during the partition. The ice candy melts and has no substance, just like the political slogans and propaganda that create division and hatred among the people. The lion that Lenny dreams of is a symbol of the violence and fear that pervades the novel. The lion breaks loose from the zoo and attacks Lenny, just like the people break loose from their civilized norms and attack each other during the riots. The train that brings dead bodies from Gurdaspur is a symbol of the horror and tragedy of partition. The train carries corpses of Muslims who have been butchered by Hindus and Sikhs, with only two bags of women's breasts as a sign of their brutal rape. Ice-Candy-Man describes this scene as "A train from Gurdaspur has just come in... Everyone is dead. Butchered. They are all Muslims. There are no young women among the dead. Only two gunny bags full of women’s breasts" (p.149).
The novel raises an issue that is always of serious concern for both countries. Sidhwa's treatment of the subject is so fresh and refreshing that this dark and sordid tale of partition turns into a powerful truth-telling narrative. It is a powerful account of independence that includes a cast of characters—Muslim, Hindu, Christian, Parsee, and Sikh. Sidhwa's portrayal of men as perpetrators of dreadful outrage, and women as sufferers and saviors confirmed her feminine perspective on partition and independence. She also challenges the stereotypes and prejudices that are often associated with different communities and shows their complexity and diversity. She also criticizes the role of Gandhi as a tricky politician who failed to prevent or stop the violence. She depicts him through Lenny's eyes as an "Improbable toss-up between a clown and a demon" (p.91). The novel closes with Ayah's departure for Amritsar followed by a harmless Ice Candy Man.
Ayah is restored to her family in Amritsar. Beaten and defeated, Ice-Candy-Man follows her across the Wagah border to Amritsar with no glimmer of hope of ever being reunited with her.
He seems to have lost interest in the world, as he has lost the love of his life. He has also realized the futility and cruelty of his actions and the pain and suffering he has caused to others. He has no purpose or direction in his life, and he wanders aimlessly in a foreign land. He is a broken man, who has nothing left to live for.
In conclusion, Ice Candy Man is a novel that portrays the complex and tragic consequences of partition on women, minorities, and children, and how they cope with violence, oppression, and identity crisis. Sidhwa uses the perspective of Lenny, a young Parsi girl who suffers from polio, to narrate the events and characters of the novel. She shows how women are subjected to various forms of violence, exploitation, and oppression by men who use religion as an excuse to justify their actions. She also shows how women use their strength, courage, intelligence, compassion, and creativity to survive and resist the patriarchal system. Women also support each other and form bonds of solidarity across religious and cultural differences. Sidhwa also shows how minorities such as Parsees are caught in a dilemma between loyalty to the British Raj or support for Swaraj (self-rule). They are also afraid of being marginalized or persecuted by the dominant communities after independence. Sidhwa also shows how children are affected by the violence and chaos that surround them. They lose their innocence and security and witness the horrors of human nature. Sidhwa also uses various symbols and metaphors to convey the themes of the novel, such as the ice candy, the lion, and the train. The novel raises an issue that is always of serious concern for both countries. Sidhwa's treatment of the subject is so fresh and refreshing that this dark and sordid tale of partition turns into a powerful truth-telling narrative. She also challenges the stereotypes and prejudices that are often associated with different communities and shows their complexity and diversity. She also criticizes the role of Gandhi as a tricky politician who failed to prevent or stop the violence. The novel ends on a hopeful note, as women strive to rebuild their lives and heal their wounds.
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