The Deliverer
Tishani Doshi
The verb ‘collect’ reduces the children to disposable objects,
showing how they are ostracised and neglected by society. The
Our Lady Of The Light Convent, Kerala blunt, unadorned declarative suggests the nuns do not form a
connection with the children. It is ambiguous as to whether the
speaker is the adopted child or the sibling.
Pejorative terms in this list of three shows how the children are
The sister here is telling my mother considered worthless. They are categorised and dismissed due to
physical imperfection and have no individual identity. A feminist
How she came to collect children critic might argue that ‘girls’ being ostracised is indicative of an
Because they were crippled or dark or girls. archaic, patriarchal value system.
The verb ‘found’ trivialises the children, suggesting they are rescued on pure
chance; there is not plan or method. As well as emphasising the children’s
physical vulnerability, the adjective ‘naked’ symbolises how they possess no
culture or identity, further showing how they are ostracised by society.
Found naked in the streets,
Covered in garbage, stuffed in bags, The verbs ‘covered’ and ‘stuffed’ show how the children are completely
disregarded and marginalised; these words also suggest acts of repression as
Abandoned at their doorstep. if the children have been hidden/pushed away.
The children have been completely deserted and are devoid of nurture. This
suggests it was an active choice to abandon them, revealing a lack of compassion
and callous disregard for the intrinsic value of human life.
One of them was dug up by a dog,
The children are so unrecognisable that even a dog cannot
Thinking the head barely poking above the ground distinguish between objects and human; they are completely
outcast from society. The harsh velar plosive ‘g’ sounds mirror
Was bone or wood, something to chew. the bleakness of the children’s reality. ‘Bone’ and ‘wood’ further
dehumanises them. Blunt, unadorned words such as ‘dug’ and
‘chew’ further reinforces the harsh brutalty of their reality.
Deeply disturbing; symbolises the children’s marginalisation –
This is the one my mother will bring. they are side-lined in society.
This one-line stanza could be read positively, signalling a new life for her.
Alternatively, it could be read negatively with the one line and the impersonal
*** pronoun ‘one’ suggesting the absence of a tangible bond or the formation of a
relationship. This declarative is unadorned and has no emotion and description.
If the speaker is the adopted girl herself, this enacts her detachment with the
entire process. Alternatively, if the speaker is the adopted sibling the unadorned
Milwaukee Airport, USA declarative suggests she is not welcoming – the vague/impersonal pronoun
‘one’ shows that she is not noticing the child’s identity.
The parents wait at the gates. ‘Ceremony’ and ‘tradition’ have quasi-religious
connotations; this is ironic as the foster parents cannot
They are American so they know about ceremony
understand the girl’s culture or upbringing.
And tradition, about doing things right.
The consequential conjunction ‘so’ can be read as sarcastic – the adopted
child is mocking their egocentrism. Alternatively, this could be read positively
as the parents want to give the child a structured and nurturing upbringing.
Tishani Doshi
The verb ‘collect’ reduces the children to disposable objects,
showing how they are ostracised and neglected by society. The
Our Lady Of The Light Convent, Kerala blunt, unadorned declarative suggests the nuns do not form a
connection with the children. It is ambiguous as to whether the
speaker is the adopted child or the sibling.
Pejorative terms in this list of three shows how the children are
The sister here is telling my mother considered worthless. They are categorised and dismissed due to
physical imperfection and have no individual identity. A feminist
How she came to collect children critic might argue that ‘girls’ being ostracised is indicative of an
Because they were crippled or dark or girls. archaic, patriarchal value system.
The verb ‘found’ trivialises the children, suggesting they are rescued on pure
chance; there is not plan or method. As well as emphasising the children’s
physical vulnerability, the adjective ‘naked’ symbolises how they possess no
culture or identity, further showing how they are ostracised by society.
Found naked in the streets,
Covered in garbage, stuffed in bags, The verbs ‘covered’ and ‘stuffed’ show how the children are completely
disregarded and marginalised; these words also suggest acts of repression as
Abandoned at their doorstep. if the children have been hidden/pushed away.
The children have been completely deserted and are devoid of nurture. This
suggests it was an active choice to abandon them, revealing a lack of compassion
and callous disregard for the intrinsic value of human life.
One of them was dug up by a dog,
The children are so unrecognisable that even a dog cannot
Thinking the head barely poking above the ground distinguish between objects and human; they are completely
outcast from society. The harsh velar plosive ‘g’ sounds mirror
Was bone or wood, something to chew. the bleakness of the children’s reality. ‘Bone’ and ‘wood’ further
dehumanises them. Blunt, unadorned words such as ‘dug’ and
‘chew’ further reinforces the harsh brutalty of their reality.
Deeply disturbing; symbolises the children’s marginalisation –
This is the one my mother will bring. they are side-lined in society.
This one-line stanza could be read positively, signalling a new life for her.
Alternatively, it could be read negatively with the one line and the impersonal
*** pronoun ‘one’ suggesting the absence of a tangible bond or the formation of a
relationship. This declarative is unadorned and has no emotion and description.
If the speaker is the adopted girl herself, this enacts her detachment with the
entire process. Alternatively, if the speaker is the adopted sibling the unadorned
Milwaukee Airport, USA declarative suggests she is not welcoming – the vague/impersonal pronoun
‘one’ shows that she is not noticing the child’s identity.
The parents wait at the gates. ‘Ceremony’ and ‘tradition’ have quasi-religious
connotations; this is ironic as the foster parents cannot
They are American so they know about ceremony
understand the girl’s culture or upbringing.
And tradition, about doing things right.
The consequential conjunction ‘so’ can be read as sarcastic – the adopted
child is mocking their egocentrism. Alternatively, this could be read positively
as the parents want to give the child a structured and nurturing upbringing.
