Critical Analysis and Summery of Advice to Women by Eunice de Souza | Advice to Women by Eunice de Souza: Summary, Themes, and Analysis | Best Analysis & Advance
Eunice de Souza is well known as a popular Indian English poet who speaks out for women in today’s world. She uses poetry as a way to show her protest and to point out the low status of women, hoping to change it. Sometimes she shares her own life experiences so that all women can relate to her. Her collections of poems include Fix (1979), Women in Dutch Painting (1988), Way of Belonging (1990), Selected and New Poems (1994), and many more.
Actually, women are always put in a secondary role in our society, even though they make up half of all human beings. Gender bias is very common, and women in India suffer at school, college, before marriage, and even after marriage because of their natural differences and a broken, imperfect society. In this setting, Eunice de Souza’s poetry shows the mixed feelings and the physical and mental place that women have in our community. She does not focus on one single woman but on the whole group of women, who are troubled, unstable, tormented, and confused.
In her poems, you can see that she cares a lot about women. She talks about the problems of being a mother, daughter, or wife, showing how each role has its own struggles. As a feminist poet, she writes about the lives of women in the Indian setting. In some poems, she gives advice about the roles women should play in society, and in others, she criticizes the mistakes women make that keep them under and reliant on men. In her poem "Advice to Women," she tries to make women aware of their hurts and the reasons behind them.
The poem is very short, just twelve lines of uneven length and with no fixed rhyme pattern. The poem begins in medias res, as if the poet was already talking about the main issue – the crisis women face when they are left in love – and now she is giving them a way out. The very first line is in a commanding tone: Keep cats. There is no clear subject in the sentence, so readers must understand it is meant for all women, as the title "Advice to Women" suggests.
Eunice de Souza starts her advice in a bold and confident way:
Readers are immediately surprised by this advice. It is clear that the poem deals with the strange behavior of lovers toward their beloved women. We expect a feminist poet to talk about the unfair condition of women both at home and in public life. Women are often left in love; they are held down, stripped of their right to speak up, and prevented from acting on their own desires. It is the basic duty of a feminist writer to fight for the equal rights of women and protest against all the unfairness. But in this poem, Eunice de Souza does not tell women to fight back against these wrongs. Instead, she advises them to keep cats as pets. This unexpected advice quickly draws the reader’s attention.
The first thing to look at is the word “otherness.” This word means a strange or changed behavior that is not expected from someone. It might be a situation when a woman feels unloved and lonely, whether her lover is near or far. According to typical feminist ideas, a woman should resist this kind of humiliation and usually be told to take a strong stand to force her lover to show his true feelings. But Eunice de Souza does not suggest that. She simply says, “Keep cats.” We should also pay attention to the word “cope with.” She tells women that they need to find a way to handle the strange behavior of their lovers, and one way to do this is by keeping cats at home. To “cope with” means to deal with something in a smart and effective way. In other words, the poet suggests that by caring for cats, women can better manage these difficult situations.
But why? Why doesn’t she suggest a strong verbal protest? Why propose such an odd idea? Does she think women have no other choice but to accept their situation with their lovers? Does she believe that women are less important than men and must always adjust to hardships? The reader’s curiosity grows with these questions. The poet continues by saying:
“Otherness is not always neglect”
This means she does not think that strange behavior always means ignoring or neglecting a partner. A lover can act in a different way without completely neglecting his beloved woman. Then the poet talks about cats again:
A “litter tray” is a small box filled with absorbent material where indoor cats go to do their business.
This raises a key question for the reader: What does a cat have to do with a woman’s sad situation? How does keeping cats help women deal with the strange behavior of their lovers?
To answer these, we need to ask another question – Why does the poet suggest keeping cats instead of dogs? What is special about cats as pets? Cats act in a very unique way. They have a certain grace and a proud attitude in the way they move, and they never become completely obedient to their owners. They follow their own impulses. To train a cat, its owner must have a lot of patience and persistence. In other words, cats are not as loyal as dogs. They need extra pampering, enjoy the comfort of home and a warm lap, but they never fully submit to their owner. So, in this poem, cats are a symbol for a unique kind of behavior. They show “otherness” in how they act time and again.
If women take care of cats at home, they will likely develop patience and perseverance. They will learn to face the unpredictable behavior of loved ones, because cats will become dear to them as pets. They will realize that cats will not always act the way they want. Slowly, this habit will create a sense of mutual independence in the relationship. According to Eunice de Souza, this inner change is essential for a woman to counteract the strange behavior of her lover. With this idea of being unfazed by a lover’s indifference, the poet stresses that “otherness is not always neglect” – as the woman sees that her pet cats do return “to their litter trays when they need to.” If we look deeply into the metaphor of returning to litter trays, we find that men are compared to pet cats in this part, and women are compared to caring but strong keepers of these cats. Just as cats must return to their litter trays when nature calls, men are also forced to return to their women to refresh themselves, both physically and mentally. A woman should have confidence during these moments and, perhaps, Eunice de Souza suggests that women use that moment to stand up to men in their own way, teaching them a proper lesson.
The metaphor of cats becomes even more interesting when the poet later advises women:
“Don’t cuss out of the window at their enemies”
Here, the tone shifts from sarcasm to a more serious note. In these final lines, she examines the problem on a deeper emotional level. Behind the symbol of cats, she continues discussing how to deal with the fickle nature of men. She tells women not to be angry at the outside forces that provoke these men (their enemies). Metaphorically, these “enemies” can be thought of as stray cats that are jealous of the comfortable life of pet cats. They try to disturb the peace of the home and make the pet cats behave wild. The owners cannot stop their pet cats from being themselves unless they really want to. This is because cats follow their own desires. The poet wants to make it clear that women should not get upset over the unpredictable behavior of their lovers or blame outside influences for these faults. Instead, they should draw on their experience with their pet cats. They should look into “those great eyes” of their cats. Cats have a “stare of perpetual surprise” in their bright green eyes. This phrase, “stare of perpetual surprise,” can be understood in several ways:
- It might refer to men, suggesting that men with deceitful hearts can wear an innocent look and act surprised when they are blamed. We know cats can be sneaky. Their wide open eyes never truly reveal what they feel, and they might even steal food at home. This is just their nature. Eunice de Souza indirectly compares men to these sly cats and warns women to be patient and firm, and not to let themselves be hurt by emotional manipulation.
- It might show an innocent side, as cats, even though they are instinctive, do need extra care from their owners. Their eyes sometimes show a demand without hiding it. Even if they are ignored, they will find a quiet spot and wait, still hopeful to be noticed. Their green eyes, with that stare of constant surprise, always look up at their owner. This persistent, never-giving-up attitude teaches women a lesson.
- It might point to a deeper truth. The shared memories and promises between two people carry a similar “stare of perpetual surprise.” Women often carry most of the weight in these relationships as they try to hold onto the bond and survive, even when faced with empty promises about the future.
The poet ends the poem with an all-knowing message:
Whatever the true meaning of “that stare of perpetual surprise” is, it makes a woman realize that she may end up living a life where she is alone, even if her lover is there—because he wears a fake “stare of perpetual surprise” in front of her genuine hopeful one, leaving their relationship orphaned by that same stare.
One could see the poem as a gloomy one since it ends with “to die alone,” suggesting a lonely life and a forgotten death for women. But that line has its own strength. It carries a message to be unique and independent. Everyone dies alone, and though it sounds eerie, it is the basic truth. Eunice de Souza hits that universal note. Women should break free from the false security of patriarchal shelter. They should feel individual and become self-reliant, not depending on any emotional support from others. Life comes with many responsibilities that one must meet. Women should not become too emotionally tied to relationships, just like cats do not.
Eunice de Souza's other famous works include:
- Fix" (1979): This poetry collection is known for its bold and incisive exploration of various themes, including relationships, gender dynamics, and societal expectations.
- "Women in Dutch Painting" (1988): Another acclaimed poetry collection, it showcases de Souza's keen observations on art, culture, and the portrayal of women in Dutch paintings.
- "Dangerlok" (2001): This novel by Eunice de Souza is a work of fiction that delves into the complexities of human relationships and identity. It received positive reviews for its narrative depth.
- "Selected and New Poems" (1994): This collection compiles some of her best poems, offering readers a comprehensive view of her poetic style and thematic concerns.