Towpath by Imtiaz Dharker

By King Meera -
  • journey
  • experiences more important than the quest
  • changing source of water
  • static to fluid
  • very strong rural metaphor
  • binary of urban and rural - great divide
  • fluidity of identities
  • canal far away - takes all day to reach
  • urban sights near the canal, but as they return to the village, the city's parks and kids and balloons are left behind
  • empty hopes - children supposedly represent freedom but are not free; children are victims. Social norms, rules, expectations, roles and identities are forced onto them - bequeathed onto them. All other "claimants" to this inheritance have stepped aside - naturally. Who would want such an inheritance
  • "Our steps the only steps." - No one else walks their path 
  • <In Frost's The Road Not Taken, he doesn't say whether it was the right choice taking the road not taken, just that it has made all the difference. Likewise here we mustn't ever assume that on an individual level, the move from urban to rural is the best option.>
  • "landmarks we do not recognize" - changing landscape (new buildings)
  • "Still, between the cobbled banks, /cradled by bare branches /we know we will be safe." Regardless of the challenges they will face on this path, they think it is the right choice and that it will lead to a better life. 
feminist perspective: rural women moving away from expected roles

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