The novel “Cry the Peacock” is written by the famous Indian female writer Kiran Desai and it was originally published in 1963. Cry the Peacock is Kiran Desai’s first novel and it was awarded the Sahitya Akademi Award in 1963.
CRY THE PEACOCK BY ANITA DESAI
Summary of Cry the Peacock By Anita Desai
Anita Desai’s “Cry the Peacock” revolves around a girl named Maya, the daughter of Rai Saheb, a well-known lawyer in Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh. Maya comes from a very wealthy family; she has a brother, Arjun, who lives in the United States to complete his graduate studies. Maya is Rai Saheb’s beloved daughter; Rai Saheb spends all his time with her. He always tries to fulfill her every wish, no matter what, and always takes care of her.
Maya’s mother passed away a long time ago, and since then, her father has been everything to her, caring for her like a mother. Now, a new character named Gautam enters the story, a good and very loyal friend of Maya’s father, who sometimes behaves arrogantly. Due to the significant age difference, Maya and Gautam have very different perspectives, yet her father arranges her marriage to Gautam.
Gautam is a spiritual man, while Maya is a materialistic woman, and being much older than her, he is unable to satisfy her in bed. Before marriage, Maya was a very cheerful and happy woman, but after marriage, her life becomes hell because Gautam neither takes care of her nor pays her full attention.
New characters enter the story: Gautam’s mother and sister, who visit their home once a week, sometimes once a month. Whenever they visit Maya’s house, Maya finds some relief from her loneliness and sadness. Problems begin when Maya’s pet dog, Toto, dies, leaving her completely depressed. However, Gautam sees no big deal in this, believing it’s just a dog that he can easily replace with another.
As the story progresses, we learn that Maya falls into depression because she is looking for someone who can care for her and give her full attention. Like every girl, Maya had dreams and expectations from her husband, but all her dreams died with Gautam, who neither cares for her nor provides her with the basic pleasures of every married woman. As the monsoon season approaches, every peacock cries and dances in the rain to attract male peacocks. Whenever Maya sees a peacock dancing, she finds herself in the position of a peacock yearning for a mate.
The author believes that only women can understand the pain of other women, but Maya’s mother passed away a long time ago, so she has no one to share her painful stories with, which she cannot share with her father. She longs for someone who can care for her, someone with whom she can share all her pain and other stories.
The story now shifts to Maya’s past life, where, before her marriage, she consulted an astrologer who predicted that four years after her marriage, a family member would die, causing Maya great sadness as she believed her own death would occur four years after her marriage.
The story now returns to the present, where Maya goes to the rooftop of her house with her husband. They talk for a while, but suddenly she pushes Gautam off the rooftop, killing him instantly. She frees herself from her arrogant husband, who was unworthy of her from the very beginning of their marriage. Later, Gautam’s mother and sister arrive and send Maya back to her father’s home.
The novel concludes with Maya’s father sending her to a mental hospital for mental health care.