Broken Images | Class 12 English Notes

Manjula Nayak’s Television Monologue: The Speech

The play begins with Manjula Nayak entering a television studio to deliver a speech. She is a Kannada short-story writer who has recently gained international fame by writing her first novel in English, titled 'The River Has No Memories.' This novel became a bestseller worldwide, earning her significant financial success and media attention.

Manjula's speech is a candid and personal address to the audience, where she confronts the criticism she has faced for choosing to write in English instead of Kannada. She explains that the novel came to her in English spontaneously, and she did not consciously choose to 'betray' her mother tongue. She expresses frustration at the intellectuals and critics who accuse her of writing in English for money or for foreign audiences, pointing out the hypocrisy and jealousy underlying these accusations.

She also shares the emotional inspiration behind her novel—the life of her younger sister Malini, who was physically disabled and confined to a wheelchair. Manjula cared for her sister during her final years, and the novel is dedicated to Malini's memory. This personal revelation adds depth to Manjula's character and highlights the emotional core of her work.

Throughout the monologue, Manjula balances humor, defiance, and vulnerability. She acknowledges the challenges of writing in English and the loneliness of her creative journey but remains proud of her achievements and her Kannada roots. The speech sets up the central themes of the play: language politics, cultural identity, personal loss, and the complexities of artistic expression in a multilingual society.

📊 Diagram: Figure 9.1 Girish Karnad

🔗 Connection: This section leads into the surreal interaction between Manjula and her image, where the internal conflicts and societal pressures are dramatized through a dialogue.