GOAT DAYS

GOAT DAYS. Content Immigrant experiences in cultural phenomena Analysis of B enyamin’s goat days conclusion.

Immigrant experiences in cultural phenomena. Migration from Kerala to the Gulf has been a decade old phenomena, beginning in 1960’s when the P ersian gulf called the labour for its oil wells. When first Kerala migration survey was conducted in 1988 m alayalee immigrants stood at 1.4 million and by 2004 there where 2.4 million emigrants. Migrant experiences have coloured malayalee flims and literature since it became a phenomena in early 60’s EXAMPLES :- Dubai kathu paatu (letter songs)-1970’s Vilkannundu Swapnangal (dreams for sales) Pathemarri -2015 Varavelpu-1998.

Analysis of Benyamin’s goat days. The story goat days is a novel by B aharain based author Benyamin depicts a migrant experience. The novel is divided into 4 distinct parts –prison , desert , escape , refuge and has a simple overriding narrative , that of a man trapped in desert, longing for freedom and eventually gaining it. The story focuses on N ajeeb a young M alayalee looking to start a new life, turns to gulf to earn money and provide for his family . Najeeb is able to land a job in Riyadh He stands near the airport dreaming of a lush future a caring sponsor a comfortable job and more money. Unfortunately he gets picked by a A rab cattle farm supervisor and is taken to a desert farm in Saudi A rabia. Forced into slave labour.

Analysis of Benyamin’s goat days. Najeeb is starved of human interaction and kindness and begins to relate to,and identify with goats , eventually he sees himself living a goats life. Najeeb was away from mutton for the rest off his life . A quick escape was planned with a Somalian worker Ibrahim K hadir and Najeeb’s friend H akeem. Hakeem dies of thirst and fatigue. Najeeb gets himself arrested in order to get deported and go back home . The begins in medias res we enter Najeebs tale as he rejoices being in prison. There are slight foreshadowed movements to his time spent as a shepard.

The first section dives into his time in prison he seems happy and carefree. The arab enjoyed more freedom inside a prison in his country than we did in foreign land. He the describes the way prisoners are released and deported by Saudi government . The sheer wonder and joy at basic human necsseities prompt the reader to wonder excatly what najeeb went through , to fall in love with prison..

The second section is t itled desert and goes back to the beginning of his story. His time in the desert however is not the rose tinted adventure he thought it would be. He travels with a friend H akeem , and the two are taken from the airport to neighbouring farms where they were forced to work as slaves. Najeeb’s description of his time as a shepherd is heart breaking to say the least. During his first winter he is surprized by the cold of the desert and is forced to sleep amongst the goats foe warmth ..

The third section , titled escaped , documents N ajeebs hellish journey through the harsh deserts, along with Hakkem and Ibrahim Khadiri , a S omalian worker whos from the neighbouring farm. The three mans are unarmed and are running for there lifes . Once the sun was up , they were looking at a new , far more dangerous venture facing the desrt without water. Through out the novel we see Najeebs faith stay firm and resolute. It was interesting to see how one drew strength at a time and escape seem to bee impossible and how one maintained faith. They reach some form of civilization , and Najeeb wonders into t he city looking for help..

Analysis of Benyamin’s goat days. The fourth section – titled ‘refuge’ brings us to the beginning of the story – his need to go to the prison to seek shelter, and for a way return to home . Though deportation is to be used as a form of risk – aversion we see najeeb use . Najeebs return to Kerala is a mixture of triumph and relief. Nothing was gained time was lost, najeeb returns a broke yet optimistic man.

C onclusion. The number of malayalee immigrants is dropping – the Kerala migration survey in 2016 records at 10% drop , from 2.4 to 2.2 million Malayalee’s living in Gulf. In Gulf the supply of unskilled labours has been replaced by migrants from A sian countries. The if returned migrants to kerala has incresed . Thanks to the upward mobility provided by working in gulf , malayalees were able to educate there children. As the number of returning immigrants swells , so must the government and the people of Kerala adjust to the dwendling remittances from the gulf . The hope is that malayalees are able to secure future in other countries..

Team members. Suhani chakrabarty – PPT – MB227133 Sunidhi jain – PPT – MB227140 Suman jadhav - content writing ,voice overs – MB227138 Sriya KS - content writing - MB227133 Shubhangi samal - content writing - MB227134 Suhani rana - content writing - MB227136 Sumaiya khanum - Voice overs – MB227137.