Second Essay on the Animus in ‘Kaliyuga: Age of Darkness’

In the first essay we looked at a female character, Rachita, from ‘Kaliyuga: Age of Darkness’, and saw that she was haunted by the animus (or male part of the self), but then accepted it (leading to sexual urges and promiscuity). The animus in Kashia, another female character, acts in the opposite way. First she tries to suppress the animus by overplaying her feminine traits of love and beauty, but the more she tries to do that the stronger the presence of the Shadow (or negative masculine personality) becomes.

First we see Kashia try to overplay her femininity. At the wedding party she is a figure of stunning beauty: ‘She had soft eyes with heavy lashes and it was impossible for a man to look at them without feeling captivated.’ And, ‘The whole glamour of the party seemed to radiate from her startling figure.’

She relishes being the centre of attention with all (predominantly male) eyes gazing upon her. For instance, ‘Knowing all eyes at the party were upon her, she felt a fire burning deeply inside her that made her come alive and she released it in a beautiful beaming smile, at the same time letting a vain expression flitter across her face.’

By portraying an image of herself as the most perfect, beautiful woman, Kashia suppresses the animus (or the male side of herself).

In a dream sequence, Kashia continues to overplay her feminine aspects to counter the animus. For example, in her dream, Kashia is portrayed as a goddess of love and beauty: ‘Kashia closed her eyes and inhaled deeply, her long hair gleaming in the soft light, the garments caressing her bare ankles, the smile forming on her lips … She glided on into sunlight ... and her skin shone like bronze marble.’

In this dream sequence, Kashia is in a field of wheat. Grain is a metaphor for life and youth, and Kashia feels in control of both these aspects; for example: ‘The soft winds gently stroked her cheeks as pods of grain slipped between her fingers.’

But the animus is still lurking in her unconscious. The more she tries to ignore it, or escape from it, the stronger its Shadow (or negative side). This is evident in the same dream sequence: ‘Raising her eyes, she saw gigantic clouds gathering in the distance, dark and formidable, the storm looming.’ Also, there is ‘the heavy roll of thunder’ and ‘the sun turning to blood’.

At the next party scene, it becomes clear that Kashia cannot suppress the animus for much longer. The negative aspects of the animus start to emerge, as evident in the overtly sexual glares of the men surrounding her at the party. Their behaviour is promiscuous, almost aggressive: ‘Men were pouring drink down their throats, their eyes, widening and glazing, upon her.’ Also, ‘She flung her head back and felt the fingers stroke her neck, the fingers like hot rods digging into her flesh.’ One man ‘caught sight of Kashia for a moment … he let out a long tongue like a serpent’s, wildly licking his lips, leering at her with a dirty smile.’

Animals and insects are symbols of the Shadow or dark side of the unconscious world, and these come to the fore when Kashia is confronted by the negative aspects of the animus, manifested in the three rapists. ‘Flies were buzzing about her face’ and ‘a dog was barking in the distance’. Later, ‘she felt tiny ants swarming over her body.’ Even one of the assailants appears ‘like a gorilla’.

Other objects like dark clouds, flashes of light, and shadows are associated with the unconscious, and these are prevalent when Kashia comes face to face with the Shadow. For instance: ‘Her vision was filled with flashes of light’; and ‘the clouds [were] beginning to blacken’. Even her assailants are ‘party hidden by the formidable shadows’.

By refusing to accept the animus inside her, Kashia has let the negative traits of masculinity overcome her wholly. In a later scene, Kashia literally turns into a monster in order to fight back: ‘Her skin had turned dark, almost black, and the teeth had become yellow-ugly and razor-sharp.’ Moreover, ‘Her eyes glowed red and … her hands turned into claws.’

Finally, Kashia, reborn as a monster, consumes the male. She can only come to terms with the animus, or her masculine traits – and feel fulfilled, or become whole – by devouring a living male person: ‘With her sharp incisors, she bore down on his neck and tore out a hunk of flesh.’

In conclusion, Kashia at first tries to suppress the animus by overindulging in her femininity; that is, by portraying herself the most perfect, beautiful woman – a sex goddess. Yet, the Shadow (or negative masculine personality) still lurks in her unconsciousness and she cannot avoid it. It comes to the fore, first in nature with darkening clouds and the storm on the horizon, in men gazing at her as in the party scene, and in animals and insects around her. Finally the Shadow is revealed when she is confronted by the three rapists. In the end, in a nightmarish scene, the only way Kashia can deal with the animus is by being reborn as a monster and devouring the male.