Analysis of “Night of the Scorpion”

Introduction

“Night of the Scorpion,” published in 1965 in Nissim Ezekiel’s collection The Exact Name, is one of his most widely anthologized and celebrated poems. It is a powerful narrative poem that vividly depicts a rural Indian scene, exploring themes of superstition, rationality, communal response to crisis, and ultimately, a mother’s selfless love. The poem is a masterclass in observation, capturing the nuances of a specific cultural context while conveying universal human emotions.

Plot Summary

The poem begins abruptly, with the speaker recalling the night his mother was stung by a scorpion. The scorpion, driven by ten hours of steady rain, had sought refuge beneath a sack of rice. After stinging the mother, it risked the rain again and disappeared.

Immediately, the villagers, described as “swarms of flies,” descend upon the house. They buzz the name of God a hundred times, believing their chants will paralyze the scorpion and its poison. They bring candles and lanterns, casting giant, dancing shadows on the mud-baked walls as they search for the creature. Their primary concern is to find and kill the scorpion, believing that its movement directly correlates with the spread of the poison in the mother’s blood.

The peasants offer various superstitious explanations and remedies. They believe the sting is a punishment for the mother’s past sins, and that her suffering will burn away those sins and decrease misfortunes in her next birth. They also suggest that the pain will purify her flesh of desire and her spirit of ambition. They sit around her, seemingly at peace with their understanding of the situation, while the mother twists and groans in agony.

The speaker’s father, a “sceptic, rationalist,” tries a different approach. He applies various powders, mixtures, herbs, and even pours a little paraffin on the bitten toe and sets it alight, a desperate and painful attempt at a cure. A holy man also performs rites with incantations.

After twenty hours, the poison loses its sting. The mother recovers, and her first words are a testament to her profound, selfless love: “Thank God the scorpion picked on me / And spared my children.”

Major Characters

• The Mother: The central figure of the poem. She is a symbol of selfless maternal love. Her suffering is vividly portrayed, but her ultimate concern is for her children, not herself.

• The Narrator (Child): The speaker of the poem, recalling the event from a later perspective. He observes the scene with a child’s keen eye, noting the details and the contrasting reactions of the villagers and his father.

• The Peasants: Represent the traditional, superstitious, and communal aspects of rural Indian society. Their response is driven by a mix of fear, religious belief, and a desire to help through their own understanding.

• The Father: Represents rationality, skepticism, and modern scientific (or pseudo-scientific) approaches. His attempts to cure the mother are practical but also desperate and somewhat crude.

Major Themes

• Superstition vs. Rationality: The poem starkly contrasts the traditional, superstitious beliefs of the villagers with the rational, scientific approach of the father. It highlights the tension between these two worldviews in rural India.

• Communal Response to Crisis: The immediate gathering of the villagers demonstrates the strong communal bonds and the collective response to a crisis in a traditional society. However, it also shows the limitations of their understanding.

• Selfless Maternal Love: This is the most powerful and enduring theme. Despite her excruciating pain, the mother’s first thought is for the safety and well-being of her children. Her final words elevate her suffering to an act of profound, unconditional love.

• Suffering and Redemption: The villagers’ belief that the mother’s suffering will burn away her sins and improve her next birth introduces a theme of suffering as a means of spiritual purification or redemption.

Literary Style

• Narrative Poem: The poem tells a clear story, unfolding chronologically from the moment of the sting to the mother’s recovery.
• Vivid Imagery: Ezekiel uses strong, sensory imagery to bring the scene to life: “swarms of flies,” “giant scorpion shadows,” “twisted through and through, groaning.”
• Simple and Direct Language: The language is conversational and accessible, reflecting Ezekiel’s characteristic clarity and precision.
• Irony: There is subtle irony in the contrast between the villagers’ elaborate rituals and the father’s desperate, almost comical, attempts at a cure, and the simple, profound truth of the mother’s final statement.

Critical Reception and Legacy

“Night of the Scorpion” is one of Nissim Ezekiel’s most widely studied and admired poems. It is praised for its powerful narrative, its vivid characterization, and its insightful exploration of cultural contrasts and universal human emotions. The poem’s enduring popularity lies in its ability to capture a specific Indian reality while resonating with readers worldwide through its timeless portrayal of maternal love and the human response to suffering.