Class 12 English Notes Drama2 (Broken Images) – Kaliedoscope Book

Detailed Notes with MCQs of Girish Karnad's compelling and technically innovative play, 'Broken Images'. This is a significant piece, not just for its narrative, but also for its commentary on language, identity, and the modern Indian psyche, making it important for your exam preparation.

Girish Karnad's 'Broken Images': Detailed Notes

1. About the Playwright: Girish Karnad (1938-2019)

• A towering figure in modern Indian theatre, Karnad was a playwright, actor, director, and public intellectual.
• Known for drawing upon Indian mythology, folklore, and history to explore contemporary themes.
• His plays often deal with complexities of identity, tradition vs. modernity, power structures, and psychological conflicts.
• Recipient of the Jnanpith Award (India's highest literary honour) and Padma Shri/Padma Bhushan.
• Key Works: Yayati, Tughlaq, Hayavadana, Naga-Mandala.

2. Context and Form:

• Form: 'Broken Images' is essentially a monologue delivered by the protagonist, Manjula Nayak. However, it uniquely employs technology – a television screen displaying Manjula's own image, which then begins to interact with her, turning the monologue into a confrontational dialogue.
• Original Language: Originally written in Kannada as Odakalu Bimba, Karnad himself translated it into English as Broken Images. This linguistic duality is central to the play's themes.
• Setting: A sterile, modern television studio. This setting emphasizes the public performance aspect of Manjula's life and the role of media in constructing images.

3. Characters:

• Manjula Nayak: The protagonist. A moderately successful Kannada short-story writer who has achieved international fame overnight by publishing a novel in English. She appears confident and articulate initially, but is deeply conflicted internally.
• The Image: Manjula's reflection on the television screen. It starts as a passive image but soon gains its own voice and agency. It represents Manjula's conscience, her suppressed guilt, her Kannada identity, and possibly the spirit or perspective of her deceased sister, Malini.

4. Plot Summary:

• Manjula Nayak is in a TV studio, presumably after giving an interview about her bestselling English novel.
• Left alone, she addresses her image on the monitor, initially practicing her public persona.
• Suddenly, the image on the screen starts speaking back, questioning her motives, her success, and the source of her novel.
• Through this intense confrontation, the audience learns the hidden story:
  • Manjula had a younger sister, Malini, who was physically disabled (paraplegic/wheelchair-bound) and intellectually brilliant.
  • Manjula, though caring for her sister, harboured deep-seated resentment and jealousy.
  • The plot of Manjula's internationally acclaimed English novel seems to be directly lifted from the experiences and possibly the writings of Malini, who wrote in Kannada.
  • Malini died under circumstances that Manjula feels guilty about (possibly neglect or an unintentional contribution).
  • Manjula chose to write the novel in English, not her native Kannada, for wider recognition and financial success, betraying her linguistic roots and potentially her sister's legacy.
• The play ends with Manjula deeply disturbed, her carefully constructed public image shattered by the revelations forced upon her by her own 'broken' image.

5. Key Themes:

• Identity Crisis (Public vs. Private Self): Manjula presents a polished, successful image to the world, but her televised image confronts her with her hidden guilt, insecurities, and questionable ethics. The play explores the fragmentation of the self in the modern world.
• Language and Identity: This is central. Manjula's choice of English over Kannada is portrayed as a potential betrayal of her authentic self and roots for the sake of global recognition and commercial success. It questions the hierarchy of languages in post-colonial India. Is writing in English inherently more valuable or just more marketable?
• Guilt and Morality: Manjula grapples with guilt over her treatment of Malini, the appropriation of her story, and possibly her death. The play delves into sibling rivalry, jealousy, and the moral compromises made for ambition.
• Authenticity vs. Plagiarism: The core accusation is that Manjula's success is built on a lie – the appropriation of her sister's story and perhaps her actual writing. It questions the nature of creativity and ownership.
• Technology and Self-Reflection: The TV screen acts as a modern mirror, but one that doesn't just reflect passively. It actively confronts and dissects the self, externalizing Manjula's internal conflict in a uniquely theatrical way.
• Disability and Representation: Malini's disability is significant. It made her physically dependent but perhaps intellectually and creatively independent. Manjula's exploitation of her sister's vulnerability and story is a major ethical concern raised by the play.

6. Dramatic Techniques:

• Monologue turning into Dialogue: The innovative use of the talking image creates intense dramatic conflict without needing another actor physically present.
• Use of Technology: Integrating the TV monitor directly into the dramatic action was groundbreaking.
• Suspense and Revelation: The play gradually peels back layers of Manjula's persona, revealing the darker truths beneath.
• Irony: Manjula's public success is ironically contrasted with her private moral failure. Her fluency in English masks a deeper disconnect from her origins.
• Psychological Realism: Despite the unusual form, the play delves deep into the protagonist's psyche, exploring complex emotions like guilt, jealousy, ambition, and denial.

7. Significance for Exams:

• Understand the central conflict between Manjula and her Image.
• Be clear about the key themes, especially Language, Identity, and Guilt.
• Remember the role of the sister, Malini, and the accusation of plagiarism.
• Appreciate the unique form and the use of technology (TV screen).
• Know the playwright and his general concerns.
• Consider the play's commentary on the pressures faced by writers and individuals in a globalized, media-saturated world.

Multiple Choice Questions (MCQs):

1. In which setting does the play 'Broken Images' primarily take place?
   a) Manjula's home
   b) A university lecture hall
   c) A television studio
   d) A publishing house office

2. Who is the protagonist of 'Broken Images'?
   a) Malini Nayak
   b) Girish Karnad
   c) Manjula Nayak
   d) The TV Producer

3. What is the unique dramatic device used by Karnad in this play?
   a) Use of flashbacks
   b) A chorus commenting on the action
   c) The protagonist's image on a screen talking back to her
   d) Multiple actors playing the same character

4. Manjula Nayak achieves international fame by writing a novel in which language?
   a) Kannada
   b) Hindi
   c) English
   d) Marathi

5. The Image on the screen primarily represents Manjula's:
   a) Ambition and desire for fame
   b) Public relations strategy
   c) Suppressed conscience and guilt
   d) Love for her sister

6. What is the name of Manjula's disabled sister?
   a) Malati
   b) Mohini
   c) Malini
   d) Meenakshi

7. What is the central accusation made by the Image against Manjula regarding her successful novel?
   a) It is poorly written.
   b) It is based on her sister's life and possibly her writing.
   c) It reveals embarrassing family secrets.
   d) It was ghost-written by someone else entirely.

8. A major theme explored in 'Broken Images' is the conflict between:
   a) Tradition and modernity
   b) Urban life and rural life
   c) Writing in English versus regional languages (Kannada)
   d) Artistic freedom and censorship

9. What condition did Manjula's sister, Malini, suffer from?
   a) Blindness
   b) Deafness
   c) Physical disability (paraplegic/crippled)
   d) Mental illness

10. Who is the playwright of 'Broken Images'?
    a) Mahesh Dattani
    b) Vijay Tendulkar
    c) Badal Sircar
    d) Girish Karnad

Answer Key:

1. c) A television studio
2. c) Manjula Nayak
3. c) The protagonist's image on a screen talking back to her
4. c) English
5. c) Suppressed conscience and guilt
6. c) Malini
7. b) It is based on her sister's life and possibly her writing.
8. c) Writing in English versus regional languages (Kannada)
9. c) Physical disability (paraplegic/crippled)
10. d) Girish Karnad

Study these notes carefully. Focus on understanding the interplay between Manjula and her image, the significance of the two languages, and the underlying guilt associated with her sister. Good luck with your preparation!