CHAPTER 55

Summary

• The chapter is set in 1951, in Parambil. The central character Elsie is weak due to blood loss and unable to breastfeed her baby. Anna Chedethi has taken on the role of nursing the baby.
• Big Ammachi assumes the baby is still breastfeeding for comfort. She expresses gratitude when she realizes the baby is actually being fed by Anna.
• It isn't until the fifth day that Big Ammachi brings Elsie's newborn daughter, Mariamma, to her. Elsie is filled with sorrow despite her love for the baby and refuses to hold her. She is desolate and cries inconsolably.
• The baby's father is isolated in his room, watching the household events from a distance, making sporadic appearances when everyone else is asleep.
• Parambil, the setting of the story, is undergoing transformation due to the new baby. Diapers flutter on lines, and Big Ammachi is delighted with her granddaughter; nonetheless, the baby has amplified distress among its parents instead of bringing joy.
• Big Ammachi takes care of Elsie, feeding her heartily to restore her strength. Elsie begins to regain her health, walking and bathing on her own, but remains distant towards the baby, causing Big Ammachi much worry and a sense of foreboding.
• Three weeks after the birth, Elsie leaves to bathe in a stream and doesn't return for nearly two hours, causing concern among the others.