Bong Joon-ho’s Academy Award-winning South Korean black comedy, parasite (2019), brought to the fore the unseen elves who ensure our lives run smoothly. So it is with the latest novel of Bally Kaur Jaswal, now you see us (HarperCollins), which highlights the lives of three very different women, Corazon, Angel and Donita, who are united by their profession as domestic workers in Singapore.
, parasite is a conclusive exploration of class,” writes Jaswal over email. “It opened up conversations and it was also intensely entertaining on many levels. There are stories and films from the perspective of marginalized and invisible people. We all love an underdog story and hopefully we see areas in which We are entrenched in some oppressive structures.
It’s a tough life for Cora, Angel and Donita and sometimes their “mams” are a test, but the women (except Donita) keep their heads down and keep going until one death is all. Doesn’t reverse, brings back memories The hanging of a Filipino domestic worker accused of killing a child in Singapore.
changing attitudes
The case was a defining moment for Jaswal as a teenager. “I was amazed at how different the truth could be depending on who was telling the story and where the loyalties and stakes were.” There were two stories, the 38-year-old wrote over email. “In Singapore, he was presumed guilty and in the Philippines, he was presumed innocent.”
Jaswal’s first novel, Heritage (2013), after sugar bread (2014), are set in Singapore between the late 60s and early 90s. Wanting to see how a murder would divide loyalties and generate conversation in the age of social media, Jaswal chose to set now you see us currently. “Singapore has changed a lot in some ways – in terms of wealth and landscape – but unfortunately some attitudes towards migrant workers have not changed at the same pace.”
What has changed, according to him, is access to nuanced and diverse stories and sources, and the ability to speak up due to the emergence of social media platforms. “It’s also an advantage for domestic workers. They stay connected to each other and their families back home. They also have access to important information and conversations that build solidarity during difficult times.”
Jaswal’s earlier books erotic stories for punjabi widows (2017) was set in the UK, and The Unlikely Adventures of the Shergill Sisters (2019) in India. This time she returns to Singapore to tell a story without Indians front and center.
“I wasn’t drawing from my life for the first time,” says Jaswal. “I had to consider the intricacies of culture, language, regional differences, food etc while giving shape to the characters. The novel went through authenticity readings with two Filipino writers, whose feedback and suggestions were important, especially when it came to referencing certain Tagalog words/phrases.
regain strength and voice
While Cora, Angel, and Donita are the protagonists, Jaswal states, “Cora’s story feels most focused because of her back story and the struggles of her recent past. Donita, with her tight-fitting, unrepentant clothes and painful plight Was the most fun to write with.
In the course of his research, Jaswal came across some shocking facts, including unscrupulous agents and illegal employment in factories. Funny discoveries happened too. “Several women told me about undergoing training sessions on how to set a table for a five-course meal, and how to starch a linen table cloth as if they would be serving royalty, only to arrive in Singapore. and to realize that most of the food setup was quite casual.
The book begins with an anecdotal description of the Merry Maids’ office where the maids worked different jobs at the store windows and brochures listed maids from different countries with their suggested monthly wages and strengths. It is based on reality, says Jaswal that there are madam Facebook pages that lurk here and there for content. “The posts that appear in the book were barely altered. Some were too ridiculous to write; readers would think I was exaggerating.
Jaswal explains now you see us As an optimistic novel. “It shows women to have some power and voice within the constraints of Singapore society. It is our fundamental right to feel connected and loved. Yet domestic workers’ bodies are constantly monitored, no matter what they wear. Be it through clothing, employers banning leave days, or the embarrassing pictures that are sent on social media when they are seen interacting with men.
Donita’s employer, the hilarious Mrs. Fan, is a combination of several entitled women Jaswal has come across in Singapore. “They barge into places, cut in line, throw tantrums and behave very badly when they don’t get their way.”
now you see us There’s a murder at the center of it and it’s up to Angel, Cora and Donita to uncover the whodunit. “I have some interest in murder mysteries, but only when they are adjacent to other narratives and themes.”
mini.chhibber@thehindu.co.in