Tribute to Papa" by Mamta Kalia

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About the Author: Mamta Kalia

  • Mamta Kalia (b. 1940) is a renowned Indian poet, short story writer, novelist, and playwright, writing mainly in Hindi and English.

  • She is known for her bold, witty, and ironic style, often addressing issues of middle-class life, urban existence, women's struggles, and family dynamics.

  • Her works reflect realistic, sometimes rebellious emotions, and challenge traditional values.

  • Some of her major works include Bekhabar Nagri, Dukkham Sukkham, Suno Kahani, and Idiot Box.

  • In English, her poems, like "Tribute to Papa," reflect youthful anger against parental authority and social expectations.

  • She has been awarded prestigious awards like the Vyas Samman and the Sahitya Akademi Award.

2. Detailed Summary: "Tribute to Papa"

"Tribute to Papa" is a dramatic monologue where the daughter speaks to her father, expressing frustration, rebellion, and disappointment.

The speaker feels that her father is a good, honest, and clean-living man, but these very virtues have made him a failure in the modern, materialistic world.

She wishes he had been bold and daring, someone who could make money illegally (like smuggling watches) so that she could proudly tell others about his wealth.
Instead, he chose to live an honest but limited life, full of small dreams and prayers at temples, which the speaker finds useless.

The daughter mocks her father’s dreams of making her great like Rani Lakshmibai, saying she has no interest in such outdated ideas of greatness.
She even threatens to disown him, sarcastically calling him "Mr. Kapur, Lower Division Clerk," emphasizing his ordinary, unimpressive life.

The poem turns even more rebellious as she talks about love affairs and pregnancy, topics that would shock her father and even push him toward suicide — again showing the huge generation gap between them.

Tone and Style:

  • Bitter, rebellious, and mocking tone.

  • Conversational, free-flowing language.

  • Use of sarcasm and irony throughout.

Themes:

  • Generation Gap: Differences between conservative parents and rebellious children.

  • Failure of Idealism: Honest, idealistic people seen as failures in a corrupt world.

  • Rebellion and Anger: The youth’s frustration against traditional values.

  • Identity Crisis: The daughter struggles to find her own identity, separate from her father's.

3. MCQs with Answers:

1. What is the speaker’s attitude towards her father’s honesty?
a) Admiration
b) Pride
c) Frustration and sarcasm
d) Indifference
Answer: c) Frustration and sarcasm

2. What illegal act does the speaker wish her father had done?
a) Robbed a bank
b) Smuggled watches
c) Stolen gold
d) Sold fake medicines
Answer: b) Smuggled watches

3. Whom does the father want his daughter to emulate?
a) Queen Victoria
b) Mother Teresa
c) Rani Lakshmibai
d) Indira Gandhi
Answer: c) Rani Lakshmibai

4. What job does the speaker sarcastically suggest calling her father?
a) Senior Manager
b) Bank Officer
c) Lower Division Clerk, Accounts Section
d) Postmaster
Answer: c) Lower Division Clerk, Accounts Section

5. What emotion dominates the poem?
a) Respect
b) Bitterness and rebellion
c) Joy and celebration
d) Fear and guilt
Answer: b) Bitterness and rebellion

4. Short Answer Type Questions (with little longer answers):

Q1. How does the speaker criticize her father in the poem?

Answer:
The speaker criticizes her father for being too honest, too idealistic, and too simple to succeed in the modern world. She wishes he had been bold and corrupt enough to make money and gain respect in society. Instead, he is seen as weak, prayerful, and a failure, leading to her disappointment and rebellion. She mocks his ambitions and his dreams for her, showing a deep generation gap.

Q2. What does the speaker mean by "limited dreams" in the poem?

Answer:
"Limited dreams" refers to the small, simple ambitions of her father — leading a clean life, praying, being honest, and wanting his daughter to achieve greatness without understanding what that means. For the speaker, these dreams are narrow, outdated, and not suited for the competitive, ambitious world she lives in.

Q3. Explain the significance of the sarcastic line "I give two donkey-claps for greatness."

Answer:
This line shows the speaker’s total rejection of the traditional idea of greatness admired by her father. "Donkey-claps" mock the seriousness with which her father talks about greatness. It reflects her frustration, mockery, and anger toward the empty ideals that her father believes in but which mean nothing to her modern mind.

Q4. How does the poem portray the generation gap between the speaker and her father?

Answer:
The poem shows a huge generation gap. The father values honesty, prayer, and idealism, while the daughter seeks practical success, freedom, and modern values. She feels alienated by her father’s old-fashioned dreams and wishes for a bolder, more ambitious parent. This clash leads to bitterness, sarcasm, and emotional distance between them.

Q5. Why does the speaker consider disowning her father?

Answer:
The speaker considers disowning her father because she feels ashamed of his ordinary, humble life. She believes he is out of touch with modern realities and that his principles have left him unsuccessful and powerless. Disowning him symbolizes her desire to break free from his outdated values and find her own identity.

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