The novel The Slayer Slain written in the 19th century by Mrs Frances Wright Collins, the wife of Rev.Richard Collins is special in many ways. Written in the 19th century and published in serials in the first ever college Magazine Vidya Sangrah published from 1864 onwards from CMS College, Kottyam, it has all the ingredients one would look for in a postcolonial work. We know very little of Mrs Collins as she died before completing the novel .The last chapters were written by her husband Rev. Richard Collins who also took the initiative to publish it in the first issues of Vidya Sangrah. He also translated the novel into Malayalam and published it as khadhaka Vadhom.
Uniqueness of the Novel
The short novel is unique in many ways. It is the first novel in missionary literature and it has the credit of being the first novel written by a woman missionary even though the last part was completed by her husband. It is also the first novel in English written and published in India by a colonial master about the colonized. It has a well crafted plot and characters that grow in dimension as the novel progresses. The novel is didactic as it fulfils the purpose for which it was written mainly the instruction of the young. Set in the picturesque background of 19th century Kottayam and the Meenachal River it tells the story of a Syrian Christian family. The story is unfolded by an omniscient narrator.
Title of the Novel
The title of the novel is significant. It justifies the theme of the novel. The terse phrase sums up the transformation that takes place in the heart of the main antagonist Koshy kurien. The plot begins with the accidental killing of Poulosa’s grandson by Kurien and it reaches its climax with Poulosa saving kurien’s daughter Mariam from a watery grave. This fills Kurien with remorse and he starts repenting. His search for the old slave leads him to Paulosa whom he finds had not only forgiven him but had also accepted his master with all his weaknesses with love. Thus the slayer is slain with the weapon of love.
Themes
There are several themes in the novel. It deals with the caste system, conversion of Indians to Christianity, the conflict between Syrian Christians and Protestants and above all the conflict between the good and the evil. But the main theme is the evolution of Mariam from an innocent girl to mature self realized young woman who knew what she wanted from life and could easily shift the chaff from the grain. This of course is the result of her education she received at the missionary school.
Historical References in the novel.
The many historical references in the novel make it an authentic study of that particular era in the history of Kerala. The novel is built upon many incidents documented by Missionaries in kerala which are woven intricately to the main theme so that it reads like an imaginary tale. The burning down of the churches built by the slaves was a common practice in the 19th century. Slavery was a reality then and the CMS missionaries liberated the slaves in Munroe Island long before the Emancipation proclamation that was made in America. The conversion of the old Brahmin refers to such a conversion which took place in Mavelikara under the aegis of the Rev.Joseph Peet. These are some of the references to reality which makes it document of historical importance. As Literature is a criticism of life, this novel mirrors the social conditions that prevailed during the 19th century. It also reflects the progress of women after they started receiving the benefits of education
The novel is unique in a sense. It is authored by a wife and a husband who were missionaries and so it reflects too distinct perspectives. Mrs Collins who started writing the novel passed away before completing it .Rev. Collins who was then the Principal of CMS College completed it. The shift in the point of view is obvious from chapter sixteen. Mrs Frances Wright Collins a frail young lady accompanied her young missionary husband to India. She is like a shadow and is never mentioned anywhere except as the missionary’s wife.Fascinated by the life in Kerala she started writing about it. She was concerned with the people and the environment; the trivial and the commonplace. She is delighted with describing the children at play, the homely chores of women, the description of idyllic landscape, the emotions that keeps people ticking. Nothing escapes her vision from the small baby frolicking under the tree to the young man’s parting shot to Mariam. But Rev. Collins was taken up with the duty of missionaries and the questions of what is right and wrong .and the questions of sin and salvation. Even though the characters and settings are the same there is a marked difference especially in narration from Chapter 16.From here the focus of the novel shifts from Mariam to the intricacies of religious faith and the slaying of the slayer. Rev. Collins opinions on conversion are clearly reflected in the concluding chapters where he speaks of the old Brahmin’s conversion.