They did this to her, the men who know her, the man
She loved, who loved her not enough, being selfish
And a coward, the husband who neither loved nor
Used her, but was a ruthless watcher, and the band
Of cynics she turned to, clinging to their chests where
New hair sprouted like great-winged moths, burrowing her
Face into their smells and their young lusts to forget
To forget, oh, to forget, and, they said, each of
Them, I do not love, I cannot love, it is not
In my nature to love, but I can be kind to you.
They let her slide from pegs of sanity into
A bed made soft with tears, and she lay there weeping,
For sleep had lost its use. I shall build walls with tears,
She said, walls to shut me in. Her husband shut her
In, every morning, locked her in a room of books
With a streak of sunshine lying near the door like
A yellow cat to keep her company, but soon
Winter came, and one day while locking her in, he
Noticed that the cat of sunshine was only a
Line, a half-thin line, and in the evening when
He returned to take her out, she was a cold and
Half dead woman, now of no use at all to men.

“The Sunshine Cat” by Kamala Das portrays the tragic tale of a woman who undergoes emotional and mental suffering at the hands of the men in her life. The poem unfolds as a narrative of the woman’s experiences with the various men she encounters.

The poem begins by describing how the men in her life, including the one she loved, treated her poorly. The man she loved was selfish and cowardly, neither loving nor using her but rather ruthlessly watching her. The woman also turned to a band of cynics, hoping to find solace in their company. However, these men, too, lacked the capacity for genuine love, stating that it was not in their nature to love but that they could be kind.

As the woman’s relationships crumble, she descends into a state of mental instability, sliding from “pegs of sanity into a bed made soft with tears.” Her husband compounds her suffering by locking her in a room every morning. The streak of sunshine near the door, which used to be her constant company, diminishes over time, becoming a mere half-thin line.

The poem concludes with the realization that the woman has become a cold and half-dead figure, of no use to men. Her weeping and the building of walls with tears signify her isolation and despair, reflecting the profound impact of failed relationships and societal expectations on her mental well-being.

“The Sunshine Cat” unveils the poignant narrative of a woman’s emotional journey, marked by unfulfilling relationships, isolation, and a gradual descent into emotional and physical desolation.