The Lizard Cage - Karen Connelly

[bookgazing]

Both ‘The Lizard Cage’ and ‘Little Brother (plus this article on the current state of Guantanamo Bay) make me want to get involved with work for political prisoners, but I’m not sure yet how to do that in a constructive way. I commented about this frustration on another bloggers post as she had just finished reading a couple of books about political prisoners. I think we’re both still struggling to see a big way to make a difference, but she did suggest that blogging about the books we’re reading on the subject would be a small way to highlight the way in which authors are trying to help. So the ‘Lizard Cage’ by Karen Connelly gets some time in my minute spotlight.

The Burmese prison called ‘The Cage’ houses all kinds of criminals, but the ones considered the worst by the wardens are the political prisoners arrested for crimes against the corrupt, vicious Burmese government. In the jail’s solitary area, ‘the teak coffin’, is a political prisoner called Teza, nicknamed the Songbird, who has been sentenced to twenty years in jail because he was the author of protest songs. Teza is beaten by a particularly sadistic character nicknamed Handsome if he shows any sign of strength and is also deprived of human speech, food, literature, proper medical attention and clean water. Teza is forced to break with the Buddhist teachings and supplement his scant food with the lizards he catches in his cell. This small act of murder costs him especial pain for personal reasons the reader will later discover.

The Cage also holds a twelve year old orphan boy whose father used to work at the prison, but was hit by a truck and died. No one knows the boy’s real name, but those who are kind to him call him Nyi Lau ( Little Brother). Nyi Lau is the only person in the jail who wants to stay there, because it’s where he feels safe and knows the rules. When Teza is beaten horrendously he is transferred outside of Handsome’s area so he can receive medical attention. Nyi Lau becomes his food server and the two form a shaky bond.

‘The Lizard Cage’ is a book written in a soothing tone that is heartbreakingly simple. I’m going to let a few passages about Nyi Lau speak for themselves:

‘In their kindly, misguided way the Thais are right, and the boy agrees: the prison is no place for little children. Fortunately, he is not a little child. The screams in the middle of the night, the sounds of torture, the growl and stifled cries of fighting, of men raping, being raped, the stench of human shit in the dog cells, the clear evidence of men going mad or becoming cruel, the sight of men sobbing, of men dying: he is old enough to know about these things.’

‘ “What’s going to happen to me?” He is full of weariness, and acceptance, like an old man who’s made a hard journey to the wrong village. It is night. There is nowhere else to go.’

This calm linguistic rhythm can be found in even the most horrific scenes, as Karen Connelly elicits a structure and sound from her prose, which reminds the reader of the importance of the regular breathing, that sustains Teza in prison. It is this Buddhist teaching from his mother which ultimately gives him the serenity to control his life, ending it as a protest, rather than waiting until the prison authorities find some way to trick him into extending his sentence by breaking their rules.

‘The Lizard Cage’ feels like important book that everyone should read. Its tranquil tone will probably make it easier for readers who find it hard to read about extreme violence and imprisonment (putting my hand up right now) because it almost creates a thin, distancing layer that lets you absorb the violent passage without them digging into your brain, just as Teza tries to keep his essential being apart from the violence and cruelty he experiences. This quiet distance actually makes this book more powerful, as readers can take time to fully digesting what is happening and process how awful it is, without feeling the need to flee from the violent scenes by skimming. It really is astonishing to think how calm and measured ‘The Lizard Cage’ remains, despite the aggression of the prison.

Does anyone have any ideas how the average person can help political prisoners? If so please leave your idea sin the comments.

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