It is claimed that the tide is changing; Indian women are attaining their freedom (White, 1). Are they really? Many people in India still want a daughter, or daughter-in-law like Sita (Mangharam, 1). Why? Isn’t being an individual better than being Sita? Is not the uniqueness of each individual what makes the world unique? If all the girls imitate Sita, where is this uniqueness? Feminist perspective believes that being Sita takes a women’s right away. Every woman should not be expected to be Sita, just because she seemed obedient and a great wife in the book Ramayana (Anand, 1). Has anyone wondered who Sita really is? What she felt when she left for the forest with her husband Rama? How she felt when she was told to give Agnipariksha? How …show more content…
She is the Ravana’s, the main antagonist, sister. In the book, The concise Ramayana of Valmiki by Swami Venkatesananda, Suparnaka is described in this manner, “He had a handsome face; she had an ugly face. He had a slender waist; she had a huge abdomen. He had lovely large eyes; she had hideous eyes. He had lovely soft hair; she had red hair. He had a lovable form; she had a terrible form. He had a sweet voice; hers resembled the barking of a dog. He was young; she was haughty. He was able; her speech was crooked. He was of noble conduct; she was of evil conduct. He was beloved; she had a forbidding appearance” (Vālmīki, 135). As you see, a female character is compared to Rama, the male protagonist. He receives all the positive compliments and she receives all the negative complements; A pure gender bias. The writer disfigures her so much, it not possible for anyone to like her. The author is partially judging her by her appearance. This does not give any encouragement to females, who is less fortunate on looks. This view of perfect look, over powers the inner beauty of all the …show more content…
It is basically the same story, but instead of Valmiki writing the story down from a male prespective, the story is being told by Sita. Arni was not the first person, to rewrite Ramayana from a female prespective. A Bengali writer Chandrabati also retold Ramayana (Moreillon, 1). In her book, she does not include the story of Rama at all (Sen, 166). While in Valmiki’s version, the story revolves around Rama. It is interesting how no one know about her piece of literature (Sen, 164). This might be probably due to the importance given to females in the
The Epic of Gilgamesh is a story of Gilgamesh, a man who was two-thirds god that was saved by companionship. Gilgamesh was a cruel and careless king, who spent his time raping women, exhausting citizens, and conquering foes and foreign lands until he met, fought and was guided by his great friend and soul mate, Enkidu. With the help of Enkidu and his influence, he learned compassion as well as wisdom and integrity, and eventually Gilgamesh became a great and fair king. Though the story focuses mainly on Gilgamesh and his friendship with Enkidu, there are several roles played by women that help to make and move the story along. Without these important women who show great strength and feminine qualities despite being oppressed by the patriarchy, Gilgamesh would not have been the great king he was meant to be.
“Ramayana.” The Language of Literature Ed. Arthur N. Applebee, et al. Boston: McDougal Littell, 1983. 130-140. Print.
Fisher, Mary Pat. "Chapter 5: Buddhsim." Living Religions. Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson/Prentice-Hall, 2005. 150-62. Print.
The Ramayana demonstrates Sita’s helplessness when she is kidnapped, which, in turn, makes the entire woman race look weak. Mahatma Gandhi once said, “The beauty of a woman did not consist in the "fineness of her dress, but in the possession of a pure heart. Such indeed was the purity of heart that Sita possessed, which led her to renounce royal life and leave for the forest with Rama” (Zacharias). Sita’s perseverance through her husband’s doubt made her an idol for all women. Before Sita’s trial, or ‘agnipariksha’, society looked at women as just objects rather than people. The Ramayana illustrates the destruction of this stereotype of women through Sita’s chastity. While the Ramayana demonst...
Gender roles have been a predominant factor in our world since the early emergence of human societies whether they are positive or negative. They are based on expectations that societies have over the people in them. The Epic of Sunjata, shows us how men and women are treated almost equally in different forms. Women are praised for their ability to birth leaders, which is similar to the early Greek Society. In most societies, women are treated less equal than men. This was prevalent in the early Indian society. No matter the gender role, it has been shown that any society cannot survive without both men and women.
Eliot, Sir Charles. HINDUISM AND BUDDHISM. 1921. Vol. 1. London: ROUTLEDGE & KEGAN PAUL LTD, 1954. 3 vols. wisdom library. Web. 9 Dec. 2013. .
Valmiki's Ramayana was written around 300 B.C.E. (Carrier 207). Typically, the character of Rama is seen as the hero and the character of Sita is seen as the hero's wife. In this essay, I will compare Sita's journey of capture and inner growth with the "save the kingdom" journey of Rama, show how the two correlate, and eventually connect in the influential chastity scene. I will also prove that Sita is the "hidden hero" of this epic even though she is seen as taking a secondary role to Rama and show how this reflects women's secondary roles in society today.
The portrayal of women in this film gives the impression that women are fighters and not just people who need saving, Princess Leia’s image is not defined by the other men in her party (Hans Solo and Luke Skywalker), but by her own merit. In relation the image portrayed by the men in this film, Princess Leia also possess’ some of their qualities. The governance system in the Star Wars universe, called the Empire, can easily be seen as a dominant patriarchal figure in the movie, with a predominantly male presence especially in the higher rungs (people in higher command). More women are represented in the Rebel Alliance and it is in this population that Princess Leia’s image as a feminist icon really stands out and has meaning. Not only is she a prominent figure ...
The epic hero’s journeys hold the hopes for future of ordinary people’s lives. The Epic of Gilgamesh was written in approximately 2000 B.C.E which is highly enriched with Ancient Mesopotamian religions, and The Ramayana was written by ancient Indians in around 1800 B.C.E. The stories were written in two different parts of the world. However, these two stories etched great evidence that show people from generation to generation that different cultures and religions are interconnected; they share ideas with each other. Both Gilgamesh and Rama traveled long journeys in these tales. These epic journeys played a role in the creation of different archetypes. We can clearly see that these two tales share similarities between these archetypes. Although
In North India, the Ramayana is acted out in the annual pageant Ram-Lila. It was a favourite subject of Rajasthani and Pahari painters of the 17th and 18th centuries. Gandhi called it the greatest book in the world. Tulsi Das, medieval author of the Hindi translation, said, "Whenever I remember Rama's name, the desert of my heart blooms lush and green.”
The Ramayana as retold by R.K. Narayan, explores the roles and duty of women and what it takes in order to be a good woman in Indian society. He explores these roles through the women through out the epic whether it is the wife of a King or some form of deity. While in general women were viewed as subpar to men and were seen as second-class citizens, the women in the book shape the men into who they become and account for much of the manipulation of the individuals and the caretaking of the individuals. Women such as Sita and Kausalya demonstrate those women that are good. These women were regarded as beautiful, not only for their physical attributes, but for their behavior in regards to the males in the epic. They are everything women should be- they are kind and respect the males in their lives above all else. However these women are also met with their opposites, those women who have much improvement to make before being recognized as good women in the Indian society. These women, like Kaikeyi and Soorpanaka go against all Indian ideals. They use their sexuality in order to attempt to manipulate the men of the epic. They do everything in their power in order to get their way, even if it is at the cost of others.
In contemporary society, feminism is emerging as a theory of social construct. In literature it is often challenging to discover female characters that go beyond the limits of marginalized female stereotypes and roles as a means to transgress beyond societal norms. Women are characterized as subordinate objects, amid the dominant patriarchal nature entrenched amid the epic. In The Ramayana, women are portrayed as powerless objects that succumb to the manipulation of men as the text portrays a false empowerment of women, which ultimately succumb to common archetypes accustomed to women in literature; implementing a hierarchy of gender that institutionalizes male dominance amid female inferiority. The women of The Ramayana struggle to oppose the systemic patriarchy and pursue a pathway towards attaining dynamic elements of power, that enable their ability to embody autonomous authority. In Valmiki’s The Ramayana, while women appear to be empowered, ultimately they are feeble instruments utilized to fulfill the desires of men.
Classical Hindu Mythology. Cornelia Dimmitt and J. A. B. van Buitenen. Philadelphia: Temple University Press, 1978. 38-40. Print.
The idea that some people are strong enough to be completely independent of others might seem true at surface level, but further examination of this concept proves otherwise. Through analyzing the journey of Rama as well as those around him, The Ramayana becomes proof that all characters are relevant in accomplishing big-picture tasks. Characters in The Ramayana which seem to have varying levels of relevance or show antagonistic behavior all have large roles in accomplishing big-picture dharma; this fact becomes clear as their dependencies on each other are recognized, demonstrating that all individuals must rely on others.
Rama doesn’t let married women tempt him. When he reflects upon his initial attraction to Sita he “realized that if she were married he would instinctively have recoiled from her” (Narayan 25). By contrast, those who covet married women suffer because of their desires: Indra becomes cursed and covered in female organs and Ravana’s infatuation with Sita is what leads to the poor decisions that eventually culminate in his destruction. Violating a woman against their will is something else that is considered unacceptable. One of the reasons why Rama sides against Vali is that Vali violated his brother’s wife. Rama tells him, “Guarding a woman’s honour is the first duty laid on any intelligent being” (Narayan 102). Rama devotes himself to his wife, Sita; however, a common theme of the story is that being too devoted to one’s wife can be a bad quality. Rama’s desire to please Sita indirectly causes her kidnapping and his failure in fulfilling his duty as Rama laments, “I have failed to protect my wife . . . and I have failed her woefully” (Narayan 96). Dasaratha’s demise is another example of why a king shouldn’t be so devoted to a wife; Dasaratha’s dependence on Kaikeyi allows her the opportunity to manipulate and ultimately, destroy