e-book - feminist divinity

8/17/2019 E-book - Feminist Divinity

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Feminist Divinity

Dr. Neelam G. Tikkha


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Dr Neelam G. Tikkha

ISBN : 81-86067-24-8

Copyright@CFI 2016, Publisher : Confidence Foundation

3A-I Vrindavan, 173, Civil Lines,

Nagpur – 440001 India

E-mail : [email protected]

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Price INR 900/-

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Jurisdiction, Nagpur


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Feminist Divinity

Dr. Neelam Tikkha

Contents

S.No. Dedication

1 Introduction

2 Chapter - I When God was a Girl

Women Identity a Reflection of Culture and

Divinity

1

3 Chapter – II When Muse was a Woman5

4 Chapter – III One Woman Two identities 12

5 Chapter – IV When Woman was an Aggressor24

6 Chapter – V When Women was a Soap Artist33

7 Chapter – VI Conclusion39

Bibliography 40


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Preface

The present study emanates from the concept that women determines the

society and culture. Women is a powerful force whether she is an artist afilm star or a mother or a Goddess.

She has always been the most powerful force. She is praised for her

fertility and her nurturing quality. She is also praised for her valiancy for

example there are Shakti peeths in India in the honour of powerful female

deity like Kali and Durga.

The various facets of women are presented in vibrant shades in this

study. Her representation determines the culture and society.

Author: Dr. Neelam Tikkha


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DEDICATIONDEDICATIONDEDICATIONDEDICATION

The bookThe bookThe bookThe book Woman Divine Woman Divine Woman Divine Woman Divine is dedicated to is dedicated to is dedicated to is dedicated to

my parents and my daughter Ishita my parents and my daughter Ishita my parents and my daughter Ishita my parents and my daughter Ishita


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CHAPTER - 1

Introduction

When God was a Girl

Women Identity a Reflection of Culture and Divinity

From the dawn of time, women have always been the heart of divine for their ability to

procreate. They have been represented in all splendors for their sexuality and their capacity

to be fertile. They have been worshipped as goddess and were considered sacred. Drawing

on the research evidence “entire story of Christianity can be told without the mention of a

man”. Women were considered sacred in 1600 BC and were represented in the face with

dangerous sexuality most of them were represented with explicit sexuality. Sex was

considered to be the work of devil and woman was believed to be the agent of devil.

Fig: Image: Dante Charles Gabriel Rossetti, Venus Verticordia (Hughes, Divine Woman )

Representation on the substantiations on cutting edge through literary work and

archaeological evidences, women in religion tell about the lives of the real flesh and blood

women of their day.

The present study tells the story of the relationship of women with culture and religion from

9000 BC onwards. The female of the species has always formed 50% of the population, but

has never occupied 50% of human history. Yet the connection between women and the

culture and divinity has been so strong in all societies that the present study unearths new

evidences for the character of humanity and a fuller, truer history of the world.


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Women have been worshipped round the length and breadth of the globe at all times in the

history of humanity for her sexuality and fertility though she has been marginalized in

leadership positions. Women as a goddess occupy so prominent position that even in

contemporary times her shrines are preserved. UNESCO, in 2005 listed the 75-hectare forestat Osogbo among its valued World Heritage sites, since it has one of Osun’s shrines or

temples, and many sculptures and artworks. This endorses its cultural magnitude more than

its ecological significance (Forest houses and shelters endangered white-throated monkeys.) i

Fig: Image: Oshogbo Nigeria, figure of Goddess Osunii

Furthermore, the evidences of women being considered divine can be traced in the oldest

religious temple unearthed by the Archaeologist in South East of Turkey which happens to

be the oldest religious building of the world, as old as 7000 BC. It is called the Lion Temple

by the Archeologist and the most surprising thing is that a woman occupied the central space

and was commemorated in the sacred temple. She was depicted with accentuated sexuality

and fertility.

Then, there are images of fearsome goddesses, who controlled life and death. The goddesses

ruled the heavens and earth, and that is why our ancestors thought of the divine as female.

Goddess Kali and goddess Durga, of modern-day India, are examples of fierce power whichrules heaven and earth and the goddess is still a powerful force for thousands of Hindus. God

Shanker tells his wife Parvati about the immense power of Goddess Durga. He says, ‘she is

pleased by chanting eight hundred times her name ‘ashtotarshat namka paath’ (Shastri). The

devotee can get anything from wealth, health prosperity, and children and can even get

freedom from the life and death cycle.

Similarly, Christianity was created by a woman and it is possible to tell the history of

Christianity without even mentioning a man. Women identity as explicit in the literature and

divinity reflects the culture of a society.


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There have been a number of women who are extraordinary and their legends and lives cast

new light on some of the hottest arguments about the role of women in religion and society

today. One such extraordinary legendary poetess was Sappho, the great Greek lyricist, and

few known female poets of the ancient world. Sappho was born sometime between 630 and

612 BC. Her influence was so strong that her image was embossed on the coin.

In ancient times women was commemorated and considered sacred, yet some women in

present times are seen fighting for space in the society and even in religion. One can notice

the entire space being occupied by man. Men and women do not have equal roles today. She

is considered a second class citizen in India and some other countries.

Cultural spaces determine the way people think and behave. Every ritual symbolizes culture

of humanity. Similarly, the ways women in a particular culture grieve determine her identity

in that culture. Cultures have different ways of coping even with death. The cultural

education is based on the myths and mysteries a person is brought up with. Her response to

grief can be directly linked to the cultural, attitude, belief, and practice he has grown up with.

Bharati Mukherjee’s short story “The Management of Grief” holds testimony to this concept.It is a heartbreaking, despondent and a testimony to the way two genders from different

culture respond to grief. Man has to immediately forget the lost family and move on, whereas

women have to live with grief and manage by reading books or resorting on religious rituals.

The present situation is worse than the times, when women in India committed sati (burning

in the funeral pyre of husband). This ritual was highly symbolical of low status of a woman

in the society and lack of identity, which becomes zero at the death of her husband and that

she must stop living and show her valiancy by the performing the ritual of “ Johar” by

burning herself.

Tarabai Shinde a Marathi writer challenges the man like Nirbhaya, the Delhi gang rape

victim, very boldly. Her boldness represents an identity which retaliates man’s dominancevery strongly in a man’s world. She erupts like a volcano and spits fire. In this attempt she

clearly projects her identity and the cultural space occupied by the women of her time.

Another writer Bahna Bai, who became very popular with her work talks of life as “burning

pan on cook stove fire” “ sansar sansar jasa tawa chulha wari” reflects a subdued female

identity that determines a second class status of women in that period of time.

Objective: This study aims to study the cultural spaces being reflected through the identity of

women under the heads of religion, literature, films, TV Soaps and social protests against the

backdrop of existing and prevailing snapshot of the time frame.

Justification: The topic is highly relevant since it has not been dealt by any literary authorbefore and female gender is a very powerful gender that determines the culture of a particular

civilization .

Review of Literature: There is a study by Historian Betteny Hughes titled “Hand Maids of

God.” This was also shown as a three part serial on BBC but, this study lacks the literary

perspective hence the author proposes to present a literary perspective.

Chapter Scheme: First Chapter is titled When God was a Girl Women Identity a Reflection of

Culture and Divinity. It deals with the social norms that changed the woman into divinity.


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Second Chapter is titled When Muse was a Woman (Ancient Literature) This chapter deals

with the woman Sapphos who was successful as a poet in man’s worldand projects her

feminist ideology. Third Chapter is titled One Woman Two identities. It projects the two

contrasting identity of woman – one demure and another bold. Fourth Chapter is titled When

Woman was an Aggressor, which deals with the aggressive woman . Chapter V is titled

When Women was a Soap Artist. The chapter deals with the woman identity as projected insoaps and Bollywood. Chapter six is Conclusion.

Scope of the subject:

Methodology: The methodology followed would be exploratory and interpretive research.

Thus, the use of hymns, folklore, prayers and architectural evidences have enabled us to

examine the subject thoroughly . This new approach to the subject has not been followed by

the scholars of this cult. I hope the study will be of some help and interest to all students of

the history, literature, anthropology and religion.

Conclusion : The role women played had been very important since the dawn of civilization.

Recently, Globalization has given a great boost to the status of women. They are competing

and at times challenging the man. Earlier automization and mechanization had also brought

shocking change in the society. Women went to work which gave them tremendous

economic, political and social independence. The place woman occupies in the society is

reflective of the culture prevalent in the society and happens to be an indicator of the attitude

and the degree of patriarchy existing in the society at a particular point of time. Every literary

writer, poet or critic presents it in various shades and colors that would gel with the taste of

the society. They do a wonderful presentation of voicing the culture through the voice of their

characters. Beginning from Rishi Vyas later Kalidas, Tarabai Shinde, Bahna bai, Jhumpa

Lahiri , Bharati Mukherjee , Shobha De, Arundhati Roy and Jane Austen have beensuccessful in projecting the societal attitude and sensibility towards female gender through

their literary work.

End Notes

i Ibid p.3.ii Ibid.p.12.


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CHAPTER - II

When Muse was a Woman Ancient Literature

Sappho (circa 630 B.C.): Sappho was a great Greek lyrist and female poetess of the ancient

world. She was born in an aristocrat family and was a wife of a prosperous merchant which

gave her the advantage to study the arts on the isle of Lesbos. Lesbos was a cultural center in

those days. Sappho composed her own music to be sung with the accompaniment of a lyre.

Her innovated and refined music is now called as sapphic meter. Her lyrics sent a wave in

Greek lyric that moved from writing poetry on muses and gods to writing with individual as

focus. She was one of the first poets to write from the first person, describing love and loss as

it affected her personally.

“Her style was sensual and melodic; primarily songs of love, yearning,

and reflection. Most commonly the target of her affections was female,

often one of the many women sent to her for education in the arts. She

nurtured these women, wrote poems of love and adoration to them, and

when they eventually left the island to be married, she composed their

wedding songs. That Sappho's poetry was not condemned in her time for

its homoerotic content (though it was disparaged by scholars in later

centuries) suggests that perhaps love between women was not

persecuted then as it has been in more recent times. Especially in the last

century, Sappho has become so synonymous with woman-love that two

of the most popular words to describe female homosexuality--

lesbian and sapphic have derived from her.”ii

It is very appreciating that women like Sappho could prove themselves and their work was

appreciated so much that society did not object to lesbianism and Sappho could create a space

for expression for several female poetess and lyricists. She is an epitome of freedom and

space granted to female in those days. Sappho’s popularity in ancient times is a reflection of

the kind of respect and attention women drew in ancient times. Plato the great philosopher

considered her not a poet but a muse. An Athenian ruler, lawyer, and a poet called Solon,

asked that he be taught the song "Because I want to learn it and die." The residents ofSyracuse were so honored by her visit to Sicily, where she had spent some time in Sicily

during her family exile because of their political activities, that they erected a statue of hers.

A coin was embossed with the image of her head.


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Image of Coin of the Greek poet Sappho British Museum 2nd century AD

Mytilene, Island of Lesbos, Greece. The copper alloy coin depicts the head of Sappho, a

lyric poet who lived on the Greek island of Lesbos in the second half of the seventh

century BC.ii

In more modern poets to name a few; Michael Field, Pierre Louys, Renée Vivien, Marie

Madeleine, Amy Lowell, and H.D. all have cited that their work has been inspired by

Sappho .

Her work was popular even in Egypt as the factual evidence from the late 19th

century

manuscripts which had Sappho’s work, dating back to the eighth century AD, were

discovered in the Nile Valley. “Excavations that followed in ancient Egyptian refuse heaps

unearthed a quantity of papyruses from the first century BC to the 10th century AD. Here,

strips of papyrus--some containing her poetry--were found in number. These strips had been

used to wrap mummies, stuff sacred animals, and wrap coffins.” Still more of her work is

being brought together even in twentieth century. Her work has been translated and each

translation gives a different approach to her work because of the fragmented nature of her

work.

She is a muse of ancient times but still she lives as an important literary and cultural figure

adding a touch of mystery every time a fragment of her work is unearthed. Poets labor toreconstruct and derive more meaning to her work. Her influence still continues and more and

more new poets and researcher take fervent interest in her work conjecturing new meaning

and producing imaginary tales. A woman who died over 2000 years ago this inspiration is a

gigantic achievement.

Some selected works by Sappho are :

• "I have not had one word from her" (tr. Mary Barnard)

• "Please" (tr. Paul Roche)


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• "On the throne of many hues, Immortal Aphrodite" (tr. Diane Rayor)

• "To Andromeda" (tr. Jim Powell)

• "Some an army of horsemen, some an army on foot" (tr. Josephine Balmer)

• To Atthis (tr. Willis Barnstone)

I have not had one word from her

I have not had one word from her

Frankly I wish I were dead

When she left, she wept

a great deal; she said to me, "This parting must be

endured, Sappho. I go unwillingly."

I said, "Go, and be happybut remember (you know

well) whom you leave shackled by love

"If you forget me, think

of our gifts to Aphrodite

and all the loveliness that we shared

"all the violet tiaras,

braided rosebuds, dill and

crocus twined around your young neck

"myrrh poured on your head

and on soft mats girls with

all that they most wished for beside them

"while no voices chanted

choruses without ours,

no woodlot bloomed in spring without song..."

--Translated by Mary Barnard

The poem emphasizes the beauty of woman and the love which a woman shares with the

other. The poem is a testimony that a woman’s world can be complete even without a man

but, woman cannot be complete without the support and love of another woman.

“I have not had one word from her. Frankly I wish I were dead” The line expresses very

strong feeling of Sappho for the girl who has left her after her wedding. She eagerly awaits

like a lover to hear words from her. It is a very chauvinist belief but it was very much true

for Sappho. A woman just needs flowers which are representative of beautiful nature which

is a part of the world of a woman to embellish and decorate her beauty like the goddess


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Aphrodite. The song and lyre should accompany the natural outburst of love to sing about

the love and the beauty of a woman for another one.

Please

Come back to me, Gongyla, here tonight,

You, my rose, with your Lydian lyre.

There hovers forever around you delight:

A beauty desired.

Even your garment plunders my eyes.

I am enchanted: I who once

Complained to the Cyprus-born goddess,

Whom I now beseech

Never to let this lose me graceBut rather bring you back to me:

Amongst all mortal women the one

I most wish to see.

--Translated by Paul Roche

Another poem titled “Please ” also celebrates in a lyrical manner love of Sappho for another

woman.

On the throne of many hues, Immortal Aphrodite,

child of Zeus, weaving wiles--I beg you

not to subdue my spirit, Queen,

with pain or sorrow

but come--if ever before

having heard my voice from far away

you listened, and leaving your father's

golden home you came

in your chariot yoked with swift, lovely

sparrows bringing you over the dark earth

thick-feathered wings swirling downfrom the sky through mid-air

arriving quickly--you, Blessed One,

with a smile on your unaging face

asking again what have I suffered

and why am I calling again

and in my wild heart what did I most wish

to happen to me: "Again whom must I persuade


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back into the harness of your love?

Sappho, who wrongs you?

For if she flees, soon she'll pursue,

she doesn't accept gifts, but she'll give,if not now loving, soon she'll love

even against her will."

Come to me now again, release me from

this pain, everything my spirit longs

to have fulfilled, fulfill, and you

be my ally

--Translated by Diane Rayor

To Andromeda

That country girl has witched your wishes,

all dressed up in her country clothes

and she hasn't got the sense

to hitch her rags above her ankles.

--Translated by Jim Powell

Some an army of horsemen, some an army on foot

and some say a fleet of ships is the loveliest sight

on this dark earth; but I say it is what-

ever you desire:

and it it possible to make this perfectly clear

to all; for the woman who far surpassed all others

in her beauty, Helen, left her husband --

the best of all men --

behind and sailed far away to Troy; she did not spare

a single thought for her child nor for her dear parents

but [the goddess of love] led her astray[to desire...]

[...which]

reminds me now of Anactoria

although far away,

--Translated by Josephine Balmer


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To Atthis

Though in Sardis now,she things of us constantly

and of the life we shared.

She saw you as a goddess

and above all your dancing gave her deep joy.

Now she shines among Lydian women like

the rose-fingered moon

rising after sundown, erasing all

stars around her, and pouring light equallyacross the salt sea

and over densely flowered fields

lucent under dew. Her light spreads

on roses and tender thyme

and the blooming honey-lotus.

Often while she wanders she remem-

bers you, gentle Atthis,

and desire eats away at her heart

for us to come.

--Translated by Willis Barnstone

• The Divine Sappho, containing Sappho's poetry, a first line index, fragments in

translation, and great Sappho links.

• Psappha, A Novel of Sappho by Peggy Ullman Bell (site contains information about

the book)

• Sappho, Sappho, translated by Mary Barnard (Berkeley: University of California

Press, 1958)• Sappho, The Love Songs of Sappho, translated by Paul Roche (New York: Penguin

Books, 1966, 1991)

• Eva Cantarella, Pandora's Daughters: The Role and Status of Women in Green and

Roman Antiquity (Baltimore: John Hopkins, 1987)

• Judy Grahn, The Highest Apple: Sappho and the Lesbian Poetic Tradition (San

Francisco: Spinsters, Ink, 1985)

• William Harris, Professor Em. Classics, Middlebury College, Sappho: The Greek

Poems (133 page PDF file with illustrations). See also his shorter paper in HTML

format.


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• Edith Mora, excerpt from Sappho -- The Story of a Poet (Flammarion, 1966)

• Diane Rayor, Sappho's Lyre: Archaic Lyric and Women Poets of Ancient Greece,

translated by Diane Rayor (Berkeley: University of California Press, 1991)

• Leah Rissman, Love as War: Homeric Allusion in the Poetry of Sappho (Konigstein:

Verlag Anton Hain, 1983)• David M. Robinson, Sappho and Her Influence (Boston: Marshall Jones, 1924)

• Jane McIntosh Snyder, The Woman and the Lyre: Women Writers in Classical Greece

and Rome (Carbondale: Southern Illinois University Press, 1989)

http://www.sappho.com/poetry/sappho.html


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CHAPTER - III

One Woman Two Identities

Women identity has always been a representation of culture. Any change in the identity of

women reflects the cultural change. This is true in any country round the globe and is

timeless and yet temporal. The recent Nirbhaya rape case of 16th

December in Delhi has

brought forth an identity of a woman strong enough to challenge the male dominance. This is

reflective of a cultural change which was voiced by a number of women on street in their

slogans “My body my right”. The wearing of religious symbol like hijab by Muslim women

and terrorizing of the two girls who were chatting on mobile in Kashmir are yet another

example of the reflection of culture. In this paper an attempt is being made to study the

various changes in the society being reflected through the identity of women.

The reading of Kalidas’s classic drama Abhijanana Shakuntalam (Kalidas ed.Narayana

Rama Acharya) and the Shakuntala of The Mahabharata are projected with striking

difference. Shakuntala is the mother of the first king called Bharata of Bharata the Sanskrit

name for the Indian sub- continent. She is half -nymph and half- Brahmin. She was left when

a small child by her parents at hermitage of Rishi Kanva where she was brought up by the

Rishi Kanyas. One day when Rishi Kanva is out on a pilgrimage. King Dushyanta, the ruler

of Hastinapur, was on his hunting expedition and he came across Shakuntala. He was

enchanted and spellbound by her beauty so much that he proposes her for Gandharva Vivah.

A marriage, where in the mother Earth is the witness to a mutually consensual marriage.

Shakuntala was first written by Rishi Vyasa in Mahabharata and later adapted by Kalidas in

his drama Abhijanana Shakuntalam. The great poet Kalidas has projected her to be meek and

a loving woman. She is a shy daughter, a beloved and a gentle mother. When she meets

Dushyanta, the king of she does not look at him directly but through furtive glances. She is

incapable of independence and is always accompanied by her two female friends Primvada

and Anusuya.

She is described as:

“ adhrah kislayragah komalavilapanukainau bahu,

Kusumamiva lobhaniyam

Yauvanamangesu samnaddham”ii

Her lips are fresh red buds, her arms are tendrils. Impatient youth is poised to blossom in her

limbs. Shakuntala has been introduced through comparison with nature which symbolizes

her purity. Fresh buds are a metaphor for virginity and the tendril describe her longing for

support and emotional dependency. Impatient youth is poised to blossom in her limbs are

indicative of her virginity and achieving fulfillment with the company of a man in her life.


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This is a typical Indian psyche of the time when Kalidas was writing where women were

considered second fiddle to man and would be considered complete only with the presence of

a man in life. In striking contrast, in The Mahabharat written by Vyas, Dushyanta never

speaks of Shakuntala’s purity or project her as weak and dependent on any man for identity .

He calls her “rambharu” (“you of tapering thighs”).ii The phrase tapering thighs sexualizes

Shakuntala. Shakuntala accepts such praises from Dushyanta boldly without any inhibition is

highly symbolic of her audacity.

The Mahabharat written by Vyas projects her as confident and bold woman character. When

she meets Dushyanta for the first time she herself initiates and welcomes him. The text states:

“ sa tam drstavawa rajanam dushyantam asitekasan svagatam ta iti ksipram uvanca pratipujyl

ca”ii

In complete contrast, Shakuntala hides her feeling of love for King Dushyanta, at first sightand ponders :

Kim nu khalviman preksya tapovanavirodhina vikarasya gamaniyasmi samvrttaii which when

translated into English reads: Why do I get emotions that forest forbids?

When the black- eyed damsel saw the king Dushyanta, she instantly bade him welcome and

worshipped him in due form. After wooing king Dushyanta to marry in Gandharva style ;

she even goes to the extent of making profitable pre – nuptial agreement .In Mahabharat

Shakuntala is strong woman seeking her son’s political power. At length she says that she

does not desire any material wealth for herself but for her son born from him she desires thecrown. She thus states:

Satyam me pratijanihi yatlwan vaksyamy aham rahah mam jayate yah putrah sa bhavet tvad

anantram yuvrajo maharaja satyam etad bravihi me yadi etad evam dusyanta astu me

sangamas tvaya.ii

She is admired by her wit rather than by her delicate beautiful sexy body as is the case with

Kalidas’s Shakuntalam.

One Shakuntala can only have two identities because Kalidas was writing at a time when

women were considered as beautiful artifact to decorate the life of a man.

If we go back to look at other female characters during the time of The Mahabharata we find

the women capable enough to challenge the patriarchy. For example, Satyawati was an

example of a strong headed, assertive figure, in Mahabharat, who saved Bharata dynasty.

Satyawati was Devavrata Bhishma’s step mother. Bhishma was Shantanu’s eldest son.

Bhishma would have become the king, had not for his father, who had fallen in love with

Satyavati, the daughter of the chief of a tribal fisherman. Satyavati had put a condition to

their marriage that unless her children are promised the throne, she would not marry.


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Bhishma to fulfill his father’s desire vouched to remain celibate all his life. She had two sons

from Shantanu. Bhishma loved them intensely but they died young. Satyavati requests

Bhishma to impregnate her widowed daughters in law by the law of levirate to produce an

heir.But, Bhishma refuses to go back from his vow of celibacy. She summons her

illegitimate son, Vyasa, to impregnate her daughters in law to get heirs to save Bharata

dynasty.

Another, example of a powerful character in Mahabharat was Kunti. Kunti when became

aware of her husband’s inability to have sex, found a solution to continue the family line. She

invoked the gods and had five godly Pandava children from four different Gods. Despite

their vague parentage they are called Pandavas’ or the sons of Pandu’s. They are also referred

more correctly in the epic as Kaunteyas, the Sons of Kunti. Another, interesting thing which

gets unfolded is that though Kunti had all the children through different Gods yet her

illegitimate son Karna does not get affection and love and on the contrary she coerces him topromise that her five Pandava children survive in the battle. Why does not she ask for the

same promise to Arjun and her other children? The answer is evident that Pandavas were her

legal children whereas Karan was her illegitimate child. The attitude of mother exhibited here

is very biased and shows the criticism and ostracism a woman with illegitimate child would

get if the secret gets disclosed.

On the same lines, the marriage system favored a man having many wives but polyandry was

quite uncommon. There was hardly any acceptance of polyandry as highlighted by remarks of

Karna ,Dushasan and Duryodhan since they called Draupadi a harlot, a slut since she had five

husbands. Polyandry is a custom in some communities so that the land holding does not getdivided. Kunti must have also thought the same that Pandavas are quite weak in comparison

to Kauravas so if they also get divided than they would become more vulnerable. Hence, she

asks her rest of the four sons to get married to Draupadi and retain whatever strength they

have to sustain in front of Kauravas. It has been referred in the epic that Pandavas were

forewarned about Draupadi being born through a powerful sacrifice in order to wipe out their

Kuru race, but they went ahead and marry her anyway. The Kauravas had become

perpetrators of immorality and their decadence is seen in the incidence when Dushasan drags

Draupadi when she is menstruating and disrobes her in front of the assembly. It can be

perceived clearly that the degradation of Kauravas’ morality has reached its nadir and thedestruction of entire Kuru race is inevitable. The prophecy that Draupadi would bring the

doom of Kshatriya’s was bound to come true is evident from the following snippets of

moment of molestation of Draupadi:

Duryodhan is warned and dissuaded from claiming Draupadi as his prize, won by deceit in

the game of dice, by Vidur his half brother who has been born from low caste maid.

He says:


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You don’t know it, fool, you are tied in a noose!

…You are a deer provoking a tiger’s wrath…

She is not a slave yet. Bharata! I think she was staked

When the king was no longer his own master.ii

But, Duryodhan pays no heed he orders the royal messenger to bring Draupadi in the

assembly. The messenger speeds off and enters like ‘a dog in a lion’s den, crawling up to the

queen of the Pandavas’.ii

He softly speaks:

Intoxicated on dice, Yudhishtra has lost you, O Draupadi …

You must come now to Dhritrashtra’s house…ii

Listening to these words Draupadi goes mad with anger:

What son of a king would wager his wife?

The king is befooled and crazed by the game?ii

She tells the messenger to go back to the assembly and ask her husband :

Whom did you lose first, yourself or me?ii

The messenger returns and puts the question, Yudhishter does not stir, as though

he is a stone statue. Since he doesn’t reply Duryodhan says ‘ Let Draupadi come

here and ask the question herself. All the people want to hear what she has to say.’

The messenger returns to Draupadi and says:

The kings in the hall are summoning you – it seems the fall of the Kurus

has come ! Princess , when you are led into that hall , the king will be

too weak to protect our fortunes?ii

Meanwhile, Duryodhan gets impatient, and orders his brother to bring Draupadi to the court.

And quickly angry Dushasana

Came rushing to her with a thunderous roar;

By the long –teressed black and flowing hair

Dushasana grabbed the wife of a king .ii

And as she was dragged she bent her body

And whispered softly,’It is now my month!

This is my sole garment, man of slow wit,

You cannot take me to the hall you churl!”ii

But, Dushasana continues to drag her by the hair. She appeals to his sense of

Dharma not to debase her but Dushasana answers her:

Come, come …you are won…enjoy the Kurus…

With slaves one delights as one wishes.”ii


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Draupadi warns him that he has lost his mind.

Assembly is shocked at the sight of Draupadi being dragged thus. She contemptuously looks

at her husbands and questions Yudhishter:

‘Whom did you lose first, yourself or me?’

Her question points to a confusing, eventually insoluble crystallization of conflict expressed

along opposing lines of explanation since prashna can also mean a riddle in Sanskrit.ii

Not the kingdom lost, nor the riches looted

Not the precious jewels plundered did hurt

As much as did her sidelong glance.ii

Despite Draupadi being dragged while she is menstruating does not lose courage to protect

her dignity and raise a question on Dharma and lawfulness of the wager by Yudhishter since

Dharm is subtle as Bhishma puts it:

As dharma is subtle, my dear, I fail

To resolve your question in the proper way.ii

Karna puts forth his argument that no one objected when Yudhishter made the bet , and

everyone saw him lose the bet. Moreover, while staking Draupadi’s name was mentioned and

none of the Pandavas objected to it so Draupadi was won fairly. “Besides a virtuous woman

has only one husband and Draupadi has five Pandava brothers – making her a slut who

ought to be stripped in public.”ii Karna ‘s argument smells of avenging his insult by

Draupadi who had refused to marry him since he was a charioteer’s son: Draupadi says:

naham varyami sutam “I do not choose a Charioteer” The brave little Draupadi …snubs

openly… the semi divine bastard, …the unwanted suitor’.ii

Draupadi does not give up. She turns her legal challenge into a moral one. Being aware of the

fact that dharma can mean both what is lawful and what is right, the real question she leads to

is : Is it right or fair that that a woman , let alone a queen become a slave because her husband

staked her in a gambling game? She assumes that law is reflective of the desires of the

powerful in the society and drifts away from what is right thing to do. That is to be concerned

with the well being of the low castes, poor , slave and women- and historically it is essential

for the deprived and vulnerable one to fight for the change. This is the extension of her

second question, ‘ What is the dharma of the king ?”

ii

The massive destruction of Kshatriya race takes place because of the humiliation of

Draupadi. If the five brothers had not been married to Draupadi, who knows Mahabharat

would have taken a different recourse. Like Karan there would be possibility of differences

amongst the five Pandavas and some might also support the Kauravas for some bounties.

Kunti must have thought of strengthening the ties between brothers by way of getting them

all married to one woman. There is another possibility that in those days male female ratio

must have been a problem and getting suitable brides for the rest of the four Pandavas’ must


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have been a problem so immediately Kunti came out with this solution. Moreover, while

battle of Mahabharat was going on she approaches Karan, “ If you and Arjun are united

nothing would be impossible in this world.”asadhyamkim nu loke syad yuvayoh

sahitatmanoh.ii

Kaurva’s would be defeated and Karan would be crowned the king instead of

Yudhishter since he is the rightful claimant to the throne. Kunti is not only assertive but

strong headed and witty. She does not disclose to Yudhishter that Karan is his illegitimate

brother since she knew very well Yudhishter might become weak and surrender which would

mean the Kuru’s victory would be ensured. Draupadi is also another strong woman like Kunti

who performs a major role in the war of Mahabharat. She raises a subtle question on dharma

and saved the Pandavas from slavery and the kingdom that they had lost. Secondly, she goads

Yudhishter to fight for the kingdom during thirteen years of their exile. Another brilliant

example in the literary world is that of Portia, the female protagonist, in the play, The

Merchant Of Venice, written by William Shakespeare, who saved Antonio of pound of flesh,

by her wit and logic.

Kunti tries to stop the war so she goes to Karan, her illegitimate son from the Sun god, to

coerce him to change sides and join Pandav camp. Draupadi, Kunti, Shakuntala and

Satyawati are all depicted as very strong women characters in The Mahabharata. The women

play an active role in politics which has been clearly seen in the efforts made by them. None

of the women are meek. On the contrary, they perform a great role in saving their dynasty.

They enjoy great liberty. The kind of freedom enjoyed by women would be a feminist desire.

The freedom they enjoyed is reflective of the society’s approach towards women in those

days.

James Thurber and Eliot, the two American writers have projected a modern woman so

strong that men change into legendary Prufrocksii in her presence. The parable, The Little

Girl and the Wolf presents a challenge before man in a man’s world. The story of Red

Riding Hood has been given a twist in this parable by Thurber:

…When the little girl opened the door of her grandmother's house she

saw that there was somebody in bed with a nightcap and nightgown on.

She had approached no nearer than twenty-five feet from the bed when

she saw that it was not her grandmother but the wolf, for even in a

nightcap a wolf does not look any more like your grandmother than the Metro-Goldwyn lion looks like Calvin Coolidge. So the little girl took an

automatic out of her basket and shot the wolf dead.

(Moral: It is not so easy to fool little girls nowadays as it used to be.)ii

Thurber had the genius and wit to draw weird drawings where women have their own exposed

nerve endings radiating from their heads. They were neither prosaic hair nor celestial haloes,

but rather their own exposed nerve endings, as though they suffer a vitality that cannot be

contained. In Men, Women, and Dogs by the same author , atrocious confusion arises out of


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remarkably commonplace scenes: in a drawing of a middle-aged group playing table tennis, a

woman suddenly dis- ' robes’ and needlessly asks, "Do you people mind if I take off some of

these hot clothes?";ii At a Thurber cocktail party, filled with his pathetic people, we overhear

this introduction: "This is Miss Jones, Doctor. . . . She's been through hell recently," and we

see a plump, middle-aged nude woman play the piano while two men whisper, "I'd feel a

great deal easier if her husband hadn't gone to bed." Her presence creates such a powerful

image that the two men wish her husband to be present so that they could be protected from

her. This is the kind of fear she has created.

The nakedness of the woman and the ease with which she plays piano are symbolic of her

confidence in man’s world. The nudity also symbolizes her down to earth attitude without

any hypocrisy.

“What is to be done with the lady on the bookcase, a

live, but shelved, former wife who peers down on her

equally drab substitute and a horrified visitor? Or about

"the room where my husband lost his mind," with its extra,

ancient furnishings and tiny, obscure drawings on the

walls? Or for the respectable couple that desperately

hopes—when confronted with a man standing on the back

of a woman, who is at the same time balancing a lamp on

her head.”ii

In each of these frames Thurber has managed to freeze a moment of perfect power andthe strength the females have acquired and the feminine dominion which is so

powerful that man is seen standing on the back of a woman. The Bollywood film

“Welcome” also projects a similar scene where Katrina Kaif saves Akshay Kumar

from the fire. She is seen walking out from the fire with Akshay Kumar on his

shoulders. This film shows the reversal of role of men and women in the society quite

reflective of the change happening in and around the society.

TS Eliot in his poem The Love-Song of J. Alfred Prufrock ii shows the

dilemma of a man who grows middle aged observing women of high

class engaging in snobbish talk.

In the room the women come and go

Talking of Michelangelo.

There will be time, there will be time

To prepare a face to meet the faces that you meet; And indeed there

will be time

To wonder, "Do I dare?" and, "Do I dare?"

Time to turn back and descend the stair,

With a bald spot in the middle of my hair— 40


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[They will say: "How his hair is growing thin!"]

My morning coat, my collar mounting firmly to the chin,

My necktie rich and modest, but asserted by a simple pin—

[They will say: "But how his arms and legs are thin!"]

Do I dare Disturb the universe?

In a minute there is time

For decisions and revisions which a minute will reverse.

He prepares himself to propose but every time he fails to gather courage to propose the lady

whom he

Loves and wishes to be:

I should have been a pair of ragged claws

Scuttling across the floors of silent seas.

In this dilemma he has turned into a fool and utters in despair:

I grow old . . . I grow old . . . 120

I shall wear the bottoms of my trousers rolled.

Shall I part my hair behind? Do I dare to eat a peach?

This is all reflective of a cultural change where women have become more powerful and

stronger than man. This notion saps the man out of courage even to propose any woman and

in this dilemma he grows old with the desire of getting married only in his dream and utters in

despair:

I shall wear white flannel trousers, and walk upon the beach.

I have heard the mermaids singing, each to each.

I do not think they will sing to me.

This poem reflects the societal change that had ameliorated the position of women in the

west. The technological advancement , modernization and globalization uplifted the quality

of life of westerners and it also gave female gender a lot of leisure time and the power to

work that granted a lot of economical and societal liberty and they were cast out of the

frames of Tennyson’s stereotypical women, “Man for earth and woman for hearth.” The

liberty they enjoyed and the independence they acquired made them equal to men in all

respects.

Women found it difficult to bear with unreasonable dominance of man and some women

became so much dominant that they turned into tormentors and the men wanted to get rid of

such women. For example, James Thurber’s story “The Unicorn in the Garden” wonderfully

presents the trick played by a husband to get rid of his wife’s over domineering torture. He


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tells her one fine morning that a unicorn with a golden horn has entered the rose garden. The

wife thinks it to be an opportunity to send him to asylum:

“ And as soon as the husband had gone out of the house, the wife got up

and dressed as fast as she could. She was very excited and there was agloat in her eye. She telephoned the police and she telephoned the

psychiatrist; she told them to hurry to her house and bring a strait-

jacket. When the police and the psychiatrist looked at her with great

interest. “My husband,” she said, “saw a unicorn this morning.” The

police looked at the psychiatrist and the psychiatrist looked at the

police. “He told me it ate a lily,” she said. The psychiatrist looked at the

police and the police looked at the psychiatrist. “He told me it had a

golden horn in the middle of its forehead,” she said. At a solemn signal

from the signal from the psychiatrist, the police leaped from their chairsand seized the wife. They had a hard time subduing her, for she put up a

terrific struggle, but they finally subdued her. Just as they got her into

the strait-jacket, the husband came back into the house.

“Did you tell your wife you saw a unicorn?” asked the police. “Of

course not,” said the husband. “The unicorn is a mythical beast.”

“That’s all I wanted to know,” said the psychiatrist. “Take her away.

I’m sorry, sir, but your wife is as crazy as a jay bird.” So they took her

away, cursing and screaming, and shut her up in an institution. The

husband lived happily ever after.

ii

The marriage institution appears to have been transformed into a game of dice and a battle

ground where husband and wife are the competitors to each other. Individual goals are on the

driving seat where love and emotions are not even retained on the back seat. The only time

when the man and woman come together are for carnal pleasures. The story, The Seal in the

Bedroom describes a funny situation. A seal peers over a strangely amorphous couple in bed,

benignly barking as it keeps them company. Seal is a metaphor for animal instinct and the

barking of seal is indicative of man and woman becoming animals. The craving of the girl in

the fable The Last Flower ii to protect the last flower and love is fruitless in the world full of

selfishness. The awareness that we experience throughout Thurber's work is of that largechaos in which human beings attempt to form groups, institutions, and systems in hopes of

somehow organizing and ordering life.

The Shrike and the Chipmunks also shows that husband and wife are no longer company to

each other but their togetherness leads to misery. Chipmunk alone is able to save himself

from all external as well as internal threats but as soon his wife returns he is killed:

A few days later the female chipmunk returned and saw the awful mess

the house was in. She went to the bed and shook her husband. “What


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would you do without me?” she demanded. “Just go on living, I guess,”

he said. “You wouldn’t last five days,” she told him. She swept the

house and did the dishes and sent out the laundry, and then she made

the chipmunk get up and wash and dress. “You can’t be healthy in you

lie in bed all day and never get any exercise,” she told him. So she took

him for a walk in the bright sunlight and they were both caught and

killed by the shrike’s brother, a shrike named Stoop.ii

It is a metaphorical death of his identity. He knows the answer to his wife’s question; “What

would you do without me?” she demanded. “Just go on living, I guess,” he said. The answer

is clearly indicative that he would have a perfect life without his wife. Coming together is

exhibitive of the animal instinct and decadence and fragmentation of the society where family

system would soon vanish.

In complete contrast, the American society has slowly started to witness a change in the

attitude towards family and that is perceived and portrayed in Jhumpa Lahiri’s book,

Unaccustomed Earth. American women are more devoted and trying to hold on more to the

marriage rather than men. It is a tour de force that has been observed in the American society.

The story, Hell- Heaven”ii brings out this fact very clearly. Deborah an American woman

has a lovey dovey relationship with Pranab a Bengali Indian. They seemed to be in so much

love that they felt no awkwardness sharing it in front of others; “Sometimes they ended up

feeding each other allowing their fingers to linger in each other’s mouth, causing my parents

to look down at their plates and wait for the moment to pass. At larger gatherings, they kissed

and held hands in front of everyone, ... “ Narrator’s mother would remark ; “He used to be sodifferent … It’s just hell- heaven , the difference, …. After twenty- three years of marriage,

Pranab and Deborah got divorced. It was he who had strayed, falling in love with a married

Bengali woman, destroying two families in the process” and Deborah keeps wondering

despite her loyalty “ How could he do something like this ? ” …ii It very clearly mirrors the

rapidly changing culture in America where American women are getting more loyal and

devoted to the marriage institution.

Conclusion: The role women played had been very important since the dawn of civilization.

Recently, Globalization has given a great boost to the status of women. They are competing

and at times challenging the man. Earlier automization, mechanization had also broughtshocking change in the society. Women went to work which gave her tremendous economic,

political and social independence. The place woman occupies in the society is reflective of the

culture prevalent in the society and happens to be an indicator of the attitude and the degree of

patriarchy existing in the society at a particular point of time. Every literary writer, poet or

critic presents it in various shades and colors that would gel with the taste of the society. They

do a wonderful presentation of voicing the culture through the voice of their characters.

Beginning from Rishi Vyas later Kalidas, Jhumpa Lahiri , Bharati Mukherjee , Shobha De,


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Arundhati Roy have been successful in projecting the societal attitude and sensibility towards

female gender through their literary work.

ii Sonya Davey, One Shakuntala Two identities, Bhavan’s Journal , March,2013, p.33.

ii Ibid36.ii Ibid36.

ii Ibid.3

ii Ibd3.ii !e calls hi" #Bhara$a’ a%$er $he na"e o% $he clan $o &hich $he 'auravas and (andavas belon). * (aul +il"o$’s

$ransla$ion o% boo -&o o% $he epic in clay Sansri$ series , represen$ed by S/II 66. ya)hran "ri)ah

opayase $ivela"4ii Mahabhara$a II.6. S/.

ii II.60.6

ii II.60.5

ii II.60.

ii II.60.13.

ii II .60.22

ii II .60.20

ii II.60.20 II.60.222

ii David, Schul"an, The Yasaka’s Question in 7ali$ !asan 8oe" and David Schul"en *eds.4, 9n$yin) $he 'no$

:n 8iddles and :$her ;ni)"a$ic Modes, %ord 9niversi$y (ress,1??6,153.

ii II.60.35,36

ii II.6. S/

ii Draupadi had %ive husbands no$ only because o% 'un$i bu$ "ul$iple layer in $he $e>$.ii .S. Su$hanar , Critical Studies in the Mahabharata, Mu"bai 'arna$aa (ublishin) !ouse, 1?, p.@. *

I.12.154ii II.61,202

ii Asadhyam kim nu loke syad yuvayoh sahitatmanoh *.13.104.

ii -.S ;lio$, The LoveSon! o" #$ Al"red %ru"rock

h$$pAApeople.vir)inia.eduAs%rAena"312Apru%roc.h$"l do&nloaded on 1$h Cpril,2013.

(ru%roc "ay represen$ a "an &earin) a %roc $ha$ is he is so &ea e"o$ionally $ha$ he is devoid o% all

"asculini$y.

ii Ja"es -hurber, The Little &irl and the wol" , h$$pAAdo&n&i$h$yranny.blo)spo$.inA200?A12A$hurber$oni)h$

%ables%orour$i"ehen.h$"l

ii Ja"es -hurber, Men, 'omen, ( )o!s, Balla$ine *Y+(ublishers,1?0.

ii Ja"es -hurber,

ii -.S.;lio$ ,The Love Son! O # Al"red %ru"rock


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23

h$$pAApeople.vir)inia.eduAs%rAena"312Apru%roc.h$"l do&nloaded on 1$h Cpril,2013.ii Ja"es -hurber, The -nicorn in the &arden h$$pAAd)$ied.ne$Apa)esA$hurberEo&l)od do&nloaded 1?$h Cpril

2013.

h$$pAAd)$ied.ne$Apa)esA$hurberEo&l)od do&nloaded 1?$h Cpril 2013.

ii Ja"es -hurber, The Last lower, h$$pAA&&&.you$ube.co"A&a$chFvGH18r;Crob& , viewed ./

th A0ril,

./12$

ii Ja"es -hurber, The Chi0munk and the Shrike, h$$pAAd)$ied.ne$Apa)esA$hurberEo&l)od do&nloaded 1?$h

Cpril 2013.

ii Jhu"pa /ahiri, 8ando" !ouse India (riva$e /i"i$ed , 200@,p. 60.

ii Ibid 6@ , @1.


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CHAPTER - IV

When Woman was an Aggressor

(Russia Today )

There are women have projected them as Durga and Kali in reality. They have vociferously

pointed out the double standards of man. They have shown immense courage to voice out

loud and clear their opinion. An example of such a woman is first lady cab driver of Afghan .

“Sara Bahayi is Afghanistan’s first female taxi driver in recent memory, and she is believed

to be the only one actively working in the country. She’s 38. She’s unmarried. She’s

outspoken. In this highly patriarchal society, where women are considered second-class

citizens and often abused, Bahayi is brazenly upending gender roles.” (Raghvan). She is

fighting all odds. She is firm and an exemplary female who is challenging man. She has been

threatened by many male taxi drivers but, nothing can destroy her feminine familial feeling tosave her family. She has bought a gun for her safety and is surging ahead with grit and

courage.


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(BBC,Beale,Jonathan )

Tarabai Shinde (1840 -1910)

She was the one who pointed out the double standards of Indian Men. She believed that man

is responsible for hindering the growth of the women. She tears through the masque of double

standards of the man in dominant man’s world. She highlights in her works the egoist attitude

of man, exploitation of married woman and other exploitive tendency existent in the man.She was much ahead of her times this can be proven by the fact that her work “Stree Purush

Tulna,” published by CG Malshe, when it was presented at the first International Women’s

year in 1975, drew tremendous attention of the researchers.

Jyotiba Phule appreciates the vociferousness of Tarabai, who had highlighted the extreme

torture, harassment and exploitation of the women, which was going on in the society

because the women were uneducated, ignorant and not empowered. Tarabai feels that

women are not a slave of man or a property but, deserve equal treatment. Her work is

relevant for all ages.

Jyotiba Phule in her appreciation says that Tarabai Shinde in her book Stree Purush Tulna haspoignantly attacked the exploitative nature of man. He further adds that there was a harsh

cyclone, in the heart of Tarabai, that emerged and resulted in the poison she spat about man

and his exploitative nature.

“ Stree Purush Tulna ya navachya pustakat bahutek bharte aplya

striyansamaksh pahijel ya chavcheshta karun neech karme acharu laglya

mude , kityek kuleen pativrata striyans atishay visham vatun tya agyani

va nirbal aslyamude amaryat kopate pavunty (Phadke) anche manat


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dushkarmrupi samudrachya ati bhyankar lata udbhavtat tyache nivaran

vhaye yaprityarth tyani ati uttam bodh kela” (Phadke)

Tarabai brings to light the poignant condition of widow in society in her times and compares

with the women in epics in the ancient times. She points that widow remarriage was allowedin ancient times, for example, the remarriage of Satyawati, who had married Parasher Rishi

and then remarried Dushyant . Kunti had Gandharv marriage with lord Sun and then

remarried King Pandu of Hastinapur. She also mentions about Ahilya , Tara wife of Bali ,

Ruma wife of Sugriv all were remarried . Further, Tarabai comments on Lord Krishna who

would disguise and enter the palace of Chandrawali and destroy her chastity. She says that

your lord is a philanderer so there is nothing new that you are one. “ Arey tumche dev dekhil

dagabaj , mag tumhi aslach asaal yat naval kay?” (Phadke)

She has vehemently attacked the custom of ‘Sati’ by referring to an incidence in the epic

Ramayan. During, the war between Lord Ram and Ravan when, Inderjeet was killed

Sulochana had to commit Sati by burning herself in the funeral pyre along with her husband ,Inderjeet. Sulochana, was a devoted wife and loved her husband very much. Lord Ram was

all powerful and could have saved Inderjeet but, he listened to Maruti and Vibhishan thus a

gem like Sulochana was lost at the hands of an evil exploitative custom. In the words of

Tarabai : “ te vedes sulochaneche khare pativrat pauhun Inderjeetala uthavine he Ramache

swadhin hote. Pan Maruti bovache va vibhishan gharbhedi yanche aikun sulochanasarkhe

durmid ratne vistavat ghalun jadun takle.” (Phadke)

Custom of Sati was actually to protect women from furthur exploitation. A woman without a

man is open to several exploitation. She is considered property of others who can take

advantage of her by changing her into a labour working for food, clothing and shelter. In

Nissim Ezekiel’s novel “Don’t Call it Suicide” Meeta is also exploited by turning her into adomestic maid. No one ever realizes or seems to notice her as a daughter in law of the house.

Her parents do not provide her with any support and mother in law allows her to stay in the

house because she was a help to her in the house. Mrs. Nanda and all the other family

memebrs are subjecting her to such a treatment without any remorse or guilt. It is only Mr.

Nanda whose conscience rankles him to see his daughter in law turned into domestic after the

suicide of his husband. This story is not an unusual story in India . It was a very common

thing in the past and the condition is no better even now. Not only this , a woman is

exploited even sexually and is reduced to a doormat. The exploitation was so tremndous that

custom of ‘Sati’ was considered to be less harsher treatment to save her from denigration.

Tarabai was a well read person. She had read not only epics but, the popular contemporarymagazines and stories of her time. She felt that the existing literature of her time was anti

woman and highly critical of woman . The literature defamed women. She critically observed

the stories written by Dr. Ramji Ganoji and questions the veracity about the character of

women as presented by him.

She says that royal women were surrounded by tight security then how could they come out

in the night wearing a man’s clothing. She says were the guards blind that they did not

notice. She has put a rajor sharp question in front of the writer proving that his literature was

trying to defame woman. “ Rajanchya muli agar ranya hya kiti bandobastat kadak paharyat


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astat bare? Tevhan ratriche vedes purushacha poshakh karun janakhanyabaher kiti mushkil ?

Ek raja vegda karun aat vadyat purush jatiche kutry sudha janyachi bandi ekapasun to pannas

darvajyawar kadak kadvya shipayancha chaukya . Tevhan to shipai ka andhade hote ?”

(Phadke)

She has also criticised N.R Sadachiv Risbud’s novel “Manjughosha” . She says that

Manjughosha was the darling daughter of the King Sarvbhaum and she was brought up in

great luxury. It is doubtful and hard to believe that she did not even think twice about his old

father and would elope with an ordinary man called Vasant Madhav. She writes “

Manjughosha hi sarvbhaum Rajachi ati ladki kanya. Hi tya Vasant Madhavabarobar kahich

vichar na karita ekdam Vimanrudh houn mahatarya bapachya hatavar turi deoun jaail ka? Jya

bapane tila lahanpanyapasun ladane kanthatil kanthyapramane wagavito tyavishayi tiche

manat kahich aale nasel kay? Ti tar mothi shahani , sarvgunsampann ratnakhachit va te sarv

manoram upbhog takun nighun geli asel ka? Jate vedes tya mahatarya bapachi murti tiche

najaresamor ubhi rahili nasel ka? Tila kahich vatla nasel ka?” (Phadke)

She feels the literature reflected the opinion of man about women not the actual situation.

She furthur talks about a novel written by Hadbeshastri “Muktamala” which has its origin

from the idea from the play called “ Manorama” written by Mahadev Balkrishana Chitale.

She says that novel is interspersed with horrendous presentation of a woman’s character. She

advises that the dramatist and novelist should write about what is possible or has happened in

the earlier times and not totally fake ideas that emerge in their minds to melodramatise the

situation. She writes“ Pratyek goshtit pustakat shrungar , vinod, shok he teen gun

aslyavachun ras bharat nahin he kahre pan grunthkartyani apan je kahi lihato he

gadhnyasarkhi kinva purvi kadhikadi ase ghadun aale hote kinva nahin yacha aadhi vichar

karu mag pudhe granthrachva.”

Tarabai Shinde demands a society where men and women are equal in status. She believes

that man has exploited woman for ages for his own selfishness. Man has given birth to a

society which blames and defames women. She feels that the belief which has been

propogated through ages that all good deeds are done by man and all evil by women which is

the root of all torture and injustice on the entire women folk. She goes to the extent of

condemning the nature of all men and saya that the nature of man is of victimizing the

woman. God and even the religion is no exception, since it also propogates the same idea.

According to Tarabai this exploitation should stop. She has iconclasticised the belief that all

evil are born from women which resonates the idea of the past and transports us to the garden

of Eden from where the downfall had started because of the woman who had lured the an to

taste the fruit of knowledge which led to the expulsion of man from heaven to earth.

Tarabai believes that whatever flaws and faults that a man has the same faults a woman has

but, unnecessarily the woman are projected with faults and man is idolicised as perfect

without any evil and elated to the level of God. She says she has no objection if a woman

considers her man to be a god but the behaviour of the man should be befitting the lord.

Thurber: James Thurber and Eliot, the two American writers have projected a modern

woman so strong that men change into legendary Prufrocksii in her presence. The parable,


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The Little Girl and the Wolf presents a challenge before man in a man’s world. The story of

Red Riding Hood has been given a twist in this parable by Thurber:

…When the little girl opened the door of her grandmother's house she

saw that there was somebody in bed with a nightcap and nightgown on.She had approached no nearer than twenty-five feet from the bed when

she saw that it was not her grandmother but the wolf, for even in a

nightcap a wolf does not look any more like your grandmother than the

Metro-Goldwyn lion looks like Calvin Coolidge. So the little girl took an

automatic out of her basket and shot the wolf dead.

(Moral: It is not so easy to fool little girls nowadays as it used to be.)ii

Thurber had the genius and wit to draw weird drawings where women have their own exposed

nerve endings radiating from their heads. They were neither prosaic hair nor celestial haloes,

but rather their own exposed nerve endings, as though they suffer a vitality that cannot be

contained. In Men, Women, and Dogs by the same author , atrocious confusion arises out of

remarkably commonplace scenes: in a drawing of a middle-aged group playing table tennis, a

woman suddenly dis- ' robes’ and needlessly asks, "Do you people mind if I take off some of

these hot clothes?";ii At a Thurber cocktail party, filled with his pathetic people, we overhear

this introduction: "This is Miss Jones, Doctor. . . . She's been through hell recently," and we

see a plump, middle-aged nude woman play the piano while two men whisper, "I'd feel a

great deal easier if her husband hadn't gone to bed." Her presence creates such a powerful

image that the two men wish her husband to be present so that they could be protected from

her. This is the kind of fear she has created.

The nakedness of the woman and the ease with which she plays piano are symbolic of her

confidence in man’s world. The nudity also symbolizes her down to earth attitude without

any hypocrisy.

“What is to be done with the lady on the bookcase, a

live, but shelved, former wife who peers down on her

equally drab substitute and a horrified visitor? Or about

"the room where my husband lost his mind," with its extra,

ancient furnishings and tiny, obscure drawings on thewalls? Or for the respectable couple that desperately

hopes—when confronted with a man standing on the back

of a woman, who is at the same time balancing a lamp on

her head.”ii

In each of these frames Thurber has managed to freeze a moment of perfect power and

the strength the females have acquired and the feminine dominion which is so

powerful that man is seen standing on the back of a woman. The Bollywood film


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“Welcome” also projects a similar scene where Katrina Kaif saves Akshay Kumar

from the fire. She is seen walking out from the fire with Akshay Kumar on his

shoulders. This film shows the reversal of role of men and women in the society quite

reflective of the change happening in and around the society.

TS Eliot in his poem The Love-Song of J. Alfred Prufrock ii shows the

dilemma of a man who grows middle aged observing women of high

class engaging in snobbish talk.

In the room the women come and go

Talking of Michelangelo.

There will be time, there will be time

To prepare a face to meet the faces that you meet; And indeed there

will be time

To wonder, "Do I dare?" and, "Do I dare?"Time to turn back and descend the stair,

With a bald spot in the middle of my hair— 40

[They will say: "How his hair is growing thin!"]

My morning coat, my collar mounting firmly to the chin,

My necktie rich and modest, but asserted by a simple pin—

[They will say: "But how his arms and legs are thin!"]

Do I dare

Disturb the universe?

In a minute there is time

For decisions and revisions which a minute will reverse.

He prepares himself to propose but every time he fails to gather courage to propose the lady

whom he

Loves and wishes to be:

I should have been a pair of ragged claws

Scuttling across the floors of silent seas.

In this dilemma he has turned into a fool and utters in despair:

I grow old . . . I grow old . . . 120

I shall wear the bottoms of my trousers rolled.

Shall I part my hair behind? Do I dare to eat a peach?

This is all reflective of a cultural change where women have become more powerful and

stronger than man. This notion saps the man out of courage even to propose any woman and in


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this dilemma he grows old with the desire of getting married only in his dream and utters in

despair:

I shall wear white flannel trousers, and walk upon the beach.

I have heard the mermaids singing, each to each.

I do not think they will sing to me.

This poem reflects the societal change that had ameliorated the position of women in the

west. The technological advancement , modernization and globalization uplifted the quality

of life of westerners and it also gave female gender a lot of leisure time and the power to

work that granted a lot of economical and societal liberty and they were cast out of the

frames of Tennyson’s stereotypical women, “Man for earth and woman for hearth.” The

liberty they enjoyed and the independence they acquired made them equal to men in all

respects.

Women found it difficult to bear with unreasonable dominance of man and some women

became so much dominant that they turned into tormentors and the men wanted to get rid of

such women. For example, James Thurber’s story “The Unicorn in the Garden” wonderfully

presents the trick played by a husband to get rid of his wife’s over domineering torture. He

tells her one fine morning that a unicorn with a golden horn has entered the rose garden. The

wife thinks it to be an opportunity to send him to asylum:

“ And as soon as the husband had gone out of the house, the wife got up

and dressed as fast as she could. She was very excited and there was agloat in her eye. She telephoned the police and she telephoned the

psychiatrist; she told them to hurry to her house and bring a strait-

jacket. When the police and the psychiatrist looked at her with great

interest. “My husband,” she said, “saw a unicorn this morning.” The

police looked at the psychiatrist and the psychiatrist looked at the

police. “He told me it ate a lily,” she said. The psychiatrist looked at the

police and the police looked at the psychiatrist. “He told me it had a

golden horn in the middle of its forehead,” she said. At a solemn signal

from the signal from the psychiatrist, the police leaped from their chairsand seized the wife. They had a hard time subduing her, for she put up a

terrific struggle, but they finally subdued her. Just as they got her into

the strait-jacket, the husband came back into the house.

“Did you tell your wife you saw a unicorn?” asked the police. “Of

course not,” said the husband. “The unicorn is a mythical beast.”

“That’s all I wanted to know,” said the psychiatrist. “Take her away.

I’m sorry, sir, but your wife is as crazy as a jay bird.” So they took her


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away, cursing and screaming, and shut her up in an institution. The

husband lived happily ever after.ii

The marriage institution appears to have been transformed into a game of dice and a battle

ground where husband and wife are the competitors to each other. Individual goals are on thedriving seat where love and emotions are not even retained on the back seat. The only time

when the man and woman come together are for carnal pleasures. The story The Seal in the

Bedroom describes a funny situation. A seal peers over a strangely amorphous couple in bed,

benignly barking as it keeps them company. Seal is a metaphor for animal instinct and the

barking of seal is indicative of man and woman becoming animals. The craving of the girl in

the fable The Last Flower ii to protect the last flower and love is fruitless in the world full of

selfishness. The awareness that we experience throughout Thurber's work is of that large

chaos in which human beings attempt to form groups, institutions, and systems in hopes of

somehow organizing and ordering life.

The Shrike and the Chipmunks also shows that husband and wife are no longer company to

each other but their togetherness leads to misery. Chipmunk alone is able to save himself

from all external as well as internal threats but as soon his wife returns he is killed:

A few days later the female chipmunk returned and saw the awful mess

the house was in. She went to the bed and shook her husband. “What

would you do without me?” she demanded. “Just go on living, I guess,”

he said. “You wouldn’t last five days,” she told him. She swept the

house and did the dishes and sent out the laundry, and then she made

the chipmunk get up and wash and dress. “You can’t be healthy in you

lie in bed all day and never get any exercise,” she told him. So she took

him for a walk in the bright sunlight and they were both caught and

killed by the shrike’s brother, a shrike named Stoop.ii

It is a metaphorical death of his identity. He knows the answer to his wife’s question; “What

would you do without me?” she demanded. “Just go on living, I guess,” he said. The answer

is clearly indicative, that he would have a perfect life without his wife. Coming together is

exhibitive of the animal instinct and decadence and fragmentation of the society where family

system would soon vanish.

Bibliography:

BB,Beale,Jona$han . C %e"ale $a>i driver... in C%)hanis$an. @ March 2015. 01


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8a)hvan, Sudarshan. -he 9nliely /i%e o% C%)hanis$an’s irs$ e"ale $a>i driver. 26 ebruary 2015. 1


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CHAPTER - V

When Women was a Soap Artist

Women were considered second class citizen earlier and the role that they played was that of

a procreator, a mother, a sister, a lover, seductress in daily soaps. She would assist in the

development of the male gender in various aspects. The story was and of male gender playing

a major role. Man was caste in powerful roles. They were shown as business tycoons (Shanti)

Mr. Bajaj or police officers and doctors, whereas women were cast in traditional roles that of

mother daughter, lover or seductress or a sister and if at all they were shown as career women

they were cast in the roles of a Obstetrician, a nurse , a reporter , a teacher or an interior

designer.

The trend seems to be changing as more and more women are being projected in powerful

roles. For instance, the role of men is very secondary in the soap Pyar Ka Dard Hai Meetha

Meetha Pyara Pyara. Avantika Kumar is a highly glamorous woman yet, a leading CEO,

who is also a chairperson for grievance committee of Business and Commerce. She has put

in her heart and soul to make her family business empire grow to amazing heights. Her

brother is shown lacking with such skills. Not, only this she has taken care of her other

siblings and is the one who works towards keeping the family united. She is a better MD

than her brother. Brother and other male characters are shadowed by her dominant presence

in the soap. Her daughter in law Punkhudi is shown as meek woman, yet in the times of

crisis, emerges a strong woman capable of hiring a spy for spying on her husband Adi andVikram Dhanrajgir her cousin’s Brother in law. Grandmother Anisha or Annie is yet another

glamorous woman and is also projected as a powerful character. She elopes to Australia with

her lover and marries there. She marries against the wishes of her entire family. On her return

to India for marriage of her student Varun to her granddaughter Kaira. She counsels Varun

for marriage. She guides Pankhudi to hire a spy to know about her husbands’ cause of worry.

She over dominates family and is rightly addressed as Mogambo by her daughter in law –

Kaira’s mother.

It is the first time that a woman is cast in the role of an IPS officer – Sandhya Rathi in the

daily soap “ Diya Aur Bati Hum” on Star Plus. She is bold enough to fight the terrorists and

gets trophy of best cadet. She is shown striking a balance between her professional and

personal life. A desi Rajasthani bahu with her head covered wearing a lot of jewelry, leaves

for Hyderabad police training centre, with her husband and inlaws, diffident of the co traveler

who is staring at her jewelry. But, after 11 months of training, Sandhya Rathi returns

confident, wearing an IPS cap and dress and is a winner of best cadet trophy to her credit. On

the first day of her duty at Pushkar she takes the decision of suspending a few hooligan police

officers, who are under the influence of a local goon. They mock and pass gender sensitive


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remarks that “police cap does not suit a woman”. But, she proves otherwise. She is able to

confiscate wine and money which is brought for distribution during elections. She does not

care for her life but tries to save people from fire. The local goon while praising her says

“you are the only one ‘mard’ meaning one man in the entire group”. If a woman does

anything good or which is appreciable is comparable to a man. Why can’t anything super be

comparable to a woman still symbolizes the second class status of a woman. She displays

extreme degree of feminity when her husband Suraj visits her office to give her breakfast.

She is being projected as a woman who displays perfect balance in the two role – one of an

IPS officer and the other of a wife. When she is pregnant she is compared to a lioness with

triple power , since she is carrying two kids.


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Sin)h $rainer %or I(S o%%icer


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Ye hain Mohabbattein, is a serial of a multi tasker dentist who makes the barren life fertile of

Ruhi by becoming a mother of hers. She marries Raman only for the sake of Ruhi but

gradually his family becomes an integral part of her life . She is a good and compassionate

daughter in law, who cares for the family. She gives support to her sister in law in the time of

crisis and financial difficulty by going out of the way. She is a good neighbor and risks her

life for a pregnant neighbor by trying to reach her to the hospital, during riots. When all her

attempts to reach her to the hospital fails, she assists in the delivery of the baby and

successfully delivers the baby. She is strong enough to protect her self- respect from the lust

of her brother in law. She stands strongly and complains to her sister in law, whose husband

misbehaves with her and also to her mother in law without being guilty of the fact that she is

draped in a modern dress which has made him fall for him or any other guilt which would

make her feel conscious that she is responsible for the action in any way. When she is not

heard by the two women she dares to tell it to her husband Raman. This is the changing

image of women in society.

Tumhari Pakhi is a story of a female guide in Chittorgarh, who has been married in

childhood to a man who has later turned into a successful businessman. She is a good mother,

a wonderful wife who is a symbolical guide for her family as well. She trains the child, who

was a brat, to be more disciplined and also guides him to have healthy food. She saves her

husband Anshuman from a vamp Tanya who fakes love and later her true character is

revealed through various instances like misguiding Aayan the child to go and have fun in the

water park rather than participating in the school competition. She also steals money from

Aayan’s piggy bank to win the bet with Pakhi. When she loses the bet she tries to scare

Aayan so that he manipulates his father Anshuman to marry her and to send Pakhi back to

Chittorgarh. When all her efforts fail she tries to kill Pakhi so that she is out of her way in

marrying Anshuman. Pakhi is ready to accept the challenge of being a good house wife, a

good girl friend and a good mother . But, she refuses to accept challenge of proving her

chastity. This shows how women’s identity emerges as a strong women. Further, Pakhi

leaves the house of Anshuman and reaches Delhi and becomes a tourist guide because

Anshuman assassinates her character. She goes to Delhi in search of her identity. She stays

with a woman who, has had a bitter experience in her married life and a girl who is going to

get married and is a photographer.

Saraswatichandra is a story of a village girl called Kumud , who teaches in a school. Her

father’s friend who makes a good fortune in Dubai wants his son to be married to Kumud. He

sends his son to meet the family and soon Saras falls in love with Kumud and marries her.

She tries to uncover the past of her step mother in law called Gumaan, who had been a

tamashe wali and a prostitute. She risks her life and tries to unearth her secret by going in red

light area. She goes through various problems but does not give up . In this process she

comes to know that Kabir is the real brother of her husband and Gumaan had plotted to kill


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him on birth itself. This incident had created rift between Saras’s father and mother

Saraswati and they fell apart . This helped the entry of Gumaan into the life of Saras’s father.

Veera Ek Veer ki Ardas has more number of women in lead characters. Two women singly

bring up two children. They give all support to the female child called Veera so that shestudies in London. Veera, who has the best of education in her childhood, rides a motor

cycle and is shown to be tom boyish. She also is capable of managing farm affairs very well.

She is a very strong personality and can fight with a number of boys. She is projected quite

stronger than even her childhood friend Baldev.

Sath Nibhaana Sathiya, also rests on a number of female characters. Men are very few and

play no significant role. Kokila is the head of the family, who is a powerful character and she

dares even to punish her grown up son Ahem by hitting with a scale on the hands of her son.

Balika Badhu shows the struggle for self assertion by Anandi a child bride . She is a brightgirl child who struggles hard and becomes a sarpanch and helps her family.

We find a number of women CEO’s like Chandana Kochar from ICICI , IndiraNyooi from

PEPSI in real life and the same is being reflected by TV Soaps. TV soaps show a changing

trend in female identity. The female identity reveals the dynamic multifaceted aspect of

women. No longer women are seductive vamps like Kaumaulika or a second class citizen just

playing minor role of providing fulfillment in man’s life but, a powerful dynamite giving

great impetus to the people and herself around her.

Is Pyar Ko Kya Nam Doon ?: This serial reflects two types of women existing in thepresent society. Anjali, the mother in law, is being beaten by her husband daily for over

thirty years. Her daughter Jyoti also suffers similar type of treatment at the hands of her

husband. He along with his aunt illegally aborts two female fetus of Jyoti’s . To avoid all this

she runs away from the house but, again she falls in the same trap. She does not want to go

back to her husband’s house but, her father is a staunch believer that a girl’s house is not her

mayeka but her husban

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