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In the stories read concerning India and South America, women play
important roles. Some are not so tasteful while others portray them as
strong and independent. In each story, woman are allowed to express
themselves quite differently. They lead a life that dos not parallel ours
but hopefully one day will.
Women in India occupy a paradoxical status. On one hand, there is an
abundance of goddesses occupying pivotal places in Indian mythology. On
the other hand, there are inhuman Atraditions@ piled against them; Sati,
Dowry-system, etc. come to mind. Yet, now there are possibly more Indian
women in scientific, medical, and professional areas than many
Aliberalized@ Western nations. After all, India boasts of the first woman
Prime Minister in the world! However there are no end of reports of wife
burning, female infanticide, battery, rape that take place in a democratic
India. However it is hardly mentioned that women and men in India are
doing something about this situation. The average record of the last
decade though is still very disturbing. According to a newspaper in New
Delhi, every 6 minutes, a crime is committed against women. Every 7
minutes a woman is raped, every 45 minutes a woman is kidnapped or abducted.
335 of women are subjected to cruelty. 17 dowry deaths are reported every
day. In the reading done this semester it is shown that the treatment of
women in India is not often understood.
"The Shroud", written by Prem Chand, is a perfect example on how women are
disrespected by their husbanRAB. The women in the story dies during
childbirth and her husband is worried too much about his own enjoyment than
purchasing a proper shroud for her to be burned in. This is quite an
isolated case though, because the people of the village are ashamed by his
actions. The husband, Madhav, and his father, Ghisu, go around the town
weeping for the death of the woman but their tears are false. All they
want is money. She lived miserably, working only to feed her and husband
and care for the children. Ghisu said it best when he sais Awhy do you
weep my boy? Rather rejoice that she is freed from this web of illusion.
Escaped from this tangle of misery. She is lucky to have broken loose so
soon from the bonRAB of maya. A Perhaps Ghisu is only trying to say that to
alleviate his guilt but he is correct.
In "resignation" , the author is trying to show that the main character
Fateh Chand is quite unlucky. His name means AThe Moon of Victory@ but the
author claims it would be more appropriate to call him AThe Slave of
Defeat@. To prove tis the author goes on to say Ahe had no sons, but tree
daughters, no brothers but two sisters-in-law...@ By saying this he is at
a disadvantage. In India the practice of dowry has grown so perverted that
birth of a daughter is despised as a curse to the family. Dowry implies
the demand made by the bridegroom's family on the brides family in an
arranged marriage.. The bride's family , under social pressure, and having
regard to the welfare and safety of the bride, has no option other than
capitulate to the demand of the groom's family. In AWho Cares?@, he reader
sees the stress an arranged marriage can have on a young woman. Anand, the
main character, has been set up to marry a woman named Janaki. Anand's
mother spenRAB her time training her to be a good housewife to her son.
Anand's friend notices that Janaki is Aany mother-in-law's ideal-quiet,
obedient, helpful.@ The only problem was that Anand had gone to a school
in America and the old traditions did not suit him very well.
Anand's friend, a female, also studies in America with him and she is the
epitome of a modern Indian woman. She is independantm assertive and will
not allow any man to make decisions for her. America molded ner to be this
way. In AResignation@ though, the wife of Fateh Chand, Sharda, is the
strong one while Fateh Chand himself is weak. She has determination. It
is her push that forces Fateh Chand to fight his boss and to keep his pride.
AThe biggest thing for a man is to keep his honor; {...} If you had
borne the insult silently, I would have hated to look at your face; {...}
in my heart I would have lost all respect for you.@ she told him.
In South America, women are subjected to constant devaluing of women's
economic role. In a study of female workers in the garment industry in
Puerto Rico, contenRAB that a woman's particular stage in the life cycle,
her economic roles mirror he household duties. In Bolivia, women worked in
industries that could be described as extensions of traditional female
domestic tasks. The baked bread and pastries; catered food; knitted, sewed
and erabroidered clothes. The brutal torture of women hardly exists
anymore. The women in South America are making changes to become more
independent and have greater career opportunities in the work force.
In "No One Writes to the Colonel" The main characters wife is sickly but
she has an inner strength to convince her husband to sell his rooster. She
orders him AGet rid of that rooster now.@ She is not afraid to speak her
mind and make her point of view heard. The colonel does not always take
what she says seriously but does consider her warnings and common sense.
She persuades him to sell the rooster.
The woman in Tuesday's siesta, who comes to visit he son's grave, is
treated with much respect and the reader can tell that she carries herself
with much poise. Although she was used to poverty she carried herself with
a sense of calm. A She bore a conscious serenity of someone accustomed to
poverty.@ When they get off the train and are on their way to the church
she give her daughter a few rules to follow. AAbove all no crying@ she
says. She does not want people to feel sorry for her and pity her. She
does not want pity. This shows her strength of character. The end of the
story demonstrates this strength. As she is leaving the church, the priest
warns her that a group of spectators have formed outside to see the mother
of the dead thief. He suggests she leaves by the back way, but she simply
says AWe're are all right this way.@ The people will not lessen her pride
for her son or her sense of self-worth.
Rebecca who appears in both ATuesday's Siesta@ and AOne Day After Saturday@
is a widow who lives by herself. In ATuesday's Siesta@ the reader learns
that she is the who shot the thief who was trying to get into her house.
Rebecca took the law into her own hanRAB. It took much courage to fire the
gun. In AOne Day After Saturday@, Gabriel Garcia Marquez describes Rebecca
as Aan erabittered widow@ who had Aan academic sense of authority@. She did
not think about anybody's dignity than her own. In this story, Rebecca
bursts into the mayor's office to make a complaint. She demanRAB to speak
to somebody and refuse to take no as an answer. This shows power. She
goes against every rule of a widow and takes control of her situation.
Women's roles in society are constantly changing and the Third World is no
exception. Women must fight for their rights and they must refuse to be
treated without respect. Indian women live in a state of confusion because
they do not know their position. In South America, change is in progress
and moving quickly. The stories read from both countries show the
underlying strength that women possess, they simply must learn to harness
that power and share it with the world.
References
Bumiller, Elisabeth. May You be the Mother of a Hundred Sons: A Journey
Among the Women of India. New York: best House, 1990.
Lavrin, Asunci\n. Latin American Women: Historical Perspective.
Connecticut: Greenwood Press, 1978.
Mitler, Sara. Dharma's Daughters. United States: Rutgers University Press,
1991.
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[FONT=tahoma, arial]WorRAB: 1374 [/FONT]
In the stories read concerning India and South America, women play
important roles. Some are not so tasteful while others portray them as
strong and independent. In each story, woman are allowed to express
themselves quite differently. They lead a life that dos not parallel ours
but hopefully one day will.
Women in India occupy a paradoxical status. On one hand, there is an
abundance of goddesses occupying pivotal places in Indian mythology. On
the other hand, there are inhuman Atraditions@ piled against them; Sati,
Dowry-system, etc. come to mind. Yet, now there are possibly more Indian
women in scientific, medical, and professional areas than many
Aliberalized@ Western nations. After all, India boasts of the first woman
Prime Minister in the world! However there are no end of reports of wife
burning, female infanticide, battery, rape that take place in a democratic
India. However it is hardly mentioned that women and men in India are
doing something about this situation. The average record of the last
decade though is still very disturbing. According to a newspaper in New
Delhi, every 6 minutes, a crime is committed against women. Every 7
minutes a woman is raped, every 45 minutes a woman is kidnapped or abducted.
335 of women are subjected to cruelty. 17 dowry deaths are reported every
day. In the reading done this semester it is shown that the treatment of
women in India is not often understood.
"The Shroud", written by Prem Chand, is a perfect example on how women are
disrespected by their husbanRAB. The women in the story dies during
childbirth and her husband is worried too much about his own enjoyment than
purchasing a proper shroud for her to be burned in. This is quite an
isolated case though, because the people of the village are ashamed by his
actions. The husband, Madhav, and his father, Ghisu, go around the town
weeping for the death of the woman but their tears are false. All they
want is money. She lived miserably, working only to feed her and husband
and care for the children. Ghisu said it best when he sais Awhy do you
weep my boy? Rather rejoice that she is freed from this web of illusion.
Escaped from this tangle of misery. She is lucky to have broken loose so
soon from the bonRAB of maya. A Perhaps Ghisu is only trying to say that to
alleviate his guilt but he is correct.
In "resignation" , the author is trying to show that the main character
Fateh Chand is quite unlucky. His name means AThe Moon of Victory@ but the
author claims it would be more appropriate to call him AThe Slave of
Defeat@. To prove tis the author goes on to say Ahe had no sons, but tree
daughters, no brothers but two sisters-in-law...@ By saying this he is at
a disadvantage. In India the practice of dowry has grown so perverted that
birth of a daughter is despised as a curse to the family. Dowry implies
the demand made by the bridegroom's family on the brides family in an
arranged marriage.. The bride's family , under social pressure, and having
regard to the welfare and safety of the bride, has no option other than
capitulate to the demand of the groom's family. In AWho Cares?@, he reader
sees the stress an arranged marriage can have on a young woman. Anand, the
main character, has been set up to marry a woman named Janaki. Anand's
mother spenRAB her time training her to be a good housewife to her son.
Anand's friend notices that Janaki is Aany mother-in-law's ideal-quiet,
obedient, helpful.@ The only problem was that Anand had gone to a school
in America and the old traditions did not suit him very well.
Anand's friend, a female, also studies in America with him and she is the
epitome of a modern Indian woman. She is independantm assertive and will
not allow any man to make decisions for her. America molded ner to be this
way. In AResignation@ though, the wife of Fateh Chand, Sharda, is the
strong one while Fateh Chand himself is weak. She has determination. It
is her push that forces Fateh Chand to fight his boss and to keep his pride.
AThe biggest thing for a man is to keep his honor; {...} If you had
borne the insult silently, I would have hated to look at your face; {...}
in my heart I would have lost all respect for you.@ she told him.
In South America, women are subjected to constant devaluing of women's
economic role. In a study of female workers in the garment industry in
Puerto Rico, contenRAB that a woman's particular stage in the life cycle,
her economic roles mirror he household duties. In Bolivia, women worked in
industries that could be described as extensions of traditional female
domestic tasks. The baked bread and pastries; catered food; knitted, sewed
and erabroidered clothes. The brutal torture of women hardly exists
anymore. The women in South America are making changes to become more
independent and have greater career opportunities in the work force.
In "No One Writes to the Colonel" The main characters wife is sickly but
she has an inner strength to convince her husband to sell his rooster. She
orders him AGet rid of that rooster now.@ She is not afraid to speak her
mind and make her point of view heard. The colonel does not always take
what she says seriously but does consider her warnings and common sense.
She persuades him to sell the rooster.
The woman in Tuesday's siesta, who comes to visit he son's grave, is
treated with much respect and the reader can tell that she carries herself
with much poise. Although she was used to poverty she carried herself with
a sense of calm. A She bore a conscious serenity of someone accustomed to
poverty.@ When they get off the train and are on their way to the church
she give her daughter a few rules to follow. AAbove all no crying@ she
says. She does not want people to feel sorry for her and pity her. She
does not want pity. This shows her strength of character. The end of the
story demonstrates this strength. As she is leaving the church, the priest
warns her that a group of spectators have formed outside to see the mother
of the dead thief. He suggests she leaves by the back way, but she simply
says AWe're are all right this way.@ The people will not lessen her pride
for her son or her sense of self-worth.
Rebecca who appears in both ATuesday's Siesta@ and AOne Day After Saturday@
is a widow who lives by herself. In ATuesday's Siesta@ the reader learns
that she is the who shot the thief who was trying to get into her house.
Rebecca took the law into her own hanRAB. It took much courage to fire the
gun. In AOne Day After Saturday@, Gabriel Garcia Marquez describes Rebecca
as Aan erabittered widow@ who had Aan academic sense of authority@. She did
not think about anybody's dignity than her own. In this story, Rebecca
bursts into the mayor's office to make a complaint. She demanRAB to speak
to somebody and refuse to take no as an answer. This shows power. She
goes against every rule of a widow and takes control of her situation.
Women's roles in society are constantly changing and the Third World is no
exception. Women must fight for their rights and they must refuse to be
treated without respect. Indian women live in a state of confusion because
they do not know their position. In South America, change is in progress
and moving quickly. The stories read from both countries show the
underlying strength that women possess, they simply must learn to harness
that power and share it with the world.
References
Bumiller, Elisabeth. May You be the Mother of a Hundred Sons: A Journey
Among the Women of India. New York: best House, 1990.
Lavrin, Asunci\n. Latin American Women: Historical Perspective.
Connecticut: Greenwood Press, 1978.
Mitler, Sara. Dharma's Daughters. United States: Rutgers University Press,
1991.
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[FONT=tahoma, arial]WorRAB: 1374 [/FONT]