I have really enjoyed fleshing out my storybook this week.
When I first came up with the idea of showing how feminism is prevalent in the
Indian Epics, it seemed like a pretty cool idea. I have always considered
myself a proponent of feminist ideology, and I am all for empowering women and
getting them on equal footing as compared to men. As I read through the
Ramayana it became increasingly apparent that women did not get a fair shake in
the old stories of India. They were valued as physical and sexual objects, at
best as damsels in distress that need to be saved by the smarter and stronger
men. When I read about Ravana visiting Sita in his grove, my blood boiled. He
had his harem, and his “main” wife, follow him as he begged another woman to
rule over his kingdom. His wife stood by his side and comforted him when the
woman who’s attentions he so desperately sought ignored him! She led him back
to his bedroom so she could serve him and comfort him! There is so much wrong
with that whole scene. Women are NOT just sexual objects, and whether or not
you believe in having multiple wives, they should not be subjected to that kind
of situation. As I get farther into my storybook I grow more and more excited
about what I am writing about. As silly as it sounds I feel like I am giving these
women a voice that they have never had before. Yes, I get that these are
figurative women that do not exist in reality, but it does have some real-world
application. Women are continued to be oppressed and if we can start seeing
basic cultural works in a new light, maybe some real changes can occur in
society too.
Panchakanya: Ahalya, Tara, Mandodari, Sita Kunti, Draupadi.
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Marielle,
ReplyDeletethis is powerful stuff! I did not read your Week 7 story but, of course, now I have to! I think female characters can be really tricky when it comes to writing. So often we see the stereotypical "female" behaviors and actions and it can be upsetting. While I'm sure some women are in fact like that (and I don't think that's bad or something they should be ashamed of if it's their choice), not all women are. And while there is diversity in male characters, there hardly ever is in female characters. So I'm glad you wrote what was important to you!
I am so glad to see someone else in this class saw the opportunity for speaking out against the sexism that was clearly found in the Ramayana! I also did a feminist reworking of one of the stories. I think it is super important that we identify the sexism we find in media—past and present—and stop accepting these ideas. I believe media is a valuable tool for social change. What we see in our media—especially considering how prevalent media is in modern society—strongly affects our own views, which is why our media must be held to higher standards and used as a platform for promoting equality. In my not so humble opinion, that is.
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