rather than partners. A woman is valued mainly for her beauty and the pleasure
she can provide to her husband. ... Ahalya' s punishment illustrates this passive ...
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19to very different expectationsfor the
The patriarchalnatureof ancientIndian society
1)
behaviorof womenthan that of men. The epic tale, TheRamayana,echoesthesenotionsof sexappropriatebehaviorsby presentingits femalecharacterswith attributesthat arein stark contrast to the characteristicsof their male counterparts.The virtuous womenof the story possess exaggeratedfeminine qualities}whilethe immoral women'sactionsmore closelyresemblethe behaviorof the men. In either case,the womenare subordinateand areconsideredpossessions ratherthan partners. A womanis valuedmainly for her beautyandthe pleasureshecanprovide
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to her husband.The intendedpurposeof thesedistinctionsin TheRamayanawasto further -
cementthe patriarchalstructureof ancientIndian societyby reinforcing the ideal of strongmen ~-
andweak women. The epic of TheRamayanais a morality tale that servesto instruct its audienceon how to behavevirtuously and alsoto provide variousinsightsof immoral behaviorthat shouldbe avoided. Whereasa man's worth is establishedin his intelligenceandstrength,the value of a c;
womanis found in her beautyandher ability or willingnessto pleaseher man. Without her -
husbandto admireher beautyand enjoy her attent~, a woman'sexistenceis essentially-meaningless.The femalemodel of virtue in the epic, Sita, repeatedlydesiressuicideeachtime ~
sheis facedwith the loss of her husband,eitherthroughhis apparentdeathor indifferenceto her. Sheaskshim, "What would be the meaningof my existence?I could aswell be dead. It will be living deathfor me without you. I am alive only when I am with you.. ." (56). At the end of the story when RamadismissesSita for probableinfidelity, sheis only ableto prove her faithfulness by trying to jump into a fire. In the story, the womenare subordinateto all men, eventhe evil ones. The pious women areportrayedas child-like andnaive,lacking the intelligenceGe --~
decisionsor to protect
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themselves.Sita is coddledand entertained,but not respected,beingherselflittle more than an object of amusement.When Ramatakesoff after the goldendeerso that, "Sita will havea plaything," he later rebukeshimself for his foolishness,"to havesoblindly obeyedhis wife" (8889). This lack of intellect also causesthe goodwomento be too passiveandimmobile to offer any assistancein their own protection. Sita is too naiveto avoid Ravanaandeveninvites him i
into her house,and then shecando nothing to preventher kidnapping. Ahalya's punishment illustratesthis passiveimmobility when sheis turnedto shapelessgranite,forcedto wait until Ramapassesby andkicks dustupon her. Unableto protectherselffrom lndra's deception,sheis deniedthe two womanly purposesof beautyand ability to pleaseher man. Upon her return to her former shapelybeauty,sheimmediatelyresumesserviceto her husband. The exampleof the virtuous womenin the story contrastssharplywith that of the wicked women,leaving the characteristicsof the immoral womanmore closelyresemblingthe masculinethan the feminine. The corruptwomenaremore independentand forward thantheir dutiful counterparts.They aremost notably lacking oneor both of the most importantpurposes for a woman,beautyandwillingnessto please,while the noblefemaleis endowedwith exaggeratedforms of thesetwo femininecharacteristics.Sita is describedas so beautiful that her "radianceseemedto precedeher actualarrival" (69). A womanin the epic
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one or both of thesetwo featureswasundoubtedlyan evil woman. Kooni was a hideously deformedhunchback,Kaikeyi broughther husbanddispleasureby askinghim to honor his
7
promise,and Soorpanakawas only ableto assumethe appearance of beautythroughblack
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Her own normal appearance being that of a demonwith wild, mattedhair, flamecolouredfang-like teeth,enormousstature,and a belly swollenwith the meatand I!
bloodof animalsshehadgorgedonin hernever-ending gluttony(70).
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In the caseof both good andevil, however,all of the womenin TheRamayanaare dependentupon men to provide them with everything. For this reasonthey arethe possessions of their caregiversand subjectto their indulgences.Conquestof onemanby anotherentitlesthe victor to the loser's possessions.This includeshis wife. Vali "resumedhis authority as a ruler. . .but also forcibly acquiredSugreeva's wife andmadeher his own. And now Sugreevahas neithera homenor a wife" (101). Soorpanakaurgesher brother,"Take her. Sheis yours...Go forth, snatchher, becausesheis yours,createdfor you andwaiting for you" (84). Kaikeyi provesto the audiencethe futility of a womanattemptingto forcibly control her statusand welfare. For all her entitlementto claim the fulfillment of Dasaratha'spromisesto herselfand to her father,sheis divorced. Even Sooipanakawasprovidedwith her domainby her brother, and althoughshewas,"free to live hereas shepleased,"shewas not alone,being assistedby a numberof male demons(70).. The sex-appropriateidealsthat areprominentthroughoutTheRamayanawere a reflection of the patriarchalvaluesthat structuredancientIndian society. By placing the characteristicsof the virtuous womanin starkcontrastwith the behaviorsof men and immoral women,the epic attemptsto justify the superiorityof men andthe subordinationof women. This designalsoimpartsupon the audiencethat the worth of a womanis measuredby her beautyand
thepleasureshecanprovideto herhusband, an~~~~~ value~found~ugh
him rather~
throughherself. By advocatingseparateexpectationsfor the behaviorof men andwomen,The Ramayanasuccessfullyserv~~fOrce
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anci":'t,lndia'Spatriarchalstructure.
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