Fatima Thesis
Fatima Thesis
Fatima Thesis
CHAPTER 1
INTRODUTION
Bapsi Sidhwa was born in Karachi in 1939. She was raised and
Sidhwa is the author of five novels: Water, The Bride, Crow Eaters,
Association as Notable Book. The book also won the Literature Prize in
Germany in 1991, and was made into the award-winning film Earth by
Pakistan's highest honor in the arts in 1991, and was inducted into the
Zoroastrian Hall of Fame in 2000. She has been awarded the National
Writer's Award, and the Bunting Fellowship from Radcliffe, amongst other
award honors. Her novels have been published in India, Pakistan, the United
Earth. The two veterans joined hands again for another project called Water.
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Water was made in 2005, and Bapsi Sidhwa according to the wishes of the
producers was asked to write a novel which was to be released with the
movie. Sidhwa’s novel Water brings to light the conventional customs that
India, but ultimately it is a haunting and lyrical story of love, faith, and
redemption.
level. In a span of four months, she gave more background to some of the
characters, including the child widow. Sidhwa says she began to read
extensively about the widow system in India and various related customs
and traditions. She was able to explain the background of many rituals and
customs that the film, given its running time, could not.
It is one of the great works of art which must be not only read but
stunning novel which reveals the fact that even today there are widow
ashrams in Varanasi.
ways in which these various aspects of cultural identity and social structure
do not merely affect or reflect one another, but instead are inextricably
intertwined.
despite many obstacles. She exposes the true selves of women by observing
the lives too closely and understanding the limited space given to them in
this patriarchal social system. She does not shy away from stating that
women are by nature loyal, in whatever role they are placed in the society.
They live for love but become the victim of lust, just because of their
against widows. This research also exposes the individual equity, fatalism,
Indian widows in the 1930s and how they were forcefully made to live in
other heartless people and how they are dragged into adultery. In addition to,
segregated from their husband, family and property, they are: “One less
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mouth to feed, four saris saved. One bed and a corner are saved in the family
house. There is no other reason why you are sent here.”(Water). And while
powerful manner.
obligations and hierarchies, but acts according to her emotions. The only
social role she has had so far was being the child of her parents. She cannot
woman. She is even too young to know women’s role in society general, so
how should she understand what being a widow means? This age is even so
hearted that she becomes cruel towards her own sex. They are getting
suppressed in the name of religion. Within the dominator system, the widow
polluted, because of her association with death and sexually dangerous as she
dispossession” states:
her children, if, as is often the case, the widow is young and
one or several wives, who may not welcome yet another set
Chakravarti thus claims that these works were responsible for expanding the
of the issue than mere lifeless objects. She critiques these works, analysing
RESEARCH METHODOLOGY
The primary source of this study is Bapsi Sidhwa’s Water (2006). The research
support the argument, various secondary sources are utilized like research journals
Chapter 1
This chapter introduces the thesis statement besides featuring an introduction of the
writer and highlighting her writing style. The topic of the research is also
Chapter 2
This chapter deals with the Literature Review incorporating the arguments and
viewpoints of different critics and writers relevant to the research thesis are
Chapter 3
This chapter discusses the hardships of widows facing marginalization from society
and family and how they forcefully make to live in widow ashrams.
Chapter 4
This chapter discusses the prevalent conditions of widows and how they are still
Chapter 2
LITERATURE REVIEW
as a curse and they are at times blamed for the demise of their husbands,
rites. Most cultures deny rights of widow on the husband’s property and are
driven out from their homes until and unless they marry their brother-in-law.
Even worse, they might be abused physically or even murdered to keep them
However, with increasing awareness of human rights, people have drawn their
attention to the bereaved life of widows. Programs are now held to provide
support to widow women and make their life more secure, both socially and
end to their suffering and help them acquire the rights which they truly
deserve.
The ‘Untouchables’ are the pariahs of the Hindu caste system and
dispossession” states:
her rights in her husband’s kin group are weak, while she retains
few rights in her natal kin group. As the widow is socially weak,
which they have rights, and are subjected to all forms of sexual
harassment-the word for widow and for whore are closely related
In India widowhood was not just transition from one marital status to
another after the death of the husband. Entering into widowhood is more
the discrimination and the ritual sanctions of the society against widows. With
the result, widows not only suffer social and economic sanctions but also face
women's right which was against child marriage, purdah, and sati. The Child
Marriage Restraint Act of 1929 states that girls under 18 and boys under 21
could not get married. Ghandi was open to the idea of widows getting
remains chaste and devotes herself to good work in her husband's memory is
Dreams).
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Ceremonies wrote:
The Bengali intellectual and reformer Ram Mohan Roy, who had seen
his own widowed sister-in-law burnt in 1812 – "A hysterical and unhappy
Filmmaker Deepa Mehta also praised by her movie in The New York
Times:
religious belief.
Vassangi:
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Assurance Of A Master’
‘In this brilliant work Bapsi Sidhwa adds richness and depth
faces and provides speech where the film must leave the
women speechless.’
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CHAPTER 3:
religion, corruption, poverty, child prostitution and hidden love. These issues
are brought to light through the stories of three widows: Chuyia, a child
widow who brings life into the ashram; Kalyani, a beautiful young widow,
who falls in love with a reformist law student Narayan, and Shakuntala, a
devout believes in the traditions who struggle to make sense of the realities
that girl children left widowed should not be considered widows in the true
sense of the term, because they had never experienced married-life. Gandhi
cruel custom, which should be abolished forthwith. The unhappy girls should
widowhood of young girls went so far to publically call upon young college
men to take a vow to marry none other than a girl widow. (Young India)
Chuyia is an eight year old child, married to an elderly man, Hira Lal,
who is nearing fifty. After two years, Chuyia had literally forgotten that she
was married. Hira Lal is taken ill and dies, leaving Chuyia a widow at a
tender age. Her father Somnath, takes her for the funeral rites, where looking
karmas that have brought death to her son. Hindu customs in the villages of
mangal-sutra and other symbols that are indicative of her marital status. Her
bangles are smashed brutally, treating her as if she was cast in stone. Even the
barber who is to shave her head was moved by the predicament in which
Chuyia is enmeshed. After bathing, on the ghats, she is stripped off the
coarse-cloth. She is left to her fate by her mother-in-law. Her father can’t keep
From now onwards Chuyia has stopped existing as a person and is fit
could be so indifferent to one’s own child just for the sake of carrying the
her back home, Somnath, left her in the widow-ashram, where Chuyia first of
all confronts Madhumati who welcomes her saying: “In our shared grief
we’re all sisters here and this ashram is our only refuge” (Water 36)
This is the larger concern that Sidhwa touches upon, speaking for the
suffering of women across the globe, in one way or the other. But her
protagonists are daring, causing ripples in the surroundings in which they are
inscribed social stigma also makes her think, that she can decide whether she
In the dialogue, Chuiya first takes a glimpse inside the ashram and
then comes to the decision that she would prefer going home. Then she is
taken inside and experiences some more of the lives of the widows. After
Chuyia is always hoping against hope that one day she will go back
large number of widows’s collected in the temple hall, clapping and singing
joylessly, as this was their only means of sustenance, feeding a fistful of rice
and daal, served after the performance of the religious rites, Chuyia
This question sends simmers down the widows who instinctively cry
out aloud, “God, protect our men from such a fate!” (Water 70)
Chuyia, who is quiet observant notices that among the widows, there
is one, whose head,is not shaven. She befriends her and finds out that this
Kalyani too, is touched by the fate of this child-widow and is reminded of her
own wounds. She is sympathetic and caring towards Chuyia who in turn
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serves as a huge wave upon which Kalyani tries to surf for a fulfilment. When
her friend Kalyani falls in love with a young Gandhian idealist, the proscribed
affair boldly defies Hindu tradition and threatens to destabilize the delicate
power balance within the ashram. Kalyani tells Chuyia that she is free to visit
her room and play with Kaalu, the pet dog, whenever she likes. But Chuyia
coming to get me.’ (Water 45) When Kalyani makes no attempt to answer,
Chuyia again asserted, ‘If not today, tomorrow for sure.’ (Water 45)
in novel after novel. Sidhwa’s canvas encompasses daring women who have a
strong urge to bury that is obsolete and walk their own paths. Chuyia loves
Kalyani’s pet Kaalu, as it reminds her own pet back home. Both of them had
gone to the ghats to bathe Kaalu, when Narayan, a young follower of Gandhi
is mesmerized by the onset of his feelings for Kaalu and wanted to know
where she lived, Chuyia’s acute perception of his innermost recesses cast her
into the role of an elder and taking pity on him says: ‘She lives in the House
of widows, and that, I am just visiting her’ (Water 55). This statement by
flourish, helping them exchange written scripts, professing the love for each
relationship. Chuyia became the secret emissary between Narayan and kalyani
The most elderly widow, whose husband had also died when she was
young, tells Chuyia that life is unhappiness. She passes the time dreaming
about sweets like the ones she had eaten at her wedding and pines for the only
physical pleasure she had known. When another widow dies, her sardonic
comment sums up the oppression of Indian women and, ironically, the place
100)
Chuyia was once offered puris by Gulabi, the eunuch, but Madhumati
scolded her saying,“Are you mad?’ she scolded Gulabi. ‘Giving a widow
forbidden food!’ (Water 122) Chuyia is offended and challenges say, “So
The piece of information and the defying attitude of Chuyia was too
much for Madhumati to digest and conforming again from Chuyia, she
snorted, “She will get married over my dead body! Widows don’t get
married.”(Water 122) But Chuyia maintained what was the truth and rightful,
insisted, “But she will.” “No she won’t! Now get off” (Water 122).
At a later stage in the novel when Madhumati tries to push Chuyia into
prostitution, through Gulabi, the eunuch, and had literally sent her across the
water on the pretext of sending Chuyia to her parental home as this was the
weak spot where Madhumati could take advantage of otherwise defying child.
Chuyia, as a child she is, unaware of the ways of the adult world. She is
rescued by Shakuntala from the boat by which Gulabi was rowing back to
Ghats across the waters. Seeing Shakuntala’s rage, Gulabi runs away to save
herself from her wrath. Shakuntala with the help of a woman, a Gandhi
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Shakuntala was clear about the way Chuyia’s life should be stirred:
After Kalyani’s suicide and the bestial horrors that had been
Shakuntala had a fainting hope that this was the right time when
Chuyia should be boarded on the train and handed over to any of the Gandhi
followers. Taking Chuyia in her lap, she runs across the platform the train by
which Gandhi was travelling had just whistled and sped off. But her faith in
Gandhi and his followers was so strong that Shakuntala ran to the risk of her
life. There was loud screams, and just then she saw Narayan gasping to hold
Chuyia. With the help of people on board Chuyia was ultimately in the safe
hands of Narayan and other Gandhi followers. Shakuntala was hopeful that
anyone of them would marry Chuyia and she will find a blessed future in the
custody of people with broadened outlook. Sidhwa hints that there is a ray of
hope, bringing to readers the fact among the followers of Gandhi. Shakuntala
also has a glance of the face of the same woman who had helped Chuyia
regain consciousness at the ghats, and she promised to take care of Chuyia.
“At eight years old, Chuyia is too young and seems to have
lose their desire for romance and love. Chuyia’s example and
CHAPTER 4
subsequent economic management, and these are even more so if the dead
spouse was the primary earner in the family. In general, women tend to be
almost all societies, men are disproportionately likely to hold assets of all
labour in a society, which affect all women, also affect widows and make their
situation that much more difficult than for widowed men. Patrilocality in the
India, according to which a woman has to leave her parental home at the time
North India where marriage rules dictate marriage outside the village,
Patrilocality can also be understood to refer to the drastic alienation from her
husband's family.
remain in their husband's village, and most of them do so. However, they are
unlikely to receive much support from their in-laws. In effect, most North
Indian widows are denied both the freedom to leave their husband's village,
and the support they need to live there happily (Dreze and Sen 1995:174). The
receives very little support from persons other than her children, and even
when she lives with one or several of her adult sons she remains highly
vulnerable to neglect.
But in India the gender dimensions of this are much stronger than in
most other countries and they affect many more women. There are at least 55
million widows in India, probably more. That is around the same as the entire
population of countries like South Africa and Tanzania, more than all the
attitudes towards them and social restrictions that are placed upon them and
their activities. They are subject to patriarchal customs, religious laws and
disputes.
various kinds of discrimination and even ostracism. Issues about the division
of the marital property and the rights of the widowed over such property,
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women are denied automatic rights over the property of the dead spouse, and
families with less assets and incomes they are also more prone to being
arrange for the widow to marry her deceased husband’s brother because being
says Mohini Giri, a veteran activist in the fight for women’s rights who was
nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize in 2005. She is also the director of the
and psychologically.
Laxmi Puri, acting Head of UN Women, told The Hindu during her recent
visit to India:
First because they are women and second being widows, such
cities” of India –welcome thousands of widows every year; those who have
no other place left to go. These cities are home to a large number of dingy,
streets. Such widows don’t have roofs over their heads. It’s believed that
about 15,000 of them live on the streets of Vrindavan, which makes a large
Although widows today are not forced to die in ritual sati (where a
husband), they are still generally expected to mourn until the end of their
progenitor of mankind:
no son.”
norms of Hindu society for widows. The treatment they got was extremely
discriminatory and inhuman. Practices such as Sati were abolished during the
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British rule and in 1856 the British legalized widow remarriage in India. A
century and a half has passed away since then; Indian Independence has
basic cultural system. Yet, widows still lead a miserable and pitiable life in
hardships only increase. This is one of the major reasons behind their ouster
The fundamental flaw in the law’s treatment of widows is the bias that
ideology, but it does not implement programs that would provide the
measures it promises.
of the northern states than in south India. This can be attributed to several
adult males) in the south; a large difference between male and female age at
marriage in the south; comparatively high remarriage rates in the north; and
per cent among women aged 60 and above, and 80 per cent among women
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aged 70 and above. In other words, an Indian woman who survives to old age
some extent by formulating welfare schemes for widows. But facts reveal
those that currently exist are poorly implemented. Only about 28 percent of
the widows in India are eligible for pensions and even among them less than
A tiny ray of hope, however, has made its way recently as the Supreme
widows living in the city within eight weeks. The SC bench has taken note of
the need for “immediate steps for their rehabilitation and better living”. In
2015 The Widow Protection and Maintenance bill passed by Shri Janardan
Singh, M.P to provide for the measures to be undertaken by the State for the
establishing a Welfare Board for such widows and for matters connected
therewith or incidental thereto. Also Water concludes with a sign of hope for
the widows in the ashram; as well as for all the other discarded and
untouchables in India. Gandhi’s train goes through the village bringing that
CONCLUSION
In culture and tradition widows are considered also to be a bad omen and the
reason for the death of their husbands. They are supposed to do the work
others are doing for a long time. They follow the same rules like other
widows and believe it is the fate they deserve like putting restrictions on their
diets and do what traditions ask them to do. The novel proves to be a seething
This research concludes with the sign of hope when the widow child gets free
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Eva Corbacho, Sara Barrera. "The ongoing tragedy of India’s widows." WMC
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JSTOR, www.jstor.org/stable/20461136.