Dowry On Indian Culture

Dowry is a word most people are familiar with, even in Western culture. However, being aware of the word doesn’t mean we understand it. Especially since the definition of dowry has changed over time. After analyzing novels, films, and articles we went over in class I have a completely different view on dowry and how it impacts Indian culture. Dowry is where property or money is brought by a bride to her husband on their marriage. In Nectar in a Sieve dowry is a problem for Ruku because her family is poor she has to marry beneath her. A larger dowry is thought to secure a better husband and allow the bride to have better treatment when she leaves her natal home. Which is why Ruku does her best to save for her daughter’s dowry. In the film …show more content…
In “Cross-Cultural Connections, Border-Crossings, and ‘Death by Culture’” by Narayan we learn about the recent phenomena of dowry-murders. The official definition is “Any instance where the death of a woman is caused by any burns or bodily injury or occurs otherwise than under normal circumstance within 7 years of her marriage, and it is shown that soon before her death she was subject to cruelty or harassment by her husband or any relative of her husband for, or in connection with, any demand for dowry” (Narayan, 64). We see how a family can suffer from this first hand in the film “No Longer Silent” where a family paid their daughters husband a dowry, but after the marriage more and more demands made until they could no longer pay the husband and his family what they wanted. Due to the fact they couldn’t give a motorcycle to their in-laws her husband set her on fire in the kitchen. He was never found guilty in court and has since remained allowing him to receive another …show more content…
Even with this law in place almost every marriage still involved a dowry. Refusal to grant a dowry could force a girl to marry beneath her means or not marry at all, neither of which a parent wants. This law is also not enforced as we saw in “No Longer Silent” being dowry murders to justice take years and is often unsuccessful. Courts are going to have to step up and prosecute dowry murderers if they want to see the Dowry Act be successful.
Westerns are always willing to voice their opinion about dowries, but rarely do any of them understand it. We fail to see the flaws in our own cultures such as domestic violence which is very similar to the abuse dowry brides face. Even things within our own culture get swept under the rug like the tradition of the bride’s family paying for the wedding. I originally thought the tradition of dowry hadn’t changed, but was very surprised how recent a drastic of a change has been made. I still don’t agree with dowry, but I now do have a better understanding of it and see aspects of it even in the