New look into Empowerment in the Movies: Water and Fire
Empower can be termed as self-strength, control, self-power or your own decision making and fighting for one’s rights. With these ideas in mind, this paper shows women’s empowerment and challenge to the opposite dominant sex, displayed in Deepa Mehta’s films Water and Fire.
Water
"Water" concentrates on the social state of a woman in Indian society, especially on the social position of a widow. The film tells us about a small eight-year-old girl who was unlucky to become a widow at the very beginning of her life. Life of widows is not only difficult; it is also rather unfair. The women, after the death of their husband had three choices, which were to burn with their dead husbands, …show more content…
Madhumati and the eunuch used Kaylani for their own personal financial gains. The other widows never showed any empathy or sympathy for Kaylani being used in such a fashion. The rich clients showed no empathy or sympathy, because they only cared for their own sexual gratification.
The act of female empowerment in “Water” was almost nonexistent. Narayan was a follower of Gandhi and he demonstrated empathy for Kaylani and the other widows. While spending time with Narayan, Kaylani became more self-empowered. She stood up for herself against Madhumati on at least two occasions. First, when questioned by Madhumati about getting married Kaylani stood up for her right to marry. Then again, when she tells Madhumati that they live in an ashram not a brothel.
Another example of female empowerment is Shankutala questions her preacher about the rule of widowed women in their holy scriptures and he informs her about the new law, which allow widowed women to re-marry. This enlightens her and she frees Kalyani. A new revolutions start in Hindu where women begun to take control of their own …show more content…
Sita and Radha act of female empowerment came in the form of sexual awareness. To overcome all the lack of emotional and sexual attention, they found comfort in one another. They empowered themselves by leaving their husband’s. The pre-arranged marriage concept does nothing to promote female empowerment, since they are generally a marriage of financial convenience.
In Rejecting Sita The author Linda Hess discuss the cruel treatment of a man’s ideal wife Sita. Rama treatment is what we called today “domestic violence”. He puts her on display for all the soldiers to see, shows no affection and told to abandon her in the forest. She must pass a fire ordeal to show her purity and even after passed he continue to mistreat her. She would rather be swallow up by the earth than go live with him. Sita is consider an ideal woman because she never questions Rama’s decisions. Indian women admire Sita courage, her power and passion. Most wanted nothing to with way male dominate culture. Sita was empower to fight against what her husband wishes. She empowers other women stand up against the mistreatment by their
Empower can be termed as self-strength, control, self-power or your own decision making and fighting for one’s rights. With these ideas in mind, this paper shows women’s empowerment and challenge to the opposite dominant sex, displayed in Deepa Mehta’s films Water and Fire.
Water
"Water" concentrates on the social state of a woman in Indian society, especially on the social position of a widow. The film tells us about a small eight-year-old girl who was unlucky to become a widow at the very beginning of her life. Life of widows is not only difficult; it is also rather unfair. The women, after the death of their husband had three choices, which were to burn with their dead husbands, …show more content…
Madhumati and the eunuch used Kaylani for their own personal financial gains. The other widows never showed any empathy or sympathy for Kaylani being used in such a fashion. The rich clients showed no empathy or sympathy, because they only cared for their own sexual gratification.
The act of female empowerment in “Water” was almost nonexistent. Narayan was a follower of Gandhi and he demonstrated empathy for Kaylani and the other widows. While spending time with Narayan, Kaylani became more self-empowered. She stood up for herself against Madhumati on at least two occasions. First, when questioned by Madhumati about getting married Kaylani stood up for her right to marry. Then again, when she tells Madhumati that they live in an ashram not a brothel.
Another example of female empowerment is Shankutala questions her preacher about the rule of widowed women in their holy scriptures and he informs her about the new law, which allow widowed women to re-marry. This enlightens her and she frees Kalyani. A new revolutions start in Hindu where women begun to take control of their own …show more content…
Sita and Radha act of female empowerment came in the form of sexual awareness. To overcome all the lack of emotional and sexual attention, they found comfort in one another. They empowered themselves by leaving their husband’s. The pre-arranged marriage concept does nothing to promote female empowerment, since they are generally a marriage of financial convenience.
In Rejecting Sita The author Linda Hess discuss the cruel treatment of a man’s ideal wife Sita. Rama treatment is what we called today “domestic violence”. He puts her on display for all the soldiers to see, shows no affection and told to abandon her in the forest. She must pass a fire ordeal to show her purity and even after passed he continue to mistreat her. She would rather be swallow up by the earth than go live with him. Sita is consider an ideal woman because she never questions Rama’s decisions. Indian women admire Sita courage, her power and passion. Most wanted nothing to with way male dominate culture. Sita was empower to fight against what her husband wishes. She empowers other women stand up against the mistreatment by their