Gender Identity In Monsoon Wedding

Dancing, singing, love, heartbreak, scandals, and cultural rituals topics presented in the film, Monsoon Wedding directed by Mira Nair in 2001. However, the film brings up even more issues as the film is riddled with familial problems that stem from the different identities present. Nair utilizes a setting of romance occurring between characters in the context of planning and executing a Punjabi Hindu wedding in Delhi in order to portray the multiplicity of identities illustrated by the characters. These characters embody various types of identities that are highlighted through culture. This paper will analyze the various identities present in Monsoon Wedding by applying multiple concepts from the working definition of culture in order to argue …show more content…
Gender identity is “the identification with the cultural notions of masculinity and femininity and what it means to be a man or a woman” (p. 180). How one acts out their gender identity is greatly influenced by cultural and societal norms. For example, Varun spends time watching cooking shows, dancing, and singing. His hobbies do not correspond to what it means to be a man in his father’s perspective nor is it widely accepted in his culture. Consequently, because his father does not believe he is masculine enough, he decides to send Varun to a boarding school to “toughen” him up. Varun does not understand why what he likes is so wrong, thus contesting his father’s decision. Another example of gender identity is seen through Aditi and the cultural rituals that occur throughout the film. Aditi, and the other women, embodies femininity because they are expressing what it means to be a woman in their culture through clothing and makeup during the wedding ceremonies. These circumstances can be explained through the “learned” aspect of culture. People grow up learning that a man should do and like certain things, while women should behave and act in another way. Nevertheless, Varun is challenging the hegemonic notions of masculinity, which brings to light the cultural norms of gender identity in India that may not have been explicitly stated. Aditi, on the other hand, is also highlighting gender identity by participating in a …show more content…
A person’s age identity is characterized by how one should act, look, and behave based on one’s age, which is influenced by cultural conventions. An age convention based on culture, for instance, is the notion of the elderly being treated with the utmost respect because of their age. The age identity in this film can be applied to culture as a site of contestation as seen through the controversial example of age conventions between Uncle Tej and Ria. When Ria was younger, Tej would sexually abuse her. This shows how Tej is taking advantage of his status as the head of the family as those who are older are to be respected, thus Ria did not feel like she was able to tell anyone. However, when Ria found out Tej was abusing her little cousin, she decided to step up and say something. Her disrespectful attitude towards her elders is justified such that one should not be manipulated based on their age and what their culture says. This shows how culture is contested. By viewing culture as a site of contestation, it helps individuals understand the struggles of various groups. To further explicate, the struggle seen in the example of Tej and Ria is the struggle of younger people not being able to voice their problems in the event of disrespecting their elders. Therefore, the conventions of age as stated by one’s culture can be contested, which shows the