Free Blog 3: Hindu Culture

The Hindu culture has defined guidelines, which they expect their women to follow, adhere to, and obey. These guidelines are made in order to protect the women from people, circumstances, or knowledge that the Hindu men believe the women should stay away from. Throughout the novel, Indian men take charge of situations, provide for the family, protect their families, and even die for their families. Though the Hindu society is patriarchal in nature, it is done so in a way that makes the men of the society believe their role is protecting the women of the community. These ideas of men and women in society are completely altered once Jasmine comes to America. American women are immodest and greedy. American women do not look to their husbands for protection, but rather as an equal, a friend, a companion. Learning the ways of this new culture, Jasmine must rely on her own culture to understand and cope with the American culture.
            The culture in which Jasmine has grown up in, specifically the Indian culture, has certain expectations that they put upon her as a woman in her community. Susan Wadley, a professor of Anthropology, has researched the Indian culture. Her article, “Women in the Hindu Tradition”, outlines the expectations of women in the Indian community. Wadley states that women in the Hindu tradition are faced with a type of duality in which women are held up to either one of two role models. She states, “on one hand, she is fertile, benevolent-the bestower; on the other, she is aggressive, malevolent-the destroyer” (Wadley 113).
            These views of women are taken from the Hindu religion which is the predominant religion practiced in India. These two role models for Indian women are based upon examples of Hindu goddesses. These two goddesses are Laksmi and Mariyamman. Laksmi is the Hindu goddess who is, “the embodiment of female virtue” (Hinduism Gender and Sexuality 1). This goddess is the woman who Indian women should inspire to be like. Laksmi depicts the way in which women should rule the home, for example, Laksmi is a “subservient wife”, the “model mother”, and “the bringer of prosperity” (Hinduism Gender and Sexuality 1). While the goddess Mariyamma embodies, “both death and life, destroyer and bestower” (Wadley 113). This goddess is whom the Hindu society use as an example of what the women in the Hindu culture should aspire not to be like. Mariyamman conveys images of a woman who is out of control. She does not better society, but rather is a detriment to society.




This section of my paper is going to be contrasted with American society in order to show how Jasmine's identity is based primarily on her Hindu background. 


Kinnard, Jacob. "Library." Hinduism Gender and Sexuality. Patheos.com, 2008-2012. Web. 03 May 2012


Wadley, Susan S. "Women and the Hindu Tradition." Signs: Journal of Women in Culture and Society 3.1 (1977): 113-125. Print.