On another note, I did try as I read the last 10 pages or so to find a reconciliation between the Umrao before the reading of the manuscript and the one after...the discussion in class touched on most of the points I tried to tie between the two Umraos (the prof. said it much better than I could ever put it in words). I did feel like there is a tone of genuine regret for SOME, not all,of the aspects of her former ways. As she did express her envy of Begum Sultan's life (Ram Dei) p. 133, I feel she wanted very much that security and constancy in life, what every woman wants according to her reasonings on the way women and men fall in love (ch. 15). There is also some issue with that security in the upper class, as we know Sultan Sahib is not perfectly loyal though he treats his wife well (not to mention the lawless elements eyeing your money). I don't know if Umrao's father, being a devout, middle-class man, was faithful to his wife till the end. Still, I feel that Umrao wouldn't be satisfied marrying into a middle-class family, as the opulent lifestyle she's used to is hard to give up. Complex, isn't it?
Monday, September 14, 2009
what happened to the money?
I wanted to raise the question in class but hadn't the opportunity and plus it doesn't tie into our discussion. So where did all the gold and silver given to Umrao by Faiz Ali go after she recovered it from her friend? Do you think it fell into Gauhar Mirza's lot? Do you think Umrao is that desperate to entertain thoughts of sharing her wealth with him to keep his company (prof. Shingavi did mention that she wanted a husband and was flirting with Ruswa, should we say she attempted the same with Gauhar Mirza, or does she know about him enough not to expect anything?)? She's living pretty comfortably right now (or else there wouldn't be a rumour of her being a rich woman p. 144) due to her "frugal" ways...perhaps some of the money did remain.
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I think you raise an interesting question. What does happen to the money? I was thumbing through the book after finishing it, looking for any subtle indication that she would become a devout Muslim woman. I didn't exactly find that, but I did find something else interesting.In regards to your question, Umrao's first utterance of God at all in the book as it pertains to her life is when Ruswa asks her where all of the money went in the book. He then goes on to call her a sham of poverty. Right after that in a very peculiar way she begins to appeal to God. Is Ruswa leading us to believe that Umrao is not only shaming poverty, as she is a good actress we know that, but in the same way can sham the authenticity of her Muslim purity? After our discussion in class, and my own reflection, I totally think she is a sham. Once the power changes you either get on the bandwagon or become a sunken ship, and Umrao being the smart woman she is won't let that be her fate, I'm sure. I wonder what that is supposed to imply. Going back to Thanawi's book if a woman becomes educated and is let out of the household will she just sham her purity? Is keeping an educated woman in the house the only way to prevent this "decay" that Thanawi talks about? Lastly, if an educated woman can sham her devotion, can she pass on her great act to her children even if she is kept in the household?
ReplyDeleteI think I just set back woman a few years with this. Oops.
I do not think Umrao is desperate enough to essentially pay Gauhar Mirza to spend time with her. She had way too many suitors after her to get stuck on one man, and I never really got any full indication that she really loved him as much as the story seems to hint. She just seemed to be with him because it was something to d. I don't know why, but I could definitely see Umrao faking her own Muslim purity. Something about her just seems a little untrustworthy.
ReplyDeleteI think these are all very important ideas about shamming one's purity and preventing the decay of women. I don't think that Thanawi believed women needed to be kept in the home in order to prevent them from becoming a sham. I think he just thought it was proper for women to remain unnoticed. And you are right that women can still pass their shams onto the children, even though they are kept in the home to prevent this from happening.
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