Friday, December 4, 2009
Thinking back to Umrao Jan...
In the episode where Umrao Jan goes to her childhood home and sees her mother and her brother, the concept of family honor really struck me the first time I read it. To think that Umrao's brother would kill her due to her profession seems to overlook Umrao's talent and her value as a vessel of art and tradition. Would I be wrong in assuming that a male who had achieved Umrao Jan's level of success would be accepted by his family regardless of how he attained his wealth. I don't suppose there were male prostitutes available at this time from which to draw a valid comparison, but this seems like a double standard to me. Then again, due to the strong social stigma against prostitution, Umrao's brother views her with such disdain that he can hardly bear her presence, let alone appreciate her for her talents over her profession.
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
also in thinking back about Umrao...in a different strain
ReplyDeleteI think about the stigma of prostitution too, though we get a really glamorous description of the lifestyle in the book, do you remember what Ruswa had to say in defense of wives. Umrao seems to think that housewives are lacking in the art of seduction and romance and therefore drive their husbands away into the arms of courtesans. Ruswa, on the other hand, attributes the fault to the wanton and unfaithful disposition present in males too (not very many are like this of course, but it seems to be one of his explanations for why men go to brothels to seek intrigue).