Last week in class Dr. Dasgupta brought up the term “Motherland,” which I thought was very interesting. My understanding of this term is that it actually gives people (men, in general) the “right” to control the woman. The “Motherland” is the country, which is generally controlled and ruled by another source of power. For years the land or country has been controlled and literally penetrated. In many different novels and throughout history land is something that needs to possess. In many different cultures this term allows men to unconsciously control the woman like he would control and conquer a piece of land; which makes The Home and the World a very interesting novel. Not only do you have men and government fighting over the control of “land” as a piece of property, you also have issues of laws concerning women; in particular ones of a widow versus a wife. Nikhil, a powerful Zamindar, who is in control of land treats both his sister and his wife more than just property. The fact that he treats these women more than a piece of property that he owns is an interesting parallel to most per-conceived customs in the culture that this book is placed in. The term that is defined, Motherland” grants men more power over women; this term makes women become a piece of property.
I also liked how Nikhil treats his wife and widowed sister. I was confused at first because we learned in class the customs during the time period and the part of the world the book was set in. I was confused because Nikhil treated both women as if they were living in modern day America. He treated them much better than women were traditionally treated in that time and in that part of the world. I think it is because Nikhil actually loved his sister and loved his wife and he wanted a true relationship. Of course Nikhil eventually realizes that Bimula does not want him, which was sad because I felt sad for him. But none the less, he let her go and do what her heart desired.
ReplyDeleteI think you raise a great point. Nikhil is ahead of his time for sure, but I also think he treats these women this way as part of an experiment. He is playing around with his vision of the new world, with what the "motherland" sould look like when it is recreated. I personally like his vision but in a way he is using these women.
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