The Sripathi Family Traditions

2. In the novel, women in Annawadi don’t have lots of freedom and rights. They are mistreated and every family living in Annawadi dislikes each other because they are corrupted by greed and money. Even in the urban slums, women like Zehrunisa and Asha wouldn’t have more freedom because women can’t have a voice for themselves unless they have connections to other, more powerful people. Other women dislike and spit hate at Zehrunisa and Asha because they are more successful than them, rather than trying to work with them to be successful together. Since the people in Annawadi are so corrupted by money, they disregard for others wellbeing and resort to fighting or trash talk each other. For women, they are a burden for parents because of marriage and dowry. That is why mothers and fathers want their daughters to be perfect, with no scars or anything that would prevent them to get married. All the engagement is determined at a young age, so girls can not find love for themselves. “Meena’s future in-laws might not come to hear that they’d chosen an impetuous bride.” (Boo 188). When Meena, a young Annawadi girl, tried to commit suicide with rat poison because she hated the life she was living, her brother beat her up because now there would be less chance for Meena to get married. Rather than the townspeople helping Meena, the were ashamed of her and worried for her reputation than her health. In my view, the freedoms that the women in Annawadi lack is a voice. The women cannot

Firstly, Sripathi breaks off all ties with his daughter Maya. Because she marries Alan, a white man not belonging to the Hindu faith, Sripathi does not “talk to her for nine years” (Badami, 32). Sripathi breaks off his relation with Maya because she ruins his strong reputation in society by breaking off her engagement, and instead marrying a foreigner who is not of their caste or race. Between Sripathi and Maya, cultural expectations play an important role in their relationship because as a daughter, Maya is to be submissive and subservient to Sripathi.

Similarly, as first-generation immigrants in Canada, my family faced the challenge of preserving our Hindu religious practices amidst adapting to a new country. Despite the loss of certain traditions like the daily pooja observed by my family members in Sri Lanka, my family continues to maintain other customs such as observing vegetarianism during Navaratri to honor Saraswathi, illustrating a selective continuity of our cultural and religious identity. This parallel with Treuer’s experience illuminates how, despite slight deviations from traditional observances, parents strive to impart to us a meaningful connection to our heritage, prioritizing educational success as a reflection of our cultural values. Furthermore, this raises questions about the future transformation of religious and cultural teachings as individuals migrate from their traditional homelands to become minorities in new regions, pondering how these traditions will evolve or blend within the mosaic of global

Growing up as a Hindu it was engraved in my mind that there was an unwritten rule that one must not marry outside their caste. However, in the oral, as we indulged on the idea of Gabriel Garcia Marquez criticizing the foundation of the caste system, I started to confront my culture’s basis for castes.

Culture can have a large effect on our daily lives, and can shape our thoughts and behaviors. The society an individual surrounds themselves in influences their decisions. It affects how they perceive themselves, their personal identity and reach their personal life goals. In the novel, The Secret Daughter, Shilpa Somaya Gowda explores the significant impact of social culture on the individual. It is evident through the experience of two women born into two different cultures, Kavita in India and Somer in America, and through the life of Asha, an Indian child adopted into an American home. The author uses these examples to show how different cultures contrast, and change an individual 's thinking and perspectives.

“Mansi, your grandfather was very religious, but he also knew that India is not the same now that it was when his father was a priest,” Dad thought very carefully as he spoke. “He had to admit that no matter how hard I worked, it would be difficult to raise you and your brother here if we wanted secure futures for

This joint family, like any social organization, must face problems such as acceptable division of work, relationships and specific family roles. These familial relationships are managed on the basis of a secular hierarchical principle. In fact, all Indians owe respect and obedience to the head of the family, who usually is the father or the oldest man of the family community. In The Gift of a Bride: A Tale of Anthropology, Matrimony and Murder by Nanda and Gregg, it is explained that, “females [are] placed under the perpetual guardianship of first their fathers and elder brothers, then their husbands.” (Nanda & Gregg 22) Thus, all the spending decisions, studies and profession, or marriage, are exclusively the responsibility of the father after the possible discussions with the other men of the family. Age and sex are the basic principles of this hierarchical system. The eldest sons enjoy greater unchallenged authority than their cadets. Of course men have more authority than women, but older married women have an important role within the family. In fact, the authority of a woman depends on the rank of her husband inside the group. Traditionally, the wife of the patriarch rules over domestic affairs and has considerable power over the other women in the community, especially her daughters- in-law.

Family traditions and religion greatly impact the lives of many people in India. These elements of culture are reasons that form the way that Indians lead their lives. Both factors make up what type of person that individual will become. That is the reason why religion and family traditions are so valued in Indian society.

A famous 2000 Pulitzer Prize winner Jhumpa Lahiri portrays the lives of the Indians who have immigrant to America, and the second-generation Indian American protagonists searching for the different to fit into a community. As their lives seems to be treed between the Indian-American traditions. Jhumpa Lahiri writes clearly about failed relationships, who weirdly spending their lives together are either doubtful about their love for each other or have an unvoiced love or is there any love that takes their relation too far?

Culture can have a large effect on our daily lives, and can shape our thoughts and behaviors. The society an individual surrounds themselves in influences their decisions. It affects how they perceive themselves, their personal identity and reach their personal life goals. In the novel, The Secret Daughter, Shilpa Somaya Gowda explores the significant impact of social culture on the individual. It is evident through the experience of two women born into two different cultures, Kavita in India and Somer in America, and through the life of Asha, an Indian child adopted into an American home. The author uses these examples to show how different cultures contrast, and change an individual 's thinking and perspectives.

Perceiving through the gender and sexually lens in the novel The God of Small Things, it have illustrated the severity of gender oppression and discrimination through examination of the marital and intergender relations like patriarchy, gender roles and love. Specifically in the novel, Ammu, Mammachi and Baby Kochamma are all female characters and that they have experienced horrible discriminations and oppressions due to their gender, religion and statuses which have torn them between traditional norms and modern attitudes. Sadly speaking, their private love relationships are actually socially and politically regulated to emphases of caste and religion. Reversing the natural uncontrollability of who to love, in what way and to what extent, results in equally unnatural insurrections and obstructions of love relationship. The “love laws” are basically to put or set boundaries between the upper caste and lower caste which they are not allow to have any sexual relationship besides working as intensive labor. Women who are married are expected to be a good “house wives” and to serve their husband. This novel have demonstrated gender oppression, sexism and discrimination against women. When the female characters attempt to challenge or disobey the customs, laws, values of social and cultural boundaries, they commit moral transgressions which ultimately lead them toward their death and ruination. Therefore, majority women doesn’t have an option but to “accept” or “adapt” to the

Madini 's mother on the other hand ensured that she stayed within the norm and enforced traditional gender roles. One way in which her mother enforced traditional gender roles is by teaching Madini cooking while she was a teenager although her mother was still lenient on gender roles compared to others. Madini was not resentful that her mother taught her traditional gender roles and she said she actually enjoyed it. Although she enjoyed learning how to cook it made her life more difficult than her brothers. While in school Madini would also have to come home and learn and practice traditional gender roes while

Roy brings the rigid caste system into the limelight with different instances stated throughout the novel. She brings out a sense of sympathy among her readers for the sufferings of the Paravans and in the end of the book we are left with a deep feeling of affliction and abhorrence for the societal setup.

Girish Karnad in his Tala- Danda settles the plan for the marriage which is to be ceremonized between to son of a tanner (untouchable) and the daughter of a Brahmin under the guidance and protection of an archetypal figure-Basavanna who is also the votary of sharana movement. He remarks about the poison of casteism and untouchability. Some day this entire edifice of caste and creed, this poison –house of Varnasharma will come tumbling down. Every person will see himself only as a human being. That is invevitable. But we have a long way to go. You know the most terrible crimes have been Justified in the name of Sanatan religion.

Beyond imagination, a mother can be such impudent with her own child just because she is a female child. A mother wishing her daughter ‘dead’ can be the crudest form of patriarchy supported by women. These words get carved so deep inside her mind that Saru becomes a rebel against her mother. Not only this, she could not develop the rationale of judgement and decision-making being suppressed always. Moreover, the guidance of her mother could have helped her but neither her mother bothered nor she cared for the