Traditions, Marriage, Dowry and Literature

Literature is about reflecting the life around us. It acts as a mirror for the people living in the society to see their true selves. When the author writes about some tradition or cultural practice it reflects and gives the reader insights into the kind of culture the author has lived in and how that is relevant in modern times. Here in this argumentative essay, an attempt is made to understand the perspective of the author when they discuss some kind of tradition and if they are still relevant in the era we live in.

The first text that is going to be explored here is The High-Caste Hindu Woman written by Ramabai in the year 1887 during the period of British-ruled India. One of the traditional customs that has found its mention in the text is the custom of dowry. Here it has been well presented how the concept of dowry makes a woman become the burden of the family. The tag of burden that the women are made to carry becomes too heavy for some families and, as the author rightfully points out, that results in female infanticide. Dowry is a tradition that creates unwanted pressure on both the girl child and her parents. 

Pandita Ramabai

The tradition of dowry is one of the most narrow-minded and horrifying customs that has ever existed. Still, in many parts of India especially the north, this custom is practised. Here there are cases where the women are being married away so that their burden is reduced from the parent’s shoulders and this is often done at a young age. There are also many incidents where acts of domestic violence are inflicted on women for not fulfilling the demands of the dowry. It is still commonplace in many parts of the country to treat women with disrespect and as secondary citizens.

Another tradition that captures the attention of readers and has been a topic of debate in the intellectual spheres is the custom of marriage. Ibsen’s play Hedda Gabler and Tolstoy’s novella, The Death of Ivan Ilyich. Both the literature shows how marriage was in the 19th century. Both Hedda and Ivan are struggling with the same problem, that they are not happy in their married life. 

Ingrid Corrigan as Hedda Gabler for The Bench Production staged in 1974

For instance, Hedda has been predominantly grown up with her father and shows more masculine character traits. In a traditional marriage, it is taken for granted that the wife is supposed to serve the husband. However, Hedda being who she is becomes uncomfortable taking on the role of a wife who is under the control of her husband. As someone who has her bias of manly characteristics, Hedda believes that she can take charge of people as a man does. Hedda refuses to do what is expected from her by society. The play has portrayed the struggle a woman had to go through in the 19th century to claim her individuality. 

Another example is Ivan and his views on marriage which is the same as of Hedda. Tolstoy in his novella has portrayed Ivan as unhappy with his marriage as he is not ready to take on the duties of a husband that the institution of marriage demands him to fulfil. Moreover, we find Ivan marrying due to societal pressure and not because it was the right time for him to do so. Further in the story, we see Ivan falling sick but he is not shown any compassion or consolation by his wife or family. This shows how big a sham marriage is and the unhappiness it can lead to. 

Both the literary work shows a very realistic side of marriage. It shows how marriages can bind oneself to the duties and responsibilities structured by society and in the process, one can lose their individuality. The themes that have been portrayed in the works are still relevant in modern times and will always be.  

Marriage will always remain a constructed need of the society which is nothing more than a contract. Even today we expect women to be under the control of the husband and the husband is expected to fulfil his duties as the man of the house. Failing to stand according to the standards of society leads to unhappiness as we can see in both works. This is the harsh reality of marriage. The three literary works discussed in this essay show how literature can be used to reflect the problems of society in the most simple ways.