Assignment 21- Bhoomi Shah

A question that I have always wondered about is, where do women belong in a family? Are they the matriarchs or are they submissive to the man? To the majority of American society, this question seems clear, they're neither. They make up one half of a whole unit and the role they play is paramount to a successful family. However, in India, this isn't the case. It hurts me to say that I have seen mothers verbally castrated by their husbands and daughters stripped of basic rights such as education because of their gender. But, in India, this behavior is seen as normal. The man can yell at the wife and he is crowned a hero. Why is this? A few months ago I was watching an old Indian film with my mom and in it, a submissive husband was shown to finally have the courage to stand up to his controlling wife by slapping her and establishing his place as the 'man' of the household. It was humiliating and degrading to watch and I was furious to see such behavior encouraged by Indian media. Many Indian wives have no real knowledge of the world outside of the kitchen and that's why they become so reliant on their husbands, suffering through the abuse to avoid social castration and potential poverty. This mindset needs to change, women should feel empowered despite living in a patriarch society. The media should show strong, independent ladies taking charge of their own lives to inspire others to do the same. For the most part, this change is taking place, but more needs to be done.