Water by Deepa MehtaTextual Analysis

‘Godswill she will be reborn a man’

Chronology...

• Water- Set in 1938

• Earth- Set in 1947 (Partition)

• Fire- Contemporary India

The sanskrit...3 Laws of the Widow

• Live life of self denial

• Burn on husband’s funeral pyre

• Marry youngest brother of deceased

• ‘Disguised as religion, it’s just about money.’ (Narayan)

Clash of Cultures?

• The opening quote of the film- Deepa Mehta as Canadian-Indian bringing feminist agenda to Indian political representation (widows living in an ‘ashram?’

• Discuss the knowledge claims for/against this statement

• Consider context of 1938

Chuiya

• Main protagonist

• Bahini (younger sister) to two women (Kalyani) who challenge their ‘dharma’...subsequently, the narrative disequilibrium is created from this

• Loss of husband, therefore loss of status within the family & society

• Child abuse- prey to pedophiles

Symbolism of Water• Purity- Holy water/contamination

• Cleansing of sins (‘Remarriage is a sin.’)

• Reflection

• Mythical status of Ganges- ‘Crossing the river’

• Fertility... ‘Mother India’

• Liberation/self-sacrifice (suicide)

• Blue- Colour of Lord Vishnu

White

• Connotations of mourning

• Purity- Hypocrisy of representation- to what extent is this established through hegemony?

• Innocence (childhood) stolen

Motif of Sweets...

• Yearning for sweets by the older Didi; she yearns for what she cannot have. (Forbidden fruit)

• How does this function as a motif? What is the intended meaning?

Gulab Jamin

Ladoo

Hierarchy of Command

• Androgynous representation

• Masculine control even within the didi/bahini group

English Language

• Reference to Byron/Shakespeare

• Indicator of education, within Imperial/Orientalist context

• Division between British/local quarters

British East

India Flag

Music

• Not a musical...absence of traditional Hindi dance numbers

• However the soundtrack is full of traditional Indian folk music

Swades/Water• Culture/Tradition: what comparisons exist

in the representation of Indian culture?

• Is tradition celebrated or critiqued? Give textual examples to validate your claim/s.

• ‘All the old traditions are dying out.’ (Narayan)

• Liberal thinking (Gandhi) v Tradition (Narayan’s mother/ father- Brahmin’s may sleep with whomever they please- CASTE)