Topic > Fire": symbolic meaning of the female body, sexuality and chastity for Indian culture

The film Fire presents an overlapping picture of several issues involving the myths and realities of lesbianism and lesbian desire, sexual preferences and freedom of expression, and the symbolic meaning of the female body and chastity for Indian culture and tradition. These issues evoked form the core of the film's debate, highlighting the notion of compulsory heterosexuality as it provides a strong reflection of culture and. of Indian tradition as essentially rooted in male control over female sexuality. On the other hand, Gayle Rubin has argued that , although the social construction of lesbianism as deviant is a powerful force behind the principle of compulsory heterosexuality, the feminist insistence on regulated sexuality even among women is equally powerful and oppressive. This argument suggests that it is also important to challenge social control and sexual correctness “within” the feminist movement to prevent the kind of lesbian feminism that opposes women's liberation from all forms of oppression. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an Original Essay First, the most horrific nature of a sexual relationship that violates the symbolic meaning of a woman's body was strongly shown through Justin's sexual attitude towards his wife, Sita. The realistic depiction of their traditional marriage parallels Rich's theory that compulsory heterosexuality emerges from women's submission to men. In the film, Justin's sexual access and challenging acts are evidently protected by compulsory heterosexuality and reinforced by the norms expected of Indian culture and tradition. The Second Sex by Simone De Beauvoir presents the same idea of ​​how women's inferiority has been constructed and imposed on women by society. Throughout history, women have only been seen as the “object, secondary and other” of men. He states: “The lie to which the adolescent is condemned is that he must pretend to be an object, and a fascinating one…”. This statement by De Beauvoir suggests how women's power has always been linked to sexuality in being the object of sexual attraction based on one's physical appearance and reproductive capacity. Secondly, the pattern of sexual preferences was represented by Radha and Ashok's relationship which is in the middle opposite side of the sexual spectrum. When it was revealed that Radha was unable to bear children, Ashok turned his wife's inability to conceive as an opportunity for him to achieve spiritual freedom. As part of his practice, he forces his wife to lie next to him on the bed to demonstrate that he can resist and detach himself from sexual pleasures. This image shows how Ashok used religion to control Radha as she acquiesces to her husband's demands. In the article Feminism Without Borders, Chandra Mohanty highlights her goal of deconstructing the monolithic construction of the "Third World woman" as a victim of male control and violence, but, more importantly, as a homogeneous and powerless group, exploited and sexually harassed mainly by men. . As a viewer, one can clearly feel the imbalance of equality and the emotional agony that Radha had endured to fulfill her husband's demand. This reflects the monolithic construction of third world women as a homogeneous and powerless group, as seen, 2016.