Perceptions of Kali's tongue

Jill S.

Order the writing of a tailor-made Literature Essay

Free quote online

Essay Format .doc

Perceptions of Kali's tongue

Download

Read an extract

Reader
Abstract
Contents
Extract

Abstract

Through the last century the western world has been faced with the relatively new concepts of feminine equality and power. Academia has been influenced by theorists such as Simone de Beauvoir, and more recently Judith Butler, who have created a terminology to help define the subtleties of gender inequality. Western governments and society have grown to accommodate changed conceptions of femininity, though many would argue that women are still bound by an association of sexuality or vulnerability that hinders progress in more "masculine" vocations or relationships. Those at the University of Chicago that would argue this, and fight for the reversal of those norms, are the subjects that interest me in terms of defining the influences of Western culture and the universality of emotional concepts

Introduction.
Hindu concept of 'Lajya' and the western idea of shame.
Comparison between the observations of the students and the true legend.
The dominant figure in the image.
The experience of shame that the feminist interviewees are acquainted with.
Interviewing the feminists.
Conclusion.

Get this table of contents for free after login.

Extract

[...] Shame, on the other hand, is characterized as an outward force that controls one by embarrassment of deformity, rather than recognizing their power (even if it really is the woman's power that is feared). It is a controlling force ambiguously placed in the outer social world, something oppressive and potently threatening, that is slowly internalized. In Hindu culture, lajya is a force of grace, a “beautiful ornament” worn by a woman, that demonstrates self-confidence (she does not need to exert her power) and respect. [...]

[...] Can you describe what appears to be happening? A. There is a woman in a rage, stepping on a guy. She looks vengeful, very successful. There is a battle going on behind her. Her arms seem to represent something. Q. How would you describe the expression on her face? A. She looks focused and angry. Her eyes are very open, wide . almost like she is experiencing a moment of perception. Her tongue is really red, and long. It looks like a sexual symbol of some sort. [...]

[...] The interviewees were directly asked whether there was anything in the image of Kali that represented shame, to which to general answer was that there was not. Upon examining the image intently with the emotional suggestion in mind, a few of the subjects decided that Shiva had been shamed. Other students thought that the human heads donned by Kali expressed the closest thing to that emotion. Perhaps the reason that nobody thought Kali was depicted in a moment of shame is due to the associations the students have to the emotion. [...]

[...] In general, it was assumed that Kali's tongue represented rebellion, or mockery towards her opponents, or was seen as a sign of sexuality or mania. When it was brought to the attention of the subjects that Kali was biting her tongue, a few acknowledged that sometimes people bite their tongues as an act of self-restraint in western culture, but that they do it as a demure and subtle gesture, as opposed to an outward action. Kali's tongue was seen as a symbol of aggression by all of the students. [...]

[...] Beauvoir, of young women struggling to unite their humanity with their gendered anatomy. Shame also conjured ideas of an outward oppressive force of society, forcing women into submission. Lajya, on the other hand, is thought a virtue in Brahaman culture, an elegant self- restraint that suggests an inner power. It is interesting to deal with the aspects of the two emotions in terms of their relevance to females in society as one suggests an inner power, the other repressive exploitation. [...]

doc