I find the roles of gender and how it is portrayed to be interesting. I don't understand the inconsistent representation of women throughout the text. The catalyst for all the events is a woman. Then Sita is represented as being the cause of further trouble in the narrative. Rama looks down upon Sita in some respects. Additionally, she is used by Ravana to get at Rama (224). If Rama and Sita are represented as the ideal then women are only worth what they can do for the men. They lack autonomy. Perhaps, this is just my reading of it in a world where women are not as tied down. Nevertheless, I wonder how the conflicting examples of women in the narrative define the role women should play.
127 words