The main beneficiaries I see coming out of this story would definitely be high-ranking males in the caste system. I am sure that the Rāmāyaṇa has had an immense effect on the social climate in the parts of the world that it is popular, just as the New Testament has had an immense effect on the social climate of the Western Hemisphere. Rama is in complete control throughout the story, with powerful mythological creatures bending to his will on several occasions. Everyone seems to be in complete submission to him, and this continues the narrative of men having the final say and being in power in society. While many people will argue whether this is good or bad, that is not the point. The point is that this is a narrative that has been going on for a very long time now, and seems to be continuing throughout different traditions.
Collin, I agree with you when discussing who are the beneficiaries of the narrative. Rama, a prominent, high-caste male, calls the shots. Yes, this narrative has been presented for quite some time, but does the majority of its audience today still consider these acts acceptable? Even if this epic has been around for a while, that doesn't mean it's completely correct. Simply, this discussion is allowing us to approach this story with a critical angle. I am curious about how people feel about it today.
That's exactly what I was thinking, Collin! It definitely seems to cater to high-ranking men more so than anyone else. However, why would this narrative still be considered important today if it only catered to rich men? Is there a valuable lesson for women and the poor that we are simply not seeing? The "lesson" throughout that is presented to women is horrifying, to be quite frank. Do more men find the Ramayana to be a powerful text than women? This raises so many questions!
Collin, I like what you said about Rāma himself being the perpetrator of continued gender roles throughout the Eastern Hemisphere. It's so true that the narrative traditions that we are exposed to influence how we ourselves view the world and develop our perceptions of gender and gender hierarchy.