How Men and Women Are Portrayed in the Laws of Manu
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This essay will argue that The Laws of Manu can be viewed as a prejudiced text which contains evidence that women are deemed a lower caste than men in this society. The laws and traditions documented in The Laws of Manu were introduced at the beginning of the Common Era and are still widely supported in the Indian society today.
There are many assumptions we could make about the kind of society India embraced before The Laws of Manu were introduced, trying to determine the relationship between reality and text. I will visit this relationship in my essay, but the main focus will be on the discriminating status administered to the women of India. I will discuss the prejudice behaviour this text has prescribed to both Indian men and women, prohibiting their freedom to develop an individual presence. Also to establish from the text what is considered to be the ideal man and woman, with the typical roles outlined for each sex creating an unequal society.
The behaviour described in The Laws of Manu is extremely contrasted between men and women. It is understood that when these typical behaviours are not fulfilled to the degree of expectation outlined by the text, there is abandonment from the family and community. A mans behaviour can be seen as authoritative and controlling, with immense pressure to be effective in the decisions he makes, for the future of his family depend on him. This controlling behaviour of a man is reflected in the relationships he has with his wife and daughters. He is to “keep his wife busy and guarded” to ensure she does not stray from her designated duties for “she could become corrupted if starving for lack of livelihood.” The text speaks of a male role needed to protect and guard the women in the family: “her father guards her in childhood, her husband guards her in youth, and her sons in old age.” The authoritarian father shows his control by choosing a husband for his daughter, disregarding any objections she may have. He bases his decision on the discriminating “caste system” of India, which determines whether a man is good enough (for his daughter) according to his social status. These relationships that a man has with a woman show that although he possesses a close control over his family, the choices he makes are supposedly for the protection and the livelihood of his wife and children.
The behaviour expected of a woman is very devoted and disciplined compared to that of a man. A woman must fulfil the correct behaviour outlined by Manu and obey the rules set out by her husband or father without objection. She must accept the decisions and choices her husband has made for the family, and if she were to contest his authority, she is banished and left with nothing. The Laws of Manu show the degree of control a husband has over his wife, stating that even her thoughts may be manipulated: “if in her mind she thinks of anything that the man that married her would not wish, that is said as complete reparation for that infidelity.” A wife may become dependent on her husband to keep her “guarded” , although she maintains some control in the home, her husbands decisions will always over rule her. Manu describes the instinctive behaviour of women as “malicious in nature” , which invites the idea that women may have acted inappropriate before these laws were written, and could potentially be a reason why The Laws of Manu were established.
The Laws of Manu create an interesting picture of the ideal man or woman. There are specific roles for each sex, and, just like the Ardhanarishvara God , they are both needed, together, to survive. The ideal man described by Manu is considered to be a powerful character that is highly respected within his family and community. He is the leader and spokesperson for his family, and must preserve his reputation in a respectable caste to ensure his wife and children are supported. The Laws of Manu describe how the birth of a mans son is crucial to continuing his legacy: “as soon as a son is born, a man becomes a man with a son.” This indicates that, although