Red Lotus and Thousand ;One Nights

Syree Davis Eng. 203 Nov. 1 2012 Ms. tody The Red Lotus of Chastity and The Thousand and One Nights The females in The Red Lotus of Chastity and The Thousand and One Nights struggled against ideas of chastity that were created by a male dominated society. They had to over come the cultural ideals of what women should be and do. Devasmita and Shahrazad both decided to take matters into their own hands and not fall to male authority or their tricks. The themes of these novels are the feminine empowerment, loyalty and devotion.

The women of these novels showed feminine empowerment. Although they had obstacles that could have over come them they still stood against them and showed that females can be strong and independent too. Devasmita was struggling with being away from her husband while trying to be tricked into doing the merchants’ sons but she showed feminine empowerment by deciding to trick them and make them be punished. This proved that females could also have power to do things and weren’t just to be around to clean, cook and do what their husbands wanted.

Shahrazad is the definition of feminine empowerment she stood against male authority the whole novel and didn’t step down. Her role in The Thousand and One Nights was to teach the king a lesson, this showed her will to go against authority to teach a male a lesson. These females were devoted to what they wanted to do and wouldn’t stop. Shahrazad was devoted to teaching the king a lesson and no male could stop her. She was self educated and strong willed, she pursued to learn about poets and other authors and people of high stature.

Devasmita was devoted to her king and would not break for anyone after receiving the red lotus which was symbolic for feminine qualities and things that related to the heart (love, passion and sex) she finally agreed to let him go on his trip. This was love because she knew she would be jealous of the distance between the two and the events that had happened with another man that was cheating. She remained steady and devoted to her king though despite the tricks and the men trying to pursue her. This was a stand for the females making it known hey could think for themselves and could make up there own minds and also hold down a household without a male figure. Loyalty also connects with the devotion they shared to do what they had to do because without them being loyal there was no need to have devotion. Loyalty was another characteristic that the females shared and displayed in these novels. They were loyal to their goals and didn’t stray away from them. Devasmita and Shahrazad being females in their time ran by in a male society was rough. They were expected to do whatever they were told especially in the household.

When they would not do what the males wanted, it was a shock for a female to do this. Being loyal in those times were hard and for them to show they had the power to do that displayed their strong will. Once again the themes of these novels are the feminine empowerment, loyalty and devotion. These all are thought to be things that females do well, but when put against an all male society they are faced with obstacles. They overcome the temptation and stay on the right path or stay focused on their goals. Although Shahrazad was a little different story line that Devasmita she also faced obstacles.

She was trying to teach the king a lesson and didn’t listen to male authority. She thought herself and was self motivated, her goal was set and didnt stray away from it. She was devoted and loyal to her goal to teach the society a lesson. Devasmita was a wife that was in love with her husband so much that she grew jealous of him being so far away. Jealousy rose from the story’s of another man cheating in the temple. She finally decided to let him go once receiving the red lotus that symbolized feminine empowerment, and female characteristic.

This gave her the ability to let him leave and stay loyal and devoted to him. Although the merchants son’s were put up to no good and make her cheat on her husband she would not. She kept up the household and even was intelligent enough to find out their true intentions and even was able to bring their plans to light. These females strong willed and very smart. Although society was based on males points of views they didn’t let this discourage them they still decided to teach themselves and prove they were strong enough.

The chastity was not just not the virgin or sexual aspect but the overall devotion, having the power to say no and fight (feminine empowerment) and being loyal. All these contributed to the conflict of the novels which was the females overpowering the male society and deciding not to listen. This was a big step for the females especially in a all male society that was built up by males. In the end they overcame what cultural ideals were of females and did this by not listen to the male society and that they were more than just to be in the house working but could be educated and in some situations could out wit the males in their society.

This gave them the power to do what they wanted not only were they intelligent they were independent. Even with a man in their lives they could still think on their own and even make decisions. Devasmita could have easily been persuaded to do things if she was not so devoted and wanted to be loyal. Shahrazad could have just been a normal female that is ideal to usual cultural ideals but she decided to educate herself on things that interested her and even plotted to teach the king a lesson.