Ramayana, interlude

That whole section was just whoa. So patriarchal and so disturbing and disgusting and awful. I mean, all this time he's been longing for her and talking about how much he misses her, and then she comes back and he says that because she's been living in another's house, she's too impure for him? Really? She was kidnapped! And this is coming from the guy who slaughtered Vali and did so many wrong things in the time she was waiting to be rescued. Notice Hanuman tries desperately to stop Bharatha from immolating himself but doesn't care when Sita, a woman, wants to throw herself in the fire.

Also, she's his wife and is supposed to have this great relationship with him, but when she sees him she prostrates himself at her feet, which is a gesture used for people above you. I find this disturbing that that's how she would greet her husband. No hug, no kiss, no words? Oh wait, women can't SPEAK their MIND, I forgot! Good thing Sita had that long period of isolation to brood on how improper she used to be, actually telling her husband what she wanted, otherwise she'd never have learned to hold her tongue, and we couldn't have that! God this makes me MAD. He's so full of himself and just gets off on Sita's total reliance and submission, it's disgusting.

I truly do not understand why Sita would want to be with him. I think she has been screwed over by the system and is ignorant of how she's being used. Doesn't she realized Rama doesn't care about her? He cares about being with her.

On page 150, it says, "In Sita's case Ravana, in spite of repeated and desperate attempts, could not approach her. She had remained inviolable." Yes, it's obviously great that Ravana was not able to rape her because of his curse. However, there's a clear implication that if he had raped her, she would have been considered unfaithful and would have burned in the fire. So only by virtue of someone else being unable to violate her without her permission was she considered "pure." Basically, her purity rests on the actions of men. As a woman, she neither makes nor can make any decisions that would lead to her either being pure or impure; she cannot be forward and make a move if she wants someone, nor can she fight back if someone wants her. It's entirely out of her hands, and yet her punishment rests on whether she is "pure" or "impure," an entirely arbitrary and unfair judgment.