Reawakening: a reflection on ‘The Adulterous Woman’ and ‘Spring in Fialta’

     Adultery means indulging in a physical relationship with a person other than your spouse. However, In Albert Camus’ ‘The Adulterous Woman’, adultery is internal and consequence of a stagnant relationship.

     The story unfolds Janine’s life events. During a road trip, Janine recalls her years of marriage to Marcel. She has a feeling of emptiness, causing her to question her existence and attachment to Marcel. She recalls her adolescent years and craves for freedom.

     She presents a negative perception of Marcel being materialistic, primarily concerned with his job that keeps him too busy to pay attention to her. Yet, she does not want to leave him because he showers her with love and security. He is a reason for her to exist, yet she is not satisfied and is desperate for liberation. She wants to escape from the confines of her life.

     The stare from the French soldier causes her to acknowledge her sexual desirability and erotic narcissism. She feels desirable in a mature way. At the fort, she acquires a broader perspective of the world. Alone at the fort, she senses freedom and takes absolute control of her woman power; she is aware of her feminism and has sensual thoughts. Under the vastness of the sky, she gets increasingly filled with excitement, and experiences pleasure.

     The title of the story is ironic; no adultery takes place. Janine’s actions at the fort are her adultery - her transition from an existence for her husband to a part of the world. The ending scene raises question such as: What will become of Janine? Will she lead a normal life?

     ‘Spring in Fialta’ by Vladimir Nabokov presents a different scenario of adultery. The story touches upon the themes of unrequited love, lust and transience. Adultery in this story too results from a desire for more. We learn later how one-sided love leads to fatal circumstances.

     Victor’s confrontation with Nina triggers his memoirs. Even after marriage, Victor and Nina harbor romantic feelings towards each other. By strange luck, they meet at the oddest places and reaffirm their passionate relationship.

     Victor cannot find the right word for his relationship with Nina. He is confused; he meets her for brief periods then forgets about her. His desires are absurd; he questions fate the reason for these encounters and contemplates over the possibility of sharing his life with Nina. He has been stuck with her for 15 years; he cannot ignore her and is agonizingly obsessive about her.

     Nina shares a casual relationship with Victor without thinking of the consequences. She is transient in the sense that she appears for only short periods, and then vanishes completely. She is permanently fixed in his mind. Her death proves her a real self, a living human being and a mortal.

     The stories entail the idea that marriages are not enough to keep spouses happy, resulting in marital infidelity. Both Janine and Victor have much to look forward to with their family, yet they feel dissatisfied. The narrow view of life is probably reflective of the authors’ own pessimism towards existence - that everything is temporary and comes to a drastic end. 

Injustice, as seen in ‘Going to Meet the Man’ and ‘Nomad and Viper’

       A black man is chained naked to a tree, castrated then brutally murdered by white people. Representative of injustice in James Baldwin’s ‘Going to Meet the Man’; the story reflects the devastating reality of African-Americans suffering at the hands of the racist white society.

     James Baldwin gives his account of experiences as a black man in a white country. The black community in utmost unfair circumstances was a marginalized part of the society, because their colour was black – leading to discrimination and racist violence.

     He highlights the barbarity of white people and the destructive effects their ignorance had on cultural minorities. The moment we embark upon the story, tension grips us to the core. We sense something utterly bad is about to occur. The suspense intensifies when Jesse recalls a brutal massacre of a black man, falsely accused of crime.

     We confront the venomous treachery of white man regarding abhorrent treatment of black people. The climax draws attention to their animosity when they celebrate the mutilation of a black man.

     A question arises: Was there any escape to these long, unending days of tyranny? The morals of society are questioned. An example of gross condescension, the story entails the idea that the white race considered itself superior to black race – a manifestation itself of the prejudiced mentality. It presents a cruel picture of the overwhelmingly grotesque reality of African-Americans, subject to excruciatingly merciless torture in Southern America of 1950s. Their liberty was forfeited, reflecting oppressed humanity suffering the yoke of imperialism. Miserable plight of African-Americans is shown in a nutshell.

     The story ‘Nomad and Viper’ by Amos Oz paints another painful scenario of persecution towards Nomad refugees. It reflects the distorted reality of Nomads, highlighting their unfortunate circumstances and the prejudiced beliefs of the town they reside in.

     As soon as the story starts, we learn of the havoc the Bedouins have to endure. Their livestock was starved, which did not yield food and compelled them to relocate. They were denied their rights, deprived of privileges and were a source of heightened distrust and hatred among the Israeli locality.

     The Nomads were unreasonably blamed for all the negative occurrences – robberies, bad harvests, famines, droughts, unproductive livestock and diseases even if there were no witnesses present. They yearned for freedom. They were always perceived to be at fault for every criminal act in society, even though not one nomad was ever caught red-handed.

     There is a meeting taking place to decide what is to be done with the Bedouins. Geula takes a walk and has a brief encounter with a Nomad. As the confrontation commences, Geula buttons the top of her blouse, implying that an outsider was always perceived to be a sexual predator.

     The nomad, following a brief discussion, gets frightened of her and flees. Geula also fled and fantasized the nomad of raping her. She is a victim of prejudiced mentality possibly because her brother, Ehud, was killed in a “reprisal raid” in the desert. At the meeting, there is a heated controversy over maintaining peace with Bedouins because Etkin felt hatred could lead to demise of balance in the society. The prejudiced narrator, along with other members, leaves.          

     The stories highlight the worst attitudes of mankind. They form a mirror that reflects the nature of mankind. James Baldwin ingeniously depicts racism to raise awareness about the consequences of racist violence. Amos Oz, on the other hand, merely manages to give us insights into the situation of nomads. He clearly did not want amiable relations with Bedouins. 

'Water' Review

      In 1938, a little girl, hardly ten years of age, is relegated to the destitute status of a widow, has all her hair blatantly cut off and sent to reside in an impoverished temple entirely reserved for widows. The movie ‘Water’ apparently casts a light on the face and reality of India prior to World War II. It highlights conflicts amid traditions, culture, race, colour, caste and creed. Gender issues have existed for centuries and India is no stranger to them.

     According to the movie, a widow in ancient times of India had three options available. First, she could allow herself to be cremated along with her deceased husband; second, she could marry his brother, if feasible and third, she could retire or take refuge in widows’ Ashram to serve as a form of punishment for sins concerning their husbands’ death. Chuhya, a nine year old girl has the third option available and is unfortunately disconnected from her parents to live in the widows’ temple.

     The movie highlights the miserable plight of widows who are reduced to horrendous, substandard living conditions – beggary and prostitution. In these atrocious and inexcusable circumstances, widows are denied freedom of choice, rights and privileges which gravely contradict the protocols of the European Convention of Human Rights. In this case, widows were forlornly treated as women who merely lost their husbands, not purely as human beings. The movie shows that the life of a widow in ancient India was bleak, despondent and downcast. They were not catered to their needs and denied appropriate access to healthcare. This is evident when an old woman tragically passes away owing to a fatal sickness. They were socially, economically and culturally deprived. Discrimination among genders is noticeable owing to the fact that there was no concept of a widower’s temple. A temple for spouses who lost their partners was only reserved for women, not men.

     Another underlined issue is that of child marriage. This reflects a turbulent time period in ancient India when young girls were married off by poor, ignorant and illiterate families. Chuhya can scarcely comprehend what really is happening to her. It is distressing to watch a little girl susceptible to the influences of her parents and wretchedly detached from them for entirely no fault of her own.

     The movie further accentuates the dilemma of society’s expectation of beauty of a woman – that is – a fair skin. When Narayan informs his mother about having met the girl of his dreams, he is questioned on whether the girl is fair complexioned. This demonstrates society’s utterly preposterous obsession with fairer women. It is the fair gender only which is by and large preferred for marriage.

     We also witness a collision of caste discrimination and traditions. According to an Indian tradition, a widow was disallowed from remarrying. Second marriage was considered a sin and dishonor to the community.

     Deepa Mehta successfully assembles specific social issues that plague and torment the society and illustrates them into a single movie. The underlined predicaments make it truly worthy of watching. It is very well acted out and it became hard to remember that it was simply a movie put forth and that the actors were not leading the dreadful life of the characters. The movie manifests those appalling conditions that seriously needed to be altered in order to contribute to a progressive society. 

Preferences for Future Spouses

           Marriage is a legal obligation or social institution which binds two people together as husband and wife. It establishes rights and obligations amongst spouses, children and in-laws. It is considered to be a momentous union in every society. It is significant in terms of providing security, emotional support and fulfilling economical, social, cultural and physical needs – which are the natural cravings of young adults that drive them towards marriage. It is a foundation based on personal responsibilities which establish the backbone of civilizations.

     The study sought to investigate the differentiations among males and females regarding preferences for future spouses. The selected participants included university undergraduates based in Karachi, Lahore, Islamabad and Dubai. The segment of the study – which was randomly selected - composed of hundred and sixty undergraduates from nine universities. The results of the findings demonstrated substantial differences in preferences of males and females when it comes to selecting partners. The study revealed a few exceptions as well in terms of social skills – where majority of the boys and girls opted for outgoing spouses; duration of commitment – where a couple of moths’ commitment remained the top choice; status in society – where financially independent and working spouses were favoured; outward appearance – where majority of the males and females fancied physically attractive partners and where personality was concerned – majority of both genders desired amusing spouses and lastly, the internet was considered an immature source to look for spouses.

Methodology

Design: The research design used in for the study was in the form of quantitative questionnaire.  

Population of the Study: The population of the study was Pakistani born male and females. We gave our questionnaires to approximately hundred undergraduates; ranging between the ages of eighteen to twenty four.

Sample of the Study: The sample of the study comprised of 160 undergraduates; out of whom females were ninety (90) and males were seventy (70). They all belonged to reputed universities of Karachi, Lahore, Islamabad and Dubai such as Shaheed Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto Institute of Science and Technology [SZABIST], Lahore University of Management Sciences [LUMS], Institute of Business Administration [IBA]; Institute of Business Management [CBM], Iqra University [IU], DOW Medical College, Ziauddin University and Royal Holloway University of London.   

Instrumentation: The research instrument used for data collection in this study is a questionnaire titled “Preferences of Youth for their future spouses” designed by university undergraduates. The questionnaire included questions related to their personal preferences- age, social class and complexion, what qualities do them like in their spouses. The questions were designed in a way that we can obtain their views on outer beauty, physical attractiveness, traits, and socio- economic status.

Data Collection Procedure: An online website specifically designed for drawing up gender-based questionnaires was used. We attained the data by distributing the questionnaires by mailing them to our samples via a social networking site.

Statement of Hypothesis

     Following is a comparative analysis of the preferences of males and females concerning their future partners. Majority of the females opted for males that were slightly elder to them – their percentage amounting to 75 percent. Most of the males also wanted their partners to be younger than them – the percentage being as high as 68.4 percent. The percentage of females who wanted partners of the same age was 5 percent, whereas for males it was 10.53 percent. 2.5 percent females wanted a partner who was younger to them, 5 percent wanted much older partners and for another 5 percent, age was not the concern. On the other hand, 2.63 percent males wanted much younger female partners, another 2.63 percent wanted much older partners and to the rest of the 10.53 percent, age did not matter.

     In terms of education, majority of the boys and girls wanted post-graduate partners, with females at 80 percent and males at 50 percent. The meager 7.5 percent of the females wanted partners with undergraduate degrees, whereas males with Doctorate in Philosophy [PhD] were desired by 12.5 percent of the females. On the contrary, 26.32 percent of the males wanted female partners with under-graduate degrees, 7.89 percent with PhD and 5.26 percent wanted females who had studied till Intermediate and A-Levels. 2.63 percent of the males wanted a female partner who had no education and to 7.89% of the males, the standards of education did not matter.

     Where sports were concerned, majority of the females – 48.7 percent – wanted partners who played sports every now and then, whereas 68.42 percent of the males and 35.9 percent females did not care about having sporty female and male partners respectively. 15.4 percent females and 2.63 percent males wanted partners whose indulgence level in sports was high. Another 2.63 percent males wanted females who did not play sports and 26.32 percent males wanted females who played sports every now and then.

     Considering social skills, 90 percent females and 52.63 percent males wanted outgoing partners, with only 10 percent females and 31.58 percent males opting for reserved partners. 13.16 percent and 2.63 percent males opted for shy and party girls respectively, with none of the females wanting neither partying nor shy males.

     There were close variations in marriage preferences as well, with 40 percent females and 52.63 percent males favouring love marriages and 17.5 percent females and 18.42 percent males choosing arranged marriage. Lastly, to 42.5 percent females and 28.95 percent males, this issue was of least importance.

     When questioned on the duration of commitment, 7.9 percent females and 22.22 percent males responded that they preferred love at first sight. 13.2 percent females and 13.89 percent males chose a month’s commitment, 31.6 percent females and 27.8 percent males selected a couple of months’ commitment, 18.4 percent and females and 16.7 percent males preferred a year’s commitment and 28.9 percent females and 19.44 percent males would rather have several years’ commitment before finally settling down.

       In terms of complexion, majority of the females fancied partners with wheatish complexions. Males rather have rather favoured fair-skinned partners – with majority going as high as 60.53 percent. Only 22.5 percent females and 13.16 percent males had preferences for fair-skinned partners and wheatish complexioned partners respectively. 2.63 percent of the males would have rather had pale-skinned female partners and to 42.5 percent females and 23.68 percent males complexion did not matter.

      On intelligence, 2.63 percent males wanted partners with below average intelligence; 7.5 percent females and 23.6 percent males wished for partners with average intelligence; 45 percent females and 28.95 percent males desired very smart partners; 40 percent females and 34.21 percent males wanted spouses who were smart in their fields and to 7.5 percent females and 10.53 percent males, intelligence did not matter.

     As for status, the highest number of males at 26.32 percent and females at 70 percent wanted their partners to be financially independent. Only 2.63 percent males and 25 percent females wanted well-off partners. Moreover, 2.5 percent of the females wanted partners of middle class and to another 2.5 percent, status did not matter. Only 2.63 percent of the males had preferences for partners of working class.

     The response on preferences for working and house – wife or husband, 100 percent females and 60.53 percent males were inclined towards working husbands and wives respectively. Only 39.47 percent of the males had a fondness for housewives. Where jobs were concerned, 52.5 percent females preferred businessmen, 7.5 percent preferred doctors and to 27.5 percent, it did not matter. On the other hand, 21.5 percent males wanted wives to be surgeons, 31.58 percent wanted teachers, 2.63 percent desired chefs and models and to 42.11 percent, job was not a concern.

     There were surprising variations in relationship preferences as well; 2.5 percent females wanted to marry their cousins; 25 percent females and 18.42 percent males wanted to marry their friends; 2- percent females and 23.68 percent males wanted best friends to be their spouses; 15 percent females and 2.63 percent males opted for acquaintances; choice of parents was the first option for 17.5 percent females and 23.68 percent males and lastly, relationship was not the primary concern of 20 percent females and 31.58 percent males.

     When questioned on the importance of outward appearance, 61.5 percent females and 76.32 percent males responded affirmatively. Facial features were considered to be the most important by 53.6 percent of the females and 70.59 percent males. Height was considered vital only by 32.1 percent females and 5.88 percent males. Weight was also an important factor to 3.6 percent females and 14.71 percent males. Only 8.8 percent males had a liking for their partner’s hair. Moreover, where dressing was concerned, 31.58 percent males opted for eastern; 21.5 percent for Hijabi, 15.79 percent for casual, 13.2 percent for a person who changed looks frequently, 1o.53 percent for modern and westernized and only 7.89 percent for completely covered or niqaabi person.

     In terms of personality, majority of the females at 30.3 percent and males at 24.53 percent had a fondness for funny spouses. 4.6 percent females and 14.15 percent males opted for introversive, reserved partners. 8.3 percent females and 5.66 percent males had a liking for somber partners. Outgoing or extroversive partners were ultimate favourites of 26.6 percent females 20.75 percent males. Religious partners were selected by 20.2 percent females and 22 percent males.

     When asked whether internet was a good opportunity to look for a spouse, only 18.92 percent males responded in the affirmative. Otherwise, it was considered risky and unsafe by 47.5 percent females and 27.63 percent males. It was also considered immature by 52.5 percent females and 54.5 percent males.

     When questioned whether assistance with domestic chores was needed, 35 percent females and 47.37 percent males responded positively and 2.5 percent females and 7.89 percent males negatively. Lastly, 62.5 percent females and 44.74 percent males seldom needed help.

     Participants were also asked whether they wanted their spouses to have male or female friends. An affirmative response was received from 17.5 percent females and 13.16 percent males, negative from 15 percent females and 34.21 percent males and to 67.5 percent females and 52.63 percent males, it did not matter.

     Last but not the least, participants were questioned whether they would marry males or females who had histories or boyfriends or girlfriends. A positive response was received by 27.5 percent females and 21.5 percent males and disapproving by 20 percent females and 34.21 percent males. For 52.5 percent females and 44.74 percent males, it was not a concern. 

Conclusion

     The results showed that women underlined on characteristics such as intellect and financial stability. Males, however, accentuated physical appearances. There weren’t any significant differences in personality types they wished to have. Apparently, many of their answers were influenced by the cultural norms of society and the social media.