Lin 1

Jenny Lin
FIQWS 10105
Professor von Uhl
16 November 2016
Devis play on gender roles
The common way of learning as a child is through fairy tales. As compared to myths,
parents would not read a pessimistic story to their children, as it does not teach them of everyday
problems. Devi, the protagonist from Devi by R.K. Narayan asserts the opposite of
Bettelheims The Uses of Enchantment claim. Myths incorporates the superego, which is restraint
while fairytales also incorporate the superego which allows the fulfillment of the ID which is
primitive, the human desires. The qualities and actions such as having the appearance of a
woman, but the strength of a man and serving the end of King Mahisha, aggrandizes the refute of
Bettelheims claim such that myths are pessimistic and fairy tales are optimistic through the play
on gender roles.
Devi is a strong character who embraces the qualities of a hero. She was defiant
and made sure she saw the king himself, so she can destroy him. All of the commanders he sent
forth were all slaughtered by one of the weapons on her eighteen arms. Just like the Indian
tradition of what they originally expect of woman, many feminists in the past and present are
presented lowly and that is a challenge to their nature. According to Radha Chakravarty who
wrote Gender and Politics in the Fiction of Mahasweta Devi, suggests that The challenge to
and of feminist writing lies in negotiating womens identity defined in these terms. Woman are
classed, caste and communal subjects at the same time, in the interests of a transformative
politics, difference must be managed, if not transcended (Chakravarty 123). They are always in

Lin 2
a caste and commanded to do what the man or elders desire. All differences must not lie within
the tradition of a woman or else there would be consequences. They are not allowed to challenge
the power they have and try to be a higher caste like their husbands. Devis situation was out of
the norm, but still expressed the gender roles she played with her features and her strength.
Devi is a goddess who is worshipped by many, but also looked down upon by many. The
most crucial trait that Devi has is that she has the appearance of a woman, but the strength of a
man. It is substantial to look at the characters world in their shoes. She was created to defeat
King Mahisha, who was a buffalo and demon (Narayan 50). Traditionally, a woman like Devi
would be looked down upon. The role of a woman was to stay at home, listen to the orders of the
man, and take care of the children. Surprisingly, Devi is a woman who was mainly worshipped.
She is a goddess with eighteen arms with a weapon in each hand, who personifies the highest
form of beauty and energy, battles with and destroys the demon Mahisha (Narayan 47). Through
her shoes, Devi was sent by the highest powers to help because Mahisha is powerful and can
only be defeated by a woman (Narayan 54).