Mahasweta Devi’s “Dhowli” is a sad story of an innocent young girl born in India with its caste system. Dhowli must follow the predetermined lifestyle of a Dusad untouchable. Following the events in her life, we see Dhowli grow from an innocent little girl (as seen through her past actions and decisions due to her circumstances) to a determined and persevering young girl. Imagine having being put into a prearranged marriage at a very young age where there was no love between husband and wife. Dhowli accepted that. She accepted eating the daily left over food and being beaten up by her husband.
She returned home after her husband died of fever because she didn’t like the way her husband’s brother was “eyeing her.” On the other hand, Dhowli loved to remember the fun times she had with her father when she was little. She also enjoyed the peace she found in the woods. She would lay down or go for a “dip in the stream.” Dhowli knew that a widowed woman could never marry again; and that she also wanted a better life for herself than the other Dusad women. She did not want to be used by the Brahmans and ruin her life. So she wore a sari to cover herself. When the Misra boy told Dhowli how he felt about her, Dhowli tried to convince herself that she could never have a life with him, a noble man.
But he was persistent in courting Dhowli and finally Dhowli in her innocence gave in and became pregnant. It was very sad that the Misra boy could not stand up to his father and his older brother about his intentions with Dhowli. She began believing in the Misra boy what he was telling her. He said that he would come back for her after one month and together they would open a shop outside their village. However, this was not to happen.
The Essay on Saint John Bosco Boys Young Girls
John Bosco was born in Turin, Italy, on August 16, 1815. His parents were poor farmers, but his father died when he was two years old, but John was too young to know what happened, and it forced his mother, Margaret, to raise him along with 3 other children and taught them the importance of their faith. It was very hard for his mother so John went out and got a few little jobs to help his mother. ...
We come across Dhowli waiting at the bus stop, returning day after day for four months hoping the Misra boy will come back to her as he had promised. He never does show up. You can clearly see how persistent Dhowli is as she stands outside by the bus stop in the cold night braving a potentially dangerous encounter with a wolf that was seen in that area. I found it particularly interesting that they had depicted a wolf as an animal that makes people fearful and afraid. “Isn’t she afraid? … The wolf was out last night…
Dhowli had also heard that the wolf was out, but she forgot about it.” The wolf, to me, sounds like it represents a symbol of power. Perhaps the author is using the wolf in reference to the Brahmans since they are at the top of the caste system, people who hold the most power in their system. After learning that the Misra boy has gotten married to another girl, Dhowli realizes that he is not coming back to her. She is determined to get money and food from him by demanding him to help support them. If he does not, she will tell everyone that she bore his son.
However she does not follow through on her threat of exposing the Misra boy when he stopped sending anymore money and food that was promised to Dhowli. Determined to support her family, Dhowli makes the ultimate sacrifice by opening up her door when she hears pebbles hitting her door late in the night. In exchange for sex she would get money and food. The Misra family is upset that she has found a way to support herself. They had hoped that she and her family would starve to death. At this point I believe the author tries to portray Dhowli as triumphant in overcoming all of the obstacles the Misra boy’s family has put in her way.
In the end the Brahman’s kick her out of the village. We can hope and conclude that where Dhowli goes she will survive. She has gone through a lot and the worst is behind her. The future for her can only look brighter.
