Conclusion of Dissertation
Name - Jignesh K. Panchasara
Paper 210A: Research Project Writing: Dissertation Writing
Roll No- 8
Enrollment no-3069206420200013
Email id-jigneshpanchasara5758@gmail.com
Batch- MA 2020-2022
Submitted to - S.B Gardi Department of English, Maharaja Krishnakumarsinhji
Bhavnagar University. Thus, the character of Angellica and Gangubai is one of the sex workers in the redlight area, so the concern is to say what people are thinking about Prostitutional women?
Those women working on prostitution what kind of problems are facing by Gangubai & Angelica. So The analysis of the two texts is to portray that all women are equal. There is nothing that these women are bad but after analysis of the text, we can get the idea that Angelica takes some charges of prostitution but it is for her living life to eat something but the mindset of the society will never change so as a topic of discussion Gangubai and Angelica both are very good in the text.
The character of Willmore is cheated in the play but the lens of the text is saying that Willmore is one of the major characters while analysis of the text is not giving importance to Angellica. this thing that we have to discuss on a particular topic is why prostitutional women are so embarrassing in society, so this is the thing that we have to change in society. The culture of the society is kind of ill mindset because as a reading of the text, the realization that Angellica is not fully portrayal in this, so as a good researcher we have to analysis with the psycho lens. However, in comparison to Gangubai & Angelica so the character of Gangubai is fully set on this because when the Gangubai was sold by her lover Ramnik at the time she was very nervous to think about this but after she has to have different kind of perspective to see the redlight area. When she is becoming a leader of election in that area at that time people of that area is not agree but she has kind of good nature so that’s the reason she became a leader in politics. After Gangubai starts working on the red light area, so as prostitional women Gangubai is one of the good example that change everything in her manner. So the analysis of the Gangu is kind of mafia in this but she is not actually mafia but she is working like a mafia so the basically mafia is kind of bad symbol in the society as per as prostitution is a kind of very bad in the society. So the capacity of thinking, will be more important while reading and the analysis of any literary text.so as a reader we have to throw light on this because people are only thinking about prostitution but no one can come to discuss on this, so this thing that we have to change for doing this kind of research on this.
Angellica Bianca to well-paid prostitution. Through Carnival, however, these women abandon their prescribed positions with disguises to “be mad as the rest, and take all innocent freedoms,” including to “outwit twenty brothers” (Behn 138-139). The masquerade serves multiple purposes. First, disguise equalizes the class distinctions, “[blurring, criticizing] and…even [satirizing] the difference between the categories available to women” (Kreis-Schinck 160). When lost in the festivities, the ladies join all that “are, or would have you think they’re courtesans,” the most sexually liberated women (Behn 142). Their initial costumes as gypsies allow them to approach men in a feminized, desirous way. Gypsies already occupy the role of outcast on the liminal edge of society; by taking on their looks, Florinda and Hellena put themselves and their sexuality outside the confines of cultural expectation. Their decision implies Behn’s opinion that her peers should seek to escape the restrictions that define them.
Hellena and Angellica also take on the appearances of men during the play. Such costumes permit them to alter their lovers’ choices and lives. “Dressed in man’s clothes,” Hellena can punish Willmore for his infidelity with “something [she’ll] do to vex him” (Behn 202). She interferes in a meeting of Willmore and Angellica by informing the courtesan of “a young English gentleman” who wooed another woman and then “paid his broken vows to you” (Behn 204). Seeking revenge an act later, Angellica Bianca dons “a masking habit and vizard” and threatens Willmore with a pistol (Behn 228). Her choice of weapon—guns were used almost exclusively by men during Behn’s time—is “symbolic of her attempt to usurp phallic control” of her own sexual desires (Hutner 108). Instead of feminizing her lust, Angellica masculinizes herself. By masquerading as men, both women demonstrate how ladies may take ownership of rights associated only with male Cavaliers, romance, justice, and sexuality.
The “obligatory happy ending” of The Rover reveals the unfairness of the libertine system and the demand—indeed, the unquestioned assumption—that women would fit into the socially set role of prostitute or wife. Florinda and Hellena attempts to challenge their brother’s arrangements are successful; the former marries her lover and the latter escapes a future as a “handmaid to lazars and cripples' ' in the nunnery (Behn 137). However, their enterprising boldness in chasing men leads them into the same wifely duties of most women. Their challenge to “the repression of their autonomy and …desires” still leads to the hierarchical man-woman relationship of Puritan wedlock (Hutner 111).
Angelica's attempt to unite her sexuality with true love fails. She is initially immune to “the general disease of [the female] sex…that of being in love” (Behn 157). She can sleep with whomever she wants and has found a way around Behn’s observation that women need reliable male support. However, her life lacks the romantic passion of the hedonistic lifestyle. Moreover, Angellica’s sexual liberation, for which lovers must pay to experience, contributes to her inability to snag Willmore’s long-term affection. His lust could have been satiated with her portrait since someone else would “have the thousand crowns to give for the original '' (Behn 160). Her relegation back to courtesan shows how transgressive, premarital sex and proper marriage cannot mix. As a sexual female, Angellica has no place in world when in the throes of libertine love: she can be neither indifferent courtesan nor devoted wife.
The actions and treatment of women in Aphra Behn’s play expose the narrow social limitations within which early Modern British women found themselves. Hellena and Florinda have the potential to explore their sexual freedom at Carnival, but they focus instead on securing financial futures with men they like. Sex may be used, as Hellena shows, as a bartering chip to obtain a promise of marriage; when loosed for a young woman’s pleasure, however, sexuality keeps her from happiness. Through Angellica, Hellena, and Florinda, Behn reveals that the libertine female has no place in late Stuart society. The playwright’s observation comes as a wistful warning at a time when women seemed to push the limits of tradition. Actresses appearing on stage might feel they had found a career of bodily expression, but from Behn’s experience as a woman with male colleagues, the freedom is a façade. Women on stage faced fetishization and loss of status. Behn’s commentary on women’s position in the late Stuart period serves to point out the double standard of libertinism in court life and the public sphere. By exposing and mocking the Puritanical and Cavalier restraints imposed on ladies, she encourages viewers to reevaluate women’s limited roles in the new age.
The character of Gangubai is one of the prostitutional women in the story,but actually the situation made her do this kind of work. The topic of discussion is that why people can not support to this kind of girl,who are working under the sex worker as a sex is a taboo in the society so why people are going to paid some money in this, so what we can think that the idea of prostitution is so bad infront of society but in your door you can easily so it is kind of illnes of the mind set of the world, in the every situation is making a free to do the carnival time for male dominance but if there is situation to marry with any prostitutional girl it is not so that means there are known can raise their hand to marry that women.so this is one of the point that you can do sex with any girl but you can not do marriage with her. When the character of Gangubai met karim lala at tha time, the situation was the same, which we see in society.
When Ganguabai was 16 at that time, she sold by Ramnik in red light area so after she came to under prostitution and then she start her progress to remove all the things because male are coming to abuse to women as same happend with Gangubai when she was under the tin age at that time one person, whose name was shaukat khan coming to abuse to Gangubai, then Gangubai went to meet karim lala and same society’s think the prostitional women can not seat in that house so the karima lala has decide that she seats with different place rather than seat in their house, so here we can see that this is the mind set of the people that brothel women are never allow to go in house. So discussion is that why society can not accept this \? Why Male are allowed to do prostitution? Why brothel Women can not seat in the house? Why society having that prostition is a taboo? So this kind of question or answer should ask to society.
So the dominance of the male is running on the stage so as women have to do sacrifice a lot so this kind of sacrifice we have to remove from society.
Gangubai Kathewali was brought back to the present by the sound of Madhu's wailing. 'Will you stop crying? People will think I'm torturing you." Gangubai
Impatiently.
'Please get me out of here,' Madhu cried again. The old woman placed her hand on Madhu's cheek and said, ``Okay, just for a moment assume that I have allowed you to go... what will you do after that?"
'I will go back to my village in Ratnagiri," Madhu replied immediately.
"To whom?'
'What kind of question is this? Of course, to my parents,' the girl said. 'Aye ladki,
don't you dare back-answer... Gangubai warned. The sixteen-year-old immediately apologized. Gangubai ignored her apology and continued. "You do realize that you have brought a lot of shame to your parents after eloping with your lover. If the people in your village find out that you were in Kamathipura, you will be an outcast." "My parents might accept me if I don't tell them about this place. Madhu retorted. 'What will you tell them then?" she asked. surprised by the girl's confidence.
'I don't know...
There was a long pause, following which Gangubai said, 'Like you, even I had run away. I was your age when my husband sold me off... I never returned because if my family learnt that I had come from Kamathipura, they would have killed me. There was no option but to make this place my home. And even if you do return to your family, what's to stop them from ostracizing you? There was a girl here, Vinita, who thought her family was different and went back to them.' Gangubai was quiet for a few seconds before she said, 'We heard a few months later from one of the boys in her village that she was the victim of an honor killing.'
Madhu began weeping again. 'Does that mean I have to stay here forever?' she asked.'I didn't say that. I just want to know if you will be able to convince your parents." 'I can at least try,' Madhu said, adding, 'I realize I have wronged, and I have already paid the price for this. Just give me one opportunity to ask for forgiveness; if I fail. Iwill take up a small job in Ratnagiri but I don't want to live here." Gangubai looked at Madhu's face, as if trying to read her mind. After a few minutes she got up, opened the door and called our for Madam Rashmi. 'Let her go,' Gangubai told Madam Rashmi when she entered, "she is not meant to stay here. Madam Rashmi was shocked. But we have paid a thousand rupees for her.
How can we let her go?" 'I am aware of that. You can attribute it to business loss. In future, I don't want any girl being pushed around against her will. Do you understand?' Gangubai asked. 'Just ensure that she is put on the right bus for Ratnagiri. If possible, send Pappu to drop her. Saying this Gangubai left the room, leaving no opportunity for Madhu to thank her.
The news of Gangubai's gesture spread like wildfire through the narrow lanes of Kamarhipura. She was now known as the only brothel madam who did not give priority to business and money but to women. Madhu's flight also ser a precedent for several other women, who now approached Gangubai. If their cases were genuine, Gangubai allowed them to leave; if not, she ensured that their escape was improbable. She had come to control Kamathipura's brothels with an iron fist and her popularity among the people there soared with time. She protected the sex workers from men like among the people there soared with time. She protected the sex workers from men like Shaukat Khan who either abused the women or took advantage of them by promising them marriage or did not pay them for sex. These men feared Gangubai for her connections with the underworld and the police; the sex workers, on the other hand, revered her as a mother, calling her Ganguma. Her victory in the bade* gharwali elections only strengthened this position.
Gangubai openly advocated the need for prostitution belts in cities. She is still remembered for a speech she gave during a women's conference at Azad Maidan. A meeting had been called in support of the girl child and empowerment of women. Women from several leading political parties, NGOs and other organizations had been called. Gangubai, too, had been invited to extend help in promoting literacy among prostitutes. The organizers had asked her to speak on the condition of women in brothels. However, when she was called to the podium and introduced as the president of Kamathipura', she was greeted with a lot of suspicion. Gangubai, dressed in a white cotton saree, sensed their animosity. Gangubai had been nervous when she ascended the stairs to the podium- she had never really spoken in public before this. She had rehearsed her speech several times during the day, yet standing there in front of such a large crowd, she felt absolutely unprepared. Even as she came closer to the microphone, she could hear murmurings among a section of the crowd. But the crowd's behavior only made her more determined to prove her point and all of sudden, she became less nervous.
Gangubai stunned her organizers and the audience with the opening line of her speech: 'I am neither a gharwali (a brothel madam) nor a ghar rodnewali (home wrecker). Several people among you look at this title as a stigma on womanhood but it is this stigma that has saved the chastity, integrity and morality of several thousands of women.'
The crowd grew silent. Gangubai continued, 'Unlike other cities of India, the streets of Mumbai are far safer today. You will rarely hear of an incident where a girl is sexually assaulted on the roads. I don't want to take away any credit from the city's administration but I also firmly believe that the notorious women of Kamathipura should be partly credited for this.
We are only second to the legitimately married gharwalis (housewives). By giving ourselves to the carnal pursuits of men, are doing a big favour to all the women in society. A few handful of women who cater to the physical needs of men are actually protecting all of you from being attacked. These women help blunt the bestial male aggression, which is something that cannot be done in my hometown in Gujarat," she said. "You might think that we enjoy doing what we do. Believe me, it is not easy for us. Most of us are forced to do this because we have families to look after. It shames me to learn that society looks down upon its very protectors. Just like the jawans of our country, who fight endlessly in the battlefield so that you remain unharmed, we prostitutes too, are fighting our own batdes every day. Then why the difference? Why is a jawan rewarded and given national honours, while prostitutes are insulted and treated like pariahs? Give me an answer.
The crowd listened to Gangubai with rapt attention. Gangubai, on the other hand, seemed like she was in a trance, overpowered by very strong emotions, 'Nobody will have an answer,' she said, "because you all are responsible for creating this question in the first expressions of disgust in this so-called "forward-looking" city of Bombay? Before I end, I would like to draw one last parallel. We all keep at least one toilet in our homes so that we do not defecate or urinate in other rooms. This is the same reason why there is a need for a prostitution belt in each and every city. I'd like to make a humble plea to the government to allow red-light areas to co-exist in society. The crowd was immediately on its feet and applauding thunderously. Nobody had ever spoken for the cause of sex workers so convincingly.
The gharwali elections are followed by the base gharwali elections. While the gharwali usually has an entire floor to herself with forty pinjarra or more, the bade gharwali has an entire building under her jurisdiction. Every bade gharwali has a few gharwalis reporting to her. The command was thus decentralized and Gangubai was at the helm of this structure for over sixteen years.
Gangubai's speech was reported widely in several regional newspapers and she rose suddenly to stardom. Several ministers and journalists visited her, impressed he courage in fighting the system and trying to decriminalise prostitution. She now surfaced as a force in society in her own right.
In the 1950s and '60s, commercial sex workers occupied the western strip of Kamathipura between Suklaji Street, Manaji Rauji Street and part of Foras Road from Alexandria Cinema up to the point where it met Jairaj Bhai Lane. At the time, sex workers did not cross Manaji Rauji Street or pass through the central and eastern areas of Kamathipura as people in the area did not like it. However, children attending the municipal school at the junction of Kamathipura 7th Street and people visiting the several temples located in the west of Kamathipura had to pass through the brothel areas. Further, St Anthony's Girls' High School, built in the early 1920s, had its entrance from Bellasis Road. The school building at the rear overlooked Kamathipura 14th Street, which was then inhabited by over 250 sex workers, who could also be seen from the upper floor of the building.
Early in the year 1960, authorities of the St Anthony's Girls' High School as well as locals living in the vicinity of Kamathipura, wanted part of the red-light belt evacuated because they felt that sex workers could have negative influence on the minds of young students. The school authorities cited that prostitution could not be carried out within two hundred yards from an educational institution. A strong movement picked up against the presence of the red-light zone. There were constant agitations and meetings with the civic authorities; but both parties refused to budge from their position.When the anti-prostitution sentiment swelled, sex workers sought Gangubai's help and she successfully spearheaded the movement against the evacuation of sex workers from the belt.Her political connections apparently also won her an appointment with the then prime minister of India, Jawaharlal Nehru, at his residence in New Delhi. Once again, Gangubai made history by becoming the only local brothel madam to secure an appointment with the head of the country.
Not much is known about the last years of Gangubai Kathewali. Most people remember her for her gold-bordered white sarees and gold-buttoned blouses. Gangubai loved flaunting her collection of gold jewelry. She also wore gold-rimmed glasses and had an artificial gold tooth. She was also the only brothel keeper of her time to own a black Bentley car. However, it is still not known how she managed to accumulate so much wealth. her lifetime.
While she never got married, she is said to have adopted several children who lived with her in her small room in Kamathipura 12th Lane. Most of them were either orphans or homeless. Gangubai took a keen interest in bringing them up and ensured they received a good education. Of all these children, only one, Babbi, lives in Kamathipura today. A social worker from the area who was initially sheltered by Gangubai, describes her as 'the queen of Kamathipura'. 'Even today, framed pictures and statuettes of Gangubai are there in the brothels of Kamathipura. Ask anyone about Gangubai and they'll direct you to a framed picture of hers in their room. They may not have known her but they have surely heard of her,' she said.
Gangubai's goodness is, of course, just one side of the coin. A former restaurateur in Kamathipura, puts it aptly. 'It is not like she was all milk and honey. We mustn'tin Kamathipura, puts it aptly. 'It is not like she was all milk and honey. We mustn't forget that she was running a brothel at the end of the day. It is not easy to have thousands of women working for you ... there was surely a dark side to her that people have chosen to forger. You cannot prosper in this business otherwise. According to Babbi, 'Ganguma began her day reading the Gujarati newspaper Janmbhoomi and sipping her tea at 6 in the morning. This was followed by breakfast. after which she played cards next door. She was a hard-core gambler and gambled almost daily. She had many vices-she smoked bidis, drank Ranichaap and chewed paan. She also hobnobbed with several journalists and ministers. Gangubai died of old age some time between 1975 and 1978. Soon after, effigies of her were placed in the brothels of the area. Today, Kamathipura 12th Lane, which was once said to be the richest lane in the area, is a shadow of its former self. In abysmal contrast to its former glory, there is nothing much to see here these days, except for hand-carts, stray dogs or ordinary people engaging in petty work. The lane, which used to be lined with Ambassadors, Mercedes and Bentleys, is now filled with cycles and rusting scooters. Unlike the other by-lanes, 12th Kamathipura has only a brothel or two and it is certainly a far cry from the time of the iron-willed Gangubai.
The canvas of her remarkable life is replete with numerous anecdotes and stories that have now become lore. One of the most legendary Gangubai tales is an apocryphal story, still narrated with pride and great authority by the sex workers of Kamathipura. This incident hasn't been documented or written about, neither is there any existing proof to confirm its authenticity. Its credibility can only be weighed by verbal evidence, as the story seems to have been passed down through word of mouth for over four decades and is one of the few thriving memories of Gangubai. In a private meeting with Pandit Nehru, she explained to him the importance of the red-light area in Mumbai and the need to protect it. Gangubai is also said to have convinced and impressed Nehru with her wit and clarity of thought. During the meeting, Nehru asked her why she had gotten into the business when she could have easily landed herself a good job or husband.
An intrepid Gangubai is said to have thrown a proposal at him. She told him that if he was ready to make her Mrs Nehru, she would be willing to abandon her business for good. Nehru was taken aback, and reprimanded her for having dared to talk to him like that. But a calm Gangubai smiled and said, 'Don't get angry Pradhan Mantriji. I just wanted to prove a point; it is always easier to preach than practise. Nehru remained silent.
At the end of the meeting Nehru, who had bluntly rejected her second proposal, conceded to Gangubai's first demand and also promised to look into the matter. Following the intervention of the government, the movement to displace the sex workers died a quick death. Gangubai's argument that the school had been built a century after the prostitution belt had come up, made her a clear winner in the batde. 'Ware the concerned authorities blind when they built the school?' she queried. Gangubai had won the day, thus saving thousands of sex workers from financial
desperation, not for the first time in her life.
The brothel woman has inner feelings to live a life but society has some kind of rules that can not live a good life. So as prostitutional women have an inner feeling to live a life. As an example of Gangubai met to Nehru at that time He said to Gangu that you have to marry any person when the reply was terrible for Nehru because she said that how she can marry but she says to Nehru if you want so you can but suddenly Nehru denied to Gangu and did not ready to marry Gangu. So this is the situation of marriage that as prostitution women are kind of big task. So, as a woman who are having sex work, they have also has inner feeling but she never marries to someone because these kinds of rules are made for women so here we an see masculinity of the male dominance.
Further talk about Angelica wanting to marry Willmore but the condition was very different than Willmore is a carnival kind of man. He was not ready to marriage but Angellica was doing prostitution so might be possible that Wilmore never agrees to a marriage with Angellica so prostitutional women is a kind of big task to face people in society. So this was one of the mindsets of people.
As a looking towards the society can not agree with the brothel women. Who are doing sex in the society so the major pillar of the society has some reputation, when the karim lala did with Gangubai can not seat in the house but after as feminist reading of the text the Gangu made her own rule to survival in the society. So the statement of people can not come on our favor. So the duty of society has to kill sex women’s expecation. So, the society has only one perspective that sex workers is always bad but as a great and correct example of Gangubai. She made some different changes to see a women as a sex worker. So the idea of watching a prostitutional girl has been changed but, still, we are living in the poor thoughts as a another example of that in pinjar when Rashid kidnappe a pooro at that time the hindu family of pooro can not accept because Rasid was a muslim. So this kind of ill thoughts that people are having.
When Angelica wants to marry Willmore at that time Willmore is cheated on Angellica as same happened with Gangubai that Raminik cheated on Gangubai so both characters are unwillingly kept in this kind of situation, but at the end of the story Gangubai become a lady to give a chance to what they have to do so means that she wants to live with a manner that if she wants to do prostitutional work they can otherwise there is no need for that. So as a concluding remark that prostitution is not the worst thing or worst deed as a society believes or considers so. Angelica and Gangubai both had a voice in their life. Angelica goes for not to take revenge. while Gangubai establishes her power and rules the brothel after going through deep pains in her life repeatedly. Thus, Prostitution is not always the choice of the woman but by force or there is no other choice and that’s why she has to do that. Also, prostitution is not a bad thing that society sees.
Thanks
