Saving Sourdi, Clothes

Slavery vs. Freedom

Indian cultures, along with other cultures worldwide, have beliefs very different from the American culture. May-Lee Chai and Chitra Banerjee Divakaruni portray these extreme differences in their stories, "Saving Sourdi" and "Clothes". Indian women live their lives to serve, with the hope of being arranged a marriage to a husband who will provide a lifestyle suitable to raising a family, while American women are raised to become strong-willed and independent.

Individuals raised in America look upon arranged marriages as a violation of their individual rights; however, Indian men and women visualize these same arranged marriages as a necessary way of life. It ensures that their women are going to be provided with a good environment to raise their children in, and a strong man who will support their needs financially. They believe that women are meant to serve their man by cooking, cleaning and raising the children; a woman that accomplishes these tasks well, is considered a good wife.

The United States of America is built upon freedom which allows men and women to say what they what they believe and become who they want to be. Dating in America is also one of our nations most practiced past times. Men and women meet each other for casual dinners and spend time with one another, learning about their past, present and future. They compare goals and beliefs in the search to find a suitable mate, an individual that they will be compatible enough with to spend a lifetime together.

In "Clothes", Sumita thinks to herself about a comment made to her by her mother: A married women belongs to her husband and her in-laws. A married Indian woman serves her in-laws, as well as her husband. Most American women bite their tongue when serving their in-laws dinner and visualize living with their in-laws as a nightmare. The idea of creating a new family is an extreme excitement for newly-weds. They go through the decision-making together, in order to build their family environment to its fullest potential.

When an individual is raised in an environment that teaches certain traditions and beliefs, they're going to follow that lifestyle unless introduced into a new environment that arouses their interests. In