Zenda Ring Analysis

Akash Shah
Paper 1
DePaul University
01/31/2017
Zenana
In the book Zenana by Laura A. Ring, she analyzes how unity is sustained by implacable day-to-day labor with different types of social roles in the divergent space of Karachi, Pakistan. Karachi is a country that suffers from violence and drama due to the existence of various ethnic societies with different agendas on religion. Furthermore, in Zenana, anger was recognized has a terrible emotion to have. Ring, demonstrates this to us by explaining that, male anger is identified as foolish and unstable. While the anger in women was the opposite. On the other hand, violence and war played another major part in Zenana. Ring portrays this to us, by her telling us stories of how the men of Karachi
Additionally, Ring shows us this by describing the violence between the two genders. "When the husband returned and came to hear of her errand, he was overcome with anger. Convinced that she had been unfaithful, he bombarded her with questions and accusations. This story, too, ended in violence, with a man killing his wife, chopping her up in pieces, and depositing them in front of the haveli." (Ring 2006: 104). This quote is important because it shows us exactly what Ring meant, when she said men’s anger is irrational and unstable when it came to women. Not only does this quote gives us a clear description of how men tolerated their anger, but it also shows us how women were the victims during these crises. Wives were also left behind when their husbands went off to work for weeks. Their jobs were strictly taking care of their "homes" and being a caregiver for their children. While there husbands would leave for weeks. "The woman’s husband was gone for several weeks looking for work, and while he was away, his wife was ordered to deliver some fruit to the landlord’s haveli (mansion). “ (Ring 2006: 105). This quote follows up with the last example of men not being able to control their anger. In addition, this quote also
Both men and women would often times veil themselves when they would go out and pray (women would veil the most). This was because they would be able to avoid any distractions when they covered up their body parts (especially their private parts). Veiling was also a way of showing respect when praying. Although, it wasn’t a law that men and women had to veil, but they did it anyway. Ring, shows us this by describing the stories she heard while she was in Karachi. “To begin, we need to question the dominant narrative of purdah, the well-worn story of male honor garnered through the control over women’s sexuality. From this perspective, purdah—both the spatial and sartorial standards of female modesty or “shame” embodied in veiling and seclusion, and the more behavioral and gestural forms of deference and reticence informing everyday interaction—serves to protect women’s virginity.” (Ring 2006: 140). This quote shows that, veiling was an important part during prayer. This way women were able to protect and avoid sexual attention and thoughts from