Goddess of Revenge Part 2

Summary

The lecture explores the narrative of 'Goddess of Revenge' by LJ, focusing on the character Tatri who, after being wronged, becomes a prostitute to exact vengeance on the men who abused her. Tatri gathers gifts from these men as evidence, leading to their banishment. The lecture delves into themes of gender discrimination, female sexual liberation, and the monstrous feminine, while also highlighting the narrator's neutrality and the societal restrictions faced by Brahman women. It raises questions about the impact of Tatri's actions on the community and the complex nature of revenge and justice.

Takeaways

• 📖 The lecture discusses the story of 'The Goddess of Revenge' by LJ, focusing on the character Tatri who seeks revenge against the men who wronged her.
• 🎭 Tatri transforms herself into a prostitute to gather evidence against the men who abused her, using gifts they gave her as proof of their encounters.
• 🕰 The story spans over five years, during which Tatri's husband unknowingly becomes one of her clients, only to be shocked when he discovers her true identity.
• 👥 Tatri names and provides evidence against 65 men, including close relatives, during a trial known as 'Smaranam', leading to their banishment from the community.
• 🤔 The lecture raises questions about gender discrimination and the societal expectations placed on women, regardless of their caste.
• 🚫 The story highlights the restrictions and lack of freedom faced by Brahman women, expected to remain confined and pure according to societal norms.
• 💔 Tatri's actions are a response to the sexual abuse she suffered, including by her husband's brother, and the silence of others who knew about it.
• 🔥 The theme of female sexual liberation is explored through Tatri's decision to become a prostitute, seeking to reclaim her sexuality and autonomy.
• 🗡️ Tatri is portrayed as a 'fatal woman', using her beauty and sexuality as weapons to avenge the abuse she endured, reflecting the concept of the 'monstrous feminine'.
• 👩‍💼 The narrator, Ljamb, maintains a neutral stance, stating that the means do not justify the end, and does not fully support Tatri's actions.
• 🌐 The story touches on broader themes of gender inequality, societal norms, and the struggle for women to find their voice and agency within a patriarchal system.

Q & A

What is the main theme of the lecture on 'The Goddess of Revenge'?

The main theme of the lecture is the story of Tatri, a woman who seeks revenge against the men who have wronged her, including her husband and other Brahman men, by transforming herself into a prostitute and collecting gifts as evidence against them.

How does Tatri use her new identity as a prostitute to her advantage?

Tatri uses her new identity to collect gifts from the men who visit her, which she later uses as evidence against them in a trial, exposing their hypocrisy and seeking justice for the abuse she and other women have suffered.

What is the significance of the gifts that Tatri receives from the men?

The gifts, often imprinted with family names, serve as concrete proof of the men's actions and are used by Tatri to publicly shame and punish them in the trial.

How does Tatri's husband react when he discovers her true identity?

Tatri's husband is shocked and surprised to learn that the woman he had been with is actually his wife, Tatri. He runs away from her, unable to reconcile the image of his wife with the prostitute he had just been with.

What is the role of the 'smaranam' in the story?

The 'smaranam' is a trial where upper-caste Brahman men interact with a maid to communicate with the accused woman, in this case, Tatri. It is through this trial that Tatri names and provides evidence against the 65 men who had wronged her.

Why does the narrator, Ljamb, not take a clear stand on Tatri's actions?

Ljamb does not take a clear stand possibly due to the societal constraints and expectations placed on women, especially Brahman women, to avoid controversial topics and the potential repercussions of supporting Tatri's actions.

What is the historical context of Tatri's story that is not explicitly mentioned in the script?

The historical context includes Tatri's past abuse by multiple men, including her husband's brother, which led her to seek revenge and highlights the systemic sexual abuse and silencing of women in society.

How does the story reflect on the societal expectations and restrictions placed on Brahman women?

The story shows how Brahman women are expected to adhere to strict societal norms, maintaining purity and confinement, which often leads to their oppression and stifling of their voices and freedom.

What is the concept of 'femal sexual liberation' as portrayed in Tatri's story?

The concept of 'female sexual liberation' is portrayed through Tatri's decision to become a prostitute as a form of rebellion against societal norms and a way to reclaim her sexuality and autonomy.

What does the term 'Sadam' signify in the context of the story?

The term 'Sadam,' translating to 'thing' in English, signifies the erasure of a woman's identity and name from history, particularly in the context of women who were put on trial or were considered impure by the Brahman community.

How does the story explore the idea of the 'monstrous feminine' or 'fatal woman'?

The story explores this idea through Tatri's actions of weaponizing her beauty and sexuality to seek revenge against her abusers, embodying the image of a woman who uses her power to challenge and disrupt the patriarchal order.

Outlines

00:00

🔍 The Goddess of Revenge: Tatri's Transformation

This paragraph introduces the story of Tatri, who seeks revenge by transforming herself into a prostitute to punish the men who wronged her. She collects gifts from her clients as evidence of their encounters. After five years, her husband unknowingly becomes one of her clients and is shocked to discover her true identity. The paragraph sets the stage for a tale of betrayal, revenge, and the consequences of Tatri's actions on her community.

05:02

📖 The Silenced Voices: Tatri's Backstory and Impact

The second paragraph delves into Tatri's past, revealing that she was sexually abused by multiple men, including her husband's brother, and that the 65 men she named were all complicit in her suffering. The story also touches on the narrator's struggle to write about controversial topics due to societal expectations and the impact of Tatri's actions on Brahman women, who face increased restrictions as a result.

10:04

🌙 The Writer's Dilemma: Time, Space, and Cultural Constraints

This paragraph explores the narrator's personal challenges as a Brahman woman and writer, despite having the resources and a room of her own. She faces a lack of time due to her roles as a mother and wife, and societal expectations limit her ability to write freely. The paragraph also discusses the broader theme of gender discrimination and the plight of upper-caste women who are trapped by societal norms.

15:04

🚫 The Monstrous Feminine: Tatri's Weaponized Beauty and Sexual Liberation

The fourth paragraph examines Tatri's decision to become a prostitute as an act of sexual liberation and revenge against her abusers. It discusses the concept of the 'monstrous feminine' or 'fatal woman' as Tatri uses her beauty and sexuality as a weapon. The paragraph also touches on the historical erasure of women's names and identities in trials, referring to them as 'things' to be excluded from history.

20:05

🤔 The Neutral Narrator: Reflections on Patriarchy and Moral Ambiguity

The final paragraph concludes the story with the narrator's neutral stance on Tatri's actions, suggesting that the means do not justify the ends. It reflects on the broader themes of patriarchy, the narrator's aloofness, and the moral complexity of Tatri's revenge. The paragraph leaves the audience with questions about the consequences of Tatri's actions and the societal structures that perpetuate gender inequality.

Keywords

💡Goddess of Revenge

The term 'Goddess of Revenge' refers to the central character of the narrative, Tatri, who seeks to avenge the wrongs done to her. In the script, Tatri transforms herself into a prostitute to gather evidence against the men who have wronged her, illustrating the theme of revenge as a driving force in her actions.

💡Patriarchy

Patriarchy is a social system in which men hold primary power and are dominant in roles of political leadership, moral authority, and social privilege. The script discusses how patriarchal norms and practices oppress women, such as Tatri and the narrator, and limit their freedom and expression, as seen in the restrictions placed on Brahman women.

💡Prostitution

Prostitution is depicted in the script as Tatri's chosen means of revenge against the men who have abused her. It is a controversial act that she uses to collect gifts from men, which later serve as evidence of their misconduct. This act also symbolizes her defiance of societal norms and her pursuit of sexual liberation.

💡Sexual Abuse

Sexual abuse is a pervasive theme in the script, detailing Tatri's experiences with it from a young age. The men who visit Tatri as a prostitute are revealed to be complicit in her past abuse, and her act of collecting gifts from them can be seen as a form of retribution against this abuse.

💡Cultural Restrictions

Cultural restrictions refer to the societal norms and expectations that limit individual behavior, particularly those faced by women in the script. The Brahman community's expectations of purity and confinement are highlighted, showing how these restrictions contribute to the oppression and silencing of women's voices.

💡Gender Discrimination

Gender discrimination is evident throughout the script, affecting both the narrator and Tatri, regardless of their caste. It is demonstrated through the different standards and expectations applied to men and women, and the consequences faced by Tatri for defying these norms.

💡Smaranam

Smaranam is a term used in the script to describe a trial or a process of public shaming and judgment. Tatri uses this process to expose the men who have wronged her, leading to their banishment from the community. It represents a form of social justice within the narrative.

💡Monstrous Feminine

The 'Monstrous Feminine' is a concept that refers to the portrayal of women as dangerous or threatening when they step outside traditional gender roles. In the script, Tatri embodies this concept by weaponizing her beauty and sexuality to exact revenge on the men who have abused her.

💡Female Sexual Liberation

Female sexual liberation is a theme that emerges from Tatri's decision to become a prostitute. It suggests a desire for autonomy over her own sexuality and a rejection of the traditional constraints placed upon women's sexual expression. Tatri's actions challenge societal norms and assert her own desires.

💡The Other

The term 'The Other' is used in the script to describe the marginalized status of women in society, particularly those who do not conform to societal expectations. Tatri is labeled as 'the other' due to her actions, which are seen as impure and disgraceful, highlighting her exclusion from the community.

💡Aloofness of the Narrator

The aloofness of the narrator refers to her neutral stance and reluctance to fully support or condemn Tatri's actions. This could be due to societal pressures or personal beliefs, reflecting the complexities and internal conflicts faced by individuals within oppressive systems.

Highlights

The Goddess of Revenge is a story narrated by Tatri to a narrator who may be a Brahman woman herself.

Tatri transforms herself into a prostitute to take revenge on men who have wronged her.

Tatri collects gifts from the men who visit her, which she later uses as evidence against them.

After five years, Tatri's husband unknowingly visits her and is shocked to discover her true identity.

The story reveals a trial where Tatri names and provides proof against 65 men, including her relatives, for their misconduct.

Tatri's actions lead to the banishment of the 65 men from the community, causing a significant upheaval.

The historical background of Tatri suggests she was abused by multiple men, motivating her quest for revenge.

The narrator, Ljamb, takes a neutral stance on Tatri's actions, suggesting the complexity of the situation.

The story reflects on the societal restrictions and expectations placed on Brahman women, contributing to their challenges.

Tatri's narrative explores themes of gender discrimination and the plight of upper-caste women.

The concept of female sexual liberation is presented through Tatri's decision to become a prostitute.

Tatri is portrayed as a 'monstrous feminine' figure, using her beauty and sexuality as a weapon against her abusers.

The term 'Sadam' or 'thing' is used to describe women who are ostracized and erased from history due to their actions.

Tatri's story ends with her leaving the community, signifying the narrator's aloofness and the unresolved issues of patriarchy.

The lecture discusses the impact of Tatri's actions on the Brahman community and the increased restrictions on women.

The narrator's struggle with time and societal expectations reflects the broader challenges faced by women writers.

The lecture concludes with an exploration of the themes of gender discrimination, female sexual liberation, and the monstrous feminine.

Transcripts

hello everyone so we'll continue with

our lecture on the goddess of Revenge

written by

LJ as we were discussing uh the story or

the story narrated by tatri to our

narrator who can be L beand of herself

so here theatri had transformed herself

into a prostitute and so she herself

says that the fame of this new harlet

spread far and wide those who came to

her went away gladdened and she did not

forget to persuade them to express their

satisfaction through gifts so whoever

had approached her used to give her

gifts either it might be some ornament

or sometimes it might be the cloth they

were wearing they would they would leave

that behind so these gifts she used to

keep it safe and the these are the gifts

that or these gifts were the ones that

she later provided as proofs against

these men we'll come to that in the

next part of the lecture so here these

men who used to visit her provided her

with gifts and all and she used to keep

it safe now it has already been 5 years

since she had met her husband and

finally that day had approach when her

husband arrives at her door and her

husband is approaching this new woman

that everyone is talking about and he

has completely forgotten the face of

tatri he does not recognize his own wife

and after after this uh physical

relation tatri herself asks so how did

you feel about it and he shockingly says

that he had never experienced such such

kind of Happiness ever before and she is

shocked to hear it but she also tries to

play along and simply says that so are

you sure about it what about the

movement you were married to or what

about your wife and we see that it it is

at this point even her husband

recognizes her and he is surprised he's

shocked to see that the woman he had

known as an anjanam is now a prostitute

and he simply runs away from there so

after some time the news starts

spreading that this new Harlot that

everyone is talking about is none other

than tatri who is an andj or a Brahman

Woman and that is when the smaranam

starts and uh the smaranam usually

happens where a group of uh upper cast

Brahman men they have an interaction

with one of the maids of this and janum

so and it is through this maid that she

communicates the women who uh who is

considered as an adulterous person she

has to communicate at everything to this

maid and Maid is the one who talks to

the Brahman brahmans so sometimes the

king would be present over there and

they are directed or they are instructed

by the king himself so in this

particular trial that happened in the

year 19 note5 it is mentioned that she

was able to name around

65 men 65 men including her father her

father's brother many of her um close

relatives her uncle her husband her

husband's brother so she was able to

name and provide proofs for these 65 men

so uh these like I mentioned earlier the

men who used to visit her they came with

gifts and these gifts were the ones that

she provided as proofs now these rings

and all which were gifted to her it had

the family name imprinted on it so it

was a proof and U she provided these

gifts as a proof against these men and

uh at this point she was so proud of

herself you know at this moment she felt

that she had achieved something because

she had

caused a sort of Havoc that all these 65

men had to be banished had to be

banished from the community so it is for

the first time that she feels a sense of

satisfaction she was able to feeled s

this fi she was able to avenge or she

was able to punish The Men Who had done

wrong to her now this part um of uh is

not revealed in the story U of lamika

Adar but when we trace the history of

tatri we get to know that she all the

men that approached her had abused her

and she was trying to avenge that abused

in the sense we have a story that goes

like this this when she was uh when she

was around 8 years of age or something

she was taken to her mother's house and

there she used to learn music and that

is when a man had abused her constantly

for many days and uh she was in a lot of

pain at that time and this man was later

she figured out that her husband's

brother and he had even abused her on

the night of her marriage so there were

many men who had sex sexually abused her

and many men who came to know about the

sexual abuse and remain silent so all

these 65 men were in one way or the

other responsible for the sexual abuse

that tatri had gone through in her life

so uh this part is not mentioned in the

story and um there is a lack of clarity

for why she was trying to you know uh

trying to blame these men or was it just

that you know she wanted to uh like she

want she had hatred for all the men in

the society that is the idea that we get

from this particular narrative but when

we get an understanding of the

background the story that led her to

take such a step we get more clarity

about the event so like I mentioned the

men who were banished from the community

were in one way or the other responsible

for the abuse that she had gone through

in her life so as the story progresses

and you know when tatri is done with her

narrative she asked ljam or she asked

the narrator so what do you think do you

think that I am at fault here do you

think that the step that I had taken it

was wrong do you think that I can be

blamed so surprisingly we find that

lamba andanam does not take a bold stand

over here she kind of plays neutral uh

she simply tries to say that the means

does not justify the end that is how she

ends this interaction with tatri she is

not trying to take the side of tatri not

she is not trying to support tatri in

the decision that tatri had taken and it

can be because you know if we try to

align this this ending of the story to

the beginning of the story where the

narrator mentions that it is quite

difficult for women the underjams to

talk about topics or to write about

topics that are controversial in nature

or that has certain obscene elements in

it so maybe the reason why lamba andanam

herself is hesitant to take a stand is

because of that particular situation

which is a reality that can be one

reason and maybe the other reason is

that she herself feels that tatri is in

one way responsible for the problems

that the anjanam or the Brahman women

face in their lives because in the story

The narrator does tell that um because

of tatri because of the ACT uh committed

by tatri the Brahman M were put into

more

restrictions and you know if something

goes wrong they were blamed or they were

warned about tatri that you know your

behav you should not be like that of

tatri so it had added up to the

restrictions that they were already

facing and that is why that can be one

of the reasons why lanam or our narrator

is not supporting the act of tatri so

that is how the story comes to an end

where you know like I mentioned the

narrator is taking a neutral stand and

tatri herself feels that there is no

point in staying here anymore and she

leaves so it is kind of like an entity

that appears in front of the narrator

like an abominable being that appears in

front of the narrator and this

interaction is what is narrated

throughout the

story while looking at some of the major

ideas that is being discussed here uh we

can see that some some important themes

or ideas we can see in this particular

story would be in the beginning itself

we see how the the narrator is

mentioning about lack of time to write

because she is a writer she likes

writing literary pieces but there is a

lack of time for her to write now uh

this kind of coincides with the idea put

forward by Virginia wolf in her work a

room of onon where she states that if

women have uh enough money and if they

have a room of their own they can create

wonderful literary pieces uh if women

are given the that particular

opportunity or resources are provided to

women they can create uh wonderful

literary pieces but here we can see that

uh the narrator she belongs to an upper

cast she is a Brahman woman she has the

wealth in her house but still even then

and even she has a room of her own where

she is sitting and writing the resources

are there but even then there is a lack

of

time she is not having the availability

of time to engage in this act of writing

it is because of the commitments that

she is pushed into being a mother or

being a wife uh being a part of this

Brahman

community so she is expected to do

certain things she is expected to follow

certain uh patterns in that household

and that is why the only time that she

can find to write is midnight and even

then she is uh physically drained she is

so tired she just wants to sleep if then

the story comes to an end we get an

understanding that it was kind of a

dream that uh the narrator goes through

so she falls into sleep because of the

uh tired tired because she was so tired

she falls into sleep and that is when

she dreams about tatri so this idea of

you know if a woman is from provided

with the resources she will be able to

create uh literary pieces wonderful

literary pieces will it align with every

woman in the world will it be possible

for every woman in the world there are

cultural differences um there are

differences in societal practices so

that can also be a factor when it comes

to women writers creating literary Works

another major idea would be gender

discrimination regardless of cast so

here uh again the initial part from the

beginning itself we see how the narrator

is trying to say that being a writer is

not easy she has to be very careful with

the topics being discussed in her

literary Creations similarly when we

look at the life of tatri so uh the

second and third idea the plight of

under JMS um these two points kind of uh

coincide with each other like I

mentioned in the beginning where the

narrator is uh mentioning about the

hardships that she has to go through

being a writer similarly the life of

katri what she is facing in her life so

all these all these points kind of add

up to that discrimination being faced by

women regardless of the cast to which

they belong so it is usually there is

kind of like an idea that women

belonging to the upper clast they are

they might have more privileges but then

it is always easy to stand out out of

that box and you know observe the box

and make

statements but when you are inside that

box you understand the Suffocation that

you are going through so it is it is

this similar incident that the women of

the upper cast or under JMS are going

through they themselves are suffocated

because of the system they themselves

feel trapped because of the practices

now when you look at all these practices

be it in the lower cast Community or the

Brahman Community whatever it is it is

all set by the men it is all defined and

described by by men and the victims are

always women so uh it is always women

are always at the receiving end here

also when a Brahman woman is being

instructed not to leave her house she is

she is always to remain inside that

confined space so it is the idea of

Purity being associated with them if

they leave the house you know it it can

cause some other problems men will be

staring at them that is the idea

associated with it right so these kind

of thoughts are always created by men

and women are at the receiving end

coming to the fourth Point uh female

sexual Liberation so this point can be

described in association with the story

of tatri so I mentioned how tatri had

taken the decision to leave her

husband's house and be in her own house

so she was a young woman who was

beautiful young and Lively so just

because she looked at somebody outside

and smiled at them all the trouble

started but what what is being mentioned

over here is or we can give another

interpretation to this is a woman who

was with her husband who was having

physical relationship with her husband

had had got used to that idea of

physical pleasure and then she was taken

away from it so her idea of being a

prostitute can even be associated with

the idea of that sexual Liberation that

she wants to achieve like her husband

had mentioned you know her husband had

all the freedom to be with uh every

woman that he wanted he would be with

one woman um today maybe another woman

next night so that was a freedom he had

and she also wanted to she wanted to

actualize that idea of sexuality that

sexual feeling and that is that can be

one of the reasons that she decides to

go into prostitution so that idea of

female sexual Liberation is also very

much evident in it then we have the idea

of fetel or the Monstrous feminine or

the Fatal women however we describe it a

woman who decides to avenge like I

mentioned this part is not uh clearly

described in the story but when we look

at historical references we have an idea

of why tatri decides to Target certain

men um they were in one way or the other

associated with the sexual abuse that

tatri had gone through in her life so

here she decides to web I her beauty so

she was abused because of her innocence

and her beauty or that or her or being a

woman that that was more than enough for

being uh being abused so she decides to

weaponize that she decides to weaponize

her beauty as well as her sexuality in

order to fight against these men who had

abused her at one point of time so what

she decides to do is she collects all

the gifts given by these men stores it

as a proof and gives it to the king and

then the judgment is passed so she is

using her beauty or her sexuality as a

weapon that is a clear uh image of a

monstrous feminine or a female uh fatal

female so that is the idea of fetale

again evident in the story the other uh

the idea of the other or ill fated s

this is being mentioned in the text ill

fated Sadam so the term Sadam translates

into thing in English it translates into

thing sadanam is a Malayalam word and it

it means thing so uh when you look back

in history look back at history we find

that women who were put under trial or

who had to be a part of smart viar they

were called as Sadam or a thing they

were they names were never mentioned the

Prime Focus of it was to erase their

names from history um they did not want

the history or the story line or the

family line of a Brahman uh Brahman

Society to be contaminated by such kind

of women so when a woman was being

referred to as a Sadam the purpose

behind behind this was to eradicate

their name names from history so here

she was being referred to as the ill

ated sad the other a woman who is to be

kept away from the community because she

is considered as impure okay so that is

where where the narrator also mentions

like when she first realizes that this

is tatri the thought comes to the first

thought that comes to her mind is how

her mother had wanted her or her mother

had you know clearly uh denied narrating

the story of tatri so she was the other

in all these incidents when it comes to

the relationship with her husband again

she is the other over there when it

comes to she being in her own house and

being considered as impure or a disgrace

to the family she is the other over

there so in all these context she is at

the receiving and she is the other or

this ill fated sad like uh because it is

always she who is is being blamed in all

these contexts and last we have the

aloofness of the narrator like I

mentioned in the last part or the ending

of the story we find that the narrator

is not taking a stance or

ljam is not taking a stance she decides

to play neutral at this point she

decides to

uh decides to just wind up this

discussion by simply saying that you

know the means cannot justify the ends

or the actions of tatri cannot be

considered or did not put a full stop to

this whole idea of patriarchy in the

Brahman community so that is how she

ends the story over there she is not

taking a stand she decides to play

neutral so there is that aloofness of

the narrator like I mentioned it can be

because of two reasons first is where uh

she she considers or she decides to play

safe by not discussing such kind of

controversial topics or the second would

be that she herself does not support the

act of tatri she herself feels that uh

the step that tatri had taken was a bit

severe maybe she herself feels that that

is why there is an alness of the

narrator so these are certain ideas that

we can

find in this particular chapter