Who is the most tragic character?
Who is the most tragic character? Nominations are: Chuyia, Shakuntala, or Kalyani.
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I felt most sorry for Shakuntala. Just because as a woman from a higher cast she needed to keep up all the appereances and fulfil everyone's expectations, which was so hard for her. She, unlike Kalyani, could not break away from the fat of a widow. Even if an opportinity arose, she would most likely refuse to take it (and remember, Kalyani only gave up after realising she was sleeping with the father of the man she loved).
And at the end, she is left all by herself, in that sad place, while Chuyia was taken away to safety.
The fate of all women in th film was tragic, but I think it is Shakuntala who finally would never be able to live a happy moment in her life anymore.
Yes, Uni Blade, I agree with all of that. Also, Shakuntala - a devoutly religious person - comes to see the hollowness of her beliefs when she is told that Hinduism is supporting the Sati system in opposition to the secular laws against it. To see that the greatest source of comfort in her life is in fact the cause of all her woes must have been devastating. Hence another aspect of her tragic existence.
It sort of reminds me of all the prisoners in the soviet gulags who, on hearing Stalin was dead, were moved to tears. This in spite of the fact that Uncle Joe was the sole reason they were in the gulag in the first place! Maybe they were less tragic than Shakuntala because they didn't realise.
I think my toaster is in with the machines!
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Somehow I felt most sympathetic to the oldest of them all. The woman who could never forget the sweet dishes prapared in her marriage ceremony, the woman who dreamt of sweets and died at last. I felt so shameful on our consumerism, our extravagant life style when even today in my very own country, in my very own land, thousands of such widows are still living worse than "The Dead".
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The story of Auntie was sad because her dreams of sweets were the dreams of a child. All children love sweets. She was a queen on her wedding day, and ended up discarded and a pariah when she was widowed, like all the others.
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