Who are the two communities of women depicted

Film, The World Before Her

Film Response Questions

1. Who are the two communities of women depicted in the film and their social-religious commitments? Name these groups and discuss their respective concerns and priorities.

2. Do the women from these communities think of themselves as empowered? How do these women speak about the concept of “empowerment”? What symbols, myths, narratives, or cultural idioms do the women use? Give an example for each of the two groups that might suggest how these women understand the boundaries and limits of female empowerment.

3. Answering as a cultural historian, would you argue that the women from both groups are empowered or oppressed? Explain your answer and make sure to integrate critical feminist theoretical frameworks examined early on in the course. Explain what makes women empowered or disempowered based on your critical understanding of their lives.

4. Describe an Indian notion of feminine power ( ?akti) as depicted by The World Before Her. What symbols, myths, rituals, narratives, or cultural idioms do the women in the film use to talk about the idea of ?akti? Give one film example to substantiate your claim. Be specific.

5. How are the women from both communities encountering and dealing with patriarchal practices and their corollary effects in respect to systemic sexism and misogyny in Indian society? How do they describe these phenomena in their own words? Give one example of sexism and misogyny experienced by the women from each social group depicted in the film.

6. What do you think the title, The World Before Her is describing? Explain your rationale for your answer and give specific examples from the film to substantite your points.