Dowry Essay

dowry Essay
Dowry is one of the most wicked, revolting, and condemnable practices that have been distressing the Indian society. This immorality is well
acquainted to people in forms of cash and valuables goods given by the bride's family to the groom's family along with the bride. The never–ending
insatiability of human being has arrived at an edge whereby it is no longer allowable. An immense numbers of women have been exterminated for not
presenting sufficient amount of dowry to the groom's family, luckily enough, if they are not killed then the bride's family and relatives have live a life
in which they have to face shame, humiliation and embarrassment from the ridiculed of the groom's family. Therefore, either way it is like a commit
suicide....show more content...
The parents wants to send them away from home with love and happiness which in this case comes in the forms of materials such as cash, gold, cars,
diamond and etc.
Another reason dowry exists is because of educational in equalities. The holy book of Sikhism says that women ad men are equals. In addition, it added
in the scripture that they should be treated with the same level of respect since men themselves came from a womb of a woman. So why not
provide to them the same rights and opportunities of education that males have, Indian people believe that women's place is at home and all they
have t o do in their life is sit home cook, do the laundry, and pamper the husband. Women are taken away their privileges to develop into clever and
successful individuals in life. Their life pattern is set that they must grow up learn to cook, know how to pray and get married. What about education?
Has the educational field loss its importance already? Parents of the girls doesn't do anything to make it better, and consequently when the time come
for the girl to get married her family may have to provide more dowry because of the reason that the girl is less educated than the boys. It might
sound silly on this white of paper, but this real life during the past fifty years ago.
Dowry is one of the most wicked, revolting, and condemnable practices that have been distressing the Indian society. This immorality is well
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Jordan Lamb
October 13, 2010
Research Paper Outline
Bride Burning, Murders and Dowry Pressure in India
I. Women in India are exposed to heinous acts of abuse. A. Women in India have become victims of human rights abuse. B. Different components of
Bride–Burning
II. Extent of the Problem A. Statistical Analysis of the number ofDowry Related deaths B. Under Reporting of Cases C. Inconsistencies between
police reports and Victim Accounts D. Dowry Pressure leads to Suicide for some dowry harassed victims
III. Causative Dynamics in Bride Burning A. Rigidity of Divorce law B. Maintenance of Socioeconomic Status C. Unemployment and poverty of
Husband and In–laws a. Violence correlation to survival...show more content...
Not only do the women feel the pressures of dowry, but their parent's and families feel the brunt of the formidable pressure as well. Because of this,
parents view their daughters as a burden (Kishawr, 2005). Increasingly families in India have more of a desire to birth sons instead of daughters. Umar
(1998,) explains this dynamic further saying, "Indian social system give considerable importance to the birth of a male child. Unlike a daughter who
must change loyalties after marriage a son is considered to be a good investment and insurance for the future". In an instance where woman who is
already pressured by inadequate dowry, does not birth a son, she will oftentimes be murdered, and if not murdered, compelled to commit suicide. There
are several concerns that breed bride burning. In his vigilant study, Umar (1998) examines the causative factors leading to harassment, violence and
ultimately bride burning of Indian women in their matrimonial homes. He discusses three main causes of the issue, the rigidity of the divorce law,
maintenance of socioeconomic status for Indian families and economic inequality in relation to poverty of husband and In–laws. In India, marriage is
considered the foundation of social formation and is heavily based on Hindu religious traditions. According to Umar (1998), Shastric Hindu Law
considered marriage to be unbreakable and eternal. The belief that divorce is unacceptable stems from this religious tradition. There have however,

Domestic Violence Against Women Essay
The United Nations Declaration on the Elimination of Violence against Women (1993) defines violence against women as "any act of gender–based
violence that results in, or is likely to result in, physical, sexual or psychological harm or suffering to women, including threats of such acts, coercion
or arbitrary deprivation of liberty, whether occurring in public or in private life." (UN General Assembly 1993).
It is violence in private life that comprises domestic violence against women. Also called Intimate Partner Abuse and Family Violence, it is a global
issue that cuts across all geographic, social, cultural and ethnic boundaries. But it was only in the last decade of the 20th century that it got recognition
as a serious public health...show more content...
The life expectancy at birth for the population is 66 years, infant mortality is 62 per 1000 live births and the maternal mortality is 260 deaths per
100,000 live births ( UNDP 2011).
In addition to the globally prevalent forms of domestic violence , women in Pakistan also suffer from forms of violence carried out in the name of
tradition, culture and religion.
Honour killing is an old tradition which involves a male member of the family killing a female relative if she is suspected of tarnishing the family's
honour. In most cases the executor is the husband, the father or a brother( Minallah and Durrani, 2009).
Stove burning is a form of dowry killing prevalent in the province of Punjab, mostly in the urban areas. Married women are burned by the husband
or his family as a punishment for not providing a rich dowry, not producing a son, not allowing the husband another wife or as a result of long
running disputes. Acid throwing, particularly on the face, may be committed to avenge refusal of sexual advances and alleged disloyalty by a wife or
female partner. It is done to punish the wife for bringing dishonor to the husband.
Marriage( Nikaah) to Koran( The holy Book of Muslims) is an old custom where a girl is forced into celibacy to keep the family wealth intact. It is
more prevalent in the Sindh province among the wealthy feudal lords ( waderas).

Traditional vs. Modern Society Essay example
Traditional vs. Modern Society
In today's world, the modern person is educated, independent and aggressive. To be a success, you must put forth your most competitive side and win
it all. Nothing less will be permitted. This is the mindset of most business tycoons, stockbrokers and the like. However, on the other side of the globe,
third world countries follow a more traditional lifestyle where the outlook on life is a little less malicious. In these countries, the society's idea of
success is being part of a large family with prosperous crops and livestock. How is it that our society and theirs have both been successful? And why
has the traditional way of life stayed so prevalent in such an industrialized world?
First, what exactly...show more content...
Females do give birth to the children, but in these societies, a female is more like a piece of property than of heritage. Marriage in these societies is
usually based on the best dowry, rather than being based on love like most modern marriages.
Traditional societies believe that family heritage is what holds a family together. These societies have ascriptive values, meaning to follow their
family's ancestry and way of life. In modern culture, an individual has the power to decide for him/herself as to what he/she wants to attain in life –
including an education, career and mate. To those of us living in a modern world, traditional societies may seem to have it rough. However, to those
living the traditional way, their life is set for them. They need not worry about how powerful they will be or how much money they will make. Their
life brings them security.
Medical knowledge is less than adequate in these societies, leading to much illness and a very high death rate. The infant mortality rate is
overwhelmingly high, which is a reason for the high birth rates. Many infants do not make it through their first year of life before they get deathly ill –
most of them do eventually die from their illness. The medical technology of modern society is so expensive to third world countries, making it
extremely difficult for their society to stay healthy. Life expectancy is about 40–45 years in traditional societies.

DOWRY SYSTEM: A MAJOR VIOLATION AGAINST WOMEN RIGHTS IN INDIA
Mr. Arsheed Ahmad Ganie PhD Research Scholar
Department of Political Science & Public Administration
Annamalai University.
Abstract
In our Indian society there are numerous problems like superstitions, illiteracy, cast system and dowry system, etc. One of the biggest menaces of the
Indian society is the dowry system. This fact that it is condemned by every modern citizen of this country and yet it still flourishes at a very large
scale in our society is a testimony of how deeply rooted this system is in the Indian society. The system is prevalent in almost all parts of the country
while other social evils like untouchability and caste–system are falling into a decline, the evil of dowry system is assuming a gigantic form. The
enactment of the Dowry Prevention Act in 1961 by the Central Government has even failed to check its growth. The problem of dowry has become a
serious social evil among the upper castes and middle classes both in towns and villages. The rules of marriage, namely, caste endogamy and clan
exogamy, and anuloma (hypergamy) and pratiloma (hypogamy), have been misinterpreted and misused for maintaining the dowry system. This Article
highlights the major problems and remedies of dowry system in India.
Key Words: Dowry, Women, Illiteracy, Evil, Marriage, Major Problems, Violation.
Introduction
Dowry refers to property or money that a bride brings to

A Question of Dowry
'A Question of Dowry' is about an Indian girl named Sivasothie was going to be engaged and married to a young man named Thiruchelvam that
choose by the family. In the beginning, Sivasothie's parents were preparing dowry, whereby a sum of twenty thousand and a necklace as to give it to
the bridegroom's family, when they wanted to give away theirs daughter to get married. Then, the problem arises when Sivasothie's father Mr.
Ramachandran told his wife that they cannot afford to give the dowry they agreed to give because of the disvalued of his wife's piece of land to sell,
which given as dowry when she got married to Mr. Ramachandran. After that, the future son in–law came to their house when Mr. Ramachandran
telephoned him to come. As...show more content...
Mr Ramachandran had been trying to get a word in, and when his wife paused for breath, he grabbed his chance."We have to return the
necklace"."Return it? Why, what will Thiruchelvam's mother and–". Mr Ramachandran raised his hand. "There's something which I've wanted to tell
you for some time, but I didn't want to worry you. We can't pay for the necklace. Do you remember the land we were going to sell to get the dowry
and money for the necklace?" "Oh, be careful, you old man! Do you want people to think that wehave no money for our daughter?" Mrs
Ramachandran hissed in fierce whispers. Then continuing in a more normal tone, she inquired loudly. "Which piece of land do you mean? My father
gave us four for my dowry, and our second son received three as his wife's dowry.'' ''Come now, wife!" remonstrated Mr Ramachandran. "Don't you
remember? We have only one piece of land left from yourdowry – we sold the other two for our third and fourth sons' weddings. As for Anandkrishna's
land, that belongs to him and he's already rented it out to some householders in order to get cash for his eternal drinks." "About our piece of land,
I'm afraid it is impossible to sell it at aquarter of its former price. You see, water has been seeping out from some well for about ten years and so the
land is now too marshy for

Mary Astell 's Some Reflections Upon Marriage
After her father died, Mary Astell was left without a dowry, resulting in her being considered incompatible for marriage. In her book, Some
Reflections Upon Marriage, Astell pointed out that there were only few lively marriages in England because of the way the English institution worked.
Marriages in England were determined by income, and no thought went into the emotional harmony and compatibility of husband and wife. This was
so rendering to Astell's life because she didn't have the money to marry someone with the same viewpoints as her or even respectable enough to take
her hand in marriage. Mary Astell proclaimed that "[marriage] for Love, an Heroick Action, which makes a mighty noise in the World, partly
because of its rarity, and partly in regard of its extravagancy" (Astell 41). In this quote, Mary Astell is saying that men and women rarely marry for
love because it was more common for them to be bounded together for financial benefits and an increase of social status. But, when a couple
married for love, they made a larger mark on the world this is because it showed that there was a step closer in the direction of women marrying a
man that will love her and had no need to support her financially. Astell believed that women should not be viewed as a slave or property, and that
they should have the ability to chose their own destiny. She showed that men rarely married for love because if a man admired a woman for her wit,
than an unsuccessful marriage would

We see the cycle of violence on women several times in the film Matrubhoomi: A Nation without Women. The movie opens with a traumatic scene,
the birth and death of a newborn baby girl. A disturbing sight, the baby is killed because she is not male. The movie is set in a community in India
that has killed off almost all of their women population. The belief in the community is that men are superior and women are disposable. With a
population of mostly men, there are very few women left for these men to marry and to bear children for them. The movie explores a side of the
community that participates in what could be labeled as homosexual activities. The men share in communal sexual experiences, viewing porn in a
group setting and watching men dressed in drag while dancing, as there are no women for strip tease entertainment. There is even a brief hint of
bestiality shown as a man in the film takes on a cow after watching porn. These men have no women to have sex with. As the film goes on, it is
obvious that there is a real need for women in the community of mostly single men who need and want wives and look to women for having male
children. According to Prasad and Ramesh (2007), Indians believe that a son is an asset that can bring wealth to a family. Arranged marriage is
accepted and marriage is an important institution in Indian culture. A girl is seen as a burden to her family and will leave the family in debt of a
dowry. Wedlock creates inequality that women's

Dowry System : Ancient India
Dowry system:
Introduction
In ancient India, Dowry (known as Dahej in Hindi) is the payment in cash or some kind of gifts given to bridegroom 's family along with the bride.
Dowry was not a demand of the bridegroom or of anyone of his side. It was a voluntary gift of the bride 's father. But in the modern educated class,
dowry has become a demand of bridegroom so it has become impossible for the parents to give their daughters in marriage. Indeed, many accomplished
girls are unmarried only because their parents are unable to meet the heavy demand of the bridegroom's families.
Rituals and myths:
Nowadays dowry is a major factor when someone gets married. The bridegroom 's family proposes the huge amount of dowry. "No dowry, no
marriage," became a widespread fear. The price tag for the groom was now bigger and bolder. For Today's man and his family, women became the
ticket to shortcut riches through the system of dowry. There were number of things people desired to have in their own houses but couldn't afford;
they began using the opportunity of a son's marriage to get them. And if the bride 's family agrees it, the marriage program is organized. The
bridegroom can deny the marriage ceremony if he does not get the decided dowry. It is the worst aspect of this system. According to the statistics, "In
2010, 8391 dowry death cases were reported across India, meaning a bride was burned every 90 minutes, according to statistics recently released by
the National Crime

jectRESEARCH METHODLOGY
Area: Rights of women in India
Topic: A Theoretical Perspective on Dowry Deaths in India
Objectives:
a) To understand the concept of dowry as has originated and evolved in India. b) To conceptualize modern day consequences of dowry system. c)
To refer to various laws in India and find out reasons for ineffectuality. d) To analyze the trend lay down in this regard by way of various judicial
decisions. e) To critically analyze the reasons for divergence between the object of law with regard to dowry death and the practice evolved by judicial
precedents.
Research questions: a) What is dowry? b) How has the concept of dowry evolved in India? c) What are the various...show more content...
This is the shocking reality of the contemporary dowry marriage in India and the frightening experience faced by many young women. Each year,
thousands of these young women are murdered, through what has been dubbed "bride–burnings",[4] by husbands and in–laws seeking increased dowry
demands.
While the practice of dowry is commonly perceived by the international community as one of Indian custom and culture, in its current form it is more
accurately described as a social phenomenon believed to bestow a greater social status upon the recipient. Originally designed to be a gift given out of
affection at the time of a daughter's marriage, today the dowry system has turned into a perverted version of an ancient and respected custom. It has
now become an obligatory transaction that places a heavy impact on a family's financial and social status and a young wife's welfare. In the last four
decades, dowry negotiations between the families of brides and grooms have escalated into continuing demands even after the agreed–upon amount is
given. Even more disquieting are the increasing numbers and the ways in which young wives are killed when their husbands and in–laws are
dissatisfied with the amount of dowry given or when additional demands are not met. Frequently, as the violence and abuse escalates, if the young wife
is not murdered she is driven to commit

Dowry System During The Medieval Times
Arranged marriages in India have been dominant since then and up until now; likewise is the existence of dowry system. Dowry system is an
ancient custom among two families involved in marriage and is now further customized into desperate business deals. Dowry has become a societal
evil which degrades women's respect and status. Hence, in a sociological perspective, this essay will showcase that the idea of asking or giving
wedding gifts against on one's willingness must be altered because it has become a means of economic fear among the bride's parents, bride–burning
and sexual infanticide.
Historically, dowry system started in prehistoric times, wherein the father give their daughters "in marriage as religious gifts" and that "dowry was
regarded as additional gifts"(Kumari, 1989, as cited in Rastogi & Therly, 2006, p. 68, para 1). During the medieval times at 13th–14th century, dowry
has prevailed through the hypergamous system of marriage among the upper–class families (Umar, 1998, as cited in Rastogi and Therly, 2006, p. 68).
Parents consider marrying their daughters to a man who is economically well–off to increase their power and prestige; which is why, they pay the man
at any cost to accept their daughter. Eventually, from the main context of giving gifts, it has become a groom entitlement; therefore, dowry has been
seen as a property brought to their house by the bride as a compensation of her additional financial burden to the groom's family. Anderson (2007a) has

A satirical website created in 2011 calculates the amount of dowry women need in order to marry the men of their choice. The website mocks India's
social evil, and it exposes some of the unhealthy factors families consider in order to arrive to "dowry rate." Some of the factors are caste, education
of the groom and even skin color. In India the custom of dowry is a very old tradition that originated in the 13th or 14th century, when women were not
given any share from paternal wealth and when women were regarded as the property of either their fathers or their husbands. At that time, dowry was
giving women some pre–mortem inheritance and some economic security. Traditionally it was a Stridhanam– daughter's wedding settlement, but in
20th...show more content...
The passages suggest Roy's critique of the institution of dowry. Thus the excerpts bring value to the whole book itself and help Roy pursue her goal
of criticizing the Indian society through literature and show how outdated the concept of a dowry is. These passages have also an importance because
they challenge the society in a way that dowry, a widely used tradition by the people, is depicted as old–fashioned. Arundhati Roy depicts dowry as
old–fashioned when she describes the hotel "Heritage." Author says: "The furniture and knickknacks that came with the house were on display. A reed
umbrella, a wicker couch. A wooden dowry box. They were labeled with edifying placards that said TraditionalKerala Umbrella and Traditional Bridal
Dowry –box." (Roy 120) It is interesting how the dowry box is on the display as in the museum in order to show well known but old Indian tradition to
the tourists and guests. Roy's description of dowry in these three different situations lets the reader understand how Roy tries to progress dowry from
being used in Ammu's situation, to not being important as in Rahel's situation and later being an antique in the hotel.
Arundhati Roy uses different writing techniques in order to emphasize her criticism of the system and voice her opinions as a political activist. There
is no doubt that Roy cleverly uses diction and flow in order to more clearly depict to the reader her vision of dowry– as an old–fashioned concept , as

Marriage and Dowry
SEMINAR REPORT
DOWRY SYSTEM
Submitted by,
1. Introduction 2. What is Dowry? 3. History 4. Arranged Marriages and Dowry 5. The dowry system 6. Dowry System in India 7. What is Bride
burning? 8. Dowry law in India 9. Dowry death new ruling India 10. Rising number of dowry deaths in India 11. Marriage as a financial transaction 12.
Conclusion
Introduction
Today, Indian society is surrounded with many problems such as unemployment, illiteracy, population growth, terrorism, etc. Among these problems, a
problem which is deep rooted in Indian society is the problem of dowry system. It has become the every day news item, no day passes away when we
don't hear news relating to dowry death or...show more content...
One common penalty for the kidnapping and rape of an unmarried woman was that the abductor or rapist had to provide the woman's dowry. Until the
late 20th century this was sometimes called wreath money, or the breach of promise.
Providing dowries for poor women was regarded as a form of charity by wealthier parishioners. The custom of Christmas stockings springs from a
legend of St. Nicholas, in which he threw gold in the stockings of three poor sisters, thus providing for their dowries. St. Elizabeth of Portugal and
St. Martin de Porres were particularly noted for providing such dowries, and the Archconfraternity of the Annunciation, a Roman charity dedicated to
providing dowries, received the entire estate of Pope Urban VII. As the French crown provided dowries for many of the women persuaded to travel
to New France for marriages and settlement there, they were known as filles du roi (daughters of the king). In some parts of Europe, especially
Eastern Europe, land dowries were common. In the County of Bentheim, for instance, parents who had no sons might give a land dowry to their new
son–in–law. It was commonly given with the condition that he take the surname of his bride, in order to continue the family name.
The Portuguese crown gave two cities as dowry to the British Crown in 1661 when King Charles II of England, Scotland and Ireland
marriedCatherine of Braganza, a princess of Portugal. They were Mumbai (Bombay) in India and Tangier in Morocco. In

Dowry In Medieval Europe
Dowry was common throughout much of the ancient world, and also flourished in medieval Europe and the practice of dowries
apparently originated when a bride's parents gave her presents and sometimes, the groom's family paid for the bride, often
to compensate her family for the money spent raising her and today, traditional wedding observances are losing ground all
over the

Pauline Kolenda's Dowry System As A Dowry System
In addition to the decrement status of women, women also lose self–esteem due to this evil rooted custom "Dowry". Dowry doesn't only affect the
bride alone, but it extends to the family members because they have to arrange and fulfill the demands of groom's family including all the
responsibility of ceremony expenses. In her article "Marriage and Family – South Asia" Pauline Kolenda adds, "Most brides' families in the north
bore the greater part of the expenses of the feasting and the household goods and gifts, the most onerous expense being that for the bride's jewelry"
(72). When the bride's parents are forced to provide unexpected amount or gift as a dowry by a groom's family, it is obvious that a woman will feel
the burden on her family. In their article "Dowry System a Curse" Roshan Kumar Jha and Barsha Jha explain, "Earlier the system was prevalent only
among the wealthier families, but now, unfortunately, the greed for dowry has struck even the most ordinary families and has become an unspoken
requirement during marriages. As a result, the family members are in debt and the bride filled with guilt as a misfortune to the family. Moreover,
some cultures represent dowry as a right to demand as a compensate for a groom's education and liability even if the bride is more qualified than the
groom. This questions on a woman's self–respect of not being able to stand against the man based society. For an example, in his article "Dowry
System in India – Causes, Effects &

Play on Social Evils: -Dowry
English play on social evils {dowry} The Demanded Dowry
Characters:– Narrator[N]
Ghosh Family–Mr. Ghosh [FG], Mrs. Ghosh [MG], Sagar [son]
Rai Family–Mr. Rai [FR], Mrs. Rai [MR], Sagarika [daughter]
Story
N:–Today we, the seven members {names} of this play greet you all. Here we have in our play Mr. Rai being played by XYZ.... He is a retired person
who had worked in Indian navy before. Now we have Mrs. Rai being played by XYZ.... She is a kind person and loves sincerity .Their daughter
Sagarika Rai or the person to be playing the role of a wife is XYZ.... She is very shy and coward girl who is also very kind like her mother. Now let us
meet with Mr. Ghosh who is XYZ.... He is a...show more content...
Scene–3
N–Today is the auspicious day of karvachauth.
The Holy day when wife's fast without having a sip of water from morning to evening and break their fast after seeing their husband's face. It is like a
type of prayer for husband's long life. Sagarika is also following the ritual and doing her 1st karvachauth.
Mrs. Ghosh–Sagarika! I wish you are keeping your karvachauth.
Sagarika–Yes mother! But I have to attend my college as I have my major tests today
Mrs. Ghosh–Girls Nowadays! They just don't give importance to these rituals. What should we say now?
Sagarika– But mom I am following the rituals too.
Mrs. Ghosh–Oh! Then why are you going to the college. Today you can stay and help me as the maid has taken holiday. You nasty girl I know you,
you will go out have fun eat food and leave this old lady with loads of work. You daughters of laymen are like this only.
Sagarika– Mom whatever you want to say you can say it to me but don't insult my parents.
N– {Mr. Ghosh enters}
Mr. Ghosh– What is happening here? Why so much noise?
Mrs. Ghosh–Oh! See your daughter in law and her spicy tongue.
Mr. Ghosh –Oh! Oh! Maya stop it now. Why do you blame her always?
Mrs. Ghosh– Blame her! Oh! You are a mad person. Don't you hear her shouting at me?
Mr. Ghosh– Sagarika, sweet Sagarika I know you are innocent but what is the matter.

Sagarika– Actually today I have my major..........

Essay on Nepotism
Nepotism
Nepotism is favoritism shown by somebody in power to relatives and friends, especially in appointing them to good positions. The chief complaint in
a company that operates through nepotism is the patent lack of fairness. It is perceived as favoritism of a relative that can cause dissatisfaction
among workers and lower morale. Employees seem to have less incentive to perform their responsibilities diligently and proficiently if they feel that
the path to promotion is undermined by nepotism. Very few laws regulate nepotism at either the state or federal level. Some consequences of nepotism
may increase your risk of being sued for discrimination or hostile work environment (hrhero 2009). Nepotism usually leads to an...show more content...
Upon your employment of the job, there is an agreement that you will have to sign stating that you agree not to date anyone with the company
means. If dating is occurring then you are to report it to the supervisory, and it will be handled by them. The University of Houston, in their faulty
handbook policy if you violate their policy than you are subjected to receiving a fine and removal from the office. An employee, who violates this
policy, whether by knowingly permitting or knowingly accepting employment in violation of these regulations, is subject to disciplinary action up to
and including dismissal from employment (uhcl 2009). With their procedures you are also required to fill out a form of Personal data sheet upon
employment. On that sheet you are to name your spouse if applicable, and all relatives as well, even if they are extended family. The employee is to turn
the data sheet into the human Resource office, when the information is entered into the system, if relationships are discovered then department head, or
supervisory is notified. After being notified by the resource department, than the department head will take necessary action to prohibit the situation
from going any further.
Employers may create anti–nepotism policies to avoid employee discrimination charges. Anti–nepotism can work against well–qualified individuals as
well. The anti–nepotism that occurs when

A Question of Dowry
A QUESTION OF DOWRY
7) A story written in the early to mid–1960s; published in Twenty–two Malaysian Stories: An Anthology of Writing in English, selected and edited by
Lloyd Fernando, Heinemann Educational Books (Asia) Ltd., Singapore, 1968, pp. 30–4. Corrections of some minor printing and other errors in the
published version have been incorporated here. . Siew–Yue Killingley 1965; . Heinemann 1968, the author retaining the right to include the work in
any collection exclusively of her own works two years after 1968. There was much excitement in Mrs. Ramachandran 's household. The daughter of
the house, Sivasothie, was going to be engaged. The festive air was laden with the spicy smell of curries and wadВЁВ¦s sizzled in the kwali saucepan.
...show more content...
My father gave us four for my dowry, and our second son received three as his wife 's dowry. ' 'Come now, wife! ' remonstrated Mr. Ramachandran.
'Don 't you remember? We have only one piece of land left from your dowryВЎВЄwe sold the other three for our third and fourth sons ' weddings. You
asked me to do it yourself. As for Anandakrishna 's land, that belongs to him, and he 's already rented it out to some householders in order to get cash
for his eternal drinks. ' Afraid of further secrets being revealed to prying ears, and being anxious to save her family 's face, Mrs. Ramachandran motioned
to her husband to drop the subject. However, Mr. Ramachandran continued. 'About the land, I 'm afraid it is impossible to sell it at a quarter of its
former price. You see, water has been seeping out from some well for about ten years, and so the land is now too marshy for house–holding. Unless
we were to drain it, no one would buy it at our sum. ' 'Are you insulting my poor father? He give me a piece of sodden land? Impossible! Oh, if he had
known what sort of a son–in–law he was getting, he would have made a wiser decision. But I shall have a better son–in–law who 'll not depend on his
wife 's dowry. He 's a doctor, and he has his own income! ' With that she stalked out, after having locked the gold chain securely in its container again.
Mr. Ramachandran looked worried, but resigned. He always found himself at a loss for words when his wife was most eloquent.

Dowry Controversy
There are diverse cultures around the world. Although, those varieties and contrast cultures, still there is one culture that is similar in many
countries, which is the dowry. A dowry is a property or money that one of the spouses is given to another family before they are getting married
some time a dowry might create conflict and causes people refuse to accept dowry. In my opinion, there are several reasons that make a dowry is
more beneficial than damaging and this essay will describe it.
Firstly, a dowry is showed the respect and responsible of other, especially a groom who desires to marry with his bride. For example, if a groom comes
from general family and does earn a lot of money, mostly he has to work harder, save and spend money

Dowry Essay

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