________________
THE IDEAL OF INDIAN WOMANHOOD
Its foundation, the patriarchal family, lays in ruins, to be cleared away so that a new social structure can be raised in its place. The great bulk of women still remain in the bliss of ignorance, entrenched in superstitions that specific heritage of our "spiritual culture". There are those who, thwgh not favoured fully with the bliss, still continue with the time-honourcil illusions as a matter of habit. But some have become conscious of the realities of their position at home as well as in society; who have realised the fraudulent nature of the ideal halocd by tradition, glorified in romantic legends and sung in mystic lyrics. Thcy are growing in number. The spread of modern cducation is not the only cause of the awakening. It is primarily due to the slow, but sure, decomposition of an antiquatcd social order, the scheme of the cultural superstructure of which necessarily included mystic idcals veiling the sub. ordination of woman to the status of chattcl.
Now that a growing number of women can no longer be deludci by mystic idcals, and demand to be treated as individuals capable of doing the thinking for themselves, the traditional overlordship is defended in a plain language, such as the “bitter pills " administered by Desai. If it is true that "man has always placed woman on a higher and better status ”, how is the “ hostility between them” to be explained ? The only plausible explanation will be want of appreciation and grati
157
