Womanist Reading of Ruth: Nadar's South African Indian Perspective

Introduction to Nadar's Womanist Framework

Sarojini Nadar's reading of Ruth is written from a Hindu woman's perspective — which is to say, from a perspective shaped by stigma. Nadar's first assertion is that Hindu women are viewed in her society with contempt. When a woman's husband dies, it is believed to be "good form" for her to burn herself in immolation on the same funeral pyre as her deceased husband, because a woman is not expected to be able to sustain, support, or think for herself. Without a man or husband to assist her, she is presumed to be without hope. An independent woman is quite out of the ordinary in Hindu culture. If a mother is widowed, it is expected that a son will take care of her — but what if there is no son?

The story of Ruth therefore resonates with Nadar and her experiences as an Indian woman. She identifies herself as a womanist rather than as a feminist because, as she states, "issues of color and class are a significant part" of the lives of people like her (159). To be specific, Nadar is a South African Indian Christian woman from a low socioeconomic background. In her article she conducts a character analysis of Ruth and argues that Ruth is "independent, autonomous, strong-willed and even subversive" (164). These findings are organized according to various themes that emphasize womanhood rather than feminism, and that include issues of class and color. The womanist perspective approaches the story of Ruth from the standpoint of womanhood, gender roles, class, and race.

Ruth as Breadwinner and Subverter of Gender Roles

The first important point Nadar makes is that Ruth assumes the man's role when she clings to Naomi and takes care of her. As is customary in Indian culture, a widow is not supposed to be self-sufficient but is rather meant to be supported and cared for by a man, such as a son. Naomi has no son, and Ruth has no husband, so Ruth steps into the role of the "son" — a male role — and supports her mother-in-law as a husband might. As Nadar points out, "in chapter 2, Ruth is presented as the breadwinner who goes out to glean in order to provide food for herself and Naomi" (165). Ruth does not wait for a man to come around and provide support; she demonstrates that she is capable of providing for herself and for Naomi.

This is a crucial point in Nadar's analysis because it shows that Indian Christian women do not have to accept the Hindu cultural concept of sati — the expectation that a widow should self-immolate out of hopelessness and despair. Ruth does not despair. On the contrary, she is a model of hopefulness and vitality.

Sati, Mindset, and the South African Indian Experience

Nadar notes that in South Africa, sati as a physical practice was not carried over from India — but the mindset supporting it has been passed down from generation to generation. Widows in this context still feel hopeless and as though they lack the power to survive on their own. Nadar illustrates this point by referring to her own mother's situation in South Africa and explaining why Indian women tend to feel stifled by a culture in which they are constantly made to feel helpless.

To help overcome this harmful mindset, Nadar uses the character of Ruth to demonstrate that women do not have to accept the roles imposed on them by society. On the contrary, they can rise above typecasting and become independent and self-sustaining. The Book of Ruth thus becomes a liberating text when read through the womanist lens Nadar applies, offering an alternative narrative to the one embedded in the sati tradition.

Works Cited

Nadar, Sarojini. "A South African Indian Womanist Reading of the Character of Ruth."