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Table of Contents

Acknowledgements ...................................................................................................................... iv
CHAPTER 1: INTRODUCTION.................................................................................................1
Research Questions........................................................................................................................2
Definition of Concepts ...................................................................................................................3
Traditional Hinduism ................................................................................................................3
Prostitution .................................................................................................................................5
Stigma .........................................................................................................................................6
Literature Review ......................................................................................................................... 7
Prostitution Stigma in India..................................................................................................... 7
Conceptualizing Stigma............................................................................................................ 8
Film Analysis and Stigma....................................................................................................... 12
The Hindu Womans Identity................................................................................................ 13
Hindu Nationality ................................................................................................................. 14
The Hindu Womans Identity, Hindu Nationality, and Patriarchy ....................................... 15
Negotiating Gender Roles: Sita ............................................................................................ 17
Conclusions.............................................................................................................................. 20
Methodology ................................................................................................................................ 21
Case Selection .......................................................................................................................... 21
Methods and Thesis Structure............................................................................................... 22
CHAPTER 2: MANU AND SITA THE HINDU IDEAL OF FEMININITY .................... 26
Texts and Methodology .............................................................................................................. 28
Law of Manu ............................................................................................................................ 28
Ramayana................................................................................................................................. 29
Methods........................................................................................................................................ 34
Value Themes .............................................................................................................................. 38
Pativratadharma ...................................................................................................................... 38
Motherhood ............................................................................................................................. 42
Madhury ................................................................................................................................... 45
Self-Control ............................................................................................................................. 48
Self-Control and Wickedness: The Divine Dichotomy ........................................................ 53

Chastity .................................................................................................................................... 54
Conclusions.................................................................................................................................. 58
Chapter 3: BOLLYWOOD AND THE VESHYA
HINDI FILMS PORTRAYAL OF THE PROSTITUTE ...................................................... 61
Methodology ................................................................................................................................ 64
The Films ................................................................................................................................. 64
Mausam................................................................................................................................. 64
Mandi .................................................................................................................................... 65
Chingaari .............................................................................................................................. 66
Devdas .................................................................................................................................. 66
Laaga Chunari Mein Daag: Journey of a Woman ............................................................... 68
Methods of Analysis................................................................................................................ 68
Conceptualizing the Prostitution Stigma .................................................................................. 74
Stereotyping: Associating Human Differences with Negative Attributes.......................... 74
A prostitute does not possess madhury................................................................................. 75
A prostitute is unchaste......................................................................................................... 79
A prostitute has no self-control............................................................................................. 81
Separation: Separating Us from Them ......................................................................... 83
The prostitute threatens the Indian identity....................................................................... 83
The prostitute threatens purity .............................................................................................. 86
The prostitute threatens the patriarchal structure.................................................................. 89
Status Loss and Discrimination ............................................................................................. 90
Power: Dependence of Stigma on Power .............................................................................. 92
State, market, and civil society ............................................................................................. 92
Family ................................................................................................................................... 96
Socio-economic status .......................................................................................................... 97
Rewriting the Prostitutes Story .............................................................................................. 100
Conclusion ................................................................................................................................. 103
CHAPTER 4: CONCLUSION ................................................................................................ 104
WORKS CITED ....................................................................................................................... 110
FIGURES AND TABLES
Figure 1.1 The Caste System........................................................................................................ 4
Figure 1.2 Conceptualizing Stigma ........................................................................................... 23
Figure 2.1 Deepika Chikhalia as Sita in the 1987-88 television serial Ramayan ............... 30
Figure 3.1 Conceptualizing Stigma ........................................................................................... 63
Figure 3.2 Kajli Before ............................................................................................................... 78

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Figure 3.3 Kajli After ................................................................................................................. 78


Figure 3.4 Vibha (center) in Vanaras before entering prostitution ....................................... 84
Figure 3.5 Vibha as the escort Natasha..................................................................................... 85
Figure 3.6 The goddess Durga ................................................................................................. 101
Figure 3.7 Basanti embodying the goddess Durga................................................................. 101
Table 2.1 Structure of Hindu Texts........................................................................................... 35
Table 2.2 Quantitative Breakdown of Value Themes in Texts ............................................... 37
Table 3.1 Film Analysis Questions ............................................................................................ 69
Table 3.2 Conceptualizing Stigma Analysis ............................................................................. 72
Table 3.3 Five Value Themes from the Ramayana and the Law of Manu ............................. 74

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Acknowledgements
To my thesis advisor, Lina Fruzzetti, I offer a great deal of gratitude. Not only were you
extremely understanding and patient throughout this process, you also encouraged me during one
of the most difficult times of my life. You mentored me in my efforts to be a better scholar as
well as a better person. Thank you so very much for investing into me for the past three years.
Thanks to my second reader, Jennifer Costanza. You were also very patient with me. Thank you
for sharing from your own writing experiences. It helped more than you know for me to hear
that I was not alone in my frustrations and setbacks. Thank you also for your extensive critiques
of my chapters. It made my thesis stronger and made me grow as a scholar.
Thank you to my unofficial thesis advisor, David Bell, PhD. I never let you read a page of this
until it was finished, but you kept with me throughout. I could not have completed this thesis
without your prayers, empathy, encouragement, and admonishment. You critiqued and picked
apart my arguments and analysis whenever we spoke. You helped me make sense of the
jumbled mess of data in my brain. You reminded me that there is more to this process than our
human eyes can perceive because God is at work in all things. I love you very much. Thank you
Daddy.
To Sheila Bell, thank you for your prayers and support. Im glad to have you as my mother,
friend, and mentor. Thank you also to my brothers, David and Ian, my sister Marja, and my
nephew Osi. When I needed a break from the pressures of writing I was glad to bask in my
familys love.
To my India family the Pauls, the Courage Homes team, and Tink I appreciate your support
while I was in that wonderful nation. The data I collected while with you all did not make it into
this research; however, this thesis would not be possible without your help during my stay there.
You all were with me during one of the most wonderful and difficult years of my life. I am
grateful for the love and support you gave.
I want to thank my Christian brothers and sisters scattered across the globe that have been
praying for me throughout this process. I have needed and appreciated every single one of those
prayers. And for those of you who could physically be with me at some point through the
process, thank you for listening to my complaints and being patient when I holed up to write.
Finally I want to thank God. You kept from start to finish. I could not have done any of this
without You. Thank you, Papa. It has been quite an adventure and I am looking forward to the
next phase in our journey together.

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