Godan

by Munshi Premchand

In my idea, a wife should be an embodiment of sincerity and self-abnegation who effaces her own individuality and merges herself with her husband's personality; the body is of the husband and the soul that of the wife. You will ask: why should not the man do the effacing? Why the woman? It's because no man is capable of it. If he effaces himself, he'll become an empty vessel. He will retire to a cave and dream of merging his soul with the all-pervasive soul. He is mercurial; and in his vanity, he thinks that he is imbued with wisdom. And he aspires to identify himself with the God-head. But the woman is patient like the earth, tranquil, forbearing. If a man richly takes on the qualities of a woman he becomes a Mahatma. But if a woman imbibes the qualities of a man she becomes evil. A man is really attracted only towards a woman who possesses the essential attributes of a woman. I have not felt drawn to Malti till now. How can I explain myself? In everything beautiful in this world I see the image of woman. Even if I kill her there should be no spirit of retaliation or violence in her. Even if I love another woman in her presence it should not rouse her jealousy. If I came across such a woman I'll fall at her feet."

Mehta is a male chauvanist dog