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Compare & Contrast: The Big City and “The Treatment of Bibi Haldar”

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Compare & Contrast: The Big City and “The Treatment of Bibi Haldar”

The short story The Treatment of Bibi Haldar by Jhumpa Lahiri and the film The Big

City, directed by Satyajit Ray are feminist stories that highlight prevalent issues related to gender

roles. Firstly, both stories exhibit sexism and oppression in a patriarchal society. In Lahiri’s short

story, Bibi represents a much more than an ailing woman; she encounters sexism and dual

oppression of disability in a patriarchal society while being marginalized and condescended.

Being ill and a woman, she cannot achieve anything in her life. Besides, Bibi’s family neglects

her due to her illness and considers her a poor wife material despite refusing to teach her the

“womanly things” due to her disability. The townswomen who defend and help her in the story

do not entirely accept her but claim that they support her to give her a chance for happiness.

Lahiri’s story also shows how women are oppressed by being forced to pay for their wedding

and dowry. On the other hand, in Ray’s film, Arati represents women's oppression and sexism.

Despite being educated, Arati is not allowed to work, which is evident when Subrata tells his

wife an English proverb that says “the women’s place is in the home.” Surpassing a portrait of a

valorized women in contemporary India, Arati’s journey highlights women's transformation from

sexually objectified figures in domestic household roles to independent, and men equals. The

objectification is a symbolic feminine subjectivity and an emblem of cultural discord amid

modernity and tradition. Furthermore, Subrata resent Bibi’s success, becomes insecure and

jealous of her relationship with the possibly dodgy and attractive boss, and is appalled by her

using lipstick. Through capitalist modernity, the film’s central theme is the emancipation of

Indian women and depiction of the women’s desire for self-actualization.

Secondly, male dominance is highlighted in both stories, which constructs the belief of

women’s powerlessness. In Ray’s film, it is assumed that only men can effectively carry out
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formal jobs since women are deemed to lack the ability and capacity (intelligence and

subtleness). For instance, Himangshu unjustly fires Edith when she returns to work after a long

illness citing her frivolous lifestyle. Besides, women are not allowed to work as men are

considered the sole breadwinners in the patriarchal society where men’s authority is

unquestionable. In Lahiri’s short story, toxic masculinity amplifies the perception that Bibi's

powerlessness is appalling. The gender issues explored in the short story shows that women are

disabled since male dominance overpowers and suppresses them, rendering females ineffective

and incompetent. Men dually suppress and marginalize Bibi for being a female while women

suppress her for lacking skills deemed crucial by women's societal traditional roles. As a result,

Bibi’s disability complicates the disabling feminism since she is perceived as the truly disabled

person among the “disabled” women.

On the other hand, both the film and the short story critique various social issues. Ray’s

film is mainly hinged on social inequality as individuals change socially in the 1950’s Bengal,

particularly the major shift that occurred when bourgeoise class homemakers increasingly began

to take up jobs. In the film, gender inequality is exhibited through Priyagopal’s old prejudice

against women working outside their marital homes. Besides, women's social role is being

housewives (bear children and take care of children and husband) while men are the

breadwinners. In addition, age inequality has rendered the elderly in the society to be

economically dependent, lack authority to countermand choices made by the family members,

and lack a place in the contemporary world, as depicted in the journey of the Priyagopal. Poverty

is another social issue critiqued in the film especially where Arati’s sheer economic necessity

compels her to take up the salesperson job, a rare occurrence among the traditional Bengali

families, resulting in conflicts within the otherwise traditional family dynamics. Priyagopal also
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seeks financial and other support from his former students. Racial discrimination and race

treatment are highlighted where Edith, an Anglo-Indian, is dismissed from her job unjustly by

her boss, who impugns her moral character. The racial profiling and stereotypes made Anglo-

Indians occupy liminal positions in society as they were generally considered culturally

degenerate, dishonest, and immoral. Social stratification is also deftly established in the film,

mainly driven by midcentury Calcutta's racial and social diversity. The poor lived in cramped

neighbourhoods while the rich occupied prosperous neighbourhoods. Interestingly, education

among women was less emphasized as it was seen as a waste of resources because they will

eventually become housewives.

Lahiri manages to address social inequality, poverty, and education as the main social

issues. Bibi is discriminated and marginalized by her family and townswomen due to her

disability. The community does not consider her as their responsibility, and her family considers

her a burden. Her cousin, Haldar, and wife use pregnancy as an excuse to throw out Bibi from

their home and forced to sleep in their storage room. Poverty is another reason that fuels Bibi’s

discrimination to her dependency, especially where Halder and his family moves away and

leaves only 300 rupees for Bibi. She perceives marriage as na escape to her problems as it would

usher in happiness and contentment. However, unlike Ray’s story, Lahiri depicts education as an

essential aspect of marriage consideration.

The film and short story communicate their commentary and messages through various

themes or central message. For instance, Ray’s film communicates by mainly embracing the

conflict between the tradition and modernity, while Lahiri’s short story focusses on social

inequality and discrimination. Other themes in the film include social inequality, society and

class, racial discrimination, feminism, male dominance, oppression, poverty, sexual

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objectification, and sexism. On the hand, Lahiri short story exhibits themes such as poverty,

social inequality, family ties, marriage, community, cultural identity, contrasting regions,

dissatisfaction, society and class, plans, hopes, and dreams, and language and communication.

These themes help express the author’s or director’s message and opinions and offer

explanations regarding the events and situation within the film or story setting.
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References

Lahiri, J. (2000). Interpreter of maladies. Houghton Mifflin Harcourt.

Ray, S. (1963). Mahanagar: The big city. R.D. Banshal & Co.