Marriage, Home and Women's Koinónia in Night of Henna (2005)

Abstract

The notion of arranged marriage stands at the intersection of the Eastern and the Western discourses, being an issue that raises questions and a lot of public debate. As there are still diasporic South Asian communities in the West that still comply with norms from 'home', the hosting societies may find it interesting to understand cultural practices that are totally different from theirs. Arranged marriage seems to be a particularly interesting one as it involves elements of personal choice and independence, so characteristic of and valuable in Western societies. Apart from the issue of marriage, this paper also explores the concept of 'sisterhood' as a feature of non-Western societies and of their women's collective consciousness. The bonding between these women is very strong prior to marriage and to migration. Even if these last two factors affect the female bond, this paper shows that it can be re-interpreted and re-created in other forms even post marriage and migration.