Phoolan Devi: Perceptions Of Power :: essays research papers

Phoolan Devi Perceptions of Power The purpose of this paper is to analyze and index grammatical gender and antecedent as theyfactor into the life of one Dalit woman, Phoolan Devi. Particularly, I motherchosen to examine the idea of whether or not she wielded real power. In anattempt to make it more useful to speak of this slippery affaire callight-emitting diode power, Iwould like to make some declarations and pose some questions slightly its genius.Cynthia Emerson has suggested that power is ultimately based on dependencyrelationships (Emerson 1962). It is important to immortalize that almost allmanifestations of power require a power bearer and at least one other party thatbelieves that the first holds power. I would like to stress the word"believes" in the previous sentence because I think it is one of the keyingredients in understanding relationships of power. I empathize that in manyinstances the power of the first party may not be undone merely by the secon dparty ceasing to have it, and that the power of one individual over anothermay sometimes be corporally or otherwise inescapable. Often, the belief followsthe direct baffle of power, but regardless of the order in which it isconceptualized, I feel the nature of power is inextricably founded in belief andperception.One of the most touch characteristics of Phoolan Devi is her refusal toaccept her power-deficient positions in her relationships. From the time thatshe was a child, she seems to have refused to conform to her societys gradable indexing. She resisted attempts to categorize and fix her intotypical gender, class, and matrimonial positions. This is not to say that her rampart was always successful, but I am trying to show a lack of willingnessto conform and accept her positions in her power relations. Her belief that thelocating that had been prescribed to her was unjust and her reluctance to acceptit are key factors that led to her gaining power and breaking from her powe rdeficient relationships. Her belief in her up(a) mobility made it possible.This belief in her self and resistance towards accepting the power forced on herhelped undermine that same power. This is the one factor that makes Phoolan sodifferent from so many of her Indian sisters that are still keep under thethumb of Manus Code.Does Phoolan Devi possess real power? So removed we have consideredtheoretical power in relationships, but what about physical manifestations ofpower? The first example that comes to mind is the fact that over ii hundred