Sita's Journey Analysis

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In the clash between urban and rural custom, the only thing that represent rural tradition is Sita’s memory of the past and her journey to the island of Manori. She hurriedly leaves for Manori, which is indeed her last effort to save her identity by showing faith in nature. Perhaps, Sita is searching for a great revelation or a miracle that would keep her baby safe in her womb, unborn. In order to escape from the life of modernity, she chooses the path of self-exile, from the land of violence and destruction to the land of peace and serenity, along with her two children during her pregnancy in order to protect her baby in the womb from the aggressive city of Bombay. As Desai puts forth, Sita is aware that “Manori was an evil mass of overflowing drains, thatched roofs and mud huts...” (Desai, p 21) she takes refuge in Manori to live with nature, which is her source of satisfaction. The children Menaka and Karan gets annoyed with the primitive life of Manori, Sita even tries to change Menaka and Karan’s view of Nature but fails abruptly. Karan, at one point, says, “I don’t want to go to the beach, I want to go to Bombay”. (Desai, p 127) The attitude of children towards nature puts forth the idea that the modern society has no concern and admiration towards nature. Though Sita admires nature, she is left with little choice but to go back to Bombay, when her husband comes to Manori for the second time to take his family to Bombay, for Sita to deliver the child and to do her