Post #2- Sita Sings the Blues

What type of Myth is presented in Sita Sings the Blues? (Post #2)

Sita Sings the Blues tells the story of a woman named Sita. Sita is the loyal wife of Rama. In the beginning of the story, Rama is next in line to be a king. However, this reality is destroyed when, due to the influence of his father’s other wife, he is exiled to the forest for fourteen years. Because Sita loves Rama and is his loyal wife, she goes to stay with him in the forest also.

While in the forest, Ravana, an evil king, kidnaps Sita. When Rama discovers she is missing, he makes plans to successfully rescue her. Eventually, he rescues her. However, he rejects her for quite some time until she is able to prove that she has not been touched by Ravana (she is “pure”). Sita proves her purity and of course, loyalty to Rama and he takes her back. Sita and Rama go back to the forest for the remaining years he must stay in exile. Finally, the fourteen years end and they both return to the kingdom.

Shortly after Sita and Rama return to the kingdom, Sita reveals she is pregnant with Rama’s sons. Despite her multiple proves of loyalty to her, Rama is not convinced that she is “pure”. Thus, he exiles her to live in the forest once again. In the forest, Sita lives and despite everything, thinks highly of Rama. She eventually delivers Rama’s sons and raises them to sing praises of Rama.

After some time, Rama discovers he has sons in the forest. He asks his sons to come back to the kingdom. However, he is skeptical to take Sita back also. So, he asks her to prove to him her “purity” once again. Sita says her “purity” will be proved if Mother Nature takes her back into her womb. Mother Natures does this immediately. Disgusted and saddened by his behavior, Rama cries when Sita once again, proves her loyalty to him.

I believe that the myth presented in Sita Sings the Blues is a destruction myth. Destruction myths tell the story of a revelation, or apocalypse with an emphasis on the current order of things in the world. Sita’s story makes the revelation that because of values in her society, Sita will never be treated well by Rama despite her undying loyalty to him. Because the society she and Rama live in only emphasizes ideas such as that the king should look good in front of others and that women should be ostracized due to doubts of “purity” if they stay with any man except their husband for too long, Sita’s feelings and loyalty are never prioritized or appreciated. Another characteristic present in Sita Sings the Blues that supports it being a destruction myth is that higher powers must intervene to put an end to the failure of humanity. At the end of the story, Sita’s loyalty is only ultimately proved to Rama when she is taken into the womb of Mother Nature (a higher power). It is only after this event when Rama, as indicated by his crying, feels sorry about his behavior towards Sita. Finally, this story makes heavy use of symbols and fantasy. On multiple occasions, fire is shown. Fire is a symbol of destruction. Also, there is a side story going on in the film where a couple from New York are together, the man goes to India for a temporary job, the woman loyally follows him there, the man dumps her and she is left alone in New York. This symbolizes destruction of a relationship (like Sita’s with Rama).