Suttee and the reaction by it from the British society and Olivia

First of all, the word suttee or sati means faithful wife in India.

Suttee is a funeral practise in which the widowed women follow their dead husbands by burning themselves together with their husbands.

Not all women do it voluntarily and often are constrained to do it. Therefore, it was much disputed. It is stated that a widow could expect little of life after her husband’s death, especially if she had no children.  Her death can be seen as an ending of the marriage.

Most of accounts describe the woman sitting or lying down on the funeral pyre beside her dead husband. Many other accounts describe women walking or jumping into the flames after the fire had been lit, and some even lighted up themselves.

The total figure of known procedures during the years 1813 to 1828 is 8135, another source gives a comparable number of 7941 from 1815 to 1828.

British society: The British mostly are disgusted by this „act“. They don’t regard it as religion, but a form of suicide, although they first spoke even about the sanctity of religious practices. „It’s savagery, like everything else in this country is savagery and barbarism.“ (P.60, ll. 3-4) Here again can be recongnized the attitude of the British society towards the Indian. They regard them as barbaric people who are not on the same level with them and don’t accept other religions than their own, which seems to be the best and the only right one.

Olivia: Olivia sees it as a part of the religion in India to be burned together with the husband. If a woman remains without her husband it should be her own decision to leave with him or not, and no one should try to bias her or prevent the burning. “ And quite apart from religion, it is their culture and who are we to interfere with anyone’s culture especially an ancient one like theirs.“(P. 59, ll. 11-13) Besides she thinks it to be a noble act, to follow ones husband.“ I mean, to want to go with the person you care for most in the world. Not to want to be alive any more if he wasn’t.“(P.60 ll. 1-2). In the moment she says this, she doesn’t dare to look into Douglas eyes because she feels too embarrassed, but shortly after they look at each other with enormous affection. So mainly she sees it as a decision of love if to go with him, or not. She even would die for Douglas.