31. Ranga marries the eleven year old Ratna. Do you think the story promotes child marriage or condemns it? What do you think about the evils of child marriage?(Long answer type)
Dear student
It is difficult to tell whether Ranga actually married Ratna at eleven years, since we are only shown the part of the story where Ranga falls in love with Ratna. Moreover, the narrator clearly mentions that the meeting between Ranga and Ratna happened ten years ago. Ten years later, the narrator is invited to Ranga and Ratna's son's third birthday. Ratna would have been twenty one at this time, and would have been nineteen when she became pregnant.
However, what the narrator did is still not acceptable, and it can be seen as a story that promotes child marriage. When Ranga meets Ratna, she is eleven years old. The narrator tricks Ranga by saying that she is already married. This gives the impression that marrying an eleven year old girl is acceptable. Moreover, Ranga and Ratna are both bright individuals, with a bright future ahead of them. The narrator could have wished for Ratna to be educated and could have wished for Ranga to finish his education and find a good job. Yet, his primary focus was on getting Ranga and Ratna married.
Child marriage is illegal in India for a very good reason. Children who are married young are not mature enough to act like adults and cannot be expected to do things like an adult. They are robbed of their childhood and their innocence. Furthermore, girls who get married young might also be forced to produce children at a young age, which can be dangerous and life threatening for young girls.
Regards
It is difficult to tell whether Ranga actually married Ratna at eleven years, since we are only shown the part of the story where Ranga falls in love with Ratna. Moreover, the narrator clearly mentions that the meeting between Ranga and Ratna happened ten years ago. Ten years later, the narrator is invited to Ranga and Ratna's son's third birthday. Ratna would have been twenty one at this time, and would have been nineteen when she became pregnant.
However, what the narrator did is still not acceptable, and it can be seen as a story that promotes child marriage. When Ranga meets Ratna, she is eleven years old. The narrator tricks Ranga by saying that she is already married. This gives the impression that marrying an eleven year old girl is acceptable. Moreover, Ranga and Ratna are both bright individuals, with a bright future ahead of them. The narrator could have wished for Ratna to be educated and could have wished for Ranga to finish his education and find a good job. Yet, his primary focus was on getting Ranga and Ratna married.
Child marriage is illegal in India for a very good reason. Children who are married young are not mature enough to act like adults and cannot be expected to do things like an adult. They are robbed of their childhood and their innocence. Furthermore, girls who get married young might also be forced to produce children at a young age, which can be dangerous and life threatening for young girls.
Regards