Understanding Sita

This review explores how Chitra Banerjee Divakaruni’s ‘The Forest of Enchantments’ reimagines the character of Sita through a feminist and psychological lens. Drawing from P.V. Laxmiprasad’s critical work ‘Sita: Living Indian Psyche’, it highlights how Sita transitions from a silent sufferer to a symbol of resistance. The analysis reflects on how Sita mirrors and critiques the Indian cultural and spiritual consciousness.

The book under review is entitled ‘The Forest of Enchantments’ by Chitra Banerjee Divakaruni. P.V. Laxmiprasad critically evaluates this novel through a focused study of a single character in his work ‘Sita: Living Indian Psyche – A Critical Study’. Laxmiprasad analyzes how the character of Sita embodies cultural, psychological, spiritual, and gendered dimensions of the Indian ethos. Sita traditionally symbolizes the ideal woman in Indian society—devoted, chaste, obedient, and self-sacrificing. She becomes the moral benchmark of womanhood, a role model shaped by patriarchal expectations.

However, Divakaruni’s Sita reclaims her voice and perspective, challenging these imposed ideals. This marks a significant shift from silent suffering to assertive resistance. Laxmiprasad observes that Sita is not a passive emblem of virtue, but a woman conscious of her individual identity and strength. Her rejection, exile during pregnancy, and the Agni Pariksha are emblematic of collective female trauma within a patriarchal framework. Her voice sharply critiques how a woman’s virtue is doubted, while men’s moral failings are normalized. This reveals a deep psychological conflict between her divine identity and her very human experiences of humiliation, injustice, and betrayal.

Laxmiprasad also links Sita’s life to ecological harmony. Born from the earth (Bhoomija), Sita shares a profound connection with nature. Her affinity with plants and forests, particularly Ashoka Vatika, positions her as a symbol of natural wisdom and healing.

Sita becomes the eco-spiritual consciousness of Indian culture, where both women and nature are simultaneously revered and violated—a duality that mirrors their treatment in patriarchal and post-colonial India. Through Laxmiprasad’s lens, Divakaruni exposes the misogynistic elements of the Ramayana, from Ahalya’s unjust curse, to Urmila’s forgotten loneliness, to Surpanakha’s brutal disfigurement—each woman’s story reflects systemic marginalization.

Sita’s silent resistance evolves into articulate condemnation. By voicing these stories, she becomes the conscience of Indian mythology, revealing the cost of idealism and dharma when they exclude empathy for women.

Sita lives in the Indian psyche not just through temples and scriptures, but in social norms, rituals, and gender roles. She is invoked in weddings, festivals, and moral instruction.

Yet, in modern India, she also becomes a figure of feminist reinterpretation—someone who challenges oppression through resilience and voice, rather than silence. Her final act—returning to the earth—can be interpreted not as surrender, but as an act of ultimate defiance and reclamation. Laxmiprasad evaluates this as a reflection of the Indian psyche’s spiritual longing for justice, rooted in karmic balance and dharmic closure.

Sita is both a mirror of traditional Indian values and a catalyst for their reevaluation. As interpreted in ‘The Forest of Enchantments’ and critically examined by P.V. Laxmiprasad, she embodies the living Indian psyche by reflecting its contradictions—spiritual reverence versus social injustice. She thus remains not just a historical or mythological figure, but an ongoing cultural consciousness, compelling India to continuously ask: What does it truly mean to honor Sita?

In conclusion, Laxmiprasad writes that this is a powerful commentary on duty, betrayal, infidelity, and honor. It is also about a woman’s struggle to retain autonomy in a world that privileges men. Chitra Banerjee Divakaruni transforms an ancient story into a gripping and contemporary battle of wills. It deals with the saga of Sita’s life, patience, virtues, chastity, and pride of ideal womanhood. The book is highly regarded in critical judgement, and Laxmiprasad offers a balanced and insightful evaluation of its themes.