Phoolan Devi: Perceptions Of Power

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Term Paper Title	Phoolan Devi: Perceptions Of Power
# of Words	939
# of Pages (250 words per page double spaced)	3.76

Phoolan Devi: Perceptions of Power

Phoolan Devi: Perceptions of Power

        Oni Akuma
        02/17/97

     The purpose of this paper is to analyze and index gender and power as they
factor into the life of one Dalit woman, Phoolan Devi.  Particularly, I have
chosen to examine the idea of whether or not she wielded real power. In an
attempt to make it more useful to speak of this slippery thing called power, I
would like to make some declarations and pose some questions about its' nature.
Cynthia Emerson has suggested that power is ultimately based on dependency
relationships (Emerson 1962).  It is important to remember that almost all
manifestations of power require a power holder and at least one other party that
believes that the first holds power.   I would like to stress the word
"believes" in the previous sentence because I think it is one of the key
ingredients in understanding relationships of power.  I realize that in many
instances the power of the first party may not be undone merely by the second
party ceasing to accept it, and that the power of one individual over another
may sometimes be physically or otherwise inescapable.  Often, the belief follows
the direct experience of power, but regardless of the order in which it is
conceptualized, I feel the nature of power is inextricably founded in belief and
perception.

     One of the most striking characteristics of Phoolan Devi is her refusal to
accept her power-deficient positions in her relationships.  From the time that
she was a child, she seems to have refused to conform to her society's
hierarchical indexing.  She resisted attempts to categorize and fix her into
typical gender, class, and matrimonial positions.  This is not to say that her
resistance was always successful, but I am trying to show a lack of willingness
to conform and accept her positions in her power relations.  Her belief that the
status that had been prescribed to her was unjust and her reluctance to accept
it are key factors that led to her gaining power and breaking from her power
deficient relationships.  Her belief in her upward mobility made it possible.
This belief in her self and resistance towards accepting the power forced on her
helped undermine that same power.  This is the one factor that makes Phoolan so
different from so many of her Indian sisters that are still living under the
thumb of  Manu's Code.

     Does Phoolan Devi possess real power?  So far we have considered
theoretical power in relation...

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