The Goddess as Role Model

This book seeks to understand the major mythological role models that mark the moral landscape navigated by young Hindu women. Heidi Pauwels compares how these role models are portrayed in the most authoritative versions of the story. She traces the ancient Sanskrit sources, the medieval vernacular retellings, and the contemporary TV versions as well. By analyzing several popular recent and classical hit movies that use Sita and Radha tropes, Pauwels shows how these moral messages have developed and how they spill into the domain of popular culture for commercial consumption.