The Myth of Stepmother

We often hear of stories that deal with a wicked stepmother, especially when we were
young. Like the stepmother letting her stepchildren do all the household chores, the
stepmother, literally tried to kill them through different intrigues, the stepmother, being
portrayed as someone who looked after the interest of her own children and less
concerned about her stepchildren etc. These popular themes are circulated and endorsed
by the society. Lets see how these popular themes are true even to the Poumais. The
authenticity of its practice is witnessed in certain folktales. For instance lets take the
image of a stepmother projected in one the Poumais folktale called Laphila (it could be
different from village to village like, Kholuru, Khalula, etc.). Most of us must be familiar
with this story, but for the sake of those who have not heard. This story is about the
cruelty/ill-treatment meted out to a girl child called Khalula and the hardship which she
goes through. Khalulas mother died while she was still very young so, her father
remarried with the hope to bring up Khalula with a motherly love. But unfortunately, it
did not happened as her stepmother turned out to be very cruel. In fact, Khalula was
forced to do all the households chores. She had no leisure time to be with her friends. But
one fine day, she was allowed to go with her friends to collect Louh (jute like plant). But
even on that fateful day, fortune was not in favor of her. As she tried to collect the
beautiful Louh plant growing beside the lake, her Naotusa mysteriously fell into the lake.
She was so worried but when she confided to father, he was sympathetic enough and
consoled her, saying that he can always get one for her again. But a great twist took place
when after her stepmother inflicted poison to her fathers mind, convincing him that she
might have given the Naotusa to her lover and not fell into the lake. The next morning her

father scolded her very badly. She could not tolerate anymore so, she went and pleaded
with the god of the lake to return the Naotusa and take her instead. Thus, she was
engulfed by the lake forever. The point of contention here is Naotusa the unique bangle,
which creates a rift in the relationship of the father and the daughter.

As enumerated in the above story, the image of a stepmother seems to be one of

the most negative images even in our culture. It has acquired the status of a counterimage and has come to be associated with injustice and cruelty. It has therefore, come to
denote an attitude rather than a relationship. This counter-image exposes the falsity of
proto-image of an all-sacrificing mother, which has been fostered and perpetuated by the
society. Myths, legends and tales are the most important source of analyzing this negative
image that represents archetypal patterns and behavior of the society. In these kind of
stories the father figure is not visible. He is pushed behind the scene; we do not see his
role in the midst of all the ill treatment practiced by the stepmother on the children. The
father figure remains silent. In fact, the father becomes an important tool to accomplish
all the ill treatment meted by the stepmother. It is the father who had brought a new
mother to his children who is a stranger to them. In fact, he should take the role of the
communicator, the counselor and the advisor, which had failed in this case. In this story,
a stepmother is portrayed to be the root cause of all evils. She is an example of evil and
injustice. Traditionally, Poumais follow a patriarchal system, wherein the father is the
head of the family. He gives the final decision in all the matters of the family. But when
the evil activities are in question, men just become or take the role of subordinate and
women are highlighted beyond measures as symbols of evil. The question that comes to
our mind is that why women were alone highlighted in the stories as wicked and the

cause of all evils? Why not the father and the stepchildren? Does this kind wrong stigma
really affect the society?
In conscious study we find that this kind of stories which project women in a negative
role has enormous impact in our society even today, whether it comes from centuries-old
tales or modern movie plots, this stereotype continues to dominate society's thinking
about stepmothers. Therefore, unfortunately, no matter how good the stepmother is to her
stepchildren, she has the stigma of being the stepmother who is always projected
negatively. If any misunderstanding arises in the family, she becomes the victim or is
blamed just because she is a stepmother. This could also be viewed as another way of
projecting women as evil and typecasting her as the root cause of all evil. A myth is
created here that all stepmothers are bad and evil. How should we should deconstruct
such myth, and look things from a different perspective. The bigger question is, today
being a Christian how do we view this image of a stepmother? Have we changed that
stigma exists in the past or do we still have the same perspective towards all the
stepmothers? It is sad to know that such ideology has ruined the life of many families. It
would be important to note that the image of stepmother is not born but created and
they are forced to assimilate into that image which the society has created!