“Then his mother performed a ritual as ancient as India itself- she filled the oil in the lamp which burned before polychrome pictures of the tutelary gods:
Rama and his wife Sita, goddess of prosperity seated and a lotus blossom; and
Ganesh , the elephant headed god of good fortune. Two other pictures,
discolored by the years, showed the childlike face of Krishna, greedily swallowing a bowl of butter, a popular representation of the cowherd god
most dearly loved by the Hindu people; and the Monkey god, Hanuman, a legendary hero of some of the most prodigious adventures of Indian
mythology.” p.5 Hindu people believe in many gods and goddesses. The different gods and
goddesses in Hinduism are representation of the various functions of god. Hinduism accepts interpretation distinction among Hindu people. No one knows the founder of
Hinduism but it does not decrease their faith toward this religion.
4.1.2.4. Caste System
Hinduism has an ideology which limits the performance of Hindu people. The ideology is called caste. Actually the word caste comes from Spanish and Portuguese
word which means race. In Sanskrit caste is called Varna or color Hutton, 1963: 47. Solange Lemaitre 1959: 107 explains that caste is the reward for merit becomes the
automatic consequence of birth. In caste system the social order is divided into four classes; namely Brahmans, Ksatriyas, Vaisyas, and Sudras. Each class of the caste
has its own duties or dharma and each Hindu has to do his own duties although the duties are imperfect. One of the main characters of the City of Joy Hasari Pal is
Vaisya because he is a farmer. The Vaisyas is the third class of the caste system. The
function of the Vaisyas is to administer and deal in material goods of every description. Agriculture is one of activities of this caste. Three other classes which
are the Sudra, the class below the Vaisya, has duty to serve the three upper classes; the Ksatriyas is the second class whose duties are to defend the right, to protect the
weak and to use force whenever it is legitimately justified; the highest class of the caste system is the Brahman which has duties to teach Veda and everything that is in
any way of a priestly nature. Hindu people show great respect to Brahman. For people like Hasari and the
family, The Brahmans are considered the source of knowledge Hence, Hasari and all Hindu people commonly come to Brahmins when they get problem in order to ask
advice. Here is what Lapierre writes in the novel about Brahmin: “According to an announcement made by the Brahmin priest of the village,
one more moon and the monsoon would be with us. The Brahmin was a very wise and knowledgeable man.” p.12
4.1.2.5. Customs
Besides the doctrines of Hinduism, the custom of India is also one thing that causes India to become the unique country. There are so many customs in India, but
two customs that are explained here often cause the people get deeper into the cycle of poverty. One of these customs is marriage ceremony.
A custom in India generally insist a girl to get married before puberty. Seeking a husband for a daughter is a sacred duty and a responsibility of a father.
Thus, the biggest hope of a father in India is marrying his daughter off with a good man. The belief in India considers a daughter is only lent by God until she gets
married. After a daughter gets married, she belongs to her husband Segal, 1965: 135. This is Lapierre’s explanation about marriage ceremony in India:
“Indian custom generally requires that a girl should be married well before puberty, hence the occurrence of the child “marriages” that seem so barbaric
to Westerners. In such cases it is only a question of a ceremony. The real marriage takes place only after the girl’s first period. Then the father of the
“bride” goes to the father of the “groom” and informs him that his daughter is
now capable of bearing child. A more definitive ceremony is subsequently arranged and it is then that the young girl leaves her parents’ home to go and
live with the boy to whom she has been “married” for years. p.428 Indian regards marriage as a relationship between two families. Parents
usually arrange most marriage because generally young people are not allowed to have dates. When a father has found a proper man for his daughter he has to think
about the dowry. All fathers of daughters must prepare dowry when their daughters get married. It is because a custom in India forces the girl’s family to give dowry to
the man and cover all the cost for the wedding ceremony. Therefore, marriage of the daughter has ruined millions of Indian families. Only untouchable people who want
to accept the girls without dowry. However, no one dares to avoid this obligation although it has ruined millions of Indian families and caused the poor people to
become poorer. Here Lapierre explanation about this custom: “Custom required, furthermore, that the girl’s father alone covers the cost of
the ceremony, which meant finding another thousand rupees to feed the families and their guests and buy presents for the officiating Brahmin. For
these poor people it was a cruel bloodletting, but the marriage of a daughter is a sacred duty of a father. Once his last daughter had left home, the old man
would have compelled his task on earth. Then at least he would be able to await in peace the visitation of Yama, god of the dead”. p.11
Another custom that has caused the poor people to become poorer is the land division among sons in every Indian family. About two-thirds of the farmers own
their own land, but the land becomes smaller and smaller with each generation. When an Indian dies, his farm has to be divided among his sons. The share of each
son is often too small to provide a living 1971: 106f.
This condition also happens to Prodip Pal, one the City of Joy is characters. In the novel Lapierre explains that Prodip Pal inherits his form his father. The statement
is stated below: “What Prodip Pal did remember, however, was that he had once been a
prosperous peasant. He had owned as six granaries full of rice and eight acres of fertile land. He had been able to provide for the future of his sons and give
his elder daughters generous dowries to procure them good husband. For himself and wife in their old age, he had kept the strip of land and the house
he had inherited from his brother.” p.6
4.2 The Influence of Karma on the Struggle for Survival of Poor People
In the cultural background of India, it has been explained that one of several things that makes India one of the unique countries in the world is Hinduism.
Hinduism is the flow of India’s life Segal, 1965: 15. Segal mentions 1965: 15 that the character of the bazaar, the divisions of rural labor, the government of village and
state, no less than the complex rules and regulations of birth, marriage and death, are all aspect of Hinduism. Hinduism conditions the relationship of the individual to his
society, prescribes his huge number of rights and obligations and also qualifies his relationship to his wife, to his parents, to his children and to himself. People’s belief
toward Hinduism has influenced the way of life of Hindu people. One of the core beliefs of Hinduism which influences the way of life of Hindu people is the law of
karma. The idea of karma is the fundamental doctrine of Hinduism that follows
the principle of causality that influence human destiny. Every act and thought produces their effect, either good or bad. Human has to face the consequences either
in life or in another. Punishment does not come immediately but human cannot avoid
