MEN VS. WOMEN

WOMEN equal MEN?

One of the main issues in “Anna and the King” is the differences between men and women. What is less obvious is that those differences are of two types: the existing inequality of the social status of men and women, and the ways in which men and women try to deal with (end or prolong) this inequality.

First of all, let us examine the structure of Siam’s civilization. Men occupy the dominant position in all aspects of life from top to bottom of the Thai social structure. The King rules the society, and men enforce all the laws and government regulations. We see no women participating in the King’s council or in any government office. In addition to that, the ritual and custom behavior point to the humiliating position of women in Siam’s culture. According to Prince Chulalongkorn, men never apologize to women. The body language of the relationship between the two genders in the movie indicates that a woman always bows in the presence of a man and usually stays bowed until he dismisses her. All these customs, laws, and regulations separate Thai society into two unequal classes: men and women.

In the situation of inequality, there is always a group of people who are not satisfied with the life around them. We will call them the agents of change. Although, the women in Thai society are very obedient, we can observe the attempts to change their life and/or social status. For example, the slave woman acts directly. She pays money to her mistress to buy her freedom (i.e. to change her life). She is acting according to the law that “bond-servants have the right to buy their own freedom.” However, her attempt is failed because her interests contradict the interests of her mistress who doesn’t want to set her free. Why does her mistress break the law? Certainly, she is a greedy, dishonest person, but her behavior may have a deeper explanation. She imitates the behavior of men by trying to put herself above the law. Probably, such attempts of these two women have no influence on Thai society, thus they are vain. However, the actions of two other women in the movie, Tuptim and Anna, do have an eventual influence on Thai society.

Tuptim makes her choice between love and duty not like a traditional Thai woman who is obedient, but like a human being with the right to make decisions on her own. She breaks the law in order to be close to her loved one. In spite of her betrayal of the King, her desperate attempt to keep her love makes the King take her side, if only privately. The main message that we get from her life and death is that love, which is the main connection between men and women, lacks any inherent inequality or discrimination. The King admits that Tuptim and her lover “fulfilled their destiny by touching us all” and intends to learn from his mistakes. One conclusion we can make from this is that if the laws and customs deprive one (in this case, a woman) of his or her rights, then submission is not the way to keep one’s human values. A better way is to pass on your values and to set an example with your courage.

In contrast to women, we don’t see a lot of men ready or willing to change the customs of Siam. They are in a better position than women, so they are probably afraid to lose the privileges they enjoy as men. They use the tactic called “it will resolve itself in time” (as the Prime Minister says), which means that no one will get involved and nothing will happen. The official procedures and protocols keep men away from changes. However, there is one man in Siam who wants his country to change: the King. He invites the “imperialistic” teacher to teach his eldest son. Why? In the letter confirming Anna’s employment, the King says that he wanted Siam “to take its place among the nations of the modern world.” As a man and as a king, he acts very carefully. He wants to ensure that in his country “no man is above the law.” He does not make any extraordinary changes, but he allows Anna to teach his children anything she wants (he knows Anna’s liberal position). His decision determines the future of Siam: his son abolishes slavery, institutes religious freedom and reforms the judicial system.

Prince Chulalongkorn says, “Anna had shined such a light on Siam.” This is a very important statement because it directly indicates her role in transforming Siam. Evidently, her appearance in Siam leads to many changes. Why? Firstly, Anna is an exception. As a woman, she differs from Siamese women by her personal freedom and education; as a foreigner, she is not required to follow Thai customs; as a wise person, she is a confidant of the King (the Prime Minister says, “My King believes you are wise”). Secondly, Anna is trying to make changes in a consistent manner. During one of her lessons, she says: “One way to achieve impossible is to change the climate.” This is the way she acts. Anna is changing climate in and around the royal family. She takes up the problems of slavery (the episode with a woman-slave and the episode when she gives the Prince “Uncle Tom’s Cabin”), freedom of choice for women (the episode with Tuptim and her lover) and others. In such an authoritarian culture, the changes are most likely to start at the highest level of power. That is why her influence on the entire royal family is so important. Her exceptional personality and courage set an example for the King’s children, King’s wives, and even for the King himself.

Anna proves that women and men are equal by not giving courtesy to King through bowing to him because she deems that men and women have an equal right. She is always against the king’s judgment if she thinks that the king’s verdict is wrong. Also, she’s the only girl that that assumes herself as the king’s equivalent. She stands up for what she believes to be right, and, by approach of bravery, forms the fate of Siam’s realm.