Water

Throughout An Obedient Father, water serves as a symbol of the domesticity behind which Ram hides his abuse. Prior to his assaults on Anita and Asha, Ram often asks them to bring him a glass of water from the kitchen. The water thus acts as a clear harbinger of the violence that Ram then inflicts on his daughter and granddaughter. Importantly, Ram chooses to mask the beginnings of his abusive acts with a domestic request. In this way, he seeks to normalize and excuse his behavior; he intertwines horrific abuse with the relative normalcy of family life. Sharma emphasizes the perversity of Ram’s assaults by placing his behavior alongside familiar, comforting actions, such as retrieving a glass of water for a paternal figure.

The Work Crew

The work crew that Ram encounters at the end of Chapter 3 represents the moral salvation for which Ram pines...