Kunthi Character Analysis

Kunthi is Rukmani’s beautiful and alluring neighbor. Kunthi is aloof and arrogant because she comes from a wealthy background and considers life in the village beneath her. While Rukmani becomes close with the other village women, like Kali and Janaki, Kunthi is always rude and “insolent” to her. Once, after Rukmani visits Kenny in town, she encounters Kunthi dressed in a sheer sari and made up provocatively; even though it’s obvious that Kunthi is conducting an affair, she implies that Rukmani has been cheating on her husband. Later, Nathan reveals to Rukmani that he slept with Kunthi before and after their marriage; in fact, he fathered both of Kunthi’s two sons. While Rukmani and Irawaddy provide surprisingly positive depictions of sexuality, Kunthi’s sexuality is characterized as an explicit threat to the cohesion of the family.