Ma
Broken April Reflection
1. The Code in Albania pushes the balance between men and women. In one of the more depressing traditions, the husband is not allowed to wait on the wedding. If by some chance there is a murder, then according to tradition “the bride enters on one side, the dead man leaves on the other” (75). This oxymoronic happy/sad relationship with a dual wedding/funeral shows the extent to which the bessa can disrupt the balance between the living and the dead. A living, happy woman is held with equal regard as a very, very dead man. These extremities in the relationship between the man and the woman in the Code are further highlighted with the “tradition” with the bride’s family. The husband is given the “blessed cartridge” for “if she proved unfaithful”, the husband would be allowed to shoot her. Here, the woman is again looked down upon. Just like with the murder tradition, the rights of women are again seconded to the rights of men. This disruption in the balance between man and women is also reflected in Bessian and Diana, when Bessian says to Diana “ ‘you are a child’”. Continuing with his rather patronizing tone whenever addressing Albanian culture to Diana, Bessian and Diana’s relationship and interaction reveal some of the frictional components in their marriage. His personality and his inability to understand Diana places his position in their marriage as much higher than that of Diana’s. Thus, the Kanun values men over women.