Mrs. Fogg (to be) & her grumpy in-laws

Posted by Inbanana Jones from archlab.anthro.uwm.edu on April 27, 1999 at 22:27:24:

In Reply to: TOD Thuggies from Around the World in 80 Days? posted by _ on April 27, 1999 at 21:57:06:

In Verne's novel Phileas Fogg and Passepartout, his able assistant, are truckin' through India when they come upon a suttee. Suttee is a subcontinental custom also known as "wife-burning" (thankfully outlawed and viewed with horror by most contemporary Indians). This custom called for the community-sanctioned execution of a widow by placing her on the funeral pyre of her dead husband. Although the epics would have us believe differently, it is likely that these women did NOT go gently into that good night, nor were they likely convinced of the cultural necessity of doing so. Such was probably the case with attendees of the dead in many cultures. Anyway, back to our story: Fogg and Passepartout see the suttee about to begin, whereupon Fogg decides to intervene and save the woman from this "uncivilized act", in the best tradition of the Raj. Our heroes liberate her, narrowly escaping the angry Indian mourners. Fogg, Passepartout, and this woman, whose name I cannot recall (but I think she was a Princess or something, ah Verne!) continue with Fogg's quest to beat the cops and the clock back to his whist game in jolly London. Fogg and his Princess are married and live happily ever after.

I think Verne's books must have played a general role in Indy's conception, particularly as Indy is yet another in the pantheon of Modernist anglo heroes popularized by people like Verne (yes, I know, Nemo was an Indian prince, etc., etc.; don't send me hate mail). Verne's books are rather fun, but like the stereotypes in Temple of Doom things are layed on a bit thick. Perhaps the caricature of the British Raj in ToD was meant as a put-on by George and Steven; I mean, really, those Brits did so take themselves so awfully bloody seriously then.

By the way, the Thuggee cult of Kali was nothing to laugh at then. I read somewhere that they killed tens of thousands during the 19th C., and nearly all of them individually by strangulation. Quite an example of grim dedication. I've always thought that the second Indy film should have retained more a more serious tone than it did, consigning the monkey brains and creepy-crawlies to the editing room floor in favor of an even darker occult atmosphere. Perhaps keeping the original "Temple of Death" title would have helped this (they blew it with the whole PG-13 thing anyway). And monkey brains, although popular in Cantonese cuisine, are not often to be found in Washington, DC...

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Clue! Very good. :) Aragorn 14:42:09 4/28/99 (0)

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: In Verne's novel Phileas Fogg and Passepartout, his able assistant, are truckin' through India when they come upon a suttee.  Suttee is a subcontinental custom also known as "wife-burning" (thankfully outlawed and viewed with horror by most contemporary Indians).  This custom called for the community-sanctioned execution of a widow by placing her on the funeral pyre of her dead husband.  Although the epics would have us believe differently, it is likely that these women did NOT go gently into that good night, nor were they likely convinced of the cultural necessity of doing so.  Such was probably the case with attendees of the dead in many cultures.  Anyway, back to our story:  Fogg and Passepartout see the suttee about to begin, whereupon Fogg decides to intervene and save the woman from this "uncivilized act", in the best tradition of the Raj.  Our heroes liberate her, narrowly escaping the angry Indian mourners.  Fogg, Passepartout, and this woman, whose name I cannot recall (but I think she was a Princess or something, ah Verne!) continue with Fogg's quest to beat the cops and the clock back to his whist game in jolly London.  Fogg and his Princess are married and live happily ever after.

: I think Verne's books must have played a general role in Indy's conception, particularly as Indy is yet another in the pantheon of Modernist anglo heroes popularized by people like Verne (yes, I know, Nemo was an Indian prince, etc., etc.; don't send me hate mail).  Verne's books are rather fun, but like the stereotypes in Temple of Doom things are layed on a bit thick.  Perhaps the caricature of the British Raj in ToD was meant as a put-on by George and Steven; I mean, really, those Brits did so take themselves so awfully bloody seriously then.

: By the way, the Thuggee cult of Kali was nothing to laugh at then.  I read somewhere that they killed tens of thousands during the 19th C., and nearly all of them individually by strangulation.  Quite an example of grim dedication.  I've always thought that the second Indy film should have retained more a more serious tone than it did, consigning the monkey brains and creepy-crawlies to the editing room floor in favor of an even darker occult atmosphere.  Perhaps keeping the original "Temple of Death" title would have helped this (they blew it with the whole PG-13 thing anyway).  And monkey brains, although popular in Cantonese cuisine, are not often to be found in Washington, DC...

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