“Punishment” written by Rabindranath Tagore is a short story described a riveting tale of oppression, alienation and objectification of women. Taking place in a patriarchal Bangladesh, a young woman by the name of Chandara was forced to fabricate the murder of her brother in-law’ wife and victim and falsely admit to the crime of murder committed by her brother in law, Dukhiram. Dukhiram killed his wife out of damage to his sense of pride was, when he asked food from her, only to be met with resistance. “Punishment” shares a few parallels of 19th century modern feminism United States as portrayed by Mary Wonllenstonecraft, an era where women’s rights were fell far behind that of men.
Punishment puts us in the views of a young wife named Chandara in Bengladesh. Chandara describes an eye-witness account to the iron fist rule of men in a patriarchal Benglali society, where she forced to submit to the will of her husband and consequently, being compelled to falsely admit to killing her husband’s victim. In connection of certain men selfish and wishful thinging, Mary Wollenstoncraft uses the quote in the in the chapter 5 by Rousseau, “her duty to render herself agreeable to her master—this being the grand end of her existence….no aphorism ever contained a more paradoxical assertion” (Mary Wallstoncraft.) to convey that within the proverbial totem pole of 17th century Europe, women belonged to an inferior caste than that of men, living a life of servitude.
According to Punishment, “If I lose my wife I can get another, but if my brother is hanged, how can I replace him?” (895, Tagore) In the end of story, Chandara was sentenced in death penalty for taking the guilt for her husband’s brother just because Chidam thinks women is replaceable. In both contexts was depicted how society dehumanize woman’s feeling and alienation when it comes to gender. When Mary Wollstonecraft is using her experience and quote by others to promote and emphasized on the concept feminism should be awake. And in short story of Punishment, is depicted the alienation of woman when Chandara shows her mortification and disappointment towards both her father who arranged her future, and husband who distorted and manipulated the truth who send her to death. She would rather choose to be dead so she can be brought her spiritual to higher level and live with her mother eternally in another world.
Maureen, I agree with you that “Punishment’s” depiction of marriage reminds us of some of the issues that Mary Wollstonecraft raises in her 18th century work of early feminism. I am particularly reminded of Wollstonecraft’s concerns about what happens when a wife is wholly dependent on her husband; clearly, that is the case in the traditional Bengali culture that Tagore describes. I was a bit confused by your final line, however; I don’t see anything in Tagore’s text that would suggest that Chandara is looking for some spiritual release or hoping to be reunited with her mother through death (that doesn’t make sense culturally either). It seems more that she is choosing death as her only way out of a situation that she considers to be intolerable.
Hi Professor,
Thanks for the comment. In the context of punishment “a kindly civil surgeon asked Chandara, “Do you like to see anyone?” “I’d like to see my mother,” she replied….”Your husband wants to see you,” said the doctor….”To hell with him,” said Chandra. (Tagore, 899) From the text Punishment, Chandara was disappointed to her father who leads her to a miserable fate with her husband and leads to the fate of death penalty, so she would take her spiritual to higher level which is reunite to her mother and live in heaven eternally.