Tag Archives: Punishment

Punishment of the Innocent

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The text “Punishment” by Rabindranath Tagore, is truly a tragic one. Chidam’s betrayal to Chandara can only be described as inhuman, as he sacrificed her immediately to save his brother’s life. “He could think of no swift reply… a reply to Ramlochan’s question had come instantly to mind, and he had blurted it out.” (Tagore 894) It is very evident that his wife is not someone important to him, since she was the first thing that came to his mind as a means of protecting his brother. He even told Ramlochan that he could always get another wife, which raises the flag that he does not see his wife as a living thing.

Chandara, on the receiving end of the stick, is completely shocked by how her husband can sell her out so quickly. It does not matter that Chidam tells her he will save her, because he had already doomed her. When she realized what kind of person her husband truly is, she closed herself off and left only a empty shell behind. “She turned her heart and soul away from him.” (Tagore 896) At that point, Chandara did not want to have anything to do with her husband. The bond and connection was severed and nothing would ever heal it, because she already decided that dying would be more honorable than having her husband “save” her from this false accusation.

We get a glimpse of the relationship between Chandara and Chidam when he talks about the past. Chandara was not the type of woman to obey her husband like the traditional wife would. She was very independent and did not like being told what she can and cannot do, which Chidam hated. However, when she fled, “with great difficulty Chidam persuaded her to return” and this shows how much he still wanted her, and Chandara was forgiving and must have truly loved him to accept him back into her life.

This brings out the big question: Did Chidam actually love his wife? Throughout the story, there was a constant back and forth of pushing Chandara away and wanting to regain her trust again. Near the end of the text, he attempts to tell everyone the truth and that his wife is actually innocent. Why would he do this? Does he regret the decision he has made? It is very complicated because Chidam is almost unsure of whether or not he wants to keep his wife or wants her to die so he does not have to feel this dread of losing her, even though this was all brought on by himself.

Betrayal in Literature

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In both stories, “Punishment” by Rabindranath Tagore and “Separate Ways” by Higuchi Ichiyo, the ending outcome for the main characters was betrayal, or the sense that they had been betrayed. Even if the offence was not intended to hurt them, they still took it to heart.

In “Punishment” by Rabindranath Tagore, Chandara, the wife of Chidam was told to take the blame for a crime that she did not commit, the death of her sister in law, Radah. She received these orders from Chidam, who was only trying to save the real killer, his brother, Dukhiram. As soon as she was told to take the blame by her husband Chandara changed. She immediately disconnected from him and everyone else, as though they showed their true colors and now she had no reason to stay alive anyway. “When her husband asked her to admit to the murder, Chandara stared at him stunned; … Chandara paid no attention—sat like a wooden statue whenever he spoke”(Tagore 896). Even when her husband had formulated a way for her to escape the blame, she did not waiver from the fact that he still cast her aside and was alright with her taking the original blame, so she didn’t even consider his alternate plan, she was persistent in her story because she was ready to die. Even in her final moments when she was asked who she wanted to see before she was hung, she said this,

“I’d like to see my mother” she replied.

“Your husband wants to see you,” said the doctor. “Shall I call him?”

“To hell with him,” said Chandara. (Tagore 899)

As it can clearly be seen, Chandara did not want anything to do with her husband after he betrayed her. No matter what the circumstances were, after the betrayal he was dead to her and she thought of no reason she should continue living.

In “Separate Ways” by Higuchi Ichiyo betrayal is scene in a less dramatic way. Kichizo, a young man who was about 16 years old was growing up with no family and no sense of identity. He was trying to get by working at an umbrella shop, oiling umbrellas. He became very fond of a seamstress named Okyo, who was twenty and like an older sister to him. Because he had no family or friends Okyo was very important to him. It should also be known that there have been people that Kichizo was fond of in the past have also left him and for this reason he believes everything in his life leads to disappointment. Unfortunately, as expected, Okyo received an offer to become a mistress so that she could stop slaving away as a seamstress, and so she naturally took that opportunity. “First Granny dies of palsy. Then Kinu goes and throws herself into the well… Now you’re going off. I’m always disappointed in the end”(Ichiyo 913). When Kichizo heard that Okyo was going to be leaving him he was devastated and felt betrayed that someone who had been like family to him would be leaving him again. It felt all too familiar to him. He didn’t want anything to do with Okyo once he heard her news. He was cold and cruel to her, even when she said that she wouldn’t lose all contact with him he did not care. To him Okyo had already betrayed him and he wanted nothing more to do with her. “He stared at her with tears in his eyes. “Take your hands off me, Okyo”(Ichiyo 913). Kichizo felt betrayed because he was finally close to someone again and they were leaving him as they usually did. He felt the familiarity of this and concluded once again that his life always lead to unhappy conclusions.