–How does justice work in the world of “Punishment”? What happens when one tells the truth? What happens when one lies?
–What do we make of Chandara’s choice to take responsibility for the death of her sister-in-law? Do you see her as a hero or as a victim?
–Explain the significance of the details Tagore offers about the marriage between Chandara and Chidam. How do they help us understand the events of the story?
–How do you understand the title of the story?
–As she approaches death, Chandara both says, “to hell with him,” and maintains that she loves her husband. How do you reconcile these two apparently contradictory statements?
What do we make of Chandara’s choice to take responsibility for the death of her sister-in-law? Do you see her as a hero or as a victim?
I’m not entirely sure whether Chandara can be seen as either a hero or a victim in Tagore’s
I’m not entirely sure whether Chandara can be seen as either a hero or a victim in Tagore’s
Chandara’s choice to take responsibility for the death of her sister-in-law shows how unfair and inferior women are treated in that society. I think Chandara is a victim because from the very beginning when Ramlochan asked Chidam what happened in the house, Chidam automatically said Chandara killed Radha. Chandara did not have the choice not to take responsibility for this death since the whole village already heard her husband’s story. By this time, Chidam also said to Ramlochan, “Thankur, if I lose my wife I can get another”(895). This shows how indifferent Chandara’s husband is about her life which indicates the inferior position that women hold in their society. Even though at the end of the story, Chidam confessed that his wife was innocent, the judge did not believe him and Chandara was hanged, making her a victim. The judge and the village did not even attempt to look for more evidence regarding the incident because they automatically believed that Ramlochan is telling the truth because he is educated and has status.
Also when Chandara confessed her guilt, she did so not because she wanted to, but due to her understanding that her voice doesn’t matter. Her denial of the murder would not change the outcome because she is only eighteen, and their society (including the court system) is biased against women as well as those with less education or status. This is why Chandara is a victim till the very end.
–How do you understand the title of the story?
I understand the title of the story as a punishment for Chidam. He wanted to save his brother from the crime he committed, and preferred his own wife to take the guilt with the promise of getting her out of it. Chandara, the wife, decided to take the guilt and die for it. When Chidam saw her so stubborn to continue lying about she committing the crime he freaked out, and told the truth but nobody believed him. Chandara died and that was Chidam’s punishment.
–How does justice work in the world of “Punishment”? What happens when one tells the truth? What happens when one lies?
In the world of “Punishment,” the justice is rigorously and eventually served to those who violated the order. At the same time, it is quite severe and unjustified whereby, any level of crime treated identically by a death sentence. Whereas, the one who tells the truth about his or her wrongdoing will be punished with death without any further investigations ones everything consolidates. At the same time, the ones who lied treated equally with the same punishment due to the consent that the person was either in some ways was involved in crime or was deliberately and impertinently deceiving the authorities. In other words, the person who lied evenly sentenced to death as an offender for the misbehavior in the front of the law which in some ways shows the deficit of its influence; thus, the public execution is essential to perpetrate any further ideas of defying the order.
2. I think that Chandara is a Victim because she did not kill her sister-in-law but then also she was charged with murder of Radha and sentenced to death. She lost her life for doing nothing.
What do we make of Chandara’s choice to take responsibility for the death of her sister-in-law? Do you see her as a hero or as a victim?
I think it’s not so easy to say Chandra is either a hero or a victim and that she is bit both. She was the victim in sense her husband accused and put her on trial of killing her sister in law. she was wrongfully accused. She is a hero in terms that she refused to take it as it is and let her husband control her faith. She wanted to have control of her own destiny. Also she refused to paint this barbaric picture of her sister in law in the eyes of the court just to free her own self. She made a decision on her own and choose to live and die on her own terms not those of an another man.
Q) what do we make Chandra’s choice to take responsibility for the death of her sister in law ? Do you see her as hero or as a victim?
Chandra choice to take responsibility for the death of her sister in law was her choices and I think she is a hero because she don’t want to get controlled by his husband and we all know during that time husband controls their women and by taking this action she wants to control his own destiny.
–What do we make of Chandara’s choice to take responsibility for the death of her sister-in-law? Do you see her as a hero or as a victim?
I think that Chandara plays the role of both the hero and the victim. Chandara plays the role of the hero as she saves her husbands brother from being found guilty of killing his wife. She also plays the role of victim as she is found guilty of and convicted for a crime she did not commit.
As she approaches death, Chandara both says, “to hell with him,” and maintains that she loves her husband. How do you reconcile these two apparently contradictory statements?
Chandara defends her husband in court because it was appropriate for women to behave a certain way during this time period, and it was definitely not in her best interest to disobey either society’s view on women or her role as a wife in the family. While readers might question why she made that claim if she is going to get executed anyways, we see that her statement of “to hell with him” expresses her true feelings towards his husband. I think her motive was to not be with her husband any longer, since he was willing to throw her life under the bus to save his brother, either way, the only way out for her is death.
What do we make of Chandara’s choice to take responsibility for the death of her sister-in-law? Do you see her as a hero or as a victim?
Chandara didn’t choose to take responsibility, her husband (Chidam) decided for her. She had no say in the matter making her a victim. Chidam said, “If I lose my wife I can get another, but if my brother is hanged, how can I replace him?” (895) Chidam believes that it would be better to lose his wife then to lose his own brother; therefore, he kind of doesn’t really care for his wife. However, Chandara becomes somewhat of a hero towards the end of the story. She takes charge of the situation, even though it is in a small way. “Your husband wants to see you,” said the doctor. “Shall I call him?”
“To hell with him,” said Chandara. (899) Chidam started to feel guilty for blaming his wife. Chandara is disregarding her husband and not letting him control her in a sense.
What do we make of Chandara’s choice to take responsibility for the death of her sister-in-law? Do you see her as a hero or as a victim?
Chandara’s choice to take responsibility for the death of her sister-in-law is very childish. It doesn’t even make sense for her to take responsibility for it, but she does it anyway. In my opinion, she did it to spite her husband. He sold out on her, and she decided to get revenge against him by disobeying him and doing the exact opposite of what he wanted. She basically killed herself so she could stick it to her husband for betraying her. I see her as a victim of her stubbornness. Killing herself is such an extreme way of getting revenge.
–What do we make of Chandara’s choice to take responsibility for the death of her sister-in-law? Do you see her as a hero or as a victim?
Chandara’s was a victim of societal standards. This shows the authority men had over women and how easily disposable their lives were. Also, after seeing her husband offer up her life, she probably felt disgusted and dying was better than continuing to live such an unfulfilling life.