–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?
Chandara chose her own death which is a theme we now see in both Hedda Gabler and in Punishment. Chandara didn’t get to choose her husband as her father had made that choice for her. Nor did she have a choice in having the murder placed on her by her husband. I think she knew that the courts would believe her Dukhiram and Chidam over her anyway. Even when the brothers do try to take the blame on themselves the judge decides she’s guilty.
The bird out of the courtroom window has “no courts or cases in his world” and in many ways is more free then she ever was and would be. I can’t imagine it an easy thing to face death as Chandara did and I see her as a hero.
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?
Chandra at this point in the story, decided that death would be better than staying married to a husband who is willing to cast blame on her in the name of saving his brother who he describes as being irreplaceable, while he is able to find a new wife. As the text said, chandra’s heart and soul turned from her husband when he asked her to say she had gotten into a quarrel with her elder sister in law and accidentally plunged the farm knife into her head. She was more hurt by the fact that her husband would put her life at risk instead of simply telling the truth and turning his brother over to the law. Towards the end of the story when Chandra said “To hell with him” when told that her husband wished to see her, displays her I’ll feelings towards her husband. In this case, she was the victim of a disloyal and cruel marriage that lead to her demise.
–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 choses to take responsibility for the death of her sister-in-law to save herself from familial as well as societal issues. She is a victim of the caste systems as well as a patriarchal society. She is found guilty by default due to her status and position as a woman in Indian society. Chandara is also disappointed in her husband’s decision to blame her for the murder because she respected him. However, Chandara is also a hero because she represents the things wrong with Indian society. Her decision to stand by the conviction is almost as a way for her to punish her husband (hence the title) and also make her husband realize the issues within their family.
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?
In many ways, Chandara is a hero and a victim. In accepting responsibility for the murder of her sister-in-law, she escapes life under her husband’s rule. Unfortunately, this act also leads to her death. She is a heroine for being able to choose her own fate, but a victim because it leads to death and it was not originally her idea. If Chandara had testified what her husband told her to say, she would’ve returned to a shaky and abusive marriage. I think this would’ve made her more of a victim. In choosing death, she writes her own story and doesn’t have to worry about rumors or domestic violence.
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?
When Chandara commits to take responsibility for the death of her sister-in-law, it solidifies the broken bond between her and her husband. She does this to send a message to her husband on disloyalty and lying. Chandara is a victim at this case because she takes her life because of her husbands actions on lying. At the end of the story, he realizes where he had messed up and tries putting the blame on himself. By then it becomes too late because the court believes he was covering for her actions. When Chandara was betrayed, her love dies as well due to the actions of her husband.
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?
She is a victim of a toxic marriage/family home. Her choice to take responsibility over her sister in law’s death wasn’t really a choice after all. She saw how being “rude” got her sister in law killed, and she simply gave in to prevent that because she understands how cruel men can be in marriages. We also understand that she is a victim when before she is going to get killed, she says “to hell with him” because she is hurt that he even made her go through everything in the first place.
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?
It is explained in the story that Chandara and her husband fought constantly but both had mutual respect for each other. They are both able to fight and reconcile but this event had broken just that. Even though she indeed loved him, she knew that he had betrayed her and would rather die than continue in a marriage where he had broken her trust.
How does justice work in the world of “Punishment”? What happens when one tells the truth? What happens when one lies?
Justice in the world of punishment at times can be non- existent depending on the status in society you may hold . At times , when people tell truth the outcome can sometimes not work in the favor of the individual , this can also include when an individual lies as well.
How do you understand the title of the story?
The title of the story “Punishment” by Rabindranath Tagore could be interpreted in more than one ways however, to my understanding, it is well justified in the way that all main characters of the story suffered or went through some sort/type of punishment per se, majorly Radha and Chandara Rui. First, Radha was victimized to brutal murder by her own husband literally just for crossing her limits while cursing him during an argument. Secondly, the younger wife Chandara has to go through legal punishment for committing a crime she did not even have a hand in, ironically for murdering her elder sister Radha which was done by her husband in the first place. Later on, when Chidam (Chandara’s husband, apparently the one who asks her to confess that she got into a fight with Radha and killed her) realizes that he is not doing right to her, he tries to tell the truth to the court but his point does not matter anymore as there is no evidence to support his claim. Finally, after being filled with enormous guilt, when Dukhiram tries to confess his crime (that he was the one to kill Radha), the court does not consider his opinion valid and backed with enough evidences too, eventually resulting in his freedom. Now, it wasn’t actually freedom for the two brothers from their sins, decisions, and dehumanizing behavior which will not leave them throughout their lives. Overall, all of them intentionally or unintentionally tolerate punishments of some sort or another.
–How do you understand the title of the story?
I think it is most related to the way Chandara deals with the situation nad ends up punishing her husband. She was a victim but I believe that emerged as a hero. She probably felt dissapointed, angry at the fact that her own husband asked her to do such a thing as to blame herself for a murder she didn’t commit, that instead of repeating everything he instructed her to say, she took control over the situation and simply decided to take all the blame without even using her sister in law as an excuse for her death. She said she simply killed her. All of this, that must have been very hard for her obviously because she was going to face death penalty, was motivated by that anger towards her husband, she loved him so much but he betrayed her and threw her to the wolves, so she decided to teach him a lesson and punish him.
How does justice work in the world of “Punishment”? What happens when one tells the truth? What happens when one lies?
Apparently , the justice system dosen’t work very well in this story. The colonial judgement (a british man ) dosen’t ditinguish the truth from lie.Even one has told the truth and addimiited there was a lie before , this judge still made a decision baised by class and gender. If the decision of a justice system can be baised by class and gender , there is no justice at all.
–How does justice work in the world of “Punishment”? What happens when one tells the truth? What happens when one lies?
When someone lies the truth is then called into question. Both stories must be checked in order for the truth to be confirmed. The truth condemns Chandara therefore she must lie to overpower the truth.
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 see Chandra as a victim because she was collateral damage and she just didnt want to be a part of chidam life no more, even though she still loves him. In the end she knows what chidams true intentions are and she knows that isnt no more mutal respect between them anymore