Author Archives: SHAWN BENDECK

         Rabindranath Tagore’s, Punishment conveys several turns and twists throughout which quickly escalate situations in the short story. This text most definitely connects with real world issues such as loyalty and trust. I felt this text could actually happen if it really wanted to. Almost as if it had been some kind of dramatic scandal that could have occurred in news past. This situation could definitely be some dramatic criminal case you could see on a cop like jury like television show. I feel Chidam’s decision to betray his own wife simply to save his brother legally says a lot about him and related to real world rescissions we make today. Today we prioritize people or certain things or certain situations in life. Chidam could’ve let his brother go to jail and could’ve not even gotten his wife involved. This shows the connections he had to his brother. Clearly as is shows it came to life or death between his brother and his wife, he would choose his brother. His wife no longer even wants nothing to do with him after giving her in to be sent away. I could definitely respect her decision by not wanting to reunite with a her husband. As people some may understand that there are those that are not loyal to us and would in some way or form disrespect us such as giving us up in a murder case we didn’t do. If someone were to snitch on you, you lose trust and loyalty in that person and you could potentially distance yourself from those who don’t care about you. Chidam’s wife wanted nothing to do with Chidam and preferred death over be with him in any way. I feel I could also even relate this to Hedda Gabler. I feel Hedda seemed miserable and lifeless throughout the whole plot. Following the end of the play she clearly preferred a beautiful death then being with her husband and living the life she was living.  Hedda and Chidam’s wife at the end of both plays decide that what is best for them is to get away from all the chaos they had been through and getting away from the drama even if death is the only way in doing so. Both texts also some kind of crime and investigation going on. Punishment of course dealing with Dukhiram murdering his own wife. He had been stressed out with working wages and lack of food to support and his wife was nagging him about it later he struck her in the head with a knife. Chidam having his own wife take the blame, shows a great deal of loyalty in his brother by in a sense bailing him out of the situation. Chidam’s wife rather go to jail and die then be with Chidam. Hedda Gabler deals with the investigation which Hedda gave her pistol away to a man who later had eventually killing himself accidentally with the pistol. Hedda in the end shoots herself in the head with the pistol. Both texts have some kind of death in the head showing that the head is a significant target in death.

       Hedda Gablers starring Ingrid Bergman provides visual representation as to what the text was trying to portray. The movie shows the actions and emotions of the characters throughout the text. We may see the film as interpretation of the text in showing the roller coaster of emotions that Hedda Gabler shows throughout both the text and the movie. I feel the film did a solid job in really portraying how unhappy Hedda Gabler. Even from the very first second we see her in the film walking down the stairs she just doesn’t look in the mood for anything. Throughout the film and text she makes it known that she isn’t enjoying where she is in her life. She may not always directly say how feels but I feel she in some way tries to imply that she isn’t happy or doesn’t truly love her husband or enjoy the house she lives in. Throughout the film even if she shows that she is smiling it never truly is a real smile. Her fake smiles seem to show the only happiness she has. The film definitely portrays her  deceitfulness especially in the scene with Elvsted in the garden. She pretends to be her friend clearly seeking something or some type of answers out of Elvsted. Hedda Gabler tries to manipulate her into thinking her friend and realizes that this woman that Lovborg is looking for is really Hedda. I feel what most stood out to me from the film that I didn’t get from the reading is the mental state in which Gabler is in. If I’m making a text to say film connection I would connect this to the Joker. Gabler has a very hyena like psychotic like laugh during certain points of the play. In the film she shoots her gun three times simply laughing in enjoyment trying to find some way to entertain herself knowing she potentially kill a man. I question why when she originally pulled out the gun with George that he didn’t get any red flags. I’m unsure if George is blind to her fake love I feel she gives off, and maybe he actually loves her but it’s clearly not as mutual. I definitely didn’t exactly portray George in the film and text the same pertaining to height and looks. In the text he seems like a respectable man of the household food in the film he seems like a pushover nice, and I feel nice guys finish last. I don’t think Gabler appreciates his kindness and everything he does for her but in the film he seems like a very soft man so I could see why she may not love or take him seriously.

       “His savage barbarity was equalled only by the consummate coolness with which he committed the grossest and most savage deeds upon the slaves under his charge. Mr. Gore once undertook to whip one of Colonel Lloyd’s slaves, by the name of Demby. He had given Demby but few stripes, when, to get rid of the scourging, he ran and plunged himself into a creek, and stood there at the depth of his shoulders, refusing to come out. Mr. Gore told him that he would give him three calls, and that, if he did not come out at the third call, he would shoot him. The first call was given. Demby made no response, but stood his ground. The second and third calls were given with the same result. Mr. Gore then, without consultation or deliberation with any one, not even giving Demby an additional call, raised his musket to his face, taking deadly aim at his standing victim, and in an instant poor Demby was no more. His mangled body sank out of sight, and blood and brains marked the water where he had stood.” This recounts the tine Frederick Douglas witnessed murder before his own eyes. This passage stood out to me because it shows how cold hearted these slave owners could really be. Not only are they cold hearted, but they are allowed to be cold hearted. What I mean by this is no one is stopping this man from committing murder. He’s not getting charged and no one is interfering. This shows the power of a slave owner, and not only that everyone watching him commuting this murder can’t do a thing about it or else they could see themselves being shot. I feel this passage also shows the savage ness of slave owners. Prior to Mr. Gore’s killing he was initially hired because the slave owner before him wasn’t fit for the job. In order to be a slave owner you must have that savage that lives inside of you. You can’t have feelings in order to be a slave owner. One man does not simply shoot another for no longer wanting to be whipped once more. It takes a different kind of evil to condone this behavior. If  a slave owner doesn’t have it in him to be so cruel he simply must be replaced with someone who can take the job and make the slave life as miserable as can be. Frederick Douglas after witnessing this has no choice to be shocked and possibly in fear. That person could be him if he ever rebelled. That person getting shot could be his brother or sister but he’ll never really know because slave owners don’t want them to no. Frederick wasn’t even allowed to see his mother become buried or even meet his father. Slaves have been so physically and mentally brutalized at this point where they create their own happiness, but such happiness isn’t real and can be hard to create especially witnessing a man being murders right before your eyes.