Punishment – Huashan Ji

After reading the story “Punishment” by Tagore, I’ve reflected on some similarities the story shares with another work we’ve read so far, “Du Tenth Sinks the Jewel Box in Anger.” Both stories develop around the theme of suppressed women in society at the time. Because of the inferior social status, most women lacked the strength and resource to be independent. They often had to compromise their own lives and rely on men. In the story “Punishment,” Chandara is talked into taking the blame of murdering her sister-in-law by her husband Chidam. Chidam does so to protect his brother from going to prison. When he tells his wife Chandara to admit to the murder, she reacts as quoting, “Chandara stared at him stunned; her black eyes burnt him like fire. Then she shrank back, as if to escape his devilish clutches. She turned her heart and soul away from him. At this point, Chandara’s love for Chidam is dead. She does not have the power and freedom to run away from her tragic life and her disappointing husband. Therefore, she obeys to Chidam, although we later find out she doesn’t follow his plan. Similarly, Du Tenth foolishly dreams about relying on Li Jia for the rest of her life, and then only later finds out Li Jia is dumping her. Her reply to Li Jia is identical with Chandara’s response, quoting “The man who devised this plan for you is truly a great hero. The fortune of the thousand taels will enable you to restore your position in your family, and I will go to another man so as not to be a burden to you.” Both responses come from desperation for love.

One another similarity that two works share is the dramatic turnout at the end. Chandara, just like Du Tenth, chooses death over love to set herself free from suffering.