Reading Tagore’s “Punishment”, reminds me of the story “Du Tenth Sinks the Jewel Box in Anger” by Feng Menglong. Both heroines are met with betrayal by their husbands which resulted in their death. The common theme introduced in both texts is catastrophic events that follow due to the lack of wealth. In “Du Tenth Sinks the Jewel Box in Anger”, wealth plays an essential role in directing character action. Du Tenth’s tragic past was the result of her unlucky birth, without any support at early youth, she was forced into prostitution to survive. Li Jia’s betrayal is not without the influence of wealth; his fear of his father already imposed a great burden upon him, Sun Fu’s proposal to purchase Du Tenth for 1000 taels became the last straw.
In Tagore’s“Punishment”, Dukhiram killed his wife Radha in a fit of anger. Dukhiram was already exhausted from work in addition to the ridicule he received from his co-worker, the lack of food and the sarcasm shown from his wife broke the last straw. Poverty may not be directly responsible for Dukhiram’s action, but this may be preventable if he’s wealthy. Also, Ramlochan’s visit to their house was to collect a debt, had the debt been fully paid, Dukhiram and his brother would have more time to devise a plan, one that doesn’t involve sacrificing Chandara. Knowing what awaits his brother, Chidam asked his wife Chandara to be the scapegoat for this murder.
Although Chidam portrayed remorse for his actions, even going to the extent of taking the blame himself, he never received her forgiveness. Chidam chose death even though she was capable of receiving a lighter sentence, similar to how Du Tenth chose to kill herself despite the fact Li Jia shows regrets for his actions. Both Du Tenth and Chandara chose death over the chance of living and are unforgiving to their husbands for their betrayal. Chandara states “To hell with him” when told her husband would like to see her, just before she is hanged. Just before plunging right into the rivers, Du Tenth states “it is not I who have betrayed you, but rather you who have betrayed me!” Both Li Jia and Chidam are held most accountable for the death of their wives, however, we cannot deny wealth’s role in both tragedies.
Kevin, Thanks for pointing out that the similarity between these two texts extends beyond the fact that the male protagonists in both texts betray the female protagonists; indeed, in both cases, money or the lack thereof plays a pivotal role.