In the 19th  century, the role of the woman in their society was both similar and different from one way to another affecting by the stereotype of social gender that had been existed very long in human history. To illustrate, the characteristics of an Indian woman in “Punishment” by Rabindranath Tagore were described conflictingly. Chandara used to be a nice, hardworking and gentle wife of her husband, Chidam. However, she became more restless, aggressive and heartless when her husband blamed her on the crime that she did not commit in order to save his blood brother.  In contrast the Indian woman’s picture, John Keats created the image of the lady in “La Belle Dame Sans Merci” successfully by drawing how beautiful, romantic, attractive, joyful and liberal of a woman in America in 19th century.

The characteristics of woman in America in 19th century were described very positively by Keats. He portrayed the beauty of the  lady in “La Belle Dame Sans Merci” as a very inviting image with these descriptions “Full beautiful-a faery’s child”, “Long hair”, “Light foot” and “wild eyes” (Keats, pg. 828). These descriptions indicated that no gentleman can ignore such a beautiful lady’s image. Keats added a lady in this poem was not only physically attractive but also soulfully appealing. “I made a garland for her head…She look’d at me as she did love, and made sweet moan” “And sure in language strange she said-“I love thee true”” (Keats, pg. 828). Through these quotes, the characteristics of woman in America in 19th century were expressed in a very strong manner. In the poem, the lady was described as very strong, sweet and romantic characteristic. After she received “a garland, a bracelets and a fragrant zone” from a man, she gave him a sweet look and sweet moan in returns. She also did some other things for him to please him as well, “She took me to her elfin grot, And there she wept, and sigh’d fill sore”…”And there she lulled me asleep” (Keats, pg. 829). The lady in this case totally attracted the man both by her physically beauty and her romantic soul. In brief, the characteristics of the lady in this poem was described as a very attractive and appealing portray. She was freely to practice her powers in her private life like having fun with her lovers and doing things make her love be sweet and romantic. The lady’s image in the “La Belle Dame Sans Merci” reflected the real characteristics of American woman in the 19th century were beautiful, attractive, strong manner, powerful and liberty.

“Punishment” is the story that took place in India. The story mostly talks about how the family structured and functioned in Indian culture. As a matter of facts, social gender was an issue in most of Western cultures including India. Man and woman were not be equally treated. Man always had powers over woman in all circumstances. In “Punishment” Tagore emphasized how the stereotype of social gender influence the Indian culture, and how a woman characterized her true self in Indian society in 19th century. Chidam wanted to save his blood brother from a crime of murder, he blamed on his wife, Chandara, was the one to commit a crime with his devil excuse “if I lose my wife I can get another but if my brother is hanged, how can I replace him?” (Tagore, pg.1695). Chidam wanted to exchange his wife’s life to his brother’s life although he loved his wife a lot. Why would that be? The only reasonable answer for it is the discrimination of gender role in Indian culture. Man is everything, and is the one has all powers in society. In contrast, woman is nothing, and is priceless in society.

However, Chandara’s reactions towards her husband devilish blame on her were the turning point and reflection in her life. She was willing to accept a death to change her destiny and her value in her society. In the beginning, she was a decent and pleasant wife. She loved Chidam a lot and took care of him as well as she could. Nevertheless, after Chidam blamed her on the crime she did not commit to save his brother, Chandara became more vulnerable, aggressive and disobedient. For instance, Chidam guided her to tell the police that she murdered her sister-in-law just because of her self-defense. However, she did not pay attention to any word that her husband told her. She even responded the police in the opposite ways, “Why did you killed her” … “Did she ill-treat you?” “No”. “Chandara again confessed her guilt, claiming no ill-treatment from her sister-in-law at the time of murder” (Tagore, pg. 1697).  She even acted more aggressively, “Sir, how many times must I go on saying the same thing?”…”I loved him greatly” (Tagore, pg. 1698). Chandara’s reactions can be expressed in two conflict directions. One is to show how obedient she was towards her husband was to confess a crime as he wanted her to do. The other way is kind of irony. To illustrate, Chandara was too ruthless and heartless to tell her husband, “You’ve nothing to fear” (Tagore, pg. 1697). On top of that, in the end of a story, when people asked whom Chandara desired to meet before she died, she said her mother instead of her husband. Chandara added, “To hell with him” (Tagore, pg. 1699).  The irony here is she wanted to admit a crime to escape her husband forever in order to punish him blamed the crime on her. She accepted a death to punish herself as well as punish her husband in order to criticize his blame on her. This reaction was really strong and ironic for the Indian woman to act in 19th century.

In conclusion, the characteristics of woman in “La Belle Dame Sans Merci” by John Keats and in “Punishment” by Rabindranath were portrayed in a very details and completely clear. The lady’s image in the poem and Chandara’s characteristics were described as strong, unique and appealing in their own cultures. Their images were reflected their characteristics differently in their entire society. The lady’s characteristics in “La Belle Dame San Merci” were presented as a nice picture about woman in America in the 19th century with attractiveness, strong manner, powers and freedom while Chandara represented an image of Indian culture regarding to the stereotype of social gender influencing the woman’s behaviors from naive and courteous to vulnerable and aggressive.