Punishment 6173v

RABINDRANATH TAGORE

 RABINDRANATH

TAGORE- was a Bengali poet , novelist, musician, painter and playwright who reshaped Bengali literature and music. He was the first nonEuropean to win the Nobel Prize for Literature .

Tagore’s life in villages, inspired him to write about the common and the poor, he examined their lives with a depth and feeling singular in Indian literature up to that point. Of Tagore's prose, his short stories are perhaps most highly regarded; indeed, he is credited with originating the Bengali-language version of the genre. His works are frequently noted for their rhythmic, optimistic, and lyrical nature. Such stories mostly borrow from deceptively simple subject matter: .

Punishment center about the conflict between man and women. In this short story a wife fails to follow her husband’s instructions in a murder case .The male/female binary opposition in “Punishment” projects its conflict into local politics and the legal system.”Tagore’s …real interest in 'Punishment,'is in delineating the psychological ramifications of social and familial relationships.

 Dukhiram Rui

 Chidam Rui  Radha-wife of Dukhiram

 Ramlochan Chakraborthy-village’s chief legal adviser

Dukhiram Rui and Chidam Rui lived together in the same house. Their wives were always quarreling. One day both brothers went to work with their farm knives at the Zamindar’s house, while their wives were quarreling. A bailiff took them forcible to work on the office roof that was leaking in places. They worked whole day and couldn’t return for lunch. They were neither paid their usual wages and were also insulted. On returning in the evening Dukhiram exploded with rage on not finding food to eat . She collapsed into Chandara’s [her sister in law] lap and expired. Chandara’s clothes were wet with blood. Dukhiram sat down in grieve. Chandara screamed but Chidam pressed her mouth with his hand. Outside no one knew what had happened in the house.

In the evening Ramlochan Chakraborty who also happened to be the village’s chief legal advisor came to collect the rent from Dukhiram. As he came Dukhiram burst into tears

He asked Ramlochan how he could save his wife. Ramlochan suggested that he should put the blame on his brother’s head. ? So Ramlochan said that he should go to the police and tell the truth

On hearing such lies Chandara was shocked as she loved her husband. She stared at him in disbelieve. Chidam told her to say that the elder wife was about to attack her with the vegetable slicker so she picked up the farm knife to protect herself and it hurt her head. The police came to investigate . . She also told them that she didn’t have any quarrel .She was determined to die rather than live with her husband. . Chandara confessed to the Deputy Magistrate that she had committed the sin. When she was told that her punishment would be death by hanging, she prayed for the penalty without delay. She said that she loved her husband

and her husband also loves her. Now Chidam cried and said he had killed his sister in law as she didn’t give him food. Dukhiram said he was the killer. But the judge said that both the brothers were trying to save the younger wife. In jail Chandara was asked if she wanted to see anyone, she replied that she would like

 The story is unique in its plot and treatment. Where it tells

about the complex audacities of human behavior it also . She was victimized to all kinds of insults, indignities, physical assault, injustice and inhumanity.

Chandara is the strongest character of the story. The writer has left the readers to imagine whether it was Chandra who punished Chidam or it was court who punished Chandara

PRESENTED BY ANJU SARAH ABRAHAM