Igniting the Lights of Feminine Voices: “Punishment” by Rabindranath Tagore

Rediscovering the lost and silenced voices of oppressed women under patriarchy across cultures has become a key role for feminist critics. Many feminist women readers scour historical texts in search of the fiery voices of their foremothers whose call for equality has been snuffed out by their oppressors. However, the ember of their voices still burns, and feminist women revive their dwindling lights. Chandara, although a fictional character in “Punishment” by Rabindranath Tagore, represents a light of truth for women fighting for social justice despite the subjugating force of patriarchal structure within Indian culture during the late 19th and early 20th century. Through an analysis of the cultural context, Tagore’s “Punishment” can be reinterpreted as an early expression of feminist ideals because Chandara resists three stereotypical representations of women: disposable possessions, submissive servants, and mindless toys for male pleasure.

Women within traditional Indian culture were considered possessions of their husbands upon marriage; the dehumanization of women made them vulnerable as disposable property. A woman was expected to comply to the gender roles of her patriarchal society and fulfill her wifely duties to her husband. If she failed to please her male masters, she no longer had use value. This idea of disposability can be seen in “Punishment” when Chidam states, “Thakur, if I lose my wife I can get another, but if my brother is hanged, how can I replace him?” (869). Chandara’s husband Chidam lied to Ramlochan, the pillar of the village, telling him that Chandara murdered Radha. In reality, Chidam’s brother Dukhiram murdered his wife Radha because she didn’t make him dinner (Tagore). Chidam believes his wife Chandara can easily be replaced by a different wife, while his brother Dukhiram is invaluable. Chidam considers Chandara to be nothing more than a possession or object, while Dukhiram has personhood and more worth as a man. Therefore, he would rather blame the crime on his wife, putting her in danger of the gallows instead of his brother. It is apparent that both Chidam and his brother Dukhiram view their wives as disposable possessions; Dukhiram, in a fit of rage, murders his wife because she fails to please his needs and fulfill her wifely duties.

Both wives become victims of male aggression, domination, and control; however, Chandara resists her husband’s orders. Instead of telling the story of self-defense Chidam instructs her to recite, she tells the court she intentionally murdered Radha (Tagore), knowing full well that her punishment would be the gallows. Sanghita Sen, author for the Transcultural Negotiations of Gender journal, states, “The apparent lack of respect and value for women in men’s life is what compelled Chandara to register her resistance at the cost of her life… The gallows appear to be a better option than being deprived of her own worth as an individual in her own domestic context” (174). Chandara chooses to resist her husband’s control at the cost of her own life, knowing she would rather die in freedom than survive in oppression. She chooses death over life as nothing more than a disposable position to be used and abused by her husband, challenging the patriarchal structure of her society.

Not only were women reduced to possessions, but they were also deemed servants of their husbands. Like many of the characters within Tagore’s short stories, Chandara lives within a “system of arranged marriages and the entrapment and enslavement of women as wives” (Dasgupta 25). As servants to their male masters with no power over their own lives, Chandara and Radha must obey their husband’s orders and submit to both physical and emotional abuse. Sahidul Islam, author for Impact: International Journal of Research in Humanities, Arts and Literature, emphasizes, “Indian women who stick to the traditional values of the country are the victim of exploitation in the patriarchal society” (156). The traditional values of Indian culture during Tagore’s time allowed for the exploitation of women because husbands had complete power and ownership over their wives, giving them the freedom to abuse their defenseless wives. Islam continues, “A critical investigation of women’s status during the colonial power in India as depicted in Rabindranath Tagore’s ‘Punishment’ clearly reflects the isolation of women from the main stream society” (156). During this time of colonial power, women experienced isolation from society while entrapped within their own homes where they were supposed to be safe, enabling domestic abuse. Chidam even tells Chandara, “If I ever hear that you’ve been to the ghat on your own, I’ll break every bone in your body” (870). Chidam controls and suppresses Chandara through threats of violence, forcing her compliance.

Chandara courageously pushes against the boundaries within her cage of male oppression when she replies, “The bones will mend again” (870). Chandara fights back by implying that he can break her body, but he cannot break her spirit. She subverts her husband’s authority, demonstrating strength and defiance to her husband’s control. Not only does Chidam verbally abuse her, but he also escalates to physical abuse when he “sprang at her, grabbed her by the hair, dragged her back to the room and locked her in” (870). Chidam demonstrates the toxic masculine traits that have been normalized within patriarchy, such as anger issues, the need for superiority, and possessive desires. Bharati Ray, member of the Indian Council for Cultural Relations, describes the double standard for men and women; women were expected to act as the dutiful, loving wife, while men had no such obligations. He states, “In Indian - especially Hindu - society, the relationship of marriage between men and women was utterly unequal… there was little effort to foster the concept of the sanctity of conjugal love on a husband. To her ‘husband was an idea’ to which she surrendered. It was all one-sided, and this discriminatory practice had existed ‘complacently in our society for ages…’” (16). Husbands were not expected to foster the same love and devotion that their wives were, revealing discrimination of the female sex. When Chidam instinctually chooses to protect his brother instead of his wife, Chandara realizes the lack of love her husband has for her. She comes to “this realization of the patriarchal bond against which she did not matter” (Ray 19), which drives her to break free from her enslavement the only way she can: death.

Women under the patriarchal structure of Indian culture during the late 19th and early 20th century were often viewed as mindless toys to be used for male pleasure. Women were raised to be silent, submissive, and uneducated. Sanjukta Dasgupta, author for the Oriental Archive, states, “The report on the State of Education in Bengal in 1836 observed, ‘A superstitious feeling is alleged to exist in the majority of Hindu families, principally cherished by the women and not discouraged by the men, that a girl taught to read and write will soon after marriage become a widow’” (21). Women’s education was tabooed by most Hindu families during the Tagore’s time, limiting women’s intellectual growth, and men liked it that way. Keeping women ignorant ensured their control. Educational aspirations were ripped away from young women as the role of the silent, obedient wife and mother was already laid out for them. Women’s voices were silenced through lack of education, just like Chandara. Chidam’s testimony that Chandara was the murderer was taken as unquestioned fact, and Chandara knew her testimony did not wield nearly as much power.

However, instead of acquiescing to life as a mindless toy with no wishes of her own, Chandara takes back her voice as a woman. She tells the judge, “Do what you like- I can’t take any more” (872). She knows her fate is the gallows, and she embraces freedom from her husband’s abuse in death. Tagore states, “In her thoughts, Chandara was saying to her husband, ‘I shall give my youth to the gallows instead of to you. My final ties in this life will be with them’” (871). Chandara gains individuality, agency, and subjectivity upon deciding her own future, despite that future being the end of her life. She would rather die than give years of her life to a man who does not love her and considers her to be no more than a disposable object made for his pleasure. Even though both Chidam and Dukhiram attempt to save her life by telling the true story, Chandara knows they do not deserve to get away with their abuse. They deserve to carry the guilt of her death; Radha’s life was viciously stolen over nothing more than an unprepared dinner. Chandara chooses to follow her sister-in-law to the grave instead of continue life with their abusers. Even though Chandara and Radha did not always get along, they become sisters as victims of patriarchy.

Through an analysis of the cultural context of colonial power in India, Tagore’s “Punishment” can be reworked as an early expression of feminist ideals because Chandara defies three stereotypical representations of women: disposable objects, passive servants, and ignorant toys for male pleasure. Chidam willingly endangers his wife by blaming her for Radha’s murder, soiling her reputation. He would rather save his brother, revealing his cold heart towards his wife. Chandara and Radha’s enslavement as wives within Indian culture made them the perfect targets for domestic abuse. Despite a lack of education, Chandara reignites her voice as a strong, courageous woman with agency. Chandara becomes a self-inflicted martyr in her resistance to male oppression, inspiring other women to raise their voices to light the path to equality.

Works Cited

Tagore, Rabindranath. “Punishment.” The Norton Anthology of World Literature, vol. E, 4th ed., edited by Martin Puchner, W.W. Norton and Company, 2018, pp. 867-73.

Dasgupta, Sanjukta. “Narrating Gender: Tradition and Transgression in Tagore's Fiction.” Oriental Archive, vol. 81, no. 1, 2013, pp. 17-32.

Sen, Sanghita. "Tagore’s Women Heralding The “New Indian Woman”: A Critique of the Women’s Question in the Nationalist Discourse." Transcultural Negotiations of Gender, 2016, pp. 171-79.

Ray, Bharati. "Fresh Air and Freedom: Rabindranath Tagore’s Portrayal of Women as Agents of Change in Society and Culture." Aletria: Revista de Estudos de Literatura, vol. 21, no. 2, 2011, pp. 10-25.

Islam, Sahidul. “Representation of Indian Tradition and Patriarchal Dominance in Tagore’s ‘Punishment.’” IMPACT: International Journal of Research in Humanities, Arts and Literature, vol. 2, no. 4, 2014, pp. 155-59.