The Issue of power in the story The Road To Salvation by Premchand and Punishment by Rabindranath Tagore - Research Paper Example

In Punishment, on the other hand, Tagore describes the inequalities of gender relations in rural India, which may as well reflect the problem of sexism that continues to put women in a powerless position in society in many parts of the world. While both Tagore and Premchand sharply presents the power relations among humans in society during their respective times though, they also push the concept that unfair or unequal arrangements could be corrected either through fate or through non-violent appeals to conscience of the dominant force.

In this regard, both short stories did not dwell on the issue of genuine justice as administered by the legal institutions in society. Although these are quite effective in arousing people about the issue of unfair power relations, these fail to encourage them to seek justice. Instead, both stories have the intention of dousing cold water on any emotional reaction to unjust power structures. However, these also did not provide ideas on the alternative actions that can be taken rather than to simply accept the concept that there are those who are powerful while the rest are fated to be subjugated.

These are the reasons why a situation where people are passive and docile despite their oppression and exploitation exists. Economic wealth is proportionate to political power and social influence. As portrayed in both short stories, economic status is the basis for the clout that one yields over others in the community, a premise that is not only valid in the historical setting in Premchand’s and Tagore’s works but is also true for the rest of the modern world. Such clout or power, on the other hand, is mainly used to further make one richer and to protect his valuable properties.

The perpetuation of one’s power therefore is a necessary step to sustain one’s preferred way of life. Even without an established political