Each person within a society is the product of their own social status and the actions that their status leads them to undertake. “Hedda Gebler” by Henrick Ibsen and “Punishment” by Rabindranath Tagore are two texts that display the profound idea that our social status is the most important factor that influences our decision-making and can also corrupt our morals. If we analyze the two texts together, we find that both Hedda in “Hedda Gabler” and the characters in “Punishment” look forward to happiness but cannot obtain it because of their particular society. On the one hand, Hedda's arrogance, her decision to manipulate and devalue others, her undeserved action to burn Loveborg's manuscript, her unhappy marriage to Tesman, her suicide, etc. are all nourished by his vision of class superiority. She certainly thinks that the way she grew up or the way she lives is superior to all others, so she has the quality to control others. On the other hand, in "Punishment", Dukhiram's sudden action of killing his wife, Chidam's decision to convince his wife, Chandara to take responsibility for Radha's murder, and Chandara's acceptance of the false accusation leveled at him are all the result of their lower social status. They are prone to making unfair decisions/actions, either because they are angry at the way they are treated in society or because their hopes can never match social norms. Overall, these texts suggest that our social position can prevent us from taking the right actions by which we can not only harm others, but also prepare ourselves to face injustice. The class system in our society and the environment in which we grow up significantly shapes our social beliefs, our behavior...... middle of paper ......ld and our current social status. Conversely, in “Punishment,” characters are forced to commit unjust actions because of their inferiority to social norms. The actions or decisions of the characters in both texts display the idea that regardless of our social position, our actions are limited by society. It teaches us that we must obey social rules if they are fair and that we must always reason our decisions based on potential outcomes, otherwise we will put others and ourselves in danger. Ibsen, Henrick. “Hedda Gabler.” The Norton Anthology of World Literature (3rd edition, Volume E) ed. Martin Puncheur. New York: WW Norton & Company, Inc., 2012. 782-838.2. Tagore, Rabindranath. "Punishment". The Norton Anthology of World Literature (3rd edition, Volume E) ed. Martin Puncheur. New York: WW Norton & Company, Inc..., 2012. 893- 898.