Everyone in life
gets what is due to them depending on the effort they make and their commitment
towards achieving a certain
end. People who refuse to take
responsibility end up losing what they would have benefitted from.
In the prologue, we see a
dispute over a farm land. Two
commune groups; the fruit growing commune and the goat herding commune claim
ownership of a farm land. A
delegate has been sent to arbitrate over the issue. The fruit growers get the farmland because
they have an irrigation plan and hopes to make the land more productive.
Governor Georgi Abashwili is
motivated by greed and materialism hence ends up being beheaded. He has no feelings to the many beggars and
petitioners who crowd the entrance of the church. He plans to meet an architect
to plan to construct a new East Wing to the palace and ignores a messenger from
the capital who has important military
news. Prince Arsen Kazbeki stages a coup against
the Grand Duke and his Governor. The Governor is hence arrested and beheaded. Because of his greed, he loses his life thus
getting what he deserves.
Natella lacks motherly love and
instinct, hence ends up losing her baby Michael. During the coup, she orders a
servant to place Michael on the floor so that she (the servant) can pack up
Natella‟s essentials. All
along she pays attention to her clothes and shoes and not Michael. Grusha is the only one who is human enough
to remain behind and look after the baby till dawn and opts to take him with
her.(pg 29) Grusha sacrifices alot for the sake of the baby ,buys milk from a
peasants‟ cottage using her weeks pay - 2 piaster‟s – after attempting to breastfeed him (pg 32). Grusha
risks her life by crossing a rotten bridge. Eventually because of lack of motherly love, Natella loses the baby,
she gets what she deserves.
Natella wants the baby Michael
after two years for the sake of reclaiming her husband’s estate. She
had no single thought for the child for two years. To decide who really loves the child as a
mother, Azdak uses the test of the Chalk Circle in which Grusha declines to
pull the child violently, saying that she had brought him up and as such cannot
tear him into bits. (pg 98) Natella
through her lawyer reveals her true intention of her dire need of taking
Michael back. Her second lawyer states categorically that her estate is closed
to her as it is tied to the heir (pg 92, 97) Despite being Michael’s biological
mother, she dearly needs him for what the governor has left behind in his son’s
name. Grusha on the other hand has brought up the child, he wants to teach him
how to speak all the words. Both Grusha and Natella get what each
deserves. Natella‟s estates
fall to the city and they are converted into a playground for the children. Grusha is told to take the child and be off.
Simon and Grusha get to marry. Grusha initially is forced to marry Jussup
by her brother Lavrenti and sister- in-law, Aniko. She greatly loves Simon but
because her brother‟s wife is “religious” she gets married to Jussup to uphold
their reputation. Azdak eventually divorces Grusha from Jussup allowing her to
marry her long-time friend. Simon has been patiently waiting to marry her but
after the war returns to find her married to Jussup. Inspite of this, Simon supports her as she
fights for the child. So,
when Grusha‟s forced marriage is terminated, the two are left free to marry (pg
98)They get what they deserve.
Azdak passes judgement in favour
of the poor although he receives bribes from the rich. Azdak was sympathetic to
the poor and was termed as the poor man‟s magistrate (pg 79) He broke rules to save the poor. Thus Azdak fines the rich invalid, the
blackmailer, the innkeeper and the farmer all of whom have wealth and land. The chalk circle is also a good illustration
to the point) They all get what
they deserve.
Conclusion
In conclusion, we can say that
in the text, the Caucacian Chalk Circle, the direction each character takes is
dependent on his relationship with others.
Unless we take responsibility, finding meaning in life will elude us.
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