Being ethical allows a person to morally understand and govern one’s own behavior and the behavior of those in the same community. Unfortunately, in certain unfavorable circumstances, knowing the moral principles and actually following them can cause one to have an internal battle between what is ethically acceptable and how that person’s decision can place them in a pleasant or unpleasant situation. “The Rod of Justice” by Joaquim Maria Machado De Assis and “Kabuliwala” by Jorge both portray stories involving individuals who confront the ethical dilemmas of their time and situations. Damiao in “The Rode of Justice” is faced with the social issues of slavery and an authoritarian society. Similarly, the narrator in “Kabuliwala” is faced with social bonds of Hindu practices such as treatment of widows and arranged marriages for young girls. The ethical dilemmas being faced by both …show more content…
In, “The Rode of Justice”, Damiao is faced with a moral dilemma between securing help for himself or helping another from physical abuse. He lives in a controlling society, where one needs to resort to psychological manipulation techniques in order to survive a society that values slavery as the backbone of their economy and corporal punishment to control those with less authority and control. Damiao, who is forced to study priesthood by his father, decides to escape the seminary. He has nowhere to turn for help, but Sinha Rita, his godfather’s lover. Sinha Rita, a lively and merry, but very manipulating and fierce woman, decides to help Damiao convince his godfather to talk to Damiao’s father to allow him to stop his studies. During the time of his stay in Sinha Rita’s house, he witnesses