Dignity at the edge
They named her Dignity.
The daughter of the noblest clan in the wilderness.
She walked like a queen, with calm in her steps and grace in her gaze. Sheltered, protected, untouched by the world’s cruelty.
Until the night the rivals came.
They dragged her into captivity. Shackled her wrists. And there, for the first time, the coverings of her name began to tear...
Her skirt was forced up to her knees. Ankles that had only known silk now lay bare to the dust. Her head, always covered, always crowned, was unveiled before strangers just like that.
And in that moment, she felt her name slipping away. For her, dignity had lived in those coverings. In the fabric that guarded her body. In the veil that shielded her face. And her aura, that was so untouchable.
Still, she clung to the thought: I am Dignity. They can chain me, strip me, taunt me. But I will remain my name.
Alas! It was only the beginning. First came the shame that mocked her. Then came the hunger, so sharp it made her forget her pride. And as if that was not enough, the violation of her womanhood burned away all that was left of it. Night after night, as her body was broken, she understood what no one had ever told her, that dignity was a hoax!
Her name, once a crown, had become a cruel echo.
And yet, in the hollow of her despair, something fierce survived. Not queenly. Not graceful. Not even beautiful. But defiant. The will to breathe, when breathing itself was rebellion... Anything and everything, but the dignity.
When she finally returned, the clan saw only ruin. But when her eyes met theirs, they fell silent. The dignity had been replaced by a fierceness that no longer cared for poise, the skirt, or the hair. But it was not as if she leapt from one to the other. There were stages in between, each one stripping her further, each one leading her here... Step by step, she was undone, until only that fierceness remained, raw, stripped, unyielding.
Because she had learned what they never told her.
Dignity is circumstantial.
A luxury for those who can afford it. For the rest of the world, it is just survival. The principles one holds dear can be frayed, can be thrown out of the window, can leave a person so crippled that dignity falls far down the ladder... In the end, it is only the fragile thread that keeps a soul from breaking, the last breath that refuses to give in!
Don't agree with my concept of dignity... Have a go at it yourself in our wonderful community: Dream Steem
It's a very interesting way of telling the story, I really like the prose; I think you're very skilled at it.
I think that with this keyword proposed by @weisser-rabe, we've been able to express different perspectives on what dignity is, not in terms of its concept, but in how we see it and how we believe it can be lost and maintained.
All of this—the different stories I've read, the comments made, and the analysis I've done—leads me to a simple conclusion: dignity is a form of treatment inherent to each person that we must give them. It can be renounced as a right, but does that mean we don't treat them with dignity because of that? I think doing the opposite makes us worse people, in the case that they have done cruel things. Our own perspectives greatly influence this, as do our own values.
Of course, my point of view does not detract from your story, which is excellent.
0.00 SBD,
0.33 STEEM,
0.33 SP
Thank you for such thoughtful feedback. I am really just a very simple narrator, not as good of a writer as you kindly make it sound, but your appreciation means a lot.
About dignity, I often feel it has two sides, like a coin. It is both intrinsic and circumstantial. Those who attempt to strip others of it perhaps have none to begin with. And when a dignified person is forced to succumb, whether due to natural reasons or harsh circumstances, their intrinsic worth does not truly vanish, though it might get replaced or reshaped by something else.
0.00 SBD,
0.13 STEEM,
0.13 SP
Simple? I would say absolutely not... My friend, there is no simplicity in any of your stories, that is remarkable.
In your story, you have given life and personality to an abstract concept such as dignity, turning it into a character and then immersing us in a reading full of symbolism and meaning; something that, without a doubt, not everyone can do.
I agree with you that dignity can be intrinsic and circumstantial; and yes, the way we define that intrinsic value can be reshaped by external agents, but they don't make it disappear.
0.00 SBD,
0.29 STEEM,
0.29 SP
Hard. And I maintain that the only thing that cannot be taken away from them is their dignity. Property, security, freedom, integrity—all of that is gone in such a situation. The dignity inherent in every human being can only be surrendered by the victim themselves.
0.00 SBD,
0.27 STEEM,
0.27 SP
I always thought like that... Until now!
Yes, dignity, according to Oxford:
If we talk about this definition, it's quite circumstantial.
But another one:
It can be debatable...
And yet another one:
Treated ethically???? A big, big question mark!!!
Tell me, what do you think. There comes a time that one lets go of everything... What remains is: faith and the steadfastness in that faith (whatever that is) and principles; if we define it as dignity, then yes that's inherent and it cannot be taken away....
Unless we are talking about something else...
0.00 SBD,
0.42 STEEM,
0.42 SP
Of course, the concept of “dignity” is multidimensional. I myself have stumbled over the various definitions—ethical, legal, colloquial, etc. And yet dignity is something else, something deeper. It remains with you even when you are exploited, humiliated, abused. It remains with you in captivity, in war, on your deathbed. It is within you; it takes place internally. It is therefore invulnerable. For me, it has nothing to do with behaving with dignity or being worthy of something. Dignity is, so to speak, the inner core of a personality...
0.00 SBD,
0.27 STEEM,
0.27 SP
Well, if you phrase it this way!
I just hope that this inner core is made up of values... And principles, and not otherwise!!!
0.00 SBD,
0.09 STEEM,
0.09 SP
No, Maan. It's unconditional.
0.00 SBD,
0.14 STEEM,
0.14 SP
Now that we have established this:
Dignity is not a reward for good behavior, nor a privilege that can be granted or revoked. It is an intrinsic moral quality that every human being possesses simply by virtue of being human. It does not depend on wealth, status, race, religion, or political standing.
If dignity is intrinsic, how then do we reconcile this truth with the horror of genocide — with the ongoing atrocities inflicted upon innocent people? Are the victims not equal bearers of dignity? Of course they are. Their dignity remains intact, even when their lives, homes, and bodies are destroyed. What is stripped away is not their inherent worth, but the perpetrators’ recognition of that worth.
Here, I come again:
Dignity is inherent, but its treatment in society is circumstantial. Every person possesses it by nature, yet in practice it depends on whether others choose to recognize or disregard it.
There is no people more dignified than those who endure relentless suffering yet refuse to surrender their ground. Their steadfastness, their unshaken resolve in the face of death, and their courage to bear it all without moving an inch — that is the truest dignity (in this particular instance).
But if you ask me: they are stripped of their dignity by their oppressors, and yet they continue to embody it in ways that the oppressors can never erase.
Edit: Please don’t mind me… all of this is coming from a very wretched place. My heart is overflowing, shattered by all that is happening. The holocaust in real timeline. With every image, every cry, every story, it feels as though my chest can barely contain the weight. I am feeling so many things all at once.
0.00 SBD,
2.46 STEEM,
2.46 SP
I don't hold anything against you—I applaud you! In this comment, you sum up what I probably couldn't express very well.
No one can be robbed of their dignity. But one can give it up oneself, like all those mercenaries or perpetrators who decided to commit unspeakable atrocities. Whether this is done of their own accord or on orders is irrelevant.
Take care of yourself, Maan! Resilience is important for mental balance. You are letting a lot get to you at the moment. Don't let yourself be completely overwhelmed... Greetings from the tiny village in the tiny country on the other side of the globe ;-))
0.00 SBD,
0.17 STEEM,
0.17 SP