Hello friends !
Here I'm going to discuss famous Bengali writer Rabindranath Tagore. Who is remembered for his notable work. Here I want to discuss the writing style of Rabindranath Tagore and his art of characterisation in "The Home and The World". Before beginning the discussion of his writing style we have to know about Rabindranath Tagore. So let's discuss it.
The writer of Indian National Anthem, the writer of Bangladesh's National Anthem, the person to have inspired Sri Lanka's National Anthem with his work, the first Non-European and also the first lyricist to win a Nobel Prize in literature - Rabindranath Tagore.
Not just this, he was a renowned poet, painter, writer, composer, and philosopher. Due to his achievements, Rabindranath Tagore is also known as the 'Bard of Bengal'.
The novel "The Home and The World" is a 1916 novel by Rabindranath Tagore. The book illustrates the battle Tagore had with himself, between the ideas of Western culture and revolution against the Western culture. Here our main concern is his art of characterisation.
The ‘Home and the World’ is a superb study in the psychological analysis of character. In the novel, we feel Tagore’s adept use of the multiple points of view technique which makes for a clear renunciation of the motives and states of mind of the principal characters. The device of presenting separate segments of the story through different characters helps Tagore to highlight the internal conflicts and convulsions. The principal characters in the novel are Nikhil, his wife Bimala and his close friend Sandip.
In the character of Nikhil, we see a true picture of a patriot who reflects the extra-national ideas that one should possess. Nikhil, a landlord of substantial means, is a man of noble ideas. Gently, rational and thoughtful, he cannot approve of any political programme based on violence and cunning. Nikhil has a rationalistic and constructive approach with emphasis on self-reliance and righteous means, to the problem of Indian emancipation. Nikhil though supports Swadeshi has not wholeheartedly adopted the spirit of Bande Matram. His “dull, milk and watery Swadeshi” does not appeal to his wife Bimala. Nikhil, though perturbed and pained by Bimala’s growing infatuation with Sandip, refuses to intervene and waits patiently for her to realize the truth of circumstances and recent herself headlong rush to ruin. He even refuses to banish foreign goods from the markets and argues that it is for the people to choose between indigenous and foreign goods. He declares,
“To tyrannize for the county is to tyrannize over the country”
He believes in the eventual triumph of the good.
As opposed to Nikhil’s genuine patriotism, sandip is opportunistic and means for achieving personal power. He is a hypocrite, unscrupulous, capable of sweeping along everyone with magnetism, sophistry and rhetoric. He is a man of action, dynamic, adventurous, experienced in the use of stratagems. Sandip goes about inflaming the people with the cult of Bande Matram and the concept of freedom by force Sandip exploits Bimala, Nikhil’s wife by exploring her as the “Queen Bee” of the Swadesh workers. Through clever flattery she lays a share for her mind and body by hailing her as the “Shakti of the Motherland” A juggler of words, Sandip succeeds however in winning the sympathies of Bimala and also prepares her to steal the gold sovereign’s from her own house. Tagore has represented Sandip as a black-hearted Patriot who shut the door on humanity and truth, and for his own utterly selfish and inflamed, immature minds to frenzy in the name of patriotism.
In characterizing Bimala, Tagore has put his great efforts to expose, beautiful young wife torn between two men she loves and likes. Bimala has lived the sheltered a life of a Hindu wife and the “Home” is the world for her until Sandip makes his disturbing appearance. In the opening chapter, we are acquainted with Bimala as a true house wife, devoted to her husband and shares his ideals until she is swept off her feet by the eruption of the Swadeshi Movement. It breaks down the barriers between the home and the world for Bimala. In this critical situation the fiery eloquence of Sandip holds Bimala spellbound. She admires the seemingly glowing patriotism of Sandip. Bimala’s attraction for Sandip at first is purely intellectual but soon changes from admiration to infatuation. Bimala is temporarily swayed by the maddening cry of “Bande Matram” and robs her own house. Like a cunning thief, for the sake of so called national cause. But, she is horrified when in lucid interval the ugly truth flashes on her, and she detests wholeheartedly the filthy means of Sandip to worship the Mother. His greed and lust masqueraded and paraded as nationalism, are extremely repulsive to Bimala now. She repents sincerely for her folly in looking down on her husband Nikhil, as an impotent idealist, whom she misunderstood up till now.
Tagore’s perception of Indian reality and the contemporary issue is modern in the projection of themes. Though his novelistic technique lacks the skill of craftsmanship he remains a pioneer in initiating the psychological novel based on social reality. Though he has not contributed anything strikingly new towards the novelistic technique, his novels mark the transition from the tradition of historical romance which characterized the Indian novel up to his time to the realistic tradition that has set it with him. It is Tagore who introduced the spirit of social realism and liberal humanism into the Indian novel and it is to him that the modern Indo-Anglian novel owes its moral and humane concern to its projection of contemporary reality.
Bimala's Character
At the beginning of the novel, Bimala's character represents Bengal 's Womanhood . She is a very simple woman . The mark of Hindu wifehood and the symbol of all the devotion that it implies. Bimala is an ideal wife of Nikhil. When the proposal came for her marriage, an astrologer was sent, who consulted her palm and said ,
"This girl has good signs . She will become an ideal wife"
In the second part of Bimla's story we can see Sandip Babu with his followers came to Bimla's neighborhood for Preach Swadeshi movement. They all were meeting together and Triumphant shouts of
"Bande Mataram"
Bimla said about Sandip Babu and his speech that from beginning to end of his speech, each one of his utterances was a stormy outburst. There was no limit to the confidence of his assurance. She said that she was no longer the lady of the Raja's house, but the sole representative of Bangal's womanhood.
When she returned her home she told about her feelings that
"The storm within my had shifted my whole being from one centre to another"
and also she said that "Had my outward ornaments been connected with my inner feelings, then my necklet, my armlets, my bracelets, would all have burst our bonds and flung themselves over that assembly like a shower of meters".
In the beginning of the third chapter Bimla told about her sister-in-laws remarking to Bimla's husband : "Up to now the women of this house have been kept weeping. Here comes the man's turn". When Sandip called Bimla the 'Queen Bee' of the hive, she was acclaimed with a chorus of praise by all our patriot workers. Sandip Babu made it clear how all the country was in need of her. Here Sandip told about woman that was interesting that,
"Men can only think. You women have a way of understanding without thinking. Woman was created out of God's own fancy. Man, He had to hammer into shape".
The mood of our Bimala has changed. In this chapter we found a totally different Bimla. The Opening lines clearly mention this.
“At first I suspected nothing, feared nothing; I simply felt dedicated to my country. What a stupendous joy there was in this unquestioning surrender. Verily I realized how, in thoroughness of self-destruction, man can find supreme bliss.”
Her perception toward Sandip was changed. She also makes herself busy in her roomarrngement and household work. She constantly avoids meeting with Sandeep Babu. And one day Sandip sent a msg that he wants to meet her.
Bimla started lying. And now she has regrets for it. She feels guilty for Amulya and also has concern about her husband Nikhil. Feeling guilty, and wanting to die(but everything is still alive in her heart). This chapter ends with this question, "God can create new things, but does he even have the power to create afresh that which has been destroyed ?"
At last we can say that :-
“The emphasis in The Home and the World is weighted toward the theme of a sheltered Indian wife’s inability to cope with the intrusion of militant nationalism”.
