Chapter-II

Portrayal of Woman in Rabindranath Tagore’s Short

Stories

2.1 Introduction:
Rabindranath Tagore is a Bengali poet, short-story writer, playwright, essayist
and Nobel laureate (1913). To look at a glance of Rabindranath Tagore‟s short stories
means to introduce an age literature. His distinctive quality lies in his huge range and
variety of themes in his short stories. Tagore‟s short stories are originally in Bengali
and later transcreated into English. It is noteworthy that the short story has in modern
times received an excellent attention of the readers. In this relation William H.
Hudson remarks:
The short story has firmly established itself as a favourite
form in modern literature. Its immense vogue is the result
of many co-operating causes; among them, the rush of
modern life.1
Instead of dwelling on the multiplicity of themes Tagore exposes sometimes
single one but with very delve deep into the thought of human relationships, humanity
endowed with emotions through social ties. It is significant to note that
Rabindranath‟s short stories are narrated with first, second and third person point of
view, so characterization in stories becomes very vivid mostly of women, wives,
mothers, sister and daughters. His characters become universal. It is observed that
Rabindranath Tagore begins his short story with single or two characters of human
beings as they appear in day to day life further they come one kind of critical situation
in their lives. That situation revolves around the basic desires of a woman such as to
feel free in home, to enjoy her freedom and individuality, try to break shackles of
patriarchal society so and so on.

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 Tagore introduces new prose and verse forms and the use of conversational
language into Bengali literature, thereby freeing it from conventional models which
are based on classical Sanskrit. He is highly influential in introducing the best of
Indian culture to the West and vice versa, and he is usually regarded as the
exceptional original artist of modern India. Known mostly for his poetry, Tagore
writes novels, essays, short stories, travelogues, dramas, and thousands of songs. In
Tagore's prose writing, his short stories are perhaps most highly stricken; he is indeed
recognized with originating the Bengali-language story of the genre. His works are
often renowned for their rhythmic, optimistic, and lyrical nature. Rabindranath
Tagore‟s Short Stories are very lucid and other hand using of poetic language and in
the dialogue makes him as the outstanding literary figure in Indian English writing. In
this context Subir Dhar aptly writes:
Tagore‟s short stories constitute a remarkable
artistic achievement precisely because formally no two are
quite the same, and because taken together the hundred-odd
stories unfold before our eyes a breath-taking panorama of
human existence.2

2.1.1 Image of woman in Indian Society:

In Indian context the notion of womankind is majorly discussed with the
mythic ideal women characters from the Ramayana, the Mahabharata and the
Purans. The entire image of the Indian woman has been embodied by the perfect
model of Sita and Savitri. Following the prototype of role moral models, a woman can
be examined as a mother, a kind sister, a quiet sufferer or tolerant wife. It seems that
his women characters project different virtues and morals of traditional Indian life to
demonstrate moral path to human beings

In the context of Indian culture and society in ancient era, the women
have equal status and rights as with men in all fields during the early Vedic period but
it begins to turn down in medieval period of India. Medieval period of India treats
women inferior. Impact of foreign cultures such as Islamic, Christianity etc., affects
Indian culture which leads to decline in women's status. In order to guard women,
Indian women start using 'Purdah', (a veil), as a result their freedom get restricted.
People start to consider a girl as burden. Even some of the orthodox traditions in

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communities such as Sati, Jauhar, and Devadasi have been projected to exploit
women. However, sometimes these practices are still observed in isolated parts of
India. It is essential to note that the Purdah practice is also observed in modern age.

The Society strongly follows the principles of patriarchal culture in the

medieval period in Indian. Woman‟s civil rights move out and male dominance began
control over her position, controlled woman‟s free will and conceals her individuality.
Woman is cared in her early childhood by her maternal family, after marriage by
husband and in old age by son. In Indian cultural rituals, women have second place
and on the other hand man is observed to play very vital position in performing sacred
rituals. In the male dominated society, men attempt to keep the wives remote and out
of touch of the outer world. The husbands seek to authority over their wives in many
traditions in the conjugal life. Conventionally it is supposed that wives are as corporal
and emotional selves. Even the husbands do not hesitate to dishonor their wives on
very folly of trivial things in marital life.

The status of woman in modern age is a kind of contradiction as compared to

medieval age in India. The women in modern times have acquired equal rights
according to Indian constitution but certainly they have to struggle for their rights in
social life. Though women have recognized themselves as equal with men, they have
to strive for equivalent privilege in the marital life. Present a number of evils which
women in India have to endure day to day life. The women in the modern civilization
have acquired freedom in many ways such as they have trouble-free right to learn and
community is more open-minded in approach to educate women. Therefore it can be
said that the position of women in modern age is improved than in the medieval age.
Nevertheless some of the problems related with woman remained same as the head of
family decides the marriages in India and specially a young girl is not consulted but is
told to marry a boy whom family has selected. On the other hand young girl has to
accept it. In the conjugal life, wife has to be faithful, paying respect to the elder
persons in the family and remaining truthful to her husband and relatives to conserve
the respect in society.

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2.2 Women in Select Short Stories:
2.2.1. The Supreme Night:
The Supreme Night is one of the most outstanding women centered short
stories of Rabindranath Tagore. Surabala is the chief female character in this story.
The story deals with an incommunicable grief of Surabala and a narrator whose name
is not mentioned. The story begins with the brief information about childhood of
Surabala and the narrator as a friend plays with her. Even it is very interesting to note
that an emotions of Surabala‟s mother as;
When I paid visits to her house, her mother would
pet me, and setting us side by side would say to herself:
„What a lovely pair!‟ 3
Rabindranath Tagore‟s The Supreme Night is related with love and the pangs of
lovers as Surabala and the narrator from childhood to marital life. The narrator
believes that he has a special right to Surabala above that of people in general in his
childhood. Therefore he punishes and torments her and she too bears all his
punishments without complaints. But the agitation and dilemma of the narrator‟s is
whether he will chose his father‟s plan to train himself in the work of estate
management or to complete his inner urge that is to become head clerk in the court. In
this backdrop the narrator catches between sophisticated (materialistic context) life and
sacred comfort (where Surabala‟s love is with him) is contrasted as the fundamental
quarrel and he has predicament between these two ways of life and obliges to prefer
one. Also it is important to note that Surabala‟s father and his father agree to unite
them in wedding. But the narrator tells his father that he will not marry before he
finishes his education. So after two months Surabala has been married to a pleader
named, Ram Lochan.
Here it seems that Surabala is presented an image of traditional Indian woman
who is thrown and destined to lower status in the society. Her position as traditional
woman mostly belongs to the second category in the society. Surabala‟s feelings have
no place in the world of patriarchal society and it is believed that woman‟s role means
the complete surrender to male-dominated society. Surabala accepts the norms made
by the men and she believes that it is the most indebted quality of a woman who is
expected to symbolize Sita and Savitri in her life. In other words, under the intuition
of these renowned symbols, female has no right to create her individuality; rather her

34
life finds its protection under the shadow of male‟s personality. In this context Hariom
Prasad notes on Tagore‟s short stories as:
His short stories do not deal with incidents; they
express the hopes and aspirations, disappointments and
frustrations, joys and sorrows in human life.4
Thus it seems that Rabindranath Tagore has deep curiosity in the traditional
Indian lifestyle and facets of Indian cultural aspects. By the projection of Surabala‟s
mute suffering image Tagore focuses one of characteristics of womanhood under
patriarchal Indian society. Around the time, when the narrator has matriculated and is
about to appear at the Intermediate Examination, his father dies. He has to maintain
expenditure of his mother and two sisters. Therefore, he has to leave college and look
out for employment. Soon he secures the post of second master in the matriculation
school of a small town in the Noakhali District. According to the rule of school, one
of the teachers has to live in the school-house as guard. By his fate, he is ordered to
stay there because he is a bachelor. It is worth mentioning that the local Government
pleader, Ram Lochan Ray lives near his school with his wife, Surabala. When the
narrator gets acquainted with Ram Lochan Ray, he does not explain that Surabala is
his classmate in childhood. From his inner urge, he wants to see Surabala very much
but according to code and conduct of society he could have prevented himself to do
so. Therefore he begins to think as;
„What ails me? From within came replied: „I gave
her up of my free will. Surely I did not expect her to wait
for me forever‟ but something kept saying: „Then you
could have got her merely for the asking. Now you have
not the right to look at her even once, do what you will.
That Surabala of your boyhood may come very close to
you; you may hear the jingle of her bracelets; you may
breathe the air embalmed by the essence of her hair-but
there will always be a wall between you two.‟ 5

Here it is clearly observed that the narrator has love for his old playmate, now
the wife of a rich lawyer. Therefore his ambition to meet her seems frustrate and he
thinks: “I could have married Surabala and lived happily. But I must be a Garibaldi,
and I ended by becoming the second master of a village school!”6. In the meanwhile,
35
Ram Lochan is called for a few days by big case elsewhere. Surabala in her house is
as lonely as the narrator in his school building. On that day the sky is overcast with
clouds from the morning. It begins to rain at ten o‟clock therefore headmaster closes
the school early. All day the black detached clouds begin to run about in the sky as if
making ready for some great storm. Consequently, the night occurs with the fury of
wind and water increases. The narrator remembers that in this terrible weather
Surabala is alone in her house. When he hears the roar of the tidal wave of the sea, he
leaves his room and runs towards Surabala‟s house. But he finds that the water level
has risen to knees so he climbs up the bank which is more than seventeen feet above
the plain and he sees that there is already someone his opposite side. She is Surabala
and he has no doubt that she too has recognized him. There is only Surabala and the
narrator on that little place but they do not converse each other even neither of them
make even a formal inquiry after the other‟s health. Only they stand gazing at the
darkness.
In this backdrop of the story, it is the opinion of researcher is that
Rabindranath Tagore projects his woman character, Surabala as traditional Indian
woman who follows the ethics of chastity and loyalty which are valuable ornaments
to womanhood in the Indian context of marital life. It is worth to note that chastity is
one of the values made-up by patriarchal culture. Even Sita undergoes the flames trial
to show her pious nature to Rama in the Ramayana. Many women lose their lives to
protect their chastity in the society. Therefore it is obvious that the concept of chastity
is gender biased and that women care more for chastity than men. The traditional
Indian woman always wishes her husband is everything to give not only physical but
also emotional happiness in the marital life, here Surabala‟s love for Ram Lochan is
very faithful one and she keeps loyalty with her husband. Therefore, she goes home
without saying a word. On the other hand, it seems that Rabindranath Tagore satirizes
frailty of woman who keeps extra-marital relationship in modern society and
ironically wants to instruct that the real happiness of marital life lies in chastity and
loyalty of husband and wife. The narrator keeps the Indian value of respecting other‟s
wives. He does not molest Surabala in that night. Therefore at last the narrator
consoles himself and wishes from his heart as;
May that wave never come! May Surabala live long
and happily, girt round by husband and children, household

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 and kinsfold! This one night, standing on the brink of
Nature‟s destruction, I have tasted eternal bliss.7

2.2.2. The Postmaster:

Rabindranath Tagore‟s short story, The Postmaster deals with postmaster and
a village orphan girl, Ratan who is the central female character in this story. The
postmaster belongs to Calcutta and he first took up his duties in the village of Ulapur.
However he leaves like a fish out of water in this remote village because he has
nothing in common and friendly attitude towards others. The postmaster‟s salary is
less. He has to cook his own meals which he uses to share with orphan girl, Ratan of
twelve years old and she does menial work for him. When they talk, it gets very late
and the postmaster feels too lazy to do any cooking so Ratan hastily lights the fire and
cooks for him. Ratan calls the postmaster by nickname, Dada. Ratan seems an image
of a conventional Indian sister who always cares her brother without complaining of
her pain. When the postmaster calls Ratan, she replies that where he is slept. The
postmaster does not feel well as he has fever. Ratan cares and nurtures him back to
health is sketched as;

He longed to remember the touch on the forehead of

soft hands with tinkling bracelets, to imagine the presence of
loving womanhood, the nearness of mother and sister. And
the exile was not disappointed. Ratan ceased to be a little
girl. She at once stepped into the post of mother, called in
the village doctor, gave the patient his pills at the proper
intervals, sat up all night by his pillow, cooked his gruel for
him, and every now and then asked: „Are you feeling a little
better, Dada?‟ 8
However, the pathos of orphan Ratan begins when postmaster writes an
application for a transfer to head office, Calcutta, on the ground of the unhealthiness
of the place. She becomes restless and she sometimes peeps inside furtively to find
the postmaster sitting on his chair, or stretches on his pallet, and staring absent-
mindedly into the air. While Ratan is awaiting her call, the postmaster is awaiting a
reply to his application. It is the view of the researcher is that Rabindranath Tagore‟s
usage of dialogic mode in short story raises curiosity to read and understand further in

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contextual meaning. Dialogic mode is used for various reasons to create an
atmosphere of suspense, to multiply reader‟s interest and curiosity to increase the
reader‟s involvement in the text. Here word „going‟ has been used to create an
atmosphere of suspense. For instance;
The postmaster said: „I am going away tomorrow, Ratan.‟
„Where are you going, Dada?‟
„I am going home.‟
„When will you come back?‟
„I am not coming back.‟9

In other words, in the very first utterance of the postmaster‟s word, „going‟
means referring his home but the readers are not sure. In a second dialogue the Ratan
again uses word „going‟: Where are you going, Dada? Because she is confused as to
what relation does this dialogue have with context? At last she understands that the
postmaster‟s application has been rejected, so he has resigned his post, and is going
his native place. Thus when the readers read further they come to know that the word
„going‟ refers to the critical situation for Ratan and dilemma of the postmaster.
Tagore projects the pathos of orphan girl in Indian society where none has time to
solve the problems of the orphan children. When Ratan begs him to take her with
him, the postmaster replies that she needs not to be anxious about his going away; he
will tell his successor to look after her. It gives very psychological hurting in her
heart. She bursts out weeping, and says: „No, no, you need not tell anybody anything
at all about me; I don‟t want to stay on here.‟ 10 The postmaster has never seen Ratan
like this before. The postmaster offers some money but she refuses with pathetic as;

Then Ratan fell at his feet and cried: „Oh, Dada, I

pray you, don‟t give me anything, don‟t in any way trouble
about me,‟ and then she ran away out of sight. 11

From bottom of heart Ratan does not want money but love. Ratan is
wandering about the post office in a flood of tears. It seems that she has still a lurking
hope in some corner of her heart that her Dada will return. Nevertheless the
postmaster goes back to his native place but what about the Ratan? The poor feelings
of Ratan remain same as before arrival of the postmaster. By this way an image of
orphan girl leaves permanent mark on the reader‟s mind because Tagore successfully

38
develops the theme with very seriousness. As about subject of a short story is
concerned W. H. Hudson aptly quotes;
The subject of a story must be one that can be
adequately and effectively developed within the prescribed
limits. On this point the reader‟s own feeling of satisfaction
or dissatisfaction will provide a sufficient test. 12

2.2.3. Subha:
Subha is one of the most pathetic women centered short stories of
Rabindranath Tagore. The pathetic theme of this short story revolves around
Subhashini who is the principal female character in this story. Subhashini is a dumb
girl. Her two elder sisters are Sukeshini and Suhashini. Actually Subhashini is called
Subha as a nickname. Her two elder sisters have been married with the usual cost and
difficulty, and now the youngest daughter, Subha becomes a silent weight upon the
heart of her parents. Here Rabindranath Tagore projects the problem and sufferings of
physically handicapped female in the society as;

The entire world seemed to think that, because she

did not speak, therefore she did not feel; it discussed her
future and its own anxiety freely in her presence. She had
understood from her earliest childhood that God had sent
her like a curse to her father‟s house, so she withdrew
herself from ordinary people, and tried to live apart. If only
they would all forget her, she felt she could endure it. 13
Also Subha becomes as a one kind of load on parents‟ shoulders. Night and
day her parents‟ minds are aching on her account. Especially her mother looks upon
her as a deformity in herself. To a mother, a daughter is a more closely intimate part
of herself than a son can be; and fault in her is a source of personal shame. However
Subha‟s father loves her rather better than his other daughters but her mother regards
her with hatred as a mark upon her own body. Here Rabindranath Tagore seems to
reveal the problem of dumb female who is not educated in special school in his time
(Pre-independence time). Subha is a physically handicapped child. She is a dumb and
can express her own thought in words but the medium is different as using his hands
and body language that is trained in special school.

39
 Subha‟s house is situated at the edge of river. She is very close to nature. She
engages herself to see the boatmen, fisher folk, trees and all surrounding which seems
very sad for her. Nevertheless Subha is not overall without friends. She shares her
personal feeling with two cows, Sarbbashi and Panguli. Though she has no words to
speak, she murmurs lovingly and the cows understand her murmuring better than all
speech. Subha manages three regular visits every day and other that were irregular.
Whenever she feels alone and hurtful, she comes to these dumb friends to share her
emotions. Such a pathetic condition and suffering of Subha is not understood by any
person not only from her own house but also other than family members.
Major problem arises when social conventional demand is made as she must
be married. Here Rabindranath Tagore seems to expose the orthodox social
conventional demand and burden on parents. People of the society were not ready to
think about the wretched condition of Subha and her parents. Here Tagore seems to
express the whole intention of this short story as portrays: „The thought of her
marriage fills her parents with an anxious care. People blame them, and even talk of
14
making them outcasts.‟ Such pathetic condition on Subha‟s parents comes because
of the orthodox social conventional demand and burden of people makes them
outcasts. In this critical situation Subha‟s parents want to get rid of this problem and
now existence of Subha becomes a problem for her parents. Around the time Subha‟s
father goes to Calcutta and manages his trick to arrange Subha‟s marriage. Other than
Subha does not know anything about her marriage and even she is not informed by
her parents. She is just like an animal which is going to handover to someone without
care of future life. With a vague fear that has been gathering in her heart, she just
stares at her father and mother like a dumb animal with her wide open eyes. Mother of
Subha dresses her up with great care in a house in Calcutta. Subha knows that
bridegroom will come to see her as the bride. Subha‟s eyes fill with tears because she
does not know anything about bridegroom. Her parents have anxiety and fear because
they conceal dumbness of Subha. Bridegroom takes special note of her tears and
thinks that she must have a tender heart. Even he assumes that she is weeping because
of distressed at leaving her parents, and she will be useful possession. In a hurry the
marriage takes place on an auspicious day. Subha‟s parents return native place. Shuba
is left all unaccompanied. It is shameful that Subha‟s parents deceive not only her but
also bridegroom because they care more for their caste. But the actual and everlasting
pathos of Subha begins after her marriage as it is mentioned in this short story;
40
 In less than ten days everyone knew that the bride
was dumb! At least, if any one did not, it was not her fault,
for she deceived no one. Her eyes told them everything,
though no one understood her. She looked on every hand‟
she found no speech: she missed the faces, familiar from
birth, of those who had understood a dumb girl‟s language.
In her silent heart there sounded an endless, voiceless
weeping, which only the searcher of Hearts could hear.15

2.2.4. Vision:
Vision is one of the women centered short stories of Rabindranath Tagore.
Vision is Tagore‟s another effort to justify the role of a woman, not only as a beautiful
agent of nature but also as an interpreter of truth. This short story seems to expose
pathetic suffering of an Indian wife in patriarchal society. Kumo is shown as a silent
sufferer and on the other hand she dedicates her life from being a puppet in the hands
of man-made destiny.
The short story, Vision is told in the first person narration and its narrator is
Kumo. Kumo is very young wife, she gives birth to a dead child and comes near to
death but fortunately she survives. Consequently, her eyesight becomes weaker and
weaker. Around that time her husband is studying medicine. So he begins to treat her
eyes himself. One day Kumo‟s elder brother comes to see her and finds the condition
of her eyes is weak so he says to her husband as; “What are you doing?” he says to
my husband. “You are ruining Kumo‟s eyes. You ought to consult a good doctor at
once. My husband said irritably: “Why! What can a good doctor do more than I am
doing? The case is quite a simple one, and the remedies are all well-known” 16 On this
response, Kumo‟s brother answers with scorn as; “I suppose you think there is no
17
difference between you and a Professor in your own Medical College. But he
ignores the alarming weak sight of Kumo‟s eyes, Kumo‟s husband begins to quarrel
and he seems to be over confident about his treatment. In the meanwhile; Kumo aptly
comments on a pitiable condition of woman in marital life as;
It was always the poor grass that suffered most
when two kings went to war. Here was a dispute going on
between these two and I had to bear the brunt of it. It also

41
 seemed to me very unfair that, when my family had given
me in marriage, they should interfere afterwards. After all,
my pleasure and pain are my husband‟s concern, not
theirs.18
Here it is clearly observed that Kumo strongly exposes her life means a puppet
in the hands of husband-made destiny in marital life. She is conveyed that her
husband‟s treatment is good but she has not given a chance to get once treatment from
another senior doctor to her husband. While Kumo‟s husband is away from home, her
brother comes with an eye specialist doctor to see her. The doctor examines her eyes
carefully and looks grave. He says that further neglect will be dangerous. He writes
out a prescription. Though her brother brings the medicine, she does not take on the
other hand she throws it down. Even she implores her brother not to interfere because
she fears that only evil will come from the stealthy visits of a doctor. In this situation
Kumo‟s behaviour represents the traditional loyalty to a husband rules.
After that the agony becomes unbearable to Kumo and her eyesight becomes
weaker and weaker. She has continual headaches day and night. So at last her husband
calls the English doctor. Observing her eyes, the doctor has spoken very sharply to her
husband. He remains silent for some time after the doctor has gone. He says that the
doctor advises to operate her eyes in the hospital. Knowing the critical situation, her
brother comes to meet her. While meeting with brother Kumo tells lie that only
unfortunately she mistakes the mixture for the lotion and since the day she commits a
mistake, her eyes has grown steadily worse and then an operation is needed. Further
Kumo seems to comment on not only her but also on Indian womanhood as;
Oh! What lies we women have to tell! When we are
mothers, we tell lies to pacify our children; and when we
are wives, we tell lies to pacify the fathers of our children.
We are never free from this necessity. 19
However, Kumo‟s telling lie means to maintain and bring a better feeling in
the relationship between her husband and her brother. Regrettably her brother blames
himself for asking her to keep a doctor‟s secret treatment as well as her husband
regrets that he has not taken her brother‟s advice seriously and at the first following.
At last with the consent of both the English doctor operates her left eye. But the eye is
too weak to bear the strain and eyesight is completely lost. Unfortunately the other
eye gradually loses itself in darkness.
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 Though Kumo‟s husband confesses that he ruins her eyes, she consoles him
saying that when Ramchandra finds one lotus too a few with which to worship God,
he offers both his eyes in place of the lotus, and she has dedicated her eyes to her
God. Here Kumo‟s point of view is that her husband means her God. But after passing
time she feels that a wife a burden enough to a man, in all conscience, and to add to it
the burden of this blindness is to make his life unbearable. So she trains herself to do
all her household duties by the help of touch and sound and smell. In fact she soon
finds that she gets on with greater skill than before.
When her husband has completed his medical course, he goes away from
Calcutta to practice. They pass a few happy months together. Her husband gains some
reputation in his profession and his income is increased. However her husband wants
to increase of wealth. On the other hand, Kumo remembers that her husband has sense
of justice when he is younger and has told her of his desire to help the poor when he
obtains a practice of his own. But her husband becomes greedy one as she observes
that a poor woman comes, and begs him out of charity to save the life of her only
child, he directly denies. By this way her husband‟s nature changes from devotional to
greedy one who wants to make money. The suffering of Kumo begins when her
husband‟s aunt comes to visit. The aunt blurts out; “Well, Kumo, it‟s a great pity you
have become blind; but why do you impose your own affliction on your husband?
You must get him to marry another wife.”20 By this way the thought of second
marriage is raised in Kumo‟s house. In next meeting an aunt comes with her cousin‟s
daughter, Hemangini. Hemangini is about fifteen years old, and very beautiful girl
starts to live with them. After a few days Abinash wants to propose on the behalf of
his aunt therefore he brings a beautiful ring for her. However Hemangini flings the
ring into the tank outside the window and leaves Kumo‟s house. After a few days
Abinash mentions Kumo that he wants to go out of station for two or three days at
that moment Kumo doubts and says as;
Why are you telling me lies?
My husband stammered out: What –what lies have I told
you?
I said: you are going to get married….answer me I cried.
Say, yes.
…what have I done? I asked. Where have I been
lacking? Tell me truly. Why do you want another wife?
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 My husband said slowly: I will tell you the truth. I am
afraid of you. Your blindness has enclosed you in its
fortress, and I have now no entrance. To me you are no
longer a woman. You are awful as my God. I cannot live
my everyday life with you. I want a woman-just an
ordinary woman-whom I can be free to chide and coax and
pet and scold.”21
By this way, Kumo‟s pathetic suffering begins to sharp and becomes doom in
sadness as assuming her husband will marry Hemangini. But the real situation
becomes different when Kumo‟s brother conveys Abinash not to marry. At last
Kumo‟s brother marries Hemangini. On aptly evaluating this short story, Niramal
Kumar Sidhanta quotes:
The traditional loyalty to a husband rules the whole
story which has a happy ending, unusual with
22
Rabindranath.

2.2.5. Saved:
The short story, Saved is another tragedy of married life of Gouri and her
husband Paresh. Paresh fails to see his wife‟s pious nature moreover he is blind to
everything except his own sceptical nature. Here it seems that the husband‟s sceptical
nature exploits wife in Indian patriarchal society. Paresh suspects as she keeps illicit
relationship in marital life. Therefore, Gouri and Paresh cannot lead their marital life
happily so the story ends with his death and her suicide. Gouri is a beautiful and good
nurtured child of an old and wealthy family. Here it is important to note that Paresh
has recently improves his circumstances by his hard work. Though he is an advocate
in a small town he is very conscious about his wife because of his sceptical nature. He
comes home to see his wife whether Gouri is in the house. At first, Gouri does not
understand why he comes back abruptly. Sometimes he dismisses one of the servants
without reason even none of them ever suits him long. Such Paresh‟s sceptical
personality leads his life towards tragedy.
It is very vital to note that especially if Gouri desires to appoint to work any
particular servant because he will be useful than Paresh dismisses him. This cause
arouses her husband‟s behaviour still stranger in Gouri‟s mind. Further Paresh does

44
not stop suspect his wife. Though he begins in secret to cross-question to the maid
about Gouri, on the other hand the whole enquiry listen by Gouri and her pride rages
within like a wounded lioness at this insult. Their marital life becomes monotonous
one and they just behave like mere husband and wife. Paresh soon understands that
Gouri knows his motive because she treats him with silent contempt. In the marriage
ritual conventionally husband and wife take oath to be loyal to each other in their
future life. On the other hand in the case of marriage between Gouri and Paresh,
Gouri keeps pious relationship in married life. But because of sceptical nature of
Paresh, love tie absent in their lives and the home turns into damaging impressions.
Gouri is suffering because of her husband‟s strange behaviour even though
she is tempted with prospect of a happy marriage and normal family life. But
towering above this problem, childless Gouri takes herself to the consolations of
religion. She is sent for Paramananada Swami, the young preacher of the Prayer-
House to expound the Gita to her. Actually sadness of Gouri gets relief at the feet of
her Guru. On the other hand no one has any doubts about the purity of Paramananda‟s
character. All worship him even Paresh does not keep any suspicion against him, but
Paresh‟s jealousy enters into his heart like a hidden cancer. Nevertheless Gouri‟s
suffering is not going to stop as one day some trifling circumstance makes the poison
overflow. Paresh tells Paramananda about his wife as a hypocrite to say;
„Can you swear that you are not in love with this
crane that plays the ascetic?‟ Gouri sprang up like a snake
that has trodden on and maddened by his suspicion said
with bitter irony: „And what if I am?‟23
Further, Paresh locks the door on her and goes off to the Court. In the
meanwhile Gouri manages to open the door and leaves the house to meet
Paramananda. She requests Guru to rescue her from the insults of her home life and
allows her to dedicate herself to service to his feet. But Paramananda sends Gouri
back to home. Paresh, finding the door open on his return to home asks Gouri who
has been here. Gouri replies politely no one but she has been to the house of her
Guru. Paresh asks why with red by turn and from that day Paresh has a guard kept
over the house and behaves so absurdly. Around the time the reason of quarrel
between Paresh and Gouri is told all over the town. Its consequence reflects as the
news of the shameful insults that are daily heaped on his disciple disturbed the
religious meditations of Paramananda. Sometime he feels that he ought to leave the
45
place at once but at the same time he cannot make up his mind to forsake the tortured
woman. At last one day the imprisoned Gouri got a letter. The subject of letter is holy
one and asks to meet her at the tank in her garden at two o‟clock on next day
afternoon. Unfortunately the letter happens to read by her husband so he is enraged
with fire. By his fate, he lays down groaning on the floor, with eyes roll back and
foaming mouth, Gouri sends him quickly for a doctor. The doctor said it is a case of
apoplexy. Paresh dies before his arrival.
On the day of Paresh‟s death, he has an important appointment away from
home. Paramananda has found this out, and accordingly has made his appointment
with Gouri. When the widowed Gouri catches sight from the window of her Guru
stealing like a thief to the side of the pool, she lowers her eyes as at a lightning flash.
And in that flash she sees clearly what a fall of Guru has been. The Guru calls her and
she replies she is coming. On this peak of moment Tagore‟s story ends as:
When Paresh‟s friends heard of his death, and came
to assist in the last rites, they found the dead body of Gouri
lying beside that of her husband. She had poisoned herself.
All were lost in admiration of the wifely loyalty she had
shown in her Sati, loyalty rare indeed in this degenerate
days.24

2.2.6. The River Stairs:

The River Stairs is one of the heart touching short stories of Rabindranath
Tagore. This story exposes deplorable misery of widow Kusum with issue of child
marriage. By the story, The River Stairs Rabindranath Tagore seems to condemn his
contemporary orthodox Indian society where widow is not allowed to marry again
and she is ignored in house as she is one of the old stuff. Kusum becomes a widow
when she is only eight years old and she becomes the victim of child marriage. It is
said that she has met her husband only once or twice. She has rubbed out the wife‟s
red mark from her forehead, stripped off her bangles, and come back to her old home.
However in her native place she finds few of her old playmates there. Of them
Bhuban, Swarno and Amala are married and gone away but Sarat only remains. Ten
years pass away none seems to have noticed that Kusum has grown up and days grow
to the fullness of beauty and youth.

46
 Kusum has to do daily duties of house and she leads her life whatever she has
circumstance in front of her. In the meanwhile Sanyasi comes to shelter in the Shiva
temple in her village. News of his arrival is spread around in the village. Men and
women come to temple to bow to the holy man. The crowd increase day by day. The
Sanyasi‟s fame rapidly spreads among the women. One day he recites the Bhagbat,
another day he expounds the Gita. Even Kusum comes daily to bow at Sanyasi‟s feet.
When he expounds the holy books, she stands in a corner listening to him. After
finishing his morning service, he calls her to himself and speaks on religion. She
cannot understand it all but she tries to understand it. She daily serves at the temple.
She does very small work such as gathering flowers for the prayer of God and
drawing water from the Ganges to wash the temple floor.
Kusum is a widow and she finds herself not liable to serve to Sanyasi and
Shiva temple as she replies: „I am a sinner, Master, and hence I have failed in the
worship.‟25 Drawing the end of her Sari over her face, she seats down on the step at
the Sanyasi‟s feet and weeps. Sanyasi wants to console her therefore he asks to tell
him what she has in her heart and he shows her way to peace. Kusum replies that she
adores one as a god and she worships him and the bliss of the devotion fills her heart
to fullness. And one night she dreams that the lord of her heart is sitting in garden
somewhere, clasping her right hand in his left and whispering to her of love. Sanyasi
could not understand her dreamt thoroughly so he asks Kusum who is the master.
This question just like boomerang on Sanyasi as Kusum replies: You are he, Master!
26
It is clear that Kusum falls in love of the Sanyasi though according to the code and
conduct of society, she is not permitted to love and marry someone. It creates very
critical situation in her life. Here Tagore seems to reveal that widow also has
emotions and feelings of love, even widow can fall in love. At least here Kusum‟s
ambition to love and marry can be seen as basic need of human being to live happily
in life. In this context, it is significant to quote S. Chakrabarti‟s comment;
In Indian society the presence of child widows
became inevitable in middle-class homes because of the
custom of unequal marriage between tender-aged girls and
old men. Then, on the one hand, their harsh life-style
brought them untold misery and on the other, their natural
youthful growth and repressed sexual urges helped develop

47
 a socially unacceptable illicit sex-relationship with the
younger male members of the family.27
At last, to solve this critical problem Sanyasi says that he is leaving place to-
night and she might not see him again and he is a Sanyasi not belonging to this world,
she must forget him. However, without a word Kusum bows to him and places the
dust of his feet on her head. At the end he leaves the place.

2.2.7. The Elder Sister:

The Elder Sister is very appealing short story which revolves around husband
and wife. The Elder Sister projects the gradual estrangement between Sasikala and
Joygopal. Sasikala is Tagore‟s another attempt to justify the role of a woman, not
only as a beautiful agent of nature but also as an interpreter of truth. It seems that this
short story is the first clear exposition of feminism in India by Tagore. Sasikala is not
a silent sufferer rather she knows well how to meet out her wishes. She is an example
of modern Indian woman who denies from being a doll in the hands of man-made
destiny. She forcefully carries out the abilities of a creator of her own destiny and she
performs very strongly her role as the sister as well as the strong mother in marital
life. It is the view of the researcher is that this short story satire against the old
conventions according to which the place of a woman in Indian society is trivial. In
this story Sasikala raises a strong protest against that society which brought death of
her.
The patriarchal society is one of the features of Indian culture. In the case of
The Elder Sister, Sasikala and Joygopal take up patriarchal culture and follow it.
Therefore, patriarchal culture makes them think that man is a bread-earner and that
woman is a house-keeper. They have been married at an early age and have children.
Their long companionship has made the days go by in an easy. They have lived
together nearly sixteen years without a break, when her husband is suddenly called
away from home on business, and then a great impulse of love awakes in Sasi‟s soul.
As separation strains the tie, love‟s knot grows tighter. She remembers that with all
the singleness of a penitent heart she has never shown impatience again and she has
never opposed her husband‟s wishes, and follows his commands. Even she submits to
whatever her husband wishes of good or ill. In this context for Sasi her husband is the
dearest object of love and her husband is divine to her.

48
 It is significant to note that Sasikala is the only and much-petted daughter of
her wealthy parents. This is the reason; Joygopal feels that he has no anxieties about
the future though he has only a small property of his own. His father-in-law has
enough to support them in a village with royal state. In this context, Joygopal seems
very greedy and cunning character so he has been very polite and careful to Sasikala.
The gradual estrangement between Joygopal and Sasikala comes when Joygopal
knows that a son is born in old age to his father-in-law. True to soul Joygopal is not
pleased by this news because arrival of brother-in-law seizes with his two weak tiny
fists all the hopes and expectations. Joygopal has only a small property of his own so
his friends urge him to look for employment. But Joygopal does not pay heed to
anybody. He sends his wife and children to his father-in-law‟s house and leaves for
Assam. It is the first separation between husband and wife in their married life on the
point of money making. This incident makes Sasikala very angry with her brother.
But in a short time the child‟s mother dies. Before her death, she commits her infant
son to her daughter‟s care. Then the motherless child easily conquers his sister‟s
heart. The child is named Nilmani. Unfortunately when Nilmani is two years old his
father falls seriously ill. In this critical situation a letter is sent to Joygopal asking him
to come as quickly as possible. Joygopal‟s father-in-law before his death entrusts
Joygopal with the charge of his son and leaves a quarter of his estate to his daughter.
Therefore Joygopal gives up his appointment and comes home to look after property
of his father-in-law.
After a long time, husband and wife meet again with unfortunate death of his
father-in-law. Of this reunion Joygopal feels differently. When they are constantly
together before he has been bound to his wife by his interest. His wife is then a living
truth in his life and there will have been a great rent in the web of his daily habit if
she is left out. Consequently Joygopal finds himself in deep waters at first when he
goes abroad. But in time this breach in habit is patched up by a new habit. It must be
noted that formerly his days go by in the most indolent and careless fashion. For the
last two years the stimulus of bettering his condition has stirred so powerfully in his
mind that he has nothing else in his thoughts. As compared with the intensity of this
new passion, his old life seems like an unsubstantial shadow. It is observed that the
changes in a woman‟s nature are brought by love; in a man‟s by ambition. In this
context Joygopal seems very greedy one to have ambition to get property of his
father-in-law.
49
 Joygopal finds his wife not quite the same as of old. To her life his infant
brother-in-law has added a new zeal in her life. Actually this part of her life is wholly
unfamiliar to her husband therefore they have no communication with each other. His
wife tries hard to share her love for the child with him but she cannot success.
Joygopal is not very keen and has no interest in Nilmani. Sasi quickly understands the
way of love of Joygopal. Henceforth she uses to screen her brother with the greatest
care to keep him away from the unloving of her husband. Joygopal is greatly annoyed
when Nilmani cries so Sasi quickly tries to soothe him. Joygopal‟s sleep with an
expression of displeasure at night and Sasi feels humbled and fluttered like a guilty
thing. However, Sasi has to maintain two roles as a mother for Nilmani and a wife for
Joygopal. Sometimes Sasi punishes her brother as her child but her punishment seems
as a dagger to Sasi‟s heart so she takes her punished brother into her room and she
tries to console him with sweets and toys and kissing him. Thus the law changes with
the judge. She possesses the strongly love for her brother as his mother one. To him
she wages war against her husband also. Thus more Sasi loves Nilmani the more
Joygopal is annoyed with him. On the other hand the more Joygopal shows his
contempt for Nilmani.
However, Sasi is fed up of the perpetual silence of her husband. It seems that
there is an endeavor to keep the wife isolated and out of the picture of the external
world. The husbands try to exert their monopoly over their wives in various ways and
when they feel that they have failed to retain their absolute hold over their wives,
physical and emotional selves, they get emotionally charged and destructive. With
Sasi‟s care and nursing Nilmani passes the period of danger and arrives at his sixth
year. In the meanwhile a panic incident takes place as Nilmani falls very serious ill,
Joygopal does not call town doctor even he tells lie that the town doctor is out of
station. When Sasi reaches in the town, she comes to know that doctor is in hospital.
By spending all the money and selling her ornaments she saves her brother from the
jaws of death. Then she learns that the big property which they have in Dwarigram
where their dwelling-house is stand, the income of which is more that Rs. 1500 a year
and it has been transferred by Joygopal into his own name with the help of the
Zamindar. In this manner the whole property belongs to Joygopal and not to Sasi‟s
brother. To know this wicked and cunning plan of Joygopal, Sasi stands like a
modern woman and starts to strive for her equal right in society. Without fear she
meets the Deputy Magistrate and explains everything. In this respect she becomes
50
ready to forsake her home and engage in a dispute with her husband regarding matter
of property. Even in the next meeting with Magistrate, Sasi exposes truth and cunning
nature of her husband. No doubt Sasi strives for her right as;
She said: „Saheb, into your hands I resign my
helpless brother. Save him.‟ ………holding her brother by
the hand, Sasi narrated the history of the orphan from the
beginning. As Joygopal tried to interrupt now and then, the
Magistrate thundered with a flushed face, „Chuprao’ and
with the tip of his cane motioned to Joygopal, to leave the
chair and standup. 28
In this way, Sasi without fear of the shackles of patriarchal society and burden
of her husband strives for her brother and herself. She does not like that she must
obey and follow only husband‟s rules. Sasi fears that Nilmani will have killed
therefore she hands over him to Magistrate and requests him to keep safe. Sasi says
that she goes with her husband whatever might be her fate. She embraces Nilmani
and promises him to meet again. But the real pathos arises at the end of this story to
know that she is killed and becomes the victim of her husband in degenerate society
as;
But this union did not last long. For soon after the
villagers learnt on morning that Sasi had died of cholera in
the night, and had been instantly cremated. None uttered a
word about it. Only neighbor Tara would sometimes be on
the point of bursting out, but people would shut up her
mouth, saying Hush!‟ 29
It seems that in this short story Ravindranath Tagore powerfully discards the
obedient and submissive role of women. Rather he feels the role of women in the
male-dominating society is very important. Tagore‟s woman character, Sasi boldly
comes forward to maintain her individuality and does not hesitate even to fight for her
equal rights and position in the male-dominated society. Sasi seems to be a
representative of post-modern Indian woman, who wants to create the society aware
of the beginning of woman and asks for her rights and position in the society as
equivalent to man.

51
2.2.8. Living or Dead:
Living or Dead is the short story of a widow named Kadambini who wants to
live like human beings in society but she becomes the victim of the traditional social
framework. Rabindranath Tagore exposes that widow is not permitted to live her own
life freely. A Widow finds liberty only in death. After her husband‟s death,
Kadambini remains as a burden and is being used as a domestic help. She is not
treated as a human being in the house. The child of her brother-in-law Saradasankar is
her darling. Unfortunately Kadambini gets an injury and is fainted. Her brother-in-
law Saradasankar thinks that she is dead and calls servants to take away the body
without ceremony to be burned. The burning ground is very far from the village.
Taking body at the funeral ground, servants go to collect wood to burn the body of
Kadambini. Meanwhile she comes into her sense, she calls out but no response comes
from the darkness. As she seats up, she remembers that she stands on her death bed.
She first thought that she should return home. But then she reflects: “I am dead. How
can return home? That would bring disaster on them. I have left the kingdom of the
living; I am my own ghost!” 30
However, she thinks that she becomes free from the rigid shackles of orthodox
society. She feels that she has marvelous strength, endless freedom. She can do what
she likes, go where she pleases. All trace of shame or fear has been left by her. So she
walks on and on and at the glimmer of dawn she hears one or two birds chirping. The
first a traveler meets her and asks wherever she is going alone. But Kadambini unable
to collect her thoughts, she just stares at him in silence. She looks like a respectable
woman that a traveler requests to come home by calling her mother. Kadambini
thinks that it will be absurd to return to her father-in-law‟s house and she has no
father‟s house. Then she recognizes that she has childhood friend named Jogmaya
and she has not seen her since the days of her youth but time to time they have
exchanged letters. So Kadambini replies to traveler that she has to go to Sripati‟s
home at Nisindapur. As he is going to Calcutta, Nisindapur though not near, is on his
way. So he takes Kadambini to Sripati‟s house and the friends meets again. At first
they do not recognize one another, but gradually each recognizes the features of the
other‟s childhood. In this way Kadambini reaches at the home of her friend even she
tells lie about her story as;

52
 “Sister, do not ask about my father-in-law. Give me a
corner and treat me as a servant: I will do your work.” 31
In this context it seems that Kadambini is not happy in the house of father-in-
law and she likes to live as a servant. Here it is the view of researcher is that Tagore
eagerly projects the spirit of feminism which holds up the thought that a woman
needs her space and her own individuality with her likes and dislikes. Therefore
Kadambini becomes ready to live as a servant in her friend‟s home. But her friend
Jogmaya accepts her as a friend in her home. One month passes happily with
Jogmaya. Kadambini has come but cannot feel intimacy for other. She feels herself as
an empty shadow. One night, Kadambini comes out from her bedroom weeping and
wails at Jogmaya‟s door and requesting her not to out her. Jogmaya‟a anger is no less
than her fear. The good-natured Sripati put her in the next room. Kadambini becomes
the victim of the traditional social framework as Jogmaya is not ready to keep her
more than one or two months in own house. And Jogmaya said sharply, „If you have
nothing to do with people, we have. How can we explain the detention of a woman
32
belonging to anther house? One night when Sripati returns from Ranihat, explains
his wife that Kadambini is dead and the woman she has taken into house is not
Kadambini. Sripati tells Jogmaya that the date of Kadambini‟s death and they
remembers that on the very day before she comes to their house. However, after
listening their gossip Kadambini spoke;
“Friend, I am your Kadambini, but I am no longer living. I
am dead. But save in being dead, I have done you no
wrong. If I have no place among the living, I have none
among the dead. Oh! Whither shall I go?”33
By this way Kadambini becomes the victim of conventional social tradition
that is not ready to accept widow to live freely though Kadambini has been doing
households duties as a servant. In this pathetic condition she decides to return back
her in-laws home. It is hard to say how Kadambini reaches Rainhat village. At first
she shows herself to no one, but spends the whole day in a ruined temple, starving.
When the untimely afternoon of the rains is pitch-black, and people huddle into their
houses for fear of the impending storm, then Kadambini comes forth. Her heart
trembles as she reaches her father-in-law‟s home. Doorkeepers do not object as they
take her for a servant. Unfortunately no one is ready to believe that she is alive.
Therefore Kadambini says very pathetically that she is not dead and she leaves a brass
53
pot from the ground and dashes it against her forehead. The blood blows from her
brow. But Saradasankar stands like an image; the child screams with fear, the two
fainting women lay still. At last Kadambini shouting goes down the steps to the well
and plunges in. all night the rain pours. The next day at dawn everybody comes to
know that by dying, Kadambini has given proof that she is not dead.

2.2.9. The Renunciation:

The Renunciation is one of the outstanding short stories of Tagore which
exposes the very wretched situation of woman in patriarchal culture. Tagore puts in
order to make his case strong for the notion of social change and for ignoring the
caste-based difference of human beings brings forth by comparative opinion of
Hemanta and his father. Further in this story Tagore projects that how a woman is
used as a mere tool to take avenge in patriarchal society. Through this short story, The
Renunciation Tagore exposes the terms such as „arranged marriage‟ and „inter-caste
marriage‟. Conventionally in arranged marriage, bride is not asked to prefer her
husband, her likes and dislikes even her approval is not considered. Also marriage tie
is arranged within caste people. In this story Hemant‟s father believes in the principle
of arranged marriage system. He likes to arragnge his son‟s marriage within his own
caste. But unfortunately Hemanta marries Kusum who belong to other caste.
Therefore his father asks to leave home. Tagore presents how Kusum becomes the
victim of inter-caste marriage in this story. At first, Kusum is not aware about
Hemant‟s caste even Peari Sankar is forced to do inter-caste marriage. According to
orthodox patriarchal society parents have right to select a bridegroom and a girl has to
accept it without argumentation. It seems that Tagore wants to criticize patriarchal
traditions and practices related to arranged marriage and inter-caste marriage scheme.
The story begins with exposing very deep love of Hemanta and his wife. At
that moment Hemanta‟s father, Harihar Mukerji interrupts them and asks to turn
Hemanta‟s wife out of the house immediately. Harihar explains about Kusum‟s caste
issue. The next morning Hemanta goes to meet Peari Sankar. Hemanta flaring up like
a big fire said: „You have defiled our caste. You have brought destruction upon us.
And you will have to pay for it.”34 Peari Sankar with a slight sarcastic smile he
explains that how he uses Kusum as a mere tool to take avenge on Hemanata‟s father,
Harihar Mukerji as;

54
 You were quite small when my son-in-law
Nabakanta ran away to England after stealing my
daughter‟s jewels. You might truly remember the
commotion in the village when he returned as a barrister
five years later. Or, perhaps, you were unaware of it, as you
were at school in Calcutta at the time. Your father,
arrogating to himself the headship of the community,
declared that if I sent my daughter to her husband‟s home, I
must to cross my threshold. I fell at your father‟s feet, and
implored him, saying: „Brother, save me this once. I will
make the boy swallow cow-dung, and go through the
Prayaschittam ceremony. Do take him back into caste. But
your father remained obdurate. 35
Henceforth Peari Sankar leaves village and goes to live in Calcutta. But his
troubles follow him. When Peari Sankar has made every arrangement for his
nephew‟s marriage, Hamanta‟s father manages to misguide the bride‟s people and
they break the match off. Therefore Peari Sankar takes a solemn vow to avenge
Harihar Mukerji. When Hamanta is attending college, Bipradas Chatterji uses to live
next door to his room. A child-widow calls Kusum lives in the house of Bidpradar
Chatterji. She is destitute orphan of Kayestha gentleman. The girl is very pretty and
her old guardian desires to shield her from hungry gaze of college students. But she
often goes to the top of the roof to hang her washing out to dry and Hamanta happens
to see her. Hamanta falls in love in first sight. Kusum and Hamanta see each other
from the roofs pretty frequently. To know their love tie Bipradas meets Peari Sankar
to get advice. When Peari Sankar knows everything about Hamanta‟s background,
cunning Sankar decides to trap of inter-caste marriage on Hamanta to avenge his
father. Therefore Sankar asks Bipradas to go on a pilgrimage to Benares. Peari Sankar
sends Sripati to Hamanta with the proposal of marriage and Hamanta consents
without a moment‟s hesitation. Everything is settled. Even Peari Sankar asks to keep
calm on this trap because she loves Hamanta from heart and does not want to live
without him. Eventually the happy marriage is celebrated as the auspicious moment.
When Peari Sankar comes to know that all arrangements have been made for
the wedding of Hamanta‟s sister, he plans to prevent it. So he writes to bridegroom‟s
people that he will prove that the bride is from Sudra family. Peari Sankar then spread
55
the news of Hemants‟ marriage with a low caste girl. This wretched condition brought
by Peari Sankar in Hamanta‟s life seems very disturb everything. Hemanta is sitting
on the side of the bed and gazing at the darkness in front of him. Kusum lay on the
floor, clasping her husband‟s feet with both her arms and her face is rested on them.
At this moment, Harihar Mukerji says that he cannot allow him more, turns the girl
out of the house. As she hears this, Kusum embraces her husband‟s feet. Hemanta
walks to the door, says to father that he will not forgive his wife. But, Harihar roares;
„What! Would you lose your caste, sir?‟
„I don‟t care for caste,” was Hemanta‟s calm reply.
“Then you too I renounce.” 36
It means that Hemant‟s father follows the principle of arranged marriage
system. He likes to do his son‟s marriage within his own caste. However,
unfortunately Hemant marries Kusum who belongs to other caste. Therefore his
father asks to leave his house. In this context it is the opinion of researcher is that
Tagore presents Kusum as the victim of inter-caste marriage scheme in Indian
society. It is difficult condition for Hemanta. If Hemanta refuses to obey his father, he
will have become an outcaste and lost his father‟s property. But Hemanta says that he
does not care for caste means that he will accept Kusum. Nevertheless it is true that
Kusum suffers a lot in patriarchal society by becoming a mere tool in the hands of
men.

2.2.10. Laboratory:
Rabindranath Tagore represents Sohini as the modern woman and a new face
of womanhood in short story, Laboratory. This is perhaps due to the changes in the
perception of women brought about by the reform movements and the authority of
economic independence of the women in the modern age. Sohini is presented as a
woman of powerful personality in this story. Though Sohini is a daughter of a poor
Punjabi family, she marries Nandakishore a Bengali scientist. Nandakishore
appreciates her personality and love. Nandakishore has a laboratory which is set up
by his hard as well as devotional work. It is true that he invests his property by
establishing this laboratory. Unfortunately after his death Sohini dedicates herself to
maintain and develop the laboratory. Sometime she thinks that she will handover this
laboratory to Rebati Bhattacharya who is favourite and well learned student of her

56
husband. At first Sohini has planned to get her daughter named Nila marries to
Rebati. But Nila likes to marry Rebati because of his good money and she likes to
live and enjoy her father‟s money. Nila has no any kind of interest in his father‟s
laboratory. Therefore Sohini instead of being the blinded mother‟s role she disturbs
Nila‟s plan and saves the laboratory. Actually Nila has no love for Rebati, she is
fascinated by his intellectual and she likes to live like a free bird by spending her
father‟s money.
Sohini and Nandkishore‟s love is more than physical in martial life.
Nandkishore educates and trains Sohini in his branch of discipline. Therefore Sohini
respects him from the bottom of her heart. In the relation of her qualities and gratitude
to her husband she confesses that she never betrayed her husband‟s trust as he has
found her qualities worthy. After husband‟s death Sohini supposes that it is a sense of
love that she undertakes his mission to maintain laboratory. Even she states that
laboratory is his husband‟s sacred place of meditation. If she finds a suitable person
to occupy the place beneath his alter and keep lamp burning, she will handover. Also
Nandkishore has left enough money. But Sohini wants to spend his money on the
laboratory. Such aim of life keeping in her heart Sohini engages herself in daily life.
It seems that by Sohini‟s dedication with profound ambition in life Tagore portrays
the strong modern woman character in this short story.
Researcher is of the opinion that Rabindranath Tagore shows an image of
modern woman through the character of Sohini who is conscious of her equivalent
right and her individuality in marital life. Sohini does not like to behave like a
traditional Indian woman in her marital life. She keeps very individuality of modern
woman like without hesitation she comments and breaks her daughter‟s wish to marry
Rebati. Because if Nila marries Rabati, his future life as a researcher will be affected
also Nila is interested only in luxurious life. Therefore Sohini wants that Nila should
not marry Rebati and she manages to separate them even she becomes bold enough to
warn Nila that she must not go near Rebati and there is no possibility of her marriage
with Rebati.
Sohini is the vital character who protests ideology of the male dominated
society where women are left without the freedom and ask not to act according to
their determination. She wants to break the image of a woman who is assumed as
secondary and mere man‟s shadow-self in social life. The role of women in society
has been changing in the modern age. Sohini has qualities such as self-assured,
57
dominant bahaviour and bold in comparison to her male counterparts. She is not
obedient and a conventional Indian wife. She is not guilty about her affairs and
attitudes when Sohini publicly declares that Nila is not Nandkishore‟s daughter. Even
Sohini does not hesitate to disclose her infidelity to Chaudhury in private;
I feel ashamed to confess that I had been wanton.
The very thought that I have been close to a number of men
still ruffles me… our temptations lie hidden under our flesh
and bones, but flares up at the slightest provocation. It does
not inhibit me to tell the truth that very early in my life I
went to the bed. We women are not chaste all our life;
pretensions are constantly killing us. Even women like
Draupudi and Kunti have to behave like Sita and Savitri.37
Thus, it is observed through Sohini‟s dialogue that she becomes aware about
her identity in male dominated society. She becomes much aggressive and quick to
take decision and she is not submissive and a straight Indian wife. On the other hand
on the Sohini‟s perspective it is the society which forces them to behave according to
the rules of men and do not allow accepting woman‟s physical desires. And since
Sohini has not concealed her physical desire and gives birth to Nila in her earlier life.

2.2.11. The Devotee:

The Devotee is one of the woman centered short stories which revolves
around a mendicant woman who comes in contact with the narrator. The narrator calls
her a devotee. Tagore projects Devotee as the strong woman who starts her life with
self-consciousness and lives with self-realization in this world. The devotee comes
from a good family and her mother is well and desires to keep her daughter. But she
prefers to be a mendicant. Her followers have given her a piece of land and she begs
her food from door to door. Even she says, „The food which I get by begging is
divine‟.38 She chooses a life that will be her own instead of searching safety within
the marital life.
The narrator is a writer of the journals and he feels the necessity to retire and
goes to a house in the country some miles away from Calcutta, where he likes to live
unknown and unmolested. When writer is writing in his village house, his servant
comes to tell that a devotee of the Vishnu cult wants to see him. The writer tells

58
servant to bring her upstairs. The Devotee comes in and bows to him touching his
feet. She is past that age when one asks the question whether a woman is beautiful or
not. Her body is slightly bent owing to her constant attitude of veneration. Her
meeting with the writer is very casual one. Before taking her leave she again bows to
him and touches his feet. After two days Devotee comes to meet writer when he is
writing, she says that she has taken sacred food which is left over from his meal.
However, it surprises to the writer because everyone in the village knows that he has
been to Europe and has eaten with Europeans so orthodox village people regard his
food as polluted. But Devotee does not find any difference in his meal because she
believes in the philosophy that the food which gets by begging is divine. In other
words, when one gets food as alms that moment one remembers God is the giver on
the other side one receive food regularly at home it regards one‟s right.
Devotee seems very satisfied internally and understands the reality of soul
during the discourse between devotee and the writer; she reveals her attitude towards
life and God as;
She said: „you mean to say that because God is with the
sinners, therefore when you do them any service you do it
to God? Is that so?‟
„Yes, I replied, that is my meaning.‟
„Of course, she answered almost impatiently, of course,
God is with them: otherwise, how would they go on living
at all? But what is that to me? My God is not there. My
God cannot be worshipped among them; because I do not
find Him there. I seek Him where I can find Him.
As she spoke she made obeisance to me. What she meant to
say was really this. A mere doctrine of God‟s omnipresence
does not help us. That God is all-pervading, this truth may
be a mere intangible abstraction, and therefore unreal to
ourselves. Where I can see Him, there is His reality in my
soul. 39
This dialogue shows Devotee‟s self-realization and she believes that God‟s
existence is intangible and God is omnipresent so God‟s reality can be felt in one‟s
soul. That is the reason why she showers her devotion on the writer as a simple way

59
of her divine worship. It remembers that the philosophy - the service to human beings
means service to God.
One evening Devotee tells the writer her life story. Her husband is very
simple. Because his needs are small, his wants are few and he can manage carefully
on what he has. He neither meddles in other matters nor tries to understand them. He
holds his Guru Thakur (spiritual master) in the highest veneration. Indeed it is not
veneration merely but loves and such love is rare. Guru Thakur is younger than his
husband and her husband has played games with him when he is a boy and from that
time forward he has dedicated his heart and soul to this friend of his early days.
Thakur knows how simple her husband is, and uses to tease him mercilessly. When
Devotee marries into this family, Guru Thakur is studying at Benares and her husband
uses to pay all his expenses. She gets married when she is at the age of fifteen and she
has male child early. She is so young that she does not know how to take care of her
child. She is fond of gossip and likes to be with her village friends for hours together.
Unfortunately one early morning she goes to the river, there is no one at the
bathing edge of the river. As a swimmer, she is the best among all the village women.
The river is quite full with the rains. She swims into the middle of the stream some
distance from the shore. Then she hears the cry from bank, calling mother. She sees
that her son is coming down the steps, though she shouts to stop the child but he
comes into the river. She cannot save him because she is swarming at the middle of
river. She and her husband suffer a lot on their child loss. When she is almost mad
with grief, Guru Thakur comes in the village. Her husband asks his Guru to try to
give her consolation. Guru Thakur begins to read and explains to her the scriptures.
But she does not think that they have much effect on her mind. Her husband‟s love
and veneration for his Guru becomes the most valuable. She shows that veneration
and has peace. She sees God in the form of that Guru. Guru comes to take his meal at
their house every morning. When her husband sees her devotion to his Guru, his
respect for her greatly increases in life.
However, Devotee‟s faith seems shattered and shaken when she finds that
Guru‟s cunning nature and he is not pious nature from his soul. Though she sees God
in the form of that Guru, he cannot possess true quality of divine. It is a morning in
midsummer. She is returning home from bathing, her clothes all wet. At the bend of
the road, under a mango tree, she meets her Guru Thakur. He has his towel on his
shoulder and is repeating some Sanskrit verses as he is going to take his bath. With
60
her wet clothes clinging all about her she is ashamed to meet him. She tries to pass by
quickly and avoids being seen. But it happens as;
He called me by my name. “I stopped, lowering my
eyes, shrinking into myself. He fixed his gaze upon me, and
said: „How beautiful is your body!‟ 40
Here it is not expected that Guru will call Devotee‟s body is beautiful. It
shatters the very notion of Guru from the heart of Devotee. Therefore she finds that
her worship room becomes empty one as she explains;
I cannot tell how I got home. I only remember that I
rushed into the room where we worship God. But the room
seemed empty. Only before my eyes those same gold
spangles of light were dancing which had quivered in front
of me in that shady lane on my way back from the river.
Guru Thakur came to take his food that day. And asked my
husband where I had gone. He searched for me, but could
not find me anywhere. “Ah! I have not the same earth now
any longer. The same sunlight is not mine. I called on my
God in my dismay, and He kept His face turned away from
me.‟41
Here, her thought reveals that the self-realization is the only truth and God is
in one‟s soul. So she feels very hollowness in marital life also therefore she wants to
leave home in search of truth. Her husband tries to convey her but she remains stable
on her decision to become mendicant. She has very strong will to recognize her own
individuality. Therefore she states;
“In this world of mine, there were only two who loved me
best-my boy and my husband. That love was my God, and
therefore it could brook no falsehood. One of these two left
me, and I left the other. Now I must have truth and truth
alone.”42
Thus, Devotee leaves her house and husband since she perhaps finds the
futility of the life with her husband and her experiences she may have inspired her to
live alone with truth. It is the opinion of the researcher that Tagore seems to expose
the spiritual truth which is very long process to the realization of truth in life. Devotee

61
may feel that her realization of truth means recognizing herself from soul and her
marital life and existence of other people in her life means only boundaries.

2.2.12. Dowry:
Dowry is one of the pathetic short stories of Tagore which exposes how
dowry system makes the very miserable situation of women and victims in patriarchal
culture. This story deals with the life of Nirupama who becomes the victim of dowry
system. Ramsunder Mitra has been blessed with daughter after five sons and he names
her Nirupama out of sheer love and affection. Ramsunder Mitra finds a suitable match
for his daughter from the Rai Saheb family. Rai Saheb family belongs to the elite
class. Rai Saheb family asks for rupees ten thousand in cash and various other articles
in the marriage tie. Ramsunder gives his consent because he thinks that he will
manage to offer this amount in the marriage time. But he cannot arrange ten thousand
at the time of marriage except three thousand rupees. How Ramsunder becomes
helpless and faces mournful experience at the moment of marriage described as;
Joining his hands together Ramsunder had
requested the Raibahadur, „Let the pious job be performed,
I would pay you surely.‟
Raibahadur spoke, „the groom would not come on
the platform until and unless the money given.‟ Due to this
incident, there was too much hue and cry inside the house.
The bride was wearing red saree. Ornaments and the
scandal paste on her forehead, sitting silently.43
Thus, Ramsunder has to face this miserable situation because of dowry
system. At last bridegroom tells his father that he is not aware of any of such
practices. He has come to get married and he will go later getting married and the
wedding is over. In this situation Raibahadur is discouraged to see the poisoned fruit
of modern education. Ramsunder goes to meet his daughter but nobody respects him
not even servants. His meeting time is fixed only for five minutes outside the inner
portion of the house and it is important to note that sometimes he has to come back
without meeting his daughter.
That is the reason why Ramsunder makes up his mind to pay Raibahadur the
promised amount of money. But he cannot able to bear the load of the money taken

62
on debt at the time of daughter‟s marriage. On the other side, Nirupama has to bear a
number of bad comments at her in-law‟s house. For Nirupama the house becomes the
hell. She has to face mother-in-law‟s cunning comments as;
Especially mother-in-law‟s curse was never ending. If
somebody says, “Wow! What a beauty. After seeing your
daughter-in-law, eyes become cool!”
Mother-in-law used to shout, “Yeah! She is very
beautiful. Her beauty reflects the family she has come
from.” Nobody cared for her. If by chance a sympathetic
neighbourhood lady said anything in favour of Nirupama.
Then mother-in-law used to reply, “This much is more than
sufficient” They used to show off as if she hadn‟t got any
right to stay in the house and she had deceived everybody.
44

When Ramsunder gets the news of the ill-treatment done with Nirupama and
he decides to meet her. Ramsunder makes plan to sell his house for money but his
married three sons disagree in selling the house. Therefore Ramsunder tries to
accumulate money by borrowing it on high rate of interest. He offers Raibahadur
three thousand but Raibahadur does not become satisfied and he does not allow
meeting Nirupama. Thus, Ramsunder has returned home without meeting his
daughter. Ramsunder has finally sold the house. By seeing his father‟s pathetic
condition Nirupama understood everything. She becomes angry and says, “Babuji if
45
you will give a penny to my father-in-law then you will never see my face again.”
Here, it is the opinion of the researcher is that Tagore projects Nirupama as Shakti, the
supreme power woman who suffers a lot but contents herself by self-sacrifice.
Therefore she says, “Offering money is an insult. Doesn‟t your daughter have any
respect? Am I a pouch of rupees? I have a price till a pouch has money in it. „No
Babuji‟ don‟t insult me by offering money to my father-in-law. My husband doesn‟t
need this money.‟‟46 At last Ramsunder silently returns back without offing money.
Everybody comes to know that Ramsunder comes with the money but Nirupama does
not let him give the money. Especially mother-in-law becomes very furious. So
Nirupama‟s house is nothing but a bed of thorns. Around this time, her husband gets
transferred to far off town as Deputy Magistrate. Soon Nirupama has suffered from
some severe disease. When she does not recover from her disease, she requests her
63
mother-in-law to meet her father and brothers. But mother-in-law does not care. In the
evening time Nirupama finds it difficult to breathe. It is the first and the last time
doctor investigates her and she dies.
The irony lies in itself that when Nirupama dies with very pain and without
getting doctor‟s treatment earlier, but her funeral pyre is made up of sandal-wood logs
and her last rituals are done with great pomp and show. Everyone consoles
Ramsunder and appreciates Raibahadur‟s arrangements for cremation. Further
cunning nature of Raibahadur and his wife uncovers when Nirupama‟s husband asks
to send his wife because he has made arrangements to live in town. Raibahadur‟s wife
replies that they have fixed his second marriage and this time the dowry will be
twenty thousand rupees and payment will be done in cash.

2.2.13. Mahamaya:
Tagore projects Mahamaya as Shakti, the supreme power woman who suffers
a lot but contents herself by self-sacrifice. Short story Mahamaya is a beautiful
portrayal of woman‟s challenging determination and her way of surviving in the cruel
men world. This story opens with the meeting of love couple Mahamaya and Rajiv
Lochan in an ancient temple. Rajiv is deeply in love and proposes Mahamaya to get
married. Mahamaya belongs to an elite class. She is twenty four years old and she is
beautiful. She has an elder brother named Bhavanicharan Chattopadhya. However,
Rajiv is an outsider who comes along with the Barey Saheb of the Bunglow. Rajiv‟s
father uses to work for him but when he dies Barey Saheb takes charge of his son,
Rajiv and brings out him along with this affectionate to his Bunglow. Rajiv and
Mahamaya are childhood friends and she has a strong love for Rajiv. But Rajiv is now
nineteen years old. In this backdrop Rajiv proposes Mahamaya to get married.
Around that time Rajiv sees that Mahamaya‟s brother is coming towards old
temple. So Rajiv tries to run away from there but Mahamaya holds his hand firmly.
Bhavanicharan enters in the temple and observes both of them silently. Mahamaya
says to Rajiv firmly that she will come in his house, wait for her. Bhavanicharan
leaves the temple quietly, Mahamaya follows him silently. That night Bhavanicharan
brings one red saree and asks Mahamaya to wear and follow him. Mahamaya has
never disobeyed his brother. They both go to cremation ground at that night. Near
there is a house, in the room one aged-man is lying on his bed waiting for his death.

64
One Pandit is already there with all the preparations and finally Mahamaya gets
married to the man who is lying on the deathbed. The very next day Mahamaya‟s
husband has died and she does not feel bad about it. Rajiv is terribly hurt to hear the
news of Mahamaya‟s marriage but becomes happy to know that her husband has
passed away. However he gets stunned to know that she is willingly burn herself on
her husband‟s funeral pyre.
At the moment of Mahamaya‟s husband‟s funeral there is a heavy downpour
along with the storm so everyone takes shelter in the room in the cremation ground
and closes the door. Within no time the fire stops burning Mahamaya‟s ties. She gets
up and manages to escape from there and reaches at her home. She wears Sari,
glanced herself in a mirror throws the mirror and covers her face with a long veil and
reaches to Rajiv‟s house. Rajiv asks her whether she has come out from funeral pyre.
Mahamaya says. “Yes! I promised you to come to your house hence I have come to
fulfill my promise. But Rajiv now I am completely changed, only my name remains
the same. If you have changed your mind then let me know, I would go back to
funeral pyre but if you want me to stay put then you promise me you would never
ever unveil me to see my face.” Rajiv said, „Whatever you say, say as you wish. I will
die if you ever depart me‟ 47
But irony lies in itself that Rajiv‟s love is only on surface level he does not
love from his soul. They reach in the town where his master has been transferred and
settles there. When Rajiv finds that Mahamaya‟s silence covers with a long veil is
unbearable and painful to him day and night. One night Rajiv goes in Mahamaya‟s
room, “She was sleeping that time. Rajiv stood near her and looked at her. Her face
was visible in the moonlight. Oh! What was this? Where was that known face? Left
side of Mahamaya‟s face has been severely burnt.48 At that moment Mahamaya wakes
up cautiously and finds that Rajiv stands near her. She covers her face with the veil.
Rajiv falls down and says that forgive him. It means that Rajiv does not like to see
burn face of Mahamaya and he may have not interested to marry her. At last neither
Mahamaya has uttered a word nor looked back. She simply goes out of the house. She
never comes back to Rajiv. Tagore projects that woman suffers mainly as the prey of
the institutional body of powers. Consequently it appears anxious with the view that
the woman as a victim whether physical or emotional because she is traditionally
depressed of rights. Here the researcher thinks that Tagore criticizes patriarchal man‟s

65
behaviour in Indian society and Mahamaya looks like as mere toy in the hand of Rajiv
and her brother, Bhavanicharan.

2.2.14. The Punishment:

Rabindranath Tagore‟s short story, The Punishment deals with Chandra who
is the wife of Chidham Ruhey. She is deceived by her shrewd husband and
consequently she has been hanged. Chandra is the central female character in this
story. Dhukhiram and Chidham are two brothers live together though their wives are
fighting whenever they get chance to blame each other. One day Dhukhiram and
Chidham go to Zamindar‟s court to repair the roof from where water is coming inside.
They do not like to work for Zamindar because he does not offer justified wage and
they have to listen too much comments. Anyhow they complete their work and reach
to home; they find both the wives are sitting quietly. Dhukhiram asks for food. Radha
calls in anger and shouts loudly, „Where is the rice to offer? Did you bring rice to
cook or am I supposed to earn it myself? 49 With very angry mood, Dhukhiram attacks
Radha with the reaping hook. She falls down and instantly dies. Chandra cried,
Chidham covers Radha‟s face. Dhukhiram throws the reaping hook and sits on the
floor covering his face with both hands.
Meanwhile Ramlochan comes to see Dhukhiram and happens to see Dhukhi is
crying. Ramlochan asks further clarification on his crying; Chidham says that
Chandra has attacked Radha with the reaping hook and Radha has died. Chidham asks
what he should do to save his wife. Ramlochan is a prime minister of the village on
legal matters. He says, “Chidham you go to police station and tell them that
Dhukhiram killed her wife in anger when she did not serve him food. This way you
can save your wife.‟ Chidham‟s throat had dried up. He said, “I would get a wife
again but not brother if hanged.” 50 Thus, Chidham does not think about his wife even
he becomes ready to blame his wife. The news spreads in the village that Chandra has
stabbed Radha with reaping hook. Chidham puts pressure on his wife to accept the
crime and adds that he will save her. But Chidham is very shrewd person he loves his
brother more than his wife and he wants to save his brother. Chandra is standstill
when her husband asks her to accept the crime. Even Chidham consoles her that no
need to worry he will convey to the police and the magistrate as well. However,
Chandra does not care to listen a single word but is standstill.

66
 Thus, through presentation of Chandra, Tagore exposes the problems of
conventional woman who lives under supremacy of male. In patriarchal society,
woman is anticipated only to do home duties and follows instructions of men.
Emotions and love of wife is not very significant for husband in this backdrop
Chandra accepts her crime in front of Deputy Magistrate. It seems that Chandra
knows the cunning nature of her husband therefore she has started looking in the
opposite side when Chidham comes in the court. Though Judge says to look towards
the eye witness and tells what relation she has with him. She replies as;
Covering her face with both her hands, Chandra said, “He
is my husband.”
“Doesn‟t he love you?
“God knows”
“Do you love him?”
“Yeah!”51
Thus, Chandra clearly clarifies that she is not loved by her husband. Therefore
it seems that she wants to get free from the control of her monstrous husband. After a
long discussion, Judge sums that Chidam and Dhukhiram has claimed the crime only
to save Chandra from the punishment of „to be hanged‟. Chandra has never changed
her statement. On the day of punishment a sympathetic civil surgeon asks Chandra
whether she wants to meet anyone. She replies that she wants to meet her mother. At
last doctor says that her husband wants to see her. But Chandra replies “Let him
die.”52

2.3. Women on Rabindranath Tagore’s Perspectives:

It is equally important to understand women on Rabindranath Tagore‟s
perspectives while discussing portrayal of woman in Tagore‟s short stories. Therefore,
Tagore‟s views are accumulated from his various lectures, addresses, essays and
interview and are discussed in this point. Further it is significant to note that Tagore
visited a number of countries such as America, Japan, England, Germany, Iceland,
Brazil, Poland, Norway, Vietnam and so many countries that traveling shared the
credit for the brightness in his short stories writing. This is the reason why Tagore
compares the rights of woman on the point of view of different countries where

67
women already have equal rights in their society. In this connection Tagore quotes in
his lecture on „Women‟s place in the world‟ as;
“Man having the advantage over woman in a
comparative freedom from biological obligations could
devote his unhampered leisure in constructing a civilization
which naturally followed in a large measure his own
temperament and tendencies and woman for ages was
constrained to adjust herself to a narrowness of sphere
allowed to her.53
Thus, it is clear that Rabindranath Tagore believes that women have been
suffered because of patriarchal Indian society and women have not given equal right
in society. Tagore constantly exposes pathetic condition of women not only in social
life but also in marital life in his literary work of art. Even he projects that how
women strive to achieve their rights in Indian society. In other words it can be said
that Tagore has such strong back up for women‟s progress which is nothing but his
contemporary issues and movements are responsible also. Even Rabindranath Tagore
honestly accepts three movements impact on his life and art in his address of „My
Life‟, as: “Just about the time I was born the currents of three movements had met in
the life of our country. One of these movements was religious, introduced by a very
great-hearted man of gigantic intelligence, Raja Rammohan Ray. There was a great
fight between him and the orthodox who suspected every living idea that was
dynamic…. There was a second movement equally important. A certain great man,
Bankim Chandra Chatterjee, who though much older than myself, was my
contemporary and lived long enough for me to see him, was the first pioneer in the
literary revolution which happened in Bengal about that time. There was yet another
movement started about this time in my country which was called National.”54
Thus, Rabindranath Tagore clearly states that he lives in colonial Bengal and
his views about women are shaped and changed according to his contemporary
renaissance movements and with his own experience. It is important to note that
awareness about women‟s education and its related movements started in early twenty
century in India. Further Indian religious reformer and founder of Brahmo Samaj,
Raja Rammohan Ray makes much awareness about women‟s education and their
equal rights in Indian society. Even he is the enemy of idol worship and strongly
supports the abolition of Sati tradition from India. In this connection Tagore without
68
hesitating exposes woman‟s place in domestic world in his essay on „Woman‟ as:
“This domestic world has been the gift of God to woman. She can extend her radiance
of love beyond its boundaries on all sides, and even leave it to prove her woman‟s
nature when the call comes to her. But this is a truth which cannot be ignored, that the
moment she is born in her mother‟s arms, she is born in the centre of her own true
world, the world of human relationship.”55
So, there is no doubt that Rabindranath Tagore is deeply aware about woman‟s
position in the domestic life. Hence it can be said that woman has capability to
maintain relationship from childhood to age old grandmother in house. Even she plays
different roles such as daughter, sister, wife, mother and grandmother.

2.4 Conclusion:
Thus, this chapter is a detailed analysis of Rabindranath Tagore‟s selected short
stories. The analysis is made on the basis of the theme, women characters in the
context of tradition patriarchal society. The women characters of Rabindranath
Tagore are broadly discussed into two major divisions such as traditional woman and
modern woman. Tagore‟s traditional women characters such as Surabala, Kumo,
Gouri and Nirupama are discussed in the context of Indian culture and patriarchal
values. Rabindranath Tagore indirectly states the message through his women
characters such as Sohini, Sasikala and Devottee that quest for modernity remains
unfulfilled. This chapter also shades light on the problems of handicapped woman,
child marriage, dowry and the widow.

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References:

1. Hudson, William H., An Introduction to the Study of Literature, Kalyani

Publishers, New Delhi, 2007, P. 336.
2. Ray, Mohit K., Studies on Rabindranath Tagore, Vol-II, Atlantic Publishers
and distributors, New Delhi, 2004, P. 225
3. Tagore, Rabindranath, ‘Mashi and Other Stories’ Translated from the original
Bengali by various writers, Macmillan and Co., Ltd, London, 1971, P.61
4. Ray, M. K., Studies on Rabindranath Tagore Vol-II, Atlantic Publishers and
Distributors, New Delhi, 2004, p.211
5. Tagore, Rabindranath, ‘Mashi and Other Stories’ Translated from the original
Bengali by various writers, Macmillan and Co., Ltd, London, 1971, P.67
6. Ibid. P.69
7. Ibid.P.72
8. Ibid.P.164-165
9. Ibid.P.166
10. Ibid.P.167
11. Ibid.P.168
12. Hudson, William H., An Introduction to the Study of Literature, Kalyani
Publishers, New Delhi, 2007. P.338.
13. Tagore, Rabindranath, ‘Mashi and Other Stories’ Translated from the original
Bengali by various writers, Macmillan and Co., Ltd, London, 1971, P.145
14. Ibid. P.152
15. Ibid.P.155
16. Tagore, Rabindranath, Hungry Stones and other stories, Macmillan and Co.
Limited, Calcutta, 1966, P.35
17. Ibid.P.136
18. Ibid.P.136
19. Ibid.P.140
20. Ibid.P.154
21. Ibid.P.164-165
22. Sahitya Akademi, A Centenary Volume Rabindranath Tagore, Sahitya
Akademi, New Delhi, 2010, P.283

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23. Tagore, Rabindranath, ‘Mashi and Other Stories’ Translated from the original
Bengali by various writers, Macmillan and Co., Ltd, London, 1971, P.209
24. Ibid.P.212
25. Ibid.P.179
26. Ibid.P.180
27. Chakrabarti, Santosh, Studies in Tagore Critical Essays, Atlantic Publishers
and Distributors, New Delhi, 2004, P.02
28. Tagore, Rabindranath, ‘Mashi and Other Stories’ Translated from the original
Bengali by various writers, Macmillan and Co., Ltd, London, 1971, P.138-139
29. Ibid.P.141
30. Tagore, Rabindranath, Hungry Stones and other stories, Macmillan and Co.
Limited, Calcutta, 1966, P.198
31. Ibid.P.201
32. Ibid.P.205
33. Ibid.P.208
34. Ibid.P.245
35. Ibid.P.246-247
36. Ibid.P.254
37. Tagore, Rabindranath, Rabindra Rachanbali, Birth Centenary Edition. Vol-
7,Calcutta, Govt. of West Bengal, 1961,P.986-987
38. Tagore, Rabindranath, Hungry Stones and other stories, Macmillan and Co.
Limited, Calcutta, 1966, P.117
39. Ibid.P.118-119
40. Ibid.P.128
41. Ibid.P.129
42. Ibid.P.132
43. Matrix ,S.(Trans.), Innovative Stories of Rabindranath Tagore, Nai Sadi Book
House, Delhi, 2013, P.93-94
44. Ibid.P.94-95
45. Ibid.P.97
46. Ibid.P.98
47. Ibid.P.68
48. Ibid.P.69
49. Ibid.P.24
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50. Ibid.P.26
51. Ibid.P.30
52. Ibid.P.31
53. Das, S.K., The English Writings of Rabindranath Tagore, Vol-3, Sahitya
Akademi, new Delhi, 2012, P.676
54. Soares, A. X, Rabindranath Tagore Lectures and Addresses, Macmillan India
Limited, New Delhi,2001, P.14-16
55. Ray, M.K., Selected Essays Rabindranath Tagore, Atlantic Publishers and
Distributors, New Delhi, 2012,P.178

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