The Home and the World - Rabindranath Tagore

Résumé du document

Rabindranath Tagore was born on the 6 of may 1861 in Calcutta and died on the 7 of august 1941, in the same town. He was a versatile artist, writing poetry, drama and novels, composing and also painting. He was also a huge philosopher in India during his time. He was also known as 'Gurudev', his pseudonym. He began to write his first poems at the age of eight. The first publication of his poetry was made when he was only 16, and his first short stories were published in 1877. He lost all his family, and was badly affected by the problems that occured in Bengal. He was born in a family of artists and social reformers with strong political ideals. He studied to become an advocate in Brighton, in England. However, he did not finish his studies there and came back to Bengal in 1880. In 1883, he married Mrinalini Devi, with whom he had five children. In 1901, he moved to Santiniketan, where his wife and two of his children died.

Extraits

[...] The first publication of his poetry was made when he was only 16, and his first short stories were published in 1877. He lost all his family, and was really affected by the problems that occur in Bengal. His writings were engaged. He sustained the movement for the Independence of India and was strongly against The British Raj. He was a non-conformist and a pragmatic. His works were made in Bengali, his mother tongue language. However, he translated himself into English his texts. [...]

[...] This is the real theme of the novel: the tear tearing of a woman between her home and her land. This shows the evolutionary thought of the author concerning women in general at this period. He dares to give them more power, but also a double-sided role, which should be naturally allowed for them. The tearing of the woman in this work is quite touching. She cannot behave as she wants and, when finally, she is free, she cannot stand this, and goes back to her husband, trying to forget her political ideals. [...]

[...] She tried, with the help of Amulya, a friend of her, her brother to give back the money which she had stolen, but when things began to go better in her house, her husband and Amulya were wounded, and even killed. Reaction His work is an opposition between the house, which means the notion of tradition and family, against the land, which means the independence movement running over India. The main character is here opposed and confronted to both of these problems. On one hand, she is a woman, and as a matter of fact, she has to deal with the obligation her home ask her to do, according to the Indian tradition. [...]

[...] The home is clearly dominating them, as well of tradition. The worship of invitees and husbands is quite a striking point of this tradition. Subordination of women seems to be incrusted in the minds of everybody, and even more in the minds of women. It seems that if she did not do this worship, she would not be considered in good terms, which is a real alienation of an identity, in my opinion. The behaviour of Sandip is also quite ambiguous. [...]

[...] She is no longer the woman of her house. She cannot stand this at all. It is even like an insult for her, a way to make her weaker. Socially, this is concretely a loss of identity, of her identity of an Indian householder woman. On the other hand, she is engaged in the fight for independence, in Swadeshi movement. For a woman, it is totally inconceivable. She should not be outside the home like that, showing herself in public with strong political and social ideas. [...]