ISSN: 2456–5474 RNI No.  UPBIL/2016/68367 VOL.- VIII , ISSUE- X November  - 2023
Innovation The Research Concept

Female Vision in Rabindranath's Stories

Paper Id :  17977   Submission Date :  28/09/2023   Acceptance Date :  27/10/2023   Publication Date :  05/11/2023
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Piyali Roy
Assistant Professor In Japanese
Department Of Foreign Languages Studies
Central University Of Karnataka
kalaburagi,Karnatak, India
Abstract

Rabindranath has presented a new form of women in his stories. In the development of this new form, the special and important contribution of the women the stories like Nostnid, Streer Patra, Aparichita, Badnaam, and Laboratory etc. is included. Rabindranath has advocated very vocally about women's rights, her dignity and overall emancipation in the modern age in Bengal with women's consciousness. He created such female characters, who do not give up despite all restrictions and siege and want to shake off the fetters cast in the name of religion, tradition, social dignity and women's pride. Rabindranath has also appreciated the progressive form of women, her quality, usefulness, her modernity and her weaknesses in the stories and has given her voice to everyone.A woman may perform minor duties, even if the scope of her pleasures and pains is not enormous, but she is completely balanced regarding these. This perfection and balance are found in all the women in Rabindranath's stories. In his stories, the scope of women was less than that of men. Nevertheless, the character of women in his stories are simple and the perfection, charm, brightness, and victory that lies in simplicity, all these are present in his female characters.

Keywords Female Characters, Woman’s Mind, Vision, Child Widow, Married Life, Separation, New form of Women.
Introduction

Rabindranath created such female characters who were a step ahead of their time. He portrayed multi-faceted women characters. These women are not afraid, fearful, or helpless, but are full of self-respect, self-respect and the power to oppose injustice. His women are not the women who run on a tightrope. They are full of self-respect, intellectual and intelligent women.Rabindranath's vision of women is full of this consciousness. Even though there was no women's discourse in Rabindranath's time about the multi-faceted and multi-level relationship between men and women, there was enough concern in the literary world about the problems related to it. At its centre, the attempt to follow the lifestyle of men and to consider motherhood and wifehood as a hindrance was mainly.

Objective of study

Through this research paper, one can get a clear idea of the condition of women during Rabindranath's time, especially contemporary Bengali women. This paper also argues how advanced Rabindranath was from his time period and through his female characters how he portrayed that. Rabindranath created a new trend for women through his literary work, and very surprisingly the modern idea of new women was given by that time by him. We are debating women's freedom and liberation, but Rabindranath was a step ahead of his time.

Review of Literature

In the stories of Rabindranath, a woman may perform minor duties, even if the scope of her pleasures and pains is not enormous, but she is completely balanced regarding these. This perfection and balance are found in all the women in Rabindranath's stories. In his stories, the scope of women was less than that of men. Nevertheless, the character of women in his stories are simple and the perfection, charm, brightness, and victory that lies in simplicity, all these are present in his female characters.

In his era, Rabindranath created such female characters who were a step ahead of their time. Hedoesn’t get entangled in myths and misconceptions of world-hereafter, sin-virtue. Saying of the female character of his story that - “It was good that he passed away in the second month of marriage. I performed rituals in Vaishnavism in the presence of people, but I was very happy in my heart that the thorn came out.”This statement is from a strong woman.

Rabindranath understood the woman's mind with subtlety and portrayed multi-faceted women characters. These women are not afraid, fearful, or helpless, but are full of self-respect, self-respect and the power to oppose injustice. His women are not the women who run on a tightrope. They are full of self-respect, intellectual and intelligent women. Such characters do not flow in the stream themselves but can change the direction of the stream.

Rabindranath searched for new expressions of women in the story. When it is expressed by feeling and thinking, it is called consciousness. Rabindranath's vision of women is full of this consciousness. Even though there was no women's discourse in Rabindranath's time about the multi-faceted and multi-level relationship between men and women, there was enough concern in the literary world about the problems related to it. At its centre, the attempt to follow the lifestyle of men and to consider motherhood and wifehood as a hindrance was mainly. The living proof of this is the stories of Rabindranath.

Rabindranath has depicted in his stories long ago the freedom and liberation of women that the women's society has been aspiring for. “The realization that the laxity of one may cause inconvenience and harm to another is the basis of a civilized society.” Rabindranath's woman consciousness has become widespread because he saw women with both their inner and outer sides. and vividly depicted it. Rabindranath's women-consciousness can play an important role in giving the right direction to the women-discourse which has become popular in the present times. Rabindranath has considered the closest relationship between man and woman as lover-lover and husband-wife only. That's why the woman in Rabindranath's stories wants to love the man, wants to get his love in the counterpart and sometimes due to human weakness is unable to feel or understand that love. Or it can be said that the women characters in Rabindranath's stories arewomen of flesh and blood.

In the story 'Kankal', the wonderful beauty of a woman is shaped. The woman of 'Kankal' is a child widow. The one who loves Shashi Shekhar also wants to get him. But when he comes to know that Shashi Shekhar is getting married somewhere else, his heart starts burning. She does not sacrifice her love but gets ready to do anything for love. That's why she thinks it is right to kill Shashi Shekhar and commit suicide. But while on the one hand, in Rabindranath's story Kankal, the woman takes the life of her beloved when love is not received, on the other hand, the woman 'Binni' in the story 'Malayadaan' goes for him even after her lover has gone away. She sacrifices her love and life. But she does not wish harm to her beloved and does not even imagine him.

In his stories, Rabindranath presented the woman by telling the form of separation, agony, misfortune, disdain etc. even in the love of a woman. The praise of invincible love has been presented in the story 'Durasha'. Due to the power of that invincible love, Nawab's daughter began to feel that Brahmin has pervaded her life. Rabindranath has so effectively engraved the love of a Muslim girl in 'Durasha' that 'Adina' appears not only as a character or a lover but as a question whose answer is not with any religion or scripture. Through the female character of 'Durasha', that questionable mental horizon of Rabindranath is revealed - where many emotional clouds were roaming and were anxious to rain.

The story of 'Aontim Rat' is about a woman who is unaware of her married life. In this story, Rabindranath has depicted a woman in the form of 'Mani' who is so immersed in modern material facilities that she remains ignorant of the responsibilities of married life. She sees salvation only in escape. Rabindranath has depicted the wonderful form of a woman through Mani. In which she remains very harsh, cruel, dutyless, immersed in physical facilities, ignorant of married life and the responsibilities of a wife. But at the end of the story, Mani accepts all her mistakes and goes to Yatin and realizing her crimes, falls at Yatin's feet and starts crying.Here Rabindranath has tried to tell through Mani that if we do not take care of married life in time, then married love will go far away from us. In this context, Mridula Garg says that - “The co-existence of love is only in death, which we do not want and the fate of love is that it is lonely. When one person loves, the other does not, and when the second does, the first does not.”

In the story 'Pinjar', Rabindranath has mentioned many layers of a woman's inner heart. The woman of 'Pinjar' is different from the women of other stories of Rabindranath. The heroine of Pinjar has started finding her essence in imagination beyond reality. The result of child marriage is that the first man in her life is not her father but a cruel husband. The ill effects of child marriage and society's attitude towards widows have been shown in the story Pinjar.

In the story 'Post Master', Rabindranath has depicted the sad life of an affectionate and helpless rural girl. In this, he has engraved the mood of a rural woman. Rabindranath has depicted the condition of women in the state of union and separation. The outcry that arises within Ratan has been told. Along with this, respect towards women, a sense of service and love for women have also been told. This has also been mentioned by Rabindranath in the story 'The Postmaster' - “The body suffering from the disease, having been completely alone in the migration during heavy rains, has a desire to get some service. One remembers soft hands wearing conch shell bangles on the hot forehead. In such a difficult stay, in the pain of illness, there is a desire to think that mother and sister are sitting nearby in the form of loving women. And this longing of the mind of the migrant did not go in vain. The girl Ratan ceased to be a girl, she immediately assumed the position of a mother. She went and called the doctor, gave her the pill at the right time, and sat at the bedside all night.

Rabindranath got to know the woman's mind subtly and exposed multi-dimensional women characters in his stories. He also accepted that there were many women who were not afraid, helpless, or helpless but had self-esteem, self-respect and the power to oppose injustice. 'Mrinal' of the story 'Streer Patra' is also one of such multi-dimensional characters. A helpless girl who, despite being the daughter-in-law of a joint family, raises her voice against the injustice being done to Bindu. The proof of this has also been given by Mrinal - “My body started burning with hatred and anger. I said, this way a marriage of deception cannot be called a marriage. Bindu, stay close to me the way you used to be. Let's see, who takes you?"In the story 'Streer Patra', through Mrinal's letter, Rabindranath has expressed in a very poignant and effective way the inner agony of the women caste, stigmatized, tortured and humiliated for centuries in the name of tradition.

Married life is indeed a relationship based on trust and when this trust is violated, it can be mildly perverted. Rabindranath has told through the married life of Shudra's child widow 'Kusum' in the story 'Tayag'. But in the story 'Punishment' there are visions of its opposite form. Rabindranath has been able to see so much comprehensiveness in married life, this is an indication of his deep perspective.

In the story 'Madhyavartini', Rabindranath has told the tragedy invited by husband and wife-Nivaran and Harsundari, keeping the girl child Shailbala in the centre. He has depicted the presence of a third person or the role of a third person between husband and wife in many ways in his various compositions and stories. In the story 'Drishtidan', Rabindranath has given a new dimension to the relationship between husband and wife. Along with giving importance to the wifehood of women. Kumu (Kamalini) despite being blind, does her duty as a wife. Kumu may be blind but she is a true and pious woman, whose wish is to follow her husband till death. Rabindranath has portrayed the character of a true and virtuous woman through Kumu. He believed that a true chastity blind woman can give sight to even a sighted person.On the other hand, the story 'Nashtanid' is a living and meaningful representation of the modern woman's mind. In this story, the woman comes of age in a different form. Who wants to do something meaningful in life despite her limitations. It can be said that the arrival of a third person between husband and wife has been Rabindranath's favourite subject and creative intention. Probably no other story so daring has been written in Bengali literature to date. Rabindranath has done a bold and challenging task of ignoring the social law prohibition and giving a new identity to the woman. 'Vaishnavi' is the story of Rabindranath's women problem. Which Anandi is such a mother whose young age accepts the bond of motherhood? But it is only after the death of the child that Anandi really feels the meaning of mother, and truly understands motherhood. Here the feeling of motherhood of a woman has been depicted very subtly. In this story, Rabindranath has clearly said that when a woman binds motherhood, she wants to be free from it and when she is free from it, she wants to be bound again in the same bondage. Then the woman sees freedom in bondage. On the other hand, Rabindranath has shown the maternal form of a woman in the story 'Chhutti'. Phatik's mother is usually a bit strict. Because he feels that Phatik, who is already wayward, should not be spoiled any more by his pampering. Where in 'Dasarat's Vanvas', the father's affectionate letter is received by the son after his father's death, whereas in 'Chhutti' story, the mother's affectionate sentence is heard by Phatik in her dying state. But the ground feeling at the end of both stories is the same. Rabindranath has revealed similar sentiments of women's motherhood in stories like 'Aontim Rat', and 'Subha'.

In the story 'Laboratory', Rabindranath has exposed the new form of women. In, through his innovative ideas, he inspires women to create their own identities. Sohini of 'Laboratory' is a high example of a female portrait created by Rabindranath who can never compromise. Rabindranath has created that female character in the form of Sohini, who is full of liveliness, openness and Punjabi mentality in behaviour. She is free from the traditional habit of weeping and wailing of Bengali girls. Not only this, shecan take decisions with an alert and bright personality.

Conclusion

In this way, it can be said that Rabindranath has presented a new form of women in his stories. In the development of this new form, the special and important contribution of the women the stories like Nastnid, Streer Patra, Aparichita, Badnaam, and Laboratory etc. is included. Rabindranath has advocated very vocally about women's rights, her dignity and overall emancipation in the modern age in Bengal with women's consciousness. He created such female characters, who do not give up despite all restrictions and siege and want to shake off the fetters cast in the name of religion, tradition, social dignity and women's pride. Rabindranath has also appreciated the progressive form of women, her quality, usefulness, her modernity and her weaknesses in the stories and has given her voice to everyone. On considering Rabindranath's love and women-consciousness, it will be found that in his vast heart, there was immense love for human beings, one bright side of which has been women. Rabindranath has also said that - “That primitive pain of life-meditation has been given to a woman by nature – it is in the heart of a woman, it is in her blood. Nature has linked the instincts of animal husbandry with the fibres of the body and mind of a woman. Naturally, this trend has got a more serious and spacious place in the heart than in the mind. It is this tendency that creates the bond between women, to hold themselves and others – through love, affection, through compassionate patience. The human world has been created from this Adam chain – this is the basic basis of society and civilization. If there was no bond in the world, then man would have scattered like a formless vapour, and would not have been able to establish a meeting centre by compacting anywhere. This first task of social bonding is for women only. Nature's creation process is a deep mystery, its self-propulsion is dreamless. It is in the very nature of a woman that this primordial life instinctively emerges. That's why man has always called female nature mysterious. That's why the sigh of emotions which suddenly appear in the life of a woman is beyond logic. That is not a reservoir methodically formed according to purpose, like a spring whose cause is hidden in its causeless mystery.”

References

1. Thakur Rabindranath, Pinjar (story) p. No. – 128

2. Tiwari Dr Satya Prakash (Editor), Rabindranath and Hindi Literature, p. No. – 115

3. Garg Mridula, Chitkobra, p. No. – 121

4. Bandhopadhyay Kumar Asit (Editor) Rabindra Rachna Sanchayan, p. No. – 192

5. Tagore Rabindranath, Drishtidan and other stories, Rabindranath Daigor Rachnavali, Editor- Indranath Chowdhary, p. No. – 196

6. Bandhopadhyay Kumar Asit (Editor) Rabindra Rachna Sanchayan, p. No. – 732