5 Essential Short Stories of Rabindranath Tagore.

5 Essential Short Stories of Rabindranath Tagore.

Rabindranath Tagore's short stories perfectly depict Indian society set during the British Raj. Of course, he usually confined his plans and actions to the geographical and cultural boundaries of Bengal. What precludes cultural references, however, are the emotions of the women in each of his short stories. His writings focus on society's expectations of women, their infinite love, and their confusion. As we read through Tagore's short stories, we see that women, as the primary administrators of the household, are in a powerless position and are burdened with ignorance.

1. “The Postmaster”

“The Postmaster” can be viewed from two perspectives. First, men who grew up in the city are reluctant to settle in the countryside. Secondly, the loneliness of the woman and her devotion to her benefactor. The postmaster came from Calcutta, the capital of Bengal. The reason for his distress is that he has been posted to a remote village, Ullapur. Tagore wanted to point out that there was an indigo factory in Ullapur, albeit a village, owned by the British. Still, the village was unable to lure the man out of town. Unfortunately, the postmaster did not like life in the countryside and could not even integrate into the local social environment. He was eager to meet like-minded people. Although he had to spend his days working at the post office. At home, Ratan, an orphan from the village, helps him with strange household chores. The postmaster wants in his mind to replace the tranquility of the village with the hustle and bustle of the city. Meanwhile, Ratan is happy to find a postmaster who starts teaching her how to read and write. Ratan was a patient listener and accepted the role of companion to the postmaster, but he did not receive the same level of return. ``Oh, I wish I had a kindred soul nearby - a loving person to take into my heart!'' Even in pre-independence times, people hated rural posts; It's a complete revelation. Thematically, it would be helpful to look at this story from the perspective of "meeting and parting" and homesickness. However, the more we see how the protagonist hates the village, the clearer the gap between town and countryside becomes. Even back then, holding a village post meant being thrust into a backward area without amenities or education.

2. "Mashi"

"Mashi" is a word often used to address aunt in Bengali. Although Mashi is the main character, this story is about marital relationships and loneliness. Jyotin is married to Mani, a young and energetic girl. Mani and Jyotin never got their way as a couple. Mani is a child at heart and is not affected by her husband's serious illness. All she thinks about is returning to her home for her sister Annaprashan's ritual. Masi is a widow who lost her husband at a young age. Having this bitter feeling inside her, she is unable to understand Mani's desire for her to be happy. This story is understood from Maci's perspective. Her love for Jyotin is definitely on a pedestal. In an attempt to calm her heart of Jyotin, she tells a small lie about Mani's love for him. A woman's devotion and love can be measured by the sleepless nights she spends knitting shawls, cooking, and sobbing. This story depicts the sad situation of Mani, a girl who is burdened with the burden of her marriage and her helplessness in reciprocating Jyotin's love compared to her older Mashi. Maci learns to romanticize the tragedy of her woman's life and she can only imagine giving her love to a man in any form.

3. "Kabuliwala"

"Kabuliwala" or the man from Kabul is the story of Abdul Rahman, a seasonal goods seller in Kabul. Abdul Rahman's longing for his family, especially his daughter, is the focus of the story. Unlike the rich storyteller who lives in Calcutta, he is poor and far away from his loved ones. The story begins with details of the narrator's talkative five-year-old daughter, Mini. The father enjoys Mini's constant barrage of questions about writing novels, but the mother is often irritated by her young daughter. Mini reminds Kabuliwala of her daughter. He brings Mini small treats and the two quickly develop a strong affection. Kabuliwala is all about the love that his father feels for his daughter. And it is a heart-breaking moment for her to see her grow up and leave her parents after her marriage. It provides insight into Tagore's favorite themes such as fatherly love and separation.

4. ``Sabha''

``Sabha'' is a touching story. Tagore tells the story of a mute village girl. The Banikanta family lived in a small riverside village called Chandipur in West Bengal, and Subha was the youngest of three daughters. Suba's life is filled with loneliness and lack of companionship. Suba's mother believes that her daughter's disability is her fault and is disappointed in her daughter. Her parents also have responsibility for their daughter's marriage. Her Suba's only solace was to go to the river bank after completing her chores or to be with her two friends, her two cows named Sarvashi and Pangri. We can see the similarities between the status of a pet and the existence of a sabha. Even more than Suva's suffering, this story reveals our society's inability to take into account the psychological needs and economic circumstances of disabled people.

5. The Editor

In The Editor, Tagore once again examines the relationship between father and daughter from the father's perspective. At the beginning of the story, the narrator tells how close he felt to his wife and how he often ran away from his responsibilities to his young daughter. The woman's death brought the bond between father and daughter closer together. But it was Ms. Prova who took on the role of caregiver from an early age. In this story, Tagore talks about the boundless love of a daughter for her father. In return, his father wants to earn enough to marry off his daughter to a "good" family. The nuances of life during this period, the age required for government work, or the inability to find civilian work due to lack of influence, add great color to the story. Eventually, Prova's father turns to writing novels as a source of income and later joins a newspaper company. His popularity as a writer and his focus on writing create distance from Proba.