paper no . 201. Indian English literature pre - Independence

🔅 NAME : Shah vanshita Ashwinbhai 

🔅 COLLEGE : MNC 

🔅 PAPER NAME : Indian English literature pre independence 

🔅 PROFESSOR:  Shivani Ma'am 

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 ||  Unit : 1  ||

 

                    "    The Home and the world   "

                                                         - Rabindranath Tagore

✳️ Introduction :

The novel "The Home and the World" is written by a famous personality Rabindranath

Tagore.It was initially written and published in Bengali in 1916 and later translated into

English by Surendra Nath Tagore. The Bengali title of the novel is "Ghare Baire." This social

and political novel is based on the different cultures of the society. The novel's central theme

is love, the tradition of society, and nationalism. The novel is about the Swadeshi movement

in Bengal, the partition of Bengal, east Bengal, and West Bengal in 1905. The Swadeshi

movement was one of the large protests and movements of that time when British Colonial

Rule controlled India. It played a significant role in the independence of India. The novel

talks about the conflict between tradition and modernity and contains a detailed discussion of

the love triangle between the characters present in the novel. Tagore discussed the

tradition's personal and political aspects and offered a deep study of human emotions and

the stress when a tradition experiences a sudden change in its legacy.

The story revolves around three main characters. Nikhil a progressive zamindar (landlord)

who supports and follows Western ideals and encourages his wife, Bimala, to embrace her

independence and mental growth. Bimala, a young and sheltered woman, finds herself

ragged between her loyalty to her husband and her growing fascination with Sandeep, a

charming and brave nationalist leader who fights for a radical and militant approach to the

freedom movement. The psychological pain that Bimala goes through as she negotiates the

complications of love, duty, and self-discovery is expertly portrayed by Tagore. The story

explores issues of identity, gender roles, and the effects of personal decisions during political

instability from her point of view. The characters must deal with their views and

disagreements as the tale develops, which has dramatic and unexpected results. The Home

and the World explores competing ideologies and the intensely human conflicts that result

from societal change.

Summary:

The story begins with the scene in which Nikhil explains to his wife the need to explore the

outer world. He is provoking her not to sit idle between the house's four walls; rather, she

should go outside. Bimala is an uneducated and illiterate housewife spiritually devoted to her

husband, Nikhil. Nikhil is described as a supportive and caring husband. He is asking her to

gain some experience from the outside world. The story is set during Swadeshi Movement,

where people enthusiastically participate and boycott foreign items by accepting the local

ones. All citizens participated in Swadeshi Movement and gave speeches on boycotting

British goods. Nikhil seeks no interest in Bimala to explore the environment outside. He

forces Bimala to try to interact with the world outside.

Nikhil is an educated person. He is looking for a tutor who can teach Bimala English

language. In the process, he finds Chandra Nathan Babu on the way. He requests to arrange an English tutor for Bimala. On repeated requests of Nikhil Chandra, Nathan Babu finally agreed to arrange an English tutor for Bimala. He hired a teacher named Gilby for the

purpose. After some days, Bimala got bored with that English class and decided to quit the

regular classes of English by Gilby's mam. She would rather indulg herself in outdoor

activities. As Nikhil pushed her into outdoor activities, she accepted to merge into the

Swadeshi movement. Nikhil used the Swadeshi movement to allow Bimala to participate in

external activities. As directed by her husband, Bimala attended lectures and speeches

during the Swadeshi movement. After participating in the Swadeshi movement,she met a

person named Sandeep, who was the leader of the crowd.

The voice and tone of Sandeep's speeches contained a magic spell that controlled the

crowd, which comes in its aura. Sandeep gave motivational speeches on nationality, and

Bimala attended all rallies and speeches of Sandeep. Bimala also got motivated and inspired

by listening to his speeches in the movement. His speeches affected Bimala's dynamic, and

she became attracted to him. She was impressed by his way of speaking. Slowly this

impression was turned into attraction, and Bimala started liking Sandeep. They are both

attracted to each other. Sandeep tries to impress her by giving her the "QUEEN BEE."

Bimala did not skip any lecture of Sandeep. This results in the development of a good

friendship bond between them. All these things changed Bimala's behavior, and she became

more confident.

A sudden change was observed in Bimala in her nature and tone. Nikhil was very happy for

her that she was improving. She was now excitedly participating in the movements and even

delivering her speeches. She was addressing a huge crowd without any hesitation. This

quality of her results in increasing her fame in the nearby areas. People now know Bimala as

much as they know Sandeep. She was titled by the name of "Mother of Swadeshi

Movement." Even Bimala has thought of divorce with Nikhil. She noticed a young boy named

Amulya. He was full of determination and patriotism and had a very sharp mind. He had

several amazing schemes that can be further used in other movements. Bimala adopted him

as her child.

One day Bimala invites Sandeep to their house for dinner, and he meets Nikhil. Sandeep

asked whether he could use their house as the Swadeshi movement's headquarters. All the

meetings related to the Swadeshi Movement would take place here. Nikhil agreed to this, as

her wife Bimala was also involved in this movement. Between this, Sandeep asks Nikhil to

stay in their house for some days. Nikhil agreed, but days stretched to weeks, and weeks

turned into months. All the people, including the neighbors, started gossiping about the

relationship between Bimala and Sandeep.

Bara Rani, a widow and sister of Nikhil, also taunts Bimala regarding the same. Nikhil was

also aware of the gossip, but he told her she could do anything. After some days, riots

started in the city. Sandeep wants power now; he was mad for the victory and was trying

hard for the same. He called a meeting at Bimala's house, where Amulya and Bimala joined

him. Sandeep wants money to promote himself, so he asks them both to arrange money.

Amulya takes responsibility for arranging money. For this purpose, he looted a bank and

murdered a cashier. As the riots were going on, while returning from the bank, he was

caught by mobs, who killed him. Bimala feels sad for Amulya. This plan got failed, so he

moved toward Bimala for the money. She stole some money and jewellery from the safe of

Nikhil and gave it to Sandeep. After receiving money and jewellery, Sandeep ran away from

the house.

After this, she feels guilty and sad that she betrayed her husband for some other unknown

man. She was lost in regret and sorry for thinking that Nikhil was a good man; he was a

perfect husband who supported her in all the ups and downs of life. She wanted to say sorry

to Nikhil, but suddenly, she heard a noise outside and noticed that Nikhil was in a rush.She

asked Nikhil where he was going. He answered that he would help women in the riot who

were tortured by the mobs. Bimala decided to say sorry to Nikhil once he was back. After

two hours, some people carry Nikhil home on a stretcher in a critical situation. He was

injured in the riot by the mobs. Bimala started crying after looking at him on the stretcher.

She remained crying in the end. We have no idea if Nikhil lives or not. The novel ends here.

Analysis :

The Home and The World was written by Rabindranath Tagore, who won the Nobel Prize in

Literature in 1916.

The story is centered on the personal evolution of Bimala, a woman. who came from a poor

economic class and was considered unattractive by cultural standards, Bimala was devoted

to her husband, Nikhil, who came from an aristocratic family of landowners. The difference in

Nikhil and Bimala's social standing was a commentary on the caste system and the

economic divisions in India at the time.

Tagore also used the contrasts in Nikhil's and Bimala's backgrounds to demonstrate Nikhil's

love for Bimala, as Nikhil's family had always prized beautiful and wealthy women. By not

following his family's tradition, Nikhil showed Bimala and the society around him that his

devotion to her was more important than superficial ideas.

Bimala represents how women-regardless of social and economic class-were perceived and

treated by society. Bimala was expected to live a domestic life by society, even though Nikhil

had encouraged her to experience "the real world" by taking her to a political rally.

When Bimala met Sandip a fiery, radical, and gifted debater-as a guest in their home, she

was initially put off by his brash nature. However, she gradually became enthralled with his

political views, particularly those on anti-imperialism. Sandip was a proponent of the

Swadeshi movement, which promoted Indian independence and nationalism. The movement

was a reaction to the British Empire's colonialist history in India.

Bimala transformed from a traditional housewife to an independent woman. Bimala's

"awakening" is an analogy of Indian independence. At this point in the novel, Sandip

represented the Swadeshi movement and Nikhil, although also politically-minded,

represented the old system of serfdom and traditionalism.

The love triangle between Bimala, Nikhil, and Sandip represents the dilemma that Indians

faced at the time: make progress toward independence or remain within their tradition.

Although not explicitly considered feminist literature, Tagore deftly used feminist theory as an

analogy to articulate the political complexities of India's push for independence.

When Sandip asks Bimala to steal money from Nikhil, she realizes the true nature of

Sandip's intentions. For Sandip, stealing from Nikhil, who represented the wealthy elite in

good standing with the colonial power, was a revolutionary act. However, Bimala thought that

stealing from her own home was equivalent to stealing from her nation. With this realization,

Bimala not only kept her newfound nationalism, she also refined it by learning that progress

can only be achieved through ethical means.

Theme:

Tradition vs modernism

As the title suggests, a major theme is the relationship of the home with the outside world.

Nikhil enjoys the modern, western goods and clothing and lavishes Bimala with them.

However, Bimala, in the Hindu tradition, never goes outside of the house complex. Her world

is a clash of western and traditional Indian life. She enjoys the modern things that Nikhil

brings to her, but when Sandip comes and speaks of nationalism with such fire, she sees

these things as a threat to her way of life. Bimala's struggle is with identity. She is part of the

country, but only knows the home and her home is a mix of cultures. She is torn between

supporting the ideal of a country that she knows she should love, or working toward ensuring

that her home, her whole world, is free from strife and supporting her husband like a

traditional Indian woman should. Bimala is forced to try to understand how her traditional life

can mix with a modern world and not be undermined. This theme ties in with the nationalism

theme because it is another way that Tagore is warning against the possibility that

nationalism can do more harm than good.

Illusions :

The constant forming of illusions in the novel grows to be a major recurring theme. Sandip

tends to create illusions that almost always have negative effects on his followers and on the

nation of Bengal. He builds an illusion of his beliefs that sucks the people of Bengal into a

sort of cult. His illusion is complete sovereignty, free of all other worlds, and an endless

supply of wealth and self enjoyment.

This illusion, as many are, is a fake and a lie. It ultimately sells these people a front row

ticket to watch their nation fall into complete chaos and civil war between people with

different beliefs. He constructs an illusion for Bimala to believe, saying she is the future,

women are the future, they are the chosen path to salvation. Bimala builds an illusion that

she is to blame for this war, it is solely her doing.

That she has done all wrong and no right. She refuses to accept that she too was a victim of

"Bande Mataram". "I now fear nothing-neither myself, nor anybody else. I have passed

through fire. What was inflammable has been burnt to ashes; what is left is deathless. I have

dedicated myself to the feet of him, who has received all my sin into the depths of his own

pain." The biggest of all is Sandip's mask of caring and passion, while he hides his own

selfishness and desire for the world.

Truth :

In more than one way, this novel is a comparison of different views of truth. Which reality is

truer is up to the reader's interpretation. Nikhil maintains an idealistic

view of the world while Sandip takes a radical, nature-worshiping view. He feels Nikhil's view

of the world is inferior to the real, raw world in which he lives as a radical leader. Bimala as

well must compare truths. Through her interactions with Sandip, she is introduced to the

truth of "shakti" (female power), yet her life with Nikhil is centred on the truth of conjugality.

Each of these instances is a comparison of truth as being something simply objective to

being something with a more spiritual or moral dimension. While the story ends in tragedy,

both views of truth are important players in the story's outcome, and it is left to the reader to

ponder with which he or she agrees or disagrees.

Love and union :

From the first page of the novel, the love and union between Nikhil and Bimala is illustrated

as something sacred. Nikhil proved throughout the story that he was undeniably devoted to

his wife. He proved this first by marrying a woman who hailed from a poor family, along with

accepting her darker skin.

He made great effort to not only educate her,but also for her to understand her place in the

world and not just her place in the captivity of their house. He shows his love by giving her

freedom. Bimala also adores her husband, but in a less material manner. This is

demonstrated in Bimala's daily ritual of "taking the dust", an Indian ritual of reverence not

usually performed by a wife to her husband.

Due to Bimala's extreme devotion to Nikhil, in the beginning of the novel, the union between

the two of them is seen as one that cannot be broken. However, as, the story progresses,

Bimala is slowly overcome by her feelings for Sandip. She eventually realises that she has

found in Sandip what she longed for in Nikhil, fierce ambition and even violent defence of

one's ideals. Her deep desire for Sandip led her to completely break her sacred union with

Nikhil, going as far as to steal money from her household funds. Sandip shows his love for

Bimala through idolisation. This idolisation comes about due to her freedom, though.

The tale clearly presents the theme of love and union time and time again, going from Nikhil

and Bimala's marriage, through the love triangle created by Sandip, and once again

returning to Bimala's love for Nikhil at the very end. This story tests the boundaries of the

union of marriage. It stretches and twists it to the point where a 9-year marriage is nearly

destroyed simply because of a raw temptation. In addition to the idea of romantic love, there

is a sense of love of one's own country depicted throughout the novel. Questions such as, is

it best to love one's country through action, perhaps even violence, or by passive tolerance,

are posed in the arguments of Nikhil and Sandip. While love and worship seem parallel in

marriage, Nikhil believes these feelings cannot apply to one's country. "To worship my

country as a god is to bring a curse upon it".

The role of women :

Throughout the novel, as stated earlier, a strong sense of devotion is seen in the relationship

between Bimala and Nikhil. It is key to notice that an indirect evaluation of the role of women

is seen in this novel also, in a very subtle manner. In the society described, Bimala, like most

women, blindly worships her husband. This can be seen when Bimala is described, "taking

the dust of my husband's feet without waking him". When she is caught doing this act of

reverence, her reaction is, "That had nothing to do with merit. It was a woman's heart, which

must worship in order to love." . This scene shows the average woman in this society who

believes love will happen and worship is a given in a marriage. She blindly respects her

husband without understanding or having a grasp of who he is.

Another one of the many scenes that alludes to a woman's place in this society is when

Nikhil and Sandip argue and Bimala is asked her opinion, which she finds unusual, in

addition to "Never before had I [Bimala] had an opportunity of being present at a discussion

between my husband and his men friends". This line shows how there is a strong disconnect

and there is no place, usually, for a woman in real world conversations. To further prove this,

in Nikhil's story, the role of a woman is seen clearly, "Up till now Bimala was my home-made

Bimala, the product of the confined space and the daily routine of small duties" . These

indirect references and descriptions are quite frequent throughout the novel and clearly

allows the reader to get a sense of what women were subject to and their overall role in the

society.

Characters :

1. Bimala: Bimala is the wife of Nikhil. She is the central character of the novel. A young,

sheltered woman finds herself ragged between her loyalty to her husband and her growing

fascination with Sandeep. She is the protagonist of the novel. Nikhil loves her very much. He

wants to see Bimala as a modern and progressive woman, and he brings her out of the

house's four walls. Although she initially attracts Sandeep and his revolutionary ideas. Her

eyes opened when she learned about his reality and the goodness of Nikhil.

2. Nikhil: Nikhil is the husband of Bimala and a friend of Sandip later. He is also a Wealthy

merchant. He supports and follows Western ideas. He has a very calm and sweet nature. He

is a liberal for the Swadeshi movement but also modern and progressive. He supports his

wife, Bimala, in every situation and always agrees with her decisions. He is a patriot, too, as

he agreed to serve his house as the Swadeshi movement's headquarters. He is an

accommodating person. It is evident from the story how he put his life in danger to help the

women stuck in the riots. He saved them from the mobs and sacrificed his own life.

3. Sandeep: Sandeep is a friend of Nikhil and is a confident and brave nationalist who fights

for the independence of India. He strictly followed Swadeshi Movement and boycotted

delivering foreign goods to India. He sinks the boat of Mirjan so that he cannot bring foreign

items into the state. He betrayed Bimala and ran away after taking all their money and

jewellery.

4. Amulya: Amulya is the disciple of Sandeep. Later he became the adopted son of Bimala.

He is a very clever child who unthinkingly does anything he is ordered. Sandeep uses him

for personal purposes. The mobs killed him in the riot while he was returning, looting the

bank. Sandeep ordered him to do so

5. Mirjan: Mirjan is a boatman who carries foreign items in his boat. Sandeep denied him

doing so, but he disagreed and continued his work. Because he is a poor man and cannot

quit his job. Later Sandeep sinks his boat in the water with the help of Amulya.

6. Chandra Nathan Babu: He is the schoolmaster of Nikhil. He arranged for a tutor named

Gilby for Bimala to teach her English.

7. Bara Rani: Bara Rani is Nikhil's sister-in- law of Bimala. She is a widow living with Nikhil in

his house. She dislikes Bimala and undermines her love for Nikhil.

Conclusion

The Home and the World, written by Rabindranath Tagore, ends with a

heartfelt conclusion that makes us think deeply about love, loyalty, and the

clash between tradition and modern ideas. At the end of the story, the

characters' lives become disturbed, and we see the consequences of their

choices. As the story ends, Bimala realizes the consequences of her

attraction towards Sandip and the wrong path she followed unthinkingly.

She understands that Sandip's love and his betrayal of ,Nikhil's trust were

destructive. Bimala could not even say sorry to Nikhil for her wrong

deeds.

The conclusion of The Home and the World shows Tagore's talent in

describing deep emotions and the complexities of human nature. It

reminds us of balance, empathy, and looking within ourselves in a world

that struggles with old and new ways, personal desires, and social

responsibilities. Ultimately, Tagore's book teaches us that the journey to

self-discovery and improving the world takes work. But we can find

harmony and grow together by understanding, caring, and taking the

time to understand one another. The Home and the World is a timeless

story that forces us to think about the ups and downs of relationships, the

impact of beliefs, and the universal search for who we are and where we

belong. The psychological pain that Bimala goes through as she

negotiates the complications of love, duty, and self-discovery is expertly

portrayed by Tagore. The story explores the importance of identity,

gender roles, and the effects of personal decisions during political and

domestic instability from her point of view