A Doll's House" to the World of Emancipation in Rabindranath Tagore's "Streer Patra" (The Wife's Letter)
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American Journal of Research www.journalofresearch.us ¹ 5-6, May-June 2019 [email protected] SOCIAL SCIENCE AND HUMANITIES Manuscript info: Received April 12, 2018., Accepted May 17, 2018., Published June 20, 2019. MRINAL'S JOURNEY FROM "A DOLL'S HOUSE" TO THE WORLD OF EMANCIPATION IN RABINDRANATH TAGORE'S "STREER PATRA" (THE WIFE'S LETTER) Mohammad Kaosar Ahmed, PhD Associate Professor Department of English Language and Literature International Islamic University Chittagong http://dx.doi.org/10.26739/2573-5616-2019-6-5 Abstract: Being a male person and a member of a dogmatic Hindu family, Tagore in "Streer Patra" seems very spontaneous in unearthing the suppressions that women are undergoing in the society which is unwilling to accept them as human. This article is a humble attempt to bring out why and how the protagonist, Mrinal starting her life as an ideal "Mejo Bou" defies and rejects patriarchal narratives, initiates her gender deconstruction and finally becomes emancipated. A typical Hindu society with its socio- culturally-conditioned values and beliefs about life at the end of the day instigates the protagonist, Mrinal to leave the "doll's house" unhesitatingly to forsake the shadow of a Lakshmi "Mejo Bou" and turning herself into Mrinaliny - a free woman. “She’s nothing more than a woman. The groom may be insane, but he’s a man”.1 “I too will be saved. I am saved”. Recommended citation: Mohammad Kaosar Ahmed. MRINAL'S JOURNEY FROM "A DOLL'S HOUSE" TO THE WORLD OF EMANCIPATION IN RABINDRANATH TAGORE'S "STREER PATRA" (THE WIFE'S LETTER). 5-6. American Journal of Research P. 54-68 (2019). All Translations from Bengali are taken from Gupta, Prasenjit. “The Wife’s Letter”. Parabaas Translation. Parabaas, 2009. Web. 06 November 8, 2016. USA, Michigan Generalization of Scientific Results 54 American Journal of Research www.journalofresearch.us ¹ 5-6, May-June 2019 [email protected] Introduction Tagore and the Woman Question Tagore's "Streer Patra" (The Born in 1861, Tagore begins Wife's Letter) written in 1913 is a writing at the age of six and proceeds unique literary piece just not to wind up the first Indian as well because it is his first short story in as the first Asian to win the Nobel colloquial Bangla, instead he, here, Prize for literature. In Tagore's initial for the first time speaks clearly and works, women have two primary boldly about a woman's jobs - mother and sweetheart (Pal individuation. In a letter written on 237). Anandamoyee in Gora, Jatin's 17th May 1941, Tagore wrote that close relative in "Shesher Ratri" "it's in my short story 'Streer Patra' (The Last Night) and Rasmoni in that I supported the women's cause "Rasmonir Chele", are a couple of for the first time." (Das Gupta 122). models of his depiction of the Breaking his typical patriarchal cherishing idea of a mother. Romantic narrative form, he makes a woman love between a man and a woman is the narrator of the story. Mrinal, the premise of his accounts, for the protagonist, is a "doll wife" of example, "Dalia" and "Delight an aristocratic family, a family that Parajoy." Pramatha Nath Bishi is of values patriarchy more that a religion. the view that Tagore's works in the Mrinal lives with this family for last period of his life progressively fifteen years as an "Angel in the give calls for freedom of the House," and now she has decided individual: to go on a pilgrimage that will allow He has repeatedly sent forth her to be free from the bondage of summons to free individuals from the patriarchal supermarket. Being a bondages overcoming hurdles. At one male person and a member of a end of this invocation for women is dogmatic Hindu family, Tagore the poem "Mukti" and at the other seems very spontaneous in end are stories like "Haldar Goshthi" unearthing the suppressions that (The Haldar Clan), "Streer Patra," women are undergoing in that "Poila Number" (Number One), etc. society which is unwilling to accept The last such invocation is in the women as human. Shockingly, like story "Laboratory." (236) men, other women in the story also He emphatically trusted in love to behave in the patriarchal battling for women's upliftment mode of thinking and consider utilizing his writing. Concentrating Mrinal, a misfit. Mrinal tries to to a great extent on liberation, continue living like others forming a similar to Raja Rammohan Roy and sisterhood with Bindu, the ill-fated Ishwarchandra Vidyasagar, his younger sister of her sister-in-law, composing crusaded for women's but Bindu's tragic suicide teaches freedom, equity, opportunity, her a great lesson about "gender power and dignity, and rights. In the normativity," and she decides to majority of his works, he has resign her role as a "doll-wife". reflected the sore purposes of USA, Michigan Generalization of Scientific Results 55 American Journal of Research www.journalofresearch.us ¹ 5-6, May-June 2019 [email protected] contemporary public activity, is the precursor of the other current especially the multitudinous woman characters like Sucharita, occasions of social injustice to ladies. Lolita, Labanya, and Ela of his later He additionally holds up, as books, Brahmo and Hindu religious Majumdar refers to "the ideal of self- conflicts separate family reliant Indian women, fighting not associations, as by Kshemankari. only for their own rights but also Binodini in Chokher Bali isn't the for those subjugated nationality and young lady of a wealthy individual, the down-trodden humanity" (1). yet a European Missionary woman These women characters might be is secured to train her. It plays out viewed as "models of modern Indian the skirmish of a young, superb female subjectivity, instrumental in widow for self-acknowledgment heralding the age in which we live and selfhood in a social system that and continuing to resonate toward a denies all degree for such more egalitarian Indian society" undertakings. Sucharita and Lolita in (Chatterjee 147). Gora are extremely trained without In "Swadesh O Samaj" (Our being chosen in a school. The Home Country and Society), an and the World records Bimala's accumulation of insightful change from her restricted life in a expositions, he expounds on the lady zenana to authoritative national question that: issues. In Chaturanga, Damini "The similarities and differences spurns Hindu expectedness and that mark the two distinct identities Vaishnavism to proclaim her of men and women are both equally existence as a self-sufficient weighty. Yet, it is the differences that individual in the overall population. stand out with heavy bias". (Rabindra Sharmila in Two Sisters faces a crisis Rachanabali, Vol. 13: 21) in her association with her He then avers that significant other in light of her "The discriminatory treatment of defensive love for him. women had existed, complacently Correspondingly, in The Garden, in our society for ages. Men must Niraja perseveres through accept the responsibility for enthusiastic distress and shortcoming sustaining this discriminatory when Sarala extends some help to practice of the past". (Rabindra her life partner amid Niraja's Rachanaboli, Vol. 13: 24) affliction. This anguish can be found His managing of the women in the mind of every life partner who issues can be seen, as Chatterjee has feels that her marriage relationship brought up, in "The Wreck" where has been undermined. Char Adhyay, Kamala endures the saddest loss of a or Four Chapters research Ela's setback in which two unmistakable unfulfilled love for Atindra, as a watercrafts containing two marriage result of the plan of Indranath who parties were devastated. While saw her similarly as a dissent of sex Hemnalini, an educated Brahmo, and want (147). USA, Michigan Generalization of Scientific Results 56 American Journal of Research www.journalofresearch.us ¹ 5-6, May-June 2019 [email protected] He contributes to the women realizes that she composes verse in issues through his short stories, for mystery to keep her inventive instance, "Nashtoneeer," "Streer flames land. She has a baby girl who Patra," "Aparichita," "Badnaam," dies at birth. Grieving and alone, and "Lab," and also in incredible Mrinal becomes a close acquaintance verses, for instance, "Sabala" (in with by Bindu, a 'terrible,' deserted, Mahua) and "Mukti" (in Palataka, a stranded adolescent. Bindu sticks 1918). Charulata in "Nashtoneer" to Mrinal with profound friendship, gathers her very own existence. Her and Mrinal finds a mentorship job decision required both courage and in showing the young lady family the information to study the situation. expressions. In any case, man- In "Aparichita," Kalyani challenges controlled society manages that racial embarrassment and rots offers Bindu is to be offered, and she is of marriage. Henceforth being provided to a spouse who is Rabindranath gives ladies both the a rationally temperamental and space and the peculiarity to express savage man. She returns to Mrinal their considered points of view on who, unfortunately, can't ensure veneration, male-driven direction her in spite of endeavoring some over women, associations among subversive strategies. Bindu, when individuals inside and without compelled to return to the mad marriage, and fundamental husband, sets herself on fire and administration control. An exhibition dies. Society is not interested in of his soul, he has made, Mrinal in the passing of this irrelevant lady. "Streer Patra" who deserts her For Mrinal, the catastrophe brings significant other and his family to home the last acknowledgment that challenge the foul play they have she can't live under such abusive submitted against another lady. codes for ladies. She should Having left home, going up against outline her freedom. Saying that the new world, she gets herself and she is continuing on a journey to the her potential.