View metadata, citation and similar papers at core.ac.uk brought to you by CORE provided by Etheses - A Saurashtra University Library Service Saurashtra University Re – Accredited Grade ‘B’ by NAAC (CGPA 2.93) Sapovadia, Soniya F., 2006, " Woman in Tagor's novels - A critical study ", thesis PhD, Saurashtra University http://etheses.saurashtrauniversity.edu/1035 Copyright and moral rights for this thesis are retained by the author A copy can be downloaded for personal non-commercial research or study, without prior permission or charge. This thesis cannot be reproduced or quoted extensively from without first obtaining permission in writing from the Author. The content must not be changed in any way or sold commercially in any format or medium without the formal permission of the Author When referring to this work, full bibliographic details including the author, title, awarding institution and date of the thesis must be given. Saurashtra University Theses Service http://etheses.saurashtrauniversity.edu [email protected] © The Author WOMAN IN TAGORE’S NOVELS - A CRITICAL STUDY A THESIS SUBMITTED TO SAURASHTRA UNIVERSITY, RAJKOT FOR THE AWARD OF Doctor of Philosophy IN ENGLISH Supervised by : Submitted by : Dr. K. H. MEHTA SONIYA F. SAPOWADIA Professor & Lecturer, Incharge Head, Smt. K.S.N. Kansagara Smt. S.H. Gardi Institute of Mahila Arts & Commerce College, English and Comparative Studies, Rajkot (Gujarat) Saurashtra University, Rajkot (Gujarat) 2006 WOMAN IN TAGORE’S NOVELS - A CRITICAL STUDY A THESIS SUBMITTED TO SAURASHTRA UNIVERSITY, RAJKOT FOR THE AWARD OF Doctor of Philosophy IN ENGLISH Supervised by : Submitted by : Dr. K. H. MEHTA SONIYA F. SAPOWADIA Professor, Lecturer, Incharge Head, Smt. K.S.N. Kansagara Smt. S.H. Gardi Institute of Mahila Arts & Commerce College, English and Comparative Studies, Rajkot (Gujarat) Saurashtra University, Rajkot (Gujarat) 2006 RABINDRANATH TAGORE ( 1861-1941 ) Blessed is he whose fame does not outshine his truth. SMT. S.H. GARDI INSTITUTE OF ENGLISH AND COMPARATIVE LITERARY STUDIES, SAURASHTRA UNIVERSITY, RAJKOT. (GUJARAT) CERTIFICATE This is to certify that the work embodied in this thesis entitled “WOMAN IN TAGORE’S NOVELS – A Critical Study” has been carried out by the candidate Mrs. Soniya F. Sapowadia under my direct guidance and supervision for the Degree of Doctor of Philosophy, in the Faculty of Arts of Saurashtra University, Rajkot. I further declare that the work done and presented in this thesis is original and independent. I further certify that the work has not been submitted either partly or fully to any other University or Institute for the award of any Degree. Supervisor Dr. K. H. MEHTA Professor & Incharge Head, Smt. S.H. Gardi Institute of English and Comparative Literary Studies, Saurashtra University, Rajkot (Gujarat) ACKNOWLEDGEMENT I would remain life-long indebted to Dr. Kamal Mehta, a profound scholar and my esteemed guide, Professor and Incharge Head of the Department of English and Comparative Literary Studies, Saurashtra University, Rajkot, for his evertimely scholarly and angelic guidance, without which this work would not have been accomplished. I have no words to express my feeling of respect for him. I owe my heart-felt gratitude to my Honorable Professor Dr. Avadhesh Kumar Singh, Vice Chancellor, Dr. Ambedakar Open University for his timely and scholastic guidance. Also I express my sincere gratitude to… __________other faculties, the Department of English and Comparative Literary Studies, Saurashtra University, Rajkot, Dr. J.K. Dodiya for his help and support, Dr. Sanjay Mukherjee, Mr. R.B. Zala and Mr. Anup Nair for their co-operation. __________Dr. Niranjan Mohanty, Professor and Head, VisvaBharti, Santiniketan for his help and co-operation in my endeavours as a research student. __________Dr. Manoj Raval, R.P.Bhalodia College, Upleta, for his frequent academic suggestions. __________Mr. Nilesh Soni, Librarian, Saurashtra University, Ms. Harsha Trivedi, Librarian, K.S.N. Kansagara College, Rajkot, and also the librarians of the libraries I have visited, for extending library facilities to me. __________Dr. Rajesh Kalariya, Principal, Prof. M.B. Roy, Head of the Department of English, Prof. B.M. Shah, Prof. K.S. Dahiya and all my colleagues of Smt. K.S.N. Kansagara Mahila College for their concern and co-operation during the period of my research. __________Dr. Pragna Zaveri for her support and encouragement to accomplish my work. I remember my professor ( Late ) Prof. D.B. Bhatt with respect on this occasion. Words will never suffice my sense of gratitude when it comes to the motivation, support and blessings that my parents and parents-in-law shower upon me. I express my heart- felt gratitude to…. __________my mother Prof. Manju Fuletra and my mother-in-law Dr. K.H. Sapowadia for their boundless love and sincere help. __________my father-in-law Shree Haribhai G. Sapowadia for his involvement and moral support. __________my father Shree Ramesh Fuletra, Ex. Principal, J.H. Bhalodia College, a loving and inspiring mentor, for his critical suggestions, and moral support. My thanks are due to my husband Mr. Fusion Sapowadia for having been understanding on all fronts and helpful with his excellent knowledge of computer. I express my love for my child, Devansh for having been co-operative and an active inspirational force. Also I thank Purvi and Shraddha my Sisters, Mr. Jayesh Zalavadia, my cousin who have been supportive during my work. My thanks are due to all those who are unmentioned though, for their direct or indirect but invaluable help in more ways than one. SONIYA FUSION SAPOWADIA CONTENTS Page No. ACKNOWLEDGEMENT CHAPTER – 1 1-18 INTRODUCTION CHAPTER – 2 19-41 WOMAN IN THE NINETEENTH CENTURY BENGAL CHAPTER – 3 42-63 TAGORE'S NOVELS CHAPTER – 4 64-190 DIFFERENT FACETS OF WOMAN IN TAGORE’S NOVELS CHAPTER – 5 191-198 CONCLUSION BIBLIOGRAPHY 199-207 CHAPTER – 1 INTRODUCTION Bengal has given a number of enlightened writers to India in particular and the world, in general. These Bengali writers made significant contribution to different forms of literature and also to the society. Among them, Rabindranath Tagore was a versatile genius whose many-sided interest proved that he had an integrated vision of life. Tagore was intensely concerned with the basic values of life. He did not leave any branch of knowledge and art untouched, especially literature was enriched by his touch and depth. Tagore’s literary works knew no geographical boundaries, and as a result, he came to be known as world-apostle. His works have been translated into English and other languages too. Tagore, himself, also translated some of his works into English. Although the non-Bengali readers do not have the privilege of 1 reading Tagore in original Bengali, they have always been fascinated by his genius. Tagore’s novels have been studied with different perspectives viz. East-West encounter, humanism, love, and nationalism among others. He lived in the time when the forces of the Indian Renaissance had spread in all directions. Tagore’s novels reflect the spirit of the age with keenness and fidelity. Reforms and balanced reflections are revealed as smell to the flower. Tagore chose art as a means to awaken a new consciousness. He was not a reformist in the limited sense of the word but whatever is good and humane came very naturally in his different endeavours. Tagore reveals the transitional period of India in which India had to fight with not only British invaders but also its own social evils, political issues, and economic problems. His was the voice of protest and revolution. Yet he knew that transformation of the social order was possible only through gradual progression. Tagore sensed the genuine social change through new education and the emergence of woman as a social power. Tagore was a conscious and sensitive writer who knew that the contribution of women to human evolution can never be overlooked. Though he never believed that woman was inferior to man, he sincerely believed that a woman’s domain was different from that of a man. Eventhough she could, she did not prefer to play the same role as man, in the society. The main objectives of the present research are as mentioned below : 2 1. From the spectrum of Tagore’s works, the researcher has concentrated only upon his novels to study his concept of woman as revealed in his novels, as to whether he portrays woman as strong or weak, traditional or modern and as a victim or rebel. 2. Nineteenth century was the time when India re- discovered its own power. Not only men but also women participated in the freedom struggle. The researcher has tried to study whether the woman who was conscious of the liberty of the country was conscious of her own freedom or not. Also an endeavour is made to know What does Tagore’s woman mean by the word emancipation? 3. The researcher has tried to further study Tagore’s woman and her conscience, and examine whether the revival and revolution period affected the inner mind of woman or not. 4. The researcher has studied only those novels of Rabindranath Tagore, which lead to realization of the objectives in focus. The researcher’s aim has been to extract the women from these novels and then to derive the image of woman in Tagore’s mind. 3 Rabindranath Tagore : The Polestar in the Tagorean - Galaxy Rabindranath Tagore was one of the most towering figures of the century. It was he, who with his cultural and literary heritage enriched the literary world of Bengal. Rabidranath was born on 7th May 1861 in the family of the Tagores of Jarasanko, as the fourteenth child of Maharshi Debendranath and Sarda Devi. Hiren Mukerjee mentions that it was an amazing family in which Rabindranath was born; because there was a variety of talents in the family.