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Chapter: 3

Character Study

3.1 Introduction

The most important characteristic of a great short story is single impression

(Hudson 339).1 The short story writer interweaves character, setting, conflict, plot and

theme in such a way that it creates a single effect on the reader. Tagore and

Dhoomketu both have created stories of impression but some of these stories have

created unforgettable characters. Thus, an impressionistic study of the characters of

Tagore and Dhoomketu becomes imperative for developing a holistic framework of

the writers.

The characters of Tagore and Dhoomketu represent universal cycle of

happiness and sorrow in one’s life as for both sukh and duhkh are the favourite

companions of human life. Hence, while projecting reality of life Tagore’s characters

create an ideal image while Dhoomketu’s characters create a real image - real with

human flaws. Thus, Tagore has idealized character while Dhoomketu has realized

characters. Tagore and Dhoomketu experience all the desires, hopes and conflicts of

mankind and add fictional values to reality by using it in creating stories. Tagore

thinks:

The essence of the matter is this: that men are small and their lives are fleeting, yet the stream of life, with its good and bad and its happiness and sadness, flows and will eternally flow with its ancient solemn murmur. On the edge of the town and in the darkness of the evening that constant murmuring sound can be heard.

(Radice 17)

Thus, Tagore has chosen characters from real life and with them he has

created a world of happiness and sorrow in which man with his petty selfishness

experiences a tiny world of reality. In this tiny world Tagore’s imagination creates an

ideal human being and thus projects a beautiful world. Remarkably, most of these

characters come across the incidents naturally and on occasions even a small event

could carry a lasting intensive effect. For instance, the characters of Kabuliwala,

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Giribala and Kusum in the stories of Kabuliwalah, Giribala and River Stairs

respectively have the capacity to create a long lasting impression over the minds of

the readers.

On the other hand, the characters of Dhoomketu stand on the rural ground of

harsh reality and there are few who are colored with idealism too. The village people

with their intentions and activities, traditions and customs, superstitions and beliefs,

ideas and thoughts, contradictions and conflicts, pain and suffering, happiness and joy

and faith and trust are depicted realistically in his short stories by Dhoomketu. Despite

being from the lower strata of the society the writer has observed them with being

capable of natural human emotion. The characters of Bhaiya, Ali, Chowkidaar Hasan,

Vaghji Mochi, Jumo Bhisti and Punjo in Bhaiyadada, Post office, Chowkidaar,

Janmabhumi no Tyag, Jumobhisti and Lakhmi respectively - all are from the lower

class of the society. Dhoomketu, very realistically highlights their enlightened inner

self. He has created a song of life in the story Jivansangeet in which the characters of

Sachi and Tushar are perfectly idealized. Thus, Dhoomketu has created a vast variety

of characters.

Significantly, there are certain characters of Tagore and Dhoomketu whose

thought process flow in similar fashion. These characters lose their distinct creators

and become childhood companions. And some of the characters treated by Tagore and

Dhoomketu are so distinct that they successfully leave an individual everlasting

impression on the mind of the reader. An effort would therefore be made to begin

with the remarkable women characters that are strong enough to make a short story of

character.

3.2 Remarkable women characters:

Many of the immortal character creations created by Tagore and Dhoomketu

become Super-humans towards the close of the story. Whether it is Mejo-Bou or

Mallika, or Anila or Ali - all are larger than life. In fact, all are faces in a crowd. It

needs to be remembered that a thematic treatment always provides a platform for

thought on which a character moves. Kusum, in the story The River Stairs by Tagore

leaves an everlasting impression due to her pure emotions. She stands out as an

emblem of innocence and therefore she attracts a detailed study.

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Kusum:

Tagore’s aptitude of observing poetic beauty in day to day life adds poetic

value to the creation of character in the story. For example, the sanctity of the

character Kusum in the short story The River Stairs carries an enthralling effect. The

narration of the story is by the river Ganges, who describes the events occurring on

her stairs. Tagore is filling life in the non-living by making a place a narrator. The

river stairs have been a witness to Kusum’s childhood games and how she turns a

widow at eight. Kusum comes in contact with a young Sanyasi who, according to

village women, has resemblance with Kusum’s dead husband. The Sanyasi delivers

lectures on Bhagvat and Gita. Kusum starts to serve the Monk for a certain period of

time but suddenly she stops coming. The Sanyasi beckons Kusum to know the reason.

The dialogues which take place between the two are remarkable:

With downcast looks, Kusum asked: ‘Master, did you send for me?

‘Yes, why do I not see you? Why have you grown neglectful of late in serving the gods?

She kept silent.

‘Tell me your thought without reserve’

Half averting her face, she replied: ‘I am a sinner, Master, and hence I have failed in the worship.’

The Sanyasi said: ‘Kusum, I know there is unrest in your heart.’

She gave a slight start, and, drawing the end of her sari over her face, she sat down on the step at the Sanyasi’s feet, and wept.

He moved a little away, and said: ‘Tell me what you have in your heart, and I shall show you the way to peace.’

She replied in a tone of unshaken faith, stopping now and then for words: ‘if you bid me, I must speak out. But, then, I can not explain it clearly. You Master, must have guessed it all. I adored one as a god, I worshipped him, and the bliss of that devotion filled my heart to fullness. But one night I dreamt that the lord of my heart was sitting in a garden somewhere, clasping my right hand in his left, and whispering to me of love.

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The whole scene did not appear to me at all strange. The dream vanished, but its hold on me remained. Next day when I beheld him he appeared in another light than before. That dream-picture continued to haunt my mind. I fled far from him in fear, and the picture clung to me. Thence forth my heart has known no peace, - all has grown dark within me!’

While she was wiping her tears and telling this tale, I felt that the Sanyasi was firmly pressing my stone surface with his right foot.

Her speech done. The Sanyasi said: ‘You must tell me whom you saw in your dream.’

With folded hands, she entreated: ‘I cannot.’

He insisted: ‘You must tell me who he was.’

Wringing her hands she asked: ‘Must I tell it?’

He replied: ‘Yes, you must.’

Then crying, ‘You are he, Master!’ She fell on her face on my stony bosom, and sobbed.

When she came to herself, and sat up, the Sanyasi said slowly: ‘I am leaving this place to-night that you may not see me again. Know that I am a Sanyasi, not belonging to this world you must forget me.’

Kusum replied in a low voice: ‘It will be so, Master.’

The Sanyasi said, ‘I take my leave.’

Without a word more Kusum bowed to him, and placed the dust of his feet on her head. He left the place.

(Selected Stories 250-251)

This conversation demonstrates the pure heart dwelling in both the human

beings. Kusum is great because in spite of being a widow she maintains her emotional

purity and sacredness of existence. She feels guilty when she sees the monk in her

dream. On the other hand, the Sanyasi too behaves appropriately. The Sansyasi sticks

to his decision despite knowing that Kusum is his wife. The character of Kusum

becomes exceptional as she voices out her dream and feelings innocently. At the end

of the story the river feels the splash and Kusum dies. Her action gives birth to a

number of questions:

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Why does she commit suicide?

What was her mental condition?

Was she feeling guilty?

The story The River Stairs presents two personalities - a woman who readily

invites death and annihilates her identity and a man who rejects life in order to

preserve his identity as a Sanyasi. The story flows like the river Ganges but the climax

stuns the mind and our very existence. The feeling of the reader after reading the story

can be expressed through a poem by Tagore:

This morning the rays of the sun struck at the roots of my being. I do not know how it happened. But my life has awakened from its sleep. The waters surge and swell. Life’s passion I cannot hold back. (The song of life)

(Ghosh 30)

The story communicates the feeling of aesthetic purity of emotion. Perhaps

Tagore expects his character to carry only pure thoughts because only pure thoughts

can lead to pure actions. In fact, the purity of the character of Kusum paralyses the

heart beat for a moment. The characters of Kusum and the Sanyasi stand out as both

are steadfast in their convictions and they continue to adhere to the ideology they have

willingly chosen. Tagore excellently balances the towering height of both the

characters to suggest the equality that was a dire social need in contemporary times

and at the same time the effort made by Kusum, when coaxed into revealing the man

visualized in the dream, she honestly gives voice to what she actually felt. It is then

left to the Sanyasi to interpret and appropriately decide the next course of action.

Skeleton:

Tagore’s Skeleton, similarly talks about a little freak but outstanding character

of a woman. She remains busy thinking of herself to be a beauty queen as one who

can rule the liveliest of male creatures (Selected Stories 190)5. She is a woman who

thinks of herself as the most important person in her vicinity. A child widow,

condemned as a poison bride, constructs her self-image in such a way that her

rejection by a male becomes unbearable for her. Perhaps that strong self-image

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induces her to kill Shekhar (her brother’s friend) and commit suicide. She is

remarkable because she lives in a world of her own and remains a queen till she lives.

Besides the character, the narrative technique of the writer is also noteworthy.

The writer adopts a strange methodology of narration where a woman apparition

narrates her tale to a man. The writer has used the first person narration and therefore

the entire story is told from the point of view of a woman. She dies on account of a

man’s fraudulence. But after her death she describes her beauty in front of a man that

suggests her longing to be appreciated by a man. Tagore is pointing towards a wish

lying in the deepest labyrinths of every woman’s heart. The woman describes her

beauty in the following words:

How can I ever make you believe that those two cavernous hollows contained the brightest of dark, languishing eyes? And that the smile which was revealed by those ruby lips had no resemblance whatever to the grinning teeth which you used to see? The mere attempt to convey to you some idea of the grace, the charm, the soft, firm, dimpled curves, which in the fullness of youth were growing and blossoming over those dry old bones makes me smile; it also makes me angry. The most eminent doctors of my time could not have dreamed of the bones of that body of mine as materials for teaching osteology….

(Selected Stories 189)

This character can be studied from a psychological perspective. Firstly, she is

an emotional being, she longs for someone to share her feelings; it can be in the form

of a family member, friend or relative. She does not get that so she creates a world of

her own and starts living in it. In that confined life she extends the boundaries by

creating her own imaginative world. Secondly, she is a child widow so she has to

confine herself in the boundary walls of her house. Moreover, she has not seen any

man besides her brother. Consequently, she develops self-love. She is so deeply

involved in her beauty that gradually her mind starts to function accordingly and she

starts to honour herself as a beautiful woman who can reject and choose any man on

earth. This is perhaps the outcome of the tag- poison bride - given by her in-laws.

Thirdly, she kills the man (Shekhar, a doctor) whom she loves without knowing

whether he loves her or not. Her action could be the result of her excessive self-love

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and her belief that only she has the right to reject or choose a man, or because she

perceives that Shekhar has betrayed her by not telling her his mind. After poisoning

her beloved, she invites death in a somewhat poetic fashion. She dresses herself in

bridal-robes of silk and gold and puts on all her ornaments. She also puts on the red

mark of wifehood on the parting of her hair. (Perhaps Tagore through his story is

pointing towards a Woman’s social consciousness). Then she prepares her bed under

the tree in the garden and lies down on her bed and fancies thus:

When people came and found me they would see that smile of mine lingering on my lips like a trace of rose coloured wine, that when I thus slowly entered my eternal bridal chamber I should carry with me this smile, illuminating my face….

(Selected Stories 195)

Such expressions should be called but an example of seer madness. This lady

was attracted to herself because she was alone at her home or because she was

suffering from some psychological disorder? The question remains unanswered

because every individual is mysterious. An analysis of the story brings up the

following questions:

What are the reasons for the woman’s madness?

Why is she referred to as a ‘poison-bride’?

What is the woman’s concept of reality?

Did she actually believe that no man should ever be trusted?

Did she really have a sensitive heart?

The lady’s response opens up a new vista of psychological analysis. Perhaps

her widowhood and the social restraints that accompany this state serves as a catalyst

in opening up hitherto tabooed frontiers of self-expression. That she is self-obsessed

and looks upon herself as a beauty-queen and constantly indulges in having a group of

suitors around her is a pointer to the mental breakdown and peculiarity that come

about in one’s psyche when social codes and restrictions are done away with.

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Mrinmayi:

Mrinmayi of the story Conclusion by Tagore is also an unforgettable creation.

Mrinmayi, with her tomboyish character tries to live a carefree life and enjoys herself

in the company of nature. She had never given a thought to marry but social codes

forced her to imprison herself in familial responsibilities. Tagore constructs Mrinmayi

in the image of a restless girl - one who can create ripples in an otherwise tranquil life

of her locality. Unlike other maidens of her age, Mrinmay’s large black eyes do not

hold shame or fear.

Mrinmay’s first meeting with Apurba provides her ample scope to ridicule the

educated Babu Apurba Krishna. Apurba's uneasy steps on the muddy riverbank and

his subsequent fall are greeted by Mrinmayi's melodious peel of high-pitched

laughter. His conscious decision to marry this unusual Mrinmayi shatters his mother’s

hope for a calm and quite daughter-in-law. Apurba chooses to marry Mrinmayi

probably to tame her otherwise indomitable spirit.

Even after marriage, Mrinmayi retains her strong adherence to her pre-

adolescent self. Her efforts to restore the days of her girlhood come across tough

hindrance. The story explores the tension between the girl’s inner realms where she

constantly struggles with her real self and her new role and responsibilities of a newly

wedded wife and daughter-in-law. Gradually, Mrinmayi, a stubborn tomboy

transforms herself into a wife, that is appreciated and valued by one and all in the

society.

The girl in the story is untraditional. She embodies free life. A state of mind,

in which, fear and shame do not have to play their conventional role. A female as such

is associated with social virtues like fear and shame, care and responsibilities,

submissiveness and obedience. Mrinmayi was an exception. She was not aware about

all these so called virtues. In fact society has established two different standards for

male and female. Each female must have the above mentioned virtues and if she fails

in inculcating all these virtues she will not be accepted by the society. Perhaps Tagore

is highlighting the completeness of man-woman existence through total understanding

of each other.

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Uma:

Exercise-Book is another striking story by Tagore which explores the mind of

a child wife who was a passionate learner. Uma, the central character of the story was

enjoying the art of learning reading and writing. She used to enjoy her whimsical

writings on the wall, on the new almanac, on her father’s daily account-book, or, even

on her brother’s thesis. But her passion gets crushed after her marriage due to the

conventional and rigid nature of her husband.

Seeing Uma’s passion for learning, Govindlal, her brother, gives her a book.

She loves her Exercise book which has been gifted by her brother. She records her

feelings in it. And thus her Exercise-book becomes a medium to express her feelings.

But she also has to marry Pyaremohan, a man of stupid orthodox thoughts. Thus her

freedom of education and free life gets curbed. On the occasion of Uma’s departure

from her father’s house, she is advised by her mother and brother as follows:

Her mother said ‘Do what your mother-in-law tells you, my dear. Do the house-work; don’t spend your time reading and writing.’ And Gobindalal said, ‘Mind that you don’t go scratching on walls; it’s not that sort of house. And make sure you don’t scrawl on any of Pyarimohan’s writings.

(Selected Storied 142)

The above excerpt suggests an almost complete obliteration of one’s

individuality and identity. The mother’s advice is a fine example of the rusted

tradition and the complete denial of a woman’s development. While Gobindalal’s

warning is suggestive of male dominance. Uma obediently listens to the advice but

still expects to be provided with the freedom to learn and therefore takes her exercise-

book with her to her in-laws. The narrator of the story very accurately states the

importance of the exercise-book in the following words:

That exercise book not only stands for the symbol of education but also a partner of her life with whom she can share her feelings- the book was a piece of her parental home: a much-loved memento of her short residence in the house of her birth; a brief record of her parental affection, written in round childish letters. It gave her, in the midst of domestic duties that had come too early, a taste of the cherished freedom that is a young girl’s due. (Selected Stories 142)

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At the in-laws’ house, Uma secretly continues her practice of recording her

feelings. She also notes that she wants to go back to her home. But Pyarimohan does

not allow her to go back because he wants her to learn the domestic duties first.

Though he is educated and is writing in the news papers and attracts a large audience

with his subtle and witty thoughts he fails to understand his wife’s feeling and her

love for learning. He is afraid of women’s education. He opines:

Reading and writing, once started, would lead to play- and novel-writing, and household norms would be endangered. As he thought further about the matter, he worked out most subtle theory. Perfect marriage was produced by a combination of female and male power. But if through women’s education female power was weakened, then male power would prevail unchecked; and the clash between male and male would be so destructive that marriage would be annihilated, and women would be widowed.

(Selected Stories 143)

Perhaps most of the males have domesticated this subtly illogical thought. And

that is why there is a remarkable gap between male and female sensitive intensity

towards understanding each other.

At the end of the story Pyarimohan asks Uma to give him the exercise book.

Uma for a moment tries to resist but ultimately male dominance prevails. Uma never

gets her book back. Tagore writes:

The girl held the exercise-book to her breast and looked at her husband, entreating him with her gaze ... She hurled it down, covered her face with her hands, and fell to the floor.

(Selected Stories 145)

Uma’s only adored thing is snatched away. She could not bear the humiliation

and surrendered to the patriarchal authority. But the same incident would never been

happen to a male-child, and that is why the story ends with this remark:

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Pyarimohan also had an exercise-book full of various subtly barbed essays, but no one was philanthropic enough to snatch his book away and destroy it.

(Selected Stories 145)

The final comment is suggestive of sheer irony. A woman cannot even have

her individual space in the form of a book while, on the other hand, everyone has

accepted male’s infinite space in all forms.

Mrinal:

Another outstanding character among Tagore’s unforgettable creations is

Mejo-Bou, delineated in the story A Wife’s Letter (Streer Patra). Though the title

gives an indication of a social tag called wife, the story is the story of a wife

discovering her real self. The title is quintessentially indicative of firstly, the ‘wife’;

secondly, as a wife who ‘thinks’; and thirdly, a wife who thinks ‘unconventionally’!

In fact, Tagore is amazing in voicing out a woman’s inner cry. A Wife’s Letter thus

delineates a radical approach from the protagonist and the writer’s perspective. For

instance, a path breaking radical thought is voiced at the very beginning of the story:

To Thine Auspicious Lotus-Feet:

Today we have been married fifteen years, yet not until today have I written you a letter. I’ve always been close by your side. You’ve heard many things from me. And so have I from you, but we haven’t had space enough to write a letter.

(www.parabaas.com )

Mejo-Bou was not a submissive girl. She liked to think and behave in an

unorthodox manner that transgressed all defined conventions of a married life. In fact,

the story touches upon the three important phases of Mejo-Bou’s girlhood, wifehood

and motherhood. She questions almost every inhuman condition that a woman

endures in a life-time:

Wasn’t it a matter to be regretted, that I had to go through all this humiliation just because I was a woman? Shut up like a thief, even trying to learn was considered an offense.

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(www.parabaas.com)

Mejo-Bou’s yearning to taste freedom is intensified by the presence of two

suppressed female figures - her sister-in-law and Bindu. Her sister-in-law is an

epitome of an ideal Hindu wife. When her sister-in-law’s orphan sister Bindu

(harassed by her cousin) came to her for shelter she could not accept her (in spite of

her deep willingness as she wanted to be considered as an ideal wife). And that is why

Mejo-Bou says:

She lacked the courage to show her love openly, from the heart, to her orphaned sister. She is an obedient wife.

(www.parabaas.com)

In fact, Bindu causes an initial stir in Mejo-Bou’s heart. The way Bindu was

being treated in her house was unbearable for Mejo-Bou. She protests and protects

Bindu from all maltreatments. Mrinal’s real self is enkindled by Bindu’s suicide. (As

Bindu had been compelled to marry an insane man, it was perhaps inevitable that the

forced marriage would culminate in her suicide). However, Mejo-Bou interpreted

Bindu’s suicide as freedom from bodily imprisonment as Bindu willingly discards her

body to achieve freedom; implying thereby that a woman cannot attain freedom of life

till she is confined to her body. All the time, Bindu was craving to live but the social

people existing around her forced her to marry an insane as she was an orphan. And

as marriage is mandatory in the society, of which the husband is an inevitable element

(avibhajya anga) in the social life of a woman (though in whatever form he is), Bindu

had no choice whatsoever to exercise upon her unavoidable destiny. However,

ironically, even after her death the so-called well-wishers of the society commented

that it had become a kind of fashion for women to set themselves on fire and kill

themselves. Mejo-Bou’s sarcastically says:

You all said, such dramatics! May be. But shouldn’t we ask why the dramatics take place only with Bengali women’s sarees and not with the so-brave Bengali men’s duhtis?.

(www.parabaas.com)

In interpreting Bindu’s self-immolation, a similar realization preoccupies

Mejo-Bou as she speaks of Bindu with a deeper admiration: “There she is infinite.”

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(www.parabaas.com) Mejo-Bou pronounces her self-judgment in the following

words:

But I will never again return to your house at number 27, Makhan Baral Lane. I have seen Bindu. I have learnt what it means to be a woman in this domestic world. I need no more of it.

(www.parabaas.com)

Mejo-Bou chooses a life that would be her own. Instead of searching security

within the confines of four walls, Mejo-Bou tends to justify her position in the vast

cosmos. Her self-realization is complete with the declaration:

How trivial this daily life’s journey; how trivial all its fixed rules, its fixed ways, its fixed phrases of rote, all its fixed defeats..

(www.parabaas.com)

Finally, it is this realization that obliterates the obscurity of her identity. The

shell of Mejo-Bou sloughs off leaving Mrinal, radiant with the knowledge of self-

discovery:

And to preserve, after all, is to be saved. I too will be saved. I am saved.

(www.parabaas.com)

The story concludes with Mrinal’s resolution to undertake a new journey. But

will that journey secure complete freedom from social boundaries?

A Wife’s Letter is a gist of a woman’s life right from the moment she is shown

to her would-be in-laws as a piece of entertainment; her role as a wife; her delivery

experience; her treatment by in-laws and finally her strong and free self. The process

and speed of the character’s thoughts are very compact and interwoven appropriately.

Giribala:

Tagore brilliantly uncovers many different lids of a woman’s inner world. The

character of Giribala brings out another unfathomable depth of a woman’s self in the

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story Giribala. She has the ability to spellbind the reader with her unconquerable

spirit. Giribala, an incarnation of beauty bears constant neglect by Gopinath, her

husband as he has become blind in the twinkling beauty of Lavanga, a theatre dancer.

Giribala continuously asserts the fact that she is beautiful and she wanted it to be told.

She enjoys the feeling that she is a beauty in incarnation. The author says:

Girbala is overflowing with the exuberance of her youth that seems spilling over all around her, in the folds of her dress, the turning of her neck, the motion of her hands, in the rhythm of her steps, now quick, now languid, in her tinkling anklets and ringing laughter, in her voice and her swift glances. Often she is seen wrapt in a blue silk, walking on her terrace, in an impulse of unmeaning restlessness. Her limbs seem eager to dance to the time of an inner music unceasing and unheard. She takes pleasure in merely moving her body, causing ripples to break out in the flood of her young life. Suddenly she will pluck a leaf from a plant in the flower-pot, and throw it up in the sky, and her bangles give a sudden tinkle and careless grace of her hand, like a bird freed from its cage, flies unseen in the air. With her swift fingers she brushed away from her dress a mere nothing; standing on tiptoe she peeps over her terrace walls for no cause whatever, and then with a rapid motion turns round to go to another direction, swinging her bunch of keys tied to a corner of her garment. she loosens her hair in an untimely caprice, sitting before her mirror to do it up again and then in a fit of laziness flings herself upon her bed like a line of stray moonlight, slipping through some opening of the leaves, idling in the shadow.

(Selected Stories 260)

Giribala had married in a wealthy family and thus she had little work to do.

Consequently, she could collect numerous moments exclusively for herself. Thus she

seems to be accumulating her own self every day. But since the day she was deserted

by her husband in his infatuation for Lavanga, her heart overruled her emotions and

she somehow managed to go to the theatre to see that woman on the stage. When she

saw Lavanga’s entry on the stage with a round of applause and background music the

blood began to throb all over Giribala’s body and she forgot for a moment that her life

was limited to her circumstances, and that she had not been set free in a world where

all laws had melted in music. Gradually the sense of fear also vanished from her and

the play was getting hold on her mind. The play was about Krishna and Radha. The

play goes on. Krishna has given offence to his beloved Radha, and she in her

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wounded pride refuses to recognize him. He is entreating her, abasing himself at her

feet, but in vain. This particular scene of Krishna’s humiliation at the feet of Radha

enkindles the process of realization; she becomes aware of woman’s power. From that

time onwards she becomes a regular visitor to the theatre. But, by and by her

enthrallment of the theatre loses its hold as she could perceive its reality. The painted

vulgarity of the accesses and the falseness of their affectation became more and more

evident, yet the habit grew upon her. Because,

Every time the curtain rose the window of her life’s prison-house seemed to open before her, and the stage, bordered off from the world of reality by its gilded frame and scenic display, by its array of lights and even its flimsiness of conventionalism, appeared to her like a fairyland, where it was not impossible for herself to occupy the throne of the fairy queen.

(Selected Stories 264)

Thus, the theatre helps her to live joyfully in the world of imagination

because real life had given her humiliation only. The feeling which she could

generate while watching the play was without boundaries. The curtain of the theatre

stands for unveiling the self of Giribala. As soon as the curtain was drawn, a new

world without boundaries used to be in front of her. Thus by using the device of a

play within a story the writer has successfully served the purpose of showing the inner

change of the character.

One day when she sees her husband among the audience shouting in his inebriated state for a certain actress, she feels an intense disgust, and prays:

A day might come when she might have an opportunity to spurn him away with her contempt.

(Selected Stories 264)

After some days, when she was decking up herself with diamond jewelry she

is informed by her maid servant that Gopinath, her husband is coming to meet her and

she thinks that finally the day of her longing has dawned. She thinks that her husband

is back. But her heart breaks into innumerable pieces when her husband demands the

key of the treasure box as he wanted ornaments for that theatre dancer. When

Giribala protested, she was pinned to the wall and he snatched away by force her

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bracelets, necklace and ring and gave her a parting kick and went away. The next day

when she left home, her absence remained unnoticed.

Giribala was not common. She wanted to make her presence felt. She had

become the victim of humiliation and she wanted to assert her importance. The

assertiveness of Giribala is generated in her by the theatre play by which she could

understand the importance of the power of a woman. Tagore has wonderfully used the

technique of play within the story as a device to manifest the grandeur of thought i.e.

strong willingness to win. Thus the theatre plays an important role in the process of

self realization and also gives a platform to Giribala to avenge her humiliation. The

incident which gives an opportunity to Giribala to perform is as follows:

Lavanga, the theatre dancer and beloved of Giribala’s husband, was preparing

for another play titled as ‘Manorama’. During the rehearsal Gopinath used to be

around, and when one day he tried to molest the actress he was arrested by the police.

He wanted to avenge of his humiliation and therefore, on the day of the first show of

the new play he kidnapped Lavanga. But even then the play was a great success.

Gopinath could not resist. He witnessed the performance. No sooner did he see the

main actress dressed in red bridal robes turning her face with majestic pride of her

overwhelming beauty and welcoming waves of applause, he cried out voicing the

name of Giribala. For the first time he realized her beauty and he rushed towards her

like a madman. Due to this act of Gopinath police arrested him.

The character of Giribala can be related to Ms. Kate Hardcastle in ‘She Stoops

to Conquer’ by Oliver Goldsmith. In the play the heroine stoops to win the heart of

the hero while in this story Giribala stoops to conquer a new height of her own self

and to take revenge of her humiliation. Thus, Giribala discards male dominance at the

end of the story.

In the galaxy of Tagore’s women characters in his short stories a few specially

deserve mention. Chandara, in the story Punishment, the young wife, uneducated and

quarrelsome, can go to her death, suffering the extreme penalty for a murder she did

not commit, in order to save her husband’s brother for whom she had no particular

regard. Kalyani in the story Aparichita will not leave her mission in life to be of

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service to the mother land even though she is tempted with the prospect of a happy

marriage and a normal family life. Anila in the story Payla Number creates her

individual identity because she invents an unconventional path for her self.

Anila:

The incidents in the story are few; the central character, Anila, remains almost

unseen. In fact, the main glimpse we have of Anila is through the neighbour’s first

letter:

I have now seen you, the first real vision I have had in the thirty-two years of my wading life. A veil was drawn over my eyes: you have removed it with your golden touch. In this new awakening I have seen you, the marvelous creation of the Maker, the indescribable you. What I desired to get I have, I want nothing more. I only want you to listen to my words of adoration.

(N.Sidhanta 284)

These few lines marvelously describe the character inside out. The woman in

Anila is so pure and beautiful that the neighbour wanted to worship her. The letter

does not have any superficiality; it has depth of life filled with pure feelings. This also

reveals the technique of the writer in describing a character. Nirmalkumar Sidhanta

has put this technique in the following words,

There are two ways of describing the charms of a woman, the direct one of describing feature, movements, graces and the more telling one of the effect she produces on impressionable or even sophisticated persons. Here the latter method is used with great subtlety and with an unparalleled suggestiveness.

(N.Sidhanta 285)

In his short stories, Tagore has shown an unparalleled understanding of a

woman’s mind. One can feel oneself in the company of these immortal women

characters.

These fictional characters with their real experiences project Tagore’s

sensitive evaluation of the condition of contemporary women. These characters

idealized themselves during the course of time developed during the course of the

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story itself. Tagore houses social constraints over individual endeavour tactfully. In

doing so the writer wins over the sympathetic heart of the readers. These short stories

acknowledge the desire and the urgency to allow contemporary women to keep a

space of their own.

Subhadra:

Similarly, the women characters of Dhoomketu’s short stories have a variety

of expression. Subhadra, a character in the story Kirti no Mugat is remarkable because

of her simplicity. She is such a wife that she never doubts her husband’s integrity.

She just knows that she is a wife and she is supposed to take care of her husband and

child. Chandramohan, her husband is a well-known artist. He used to work so deeply

that he would even forget his surroundings. But as soon as he came back home he

would love and care for his wife and they used to spend time with each other.

Subhadra says,

To help him in forgetting the tiredness of his work and taking care of him lovingly – are the only two works I do for him.

(Pradeep 8) Translation mine

(એ નો કામનો થાક ુલાવી દવો ને એને ેમથી સાચવવા આ બેજ કામ મ

મારા કર રા યા છે.)

After a period another woman (Lajjavati) encroaches upon her peaceful life.

She is educated and is able to appreciate Chandramohan’s art. Gradually,

Chandramohan develops a kind of attraction towards Lajjavati. Lajjavati is also of the

opinion that she is the perfect match for the great artist as Subhadra is uneducated and

does not know the art of appreciating Chandramohan’s paintings. The closeness of the

two, Chandramohan and Lajjavati creates a big gap between Chandramohan and

Subhadra, but Subhadra never blames her husband. She always thinks that she lacks

in many things and therefore her husband is finding solace in Lajjavati. As a result,

she starts learning to enable her-self in order to appreciate the portraits of her

husband. Everyday on completion of her household duties she would engage herself

in studies till late night. Her child was the only witness of her hard work. Daily, after

completing her study she would enter the art-room of her husband and repeat the same

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question to herself: is she able to appreciate the portrait or not? But she feels that her

knowledge of art-appreciation has not advanced considerably. Her dissatisfaction,

consequently, makes her to start studying the next book. Over a period of time she

becomes a victim of Jirnajvar - tuberculosis. And she dies. Immediately after her

death, Chandramohan and Lajjavati start meeting more freely. But gradually the

emptiness surrounds the artist and he leaves Lajjavti. When Subhadra was alive,

Lajjavati was being considered as a better match by Chandramohan. He was ashamed

of his wife’s simplicity but after the death of his wife he spends the rest of his life in

remembrance of his wife and taking care of his son.

In the story, Dhoomketu critiques the hollowness of the so-called knowledge.

In the quest of spending a knowledgeable life sometimes one fails to enjoy the

simplicity of life. Subhadra was uneducated but she knew how to take care of her

husband and son. Though she was able to appreciate, she lacked the critical acumen

which had nothing to do with the real day to day happenings of life. She also knew

that the portrait must have emotion in it and therefore she used to appreciate the

portrait saying,

How beautiful that woman is! Only wanting life in it!

(Pradeep 19) Translation Mine

(પેલી બાઈ કવી નમણી છે! મા ાણ ુકવો બાક છે.)

The realization of the importance of simplicity in life emerged very late in the

life of Chandramohan. But he did not fail in living the rest of his life with happiness

and satisfaction because finally he understood that the basis of husband-wife

relationship is love and understanding for each other. To happily accept one in spite

of his/her faults. Subhadra did it well. The character of Subhadra imparts a kind and

loving message – life is enjoyable with all its simplicity!

Champa:

Another remarkable character Champa in the story Gruhtyag by Dhoomketu

represents the many downtrodden women who have suffered throughout their life just

because they were women. Champa leaves her husband’s house because of

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continuous torture and neglect by her husband as her life is confined to domestic work

and beating by her mother-in-law on trivial issues. Champa has no other shelter left

and therefore she spends the rest of her life as a domestic help.

Is this a woman’s life! Women are taught to tolerate everything right from the

childhood. She is told and trained in such a way that her father’s house is not hers

and she is to go to her husband’s house. The in-laws usually consider a daughter-in-

law as an outsider. So which house should we consider as a woman’s house? Where

can she enjoy her freedom of being a human being? Champa leaves her husband’s

house to live as a human being as she was maltreated by her mother-in-law and

husband; secondly, Champa is maltreated by Destiny also? Does it mean that even

nature favours a male body? If she might have been a male would her maternal uncle

tried to sell him off? Due to her illness, she became so ugly that neither her in-laws

nor her husband could identify her when she was working there as a domestic help! It

is really tragic. It also raises a question- Who exactly is she! The following poem is an

endeavour to answer the question:

Woman woman Burning bright, In and out always night Tradition her body, Sigh, shape Just a thing, an image!

(Mine)

Other women characters of the stories of Dhoomketu like, Maghi and Lalita of

Lagnajivan are also remarkable. Maghi left her husband because he broke her trust.

Lalita, like other common women, was able to think about space but could not gather

courage to live alone and thus accepts to die each moment. Anandi of Ek J shabda-

Jivan Droh is also noteworthy because she proves her self as a woman of conscience.

Almost all women characters of Dhoomketu appear crushed under the set patriarchal

tradition. The study of women characters of Dhoomketu substantiates the fact that

they long for a space of their own holding a dignified and respectful life. However,

during their journey they do remember their limits of being a woman.

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Anandi:

Dhoomketu’s women characters start with self consciousness and end with

self realization; they travel through the unknown with the known physical self. In

between a diversion takes place as with the commons, and then they rise due to their

extraordinary understanding. The story Ek j Shabda:Jivandroh introduces again a

nameless character, which perhaps represents all the women in this world. The

thinking of the woman character is revealed by her habit of jotting down her ideas.

The narrator of the story gets that piece of writing and thus reveals before the reader

the inner character of that lady. She writes,

I have learnt a truth due to the wisdom of so many years. To understand certain words one needs to live for those words; today I am able to understand the difference between suicide and soulcide (Aatmghat) …I had to pay a valuable price for it. One gets the wisdom after seeing her/him flown away somewhere while tied with a string of sham hope. One gets a handful of sand after diving into the deep sea of false admiration. Now I have understood the truth, suicide and soulcide (Aatmghat) both are totally different things, any foolish person can commit suicide within a fraction of second, suicide is the product of anger but for soulcide (Aatmghat) one needs to have hollow wisdom, this kind of soulcide (Aatmghat) will not end the life but will curse a person with death in life, the person will live but die every moment…

(Dhoomketu ni Vartao-3 147) Translation mine

These painful words are the words that are directly spoken from the heart.

That woman suffered because of her lack of understanding in life. She undergoes a

painful journey. But the remarkable thing here is that she did not allow the

circumstances to engulf her life. She stood still and firm against the giant wind of

avarice. She understood her mistake, improved herself and lived the rest of her life in

knowing her self.

The story Ek j Shabda: Jivandroh is about a woman character who was aware

of her outer beauty, and virtues. But she falls and falls from herself. She had been

gifted with natural talents but she misused it by using them to attract a man. At that

point of time she was aware that she exactly did not want that man but the riches he

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owned, and thus she degraded herself in front of things which were valueless. In fact

she invested her time in futile things.

The story presents a process of discovering her real and pure self after

experiencing degradation in life. The process can be understood thus:

Self-valuation

Self-Examination of Shoonyavkash (vacuum)

Self-consolation (Quest for solace)

Self-purification (through penance)

Self-realization (of Truth)

Thus, Tagore and Dhoomketu both have presented different facets of a

woman’s personality. Kusum, a pure and sacred being; the woman in skeleton spirited

with revenge; Mrinal with indomitable willpower; Uma, a victim of patriarchal social

values; Mrinmayi, a tomboy turning to domicile wife; Giribala, an outstanding

woman having the courage to kick away male dominance. In comparison to these

creations of Tagore we have Dhoomketu who introduces a common wife with

common duties but by performing her role accurately she becomes extraordinary;

Champa, represents the downtrodden class in whom a lot many women can visualize

themselves. For many of these women the common cry is that they are human beings

and they just want to be treated as human beings.

Tagore and Dhoomketu are equally marvelous in penning down male

characters. The following are a few outstanding male characters who have

successfully created an unforgettable impression on the readers’ mind.

3.3 Remarkable Male Characters:

The short story is a real fiction in which a world of reality is created by

utilizing daily experience. Rabindranath Tagore has snapped many male characters in

their different moods and characteristics in his short stories but a few have become

distinguished - some because of their thinking pattern and some because of their

emotions. Tagore has highlighted (socially) typical male characters of contemporary

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times while he has shown a remarkable contrast in typical women characters. The

women characters of Tagore are quite different in comparison to the traditional

outlook of a woman of contemporary times. Thus, Tagore’s women characters are

more interesting.

The male characters of Tagore selected for discussion possess the virtues and

capabilities to be called a ‘hero’. These male characters are remarkable also because

they are central characters in the story in comparison to other stories which are mainly

focused on the woman hero. The character of Tarapada in the story Guest by Tagore

is an outstanding personality; an embodiment of free spirit and extraordinary ability.

Tarapada, the guest:

Tarapada, a boy of fifteen in the story Guest attracts the mind of the reader

because he lives as a free bird. He was a loving son, brother, and neighbour. He was

always welcomed by everyone with open arms though he never liked to be bound in

ties of love. He is described by the author as:

The fair-skinned boy was beautiful to look at. His smile and his large eyes had the grace of youth. His body – bare except for a stained dhoti-was free of any excess: as if lovingly carved by a sculptor, or as if in a previous life he had been a young sage whose pure religious devotion had removed all grossness, honed him to gleaming, Brahminical perfection.

(Radice 198)

Tarapada used to do the things clearly and with ease. Nobody could think that

he was assertive in doing things. For example, when he was offered food, he would

eat it as per his need. Even if the host would insist he would not be tempted towards

taking more food by any means.

Tarapada just wants to be a free self. He is attracted by the Sanyasis right

from his childhood. He joins a group to learn something. As soon as he finds that he is

adored by someone in the group, he would leave without saying a single word. In fact,

he left home because he wanted to learn music. The writer describes Tarapada’s

passion for music in the following words:

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Melodies sent a trembling through his veins, and rhythms made his body swing. Even as a baby he had shown such solemn, grown-up attention at musical gatherings, sitting and swaying and forgetting himself, that his elders could hardly restrain their amusement.

(Radice 200)

Tarapada was a keen observer and also possessed an extremely powerful sense

of perception. He could feel music in the rain drops falling on the leaves; in the

thunder of clouds; in the breeze of the deep jungle; in the call of kites at noon. Thus

his passion for music made him a quick learner of music. As soon as he learned music

from the band of Pacali-singers he left the group.

During his life span he joined many groups and despite these connections, he

was not corrupted by any. He is deep down, entirely detached and free. The foul

language he had heard; the dreadful sights he had seen, had not been allowed to take

root in his mind. They passed him by. He remained unbound by any kind of habit or

custom.

Tarapada was that kind of personality who was keenly interested in learning.

Any work that he did absorbed him. His sight, his hand and his mind were ever-

active: like Nature herself he was always serene and detached, yet always busy.

People usually dwell in a fixed place, but Tarapada was like a joyous wave on life’s

unending stream; past or future meant nothing; moving forward was the only thing

that mattered. Tarapada reminds us about the sthitprajna state of mind of Bhagvad

Gita,

Prajahati yada Kaman sarvan parth manogatan,

Atmnyevatmana tushtah sthitprajnstadochyate.

(Bagavad Gita: 104 Adhyaya: 2 Shloka 44)

(When a person sacrifices all his desires pertaining to senses, his purified mind will gain contentment in soul, this contented state of mind is called a pure, divine sthitaprajna.)

Translation mine.

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Each characteristic of Tarapada gives a jolt to the existence of a common

human being. If we study this character from a modern point of view this kind of

character proves to be an ideal for the growth of the society and nation. Actually we

have bound ourselves in such a big rope that we do not like to live like a free self. We

are so dependent on unnecessary bonds that we become attached to those bonds. We

are dragging our lives like a dog walking under the bullock cart thinking that he is

shouldering the burden. Instead one should prefer to remain serene by keeping

himself detached.

Shashibhushan:

Shashibhushan in the story Cloud and Sun has the feeling of emotional purity

and the innocence of an infant; the story also has the music of water ripples; the

varied colours of a butterfly and the freshness of soft green grass. In addition, the

story takes up incidents of the British Raj in India. In fact, Tagore’s technique in

disclosing the varied prattles of Shashibhushan’s nature wins the heart of the reader.

The development of the character is such that it reveals almost all aspects of the

character - his childlike purity and fiery nature; his sensitive heart and indomitable

spirit; his vocation as a powerful lawyer and a man without vice.

Shashibhushan, an extraordinary M.A.B.L. was untouched by cunningness,

selfishness or any recurring vices found in an ordinary man. He is an uncomplicated

person who prefers to live away from the hustle and bustle of common people. In his

loneliness he gets the company of Giribala - a ten-year old girl and enjoys sharing his

knowledge of great books with her. His is a smooth and transparent personality. He

prefers to stay away from worldly affairs but he is not a coward or an escapist. He

has both courage and strength to fight against the British and the British Raj. The

story narrates two incidents in which Shashibhushan shows his willingness to help

ordinary people residing in Indian territory, who had become slaves of the British and

did not have the courage to fight for their rights; neither had they the courage to stand

with the person fighting for their cause.

The story and the character of Shashibhushan reminds us about those painful

years of slavery before India achieved complete independence. The slavery became

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severe because of the inhuman behaviour of some of the selfish Indians only. Such

Indians sucked the blood of the innocent Indians. Against such a backdrop, someone

like Shashibhushan came up with an indomitable spirit who could not be crushed by

the British. Unfortunately, his efforts were undermined by those very (ordinary)

people whom he was representing against the British regime. The character of

Shashibhushan embodies a kind of patriotic spirit of one who wanted to provide

direction to the spineless common people. In an environment wherein the majority of

Indians would have adhered to the statement written outside the British offices - Dogs

and Indians are not allowed – only a self-respecting man like Shashibhushan

succeeded in bringing about an end to the British Rule.

Today, even though the Britishers have left India, the legacy of exploitation

and domination still continues. Perhaps, the scenario & the times have changed, but

the mentality of most of the Indians has remained the same. Formerly, they were

slaves of British (white sahibs), now they are slaves of those in Power (brown sahibs).

In fact, most of the people are worried about authority and money, and self-respect

means nothing to them. It is important therefore that the common people of India

should start understanding the value of ethics & principles.

Thus, Tagore has portrayed a variety of males, from the forlorn Postmaster to

the worldly Nandkishore. We have common men hesitating in taking decisions like

the would be husband of Kalyani in the story Aparichita; the husband of Gori, who

suffers from insecurity, in the story Saved; the book-worm Advaitcharan, the husband

of Anila in the story Payla Number and the journalist like Bhupati in the story

Nashtnid - all these male characters of Tagore create a distinct impression on the

readers.

The writer has used different techniques to reveal the characters. They are

revealed sometimes through themselves, sometimes through the writer’s descriptions.

A good many of these stories are narrated in the first person and the narrator has

honestly presented himself for the better understanding of the reader.

In the story, Haimanti, Tagore portrays a man who is nothing but a deaf and

dumb living thing. Haimanti’s husband silently observes the torture done to

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Haimanti. He never retorted or favoured Haimanti till Haimanti died. In the story

Aparichita also the central character with whom Kalyani was going to marry was just

a puppet in the hands of the elders of his family. He does not have his own stand or

his own point of view. The reader might get irritated by the apparent helplessness of

the central character. In fact, he is not a hero in any sense of the term.

By studying the character of the bridegroom in the story Aparichita one can

visualize the familial set-up towards the close of the Nineteenth century India where

the youth were in a frozen state of awe in a patriarchal family. However, today as the

familial and social structure has changed drastically such characters are losing their

realistic popularity at a national level.

On the other hand, the stories of Dhoomketu introduce male characters which

are packed with human values and filled with spirited enthusiasm.

Hasan, the chowkidaar:

Dhoomketu’s Chowkidaar Hasan is a living character who feels his existence

and lives like a man of promises and word. He does not behave like a puppet in the

hands of the writer, but his identity flows naturally. As a dignified character he suffers

from poverty but maintains his self-respect. He also successfully fulfils his duty as a

chowkidaar- the watchman.

Right from childhood, Hasan was not able to tolerate any wrong. As a school

boy he had saved his teacher from a mischievous boy, Badshah. Badshah was the

only terror for 350 students in his school. All the teachers and students had accepted

his sovereignty, and no one dared to go against Badshah. After sometime Chandanlal,

a new teacher joined the school and observed the malpractices of Badshah. He tried to

crush the monarchy of Badshah by pounding him in front of all the students and the

teachers. Everybody enjoyed the scene with a mixed feeling of joy and fear. All knew

that the new teacher would be at risk for very quickly Badshah picked up a stone to

strike at the teacher. However, within no time Hasan also threw back a stone towards

Badshah and Badshah was left wounded. Thus as a school boy, Hasan showed his

sincerity and loyalty towards truth. Out of 350 students of the school he was the only

student to help the new teacher because he was able to understand that whatever

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Chandanlal had done is good for the school. He was sincere enough to understand the

gravity of the problem.

Sticking to his ideology of being earnest and honest Hasan performed his duty

of a watchman with responsibility too. He got the job of a chowkidaar, and there too

he implemented his idea that nothing bad must happen till he is guarding his area. So

whatever he was doing, at whatever place, in whatever capacity, he was giving his

best.

However, one day an incident occurred in his routine life; he found a chit in

which an appeal of saving a woman was written. He tried to get the help of Police but

he failed to do so. So he left his job, the only source of his livelihood, in search of that

unknown whom he wanted to save. Eventually his selfless endeavour to save that

woman bore fruit, although he had to face many complications and problems but

finally he saved that woman from the hands of Badshah, now a notorious person. But

then a new problem arose. The husband of that woman refused to accept her as his

wife as she had been captive under a man for quite a few days. So that woman came

to Hasan for shelter. Hasan played the role of a real savior. He gave shelter to that

woman during the night - the night was the longest night for him as the beauty of the

woman was attracting him, but again he realized that he is a guard and that woman

had come under his shelter so his job was to protect her from the outsiders and from

himself too. The next day, the father of that woman took custody of his daughter.

Thus this character leaves a long lasting impression of goodness.

Hasan was a common man, a watchman only. But he was a man of ideals and

therefore he contributed to the service of the society. He was a selfless man and that is

why he left his job. Although he was not sure how he would satisfy his family needs,

he took the risk to help that unknown woman. There are many people who want to

serve the nation and society but they don’t know what exactly they should do. Here

Hasan’s life and ideology can be a guide.

Bhaiyadada:

The character of Bhaiyadada in the story Bhaiyadada is another unforgettable

lively creation of Dhoomketu. In a few pages the character is completely developed

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by the writer. When we meet the character he is 57 years old. Since the last 25 years

he was living in a small room near the railway-crossing. His job was to stop the traffic

by keeping a heavy wood to enable the train to cross smoothly. Bhaiyadada was

doing his job by putting his soul in his work. In addition, he had made the

surroundings of his room beautiful by planting flower plants and creepers. He had

pets like a goat and kittens, and different birds used to visit that place frequently. For

Bhaiyadada those animals and birds were his close relatives. As his only son had died

during plague and the wife of his son had run away, he had developed a close

attachment with the land also. In 25 years his bond with the land had become so deep

that when he was told by the railway-office that he had to leave that place because he

was of age and there would be someone else who would replace him, he lost his soul.

Next day he was found dead in his room.

Bhaiyadada’s soul left his body as the idea of leaving that place was so

tormenting that he could not bear. Bhaiyadada worked for 25 years honestly putting

his soul in his work but even then the administrative set up did not acknowledge it nor

was he rewarded. Instead he was asked to leave the place. Thus the life of

Bhaiyadada presents the tragic end of a good human being which is equally true in

contemporary times. A good man suffers more than the cunning! If you do well for

an entire life you are not necessarily rewarded for the same. Life is ruled by pathos.

Jumo Bhisti

Dhoomketu is at his best when he portrays the character of Jumo Bhisti in just

a few words. The story is of one and a half page only but Jumo becomes unforgettable

and immortal. He stands for a balanced personality who is not affected by the ups and

downs of life. He had seen golden days in his life but he was still happy with three

huts that he was left with and his male-buffalo, Venu. The reader can feel the intensity

of love of Jumo for his Venu whom he loved as his son. He named him Venu. The

cry at the time of Venu’s death is so natural that one can feel the pain and visualize

the scene portrayed by the writer.

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Vaghji mochi:

Vaghji Mochi in the story Janmabhumi no Tyag has been portrayed by

Dhoomketu with a pen dipped in reality. Vaghji Mochi was a common man enjoying

his day to day life by working hard. He was forcefully removed by the British officer

from the place where he had been working since years. The story is all about the

suffering he goes thorough after leaving that place. The character naturally falls in the

pitiful circumstances and the writer grabs the opportunity to attack human nature by

projecting a comparison. For instance, people are ready to offer costly dry fruits and

food to a Bhattji (Brahmin-Kathakar) but not to the needy. Generally people do not

take pains in looking through the eyes of the needy instead they feel that the needy are

distractions in the process of bhakti. Vaghji Mochi was a person who could run his

house on his daily earnings. He became the victim of the then administrative system

and lost his source of earning. For the first time in his life he begs. Finally feeling

embarrassed, he leaves the town where he used to work but continues to visit his place

of work which he considered as Janmabhumi (native place) where he had spent

precious time with his family and earned his living.

The character of Vaghji Mochi represents a suppressed and crumbled class of

the society who becomes a victim due to the exploitative attitude of the authority.

Vaghji Mochi becomes a memorable creation of Dhoomketu due to his emotional

attachment with the place and the painful journey he goes through.

Dhoomketu has portrayed a range of characters like Sivubha, a teacher; (in

the story Sivubha becomes unforgettable due to his high ambition and great fall);

Ratno Dholi, a fabulous Dhol player, in the story Ratno Dholi; Mahendrapratap, a

royal and honest man in the story Anath bandhu; Nrusinh Bakal in the story Manni

Moj - are remarkable male characters who leave a long lasting impression on the mind

of the reader. They became victims of their weaknesses and consequently endured

disastrous results; but eventually they repented over their deeds and lived the rest of

their life in a better way.

Thus, after having discussed the distinct characters of Tagore and Dhoomketu, an effort would be made now to study these characters from a comparative point of view.

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3.4 Characters In Comparison:

The character of Ali, an old man in the story Post office by Dhoomketu and

Kabuliwala of the story Kabuliwala by Tagore shares amazing similarities; the

similarity particularly is in the emotional attachment of a father with his daughter. The

theme of story also shares the painful feeling of separation. Both the stories are

perfect examples of the proper blending of plot, character and setting. Dhoomketu

puts his excellence in story telling and the manner in which he highlights man’s

feeling. He projects the character of Ali in such a way that the description becomes a

tangible fact.

Ali and Rehmun:

Post office narrates a story of an old man Ali and his painful journey of

‘waiting’. Ali was a hunter. He used to hunt innocent birds but after the marriage of

his daughter Mariam he became alone. Secondly he did not get any news from his

daughter for years. Ali waits and waits till he exists, perhaps even after his death.

Before his death he gives 5 guineas to a clerk in the post office keeping the sky as

witness between them, and requests him to deliver his letter (from Mariam) on his

deathbed.

The story shows two main actions, first physical movement- Ali’s slow motion

to the Post office and second, sorting out of the letters in the post office by the clerks

along with ridiculing Ali. Both are closely inter-connected. Ali’s slow physical

movement and its repetition carries a corresponding but quick psychological change.

As Ali’s (hunter’s) aim of life gets changed gradually and he overcomes his nature so

much so that he tolerates the teasing tone of the clerks of the post-office. This

character takes a giant turn by becoming a saint from a sadist. Ali does not create his

circumstances rather he becomes a victim of the circumstances and gradually emerges

a glowing human personality with a human heart purified after a long journey of

untold suffering.

Ali, a common man becomes uncommon due to his devotion for his single

aim. Consequently the post office turns into a temple of feelings for Ali.

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Dhoomketu has skillfully used an incident within the story to intensify Ali’s

grief. The Head postmaster got the news about his daughter’s illness and therefore he

was worried and anxious. After having restlessly passed the night, the postmaster

eagerly waited for the next morning so that he could get the telegram from his

daughter containing news about her health. Thus he could empathise with Ali. Ali

becomes impressive when his anxiety is felt by the head post master. The treatment

given to the character of Ali is marvelous. The final impression created by the

mingling of the three main components (plot, character & setting) of the story is

unforgettable. The language implemented by Dhoomketu is so powerful that one can

hear the steps of Ali and the thud of his stick leading to the post office.

The only character that matches with the intensity of emotion of Ali is

Rehmun in the story Kabuliwala. Rehmun, a stout character showers his affection on

Mini, a little girl, for whom he used to bring gifts of dry fruits as he is far away from

his own land and his family and therefore he sees his own daughter in Mini. They

share beautiful innocent dialogues with each other; they used to meet everyday and

used to laugh on trivial things. However Mini’s father doubted Kabuliwala’s intention

while Mini with her pure heart used to welcome Kabuliwala by running towards him

saying ‘O Kabuliwala Kabuliwala.’

Rehmun, a soft heart in a stout body, could not bear the lie of his customer

whom he had sold a shawl and therefore he attacked that customer which resulted into

seven years of imprisonment for him. On his release, Kabuliwala, visits Mini’s house

and requests Mini’s father to allow him to see Mini. This shows how emotionally

attached the Kabuliwala was with Mini even during his imprisonment. However,

Mini’s father prevents him from meeting Mini because that day happens to be the day

of Mini’s marriage. The disappointed Kabuliwala pleads with him again as he was

under the impression that Mini is still that small child and he would share those

innocent feelings with her and that is why he in a hesitating voice said:

May I see the little one, sir, for a moment?

(Radice 118)

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The father of Mini told him again that there was ceremony in the house and he

would not be able to see any one on that particular day. But Rehmun was an

emotional man. He started to go back, while going he came close to the father of Mini

and said:

I brought these few things, sir, for the little one. Will you give them to her?

(Radice 119)

Mini’s father wanted to pay him for the gift he had brought. It was the day of

Mini’s marriage and as a father he was intensely feeling the pangs of separation

(‘vidai’) from his daughter. It is only when he notices the Kabuliwala’s daughter’s

ink-smeared impression of hand on a piece of paper that the pain of separation from

his own daughter is intensified. Instantaneously Mini’s father forgets his social status

and feels Rehmun’s grief as a father.

This is perhaps the comparison of emotional intensity felt by the two fathers,

Ali, the old man and Rehmun, the Kabuliwala. Both are fathers, Ali’s faith turned a

post office into a temple, while Rehmun, the Kabuliwala’s love for his daughter finds

a kind of transcendence for he was surviving with the only piece of paper containing

his daughter’s hand print for the last many years.

Knakalata and kadambini:

There are remarkable similarities in the thinking level of some women

characters of Dhoomketu and Tagore. Dhoomketu’s Kanaklata, in the story

Kanaklata a widow of a poor and downtrodden family longs to live a free life like a

normal being. Similarly Kadambini in the story Living or Dead also aspires to live a

free life which is absent in her widow identity. Woman is woman later but she is first

- a helpless widow, helpless wife, a daughter, a sister, a mother, a body, and a

machine.

Kadambini was declared dead although she had just lost her consciousness

due to injury. Being a widow she was considered to be a burden by her in-laws and

therefore, nobody took pains to consult a doctor and she was immediately taken to the

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cremation ground. She regained her consciousness there and the next moment she

thought of life - a free life. Her mind was filled with the thought of becoming free

from the imposed limits decided by the patriarchal society. She wanted to enjoy

boundless joy as she thought that she was dead and now she belonged to eternity. The

realization struck in her mind – I am my own ghost - and this moment all ties and all

conventions seemed shattered. It was as if she had weird power, boundless liberty- to

go where she liked, do what she liked, and with the onset of this feeling she dashed

out of the hut like a madwoman; like a gust of wind - ran out into the dark burning

ground with not the slightest shame, fear or worry in her mind. Unfortunately a

woman dares not think of living a life which she desires during her bodily existence

for only death gives her freedom to be herself. Her small wish was to live as she had

lived during her childhood. She wanted to break that iron wall of widowhood and

enjoy the simple joys of life.

Thus Tagore is an idealist in his perception while Dhoomketu observes a

woman from a realistic point of view. The character of Kanaklata embodies reality in

fiction. In the story she is a widow but her desire to live as someone’s wife and enjoy

all the pleasures of life becomes so strong that she forgets that she is a widow.

Perhaps ignorant of male nature and social taboos, she makes a mistake. As a result,

she gives birth to a child. She tries to approach the father of her son but he denies

accepting her as his wife and her son. She repents on her deed and names her child

‘Kanaklatey’ which indicates a solid protest against the male dominated society. She

proves that she does not require any man to support her existence. She brings up her

child till he turns five years old and then commits suicide. She willingly submerges

herself in the river to repent over her deed.

After the death of her husband, Kanaklata wanted to lead a life of dignity. But

the woman in her also wanted to be possessed and to be loved which diverted her

from the right path. Gradually she recovers herself and fights boldly with the set

traditions and customs and performs her duty as a mother, all the while repenting her

deed and eventually committing suicide.

This is the paradox seen in the Indian society. When an individual is

worshipped as a mother it needs to be noted that she should be worshipped in all her

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manifestations. For instance, if a woman gets married and gives birth to a girl child,

she is not respected. However, if she gives birth to a boy-child then she is more

respected. If a woman gives birth to a child without marriage she is condemned! This

means that being a mother is not at all a respectable position for only a socially

wedded woman is qualified to be a mother. The implication is that marriage is a

license for a man and a woman to develop physical intimacy! Which in turn means

that the woman who has been left by her husband is also a widow; a divorcee is also a

widow and a woman without marriage is also a widow! However, this discussion is

not intended to come to the conclusion that woman should go on protesting and

thereby engage herself in unhealthy practices. Neither does it mean to say that

marriage is just a social ritual. Marriage of man and woman provides a feeling of

security, love, care and warmth of relationship and it is a must to build a healthy

society. But the problematic of the institution of marriage is that many have wrongly

interpreted the concept of marriage.

Thus, both the characters depict widowhood. Kadambini wants to live life like

a human being - a free life - of boundless liberty while Kanaklata wanted to live like a

woman but both eventually die.

Pani, Shashi and Masi:

Both Dhoomketu and Tagore are the masters at creating superwomen

characters. The character of Pani in the story Bhabhi of Dhoomketu and the character

of Masi in the story Masi by Tagore carry strong characteristics of a superhuman.

They are ones who live selflessly for others.

Bhabhi sacrifices her whole life to make the life of her brother-in-law,

Laxman a happy one. Laxman was under Panibhabhi’s care since the death of his

mother. The name of Bhabhi is Pani which means water; the elixir of life who

celebrates her womanhood in the real sense. She does her routine work with devotion,

enjoys her life by giving happiness to others. She maintains her relations naturally; as

a wife she is close to her husband; as a bhabhi she wants her brother-in-law to lead his

life with happiness. She treats her brother-in-law as her own son and is ready to do

anything to bring happiness in the life of Laxman. Though she very much wanted her

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brother-in-law to remain in the village and live happily, Laxman refuses to do so as he

was attracted by the showy lifestyle of the city. Pani convinces her husband to

mortgage her ornaments to fulfill the demands of his brother.

When Pani comes to know that Laxman, her brother-in-law has become the

victim of wrong and immoral habits like taking wine; beating his wife for money and

has started gambling too, she can not stop herself. She runs to help Laxman. She goes

to the city and lives with Laxman and his wife Shangar and tries hard to bring him

back on the right track and then convinces him to come back home, to his village.

But cruel destiny! It plays its role. Pani’s husband misunderstands the relation

between his wife and his brother and leaves her. Pani starts to live a life without life

and ends it by committing suicide. In fact, Pani was an incarnation of a true woman

having all the qualities like care, love, affection and selflessness. Pani was an

illiterate lady but she had firm belief in herself, she says,

“કરમના લેખ ુ ંકર, ગાંડ ! આપણે સૌ હાથ ેકર ને આપણા કરમ ઘડ એ

છ એ. હ તમે આ યા યાર તમાર પાસે પૈસા હતા. પછ ા ગયા?”

( Dhoomketuni Vartao Vol-2 137)

(The written destiny cannot do anything, silly girl! We ourselves make our own destiny. When you came here you had money. Where had it gone?) Translation mine

Pani did not believe in luck or destiny. She thought that man is the maker of

his own destiny. When she was misunderstood by her husband she did not beseech in

front of her husband. In fact, she was shocked to see the lack of trust of her husband.

Therefore she could not continue to live with her husband as she used to.

Pani is different because although she belonged to a small village, she is not

irrational; she does not believe in destiny, and she is ready to fight against destiny if at

all it exists, for the betterment of her brother-in-law’s life. Pani lives and dies for the

betterment of her family. Similarly we can find the same selflessness in the character

of Masi in the story Masi and in the character of Shashi in the story Elder Sister.

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The character of Shashi in Elder sister by Tagore, is marvelously real; a

woman leaves behind her role of a wife and emerges as a solid figure, a saviour of her

brother- Nilmani.

Nilmani was a late born child of Shashi’s mother, and therefore Shashi had to

live with her mother away from her husband. She had to go through hard times of

separation from her husband. When her mother died she had to shoulder the

responsibilities of her brother also. However, she was overcome by the wild tyranny

of her brother. She surrendered herself completely to this wayward little tyrant. Since

the child had no mother his influence over her became greater. Her husband was a

man shrouded with feeling of snatching others property and enjoying the authority.

He wanted to snatch the property of his in-laws and so he wanted to kill the only heir

– Nilmani - the brother of his wife Shashi. Shashi tried hard to save her brother from

the evil designs of her husband; she suffered a lot during that time. Finally she

thought herself incapable of protecting Nilmani and therefore she took help of an

honest officer to guard her brother. She returned home thinking that her husband

would not harm her but within a few days she was killed by her husband.

Masi, a character in the story Masi is another example of the caring woman

who in the real sense celebrates her womanhood. She devotes her everything to her

sister’s son, Jotin.

The story is about Jotin’s incurable illness, and Masi’s selfless service and

care for him. Jotin is a sick boy and is lying on bed. He is suffering from severe pain;

the only relief for him is the momentary restricted appearance of his wife in his room.

His Masi is his only counterpart in his suffering. Masi tries hard to console him and

brings relief to him but he is aware that he will die soon. He wants to see his wife just

for a moment. But his wife does not care for her husband’s deteriorating health. She is

stubborn and insists on going to her mother’s house to attend ‘annaprashan’

ceremony of her new born sister.

Masi entreats in front of Jotin’s wife and tries hard to convince her that she

must not go to her mother’s house. But she refuses and leaves home. Masi hides this

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fact and does not reveal it in front of Jotin as she does not want to increase Jotin’s

pain.

Though Masi is illiterate, she knows life and death closely. During the

discourse between Masi and Jotin, the character of Masi reveals her attitude towards

life. She had acquired the ability to live in all situations as she was observing Jotin

dying everyday. Masi was attached to Jotin but detached with material pleasure.

When Jotin told her that he had given everything to Mani (his wife), Masi replied,

That you have done, Jotin! More than enough. Haven’t I had you to fill my lonely house? I must have won that great good fortune in many previous births! You have given me so much that now, if my destiny’s due is exhausted, I shall not complain. Yes, yes! Give away everything in Mani’s name – your house, your money, your carriage, and your land such burdens are too heavy for me!

( Selected Stories 174)

This dialogue shows the type of free woman she was! She devoted her entire

life for Jotin selflessly. In return she did not get even the security of life. But even

then she was satisfied with what she had received on account of Jotin.

The women characters of Tagore and Dhoomketu share strong similarities in

their way of thinking though the parameters are different. The male characters of both

the writers are analogous on the emotional intensity they feel during the course of

action in the story. But between the two, Tagore is marvelous in revealing the mind of

a child in his short stories. Quite a few of his stories are led by child characters like

Home coming, My Lord, The Baby, The Castaway, Housewife, The Divide. On the

other hand Dhoomketu has rarely depicted a child’s mind in his stories. Thus there is

remarkable dissimilarity between the two authors in the choice of child characters as

the protagonist of the story.

3.5 Dissimilarity: Child Characters

Tagore’s poetic style of observation in the selection of the characters does

eventually lead up to the child figure. For him children are an essential part of his

stories. He pleaded for women education and child rights through his stories. His

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reformative ideas generated fire in the present minds because many things will prevail

forever. For example the behaviour of elders with the children, depends upon their

mood. Very often elders behave cynically, fanatically and sometimes like mad

persons in front of children.

In The Elder Sister, the innocence and helplessness of the little brother,

Nilamani, are seen in relation to the sister’s dependence on her unscrupulous husband,

Jaygopal. Nilmani had to obey the decision of his sister, Shashi, and has to take

shelter under the officer. A child’s tragedy is the theme of Home-Coming. Phatik,

naughty and uncontrollable, is sent by his mother with her brother to Calcutta: but the

little boy is lost in the city, and his aunt is frigidly indifferent to him. He makes a

desperate attempt to come back home. Due to his love for home he becomes ill and

dies. Perhaps Tagore wants to communicate that each one of us despite their physical

growth longs to be understood. In fact, everybody yearns for sympathy and love.

Tagore’s short stories are the stories of feelings shaded with sheer poetry. He

narrates the reality with poetic sense as we go through the passage in the story The

Castaway:

when with evening the child of want lies down, dirty and hungry, in his squalid home, and hears of prince and princess and fabled gold, then in the dark hovel with its dim flickering candle, his mind springs free from her bonds of poverty and misery, and walked in fresh beauty and glowing raiment, strong beyond all fear of hindrance, through that fairy realm where all is possible.

(Selected Stories 135)

The writer explores the mind of a child; observes the ups and downs of the

vast land of a child’s mind in which sometimes fairy tales quench the thirst and

hunger of a poor child. Next to women, the characters which linger longest in the

memory are those of the children and the adolescent. Rabindranath Tagore was

interested in children and their education; he hated the prevailing system of

education and upbringing which cramped their personality and made them slaves of

text-books with the school as their prison-house. He pleaded for the child’s innocent

play; their innocent life and freedom. He wanted the child to be one with mother Earth

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and that is why he appreciated and insisted upon the child’s natural attachment with

nature. As it is noticeable in the story Homecoming that Phatik was happily living a

free life with all his mischief but when he was relocated in a city away from his native

village, he withered away because he had to lead a confined and cramped life.

Tagore has given a perfect concept of study in the form of Tarapada, in the

story Guest. Tarapada does not like to be bound neither emotionally nor physically.

He was after his heart. He does not like a settled life. He is happiest when he moves

from one temporary home to another. He was a passionate learner but he hears the

voice of his heart and acts accordingly. Thus, Tagore advocates for life as a teacher

and the entire earth as a school, where each person has the right to experience and

experiment with different circumstances.

Tagore has very sharply scrutinized a child’s mind in his story My Lord, The

Baby! While enjoying nature at its fullest Anukul (a richman’s) son merges his life

with nature. While Phailna, a sophisticated son of a servant, Raicharan, dramatically

changes his relationship with his father as soon as he finds that he is the son of a

wealthy man and he is prevented from all the riches by his servant. Two contrasting

sides of a relation between father and son is effectively portrayed by the writer.

Tagore has innocently portrayed the character of Mini in the well-known

story, Kabuliwala, in which the child character sees the Kabuliwalah with the eyes of

trust and affection. The writer has used his inward vision to portray Mini’s character.

Housewife is another good story steered by the child characters. The story

narrates the event about the humiliation of a child by a teacher and hurting of the

child’s ego. Tagore lavishes his art especially on children and women and presents

them, not realistically, but sensibly. Tagore has honestly projected the child’s

innocence, wisdom, fragility and helplessness in his stories.

Dhoomketu has rarely picked the child characters but he has tried to highlight

children’s helplessness in front of the elders in his story Tofan. With simplicity he

brings a child in front of his mother where he is scolded just because he was playing

with the puppies. The child’s mother asks him whether he would play mischief again

or not. The boy is helpless because the word mischief (Tofan) is new to him and

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therefore adopts the trial and error method. When he answers positively he is beaten;

when he answers negatively he is released from the scolding and beating of the

mother. Thus he comes to know what he should do and what he should not. When he

remains inactive and sits quietly he is scolded by his father and when he goes to play

outside he is scolded by his mother.

In this short story the grown up people are targeted. Usually grown up persons

expect that the child should behave in a mature way and thus snatch away their

childhood. Tagore has put the idea of a child playing with dust in a poem:

The child who is decked with prince’s robes and who has jeweled chains round his neck loses all pleasure in his play; his dress hampers him at every step. in fear that it may be frayed, or stained with dust he keeps himself from the world, and is afraid even to move. Mother, it is no gain, thy bondage of finery, if it keep one shut of from the healthful dust of the earth, if it rob one of the right of entrance to the great fair of common human life.

(Gitanjali 26)

The story suggests that Dhoomketu has peeped into the inner world of children while

Tagore has explored the inner world of a child’s mind. The poetry establishes a

natural relation between innocence of child and love for mother earth.

Conclusion:

Thus, the above study of Tagore and Dhoomketu’s women and male

characters throws light on female thinking and male personalities created by the

writers. It also explores the child’s mind as observed and felt by the authors. Tagore

and Dhoomketu have portrayed their characters in such a way that the characters

reveal themselves through their speech and action. In the limited space the character

has been almost entirely developed. The skillful technique of both the writers emerges

naturally and changes the course of human life.

The characters of Tagore and Dhoomketu sometimes suffer because of rigidity

in the society; illogically established rules and regulations; sometimes due to their

own emotional action and sometimes because of the belief that sukha-dukha is a part

of life. Just as the earth revolves around its axis, so too human beings experience both

happiness and suffering as a part and parcel of their very existence. Thus, the women

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characters of Tagore and Dhoomketu present their points of view and their stand in

contemporary society.

The character of Kusum in the story River Stairs presents a moralistic point of

view where a woman has to be pure and pious. Kusum is a character with a message.

The story River Stairs by Tagore upholds the approach of F. R. Leavis which

emphasizes on promotion of values in life. This kind of work is necessary for the

process of cultural filtering, refining and revitalizing individual values and for

improving a nation’s cultural health. This kind of thought works against the prevalent

forces of materialism and barbarism.

The woman character of the story Skeleton can be studied from a

psychological point of view. Here a child widow is carrying the impression of a

poison-bride which leads her to kill the male character.

The character of Mrinal (Mejo-Bou) in A Wife’s Letter propagates the idea of

space which is equivalent to the concept of ‘gynocentricism’ as outlined by Elaine

Showalter.

The character of Giribala in the story Giribala stands for self- esteem. She

leaves an impression of a firm woman.

The women characters of Dhoomketu like Champa, Maghi, Kanaklata all echo

the same thought - i.e.- we are not only body, we have heart, we have thought.

The prominent male characters of the stories of Tagore and Dhoomketu

promulgate the idea of humanity; while the child characters symbolize the value of

freedom and happiness in nature. Thus, in the world of imagination both the writers

have sketched a reality in such a way that the readers are prompted to follow the

morals and virtues spread by the characters which in turn might help in establishing a

beautiful culture.

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