Thinking Activity : The Home and The World

Hello Readers ,

This blog is the part of my thinking activity in classroom. And in this blog I would like to talk about one famous novel " Home and the World" by Rabindranath Tagore. 

 

                     First of all discussion about The Novel ,

About Novel :

The Home and the World is a novel by Rabindranath Tagore, Published in 1916. This novel set against the political and logistical nightmares of India’s 20th century caste system. Although the story focuses on the dynamic of a marriage—which shifts when a shadowy outsider enters the lives of the couple—much of the novel reads like a philosophical treatise. 

There are shifting viewpoints between the characters Bimala, Nikhil, and Sandip, and much of the book comprises their internal and external dialogues as they consider serious issues such as tradition, the roles of men and women in Indian culture, the nature of political change, the occasional need for violence in political activism, and other rhetorical exercises such as the weighing of the public good.

As the novel begins, Bimala is happy with her life. She has married a good, kind man who is educated and generous. She is content to worship him and accept his support in all things. What she does not feel, however, is excitement. When the political firebrand Sandip begins making speeches in their village, she is infatuated by his words, but also stirred by some of his political ideas. She thinks of him constantly. Sandip, who is only interested in pursuing his own desires and climbing the social strata, does nothing to discourage her interest in him.Her husband, Nikhil, sees what is happening, but is unwilling to intervene. Nikhil believes that, if one is committed to living morally and thoughtfully, one can accept whatever arises. He is sad that he feels like a burden to Bimala, but is determined to let her make her own choices.Bimala’s choices lead her to steal from Nikhil to raise money for Sandip’s cause, money that he keeps for himself. 

                      Here, we have discuss some questions- answers :

1. Analyze the growth of individual characters :

In the novel ‘ The Home and the World’ fo three major characters,

 *Bimala

* Nikhilesh 

* Sandip

        This novel is more focusing on the individual growth of Bimala. The whole novel is divided into chapter vise and written in the first person narration. The novel opens with narration of Bimala and when chapters are going on we can see the growth of her character. In the initial part of the novel Bimala just talks about herself. She never met any male besides her husband. She is learning English, knitting , singing and so many other things. 

2. Physiological growth of character in the novel :

Sandip's presence in the novel concludes believe with him flecing whike his speeches and ideas result communal riots. money. by the Bhaga of the Sandip's first name is translated to "with dipa ". According to the notes in the novel this is used to describe him as "in flaming, exciting, arousing". Sandip's last name "Babu" originated as an aristocratic titk that has come to describe Bengalis educated in the west or comparable settings. The British used "Babu" as a patro- Indianising term.

3. Write about Rabindranath Tagore's art of characterization :

       Their characters are true to life. His characters, beneath their trappings, have the eternal human essence. In his novels Tagore has used the persons of his novels to emphasize the insight of Tagore reveals the psyche of them. He gives fragments of narrative technique through weaving the artistic situations captures the hearts of the readers and thus he succeeds in giving the clear experience of the characters in such backgrounds. Tagore very significantly characterised all the characters of the novel.if we talk about characterization of Tagore, a worshipper of universal humanism, depicts two different streams of Nationalism in his novel The Home and the World. 

The first stream may be termed as Moderation that articulates essentially pure patriotism without showing the aggressiveness of the Extremism that is the other stream. Both these streams surely are built on the basis of ideals and the followers are motivated according to their beliefs. In this novel Nikhil is a personification of moderate politics whereas Sandip represents the aggressive nationalism throughout the novel.

Thank you ...