The Home and the World by Rabindranath Tagore
"The Home and the World" is a novel by Rabindranath Tagore, set against the backdrop of the Swadeshi movement in early 20th century India, which aimed to boycott British goods following the controversial partition of Bengal. The narrative unfolds through the perspectives of three main characters: Bimala, her husband Nikhil, and the charismatic but unscrupulous Sandip. Bimala, initially sheltered in her domestic life, is drawn out into the tumultuous world of political activism by Sandip, who represents the more radical and aggressive aspects of the movement.
As Bimala becomes increasingly involved with Sandip, she grapples with the conflict between her loyalty to her husband and her infatuation with Sandip's ideals. Nikhil embodies Enlightenment values and seeks to promote a more benevolent and peaceful approach to the political struggles of the time. The novel explores themes of personal freedom, moral integrity, and the complexities of love amidst societal upheaval.
Ultimately, the story culminates in tragedy, reflecting Tagore's disillusionment with the violent turn of the Swadeshi movement. The narrative's conclusion varies in adaptations, illustrating differing interpretations of loss and reconciliation. Through its rich character study and social critique, "The Home and the World" remains a poignant examination of the interplay between personal relationships and larger political conflicts.
The Home and the World by Rabindranath Tagore
Excerpted from an article in Magill’s Survey of World Literature, Revised Edition
First published:Ghare bāire, 1916 (English translation, 1919)
Type of work: Novel
The Work
The Home and the World is set during the height of the Swadeshi movement, a boycott of British goods that was initiated in 1905 as a protest against Great Britain’s arbitrary division of Bengal into two parts. At first, Tagore was one of the leaders of Swadeshi, but when protests evolved into violent conflicts between Muslims and Hindus, Tagore left the movement. In The Home and the World, he explained why he did not approve of what Swadeshi had become.
The novel consists of twenty-three chapters, each of them a first-person narrative by one of the three major characters. The first and the last chapters are both labeled “Bimala’s Story,” thus emphasizing the fact that the young wife Bimala is the pivotal character in what is superficially a love triangle but, more profoundly, is a conflict between two points of view, one good, the other evil. The other two narrators are Nikhil, Bimala’s husband, a wealthy landowner with Enlightenment views and a benevolent nature, and Sandip, a charismatic but completely unscrupulous Swadeshi leader.
Although for some time her husband has urged Bimala to move out into the world, it is not until she meets the charismatic Sandip that she decides to take advantage of the freedom Nikhil has offered her. The first time Sandip comes to dinner, he urges her to remain with the men and take part in the discussion. Nikhil feels that he must invite Sandip to be his guest while he is in the area, but a few days stretch into weeks, and Sandip is still present. Although he admits to the reader that he believes strong men have the right to take whatever they want, he conceals his ruthlessness from Bimala. Instead, he flatters her, calling her the “mother” of the Swadeshi movement, or the “Queen Bee.” Though Nikhil’s old master, who is visiting, urges him to get rid of Sandip, Nikhil knows that Bimala would not permit him to evict the agitator. However, when he learns that the Muslims are planning to attack his home in order to kill Sandip, Nikhil informs his guest that he must leave.
Meanwhile, Bimala has given her jewels to Sandip, as well as a large sum of money, which she stole from her husband with the aid of Sandip’s young follower Amulya, whom she has taken under her wing. Just before fleeing from the Muslims, Sandip does return the money and the jewels, insisting that for once in his life he has felt pangs of conscience. However, Bimala has recovered from her infatuation with Sandip and his cause. She now realizes that Nikhil is not only good but also wise. Before she can ask his forgiveness, however, her chivalrous husband gallops off to protect some women he hears are being mistreated by Muslim looters. Several hours later, Nikhil is brought back, critically injured. Amulya is dead. Despite the fact that Tagore does not rule out the possibility that Nikhil will live and become reconciled with his repentant wife, The Home and the World is often described as Tagore’s darkest novel. It is significant that when the noted director Satyajit Ray filmed The Home and the World in 1984, he changed the ending: In his version, Nikhil’s body is brought back, and Bimala is left with nothing but regrets.
Bibliography
Biswas, Renuka, ed. On Tagore. New York: Tagore Society of New York, 1984.
Chatterjee, Bhabatosh. Rabindranath Tagore and Modern Sensibility. Delhi, India: Oxford University Press, 1996.
Datta, Pradip Kumar, ed. Rabindranath Tagore’s “The Home and the World”: A Critical Companion. London: Anthem Press, 2005.
Dutta, Krishna, and Andrew Robinson. Rabindranath Tagore: The Myriad-Minded Man. New York: St. Martin’s Press, 1995.
Gupta, Uma Das. Rabindranath Tagore: A Biography. New Delhi, India: Oxford University Press, 2004.
Hogan, Patrick Colm, and Lalita Pandit, eds. Rabindranath Tagore: Universality and Tradition. Madison, N.J.: Fairleigh Dickinson University Press, 2003.
Lago, Mary M. Rabindranath Tagore. Boston: Twayne, 1976.