Bimala, Nikhil, and Sandip's Unique Home and the Worlds

 In Rabindranath Tagore’s novel The Home and the World it is interesting to analyze the relationship between Nikhil’s and Sandip's personalities and their political views. Nikhil is against the violence of the movement and is more of a calm and logical person. Whereas, Sandip is motivated by passion and filled with conviction and fervor for the movement. During the time of the novel there existed many campaigns for the sole purpose of challenging British rule, some being violent and some being non-violent. Sandip’s personality compliments his pursuit of the Swadeshi movement, part of the Indian Nationalist Movement. The Swadeshi movement involved the boycotting of British produced goods in order to foster nationalism but it ended up resulting in poverty. Sandip contrasts Nikhil’s passivity in terms this conflict with his statement "My country does not become mine simply because it is the country of my birth. It becomes mine on the day when I am able to win it by force".

The relationship between those supporting the Swadeshi movement and those not, can even be related to the choices Bimala makes in her relationships with Nihkil and Sandip. Supporting the Swadeshi movement is risky and could possible be ultimately unprofitable. While neglecting the support the Swadeshi movement, as Nikhil does, is based in accepting his country as it is without forcing movements and change upon it. Bimala makes a similar choice in her interactions with Sandip and Nikhil and her actions in the curious symbolic love triangle. As Sandip and Nikhil make their decision to love their country actively or passively, so does Bimala choose between following her temptation or staying loyal to the status quo or her husband of 9 years. The connection between Bimala’s freedom in the home and the world and the political temperament not supporting the movement or supporting the Swadeshi movement is definitely drawn. Tagore is renowned for his ability to draw connections and his courage and talent at exploring unexplored topics and providing a unique message as he does in The Home and the World.