18th Century Chaucer?

Before I began reading Candide I read the section entitled “A Note on Names.”  It described how Voltaire made a play on certain names he used in the novel.  I found it amusing, and continued on and began reading the story.  While reading I noticed how the names seemed to accurately describe the characters.  For instance, Candide, from the Latin candidus, means pure and Candide was a very noble and honest character.  Another example is Pangloss is derived from the Greek ‘pan’ (all) ‘glossa’ (tongue), so Pangloss is ‘all tongue’ or rather ‘all talk’.  “The name suggests ‘one who glosses everything’, and Voltaire in his notebooks accuses those ‘who speak in order to say nothing’ of panglossie.”  This lends itself to my surmise that Pangloss was just talking because people were listening, and he was rather full of it.  In fact in the end of the book “Pangloss conceded that he had suffered horribly, all his life, but having once maintained that everything was going splendidly he would continue to do so, while believing nothing of the kind.”  All of the characters seemed rather suspended in their personalities, which sparked a thought of déjà vu in me.  It took me a while to place it, but I finally realized that Candide reminded me a little of Chaucer’s The Canterbury Tales in the way it was written.  Each segment belonged to a story of one person or another, and all included a journey.  The characters are named after their personalities (or occupations), and there is always a sense of competition amongst them in who has had it worse , much like Chaucer’s story telling competition in the Tales.  Why Voltaire even included a story telling competition in his work “why not amuse yourself and invite each passenger to tell his story;” (stated by the old woman to prove her point that everybody is a miserable wretch).  It really made me wonder if Chaucer was where Voltaire got his inspiration for this tale.  Does anybody else think Voltaire might be a more modern Chaucer?     

If you don't know much about the Canterbury Tales, here is a link with a little explaination to help you decide.  The Canterbury Tales

Bimala's Journey from Confinement to Independence...Or So It Seems

The Home and the World discusses issues such as the Swadeshi movement in India, nationalism, ideas about what a country is, etc. One thing in particular that I found very intriguing was Bimala's character arc throughout the book and her adherence (or lack of) to gender roles: at the beginning of the story, she was a faithful and very devoted wife to Nikhil, living under the seclusion that the purdah lifestyle mandates. The strength of her wifely devotion to her husband borders on the slavish, as she obviously reviles in humbling or even degrading herself as less than human before her husband: "Can there be any real happiness for a woman in merely feeling that she has power over a man? To surrender one's pride in devotion is woman's only salvation" (20-21) Bimala willingly and joyfully surrenders herself to the role of a servant before a master, believing that there is no job more wonderful in the world. Although she is happy in what she does, she is in fact powerless and weak in society, her devotion to Nikhil her only role in society.

However, with the introduction of Sandip into the novel, everything changes. Hearing about the Swadeshi movement and being actively encouraged by her husband to reject purdah and take a more active role in society, Bimala quickly embraces the idea of making a difference in the world around her. Having rejected the idea of purdah, she makes a transition from her home into the world, as suggested by the novel's title, and starts taking an active part in the Swadeshi movement as an ally of Sandip's. In doing this, she seemingly procures more power. However, although Sandip seemingly worships her and claims that she is a goddess for a free India, in reality his affection is not sincere, as he obligates her to do the dirty work of stealing thousands of rupees for the Swadeshi cause. In addition, Bimala also takes Amulya under her wing, a move that some may call natural and maternal, but others may call a falling-back into the gender role of females as emotional  caregivers, cheerleaders, and caretakers. Although Bimala appears to achieve freedom and independence through her rejection of purdah, she merely falls into the trap of a different kind of gender bondage, where she is still obligated to do the "dirty work" for the Swadeshi movement in addition to playing caretaker to others.

This familiar journey of moving towards independence can, I feel, also be seen in this short story that I'm currently reading in one of my other literature classes by Nathaniel Hawthorne (The Scarlet Letter), called "My Kinsman, Major Molineux." In this story, the 18-year-old Robin goes to the city for the first time, looking for his older relative and also hoping to find his way in the world away from the shelter that his parent provide. However, some have argued that Robin is merely moving along from one guardian (his parents, collectively) to another (Major Molineux) and that he is not, in reality, "growing  up" and becoming independent. Rather, he is hopping along from parental figure to parental figure, relying on them for guidance instead of forging his own way. What do you guys think of this? Does anybody see the connection between the two stories? Or does anybody view it a different way?

Narrative Structure of The Home And The World

The way in which The Home And The World frames its narrative is, in my opinion, one of its most defining aspects. Certainly the love triangle being portrayed would be fascinating in any context, but it's the novel's political aspirations that really elevate it to a new level. By framing the happenings between Nikhil, Bimala, and Sandip with the background of the Swadeshi movement, the story takes on a new identity. It lends importance to the tangled web of emotions and makes it mean more than simply a woman questioning her marriage and role in society. Bimala's struggle is a reflection of Bengal's struggle.

This connection is not hidden behind symbols or complicated language, it's basically laid out for the reader. With Sandip's affirmation that Bimala is just the kind of symbol that the Swadeshi movement needs (need exact quote, couldn't find it) he is not just saying that Bimala and the movement are a good fit for each other--he is saying that they are one in the same. As Bengal is partitioned, Bimala is torn between two men. As the push to remove British goods from Bengal intensifies, Bimala's distance from Nikhil increases. This creates concurrent narratives that both run parallel to each other and occasionally interact in significant ways. A society's struggle for autonomy and a conflicted woman's soul searching share the stage together, with Sandip often playing the role of puppeteer. It turns a love triangle in to something much more significant.

The Home And The World toys with storytelling structure while still maintaining a fairly intimate narrative. Certainly the Bimala/Nikhil/Sandip dynamic is what's at the forefront of the action, but the Swadeshi movement plays an equally important role and its connections to Bimala's own struggle are not to be underestimated.

Bimala and Amulya's Friendship: The Discovery of Sandip's True Character

In my opinion, Amulya and Bimala's relationship definitely demonstrates the effect that Swadeshi movement may have had on real citizens of Bengal.  Amulya particularly functions to represent the sweeping nature that the Swadeshi movement had on Bengali youth in the way that he was captivated with Sandip's character, and the resulting devotion that he felt towards the Cause and his country.  Bimala however, functions to represent a more complex idea of being pulled in two directions- she feels the sway of agreeing with the cause of the movement under Sandip's influence, but there is always Nikhil's opinion that lingers in the background throughout the story.  I was happy when Bimala came to realization of Sandip's true character on pg 141 when she reflects to herself "The snake-charmer had come pretending to draw this snake from within the fold of my garment- but it was never there, it was his all the time.  Some demon has gained possession of me, and what I'm doing today is the play of his activity- it has nothing to do with me".  But even after her realization, Bimala still yields and gives Sandip the money. Her action here initially confused me because it was the complete opposite to what I thought she should have done based on her realization  a chapter earlier.  However, when she professes her reasoning for why she does so on pg. 154, I understand her action.  She states "When I hear Sandip's words uttered by this boy, I tremble all over...Sandip is right when he suspects that though I, for myself may be ready to die at his hands, this boy I shall wean from him and save."  It is clear that through Amulya, Bimala realizes the harmful effect Sandip has had on him and other Bengali youth when she hears them naively follow Sandip's ruthless teachings.  She therefore vows to protect Amulya even if it means sacrificing herself in the process.  Amulya similarly realizes Sandip's true character in the way takes advantage of Bimala's willingness to give him the money on pg 171 when he admits Sandip selfishly gloats over it when he is away from her. 

I think these incident in the novel not only reveals a reversal in these characters perception of Sandip, it also demonstrates the reversal in point of view on the Swadeshi movement.  Since Sandip is essentially a symbolic character for the movement itself, the reversal acts a convention in which Tagore demonstrates that the movement may be initially alluring and progressive (like Sandip early in the novel),  but there are several problematic components to the movement- which is demonstrated through Sandip's character/actions towards the end of the novel.

 A still from the movie adaptation to The Home  and the World

Home and the World: The Lost Shakespearean Tragedy?

I found it interesting how Sandip's narration ends after chapter seven, when he asks Bimala for the money. From this point on, Sandip is no longer able to defend himself or rationalize his actions, even though his rationalizations are quite absurd: "Not that I have any false shame at Bimala becoming an object of my desire. It is only too clear how she wants me, and so I look on her as quite legitimately mine" (81). Throughout the course of the novel Sandip makes bold statements like this one. He is a god in his own mind though if he really were so wonderful, he would not spend all of his time at Nikhil's house, fawning over Bimala. Sandip almost seems like a caricature of a villain. He has tunnel vision when it comes to his ideas about India and even though he has Bimala in the palm of his hand at one point, he does not attempt any sort of romantic encounter with her.

With his blind ambition, he reminds me of Iago from Othello. Both Sandip and Iago have best friends who are more successful and both envy the other. Both villains also attempt to plant false information in the minds of manipulate situations to their own benefit. The novel reads like a Shakespearean play. Most of the scenes take place either in Bimala's room or Nikhil's room while the action and violence is not showed, instead bringing the reader in after the fact. However, Nikhil lacks the all consuming paranoia that takes control of Othello and Hamlet. He is the only character who stays calm throughout the novel. Even when he figures out that Bimala has stolen the six thousand rupees he turns it inwards and realizes that it is due to a "vein of tyrrany" within himself that attempted to force Bimala into his ideal wife, thus creating a schism in their marriage (197).

Motherland in Home and the World part 2

I wanted to talk about the poste that I made, Motherland in The Home and the Wrold, and just expand on what I was talking about. More than once, one of the narrators/characters make metaphors on how the land, the country embodies a woman. All three characters need to imagine the country as a woman in order to make their vision clear. Bimala tends to make herself the country, “I have my desire to be fascinated and fascination must be supplied to me in bodily shape by my country. She must have some visible symbol casting its spell upon my mind. I would make my country a Person, and call her Mother, Goddess, Durga-for whom I would redden the earth with sacrificial offerings.’ I am human, not divine’”. In this quote, Bimala is comparing herself to the motherland. Saying she is the mother of the country. Bimala becomes the mother, as she embodies the vision of her country. When she embodies herself as the country both Sandip and Nikhil are able to control her in the way in which they wish. Sandip also sees Bimala as the country. One could say he is using her as his muse. In more than one circumstance, Sandip discusses why he needs Bimala as his muse and what he plans do with her, “If only women could be set free from the artificial fetters put round them by men, we could see on earth the living image of Kali, the shameless, pitiless goddess. I am a worshipper of Kali, and one day I shall truly worship her, setting Bimala on her altar of Destruction. For this let me get ready”(84). Sandip creates her into the nation by making her goddess. His rational makes her believe that she embodies the nation; he swoons her into believing that he is her woman. A woman of the nation not a woman of power; Bilama is controlled by Sandips dreams and visions. Nikhil as shapes Bimala into the country that he wants and the person he wants her to be. Nikhil says he allows his wife freedom, but really what he is doing is creating the woman he wants. It is not about freedom; it is about power, “I must acknowledge that I have merely been an accident in Bimala’s life. Her nature, perhaps, can only find true union with one like Sandip”(65). Nikhil set his wife free to have her make a choice, he did not do it for her, he did it for himself. Nikhil wanted a wife who was independent enough to make her own decisions; to stand by herself. The same thing can be said for the way he wants his country. He wants a country free from the British and free to stand on its own. Nikhil is making his wife into a symbol of her nation. These men have made her into what they expect her to be; what they expect their nation to be. Their two different visions of nation are shown with how they treat Bimala.

My reflections on Home and the World

The underlying theme for Home and The World is the role of love and devotion and its effects on nationalism. However, one overlooked symbolism is that the love triangle between Nikhl, Bimala and Sandip is the reflection of that between Great Britain, India and the Swadeshi movement. A lot of parallels can be drawn when the two relationships are compared. Also an analysis of the traits of the three main characters shows the flaws and strengths that each factor has. Nikhil is the embodiment of Great Britain: he supports freedom; he is not living by traditional roles or expectations, and is always giving even if it is at a personal cost. Even though, his family is traditional a powerful one, his education elevates their level even more. He brings enlightenment to his wife by getting her an education, improves the life of the women in his household; he treats his widowed sister-in-law with respect, is not controlling of his wife and gives respect to his grandmother. Great Britain is different from other colonial masters in the sense that they give their subjects more freedom just like Nikhil does to Bimala. Britain is different from other colonial masters because they do not always participate in the affairs of the local people. They just like Nikhil believe that the people had the right to do what is best for them at time without their interruption. The invasion of Britain brought about a new way of life into Bengal, they introduced their language, mannerisms, customs and diet and redefine what important to the elite. Similarly, Nikhil brought about a different way of life into his household with his ideas about equality between men and women. Tagore uses Nikhil passively toward the affair between Bimala and Sandip to depict the British notion about the impact of the Swadeshi movement. Just like Nikhil, the British were naïve in believing that Bengal’s loyalty was too strong to wander under the temptation of the movement.

Bimala is represents the nation of India or Bengal and the changes that it goes through with the introduction of English rule and then the Swadeshi movement. The beginning, the marriage between Nikhil and Bimala is harmonious with only a few fractions here and there. The relationship between England and that of Bengal was cordial for the most part with a few instances of fractions. The English brought literacy through the English formal education, adored Bengal with gift in terms of infrastructure, government and even goods such as tea, biscuits etc. Nikhil provides Bimala with an education, free will and introduces her to certain aspects of British culture by buying her foreign goods. Just like the English benefitted from Bengal in terms of natural resources and cheap labor, Nikhil is able to enjoy his wife’s intelligence, beauty and companionship. He allows her to make decisions about certain things just like Britain chooses not abolish some of the Bengal tradition. Bimala holds her husband in awe till she meets Sandip: the relationship and attitude toward Britain is changed by the introduction of the Swadeshi movement. Bimala begins to see herself in a new light and seeks to create a new identity. Bengal with the introduction of the Swadeshi movement begins to rethink its relationship with Britain. Bimala, under the influence of this movement takes drastic measures to make her ideas come to pass. Bengal is transformed and becomes more aggressive in its push for independence because the Swadeshi movement.  

Sandip who symbolizes the Swadeshi movement is very aggressive and does whatever it takes to get his ideas realized. The movement is aggressive by insisting that the people usually the poor give up British goods in support of local ones. It does not however take into consideration what condition in which the people are going to be left in. Just like Sandip’s desire to have the movement greatly supported leads to him using his best friend and even his wife without truly considering the state that it leaves them in. His affair with Bimala, though beneficial at first, leads to a lot of grievances in the end. Similarly the Swadeshi movement was ideal but it proved to bring about a lot of fractions based on how it is interrupted. Sandip uses his love for Bimala to build her up, only to use her in the end. The movement left Bengal with a lot more heartache than resolution for a long time. 

 Tagore book serve to illustrate the ways in which Indian nationalism was both positive and greatly flawed. 

Motherland in The Home and the World

Last week in class Dr. Dasgupta brought up the term “Motherland,” which I thought was very interesting. My understanding of this term is that it actually gives people (men, in general) the “right” to control the woman. The “Motherland” is the country, which is generally controlled and ruled by another source of power. For years the land or country has been controlled and literally penetrated. In many different novels and throughout history land is something that needs to possess. In many different cultures this term allows men to unconsciously control the woman like he would control and conquer a piece of land; which makes The Home and the World a very interesting novel. Not only do you have men and government fighting over the control of “land” as a piece of property, you also have issues of laws concerning women; in particular ones of a widow versus a wife. Nikhil, a powerful Zamindar, who is in control of land treats both his sister and his wife more than just property. The fact that he treats these women more than a piece of property that he owns is an interesting parallel to most per-conceived customs in the culture that this book is placed in. The term that is defined, Motherland” grants men more power over women; this term makes women become a piece of property.

The Panchu Issue

So one of the side issues in The Home and the World was Nikhil's efforts to aid the poor man Panchu. Panchu was a poor merchant who sold foreign goods. he had his goods burned by Swadeshi enthusiasts, and his zamindar (landlord) demanded rent which he could not pay. Panchu was set to recieve an inheritance from his dead uncle that would have helped him pay off his debt, but out of nowhere a (sham?) aunt showed up and tried to claim the inheritance. Since Nikhil is busy with other things, his schoolmaster offers to resolve the issue. The old master stays with Panchu, who is also housing this aunt. The master notes that Panchu treats the aunt badly because he is unsure of her "caste," which I believe means some kind of social status. The master listens to the aunt and becomes friends with her. He begins questioning her about about her legitimacy to claim the inheritance, and out of shame she leaves. The master thinks less of Panchu because of his treatment of the aunt, but he has resolved the issue nonetheless. I feel like there is a deeper, symbolic meaning to this story that I haven't picked up on but I don't know what it is. Any thoughts?

The Home and the World

The Home and the World illustrates perfectly the struggle of the Swadeshi movement in Bangladesh, and the struggle that so many nations see happening where almost all production is done outside of the country.  Its something that has been seen throughout history, and it is something that is seen today in the United States.  Do we take the higher cost of goods to have production be done in the native country?  What happens to the poor when the cost of goods go up and highly valued products are now at costs that are inaccessible to the poor?  Tagore does a great job throughout the book of making this struggle so apparent, and manages to keep entertainment within the struggle through a love story.  The power Sandip has over the people in his radical speeches and actions in the burning of the clothes and goods makes the movement understandable and angry as a reader and wanting to join the cause.  But with Nikhil playing the reasonable land owner who understands that his people cannot afford to be buying goods that are made in the country, a struggle for what is the right thing to do begins.  Soon a war begins on which is the position that the people should be taking.  Tagore makes the struggle more accessible to readings by making the a love triangle central to the story line and playing it parallel to the Swadeshi movement. Nikhil’s wife, Bimila who Nikhil strives to make her a part of society and educate herself through allowing her to leave her compounds and talk with Sandip and understand the things going on.  Bimila takes her opportunity in the completely wrong direction though, falling for the charm and grace of Sandip and ignoring the kindness and level headedness of her husband.  The book brings things to a complete full circle when Bimila realizes her mistakes, but a little bit too late, as her husband is killed trying to keep peace as he had been from the beginning.  The story truly looks at the Swadeshi movement from all angles, and takes you through the process of Tagore’s thoughts and feelings on the movement as each character plays a part of society, swadeshi Sandip, the government Nikhil, and the citizens of the nation, Bimila.  I enjoyed the way that Tagore made the love story run parallel to the struggle the nation was going through, you can understand the charm of Sandip from the speeches he gives and understand how Bimila was so drawn to the cause.

The Home and the World

As I have previously mentioned in class, The Home and the World legitimately pissed me off.  Now, I feel like such a girly girl admitting this, but I actually do enjoy a good romance every now and again, and I don’t even mind the whole love triangle thing every once in a while.  What annoyed the crap out of me in this instance was how stupid Bimila was being.  Now I know I can’t even begin to understand Purdah, or the immense shock of freedom, but my goodness, if this was how every woman acted when they got a chance at a life out of the home, it is no wonder they kept them locked up.  I don’t care how alluring the unknown is, if you are happily married you have no business acting like a slut in your husband’s home, I’m sorry.   I’m sure some of my annoyance was with the way the novel was translated, and I missed some of the nuances of the story I might otherwise have gotten, but still.  In the same way, if educating women turned out so disastrously for Nikhil, it’s no wonder they don’t educate their women.  Also, as far as Sandip goes, he is a vile creature in my opinion.  Whereas Bimila can beg innocence and ignorance for her actions, Sandip knew exactly what he was doing.  They might not have had a bro code in Bangladesh back then, but NOWHERE and in NO time is it socially acceptable to go into your friend’s home and try to steal his wife.  That is downright low anywhere.  I understand that this book had a much deeper meaning than any of what I am saying now, but I have trouble getting past that fact due to how annoyed I was while reading it, to be honest. 

Imaginary Homelands

I know this blog is a bit later than most peoples, but up until now I really hadn’t formulated something I thought was worthy of posting.  Even now I am unsure as to the importance of what I’m about to say.  While reading Imaginary Homelands I was able to tell Rushdie was fluent in English due the fluidity of the piece.  It wasn’t necessarily the most interesting thing to read, but it was easily understandable.  I actually enjoyed reading the part of the essay about creating a hybrid world between the two cultures, and the difficulties of things such as language barriers.  He admits that his past is almost foreign to him, but he admits the necessity of knowing your past and your roots, as well as knowing about other cultures, their customs, and their histories.  As a history major I can easily relate to that sentiment, because the ways of the world and the past interests me greatly.  That is partly why I took this course; I figured it might be more interesting than a generic Lit course that focused on something I already knew.  In fact my biggest struggle so far has been with The Home and the World because of the translation, which was not an issue for this piece. 

Existing vs. Living

The Home and the World was interesting to read and Tagore’s choice to have the three main characters have their own point of view chapters was important to the effect of the book.  Although Bimala is the real protagonist, her ideas and thoughts can only convey so much about the issues in this book.  By allowing the reader to see parts of the story from Nikhil’s point of view, or Sandip’s, each character’s motivations are clearer and the emotional impact of some of their choices is much stronger.  When we see how much Nikhil cares for Bimala, even though he fears he is losing her to Sandip, it makes us appreciate him more as a character and how unique he is.  He treats his wife with respect and tries to help the people of his region be self sufficient and live as well as they can.  He is unlike all other zamindars which is why he and Sandip have such an interesting relationship.  They do not agree with each other about the swadeshi movement yet they never become violent towards each other or shout, as they both respect each other.  Sandip eventually gets caught up in the fervor of the movement and starts to turn greedy and selfish while Nikhil becomes even more selfless, going to help the people of his region and ultimately dying trying to restore order.  Sandip does not look for the long term solutions, he is living for the moment and each day brings a new goal for him.  Bimala has to watch this transformation of Sandip throughout the story and only towards the end does she see how much it has changed him, while her husband has stayed loyal and steadfast in his beliefs.  She realizes that he is the only man she wants in her life but then he is snatched away from her, leaving her a widow to live in regret of what could have been.  Although sad, I think this ending is brilliant as it shows how important is is to live life to the fullest.  Nikhil never stopped trying to improve the lives of his people and he tried and tried to free his wife from her simple existence to be educated.  Bimila unfortunately wasted much of her time simply being, not living like her husband.