Assignment paper no - 201
This blog is a part of an Assignment of paper 201 Indian English Literature pre independence.
Name: Devangini Vyas
Batch: 2024-26
Roll no: 3
Email: devangivyas167@gmail.com
Paper: 201- Indian English Literature - Pre independence
Unit- 1- Rabindranath Tagore's The Home and the World
Date of submission: 7 November, 2025
submitted to: SMT.S.B. Gardi Department of English , MKBU
Q- The Gendered Perspective in The Home and the World
Ans:
Introduction: Understanding the Gendered Lens in Tagore’s Novel
Rabindranath Tagore’s novel The Home and the World (1916) is usually discussed in the context of nationalism, the Swadeshi movement, and the conflict between tradition and modernity. However, an equally important dimension of the novel lies in its gendered representation of women, especially the character of Bimala, who becomes the central voice through which questions of identity, agency, desire, and power are explored.
Reading the novel from a gendered perspective helps us understand how Tagore interrogates patriarchal norms, domestic confinement, ideal womanhood, and the risks women face when their subjectivity becomes a political battleground. It also opens up discussions about how nationalism often uses women symbolically, while denying them real autonomy.
The Home as a Gendered Space: Bimala and Patriarchal Idealism
At the beginning of the novel, Bimala represents the ideal ‘Bharatiya Nari’—the devoted wife, modest, dutiful, and restricted to the private sphere.Her world is shaped entirely by her husband Nikhil, who lovingly but firmly believes that a woman’s “true place” is in the home. Even though he is a progressive thinker, he still sees Bimala as someone who needs to be shaped and “educated” into modernity.
Thus, the home becomes a symbol of domestic patriarchy, where the woman is protected, adored, but also contained.
From a gendered viewpoint, Tagore subtly shows how even gentle patriarchy limits a woman’s individuality. Bimala has no identity outside her marriage. She does not participate in public life. Her desires, opinions, and dreams remain unexpressed because society teaches her that her worth lies in her loyalty and silence.
The World as a Masculine Sphere: Politics, Power, and Seduction
When Sandip enters Bimala’s life, he represents the opposite force—the world outside the home:
- public politics
- masculine charisma
- Swadeshi nationalism
- fiery emotional appeal
Sandip’s entry exposes another face of patriarchy—the kind that uses women as instruments.
For him, Bimala is not a human being with emotions and intellect; she becomes a symbol of the “Motherland,” a nationalist emblem to be inspired and used for political goals.This is a crucial point in gender readings of the novel: national movements often use women symbolically, but deny them real agency.Sandip praises Bimala as the “goddess” of Swadeshi, yet he also manipulates her affection to raise money and moral support for his political agenda.
Through this contradiction, Tagore exposes how women can be simultaneously worshipped and exploited in nationalist discourse.
Bimala’s Awakening: Desire, Conflict, and Gendered Identity
Bimala’s emotional transformation forms the core of the gendered analysis.Her attraction to Sandip is not only romantic—it is psychological and symbolic.Sandip awakens in her a desire to step out of the boundaries set by her marital and social roles.
For the first time, she experiences:
- the feeling of being seen
- the thrill of being admired
- a sense of importance beyond domestic duties
This awakening is not merely personal. It reflects how women in colonial India began questioning restrictive norms.
However, Tagore also shows that this journey is filled with conflict. As she tries to balance home and world, loyalty and desire, duty and independence, she becomes a figure trapped between competing male ideologies.
Both Nikhil and Sandip impose their own visions on her, turning Bimala into a site of ideological battle. Her voice struggles to emerge—not because she lacks intelligence, but because patriarchy has never allowed her to develop her own standpoint.
Nikhil and Sandip: Two Forms of Patriarchy
From a gendered viewpoint, both men in the novel represent different kinds of patriarchal control:
1. Nikhil’s Liberal Patriarchy
He believes in freedom and rationality. But he also decides what type of “freedom” is appropriate for Bimala.He educates her, dresses her, and even chooses how she should engage with the world.
This is benevolent but restricting.
2. Sandip’s Authoritarian Patriarchy
Sandip uses passion, nationalism, and emotional power.
He admires Bimala only when she fits his nationalist fantasy.He encourages her to cross boundaries only because it benefits him.
Both men, in different ways, shape Bimala’s life according to their own ideals.
Thus, the “home vs. world” conflict mirrors the “patriarchy vs. patriarchy” conflict, with Bimala caught in between.
The Female Subject Under Pressure: Agency or Illusion?
Bimala’s attempt to exercise agency—stealing money for Sandip, questioning Nikhil, stepping out of the zenana—appears to be a rebellion.But feminist readings often argue that this agency is:
- manipulated
- half-formed
- dependent on male influence
She is never allowed to take a decision purely for herself.Her political awakening is shaped by Sandip.Her moral conscience is shaped by Nikhil.Her self-image is shaped by both.
Thus, Bimala’s struggle shows how women’s selfhood is always in negotiation with the ideologies that surround them.
The Symbolic Use of Women in Nationalism
One of the strongest gendered insights of the novel is Tagore’s critique of how nationalism turns women into metaphors:
Bimala becomes “Mother Bengal” in Sandip’s rhetoric.Her beauty becomes a symbol of the nation.Her devotion represents the ideal patriotic woman.Yet none of these symbolic roles give her real freedom.She is expected to feel deeply, sacrifice willingly, and behave morally, but not to think independently.
This shows a sharp patriarchal double standard:
Women are essential for national identity, but not permitted to shape national politics.
Tagore’s Feminist Vision: A Gentle but Firm Critique
While Tagore does not portray Bimala as fully empowered, he is deeply sympathetic to her position.
His narrative structure—giving voice to Bimala alongside Nikhil and Sandip—is itself a progressive gesture for its time.
He allows the reader to witness:
- her confusion
- her desires
- her guilt
- her search for self
This emotional interiority reveals the inner life of a woman questioning patriarchal norms, even when she cannot escape them fully.
Tagore’s critique of nationalism is also a critique of gender politics. He suggests that a movement which ignores women’s real subjectivity cannot truly claim to be liberatory.
- the fragility of women’s agency in male-dominated spheres
- the symbolic misuse of women in nationalist discourse
- the psychological toll of patriarchal expectations
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