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In what follows, I wish to offer a perspective of looking at Tagore's novel Gora on the basis of Tagore's characterization of the principal women in the novel - Sucharita - the liberated young woman with a strong mind of her own, and equally at ease within and outside 'home' as well as Anandamoyi - or 'mother' of the protagonist (Gora), confined only to home and yet with a liberated outlook ready to break the shackles of dogma. The novel, created and serialized at the turn of 20th century, is regarded as an important milestone in the history of Indian fiction, and there have been numerous attempts to interpret each move Tagore has made here. Gora- Should one view the novel from the viewpoint of Gourmohan, the Irish orphan adopted by a Brahmin family amidst the Sipoy mutiny of 1857? Or should one take it as a saga of a triumph over color and caste prejudices? Yet another alternative is to consider the story in terms of an inter-generational attempt to coming to terms with the forces of Westernization of the educated segment of Indian society. The reader could reap "Gora's" multiple layers of meaning as it focuses on the cultural root of Bengal and Bengalis and the debasement of the society with the onslaught of the western mode of thinking brought about by the British rule. Incidentally, Rabindranath, the author of this 500 odd page novel could have named his work for several reasons - after its central character, Gourmohan also known as Gora by his friends, or called it gora ('white-skinned') after the shade of the central character's body, or called gora which could be translated into "essence and root of a matter." Viewing the novel through these three different pedestals would produce confronting and interesting comparisons about the details of the novel. But the central theme of freedom as well as the yearning for it would not change. In this essay I will provide a study of Tagore's presentation of femininity through the vision of Gourmohan and Binoybhushan.
Throughout human history, the female person has been portrayed as a symbol of fertility (Venus of Willendorf), a Goddess representing the Motherland (Bengal's adoration of Goddess Kali), or even as a class of people who'd best place is in the kitchen and within the home, "ranna gharer pratibha" ('the talent of the kitchen'). In each of these cases the woman is not viewed as an individual, but she is a part of a whole symbolizing one philosophy or the other. Tagore begins his novel with Binoybhushan, a highly educated Bengali young-man who had situated himself within the socio-religious debates on education and national priorities as well as things that were then considered to be matters to be dealt by women, namely the woman's relationship within and outside their gender. Binoy, as he is called subsequently, is seen looking out through his window in a pacific mood. While doing so, he hears a baul singer singing a folk song, "The unknown bird flies in and out of the cage, At that very moment a road accident gives a jump-start to the novel and Binoy faces Sucharita, faces to face, and his world begins to change forever. Binoy, like most Indian male youths, has not interacted with women much, except for those in his family. He has seen women only as a symbol of maternity (Anandamoyi) or a person who spends her entire life serving the men at home. For the first time, he looks at Sucharita's reflection in the mirror, a face "lowered in loving anxiety glowed with a tenderness" which was to Binoy a "newly manifested wonder of nature." (pg. 2) It should be interesting to note that Binoy does not find courage to look at her directly; Instead, he opts to look at her reflection. If the reflection of a woman could redefine nature (considered feminine in its own right), how is she to be viewed when considered as a person? Is she the bird, the baul singer was singing about? "He had never known any woman who was of his own class outside the family circle, and now he was fascinated by the beautiful face he saw reflected in the mirror. His eyes were not adequately trained to examine each line and curve of a countenance..." writes the author to describe his predicament. Tagore introduces Sucharita, a central female character as a symbol of nature, and as the novel progresses, slowly but imperceptibly, he transforms this symbol into a form and a figure, and provides her with a very independent and individual mind. Gora is brought into the book via an argument with Binoy about the latter's accepting to Paresh Babu's invitation. Binoy is genuinely eager to associate himself with Paresh Babu's family to learn more about the family, and acquaint himself with this woman who lit up the whole room like Goddess Saraswati. Gora is a staunch Hindu Brahmin boy who had initially associated himself with the Brahmo-Samaj for a short period of time but now vehemently abhors this new creed of the British bootlicking educated ones reflecting so much like the Christians. He does not approve Binoy's decision to visit this Brahmo neighbor of his. The tall, broad shouldered Brahmin fires arrows at Binoy's "temptation", as he proclaims that it is best to "worship woman" where "they are installed as Mother." Gora's idea of womanhood is extremely stereotypical and is prevalent until this day in India. The Mother is the highest pedestal offered to a woman under such scheme. "The Feminine Individual" is not given the individual status. Gora assumes Binoy's admiration to be a vent for his lust. Gora is brought out to the readers as a voice for the reformist Brahmins rather than that of an enlightened individual. This tragedy of Gora's face is comparable to the fate of Indian women- who could at best be the home maker, or a force like Kali, or Shakti ready to step out of home to destroy all evils, but never as an ordinary woman in the then educated Bengali society. Binoy is a man of the heart but Gourmohan is a man of revivalist Hindu ideology. The fallacy of Gora's ideology is evident when he restricts Binoy from eating food served by Lachmiya, the Christian maid who saved Gora's life when he was suffering from small pox in his boisterous years. Tagore uses food as a weapon, something like a sword used to wield power and control the lives of others. Even though Gora's preaches the ideology of placing women at a Mother's mantle, yet he forgets to pay his respects to a woman, Lachmiya who mothered him along with Anandamoyi. As the narrator notes, "The statement" of a concept "no longer has the same certainty" (pg.18) when applied to a person. Gora is incapable of this theory to practice association, and this impotency is magnified when Gora interacts with the womenfolk of the novel- particularly, when he is shown as abstaining from communication with Sucharita in several encounters that they would have in the novel.
Rabindranath Tagore was not only a prolific artist- philosopher, he was also a stalwart of Indian independence movement. Unlike Mahatma Gandhi, Tagore did not believe in adopting the path of a brahmachari, and this philosophy is reflected in the contrast between the characters of Gora and Binoy. In some ways Gora, the stalwart of Hinduism is fashioned on the lines of Gandhi Ji- a man who through his religious transformation gave women the place of Goddess and did not indulge in sexual relation with his wife after the spiritual transformation of his former self , and chose the path of a monk, while Tagore on the other hand gave women his respect but did not believe in abstaining from loving women or cultivating an intellectual person-to-person relationship with women. Gandhi Ji lived his prophetic life by keeping romance at bay. This move of the Mahatma placed womanhood at a place of religious adoration, whether the women in his life liked it or not. On the other hand the grand old white bearded "sage" was against the deitification of womanhood. In fact, he has said to have had more than one intimate relationships. If Gora was a manipulated figure of a Gandhian philosophy then Binoy was the "polished humane" image of Santiniketan thought. Anandamoyi is one of the leading ladies of Gora. She is the foster mother of Gourmohan, a one time orthodox Brahmin girl who was married to Krishnadayal, one of the many "forward" thinking Bengali youth who catered their intellect and loyalty to the services of the their English masters. Although her transformation into the magnanimous human persona is not dwelt with in much detail in the novel, the change is something modern day feminists would praise. Normally the last name of the Indian woman changes in a marriage, and she is bogged down further in the family matters. She has to satisfy herself with the little men oblige her with. But in Gora Anadamoyi is shown as raising an Irish-British orphan as her own child. Even though she is not his biological mother, she holds herself strong amidst societal pressures and shunning to raise a gora child as a part of her own family . This is one of the first individualistic traits depicted in Anandamoyi. As Binoy discovers very early on in the novel, Anandamoyi is the "face [...] of his (s.i) motherland." (pg.19). He is able to differentiate between Sucharita, a girl he has affection for, and Anandamoyi who is his "Ma" - for both of whom he has respect and admiration. Tagore gives his female characters individual faces, just as the men in his novel have. Interestingly, the number of female to male characters is equal. The men who go through a moral and character change deal with women on an individual basis. The women who are the pillars of the narrative go through drastic transformations, too. In contrast to Anandamoyi, Baradasundari is a Brahmo Samaj woman who is doubtful of everything Hindu. Barada's change is superficial. Tagore introduces the hypocrisy of the modern educated class through the voice of Baradasundari who has a sour taste for idol worship, traditional clothes, religious names and everything is non-Brahmo. The philosophy of Barada's version of Brahmo-samaj philosophy is not in the essence of Raja Ram Mohan Roy's teachings but comes rather the social nuances the Brahmo's had picked up from the British. Tagore delicately balances the growth of womanhood by providing opposing examples, almost like binary opposites - and churning out a victor from them. Tagore methodically plays the tunes of the individuals versus societies in his novel.
In Anadamoyi's conduct throughout the novel, we find her to be a noble hearted woman who did not want to get into verbose argumentation on which was the right path, but one who desired to enhance and enrich our growth as 'human beings', without which religions, societies, customs, ideologies- with all progressive or reactionary ideas - can become a terrible bondage. The freedom that she had accorded to Gora, and the ease with which she was shown to be able to assimilate the others who came in his life-story added to her weakness for the nobility and gentility in Binoy's approach. All her actions bore testimony to this fact. In Tagore's depiction of Anandamoyi's womanhood, there is no disrespect or denial of religion, but a profound and unspoken protest against what people themselves often make out religions to be. The character of Anandamoyi has been shown to be reflected in so many ways in the novel, with liberal and tolerant attitudes of her finding reflections in others who Gora comes to contact with, and from whom he learns a lesson or two in life. It is not only the liberal and humanistic streak in Paresh babu that attracts him and Binoy, where he sees the reflection of the same values that Anandamoyi stood for- the broad humanistic concerns, but even later in the depiction of Gora leaving to be away from his home and see the world little bit, when he came to a predominantly Muslim village, which happened to be the only one of that kind in that area, where he found only one Hindu family, a barber, who also took care of a Muslim boy. This neighborhood is in trouble because it is the only neighborhood that has not submitted to the unjust impositions of the British Sahibs. Although it remains unspoken, Gora finds here in Foru Sardar, the leader of the Muslim village the grit and determination to stand up and refuse to be subjugated. Here, the barber humbly shared with Gora. It was here that Gora realized that liberal humanism was more precious that sectarian beliefs , as we find him reflecting while sympathizing with the victims of injustice: "What kind of monstrous irreligiosity we are upholding in Bharatborsho by turning purity into an external object. My caste would be saved in the home of those who are persecuting Muslims, and it would be lost in the home of that person who is willing to endure hardship, danger and alienation to save a Muslim child!" The event of Ghoshpara sparked a shock to Gora's heart. Only after his encounter with the poor barber family does Gora learn to adopt Binoy's philosophy of applying principles to people- things are not quite the same when lives are involved and not abstract like ideas. His time in the jail cell gives Gora time to reflect on himself and amusingly enough he is plagued by the same romantic disease he had accused Binoy of- love. The events of Nanda's death, the Muslim man and his shopping basket being knocked aside by the Brahmin cab, discrimination at Ghoshpara and the view of rural Bengal brings forth a new face of Bharatborsho- It is no more an idea but a land filled with millions of people. During this trance of Gora he sees Sucharita's tender face in his mind. His puzzlement is not unique, as neither Sucharita understands her affections towards Gora, a man she'd considered to be hard, rugged, loud spoken and outright scary . Tagore imbibes a soft touch to his lead characters and makes them look true to life - more than words would have described them. This is also the same time that Gora has his renewed realization of India. Tagore utilizes the importance of idea of Swami Vivekananda, who highlighted the importance of women as he makes us realize that history of India was incomplete without any understanding of the trials and tribulations of women. Women constituted half of Bharatborsho, that is- India as a nation of people. As seen in the great Indian epic written by Vyasa Muni, the Mahabharata presents much social, religious, political, and philosophical discourses through the dynamics of a few members of a large family- Tagore does the same thing with the people in Gora. Anandamoyi and Sucharita can be compared to Mother Kunti for they share their zeal to bring right deed into the forefront of matters. Just in the way Kunti hides the truth of Karna's birth, so does Anandamoyi hide Gora's lineage from her dear boy. Sucharita is adopted into the Bhattacharya family just as Kunti was taken into King Bhoja's household. Both characters went through a name change- but their inner cores do not change. In the lines of the Mahabharata, Sucharita is shown as an outspoken feminist just as Draupadi was. Although the similarity of feminism exists between the two characters there is an important difference between Draupadi and Sucharita- Draupadi's frustration is sexual , and she is vengeful of the Kauravas. But Sucharita does not have violence in her blood- nor does she have this streak thanks to her training at the care and concern of Paresh Babu. She is a quieter and more humane character than Draupadi. Tagore gives feminism a meaning of his own- he provides his feminists leads to find themselves in the face of society without hurting others. It should be noted that Draupadi's feminism cost the lives of the Kauravas, and many others both royals and paid soldiers of the Kaurava family. Anandamoyi and Sucharita are not causes for mighty disasters as they lack the extreme pride which is often the folly of larger than life characters of epics. Tagore keeps himself from making his feminine players superhuman beings. Sucharita's initial hostility towards Gora is understandable. Moral cleansing is not an objective of Gora rather Tagore takes revered care for the change in novel's people and takes most of his characters through a life journey in which they are able to discover their own personal humanity. Lolita's badly planned girl's school is means for Tagore to prove that haste makes waste. Feminism at an accelerated pace only annoyed the people of the then India. Tagore published Gora in 1924 , although it appears serially even earlier. The story was written contemporary to the times Tagore lived in. Lolita's failure is Tagore's tool to convince the then feminists of Indian society (if only a handful) that the sudden outcry for freedom and dissolution of woman from Hindu society would get them very little - the little Baradasundari got from her Brahmo feminist ideology that let her wear revealing clothes, and converse with men in daylight. Even this "little" freedom would have meant a lot for the womenfolk then, but it was not something for which one had to bring forth a cultural and social revolution. Tagore uses psychological realism to paint a better picture of freedom- a freedom without any chains, just as the bird's independence of the Baul singer's song. Indian novels were often platters of greater than thou eastern philosophy and had little flesh and blood of the characters, but in Gora Tagore successfully webs the life of Feminism in a unique un-adulterated fashion. Despite Lolita's social failure, Tagore benevolently gives Lolita a ticket to maturity in her conversation with Anandamoyi in which she tells Anandamoyi that it is not "necessary for him to give up all that in order to establish mutual relations with another human being." (pg. 366) Binoy's dilemma is clarified with Anandamoyi's help who convinces him that there is no need to change. Thus Binoy grasps the totality of the gnawing Tagorean humanism through the blooming of his relationship with Lolita. Tagore brings his belief in "manushyattva" (humanism) in the forefront when Binoy says, "If affection cannot put up with differences, then why do differences exist anywhere in the world?"(pg.367) Pride is a recurring theme Rabindranath Tagore's writing and life. Tagore has often been denounced for having enjoyed the joys of touring and taking full advantage of a human lifetime and celebrity status. But in many ways he was a young child looking for adventure. For this he often discarded his pride and enjoyed life. His love for women, and a posh living amidst family estate are a few examples of Tagore's carefree manners. Unlike Gandhi, Tagore did not associate personal or national pride with freedom. Even in Gitanjali, we find the poet penning pride to ghostly status, "My song has put off her adornments, She has no pride of dress Tagore is notorious for dealing with the "whole" of a concept rather than the finesses of it. In Gora Tagore successfully blends his wholesome philology of human nature with the details of everyday life. One has to appreciate the liberal face of Hinduism that Anandamoyi stood for- a position to which Gora is finally shown to have reached after traveling a full circle, as it were. It was not a position easily reachable by a woman who was not educated in a western tradition, nor was a Brahmo who would be engaged in this kind of debate at a socio-cultural level. The debasement that corroded the aspect of humanism in the Hindu society of those days is hinted at by Paresh babu in his discussion with Sucharita when he mentions that with the advent of the British legal system bringing in equality among practitioners of all faiths, the Hindu society would collapse with his stratification and inner contradiction. To that observation, Sucharita asks in a very disturbed voice: "Father, is it not the duty of all of us to prevent this? Shall we accentuate the decline of this Hindu society by abandoning it? Is it not the most apt time to hold onto it ardently?" Pareshbabu said in deep affection: "Can we save someone just because we wish so? There is a natural law for survival - anyone who violates that innate law, others abandon him naturally. Hindu society debases and abandons human being. That's why day by day it is becoming increasingly difficult for her to defend herself. She can't hide herself any longer. All the roads in so many directions have opened up around the world. People are traversing from all directions. She can't keep herself isolated by building walls made of scriptures and customs. If the Hindu society does not collect itself together and abates the cancer, the interaction with the people from outside will be a severe blow to her." (pg. 444-445) As against this true depiction of the great fall in the morality and human values among Hindus, Anandamoyi stood out as an exceptional woman who mothered Gora to believe in those values that went against sectarianism.
In conclusion, the novel relates to the odyssey of a young man Gora from the narrowness of the institutionalized religion he believed in to disillusionment and enlightenment as a 'human being', the journey is surely eased by the fact that he had a liberal-minded Hindu surrogate mother in Anandamoyi- much ahead of her time and society in understanding the spirit of humanism in the Hindu way of life, in which there had been a liberal streak always trying to assimilate the other ways of living, thinking and relating. In her conduct throughout the novel, we find her to be a noble hearted woman who did not want to get into verbose argumentation on which was the right path, but one that desired to enhance and enrich our growth as 'human beings', without which religions, societies, customs, ideologies- with all progressive or reactionary ideas - can become a terrible bondage. The freedom that she had accorded to Gora, and the ease with which she was shown to be able to assimilate the others who came in his life-story added to her weakness for the nobility and gentility in Binoy's approach all bore testimony to this fact. In Tagore's depiction of Gora's mother, there is no disrespect or denial of religion, but a profound and unspoken protest against what people themselves often make out religions to be.  |
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