Introduction:-
“Gora is more than a mere novel; it is an epic
of India in transition at a crucial period of modern history, when the social
conscience and intellectual awareness of the new intelligentsia were in the
throes of a great churning.” -Krishna Kriplani
‘Gurudev’
Rabindranath Tagore was a man of versatile genius. He was a poet, playwright,
novelist, educator, social reformer, nationalist and composer. He achieved “a
perennial success Bengali as well as in English language.” He became Asia’s
First noble Laureate, when he won the 1913 Noble Prize in literature for his
Gitangali” or “Song Offerings. Two songs from him
are
now the national anthems of Bangladesh and India; the ‘Amar Shonar Bangla’ and
the ‘Jana Gana Mana’ respectively. Out of his twelve novels the famous are the
novels of conflict like ‘Chokher Bali,’ ‘The Wreck’, ‘Gora’, ‘Ghare Baire’ and
‘Farewell, My Friend’. In these works, Rabindranath examined how the spirit of
the age influenced the life of people.
A Pivotal
Character:-
Tagore’s ‘Gora’ is the masterpiece in
the fiction-world. It is a huge novel of epical length. It covers the social,
cultural, and political life of the latter half of the 19th century
Bengal. It also gives us so vividly and logically the conflict between orthodox
Hinduism and Brahmo Samaj. Moreover, it also deals with the deeper question
Brahmoism, Theism and Atheism. In order to project these issues and conflicts,
Tagore has portrayed a galaxy of Characters. They discuss various ideas as
Brahmoism, Hinduism, freedom struggle, marriages and love. Their debate
provides the necessary tension to the novel. Gora, Sucharita, Binoy and Lolita
carry the burden of discussing these issues and problems. And truth emerges
from their fog of misunderstanding. In this respect we can say, Sucharita,
Lolita and Binoy are portrayed to bring to into focus the Hindu-Brahmo
conflict. Like protagonist Gora, Sucharita is a vehicle of carrying the
novelist’s ideas to reader.
Her Birth
and Parentage:-
Paresh Babu was a servant in the
military department. He has a close friend Rama saran, whose wife died leaving
behind a daughter and a son. The daughter is Sucharita and son is Satish. Before
his own death, Ram Saran appointed Paresh Babu as the trustee of his money and
the guarding of the two Children. Paresh Babu had already three daughter,
Labonya, Lolita and Lila. Paresh Babu’s wife Baroda brought up Sucharita. Here
name was changed into Sucharita. In the family, Sucharita got all the action
and care as well as true love.
Her
Personality:-
The hero Gora comes in to contact with
the heroine Sucharita at Paresh Babu’s house. He finds her beautiful and
intellectual. She has a modest shyness. Her brows were pure and stainless like
glimpses of autumn sky, her lips were silent like a tender bud. She had a calm
nature. This Radharani’s name was changed to Sucharita, when she was adopted by
Paresh Babu and becomes a part of the Brahmo Samaj. Gora is fascinated by her
new fashioned sari.
Her
Religious nature and Dislike for Haran:-
Haran or Panu Babu was a regular
visitor to the house of Paresh Babu. Haran was a learned scholar and
intelligent. He was a teacher in a night school, secretary of a girl’s school
and an editor of a newspaper. Mrs. Baroda did into want to marry any of her
daughters to a school master. But Haran was fond of Sucharita. Even Sucharita
also often welcomed his wanly. As Tagore puts their live feeling as into sucharita
mind, the arrival of Haran on the sconce brought a glimmer of hope. Sucharita
had must attraction of Haran a Scholar of English language and literature. Haran wanted to marry her but
she gave no consent for marriage to Haran. She had her own ideas. She disliked
Haran, because he was a supporter and flatterer of British Raj. Sucharita,
therefore felt no attraction for Haran, and replied ‘no’ to his proposal.
Sucharita’s
Love, Like and Sympathy for Gora:-
Sucharita thinks that Gourmohan is the
ideal hero, who is fifed with all types of virtues. When he was in jail the
memory of Sucharita hunted him. He felt that she was the symbol of Indian woman
hood. Yet he had doubt about marriage with Sucharita, because he did not like a
Brahmo girl. When he returned from jail, he was quite change. She developed a
special regard for him. In the last chapter of the novel, Sucharita met Gora a different person.
The secret of his birth was disclosed.
He said to Paresh Babu “No, I am not a Hindu”. Thus when he realized that he was a son of an
Irishman, he found all his previous prejudices against all other caste
vanished, He says to her ,
“Today, I am really an Indian.!. Today every caste
in India is my caste.”
Thus before Sucharita and Paresh Babu he professed
that he is free to marry her. He held out his right hand towards Sucharita who
got up form her chair and put her hand in his hand. Both of them are blessed
for the marriage.
Sucharita;
A Victim of the Hindu-Brahmo Conflict:-
Sucharita, Lolita and Binoy are
portrayed by Tagore to bring into focus the Hindu-Brahmo conflict which forms
the secondary theme of the novel .when she is adopted by Paresh Babu, she
becomes engaged to the Brahmo principle. But because of Haran’s ill-behaviour,
she falls drawn to Gora. Sucharita is compelled by circumstance to leave Paresh
Babu. Thus in the early stage of the novel she was caught in rigid Brahmoism.
She with Gora exposes the false, ridiculous and old religious system of
marriage. Like Gora, she is also enlightened soul.
Sucharita’s
Platonic Love Gets Rewarded- A major Theme:-
The novelist presents love through three
pairs of lovers.
1. Lolita and Binoy
2. Gora and Sucharita, 3. Sasi and Binoy.
The arranged marriage, not based on
freedom of love, fails us in the case of Sasi and Binoy. His love for Lolita
turns into marriage after a long struggles. ON the contrary, the best example
of ideal love and marriage is showed between Gora and Sucharita. Theirs has
been an ideal love. There are no wooing scenes between them. Sucharita thinks Gourmohan
is the idea hero gifted with all types of virtues. Thus their platonic love is pure.
It is not sensual love. Thus theme of love and marriage is woven round
Sucharita’s character.
 |
No comments:
Post a Comment