➹Name : kumarkhaniya diya g.
The Antpur House: Represents the traditional, safe, and inward-looking domestic sphere of orthodox gender roles. The Outer Room / Verandah: The threshold where the outside world (politics, men, and modernity) meets the private domain. Bimala’s Jewels and Wealth: Represents Bimala's identity, which is manipulated and sacrificed for nationalist fundraising by Sandip. The Fire: Symbolizes both the destructive, consuming zeal of the Swadeshi movement and the purifying truth that emerges after the chaos.
➢Conclusion:
The novel concludes in tragedy with communal riots and economic ruin. Bimala realizes Sandip is selfish and deceitful. Nikhil rides out to quell the violence, leaving his fate uncertain. Tagore shows that true freedom cannot be built on lies, hate, or the oppression of others.
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➹M. A English Sem : 3
➹Paper :(201)Paper 201: Indian English Literature – Pre-Independence
➹Topic : Rabindranath Tagore’s The Home and the World (Tr. Surendranath Tagore 1921)
➢ Introduction :-
The novel "The Home and the World" is written by a famous personality Rabindranath
Tagore.It was initially written and published in Bengali in 1916 and later translated into
English by Surendra Nath Tagore. The Bengali title of the novel is "Ghare Baire." This social
and political novel is based on the different cultures of the society. The novel's central theme
is love, the tradition of society, and nationalism. The novel is about the Swadeshi movement
in Bengal, the partition of Bengal, east Bengal, and West Bengal in 1905. The Swadeshi
movement was one of the large protests and movements of that time when British Colonial
Rule controlled India. It played a significant role in the independence of India. The novel
talks about the conflict between tradition and modernity and contains a detailed discussion of the love triangle between the characters present in the novel. Tagore discussed the
tradition's personal and political aspects and offered a deep study of human emotions and
the stress when a tradition experiences a sudden change in its legacy.The story revolves around three main characters. Nikhil a progressive zamindar (landlord) who supports and follows Western ideals and encourages his wife, Bimala, to embrace her independence and mental growth. Bimala, a young and sheltered woman, finds herself ragged between her loyalty to her husband and her growing fascination with Sandeep, a charming and brave nationalist leader who fights for a radical and militant approach to the freedom movement. The psychological pain that Bimala goes through as she negotiates the complications of love, duty, and self-discovery is expertly portrayed by Tagore. The story
explores issues of identity, gender roles, and the effects of personal decisions during political instability from her point of view. The characters must deal with their views and
disagreements as the tale develops, which has dramatic and unexpected results. The Home
and the World explores competing ideologies and the intensely human conflicts that result
from societal change.
➢Brief Biography of Rabindranath Tagore:-
Rabindranath Tagore is one of the most significant figures in Bengali literature and was known not just as a poet and novelist but also as a composer, a painter, a social reformer, and a linguist. Born as the youngest of 13 surviving children, he came from a wealthy Bengali Brahmin family (a high caste of Hindus) that played a large role in what would eventually become known as the Bengal Renaissance. Tagore began publishing his first serious poems at 16 and is perhaps best remembered worldwide as a poet. He received the Nobel Prize in 1913 for his poetry collection Gitanjali (“song offering”), which he published in Bengali in 1910, then in his own English translation in 1912. His novels Gora and The Home and the World are also some of his best-known works, both published in the 1910s and exploring issues of Indian and Bengali identity during the period of British rule. In the following years, Tagore traveled widely and was known as a public intellectual, all while writing prolifically. He was chronically ill for the last few years of his life but continued to write, dying in 1941.
➢Key Facts about The Home and the World :-
Full Title: The Home and the World (Ghare Baire)
When Written: 1910s
Where Written: Calcutta, British India
When Published: 1916 (English translation 1919)
Literary Period: Realism, Late Bengal Renaissance
Genre: Political Novel
Setting: Early 20th-century Bengal
Climax: Nikhil and Amulya are shot.
Antagonist: Sandip
Point of View: First Person
➢The Home and the World Summary :-
Bimala is a woman from a humble background who initially resents how she has inherited her mother’s dark skin. When a reading by an astrologer suggests that Bimala would be a good wife for the Maharaja Nikhil, Bimala comes to see herself as fortunate and vows to make the most of the opportunity, acting as a loyal wife to him. After some time, however, Nikhil begins to feel uncomfortable with the intensity of Bimala’s attention, and he begins encouraging her to come out of her part of the household, the zenana, and engage with the wider world. Bimala is surprised at first and resists his suggestions, embracing more traditional ideas about how a woman should serve her husband.
Things change at Nikhil’s estate when his old friend Sandip comes for what was initially supposed to be a short visit. Sandip is an ardent and charismatic speaker for the cause of nationalism and Indian independence, with his followers often using the nationalistic slogan Bande Mataram. Sandip accuses Nikhil of not adhering enough to the self-sufficiency principles of Swadeshi. Nikhil supports the Swadeshi movement in theory, but he does not believe in using tyrannical measures to carry it out, and Nikhil’s opposition to radical measures is the source of many of the philosophical disagreements between him and Sandip.
Bimala soon becomes obsessed with Sandip, and although she claims that it is only because of her interest in the causes he champions, the two of them push the boundaries of what is socially acceptable, often spending time alone in rooms together. The Bara Rani, Bimala’s sister-in-law and the wife of Nikhil’s deceased brother, sets out to try to expose Bimala and catch her in the act of doing something wrong.
Nikhil knows that Bimala has abandoned him when he sees the photograph of him that she keeps in a niche in her room. Normally, she honors the photograph with flowers, but now there are only dead flowers by the photograph that she hasn’t even bothered to get rid of. Surprisingly, the knowledge that Bimala has abandoned him actually gives Nikhil a new sense of freedom, and he tries to act graciously toward her.
Meanwhile, Sandip begins to demand that Bimala give him money in order to fund the work that he is doing. In reality, some of the money Sandip needs is to pay for a bribe to the police, after Sandip was caught in the act of orchestrating a rival’s boat to be sunk. Bimala steals the key to Nikhil’s safe and takes out 6,000 rupees, which is enough to placate Nikhil at first. But the act of stealing the money causes Bimala to reevaluate her relationship with Sandip, seeing how she may have been corrupted by him.
With the help of Sandip’s young disciple Amulya, Bimala tries to get money to replace the 6,000 rupees she stole. She has Amulya go to sell some of her jewelry, but Amulya is intercepted by Sandip and has to hand over the jewels. Instead, Amulya gets 6,000 rupees by robbing a sub-treasury of Nikhil’s. The concern that Bimala feels for Amulya’s safety after sending him out further helps her realize Sandip’s greed, and working with Bimala helps Amulya himself to see Sandip’s dark side.
Eventually, news comes of inter-religious violence in the area, with Muslims raiding and looting Hindus. Sandip is reluctant to heed the warnings at first but eventually flees on a train. Nikhil plans to relocate to Calcutta and manages to convince Bimala and the Bara Rani to come with him. Before leaving, however, he hears that violence has come to the neighboring zamindar of Harish Kundu.
Taking Amulya as support, Nikhil goes over to the neighboring zamindar to try to make peace with the Muslims. Bimala awaits news, and eventually she hears a doctor returning with a palanquin and a litter. Nikhil was unsuccessful—he has been shot in the head and gravely wounded, while Amulya is dead of a bullet through the her.
➢ Analysis:-
On the Indian subcontinent at this time, many considered light skin a sign of beauty, while dark skin could make someone a target for discrimination. The issue remains controversial to this day, though it has also faced challenges. Bimala’s story is one example of how the novel questions traditional ideas of beauty and how it relates to marriage compatibility. This passage hints at not just a large class difference between Bimala and her new husband but also a clash between tradition and modernity, as Nikhil’s college degree shows him beginning to engage with a wider world.
➢The Home and the World Themes:-
Nationalism, India, and Bengal :
Rabindranath Tagore’s The Home and the World is a novel about a turbulent time in the history of the Bengal region (which today is Bangladesh and part of India, mainly the state of West Bengal) when it was under British rule. Nikhil at one point references the partition of Bengal into two parts, one largely Hindu and the other Muslim—a controversial partition that helped spark a larger movement across India to seek independence from Britain In theory, both the Maharaja Nikhil and the revolutionary speaker Sandip are on the same side in opposing Britain, but in practice, the two men have very different ideas about nationalism and Bengal’s future, and the novel uses their quarrels to represent larger debates going on at the time.
Both Nikhil and Sandip believe in Swadeshi, the idea of Bengal becoming self-sufficient by producing its own goods and reducing reliance on European imports. But while Nikhil practices Swadeshi in modest ways, like buying out-of-fashion Indian furniture, Sandip prefers grand gestures, like burning foreign goods in the market (although he is, in fact, a hypocrite who keeps foreign medicine on his shelves). Sandip and his followers accuse Nikhil of being too lenient, allowing others to sell foreign goods so as not to take away their source of income. Where Nikhil and Sandip differ is on Bande Mataram, a slogan from a protest song that became associated with the Indian independence movement. In their own way, Nikhil and Sandip are both interested in India as a country, but once again, Sandip takes a much harder line, with Nikhil accusing Sandip of treating his country like a god. By contrast, while Nikhil himself believes in pan-Indian unity, he does not disdain other countries to the extent Sandip does, believing that Sandip’s version of nationalism leads to hatred. The conflict between Nikhil and Sandip represents two different philosophies within the Indian independence movement, with the zealous but hypocritical Sandip representing the dangers of radical nationalism and Nikhil using more flexible tactics to strive for a more inclusive future—an approach that the novel subtly champions.
Modernity vs. Tradition :
One of the main relationships in Tagore’s The Home and the World is the marriage between Nikhil and his wife, Bimala. From the start of their marriage, they combine modernism and tradition. Nikhil breaks the longtime tradition in his family of marrying conventionally beautiful women and instead relies on the longstanding practice of astronomy to choose an auspicious wife. For the first few years of their marriage, Bimala proves to be a very loyal and traditional wife, living in a separate zenana as per custom and laying flowers before a photograph of her husband in near-religious devotion. But as more time passes, with Bengal itself becoming more modern, Nikhil decides that he wants his relationship with Bimala to be more modern and for her to engage more with the outside world.
Nikhil tries to get Bimala to come out of her zenana more often, and she resists him at first. He wants her to come with him to Calcutta, where they will be more connected to the world than in their isolated estate, but Bimala hesitates before ultimately agreeing. Bimala struggles to enjoy the new freedoms that Nikhil wants to give her because they confuse her, and she just wants to do things the old way. Bimala grows apart from her husband for much of the novel, falling under the spell of the revolutionary Sandip and worshipping him in the way that Nikhil refuses to be worshipped. But by the end, after discovering Sandip is a fraud, Bimala comes to realize how she appreciates this new freedom to be part of the wider world. In turn, Nikhil starts to understand some of the ways he was too controlling of Bimala without realizing it, being too eager to make her fit his version of an ideal wife. The relationship between Nikhil and Bimala thus represents larger trends at this time in Bengal surrounding gender roles and marriage, and it also ties back to Nikhil’s beliefs that a modern India must engage with the wider world instead of fully retreating inward. In The Home and the World, then, Tagore explores how the home relates to the wider world, as the increasingly modern nature of Nikhil and Bimala’s relationship comes to represent changes to old traditions happening throughout the Bengal region and the Indian subcontinent at large.
Truth, Deceit, and Delusion :
In Tagore’s The Home and the World, the character of Sandip is a persuasive speaker but not always a truthful one. In fact, Sandip often looks down on the very idea that there is objective truth in the world. Although he paints himself as someone earnestly invested in the nationalist cause who will shout “Bande Mataram,” he often seems to be more interested in enriching himself, preying on the delusions of those around him to prop himself up. One of his most important allies becomes Bimala. Sandip praises her heavily, telling her that he sees Shakti in her and that she is his “Queen Bee” who is vital to keeping his whole operation running. Sandip is so persuasive that he even manages to convince Bimala to steal 6,000 rupees from her own husband. The young Amulya similarly falls under Sandip’s spell and does his bidding, showing that Bimala is not the only one entranced by Sandip’s promises of a better future.
In contrast to Sandip, Nikhil is a strong believer in the idea that the truth exists and that it’s usually best to bring it to light. When Bimala steals the money from Nikhil, she begins to feel guilty, even though Nikhil doesn’t say a word to her on the issue. Bimala begins to realize that she is doing something wrong, no matter how much Sandip’s tricky and flattering words have filled her with delusion. In turn, Bimala’s turn against Sandip helps Amulya also realize that Sandip is selfish, more focused on money than the Cause. Sandip finds that his lies and attempts to delude people have lost their power, and he ultimately has a crisis of conscience as he realizes that he can’t justify taking the 6,000 rupees from Nikhil—a crisis of conscience that leads him to return the money. In The Home and the World, then, Tagore depicts how lies and delusions can be seductive, giving new purpose to people’s lives even if they are empty. Furthermore, the novel implies that such lies are usually discovered and that truth wins out in the end.
Religion and Division :
A historical conflict in Bengal between Hindu and Muslim residents lurks in the background of Tagore’s novel The Home and the World. At the time in which the novel takes place, this conflict was exacerbated by a recent British partition to separate people of the two religions. While these religious conflicts may seem unrelated at first to the main characters of the novel, they become particularly crucial at the end, when Nikhil is gravely injured and Amulya is killed in an outbreak of violence fueled by religious convictions. The irony is that up until this point, Nikhil has been the character in the novel most openly accepting of Muslims in his community, believing that any future unified India will need to include Muslims as equal to Hindus. This view doesn’t align with the views of his rival Sandip, who—despite his claims about wanting to be inclusive of Muslims—actually wants to relegate Muslim people to inferior roles in society.
The fact that Nikhil dies while trying to make peace with Muslims is not necessarily a condemnation of Islam itself but instead an example of how the violence that arises from religious conflict is senseless. The fact that Sandip flees the conflict to save himself and manages to survive further demonstrates the novel’s cynicism on the matter, since Sandip’s actions and speeches helped spread division—and yet, he doesn’t face the consequences of this divisive behavior. Ultimately, this religious conflict shows the grim success of Britain’s 1905 partition of Bengal, which many, including Tagore, believed was a tactic to divide the residents of the Bengal region to make them easier to rule. In The Home and the World, the shocking religious violence at the end of the novel highlights the divisions within Bengal, which leads to the innocent getting hurt and which ultimately made it harder for people to unite against British rule.
Tradition vs modernism :
As the title suggests, a major theme is the relationship of the home with the outside world.
Nikhil enjoys the modern, western goods and clothing and lavishes Bimala with them.
However, Bimala, in the Hindu tradition, never goes outside of the house complex. Her world
is a clash of western and traditional Indian life. She enjoys the modern things that Nikhil
brings to her, but when Sandip comes and speaks of nationalism with such fire, she sees
these things as a threat to her way of life. Bimala's struggle is with identity. She is part of the country, but only knows the home and her home is a mix of cultures. She is torn between
supporting the ideal of a country that she knows she should love, or working toward ensuring that her home, her whole world, is free from strife and supporting her husband like a
traditional Indian woman should. Bimala is forced to try to understand how her traditional life can mix with a modern world and not be undermined. This theme ties in with the nationalism theme because it is another way that Tagore is warning against the possibility that nationalism can do more harm than good.
Illusions :
The constant forming of illusions in the novel grows to be a major recurring theme. Sandip
tends to create illusions that almost always have negative effects on his followers and on the
nation of Bengal. He builds an illusion of his beliefs that sucks the people of Bengal into a
sort of cult. His illusion is complete sovereignty, free of all other worlds, and an endless
supply of wealth and self enjoyment.
This illusion, as many are, is a fake and a lie. It ultimately sells these people a front row
ticket to watch their nation fall into complete chaos and civil war between people with
different beliefs. He constructs an illusion for Bimala to believe, saying she is the future,
women are the future, they are the chosen path to salvation. Bimala builds an illusion that
she is to blame for this war, it is solely her doing.
That she has done all wrong and no right. She refuses to accept that she too was a victim of
"Bande Mataram". "I now fear nothing-neither myself, nor anybody else. I have passed
through fire. What was inflammable has been burnt to ashes; what is left is deathless. I have
dedicated myself to the feet of him, who has received all my sin into the depths of his own
pain." The biggest of all is Sandip's mask of caring and passion, while he hides his own
selfishness and desire for the world
Truth :
In more than one way, this novel is a comparison of different views of truth. Which reality is
truer is up to the reader's interpretation. Nikhil maintains an idealistic
view of the world while Sandip takes a radical, nature-worshiping view. He feels Nikhil's view
of the world is inferior to the real, raw world in which he lives as a radical leader. Bimala as
well must compare truths. Through her interactions with Sandip, she is introduced to the
truth of "shakti" (female power), yet her life with Nikhil is centred on the truth of conjugality.
Each of these instances is a comparison of truth as being something simply objective to
being something with a more spiritual or moral dimension. While the story ends in tragedy,
both views of truth are important players in the story's outcome, and it is left to the reader to
ponder with which he or she agrees or disagrees.
Love and union :
From the first page of the novel, the love and union between Nikhil and Bimala is illustrated
as something sacred. Nikhil proved throughout the story that he was undeniably devoted to
his wife. He proved this first by marrying a woman who hailed from a poor family, along with
accepting her darker skin.
He made great effort to not only educate her,but also for her to understand her place in the
world and not just her place in the captivity of their house. He shows his love by giving her
freedom. Bimala also adores her husband, but in a less material manner. This is
demonstrated in Bimala's daily ritual of "taking the dust", an Indian ritual of reverence not
usually performed by a wife to her husband.
Due to Bimala's extreme devotion to Nikhil, in the beginning of the novel, the union between
the two of them is seen as one that cannot be broken. However, as, the story progresses,
Bimala is slowly overcome by her feelings for Sandip. She eventually realises that she has
found in Sandip what she longed for in Nikhil, fierce ambition and even violent defence of
one's ideals. Her deep desire for Sandip led her to completely break her sacred union with
Nikhil, going as far as to steal money from her household funds. Sandip shows his love for
Bimala through idolisation. This idolisation comes about due to her freedom, though.
The tale clearly presents the theme of love and union time and time again, going from Nikhil
and Bimala's marriage, through the love triangle created by Sandip, and once again
returning to Bimala's love for Nikhil at the very end. This story tests the boundaries of the
union of marriage. It stretches and twists it to the point where a 9-year marriage is nearly
destroyed simply because of a raw temptation. In addition to the idea of romantic love, there
is a sense of love of one's own country depicted throughout the novel. Questions such as, is
it best to love one's country through action, perhaps even violence, or by passive tolerance,
are posed in the arguments of Nikhil and Sandip. While love and worship seem parallel in
marriage, Nikhil believes these feelings cannot apply to one's country. "To worship my
country as a god is to bring a curse upon it".
The role of women :
Throughout the novel, as stated earlier, a strong sense of devotion is seen in the relationship
between Bimala and Nikhil. It is key to notice that an indirect evaluation of the role of women
is seen in this novel also, in a very subtle manner. In the society described, Bimala, like most women, blindly worships her husband. This can be seen when Bimala is described, "taking
the dust of my husband's feet without waking him". When she is caught doing this act of
reverence, her reaction is, "That had nothing to do with merit. It was a woman's heart, which
must worship in order to love." . This scene shows the average woman in this society who
believes love will happen and worship is a given in a marriage. She blindly respects her
husband without understanding or having a grasp of who he is.Another one of the many scenes that alludes to a woman's place in this society is when Nikhil and Sandip argue and Bimala is asked her opinion, which she finds unusual, in addition to "Never before had I [Bimala] had an opportunity of being present at a discussion between my husband and his men friends". This line shows how there is a strong disconnect and there is no place, usually, for a woman in real world conversations. To further prove this,in Nikhil's story, the role of a woman is seen clearly, "Up till now Bimala was my home-made Bimala, the product of the confined space and the daily routine of small duties" . These indirect references and descriptions are quite frequent throughout the novel and clearly allows the reader to get a sense of what women were subject to and their overall role in the society.
➢Character Analysis:-
Bimala :
Bimala is a woman from a modest background who ends up marrying the Maharaja Nikhil due to an auspicious astrology reading. Although she doesn’t consider herself traditionally beautiful due to her dark skin that reminds her of her mother, she initially proves a loyal wife to Nikhil, keeping a photograph of him that she lays flowers by in tribute. She is confused when Nikhil begins to encourage her to try to become less traditionally domestic and engage with the wider world. Ultimately, what causes Bimala to become less traditional is not Nikhil but the charismatic nationalist Sandip. Sandip helps Bimala see herself in a new light, praising her Shakti and telling her that she is his Queen Bee, vital to the Cause. It’s only after Sandip convinces Bimala to steal 6,000 rupees from her husband that she comes to realize that Sandip is only flattering her to get his own way. Bimala comes to realize Nikhil’s worth as a husband once again by the end of the story.
Nikhil :
Nikhil is a wealthy Maharaja who oversees many tenants on a large estate and who eventually marries Bimala based on an astrologer’s advice. His elder brother died of alcoholism, but his sister-in-law, the Bara Rani, still lives in his household. Nikhil believes in Swadeshi and tries to buy locally-made goods, but he often clashes with Sandip, an old friend of his who stays with him and who is a more vocal proponent of nationalism. While not a radical, Nikhil does question old traditions, wanting Bimala to become more involved with the outside world. But when Bimala falls under the spell of the charismatic Sandip, Nikhil realizes that he may have lost Bimala for good. He tries to accept the loss with patience, as he often does when experiencing misfortunes. Ultimately, Nikhil’s peaceful life comes to a tragic end as he is gravely wounded while trying to calm a Muslim riot against Hindus.
Sandip babu :
Sandip is a friend of Nikhil’s who turns life in Nikhil’s estate upside down when Sandip starts preaching a radical version of nationalism, emphasizing things like Swadeshi and Bande Mataram. As it turns out, Sandip seems to be more interested in building a following for himself and in amassing money than he is in political causes. He manages to win over people like Bimala and Amulya, only for them to break with Sandip in the end after they see how greedy he is. Sandip ultimately has to flee town after he makes enemies among local Muslims, and it is Nikhil and Amulya who suffer for his wrongs as they try to stop the violence.
Amulya :
Amulya is a young man who becomes one of Sandip’s most dedicated disciples . He is willing to do anything for Sandip, including stealing money. Bimala gets Amulya involved in her plan to obtain money for Sandip, but after sending Amulya off, she fears for his life. Ultimately, both Bimala and Amulya come to break with Sandip as they see the true nature of his greed. Amulya dies while trying to stop Muslim violence with Nikhil.
Bara Rani :
The Bara Rani (a title that essentially means “older wife in a noble family”) is the sister-in-law of Nikhil and later Bimala. She was married to Nikhil’s elder brother, who died of alcoholism, and she remains in Nikhil’s household after her husband’s death. The Bara Rani takes a dislike to Bimala at first, trying to catch her in the act of doing something wrong. But although the Bara Rani is prideful, she admits at the end of the novel that she considers Nikhil family and that she plans to move with him to Calcutta.
Chandranath Babu :
Chandranath was Nikhil’s master who helped teach him much of what he knows. He comes to stay with Nikhil while Sandip is also staying with him. Chandranath generally agrees with Nikhil in being pro-independence but skeptical of nationalism. He is perhaps more of a realist than Nikhil who better sees the potential dangers in Bengal’s future.
Mirjan:
Mirjan is a boatman who carries foreign items in his boat. Sandeep denied him
doing so, but he disagreed and continued his work. Because he is a poor man and cannot
quit his job. Later Sandeep sinks his boat in the water with the help of Amulya.
➢Minor Characters:
Panchu :
Panchu is a tenant of the zamindar neighboring Nikhil, run by Harish Kundu. He is poor, and when Nikhil tries to help him, a woman poses as Panchu’s aunt to try to extort money from Nikhil.
Khema :
Khema is a servant of the Bara Rani. At the Bara Rani’s request, she starts a fight with fellow servant Thako, with the Bara Rani hoping that this disturbance will catch Bimala in the act of doing something illicit with Sandip.
Harish Kundu :
Harish Kundu oversees the zamindar next to Nikhil’s. He shows little mercy to Panchu and is not able to quell tensions between Muslims and Hindus.
Mirjan :
Mirjan is a boatman who refuses to go along with Sandip’s commands and gets his boat sunk as a result. A police investigation around the boat becomes a problem for Sandip.
Kasim :
Kasim is a guard who failed while protecting Nikhil’s treasury. He greatly exaggerates how many men attacked him.
Thako :
Thako is a servant of Bimala’s who nearly quits after being insulted by Khema, servant of the Bara Rani.
Miss Gilby :
Miss Gilby is a European woman who teaches Bimala. She decides to quit after Swadeshi makes her presence in Nikhil’s household more controversial.
Nanku :
Nanku is a man who guards Bimala’s room at the Bara Rani’s request.
➢The Home and the World Symbols:-
Photograph :
The photograph that Bimala keeps of her husband Nikhil symbolizes Bimala’s journey toward becoming a more modern woman, which mirrors the changes in British India as a whole. Initially, Bimala treats the photo of Nikhil like an object of religious devotion, keeping it in a special niche and laying flowers on it regularly. Because Nikhil himself is embarrassed by Bimala’s worship, Bimala instead uses the photograph as an outlet for her devotion. The photograph shows how in pre-modern times, women were subservient to husbands, having to treat them almost like gods, and Bimala’s devotion to the photograph shows how she continues to hold onto these views even after Nikhil tries to convince her to engage more with the wider world.
As it turns out, what gets Bimala to stop praising the photograph is not Nikhil but Sandip, a charismatic man who stays with Nikhil and preaches nationalism. Bimala seems to be infatuated with Sandip, not just as a thinker but as a person, perhaps in part because he is eager to praise her. She eventually keeps a secret portrait of Sandip, representing how she has secretly begun to worship Sandip as much as she once did her husband. Nikhil himself notices this change when he happens to walk into Bimala’s room and sees the dead flowers by his photograph. This helps him accept that he has lost Bimala, at least for the moment, to Sandip, although Bimala will eventually come to realize that Sandip is not the virtuous, godlike being he seems to be in his portrait. The photograph of Nikhil thus represents the central role that husbands used to play in traditional Bengali households as well as Bimala’s changing relationship to the modern world and what it means to be a wife.
6,000 Rupees :
The 6,000 rupees symbolize Sandip’s corruption of Bimala as well as the fact that nationalism like Sandip’s is often a cover for greed. Sandip asks for money from Bimala, supposedly to help support his work, and this leads to her personally taking 6,000 rupees from Nikhil’s safe. When Bimala initially takes the money from Nikhil, it shows that she is finally turning against Nikhil and betraying his trust, a sharp turn from the reverence she used to show him and his photograph. The amount would be large to some but is comparatively insignificant to someone as wealthy as Nikhil, who can stand the loss. Nevertheless, just the act of taking this money from Nikhil helps Bimala to realize how Sandip is using her and that he is not as selfless and as motivated by love of his country as he claims to be.
Bimala initially tries to pay back the money by getting 6,000 rupees from another source, without telling Sandip about her plan. She ends up getting one of Sandip’s disciples, Amulya, to try to sell some of her jewels. Almost immediately after sending Amulya off, Bimala begins to fear for his safety. Ultimately, Amulya isn’t able to sell the jewels but manages to steal the money from a sub-treasury of Nikhil’s, invalidating the whole reason Bimala wanted the money in the first place. Bimala learns the dangers of greed and dishonesty from this experience, and Amulya also comes to see how Sandip isn’t the man he used to idolize. Even Sandip himself eventually returns 6,000 pounds for Bimala to give back to Nikhil, in what seems to be a rare moment of regret for him. The 6,000 rupees illustrate the corrupting influence that greed can have on people but also act as the means by which Bimala and Amulya ultimately attempt to change.
