First, it's important to note that the word "gora" means "fair-skinned." That being said, the story is set within the Indian society of the Bengali at a time when there was a great dichotomy within. It was basically the orthodox Hindus vs. the progressive Brahmos. Therefore, through the book, Tagore raises all of the pertinent concerns of the society spoken through one or more of his characters. There are so many stories tied within the main plot, it is easy to get lost in the tangents.
Still, Gora is the main character, the protagonist. Gora is one of the Hindus and has a very high regard for his religion. Gora has many leadership qualities and tends to be seen as fairly arrogant (and even violent) as a result. However, Gora is always positive and dreams continually of an India free of deceit and injustice. He develops feelings of love towards Sucharita (one of the heroines, a free-thinking woman) and is upset when his friend Binoy is inclined towards Brahmos instead of Hinduism. Binoy and Lolita are another love story within the novel. Through these experiences and adventures, Gora learns hatred for the caste system and respect for his own mother. Gora also learns to trust Poresh Babu and his grand maturity.
Thus, Tagore implies that women should be treated as equals and that orthodoxy in religion can still be followed in the meantime. What I find interesting is that, within the confines of his novel, Tagore is able to blend the orthodox with the progressive in a non-offensive way. Tagore is certainly an Indian sage of his time.
No comments:
Post a Comment