Rabindranath Tagore

Translator: Ismat Jahan

This is a collection of translations of six short stories of Nobel Laureate Rabindranath Tagore. These six short stories are selected from his book ‘Galpaguchha’. The stories are, 'Alive and Dead' (Jeebita o Mreeta), 'Suva', 'The First Look' (Shuvadrishti), 'Hoimantee', ‘Letter from Your Wife' (Streer Patra) and 'The Anonymous Lady' (Aparichita). I have selected these stories, because first of all I enjoyed reading these stories and secondly all these six stories are concerned about the position of women in the family and in the society at that time, that is, during the late nineteenth century and early twentieth century. 

These stories depict the vulnerability of women, their lack of control over their marriage and life as a whole. Show a glimpse of life of another time and of another culture. The line of thinking may seem much different from today’s life, but in many parts of the world still there are some people who like to suppress the rights of women in the name of religion or culture. So, these stories are still relevant. 

Excerpts from Alive and Dead, Kadambinee cannot tolerate any more, she says sharply, ‘Oh, please, I didn’t die, did not die! How will I make you understand that I didn’t die? Let me show you that I am alive.’

From Hoimantee, ‘My life was so full to the brim on all sides, that I could not notice any gap anywhere. Suddenly, I witnessed a large void of hopelessness so near me! I couldn’t understand how and with what I would fill up this void.’

From Letter from Your Wife, Mreenal, ‘I can never understand the logic behind that it’s okay not to please me, but it’s not okay to make you unhappy.’

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