The Home and the World

The Home and the World has been variously praised and criticized for reasons having little to do with its literary merit. To my mind, the praise comes largely from reviewers' admiration for the author and the totality of his life and works, rather than this particular work. The criticism comes largely from reviewers' disagreement with his political views, or what they think were his political views. It is, of course, always hard to judge the literary value of a work in translation. Many subtleties of language and reference are necessarily lost. Some reviewers have found the language ponderous. I did not. This is a short book and very readable. I would consider this book as a good introduction to Tagore's thought and style. Some have said that the main character Nikhil is too good to be believable. I think it is true that Nikhil represents a philosophy of life more than a real flesh-and-blood person. However, a main point of the book is that Nikhil's "goodness" also appears to be weakness. Certainly his wife, Bimala, reacts that way to him at certain points. If Tagore wants to explore the relation between goodness and weakness, then creating a character such as Nikhil seems entirely appropriate, even if it makes the book more a novel of ideas than a novel about real people. There is room in this world for many types of novels. There is no doubt that Tagore's life work as a whole is monumental. His religious poem, Gitanjali, is more widely recognized than this novel as an expression of his views and writing skill. But poetry is even harder to translate than prose and probably not as accessible to the average reader. Regarding Tagore's political views, some critics felt that The Home and the World pandered to the British because he did not show support for all elements of the anti-British Swadeshi movement. Tagore was definitely not pro-British. But neither did he support intimidation or terrorism against fellow-Indians as means of fighting British dominance in India. Tagore had a long and public debate with his friend Gandhi regarding India's future. This correspondence is available in book form (The Mahatma and the Poet: Letters and Debates between Gandhi and Tagore 1915-1941). Those who would judge a person for his political views should learn them first-hand and not just through the opinions of others.

A prolific Bengalese writer, Tagore structured this novel such that three main characters represent the turbulence of the Partition that was yet to come to India in 1947. Nikhil is married to Bimala, living in the traditional domestic manner; for herself, Bimala has no expectation of her life ever deviating from her wifely path. The concept of "Swadeshi", a renewed appreciation of everything Indian, and a denial of everything British, particularly British imported goods and grains, rages throughout the country. The egocentric Sandip, a guest in Nikhil's home, is a fierce proponent of Swadeshi. Sandip finds himself passionately attracted to Bimala; he idealizes her as the epitome of "Mother" India, and pursues Bimala without reservation. Flattered by Sandip's attention, Bimala begins to question the nature of her marriage, and the three embark upon an emotional journey that will forever alter their lives, just as India begins a lengthy period of upheaval and unrest. Of the three, Sandip is transparently shallow, while Nikhil thoughtfully considers every aspect before embarking on a course of action. Both men indulge in lengthy discourses, but the introduction by Anita Desai does much to frame this novel in the appropriate perspective. The allegorical nature of this tale is evident as the characters plunge headlong into the future. (pp)Luan Gaines/2005.

This book is largely a parable about the conflicts in Bengal in the early twentieth century. Tagore uses a triangle of husband and wife and outside suitor. Bimala, the wife is a sort of central figure as the novel largely revolves around her conflicting feelings towards both her husband Nikhil and Sandip. She feels excited by Sandip's passion but also has a bond with her husband. Nikhil is the reserved and dignified religious man who is not swayed by the mob mentality that was sweeping through the Bengal state. Sandip is the passionate, xenophobic leader pushing for the immediate gain. The narrative is written threefold. All three characters take turns telling the story from their own point of view. This is an interesting effect that adds dimension to the tale. Tagore obviously feels empathy towards Nikhil but he refrains from being too judgmental toward Sandip. Bimala becomes the most sympathetic character simply because she faces the most ambivalence in the book. There are many blatant political overtures in this book but I find that it works well as human drama as well. You needn't be knowledgeable about the conflicts in India to appreciate the moral dilemmas presented in this tale. Reading this book made it easy to understand why Tagore was awarded a Nobel Prize.

This book is terrific. Although written with the idea of a parallel to the problems of Bengal and her people at the time of Swadeshi, in my opinion this book is a masterpiece in the depiction of human nature and its contradictions; as depicted in the characters of Bimala, Nikhil and Sandip. The push and pull between a sense of righteousness and the equally compelling force of passion is brilliantly portrayed. It will endure as a classic for a long time to come.

Tagore is Bengali, and apparently, the Bengali style is a higly rhetorical, ornate one. Therefore, the dialogue can come off sounding stiff and unnatural, and requires some getting used to. Beyond the artifice of the language, however, the characterizations are the real strength of this book. The internal struggle of Bimala, between her noble husband, Nikhil, and the charismatic Sandip, is a beautiful parallel to the struggle the Indian people themselves have experienced, between righteous but non-violent indignation, and the frustration of an occupied land, feeding a desire for violent change. It is as this sort of parable that The Home and the World succeeds best.