THE CASTAWAY’ BY RABINDRANATH TAGORE AND ‘TOUCH-ME-NOT BY ISMAT CHUGHTAI: ...
‘THE CASTAWAY’ SIMPLY BY RABINDRANATH TAGORE AND ‘TOUCH-ME-NOT BY ISMAT CHUGHTAI: A COMPARATIVE ANALYSIS. “Some poisons have no ideal, but are slower, silent, torturous ends that curl up the broken physique swept in a cold, dark corner. Right now there she is still left to drown in her tears – a dying heart. Deserted. ” Rabindranath Tagore, in the short account ‘The Castaway’, draws the actual underlying concept of the abandonment.
The boy Nilkanta’s life is chronicled by an overshadowing sense of desertion. Similarly Ismat Chughtai’s ‘Touch-me not’, also follows the helplessness of Bhabijan as she problems to maintain her societal position amidst her impending abandonment. Although entirely different in narration style, both the testimonies follow a identical unravelling of emotions. In the stories, the central heroes, are given a short glimpse of your life totally different from their own, an incorrect sense of hope. This leads those to aspire for an alternate fact, only to see it being snatched away from them.
The plight with the central character types at the beginning of the storyline makes all of us aware of their predicament. The boy Nilkanta is most probably an orphan, with no worldly connections whatsoever. Thus we can infer that he has faced desertion and reduction early on in life. He is unskilled when it comes to creating relationships with others.
As a result of absence of family, or any type of restraint in his life until now, he does not have notion of obedience into a person in authority. He does what he feels like and then holds the consequences. This becomes very clear in the narrator’s reference to the ‘eatings and beatings’ of life plus the fact that Nilkanta does not dispute or protect himself, somewhat he allows the punishment and continually do when he pleases.
As a result his desertion as a child manifests itself in his non- deferential attitude and lack of value. Bhabijan alternatively, in ‘Touch-me-not’ is showed be a woman almost within the verge of abandonment. In spite of the constant attention and guidance of Drone Mughlani, this lady has suffered two miscarriages and her husband has all but shed hope associated with an heir to keep his family tree.
Her without her partner with an heir will mean him deserting her for another wife; one that will. It can be at this important moment in both the tales when a ‘Messiah’ of kinds enters. Nilkanta is maintained by Kiran who this individual views being a mother physique.
For the first time in the life, Nilkanta is the recipient of attention and compassion, and he wholeheartedly reciprocates these feelings. The relationship between Nilkanta and Kiran begins as a purely platonic one. He is an unterhaltungskunstler and a kind of novelty to Kiran who was already tired of the community life and yearned for some form of entertainment. However , in the new house, his naiveté fades apart and this individual finds him self attracted to her. Thus his perception of her assumes on more sex undertones, while she is constantly on the provide him undivided care and attention In ‘Touch-me-not’ Bhabijan locates herself pregnant the third period.
However , contrary to the initial two times once she aborted, this time, the pregnancy advances despite her constant sickness. Whether it is the fortified power of the witchcraft performed on her along with the inspection of the Delhi doctors, whom descend on their home, the hope of the child grows in Bhabijan and in Drone Mughlani too. For the first time, Bhabijan begins to anticipate the entrance of the baby. The child is definitely the answer to almost all her prayers and will safeguard her from the imminent desertion of her husband, should she fail to produce a kid. This qualified prospects us for the depiction of traditional society and its attitude towards women.
In Tagore’s short story, reference is built to the patriarchal society of the time. When Kiran, who will be a favourite with all her as well as much loved simply by her hubby, is taken ill, Sharat immediately suggests a change of air to be able to recuperate. He is incessantly chided by the villagers for this decision and for producing such a fuss in regards to a ‘mere woman’. This is a great attestation to society and its traditional way of thinking. Similarly, the conventional, patriarchal mother nature of society manifests itself in Chughtai’s story as well.
Giving birth is usually described to become as easy for the woman as it is for a person to move away from a coach. Thus the narrator echoes society’s idea that the production of kids is the sole concern of a lady. She is possibly described as having ‘one domestique duty’ through which she are unable to fail. If perhaps Bhabijan does not give delivery to a child, then she will be replaced simply by another girl whose duty again will be to produce a child.
Traditional American indian society is nearly painted in a Marxist light where females are seen as factors of production that may easily be replaced if they cannot function satisfactorily. Once again the stories converge on common ground. The entry of an external element, that immediately leads to the dissolution of any former hopes or perhaps aspirations from the central heroes.
In ‘The Castaway’, Kiran’s brother in law, Satish arrives and subsequently, diverts all her attention far from Nilkanta. The boy again begins to think devoid of all attention. This individual becomes aware of his diminishing relevance in Kiran’s your life and is plagued by the fear of abandonment yet again.
Thus, Satish’s arrival brings Nilkanta in person with the stark reality of his your life to arrive. He knows that in the event he are unable to salvage Kiran’s interest in him, she will wasteland him and move on. This realization is transformed into a blind hatred towards Satish, and is further more manifested in the unintended, underhanded act of stealing his possession. Also, in ‘Touch-me-not’, Bhabijan is really unnerved by peasant woman’s delivery, that she endured another losing the unborn baby. The peasant woman generally seems to mirror Bhabijan’s immediate upcoming; a future that Bhabijan never aspired pertaining to in the first place.
As a married girl, only a kid would give her relevance in society, and so her dependence on the child was greater than her want for this. In order to preserve her cultural standing, your woman was eager for the baby. Nevertheless , reality comes crashing down on her, when she witnesses the typical woman’s delivery.
The characterization of Kiran in ‘The Castaway’ and Bi Mughlani in ‘Touch-me-not’, both supplementary female character types, is strangely enough portrayed. Both women have a certain target and through the story make use of their instrumentality to achieve the said design. Kiran’s character is seemingly immature and trusting. She is regularly seeking entertainment and perhaps accidentally demands this from individuals around her- first via Nilkanta and later on via Satish. She’s depicted within an almost childlike manner in her disputes and persuasions.
Yet she is also kind and understanding and is truly concerned about Nilkanta and his well being. She also suffers a loss in the long run; a lack of trust. On the other hand Bi Mughlani is only interested in the birthday of Bhabijan’s kid. She does everything feasible to make sure the delivery can be regular and even goes toward the level of indulging in witchcraft to ensure herself in the unborn child’s safety. The lady too is concerned about Bhabijan and her health.
Yet , it is clear that the birth of the child can be her main motivation and she regularly strives toward this objective. The loss of the unborn baby is a personal damage to Bi Mughlani as well. Thus fate does get us
