Being a progressive thinker, Rabindranath Tagore’s writing was based on bold subjects that find relevance even in modern times.

First Nobel laureate of India, Tagore whose reputation is built vividly by his vast collection of poetry, plays, stories, songs and novels had build characters who pour in from their diverse cultural and social backgrounds to encourage the new India. Being a progressive thinker and having travelled extensively with his father to spread the Brahmo faith and its spirit of detachment and then in later years to Asia, Europe, Japan, Tagore’s writing was based on bold subjects that find relevance even in modern times. Hence his characters, although stationed in a politically volatile period in Kolkata, were far ahead of the time. Tagore’s women were progressive whose minds were not clouded by traditional Indian values and the themes of neo-colonialism; post-modernism was very much entrenched in his male characters.

Let’s revisit some of the most memorable characters created by Tagore who continue to enchant the memory of his followers from his famous literary works.

Postmaster

The Postmaster is an educated individual who acts as an agent of the British colonialism until he gets fed up of the institution and being haunted by loneliness decides to go back to his family in Calcutta. While all through the story he appears to be a morally upright and empathetic person but in the end, it becomes evident that he is rational to the point of being emotionally ambivalent and nothing less than the machinery he disdains as he leaves the orphan, Ratan with whom he developed a significant bond all be herself.

Binodini

Binodini in ‘Chokher Bali’ rejects the strict rules forcibly put on widowed women in Bengal. She is educated and does not accept her fate. Instead, Bonodini makes brave attempts to seek what she feels she deserves even when it comes at the cost of her friendship.

Gora

Gora in his novel Gora is an orphan raised by an orthodox Hindu couple. His main motive in life is to work for his country. He is orthodox in his outlook. Tagore created Gora in a way that he became the mouthpiece of his ideals of nationalism and internationalism.

Labanya

In ‘ShesherKobita’, one of the most lyrical novel, Labanya is a strong-willed woman from a middle-class family who falls in love with Oxford-returned Amit. Though their love blossoms, Tagore in the latter half questions the very institution of marriage as the ultimate goal of love.

Tagore like his poem ‘Where the mind is without fear’ wanted to create characters in his literary contributions whose heads would always be held high’.