35 pages • 1 hour read
The Home and the World
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Themes
Nationalism
India’s caste system has made notions of national identity a nightmarishly complex tangle. In The Home and the World, the caste structure underlies all of the conflicts as the novel focuses on the question of what is good for a country. The answer appears simple: the good of its citizens. But when a country’s citizens do not share equality, those without wealth and power have no say in defining what is good or bad. They must accept the decisions of the ruling castes.
Nikhil truly wants what is good for the country. He is the one who refuses to be pressured into a premature embrace of Swadeshi, knowing that it is unrealistic and would do more economic harm than good. He is unwilling to take a symbolic stand for the temporary appearance of change. Sandip, on the other hand, preaches fiery patriotism without believing much of what he says. His concern is not for the good of the country, but in using rhetoric as a means to enrich himself and raise his position. Ultimately, in The Home and the World, the pursuit of what is good for the country leads to the acts of violence that conclude the novel.
The Roles of Men and Women
Indian women—primarily presented though Bimala—are shown as little more than sounding boards for men’s ideas, devotees to increase men’s egos, and vessels for men’s carnal pleasures. Although Bimala is capable of free thought, as the novel opens, she is content to worship her husband and aspires to little more. Her situation presents an interesting conundrum: if a woman is happy with what she has, but is born into a patriarchal system that dictates what she can aspire to, is she truly happy? Is the removal of choice from someone’s life a good thing if the lack of choice prevents the suffering that might result from intellectual exploration?
Men are shown as transparent in their aims, strengths, and weaknesses. They are far more predictable than the women in the novel, even though it would seem that the confines in which the women live should make their actions easier to guess at. Much is made of men’s strength, both moral and physical, but Sandip’s passion and rhetorical strength are ultimately shown as fleeting and petty, while Nikhil’s moral courage is what leads to his own possible death.
Words Versus Deeds
Sandip’s speeches produce most of the village’s tumult by the novel’s end. He is persuasive, charismatic, articulate, and worse, he knows it. He coasts on his speechmaking without considering the effects of its content. Whenever he gives a talk, people rally to him and praise him. Given his stance on success being the measure of truth, each follower he attracts reinforces the idea that he is doing what is right and true. However, when it is time for action, Sandip has no moral backbone. He resorts to stealing rupees and fleeing from Bengal when the situation becomes too dangerous. When Bimala calls him on his bluster and the scripted nature of his words, he stammers and is silent.
Nikhil is no less articulate, but he does not rely on words to convey his points. He demonstrates his values by the way in which he lives his life, without much care for how he is viewed by others. Even though Sandip frequently mocks Nikhil for his quiet ways and book learning, when action is required, it is Nikhil who acts decisively, and in a way that he hopes will benefit others more than himself. He truly believes that a united India is possible, but only if words lead to right actions.
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By Rabindranath Tagore
