Selected Short Stories by Rabindranath Tagore
"Selected Short Stories by Rabindranath Tagore" is a compilation of narratives penned by the renowned Bengali author during the 1890s, a pivotal decade in his literary career. This collection primarily features thirty stories, highlighting Tagore's deep engagement with the social and cultural fabric of East Bengal, particularly the Padma River region. Many tales explore themes of human emotion and moral complexity, often culminating in ironic or tragic outcomes. Notable stories include "The Postmaster," which examines the poignant relationship between a young man from Calcutta and an orphan girl, Ratan, revealing the harsh realities of social inequality and emotional vulnerability. Other stories, such as "Skeleton" and "The Hungry Stones," incorporate supernatural elements and folktale structures, reflecting Tagore's fascination with the mystical aspects of rural life. While the narratives might initially appear to depict simple village life, they delve into intricate portrayals of human behavior, illustrating the struggles and exploitation faced by the vulnerable. Overall, this collection offers a rich glimpse into Tagore's artistic vision, capturing the beauty and challenges of his native land.
Selected Short Stories by Rabindranath Tagore
Excerpted from an article in Magill’s Survey of World Literature, Revised Edition
First published: 1991
Type of work: Short stories
The Work
In his introduction to this volume, editor and translator William Radice explains his reasons for including only short stories that Tagore wrote during the 1890’s, when he was in his thirties. At that time, Tagore was preoccupied with the narrative form, as is evident from the fact that fifty-nine of his lifetime’s output of ninety short stories came out of that relatively brief period. Most of the thirty stories in this collection are set in the Padma River region of East Bengal and reflect both his new understanding of peasants like those around him and his appreciation of a particularly beautiful part of his native land.
Several of these stories are supernatural, such as “Skeleton,” in which a female ghost appears to tell a story of love and death. Others resemble folktales; in “The Hungry Stones,” a man in a railway waiting room describes events in a mysterious accursed palace, but before he can finish his narrative, a train arrives and he is shown to his compartment, leaving his audience in suspense. “Wishes Granted” is a moral tale like those found in every literary tradition. In it, a father and his son have their wishes granted by a passing divinity, only to find that they were better off before.
However, though Tagore himself suggested in a much later interview that most of the early stories were simple re-creations of village life, in fact they are complex descriptions of human behavior, with ironic or tragic endings. One of the best known, “The Postmaster,” is typical. The title character is a well-educated young man from Calcutta, who has been sent to work in a remote village. Ratan, the orphan girl he hires to do his housework, becomes his only companion, and he finds himself very much attached to her. He even begins teaching her to read. When he becomes ill, she nurses him back to health. However, soon afterward he tells Ratan that he has resigned his position and will soon be leaving. To his amazement, she begs him to take her with him, but he refuses. He tries to make up for abandoning her by offering her money, but she will not take it. As his boat sails down the river, the young man consoles himself by musing on mutability, but Ratan is heartbroken. Though the author concludes by pointing out that people allow their hearts to deceive them, in fact, like many of the other stories in this collection, “The Postmaster” is really about the exploitation of the innocent and good by those who are financially better off, more powerful, or just more heartless.
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