Character of Gora – Rabindranath Tagore

Character of Gora – Rabindranath Tagore

Introduction:-

 “Gora is more than a mere novel; it is an epic of India in transition at a crucial period of modern history, when the social conscience and intellectual awareness of the new intelligentsia were in the throes of a great churning.”

-Krishna Kriplani

            ‘Gurudev’ Rabindranath Tagore was a man of versatile genius. He was a poet, playwright, novelist, educator, social reformer, nationalist and composer. He achieved “a perennial success Bengali as well as in English language.” He became Asia’s First Nobel Laureate, when he won the 1913 Nobel Prize in literature for his Gitangali” or “Song Offerings.

Gora; a central character of the novel:-

            Tagore’s ‘Gora’ is the work of supreme art. Among major characters like Binoy, Paresh Babu, Sucharita, Political, Andandmoyi, Gora is drawn as a central character. About the importance of Gora’s character Bhawani Bhattacharya says,

“The main character in the book Gourmohan or Gora has been created with deep sympathy.”

While a critic like K.R.S. Iyenger find “Gora as the mouthpiece of Tagore’s ideal of nationalism and internationalism. He further notes, he is the most striking person ever created by Tagore in his fictional world He represent the nationalist and idealist youth of Bengal at the end of the 19th century. He is an awfully powerful character and voice of Indian. He wants to declare only one thing “India is the land of Hindus.”. He is a violent nationalist. The sea-change which takes place in him is the real study of the novel.

His Personality:-

            Gora has a well-formed personality. Even in his college, his professors call him ‘the snow mountain’ because he was ‘outrageously white’. Tagore describe him

‘‘He was nearly six feet tall, with big bones and fists like the paws of a tiger. The sound of his voice was so deep and rough that you would be startled if you suddenly heard him calling”.

            His face was large and excessively strong. He had practically no eyebrows. His lips were thin. He had a very strong body and impressive physical features of an Englishman. Moreover he was self-confident, orthodox and obstinate. So his Friend Binoy tell him plainly, “You have one great fault, Gora. You seem to believe that all God’s’ strength has been given to you alone’’.

The secret of His Birth and Parentage:-

            The secret of Gora’s personality which keeps him away from becoming an ordinary Bengali young man lies in his birth and parentage. Since birth, Gora himself did not know his real parents. He was neither Bengali or Hindu nor Indian at all. He was the son of an Irish man and English mother. She had been given shelter at Anandamoyi’s house during the Rising of 1857. She gave birth to Gora and died. Anandmoyi had no child of her own. So she adopted him. Krishna Dayal performed his thread ceremony and had him educated in Calcutta.

His Respect for His Parents

            Gora was a foundling in the family of Krishna Dayal and Anandmoyi. He got the child when he was posted the government service at Itawa. Since the very birth of Gora Anandmoyi had great affection for Gora. He had lived with Anandmoyi and Krishna Dayal like their own son. Gora had great respect for Anandmoyi. In her, he finds the true image of mother. He says, 

“Mother, you are my mother. The mother for whom is been seaming all day was the item sitting in my room at home. You have not caste; you make no distinctions and have no hatred. It is you who are India.”

            Gora had respect for his father Krishna Days, yet Gora’s mind revolted against his ways.

His Education:-

Krishna Dayal, out of affection for Gora, had to go through the thread ceremony so that Gora might be considered to be a sacred Brahmin. Anandmoyi took due care of his education. Discussion between Binoy and Gora on India’s freedom and the position of women in India shows that he was a learned man. He used to contribute articles in the paper and Sucharita used to read them with delight. He was an orthodox Hindu and he had gathered quite deep knowledge on Hindu rites and Hindu Shatras. He was able to discuss religious matters quite authoritatively. Thus we can say that Gora was quite highly educated and well informed on religious matters.

Gora as Representative of Hinduism:-

            ‘Gora’ is a novel of discussion and ideas about contemporary social problem related to Hinduism. In it Gora is the most orthodox Hindu. Gora as an idealist believes in the noble ideas of Hinduism. In the initial career at college he was rather indifferent to matters religion like many young men in college. Gora used to ridicule the learned pandits, who visited the house of Krishna Day. But one old and much learned pandit met him and thought him the principle of Vedanta philosophy. It gave him the correct idea of the greatness of Hindu religion. And Gora gradually turned into a strong champion of Hingu religion. He also became ‘an orthodox observer of even minor rules of behavior’. Once he refused a cup of tea served by a Brahmo girl. As an orthodox Bengali and tradition bound young man, he began to dress like the Bengali farmers in rough clothes and began to put caste-mark on his forehead and his body.

His view on Love, Women and Caste System:-

            He was the believer in love. When he discusses it with Andandmoyi, He says,

“You can disregard the Shastras, but you must have regard for those whom you love.”

On status of women Gora says. ‘The scriptures tell us that woman is deserving of worship.

In the best novel Gora Tagore has raised many contemporary social problems and evils related to Hinduism and its adversary Brahmanism. Some critic have call the novel as a novel of ideas suitable to the spirit of the again. It focuses on the caste-system. Gora is quite orthodox in the institution of caste-system. He with Krishna Dayal, discusses the merit of a Brahmin family. He thinks that caste-system is the wisest method of division and labour and intellectual world. A Brahmin is devoted to the highest ideals of spiritual knowledge. He believed in Hindu culture, tradition, rites, and ritual.

His love for Mother land:-

            Gora is a patriot and a great lover motherland. He has been great devotee to the moment for making his country free. Gora took the side of the student and the English Magistrate pushed him for one’s mother’s rigorous imprisonment. He did not like people who favour the Englishmen and follow their custom. Gora did not engage a lawyer and decided to plead his case himself. He explained boldly how the policemen unjustly beat up the boys. These evens lead Sucharita fall in love with Gora.

Conclusion:-

            Like Shaw, Tagore has made Gora the mouthpiece his ideals of nationalism and internationalism. In this respects, a critic K.R.S. Iyengar has pointed out the symbolic significance of the Gora as following, “A character like Gora or the Kauliwhallah, become other than a person; he become a poetic symbol.”