Summary And Analysis Of The Postmaster By Rabindranath Tagore

1522 Words4 Pages

Summary and Analysis of “The Postmaster” by ‘Rabindranath Tagore’
Summary
The story takes off when the postmaster is transferred to a small village, Ulapur from the city of Calcutta. This happened as a proprietor; an Englishman arranged an establishment of a post office in the vicinity with an Indigo factory nearby.
As he was conditioned to a city life prior to his posting in the village, he found it progressively difficult to settle in and make a normal living monetarily and socially. His compensation wasn’t fancy which limited his life to very limited means. Partly, by his own nature and partly because of his upbringing in a big city, he was unable to assume comfort with the locals. He either seemed too proud or too low in the crowd. He shared …show more content…

Feeling guilty about leaving Ratan behind, he was developing second thoughts about getting her with him but it was too late then.
While Postmaster tried to ease his guilt by the means of philosophies of the world, Ratan hoped for his return because of which she believed, she had to keep her from breaking.
Analysis
Fish out of the Water
- Postmaster feels like a fish out of the water as he is a representation of city and its people. For a city lad, he feels alien to the village he was transferred to.
- He faced economic issues because of meagre salary he received for his post there.
- He faced social interaction issues because of the difference in the culture of a city and a village.
Unconventional Relationship
- Postmaster confides in Ratan
- There is a cultural difference in Postmaster and Ratan. Him being educated and her being not. Ratan being more emotionally sensitive than postmaster.
- Ratan to a large extent is emotionally dependent on Postmaster and Postmaster, knowingly or unknowingly, is dependent on

Open Document