Feminist Consciousness in the Fiction of Rabindranath Tagore: A Critical Study

Abstract

Rabindranath Tagore occupies a unique position in Indian literary history as a writer whose works transcend conventional social boundaries and engage deeply with questions of human freedom, identity, and gender relations. At a time when women in colonial India were subjected to various forms of social and cultural oppression, Tagore presented female characters who challenged patriarchal norms and sought intellectual, emotional, and social autonomy. This paper critically examines feminist consciousness in Tagore’s fiction through a textual analysis of selected novels and novellas, including Chokher Bali, Ghare-Baire (The Home and the World), Nastanirh (The Broken Nest), and Jogajog. The study argues that Tagore’s representation of women anticipated many concerns of modern feminist thought, particularly regarding selfhood, agency, education, and resistance to patriarchal authority. Although Tagore cannot be categorized as a feminist theorist in the contemporary sense, his literary vision significantly contributed to the evolution of feminist discourse in Indian literature.