Gora

Recently I re-read one of the old classics which I had already completed as a child. Gora by Rabindranath Tagore. this brings the line in one of the animation movies to my mind. something about a story worth telling once is worth telling once again. the rule goes same for reading a story too. Have you ever tried reading a good book across ages. I think I have said this sometime back. your reading, understanding and enjoyment of a good story changes with your age. I could feel the difference in the case of Pride and Prejudice between when I first read it at 11 yrs and now. The same goes for Gora. The story of how a rich high class bengali child-less couple happen to help a fleeing english aristocrat's pregnant wife. It was the time when India got its independence from British. the story is based between then and sometime 27 years later. The pregnant wife dies giving birth to a fair son. The bengali couple adopt him, never tell anyone about its origin, name the boy Gora and he grows to be a strong, orthodox Hindu. it was also the time when Brahmo samaj was getting famous and orthodox bengali society was reacting against this samaj and its doctrine of widow-remarraige and a class-less society. Gora was too orthodox even to the point that not only his elder cousin and his father, but the entire society sorrounding him holds him in respect. Also, his structure and color (so different from the rest) gives him the added advantage. He has a happy go lucky friend who comes across a family associated with Brahmo Samaj. Gora's interest in this family is to vociferously argue against the doctrines of Hinduism and his philosophy of the way of life with a staunch follower of Brahmo Samaj. (People were actually in awe of his fiery arguments). But Gora's friend has a more romantic interest with this family. Both Gora and his father follow their philosophy so rigorously that they do not even eat food cooked by Gora's mother.
I like the characterisation of Gora's mother at this point. Having known the secret of her dearest son's origin, she on the spot sacrifices her religious believes on the alter of motherhood's eternal love. Her sorrow is well depicted here. A mother whose son, even though loves her very deeply, will not eat the food cooked by her hand nor enter her room to talk to her. But her sorrow is open only for the view of her servant Lakshmi.
Gora's friend predicament is also quite enjoyable. A happy go lucky youngster. He had just graduated. does not have a definite idea about what he is going to do now so he is taking a break at the time of this story. He is an orphan so he considers Gora's mother as his own and fills up the gap ever since Gora refuses his mother's ministrations. This is admitted by Gora's mother in her admonishments to Gora for forbidding his friend to eat her food. Gora's friend is caught inbetween his loyality to Gora and his thirst for a mother's love. His one-sided romance with the daughter of the elder from Brahmo Samaj actually helps him to come to terms with Gora's mother's doctrine. the part where he loses his battle to be loyal to his friend quite nice, where he rushes to Gora's mother and surrenders to her love and begs for food cooked by her.
the hallmark is Gora's self realisation of himself, his society. Gora's world as he knows it comes to an end with his father's death. Krishnakanth in his belief that he will not attain moksha if his last rites are done by Gora, calls him to his death-bed and explains why Gora cannot perform his last rites. The world as Gora knows comes to an end. With his very identity, name even his nationality put under question, he realises that he has lost everything and his self realization of his own identity brings him to change his view towards his society. After his struggle with self, he returns to his mother's love and reforms to work towards the doctrines of class-less society where man has to realise only love, compassion and brotherhood towards his fellow human being instead of talking about untouchability and other such pains that deny him simple yet costly pleasure in life - like in Gora's case, his mother's selfless love.
Every character in this book lives with an aim, a desire and a goal. somehow I could see that each person has reached his desire in the end. the elder from Brahmo samaj got newer members to his society. his daughter and his neice (radha and lolitha) both are helped through life to face a difficult time and receive the attentions of two good men in their life - Gora's friend falls for Radha and in then end with a changed attitude the reader is left with Gora accepting the elder and his doctrine along with his niece lolitha in his life. Gora's father gets his wish to have his nephew to do the last rites for him thereby maintaining his tie to his belief. Gora's friend will continue to enjoy the motherly affection from Gora's mother and yet be accepted by both Radha and Gora. Gora himself finds true contentment at a time of need at his mother's side. A life without a philosophy is very difficult for Gora to envisage. At a time when his very identity is taken away from him, Brahmo Samaj gives him a direction to return to the blend of society, to his mother and to his lady love.
Its a good reading much more simple than the sahitya academy award winning serpent and the rope of raja ram. That too was read when I was a child of 13. I took a long time to complete it and make sense out of it. But that is for another day.