Rabindranath Tagore. The play, The Post Office was written during the year 1911-1914. During this time India was under British control and many Indians wanted to free themselves from British rule and regain their independence.

International Baccalaureate World Literature

Grade: IB1

Submitted date: 14/ November/2008

Word Count: 1148

Rabindranath Tagore was born on May 7, 1861 in West Bengal. Not only was he a freedom fighter, he was also a writer and painter. He has written thousands of Poems and about 35 plays and 12 novels. The play, “The Post Office” was written during the year 1911-1914. During this time India was under British control and many Indians wanted to free themselves from British rule and regain their independence. Tagore uses symbolism to express political views. He keeps the character list short, and uses common style of language among the Indian people. The main character is a small boy by the name of Amal. He has a strong curiosity of the outside world, and desires for the type of knowledge that can't be learned from a book. Tagore uses these characters, to show what was happening in India at that time and the way in which the Indian people think and behave. Throughout the play his symbols help to explain the current state of India, and help to form imagery of the past, present and future of the country.

Tagore characterizes Amal as young boy, who is sick and can’t be let out of the house to experience the world around him or to learn things. But he yearns to be free to learn not from books but from what he sees. He’s very simple and friendly, he shows no negativity in his personality. Tagore symbolizes Amal as the Indian people before the Independence, who wants to see the world and experience everything but their health didn’t permit them to break free and they were trapped, helpless and had no place to turn to, all they could do is hope. Allegorically, Tagore tries to show the Indian people who are seen as caged animals and they are trapped because of their own people. The Indian people wanted supremacy against their own people and this is a main cause for classes. These people were so taken over by what the British had to offer, they decided to obey the British rules and be their puppets. Amal’s character is very important because he shows purity and innocence in his personality. And this is what makes him weak; he believes what ever is being told. And he wishes to do things his way.

Amal: No, no, Uncle; I beg of you, by your dear feet – I don’t want to be

Learned; I won’t.

Madhav: Dear, dear; it would have been my saving if I could have been learned.

Amal: No, I would rather go about and see everything that there is.

Madhav: Listen to that! See! What will you see, what is there so much to see?

< Tagore, The Post Office, 8>

By this Tagore tries to convey that the Indian people even though they are ...

This is a preview of the whole essay

Amal: No, no, Uncle; I beg of you, by your dear feet – I don’t want to be

Learned; I won’t.

Madhav: Dear, dear; it would have been my saving if I could have been learned.

Amal: No, I would rather go about and see everything that there is.

Madhav: Listen to that! See! What will you see, what is there so much to see?

< Tagore, The Post Office, 8>

By this Tagore tries to convey that the Indian people even though they are given an opportunity to ‘learn’ and become successful they don’t wish to take that path. They are very ignorant about what they can achieve. Even though they try to seek the truth from what they can get. The British power won’t let them reach high. They tell the Indian people what they should believe and create levels within the people in order to maintain their power. In this story Amal’s uncle, Madhav and the Doctor who makes him believe that staying inside will keep him safe. Tagore tries to convey that the only thing keeping the Indian people from staying ‘inside’ is the higher classes who are Indians convinced that the British rule is effective.

Tagore compares and portrays a lot of meanings in this play like the window Amal sits by, Light and Darkness and closed doors and windows. Tagore tries to prove his point that Amal can’t see beyond hills from his window and his vision is constrained and limited. Allegorically this could mean that the British doesn’t let them believe of what they can achieve and they try to limit them of what the can learn and do. Hence, it seems impossible for Indian people to achieve freedom or to rise to a higher level to become successful. They believe that they can get the ‘truth’ from books and not what they can see beyond a blur vision.

Amal: See that far-away hill from our window- I often long to go beyond those hills and right away.

Madhav: Oh, you silly! As if there’s nothing more to be done but just get up to the top of that hill and away! Eh! You don’t talk sense, my boy. Now listen, since that hill stands there upright as a barrier, it means you can’t get beyond it. Else, what was the use in heaping up so many large stones to make such a big affair of it, eh!

< Tagore, The Post Office, 9>

Amal sitting by the window believing that it is possible to cross those hills shows that the Indian people’s innocence and determination can lead them in the right path to victory but they choose not to look that way. Amal sitting inside closed doors and his sight limited of what he can see from the window symbolizes India and the Himalayan Mountains. The Mountains keep the Indian people within boundaries, beyond that people believe there is hope but it is not close enough to reach it, and the boundaries are what distinguishes India from other countries. It could also mean that it is what keeps the Indian people from moving forward. The allegorical meaning of light and darkness could be seen as India as the darker side with no opportunities and the light is beyond the mountains, where they believe to seek happiness, opportunities, and success.

The Watchman and the Headman in the play symbolizes “control” and “leadership”. They stand in-between the Indian society and the British power. They are puppets to the British but they look after the town to keep the Indian people safe. Even though they work by British rules they have pride in where they come from and have the same desires as an Indian man.

Amal: Won’t you sound the gong, Watchman?

Watchman: Time has not yet come.

Amal: How curious! Some say time has not yet come, and some say time has gone by! But surely your time will come the moment you strike the gong!

< Tagore, The Post Office,19>

The gong is metaphor for independence. When Amal says “Some say time has not yet come, and some say time has gone by!” Tagore is trying to convoy that people believe that it isn’t time for India to become Independent but some believe that India had the chance to become Independent but they chose not too. “But surely your time will come the moment you strike the gong!” could mean that the watchman doesn’t need to worry about his people anymore and that the time he can choose to be what he wants to and can become one among his people.

The ending of the play, when Amal goes to sleep this is metaphor that the Indian people only get false promises and they believe that it will happen someday, but the day never arrives and they wait till their last breath in hope.

Tagore believes that if the Indian people look beyond what is being told to them, they can achieve and succeed in what they believe in. He implies that they are restricted by an obstacle that they don’t wish to cross. While the British are looking for their downfall, the Indian people have no confidence, they are too innocent and gullible and they fall into their trap. Tagore also conveys that the Indian people are looking for supremacy amongst themselves and this way the British are able to secure their place and the Indians themselves aren’t able to break free. Some believe they could have had independence awhile ago but others believes there is still time to prove that it is possible to rise to the top.

Bibliography:

"Allegory." Dictionary. 2008. 13 Nov. 2008 <http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/allegory>.

"Motif." Dictionary. 2008. 13 Nov. 2008 <http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/motif>.

"Rabindranath Tagore." Nobelprize. 1913. The Nobel Foundation. 13 Nov. 2008 <http://nobelprize.org/nobel_prizes/literature/laureates/1913/tagore-bio.html>.