Rabindranath Tagore’s Views on Female Education as Expressed in His Non-Fictional Writing

Abstract

Rabindranath Tagore shows a considerable understanding of women’s urge for education in both his fictional and non-fictional writings proving himself to be one of the pioneers in the field of female education in the 19^th century India. Still, many female characters of his fiction thrive for institutional education. To examine the disparity the researcher starts her quest. The present paper aims to examine Tagore’s views on female education as expressed in his non-fictional writing to understand the bias that guided him draw female protagonists who are deprived of education. The study will look closely at Tagore’s essays and letters and attempt to explore his opinions articulated in three stages of his life: firstly, in youth (1881-91) when he was liberal in his worldview being informed by travelling to England are examined. Secondly, his perspectives expressed in his writings during his maturity. Particularly, when he became a follower of Hindu revivalism and was drawn to Indian Nationalism (1898-1907). Thirdly, his views on female education revealed in his writing after 1907, to be specific, 1910 onwards when Tagore takes many bold steps to promote female education. He evolves with time displaying self-contradictory attitude to women’s needs for education, particularly, after the establishment of Visva-Bharati (1921). The inquiry finds that in spite of being a pioneer in initiation female education Tagore was traditional and occasionally conservative in his thoughts and outlooks on female education till the end of his life which is explicit in his 1936 essay “Nari.