Summary of the 'Chandalika' by Rabindranath Tagore

As it appears, I seem to have the Literal Comprehension section for this unit. So, that’s all I can post. Anyway, I have included some major points that may be of help. (As I was typing the texts, those archives I had written back then… they suck, literally. They suck the life outta me.)

For more notes of BBA Second Semester English II, CLICK HERE!

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Chandalika

-Rabindranath Tagore

Summary (Literal Comprehension):

The play revolves around the complexities of human mind and its conflicting needs and wants. Prakriti, an untouchable woman, lives at the fringes of her society with her mother.

Ananda, a disciple of Lord Buddha (Ananda himself was an untouchable before) accepts a drink of water from her. Ananda teaches her not to belittle herself even if the whole society might think otherwise. This small incident sparks a new self-realization in Prakriti. But at the same time, her new self directs her to so far unknown emotions towards Ananda, her emancipator. She wants Ananda only for herself. At the behest of Prakriti, her mother grudgingly agrees to use her witch craft and necromancy to get Ananda for Prakriti. Prakriti’s mother unleashes the dark forces of the nether world, which captures and binds Ananda and brings him to Prakriti. Prakriti couldn’t watch the humiliation of Ananda under the duress of dark forces and implores her mother to release Ananda.

Ananda despite his own agonies pardons and blesses Prakriti at the end. Prakriti also realizes that if you love someone, you shouldn’t hold them in captivity, but rather set ‘em free.

From the Archives

Ananda graces an undeserving Chandal girl who was seeking redemption from the burden of untouchability, which had plagued her due to the lower birth.

This two act play portrays an untouchable girl’s desperation to get redeemed from the dehumanized humiliating position, which was lower than animal status.

This protagonist has no special desire or need. She only wishes to obtain human status. She is revolutionalized by a pious monk by fueling her ambitions and aspirations. The monk’s encouragement provided her a flicker of hope to discard the animal status, like the shedding of the outer skin of a snake. For this she got undeservingly selfish and victimized the encourager. She got immoral and selfish for achieving the unachievable. Back then, untouchability was inseparably linked with the birth. The moth-eaten cruel Hindu casteism was responsible for her untouchability, which had made her defiant to criticize and ignore it. She got a strong means to fight with the giant casteism in the monk.

The theory of destiny is a given concept by Hinduism. It is not a self-developed or god given concept. One’s birth is associated with destiny according to Hinduism. As destiny is a given concept, it can be thus defied. If we dare to defy any given man-made concept, it loses its value.

Casteism is a given system. It is a grammar of society. These are the rules, norms and values, and parameters of the society. Society is a grinding machine. So we have to accept it until some trendsetters appear.

Prakriti is seeking castial redemption through sexual gratification.

©LinkinMyth: Summary-Four levels of ‘Chandalika’ by Rabindranath Tagore