The Postmaster's About the author:
Rabindranath Tagore (1861–1941), the poet, author, philosopher, and Nobel Prize winner is well known for his deep understanding of human relationships and emotions. He frequently covers themes of love, loss, spirituality, and the beauty of nature in his plays, poems, songs, and short stories. In Shantiniketan. He established a school. Rabindranath Tagore is also the author of India's national anthem. His 'Geetanjali' collections earned him the Nobel Prize in 1913. The Postmaster demonstrates Tagore's sympathetic view of human nature.
The Postmaster Summary:
The Postmaster story starts with the arrival of A young Postman from Calcutta to the rural area of Ulapur. He feels completely alone and out of place in this rural environment, surrounded by people whose lives and customs seem alien to him, having grown habituated to the liveliness of the city. The majority of the people living in this town are poor and illiterate, thus they are unable to relate to the young postmaster's schooling, education, or experiences in the city. His sense of loneliness and separation is worsened by the peaceful rural life and the lack of activities to divert his attention.
Ratan, an orphaned rural girl, becomes the postmaster's only friend in the community and assists him with housework. Ratan is attracted to the postmaster and immediately develops an emotional bond with him despite having never experienced familial love or stability. In exchange, the postmaster converses with her and tells her about his life in Calcutta. She enjoys assisting him with little chores like fetching water, cooking, and cleaning. He turns into a mentor, friend, and possibly even a father figure she has never had, virtually acting as a surrogate family member.
One evening, Ratan starts calling him ''Dada'', which means "older brother." As she starts to trust in him and remembers her parents and earlier times, this word represents her increasing love and trust. The postmaster responds by teaching Ratan to read and write, possibly seeing a chance to establish a human connection. He tells Ratan stories about his own family and his house, giving her a clear picture of life outside of her remote village—a world she has no idea about. Although their link is stronger for Ratan, it provides them with brief relief from their loneliness.
Even so, the postmaster's sense of alienation increases in spite of this developing friendship. He chooses to request a transfer back to Calcutta because the monotony of village life and his homesickness become too much for him to handle. He decides to leave Ulapur and go back to his former life once his request is denied down, and he quits his job entirely.
Ratan was heartbroken to hear the news. She asks him furiously to take her with him, asking if she can go to Calcutta with him. Her appeal is genuine; to her, he is more than just a postmaster; in a world that has largely abandoned her, he is a source of security and care. The postmaster, however, does not feel the same way.
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With a final glance back at the village, the postmaster departs, boarding the boat to Calcutta and briefly considering Ratan's sorrow before rejecting it. Ratan is left to deal with her sadness in the meantime. She refuses to accept that he has completely abandoned her and walks through the village, waiting for him to come back. Despite the hard fact that he would never return, she continues to hold onto hope. With this moving conclusion, Tagore gives readers a feeling of Ratan's unmet desire and the long-lasting effects of the postmaster's departure on her life.
Conclusion:
Tagore explores the soft and temporary nature of interpersonal bonds in The Postmaster Story, particularly those based on different wants and viewpoints. Ratan sees his relationship with the postmaster as a sincere, genuine bond, but the postmaster sees it as a short-term convenience while he is in Ulapur. The emotional suffering that results from one person investing in a bond that the other views as accidental is depicted by Tagore. Tagore illustrates the suffering that results from one-sided relationships in which one person may feel a deep connection, but the other may dismiss it easily.
