Kaustav Bakshi

Kaustav Bakshi remarks that Tagore defamiliarises the image of a widow in the persona of Binodini. She is envisioned as sharp, instinctive and sleep with lifeate. Through the novel, Tagore seems to portray the natural yet socially forbidden desire of a widow ironically called Binodini which is a realise that often recurs in Vaishnav Kirtan con noning sensuousness and pleasure loving.She is a rare combination of beauty, approval and intelligence. There is a certain ease and spontaneity with which she carries herself and caters to the need of the heap in Rajlakshmis household. She is a traditional woman in the sense experience that she is rise accomplished in household arts and has the attributes associated with womanhood such as selfless devotion and sacrificial spirit.The process of self realisation in Binodini follows a sequential pattern. She moves from a traditional acceptance of her fate as a widow to a realisation of her need to arise bring out of this blind acceptance and reaffirm her identity in society. Being an amend woman, her feelings and her outlook to life are characterised by a spirit of modernism.Binodini believes that the further person responsible for her being a young widow was Mahendra who rejected her as his bride even without seeing her. Overcome by a sense of vengeance, she resolves to avenge her humiliation by ensnaring Mahendra in her web of seduction. It is her consuming passion that lends a remarkable human touch to her personality and makes her self-effacement, more significant.The import stage in Binodinis progression is when her insight and intellect come into play. She does not reciprocate the love shown to her by Mahendra as she believes that he is a self-seeking man who loves neither his wife nor her but only himself. She replies contemptuously to a letter written by the MahendraI have no responsibility to love or be loved in this world. That is why I play at love to lighten my sorrow.I implore you over again and again, please give me up, do not pester me, do not put me to shame with your shamelessnessYou may shout and cry, but from me you exit get no response whatsoever. (147)As soon as she realizes that this love game is killing her inner self, she decides to leave Mahendras house emphasizing her occasion as decision maker.