Tagore's Denunciation of Armed Rebellion for Independence in Four Chapters

Abstract

Four Chapters(1934)manifestsTagore's deep aversion to any nationalist commitment through Ela,female protagonist of the novel,who comes to realizethe call of soullater on herlife-that herelovefor Atin is prior to her involvement and responsibility in revolutionary Camp. Tagoreisnever tiredfromcriticizingthe promises of young revolutionaries inFour Chapters: Indranath is a distraughtproduct of European educationwho tames his desirefor power inyoung souls at the cost of their love life. Thedenial of love brings forth the decadence and even claimsthe lives of characters.FourChaptersspecifically introducesand dealswiththe problemof violence in politics. Tagorerebelled against the strongly nationalistsandvirulentform ofthenationalist movementinFour Chapters.HumanityisTagore'ssolerefuge.He wouldn'tbuy independenceat the cost of humanity and self love: Tagore's approval for his efforts inFour Chapters echoswithGandhianpromulgation ofNon-violence, 'Ahimsa',through the idealizationof self-love in therelationshipof Atin andEla. Tagore publiclydenouncedthe fascists of his time Mussolini and others acrossthe globe-that-secured his place ashumanist among thinkersand philosophers.Freedom, For Rabindranath Tagore, best exhibits itself inself-love, sovereignty of self to theso- calledsocietalnecessities.Tolive a life devoid of love of self is nobetter than death. Freedom and change, thatrevolutionary polities movementspromise to vouchsafe,is trivial to recognition of self, has been best manifested throughEla and Atin inFour Chapters.