Colonial Vestige in Tagore’s Letters to a Friend

Abstract

This thesis examines Rabindranath Tagore's Letters to a Friend and shows how colonial mentality has expressed in letters written to his English missionary friend C.F. Andrews. In the process of writing letters, Tagore plays a role of colonial agent through his all letters.Indian peoples have been represented by the words like gaudy, ragged, tenant, uncivilized, narrow and limited in Tagore’s letters.This research proof Rabindranath Tagore a colonialist who always hightens the west by the numerous praiseful words in letters written to his missionary friends C. F Andrews along with the inferiorization of Eastern people. Edward said’s postcolonial theory Orientalism became very supportive to theory explores the challenge done by East that the discourse created by the West towards East is mere lies and myth. Main goal of this research is to show Tagore as colonialist and anti patriotic person in his book Letters to a Friend. In short, the major findingof this research is not only Tagore as colonial agent but also highlights the importance of nationality and patriotism that all citizen who love their country should have in their life until we live in this world.