The Postmaster

The Postmaster by Rabindranath Tagore

About author:

Awarded the Nobel Prize in Literature in 1913 "because of his profoundly sensitive, fresh and beautiful verse, by which, with consummate skill, he has made his poetic thought, expressed in his own English words, a part of the literature of the West."

Tagore modernised Bengali art by spurning rigid classical forms and resisting linguistic strictures. His novels, stories, songs, dance-dramas, and essays spoke to topics political and personal. Gitanjali (Song Offerings), Gora (Fair-Faced), and Ghare-Baire (The Home and the World) are his best-known works, and his verse, short stories, and novels were acclaimed—or panned—for their lyricism, colloquialism, naturalism, and unnatural contemplation. His compositions were chosen by two nations as national anthems: India's Jana Gana Mana and Bangladesh's Amar Shonar Bangla.

"The Postmaster" is a short story written by Rabindranath Tagore, a Nobel Prize-winning Indian author, in 1891. The story revolves around a postmaster who is transferred to a small village and his relationship with a young village girl named Ratan.

The postmaster, a city man, is initially unhappy with his new assignment in the small village. He finds it difficult to adjust to the slow-paced life in the village and misses his city lifestyle. However, as time passes, he develops a close relationship with Ratan, who works as his maid.

Ratan is a simple and innocent girl who is uneducated but has a keen desire to learn. The postmaster, recognizing her potential, begins to teach her to read and write. As they spend more time together, they become fond of each other, and the postmaster starts to care for Ratan as if she were his daughter.

However, the postmaster's job demands his transfer back to the city, and he has to leave Ratan behind. Ratan is heartbroken at the thought of losing her friend and pleads with him to take her along. The postmaster, realizing that he has inadvertently raised Ratan's expectations, tries to console her by promising to write to her regularly.

Despite his promises, the postmaster finds it hard to keep in touch with Ratan due to his busy life in the city. Ratan, on the other hand, waits eagerly for his letters but receives none. Disappointed and dejected, she eventually realizes that the postmaster has forgotten about her.

The story ends with the postmaster reminiscing about his time in the village and his relationship with Ratan. He regrets not keeping in touch with her and wonders what has become of her. The story highlights the divide between the urban and rural lifestyles and the human emotions that transcend these boundaries. It also portrays the complex relationship between the postmaster and Ratan, who are from different social backgrounds, but their friendship transcends these differences.