Teaching Beauty and Feminism in Rabindranath Tagores Chitra

Amanda Amanullah

Introduction:
I would approach this play with a conversation and brainstorming activity about beauty. What defines beauty? How
is beauty portrayed in the media? What are the requirements of being beautiful and where do you find evidence of this
(magazines, writings, film, beauty contests)? What do you know about Eastern cultures interpretation of beauty?
To introduce a South Asian-specific view of beauty, I might start with advertisements and magazines. Tangible
artifacts would help students understand cultural concepts that they may not be familiar with. Fair and Lovely
Ayurvedic Natural Face Cream commercials have a controversial undertone. We might watch one or two of these
videos in class and analyze them. One of the 2009 commercials, for example, portrays a dark-skinned woman looking
for a job at a fashion company. The receptionist is rude to her and rejects her. At home, her father gives her the face
cream and there is an iconic, info graphic type of scene that shows her face becoming five shades lighter over repeated
use. She goes back to the company and wows everybody, gets the attention of a male worker, and gets the job. The
implications of this commercial would be an example of a very traditional concept of beauty in India.
Discussion:
I would accompany the beauty talk with a discussion about a womans role in Indian society the submissive
daughter, wife, and mother gambit that has been an object of question for years, though it is still widespread today. We
could talk about the religious and cultural traditions (i.e. dowry in marriage, widow requirements) that come out as a
result of the societys deep roots and beliefs about gender roles. There are benefits and disadvantages for women. A
K/W/L chart about feminism and gender roles in India would seem appropriate to end this discussion and transition into
the play, Chitra.
Context:
Given that Chitra is associated with South Asian literature and the modernist art movement of the early 1900s, it
speaks to both revolution (British India) and renaissance (shift in culture and artistic forms). I would introduce this text
using background information about the author and a brief history of political and social climate in India during the
time Chitra was written.
Tagore was a writer and poet who prominently contributed to the Bengal Renaissance (he is often referred to as the
Shakespeare of India). He won the Nobel Prize in Literature in 1913 and was the first author to use new prose and
forms in place of traditional Sanskrit works. Tagore was also a humanist and nationalist, advocating Indian
independence from Britain. In his attempt to modernize Bengali linguistic structures, he focused on political and
religious topics of the time and made Eastern culture more accessible. In keeping all of this in mind, students can more
appropriately appreciate the literary choices and poetic language of the play, along with the general theme. Tagore took
a strong female figure from Indian mythology and expanded and reshaped it into a play addressing identity crisis,
perception of beauty, romance, and gender roles.
Textual Evidence:
Chitra is a short play with 9 scenes, so it would be realistic to spend a lot of time close-reading and analyzing each
scene. The Gods have one-liners, but the two mortal characters, Arjuna and Chitra, have rich, descriptive, narrative
passages (shown below). We would read the play in class, while students individually mark up tropes and descriptions
of beauty and feminism. We would stop at the end of each major scene and discuss events and themes, focusing on
Chitras voice to track her identity shifts and both practical and existential questions. We could visually portray a
trajectory of her decisions and thoughts about having more male-like qualities and more female-like qualities, along
with her personal reflections and Arjunas responses to warrior Chitra vs. feminine Chitra. We could also pinpoint
instances in which she embodies both of these identities, towards the end, and contrast the language against her initial
dilemma from the beginning of the play:

Teaching Beauty and Feminism in Rabindranath Tagores Chitra

Amanda Amanullah

Scene 1 CHITRA
I broke my bow in two and burnt my arrows in
the fire. I hated my strong, lithe arm, scored by drawing the
bowstring. O Love, god Love, thou hast laid low in the dust the
vain pride of my manlike strength; and all my man's training lies
crushed under thy feet. Now teach me thy lessons; give me the
power of the weak and the weapon of the unarmed hand..
I have come to thy door, thou world-vanquishing Love,
and thou, Vasanta, youthful Lord of the Seasons, take from
my young body this primal injustice, an unattractive plainness.
For a single day make me superbly beautiful, even as beautiful as
was the sudden blooming of love in my heart. Give me but one
brief day of perfect beauty, and I will answer for the days that
follow.
Scene 7 ARJUNA
I am trying to imagine what kind of woman Princess Chitra may be.
I hear so many stories of her from all sorts of men.
CHITRA
Ah, but she is not beautiful. She has no such lovely eyes as
mine, dark as death. She can pierce any target she will, but not
our hero's heart.
ARJUNA
They say that in valour she is a man, and a woman in tenderness.
CHITRA
That, indeed, is her greatest misfortune. When a woman is merely
a woman; when she winds herself round and round men's hearts
with
her smiles and sobs and services and caressing endearments; then
she is happy. Of what use to her are learning and great
achievements?
Scene 9
CHITRA
I am Chitra. No goddess to be worshipped, nor yet the
object of common pity to be brushed aside like a moth with
indifference. If you deign to keep me by your side in the path
of danger and daring, if you allow me to share the great duties
of your life, then you will know my true self. If your babe,
whom I am nourishing in my womb be born a son, I shall myself
teach him to be a second Arjuna, and send him to you when the
time comes, and then at last you will truly know me. Today I can
only offer you Chitra, the daughter of a king.

In this scene, Chitra questions her

own manliness and attempts to
denounce her appearance and
upbringing. She defines herself as
having an unattractive
plainness and we can imply that
she does not see herself as
beautiful. She asks for the
power of the weak, attributing
some benefit to being more
feminine and desirable by a male.
What can we imply is her
definition of perfect beauty?

In this scene, Arjuna wonders

about the Princess Chitra,
unaware that his companion is the
same person. They discuss
Chitras beauty and Arjuna
reveals that she is both man-like
and woman-like, in different ways.
Chitra responds to this by
describing womans misfortune in
being beautiful. This conversation
is part of the internal conflict and
deep thinking that leads to her
decisions about personal identity
and happiness.

This passage is an excerpt from

Chitras final speech, revealing
her true identity to Arjuna. Each
stanza starts with I am Chitra
and each passage progresses with
more realizations and revelations.
There are evidence of selfawareness, direct statements, and
newfound pride. Sharing duties
and claiming that she is not a
goddess nor a moth can lead to a
discussion about feminism and
modern-day response to gender
roles in India and worldwide.

Teaching Beauty and Feminism in Rabindranath Tagores Chitra

Amanda Amanullah

Multimedia:
After reading the entire play, I would provide multimedia aspects to contribute to the theme and help bring in multiple
perspectives. Sticking to the idea of beauty and how it is portrayed, I would use paintings by Raja Ravi Verma. He has
one painting in particular of Arjuna and another female character from Mahabharata. We could observe and discuss the
body positions, gestures, clothing, and expressions. Any paintings of Arjuna and characters should be introduced after
reading the play to avoid influencing students perception of the character beyond the original work.
We could transition into a discussion about how these mythical gender roles are familiar to or different from the larger
discussion about feminism. I would ask students to wonder about how beauty informs or is informed by gender roles.
How did Chitra respond to conflicting feelings about feminine qualities vs. non-feminine qualities? How was she
pressured into accepting one or the other? Did she have to choose one or the other? With the ongoing crimes in which
women have been suppressed in India, Indian feminists are sprouting all over the country. More stories are portrayed
in the media and there are more voices responding to current events, corruption, and chauvinism. Thanks to social
media, there would be several examples to show. Multiple perspectives will be included, both positive and less positive
portrayals of women so as not to provide a bias in discussion. Discussions will take place within context of the play:

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