Swami Vivekananda and Gora of Rabindraqnath

Gora (1909) is the fifth in order of writing and the largest of Tagore’s twelve novels. It was serialised in a literary magazine Probasi from 1907 to 1909. Being a complex novel, it can be studied and interpreted at different levels. The various themes like friendship, motherhood, love, caste discrimination, woman-emancipation, the play of destiny, nation and nationalism, religion, spirituality, time and space provide a panoramic view of Tagore’s vision. It is rightly said by Krishna Kriplani, “Gora is more than a mere novel; it is an epic of India in transition at a crucial period of modern history, when the social conscience and intellectual awareness of the new intelligentsia were in the throes of a great churning. No other book gives so masterly an analysis of the complex of Indian social life with its teeming contradictions, or of the character of Indian nationalism which draws its roots from renascent Hinduism and stretches out its arms towards universal humanism” (Kriplani, A Life 118)

Prof Jagadish Bhattacharya discussed in his article about the points of similarity in the character of Gora  as portrayed by Rabindramath in his famous novel Gora with that of Vivekananda. he mentioned the comments of the biographer of Rabindranath, Pravat Kumar Mukhopadhyay saying;

" In the message given by Swami Vivekananda, the Hinduism and Nationalism were referred to. He didn't have any chance to review, due his untimely death, the over-emphasis given by him to Indian-Hindus greatness. His ideal Hindu society would not be able to give  a proper place to the Irish lady. Miss Margaret Nobel, to become popular as "Bhagini Nivedita". It was not even possible to have lunch on the same table by any person  of  Brahmmin  without removing its old traditional orthodox tendency.I hope , none will be hurt if I say that I find a combination of characters of Swami Vivekananda and Nivedita with that of Gora as portrayed by Rabindranath. imagining the impossibility of the Irish Lady to become a Hindu, Rabindranath  made Gora a Irish born hero.. Miss Nobel was also an Irish lady."

The above statement may have some different views but in the creation of the character of Gora there are three views  amongst the readers is evident;

1. The character of Gora is the reflection of  the combination of characters of Vivekananda and Nivedita,

2. Gora is portrayed to have the maximum traits of character of Nivedita,

3. To paint the character of Gora, Vivekananda's life and thought plays most important role.

Jagadish Babu submitted that he belongs to the third group.