From: debchat@vax2.concordia.ca (DEB CHATTERJEE)
Newsgroups: soc.culture.bangladesh
Subject: Magical reality in Bengali literature.
Date: 22 Jul 92 04:02:00 GMT
Organization: Concordia University
News-Software: VAX/VMS VNEWS 1.41


 An interesting aspect of the magical reality is that we do acknowledge the
existence of something `hypnotic' in our mundane lives. Basically our life is
monotonous - the same old wheel turns on and on. However, fairy tales (rupkatha)
provide the sense of relief - like `srabanadhara' - the torrential rain on the
dried up human minds. Mother nature contains magical qualitites whose elements
can be recognized as basically simple (commonplace) constituents in our daily
lives. For example, when two persons (male and female) fall in love, (perhaps
sexual attraction ??), is unknown. But aside the chemistry of erotica, that very
moment of falling in love - which is accidental, becomes a magical instant in
their lives. No matter what will happen later, that moment is magic ! This view
has been advocated subtly by Bankim Chandra - love at first sight (Mrinalini).
(I wonder how many people will agree with this !!) Many stories also produce 
magical effects on the human mind - and has a strange correlation with age of
the concerned persons. It also depends on the situation. This is illustrated
as follows.

 When I was young, I read the book " Folktales of Bengal " - Lalbehari Dey -
an excellent piece of work. I used to be entranced by the book. When I grew
older, the book appeared to be enchanting but only on special occassions. I
analysed this situation to be a function of age and maturity. With the power
of reasoning developing within a human being, the `romantic' sense is lost
or is regarded as a mere artifice to produce illusory effects in the human
life. This concept lead Wordsworth, Coleridge, Blake and others to comment
that Newton and Galelio had mutiliated Nature. Shelley and Keats were no
exceptions too. The Rhyme of The Ancient Mariner - Samuel Taylor Coleridge
was written with the intention to stand-up against the advances of science.
The Daffodils (William Wordsworth) evolved also because of the same reason.
The poets accepted the magical qualities in Nature, and, sought to regard
Her as the Queen of Mysticsm. Their influence was heavily impounded on the
later-day Bengali novelists - mainly Bankim Chandra Chatterjee. The most
important point to note is that Romanticism in Europe (Victorian Era) had
its base in the recognition of the fact that Nature has magical characteristics,
and, human beings are a part of it. This notion may not have a `rigorous'
mathematical base, but, is nontheless most profound - providing the Elixir of
Life to an otherwise war-torn, crucified existence. We are indeed grateful to
those Romanticists of the Victorian Era for their gallantry against Science.

 Bhibuti Bhusan Bandhopadhyay and Tara Shankar Bandhopadhyay, after Rabindranath
Tagore were admiriers of the magical reality concept. Tarashankar hailed from
the rustics of Birbhum. Bhibutibabu from Ghatshila (Bihar). The realism of 
Tarashankar always contains an admixture of the influence of magical qualities
in human life. Moreover, Tarashankar also acknowledges the existence of the 
occult in his profound writings. Another writer, Saradindu Bandhopadhyay from
Pune in Bombay makes frequent references to the occult in his works. In fact
the best goose-bumping (ga chom-chom-ey) ghost stories I read are from the
two persons: Tarashankar and Saradindu. 

 - deb chatterjee
(a good samaritan)