สำนักราชบัณฑิตยสภา

The Journal of the Royal Institute of Thailand Volume III - 2011 25 Srisurang Poolthupya women. He was concerned with widowsû plights, the unfair dowry system and womenûs education or the lack of it. The ancient scripture Manu Smriti says: çHer father protects her in childhood, her husband protects her in youth, her sons protect her in old age › a woman does not deserve independence.é (de Bary, 1966: vol. I, 228). Tagore, however, picked up a character, Chitrangada, from the epic Mahabharata to symbolize an ideal woman. In his drama Chitrangada asked Arjuna, çIf I stand up straight and strong with the strength of a daring heart spurning the wiles and arts of twining weakness, if I hold my head high like a tall young mountain fir, no longer trailing in the dust like a liana, shall I then appeal to manûs eye? Ç Would it please your heroic soul if the playmate of the night aspired to be the helpmate of the day, if the left arm learnt to share the Burden of the proud right arm?é (Tagore, 1970a: 51) In The Home And the World , Tagore tells the story through three characters who see things from their perspectives. The modern husband, Nikhil, wishes to educate his wife Bimala by getting a lady tutor, Miss Gilby, to teach his wife. He also takes her out of Purdah or seclusion into the real world. Tagoreûs educational essays also show his concern that men and women should have equal opportunities in acquiring knowledge. Picture 5 Travelling Tagore 16-28_mac9 5/3/12, 11:13 PM 25