Volume II,Issue IV, March 2026
Volume-II, Issue-IV, March, 2026 |
Received: 20.03.2026 | Accepted: 24.03.2026 | ||
Published Online: 31.03.2026 | Page No: | ||
DOI: 10.69655/atmadeep.vol.2.issue.04W. | |||
প্রেমেন্দ্র মিত্রের সাপ: অন্তর্মনের
কালোরজ্জু
রাখী মিস্ত্রী, গবেষক, বাংলা বিভাগ, রবীন্দ্রভারতী বিশ্ববিদ্যালয়, পশ্চিমবঙ্গ, ভারত |
Rakhi Mistry, Research Scholar, Department of Bengali, Rabindra Bharati University, West Bengal, India | ||
ABSTRACT | ||
“Intense opposition” and “excessive
romanticism,” which were essentially the dominant tones of the Kallol Movement
(1923–1929), introduced into Bengali literature themes such as bohemian
sensibilities, the helplessness of the lower and middle classes, a critical
reassessment of “accepted values,” and a pervasive sense of despair. Among the
leading figures of this movement was the eminent writer Premendra Mitra
(1904–1988). Even among contemporary writers, the distinctive tone and texture
of Mitra’s narrative style are easily recognizable. His stories, marked by
innovative form and thematic presentation, explore the consciousness of the
lower classes, the struggles of middle-class life, the interplay of reality and
surrealism, subtle psychological depths, and the anguish of urban existence in
a truly striking manner.
In the short story “Sap” (The Snake),
similar tensions, conflicts, and psychological intricacies of middle-class life
are delicately portrayed. The narrative presents the seemingly simple married
life of Uma and Umesh, who live in a quarter allotted through Umesh’s job. Next
door lives another couple, Adhar and Rangaboudi, whose married life also
appears normal and content from an external perspective. Like many newly
married women, Uma enters her marital life with the determination to adjust and
adapt. Initially, she develops a cordial relationship with Rangaboudi, but
gradually her attitude turns bitter.
This change occurs as Uma becomes
increasingly aware that the relationship between Umesh and Rangaboudi is not
entirely natural or innocent; rather, it carries deeper, more ambiguous
undertones. Umesh’s crude jokes and indecent behavior centered around Rangaboudi
begin to poison Uma’s mind, giving rise to a kind of melancholia that engulfs
her subconscious. Troubled by this situation, Uma plans to leave with Umesh and
start a new life elsewhere, but this plan fails due to Umesh himself. She
gradually realizes that Umesh is almost like a puppet in Rangaboudi’s hands.
Rangaboudi, in turn, openly asserts her authority over Umesh, even in Uma’s
presence.
At one point, Uma becomes frightened by
the sight of a snake in the kitchen and locks herself inside a room. However,
while she can shut the physical door, she cannot confine the turmoil within her
mind. Overwhelmed by unbearable thoughts, she falls asleep, and the tangled
complexities of her husband’s relationship with Rangaboudi coil around her
psyche like a venomous snake. The story ultimately explores how Uma confronts
and frees herself from these toxic mental entanglements.
Thus, the narrative presents a subtle
and profound portrayal of Uma’s psychological state. | ||
Keyword:
|