The Postmaster Questions and Answers

The Postmaster

In Tagore's "The Postmaster," the relationship between the postmaster and Ratan is emotionally imbalanced. The postmaster finds companionship and loyalty in Ratan, an orphan who immerses herself in...

16 educator answers

The Postmaster

The relationship between Ratan and the Postmaster is marked by complexity and mutual need. Both characters, feeling adrift and alienated—Ratan as an orphan and the Postmaster displaced from...

1 educator answer

The Postmaster

In "The Postmaster," loneliness is depicted as both a temporary and permanent state. The Postmaster's loneliness is temporary, stemming from his disconnect with the people of Ulapur. However, his...

1 educator answer

The Postmaster

In Rabindranath Tagore's "The Postmaster," the theme of individual aspiration connects deeply with the characterizations of Ratan and the postmaster. Both characters are driven by dreams—Ratan by her...

4 educator answers

The Postmaster

The postmaster does not take Ratan with him because of societal norms and concerns about reputation. Being unmarried, he risks gossip and a damaged social standing by returning to Calcutta with a...

1 educator answer

The Postmaster

The story contrasts rural and urban life through the postmaster's experiences. In the rural setting, he feels isolated and unable to appreciate the natural beauty, symbolizing the urban detachment...

1 educator answer

The Postmaster

Rabindranath Tagore's short story "The Postmaster" explores themes of loneliness, human connection, and socio-economic disparity. Set in the isolated village of Ulapur, the story follows a Calcutta...

7 educator answers

The Postmaster

The closing lines of Tagore's "The Postmaster" highlight the human tendency to cling to hope despite suffering. After the postmaster leaves, Ratan remains in the village, hoping for his return....

1 educator answer

The Postmaster

Ratan reacts with deep distress when the postmaster decides to leave the village. She initially asks where he is going and if he will return, then asks to go with him, which he dismisses. She...

1 educator answer

The Postmaster

The title "The Postmaster" highlights the central character's occupation rather than his personal identity, emphasizing the universality of his experiences. The anonymity of the postmaster...

2 educator answers

The Postmaster

In Rabindranath Tagore's "The Postmaster", meetings and partings are depicted as complex emotional experiences. The Postmaster and Ratan, both isolated, meet by chance and form a relationship out of...

1 educator answer

The Postmaster

The postmaster feels out of place in the remote village of Ulapur due to his urban background in Calcutta. He misses the intellectual and cultural environment, his family, and the convenience of city...

2 educator answers

The Postmaster

The postmaster is described as a fish out of water because he feels out of place in the small village of Ulapur, preferring the sophisticated city life of Calcutta. He looks down on the villagers for...

1 educator answer

The Postmaster

The tone of Tagore's "The Postmaster" is one of gentle melancholy and "humdrum grief," reflecting the small, humble lives and emotional pain of its characters. Tagore uses a plain, steady narration...

1 educator answer

The Postmaster

The postmaster found life in the village dull and lonely. To pass the time and keep himself occupied, he spent more and more time with Ratan, an orphaned girl who did odd jobs for him.

1 educator answer

The Postmaster

The postmaster is not entirely selfish. While he is snobbish and aloof towards the villagers, he forms a bond with Ratan, a young orphan girl, sharing personal stories, food, and teaching her to...

1 educator answer

The Postmaster

The statement reflects the postmaster's rationalization of his actions in Tagore's "The Postmaster." After rejecting Ratan's request to accompany him and witnessing her heartbreak, he philosophically...

1 educator answer

The Postmaster

An alternative ending for "The Postmaster" could involve the Postmaster and Ratan leaving together, creating a hopeful and redemptive conclusion. Another possibility is Ratan confronting the...

1 educator answer

The Postmaster

In "The Postmaster" by Rabindranath Tagore, the postmaster initially forms a bond with Ratan, an orphan girl, but ultimately abandons her when he resigns. Despite her pleas to accompany him, he...

1 educator answer

The Postmaster

In "The Postmaster," the postmaster exhibits a romantic, positive, and realistic outlook. He nostalgically reminisces about his past, indicating a Romantic nature. Despite initial reluctance, he...

1 educator answer

The Postmaster

The postmaster's emotions were mixed with guilt and sympathy when he left Ratan, realizing too late the pain his departure caused her. He consoled himself with philosophical reflections on life's...

1 educator answer

The Postmaster

The postmaster speaks of his family to Ratan to reminisce about his past and feel connected to his home in Calcutta. This sharing also makes Ratan feel part of his family, offering her a sense of...

2 educator answers

The Postmaster

As the postmaster's boat sailed, he felt a deep sorrow for leaving Ratan behind, picturing her grief-stricken face and contemplating taking her with him. Eventually, he shifted to philosophical...

1 educator answer

The Postmaster

The postmaster, displaced from urban Calcutta to remote Ulapur, finds little opportunity for his usual hobbies due to the lack of leisure and suitable companions. He attempts to write poetry, but the...

1 educator answer

The Postmaster

The sentence "But the unlettered Ratan had no philosophy to fall back on" refers to the emotional separation between the postmaster and Ratan when he leaves for Calcutta. The postmaster consoles...

1 educator answer

The Postmaster

The postmaster's relationship with Ratan in Rabindranath Tagore's story is more akin to that of a guardian rather than a lover. In Satyajit Ray's film adaptation, titled Two Daughters, there is no...

1 educator answer

The Postmaster

The post office in Ulapur was established by an Englishman who owned a nearby indigo factory. This suggests that Ulapur functioned as a company town, where the factory held significant economic and...

1 educator answer

The Postmaster

The postmaster's decision to teach Ratan reveals his need to occupy his time and assert control in a monotonous provincial town. Despite a lack of genuine warmth or fatherly attachment, he takes on...

1 educator answer

The Postmaster

Ratan felt crushed at the end of "The Postmaster" because she was abandoned by her employer, who decided to return to Calcutta alone. Her loyalty and trust were betrayed, as she naively hoped he...

1 educator answer

The Postmaster

The words "what an idea" haunt Ratan because they symbolize the postmaster's rejection and indifference to her emotional attachment. Ratan sees the postmaster as family, but he remains emotionally...

2 educator answers

The Postmaster

"Lonesome waif, forsaken by the world" describes Ratan in "The Postmaster." Ratan is an orphan who feels abandoned after the Postmaster, her only companion, leaves her behind. This phrase highlights...

1 educator answer

The Postmaster

The ending of Tagore's "The Postmaster" reflects the modern condition by highlighting universal pain and suffering. Both the postmaster and Ratan experience pain through their separation,...

1 educator answer

The Postmaster

Both "Girls" by Mrinal Pande and "The Postmaster" by Rabindranath Tagore highlight the marginalization of women in Indian society. Pande's story critiques the internalized discrimination against...

2 educator answers

The Postmaster

The title "The Postmaster" is appropriate because it reflects the central perspective and themes of the story. The narrative is primarily viewed through the postmaster's eyes, highlighting his...

1 educator answer

The Postmaster

The statement is only partially valid as the closing paragraph of "The Postmaster" encapsulates significant themes but does not solely represent the entire theme of the story. The last paragraph...

1 educator answer

The Postmaster

The climax of "The Postmaster" highlights the contrast in individual thinking between the postmaster and Ratan. The postmaster's decision to leave for Calcutta reflects self-interest and...

1 educator answer

The Postmaster

The postmaster does hesitate in revealing his sadness at being away from his home and family to Ratan, the little girl. In fact, he never confides in her about it through conversation. He only...

1 educator answer

The Postmaster

In "The Postmaster," Calcutta is portrayed as a desirable, cosmopolitan place compared to the rural village of Ulapur. The postmaster views Calcutta as more hygienic and culturally rich, aligning...

1 educator answer

The Postmaster

The incessant heavy rains in Ulapur make the roads impassable; trading has to be conducted in boats, and there is less to do about the place.

1 educator answer

The Postmaster

The postmaster in Tagore's short story lacks adequate coping skills. He struggles to adapt to life in Ulapur and does not engage with the community, showing emotional dependence on others, such as...

1 educator answer

The Postmaster

"The Postmaster" redefines "advanced" by contrasting the urban, educated postmaster with the rural, uneducated Ratan, highlighting how societal advancement often benefits only the privileged. The...

2 educator answers