Summary of the short story The Postmaster by Tagore

 

The Postmaster

-         Tagore

The Postmaster is one of Tagore’s famous short stories. This story explores the love of a village girl for a city bred young man.

The young postmaster took up his duties at the village at Ulapur. He felt like a fish out of water in that rural area. He was not good in mingling with others. Among strangers he appeared strangers he appeared proud or Ill at ease. He had only few friends.

The postmaster’s salary was small. He had to look his own meals. He used to share with Ratan, an Orphan girl in the village. She did odd jobs for him. She was a only companion with whom he used to chat.

Once the Postmaster asked Ratan whether she remembered anything about the parents.  She replied that her father had been fond of her mother. She also called to mind a little brother whom she used to play with. The Postmaster recalls her memories of his family member aloud in the presence of the simple little girl. She had a complete picture of each one of them painted in her little heart. She would allude to his people as father, mother, brother and sister as if he had known them all her life.

In order to fight his loneliness, the Postmaster began teaching Ratan the alphabets. She got a double concern in a very short time. She called him affectionately “Dada”.

One day during incessant rain the Postmaster fell sick. Ratan at once stepped into the post of her mother. She called for the village doctor and gave him pills at proper intervals. She sat up all night near his pillow cooked gruel for him and took care of him.

As soon as he recovered the postmaster applied for a transfer but Ratan had falsen her language lessons when the Postmasters transfer was rejected, he resigned his post and prepared to go home.

When the Postmaster told Ratan of his decision. She expressed her desire to go with him. The Postmasters laughing reply “What an Idea” haunted her the whole night. When he left the village, he offered some money to the offer and ran away out of site.

The postman consoled himself with philosophical reflections on the numberless meeting and parting in the world. He reflected on death the great parting non returns bit Ratan had no Philosophy. She was wandering about the post office in a flood of tears. There might been a lurking hope in some corner of her heart, that her Dada would return.

In this story Tagore presents the anguish of both the postmaster and the orphan girl.