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Rebati : the story in multiple translations
Rebati, the famous Oriya short story by Fakir Mohan Senapati, is considered as the first Oriya modern short story.
80 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1898
About the author
Fakir Mohan Senapati
26 books35 followersFakir Mohan Senapati (Odia: ଫକୀର ମୋହନ ସେନାପତି), often referred to as Utkala Byasa Kabi (Odisha's Vyasa), was an Indian writer, poet, philosopher and social reformer. He played a leading role in establishing the distinct identity of Odia, a language mainly spoken in the Indian state of Odisha. Fakirmohan Senapati is regarded as the father of Odia nationalism and modern Odia literature.
(courtesy: wiki)
(courtesy: wiki)
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Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews
May 10, 2016
A short story translated by Oriya on the female right to education and the problems faced.
Loved it. Also can I just BURN the grandmother in a pit?
Loved it. Also can I just BURN the grandmother in a pit?
March 22, 2021
Rebati by Fakir Mohan Senapati is a short story that was originally written in Odia. The story addresses the caste and class system in India, the treatment of the girl child, and the denial of education to her. The writing style of the story deserves special mention as well as the character of the cruel grandmother who's words that ended the story still echo in my mind.
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Check my book reviews, recommendations, and other content on my blog Travelling Through Words and bookstagram!
February 3, 2024
Even the old hag's death at the end doesn't make up for her sickening character.
January 3, 2024
Senapati wants to highlight the standing of women through this story and tries his best to showcase to his readers the era when women had no identity at all. The foremost leitmotif of this story speciously spins around Rebati's education and her dream. The way in which she is learning is unreservedly dissimilar, since it is informal education or home tuition.
Rebati's entreaty for education is at the centre of the plot. Through the grandmother's blind and superstitious nature the writer has presented the traditional biased approach.
The key plot deals with the life and sufferings, and the tragic death of Rebati. The story also presents the conflict between values: reformist as opposed to conformist. The author develops the width of the encounter by highlighting four evils in the society -- poverty, witlessness, mistreatment and convention and thereby offers a very forbidding picture of the rural parts of India.
Due to unawareness, the rural folk fall prey to superstitions and remain isolated from progress. Rebati's grandmother takes education as an ill omen only because of her illiteracy. She cannot think beyond the tradition of patriarchy.
Senapati has also presented the cruel workings of the feudal system in the story. The Karans like Shyambandhu have to work, customarily, for Zamindars as record-keepers and accountants. The Zamindars abuse these poor people in their own way. While women are exploited in their families, the poor people are exploited by the Zamindars. Both the women and the poor people suffer their lot wordlessly without articulating their sufferings. The Zamindar takes away almost all the belongings of Rebati's family after her father's death. This kind of mistreatment is but the natural result of deficiency and lack of education on the part of the sufferers.
This is what Senapati tries to highlight through the question of Rebati's education. He simply seeks just wants to eliminate all these evils by providing education to women. Rebati is just a minor part of his greater scheme.
Rebati's mother and grandmother symbolize the womenfolk of rural India. The satirical voice of the narrator signifies the nationalist unease about the 'Westernisation' of Indian women.
Rebati's entreaty for education is at the centre of the plot. Through the grandmother's blind and superstitious nature the writer has presented the traditional biased approach.
The key plot deals with the life and sufferings, and the tragic death of Rebati. The story also presents the conflict between values: reformist as opposed to conformist. The author develops the width of the encounter by highlighting four evils in the society -- poverty, witlessness, mistreatment and convention and thereby offers a very forbidding picture of the rural parts of India.
Due to unawareness, the rural folk fall prey to superstitions and remain isolated from progress. Rebati's grandmother takes education as an ill omen only because of her illiteracy. She cannot think beyond the tradition of patriarchy.
Senapati has also presented the cruel workings of the feudal system in the story. The Karans like Shyambandhu have to work, customarily, for Zamindars as record-keepers and accountants. The Zamindars abuse these poor people in their own way. While women are exploited in their families, the poor people are exploited by the Zamindars. Both the women and the poor people suffer their lot wordlessly without articulating their sufferings. The Zamindar takes away almost all the belongings of Rebati's family after her father's death. This kind of mistreatment is but the natural result of deficiency and lack of education on the part of the sufferers.
This is what Senapati tries to highlight through the question of Rebati's education. He simply seeks just wants to eliminate all these evils by providing education to women. Rebati is just a minor part of his greater scheme.
Rebati's mother and grandmother symbolize the womenfolk of rural India. The satirical voice of the narrator signifies the nationalist unease about the 'Westernisation' of Indian women.
September 30, 2021
A short story which to most modern readers like myself might seem a little pointless for it has no internal message. It is, in fact, the depiction of the reality certain classes of people face. Rebati is the story of a young girl who was born, it would seem, to face the atrocities of a cruel world.
While the translation was a bit iffy to read and the author's way of writing is particularly detached and emotionless, I still found the flow pretty well and while it was no thrilling page-turner, it was certainly impactful in showcasing lives, most of us middle-class privileged people could not fathom to understand.
It was one of those reads that would stay with you as a gruesome reminder.
While the translation was a bit iffy to read and the author's way of writing is particularly detached and emotionless, I still found the flow pretty well and while it was no thrilling page-turner, it was certainly impactful in showcasing lives, most of us middle-class privileged people could not fathom to understand.
It was one of those reads that would stay with you as a gruesome reminder.
August 18, 2020
Rebati and her story is just awesome and inspiring. A must read for all.
November 16, 2021
it is very good
Read
January 12, 2021Heartwrenching
Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews