The 'Bar Rant', of a Rajah's household should have nothing too serious to complain of or lament about, especially when the woman is a young and beautiful lady. She is the 'Bar Rant'; the throne of the household should be her and not Biomass's, who is the 'Chat Rant'. A woman "of a beauty rarely to be seen"; why she should be Jealous of the dark and slim Bimodal? In a typical case like this, obviously nothing should be plaguing the Bar Rant, but it is not so here.
She is a Jealous, manipulative lady with "no pretensions to saintliness", as seen by Bimodal. And she is a fellow old friend ofNikkei, ought to be pitied and be lenient and benevolent upon by him. She is a widow, a young childless widow. And she is an epitome of patriarchy, the old traditional ways of India in the beginning of the twentieth century Bengal.
And for more, she is a true caretaker and well-wisher of Nikkei. The missing vermilion mark on her forehead is actually been replaced by an in invisible black mark. A mark which has sucked off the happiness and rank she should have been entitled to. Called the Bar Rain she is not considered as Bar by Bimodal. Bimodal has taken the throne of Rain as if she is the legitimate holder of the position.
Bimodal has a stainless husband, and is loved a lot by him. This is a special eyesore to the Bar Rant, who herself could never get such love from her husband. Bimodal has a husband and the Bar Rain is a widow, what could be another good reason to be jealous of Bimodal? She taunts, she comments, she is rude and she is full of sarcasm for her. "A Thief who had stolen a husband's love" "A sham hidden in the shamelessness of her new-fangled finery' Her plight as a widowed woman can be best understood in her own words, mono, brother dear,' she replied with a sigh, 'l would not live my life again - not as a Oman!Let what I have had to bear end with this one birth. I could not bear it over again. " Nikkei who had been her friend since she entered a young bride in the Rajah's house has been the only one left with whom she has a relationship which she cherished with all her heart.
Their relationship is not a romantic one but based on the bond of friendship. She cannot complain but tolerate in silence the right on Nikkei of Bimodal now, which was once only hers. Nikkei fulfills her demand, whatever they are, perhaps the only way left for her to satisfy with, that some claim is still left of her ever Nikkei.She worries for him, when Bimodal leaves him astray she consoles him. She is even ready to leave her Rajah's house behind and move with the couple to Calcutta, to a place unknown to her, to a future which is bleak to her.
She is ready to risk it all, only for Nikkei. He is the only one left with whom she has something to share with. Packed with her belongings at the time of their leave, she stands amongst them with Nikkei as a widow to be sympathized with, a friend to be cherished for and a woman to be astonished of. Nikkei realizes her plight, he empathetic with her.Now, s that he could see way back to the time when they were children and she first came to that household as a young bride. "The Bar Rain came into our house when I was only six years old.
We have played together, through the drowsy afternoons, in a corner of the roof- terrace... " She asks for Swedish Goods from him, Just too see him brim with happiness and have a smile on his face, though she do not use them herself later. Bimodal setting her foot out in the world, and she is their always scorning upon and scolding her with her fanged tongue.
She could not help but was even compelled to manipulate situations so as to try to put Bimodal back on track. Not that she has a great regard for Bimodal but she cannot see the face of Nikkei sunken in deep grief. She tries her best to break the relationship between Bimodal and Sanding. As a patriarchal figure she checks each and every step of Bimodal. A silent watcher and observer, behind the scenes worker she create events and inflict words of wisdom to keep away Bimodal from straying away to doom.
But alas, Bimodal is too proud, foolish and lost in her illusionary image of herself as the Shasta, to listen and heed to a widowed woman, with whom she shares an unspoken rivalry since times. This sarcasm did not touch me; for I knew that these women had it not in them to understand the nature of the cause of my devotion" She has all sorts of names for her to call with, "Little Demon", "Robber Queen", "Cootie Darling", for all the different situations she finds her to be in with respect to her home and the world.The Bar Rain with her Betel Leaves singing, talking and wandering around with her maid Took, does not sound much impressing. Sounding as the villain in the plot in the beginning of the novel, she emerges as a lady with a heart full of compassion, not only for Nikkei but for Bimodal too. Informed of Biomass's birthday, she offers to make delicacies for her. She exclaims with disappointment on finding Bimodal preparing cakes by herself on her birthday "Has it come to this that you must make cakes for your own birthday? Discovering that her six thousand rupees offered by Nikkei to her, have been spent off by Bimodal, she could have lashed her with her bitter tongue but she do not.
Checking herself all that she said was she would do the same with her husband's loose cash. Taking away such a heavy load away from Biomass's head, who was accepting her ire n such an occasion she surprises the readers too. Perhaps this change in her can be seen as a natural effect of the episode when Bimodal puts all her pride in her feet and takes the dust of them.Perhaps because the respect of which she was entitled to was finally given to her, her heart softens for Bimodal, which otherwise was always so had Bimodal been more considerate and respectful toward the poor lady.
"l overcame all hesitation and making a low obeisance I took the dust of my elder sister-in laws feet. 'Bless my soul, Chat Rant,' she exclaimed, What has come upon you? Why this sudden reverence? It is my birthday, sister,' said I. 'I have caused you pain. Give me your blessings today that I may never do so again. My mind is so small. I repeated my obeisance and left hurriedly, but she called me back.
You never before told me that this was your birthday, cootie darling! Be sure to come and have lunch with me this afternoon. You positively must" Nonetheless, she comes out to be lady of wisdom, intelligence and experience. Her philosophies keep ringing afresh in the reader's mind on any occasion of recalling her, especially when she gives Bimodal her piece of mind over the nature of a woman n context to her accusation of her of being double-face, "Oh, our artless little Chat Rant! Straight as a schoolmaster's rod, eh? But a woman is not built that way. She is soft and supple, so that she may bend without being crooked. " And over Biomass's statement on her, if of being so fearful of her of any loss she can repay herself by the security which Bimodal then offered to give of all that she has, Waist listen to her, our simple little Junior Rant! ' she laughed back, turning to my husband.
' does she not know that there are losses which no security can make good, either in this world or in the next?Étagère has Justified the portrayal of Bar Rain in the context of his times in his novel "The Home and The World". A woman, who represents the dilemma and emotional plight of the community of widowed women of which she is a part of. A symbol of the old and the traditional, she does stands up against the new notion of modernity coming in Bengal at many instances, but with a goodwill in her heart and wisdom of the old times, she checks and tries her best to not let the ills of modernity plague Bengal, something which comes with all things though even if rendered with the shines.
