Morality and Gender Stereotypes in the Folk Tales of Thakurmar Jhuli

Abstract

When Thakurmar Jhuli [‘A Grandmother’s Bag (of Tales)’] – a collection of oral folk narratives native to Bengal – was published in 1907, Rabindranath Tagore praised the author/compiler, Dakshinaranjan Mitra Majumdar, for not only showcasing the traditional language and culture of Bengal, but also for his compelling narrative power, which, Tagore felt, replicated the narrative art unique to women, chiefly, grandmothers. Thus, the collection is framed by a gendered perspective, even before the stories begin. The stories typically comprise themes of adventure and fantasy, and characters include kings, queens, animals, monsters, and fairy-like personas. While these themes and characters quickly capture the child’s imagination, it is very clear to the adult reader that the moral purpose of each of these traditional folk-tales is not unlike that of a ‘conduct book’: in that, the story, themes and characters all serve to remind the reader of acceptable social codes of behaviour. In reading these stories critically from the perspective of gender, this study seeks to examine how gender stereotypes in these tales were used as vehicles of morality; and to analyse the role of traditional folk tales in disseminating moral lessons to its young auditors over the ages. This study will also critically examine the problematic female characters in these tales, such as the rakshasi (demoness/she-monster) and the old women, who are usually not integrated into the mainstream of the societies presented in these tales.