The Life of Sharatchandra Chattopadhyay

Narasingha P. Sil taught at colleges in Calcutta and Chandannagar for three years and at the University of Benin for seven years before moving to Western Oregon University in January 1987, from where he retired as professor of history in July 2011. His working paper "The Babu of Colonial Calcutta: A Reassessment" was published by Monash University Press in 2009. His bibliographical essay on Sri Ramakrsna will be published by Oxford University Press in 2012. His monograph, Swami Vivekananda: A Reassessment (Susquehanna University Press, prior to 1997), was selected by Choice as an "Outstanding Academic Book" in the field of religious studies.

The Life of Sharatchandra Chatopadhyay presents a historical critical assessment of the novelist's upbringing and the experiences that informed his work. The author exposes Sharatchandra's innate conservative worldview and his romantic platonic concept of human sexuality that informs all his love stories.

PrefaceAcknowledgmentsTranslation, Transliteration, Orthography, Bengali CalendarChapter OneProlegomenaPolitical and Social Condition of Late Colonial IndiaChapter TwoSharatchandra's Parents: Matilal and Bhubanmohini ChattopadhyaySharatchandra's Childhood and Early YouthSharatchandra's Physical and Emotional MakeupChapter ThreeThe Making of a Literary Career: the BeginningsChapter FourSharatchandra in Rangoon: A Nonresident Nobody from BengalLow Life in Rangoon: "A Season in Hell"Chapter FiveLiterary Career during Rangoon DaysChapter SixBaje Shibpur: Return of the Prodigal SonPanitras: Sharat the Glowing MoonCalcutta: End of JourneyChapter SevenTreasures of the Invincible Wordsmith [Aparajeya Kathasilpi]Pallisamaj, Arak?a?iy, Dena Paona, Ba?adidi, DebdasCaritrahin, Srikanta, Se?prasnaChapter EightSharatchandra's Caste and Gender ConsciousnessShartchandra's Male and Female CharactersSharatchandra's Caste consciousnessChapter NineBankim-Rabindranath-SharatchandraBankimchandraRabindranathRabindranath and Sharatchandra: An Episode of Elegant MisunderstandingChapter TenSharatchandra's Political Ideas and ActivitiesSharatchandra's Pather DabiChapter ElevenSharatchandra's Enduring PopularityChapter TwelveSharatchandra and Jean Jacques Rousseau: A Tour de ForceGlossaryBibliographyIndexAbout the Author