writing_womans_lives_symposium_paper_book_v2

Context‐specific writings: As the magazines have been very sincere and prompt to publish the
appropriate writings at the right moment, these pieces are generally context or issue‐driven, i.e. certain
occasion demanded this type of writing on or by a particular personality. Many of these are obituaries or
remembrances after someone’s death. Others are‐ birth or death anniversary, esp. to mark the centenary
or 150 years’ celebrations; occasion of awards/ honours conferred; current controversy; banned
publications; retirement from Office; or such social issues like violence against women.
Forms of writing: There has been a lot of experiments regarding the outer form‐ different modes
and forms like the following have been found:‐ poetry, prose narrative, scholarly articles, story‐ telling,
interview, speech, letter, open letter, dictation, diıalogue, statement before Enquiry Commission,
obituary, diary, e‐mail, genealogical table, bio‐data, translation and reprints from other sources.
Style of writing: Women’s writings are marked by theır honesty‐ some of the writings like the
autobiographies of Amodini Dasi or Hemantabala are remarkably candid. 19th c. women exposed their
utter helplessness, repressive nature of relatives, superstitions, casteism, domestic problems, as well as
the amusing stories of meeting with the European officers. They did not hide even bitter truths and
insults.
The biographical writings by women are also personal as they are generally written about the
parents or close relatives. The serious impartial and reliable research‐work are rather lacking in the
biographical literature contributed by Bengali women.
19th c writings by women, as we see in Bamabodhini, were less stylized and more emotional‐ they
had the habit of secretly keeping records of incidents. Most of them did not think of publishing
them.The writiıngs of modern days are less strained and free‐flowing but at times confessional in
nature.
Earlier elegies were very common form to pay homage to the deceased. Now the dominant form is
prose. However a few poems have occasionally been wrıtten in memory of the deceased, to pay
tributes or have been dedıcated to someone special.
Trend analysis: There is no recognisable change in the way women wrote their memoirs. Earlier it
was less sophisticated and more explosive but even now the writings are honest reminiscences and
true to life. In 19th c. there was less stylizatıon. Earlier poetry was a preferred form to express grief
whıch is not the case now.
Earlier, biographies were weapons of informal educations. Now‐a‐days it is more to pay homage to
the deceased personalities on some special occasions such as their centennial or sesquicentennial birth
or death anniversaries. Living on memory and nostalgia is somehow spontaneous to women, but they
have established themselves as good biographers, too; and, the effortless and sincere but
non‐scholarly style of writing has a definite charm of getting knowledge and information in the garb of
domesticity and intimacy and the joy of playing with myriad colours of emotions. Despite limitations,
women have somehow emerged as biographers and showed their skill in making these writings
entertaining.
All the special issues selected for the study have been published after 1990. Therefore, we can say it
is a recent trend to bring out theme‐based special issues.
Conclusion:the bond between the little magazines and women.
Little magazines have always stood by the suppressed communities and helped them to voice their
protests against social discrimination. Bengali women also have found a suitable medium in these
magazines to express their needs and aspirations, to reveal their struggles against the injustice and the
taboos inflicted on them by the contemporary society or their accomplishments and performances.
During the last half of 19 th c. some magazines worked hard to spread awareness and knowledge
among women. They regularly published inspiring pieces of writings that had great relevance to
women of that time. The pioneering efforts by Masik Patrika (1843) and Bamabodhini Patrika (1863)
deserve special mention. However these women‐centric publications edited by men were very soon
followed by magazines published and edited by women themselves. The ladies of Tagore family
showed the way. Thus the small magazines of this time ignited the spirit of inquiry and developed the
skill of writing in women.
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