| Abstract: |
This review paper presents a comprehensive meta-analysis of scholarly research examining the literary contributions of four prominent Bengali writers: Rabindranath Tagore, Bibhutibhushan Bandyopadhyay, Mahasweta Devi, and Buddhadeva Basu. Through systematic examination of existing literature, this study investigates the thematic preoccupations, narrative techniques, and cultural representations that characterize their works. The analysis reveals distinct yet interconnected literary trajectories shaped by historical contexts ranging from colonial Bengal to post-independence India. Tagore's universalist humanism, Bandyopadhyay's pastoral realism, Devi's activist documentation, and Basu's modernist experimentation represent four paradigmatic approaches to Bengali literature. This comparative framework identifies convergences in their treatment of social hierarchies, gender dynamics, and cultural identity while highlighting divergences in stylistic choices and ideological positioning. The meta-analysis synthesizes findings from literary criticism, cultural studies, and historical scholarship to construct a multidimensional understanding of Bengali literary evolution. This research contributes to comparative literature discourse by demonstrating how individual authorial voices collectively constitute a regional literary tradition while simultaneously engaging with global modernist movements. The findings have implications for understanding the relationship between literature and social transformation in colonial and postcolonial contexts. |
