Home-coming by Rabindranath Tagore – Summary & Analysis
Plot Summary
Phatik Chakravorti, a fourteen-year-old boy, is the ringleader among the village boys. One day, he devises a mischievous plan to roll a heavy log into the river. When his younger brother Makhan sits on the log to obstruct their plan, Phatik orders the boys to roll the log with Makhan on it. Makhan falls and gets hurt, then runs home crying to their mother.
When Phatik returns home, his mother immediately blames him for hitting Makhan, even though Phatik insists he didn't. When Makhan lies and confirms their mother's accusation, Phatik loses his temper and actually beats Makhan, proving his mother right. At this moment, Phatik's maternal uncle Bishamber arrives from Calcutta (Kolkata). Observing the situation, Bishamber offers to take Phatik to Calcutta and educate him with his own children.
Phatik is overjoyed at the prospect of escaping his village home and his mother's constant scolding. His widowed mother readily agrees, relieved to be rid of her troublesome son. Phatik eagerly prepares for departure, even generously giving away his possessions to Makhan.
Upon arriving in Calcutta, Phatik meets his aunt for the first time. She is far from pleased with this unwanted addition to her family of three sons. The aunt finds Phatik to be a nuisance—neither ornamental nor useful—and treats him with contempt and neglect. Phatik desperately craves affection and recognition, but his aunt slights him at every opportunity.
Life in Calcutta becomes unbearable for Phatik. He misses the open meadows, the river banks, and his band of companions from the village. The cramped, walled-in house suffocates him. At school, he performs poorly, remaining silent when teachers question him and suffering beatings as a result. His cousins and other students mock and bully him. Even though he was once a leader among his peers, in Calcutta he becomes a victim.
Phatik summons the courage to ask his uncle when he can go home, but his uncle tells him to wait until the holidays in November—a long time away. One day, Phatik loses his lesson book, making his already difficult schoolwork impossible. The teacher canes him mercilessly, and his aunt refuses to buy him a new book, calling him a "clumsy, country lout".
That night, Phatik develops a severe headache and begins shivering with fever. The next morning, he is nowhere to be found. Despite searches throughout the neighborhood and heavy rain, no one can locate him. Bishamber seeks help from the police.
By evening, two constables bring Phatik back, drenched from head to foot, muddy, flushed with fever, and trembling. His aunt complains that he has caused too much trouble and suggests sending him home. Phatik sobs, saying he was trying to go home when the police dragged him back.
Phatik's fever rises dangerously high, and he becomes delirious. In his delirium, he cries out to his mother, pleading with her not to beat him and insisting he is telling the truth. The doctor warns that his condition is critical. Bishamber sends for Phatik's mother.
When Phatik's mother finally arrives, she rushes to his bedside, crying "Phatik, my darling, my darling." Phatik stops his restless movements, turns his head slowly, and without seeing anyone, says: "Mother, the holidays have come". The story ends on this ambiguous and deeply tragic note, leaving readers to interpret whether Phatik survives or whether "the holidays" signify his eternal release from suffering through death.
Publication
"Home-coming" was originally written in Bengali as "Chutti" (meaning "holidays") by Rabindranath Tagore in 1892. The story was first published in the Bengali literary magazine "Sadhana" in 1892, which was edited by Tagore himself. The story is part of Tagore's collection "Galpaguchchha" (Bunch of Stories). Later, Tagore translated the story into English as "The Home-coming," and it has since become an integral part of various anthologies, including the ICSE syllabus anthology "Treasure Chest: A Collection of ICSE Short Stories & Poems" for Class 9 students.
Context
Rabindranath Tagore (1861-1941), often referred to as "Gurudev", was a towering figure of the Bengal Renaissance during the late 19th and early 20th centuries. As the first non-European to win the Nobel Prize in Literature in 1913 for his poetry collection Gitanjali, Tagore reshaped Bengali literature and music while advocating for social reform, education, and universal humanism.
"Home-coming" was written during a period when colonial India was experiencing significant cultural and social transformation. The story reflects the stark contrast between rural and urban life in Bengal, particularly highlighting the disconnect between traditional village values and the rapidly modernizing urban centers like Calcutta (now Kolkata). The narrative was composed during Tagore's early literary phase when he was exploring themes of childhood, family dynamics, and the psychological impacts of displacement.
The Bengal Renaissance emphasized the revival of Bengali culture, language, and identity while integrating modern ideas. Tagore's stories from this period often challenged societal norms, explored the struggles of individuals caught between tradition and modernity, and depicted the emotional complexities of childhood. "Home-coming" embodies these concerns, presenting a poignant critique of familial neglect and the devastating effects of emotional isolation on a young adolescent.
Title
The title "Home-coming" is deeply ironic and carries multiple layers of meaning. On the surface, it suggests a warm, joyful return to one's roots and family. However, the story presents a stark contrast to this expectation.
Phatik experiences three significant "homecomings" throughout the narrative. The first homecoming occurs at the beginning of the story when he returns from the riverbank after the incident with Makhan. This homecoming is unhappy, as he faces unjust punishment and his mother's prejudice. The second homecoming happens when Phatik arrives at his uncle's house in Calcutta, which was supposed to be his new home. However, he finds no warmth, acceptance, or belonging there—only neglect, rejection, and isolation. The third and final homecoming occurs in the story's poignant conclusion when Phatik, in his critical condition, finally sees his mother and utters his last words about the holidays arriving.
The title underscores the tragic irony that Phatik never truly finds a home where he is loved and accepted. His desperate longing for his village home, for his mother's love, and for the sense of belonging he once had drives the narrative. The "home" in "homecoming" represents not just a physical place but an emotional state of love, security, and acceptance—something Phatik craves throughout the story but achieves only at the moment of his death (or near-death).
The ambiguous ending intensifies the irony: the "holidays" Phatik speaks of could signify either his return to his village home or his eternal release from earthly suffering—a spiritual homecoming to peace after a life marked by rejection and loneliness. Thus, the title "Home-coming" is profoundly appropriate, encapsulating the central theme of the story: the universal human yearning for a place where one truly belongs.
Narrative and Language
Rabindranath Tagore employs a third-person omniscient narrative style in "Home-coming". The unnamed narrator provides objective descriptions of events while also offering insight into Phatik's thoughts, emotions, and inner psychological state. This narrative perspective allows readers to understand both the external circumstances of Phatik's life and his deep internal suffering.
The narrative maintains a chronological structure, unfolding events in a linear sequence from the initial mischief at the riverbank to the tragic conclusion. This straightforward progression emphasizes the cause-and-effect relationship between Phatik's initial displacement and his eventual fate.
Tagore's language is simple yet evocative, making the story accessible while conveying profound emotional depth. He uses vivid imagery to contrast Phatik's memories of village life—"the glorious meadow where he used to fly his kite," "the broad river-banks," and "the narrow brook where he could go and dive and swim"—with the "cramped atmosphere" and walls of Calcutta. This imagery powerfully communicates Phatik's sense of suffocation and longing.
The story employs several literary devices to enhance its emotional impact:
Metaphor: The log at the beginning serves as a metaphor for Phatik's desire for adventure and his subsequent departure from the village. The "holidays" at the end metaphorically represent either actual vacation time or eternal rest through death.
Simile: Tagore uses similes to create vivid comparisons, such as Makhan appearing "like a young philosopher meditating on the futility of games," and Phatik suffering "like an overladen ass" under the teacher's blows.
Personification: Nature is personified as a nurturing force that responds to childhood innocence, particularly in descriptions of Phatik's village home.
Irony: The story is rich with irony—Phatik, who was eager to escape his village, desperately wants to return; the boy who was once a ringleader becomes a victim; and his mother, who couldn't wait to be rid of him, finally shows affection when it's too late.
Foreshadowing: Phatik's repeated longing for home and the holidays foreshadows the story's tragic climax.
Pathetic Fallacy: The torrential rain during Phatik's disappearance reflects the emotional turbulence and tragedy of the situation.
Symbolism: Multiple symbols deepen the narrative's meaning (discussed in detail in the next section).
Tagore's prose is marked by emotional restraint despite dealing with deeply tragic subject matter. He doesn't sentimentalize Phatik's suffering; instead, he presents it matter-of-factly, allowing the circumstances to speak for themselves. This restraint makes the story's emotional impact even more powerful.
The dialogue is sparse but revealing, exposing character relationships and power dynamics. The mother's harsh words to Phatik, the aunt's contemptuous remarks, and Phatik's simple question "Uncle, when can I go home?" all convey volumes about the emotional landscape of the story.
The conclusion is deliberately ambiguous, leaving readers to interpret Phatik's fate. This open-endedness invites reflection on the themes of home, belonging, love, and loss.
Themes
Love and Isolation
The central theme of "Home-coming" is the desperate need for love and the devastating effects of isolation. Phatik, despite his mischievous exterior, is a vulnerable adolescent who craves maternal affection and acceptance. His mother's prejudice against him and her favoritism toward Makhan create deep emotional wounds. In Calcutta, this isolation intensifies as his aunt treats him with contempt, his cousins mock him, and he has no friends.
Tagore portrays Phatik's longing for his mother with profound sensitivity: "A kind of physical love like that of animals; a longing to be in the presence of the one who is loved; an inexpressible wistfulness during absence; a silent cry of the inmost heart for the mother, like the lowing of a calf in the twilight". This animal-like instinct for maternal love emphasizes how fundamental this need is to human existence.
The story demonstrates how emotional neglect can be as damaging as physical abuse. Phatik's illness and possible death result not from physical deprivation but from the absence of love, belonging, and emotional support.
The Contrast Between Rural and Urban Life
Tagore vividly contrasts village life with city life to explore themes of freedom versus confinement, nature versus artificiality, and community versus isolation. In the village, Phatik enjoyed open spaces, natural beauty, the river, and the companionship of his friends, over whom he was a leader. Calcutta, by contrast, is depicted as a place of walls, confinement, and anonymity, where Phatik feels suffocated and lost.
This contrast reflects the broader societal changes occurring in colonial India during the Bengal Renaissance, as traditional rural communities encountered the challenges of urbanization and modernization. The story suggests that the city's modernity comes at the cost of human warmth and natural freedom.
Childhood and Adolescence
Tagore explores the vulnerability and complexity of adolescence, particularly the awkward age of fourteen. The narrator explicitly states: "In this world of human affairs there is no worse nuisance than a boy at the age of fourteen. He is neither ornamental, nor useful". This age represents a liminal space between childhood and adulthood, where the individual craves recognition and love but is often misunderstood and neglected.
Phatik's character embodies the innocence of childhood juxtaposed with the emerging self-awareness of adolescence. His mischief is a cry for attention, and his inability to express his needs effectively leads to tragic misunderstandings.
Symbols
The Log
The heavy log at the story's beginning symbolizes adventure, mischief, and the catalyst for change. Phatik's plan to roll the log represents his desire for excitement and his role as a leader. However, when the plan goes awry with Makhan's injury, the log becomes a symbol of the disruption that leads to Phatik's displacement from his home. It represents the pivotal moment when his life trajectory changes irrevocably.
The Holidays
The "holidays" are perhaps the most powerful symbol in the story. Throughout the narrative, holidays represent freedom, return to home, and reunion with loved ones. When Phatik asks his uncle when he can go home, he is told to wait for the holidays. For Phatik, the holidays become synonymous with homecoming and the end of his suffering.
In the story's final line—"Mother, the holidays have come"—the holidays take on an ambiguous, metaphorical meaning. They may represent the actual holidays he's been waiting for, or they may symbolize death as the ultimate holiday—eternal rest and release from earthly pain and suffering. This dual meaning creates a profound and haunting conclusion.
The River and Open Spaces
The river, meadows, and open spaces of Phatik's village symbolize freedom, naturalness, joy, and childhood innocence. These natural settings represent a state of being where Phatik felt alive, confident, and connected to his environment. They contrast sharply with the enclosed, artificial environment of Calcutta, symbolizing the loss of freedom and innocence.
Calcutta's Walls
The walls surrounding his uncle's house in Calcutta symbolize confinement, restriction, and suffocation. These physical barriers represent the emotional and psychological barriers Phatik faces in his new environment—the lack of acceptance, the absence of love, and his inability to find belonging.
Conclusion
"Home-coming" by Rabindranath Tagore is a powerful and tragic exploration of childhood vulnerability, the necessity of parental love, and the devastating consequences of emotional neglect. Through the character of Phatik Chakravorti, Tagore illuminates the profound psychological needs of adolescents and the damage caused when those needs go unmet.
The story's enduring relevance lies in its universal themes. Every reader can relate to the longing for home, the need for acceptance, and the pain of feeling unwanted. Tagore's compassionate portrayal of Phatik invites readers to reflect on how society treats its most vulnerable members—children caught between childhood and adulthood, individuals displaced from familiar environments, and those who don't fit conventional expectations.
The ambiguous ending is particularly masterful, leaving readers with lingering questions about Phatik's fate while simultaneously providing symbolic closure. Whether Phatik dies or recovers, the story's message remains clear: home is where the heart finds love, and without that love, even survival loses its meaning.
"Home-coming" also serves as a social critique of familial neglect, the rural-urban divide in colonial India, and the inadequacies of a society that fails to nurture its young. Tagore challenges readers to recognize the importance of empathy, understanding, and unconditional love in human relationships.
For ICSE Class 9 students, this story offers valuable lessons about compassion, the importance of family bonds, and the psychological complexity of adolescence. It encourages readers to appreciate their homes and loved ones while developing empathy for those who feel displaced or rejected.
Ultimately, "Home-coming" is a timeless masterpiece that captures the essence of human longing and the tragic consequences when that longing remains unfulfilled. Tagore's simple yet profound narrative continues to move readers across generations, reminding us that the deepest homecoming is not to a physical place but to the hearts of those who love us.