উনিশ শতকের অন্দরমহল ও রাসসুন্দরী দাসীর ‘আমার জীবন’ : আত্মপ্রকাশের ভাষা অনুসন্ধান/ Unish shataker andarmahal o Rashsundari Dasir Amar Jiban : Atmaprokasher Bhasa anusandhan

Abstract

While nineteenth-century Bengali society was being illuminated by the dawn of the Renaissance, the lives of women in the andarmahal remained shrouded in the darkness of rigid customs and illiteracy. Emerging from this secluded space, Rashsundari Dasi’s ‘Amar Jiban’ stands not only as the first full-fledged autobiography in Bengali literature but also as a unique testament to the female psyche.

​            This research paper explores how an ordinary housewife, though crushed by the relentless grind of domesticity, discovered her ‘language of existence’ through the hard-won acquisition of literacy. In this context, ‘language’ signifies more than just the alphabet; it serves as a profound medium of self-identity. By examining the conflicts between socio-cultural norms, religious faith, and personal aspirations, this essay analyzes how Rashsundari Devi’s narrative transcends the domestic limitations of the nineteenth century to achieve universal significance.