Short Essay Type Questions with Answers

Q. 1. According to Rassundari Devi God answered her prayer. How was her prayer
answered?
Ans. Rassundari Devi expresses her unquenchable longing to read books in her
autobiography, "Amar Jiban". She challenges the notion that "girls do not read" with her
unwavering dedication. Her every reliance rested on God, and she fervently engaged in daily
prayer. She possessed an unwavering belief in God and believed that only God could instruct
her. She had a dream where she was reading the book "Chaitanya Bhagavata". She expressed
gratitude to God, attributing the fulfillment of her dream to divine intervention, and believed
that finding the book was a confirmation of God's role in making her dream a reality.
Rassundari Devi states in her autobiography that all her prayers were fulfilled by God. Each
time she expressed a desire, God would do a supernatural act to fulfill it. She desired to
engage in the activities of reading and writing. Her main desire was to peruse the book
"Chaitanya Bhagavata". She saw God as her sole instructor and believed that whatever she
attempted to read or write was guided by God's divine intention. Her resolute drive and
unwavering will to read and write in the society of her time is seen as a divine response to her
prayers.
Q. 2. How did Rassundari Devi learn to read and write?
Ans. Rassundari Devi, in her autobiography "Amar Jiban", expresses her unquenchable
longing to indulge in reading books. She challenges the notion that "girls do not read" with
her resolute determination. She was a homemaker from an affluent landlord's family. In that
era, there was a prevailing belief that if a woman acquired literacy skills, it would result in
misfortune for her husband and ultimately lead to her being a widow. Nevertheless, while
being aware of this, she clandestinely acquired the skills of literacy well after her marriage.
Rashsundari Devi took a page from her husband's religious tome and purloined one of the
sheets upon which her son would practice penmanship. She concealed these two objects in
her kitchen. In her spare moments, she made an effort to compare the words written on the
leaf with those written on the paper. In her autobiography, "Amar Jiban", Rassundari Devi
claims that she had a dream where she was engrossed in reading "Chaitanya Bhagavata".
Upon awakening, she experienced a sense of enchantment. In her dream, the act of reading
gave her the impression that she already possessed something of great value. This dream
ignites her fervent aspiration to engage in reading and writing.

Q. 3. What kind of social picture is depicted through “Amar Jiban” by Rassundari

Devi?
Ans. Rassundari Devi is one of the pioneering female authors in Bengali literature. Her
autobiography, titled "Amar Jiban" (My Life), is recognized as the inaugural published
autobiography in the Bengali language. Rassundari Devi resided during an era when upper-
class/caste women in India were scarcely influenced by social change. Women were denied
access to education and a woman who could read and write was considered to be an immoral
or cursed individual. However, Rassundari was determined not to remain illiterate for the rest
of her life. She acquired literacy skills autonomously and developed a distinct sense of self
that was apart from her spouse and offspring. Through unwavering commitment and diligent
effort, she acquired the ability to read and write and utilized it to explore and understand
herself. Rassundari Devi: A Pioneer of Feminism Rassundari Devi's life was characterized by
a sequence of activities and decisions that deviated significantly from the prevailing
patriarchal societal norms of her era. Consequently, these behaviours can be considered as
'transgressions' that society deemed unlawful. Rassundari Devi acquired the ability to read
and write against the prevailing notion that women who attained literacy would bring
misfortune to their families and be subjected to divine retribution in the form of widowhood.
In addition to acquiring literacy skills, she made the deliberate choice to document the
occurrences and particulars of her ordinary household existence in a written form and
successfully had it published. She dared to reveal her life in writing and expose it to the
public. By engaging in this action, she breached the boundaries of the public domain, a realm
that was completely off-limits to upper-class Hindu women. A published work no longer
stays a private act of writing but enters the public domain where it is accessible and available
for scrutiny and interrogation by anybody. Rassundari Devi is deemed to have
committed three significant "transgressions" by patriarchy: engaging in reading, writing, and
accessing the public arena.

Q. 4. How did Rassundari Devi make a notable departure from common patriarchal
beliefs through her autobiography?
Ans. In her autobiography "Amar Jiban," Rassundari challenged the prevailing patriarchal
notion that female devotion can only be demonstrated by rituals like as fasting, penance, and
preparing food for deities. Rassundari eschewed the traditional and ceremonial expressions of
women's devotion that reinforced the patriarchal social order, instead cultivating an
intellectual connection with her deity through the study of Chaitanya Bhagavata. She opted to
partake in a kind of worship in which she actively participates, alongside her husband and
other males, rather than being a passive devotee. Several subsequent Bengali male authors
and poets have written about the magnificence of a housewife, portraying her as a
'grihalakshmi' or a revered deity of the household. Patriarchy has always portrayed the
concept of a grihalakshmi as the epitome of an ideal woman, whose well-being and
contentment are derived from her perpetual subservience, and whose joy is contingent upon
the happiness of her husband (master) and children. In "Amar Jiban," Rassundari analyses
and breaks down the revered image of the homemaker. In addition, she elucidates the
enigmatic nurturing maternal figure by characterizing her role of nourishing and caring for
children as physically arduous. Rassundari's autobiographical writing challenges the portrayal
of women in literature as seen through a masculine perspective. Rassundari Devi's
autobiography serves as a testament to the challenges faced by women of her generation in
pursuing education.

Q. 5. What picture of women’s education in the then society can we infer from
Rassundari Devi’s Excerpts from Amar Jiban”?
Ans. Rassundari Devi, in her autobiography "Amar Jiban", vividly expresses her
unquenchable longing for reading literature. She challenges the notion that "girls do not read"
with her resolute determination. Her every reliance rested on God, and she fervently engaged
in daily prayer. She possessed an unwavering belief in God and believed that only God could
instruct her. Rassundari Devi resided during an era when upper-class/caste women in India
had scarcely been influenced by social change. Women were denied access to education, and
a woman who could read and write was considered to be evil or cursed. However, Rassundari
was determined not to remain illiterate for the rest of her life. She acquired literacy skills
independently and forged her distinct personality separate from her spouse and offspring.
Through unwavering commitment and diligent effort, she not only acquired the ability to read
and write but also employed it to explore and understand herself. Rassundari Devi took a
page from her husband's religious tome and appropriated one of the sheets upon which her
son would practice penmanship. She concealed these two objects in her kitchen. In her spare
time, she made an effort to compare the words on the leaf with the ones on the page.
Whenever she detected any approaching footsteps during her reading lessons, she would
promptly conceal both the page and the leaf beneath a nearby appliance or stove.The process
by which this woman acquired the skills of literacy would appear unfamiliar and foreign in
today's society. Subsequently, Rassundari Devi documented her hardships in an
autobiography titled "Amar Jiban" (My Life). In her memoirs, she recounts the period during
which she acquired the skills of reading and writing. "Amar Jiban" elucidates the role of
purdah (veil) in perpetuating the marginalization of women from education. It served as a
mechanism to ostracise them from society.

Q. 6. “Well, I was like a caged bird.” – Why did Rassundari Devi think of herself as a
“caged bird”?
Ans.In her memoir "Amar Jiban", Rassundari Devi vividly portrayed her married life as akin
to that of a captive avian creature. At first, the announcement of her marriage brought her joy
and anticipation, although it also instilled a significant amount of fear within her. She began
to cry when she thought about her in-laws' residence and distanced herself from all the
celebration. Subsequently, her mother comforted her, and she found solace in the decorations,
the crimson bridal sari, and the wedding melodies. However, the distress intensified when she
had to part from her mother and loved ones. Despite her mother's consolation, she began to
cry. Her mother reassured her by explaining that marriage is an inevitable destiny for all girls,
and it is a divine longing that God will always support her through. She began to console
herself by having faith in the presence of God. While traveling to her in-laws' residence, she
experienced profound sadness and continued to cry incessantly until she became physically
exhausted and fell ill. Her depression deepened further when the individuals on the boat
attempted to provide her comfort, although their comments just intensified her sorrow as their
compassionate remarks reminded her of the love and care she had lost from her community.
Her sole recourse was a supplication to the divine. She experienced empathy for her wretched
condition and drew a parallel between herself and a "caged bird".

Short Questions with Answers

Q. 1. How does Rassundari Devi defy the rule that “girls do not read”?
Ans. In her autobiography, “Amar Jiban”, Rassundari Devi has unfolded her
inextinguishable desire to read books. With her strong determination, she defies the rule
that “girls do not read”. After the housework, she used to listen to the chanting words
from the students. She read those letters sometimes but couldn’t write them.
Q. 2. What is the significance of Rassundari Devi’s dream?
Ans. In her autobiography, “Amar Jiban”, Rassundari Devi asserts that one day she dreamt
that she was reading “Chaitanya Bhagavata”. She woke up she felt enthralled. The
reading in her dream seemed to her that she was already in possession of something
precious. This dream enkindles her burning desire to read and write.
Q. 3. What difficulties did Rassundari Devi have in trying to read the stolen sheet?
Ans. In her autobiography, “Amar Jiban”, Rassundari Devi has unfolded her
inextinguishable desire to read books. She had to face difficulties in trying to read the
stolen sheet. She was very afraid if she was found with the sheet, it would be a matter
of disgrace for her. She was so engaged in her housework that she was barely able to
manage time for reading. Moreover, she needed a teacher to read the stolen sheet.
Q. 4. How did Rassundri Devi teach herself with the help of the stolen sheet?
Ans. In her autobiography, “Amar Jiban”, Rassundari Devi has unfolded her
inextinguishable desire to read books. She had great faith in God. She believed that God
would certainly find some way out for her. To read the stolen sheet Rassundari Devi
decided to steal one of the palm leaves from her elder son. She tried to remember the
chanting words. With great difficulties, she taught herself with the help of the stolen
sheet.
Q. 5. Why did Rassundari Devi feel like a thief?
Ans. In her autobiography, “Amar Jiban”, Rassundari Devi has unfolded her
inextinguishable desire to read books. For this, she stole a sheet from “Chaitanya
Bhagavata”. She felt like a thief as trying to learn was considered an offense in the then
society.
Q. 6. Why did Rassundari Devi find it harder to write than to read?
Ans. In her autobiography, “Amar Jiban”, Rassundari Devi asserts that she found it harder to
write than to read. She did not learn to write. One needs a lot of things if one is to write:
paper, pen, ink, inkpot, and so on. One has to set everything before one; she was a
woman, the family's daughter-in-law. She was not supposed to read or write. It was
generally accepted as a grave offense.
Q. 7. Why did Rassundari Devi find reading books very difficult?
Ans. In her autobiography, “Amar Jiban”, Rassundari Devi has unfolded her
inextinguishable desire to read books. But she found it difficult to read books. Books
were not printed in those days and handwriting was difficult to decipher. It was her
indomitable spirit that helped her to read.
Q. 8. How does Rassundari Devi describe the people at his in-laws’ house?
Ans. In her autobiography “Amar Jiban”, Rassundari Devi described the people at her in-
laws’ house as very good. They were so much concerned about her illness that
Rassundari Devi forgot all her discomforts. Everyone was extremely kind. Everybody
loved her sincerely and no one ever spoke to her a harsh word.
Q.9. What was the only regret of Rassundari Devi as she stated in her autobiography
“Amar Jiban”?
Ans. In her autobiography “Amar Jiban”, Rassundari Devi described her life at her in-laws’
house. She was married at the age of twelve and for the next six years, she was treated
like a new bride. That was an absolutely happy time for her. Her only regret was that
she was not able to read or write because she was a girl. Her regret for the inability to
read or write shows the crude reality of the education system of the then society.
Q.10.How did Rassundari Devi start her day as stated in her autobiography “Amar
Jiban”?
Ans. In her autobiography “Amar Jiban”, Rassundari Devi asserted that as a custom she had
to do all the household work and look after the children as well. She had no time to
think about her health. There were days when the pressure of work did not let her even
have one meal during the day. She had to cook quite a lot – about twelve seers of rice
for each meal.
Q.11.“Why was I ever born a woman? Shame on my life!” – Why did Rassundari Devi
say so?
Ans. In her autobiography “Amar Jiban”, Rassundari Devi regretted not taking good care of
her mother. She was allowed to go to her mother only on special occasions, not
otherwise. But when her mother lay on her deathbed, she could not attend to her
mother. She regarded this as her misfortune and regretted this as she was born as a
woman.