Samajik Sankat Atmik Sankat (Bengali Version)

Book Details

• Author: Chitra Sarkar
• Publisher: Bangiya Sahitya Samsad
• Language: Bengali
• ISBN: 9789382012610

About the Book

Samajik Sankat Atmik Sankat (Bengali Version) by Chitra Sarkar is a thoughtful work of literary criticism that explores the intricate relationship between social crises and spiritual decline as reflected in pre-Independence Bengali fiction. Through a close reading of five representative novels and fifteen short stories set against the backdrop of undivided Bengal, the book examines how literature captures the struggles, aspirations, and moral dilemmas of a society undergoing profound historical change.

The author demonstrates that literature is not merely a reflection of society but also a repository of collective memory, preserving the experiences of oppression, exploitation, inequality, and human suffering across generations. By analyzing significant works of Bengali fiction, the book reveals how writers documented the socio-economic realities of their time while simultaneously exploring the emotional and ethical consequences of these turbulent conditions.

A central focus of the volume is the connection between social transformation and inner human experience. The study investigates how changing political, economic, and cultural circumstances often lead to the erosion of moral values, weakening of human relationships, and spiritual alienation. At the same time, it highlights the resilience of the human spirit, illustrating how individuals and communities strive to overcome adversity through compassion, ethical commitment, and higher ideals of life.

By combining literary analysis with historical and socio-economic perspectives, the author presents a nuanced interpretation of Bengali fiction as both a cultural document and a philosophical exploration of human existence. The selected novels and short stories serve as windows into the complexities of colonial Bengal, revealing the dynamic interaction between external social realities and the internal world of human consciousness.

Written in a scholarly yet accessible style, Samajik Sankat Atmik Sankat (Bengali Version) is an invaluable resource for students, researchers, teachers, and readers interested in Bengali literature, literary criticism, social history, cultural studies, philosophy, and modern Indian intellectual thought. Through its interdisciplinary approach, the book offers fresh insights into the enduring relationship between literature, society, and the moral life of individuals.