Water Symbol Analysis

Water—in the form of rain, river water, tears, and more—pervades Ulapur, the rural village depicted in Tagore’s story. In the second paragraph of the story, Tagore reveals that the postmaster, a recent transplant, is “a fish out of water” in Ulapur and is greatly affected by both the rain-washed landscape of the village and the unending monsoons during the month of Sraban, when he arrives. Rain seems to represent both renewal and confinement for the postmaster. As a “fish out of water,” he yearns to return to water and thus observes its presence in the natural world with awe and appreciation. Ulapur’s “rain-washed leaves quivering” and the “layers of sun-whitened, broken-up clouds left over from the rain” inspire the postmaster, a would-be poet, who desires to describe these natural phenomena in poetry and thus discover a renewed sense of spiritual harmony in the village, where he has previously felt lonely and isolated. At the same time, however, the “continuous” rain causes “ditches, pits, and channels” in the village to overflow, and it becomes impossible to travel around on foot. The postmaster becomes “ill and miserable … in this isolated place, the rain pouring down,” unable to move freely through the town and overwhelmed by the destructive floods. Water ultimately becomes a source of emotional distress instead of inspiration for the postmaster, and it contributes to the sense of confinement and isolation he experiences in the village.

At the end of the story, however, water becomes a symbol of both confinement and renewal, resolving tension between these two conflicting emotions. When the postmaster sets sail from Ulapur, the “swollen flood-waters of the river … heave like the Earth’s brimming tears,” mirroring Ratan’s own tears and emotional distress at the postmaster’s departure. Yet by “heaving” the boat away, the flood-waters are transporting the postmaster toward new horizons and a happier, less confining life outside of Ulapur. Thus, in “The Postmaster,” water is a natural object that represents persistent conflict between hope and renewal, misery and confinement.