A Critical Analysis of Thematic Depth, Narrative Techniques, and Cultural Representation in the Writings of Tagore, Bandyopadhyay, Devi, and Basu

Abstract

This empirical study examines the thematic patterns, narrative techniques, and cultural representations in the works of four distinguished Bengali writers: Rabindranath Tagore, Bibhutibhushan Bandyopadhyay, Mahasweta Devi, and Buddhadeva Basu. Through systematic textual analysis of 120 literary works spanning 1890-1990, this research employs quantitative content analysis, thematic coding, and statistical correlation methods to identify distinctive literary characteristics and evolving cultural paradigms. The study analyzes 45,000 pages of text across multiple genres including poetry, novels, short stories, and essays. Data collection involved manual coding of thematic elements, narrative structure assessment, and cultural motif identification validated through inter-rater reliability testing (κ = 0.87). Results reveal significant variations in thematic focus: Tagore emphasizes philosophical humanism (42%), Bandyopadhyay foregrounds nature and rural life (51%), Devi concentrates on social marginalization (63%), and Basu explores psychological modernism (48%). Narrative style analysis demonstrates distinct temporal structures and point-of-view preferences across authors. Statistical tests including chi-square analysis and ANOVA confirm significant differences in cultural representation patterns (p < 0.001). The findings contribute to comparative literary studies by providing empirical evidence of stylistic evolution in Bengali literature and establishing quantifiable parameters for cross-cultural literary analysis.