Comparative Study of Bengali and Indian Regional Literatures in the Context of Social Change

Literature has been and will always remain an effective mirror of the society, as it reflects the changes, struggles of the society and the yearning of a certain period of time. In this research paper, a comparative study of Bengali literature and some Indian regional literature is explored with reference to social change. The main aim of the research is to evaluate the representation of social reality in literary texts written by various linguistic traditions in terms of the issues of class struggle, gender roles, caste dynamics, and cultural change. The Bengali literature, which is enriched with the works of other writers such as Rabindranath Tagore and Sarat Chandra Chattopadhyay, has contributed greatly in the social reform and humanistic ideals. On the same note, other Indian regional literatures such as the Hindi, Marathi and Tamil have also worked towards giving voice to the marginalized groups and reflecting the emerging socio-political environment. This paper focuses on comparing and contrasting thematic differences and similarities in how these literary traditions have portrayed social issues through a comparative literary analysis using two literary traditions. The paper identifies the importance of regional narratives in the quest to make a wider comprehension of the social development in India, yet it still retains the distinct cultural insights. In conclusion, the studies also stress that it is literary works that not only chronicle the phenomenon of social change but also serve as an agent of awareness, reform, and progressive thinking within the society.