Gendered Body Versus Aesthetic Body : An Analysis

In the quest of studying the aesthetic aspect of the body, Tagore had brought into focus a very crucial point: the body, where the physical reality is not the locus of vision during its aesthetic study, the appearance of body which is acquired by means of imagination is the subject of study. In the aesthetic study of the body, the physical body acts as a medium of expression, transcending the given material body. The viewer loses himself in the imagined ‘reality’ of the appearance or illusion. That is, one enters the world of the created images and story and ‘created body’. So, the actual anatomical body is overlooked, while perceiving and experiencing the created bodily appearance. In Tagore’s mode of thinking, the given material body, is utilized in presenting the aesthetic aspect of it. The viewer imagines the reality, which just cannot be captured by reason. Tagore was way ahead of his time. The differentiation between the male and female counterparts of the world was a man-made one: this seems relevant with respect with today’s feminist thought. Tagore was very well aware of the fact that the society had an oppressive attitude towards women and the social construct abiding there.