AQA A-Level Bengali (7637)

## Learning Outcomes

- Understand the main concerns of **Laalshalu** as an AQA set text
- Identify how **Majid**, **Rahima**, and **Jamila** are presented
- Explain how the novel treats religion, power, poverty, and patriarchy
- Analyse key symbols such as the **লালসালু** (laalshalu — red cloth) and **মাজার** (mazar — shrine)
- Recognise Waliullah’s narrative methods, including irony and psychological realism
- Build a stronger Bengali essay vocabulary for AO3 and AO4
- Plan more analytical exam answers in Bengali rather than retelling the plot

## AQA A-Level Bengali (7637) Syllabus

For the AQA A-Level Bengali (7637), you are expected to understand **Syed Waliullah: Laalshalu** as a literary work, with a focus on the following syllabus points:

- Know that **Laalshalu** was first published in **1948** and is Syed Waliullah’s debut novel
- Understand that the novel centres on **Majid**, who builds authority around a shrine in rural Bengal
- Explain how the text criticises **religious exploitation** rather than simply attacking religion itself
- Identify the importance of **poverty**, **fear**, and limited education in making villagers vulnerable
- Analyse the contrast between **Rahima** and **Jamila** as responses to **পিতৃতন্ত্র** (pitritontro — patriarchy)
- Understand the symbolism of the **লালসালু** (laalshalu — red cloth), the **মাজার** (mazar — shrine), and the idea of rootless authority
- Comment on Waliullah’s methods, including close third-person narration, irony, sparse style, and psychological focus
- Develop critical responses in Bengali that address likely essay angles such as Majid’s influence and the deprived rural population

## Test Your Knowledge

_Attempt these questions before reading this article. If you find some difficult or cannot remember the answers, look more closely at that area during your revision._

1. Why is the red cloth in **Laalshalu** more than just a physical object?
2. How does Majid gain power over the villagers?
3. In what ways are **Rahima** and **Jamila** different?
4. Why is it too simple to describe the novel as merely anti-religion?
5. How does Waliullah present Majid as both powerful and insecure?

## Introduction

**Laalshalu** is one of the most important modern Bengali novels on the AQA specification. For Paper 2, you are not rewarded for long plot summary. You are rewarded for showing knowledge of the text and writing a critical response in Bengali with accurate language. That means you need a clear view of the novel’s themes, characters, symbols, and methods.

The novel is set in **গ্রামীণ বাংলা** (gramin bangla — rural Bengal) and shows how **মজিদ** (Mojid/Majid) turns a neglected grave into a source of authority. Through this, Syed Waliullah studies **ক্ষমতা** (khomota — power), **ভয়** (bhoy — fear), **বিশ্বাস** (bishshash — belief), and **প্রতারণা** (protarona — deception). The book is both a social criticism and a psychological study.

> **Key Term: Laalshalu**
> The title of Syed Waliullah’s 1948 novel; it refers to the red cloth placed over a grave or shrine and symbolises false sanctity and concealed emptiness.

### The novel’s central conflict: faith, fear, and power

At the centre of the novel is **মজিদ** (Majid), a man who arrives in a village and claims spiritual authority through a **মাজার** (mazar — shrine). His power does not come from genuine holiness. It comes from performance, confidence, and his skill in using religious language in a community marked by poverty and insecurity.

> **Key Term: mazar**
> A shrine or saint’s grave; in the novel it becomes the basis of Majid’s authority over the villagers.

A strong essay should separate **ধর্ম** (dhormo — religion) from **ধর্মের অপব্যবহার** (dhormer opobyabohar — misuse of religion). Waliullah does not simply say that faith is bad. He shows how sacred belief can be manipulated by ambitious people. This distinction matters in exam answers. If you write that the novel attacks religion itself, your argument becomes weaker and less precise.

The villagers are poor, vulnerable, and often dependent on local authority. Their belief is linked to fear, survival, and lack of alternatives. Majid succeeds partly because the village lacks strong institutions, formal education, and confidence to challenge him. In Bengali you might frame this through terms such as **অশিক্ষা** (oshikkha — lack of education), **দারিদ্র্য** (daridryo — poverty), and **কুসংস্কার** (kusongskar — superstition).

> **Test Tip:** For a “how far” question, avoid absolute claims. Write a balanced line of argument such as: Majid’s power depends partly on belief, but even more on poverty, fear, and social weakness.

Majid is not just a stock villain. That is one of the novel’s strengths. Outwardly he is commanding and calculating. Inwardly he is often anxious and fragile. This is where **মনস্তাত্ত্বিক বাস্তবতা** (monostattik bastobota — psychological realism) becomes important. Readers see both the public mask and the private insecurity.

> **Key Term: psychological realism**
> A literary method that focuses on a character’s inner fears, motives, and mental conflict rather than only external actions.

This makes the title **Tree Without Roots** useful as an interpretive idea. Majid’s authority looks firm, but it has no deep moral or spiritual foundation. It survives through repetition, fear, and social acceptance, not truth.

### Characters and the social world of rural Bengal

Majid dominates the novel, but the women around him are essential to its meaning. **রহিমা** (Rohima/Rahima) is often read as a figure of endurance, silence, and submission. She reflects the condition of many women in a patriarchal setting. Yet it is better not to reduce her to passivity alone. Her silence can also suggest awareness, contained suffering, and emotional strength.

**জামিলা** (Jamila), by contrast, brings youth, energy, and a less compliant presence. She is often read as a sign of resistance to repression. She does not fit comfortably into Majid’s controlled world. In an essay, this contrast helps you discuss **নারীর অবস্থান** (narir obosthan — women’s position) and **পিতৃতন্ত্র** (pitritontro — patriarchy).

> **Key Term: patriarchy**
> A social system in which men hold greater power and women are controlled in family and public life.

Rahima and Jamila are useful in comparison questions. Rahima suggests endurance within constraint; Jamila suggests challenge, restlessness, and the limits of Majid’s control. A thoughtful essay can argue that the novel shows more than one female response to domination.

The villagers themselves matter too. They are not just background figures. They represent a deprived rural society shaped by **দারিদ্র্য** (daridryo — poverty), **ধর্মবিশ্বাস** (dhormobishshash — religious belief), and uncertainty. Waliullah does not romanticise village life. This is not an idyllic countryside full of peace and innocence. It is a place of material struggle, fear, and social pressure.

That matters for AQA questions on the portrayal of rural Bengal. A strong answer should show that the village is both realistic and symbolic. It is realistic because the people face hardship. It is symbolic because the whole social order becomes a setting where false authority can grow.

> **Test Tip:** If a question asks about “poor and uneducated villagers”, do not stop at description. Explain how those conditions help Majid create influence and why the villagers find the shrine emotionally useful.

### Symbolism, narration, and exam interpretation

The most important symbol is the **লালসালু** itself. The red cloth gives the grave visual force and sacred drama. It covers, decorates, and mystifies. Symbolically it suggests **আবরণ** (aboron — covering), false holiness, and hidden emptiness. What lies beneath matters less than what people are made to believe lies beneath.

The **মাজার** works in a similar way. It is not only a place. It becomes a centre of control. Through it Majid gains status, shapes behaviour, and defines moral order. This makes the shrine almost like a local institution of power.

The novel also uses **বিদ্রূপ** (bidrup — irony). The supposed guardian of religion is morally untrustworthy. The man who claims certainty is inwardly uncertain. The village appears to gain a spiritual centre, yet that centre rests on deception.

> **Key Term: irony**
> A contrast between appearance and reality; in this novel Majid appears holy and authoritative, but the reality is manipulation and insecurity.

Waliullah’s narration is usually described as close third-person. The story is told in the third person, but readers often stay close to Majid’s mind. This is important because it lets us see his fear of exposure. Without this narrative closeness, he would seem flatter and simpler.

The prose style is restrained and economical. Waliullah does not rely on dramatic speeches to explain everything. Meaning often grows through atmosphere, symbol, and carefully placed details. In exam writing, refer to **বর্ণনাভঙ্গি** (bornonabhongi — narrative style), **প্রতীক** (protik — symbol), and **বিদ্রূপ** (bidrup — irony) to move beyond summary.

If asked about religion, you could argue:

- the novel criticises hypocrisy and exploitation
- faith is shown as socially powerful
- Majid uses religion as a language of rule
- the text is not best read as a simple rejection of belief

If asked about Majid, you could argue:

- he is manipulative and opportunistic
- he depends on fear and performance
- he is also psychologically insecure
- his power looks strong but is fundamentally unstable

If asked about rural Bengal, you could argue:

- the village is poor and deprived
- social conditions enable manipulation
- the setting is realistic, not idealised
- the novel links private life, religion, and power

## Bengali Language Toolkit

### Bengali Language Toolkit

#### Topic vocabulary

| Bengali                | Transliteration       | English                        |
| ---------------------- | --------------------- | ------------------------------ |
| লালসালু                | laalshalu             | red cloth / title              |
| মজিদ                   | Mojid / Majid         | Majid                          |
| রহিমা                  | Rohima / Rahima       | Rahima                         |
| জামিলা                 | Jamila                | Jamila                         |
| মাজার                  | mazar                 | shrine                         |
| ধর্ম                   | dhormo                | religion                       |
| ধর্মের অপব্যবহার       | dhormer opobyabohar   | misuse of religion             |
| কুসংস্কার              | kusongskar            | superstition                   |
| ভণ্ডামি                | bhondami              | hypocrisy                      |
| ক্ষমতা                 | khomota               | power                          |
| ভয়                     | bhoy                  | fear                           |
| দারিদ্র্য              | daridryo              | poverty                        |
| অশিক্ষা                | oshikkha              | illiteracy / lack of education |
| গ্রামীণ সমাজ           | gramin shomaj         | rural society                  |
| পিতৃতন্ত্র             | pitritontro           | patriarchy                     |
| প্রতীক                 | protik                | symbol                         |
| বিদ্রূপ                | bidrup                | irony                          |
| মনস্তাত্ত্বিক বাস্তবতা | monostattik bastobota | psychological realism          |
| বর্ণনাভঙ্গি            | bornonabhongi         | narrative method/style         |
| শোষণ                   | shoshon               | exploitation                   |

#### Complex sentence patterns

- যদিও মজিদ বাইরে থেকে ধর্মভীরু বলে মনে হয়, ভেতরে সে গভীর অনিরাপত্তায় ভোগে।  
  Although Majid appears devout from the outside, inwardly he suffers from deep insecurity.

- উপন্যাসটি শুধু একজন ভণ্ড মানুষের কাহিনি নয়; বরং এটি এমন একটি সমাজের ছবি, যেখানে দারিদ্র্য ও ভয় শোষণকে সম্ভব করে তোলে।  
  The novel is not just the story of one hypocritical man; rather, it is a picture of a society where poverty and fear make exploitation possible.

- রহিমা যেখানে নীরব সহনশীলতার প্রতীক, সেখানে জামিলা তুলনামূলকভাবে প্রতিরোধের ইঙ্গিত বহন করে।  
  Whereas Rahima is a symbol of silent endurance, Jamila carries a stronger suggestion of resistance.

- লালসালুর প্রতীকটি যতই পবিত্রতার আবরণ তৈরি করুক, ততই তার নিচের শূন্যতা স্পষ্ট হয়ে ওঠে।  
  The more the red cloth creates an aura of sanctity, the more the emptiness beneath it becomes clear.

- যদি মজিদের চরিত্রকে শুধু খলনায়ক হিসেবে দেখা হয়, তাহলে উপন্যাসের মনস্তাত্ত্বিক গভীরতা ধরা পড়ে না।  
  If Majid is seen only as a villain, the psychological depth of the novel is missed.

- লেখক এমনভাবে কাহিনি নির্মাণ করেছেন যে পাঠক একই সঙ্গে মজিদের ক্ষমতা ও দুর্বলতা দেখতে পায়।  
  The writer constructs the narrative in such a way that the reader sees both Majid’s power and weakness at the same time.

- গ্রামীণ বাংলার চিত্রায়ণটি বাস্তবধর্মী, কারণ এখানে প্রকৃতির সৌন্দর্যের পাশাপাশি সামাজিক সংকটও উপস্থিত।  
  The portrayal of rural Bengal is realistic because social crisis appears alongside natural beauty.

#### Opinion and argument phrases

- আমার মতে, উপন্যাসটির মূল সমালোচনা ধর্ম নয়, ধর্মের অপব্যবহার।  
  In my opinion, the novel’s main criticism is not religion, but its misuse.

- আমি মনে করি, মজিদের ক্ষমতা মানুষের বিশ্বাসের চেয়ে তাদের ভয়ের ওপর বেশি নির্ভরশীল।  
  I think Majid’s power depends more on people’s fear than on their faith.

- বলা যায় যে, রহিমা ও জামিলা একই সামাজিক কাঠামোর দুই ভিন্ন প্রতিক্রিয়া।  
  It can be said that Rahima and Jamila are two different responses to the same social structure.

- এই দৃষ্টিকোণ থেকে দেখলে, লালসালু একটি প্রতীকি উপন্যাস হিসেবেও পড়া যায়।  
  From this perspective, Laalshalu can also be read as a symbolic novel.

## Key Point Checklist

_This article has covered the following key knowledge points:_

- **Laalshalu** was first published in **1948**
- The novel centres on **Majid** and his control of a shrine
- The **মাজার** is both a setting and a symbol of social power
- The **লালসালু** symbolises false sanctity, display, and concealment
- The novel criticises the misuse of religion rather than faith itself
- Poverty, fear, and limited education help Majid gain influence
- **Rahima** and **Jamila** represent contrasting female experiences under patriarchy
- Majid should not be treated as a flat villain because he is also insecure
- Rural Bengal is presented as deprived and unstable, not romanticised
- Waliullah uses irony, symbolism, and close third-person narration
- Strong AQA answers need analysis of theme plus method, not just plot summary
- Accurate, analytical Bengali supports both AO3 and AO4 marks

## Key Terms and Concepts

- Laalshalu
- mazar
- psychological realism
- patriarchy
- irony


Works: Texts - Syed Waliullah: Laalshalu