Supervised Writing
Red Oleanders – Rabindranath Tagore (1923)
Instructions: Please respond as thoroughly as you can to one of the prompts below. This is an
“open-book” assignment.
Time: You will be given 50 minutes of in-class time to complete this supervised writing
assignment. It will then be kept on file here at ISB.
Purpose: The purpose of the IB supervised writing assignment is to “plant seeds” which may
then be parlayed into a topic you would like to explore for the IB Written Assignment (a 12001500 word formal essay worth 25% of your final IB score). With that in mind, you should look
to explore as many aspects of the prompt you choose as possible, in an effort to provide as
many “seeds” as possible for your final written assignment.
Prompts for
Red Oleanders:
1. Theme and Character: Nature vs. Industry? Love vs. Greed? Community vs.
Individualism? The central conflict of Red Oleanders is between Nandini and
The King… or more specifically (as in an allegory!) what they represent.
Explore what defines these two characters, what they stand for, and why they
are in conflict with each other… and, at the end of the play, how Tagore
resolves this conflict.
2. Theme - Classism: Some characters in the play stand for a strict hierarchy of
roles in society (elite, rule makers, workers etc.) while others stand more for
equality, choice and freedom. Which characters best represent these two
sides? Do YOU think a functioning society needs a “hierarchy”?? Or do think
equality is the way to go? Where do you think Tagore lands on this issue?
3. Exploitation and Control: Explore 3 or 4 of the methods the ruling class
uses to control the working class in this play. Through what methods do they
keep the workers “stuck” in their place?
4. Imagery: The play is very poetic in that it uses imagery on pretty much every
page. Choose an image cluster (Nature Imagery; Symbolic use of Colours;
Light/Dark Imagery) and interpret the significance it has on the meaning of the
play.
5. Modern Feminism: Is Nandini a protagonist to be emulated and/or
respected? Looking through the lens of modern feminism critical theory, has
Tagore presented us with a protagonist worthy of respect or not? Why?
Good luck!