Humble, ignorant and a woman - they both were, as they themselves proclaimed. Whether it was just a humble proclamation to escape any form of censorship, being who they were – RashsundariDebi, an upper caste woman who had dared to read and write, and BinodiniDasi, an actress, a concubine; or they really felt it, it's up to us to ask ourselves. Being a humble and ignorant woman was both the apparent cause of the self-censorship they imposed on themselves and also the weapon to protect themselves against judgment. Writing an autobiography was a courageous task for both of them. For Rashsundari, the simple act of reading or writing was a daring act because women of that era were not supposed to do it and thinking of writing an autobiography was more of a kind of rebellion. The autobiography written by BinodiniDasi, a high-class prostitute actress, whom the audience loved to watch on stage but did not respect in real life, was also rebellious. Rashsundari's autobiography, although it chronicles the seemingly insignificant and mundane life of a housewife, is of the period. as it is the first autobiography of a Bengali woman and probably the first large-scale autobiography in the Bengali language. Her worldly life was woven according to a sacred pattern, and therefore her autobiography, as TanikaSarkar writes, is an example of the devotional quest of a modern woman. A woman's writing is supposed to reflect certain gender obviousnesses like sentimentality and feminine sensitivities which are largely visible in Binodini's narrative, but Rashsundari chooses to do away with them. While Binodini talks about how much she loved being adorned and how passionate she was about acting, Rashsundari only talks about her fears and anxieties, the only desire being to be able to read ChaitanyaB...... middle paper.... .... passion for respect was a difficult task, but she had to let go of her passion for respect which she had not fully understood and writing an autobiography for her was not so easy because this could have embarrassed many influential people. she continued and eventually wrote about her life as well, although her mentor asked her to only write about her life on stage, that too mainly to keep her busy. Nonetheless, they both deserve recognition for their ambitious and courageous efforts to take charge of their lives, to decide how they would like to be remembered through their narrative, and to open their lives to public view. Works Cited Bhattacharya, Rimli (Ed & Trans). My story and my life as an actress. New Delhi: Kali for Women, 1998. Print. Sarkar, Tanika. earn. The Making of Amar Jiban: A Modern Autobiography. New Delhi: Kali for Women, 1999. Print