▁in ▁ 1 8 9 8 . ▁It ▁is ▁considered ▁first ▁ever ▁short ▁story ▁published ▁in ▁. ▁ ▁Th eme ▁▁ ▁Reb ati ▁is ▁the ▁story ▁of ▁a ▁young ▁girl ▁whose ▁desire ▁for ▁education ▁in ▁the ▁back drop ▁of ▁a ▁conserv ative ▁Od ia ▁society ▁in ▁a ▁back ward ▁village , ▁which ▁is ▁hit ▁by ▁a ▁Ch ol era ▁ ▁ep ide mic . ▁The ▁story ▁itself ▁also ▁opens ▁a ▁third ▁dimension ▁when ▁it ▁de als ▁with ▁a ▁very ▁well ▁bond ed ▁relation ▁between ▁Reb ati ▁and ▁a ▁school ▁teacher . ▁By ▁displaying ▁a ▁forb idden ▁desire ▁for ▁learning , ▁Reb ati , ▁the ▁female ▁protagon ist ▁of ▁the ▁story , ▁seems ▁to ▁inv ite ▁mis fort une ▁for ▁herself ▁and ▁her ▁community . ▁ ▁Over ▁time ▁" R eb ati " ▁has ▁become ▁an ▁icon ▁and ▁her ▁story ▁an ▁alleg ory ▁for ▁female ▁education ▁and ▁em an cip ation . ▁However ▁the ▁story ▁itself ▁does ▁not ▁advoc ate ▁for ▁or ▁against ▁these ▁ideas . ▁It ▁is ▁a ▁story ▁about ▁hel pl ess ness ▁before ▁fate . ▁ ▁Ro le ▁of ▁" R eb ati " ▁in ▁the ▁development ▁of ▁Od ia ▁Liter ature ▁ ▁The ▁story ▁is ▁celebrated ▁as ▁an ▁example ▁of ▁F ak irm oh an ’ s ▁reform ist ▁ze al . The ▁story ▁marks ▁the ▁beginning ▁of ▁a ▁new ▁c rop ▁of ▁women ▁writers ▁in ▁Od ia ▁language ▁such ▁as ▁Sar ala ▁De vi , ▁K unt ala ▁K um ari ▁Sab at ▁, ▁K ok ila ▁De vi