Swami And Friends Analysis

The Fictional World of R.K.Narayan: A Study

Synopsis

A. Phaniraja Kumar R. K. Narayan is one of the most prominent novelists of Indian Writing in English. He has Sixteen Novels and over a half a dozen volumes of short stories besides several essays and travelogues to his credit. His novels are full of microcosmic India caught in the conventions, traditions and social changes. His characters are lively presentations of common Indians. Events reflect the real happiness of society. His heroines are replicas of common Indian women. Narayan, despite living like a pure Indian absorbed in religion and family, has successfully achieved a feat of expressing his creative urge in an alien language, that is, English and has come one of the most popular

His first novel, Swami and Friends was held in high esteem in the West. Graham Green called it ‘a book in ten thousand’. Being a skilful and entertaining story teller, Narayan used subtle irony and comic humour in this novel. He created his own India in his imaginary fictional town, Malgudi. The story of Swami appears to be a school story of boys for boys in general. Swami’s friendship, his quarrels, his teachers, his idleness, his homework, his examination, his cricket game and his running away make up the materials for this story. His next novel in this chapter, The Bachelor of Arts. Chandran, the hero of the novel is grown up in the novel of youth. After his love failure against his mother’s cherished conventions and superstitions. Moreover, the long controversy over the matching of horoscopes, the question of dowry and gifts etc. give a picture of contention ridden society of Malgudi. Thus Chandran became the representative of Modernity and change. After ten months of wandering disappointed Chandran came to Koopal village. He became silent. There he modulates himself as swami. There villagers were impressed of his silence and requests him to stay there. He agreed for this. Later this grows in R. K. Narayan’s novel in The

Sampath (1949), Waiting for the Mahatma (1955), Man-Eater of Malgudi (1961) and The Painter of Signs (1976). The first novel, ‘Mr. Sampath’ is a clever and enterprising rogue, who can face even the most difficult situations with composure. He is one of the most memorable character in the annals of Indo-Anglian fiction. Here, Srinivas is a Gandhian-thought man. He believes his principles. The next novel is ‘Waiting for the Mahatma’. Bharathi is an idealistic woman in this novel. She is a disciple of Mahatma Gandhiji and she participates in the freedom struggle. She preaches the people the ideals of the Mahatma which herself practised. Though the novel is about the love-affair of the two-Sriram and Bharati, the subject is Gandhi. Narayan highlights the Gandhian virtues—love of children, concern for the social status of women and the downtrodden, dishonest and non-violence. In this chapter ‘Man-Eater of Malgudi’ discussed as third novel. In this novel, Nataraj, the chief protagonist is a coward and lives with his wife and son. He is a believer of Gandhian principles like truth and non-violence. Vasu is portrayed as a modern rakshasa. He is anti-Gandhian. Rangi, the temple dancer plays an important role in Vasu’s destruction. In ‘The Painter of Signs’ we have an idealistic women. They work for the cause of their country. Daisy’s dedication to the cause of family planning bring out all the hidden potentialities.