Chapter -5. R.K. NARAYAN - The Humourist

Transcription

1 146 Chapter -5 R.K. NARAYAN - The Humourist

2 147 CH=5 R.K.NARAYAN-THE HUMOURIST Rasipuram Krishnaswami Narayan popularly known as R.K. Narayan, the great humourist is one of the leading figures in Indo-Anglian fiction. His felicity of expression and free flowing style had won for him an unshakable place in Indian writing. Born on October 10, 1906 in Madras, Narayan spent most of his childhood with his maternal grandmother and an uncle; as his father was employed in a transferable job of school headmaster. Narayan s mother tongue is Tamil and he has received his education entirely in South India; quite contrary to Mulk Raj Anand who belongs to Punjab and had finished his education in Cambridge and London. Dr. K.R. Srinivas Iyengar writes, He is of India, even of South India, he uses the English language but the thoughts, feelings and stirrings of the soul the wayward moments of the consciousness are all of the soil of India. (1) However, it is a bit surprising that one of the most successful Indo-Anglian writers wasn t a good student. He made several attempts to pass his Intermediate and B.A. examination before he could get his degree in 1930 from Maharaja College, Mysore at the age of twenty four. As a result of these failures his personality was adversely affected and he became some what an introvert. In order to supplement the meager income of the family, he worked as a clerk in the Mysore Secretariat, and then took up the job of a teacher in a village school. But, he gave them up in desperation as he was not satisfied with these professions. After a bit of hack-journalism- publication of a journal, Indian Thought and then reporting for (1) Iyengar K.R.S., Indian Writing in English Op.cit, P.-359

3 148 a Madras paper called The Justice -Narayan resolved not to make money out of his writings but to use it as a means of self- expression. The resolution suited his idea of living, a free and unbound life as is reflected in his response to Susan E. Croft s queries about his being a writer. There was no particular reason; but why not? I could have been a charted accountant. I just started writing with no definite views on what I should be doing. I probably preferred to be a writer because it leaves you free to travel, to go from place to place and not to have to apply for leaves. It leaves you absolutely free. (2) As a result, his first work was published being the review of a book titled, Development of Maritime Laws of 17 th Century England. He is rather cynical about it and writes. A most attractive book, but I struggled through its pages and wrote a brief note on it and though not paid for it, it afforded me the thrill of seeing my words in print for the first time. (3) R.K. Narayan when compared with his contemporaries Mulk Raj Anand and K.A. Abbas is regarded as a pure artist. He is neither a spiritualist nor a social reformer and not a pure writer of comedies. He is an observer of life and he believes in domestic harmony and peaceful relations. The period when Narayan started writing was considered unsuitable for Indo-Anglian Writers. As in those days, it was unthinkable (2) Croft E. Susan, Interview with R.K. Narayan R.K. Narayan A Critical Spectrum, (ed) Bhagwat S. Goyal; Meerut, Salabh Book House, 1983, P-31. (3) Dar Hussain Showkat, R.K. Narayan: The Grand Old Man of Indian Fiction, The Criterion: An International Journal in English, ISSN , Vol. IV, April 2013.

4 149 than an Indian could become a successful writer in English. Even his family members did not like the idea of becoming a writer, considering the uncertainty involved in it. Narayan was self confident and determined and eventually proved how correct his decision was when he achieved tremendous success as a short-story writer and a novelist. There is no denying the fact that English is not the first language of most Indo- Anglian writers. But, then there are few like R.K.Narayan or Raja Rao to whom it never occurred that they were writing in a foreign language. I was never aware that I was using a different medium a foreign language, when I wrote in English. (4) It is notable that Narayan s command over language is remarkable and he used it as the medium of story-telling in a simple, lucid and unaffected manner. His way of expression in English has a charm that not only charmed the Indian readers but also impressed the English scholars and critics like Graham Greene, William Walsh and others. The remarkable simplicity in his works as experienced by William Walsh is noteworthy to be mentioned here..(it) is limpid, simple, calm and unaffected, natural in its run and tone and beautifully measured to its purpose, it has neither the American purr of the combustion engine nor the thick marmalade quality of British English, and it communicates with complete ease a different, an Indian sensibility. (5) (4) Walsh William, R.K. Narayn, Writers and their work (ed.) Ian Scott Kilvert (Essex: Longman Group Ltd., 1971) P-7. (5) ibid, P.7.

5 150 Awards and Achievements R.K. Narayan, the great pioneer won numerous covetous awards for his tremendous contribution to Indo-Anglian Literature. Besides Sahitya Akademi Award for the novel The Guide he received the Film Fare Award. In 1964 he was awarded the Padma Bhusan, in 1980 A.C. Benson Medal by the Royal Society of Literature (British) and a Soviet Award for Literature and many more are a measure of his excellence and achievement. It is notable that he was a member of British Royal Society. The University of Leeds was the first to confer on him the degree of D.Litt. honoris cause in 1967, followed by Delhi University in In 1983, he was elected Honorary Member of The American Academy and the Institute of Arts and Letters. It is very remarkable that Narayan was nominated for the Nobel Prize in Literature for many times but unfortunately he never received the honor. Then, in 1989 he was nominated to the Upper House (Rajya Sabha). And in 2002 he was given the Padma Vibhusan. This genius writer left the world before clutching this award at the age of 94 on 13 th May 2001 after getting the great success. Notwithstanding the fact that, this simple and unpretentious writer has rooted in the heart of readers and his fictional works are loved, enjoyed and admired universally. Two novels of Narayan, Mr. Sampath and The Guide are made into immensely popular films, the latter also in an English version jointly produced by the Nobel Laureate Pearl S. Buck and the Indian matinee idol Dev Anand. Next, his novels Swami and Friends and The Sweet Vendor were serialized on the Television network. However, it was the television adaptation of his short stories (Malgudi Days) that has left a permanent mark on the minds of Indian fiction readers. Narayan takes us to fictional town Malgudi that makes us laugh, sympathise and share the vicissitudes of

6 151 his inhabitants. Also, his novels have been translated into several languages. Praising this great scholar Iyengar remarks,...he (Narayan) is that rare thing in India today, a man of letters pure and simple. (6) R.K. Narayan is the most entertaining and distinguished of contemporary writers. His achievements are not limited here. Universities are taking cognisance of the academic value of his works. Further, it is acknowledged that Narayan s first visit to abroad was to the United States in 1956 on an invitation from the Rockfeller Foundation. In 1958 he became a visiting lecturer at Michigan State University and then a visiting professor at Austin University of Texas. He has also lectured at such institutions as the University of California, Kansas State University, Yale University, Vassar College and many more. Thus, having such great achievements quite indifferent to his contemporaries, Narayan remains a pure and simple writer. His Works This is an axiomatic fact that R.K. Narayan was a conscious story-writer. He pursues his art with seriousness and dedication. When compared with his contemporaries Mulk Raj Anand, Raja Rao and K.A. Abbas, he is regarded as a pure artist because his work is art for art s sake, whereas that of his contemporaries is art for society s sake. Narayan didn t write to propagate his ideas on social or political issues like M.R. Anand and Abbas; inspite of the fact that when he started his literary career India was passing through the crucial period of her struggle for independence. Quite contrary to them his task was the faithful presentation of life which was purely Indian. His stories are free from artificiality and superfluous details. (6) Iyengar K.R.S., Indian Writing in English Op.cit, P-358.

7 152 However, Narayan not only portrays the Indian life, but is concerned mainly with the middle class Indians, as he himself belongs to the South Indian middle class. He does not venture to go beyond his own province. Thus, Narasimhaiah s views are apt judgeable here regarding the context. (Narayan) himself being a product of the Hindu middle class, sharing the beliefs, superstitions and perhaps the prejudices of his class in a small town and viewing its goings on with sympathy but also with a keen eye for the comic in the life around him, he had qualified himself to be a writer of his own class and the province. (7) R.K. Narayan created a semi-urban fictional town in southern India known as Malgudi. The view of life in this fictional town is in fact an expression of the author s artistic integrity. The life of Malgudi has given him an opportunity to concentrate on the self-expression and gain in intensity. Within the physically limited area of this created town, Narayan has found enough material to build his edifice of numerous works. He started his career as a novelist dealing primarily with the atmosphere of schools and colleges. Therefore, in all his early novels there are mostly school boys, teachers, college boys and college teachers. His early novels present a sociological study of the pre-independence era. These include Swami and Friends, The Bachelor of Arts, The Dark Room and The English Teacher. Then, we have Mr. Sampath, Financial Expert, and The Guide enriching the delightful stories of three cunning sharks whose greatest fault was their over-confidence. Waiting for the Mahatma is (7) Narasimhaiah s C.D. The Swan and the Eagle, Indian Institute of Advance Study, Simla, 1969,P

8 153 the only exception which depicts socio-political conditions of post-independence period. His later novels embody the religious and the cultural glory of Hindu Society. These include The Man-Eater of Malgudi, The Vendor of Sweets, The Painter of Signs and A Tiger for Malgudi. In fact, all the novels of Narayan are marked with maturity in fictional imagination. However the writer is known for his short stories which have given him a permanent place in Indo-Anglian Literature. There is no denying the fact that Narayan is very amiable, commanding an easy and graceful style, sharpened by a quiet and unobtrusive ironical sense of humour. His art of story telling is remarkable for its simplicity, subtle humour and realistic touch. As Venugopal observes, he (Narayan) has no purpose but to delight, but to help the overworked and the tired to while away a few moments with a wise delight. He has a peculiar gift of turning everything light, and if he cannot do so creating innocent fun, he does so with a wild satire. Above all he has the gift of the ideal humorist- he can laugh at himself (8) Talking about the short story, it is analysed that a sort of realization came to R.K. Narayan that, the short story is the best medium for utilizing the wealth of subjects available..(it) can cover a wider field by presenting concentrated miniatures of human experience in all its opulence. (9) (8) Venugopal C.V. The Indian Short Story in English- A Survey, The (9) Narayan R.K., Author s Introduction, Under the Banyan Tree, Great Britain, Penguin Books, 1985, P.-viii.

9 154 Probably, such realizations have made Narayan add to his credit over a hundred stories which are collected in the following volumes. (1) MALGUDI DAYS (1943) Narayan s first volume of short stories Malgudi Days was published in It contains nineteen stories. It is found that Narayan innovate two things Malgudi and Talkative Man which dominated his fiction and brought a good response from his readers. Among the notable stories in this collection The Gold Belt, A Career, Father s Help, Out of Business etc are highly impressive and bring forth effective picture of, that largest segment of the population who drag out their lives at forty or fifty rupees a month in government or business employment. In depicting such prisoned lives Narayan is at his best, even in stories freighted with surprise ending (10) In this collection of stories, Narayan s versatility is depicted in presenting a variety of characters in diverse situations of life. The story An End of Troubles portrays an abjectly poor man to whom nothing less than the end of life stands for the end of his troubles. Whereas, A Willing Slave is a touching story of an old, poor and illiterate maid servant, whose love for her master s children is not mechanical but inwardly. Under the Banyan Tree is a moving story of a village story-teller who takes a vow of perpetual silence when he runs out of inspiration. However, A Shadow, The Comedian and The Axe are tender and emotional. Whereas Man Hunt, The Snake Song and The Garden are pure entertainment. On the other hand Unbreakable Doll is a beautiful portrayal of child psychology and The White (10) Westbrook D. Perry, The Short Stories of R.K. Narayan, JCOMIT, No.5, 1968 July, P-43.

10 155 Flower brings forth the reflection of Indian faith in astrology, horoscope etc. Attila shows Narayan s understanding of the animal behaviour. Therefore, the collection in this first volume shows Narayan s personal experience in this world. (2) DODU AND OTHER STORIES (1943) This collection contains seventeen stories and was published in 1943 just after the Malgudi Days. This volume brings forth Narayan s craftsmanship in the delineation of situation. It is observed that R.K. Narayan shows a deep understanding of human nature particularly of the child-psychology. This is reflected in Dodu, Leela s Friend, A Birthday Gift and Forty Five a Month. The Magic Beard depicts the essential dichtomy of the Indian ethos. While the deep pathos of the The Broken Pot, A Change and Blessings of Railway touch life at its most real and poignant moods. Old Man of the Temple and The Level Crossing have a supernatural basis; Narayan s skilfull narration of such stories make them rise above the level of simple ghost stories. However, Mother and Son is a tender portrayal of the bond of affection on which a family rests securely. Notwithstanding the fact that Narayan in this volume is at his best in the Engine Trouble, that is full of amusement. There is an ironic touch in the story on Gandhiji titled Gandhi s Appeal. While on one hand, the story depicts the charismatic effect of Gandhi on the masses during our freedom struggle. On the other, it exposes much of our narrow national feelings. Dasi the Bridegroom is a story of abnormal psychology. It reveals Narayan s deep sensitivity to the sad aspects of life. Therefore, the stories in this second volume of collections are mostly tragic-comedies and amusing.

11 156 (3) CYCLONE AND OTHER STORIES (1944) Cyclone and other stories published in 1944 contains altogether eighteen stories including some very important stories. Missing Mail presents a ware-hearted and lovable character, the old postman who gets personally involved in the affairs of the people to whom he carries letters. The writer has very beautifully portrayed a doctor s dilemma besides depicting the power of faith in The Doctor s Word Narayan s close and unpredictable observations of life find place in his The Evening Gift, Gateman s Gift and Iswaran. The words of author in Gateman s Gift are remarkable. When a dozen persons question openly or slyly a man s insanity, he begins to entertain various doubt himself. (11) There is no denying the fact that Narayan s versatility lies not only in understanding the real life experience of middle class people but also he has a special understanding of child psychology. He seems to recreate the world of childhood in A Hero, The Regal and The Performing Child. Similarly, Narayan portrayed the animal characters with genial humour in The Blind Dog and Chippy. Quite contrary to these themes he was also successful in taking his readers into the world of art and sculpture, its myths and superstitions in The Roman Image and Such Perfections. The Artist s Turn as the name suggests is not concerned with art; instead it depicts the revenge. William Wordsworth s the willing suspension of disbelief is the noteworthy element in Narayan s famous story An Accident, Narrated by the Talkative Man is the title story of this volume A Night of Cyclone. By this story (11) Venugopal C.V. The Indian Short Story in English- A Survey, Op.cit, P.-103.

12 157 Narayan has very artistically given the message that a sort of balance is always maintained between destruction and creation. (4) AN ASTROLOGER S DAY AND OTHER STORIES (1947) R.K. Narayan s fourth volume and the most popular collection is An Astrologer s Day and Other Stories published in It contains around thirty stories, some of which are from other volumes. William Walsh gave a remarkable assessment of the volume in these words, Each tiny piece is a tessary, vivid in itself but even more significant in contributing to a large pavement picture of Malgudi and if Malgudi, then of India itself. There is a connection between the vastness of the subject and the range of the material (12) The title story, An Astrologers Day is the most important and notable of the other stories in the collection. The characterization and the setting depict the Indianness touch and it became most famous for its surprise ending that make us remember the stories of O Henry. The character of the roadside astrologer, an ubiquitous Indian Figure and the Guru Nayak are realistically delineated. It was one of the Narayan s first stories that made a place in the Best British Short Stories and many other anthologies. R.K. Narayan an indigenous writer successfully brings out the monotony, frustration as well as self-denial and prisoned lives with great ease and genial humour. All these are well observed in the stories. The Watchman, Crime and Punishment, Fruition at Forty and All Avoidable Talk. Narayan humourously brings out the (12) Walsh William, R.K. Narayan: A Critical Appreciatin, New Delhi, Allied Publs. Pvt. Ltd., 1983, P-95

13 158 incongruous situation in The Tiger s Claw. It is a dramatic account of a man s encounter with a tiger within the limited space of a railway carriage. Notwithstanding the fact that Narayan was the pioneer of the genre but all his stories do not convey the same level of achievement. A Snake in the Grass is not a well-knitted story. Not only the plot, it even has the loose character study. The beginning is catching, as the story advances it looses its hold and becomes monotonous. (5) LAWLEY ROAD AND OTHER STORIES (1956) Another notable short story collection is the Lawley Road and other stories published in It contains twenty eight stories of which some are taken from the earlier collections. This volume contains some very lively and interesting stories, about which Narayan has given a genuine definition in the preface. These delightful short stories present a cross section of Indian life and culture, yet they have a universal quality in them of wit, humour and irony which reach perfection in the stories. (13) Narayan s great attachment with animals not only delights us but also make us aware of the moments of pathos and emotion in the animal s life. Hence, the portrayal of two squirrels in At the Portal and Flavour of Coconut makes the animal characters look lively. It is observed that his stories with keen and critical observation of life tinkle the imagination of the readers. Life full of irony became the theme of many stories in the volume, like Lawley Road, Trail of the Green Blazes, The Martyr s Corner, Sweets for the Angels and The Shelter. Lust for money became (13) Narayan R.K. Lawly Road and Other Stories, An Orient Paperbooks, New Delhi, 1956, P-3.

14 159 the theme of Half-a-rupee Worth and Four Rupees. Whereas, The Antidote and Like the Sun are pure-entertainment stories. Inclination towards children led him to publish Wife s Holiday. Infact the child psychology portrayed in the story is quite different from his other stories. As C.V. Venugopal remarks, Though it is the comic spirit that Narayan invariably is associated with, he has occasionally tried his hand at depicting tender and touching moments of life too, though it is also true that he is not uniformly convincing whenever he has attempted to do so. But where he succeeds, the resulting tale is far more satisfying artistically than some of his more popular stories, a delightful picture of the child mind-with the child itself, absent for the most part of the story-makes Wife s Holiday a master piece (14) (6) GODS DEMONS AND OTHER STORIES (1964) Gods, Demons and other stories as a short story collection by R.K. Narayan is not whole heartedly accepted by the critics. However, the volume introduces us to the most diligent and attractive characters of the Mahabharata, the Ramayana, the Yoga- Vasishtha, the Shiv-Purana, the Devi-Bhagavatam and the Tamil epic Shilappadhikaran. Here, one examines that the stories are not the original creation; rather they are retold by him. But, they engulf in them the individuality of the writer and his great skill of narrating them. However, the interesting aspect of the volume is the introduction of the character of the Indian Pundit or the village Brahmin who tells these age-old stories to the illiterate villagers in the evening. (14) Venugoapl C.V., The Indian Short Story in English: A Survey, Op.cit, P

15 160 Sakuntala, Savitri, Drupati, Yayati, Nala and Harish Chandra are the stories taken from the epic Mahabharata. Vishwamitra, Valmiki, and Ravana are the stories taken from the Ramayana. Similary, Manmath is taken from the Shivpurana, Lavana and Chudala are taken from the Yog-Vasistha. The preface of the volume helps us to understand Narayan s art, narration and craftsmanship in right perspective. This is evident from his words, I believe that though circumstance and details may vary. It is personality alone that remains unchanging and makes sense in any age or any idiom. (15) Further, he also gives clarification that, These stories in no sense should be taken as translation for one thing I have had to avoid many theological or didactic interludes that considerably held up the narration. My method has been to allow the original episodes to make their impact on my mind as a writer and rewrite them in my own terms from recollection just as I would write any of my other stories normally out of the impact of the life and persons around me. (16) (7) A HORSE and TWO GOATS (1970) Shortest of all the volumes, A Horse and Two Goats by R.K. Narayan contain only five stories. It was published in 1970 and has all the new stories. This well plotted book is amalgam of tearful laughter and pathetic humour and fun. The title story A Horse and Two Goats is an amusing story full of humour arisen from strange situations. The story stands as justified example of, (15) Narayan R.K. Gods, Demons and Other Stories, Preface Mysore, 1965, P-4. (16) ibid, P-5.

16 161 Comedy of manners, short story about the actual mystification of misunderstanding that overwhelms an American tourist s encounter with a Tamil peasant. (17) It is observed that Uncle is the longest story ever written by Narayan. In the story, the writer delves deep in the world of childhood and adolescence. No surprises are found. However, the question of protagonist s identity, of his parentage, of whether his uncle is a murderous imposter or a loving old fat man remains unresolved. Quite contrary to this is the story of Annamalai which is interesting and realistically drawn with strong characters portrayal and touch of comedy. Whereas, A Breath of Lucifer is an experience based story testifying Narayan s views about fiction. It holds a dramatic structure that resembles Freudian story. Also, it is estimated that it maintains its delicate texture of ambiguity and its balance in the borderland between wakefulness and dreaminess. The last story of the collection, Seventh-House holds the familiar Indian themes of superstitious and disbeliefs. The opening of Narayan s this story reminds us of his famous novel The English Teacher. (8) OLD AND NEW (1981) Another short story collection by Narayan is Old and New published in It contains eighteen stories. Out of this ten are the old stories taken from earlier volumes. And, the new stories are similar in structure to those of the volume A Horse and Two Goats. Second Opinion is almost as long as Uncle. The trend that Narayan (17) Harrex Syd Introduction to R.K.Narayan s: A Story Teller s World, New Delhi, Penguin Books Ltd, 1990, P-x.

17 162 adopted was not readily accepted by the critics. The longer stories were considered to be author s loss of grip on the subject. However quite contrary to these views there were some who adopted a different angle to observe the change in the trend. Narayan s earlier stories were written in the journalistic tradition with the pros and cons imposed by the publishers. There was no scope for him to disagree with the restrictions. Obviously, the change in the trend of short- story writing by Narayan proved that he has liberated himself from all kinds of journalistic restrictions. But, there is no denying the fact that his liberalised writings have not achieved such popularity as was expected by him. (9) MALGUDI DAYS (1982) Narayan s next succeeding volume is Malgudi Days published in It contains a number of stories but the volume has nothing new to offer. Infact, it has borrowed all the stories from earlier collections; sixteen from An Astrologer s Day and other Stories and eight each from Lawley Road and Old and New. It is an estimated fact that the repetition of the title of his first volume has created a lot of confusion among the readers. They were in a state of dilemma that the book is the reprint of the first volume. However, the fact is that they both are quite different from each other. In the first volume Narayan has conveyed his personal experience and written about his art. Whereas, in the present collection the short fiction is the introduction by the author himself. Another remarkable feature of the book is its publication of the map of Malgudi drawn by Clarice Boris from the original constructed by Dr. James M. Fennelly by Adelphi University.

18 163 (10) UNDER THE BANYAN TREE (1985 Another remarkable collection by Narayan is Under the Banyan Tree published in It contains twenty-eight stories, of which only two are the new publication. Whereas, twenty-six of them have been taken from earlier collections. In this volume also, he maintains the changed trend of writing long and discursive stories. Unparalled for his pathos mingled humour; Narayan apparently uses this in most of his works. As, Dr. P.S. Sundaram argues, It is his sense of humour, his capacity to see funny side of even the most tragic situations, his essentials sanity and moderation which make him the great writer he is. (18) The two new stories in this collection are Nitya and House Opposite. The former story is unusual in the sense that unlike other protagonists of Narayan, Nitya has been portrayed as a rebellious youth who defies not only his parents but also God s will. Another story House Opposite portrays characters of two opposite communities a staunch Brahmin and a prostitute. (11) A STORY TELLER S WORLD (1989) A Story Teller s World by R.K. Narayan contains only six stories besides his miscellaneous writings. This was published in Two of the stories, The Magic Beard and The image were taken from his second collection Dodu and Other Stories. Whereas, three of them A Breach of Promise, Around a Temple and The Magical Cure was first published in Lawley Road and Other Stories. Only Musical Commerce is the new story which did not appear in any earlier collections, despite the fact that it has been written about twenty years back. Though, the late (18) Sundaram P.S., R.K. Narayan, New Delhi, 1973, P-139.

19 164 publication of the story has not helped Narayan in enriching his credibility as a pioneer of short fiction. Around a Temple tries to re-establish the supremacy of God, and The Magical Cure exposes the ironical hollowness of the Indian holy men. A Breach of Promise is the story that has a good beginning but as it develops it bores the readers. Infact, the most interesting story in the collection is The Magical Beard.However, the natural simplicity and unpretentious style of Narayan s has made his stories all the more remarkable. Apart from the collection of stories R.K. Narayan has published four volumes of sketches and essays. They are Next Sunday, Reluctant Guru, Mysore and A Writer s Nightmare. Then he has added to his collection a travel book named My Dateless Diary and a travelogue The Emerald Route. He also tried his hands at play-writing, in early phase of his career but did not attain success. The only play The Home of Thunder remained unpublished. When taken together all his contribution to Indo-Anglian Literature, Narayan builds up for himself a formidable image of a great writer. Despite the restraints of thematic and technical equipment his achievement is remarkable. As V.Y. Kantak remarks, Meagre means, scanty resource thinness of tone couldn t surely put on such manifest power! It is true, all the same, that when we come to weight Indian Writing of fiction in English to date, Narayan with his penny whistle seems to have wrought more than others with their more pretentious, more obstreperous brass! (19) Notwithstanding the fact that Narayan belongs to middle class and he writes about the people of his own class, it is observed that he never involved himself in his writings. Unlike Mulk Raj Anand, Raja Rao and many other contemporary writers

20 165 Narayan is free from didacticism or propaganda motive. Rather among the group of Indo-Anglian Writers, he stands alone distinguished in his objectivity and detachment. This detachment requires discipline, balance and poise which is not only found in Narayan but also reflected through his approach to his works. Narayan s Malgudi ( An Imaginary Town ) One considers name, place and date as significant data for history but for literature they are not so important. Still Malgudi-an imaginary place created by R.K. Narayn for his writings became a topic of discussion among lovers; not only of our country but also of abroad.a fictional semi-urban town Malgudi in southern India is Narayan s casterbridge. Based on fictional descriptions of town from many books and stories, Dr. James M. Fennelly, a scholar of Narayan s works created a map of Malgudi. It is observed that like Arnold Bennett Narayan relies more on keen observation and steady accumulation of small details than on evocative description. He elaborates the discovery of Malgudi to Ved Mehta as such: I remember waking up with the name Malgudi on Vijayadashmi, the day on which the Invitation of learning is celebrated. Malgudi was an earth shaking discovery for me, because I had no mind for facts and things like that, which would be necessary in writing about Malgudi or any real place. I first pictured not my town but just the railway station which was a small platform with a banyan tree, a station master and two trains a day, one coming and one going on vijayadashmi. I sat down (19) Kantak V.Y., The Achievement of R.K. Narayan, Indian Literature of the Past Fifty Years,(ed.) C.D Narasimhaiah, University of Mysore (Mysore), 1970, P-133.

21 166 and wrote the first sentence about my town. The train had just arrived at Malgudi station. (20) It is analysed that the inhabitants of this fictional place are essentially human and hence have their kinship with the entire humanity. Infact, here he has woven the complete pattern of the lives of his characters. As such, Malgudi has been only a concept but it has certainly served his purpose well. In other words it can be said that it has been as remarkable a place in Indo-Anglian literature as the Wessex of Thomas Hardy in English fiction. Thus, Narayan s fictional world is the microcosm of traditional Indian society, rich and complex in variety, at the same time endued with an underlying sense of stability and continuity. Stephen Hemingway points out both the good and not so charming aspects of it: This accounts for the provincialism in his (Narayan s) fiction, a trait which is simultaneously good- it provides continuity and skilled handling of local colour and not so good it limits his subject matter and ultimately results in a circumscribed view of life (21) Rather, it is interesting to note that to those Indian children who have been fed on a staple died of The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, Great Expectations, Tom Sawyer s School Days which portrayed an unfamiliar environment and an alien way of life, the familiar surroundings of Malgudi seen to bring in a whiff of fresh air. Therefore, Narayan s fiction is imbued with a strong sense of place Malgudi. Graham Greene expresses deeper sentiments for the place in the following words, (20) Mehta Ved, John is easy to Please (Harmondsworth), Penguin, 1974, P-156. (21) Hemenway Stephen, The Novel of India, Calcutta, Writer s Workshop, P-19.

22 167 From the first pages of Mr. Narayan s new novel, we are back in the town of Malgudi with which for nearly twenty years we have been as familier as with our own birthplace. (22) From the above words, it is clear that in all works of Narayan whether it is short story or novel, Malgudi finds place in them as background. Though the place is imaginary, it is not constant. Like the real places it is an evergrowing town that grows both in time and place in each successive work of the author. The gradual development of Malgudi is justifiable brought forward by N. Mukherjee in the following words. It (Malgudi) has grown from a small sized agricultural town to semiindustrialized city. The Malgudi of Swami and Friends is not the same as the Malgudi of The Vendor of Sweets in The Guide. We see it from passing through various phases of development speaking from the topographical point of view, the Albert Mission College headed by Principal Brown, the newly built bunglows in the Lawley Extention, England Banking Cooperation, the Sunrise Pictures, all speak emphatically of the story of the growth of the town. (23) Quite true to its concept, Malgudi of Narayan s fiction is making rapid growth than that of his stories. It is observed that slowly and gradually the old British names have been omitted and new names after Mahatma Gandhi, Nehru and Subash Chandra Bose have been introduced. For a long time there was no Municipality in Malgudi, but it was established soon after the independence. (22) Green Graham, Introduction, The Financial Expert, R.K. Narayan, Mysore, Indian Thought Publication, 1984,P-vii (23) Mukherjee N. Some Aspects of the Literary Development of R.K.Narayan, The Banasthali Patrika, No.13, July 1969,P-77.

23 168 In Lawley Road it is judged that, the municipality though small is in microcosm the Indian Parliament doing and undoing election and other things for power and pelf. The Market place owns the postal head office. At Race Course Road there is a X-ray clinic. There is also a hospital in Malgudi. The railway communication has facilitated the outsiders visiting the places. Also, the Malgudi railway crossing is blood stained with deaths of passengers from time to time. In The Level Crossing we come to know, the rustics believe that the area near the crossing is haunted. Thus one finds, since its inception Malgudi expands with new offices, places, streets and roads till the end of Narayan s life. It is rather interesting to note that the imagination is truer than fact. As such the world of literature is more real than the real world. It is not an imitation but a creation of the artist. And R.K. Narayan has made it lively by introducing passions and humours and lets its characters react to changes. The characters of Malgudi act and speak by the influence of those genial passions and principles by which all men are agitated and the whole system of life is motivated in motion. Infact the characters may be Malgudian but their feelings and behaviours are human, making them universal. It is observed that every writer, however successful in his career he might have some limitations. And Narayan s limitation is accounted by K.R.S. Iyengar. According to him, the writer cannot possibly move out of his fictional town Malgudi. Whenever he tries to do as such, he probably becomes uncertain in his movements and again gets back to it. Further, Iyengar also estimates that Narayan s Malgudi is a much smaller place and is mostly made out of hackneyed Indian motifs like Cobras, Bharat Natyam and bogus sadhus. Some critics have the opinion that Narayan s vision of life is affirmation of the average resulting into the enthronement of the Absurd. Quite contrary to these views Uma Parameswaran brings her views about Narayan as such:

24 169 However, this limitation, if it is limitation, of not having an overriding message, becomes, like many other Narayan qualities, a qualified virtue. Narayan may not speak impassionately from the podium of social reform as Mulk Raj Anand does, or from the pulpit of spiritual contemplation as Raja Rao does, but neither does he lapse into soap-box orations as K.S. Venkataramani occasionally does and minor writer of the Gandhian era invariably did. (24) Not withstanding the fact that, R.K. Narayan is widely regarded as India s greatest writer in England of the 20 th century. Graham Greene the renowned English novelist with whom Narayan enjoyed a life-long literary friendship appreciates the Narayan s art as underlying sense of beauty and sadness of his work is paralled with Chekhov. Also, Greene has always felt as kind of eternal quality in Malgudi. As such if Malgudi appears to be a much smaller place to Iyengar, it appears to be India itself to.william Walsh. And to C.D. Narasimhaiah, it is a Microcosm of traditional Indian society.moving further it is also clarified that the Cobras, Bharat Natyam and bogus sadhus may be hackneyed Indian motifs for the Indian readers but for the Western readers they arouse much interest. Infact, due to these flavours Indo-Anglian short stories has gained popularity among the foreign readers. In a nutshell, it can be said that Narayan s fictional town Malgudi is an eminent creation which was not stable but developed with the advancement of time. It is a true replica of India and its people. Justifiably, N. Ram in his tributary article on Graham Greene compliments Narayan and his creation as such,. a born storyteller the creator of the world, characters and values of (24) Parameswaran Uma, A Study of Representative Indo- English Novelists, New Delhi, Vikas Publication House, 1976,P.-49

25 170 Malgudi a writer whose art has always required tranquil surroundings, control and the sense of poetry in the background. (25) Themes of his Short Stories R.K. Narayan an oft-quoted name among the famous writers stands as a milestone in the Indo-Anglian short stories. Some of the critics observe that his short stories are popular and congenial to common public taste because of readability, lighter treatment of simple themes etc. Willam Walsh is of the opinion that Narayan s work is an original blend of Western method and Eastern material and he has succeeded in the way that only a talent of the finest order could in making an Indian sensibility wholly at home in English art. Further he praises his simplicity of narrative in which each event glides smoothly into the next in an apparently straight forward and realistic way. Quite true to Walsh s opinion critics have noted that Narayan s writings tend to be more descriptive and less analytical, the objective style, rooted in a detached spirit, providing for a more authentic and realistic narration. His attitude coupled with his perception of life, provided a unique ability to fuse characters and actions. Not only narration Narayan has made a degree of deliberate and critical artistic testing and retesting of the possibilities of a fictional idea that is the themes of his short stories. In the words of P.S. Sundaram, He (Narayan) has a tale to tell, and tells it both simply and briefly. Not only is the language not convoluted the theme too has a beginning, a middle and an end, and goes from the first to the last in chronological order. (26) (25) Ram N. op.cit, P-118. (26) Sundaram P.S., The Ambivalence of R.K. Narayan, Exploration in Modern Indo-English Fiction (ed.)r.k.dhawan, Delhi, Bahri Public.Pvt. Ltd. 1982,P-141

26 171 The words quoted by Sundaram can be judged only by the analysis of Narayan s short stories, which withheld in itself a variety of themes. The Kaleidoscopic view of Indian life as presented by the author has inexhaustible social themes to offer. The inequalities and the inequities of the Indian life and characters are best presented in the tales of An Astrologer s Day and Other Stories. Infact the title story, found a place in the Best British Short Stories and many other anthologies. The Protagonists- an astrologer and Guru Nayak are portrayed realistically. The typical Indian town scene is picturesquely drawn with admirable economy. To creator the humour Narayan ironically draws the situation of the credulity of the client and the cunningness of the astrologer. It was a remarkable place in many ways: a surging crowd was always moving up and down this narrow road morning till night. A variety of trades and occupations was represented all along its way : medicine sellers, sellers of stolen hardware and junk, magicians, and above all an auctioneer of cheap cloth The astrologer transacted his business by the light of a flare which crackled and soaked up above the groundnut heap nearby. (27) Then the story Nitya shows the Indian joint family system juxtapositioned between the modern and the traditional cultures. The story revolves around a young boy with sparkling mind and rebellion at heart. Nitya s head is to be shaved in order to fulfil a vow taken by his parents about twenty years ago, but the boy is reluctant and protests against the ceremony. The discourse between the young boy and his parents most aptly depicts the conflict between the new and the old found in nearly maximum number of Indian families. (27) Narayan R.K. An Astrologer s Day, Op.cit, P-1-2.

27 172 `Besides this another significant theme which Narayan deals is danger of perfection. The theme was first implied by him in Such Perfection in the volume An Astrologer s Day and other Stories. The story deals with art, depicting art as having an almost mystical power and danger to the artiest as well as the world. Here, the sculptor Soma with his earnest concentration and hard labour makes a statue of Nataraja for the village temple. But, the priest before the installation warns him to chip off a small part of the image as it was too perfect. Instead of obeying Soma is reluctant about damaging the perfect form of his creation, so he keeps the idol at home. What follows immediately is the disaster-lightening, thunder and fierce storm causing loss of lives and property, not sparing even the Soma s house where the idol is installed. Rather the thing that surprised everyone was that when the image was picked up amidst splintered materials it was found unhurt except a small crack in the little toe. Thus, making people yell with surprise that, God himself has done this to save people. Seventh House from the collection A Horse and Two Goats is R.K. Narayan s another story on similar theme. Here, the protagonist Krishna marries the girl of his choice despite the fact that his horoscope depicted Mars in the seventh house which spelled disaster for his wife. As the time passed his wife suffered from severe illness. In desperation he seeks the advice of his old astrologer who in-turn convinced him that only his disloyality to his wife could save her. Therefore, the story in its exposition has the potentiality to make a dark tragedy out of deep rooted love. However, the end becomes ludicrous when Krishna goes to temple girl to defile him leaving his own groaning wife behind. The following lines by William Walsh about the above mentioned two stories are worth mentioning.

28 173 In both these stories we see an Indian version of the classical view of the necessary limitation of human kind and of the danger brought about not simply by hubris but by the very state of perfection which precedes and might provoke this emotion. It is, like much in the Indian view of life, deeply implicit and creatively shaping in Narayan, a very ancient concept of existence. It is much closer to the Greek vision than a post- renaissance, protestant, European or American one (28) Next popular theme found in Narayan s short stories is supernaturalism. He strikes such popular Indian beliefs as mystic trance, possession of the body by the good or the evil forces, the dead coming to life etc. The story Old Man of the Temple deals with such theme where an old priest murdered long ago takes possession of a driver who has to be exorcised. An Accident is another such story in which the ghost of a driver is as loyal to his master as during his life days. Further in some of his stories he has dealt with this theme as just to create pure humour. This can be judged in the story Cat Within. In this a cat while chasing a rat enters a shop and affixes its head in a brass jug. In the state of desperation it starts jumping and banging the walls creating a loud noise. The shop owner and his neighbours assembled there in a state of horror assuming the presence of some super natural power in the shop. Notwithstanding the fact that Narayan unlike Mulk Raj Anand and Abbas is a humourous story writer with a different style and tone of voice that bears his personal touch. And it is his unique technique that makes even the supernatural themes amusing and humorous rather than creating horror. Moreover Narayan s writing style is often compared to that of William Faulkner. Both of their works bring out the humour and energy of ordinary life while displaying (28) Walsh William, R.K. Narayan: A Critical Appreciation, Op.cit., P

29 174 compassionate humanism. The similarities also extended to their juxtaposing of the demands of society against the confusions of individuality. Although their approach to subject was similar, their methods were different. Faulkner was rhetorical and illustrated his points with immense prose; while Narayan was very simple realistic capturing the elements of the same. Moving forward, it is found that there are few stories of Narayan that deal with the theme of spiritualism. The story God and the Cobbler depicts man s supreme faith in the power of God. The story The Doctor s Word from the volume Cyclone and other Stories attracts the readers for its irony. The story artistically brings forth the dilemma of a doctor while attending upon his dearest friend Dr. Raman. When medical science fails, man s power of faith on god alone saves his life. If my word can save his life, he shall not die. And the effect that is witnessed is magical. The hopeless patient begins to recover. The most significant theme for which Narayan is best known is understanding and portraying the child psychology. He recreates the world of childhood with rare artistry. The stories based on this theme are more interesting as he writes them with compassion and genial humour. Whereas, the world of children created by Anand and Abbas evoke pity and sympathy for the characters. Narayan very easily enters into the spirit of childhood. This can be witnessed in the story Dodu. Dodu was eight years old and wanted money badly. Since he was only eight, nobody took his financial worries seriously. (29) Then Dodu in another story The Regal reminds one of his childhood days. The (29) Narayan R.K. Dodu, Dodu and other Stories, Mysore, Indian Thought Publication, New Delhi, P-1

30 175 story revolves around his formation of a cricket team, practising and achievements in the tournament. What is exemplifying in the story is Narayan s keen observation of the child s world. When Dodu and his friend started the game they had a dealwood plank for bat, a tennis ball and three lines on the garage door for wicket. In another story A Hero Narayan made its protagonist Swami the real hero. Despite his protests he was punished by his father to sleep in the office-room. The only crime he did was he used to sleep with his Granny by clinging her. The punishment changed his life the other way as he inadvertently brings out the capture of a notorious house-breaker. And from the next day, his friends, police and even his principal called him a true scout-a real hero and as such his father never minded of his sleeping with his Granny. The mischiefs of a naughty boy are very beautifully portrayed in Crime and Punishment. He blackmails his poor-tutor for he knows that his one complaint against his teacher would result into his removal from the job. But, the teacher knows that forgiveness is greater than punishment. Therefore, he hides his mischief in order to save him from the wraths of his parents. This step changes the boys nature, he feels grateful to the teacher and vows not to play any pranks or do any kind of mischief with teacher in future. It is observed that Narayan not only portrayed children lust for games and mischiefs but he also made it clear that a child is not lured by the lust of fame or fortune. His world is centered around his parents and the atmosphere he lives in. This is brought forward in the story, The Performing Child. Here, a small girl Kutti s parents wants to make her a film-actress in order to open the door of prosperity. The child has some different feelings. She hides herself as she feels that she is going to be estranged from her parents. After a thorough search when she is found out the first