R. K. Narayan, An Indian in Writing novels and Stories in English:
English is only the medium of R.K. Narayan’s expression otherwise the themes and atmosphere of his novels are Indian. He is a story teller first and last but he tells stories about Indian people and follows Indian tradition of story-telling. His novels are episodic and loose in construction. He narrates his stories in a straightforward chronological order. Only The Guide is an exception to this method.
 |
| Indianness in R.K. Narayan’s Novels |
Great Regard for Family, Home and Relationships:
He has a great regard for family ties and pieties of the home and the family. The plot of the novels is woven of the material of domestic relationship. Family traditions are given high value and importance. If the set norms are violated, the order is disturbed and order is restored and normalcy established only when the accepted norms are observed and given proper weight. The stress on the family exhibits his Indianness. This is clearly manifested in The Bachelor of Arts and all other novels.
Purely Indian Portrayal of the Housewives:
The housewives portrayed in Narayan's novels are purely Indian. They are victimized by their husbands but they tolerate their tyranny and injustice passively. Their revolt against their husbands is temporary for they are not bold enough to break the mental tie and ultimately return to their homes and children. Savitri in The Dark Room is such a character. Even Rosie in The Guide, shows her essential Indianness in her concern for forgery. She says to Raju, “I felt all along you were not doing the right things. This is Karma. What can we do?”
His Presenting Some Peculiar Things of India:
Narayan creates Indian atmosphere in his novels in another way. He introduces such elements as are peculiar to India. He employs superstitions, rituals and beliefs which appear fantastic to others but credible to Indians. Sadhus, Sanyasi and Swamis frequently appear in his novels. In Bachelor of Arts, Chandran turns a sanyasi and wanders about like the traditional Indian Sadhus. In The Guide Raju keeps fast to bring down rain and he is easily taken to be a Mahatma by credulous villagers. Communication with the spirit of the dead, undertaking of a fast to please a god or goddess to win some favour or other, are other relevant examples. There is no logic behind these fantastic and superstitious things but much of it is employed into the fabric of his novels.
Some Familiar Scenes in India:
The dance of the cobra on the music of the flute and Devdasis’ dancing like cobra are familiar scenes for the Indians. It can also be seen in the novels of Narayan. For example, in The Guide, Rosie reads Nritya Shastra of Bharat Muni and dances like a cobra to the music of a flute.
Indian Myths and Legends:
Indian myths and legends have also been referred to frequently in Narayan's Gods, Demons and other stories. An Indian myth forms the background to The Man - Eater of Malgudi.
But in one important respect, Narayan differs from the Indian tradition. His attitude is not the least deductive. He makes no attempt to preach or deliver a message. He may have some moral message, he may perhaps be a moral analyst, but he does not attempt to impose his views on his readers. “He is an analyst of individual feelings, emotions and actions in an exploration of hidden human conflicts. Nowhere in his novels does he preach in Indian tradition.” His morality is never made explicit, his readers must read between the lines to gather his message.