Define R. K. Narayan as a Novelist.

Ans.

Introduction

Today we remember R. K. Narayan as one of the greatest novelists of Indo-Anglian fiction. More than ten popular novels and more than one hundred fifty short stories were written by him. Today he enjoys the position of an eminent man-of-letters. His novels may be divided into four categories i.e. the scholarly novels of his early period, his domestic novels like “The Financial Expert” and Guide” is also related with money. Other aspects of R. K. Narayan as novelist are given below:

Common Men’s Novelist

After making a close and serious study of R. K. Narayan’s novels we find clearly that R. K. Narayan is common men’s great novelist of India. He chooses his heroes, or heroines from among the middle class people, or lower class persons. after making their careful choice, the novelist deals with their daily problems of money, livelihood and constant suffering. For example, Raju in “The Guide” is the best example of sorrow and suffering. He suns from place to place in search of his bare livelihood and lasting existence of peace and satisfaction but in vain.

Certainly R. K. Narayan is an eminent novelist of common persons and common situations. His characters are after drawn from the lower middle class and he describes them in the most faithful and realistic style. His plots, too, are framed round common people and common situations which are profusely found in the Indian society. The problems of his characters truly seem to be our own problems with which all of us suffer in our life. For example, his characters like Raju, Swami, Chandran, Ramani, Mr. Sampath, Sriram, Jagan, Rosie and Savitri are all taken from middle class, or lower middle class. After reading R.K. Narayan’s such novels all the readers feel deep sympathy for their sad, frustrated and tragic life.

His Plot-Construction

R. K. Narayan’s plots construction revolves round the novelist’s well-though plan of the story of his novels as well as round the allied events and their sorrowful consequences highly painful to all the readers of his novels.

R. K. Narayan’s plots of his novels are certainly not in accordance to standard plan, or formula. Its obvious reason is that his plot progresses any neither a happy marriage, or the blessed union of a hero and his beloved but it is only to show the reality of life through his characters in the most effective way. His art of plot-construction does not show a regular and progressive trait.

His Characterization

R. K. Narayan has been truly called the master of characterization because his novels are only character dominated novels. He may not be as great as Shakespeare, or Charles Dickens but, in India, he enjoys an equal and similar eminence for his wonderful art of characterization. The characters of his novels are most carefully chosen from the middle class or lower middle class particularly from the society of South India.

The characters like Raju, Rosie, Chandran, Ramani, Savitri, Mr. Sampath, etc. are full of life and vitality. His characters are not very rich, not very powerful, nor superhuman. They are the characters from the common men, women and children of the average Indian society. They face several problems, struggle to earn their livelihood and undergo much suffering in their life. In his world of character, there is a veritable world of men, women and pathetic lads. For example, Raju, Sampath, Jagan, Rosie, Savitri, etc. are his ordinary characters passing through the phases of money, love, joy, or sorrow, etc. in their life. They are the image of R. K. Narayan’s keen observation. The heroes of Narayan are the helpless victims of the circumstances suffering much. His female characters are often suffering women.

As a Regional Novelist

After making a thorough and thoughtful study of R. K. Narayan’s novels, it may be easily concluded and asserted with adequate certainty that he was only a regional novelist because of his limited and particular field of writing. In his all novels and short stories, the characters and events R. K. Narayan concentrated on the one and the same area of Malgudi which dominated in his all novels and short stories. Its simple and obvious reason was that the novelist was most interested and concerned with the men, women, children and the events related with that reginal and limited area.

The main reason for R.K. Narayan being only a regional novelist was his psychological and realistic familiarity with that area and it inhabitants. He used his pen well to give an expression to their joy, sorrow and suffering in an effective way in all his novels and short stories. Prof. Srinivas Iyengar says, “…… he (R. K. Narayan) is content, like Jane Austen,……to be a detached observer, to concentrate on a narrow scene……to snap a small group of characters.”

His Realism

The novels of R. K. Narayan show his trait of realism in a clear, real and effective style. He takes his character, situations and events from the life of middle class, or lower class people of the Indian society and describes them with too much realism and faithfulness.

For example, his novels of the first phase give an expression of school, or college life in a realistic style. “The Financial Expert”, “Mr. Sampath” and “The Guide” present a faithful and realistic description of rich people’s mam mon-worship and related poor persons’ too much suffering. The novelist is particularly interested in giving realistic expression to the sorrow, suffering and miserable life of middle class, or lower middle class people.

His Humour and Irony: R. K. Narayan is an expert in blending humour and irony in his novels. There are examples of social irony and bitter humour at different places in all his novels. The common people enjoy freely, or laugh heartily even when a poor man, or woman suffers badly, or dies tragically.

For example, Raju, the hero of “The Guide” is dying of the bad dis ease of T. B. but the people are rushing to see him. The photographers take photos for their films and some correspondents are busy in sending news to their papers. It shows the blending of humour and irony. It may be called inequal mixture only.

“Mr. Sampath” again shows a series of humorous situations mixed with social irony in the actions of the hero himself. In the same way, his novel of the early period, “The Bachelor of Arts” is full of humour and irony. Chandran who loves Malti quarrels with his father on the subject of horoscopes. The hotel life in “The English Teacher” is also full of humour.

His Language and Style

R. K. Narayan is well known as a popular novelist from the point of view of his own kind of language and style. Some critics criticize him for using too simple language which is certainly an effective medium for the fullest expression of his ideas and feelings. He never made use of complicated style and sophisticated language in his novels and short stories. Narayan successfully blends his tragic situations with his usual comic style.

By his simple language and controlled style the novelist has succeeded in making his expressions realistic, touching and effective. The ideas and feelings of his characters are expressed truly, faithfully and in a realistic style.

As a Great Artist

Today R. K. Narayan is considered as a great novelist, popular artist and an eminent-men-of-letter. It is confirmed by his more than one dozen novels and more than one hundred fifty short stories. In his works, the great artist has included a large number of male and female characters from the middle and lower middle class of the Indian society.

R. K. Narayan, as a great artist, knows well how to give real and pathetic expression to the sorrow and suffering of his tragic male and female characters. He enjoys wide popularity and literary eminence far and wide both in India and abroad. His novels and short stories have been translated in different languages and his works are read with deep interest and much attention. Really he is a great living writer of India.

Conclusion

In short, R. K. Narayan is a nature short story writer and an eminent novelist who is well known far and near both in India and other parts of the world. The people of this great country should feel proud for such a living literary genius of the present age.