Rk Narayan Childhood

mariam al hail The nature of children and the experience of childhood as depicted in ‘A Hero’ by R.K Narayan and ‘Electricity Comes to Cocoa Bottom’ by Marcia Douglas

The word ‘childhood’ reminds us of the unforgettable moments that we experienced when we were younger, irrespective of the events that were either heartwarming or distressing. The childhood feeling for experiencing new things, such as the ones underwent by the children of Cocoa Bottom written by Marcia Douglas and the inexplicable fear as in the case of Swami in ‘A Hero’ by R.K Narayan, are quite common among children. In these two texts, we can explore the contradicting thoughts, emotions and events related to childhood.

In ‘Electricity Comes to Cocoa Bottom’, the rise in

A sense of a family bond is something that the children in ‘Electricity Comes to Cocoa Bottom’ and Swami in ‘A Hero’ experience. Although Douglas has not specified any actual family relationships in ‘Electricity’, we are aware of the fact that there is a community that priorities the feeling of love and affection. Therefore, we can metaphorically identify the community in ‘Electricity…’ as a family. On contrary, in ‘A Hero’ Swami is clearly part of a family, that consists of a mother, father and a grandmother. The fact that Swami doesn’t always receive the required warmth of love from every member of the family, especially from his rigid father, draws our sympathy for Swami. These ideas of family relationships are explicitly shown in both the extracts. As in ‘Electricity…’ Douglas writes, ‘Then all the children of Cocoa Bottom’. We instantly notice the togetherness of this community by the word ‘all’ as it takes every child into consideration. On the other hand, in ‘A Hero’, Swami’s father asks for him using an interrogative tone, ‘Where is the boy?’. A parent will always refer to their child by their actual name, as it is the only natural way to say it. However, in this case, the father treats Swami as a stranger to the family and blends him in with other children. This allows us to create a vivid imagery of how strange father and son relationships can be. Towards