Rk Narayan Character Analysis

R.K.Narayan belongs to the first generation of Indian novelists writing in English. The uniqueness of Narayan is realized through his multi-faceted image that has created an aura of his imagination. His novels are novels of character and the novelist has always tried to explore human existence with its elemental issues through the central consciousness of his novels. When we analyze the novels of R.K.Narayan, we find that there are different types of characters. The types seem to have a distinct identity telling us about the mark of Narayan’s conception of character. On reading the novels of Narayan, Sanyasa, a typology of study is revealed in many of his novels. The writer presents every conceivable face of a sanyasi from the fake to the

The first of the three sanyasis, known as the Swamiji, is introduced as the “Man with his forehead ablaze with sacred ash, and a thick rosary around the neck and matted hair” (92-93). The spiritual healer, invited for the sake of the ailing Susila, underlines the mistaken identity as the agnostic Krishnan takes him for a beggar and says, “Go away” (93). As he gives a pinch of holy ash to the patient and ties a talisman to her arm, Narayan seems to present the sanyasi as a holy man. Krishnan’s mother shares the attitude of Chandran’s mother towards the holy man. The Swamiji symbolizes the common man’s spiritual reverence and faith in the miraculous and godly power of the spiritual healer. One also notes different attitudes towards him. Dr.Shankar, the family doctor, though takes an almost non-committal stance, he certainly does not disown the holy man. Krishnan’s fury at the sight of the Swamiji clearly indicates the former’s agnostic and scientific attitude to god men. But more important seems to be the irony concealed in the attitude towards the Swamiji. It may be recalled that towards the end of the novel, Krishnan not only echoes the family doctor’s view of the unknown ways of the holy man but also unreservedly accepts