Context based narratological approach to RK Narayan A study of his novels

Abstract

The present study analyses select novels of Narayan through a rigorous application of the significant tenets of narratology in its recently developed form. Narayan has been the most popular twentieth century Indian novelist writing in English. But he is also a writer most frequently misinterpreted by newlinecritics. Narayan has been assessed as a writer deeply immersed in his own material, and one, who like Jane Austen, confines himself to Indian uppermiddle class life. Though his mastery in characterization , local colour, point of view and other aspects have already been studied in isolation, there is scope for an integrated application of the principles of narratology. By such an approach newlineNarayan s greatness as a narrator would stand vindicated. In the present study newlinefive of Narayan s novels The Dark Room , The Guide , The Vendor of Sweets, newlineThe Painter of Signs and The World of Nagaraj written during different stages newlineof his long career - are studied by systematically subjecting them to a specific newlineparadigm of five dimensions: (i)Theme, (ii) Setting, (iii) Character, (iv) Point of newlineView and (v) Socio-Cultural Matrix. newlineRecently narratology as a discipline to study the novel has outgrown its newlinestructuralist/ formalist approach, by the induction of the socio-cultural matrix of newlinethe writer. Novels are no more studied as decontextualised abstractions. By newlineapplication of the tenets of this contextualized narratology, Narayan is found to deflate very pertinent social problems in his novels. The Dark Room examines the place of women in the 1930s, when women were totally dependent on their male counterparts. From this abject position, we can see women gaining their independence, stature and strength through the later novels, The Guide and The Painter of Signs. Again in The Painter of Signs, Narayan examines the Indian government s efforts to contain the population explosion of the 1970s, through its intensive drive - Family Planning Mission. It was not well received by the orthodox Indian society. However, the real solution