The Guide - R.K.Narayan

 

     The Guide - R.K.Narayan

A▪︎ About R.K.Narayan,

B▪︎ Introduction To The Novel,

C▪︎ Summary,

D▪︎ Characterization,

E▪︎ Multiple Choice Questions,

F▪︎ To Recapitulate. 

A▪︎ About R.K.Narayan-

R.K.Narayan full name is Rasipuram Krishnaswamy. The life of R.K.Narayan follows the pattern of an ordinary South Indian life with only little break from the routine. He was born in 1906 in Madras. Later the family shifted to Mysore.

His father was the school teacher.  For sometime he was left in the company of his grandmother to whom he was very much attached. Because of family circumstances he had to do the job. For some period he worked as a clerk  and after that as a school teacher.  But the passion to become a writer overpowered him and he took to Novel writing with full dedication.  

Narayan's marriage with Rajam is perhaps the unconventional incident of his life. He saw Rajam in the market and fell in love with her. He went to her father seeking her hand in marriage, and everything went on well and both got married happily.  But their happiness was short lived. She died of typhoid, and their martial life of five years ended. This sent him into immense grief. For six years he did not write any novel.  Only a couple of short stories came out during that period. Gradually he came out of that tunnel of sadness, as maturity can be seen in his later novels. 

He gave a new impetus to novels in English in India. Swami and friends  - an early episodic novel came out in the year 1935. The Bachelor of Art in 1937 and The Dark Room in 1938. All these were drawn on his experience as a child and as a young man. The English Teacher was published in 1945. Then followed by Mr Sampath in 1949, The Financial Expert in 1952, The Guide in 1958 and The Vector Of Sweets in 1967.

B▪︎ Introduction To The Novel-

The Guide is one of the most famous novel of R.K.NARAYAN. He won Sahitya Academy Award for this novel. In it satire, comedy, and tragedy all are beautifully blended. Narayan traces the progress in Raju's life from a rogue to that of a fake swami. The book has  been translated into Hindi, French, German, Dutch, Russian, Swedish and Hebrew. 

The Novel has been filmed in India. It was a massive success.  He proves himself a storyteller through this novel. The novel is set in and around Malgudi.

Raju, formerly a guide to tourist has just taken refuge in an old temple by the river. While sitting on the steps one evening, a peasant Velan takes him for a priest. He asks his advice on a domestic problem.  Raju helps him to find a solution.  He soon acquired a reputation as a holy man.when a drought comes to the district, the peasants turn to him for help.  He undertakes a fourteen days fast. It is at this point that he confesses to Velan that he is an imposter. He tells the story of his previous life. 

C▪︎ Summary-

Raju was born and brought up in a careless manner by his father who was a small businessman of the Railway colony. 

Without much Education but tremendous practical sense, he grew into a young man. He set up a shop at the platform. He himself took up guiding after sometime.  It was here that he came to know Rosie, the wife of Marco who was a scholar of repute in ancient Indian culture. 

It was enough that he bestowed upon his wife dignity and comforts, but he never cared for her emotional needs. Tosie was thus neglected and spured by her husband for her interest in dance. As such she fell in love with Raju. 

Raju knew very well how to win a woman's heart. On the other hand, Marco sincere dedication to his work bore fruitwhen his twenty-rupee book came out, but it became  the cause of Raju's ruin too. Raju hid the book behind the bottles of liquor. He did not want that Rosie should see it and recognize her husband's worth. But it could not remain a secret for long.

Rosie discovered the fact, and realized how jealous her lover was of her husband.  So she pinned for the love of her husband.  Raju was not prepared to concede to this as he himself was intended to take her husband's place. This clash of feeling became more and more intense and a time came when Raju thought his mother was not wrong to call Rosie a "snake girl". So Raju forged her signature. This forgery paved the path for his arrest. He was jailed for two years. After his coming out from the jail, it was not easy for him to face the world. 

He was just wandering about when he came to stay in an old temple on the bank of Sarayu and met Velan who was a simple peasant.  Raju laid the trap of the born guide in him for sheer survival.  He narrated the story of the saint who had brought rains through penance and saved the life of dying victims of famine; but it recoiled on Raju, Raju started the fast unwillingly and without faith in his sainthood, but after four days decided to accept the deception as a necessary conmitant of his life and died with equanimity and peace on his face.

D▪︎ Characterization-

• RAJU

In the novel, Raju has been presented as a protagonist.  Raju can be said, Narayan's one of the most tragic characters. He behaves like a mature person especially after his release from jail. Raju plays the role if an anti-hero. In the earlier part of his role, treachery and fraud are the parts of his character. He acts as a great showman and believes in appearances. 

By nature, he was extrovert. Due to his nature, he becomes a popular tourist guide within a very short period of time.  

He is known as a friend, philosopher and guide. Raju became a victim of circumstances.  When he was expecting his favourite food in the evening, he is asked to observe a twelve days fast in order to propitiate the rain-God. At first he thought of running away, but soon he realised the serious consequences of this action. He discloses everything to Velan. But Velan dosen't get affected by the revelation and continues to address him Swami. So Raju decided to face the situation and sacrifices his life for the welfare of the villagers. 

•ROSIE

Rosie has a charming personality.  Her personality impresses everyone.  Raju fell in love with her at first sight. Though she belongs to a dancer family, but even then she is highly educated. Ever her husband is also impressed with her education as well as with her charming beauty. She leads the life differently while living with her husband Marco and while living as a Raju's mistress. It is true that she is unfaithful to Marco, but for this she can't be blamed alone. Marco is also responsible for this distraction. Marco is indifferent towards Rosie. He always suppresses her. Though she is highly educated, but she behaves just like other village women. She was passionate about her art. She only wants to fulfill her wishes by becoming a good dancer. Her character shows various shades if womanhood.

• MARCO

Marco has great academic interest. It can be said that he is above the average tourists because he travel not for sight-seeing and enjoyment, but to excel in his research and discovery. He is totally devoted to his profession. 

He neglects Rosie on the pretext of the importance of his projects. Marco is seems a self-centered, and self-righteous man. It is ironical that Marco compares Rosie's dancing with monkey tricks. On the other side, we see that Marco is a straight forward man who appreciates honesty and efficiency. 

E▪︎ Multiple Choice Questions-

• When was The Guide Published?

1- 1938

2- 1959

3- 1958

4- 1960

Ans- 1958.

• When did R.K.Narayan receive Sahitya Academy Award?

1- 1960

2- 1970

3- 1963

4- 1965

Ans- 1960

• The story of guide starts with......

1- Raju at Tajmahal

2- Raju at Redfort

3- Raju released from jail

4- Raju at Mumbai

Ans- Raju released from jail.

• Who is the main character in "The Guide"?

1- Raju

2- Velan

3- Joseph

4- Mahatma

Ans- Raju

• What was Velan's problem?

1- He had no son

2- His sister was young 

3- His sister showed reluctance to marriage 

4- None

Ans- His sister showed reluctance to marriage. 

• What is Malgudi?

1- A village in South

2- A foreign country 

3- An eastern state

4- An assumed name of a village in South.

Ans- An assumed name of a village in South. 

• What was the occupation of Raju's father?

1- He was traders

2- He was a shopkeeper 

3- He was a doctor 

4- None.

Ans- He was a shopkeeper. 

• Where did Raju meet Rosie?

1- In the market

2- At Railway Station 

3- At Bus Stand

4- At an Airport. 

Ans- At Railway Station. 

• What was the name of Rosie's husband?

1- Raju

2- Marco

3- Velan

4- Goldie.

Ans- Marco.

•What was the occupation of Marco?

1- An excavator 

2- An archeologist 

3- A scientist 

4- An engineer. 

Ans- An excavator. 

F▪︎ To Recapitulate-

Raju was a true guide. He remains a guide till his end. Whatever the place, position or time, he would play the guide. He ran away from books; avoided scholars like Marco; and hated to be exact about the place if tourist's interest in Malgudi; but the worst irony of his fate was that he was always teaching of helping others to learn. As Railway Raju he guided the tourists of Malgudi, as manager and admirer he guided Rosie, and as a saint he guided the villagers.

The Language used to narrate the past of Raju was more assertive and egoistic than pathetic. This is another indirect suggestion to show that Raju to the last days of his life was the same old "Railway Raju". 

The Guide is thus a story of Raju's sin and repentance as much as the story of everyman's growth from ordinary to the extraordinary, from a petty guide of places to a spiritual guide. Although written in a foreign language, The Guide is a truly Indian Novel: images, symbols, manners, habits, and sentiments all are combine to show the feeling that R.K.Narayan is the true son of the Indian soil.

NOTE:

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