Q- Discuss the uses of narrative methods in Kantapura.

The success of any literary artist lies not only in his ideas but also in his expression. The style reveals
the nature and the intention of the writer. It is righty said that style is man means man is recognize by his style.
Style reveals the author himself.
In Kantapura, Raja Rao excelled in his method of narrative technique. Here he has used the ancient Puranic
method of storytelling rather than the western style. According to him puranic method of storytelling is natural
and true to the atmosphere of India, which gives an Indianness to the novel. It is a third person narrative novel
and is narrated by an old woman Achkka. The story is told in oral tradition of storytelling without any break. Rao
says in preface to Kanthapura
we, in India think quickly, we talk quickly, and when we move , we move quickly, we have
neither punctuation nor the treacherous ats and ons. Episodes follows episodes, and when our
thought stop, our breath stops, and we move on to another thought

Western style method of chapter division is not followed and it is one continues tale. The long
sentence shows flow of thought. This technique is used here in the present novel. In this novel the narrator talks to
the reader for example in the very opening of Kanthapura Achakka says following lines
our village- I dont think you have ever heard about it Kanthapura is its name and it is the province of
Kara. High Ghats, is it , high up the steep mountains, that face the cool Arabian seas, up the Malabar
coast is it, up Mangalore and Puttur and many a center of cardamom and coffee, rise and sugarcane.

In many of his stories also this method is used. This narrative method helps him to go in friendly conversational
style and also to present freely the reflection of the narrator.

In his narrative style we see appropriateness of language. He uses language of all people. He
brings out difference of language used by Educated, uneducated, old, young, even by man and woman. The
narrator Achakka is very old age women who tells the story to her grand-children, she uses old religious word
and language, that who doesnt know about Indian myth and religion could not understand easily some words.
Moorthy is young and educated man in village, and talks about the Gandhian thoughts idealism, and movement.
Even the language used by women in village is also differs from man. They usually talks about house hold matters
and about clothing and saris, which sari will she wears to go in katha.
This narrative method has given the writer ample opportunity for portraying character by
representing various moods, and conflict, and spiritual, inward of the character. This appropriateness of style one
can notice in Raja Rao. Even in indianized English he brings out the difference in the language used by educated,
uneducated, young and old. In the Kanthapura Achakka used such a language that is typical of an old woman. She
expresses her feelings without any inhibition;
If rain come not, you fall at her feet and say Kanchmma, goddess,

You are not kind to us.

Our fields are full of youngliness and you have given us no water.
Tell us Kanchmma why do you seek to make our stomachs burn
 In the same novel he distinguishes the style of Harikatha man and Moorthy and many others from
that of Achakka. Moorthys conversation would be good illustration. While explaining to Nanjamma about the
advantage of spinning he says;
it is yours sister, and every month, I shall come to you how many yard you have spun. And every month
i shall gather your yarn send it to city. And city people reduce you for the cotton charges and for rest,
you have your cloth.

Also here we can see the straight forwardness of narrative and Raos use of flashback technique.
Achakka tells the story to her grand-children, of her past in what kind of situation she passes through. She told
story in different manner, sometimes while telling story she forgets the name of mythical characters, and confused
between Shiv and Brahma, and Vishnu. She sometimes forget the story and then come back in present, and when
she remembers she went back to past. The thing which we should note that she tell her children the story of Ram,
of Shiva, of Vishnu, of Krishna and then come back to the present time she compares the mythical character with
present time of India in which she lives.

Most distinguished narrative quality of Kanthapura is its Indianized English language: Rao variously tried to give
the novel a touch of Indianans and it is not been an easy task for the novelist. As one critic says, He admits .
in his preface that the telling has not been easy. This is so because he had to capture in
English the tempo of Indian life. By number of ways he modified and mould language to get desired
effect. He has translated the native similes and metaphors, idioms, and culture specific phrases that we use in our
daily language or in vernacular language. Here for example;
well when you have drunk the Himavati waters, you cant ever look different.
Moorthy is holly bull, elephant and cow.

For the various religious ceremony and rituals he translated the word without thinking much upon
it, like hair-cutting ceremony, rice-eating ceremony, marriage ceremony and death ceremony, etc. The use of
adjectives as we use in our vernacular gives some effects, and native feeling to the language. some examples are
coffee planter Ramayya, fig tree, house people, corner-house Moorthy and cart-wheel Sivarama. By using word
associated with Indian culture, like the names of the food, festivals, places, functions, etc. He has infused the pace
of Indian life into English expression. Karthik, Harikatha, Sankara-Jayanthy, Payasama, Mayavada are few
examples of Indian spirit.

The novel starts with simple narration by an old woman about one of the village in India, later it
evolves to entire India. The narration starts as tale is told to children by their grandmother as it is the Indian
tradition. Raja Rao has combined the myth and Gandhian Movement very harmoniously, He use Hindu epic myth
for authentication of his work by putting myth in novel he easily achieved his goal. Not only the use of myth
makes it popular but his intellectual power, his imaginative power, his ability to use and utilize the Indian words,
and its his knowledge of Indian culture and people.

So at the end it will be proper to say that it is the Indianization of the narrative , the Hindu
culture and its relation to Indian freedom struggle that gives the novel the distinction and
value that it have today.