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R.K. Narayan as a Writer of Tragicomedy

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R.K. Narayan as a Writer of Tragicomedy

Ishtiaq Ibne Alam

Student ID: 131013028

Department of English and Humanities

Fall 2016
 R.K. Narayan as a Writer of Tragicomedy

_______________________________________________________

A Thesis Submitted to

The Department of English and Humanities

University of Liberal Arts, Bangladesh

_______________________________________________________

In Partial Fulfillment

of the Requirements for the Degree of

BA in English and Humanities

_____________________________________________________

Ishtiaq Ibne Alam

Student ID: 131013028

Kaiser Hamidul Haq, Thesis Supervisor

Fall 2016
 CERTIFICATE OF APPROVAL

I hereby declare that this thesis is the student’s own work and effort. All sources of information

incorporated here have been duly acknowledged. This thesis has been submitted with my approval.

_________________________
(Kaiser Hamidul Haq)

Professor and Dean

Department of English and Humanities

05-01-2017
 DECLARATION

This thesis is a presentation of my original research work. Wherever contributions of others are

involved, every effort is made to indicate this clearly, with due reference to the literature, and

acknowledgement of collaborative research and discussions.

_________________________
(Ishtiaq Ibne Alam)
ID: 131013028
Department of English and Humanities
05-01-2017
 Acknowledgements

I would like to thank my parents at first; well of course, they deserve this because they are the reason

that I am doing this.

My sincere gratitude is due to the authority of the Department of English and Humanities that provided

me with the opportunity to conduct this research. I am grateful to a number of individuals who have

contributed in many ways towards the completion of this thesis. Firstly I would like to express my

profound gratitude and respect to my supervisor, Kaiser Hamidul Haq Professor and Dean of DEH, ULAB

for giving me the permission to work with my selected topic and constant guidance and trust on me

since the inception of the study. Without his support, it was never possible for me to work with the

subject matter.

I would like to express my deepest gratitude to the faculty members of the Department of English and

Humanities for their unconditional help and support.

I would like to thank my friends Nayan and Atickur for their genuine concern, good advice and

encouragement.

Again, I acknowledge those scholars whose materials I have collected from different sources and used

after certain modification in this paper. I would like to thank my family for giving unconditional support

and love throughout my life that encourages me to go forward.

 Table of Contents

Abstract ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------1

Chapter 1: Introduction --------------------------------------------------------------------------------2

Chapter 2: Literature Review -------------------------------------------------------------------------6

Chapter 3: The Guide ------------------------------------------------------------------------------10

Chapter 4: The Financial Expert ------------------------------------------------------------------------15

Chapter 5: The Man-Eater of Malgudi -----------------------------------------------------------------21

Chapter 6: The English Teacher ------------------------------------------------------------------------26

Chapter 7: Conclusion --------------------------------------------------------------------------------30

Work Cited --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------32

 Alam |1

Abstract

R.K Narayan is a famous Indian writer. This paper presents R.K. Narayan as a tragi-

comic writer. He highlights many comic and tragic elements in his books. I have chosen four of

his novels to present him as a tragi-comic writer. They are The Guide, The English Teacher, The

Financial Expert and The Man-Eater of Malgudi. R.K. Narayan. In these novels, R.K. Narayan

gives much importance to human relationships and their consequences. Especially, he focuses on

love, money, beauty and shows how these external and internal things affect our lives. He is

undoubtedly the master of comic writing, and he even shows a serious subject in a humorous

way in some of his books like The Guide, The Financial Expert, and The Man-Eater of Malgudi.

However, in these books there is an underlying sadness, which the readers can easily understand;

in fact, The English teacher is considered to be the greatest tragic novel of his career. Therefore,

he is successful both as a comic and tragic writer. The readers can learn many lessons by reading

R.K. Narayan’s novels, and it can be understood through the finding of comic and tragic

elements. The dissertation tries to explain these things.

Keywords: Tragicomedy, Comedy, Tragedy, Humor, Underlying sadness, External and internal

things.
 Alam |2

Introduction

R.K. Narayan is one of the most celebrated Indian writers in English. He wrote novels,

short stories, non-fictions and retellings of mythologies. His works have been translated into both

Indian and foreign languages. He is not only popular among Indians but also is popular in

Western countries such as England. That is why V.S. Sankara Rao Chinnam says, “He [R.K.

Narayan] has won admires in England and the United States of America, He is chiefly a writer of

tragic-comedies of mischance and misdirection” (40). Therefore, it is clear that R.K. Narayan

draws attention to both comic and tragic elements in many of his works.

R.K. Narayan is a sensible writer who knows that humor and sadness both are the

inseparable parts of human life. He may make the audiences laugh through his comic writing,

but at the same time, he is capable of making his readers cry. Thus, R.K. Narayan shows his

brilliance by highlighting both smiles and tears of human lives. That is why this paper focuses on

the tragic and comic elements, which are profoundly used by R.K. Narayan.

I have selected four major novels of R.K. Narayan that contain both tragic and comic

elements. The Guide, The Financial Expert, The Man-Eater of Malgudi, and The English

Teacher are these four novels. In The Guide, Raju is the central character whose whole life is full

of irony. He is obsessed with a girl named Rosie. In fact, he leaves everything because of Rosie.

Raju is so desperate to keep Rosie away from her husband that he even forges her signature for

that. The irony is that later he is arrested and goes to the prison for two years. Neither Raju goes

back to Rosie nor does Rosie come to see him when Raju is released from the prison. Later, he

goes to a village and the villagers mistakenly consider him a saint! This is humorous no doubt,

but one day Raju falls into the trap because of this fake identity. He unwillingly starts to fast for
 Alam |3

the villagers and then one day he dies because of the hunger. The whole presentation seems to be

humorous, but R.K. Narayan shows the underlying sadness through the tragic downfall of Raju.

Thus, he mixes both tragic and comic elements in The Guide.

R.K. Narayan uses many ironies and satires in The Financial Expert. The protagonist

Margayya seems to be a true comic character because of his weird behavior. The readers cannot

help laughing at Margayya’s obsession with money. He even goes to the temple to meet the

Priest so that he can get the favor of Goddess Laxmi (Hindu Goddess of wealth). His relationship

with his son is highly comic. The readers can find many comic elements through the

conversation between Dr. Sen and Margayya too. However, Margayya’s tragic downfall directly

or indirectly happens because of these two characters. Therefore, the readers cannot consider this

a pure comic novel because of the tragic downfall of the protagonist. The tragic part is Margayya

does everything for the comfort of his son, but his son never seems to be happy with his father

and even misbehaves with him. I think this is the underlying sadness of this novel that how the

parents are mistreated by their sons or daughters in these modern days.

The Man-Eater of Malgudi is another novel where the readers can easily find R.K.

Narayan’s use of humor, irony, and satire. Nataraj, the painter, is the protagonist of this novel. In

the beginning, it seems that he is somehow unhappy in his life because he is no longer part of a

joint family. He has his wife and a son, though. R.K. Narayan thus highlights the underlying

sadness of Nataraj, which is not easy to be discovered. Later, Vasu comes into his life who is a

taxidermist. The real troubles in Nataraj’s life begin with the arrival of Vasu. Vasu is a person

who does not care what others think about him. He insults everyone, and by insulting, he finds

cruel pleasure. Nataraj feels embarrassed because Vasu always criticizes his [N] friends. One

day, he even beats a police inspector, but the scenario seems to be humorous because of the
 Alam |4

comic presentation of R.K. Narayan. R.K. Narayan also entertains his readers through the

conversations between Nataraj and Vasu. However, this can be termed as ‘comedy of sadness’

because Nataraj is helpless. He even remains silent when Vasu takes one of his attic against his

will. One day, Vasu is found to be dead. The police and investigators cannot prove anything, and

that is why they cannot reveal the murderer’s name. However, everyone, including Nataraj’s

wife and the child think that Nataraj is the murderer! This is tragic for Nataraj for sure because

he is innocent. Thus, R.K. Narayan uses both tragic and comic elements in this novel too.

The English Teacher is slightly different in terms of comic and tragic elements. In the

other three novels, the readers can easily find comic elements, but The English Teacher has only

a few comic elements. This is R.K. Narayan wrote this novel from his own personal experience.

R.K. Narayan lost his wife just like the protagonist of The English Teacher Krishna. His [K] wife

Susila dies because of typhoid. Therefore, this seems to be a tragic novel for sure. However,

there are a few comic elements in the beginnings of this novel. Later, Krishna meets a

headmaster of his daughter’s school. The headmaster’s wife is always cruel towards her husband

and that provokes laughter. Krishna has lost complete interest in teaching to the college after the

death of her wife and later he develops his psychic ability so that he can meet his dead wife. This

is how the story ends and R.K. Narayan highlights the tragic elements of his own life through

portraying the character of Krishna. However, even in this extreme sadness, he does not forget to

use some comic elements to entertain his readers, and thus R.K. establishes himself as the writer

of tragi-comedy.

R.K. Narayan highlights the tragic and comic elements through the external and internal

sides of human lives. Obviously, most of his writing is humorous and full of irony and satire, but

deep inside the readers can feel the underlying sadness. That is why; I find this topic interesting
 Alam |5

for my dissertation. Showkat Hussain Dar says in his journal, “His [R.K. Narayan] works are

neither purely tragic nor purely comic. It is the mixture of the two” (1). My aim is also to show

him as the writer of tragi-comedy.

 Alam |6

Literature Review

Tragi-Comic writers highlight both tragic and comic elements in their writing. R.K.

Narayan is one of them as many scholars agree.

Kamlesh Singh (2016) says in his research article that R.K Narayan highlighted a serious

issue in a comic way and he named it as ‘comedy of sadness’ (357). His article was on the novel

The Guide. Here, his article proves that R.K. Narayan is a tragi-comic writer. Kamlesh Singh

says, “Raju’s tragedy thus, becomes a comedy of sadness, as his death is a potential tragedy.

Narayan perfectly combines the tragic and the sublime and increases humour, irony of character,

situation and motive and through eccentric characters’’ (357). This statement clearly shows that

according to Kamlesh Singh, R.K. Narayan is a tragicomic writer.

In a research article by C.N. Srinath (1981), R.K. Narayan’s comic vision is addressed.

According to the author, R.K. Narayan presents a subject in a comic way by finding human

follies (418). However, the author says that from R.K. Narayan’s books the readers learn that

they cannot take anything for granted. That means tragedy is also a part of human life. C.N.

Srinath says, “The English Teacher is a logical development from The Bachelor of Arts, where

we find evidence of settled life and the poise of family harmony, which unfortunately is short

lived. The flow of quintessential comic sense of Narayan is thwarted by the tragic death of

Krishnan’s life, and artistically, in a way, the limits of the comic vision turn out to be subjective

in excluding the tragic and letting it stay apart” (418). The author highlights the rise and fall of

Margayya in The Financial Expert, The treatment of Margayya by R.K. Narayan was surely

comic but the readers cannot ignore the sadness of Margayya. The author even compares the rise

and fall of Margayya with ‘the five acts of an Elizabethan tragedy’ (418). Therefore, The
 Alam |7

Financial Expert is another example, which establishes R.K. Narayan as a tragi-comic writer.

The author shows that Raju’s journey in The Guide has both comic and tragic elements. He says

about this novel, “That Narayan has achieved this in terms of comedy, by working out a smooth

transition between the comic and the tragic, is the merit of this novel” (419). Therefore, C.N.

Srinath also represents R.K. Narayan as a tragicomedy writer.

Satyanarain Singh (1981) says in his article that R.K. Narayan creates a humorous

situation in The Guide by comparing Raju with Mahatma Gandhi; the villagers compares Raju

with Mahatma Gandhi because Raju is supposed to be fasting for them, but the irony is that Raju

did not even aware of the fact that he would be fasting for the villagers. The author furthermore

says, “Raju submit himself to death for gaining the dubious honour of ‘sainthood’ imposed upon

him by the ignorant villagers” (Singh 107). Now, The Guide can easily be said as a tragic novel

because of the death of Raju. Therefore, Satyanarain Singh also indirectly calls R.K. Narayan a

tragicomic writer.

The author T.C Ghai (1975) states in his research article that The English Teacher deals

with the system of education. Obviously, it is ironic because the protagonist Krishna is forced to

teach Shakespeare and he cannot refuse to do that because of the money. However, it is very

difficult to identify what R.K. Narayan really wants to show. However, the author also tells us

about the death of Krishna’s wife Sushila. (37). Therefore, the readers can identify R.K. Narayan

as a tragicomic writer. Then the author also highlights the comic elements in The Financial

Expert (42-44). While reviewing the novel he says, “Yet these scenes fill so much space in the

book that one feels that Narayan’s main interest is to present to the Western reader a comic-

ironic view of Indian life” (44). However, he also discusses the tragic downfall of Margayya.

The author has made an important remark by saying, “Very often it becomes difficult for the
 Alam |8

readers to know whether Narayan’s treatment of a given situation is serious, or comic, or tragi-

comic” (45). According to him, R.K. Narayan seems to be a tragicomic writer because the

readers get confused while reading his novels. They may not understand whether ‘Narayan’s

treatment of a given situation’ is serious or humorous (45). According to T.C. Ghai, The Guide

can also be called a tragicomic novel. He states, “Once again it might be argued by some that the

novel is to be taken as a comedy or a tragi-comedy. The fact however remains that Raju is a

character whom we cannot help taking seriously. Narayan after giving a serious and meaningful

dimension to the story doesn’t live up to it” (50). The author says that The Man-Eater of Malgudi

is perhaps the only Novel of R.K. Narayan, which is purely comic (51). However, in The Man-

Eater of Malgudi everyone thinks that the protagonist Nataraj is the murderer of Vasu, and many

researchers believe that there is an underlying sadness in R.K. Narayan’s work. Therefore, we

cannot overlook the tragic elements in The Man-Eater of Malgudi because Nataraj is

misunderstood by everyone.

The author Chhote Lal Khatri (2006) states that R.K. Narayan highlights mainly the

comic aspects of life. However, he also says, “The Portrayal of Life in Narayan’s fictional world

is engagingly realistic. It blends both the tragic and the comic aspects of life” (9). This statement

also establishes R.K. Narayan as a tragi-comic writer. Many researchers also think that R.K.

Narayan blends ‘humor with sadness’ in his writing. I think this is true. R.K. Narayan’s The

English Teacher seems to be a tragic novel. However, even in that tragic novel, R.K. Narayan

wrote some humorous line. R.K. Narayan delivers his punch line by saying, “All that I [Krishna]

cared for in him was that he knew what it was all about. All that I cared for in him was that he

was an agreeable friend, who never contradicted and who patiently listened for hours, though

without showing any sign of understanding” (The English Teacher 7). Here the protagonist
 Alam |9

Krishna talks about a person named Gopal. Gopal is very good at math, and he does not

understand any other things except math but even then he listens the conversation ‘without any

sign of understanding.’

The author Gangotri Sil (2014) mentions R.K. Narayan as a tragi-comic writer by

referring Gayatri Chakroborty Spivac's quotes. He says, “Gayatri Chakroborty Spivac has

charged Narayan with making Rosie the heroine of a sentimental tragicomedy rather than

exposing through her situation the evils of the Devdasi system” (2). Hence, it again establishes

R.K. Narayan a tragicomic writer.

Chinta Syam Sunder (2015) mentions the statement of KRS Iyenger in his research

article. He says, “KRS Iyengar aptly observes that “the novels of R.K. Narayan show a sense of

comedy in addition to his awareness of the tragedy of the human situation” (59). Again, this

statement is another example, which establishes R.K. Narayan a tragicomic writer.

The author John Thieme (2011) states in his book that R.K. is a complex writer. He

mentions a critic named Graham Green Graham who talks about R.K. Narayan’s personal life by

quoting, “Something had permanently changed in Narayan after The Bachelor of Arts, the

writer’s personal tragedy has been our gain. Sadness and humour in the later books go hand in

hand like twins, inseparable, as they do in the stories of Chekov […]” (Contemporary World

Writers 187).
 A l a m | 10

The Guide

R.K. Narayan’s The Guide is the perfect example, which establishes him a tragi-comic

writer. Here the central character is Raju. The story is about how Raju transforms himself from a

tourist guide to a spiritual guide. Raju, the protagonist, falls in love with Rosie, who is the wife is

Marco. Marco is an archeologist who is so busy with his work that he does not have any extra

time for his wife. That is why there is no joy in their conjugal life. Raju notices this and he never

misses any chance to flirt with Rosie. Rosie feels attracted towards Raju and later they start

living together. The tragedy is that by this time Raju begins to detach from his close people

including his mother. He has a feud with his uncle and that creates a humorous situation. We can

find the humor in R.K. Narayan’s The Guide when the protagonist Raju says, “This man

attacking me in my own house, within five minutes of arrival!” (148).

At a point, Raju does not have any source of income and then he thinks he can get out of

the hardships by using the dancing skill of Rosie. Later, Rosie is known as Nalini, which is her

stage name. Rosie becomes a famous dancer, and Raju becomes her guide who looks after the

financial things. However, their relationship becomes complicated. It is ironical that Raju makes

Rosie realize that she can be a great dancer, but Raju begins to feel neglected by Rosie when she

becomes famous. R.K. Narayan highlights the frustration of Raju by saying, “Wherever possible

I [Raju] turned them [Rosie’s friends] back, but if they managed to slip through and get upstairs,

I could do nothing about it. Nalini kept them for hours, and would hardly let them go” (170).

Raju loses his peace, as Rosie cannot give him enough time. Raju is clearly rejected by

Rosie at this time and that leads to both humorous and tragic situations. Raju even proposes to
 A l a m | 11

Rosie to go on a holiday but Rosie rejects the idea, as she does not have enough time for these

things.

Raju wants to control Rosie’s life but he fails to do that and that is why he starts feeling

frustrated. Ironically, Rosie becomes upset with Raju and she starts missing her husband. Rosie’s

sudden admiration for Marco also makes Raju angry. In a conversation, Rosie says to Raju, “I

do, and I deserved nothing less. Any other husband would have throttled me then and there. He

tolerated my company for nearly a month, even after knowing what I had done” (Narayan 179).

Rosie’s situation is ironical because earlier she was bored of her husband and she started to enjoy

the company of Raju. Then she feels annoyed with Raju and it seems she wants to go back to her

husband! Obviously, the readers may find some comic elements from the duality of Rosie’s

character, but it causes the downfall of Raju. One day, Marco sends some documents, which

belongs to Rosie. There is a jewellery box inside that and to get that box Rosie’s signature is

needed. Raju. Here, Raju does a criminal act by forging the signature of Rosie. Later, Marco

understands this is not the signature of Rosie and he files a case against Raju. In court, Raju is

found guilty and this is the greatest tragedy in Raju’s life. When he is released from the jail, he

cannot go back either to his mother or to Rosie. Raju is so ashamed of himself that he decides to

go to a new place. He goes to a village, which is unknown to him. Ironically, the villagers think

Raju a spiritual saint who comes to serve for them. We can find the comic elements from the

conversations of the villagers, “We won’t have to fear anything more; it is our good fortune that

this great soul should have come to live in our midst” (The Guide 29). They even say that it

would be their misfortune if Raju decides to leave them! Therefore, the situation is obviously

humorous as they think that Raju is a spiritual saint but in reality, he is just an ordinary man like

them.
 A l a m | 12

At first, Raju wants to escape from the villagers as he does not want to play the role of a

spiritual saint but as he decides to be a ‘hypocrite’ because he does not have any options either.

Raju’s interaction with the villagers as a false spiritual saint is obviously humorous, but it

happens because of the tragedy of Raju’s life. This is why R.K. Narayan is successful both as a

comic and tragic writer.

However, as a spiritual guide Raju’s days are well spent until there happens an incident,

which is humorous for the readers but tragic for Raju. Earlier I said in my literature review that

Satyanarain Singh (1981) states in his article that R.K. Narayan creates a humorous situation in

The Guide by comparing Raju with Mahatma Gandhi. The readers can easily find the comic

elements from this comparison, but the protagonist Raju again falls into a trap that leads to his

death though it is not sure whether Raju is dead or he has fainted. The villagers are eagerly

waiting for the rain, but unfortunately, there has no sign of it. However, the villagers think Raju

is like Mahatma Gandhi as he is supposed to be fasting for them so that the rain comes.

However, Raju does not even know that he would be fasting for the villagers and again we can

find both comic and tragic elements from the situation of Raju. Ironically, Raju begins to think

like an original saint, but in the end, he is probably dead. In addition, there is also a movie named

‘The Guide’ which is based on the original novel The Guide by R.K. Narayan. In that movie,

Raju is shown to be dead in the end so we consider Raju as a tragic hero. In my opinion, this is

the beauty of R.K. Narayan, that he impeccably maintains both tragic and comic elements in his

novel.

Soma Chary Yelsoju (2015) says in his journal that R.K. Narayan highlights the tragic

elements in a comic way. He says, “Raju’s decision begins the tragic note but ultimately ends

comedy. It is a comedy because of the indifference of the villagers. While Raju is dying; even his
 A l a m | 13

last sentence makes his role appear illusionary and comic, “it was raining in the hills but he felt it

coming up under my feet, up my leg.” Thus the use of comic irony at the end exposes the

absurdity of existence, the tragic irony of life, and Narayan’s skill as a comic writer” (36).

Therefore, though he wants to prove R.K. Narayan a comic writer but he cannot deny the tragic

elements of his writings. Thus, we can say that R.K. Narayan highlights both tragic and comic

elements in The Guide.

A.Satya Swaroop (2016) says in his article that The Guide is undoubtedly ‘comical and

entertaining.’ However, he also says that Raju is dead in the end so this cannot be considered as a

pure comic novel. He says, “We find this novel human beings all of a sudden falling into death,

as we find Raju meeting his own fate at the end. So we find the co-existence of comedy and

tragedy” (188). He also says, “Both tragic elements and laughter are put side by side in this novel

in a peculiar manner by R.K. Narayan” (188). Another researcher V.S. Sankara Rao Chinnam

says, “The Guide is a story of Raju’s romance, his greed for money, his sin and repentance. It is

also the story of everyman’s growth from the ordinary to extra-ordinary, from the railway guide

to the spiritual guide. In Narayan’s plot there is a mixture of the comic and serious, the real and

the fantastic” (40). Therefore, these statements clearly establish R.K. Narayan as a tragi-comic

writer. Therefore, we can say that The Guide is one of his tragi-comic novels.

We can say The Guide is a tragi-comic novel because it confuses the readers. The readers

do not know whether Raju dies in the end or not; they can only assume that or think otherwise.

The author John Thieme says in his book, “The crucial point is, of course, that Narayan chooses

to end the novel here with all these issues unresolved. Commenting on The Guide on a later

session, he said that he did not know what happened to Raju at the end […]” (Contemporary

World Writers 105). Therefore, even the writer does not know what actually happens to his
 A l a m | 14

protagonist Raju! I think when everyone gets confused about the novel then we cannot call that a

pure comic or tragic novel. Therefore, The Guide has both comic and tragic elements, and this is

the beauty of R.K. Narayan’s writing.

 A l a m | 15

The Financial Expert

In my opinion, The Financial Expert is one of the best tragicomic novels of R.K.

Narayan. Margayya is the protagonist of this novel. He helps those people who have financial

complications. In Malgudi, he sits under a banyan tree, which is opposite to the Co-Operative

Bank. Margayya runs his business in a tricky way that harms the program of the Co-Operative

Bank. Later, the head peon of the Co-operative Bank named Arul Doss comes to Margayya to

warn him against his business. He says to Margayya that he should immediately close his

business; otherwise, they have to take action against him. Surprisingly, Margayya does not feel

scared by the warning at all. In fact, Margayya says to Arul Doss, “Arul Doss, I don’t know

about you; you can speak for yourself. But, you need not speak for me. You may not see a

hundred rupees even after a hundred years of service, but I think I shall do so very soon- and

who knows, if your Secretary seeks any improvement of his position, he can come to me”

(Narayan 12). Therefore, he actually insults Arul Doss as well as the secretary of Co-operative

Bank, and that scene evokes humor.

Margayya has a son named Balu. In my opinion, Balu is his biggest weakness, and his

downfall is directly or indirectly caused by his son. In fact, Margayya’s business is ruined

because one day Balu throws away his father’s account book in the gutter! That leads to his first

downfall of the novel and because “The loss of little book produced endless complications for

Margayya. He could hardly transact any business without it; he had to conceal the loss from his

customers, who he feared might take advantage of it” (Narayan 35).

Margayya begins to understand the importance of money and that is why he goes to a

priest. He wants to be a rich person as soon as possible. The priest says to Margayya that he can
 A l a m | 16

become rich if he prays to Goddess Lakshmi. The conversation between Priest and Margayya is

highly comic, and Margayya’s sudden downfall somehow makes him desperate to earn money.

The priest tells him to perform some rituals if he wants to be rich. Margayya begins to perform

these rituals. Margayya grows his beard and moustache by this time and R.K. Narayan says, “He

looked like an examination student who has emerged from the ordeal, sapped in every way, but

with his face glowing with triumph” (57). Therefore, the description of his new look is presented

in a humorous way by R.K. Narayan. At this time, Margayya meets a Journalist named Dr. Pal

who later plays a very important part in Margayya’s life. The tragic part is Margayya offers all

the rituals that are suggested by the Priest but he does not see any sign of incoming wealth.

Margayya begins to feel depressed because he has no money. One day, Dr. Pal shows him a

manuscript, which is based upon ‘Vatsayana’s Kama-Sutra.’ The conversation between

Margayya and Dr. Pal is also highly comic because Margayya is forced by Dr. Pal to buy his

copy of the book. In one point Dr. Pal says to Margayya, “ Don’t be theatrical. Stick to your

bargain. Here is something I’m giving your worth at least a lakh of rupees. In return for it, give

me your purse. I will make it whether it contains one rupee or one thousand or none. Isn’t it a fair

bargain?” (Narayan 72). Therefore, Dr. Pal gives him an idea that Margayya can become rich by

selling this book. Interestingly, Margayya takes his idea seriously and he meets Madan Lal by

this process. Madan Lal is the owner of a printing press and he agrees to Margayya’s proposal to

publish the book. Margayya becomes rich by selling this book and because it has a decent sale.

Margayya decides to send his Balu to the school when he is six years old. Balu’s admission to

the school is also presented in a humorous way. Margayya is very hopeful about Balu’s studies

and he even decides that he will send Balu to abroad for the higher studies. However, the tragic

part for Margayya is Balu cannot live up to his [M] expectations. In fact, he gets the lowest
 A l a m | 17

marks among all the students! Then Margayya becomes the secretary of the Managing

Committee of Balu’s school so that he can the other teachers can pay special attention to his son.

In my opinion, this is also comic because a father is so desperate to improve the academic quality

of his son that he himself is elected to the committee! Even, Margayya hires a private tutor for

Balu from the school but the saddest part for Margayya is the progress report of Balu remains

poor.

One day, Margayya decides to close his business because he still earns money by

publishing that obscene book of Dr, Pal. That is why Margayya says to his wife, “I don’t want

people to say that Balu enjoys all the money earned through Domestic Harmony. I would do

anything to avoid it” (Narayan 96). Then Margayya closes that business and he now thinks of

starting a new business. He sets up a new business with the help of Dr. Pal and it is a money

lending business. Soon, his business begins to flourish and Margayya becomes one of the richest

persons of the town. Obviously, this is the positive sign of Margayya’s career but he again

suffers because of his Balu. Balu fails the ‘Matriculation Examination’ and one day Margayya

has brought the examination results from the school so that Balu can see it. However, Balu is

utterly disappointed by seeing that and he says, “What is this? Why have you brought it from

school?” as if it were the most repulsive article he had seen in the whole of his life” (Narayan

117).

Balu is upset and Margayya is shocked because Balu snatches the result sheet from his

father’s hand and throws away it in the gutter once again. Margayya becomes furious and he

begins to slap and beat the boy. Balu runs away from the place because it is a great shame for

him to be beaten in a public play. Later, Balu is not found anywhere and Balu’s mother becomes

depressed by this incident. However, it does not affect Margayya that much, and he runs his
 A l a m | 18

business comfortably. The scenario between Margayya and Balu is humorous for sure and thus

R.K. Narayan makes his readers laugh. However, one day Margayya receives a postcard and the

tragedy occurs. Because he comes to know that his son is no more and this is obviously a heart-

rending news to him and his wife. His brothers and other people tell him to go to Madras to

investigate as the postcard comes from the Madras. This incident is also both humorous and

tragic because Margayya is deeply saddened by the demise of his son but he also does not want

to go to Madras to investigate about the letter and his son. However, he is forced to go, and on

his train journey, he meets a police officer who later helps him to find his son Balu. Margayya

feels relieved after seeing his son alive. Balu wears a dirty dhoti and Margayya feels disgusted

by seeing his gesture, and he says, “Is this spectacle my fate? Is it for this I prayed for your birth

as my son?” (Narayan 141). Therefore, R.K. Narayan creates a humorous scene through the

dialogue of Margayya. However, later Margayya promises to Balu that from now on he will not

give any pressure to him.

Balu’s mother is happy after seeing him alive and later both Margayya and his wife give

him all the things he needs. Balu becomes a fat person, as he does not have to do any work.

Margayya then decides to get Balu married. He starts searching for the bride and the

conversation between astrologer and Margayya is comic too.

Later, Balu is married off to a girl named Brinda and they have a son. Margayya gives a

separate house to Balu and his wife though Margayya’s wife opposes this idea. Meanwhile,

Margayya offers Dr. Pal to work with him as Dr. Pal is having a financial crisis. In reality, he

offers Dr. Pal to work with him because Dr. Pal begins to spend his time in Balu’s house.

Margayya does not want Balu to spend his time with Dr. Pal because “Margayya did not like a
 A l a m | 19

man who could write Domestic Harmony to associate with young impressionable minds…”

(Narayan 157).

One day, Margayya sees that Balu is returning with Dr. Pal and two or three girls.

Margayya feels angry after seeing that and “The moment he [Dr. Pal] was out of the car,

Margayya took off one of his sandals and hit him with it; he kept hitting out with such

tremendous power and frequency that Pal could hardly protect himself” (Narayan 173). Again,

the scene is humorous but Margayya’s tragic downfall happens because of this action.

Dr. Pal feels insulted and wants to take revenge against Margayya. He has made a false

story against Margayya that he [Margayya] is in a financial crisis. People begin to come to him

so that they can withdraw their money. The situation gets worse and Margayya tells his brother

to hire a lawyer so that he can submit a claim for insolvency. The whole story is highly comical,

but the ending part is not surely humorous. The tragic downfall of Margayya signifies that R.K.

Narayan combines both tragic and comic elements in this novel.

D. Prasad says in his article about The Financial Expert, “Narayan’s comic creativity has

remained unimpaired through the decades. There are beautiful touches of lovely humour here

and there in this novels” (329). Furthermore, he says, “Margayya’s journey from one end of the

novel to the other explains the narrative strategy of R.K. Narayan. Margayya’s behavior at the

end reminds the readers of his behavior in the opening pages of the book. His excessive love for

money and immense fondness for his son give the novel somewhat a tragic look” (330).

Therefore, Dr. Prasad highlights both the comic and tragic side of The Financial Expert.

John Thieme says in his book, “…Balu has comprehensively failed all his exams,

securing his best mark, 12%, in hygiene, Margayya decides that perhaps he is destined to be a
 A l a m | 20

doctor!” (Contemporary World Writers 86). Hence, Thieme indirectly highlights the comic

elements of this novel through that exclamation mark. Nevertheless, he also says, “However,

when there is a run on his bank, he loses everything and the end of the novel finds him

reinstalled under the banyan tree, a sadder and a wiser man” (78). It shows that John Thieme

does not ignore the tragic part of this novel. Therefore, finally we can say that The Financial

Expert has both comic and tragic elements.

 A l a m | 21

The Man-Eater of Malgudi

Many researchers believe that The Man-Eater of Malgudi is purely a comic novel, but in

my opinion, this can also be described as a tragi-comic novel. The protagonist of this novel is

Nataraj who is a printer. He has an assistant named Sastri. Sastri helps Nataraj to run the press.

In the first chapter, we can essence the underlying sadness of the protagonist. Nataraj says,

“When my grandmother died the unity of the family was also gone” (Narayan 12). This

statement of Nataraj clearly proves that somehow he is not happy with his current life.

Nataraj meets Vasu who later plays a big role in his life. Vasu is a taxidermist. He comes

to Nataraj to print five hundred visiting cards. Nataraj says to him that whether he really needs

five hundred visiting cards or not. But, Vasu replies, “Why do you try to advise me?” (Narayan

16). He says him that he knows how many visiting cards he needs. From this conversation, the

readers can easily guess that Vasu is a quarrelsome person and this is obviously a sign of

upcoming danger in Nataraj’s life. Nataraj wants to know about taxidermy from Vasu and thus

they become friends. However, Nataraj gets into trouble because of Vasu. One day, Vasu begins

to stay in Nataraj’s attic where no one lives. This is humorous because Vasu does not even ask

for the permission from the owner Nataraj to live in his attic! Another day, Vasu criticizes a

journalist named Sen who is a good friend of Nataraj. Sen discusses the policies of Nehru, and

then Vasu mocks him by saying, “If he [Sen] is so much wiser than Nehru, why doesn’t he try to

become the Prime Minister of India” (Narayan 26). This statement is ironical no doubt, but

Nataraj feels embarrassed by Vasu’s behavior towards the journalist. One day, Nataraj is forced

by Vasu to go with him to a village named Mempi. Vasu takes Nataraj in his jeep without his

permission. Nataraj says that he has mislaid his buttons at home and that is why his shirt is open

at the chest. However, Vasu says humorously, “No one will mind in the Jungle” (Narayan 32).
 A l a m | 22

Therefore, we can understand the miserable condition of Nataraj and R.K. presents this

conversation in a humorous way. At Mempi village, Vasu goes to the forest to hunt a tiger. Vasu

leaves Nataraj alone. There Nataraj meets Muthu who is a teashop owner. Nataraj wants to

escape from Vasu and that is why Nataraj leaves that place with the help of Muthu. The whole

thing is presented in a comic way, and it is clear that Nataraj is scared of Vasu. Later, Nataraj

asks Vasu to free his attic but Vasu does not listen to him. Moreover, he says, “…Do you know

how much it has cost me to make it livable in? The mosquitoes and other vermin would eat you

up if you were slightly careless, the roof-titles hit your head, there are cobwebs, smoke, and in

summer it is a baking oven. No one but a fool like me would have agreed to live there!”

(Narayan 58). Vasu is a good speaker and a debater than Nataraj and that is why Nataraj

becomes speechless. Even one day Vasu files a complaint against Nataraj as a landlord. The

readers may find it humorous, but the mental condition of Nataraj gradually gets worse because

of Vasu.

One day, the forester comes to Vasu because Vasu is involved in killing the wild animals

without the permission of the authorities. Vasu treats him like an ordinary person; he says to him

that these killed animals are not hunted from his forests. Earlier Vasu brings this forest officer to

Nataraj’s press and treats him like a very important person. That is why Nataraj ironically says,

“What a contrast to the first day when he brought the forest official into my office and sat him

down and flattered him as a noble writer!” (Narayan 80).

Vasu proves to be more troublesome as all kinds of low-class women start visiting his

attic. One of them is Rangi. She is a temple dancer and everyone knows her as an unchaste

character woman. Sastri says this matter to Nataraj. Nataraj knows about Rangi but he pretends

that he does not know her. He wants to know about Rangi from Sastri to make him
 A l a m | 23

uncomfortable; Nataraj says, “He [Sastri] looked desperate, shy, and angry. I was enjoying his

discomfort immensely” (Narayan 84). Therefore, we see R.K. Narayan presents Sastri’s

discomfort in a comic way. One the Muthu comes to meet Nataraj. He says that his temple

elephant is sick and it needs a doctor to be treated. Nataraj helps Muthu to find the doctor

because he helps him in Mempi village. Nataraj meets a doctor and while their conversation the

doctor says, “Most animals and men are alike, only the dosage of a medicine differs” (Narayan

95). Here, R.K. Narayan mocks the human by comparing animals with men, because they always

have the tendency to feel superior to other species.

A poet is a friend of Nataraj in this novel and he has completed the portion of his poem

where Krishna meets Radha, and their marriage is to be celebrated (104). Nataraj and Sastri are

happy after seeing the success of poet and they have decided to celebrate this moment. They start

to collect money from people for the occasion and one day Vasu comes to Nataraj’s press. Vasu

then begins to collect money from the people and he proves to be far more successful in

collecting money than Nataraj and Sastri. Nataraj says, “After that, during my round of visits I

met people who remarked, ‘What a money-gatherer you have engaged! One will have to sell the

vessels in the kitchen and find the money, only be rid of him! What a specimen!’ There could be

no doubt that he was extremely active” (Narayan 115). Therefore, it is evident that R.K. Narayan

makes Vasu a cruel character but even in his cruelty, the readers will find numerous comic

elements.

Rangi is having a physical relationship with Vasu but she reveals to Nataraj that Vasu is

planning to shoot the temple elephant in the festival. This is humorous because Vasu thinks that

an elephant is more useful when it is dead! However, this is a serious matter, and that is why

Nataraj says to Vasu, “…there will be thousands of people around- men, women, and children
 A l a m | 24

dragging the chariot” (Narayan 133). Therefore, anyone can be injured because of the shoot, yet

Vasu does not change his mind. Moreover, he says, “Let them stay or go, that’s their business”

(Narayan 133). I think that because of the evil side of Vasu, the readers cannot consider this a

purely comic novel.

Nataraj is worried about the elephant and in the celebration; he does an awkward thing.

R.K. Narayan states the description in a humorous way. He says, “Unknowingly I [Nataraj] let

out a terrific cry which drowned the noise of children, music, everything” (139). Nataraj feels

ashamed of himself, and later he is taken to his home. His wife is tensed after seeing the

condition of her husband. She begins to take care of her husband and treats Nataraj like a child.

Again, the treatment of Nataraj’s wife is presented in a humorous way by R.K. Narayan. Later,

Nataraj informs his friends about Vasu’s plan of killing the elephant. They go to Vasu’s attic

with a town inspector. They accuse Vasu of planning to kill the elephant and as usual, Vasu

mocks them with his satirical comment. In fact, the town inspector has a big feud with Vasu. He

tries to slap Vasu, but “Vasu reared his head back, shielding his face with his hand, then gave a

sweep with the back of his hand and brought it down with a slicing movement on the Inspector’s

wrist and dislocated it” (Narayan 150). This is genuinely a tragic incident because “The

Inspector screamed and recoiled as if he had touched fire” (Narayan 150). Vasu shows his

cruelty again by assaulting the Inspector.

R.K. Narayan creates a humorous scene when Rangi comes to meet Nataraj. She informs

him about Vasu’s plan. However, Nataraj’s wife feels jealous after seeing Rangi with Nataraj.

Nataraj says, “I could see even by the dim light that her [Nataraj’s wife] ears were red” (Narayan

157). Thus, R.K. Narayan uses humor to entertain his readers.

 A l a m | 25

Later, Nataraj goes to Vasu’s attic. He sees that Vasu stretches his leg on a stool and his

gun lays on the floor beside him. Nataraj says, “My decision was swift; I would make a dash for

his gun and seize it” (Narayan 164). However, the irony is, Nataraj never touches a gun in his

life but he wants to stay there by pointing the gun at Vasu until the procession terminates!

However, Nataraj runs away from the place when he hears the sound of the alarm bell.

Surprisingly, the next day, the postman says to Nataraj that Vasu is dead. However, the

investigators are not able to find any clue and that is why the case is closed. It remains unclear

that whether Vasu is killed by anyone or he commits suicide. The tragic part is everyone suspects

that Nataraj kills Vasu. Even his wife says, “I managed to send him [Babu] to sleep by saying

that it is all false and so forth. But he is terribly excited about everything… and, and, feels proud

that you killed a rakshasa [Vasu] single-handed!...” (Narayan 177). Therefore, it seems that his

wife even thinks that he is the murderer of Vasu. Later, Rangi reveals the truth of Vasu’s death to

Sastri and Sastri says this thing to Nataraj. No one kills Vasu. In fact, Vasu kills himself

accidentally. The readers know that Nataraj is innocent. Perhaps everyone in Nataraj’s

community will know the truth one day, but an innocent person like Nataraj is suspected by them

and this is tragic for sure.

John theme says in his book R.K. Narayan: Contemporary World Writers, “The

consequences of Vasu’s intrusion into Nataraj’s world are, on one level, highly comic” (115).

This novel has more comic elements than the tragic elements for sure; however, we cannot

ignore the tragic elements too.

 A l a m | 26

The English Teacher

The English Teacher is believed to be based on a real life incident of R.K. Narayan. John

Thieme states in his book, “Nevertheless Rajam’s [Narayan’s wife] death was the most traumatic

event of his [Narayan] life and eventually his attempts to come to terms with it found expression

in The English Teacher” (Contemporary World Writers 52). Therefore, we can say that Narayan

writes this novel from his own personal experience.

Krishna is the protagonist of this novel. He teaches English at the Albert Mission

College, Malgudi. Rangappa is one of his colleagues. One day, he enthusiastically tells Krishna

to wake him up in the early morning. However, when Krishna calls him in the early morning, he

replies, “It looks to me like midnight; go back to bed my dear fellow, don’t hang about windows

pestering people” (Narayan 9). As a reader, I find it humorous.

Krishna is still young, but he seems to be bored with everything because he keeps

missing her wife Susila and daughter, Leela. We can understand Krishna’s love for his wife

through this line, “I smelt my wife’s letter before opening it. I carried with it the fragrance of her

trunk, in which she always kept her stationery- a mild jasmine smell surrounded her and all her

possessions ever since I had known her” (Narayan 20). Krishna has to leave his hostel, and that

is why he starts searching for a house for him and his family. R.K. Narayan makes the

conversation between the house owner and Krishna comic. At first, the house owner does not

seem to be interested in renting his house to Krishna, and he misbehaves with him. However,

when Krishna says that he is a college teacher he is changed all of a sudden! R.K. Narayan

presents the changing attitude of the house owner in a comic way, “He [The house owner] was

tremendously impressed” (27).

 A l a m | 27

In the railway station, Krishna describes the luggage of Susila by saying, “Susila was sure

to bring with her a huge amount of luggage. She required four trunks for her sarees alone!

Women never understood the importance of traveling light. Why should they? As long as there

were men to bear all the anxieties and bother and see them through their travails!” (Narayan 31).

The description of luggage is humorous and it seems that R.K. Narayan is somehow annoyed

with women because of their luggage!

One day, Krishna’s father writes a letter to him on his [K] daughter’s third birthday. He

says to Krishna that he should buy a house of his own. His father thinks that it is not good to live

in a rented house and that is why he gives Krishna some money in advance so that he can buy a

house. Krishna and his wife both have agreed to this proposal, later they find a house and both

like it. Ironically, the problem starts because of this house. While visiting the house, Susila

cannot open the door of a lavatory room as it gets locked. Krishan escapes her from that situation

but she seems to be disturbed as that lavatory happens to be unhygienic. Krishna says, “It was a

sad anti-climax to a very pleasing morning” (Narayan 62). Krishna also describes the condition

of Susila by saying, “She merely looked at me without replying. Her face was breaded with

perspiration. Her cheeks were flushed. She was still trembling” (Narayan 62). I think, this is an

indication that something bad is going to happen.

After that incident, Susila is ill with fever. Later, the doctor says that she has been ill with

Typhoid. The condition of Susila is so miserable that even “The doctor was losing his

cheerfulness, and looked harrowed and helpless” (Narayan 91). Later, she dies and Krishna is

greatly shocked by her death. R.K. Narayan wrote this novel in 1945 and that time there was no

proper treatment for typhoid.

 A l a m | 28

The death of Susila is an ultimate tragedy for Krishna because he loves his wife

unconditionally. He cannot concentrate on his work. Y. Kusuma Kumari and Dr. T. Narayana

say in their journal, “The sudden, premature death of Susila leaves Krishna in a state of void and

vacuum; fortunately for Krishna, his late wife has left behind a female child- Leela- who

becomes the sole source of comfort and consolation to him” (31). Therefore, Krishna may go

through a mental crisis but he has a daughter to look after and therefore he can’t avoid his

responsibilities. That is why Krishna says, “My [Krishna] one aim in life now was to see that she

[Leela] did not feel the absence of her mother” (Narayan 97).

Later part of this novel, Krishna starts doing paranormal activities with the help of a man.

Through this man, Krishna begins to communicate with the spirit of his wife Susila. Krishna

feels pleased and happy after communicating with her. Then, Susila suggests him to develop his

psychic abilities so that they can communicate with each other without anyone’s help. Later,

Krishna develops his psychic and he communicates with his wife by his own method. Now, we

cannot guarantee that Krishna truly communicates with his wife by developing the psychic

abilities. It can be his illusion and this illusion is caused by the death of his wife. Therefore, the

readers can consider this a tragic novel.

Moreover, Krishna is not happy with his role as an English lecturer in his college. He

meets the headmaster of a school. R.K. Narayan shows the relationship between the headmaster

and his wife in a comic way. The headmaster’s wife always tries to dominate him and later the

headmaster leaves his own house forever! However, later Krishna joins the Headmaster’s school

as a primary school teacher. Therefore, it seems that Krishna struggles to find the peace and

harmony in his life after the death of his wife. Vidoushi Ramjheetun states in his research paper,

“The title of the novel is a satire to the English teacher, as the ‘English language’ is a symbol of
 A l a m | 29

oppression. This language-culture (foreign language) relationship comes into play in the very

outset of the novel. Krishna, an English teacher, a colonized subject, feels very much pressurised

by the administration of the college which is under the jurisdiction of the imperialistic rulers”

(2). Therefore, Krishna does not want to be colonized and oppressed. He does the things that can

give him mental stability.

In My Days Narayan says, “That Book [The English Teacher] falls in two parts- one is

domestic life and the other half is ‘spiritual.’ Many readers have gone through the first half with

interest and the second half with bewilderment and even resentment, perhaps feeling that they

have been baited with the domestic picture into tragedy, death, and nebulous, impossible

speculations” (MyD 135).

R.K. Narayan himself considers this novel a tragic one. However, I have already

mentioned some comic elements in The English Teacher. Therefore, this novel has both tragic

and comic elements.

 A l a m | 30

Conclusion

In conclusion, it is evident that R.K. Narayan is a master of tragi-comic writing. The

readers can learn many things from these four novels as they represent essential characteristics of

human society. I think Narayan tries to present the serious issues of human life by finding human

follies. Therefore, R.K. Narayan does not use humor and satire for entertainment purposes only.

The underlying sadness of R.K. Narayan’s novels cannot establish him a pure comic writer. Most

often, he deals with a serious subject in a light way in these novels. Thus, R.K. Narayan teaches

that difficulties are part of human lives but they need to tackle it with confidence. In doing this

research on these four novels, I have learnt that external and internal factors such as money, love,

beauty play a crucial role in our lives. In my opinion, when we are deeply obsessed with

something that can be caused our downfall. In The Guide Raju is obsessed with Rosie and that

causes his downfall. In The Financial Expert Margayya is obsessed with money and ironically,

in the end, he has to declare himself bankrupt.

In The Man-Eater of Malgudi, Sastri tells Nataraj that no one kills Vasu and he kills

himself unintentionally! Again, R.K. Narayan presents a tragic incident in a humorous way. It

teaches that everything has an end and therefore we should not be proud of ourselves.

The English Teacher has many tragic elements. Krishna is deeply saddened by the death

of her wife but even in that condition, he takes the responsibilities of her baby daughter. The

novel is based on the real incident of R.K. Narayan’s life. However, R.K. Narayan uses humor

and ironies even in this novel. It teaches us that we must not stop living our normal life because

we are still a part of the society until we die.

 A l a m | 31

Dr. I.G. Purohit says, “Narayan is the practitioner of "serious comedy," a very difficult art

form. His novels are comedies of sadness” (n.p.). He also states that the sadness arises from the

painful experience of human life.

It is not easy to write about both tragic and comic elements effectively in the same novel.

However, R.K. Narayan is successful both in these criteria because he has a profound knowledge

of the complexities of human lives. R.K. Narayan shows that we should not take anything for

granted because even a mighty king can be defeated by the opposition at any time. I think this is

one of the important learning lessons for the readers.

I do not know whether my dissertation will add any new dimensions but I have

thoroughly enjoyed doing this. Through these novels by R.K. Narayan, I have learnt that we

should not aim at the big things at once because that can be the reason of our downfall.

Therefore, we can learn many lessons by reading R.K. Narayan’s novels. This is

interesting because R.K. teaches his philosophy using tragic and comic elements. Therefore, the

readers need to discover the inner meaning of these elements. That is the reason, I choose this

topic to show R.K. as a writer of tragi-comedy and I think these four novels successfully

determine this identity of him.

 A l a m | 32

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 A l a m | 33

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