Literature and Human Values: Depiction of Human Predicament in R.K. Narayan’s The Guide

Abstract

Rashipuram Krishnaswami Iyer Narayan (1906-2001) is an eminent novelist and short-story writer who has published fourteen novels and more than two hundred short-stories. His maiden novel was Swami and Friends (1935) and his last published work was Grandmother's Tale (1992). Narayan has presented themes like exile and return, education, the status of woman in the society, myths and the ancient Indian past, tradition and modernity etc. through his works. He has also created a fictionalized place called Malgudi. He also depicts the themes of appearance and reality and the family. Narayan had a career of almost seventy years and in all these years, he has created countless characters who have projected the above mentioned themes. The present paper brings to light the human values in The Guide (1958). His major characters present the human predicament and disillusionment. The protagonist of the novel goes from being a tourist guide to a personal guide and ultimately a spiritual guide in the current novel. This journey of the leading character highlights human nature and human values.