New Women R K Narayans The Guide English Literature Essay

New Women R K Narayans The engage English Literature look forThe perspective of Indian English novelists represents the different levels of the Indian consciousness which is shaped by the tradition of Indian humanism.(George Lucas, 1) The theme of the emancipation of a new charrhood for the first time became a wide spread and genuine concern and improvement for womens pathetic image became a social issue in the first twentieth century. It became the inventive consciousness for all the Indian English writers including R.K Narayan. Narayan done the character, Rosie, in The Guide depicts the emergence of a new woman. In Rosie, Narayan has shown a woman experiencing a conflict amongst a strong yearning for individual fulfilment and traditional norms. Narayan illustrates the Indian society which is deeply rooted in traditionalism, where women experience been the major relentless victims of circumstances and conventions. Rosie also becomes a victim of circumstances and conventions precisely through her rebellious attitude, she makes her own way with a sense of primp and dignity, which shows a newly liberated woman in the post independence Indian society. This term paper shows how a woman asserts herself by breaking the grey-haired shackles of tradition and convention and finally brings an era of a new woman.The novel The Guide portrays two Indias the traditional India, and the modern sophisticated India. In the traditional India, women flummox no opportunity for asserting or expressing their talent and personality. Our traditional society is rigid one in which there is no respect for freedom or expression of ones potential. Women are extremely suppressed by the staminates. Men are seen as superior to women and let good position while women realize this achy reality only when they dare to express themselves and try to secure their fulfillments. Consequently, this only scenario suppresses ones self either consciously or unconsciously. R.K Narayan says in My Days A MemoirsFrom multiplication immemorial, man assigned her a secondary place and kept her there with such subtlety and cunning that she herself began to loose all nonions of her independence, her individuality, her status and strength. A wife in an orthodox milieu of Indian society was an ideal victim of such circumstancesWhereas if we look at the modern India, Jennet P. Gemmill says, it isa bountiful based an dynamic concept involving an sensory faculty of time, the will to revitalize traditions, a craving for novelty and variety, exploitation of the social conditions for the fulfillment of human personality and a struggle for progressIn such a society the woman is more enlightened astir(predicate) herself and the milieu in which she has to fulfill the purpose of her living.Rosie, in The Guide, is a character, who is deeply rooted in tradition, occupies the most unique position among the Narayans women. She comes from afamily traditionally dedicated to the temples as dancingrs (The Guide, 75).She belongs to the Devdasiclan in which women were dedicated to deity and not permitted to perform mundane domestic chores for the men. They did not have any right to choose their rightful husband. Through her denomination, Rosie, Narayans ironic intention becomes clear in which her name like a rose shows that her life remains surrounded by the thorns. She shows her first assertiveness by breaking the fetters of darkness of the Devdasi clan and leaps towards the light of study by obtaining Masters in Economics, which respond a matrimonial advertisement in the newspaperAn educated, good looking girl to marry a large bachelor of academic enlivens. No caste restrictions good looks and university degree essential (Bhatnagar, 75).Her degree shows a window of the world of glitter and glamour and by apply it she takes one more offbeat step in her ascent. She marries Marco, a rich bachelor of academic interests. The marriage shows how she has scored over her Devdasi sisters. Shalini Gupta says in her essay (page 200)The caged bird shakes her wings, breaks the interdict with jubilant banks and flies in one sweep to Marcos Nest (page 4).So, the marriage symbolizes Rosies adventurous spirit and her aspirations for the freedom of the outer world appear to assume the fulfillment of her artistic learning and yearning.After her marriage, the most defiant act comes when she commits adultery, which constitutes a crucial stage in her life. It is very necessary to understand the nature of her married relationship with Marco which enforces her to make extra marital relationship with Raju, their guide. Rosie chose to marry Marco to get status and respect of wife whereas Marco being a typical Indian male wanted a subservient faithful wife like his servant Joseph who, in his opinion was a wonderful manI dont see him, I dont hear him but he does everything for me at the right time. Thats how I want things to be thats what I thought when I saw Rosie demonstrates to me in her hotel room (The Guide, 127).Marco marries Rosie with the hope that she would go well with his practical life but his choice becomes wrong, for the girl he chooses in marriage comes out to be a dreamer who wants to beBenefited by a husband who could care for her career (Shalini Gupta,page 200).Narayan gives us the instances of their clash of expectation, hopes, interests and desire which lead to the eventual collapse of the marriage between Rosie and Marco they have nonentity in common between them like love and warmth they may share together.Narayan shows their opposite appearances noted by Balrama GuptaRosie with her bright hued and gold laced sari, ball field earrings and gold necklace and with her curly hair braided and deflowered is a contrast to Marco with his colored glasses, thick jacket and a thick helmet.Further, there is no similarity between their natures, attitudes and interests. So, if Rosie is vivacious, spiritly and passionate than Marco is cold grim and unemotional. Raju describes them as against the beautifully natural surroundings of the Peak House. He saysThe girl was in ecstasyshe ran like a babe from Plant to Plant with cries of joys, while the man looked on with no emotions. . . (Ramesh Dnyates essay, p-93)Rosie is a social girl. She loves the smart set of people and is destined to play a role in the open world whereas Marco seems to have forgotten the human world and fated to flourish his solitude. Significantly, their lifelong interests are different in nature. Rosies art involves the pulsating human bole whereas Marcos research is confined to stone walls and stone figure. He is a die-hard archeologist, who lives and breaths lifeless ancient sculptures while neglecting the living embodiment of the art of dance, his wife Rosie. This is what Raju says about himAll that he could do was to copy ancient things and write about them. His mind was completely in it. All practical affairs of life seemed unsufferabl e to him (C.P.Sharmas essay, p-109)He is an infertile man who lacks human qualities like love, warmth and compassion which is expected by his wife. His excessive indulgence in the mute things of the past kills Rosies interest in life and love of art. As the novelist puts itdead and decaying things seemed to unloosen his tongue and fire his imagination, rather than things that lived and moved and swung their limbsanything that interested her seemed to irritate him (Shalini Guptas essay, p-201)Rosie too has apt pastime like Marco. She tells him that she has many ideas like him. Her interests are no less serious than him. She starts her dancing practice at five in the morning and continues for full deuce-ace hours. In the afternoon, she spends her one or two hours by studying Natya Shastra of Bharat Muni in order to keep the purity of classical forms. She looks for the ideas in Ramayana and The Mahabharata. But Marco finds nothing intellectual in her, which shows Marcos approach to Rosies aspiration is unimaginative and deliberately callous. He believes only in marital satisfaction and cannot give spiritual fulfillment. This approach of Marco is incompatible with Rosie. Rosie says to Rajus suffer in The GuideI would have preferred any kind of mother-in-law, if it had meant one real, live husband (Shalini Guptas essay, page 201).Then she goes to Raju for fulfilling her desires. The meeting with Raju marks turn of events point in her life. Raju brings with a promise of fragrant musical breezes and a shower of colors of spring for Rosie. He becomes greatly possessive about Rosie and neer thinks that she is married to a person whom he has now grown to hate for being associated with her. For the sake of Rosie, he separates himself from his mother and discards the whole set of peoples or the whole society. By sacrificing all the things, Raju gives himself up for Rosie to fill the loveless and cheerless void in her life. Overwhelmed with love and gratefulness, sh e has confessedEven if I have seen rebirth, I wont be able to repay my debt to you (Satyanarayans essay, page 68).Raju becomes her friend, philosopher and her guide. She realizes that he is inviting her to go to the land of her dreams, her spirit begins to soar, and her individuality begins to bosom for a delightful expression. She also realizes that he is capable of fulfilling her creative and fleshly cravings, and she starts revolting herself by dance. Her passion for dance was upbringing by birth. But in devdasi clan she was like a caged bird and her instinct for freedom, spontaneousness and self expression was suppressed. It is her plight in which Raju beckoned her light released her from her dark tunnel and her heart joy and fulfillment cultivated through this art form. He symbolizes in that context a warm flow of life and certain recklessness that minister to vital human needs.Rosie is defined by dancing and her talent as an accomplished dancer achieved wide recognition throu gh Rajus managerial skill. Rosie becomes a star attraction and Raju is known as the master of this establishment. She secures her rising fame through her dance. jump may seem to be a secondary concern in the novel but it functions mainly as a medium for developing Rosies character. Thus, through the Bharat Natyam, she becomes famous as a world class dancer.But Raju uses her obsession for dance, for personal gain. As a manager, he takes too many appointments without caring Rosies physical health, in order to gain more money and self esteem. He begins to squander his new found fortune in drinking parties and gambling sessions but devising a continuous pace in fixing Rosies dance performances at various places and accepting advances for earning too practically money.Rosies delight in the company of fellow-artists is resented by Raju, who cannot understand the freedom, mobility and exposure that a devdasi woman pursues. He is not an ideal mate for Rosie and cannot comprehend the unea se within her. So, the relationship becomes doomed because it is not based on true love and understanding. When Rosies jewelry stroke is to be returned to her by Marco, Raju denies the importance of the event and attempt to forge Rosies signature and keeps the jewelry box away from her which shows Raju condemns their relationship to failure. Eventually when Raju is jailed, she becomes stunned and expresses her reactions to Rajus forgery as an atypical karma conscious woman, she saysIf I have to pawn my last possession Ill do it to save You from jail. But once it is over, leave me once for all (Ramesh Dnyates essay, p-94)In the final analysis, after abandon by Marco and betrayed by Raju, Rosie stands steadfast and dignified and does her dharma as a Hindu Wife. As the man who gave her the new lease for life, Rosie tried to save Raju by paying to a costly lawyer. She shows a sense of great fullness to Marco who takes her out of darkness by taking his book with her when she leaves Malg udi.Curiously, she too like Savitri (The Dark Room) who is taken from The Hindu Mythology, is regarded as a victim of mans world. In the male dominated world, Marco and Raju both played the game of betrayal to her but with her aspiring spirit she has managed to find her own way with a sense of assumption and dignity. Her personality leaves a sense of stronger imprint on Raju. Her vision of happy living has within it not only her passion for creativity in the dance but also a loving husband and a small home as its essential component. She says to rajuIm tired of all this circus existence. It was your own choice.(S.Satyanarains essay, p-71)She leaves the Malgudi for remission her life and no more plays any roleShe had settled down at Madras and was looking after herself quite well.(S.Satyanarains essay, p-70)Thus, Rosie wins our admiration and respect by making her own way of living.Rosie, as a rebel, reflects the complex blending of tradition and modernity.To conclude, it can be sa id that, through the character Rosie, narayans humanistic concern is revealed which deals with the overgrowing awareness of the need to expand the area of womans freedom. His fictional world is circumscribed by a traditional Hindu society in which men rather women hold a superior place. Women are generally confined to the daily drudgery and all sorts of prohibitions are imposed on them but the milieu has changed from a purely orthodox to the progressive and liberated value systems in modern civilization and women too have gradually begun to assert themselves in the society. The woman characters that move in quest of some relief from the suffocation and suppression of their established routine face a clash with the society and in the end they achieve much for themselves. Rosie is a typical example of this type of a situation of a woman in Indian society.Work Cited1. Bhatnagar,The Gendered Construction of Rosie as the Other in the Guide A Comparison of the Textual and Cinematic Tradi tion, Readings in Indian English Literature Notion, Culture and Identity.2. Chandrasekharan, Nair Anup,R.K.Narayans The Guide from the verbal to the visual An Analysis in comparison, Perspective on Indian English Fiction, Editor, Jaydip Singh K.Dodiya.3. Dnyate, Ramesh,The Concept and Nature of Rebellion, Rosies Rebellion, The Novels of R.K.Narayan, A Typological Study of Characters.4. Gupta, Salini,Assertion and After A Study of the Woman Protagonist in R.K.Narayans The Guide, secular humanism in Indian English Fiction edited by T.S Anand.5. Jannet P.Gemmill,Modernity Contemporary Indian Literature, in Literature East and West, 14 No. 2 (1970), 287.6. Narayan, R.K, The Guide (1958, rpt Mysore Indian Thought publication, 1978), 127.7. Narayan, R.K, My Days A Memoir (1974 rpt Mysore Indian thought Publication, 1975), 119.8. Singh, S.Satyanarain,The Guide Crisis and Resolution, Indian Fiction in English edited by P.Mallikarjuna Rao, M.Rajeshwar.9. Sharma, C.P,The masterpieces of ad ulthood (p, 104-110), The Novels of R.K.Narayan A Perspective.10. Thieme, John,Middle-period novels The Guide to The Painters of Signs, R.K.Narayan, Contemporary World Writers.11. Lucas, George,Empowerment of Women through the Character of Rosie in R.K. Narayans The Guide