The Guide -by RK Narayan
Raju is a very adaptable person and becomes whatever people and life want him to become. With little to no professional training, but owing to his knowledge of local landmarks and buildings, he soon becomes a tour guide at the railway station in Malgudi.
Raju’s pleasing personality and his interpersonal skills allow him to win the trust and admiration of those who meet him at the station, hence earning the nickname “Railway Raju’’
Obsession for Rosie:Tempted by the material pleasures like money and comfort, Raju soon finds himself drawn to another source of pleasure – Rosie. Rosie is the wife of Marco, an archaeologist obsessed with ancient art forms. Marco and Rosie visit Malgudi and meet Raju as a guide.
Rosie’s and Marco’s marriage is an unhappy marriage. Marco seems to be unfriendly towards Rosie and dismisses her passion for dance, calling it a shallow profession for harlots.
Raju realizes that Rosie must’ve married Marco only for his money. Taking advantage of this weak marriage, Raju uses his tempting words on Rosie and starts a love affair with her.
Rosie Becomes Famous:He appreciates her dance. Rosie becomes a famous dancer in cosmopolitan circles because of her talent and Raju’s impressive marketing skills as her manager. They both start living together. Raju’s mother does not approve of this and she ultimately leaves the house to go live with her brother.
However, greed takes over Raju, which leads to his fall. Marco sends jewellery for Rosie, tempted by which Raju forges her signature – thinking that no one would be able to catch him. But Marco recognizes this forgery and Raju is jailed for 2 years.
Raju is Free:After he’s freed from prison, Raju is reluctant to go back to Malgudi because he’ll be disgraced there as a former prisoner. He spends his time, confused about where to go, in a village called Mangal, where a simpleton named Velan mistakes him as a spiritual guru.
Velan is fully convinced of Raju being a guru, even when Raju reveals his entire life story Velan’s sister, who has refused to marry as per the family’s wishes, is brought to Raju. Raju successfully convinces her to marry as per the elders’ wishes and hence furthers the idea of him being an enlightened personality.
Mangal villagers soon ask Raju to perform a fast to end the famine that has been severely affecting their village. Since they believe he is a guru, the villagers think that if Raju fasts as a ritual to appease the rain gods, it will surely rain and hence the famine will be over.
Raju Does Ritual:Accepting this responsibility, Raju begins the ritual. Each day, although he remains hungry, he finds within himself a new sense of fulfilment. His body grows weaker day by day, to the point where he can’t even walk without the villagers’ support, but this bodily impoverishment is accompanied by an emotional delight.
Raju’s death is bittersweet and the ending of the novel is not a definitive one but is rather open to interpretation. Raju asks the villagers to take him to the river, where he used to visit daily as a part of his ritual, and there he utters his final words,“Velan, it’s raining in the hills. I can feel it coming up under my feet, up my legs.
The Ending:And then Raju droops down. The ending is confusing because the reader cannot understand whether it actually rains or was Raju’s final “observation’’ just a hallucination – something that was not happening in reality but was just a vision perceived by Raju.
Regardless of the reality of the rain, Raju’s death certainly marks his journey from being a tour guide in Malgudi to a spiritual guide in Mangal.
I'm going to go with Rosie. She's no angel, that's for sure. She cheats on her husband with Raju, and is forced to live with him when her husband leaves her. She's also quick to walk away from Raju as their relationship cools off. So commitment isn't a strong characteristic of Rosie's. However, she is an empowered female. While she is a traditional temple dancer, she is also extremely well educated. She has a masters degree in economics.
Another reason I like her for the "best character" role is because she has dreams, and she actively pursues them. She loves dancing, and is willing to do what it takes to succeed there. At one point in the story, Raju demands that she avoid being around other artists. Rosie flat out resists.
Lastly, I think she is a great character because she is fairly wealthy by the end of the story, but attaining that wealth is a bonus. It's not the main goal. Her dream and happiness is the main goal. Making money at it is extra.
Answer:The character of Rosie is symbolic of a state of conflict. She is a person torn between traditional norms and the desire for liberation. Rosie belongs to a family of Devadasis, women dedicated to a life of being temple dancers. She challenges her socially stigmatized identity by acquiring a university degree in economics. Her decision to marry Marco, a man of academic interests, is primarily motivated by a desire to step out of the Devadasi fold.
However, a part of her nature remains intensely orthodox. She tries to conform to a marital life of patriarchal hypocrisy, indifference, and apathy to maintain social respectability. She jeopardizes her marriage for a romantic encounter with the disarming Raju, only to regret it later. She holds herself responsible for her failed marriage.
Rosie defies cultural traditions and moves in with Raju to fulfill her physical and creative desires. Their relationship falls apart due to his greedy, exploitative, and possessive nature. Eventually, Rosie discovers her potential for self-reliance. She realizes that the core strength of her life lies in her craft.
Q3.What is the concept of Universality in the novel "The Guide" by RK Narayan?
Raju is an archetype and a universal symbol in this story, which concerns his redemption arc. He is initially a very corrupt man and tour guide and eventually goes to prison for his misdeeds. However, over time he becomes viewed as a spiritual mentor and eventually even a sacrificial hero. Taking from pop culture, this mirrors an archetype like that of Han Solo or similar characters; Solo is a smuggler and unethical man who eventually becomes wrapped up in saving the universe, and his love makes him a better man who is dedicated to bringing safety to the people he grows to care about.
Raju is a universal symbol because he portrays many archetypal characteristics and becomes a leader and savior of the people.
Q4.Discuss the central theme of novel "The Guide" by RK Narayan?
Answer:The central theme of the novel is woven and around the subtle and complete human relationship. It tells us about Indian customs, traditions, culture, economic condition, illiteracy superstition and religious faith and a present conflict between traditional and modern values.
Q5. Write a short note, the minor characters in the novel "The Guide" by R K Narayan?
Answer: The minor character in the novel are very important . They are the very existence for the soul of the novel. Velan makes Raju a spiritual man . Rosie impact Raju's atots and evokes emotions in him . Raju's mother is the true embodiment of pure Indian women .Raju's uncle expresses his own domination in the novel.
Q6. Critically analyse the character of Marco?
Answer: Marco was husband of Rosie ,who address like an eternal tourist. He is a minor character in the novel and acts like Velan. He was a scholar of Indian history. He came to study caves in Malgudi. He was selfish and thinks and works for himself only. He never behaved with Rosie like a wife , instead he always wants to keep her indoor only.
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