Indian English Literature pre - Independence.
Indian English Literature pre -Independence.
Paper no : 201
∆ Personal Information:
Name : Maya Batiya
Roll no : 18
Enrollment no :5108230003
Course : M.A.sem-3
Paper no :201
Paper code :22406
Paper name : Indian English Literature pre - Independence.
Topic : "Exploring the Psychological and Moral Conflicts in R.K. Narayan's 'Crime and Punishment'"
Submitted : Smt.S.B.Gardi, Department of English MKBU.
Email: mayajbatiya2003@gmail.com
Q. "Exploring the Psychological and Moral Conflicts in R.K. Narayan's 'Crime and Punishment'.
Ans :
∆ Introduction :
Crime and Punishment" is a short story by R.K. Narayan about a school teacher who commits a crime and the punishment he faces. The story is set in India and is about a teacher who takes tuition from a rich and educated child for monetary gain.
∆ About R. K. Narayan :
R.K. Narayan (born October 10, 1906, Madras [now Chennai], India—died May 13, 2001, Chennai) was one of the finest authors of Indian writing in English. His stories often explore themes such as the clash between tradition and modernity, individual freedom, and the dynamics of Indian family life. His style is marked by genial humor, gentle irony, and simplicity.
Hand in hand with pioneering Indian novelists Mulk Raj Anand and Raja Rao, Narayan laid the foundations of the novel as a genre in Indian literature. Whereas Anand focused on social realism, and Rao breathed philosophical depth into his works, Narayan used simple, humorous prose to depict the lives of ordinary people in India.
∆ Narrative styles :
R.K. Narayan's narrative style is characterized by simplicity, directness, and precision, and is often compared to William Faulkner's. Narayan's writing style includes:
• Simple narrative
Narayan's stories are told with a simple narrative style, and he avoids highly sophisticated language.
• Gentle irony and witty humor
Narayan's stories are filled with gentle irony and witty humor.
• Blend of realism and mythology
Narayan's writing blends the realism of western fiction with the mythology of traditional India.
• Use of omniscient narrator
Narayan often uses the omniscient narrator to offer what the characters think and do.
• Use of flashbacks
Narayan uses flashbacks to help the reader understand the characters' pasts and to make the novel more believable.
• Use of imagery and symbolism
Narayan uses imagery and symbolism that is rooted in Indian culture but has universal appeal.
• Use of Malgudi
Narayan created the fictional small town of Malgudi, where the standard norms of superstition and tradition apply.
• Use of ordinary events
Narayan uses ordinary events to create a connection in the mind of the reader.
Narayan's writing style is often described as objective, detached, and authentic.
Explain the relevance of psychological and moral conflicts as central themes.
1. Character Analysis of the Protagonist
Boy:
Mean-Bullied the teacher Pampered-Parents buy him what he wants Lazy-Did not want to study and do work Not hardworking-Does not care if he has a test coming, just wants to play.
Teacher:
Weak-Allows himself to get bullied by the boy Controllable-Allows boy to use him Determind-Wants to help the boy to matter what.
Parents:
Rich+Wealthy-Engaged a tutor Indulgent-Buys sweets and toys for the boy Ignorant-Thinks their son is an angel and does not know about son's laziness.
2. Psychological Conflict: Guilt and Inner Turmoil
R K Narayan’s short story ‘Crime and Punishment’ is about a school master who commits a crime and the punishment he undergoes. The story is set in an Indian background. The teacher, purely out of monetary benefits, takes tuition, to a clever and naughty child, of rich and educated parents.
The parents want the boy to secure a double promotion but at the same time want him to be taught in their line of child psychology. They do not favour corporal punishment. They lecture to the teacher their views on infant psychology every evening.
R K Narayan mingles humour, sarcasm, irony and a serious undertone in his story. He portrays his characters, in a vivid and realistic manner, and they seem to spring up from the society around us. The hopes and dreams of the parents, the poverty of the school master which makes him take tuition class after six hours of working in the school, the mischievous nature of the boy, the silly mistakes that they commit, the dilemma the teacher faces, the predicament of the boy at the end, all are finely woven together.
The story highlights the truth that over caring and over parenting spoil the child. It proves the old saying, “spare the rod and spoil the child”.
3. Moral Conflict: Right vs. Wrong
In Crime and Punishment by R.K. Narayan we have the theme of fear, control, conflict and blackmail. Taken from his Under the Banyan Tree and Other Stories collection the story is narrated in the third person by an unnamed narrator and after reading the story the reader realises that Narayan may be exploring the theme of fear. The teacher is afraid that the boy will tell his parents that he has slapped him in the face. Driven by fear the teacher loses control of the boy and ends up rather than being the boy’s teacher instead he becomes the boy’s play thing. This may be important as Narayan may be highlighting the importance of control in the classroom. Should a pupil end up taking control from a teacher the result will be disastrous with no lessons learnt. Rather than the teacher being an instrument of education they become part of a game for a pupil. Something which is very much the case in the story. It is also noticeable that the teacher is somewhat in conflict with not only the boy but with the boy’s parents. With both parent’s believing that they know better when it comes to the boy’s education.
If anything Narayan may be highlighting the difficulties that a teacher can incur with not only a pupil but with the pupil’s parents. In the story both parents seem to think they know what is best for their son. Something that becomes clearer to the reader by the fact that the teacher spends half an hour before lessons listening to both parents telling him how to educate their son. It is as though the teacher is being directed by both parents on how to teach their son. Which leaves the reader wondering as to why either of the parents don’t teach their son themselves. If they are so certain that they know the best practices when it comes to teaching their son. In reality the parents input is unnecessary and limits the control that the teacher has over the boy. Who if left to his own devices will only manipulate the teacher. However it is noticeable that the teacher does lose control of the boy from the moment that he strikes the boy on the face. Something that some critics might find inappropriate. Though the reality may be that the teacher is impatient. Which is not a trait that would be deemed appropriate for a teacher.
4. The Role of Authority and Society in Intensifying Conflicts
Though it is clear to the reader that the teacher’s impatience is driven by the boy’s continual answering of the maths question incorrectly. This should not be enough for the teacher to be aggressive towards the boy. However the boy is clever enough to realise that he can manipulate the teacher now that the teacher has struck him. Which may be the point that Narayan is attempting to make. He may be highlighting the pitfalls of corporal punishment. Rather than getting the boy to do as he wishes him to do. The teacher loses control of the boy. Leaving some readers to suspect that corporal punishment doesn’t actually work. In reality it may have the opposite affect with the teacher losing control and fearing that he will lose his job should the boy’s parents discover that he has struck the boy. As soon as the teacher strikes the boy. The lessons stop and the boy gains control over the teacher. Which may leave some readers suspecting that the teacher is not actually suited to teaching. Control in the classroom is paramount for a teacher.
The end of the story is also interesting as the tables end up turning on the boy. Where once the teacher was reliant on the boy staying quiet about him striking the boy. Now the boy needs the teacher to lie for him in order that his parent’s won’t scold him. If anything the teacher regains control over the boy by lying for him and telling his parents that everything is okay. By lying for him the boy is grateful and the reader suspects that he may become a better student by not forgetting that the teacher has helped him out. He may actually be more enthusiastic about his lessons and the teacher might also have learnt a lesson. The lesson being that he needs to be more patient with the boy and that he must not strike the boy again as he knows the consequences. Even if the boy is more trusting of the teacher he knows that this could be short-lived. The task ahead for the teacher is to re-evaluate his teaching practices and to remove corporal punishment from his curriculum. He also needs to learn understand that not every wrong answer given by the boy may be a deliberate trigger to annoy the teacher. If anything it may be ironic that the teacher will learn more from what happened than the boy.
5.Path to Redemption :
Crime and Punishment by R.K. Narayan is a humorous story that showcases the pitfalls of over-caring and over-parenting. It tells the tale of a frustrated teacher and his mischievous student, who is preparing for a math test. When the boy repeatedly gives wrong answers, the teacher loses patience and slaps him. Realizing the boy's wealthy parents disapprove of punishment, the teacher fears they will find out. The boy seizes the opportunity, blackmailing the teacher into playing games, repairing his toys, and telling him stories. Exhausted, the teacher complies, fearing repercussions.
When the boy’s parents arrive, the teacher prepares to confess, but the boy hides behind them, scared of being asked about his test performance. Out of sympathy, the teacher praises the boy, saying he "won" the test, and explains the playful activities were to keep the boy happy. Narayan’s story uses humor to explore themes of discipline, manipulation, and the effects of indulgent parenting, leaving readers amused.
6. Narayan's perspective on psychological and moral complexity
The notion of psychological suffering caused by unfulfilled ambitions, societal pressures and existential despair emerges as a dominant theme across Narayan’s novels. His middle-class protagonists frequently experience intense inner turmoil, self-doubt and mental dissipation as their dreams clash against harsh realities.
In The Financial Expert, the obsession with accumulating wealth leaves Margayya constantlyanxious and insecure.
In The Guide, Raju faces an identity crisis and emotional turbulence when compelled to introspect on his fraudulent life after imprisonment.
In Swami and Friends, Narayan insightfully captures the pangs of adolescence through a 10-year-old’s everyday struggles.
In The English Teacher, Krishna feels overwhelmed with grief, loss and meaninglessness after his wife's untimely death. Narayan poignantly depicts his inability to resume normal life after personal tragedy.
In The Dark Room, Savitri falls into suicidal depression, caught between her modern aspirations and the constraints of a traditional Indian joint family demanding conformity.
In Waiting for the Mahatma, Sriram’s revolutionary fervor turns into self-doubt due to the slow pace of change, leaving him psychologically adrift.
In The Bachelor of Arts, As an impressionable college entrant, Chandran desires to achieve great intellectual feats, become an accomplished orator, write groundbreaking research papers and generally immerse himself in highbrow cultural and academic activities befitting his perception of university life. However, his pretentious notions are soon deflated as he faces severe anxiety and stage fright before his first elocution competition, struggles with academic research which he had assumed he would excel in, and feels socially awkward and out of place in sophisticated circles like the history association that he aspires to be part of (Narayan, 1937).
Narayan insightfully captures Chandran's acute inner struggle and erosion of self-confidence through alternately buoyant and gloomy passages of introspection where Chandran oscillate between self-assurance and berating himself as a "fool" for aiming too high without requisite skills.
∆ conclusion :
The teacher commits a crime of slapping the boy and suffers the punishment of suffering the boy’s blackmailing. The boy takes situation in hand and makes teacher dance to his tune. At first the boy made his stop the lessons for the day and then made him the stationmaster. When the train stopped moving, he had to tell the boy stories. At the end the boy made him run around the garden thrice. However, he saves the boy from the parents and hopes that the boy would not betray him.
References:
Encyclopædia Britannica, inc. (2024a, October 6). R.K. Narayan. Encyclopædia Britannica. https://www.britannica.com/biography/R-K-Narayan
Focus on characters. prezi.com. (n.d.). https://prezi.com/ctnppo5qoc44/focus-on-characters/
Dermot, & McManus, D. (n.d.-b). Crime and punishment by R.K. Narayan. The Sitting Bee. http://sittingbee.com/crime-and-punishment-r-k-narayan/
Crime and punishment by R K Narayan - crime and punishment by R K Narayan it is a humorous short. Studocu. (n.d.). https://www.studocu.com/in/document/bharathidasan-university/language-and-linguistics/crime-and-punishment-by-r-k-narayan/34772934
Ymerdigital. (n.d.). YMER230692. Retrieved November 19, 2024, from https://ymerdigital.com/uploads/YMER230692.pdf
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