R. K. Narayan's Pioneering Role in the Indian English Campus Novel

Abstract

1. K. Narayan, whose works are composed to reveal the commonness of daily routine in an uncommon style, is one of the most amusing names not only in Indian English Literature but also in World fiction. His canvas is rich with the characters- adult and senile, next door to us, struggling in their academic and personal lives. He has penned in the background of Malgudi, an imaginary region in southern India, and has explored diverse aspects of Indian society. His literary journey started with the publication of Swami and Friends and spanned approximately five decades. His novels and short stories explore various issues of the traditional and the modern generation, examining them from social, cultural, philosophical, and psychological perspectives. With M. R. Anand and Raja Rao, he helped Indian English fiction develop a distinct identity, moving away from imitating English literary styles and presenting them from Indian perspectives. Due to his thematic depth, narrative techniques, and straightforward, humorous writing style, he is often compared with the best writers of English and other languages. Campus fiction, which explores the complex lives of academicians and pupils within a university setting, has been popular since the second decade of the 20th century. Narayan’s novels are introspection into the academic and professional lives of the protagonists and give a glimpse into an intellectual inquiry and daily activities of academicians and criticize imposed English education on the natives- students and their struggle for personal and social upliftment. The present research paper is a study of Narayan's selected novels from the perspective of campus elements.