Element of Humour in the Novels of R.K. Narayana with special reference to Guide and Malgudi

Pages:294-295
Babita Rani (Independent Scholar, M.D.University, Rohtak)

The novel Guide is full of farcical situations. R.K. Narayan as writer has a genuine ability to create humor in any critical situation. The humor of his novels catches the attention of the reader accurately. Humor may be defined as the kindly and amused perception of incongruities of life and R.K. Narayan gives artistic expression to such perception. His humors classical because the community does not have even to prove its superior strength to the individual, the later exhausts his self, his fantasies, thus returning to the community like the prodigal son in the new testament. Narayan’s irony, of course touches the individual as much as it does the community; it touches both in order to show how essentially comic they are, but his moral discriminations enable the reader to see the comedy of the individual carrier in terms of vanities and superficialities, while the life of the community, stupidity, superstitions and irrationality, is given stability and grace which the individual lacks. Narayan does not satirize the individual ionizes him. Beneath his ironic amusement at the hero’s incongruous and ludicrous behaviors, his moral discriminations remain very much active. The individual is lost if he is lost to his community. His irony keeps his sympathies unobtrusive. Narayan does not idealize the community ethos either enough to absurdities. But his humor depicts it truly that life is to be enjoyed.