Style set him apart

THE MADRAS English Association quite appropriately celebrated its fourth anniversary with a seminar on R. K. Narayan, eminent Indian novelist. This association is the revived version of the English Association (U.K.) whose Madras chapter was established in the 1940s at the Presidency College, Madras. Although the chapter ceased to function after 1970, it was revived by the efforts of Dr. T. Prabhakar (retired professor and Head of the Department of English, University of Madras) and Dr. AnandKumar Raju, Professor and Head, Department of English, Institute of Correspondence Education, University of Madras, in December 1997.

The MEA has a considerable number of members drawn from both non- academic circles and academic institutions. They have successfully organised play readings, formal presentations and discussions on British, American and Commonwealth Literature as well as creative writing workshops. The interaction between the members has been productive and the association has been meeting in the British Council auditorium on the last Wednesday of every month, from 3 to 5 p.m., since its revival in 1997.

After Dr. Prabhakar's welcome address, the seminar was formally inaugurated by N. Ram, Editor, Frontline, who along with Susan Ram authored the biography of the late R. K. Narayan. Mr. Ram commented that it was a privilege to pay a tribute to a novelist of Narayan's calibre and that as his biographer he had the opportunity of getting to know the author since 1970. Despite an undistinguished academic career, Narayan was perhaps the first Indian English writer who successfully made writing his full-time profession. Mr. Ram highlighted the recurring theme of friendship in all Narayan's novels and remarked that the author valued friendship in his life and compared it to a spray of water - ephemeral but refreshing. He did not consider himself a man with a mission setting out to change the world. His technique of understatement and his art of omission were his literary secrets which helped him to achieve a style that was unpretentious, yet profound. Narayan did not encourage scholarly probing of his rich and varied literary output. These included his 15 novels, approximately 200 short stories, numerous essays and a memorable travelogue "The Emerald Route" and his autobiography "My Days." Mr. Ram, touching upon Mr. Narayan's unembellished, eminently readable style, declared that all his writings reaffirm Narayan's status as a unique talent.

Mr. B. R. Kumar, Station Director, All India Radio, said Narayan's use of Indianisms got totally absorbed in his narrative style without any contrivance. Although success was not easy, the novelist eventually acquired not only literary status but was considered one of the best Indian English novelists of the post- Independence era.

Veteran Tamil writer and translator, Ashokamitran talked about his association with Narayan. In his discerning manner Ashokamitran described the close bond between Narayan the person and Narayan the writer. He remarked that the academic world, particularly in North India, was openly hostile to Narayan and condescending about his achievements. He mentioned that the negative comments made by Khushwant Singh and Sashi Tharur cannot really detract from the novelist's worth. Narayan belongs to a vanishing breed of writers which allows the reader to laugh, to contemplate and learn.

After the tea break, the delegates were treated to a dramatised reading of Narayan's short story - 'Leela's Friend." Sreekumar Varma, as the narrator, gave the introduction in a charming, low- key manner and the story took over from there on.

Narayan's ability to explore the psyche of a child was brought out in the course of his performance and the conclusion had the characteristic touch of the great story-teller. The family, having wrongly accused the servant of the theft, learn that the stolen jewel was all the while in the kitchen, misplaced by Leela. Little Leela prefers her servant's stories to jewels but the wronged Sidda is branded for life as a thief in the eyes of his employer.

Various aspects of Narayan's writing were discussed by the academics in the six papers presented. Dr. Prabhakar, in his inaugural speech, mentioned that the first thesis published in the research department of Madras University was on R. K. Narayan, by V. R. Narayanaswamy, former Head of the Department of English, Anna University. Since then there has been a spate of scholarly writing on this novelist but there is still scope for more discussion. Narayan's heroes, the feminist angle of approach to 'The Guide', the treatment of children in the novels, his use of myth, Narayan as a regional novelist and his deep-rooted Hindu world vision, engendered a discussion. At the end of the day, AnandKumar Raju appreciated the participants' enthusiasm and declared that the seminar was an unqualified success.

Needless to say that this was greatly aided by the nature of the subject itself. No one else has exploited the novel form in quite the same way as Narayan, shifting gears effortlessly between ironic humour and deeply-felt emotional resonance.

PREMA SRINIVASAN

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