Narayan holds a distinct position in the realm of
Anglo-Indian literature. In Man
Eater of Malgudi, he depicts the canvas without sounding preachy or
cynical. The quiet landscape of Malgudi provides
a suitable background for his fiction. Malgudi is
a microcosm, this is a world within a world. Meenakshi Mukherjee in
her book The Twice Born
Fiction says: “The
Man-Eater of Malgudi” resorts to
the Puranic conflict between Sura and Asura.”
K. R. Srinivasa Iyengar too in his Indian Writing in English finds in the
Man-Eater an absolute evil- “anti-life, anti-nature, anti-faith.”
The Man-Eater of
Malgudi
is
an allegory of good and evil. The good is represented by Natraj;
on the other hand, Vasu is an embodiment of evil. Edwin Gerow, a perceptive
analyst of the novel, has pointed out “How closely the novel follows
the allegorical pattern of
Sanskrit literature.”
The Man-eater of Malgudi has a parallel development to
an ancient myth projecting a clash between good and evil. The innocent world of
Malgudi with her people and surroundings live poles apart from the attic
of the press. Natraj and Vasu are
symbols of two different sides of life. They represent virtue and vice in
their true form respectively. Natraj is
too meek to say 'no' to anybody. In the
company of Sen, Sastri and the Poet, he leads his life
in the press with nothing much to worry about the world. The life around Malgudi and far-off Mempi
forest run on its orbit. Taking little care of the outer world they live at
peace with themselves. They are true to their environment, their God and their
own selves. The appearance of Vasu rejects
the order and crunches the innocence and purity of Malgudi. He is a danger to
the very existence of life there. Vasu is
a taxidermist and he rejoices in the killing. The sportive fauna of the forest
became the target of his bullets. He stuffs the dead body and sells them for
money.
He is the prince with dark halo.
Nothing can survive within his reach. Nature loses its rhythm but finds no way
to get rid of this mighty demon. Gifted with immense strength, Vasu bullies and frightens.
The whole lot seems to be spineless before the demonic creature. The smoldering
anger cannot change into a blaze and Malgudi continues to breathe in-state air
coming from dead life. Natraj along
with his company imagines of protesting against his ways and wishes. But
these are plans not to be translated into action. They pin their faith in the
supremacy of goodness and it is the last hope for them.
On a religious ceremony of
Radha-Krishna, Vasu is determined
to shoot the temple elephant dead.
Keeping aside her loyalty to Vasu, the public woman, Rangi informs Natraj about the heinous
scheme of Vasu which turns the festive mood
of Malgudi into gloom. In their own ways, some people try to mitigate the Rakshasa
or destroy him. All efforts go in vain. The classical myth tells of Bhasmasur
destroying himself while dancing at the dictated posture of Mohini. In the
similar manner the terrible demon, Vasu struck himself with his hammer-fist in
the course of keeping away the flies. The dreadful blow brought his
catastrophe.
Natraj
and Vasu are contradictory characters. Natraj, no doubt, is the central figure
and the action of the novel is viewed through his eyes. It is his point of view
that we always get. But he is an unheroic hero, good at heart, but passive and
inactive. According to Paul Verghese, “We can compare the good and evil in terms
of Vasu and Natraj love hate relationship who show the opposition “between
Satva and Rajas”. Vasu is a Faustian character with his virtually
insatiable curiosity and thirst for power and knowledge. He holds his master’s
degree in history, economics and literature. Natraj, on the other hand is a
typical Narayan’s character with non-committal neutrality as his ideal.
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