Portrayal of R.K. Narayan’s ‘The Man-Eater of Malgudi’ as an Allegorical Novel: An Overview

Abstract

This article deals with R.K. Narayan’s The Man-Eater of Malgudi as an allegorical novel. An allegorical story tries to entertain the reader through theuse of extended metaphor in which characters, plot, abstract ideas represents not only moral lessons but also explains story hidden underneath. In R.K. Narayan’s The Man-Eater of Malgudi, the author has profoundly used allegorical element to explain the relationship between Natraj and Vasu. Natraj, a well- to- do printer of the town lives his life peacefully but he gets outraged with the arrival of Vasu. Vasu is just like Shakespeare’s Lago in Othello who is an embodiment of self-destruction. He has been called the Man-Eater of Malgudi who tries to suppress the innocent lives of Malgudi. The author has used the mythological term,‘Bhasmasura’ to explain the demonic attributes of Vasu. He kills innocent animals, seduces women, threatens people of Malgudi and seeks pleasure out of it. He considers himself as supreme figure which leads him to his doom. R.K. Narayan through Vasu’s character has highlighted that who are prideful will bring about their self-destruction. In allegorical view, the author has depicted the sad reality of modern society where people like Vasu try to squash the innocent people.