Revisiting Gandhian Philosophy: A Critical Study of R K Narayan’s Waiting for the Mahatma

  • Sheikh Mehedi Hasan Ph. D., Associate Professor, Department of English Language and Literature, Jatiya Kabi Kazi Nazrul Islam University, Trishal, Mymensingh, Bangladesh
  • Benazir Elahee Munni Lecturer in English, Institute of Modern Languages, Jagannath University, Dhaka, Bangladesh
Keywords: South Asian writing in English, Gandhism, Satyagraha, Non-violent resistance, Civil disobedience, Partition of India

Abstract

R K Narayan’s novel Waiting for the Mahatma covers in considerable detail the years of political turmoil preceding the Partition of India, taking Mahatma Gandhi as one of its leading characters. The article attempts to analyse how the novel illustrates the role of Gandhi as a political leader and philosophical guide and the influence of his ideology and philosophy on other characters during the Indian independence movement. First, it pinpoints Gandhi’s philosophical thoughts as documented in his own writings and activities and then points out how those are integrated into the novel. The article also investigates the attitudes of Gandhi’s followers (as the characters of the novel) as well as those of the common people towards his thoughts and activities. Thus, the study aims to offer a textual analysis of the novel by revisiting Gandhian philosophy focusing, especially, on values of ahimsa, Satyagraha and non-violent resistance.

Published
2021-06-01
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How to Cite
Mehedi Hasan, S., & Elahee Munni, B. (2021). Revisiting Gandhian Philosophy: A Critical Study of R K Narayan’s Waiting for the Mahatma. Shanlax International Journal of English, 9(3), 34-45. https://doi.org/10.34293/english.v9i3.3906
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Articles