Narrative technique in Raja Rao's Kanthapura

    Narrative technique in Kanthapura

                                The success of any literary artist lies not only in his ideas but also in his expression. The style reveals the nature and the intention of the writer. It is righty said that ‘style is man’ means man is recognize by his style. In literature by reading the text of any writer we can assume his character and his intellectual power. Style reveals the author himself. Style differs from person to person. So it’s necessary to notice and analyze the literary technique used by writer.

                              In preface of kanthapura Raja Rao observes that “the telling has not been easy, he had to convey in a language that is not one’s own the spirit is one’s own.” He uses it in Kanthapura and all other novel, he has tried to give expression to the thought and the feeling, the culture and ideology of Indians in English.

                            Raja Rao used the ancient Puranic method of storytelling rather than follows the western style, according to him puranic method of storytelling is natural and true to nature and true to the atmosphere of India, which gives it Indianness to the novel. Kanthapura is third person narrative novel. Kanthpura is narrated by old woman Achkka. As Rao has told in his preface the story is told in oral tradition of storytelling without any break. He says in preface to Kanthapura ,“we, in India think quickly . . . to another thought”   

In his narrative style we see appropriateness of language. He brings out difference of language used by Educated, uneducated, old, young, even by man and woman. The narrator Achakka is very old aged women who tells the story to her grand-children, she uses old religious word and language, that who doesn’t know about Indian myth and religion could not understand easily some words, he will find difficulties in understanding it. The Moorthy is young and educated man in village, and talks about the Gandhian thoughts idealism, and movement. Even the language used by women in village is also differs from man. They usually talks about house hold matters and about clothing and saris, which sari will she wears to go in katha.

                       In Raja Rao especially in Kanthapura, the narrative is straight forward, and he uses flashback technique. Achakka tells the story to her grand-children, of her past in what kind of situation she passes through. She told story in different manner, sometimes while telling story she forgets the name of mythical characters, and confused between Shiv and Brahma, and Vishnu. She sometimes forget the story and then come back in present, and when she remembers she went back to past. The thing which we should note that she tell her children the story of Ram, of Shiva, of Vishnu, of Krishna. And then come back to the present time she compares the mythical character with present time of India in which she lives.

                              Again Raja Rao’s use of myth makes it different from others. In Kanthapura Rao used different myths from Indian epic Mahabharata, and Ramayana, which makes its narrative simple to understand for the Indian reader. Here for the progression of the story and narrator is an old woman so it’s inevitable that mythical character would not creep in. in a way to make it interesting Raja Rao has used myths. The myths he used are of Kenchamma, Rama, Shiva, Krishna etc.

                                Another distinguished narrative quality of Kanthapura is Indianized English language. Raja Rao variously tried to indianized language, he tried to make it more easy to express his feelings and certain thoughts. By number of ways he modified and mold language to get desired effect. He has translated the native similes and metaphors, idioms, and culture specific phrases that we use in our daily language or in vernacular language. Here for example;

                        “well when you have drunk the Himavati waters, you can’t ever look different.”

                                                         “Moorthy is holly bull, elephant and cow.”

The novel starts with simple narration by an old woman about one of the village in India, later it evolves to entire India. The narration starts as tale is told to children by their grandmother as it is the Indian tradition. Raja Rao has combined the myth and Gandhian Movement very harmoniously, he use Hindu epic myth for authentication of his work by putting myth in novel he easily achieved his goal. Not only the use of myth makes it popular but, his intellectual power, his imaginative power, his ability to use and utilize the Indian words, and it’s his knowledge of Indian culture and people.

                                          ---------------------------------------           By: BIKASH MAITY