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Raju is the central figure in R. K. Narayan's novel 'The Guide', embodying a complex character that evolves through various roles such as a railway guide, lover, prisoner, and Swami. His character is dynamic and multifaceted, showcasing traits of craftiness, dishonesty, and romanticism, making him one of Narayan's most intricate creations. Ultimately, Raju's journey reflects the transformation of his identity and the intertwining of his outer persona with his inner self.

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Notes 2

Raju is the central figure in R. K. Narayan's novel 'The Guide', embodying a complex character that evolves through various roles such as a railway guide, lover, prisoner, and Swami. His character is dynamic and multifaceted, showcasing traits of craftiness, dishonesty, and romanticism, making him one of Narayan's most intricate creations. Ultimately, Raju's journey reflects the transformation of his identity and the intertwining of his outer persona with his inner self.

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hazanshaz18
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© © All Rights Reserved
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CHARACTER OF RAJU IN THE GUIDE

* INTRODUCTION: R. K. Narayan is a great writer of


characters. He is praised for his art of characterization.
He creats his characters with great consideration
and significance. His characters are based on the
psychological treatment. All his characters are real and
life like. Thus his characters are immortal characters.

*RAJU AS THE CENTRAL FIGURE: Raju is the


central figure in the novel 'The Guide'. The whole theme
theme revolves round him. He dominates from the
beginning to the end of this novel. He is the only source
of all incidents and events in it. He appears before us in
various forms before us as- a railway guide, Railway Raju,
a hermit, a lover, a fraud and a criminal. Thus the novelist
has named this novel after him. It is Raju who is the guide.
* RAJU AS A COMPLEX CHARACTER:Narayan's
characters may be divided into three groups- simple
characters, complex characters and minor characters.
Raju belongs to the group of complex characters. It is
very difficult to understand his character. He is dynamic,
intelligent and shrewd. In him we find the craftiness,
dishonesty and credulity of Margayya, the flashy
bombast of Mr. Sampath, the adventurousness of Mali,
the romantic excess of Sitaram and the mystical learning
of Chandran. In short, Raju is one of the most complex
characters of Narayan.

*RAJU AS A GUIDE: As a guide Raju gets great


fame. He becomes popular as Railway Raju. The tourists
are impressed by him. He is a guide with spiritual
touch. In fact, everything in Raju's life takes place by
chance. In the beginning Raju acts as a tourist guide.
Then he becomes guide of Rosie and at last he becomes
Swami who guides the villagers. In this way Raju has
always been a guide.
* RAJU AS A LOVER: Raju is a great lover in the
novel. When he first sees Rosie at Malgudi Railway
Station, he at once falls in love with her. He at once
agrees to fulfil her desire to see the dance of king cobra.
As a lover he wins her heart. He regularly seduces her
by flattering and paying her bold compliments. He does
not hesitate even in establishing sexual relationship with
Rosie. As a lover Raju is bold and sincere also. When Rosie's
husband turns her out of the house, Raju gives her shelter
against his mother's desire. He sets Rosie as a great
dancer. In short, Raju is a complex character.

* RAJU AS A PRISONER: AS a prisoner Raju proves


himself as a model prisoner. His reputation in the jail
is special. He developed good relations with the other
prisoners. His high sounding talk gave him the title of
Ustad. He would impress even the dangerous criminals who
listened to him with great respect. He even impressed
the jail superintendent who employed him his personal
servant. He enjoyed jail life fully. He became sad when
the day of his release came.
*RAJU AS A SWAMI: Raju's role as a Swami is very
dramatic. After coming out of jail, he has no arrangement
of food and lodging. Listening to the remark of the
barber, he decides to play the role of a Swami. By chance
he gets recognition and popularity as a Swami. In this way
his main problem of food and shelter comes to an end. All
went well for some years. But circumstances compelled
him to perform fast. Due to this fast Raju grows weak
and at last he sinks in the river. Thus final and crucial
phase of the novel shows how the outer fit becomes the
inner one, how the manner turns into identity.

* CONCLUSION: Thus Raju is a very interesting and


moving character. He is really very complex. It is he who
is the hero of this novel .

Last modified: 13:58

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