Short biography of r. k. narayan.

Short biography of r. k. narayan.

1. Short Biography of R. K. Narayan Swami and Friends by R K Narayan . SEM II Core-3 Sr Chandrodaya J Assistant Professor of English. St Xavier ’ s College, Mahuadanr , Nilamber-Pitamber University, Latehar , Jharkhand.

2. Introduction RK Narayan in full Rasipuram Krishnaswami Narayanaswamy was born on October 10 th 1906 into a middle class ofthe Tamil Brahmins in Madras in South India. His father was headmaster and he had many siblings. He did his initial studies at the residence of his grandmother in Chennai and moved to Mysore with his parents. R.K. Narayan earned his bachelor’s degree from the University of Mysore, completed his education in 1930 and briefly worked as a teacher before deciding to devote himself to writing.

3. Although writing was an uncommon career for Indian men of his time, his family was supportive of his choice. Narayan also broke with tradition by deciding to forgo an arranged marriage and instead choose his own wife who died after 5 years of their marriage in 1939. Narayan raised his one daughter on his own and never married again.

4. He went to the United States in 1956 at the invitation of the Rockefeller Foundation. His literary career began with his short stories which appear in “ The Hindu ” newspaper. He began to work as a Mysore correspondent of “ Justice ” a “ Madras-based ” newspaper. Narayan ’ s breakthrough was his first novel “ Swami and Friends ” published in 1935 with the help of Graham Greene who was already an established author.

5. His works captured the essence of ordinary life. His first novel and much of his later works are set in the fictitious south Indian town of Malgudi . Narayan typically portrays the peculiarities of human relationship and their ironies of Indian daily life in which modern urban existence clashes with ancient traditions. His style is graceful marked by friendly humor, elegance and simplicity.

6. His literary works Among the best received of Narayan's literary works are: - Swami and Friends -1935 - The Bachelor of Arts -1937 -The dark room - 1938 - The English teacher -1945

7. -- Mr. Sampath -1948 - The financial expert 1952 -Waiting for the Mahatma 1958 - The Guide 1959 -The man eater of Malgudi 1961 - The vendor of sweets 1967 -A Tiger for Malgudi 1988

8. Narayan also wrote a number of short stories - Malgudi Days 1942 - Lawley Road 1956 -A Horse and Two G oats and other stories 1970 - Under the Banyan Tree and other stories 1985 -The G randmother ’ s Tales 1988

9. - He also published a shortened modern prose version of two Indian epics - The Ramayana 1972 - The Mahabharata 1978

10. Awards Narayan has won many awards and prizes for his literary works - Sahitya Academi Award in 1958 - Padma Bhushan in 1964 -AC Benson Medal by the Royal Society for literature 1980

11. - Padma Vibhushan in 2000 He was also nominated to the Rajya Sabha in 1989 He was made an honorary member of the American Academy and Institute of Arts and Letters. Narayan passed away on May 13 th 2001 at the age of 94 . Narayan played an exceptional role in making India accessible to the outside world through literature.

12. HistoricalcontextofSwamiandFriends Swami and Friends was written between the first and second world wars, a literary period of notable creative experimentation that likely encouraged Narayan in his mission to create a uniquely personal depiction of his childhood The historical context of the British Colonial rule on India is also particularly crucial to the story as Swami and Friends begin to understand oppression of their country. Britain would continue to rule India until the late 1940s. So Swami witnessed the stirring of the independence movement led by Mahatma Gandhi that would come to redefine the nature of India in the coming years.