The Mask that becomes the Face

A Comparative Study of the Fractured Self and Spiritual Authenticity in R.K. Narayan’s The Guide and Manoj Das’ The Escapist

Abstract

The figure of ascetic occupies an important place in Indian cultural imagination. A character of sadhu or holy man bridges the gap between mundane life and metaphysical existence and between tradition and modernity. In Indian English literature most of the writers dealt with the figure of holy man. These writers focused on the psychological self and spiritual authenticity of ascetic figures. The paper presents a comparative analysis of R. K. Narayan’s The Guide and Manoj Das’s The Escapist. In both novels the central figures are caught in a situation when they have to bear the role of swami. Both Protagonists becomes holy man by accident but their life journey and quest of inner self go on in different ways. Narayan’s Raju is the manifestation of sociological exploration of the fractured self and Das’s Padmalochan presents a psychological examination and mystical experience that turns him into a genuine ascetic.