The Guide (Cyclopedia of Literary Characters)
At a glance:
- Author: R. K. Narayan
- First Published: 1958
- Type of Work: Novel
- Type of Plot: Social realism
- Time of Work: Mid-twentieth century
- Setting: India
- Genres: Long fiction, Social realism
- Subjects: Prisoners, Twentieth century, Villages, India or East Indian people, Dancing or dancers, Hindus or Hinduism, Tourist trade, Forgery or forging, Rain
- Locales: India
Characters Discussed
Raju, the protagonist and at times the narrator, the son of a poor shopkeeper from the village of Malgudi. His character undergoes various transformations as he goes from shopkeeper to guide (“Railway Raju”), to lover, to impresario (manager of Rosie’s career as a dancer), to prisoner, to impostor (fake guru), to perhaps genuine swami or mahatma (the highest of the Hindu spiritual leaders). Raju is clever, and although he succumbs to the temptations of luxury when Rosie succeeds as a dancer, he does offer her the chance to do what she has always...
[The entire page is 1030 words long]
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