The Mythic sub-text of R.K.Narayan’s The Man Eater of Malgudi

Myth is a non-realistic fabulous story. It sustains artistic creation. It meets the need of a creative artist for an archetype or parallel situation in the tradition of a nation. Myth has always been a natural presence in Indian writing in English. Modern Indian writers in English specially draw on ancient myths and legends of the land to view modern situation or reality in an ironic parallelism or contrast. The sparkle of Narayan‟s creative genius as well as his essential Indianness is well reflected in his use of grand Hindu mythic narratives in fictional space to project contemporary truth. His The Man-Eater of Malgudi has a definite sustained mythical structure dealing with “ethical issues such as the fate of evil and the question of human relationship, and the precepts and practice of the entire business of living.” (M.K.Naik : The Ironic Vision, pp.72-73) Here Narayan grafts an account of modern South Indian life on the ancient Hindu mythical tale of Bhasmasura(reminding us in passing of other mythical figures like Mahisasura, Ravana, Gajendra and so on and so forth) in the Faulknerian manner of serious parallelism and contrast, highlighting thereby two diametrically opposed attitude to life as represented by Vasu and Natraj.