Conflict Between Good and Evil in R.K. Narayan’s the Man-Eater of Malgudi

Abstract

R.K. Narayan occupies a prominent position in the annals of Anglo-Indian literature. In his novel, The Man-Eater of Malgudi, Rasipuram Krishnaswami Iyer Narayanaswami, introduces the “demon” Vasu. Vasu is the killer of animals, the purveyor of carcasses, the enemy of Kumar, the Temple elephant, and the terror of all men; he is of blackness all compact; he grows with evil; he is the prince of darkness. The miracle of Vasu’s death by his own hand causes a surge of faith in the believers, and Kumar is hale and hearty again and Natraj slips back into his old routine with great relief. The conflict between good and evil is not as sharply polarized in The Sweet Ve ndor as in The ManEater of Malgudi. Natraj is repelledted by Vasu and his activities but he is also strongly fascinated by him, for Vasu, like Milton’s Satan, has all the fascination of evil in him. The Man-Eater of Malgudi is an allegory of good and evil. The good is represented by Natraj; on the other hand, Vasu is an embodiment of evil.