Character Sketch of Raju:
Introduction:
Raju is the central figure in The Guide. He is the hero of the novel. The whole of the story of the novel revolves round him and his various roles. He is the source of all the incidents and events in the novel. He comes before the readers in various forms, as a railway guide, Railway Raju, a passionate and possessive lover, a criminal and a swami, a preacher and a lover of mankind. According to Paul Vergheese, “he is one of the most complex characters of Narayan. In him we find the craftiness, dishonesty and credulity of Margayya, the flashy bombast of the Sampath, the adventurousness of Mali in the Vendor of Sweets, the romantic excess of Sriram in Waiting For the Mahatma and the mystical learning of Chandran in the Bachelor of Arts and Srinivas in Mr. Sampath. "
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| Novel The Guide— Character Sketches of Raju, Rosie and Marco |
An Anti - Hero:
Raju is not the heroes of Shakespeare, or even like the heroes of G. B. Shaw. He has nothing extraordinary in him. He is anti - hero, a typical Narayan hero, a common man with a touch of the uncommon. He is just ordinary or not even so great as he is considered to be in his different roles in the novel. He takes up the suggestions of others easily, and it is rightly said that his personality is the product of other people's convictions. His extreme susceptibility to the suggestions of others determines his career and fate. It is true about Raju that he never did anything, things always happened to him.
As A Romantic Person:
He was born in a lower middle class family of Malgudi, but he was a born romantic. The adventures and thrills of life enchanted him. He took delight in men and vehicles, boys and dogs, bullock - cart rides, games and wanderings. Romantic curiosity forced him to know the unknown. He was not good at studies and his father called him “Clay – headed”. The train was introduced in Malgudi and he was thrilled to watch trains arriving and departing and meet different kinds of people. He was not educated but he was intelligent and got knowledge by having a glance at books, magazines, periodicals and old books in his shop and by talking with the people.
As A Tourist Guide:
Raju became a tourists’ guide just by chance or accident. When tourists happened to ask him about the spots worth visiting around Malgudi, he said a lot about the beauty and importance of these places, though he knew nothing about them. At that time he was only the owner of a small shop at the station. He escorted the tourists to these places, provided them with all information about these spots and thus gradually he became a full - fledged guide and the shop was given to some other boy. Then every tourist came to him and asked him advice and directions. He was not left alone because he was a public character and did not seem to exist in private. His answers corresponded to the feelings of the tourists and he was a guide with no content on his message but with an attitude determined from outside. Anything that interested his clients was his sole interest. As a guide he was a great success and acquired a wide understanding of human nature and human psychology.
As A Lover:
The arrival of Marco and his charming but discontented wife Rosie made Raju a passionate lover. Her enchanting beauty attracted Raju at first instance. With the knowledge of human psychology he guessed the unhappy domestic life of Rosie. Raju told Rosie romantically that all night he could not sleep, her hair, without decoration was a rainbow and life was blank without her presence. When Rosie told Raju that her husband often quarrelled with her on most matters, Raju said to her that it was unthinkable to quarrel with her for being with her was a great bliss. These flattering words of Raju pleased Rosie and she began to confide in him. In this way they fell in love with each other. Their union took place because both had the same romantic and thrilling temperament. Sexual passion was not important for them, it was the similar likings and dislikings that united them, and they began to live together in spite of the opposition by Raju's mother. Rosie was a a great dancer and Raju supported her in her art and became his impresario. Rosie got high success and great recognition as a dancer. She assumed the name Nalini for the theatrical world and Raju became a successful entrepreneur and earned at a lot of money. But the reverse was to take place and so Raju forged the signature of Rosie claiming her jewel box. Marco got the chance to take revenge on Raju. He was arrested, prosecuted and sentenced to two years jail for this criminal act of forgery.
As A Convict:
In the jail his behaviour and conduct was nice and he felt comfortable there. He became the teacher and comforter of the other prisoners. He delighted them in their blackest moods. He was the friend of the warders, and personal servant and secretary to the Superintendent. He visited all the departments of the prison as a sort of benevolent supervisor. He did many domestic errands for the Superintendent. He felt there quite happy and satisfied. He once said that he would have been happy to stay in the prison permanently. He was a model prisoner and passed his days in the jail ideally.
As A Swami or Spiritual Guide:
He came out of the jail after serving his term there. He got his beard shaved off by a talkative barber who remembered that he looked like a mahatma. This remark gave Raju a hint to become a Mahatma or Swami. He had no food and lodging so he decided to play the role of a Swami. Soon he became a popular Swami and his problem of food and shelter was solved. Velan the pious peasant also prompted him in his role of the Swami. He sat at the inner half of the temple and waited for the arrival of Velan and other villagers. He uttered mystical statements to the villagers and they had full confidence in him. His influence was unlimited. He chanted holy verses and discoursed on philosophy and even prescribed medicines and passed judgment on their disputes and quarrels.
Suddenly there came such a moment in his life when he was compelled to fast for the rainfall in the village. There was some riot in the village. Raju said he would not eat anything if the quarrel was not patched up. He did not want the police to come there. The messenger - boy told the villagers that the Swami would eat nothing until it rained in the village. He told Velan his story frankly but he did not help him but accepted his goodness and humility. He had to keep fast for twelve days. The last day as a part of his fast he had to stand in the water of the river. He realised that he lived for others. He sagged in the water. He became a martyred swami. He achieved spiritual regeneration by living a selfless life. He sacrificed his self and personal life , money and everything for the humanity . He became a real saint.
Character Sketch of Rosie:
Introduction:
Rosie is one of the greatest immortal characters of R. K. Narayan. She is the butterfly type woman who plays a very important role in the Guide and such a female character frequently appears in the novels of R. K. Narayan. She is the heroine of the novel. She has a charming and fascinating personality. Raju fall in love with at first sight. He remarks about her, " ... but she had a figure, a slight and slender one, beautifully fashioned, eyes that sparkled. ...”. Her hair is a rainbow and need no decoration. She has a sex appeal but is unable to attract her scholar - husband Marco.
As a Wife:
She is the daughter of a devdasi. She is M.A. in Economics. Marco marries her to help her rise in status. But her love for dance is condemned by her husband for whom dancing is prostitution. He remains busy in antiques, caves and historical things. He is not kind and considerate to her . She feels neglected. Raju's admiration of Rosie results in love between the two. But Rosie even in love with Raju often misses her husband and amidst Raju's caresses declares that she has a respect for Marco her husband.
Her Relationship with Raju:
Rosie comes to Raju not for the attraction of sex but for the desire to perfect her art of dancing. Raju becomes his impresario (dance master) and she achieves eminence in the field. She becomes a professional dancer and gives performances, earns a lot of money which Raju wastes in drinking and gambling.
She is devoted to her husband, when she finds her husband has produced a masterpiece she cuts out the picture from the Illustrated Weekly and puts it on the mirror. She is shocked at Raju's forgery. She helps Raju a lot and gets him out of the trouble he has fallen in.
An Extraordinary Woman:
Raju trains her in dancing and thinks with his help she can do nothing. But the fact is otherwise. She rises to new heights of popularity and stardom without Raju. He is surprised at her extra - ordinary vitality and realises that neither he nor her husband matters at all to her. She lives entirely for her art of dance. Those who come in her life should help promote her art otherwise they are to suffer. She deserts her husband because he condemns her art. She loves Raju because he admires her for her art of dancing and help her achieve great success in this field.
Conclusion:
She is the only character in “The Guide” that changes and grows. She has something of her own. She has her own decisions, her own intentions, wills, likes and dislikes. She is a live character. She is an individual character, though, type in sense that she is also a dancer like her mother devdasi. At heart she is an Indian but she has taken up a western name. She is dignified, noble and very picture of ideal womanhood in spite of her loss of chastity.
Character Sketch of Marco:
Introduction:
Marco is assigned a minor role in “The Guide”. He is odd, eccentric and plays a minor role and keeps away from the mainstream of the novel. He comes to Malgudi with his wife. He is dressed like a spaceman and Raju calls him Marco though his name is known. Marco Polo was the first historical traveller and Raju gives him the first half of the name of this historical traveller.
Lover of Art:
Marco is a lover of art of ancient paintings. He takes such a keen interest in the archaeological studies that he takes no interest in his young and fascinating wife, Marco has not eye for nature. He tours to find out the ancient treasures of art. Rosie, his wife is unable to understand his obsession in ancient relics. According to her, " ... dead and decaying thing seemed to unloosen Marco's tongue and fire his imagination, rather than things that lived and moved and swung their limbs.” In the words of Raju , " All that he ( Marco ) could do was to copy ancient things and write about them ... "
His Married Life:
He married Rosie, the charming daughter of devdasi, a temple dancer, but cannot love her for her lust and youth. He rather dislikes her love for dance. According to him dancing is prostitution. As she is not loved by her husband she feels neglected and ignored; this is the reason that she is easily seduced by Raju. Marco is responsible for all this. He is ever busy in books, papers, paintings and old art, and has no time for his young and pretty wife.
An Eccentric Character:
The eccentricity of Marco has been proves to be an unsuccessful lover and husband due to his eccentricity. He is interested in sculptured figures on walls and stones in caves but in his wife who is a dancer and embodiment of those images. He does not part with an anna without a voucher, but if he is given a slip of paper, he is ready to write off his entire fortune. He is stern, self-centered and self-righteous. He thinks he has acquired his wife body and soul. Dancing is another name of prostitution for him. When Rosie refuses to go with Marco on visits he commits the mistake of asking the handsome guide to persuade her pretty wife to agree to go with him. He does not know that this eccentric behaviour of his may lead to their coming close to each other and in the end love between the two. He is unable to understand that a wife can be unfaithful to her husband once, and still she may be in love with him. It is also very odd that he asks the porter to remove the bags of Rosie from the compartment. An eccentric person is never successful in life as is the case of Marco in his family life. Rosie wishes to be with him and asks him to forgive her and forget her mistake of having love affairs with Raju, he answer that he is even trying to forget if he has ever had a wife. He is left alone with his ancient relics.
Ever Present:
Marco leaves for Madras and is not physically present but his overhanging presence is ever felt in the novel. Rosie never forgets him. She cuts his picture from the Illustrated Weekly, gets it framed and keeps it on her dressing table. She says after all he is her husband and she cannot forget him. Raju always fears that Rosie may go back to her husband. Amidst Raju's caresses she often shakes off, and declares that she must go to her husband, and she has a great respect for him. Raju forges Rosie's signature on the vouchers in this fear. He becomes a criminal for an act of forgery. Marco has his revenge on Raju, the seducer of his wife. Marco, though a minor character, is present in the novel till the end since his entry into the novel. He is a thoroughly individual character. Such eccentrics are not common, they are rare among humanity.
