Introduction:
After reading the story of the novel “The Serpent And the Rope” written by Raja Rao we find that Rama (Ramaswami) is the hero and the most important character. He is also the narrator of the story. He belonged to a rich Brahmin family of Mysore in South India. Though Rama is the hero of the novel, yet we do not find anything heroic in his character. He was a born Brahmin and he used to keep his thoughts in the same manner. It is said about him that he could sing from the ‘Upanishads’ at the age of four and he was having a good knowledge of grammar. He also had firm faith in Hindu Philosophy and he was always eager to know more and more about Hindu religion. It was his mission of life to convey the message of Hindu religion and Philosophy to the people of west. He had taken the study of History and was busy in it as his subject of research. It was his aim of life to find out the background of the Cathars. In short he was a broad minded liberal in search of truth.
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| Novel The Serpent and The Rope: Character Sketch of Rama or Ramaswami |
His Physical Appearance and Ill - health:
The story of the present novel clearly shows that Rama had an impressive physical appearance. His father wanted him to be a hero, or a prince because of his impressive physical appearance. Many persons compared him with a prince at the time of Saroja's marriage when he was wearing a white ‘kurta’ and ‘dhoti’. He had darkish complexion with high neck and impressive stature. Aunt Zoubie used to compare him to a giraffe. His Little Mother was proud of him when he had come to India for the last rites after the death of his father. She compared him with a pipal tree as a holy person in these words, “He’s the bearing of a young pipal tree, tall and sacred, and the serpent stones around it. We must go round him to become sacred.”
Rama was not keeping good health because he often suffered from cold and cough. His lungs were very weak and he vomitted blood on the previous night of the marriage of his sister, Saroja. His one lung was removed after operation but he worked well with it in future.
His Internal Loneliness:
Though Rama belonged to a rich family of South India, yet he did not have mental satisfaction either because of his family problems, or due to his divorce from Madeleine who had adopted Buddhism as her part of life. Later she was separated from her husband, Rama who started feeling lonely and very unhappy. His mother had died when he was only seven years old and his father had married second time and then third time. He became an orphan in the big world. His father loved him but he felt internal loneliness all his life. He used to love his Little Mother, his step - sisters and Sridhar like his real sisters and brother. Little Mother also loved him from the bottom of her heart. She became very happy when he returned from Europe either for the last rites of his father, or for the marriage of Saroja who used to love him like her good brother. The second cause of his sorrow was his disease of weak lungs. Lastly, his divorce from Madeleine had made him much disappointed and unhappy.
As a Disappointed Youngman:
The study of the present novel ‘The Serpent and the Rope’ clearly shows Rama as an unhappy and disappointed young man. There are some obvious reasons for his sorrow and suffering. First of all, he had become an orphan at the age of seven when his mother had died and his father had married twice. The second cause of his sorrow and suffering were his weak lungs which often created trouble for him. He suffered from blood - vomitting on the night of the marriage of his step sister, Saroja. Later he was operated upon and his one lung was removed. He was also advised a rest for three months in Bangalore. Lastly, his divorce from Madeleine had made his life a hell.
Rama felt himself like a tired man when he said these significant words. “I am a tired man. I am of a tired race which for three ( four or five ) thousand years has led such a studious , thin - fed , sedentary existence, that our nose and throat, our ears, tongues and eyes , have lost somewhat in native agility.” His sorrow and suffering had made his life very unhappy and he could not get rid of it even upon the end of his life which continued to be miserable.
His Love for Madeleine:
This story of the novel clearly shows that Rama used to love Madeleine from the bottom of his heart. It was at his first sight that he had fallen in love with Madeleine who had also started loving him from the very beginning. Its main reason was his impressive appearance. Secondly she loved him and liked him because he had his relationship with a Brahmin family of India and she loved both his country and Hindu religion. For a long period of time both of them continued to live a happy married life. Rama had gone to France in 1946 for higher studies at the age of 21 but Madeline was 26 at that time. Their marriage was related to their union of mind which proved to be the link of their marriage and happiness.
Both Rama and Madeleine were much interested in the study of history. Rama was a research scholar and Madeleine was a history lecturer in her own country. He loved her because she had golden hair and white skin like marble. Rama always loved her even when he was away from her and he could not forget her. When he was in India, his thoughts were with her.
His Divorce from Her:
This story shows very clearly the causes of divorce between Rama and Madeleine. First of all, Madeleine always thought that Rama would be happier and much contented with an Indian wife, so she had suggested him to marry a young girl from his country after the divorce. The second cause was her deep attachment with Buddhism for which she had dedicated her whole life. She had observed a fast for 41 days when she had given up drinking even water and honey. She had also suggested that all the legal formalities should be completed at the earliest so that Rama should become fully free. Though Rama was separated from Madeleine but it was a deeply painful experience for him.
Conclusion:
In this story we find Rama performing the different roles of a dutiful son, loving brother and a faithful husband to Madeleine. He was also an ideal scholar who had gone to France to complete his thesis. He was highly religious, so he never left the path of devotion and religion. He had come to India to perform the last rites after the death of his father in Benares and he did it in the most devoted manner. He loved Little Mother as her own son and she also loved him in the same way. Saroja was his most dear sister who had become ready to marry Subramanya Shastri. Even then we find Rama as a highly complex character. He was kind hearted with some sexual lapses which the readers find throughout the story of the present novel.
