Introduction:
After reading the story of the present novel “The Serpent and the Rope”, we find that Raja Rao had depicted the rise and fall of the Indian traditions in a very realistic manner. The characters of Rama and Madeleine clearly show the synthesis of the culture of India as well as of England, France and other countries of the West. The art of narration of the writer is also highly and typically Indian.
What is the Cultural Tradition of India?
The writer asserts that the Indian cultural tradition is very rich and vital and the writer has described it in the opening part of the novel. There are the names of Sankara, Madhava and some others who have described the Indian traditions related to the mountains, rivers and the green fields. It is well described that “some of them did see God face - to - face and built temples but when they died for indeed they did not ‘die’ – they, too must have been burnt by tank or grove or meeting of two rivers, and they, too, must have known, they did not die. I can feel them in me, and know they knew they did not die. Who is it that tells me they did not die? Who but me?”
The Degradation of India:
According to the writer, Rama is the personification of Indian religion and culture. We find present degradation of India by the evil acts of degraded Brahmins and other religious persons. Raja Rao makes it clear that the culture and traditions of India are better preserved in the South of India than in the North. It is clear from these lines, “truly speaking, Aryan wisdom seems to have found a more permanent place in South India than in the Aryan North, because the latter was corrupted by successive foreign invasions, while the former, though conquered, preserved its cultural integrity far better.”
Rama described to Savithri in his first meeting with her that the degradation of India had taken place due to the material progress as well as due to modernism in the north. The people of the South were more serious to maintain the culture and traditions and they were also distant from the North. The people of the South maintained such traditions in a better way. Little Mother agreed with Rama that “The whole of the North, but for the Ganges. was one desolation of dirt .”
The Recovery of the Indian Traditions:
Raja Rao also describes recovery of the Indian traditions in the pages of his present novel “The Serpent and the Rope” in a highly impressive manner. According to the writer the Indian tradition is metaphysical and it is highly vital, living, so it is recovering rapidly after the freedom of India. It certainly shows the depth and power of the Indian tradition which shows continuous progress far and - wide in the country. It also shows reality and great importance. According to Raja Rao that knowledge which helps in the progress of our soul power is really important.
According to the writer, the good acts of all the family members and friends, etc. help in the progress of Indian culture and traditions. A man or a woman gets the knowledge of the Self to make necessary uplift of human soul. The writer describes Rama's ambition to such self-knowledge which is developed in the real manner. The Indian thinkers and philosophers have asserted that the people of India have been working hard for reaching the Absolute (God). Such quest for true knowledge makes us feel the ‘divine within us’. The gist of the story of the present novel shows the recognition of such quest. The Indian culture is highly flexible and it shows the secret of its strength and permanence. It is very clear from the writer's description of Benares related to life and death. The great river Ganga lies as the basis of Indian culture and traditions. He has shown the Himalayas like Lord Shiva himself. The cultural life of our country lies in the mountains, rivers which are also related to birth, death and marriage.
The Narration is Typically Indian:
After reading “The Serpent and the Rope”, we find that Raja Rao's art of narration is typically Indian which is related to Hindu culture, art, literature and history of this country. It is also based on the philosophy and religion of India. His narration also shows a close relationship between his art and our traditions. He describes Nature in a poetic manner. The novel shows an image of India.
Conclusion:
In short, “The Serpent and the Rope” is an Indian novel out - and - out. The character of Rama shows that he was deeply related to the religion and traditions of his country (India). This novel holds an important place among other novels about India with its same theme.
