Dynamics of Rationality and Irrationality in The Painter of Signs


Abstract views: 162 / PDF downloads: 112

Authors

  • Dr. Manjushree M Associate Professor of English Lal Bahadur Shastri Government First Grade College R.T. Nagar, Dinnur Main Road Bengaluru, Karnataka,Bengaluru North University https://orcid.org/0009-0008-9782-0289

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.53032/tcl.2023.8.2.05

Keywords:

Dynamics, Rationality, Irrationality, Ritual Practices, Access, Experiences, Intelligibility, Contradiction, Limited Understanding, Descriptions

Abstract

R. K. Narayan occupies a significant place in the Indian literary scene. He remains one of the most read, cherished, and appreciated novelist and is an integral part of the University curriculum. The Painter of Signs (1976) is a well-known novel by R.K. Narayan. The text provides a beautiful scope to unearth the intricate dynamics of rationality and irrationality distinction that in fact provides much content for the plot of the novel. The present paper makes an attempt to explore the dynamics of the conceptual framework of rationality and irrationality distinction through a scrutiny of certain instances taking place within the space of the novel.  The paper also tries to illustrate that the criticism made by the main protagonists, Raman and Daisy using the conceptual framework of rationality and irrationality are targeted towards ritual practices prevalent in Indian society. Thereby, the paper attempts to build a background to make intelligible the comments and attitude of the main characters towards the incidents taking place around them. At the same time, the paper explores the way in which the novel thus provides a significant space to examine the interplay and dynamics of the framework of rationality and irrationality and how it can impact one’s experience of life.

Downloads

Download data is not yet available.

References

Agrawal B.R., and M.P. Sinha. Major Trends in the Post-Independence Indian English Fiction. Atlantic Publishers & Dist., 2003.

Balagangadhara S.N., Esther Bloch, and Jakob De Roover. “Rethinking Colonialism and Colonial Consciousness: The Case of Modern India”. Rethinking Forms of Knowledge in India: Critical Revaluations, edited by Suresh Raval, et al., Pencraft International, 2008, pp. 179-212.

Iyengar, Srinivasa K.R. Indian Writing in English. Sterling Publishers, 2010.

Kain, Geoffrey. “R.K. Narayan.” A Companion to Indian Fiction in English, edited byPier Paolo Piciucco, Atlantic Publishers and Dist., 2004, pp. 1-31.

Mukherjee, Meenakshi. Realism and Reality: The Novel and Society in India. Oxford University Press, 1994.

---. Elusive Terrain: Culture and Literary Memory. Oxford University Press, 2008.

---. The Twice Born Fiction: Themes and Techniques of the Indian Novel in English. Pencraft International, 2016.

Narayan, R.K. The Painter of Signs. Indian Thought Publications, 2016.

https://dictionary.cambridge.org/dictionary/english/bogus

https://www.nytimes.com/1976/06/20/archives/the-painter-of-signs.html

Downloads

Published

2023-04-30

How to Cite

Dr. Manjushree M. “Dynamics of Rationality and Irrationality in The Painter of Signs”. The Creative Launcher, vol. 8, no. 2, Apr. 2023, pp. 38-44, doi:10.53032/tcl.2023.8.2.05.

Issue

Section

Research Articles

ARK