International Journal of Academic Research ISSN: 2348-7666; Vol.6, Issue-8, August, 2019 Impact Factor: 6.023 [email protected] Social realism in select novels of Mulk Raj Anand, U R Anantha Murthy and Arundhati Roy: a study

A. Vyshnavi Devi, Department of English, UPGC, Subedari, Kakatiya University, Warangal Abstract: The Indian novel in English began as a novel of social realism but not as a romance or historical romance. The raise of the novel in India was not purely a literary phenomenon. It was a social phenomenon, rather than a mere fulfilment of a social need or desire. It was associated with social, political and economic conditions of the country. Fiction is the off-shoot of the impact of Western literature on the Indian mind. The novel in India was purely a foreign import. The English novelists Henry Fielding, Daniel Defoe and Sir Walter Scott and the English translations of the illustrious European novelists Leo Tolstoy, Honor’Re de Balzac, Fyodor Mikhail, Ovich, Dostoevsky, Victor Hugo and many others apprised the Indian writer with the theme and technique of fiction. Indian writers became aware of the latest achievements of their contemporaries in foreign tongues and produced work of a technically high standard after reading the world’s classics in their own language. Key words: English novelists, hoary tradition, faithful cultures

Introduction India and abroad in the recent decades. Indian English literature has been called India has a rich and hoary tradition of “a Janus–faced literature” born of “a story – telling, a brilliant galaxy of story – cross fertilization of two faithful tellers who illumine the pages of her cultures” - Indian and European. The history and literature. Bankim Chandra Indian fiction in English is now living, Chatterjee’s Rajmohan’s wife (1864), developing and evolving literary force. It which is typical of a transitional period in is also accepted as a significant part of the history of Indian literature was the third world or new literatures. Though first attempt made by an Indian to the Indian novel in English has begun as produce a novel in English. Later the a ‘hot- house- plant’, it establishes firm novelists like Mulk Raj Anand, roots in Indian soil. R.K.Narayan, Raja Rao, Bhabani Bhattacharya, Manohar Malgonkar, Ruth It has attained a rich growth, mounting Prawar Jhabvala, Anita Desai, Chaman extraordinary heights in the context of Nahal, Arun Joshi, Salman Rushdie, the contemporary Indian literature scene. Amitav Ghosh, Kamala Markendeya, The early decades of the twentieth Nayanatara Sahgal, Arundhati Roy, and century witnessed the rise of many several others have made their writers whose literary manifesto was to contribution for the flourishment of write for social, political and economic Indian English fiction. purpose. The purpose was not only to throw light upon the social evils and The Indian English literature has malpractices prevailing in the society in achieved far reaching importance both in www.ijar.org.in 18 International Journal of Academic Research ISSN: 2348-7666; Vol.6, Issue-8, August, 2019 Impact Factor: 6.023 [email protected] those days but also to employ fiction to The novels of the 1930‘s reflected the the cause of social amelioration. The progressive philosophy of the writers. proliferation of novel in Indian English They were vocal about injustice, cruelty manifests itself multifariously and exploitation that the masses faced. encompassing almost every aspect of Mulk Raj Anand’s Untouchable (1935), Indian social life. In the last one hundred Coolie (1936) and Two Leaves and Bud years or so, this staggering branch of (1938) took the creative imagination from literature has blossomed like a fragrant historical romances to social realism. flower and has become golden gate for G.V. Deseni’s All about H. Hatterr (1948) the world to see India through. This to it further to the psychological probing literary explosion or renaissance has not into individual personality. The Fifties been quite evolutionary, but in recent was a period of socially conscious novels years, it has caused a boom in the realism such as Kamala Markandaya’s Nectar in of Indian fiction writing. a Sieve (1954), K.A. Abbas’s Inquilab (1955) and R.K. Narayan’s The Guide The Indian novel in English began as a (1958) which were imbued with didactic novel of social realism but not as a rumblings in the agonized psyche of the romance or historical romance. The raise characters. Nayanatara Sahgal’s A Time of the novel in India was not purely a to be Happy (1958) traced the literary phenomenon. It was a social development of nationalist movement phenomenon, rather than a mere and the contrast offered by the old fulfilment of a social need or desire. It devoted nationalists with young was associated with social, political and pragmatic mercenaries. The Sixties economic conditions of the country. showed the development of psychological Fiction is the off-shoot of the impact of novels which highlighted the Indian Western literature on the Indian mind. identity under the onslaught of the The novel in India was purely a foreign cultural influences of the west, while import. The English novelists Henry Manohar Malgonkar’s A Bend in the Fielding, Daniel Defoe and Sir Walter Ganges (1964) was an attempt on the Scott and the English translations of the terrorist movement in India. Bhabani illustrious European novelists Leo Bhattacharya’s shadow from Ladakh Tolstoy, Honor’Re de Balzac, Fyodor (1966) and R.K. Narayan’s The Vendor of Mikhail, Ovich, Dostoevsky, Victor Hugo Sweets (1967) gave a perspective analysis and many others apprised the Indian of the historical process of social changes writer with the theme and technique of in India after Independence. Arun Joshi’s fiction. Indian writers became aware of The Foreigner (1968), on the other hand, the latest achievements of their rendered the alienation of Indian contemporaries in foreign tongues and expatriates in the quagmire of inter- produced work of a technically high cultural flux. standard after reading the world’s classics in their own language. The The decade of the Nineties was the literary stature of Indian Novel in harbinger of more profitable business to English has steadily grown with each the Western publishers and it gave a successive work of fiction. Indisputably, it special niche to Vikram Seth, Shobha De, has achieved global recognition as a Amitav Ghosh, Upamanyu Chatterjee significant genre. and they made quick bucks. The Western www.ijar.org.in 19 International Journal of Academic Research ISSN: 2348-7666; Vol.6, Issue-8, August, 2019 Impact Factor: 6.023 [email protected] readers suffering from the angst of effortlessly sustains below the selfish depression and melancholia needing some current of the clownish an undercurrent kind of diversion have turned to Indian of stainless splendour. novel in English for getting spiritual solace. Salman Rushdie’s Midnight’s In the novels of Anita Desai, the interior Children and Shame, Shashi Tharoor’s of the human being forms the core of The Great Indian Novel, Rohinton scrutiny. Unlike Ruth Prawar Jhabvala Mistry’s Such a Long Journey and Balraj who gives graphic details about reality, Khanna’s A Nation of Fools highlighted Anita Desai is interested in the study of their divine propensities. Mistry was a the lives and working of the mind of the runner up for Booker Award in 1991. characters. The most prominent feature Githa Hariharan too hit the buzzer with of Desai’s art is the delineation of her novel The Thousand Faces of Night. character. She is primarily interested in Amitav Ghosh won acclaim for both his the portrayal of female protagonists as fiction and non-fiction. living in separate, closed, sequestered world of existential problems and R.K. Narayan is the conspicuous star in passions. Each individual is portrayed as the galaxy of fictionists, by virtue of his an unsolved mystery being hyper- achievement. It is certified by the fact sensitive, solitary and introspective. The that his novels are translated into the women have their material needs taken major languages of the world, which also care of by wealth and servants, but their indicates his wide popularity the world emotional needs remain unsatiated. Ruth over. He is one of the founding fathers of Prawar Jhabwala is the first woman Indian English fiction. There is no ‘good’ novelist of Indian English fiction. She has and ‘bad’ characters in Narayan’s novels. a discerning eye for the changing pattern Human nature is presented veraciously of Urban life in modern India, especially and interestingly and memorably. in and around Delhi. She shows a ‘Malgudi’ is Narayan’s “Casterbridge”. In considerable narrative power in drawing fact, Narayan’s main characters take life an ironic, comic, yet sympathetic so seriously that they appear little portrayal of the middle classes. She is spiritual and mostly secular. He is a undoubtedly a very skilful writer of species by himself. He has immortalized domestic comedy with a penchant for himself by the creation of Malgudi, a real irony and social satire. Her portrayal of life character provided him with the India and Indian scene, though marked original of The Guide, the most popular by detachment, has become somewhat of his novels. Narayan is a master of controversial. her stories have appeared realism and angst. His characters and in the “Encounter”, “The New Yorker” situations, incidents and episodes, are and other prestigious Journals. She gives real and true to daily life. Man appears, graphic details about reality. passes through self-made travails of life, and vanishes into life. That is the central Realism in art and literature is an theme of Narayan’s fiction. He portrays attempt to portray life as it is. It shows life as a mighty force to which man has to life with camera fidelity, omitting bow, willingly or unwillingly, his head nothing, that is ugly or painful, and ultimately and accept it. The idealizing nothing. To the realists, the achievement of Narayan is that he artist’s main function is to describe as www.ijar.org.in 20 International Journal of Academic Research ISSN: 2348-7666; Vol.6, Issue-8, August, 2019 Impact Factor: 6.023 [email protected] accurately as possible what is observed Mulk Raj Anand, the pioneer of Indian through senses. Realism began as a writing in English is a unique synthesis recognizable movement in the 1700’s. By of the ideas of such diverse masters as the mid 1800’s it was a decrement art Nanak Iqbal, Marx, Gandhi and Nehru. form. In part realism which has been a His humanism is a happy blend of the revolt against classicism and romanticism teachings and insights of these and other is a unique literary phenomenon that thinkers affected profoundly. His contact never endeavours “to distort life by with European and Asian thought and forcing it to agree with their own desires culture. Anand lived in the midst of or with the formulas of art”. However in intellectual influences like Russell’s the process of selecting and presenting ‘rationalism’, Lawrence’s Rousseaustic their material, the realists cannot help ‘Naturalism’ Middleton Murry’s mystical being influenced by what they feel and view of ‘the supreme beauty of poetical think. Even the most thorough going experience’ Mr.Wyndhem Lew’s realism is the result of observations and satirizing every one” but all these views personal judgment. It is an effect as well failed to impress Anand. He points out as a cause, it is subservient to ideas, to that the growth of humanistic values in motives of sentiment and principle, and him was the consequence of the influence these motives can be of extremely of Buddha, Guru Nanak, Ram Mohan different character. Roy, M.N.Roy and Jawahar Lal Nehru.His humanism is the mainspring Mulk Raj Anand certainly enjoys the of his philosophy and life and is largely reputation of being a major figure in the founded on Lord Buddaha’s concept of field of Indo- English fiction. Anand is ‘Karuna’, the yoke of pity. He sought Dickensian in his ultra- sensitivity to the Buddhist compassion, because he existence of social evils in protean forms. believed that through Buddhist, In fact, it is the keen awareness of the compassion alone one could understand, human predicament that propelled him the insults men heaped on each other. into creative writing. Therefore the themes which Anand has chosen for his Anantha Murthy began his career as a novels are based on such problems as Lecturer in English in 1956 at Mysore casteism, and human suffering caused by University and later he became a a variety of factors – political, economic, professor. He is a distinguished scholar social and cultural. He says categorically; and has taught at various universities in “I would no longer live by the dead ideas Europe and the United states. He has of traditional philosophies, the ritual of served as a visiting professor at the the old religions or by the tame words of Cornell University (2001), University of the classics”. He tries to create in the Lowa (1975), Shivaji University, readers an urgent awareness of the Kolhapur (1982), University of Tubingen, dehumanizing social evils to stir the Germany (1992), University of springs of tenderness in them and to Pennsylvania (2000), University of activise them for the removal of these Hyderabad (2001), and many other evils in order that a desirable, just social Universities. During the period 1987 to order may come into being. 1990, he served as the Vice-Chancellor of Mahatma Gandhi University, Kottayam. Besides, he has also served as the www.ijar.org.in 21 International Journal of Academic Research ISSN: 2348-7666; Vol.6, Issue-8, August, 2019 Impact Factor: 6.023 [email protected] chairman of the National Book Trust of “Colonialism and Indian Literature” India at Delhi in 1992 and 1993, Indian delivered at University of California, “Art Institute of Social Sciences in 1998 and in the Modern Age” at Bangalore The Film and Television Institute of University in 1989. He has served on India at Pune in 2002. He was the many important committees as Member president of the Sahitya Akademy from Chairman. He has interviewed many 1993 to 1998. Anantha Murthy’s creative celebrities for television and genius is reflected in his prolific writings. documentaries. Majority of his writings is in Kannada. Untouchable and the Road His works can be classified into stories, poems, novels and essays. He began his literary career in 1955 with the story Literatures in general and novel in volume, Endedhigu Mugiyoada Kathe. particular seem to amalgamate in itself Other story collections include works like two main ingredients - the individuality Mauni (1967), Prashne(1962) Akasha of the novelist and his literary melieu. Mattu Bekku (1983), Mooru DasaKada One of the main duties of great writer is Kathegalu(1989), Suryana Kudure(1995) to represent the society and its various and Aidu Dashakada influence in his art. In other words, Kathegalu(2001).His poetry collections literature and society are the two facets like Mithuna (1992),Ajjana Hegala of the same coin; they are interwoven Sukkugalu (1989), Padyagalue (1967), both internally and externally. Indian Eeevareginal Kavithegalu (2001), have fiction in English is said to be dominantly gripped the imagination of the readers. got recognized with Mulk Raj Anand. His essays include Prajne Mattu Parisara Among various Indo-Anglian novelists, (Literary and Philosophical essays) Anand occupies an enviable position. He Samakshama (essays on politics, culture, is said to have modernised the Indian society, literature, Yuga Pallata(essays), novel. His love for novelty and originality Abhinava(2001) Kannada, Karnataka enabled him to carry the tradition of (Selected essays 2001). His novels include Tagore and Premchand, Bankim and Samskara(1965), which has been Sharat Chandra to new heights. In all his translated into English, Russian, French, novels he appears as a social critic. The Hungarian,German, Swedish, Hindi, society, he has seen and observed in the Bengali, Malayalam, Urdu, Tamil,Telugu field of his work is a social reality. When and Gujarathi, Bharathipura (1974) we read his novels, we find the large Divya (2001 ) and others. majority of the questions raised by him are social questions., Questions of Anantha Murthy has delivered lectures tradition, norms and genres, etc. His on politics, culture, literature, art and a purpose in writing fiction has been to number of other issues. He delivered a focus on the miseries of the underdogs of lecture on “Culture and Destiny” at society caused by the exploitations of the Bharat Bhavan, Bhopal, “Indian capitalists or the feudal lords or by the Literature”, at the University of Madison impact of Industry on the traditional and and Chicago in 1985, “Indian Society, agricultural way of life. Anand is an culture, politics, and Literature” objective delineator of Indian social delivered at the university of reality and has dealt extensively in his Birmingham, Alabama in 1987, novels with the most vital aspects of www.ijar.org.in 22 International Journal of Academic Research ISSN: 2348-7666; Vol.6, Issue-8, August, 2019 Impact Factor: 6.023 [email protected]

Indian life in all its social, political, Carvaka in the sixth century B.C. economic and cultural manifestations. Buddha’s emphasis in his teachings on Though his novels are written in English goodness of action rather than on chance they form an integral part of the of birth attracted the depressed classes to significant trend of social realism in the Buddhist fold. The social and spiritual Indian novel. His ideology is imbued with equalities promised in Buddhist fold an acute social awareness and a endeared Buddha to the masses, because distinctive sense of responsibility towards the authors of Dharma-Sutras had life. He desires a radical transformation condemned the outcastes to deplorable of the Indian society and depicts the existence. So much so, that they had multiple tensions existing at various evolved ‘the theory of Untouchability’. levels as between the feudal orthodoxy and bourgeois progressivism or between Bakha’s association with British soldiers capitalist acquisitiveness and socialist has awakened him to a consciousness of collectivism His novels encompass the new realities. In his life of eighteen years wide spectrum of class and caste he has been treated like a human being hierarchies from the highest princes and only by them. In a reference to the novel, Brahmins to the lowest coolies and V.G. Kirnan says that the Tommies untouchables. “were in a rough way much friendlier (to Bakha) than his own highcaste The social realism of Anand has been countrymen”. This has given Bakha an commented upon but it is worthwhile to awareness of his individuality and he recapitulate its significant elements; the naturally strives to assert himself; and is social stratification manifesting itself in thus different from his fellow castemen. the caste system; the misdirected zeal of Though not metamorphosed altogether, the traditionalists in emphasizing the still abject, too ready to gravel, he can ‘spiritual to the exclusion or detriment of think condition and an awakened material well-being; and the deliberated consciousness gives rise to the ‘action’ of stress on individual salvation divorced the novel. Anand commiserates with him from social realities; the socio-economic in his sufferings but is happy to find that system which perpetuates class Bakha can think and question, and this differences in an hierarchical set-up predicates the possibility of a change. buttressed by religious fundamentalists This change has been taking place on with their theories of karma and rebirth; different levels in society and even Bakha the greed of a few to subjugate and has sensation of it, though he is little exploit other people manifesting in a aware that he is both the object and the capitalist ethic and in imperialist instrument of his process of change. colonialism. Anand’s Untouchable deals with the curse of caste system. Bakha feels that the poet is closer to the heart of the problem because The rigidity of caste system set in an dungcleaning which brings indignity to indignant revolt against it. The people’s the man is performed by a machine. The urge for a change in its rigidity is problem of Bakha involves an essential reflected in the rise of reformatory question of recognition of his social movements like Buddhism, Jainism and status. This is what R.T. Robertson calls rationalist school of philosophy as that of ‘the central paradox of the novel’. Bakha www.ijar.org.in 23 International Journal of Academic Research ISSN: 2348-7666; Vol.6, Issue-8, August, 2019 Impact Factor: 6.023 [email protected] is craving for an identity with his culture. first appeared and when it specially But he “is both isolated from and bound fetched the prestigious Booker Prize for to his culture: it will not allow him fully literature. The theme of the novel, to participate in the society and it cannot indeed, touched the hearts of all critics release him from it because of the across the world while its language essential service he performs for it”. The annoyed their concept of standards. infamy and dishonor associated with his However, like Mulk Raj Anand in his dung-cleaning profession is no longer Untouchable, Arundhati Roy’s fresh tolerable. The poet’s suggestion of the perspectives on an age-old tradition flush system pleased him very much. created waves as rebellion against the Saros Cowasjee observes: “But the social injustice meted out both to the mention of a ‘machine’ which clears dung downtrodden and to the women. In this and which would enable a sweeper to way, Roy using her lively original change his profession so that he would no language, sensitive poetic style, deep longer be thought of as an untouchable feelings, shocking emotions and a novel grips his attention.” approach, has really achieved a mark of eminence in helping us to overcome The God of Small Things ‘man’s inhumanity to man’.

Arundhati Roy’s The God of Small One of the dominant socio-political Things is a polysemic novel which can be concerns in Arundhati’s novel is the rigid interpreted at several levels. It may be caste-structure to be seen in India. This said that the novel is a satire on politics caste-oriented rigidity sometimes plays attacking specifically the Communist havoc with the innumerable innocent establishment. It may be treated as a lives. The ‘bigness’ of ‘big things’ and ‘big family saga narrating the story of four people’ should be read in their generous generations of a Christian family. It may and compassionate understanding of also be treated as a novel having religious ‘small things’ and ‘small people’. overtones: One may also call it a protest Unfortunately, in the present-day Indian novel which is subversive and society, this is not to be, and the taboobreaking. It may also be treated as a inevitable consequence is tragic and love story with a tragic end. The novel claustrophobic. The weaker sections of gives good dividends if studied from the our society— like the paravans. The viewpoint of childhood experience. In scheduled castes and the have-nots— terms of stylistic experimentation, it is inescapably suffer a good deal in the the boldest novel of the Nineties as The process of caste-stratifications. Midnight's Children was of the Eighties. The God of Small Things throws light Arundhati Roy depicts Ayemenem, where upon hierarchical structures of power, the moss green Meenachal river flows, and oppression at various levels in through the town and the canals rowed patriarchal societies. Arundhati Roy by women and children on their way to explores how these differences of caste, market, and forms a backdrop which is class, gender,’ race, function through far removed from the tumultuous social institutions and the way they affect happenings of other modern novels. Her human interactions and relationships. references to food, clothing, landscape, The novel really created a stir when it political climate at that time, all www.ijar.org.in 24 International Journal of Academic Research ISSN: 2348-7666; Vol.6, Issue-8, August, 2019 Impact Factor: 6.023 [email protected] references to the region are exploited for pictures drawn, cumulative ferocity and non-regional purposes. It is out of this force of detail, and an uncanny accuracy adroit use of regional touches that Roy of facts which combine to project “a creates a universal story of love and picture that is also an indictment of the tragedy told through the eyes of seven evils of a decadent and perverted year old twins. The style is one of an orthodoxy”. extremely self conscious person who has extraordinary control over it and the Bakha is objective enough to realize the language she uses is full of literary merit of some caste Hindus just as he is allusions. Roy’s humour and feel for the pained by the unclean nature of his own language brings out the irony and pathos brother Rakha. But incidents like in the novel. She twists the language to Bakha’s accidentally touching a person suit her own story telling. She has and thereby polluting him and Kalinath invented a new idiom and vocabulary to shouting “polluted” in order to escape tell the story of Mammachi, Sophie Mol, from dishonour are the major focus of the Estha, Rahel, Ammu and Velutha. novel in which the protagonist is placed in a state of agony and shame. Conclusion The novelist knows that education is Anand elaborately describes the necessary for emancipation of men like pernicious effect of caste fanaticism, as he Bakha from the social evil of is concerned with the actual state of untouchability. Their degradation is due affairs. Untouchable and The Road show to lack of education and their lack of his anguish and protest against certain education is due to the planned social evils like caste system, exploitation, conspiracy of a corrupt religion. He superstitions etc., and these are thinks that the liberation of the presented so well that they sink deep into depressed classes depends on their the minds of the readers with ease. The attitude to life. The salvation of the behaviour of the caste Hindus become the depressed classes is connected with their greatest subject matter of study for the mental power to emancipate themselves novelist. Anand’s Untouchable mirrors from the cleverly advocated beliefs of the inhuman and heartless attitude of the Karma and fatalism by the caste-Hindus. merciless caste Hindus. It is an attempt If there is no critical growth of awareness to project the humiliation and agony in the depressed class, it will not pave faced by a subaltern in the Indian society way for their bright future. which is divided into the graded inequality and hierarchical anarchy; The conventional Indian ethos is being where the tall claims of “Vasudhaiva subverted and redefined by the voices of Kutumbakam” have proved to be merely the Subaltern. Dr. BR Ambedkar a utopian dream. Anand has railed upon described “India is a multi-storeyed this centuries-old, and deeply-rooted building without the staircase where the inhuman practice which has denied a life on each storey remains untouched by subaltern ‘Dalit’ a right to be a fellow the life on the other. He further had human being, a ‘touchable’. The novel is compared the nation with a dilapidated a remarkable piece of art for the structure in need of the rebuilding not convicting photographic fidelity of the Just a white wash” (Rang Rao vii). There www.ijar.org.in 25 International Journal of Academic Research ISSN: 2348-7666; Vol.6, Issue-8, August, 2019 Impact Factor: 6.023 [email protected] have been no efforts, what so ever, 10. Bharat, Urbashi. History Community towards rebuilding the Nation, except, and Forbidden Relationships in The perhaps as tactical devices of political God of Small Things, Arundhati Roy gain. Anand says that “we must destroy the Novelist extraordinary. Edited by caste, we must destroy the inequalities of R.K. Dhawan, Published by Prestige birth and unalterable vocations. We must Books 1999. 91. recognise an equality of rights, privileges 11. Roy, Arundhati. The God of Small and opportunities for everyone”. Things. Indian Ink, New Delhi, 1997. 12. Anantha Murty, U.R. Samskara. References: Oxford University Press, New Delhi, 1986. 1. Ambedkar, B.R. Ed. Keer Dhananjay, 13. Anand, Mulk Raj. Untouchable. Dr. Ambedkar Life and Mission published by Penguin Books, New popular prakashan, Mumabai, 2003. Delhi, 2001. 92-93. 2. Vivekananda, Swami. Caste, Culture and Socialism, Culcutta: Ashutosh Litho Graphic Co; 1983. 10. 3. Sharma, K.L. Perspectives on Social Stratification Published by Rawat Publications, Jawaharnagar, Jaipur, 2010. 184, 196, 202. 4. Ghoshal, U.N. “Social Condition” RC Majumdar, (Ed), History and culture of the Indian people, The classical Age, Vol.III Bombay, Bharatiya Vidya bhavam, 1970. 662-63 5. Kohli, Suresh. A Fresh Appraisal, The Road Ed. Dhawan R.K. The Novels of Mulk Raj Anand, 209. 6. Anand, Mulk Raj. The Road, New Delhi; Sterling, 1987. 45. 7. Rao Anupama, The Caste Question, Dalits and the Politics of Modern India, published by permanent black, Raniket, second impression, 2012. 237 8. Anantha Murthy U.R. Samskara, Published by R. Dayal, Oxford University Press New Delhi 1978. 56, 57. 9. Balvannanadhan, Aida. Arundhati Roy’s The God of Small Things, A Study in the Multiple Narratives, Published by Prestige Books, 2007. 57. www.ijar.org.in 26