Natraj And Vasu In The Maneater Of Malgudi - 744 Words

Natraj and Vasu are contrasted characters. Natraj, no doubt, is the central figure and the action of the novel is viewed through his eyes. It is his point of view that we always get. But he is an unheroic hero, good at heart, but passive and inactive like most of us. Vasu, on the other hand, represents evil that embodies satanic traits. He is an anti-hero, and Natraj is both attracted and repelled by him. The novel makes it clear that there is a love-hate relationship. It is evident that the story of The ManEater of Malgudi follows the familiar pattern of a tale from the puranas where a demon, the symbol of evil, gets too powerful, threatens the heaven with his elemental forces of disorder, but finally goes up in the air like a bubble,†¦show more content†¦The tragedy of Vasu does not cause any tears for the simple reason that the novelist has skillfully manipulated. The situation that preceded his death, so much so that even when the mischievous but delightful Vasu kills himself no one feels sad. On the contrary readers of the novel chuckle to find Vasu dead, and Natraj continues to be worried over trifles like and automation while following the dictates of his assistant in the office of the press. The printer assistant Sastri explains the mystery of Vasu’s death. Like this: He had to concentrate all that might for his own destruction. Every demon appears in this world, with a special boon of indestructibility. Yet the universe has survived all the rakshasas that were ever born. Every demon carries within him, unknown to himself, a tiny seed of self destruction and goes up in thin air at the most unexpected moment. Otherwise, what is to happen to humanity? (TMEM 62) Conclusion Narayan always created positive characters, who may at times do bad karmas, but are never wholly evil. His characters usually fall in fair or grey shade, but in the present novel, he has created a pure black persona. Vasu is absolutely devoid of emotions, a vicious man who does not think twice before killing someone. In fact, the title aptly suits the