R. K. Narayan' Malgudi and Thomas Hardy' Wessex: A Comparative Analysis

R.K. Narayan's Malgudi and Thomas Hardy's Wessex are two fictional places that have been created by  R. K. Narayan  and   Thomas Hardy  in their works of literature. Both these two places are part imaginary, part real ; exquisite places to fascinate our imaginations.

In the most technical terms, both Malgudi and Wessex are used as a backdrop to explore the lives and experiences of the characters in the respective works of literature. However, there are some significant apparent differences between the two fictional places. Geographically, Malgudi is set in India, a country with a rich cultural and social history, while Wessex is set in England, a country with a long and varied history. Additionally, Malgudi is located in a tropical climate, while Wessex has a temperate climate. Whereas Malgudi is typically Indian , Wessex is typically English. Despites all these,  man and manners and even the universal tales of man- nature relation are same in these two locations.

Malgudi is a fictional town located in South India and is the setting for many of R.K. Narayan's novels and short stories. The town is depicted as a typical Indian town with a rich cultural and social fabric. Narayan's writing is known for its portrayal of the lives of ordinary people in India and their struggles and triumphs. The town is depicted as a typical Indian town with a rich cultural and social fabric. Narayan's writing is known for its portrayal of the lives of ordinary people in India and their struggles and triumphs. The town of Malgudi is described as a place where traditional values and modernity coexist, and where people of different backgrounds and cultures live and work together. Some of the notable novels set in Malgudi include "The Guide," "The Financial Expert," and "The Man-Eater of Malgudi."

As it has been told, Malgudi  forms the setting for most of Narayan's works. Starting with his first , "Swami and Friends", all but one of his fifteen novels and most of his short stories take place here. Malgudi was a portmanteau of two Bangalore localities - Malleshwaram and Basavanagudi.

Narayan has successfully portrayed Malgudi as a microcosm of India. It  is located on the banks of the fictional river Sarayu, near the also-fictional Mempi forest, on border of the states of Mysore and Madras and a few hours' away from Madras. In "Swami and Friends", Swami, Mani and Rajam spend most of their evenings playing or chatting by the river. In "The Guide", holy-man Raju fasts on the banks of the dry river Sarayu, praying for the rains to come. When Mahatma Gandhi visits Malgudi, the meetings and speeches are held right on the banks of river Sarayu.

Market Street is the central street of Malgudi, the location of several big shops including Bombay Anand Bhavan and Truth Printing Works. Kabir Street is the residence of the elite of Malgudi, while Lawley Extension is a new upcoming lane housing the rich and the influential. Ellaman Street, home to the oil-mongers, is the last street and beyond it lies the river Sarayu. Malgudi also has a small railway station that is central to the plot in many episodes. Malgudi Medical Centre (MMC) is the city's main hospital. Another significant landmark is the statue of Sir Fredrick, who is seated on a horse.The Mempi forest is located on the other side of Sarayu. It has numerous hills and caves. Tigers, deer family members, langurs, and water buffalos can all be found there.

Several reviewers have compared Narayan's Malgudi to Thomas Hardy's Wessex or William Faulkner's Yoknapatawpha. It was a town created from his own experiences, his childhood, his upbringing. It was filled with people he saw every day. As a result, he created a place to which every Indian could relate. 

Although Malgudi was created out of RK Narayan’s imagination, it is very live and a vibrant city. Everything is there. The little Post Office, the grocery shop, the Town Hall Park, the vendor of fried groundnuts, the astrologer with his cowrie shells and paraphernalia, the Vinayak Mudali Street with four parallel streets, Thanappa the Postman on his bicycle pedaling furiously down one of the streets, the City X Ray Institute at Race Course Road, etc. You name it, and it is there. It is a full-fledged city, which you can imagine as though you were being driven through its streets as you read through the stories.

The city has permanent residents who move through the stories as if the events were taking place in a real city with real living people. After having read only a few of his books, it is difficult to shake off the feeling that you have lived in this town.

Malgudi could be anywhere. It has no geographical limitations. You walk down the street in your city, and it is as good as walking down Malgudi. You will find most of the characters who inhabit Malgudi present in your city too. Malgudi is depicted in 1930s India, when modern day developments had not taken place. If RK Narayan were to write some new stories depicting the present day world, probably Malgudi would have developed into a modern city with the neon lights, flashing banners, multi storied buildings etc.

Whereas Wessex is a fictional county located in the south of England and is the setting for many of Thomas Hardy's novels. In both prose and poetry, Hardy is associated with his home region in southwest England, for which he revived the old name of Wessex, referring to the kingdom of the West Saxons. In fact, Thomas Hardy uses the name "Wessex" for the first time in chapter 50 of "Far from the Madding Crowd" (1874); it was the name for the Anglo-Saxon kingdom spreading over much of the south of England, but the term fell out of use until the 19th century, when there was a revival of interest in pre-Norman Conquest England.

 Now, as in Hardy’s day, the region is known for agriculture, especially dairying and orchards, and for stone. The region is historically important for its prehistoric megaliths at Stonehenge, Avebury, and other sites, as well as the remains of Roman colonization dating back more than 2,000 years. These geographic and historical conditions play an important part in Hardy’s writing. Wessex is a rural region,  and Hardy's writing is known for its portrayal of the lives of ordinary people in rural England triumphs.  struggles and triumphs. Wessex is a fictional county located in the south of England and serves as the setting for many of Thomas Hardy's novels.  The county of Wessex is depicted as a place with a strong sense of community and tradition, where the natural landscape plays a significant role in the lives of the people. Some of the notable novels set in Wessex include "Tess of the d'Urbervilles," "Far from the Madding Crowd," and "The Return of the Native." Born and raised in Dorset, the heart and soul of Wessex, Hardy had a thorough and accurate knowledge of the life and people—in every detail of the landscape, meadow, wood, hill, and dale—as well as the vocations and traditions of his farmers, shepherds, woodlanders, and dairymen. Immersed in Wessex history, tradition, and folklore, "Far From The Madding Crowd" excels in the rural features, life, customs, habits, manners, and language of Weatherbury, Casterbridge, Norcombe, etc. Moreover, rustic lifestyles, dependent on nature become respectful attire in his writing. The same is true for his "The Return of the Native". Here the nature is presented through the Egdon Heath which is a fictitious area of Thomas Hardy's Wessex . However, Hardy draws Egdon Heath keeping in mind east of Dorchester and north-west of Wareham broadly.

Both Malgudi and Wessex are important elements in the respective works of literature and serve as a backdrop for the exploration of the lives and experiences of the characters.

Ardhendu De (AD)

Reference

1. R. K. Narayan’s Malgudi Days Introduction by Jhumpa Laheri. (2006). PENGUIN BOOKS.

2. Journal Commerce arts science, I. R. (n.d.). Comparative Study of R.K. Narayan’s And Hardy’s Regionalism. (PDF) Comparative Study of R.K. Narayan’s and Hardy’s Regionalism | International Research Journal Commerce Arts Science - Academia.edu. Retrieved January 11, 2023, from https://www.academia.edu/27524231/Comparative_Study_of_R_K_Narayan_s_And_Hardy_s_Regionalism

3. British Library. (n.d.). British Library. Retrieved January 11, 2023, from https://www.bl.uk/collection-items/map-of-thomas-hardys-wessex#:~:text=Thomas%20Hardy%20uses%20the%20name,in%20pre%2DNorman%20Conquest%20England.