R. K. Narayan’s Attitude Towards the English Language

R. K. Narayan’s attitude towards the English				English language must leave the country-
language:a postcolonial posture, a utilitarian gesture				When we said, ‘Quit India,’ we meant it to
Abstract				apply to Englishmen as well as their language. And
This paper is intended to examine R. K.				there does not seem to be much point in tolerating
Narayan’s attitude towards the English language				you in our midst. You are the language of the
as reflected in his essays. Narayan (1906-2001) was				imperialist, the red-tapist, the diabolical legalist, the
born and grown up in a period when English education				language which always means two things at the
was already institutionalised in the Indian				same time. (“Fifteen Years” 15)
Sub-continent. Like other Indian writers in English,				Contrariwise, in reply to the judge, the English
such as Raja Rao and Mulk Raj Anand, he received				language points out that it has been firmly rooted in
English education and used to write in English from				the Indian soil. In other words, having been practised
the beginning of his literary career up to the end.				for two hundred years, the English language has been
However, he is seen to have used the English				part and parcel of the Indian society including its
language and literary form to scrutinise colonialism and				education, cultural activities, government machinery,
depict the Indian society continually under change due				law courts, business, trades, sports, aviation,
to the colonial rule. A part of this endeavour seems				navigation, agriculture, science, technology and so
to be evident in Narayan’s attitude towards the				forth. In the essay, although the judge feels that the
English language. Narayan’s position in this regard				language must quit India, he cannot present any solid
is deemed quite ambivalent and complex —he is				ground why it should be so; rather he remains
aware that English is the language of the colonist, yet				confused and his advocacy inconclusive.
he is found to have accepted it for practical reasons.				Hence, Narayan (1988a) is found to claim that the
That is, his attitude towards the English language				English language has been an integral part of the
appears to have resulted from and shaped by the				Indian reality. In fact, in the Indian context, it has
reality prevailing in the postcolonial setting.				been turned into the Indian English rather than the
Keywords: R. K. Narayan, attitude, English language,				English of England. Narayan’s (1988a: 8) position
postcolonial posture, utilitarian gesture				seems to echo the statement of Iyengar (2000):
–– I ––				“English has become ours, it is not less ours for
The study of the English language and literature in				being primarily the Englishman’s or the
the postcolonial context seems to be “a densely				American’s”.
political and cultural phenomenon” (Ashcroft,				–– IV ––
Griffiths and Tiffins 1989: 2-3) and consequently				Narayan (1988a) obviously objectively thinks over the
comes under the purview of the postcolonial writers.				case of Hindi, that is, its establishment as a state
One of the fundamental assertions of postcolonialism				language within a limited period of time. And in the
is that the English language and literature have played				essay “To a Hindi Enthusiast”, he suggests
a very significant role in propounding colonial ideology				that it is impossible to impose Hindi as a state
aimed at the survival and consolidation of the colonial				language in a set time limit. Quoting the aphorism
rule (Walder 1998). In other words, the construction				from Shakespeare that “ripeness is all”, he
of English literary education is part of the colonial				argues ripeness cannot be forced by a government
cultural design (Viswanathan 1995). Many postcolonial				order or by the prescription of a commission. Like a
writers have attempted to address the issue of				sociolinguist (e.g. Hudson 1981), he maintains that the
cultural domination through the English language and				growth of a language is a natural process, which
literature. For instance, Thiong’o (1995) opines				cannot be artificially stopped. Narayan (1988a: 26)
that the central position given to the study of the				then advocates the cause of English by adopting a
English language and literature in Africa emanates				postcolonial view-
from the assumption of the cultural superiority of the				For me, at any rate, English is an absolutely swadeshi
West. This is why, he prescribes that the English				language. English, of course, in a remote horoscopic
departments should be abolished from the universities				sense, is a native of England, but it enjoys, by virtue
in Africa. Indian novelist Raja Rao (2000: v) states				of its uncanny ability, citizenship in every country in
that English is the language of the intellect, not of				the world. It has sojourned in India longer than you
emotion; and in India English should therefore be				or I and is entitled to be treated with respect. It is
appropriated to the level of “a dialect which will				my hope that English will soon be classified as a
some day prove to be as distinctive and colourful as				non-regional Indian language.
the Irish or the American”. Hence, postcolonial				It is thus evident that Narayan (1988a) is not
writing uses the language of the colonists but adapts				advocating the servile imitation of the English
it to the discourse of the colonised. It is performed				language or the culture represented and spread by it.
by two processes: abrogation and appropriation				Rather, his intention is to absorb it into the grand
(Ashcroft, Griffiths and Tiffins 1989). Abrogation				procession of the Indian languages. The English
stands for challenging the notion of universality as				language would be treated as one in the long list of
claimed by the colonists with regard to the language.				the Indian languages and dialects, and its inclusion
Appropriation, on the other hand, is the use of the				would not at all affect the total pattern of the
imperial language to express the cultural experience				language habit of the Indian people.
of the colonised. This is a process by which imperial				–– V ––
English is made to encounter vernacular languages.				While Narayan (1988b: 28) seems to accept the
Standard English words are used in many new				presence of English in the day-to-day Indian reality,
meanings, and, in turn, the English language receives				he also analyzes the cause of its popularity,
many new words from indigenous languages. Besides,				commenting in “To a Hindi Enthusiast” that
postcolonial literature emerges out of the tension				“half the charm of English was engendered by
between these two pulls. Ashcroft, Griffiths and				the manner in which its schoolbooks were
Tiffin (1989: 39) rightly maintain-				produced”. The high quality print and coloured
… in one sense all post-colonial literatures are				frontispiece exhibiting some London Bridge, rivers and
cross-cultural because they negotiate a gap between				towers, and the carefully selected contents with
‘worlds’, a gap in which the simultaneous				relevant black and white pictures have played a
processes of abrogation and appropriation continually				significant role in establishing the English language in
strive to define and determine their practice.				this country. Narayan’s experience is consistent
Thus, challenging and overhauling the Eurocentric				with that of Anita Desai (1996: 222) who writes in
notion of language become an essential part of				her essay “A Coat in Many Colors”-
literary decolonisation (Loomba 2001).				Hindi texts we were given to study were, in contrast
As Boehmer (1995) illustrates, almost all the aspects				to the English ones, dry, pedantic, unimaginative, and
of the world of the colonised including the language				unrelated to the simplicities of everyday life. They
of instruction and commerce were dominated by the				were also unattractively printed and published, a not
empire. The colonial education of the middle class				unimportant factor to a child who, at that age,
people then tended to create ‘mental				judges by the feel, the touch, and the taste of
colonization’ among them: “English-language				things.
and -literature instruction played a key role in				It is then evident that both Narayan and Anita Desai
naturalizing British values” (Boehmer 1995:169). By				are of the opinion that the highly sophisticated and
the early 20th century, students from the colonies				impressive appearance of English books is responsible
were heavily influenced by the excellence of the				for their popular appeal to the people in India.
English language and literature. This factor seems to				On the whole, Narayan’s position respecting the
account for the “syncretic” nature of the				issue of the English language is rather complex. He
postcolonial society, which cannot be				seems to say that it could have been better if Hindi
compartmentalised into either a purely traditional or a				had taken the place of the English language in India,
purely alien. Ashcroft, Griffiths and Tiffin (1989: 110)				but presently it seems impossible to put Hindi to that
contend, “The construction of ‘pure’				exalted status and, therefore, it will be wise to
cultural value is always conducted within a radically				accept the position of the English language. Again,
altered dynamic of power relations”. Therefore, a				when Narayan speaks in favour of the English
postcolonial reading of R. K. Narayan’s works,				language, he does not mean the King’s English;
especially essays with regard to his attitude to the				rather he means the language that has been coloured
English language would likely to reveal that he				with the Indian context and filled with the vocabulary
endeavours to formulate a synthesis between the				from the native languages and dialects. In his essay
Indian element and the colonial one.				“A Literary Alchemy”, Narayan (1988c: 197)
–– II ––				puts forward his idea of the Indian English which, he
The colonial education that Narayan received might				thinks, is the inevitable outcome of a natural process-
have influenced his views on the English language				We have fostered the language for over a century
since in the classroom Narayan had to see English as				and we are entitled to bring it in line with our own
the first language, his native language being a second				habits of thought and idiom. Americans have adapted
language (Walsh 1982). English was the most				the English language to suit their native mood and
prestigious subject due to political, administrative,				speech without feeling apologetic, and have achieved
social, economic and scientific reasons. Although				directness and unambiguity in expression.
Tamil, the language of Narayan’s province, and				That is, Narayan is suggesting that the Indian people
Sanskrit, the classical language of India, were taught				should violate the “purist” conception of the
in the school, they were considered inferior in status				English language and insert some new expressions
and provided occasions for jokes. Narayan (2001b:				suiting the Indian context. To Narayan, expressions
464) admits this in his essay “English in				like “Please do the needful” and “And
India”-				oblige” are very much pertinent to the Indian
But in the classroom neither of these two languages				context. Although inappropriate according to the
was given any importance; they were assigned to				“purist” standard of the English language,
the most helpless among the teachers, the pundits				these expressions are a “masterpiece of
who were treated as a joke by the boys, since they				economy and contribution to the English
taught only the ‘second language’, the first				language” (“A Literary Alchemy” 198).
being English as ordained by Lord Macaulay when he				While Narayan is considering the use of the Indian
introduced English education in India.				English, he is, at the same time, proposing to
Besides encountering textbooks in English in his school				reconstruct the universal criteria of the language. In
and college, Narayan extensively read English				other words, he is abrogating and appropriating the
literature outside his syllabus. His father’s library				language.
at home and his school library were crammed with				Narayan (2001c: 480) seems to be mocking at the
books on English literature (Narayan 2001b). Narayan				idea of adhering to the principles laid down by the
took the full opportunity of the libraries and				Oxford English Dictionary (OED) which, in his essay
enthusiastically read Scott, Dickens, Rider Haggard,				“After the Raj” is described as “a sacred
Marie Corelli, Moliere, Pope, Marlowe, Tolstoy, Thomas				cow for us in India”. He expresses the same
Hardy and others (Narayan 1995). He was also in				attitude in his essay “English in India” where
touch with the current literary scene through various				he asserts that for maximum benefit the English
magazines such as Little Folks, Nineteenth Century				language must reach the grassroots level of India.
and After, Cornhill, Strand Magazine, Mercury, The				And here too he is speaking not of standard English
Spectator, The Times Literary Supplement and The				but of its Indian variety: “the language must be
Manchester Guardian. The cumulative impact of this				taught in a simpler manner, through a basic
massive reading of the English literature was that he				vocabulary, simplified spelling, and explained and
became very well versed in the English language. As a				interpreted through the many spoken languages of
writer, Narayan opted for the English language simply				India” (Narayan 2001c: 468).
because it suited him better than his mother tongue.				–– VI ––
In an interview, he says-				Narayan shows his awareness to the complex issues
I never had any idea that I was writing in another				regarding the position of the English language in the
tongue. My whole education has been in English from				colonial India. He is conscious of the foreign origin of
the primary school, and most of my reading has been				the language and its imperial connotation.
in the English language . . . I wrote in English because				Notwithstanding, he clearly depicts how the English
it came to me very easily. (qtd. by Sundaram 1988)				language has established a firm root in India and
It was then very unlikely that a writer like Narayan				become an essential part of its social reality. Thus,
who learned the English language to such an extent				Narayan’s voice is rather polyphonic.
as to produce his works in it, would reject or censure				That is to say, Narayan seems to believe that it is
it easily on nationalistic grounds.				impossible to eliminate the English language from the
–– III ––				social reality of India. And he pragmatically suggests
India became free from the colonial rule in 1947, but				the acceptance of the language in its Indianized form.
the linguistic and cultural implication of colonialism still				Hence, Narayan’s attitude towards the English
remained operative, serving two conspicuously				language is formed by the postcolonial reality and
unavoidable purposes: a unifying linguistic agency for				utilitarian value. To sum up, as Iyengar (2000: 359)
administration and a means of wider international				comments, Narayan-
communication (Kachru: 1995). In the mean time, the				“uses the English language much as we used to
issue of either the acceptance or the rejection of				wear dhoties manufactured in Lancashire— but
the English language became one of the hot debates				the thoughts and feelings, the stirrings of the soul,
since the beginning of Indian nationalist movement in				the wayward movements of the consciousness, are
the 1920s. Gandhi’s ‘Swadeshi				all of the soil of India”.
Movement’ was aimed at embracing all that was				Works Cited
swadeshi (indigenous), and hence English being a				Ashcroft, Bill, Gareth Griffiths and Helen Tiffin. The
foreign language came under the scrutiny of this				Empire Writes Back: Theory and Practice in
movement. The use of the English language by the				Post-colonial Literatures. Ed. Terence Hawkes. London
Indians was often denounced, and Hindi was seen as				and New York: Routledge, 1989.
a possible substitute. In his novel Waiting for the				- - -, ed. The Post-colonial Studies Reader. London
Mahatma, Narayan (2001a: 27) has made Gandhi				and New York: Routledge, 1995.
declare that he will not deliver his lecture in English				Boehmer, Elleke. Colonial & Postcolonial Literature.
because “It’s the language of our rulers. It				Oxford & New York: Oxford University Press, 1995.
has enslaved us”. As Leela Gandhi (1998: 147)				Desai, Anita, “A Coat in Many Colors.” South
points out, Gandhi’s rejection of the English				Asian English: Structure, Use and Users. Ed. Robert J.
language stems from his belief in “the legitimate				Baumgardner. Delhi: Oxford University Press, 1996.
cultural primacy” of the Indian languages.				221-30.
Nevertheless, the attempted ban on the English				Dharwadker, Aparna and Vinay Dharwadker,
language created two contradictory positions among				“Language, Identity, and Nation in Postcolonial
the Indian writers. The first group consisting of the				Indian English Literature.” English Postcoloniality:
writers using the indigenous languages protested				Literatures from Around the World. Eds. Radhika
against writing in English on nationalistic grounds. The				Mohanram and Gita Rajan. Westport, Connecticut and
second group constituted of the Indian writers in				London: Greenwood Press, 1996.
English continued writing in the English language to				Gandhi, Leela. Postcolonial Theory: A Critical
express their Indian experience. These polarities				Introduction. New Delhi: Oxford University Press,
existing at the end of the colonial period surfaced				1998.
with renewed vigour and extended dimensions after				Hudson, R. Sociolinguistics. Cambridge: Cambridge
the independence of India (Dharwadker and				University Press, 1981.
Dharwadker 1996). Indian lawmakers framed a				Iyengar, K. R. Srinivasa. Indian Writing in English. 5th
fifteen- year time limit to upgrade Hindi to the				ed. New Delhi: Sterling Publishers Private Limited, 1985.
position of the official language of India. However,				Rpt. 2000.
this project of expelling English within a fixed period				Kachru, Braj B. “The Alchemy of English.”
yielded almost no result. Iyengar (2000) presents				The Post-colonial Studies Reader. Eds. Bill Ashcroft,
sufficient statistics of 1957 to show that there was				Gareth Griffiths and Helen Tiffin. London and New
no spectacular advance of Hindi, and the position of				York : Routledge. 1995. 291-95.
English as an Indian official language remained the				Loomba, Ania. Colonialism/Postcolonialism. London and
same – English was still the language of				New York: Routledge, 2001.
inter-state communication or the sole lingua franca,				Narayan, R. K. My Days: A Memoir. 1974. Mysore:
the language of higher administration, law courts,				Indian Thought Publications, 1995.
education and examinations. Resultantly, parliamentary				- - - , “Fifteen Years.” R. K. Narayan. A
enactment gave English the status of “an				Writer’s Nightmare: Selected Essays 1958-1988.
associate language” with Hindi.				New Delhi: Penguin Books, 1988a. 14-16.
That Narayan (1988a: 14) was aware of the debate				- - - , “To a Hindi Enthusiast.” R. K. Narayan.
on the position of the English language in his country				A Writer’s Nightmare: Selected Essays
is evident in his essay “Fifteen Years”-				1958-1988. New Delhi: Penguin Books, 1988b. 26-28.
. . . various causes, practical, political, etc. have				- - - , “A Literary Alchemy.” R. K. Narayan. A
demanded the abolition of English from our midst. It is				Writer’s Nightmare: Selected Essays 1958-1988.
almost a matter of national propriety and prestige				New Delhi: Penguin Books, 1988c. 196-198.
now to declare one’s aversion to this language,				- - - , Swami and Friends. 1935. Rpt. in The Magic of
and to cry for its abolition.				Malgudi. Ed. S. Krishnan. New Delhi: Penguin Books,
There was a time when many people blindly admired				2000.
English, and the ability to talk and write in the English				- - - , Waiting for the Mahatma. 1955. Mysore: Indian
language earned great prestige for a person.				Thought Publications, 2001a.
Notwithstanding, at present the patriotic fervour of				- - - , “English in India”. The Writerly Life:
the people made the language a hotcake for debate.				Selected Non-fiction of R. K. Narayan. Ed. S. Krishnan.
Narayan (2000) depicts the same situation in his first				New Delhi: Viking, 2001b. 464-468.
novel Swami and Friends dealing with the effect of				- - - , “After the Raj.” The Writerly Life:
the colonial rule on the Indian people. The novel				Selected Non-fiction. Ed. S. Krishnan. New Delhi: Viking,
discloses that while people feel antipathy towards the				2001c. 480-83.
British, they are also attracted to the paraphernalia of				Rao, Raja. Forward to Kanthapura. New Delhi: Oxford
the colonial power. As a result, the colonial language				University Press, 2000.
has been the signifier of power and dignity. In the				Sundaram, P. S. R. K. Narayan as A Novelist. Delhi: B.
Albert Mission School, English is the most prestigious				R. Publishing Corporation, 1988.
subject. Sankar’s name is well known because he				Thiong’o, Ngugi Wa. “On the Abolition of the
can speak to the teachers in English in the open class				English Department.” The Post-colonial Studies
(Swami and Friends 7); and likewise Rajam’s				Reader. Eds. Bill Ashcroft, Gareth Griffiths and Helen
friends respect him because he speaks very good				Tiffin. London and New York : Routledge. 1995.
English, “exactly like a ‘European’”				438-442.
(Swami and Friends 12). In “Fifteen Years”,				Viswanathan, Gauri. “The Beginnings of English
Narayan (1988a) takes a postcolonial view on this				Literary Study in British India.” The Post-colonial
issue, showing his awareness that English is an alien				Studies Reader. Eds. Bill Ashcroft, Gareth Griffiths and
language, yet advocating its use in India for practical				Helen Tiffin. London and New York : Routledge. 1995.
purposes. According to him, the day-to-day reality				431-437.
has made it impossible for the Indians to castigate				Walder, Denis. “Post-colonial Theory.” A
the English language.				Handbook to Literary Research. Eds. Simon Eliot and
Narayan (1988a) presents an imaginary conversation				W. R. Owens. London: Routledge, 1998.
between an Indian judge and the personified English				Walsh, W. R. K. Narayan: A Critical Appreciation.
language. The judge puts forth the verdict that the				London: William Heinemann Ltd., 1982.

Yak 54

R. K. Narayan’s Attitude Towards the English Language