Assignment of Indian Writing in English Pre-Independence : Character analysis of Raja Rao 's Kanthapura.

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Tuesday , 31 October 2017

Paper -4 : Indian writing in English pre - Independence.

Prepared by : Gohil Jyotiba M.

Roll No : 18

Assignment  Topic -  Character analysis of Raja Rao 's Kanthapura.

M.A (English) : Sem -1

Enrollment No: 2069108420180016

Batch : 2017-19

Email  ID : jyotibagohil96@gmail.com

Submitted to : Smt .S. B Gardi , Department of English, MK Bhavnagar University.

●》 Character Analysis of Raja Rao 's Kanthapura.

● Introduction :

Kanthapura is written by Raja Rao. He is one of the greatest Indian novelist writing in English language.  His first novel Kanthapura is a classic of the Gandhian movement a work which the gandhian struggle for independence. It is also a great village novel . A novel with the various facts of the village life , with its superstitions , religion , caste prejudice, blind faith , hills , pools , rivers and changing reasons.

Raja Rao possessed in the highest degree the gift of creating living characters. In this novel characters are sharply divided into the two groups.  The rules and satyagrahis on the other hand. The characters both major and minor are imparted life and vitality.

Characters of Kanthapura :

● Moorthy :

Moorthy is an educated  young man  of Kanthapura.  He is an ordinary young man with common human weakness. He is inspired by Mahatma Gandhi for that he gives up his study and become fighter for the cause of their  Motherland.  He is also called by people of Kanthapura as " Our Moorthy".

" Like a noble cow, quite , generous,  deferent, Brahminic, a very prince. "

He is considered as honest like an elephant. The impact of Gandhi 's personality has transformed him from a common village man into a young man capable for leadership and  self sacrifice and devotion ,Things that leadership needs. He never come in personal contact with Gandhi .But when Moorthy was in college he felt full force of Gandhi and walked out of it a Gandhi man. So in those days hundreds and thousands of young men give up their studies. Moorthy has numberous good qualities of head and heart . He has extraordinary capacity for inspiring the people . He works on three levels political, religious and social.  He works on these three levels for struggling in independent movement. He uses religion first in Kanthapura. Religion is the most powerful force in Kanthapura , so it's action begins with religion. He starting from invocation to ' Kenchamma Goddess to religious activities. Moorthy organises  the Gandhi - work in the village. He goes from door to door carring the message of Mahatma . He explains the important of 'khaddi ' and  'charkha'. He forms the Congress committee in the village. Range ,Gowda,  patel calls him as" learned master ". In the begging he turned hostile to the Gandhian movement. Once he heard Mahatma Gandhi in public meeting. He was very moved by his words. He decided to give up his foreign cloths and foreign education and took wearing Khadi Kurta and dhoti and he became a devoted follower of Mahatma.

He went every Quarter to tell about charkhas and advantages of Khadis. He went every Quarter of the village the Brahmin quarter, Pariah quarter, the sudra quarter.

" Sister, the Congress is giving away free spinning wheels . Will you spin , sister?  You see , you have nothing to do in afternoons after the vessels are washed and water drawn , and if you spin just one hour a day , you can have bodies - cloths of any colour or breadth you like , one bodies - cloth per month , and a sari every six months. And during the first month , the cotton is free ."

Moorthy visited Pariah quarter more and more. Some days later Narasamma told that swami has excommunicated. If Moorthy has not stop to visited to Pariah quarter he will be also excommunicate.so here this that night Narasamma rushed towards the river and fell down unconscious in field. She found dead in next morning. But after this he not stop to visit Pariah quarter. He played a vital role in awaking the people of Kanthapura and joined them into freedom movement. He is not afraid from Britishers after going into jail he continued his fight against Britishers.

● Patel Range Gowda : The tiger of the village :

Range Gowda is the patel of Kanthapura and a government servant. He is Gandhi man and supporter of Moorthy. He is in favour of Moorthy and is a considerable help to him in organising the Congress committee work in Kanthapura. He known as a ' Tiger of the village '. He is a man of commanding personality and have a powerful position in the village . Nothing can be done in the village without Range Gowda. He is also kind and sympathetic for poor. He helps to poor and needy and suffering of the village. He uses all the authority and influence in support of Moorthy. When Moorthy approaches him for help he says ,

" Do what you like , learned master . You know the things better than I do , and  I know you are not a man to spit on our confidence in you. If you think I should become a member of the Congress,  let me a member of the Congress. If you want me to be a slave , I shall be your slave."

He has more faith upon Moorthy and he was a strong supporter of Moorthy. When bade khan the policeman approaches him and requested him to arrange a house for him. He says that You should arrange house for me I am government servant so at that time he reply that :

" Yes , I am . But the Government does not pay me to find houses for the police . I am here to collect revenue."

This dialogue fully brings out the temper of the Patel. He helps Moorthy in various ways. He explains to the people the important of spinning and weaving, non violence and value and meaning of independence. During Moorthy 's period of imprisonment he boosts the morels of people, guides and encourage them .without his active help and co-operations  Moorthy would not have been so successful in his mission.

● Bhatta : The first Brahmin :

Bhatta is against of Moorthy and agent of the British government he appoint as to defeat the Gandhian movement. He is one of the  most interesting man in Kanthapura. Bhatta began life with loin cloth at his  waist and copper pot in his hand but today Bhatta means money and money means Bhatta. Narasimhaiah points out  that Bhatta is an unworthy husband too what with his lack of consideration for his wife at home. On the days he dines out his poor wife has only dal - soup and rice .when the master of the house is out , better not bother about the meal :

" On the nights of obesequial  dinners he eats so little,  and she doesn't think of dinner for herself and Bhatta has no thought of her ."

His wife dies soon and he marries to a girl twelve and half years old. Bhatta 's other social consideration hardly go further .

"  Bhatta was the only one who would have nothing to do with these Gandhi bhajans. "

He was also the election agent and got two thousand for it. He was the responsible for excommunication of Moorthy. He decides with bade khan that sets afloat the rumours regarding Moorthy 's excommunication and so that become reson of the death of his mother. Ultimately he goes to the Kashi to wash off his sins. Through him the novelist has shows the  greed and gluttony of the Brahmins.

" He is the symbol of usury and false orthodoxy and Low cunning. "

● Bade khan : The policeman :

Bade khan is the police man and he is the symbol of British ruler.He is a symbol as a British in Kanthapura. His duty is to maintain law and order and to put down the Gandhian movement and it may be said to his credit that he performes his duty with loyalty and sincerely. He was against Gandhian movement and also against Moorthy. He appoint in Kanthapura to stop the Gandhian movement and to maintain the low of British. He is the loyal government servant he performing his duty in very difficult circumstances. When he arrives in Kanthapura he faces many problems being a Muslim he finds that it is very difficult to find house in the village. He can't stay in potters quarters not sudras quarter and not Brahmin quarter. Then the patel Range Gowda receives him very rudely and insults him . Then he goes to Skeffington Coffee Estate. There he allows to live and settles down with one Pariah woman. Then he watches secretively on village people and collecting information and passing it to the city authority. He was against of this Gandhian movement and he trying to stop it in Kanthapura and he once arrested jayramacharya for telling Hari Kathas.  So in short he one the Indians who made possible any easy for British to rule India for such a long time.

● The white owner of Skeffington Coffee Estate :

Skeffington Coffee Estate is a very large coffee plantation near Kanthapura. It owner by white man .He is popular as " Hunter Sahib " . Because he always carriers a hunter in his hand and a also freely use  it on all those workers on his states who not doing their duty. The coffee workers are Exploited in many ways. They are living  one room huts in which it provides them little protection against the rains .They are not provide them proper food  and they are worked from morning to till late the evening. They didn't take rest a moment if they take rest the Sahib whip them. Nobody dares to rise voice against him. Sahib is not all a monster and villan. He has also good qulities within. He distribute the pappermens and toffee among the children and workers.

● The Swami :

The Swami lives in the city. He is an orthodox Brahmin narrow and Conservative in his views. He is a traitor to the cause of the freedom of India. He has received a twelve hundreds acres from government. Like Mahatma Gandhi he never appears on the scene but his influence and the course of action and causes much damage to the freedom movement in Kanthapura. He is excommunicates the Moorthy for visiting Pariah quarter and because of that Moorthy 's mother died so he was indirectly responsible for the death of his mother.

● Advocate  Sankar :

    Advocate Sankar is a follower of Mahatma Gandhi as Moorthy following Gandhi. He believes the principles of Gandhiji Truth and Non-violence and he trys to following this principle and footsteps of Gandhiji. He wears Khadi and he doesn't go to the function where people come wearing dresses made of foreign cloths. He also supports Moorthy and the freedom movement. When Gandhiji is arrested at that time he decides to keeps fast and as Gandhiji he also believes that fasting means self - Purification. He is  Bold and fearless he is not afraid of the Government and he defence for Moorthy when he is  arrested . He is a noble , kind- hearted person.  He not like Bhatta as we compare him with Bhatta as husband.  When his first wife dies he doesn't marry a second time.

" Sankar was an ascetic of a man and refused marriage after marriage, after marriage, after he had lost his wife ."

      So he is not like Bhatta who marry second time and also Bhatta has no importance of his wife he never take care of her but Sankar not even thought to marry second time he regards it as a sin to marry again. He also says that :

  " I have had a Lakshmi and I, a sinner , could not even kept her, and she has left me a child and that is enough. "

● 》 woman characters :

    In this novel Raja Rao depicted woman as a Shakti as a Mother - Earth . The woman of Kanthapura are more human than those created by Raja Rao. They all are simple - hearted , loud - mouthed and intellectual.

● Waterfall Venkamma :

     Venkamma is a woman of petty and jealous nature . The nick name " waterfall " Like the name she is always shedding tears .she is against of Moorthy because he refuses to marry her second daughter.  She can't bear to see the others prosperous or success. She is jealous woman.she jealous of Rangamma because he has much larger house . She is orthodox , Conservative and narrow in her views .she has no sympathy for gandhian movement. She is spread humor that Moorthy is excommunicated. She also hates Ratna and abused her.she shedding tears against everyone so it justify his nick - name .Venkamma symbolise as jealousy and orthodoxy of Indian villages.

● Narasamma :

  She is old widow and mother of Moorthy.  She gave birth to eleven children and in from that five died and Moorthy was only one son of remaining six children. She has a great love for her son and she has high hopes of his brilliant career for him. He gets very hurt when Moorthy joins freedom movement. She is orthodox woman not understanding the implications of Gandhian movement. She is shocked when she heard that Moorthy is excommunicated by the Swami for the going to Pariah quarter. She says that :

 " Oh ! to have a son ex - communicated . Oh ! to have  gone to Benaras and Rameshwaram and Gaya a son ex - communicated. I wish I had closed my eyes with your father instead of living to see you polluted. Go away , you pariah. "

  She is not bear the news of Moorthy is excommunicated and she died . She had been disappointed when Moorthy has given up his college education and he also rejected all the proposal of marriage. She is good and noble woman who loves her son a lot. She has no sympathy for freedom movement but there is no evil within her .she is the most pathetic character in the novel.

● Rangamma :

     She is educated  woman in the village. She reads newspaper of every day. She knows many things.  She is with Moorthy and she support the freedom movement. She is a lady who is :

" deferent, soft -voice , gentle- gestured "

  Venkamma is jealous of her and she plans against her day and night . She is childless widow but she has very large house much lager than Venkamma.  She is one of those who helps Moorthy in organising the Congress committee in the village. She is lady of enlightened views and she actively joined the freedom struggle.

● Conclusion :

   Raja Rao has highest quality of creating living characters. In  Kanthapura characters are not sharply individualised for various reasons. In the novel characters are two types minor and major .The minor characters highlights the major characters. In Kanthapura characters are here from different races and nationalities and they all are real and alive .In this novel he shows the  woman characters as a symbol of Shakti. He gives more important to women characters in his novel .

Work sited : 

http://parmarjinal161315.blogspot.in/2013/10/topic-women-characters-in-kanthapura.html?m=1