Kanthapura: The Language, the Narrative Style and the Literary Merits’

 

The Language, the Narrative Style and the Literary Merits’ of Kanthapura

 Kanthapura is a successful novel even if it is judged through its narrative style and techniques used by Raja Rao. It was a big challenge for the writer to achieve his goal by writing this novel in English. He had to make some innovations in his narrative style to suit the Indian atmosphere.

 Let’s study this novel in the light of the use of ‘language, the narrative style and the literary merits’ of Kanthapura.

 As we know, it was not an easy task for the writer to narrate a tale of an imaginary village, named Kanthapura, where people had different mindsets and where most of the people were illiterate, following different myths and superstitions. They were the people who were divided on the basis of caste and religion. The writer was to portray them as living beings, clashing with one another to safeguard their personal interests and then to elevate them to unite for the bigger cause of being a part of Gandhiji’s  Movement.

 

 So the first priority for the writer was to mould English language according to the people of Kanthapura in order to express their thoughts and feelings, their dreams, and the harsh reality in which they lived in. The second necessity for the writer was to select a narrative style. For this, he decided to use an age-old ancient style of story-telling, which is very popular in our country.

 

We all have grown up by listening to the tales narrated by our grandmothers in a simple and spontaneous manner. Here, the narrator is Achakka, the village's old grandmother, who narrates the tale of the events that took place long-long ago in Kanthapura. Some of the incidents have become dim in her memory with the passage of time. But whatever she narrates, she narrates wonderfully.

 

Raja Rao himself admits the fact that telling a tale is not an easy job when he was to capture the tempo of Indian life in a foreign language. The novelist was to record the swift movements of thoughts and actions that prevail in an average Indian mind. The novelist has done this successfully in Kanthapura.

 

The writer does not use any flashback that slows down the tempo of the action. Wherever, the writer finds space, we come to know about his viewpoint.  The narrator in one of the people living in Kanthapura and it also lends authentication to the events.

We find word-pictures in plenty. The novelist has described everything that he thought necessary very minutely. Sometimes our senses of sight, sound, and even smell are stirred. In the first chapter, the movements of the bullock carts on the zigzag ‘kachcha’ roads creating a cloud of dust behind them are marvelous. Similar examples abound in the novel.

 

The novelist has also kept in mind the subject matter that is used while speaking by different characters in the novel. They speak in accordance with their education, religious and cultural values they have acquired in their rural background. Raja Rao has also used Indianised words for certain religious ceremonies like  “God’s birth celebration ceremony”, “rice-eating ceremony”, “hair-cutting ceremony”, “death ceremony”, ‘Sankara-Vijaya’,  ‘Sankara-Jayanthi’,‘Harikathas’, etc.

 

Like a modern writer of great eminence, T.S. Eliot, Raja Rao has also used myths in this novel. It makes the narrative of the novel look more Indian. He has used the myths of the goddess Kenchamma, Lord Rama and Sita, Lord Krishna, Brahma, Siva, etc. Under the umbrella of these religious myths and belief, the people of Kanthapura stand united in the leadership of Moorthy to participate in Gandhiji’s freedom struggle.

Thus, we may say that Raja Rao’s narrative style and the literary devices he used in this novel are superb.

 

Kanthapura # Questions and Answers # Short Answer-type Qs (21 to 30) # Kanthapura by Raja Rao# Qs & Ans

 

               Questions & Anwers. Chapter 1: Kanthapura

Q21. How was the Kanthapurishwari temple erected?

Ans. One day, while going through the narrator’s backyard, Moorthy, Narsamma’s son, found a half-sunk-linga there. Then he had an idea to unearth, wash and consecrate (sanctify/make holy) it. The holidays were going on and, so, with the help of the boys, a structure as a temple there was erected. Bhatta duly performed the consecration ceremony.

Q22. Describe how Sanskara Vijaya is held in the village?

Ans. The postmaster Suryanarayan proposed the reading of ‘Sankara-Vijaya’ It was accepted by all. It was read by Old Ramakrishnayya every day for the whole month. Dinner for each day of the month would be arranged by them turn by turn. On the days when there would be no one to offer dinner, in that case, Rangamma would do it. Thus the ‘Sankara-Jayanthi’ was started that very day. After the dinner, the younger women sang and the older ones discussed the ‘mayavada’. Then they went home.

Q23. Describe something about Sastriji.

Ans. Sastriji was a famous ‘harikatha’ narrator. The Maharaja of Mysore had already honoured him with a palace shawl. Sastri had sent the Maharaja an epic on the sojourn (temporary stay away from home) of Rama and Sita in the hill country. They also believed he would soon get a permanent place in the king’s court palace. He was a fine singer also.

Q24. Describe fundraising by Moorthy.

Ans. Moorthy goes from one house to the other to raise funds. He even goes to the potters’ the weavers’ and the Sudras’ quarters too. He gathers one hundred and forty-seven rupees. After that, the narrator goes on to describe how much money was paid to Moorthy by different persons of the village.

Q25. Briefly tell about the Harikatha told by Jayramchar.

Ans. The narrator says that Jayaramchar has a wonderful way of narrating ‘Kathas’ and he can make everyone weep. He narrated ‘Siva and Parvati’, Shakunthala and Yasodha. During Harikatha, the people of Kanthapura are made known to Gandhiji and his struggle for freedom. People are told how Gandhiji believed in the truth and unity of people; how he loved all religions and how he remained on fasts and prayed and how his enemies fell on his feet, etc.

Q26. How has Brahma been described by the Harikathaman?

Ans. Lord Brahama lies on the bed made by his serpent. He is called the self-created God. He had great regard for sages. The great Saint Valmiki informs Brahma about the miserable condition of India. Brahma sent a message to Lord Shiva at once to bring freedom to India from slavery.

Q27.How has Bharatha was described by the Harikathaman?

Ans.  The Harikathaman described Bharatha as the chief daughter of Brahma. She has been called the goddess of wisdom and well-being. Lord Brahama gifted her the  Himalayas in the North, the Ganges, the Godavari, the Cauvery, and the seven seas to the south,               

Q28.How has Gandhi been described by the Harikathaman?

Ans. Gandhiji began his fight against the enemies of the country. From his early age, he had begun to go to villages and assembled people to talk to them.  He had such a brilliant personality that people followed him in crowds as they did to Lord Krishna, the flute player. Thus Gandhiji goes from one village to the other to slay the serpent of the British Rule.

Q29.How does the Harikathaman describe Gandhiji’s teachings to the village.

Ans. During Harikatha, the people of Kanthapura are made known to Gandhiji and his struggle for freedom. People are told how Gandhiji believed in truth and unity of people; how he loved all religions and how he remained on fasts and prayed and how his enemies fell on his feet, etc. we also come to know that Moorthy and several other people throw their foreign clothes and become Gandhian followers.

Q30. How is India equated with Siva in the novel Kanthapura?

Ans. In Kanthapura, India has been equated with Sita, Lord Rama’s wife. She was made imprisoned by Ravana, the king of Sri Lanka. He stood for Evil. Similarly, India has also been made imprisoned by the Britishers. So Lord Vishnu came on the Earth incarnated as Ram to free Sita from Ravana. In the same way, Mahatma Gandhi incarnated as Siva took birth on the earth to free India from British rule.

 

Kanthapura by Raja Rao # Questions and Answers (11 to 20) Short Answer-type Qs# Kanthapura

 

               Questions & Answers. Chapter 1: Kanthapura

Q11. How is the ‘puja’ to Goddess Kenchamma performed?

Ans. the people of Kanthapura offer clothes and gold to the deity to please her. They also offer a little portion of their first produce like rice and fruit. They offer saris and bodice साडी पर पहनने वाला वस्त्र clothes on every birth and marriage. They keep vigil at night thinking of her and sleep prostrating themselves before her. Throughout the harvest night, they dance, sing and clap their hands around the fire.

Q12. Describe the Brahmins’ quarter.

Ans. In the Brahmin quarter, there are twenty-four houses in all. Postmaster Suryanarayan has a double-storeyed house. Patwari Nanjundia has a verandah with two rooms built on to the old house. He has also put glass panes on the windows.

The widow, Rangamma has also a big house. Waterfall Venkamma feels jealous of her and keeps on speaking against her day and night.

Q13. Describe Waterfall Vekamma.

Ans. Waterfall Venkamma is Rangamma’s sister-in-law. She thinks her own house smaller than that of Rangamma’s. She is unable to bear the presence of Rangamma’s father and mother in the house. During the vacations, Rangamma’s younger brothers and the children of her elder brother from Bombay also come to spend the summer. This is also unbearable for her. Venkamma is full of poison against Rangamma. She wants to see her dead.

Q14. Describe Dore.

Ans. Dore lost his father and mother when he was still young. His two sisters were now married. So he is alone in the house. He has fifteen acres of wet and twenty acres of dry land.

He has acquired city ways. He reads city books, wears boots, suit and calls himself a Gandhian man. But after returning from Poona, he has given up wearing boots, a suit, and a hat and now he wears dhoti and khadi. The narrator also adds here that it is said that he has given up smoking also.

Q15. Describe Moorthy.

Ans. According to Achakka, the narrator, Moorthy has lived his life like a cow, quiet, generous, serene (peaceful), deferential (respectful), and Brahmanic. She expresses her deep likeness for Murthy by adding that she would have married her grand-daughter to him if she had one.  Coffee planter Ramayya had one day came to offer his own daughter’s hand to Moorthy, but their horoscopes did not agree.

Q16. Describe the Pariahs Quarter.

Ans. The narrator did never visit the Pariah quarter, but she has seen from Beadle Timmayya’s hut. She makes a guess that all the huts could be fifteen to twenty.  We come to know Sidda’s house having a verandah, a large roof, perhaps with a big granary inside. Sidda also owned a piece of land. His wife has gone mad recently. He spent much money on her ailment.

Q17. Write something about Bhatta.

Ans. Bhatta added a few acres to his own land. He is a clever fellow and he was sure to become the zamindar of the whole village. The narrator also adds in a satirical way that he walks about the streets with a loincloth about him.

 

Q18. Describe something about Potters’ street.

Ans. The Potters’ street had only five houses. Linggayya, Ramayya, Subbayya, and Chandrayya owned big houses. But old Kamalamma had a little broken house. Previously the Potter’s business of selling their pots was very profitable. But now, pots made up of other materials have come in the market. So many of them have left making pots. But Chandrayya still makes them on festival occasions. Other Potters have started doing work on their lands. Sometimes they go to the neighbouring villages to make bricks.

Q19. Describe the Sudras.

Ans. The narrator is not sure of other Sudras’ economic conditions. She says that they can be called neither poor nor rich. They are badly dressed and usually, they paid their taxes after several notices. The narrator says Range Gowda is their Godfather. He was always ready to save them. The Brahmins and the Pariahs do not like to get mixed up with them.

Q20. Describe Range Gowda.

Ans. Patel Range Gowda has a nine- beamed house near the temple square. He is fat and a well-built fellow in the village. He has much gold in his possession. He has three daughters, who live with him. His sons work with him on their combined land. Patel is called the Tiger of the village. His words are law in their village. He is an honest man and has proved very helpful to many a poor peasant. He is a real terror to the authorities.

 

Kanthapura by Raja Rao#Questions & Answers (1 to 10) Chapter 1: Kanthapura

 

Questions & Answers (1 to 10) Chapter 1: Kanthapura

Answer in about 30 words each:

Q1. Comment on the opening of the novel Kanthapura.

Ans. We come to know that Kanthapura is an imaginary name given to a village. It is quite a hilly area, where the people grow crops like coffee, cardamom, rice, and sugar. The people believe in castes. The people worship their deities (gods and goddesses) and arrange functions to please them.

Q2. Who is the narrator of the novel ‘Kanthapura’?

Ans. The narrator of the novel ‘Kanthapura’ is Achakka, the old grandmother of the village. She remembers the incidents long after they had taken place in the past. She narrates them in the first person as ‘tales’ are told to grandchildren of an Indian household.

Q3. Who is the local deity that people worship in the village Kanthapura?

Ans. The local deity of the village Kanthapura is ‘Kenchamma’.. She has saved the people from a demon. They feel safe and sound under the blessings of the goddess. She saves them from the fatal (life-killer) diseases like cholera, small-pox, etc. People offer their ‘first rice’ and ‘first fruit’, saris and bodice-cloth for every birth and marriage to please the deity ‘Kenchamma’.

Q4. What kind of Caste division do you find in the village Kanthapura?

Ans. There is a clear-cut caste-divide in the village Kanthapura. The houses in this village are divided in five quarters: the Brahmins’ quarter, the Potters’ quarter, the Weavers quarter, the Pariahs’ quarter and the Sudras’ quarter. The upper caste people keep a distance from the people living in the Sudra and the Pariah quarters. The narrator Achakka also believes in the caste division. She does not like Moorthy mixing with the people of the Pariah and Sudra quarters.

Q5.How is the hero of the novel ‘Kanthapura’ introduced to the readers?

Ans. The narrator does not introduce Moorthy directly to the readers. She was just talking about Dore, ‘the university graduate’. He calls himself a Gandhian man. It is at that time, the narrator contrasts him to Moorthy, the hero of the novel. She tells the readers that Moorthy has lived a life like a cow, quiet, generous, serene (peaceful), deferent (respectful) and Brahmanic.

Q6. What is the caste-based social hierarchy presented in the novel Kanthapura?

Ans. The people of Kanthapura believe in a system that divides them into five categories on the basis of their castes. This system is very old and seems to be unchanging for the people of Kanthapura. Under this system, the houses in this village are divided into five quarters: the Brahmins’ quarter, the Potters’ quarter, the Weavers’ quarter, the Pariahs’ quarter and the Sudras’ quarter.

Q7. How do the villagers get rid of smallpox?

Ans. The people of Kanthapura have deep faith in their presiding deity Kenchamma. Whenever they suffered from any fatal disease, they took a vow to do something difficult to please the deity. In case of smallpox also they take a vow to walk on fire on the annual fair to take the blessings from the goddess. They do so and get cured.

 Q8. Write about the produce (crops) of Kanthapura.

Ans. The main cash crops of the village Kanthapur

and its surrounding area are coffee, cardamom, rice and sugar-cane. Coffee and cardamom are exported to England. The local traders purchase these crops and then they send them in bullock carts to the coastal trade centres. From  there, these are further shipped to England.

Q9.According to the villagers, how does the goddess Kenchamma help the villagers?

 Ans. The narrator says that Kenchamma, their goddess is great and bounteous प्रचुरता  से भरपूर. After killing the demon, the goddess settled there as their saviour. She has always helped them. If they needed rain, the people of Kanthapura prayed and it did come. Whenever some fatal diseases like smallpox and cholera broke out (spread) there, the goddess Kenchamma saved them from them.

Q10. How did the goddess settle at the Hill and How is the Kenchamma Hill red?

Ans. It is said that Kenchamma killed a demon long, long ago. The demon used to demand young boys as his food and the young daughters as his wives. Tripura, a sage साधु, made penances घोर तपस्या  to bring Kenchamma down from Heavens. Then the goddess Kenchamma came down and

fought a fierce battle to shed the demon’s blood that soaked into the earth and made the Kenchamma Hill red in colour.