Raman sandwiched between Laxmi and Daisy in ‘The Painter of Signs’

Abstract

R. K. Narayan in his novel ‘The Painter of Signs’ (1976) compares the ideas of womanhood in India and the West; reflects a society in a state of flux, as modernity and westernization continue to permeate the various echelons of the society. The protagonist of the novel, Raman lives in his ancestral home, with his widowed and childless aunt, Laxmi, who has been looking after and pampering Raman ever since he has been orphaned as a child. One of the most heartening things about the aunt-nephew relationship is that, the aunt is devoted and affectionate and looks after her nephew as her own son, expecting nothing in return. The aunt, Laxmi stands as an icon of motherhood and on the other hand Daisy stands in contrast to the ideals of Indian woman. Daisy is a social worker whose rare attributes arouse ambivalent feelings in Raman and they choose Gandharva type of marriage in their life. The focus of this paper is to portray that Raman’s life goes numb as he stands at the cross road between his aunt, Laxmi,who has protected him ever since he was a child and his lover Daisy who abandons him for the sake of her career.