The Bachelor of Arts: Difference between revisions

The Bachelor of Arts
	First edition
Author	R. K. Narayan
Language	English
Genre	Novel
Publisher	Nelson
Publication date	1937
Publication place	India
Media type	Print
ISBN	0-09-928224-0 (2000 ed.)
OCLC	6305101
Dewey Decimal	823
LC Class	PR9499.3.N3 B3 1980
Preceded by	Swami and Friends
Followed by	The English Teacher

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The Bachelor of Arts (1937) is a novel written by R. K. Narayan. It is the second book of a trilogy that begins with Swami and Friends and ends with The English Teacher.^[1] It is again set in Malgudi, the fictional town Narayan invented for his novels.

Plot summary

The story follows the coming-of-age of Chandran, a young upper-middle class college graduate into adulthood. Chandran falls in love with Malathi, who he desires to marry. Their relationship is rejected by her parents as Chandran's horoscope^[2] describes him as having a Mangala Dosha -- a superstition in which a marriage to a non-Manglik, Malathi, would lead to her early death. Malathi is then married to someone else.

Heartbroken, Chandran goes to Madras and lives on the streets. Disillusioned, Chandran embraces a nomadic life, becoming a Sanyasi and renouncing his life of worldly pursuits.^[2] Along his journey, Chandran is misunderstood as a great sage by the villagers he meets. After eight months, Chandran rouses to his senses, remembering his parents. He returns home, finding employment as a newsagent.

Despite his return home, Chandran still obsesses over Malathi. His father comes to him with a proposal of marriage to another girl, Sushila. Chandran is initially skeptical about finding love again, but later decides to meet her. Chandran falls in love with Sushila at first sight.

References

^ M. K. Bhatnagar, ed. (2002). New Insights Into the Novels of R.K. Narayan. Atlantic Publishers & Dist. p. 106. ISBN 9788126901784.
^ ^a ^b Amar Nath Prasad, ed. (2003). Critical Response to R.K. Narayan. Sarup & Sons. p. 83. ISBN 9788176253703.

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[1] M. K. Bhatnagar, ed. (2002). New Insights Into the Novels of R.K. Narayan. Atlantic Publishers & Dist. p. 106. ISBN 9788126901784.

[critical-2] Amar Nath Prasad, ed. (2003). Critical Response to R.K. Narayan. Sarup & Sons. p. 83. ISBN 9788176253703.

[1]

[2]

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 {{Short description|Novel}}
 {{for|the academic degree|Bachelor of Arts}}
+{{Multiple issues|
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+{{sources|date=May 2018}}
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 | followed_by   = [[The English Teacher]]
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-'''''The Bachelor of Arts''''' (1937) is a novel written by [[R. K. Narayan]]. It is the second book of a trilogy that begins with ''[[Swami and Friends]]'' and ends with ''[[The English Teacher]]''. It is again set in [[Malgudi]], the fictional town Narayan invented for his novels.
+'''''The Bachelor of Arts''''' (1937) is a novel written by [[R. K. Narayan]]. It is the second book of a trilogy that begins with ''[[Swami and Friends]]'' and ends with ''[[The English Teacher]]''.<ref>{{cite book|title=New Insights Into the Novels of R.K. Narayan|editor=M. K. Bhatnagar|publisher=[[Atlantic Publishers & Dist]]|year=2002|isbn=9788126901784|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=vA4LZtkvVjoC&dq=%22The+Bachelor+of+Arts%22&pg=PA106|page=106}}</ref> It is again set in [[Malgudi]], the fictional town Narayan invented for his novels.
 == Plot summary ==
-The story describes the complex transition of an adolescent mind into adulthood and the heartbreak which a youth faces. It revolves around a young man named Chandran, who resembles an Indian upper middle class youth of the pre-independence era. First, Chandran's college life in late [[British India|colonial]] times is described. After graduation, he falls in love with a girl, but is rejected by the bride's parents, since his horoscope describes him as a [[manglik]], a condition in which a manglik can only marry another manglik and if not, the non-manglik will die. Malathi, the girl with whom Chandran falls from  college, is then married to someone else.
+The story follows the coming-of-age of Chandran, a young upper-middle class college graduate into adulthood. Chandran falls in love with Malathi, who he desires to marry. Their relationship is rejected by her parents as Chandran's horoscope<ref name="critical">{{Cite book|title=Critical Response to R.K. Narayan|editor=Amar Nath Prasad|publisher=[[Sarup & Sons]]|year=2003|isbn=9788176253703|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=Vy0m8FpNXx8C|page=83}}</ref> describes him as having a [[Mangala Dosha]] -- a superstition in which a marriage to a non-Manglik, Malathi, would lead to her early death. Malathi is then married to someone else.
-Chandran is absolutely heartbroken to the extent that he goes to Madras and starts living on streets. Famished, delusioned and full of self-pity, he ends up wandering from one place to another. Also frustrated and desperate, he then embarks on a journey as [[Sanyasa|Sanyasi]]. On his journey he meets many people and he is also misunderstood as a great [[Wise old man|sage]] by some villagers. After 8 months, he thinks of what mess he has become and thinks about his parents. Due to the compunctions and the realizations, he decides to return home. He takes up a job as a newsagent and decides to marry, in order to please his parents, thinking of the discomfort he had caused them earlier.
+Heartbroken, Chandran goes to Madras and lives on the streets. Disillusioned, Chandran embraces a nomadic life, becoming a Sanyasi and renouncing his life of worldly pursuits.<ref name="critical"/> Along his journey, Chandran is misunderstood as a great sage by the villagers he meets. After eight months, Chandran rouses to his senses, remembering his parents. He returns home, finding employment as a newsagent.
-Even after returning home, he is still unable to get Malathi out of his head completely and though he tries hard, the pictures and memories of her keep haunting him for a long time.  After a long time, his father comes to him with a proposal of marriage to another girl Sushila. Chandran is still skeptical about love and marriage and initially refuses but later decides to see the girl. When he goes on to see the girl, he ends up falling in love with her.
+Despite his return home, Chandran still obsesses over Malathi. His father comes to him with a proposal of marriage to another girl, Sushila. Chandran is initially skeptical about finding love again, but later decides to meet her. Chandran falls in love with Sushila at first sight.
+==References==
+{{reflist}}
 {{R. K. Narayan}}
@@ Line 47: / Line 53: @@
 [[Category:Thomas Nelson (publisher) books]]
 [[Category:Novels set in British India]]
+{{1930s-novel-stub}}

v t e R. K. Narayan
Novels	Swami and Friends The Bachelor of Arts The Dark Room The English Teacher Mr. Sampath – The Printer of Malgudi The Financial Expert Waiting for the Mahatma The Guide The Man-Eater of Malgudi The Vendor of Sweets The Painter of Signs A Tiger for Malgudi Talkative Man The World of Nagaraj Grandmother's Tale
Collections	Malgudi Days An Astrologer's Day and Other Short Stories Lawley Road and Other Stories A Horse and Two Goats and Other Stories Under the Banyan Tree and Other Stories The Grandmother's Tale and Selected Stories
Non-fiction	Next Sunday My Dateless Diary My Days Reluctant Guru The Emerald Route A Writer's Nightmare
Mythology	Gods, Demons and Others The Ramayana The Mahabharata
Screen adaptations	Guide Malgudi Days Banker Margayya Mr. Sampat (1952) Mr. Sampath (1972)
Related articles	Malgudi Indian Thought Publications Miss Malini