Mythical Metamorphosis: The Timeless Influence of Myths in Literary Realms and Retelling of The Ramayana by R. K. Narayan
Keywords:
Myths, Legends, Ancient Literature, Retelling, Mythical symbolism, Contemporary Literature, Intertextuality, Cultural heritage, Narrative Innovation.Abstract
Indian literature captures the rich historical, spiritual, and cultural fabric of Indian culture through its intricate web of myths and tales. Myths have been used as a literary canvas, a source of inspiration, and a way to preserve culture in anything from classical texts to modern works. The paper explores the many ways that myths and legends have influenced Indian literature, highlighting the continuing power of these ageless stories using a variety of allusions. Myths and philosophical ideas may be found in abundance in the Vedas and Upanishads, the fundamental writings of Hinduism. The Ramayana and Mahabharata, the legendary epics and great Indian classics, continue to inspire generations of writers. This paper aims to study the retelling of myths and legends in R.K. Narayan’s The Ramayana. The work shares a common fascination with mythology and seeks to explore the distinctive ways in which Narayan depicts myths and legends in his work, examining the theme, characters, narrative technique, cultural nuances and contemporary resonance that distinguish this literary masterpiece.
References
Abrams, M.H., and Geoffrey Harpham. A Glossary of Literary Terms. Cengage Learning, 2015, 230.
Campbell, Joseph. A Hero with a Thousand Faces (1949). Princeton University Press.
Ed.2004. Retrieved on February 8, 2024.
https://archive.org/details/the-hero-with-a-thousand-faces-by-joseph-campbell/page/n19/mode/2up.
Divakaruni, Chitra Banerjee. The Forest of Enchantments. Harper Collins. 2019.
Frankfort, H.A.; Wilson, John A.; Jacobsen, Thorkild; Irwin, William A. (2013).
The Intellectual Adventure of Ancient Man: An Essay of Speculative Thought in the Ancient Near East. University of Chicago Press. ISBN 978-0-226-11256-5.
Frye, Northrop. The Great Code. Penguin Books, 1990. p. 47. Retrieved on February 8, 2024.
https://archive.org/details/greatcodebibl00frye_0/page/46/mode/2up?view=theater
Narayan, R.K.; The Ramayana: A Shortened Modern Prose Version of Indian Epic,
“Introduction by Pankaj Mishra”. Penguin Books: New Delhi - 110 017, India. eBook. 2006.
Narayan, R. K. The Indian Epics Retold: The Ramayana, The Mahabharata, Gods, Demons,
and Others. New Delhi: Penguin, 2000.
Pattanaik, Devdutt. Indian Mythology: Tales, Symbols, and Rituals from the Heart of the
Subcontinent. Inner Traditions Rochester, Vermont. eBook ISBN 978-1-59477-558-1. 2003.
Tripathi, Amish. Scion of Ikshvaku, Book -1 “The Ram Chandra Series”. New Delhi: westland
ltd, 2015. EBOOK4IN.BLOGSPOT.COM. Retrieved on February 2, 2024.
Web Sources
www.indiatoday.in/lifestyle/culture/story/devdutt-pattanaik-indian-mythology-fantasy fiction-hanuman-chalisa-amish-lifest-1029166-2017-08-11.
http://dt.pepperdine.edu/courses/greatbooks_v/gbv-15/66697602-The-Ramayana-R-K-Narayan.pdf.
https://simple.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mythology
http://indiatoday.intoday.in/story/amish-tripathinew-book-myth-ram/1/445483.html
Downloads
Published
Issue
Section
License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License.