The document provides an overview of the Indian author R.K. Narayan and his famous novel Swami and Friends. Some of the key points summarized: - Swami and Friends depicts childhood in the small South Indian town of Malgudi during the pre-independence period from the perspective of the main character Swami. - Major themes include life under British colonial rule, education, fluidity of identity, and innocence of growing up. - The novel provides a reflection of Narayan's own childhood experiences and captures the feelings and behaviors of children through the lens of social learning and cognitive development.

1. Representation of
child life in
Swami and Friends

2. R K Narayan 1906-2001
 Rasipuram Krishna Swami Narayan
 Indian English novelist
 Malgudi fictional town
 Awards:
 Sahitya Academy Award
 Padma Bhusan
 Padma Vibhusan

3. Famous Novels of Narayan
 The Guide
 Swami and Friends
 Waiting for Mahatma
 The Financial Expert
 The Man eater of Malgudi
 The Dark Room

4. Swami and Friends
 Novel
 Characters:
Swami, Mani, Rajam, Somu, Sankar,
Samuel, Swami's father, mother, granny,
Rajam's father, others.
 Major themes:
Political theme under the British colonial
rule, Education, Fluidity of identity,
Innocence-family-growing up.

5. Child Psychology
 Child's mind- blank slate
 Childhood experiences
 Reflection of writer's childhood
experiences
 Setting in small South Indian town
of pre independent India
 Feeling of nostalgia

6. Innocence
 Childhood- not only embodies fun,
laughter, purity and Innocence
 Self centeredness, snobbery, vanity,
cruelty and jealousy
 Innocence of Swami and his friends

7. Childhood as a black slate
 Child's mind-blank slate
 Development of a child
 Self respect of Swami

8. Social learning and cognitive
development
Swami
Family
Friends
Teachers

9. Tends to get Socially accepted
position
 Bully Swami and Rajam with
Kruppan
 At Rajam's home
 At Swami's home
 Importance of position more than
family

10. Distress, Anxiety, and Confusion
in children's behaviour
"Child is the father of man."
_William Wordsworth
 Realistic but strange behaviour of
Swami
 Swami's state of mind after escape

11. Ironic effect
 Swami's life
 Ridicule of Education system
 Irony: Swami misses Albert Mission
school after leaving Board High
School

12. A unique world of boyhood
"Narayan's work like that of
Chekhov combines realism with
elements of fantasy and a
melancholy vision of human
experience."
_Gauri Shankar Jha
Current Perspectives in Indian English
Literature

13. Thank
You