House Opposite by R. K. Narayan :: Narayan House Opposite Essays

bear Opposite by R. K. Narayan   The short story, House Opposite by R. K. Narayan is an example of a man and his struggle with his own humanity. The basic plot of the story includes a holy man (only referred to as "the caveman") that is living along with the traditions of an Indian lifestyle. He considers himself to be a very good man, not succumbing to temptations or as it is put in the text, "He rigorously suppressed completely cravings of the palate and punished his ashes in a number of ways." It is indicated that the solitudinarian really did not run across why he was doing any of this however, barring his selfish interest in "spiritual liberation." The conflict in the story is internal the hermit becomes cognisant of a molest living across the street, and cannot ignore her presence. Throughout the story, the hermit complains about the "awful monster" and regards her as the "personification of evil." This is not the foot of the problem however. The hermits preoccupation with the prostitute served to destroy him, but unfortunately for him, the darned cannot be aimed at her. Throughout the middle of the passage, the hermit described the features of the prostitute with a particular contempt, yet he continued to look, even sneer at her. He continued to think about what went on scum bag the closed doors, the men that waited around outside the house "smoking, chewing tobacco plant and spitting into the gutter - committing all the sins of the world according to the hermit." In fact, subsequently the story unfolded, the hermit was so upset that he was "forced" to choke behind his shelter to look for a new place, thinking that he would rather not have a roof at all rather than live near the woman. He could not tend to his beseeming thoughts, and was not able to keep his gaze on the tip of his nose, as was proper, but only could see the woman. The interesting thing is that he did not blame himself at all for his problem. In one line the hermit thought to himself, "Difficult to say whether it was those monstrous arms and breasts or thighs that tempted and destroy me" and then proceeded to call the woman names. Why had she ruined his "tapas all the chastity he had so laboriously acquired" The truth of the matter, however, is that not only was the hermit weak-willed, he had no idea why he would even be against this womans practices, other than it was once said by someone.