Summary
Chapter 9
Rosie’s fame skyrockets almost right away. Raju’s importance also increases, as everyone seemed to know that he made her and she needed him. People seek him out and want to sit by him at shows. He makes everything precise and perfect and loves the showmanship. In public, they are restrained and formal, but in private Rosie excitedly embraces him and thanks him.
Rosie’s joy comes from reliving her evening show and thinking of all the garlands she receives. Raju focuses on their finances. An early issue is that the Sait by point of law manages to secure an attachment to Raju’s property so Raju decides to sell the old house and move into a larger one since he and Rosie are doing so well. Oddly, Rosie is uncomfortable with this and has an attachment to the house, but she gives in. Raju has a moment of chagrin in regards to his mother and her house, but it passes.
The bigger house suits Rosie’s burgeoning fame. There is plenty of space for her to practice, room for the permanent musicians, and of course room for servants and visitors. In regards to the visitors, Raju is cool to the supplicants but warm to all of the important people. He does try to limit whom Rosie can see, as he is coming to view her as his property and does not want her to be influenced by others. When someone gets through though, Rosie happily entertained for hours and hours. Raju does not like the other artists and performers because he feels like an interloper. Overall, Raju wants her to be happy but only in his company.
Over time, arguments crop up between the two of them, making them even more like husband and wife. They do not always have time for them, however, as they are traveling nearly twenty days a month. They are always on the move and Raju is always booking new shows and handling the details. When they go places, Rosie often suggests sites she’d like to see, but Raju simply says they will try and they never end up having time. Occasionally, Raju thinks about how Rosie seemed happier in their old small house with his mother and uncle.
Their monthly income is enormous but Raju is annoyed that money doesn’t seem to be that important to Rosie. She seems weary nowadays. Raju tries to perk her up and make her laugh, which works for a time. For him, making the maximum amount of money they can is the only important thing in life; if they make less, then he is a failure. He has no interest in living more simply.
In his free time, Raju loves to play cards with lofty personages for long stints, reveling in his own hospitality. He is now a notable figure hobnobbing with the elite and his ability to procure things and information is unfettered.
The only thing that casts a shadow on all of this is Marco. Raju had almost forgotten he’d existed and assumed Rosie did too. One day, however, the post brings a book to Raju and he is stunned to see that it is Marco’s lavish and comprehensive history of South India. To his surprise, he sees that in one section Marco paid his thanks to Raju, his guide. He has no idea why he did it, and decides he cannot let Rosie see the book. She might become crazed or confused. He hides it in his liquor closet where no one goes.
A few days later, Rosie shoves a newspaper picture of Marco in front of Raju and asks if he’s seen it. She is excited and says it is a good thing and he worked for this all his life. This talk disconcerts Raju, especially when she says she wants the book. Raju’s secretary, Mani, looks curiously at Raju since he knew what came in the post, but says nothing.
After a week, Rosie approaches and demands to know where the book is. Raju asks how she knows about the book and assumes it is Mani. In bed, Rosie prepares for a fight but Raju tells her to go to sleep. She states forcefully that she is proud of Marco. She cries and Raju asks why she is behaving like this. He is her husband after all, she explains, and was kind to her. Exasperated, Raju says she speaks of him and the incident years ago in two ways. He can't understand her—he has done everything for her. Is she a liar? Is she tired of him?
Finally, Raju announces that they ought to go on holiday somewhere. This pleases Rosie but she is still unconvinced because Raju says they have to finish the booked performances. She admits she is very unhappy and the thought of performing like a parrot in a cage again makes her sick. Raju diverts her with laughter and their life falls into a routine for a while.
Things are uneventful. The couple is in Malgudi and Raju is tending to correspondence. To his surprise, he sees a letter addressed to Rosie/Nalini and decides he must open it. It is a letter from a lawyer asking for Rosie’s signature because there is a box of jewels left in the custody of a Bank. After getting her signature, they will get Marco’s and the jewels will be released to her.
Raju is delighted, wondering how much the jewels are worth. However, he decides he cannot show her the letter right away and hides it. That evening, his mind wanders. Why did Marco send this over now? Was this generosity, or a trap? Or was this just a calm, rational settling of affairs? He decides he can't show Rosie after how she's been recently; she may lose her head and be miserable and fight with Raju. He tries to get through the next days until they are on the move again.
In the evening, Raju avoids Rosie after dinner because his mind is scattered and he doesn't want to blurt anything out. He keeps thinking about how much jewelry there is. He falls asleep but wakes up in the middle of the night, concerned that maybe there is a time limit on the letter. Quietly sneaking to his closet, he only sees the lines: “per return post.” His mind made up, he forges Rosie’s signature, which he was used to doing by now. He runs out to the post office as early as possible, which causes the postman to make a casual remark.
Raju looks for the jewel box in the mail every day. They have to go out of town and he tells Mani to be on the lookout for a parcel that will need to be signed for. Upon returning from their trip, he is annoyed and perturbed that nothing came. His mind ruminates on what might be happening.
The evening of their return, Rosie has a performance at Kalipet. Raju accompanies her, of course, and is excited how much money this large, glamorous function will net them. Raju watches Rosie’s dance for hours and marvels at her skill, but remembers his mother’s comments about her being a serpent girl.
While Rosie is dancing, someone comes up and tells him the District Superintendent of Police wants him. Raju is friends with the man and curious as to what he might want. The Superintendent looks rueful and tells Raju that there is a warrant out for his arrest. Raju looks at the warrant and sees that Marco has said he committed forgery. Raju protests that the lady was busy and he had to sign for her. The Superintendent sighs and says this is serious. He will let Rosie finish the show, and then they will go to the magistrate to get a special surety bond.
Raju is numb and knows this is a terrible situation. When Rosie comes out, he ushers her quickly into the car. She talks volubly about the night and becomes silent and drowsy. Raju drops her off but before he leaves with the Superintendent, he tells Rosie what has happened. She does not break down but bitterly says she knew he was doing something wrong; it is karma. She looks down at the Superintendent and asks what they can do. He says nothing right now.
Chapter 10
Raju has to spend a couple of nights in lockup like a low criminal. Rosie visits him and weeps that their money is all gone. When Rarju gets out, he avoids Rosie in their home and sees that all the mastery has passed to her. She speaks to him like a tramp she has rescued, and she scrapes together all her resources to make it work. She tears up still, but Raju cannot help but feel self-pity. He cannot believe he was trapped by a low man like Marco. He can think of no one’s troubles but his own.
Rosie and Raju fight about money. She says she is too embarrassed to take the rest of her shows. She snaps that she might go back to Marco. Raju cannot resist being cruel to her and she sighs that maybe the two of them should off themselves.
Rosie tells Raju she will not dance anymore even if Raju is free; this is not the life she envisioned. Everything changed once they lost the old home. Raju groans. Rosie states that she will pawn every last possession of hers to make things right but that once she is done Raju must leave her once and for all. She never wants to be with him again.
Rosie is as good as her word and takes on numerous engagements. She pays the debts and does what needs to be done. Raju is actually somewhat jealous of her self-reliance and forgets she is doing it for his sake. He realizes she could always manage without him or Marco.
He engages a celebrity lawyer who is skilled in the courtroom. He is extremely expensive but Raju knows it is necessary. In the courtroom, he presents Raju’s story in three acts: first, Marco as the villain who wanted to drive his wife mad; second, Raju saved her and made her an honor to the nation; third, the villain schemed and found a way to bring Raju down. Why did Marco wait so long? Why did he send the letter? In fact, the lawyer argues, the document arrived blank and someone else copied Rosie’s signature and then it was taken to the police.
The prosecution is also strong, calling up Mani, the postmaster, and a handwriting expert. The judge sentences Raju to two years in prison. The lawyer is pleased, as he was probably due for seven.
Raju is considered a model prisoner—quiet, efficacious, intuitive, and hard-working. The guards like him, as do the other prisoners. He tells stories and becomes known as the Teacher. He works incessantly in the Superintendent's backyard garden and derives pleasure from watching things grow. Indeed, he even grows to like prison and is morose when he has to leave. He likes his quiet and modestly purposeful life.
In the paper, though, he sees Nalini’s picture and notes that her empire is growing. It annoys and pains him that she is going on like this without him. He studies how much money she is probably making.
Mani comes to visit Raju once; he is the only visitor during the two years. Mani tells him how Rosie settled down in Madras and was doing well, and how she paid all the debts off. The only thing she took with her was Marco’s book. Raju childishly bursts out in annoyance at this, asking if she was with him. Mani responds that after the trial they went their separate ways. Mani also tells him that his mother is doing well in the village (his mother had been present in court, but was decidedly upset and disappointed with the way Raju’s life had turned out).
Chapter 11
Raju continues and then finishes his narration. His voice cracks. Velan listens silently and respectfully. Raju waits for his anger and indignance, but it never comes. Velan says quietly that he does not know why the swami told him all this, and how kind it is. With these words Raju realizes he will never be left alone. Velan stands and promises no one will ever hear of this. He leaves.
A journalist hears of Raju’s fasting and writes up a story that sparks public interest throughout the region. Telegrams start pouring in and out and the crowds around Raju begin to grow. Raju stands in the river for the allotted time and prays, and then rests to conserve his energy. When he sleeps, everyone is silent and still.
Each day, more people come. They swarm the temple and the waterhole and Raju is upset that he has no privacy and is never alone. He has a bit of stale food in his secret stash left, but it barely sustains him.
At one point, he wishes he could yell at the crowd that he is a fraud and they ought to not bother with him, but he knows he cannot. His back is to the wall and this is what he must do.
Raju occasionally glares at Velan—it is this man who gave him this fate! He should have been eaten by a crocodile. Thinking about crocodiles, Raju remembers how the one that died was cut open and there were many jewels in there.
Raju looks at Velan again and his heart softens. He will give him a chance; he will conquer his own thoughts of food. He decides to eradicate all thoughts of food for ten days. This marks a change in him. For the first time ever, he is fully applying himself to something other than money or love, and he is doing something for others. He has a new strength and energy.
As the days pass, the “hum of humanity” (189) roars louder. Malgudi throngs with people, cars, and little shops. The people at Raju’s shrine crowd in on him so that Velan has to order him back. The busiest man there is an American named Malone, who secures Raju’s permission to film an interview with him. Raju is weak but agrees. He answers Malone’s questions politely.
Doctors also visit Raju and say his blood pressure is no good and one of his kidneys may be affected. They seem worried. Malone enlists the schoolmaster to perform some of Raju’s tasks for the camera.
On the eleventh day, Velan and his assistants have to set up a cordon to keep people from getting too close to Raju. Velan cries that he needs air and that is all he has now. The doctors examine Raju again and say the swami is in dangerous straits. A telegram from the government orders Raju to cooperate and states that he cannot risk his life.
Raju smiles at this from his mat and beckons Velan. He asks Velan to help him to his feet. With the help of another, Raju walks down to the river. Everyone is solemn and silent. Raju haltingly steps into the river and mutters payers. It is hard to hold him. He opens his eyes and looks around and says to Velan that it is raining in the hills and he can feel it coming up over his feet and legs. He sags down.
Analysis
Raju is arguably at his worst once he has dedicated himself to Rosie’s career and manages its rapid ascent. He is greedy and materialistic, consumed by his newfound influence. He forgets that Rosie is the real star and takes credit for her fame. He ignores that she is unhappy and merely tries to distract or manipulate her when she voices her concerns. He wants to limit her interaction with other people and comes to see her as merely his property; she can only be happy if it is with/because of him. His talents as a guide serve him well in this new life, but here the stakes are higher and he messes up his life as well as Rosie’s (for a time). And Marco, whom Raju conveniently forgot existed, has the last laugh when he sets up the situation in which Raju forges Rosie’s signature in his desire for even more wealth.
The main questions at the end of the novel are: did Raju actually attain sainthood? Was he truly transformed? Were the rains really coming? Did he die? Let’s take the first two questions. Critics differ, of course, on whether or not Raju really attained sainthood and was transformed. In fact, this is one of the genius aspects of Narayan's novel for it is left ambiguous. R.C. Ghai is unconvinced, calling Raju’s answers to Malone’s questioning “vague and untruthful.” He does not at all sound like a man “who obtained release from self-deception.” Throughout the entire novel Raju cannot be taken seriously, so why now?
Other critics believe that Raju does indeed change. S.P. Ranchan and G.R. Kataria see Velan picking up where Rosie left off and leading Raju to a transformation that is authentic and meaningful. When Raju looks at the gratitude of the people, and at Velan in particular, he is filled with “a true and genuine concern.” Velan listens to his entire sordid tale and does not judge him but rather still sees him as a true holy man. Sure, Velan may be evincing his lesser intellect, but this has an impact on Raju. As David Atkinson notes, “Velan’s innocent faith has a dramatic effect on Raju. He comes to believe in the role into which he has been cast, and, in the end, sacrifices his life for those he originally intended to dupe.”
Ranchan and Kataria write that Raju “supplicates to the Mother archetype (in the name of the entire humanity surging forth towards him with deep devotion) to bless them and bless the parched earth with rain.” R.N. Arya calls his transformation “gradual, natural, if also wonderful” and says that even though Raju’s ultimate fate is unknown, “what matters is that it is only after he stopped thinking about himself that he is free from attachment of any kind. He does become the “‘guide,’ but of a superior mould.” He accepts suffering and the possibility of death, which certainly makes him seem like a different person at the end of the novel.
As for the fate of the village, Narayan deliberately leaves them ambiguous. It is possible to see Raju as successful, as so in tune with nature and God that he can see the rains coming. It is also possible to read the last lines as merely the ravings of a sick and dying man; there is no proof the rains are coming at all. And Raju living or dying is up to the interpretation of the reader, for “sagging down” is not dying, but one must concede that Raju’s health was faltering terribly and the walk to the river could have finished him off. John Thieme sums this up cogently: “In short, The Guide resists any form of closure. The ending raises the possibility that some kind of spiritual transformation may be taking place within Raju and that this may be accompanied by divine intervention to end the drought, but the final sections are narrated in a deadpan, documentary-like manner, leaving the possibilities that Raju remains a charlatan and that the drought will continue as a reasonable alternative inference.”
