Then follows the discussion of the missing mother trope in the novel; she makes it clear that in case of Ramakrishna Pai, nothing is said about his mother or his own childhood. Not only this, the author describes very few details of Pai’s physic. Pai narrates, “I am not particularly tall of fair or good or bad. I am just a man”. (CS: 22) Alterno calls it the trait of ‘de-characterization’ (L A: 47) which helps the author to highlight the character …show more content…
Her physical presence at the court constitutes a fundamental aid to Govindan Nair. She becomes instrumental to see the actual document by the judge. The document, indeed, were manipulated in false ways to accuse Nair. Hence by embodying constructed values of supreme Truth with her honest and composed intervention in the trial, the Mother Cat also represents the other side of the corruption and falsification. Thus the Mother Cat ends up her function to fondle its subject, love it, and always protect it from falling.
Another important recurrent theme of Rao’s novels is the yearning for a guru. In The Cat and Shakespeare Ramakrishna Pai is highly impressed by the astounding knowledge of Govindan Nair, gradually Pai drifts towards an acceptance of Nair as his guru. Although there is no explicit reference in the narration that Govindan Nair is formally a guru for Pai. But Pai’s unconcealed statements throughout the narrative (“Govindan Nair is my guide”. CS: 58) reflects the idea that Nair is his spiritual mentor leading him towards the Absolute Truth. Letizia Alterno …show more content…
He keeps Pai away from the menace of a psychic breakdown. It is the specific reciprocity between Pai and Nair that defines their bond as a guru-disciple relationship. The author who calls himself a sadhaka also indicates at this connection of Hindu tradition in an interview with Asha Kaushik, “The Serpent and the Rope is a novel of the discovery of the guru. And The Cat and Shakespeare shows how one functions after one has found the guru – the Vedantic Guru”. (A K: 36) Thus, Raja Rao touches upon and succeeds to narrate an uncustomary literary subject – the dynamics of a guru-disciple