ILN Journal: Indian Literary Narratives

Articles

Vol. 3 No. 2 (2026): ILN Journal: Indian Literary Narratives

From Commodification to Companionship: Human-Animal Relationality in R. K. Narayan’s A Tiger for Malgudi

Submitted
15 May 2026
Published
2026-06-30

Abstract

R. K. Narayan’s A Tiger for Malgudi(1983) offers a distinctive narrative in Indian writing in English by placing a tiger named Raja at the centre of its story as both protagonist and first-person narrator. This article examines the shifting dynamics of human-animal relationality in the novel, tracing Raja’s journey from a commodified animal exploited successively by the circus and the film industry as a spectacle for human profit, to a companion and spiritual equal under the guidance of an ascetic Master. Drawing on Nicole Shukin’s concept of animal capital and Donna Haraway’s notion of companion species, and situating the analysis within the Indian philosophical traditions of ahimsa and Vedantic non-dualism, the article examines how Narayan deconstructs anthropocentric assumptions by asserting Raja’s interiority, consciousness, and capacity for transformation. The research article further argues that the novel moves beyond the binary of human and animal to propose a model of interspecies relationality that is grounded in recognition, empathy, and spiritual companionship. This contributes to the growing field of Animal Studies in Indian literary criticism.

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