Question

Which of the following is NOT a work by R. K. Narayan?

• A. The Guide
• B. Untouchable
• C. Malgudi Days
• D. The English Teacher

Hint:

Remember the "Big Three" of early Indian English fiction: R. K. Narayan (known for the fictional town of Malgudi), Mulk Raj Anand (known for social realism and depicting the lives of the underprivileged), and Raja Rao (known for philosophical novels). Associating Untouchable and Coolie with Anand is a key differentiator.

Answer 1

The Correct Option is B

Step 1: Understanding the Concept:
The question asks to identify the novel from the given list that was not written by the acclaimed Indian English author R. K. Narayan.

Step 2: Detailed Explanation:
Let's analyze the authorship of each book:
\[\begin{array}{rl} \bullet & \text{The Guide (1958): This is a famous novel by R. K. Narayan, which won him the Sahitya Akademi Award. } \\ \bullet & \text{Untouchable (1935): This groundbreaking novel depicting the life of an outcaste was written by Mulk Raj Anand. It is one of his most significant works. } \\ \bullet & \text{Malgudi Days (1943): This is a renowned collection of short stories by R. K. Narayan, set in his fictional South Indian town of Malgudi. } \\ \bullet & \text{The English Teacher (1945): This is a poignant, semi-autobiographical novel by R. K. Narayan. } \\ \end{array}\] Therefore, Untouchable is the work that does not belong to R. K. Narayan's oeuvre.

Step 3: Final Answer:
The correct option is (B).