Dr. Yogendra Kumar Gautam
Assistant Professor, Government Girls College, Govindgarh, Jaipur, Rajasthan
E-mail: gautam.yogendrakumar82@gmail.com
Issue: Volume 2 No. 2 (June 2026) Anubodhan
Received: 12 April 2026 / Revised 28 April 2026 / Accepted: 28 April 2026 / Published online: 8 May 2026
DOI: https://doi.org/10.65885/anubodhan.v2n2.2026.054
Abstract
This paper explores the nuanced representation of childhood and innocence in Swami and Friends by R. K. Narayan through an interdisciplinary framework combining psychoanalytic theory and developmental psychology. Moving beyond conventional notions that equate childhood with purity and simplicity, the study argues that innocence in the novel is a dynamic and evolving condition shaped by cognitive growth, emotional conflicts, and socio-cultural influences. The protagonist, Swaminathan, is examined as a psychological subject whose actions reflect the interplay between instinctual desires, moral awareness, and external authority. Drawing upon the theories of Sigmund Freud and Jean Piaget, the paper analyses Swami’s behaviour in terms of internal psychic structures and stages of cognitive development. It further investigates the role of colonial education in shaping the child’s consciousness, highlighting the tensions between discipline and freedom, as well as tradition and modernity. Through close textual analysis, the study demonstrates that Narayan’s portrayal of childhood transcends nostalgic idealization and instead offers a realistic and psychologically rich account of early human development. Ultimately, the paper establishes that Swami and Friends provides valuable insights into the complexities of childhood as both a universal and culturally specific experience.
Keywords: childhood, innocence, psychoanalysis, developmental psychology, cognitive development, Colonial education, identity formation, Malgudi, Indian English fiction
How to cite: Gautam, Y. K. (2026). Constructing Childhood and Innocence in Swami and Friends: A Psychoanalytic and Developmental Study. Anubodhan, 2(2), 13–24. https://doi.org/10.65885/anubodhan.v2n2.2026.054