A Comparative Study of Narrative Techniques in Film and Fiction with Special Reference to The Guide by R.K. Narayan

Abstract

With a particular focus on The Guide, a popular novel by R.K. Narayan, and the Vijay Anand-directed film adaptation of it, this research paper compares the narrative techniques used in fiction and film. Narrative is a literary and cinematic device that is used to create, communicate, and interpret stories. Although the novel The Guide uses a non-linear, introspective story with psychological depth and cultural context, the film adaptation conveys this complexity through music, visual storytelling, and temporal shifts—often with modifications to accommodate audience expectations and cinematic conventions. The effects of switching from written to moving images on narrative voice, point of view, temporality, character development, symbolism, and thematic representation are examined in this study. The study shows how each medium has distinct potential and constraints for conveying human experience and meaning by looking at these elements via the prisms of narratology and adaptation theory. The study concluded that although both media are effective at telling the core story, there are fundamental differences in the way that their intrinsic narrative forms engage their audiences.