An Appraisal of the Regional Traits in Anita Nair’s The Better Man

Abstract

Anita Nair is a prominent Indian English novelist and she has effectively brought out the regional features of Malabar region. This study aims at an analysis of the novel The Better Man so as to bring out her treatment of regional characteristics such as the impeccable beauty of the mountains and streams of Kerala, the serene nature of Kaikurussi village, its paddy fields and elegant landscapes, the intermittent monsoon rains and the folk tale of Gandharvas as well as Naxalism. All these elements have made Anita Nair as a popular novelist of the Malabar region and she has carved a niche for Kaikurussi as an unforgettable village like Kanthapura of Raja Rao and Malgudi of R.K. Narayan.