Plot Summary

A Tiger for Malgudi is a 1983 novel by Indian author R.K. Narayan, written from the
perspective of a tiger named Raja, who recounts his life, up to and including his
uneventful elderly life in an exhibit in the Malgudi zoo. Raja speaks nostalgically about
his memories of the wild before being captured by humans, while acknowledging the
meditative life his carceral existence now affords. Through its personification of Raja, the
novel validates the experiences and emotions of animals who are too often neglected by
their captors, promoting cultures of nonviolence between humans and animals.

The novel begins as Raja remembers his early life. He was born in the Indian jungle.
Growing quickly, he seized his rightful place at the top of the food chain. He recalls the
other creatures of the jungle feared him. Raja lived most of his young life in the broad
swath of jungle called the Mempi Range. He was not an indiscriminate killer or despotic
ruler, but was surely a dominant and occasionally ruthless one: he punishes those animals
who deny him respect, and feasts on other animals liberally. At the same time, he has
compassion for certain creatures. One day, Raja’s sense of supremacy is undermined
when a female tiger challenges his arrogance. They fight and are an equal match, nearly
killing each other. A wise jackal inspires them to speak to each other rather than fight.
Obeying his words, they surprisingly become friends, then become mates and bear
children.

One day, Raja’s three cubs are tragically killed by a group of hunters. He seeks revenge
by stalking human villages and eating their livestock but is captured by a man called
“Captain” who runs a traveling circus. Captain and his wife, Rita, train Raja to perform
stunts. In the stunt that comes to be Raja’s most famous, he drinks milk alongside a goat.
The stunt goes awry one day when Raja embraces his predatory impulse and kills the
goat. Enraged, Captain takes him out of the show.

Madan, a film director, comes to Captain asking to feature Raja in a film. They strike a
deal, but Captain delays for so long that he irritates Madan. Finally, they start filming. In
one scene, Raja is to stage a fake fight with the strongman Jaggu. Jaggu, afraid of Raju,
almost backs out of filming. In one attempt to film, Raja upsets Captain, who electrocutes
him with a cattle prod. The rod does not subdue Raja as intended; the tiger retaliates by
killing Captain. The film set erupts into chaos, and Raja flees.

Raja makes it to the city of Malgudi. He roams throughout the city, terrifying its
denizens. Yet, Raja has given up using violence to influence humans and hopes only to be
free again. Nevertheless, deeply curious about humans, he visits many cafes and
businesses. He even visits a school after following a group of children. He falls asleep in
the headmaster’s office; when he wakes, the principal and other staff are cowering and
call for help.

Alphonse appears with a gun but doesn’t dare to enter the office. A spiritual leader known
only as “the Master” also appears, attempting to placate the people assembled outside the
office door. Alphonse drinks too much rum before attempting his rescue mission for the
headmaster. He passes out, and the Master enters the office instead. Raja is surprised that
he is able to understand the Master’s speech, unlike other humans. The Master orders Raja
to leave calmly with him, and he complies, amazing the onlookers.

Raja and the Master travel throughout India spreading a philosophy of nonviolence.
They travel into the mountains and live for a while in a cave. There, they are visited by
many people who want to emulate the Master. One day, a woman appears and demands
that the Master returns to her and their children, whom he abandoned. The Master
replies that he is now a different person, just as Raja is no longer a violent beast.
Disheartened, the woman returns to the city.

Raja becomes an old tiger. He finds it more difficult to hunt and protect himself. To help
his friend along, the Master invites a zookeeper from Malgudi to their cave. The
zookeeper offers to take care of Raja and proves to be friendly and compassionate. The
Master gives Raja a final assignment: to move into the zoo and make children happy. The
zoo will also render hunting unnecessary, enabling a nonviolent life for him. Now two old
friends, Raja and the Master part ways. The Master tells him that their spirits will meet
again, when their bodies are no longer necessary. A Tiger for Malgudi ends with this
philosophical union between man and animal, suggesting that all creatures can and
should strive for peace.

Raja

Raja the tiger is the novel’s narrator and protagonist. From his
reflections on his youth, readers can see that he was once a violent
and domineering animal who used his physical size and strength to
intimidate other animals. He is chastened by the death of his mate
and cubs at the hands of hunters and then by a sustained period of
bondage at the hands of Captain, a cruel circus master. His violent
tendencies emerge once more in his murder of Captain and in his
rampage throughout the town of Malgudi, but by this point, he is
tired of violence and desires only peace. He finds this peace in the
company of the Master and later in his retirement to Malgudi’s zoo.

Raja’s Mate

Raja’s mate is a powerful female tiger who is the first animal to show him
defiance, refusing his order to step aside. They fight a battle which is almost
fatal to both of them, but after they recover, they become friends and start
a family. Raja learns from his mate the limitations of power as a means for
finding fulfillment, though her murder by hunters causes him to relapse into
his old ways for a time; he attacks the hunters’ livestock and is subsequently
captured by the villagers.

Captain

Captain is a hard, capitalistic man who values the success of his circus over
the well-being of Raja and the other animals. He is also somewhat sadistic,
as indicated by the severity of punishments he inflicts on his charge. These
include starvation, humiliation, and even electrocution. An opportunist,
Captain is quick to grasp an opportunity to make money by having Raja
feature in a film, but in his efforts to make the tiger play along, he oversteps
his authority, and Raja mauls him to death.

Madan

Madan is a filmmaker who witnesses Raja killing a goat at Captain’s circus

and wants to feature the tiger in his next film. He hopes to change Raja’s
behavior to fit his script.

Rita

Rita is Captain’s wife and a trapeze artist. She advises Captain to train Raja
for the film using an electric shock prod, which ultimately leads to Captain’s
death.

Alphonse

Alphonse is a hunter who responds to Malgudi’s call while Raja is on the

rampage after killing Captain. Despite his professions of bravery, he is
clearly too afraid of Raja to enter the office where the tiger sleeps. He thinks
up a scheme to rescue the school’s headmaster from an attic, but his
excessive use of rum, which he drank to give himself courage, backfires
when it causes him to fall asleep.
The Master

The Master is a sannyasi, a holy man who has renounced worldly concerns in
favor of spiritual solitude. Even his wife, whom he encounters again while
living in a cave with Raja, cannot compel him to abandon his calling. He
seems to have a deep insight into the mind of Raja, as he alone understands
that what the tiger wants is an end to violence. He also has the bravery and
presence of mind to approach and convince the tiger to join him in a life of
tranquility away from human society, even though the people of Malgudi are
convinced that Raja is dangerous. When the Master feels that samadhi, or
spiritual enlightenment, is near, he gives Raja to a zoo.