Swami: Post-Colonial Bildungsroman 9 2. Swami: An Indian Schoolboy Fiction 13 3. Characters in Swami and Friends 17 4. Realism in R.K. Narayan's Novels 21 5. Tradition and Modernity in The Guide 25 6. The Guide: A Hindu Novel 31 7. The Ending of The Guide 35 8. Velan's Character in The Guide 39 9. Works Cited 41