MODERNITY VERSUS ORTHODOXY: NEGOTIATING CHANGE IN THE NOVELS OF U. R. ANANTHAMURTHY

U. R. Ananthamurthy is one of the most influential figures in modern Kannada literature, known for his critical engagement with Indian tradition, caste hierarchies, and social change. His novels Samskara (1965), Bharathipura (1970), and Avasthe (1978) powerfully represent the tension between orthodoxy and modernity in post-independence Indian society. This research paper examines how Ananthamurthy portrays the conflict between rigid traditional structures and emerging modern consciousness, and how his characters attempt to negotiate change within deeply conservative social systems. The study adopts a qualitative and comparative approach, focusing on thematic analysis of the selected novels. It explores moral crisis, reformist failure, and ideological disillusionment as recurring patterns in Ananthamurthy’s vision of social transformation. The paper argues that while modernity offers the promise of change, it often encounters resistance from entrenched orthodoxy, resulting in incomplete or failed reform. By analyzing these novels together, the study highlights Ananthamurthy’s evolving critique of tradition and his complex understanding of modernity as both necessary and problematic. The research contributes to Kannada literary criticism by offering a cohesive reading of social negotiation and ideological conflict in Ananthamurthy’s major works.