Point of View

The story is told from the first person point of view of Nataraj, the press owner. This viewpoint is consistent throughout the story, with the exception of chapter ten, when a group of individuals, excluding Nataraj, visits Vasu. This part of the story is Nataraj's retelling of Sen's story. At this point, the story switches briefly to the third person point of view.

The Man-eater of Malgudi is Nataraj's retelling of events that occur in and around Malgudi. As both narrator and participant, Nataraj has the ability to influence the reader's point of view, and the reader must keep in mind that Nataraj is not an objective observer. He views things as a pacifistic, family-oriented, business-minded press operator would, complete with stereotypes and opinions. However, Nataraj is a fair-minded individual who is not prone to exaggeration, and the reader can assume that he is telling the...