Rasipuram Krishnaswami Iyer Narayanaswami (10 October 1906 – 13 May 2001)[1] was an Indian writer known for his work set in the fictional South Indian town of Malgudi. He was a leading author of early Indian literature in English along with Mulk Raj Anand and Raja Rao.

R. K. Narayan

Born :

Rasipuram Krishnaswami Iyer Narayanaswami

10 October 190

Madras, Madras Presidency, British Ra

Die : of

13 May 2001 (aged 94

Chennai, Tamil Nadu, Indi

Occupation :

Write

Alma mate

Maharaja's College, Mysor

Genr :

Fiction, mythology and non-fictio

Notable award :

Padma Vibhushan, Sahitya Academy Fellowship, Benson Meda

Swami And Friends

Summary of the story

A young boy named Swami wakes up on Monday morning in the town of Malgudi in South India. He rushes through his homework at his desk in his father’s room and then goes to the Mission School, where he is bored throughout most of his classes. Swami gets a bad grade on his mathematics homework and then, in his scripture class, gets into an argument with his teacher Mr. Ebenezar, a Christian fanatic. Swami is offended at his teacher’s dismissal of the value of Hinduism and arrives at school the next day carrying a letter from his father to the Mission School Headmaster, in which his father complains to the headmaster that the school does not welcome non-Christian boys.

Swami tells his four closest friends about the letter. These boys are Somu, the friendly class monitor; Mani, a powerful but lazy bully; Sankar, “the most brilliant boy of the class”; and a small boy named Samuel, nicknamed “The Pea,” who is not remarkable in any way except that he makes Swami laugh more than anyone else. Later in the day, the headmaster scolds Ebenezar but also tells Swami not to report incidents to his father in the future, saying that the boys should instead turn to the headmaster with any problems.

On the subsequent evening, Swami and Mani sit on the banks of the Sarayu river, discussing a classmate named Rajam who Mani wishes to throw into the river. It becomes clear that Rajam is known in school as a kind of rival to Mani, due to his fearlessness, intelligence, and wealth. Rajam’s father is also the Police Superintendent. Swami insists that he supports Mani more than anyone else, and when they return to school Swami begins acting as a go-between for the two rivals. Eventually, they decide to meet for a fight on the banks of the river to see who is more powerful. But when the time for the fight comes, Rajam suggests that they put aside their differences and become friends, to which Mani happily agrees. Having always admired Rajam, Swami is also delighted at this turn of events and glad to be the friend of both powerful boys.

The reader is introduced to Swami’s grandmother, whom he calls Granny. She lives with Swami’s family in a small passageway, and Swami feels safe and secure in her company. Swami excitedly describes Rajam to Granny and, although she tries to tell him stories of his own grandfather’s similarly impressive accomplishments, Swami refuses to listen. On a Saturday shortly thereafter, Swami ignores his grandmother’s requests to spend time with him and instead goes with Mani to Rajam’s house, where they are impressed by his luxurious home, numerous toys, and the delicious food his cook serves.

Back at school, Swami runs into his three friends Somu, Sankar, and The Pea. However, they are unfriendly to him and make a joke about a “tail.” After school, Swami makes Somu tell him about their joke, which it turns out refers to their calling him “Rajam’s tail” because they believe Swami now thinks himself too good for his old friends. The rejection by his friends is the “first shock” of Swami’s life, and he reflects miserably on how quickly people can change. At home, he makes a paper boat and puts an ant on it, then watches as the boat is consumed in a flood of water. As the days continue, Swami’s friends continue to ignore him, and school becomes an increasingly painful experience.

On another Saturday, Swami excitedly prepares for Rajam to visit his house. He anxiously orders his father, mother, grandmother, and cook through various preparations. The visit goes well, and Rajam even charms Granny with his stories. The next time Swami attends school, he is again faced by his old friends mocking him, and he slaps both the Pea and Sankar. Joined by Somu and Mani, the group goes outside, and Swami explains to Mani that the other three call him Rajam’s tail. Mani defends Rajam and fights with Somu until the other boys get the headmaster to break up the fight.

Three weeks later, Swami and Mani go to Rajam’s house again, this time because Swami told them he had a surprise for them. When they arrive, they jokingly pretend to be a blindpuppy and a blind kitten to get Rajam to let them in, only to discover when they open their eyes that Somu, Sankar, and the Pea are also present. Rajam serves the group food and then lectures them all on the value of friendship, offering them each a gift if they promise not to be enemies any more. One by one, each boy accepts his gift.

At Swami’s home, his mother has been in bed for two days and seems confusingly changed to him. Granny tells him that he is going to have a baby brother, but he is indifferent even when the baby is born, telling the Pea that the baby is “hardly anything.” The Pea assures him that the baby will grow up quickly.

In April, Swami and his classmates have only two weeks before their school exams. Swami’s father forces him to study constantly, and all of his friends are also unhappy under the stress of studying. Swami only feels that his efforts are worthwhile when his father compliments his work. Shortly before the exam, Swami makes a list of supplies that he needs and, disappointed that “his wants were so few,” he makes a more complicated list and brings it to his father. His father scolds him and refuses to give him money to buy supplies, instead telling him to take supplies from their desk at home.

At last, Swami’s final exam is over. He worries that he finished faster than his friends and did not write enough for one question, but his worry quickly turns to excitement as the other students finish and form a joyful crowd to celebrate the end of school. The group of boys destroys paper and ink bottles, creating happy chaos until a school administrator breaks up their celebration.

Without school in session, Swami realizes that he is closer friends with Mani and Rajam than with Somu, Sankar, and the Pea. He also wishes to get a hoop to play with, and gives some money to a coachman who promises to get him one, only to realize that the coachman tricked him. Rajam forms a plan in which Mani will kidnap the coachman’s son as revenge, but the plan goes awry when the boy gets away and his neighbors attack Mani and Swami to chase them away. Sitting on a road outside town and feeling frustrated, the three friends accost a young cart boy named Karuppan, frightening him with claims that they are the Government Police before eventually letting him go.

Soon thereafter, Swami’s father begins making him study again even though school is out. Feeling sorry for Swami after a long day of work, however, his father also brings him along to visit his club in the evening. Swami enjoys the visit until he realizes that the coachman’s son works at the club. He becomes increasingly fearful that the boy will attack him, not even trusting his father to protect him, and cannot relax until they leave.

In August, Swami and Mani find themselves in the midst of a protest for Indian independence. Moved by the speakers, Swami and Mani swear to support India against England and boycott English goods, with Swami even burning his cap when someone suggests that it’s foreign-made. The next day, Swami is nervous about not wearing a cap to school, but finds a crowd of protesters blocking entrance to his school. The group says that school is canceled due to the imprisonment of an Indian politicalworker, and Swami gets caught up in breaking windows and destroying property at both the Mission School and the nearby Board School. Eventually, the protest moves to a square in town, where Swami sees Rajam’s father order his policemen to violently disperse the crowd, a sight that shocks and frightens Swami. Later, his father expresses sympathy for the protesters but scolds Swami for losing his cap, saying it was made in India all along. The next day in school, the headmaster punishes all of the students who participated in the protest and Swami angrily runs away in the middle of class.

Six weeks later, Rajam finds Swami to tell him that he forgives his political activity and to invite him to form a cricket team. Swami has transferred to the Board School, while his group of friends back at the Mission School has broken up: Somu was held back, Sankar moved away, and the Pea started school late. Swami agrees to join the cricket team, and he and Rajam call themselves the M.C.C. With Mani, they write a letter to a sporting goods company ordering supplies. Although the company writes back asking for a deposit, the boys continue believing that their supplies will arrive and begin practicing with improvised equipment in the meantime. Swami quickly reveals himself to be a good bowler and earns the nickname Tate, after a famous bowler.

Swami discovers that the workload at the Board School is heavier than he is used to and also that it requires him to participate in daily afterschool drill practices. Consequently, Swami leaves school too late to attend cricket practice on time, which makes Rajam angry. One evening, Swami is concerned about his grandmother, whom he ignored earlier in the day when she said she didn’t feel well. He is relieved to find that she is well, but she disappoints him when she does not know what cricket is. However, Swami decides to educate her rather than scolding her. When Swami continues to be late to practice, Rajam decides to confront the Board School Headmaster and convince him to let Swami leave school early. Although Swami protests, he insists, and leads Swami to the headmaster’s office. The headmaster ignores their request and Rajam eventually gives up his effort.

The M.C.C. schedules a cricket match against another local team, but Swami is still not able to get enough practice time. With only a week left before the match, he decides to try and get a pass from a physician named Dr. Kesavan. Dr. Kesavan proclaims Swami healthy but agrees to tell his headmaster that Swami should get to miss drill practice. Delighted, Swami skips drill practice every day to attend cricket, only to find at the end of the week that the doctor never spoke to the headmaster. The headmaster threatens to cane Swami, but Swami throws the cane out the window and runs away. Swami fears that his father will be too angry to let him live at home without attending school, so he decides to run away. He goes to the Mission School and, after reminiscing about how much he loved being a student there, he finds Rajam to say goodbye. However, Rajam convinces Swami to run away onlybriefly before participating in the match and then leaving for good.

The narration’s perspective switches to Swami’s father, who wanders the town alone late at night, looking for Swami. Swami has not been seen for hours and his mother and grandmother are sick with worry, with his father growing anxious as well. After looking everywhere else he can think of, Swami’s father fearfully peers into the Sarayu to see if Swami has drowned. Not finding him, he continues to walk along the rail lines.

The narration returns to Swami, who is wandering on a quiet road far from home. He reflects that he was foolish to leave over such a trivial problem and wishes to be back home with his family. He decides to return home but unwittingly goes the wrong way, becoming more and more lost until he at last begins to hallucinate in despair, thinking that he is being attacked by animals. He falls unconscious after a fantasy of winning the cricket match. The next morning, a cart man named Ranga finds Swami in the road and takes him to the District Forest Office, where an officer named Mr. Nair helps Swami figure out who he is and where he is from. Soon, Swami’s father takes him home with the assistance of Rajam’s father, where he is content to celebrate among his family until Mani arrives and informs him that he has missed the cricket match. Having thought that the match was the next day, Swami is devastated. Mani also says that Rajam is furious, so Swami resolves to speak with Rajam the next day and repair their friendship.

Ten days later, Swami still has not spoken with Rajam due to fear of his reaction. However, he has learned that Rajam’s father has been transferred and the family is about to move away. Swami searches his possessions for a going-away present for Rajam, settling on a book of fairy tales, and resolves to go to the train station in the morning to give it to Rajam. Swami goes to the station but is again too intimidated to talk to Rajam, who gets on the train without saying goodbye. Panicking, Swami asks Mani for help and the two boys run alongside the train, finally giving Rajam the book. Rajam seems to say something to Swami, but his words are lost under the noise of the train. Mani tells Swami that Rajam has his address and will write, but Swami is unsure if Mani is telling the truth.

Character of the story :

1. Swami =

Swami is the ten-year-old protagonist of the novel. Swami is a schoolboy living in 1930, in the fictional town of Malgudi in the South of India under British colonial rule. At the start of the novel, Swami is a typical child who seems outwardly innocent, with only trivial concerns such as homework, impressing his classmates, and avoiding disappointing his father. Swami is considered average among his friends, neither especially clever nor stupid, brave nor cowardly. He is generally good-natured and gets along well with his peers and family, although he can be arrogant or deceitful at times, and is easily swept up in the plans and enthusiasms of others. As the novel progresses, Swami becomes more aware of his own identity and political consciousness and begins to define himself more in terms of his friendships and national identity than his family relationships. Swami is also a naturally good cricket bowler and prides himself on being nicknamed “Tate,” after a famous cricket player.

2. Rajam =

Rajam is the son of the Police Superintendent and one of Swami’s closest friends. Rajam is new to Swami’s school at the start of the novel, and initially Swami and Mani view him as an enemy due to his quick wits, fine clothes, and fearless nature. However, Rajam quickly becomes friends with Rajam and Swami and acts as their ringleader for the remainder of the novel. Rajam does well in school and is liked by most of his classmates, and he draws confidence from his father’s prominent position (Rajam’s father is the Police Superintendent), although it also causes him to oppose the political activity that his friends support. Rajam sometimes bullies his friends and acquaintances, but more often he unites them and urges them toward new goals, most notably the formation of a cricket team. Swami loves and admires Rajam but comes into conflict with him, first because Swami supports political action that opposes Rajam’s father, and later because he doesn’t live up to his promise on Rajam’s cricket team. Rajam is so angry at Swami for missing the cricket match that he stops speaking to him, and it is unclear at the novel’s end whether the two friends have reconciled.

3. Mani =

Known as “the Mighty Good-For-Nothing,” Mani is Swami’s other closest friend. Mani is a fearless troublemaker who never does his homework, sleeps in class, and frequently resorts to violence to solve his problems. However, he is also a loyal and affectionate friend, and Swami is proud to be allied with him. Mani often plays a supporting role in Swami and Rajam’s friendship, though at the end of the novel it is Mani, rather than Swami, who takes on the role of Rajam’s best friend. Mani lives with a frightening uncle, but little else is known about his family or background.

4. Swami’s Father =

Swami’s father, W.T. Srinivasan, is an imposing figure who works at the courts and is usually strict with Swami. Swami sometimes feels afraid of his father, but at other times he turns to him for help and support. Swami’s father encourages Swami to study hard and helps him with homework and, notably, provides Swami with a study space within his own room. Late in the novel, Swami’s father reveals that his concern for Swami’s wellbeing outweighs his frustrations with his son, as shown when he searches for Swami all night and welcomes him home without punishment.

5. Swami’s Mother =

Swami’s mother appears in the novel only occasionally, usually in the context of providing Swami with something he wants or backing him up in an argument with his father. She is presented as a mild woman who is mostly concerned with her family and managing the household. She loves Swami deeply and also gives birth to a baby boy, Swami’s brother, who occupies her attention for much of the novel.

6.Swami’s Grandmother / Granny =

Swami’s paternal grandmother, whom he calls Granny, is an old woman who lives with Swami and his mother and father. Swami views Granny as ancient and sometimes embarrassing, but she is also a source of comfort and security during times of change, particularly when Swami’s brother is born. Granny sometimes tries to tell Swami stories about the family’s past, but he usually refuses to listen, indicating his preoccupation with his own present concerns. Swami grows more concerned with Granny’s needs over the course of the story, beginning to see himself as a caretaker for her and making more of an effort to meet her needs.

7. Swami’s Brother =

Swami’s unnamed baby brother is born midway through the novel. While Swami at first thinks little of his brother, he soon grows fond of him and admires how quickly he learns and grows. Swami’s brother also presents a unique challenge to Swami, in that he occupies the family’s attention and makes it so that Swami is no longer the sole focus of his parents’ and grandmother’s affection.

8.Rajam’s Father =

Rajam’s father is the Police Superintendent and acts as a powerful figure in the community. Swami and Mani are initially very excited to be associated with the Police Superintendent through their new friend Rajam.

Somu=

Somu is one of Swami’s friends from the Mission School. He is the class monitor and gets along well with everyone, students and teachers, although he does not excel academically.

Sankar=

Sankar is one of Swami’s friends from the Mission School, known as “the most brilliant boy of the class.” Swami admires Sankar’s intelligence and relies on him for guidance at school. Sankar eventually leaves.

“The Pea” =

The Pea, whose real name is Samuel, is a small boy in Swami’s class at the Mission School. Although Swami acknowledges that the Pea is ordinary in most ways, they become friends over there.

Mission School Headmaster=

The Mission School Headmaster is a primary antagonist for Swami in the novel’s early chapters. Although he confronts Ebenezar about his mistreatment of Swami, he also calls Swami foolish for telling his father what happened.

Mr. Ebenezar=

Mr. Ebenezar is the fanatical Christian scripture teacher at the Mission School. Although Swami and his friends sometimes finds his classes amusing, he uses his lectures to degrade Hinduism and argue for the superiority.

Board School Headmaster=

The Board School Headmaster is a strict, wizened old man who Swami thinks of as “owl-like.” He is an imposing figure and frightens Swami, even preventing him from attending the cricket practices he loves.

The Coachman=

The unnamed coachman is an acquaintance of Swami’s who to help him acquire a toy hoop in exchange for money. He claims to be able to turn copper coins into silver.

The Coachman’s Son=

The coachman’s son is a young boy who begins to taunt and threaten Swami after his father successfully scams Swami out of his money. Rajam forms a plan in which Mani will kidnap.

Karrupan=

Karrupan is a young boy who is bullied by Rajam, Mani, and Swami while out driving his cart. The three friends harass Karrupan and pretend to be government agents, frightening the boy .

Dr. Kesavan =

Dr. Kesavan is a physician whom Swami goes to in an effort to get a medical certificate saying he can miss school drill practice in order to go to cricket.

Ranga=

Ranga is the cart man who finds Swami unconscious after his night wandering lost in the wilderness. He rescues Swami by bringing him to Mr. Nair, thinking himself too simple .

Mr. Nair =

Mr. Nair is the District Forest Officer who helps Swami return home after being lost. Swami initially confuses him with his own father, indicating the sense of loss and disorientation.

Themes of the story :

The Political and the Personal Under British Colonial Rule :

Set in a fictional town in south India circa 1930, Swami and Friends is defined by the pressures and complexities of British colonial rule over India. While the book’s events revolve around common childhood trials and tribulations, the personal experiences of the protagonist and his friends are colored by their political context, even when the characters themselves have little understanding of it. By examining British colonial rule through the lens of an ordinary boy’s relatable… read analysis of The Political and the Personal Under British Colonial Rule

The Political and the Personal Under British Colonial Rule Theme Icon

Education and Oppression

Difficulty within educational settings is one of Swami’s constant conflicts throughout the novel. Rather than simply depicting the ordinary childhood struggles of homework and unfair teachers, Narayan uses these familiar obstacles to enact a smaller version of the colonial oppression that suffuses the book. For Swami, school is a place of both growth and restriction, where rigid rules come into conflict with Swami’s nuanced inner life. Throughout, Narayan’s depictions of Swami’s school days .

The Fluidity of Identity :

Although little more than a year passes over the course of Swami’s story, his identity and those of his friends change and develop many times throughout the novel. By demonstrating how malleable his characters’ essential traits and roles are, Narayan casts doubt on the idea of objectively “true” identity, instead seeming to argue that even core characteristics like goodness and badness can be changed and chosen according to the desires of individuals and groups.

Innocence, Family, and Growing Up :

Just as Swami’s story reveals the somewhat illusory nature of personal identity, so too does it slowly strip away conventional notions of childhood innocence. While Swami seems at first to embody the quintessential idea of a carefree child, his growth over the course of the novel shows that even children of his young age are burdened by serious concerns and real-world threats. Narayan demonstrates this gradual loss of innocence in large part .

Education and Oppression

Symbol of the story:

Swami’s cap :

Swami’s cap becomes important to the story as he begins to develop a political consciousness. Swami thinks little of his clothes until the night that he and Mani stumble on a protest against British oppression, and Swami realizes that some of his clothing may be made by British manufacturers at the expense of Indian craftspeople. When a bystander suggests that he is “wearing a foreign cap,” Swami is ashamed and throws the cap into the fire—his first act in support of Indian liberation. However, the cap also comes to symbolize Swami’s naivete about political matters. The next morning, Swami thinks not of his devotion to Indian independence, but of the anger his father will feel when he sees that the cap is missing. Then, even after his intense experience at the protest, Swami continues to view his fledging political activity through the narrow lens of his own self-interest, telling his father that the cap was burned by someone else in the crowd rather than owning up to his own actions. Finally, Swami’s father informs him that the cap was Indian-made all along, undermining Swami’s passionate destruction of what he believed to be a symbol of England. The cap thus underscores Narayan’s point that Swami’s actions are tied to a political context even when he is only able to engage with that context in childish.

Cricket :

The game of cricket is the story’s most potent symbol of the complex way that English colonization plays out in the lives of Swami and his friends. As a quintessentially English activity, cricket is closely tied to England’s presence in India, but instead of rejecting it for its oppressive associations, Swami and his friends—particularly team captain Rajam—embrace the game as a means of gaining self-determination, dominance over opponents, and interpersonal connection. This paradoxical pursuit demonstrates the ways in which colonized peoples like Swami and his friends must necessarily adapt to the influences of the colonizer, even embracing aspects of the oppressive culture and subverting them into mechanisms of liberation. However, the friends’ cricket team has both positive and negative effects in Swami’s life; it initially helps him put aside his political differences with Rajam, but it also tears apart their friendship when Swami misses the crucial match. Through this symbol, Narayan seems to recognize the unstable and sometimes dangerous role that even the appealing aspects of colonizing nations play in the lives of the colonized.

The Book of Fairy Tales :

The Book of Fairy Tales Symbol Icon

Swami’s somewhat surprising choice of a book of fairy tales by Hans Christian Andersen as a going-away present for Rajam acts as a symbol for the crossroads of maturity at which the two boys find themselves. Swami has struggled to enjoy reading through the novel, while Rajam has excelled at it, so Swami’s sensitivity to the kind of present that Rajam would appreciate demonstrates the way that he has begun learning to think outside of himself and his own desires. However, the fact that the book includes fairy tales rather than true facts indicates that the boys’ reality is still largely shaped by fantasy. Even as Swami is forced to face the painful fact that Rajam is moving away without repairing his friendship with Swami, he relies on the power of a book of imagined realities to bridge the gap between them. Finally, Swami thinks that the book is too full of “unknown, unpronounceable English words” for him to ever understand it himself, again hinting that mysterious foreign influence is present in every corner of his life, even the parts that concern fantasy rather than reality.

For detailed theme https://www.academia.edu/42068211/Malgudi_and_Indian_Boyhood_in_R_K_Narayans_Swami_and_Friends

Malgudi Days

Short summary of Book :

Malgudi Days is a collection of short stories written by R. K. Narayan, published in 1943 by Indian Thought Publications, the publishing company Narayan himself founded in 1942. He founded the company after he was cut off from England as a result of WWII, and needed some outlet for his writing. It wasn’t just a vanity press, though, as during the war there was no other way to circulate Indian writing, and Indian readers had no access to new work. The press is still in operation, now run by Narayan’s granddaughter, Bhuvaneswari, or Minnie. Malgudi Days was first published outside of India in the 1982, by Penguin Classics. The book consists of 32 stories, all of which take place in the fictional town of Malgudi, in southern India. Each story is meant to portray a different facet of life in Malgudi. The project has been adapted several times, beginning in 1986 when a few of the stories were adapted into a television series, also called Malgudi Days, which was directed by actor and director, Shankar Nag. In 2004, it was revived by the film maker Kavitha Lankesh; the new series was broadcast on the public service broadcaster founded by the Government of India, Doordarshan.

“An Astrologer’s Day” features an astrologer who knows absolutely nothing about stars or astrology. He never wanted the job but he was so impoverished, he couldn't turn down the job. Through clever guesswork and manipulation, he has made many amazing predictions over the years so that people keep using his services. One day he comes across his rival, a man he thought he had killed years ago. He disguises himself as “the astrologer” and fools his rival, effecting a narrow escape.

In “The Missing Mail,” Thannappa is a kind postman who has a pleasant relationship with each of his customers, especially Ramanujam, a senior clerk in the Revenue Department Office. Ramanujam’s daughter is finally set to be married after many ups and downs. Thannappa decides not to deliver a letter to Ramanujam, which tells his about his uncle’s death, in hopes that it will not disrupt the much anticipated marriage ceremony.

“The Doctor’s Word” tells the story of Dr. Raman, who believes good words can’t save lives. When his best friend suddenly falls seriously ill, he finds himself questioning his beliefs, and finally says ‘good words’ in order to save his friend's life. He does this even though he knows there is no hope for his friend’s recovery. At the end of the story, though, his friend recovers. It is a medical miracle and even Raman is stunned.

In “Gateman’s Gift” we meet Govind Singh, who has been a gatekeeper and security guard for his entire life. When he finally retires, he picks up the hobby of working with sawdust and clay to make miniatures.

The Blind Dog” depicts a blind beggar who catches a dog to help him navigate the city. He tortures and mistreats the dog, but the dog still returns to him after running away one day.

In “Fellow Feeling," Rajam Iyer is a Tamil Brahmin who is travelling by train and gets into a fight with another passenger, while in "The Tiger's Claw," the Talkative Man, a recurring character in other stories, has a fight with a tiger.

In "Iswaran" the eponymous character is a boy who fails his Intermediate Exams ten times. He finally passes it, and in his celebrations, drowns in the river Sarayu.

Such Perfection" tells the story of a sculptor who begins to worship his most recent creation.

Father’s Help” introduces Swami, a character from R. K. Narayan’s first novel, Swami and Friends. In “Father’s Help”, Swami wrongly accuses his teacher Samuel. He learns lessons about proper behaviour and speaking the truth from his father.

In “The Snake Song” a musician narrates his life and experiences and explains why he stopped playing the harmonium

The main character in "Engine Trouble" is a poor man who wins a road engine lottery, but gets himself into some serious trouble, and is not able to put his lottery win to good use.

Forty-Five A Month” explores the relationship between a daughter, Shanta, and her father, Vankat Rao.

In “Attila,” a friendly dog with a frightening name tries to scare off burglars, without any success.

Leela’s Friend” tells the story of a five year old girl named Leela and her servant, named Sidda. Sidda has a special ability to communicate with children. One day Sidda is arrested for the suspected theft of Leela’s gold chain, but Leela’s mother later finds it in a cooking pot.

Other short stories collected in Malgudi Days include: “Out of Business”, “The Axe”, “Lawley Road”, “Trail of the Green Blazer”, “The Martyr’s Corner”, “Wife’s Holiday”, “A Shadow”, “A Willing Slave”, “Mother and Son”, “Naga”, “Selvi”, “Second Opinion”, “Cat Within”, “The Edge”, “God and the Cobbler”, “Hungry Child”, and “Emden”.

Theme of the story :

Overcoming difficulties and perseverance :

Overcoming difficulties and perseverance is the main theme of the stories. Many characters in these stories face difficult lives, yet somehow endure. In "A Willing Slave," Ayah, the nursemaid watches over children for many years. She gives her pay away to her relatives. Finally, after 20 years or so, her husband comes back, also from hard work and comes to claim her. Yet, the Ayah, the nursemaid, never complains, and accepts her fate. This type of patience and perseverance is typical of many of the characters, who slave away at jobs for long hours, under bad living and working conditions. Most of these characters are able to overcome their difficult situations due to their belief in God and karma. They feel that if they do their best in their present lives, that they will become closer to the Godhead in the next life, or even be able to merge with the Godhead.

Trust and Prejudice :

Trust and Prejudice are the main themes in twentieth short story in the collection "Leela's Friend", however is a reoccurring theme throughout the collection, but strongest displayed here. Sidda, Leela's friend, is punished for something she hasn't done, and no one believes her because of her status as a servant - believing Leela's mother instead. This shows that people had a direct distrust and prejudice towards Sidda, not because she was bad but because she was below them.

Good and Right:

In the second story in the short story collection "The Missing Mail", we follow a postman named Thannappa. He does what he believes is right and good as much as possible, as he cares for his friends and wants them to do well. When he receives new that one of his friend's father has died, he chooses not to deliver the news, knowing the hurt the man would be put through.

The "Real Truth" :

In the third story "A Doctor's World" Dr. Raman is the main character, and he always delivers the "real" truth, without sugar-coating it. He believes that no one benefits of positive words that have no depth to them. However, he realizes that this is wrong when he learns more and has an experience that changes his mind.

Characters of the whole Book :

the Astrologerappears in An Astrologer's Day

The Astrologer cannot really read the stars, but is a good judge of character. He did not prepare for this line of work, but helps his clients take a look at their future.

Guru Nayakappears in An Astrologer's Day

Guru Nayak comes to the astrologer when all the lights are almost out and it is night. At first he is an unknown customer.

The Mailman, Thanappaappears in The Missing Mail

Thanappa is the mailman who gets deeply involved in the lives of the people that he delivers mail to, especially with Ramanujan and his family.

Ramanujanappears in The Missing Mail

Ramanujan is a man on Thanappa's mail route for many years. Ramanujan now wants to get his daughter married.

Dr. Ramanappears in The Doctor's Word

Dr. Raman is a very straight and to the point doctor. He tells patients and their family if he thinks the patient will die or has a chance.

Gopalappears in The Doctor's Word

Gopal is Dr. Raman's boyhood friend. Suddenly Dr. Raman finds out that Gopal is sick.

Govind Singhappears in Gateman's Gift

Govind Singh works for a long time as a gatekeeper or security guard at a large firm. When he retires, he gets a small pension and develops a hobby of making clay and sawdust miniature models.

The blind man, the blind beggarappears in The Blind Dog

The blind man is a beggar who is brought out to beg everyday by an old woman. He becomes friendly with a dog that helps him, but that he abuses.

The Dog, Tigerappears in The Blind Dog

The dog is a friendly dog who roams wild by the market, until the blind man befriends it. It gets pleasure in helping the blind man, but then is subjected to a difficult daily routine

Rajam Iyerappears in Fellow-Feeling

Rajam Iyer is a Tamil speaking member of the Brahmin caste. He is riding on a train and becomes disturbed by one of the passengers that comes onto the train.

the Newcomerappears in Fellow-Feeling

The Newcomer who gets on the train is a disturbing man and a bully. He makes a man who is sleeping move and provokes Mr. Rajam Iyer with his disturbing speeches.

the Talkative Manappears in the Tiger's Paw

The Talkative man is a fertilizer salesman who goes to far-flung villages in the jungle, as long as they can be reached by the railroad. He appears in the village of Koppal, a place near the jungles and tigers.

Iswarenappears in Iswaren

Iswaren is a student who has failed his Intermediate examination many times since he was a boy. He has just taken it again, in one last try.

the Sculptor, Somaappears in Such Perfection

The sculptor Soma has made the perfect Nataraja, a statue of a god. He refuses to damage its perfection, despite the warning of the priest.

Swami, Swaminathanappears in Father's Help

Swami is a young boy in the early grades of school. He is trying to avoid going to school and claims his teacher punishes the students.

Samuelappears in Father's Help

Samuel is usually an easy going teacher of Swami, but is provoked by Swami's antics.

the Talkative Manappears in The Snake-Song

The Talkative Man studies Indian music and flute playing in his youth. This version of the Talkative Man has little relationship to other stories with this character.

the Sadhuappears in The Snake-Song

The Sadhu is a holy man who renounces the world. He comes to the talkative man's door and is rejected by him.

the Talkative Manappears in Engine Trouble

In this story, the Talkative Man wins a road engine, and then has problems deciding what to do with it.

Shantaappears in Forty-Five a Month

Shanta is a young girl who is just learning to read and write. She wants her father to take her to the movies.

Rao Venkat, fatherappears in Forty-Five a Month

Rao Venkat is Shanta's father. He is an overworked man who does clerical work in an office. He would like to pay more attention to his family but cannot.

Rama Raoappears in Out of Business

Rama Rao is a businessman, who suddenly finds himself unemployed and desperate for work.

Atillaappears in Atilla

Attila the dog is a fine-looking dog, but he is too friendly to be a good watch dog. Since his thoughts are shown, he can be considered a character.

Rangaappears in Attila

Ranga is a coolie gang worker, or laborer, who turns to robbing houses at night.

Velanappears in The Axe

Velan leaves his home village, Koppal, when his is 18 years old. He walks to the nearest town, Malgudi and gets a job as a gardener.

the Talkative Manappears in Lawley Road

The talkative man at this time is a news reporter on local affairs for a small newspaper. He decides to take the Frederick Lawley statue to his house.

Rajuappears in Trail of the Green Blazer

Raju is a known pickpocket. He is disguised as a peasant and looking for a target at the town fair.

Ramaappears in Martyr's Corner

Rama is a vendor of snacks on Market Road. He has a good business for a long time and he and his wife are very happy.

Kannanappears in Wife's Holiday

Kannan is a husband and father who uses the fact that his wife is on holiday to take off from work. He gathers coconut from trees.

Sambuappears in A Shadow

Sambu is a young boy of about 12 or 14 years old. His father stars in a movie that he watches, but the father has recently died.

Ayah, Thayiappears in The Willing Slave

Ayah is a not very intelligent woman who has served a family as a nursemaid and babysitter for almost 20 years. Her real name is Thayi.

Leelaappears in Leela's Friend

Leela is a 5-year old child who adores the servant Sidda. She defends the servant from accusations of theft.

Siddaappears in Leela's Friend

Sidda gets a job as a servant watching the girl Leela. He plays with her very nicely but then is accused of stealing her gold chain.

Ramuappears in Mother and Son

Ramu is an older teenager who has failed his school examination.

Ramu's Motherappears in Mother and Son

Ramu's mother is a widow who wants Ramu to marry his cousin.

the Boyappears in Naga

The boy at the start of the story is about 11 or 12 years old. He lives with his father in a hut, then his Father abandons him.

the Fatherappears in Naga

The Father lives with the boy and they earn their leaving as snake charmers and also amusing people with a trained monkey. The Father runs off with a woman.

Mohanappears in Selvi

Mohan is a photographer who discovers Selvi when she is young and makes her a star and marries her. He runs her life.

Selviappears in Selvi

Selvi

Selvi is a woman who is devoted to the music that her mother taught her. She becomes submissive to Mohan.

Varmaappears in SelviVarma

Varma owns the Boardless Hotel and coffeeshop, where much gossip is exchanged. He wants to present a gift to Selvi, but is stopped by Mohan in the story, Selvi's husband. He is also a fixture in other stories, where idle young men go to chat and fantasize about the future.

the Son, Sambuappears in Second Opinion

Sambu is about 16 or 17 years old. He is an idler who spends his time at the Boardless Hotel café. He does not want an arranged marriage, but then hears that he mother may be dying.

the Mother

The mother is a fairly energetic woman who has fainting spells. She sees a doctor who tells her that she is dying. She tries to arrange for her son to marry before her death.

the Shopkeeper, the Landlordappears in Cat Within

The Shopkeeper is also the landlord of the building where, in an addition to his shop, twenty families live. The people living there do not have electricity and live under overcrowded conditions.

the Exorcistappears in Cat Within

The exorcist earns his livelihood exorcising evil spirits that are believed to possess people and things.

Rangaappears in The Edge

Ranga is an illiterate knife sharpener of somewhere between 50 and 80 years old. His machine uses human muscle power, and his sense of time is vague.

the Hippieappears in God and the Cobbler

The hippie is an individual who tries to blend in with his environment. In a sense, he could be anyone from anywhere.

the Cobblerappears in God and the Cobbler

The cobbler is a poor old man who is trying to support himself, his wife and his grandchild, by fixing sandals and other shoes.

Ramanappears in The Hungry Boy

Raman is a young man who has a sign board business. He is upset because his girlfriend, who was his fiancée, has left him.

the Boyappears in The Hungry Boy

The Boy is at the town fair and has become separated from his family. All he is thinking of is having fun and eating and he goes off with Raman.

Rao, Emdenappears in Emden

Rao is a rich man who is very old. In his younger days he is called Emden, signifying someone who is very tough and daring.

Symbol of the story Book :

Scars - “The Blind Dog”

Narayan writes, “It was not a very impressive or high-class dog ; it was one of those commonplace dogs one sees everywhere colour of white and dust, tail mutilated at a young age by God knows whom, born in the street, and bred on the leavings and garbage of the market-place. He had spotty eyes and undistinguished carriage and needless pugnacity. Before he was two years old he had earned the scars of a hundred fights on his body.” The emblematic scars are indicative of the dog’s undomesticated nature. Perchance, the dog tolerates the scars in the progression of striving for his endurance.

Lies - “The Doctor's Word”

Nayaran elucidates, “Today, standing over a bed, the doctor felt that he himself needed someone to tell him soothing lies. He mopped his brow with his kerchief and sat down in the chair beside the bed. On the bed lay his dearest friend in the world : Gopal. They had known each other for forty years now, starting with their Kindergarten days. They could not, of course, meet as much as they wanted, each being wrapped in his own family and profession.” The doctor’s longing for lies depicts his prodigious powerlessness which is ascribed to his inability to cure his friend’s ailment right away. Manifestly, the doctor is overwhelmed to the degree that he hankers for someone to reassure him that his friend will recuperate. Accordingly, doctors are not immune from human vulnerability.

Pulse - “The Doctor's Word”

Nayaran expounds, “Next morning he was back at Lawley Extension at ten. From his car he made a dash for the sick bed. The patient was awake and looked very well. The assistant reported satisfactory pulse.” The pulse is indicative of Gopal’s improved status which is ascribed to the procedure which the doctor performs on him. The satisfactoriness of the pulse affirms that his body is reacting fittingly to the medication; thus, his probabilities of endurance are high

Diffrence between Swami and Friends & Malgudi Days

# They are not the same. Swami and Friends is a novel and Malgudi Days is a collection of short stories. Swami and Friends was published first; so I suggest you start with that one. Malgudi Days is not a sequel of Swami and Friends though both take place in the same village.

#significance of the both work

* Swami And Friends

The central theme of the novel is growing up of young Swami. He is a spontaneous, impulsive, mischievous and yet a very innocent child. His character is a child in the fullest sense of the world.

* Malgudi Days

Malgudi is the fictional town present in the novels of R.K. Narayan. It is of great significance to both the author and the readers as this town is central focus of his imagination which made all the stories related to the town and its habitants. This popular town is very prominent in R.K. Narayan.

# Moral of the both work

*Swami And Friends

the moral of Swami and Friends the book written by RK Narayan is it reminds us about our childhood memories such as mischief's in childhood, plucking mangoes...etc and in short it briefly explains the sweetness of childhood and importance of friendship.

*Malgudi Days

Similarities between story :

The themes in his stories and novels find a vivid life from historical observation of common place incidents and humdrum life. It presents the basic theme of Narayan’s stories and

novels as the place of man in this universe and its predicament and Narayan as the first and foremost an artist in his presentation of Indian life, culture and tradition. It highlights Narayan’s stories as quite attractive. He covers the wide gamut of human experience from the innocent pranks of children to serious communal riots, misery of common man to filial relationship, superstitions and orthodox social traditions to the supernatural elements. He is actually a sensible

novelist and short story writer who deeply loves his country and his countrymen. His criticism

can never be violent, even when it is bitter and far- reaching. What one gets in his novels perfectly illustrates the gentleness and humanity of his country.

Narayan's stories begin with realistic settings and everyday happenings in the lives of a crosssection of Indian society, with characters of all classes. Gradually fate or chance, oversight or blunder, transforms mundane events to preposterous happenings. Unexpected disasters befall the hero as easily as unforeseen good fortune. The characters accept their fates with an equanimity

that suggests the faith that things will somehow turn out happily, whatever their own motivations or actions. Progress, in the form of Western-imported goods and attitudes, combined with bureaucratic institutions, meets in Malgudi with long-held conventions, beliefs, and ways of doing things.

Malgudi is a fictional town of R.K. Narayan, where his literary works take origin. It is like a landscape as alive and active as a personified character. The fictitious region is woven in such a

smooth thread that it creates a fine fabric of inseparable part of Narayan’s realistic art. It is as remarkable a place in literature as Border Countries of Sir Walter Scott, Lake District of Wordsworth, and The Wessex of Thomas Hardy or The Five Towns of Arnold Bennet. It is a town created from Narayan’s own experiences, his childhood, and his upbringing.

The people in Malgudi are the people he meets every day. He thus creates a place which every Indian could relate to. A place where you could go “into those loved and shabby streets and see with

excitement and a certainty of pleasure, a stranger approaching past the bank, the cinema, the hair cutting saloon, a stranger who will greet you, we know, with some unexpected and revealing

phrase that will open the door to yet another human existence”. Most of Narayan's stories are set in Malgudi. Critics have attempted to find out the origin of this mythical town. K.R.S. Iyengar speculates that it might be Lalgudi on the Kavery or Yadavagiri

in Mysore. Uma Parameswaran believes that the city of Coimbatore largely satisfies the local colour portrayed in Malgudi. However, one is not likely to arrive at any definite answer as to its

geographical location even if one refers to all the references to the town in his novels and stories.

The simple reason is that Narayan has not drawn any map or framework of reference for his

Malgudi, as Faulkner, for example, did for his Yoknapatawpha or Hardy had set for his Wassex novels. Iyengar devotes three pages of careful descriptions of Malgudi and its environs. That Malgudi is not Narayan's perversion of Malgudi (as suggested by Iyengar) has been ruled out by Narayan himself both in his autobiography My Days and in an interview with Ved Mehta. All

the same, Narayan has given it an entity of its own and made it a convincing town with its local and regional trappings.

R. K. Narayan’s stories reveal a variety of human life. One can find the artistic zeal, integrity, craftsman and imaginative power in his work. The assessment that “Narayan is a story teller, nothing less and seldom more” points out to the source of R. K. Narayan’s strength rather than

that of his weakness. Narayan state: I’d be quite happy if no more is claimed from me than being just a story teller, only the story matter, that’s all.

Narayan’s Themes and Characters

Narayan's stories belong to the native Indian soil and are reminiscent of its culture. They mainly depict the Indian life and clearly express his view of the world and those who live in it, simple

but a fascinating plot, lively characterization, strict economy of narration and subtle simplicity of

language are some of the most outstanding features of these stories.

Themes of Narayan’s stories and novels seem to be of perennial interest especially to a sensitive mind interested in human beings. The themes of Narayan are all dependently interrelated and inter-connected. One of them is man’s susceptibility to self-deception which is the most recurrent providing excellent field for Narayan’s comedy. The study of the family and various family relationships, the renunciation, generational disaffiliation, conflict between tradition and modernity, the East-West encounter, education, etc. are his other themes. Through his themes Narayan reinforced the concerns and motifs of his writing in his long career like exile and return, education (in the widest sense of the term), woman and her status in the society, myths and the ancient Indian past, tradition and modernity, Malgudi and its culture, appearance and reality, the family and so on.

Through his themes and characters Narayan ploughed the literary soil and has made it fertile. The simplicity and apparent transparency of his style might give the reader the impression that

Narayan is easily read and understood but at the same time he has many hidden depths so if a reader who is not tactful or willing to look beyond the obvious is likely to read him much less

effectively. Narayan’s success lies in individualizing his characters and exposing the unnoticed, subtle possibilities of the average and the unremarkable. His characters appear natural as he observed thoroughly and closely life's little incidents, a healthy sense of humour coupled with

irony and satire.

In his novels Narayan creates a recognisable Indian community, peopled by various human types-astrologers, clerks, criminals, guides, dancers, painters, hotel owners, tailors, uncles, nephews,fathers, mothers, sons, siblings, students and historical figures. Types are universal, but in Narayan the universal is informed by a particularity of apprehension of the typical. In addition,

he also gave a mythological dimension to Malgudi by naming the river there as Sarayu and by placing ruins, forests and mysteries at the heart of his imaginary town.

S. Krishnan says that Narayan "is a story-teller par excellence" whose humanity, affection for his characters, "gentle irony" and "over-powering sense of humour" explain his appeal. Though

Narayan's purview seems unpromisingly provincial and his characters caught in the shallows of sticky indigence, he strikes universal chords of emotion and passion with a sure touch. He excels brother, through fine-grained detail, apt to mood and atmosphere.

The sincere and considerate attitude to people and to outer world, peculiarity and originality of characters in his works, and sympathy and susceptibility towards urgent social problems all these qualities make Narayan an original and a truly Indian writer. His success lies in individualizing his characters and exposing the unnoticed, subtle possibilities of the average and the unremarkable. His strength of characterization lies in his thorough and close observation of life's

little incidents, a healthy sense of humour coupled with irony and satire. He gently pushes the readers right into the midst of life that he is presenting. Entertainment and readability are the

keynotes of his stories.

Narayan presented the theme of independence, corruption, power, loyalty and identity. It is the first person narration by the Talkative Man. 'Lawley.He depicts commonplace situations, sees incongruities and adjustments and with this material builds up stories that not only reveal men and manners, but also provide a great deal of diversion

and entertainment. His some story deal with common life, simple episodes and simple characters. "

However, Narayan's treatment of the theme of the suffering and misery of man is suffused with a touch of sympathy. Some of the story can elicit his sympathy and stir his feelings to the point of creativity. Narayan has quite a few stories based on the innocence and mischiefs of children. These stories

are characterised by an element of irresistible appeal, fun and innocent humour. The stories are remarkable for their loving presentation of the creative imagination of children. "

Narayan presents a purely domestic story of despair and frustration of an unemployed youth and a vivid analysis of human emotion of motherly affection and love. " In these stories Narayan's keen observation of the plight of animals and his understanding of their sentiments find a beautiful expression. In the story, Under the Banyan Tree, Narayan reveals the themes of story-telling, isolation,

hardship, escape, fear, failure, loyalty and selfishness.

Work credits

1. Wikipedia

2. Litchart

3. Gradsever

4. Pinterest and Google

5 . Other crome sites

Pages

Friday, September 2, 2022