Crime and Punishment" And “An Astrologer’s Day” by R. K. Narayan

 "Crime and Punishment" by R. K. Narayan

And

 “An Astrologer’s Day” R. K. Narayan

This blog is a part of a task given by Megha Trivedi Ma'am from The English Department, MKBU, Bhavnagar. The topic for this blog is to explore and give details about the short story "Crime and Punishment" and “An AStrologer’s Day” by R. K. Narayan.

 "Crime and Punishment" by R. K. Narayan

R. K. Narayan : 

         

           R.K. Narayan is one of the finest Indian authors of his generation writing in English. His style is graceful, marked by genial humour, elegance, and simplicity.

          R. K. Narayan completed his education in 1930 and briefly worked as a teacher before deciding to devote himself to writing. His first novel, Swami and Friends (1935), is an episodic narrative recounting the adventures of a group of schoolboys. That book and much of Narayan’s later works are set in the fictitious South Indian town of Malgudi. Narayan typically portrays the peculiarities of human relationships and the ironies of Indian daily life, in which modern urban existence clashes with ancient tradition. 

           Among the best-received of Narayan’s 34 novels are The English Teacher (1945), Waiting for the Mahatma (1955), The Guide (1958), The Man-Eater of Malgudi (1961), The Vendor of Sweets (1967), and A Tiger for Malgudi (1983). Narayan also wrote a number of short stories; collections include Lawley Road (1956), A Horse and Two Goats and Other Stories (1970), Under the Banyan Tree and Other Stories (1985), and The Grandmother’s Tale (1993). In addition to works of nonfiction (chiefly memoirs), he also published shortened modern prose versions of two Indian epics, The Ramayana (1972) and The Mahabharata (1978).

"Crime and Punishment" 

    "Crime and Punishment" R K Narayan presents a smart boy who is unwilling to study.  His parents are keen on getting him a double promotion to the first form.  But the boy gives a wrong answer to the teacher's question on purpose. 

 Losing his patience the teacher slaps the boy on his cheek.  The boy starts crying and threatens the teacher that he would tell his parents about the punishment.  The parents were against any sort of punishment.  They wanted him to follow the theories of child psychology and treated the boy as if he was made of thin glass.

       For the thirty rupees he was receiving for teaching the boy, the teacher had to put up with their ideas.  But the boy takes advantage of the situation and makes the teacher stop the lesson and play with him.  He has to play the role of a station master with a toy train.  When the toy stops functioning the boy asks him to repair it. When he expresses his inability to do it, the boy runs to the parents to tell them about the punishment.  

      The teacher has to run after the boy.  But when they meet the parents they ask the teacher about the boy's progress in his studies.  The boy pleads with him not to betray him.  The teacher tells them that he is doing well.  He adds that as they had finished their lessons early, he was playing about with the child to keep up his spirits.

       Usually teachers punish students for their crimes.  Here the punishment given by the teacher becomes a crime.  The teacher is then punished for his crime by the boy.  So there is a role reversal here.  The story also presents a sarcastic picture of our education system and educational principles that we follow.

 “An Astrologer’s Day” 

     "An Astrologer's Day" by R. K. Narayan is a captivating short story set in a bustling marketplace in India. The tale revolves around an astrologer who makes a living by offering predictions to unsuspecting customers. One evening, a stranger approaches him seeking guidance on a pressing matter. 

     As the astrologer examines the stranger's palm, he is shocked to recognize him as a man he believed he had killed years ago. Fearing the worst, the astrologer devises a plan to escape the clutches of his dark past, only to find redemption and a surprising twist of fate as the story unfolds. In this intriguing narrative, Narayan skillfully weaves elements of mystery and suspense while exploring themes of guilt, destiny, and human nature. 

     The story paints a vivid portrait of a street astrologer's deceptive existence and the unforeseen consequences of his actions. Through the astrologer's journey of self-discovery, Narayan leaves readers pondering the complexities of the human psyche and the power of redemption in the face of past misdeeds.

    The story is about a man who makes a living as an astrologer, sitting under a tree in a busy street every day and offering to tell the fortune of any passer-by who is willing to pay for him to do so. However, the ‘astrologer’ in reality knows little of the stars, and instead tends to rely on shrewd guesses, cold reading, and letting his clients talk for long enough for him to gain enough background to their lives in order to create the illusion that he somehow knows things about them which they have not told him.

    He also tends to tell them things which he senses they want to hear, knowing that people are more likely to be willing to hand over money to someone who tells them positive things rather than someone who delivers bad news.

          One night, as he is preparing to head home having finished his evening’s work, the astrologer spots a man and invites him to sit with him and have his fortune read. However, the stranger calls into doubt the astrologer’s abilities, and challenges him. He will give him an anna (one-sixteenth of a rupee) but if the astrologer’s answer is unsatisfactory, the astrologer must pay him the anna back, with interest.

Thank You… .