Thinking Activity on Short stories by R. K. Narayan

This Blog-post is a response to a thinking activity task on the Short story," An Astrologer's Day" by R. K. Narayan, given by our professor madam, Ms.Yesha Bhatt. To know more about this task, CLICK HERE.

• Indian English Literature (IEL) Pre-Independence :

Indian English Literature is also referred to as Indian Writing in English. It is the literature that is written in the English language by numerous Indian languages (native or co-native)writers. The early history began with the works of Henry Louis Vivian Derozio and Michael Madhusudan Dutt, Rabindranath Tagore and Sri Aurobindo, R. K. Narayan, Mulk Raj Anand, and Raja Rao. The period Pre-Independence literature was written before the independence of India.

• About R.K.Narayan:

Rasipuram Krishnaswami Iyer Narayanaswami is well known for his short form name, R.K.Narayan in the field of literature. He was born on October 10, 1906, in Madras [Chennai], India, and died in Madras on May 13, 2001.  In his long career, he published fourteen novels, over two hundred short stories, a memoir, two travel books, innumerable essays, and two plays. His first novel was Swami and Friends (1935). His last published work was Grandmother's Tale (1992), which in many ways reinforced the concerns and motifs of his writing in his long career—themes 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. (Click here to know more.)

• About the Short Story:

'An Astrologer's Day' is a short story originally published in Hindi Language and it is published in the English language, in 1947. The story is about the life of one Astrologer and his deeds. It is very difficult to convey the message to the viewers about the central theme of the story in this Gener of Short Story. The story is about one Astrologer and his life. His past and present keep us in thematic concern. 

At first reading "An Astrologer's Day" appears to be a somewhat uncomplicated story, rather amusing in the O. Henry-like twist, administering a mild shock of surprise to the reader at the end. But Narayan's is an art that conceals art. The deceptive simplicity of the story really hides a multiplicity of ironies. First, as pointed out by the narrator himself, the astrologer is a charlatan with neither the requisite expertise nor the proper training; he just gets by on the strength of common sense, keen observation, and shrewd guesswork. It is ironic that the false prediction of a fake astrologer should radically change the lives of two men for the better. This might even raise for the perceptive reader the eternal question of "Action" and the "Fruit of Action"—an ethical question raised in the Indian religious classic The Gita. In many other respects the entire situation is ironical: the astrologer is himself the subject of the client's query, and it is his own future he is asked to predict. Never perhaps is prediction so easy for the astrologer and so certain to come true; the astrologer is at first extremely reluctant to advise the client once he recognizes him and is actually forced by the man to do his job. Had he really declined to predict he would not have had a great weight lifted from his mind, nor would he have been able to ensure a life of peace for himself. Furthermore, in this game of one-upmanship each has won in his own way: the astrologer has obviously won by getting rid permanently of an old foe, but the client too has gained a little victory—he had promised a rupee to the astrologer but has actually fobbed him off with only twelve and a half annas; nevertheless, basking in the satisfaction of having saved about a quarter rupee, the poor client is left blissfully unaware of the great opportunity he has missed.

Like most of Narayan's works "An Astrologer's Day" is a story neatly structured, with its action briskly moving toward the snap, surprise ending. The opening, with its rather long description of the astrologer's personal appearance and the setting in which he operates, may at first appear to be a little too leisurely for a short story. But with its skillful use of color and small details it recaptures evocatively the small-town scene. Thus the astrologer, with his forehead "resplendent with sacred ash and vermilion," his dark whiskers, and the saffron-colored turban around his head, presents a colorful figure. Telling details like the place being lit up by "hissing gaslights," "naked flares stuck up on poles," and "old cycle lamps," create the proper atmosphere for the astrologer's dark predictions.

The story is written in a direct and lucid style, almost Spartan in its unadorned simplicity. Narayan uses no similes and no metaphors. His sentences are mostly short, and his diction unpretentious, with Indian words like "jutka," "jaggery," and "pyol" providing the proper local color to a story that is essentially Indian in every way. —M.K. Naik (Encyclopedia)

• Historical Context of An Astrologer’s Day:

Britain, as a method of culling the strength and will of the Indian population, catalyzed Hindu caste philosophy into the legally-binding system it is today. As instituted by the British rulers in the 19th century, Indian citizens are assigned a social caste (or class) from birth, depending on lineage and family ties. Higher castes are afforded more economic and educational opportunities, better support from the government, and greater freedom. Low castes are oppressed and devalued, with far fewer opportunities for success or advancement in life. Although British colonial rule was thrown off when India declared independence in 1947, and discrimination (particularly violence) based on caste was outlawed in 1989, the caste system remains a dominant social force to this day. “An Astrologer’s Day” was published in 1947, a significant and tumultuous year for India: already reeling from World War II and the Bengali famine that killed millions, India also began its existence as an independent nation. The Indian subcontinent was partitioned between the Hindu and Muslim populations so that each could have their own self-governing states, creating modern-day India and Pakistan. This process of division, known as Partition, grew extremely violent, resulting in the deaths and displacement of millions. (From Litchart)

We are supposed to give the answers to the questions given us as a Post-Viewing task: 

1. How faithful is the movie to the original short story?

The text takes readers more time to read rather than of watching a movie. But to get the concern of the text, one should read it. Because my personal experience says that during reading we do not get what actual meaning or concern, but if we have an interest in the particular text, it forces us to re-read the text and it gives us another sense of reading words and language. How to read or What you read is covert in What you understand. However, a movie or film or short film takes short time to understand. Here I put the starting lines and some screenshots which I have taken during re-watching the film. 

"PUNCTUALLY at midday, he opened his bag and spread out his

professional equipment, which consisted of a dozen cowrie shells, a square

piece of cloth with obscure mystic charts on it, a notebook, and a bundle of

palmyra writing."

"He had a working analysis of mankind's troubles : marriage, money, and

the tangles of human ties. Long practice had sharpened his perception. Within

five minutes he understood what was wrong. He charged three pies per question,

never opened his mouth till the other had spoken for at least ten minutes, which

provided him enough stuff for a dozen answers and advice."

These lines might be missed in the short film. Somewhere it is present, but not fruitfully. Another thing is Astrologer's looking description, his eyes and his clothes and all things he keeps with him during his fack job is not described through the camera in very short of time. The projection of the Unnamed narrator is not there in the film. 

It was nearly midnight when the astrologer reached home. His wife was

waiting for him at the door and demanded an explanation. He flung the coins at

her and said: " Count them. One man gave all that."

In these lines, the writer mentioned that his wife waiting for her husband at the door but in the film, there is no kind of door where his wife was waiting there. The door is missing there and perhaps it might show the concern that his what he did in past, there is always the door of his deed and its results which are waiting for him.

 2. After watching the movie, have your perception about the short story, characters or situations changed?

It is much confusing while he recognized the men who he tried to kill. But later on, it is easy to get through flashbacks. 

3. Do you feel ‘aesthetic delight’ while watching the movie? If yes, exactly when did it happen? If no, can you explain with reasons?

At the end of the movie, in the last scene while Astrologer talked to his wife about his past and felt guilty about what he did to that man,Guru Nayak. Here we do not directly introduce that what is the relationship between that man and the astrologer. But at last, we come to know from their conversation. And it gives aesthetic delight and not also. Because the very last shot of his face covered on the screen is showing he does not feel too much guilt that he should feel.