Malgudi Days Summary

About the Author

Rasipuram Krishnaswami Iyer Narayanaswami, an Indian author and novelist better known by his pen name R.K. Narayan, is best known for his novels set in the fictional South Indian town of Malgudi. On May 13, 2001, he passed away. He was one of the most well-known early Indian English authors, along with Raja Rao and Mulk Raj Anand.

The first four books by Narayan that were published were the semi-autobiographical trilogy, Swami and Friends, The Bachelor of Arts, and The English Teacher. The fictional town of Malgudi originally appeared in the movie Swami and Friends.

Narayan emphasizes the characters' daily lives and societal surroundings. He has been compared to William Faulkner, who created a parallel fictitious village and similarly analyzed the energy of daily life with comedy and compassion. Narayan's short stories have been compared to Guy de Maupassant's because he summarized a story.

Throughout a career spanning more than 60 years, Narayan was honored with several prizes and honors, including the AC Benson Medal from the Royal Society of Literature, the Padma Vibhushan and the Padma Bhushan, India's second and third highest civilian awards, as well as the Sahitya Akademi Fellowship in 1994, the top award given by the country's national academy of letters. Additionally, he was proposed for the Rajya Sabha, the higher house of the Indian Parliament.

Introduction

R. K. Narayan's collection of short stories titled Malgudi Days was released by Indian Thought Publications in 1943. The book was reprinted by Penguin Classics in 1982 for readers outside of India. The 32 short stories in the book are all set in the fictional South Indian village of Malgudi. Each tale depicts a different component of Malgudi's existence. According to the New York Times, one of the appeals of the book is that "everyone in the book appears to have a capacity for responding to the quality of his particular hour." It is a form of art that must be studied and well-maintained.

A few of the book's tales were transformed into episodes of the Shankar Nag-produced television program Malgudi Days in 1986. The project was relaunched in 2004, with filmmaker Kavitha Lankesh taking over as director in place of the late Shankar Nag. The new serial premiered on Doordarshan on April 26, 2006. Google created a Google Doodle in 2014 to celebrate Narayan's 108th birthday, showing him in front of a copy of Malgudi Days.

The Plot of the Book

Based on the writings of R.K. Narayan, Malgudi Days explores the lives of those who reside in the fictional town of Malgudi.

Malgudi, a made-up small town in southern India, is populated by timeless people who may reside anywhere in the world, just like any other small town or village. They are ordinary people who endure life in a unique, fascinating, hilarious, and empathetic way. The charm of Malgudi Days was created by famous Indian author R.K. Narayan, who drew on his observations of human existence. The renowned television series was created in 1987 by the late Kannada actor and director Shankar Nag, and it was entirely filmed in Agumbe, Shimoga District, Karnataka. R.K. Laxman, Narayan's brother and noted cartoonist, created the drawings for the serial.

Main Characters

• Thanappa

Thanappa is the story's central character. He is a part of the Malgudi people's lives, sharing their joys and sorrows. He gives solutions to their issues or expresses concern for their well-being. He is compassionate and understanding, and he calms Ramanujam when the latter's father-in-law believes he cannot find a suitable husband for Kamakshi. He fears God and believes that only God's will can cause things to happen. He is an optimist and reassures Ramanujam when he believes Kamakshi will never marry.

Thanappa is sensible and advises Ramanujam to go to Madras with Kamakshi to discuss the marriage to the Delhi kid. Traditions do not constrain him. He genuinely loves Kamakshi and puts her happiness before his own, as he is willing to give up his job and the telegraph telling Kamakshi of her husband's illness or death rather than disrupt it.

• Swami

Swami is the novel's ten-year-old lead. Swami is a schoolboy in the imaginary town of Malgudi in southern India under British colonial authority in 1930. Swami is a typical child at the story's beginning, with minor concerns such as homework, impressing his friends, and not disappointing his father. His classmates see Swami as ordinary, neither particularly brilliant nor stupid, bold nor cowardly. He is always cheerful and gets along well with his family and friends. However, he may be arrogant or dishonest at times, and he is quickly caught up in the ideas and interests of others. Swami develops a greater sense of identity and political awareness as the novel continues. He also starts to identify more with his friends and his country's connections than with his family. Swami cherishes the nickname "Tate," which is taken from a famous cricketer and is a cricket bowler.

• Rajam

Rajam is Swami's close friend and the son of the Police Superintendent. At the start of the tale, Rajam is new to Swami's school, and Swami and Mani first consider him a competitor due to his quick intelligence, beautiful attire, and brave attitude. However, Rajam immediately befriends Mani and Swami and becomes their ringleader for the rest of the tale. Rajam does well at school and is loved by most of his classmates. He gets confidence due to his father's highly esteemed job (Rajam's father is the Police Superintendent), leading him to reject the political activities in which his friends participate. Rajam occasionally abuses his friends and fellow students in the circle. Still, he often brings them together and encourages them to pursue new ambitions, notably establishing a cricket team. Swami admires and loves Rajam, but fights with him, first because Swami supports political activity that opposes Rajam's father and eventually because Swami fails to keep his promise to join Rajam's cricket team. Rajam is so angry with Swami for missing the cricket match that he stops speaking to him, and it is unclear whether the two friends are at peace by the end of the story.

• Swami's Grandmother

Swami's grandmother lived at the end of a short corridor that connected the front hall with the dining room. Swami was a frequent visitor who frequently curled up in his granny's lap after dinner. She smelled strongly of cardamom and cloves. Her listening skills and patience are limitless. Swami can speak on and on about Rajam, his schoolmaster, and almost anything else under the sun, and Grandmother will still listen to him patiently. She has a very kind personality. She always manages to give in to Swami's demands.

Her memory is good for her age, as she tells memories of her husband's bravery and cleverness. She tells Swami about his ancestor receiving a gold medal for finishing first in the FA Examination. She seems innocent, and it's heartwarming to see her fall off to sleep in the middle of one of Swami's performances. As she tells stories about Harishchandra, she continuously reminds Swami of the significance of being a good human.

• Swami's Mother

Swami's mother rarely appears in the novel, generally when giving Swami something he desires or defending him in a dispute with his father. She is shown as a compassionate mother, mainly concerned with her family and managing household duties. She adores Swami and gives birth to a baby boy, Swami's sibling, who keeps her company for most of the tale.

• Swami's Father

Swami's father, W.T. Srinivasan, is a terrifying man who works in the courts and is typically harsh towards Swami. Swami is often terrified of his father, yet he also leans on him for guidance and support. Swami's father encourages him to work hard in school, assists him with schoolwork, and, most importantly, provides Swami with a study place in his room. Late in the story, Swami's father exhibits that his concern for Swami's safety outweighs his displeasure with his son, as shown by the fact that he spent the entire night looking for Swami and brought him home without punishment.

• Ebenezar

Mr. Ebenezar is a dedicated Christian scripture lecturer at the Mission School. Although Swami and his companions find his seminars funny, he sometimes utilizes his lectures to mock Hinduism and advocates for Christianity's supremacy. He is a Christian extremist who dislikes Swami's faith, Hinduism, and believes Christianity is superior to all other religions.

After Swami reports Ebenezer's behavior, the Mission School Headmaster criticizes the instructor, but Ebenezar can continue teaching as before. Following his experiences at the Board School, Swami later sees Ebenezer as a friendly face in the schoolyard and admires him.

• The Coachman

The unknown coachman, an acquaintance of Swami, offers to help him get a toy hoop in exchange for money. He claims to be able to change copper pennies into silver, but it is soon clear that he is just playing Swami for a fool to get his money. The coachman's son then threatens Swami as a result of this incident. The interactions between Swami and the coachman show how he is becoming more aware of the problems and dangers that the world faces.

• The Coachman's Son

After the coachman successfully tricks Swami out of his money, his son begins to mock and threaten him. Rajam believes that Mani will kidnap his son with Swami's assistance, but the plan fails when he fools Mani and escapes with his toy top. Swami soon discovers that the coachman's son works at his father's club, and he is scared that his son will attack him. Swami realizes for the first time that his father cannot protect him from harm.

• Nair

Mr. Nair is the District Forest Officer who assists Swami in returning home after he has gone missing. Swami immediately identifies him as his father, showing Swami's growing sense of loss and confusion. Later, Swami feels terrible for failing to say goodbye to Mr. Nair and fears that he did not express proper thanks for his contribution, drawing another similarity between Mr. Nair and Swami's biological father. Mr. Nair, on the other hand, lies to Swami about the day of the week, most likely to keep him calm, and does not realize he will miss the cricket match until it is too late.

Summary

Swami and Friends is the first trilogy book set in Malgudi, an imaginary village in South India. Swami, a compassionate yet energetic child, and his two friends, Rajam, the boy everyone looks up to in class, and Mani, the huge bruiser everyone fears, play crucial parts in the plot. They get into different misadventures as they go around town looking for something to do.

"He shuddered at the very thought of going to school." The first few words of the book describe how much he hates school. The first chapter describes the Albert Mission School and its faculty. Mr. Pillai, the history teacher, is well-liked by the students, while Ebenezer, the scriptures instructor, is hated by everybody, even Swami. The text master dislikes Hindu gods, which irritates Swami's father, who then sends a letter to the principal about the isolation that the Hindu boys in the class experience when Ebenezer criticizes Krishna. Mani is introduced in this chapter. Mani is massive, and his physique outweighs his intelligence. Somu, Samuel, and Sankar are some of his other buddies.

The second chapter introduces a new boy to a class called Rajam. Rajam is the rich superintendent's son. Mani declares Rajam as his opponent. Swami mediates between them, and they become best friends, hanging together in a trio. Swami always mentions Rajam to his family. "Oh, granny, you don't know what a great fellow Rajam is!" Swami shouts. His constant admiration and praise for Rajam earn him the nickname "Rajam's Tail" from his fellow students, particularly Somu Sankar and Samuel, which leads to a heated fight. Rajam invites all his pupils to his lovely home for lunch and promises them a present if they can make peace with each other.

"Say, Pea," Swami says to Samuel, "I got a brother this morning," emphasizing how youngsters cannot figure out how newborns arrive. Shubbhu, his new baby brother, has arrived.

Then comes exam fever, and Swami rushes to complete his chapters on decimals, review his lectures, and so forth. On the last day of the exam, students are relieved because they know they have a few days to chill and have a good time. However, the state of the country does not appear to be improving. India is engaged in a nonviolent conflict with the British. The teenage boys also decided to boycott imported clothes in their country and join the Freedom Movement. Swami gets frustrated and throws a stone through the school's glass, which causes him to be transferred to another school, the Board school, where he is isolated from all his friends and becomes depressed.

Swami's maturity is seen in the second part. He and his buddies have now decided to establish the Malgudi Cricket Club. Swami has established himself as a superb bowler and is affectionately known as Maurice Tate. Swami quickly conflicts with the headmaster over The MCC and is forced to leave school for fear of punishment. Exhausted and depressed, Swami arrives in the jungle. A Forest officer finds Swami and takes care of him. The father of Rajam is unable to find Swami. When Swami returns to Malgudi, he is greeted with sad news: Rajam is leaving town, and Rajam is furious with Swami for leaving on the day of their match.

Swami hurries to the railway station to give his buddy a book of fairytales as a farewell gift. However, Rajam takes the gift but remains silent to Swami. "Oh, Rajam, you are going away? When will you be back"?" The train has already left the station when Rajam finally opens his lips to say anything. Mani assures Swami that Rajam promised to write to him. Swami, on the other hand, is unsure. This is like a childhood bond that must end when the time comes.

Analysis

The beginning of the book immediately tells you what the narrative will be about. You learn that this novel is primarily about Swami, a child from Malgudi who hates school. Swami is, without a doubt, an upper-caste vegetarian Brahmin. In the chapter where he raises his voice against Ebenezer, his scriptures master, when Ebenezer honors Jesus, his identity is highlighted. As a Brahmin youngster, he finds it difficult to accept that Jesus, who eats flesh and drinks wine, is considered a God superior to the divine Krishna.

K Narayan's novel has another aim besides being a schoolboy story. He emphasizes post-colonial trends throughout the narrative by noting the boys' participation in the National Boycott. "Young man, do you want our country to remain in eternal slavery?" is a critical remark. Swami, a middle school kid, is reminded that, despite his young age, he has specific duties to his nation. Since he is wearing a foreign cap, he takes it off and throws it in the fire.

Swami goes so far as to warn, "We will spit on the police," when the headmaster of Board High School refuses to join the strike. Swami becomes so frustrated that he throws a stone through the school's glass window, shattering it into a million pieces. When Swami's father criticizes him for his behavior, we observe a type of social control imposed on youngsters and students, preventing them from entering the world of politics because they are "too young." It reflects how most seniors are uncomfortable with children voicing their displeasure.

Narayan also attempts to reflect on the general Hindu mindset toward Muslims quietly. Swami is seen playing with a camera produced by a Muslim student in his class named Akbar Ali when Rajam arrives at Swami's residence. Swami tries to explain himself after sensing Rajam's dislike of his new acquaintance. He labels Akbar Ali a "wonderful Mohammedan," who names Mohammed of Ghazni and Aurangzeb "rascals." Rajam's famous line, "What makes you think they were rascals?" makes everyone question Rajam's position.

Overall, this was a fantastic book. Everyone is delighted to see a novel produced for Indian children with native heroes in a familiar social environment. Often, Indian youngsters turn to books like "What Katy Did" to provide context for their upbringing, but Swami's narrative provides an Indian alternative to Western literature.