Question

Extension of a story : Leela's friend

Answer 1

In Leela’s Friend by R.K. Narayan we have the theme of injustice, class, acceptance, innocence, friendship and change. Taken from his Malgudi Days collection the story is narrated in the third person by an unnamed narrator and after reading the story the reader realises that Narayan may be exploring the theme of injustice. Sidda is wrongly accused of stealing Leela’s chain and despite his plea of innocence he knows that Leela’s parents do not believe him. The only recourse that Sidda feels he has is to run away. This may be important as Narayan may be suggesting that servants and their word meant very little to those who employed servants. Without any evidence Leela’s mother and father blame Sidda for robbing the chain. Should things of being different and Sidda  was not a servant the reader suspects that the same course of action (of calling the police) would not have been taken. So deep is the gap in class between Sidda and Leela’s parents that Sidda knows that he will not be believed hence his running away. Which is the only option available to Sidda. He knows that it is his word against Leela’s parents. Even though there is no proof that Sidda stole the chain.

The fact that Sidda is not believed by Leela’s parents or the police may be important as it not only suggests that the issue of class is playing a part in Leela’s arrest but social order too is playing its part. Sidda is at the bottom of the ladder when it comes to social order. He is a poor servant who in many ways is voiceless due to his circumstances. Something that is noticeable when the police bring Sidda to Leela’s parent’s home. Sidda does not say anything. He accepts that others have found him guilty and that there is nothing he can do about it. He knows that though nobody can prove it was him who took the chain. This matters very little. He will be charged by the police and he will go to prison. The rights afforded to others who are more socially mobile are not 

Answer 2

Leela's friend is a story of the friendship between Leela and Sidda.

• Leela's friend was written by R. K Narayan. R. K Narayan is famous for his English works like Swami and Friends ( 1935 ), The English Teacher ( 1945 ), etc.

• The story is about the friendship between Leela, the owner's daughter, and Sidda who is the servant in their home.

• It dwells on how people judge others by their appearance, caste, religion, etc.

• Sidda was accused of stealing a gold chain and was punished for a mistake he did not commit. Their friendship was shattered after this incident and Leela couldn't be with him after this incident.