R.K. Narayan the English teacher brief summary
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Written by R.K Narayan the story is set in Malgudi. It is the story of Krishna , an English professor at Albert Mission school , where he himself used to study . Though he has a descent job , he is not happy with his present conditions . It feels to him that he is a "cow" ruminating on dead grass because he has to live in Malgudi , away from his beloved family . He has a keen interest in writing poems but hardly finds any time for it because of his profession as a teacher . Therefore , all these circumstances somehow turn him pessimistic and he begins to view negativity all around .
Somehow things take a turn when his family that includes his wife Susila , daughter Leela and his mother come to live with him. He is happy but again problem arises as his crumbly space is not enough for his family . They
Look for a new house . Mid way , his wife Susila was stung by an insect. She soon develops Typhoid and couldn't recover . She dies! This proves to be a big shock to poor Krishna who couldn't bear the loss. Now his whole life was centered around the baby girl Leela who gave him a reason to live. Thus, he began to shower all of his affection on her.
Somehow he still longed to talk with her wife. One day as he was roaming around the village pond , he saw a hermit who told him that he could help him communicate with his dead wife. He succeeds in talking to her , and also managed to get a job as an English teacher in the same school where his daughter studied .
Thus, his attitude changes . He imparts education to his students , completely devoted - a thing he lacked earlier . His life henceforth changed and things took a good turn in the end.
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Answer:
Explanation:
The English Teacher is an autobiographical novel.
Much of Narayan’s personal suffering has gone into the making
of this novel. It tells a love story with a difference.
It narrates the domestic life of Krishna a lecturer in English in the Albert
Mission College, Malgudi. Though he is thirty years old, he feels bored
with life in the absence of his wife and baby daughter.
They arrive after a few months, along with his mother.
Krishna and Sushila, his wife, lead a happy contended life for
several months. But then their house is not quite good, and so on an
ill-fated day they go out on house hunting.
As ill-luck would have it, Susila is stung by a flea, develops typhoid
and dies after a few days.
The death of Susila is a stunning blow to Krishna.
He is much upset and loses all interest in life and in his work at college.
The only comfort to him is his little daughter Leela, who now occupies
much of his time and attention. He frequently wanders about a lotus-pond
where he meets a Sanyasi who can communicate with spirits of the dead.
Through him Krishna is able to communicate with the spirit
of his dear departed Susila.
Krishna is thrilled, and regains his interest in life.
Krishna now meets the head-master of a new Children’s School.
He is very much impressed by his educational theories, gives up his job
in the college to serve the new institution.
That very night he is able to communicate with the spirit of his dead wife
directly, for the first time.
At this, an ineffable joy descends upon his soul.
Human connections are not achieved easily in Narayan’s fictional world.
Indeed, what often strikes you about that world something well
concealed by Narayan’s instinct for humour and sense of absurdity is
its extraordinary lovelessness.
A Brahmanical formality circumscribes the relationships within families, the
father being especially aloof, often cold, and romantic love, when it occurs,
is either a loss of self-control, or so beset by anxiety and fear
that its failure comes , almost as a relief to the protagonists.
This is what makes so remarkable the first part of The English Teacher,
where the narrator, Krishna, describes the quiet happiness of suddenly
falling in love with his wife. The happiness is celebrated here through
the many details of domestic life: the little squabbles, the shopping
expeditions, the reading of poetry, the fussiness over the first child, the
search for a new house.