Father's Help By R.K. Narayan

-Watch this Video for detailed Explanation-
Father's Help appeared in RK Narayan's book called Malgudi Schooldays. It is a classic children's book and many generations have cherished it in India. Like his other works, this book is also set in the fictional South Indian town of Malgudi. It is a book revolving around a funny little boy called swami and his peculiar antics. Children played a crucial role in Narayan's life as well as work. The writer has been applauded for his realistic depiction of the day-to-day life of a child in India.


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- SHORT SUMMARY -
On Monday morning, Swami was unwilling to go to School. He makes an excuse of having a headache. He was successfully able to convince his Mother but father was stubborn and tells him to go to school. He gives vivid imaginary account of his teacher Samuel's violent character for which Father becomes exasperated with the teacher and writes a rude letter to the Headmaster complaining against the teacher. Swami's conscience bothers him for making a false statement about Samuel. He reaches late to school. But, teacher shows concern and did not scold him. Then Swami makes a plan to disobey Samuel to him angry. So he troubles the teacher for which he get eight strokes of cane. Then he rushed to the Headmaster's room with the letter. But peon informs that the headmaster is on leave for one week If he want then he can give that letter to Samuel the assistant headmaster. Swami does not delivered the letter and goes back to home where he receives scolding from the father for not delivering the letter.


- EXPLANATION -
The story revolves around a school boy named Swaminathan. He is a student of Albert mission School. Like some boys he despises going to school and find a pretext for not going to school. One Monday morning he decides not to go to school and make an excuse that he has a headache. his mother allows him to stay at home. But, when father comes to know about this then he becomes stubborn and tells him that he must go to school. Swaminathan replies that he is unwilling to go to school late as a teacher Samuel would beat him.

Then Swami gives a brief but vivid imaginary account of Samuel's violent character and says that he is rude to the boys who go to school late. He canes the boys very vehemently and does not stop till he sees blood on the boy's hand which he makes the boy wear on his forehead. He also reports at once the teacher had skinned the Knuckle of a boy.


On learning about Samuel's violent behaviour with the students, Swami's Father was shocked and annoyed. He proposed to send Swami late to his class as a kind of challenge. he also decided to write a letter of complaint to the headmaster of the school and gave it to Swami to deliver it to him. On the way while going to school, Swami's conscience bothered him for making a false statement about Samuel. Swami felt that he was the worst perjurer (liar) on earth. Swami was reluctant to give the letter to the headmaster because he was not at all sure if he had been accurate in his description of h  is teacher. He could not decide how much of what he had said was imagined and how much of it was real. Samuel did not deserve the allegations that were put on him. He was much more genial than the rest. Swami's conscience bothered him as he was ruining his teacher and did not want his teacher to be dismissed from his job.

Swami was late by half an hour when he took his first class. He thought that his teacher Samuel would punish him. But Samuel allowed him to enter into the class. Swami tried variously to tease and provoke him. He even missed showing his homework, but the teacher considered him sympathetically.


When all his trials to irritate Samuel were in vain, Swami became dispirited. Then he thought another means to excite and waited for the last history class. To make his complaints against Samuel successful he talked with an abnormally loud voice with his teacher. In spite of several warnings to control the behaviour, he irritated his teacher. At the end of the class, his mission was successful and he received eight strokes of the cane on his palm as a punishment. 

Being jubilant he rushed to the headmaster's room, but found the room locked. He asked the peon and came to know that he was on leave for a week so he can give the letter to Samuel, the assistant headmaster.

He did not deliver the letter and returned home straight. His father asked him about the letter and then after swami's response, he snatched the letter from him and tore it off and threw it into the waste paper box and muttered that he deserved the punishment of Samuel.


- THEME OF THE STORY -
The main theme of the story is honesty, pity, aggression, imagination, guilt, stubbornness and fear. It revolves around a boy who uses a pretext for not going to school. The story depicts the child psychology and shows how a child's mind works to device out a trick for shirking his duty. this story also highlights the need of understanding between parents and children and the significance of ideal teacher pupil relationship.


- WORD MEANINGS -
  • Jutka - A horse-drawn carriage.
  • Lurid - Shocking
  • Apprehensively - In an uneasy way.
  • Perjurer - One who lies.
  • With a bleeding heart - Feeling to much kindness towards Somebody.
  • Languor - A state of being lazy 
  • Obtrusive - Prominent in an unpleasant manner.
  • Blanching - Becoming pale because of pain.

- QUESTION /ANSWERS -
Q. Did Swaminathan like going to school? 
Q. What was Swaminathan’s mother’s and father’s reactions towards his headache?
Q. Who was Samuel? How did Swami portray him?
Q. What did Swami’s father give him for the headmaster?
Q. Was Samuel as ruthless as Swami had described him?
Q. Why was Swami shouting in the class?
Q. Was Swami able to give the letter to the headmaster ? Why?
Q. What eventually happened to the letter?
Q. Did the story end satisfactorily?


Q. Read the Extract and Answer the Following Questions.

A.
“I have a headache”.
Q. Who said these words and to whom?
Q. Did he really have a headache? Why did he say so?
Q. What was the immediate outcome of these words?

B. 
“I am not shouting sir. 
This is my original voice that God has given me “
Q. Who said these words to whom?
Q. What happened as a result?
Q. What did the speaker expect would happen?

C. 
“Don’t lie in addition to being a coward”
Q. Who said this to whom?
Q. Did someone really tell a lie?
- ANSWERS -

- SELF EVALUATION TEST -
This is a quiz based test which is consist of 20 Multiple Choice Questions to test your Understanding about this Chapter...

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