XII ENGLISH 1.1 An Astrologer's Day: R. K. Narayan (Critical Study)

 1.1 An Astrologer's Day: R. K. Narayan

-:Critical Study:-

About The Author:

         R.K. Narayan was a well known Indian writer in English. He wrote a number of novels as well as short stories in English. He created an imaginary town called Malgudi in his writings. He is credited with bringing Indian literature in English to the rest of the world, and is regarded as one of the greatest novelists of India. His works include ‘The Financial Expert’, ‘The Guide’, ‘The English Teacher’, etc. His writing career spanned over sixty years, earning him a number of awards and honors. These include the AC Benson Medal from the Royal Society of Literature and the Padma Vibhushan, India’s second-highest civilian award.

About the Story:

             “An Astrologer's Day” is a thriller, suspense short story by author R. K. Narayan. While it had been published earlier, it was the titular story of Narayan's fourth collection of short stories published in 1947 by Indian Thought Publications. It was the first chapter of the world famous collection of stories Malgudi Days which was later telecasted on television in 2006. A famous critic described the work as "a model of economy without leaving out the relevant details. Themes found in An Astrologer's Day recur frequently throughout Narayan's work. The story was adapted into a 2019 Kannada movie Gara.

Features of the story:

1.      The ironical fact about the protagonist is that a gambler and a murderer, who is ignorant of his own future has become an astrologer.

2.      The writer reveals how the only qualification needed to be an astrologer in India is saffron clothes, a few charts and tilak and a keen observation of human nature along with a presence of mind.

3.      The astrologer should have been greatly relieved that he is not a murderer after all and he has managed to put Guru Nayak off, and he should not have bothered about how much money he had received. Yet, when he realizes Nayak has cheated him of some money he is angry.

Themes:

·         Irony of fate

·         Religion and blind faith

·         Crime and Punishment

·         Human Greed

·         Karma (tit for tat)

Description:

            The story begins with a description of the astrologer, who is the central character in the story. In minute detail, his appearance, his clothes, and all the materials he uses to ply his trade are described. The astrologer, who is not given a name, comes across as a type, one of the many street vendors in India, who sit under the shade of a tree or a temporary shed and sell anything from vegetables to newspapers. This astrologer belongs to the same category although, given the nature of his trade, there is a need to dress and behave in a particular manner. He does that effectively by giving the impression of a holy man whose special powers enable him to function as an astrologer.

            Almost casually, the surroundings of the astrologer begin to take shape. While there are no clear references to a particular city, it is likely, since Narayan consistently uses the fictional city of Malgudi, that this story too takes place in Malgudi. In any event, one gets the impression of a somewhat backward city which still retains a measure of its rural character. The reference to "municipal lighting" is one of the strategies employed by the author to suggest a sense of the place. In addition, the reference to other vendors who sell a variety of goods gives a sense of a bustling community in which the astrologer operates.

Dialogue:

              The first part of the story provides a sense of the setting and background without providing any real information about the astrologer. In very broad terms, the daily activities of the astrologer are told. The narrator makes it very clear that the astrologer is a charlatan who knows nothing about the future but is a shrewd judge of character. The transition from a type to sharply defined individual occurs when the astrologer is ready to leave for home and one last client stops in front of him. At that stage, omniscient narration gives way to dialogue and the astrologer and client become involved in a discussion. The astrologer treats this client like any other and begins with the same platitudes and comments he always uses, only to find that the client is unusually aggressive and mean-spirited. This client insists on his money's worth and states that if the astrologer does not tell the truth, he should not only return the money given to him but also give an additional sum for having lied. Realizing that he is likely to be exposed, the astrologer gets nervous and does his best to back out of the transaction. The client, on the other hand, is adamant and insists that a challenge is a challenge. The astrologer then has no choice except to agree to the terms.

             Just when the reader feels that the client has called the astrologer's bluff, the story takes on a new dimension. The astrologer begins by recounting the story of the client's past and describes how a long time ago he had been stabbed and thrown into a well and left for dead. It was the assistance of a passerby that saved him. The client, who is tremendously impressed by this revelation, is stunned when the astrologer addresses him by name, calls him Guru Nayak, and advises him to go back home and stop looking for the man who stabbed him since he had died in an accident. To further reinforce his point, the astrologer says that if Nayak leaves his village again, he is likely to face considerable danger. By now, the reader is quite mystified and begins to wonder whether the astrologer is really a studious person.

Themes and Meanings:

       The story turns on a most important human weakness: the desire to know the future. This weakness is greater among the sick, the suffering, and the poverty-stricken. In a poor country such as India, astrologers, palmists, and numerologists, as well as others who claim to know the future (for example, fortune-tellers assisted by birds in drawing cards), assume a great significance in society. Fortune-tellers offer hope to those leading tragic lives, giving them reason to continue their existence, and offer solace where it otherwise does not exist. They also find a means of survival in taking advantage of the misfortunes of millions, by listening to their tales of woe (particularly significant in a culture where psychiatrists are not common and would not command confidence even if they were). Astrology, in particular, has played a crucial role in the lives of many, and has long been an integral part of Indian life (so much so that, tradition has it, the horoscopes not only of Buddha—who lived five hundred years before the birth of Christ—but even of epic heroes dating back at least a thousand years before Christ have been maintained). In “An Astrologer’s Day,” Narayan not only touches on a tradition that has existed since antiquity but also comments on its debased modern version. Emphasizing a social reality, Narayan exploits, with a comic eye, a common foible of Indians and writes a happy-ending story with a double twist and double surprise. The astrologer in the story is not a Brahman (a traditional astrologer) but one of the more common kinds found on the roadside who has been forced to run away from an appointed role to a new destiny, and who adroitly uses the opportunity to thwart permanently a calamity that was hanging over his head. Even as others have their ups and downs, the astrologer has his ups and downs in life, and as the narrator says, “He knew no more of what was going to happen to others than he knew what was going to happen to himself next minute.” In the story, significantly enough, the astrologer’s would-be assailant unwittingly comes to the man whom he is seeking in revenge and misses the opportunity to kill him. Astrology deflects him from his violent purpose, giving him the illusion of tasting revenge, and also helps the astrologer to resolve an old, burning conflict; so, both are happy.

Themes:

1) Fate -
           Narayan's world is predominantly a Hindu one in which fate plays an important role. Nothing happens by accident and all human actions have consequences. The entire story is based on the astrologer's sense of guilt at having stabbed another young man in the village and then having absconded in order to avoid punishment. The stabbing is later seen to be an act of youthful folly. Nonetheless, the astrologer lives with the fear of being identified, and the curious irony is that it is he who identifies the victim and not the other way about. He does not pay for his crime, but the story ends on the note that he had spent years regretting his deed and that in itself is punishment enough. The story demands a suspension of disbelief, and if credibility is strained at certain points, it is because the author's notion of fate transcends rational explanation. Narayan's depiction of fate does not lead to an attitude of resignation, and it does not preclude the importance of individual actions. There is, however, a sense of a larger scheme within which human actions function.

2) Religion -
          Although religion is never emphasized in this story, or for that matter in most of his fiction , it remains a constant preoccupation in Narayan's writing. In the world that the author depicts religion is a way of life and it becomes an integral part of everyday life. Everything about the astrologer—his palmyra leaves, the holy ash on his forehead, the vermillion—all these are suggestive of an engagement with religion....

Summary:         

              The short story “An Astrologer’s Day” by R. K. Narayan (Rasipuram Krishnaswami Iyer Narayanaswami) follows a man posing as an astrologer meeting the man he once tried to kill. Originally published in Hindi, the piece, along with twenty-nine other short stories by Narayan, was first published in English in 1947. The short story contains strong themes that are apparent through Narayan’s creative work, including deception, revenge, and the ironies of life. “An Astrologer’s Day” combines suspense, realism, and thriller genres. The third-person, omniscient narrator begins by describing a day in the life of an astrologer. As opposed to astronomers who are scientists by training and study the physical properties of the universe, astrologers follow the pseudo-science of predicting the future based on the speculative motions of the stars, moons, and other planets.

            The astrologer lays out all of his professional equipment, including Ancient Syrian writing and enigmatic cloth charts. Many people mistake the piercing glare of his eyes for intelligence and the rare ability to tell the future, but really, he is just really good at looking for gullible customers. He also uses makeup and a turban on his head to make himself appear more mystical and thus a quality source for prophecies; no one can reliably recognize him. The astrologer sells prophecies in a busy market with low-quality facilities. The dingy lights, often powered by gas, cast a mysterious quality on the astrologer. The narrator notes that the astrologer cannot really tell the future, but he is good at reading people and telling them whatever it is they want to hear; in fact, it only takes him five minutes to deduce if the individual is having issues with love or money. He knows there are certain vague statements that will stroke the ego of any individual: “Is there a female who dislikes you?” “You are not being justly rewarded for your work.” “People find you intimidating, though you are kind on the inside.” As this is a service, the narrator casts no judgment on the astrologer for what he does for a living. The narrator gives the back-story of the young astrologer. He left his small village because he did not want to be an overworked farmer like all of his male ancestors. It is also hinted that he is running away from one of his misdeeds. To escape his fate, he travels by foot to a city more than two hundred miles away.

           One day, the astrologer starts to pack up at the end of the day, because the neighboring nuts stand has turned off the green light for the day; the green light was a vital part of his act. Before he leaves, a stranger accosts him, saying that he is not a real astrologer. The astrologer says he only charges pennies per question. The man pulls out the equivalent of a dollar and says he has some questions for the astrologer; if he answers correctly, he can keep the dollar. The astrologer bargains for a higher price, and the dual begins. The stranger smokes while the astrologer begins his process. The stranger is clearly aggressive and rude. The astrologer figures it has been a long day, and the challenge is not worth the money. He tells the stranger to come back another time, but the stranger physically restrains him, and tells the astrologer to answer yes or no: should the stranger continue with his current quest? The astrologer insists on a few incantations and thinks about the man’s situation. He then asks if the man has ever been left for dead; he has. The astrologer asks if it was a knife. The stranger, with increasing amazement, reveals a scar left on his chest by a blade. The astrologer then says that the man was left for dead after being pushed into a well. This turns out to be true. The stranger, amazed, asks when he should get his revenge on the person who assaulted him. The astrologer then calls his name ‘Guru Nayak’ and says that the man he seeks vengeance against died four months ago. Nayak is amazed—there is no way the astrologer could have known his name. The astrologer replies, simply, that he knows many things.

The astrologer warns Nayak to never journey south of this village. If he does so, he will surely be killed. But if he goes home, which is a forty-eight-hour train ride north, then Nayak can live well into old age.

             Nayak says that that will not be a problem. He only journeyed south to murder this individual. The only thing he regrets is that he could not have made the man’s death more gruesome. Fortunately, the astrologer says he was crushed under a bus—it was, in fact, a terrifying death. Nayak is pleased by this news. The astrologer picks up his things and heads home. He is late, and his wife is angry at his tardiness. But then he hands her the large bag of coins that he procured from Nayak. She is thrilled by the good fortune. After a nice dinner, the astrologer confesses to his wife that long ago, when he was a teenager, he was the one who pushed Nayak down the well and left him to die. The two had been gambling and drinking; they got into a huge fight at the end, and in a fit of rage, the astrologer stuck a knife into Nayak and threw him down a well. But now that he knows Nayak did not die, the astrology feels that he can sleep with a light heart now.

Critical Appreciation of the short story ‘An Astrologer’s Day’:

         ‘An Astrologer’s Day and other Stories’ are a collection of short stories written by R. K. Narayan. ‘An Astrologer’s Day’ is the first story from the collection.

Summary: 

            The story is about an astrologer, who chose to be one not out of choice but past mysterious situations in life forced him to be one. So it goes without saying that he was a stranger to the stars as much his gullible clients, but he did know how to carry out his profession. What baffles the reader and everyone is how he could correctly read an unusual client’s past and even known his name? Had he studied the stars and mastered the art, contrary to the common belief? Did he possess some uncanny powers, which could be put to good use, when needed?

Plot:

        1.Exposition: 

                  In the beginning of the story we are introduced to the astrologer. All others transacting their business nearby are there to create the right atmosphere and provide the setting necessary for the development of the plot. The crafty ways in which the astrologer transcends his work and endeared to his gullible customers is very well described. “He was as much a stranger to the stars as were his innocent customer. But it didn’t seem to matter at all. He said things which pleased and astonished everyone: that was more a matter of study, practice and shrewd guesswork”. The writer paints a perfect picture of an astrologer- the con men, the likes of whom we come across in the marketplace and towns. Even though we may harbour doubts about their knowledge of stars, we do feel tempted to consult them to know what future has in store for us!

       2. Complication: 

                 A sense of suspense is created about the personal life or past history of the astrologer. All that we are told in the beginning of the story is that he had not in the least intended to be an astrologer when he began life. He had left his village stealthily without any previous thought or plan. He had to leave home without telling anyone and had to cover a safe distance before he could recollect himself and his life. We are also told that astrology was not his family business. If he had continued to live in his village, he would have tilled the land and tended his cornfields like his forefathers. So this creates curiosity in the minds of the reader as to what had happened in his past that had broken this ancestral cycle and forced him to leave all of a sudden?

        3. Climax: 

                The narration continues at its normal expected pace until an unusual client appears in the scene to consult the astrologer when the astrologer was packing up his astrology paraphernalia and was ready to call it a day. This client was no usual casual client wanting temporary respite but had specific questions and challenged the astrologer to provide specific answers.

                The critical scene which drives the plot ahead: As the stranger lit his cheroot, the astrologer caught a glimpse of his face by the match light and for some obscure reason the astrologer now felt uncomfortable and tried to wriggle out of the whole thing. (The work place setting described in the beginning of the story is very well gelled in evolving the critical scene of the story). The stranger won’t let go the astrologer. “Challenge is challenge”. What the astrologer says hereafter takes the client as well as the reader by surprise. He was left for dead; a knife had passed through him once, he was pushed into a well nearby in the field. The effect is further heightened when the astrologer even gives out his correct name. Guru Nayak is completely stumped. When asked about the whereabouts of the man who stabbed him and left him for dead, the astrologer confidently tells Guru Nayak to give up the hunt because the assailant had died four months ago, crushed under a lorry in a far-off town. The astrologer also advices Guru Nayak to go home and stay up there and never travel southward again. This episode leaves us with new-found admiration for the astrologer. How could he so correctly read the stranger’s past and even known his name? Had he studied the stars and mastered the art, contrary to the common belief? Did he possess some uncanny powers, which could be put to good use, when needed?

        4.Denouement: 

                     The story takes another twist when the astrologer reaches home and confides with his wife the reason why he had run away from home, settled here, and married her. All these years he had thought that the blood of a man was on his hands. This past incidence had happened when he was a youngster, got drunk, gambled and got into a quarrel. But now the man he thought he had killed was alive. Thus a great load was off his chest. This is the reason why the astrologer had to leave his village without any plan or preparation. And this was how he could so correctly talk of Guru Nayak’s troubled past. The story thus ends with an incredible twist: “a murdered man” turns up to consult his “murderer”, who is now an astrologer, regarding when he will be able to have his revenge; the “murderer” recognizes him by the match light when the former had lit his cheroot but he cannot recognize his old enemy in his garb as an astrologer. The client is astonished to be told about his previous history by the astrologer, and meekly agrees to give up his search for his enemy declared to have been crushed under a lorry months ago. Thus the astrologer ensured for himself a safe and secure life hereafter. Convinced that his assailant had been crushed under a lorry months ago, Guru Nayak would not want to venture out of his village when it forebodes gave risk to his life. Thus all the mystery begins to fall in place and the loose ends are tied into a unified whole.

Atmosphere: 

         The author, R. K. Narayan, has an eye for details. He creates an atmosphere of a perfect work place for the astrologer.

Illustrations:

§  His professional equipment 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”.

§  The boughs of the spreading tamarind tree, the surging crowd moving up and down the narrow road morning till night, the variety of traders- medicine sellers, sellers of stolen hardware and junk, magicians, auctioneers of cheap cloth, and vendors of fried groundnut- vociferously vying with each other to attract the crowd created a remarkable work place for the astrologer.

§  The light and smoke of the crackling flare above the groundnut heap, enchantment of the place created by lack of lighting, hissing gaslights and bewildering criss-cross of light rays and moving shadows created the right setting for an astrologer.

Characterization:

        The method of characterization adopted by the author is a combination of expository and dramatic. There are three characters in the story:

1. The Astrologer:

              The protagonist is an astrologer. The astrologer’s name is never mentioned and it doesn’t really matter that the reader knows it. He is a ‘round character’ with various facets of the personality being revealed and the character evolved with the development of the plot. The appearance of the astrologer is very well described by the author.

§  “His forehead was resplendent with sacred ash and vermilion and his eyes sparkled with a sharp abnormal gleam” which his simple clients took to be prophetic light and felt comforted.

§  “Half-wit’s eyes would sparkle in such a setting”.

§  “To crown the effect he wound a saffron-coloured turban around his head. This colour scheme never failed. People were attracted to him as bees are attracted to cosmos or dahlia stalks”. The only thing the astrologer didn’t know anything about was ‘Astrology’ but he was intelligent and had his crafty ways to go about his profession. He had a working analysis of mankind’s troubles and told the person before him, gazing at his palm:

§  “In many ways you are not getting the fullest results of you r efforts”.

§  “Most of your troubles are due to your nature……Saturn……You have an impetuous nature and a rough exterior”. These talks endeared to almost everyone’s hearts immediately. Clever as he was, he never opened for at least ten minutes which provided him enough stuff for “a dozen answers and advices”.

2. A prospective client of the Astrologer/ Guru Nayak: 

             The prospective client happened to be the person the astrologer had stabbed and left for being dead when they were youngsters. Therefore he was restless, furious and was searching for his assailant to take revenge. The astrologer recognized him but the he could not recognize his assailant in the garb of an astrologer. His name, ‘Guru Nayak’, is revealed when the astrologer was unraveling his past. He plays a pivotal role in the development and climax of the plot.

3.  Astrologer’s wife:

           Though a minuscule role, the astrologer’s wife plays an important part in the denouement of the story, helping the astrologer take the great load off his chest. Is this character absolutely required in the story? The author could have eliminated this role altogether and allowed the astrologer heave a sigh of relief by talking to his conscience but confiding and sharing his relief with his wife brings the characters to life.

Narrative Techniques:

           The story builds up certain suspense in the mind of the readers regarding the circumstances that had compelled the protagonist to leave his village all of a sudden without any plan or preparation and take to astrology to eke out a living in the town. The revelation unties many knots merely hinted at earlier and weaves the parts into a unified whole. It is a logical climax reached dramatically.

Figurative Language:

 Irony: 

            The author uses ironic comment on the astrologer’s crafty ways of carrying out his profession and the gullible people

            who came to him for solutions and finding respite:

§  “He knew no more of what was going to happen to others than he knew what was going to happen to himself next minute”.

§  “He was as much a stranger to the stars as were his innocent customers”.

§  “…his eyes sparkled with a sharp abnormal gleam which was really an outcome of a continual searching look for customers, which his simple clients took to be a prophetic light and felt comforted”.

Simile: 

           The appearance of the astrologer wearing a saffron-coloured turban is described as: “To crown the effect he wound a saffron-coloured turban around his head. This colour scheme never failed. People were attracted to him as bees are attracted to cosmos or dahlia stalks”. The astrologer had left his home under mysterious circumstances and did not rest till he covered a couple of hundred miles. This enormous distance covered is emphasized as: “To a villager it is a great deal, as if an ocean flowed between”.

Catchy Phrases: 

            The work place setting is buzzing with activities consisting different traders. I personally liked the way the groundnut seller uses catchy phrases to transact business: “He gave a fancy name each day, calling it ‘Bombay Ice-Cream’ one day, and on the next ‘Delhi Almond’ on the next, and ‘Raja’s Delicacy’”. Innovative catch phrases are commonly used by many street vendors in the towns of India to lure customers. This vibrant marketing style has been very vividly captured by the author.

My Point of View:

Societal Satire:

           I have heard many quotes dealing with the past “Past being History and Future being Mystery…” and so and so forth. This story goes on to show how past can actually affect the present and future of one’s life. The astrologer had committed a folly by getting into a quarrel when he was a drunken youngster, the result of which changed his entire path of life. If not for the past incidence he would have continued to live in that village carried on the work of his forefathers namely, tilling the land, living, marrying, and ripening in his cornfield and ancestral home. But now he had to leave his village stealthily and take up the profession of an astrologer which he least intended to in a far away village. There is an element of social satire in the story: What happened in the past and how it affected the lives henceforth is for all of us to see.

Astrology as a profession: 

          The author uses irony to show how the science of astrology has been misused by these conmen in the society thereby creating distrust in the people about astrology and astrologers. Though the author uses ironic comment on the astrologer’s crafty ways of carrying out his profession and the gullible people who came to him for solutions and finding respite but he has never been judgmental and undermined astrology as a profession.

Illustration: 

          “He was as much a stranger to the stars as were his innocent customer. Yet he said things which pleased and astonished everyone: that was more a matter of study, practice, and shrewd guesswork. All the same, it was as much an honest man’s labour as any other, and he deserved the wages he carried home at the end of a day”. What makes the story impressive is the interesting plot, element of suspense, logical climax, figurative language, importance to details, and the underlying meaning behind the story. These elements have been artistically interwoven in the story by the author, making it an interesting read.