Unit- 9
AN
ASTROLOGER’S DAY
R.K. Narayan
Comprehension:
C1. Get into pairs/ groups and discuss
the answers the following questions:
1)
What articles did the astrologer carry?
Ans: The astrologer carried his professional
equipment, which consisted of a dozen cowry shells, a square piece of cloth
with obscure mystic charts on it, a notebook and a bundle of Palmyra writing.
Even he applied sacred ash on his forehead and vermilion.
2) What were the different names given by the
nuts vendor for his business?
Ans: The different names
given by the nuts vendor for his business were Bombay Ice Cream, Delhi Almond
and Raja’s Delicacy.
3) What kind of life would the astrologer
have in his own village?
Ans: If the astrologer had lived in his own village,
he would have carried on the work of his forefathers- namely, tilling the land,
living, marrying, and ripening in his cornfield and ancestral home.
4) How much did
the astrologer charge his clients?
Ans: The astrologer charged his clients three paise
per question.
5) Why did the
astrologer remain silent for at least ten minutes, initially?
Ans: The astrologer remained silent for at least ten
minutes initially because he was observing his customers and listening to them
and collecting information and at last he was answering the questions of the
customers. Overall he was studying them psychologically.
6) What was the
signal for the astrologer to bundle up?
Ans: As soon as the nuts vendor blew out his flare and
rose to go home, that was a signal for the astrologer to bundle up and to go
home.
7) How much did
the astrologer demand from his new client to answer his question?
Ans: The astrologer demanded five rupees in beginning
and later eight annas from his new client to answer this question.
8) What did the
astrologer ask Guru Nayak to do?
Ans: The astrologer asked Guru Nayak to return back to
his village as soon as possible and never travel southwards again.
C2. Working in
pairs, discuss the answers to the following questions and write them in your
notebook.
1) Why did the
astrologer have no light of his own for his business?
Ans: The astrologer did have any light of his own for
his business because he did not want any of his client to know him or read his
face, as he was unaware of astrology even didn’t have any idea what would
happened next, his work was more a matter of study, practice and shrewd
guesswork. The place was lit up by shop lights. one or two had hissing
gaslights, some had naked flares stuck on poles, some were lit up by old cycle
lamps, and one or two, like the astrologer’s, managed without lights of own.
2) Why did the
astrologer close his business when the nuts vendor blew out his flare?
Ans: The astrologer closed his business when the nuts
vendor blew out his flare because the astrologer did not have any sort of light
of his own. As soon as the nuts vendor blew out his flare and rose to go home,
that was a signal for the astrologer to bundle up and to go home.
3) How efficient
was the astrologer in his business?
Ans: The astrologer was much a stranger to the stars
as were his innocent customers. 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 the day. The astrologer remained silent
for at least ten minutes initially because he was observing his customers and
listening to them and collecting information and at last he was answering the
questions of the customers. Overall he was studying them psychologically
4) “When shall I
get him?”
a) Who was this question asked to?
b) Whom does “I” refer to?
c) Why does the speaker want to get
him?
Ans: a) This
question was asked to the astrologer.
b)
Guru Nayak is “I” here.
c)
The speaker wanted to take revenge from him.
5) “You look
worried. What is wrong?”
a) Who is the speaker?
b) Who does ‘you’ refer to?
c) Why was he worried?
Ans: a) The
astrologer’s wife is the speaker.
b) “You” refers to the astrologer.
c) He was worried because he had seen the
man whom he thought he had killed (Guru Nayak).
C3. Working in
pairs, discuss the answers to the following questions and write them in your
notebook.
1) Why did the
astrologer run away from his village?
Ans: The astrologer ran away from village when he was
youngster. The astrologer had drunk and gambled in those days. Once he had a
quarrel with Guru Nayak while gambling. He stabbed him and pushed him into a
well. At that time the astrologer thought that he had killed him and he ran
away from his village.
2) In the story,
do you think the astrologer should be punished for his crime?
Ans: Of course every mistake is mistake, if it is done
with or without intension. The astrologer in his youth he drank and stabbed a
man, whom he thought dead and ran to escape from punishment. As per his sin, he
should be punished for his crime even though he recognize his mistake at end or
repent. It would be lesson for everyone when a person commit mistake he should
be punished.
3) Describe how
the astrologer felt at the end of the story.
Ans: The astrologer felt comforted at the end of the
story, the astrologers in his youth he drank and stabbed a man, whom he thought
dead and ran to escape from punishment. The astrologer had so burden and he
felt always load on him. By a co-incident he met Guru Nayak by the evening and
the astrologer recognized that his client was Guru Nayak. He felt relieved by
knowing that the man was alive.
.
4) Describe the
role of fate and chance in the story.
Ans: “What you sow that only you reap”, no one can flee
from what is written in our fortune. The astrologer whose fate changed when he
had drunk, gambled and quarreled with Guru Nayak and stabbed him and pushed him
into well. The astrologer was had load on him and he was thinking every moment
about that incident that he had killed a person. That particular situation
taught him a lesson he changed from arrogant to innocent person and took his responsibility
and started to lead a good and meaningful life.
5) Does the
story make you think that all the astrologers are false?
Ans: One person’s mistake is not considered that whole
group is wrong. Similarly the astrologer of story should not be compared with
all astrologers. There are so many astrologers who had learnt the art of
astrology and even they study about cosmos, stars and ancient science. Thus,
the story’s astrologer did not have knowledge of astrology and his work was on
guess and he was listening to his customers and reacting later by reading their
faces.
6) How has R.K.
Narayan portrayed the attractive appearance of the astrologer?
Ans: The astrologer applied sacred ash on his forehead
which was resplendent, and his eyes sparkled with a sharp, abnormal gleam which
was really an outcome of a continual searching look for customers, but which
his simple clients took to be a prophetic light and felt comforted. Hence in
such a way R.K. Narayan had portrayed the attractive appearance of the
astrologer.
C4. Read the following
sentences from the story and arrange them in the sequential order as they
appear in the story:
1. Take the next
train and go home.
2. The
astrologer pressed his invitation.
3. He was as
much a stranger to the stars as were his innocent customers.
4. The
astrologer caught a glimpse of his face by the match light.
5. The place was
lit up by shop lights.
6. The child has
been asking for sweets since so many days.
7. The nuts
vendor blew out his flare and rose to go home.
Ans:
1. The place was lit up by shop lights.
2. He was as much a stranger to the stars as were his
innocent customers.
3. The nuts vendor blew out his flare and rose to go
home.
4. The astrologer pressed his invitation.
5. The astrologer caught a glimpse of his face by the
match light.
6. Take the next train and go home.
7. The child has been asking for sweets since so many days.
