'Father's Help'- a Short Story by R K Narayan

Hello Friends...

Sure, we all are doing well... Be careful, we must stay fit and shouldn't fall ill getting our studies affected. We shall eat and drink healthy, exercise regularly, and won't avoid our domestic and social responsibilities. And whatever time we get for ourselves at the end of the day, we must study hard for most of the time, so that we learn to think... and learn. We simply cannot afford to stop thinking, for we are learners, and we are the chosen ones who got the scope to learn... 

Let's learn to think first...

Who May Participate in the Discussion

This is a discussion on an adapted version of Father's Help, a story written by R K Narayan. Students of Class X, WBBSE have to study this adapted text for their final examination. So, it is very likely that they may find this discussion helpful for them. 

However, this discussion may help any learner to develop a strategy suitable for him/herself to study a short story as a social documentary. Even those who prefer reading stories for leisure may find this platform suitable to share and discuss their own views of what they read with others.

Learning Objectives

Apart from the usual linguistic objectives of consolidating our reading skills for global comprehension, intensive reading skills along with grammar and vocabulary, we may also choose to use this particular text to learn how to attempt a cross-cultural study-

Father's Help

R K Narayan

Title of the Text

How do you find the title? Simple, straightforward, and helpful, right? The moment we read the title, we get to understand that here, we are going to read a story about a helpful father, right? 

Shall we start reading the text then?

The Beginning of Unit-I

Lying in bed, Swami realised with a shudder that it was Monday morning. It looked as though only a moment ago it was Friday. Already Monday was here. He hoped he didn't have to go to school. 

At 9 o'clock, Swaminathan wailed, "I have a headache."

Mother generously suggested that Swami might stay at home. At 9:30, when he ought to have been in the school prayer hall, Swami was lying on the bench in Mother's room.

A Few Questions

Would you mind a few questions?

How do you find the beginning of the text? Interesting enough, right? Do you feel the author is actually portraying you?

How many characters do we have here? Who are they?

Do you have any idea about the time and the day?

Would you please pause and attempt to answer the questions before you move on further?

Shall we now compare our answers?-

Yes, we have two characters introduced in this part of the story. They are Swaminathan, alias Swami; and his mother.

It must be the morning time on some Monday. The story begins sometime before 9:00 in the morning and continues up to 9:30 am in this part of the story.

Let’s go for a second reading now…

Lying in bed, Swami realised with a shudder that it was Monday morning.

Won’t you be reading the sentence a bit closer? What does this sentence convey?-

Swami was lying in bed.

It was Monday morning.

Swami realised it [that it was a Monday morning].

He shuddered.

Which of these four statements/information receives the maximum importance?

Yes, Swami’s realisation is most important here…

Realisation is always of prime importance, have you ever thought of that?

Now, what did Swami realise?- 

That it was Monday morning, right?

So, we combine the two statements into one:

Swami realised that it was Monday morning.

But the moment he realised, he also shuddered. 

Let’s combine this information too into the sentence:

Swami realised that it was Monday morning and he shuddered.

Formatting the Sentence Further…

Is it not better to refer to the same subject [‘Swami’ and ‘he’] once instead of twice in the same sentence?-

Swami realised that it was Monday morning and shuddered.

But here in this sentence we have two almost equally important verb phrases: ‘realised’ and ‘shuddered’. The maximum importance of ‘realisation’ gets compromised then…

How about referring to the action of ‘shudder’ without allowing it to function as a verb phrase in the sentence?

Formatting the Sentence Further…

Yes, we can refer to the same action treating it as a noun:

Swami realised that it was Monday morning with a shudder.

Isn’t it interesting? Now we already have three statements included in this single sentence, but still, the importance of Swami’s realisation is not compromised…

But still, we do have another information left, right?- That Swami was lying in bed.

We may include this information by using a subordinate relative clause, right?-

Swami, who was lying in bed, realised that it was Monday morning with a shudder.

Formatting the Sentence Further…

But, again we have another verb phrase 'was lying' in the same sentence compromising the importance of 'realisation'...

That also compromises the compactness of the sentence, right?

We may use participle phrases to solve the problem...

Swami, lying in bed, realized that it was Monday morning with a shudder.

Don’t you feel that this sentence with all the information included is compact enough?

But is it not differently arranged from the original one in the text? Why the original sentence is differently arranged than the way we arranged the sentence?

The Difference:

Swami, lying in bed, realized that it was Monday morning with a shudder.

First, we get introduced to Swami by his name.

Then we are told that he is lying in bed.

Then we are told about his realisation.

And finally, we are told about his being afraid.

Lying in bed, Swami realised with a shudder that it was Monday morning.

That Swami was lying in bed is told first and is highlighted.

Then we are told about his realisation that made him afraid.

Finally, we are told that the fact it was Monday morning made Swami afraid.

The Engagement of the Readers

Don’t you feel that the way the original sentence is structured/arranged engages us more to think? Doesn't the fact that it starts with the action of lying in bed subtly point out that the action was not in accordance with a Monday morning? Can we really afford to wake up late on Mondays?

Was our own sentence so engaging?

Sentences can be structured in different manners to satisfy different purposes. Here, obviously, the author intended his readers to look for the reason why Swami became afraid the moment he realised it was Monday morning.

The Second And the Third Sentences

It looked as though only a moment ago it was Friday.

Doesn’t the next sentence reflects Swami’s expectation: that he wanted the day to be Friday?

What’s so special about Friday?

Have you noted the ‘as though’ linker? It is used to refer to imaginary/hypothetical situations. You may also use the linker ‘as if’ to mean the same.

Even a moment ago, it looked like Friday. But, it was actually a Monday-

Already Monday was here.

Swami realized this and became afraid. But why?

Monday Blues

He hoped he didn’t have to go to school.

So, now we have got the answer… Swami was actually suffering from Monday Blues.

It refers to the unhappiness of people who feel uncomfortable at the beginning of a work-week. Surely, Swami didn’t like the idea of studying at school…

Do you now get why he was expecting the day to be a Friday?

Yes, Friday marks the end of a work-week… So, it comes out quite clear that Swami didn’t like the idea of going to school. But why?

What’s your take on going to school? Don’t you like to go to school? Let me know in the comment box below…

By the way, have you got your idea of Monday Blues redefined in the Covid-pandemic situation?

‘Have to…’

It refers to compulsion-

I have to help you understand this.

You have to be able to use this whenever required.

At nine o’clock…

At 9 o'clock, Swaminathan wailed, “I have a headache”.

Do you believe him?

I don’t believe him… No way…

But the way he cried out, it seems he was quite good at making excuses, right? Smart kid…

Generous mother…

Mother generously suggested that Swami might stay at home.

Mothers are mostly generous… Do you disagree?

Well, even if some of us are not this lucky, at least Swami was lucky enough to have his mother that generous.

Was he lucky, really? We’ll see…

Don’t forget to make a note of the modal ‘might’. It indicates the power of choice. Swami was not told to stay back at home. But, if he wished, he could have stayed at home.

At 9:30…

At 9:30, when he ought to have been in the school prayer hall, Swami was lying on the bench in Mother's room.

I am sure you have not missed the use of the modal ‘ought to’ here. It refers to what Swami should have done.

Here also, you must have noted that the sentence is structured a bit differently from the usual one beginning with the subject- Swami was lying on the bench in Mother's room at 9:30 when he ought to have been in the school prayer hall. -Why?

Don’t you find that when structured this unusual way, it highlights the difference between the ideal situation and the reality in a dramatic way, thus engaging the readers into more involvement?

Shall we read on?-

Face to Face with Father

Father asked him, "Have you no school today?"

"Headache," Swami replied.

"Nonsense! Dress up and go."

"Headache!"

"Loaf about less on Sundays and you will be without a headache on Monday."

The Narrative…

Have you noted how suddenly the narrative has changed? Instead of telling us what was going on, the narrator/story-teller now allows us to hear the actual words of the characters directly from themselves.

This technique has some advantages. We the readers feel that the narrator is allowing us room to form our own opinions, and is being less dictating.

Moreover, it adds to the dramatic quality of the narrative and makes it more lively, and real…

The Father

How do you find this newly introduced character?

A bit rude?

Very strict?

Did Swami wish to meet his Father that morning at all? 

Why do you think he left the comfort of his own bed and was lying on the bench in Mother’s room at 9:30 in the morning?

Father-son Relationship

Yes, certainly the way the Father negates Swami’s excuse sounds a bit rude. I would rather say he sounds like a coercive patriarch…

He also seems to be quite strict about the way he prescribed a remedy for Swami’s headache.

Swami, on the other hand, seems to be a free-spirited kid, who wants to move around at random [loaf about] whenever he gets the chance. Undoubtedly he moved to his mother’s room to avoid his father…

Would you like to judge the relationship right now? I would rather advise you to have a little bit of patience to read further before you conclude…

Rather, in the meantime, if you feel, you may start evaluating your relationship with your parents/guardians. And, don’t make any haste to conclude…

You might also choose to place yourself in place of Swami’s Father from a typical pre-independence South Indian family [R K Narayan had portrayed these characters in the setting of Malgudi, an imaginary township in southern India]. Watch carefully how you are being different from him. This might be an interesting cross-cultural study…

Reporting a Conversation

Would like to retell the conversation you just have heard to any of your friends?

Why don’t you attempt it? 

It might help you develop the very useful skill of changing the mode of narration.

In case you face any difficulty, you may click here for a detailed guidance:

Let's read on...

Further Conversation

Swami knew how strict his father could be. So he changed his tactics. "I can't go so late to the class."

"You'll have to. It is your own fault."

"What will the teacher think if I go so late?"

"Tell him you had a headache and so are late."

"He will scold me if I say so."

"Will he? Let us see. What is his name?"

"Samuel."

The Changed Tactics

Swami changed his tactics [game-plan/strategy]… The narrator now confirms that Swami was lying about his headache.

Why did he change his excuse?

Yes, he knew that his Father could be very strict. Again, the narrator confirms our assumption that his Father was quite strict.

What is this new excuse that Swami came up with?

Swami said that it was not possible for him to go to school so late.

How late was he already? How late can you be at your school?

The Strict Father

Do you have any more statement in this portion of the text supporting the fact that the Father was very strict? 

How do you think ‘fault’ differs from ‘mistake’? Was this Swami’s fault, or mistake?

Let’s read this part again: 

“He will scold me if I say so”.

“Will he? Let us see. What is his name?”

Do you sense a different tone in Father’s voice? Why?

Would you like to get my readings shared?

Well, the Father didn’t try to sober up his strictness at all here-

"You'll have to. It is your own fault."

We are responsible for our faults, and have to pay the price, no matter how dear it is. But for mistakes, we are not blamed.

You might find this strange, but I feel a change in the tone of the Father. Maybe, he was irritated by the fact that his son was more afraid of somebody else other than him…

Or, maybe he was concerned that his son might get an undue scolding from somebody else who might not be as judicious as him… What are your answers?

Are you dying to read further? Let's move on then...

Further Conversation

"Does he always scold the students?"

"He is a very angry man. He is especially angry with boys who come in late. I wouldn't like to go late to Samuel's class."

"If he is so angry, why not tell your headmaster about it?"

"They say that even the headmaster is afraid of him."

The Teacher

Do you notice the dramatic introduction of this character? 

Samuel is introduced to us indirectly through Swami. We didn’t get to see him or directly hear from him yet like the others. He is still an off-stage character.

Have you noted how dramatically this character is presented in an ever-increasing complicated manner? 

The Climax…

At first we learn that Samuel would have scolded Swami for being late. Sounds common, right? 

Then we learn that he was a very angry man, especially angry with the latecomers. Still not very unusual, right?

And finally, with the information that even the headmaster was afraid of Samuel, we reach the climax in the presentation of the character. 

By the way, do you believe the way Swami introduces his teacher? Or, do you have reasons not to believe him? We are all ears…

'They'

Sure you have not missed the use of the pronoun ‘they’ here, have you? Do we have any preceding noun to this pronoun, as we normally expect to have one? Well, this is a very interesting use of the pronoun ‘they’. It may also be used without any preceding noun, only to refer to either some authority, or people in general. 

In which sense, do you think the pronoun is being used here?

The Beginning of Unit-II

Swami hoped that with this his father would be made to see why he must avoid school for the day. But Father's behaviour took an unexpected turn. He proposed to send a letter with Swami to the headmaster. No amount of protest from Swami would make him change his mind.

The First Sentence

How do you feel about the first sentence of this paragraph? Yes, it’s a complex sentence, but is easier to understand than the previous ones we analysed, right? It is so because it follows the common syntactic structure of English sentences. The sentence begins with the main clause:

Swami hoped …

Now, ‘hoped’ being a transitive verb requires an object. The whole of the rest part of the sentence is the required object, or what was hoped by Swami: 

...that with this his father would be made to see why he must avoid school for the day.

However, this object to the verb ‘hoped’ is quite complex in structure due to the presence of the subordinate clauses:

...with this his father would be made to see...- ‘this’ refers to the changed plan/strategy devised by Swami,- I’m sure you’ve already realised.

‘would be made to see’ means 'would be helped to understand'. Swami hoped that his new excuse would help his father understand his problem. Now, the infinitive ‘to see’ requires another object again [Swami’s problem], and we have another clause for the purpose:

...why he must avoid school for the day.

But, the neat linear structure of the sentence didn’t pose you a challenge as it followed the regular syntax, do you see it now? However, the complex structure of the sentence undoubtedly saved time. Why don’t you rephrase the sentence avoiding complex structures and see it for yourself?

Do you feel Swami’s new excuse will buy him success in avoiding school for the day? Let’s see...

The Second Sentence

But Father's behaviour took an unexpected turn.

Were you hopeful for Swami’s success? Are you being empathetic to the boy? Well, I myself was hoping for his success…

Choice of Words

But, the ‘But’ in the beginning of the second sentence made it very clear to me that Swami was going to lose this round too… And, the word ‘unexpected’ turned me apprehensive as well. See, this is how the choice of words may maneuver the way the author wants the readers to react…

The Turn

What was the twist/turn that Swami [count me as well] had not imagined? Father proposed[!!!] that he would write a letter to the headmaster, and Swami had to deliver it himself. Note the irony... 

Would you like to consider this to be a proposal or a suggestion at all? 

It was indeed a decision taken by Swami’s Father, and Swami had no direct role to play in it… Please drop your comment if you disagree… 

The Last Sentence

Please note how direct is the last sentence:

No amount of protest from Swami would make him change his mind. 

The author didn’t opt for any suspense here. Maybe he was sure that none of his readers would actually hope that Swami could influence a strong character like his father, and hence, decided to be direct enough. 

But again, note the sophistication in his being direct too. He pointed out the rigidity of Swami’s Father very subtly, saying that in no way, Swami’s protests, no matter how strong, would have succeeded to influence his father. Don’t you think that beginning the sentence with a negative highlights the rigidity of Father more than the other possible ways of saying the same?

Do you think Swami would protest? What might be the reasons for him to protest here? What would you have done had you been in his place? Let me know down there in the comment box below...

It's time to move on...

The Second Paragraph

By the time Swami was ready to leave for school, Father had composed a long letter to the headmaster. He put it in an envelope and sealed it. 

The Long Letter

Well, either Swami was being late in getting ready, or Father was really fast in writing letters. Else, how do you think Father could have finished writing the long letter within the time Swami got ready for his school?

Are you dying to know what was there written in the letter? Why don’t you guess? What do you think Father could have written there in his letter to the headmaster?

Another Conversation

"What have you written, Father?" Swami asked apprehensively.

"Nothing for you. Give it to your headmaster and go to your class."

"Have you written anything about our teacher Samuel?"

"Yes. Plenty of things."

"What has he done, Father?"

"Everything is there in the letter. Give it to your headmaster."

The Boy

What's your feelings for the boy? Why?

I feel pity for the poor boy. See, he was actually afraid at this point. He was being apprehensive.

He wanted to know what his Father had written to his headmaster about Samuel. Surely, he himself had not been truthful about his teacher in any way. If his Father had written a complaint against the teacher, Swami had enough reason to be afraid, right? 

Do you think Swami had been truthful in his portrayal/description of Samuel?

The Father

Father denied to reveal any more. Why do you think he behaved in such a manner? Do you think that he was too egoistic to discuss his actions with his son?

Do you think he was too busy to discuss this further?

Do you have the feelings that he was actually cornering Swami to teach him a lesson- that he never tells a lie again?

The Difficulty

How difficult it might be for a student to hand over a complaint against some teacher to the headmaster? How difficult is it for you? 

Do you feel any change in the status of the school-students in your time, in your place? Or, are they still all the same?

Shall we move on?-

The Next Paragraph

Swami went to school feeling that he was the worst boy on earth. His conscience bothered him. He wasn't at all sure if his description of Samuel had been accurate. He felt he had mixed up the real and imagined.

Participle Phrase

Would you like to pick up a present participle phrase from this paragraph? What do you think is achieved by the use of this participle phrase here?

Swami's Feelings

What was the emotion that tormented Swami at this juncture? Was he more guilty, or more afraid?

According to the narrator, Swami felt that he had mixed up the real and the imagined. He was not sure if he had been correct in describing Samuel. What is your evaluation? What do you feel?

It's time to read the next paragraph now...

The Next Paragraph

Swami stopped on the roadside to make up his mind about Samuel. Samuel was not such a bad man after all. Personally, he was much more friendly than the other teachers. Swami also felt Samuel had a special regard for him.

The Confusion

Swami couldn’t move any further. He had to stop. Do you note his confusion? His dilemma? He could not decide about Samuel. So, he had to stop to make up his mind about Samuel.

A Second Thought

On second thought, Samuel was not a bad man after all. 

Have you noted the way Swami was tilting to the opposite opinion? He was being cautiously judicious- ‘not a bad man after all’. So the transition is quite gradual, and never abrupt. Samuel was first introduced as a very bad-tempered teacher. On second thought, he seemed not to be that bad. 

Second thoughts can come up with miraculous revelations. I would strongly suggest that you always give your conclusions a second thought...

The Irony

Then comes the irony- He was friendlier than the other teachers. Are you shocked? Samuel, who was feared by even the headmaster, on a second thought seemed to be more friendly than the other teachers… 

Samuel, it seemed to Swami, had a special respect for him as well. Do you think this reflection actually compliments Samuel as a great teacher?

Let's read further on...

The Next Paragraph

Swami's head was dizzy with confusion. He could not decide if Samuel really deserved the allegations made against him in the letter. The more he thought of Samuel, the more Swami grieved for him. To recall Samuel's dark face, his thin moustache, unshaven cheek and yellow coat filled Swaminathan with sorrow.

Swami's Confusion

Was Swami able to make up his mind? Sadly, no. He was still confused… dizzy. He was not sure if Samuel was worthy of the accusations brought against him in the letter.

The Contradiction

Don’t you find this contradictory to Swami’s way of feeling towards Samuel? The more he thought about Samuel, the more he felt sorry. If he had not been sure about Samuel, why would he have felt sorry at all?

Do you think Swami was not able to read his own mind? 

He was in fact sure about Samuel’s goodness in his mind, but could not accept the fact because the lie with which he started had gained on the power of a truth for being exercised for so long. Do you agree with me? I am, however, always eager to hear a different opinion…

Samuel

By the way, now that you have some more information about Samuel, can you visualise the character? How do you find him? Would you like to draw a portrait, if you are interested?

Next Course of Action

And, what is your guess about the next course of action in the story we are reading? Do you think Swami would surrender to his father, or to the headmaster, or to Samuel himself?

Shall we resume our reading the text to find out?

The Beginning of Unit-III

As he entered the school gate, an idea occurred to him. He would deliver the letter to the headmaster at the end of the day. There was a chance Samuel might do something during the course of the day to justify the letter.

The Next Move

Had you in any way anticipated this?- That Swami would come up with yet another strategy to save his skin? 

I was quite sure that the boy was going to end up poorly, being punished both in school, and back at home for his lies. 

I really admire the indomitable spirit of the boy… That he decided to deliver the letter to the headmaster at the end of the day hoping that Samuel might behave as he had been accused of in the letter was really an instance of robust optimism… Swami was still looking for chances to survive the situation he had created unintentionally.

Why don't we read on?

The Next Paragraph

Swami stood at the entrance to his class. Samuel was teaching arithmetic. He looked at Swami. Swami hoped Samuel would scold him severely.

A Little Brainstorming

Swami was standing at the door of his class? Do you wonder how late was he?

Swami expected Samuel to scold him mercilessly. What is your opinion about Samuel? Would he really scold Swami? How exactly do you expect Samuel to behave at this point?

Samuel

Have you noted how the off-stage character finally appeared on the stage? Yes, now we get to see him directly, and listen to him, through our own ears. Now it’s time to see how we find Samuel in actual reality. Shall we?

A New Conversation

"You are half an hour late," Samuel said.

"I have a headache, sir." Swami said.

"Then why did you come at all?"

This was an unexpected question from Samuel.

Swami Being Late

So now we know Swami was just half an hour late. Did you guess more? What could be the probable reasons that made it possible for Swami to reach his school being just half an hour late? 

Do you remember that when the other students were attending their prayer in the school, Swami was lying in his mother’s room? Then he had to face his Father’s interrogation, and as he failed in influencing his Father, he had to get ready and start for his school. On his way, he had also stopped to make up his mind about Samuel. Still, he was just half an hour late…

One possibility is that Swami lived close to his school.

It is also very likely that whatever happened, happened quite fast. It took just us too long to study and analyse them.

Do you have any other probable reason in your mind?

The Unexpected Question

I am sure you have noted that Swami chose to stick to his original version of excuse. But, do you too, like Swami, find the question asked by Samuel unexpected? If not, why do you think this obvious question was unexpected to Swami? What held Swami from apprehending this question?

Further Conversation

Swami said, "My father said I shouldn't miss school, sir."

Samuel looked impressed. "Your father is quite right. We want more parents like him."

"Oh, you poor man!" Swami thought, "you don't know what my father has done to you."

"All right, go to your seat."

Swami sat down, feeling sad. He had never met anyone as good as Samuel.

The Drama

Don’t you appreciate the intense drama that you find here? It has been made possible by the narrator choosing to empower us to hear even the words spoken by Swami in his mind- 

"Oh, you poor man!" Swami thought, "you don't know what my father has done to you."- Did you miss the verb phrase ‘thought’ at your first reading?

And The Irony

Yes, obviously, Swami was feeling sad about the irony of the situation- Samuel was praising Swami’s Father as a responsible guardian whereas Father had filed a complaint against him.

Swami's Perspective

By the way, don’t you wonder why Swami was putting all the blame upon his father? Had he not played any role behind? What’s your opinion?

Before you answer, don’t forget to note that Swami concluded Samuel as the best person he had ever met in his life at the very next moment...

The Next Paragraph

The teacher was inspecting the home lessons. To Swami's thinking, this was the time when Samuel got most angry. But today Samuel appeared very gentle.

Inspection

How would you like to replace the word ‘inspecting’ in the sentence ‘The teacher was inspecting the home lessons.’? 

Do you feel the word you choose to replace ‘inspecting’ points out the difference in the roles played and responsibilities undertaken by Samuel and your teacher?

Swami's Thinking

‘To Swami's thinking’- Was it really Swami’s thinking? Or, was it his desire? Do you feel Swami’s desperation here, in any way?

Further Conversation

"Swaminathan, where is your homework?"

"I have not done my homework, sir," Swami said.

"Why- headache?" asked Samuel.

"Yes, sir."

"All right, sit down," Samuel said.

Irony Again

Do you think Swami was happy that he was not scolded at all? Certainly not. Therein lies the irony. He would have been happy if he had been scolded, but alas, the teacher turned out to be a very sensible person, which was the last thing Swami desired.

Do you have any experience where some ideal situation turned you sad instead of making you happy? 

The Next Paragraph

When the bell rang for the last period at 4:30, Swami picked up his books and ran to the headmaster's room. He found the room locked. The peon told him the headmaster had gone on a week's leave. Swaminathan ran away from the place.

A Puzzle

Why do you think Swami ran to the headmaster’s room at the end of the day? Was he dying to hand over the letter?

Then why do you think Swami ran away from the place after he was informed that the headmaster was on leave? 

Would you please solve the puzzle and let me know?

The End

As soon as he entered home with the letter, Father said, "I knew you wouldn't deliver it."

"But the headmaster is on leave," Swami said.

father's snatched the letter away from Swami and tore it up.

"Don't ever come to me for help if Samuel scolds you again. You deserve your Samuel," he said.

Father Again

The moment Swami returned, he had to face his Father again… Luck was not in his favour that day, right?

Quite expectedly, Father did not believe what Swami said. And he took away the letter from Swami, and tore it up.

Luck favoured Swami for the first time that day, I assume. What do you say?

Father refused to listen to any further complaint against Samuel. But, did Swami really ask for his Father’s help to tackle Samuel?

Back to the Title Once Again

What do you think of the title now that you have finished reading the text? Do you find the Father helpful? 

Yes, the title of the story is ironic indeed- whether Father intended to help out Swami or wanted to satisfy his own ego remains debatable, but the fact that his actions pushed Swami into difficulty and did not help out Swami in any manner is beyond any doubt, right?

The Characters

How would you like to conclude about the four characters you came across in this story? Tell me how do you feel towards them- whom you admire, whom you love, and whom you would like to avoid, if you can…

The Original Story

Now, as I have told you that this is an adapted version of the original story, why don’t you read the original story and see if you can resolve the issues which we couldn't conclude by reading this adapted version? You may also venture to find out how far the original story is essentially different from this one? Click here to get 'Malgudi Days' to read 'Father's Help' [and some other short stories by R K Narayan, if you are interested] online for free. Don’t forget to tell me which one you find more interesting, and why...