Fathers Help
R.K. Narayan Introduction
Rasipuram Krishnaswami Iyer Narayanaswami (10 October 1906 – 13 May 2001) commonly known as R. K. Narayan, was an Indian writer known for his work set in the fictional South Indian town of Malgudi. He was a leading author of early Indian literature in English along with Mulk Raj Anand and Raja Rao.
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Theme of the story
The main theme of the story is a how a boy 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.
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 makes an excuse that he has a headache. His mother allows him to stay home. When is 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 boys’ hand which he makes the boy wear on his forehead. He also reports at once the teacher had skinned the Knuckle of a boy. Hearing this Swamy’s father gets exasperated with the teacher and writes a rude letter to the headmaster complaining against Samuel and gives it to Swami to deliver to him. On the way while going to school Swami’s conscience bothers him for making a false statement about Samuel. However, he devises a fault with the teacher’s treatment of his students. Going to school he finds the teacher more genial and kinder than ever before. The teacher neither abuses him nor canes him. The boy, however, shows rudeness with the teacher and misbehaves with him in the class to instigate him to get violent with him. When the school breaks then he rushes to the Headmaster’s Chamber. Seeing the room locked he asks the peon and comes to know that he is on leave for a week. He does not deliver the letter and returns home straight. His father asks him about the letter and then after Swami’s response, he snatches the letter from him and tears it off and throws it into the waste paper box, and mutters that he deserves the punishment of Samuel.
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Story Summary
- On Monday morning, Swami –is unwilling to go to school.
- Makes an excuse of having a headache.
- Convinces his mother-but father was stubborn-tells him to go to school.
- Gives a vivid imaginary account of his teacher Samuel’s violent character.
- 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.
- Reaches late to school-teacher shows concern-does, not scolding plans to disobey to make him angry.
- Troubles the teacher-gets three wholesome cuts on each palm and rushes to the Headmaster’s room with the letter.
- Peon informs that the headmaster is on leave-can gives the letter to Samuel the assistant headmaster.
- Swami does not deliver the letter-goes back home-receives scolding from the father for not delivering the letter.
Word Meaning
Word | English Meaning | Hindi Meaning |
Unit – 1 | ||
Lying | not telling the truth, | झूठ बोलना |
Shudder | an act of shuddering. | कंपकंपी |
Hope | to want something to happen | आशा |
Wailed | high-pitched cry of pain, grief | विलाप |
Headache | a continuous pain in the head. | सर दर्द |
Generously | in a way that shows kindness or warmth towards others. | उदारता से |
Ought | used to indicate duty | |
Loaf | a quantity of bread that is in one piece and usually sliced. | पाव रोटी |
Tactics | an action or strategy carefully planned to achieve a specific end. | रणनीति, चालबाजी |
Scold | to find fault noisily | डांटना |
Especially | for a particular purpose | विशेष रूप से, ख़ासकर |
Angry | गुस्सा | |
Afraid | filled with fear | डरा हुआ |
Unit – 2 | ||
behaviour | the manner of conducting | व्यवहार |
Unexpected | not expected | अनपेक्षित |
Avoid | to keep away from | टालना |
Proposed | put forward a plan | प्रस्तावित किया गया |
Protest | the act of disapproval | विरोध |
Envelope | a flat usually paper container | लिफाफा |
Sealed | close securely | मुहर लगी हुई |
Apprehensive | uneasy or fearful about something that might happen | आशंकित |
Plenty | a large or sufficient quantity | बहुत सारे |
Worst | the most unpleasant | सबसे खराब |
Conscience | an inner feeling or voice | विवेक |
Bothered | concerned about something. | परेशान |
Description | a statement, picture in words, | विवरण |
Accurate | free from error or defect | सही, ठीक-ठीक |
Imagined | to form a mental image of something | कल्पना की हुई |
Regard | to have or show respect | सम्मान |
Dizzy | having a sensation of whirling and a tendency to fall | चक्कर आना |
Confusion | lack of clearness | भ्रम की स्थिति |
Deserved | to merit, be qualified | लायक होना |
Allegation | an assertion made with no proof | आरोप |
Grieved | suffer grief. | शोक हुआ |
Recall | to bring back from memory, to call back | वापस बुलवा, स्मरण क्षमता |
Moustache | a strip of hair grows above the upper lip | मूंछ |
Unshaven | not having recently shaved | मुंडा नहीं |
Sorrow | the expression of grief, sadness, | शोक |
Unit – 3 | ||
Justify | show or prove to be right or reasonable. | उचित सिद्ध करना |
Entrance | a point or place of entering | प्रवेश |
Severely | unnecessarily extreme | गंभीर रूप से |
Impressed | to affect deeply or strongly in mind or feelings | प्रभावित किया |
Inspection | formal or official viewing or examination: | निरीक्षण करना |
Appeared | to come into sight; | दिखाई देना |
Snatch | to seize sudden | छीन लेना |
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Questions and Answers
A. Choose the correct alternative to complete the following sentence.
1. Swami realized with a shudder that it was Moring of
(a) Tuesday
(b) Friday
(c) Sunday
(d) Monday
Ans: (a) Monday
2. It looked as though only a moment ago, it was
(a) Tuesday
(b) Friday
(c) Sunday
(d) Monday
Ans: Friday
3. Swami hoped that he did not have to go to
(a) hospital
(b) College
(c) Church
(d) School
Ans: (d) School
4. Swaminathan wailed at- O’clock
(a) 7
(b) 9
(c) 6
(d) 5
Ans: (b) 9
5. Swaminathan had a
(a) Fever
(b) Headache
(c) Cold
(d) Sunstroke
Ans: (b) Headache
6. Mother generously suggested that Swaminathan might stay at
(a) room
(b) house
(c) home
(d) factory
Ans: (c) home
7. Swaminathan have been in the school prayer hall at
(a) 10:30
(b) 11:00
(c) 9:30
(d) 7:30
Ans: (c) 9:30
8. In mother ‘s room, Swaminathan was lying on
(a) table
(b) desk
(c) chair
(d) bench
Ans: (d) bench
9. Father asked Swaminathan, ‘”Has he no school”?
(a) yesterday
(b) tomorrow
(c) today
(d) None of these
Ans: (c) today
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B. Complete the following sentences with words given a bracket.
1. With a shudder Swami realized that it was Monday – (afternoon/evening/morning)
Ans: Morning
2. It looked as though only a moment ago, it was – (Saturday/Friday/Sunday)
Ans: Friday
3. He (Hold/helped/hoped/) his didn’t have to go to – (college/church/school)
Ans: Hoped; School
4. Swaminathan wailed – at (8/9/10) O’clock
Ans: 9 O’clock
5. No other generously suggested that swami might stay at – (house/home/club)
Ans: home
6. At (9:30/10:30/11:30) Swami ought to have been in the school prayer (hall/room/house)
Ans: 9:30; hall
7. Swami was lying on the – (table/chair/bench) in (father’s/sister’s/mother’s)
Ans: bench; Mother’s
8. Father asked Swaminathan, Has he no school – (today/tomorrow/yesterday)
Ans: today
9. Nonsense! – (dry/dress/do) upend – (Play/go/see)
Ans: dress; go
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C. Answer the following questions
1. Who is the author of the story ‘Father’s help’?
Ans: R.K. Narayan is the author of the story ‘Father’s help’.
2. Who is R.K. Narayan?
Ans: R.K. Narayan is one of the leading figures of early Indian literature in English.
3. Name some notable works of R.K. Narayan.
Ans: Malgudi Days, the guide’ are some notable works of R.K. Narayan.
4. When and for what was. R.K. Narayan awarded the sahitya academy award?
Ans: R.K. Narayan was awarded the Sahitya academy award in 1958 for ‘the guide’?
5. where from the story ‘Father’s help’ taken from?
Ans: The story ‘Fathers help’ is taken from `Malgudi Days.’
6. What is the story about?
Ans: The story is about a young boy called Swaminathan.
7. Who is Swaminathan?
Ans: Swaminathan’ is a young boy who is unwilling to go to school.
8. By whom is Swaminathan forced to go to school?
Ans: Swaminathan is forced to go to school by is fathers.
9. How does the story explore?
Ans: The story ‘Fathers Help’ explores how through the events that Swami’s original reservations about his teacher get transformed considerably.
10. Who is Samuel?
Ans: Samuel is the teacher of Swaminathan.
11. How did Swaminathan realized that it was Monday Morning?
Ans: With a shudder, Swaminathan realized that it was Monday morning?
12. What did Swaminathan hope on Monday Morning.
Ans: Swaminathan hoped that he did not have to go to school on Monday morning.
13. When did Swaminathan wail?
Ans: Swaminathan wailed at nine O’clock is the morning>
14. Why did Swaminathan wail?
Ans: Swaminathan wailed because he had a headache.
15. What and how did Swami’s mother suggest?
Ans: Swami’s mother generously suggested that he might stay at home.
16. Where ought to have been Swami at 9.30 a.m.?
Ans: Swami ought to have been in school prayer hall at 9.30 a.m.
17. Where was Swami lying?
Ans: Swami was lying on the bench in the mother’s room.
18. What did Swami’s Father ask swami?
Ans: Swami’s Father asked Swami if he had no school on the following days.
19. What did Swami reply?
Ans: Swami replied that he had a headache.
20. Why did swami change his tactics?
Ans: Swami changed his tactics because he knew well that his father was very strict.
21. Who put the letter in an envelope?
Ans: Swami’s father put the letter in an envelope.
22. What was Swaminathan teaching?
Ans: Swaminathan was teaching Arithmetic.
23. What did peon tell Swaminathan?
Ans: The peon told Swaminathan that the headmaster had gone on a week’s leave.
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