ANALYTICAL SUMMARY
This is a story about the misery, hope, frustration and realisation of an ordinary middleclass man. Rama Rao was the Malgudi agent of a gramophone company. It went out of existence, and the little money he gave as security to the company was lost. He earned much and he kept his wife and children comfortable. He bought a small bungalow and was thinking of buying a car. But the ruin came suddenly. The closure of his company was due to the collapse of a bank in Lahore. The financier’s sudden death by accident was responsible for the collapse of the bank. Rama Rao was totally ruined. He had little money in the bank and the stock he had still on hand was exhausted. He could neither realise a few hundred rupees from those who invested in the company through him and the security money could not be refunded. The money in the bank was being expended in spite of the economy of his wife. They moved out to a small house.
(Paras 1-4)
Rama Rao could not secure an employment in spite of his best efforts. He stated his request in his applications in a very polite and business-like manner. But there was no favourable response from any quarters. His wife and children expected him everyday to return with some hope and everyday they were frustrated, Gradually the domestic relationships became cold. His wife used to wear bright dress, mixed with friendly neighbours and was happy. But now she remained confined in the kitchen no change of dress, no cheerfulness. Children in the new surroundings had no friends, no good playing fields. They had no new shirts. Rama Rao found everywhere gloom and cheerlessness. The only source of income now was the small rent he could collect from their house in the extension.
(Paras 5-9)
Rama Rao came across a journal devoted to the crossword puzzles. It offered every week a first prize of four thousand rupees. Rama Rao began to think of the answers to the puzzles. He had no time to look at his wife and children and became engrossed finding solutions to the puzzles. Every week he awaited the results with throbbing heart. He would approach the newsagent’s shop for the news. He assured the newsagent that he would give three years’ subscription in advance when he would get the prize. But every week he got the shocks. This tension between hope and frustration told on his nerves and balance. He could hardly speak; he quarreled with his wife who refused to give him a rupee for the puzzles. But his wife was of mild temper and she gave him the rupee even by sacrificing domestic expenses.
(Paras 10-13)
The special offer of eight thousand rupees excited Rama Rao. He demanded five rupees from his wife. He was insensitive to the family needs. He sent the solutions and began to imagine golden future with the money he would get. He would restore the family to home and happiness and with only one hundred he would try to build his fortune in Madras. However, he was frustrated when the results were out. His mistakes were many. He was overwhelmed with disappointments and losses. He could not go home. He walked along the Railway Station Road for almost two miles. It became dark. He felt that his life was dark. He felt like ending his life on the railway line or with a rope. He lay on the railway line and believed that soon he would be run over by the train coming from Trichinopoly. But he did not hear the coming of the train. He lay long and became tired. He came to the platform where a large crowd collected. He asked about the train. He came to know that a goods train had derailed three stations off, and all the trains would arrive three hours late. He felt
(Paras 14-19)
he was saved by God. He returned home and found his wife waiting eagerly for him. His wife gave his unusual warmth and expressed her anxiety and children’s worries. She told him that their tenants in the extension bungalow wished to by their house and were ready to offer good cash for it immediately. Rama Rao welcomed the idea. He would get four and a half thousand for the house. With the half thousand he would try to do something useful in Madras. His wife asked if he would employ the half thousand for crossword puzzles. Rama Rao assured her that he would never commit the blunder,
(Paras 20-23)
OBJECTIVE-TYPE QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS
[Carrying 1 & 2 marks]
Q.1. What is the ‘stock’ referred to ?
Ans. ‘Stock’ refers to the shares of the Gramophone Company which Rama Rao sold as an agent.
Q.2. Why did Rama Rao worry less about his family after he first came across ‘The Captain’?
Ans. Rama Rao worried less about his family because he was intensely thinking of the answers to the crossword puzzles in The Captain. He hoped that he would answer the puzzles correctly and would get the prize of four thousand rupees.
Q.3. Why did Rama Rao decide to send in at least four entries for the special offer crossword competition?
Ans. Rama Rao decided to send at least four entries for the special offer crossword competition because on studying the puzzle, he realised that there were four doubtful corners in it. If the four entries were correct, he would get four thousand rupees.
Q.4. Why did Rama Rao plan to go to Madras ?
Ans. Rama Rao planned to go to Madras to build his fortune there. Madras is the city and offered greater opportunities for jobs there than in his village Malgudi.
Q.5. What made Rama Rao believe that God has shown him mercy?
Ans. Rama Rao believed that God had shown him mercy because he was saved from suicide. A goods train derailed and blocked the movement of all other trains.
Q.6. The writer tells us that Rama Rao alternated violently between hope and despair. When he was
(a) filled with hope ? and
(b) filled with despair? Ans. Rama Rao was filled with hope when he awaited the results of the crossword
competitions. But he became filled with despair when he opened the page of The Captain
announcing the prize-winners. Q.7. Describe Rama Rao’s life before the crash of the Gramophone Company.
Ans. Rama Rao’s life was happy with his wife and children. He earned enough money and kept his wife and children in good comfort. He built a small bungalow in the Extension and even thought of buying a baby car.
Q.8. Why did the Gramophone Company collapse?
Ans. The Gramophone Company of which Rama Rao was the Malgudi agent collapsed when a bank in Lahore crashed due to the death of a Bombay financier by accident.
Q.9. How did the Bombay financier of the bank in Lahore die?
Ans. The financier was driving downhill when his car flew off sideways and stopped three hundred feet below the road.
Q.10. What happened to Rama Rao when the crash came?
Ans. Rama Rao was ruined. He had little money in the bank and the prices he got from selling the shares were also getting exhausted.
Q.11. Where were Rama Rao’s residences before the crash and after the crash? How are they contrasted?
Ans. Before the crash of the Gramophone Company, Rama Rao lived with his wife
and children in a small bungalow in the fashionable area of the Extension. But after the
crash, they moved to a small house behind the Market. Q.12. How may applications did Rama Rao send everyday when he ws looking for employment?
Ans. He sent out a dozen applications everyday.
Q.13. Why did Rama Rao find it difficult to get an employment? Ans. Rama Rao was approaching forty and he had just lost an independent, profitable
business. So it was difficult for him to get an employment. Q.14. What did Rama Rao find everyday when he returned home after the crash?
Ans. Rama Rao found his wife standing at the door with the children behind her
Q.15. What did Rama Rao’s wife and children hope when he returned home? Ans. Rama Rao’s wife and children always hoped that he would come back home with some magic fulfilment.
Q.16. How did Rama Rao try to improve matters when he found his wife and children hopeless everyday when he returned home?
Ans. Rama Rao tried to improve matters with a forced heartiness and said “Well, Well, How are we all to-day?”
Q.17. What was the only source of income after the crash?
Ans. The only source of income was the small house rent.
Q.18. What was Rama Rao’s life before the crash?
Ans. Before the crash, life was happy and gay. Children played in the compound and Rama Rao’s wife had a bright dress and had friendly neighbours. Q.19. What was the name of the journal in which Rama Rao found the crossword
puzzle? Where did he find it ? Ans. The name of the journal was The Captain. He found the journal in the Jubilee
Reading Room. Q.20. What hope of earning did Rama Rao find in the journal ‘The Captain’?
Ans. Rama Rao found the hope of earning by answering the crossward puzzles. It offered every week a first prize of four thousand rupees.
Q.21. What answers did Rama Rao contemplate from the clue “men who had this had better be avoided”? W
Ans. Rama Rao contemplated the words bad, or mad or sad.
Q.22. What did Rama Rao do to have a look into the latest issue of ‘The Captain’?
Ans. Rama Rao hung about the newsagent’s shop flattering him to have a look into the latest issue of The Captain.
Q.23. How did Rama Rao pacify the Newsagent when the latter grumbled about Rama Rao’s look into the paper in the shop?
Ans. Rama Rao tried to pacify the newsagent by saying that he would give him three years’ subscription in advance when he got a prize.
Q.24. What did Rama Rao find when he opened the page announcing the prize- winners?
Ans. Rama Rao found to his despair that someone in Beluchistan, someone in Dacca and someone in Ceylon had hit upon the right set of words.
Q.25. What possible answers did Ram Rao speculate for the quiz: “Some people prefer this to despair”?
Ans. Rama Rao speculated Hope, Dope or Rope.
Q.26. What is the meaning of ‘built castles in the air’?
Ans. ‘Built castles in the air’ means imagined glorious future.
Q.27. What led Rama Rao to think of suicide to end his life of misery?
Ans. The words Dope, Rope excited him to commit suicide with a rope or on a railway line. He was moving along the railway line.
Q.28. What train did Rama Rao expect to run him over?
Ans. Rama Rao expected the train from Trichinopoly to come in less than ten minutes and run him over.
Q.29. What prevented the suicide of Rama Rao?
Ans. The train from Trichinopoly did not come. A goods train had derailed three stations off and thus the way was blocked.
Q.30. Why did Rama Rao’s wife welcome Rama Rao with warmth when he returned home after his frustrated attempt of suicide? Ans. Rama Rao’s wife welcomed him with warmth because she had the good news
that the tenants in the Extension Bungalow were ready to offer good cash for the house immediately if he agreed to sell the house.
Q.31. How long Rama Rao worked in his gramophone business before the crash came ?
Ans. Rama Rao worked for five years in his gramaphone business before the crash came.
Q.32. What was the name of the journal that Rama Rao came across in the Jubilee Reading Room?
Ans. Rama Rao came across The Captain a journal in the Jubilee Reading Room.
MODEL QUESTIONS
Passage A
Little over a year ago Rama Rao went out of work when a gramophone company, of which he was the Malgudi agent, went out of existence. He had put into that agency the little money he had inherited, as security. For five years his business brought him enough money, just enough, to help him keep his wife and children in good comfort. He built a small bungalow in the Extension and was thinking of buying an old Baby car for his use.
QUESTIONS
1.
(a) What happened to Rama Rao?
(b) What was Rama Rao?
(c) What did he do with the money he earned?
(d) What amount of money he put into the agency and for what?
(e) What was he thinking?
- Give alternatives to the following:
(a) Out of work.
(b) Out of existence.
(c) Keep his children and wife.
- Give the meaning of the following: Agent; Inherited; security; bungalow.
ANSWERS
- (
a) Rama Rao went out of work.
(b) Rama Rao was the Malgudi agent of a Gramaphone company.
(c) Rama Rao’s business brought money just enough to keep his family in good comfort.
(d) He put into the agency the little money he inherited for security.
(e) He was thinking of buying an old Baby Car for his use.
2.
(a) Out of work – Unemployed
(b) Out of existence Ceased to exist
(c) Keep his children and wife Maintain his family.
. Agong – Representative; Inherited – got as a legacy: Security – guarantee; Bungalow a small house.
Passage B
And one day, it was a bolt from the blue, the crash came. A series of circumstances in the world of trade, commerce, banking and politics was responsible for it. The gramophone company, which had its factory somewhere in Northern India. gratomatically collapsed when a bank in Lahore crashed, which was itself the result of Bombay financier’s death. The financier was driving downhill when his car flew off sideways and came to rest three hundred feet below the road. It was thought that he had committed suicide because the previous night his wife eloped with his cashier.
QUESTIONS
1.
(a) What happened to the company?
(b) What was responsible for the happening? (c) Why did the Gramaphone Company crash?
(d) What happened to the financier?
(e) Why was it thought to be case of suicide?
(f) Indicate the series of circumstances leading to the crash of the Gramaphone
Company. sibitiw
- Give the meaning of the following:
(a) bolt from the blue
(b) Crash
(c) Collapsed
(d) driving downhill
(e) eloped
(f) flew off
- Make sentences with the following:
(a) bolt from the blue
(c) responsible (with its noun form)
(b) crash (Past tense)
(d) collapsed (use the present tense)
(e) downhill
(f) flew off
(g) eloped (noun form)
- (
ANSWERS
a) The Gramaphone Company crashed.
(b) Many circumstances in the world of trade, commerce, politics was responsible for the crash.
(c) The Gramaphone Company which had its factory in Northern India collapsed when a bank in Lahore crashed.
(d) The Financier died when his car turned sideways when he was driving downhill.
(e) It was thought that he committed suicide because his wife eloped with the Cashier.
(f) The factory of the Gramaphone company collapsed when a bank in Lahore crashed. It was the result of Bombay Financier’s death. He was driving downhill when his car turned sideways and fell. It was thought that he committed suicide because his wife eloped with the Cashier.
2
(a) Bolt from the blue – Sudden and unexpected misfortune.
(b) Crash ruin.
(c) Collapsed ruined.
(d) Driving downhill – driving down the hill.
(e) Eloped fled.
(f) Fleto off-turned sideways.
3
. (a) Bolt from the blue – The ruin of the family was a bolt from the blue.
(b) Crash The company crashed.
(c) Responsible – There is the responsibility of many factors for the collapse.
(d) Collapsed Suffered a collapse.
(e) Downhill The car was driving downhill.
(1) Flew off The car flew off
(g) Eloped Elopement of his wife was responsible for his death.
Passage C
Rama Rao suddenly found himself in the streets. At first he could hardly understand the full significance of this collapse. There was a little money in the bank and he had some stock on hand. But the stock moved out slowly; the prices were going down, and he could hardly realize a few hundred rupees. When he applied for the refund of his security, there was hardly anyone at the other end to receive his application.
The money in the bank was fast melting. Rama Rao’s wife now tried some measures of economy. She sent away the cook and the servant; withdrew the children from a fashionable nursery school and sent them to a free primary school. And they let out their bungalow and moved to a very small house behind the Market.
QUESTIONS
1.
(a) What happened to Rama Rao initially?
(b) How did he try to earn money?
(c) How did his wife practise economy ?
(d) What did they do with the Bungalow?
- Give the meaning of the following:
(a) in the streets
(b) stock
(c) refund
(d) melting
(e) economy
(f) withdrew
(g) fashionable
(h) let out
- Make sentences with the following:
(a) significance
(adjective form)
(b) going down
(c) realise
(d) refund
(e) melting
(f) economy (verb form)
(g) fashionable (noun form)
(h) melting
ANSWERS
1.
(a) Rama Rao was financially ruined.
(b) He tried to earn money from the little money he had in the bank and by selling some shares.
(c) His wife sent away the cook and the servant and sent his children to a primary school.
(d) They let out the Bungalow and moved to a small house in the market.
(
a) In the streets – financially ruined.
133
(b) Stock – shares
(c) Refund getting back
(d) Melting-going down
(e) Economy cutting down expenses
(1) Withdrew took away
(g) Fashionable of fashion
(h) Let out diminishing
- (
a) Significance – He could not understand the significant fact
(b) Going down – The prices of shares are going down.
(c) Realise He could not realise money from anywhere.
(d) Refund He was unable to get a refund of his security money. (e) Melting The money in the bank was melting (diminishing).
(1) Economy He economised expenses.
(g) Fashionable It was a fashion to get children in the nursery school. (h) Melting The melting ice in the poles is causing danger to the earth.
Passage D
It was the same story everywhere. He returned home in the evening; his heart sank as he turned into his street behind the Market. His wife would invariably be standing at the door with the children behind her, looking down the street. What anxious, eager faces they had! So much of trembling, hesitating hope in their faces. They seemed always to hope that he would come back home with some magic fulfilment. As he remembered the futile way in which he searched for a job, and the finality with which people dismissed him, he wished that his wife and children had less trust in him. His wife looked at his face, understood, and turned in without uttering a word.
QUESTIONS
- (a) What was the story referred to ?
(b) How did Rama Rao’s wife and children wait for him.
(c) What was their reaction when Rama Rao returned home?
(d) What was the feeling of Rama Rao?
(e) How did his wife react?
- Give the meaning of the following:
sank, hesitating hope, invariably, eager, magic fulfilment, futile, turned in.
- Make sentences with the following:
turned into, turned in, look down, hesitating hope, looked at, futile (noun form), trust
(as verb form).
- Give the noun forms of the following with sentences:
Return, turn, anxious, eager, futile, dismissed, uttering.
ANSWERS
1.
(a) The story of being denied employment in any organisations. Rama Rad’s request for a job was politely rejected by the companies.
(b) Everyday Rama Rao’s wife and children waited for his return with anxiety and eagerness.
(c) Rama Rao’s wife understood the frustration and turned in without uttering any word.
(d) Rama Rao felt extremely hopeless.
(e) Rama Rao’s wife turned in without uttering a word.
- Sank cast down
Hesitating steps unsteady steps
Invariably – surely
Eager anxious
Magic fulfilment success brought by luck.
Futile useless
Turned in turned away.
- Turned into The boy turned into a street.
turned in He turned in without looking at him. Look down He looked down
the street (The rich looked down upon the poor). Hesitating hope Rama Rao’s family waited for Rama Rao with hesitating hope.
Looked at He looked at him straight.
Futility Rama Rao understood the futility of his application for job.
Trust Rama Rao’s family could not trust him.
- Return His return is expected with eagerness.
Turn- He did a good turn to me.
Anxiety – Their anxiety was visible on their faces. Eagerness The waited with eagerness. Futility All his efforts ended in futility.
Dismissal His applications met with dismissal by the authorities. Utterance She made no utterance.
Passage E
This violent alternating between hope and despair soon wrecked his nerves and balance. At home he hardly spoke to anyone. His head was always bowed in thought. He quarrelled with his wife if she refused to give him his rupee a week for the puzzles. She was of a mild disposition and was incapable of a sustained quarrel, with the result that he always got what he wanted, though it meant a slight sacrifice in household expenses.
QUESTIONS
- (a) What does ‘this’ refer to ?
(b) What was the effect of this violent alternating between hope and despair on
c) What did he do in this condition?
(d) What amount was required for quiz.contest? (e) What type of woman was Rama Rao’s wife?
(f) What had Rama Rao’s demand effect on the household ?
- Give the meaning of the following:
Alternating, Wrecked, bowed, puzzles, mild, disposition, sustained, sacrifice.
- Make Sentences with the following words with the forms indicated in the bracket. Alternating (verb); wreek (noun); bowed (noun); mild (noun); incapable (noun), quarrel (verb), sacrifice (verb).
- Make sentences with the following: between hope and despair (give another word for despair), wrecked (a synonym); bowed in thought; in capable of (noun)
ANSWERS
a) ‘This’ refers to his anxiety for the results of the puzzles.
(b) Rama Rao’s nerves were wrecked.
(c) Rama Rao was immensed in thought. He could not speak to any one.
(d) A rupee was required for the quiz contest.
(e) Rama Rao’s wife was of mild disposition.
(f) Rama Rao’s demand for a rupee in a week meant a slight sacrifice on household
expenses.
- Alternating changing
Wrecked destroyed
Bowed bent down
Puzzles quiz contest
Mild – quiet
Disposition behaviour
Sustained continued
Sacrifice – loss
- Alternate He alternated between hope and despair.
Wrecked – His anxiety for the result caused a wreck on his nerves.
Bow He made a bow to him.
Mildness She is noted for mildness of behaviour.
Incapacity She has incapacity for quarrel.
Sacrifice She had to sacrifice a lot for his work.
- Hope and frustration – He oscillated between hope and frustration. Wrecked destroyed – His nerves were destroyed by constant anxiety.
Bowed in thought Ram was bowed in thought for his examination.
In capable of Ram has incapacity for hard work.
Passage F
He lay there he did not know how long. He strained his ears to catch the sound of the train, but he heard nothing more than a vague rattling and buzzing far off… Presently
he grew tired of lying down there. He rose and walked back to the station. There was good crowd on the platform. He asked someone, What has happened to the train? A goods train has derailed three stations off, and the way is blocked. They have sent up a relief. All the trains will be at least three hours late today…’
QUESTIONS
- (a) Where did Rama Rao lay?
(b) Why did he strain his ears to catch the sound of the train ?
(c) In what condition of mind, he lay on the railway track?
(d) Why was he tired of lying down there?
(e) What did he do and what he heard?
(f) How did Rama Rao feel when he heard that the trains would be three hours late that day?
- Give the meaning of the following words:
strained his ears, rattling and buzzing, good crowd, deraild, blocked.
- Use the following words as noun: strain, derailed, block, rattling, buzzing.
- He strained his ears use it in passive voice.
He asked someone “what has happened to the train?” use the sentence in indirect narration.
ANSWERS
- (a) Rama Rao lay on the railway track.
(b) He wanted to be run over by the coming train.
(c) Rama Rao lay on the track in utter despair.
(d) He was tired of lying down because the train was not coming for a long time.
(e) He walked back to the station and heard that a goods train was derailed and therefore trains were late by three hours.
(f) Rama Rao felt much relief and hope of living again came back to him. God had saved him.
- Strained his ears – tried to listen with eagerness. Rattling and buzzing continuous noise.
Good crowd a lot of people.
Derailed went off the rail.
Blocked prevented from coming and going.
. Strain He put a good deal of strain for doing the work
3
Derailed derail (n) a goods train had a derail.
Block People created a block on the road.
Rattling and buzzing – rattle and buzz. There was much rattle and buzz on the station.
- He strained his ears his ears were strained.
He asked some one what had happened to the train.