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UNIT.I

Fathers help


1. The story Fathers help by R.K. Narayan highlights how the perspectives of a young boy and those of
the adults around him differ. Swami plays truant as he doesnt like to go to school on a mandate morning.
For this, he poses lame excuses before his parents. The lesson seeks to focus our attention to father son
relationship and teacher student relationship. In fact Samuel a strict disciplinarian has been framed as a
cruel teacher, whose cruelty, much exaggerated, becomes part of a much told school-lore.

Learning objectives

1 to make aware of the importance of teacher-pupil rapport
2 to sensitise about the need to foster congenial inter-generation relationship
3 to familiarise them with the concept of school-lore as a part of modern folk culture

R. K. NARAYAN (1906-2001), one of the most famous and widely read Indian novelists, was born on
October 10, 1906 in Chennai. His father was a headmaster. Narayan spent his early childhood with his
maternal grandmother in Chennai and used to spend only a few weeks each summer visiting his parents and
siblings. Narayan studied for eight years at Lutheran Mission School close to his grandmother's house in
Chennai. When his father was appointed headmaster of the Maharaja's High School in Mysore, Narayan
also moved to Mysore with his parents. He obtained his bachelor's degree from the University of Mysore.
R.K.Narayan began his writing career with Swami and Friend in 1935. Most of his works including Swami
and Friends are set in the fictional town of Malgudi which forNarayan was a miniature India. His writing
style is marked by simplicity and subtle humour. He narrates stories of ordinary people trying to live their
simple lives in a changing world. His works include: The Bachelor of Arts (1937), The Dark Room (1938),
The English Teacher (1945), The Financial Expert (1952), The Guide (1958), The Man-Eater of Malgudi
(1961), The Vendor of Sweets (1967), Malgudi Days (1982), and The Grandmother's Tale (1993). This
stalwart of Indian English writing was honoured with numerous awards which include: Sahitya Akademi
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Award for The Guide in 1958; Padma Bhushan in 1964; and AC Benson Medal by the Royal Society of
Literature in 1980. Narayan was elected as honorary member of the American Academy and Institute of
Arts and Letters in 1982. He was nominated to the Rajya Sabha in 1989. R.K. Narayans stories are
grounded in compassionate humanism and they celebrate the humour and energy of become more or less
synonymous with Narayan. Hence any discussion on the author will be incomplete without a reference to
his fictional town, Malgudi.

Malgudi in the words of R.K. Narayan

' I am often asked, "Where is Malgudi?" All I can say is that it is imaginary and not to be found on any
map (although the University of Chicago Press has published a literary atlas with a map of India indicating
the location of Malgudi). If I explain that Malgudi is a small town in South India I shall only be expressing
a half-truth, for the characteristics of Malgudi seem to me universal'

Fathers Help is a touching story by R.K.Narayan Swaminathan, his father and his teacher, Samuel is the
central characters of the story. Swamis home and Albert Mission School are the setting of the story. Swami,
a lazy boy, tells many lies to his mother and father to avoid going to school. But his father is very strict and
asks for the reason. Swami puts the blame on his teacher, Samuel. Hearing this, his father writes a letter
about the cruelties of Samuel sir and asks Swami to hand over the letter to the headmaster, Swami feels
guilty and sad about Samuel. He plays all possible tricks to make Samuel beat him and he finally succeeds.
Swami feels happy and goes to the Headmasters room but finds out that the headmaster is on leave for a
week and Samuel is in-charge. Swami runs back home. His father becomes angry; he snatches the letter
from his hand and tears it by saying, You deserve your Samuel.

It begins with the word lying. Lying in bed, Swami realised with a shudder that it was Monday morning.
It is unambiguous. But the other meaning of the word lying occupies a major role in the story. The boy
tells lies about his physical condition as well as about his teacher and this lead to the dramatic events
described in the story. Why does the boy lie? Why does he opt to play truant? School does not appear
interesting to him. That does not mean that he is a slow learner. Still, he finds himself alienated from the
spirit of schooling. Neither his parents nor his teachers can find this out. In this sense, the story is simple in
diction and design and it becomes a narrative that criticises conventional schooling. A prudent reader is sure
to find a network of imperative sentences in the story and this has a direct bearing on the social implications
of the story. The boy is given little chance to enjoy the freedom of childhood and these accounts for his
indifference to school. He becomes creative, (of course negatively) which is evident from his act of lying.
Though the story ultimately cautions the reader against the pit falls of lying, it turns out to be a fine analysis
of both parenting and schooling.

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Hints
1It is only a childish prank. He is playing truant. He doesn't want to attend the class test. He may not
have finished his home work. He may be really ill...
2. Swami's hope that an earthquake would reduce the school building to dust. The reference to the school
building which withstood prayers of students for over a hundred years.
3. He doesn't find school a place worth going to. The punishment given by the teachers and their
monotonous teaching methods create a kind of repulsion in Swami towards his school.
4. Swami may be exaggerating. No teacher punishes his/her students these days as described by Swami.
5. YES-Swamis father wrote something against Samuel as he wanted to put an end to the practice of
cruel punishments inflicted by Samuel.NO Father is well aware of Swamis pranks and he might have
requested the headmaster to scold Swami for his pranks and laziness. Swami would go to school and give
the letter to the Headmaster. The HM would summon the teacher and seek an explanation from him.
Swami wouldnt go to school. He would cook up some story for not going to school. His father would find
it out and he might punish Swami for his laziness.
6. (Swami dislikes his father more than his teacher at this juncture. The irony the story tries to bring in is
the change in Swamis attitude.)
7. Swami wants to disobey his father for putting him in a fix. He also wishes to exercise his independence.
8. Swami believes that his father has written many things against Samuel in the letter. So he cannot hand
over the letter without any specific complaint against Samuel. He decides to delay the act of delivering the
letter hoping that Samuel will punish him at some other time during his class.
9. Swami expects Samuel to punish him severely so that the letter will be justified.
10. The author brings in the contrast between what Swami says and what he thinks. e.g. Just to see what
you can do.
11. When Swami came to the class late with a letter from his father against Samuel, Samuel says, Your
father is quite right; a very sensible man. We want more parents like him. This is an instance of irony in the
story.
12. Bleeding heart
13. Swami expected all sorts of violent reactions from Samuel but Samuels behaviour was quite against
Swamis expectations.
15. Swami was successful in the sense that he could provoke the teacher to the point of punishing him A
transformation has taken place in Swami. In the beginning of the story Swami appears to be a lazy boy. He
tells a lie just to skip a days class and to escape from Samuels punishment. As the story progresses Swami
desperately tries to make Samuel punish him. He becomes angrier with his father than with Samuel. He
deserves sympathy.
16. In the first instance 'head ache' is used in the literal sense. In the second instance it is used figuratively
meaning 'a cause of worry or trouble'
17. The teacher's promise is really a warning to Swami.
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19. Though Swami prefers staying at home than going to neither school, neither home nor school is to his
liking.
20. The success of his plans made Swami's heart light.
21. The Headmaster he became angry and tore up the letter. He didn't want to disclose what his father had
written in the letter. Father might have realised that the things Swami told him about Samuel were totally
fabricated.

Textual activities-
1 Generation gap Teacher-pupil rapport Parent-teacher relationship School related stories (school-
lore).
3 In paragraph 1, the reference is to the students' prayers to have the building of Albert Mission School
destroyed. In Para 2 there is a reference to the prayer hall of the school and in para 8 Swami prays for
Samuel to beat him. The first is a wicked prayer, the second suggests how Swami and his friends behave
in the prayer hall and the third is Swami's desperate attempt to make the teacher beat him.

Vocabulary activities-
2. a. fine b. shriek c. sorrow d. pathetic e. ecstatic f. tolerance g. believes.
3. Heart throb - a famous man, usually an actor or a singer that a lot of people find attractive Heartfelt-
showing strong feelings that are sincere Heart attack- a sudden serious medical condition in which the heart
stops working.
4a. screeched b. composed c. wailed d. genial e. jolted f. lurid.
6.put up- I will be happy to put you up in my place. ~ put out- The fire fighters soon put out the fire.
~put away- I am just going to put my caraway. ~ Put off- The match was put off due to heavy rain. put up
with- I am not going to ~ put up with their smoking any longer. ~ put on- She put on an expensive dress
for the function. ~ put down- The government decided to put down all opposition. ~
put by- I'm putting by my pocket money to buy a bicycle
Activities
1. Attempt a skill based on this.
2. Swami is hesitant to go to school insists him on going to school. Construct a dialogue between father and
Swami.
3. Swamis father has written a letter to the headmaster. While he carries this letter to the headmaster, many
thoughts might have come to his mind. Record his thoughts in a paragraph.
* On the way to school Swami met his close friend Keshar, who enquired him about the reason for being
late to school. Construct a possible dialogue.
* Swamis friend Dinakar studies in Chennai, public school. He writes a letter to Dinakar
Describing Samuel and his cruel punishments what could be the letter?
Note - Seminar on rights and duties of children
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* Samuel was perplexed at Swamis strange behavior in the class room. What could the diary entry of
Samuel be on that night?
* Suppose, Swamis father met Samuel on that day. Samuel explained everything that had happened in the
class. Try to narrate the events as explained by Samuel.

Comprehension
1. What is the pun, intended in the word lying?
2.Why did Swami wish that an earthquake would reduce the school building to duest?
3. Why do you think has Swami played truant?
4. Have you ever travelled in a jutka? If yes. How was the feeling?
5. What was the complaint of Swami, about his geography teacher?
6. What was Swami doing at 9.30? 7. What ought to have been done by Swami at 9.30?
8. What excuse did Swami tell his mother?
9. Why did Swami change his tactics? 10. What sort of a teacher is Samuel according to Swami?
11. Why did his father become excited, when he listened to his son?
12. What made his father write a letter of complaint about Samuel?
13. Why did his father ask him to bring an acknowledgment from the headmaster?
14. Why did Swami/s conscience start, bothering him?
15. What attitude did Samuel have towards Swami?
16. What are the methods of punishment inflicted by Samuel on children?
17. Why did Swami feel an impulse to run home and beg his father to take back the letter?
18. What is the yellow building referred to here?
19. Which punishment would Samuel receive according to Swami?
20. How does Swami look like? 21. Why did he himself like an executioner?
22. Why did Swami take the decision not to deliver the letter to the headmaster immediately?
23. Your father is quite right, a very sensible man, we want more parents like him. Find out iron in it
24. Why was Swami puzzled about Samuels character? 25. Swami went to his seal with a bleeding heart
Why?
26. He had never met a man so good as Samuel. In what sense is Samuel good?
27. Why did Swami feel, desolate, at the end of the period?
28. Why did Swami try to provoke Samuel?
29. The boys listened in half languor in the last period. What are your suggestions to make the class
lively?
30. Did Swami succeed in provoking Samuel? Justify your answer?
31. Why did Swamis father call him a coward?
32. You deserve your Samuel what do you understand from this statement.
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Swami was a school boy. One day he decided to stay away from school saying that he had a headache. But
his father forced him to go to school. Swami said that his teacher, Samuel would punish him if he went late.
Samuel sir is very cruel. He punishes the children severely.
Swami's father was angry. He wrote a letter to the headmaster complaining about Samuel's punishment. He
asked Swami to hand over the letter to the headmaster. Swami was very confused. He feels that he has done
wrong to his teacher. Samuel is not so cruel as he told his father. So he decided to give the letter only at the
end of the day. He hopes that he would be able to provoke his teacher by that time. Thus he could justify his
letter.
But to his surprise Swami found his teacher as a very patient man. He was very soft to his children. Swami
could provoke the teacher only in the last period. He was punished for shouting in the class. Swami could
not give the letter to the headmaster who had taken a leave in the afternoon. On his return from school his
father got angry with him and tore the letter to pieces. He said that he reserved his Samuel.
Recap: the major events of the story Fathers Help. It is arranged as a series of thoughts passing through
Swamis mind. A few sentences are left blank for the students to complete.
1. 6 am A Monday once again! What excuse can I tell to escape school 2.9.30 am. How Stubborn my
father is!
Even a lurid account of Samuels cruelty didnt work! Above all, This letter
2. On the way to school, he thinks that Samuel is not really that cruel! 5.I feel I am the worst perjurer on
earth.
3. How can I justify this letter now! 7. Elicit the series of attempts by Swami to provoke Samuel
4. At School No chance! The letter is not justified yet! Any way let me wait till the last period
5. Last period Hurray........ I am getting punished at last!
6. On the way home What a bad luck! HM is on leave. What will I tell father..a lie again ?
7. At home what does the father mean by You deserve your Samuel!

School lore

It happened many years back. There was a mathematics teacher in our school named Sukumaran. He was
fat and tall. All the students and even other teachers called him cylinder because whenever he wants to
teach how to find out the total area of the cylinder he says the same sentence suppose Im a cylinder.
Thus the name was established among the school community. It was said that he was so cruel towards
children. Once he beat a student, till the thick stick in his hand had broken. Another time, when he was
angry with a child no stick was in his hand. He saw a broom in the corner of the class; he took it and had
beaten him with its handle. Hence all the children were very angry towards Sukumaran Sir. Once, a group
of children planned to make fun of Sukumaran Sir. He had a habit to search for chalk pieces in the drawer
without looking in it. Immediately after he stated the class while talking to the children he would do it.
Certain children in that class bought toy-snake made of rubber, coiled it and put inside the drawer. As
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usual, sir come in the class sent an angry look towards the children and asked one where did we stop
yesterday? He got beating as they thought. It was not possible for them to answer that question because
even the sir couldnt remember it. After some times, he began to teach to find out the centre of a triangle.
To draw a triangle he searched for a chalk piece everywhere and at last open the drawer and inserted his
hands in it. Suddenly we heard a cry and saw that Sukumaran sir was running out of the class. He could
not comer to the school for two weeks.

Fathers help Comprehension

1. Lying in bed, Swami realized with a shudder. that Swami might stay at home.
1) Why did Swami shudder? -- It was Monday morning.
2) In which school was Swami studying? -- Albert Mission School.
3) What excuse did Swami tell his mother?-- Headache.
4) Find the word from the passage which means a two wheeled horse-drawn carriage? -- Jutka.
5) Which are the important subjects that Swami talked about? -- Geography and Arithmetic
A. As he approached the yellow building he really. he felt like an executioner (he grieved for
him) (something to justify the letter.)
1. Pick out an expression which means 'to shake because you are frightened from the extract.
2. Pick out an expression which means the state in which one has lost honour or the respect of others,
especially because of something one has done'.
3. Pick out an expression from the passage which means to shake because you are frightened
shuddered.
4. Find a word from the passage which means remedy.
5. Find out the one word for the words given in italics to tell a lie wilfully
6. Identify two adjectives used by Swami to describe Samuel (Red streaked eyes, thin lines of
moustache etc.)
7. The more he thought of Samuel, the more he grieved for him.
8. The more he thought of his father, __ the more he was confused.
9. The weaker Swami became, _ the greater he was frightened.
10. The longer he spoke,.............., The more he lied.....................
11. The more Swami tried to avoid the class,, If swami had given the letter to the headmaster,
12. What made Swamis mind fill with sorrow?.Who is the unreasonable and stubborn man?
13. 'Swami realised that he was perjuring himself and was ruining his teacher.'
What does this statement suggest about the nature of Swami? -Swami had told a lie to his father about Mr.
Samuel. He felt a guilty feeling for this.
14. Who does Swami dislike more at this juncture, Samuel or father? Why?
15. What impression do you gather about swami from the passage?- swami is in a dilemma. He is afraid
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of the consequences of this lie. His teachers innocent face haunted him
16. Why does Swami feel like an executioner? He felt that he had done a very big crime character
assassination
17. What was the idea occurred to Swami?
What, Swami fears, will be the consequences of delivering the letter to the headmaster?- the Headmaster
would dismiss Samuel and the police would chain him and put him in jail.
18. Do you think disobeying ones father is an exercise of independence? Justify answer.

At 9.30, when he ought to have been shouting in the school prayer hall, Swami was lying on the bench
in Mother's room'Will he? Let us see.'

1. What would Swami usually do during prayer time at school? -1. Usually Swami would shout during the
prayer time at school.
2. What, according to Father, is the cause of Swami's headache? - Wasting his time on week-ends too much
is the reason for Swamis headache.
3. Complete the sentence given below suitably. - If Swami had said headache once again, his father __
(Samuel would have punished him)- If Swami had said headache once again his father would have beaten
him.
4. Do you think Swami is honest in his words? Justify your answer citing instances from the passage. -. No
Swami is not honest. He is just playing a truant. Swami changed his tactics.
4. Do you believe what Swami has said is right? Why? (No, Swami is telling a lie to stay away from
school)
5. He ought to have been shouting in the school prayer hall who is the he referred to here? (Swami)
6. What is the cause of Swamis headache? (He hesitates to go to school. He wants to stay away from
school. Thats why he pretence.) You should have asked me if.............
7. What was usual about Swami mentioned in the first paragraph?
8. Why do you think that Swami is not ready to go to school?

All right, sit down Swami sat down, wondering what had come over Samuel..Swami suddenly
asked at the top of his voice, why did not Columbus come to India, sir ?

1. Why did Samuel lead Swami sit down? 2. Why did Swami feel desolate?
3. Why did the boys listen in half languor? 4. What was he thinking acutely?
5. After the class his friend asked him about his strange behaviours. What is the dialogue between them?



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B. He is very violent especially with boys------he is such a violent man
1. If he is so violent --- who is the he referred to here?(Mr. Samuel)
2. Why does swami find excuses not to go to school?(Because he wanted to stay at home.)
3. Find out the word from the passage which means to turn something with force (Twisted)
4. Do you think Samuel may beat the students as Swami describes? Why? (No. Samuel may not ill treat
the children as Swami described)

C. Father asked him, Have you no school today? --------- He will beat ne if I say so Will he? Let us
see.
1. D o you think that Swami was really suffering from headache? Why (Swami pretence that he is
suffering from headache to stay away from school)
2. Why do you think, Swami doesnt want to go to school? (Swami prefers home to school. May be he
doesnt get enough care and love from school.
3. He will beat me if I say so. Do you think that Swamis excuse is true why? (No. Swamis excuse is
not true. Teacher will not punish children without any reason.)
4. Complete the sentence given below suitably. If Swami shows reluctance to go to school, his father --
-( his father will force him to go)

Swami merely held out........ You deserve your Samuel.
1. What made Swami's heart light?
2. What might have prompted father to tear the letter?
3. Why did Swami run to the headmaster's room?
4. Did father believe Swami's excuse for not meeting the headmaster? Justify your answer citing father's
remark.
1. Why couldn't Swami meet the headmaster?
2. What made Swami flee from the place?
3. Was Swami's father happy to see his son back with the letter?
4. Pick out a word from the passage that is the antonym of 'brave'.
5. Don't come to me for help even if Samuel throttles you- Do you think that Swami's father has really
helped Swami?