Resumo de The English Teacher

This novel ,a class by itself, is written by the renowned Indo-Anglian writer, Rashipuram Krishnaswami Narayan, popularly adored as R.K.Narayan. He was born in 1906 and breathed his last in 1996.It was published in 1946 and the U.S. version was named as Grateful to Life and Death. He has hatched out of his imagination a place called Malgudi ,probably somewhere in South India. We are readily reminded of the imaginary Yoknapatawpha country of William Faulkner. Narayan won the heart of the readers with his lucid prose, well-conceived plot, brilliant character-portrayals and keen sense of humor.The English Teacher is completely different in taste and situations from the other novels by Narayan. Here, Narayan delves deep into the knotty philosophical issue: where do we go after our death? Krishnan was a Professor of English in Albert Mission College, of the-then Madras. He used to stay in a boarding-house along with other Professors of the same college. Krishnan?s wife used to stay far away in his village with his parents, with her only little daughter, Leela. She was asking her to bring to Madras to stay with him and look after him. Krishnan was looking for a nice accommodation and when he got one, he asked his mother to come and keep them here in Madras. When they joined him, he found a new life replete with her beautiful wife?s gentle care and his small child?s babbles and naughty deeds. He was so thrilled that he decided to choose a nook in his new house where he could give shape to his dream of being a poet. Within a few days Sushila kept demanding for a house of their own. When Sushila went with him to see the plots and readymade houses, misfortune befell Krishnan. Leela was left with the domestic help, his mother had sent to stay with them and help Sushila with her chores. She was happy with the old lady. But, when Sushila put on her favorite indigo-colored saree and wound a jasmine-garland round her top-knot on head and entered into a toilet with a green-painted door suggesting a moment before that, bathroom-tiles must decorate the rooms of their house, came out much later complaining of an uncanny feeling and sting of a virulent insect. From that very day, Sushila was down with fever and the doctor from Krishna Medical Hall diagnosed it as typhoid and asked Krishnan to remain free of all tensions. Krishnan asked Sushila?s parents to come and look after her. He asked Leela not to enter her mother?s room, on a silly pretext. But crushing all his hopes Sushila breathed her last one evening. After that life started losing all its color with each passing day The days were filed with busy schedule while the nights seemed vacant, long, meaningless. But, suddenly one day as he entered the staffroom after finishing his day?s schedule a boy came running to hand him a billet given by his father. Krishnan was startled to see that a man was requesting him to visit his house where his wife Sushila wanted to talk to him. He was startled visibly!How could it be possible!! But when he accompanied the boy to their house overlooking a pond and green pastures and he had his first séance, he was convinced. From then on, he enjoyed regular conversations with his dead wife! Sometimes, she said that Leela was going to a school and she would love to get admitted into that kindergarten. It was found to be true and the Headmaster of the school seemed to be an idealist man of virtues. Readily, Krishnan and the Headmaster struck friendship. But, he was driven mad by a prediction of an astrologer whose all predictions came true. What was it? It predicted that he had only one day to go in this world. Naturally, he entreated Krishnan to take charge of his small school . Krishnan dilly-dallied initially but later on yielded on to his overture. But, this time the soothsayer was proved wrong to everyone?s relief. However, he was not interested anymore to stay here and he left for his village bag and baggage, to start his own business. Krishnan was influenced by the Headmaster?s idealism and took the momentous decision of relinquishing his college job and take up the charge of this school permanently. When Mr. Brown was flabbergasted to listen to his apparently inane decision and suggested to keep it as his hobby, he argued that the backbone of the nation had to be built up strongly and he had to contribute to it. Again, he had nothing to worry about his daughter Leela as she was well provided for, by his parents. He was given a pompous farewell. But he found the occasion ostentatious, meaningless. That evening, when he came home and kept the jasmine-garland on the peg , he found Sushila happy to tie the garland on her plait and enjoying the crack of dawn through the open window .It was the assurance of wiping off his solitariness. Krishnan took Death not as an end of life but a form of existence only! He was ,after all, devoting almost all the hours to his wife now!1He was ?grateful to life and death?! KET

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