Out of business- R.K.Narayan : Summary and notes| C.U.

Summary:-

A debacle came down in Rama Rao's life as a result of circumstances. Rama Rao lost his job in the Gramophone Company when the company collapsed due to feather of Bombay's financier of Lahore based bank which so got crashed. Rama Rao's well paid job in the Gramophone Company which enabled him to buy a bungalow and send his children to a fashionable school . Rama fell into a financial crisis, his money in the bank melted out forcing his wife to dismiss the cook from service and withdraw children from their former  school and sending them to a free primary school. Rama Rao tried employment in many place by sending applications , burly they proved to be of no use. Rama, fascinated by the prospect of earning some extra money through solving of the crossword puzzles tries a hand on it but fails repeatedly. Finally one day the journal 'Captain' announced a special offer of eight thousand rupees and it excited Rama Rao's vision of future by tenfolds. He tried this time, even sending answers with all the probable solutions from all corners. But fails, ultimately resulting him to feel depressed. He became so depressed that he contemplates suicide. He goes to the railway track to give off his life but there had been a derailment of a train causing three hours delay. Rama understanding that God has given him a second chance, thanks God and then returns back home to start afresh.

Martyr's corner- R.K.Narayan : Extra question| Calcutta University

Q)  Discuss theme of the story 'Martyr's corner' .

Answer:-  The author R.K.Narayan has wonderfully portrayed the picture of his imaginative locale Malgudi in his story. The story is also from his collection, 'Malgudi Days' , where he has depicted the boons and banes  of town life. The telltale sign of this imaginative locale is prominent, still the author in his magical ways has included the day to day emotions of rural life in this story. Like the place itself which is universal, Rama,  the protagonist of the story, also represents the commoan who is put to untold suffering because of the faulty administrative setup in which he is placed. The author has beautifully woven the theme of deligance, dedication,hard work, compassion,poverty, struggle and resilience. In the story the uncertainty of life and rise and fall associated with it is also displayed.
     The first half of the the story talk about the success of the hard working , Rama , who sold eatables on a stall at corner near the cinema hall . He prepared the edibles from crack of the daen and then he sold them between eight to ten in the evening. He , through an investment of five rupees per day managed to earn a princely sum of three hundred a month. He didn't even bothered about understanding hygiene and sold near an open gutter. Still his customers clamoured for the food . All in all he had a good life.
        Rama, later in the story , on account of a violent uprising at the spot where he pitched the stall of eatables could no longer sell from the old spot. He was forced to move two hundred yards away out of the sight of his potential customers. This resulted in his business coming down so much that he had to windup his business. Later when his savings ran out he had to take the job as a waiter in Restaurant Kohinoor for rupees twenty a month . Thus this story justifies the rise and fall of life.

Martyr's corner - R.K.Narayan: Guide notes and answers| Calcutta University

(The Martyr's Corner by R.K.Narayan.Taken from An Anthology of Short Stories for students of ICSE Schools,India)

Q1)  Give a brief analysis of the story  'Martyr's Corner's.                        

Answer:- The author persona                                R.K.Narayan's 'Martyr's corner' is an interesting yet saddening story ,set in the imaginary locale called the Malgudi,the telltale sign of which are easily noticeable.Though the existence of this place is purely fictional yet critics have made innumerable attempts to pin point on the map of India for the exact existence of this town of South India. It is to be understood that Malgudi in Sarayu is a mere imagination similar to that of Hardy's Wessex. In this story 'The Martyr's Corner', R. K Narayan has wonderfully embedded the themes of diligence, dedication, compassion,poverty,struggle and resilience. Taken from his Malgudi days collection, the story is narrated in third person by an unnamed narrator.

     Although others think that Rama only works for an hour a day selling off his goods but the reality speaks the exact opposite. Rama spends from eight in the morning to ten at night preparing the goods  and then selling them. This shows that Rama is not just diligent and hard working but dedicated as well. There is a sense of canny and knows where to pitch the goods. He sits outside the cinema hall waiting for the potential customers. His compassion for others is also depicted as he feels for the young boy, who is half-starved, polish the shoes outside the cinema hall.He doesn't like to see the customers swindle with the young boy. If anything Rama is a good natured man,kind to others, kind to his customers . Narayan tries to give an insight into life on street of India and the inseparable poverty that exists. The character mentioned in the story,none have much . Everyone appears to live hand to mouth. If anything people are struggling day in and day out. 

The theme of corruption has also been dragged into by Narayan. Rama gives some goods to the passing policemen and occasional workers of health department, so that they don't harass him and tell him to move on. On the other hand Rama's wife is a supportive woman and acts as a perfect banker as she saved the five rupees that Rama makes each day but soon there life takes a rash turning to all odds. After a man gets gets killed at this spot where Rama pitched his stall due to some ensued quarrel .  People collected enough money to set up a stone in memorial of there fallen leader. Rama's sales go down as he was forced to move two hundred yards away out of sight of his previous customers. Rama takes home two Anna where he previously used to earn five rupees. Despite the fall in income Rama is able to adapt. He finds the job of waiter in a restaurant and begins to work there. This shows how resilient Rama actually is. Although his business has ended but still he is focused on the future and doesn't allow his past to defeat him. Where some people give up Rama continues to move forward even if he no longer is his own boss.                   

 Q2)  Ventilate your views about the story Martyr's Corner'.

Answer :-The story 'Martyr's corner' aptly reveals that life is like a book where you know not what lies on the next page . Today's sunrise can even turn into the deadly darkness of tomorrow. The success of today cannot ensure that the tomorrow would remain equally bright. It  even tells us that it is not always that what you sow is what you reap. Sufferings might befall on us due to the fault of others. Sarcastically the author's naming the story 'Martyr's corner' on one side portrays the sick mentality of the politicians who give more importance to the dead while ignoring the plight of the living. Although the place is named 'Martyr's corner' in memoriam of the fallen leader but ultimately Rama stands as the true martyr.