the vendor of sweets
Vender of sweet – R.K.
Narayan
R.K.
Narayan: - Rasipuram Krishnaswami Iyer
developed an interest in agriculture in 1980, Narayan was nominated to the Rajya Sabha for his dedication to literature. In May 2001, R.K.Narayan was hospitalized. A few hours before he was to be put on a ventilator he was planning on writing his next novel, a story about a grandfather. But he did not get better and never started the novel. He died on 13th May 2001 in Chennai at the age of 94.
Vendor
of sweets is a well-known work of R.K.Narayan in which Mali, son of Jagan, a
Gandhian sweet vendor goes to America ignoring the advices of his father for a
course in creative writing Malgudi but unexpectedly returns to India with a
Korean –American girlfriend. He returns with a business plan manufacture
creative with a machine. Jagan soon finds out about Mali’s relationship with
Grace. They are not married. He is shocked and hurt. So he decides to abandon
his home and business and goes to grove; to fulfilling the Hindu tradition of
Vanaprastha. He decides to with draw from the material world.
As
Jagan decides to leave, his cousin tells him that Mali has been arrested for
drunkenness violating laws. Jagan takes his final decision. He asks his cousin
to do what he can to keep Mali in prison long enough to learn his lesson. He
gives his shop keys to his cousin to carry out the business and keeps money for
Grace for a plane ticket to return to her home, and he goes to the grove.
- Introduction to author
- Short summary
- Characters
- Literary Devices
- Language Techniques
- Message to the society
- Themes
- Meaning
- Relationship
- Settings
- Views
- Socio – cultural context
- Transformation
- Structure
- Good and Evil
- Adding important quotes
Characters
- Jagan the protagonist of the
story
- Mali - son of Jagan
- Cousin - Jagan’s relative
- Grace - Mali’s girlfriend
- China Dorai - woodcarver
Jagan
- Sweet vendor, widower, nearing sixty
- The protagonist
- A follower of Gandhi
- Lives a strict life
- Follows Bhagavad Gita
- Politically active in his youth
- Now
retired and lives a quiet life
- He believes naturopathy
- Jagan wife Ambika died many years ago
- Blind love for Mali his son
- To expectation on Mali but fails
- Puzzled by his son’s attitude
- Could not understand him
- Didn’t guide him to a healthy life style.
Mali
- Jagan’s son
- A young and reckless teenager.
- Does not have meaningful communication with father
- Takes quick decisions
- Dropped out of collage
- Stealing money from his father
- Moves
to U.S.A. to become writer
- Comes back with a girlfriend,
- He wants to become a film producer
- He does not have any emotional bondage with his nation or to his father
- He always persuade his father for his own benefit
- Selfish
- Complete contrast to the father.
- Non believer in tradition and culture.
The Cousin
- Unemployed cousin of Jagan
- He gossips and takes advantage of others generosity
- He helps Jagan and Mali to keep in touch
- He brings stories to Jagan
- He
comforts Jagan when he is worried about Mali
- Serves as a connecting bridge for the father and the son.
- Never gives his personal opinion
- He respects Jagan and his relationship with Mali
- Never tries to create misunderstanding between the father and son.
- He represents the views of the author
- Mali’s girl friend
- Korean American
- Lives with Mali as dedicated wife
- She shows concern for her father in law as she respects him
- She writes letters secretly to Jagan informing about her husband
- She
disappoints Jagan with her fake marriage with Mali
- Jagan gets tickets for her to return
- She is confused with Mali as she is too loyal to him
Literary Devices
R.K.Narayan
uses third - person view. He gives the message through Jagan. He uses
Dialogues. They are between Jagan and the characters. Author uses dialogues as
a device to give information about of theme of the story. The main purpose of
Jagan’s cousin “the listener” is to accomplish the view of the Author.
Themes
The conflict between
Tradition and Modernity
The
difference occurs between Jagan and his son Mali, Jagan is a traditional man
and a follower of Gandhi. The story goes around Jagan and his son Mali. Huge
contrast between the son and the father due to their difference of opinions. Father’s expectation in Mali fails as Mali
never tries to respects the life style of his Father. Jagan represents Tradition and Mali for Modernity.
Jagan
and Mali represents traditional Fathers and Modern Sons. Jagan’s Gandhian
thoughts refuse to accept the expectations of Mali openly. Their open / Frank
communication becomes silent as their various differences build a wall between
them. Most of their conversations increase the tensions in Jagan, Mali and also
the readers.
The clash of culture
Two
different cultures are discussed in the story, Jagan is a Hindu and very
traditional, he follows Gandhian thoughts. But his son is a complete contrast
to him. Jagan puzzled by Mali’s attitude towards employment. Also quite shocked
to see Mali with a Korean – American woman, and embarrassed to know that they
are not married. Son of a traditional father returns from U.S.A. with a woman
is a great disappointment to the cultured and strict father.
Transformation
It
takes place in Jagan, after his meeting with dyer who wants to reinvent himself
as a wood carver. His transformation distances him from Mali. The son could not
come back to his father as he fails to understand him and trust him. Jagan
undergoes many painful moments with his son which made him to realize his way
of thinking is far from the practical life style of the society. Mali becomes and eye opener for Jagan and he
decides go away from the materialistic world into Vanaprastha this changes of
Jagan build the tension and climax. Finally Jagan starts his new life with new
thoughts in the grove. It is a rebirth
to Jagan.
“Conquer taste and you will conquer the self”…. By Jagan
Sugar
is a symbol of deception. Jagan vows not
to consume sugar, salt and rice as he is a strict follower of Gandhi. He wears Jibba and slippers made of animal
leather. He uses aged dead animal for
this purpose. He vows not to take sugar
but he offers to other people as a business.
He even reduces the price of his sweets and desserts and thereby tempts
people to buy. It can be seen that sugar
is a basic nourishment of life. It can
changes the tastes of anyone. Also it
can changes the moods of the people under any situation.it can influence the
changes. Chandra Kala sweet made Jagan famous in Malgudi. Jagan to impress
others says he has given up sugar and salt.
The
most significant image is Jagan’s book which he wants to publish. “Nature cure and Nature Diet” is the name of
the book. He has written all the natural
cures for various diseases. It is his
hidden desire to publish the book but there is no sign of its publication. This
shows not only the rejection of the book but also the refusal of Jagan’s
thoughts and desires of life. He could
not express his thoughts to the world.
He could not promote the natural ways of medications.
Good versus Evil
The
readers could see the significant literary device of allegory in the novel. Allegory means literary composition with a
hidden moral lesson. Allegory represent
the differences of good and evil. Jagan
in this novel is a Gandhian follower and a faithful Bhagavad Gita reader. He has a strong faith his Gandhian
principles. He lives by his faith. He is a second generation character who
believes in hard work and religious traditions.
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