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Comment on the influence of English—the language and the way of life—on Indian life as reflected in the story. What is the narrator’s attitude to English?
The story ‘Ranga’s Marriage’ takes us to those times when there were few people in villages in India who knew English. The village accountant was the first one who had enough courage to send his son to Bangalore to study. Those days people didn’t speak in English in the village. Nor did they bring English words while talking in Kannada. To support this, the narrator gives an instance. Rama Rao’s son bought a bundle of firewood. The woman asked for four pice, the price of firewood. The boy told her that he did not have any ‘change’. The poor woman did not understand the English word ‘change’. She went away muttering to herself.
However, English was considered to be a ‘priceless commodity’. That was why Ranga’s home coming in the village was a great event. The people wanted to have a look of the boy who had gone to Bangalore to study English. Many people believed that those who received education in English lost their caste. Ranga was still wearing the sacred thread, ‘the janewara’. He had not lost his caste and culture.
The attitude of the narrator to English is quite positive. He considers English to be ‘a priceless commodity’. But he wants to show that English doesn’t have any adverse influence on the religious and cultural practices of the people. Ranga wears the sacred thread and bends low for ‘namaskara’ to his elders.
Astrologers’ perceptions are based more on hearsay and conjecture than what they learn from the study of the stars. Comment with reference to the story.
People suffer from many superstitions. One of the popular superstitions is the perception of arstrologers towards astrology. Whether astrology is science or not may be a debatable issue. It is true that astrologers don’t base their perceptions on the study of stars. Nor do they care much for the movement of the planets and their effect on man’s life. They are like Shastri of the story. All their predictions are based on hearsay and conjecture. They are not based on any scientific or rational study of stars.
The attitude of Shastri in the story is self-explanatory. He is merely a parrot. He utters what the narrator asks him to say. Shastri replies that ‘a girl’ is the cause of Ranga’s unhappiness. The narrator asks Shastri if there is any chance of their negotiations for Ratna bearing fruit. The astrologer replies “definitely”.
Sometimes astrologers are tutored by their clients. They move their lips and count on their fingers just to impress unsuspecting persons. Shastri exactly does so to impress Ranga. The poor fellow doesn’t know that Shastri has repeated what he has been tutored. He only knows that whatever the astrologer says is “absolutely true”.
Indian society has moved a long way from the way the marriage is arranged in the story. Discuss.
Ranga’s marriage was performed at a time when old values and customs still dominated our social scene. The twenty first century is not the age of arranged marriages. No doubt, villages are the last citadels of superstitions. They continue practising arranged marriages in one form or the other. In the modern world of science and technology, there is little room for conservative practices. These days boys and girls don’t need a helper. They meet frequently. They try to understand each other. They judge all pros and cons. Then they resolve to become life-partners. Their parents simply give their approval. If they oppose, the marriage is still solemnised in the court. Even in the villages things are now different. Certainly the Indian society has moved a long way from the way the marriage is arranged in the story.
It was the narrator who thought that Ranga would make a good husband for Rama Rao’s niece Ratna. Hence, the initiative comes not from the boy or the girl. Ratna is ‘a pretty girl of eleven’. People could think of marrying off a girl of this tender age only in Hosahalli village of Ranga’s time. Today it is unimaginable. Child marriage is legally prohibited and banned.
What kind of a person do you think the narrator is?
The narrator appears to be a gentleman. He enjoys helping others and takes pains to make people happy around him. He is a villager and is mighty proud of his village Hosahalli. He says that Hosahalli is to Mysore State what the sweet ‘Karigadabu’ is to a festive meal. He speaks glowingly of his village. The narrator is a good judge of men and matters. He is quick to judge that Ranga can be the best boy for Rama Rao’s niece Ratna. Time proves that his choice is sound. The narrator is a great manipulator. While Ratna sings, he calls for Ranga. So the boy sees the girl and silently develops liking for her.
The narrator is very vocal. He doesn’t mince words. He can’t be brief. His descriptions are lengthy and heavy. His description of his village is overstretched and overstated. But he is a realist. Ranga’s homecoming is a great event in the village. It may appear to be a little exaggerated today but not a century ago. The narrator seems to have developed fascination for English language. He calls English language ‘a priceless commodity’.
The narrator impresses us with his presence of mind. He is pragmatic and cares for results only. He knows that the marriage needs the blessings of a priest and astrologer. Shastri is tutored to facilitate the marriage of Ranga and Ratna. This is his master stroke. Naturally, he earns the respect of Ranga and Ratna. The couple names their child Shyama as a mark of respect for him.
Describe the village of the narrator.
The narrator belongs to Hosahalli, a village in the erstwhile Mysore State. Hosahalli is to Mysore state what the sweet ‘Karigadabu’ is to a festive meal in South India. The village has some mango trees, creepers and a pond. The people are simple. The ‘priceless commodity’, English is not so widespread in Hosahalli. The narrator is proud of his village and speaks glowingly of it.
English was not so widespread in Hosahalli. Prove it by citing an example from the text.
The narrator calls English a ‘priceless commodity’. But it was not so widespread in Hosahalli. The craze of the people to see Ranga when he returned from Bangalore proves this point. They had a great respect for a person who knew English. Rama Rao told the woman selling firewood that he had no ‘change’. She couldn’t understand the meaning of even such a simple English word.
Describe the homecoming of Ranga. Why was it ‘a great event’ in the village?
Hosahalli didn’t have many people who knew English. Ranga’s father was the first one who had enough courage to send his son to Bangalore to study. He was coming back to the village. Naturally, his homecoming was a great event for the villagers. People rushed to have a look of Ranga. They were satisfied that he was the same Ranga as he had been six months ago.
How did the people realise that Ranga was the same man as he had been six months ago? Give one example to prove your point.
The people of Hosahalli were curious to see Ranga. The youngman had gone to Bangalore to study English. They rushed to have a look of him. Soon they were satisfied that Ranga was the same as he had been six months ago. A woman ran her hand over his chest. She said, ‘the janewara is still there’. She declared that Ranga hadn’t lost his caste.
What did Ranga say when the narrator asked him if he wanted to get married?
The narrator asked Ranga if he wanted to get married. Ranga replied that he was not going to get married in near future. He needed to find out the right girl. A man must marry a girl he admires. He would marry a mature girl of his choice.
Why was the narrator distressed when he came to know of Ranga’s views about his marriage?
The narrator had in his mind the niece of Rama Rao. She was a pretty girl of eleven. The narrator thought that Ranga would make a good husband for Ratna. But Ranga had no plan of marrying in near future. The narrator was distressed to hear Ranga’s plan.
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Describe Rama Rao’s niece Ratna.
Rama Rao’s niece was a pretty girl of eleven. She had come to stay with her uncle. She was from a big town. She knew how to play the veena and the harmonium. She also had a sweet voice. Both her parents had died. She could be the most suitable bride for Ranga.
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When and how did Ranga have the first sight of Ratna?
The narrator had made up his mind that he would get Ranga married Ratna was the most suitable bride for him. One day Ratna was wearing a grand saree. The narrator requested her to sing a song. He sent for Ranga while she was singing. He stopped at the threshold not to disturb her singing. He was curious to see the singer and so he peeped in.
How did Ranga feel when he heard and saw Ratna for the first time?
Ranga peeped in to see the singer. Ratna stopped abruptly when she saw a stranger. Ranga was embarrassed. He declared to leave but didn’t move. The girl ran inside overcome by shyness. After a while he asked who that girl was. He also asked the narrator if she was married or not. His face shrivelled when he was told that the girl was married a year ago.
Why did the narrator ask Ranga to accompany him to see Shastri?
The narrator had made up his mind to get Ranga married to Ratna. He asked Ranga to accompany him to see Shastri. They would find out if ‘Guru’ and ‘Shani’ were favourable to him or not. He asked Shastri what worried Ranga. Shastri was already tutored by the narrator. He replied “a girl”.
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How did Shastri act after being tutored by the narrator?
Shastri did as he was tutored to do. He replied that a girl worried Ranga’s mind. When asked if their negotiations would bear fruit, Shastri replied “definitely”. When asked who was the girl, Shastri did a bit of acting. At last he named Kamla or Ratna. It brought some happiness on Ranga’s face. Shastri succeeded in arousing Ranga’s interest in Ratna.
Why was Ranga’s face shrivelled and finally, why was he surprised and happy?
Ranga had developed a liking for Ratna in his heart. He never exposed it. But when the narrator told him that the girl got married a year ago, his face shrivelled. However, when the narrator gave the news that the girl was still unmarried, Ranga was surprised and happy.
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“There’s greater truth in the shastra than we imagine”, said Ranga. What does this statement tell about his mind?
Ranga could never realise that what Shastri told them about his marriage was just a stage-managed acting. Shastri did and said what he was tutored to do and say. But Ranga was totally impressed by Shastri’s predictions. They suited him. So he declared that astrology was a science. The shastra contained greater truth than people imagined.
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What light does Shastri’s and the narrator’s stage-managed acting throw on astrology as it is practised by the astrologers like Shastri?
It presents astrology in a poor light. Astrology may be science but astrologers don’t indulge in it honestly. They don’t study the stars but base their predictions on hearsay and conjecture. Moreover, they can be influenced and tutored. Shastri did what he was tutored by the narrator to do and say.
Why was the narrator invited by Rangappa?
The narrator was instrumental in arranging the marriage of Ranga and Ratna. He tutored me astrologer Shastri to bring Ranga around to get married. Ranga felt highly obliged. It was quite natural for Ranga to invite the narrator on the birthday of his son Shyama. He wanted to pay his respect to the narrator.
How did Rangappa honour the narrator and why?
Ranga knew that his marriage with Ratna was arranged due to the efforts of the narrator. He didn’t forget to invite him on the birthday of his son. He honoured the narrator when he named his ‘golden child’ Shyama after the name of the narrator.
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What image do you form of the narrator?
The narrator emerges as a thorough gentleman. He is ever ready to help others. He is instrumental in arranging the marriage of Ranga and Ratna. He belongs to Hosahalli and he is proud of his village. He is very vocal. He knows how to exploit the situation to his advantage and can also indulge in a bit of stage-managed acting.
The narrator talks much of his village Hosahalli and its people. Describe in your words the social and cultural life of the narrator’s village by citing examples from the story ‘Ranga’s Marriage’.
Masti Venkatesha Iyengar’s short story ‘Ranga’s Marriage’ has been set in the rural background. The narrator belongs to Hosahalli. It is a famous village situated in the erstwhile state of Mysore. The narrator seems to be greatly proud of his village and talks so glowingly of it and its people. Hosahalli is to Mysore state what the sweet ‘Karigadabu’ is to a festive meal.
Hosahalli has all the features of a typical South Indian village. The people speak Kannada. It does not have many people who know English. They can’t understand even such simple words like ‘change’ in English. Ranga’s father is the only one who sends his son to Bangalore to study. Ranga’s homecoming is a great event. People fear that modern English education takes away their caste and culture. They rush to have a look of Ranga. An old woman runs her hand over Ranga’s chest and the sacred thread the ‘janewara’. She declares that he has not lost his caste.
Generally, people in Hosahalli are superstitious. Child-marriages seem to be common. Ratna is a pretty girl. She is just eleven but the narrator considers her to be the just bride for Ranga. Like all villages, the people of Hosahalli believe in astrology and horoscopes. Astrologers like Shastri can be tutored and influenced easily to suit the occasion. The village has its share of mango trees and creepers. Like every Indian village, it has a pond. To sum up, Hosahalli is a representative South Indian Kannada village.
The short story ‘Ranga’s Marriage’ doesn’t present the changing face of the Indian villages. It is set in a world that existed only in the last century. Justify.
Certainly ‘Ranga’s Marriage’ doesn’t present the changing face of the Indian village. No doubt, many Indian villages still share many superstitions and practices. But the scenario is changing fast. Hence, many incidents in the story seem to be exaggerated or outdated. It is true that many of the villagers still don’t have good understanding of English. Today if an educated youngman returns from a big city, people don’t rush to have a look of him. The homecoming of Ranga was a great event for the people of Hosahalli. But today it may be no news at all. Many youngmen go to the big towns and cities for higher education. These days English words like ‘change’ are quite common and the people don’t have any difficulty in understanding them.
Ratna of the story is a pretty girl. She is from a big town and knows how to play the veena and harmonium. But she is just eleven ! Who can even imagine to marry off a girl of eleven today? But the narrator thinks her to be the most suitable bride for Ranga. Today child marriages have been banned by the law. Even in the villages the marriage of a girl of eleven appears to be an exception rather than a rule.
It is true that even today villagers believe in astrologers like Shastri. ‘Arranged marriages’ are still very common. But not many village girls run inside overcome by shyness after seeing a stranger today. Things are changing fast but the story doesn’t present the changing face of the Indian village.
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The narrator made up his mind that he would get Ranga married to Ratna. How did he accomplish his mission?
The narrator was impressed by Rangappa’s character. He liked the way Ranga touched his feet to receive blessings and did a ‘namaskara’. He blessed Ranga that he might get married soon. But the narrator was distressed. The boy who he thought would make a good husband, had decided to remain a bachelor. The narrator made up his mind to get him married.
The narrator arranged a meeting of Ratna and Ranga at one place. Ratna was a pretty niece of Rama Rao. She was from a big town and knew how to play the veena and harmonium. She was a good singer too. The girl was quite free with the narrator. One day while she was singing the narrator sent for Ranga. Ranga stood at the threshold listening to the song. He peeped inside to see her. He developed a silent liking for the girl. He only pretended to hide his real feelings. He was pained when the narrator told a lie that she was married a year ago.
The narrator was a good judge of men, matters and situations. He knew how to create a favourable situation. He convinced Ranga to accompany him to Shastri. He tutored Shastri to influence Ranga’s decision. Shastri revealed that a girl was the cause of Ranga’s all worries. She could be Kamla or Ratna. Very cleverly the narrator asked Shastri if there was any chance of their negotiations being fruitful. Shastri replied “definitely”. In this way, the narrator was successful in bringing them together and making them life-partners.
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How did Ranga come to see Ratna? What was the result of the first encounter of Ranga and Ratna?
Ranga clearly told the narrator that he had no plan of marrying in near future. He would marry a mature girl whom he could admire. The narrator was distressed to hear it. He thought Ranga would make a good husband. But he had decided to remain a bachelor for long. The narrator made up his mind that he would get Ranga married soon. He had a girl in his mind. Ratna was a pretty girl of eleven. She was the niece of his friend Rama Rao. She was from a big town and knew how to play the veena and the harmonium. Both her parents had died. Ranga was just the boy for her and she was the most suitable bride for him.
It was Friday. That day Ratna was wearing a grand Saree. The narrator asked her to sing a song. He sent for Ranga while she was singing a song. Ranga stopped at the threshold. He did not want the singing to stop. He was also curious to see the singer. Carefully, he peeped in. Ratna looked up and seeing a stranger standing there, abruptly stopped. She stood at a distance. He repeatedly glanced her. He felt sorry that his coming in stopped the singing but he didn’t leave. Ratna ran inside overcome by shyness. After a while he asked the narrator about the girl. He also asked if she was married or not. The narrator knowingly told a lie that she was married a year ago. Ranga’s face shrivelled. It was a clear sign that the boy had developed a liking for Ratna.
Suppose you are Ratna. Write a letter to your friend describing the circumstances that led to your marriage with Ranga.
1086, Sector 14
Sonepat
20th March, 2008
Dear Rashmi
Strange are the ways of God. You know both of my parents are dead. My uncle Rama Rao is a generous fellow. I was staying with him. My uncle knew Ranga, the son of the village accountant. Ranga received his education in Bangalore. My uncle thought that Ranga would make an ideal husband for me. To tell you frankly, I didn’t know any thing about him.
I remember it was Friday. I was wearing a pink silk saree. Uncle Shyama (the narrator) was there. I was very free with him. He visited us frequently. He asked me to sing a song. While I was singing, he sent for Ranga. He came and stood at the threshold. He desired to see the singer and peeped in. I saw that a stranger was at the gate. I stopped singing abruptly. I stood at a distance. I realised Ranga was glancing at me repeatedly. Our eyes met. I ran inside overcome by shyness. Ranga felt sorry that his coming stopped the singing. He pretended to go but didn’t leave. I realised he developed liking for me. I too liked him. It was just the beginning. Shyama uncle (the narrator) concluded the story with the help of Shastri. At last, they got me and Ranga married.
Yours truly
Ratna
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