swami and friends book review class 10

Book Review – Swami and Friends by R.K. Narayan Summary in English Class 10th

Back to: Maharashtra Board Class 10th English Guide & Notes

Table of Contents

Introduction

In this short essay, the narrator talks about R.K. Narayan and his phenomenal works, one of them being Swami and Friends. 

The narrator of this essay starts by talking a little about the book. He does this so that readers will not confuse this essay filled with spoilers. The narrator wants to give the readers a glance into the book without revealing any important anecdotes. 

The tale revolves around a 10-year-old mischievous boy, Swami, living in India during British rule. Swami is a very relatable character as like any kid of that age, he, too, hates school. Especially mathematics. All Swami wants to do is have fun and enjoy his life. As many teens back then, all he wants to do is play under the sun, kick something, climb a tree, break something and harass somebody.

Swami is always up to mischief which is why he always lands up in trouble and ends up getting a good beating from his father. Swami, being a talkative little kid , believes that his way of facing life, talking himself out of everything. However, as he grows up, he learns the truth the harsh way.

Narayan delves deep into Swami’s mind in the book and talks through the lens of a 10-year-old. He wanted to show what 10-year-old think and how they perceive the world around them. The reader does feel like Swami and gets very attached with the character as the story progresses. 

The narrator of the essay then points out the significance of the book and why one should read it. He says that this book is not just an enjoyable read but the work attributes a lot of literary values even if it is a teen book. Though this book is widely used by schools over Asia to teach students, this book does not necessarily contain any technical jargon. Actually the truth is in contrary to this. This book can easily be read by adults and youngsters, even little kids. Narayan, despite bending such a prolific writer, doesn’t use any difficult words at all.

He writes in a plain and lucid manner that it’s easy to understand and read. He uses the style of short sentences enabling the readers to easily absorb and relate to the characters more than with the plot. Though the book description talks about a very mischievous boy, Swami, it encompasses the mischief of the kids in a view of the kid which is harmless and pure in his perspective.

Narayan believes that a child can be mischievous but has a pure heart and he talks utmost care to express such character traits through Swami in the novel. The narrator of this essay concludes by saying that it is indeed a great book and that the readers should definitely read this in their life. 

About the Author

The narrator of the essay then takes up the pen to talk about the author, R.K. Narayan. Narayan is one of the greatest authors in India who is known for a number of famous works like Malgudi Days, The Guide, The Painter of Signs, and so on. Narayan is known for capturing the essence of India under British ruling and the mind and life of a typical teenage kid.

Through this short essay, the narrator hopes to inspire the readers about Narayan’s works and enable them to read one. He wants the readers to experience and see life through the eyes of a 10-year-old boy, Swami in Swami and Friends . 

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Swami and Friends by RK Narayan - review

Swami is used to a simple life, and just when he had it under control, new things start to happen for him. He has to prepare for exams, cope with his new baby brother, and his new high school certainly hasn't gotten of to a very good start. Life starts to get very overwhelming, and Swami might just have to run away. This is one Indian novel, that isn't just about snake charmers and tigers, and is one of the world's best English novels by an Indian author

Swami and Friends is the second book in the Malgudi Schooldays series. RK Narayan has woven together, all from the depths of his own imagination, the magical village of Malgudi in India. But the best thing is, you don't have to have read the first book to understand this one. Can be read by anyone, anytime and anywhere. Whatever the village is up to, whether it's strikes or cricket matches it will have you in fits of laughter. And if you (like Swami) are one of those people who rush through homework in the morning, then this is definitely one for you!

This could just have easily been a normal story, as there are so many tales told from the eyes of young people. But RK Narayan has somehow turned this book into something special, and made it the one of a kind. Reading Swami and Friends made me want to visit Malgudi so badly, and I can tell you with confidence it will do the same for you!

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Book Review- Swami and Friends by RK Narayan

Book: Swami and Friends Author: RK Narayan      Swami and Friends is the story of the tumultuous friendship of Swaminathan, his four childhood friends, and a new boy named Rajam. It takes place in British-colonial India in the year 1930. The story begins by introducing Swaminathan and his friends Somu, Sankar, Mani, and Pea. Swami talks about how different all of his friends are from one another and how their differences actually make their friendships stronger. Soon, however, a new boy arrives, named Rajam who Swami and Mani absolutely hate. It isn’t until the three boys confront each other that they realize they have a lot in common, and become fast friends. After a lot of convincing, the other three boys accept Rajam too and the six boys are temporarily at peace.      Later, a prominent Indian politician is arrested and Swami joins a mob of protesters. He gets swept up in the fervor of the crowd and uses a rock to destroy school property. When the crowd is broken apart, Swami is left to face the consequences of his actions. Not only is Swami forced to switch to a more strict and rigorous school, but Rajam is hurt by the actions of his friend, making their friendship unstable.      In order to fix his friendship with Rajam, Swami must atone for his actions; he decides to partner with Rajam to create their very own cricket team called the M.C.C. The two boys are intensely passionate about the team, but tensions rise as Swami’s strict school and intense workload get in the way of his commitment. Rajam threatens to never speak to Swami again if he misses the match of the year.      Despite his best efforts, Swami is forbidden by his strict headmaster from leaving early to go to his daily practices. In a rage, Swami throws his headmaster’s cane out of the window. Then, terrified of the repercussions, Swami decides to run away from Malgudi for good and never return. While fleeing, he becomes lost and wanders aimlessly until he is rescued. He has missed the M.C.C. match he swore to go to. Already knowing his best friend may never speak to him again, Swami finds out from his friend Mani that Rajam is leaving the next morning to move to a new city with his family.      In a desperate attempt to make amends, Swami rushes to the train station the next morning with a book he intends to give to Rajam as a way to make peace. He nearly misses the train’s departure and looks at his best friend through the window, who still refuses to speak to him. Mani must hand him the book, as he would not take it from Swami. The story ends as the train pulls away and Swami is left wondering if his friend will write and if he is forgiven.      This book is a thought-provoking read, perfect for a child between the ages of 7 and 12. The conflict that arises throughout the book between Swaminathan and his friends are problems that many children face today. For example, towards the beginning of the book, Swami and his four original friends do a great job of seeing the positives of their differences, but struggle to see the good in Rajam. It is important to show young readers the importance of making new friends and adjusting to changes that may occur among the friends you already have. Another lesson that is present in the book is the importance of using your words to express how you feel, rather than your actions. When Swami is upset about the politician who was arrested, he chooses to go out and join a mob rather than talk to his parents or a teacher to express his feelings. Even if he didn’t start with the intention to damage school property, the power of the mob mentality and peer pressure are evident in Swami’s actions and he is adequately punished for what he chose to do. Similarly, at Swami’s new school, he gets very angry at his headmaster and expresses this by throwing his cane out the window instead of using his words to explain his frustration. The consequence of this was the guilty feeling he got from his actions that caused him to run away and miss the cricket game. In both cases, children can see that Swami could have avoided a lot of trouble if he had taken a deep breath and used his words to explain how he felt, instead of only using actions. Finally, the ending of this book is not what you would consider your classic happy ending. In fact, the reader is left wondering if Rajam ever forgave Swami for the way he treated him. While this ending may seem unsatisfying to some, I believe that is the point and that children who read this story will have a more accurate depiction of the world they live in after they read it. I think it is important to show them that not every story has a happy ending and this is one of those stories. Works Cited Narayan, RK. Swami and Friends. 1935 Hamilton

20 Responses

nice review!!

nice review

Hello Team.This review was nice.and it helped me a lot to understand this story.iam also going to write a story like this.and I give 10/10 for this as iam a teacher of dubai.

Thank you much for a review it helped me a lot in doing assignments it helped me to understand the whole plot of the story now i can also answer the questions orally related to this chapter thanks a lot ❤😊

hi everyone it was a good story it helped me a lot in my assignments

hi everyone it was a nice one thanks bye

Really helpful and supportive. A MERITORIOUS effort indeed!! Thanks 🙏🙏

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Only about one story

It helped me a lot in my assignments…😊😊😃😃

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Thought Realms

Book Review - Swami and Friends by R. K. Narayan

Swami and Friends, the debut novel of R K Narayan is about a ten-year-old boy Swami, whose life mainly consists of having fun with his friends and tolerating the adults around him.

The novel is set in British India in a small town called Malgudi. Malgudi is a town by the river Sarayu -which glistens like a silver belt where Swami and his friends spend hours eating lime pickles while dangling their feet in the river.

Swaminathan's best friends were Somu - who was the monitor of the class, Mani - the mighty good for nothing, the brilliant Sankar, Samuel - the "pea", and Rajam - the police super intender's son (need I say more!).

He is also one of the founders of MCC - Malgudi Cricket Club which is one of his greatest passions. He's an excellent bowler and the team wouldn't do well without him. He goes to practice every day after school.

This book also shows the contrast between the lives of the different classes of people. While Swami lived in a small house, his room being one corner of his father's office, he eats homemade food for tiffin (snacks) and cold coffee, his best friend Rajam has his own room with a shelf full of toys and a cook who brings out yummy snacks and hot coffee. Swami is struck with awe when he visits Rajam's house and is very pleased when Rajam gives one of his toys to him.

The author establishes a child's world through Swami, who goes through the rollercoasters of life - happy one day after adventures with his friends and running away from home after getting suspended from two schools. The book is pleasantly detailed about his relationship with his grandma who always listens to what he has to say, his adoration for his baby brother, and the scary looks of his father when he wants to run out to play before finishing his homework.

One of the scenes I enjoyed reading is when Swami has his examinations. He finishes the paper very early and waits for at least one other person to go out of the class before him. He finally cooks up the courage to submit his work and go out, only to realize that his friends are still writing. He waits for a long time being bored out of his mind. His peers finally come out and discuss their answers. Swami then realizes that for an essay question for which his friends had written more than one page, he had only written a sentence. His confidence shatters but conceals it from his friends. Reading this took me back to my school days where I experienced the same as Swami. I always finished early and had whispered arguments with my friends asking them to submit the paper first.

Reading Swami and Friends and all other books by R K Narayan is fun to read and is very relatable to our childhood days.

I hope you all enjoyed reading this review and I hope you take the time to read the book. Let me know which part of this book you can most relate to.

For people who prefer watching a story instead of reading, you can watch the television series ( YT Link ) that was started in 1986.

Happy Reading!

Ready for more?

BOOKS AMEYA

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Book Reviews

Swami and Friends | Book Review | 1935 | R. K. Narayan

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

R. K. Narayan is Rasipuram Krishnaswami Iyer Narayanaswami, commonly known as R. K. Narayan, was born on October 10, 1906 in Madras (Chennai). He is popular for his stories based in the fictional town called Malgudi. Narayan used humor as an effective tool to highlight different social issues. He received the second and third highest civilian awards of India, namely the Padma Vibhushan and the Padma Bhushan , for his exemplary work in the field of writing. He was also honored with the AC Benson Medal by the Royal Society of Literature, in addition to a Sahitya Akademi Fellowship.

Narayan breathed his last on May 13, 2001 in Chennai.

Swami and Friends is R. K. Narayan’s first published work. The novel depicts the life and adventures of young Swami and his friends. Ten-year-old Swami leads a mundane life. Like all kids his age, he hates doing homework and is afraid to go to school. Swami and his four friends – Mani, Pea, Shankar and Rajam – are the central characters in the story. The five boys live in Malgudi, a fictional town located on the banks of river Sarayu. While all of them have different personalities, the five friends are all passionate about the Malgudi Cricket Club (MCC).

Swami is especially close to Rajam, who is a new admission to the school. Rajam is a bright boy who has the guts to stand up to Mani, the overlord of the class. He can speak English like the haughty Englishmen. Swami is so bedazzled by the charisma of Rajam that his friends start calling him “the tail of Rajam”.

Swami and Rajam’s friendship is put to the test when Swami, inspired by the unrest in India in 1930, is caught throwing stones at the headmaster’s office. Rajam does not appreciate Swami’s participation in such anti-government activities and is forced to end their friendship.

WHAT WE LIKED ABOUT SWAMI AND FRIENDS

The central theme of the book is childhood. The author has beautifully highlighted how children are influenced by their community and surroundings. The lighthearted take on the dual nature of human beings resonates with readers. The author’s depiction of Swami’s relations with his parents, teachers, friends and grandmother is quite endearing. Equally adorable is Narayan’s effortless portrayal of a myriad of emotions such as innocence, love, haste, naughtiness, envy and optimism.

WHAT WE DID NOT LIKE ABOUT SWAMI AND FRIENDS

Nothing, really. Swami and Friends is a masterpiece from R.K. Narayan. The short, crisp novel appeals to all types of readers. The book is rather perfect in almost every aspect.

Swami and Friends is just about the ideal book for beginners. The author’s use of humor and wit make this a fairly interesting read. Even though the book is set in the pre-Independence era, the author’s clarity makes the story really relatable even in this age. While reading through the chapters, you can actually relate to each and every character. Adult readers will do well not to catch themselves recollecting their school days with a grin. All in all, this timeless piece is a perfect read for children and grown-ups alike.

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Book Review – Swami And Friends by R.K Narayan

The Author of the Novel

Rasipuram Krishnaswami Iyer Narayanaswami commonly known as R. K. Narayan, was an Indian writer known for his work set in the fictional South Indian town of Malgudi. In his long career he published fourteen novels, over two hundred short stories, a memoir, two travel books, innumerable essays, and two plays. His first novel was Swami and Friends (1935). Sahitya Academy Award winner ,”The Guide ”was adapted for the film winning a Filmfare Award for Best Film and for Broadway. And He was Also Awarded Padama Bhushan And Padama Vibhushan.

Preface  the Novel

The Novel “Swami and Friends” was written by famous Indian author RK Narayan in 1935, This is a friendship based Book. The full story of this Book is based on Swami and his friends live in the small town of Malgudi in Southern India. Swami and Friends was written between the first and second world wars . A literary Period of notable creative experimentation that likely encouraged Narayan in his mission to create uniquely personal comedic depiction of his remembered childhood.

Theme of the Novel

The whole story revolve around the  10-year-old boy Swami. He is an unconstrained, indiscreet, wicked but then also an exceptionally honest child. His character is a kid in the fullest feeling of the world. How he grows up, his mischiefs which made his family irritated, his wonder, growing pains and innocence and many aspects are being portrayed in the novel. He lives in a universe of bossy grown-ups. He is a student at Albert Mission School. It is a British established school where importance is given to Christianity and English education.

Characterisation of the Novel

Swami is the central character of the plot.. As a child, he goes to school where he does not like studies and gets bored easily. He is an honest boy of seven but, on the other hand, he also does not hesitate telling lies to his father. He loves his granny’s stories. He is good at cricket and is nicknamed “Tate.” Later in the course of the novel, he became bolder and socially prominent.

Mani is one of the closest friends of Swami. He is known as “the mighty good for  nothing.” Swaminathan was proud of his friendship.

Rajam is the son of the Police Superintendent and one of Swami’s closest  friends. Rajam is new to Swami’s school at the start of the novel, and initially Swami and Mani view him as an enemy due to his quick wits, fine clothes, and fearless nature.

Shankar is another bosom friend of Swami. He is a brilliant boy of the class.. He could speak to the teachers in English in the open class

Swami’s another bosom friend was Samuel, the Pea. He was called the Pea as he was very small in size.

Somu, the monitor of the class. He was set about his business, whatever it was, with absolute confidence and calmness. He was known to be chummy even with the teachers.

Swami’s father, W.T. Srinivasan, is an imposing figure who works at the courts and is usually strict with Swami. Swami sometimes feels afraid of his father, but at other times he turns to him for help and support

Swami’s mother appears in the novel only occasionally, usually in the context of providing Swami with something he wants or backing him up in an argument with his father.

Swami’s grandmother, whom he calls Granny, is an old woman who lives with Swami and his mother and father. Swami views Granny as ancient and sometimes embarrassing, but she is also a source of comfort and security during times of change, particularly when Swami’s brother is born.

Conclusion of the Novel

The moral of swami and friends the book written by RK Narayan is it reminds us about our childhood memories such as mischief’s in childhood, plucking mangoes etc. and in short it briefly explains the sweetness of childhood and importance of friendship.  His father use to say you must rise up early to study and “remember boy, your examination is not going to wait but your granny can!”. Therefore this paragraph teaches us that  “never force any child too much to study”, as a first life lesson from swami & friends.

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Swami and Friends

By r. k. narayan, swami and friends essay questions.

Would you describe this book as realistic? How does the author, R. K. Narayan, play with both myth and realism in the construction of the narrative?

In his novel Swami and Friends , R. K. Narayan evokes a mythical setting of Malgudi that is both grounded in specific local details and generic enough to stand in for a universal and authentic imaginary of India. While Narayan sketches out the contours of the town by giving us place names of important features, such as the River Sarayu where Swami and Rajam meet for their duel, he eschews ethnographic detail of the town to focus on the vivid inner and social life of Swami. Therefore, one may argue that the novel is realistic in the ways that it evokes the spirit of Indian boyhood in British India, but it is less concerned with a kind of historical or ethnographic realism. Therefore, one could say that the realism of the book is colored by the sense of wonder and naïveté of a young boy and therefore combines both traditional realistic and mythical elements.

How would you describe the tone and attitude of the narrator toward Swami and the other characters?

The narrator of the novel inhabits a point of view of someone clearly wiser and older than Swami. Sometimes, the narrator will at times playfully mock Swami, such as when he receives the letter from the sporting goods company and completely misunderstands it. The narrator, by recounting word-for-word the letter, enables readers to read the letter themselves and realize how woefully the boys have misread the letter.

The narrator, despite moments of ironic sympathy, does not intervene or comment explicitly on Swami and his antics. Instead, the novel closely follows their movements and thus our reading is synchronous with Swami's experience of reality, which intensifies the emotional immediacy and sense of drama. This becomes most explicit when Swami gets lost in the woods at the end of the novel; we encounter every odd sound, devilish whisper, and scary imagining that occurs to him. There is no given space to distance or process the sensations separately from Swami—instead we inhabit his point of view closely.

Swami and Friends is a children’s novel about a schoolboy and his friends, but it also weaves together historical conditions of popular revolt against colonial rule and for independent nationhood. How does the schoolboy narrative interact with India's colonial history and struggle for independence?

Power struggles run through the entirety of Swami and Friends . The underlying struggle in the novel is the historical struggle of India attempting to gain independence from Britain. By telling a schoolboy narrative in a mythical town, Narayan evokes this period of time in an intimate scale and with the lightheartedness of everyday life. In doing so, Narayan shows the insidious ways that colonialism is assimilated into everyday life by influencing how one stands in relation to another—in particular, how the parts of Swami's life deemed feminine and other are positioned as inferior, which is evident in his relationship with his granny. Swami consistently goes to her for emotional support and for a listening ear when he is bored or wants to brag about Rajam. Yet, he also consistently devalues her because she is old and doesn't know anything about cricket, an English sport that he and his friends becomes obsessed with.

Boyhood is defined as an escape from maternal figures and independence from patriarchal and colonial figures. The struggles that define Swami's boyhood involve subverting and escaping patriarchs—most prominently, his headmasters and his father. His struggles dovetail neatly with the larger historical struggle, as is evidenced in the “Broken Panes” chapter when he easily joins the protests and throws stones at the headmaster’s windows, motivated by his personal antagonism toward school emboldened by the larger political mood. True independence is something that Swami yearns for but fails to achieve, or at least stumbles toward it. The novel thus chronicles his missteps toward freedom and brings India's historic independence movement down to the level of perception of a young, small-town boy.

How does the protagonist, Swami, navigate his dueling desires for community and for freedom? What do you think he learns at the end?

Belonging and freedom are two powerful yearnings that Swami experiences. Swami desires social affirmation, especially from his father and his friend, Rajam, whom he looks up to. The problem is that belonging is conditional upon following certain rules and norms, which he struggles with because he also desires freedom from coercion, as becomes evident in his escape from school and participation in the political strike. However, whenever Swami runs aways, he is reeled back in because he powerfully misses the belonging entailed in being part of a community, whether regarding his family, his friend group, or even his school. Thus, Swami is perpetually torn between ingratiating himself into the center and escaping to the periphery. Indeed, while Swami chafes against the authoritarian style of his teachers, he happily submits himself to Rajam, who, assuming intellectual authority, lectures him on cricket and the Vedas and rebukes him for participating in the political strike.

The novel begins with descriptions of Swami's close friends and how he gets along with them, demonstrating their centrality to his life in Malgudi. He works extremely hard to impress Rajam because he is ultimately afraid of being socially rejected by him. When he briefly has a falling out with his old friends over being “Rajam’s tail,” he is shocked and deeply uncomfortable. He comes to regret his expulsion from Albert Mission School because he fears that he will lose contact with his school friends. By the time he expels himself from the Board High School, he looks back longingly at his old missionary school, reflects on his old “cosy and homely” history class, and almost weeps at the memory of his friends “happy dignified and honored” within the walls of the missionary school. The image of Swami, on the verge of tears as he stands outside the boundaries of his former school, about to escape into the woods because he dreads the consequences of his actions, is reflective of the conundrum between freedom and community that he has always faced.

At the end, actually on his own in the woods, he finds himself entirely miserable, on the verge of delirium, hungering after his mother’s cooking and hallucinating about the cricket game that he was supposed to have played with his team. Precisely when he is alone, when Swami is the most “free” from the social coercion that he faced, he comes to terms with his powerful attachments and attempts to return. While he is able to return to his old school, the Board High School, and is welcomed back to his family, he has missed the cricket game and is unforgiven by Rajam.

How does the structure of the narrative inform the sense of time in Swami’s world?

Time passes unevenly and subjectively in Swami’s world. Every day is a new day. The novel proceeds in short, episodic chapters that revolve around a single incident or person, resulting in a shape of time expressed in punctuated, self-contained units that gain coherence by filling out a profile of Swami’s life. Despite the shortness of each chapter, the pacing is slow because the chapters do not connect with each other or build momentum, but rather start afresh to illuminate a new aspect of Swami’s life in Malgudi.

The novel expresses a subjective sense of time by the absence or presence of specific time markers. Indeed, the novel begins, “It was Monday morning.” Swami struggles to wake up because after the “delicious freedom of Saturday and Sunday,” he could not adjust to the “Monday mood of work and discipline.” School oppresses his sense of time and assimilates it into a binary of school day and weekend, a time of work versus a time of freedom. Before certain big deadlines—namely, the examinations and the cricket game—time is heightened with suspense and clearly demarcated with each passing week and day noted. In other times, such as after school is let out, time passes smoothly and without hard distinctions between days or weeks.

Swami and Friends Questions and Answers

The Question and Answer section for Swami and Friends is a great resource to ask questions, find answers, and discuss the novel.

Analyse the author's choice to tell story from Swami's point of view ?

Swami is just an interesting character to see life through. There is an innocent honesty and playful stubbornness about him that makes even the mundane entertaining. Swami is an honest boy of seven but, on the other hand, he also does not hesitate...

How does viewing the events from Swami's point of view affect the plot?

What religion does Dr. Ebenezer try to discredit at the beginning of the novel in R.K. Narayan’s Swami and Friends?

He uses his lectures to degrade Hinduism and argue for the superiority of Christianity.

Study Guide for Swami and Friends

Swami and Friends study guide contains a biography of R. K. Narayan, literature essays, quiz questions, major themes, characters, and a full summary and analysis.

• About Swami and Friends
• Swami and Friends Summary
• Character List

Lesson Plan for Swami and Friends

• About the Author
• Study Objectives
• Common Core Standards
• Introduction to Swami and Friends
• Relationship to Other Books
• Bringing in Technology
• Notes to the Teacher
• Related Links
• Swami and Friends Bibliography

Swami and Friends

R. k. narayan, ask litcharts ai: the answer to your questions.

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2.5 Book Review-Swami and Friends

BY R. K. Narayan

Warming up, 1. form groups of 3 to 4 and share the following with your groups..

*Your favourite book: ‘Shyamchi Aai’

*Type of book: Novel

*Author/Writer: Pandurang Sadashiv Sane

*Main character: Shyam and his mother

*Background: Maximum incident took place in Konkan region of Maharashtra. The story is narrated by Shyam.

*Problem/dilemma: Shyam’s attachment to his mother is depicted in this novel. Shyam’s mother’s love and affection for Shyam are described here.

*Any special message: We should understand the value of mother in our life.

2. You have recently read a short story/novel/drama/ science fiction/ghost-story.

Write in short 3 of its strong points that made you like the book and 2 or 3 drawbacks it has. Fill them up in the tree – diagram given.

3. Determiners are words that modify a noun or noun phrase and occur before them in a sentence. Determiners provide a context to the noun they precede.

They may be:

*Articles – a, an, the

*Demonstratives – this, that, these, those, which etc.

*Possessives – my, your, our, their, his, her etc. my friend’s, her mother’s etc.

*Quantifiers – few, many, much, more, every, each, some etc.

*Numerals – one, four, hundred, first, fourth, hundredth

4. Underline only Determiners in the following.

1. My brother bought a few magazines.

2. What is your friend’s name?

3. Which writer was also the President of our country?

4. These are some toys.

5. These toys are new.

6. That doctor is an expert dentist and he has many patients.

Margin Questions for Discussion:

1) Find out what are ‘spoilers’ in a story.

Ans: The mischiefs of Swami like hating school, playing under the sun, kicking something, climbing a tree, breaking something and harassing somebody are spoilers in a story.

2) What is the most striking quality of 10-year-old Swami?

Ans: Swami is a talkative little kid. He thinks that it is his way of facing life, talking himself out of everything.

3) What does the review say about R K Narayan’s style and language?

Ans: The review says that the English used in the book is both plain simple without any troubling words for the kids. The use of simple and short sentences adds to the simplicity of the book.

4) What are the two advantages of reading this book?

(i) This book is a good read for children of all ages who may just enjoy a good read.

(ii) It may be good to improve their English skill.

English Workshop

1. Refer to the story ‘The Boy who Broke the Bank’ (Lesson 2.2) by Ruskin Bond. Read it carefully and write a Review of the same, keeping the following points in mind.

Ans : ‘The Boy who Broke the Bank’

Recently I read an interesting story, ‘The Boy who Broke the Bank’. The story is from the pen of a well-known Indian author – Ruskin Bond. This story is a moral story based on the rumours in the society. The background of the story is a well-developed Indian village. The whole story completes within a single day.

Nathu, the sweeper of the bank, and Sitaram, the washerman’s son are the main characters. However, Mrs. Shrivastava, Mrs. Bhushan, Mr. Bhushan, Kamal Kishore, Deep Chand, the elderly gentleman, Ganpat, Manager of the bank are other characters in the story. However, there is a reference of Seth Govind Ram and other customers of the bank. The rumour of bankrupt of Pipalnagar bank is the main Issue of this story. ‘The rumour is spread through the discussion of Mrs. Bhushan and Mrs. Shrivastava.

English in this story by Ruskin Bond is simple and without any troubling words. The writer depicts vivid picture of the Incident. The scene of customers entry in the bank and their immediate demand of money are well presented by the writer. The Writer made minute observations of all events.

The story is readable. I like all the characters and their roles. However, I think that story does not have a suitable end. There is no scope to Seth Govind Ram at all. We should read this story to entertain ourselves and to get fluency in English.

2. Look inside your thinking hat.

Read the evidence/sentences given below and offer a possible explanation of what happened in this house? Make up some questions to gather more information.

Now collect your all evidences and write a story in your notebook. Give a suitable title.

Ans: Mischievous Children

Once there was a mother. She was loving and careful to all family members. She was an expert in She always prepared sweets as well as delicious food items for all. One day she prepared sweet and tasty laddus. It was her habit to prepare sweet food when her children were in school. After preparing she kept some laddus at the secret place.

The children came back to home after their school hours. The mother gave them two laddus to everyone. The children were extremely happy to enjoy laddus. Then they completed their homework’s. They tempted to eat sweet laddus once again. One of them requested, “Give us more laddus.” The mother replied, “I prepared less laddus.” She assured them to give laddus in the next week. The children couldn’t believe in mother. They thought that laddus might be at the secret place.

The children were planning how to get laddus. The mother decided to take rest for a while. She was taking rest in her bedroom. The children took advantage of this opportunity. They rushed in the kitchen secretly. They checked all the jars in the kitchen. As they found the jar of laddus, their joy knew no bounds. They finished all laddus.

Then their mother got up from her sleep. As she rushed into the kitchen, she found that the jars were open. She also noticed footprints of children in the kitchen. She smiled for children’s actions. She kept mum.

3. Identify the new words and phrases which seem to be important, in the review. Try to guess their meaning from the context. You can use a dictionary to confirm it.

Fill up the table.

4. (A) Find from the lesson the Noun forms of:

(a) happen – happenings

(b) true – truth

(c) simple – simplicity

(d) conclude – conclusion

(B) Find Verb forms of:

(a) hatred – hate

(b) thought – think

(c) meaning – mean

(d) improvement – improve

(e) description – describe

(C) Find Adjective forms of:

(a) talk – talkative

(b) interest – interesting

(c) purity – pure

(d) technique – technical

(e) literature – literary

Project – (A Book Review)

Write a complete review on any book that you have read recently. Use the following points for your Book Review.

Ans: The students should complete this activity under the guidance of their teachers.

• Blogging Resources
• Non-fiction
• Author Interviews
• Guest Interviews

Swami and friends

“Swaminathan had never thought that this story contained a moral. But now he felt that it must have one since the question paper mentioned it.”

R. K. Narayan

University of chicago press, indian short stories, number of pages.

“As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. ”

Publisher's Blurb

The first book of R.K. Narayan’s famous trilogy, ‘Swami and Friends’ happens to be Narayan’s first published book as well.

It was published in 1935 with a lot of motivation and help from Graham Greene, a famous novelist. The setting is of British India, in a fictional town named Malgudi.

Swami is a ten-year old boy who studies at a mission school. He lives with his parents, younger brother and grandmother. He has a set of friends in two schools that he gets removed from.

Events lead Swami to leave his house and go on a run. He is drawn heavily towards the unrest that is prevalent everywhere in India, but he fails to understand the cause.

What happens with Swami? Will he be able to get back home safely? To know the answer, read this book.

Narayan successfully creates a child’s perspective about the adult world. What problems do kids face? What do they think of the world they live in? These are the kind of questions you might find answers to.

Graham Greene in his review of the book thanked Narayan for making him feel like an Indian through his words. This edition has been published by Indian Thought Publication.

Swami and Friends is a true portrayal of complexities faced by Indian middle class. Readers get a feeling of common humanity among people of this country. You can feel that soul of India is one through this book. It is a funny and interesting tale of Swami and his adventures. Other characters are Swami’s friends, his family and people from his town and people he meets while on these adventures.

Readers get to see the world through the eyes of a ten-year old boy. Readers get to see his boyhood. The priorities and problems that kids find very important can sometimes look inappropriate as an adult, but for kids, that is their world. Narayan has captured that pre-independence world of Malgudi.

R.K. Narayan

R.K. Narayan was the pioneer of early Indian literature in English. He is known for his books based on a fictional town called Malgudi. The first trilogy is semi-autobiographical. His simple writing style made him one of India’s best novelists. Some of his famous works include ‘The Guide’, ‘The Financial Expert’, ‘The English Teacher’ and many more. He was a Sahitya Academy winning author and a Padma Bhushan winner too. He was considered to be a close friend of Graham Greene.

Indian literature in English. He is known for his books based on a fictional town called Malgudi. The first trilogy is semi-autobiographical. He was a Sahitya Academy winning author and a Padma Bhusan winner too. He was considered to be a close friend of Graham Greene.

Author Bio and Pic from Goodreads

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