Narayan is a master of irony. The story is as much a comment on the astrologer's crafty mays as on the gullible masses. He knew nothing about astrology but enough about the common man's psychology. And that has pulled him through all these years. His "eyes sparkled with a sharp abnormal gleam which was really an outcome of a continual searching look for customers, but which his simple client took to be a prophetic light and felt comforted." A comment on the ways of the simple folk and how they allow themselves to be taken for a ride. An ironic comment on how the science of astrology has been misused by these commen in our society. An unfortunate consequence has been intelligent people's distrust of astrology and astrologers. There is an element of social satire also in the story. As youngsters, silly youngsters, the astrologer and his friends drank, gambled and quarrelled badly. What happened one day and how it affected their lives henceforth is for all of us to see. Life could never be the same for anyone of them. We should never let things go out of hand. And yet,such things do take place every once in a while. Only the repercussions are not always so grave. According to K. R. Srinivas Iyenger "there are no good or bad characters in Narayan's works. Human nature is presented veraciously and interestingly and memorably and there is no overt condemnation or praise".
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Important questions for secondary examination subject maths aspirants
Important questions
