Following the launch of “Swami and Friends” and “The Bachelor of Arts” in 1935 and 1937 respectively, “The English Teacher” launched in 1945 is R. K Narayan’s third and the final masterpiece of this very specific series.
The book is surrounded by an ordinary but completely engrossing and compelling theme. A concerned critic may point out that “The English Teacher” is an outstanding and terrific novel that may appeal to any reading audience. Narayan is considered as the only writer of India whose books are equally accepted by an audience, comprising of both the parents and the children alike.
Krishna, the protagonist, is an English teacher by profession. He is apparently not satisfied and happy with his monotonous and rather routine lifestyle. In that light, Krishna often encounters disputes of enormous difficulties with his inner interests. With the arrival of his wife and daughter, he alters the course of his life where he finds himself encountering an entirely different experience. He also finds that life has some meaning, and such a meaning is not what he arrives at following an assumption. He becomes obsessed with personality development.
Contentment disturbed
Instantaneously, the family’s contentment is disturbed. Krishna’s wife is soon diagnosed with typhoid. Narayan gives a narration on her bedridden emaciation and anorexia, caprice and whim of Indian doctors, devotion of Krishna and the meticulous nursing of his wife with the very exact soft touch that he uses for the agonies of Krishna at the college.
Narayan demonstrates to his readers as to how anguish, sorrow, and death are able to be disseminated without exaggerated and theatrical gesture or the style of pyrotechnics. A careful read, done several times makes you convinced that you feel as if you saw Krishna’s truest version.
Narayan uses a simple and lucid writing style. Malgudi, Narayan’s fictional creation forms the setting of his work. Narayan makes his story simple and clear which has the identity of a heart wrenching incident. The demise of his young wife and the mother of his daughter is frugally expressed. When the blaze appears over the wall where his wife Susila is being cremated, Narayan inflicts a convincing and dominant voice to the feelings of Krishna.
“There are no more surprises and shocks in life, so that I watch the flame without agitation. For me, the greatest reality is this and nothing else. Nothing else will worry or interest me in life hereafter”, Narayan remarks. Following the demise of his wife, a period of pensive sadness escalates in his life, to an extent where he would even think of taking his life. However, on account of some guidance, given by a drifter unknown to him, Krishna on the other hand drives his journey towards the destination of a spiritual finding where he ultimately manages to feel connected with his deceased wife.
The story as a whole is rich and momentous with its unique meaning while demonstrating a true concern regarding a social message. It contains the traits of a classical piece of writing. The book has a subtle autobiographical style, its settings and the related circumstances conjoined by Narayan are exceptionally impressive, phenomenal, and undoubtedly beyond just merely a style of a fiction.
Self-development
“The English Teacher” is dedicated to Rajam - the wife of Narayan. The story runs through a series of experiences, surrounded by the life of Krishna, an English teacher. The story deals with Krishna’s pursuit of achieving inner peace and self-development. The novel’s theme is fixed brilliantly and unusually on the demise of Krishna’s wife Susila across the first half of the story while the second half is being narrated on the resurrection of Susila.
“Paradise lost being followed by Paradise regained”- a statement relevant to the theme. With the death of Susila, Krishna loses her in the flesh. However, Narayan brings Susila back to Krishna with whom Susila lives forever in the latter part of the story. Narayan portrays the character of Krishna as a man who is heavily obsessed with literature and philosophy. Teaching is his passion and for which he has got an intrinsic knack. He disregards the teacher’s poor salary and keeps on being a teacher himself. His students are so fond of him, and they find him knowledgeable and rather engaging.
Narayan gives life to Krishna as a man who is young, idealistic, and thoughtful. Narayan sets him teaching at ‘Albert Mission College’ in Malgudi, a fictional town in Southern India. As a whole “The English Teacher” is a story which is profoundly and vehemently moving; Narayan has done a remarkably rare piece of good work where he tells a love story between two married people. “The English Teacher” is a must read that can keep the reader’s time occupied.