Lesson 7

The Gardener (P.Lankesh)

II. 1.How did the owner’s life change after the arrival of the old man?
One day an old man came to a coconut grove. The owner of the
grove was in need of a person exactly like him. He had native
intelligence; he was well-versed in agriculture and could understand
the problems of workers. Petty thefts in the garden came to an end.
The income from the garden improved dramatically. There was a
perceptible change in the lifestyle of the owner. The plantation
expanded. But the owner became lethargic and avoided hard work. His
wealth and social prestige had risen higher. He acquired a number of
friends and his life was full of colourful events. He cultivated many
vices including adultery.

2. What advice did the supporters of Tammanna give for getting his
land back?
Tammanna had one thousand and Basavaiah had eight hundred
acres of land. As there was no more land to purchase in the village,
Basavaiah sent word to Tammanna asking him to sell two hundred
acres to him. Tammanna did not agree. Basavaiah went along with his
people and acquired two hundred acres of Tammanna’s land forcibly,
and built a fence around it. Tammanna’s supporters advised him about
various means available for getting his land back. He could go to the
court of law or seek the help of the police. If he did not want to do either
of these, they were ready to attack Basavaiah and recapture the land.

3. How did Tammanna react to Basavaiah’s encroachment of his land?

Tammanna could not tolerate the invasion of Basavaiah. His
supporters advised him about various means available for getting his
land back. He could go to the court of law or seek the help of the police.
If he did not want to do either of these, they were ready to attack
Basavaiah and recapture the land. But Tammanna was in search of a
method that could annihilate Basavaiah completely. He hit upon the
idea of composing all his experiences in the form of ballads telling
about the cruelty and meanness of Basavaiah, and singing them before
the public.
4. How did Basavaiah try to overcome his humiliation?
Tammanna started composing and singing ballads about the
cruelty and meanness of Basavaiah. Tammanna’s reputation started
spreading all around. Many scholars of folklore and critics translated
his songs. Basavaiah helplessly watched all this, consumed by anger.
He was shrunk in humiliation. To overcome this he started filling his
life with all kinds of material wealth. He built a palatial mansion for
himself and appointed a number of persons just to praise him. He
bedecked himself with gold, diamonds and other precious stones. He
started inviting scholars, poets and musicians for investing his home
with meaning.
III. 1. The rivalry between Tammanna and Basavaiah keeps moving
from the visible domain to the invisible. Comment.
In the beginning it appeared to be a healthy competition between
Tammanna and Basavaiah. But gradually their competition turned into
rivalry. Tammanna had one thousand and Basavaiah had eight
hundred acres of land. As there was no more land to purchase in the
village, Basavaiah sent word to Tammanna asking him to sell two
hundred acres to him. Tammanna did not agree. Basavaiah went along
with his people and acquired two hundred acres of Tammanna’s land
forcibly, and built a fence around it. Tammanna’s supporters advised
him about various means available for getting his land back.
Tammanna did not accept their advice. He thought that
competing with Basavaiah for material wealth will never bring an end
to their rivalry because one will always try to outwit the other with
wealth and power, and the rivalry will be endless. He realized the
limitations of competing with Basavaiah by physical means. He
thought of putting an end to the unhealthy rivalry of Basavaiah by
choosing a method that was invisible, and thus, destroy Basavaiah
completely. He hit upon the idea of composing and singing ballads
about the cruelty and meanness of Basavaiah.
2. How does Tammanna adopt a counter strategy to challenge the
material wealth of Basavaiah?
Tammanna and Basavaiah were sworn rivals in a village. The
former had one thousand and the latter had eight hundred acres of
land. As there was no more land to purchase in the village, Basavaiah
sent word to Tammanna asking him to sell two hundred acres.
Tammanna did not agree. Basavaiah went along with his people and
acquired two hundred acres of Tammanna’s land forcibly, and built a
fence around it. Tammanna’s supporters advised him about various
means available for getting his land back.
Tammanna realized that the rivalry between him and Basavaiah
had reached its peak. Competing with Basavaiah in terms of material
wealth would not be a solution. So he had to find a method by which
he could annihilate Basavaiah completely. He composed all his bitter
experiences with Basavaiah into ballads and started singing them.
Thus, he announced Basavaiah’s cruelty and meanness to the public.
Tammanna’s reputation as an artist started spreading all around.
Scholars of folklore and critics started analyzing and translating his
songs. Basavaiah helplessly watched all this in anger and humiliation.
3.Tammanna turns reflective towards the end of his life. What does this
tell us about human nature?
In the story “The Gardener” Tammanna is a manipulator. After
Basavaiah takes two hundred acres of his land forcibly, Tammanna
looks for a method by which he can destroy Basavaiah completely. He
knows that it is meaningless to compete in terms of material wealth.
So he composes and sings ballads about Basavaiah’s meanness and
cruelty before the public. Tammanna further manipulates the situation
by leaving the village so as to spread the news that he is dead. Having
no rival to express his vengefulness, Basavaiah soon dies as he had
no more reason to live.
After Basavaiah’s death, Tammanna becomes reflective. Until
then both were engaged in rivalry to satisfy their ego. Tammanna
forgets all his songs and ballads and becomes a non-entity. He realizes
that human nature is such that it always needs some challenges to
confront in order to exist. Tammanna comes face to face with his own
conscience, and feels guilty for being responsible for Basavaiah’s
death.
Man often lives in a dream world and invents several reasons to
make his life meaningful. All the wealth, glory, prestige and power he
possesses and enjoys are nothing more than a momentary dream.
Often it is too late when he makes a distinction between reality and
dream.
4. How does the reference to Russia and America provide another
dimension to the story?
While narrating the story to the owner’s wife, Tammanna makes
a reference to Russia’s declaration to America that America is not her
enemy, and she will not wage a war against her. This declaration takes
away the competitive spirit and puts America into a state of agony and
boredom. Similarly, Basavaiah had no reason to exist after Tammanna
left the village, and Tammanna had no reason to remember his songs
and ballads after the death of Basavaiah. Human nature is such that we
exist in order to confront one challenge or the other till we die. Without
challenges life becomes aimless, disoriented and meaningless.
 Tammanna and Basavaiah are two individuals who live in the
modern society. Modern society is not blind to man’s deep-rooted
problems and their implications. Modernization and globalization have
changed his identity. He has become a citizen of the global village.
Therefore, common man is now being influenced by global forces.
Anything which happens in the world has a direct or indirect influence
on everyone. Man’s problems go beyond national boundaries, and they
assume different dimensions as society continues to grow more
complex. Thus, the writer presents this story not just as a rivalry
between two individuals, but as a problem faced by nations and people
in all societies.
5. Observe how the story employs multiple narratives. How does the
technique unveil the mystery of human relationships?

In the story “The Gardener” there is a story within the story. In the
first story the author introduces the old man and the owner of the
coconut plantation. Here the author uses the first person narrative
style. Then, the first narrator gives way for the second one, who uses
the third person narrative style and distances himself from the story.A
multiple narrative focuses on more than one main character.
Tammanna is the main character in both the stories.

Basavaiah’s death comes as a revelation to Tammanna about the

mystery of human relationships. Tammanna becomes reflective and
realizes that man does not live with the intention of acquiring wealth,
education or art, but for some kind of unbearable vengefulness. As
long as Tammanna and Basavaiah were living in the same village they
had interest and vigor in life. But when Basavaiah thought Tammanna
had died, he had no more reason to live, and died soon after. Similarly,
when Basavaiah dies, Tammanna loses all enthusiasm for life, forgets
all his ballads and songs, and becomes a non-entity. He feels guilty
about causing Basavaiah’s death, and now for becoming the cause of
the owner’s newly cultivated vices including adultery. Thus, through
the technique of multiple narratives the story unveils the mystery of
human relationships.