Chapter

summaries 6,7,8
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 This slide to be included in chapter summaries 1-5

• Malgudi is a fictional town located in South India in the novels and short

stories of R.K. Narayan. It forms the setting for most of Narayan's works.
Starting with his first novel, Swami and Friends (1935), all but one of his
fifteen novels and most of his short stories take place here. Malgudi was a
portmanteau of two Bangalore localities - Malleshwaram and Basavanagudi.
• Narayan has successfully portrayed Malgudi as a microcosm of India.
Malgudi was created, as mentioned in Malgudi Days, by Sir Fredrick Lawley,
a fictional British officer in the 19th century by combining and developing a
few villages. The character of Sir Fredrick Lawley may have been based on 
Arthur Lawley, the Governor of Madras in 1905.[1] But now MP of Shimoga (
Lok Sabha constituency) has requested Indian Railways to rename Arasalu
 Railway Station a small station on Shimoga-Talaguppa railway line to
Malgudi Railway station. (Wikipedia)
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Vendor of Sweets
Chapter 6

Prepared by Nirmala Kaluarachchi

An Important chapter-Further light is thrown on the characters, both of Grace and
Mali.Jagan’s troubles, cares and worries are increasing.
The father-son conflict –the conflict of the generations is further developed.Jagan’s
talk of Gandhian principles and his study of the Gita make him appear a hypocrite .
Suspense is skillfully created here.

• Jagan was much agitated by the doings of Mali, and he avoided

talking of him even to the cousin.
• How the word ‘scheme’ had set up an agitation in Jagan’s mind.
• Cousin’s satisfaction after seeing Jagan’s agitation ; his careful
avoidance of the subject of his son had not been to the cousin’s
liking.It made him feel that he had been suddenly converted into an
outsider.
• He found an opportunity to bring himself back into the fold and
reveals Mali wanted to manufacture story writing machines.
cont.
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• Jagan sought an interview with his son ,and he had to wait for it for full fifteen
minutes.

• When asked about the machine , Mali retorted that he had told him all that on
their previous meeting but explains how the machine works.

• Got to know an American collaboration worth two hundred thousand dollars ,

provided they find fifty- one thousand dollars to start the business.

• The American collaboration : the technical know- how, technical personnel, help
set up the plant, run it for six months and then they quit ; also provide with
promotional material

• Jagan was with admiration for Mali for what Mali learnt

• Collection of forty-nine thousand dollars by public subscription , and the

controlling stock to be provided by them – It was clear to Jagan that his son was
asking him to make a huge investment in a project which he understood nothing ,
and the success of which appeared to him to be impossible.

• In his view a machine which could write novels was an impossibility.

• Got to know from cousin that fifty thousand dollars amounted to over rupees two
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lakhs . cont.
• Jagan felt the scheme would mean ruin of him and he wanted cousin to tell his son that he did not have
that much money.
• Cousin suggests that since they are on talking terms, better tell that himself and further cousin reveals son
knows he has money in the bank.
• Mali’s demands were increasing. He put Grace on him and she constantly followed Jagan with inquiring eyes.
• Jagan tried best to avoid the two.
• One morning Mali comes even to the puja room and Jagan pretends to be praying.
• Jagan had 2 opposite feelings for Grace.
• On his way to his shop, he goes to Truth Printing press to inquire about his book and got to know he’s
printing the prospectus of Mali’s enterprise and that his name is in it as the principle investor. Jagan
wondered how fast press worked on son’s work and the negligence of his book.
• Soon the city was flooded with the news of Mali’s business and son of the kerosene agent to be the economic
brain behind the whole show.
cont..

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• Soon they abandoned the scooter and purchased an old car.

• Both Mali and Grace constantly hunted him and Jagan decided to follow the
Gandhian principles in dealing with them: “ Gandhi has taught me peaceful
methods , and that’s how I’m going to meet their demand.”

• He was aware that pressure was being subtly exercised on him to make him part
with cash.He was going to meet the situation by ignoring the whole business, a
sort of non-violent, non- cooperation.

• He was aware of silent tension between them .His life became unbearable and it
was clear that a firm decision would have to be taken at an earliest.

• So in their next meeting Jagan tells son he would not have that much money
and if he thought that he was making a lot of money , they were free to run the
sweets shop himself.

• Tells cousin he’s going to reduce price of sweets

• Cousin volunteers to talk to Mali but Jagan does not need it.
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Chapter 7

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Change in Jagan
• He dramatically reduces the price of his sweets – every packet at 25 paise and he had
a roaring sale and sweets were over by early afternoon.

• His staff viewed him as an astute businessman, although his decision was baffling,
doubtless they thought he must have some sound reason for taking this step, they
credited him with some canny purpose.

• Jagan felt flattered and gratified but he kept them in the dark of his real purpose.

• He started reading Bhagavad Gita to staff but their minds were wandering / Mentions
Gandhi read it to them every day

• Some sweet vendors became restive, and came to see him one afternoon to discuss the
matter.

• They talked at length about their problems which had been made worse by his lowering
of prices.(Sales tax inspectors/ health inspectors/the food control/getting the
provisions/frying medium – pure ghee/customers to know what they get )

• They left hoping that Jagan understood the reason of their visit and he would take
remedial measures. cont.
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• The bearded man returns soon after talks of his guru- Peria Dorai who carved
the idols which had been installed in all the temples of the South.

• His description of the gods made Jagan regret that he had not gone near a
temple for months, being wrapped up in this monotonous job of frying and cash
counting.

• The description of Nallappa Grove reminded of how he wandered along the river
and how Mahathma Gandhi used to address huge assemblies on the sands of the
river.

• Bearded man came to the point – asks whether Jagan likes his services-
blackening of his hair.

• Jagan puts him off by telling about diet and colour of one’s hair and talks about
his book on the subject.

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Chapter 8

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Role of bearded man in Jagan’s life and possible retreat for Jagan hints at
his troubles and his desire to escape from them

• Bearded man takes Jagan across the river to the garden with a pond in it where his master lived and worked.- a
quiet, lonely place in a surrounding covered with vegetation of every type.
• According to Bearded man the place was not so quiet as it used to be and motor cars went up the hill disturbing
its seclusion and people could be seen moving about hinting modernization .
• Bearded man remains brooding , recalling his master’s time and his death and unfinished work of his master.
• Jagan being suspicious that Chinna Dorai being a son of Peria Dorai
• Description of the pedestal for an idol of five- faced Gayathri and search for it in the pond as he remembered that
it was immersed in water for water – treatment in order to complete the statue.
• Requests Jagan to purchase the garden and install the goddess there suggesting the place could be a suitable
retreat for him from the cares and worries of the world.
• Jagan describes retreat as the most accredited procedure according to scriptures –husband and wife must vanish
into the forest at some stage of their lives, leaving the affairs of the world to younger people.

• Jagan agrees to him , but did not tell him as to why he needed a retreat from the world.

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