Grateful to Life and Death: Analysis of Major Characters
"Grateful to Life and Death: Analysis of Major Characters" explores the intricate lives of key characters set against the backdrop of Malgudi, a fictional town in southern India. The narrative centers on Krishna, a disillusioned English teacher in his late twenties, who finds solace and joy in familial life after moving to a new home with his wife, Susila, and their daughter, Leela. Susila, characterized by her nurturing spirit and beauty, tragically succumbs to typhoid fever, leaving Krishna heartbroken and searching for connection beyond her death. Leela, their bright daughter, adapts to the loss with the help of a supportive play-school environment.
The medium, a cheerful figure in the story, facilitates communication between Krishna and Susila after her passing, guiding him toward a new purpose in life. The headmaster, who experiences a personal transformation, eventually partners with Krishna to establish a unique school for young children, emphasizing learning through play. Other characters, like Brown and Gajapathy, represent the conventional educational structure that Krishna yearns to escape. Through these intertwined lives, the narrative delves into themes of love, loss, and the pursuit of fulfillment in the face of adversity, inviting readers to reflect on the resilience of the human spirit.
Grateful to Life and Death: Analysis of Major Characters
Author: R. K. Narayan
First published: 1945, in Great Britain as The English Teacher (U.S. edition, 1953)
Genre: Novel
Locale: Malgudi, in southern India
Plot: Magical realism
Time: The late 1930's
Krishna, an English teacher. A man in his late twenties, he is bored with his job at Albert Mission College in Malgudi, a fictitious city in southern India. When he rents a house and brings his wife and baby to live with him, however, he is much more contented. When his wife becomes ill, he nurses her devotedly; after she dies, he is devastated. Although his daughter consoles him, he has a glimpse of happiness only when he can contact his wife beyond the grave. Finally, he resigns his position so that he can teach young children at the headmaster's school.
Susila, Krishna's young wife. Tall and beautiful, with sparkling eyes and gleaming hair, she trails a scent of jasmine. Although she is not interested in the books that Krishna gives her, she is a good mother and an excellent manager. After a memorable day, when she and Krishna have gone out looking for a house to buy, she becomes ill. She eventually dies of typhoid fever.
Leela, the daughter of Krishna and Susila. A bright, lively, intelligent little girl, she adjusts fairly well to the loss of her mother, partly because she is enrolled in a play-school. Finally, she asks to live with Krishna's parents, who urge their son to visit her every weekend.
The medium, also called the Friend, a plump, cheerful man who talks incessantly. It is he who first writes down messages from the dead Susila to her husband. He later teaches Krishna to summon her to him. The medium is a sensible man; finding that Leela is unhappy after the death of her mother, he suggests that Krishna put her in school, thus indirectly directing Krishna to his new vocation.
The headmaster, a thin, unkempt, long-haired young man. He operates an unusual school for young children where they learn through play. After he makes an error in predicting his own death, he has a kind of rebirth and gets the courage to leave his tyrannical, slatternly wife and their savage children, who then have far more respect for him. He is delighted to have Krishna become his partner in the school.
Brown, the principal of the college. Although he is a good-natured man, Krishna frequently is annoyed with him, simply because he is tired of his job. After urging Krishna, in vain, to remain at the college, Brown arranges a fine send-off for him.
Gajapathy, the assistant professor in English at Albert Mission College and Krishna's superior. His pedantry is irritating to Krishna, who dares not taunt him. Gajapathy cannot understand Krishna's decision to leave his job.
Sastri, the logic teacher at the college. He is also a real-estate developer. It may be at one of his home sites that Susila contracts typhoid.