1. Discuss the irony and wit present in the novel Swami and friends.

Answer: Narayan started writing this novel with the words "It was Monday morning…" as
the protagonist of the novel is Swami and Monday for him is as boring as for any other
students or the reason may be the scripture teacher of Swami who always attacks and mocks
Indian Gods in class. With the help of the character of Swami, Narayan let the readers to look
at the pre-independence days in India, Narayan does not directly attack or criticize the
colonial system rather he writes ironically. There are four friends of Swami with whom he
shares confidence and they are very close that they can laugh at anything but everything
gets upside down with the entry of Rajam in the play and in the friendship, Rajam is the
colonial superpower that R.K Narayan introduces. Rajam was a new comer, he was a paragon
of western culture, he dressed very well, he was the only boy in class who wore socks and
shoes, fur cap and tie, and a wonderful coat, he was good in English and everyone in class
was influenced. Swami and Friends is more than the story of a child. It is the story of a
generation of Indians who are born and brought up in the shadow of the British colonial Raj
and who inherit the confusions of the cultural and social conflict. This is best seen where
Swami is seen alternatively admiring and envying Rajam- the rich boy who walks to school
dressed like a 'European'. Swami is caught between two worlds as represented by Mani and
Rajam. Rajam who stands for all that is posh and urbane, smooth and unemotional, well
educated. The other end is Mani who is rough, untamed, naive, emotional and yet loyal. The
masterly irony is seen because these two characters not only meet but (in Swami's eyes) they
also apparently get along well. To the end, Swami cannot understand the difference and
hence the suffering in the final scene.

2. Comment on the humor in RK Narayan’s Swami and Friends.

Answer: Swami and Friends has been praised by critics as a particularly exceptional story
and picture of childhood. Most readers agree that through Narayan's plain language, idyllic
plot details, and matter-of-fact tone of childish truth, he manages to create a character that
is immediately understood and loved. Further, most come away from the reading of this
book with a deeper appreciation of the universal way life seems to be for children, as this
book so magically captures even in a foreign culture. Most agree that the book (re)sparks a
sense of tenderness for children and a longing to revisit childhood.
Narayan's humor, therefore, can be described in part, as the straightforward and
matter-of-fact directness of a precocious child. It is the combination of innocence mixed with
the desire to be taken more seriously. In many ways, the main character Swami thinks and
acts like a small adult, trapped in a child's body. Another part to Narayan's humor is the
reminder, for most readers, of what life was like as a child. Swami's fears and anxieties in
contrast to the so-called real stress of adulthood reflect a past most adults long to re-live and
find particular delight in revisiting through eyes of experience. Swami, and his stories, creates
a universal laughter from a place inside readers of empathy and fond memories. Most often,
the reader is not laughing at Swami or his circumstances, but laughing for him, from a place
of understanding and delight.

3. Explain why Swami’s character is likeable.

Answer: In the novel Swami and friends by RK Narayan, the character of Swami is very
likeable. He shows innocence at the utmost level. He does not hold any grudges against
anyone even if he expresses his disapproval of control and dominance of his elders and tends
to become very aggressive and impatient. But all these show his innocence and purity which
 makes him more loveable. He shows the lack of understanding of the reality which is quite
natural for a child like him. One striking nature about him is his loyalty towards his friends
who remains a true friend throughout the novel. At times he gets into trouble with his
headmaster and his father for the sacrifices he made for his friends. All these attributes in
Swami portrays him as a very lovable character in the novel.

4. Explain the significance of the title ‘Swami and Friends’.

Answer: One of the many themes in the story is ‘friendship’ and how children react
differently to the different situations. Swaminathan, the protagonist of the story is a boy who
has a good heart but also a bit apprehensive about certain situations and a bit of a coward.
Also it is the general attribute of all the children during that stage of life. Swami loves his
friends and is ready to do anything for them but sometimes his cowardliness and bad
temperament made things worse. The most important thing of the story is the simplicity of
how Swami was a normal boy which can be related to every one of us. The author is great in
portraying the children’s world and uses a lively language to describe it. The simplicity of the
story, the friendship it portrays and how everything revolves around it taking the story ahead
makes it a very apt title.

5. How far can it be said that the novel ‘Swami and Friends’ throws light on child
psychology?
Answer: The novel Swami and Friends is the story of a ten year old boy Swaminathan and his
growing up years during the pre-independence time. He is a spontaneous, impulsive,
mischievous and yet a very innocent child. His character is a child in the fullest sense of the
world. Swami represents the thought process of a child who thinks that he lives in a world
ruled by the adults- be his parents, teachers or his friends at school. He grows up in a fairly
complex situation as he has to meet the demands of his peers and also the adults governing
his life. He detests going to school and studying and often likes to play around when it comes
to study. The only thing that interests him in school is his friends and the mindless
wanderings of his imaginative mind. Although he adapts an adult-like power in the school,
when he comes back home all these vanish. He fears the strict discipline and authority of his
father and at the same time becomes a spoiled kid in the lap of his grandmother. Swami is a
paradox that constantly juggles between the grown up and the growing up. He is instantly
affected by Rajam’s arrival in his life and longs for the former’s power over things. In fact at
one point he tries to mimic Rajam’s lifestyle. The author also makes the readers see the
world from the eyes of children. The novel is a reflection of the kind of anxieties, problems,
thought processes that children go through. We can therefore say that the novel Swami and
Friends purely depicts the psychological thoughts processed of a child through the character
of Swami.

6. Write the character sketch of Rajam.

Answer: Rajam is the colonial super power that RK Narayan introduces in his novel ‘Swami
and Friends’. He symbolizes the new Indian middle class. He also symbolizes the change that
was brought on the Indian masses by the arrival of the British colonial power. Rajam was a
newcomer, he dressed very well and he was the only boy in class who wore socks and shoes,
fur cap and tie and a wonderful coat and knickers. He spoke very good English exactly like a
European, which denotes that only few in the school could make out what he said. Rajam
who was brought up in a different atmosphere than that of his fellow classmates always
wanted to be better than the rest. He wanted to be successful, to impress and to lead others
as a leader. As the story progresses we see that he is neither affectionate or loyal nor faithful
to his friends. At the same time he is confident, bold, and intelligent and rarely loses his
composure. His ways and thinking are different, much like the Europeans. He is also proud
and exhibits authority and power to his friends. Rajam in his superiority does not feel that he
owes anybody any explanation or farewell. He came, he conquered and he goes as he
pleases just like the British. This attitude of Rajam is similar to that of the colonial who came,
conquered and made drastic changes in the lives of the Indians leaving behind chaos. Rajam
was the symbol of that ‘class’ of people, British colonizer breed, who invariably became alien
and even contemptuous to their very own culture.

7. Write the central theme of the novel.

Answer: The central theme of the novel is colonial India and its people depicted through the
growing up years of young Swami. He is spontaneous, impulsive, mischievous and yet a very
innocent child. His character is a child in the fullest sense of the world. Through Swami’s eyes
the readers get to see the pre-independence days in South India. The life portrayed in the
novel is accurate in its description of the colonial days- the uprisings, the rebellions, the
contempt and the reverence that the natives had for their subjugator, together with varied
element that have become one such as cricket and education. We can see the colonial power
of the British from the character of Rajam symbolizing the change that was brought on the
Indian masses. In the novel, Swami’s relationship with each of his friends is different yet he
cherishes them all. This harmonious existence is threatened with the arrival of Rajam, just
like the arrival of the British colonial power that disrupted the harmonious and peaceful
India. Rajam was the symbol of that class of people who came, conquered and leave as they
pleased, leaving destruction everywhere behind them like the British did to the Indians.

8. What in your opinion is the enduring appeal of Swami and Friends?

Answer: When the novel unfolds, we are told that Swami has four friends whom he honors
with his confidence. For Swami, friendship holds a special place in his heart and he cherishes
them all. He is a loyal friend till the end. Even when Rajam leaves town without saying
anything or any explanation, Swami remains true and loyal to their friendship. He makes
many sacrifices for the sake of friendship and ends himself in trouble while doing so. Also,
the arrival of Rajam who symbolizes the British colonial power threatens the peaceful life of
Swami with his friends.Rajam, who was brought up in a different atmosphere than that of his
classmates, is poles apart in everything. With his arrival there was a sudden change in the
circle of friends and nothing was the same anymore. He empowers his peers and eventually
becomes the leader. Rajam in his superiority does not feel that he owes anyone any
explanation and leaves as he pleases. This symbolizes how the British came and conquered
India and left her behind with chaos.

9. Would you describe this book as realistic? How does the author, R. K. Narayan, play with
both myth and realism in the construction of the narrative?
Answer: In his novel Swami and Friends, R. K. Narayan evokes a mythical setting of Malgudi
that is both grounded in specific local details and generic enough to stand in for a universal
and authentic imaginary of India. While Narayan sketches out the contours of the town by
giving us place names of important features, such as the River Sarayu where Swami and
Rajam meet for their duel, he eschews ethnographic detail of the town to focus on the vivid
inner and social life of Swami. Therefore, one may argue that the novel is realistic in the ways
that it evokes the spirit of Indian boyhood in British India, but it is less concerned with a kind
of historical or ethnographic realism. Therefore, one could say that the realism of the book is
colored by the sense of wonder and naïveté of a young boy and therefore combines both
traditional realistic and mythical elements.

10. How would you describe the tone and attitude of the narrator toward Swami and the
other characters?
Answer: The narrator of the novel inhabits a point of view of someone clearly wiser and
older than Swami. Sometimes, the narrator will at times playfully mock Swami, such as when
he receives the letter from the sporting goods company and completely misunderstand it.
The narrator, by recounting word-for-word the letter, enables readers to read the letter
themselves and realize how woefully the boys have misread the letter. The narrator, despite
moments of ironic sympathy, does not intervene or comment explicitly on Swami and his
antics. Instead, the novel closely follows their movements and thus our reading is
synchronous with Swami's experience of reality, which intensifies the emotional immediacy
and sense of drama. This becomes most explicit when Swami gets lost in the woods at the
end of the novel; we encounter every odd sound, devilish whisper, and scary imagining that
occurs to him. There is no given space to distance or process the sensations separately from
Swami—instead we inhabit his point of view closely.

11. Swami and Friends is a children’s novel about a schoolboy and his friends, but it also
weaves together historical conditions of popular revolt against colonial rule and for
independent nationhood. How does the schoolboy narrative interact with India's colonial
history and struggle for independence?
Answer: Power struggles run through the entirety of Swami and Friends. The underlying
struggle in the novel is the historical struggle of India attempting to gain independence from
Britain. By telling a schoolboy narrative in a mythical town, Narayan evokes this period of
time in an intimate scale and with the lightheartedness of everyday life. In doing so, Narayan
shows the insidious ways that colonialism is assimilated into everyday life by influencing how
one stands in relation to another—in particular, how the parts of Swami's life deemed
feminine and other are positioned as inferior, which is evident in his relationship with his
granny. Swami consistently goes to her for emotional support and for a listening ear when he
is bored or wants to brag about Rajam. Yet, he also consistently devalues her because she is
old and doesn't know anything about cricket, an English sport that he and his friends
becomes obsessed with. Boyhood is defined as an escape from maternal figures and
independence from patriarchal and colonial figures. The struggles that define Swami's
boyhood involve subverting and escaping patriarchs—most prominently, his headmasters
and his father. His struggles dovetail neatly with the larger historical struggle, as is evidenced
in the “Broken Panes” chapter when he easily joins the protests and throws stones at the
headmaster’s windows, motivated by his personal antagonism toward school emboldened by
the larger political mood. True independence is something that Swami yearns for but fails to
achieve, or at least stumbles toward it. The novel thus chronicles his missteps toward
freedom and brings India's historic independence movement down to the level of perception
of a young, small-town boy.

12. How does the structure of the narrative inform the sense of time in Swami’s world?
Answer: Time passes unevenly and subjectively in Swami’s world. Every day is a new day. The
novel proceeds in short, episodic chapters that revolve around a single incident or person,
resulting in a shape of time expressed in punctuated, self-contained units that gain
 coherence by filling out a profile of Swami’s life. Despite the shortness of each chapter, the
pacing is slow because the chapters do not connect with each other or build momentum, but
rather start afresh to illuminate a new aspect of Swami’s life in Malgudi. The novel expresses
a subjective sense of time by the absence or presence of specific time markers. Indeed, the
novel begins, “It was Monday morning.” Swami struggles to wake up because after the
“delicious freedom of Saturday and Sunday,” he could not adjust to the “Monday mood of
work and discipline.” School oppresses his sense of time and assimilates it into a binary of
school day and weekend, a time of work versus a time of freedom. Before certain big
deadlines—namely, the examinations and the cricket game—time is heightened with
suspense and clearly demarcated with each passing week and day noted. In other times,
such as after school is let out, time passes smoothly and without hard distinctions between
days or weeks.

Swami and friends

1. Write the character sketch of Swaminathan.
Ans: Swami is the ten-year-old protagonist of the novel. Swami is a
schoolboy living in 1930, in the fictional town of Maguldi in the south of
India under British colonial rule. At the start of the novel, Swami is a typical
child who seems outwardly innocent, with only trivial concerns such as
homework, impressing his classmates, and avoiding disappointing his father.
Swami is considered average among his friends, neither clever nor stupid,
brave nor cowardly. He is generally good-natured and gets along well with
his peers and family, although he can be arrogant or deceitful at times, and
is easily swept up in the plans and enthusiasms of others. As the novel
progresses, Swami becomes more aware of his own identity and political
consciousness and begins to define himself more in terms of his friendships
and national identity than his family relationships. Swami is also a naturally
good cricket bowler and prides himself on being nicknamed “Tate”, after a
famous cricket player.

2. Who was Rajam? Why was Mani angry with him?

Ans: Rajam was a new student. He was the son of the Superintendent of Police.
Swami admired Rajam and was much impressed by his carefree conduct,
manners, and by his brilliance as a student. On the very first day, Rajam had
impressed him by his nonchalance. He dressed very well. He was the only boy
in the class who wore socks and shoes, fur cap, tie, a wonderful coat and
knickers. He came to the school in a car. He was a good student too.
It is said that he had come from some English boys’ school somewhere in
Madras. He spoke very good English, exactly like a European. He assumed a
certain nonchalance to which Mani was not accustomed to. If Mani was the
overlord of the class, Rajam seemed to be nothing less. And add to all this
Rajam was a regular seventy-percenter, second only to Shankar. These were
sure indications that Rajam was the new power in the class. Day by day as Mani
looked on, it was becoming increasingly clear that a new ,menace had
appeared in his life.

3. What makes the turning point in Swaminathan’s life?

Answer: The turning point in Swaminathan’s life comes when he decides to join a rebellion against
the British. He was however impulsive and was enjoying breaking window panes of his school by
throwing stones. He is punished harshly by the principal and in a moment of desperation, he runs
away from the school. He is later admitted to another school-Board High school. It is during this time
that Rajam, Mani and Swami formed a cricket club and set a date for a match against another cricket
club. Swami is now under pressure by Rajam to attend cricket practices and so he skips drill classes in
order to do so, thus getting him into trouble with the drill teacher. In yet another moment of
desperation he runs away both from school and home. Thus we see a turning point in Swami's life
from a timid boy to a rebellious one.

4. Describe in short the main characteristics of each of Swami’s four friends.

Answer: Swami is not a good student but his life at school is not entirely unhappy for he has four
good friends. We get detailed pen-portraits of these friends. One of them is Somu, the monitor of
the class. He was set about his business, whatever it was, with absolute confidence and calmness. He
was known to be chummy even with the teachers. No teacher ever asked him a question in the class.
It was believed that only the headmaster could reprimand him. Then there is Mani, the Mighty-Good
For-Nothing. He towers head and shoulders above the other boys of the class and is feared and
admired by all. He is a sort of bully and says that his strength lies in the two clubs he has at home,
and with which he can easily break the neck of those who offend him. The third friend is Shankar, the
most brilliant boy of the class. He gets marks as high as ninety per cent and can answer any questions
that are put to him. He could speak to the teachers in English in the open class. He knew the names
of all the rivers, mountains, and countries in the world. He could repeat history in his sleep. Gramihar
was a child’s play to him. His face was radiant with intelligence. Swami’s fourth friend is Samuel,
called the Pea, because of his small size. There is nothing uncommon about him, for he is neither a
good student nor physically remarkable. The only bond between them was laughter.

5. Comment on the theme of friendship in RK Narayan’s Swami and friends.

Answer: Swami and Friends is an impressive novel based on the theme of friendship. It is a story of a
young boy named Swaminathan and his wondrous adventures with his two close friends Rajam and
Mani. The entire novel revolves around the friendship between Swami and his friends. We can see
how Swami tries to fit in his circle of friends and tries to do everything to please his friends.
Friendship for Swami holds an important place in his heart. In the novel, friendship is portrayed as an
essence of life for both young and the old. Swami’s loyalty towards his friends and his attachment
with them, all indicates that he was indeed a true friend and valued his friendship. Swami’s life is
very well influenced by his friends both in a positive and negative way. His friends consist of various
temperaments and nature and yet he loves them all equally. He is unaware of his friend’s motive and
intention and remains a good and loyal friend throughout the novel. The sacrifices he makes and the
troubles in which he gets into shows that he is a true friend. Mani no doubt, also exhibits the same
quality as Swami as he remains with him till the very end. The difference in the nature of his friends
also indicates the reality of friendship. The unfaithfulness and indifference of Rajam, the force of
Mani and the absence of skill and talent in the peers are all essence of friendship which is very
beautifully portrayed in the novel.