Summary
In the first story of the collection, "An Astrologer's Day," a frustrated astrologer encounters a man from his past. The astrologer entered into his profession without an interest in the work, but was pushed into it because he fled his hometown for an unknown reason. The people in town view him with respect, as he is well-read and gives readings that they believe to be good. On the day the story takes place, someone wagers that he cannot reveal anything specific or consequential. The astrologer is initially hesitant, but eventually agrees to it. After questioning a particular man, he is able to say that he was stabbed and left for dead, as he recognizes the man as someone he had a violent altercation with. The man pays him and leaves without recognizing the astrologer. Later that night, the astrologer reveals to his wife who this man was.
The second story, "The Missing Mail," describes a postal worker named Thannappa. Thannappa becomes close with many of the people to whom he delivers mail. He is particularly good friends with a man named Ramanujam, who is in the midst of trying to find his daughter a husband. The planning has hit a number of problems along the way. Thannappa feels very sympathetic for Ramanujam's trying situation and helps him find a man from a distant town. The family does their best to move the wedding along as quickly as possible, in order to prevent the possibility of a significant delay. Thannappa chooses to withhold a postcard that reveals the death of Ramanujam's uncle until after the wedding, despite the fact that it could cost him his job. Ramanujam is upset by his choice, but ultimately does not file a complaint.
In the third story, "The Doctor's Word," a physician named Dr. Raman is depicted as being completely honest with his patients, to the point of harshness. He believes that softening the truth of their situation never does them any good. This belief is challenged when he discovers that one of his dear friends is very ill. He sees that his friend is in a very bad condition, but does not want to cause him additional stress. He lies and says he will be fine. The next day, he finds that his friend has miraculously recovered. Dr. Raman remarks to his friend's wife that the mystery of this reversal will baffle him for the remainder of his life.
The fourth story, "Gateman's Gift," is about Govind Singh, a gatekeeper. In retirement, he takes up the hobby of constructing small clay figurines. Every time he goes to pick up his pension, he leaves one for the office accountant. One day he receives a letter and grows too terrified to open it, as he is worried it contains bad news. In a panic, he runs around the town, attempting to find someone to help him understand the contents of the letter without actually opening the envelope. He becomes convinced the accountant has written him an angry note about playing with clay. Eventually he speaks with the accountant, who informs him it was merely a check for the figurines he had been leaving, as well as a note about how much he appreciated his craft. Singh decides to leave clay sculpting behind, dismissing it as work no sane man would take on.
"The Blind Dog," the fifth story in the collection, is about a dog that assists a blind beggar. The beggar uses the dog to guide him around in the town, which allows him to make more money. He is very unkind to the dog, constantly kicking and prodding him, even when he is tired. Some street vendors notice the man has actually made a great deal of money and decide to cut the dog loose. The dog escapes, but then returns to the beggar. The vendors then see that the beggar has secured the dog with a metal chain. They wonder why the dog willingly returns to such a cruel master.
"Fellow Feeling" is a story about a confrontation on a train. A man named Rajam Iyer notices a bully harassing another passenger. He steps in and he and the bully exchange increasingly heated words. The bully expresses his anger about how the Brahmins, members of India's highest societal strata, are driving up the cost of living. Rajam threatens the man, saying he will hit him so hard it will permanently alter his face. He winds up to strike him and the man flees out the window. Rajam tells the other passengers the bully got back on the train in a different compartment, which they seem to doubt.
The seventh story, "The Tiger's Claw," is narrated by the Talkative Man, a recurring character in the book, who recounts his various dramatic adventures. In this particular narrative, he recalls how he encountered a vicious tiger in a village near a railway station. The tiger sneaks in while he is sleeping and he fends off its dramatic attacks with some furniture. The man successfully removes three of the tiger's toes and it flees. His story gains legendary acclaim in the village.
"Iswaran" is about a young man named Iswaran who has failed his college exams several times. After taking them once again, he is filled with dread at the thought of visiting the board on which they are posted. He spends the day out, going to a movie theater. He runs into some of his classmates who are celebrating and feels dejected. Almost positive that he has failed, he contemplates committing suicide by jumping into a nearby river. He writes a note to leave in his jacket, but, upon looking at the scores, finds that he has passed with honors. Elated, he leaps into the river and accidentally drowns. The following day, his body is discovered, along with the note.
Analysis
One of the major themes of this section of the book is interference. In "The Missing Mail," Thannappa chooses to become very involved in the personal life of one of the people he delivers to. Specifically, he withholds a postcard informing his friend Ramanujam about the death of his uncle. He does so because he has watched Ramanujam struggle to help his daughter get married, and is worried that any interference or delay will prevent the wedding from actually happening. Ramanujam is upset when he learns about Thannappa's decision, but decides not to pursue an official complaint. The consequences of Thannappa's actions are complex; he does succeed in making sure the wedding happens, but does so by invading the privacy and personal life of one of his friends. This level of involvement in someone else's life is portrayed in a way that is positive overall, but still has ambiguity.
An important aspect of the story of "The Doctor's Word" is honesty. The main character, Dr. Raman, firmly believes that sugarcoating a patient's diagnosis is a form of harmful dishonesty. However, he has difficulty with this when one of his good friends comes down with a serious illness. He chooses not to reveal the truth about his condition to protect his friend's fragile health from further stress. He is confounded when his friend then has a shocking recovery the following day. The ironic turn of events leads to Raman's initially untrue comments becoming truthful, which he finds puzzling. The story shows the way in which the truth of his diagnosis does not solely hinge on his perception of a case. His lie ended up being prophetic.
Another major theme in these stories is chance. In "Iswaran," a young man named Iswaran is retaking a college exam he has failed multiple times. He is filled with anxiety and angst about the results of the exam, so he spends the day avoiding the board where the results are posted. He is so dejected about the likelihood of failing the exam again that he contemplates suicide, going so far as to write a note that he plans to leave in the pocket of his jacket. However, he then sees that he has passed the exam. Overcome with joy, he jumps into the river and dies. When he is found the next day, along with the note, it is assumed that he killed himself. Like "The Doctor's Word," this story shows how chance occurrences can lead to different interpretations of events. Even though Iswaran had an unexpectedly happy exam result, his mistake makes it appear that he intended to take his life.
"The Blind Dog" deals with loyalty, questioning why its main character, a dog, keeps returning to its abusive owner. The dog leads a blind beggar around the town, allowing him to make more money by covering more areas. The man abuses the dog, hitting and kicking him frequently. One day, some street vendors free the dog by cutting his leash, giving him the opportunity to escape. Yet, the dog returns to the beggar shortly after escaping and is then secured with a metal chain. The vendors remark that the only thing that can save the dog is death, as it will always come back to its cruel owner. The story is primarily about how people, like the dog, remain or return in situations and relationships that actively cause them harm.
In "The Tiger's Claw," the Talkative Man describes his harrowing encounter with a tiger. A tiger sneaks into his room at night, because he leaves the door slightly open to let air in and keep the room cooler. The tiger attempts to attack him multiple times and he fends it off with various pieces of furniture. Eventually he is able to fight it off and manages to cut off three of its toes. Children in the village where he had this altercation later describe seeing a three-toed tiger, while some hunters start taking three toes as a symbol of good luck. This story shows how local legends take on a life of their own, becoming a major part of the community in which they occurred. Additionally, the fantastical nature of the story characterizes the way in which the Talkative Man's stories stretch believability in a way that other stories in the collection do not. The credibility of his narration is called into question by his elevated tone.
