"The Shroud" and Other Short Stories Lesson Plan

Moteram Shastri is a recurring character in Premchand’s stories. Describe your impressions of this character, and explain why this might be the case.

As mentioned in the "Introduction" that students read on the first day, Moteram Shastri is a character whom Premchand uses to illustrate the hypocrisy of religious figures, and lampoon the superstitions that underlie their authority. The word "lampoon" here is vital: one of the strongest impressions that students might get from reading "A Lesson in the Holy Life" is that the character is intended to be absurd, if not humorous, and that his advice goes against every basic notion of common sense. The cycle of stories about...