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1. Astrologers need a decent amount of knowledge about the stars and the connection between the stars and human beings. An astrologers needs the power to analysis someone. However, the main protagonist in the story is someone who has little understanding of stars. The man wears saffron clothes, few charts and a tilak to attract attention. Is that the qualification of an astrologer in India? Not witch craft?

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1. Do you think Thanappa had the right to be nosy and interfere in other people's life? By reading their mail? He was considered very friendly and helpful when he is invading privacy. Is he abusing his authority as a postman?

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2. The town Hall Park is filled with medicine-sellers, sellers of stolen hardware and junk, magicians and auctioneer of cheap cloth. Was this normal in India? To make the Town Hall Park into a town market?

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3. The protagonist used to be a gambler and almost become a murderer, but why did the author name the man an astrologer? Was it a typical job, so he couldn't be found?

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2. Do you think the culture of arranged marriage is necessary in now days? Why do you think arranged marriage occurred at that certain period of time in India? Young suitor was consider as a good match. Why? Was it a stable job or wealthy?

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"Disappearing around a bean." This is the last phrase in the story. What do you think this means? Does it mean that he disappeared forever?

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Is white lie effective to patient? Is it appropriate?

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If you were the doctor and a family member is in critical state, will you be honest with patient and live their last days knowing it or telling them a lie and let them hold on hope?

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Do you think you should honestly tell the family of the patient?

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Singh lost interest in clay-modelling due to the fear over the letter. He was under stress, and he would do inappropriate actions such as breaking the bulb and the model of the village. The model of the village was a part of Singh's identity. To what extend, could fear overpower life? How does fear influence one's nature? Does it influence one's identity? Why or whynot

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Singh never thinks about just getting over what may be in the latter. He assumed that the letter would be contenting bad news. Why do you think Singh thought about the chances of the letter holding bad nature instead of good?

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If you're in Singh position, would you open the letter? Due to the letter, Singh wasn't able to think straight and move forward.

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Why made Singh so insecure about his identity? Rather than believing in himself, he was swayed by social opinions.

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The blind man was struggling to survive everyday, but Tiger's company and diligence served the man. What do you think is the bonding or connection between the blind man and Tiger? How does it gradually change?

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The blind man started to increase in greed. He appreciation towards Tiger has changed, and he took advantage of Tiger's good nature. How did the blind man's priority change?

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The cutting of the ribbon that was used to cage Tiger made him to live freely again. How does this symbolize the act of freedom? How does the relationship between Tiger and the blind man symbolize the servant and master relationship?

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What do think about the caste system? How is the perspective of a higher class differ from a lower class? Do you think just because Rajam is a Brahmin, he has the right to have the right to be better than others?

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What do you think about the animosity that existed in India at this time? About social classes or castes. Does it give a difference through birth right? How is the social classes of nowadays? Is it still remaining?

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The other passenger blames Rajam on the increase in meat. What does this mean?  It is also interesting that the other passenger blames Rajam on the increase in meat. Meaning others who do not have the same money as Rajam are unable to purchase meant.

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If you were Tiger, would you return back to the blind man? Why do you think Tiger returned back to the blind man? Tiger showed his loyalty to the blind man, and this shows that nothing will change between Tiger and the blind man. The chain the blind man shows that he will not let Tiger run away again.

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The three claws that the Talkative Man claims which he got from the tiger may be a ritual for the forest tribes. To what extend, could religious practices affect one

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Talkative man tells the narrator stories and tries to boost his own ego. The more frightening the story, the better the story. He, in reality, he is nothing but a story-teller. How does the talkative man's cultural background help him to make up his stories?

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Singh in the end gave up making clay models. Is it possible that Singh is equating the clay modelling to the madness he went through?

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What factors affect one's confidence? Iswaran has his fear of failing the Intermediate Examinations. His parents gave up on him trying over years. Other boys make fun of him in the cinema. How does this affect Iswaran's confidence about his examinations?

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Iswaran was struggling about examinations, and his main goal was to make it to university. He was suffering which could be shown when the author stated that Iswaran was writing suicide notes. Can we see the same struggle in other parts of the world? Perhaps South Korea? South Korea has a similar system to make it into university. Due to the difficulty of studying, many teens suicide.

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What symbolic meaning was behind the time when Iswaran went to the senate house to get his score?

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Swani pities Samuel as Swami is having inner conflict with guilt. Swani however, rather than admit that he himself is wrong, he provoke Samuel. It comes to the point where Samuel is expelled from his job. Why would Swani do this?

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Samuel could have punished Swani for his stubbornness and not doing his homework in other way than canning Swani. Why did he chose to cane Swani?

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At the end of the story, Iswaran's death was a tragedy his family had to deal with. However, they will never know just how happy Iswaran was prior to dying and that he lost control and kill himself. Why do you think the author come up with this ending?

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Soma takes great pride in the sculptures he make. He is determined to sculpt a perfect image of Nataraja and display it in the Temple. However, the temple decline since it is too perfect and somewhat problematic. How is being "too perfect" a problem?

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The sculpture was too perfection that it was not for mortal eyes. There were issues that happened to the people who saw the sculpture. Soma however, could not dare to leave a flaw into the sculpture he made. He was so proud of it that he considered taking his own life would be better. Was his choice to take his life to the sculpture from his pride of the sculpture he made or was there other factors like religious aspects that lead him to this decision?

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Swani feels guilty for Samuel and Samuel has done something wrong. Swani has lied and provoked Samuel and Samuel has reacted to Swani's provocation and hit Swani with a cane. If Swani did not provoke Samuel in the first place and listen to his parents, he would not be caned and would not cause Samuel to be expelled from his job and imprisoned. While reading this short story, I could feel the fear Swani has for his father and Samuel. Why would Swani lie about Samuel to his father

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How did the author decide to use first person point of view to narrate this short story?

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What is also noticeable from the beginning of the story is the fact that the Talkative Man does not allow the narrator to ignore him when it comes to discussing his knowledge of music. He continues with his story regardless of the narrator’s decision to ignore him, and it is through the Talkative Man’s relaying of his story to the narrator that the reader learns just how dedicated the narrator was to learning music from the master musician.

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How does knowledge bring in fear?

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Despite the knowledge the talkative man gain from his master, he does not know that he should not play the punnaga varali at night. This leads to more problems for the talkative man. The Talkative Man has also broken with tradition by playing the punnaga varali and is paying a price for his naivety. This brings in fear for the talkative man. How does the lack of knowledge bring in fear (other than this case)?

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How does music affect the talkative man in the end? The talkative experienced no happiness since he stopped playing the flute. When he played for the homeless man, it gave the talkative man to dream of playing the flute in front of others. He used music as a tool to escape from sadness. What else could one be significantly affect just like music did to the talkative man?

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Rama spends a lot of his time doing crosswords puzzles hoping that he will win some money. He becomes so preoccupied with the crossword puzzles that he spends his time at the newsagents’ checking to see if he has won. This may be important as it suggests that due to his circumstances Rama has become desperate. He spent the money for household expense on crossword puzzle. What does the crosswords puzzle symbolize in this story?

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The continual failures and rejections Rama encountered lead him to depression, and the crossword puzzle was a string of hope to Rama. Rama is blindly leading himself into an alternative world and avoids the reality. Rama was so depressed that he contemplates suicide. He spent his money on the crossword puzzles that he never won. The crossword puzzle was also unsucess.

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Rama view his life a failure and himself as a failure towards his family. Is it also possible that Rama has lost his identity due to all the tragic experiences?

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The connection between the boy and the father and the connection between the boy and Naga could be compared. Is the reason why the connection between the boy and the father the reason why the boy is so loyal to Naga?

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How does family connection affect one's life? Or the freedom?

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What kind of cultural or religious background created the connection between animals such as monkey and cobras with humans in India?

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What was the importance f the introduction of the exorcrist?

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The exorcist is well respected in the society though there is a sense that the exorcist can smell the fear in people. However, the actions from the exorcist is futile. Just like the Astrologer's Day, the question who are consider as exorcists at that time came to mind.  Could anyone become an exorcist? Through what I have read, exorists may be no more than charlatans or the astrologers in the streets of markets.

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Exorcists were highly respected due to the strong belief that others have in their abilities. Were people at that time depress for a way of being saved or cure

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Rama has planning to go away , so he was waiting for the train. However there has been a derailment of a train which causes a three hour delay. He gets a new lease of life at that moment of waiting. He understood that he lived his life the wrong way by buying the crossword puzzles. What does this moment of realization or epiphany symbolize?

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What are the ironies in the story? It is ironic that the road engine, which is meant to move, does little movement.

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The narrator hired an elephant and fifty men to move the road engine, and the road engine hits a wall. The narrator felt lucky and personalized the engine. However, the engine was causing problems before. What is Narayan the author trying to say? He may be suggesting that luck can be a double edged sword and the reality may be that rather than being lucky an individual like the narrator may experience nothing but bad luck.

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How does this story show the classes of India at that time? What were the struggles that Narayan showed in this story?

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The narrator faces problems due to the road engine. However, the narrator has experience really lucky events. Through the lucky events, the narrator has found someone that actually wants the road engine. The narrator can live his life again without the concern of the road engine. What does the ending of this story show? What does the author, Narayan want to tell?

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Thought that Venkat may not be there for Shanta made him feel guilt which made him write his resignation. However, this guilt was long forgotten when he received the raise. This shows how easily a person could be bought. How can we see the cultural background of Venkat through this?

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Venkat shows no balance between his employer and his daughter, Shanta. He either sways in one direction and cannot be there for both. Venkat chose his work over his family. Putting work first rather than family. Venkat is put in difficult position. If he chose to stay with his daughter, his family will starve. If he chose his work, he will not be there for the daughter. If you were Venkat, which side will you pick?

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Attila needs to act as a guard dog. However, Attila is too friendly and lets anyone in the property he needs to protect. He is more like a pet than a guard dog. One day, the house was robbed. However, a young family member defend Attila saying he will remain with the family. If you were another family member, how would you respond to the young defender?

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How does the narrator act in the story? The narrator never takes sides and never comment as to whether Attila is a suitable dog or not. What effect does it make? It is as though they are relaying the facts to the reader and allowing the reader make up their own mind. In many ways this may be important as it draws the reader into the story encouraging them to make a decision based on the facts that are presented to them.

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Velan shows independence and how is this a different independence to the boy in the story, Naga?

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Velan does not leave the garden preferring to stay in his hut by the garden. What does this show about Velan? Velan also talks to each plant and flower.

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Compare Velan's Father to the old man who hired Velan to take care of the garden. Velan's relationship between his father is inappropriate. However, the realtionship betwen him and the old man is good. How did Velan change after he moved to the hut in the garden? In many ways the growth of the garden and the blooming of the flowers matches the prosperity and happiness in Velan’s life. He has managed to get married and have children. Something that may not have been possible should he have stayed working with his father.

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Velan faces tragic events such as losing his wife and eight of his children before his death. Despite this, Velan tries his best to keep the garden tidy and well-preserved. Is he limiting his life due to the dedication to the garden or is he a simple man who like simple things?

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Why are the chapters before separated with the chapters after this short story?

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In the end, Velan accepts that his control over the garden has changed. He leaves the garden as a broken man. All the effort and dedication towards the garden was gone into waste. What is the author tryin to tell?g

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What does the Sir Lawley's statue symbolize?

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The independence from the British brought freedom. However, things did not run smoothly or appropriately. How is this show in the story?

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Raju is a thief and a pickpocket, but he is different than normal thieves. What trait of Raju makes him different?

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Raju's wife doesn't know that he is a pickpocket. What does this say about identity and marriage? Raju's wife doesn't really know who Raju is.

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Raju could get a job it is possible that Raju is comfortable with how he earns his money. Which is somewhat ironic considering that it is his feelings of guilt which lead him to spending eighteen months in prison. What do you think motivated him to chose this path? Was it only because of guilt? Could it be the nature of his personality?

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Raju's wife fears how she and her children would be perceived as since Raju has gone to prison for stealing. In the eyes of Raju's wife, Raju has brought shame onto the family. How do you think the society viewed Raju's family as?

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What does the saving box symbolize? 1. The box symbolizes Kannan's son's aspirations for the future. 2. It acts as a mean to escape and play dice.

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Rather than thinking of the consequences Kannan acts impulsively believing that he will be able to return the money to his son's saving box. What does this show about Kannan? In reality throughout the story Kannan lacks any type of control and is only happy when he is playing dice. Though that costs him all of his son’s money. The fact that Kannan is also not very good with numbers may be significant as Narayan could be suggesting symbolically that Kannan is also not very good with money.

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That is all he can think of even though at times he may feel that what he is doing is wrong. The game of dice comes first for Kannan rather than any loyalty to his family. Is this a way of escape or a way of expressing his freedom since Kannan lacks the freedom he wants? What are other expressions of freedom? What would you do to escape from a life of control?

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Mohan chooses what make-up Selvi should wear and takes control over her.