Ranga's Marriage
About
the Author
Maasthi Venkatesa Iyengar was a well-known
writer in Kannada language. He was born on 6 June, 1861 at Hungenahalli in
Kolar district of Karnataka in a Tamil language speaking Sri Vaishnavaite
family. He spent his early childhood in Maasti village. He obtained a master's
degree in English literature in 1914 from Madras University. After joining the
Indian Civil Service, he held various positions of responsibility in different
parts of Karnataka, rising to the rank of District Commissioner. After 26 years
of service, he resigned in 1943, as a protest when he did not get the post
equivalent to a Minister, which he deserved and a junior was promoted ahead of
him. He wrote some pieces in English and then switched over to write in Kannada
language. He used pen name Srinivasa to write short stories and novels in
Kannada.
A prolific writer, he wrote more than 123 books
in Kannada and 17 in English, for over seventy years. He won the Jnanpith Award
in 1983 for his novel Chikkavira Rajendra.
He died on 6 June, 1986 on his 95th birthday.
Introduction
The story depicts the life in Indian villages
in the past when child marriage was a common practice. Ranga’s Marriage is
an interesting story of how a person manipulates to get a young boy married to
an eleven-year-old girl in a village. The story dates back to the early days of
British rule when English was not used in a big way. Rangappa, the son of a
village accountant returns from
Bangalore after his studies. His homecoming after six month makes a big event.
The curious villagers gather outside Ranga’s house to see how much the boy is
changed. But they see no change in the boy. The narrator discusses the issue of
marriage with Ranga. He talks to him to hear his ideas about marriage. He
resolves to get the boy married to a very young and immature 11-year-old girl
Ratna. He seeks the support of Shastri’s astrology to bring Ratna round. And
Ranga forgets his idealism and settles down happily.
Characters
1. Shyama – The narrator, lives
in Hosahalli village.
2. Ranga – son of the village
accountant
3. Ratna – a girl of 11, Rama
Rao’s niece.
4. Shastriji – a village astrologer
Detailed
Summary
Ten years ago when the village accountant sent
his son Ranga to Bangalore for studies, the situation in the village was
different. People never used to use English words while talking in Kannada,
their mother tongue. But now they do it with an abominable pride. For instance,
Rama Rao's son was not ashamed to use the word 'change' while buying some
firewood from a woman who knew no English, thereby creating confusion.
Now people are so fond of the foreign language
and education that Ranga's homecoming is made a big affair. People crowd his
house to see if he has changed. They return home on finding no significant
change in him. The narrator is particularly happy to find the boy still quite
cultured as he respectfully does 'namaskara'. The narrator spontaneously
blesses him saying 'May you get married soon.'
But the boy is not ready for marriage, he says.
He is of the opinion that one should better remain a bachelor than marry a
young girl, as the custom of the village is. The narrator is disappointed to
hear this, but as he sincerely wants Ranga to get married and settled to be of
some service to the society, he does not lose heart. He takes a vow to get him
married, and that to a young girl of 11 by the name of Ratna, Rama Rao's niece,
who has of late come to Hosahalli to stay for a few days.
Now the narrator plans to make the prospective
bride and the bridegroom meet each other. So he does by asking Rao's wife to
send Ratna to his house to fetch buttermilk. As Ratna arrives she is asked to
sing. As planned at that very moment Ranga arrives and gets mesmerized by
Ratna's singing and almost instantly falls in love with her being oblivious of his
theories regarding child marriage. The narrator, from his experience, notices
this quite well but purposely disappoints Ranga saying that Ratna is married.
The next morning the narrator meticulously
plots with Shastri, the fortune teller, to trap Ranga and have him marry Ratna.
He tutors him in what is to be said and done when he will bring the boy to him.
The narrator finds Ranga miserable that day.
The latter complains of headache and the narrator suggests that they visit
Shastri. Thereupon Ranga is taken to Shastri who cleverly reacts by saying that
their visit has been a surprise. The narrator acts foolishly forgetting what he
is supposed to say but Shastri cleverly manages the scene.
Everything goes well as per the plan. Shyama,
the narrator, asks Shastri what might be worrying the boy. Shastri calculates
throwing his cowries and suggests that it is about a girl. On further
calculation he suggests that the girl's name has connection with something
found in the ocean. The narrator asks if it could be 'Kamala'. Then he suggests
'Pachchi', meaning moss. When Shastri hints 'pearl' or 'Ratna', the narrator
becomes jubilant and Ranga is amazed. Shyama further asks if there is any
chance of negotiation of the marriage bearing any fruit, to which Shastri answered
affirmative. But once again the narrator pours water on Ranga's hopes by saying
that Ratna is married.
However, on the way the narrator enters Rama
Rao's house and comes out of the house to inform Ranga that Ratna is unmarried
and the previous information about her marriage was wrong. Now visibly Ranga's
joys have no limits. When the narrator asks him whether whatever the astrologer
told is right, he admits that it is true and further adds that there is more
truth in astrology than he thought.
Later the narrator informs Shastri about the
success story and makes a sarcastic comment about astrology. But Shastri is not
ready to accept. He says that the former gave only the hints and whatever he
said was the result of his calculation.
Whatever the case might be, Ranga finally gets
married to Ratna and fathers two children, moreover Ratna is now eight months
pregnant. The narrator is invited to the third birth anniversary of Ranga's
child, who was named after the narrator as 'Shyama'. On finding this, the
narrator mildly chides Ranga saying that he knows that it is the English custom
to name the child after someone one likes, but it is not fair to name him
'Shyama' because he is fair complexioned.
All said and done, it is interesting to find
how Ranga forgets what he learned about happy marriages in cities and gives in
to the far deeper influences the village customs and traditions have on him.
And why not, is it easy to do away with all that one learns so unconsciously
day and night in the society one grows up in?
Short
Answer Type Questions
Q1. Where
is Hasahalli? Why does the author talk about Hosahally with great enthusiasm?
Ans. Hosahalli is a place
in Karanataka, the Erstwhile Mysore State. The author is greatly enthusiastic
about Hosahalli because it is his birthplace.
Q2. What
is Dr. Gundabhatta’s opinion about Hosahalli and the world outside?
Ans. Dr. Gundabhatta speaks
so much glowingly about Hosahally as the author does. He is proud of Hosahalli.
Though he has toured quite a number of places outside India, he admits that
there is not such a wonderful place like Hosahalli.
Q3. How
does the writer describe his village, Hosahalli?
Ans. In Hosahalli, the
mango trees produce very sour fruits. There is also a creeper growing in the
ever-so-fine water of the village pond. The flowers are a feast to behold
and the leaves can be used to serve afternoon meals.
Q4. What
was special about Rangappa? How did the villagers react to it?
Ans. After his return from
Bangalore where he had been studying for six months, much to everyone’s
surprise, he was just the same. His homecoming became a great event
for the villagers. People rushed to his door step to have a look at him.
An old lady even ran her hand over his chest, looked into his eyes and remarked
that the janewara was still there. He hadn’t lost his caste.
Q5. Who
was Ranga? What was special about him?
Ans. Ranga was the village
accountant’s son who had gone to Bangalore to study. People thought that city
education would change him but they were wrong. He still showed respect
towards elders in the village and wore the sacred thread. However, his views on
marriage had changed.
Q6. How
does the narrator give us a vague picture of Indian villages during the British
rule?
Ans. During the British
rule, Indian villages were poor and undeveloped. Very few people could
understand or speak English. So when Ranga was sent to Bangalore to study, it
w'as a great event. Early marriage was a common practice. Ratna was married off
when she was just eleven years old.
Q7. Who
was Ratna?
Ans. Ratna was the
eleven-year-old pretty niece of Rama Rao. She had lost her parents. Since she
was from a big town, she knew how to play upon the veena and the harmonium. She
also had a sweet voice. Shyama played a key role in her marriage with Ranga.
Q8. How
did the narrator carry out his resolve to get Ranga married to Ratna?
Ans. The narrator felt that
Ranga and Ratna was a suitable match for each other. He arranged a meeting
in which Ranga could meet Ratna and get impressed with her quality of
singing. He manipulated things in a clever way and made Ranga fall in love with
her. He finally got them married.
Q9. What
impression do you form of the narrator? How does he add to the humor
of the story?
Ans. The narrator appears
to be a very talkative man. He jumps from one topic to another. There are too
many digressions in his narration. He takes a lot of interest in village
affairs. He decides to get Ranga married to Ratna as soon as he realizes that they
seem suitable for each other. His narration evokes the humor in the story when
he manipulates the situation in a clever way. The astrologer’s remarks and the
meeting between Ranga and Ratna add to the humor of the story.
Q10. Why
was Ranga's homecoming a great event?
Ans. Ranga was the son of
the village accountant. He was sent to Bangalore to study in an English school.
People were very excited when Ranga returned home after six months. They
expected a big change in the boy. So they rushed to his doorstep. His
homecoming became a great event.
Q11. What
were Ranga's views on the selection of a bride and marriage in general?
Ans. Rangappa had no
intention to marry unless he found the right girl. He wanted a mature girl and
also one whom he admired. He was against arranged marriage and against marrying
an adolescent girl. If he failed to find the girl of his choice, he was ready
to remain a bachelor.
Q12. How
did the narrator bring Ranga and Ratna face to face?
Ans. The narrator called
Ratna to his house to take away some buttermilk. He requested her to sing a
song. He also sent for Ranga, so as to know how much he liked or admired the
girl. His plan was successful. Ranga fell for the sweet-voiced young and pretty
girl.
Q13. Why
did the narrator resolve to get Ranga married?
Ans. The narrator was
pleased when Ranga brought him a couple of oranges. He thought that such a
decent boy should marry and settle down. But Ranga had his own views about an
ideal life-partner. He was willing to remain single until he found the right
girl. So the narrator made up his mind to get the boy married soon.
Q14. What
role does Shastri play in bringing about Ranga and Ratna together?
Ans. The narrator sought
the help of Shastri in bringing Ranga and Ratna together. He tutored Shastri,
the astrologer. He took Ranga to his house. Shastriji read the stars and made
calculations. He finally declared that the girl in Ranga's mind should have the
name of something found in the ocean. It could be Ratna as well. Ranga was
convinced and he agreed to marry.
Q15. Why
did the narrator tell a lie about Ratna's marital status?
Ans. The narrator noted
Ranga's growing interest in Ratna. Ranga enquired if she was married. The
narrator told a lie that she was married a year ago. He said so to see Ranga's
dejection. Later on he declared that she was not married yet. Ranga was
suiprised and happy to marry Ratna.
Q16. What
role does the narrator play in the life of Rangappa?
Ans. Shyama, the narrator,
resolved to get Ranga married. He lays a trap for it. He sends for Ratna and
Ranga to his house. They see each other. Ranga after meeting Shastri, agrees to
marry Ratna. Thus, the narrator plays the role of a marriage broker.
Q17. How
did Ranga and Ratna express their gratitude to the narrator?
Ans. Several years passed
after the marriage of Ranga and Ratna. They had a three-year-old son, now named
after Shyama. Ranga visited the narrator for dinner at his house on the child’s
birthday. That was how the two youngsters expressed their gratitude to Shyama.
Long
Answer Type Questions
Q1. Give
a brief account of Ranga’s education, his views on marriage and finally how he
got married.
Ans. Ranga was the son of
an accountant of Hosahalli village. He made a news when he went to Bangalore to
study English. In those days, not many people could speak or even understand
English. So when he returned home after six months, a curious crowd of
villagers gathered at his house to see the change in the boy. They were
disappointed.
Ranga was unwilling to marry a very young and
immature girl. He was willing to remain a bachelor until he found the right
girl. He was opposed to arranged marriage. A man should marry a girl he
admired—that was his clear-cut philosophy.
But the narrator resolved to get Ranga married
at the earliest. He so manipulated that Ranga saw young Ratna, got the sanction
of Shastri's astrology and married her.
Q2. Why
and how does the narrator conspire to get Ranga married?
Ans. Ranga was a young,
generous and promising boy. But he was adamant on not marrying a very young and
immature girl, selected by his parents. He was bent upon staying single until
he found the right girl whom he admired. The narrator resolved to get him
married. He thought of Ratna, an eleven-year-old niece of Rama Rao. She could
play upon the harmonium and even sang in a sweet voice. The narrator brought
Ratna and Ranga face to face at his own house. He roused the boy's interest in the
girl. He declared that the girl was already married. But it was a lie. He
conspired with Shastri to further Ranga's interest in Ratna. With the approval
of the Shastras, Ranga gave in and married the girl selected by the narrator.
Q3. This
is a humorous story. Which part did you find the most
amusing? Describe the narrator of the story.
Ans. Shyama, the narrator
of the story ‘Ranga’s Marriage’ is also the central character. His style of
narration evokes a lot of humor in the story. He is an elderly gentleman and
refers to himself as a dark piece of oil cake. He is passionately in love with
his village and the villagers and rambles incessantly while describing it. He
is a keen observer of his surroundings and uses a colorful style of
narration. He feels it is disgraceful to use English words in the native
tongue. He is a good judge of people and regards Ranga as a generous and
considerate fellow. He is conservative at heart and feels unhappy at Ranga’s
decision to remain single. He means well and his intentions are good. He plans to
get Ranga married. He calls Ranga when Ratna was singing. He also arranges a
meeting with Shastri whom he had tutored thoroughly. He had decided that Ratna
would be a suitable bride for him. He is a shrewd contriver as he tells
Ranga that Ratna was married. This he does in order to rouse Ranga’s desire for
the unattainable.
The description of the village of Hosahalli
evokes some humor in the story. The narrator and Ranga’s visit to the
astrologer and their conversation produce a few comic moments in the story.