Swami and Friends

Swami and Friends centers mainly around Swaminathan’s friendship with both Mani and Rajam. In your opinion, which of these two boys ultimately serves as the better friend to Swaminathan? Explain your response with textual detail supported by thoughtful analysis.

Swaminathan’s father consistently berates the boy for his various misbehaviors and incompetencies. Do you think that the father is too hard on Swaminathan, or do you think that his rigid parental style is derived mainly from love?

What role do you believe that Swaminathan’s biblical teacher, Mr. Ebenezar, serves in the narrative of the story? What are his intentions in proselytizing and insulting the culture and religion of his Hindu students?

Swaminathan is constantly dismissive of his grandmother throughout the book. Do you feel that this is merely a case of youthful indiscretion, or do you think that the boy’s callow behavior points to more serious character flaws? 

In Swami and Friends, R. K. Narayan abstains from directly criticizing the period of British-colonial rule in India. Why do you believe he did this? Can you find any textual evidence that you think indicates a strong criticism of British-colonial rule?

In your opinion, do you believe that Swami and Friends is merely a children’s book, or do you believe that it is a book that appeals to a universal and international audience? Support your claims with textual examples.

In your opinion, what are the strengths and weaknesses of Swaminathan? What do his strengths and weaknesses ultimately allow us to understand about his character and the central themes of the novel as a whole?

After the prominent Indian politician Gauri Sankar is arrested, an angry mob amasses in Malgudi that begins to vehemently protest against British rule. Eventually, the mob resorts to violence and vandalism. Why do you think the author chose to include this scene? How does this scene serve the novel as a whole? Explain.