11TH CLASS ENGLISH ALL CHAPTERS SOLUTIONS
Ranga’s Marriage Summary
The narrator starts the story in a cheerful tone by introducing his village and the people who live there. The name of his village is Hosahalli, but it is not mentioned anywhere in history, geography, or on any map of India since the British and our geographers have both not made any reference to its presence. The narrator mentions that Hosahalli is as important as the filling inside sweet karigadabu – a sweet component of a traditional festive meal.
Hosahalli is a special village, according to the narrator. He cites some examples to prove his point. He talks about the intolerable sour taste of raw mangoes in Hosahalli. A chutney made from a sour mango once gave him a terrible cough. The leaves of a creeper plant in their village had big leaves on which one could serve meals.
He starts the story of how Ranga got married. He was the village accountant’s son who had gone to Bangalore for his studies. In previous times, very few people knew English, and the village accountant was the first person who dared to send his son to Bangalore for his studies. The narrator describes English to be a common language in contemporary times. He finds it disgraceful as well. He recounts a recent incident where Rama Rao’s son asked a woman selling firewood to come later since he had no ‘change’.
The term confused both the woman and the narrator. He came to know the meaning of the word later when he asked at Rama Rao’s house. Such incidents show why Ranga’s homecoming was a great deal.
The story is ten years old. People rushed to meet Ranga when he finally returned home. They had expected to see a changed person – heavily influenced by the culture of a city. But they found Ranga’s behavior in tune with the traditional lifestyle of the village. He was polite to the elders and still had his janewara on him. He had not lost his caste. The narrator also received a namaskar from Ranga, which he found to be highly respectful of the latter, which was quite unlike the case with present-day boys who had no discernible good manners.
Ranga came to the narrator’s house in the afternoon of the same day. The narrator had a nice conversation with him. When he told Ranga about his thoughts on marriage, he got a rather disappointing response. Ranga did not approve of arranged marriages. He pointed out that a man should marry a mature girl – someone with whom he can have a loving conversation. A very young girl could mistake words spoken out of love as words spoken out of anger.
As Ranga left, the narrator decided to get Ranga married. He knew a girl who was just right for him – Rama Rao’s eleven-year-old niece Ratna who had come to stay with her uncle. Ratna was from a big town and knew how to play the harmonium and the veena. She also had a sweet voice. Her parents were dead. The narrator knew she would be a perfect match for Ranga.
The narrator was a regular visitor at Rama Rao’s house, and the next morning, he asked Rama Rao’s wife to send Ratna to his house. The narrator had developed a comfortable relationship with Ratna. The following day was a Friday, and Ratna came in wearing a grand saree that morning. The narrator asked her to sing a song, and in the meanwhile, he sent for Ranga. As Ranga reached the threshold, he stopped abruptly because he did not want to disturb Ratna’s beautiful song, but he tried to peep inside to look at her. Ratna saw him and stopped singing. Ranga entered the house and excused himself for interrupting Ratna’s singing. Ratna ran inside, overcome with shyness.
Ranga wanted to know who the singer was. The narrator replied sarcastically that it did not matter since he was married and Ranga was not the marrying type. Ranga excitedly wanted to know if Ratna was married. The narrator informed him that Ratna married a year ago. The narrator could see the immediate disappointment on Ranga’s face. The next morning, the narrator went to the Shastri and explained his plan to him. In the afternoon, he met Ranga, who still seemed to be disappointed. The narrator took him to the Shastri on the pretense of helping him with whatever problems he was facing.
The Shastri orchestrated a well-planned act and informed Ranga that he was having some problems with a girl. The girl’s name was something that could be found in an ocean. The narrator pretended to guess several names before he uttered Ratna’s name. Ranga looked both surprised and happy, but the narrator disappointed him again by reminding him that the girl was married. On their way back, they passed by Rama Rao’s house. He went in alone and returned a minute later to inform Ranga that Ratna was not married. Someone had given him false information.
The narrator comes back to his storyline in the present. He tells us that Ranga came to invite him to their three-year-old child Shyama’s birthday. The couple had named their child after the narrator. He finds this a bit odd, but he knows well that naming one’s child after someone one likes is an English custom.
Conclusion of Ranga’s Marriage
Ranga’s Marriage Summary shows us how ideal thoughts do not always work and life can surprise us in many ways. We should be flexible and accepting of changes and events that occur in our lives. Ranga was sure that he only wanted to marry a mature and older girl whom he could admire and have a loving conversation with. The narrator’s scheme to get him to like Ratna worked perfectly with his clever planning and timely introductions. Ranga’s ideals did not necessarily come into play while deciding his choice of a life partner. The story is also an example of showing that change does not always bring betterment in life. Sometimes, the old ways can also bring solutions to the table. We can see from the beginning of the story that the narrator does not like changes, like the increase in English-speaking individuals in the village. He calls it a big transformation that is ‘disgraceful’.
Insight Reading Questions
Question 1:
Comment on the influence of English—the language and the way of life— on Indian life as reflected in the story. What is the narrator’s attitude to English?
Answer:
The narrator says that during the last ten years, the English language has made inroads into the Indian countryside. Now many know English. During the holidays, one comes across them on every street, talking in English. They bring in English words even while talking in Kannada. The narrator considers it disgraceful. He illustrates his point of view by giving an example. A bundle of firewood was bought at Rama Rao’s house. Rama Rao’s son asked the woman how much he should give her. When she said, “Four pieces”, the boy told her that he did not have any “change” and asked her to come the next day. The poor woman did not understand the English word “change” and went away muttering to herself. Thus the use of the English language before a native Kannada speaker confused.
Ranga was influenced by the English way of life. Like them, he wanted to marry a mature girl and not a young present-day bride. He told the narrator that he would marry when he grew a bit older. Secondly, he wanted to marry a girl he admired. He was not in favor of arranged marriages. This shows the influence of the English way of life on modern young educated Indians. The narrator did not approve of it.
Question 2:
Astrologers’ perceptions are based more on hearsay and conjecture than what they learn from the study of the stars. Comment concerning the story.
Answer:
This story presents astrologers in an unfavorable light. The author seems to be having a dig at them through the words of the narrator. The story gives a graphic description of how the narrator employs the astrologer to trick an unwilling young man into agreeing to marry a young girl. He tutors him in all that he wants him to say.
The narrator took Ranga to the astrologer. The Shastri took out his paraphernalia. These included two sheets of paper, some cowries, and a book of Palmyra leaves. He called astrology an ancient science. He moved his lips fast as he counted on his fingers. He did some calculations before telling Ranga that he was thinking about a girl. She had the name of something found in the ocean. He assured them that their negotiations would bear fruit. Ranga was impressed by the science of astrology.
That evening the narrator congratulated Shastri for repeating everything he had taught without giving rise to any suspicion. He mocked astrology by saying, “What a marvelous shastra yours is!” The Shastri didn’t like it and said that he could have found it out himself from his shastra.
This shows that astrologers’ perceptions are based more on hearsay and conjecture them what they learn from the study of the stars.
Indian society has moved a long way from the way the marriage is arranged in the story. Discuss.
Answer:
In the past, marriages in India were usually arranged by parents/relatives. The story ‘Ranga’s Marriage’ shows how the narrator arranges Ranga’s marriage with the help of the astrologer. After independence, certain changes have come in the economic and social set-up of Indian society. Women’s empowerment has made women men’s comrades and equals and not a mere prisoner confined within the four walls. Women’s education and access to jobs have changed the attitude of modem males towards them. A girl is now accepted as a partner in marriage for her worth or qualities rather than the dowry.
Marriageable young boys and girls have now more say in the choice of partners. Early marriages have been banned legally. The minimum age for marriage for a girl is 18 and for a boy, it is 21. By this time they attain physical, emotional, and mental maturity. Indian society has certainly moved a long way from the time of arranged marriages when the formal consent of the bride/bridegroom was taken for granted and the elders fixed everything.
Question 4:
What kind of a person do you think the narrator is?
Answer:
The narrator, Shyama, is dark in color. He calls himself’ ‘a dark piece of oil cake’. He is an elderly gentleman. He is a keen observer of men and manners. He notices the influence of English—the language and the way of life on Indian society. He is a purist who is pained at the indiscriminate use of English words in Kannada conversation. He considers it disgraceful. He does not approve of the English custom of love-marriage either. He is a well-meaning gentleman who has the good of others in his heart. He learns of Ranga’s views about marriage from Ranga himself. He is a good judge of human character.
He thinks that Ranga would make a good husband. The narrator is a good strategist. He cleverly calls Ranga to his home when Ratna is singing a song. He notices Ranga’s reaction and interest in her and arouses his curiosity by arranging a meeting with the astrologer. First, he says that Ratna is married, but when he finds Ranga deeply interested in her, he confesses that he was wrongly informed. In short, the narrator tries his utmost to get the marriage settled.
The narrator loves fun and humor. He can make others laugh at him. He employs a rambling style and gives many similes and metaphors to heighten the literary value of the story. The touches of local color make the story full of ethnic color and authentic.
