"Leela's Friend" by R K Narayan

"Leela's Friend" by R K Narayan

 

A Short Discussion

The Writer :

Rasipuram Krishnaswami Narayan (10 October, 1906 -- 13 May, 2001) is one of the best Indian novelists writing in English. His famous novels are Swami and Friends (1935), The Bachelor of Arts (1937), The Dark Room (1938), The English Teacher (1946), The Guide (1958), The Man-eater of Malgudi (1962), etc. He also wrote many short stories and published them in volumes as Malgudi Days (1941), Dodu and Other Stories (1943), Cyclone and Other Stories (1944), etc. He is noted for his simple way of writing. He won numerous awards and honours for his works. He received the Sahitya Academy Award in 1961 for his novel The Guide. He was awarded the Padma Bhusan in 1964. In 1980, he was awarded the A. C. Benson Award by the Royal Society of Literature.

 

The Story :

     The Sivasankarfamily appoint a servant called Sidda for household work. Sidda is a simple natured boy who arrests everybody's attention in a few months. He becomes a good friend with Leela, the daughter of Sivasankar. Sidda and Leela come to a close relationship through playing together.

 

    A twist comes to the story when Leela's necklace is found missing one day. The family thought that Sidda must be behind it. Leela's mother accuses him of stealing the necklace. Her belief is so sound that she calls in the police. Sidda is arrested. She is charged with theft though  there is no proof against him.

 

Leela is very sad. Sidda is still innocent to her. The loss of her necklace is not so pathetic as the loss of a friend to her. She longs for her friend to play with him.

 

    After a few days, Leela finds her necklace suddenly hidden in a pot. When she tells her family about it, they realiseSidda's honesty. It becomes clear that Sidda is not a thief. Sidda is released from the police custody, but he does not receive any apology from the family.

 

The Theme :

Betrayal of trust

True friendship

Poverty and exploitation

Cruelty of masters

 

The Main Characters :

 

Sidda :-

1. He is simple and honest.
2. He is illiterate.
3. He has a dark history.
4. He is a victim of master's cruelty.
5. He is a faithful playmate.

Leela :-

1. She is careless about her things.
2. She is bossy.
3. She is hopeful and honest about Sidda.