VIDYAPEETH

Subject Name – English

Class – 11th

Book – Hornbill
Chapter Name – Ranga’s Marriage

ONE SHOT
PPT No.- 01/01 By- Richa Tripathi
 Topic : About the Author

Masti Venkatesha Iyengar (6 June 1891 – 6 June

1986)

• He was a well-known writer in Kannada

language.

• He is most renowned for his short stories.

• He wrote under the pen name Srinivasa.

 Topic : Summary

• The story begins with the narrator describing his village, Hosahalli, in a positive
tone.

• He notes that Hosahalli is not acknowledged in any historical, geographical records,

or maps of India, overlooked by both British and local geographers.

• The narrator compares Hosahalli to the crucial filling of karigadabu, emphasizing its
significance despite its lack of recognition.
 Topic : Summary

• Highlighting the village's uniqueness, he shares anecdotes about its distinct

features:

1. The exceptionally sour taste of Hosahalli's raw mangoes, which once caused him a
severe cough when he consumed their chutney.
2. The presence of a creeper plant with large leaves that could be used as plates for
serving meals.
 Topic : Summary

• The narrator begins the tale of Ranga's marriage, the son of the village accountant.

• Ranga was notable for studying in Bangalore, a rare feat at the time as few villagers
knew English.

• The village accountant was pioneering in sending his son to the city for education.

• The narrator comments on the widespread use of English in modern times, viewing
it with some disdain.

• He recalls a recent incident where Rama Rao’s son used the word ‘change’ with a
firewood seller, causing confusion for her and the narrator.
 Topic : Summary

• The narrator learned the meaning of ‘change’ after inquiring at Rama Rao’s house.

• These anecdotes highlight the significance of Ranga's return from Bangalore.

• The narrative is set a decade ago.

• Upon Ranga's return, villagers anticipated he might be significantly changed by city

influences.

• Contrary to expectations, Ranga retained his traditional village values,

demonstrating politeness and wearing his janewara, signifying adherence to his
caste.
 Topic : Summary

• The narrator was impressed by Ranga's respectful greeting, noting it as a contrast

to the manners of contemporary youth.

• Ranga visited the narrator's home the same afternoon, engaging in a meaningful
conversation.

• Discussing marriage, Ranga expressed disapproval of arranged marriages,

advocating for unions based on mutual understanding and maturity.

• He emphasized the importance of marrying someone capable of discerning love

from anger in conversation, highlighting the pitfalls of marrying someone too
young.
 Topic : Summary

• After Ranga's departure, the narrator resolved to arrange his marriage.

• He considered Rama Rao's eleven-year-old niece, Ratna, as an ideal match for

Ranga; she was talented in playing the harmonium and veena, had a sweet voice,
and was an orphan.

• Being a frequent visitor at Rama Rao's, the narrator invited Ratna to his house the
next day, having established a good rapport with her.

• On a Friday, Ratna visited, dressed in a grand saree, and was asked to sing.

• During her performance, the narrator sent for Ranga, who arrived but hesitated to
enter, not wanting to interrupt Ratna's singing.
 Topic : Summary

• Ranga's attempt to discreetly observe Ratna led her to notice him and stop singing,
after which she retreated in shyness, and Ranga apologized for the interruption.

• Ranga inquired about the identity of the singer, prompting the narrator to
sarcastically remark on Ranga's apparent disinterest in marriage.

• Upon hearing a false claim that Ratna was married, Ranga visibly showed
disappointment.

• The following day, the narrator shared his matchmaking plan with the Shastri.

• Still disappointed, Ranga was taken by the narrator to the Shastri under a pretense
of solving his troubles.
 Topic : Summary

• The Shastri, playing along, hinted at a romantic concern involving a girl whose
name was related to the ocean, leading to the mention of Ratna's name.

• Ranga's reaction swung from surprise to happiness, then back to disappointment

as the narrator reiterated the false claim of Ratna's marriage.

• Passing by Rama Rao's house later, the narrator briefly entered and then emerged
to correct the misinformation, revealing to Ranga that Ratna was indeed
unmarried.
• Returning to the present narrative, the narrator shares that Ranga invited him to the
birthday of their three-year-old child, Shyama.

• The child was named after the narrator, a gesture he found unusual but understood
as a sign of affection, reflecting an English custom of naming children after
someone admired.
 Topic : NCERT Questions

#Q. 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?

When the English came to our land, they did not bring the industrialisation alone.
They carried with themselves their culture, their religion and their language to our
home. We, who had been ruled by the Slaves and the Moguls for centuries were now
about to face yet another foreign dominance, which was to leave an impact on us
that was to live for ever in the future. The biggest of all influences was the language
English. Even after so many years of independence, we Indians are not able to pull
ourselves out of this inferiority complex. They ruled our nation once and now even
after so many decades, they rule our minds. We consider those inferior who do not
know the English language. It is nothing but a language after all, why feel so proud
about it when it is not even ours. Yes it is a global language and it is good to know
foreign languages, however we must treat a language as language only and not as
a status symbol.
 Topic : NCERT Questions

This falsehood has been reflected very well in the story. The narrator, Shyama, showed how
when Ranga returns from Bangalore, after completing his studies, the way people
anticipated his return and the excitement on knowing that Ranga now knew English, “a
priceless commodity”. They all wanted to see if there has been any change in Ranga after
studying English in Bangalore. However, there was no change or little in Ranga's
personality. He even did the traditional namaskar to Shyama by bowing down and
touching his feet.
 Topic : NCERT Questions

#Q. Astrologers’ perceptions are based more on hearsay and conjecture than
what they learn from the study of the stars. Comment with reference to the
story.
 Topic : NCERT Questions

❑ Some say that astrology is a science, others say it is a sham. It is true that all the
calculations done in astrology are based on the movement of various celestial bodies
in our solar system. However, there are claims that all that the astrologers predict is
based on hearsay and is general to all. There have been claims that there are these
rare astrologers who are know for their accurate predictions. There have been famous
astrologers, like Linda Goodman, who have been known and appreciated for their
astrological knowledge. Many people are staunch believers of this study. Late President
Roosevelt, of United States of America, consulted astrologers to calculate the
auspicious moment to swear in as President of USA.

❑ In the story, Shyama went to the astrologer and told him what was on his head about a
possible alliance between Ranga and Ratna. Later when he returned to the Shastri and
asked him to predict what the planets told about Ranga, he told what he was actually
told by Shyama and said that Ranga was cotemplating marrying a girl whose name's
innitial is 'R', which was Ratna. Thus, it is difficult to say whether astrologers' predictions
are based on mere hearsay or are actually what they learn from the movements of
stars.
 Topic : NCERT Questions

#Q. Indian society has moved a long way from the way the marriage is arranged
in the story. Discuss.
It is true that the Indian society has evolved way beyond what has been portrayed in
the story. The way Shyama arranged Ranga's marriage is not how it happens in the
modern times. Children today do not want to stay dependent on their parents or
elders to chose their life partners. They now want to take control of their lives. They
take the lead and decide themselves who they want to spend their lives with. The
society has opened up to love marriages. However, it should be noted that love
marriages are not modern, this culture has existed since times immemorial. Many
cases of love marriage can be traced back in the history. Shakuntala did love
marriage (gandharva vivah), Sita and Draupadi chose their partners on their own
(swayamavar). Hence, it is difficult to say whether arranged marriage is an old
tradition or love marriage. Now that we have been independent for decades and
have moved far ahead of Medieval and Modern India, it can be observed that the
culture of arranged marriage is returning. Hence, we can be sure of at least one
thing that these are trends that come and go and people follow what is in fashion.
 Topic : NCERT Questions

#Q. What kind of a person do you think the narrator is? in Ranga's marriage

The narrator in "Ranga's Marriage" comes across as a friendly and mischievous

individual. They appear to have good humor and a playful attitude towards life. The
narrator seems genuinely concerned about Ranga's well-being and takes it upon
themselves to help him find a suitable bride.