A Horse and Two Goats - R. K.

Narayan Overview: - opens with a clear picture of the poverty in which the protagonist Muni lives. Of the thirty houses in the village, only one, the Big House, is made of brick. The others, including Muni's, are made of "bamboo thatch, straw, mud, and other unspecified materials." There is no running water and no electricity and Muni's wife cooks their typical breakfast of "a handful of millet flour" over a fire in a mud pot. NB, drumstick is a type of edible radish. - Muni and the American meet by chance and their inability to understand each other results in a misunderstanding wherein Muni sells the villages horse statue for 100 rupees, thinking he is, in fact, selling his almost worthless goats. Two very distinct lives are clearly expressed via the mens conversation (with themselves, so to speak), however one similarity does arise (women). - the third person omniscient narrator reports clearly and objectively on the characters' words, actions, and memories, and does not comment or judge. This is the writer trusting the reader to notice how absurd the conversation is without having to point it out, thus ruining the humour. It can also be a reflection of the same passivity seen in Muni when it comes to him accepting his fate. The narrator does nto have to explain how foolish or ironic the conversation is, its stronger if we see it ourselves. - The main conflict of the story is their inability to understand one another. The climax can be said to be the truth dawned on the old man there seems to finally be understanding between the two. However, we then get the twist, which shows that there is no understanding afterall (Muni misinterprets the Americans wish as for the goats). Characters: The American - He typifies the "Ugly American": he speaks only English, but is surprised and a little annoyed to find that Muni can speak only Tamil. Although he is in the tiniest village in India, he expects to find a gas station and English-speaking goatherds. Once he sees the statue of the horse, he must own it for his living room, with no thought for what the statue might mean or who might value it. Even when he can't speak the language, he knows that money talks. Muni Our protagonist. He was once wealthy, but is not desperately poor. He relies on his wife heavily and no longer has any shame or pride when it comes to his poverty. He is the perfect example of a good Hindu who, because of Karmas rules, accepts his lot in life/fate without anger. He feels anger toward those bad men who have slighted him in the past, but it is not

up to him to punish them, it is Gods will. His world is a relatively small one by our standards, but this only leads him to be contented with small luxuries (tobacco, sheep, 100 rupees, goal of simply opening a shop, etc). Conservative values (believes the cinema has spoiled people and taught them to do bad things, etc). Lacks the materialistic ideology of the American, therefore cannot understand that he is interested in the statue, not the goats (which have survival value). He is also disciplined, religious and lonely. Horse Statue Forgotten on the edge of the village, just as Kiritam seems to have been forgotten by India after the highway was put in. The paint has faded and the opulant accessories are goen just as Munis wealth has deteriorated. Also represents how the newer generations are becoming less religious and more liberal no one pays attention to the Horse anymore, not even to vandalize it. No one cares for the spiritual significance of this Horse anymore. NB: there is an overall warmth and sympathy for his characters. Themes: Culture Clash - clash of cultures, specifically the clash of Indian and Western cultures. Using humor instead of anger, Narayan demonstrates just how far apart the two worlds are: the two cultures exist in the same time and space, but literally and metaphorically speak different languages. The two main characters in this story couldn't be more different: Muni is poor, rural, uneducated, Hindu, brown; the American is wealthy, urban, educated, probably JudeoChristian, white. As a good Hindu, Muni calmly accepts the hand that fate has dealt him, while the American is willing and able to take drastic and sudden action to change his life (for example, flying off to India, or throwing away his return plane ticket to transport a horse statue home on a ship). A lack of respect is shown in the American, who does not consider the statues role/importance but simply wishes to own it. This lack of respect can also be seen in the fact that the American has no excuse for being so ignorant - he is educated and worldy and has always wanted to go to India. Muni has never had an opportunity to learn about the West. The American has a very self-oriented perspective on the world. The message? A) Cross-cultural awareness is paramouont in todays world. B) We are what we value (Muni vs. American). Role of Women There are three women in the story: Munis good wife, the postmans bad wife, and the Americans wife. The good wife is a caretaker and provider who stays with Muni through thick and thin. The bad wife is an adulterer and a shame on the postmam, says Muni. This bad wife serves to characterize Muni and his values. The Americans wife is a stereotypical

strong wife who decides things like Munis wife these women are in the background, but they resurface always as the reason these men can keep going. Muni in the sense of survival and the American in the broadening of his horizons (she books the trip to where hes always wanted to go). These mirrored relationships are not perfect, there is both caring and conflict. Women are broken down into their base stereotypes good/bad. They are not full characters and are only seen by the reader through the eyes of the men in their lives the Male Gaze which tells you more, perhaps, about the men doing the seeing than the women theyre talking about. The message? A) Women reflect their mens values (ie, women used to characterize men). B) Discussion on the definition of a good woman. C) Behind every great man there is a great woman the women are integral to the mens lives.