An Astrologer’s Day Summary
An Astrologer’s Day is an intriguing story about a man who cleverly tries to deceive people in order to escape his guilt. The storey not only exposes the fake astrologer, but also the gullible and superstitious people who approach him.
The astrologer appears to find refuge in the surrounding darkness. With the appearance of Guru Nayak on the scene, the story takes an unexpected turn. His questions gradually reveal the mystery hidden in the darkness. Guru Nayak questions the astrologer’s expertise. He refuses to leave until he receives satisfactory answers to his questions.
However, the astrologer, who is speechless, decides to confront the situation. He has accurate knowledge of Guru Nayak’s past and is able to persuade him. In answering Guru Nayak’s question, the astrologer not only deceived him, but also saved himself from his own fate. In the storey, the author masterfully evokes an atmosphere of suspense and irony. The story demonstrates how appearances can be deceiving. It depicts the witty astrologer’s encounter with and escape from his former adversary.
Questions and Answers
Q. The astrologer has changed his appearance and his persona when he arrived in the city. Give specific reasons.
Answer: When astrologer was a silly youngster, he quarreled with Guru Nayak and tried to kill him in wrath. He thought that he had murdered Guru Nayak. So he left the village and settled in the distant city where no one was familiar with him. He changed his attire and also changed the complete appearance and persona so that no one could recognise him and his offence of killing Guru Nayak would not be revealed.
Q. ‘The darkness load that was inside the astrologer has disappeared’. Through this sentence, explain the significance of the title ‘An Astrologer’s Day’.
Answer: An astrologer was living under the burden of thought that he had the blood of man on his hands all those days. But one day he saw a stranger before him. He identified Guru Nayak. When he saw Guru Nayak was alive, he became tension free. The day on which he was relieved from that load, was a special day for him. So that day is called An Astrologer’s Day.
Q. The astrologer feels relieved that Guru is not dead as it relieves a great burden from him. Critically justify the statement and explain it.
Answer: An astrologer was living under the load of thought that he had murdered Guru Nayak. So he felt himself guilty. But one day when he saw Guru Nayak before him alive, he felt relieved from the burden of that thought means he was not dead.
Q. The astrologer wins/gets the sympathy of criticism of the reader in the end. Express your opinion with the support of the main story.
Answer: The Astrologer gets the sympathy of the readers because he was guilty of his deed and wanted to get away from it. His smartness and the tricks of his trade had saved him from his past crime. He had accepted his mistake and already started living a new life. Acceptance of mistake is a great quality which is difficult to find. His perception, presence of mind, self-confidence and shrewdness helped him to overcome the problem. He had learnt a lesson hence the astrologer got sympathy from the readers.
Q. If we have to eradicate the superstitions and other ill practices from our society, what steps would you like to suggest?
Answer: I would like to suggest the following steps for eradicating the superstitions and other ill practices from our society.
a) I will make the people aware of the things which are good and which are bad for our development and also for the development of our society.
b) I will tell them about the ill effects of superstitions on our health.
c) I will try to develop the scientific views in the people.
d) I will also tell them how common persons are deceived under the names of blind beliefs by some so-called Sadhus.
e) I will also tell the people not to believe in unknown persons who come to your doorstep and ask you to make double the money or ornaments.
f) I will take the help of the organizations who are working in the field of eradication of superstitions. These organizations will arrange programmes to show the ill impacts of superstitions.
g) I will try to develop scientific thinking within common people through practical experiences etc.
Q. In the story, astrologer has a great listening power. Listening helps in developing good relations with people. Express your opinion.
Answer: Yes, listening helps in developing good relations with people.
a) If we listen carefully what the person before us telling, he/she will respect us.
b) If we listen someone’s agony, we can console him/her. It helps us to build good relationships.
c) Listening also helps us to sort out the misunderstanding.
d) Listening is a skill which helps one to communicate successfully.
e) If we don’t listen others and speak to the people all the time, they get bored and try to avoid us which affects the relations.
f) A good listener is always alert and can judge things in correct perspective. Such a person takes proper steps to maintain the relationship.
Q. Find out the examples of irony from the story and write them down. One has been done for you.
a) He knew no more of what was going to happen to others than he knew what was going to happen to himself the next minute.
b) He had a working analysis of mankind’s troubles.
c) Within five minutes he understood what was wrong.
d) Guru Nayak came to the astrologer for help in finding the man who nearly killed him – and the astrologer himself was the very man he was looking for but he couldn’t recognize him.
e) His forehead was resplendent with sacred ash and vermilion and his eyes sparkled with a sharp abnormal gleam which was really an outcome of a continual searching look for customers, but which his simple clients took to be a prophetic light and felt comforted.
f) Nayak learnt that his attacker was dead. The astrologer learnt that he did not commit murder.
g) The very fact that such pious and sanctimoniously sacrosanct activities are carried out in busy market lanes where day to day businesses are carried out makes quite a few eyebrows to get raised and worry about the real underpinnings of these businesses.
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