Universalizing Swami’s Learning through Empirical Experiences: A Critical Analysis of Swami and Friends
https://doi.org /10.5281/zen od o.14974093
Author(s): Suresh Kumar
DOI: https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.14974093
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Universalizing Swami’s Learning through Empirical Experiences: A Critical
Analysis of Swami and Friends
Suresh Kumar
Assistant Professor,
Department of English,
Govt. College Indora, 176401,
Kangra, Himachal Pradesh, India.
Article History: Submitted‐31/01/2025, Revised‐04/02/2025, Accepted‐22/02/2025, Published‐28/02/2025.
Abstract:
Childhood is considered the most blissful period of life where every individual wishes to
gratify one’s fancies without worrying about the world. Children seek instant gratification
whatever they feel or desire. Rational parents either approve or disapprove of their children’s
fancies as per their experiences in the material world. R.K. Narayan, in his Children maestro,
Swami and Friends projects the children characters chasing their dreams in the fictional setting
of Malgudi. This research paper explores how children easily get attracted to external
temptations and how their adamant, introverted or secretive nature like Swami traps them into a
world of endless miseries. The paper mainly highlights the need for parents’ open dialogue with
their wards that can help in eliminating the children’s fear instead of disciplinary rods imposed
on them, so that the children can share their worries without hesitation. If it does not happen, the
naive children will learn by exposing themselves to this world following their fancies while
risking their lives like Swami, the novel’s protagonist. The paper also showcases the innocent
hearts of children and the true value of friendship through the character of Swami. Moreover, the
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https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.14974093
Universalizing Swami’s Learning through Empirical Experiences: A Critical Analysis of Swami and Friends
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https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.10448030
book becomes an ageless and deathless source of inspiration while universalizing the wisdom
and moral values drawn from the adventures of Swami.
Keywords: Empirical experiences, external temptations, disciplinary rod, naive children,
wisdom, moral values.
R.K. Narayan (1906-2001) is considered one of the most significant and leading Indian
novelists writing in English along with Mulk Raj Anand and Raja Rao in the 20th century
(Pandey 527). He is primarily known for setting his novels in the fictional setting of Malgudi. In
Swami and Friends (1935), Narayan projects Swami, a ten-year-old boy as the central character
who along with his friends Somu, Mani, Sankar, Samuel and Rajam plans and undertakes
various adventures which are hardly approved by their parents. Disciplinary rod of the father,
Swami’s involvement in the protest leading to his expulsion from the school, the over-tight
schedule in the new boarding school and his commitment to Rajam for MCC, his cricket team
compel Swami to run away from his home. The sufferings during this period refine Swami and
he realizes the value of his parent’s commands, the teacher’s norms, and his friends’ absence and
becomes a more innocent, humble and noble human being.
The moral-philosophical approach is an old approach like classical Greek and Roman
critics. For example, Plato emphasized moralism and utilitarianism whereas Horace stressed that
literature should be delightful and instructive. The most popular examples are the commentators
of the age of Neoclassicism (1660-1800) in English literature, especially Samual Johnson. The
basic position of such critics is that the larger function of literature is to teach morality and to
prove philosophical issues. They interpret literature within the context of the philosophical
thought of a period or group. In this respect, Jean-Paul Sartre and Albert Camus can be read
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profitably only if one understands existentialism. Likewise, Alexander Pope’s Essay on Man may
be grasped only if one understands the meaning and the role of reason in eighteenth-century
thought. In the larger sense, all literature teaches something. The Critic who employs the moral-
philosophical approach insists on ascertaining and stating what is taught. If the work is
significant or intelligible, the meaning will be there. For example Robert Frost’s “Stopping by
Woods on a Snowy Evening” suggests that duty and responsibility take priority over beauty and
pleasure. Matthew Arnold, the Victorian critic insists that a great literary work must possess
“high seriousness”. In the moral and philosophical approach, the important thing is the moral or
philosophical teaching. But it does not mean that the critics working from a moral bent are not
unaware of form, figurative language and other purely aesthetic considerations rather they treat
them to be secondary while their primary purpose is the moral or teaching of a literary work.
(Guerin 78-79)
Aswathy Cheriyan writes that Swami wants to get attention and recognition through
friends and in this respect he chooses his friends thoughtfully to make his circle self-reliant in all
respects. Somu, Mani, Sankar, Samel and Rajam are the examples of these (pp. 575). Mandeep
Kaur and Dr. Manoj Kumar Pathak explore childhood innocence in Swami and Friends (pp. 91-
104) whereas Piyush B Chaudhary presents the contradiction of the Gandhian way of education
in Swami and Friends (pp. 134-142). Further, Dr Indu Sharma explores the longing for the
rejuvenating time of childhood through her research paper (pp. 235-238) and Abhisek Upadhyay
traces the impact of colonial education on the development of children in his article (pp. 187-
201).
The novelist acquaints the readers with Swami’s choices of friends like how he is
cautiously apt in befriending the boys having special calibre what he lacks in his personality and
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how he can envision the helping hands of his friends in difficult times to ensure his survival, but
he is honest, innocent, not selfish as the ultimate purpose of Swami and his friends is to derive
pleasure from the outdoor activities amidst nature collectively. R. K. Narayan writes about
Swami’s friendship:
He [Swami] honoured only four persons with his confidence. Those were the four that he
liked and admired most in his class. The first was Somu, the monitor, who carried himself
with such an easy air. He set about his business, whatever it was, with absolute confidence
and calmness. He was known to be chummy even with the teachers. No teacher ever asked
him a question in the class. It was believed that only the headmaster could reprimand him,
He was more or less the uncle of the class.
Then there was Mani, the mighty Good-for-Nothing. He towered above all the boys of the
class. He seldom brought any books to the class and never bothered about homework. He
came to the class and monopolized the last bench, and slept bravely. No teacher ever tried
to prod him. It was said that a new teacher who once tried it very nearly lost his life. Many
bullied all strangers that came his way, be they big or small…
Then there was Sankar, the most brilliant boy in the class. He solved any problem that was
given to him in five minutes and always managed to border on ninety per cent. There was a
belief among a section of the boys that if only he started cross-examining the teachers, the
teachers would be nowhere… He knew all the rivers, mountains, and countries in the
world. He could repeat history in sleep…
The fourth friend was Samuel, known as ‘the pea’ on account of his size. There was nothing
outstanding about him. He was just ordinary, with no outstanding virtue of muscle or
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intellect. He was as bad in arithmetic as Swaminathan was. The bond between them was
laughter… (6-8)
Thus, one can see that Swami’s choices of friends cover up almost all shades of personality i.e.
Somu stands for a positive aura, Mani for muscle, Sankar for intelligence and Samuel for comic
pleasure. Thereafter, Rajam who stands for a combo of power and intelligence whose father is
the superintendent of police. This group enjoys the company of each other.
The novel opens on Monday morning presenting Swami’s mood and routine before
school. The novelist writes:
It was Monday morning. Swaminathan was reluctant to open his eyes. He considered
Monday especially unpleasant on the calendar. After the delicious freedom of Saturday and
Sunday, it was difficult to get into the Monday mood of work and discipline. He shuddered
at the very thought of school: that dismal yellow building; the fire-eyed Vedanayagam, his
class-teacher, and the headmaster with his thin long cane… (1)
Swami is a flat character in E.M. Foster’s sense, his likings and dislikes remains alike throughout
the novel as he is introduced in the opening of the novel. He is like a freedom-loving bird. He
does not like to be governed by the rules constituted for the sake of his studies either in school or
at home. He is made to sit at the study table at 8 O’clock and is compelled to do the two days’
homework in two hours including getting ready for school (2). He does not like the classes after
classes in the school too.
Swami does not like the disciplinary rod of parents too. Though Swami’s father keeps a
consistent sharp vigil on Swami’s routine and keeps on reminding him not to wander
purposelessly. Swami realizes that in April before examinations his father was changing for the
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worse. If he does not sleep early, his father would order him to go and sleep as he has to get up
early in the morning and revise for the exam. His father makes him realize what will happen if he
fails, the very thought terrifies him. (57) In the first week of May Swami’s father stayed at home
due to the holidays in the court once as swami was stepping out from the courtyard in the
afternoon, his father appeared before Swami and said:
“Where are you going?”
“Nowhere.”
“Where were you yesterday at this time?”
“Here”
“You are lying. You were not here yesterday. And you are not going out now.”
“That is right,” Mother added, just appearing from somewhere, “there is no limit to his
loafing in the sun. He will die of sunstroke if he keeps on like this.” (96)
After this, Swami’s father takes him to his room and while dusting his books and clearing the
web of spiders between the corners of the table and the pile of books asks him how many days he
has not touched his books. As exams are over, this question seems strange to Swami and he asks,
“Should I read even when I have no school?” At this, his father satirically says, “Do you think,
you have passed B.A.?” Further Swami clarifies his question that when exams are over and there
are vacations in the school, should he still read? To this father replies “What a question! You
must read.” (97) In simple words, Swami does not like the discipline being imposed on him by
his parents and considers it a burden.
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15th August 1930 proves a turning point in Swami’s life as he joins a crowd of about two
thousand citizens of Malgudi who were protesting against the arrest of Gauri Sankar, a
prominent political worker of Bombay against the British government on the right bank of the
river Sarayu (109). Swami gets inspired by the speaker’s address to the crowd who reminded
them of their glorious past. Shouting of slogans like “Boycott English goods” (111), “Bharat
mata ki jai!”, “Gandhi ji ki jai!” (112) motivates Swami to contribute to the nation. When
somebody asks Swami, “Young man, do you want our country to remain in eternal slavery?” As
Swami replies no but the foreign cap he was bearing is interrogated. At this, Swami feels
ashamed and removes the cap “flung into the fire with a feeling that he was serving his country”
(112). The next morning when he was going to school, a stranger cried that there was no class
that day. The self-claimed leaders enter the school and warn the headmaster to close the school,
but the headmaster shows reluctance. At this, the crowd shouted slogans there and amongst
them, Swami also threw stones at the panes of the building. Thereafter, the crowd moved
towards the boarding school and damaged the property there. Finally, the crowd was lathi-
charged by the police (118). The next day, the headmaster interrogated the boys who had
participated in the protest and damaged the Albert Mission School’s property. Consequently,
Swami gets expelled from the school. Thereafter, Swami’s father admits him to the Board
School.
As Swami joins the Board School, Rajam comes to meet him in the evening and gives
him the idea of making a cricket team. Rajam while suggesting MCC that will stand for Malgudi
Cricket Club, asks Swami to suggest a few names and the latter suggests ‘Friends Eleven’,
‘Jumping Stars’, ‘Friends Union’, ‘Champion Eleven’, ‘Victory Union Eleven’ (130-131). But
they finalize ‘MCC’ as the name of their cricket team. The MCC assembles at 5:00 PM on the
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opening day for practice and they name Swami as Tate as he emerges a good bowler (143).
Rajam, the captain of the team, requests all the teammates to practice regularly to win the
matches.
The schedule at the new school also adds to the agony of Swami as it is more hectic than
the previous one. He used to get free at 4:30 PM in the previous school where his friends are
right now (145), but his drill classes start at 4:30 PM here and he gets no exemption from these
classes even after requesting the headmaster. He wishes to produce a medical certificate for
which he talks to a doctor, but the doctor convinces him that he will talk to the headmaster and
manage for him without a medical certificate. As per the oral commitment, Swami does not stay
for the drill classes for a few days in the school and, as a result, the drill master complains about
this to the headmaster. The headmaster reprimands Swami while refusing such interferences for
exemptions denying the doctor’s claims and warns Swami if he misses a day even after that day,
his admission will stand cancelled with immediate effect.
Thereafter, the novelist presents Swami in a serious moral conflict that compels him to
make some crucial decision and though the decision is termed irrational by his friends, parents,
and teachers, the novelist intends to set an example for the readers of coming generations to be
intelligent emotionally and sets a reminder to rethink their respective roles i.e. children, students,
parents, teachers, and society at large. The MCC has unanimously decided a slot i.e. 5:00 PM for
practice which is not possible for Swami in any case as per the norms of his new school.
Friendship is the topmost priority for Swami and he does not wish to hurt the sentiments of his
teammates and friends. As he has already taken a few days of drill off to practice with MCC
without informing his parents and being warned by the headmaster Swami decides to leave the
home and the school thinking that he will be back on Sunday to play the match (178). When
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Swami does not return home, his parents get worried. His mother and grandmother pray and
promise rich offerings to god if Swami reaches home well. His father searches for his body on
the banks of the river Sarayu and confirms in the hospitals in the locality (180-184). On the other
hand, Swami encounters hardships in the forest as hunger becomes unbearable he eats wild fruits
and drinks water from the pond, starts missing his home, feels alienated and repents (186), and
decides to return but night falls suddenly and his heart starts beating fast (187). He sets the target
of reaching the trunk road, even if it happens at midnight to feel more secure (188), but he gets
troubled by the frightening cries, and fearful images leave him bloodcurdling. Earlier he has been
unable to locate himself, and when he realizes that the trunk road is a distant dream, he starts
missing his parents, friends, and teachers, prays to god and collapses unconscious. The novelist
writes about what Swami unconsciously envisions:
Now a leopard, a lion, even a whale, now a huge crowd, a mixed crowd of wild elephants,
tigers, lions, and demons surrounded him. The demon lifted him by his ears, plucked every
hair on his head, and peeled off his skin from head to foot. Now what was this, coiling
round his legs, cold and slimy? He shrank in horror from a scorpion that was advancing
with its sting in the air. No, this was not a place for a human being. The cobra and the
scorpion were within an inch from him. (193)
It was Saturday morning that Ranga, the cart man finds Swami lying on the path cold. When
Ranga confirms some warmth in his body, he informs the nearest forest officer who gives him
first aid and informs his parents through the police. Swami takes a lifelong lesson from this
horrifying experience.
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The above analysis showcases that R.K. Narayan presents the most significant issue of
education during 1930s British India while depicting the socio-political scenario and the role of
its stakeholders through Swami and Friends. The novel attempts to reveal the basic nature of
children which is pleasure-loving and getting influenced easily by the external world. If the
children are students then what should be the degree of burden or freedom or discipline for them
the novelist emphasizes the parents must rethink. Further, parents practising emotional
intelligence have been suggested to eliminate any communication gap between parents and
children resulting from fear or ethical issues. Swami’s repentance of hiding his plan from his
parents and friends after his dreadful encounter in the forest exhibits his innocence and makes
him a nobler creature and makes Swami and Friends a significant piece of didactic literature
preaching a pearl of readymade wisdom from the adventures of Swami that would be of utmost
significance for future generations as H.W. Longfellow says in his poem “A Psalm of Life”,
“Footprints, that perhaps another, / Sailing o’er life’s solemn main, / A forlorn and shipwrecked
brother, / Seeing, shall take heart again”. (Longfellow 4) In other words, the wisdom of this
novel will give direction to the destiny of upcoming generations preventing them from
underestimating the issues covered in the novel and thus, will make their lives sublime.
Works Cited:
Chaudhary, Piyush B. “Gandhian Way of Education: M.K. Gandhi’s Educational Philosophy in
R.K. Narayan’s Swami and Friends” The Creative Launcher, vol. 6, no. 1, 2021, pp. 134-
142., DOI: https://doi.org/10.53032/TCL.2021.6.1.15
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Cheriyan, Aswathy. “Unravelling Juvenile Psyche: A Comparative Study of R.K. Narayan’s
‘Swami’ and Mark Twain’s ‘Tom Sawyer’” Research Journal of English Language and
Literature, Vol.4, Issue 3, 2016, pp. 574-577.
Guerin, Wilfred L. et. al. A Handbook of Critical Approaches to Literature. Fifth edition.
Oxford University Press, 2005.
Kaur, Mandeep and Dr Manoj Kumar Pathak. “A Study of Childhood Innocence in R. K.
Narayan’s Swami and Friends” The Criterion: An International Journal in English, Vol.
13, Issue-I, 2022, pp. 91-104.
Longfellow, Henry Wadsworth. “A Psalm of Life” Ripples on the Sands of Time, edited by
Pankaj K. Singh and Girija Sharma, Oxford University Press, 2018, pp. 4.
Narayan, R.K. Swami and Friends. Indian Thought Publication, 2021. 98th Reprint, 2021.
Pandey, Prem Prasad. World Literature in Your Fist. Rigi Publication, 2019.
Sharma, Dr. Indu. “Rejuvenating Times of the Yearning Childhood in R. K. Narayan’s Swami
and Friends” Literary Herald, Vol. 3, Issue 4, 2017, pp. 235-238.
Upadhyay, Abhisek. “Impact of Colonial Education on Development of Selfhood in R. K.
Narayan’s Swami and Friends” International Journal Of English and Studies, Volume-3,
Issue-4, 2021, pp. 187-201.
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