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Leela’s Friend

Leela’s Friend. By R. K. Narayan. Main Points. Caste Prejudice - Sidda never stands a chance Leela and Sidda - a special friendship Sidda - weak and vulnerable Adults versus Sidda - prejudice Adults versus Leela - condescension Leela versus Adults - stubborn and principled.

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Leela’s Friend

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  1. Leela’s Friend By R. K. Narayan

  2. Main Points • Caste Prejudice - Sidda never stands a chance • Leela and Sidda - a special friendship • Sidda - weak and vulnerable • Adults versus Sidda - prejudice • Adults versus Leela - condescension • Leela versus Adults - stubborn and principled

  3. Caste Prejudice • Treated impersonally • …brooding over the servant problem. • ‘Doesn’t seem to be a bad sort… At any rate, the fellow looks tidy.’ • Homeless • …indicated a vague somewhere… • ‘Why should he always be made to sleep outside the house, Mother?’ • Assume the worst • It seems he is an old criminal…The police know his haunts. • These fellows…have no fear. Nothing can make them confess.

  4. Leela and Sidda • Source of happiness • Leela…looked at Sidda and gave a cry of joy. • His company made her supremely happy. • It gave her great joy to play the teacher to Sidda. • Mutual devotion • …Sidda had to drop any work he might be doing and run to her… • She pitied him and redoubled her efforts to teach him. • Extremely close • Day by day she clung closer to him…all her waking hours. • I won’t sleep unless Sidda comes and tells me stories. • She clung to Sidda’s hand…in tears.

  5. Sidda • Magical imagination • ‘…if you stand on a coconut tree you can touch the sky.’ • …told incomparable stories… • Human limitations • [Sidda], though an adept at controlling the moon, was utterly incapable of plying the pencil. • Treated like an animal • Sidda stood with a bowed head…looking at the ground. • He looked at her mutely, like an animal.

  6. Adults versus Sidda • Mr Sivisanker • …subjected him to a scrutiny… • …grew very excited over all this… • …in any case, we couldn’t have kept a criminal like him in the house. • Mrs Sivisanker • Leela’s mother threw a glance at him and thought the fellow already looked queer. • The thought of Sidda made her panicky. • ‘What a rough fellow he must be!’ said his wife with a shiver. • The Police • What a devil you mist be to steal a thing from such an innocent child!’

  7. Adults versus Leela • Bullying • Her mother gave her a slap and said, “How many times have I told you…” • …attempting to make her lie down… ‘Sleep, Leela, sleep,’ she cajoled. • Condescension • …all of them laughed… • ‘You are not a reliable prosecution witness, my child,’ observed the inspector humorously. • ‘Baby, if you don’t behave, I will be very angry with you.’ • Irritation • All of this bother on account of her.

  8. Leela versus Adults • Chooses Sidda • ‘Don’t send him away. Let us keep him in our house.’ • And that decided it. • Defends Sidda • ‘I don’t like you, Mother. You are always abusing and worrying Sidda.’ • ‘…leave him alone. I want to play with him.’ • Disapproving and superior • ‘Let him be,’ Leela replied haughtily. • Leela felt disgusted with the whole business.

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