Download Lysbilde 1 - Cappelen Damm

Chapter Two:
A Meeting of Worlds
Understanding
“A Horse and Two Goats”
©
2008
A Horse and Two Goats
 The short story “A Horse and Two Goats” is
written by R. K. Narayan, a famous Indian
writer who was among the first to bring Indian
literature in English to a world-wide audience.
 His style of writing is simple and direct, yet he
manages to capture complicated situations and
feelings through the use of dialogue and
description.
 He often wrote about ordinary people in
humorous everyday situations in India, just as
he does in the story here.
©
2008
A story of misunderstandings
 Most short stories use
dialogue as a form of
communication between
people.
 This short story uses
dialogue as a form of lack of
communication between two
people.
 This takes the reader by
surprise and brings humor
to the tale.
©
2008
The horse and warrior
 The statue of a horse and
warrior brings the two
characters together
 It was made many
generations ago to
protect the village from
evil
 It is not owned by
anyone. It is not private
property.
©
2008
Talking past one another
 The American tourist does not speak Tamil.
 The Indian old man (Munti) does not speak
English
 Both understand only what they wish to hear
when the other speaks
 Neither understands the other
©
2008
American and Indian worlds –
Introductions
American
 The American tourist
asks Muni if he
smokes.
Indian
 Muni replies that he
knows nothing about a
local murder.
 The American speaks
about himself slowly,
so that Muni will
understand.
 Muni explains that
cattle get lost and he
must go home.
©
2008
American and Indian worlds – Requests
American
 The American asks to
buy the statue.
Indian
 Muni explains that his
grandfather’s,
grandfather’s uncle
knew how old it is.
 The American tries to
drive a good bargain
 Muni explains at
length about Hindu
myths of the end of
the world.
©
2008
American and Indian Worlds – Cultural
Conflict
 For the American, the
most important thing
is to achieve an aim –
to buy the statue
 This reflects American
values –
communication for
gain
 For the Indian, the
most important thing
is to keep the
conversation going
 This reflects Indian
values –
communication as a
form of mutual
respect and balance
©
2008
Making a deal
 Muni takes the money the
American offers, thinking it
is for his goats.
 The American believes he
has bought the statue.
 Muni believes he has sold
his goats.
 Both believe they have just
made a good deal. Neither
understands what has
happened.
©
2008
Humor and irony
 The constant misunderstandings make this story
rather like the Norwegian tale “God dag mann
kosteskaft” – a comedy of errors.
 It is ironic that it the American who wants to
make a “good buy”, but it is the Indian who ends
up getting a “good deal”.
 Clearly the author is making fun of both the
American’s ignorance and the Indian’s naivety
(though it is significant that the poor Indian ends
up the winner!).
 Yet the author is not condemning either of the
characters. He is simply observing what one
American song writer has put so well – “Still a
man hears what he wants to hear and disregards
the rest.”
©
2008