Visiting+the+Doctor

//__ The Doctor’s office. __// Krishna is given the advice by Rangappa to visit a doctor in the Krishna Medial Hall, in order to seek guidance for Suslia who is sick of typhoid. The doctor’s office is westernised with an atmosphere which comforts Krishna and “restored a glow of life” in him. The doctor’s office is a resemblance of the westernised life style which suggests why Krishna feels comfortable. The office is organised with “attractive boxes” and “cellophane wrapping”, this once more represents the routine and organised Western ways. The doctor himself answers Krishna with short sentences for medical advice suggesting he does not care and that there is a lack of time in the Westernised side of medicine. The all round visit to the doctors office reinforces the fact the Krishna is comfortable with the Western ways of life.

This suggests that the doctor is admired by all that se hi, despite that he does not have the patience to see everyone and does not care. He is treated like a pop star, which represents that he is popular with all. ** “Oh no, it is just malaria. I have fifty cases like this on hand, no need to see her.” Page 69 ** He doesn’t care about his patients, even if it’s serious. The doctor is rushed. The doctor seems dismissive; he represents the business-like atmosphere, further representing the English medical ways. Its seems as though the doctor feels that his patients are unimportant, and that the doctor is only there to get what he needs to get done. Krishna looks up at the doctor in admiration, suggesting that he is bewildered and impressed by the doctor, despite the fact that the doctor treats him. This contrasts to the way in which he sees the Swamaji. This once again this relates to the idea that Krishna likes the routine, strict and organised lifestyle, represented in Western lifestyle. The treatment is rushed and there is no real time for any of the patients, this once again resembles the English way of life, in that it is routine and organized. The whole visit to the doctors seems business like.
 * Quotations and analysis **
 * “Everyone pressed forward to see him. He looked like a film start being mobbed by admirers” page 67 **
 * “I really thought it was absurd to have ever thought of asking this great man to visit me” page 69 **
 *  ‘He read out the names on the slips and bottles one by one, examined a throat here, tapped a chest there, listened in to the murmurs of hearts through a tube and wrote prescriptions at a feverish speed.’ page 68 **


 * //__ The doctor’s role in the novel: __//**

The doctor’s role in the novel is to represent the different worlds which have similarities and differences. The doctor represents the western world’s medicine whereas the Swarmaji represents the medicine of the Eastern world. The Swamaji’s cure reinforces spirituality and spontaneity because he is represented as ‘unorganized’. The cure is very spiritual which can be seen where every member of the family except Krishna has confidence that it can cure Susila from her sickness. This is a contrast to the doctor’s western medicine, which is compacted with researches, checkups which represents how routine and well organized the western cure are. The similarity are that both different type of medicine have the target to cure the patience nevertheless both medicine are unable to cure Susila which leads her to death. This similarity represents how both sides of the medical world have the same objective which suggests how Krishna is lost between the two worlds. Krishna appreciates the neatness and the organized office of the doctor which suggests how he is comfortable with the Western medicine. Whereas he sees the Swarmaji as a ‘beggar’, which shows how he is not spiritual and does not fully appreciate the presence of spirits and beliefs. Narayan include these events in the novel to contrast Krishna’s personality and reaction to different solutions. It would slowly show how Krishna changes as the novel progress. It contrasts how first he was unaccepting about spirituality but later on he changes and became more accepting to spirituality. It represents the path of changing where Krishna would change to become a much better man. It also reinforces the reality where people don’t change from one personality to another and some are not willing to change from their comfort zone. It shows how a problem has many solutions, and how people change as time progresses. Links to the Theme: __//**
 * //__

· Spontaneity · Spirituality · Routine
 * //__ Importance of the Key Event: __//**

The key event shows: · Finding his path of spirituality · How Krishna changed overtime · Acceptance of the Western Medical · Unaccepting towards spirituality · Reality over Religion