What do I need to know about ... Teaching & Learning?
Brief Description
The character “Krishna” in the novel “The English Teacher” is portrayed by Narayan as a person who “learns” throughout the novel. Krishna learns a balance between routine, happiness, wildness, innocence, and peace from different people he meets. Superficially it seems like Krishna is the teacher referred to in the title but, ironically, he is the one who ends up learning the most throughout the novel. It is also possible to read the title of the novel ambiguously and see it not as one whole noun 'The (English Teacher)' but rather as an adjective and then noun 'The English (Teacher)' meaning the teacher who is English. On this reading the title may be a comment on the colonial English who are teaching, and in a sense corrupting, the Indian people - in the same manner that Brown's British style school teaches the students resulting in them being nothing more than 'sturdy idiots'
The "teachers" that teach Krishna throughout the novel are..
- The Headmaster
- Brown
- Susila
- Medium
- Leela (and all children)
Key Quotations
"For us elders to learn"
"Who did not know till this day that honours have to be spelt with a 'U'?"
"They are nice, why should these be used only for bathrooms" (bathroom tiles)
"I felt that the old sin of the undergraduate days of writing prose poems was returning"
"This is the meaning of the word joy - in its purest sense"
"They (the children) are the real gods on earth"
"This education had reduced us to a nation of morons. We were strangers to our own culture and camp followers of another culture feeding on leavings and garbage"
Krishna had no close connection with his students and does not take his role as a teacher seriously. He does not feel responsible for them and has no investment in their education ‘Who was I…My command’ – Page 8.
Susila’s parents say, ‘every girl on Earth should be made to pass through your mother’s hands’. This explains that there are some things which can only be taught by certain people to another and for the domestic work, this certain way of teaching is the best taught women to women.
Krishna ‘mugs up and repeats’ and forces the boys to mug up and repeat. Implying that his style of teaching is mechanical, dry and passionless. Teaching poetry in this manner robs it of its inner meaning and beauty and is what results in the production of a group of 'sturdy idiots' who will make excellent clerks for the British but not much else.
At the beginning of the book, Krishna always looks forward for his classes to come to an end, yet this is ironic because he does not have anything to look forward to as his life is only based on teaching. The quotation ’My duty in the interval’ reveals this as he calls his breaks intervals as though they are simply pauses between more important things.
Krishna has no real interest in teaching at the college. If they paid him the same amount to ‘string beads’ he would not turn down the offer and would in fact ‘gladly do so’. He is only interested in the income he gets and forgets about his duty as a professional educator. It is not until he meets the Headmaster that Krishna begins to realise what a joyful and important occupation teaching can be and that he should be learning as much from his students as they from him as children 'are the real gods on earth.'
The contrast between the two types of schooling is indicated by the comparison between Krishna's school where he chooses not to maintain control during a lesson ’It was a small class and I could easily have established law and order’ and the Headmaster's school where the students can be seen ‘running up the ladders, swinging’ etc. Although the students are being active and lively in both cases there is a sense of chaos and anarchy in Krishna's school which suggests that nothing is being learnt whereas the vibrancy and vitality of the Headmaster's school is used to reveal the vitality of the children and the passion and energy they have for learning, which in turn reflects the passion and energy that the Headmaster has for teaching. This difference is reinforced by the contrast between ‘mug[ging] up… [to] secure high marks’ in Krishna's school and ‘Glittering Alphabets’ at the Headmaster's and the different styles of learning found therein '3 hours of lecturing’ as opposed to learning ‘…just as they play’
Role in the novel
Krishna, as an English teacher in the novel “The English Teacher” is actually portrayed by Narayan as a “student” who learns different things throughout of the novel. While it is important to analyse what Krishna does as a teacher it is equally important to consider what he learns and who he learns from:
Arguably the most important teacher of Krishna is obviously the Headmaster. He teaches Krishna the idea that adults should learn from children while also teaching him the fact that the routine, “mug-up”, “copied” kinds of education in which students are being “made to pass examinations” are misguided. In general, the Headmaster is trying to help Krishna to break free from the “curse of adulthood”.
Another teaching figure in the novel is Brown: he teaches Krishna the “importance of English literature” and the idea that people must live by rules and routines. The quotation “who did not know till this day that honors have to be spelt with a “u”” shows the character of Brown, which is a person who doesn’t allow new ideas and creations and only follows routines and rules. In a sense the whole novel can be read as a movement by Krishna away from the artifical colonial education system represented by Brown to the more naturalistic and holistic education system represented by the Headmaster.
The next teacher is Susila. As Krishna’s wife, she teaches Krishna balance: how not to follow routines and to do things in a “free” way, but also how to use routine in one's life effectively. In the end, Krishna learns how to adapt his routine behaviours to the situation instead of stubbornly sticking to its rigidity. Susila is portrayed by Narayan as a character who doesn’t always follow the rules and routines set by others. The quotation “They are nice, why should these [bathroom tiles] be used only for bathrooms?” shows Susila's inherent curiosity and open mindedness. Nevertheless, she still balances this with her "ruthless [accountancy]" and the way she handles the finances with "an iron fist." Susila's spirituality; the way she always seemed to have "a deep secret life" and the "few silver images of gods" she constantly prayed to, furthermore opened the way for Krishna to pursue this path of faith after her death.
The Medium is another teacher who has a profound impact on Krishna. He teaches him how to reach inner peace and escape the daily routines and stress. Not only does the Medium teach him belief, he also makes Krishna more spiritual. The quotation “I felt that the old sin of my undergraduate days of writing prose poems was returning” suggests the idea that the medium is describing “poems” as a “curse”, and therefore, he also teaches Krishna the “unimportance of English literature”.
Leela, and children in general, teaches Krishna to view the life in a more positive manner while teaching him the idea of “innocence”. Quotations such as “what do you do when you sleep father? Why? Why?” shows the innocence of the children and their purity. Krishna learns from children, and as mentioned, “live in the children’s midst and you’ll want nothing else in life”.
What do I need to know about ... Teaching & Learning?
Brief Description
The character “Krishna” in the novel “The English Teacher” is portrayed by Narayan as a person who “learns” throughout the novel. Krishna learns a balance between routine, happiness, wildness, innocence, and peace from different people he meets. Superficially it seems like Krishna is the teacher referred to in the title but, ironically, he is the one who ends up learning the most throughout the novel. It is also possible to read the title of the novel ambiguously and see it not as one whole noun 'The (English Teacher)' but rather as an adjective and then noun 'The English (Teacher)' meaning the teacher who is English. On this reading the title may be a comment on the colonial English who are teaching, and in a sense corrupting, the Indian people - in the same manner that Brown's British style school teaches the students resulting in them being nothing more than 'sturdy idiots'
The "teachers" that teach Krishna throughout the novel are..
- The Headmaster
- Brown
- Susila
- Medium
- Leela (and all children)
Key Quotations
Krishna had no close connection with his students and does not take his role as a teacher seriously. He does not feel responsible for them and has no investment in their education ‘Who was I…My command’ – Page 8.
Susila’s parents say, ‘every girl on Earth should be made to pass through your mother’s hands’. This explains that there are some things which can only be taught by certain people to another and for the domestic work, this certain way of teaching is the best taught women to women.
Krishna ‘mugs up and repeats’ and forces the boys to mug up and repeat. Implying that his style of teaching is mechanical, dry and passionless. Teaching poetry in this manner robs it of its inner meaning and beauty and is what results in the production of a group of 'sturdy idiots' who will make excellent clerks for the British but not much else.
At the beginning of the book, Krishna always looks forward for his classes to come to an end, yet this is ironic because he does not have anything to look forward to as his life is only based on teaching. The quotation ’My duty in the interval’ reveals this as he calls his breaks intervals as though they are simply pauses between more important things.
Krishna has no real interest in teaching at the college. If they paid him the same amount to ‘string beads’ he would not turn down the offer and would in fact ‘gladly do so’. He is only interested in the income he gets and forgets about his duty as a professional educator. It is not until he meets the Headmaster that Krishna begins to realise what a joyful and important occupation teaching can be and that he should be learning as much from his students as they from him as children 'are the real gods on earth.'
The contrast between the two types of schooling is indicated by the comparison between Krishna's school where he chooses not to maintain control during a lesson ’It was a small class and I could easily have established law and order’ and the Headmaster's school where the students can be seen ‘running up the ladders, swinging’ etc. Although the students are being active and lively in both cases there is a sense of chaos and anarchy in Krishna's school which suggests that nothing is being learnt whereas the vibrancy and vitality of the Headmaster's school is used to reveal the vitality of the children and the passion and energy they have for learning, which in turn reflects the passion and energy that the Headmaster has for teaching. This difference is reinforced by the contrast between ‘mug[ging] up… [to] secure high marks’ in Krishna's school and ‘Glittering Alphabets’ at the Headmaster's and the different styles of learning found therein '3 hours of lecturing’ as opposed to learning ‘…just as they play’
Role in the novel
Krishna, as an English teacher in the novel “The English Teacher” is actually portrayed by Narayan as a “student” who learns different things throughout of the novel. While it is important to analyse what Krishna does as a teacher it is equally important to consider what he learns and who he learns from:
Arguably the most important teacher of Krishna is obviously the Headmaster. He teaches Krishna the idea that adults should learn from children while also teaching him the fact that the routine, “mug-up”, “copied” kinds of education in which students are being “made to pass examinations” are misguided. In general, the Headmaster is trying to help Krishna to break free from the “curse of adulthood”.
Another teaching figure in the novel is Brown: he teaches Krishna the “importance of English literature” and the idea that people must live by rules and routines. The quotation “who did not know till this day that honors have to be spelt with a “u”” shows the character of Brown, which is a person who doesn’t allow new ideas and creations and only follows routines and rules. In a sense the whole novel can be read as a movement by Krishna away from the artifical colonial education system represented by Brown to the more naturalistic and holistic education system represented by the Headmaster.
The next teacher is Susila. As Krishna’s wife, she teaches Krishna balance: how not to follow routines and to do things in a “free” way, but also how to use routine in one's life effectively. In the end, Krishna learns how to adapt his routine behaviours to the situation instead of stubbornly sticking to its rigidity. Susila is portrayed by Narayan as a character who doesn’t always follow the rules and routines set by others. The quotation “They are nice, why should these [bathroom tiles] be used only for bathrooms?” shows Susila's inherent curiosity and open mindedness. Nevertheless, she still balances this with her "ruthless [accountancy]" and the way she handles the finances with "an iron fist." Susila's spirituality; the way she always seemed to have "a deep secret life" and the "few silver images of gods" she constantly prayed to, furthermore opened the way for Krishna to pursue this path of faith after her death.
The Medium is another teacher who has a profound impact on Krishna. He teaches him how to reach inner peace and escape the daily routines and stress. Not only does the Medium teach him belief, he also makes Krishna more spiritual. The quotation “I felt that the old sin of my undergraduate days of writing prose poems was returning” suggests the idea that the medium is describing “poems” as a “curse”, and therefore, he also teaches Krishna the “unimportance of English literature”.
Leela, and children in general, teaches Krishna to view the life in a more positive manner while teaching him the idea of “innocence”. Quotations such as “what do you do when you sleep father? Why? Why?” shows the innocence of the children and their purity. Krishna learns from children, and as mentioned, “live in the children’s midst and you’ll want nothing else in life”.