Teaching is one of the most selfless and noble jobs out there. By enlightening the minds of future generations, a teacher ensures that civilisation never meets its doom. Through teaching, a teacher ensures that a whole new generation is aware of what they should fight for and how they should go about it. Through teaching, the teacher ensures that the future minds of this world are aware of which path to take for a better tomorrow. Even though these teachers enlighten and inspire society so much, they are still humans who face the same ordeals as every mortal. But we don’t get to see this side a lot in popular culture. “The English Teacher” by R. K. Narayan explores the life of one such ordinary teacher beyond the realms of teaching and many other concepts of life as well.
The English Teacher: A Glimpse
Dedicated to his wife Rajam, “The English Teacher” by R. K. Narayan is autobiographical in nature given that it is based on Narayan’s marital life. Told through a fictional lens with the titular character being Krishna who is an English teacher, Narayan ensures that his life events don’t ruin or lift the fictional veil that he has built for his readers.
The book starts with a pretty normal setting. Krishna is an English teacher in a college. Although he loves the subject he is teaching, he is not entirely satisfied with the education system. The only thing that keeps him going even though he doesn’t like the job is his love towards his wife, Susila, and his wish to ensure that she gets only the best of everything. Although their love may appear ordinary to many, and in reality, in many ways, it is ordinary but it is the connection that they both share, the bond, that makes all the ordinary, extraordinary.
Grief-stricken at the loss of this connection with the untimely demise of Susila, Krishna tries hard to move on, and after a while he somewhat does. Focusing entirely on raising his daughter, he tries to move on, but now and then thoughts of Susila did creep in. It was only after he received a message from a peasant claiming that he can restore his lost connection with his wife, that he starts seeing a glimmer of hope.
The English Teacher: Love, Death & Education
Given that Krishna is very educated it seems rather absurd that he would fall for something like talking to the dead. But his decision to reconnect with his dearly departed wife just goes on to show how deeply connected he was to her. He was ready to try out anything and everything possible just so that he can feel her presence. This goes on to show the true power of love that will make even an educated and sane person question everything they know.
The book beautifully highlights the flaws of the education system by putting forth an alternate education system that shows the importance of freedom over rigid structures in helping our future generation grow. Elaborating on the concept of death, the book brings to light two opposite views, one is that of Krishna who is still not able to let go of his dead wife, and the headmaster who has put in place the alternate education system and has accepted his death sentence with grace. The beauty lies in the fact that the book does not glorify one view while putting another down, it just puts these two perspectives in plain view for the readers to decide which they wish to stick to.
Afterword
Being a comparatively short book, one would not expect it to touch so many different concepts. But it surprises you by not only exploring the concepts but also ensuring that multiple views surrounding the same concepts are put forth for the readers to decide. With a big spoon of spiritual awakening and love, combined with the passion for a teacher to follow his calling and teach to enlighten young minds and not because of money, this book will make for a perfect read when you wish to re-ignite your passion.
