Malgudi Days Study Guide

These 32 stories are all distinct, but certain themes recur frequently, and they all occur in and around the mythical town of Malgudi, in South India. Malgudi is a diversified town with everything from a film studio to cafes and temples. Shopkeepers struggle to earn a living, while well-to-do young men hang around talking and dreaming about their future. Avoiding danger by being clever and quick is a theme of "An Astrologer's Day." The astrologer sets up wearing bright colors in the Town Hall Park. An unidentified man comes by late, when it is near dark and the astrologer is ready to leave. The astrologer accurately says that the man was left to die after a fight. Then, the man says he was saved and taken out of a well that he was thrown into. The astrologer becomes very confident, a... (read more)