A Commentary on ‘An Astrologer’s Day’ Essay
The writer’s description in the astrologer leaves us in no doubt that he is a charlatan – his tools, costume and look all include a planned, theatrical quality designed to communicate the impression of a mystic power which in turn he does not possess. Notice the author’s wryly ironic review that the abnormal gleam in his eye can be “really a great outcome of any continual looking for customers” and his dry observation that “even a fifty percent wit’s eye would sparkle” between this kind of a painted forehead and dark whiskers. The strategic artifice of the astrologer is usually further underlined by the author’s use of phrases such as “To crown the effect” and “This color scheme”.
The illusion is enhanced by fact that the astrologer performs in the moon like glow of your smoky sparkle which adds for the “enchantment” with the place. The astrologer’s customers are depicted as gullible creatures whom are irresistibly attracted to him like bees. But although the author shows the astrologer as a fraudulence, his faithful customers are not shown inside the light of hapless patients. The article writer does not condemn or deride the astrologer as a parasite but perceives him being a businessman whom gives his customers good value: he stated things which usually pleased and astonished everybody: that was more a matter of analyze, practice and shrewd complexities.
All the same, it absolutely was as much a respectable man’s labor as any different, and this individual deserved the wages he carried house at the end of the day. We could told which the astrologer have not chosen his profession by simply design. Intriguingly, the author informs us that he was when a simple farmer who “had to go away without telling anyone”.
Although the fact that he previously to leave hurriedly and travel far suggests that a thing dire happened, the actual basis for his airline flight is not given, as a result arousing each of our curiosity and conferring after the exiled stranger a feeling of mystery, even more real than he could possibly create to get himself in the bogus part of astrologer. Whilst he has no magical powers, the astrologer can be described as shrewd psychiatrist. He diagnoses his customers’ problems by listening to all their troubles and supplies these solace and reassurance. Detect how he’s careful to either fault his clients’ woes upon other people, or perhaps attribute their troubles to elements past their control. In this way, they all depart as satisfied consumers.
Our expectation is turned on by the suitably dramatic access of the astrologer’s antagonist. For reasons which in turn become evident later, the author has skillfully contrived the scene so that the man is definitely initially at most a dark shape who also blots out the solitary base of light which usually remains following your nut vendor’s departure. Each of our initial impression of the new person is unsympathetic – this individual grumbles and truculently problems the astrologer to prove his worth in the form of a bet.
It is just after the wager has been arranged that the astrologer glimpses the man’s deal with whilst the latter is lighting a charoot. The sight of the man’s face appears to shock the astrologer however we are intentionally given no explanation why. The astrologer is so dismayed that he tries to retract the wager and hurriedly keep but the gentleman is callously insistent and becomes frightening. Surprisingly, the astrologer confirms to speak yet only if the wager can be increased to 1 rupee. Both reader and the man are surprised to know the astrologer’s seemingly amazing divinations as he accurately details the man’s grisly past.
The man is usually dismayed to find out that his thirst for revenge can not be quenched seeing that his foe is already deceased. He is further more stunned to learn that the astrologer knows his name and allows his avertissement to return residence and never travel southward once again. The astrologer leaves the person with one particular consolation: this individual tells him that his enemy received his just deserts by perishing a deservedly painful death.
Our interest is finally satisfied towards the end of the tale when the astrologer goes residence and uncovers to his wife which the man in question was in truth the reason why this individual fled his village. Unbeknown to the gentleman, he had as luck would have it been talking to the very person he had recently been relentlessly searching for all these years! For the astrologer, conference his old enemy has been doubly satisfying: firstly, the information that he can not a killer has elevated a great burden of guilt from his brain; secondly, he has guaranteed his future safety by tricking his antagonist in believing that he is lifeless.
The story fittingly ends with the astrologer sleeping contentedly, having finally placed to rest the ghost of his guilt and effectively warded off of the menacing specter of vengeance. The author’s technique through this story is more subtle than it first appears. Though we are just like surprised while the client once we first listen to the astrologer’s uncannily exact comments, each of our surprise is of a different characteristics since we know what Master Nayak does not – which the astrologer can be described as definite scam. Hence, there may be an ironic distancing between the reader and the astrologer’s antagonist which is further stretched by fact that he’s portrayed as an unsympathetic character.
Although the at first skeptical Guru Nayak becomes increasingly certain of the astrologer’s mystic power, the reader turns into increasingly suspect, especially when the astrologer effectively gives his client’s identity. Unlike Master Nayak, someone has not become increasingly mystified and overawed by the astrologer’s knowledge, but gradually realises that a interconnection must can be found between Expert Nayak’s account and the key of the astrologer’s past. Therefore, whilst the ending satisfies our interest, it does not come as a total amaze.
We likewise share the astrologer’s final sense of relief, to some extent because we find Guru Nayak unpleasant yet mainly because we admire the way in which he skilfully and effectively handles this kind of a crisis of circumstance and manages to extricate him self from an incredibly dangerous circumstance. Rising towards the occasion, he uses his “professional” acting skills and sharp wits to turn the tables in the overawed villain and convert a perilous predicament in to godsend. Finally, the author’s effective use of irony will probably be worth commenting.
Near the beginning of the tale, he produces that the astrologer “… understood no more of what was likely to happen to other folks than this individual knew what was going to affect himself subsequent minute”. Provided what is going to occur, these kinds of words turn into prophetically sarcastic. Note likewise the wry irony with the astrologer’s last complaint to his wife (“The swine has conned me! “) when he himself had perpetrated the greater lies and skillfully cheated Expert Nayak of his revenge.
Lastly, the matter-of-fact title is a work of genius of satrical understatement. “An Astrologer’s Day” implies that the storyplot will explain an average or perhaps “typical” time in the astrologer’ life whereas the event related is the two extraordinary and fateful.
