Old Man of the Temple

Old Man of the Temple

R.K. Narayan

Rising Action

Introduction

• The narrator and his driver, Doss are traveling through a village.
• They encounter an abandoned temple.
• Doss sees an old man stumble out of the temple and onto the road.
• Doss gets angry at the man for stumbling onto the road.
• The old man disappears and Doss starts to act strange.
• Doss passes out
• He wakes up and claims to be Krishna Battar.
• Krishna tells the narrator of his travels and the narrator comes to a shocking conclusion.

This story takes place in a small village in India. While the characters are traveling through the village of Koopal. The driver Doss encounters an old man stumbling out of a temple, that has long since been abandoned. Although the narrator could not see the old man, Doss seems to carry on a conversation with the him. After this conversation Doss started acting strange, complaining of being dizzy and lightheaded. Soon after he blacks out, he awakes a few minutes later and is a completely different person. Here we are introduced to the character Krishna Battar who has inhabited Doss's body. This character has no recognition of time or place and is stuck in the temple because he refuses to accept the fact that he died over 500 years ago.

Falling Action

• After their discovery the old man goes into shock.
• The narrator helps him remember how he died.
• After this he wants to move on but does not know how.
• The narrator helps him remember his wife.
• After much concentration he was able to picture his wife waiting for him on the other side.

Vocabulary Words

Personal Opinion of the Story

• Seldom- not often
• Sobriety- the state of being sober
• Awry- not straight
• Brambles- a prickly vine or shrub
• Bullocks- young bulls
• Tremble- shack involuntarily
• Gloomy- dark or poorly lit
• Ignorance- lack of knowledge
• Longevity- long life
• Imperative- crucial
• Erect- rigidly straight
• Venture- an action involving risk
• Chariot- a two-wheeled horse-drawn vehicle used in ancient warfare and racing
• Puzzling- causing one to be puzzled; perplexing
• Swerve- change or cause to change direction abruptly
• Vigorously- in a way that involves physical strength, effort, or energy; strenuously

For Samantha, Aaron, and Cecilia we all think that the story is very interesting and unique. However all of us were kinda puzzled about the story the first time we read it, but we started to discuss it together and we got a better understanding of it.

R. K. Narayan

Conclusion

The man thinks of his wife and leaves in peace. After his departure Doss wakes up and is oblivious to everything that has happened since he blacked out. The narrator and Doss continue on their trip, and no one has ever heard of the old man since.

R. K. Narayan's full name is Rasipuram Krishanswami Iyer Narayanswami. He was born in Chennai India on October 10, 1906. He is best known for his works set in the fictional South Indian town of Malgudi. He studied at the University of Mysore and he has one brother who is a famous cartoonist. He died in Chennai India on May 13, 2001. He was 5 years away from celebrating his 100th birthday.

Climax

The narrator and the talkative man

realize that the old man, who has

inhabited Doss, that was dead for

hundreds of years.