Comprehension

A. State whether these sentences are True or False.

Q1. Rama liked serving women.
Answer: This statement is False. Rama disliked serving women, as their loud voices got on his nerves.

Q2. Rama lived in a lane behind the market.
Answer: This statement is True. The text states that he lived in the second lane behind the market.

Q3. Soda bottles were used as missiles during the riot.
Answer: This statement is True. The crowd used soda-water bottles as missiles during the fight.

Q4. Rama came in time to catch the cinema crowd coming out after the night show.
Answer: This statement is True. He always arrived punctually to catch the cinema crowd coming out of the evening show.

B. Answer these questions in one or two words.

Q1. What did Rama give free with every item?
Answer: Rama gave chutney for free with almost every item.

Q2. Whose arm searched for the perfect duck’s egg?
Answer: The wrestler’s arm searched for the perfect duck’s egg.

Q3. Where did Rama sleep?
Answer: Rama slept on the pyol, a raised platform just outside his home’s main door.

Q4. How much did four chappatis cost?
Answer: Four chappatis cost an anna.

Q5. Where did Rama work as a waiter?
Answer: Rama worked as a waiter at a restaurant named Restaurant Kohinoor.

C. Answer these questions in a sentence or two.

Q1. At what time did Rama wake up every day?
Answer: Rama woke up every day when the cock in the next house crowed, which was sometimes as early as three in the morning.

Q2. What did Rama sell?
Answer: Rama sold an assortment of snacks, including bondas, dosais, chappatis, hard-boiled duck’s eggs, and coffee.

Q3. Who were Rama’s customers?
Answer: Rama’s customers were the people who swarmed the pavement, such as boot-polish boys, jutka-drivers, a blind beggar, and grass-selling women.

Q4. Why did the riot break out?
Answer: The riot broke out over a political fight between two factions regarding votes, which quickly escalated into a chaotic free-for-all.

D. Answer these questions briefly.

Q1. Why did Rama’s customers like him?
Answer: Rama’s customers liked him for the cheap prices of his food and the freedom he gave them to inspect the items before buying.

Q2. Briefly describe Rama’s attitude towards the boot-polish boys.
Answer: Rama had a soft corner in his heart for the boot-polish boys, feeling a sense of empathy for them and their hard lives. He wished that people wouldn’t haggle with them over money so that the boys could afford more food.

Q3. Why did Rama have to move his stall two hundred yards away?
Answer: Rama had to move his stall because the corner where he usually sat was claimed by a group of young men who wanted to build a monument for a leader who was killed there during the riot.

Q4. What did Rama’s wife do upon his arrival at night?
Answer: When Rama arrived home at night, his wife would immediately take all the items he was carrying, reach under his shirt to pull out his cloth bag, and count the cash.

E. Answer these questions in detail.

Q1. Describe, in detail, how Rama’s business was finished.
Answer: Rama’s business was finished by a political riot that erupted at the very corner where he had his stall. The spot was later claimed as a “holy spot” by a group of young men who wanted to build a memorial for their leader who had died there. Forced to move his stall two hundred yards down the road, Rama went out of the “range of vision” of his regular customers, such as the cinema-goers and the jutka-drivers. With dwindling patrons, his earnings declined, and he had to start consuming his own leftover food or reheating it to sell the next day. Eventually, with just two annas left in his bag, he declared his business was “finished” and retired from his trade.

Q2. Do you think that Narayan has depicted many aspects of typical Indian way of life? Write a persuasive answer.
Answer: Yes, R.K. Narayan has expertly depicted many aspects of a typical Indian way of life in “The Martyr’s Corner”. The story paints a vivid and empathetic picture of a small town in post-independent India, where a street vendor like Rama can thrive by catering to a diverse clientele. It captures the daily struggles and aspirations of working-class people, from the boot-polish boys to the jutka-drivers, who form a close-knit community of customers. The story also touches on the societal issues of the time, such as political unrest and riots that can suddenly disrupt the routine lives of common people. Moreover, it illustrates the simple, contented life of a family like Rama’s, whose financial security is tied to their daily earnings and small, personal savings.