📖 Understanding the Text
=> Answer: the following questions.**
a. How does the astrologer’s appearance help him attract customers? How does he help the customers satisfy their needs?
Ans: The astrologer makes deliberate use of his physical appearance to establish himself as a believable fortune-teller. His saffron turban and the striking quality of his eyes create an impression of wisdom and supernatural insight. This carefully constructed appearance makes him noticeable and encourages people to approach him. He responds to their concerns by examining their problems and giving them predictions about subjects such as marriage, money, and other difficulties in their lives.
b. How do you characterize the astrologer’s attitude toward the stranger?
Ans: At first, the astrologer regards the stranger as a potential client. He expects the man to consult him and possibly provide him with some income. However, after recognizing the stranger, he becomes cautious because he realizes that the encounter is connected with his own past.
c. What details does the astrologer give the stranger about his past?
Ans: The astrologer tells the stranger that he had once been attacked with a knife and thrown into a well so that he would die. He further tells him that some people happened to pass by, discovered him in the well, and saved his life.
d. Why does he advise the stranger to go home immediately?
Ans: The astrologer tells the stranger to return home at once because he wants him to stop searching for his enemy. Continuing the search could expose him to danger again, whereas going home would allow him to remain safe.
e. What is your reaction to the conversation between the astrologer and his wife?
Ans: The conversation gives the story an interesting and unexpected conclusion. The astrologer tells his wife that he had always believed that he had killed a man during his younger days. When he discovers that the man actually survived, he becomes relieved. The conversation reveals that an old fear from his past has finally been settled, making the ending both surprising and significant.
📚 Reference to the Context
a. Suspense is the feeling of anticipation you may have as you read. In this story, what details contributed to your feelings of suspense and surprise? Explain.
Ans: Suspense is developed through the gradual disclosure of the astrologer’s personal history. The reader learns that he had not originally intended to become an astrologer. His family was not traditionally involved in astrology, and he had left his village unexpectedly without a definite plan. These unusual circumstances make the reader wonder about his earlier life and the reason behind his sudden departure.
The meeting with the stranger increases this uncertainty. When a flash from the matchstick allows the astrologer to see the stranger’s face, his reaction changes immediately. He becomes reluctant to continue the consultation, suggesting that the stranger is somehow connected with him.
The mystery is finally solved when the astrologer realizes that the stranger is the same person whom he had stabbed and thrown into a well when he was young. He had assumed that the victim had died, but the man had survived. This hidden connection between the two characters provides the story with its strongest element of surprise.
b. Analyze the conflicts in “An Astrologer’s Day.” Explain how the conflicts are resolved and what they reveal about the characters involved in the story.
Ans: The conflict begins when the stranger arrives while the astrologer is about to finish his work for the day. The stranger refuses to behave like an ordinary customer and challenges the astrologer to give him definite and convincing answers. The encounter becomes dangerous when the astrologer recognizes Guru Nayak and realizes that his visitor is the man from the violent incident in his youth.
The astrologer avoids danger by carefully controlling the conversation. He uses the information he remembers about Guru Nayak’s past to convince him that searching for his enemy is useless and dangerous. He then advises him to return home. Through this approach, he succeeds in protecting himself without revealing that he was the person who attacked him.
The resolution reveals the astrologer’s intelligence, courage, cleverness, and presence of mind. It also shows Guru Nayak’s determination to find the person responsible for his suffering and his strong desire to settle the matter.
c. “All right. I will speak. But will you give me a rupee if what I say is convincing? Otherwise I will not open my mouth, and you may do what you like.”
i. Who is the speaker?
Ans: The astrologer is the speaker.
ii. Who is he speaking to?
Ans: He is speaking to Guru Nayak.
iii. What does the expression ‘open my mouth’ mean?
Ans: The expression "open your mouth" means conveying convincing information about the stranger.
d. Description helps readers visualize what is happening in a story. What details and techniques does the author use to describe the astrologer?
Ans: The astrologer is presented as a clever, practical, and adaptable person. He has no real mystical powers, but he understands how people think and knows how to create an appearance that makes them believe in his abilities. By relying on observation and intelligence, he manages to establish a livelihood in a crowded urban environment.
His resourcefulness becomes especially evident during his encounter with Guru Nayak. Even after realizing that his visitor may be dangerous, he does not lose his composure. Instead, he remains concerned about receiving payment for his work. He takes his earnings home to his wife so that they can be used to provide food for the family, showing that he is responsible toward his household.
The story is narrated in the third-person omniscient mode. The author makes extensive use of dialogue to present the characters’ personalities and viewpoints while retaining the narrator’s authority over the events. The setting is the Town Hall Park, and the encounter takes place in the late evening.
e. Irony is a contrast between appearances and reality. What is ironic about Guru Nayak’s meeting with the astrologer?
Ans: The irony lies in Guru Nayak’s failure to recognize the person sitting before him. He comes to the astrologer because he wants to find the man who attacked him, but the astrologer is actually that very man. Thus, Guru Nayak unknowingly meets the person he has been searching for.
Another ironic aspect is that Guru Nayak has to bargain with and pay his former attacker for information about his own past. The astrologer recognizes him and uses the knowledge of the old incident to persuade him to abandon his search. As a result, Guru Nayak receives advice from the very person he considers his enemy.
f. How does the astrologer’s manner of dress suit his character?
Ans: The astrologer’s dress is an essential part of the identity he presents to the public. His saffron turban gives him a distinctive appearance and helps create the impression of a traditional and knowledgeable fortune-teller. It makes him stand out among the people moving through the street.
His customers also believe that his eyes have a prophetic quality. Consequently, his appearance strengthens their belief that he possesses special knowledge. This helps him attract customers who come to him with concerns about marriage, money, and other personal matters.
🌍 Reference Beyond the Text
a. The astrologer attracts many customers in the street who are pleased and astonished by what he tells them. What does this tell you about the people of the town walking in the street?
Ans: The townspeople appear to be highly curious about astrology and fortune-telling. They are easily impressed by the astrologer’s appearance and the confidence with which he speaks. His saffron turban and the mysterious quality associated with his eyes make him seem knowledgeable to them. Their reactions show that they are willing to trust his predictions and seek his guidance.
b. Why do most people want to know their future? Do you think astrologers can really help them know their future?
Ans: People are interested in knowing the future because they cannot be certain about what will happen in their lives. They may want to find out whether they will experience happiness, difficulties, safety, or other important circumstances. Their curiosity about unknown events encourages them to seek predictions about what lies ahead.
Yes, real astrologers with real astrological knowledge can help you see your future.
c. Is astrology a good practice of fortune telling or is it just a blind faith? Give reasons.
Ans: Yes, astrology is a good practice of fortune telling. It is practised in different areas of life and has considerable importance in Eastern cultures. Many people have faith in astrology and consult astrologers when they need guidance or believe they need solutions to their problems. They consider astrological predictions useful in dealing with different situations. Astrological prophecies are also believed to have proved correct in many cases, which contributes to people’s continued belief in astrology.