📖 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 deliberately maintains an appearance that makes him look knowledgeable and mysterious. His saffron turban and the unusual impression created by his eyes help people regard him as someone with special powers. His attractive presentation catches the attention of passers-by. After attracting customers, he listens to their difficulties and uses his practical understanding of people to give them answers concerning issues such as marriage, money, and other personal matters.
b. How do you characterize the astrologer’s attitude toward the stranger?
Ans: The astrologer initially regards the stranger as an ordinary customer who has come to seek his service. He approaches the man mainly as a potential source of business until the encounter develops into something much more serious.
c. What details does the astrologer give the stranger about his past?
Ans: He tells the stranger that someone attacked him with a knife and later threw him into a well, leaving him there to die. However, some people happened to pass by the place, found him, and rescued him, allowing him to survive the attack.
d. Why does he advise the stranger to go home immediately?
Ans: The astrologer asks the stranger to return home immediately because he wants him to stay away from further danger. He warns him against continuing his search, as doing so could expose him to another dangerous situation.
e. What is your reaction to the conversation between the astrologer and his wife?
Ans: The conversation between the astrologer and his wife makes the conclusion of the story more meaningful and surprising. He tells her that he had once believed he had killed a man during his younger days. When he discovers that the man is still alive, he experiences a great sense of relief. The encounter with the stranger therefore resolves a fear that the astrologer had carried for years.
📚 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: The story builds suspense by keeping important parts of the astrologer’s history hidden until the end. The reader discovers that astrology was not his original profession and that it was not inherited from his family. He had left his village unexpectedly and started a new life elsewhere. This creates questions about the circumstances behind his departure.
The arrival of the stranger increases the tension. When the astrologer sees the stranger’s face in the light produced by a matchstick, he suddenly becomes unwilling to continue the encounter in the usual manner. His unexpected reaction makes the reader suspect that he has recognized something important.
The final revelation produces the strongest surprise. The stranger is revealed to be the man whom the astrologer had attacked in his youth. The astrologer had believed that he had killed him, but the man had actually survived after being thrown into a well.
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 principal conflict begins when the stranger approaches the astrologer and demands precise answers. Unlike the other customers, he challenges the astrologer and expects convincing information. The encounter becomes dangerous when the astrologer realizes that the stranger is Guru Nayak, the man connected with the violent incident from his past.
The astrologer avoids exposing himself by using information about Guru Nayak’s past. He convinces him that the person he has been looking for should no longer be pursued and advises him to return home. As a result, the immediate threat disappears and the astrologer can continue his life without fear of being discovered.
The conflict reveals the astrologer’s cleverness, courage, presence of mind, and ability to handle a dangerous situation. Guru Nayak’s determination to find his former enemy also shows his strong desire for revenge.
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 shown as a clever and practical man who manages to earn a living through his intelligence rather than genuine supernatural powers. He understands human behavior and knows how to create an appearance that attracts people. His professional image helps him survive in a crowded urban environment and earn enough money to support his family.
His courage is especially noticeable during the meeting with Guru Nayak. Even though he realizes that the stranger could threaten his life, he remains calm and continues negotiating for payment. He values every anna because his earnings are taken home to provide food for his family. His actions therefore also establish him as a responsible husband and father.
The story is narrated through a third-person omniscient point of view. The extensive dialogue allows the characters to reveal their personalities and viewpoints while the narrator continues to guide the story. The setting is the Town Hall Park during 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 meeting is ironic because Guru Nayak visits the astrologer to obtain information about the man who once attacked him, without realizing that the astrologer himself is that man. The person he wants to find is therefore already sitting directly before him.
The irony becomes stronger when Guru Nayak has to bargain with the astrologer and pay him for information. The astrologer recognizes his identity and uses the details of their past encounter to control the conversation. Guru Nayak unknowingly receives advice from the very person he has been searching for.
f. How does the astrologer’s manner of dress suit his character?
Ans: The astrologer’s dress supports the professional image he has created. His saffron turban gives him a traditional and distinctive appearance, making him noticeable among the crowd. This appearance encourages people to associate him with wisdom and spiritual knowledge.
His customers also believe that his eyes possess a prophetic quality. Together, his clothing, appearance, and manner make him appear like a genuine astrologer, allowing him to attract people who want advice about marriage, money, and other personal concerns.
🌍 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 seem strongly attracted to fortune-telling and are impressed by the astrologer’s carefully created appearance. His saffron turban and mysterious-looking eyes make him appear wise and trustworthy. Their willingness to listen to him indicates that they are fascinated by astrology and readily accept the image he presents.
b. Why do most people want to know their future? Do you think astrologers can really help them know their future?
Ans: People usually want to know their future because they are uncertain and curious about what may happen in their lives. They may wish to learn about future happiness, difficulties, safety, or other important events. Such predictions can give people a sense of reassurance 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 followed in different areas of life and has particularly strong importance in Eastern cultures. Many people rely on astrology when they are searching for guidance or solutions to their difficulties. They believe that astrological predictions can provide useful answers to their problems. The fact that some predictions are believed to have proved correct in different cases also strengthens people’s faith in astrology.