In the story, “How I Taught My Grandmother to Read,” Sudha Murty recounts the relentless attempts of an elderly woman named Krishtakka to become literate.
Born on August 19, 1950, in Shiggaon, Karnataka, India. Sudha Kulkarni Murthy is a prominent Kannada and English writer. Over three lakh copies of her novels have been sold throughout India and have been translated into all the major Indian languages.
How I Taught My Grandmother to Read | Summary
A girl around the age of twelve is the narrator. She and her grandmother reside in an area in northern Karnataka. In the Kannada language, Triveni is a highly well-known author. She writes beautifully, using clear, approachable language. Her tales explored the complicated issues that surrounded ordinary people. Kashi Yatra, one of her novels, is published as a serial in the Kannada magazine Karmaveera, which is sent out every Wednesday. It was the tale of an elderly woman who yearned to visit Kashi. There was a small orphan girl in the story “Kashi Yatra” as well. She was unable to get married since she lacked the necessary money. The elderly woman ultimately donates all of her savings to the orphan girl which were meant for her to visit Kashi. In the hope that helping an orphan girl is far more important and virtuous than visiting Kashi.
Grandmother never attended school. She was therefore unable to read or write. Hence she would request her 12-year-old granddaughter to read the upcoming Kashi Yatra episode aloud to her. She would pay close attention while She would lose all memory of her work throughout that period. Later, she learned the entire text by heart. The grandmother didn’t visit Kashi either. She related to the novel’s lead character on a personal level. She later met with her companions in the temple courtyard and discussed the novel with her friends. While the narrator traveled to a nearby village with her cousins for a wedding. She went there for a few days but ended up staying for a week. When she came back, she was shocked to discover her Grandmother crying. Even in the most trying situations, she had never seen her cry. Grandmother continues to explain to her granddaughter, also the narrator of the story, how her mother died when she was very young. Nobody was there to take care of her and educate her. Her father got remarried. Nobody cared about educating girls back then. She therefore never attended school. She had kids after a fairly young marriage. She eventually had grandkids. She enjoyed feeding and cooking for all of her grandchildren, but she occasionally regretted not getting an education for herself. She therefore ensured that her kids and grandchildren went to school but among all of that, she forgot about herself.
Karmaveera arrived as usual while the narrator was gone. She took the magazine out. Everything that was written there was incomprehensible to her. She experienced extreme dependence and helplessness for the first time. She then made the decision to start learning the Kannada alphabet the next day. She chose to put in a lot of effort. She set a deadline for the Saraswati Pooja day during Dassara. She desired independence. The narrator at first laughed at her but seeing her determination started teaching her. The narrator began her tutoring the following day. Grandma excelled in learning. Her homework was outstanding. She would recite, write, read, and repeat. As usual, the Dassara celebration arrived. By then, Kashi Yatra, a novel, had been released. The novel was purchased by the narrator discreetly. On the day of the pooja, Grandmother forced her granddaughter to sit down on a stool after calling her to the puja site. She handed her material for a frock and then she did something unusual. She knelt down and touched her granddaughter’s feet. The narrator was startled by this. Grandmother explains how she was not touching her granddaughter’s feet but those of a teacher and her Guru. She was so well taught by her that she could read any novel with confidence. She then opened the book and saw the author’s name: Triveni, Kashi Yatra. Grandmother had passed with flying colors.
How I Taught My Grandmother to Read | Analysis
This story demonstrates the humility needed to learn at any age from anyone, as well as the willingness to learn. It shows that learning is a lifelong process and that it cannot be divided into different age groups. It is not necessary for someone to stop studying if they did not receive their education from the ground up throughout the early stages of their lives. With effort, anyone can learn anything, anyplace. Grandmother raised her family her entire life, but she was never given the chance to study. She asked the author to go with her inside the temple on the day of her graduation. The Grandmother knelt down to touch her feet. She did this as a means to honor her teacher, who also happened to be her granddaughter. This represents the value of culture and the idea that respect should be shown to everyone. Despite her surprise, the author accepted the gift because she understood that learning transcended age, gender, and cultural background. The story’s main lessons center on the commitment to learning. It requires effort, but it also requires determination, humility, and hard work. She wouldn’t have been able to learn if the grandmother had felt that her granddaughter was too young or inexperienced to teach her.
The grandmother serves as a metaphor for learning, aspiration for success, the value of reading and education, and the necessity of education for total dependence in the world we live in. It is evident from this that author Sudha Murty placed a strong emphasis on the value of literacy, education, and dependence throughout the entire story. She wrote in a very direct and realistic style to make her story understandable to a wider variety of people. The use of descriptive language to paint a mental image for the reader, as in the sentence “And she saw the letters dance.” When the grandmother could read once again, the narrator compared her to a child to illustrate how pure the grandmother’s joy is.
“And the book was like a doorway to a new world.” It’s like now having learned the grandmother saw the world with an entirely new light. The idea that learning may happen at any age was one of the primary themes. It is demonstrated by the grandmother’s character, who chooses to learn at the age of 62. There is a strong message here for all readers. When one is committed to learning, there is no place for disappointment.
The grandmother, who was 62 years old, is depicted in the story touching her granddaughter’s feet because she is her mentor and teacher. There shouldn’t be any ego or pride involved when one needs to learn and grow.
How I Taught My Grandmother to Read | Title Significance
The title of the story, “How I Taught My Grandmother to Read” is situational and allusive. Additionally, the title implies that this is an autobiographical note. The granddaughter wrote the story in the first person. She was really proud of herself for helping her grandmother learn to read. The title piques readers’ interest and makes them want to read the entire story, making it an appropriate title.