Leela's Friend R.K.Narayan Summary Explanation Questions Answers|Leela's Friend Story Summary

Leela's Friend By R. K. Narayan Summary, Explanation Questions Answers

By R. K. Narayan

Leela's Friend is a short story written by R.K.Narayan. It reflects the beautiful friendship of Sidda and Leela. On the other side, the real face of the society is portrayed through the characters of Mr and Mrs Sivsanker. 

This article will provide you detailed summary, analysis and Questions Answers from  Leela's Friend.

Also Read: Poem The Sick Rose William Blake Summary Explanation Questions Answers

 Leela's Friend Suggestions 2023

Letter to Editor Format Sample Tips 

Works of R.K. Narayan

First Important Novel:'Swami and Friends' (1935) 

Other Important Novels:'The Bachelor of Arts'(1917),'The Dark Room'(1938),'The
English Teacher'(1945),'Mr Sampath'(19488),'The Financial Expert' (1952),'Wating for the Mahatma's (1955), 'The Guide' (1958) etc.
Short story collections:Malgudi Days'(1942), 'Dodu and other stories' (1944),'A Horse and two Goats ' (1970)
Mythical Work: 'The Mahabharata' (1978)

Read : Leela's Friend Suggestions 2023

Introduction to the Story Leela's Friend 

'Leela's  Friend' is set probably in the town of Malgudi, located in Southern India. The story is about a girl named Leela who loves with her parents. They are very well to do and therefore at the top of hierarchical system of the society. Leela has an influence over her Parents and Sidda is Appointed in the house because she likes him . Leela likes having him around and Sidda gradually makes her happy with his tricks, stories and company. 

One day Mr Sivsanker noticed that the gold chain Leela has been wearing is missing. Receiving no satisfactory reply from Leela, she harshly asks Sidda about it, but Sidda replies that he does not know anything of it. He vanisesh after this incident . Mr Sivsanker reports the incident to the police and finds that Sidda is a known Criminal. Leela still believes in Sidda's innocence. But here views are not considered. Sidda is later found but he denies the charge of stealing. However, he is out into prison. Some days later, Leela's chain is found in a tamarind pot. Mr Sivsanker, on realising that Sidda has not stolen the chain, thinks of informing the Police abou it, but he refuses to give Sidda his job back as he still thinks Sidda is a Criminal. 

The author is here the narrator and the story has an easy, limpid flow. The plot is simple and the action moves swiftly towards its ends.  

Also Read :

Poem Daybreak Summary Explanation Questions Answers H. W. Longfellow 

Poem Dust Of Snow Summary Explanation Questions Answers 

Summary of the story Leela's Friend

A) Mr Sivsanker search for a servant and Sidda's attachment with Leela:

Mr Shivsanker was desperately in search of a servant when Sidda came in front of his house.Mr Sivsanker scrutinised him,questioned him an expressed a favourable option about him . At Leela's request, he was appointed as a servant and was entrusted with the duty of looking after Leela, their five year old daughter. He became Leela's playmate. His company made Leela happy. He played with Leela and also showed their little tricks. 

B) Leela's Growing Friendship And Sidda Suspected of  Theft

Leela was overjoyed at the lovely little tricks Sidda showed her. She played the role of a teacher to Sidda, but Sidda was not interested in learning . After dinner, She grew a habit of telling her stories. Sidda was a storehouse of many intersection stories. Gradually their mutual bond grew stronger. One evening Leela's mother noticed that the gold chain that Leela has been wearing was missing. Sidda was suspected of the theft. He vanished from the house, and the incident was reported to the police. Mr Sivsanker was informed by the policeman that Sidda was an Old criminal and had been sent to jail half a dozen times for stealing jewellery from children. 

C) Sidda under Interrogation, the missing chain being found, and unemployment of Sidda:

After four days, Sidda was brought to the house of Sivsanker by a Police inspector. Leela's parents  accused him of treachery. Sidda was taken back to the police station. Even after every possible Interrogation he did not confess his guilt. Mr Sivsanker and his wife wondered at the stubbornness of Sidda. Then after a few days, Leela's chain was found from the tamarind pot in the kitchen. Although Leela was not found guilty,he was not given employment again. He had already been branded as a criminal. 

Also Read: 

Meeting at Night Summary Explanation Questions Answers Robert Browning
 
Composed Upon Westminster Bridge Summary Explanation Questions Answers William Wordsworth 

An Overview of the Characters in Leela's Friend:

Leela: Leela is the only child of Mr and Mrs Sivsanker. Her parents tend to easily succumb to her whims and wishes. Whenever she wants something, she gets it. She is a stubborn girl.

Sidda: Sidda is a poor man. Sidda appears to be intelligent. But he is a criminal and he is well known to the police as has been said in the text. Although he seems to be very entertaining he is uneducated. 
Mr Sivsanker: Mr Sivsanker is a rich man. He thinks that he should not employ Sidda again as the servant of his house. He is a prejudiced person who nurture petty mentality about his servant. 
Mrs Sivsanker: Mrs Sivsanker is an ordinary woman though she is the wife of a rich man. She is a flat character with common feeling that a housewife generally keeps. She is the representation of a typical Indian lady who is much concerned about the safety, security and happiness of the members of the family. 

Question and Answers from Leela's Friend

1. Briefly summarize the conversation between Mr Sivsanker and sidda before the employment if sidda in the house.

Or, What impression did the Sivsanker family have of sidda after their first meeting with him?

Or, Briefly  narrate the first meeting of sidda with the Sivsanker family.

Answer:  Mr Sivsanker scrutinised sidda and found him quite tidy. He asked Sidda where he had worked before. Sidda informed that he had previously worked in a doctor's house. Mr Sivsanker further wanted to know the name of the doctor, but Sidda said that he did not know the name. Not being convinced by the answer , he asked why Sidda ha been dismissed from his job before . Sidda has the answer ready that his master had left the town.
Inspite of the conversation with the main members of the family, Mr & Mrs Sivsanker, Sidda has a special place in the mind of Leela. Leela requested her father to keep Sidda in the house. 

2. How does Sidda's company make Leela supremely happy?
Or,
Write a note on the moon episode in Leela's Friend.

Answer: Leela and Sidda gradually established a unique relationship between themselves. Sidda seems to know the tricks of a magician. He can make ths ball touch the moon. He even appears to make the ball touch the moon. He even appears to make the moon move. He tells Leela wonderful stories. He gives Leela his pleasant company wherever she asks for it. All these make Leela supremely happy.

3. Describe the teaching episode between Leela and Sidda.
Or,
Briefly Discuss Leela's role as a teacher to Sidda.

Answer: 
Leela just had started learning the alphabet and drawing pictures of a few animals and birds and had mastered two or three letters. Sidda was an entertaining person. He had entertained Leela but he was illiterate. She thought she would do him a good turn by teaching him. Above all it was the only occassion when the youngest member of the family could take the place of an older person. Hence she took to teaching Sidda and it gave her great joy.

Sidda was in a very difficult condition. He could neither draw a perfect crow nor give his letter a proper shape. His wrist would get stiff and inflexible. Sometimes he got very puzzled and he used to send his Taskmaster Leela to her mother on the pleas of being called for dinner. 

4. Briefly Discuss the missing chain episode and its result.

Leela's mother noticed that the chain that Leela was wearing was missing. She slapped Leela. Sidda was suspected for stealing the chain. Sidda was summoned and scolded by Mrs Sivsanker. She mentioned the police and shouted at him. When she went back to the kitchen Sidda vanished into the night. May be that Sidda anticipated some serious action against him. 

Leela's father came back. He was informed about the incident. He grew excited over all these, went to the police station and lodged a complaint. Four days later, a police inspector and a constable brought in sidda. Sidda denied the charge against him. Leela supported him. The police did not care to listen to them . The chain was discovered, a few days later, from a tamarind pot; but Sidda was not given back his job. 

5. "You are not a reliable prosecution witness"-- Comment on the significance of the statement in the context of the story. 

When the gold chain of Leela went missing Sidda left Mr Sivsanker's house. When he was arrested and taken to Mr Sivsanker's house the policeman asked him to return the chain. Sidda denied saying that he didn't take the chain. But Leela's mother asked him why he had run away secretly. The policeman confirmed that Sidda was a thief. Leela's also confirmed that Sidda must not be guilty. She wanted the policeman to leave her friend. The inspector added some humour to his comment saying that Leela's must not be taken as a reliable witness. The careless statment added further to the injustice done to Sidda. 

6. Discuss in details the relationship between Leela and Sidda .

Leela plays an active and decisive role in engaging Sidda as a domestic servant in their family. Leela is a pampered girl, yet she is charming and lovable. Her charming nature attracts Sidda and he takes pleasure in satisfying her childlike demands. Leela keeps Sidda engaged in attending her whims. She is sensitive to realise Sidda's position in the family and sympathise with him. To Leela, Sidda's company was more important than the gold chain. The chain was of little significance. She was more concerned about her friendship with Sidda. She does not hesitate to consider Sidda to be a thief and defies her parents and the police inspector in this regard. Sidda was a social outcast and in the story he became a victim of class consciousness. Inspite of all these Social hierarchies Leela's friendship with Sidda remains evergreen. 

7. Justify the title of 'Leela's Friend'.

Answer: In the story 'Leela's Friend' Sidda is a playmate for Leela while he is a servant of the family. The entire play revolves around him. Sidda is engaged on the request of Leela. Sidda is a very good worker and he performs multitasks. Sidda's role with the growth of the story grows as he becomes a playmate of Leela. They find simple but supreme joy when they play together. Sidda tells incomparable stories to Leela after dinner. Sidda becomes Leela's Friend. The plot grows until the tension is created with the missing of the gold chain. With the missing of the gold chain Sidda's character changes. The family calls police and Sidda is arrested. Leela points out some injustices done to Sidda. Leela protests when she finds that Sidda is not given the same platform as they have. Leela does not hesitate to support Sidda's innocence when he was interrogated by the police. So, Sidda is not a mere servant in the family. Instead of simply being represented as a deprived servant, Sidda remains Leela's friend till the end of the story. Their friendship is not frozen in the world of suspect and class hierarchy. So, the title is appropriate.

Thank You. If you like the post Share it.