The Gardener
P.Lankesh
Comprehension I
The native intelligence and eyes filled with strange memories impressed the narrator. The old man’s
voice and posture made the narrator think he was a multi-dimensional personality.
Yes, it is of significance that the old man who was once famous and rich, now travelled hundreds of
miles to earn his living.
C. there was nothing much left for the owner to do.
The owner with his new found wealth developed many bad habits and had become lazy as the old
man’s hard work left him jobless. He started wasting his time in bad company and cultivated other
vices such as adultery. So, his wife was worried.
The old man decided to narrate the story after seeing the owner’s wife who was disturbed and
apprehensive about her husband’s vices and his adultery.
C. rivalry offers new possibilities of life for him.
C. he was fictionalising his past.
The normal way of punishing Basavaiah was to fake Tammanna’s death because this was the only
way to end the rivalry between the two. Now, Basavaiah having no reason to take revenge against
Tammanna was normally defeated. Tammanna conceived this unique strategy.
Tammanna’s fame made Basavaiah insecure. He could not compose songs like the way Tammanna
did. So, he built big house and adorned the house with materialistic things. He kept inviting scholars
and musicians to his house in an effort to beat Tammanna’s fame.
Tammanna fell ill. Basavaiah found this the best means to surpass Tammanna. He thought health is
wealth and if Tammanna started suffering his spirits would be received and he could outwit
Tammanna.
Comprehension II
The owner’s land grew beyond his imagination as the old man worked very hard and diligently in the
farm. He was very efficient in understanding the problems of the workers and he had put an end to
all the thefts which subsequently led to an increase in the income of the owner making him rich and
lethargic. This new income brought about a change in the way of his life. He developed many vices
and his life became crowded with colourful events.
The supporters of Tammanna suggested him to take resort of the police or get assistance of people
who were ready to attack Basavaiah and get his land back. They also told that he could go to the
court of law to get justice as his land was encroached by Basavaiah who had acquired 200 acres of
Tammanna’s land forcibly and built a fence around it.
After Basavaiah encroached 200 acres of Tammanna’s land, Tammanna became intolerant to this
invasion. He devised a method to destroy Basavaiah completely. He came up with an idea of
composing all his sufferings and Basavaiah’s doings in the form of a ballad and had to resort to
different means. Tammanna neglected all the other over cures of Basavaiah.
Basavaiah started filling his life with all kinds of material wealth, when he realised that he could not
give an answer to Tammanna’s compositions and singing. He encroached more and more land of
Tammanna. He built a palatial mansion for himself and appointed a number of persons to praise
him. He decorated himself with gold, diamond and other precious stones. Yet his house looked
without the compositions of Tammanna. He also started inviting scholars, poets and musicians to fill
his home with meaning. Thus he tried to overcome his humiliation.
Comprehension III
Tammanna and Basavaiah’s rivalry started with a couple of hundred acres of land but later went on
to the other expensive things like jewels, house,etc which was materialistic and visible, but later with
the development in the rivalry between the two Tammanna came up with a different idea and
started composing ballads about the misdeeds of Basavaiah and started singing them. The
knowledge which he used becomes the invisible domain.
Basavaiah encroached 200 acres of Tammanna’s land. Tammanna’s supporters suggested many
ways to counter attach Basavaiah. He came up with the strategy of composing ballads and singing
them instead of just accumulating wealth to challenge Basavaiah. He thought that Basavaiah was a
tough competition when it came to material wealth and he was proved right because Basavaiah did
not have an answer to this challenge.
Tammanna narrated his story to the owner’s wife and seemed to regret what happened in the past.
He turns reflective towards the end of his life after realising that his pursuit of revenge was in vain.
He explains about the complicated human nature which seeks a motive or competition to go in life.
He expresses the strange behaviour of man where he lives for some revenge or competition or
challenge and tell how he avenged himself by faking his own death to even score with balance.
The two countries America and Russia were arch rivals who competed in all the fields of progress.
The statement made by Russia that it was no longer America’s enemy would have demoralised
America and demotivated them to pursue anything as the challenging factor was missing. The
mention of these two countries is very apt here as in the story, the whole purpose of the life’s of
Tammanna and Basavaiah is null and void without the revenge and rivalry between each other.
The narration of the story starts with a narrator and changes to a narration by an old man directly to
the owner’s wife. Here the story changes it perspective when the story is told in first person. It talks
about the change in the human relationship and unveils the ultimate truth that only change is
permanent and man has to accept it. Humans have to adapt to situations in life as and when they
come. They have to move ahead in life. The story emphasises the need to be amenable to
circumstance sand he adaptable to change.
