PART – II ENGLISH SECOND SEMESTER – 2322E Unit I: R.K. Narayan - "Engine Trouble"

 

PART – II ENGLISH SECOND SEMESTER – 2322E

Unit I: R.K. Narayan - "Engine Trouble"

Detailed Summary

The story "Engine Trouble" is a humorous account of how an ordinary man’s life gets complicated after winning a huge, unusable road engine as a prize in a lottery. The narrator lives in Malgudi, where he wins the engine during a fair organized by the Municipality. Initially, he is excited about his unexpected win, but this joy quickly turns into a nightmare.

The problem begins when he realizes the engine is enormous, and he has no practical use for it. Worse, he cannot sell it or find someone to buy it, and moving it becomes a colossal challenge. The narrator faces ridicule from neighbors and acquaintances who find his predicament amusing.

He spends a significant amount of money on futile attempts to move the engine. Finally, he seeks help from a man named Joseph, who works as a showman. Joseph advises him to move the engine with the help of elephants. The narrator, desperate to get rid of the engine, agrees to the plan. However, the attempt ends in disaster when the elephants create chaos, resulting in further damage and loss.

Eventually, the Municipality decides to use the road engine for a public project. The narrator’s troubles finally end, but he is left wiser and more skeptical of so-called "lucky" prizes.

---

10 Two-Mark Questions and Answers

1. Why does the narrator win the road engine?
• The narrator wins the road engine as a prize in a lottery organized by the Municipality.
2. What is the narrator’s initial reaction to winning the engine?
• He feels excited and proud, believing it to be a sign of good fortune.
3. What problem does the narrator face with the road engine?
• The engine is too large to move, and he cannot find any practical use or buyer for it.
4. Who suggests using elephants to move the engine?
• Joseph, a showman, suggests using elephants to move the engine.
5. What happens when the elephants are brought to move the engine?
• The elephants create chaos, causing further damage and loss to the narrator.
6. How do the neighbors react to the narrator’s predicament?
• The neighbors ridicule and mock the narrator, finding his struggles with the engine amusing.
7. What does the Municipality do with the engine at the end?
• The Municipality takes back the engine for a public project, relieving the narrator of his troubles.
8. What lesson does the narrator learn from his experience?
• He learns to be skeptical of "lucky" prizes and realizes that such winnings can bring unexpected problems.
9. What does the narrator spend his money on during the story?
• He spends his money on futile attempts to move the engine and resolve the chaos it causes.
10. What is the tone of the story?

• The story is written in a humorous and satirical tone, highlighting the absurdity of the situation.

---

5 Five-Mark Questions and Answers

1. Describe the narrator’s feelings when he first wins the engine.
• Initially, the narrator feels thrilled and considers himself lucky to win the engine. He sees it as a stroke of good fortune and a matter of pride. However, his joy is short-lived when he realizes the engine’s impracticality and the challenges associated with it.
2. Why does the narrator face ridicule from his neighbors?
• The narrator becomes the subject of ridicule because his "prize" becomes a burden rather than a blessing. His neighbors find it amusing that he is stuck with an enormous road engine that he cannot move or use.
3. What is the significance of Joseph’s suggestion in the story?
• Joseph’s suggestion to use elephants symbolizes the desperation of the narrator to resolve his predicament. While it seems like an innovative solution, it ends in disaster, adding to the humor and irony of the story.
4. How does the story reflect the theme of irony?
• The story is rich in irony, as the narrator’s "lucky" prize turns into a source of endless trouble. Instead of bringing joy, the engine brings chaos and financial loss, highlighting the gap between expectations and reality.
5. What does the resolution of the story reveal about the narrator’s character?
• The resolution shows that the narrator learns to be wiser and more cautious. His experience teaches him to avoid being overly optimistic about unexpected windfalls, making him more grounded and realistic.

---

Essay Question

Title: The Burden of Luck in "Engine Trouble"

Introduction

In Malgudi Days, R.K. Narayan often explores the lives of ordinary people caught in extraordinary situations. In "Engine Trouble," he humorously portrays how a seemingly fortunate event—winning a lottery—turns into a burden for the narrator. The story reflects themes of irony, the unpredictability of life, and human resilience.

Subtitles and Explanation

1. The Joy of Winning
• The narrator’s initial happiness upon winning the road engine sets the tone of the story. He sees the prize as a symbol of good luck and imagines it bringing him social recognition and benefits.
2. The Impractical Prize
• The narrator’s excitement quickly fades when he realizes the impracticality of the engine. The size and weight of the engine make it impossible to move or sell, turning the prize into a liability.
3. Ridicule from Society
• The neighbors and townsfolk mock the narrator’s predicament, finding humor in his misfortune. Their reactions highlight the gap between societal perceptions and individual struggles.
4. The Attempt to Move the Engine
• Joseph’s suggestion to use elephants reflects the narrator’s desperation. The disastrous outcome of this attempt adds to the absurdity of the situation and increases the narrator’s troubles.
5. The Final Resolution
• The Municipality’s decision to take back the engine provides relief to the narrator. However, it also underscores the futility of his efforts and the irony of his situation.
6. The Role of Irony
• Irony plays a central role in the story, as the narrator’s "luck" turns into a source of endless problems. The engine, instead of being a reward, becomes a symbol of misfortune.
7. The Moral Lesson
• The story teaches a moral lesson about the unpredictability of life and the dangers of blind optimism. It suggests that what seems like a blessing may sometimes bring unforeseen challenges.

Conclusion

"Engine Trouble" is a humorous yet thought-provoking tale that reflects R.K. Narayan’s mastery of storytelling. Through the narrator’s misadventures, Narayan highlights the ironies of life and the resilience required to navigate its challenges. The story leaves readers with a valuable lesson about the double-edged nature of luck.