Testament of a Walker By RK NARAYAN Full summary | Question-Answers | Class 12 -Alternative English

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Detailed Summary

Testament of a Walker

–R. K. Narayan (1906- 2001), Indian writer

About the Author

Rasipuram Krishnaswami Iyer Narayanaswami was a leading author of Indian literature in English and well known for his works set in the fictional South Indian town of Malgudi. He has conferred the Sahitya Akademi Award for English, for his novel ’The Guide’ in 1960. His writing style was marked by simplicity and subtle humour. His stories focused on ordinary people and everyday situations.

Brief Summary of the Lesson

‘Testament of a Walker’ is from Narayan’s collection of essays titled ‘A Writer’s Nightmare’. The essay is in first person and takes a humorous look at the woes faced by the author, who is the worried owner of an imported car. He likes to walk and makes a strong case for using our own two legs which are capable of functioning without petrol or gears. His imported car incurs a lot of expenses and he terms his decision of having acquired the car, as the most thoughtless decision in his life.

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Paragraph wise Summary:

Woes of an Imported Car Owner

The essay begins in the first person with the author saying that there are people who do not appreciate music, others who have no eye for art. He puts himself in a similar category saying that he is immune to the finer values of a car. For him, a car is a means of transport and he is blind to all other features that the car may have. Despite this attitude, unexpected events led him to become the owner of an imported car, that was flashy and sophisticated. Experts in the field of automobiles would be excited to see the unique installations in the car and its features. The author did not understand the purpose of the different buttons and gadgets in the car and preferred to leave them alone. During the ten years that he used the car, the air conditioner was used for thirty minutes, averaging to three minutes a year. R. K. Narayan’s driver preferred to have the window open so that he could indicate right or left turns by thrusting his arm out. He also gesticulated at erring pedestrians and addressed them loudly. If the air conditioner was turned on, the glass would have to be raised, and it would prevent him from doing all these things. He felt restricted in the confines of the car with the glass raised and was gloomy. He was also conditioned to hearing the din and roar of the traffic, all of which made him proceed ahead confidently.

Rediscovering the Use of Feet

The author does not regret his lack of automobile sensibility and strongly believes that man is meant to walk. It is for this reason that man has been given a pair of legs that can work without petrol or gears. This philosophy makes him indifferent to talk of petrol hike. The hiking will end after reaching a point from where it can’t go further. Once that happens, people will start walking and oil will not be in demand. Since several years, the author has been planning to write about this philosophy in a book titled ‘Testament of a Walker’. There was a time when he used to walk ten miles a day, both in the morning and evening. He still continues to walk, though not as much as he previously used to. If bad weather prevents him from going outdoors, he walks in his verandah, though onlookers may liken him to a caged bear pacing up and down. For a person with his thinking, owning a car is an anachronism and having an imported one, a nuisance.

Avoiding Publicity

The author treasures his privacy and prefers being anonymous. These are lost when he travels in a flashy car. He compares it to sitting in a howdah atop an elephant and hoping to go unnoticed. The author lives in the city of Mysore, where the whole town knows about one another’s movements. This would lead to embarrassment for the author as he avoids public engagements and invitations by offering the excuse that he would be out of town.

Costly Repairs

The author is also fearful of his driver testing the car’s ability to attain full speed in two minutes. At the workshop, he had noticed the battered remains of several cars which had tried out this act. A mechanic cheerfully assured him that they were capable of repairing the inflicted damages, at a cost of thirty or forty thousand rupees. Since the author’s car was no ordinary one, he would have to seek service from the authorised workshop, located a hundred miles away in Bangalore.

Special Service at a Special Price

At the workshop in Bangalore, a team of experts would give suggestions on the parts to be replaced. They would direct him to an exclusive shop, catering to the elite, that stocked spare parts for imported cars. Everything from a small screw to a whole engine would be available at a price fit for royalty. The customer was expected to kindly part with his cash without questioning the price. The author feared that he would soon be bankrupt going by the amount of money he spent on repairing the car.

Missing Parts

Two cyclists collided and fell on the author’s car, smashing the parking light on the left side. He would be able to buy the light from the exclusive shop at a cost of two thousand rupees. The mechanic informed him that the glass was broken and they would fabricate a cover in plastic. He removed that part and left. When the author visited the workshop again and asked about the parking light, the mechanic said that he had given it back, and it was not with him. It was impossible that both the author and the mechanic could be right at the same time. One of them might be under an illusion or hallucination.

A Wise Decision

This incident proved to be a turning point and the author was horrified at the trouble he had gone through and the expenses incurred for a car, of which he didn’t have much use. He felt that acquiring this car was the most unwise decision he had ever made in his life. He decided to get rid of it at the earliest and devote his energies again to writing. He speaks about a friend who does not trust the mechanics in our country and repairs his imported car himself. He spends all his time in collecting spare parts so he can use it whenever required. He advised the author to buy a similar model of his car so that necessary parts could be transferred from one car to another. Nevertheless the author did not accept his advice.

Chapter Highlights:

1. The author is oblivious to the finer values of a car. For him, it presents itself as a means of transportation, and nothing more.
2. He came to own an imported car, with all special features installed in it.
3. The air conditioner in his car has been sparingly used. In fact it was used for only thirty minutes over a period of ten years.
4. The author firmly believes that we are provided with a pair of legs so that we use it to walk. He has been planning to write a book ‘Testament of a Walker’.
5. For a person like him, possession of a car is an anachronism.
6. The author values anonymity and privacy, both of which are lost when he travels in his flashy imported car.
7. There is a special authorized workshop for his car, a hundred miles away in Bangalore.
8. The spare parts of the car are available at an exclusive establishment catering only to the elite, where everything is available at a price fit for royalty.
9. On one occasion, when a part left at the workshop for repair went missing, the author thought that he had enough of the car. It was time to put it away and devote his time to writing.
10. A friend, who repaired his cars on his own, advised him to buy a similar model of his car and use it for spare parts. Though he admired his friend’s competence, he could not accept the advice.

Questions-Answers Of Testament of a Walker

Answer the following Questions 1 Marks

1. What is an automobile according to the author?

Ans. For the author, an automobile served as a means to attain his purpose of reaching a particular place. He is satisfied with four wheels that capable of rolling and a seat.

2. What causes ecstasy in every auto pundit?

Ans. R. K. Narayan’s new imported car with it’s sophisticated features caused ecstatic reactions in every auto pundit who saw it.

3. In Narayan’s opinion, what does he lack? 2015 2016

Ans. In Narayan’s opinion, he lacks automobile sensibility. He is indifferent to the subtler values in a car. He believes that man is destined to walk and hence he has been given a pair of legs.

4. What are the things that the author values most?

Ans. The author values privacy and anonymity the most. He avoids public engagements and invitations.

5. What name does the author propose for his most ambitious work? 2016 2019

Ans. The author has been planning his most ambitious work since several years. He has titled it ‘Testament of a Walker’.

6. Who fell on Narayan’s car when it was parked in front of the hospital? 2017

Ans. Two cyclists collided and fell on Narayan’s car when it was parked in front of the hospital. This resulted in the parking light on the left side being smashed.

7. Which part of the author’s car could not ordinarily be replaced? 2018

Ans. The parking light on the left side of the imported car could not ordinarily be replaced in India.

8. How, according to the author, did his friend spend his leisure hours?

Ans. The author’s friend spent his leisure hours under his imported car, undertaking the repairs himself as he didn’t trust the mechanics or workshops in the country.

9. Who was R.K. Narayan?

Ans. R. K. Narayan was a leading writer of English literature in India. He is known for his novels and short stories.

10. What was the name of Narayan’s fictional town?

Ans. The name of Narayan’s fictional South Indian town is Malgudi. It serves as the setting for most of the novels and short stories written by Narayan.

11. What kind of characters people Narayan’s fiction?

Ans. The kind of characters that we find in Narayan’s fiction are ordinary people, in day to day situations. The characters are convincing as well as realistic.

12. What does an automobile mean to Narayan?

Ans. For the author, an automobile served as a means to attain his purpose of reaching a particular place. He is satisfied with four wheels that capable of rolling and a seat.

13. For how long during the ten years he uses the car, is the air-conditioner switched on? 2017

Ans. During the ten years that Narayan used the car, the air-conditioner was switched on for a total period of thirty minutes.

14. What is Narayan’s strong belief regarding ‘walking’?

Ans. Narayan strongly believes that we are destined to walk. Nature has equipped us with a pair of legs for the purpose of walking. Our legs can function without petrol and gears unlike cars.

15. What is Narayan’s most ambitious work that he has been planning for years?

Ans. Narayan has been planning his most ambitious work since several years. He has titled it ‘Testament of a Walker’. It would be about the joys of walking.

16. What constant dread does Narayan suffer from, regarding the car and his driver?

Ans. Narayan fears that his driver would try out the special feature of the car, by attaining full speed in two minutes. This would leave the car and it’s occupants in a battered state.

17. For how long does Narayan use his car? 2015 2019

Ans. Narayan used his car for a period of ten years.

18. What does Narayan lack? Does he regret it?

Ans. Narayan lacks automobile sensibility. However, he does not regret it.

19. How does Narayan carry out his habit of ‘daily walking’ even in bad weather?

Ans. When bad weather prevents Narayan from going out for a walk, he paces up and down in his verandah. This way he is able to continue his habit of ‘daily walking’ even in bad weather.

20. What do you understand by the term ‘fanatic’ in the context of the lesson?

Ans. The term ‘fanatic’ in the lesson implies Narayan’s single minded zeal and enthusiasm for walking.

Answer the following Questions 2 Marks

1. Why do you think the author is indifferent at the mention of any petrol ‘hike’? 2016 2018

Ans. The author is indifferent at the mention of any petrol ‘hike’ because he prefers to walk and firmly believes that man is destined to walk. He has been endowed with two legs for that purpose. The author also feels that the price hiking will end when it reaches a point, where it can’t be hiked any further.

2. What are the distinguishing features of Narayan’s fiction?

Ans. Some of the distinguishing features of Narayan’s fiction are that the stories are mostly set in the fictional town of Malgudi. The themes in the novels and short stories are very Indian in nature. The characters are convincing and realistic. Some of the protagonists include a guide, a vendor of sweets, an English teacher etc. His fiction is also marked by simplicity and a sense of humour.

3. Why doesn’t Narayan’s driver particularly like to drive with the air-conditioner on?

Ans. When the air-conditioner is on, the glass has to be raised. Narayan’s driver prefers to put his hand out to indicate while turning. The raised glass prevents him from doing so. He also likes to give a piece of his mind to erring pedestrians. The din of the traffic makes him proceed confidently. When the air-conditioner is on, he cannot do all these things and drives in a gloomy manner.

4. Why is Narayan indifferent to the mention of any petrol – ‘hike’? 2016

Ans. The author is indifferent at the mention of any petrol ‘hike’ because he prefers to walk and firmly believes that man is destined to walk. He has been endowed with two legs for that purpose. The author also feels that the price hiking will end when it reaches a point, where it can’t be hiked any further.

5. Why is being noticed by virtue of his car a matter of big embarrassment to Narayan?

Ans. Narayan values anonymity and privacy. Traveling in his big car makes him conspicuous and he does not like to draw attention toward himself. He compares going in his car to sitting in a howdah on the back of an elephant and hoping to go unnoticed. This violates his sense of privacy and anonymity.

6. Why does Narayan have ‘to drive a hundred miles every time’ he requires any attention to his car?

Ans. Narayan’s car is an imported one and could not be given to an ordinary workshop for repair. The authorized workshop for his car was located a hundred miles away in Bangalore. It is for this reason that Narayan has “to drive a hundred miles every time “, his car required attention.

7. What does Narayan begin to fear after every visit to the workshop?

Ans. The workshop, where Narayan used to take his car for servicing and repair was a costly one. They also used to direct him to an exclusive shop for purchase of spare parts, where the prices were fit for royalty. The thought of spending a lot of money makes him fearful of visiting the workshop.

8. What are the things that Narayan values most? How are they lost when he moves about in his gaudy car? 2016

Ans. Among the things that Narayan values the most are privacy and anonymity. Traveling in his big car makes him conspicuous and he does not like to draw attention towards himself. He compares going in his car to sitting in a howdah on the back of an elephant and hoping to go unnoticed.

9. How is his car damaged?

Ans. His car was parked in front of the hospital. Two cyclists collided and fell on the car, inflicting damage to the parking light on the left side and effectively smashing it.

10. What does the mechanic at the workshop do with the damaged part of the car?

Ans. The mechanic inspected the damage and pronounced that the glass was broken. He removed the light and left. Subsequently he proceeded on leave for ten weeks. When the author enquired about the parking light, he replied that he had given it back to the author.

11. Why does Narayan call himself a ‘fanatic’? 2017

Ans. Narayan calls himself a ‘fanatic’ as he is passionate about walking. In his younger days he used to walk more than ten miles in a day. He still continues to derive satisfaction from his habit of walking daily. Even when the weather is bad, he walks up and down in the verandah, though spectators may feel that he resembles a caged bear.

12. Why did Narayan have to drive a hundred miles every time to Bangalore?

Ans. Narayan’s car is an imported one and could not be given to an ordinary workshop for repair. The authorized workshop for his car was located a hundred miles away in Bangalore. It is for this reason that Narayan has to drive a hundred miles to Bangalore, every time his car required attention.

13. Why was Narayan’s car a burden for him?

Ans. Narayan’s imported car incurred a lot of expenses in repair work, at an authorized workshop located a hundred miles away. The spare parts too were very costly. Above all, Narayan didn’t require to use the car much. It is due to these reasons that the car ended up by being a burden for him.

14. What made the author fear that he would soon become bankrupt? 2015 2017 2019

Ans. The workshop, where Narayan used to take his car for servicing and repair was a costly one. They also used to direct him to an exclusive shop for purchase of spare parts, where the prices were fit for royalty. The frequent trips to the workshop made him fear that he would soon become bankrupt.

15. How, according to the author, did his friend spend his leisure hours?

Ans. The author’s friend spent his leisure hours under his imported car, undertaking the repairs himself as he didn’t trust the mechanics or workshops in the country. He would enjoy getting under the car even on a Sunday. He also used to devote a lot of time in acquiring spare parts from near and far for his car.

16. Why does the author prefer walking than car?

Ans. The author prefers walking to using a car, as he firmly believes that man is destined to walk and has been endowed with a pair of legs for the same. As a result is this attitude, he is not unduly worried about rise in the price of petrol.

17. What does the author predict about the future of travelling?

Ans. The author predicts that the hiking of fuel prices will culminate once it reaches a point where no further hike is possible. There will be a time when traveling maybe as costly as a thousand rupees for one kilometer. At that time, man will rediscover and make use of his legs for walking.

18. Why is the author always afraid of his driver?

Ans. The author’s imported car has a special virtue of being able to attain full speed in two minutes. He is afraid that his driver would try out this special feature of the car, and attain full speed in two minutes. This would leave the car and it’s occupants in a battered state. Hence he is in constant fear of the driver.

19. What problem is faced by the author regarding the service centre?

Ans. Since the author’s car is not of Indian make but an imported one, he cannot give it to any of the nearby workshops, that catered to ordinary cars. He has to travel a hundred miles to Bangalore for any attention that his car requires. This is the problem faced by the author regarding the service centre.

20. How does the author describe the shop that stocked imported spares?

Ans. The shop that stocked imported spares was the one and only establishment of its kind on “this side of the Vindhyas”. It was an exclusive shop catering only to the elite. All spare parts that a car required ranging from a screw to an engine were available at a price fit for royalty.

21. What ambitious work had the author been planning for years? Why was it delayed?

Ans. The author had been planning his most ambitious work for several years. He has titled it ‘Testament of a Walker’. It would be about the joys of walking. The book was delayed in consideration of its boundless scope and ramification.

22. What advice did the mechanic offer to Narayan?

Ans. After his car was damaged, Narayan took it to the workshop for repair. The parking light on the left side was smashed and the mechanic advised Narayan to visit New York and pick up the spare part from there.

23. What verdict did the Bangalore team of experts pronounce on the car?

Ans. The Bangalore team of experts would stand around and pronounce the following verdict. They would point out that the engine mountings needed to be replaced, to get rid of a bothersome sound. The shock absorbers also must be replaced to avoid damage to the steering system.

Answer the following Questions 4 Marks

1. Explain with reference to the context:

…….In a similar category, I am impervious to the subtler values in a car. To me an automobile is only the means to an end; I am satisfied if I am provided a seat and four-wheels that can roll and I am blind to all other points in a car.

Ans. These lines are from the essay ‘ Testament of a Walker’ by R. K. Narayan. In the essay, he narrates his woes on becoming the owner of an imported car. The author has an impervious attitude towards his car because to him a car is a means to an end. The car in itself is not valuable but it is useful in taking him from one place to another. He is happy if in the name of a car, he gets a seat and four wheels that can roll. He is not bothered about what other features a car may have.

2. Now he felt constricted, encapsulated, and tongue-tied, and drove morosely. Also, I think, he was conditioned to driving to the tune of a rattle and roar of other vehicles besides, behind, and ahead, and without such accompaniments he could not proceed with any confidence.

Ans. These lines are from the essay ‘ Testament of a Walker’ by R. K. Narayan. In the essay, he narrates his woes on becoming the owner of an imported car. These lines refer to the author’s driver. The driver is not used to driving an imported car. He finds it disturbing when the glass is raised. He cannot put his hand out to indicate a right or left turn. He used to shout and gesticulate at erring pedestrians in passing. He was also used to the noise of the traffic, which was not audible when the glass was raised. The din of the traffic used to make him proceed with confidence. Now he feels restricted and gloomy. He used to drive without uttering a single word

3. I lack automobile sensibility and do not regret it. I have a strong belief that man’s ultimate destiny lies in walking, that is why he is endowed with a pair of legs, which can operate without petrol or gears. It is this philosophy what leaves me indifferent at the mention of any petrol ‘hike’.

Ans. These lines are from the essay ‘ Testament of a Walker’ by R. K. Narayan. In the essay, he narrates his woes on becoming the owner of an imported car. He also expresses his passion for walking. These lines refer to Narayan’s views about carscars and his firm belief that man is meant to walk. He says that he lacks automobile sensibility and does not regret it. He is indifferent to the unique features a car may have. For him, a car serves as a means of transportation. It is enough that it has a seat and four wheels that can roll. He does not understand the purpose of most of the buttons, switches and gadgets in the car and prefers to leave it alone.

According to him, man is destined to walk and nature has equipped him with a pair of legs for the purpose. Unlike cars, we do not have to depend on petrol and gears to walk. This attitude also makes him immune to talk of rise in petrol price. He is not working or bothered about it.

4. I began to fear that at this rate (I was obliged to visit the workshop every other week to shed my savings), I should soon reach the brink of bankruptcy effortlessly. 2016

Ans. These lines are from the essay ‘ Testament of a Walker’ by R. K. Narayan. In the essay, he narrates his woes on becoming the owner of an imported car. In these lines, he expresses his concern that regular visits to the workshop would soon drive him to bankruptcy. The workshop, where Narayan used to take his car for servicing and repair was a costly one. They also used to direct him to an exclusive shop for purchase of spare parts, where the prices were fit for royalty. The frequent trips to the workshop made him fear that he would soon become bankrupt.

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