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Unit 5: The Vendor of Sweets by R K Narayan

relationship with his elder brother and the tragic way he lost his wife completes the picture Notes
telling us all we need to know of him.
His way of life—dress, footwear, food etc. are narrated in detail in the first chapter. He wore a
loose jibba over his dhoti, both made of material spun with his own hand; every day he spun for
an hour. He never possessed more than two sets of clothes at a time. He delivered all the excess
yarns in bundles to the local handloom committee in exchange for cash. Although the cash he
thus earned was less than five rupees a month, he felt a sentimental thrill in receiving it, as he
had begun the habit when Gandhi visited the town over twenty years ago, and he had been
commended for it. . . . He draped his shoulders in khaddar shawl with gaudy yellow patterns on
it and shod his feet with thick sandals made out of the leather of an animal which had died of old
age. Being a follower of Gandhi, he explained, “I do not like to think that a living creature
should have its throat cut for the comfort of my feet,” and this occasionally involved him in
excursions to remote villages where a cow or calf was reported to be dying (Narayan 9). The
Gandhian principles of self-reliance, ahimsa, as well as the dignity of labour are established in
Jagan’s way of life.

However, an avowed Gandhian, Jagan’s actions and words sometimes question his Gandhism.

Example: To cite an example from the novel, Jagan orders one of his employees, “Captian,
that beggar should not be seen here except on Fridays. This is not a charity home” (Narayan 12).
Though hypocritical, this attitude of Jagan is excusable when one takes him as only a layman
and not an ascetic.
Jagan is ambivalent when it comes to his philosophy and attitude. He is a materialist and at the
same time spiritualist. Profit making is his sole motto as a vendor. However, he is not prepared
to make profit at any cost. He does not want to adulterate his sweets. He wants to provide
quality products at reasonable rates. The Gita is always in hand and he reads from it in the leisure
time. One may doubt whether the Gita is a cover to cheat people and amass money. He never
concentrates on what he reads; his ears and mind are in the kitchen, whether the employees are
sitting, idle or not. He has no prick of conscience to sell rotten jilebire-cooked to new shape and
item. To quote from the novel:
Jagan asked, “What do we do with the leftovers?”
The head cook said soothingly as usual, “We will try a new sweet tomorrow, if you let me to do
it. . . . We can always pulp everything back and fry them afresh in a new shape.
Jagan said philosophically, “After all, everything consists of flour, sugar and flavours . . .”
(Narayan 13)

Jagan’s hypocrisy is revealed in this response. There is a conflict of materialism and spirituality
in his mind. Merchants as a category are concerned with sale of their goods and thus make
maximum profit. Jagan, though a Gandhian, cannot be an exception to it.
Jagan felt proud of his son Mali since he had told him that he was going to write a novel. Jagan
also had a plan to write a book on diet. Jagan shared this news of the son to his cousin and added,
“I hope he will also emulate my philosophy of living simple living and high thinking, as
Gandhi has taught us.”

“True, true. But what I don’t understand is why you should run a trade, make money, and
accumulate it.”
“I do not accumulate, it just grows naturally,” said Jagan. (Narayan 39)

Jagan’s hypocrisy and bent to materialism is expressed in his words.

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