Comment on the influence of English on Indian life as reflected in the story. What is the narrator’s attitude to English?

The story reflects the old life style of India when only a few people knew English. Those who knew it never used its words while speaking Kannad. English language and the English way of life have greatly influenced Indian life. On every street we come across people talking in English. They think it is a sign of modernity. They bring in English words even while talking in their mother tongue. It creates a lot of confusion if the other person does not happen to know English. The narrator relates an interesting incident. One day Rama Rao bought a bundle of firewood from a woman. His son came out to pay for it. He asked the woman how much he should give her. The woman demanded four pice. The boy said that he didn’t have any “change” and asked her to come the next day. The poor woman didn’t understand the English word “change”. She went away muttering to herself. The English way of life has adversely affected our youngsters. They have lost their traditional values. For instance, a present day boy does namaskar to an elderly person without folding hands or bending low to touch his feet. The narrator does not approve of the use of English language in our talking. He considers it disgraceful.