How I Taught My Grandmother to Read
By Sudha Murty Short Essay
Introduction:
The story How I Taught My Grandmother to Read by Sudha Murty highlights the importance of education and determination. The author, a 12-year-old girl, recalls how she taught her 62 Year-old grandmother, Krishtakka, to read.
Krishtakka’s Love for Kashi Yatre:
Kashi Yatre, a novel by Triveni, was published in the weekly magazine Karmaveera. It was about an old woman who saved money to visit Kashi (Varanasi) and worship Lord Vishweshwara. However, she gave up all her savings to help a poor orphan girl get married, believing the girl's happiness was more important than her pilgrimage. Krishtakka, deeply moved by the story, eagerly listened as her granddaughter read each new episode to her.
Determined to Become Independent:
One day, when the author left for a wedding, Karmaveera arrived as usual, but Krishtakka could not read it. Feeling helpless and embarrassed, she decided to learn to read. She requested her granddaughter to teach her. The author became her teacher, and Krishtakka worked hard, practicing every day. Slowly, she learned to read on her own.
A Proud Moment:
As a token of gratitude, she touched her granddaughter’s feet, honoring her as a guru, saying that a teacher deserves respect regardless of age. The story ends as the author gifted her grandmother a copy of the novel Kashi Yatre and her grandmother is able to read the title Kashi Yatre by Triveni and the publisher's name.
Conclusion:
The story teaches that learning has no age limit. With determination and effort, anyone can gain knowledge and become independent, no matter their age.
How I Taught My Grandmother to Read in Tamil @Banumathi K's Literature Insights 👇
How I Taught My Grandmother to Read
By Sudha Murty detailed Essay
Introduction:
The story How I Taught My Grandmother to Read is written by Sudha Murty and was published in the book How I Taught My Grandmother to Read and Other Stories in the year 2004. In this story, the author recalls how she taught her illiterate grandmother to read.
Main Characters and Setting:
The author was 12 years old when this incident took place. Her grandmother, Krishtakka, was 62 years old at that time. The author used to stay in a village in North Karnataka with her grandparents.
Lack of Proper Transport Facilities:
Since the transport system was not very good in those days, they used to get the morning newspaper only in the afternoon. The weekly magazine used to arrive a day late. Everyone eagerly waited for the bus, which brought newspapers, the weekly magazine, and the post.
The Influence of Triveni’s Writing:
At that time, Triveni was a very popular writer in the Kannada language. The village people eagerly waited for the weekly magazine Karmaveera, where one of Triveni’s novels, Kashi Yatre, was being published as a serial.
The Story of Kashi Yatre:
Kashi Yatre was about an old lady who had an earnest desire to go to Kashi (Varanasi) to worship Lord Vishweshwara and attain ultimate blessings (Punya). However, in the end, the old lady sacrificed all her savings to help a young orphan girl get married, as she had fallen in love but had no money for her wedding. For her The happiness of this orphan girl is more important than worshipping Lord Vishweshwara at Kashi. Krishtakka was deeply touched by this story as she could relate to the main character.
Grandmother’s Dependence on the Author:
Krishtakka never went to school, so she could not read the story by herself. Every Wednesday, when the magazine arrived with the next episode of Kashi Yatre, the author read it aloud to her grandmother. Later, her grandmother would join her friends at the temple park and discuss the latest episode.
Grandmother's Realization and Regret:
After the author returned from attending a week-long wedding with her cousins in a neighboring village, she found her grandmother in tears. The author, who used to call her grandmother Avva (which means grandmother in the Kannada language spoken in North Karnataka), asked her what was wrong.
Her grandmother then shared her grief:
She had lost her mother at a young age. There was no one to look after her and guide her. Her father was a busy man who had remarried. Girls’ education was not given importance in those days. She never got the opportunity to go to school. She was married off at a very young age. She had children and was busy with household responsibilities. Now, she deeply regretted never getting an education herself.
The Determination to Learn:
While the author was away, Karmaveera arrived as usual, but her grandmother could not read a single word. She felt embarrassed, helpless, and dependent. This made her determined to learn to read. She decided that from the next day onwards, she would start learning the Kannada alphabet and set Saraswati Puja as her deadline to be able to read a novel on her own.
The Learning Process:
From the next day, the author started teaching her grandmother. The grandmother proved to be an intelligent and hardworking student. She sincerely did her homework and gradually learned to read, repeat, write, and recite. Little did she know back then that she would one day become a teacher in Computer Science and teach hundreds of students.
Grandmother’s Success:
When Dassara Festival arrived, the author secretly bought Kashi Yatre, which had been published as a novel by then. Her grandmother called her to the puja place, made her sit on a stool, and gave her a gift of a frock material.
To the author’s surprise, her grandmother bent down and touched her feet. The author was shocked because elders usually never touched the feet of youngsters. It was a tradition to touch the feet of God, elders, and teachers as a sign of respect. But now, the reverse had happened, which felt unusual.
Respect for a Teacher:
The grandmother explained that her granddaughter was her guru (teacher). Since it was a tradition to respect one’s teacher, she had touched her feet, irrespective of her age. The story concludes with the author gifting Kashi Yatre to her grandmother, and her grandmother successfully reading the title and the publisher's name.
Conclusion:
The central idea of the story is that there is no age limit for learning. With determination and effort, anyone can gain knowledge at any stage of life. The grandmother’s journey from being illiterate to becoming independent highlights the importance of education and the power of perseverance.
How I Taught My Grandmother to Read in Tamil @Banumathi K's Literature Insights 👇
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