Summary of “The Price of Bananas”

About the author

Mulk Raj Anand was a prolific and respected Indian writer, born in 1905 and passed away in 2004. He was known for his short stories and novels that portrayed the lives of the poorer castes in traditional Indian society. His notable works include ‘Coolie’, ‘Untouchable’, and ‘The Village’.

(50 words)

Introduction of the story

The story is about a businessman who loses his cap to a monkey at a train station. A fruit vendor helps the businessman get his cap back by offering the monkey some bananas, but the businessman is unkind to the vendor and refuses to pay him a fair price for the bananas. The other passengers sympathize with the vendor and find the situation amusing. The story highlights the unfair treatment of the poor by the wealthy.

(80 words)

Summary of the Story

At a bustling railway station on a scorching summer day, the narrator awaited their train. Monkeys frolicked on the platform, scavenging food remnants. As the train arrived, the narrator secured a window seat, joining other passengers seeking respite from the sweltering heat.

Amidst the chaos, a mischievous monkey swiped a bath-goer’s loincloth, igniting laughter among onlookers. Soon, a wealthy businessman, dressed in white muslin attire and an embroidered cap, arrived with a porter laden with luggage.

A monkey playfully seized the businessman’s cap, sparking a futile chase. A fruit vendor offered to retrieve it for a couple of bananas, but the businessman, ungrateful, scolded him. The train’s departure left the vendor behind.

Witnessing the injustice, the narrator sketched a humorous cartoon of the businessman, which the passengers enjoyed, but it left the businessman uncomfortable.

The story concludes, underscoring the social and economic divide. The wealthy businessman’s ingratitude contrasted starkly with the generous fruit vendor’s willingness to assist, reflecting the struggles of the less fortunate in the face of affluence and injustice.

(170 words)

The character of the story

There are several characters in the story, including the protagonist, the monkeys, the pious person, the businessman, the porter, the fruit vendor, and Sethji.

The protagonist: The protagonist is the narrator of the story, who is on their way to Lucknow from Faizabad railway station. They observe the monkeys and the amusing incidents that unfold on the platform.

The monkeys: The monkeys are the mischievous creatures on the platform who steal food and other objects from the passengers.

The pious person: The pious person is the man who was taking a bath under the pump when a monkey snatched his loin cloth. He asked the monkey to return it and the monkey did so.

The businessman: The businessman is a wealthy man who is dressed in a white muslin dhoti, a delicate tunic, and an embroidered cap. He is impatient with the porter carrying his luggage and is angry when a monkey snatches his cap. He is also rude to the fruit vendor.

The porter: The porter is the man who is carrying the businessman’s luggage, including a big steel trunk, several small baskets, and a brass jug. He complains when Sethji doesn’t give him enough money.

The fruit vendor: The fruit vendor is the humble man who comes forward to help the businessman get his cap back from the monkey. He dangles a couple of bananas in front of the monkey and persuades it to release the cap. He also asks for payment for the bananas but is initially rebuffed by Sethji.

Sethji: Sethji is a wealthy businessman who is the target of the fruit vendor’s request for payment. He is initially angry at the vendor’s impudence but eventually gives him some money. He is also rude to the porter and the fruit vendor, which causes the other passengers to have a bitter sense of grievance against him. The protagonist draws a cartoon of Sethji, which causes him discomfort as the other passengers laugh at it.

The theme of the story

The theme of the story is the unfair treatment of the poor by the wealthy. The story shows how a wealthy businessman, after having his cap stolen by a monkey, is unkind to a fruit vendor who helps him get it back. The other passengers sympathize with the vendor and find the businessman’s behaviour unjust. The story highlights the societal divide between the rich and the poor and how the wealthy often mistreat those who are less fortunate.

(80 words)