A Commentary on ‘An Astrologer’s Day’ Essay

The writers description of the astrologer leaves us in no enquiry that he is a charlatan his equipment, costume and appearance all deplete a talk over, theatrical quality designed to convey the impression of a mystic power which he does not possess. Notice the authors wryly ironic comment that the abnormal gleam in his centre of attention is really an out bugger off of a continual searching for customers and his dry reflection that even a half wits eyes would twinkling between such(prenominal) a painted forehead and dark whiskers. The deliberate artifice of the astrologer is further underlined by the authors ingestion of phrases such as To crown the effect and This color scheme. The john is enhanced by the fact that the astrologer works in the eerie glow of a smoky fl atomic number 18 which adds to the enchantment of the place.The astrologers customers are depicted as gullible creatures who are irresistibly attracted to him kindred bees. But although the author portrays the astrologer as a fraud, his innocent customers are not shown in the light of hapless victims. The writer does not objurgate or deride the astrologer as a parasite exactly sees him as a businessman who gives his customers value for money he verbalise things which pleased and astonished everyone that was much a matter of study, practice and astute guesswork. All the same, it was as much an honest mans churn as any other, and he deserved the wages he carried interior(a) at the end of the day.We are told that the astrologer has not chosen his calling by design. Intriguingly, the author informs us that he was once a mere(a) farmer who had to leave home without telling anyone. Although the fact that he had to break hurriedly and travel far suggests that something dire occurred, the actual reason for his escapism is not given, thus arousing our curiosity and conferring upon the exiled stranger a sense of mystery, more real than he could possibly create for himself in his bo gus division of astrologer.Whilst he has no mystical powers, the astrologer is a shrewd psychologist. He diagnoses his customers problems by listening to their troubles and supplies them with solace and reassurance. Notice how he is careful to both blame his clients woes on other people, or attri plainlye their troubles to elements beyond their control. In this way, they all depart as satisfied customers.Our expectation is aroused by the suitably dramatic entrance of the astrologers antagonist. For reasons which baffle apparent later, the author has cleverly contrived the scene so that the man is ab initio no more than a dark shape who blots out the lonely(prenominal) shaft of light which remains afterwards the nut vendors departure. Our initial impression of the stranger is unsympathetic he grumbles and truculently challenges the astrologer to prove his worth in the form of a bet. It is only after the bet has been agreed that the astrologer glimpses the mans face whilst th e last mentioned is lighting a charoot. The sight of the mans face seems to cut the astrologer but again we are purposely given no explanation why.The astrologer is so dismayed that he tries to retract the meet and hurriedly leave but the man is ruthlessly insistent and beats threatening. Surprisingly, the astrologer agrees to speak but only if the wager is increased to one rupee. some(prenominal) the commentator and the man are strike to hear the astrologers seemingly miraculous divinations as he accurately describes the mans grisly past. The man is dismayed to learn that his thirst for revenge cannot be quenched since his rival is already dead. He is further stunned to perk that the astrologer knows his name and accepts his admonition to return home and never travel southward again. The astrologer leaves the man with one consolation he tells him that his enemy received his just deserts by dying a deservedly painful death.Our curiosity is finally satisfied at the end of th e hi report when the astrologer goes home and reveals to his wife that the man in question was in fact the reason why he fled his village. Unbeknown to the man, he had ironically been consulting the very person he had been relentlessly searching for all these days For the astrologer, meeting his old enemy has been doubly rewarding firstly, the knowledge that he is not a murderer has lifted a great turn on of guilt from his mind secondly, he has assured his future safety by tricking his antagonist into believing that he is dead. The story fittingly ends with the astrologer dormancy contentedly, having finally laid to rest the ghost of his guilt and successfully warded absent the menacing specter of revenge.The authors technique in this story is more subtle than it first appears. Although we are just as surprised as the client when we first hear the astrologers uncannily accurate comments, our surprise is of a different nature since we know what Guru Nayak does not that the astro loger is a definite fraud. Hence, there is an ironic distancing between the reader and the astrologers antagonist which is further stretched by the fact that he is portrayed as an unsympathetic character.Whereas the initially skeptical Guru Nayak becomes increasingly persuade of the astrologers mystic power, the reader becomes increasingly suspicious, especially when the astrologer correctly gives his clients name. Unlike Guru Nayak, the reader has not become increasingly mystified and awe by the astrologers knowledge, but gradually realises that a connection must exist between Guru Nayaks story and the secret of the astrologers past. Hence, whilst the ending satisfies our curiosity, it does not come as a total surprise.We also share the astrologers final sense of relief, partly because we find Guru Nayak unpleasant but generally because we admire the way in which he skilfully and successfully handles such a crisis of circumstance and manages to extricate himself from an extremel y dangerous situation. Rising to the occasion, he uses his professional acting skills and sharp wits to turn the tables on his overawed antagonist and transform a perilous predicament into godsend.Finally, the authors effective use of irony is worth commenting. Near the beginning of the story, he writes that the astrologer knew no more of what was spillage to happen to others than he knew what was going to happen to himself next minute. Given what is about to occur, these words become prophetically ironic. Note also the wry irony of the astrologers final complaint to his wife (The swine has cheated me) when he himself had perpetrated the greater deception and cleverly cheated Guru Nayak of his revenge. Lastly, the matter-of-fact title is a masterpiece of ironic understatement. An astrologists Day implies that the story will describe an average or typical day in the astrologer life whereas the event related is both extraordinary and fateful.