Discussion Topic
Nambi's storytelling and its impact on the villagers in "Under the Banyan Tree."
Summary:
Nambi's storytelling in "Under the Banyan Tree" greatly impacts the villagers by providing them with a sense of community and shared experience. His tales captivate and unite the villagers, offering them entertainment and moral lessons, thus reinforcing cultural values and traditions. Nambi's stories become a central part of village life, illustrating the power of storytelling in maintaining social cohesion and cultural continuity.
How did Nambi enthrall the villagers of Somal with his stories in "Under the Banyan Tree"?
At the height of his storytelling days, Nambi, in R. K. Naryan's story “Under the Banyan Tree,” keeps his audience enthralled by his stories. First, he builds up their anticipation because he does not tell stories every day. Rather he speaks only when he was ready, after much meditation and when he feels the goddess he serves has given him a story to tell. Even on the nights when he lights the lamp in the banyan tree to indicate he will tell a story, he keeps his audience waiting a bit, increasing their excitement.
When he tells a story, Nambi paints a detailed picture. He narrates more than just events. He builds characters. He makes his listeners “see” the places he describes. The listeners are caught up in another place and time, meeting people who seem as real to them as their neighbors.
Then, just as he is...
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in the midst of these details, Nambi will stop for the night. He will leave his audience hanging, eager to hear more of the story. So when Nambi lights the lamp two or three nights later, they come back in droves, ready to hear the next part of the tale. This goes on for days until the whole story has been told.
Further, Nambi has a gift of voice and emotion. The narrator says that “Nambi's voice rose and fell in an exquisite rhythm.” His speech is like magic, and it touches the listeners to the core. They laugh and cry. They curse the villains and laud the heroes. They groan at setbacks and cheer at victories. They even pray for a happy ending. What's more, Nambi never tells the same story twice. Every tale is different with new places, new characters, and new events. For a while, Nambi takes the villagers out of their drab everyday existence, and that's why they keep coming back for more.
How did Nambi narrate his story in "Under the Banyan Tree"?
There are certainly a few interesting ways to interpret (and answer) your question.
If you are referring to how Nambi structures his stories, the answer is that he tells them in installments. Each installment may last as long as three hours, and stories are often separated by the space of 2-3 days. Before he begins each epic tale, however, Nambi spends time meditating before his goddess. He claims that this is how he receives inspiration for his engrossing tales. It is said that Nambi is so talented that he never repeats his stories.
On the other hand, if you are referring to the source of Nambi's material for his stories, the answer is that he weaves whole stories from his imagination. Nambi credits his goddess for his superlative imagination and excellent story-telling skills. So, one answer to your question is that Nambi tells his stories from his imagination.
As for his last story, Nambi decides that he will tell it in the form of a parable. So, why does he come to this decision? The text tells us that, as Nambi begins to stumble in his story-telling endeavors, he decides to quit altogether. So, for his last story, he insists that all the villagers must turn up to hear him. He visits his neighbors and tells everyone that he has a "mighty story" to tell and that they must gather under the banyan tree to hear him.
On the day itself, Nambi speaks in a parable. This is what he tells them:
It is the Mother who gives the gifts ; and it is She who takes away the gifts. Nambi is a dotard. He speaks when the Mother has anything to say. He is struck dumb when She has nothing to say. But what is the use of the jasmine when it has lost its scent ? What is the lamp for when all the oil is gone ? Goddess be thanked. . . . These are my last words on this earth ; and this is my greatest story."
So, the meaning of the parable is that it is time for Nambi to stop telling stories. He also makes it clear that it is time for him to acknowledge the source of his inspiration and to accept the limitations of his advancing age. In other words, Nambi's last story is his humble acknowledgement of his human frailty and limitations.