Tuesday, July 14, 2015

What is the moral of the story "A Career"?

The moral of the story is to be circumspect in whom one trusts. 
In "A Career," the narrator welcomes a young stranger (Ramu) into his home. Ramu promises that he will work for shelter, food, and kindness. The narrator is immediately impressed with the youth; the outward signs of Ramu's religious inclinations quells his natural suspicions. 
Ramu tells the narrator that he belongs to a wealthy family of landowners near Trichinopoly. Ramu's mother is deceased, and his father married a woman who mistreated Ramu. Ramu maintains that this is why he ran away.
Meanwhile, Ramu ingratiates himself with the narrator's family and the members of the community. He even charms the narrator's own customers. As a result of his social skills, Ramu manages to win the esteem of everyone in the community. Eventually, the narrator entrusts the day-to-day operations of his business to Ramu.
The story, however, does not end happily. Ramu leaves the town in a hurry, claiming that his father is dying of cholera. Ramu promises to return but is never heard from again. Meanwhile, the narrator discovers that Ramu has been stealing from him. His shop is almost empty; the racks contain only a bag of coarse rice and a few bars of cheap soap.
The narrator also discovers that Ramu embezzled money from his business. Sad and angry, the narrator is soon forced to sell his business just to pay off his creditors. The narrator becomes unemployed, with no means to support a wife and four children.
Time passes, and the narrator finds himself at the temple on Thirupathi Hills. There, he catches a glimpse of Ramu, who is now blind. The narrator learns from Ramu's companion that Ramu has lost all his money and that his wife has deserted him. The narrator decides not to give Ramu a piece of his mind, concluding that the best kindness he can do Ramu is to leave him alone.
The moral of the story is to be circumspect in whom one trusts. However, there is also another moral: actions have consequences. You may understand this as the informal "what goes around comes around."

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