The Gold
frame
The Gold Frame
is a short story written by the cartoonist, R.K.Laxman. In this story
he tries to bring out the characteristics of Indian middle class. The
hypocrisy and false prestige, typical to middle class are well
exposed in this story. The style of the story is consistent with the
theme of humor.
Datta was the owner of a small shop called The Modern Frame Works. He was a lean man with silver-rimmed glasses and the color of seasoned timber. He was a silent and hardworking man. He spoke very little and discouraged casual friends and idle gossip. He was always seen sitting hunched up surrounded by a confusion of cardboard pieces , bits of wood, glass sheets, glue bottles and other odds and ends that went into putting a picture in a frame. Many times he had to stand up and shake his dhoti to dislodge the lost object.
Once a customer approaches Datta to get an old photograph framed in the best possible frame. He respects, admires and praises the old man which makes one believe that the man in the photograph must have been an ideal human being. The customer has no will of his own so Datta comes to his rescue to help him select a proper frame. With his help he selects cut mount for his photograph. The customer talks as if it were his life’s mission to get the photograph framed but he does not even likes to pay the price quoted by Datta. After getting the price and date settled he goes away.
His customers came days in advance and went away disappointed or came months later. Some never turned up at all and their pictures lay unclaimed in a box. Thus Datta would not begin his work unless his customers came twice before the date of due. His tall and rustic looking customer appeared after ten days to see the progress in work. When he grasped the interest of his customer in the frame he took out the photograph to frame it. Datta accidentally spills enamel paint on the sacred photograph of the customer. He tries to rub it with a piece of cloth but the figure peels off. The respectable old man’s face turned into thick black specks sticking to the enamel smeared on the piece of cloth in his hand. Datta was afraid of the consequences. Datta thought of alternate solutions like framing another photograph. Luckily he found one with which he could take a fair risk. In his confusion Datta frames square frame while the customer has ordered an oval frame. This in a way saves Datta. The customer questions the frame and not the photograph itself, thereby saving Datta.
So the story reveals the cunning nature of Datta, and represents the customer as a fool. The customer agrees upon the price though he feels it to be high. After all the lavish praise, a bargain over the price would make him still foolish. So his veneration for the old man as well as his willingness to pay any price for the frame is both dubious. Data is saved by the foolishness of the customer rather than by his own experience or cleverness.
Datta was the owner of a small shop called The Modern Frame Works. He was a lean man with silver-rimmed glasses and the color of seasoned timber. He was a silent and hardworking man. He spoke very little and discouraged casual friends and idle gossip. He was always seen sitting hunched up surrounded by a confusion of cardboard pieces , bits of wood, glass sheets, glue bottles and other odds and ends that went into putting a picture in a frame. Many times he had to stand up and shake his dhoti to dislodge the lost object.
Once a customer approaches Datta to get an old photograph framed in the best possible frame. He respects, admires and praises the old man which makes one believe that the man in the photograph must have been an ideal human being. The customer has no will of his own so Datta comes to his rescue to help him select a proper frame. With his help he selects cut mount for his photograph. The customer talks as if it were his life’s mission to get the photograph framed but he does not even likes to pay the price quoted by Datta. After getting the price and date settled he goes away.
His customers came days in advance and went away disappointed or came months later. Some never turned up at all and their pictures lay unclaimed in a box. Thus Datta would not begin his work unless his customers came twice before the date of due. His tall and rustic looking customer appeared after ten days to see the progress in work. When he grasped the interest of his customer in the frame he took out the photograph to frame it. Datta accidentally spills enamel paint on the sacred photograph of the customer. He tries to rub it with a piece of cloth but the figure peels off. The respectable old man’s face turned into thick black specks sticking to the enamel smeared on the piece of cloth in his hand. Datta was afraid of the consequences. Datta thought of alternate solutions like framing another photograph. Luckily he found one with which he could take a fair risk. In his confusion Datta frames square frame while the customer has ordered an oval frame. This in a way saves Datta. The customer questions the frame and not the photograph itself, thereby saving Datta.
So the story reveals the cunning nature of Datta, and represents the customer as a fool. The customer agrees upon the price though he feels it to be high. After all the lavish praise, a bargain over the price would make him still foolish. So his veneration for the old man as well as his willingness to pay any price for the frame is both dubious. Data is saved by the foolishness of the customer rather than by his own experience or cleverness.
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