The Gardener Questions & Answers

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Comprehension I

1. What qualities of the old man impressed the narrator?

Ans: He was a labourer, overseer and philosopher.

2.  Is it a significant factor that the old man came to the garden after walking hundreds of miles?

Ans: Yes, it is.

3.   The owner of the gardener became lethargic because

Ans: (b) he had become dependent upon the gardener.

4.   Why did the owner’s wife start worrying about the strange ways of her husband?

Ans: He became lethargic and shied away from hard work.

5.  When did the old man decide to narrate his story?

Ans: When she was in a fix.

6.   Tammanna considers his rival, Sngoji/Basavaiah, an important possession because,

Ans: (c) rivalry offers new possibilities of life for him.

7.  “No, his name was not Sngoji, but Basavaiah” told the old man because

Ans: (C) he was fictionalizing his past.

8.  What unique strategy did Tammanna conceive to annihilate Basavaiah completely?

Ans: By composing ballads and singing them.

9.  Why does Basavaiah start inviting scholars and musicians to his place?

Ans: Tammanna’s books were not there in his house.

10. What was Basavaiah’s ray of hope in his attempt to outwit Tammanna?

Ans: Tammanna’s disease / ill health.

11. Tammanna decides to give up everything and leave the place because

Ans: (b) he wants to create an impression that he is dead.

12.   Tammanna forgets his songs and ballads because

Ans: (c) he avenges himself.

Comprehension II

1.       How did the owner’s life change after the arrival of the man?

Ans: This is from the story “The Gardener” written by noted writer and journalist P. Lankesh. The story narrates how rivalry can divide people and relationships leading to revenge. The owner’s life changed dramatically after the entry of the man on his farm. The petty thefts in the garden came to an end, income from the garden improved and the plantation expanded. However, the owner became lethargic and shied away from hard work. His wealth and social prestige had risen higher. He went on to acquire new friends in the next town and in his own village as well. He became crowded with colourful events. He was also involved in adultery through his newly acquired clout.

2.   What advice did the supporters of Tammanna give for getting his land back?

OR

How did Tammanna react to Basavaiah’s encroachment of his land?

Ans: “The Gardener” is a story written by P. Lankesh, an Indian writer and journalist who wrote in the Kannada language. This story brings out rivalry between Tammanna and Basavaiah resulting in revenge and loss of relationships. As two of the rival characters continued to acquire land until there was nothing left for each of them, Basavaiah forcibly acquired two hundred acres of Tammanna’s land. This infuriated Tammanna and his supporters advised him on various options available for getting back his land. There was the court of law. One could also take recourse to the police. Besides, there were many who were ready to attack Basavaiah. But Tammanna was in search of a method that could annihilate Basavaiah completely. He hit upon the idea of composing all his experiences in the form of ballads and singing them.

3.   How did Basavaiah try to overcome his humiliation?

Ans: This is from a very simple but very unique story “The Gardener” by well-known Indian writer and journalist who wrote in the Kannada language. The story is centred on rivalry between two main characters who crave for supremacy and harbour revenge to appease their desire. Basavaiah by acquiring two hundred acres of Tammmanna’s land forcibly paved way for Tammmanna to search for a unique method to completely destroy Basavaiah. He started to compose all his experiences in the form of ballads and sing them. Basavaiah had no answer, though he tried to sing yet he failed. Tammanna’s reputation spread all around. He was felicitated as the best poet of his times. Basavaiah shrunk in humiliation. He tried to fill his life with all kinds of material wealth. He built a palatial mansion for himself, appointed a number of persons just to praise him, and wore gold, diamonds and other precious stones. But his house looked dull without Tammanna’s books. Therefore he started inviting scholars, poets and musicians to his place. Thus, he tried to overcome his humiliation.

Comprehension III

1.  The rivalry between Tammanna and Basavaiah keeps moving from the visible domain to the invisible. Comment.

OR

       How does Tammanna adopt counter strategy to challenge the material wealth of Basavanna?

Ans: The story “The Gardener” written by P. Lankesh, a well-known Kannada writer and journalist is about competition, rivalry and revenge. It tries to broaden the perspective of a simple theme with a simple background. Through the characters of Tammanna and Basavaiah, the author presents more complexities involved in dealing with human emotions. Tammanna goes on acquiring land in competition with Basavaiah while the latter also puts up an equal show until there is no land left. If one had ten friends, the other made fifteen friends. All that began as a mere competition reaches another level when Basavaiah acquires two hundred acres of Tammanna’s land forcibly.

There were many options before Tammanna: the court of law, the police and even a physical assault on Basavaiah. But he was in search of a method that could end Basavaiah completely. He moved away from material to abstract domain. He started to compose all his experiences in the form of ballads and sing them. Tammanna became very popular. He was felicitated as the best poet of his times. Basavaiah had no answer to this. He tried to sing, but could not. Though he shrunk in humiliation, it did not stop him from owning a palatial mansion. He got everything he wanted but his house looked dull and empty without Tammanna’s books.

2.       A manipulator like Tammanna turns reflective towards the end of his life. What does this tell us about human nature?

OR

How does the reference to Russia and America provide another dimension to the story?

Ans: P. Lankesh, noted Indian writer and journalist portrays complex human emotions through his story “The Gardener”. Human relations take place just accidentally and crumble owing to material challenges. Life is a beautiful web of unexpected encounters. Tammanna becomes reflective when he finds that in life there is no end at a physical level for rivalry. He amassed huge wealth and property only to fuel rivalry further with Basavaiah. There were more supporters and social prestige soared to dizzying heights. He had to look out for new methods to take revenge against the charging opponent. His    innovation with singing ballads took his fight into a new domain and finally to a point where death offered the summit of human rivalry.

The reference to Russia and America moves on the same plain that Tammanna and Basavaiah stand. When Russia declared that it would not fight America any more, it was unbearable to the latter. The sworn enemy of America withdrawing from war is too hard to accept. Without war America felt bored. Even now America needs someone to war with. Hence, we experience these tendencies quite often on the global scene. Thus, Tammanna gave up everything and started off. Soon after, Basavanna died without any reason to live. Tammanna became a non-entity and avenged himself.