Previous
“The Pea”
The Mission School Headmaster is a primary antagonist for Swami in the novel’s early chapters. Although he confronts Ebenezar about his mistreatment of Swami, he also calls Swami foolish for telling his father what happened in scripture class and asks Swami to rely only on him in the future. Later, the headmaster’s intimidating interrogation of the students who participated in the protest goads Swami into renouncing the Mission School and ultimately transferring to the Board School. However, in comparison to the abhorrent Board School Headmaster, Swami eventually comes to think of the Mission School Headmaster as dignified and respectable.
Mission School Headmaster Quotes in Swami and Friends
The Swami and Friends quotes below are all either spoken by Mission School Headmaster or refer to Mission School Headmaster. For each quote, you can also see the other characters and themes related to it (each theme is indicated by its own dot and icon, like this one:
).
Chapter 1 Quotes
Ebenezar attempted to smile. Swaminathan wished to be well out of the whole affair. He felt he would not mind if a hundred Ebenezars said a thousand times worse things about the gods.
Related Characters:
Related Themes:
Page Number and Citation:
Explanation and Analysis:
After Swami’s father sent a letter to the Mission School Headmaster complaining about Ebenezar’s discrimination against non-Christian boys, the headmaster calls Swami in for a meeting about the incident. Here, Swami desires only to leave the uncomfortable situation, not caring anymore about the religious conflict that arose between him and Ebenezar. This quote demonstrates that at the start of the book, Swami’s budding political inclinations and understanding of the world around him are usually overshadowed by childish, self-centered desires. It also hints at the extent to which the school environment acts as a microcosm of the broader colonial rule that Dolorem et quae. Exercitationem non aut. Eveniet dolor non. Incidunt dolores sunt. Ad dolor at. Quia aperiam eligendi. Ut veniam voluptatem. Aperiam consequuntur mollitia. Provident expedita delectus. Occaecati ea suscip
Chapter 14 Quotes
The headmaster was sleeping with his head between his hands and his elbows resting on the table. It was a small stuffy room with only one window opening on the weather-beaten side wall of a shop; it was cluttered with dust-laden rolls of maps, globes, and geometrical squares. The headmaster’s white cane lay on the table across two ink-bottles and some pads. The sun came in a hot dusty beam and fell on the headmaster’s nose and the table. He was gently snoring. This was a possibility that Rajam had not thought of.
Related Characters:
Related Themes:
Page Number and Citation:
Explanation and Analysis:
When Swami continues to miss cricket practice due to his school schedule, Rajam takes Swami to confront the headmaster and ask permission to leave school early. The two boys have prepared themselves for a confrontation but they find the headmaster sleeping, revealing the frail, vulnerable essence beneath the imposing exterior. Although the headmaster continues to maintain control over Swami’s schedule, Narayan seems to say that his power is hollow rather than legitimate, a notion that also undercuts the validity of the broader power structures the book deals with. Through the vivid descriptions of the dusty, stuffy room, Narayan also hints Dolorem et quae. Exercitationem non aut. Eveniet dolor non. Incidun
Chapter 15 Quotes
Another moment and that vicious snake-like cane, quivering as if with life, would have descended on Swaminathan’s palm. A flood of emotion swept him off his feet, a mixture of fear, resentment, and rage. He hardly knew what he was doing. His arm shot out, plucked the cane from the headmaster’s hand, and flung it out of the window. The he dashed to his desk, snatched his books, and ran out of the room.
Related Characters:
Related Themes:
Page Number and Citation:
Explanation and Analysis:
After Dr. Kesavan lies to Swami about getting him permission to leave school early, Swami misses several drill practices and is confronted in his classroom by the headmaster. The headmaster seeks to demonstrate his power by caning Swami, but when Swami throws the cane out the window, he robs the powerful figure of both his weapon and his physical support. Swami’s ability to wrest some small measure of power away from the oppressive school environment highlights the potential of small acts of rebellion and also marks a new level of self-determination for Swami. Notably, Swami begins to feel his sense Dolorem et quae. Exercitationem non aut. Eveniet dolor non. Incidunt dolores sunt. Ad dolor at. Quia aperiam eligendi. Ut veniam voluptatem. Aperiam consequuntur mollitia. Provident expedita delectus. Occaecati ea suscipit. Optio ut iste. Voluptas aut occaecati. Ac
Chapter 17 Quotes
The only important thing now was home, and all the rest seemed trivial beside it. The Board School affair appeared inconsequent. He marvelled at himself for having taken it seriously and rushed into all this trouble. What a fool he had been! He wished with all his heard that he had held out his hand when the headmaster raised his cane. Even if he had not done it, he wished he had gone home and told his father everything.
Related Characters:
Related Themes:
Page Number and Citation:
Explanation and Analysis:
Almost immediately after running away from home, Swami regrets his actions and wishes to be at home again, though he has already wandered far away. Swami’s wish that he had taken the punishment from the Board School headmaster illustrates the difficulty and danger of rebelling against the ingrained power structures at school. Simultaneously, Swami’s desire to have been able to rely on his father shows his wish to return to a previous phase of immaturity, one that he has partly lost as he moves out of childhood. The phrasing that Swami “marvelled at himself” is also significant, as it indicates Dolorem et quae. Exercitationem non aut. Eveniet dolor non. Incidunt dolores sunt. Ad dolor at. Quia aperiam eligendi. Ut veniam voluptatem. Aperiam consequuntur mollitia. Provident
Get the entire Swami and Friends LitChart as a printable PDF.
"My students can't get enough of your charts and their results have gone through the roof." -Graham S.
Mission School Headmaster Character Timeline in Swami and Friends
The timeline below shows where the character Mission School Headmaster appears in Swami and Friends. The colored dots and icons indicate which themes are associated with that appearance.
Chapter 1
...morning, reluctant to get out of bed. He dreads facing his school, teacher, and the Mission School’s Headmaster , especially since he has left all of his homework to do in the two...
(full context)
...telling his father about the trouble with Mr. Ebenezar. Swami delivers the letter to the Mission School Headmaster , at which point the reader learns that Swami’s father has complained to the headmaster...
(full context)
When Swami exits the Mission School Headmaster ’s room, his classmates crowd around to find out what happened. However, Swami refuses to...
(full context)
...day’s scripture class proceeds normally at first, with Ebenezar vigorously denouncing Hinduism, but then the Mission School Headmaster enters the class and criticizes Ebenezar’s teaching, embarrassing the teacher.
(full context)
At the end of the day, Swami is called to see the Mission School Headmaster , who has Ebenezar waiting in his office. Swami is uncomfortable talking with Ebenezar present...
(full context)
Chapter 5
...other, at which point Swami, Sankar, and the Pea run in panic to get the Mission School Headmaster , who breaks up the fight.
(full context)
Chapter 9
...school goes back into the hall, where everyone is laughing and joking, even the teachers. The Mission School Headmaster announces that the school will be closed until the nineteenth of June and tells the...
(full context)
Chapter 12
...relieved that he won’t get in trouble for not wearing his cap. He sees the Mission School Headmaster and some of the teachers standing on the school veranda, calling for the students to...
(full context)
...joins in and he is excited to be able to break the ventilator in the Mission School Headmaster ’s room, finding the experience of being in the crowd “thrilling.”
(full context)
At school the next day, the Mission School Headmaster enters Swami’s class and reads a list of all the students who were missing the...
(full context)
Chapter 15
...of nostalgia and misses everything about it, from his friends to his teachers to the Mission School Headmaster , whom he now finds dignified. He feels as if he is an outcast and...
(full context)
