Swami and Friends

by

R. K. Narayan

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Mr. Ebenezar is the fanatical Christian scripture teacher at the Mission School. Although Swami and his friends sometimes finds his classes amusing, he uses his lectures to degrade Hinduism and argue for the superiority of Christianity. After Swami reports Ebenezar’s behavior, the Mission School Headmaster scolds the teacher, but ultimately it seems that Ebenezar is allowed to carry on teaching as before. Later, Ebenezar appears only as a benign figure in the school crowd, one who Swami even comes to view fondly after his troubles at the Board School.

Mr. Ebenezar Quotes in Swami and Friends

The Swami and Friends quotes below are all either spoken by Mr. Ebenezar or refer to Mr. Ebenezar. 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:
The Political and the Personal Under British Colonial Rule Theme Icon
).
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.

Page Number: 10
Explanation and Analysis:
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Swami and Friends PDF

Mr. Ebenezar Character Timeline in Swami and Friends

The timeline below shows where the character Mr. Ebenezar appears in Swami and Friends. The colored dots and icons indicate which themes are associated with that appearance.
Chapter 1 
The Political and the Personal Under British Colonial Rule Theme Icon
Education and Oppression Theme Icon
Innocence, Family, and Growing Up Theme Icon
The final class of the morning is scripture class, taught by Mr. Ebenezar, a religious fanatic. Swami and his classmates sometimes enjoy the colorful Bible stories they learn... (full context)
The Political and the Personal Under British Colonial Rule Theme Icon
Education and Oppression Theme Icon
Innocence, Family, and Growing Up Theme Icon
...thinks that he is an idiot for telling his father about the trouble with Mr. Ebenezar. Swami delivers the letter to the Mission School Headmaster, at which point the reader learns... (full context)
The Political and the Personal Under British Colonial Rule Theme Icon
Education and Oppression Theme Icon
Innocence, Family, and Growing Up Theme Icon
...his father’s letter and all four of them approve of his telling his father about Ebenezar’s behavior, although Mani wishes he could have attacked the teacher himself. The Pea feels embarrassed... (full context)
The Political and the Personal Under British Colonial Rule Theme Icon
Education and Oppression Theme Icon
Innocence, Family, and Growing Up Theme Icon
...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 and wishes to leave,... (full context)
Chapter 10
The Political and the Personal Under British Colonial Rule Theme Icon
Innocence, Family, and Growing Up Theme Icon
...also refuse his request. Unable to find any coins in his house, he remembers that Ebenezar claimed that God would help those who pray to him and wonders if he might... (full context)