The unnamed coachman is an acquaintance of Swami’s who promises to help him acquire a toy hoop in exchange for money. He claims to be able to turn copper coins into silver, but it becomes clear that he is lying to Swami in order to get his coins. The coachman’s son also becomes a menacing presence to Swami after this episode. Swami’s experiences with the coachman are an early example of his increasing acquaintance with the evils and dangers of the world.
The Coachman Quotes in Swami and Friends
The Swami and Friends quotes below are all either spoken by The Coachman or refer to The Coachman. 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 10
Quotes
Swaminathan began to cry. Mani attempted to strangle him. A motley crowd gathered round them, urchins with prodigious bellies, women of dark aspect, and their men. Scurvy chickens cackled and ran hither and thither. The sun was unsparing. Two or three mongrels lay in the shade of a tree and snored. A general malodour of hencoop and unwashed clothes pervaded the place.
Related Characters:
Swami, Mani, The Coachman, The Coachman’s Son
Related Themes:
Page Number and Citation:
Explanation and Analysis:
Get the entire Swami and Friends LitChart as a printable PDF.
The Coachman Character Timeline in Swami and Friends
The timeline below shows where the character The Coachman appears in Swami and Friends. The colored dots and icons indicate which themes are associated with that appearance.
Chapter 10
...to play with more than anything and thinks constantly about getting one. He tells a coachman about his wish and the coachman claims that he can get Swami a hoop quickly...
(full context)
Swami is convinced of the coachman’s plan and immediately begins trying to find six paise, which the coachman says he needs...
(full context)
...weeks later, Swami goes to Rajam and asks to borrow a policeman, saying that the coachman robbed him. Rajam suggests attacking the man but Swami says that he is frightened to...
(full context)
The next day, Swami and Mani go to the coachman’s house. Rajam has made a plan for Mani to befriend and then kidnap the coachman’s...
(full context)
...the house, Mani hits Swami and yells at him until a crowd gathers, including the coachman’s son. Mani tells the crowd that Swami is a stranger who has demanded money from...
(full context)
