The Boy Who Broke The Bank Summary, Theme by Ruskin Bond
The Boy Who Broke The Bank Summary
The boy who broke the bank” is a very interesting story written by Raskin Bond. The story relates to the murmuring of a sweeper boy Nathu about irregular payment of his salary. It takes the shape of a rumour and results into the collapse of a bank. In the end of the story, Nathu, who is responsible for the whole episode, wonders innocently about the incident.
Seth Govind Ram owns a bank at Pipalngar town. The bank is financially very sound and has won the trust of the depositors. Nathu is a sweeper in the bank. One day, while sweeping the steps of the bank, he grumbles about the irregular payment of his salary by the bank authorities.
Sitaram, the washer man’s son learns about Nathu’s complaints. In his loose talk with Mrs. Srivastava, Sitaram says that bank could not pay its employees. Mrs. Srivastava misunderstands Sitaram’s statement. She believes that the Piplangar bank is about to collapse. The rumour spreads like a wild fire in the entire town.
The customers in shock demand their money back. They start stoning the bank building and break the glasses. The next day when Nathu goes to the bank for his duty, he finds a lot of broken glasses and stones. He wonders how it happened.
He murmurs angrily that the bank authorities are not paying him regularly on one hand and are also increasing his work. For him the event is a mystery. This story is basically about how rumors and lack of communication can cause many problems and be destructive.
The Boy Who Broke The Bank About the Author Ruskin Bond
Ruskin Bond Born on May 19, 1934, in Kasauli, India, he was the son of Edith Clarke and Aubrey Bond. His father served in the Royal Air Force and frequently moved from places to places along with his son. When he was eight, his parents separated and his mother left him.
His father’s undivided attention helped him grow. He felt loved and secure but his tragic departure from his life left him lonely and broken. Following the sudden demise of his father, he moved to Dehradun where his grandmother raised him. He received his early education from Bishop Cotton School in Shimla.
He completed his graduation and moved to England and stayed at his aunt’s house for four years. The first twenty years of his life groomed him to be a good writer as it developed his personality in such a way. Despite his suffering and lonely childhood, Bond developed an optimistic outlook on life. He chose the path of becoming an earnest writer that his father wished him to follow.
At the age of 17 in London, he began to write his first novel, The Room on the Roof. The novel charts the life of an orphaned Anglo-Indian teenager. The book has a strong autobiographical element as it’s based on his actual experiences living in a small rented room on the roof in Dehradun. It was not published until he was twenty-one. He was awarded John Liewellyn Rhys Memorial prize for his first novel.
He returned to India and worked as a journalist in Delhi and Dehradun for a few years. Later, he relocated to a town in the Himalayan foothills, Mussoorie, where he pursued freelance writing since 1963.
His essays and articles were published in numerous magazines, such as The Pioneer, The Leader, The Tribune and The Telegraph. Till now he has written over three hundred short stories, essays and novels and over thirty children’s books. Additionally, he penned two autobiographical volumes; Scenes from a Writer’s Life and The Lamp is Lit; Leaves from a Journal.
His works have also been adapted for television and film. A BBC TV-series is based on his debut novel, short story Susanna’s Seven Husbands was adapted into a film as 7 Khoon Maaf and film Junoon is inspired by his A Flight of Pigeons. He received the Sahitya Academy award in 1992 for his book, Our Trees Still Grow in Dehra. Ruskin was also awarded the Padma Shri (1999), and Padma Vibhushan.
The Boy Who Broke The Bank Theme
The short story ‘The Boy Who Broke the Bank’ centres round Nathu, a sweeper boy who was not being paid by the bank for his job, for long period of time. Because of this, a rumour had spread that the bank was getting collapsed because it had no money left to pay even the wages of a sweeper boy. This rumour spread everywhere like a wild fire.
All the account holders started harassing the bank manager for returning their money back to them. The bank manager requested the raging crowd for some more time, but they just wanted their money just then. So, out of rage they damaged the bank. When Nathu came the next day, he saw broken glasses and stones everywhere. He grumbled as he found he had to clean more but without wages.
After he finished cleaning, he was waiting for the manager to get his money when suddenly he was informed that the bank was collapsed. Though he was the main reason for the collapse of the bank, he remained ignorant about the fact. The story ended on an ironical note.
The Boy Who Broke The Bank Title of the Story
The short story ‘The Boy Who Broke the Bank’ based on a boy Nathu, a sweeper boy who was the centre of attraction of the story. Nathu was working in a bank as a sweeper but he was not being paid for a long period which made him anxious and depressed. He was totally agitated and wanted his money back as soon as possible. His agitation made a rumour that spread like a wild fire.
The rumour that die bank was unable to pay him made all the customers worried. The customers thought that the bank had devoured all the money so the anxious and worried customers wanted all their money back. This demand created a huge pressure on the Bank Manager.
He could not handle that pressure and thus requested the raging crowd for some more time but they just wanted their money back. So, the angry crowd broke the bank. Ignorant Nathu, when came to the bank for work the next day, found broken glasses and stones everywhere.
He could not understand why the property was damaged though he was the main reason, unknowingly. He grumbled because he had to clean more but without wages. After he finished cleaning, he was waiting for the manager so that he could get his money when suddenly he was informed that the bank was collapsed. Nathu remained awestruck and the story ended there. So, in spite of being solely responsible, Nathu remained ignorant of the total mess that he had made. So, the title is apt.
The Boy Who Broke the Bank About the Story
Phatik was a mischievous boy who was a nuisance to his mother. Just like a 14 year old teenage boy, he was naughty, turbulent, wild and impulsive. His younger brother Makhan was just like the opposite. He was quiet. good and fond of reading. One day, while pushing a wooden log into the water that was meant to be shaped as the mast of a boat, Makhan showed objection and at this they had a fight.
At home, when Phatik was questioned about this, he behaved aggressively. It was then his uncle arrived from Calcutta and agreed to take Phatik with him.’ At Calcutta he had some adjustment issues with the new family and new atmosphere.
His aunt and cousins did not welcome him and he faced several troubles in new school. Moreover he felt the need of returning to his village but could not do so. Somehow he ended up getting terribly sick and eventually died. He could not reach his home ultimately.
The Boy Who Broke The Bank Setting of the Story
The story ‘The Boy Who Broke the Bank’ was set on the Pipalnagar bank where a sweeper boy named Nathu used to work. The whole story revolves around this bank from where Nathu was not getting his wages and thus began the confusion. Rumours went on that the bank was not able to pay wages of even a sweeper boy and this rumour spread in a very rapid manner.
Customers thought that the bank manager devoured ail their money and so wanted their money back right then. They did not even pay any heed to the manager’s request for giving him some more time and damaged the bank to satisfy their anger. The next day, Nathu when came to the bank for work, he found everything broken but he did not know what had happened and how had happened.
Being ignorant, he grumbled because he had to clean more and suddenly got to know that the bank was collapsed. So, the story began with the bank, proceeded with the situation of the bank and ended showing the collapse of the bank. So, it can be said that the story is well-set.
The Boy Who Broke The Bank Main Points to Remember
- Nathu was a sweeper who sweeps and cleanses the floor and steps of Pipalnagar Bank owned by Seth Govind Ram.
- He was worried because he was not getting paid by the bank for a long period of time.
- This situation of Nathu got rumoured. Everybody started talking about this.
- Soon words spread that the bank had no money to pay him and it was getting collapsed.
- I Soon the account holders got panicked, they thought their money would be lost.
- They charged the manager and demanded their money back.
- They did not pay heed to any request of the manager and did not even give him time to arrange such huge amounts.
- The raging crowd even damaged the bank premises.
- The totally ignorant Nathu came to work at the bank and witnessed the pathetic condition of the bank premises.
- He had to know the news of the collapse of the bank from another person. Though he was the sole reason for all the mess, he remained awestruck hearing this. After all, he did not know a thing about this!!
The Boy Who Broke The Bank Annotations and Vocabulary
Grumbled — to mutter in discontent
Banging — hitting
Annoyed — angry
Emphasize — giving stress on something
Plodded — to walk heavily
Customary — commonly practised
Affirmed — confirmed
Wages — earning
Startled — shocked
Dashed out — rushed out
Beeline — a straight course
Squatting — to crouch or sit on the ground
Alms — contribution
Speculating — to ponder a subject
Imminent — happening soon
Indulge — to yield to the desire of
Harassed — humiliated and exhausted
Dilemma — a situation involving such a choice
Clutter — to run in disorder
Determined — having reached a decision