The astrologer had attacked a man named Guru Nayak years ago while drunk, stabbing him during a fight but believing he had killed him. He had since fled and worked as an astrologer, cheating clients. Unexpectedly, Guru Nayak arrives as a new client, and the astrologer does not recognize him. When the astrologer sees signs that seem to indicate the man he attacked is still alive, he tells Guru Nayak not to worry about the attacker, claiming he must be dead. This reuniting of the astrologer and his victim leads to an unexpected ending.

1. An astrologer´s day
By R. K. Narayan

2. Characters
- Astrologer: He was an astrologer working in a small town in India. He ran away from his past after
trying to murder a man during a fight while being drunk, by stabbing him. Although he didn’t kill him,
he thought he was dead , because he left him laying in the floor and had his hands full of blood. He
didn’t do anything about it, just run away. This act shows that the astrologer was a complete coward.
He was a cunning man that cheated on his clients by telling them what they wanted to hear. By
doing this, he would gain money from his family. He was a tricky and sensible man, although he
used his intelligent in a negative way.
- Guru Nayak: He was the astrologer’s victim during the fight. He seeked for revenge although he
ended up thinking that the man who tried to kill him was dead.
- Wife: She’s a brave woman who also believed on whatever her husband said. She is cheerful and
wants to make sweets for their child with whatever extra money she manages to get. This shows
she’s a caring mother.

3. Point of view
The point of view in the story is on the third person, restricted to the astrologer.
This last fact is crucial to the story, as it gives us the background of the climax.
The narrator tells us that, years ago, he attacked a man with a knife while being
drunk. He hadn’t kill him, but the main character always though he did, until the
same man he had attacked went as a client to his... To conclude, if the narrator
wouldn't had told us what had happened on that night, we would not understand
the story at all.

4. Setting
Setting in place: The setting in place is in the outskirts of a town in India. The
astrologer works in a park, where there are many stallments. We can realize this
because of the coin they use, which were rupees and annas.
Setting in time: The setting in time is the colonial age, during the nineteenth
century.

5. Language
The language the astrologer used was English, as they were controlled by the
British Empire. However, it was a dialect language spoken in Indian language, as
they weren't British and were not in such a high social position. Their capacity to
talk and express themselves in the English language is not so advanced as those
of British. Examples of the words that are presented in the story are “Pyol” and
“Jaggery”.

6. Events and clues leading to the unexpected ending
The events and clues that lead to the ending are the things
the astrologer didn while he was young. The most significant
and important one was the attempt of stabbing a man outside
a bar while being drunk. He had a fight with this man called
Guru Nayak, and he stabbed him with the intention of injuring
him. He achieved his aim, and fortunately didn’t kill him,
however, he always thought he did.

7. Unexpected ending
This story has an unexpected ending, as the story presents a man, who is an
astrologer which has a dark past. However, we are not told this until the end of the
story, and this surprises the reader, because we would never expect that an
astrologer would almost kill someone. At the end, the astrologer´s and the client's
life are reunited and crossed again. The astrologer told the client not to worry
about the man who had tried to kill him (the astrologer) because he was scared he
would take and will for revenge. The coincidence between the astrologer and the
client is something that the reader would never see it coming.

8. Destiny and fate
During the story “an astrologer's day”, destiny and fate is shown in the unexpected
event when the story is ending. This happens, when the astrologer´s and the
client´s lives are reunited and crossed again. They had met before, when the
astrologer tried to murder the client but failed in the attempt. The coincidence does
not only amaze the readers but it also amazes the astrologer, that to solve the
situation tells him not to care about this unknown man (for the client) because he
was already dead.

9. Vocabulary
– To gleam: to reflect light
-To be well disposed: friendly, favorable, sympathetic
– Paraphernalia: a large collection of small objects
– To look careworn: to look worried
– To feel piqued: to feel angry because someone damaged your feelings of being proud of yourself
– To hoot: to sound the horn of the car
– A pinch of.. : a very small amount of something