The gold frame short story by R.k laxman

Short story

1. THE GOLD
FRAME
Chohla bhargav

2. About author
Rasipuram Krishnaswami Iyer Laxman[1] (24 October 1921 – 26 January 2015) was an Indian cartoonist,
illustrator, and humorist.[2] He was best known for his creation The Common Man and for his daily cartoon
strip, You Said It in The Times of India, which started in 1951.[3]R. K. Laxman started his career as a part-time
cartoonist, working mostly for local newspapers and magazines. While as a college student, he illustrated his
older brother R. K. Narayan's stories in The Hindu.[4] His first full-time job was as a political cartoonist for The
Free Press Journal in Mumbai. Later, he joined The Times of India, and became famous for The Common Man
character, which turned out to be the turning point in Laxman's life.

3. Introduction
The Gold Frame" is a short story by R.K. Laxman, a masterful tale of middle-class Indian
life, exploring the human condition with humor and poignancy. The narrative revolves
around a humble clerk's obsession with a gold frame, purchased to display a
photograph of his deceased father. As the story unfolds, Laxman skillfully exposes the
protagonist's vulnerabilities, revealing the intricacies of human nature.

4. Plot summary
Here's a plot summary of "The Gold Frame" by R.K. Laxman:
_The story revolves around a middle-class clerk, who buys a gold frame to display a
photograph of his deceased father._
_He becomes obsessed with the frame, polishing it constantly and showing it off to
visitors._
_His family and friends are puzzled by his fixation, but he can't help himself._
_As time passes, his obsession grows, and he starts to neglect his work and family
responsibilities._
_The frame becomes a symbol of his own vanity and selfishness._
_One day, the frame is stolen, and the protagonist is devastated._
_He realizes too late that the true value lay in the memories and emotions attached to
the photograph, not the gold frame itself._
*The story ends with the protagonist reflecting on his folly, wiser but sadder.

5. Themes
Obsession and materialism
*Vanity and selfishness
*Middle-class aspirations and values
*The importance of memories and emotions over material possessions

6. Conclusion
The conclusion of the short story The Gold Frame by R.K. Laxman is that humans are in a
predicament with every known thing, and that is how human senses work.

7. THANK YOU
VERY MUCH!