Father-Son Relationship in The Financial Expert - R.K Narayan
The novel "The Financial Expert" gives the readers a realistic and detailed picture of the father-son relationship. Margayya and his son Balu share a fraught relationship throughout the novel. From his childhood, Balu was nurtured as a pampered child solely because he was their only child who was begotten to them after a long period of time. Balu was a menace to his parents but his parents adore him.
In the beginning, Margayya bowed to all of Balu's demand and envisage a bright future waiting ahead of him. He wanted him to study in the US and marry a judge's daughter. But as Balu grew, Margayya was caught up in his work and couldn't spend his time with him. Balu couldn't excel in his school nor he had any liking towards studies or exams. But Margayya was keen to get him passed through high school despite Balu's reluctance to not studying. That's where their relationship got much strained, Balu has transformed into an adolescent and due to his father's continuous pressure to finish school he ran away.
After some time Margayya received a grave news about him that Balu had died. After he visit Madras and from his through search, he came to know that Balu was alive and living life as a street promotion boy. He took him home and left the thought of asking him to continue studies. Margayya feared that he would run away again at this proposal. So he let him live as he wants and got himself immersed in his own business.
So he left him at his own disposal and fulfilled all his monetary needs. Margayya also find a suitable girl to marry him off and continuously working to reach the highest peak of wealth. He was a shrewd and a successful businessman but he couldn't make his son as worthy as himself. Margayya's belief was that the money is a magic wand which can do anything. He thought that he could take good care of his son by providing money to him.
He failed in imparting moral values and practical life lessons. He didn't tell him to do something because he feared losing his son. But in the end, when Margayya lost everything, Margayya instructed him to begin his work where he himself had started, the banyan tree near the Cooperative bank. Margayya was aware of his son's unfit character, that's why he told him that if he was not willing to go there, then he himself would work there after recovering from his illness.
In the beginning, Margayya bowed to all of Balu's demand and envisage a bright future waiting ahead of him. He wanted him to study in the US and marry a judge's daughter. But as Balu grew, Margayya was caught up in his work and couldn't spend his time with him. Balu couldn't excel in his school nor he had any liking towards studies or exams. But Margayya was keen to get him passed through high school despite Balu's reluctance to not studying. That's where their relationship got much strained, Balu has transformed into an adolescent and due to his father's continuous pressure to finish school he ran away.
After some time Margayya received a grave news about him that Balu had died. After he visit Madras and from his through search, he came to know that Balu was alive and living life as a street promotion boy. He took him home and left the thought of asking him to continue studies. Margayya feared that he would run away again at this proposal. So he let him live as he wants and got himself immersed in his own business.
So he left him at his own disposal and fulfilled all his monetary needs. Margayya also find a suitable girl to marry him off and continuously working to reach the highest peak of wealth. He was a shrewd and a successful businessman but he couldn't make his son as worthy as himself. Margayya's belief was that the money is a magic wand which can do anything. He thought that he could take good care of his son by providing money to him.
He failed in imparting moral values and practical life lessons. He didn't tell him to do something because he feared losing his son. But in the end, when Margayya lost everything, Margayya instructed him to begin his work where he himself had started, the banyan tree near the Cooperative bank. Margayya was aware of his son's unfit character, that's why he told him that if he was not willing to go there, then he himself would work there after recovering from his illness.