1. A Hero
By R.K. Narayan

2. Think about a time you had a frightening experience as a child
What did you have to do?
Why did it frighten you?
How did you overcome your fears?
What was the outcome?
What lessons did you learn from your experience?

3. What does the word ‘hero’ mean?

4. Where and when is this story set?
In an imaginary town called Maguldi, somewhere in the south of India
In the early 20th century

5. Summary
An argument between Swami and his father over bravery escalates into a conflict including the whole family, and eventually ends with the father giving up on his attempt to teach his son a lesson.

6. Choose adjectives and examples to describe the following characters
Father
Mother
Grandmother
Swami
Headmaster

7. What are the main themes in the story?
Family relationships
Growing up
Concepts of courage

8. Pick out examples of the use of ‘comedy’ in this story
Irony – The boy bites the burglar out of fear and panic but others think that he was brave and courageous
After all of the drama, the boy returns to sleep by his grandmother
The burglar is described as being ‘one of the most notorious house-breakers of the district’, yet he howls in pain after the small boy bites him

9. What features of language are there in the story, and what effect do these have?
Humourous descriptions – line 41, 49-50, 106
Dialogue – shows the different personalities of the characters
Tension is created – lines How?