"The Gold Frame" by R.K. Laxman

 "The Gold Frame" by R.K. Laxman

About the Author and Text

The legendary cartoonist R.K. Laxman (1921-2015) started off as a political cartoonist for the Free Press Journal before joining The Times of India, with which he was associated for over fifty years. His cartoon strip'You Said It, which features his best known creation The Common Man', has attained cult status. His elder brother, R.K. Narayan, was a famous Indian English novelist. Laxman was also a writer of repute with short stories, travelogues and a novel to his credit. He received a number of awards for his work-the B.D. Goenka Award by the Indian Express; the Ramon Magsaysay Award for Journalism, Literature and Creative Communication Arts; the Padma Bhushan; and the Padma Vibhusan.

This story, like most other works by Laxman, treats the themes of false Prestige and society with simplicity and humour. The author describes the plight of a frame-maker, Datta, who splashes paint on the picture of an old and respected gentleman that a customer wished to have framed. The vivid description of the otherwise ordinary characters and the unexpected adds to the humour of the story.

The Gold Frame- R.K. Laxman

“The Gold Frame” is a moving short story. It was written by R.K.Laxman. The story ends in an unexpected manner. It is full of humour and irony. Datta and the Portrait Datta is a photo frame maker. He is a hardworking man. One day, a customer brings an old photograph for framing. The man who bring the photo respect the old man in it as the god of his family. He wants to do a best oval shape frame. Datta asks him two weeks time to complete his work. After ten days, the customer goes to the shop and asks him about the photo frame. Datta replies him to come on the fixed date. Then, he starts to do his job. While doing so, the paint spills on the old man’s photograph. The photo becomes completely damaged then after sometime, he wants to get a proper solution, while praying to the gods, a particular photo captures his attention. After this, he decides to find a substitute for the spoiled photograph. In the search, he finds one photo is suitable for it. Datta works carefully and put the photo in a shining Gold Frame. Next day, the customer comes to his shop. Datta gives him, the package and the customer becomes impatient to see the portrait. After opening the portrait, the customer thanked happily to Datta, but soon, the customer asked Datta what he had done. Datta fears that he finds his fraud. When he tries to answer, the customer asks him where the oval is shape and shows the portrait is in square. Datta feels happy for not been trapped in identifying the photo. Conclusion The story is ironical that the customer has found a minor fault instead of a major fault. He did not find the fake photograph and Datta gets a narrow escape. Thus, the story ends in a twist full of humour.

Themes in The Gold Frame by R.K. Laxman

R.K. Laxman’s short story The Gold Frame is a humorous and ironic tale that explores various themes related to human nature, societal values, and perception. Below are the key themes in the story:

1. False Prestige and Superficiality

• The customer obsesses over the frame rather than the actual photograph. He believes that the grandness of the frame reflects the greatness of the person in the photograph.
• His desire for a "German imported" frame shows how people associate material objects with prestige, even when it is unnecessary.
• The irony is that despite his emotional attachment, he does not recognize that the photograph has been replaced, proving that his devotion is more about appearance than actual memory.

2. Human Error and Fate

• Datta is a careful and experienced craftsman, yet his accident with the enamel paint ruins the photograph.
• This highlights how unexpected mistakes can disrupt even the most meticulous work, showing the unpredictable nature of life.
• Datta’s decision to replace the photograph with a similar one is an act of desperation, but fate helps him when the customer fails to notice the difference.

3. Irony and Deception

• The customer insists on honoring his beloved figure, yet he cannot even recognize the original photograph after it is swapped.
• Datta, initially fearful of punishment, boldly decides to deceive the customer, and his deception works perfectly.
• The greatest irony is that the customer’s biggest complaint is not about the changed photograph, but about the wrong mount shape!

4. Society’s Blind Reverence

• The customer worships the person in the photograph, calling him a "God in my home," yet his devotion is shallow since he does not even recognize the face.
• This mocks the way people sometimes blindly idolize figures from the past without truly knowing them.

5. Humor and Absurdity

• The story uses situational irony to create humor. The reader knows about the mistake, but the customer remains clueless, making his exaggerated devotion comical.
• Datta’s struggles with his lost pencil, shaking his dhoti, and panicked search for a replacement photograph add to the absurdity of the situation.

Conclusion

R.K. Laxman masterfully blends satire, irony, and humor to critique human folly, superficial prestige, and blind devotion. The story’s ending leaves the reader amused and reflective about how easily people prioritize appearances over true meaning.