The Gold Grame

The Gold Frame

R.K. Laxman’s ‘The Gold Frame’ depicts the humour and irony which climaxes towards the end of the story. It is a fine story of the frame maker, Datta. Two excellent characters of this story are the experienced frame maker Datta and his naïve customer. R.K.Laxman brings out the vulnerability of the Indian middle class. Both Datta and his customer belong to middle class. The hypocrisy and false prestige typical of middle class are well exposed in this short story. In this story Datta deals successfully with a seemingly impossible situation while his customer complaints against the inessential.

Datta, the owner of the Modern Frame Work shop is a silent, hard working man who gave only laconic answers. He avoided casual friends with idle gossip. He had a concave figure silver rimmed glasses and a complexion of seasoned timber. He is fitted into his shop with the harmony of a fixture. He has great experience in dealing with his customers whom he has carefully studied over the years.

Once, a customer comes to Datta to get an old photograph framed in the best frame. The customer has great devotion towards the old gentleman. His respect and admiration for the old man makes one to believe that the old man makes one to believe that the old man is an ideal human being and the customer still has great respect to such humanity. The customer is a confused man. He has no will of his own. Datta helps him to choose the frame for the photograph. The customer behaves as if getting the photograph framed is his life’s mission. He even likes to pay the price. He goes away after the price and the date are settled.

Datta starts the given work only if his customers visit him once before the due date. The customer returns to collect the frame earlier than the promised date. This visit of the customer sets Datta in action. He earnestly begins his work. But unfortunately, Datta spills a tin of white enamel on the sacred photograph. He is greatly shocked and stands still. His imagination runs wild in distress. He worries about his own dear self and about his fragile inflammable shop.

Datta, however, traces another similar photograph to replace the spoiled one. He fumbles even while doing so and frames the photograph in a square frame instead of an oval frame. This ofcourse, becomes his savior.
R.K.Laxman very clearly depicts the customer as a fool. He agrees upon the price even though he feels it very high. Actually his veneration for the person in the photograph is only dubious. Because, in the end the customer is worrying about the frame but not about the old man. Datta worrying about his customer’s detecting the fake photograph and the customer worrying about the wrong frame is the greatest irony in this humorous story The Gold Frame.