Imagine winning a big prize in a lottery—a brand-new car, perhaps. Now, picture this in your mind: but wait instead of joy, it brings you endless problems. That is the soul of R.K. Narayan’s short story Engine Trouble, a humorous yet thought-provoking tale of unexpected burdens.
About the Author
R.K. Narayan (Rasipuram Krishnaswami Iyer Narayanaswami) was one of India’s most celebrated authors, renowned for his ability to depict his everyday life in South India with simplicity and charm. Born on October 10, 1906, in Madras (now Chennai), Narayan is best known for his fictional town of Malgudi, which serves as the setting for many of his famous works. His writings celebrates gentle humor, philosophical insights, and deep humanity. Narayan received numerous accolades, including the Padma Bhushan and Padma Vibhushan, and was nominated for the Nobel Prize in Literature multiple times.
His famous works are:-
- Swami and Friends
- The Bachelor of Arts
- The Guide
- The English Teacher
- Malgudi Days
Now let’s explore this story together, but I insist on reading the original text yourself. Trust me, it’s both relatable and fun!
Short Summary of Engine Trouble
In this story, which is set in a small South Indian town, the protagonist wins a massive road engine in a lottery. Initially, he is thrilled with his win but soon realizes that the prize is more of a burden than a blessing. The engine is too large to be useful, impossible to sell, and challenging to move. His attempts to shift the engine led to property damage and other issues such as financial trouble. Despite getting suggestions to use it as a tourist attraction, the protagonist finds himself in a never-ending cycle of problems, teaching readers about life’s unexpected challenges with a humorous twist. (Here the author wants the reader to always be ready for unexpected situations. Theme: Hope & determination).
Our Indian readers must have watched “Khatta Meetha”, a Bollywood film starring Akshay Kumar as Sachin, in which Sachin Tichkule, the protagonist wins a road roller after fighting a legal battle. He tries everything to win the case and get that road roller but when he wins the case, the roller brings him more trouble than happiness. Hence, the road roller scene matches perfectly with The Engine Trouble.
Remember the part in Khatta Meetha where Sachin tries to move the road roller? The thing is practically laughing at him, refusing to budge. That’s exactly what happens in Engine Trouble!
Our unlucky hero in Narayan’s story needs to move the steam engine out of the fairgrounds. He hires bullocks (yep, no modern tech here) to drag it, but the process is a disaster. The engine causes property damage, knocks over walls, and leaves a trail of destruction. By the end, our hero is drowning in compensation claims.
The Plot in a Nutshell
The story revolves around the protagonist, whom we can think of as “our unlucky hero,” who wins an enormous steam engine in a raffle. Winning a lottery sounds exciting to us, but this (engine) isn’t a prize anyone would want—it’s cumbersome, impractical, and completely useless.
At first, he feels fortunate, thinking that his life has changed for the better. But soon reality strikes very hard. The engine cannot be stored, sold, or transported without incurring significant expenses. It becomes a giant burden, leaving him with nothing but cursing the day he entered the lottery.
When Winning Feels Like Losing
The real trouble begins when he attempts to move the engine. Hiring bullocks to drag the enormous machine is costly, and getting help from anyone in the town seems impossible. After so much difficulty, he finally moves it, only for the engine to cause damage to the nearby properties.
The townspeople demand compensation for the destruction, and our protagonist, who has no money to spare, ends up even deeper in trouble.
A Comedy of Errors
In one of the funniest parts of the story, someone suggests turning the engine into a tourist attraction. The idea? Charge (i.e.take money) people to view it and make a fortune! While this seems promising, it ends into yet another failure, leaving our hero even more frustrated.
Narayan’s storytelling is at its finest here—he manages to perfectly blend humour and tragedy, making readers laugh while empathizing with the protagonist’s struggles.
Analysis of Engine Trouble
Engine Trouble is a satire on the unpredictability of life. Through the protagonist’s misadventures, Narayan critiques human greed and the unintended consequences of luck.
The story highlights how material possessions—especially those acquired without thought—can become liabilities instead of assets. It’s a gentle reminder to think before we leap and to approach life’s problems with resilience and humour.
Narayan’s characters are ordinary, relatable individuals facing absurd circumstances. The protagonist’s inability to get rid of the engine mirrors how we sometimes get trapped by our own choices or external forces. The story also explores the importance of community, as the protagonist’s struggles highlight the lack of support he receives from those around him.
Ultimately, the humour in the story makes its deeper message more palatable: life is unpredictable, and sometimes the best we can do is laugh and carry on.
Why It’s Still Relevant
This story, written decades ago, still resonates with today’s audience. Imagine if the protagonist lived in today’s world—he might have turned the engine into a viral meme or started a crowdfunding campaign to get rid of it! The timeless nature of the themes—unexpected burdens, societal indifference, and the humour in chaos—makes Engine Trouble a story worth revisiting.
Final Thoughts regarding Engine Trouble
Engine Trouble isn’t just a funny tale; it’s a commentary on life’s quirks and struggles. It reminds us that even the luckiest moments can come with challenges and that humour can help us navigate the toughest situations.
So, what would you do if you were in the protagonist’s shoes? Would you try to sell the engine online? Turn it into a creative project? Or simply abandon it and move on?
R.K. Narayan’s story leaves us with one clear message: sometimes, when life hands you engine troubles, the best solution is to laugh and keep moving forward.
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Thanks for covering this topic in depth.
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