Swami and Friends

by

R. K. Narayan

Dr. Kesavan Character Analysis

Dr. Kesavan is a physician whom Swami goes to in an effort to get a medical certificate saying he can miss school drill practice in order to go to cricket. Dr. Kesavan laughs at Swami’s self-diagnosis of delirium and pronounces him healthy, but says that he will talk to the Board School Headmaster to get Swami excused from drill practice. However, Dr. Kesavan does not talk to the headmaster at all, which leads to Swami’s punishment and eventual departure from school. Swami curses Dr. Kesavan for lying, and this episode is another of Swami’s formative experiences of betrayal.
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Dr. Kesavan Character Timeline in Swami and Friends

The timeline below shows where the character Dr. Kesavan appears in Swami and Friends. The colored dots and icons indicate which themes are associated with that appearance.
Chapter 15
Education and Oppression Theme Icon
Innocence, Family, and Growing Up Theme Icon
...next morning, Swami sneaks out of his house and goes to visit a physician named Dr. Kesavan before school. He explains that he needs to get a certificate that will allow him... (full context)
Education and Oppression Theme Icon
Innocence, Family, and Growing Up Theme Icon
...him in front of the class about missing drill practice all week. Swami protests that Dr. Kesavan had said he would “die if [he] attended drill” and that the doctor should have... (full context)