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‘A Pair of Mustachios’ by Mul Raj Ananad is the second chapter of the NCERT Class 11 English Woven Words textbook. This short story explores the class differences in Indian society through the humorous lens of mustachios, which serve as the symbol of social status. The narrative follows a conflict between a proud and a cunning moneylender over the style of their mustaches. In this blog, we will offer you a summary of the story, character sketches, themes, morals and the literary devices for effective revision. You can also download the free PDF of these notes for a quick revision.
Contents
Explore Notes of Class 11 English Woven Words
| Chapter 1 | Chapter 2 | Chapter 3 | Chapter 4 |
NCERT Notes Class 11 English Woven Words Chapter 2: A Pair of Mustachios
Here we have provided the NCERT notes for Class 11 English Woven Words Chapter 2: “A Pair of Mustachios,” including author highlights, synopsis, character sketches, themes, and a detailed summary.
About the Author and Key Highlights
Mulk Raj Anand, a prominent Indian writer, is known for his realistic and socially conscious narratives that critique societal norms and inequalities. “A Pair of Mustachios” is a satirical tale set in a rural Indian village, where mustachios symbolise class distinctions. The story revolves around Khan Azam Khan, a proud but impoverished man claiming noble ancestry, and Seth Ramanand, a cunning moneylender, whose conflict over mustache styles reflects deeper issues of pride and social hierarchy. The narrative humorously critiques the absurdity of rigid class boundaries and the lengths to which individuals go to preserve their perceived status.
Synopsis of the Story
“A Pair of Mustachios” is a satirical narrative about the significance of mustachios as markers of social class in a traditional Indian village. The story begins with an explanation of various moustache styles, lion, tiger, goat, Charlie Chaplin, sheep, and mouse, each associated with specific social classes, from rajas to peasants. The plot centres on a conflict between Khan Azam Khan, a proud man with a tiger moustache symbolising his noble ancestry, and Seth Ramanand, a moneylender with a goat mustache, who begins to mimic the tiger style. When Khan notices Ramanand’s upturned mustache tip, he feels insulted and demands Ramanand revert to the goat style. Through a series of confrontations, Ramanand cunningly manipulates Khan, leading to Khan pawning his family’s jewellery and eventually all his possessions to ensure Ramanand keeps his mustache in the “appropriate” style. The story concludes with Khan, now a pauper, maintaining the pride of his tiger mustache, while Ramanand slyly claims his own noble lineage, highlighting the absurdity of such social symbols.
Main Characters in the Story
Understand the key characters who drive the narrative:
- Khan Azam Khan: A tall, dignified, middle-aged man claiming descent from an Afghan family of Moghul courtiers. He wears a tiger mustache, symbolising his noble status, but lives in poverty with only faded remnants of his family’s glory. His pride and obsession with his social status led him to sacrifice his possessions.
- Seth Ramanand: A cunning grocer and moneylender who wears a goat mustache, appropriate to his merchant class. His attempt to mimic a tiger’s mustache sparks conflict with Khan, and his manipulative nature allows him to exploit Khan’s pride for profit.
- Chaudhary Chottu Ram: The village landlord, a minor character who supports Ramanand’s compromises, reflecting the complicity of other villagers in maintaining social norms.
- The Priest: A minor figure who sides with Ramanand and threatens to excommunicate him if he breaks his promise, adding a religious dimension to the social hierarchy.
- Peasants and Elders: Background characters who witness the conflict, often siding with Ramanand due to their dependence on him, highlighting the power dynamics in the village.
Themes in the Story
The story explores several significant themes, explained below in simple terms:
- Social Hierarchy and Class Distinctions: The various mustache styles symbolise rigid class boundaries in Indian society, with characters fiercely guarding their social markers.
- Pride and Vanity: Khan’s excessive pride in his noble ancestry and tiger mustache drives him to impoverishment, showing the destructive nature of vanity.
- Satire of Social Norms: The story mocks the absurdity of valuing superficial symbols like mustachios over practical concerns, critiquing blind adherence to tradition.
- Manipulation and Power Dynamics: Ramanand’s cunning manipulation of Khan highlights how economic power can exploit pride and social status.
- Human Folly: Both Khan’s obsession with his mustache and Ramanand’s sly provocation reflect the foolishness of prioritising appearances over substance.
Check Out: NCERT Notes and Solutions Class 11 English
Literary Devices in the Story
Mulk Raj Anand employs various literary devices to enhance the satirical tone and narrative depth:
- Satire: The story uses humour to critique rigid class distinctions, with the exaggerated importance of mustachios exposing societal absurdities.
- Symbolism: Mustachios symbolise social status, with each style (lion, tiger, goat, etc.) representing a specific class, highlighting the rigidity of social hierarchy.
- Irony: The irony lies in Khan’s loss of all possessions to preserve a symbolic mustache, while Ramanand, a merchant, claims noble lineage, subverting the very hierarchy Khan defends.
- Hyperbole: The exaggerated importance of mustache styles and Khan’s willingness to become a pauper amplify the story’s satirical critique.
- Contrast: The contrast between Khan’s noble pride and his poverty, and Ramanand’s cunning versus his merchant status, underscores the absurdity of their conflict.
- Dialogue: Sharp, confrontational exchanges between Khan and Ramanand drive the narrative, revealing their personalities and the story’s themes.
Chapter 2: A Pair of Mustachios Summary
“A Pair of Mustachios” by Mulk Raj Anand is a satirical short story that critiques social hierarchy through a humorous conflict over mustachios. Below is a detailed summary of the key events in a clear and concise manner:
- Introduction to Mustachios: The narrator describes various mustache styles in India, lion (rajas and generals), tiger (feudal gentry), goat (merchants), Charlie Chaplin (lower middle class), sheep (labourers), and mouse (peasants), each symbolising a specific social class. These styles are strictly adhered to, and violations cause social tension.
- The Conflict Begins: Seth Ramanand, a prosperous moneylender with a goat mustache, begins twisting its tips upward, resembling the tiger mustache of Khan Azam Khan, a proud but impoverished man claiming noble Moghul ancestry. Khan, offended by this imitation, confronts Ramanand at his shop while pawning his wife’s nose-ring, demanding he revert to the goat style.
- Escalating Tensions: Ramanand, cunning and amenable, partially complies by lowering one mustache tip but leaves the other upturned, provoking Khan further. Khan, driven by pride, returns with a valuable family necklace, demanding that both tips be lowered. Ramanand agrees but slyly raises the other tip after the transaction.
- The Final Bargain: Enraged, Khan insists Ramanand keep his mustache in the goat style. Ramanand proposes that Khan pawn all his possessions for this promise, and a deed is signed by the village elders, including the landlord and priest. Khan agrees, losing everything to maintain the exclusivity of his tiger mustache.
- Conclusion: Khan, now a pauper, walks away with his tiger mustache proudly upright. Ramanand, after securing Khan’s possessions, mutters to the peasants that his father was a Sultan, hinting at his own claim to nobility. The peasants laugh, highlighting the absurdity of the conflict.
Moral of the Story
Below are the key moral lessons from the story:
- Blind adherence to superficial social symbols, like mustachios, can lead to foolish and destructive decisions.
- Pride and vanity can cloud judgment, causing individuals to prioritise appearances over practical well-being.
- Manipulation thrives in rigid social structures, where economic power can exploit traditional values.
- Societal norms that emphasise status over substance are absurd and warrant questioning.
Download more NCERT Solutions of Class 11 English ‘Woven Words’ here!
| Chapter 1: The Lament Solution |
| Chapter 3: The Rocking-horse Winner Solution |
| Chapter 4: The Adventure of the Three Garridebs Solution |
| Chapter 5: Pappachi’s Moth Solution |
Explore Notes of Other NCERT Class 11 Subjects
| Geography | History | Political Science | Psychology | Sociology |
FAQs
Mustachios symbolise social class and status, with each style representing a specific group, highlighting the rigid hierarchy and absurdity of valuing such symbols.
Khan views Ramanand’s upturned goat mustache as an imitation of his tiger mustache, a symbol of his noble ancestry, which he feels insults his social status.
Ramanand exploits Khan’s pride by agreeing to adjust his mustache only when Khan pawns valuable possessions, ultimately tricking him into giving up everything.
The story satirises rigid class distinctions, human pride, and the absurdity of valuing superficial symbols over practical concerns in traditional societies.
For NCERT study material, follow the NCERT Notes and Solutions Class 11 English by Leverage Edu now.
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Explore NCERT Notes Class 11 English Woven Words Chapter 2: A Pair of Mustachios to understand the story’s themes, characters, and satirical summary clearly and prepare effectively for your exams.
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