Unit- One
Grandmother Ray young Bear
“Grandmother” is written in regretful tone. In the poem, the poet has tried to manifest his close relation with his grandmother. The love and affection that she showed towards him in his childhood (it is obvious she is no more with the poet), is still imprinted on his mind and heart. To show the closeness of their relation the poet has successfully utilized two new tools in the poem -
a) Conditional sentences, and
b) Sensuous images.
The poet boasts that he was so intimate to his grandmother that if he got even a view of her from miles away, his sense of sight would immediately recognize that it was his grandmother by observing her purple scarf and the plastic shopping bag. He was so familiar with her that he could also differentiate that the “warm and damp” hands that were put on his head were of nobody else but of his grandmother. It was not that he could only use his sense of sight or sense of touch to identify his grandmother. His sense of smell and sense of hearing were also equally capable of recognizing her. He could recognize his grandmother from “the smell of roots” that her hands gave off.
Most notably, the words of his grandmother were a source of inspiration for him. When he used to hear her words, it used to flow inside his body and refresh his lost strength and energy. He has compared its effect with stirring the ashes of sleeping fire to regenerate fire. Fire is the source of energy, light and clarity. Similarly, when the poet used to hear her words it used to fill him with new energy, hope, and erase all his confusions. In other words, her advises were a source of motivation for him.
QUESTIONS
Q. 1. What images do you find in this poem written by a member of the Sauk and Fox (Mesquaki) Indian tribe of North America? To what senses do these images appeal?
Ans. The poet has used the sensuous images as effective tools in this poem. As a result he is successful in creating a vivid picture of his grandmother. These images particularly appeal to our sense of sight (if i were to see …), sense of touch (if I felt …), sense of smell (with the smell of roots.), and sense of sound (if i heard …). The poet, through the use of these sensuous images has tried to express how much he loved and how close was his grandmother to his heart.
OR
There are various images used in the poem, for example, ‘purple scarf’, ‘plastic shopping bag’, ‘warm and damp hands with the smell of roots’, ‘voice coming from the rock’ and ‘a sleeping fire at night’. All these images are closely related to the activities and life styles of Mesquaki tribal people. Most of tribal people do not have the opportunity to enjoy a fairly rich and luxurious life. They buy ordinary stuff in a small amount. As they have to survive on natural plants, it is natural that their hands smell roots which they use as food. Similarly rocks and night flies are also inseparatable parts of tribal life. All these images used in the poem are very much appealing because they provide rural and rustic setting to the poem. These images give the realistic impression and make the poem very much life-like.
Q.2. How does the speaker has feel towards his grandmother ? In what words or lines does he make his feeling clear?
Ans: The speaker has an affectionate and respectful feeling towards his grandmother. He describes his grandmother in such a way that she becomes the source of love and inspiration to him. He expresses his warm and intimate feeling to her through the words like feeling her ‘warm and damp hands’ and ‘her words would flow inside me like the light’. Here, the grandmother’s words are compared with the light of sleeping night fire which lightens the darkness when it is recovered by removing the ashes. This means that her words lighten the darkness of his life and show the right path to truth, love and goodness.
Lesoon- 2 About Love Anton Chekov
Summary
“About Love” is a famous Russian story written by a famous story-writer, Anton Chekhov. In the story, Chekhov presents the difference between three love stories and tries to prove that “Love” like that is not bound by conjugal relations. He views that love is true and spiritual. Happiness, unhappiness, morality, sin, virtue, social status, class, prestige etc. have nothing to do with love. Alyohin is the narrator in this story. He had been living as a poor farmer at Sofyino since he graduated from the university. The story begins when the narrator and his two guests-Bufkin and Ivan were having breakfast in a country house. Alyohin told about the violent love affair between his two servants Nikanor and Pelageya. According to the narrator, pelageya didn’t want to marry Nikanor but she was ready to live with him just so. On the other hand, Nikanor couldn’t stay with her before marriage for religious reasons. Alyohin says that love is a hindrance and a source of dissatisfaction and irritation. To justify his statement, he began his own story.
Alyohin had to work hard at Sofyino to pay off his debt as his father had spent a lot of money on his education by mortgaging the land. Though he was a landowner, Alyohin had to work hard in the farm with his servants. Many years before, he had been elected honorary justice for peace and sometimes he had to go to the town to participate in the court session. Unexpectedly, one of his friends, Luganovich invited him for dinner. There, he was very much attracted by the young and beautiful Ana Alexeyevna, the wife of Luganovich. In the later days, he frequently visited her and they spent much time together flaking for hours and going to the theatre. Though they couldn’t miss the company of each other, they didn’t express their desires, love and feedings. They hid feelings fearing that it would ruin both of their lives.
At last, as a result of unexpressed feelings, Anna had got mental sickness and she had to go to Crimea for treatment. Many people gathered at the railway station to say goodbye to Anna. When the train started to move, Alyohin ran to Anna with her basket which she had forgotten. Their emotional eyes met together and their spiritual strength couldn’t stop them falling in each other’s arms. They kissed each other and expressed their deep love. However, they parted forever and Alyohin returned to his farm land (village) being sad and he would never meet her again in his life. The true love of Alyohin is the means of living. The moment of her memory often relieved Alyohin in his life.
1. The second paragraph of “About Love” is a brief account of a violent love affair between two servants’. Is it significant that Aloyohin is the source of this anecdote?
ANS: In the second paragraph of the story, Alyohin tells the story of the violent love affair between Nikanor and Pelageya. It is important that Alyohin is the source of this story because in the story Alyohin is not only a character but also the narrator. The whole sotry revolves around him and his story telling except slight intervention in the first and last paragraph of the story. As he is the narrator, whatever he tells about other and about himself should be believed without any question. The contrast between the love affair of Nikanor-Pelageya and Alyohin-Anna is clear. In the first love story, hero and heroine belong to socially inferior class whereas in the second love story, they belong to socially superior and cultivated class of people. And moreover, the love between first couple is an ordinary and usual love between a man and women to be materialized by marriage but love between Anna and Alyohin is of higher level, an unusual love which goes beyond the social limitation and matrimonial bonds.
2. How does an account of the occasion and of the setting in which the narrative occurs affect our understanding of Alyohin?
ANS: First two paragraphs of the story provide an appropriate setting to the story. The story starts with an occasion where few friends including Alyohin are having a leisurely time perhaps celebrating their holiday. What they all are doing is eating, drinking and talking. As the time goes on, Alyohin starts talking about the love affair between Nikanor and Pelageya and nature of their behavior. Their conversation turns to the subject of love which leads to the telling of Alyohin’s own love story. Alyohin’s statement about love is very much influenced by his own experience. By telling his own love story, he wants to free love from marital bonds. So, the setting does affect our understanding of Alyohin.
3. An atmosphere of inertia is established in the opening paragraphs of the story. Cite some specific details which help to create this atmosphere. Is this air of indecisive leisure suggested again at the end of the story? What is the connection between this atmosphere and Alyohin’s behabiour with the women he loves, and the outcome of their relationship?
ANS: The story begins with an occasion where few friends are having leisurely time. They are eating, drinking and talking about anything they like. They have already had their breakfast and the cook again comes to ask what they would like for dinner. This occasion helps to create the atmosphere of inertia in the sense that they have nothing special to do except eating, drinking and talking. The same air of leisure is suggested again at the end of the story. As Alyohin is telling the story, the rain stops, the sun comes out and two friends Burkin and Iva go out on the balcony and enjoy a fine view of garden. The atmosphere was a close connection with Alyohin’s behavior with the women he loves. Alyohin seems to be lovely fellow and he is always disturbed by the memory of his beloved Anna. Whenever he has any free time, he can’t help telling his love story to others. This also suggests that he has got life long grief and misery as the outcome if his relationship with Anna.
4. Alyohin is said to rush around like a squirrel in a cage and this judgement is echoed in the final paragraph of the story. What is the significance of this repetition?
ANS: Alyohinis said to rush around like a squirrel in a cage and this judgement is repeated in the final paragraph. This repetation is very much significant. Alyohin is not a common man. He is an educated man with the knowledge of language and intellectual sensibilities. But instead of involving in scholary activities, he is living a life of a simple farmer which limit the scope of his life. In this sense the first judgement is made by Luganovich family that he is rushing around like a squirrel in a cage. The same judgement is repeted by his friend when he finishes telling his love story. Alyohin tells his love story so skillfully and beautifully that his friends are greatly impressed by his intelligence and skill. Such a person who can tell stories with such a candor, with kindness and intelligence is living a life of an ordinary farmer. So, his friends are sorry for him and make this judgement. The implication is that he should have been an artist, or writer, not an ordinary farmer.
5. Why do you think Chekhov chose to write about and ordinary man instead of a hero or a scholar or actor? Does Chekhov imply anything about Alyohin’s assumption that “Celebrated” people lead more fulfilled lives than the rest of us? Do you agree with Alyohin’s assumption?
ANS: Chekhov chose to write about an ordinary man instead of a hero, or a scholar or an actor in order to present general human nature and possible events that may happen to a man. Even a hero or a scholar or an actor is a man at first, then only comes what he does. And moreover, natural human feelings of love, hatred, anger, emotion, happiness and grief do not make any difference between celebrated personality and common and ordinary man. These feelings are common to all. The only thing is that well educated people may perceive things differently and may better handle in a different way. So, I do not agree with Alyhin’s assumption that only the celebrated people lead more fulfilled lives. Each human attempt kindled with virtue and goodness is heroic in it’s own way. Chekov also doesn’t imply anything about Alyohin’s assumption because Chekhov has presented the plight of common ordinary man as opposed to Alyohin’s assumption. Alyohin does not know that he is the hero of the story of his own life.
Lesson- 3
The Lamentation of the Old Pensioner
W. B. Yeats
SUMMARY
W. B. Yeats, the greatest English poet of 20th century, presents the reminiscences of his eventful young age and contrasts them with his present pathetic old life in the poem, “The Lamentation of the Old Pensioner.”
The title suggests that the poet is a Pensioner. It means he must be very old and is living a retired life. He says whenever he is caught in rain he takes shelter under a broken tree. The broken tree cannot protect him from the rain. Here, one must note the point that in England it rains during winter. It means he is deprived of a reliable shelter, when he needs it most. But it was not always the case with him. When he was young, he used to sit nearest to the fire, which warmed and comforted him. You can’t light fire in rain outside. It means he had reliable place to live in when he was young. Not only that, the cosy parlour of the poet always used to be full with the livelier company of his friends who talked about love and politics. But today, he misses them as “Time” has taken away all his friends leaving him old and isolated.
He sees some mischievous boys making weapons for some conspiracy. These ‘rascals’ are sure to create chaos in the society through some barbarous activities. But the poet is not concerned about the possible anarchy in the society. He is sad as the time has transfigured him.
The poet laments that the time has made him ugly like a broken tree and therefore, no woman shows interest in him. However, the poet consoles himself that “the beauties that he loved” are still fresh in his memory. He holds the “Time” a culprit, who has taken away his shelter, friends, youth, energy, and charm and wants to spit on its face in disgust for his metamorphosis.
Significance of the Title: The title of the poem, “The Lamentation of the Old Pensioner”, consists three content words, two nouns (“lamentation” and “Pensioner”), and an adjective, “old” that qualifies the second noun.
“Lamentation” means mourning or wailing over the loss of some precious things, a privilege position or an advantage. The second noun used by the poet is “pensioner”. The poet could have used ‘man’ instead. But he didn’t. It is remarkable. A pensioner is a senior citizen, who is provided with some (monetary) benifits for the services s/he has provided in her/his youth. It helps him/her to live in old age.
The poet has become old as the ‘Time’ has cast its spell (effect) and transfigured him into an ugly old man. It has taken away all his physical charms, energy, and friends. Therefore, he is lamenting. However, at the same time, he boasts that Time was not able to take away the memories of his heroic deeds done during the Irish cultural revolutions and Irish republican movements of early 1920s. It gives him heroic feeling and helps, like pension, to live in old age.
1. Write a brief essay on “Art and Life” or “Life and Art”.
Ans. The skill of creation is called Art. People in possession (having) of this creative skill are known as artist. Art may be different by its form, style and time. Although it is different by its form and style, art always influences human beings. Art always remains as an effective and important motivational factor for human beings. In order to live a happy and satisfied life, art is an inevitable aspect of life. An art in its supreme form is able to provide us the deepest inner freshness which in turn inspires us to make ourselves happy and amiable. To get rid of difficulties of life, it is immensely important for us to appreciate. By appreciating art, we can keep ourselves happy by forgetting the problems of life.
Human life is very transient (short) and when we die our life is finished. But despite this appearance of physical existence, an artist can live an immortal life. Life is sure to come to an end but art remains forever. Laxmi Prasad Devkota is remaining immortal among Nepali people for his fine piece of art in, literature in the form of “Muna Madan”. Other great artist’s of different artistic fields are still immortal because of their great works of art. When we enjoy art we find amiability within ourselves thereby inspiring us to appreciate art. It is indeed true that all works of art provide us the deepest experience and higher value of our life.
Lesson- 4
Two Long-Term Problems: Too Many People, Two Few Trees Moti Nissani
SUMMARY
The essay, “Two Long-Term Problems: Two Many People, Two Few Trees”, by a noted scholar Moti Nissani, is about two distinct yet inter-related, long-term problems. These two major problems, which are overpopulation and deforestation, are likely to destroy all the lives on our planet unless timely actions are taken.
The essay starts with the world’s scientists concern over the earth’s environment. It is becoming much polluted. The air, water, and soil, which are regarded to be the most important things for the existence of any living species, are becoming poisonous and many kinds of plants and animals have already disappeared.
Nissani opines the main reason for the degrading situation is overpopulation. It is constantly swinging up because people are living longer than in past and too many children are being born. He cites the example of Nepal, where the population has risen to 23 million from 9 million in less than 50 years. If the same trend continues unchecked, the population of Nepal will reach around 368 million after 140 years. Nepal is not the only case of this kind. The population is increasing everywhere except some countries which can be counted on finger tips. More people, in turn, use more natural resources, cause pollution, and bring changes in world climate.
Meanwhile, the time for improvement is still within our reach. We can still control the situation though it is difficult to reverse it. We can minimise the problem by controlling our population. Education, especially to women, and information about how to avoid babies can help to reduce the population growth.
As the population grows, forests are cut down for new farmlands and houses. The demand of rich people in the west for beef is also provoking people to change the forest into pasture-land. Besides, the demand of wood and paper products in developed countries is also adding fuel to the fire.
When the trees are chopped down, the topsoil is destroyed. It leads to disastrous landslides and sudden flood. Deforestation also causes droughts, weather extremes, desertification, loss of wild species, and depletion of ozone layer.
However, deforestation can also be controlled if the number of people will be controlled. Education, family planning and changes in the way we use wood are also important to control deforestation. For example, in Nepal the use of smokeless stoves can reduce the amount of firewood. The essayists reminds us that we know what changes we have to make but we are not clever or brave enough to make those changes. We need to apply what we know to control these two long-term problems.
1. Are most living Nobel Prize winner optimistic about the future of humanity? Why or Why not?
ANS: Yes, most of the Nobel Prize winners are optimistic about the future of humanity. They have warned us about our ill treatment of Nature and they say that we are destroying our planet ourselves. We are polluting and destroying our environment so if we go like this, the world will be spoilt soon. If we stop such wrong doings, the world will become a good and healthier place to live in again. They suggest that if we change our fundamental attitude towards the earth, surely, it will be a safer place for human society and for all living beings.
2. What leads Nissani to the belief that the world is facing an over-population crisis?
ANS: Industrialization helped the population to be increased because people used to live longer and death rate of children was also lower. 10,000 people are being added per hour by us. Nissani is worried by this fact because overpopulation forces us for deforestation , greenhouse effect, acid rain, desertification, soil erosion, landslide etc. So, he thinks, the world is facing really great problems.
3. What prime (main) problems does the writer discuss in his
essay?
OR
What remedial measures does the writer suggest to overcome
(solve) them?
Ans. The writer discusses about overpopulation and deforestation with their severe consequences in the essay “Two long term problems”. The writer suggested overcoming them. However the situation could be improved by controlling population and pollution, many factors such as modernization, effective family planning measures equal economic, educational and legal opportunities to woman will help to control the rapid population growth. In order to set this world for our future generation, we must save forest by reducing population pressure on it through effective family planning measures and educating people.
We may also save the forest by making effective and strict laws with a provision to impose high tax on wood product and provision of incentive for pressuring forest. There should be a provision in the law to punish
severely for destroying forest. Massive reforestation, another effective step will benefit the world in conserving biodiversity, pristine wildness and to minimize desertification, flood and weather extremes. By controlling population and saving forest, we may solve this planet for our future generation utilizing our knowledge to convert our wisdom, courage and passion into practice to turn this world into a heaven.
4. What is wrong in Nissani’s view with treeless in Nepal?
OR
According to the writer, what’s wrong with treeless in Nepal?
Ans. The writer expresses his concerned about deforestation crisis in Nepal. Showing devastating effecting of deforestation in Nepal, the writer makes us conscious about the importance of preservation of forest. According to him, destruction of forest in Nepal will cause soil erosion in every rainfall. The eroded soil will be deposited in the rivers making them shallow and gradually causing siltation of rivers and dams. After the deforestation, every heavy rainfall is likely to cause devastating flood in plains of Nepal, India and Bangladesh. The destruction of forest in turn contributes to greenhouse effect, irresponsible (that can’t be repair) loss of many thousands species of animals and plants, landslides, draught and weather extremes. Therefore, besides causing serious flood in Nepal, India and Bangladesh deforestation in Nepal in the long run will also damage the quality of life and the ability of Biosphere to sustain life.
Lesson- 5
Full Fathom Five Thy Father Lies
SUMMARY
The poem “Full Fathom Five Thy Father Lies” is a song sung by the Spirit Ariel in Shakespeare’s play “The Tempest”. The Spirit sings this song to Ferdinand, the prince of Naples, who mistakenly thinks that his father is drowned.
The speaker of this poem is Ariel who is very powerful spirit of wind who flies lightly and invisibly playing music and singing songs. Here he sings the song about the death of Ferdinand’s father. According to him, Ferdinand’s father lies thirty feet below the surface of the sea. Ferdinand is very worried about the death of his father. Giving him sympathy Ariel says that his father has got quite meaningful death. His body is not decayed. Every part of his body has been changed into something beautiful, valuable and strange. His eyes are transformed into pearls and bones are’ changed into coral. The sea nymphs welcome his death by ringing the death bell “Ding-dong” every hour.
In this poem, the spirit Ariel has presented very artful and melodious description about the death of Ferdinand’s father. The prince of Naples is worried thinking that his father is drowned. He is very sad about the meaningless death of his father. However, Ariel gives him sympathy by making the death meaningful through his powerful and magical description. He says that nothing of the dead body has decayed or rotten wastefully. Everything of the dead body is changed into meaningful and precious objects at the bottom of the sea. Ariel finally requests Ferdinand to listen to the death-bell rung by the sea nymphs to welcome his father’s beautiful and meaningful death.
Lesson- 6
Hurried Trip To Avoid a Bas Star
This is an essay written by the two American geographers M. Lilla and C. Bishop Barry present an exploration of the Karnali region which they did on foot for 15 adventurous months. After Christmas the two authors start their trip to know how Karnali is economically linked with Nepalgunj. Their fellow travelers bring medicinal herbs, hashish hand-knit sweaters and blankets in their baskets ~ to sell them in Nepalgunj.
During their trip on foot, the two geographers see and learn many things about the life and culture of the people of Karnali region. On their way, a chhetri woman of 30 asks them whether they are going to Nepalgunj. According to her, her husband left her 15 years ago to find job in the plains the woman requests the authors to send him back if they find him. In a forest at 9,000 feet, they see some people processing Silajit sell it in Nepalgunj. Instead of processing it in their homes, they do it on the way because they have made a hurried trip to avoid a bad start. The people of the Karnali regions are superstitious as they believe that a bad star may have evil influence on them.
They continue their journey, and notice some women cutting the branches of the ‘Sal’ trees to feed their goats. Almost all the trees have become bare. This shows that the people of Karnali zone are not aware of the possible environmental damage. They are ignorant about landslides, soil erosion, droughts etc. in the future. When the authors reach terai, they sit beside a campfire and listen to the night sounds of jackals, bats, mules and bullock carts. They walk on the paved streets and see the vehicles. Their fellow travelers or the people of Karnali region buy collon clothes, spice, jewelry, iron ware, aluminum and sweets to sell them in Karnali. The authors complete their exploration in Jumla.
While they got back to the Terai region, the two American geographers learn a lot about the geographical condition and the life of people of the Karnali region. The authors observe all the seasons and the people who have been living in harmony with nature. They have been living very difficult life. As their cultivation cannot support them, they have to involve them in trade. Some people go’to the plains in search of job. Thus, the people of Karnali zone are uneducated, conservative and they earn their living by the various traditional works.
1. Give a short account of life of Karnali zone people.
Two American geographers have depicted (painted) and described the state and lifestyle of Karnali zone. The life of Karnali zone people is extremely hard because Karnali zone is a remote, not well connected with other parts of the country by road and economically backward.
Because of lack of education they are very superstitious and believe that a bad star may have evil influence on them and try to avoid it. They are lacking the awareness about the need of preservation of nature. Due to lack of this aspect they indiscriminately chopped down the trees there by speeding of the deforestation putting their own life’s in great risk
because the entire slopes became bare and prone (possible) of landslide and soil erosion.
Although the people of this region are living in harmony with nature in very difficult location with very bad weather, they are not ready to leave their place. The writer found that a hill place is very optimistic and cheerful despite hardship in life with low agricultural production. The writers felt the need of the hill people to farm with other activities to live with satisfactory earning. Many of them are involved in business. They carry their local products including Silajit to sell in
Nepalgunj whenever they go down to the Terai. When they return home they bring necessary goods like aluminum and iron wares, cotton clothes, jewelry items and spices to sell in their locality to earn a living.
2. What do skeletal looking SAL trees indicate about the exploitation of nature? What does the reply “What we can do? The animals must eat today” signify?
Ans: The scene they are indifferently cutting down the trees and they are not worried about the jungle and their own future. They are doing just to solve their current problem. They are not conscious about the future. They are not realizing their mistakes may have disastrous consequences.
3. In the description of Karnali written in 1971, the writers hope that there would be change…….
ANS: Gradually, there are some changes in the grip of twenty five years in Karnali. There were no post offices, no high schools and no health post and a health clinic at the center of the villages. Development pace is very slow. The geogrohical structure is responsible for the development because in hilly areas it is difficult to apply the developmental projects. So, Karnali is still under developed.
In the past, people were uneducated but now they are educated. Only few people are involved in education and most of the people, in Karnali, are involved in agriculture. They are still following porter job. There are no faculities. People do not go to clinic in a general case which shows they are not conscious about health and they don’t believe in science but educated people use clinic well. In conclusion, the people in Karnali are being developed although they are not developing as the writer thinks. But they have understood the benefit of education and development.
Travelling through the Dark
The poem, “Travelling through the Dark”, depicts the internal conflict between the mind, a sense of responsibility, and heart, the compassion, of the narrator. At the same time, through the symbolic “Dark” of the title the poet is able to portray that the growing affinity of human with machine is tempting them to collide with the nature, a collision which will be threatening for all the living species on the planet, not only a doe.
On a dark night, the narrator was driving his car on Wilson River road. At the edge of the river he found a dead deer. His common sense told him to roll that deer into the gorge because the road was narrow and a slight carelessness might call for more accidents. He stopped his car and went near to it. It was a doe and had been dead. But when he dragged it he found that it was pregnant.
When he observed its belly closely, he sensed that the fawn inside it must be alive. But he also knew that it could not be born. The tragic fate of the fawn made him emotional. It was difficult for him to throw the body into the gorge because it would kill the baby instantly.
His dilemma and inactness blocked the street. He listened the people getting restless as everybody was in hurry to go. They immediately wanted the road to be opened. The narrator thought very deeply and concluded that it wasn’t practical to leave the dead body of the doe on the street. It could make more accidents. Therefore, he threw it into the gorge and chose to perform his duty.
1. Explain the title of the poem. Who are all those travelling through the dark ?
ANS: By the title we know the speaker is driving a motor in the dark. He travels through the heights and along the jungle. He is nature lover. They are all nature lovers and naturalists who travel through the dark. “That road is narrow” indicates that the speaker is in the jungle by the side of the river, not in the highway.
2. Show how the action develops stanza by stanza.
ANS: The poem has five stanzas and each stanza is interrelated. In the first stanza, the speaker finds a dead deer on the way and pulls it to the side. In the second stanza, he gets down the car and sees a deer killed immediately. It is stiff and cold. He pulls it off. In the third stanza, the speaker doesn’t act but thinks seriously about the living fawn inside the belly of the deer. In the fourth stanza, he explains the sounds of machine in the car in the isolated place. And in the last stanza, he pushes the deer into the river.
3. At what point does the physical action cease, to be replaced by another kind?
ANS: In the third stanza, the physical action ceases and mental actions begins. The speaker feels the warm belly of the dead doe and seriously thinks about the future of the fawn and imagines different things about it.
4. How do the last two lines complete both types of action ?
ANS: The last two lines complete both physical and mental activities. The first line of the last stanza shows mental activity and the speaker thinks about the living creatures and nature. But the last two line describes the physical activity of the speaker and he pulls the doe into the river. Both activities end.
5. What is the meaning of the last two lines of the poem ? Does the poem moralize?
ANS: The last two lines in the poem means there is a problem in the environment and problem of life. The life problem can’t be corrected because the doe is already killed which is bitter reality. The dead body can pollute the environment and the speaker has morality to last duality of life and to keep environment clean so he completes his duty.
6. Do you think the reference to the alive but never-to-be-born fawn sentimental ?
ANS: Yes, of course, the poet tries to make the poem sentimental and he opens the reality of the life of the fawn. They are made but dead without birth in the earth. It is bitter reality.
7. Explain the meaning of the word “swerve” in line 4 and line 17. Does the speaker “swerve” ?
ANS: In line four of the word “swerve” means to change the direction of the car and in line seventeen the word “swerve” means to change the idea. In line four, the speaker doesn’t move or change the direction of his car because it makes the condition of deer worse and in line seventeen he changes his mind and pushes the deer into the river instead of thinking about the fawn’s fate.
8. Stanza 4 is the break in the narrative. How do you explain it’s significance in the poem ?
ANS: From first stanza to third stanza the speaker describes the condition if deer and it’s fawn’s fate but immediately in the fourth stanza, the writer changes the subject and describes his situation. It is important because there is a part of life that they should continue their journey. The break occurs because the poem moves from physical description to the mental state of the poet. He changes his mind and decides to push the dead deer into the river.
9. What is the tone of the poem: ironical, sympathetic, and indifferent?
ANS: The tone of the poem is ironical. At first, the poet shows sympathy on the fawns but at last he ends the life of the fawn. The poet seems nature lover but kills the doe and it’s unborn kid. The reader shows love to the fawn but not to the doe. So, in conclusion, the poem has ironical tone although there is sympathy on fawn.
Lesson- 7
A Story
Summary
"A Story" is a funny story in which the writer presents the adult's world from a boy's point of view. The narrator of the story is a young boy, who is living with his uncle and aunt. He describes them using a lot of comparisons. The uncle is a very big man, but his house is small. He drops a lot of food on his clothes while eating. He speaks very loudly and has red hair. On the other hand, the aunt is small and quiet. She is compared to a cat because she walks as quietly as a cat. The aunt spends a lot of time cleaning the small house. In this story she gets angry at her husband because he is going on an outing with his friends and will drink a lot of alcohol.
The narrator also describes some of his uncle's friends who are going on the outing.
For example, there is Bob the Fiddle who stole the money to pay for the past outing so that he could buy alcohol. There is Mr. Franklin who is keeping the money for this year's outing. Will Sentry is following Mr. Franklin everywhere to make sure that this year's money is not stolen. Finally the boy describes the outing. He has to go on the outing because his aunt has gone to her mother's house and there is no one at home to take care of him. The men take a bus and stop at every public house and drink alcohol. The boy has to wait outside because children are not allowed to enter the bars. The men go swimming in a river near Porthcawl, but they don't actually reach their destination. In the evening they cook dinner with a kerosene stove in the open field.
To sum up, the story criticizes careless people who lead their life without any aim.
This story is not written chronological in order. To have better understanding it can be divided into five episodes.
Episode 1:
The narrator describes his uncle, Mr. Thomas and aunt, Mrs. Sarah. The couple looked unmatched to the boy, as the former is abnormally huge and noisy in comparison to the latter, who very small, gauzy and quiet.
Episode 2:
In this part the boy heard about the outing for the first time. Mr. Benjamin Franklyn, a friend of the boy’s uncle, came with the news that everything was going right according to the plan. He said he had collected enough money for the charabanc and twenty cases of pale ale. In addition to this, he also declared to give a pound to every member on the first stoppage. But Will Sentry was skeptical of him as Bob the Fiddle, their ex-treasurer, had defrauded money on their last outing. After that it was decided that the new treasurer must show the account clearly.
Episode 3:
On the next Sunday Mr. Franklyn came with the list of the members going on the outing. Everybody got satisfied and the plan was approved. It was decided that they would go on the outing on coming Saturday.
Episode 4:
When Sarah heard that Mr. Thomas is going on an outing, she didn’t like it. She gave him option to choose one between wife and outing. Quite surprisingly uncle chose the latter. But it does not mean that their relation is broken after that, Mr. Thomas raised her onto a chair and got punishment from her, which was always several blows from a china dog. Sarah went to her mother’s house on Saturday leaving the required instructions in a note like every year.
Episode 5:
The final part of the story describes the outing and the peculiar habits of its members from a boy’s perspective. Mr. Thomas took his nephew with him on the outing. The other members did not like that but they soon forgot it as they wanted to start at right time for the Porthcawl. But when they left the village and reached a bit further they found O. Jones missing. They had to return to village to take him which Mr. Weazley didn’t like. But when they set off again, Mr. Weazley remembered that he had forgotten his teeth at home. He requested them to go back to the village but this time on one listened to him.
In the way they stopped at every pub, assigned the boy to look after the old bus and drank a lot. The whole afternoon passed in drinking and at dusk they reached to a stream. They swam in it and forgot that they had to reach Porthcawl. Actually, they could not reach the place they had aimed for and returned home from the mid-way. While returning home they didn’t find any pub open. Thus, the thirty drunkards decided to assemble into a field and drank more. By this time the boy was so tired that he fell asleep. This humorous story ends by showing how in our day to day life we run after glamour, immediate gains, and amusement. The thirty men never reached the destination they had aimed for as they didn’t realize the value of time. It also makes us realize that how the grown-ups always dictate the children about the right and wrong things but they hardly bother what example they themselves set for them.
Q. 1. Describe the narrator’s uncle and his Aunt.
Ans: The description of Uncle Thomas and Aunt Sarah is quite humorous. The narrator, who is a small boy, has used child imagery to describe them. He has used different similes and metaphors and hints that the couple is unmatched. The Uncle is so huge that the whole room becomes smaller when he comes in side it. He looks like a buffalo squeezed into an airy cupboard. He is very noisy and his voice is compared with the trumpet of an elephant. He doesn’t seem well mannered and when he eats, litters his waistcoat which is as big as a meadow for the boy.
But quite opposite to the husband Mrs. Sarah, the boy’s aunt, is quite small. She hardly makes her presence felt wherever she goes. Unlike her husband, she is soft spoken, which the boy tells is like the squeaking of a mouse. She is also a perfectionist and most of her time goes in arranging and dusting the things in her house. Above all she is a caring wife too. We see when she leaves for her mother’s house in anger she doesn’t forget to remind Mr. Thomas about food.
The description of Mr. Thomas and Mrs. Sarah might appear unmatched from a small boy’s perspective, but the caring attitude of wife towards the husband and willingness of the husband to get the punishment from the wife also suggest that there is a good understanding between them.
Lesson- 8
The Last Voyage of the Ghost Ship G. G. Marquez
SUMMARY
This story is written by applying stream of consciousness technique. It explains how a boy deepens his observation and grows from an ordinary boy to an assertive young man.
When the story starts we find the boy is already grown into assertive man, when he asserts, “Now they are going to see who I am.” But in the very next line we are made familiar about the past events through retrospective technique.
Four years ago in March, the boy saw a huge ship, which lost its way, crushed to a rock and sank. There were no lights on the ship. Neither had it appeared in the light of the lighthouse. He could only see the ship in extreme darkness. Our common sense tells that we can see an object only if it is luminous or it is illuminated. Thus, it is clear that it was just an imagination of the boy. He was himself not sure about that vision for the first time and didn’t tell anybody about that.
In the following March, he saw a similar ship again. This time he told his mother about it. His mother didn’t believe him. Rather, she thought the boy became lunatic and lamented for three weeks. However, she assured him that she would go and look at the ship if it came again. But before the arrival of the ship, she died.
When the ship appeared in March again, the boy called the villagers to see that ship. But as there wasn’t any ship and they beat the boy for telling lie. After that the boy decided if the ship came next time he would show everybody how big the ship was.
The ship appeared in the fourth March too. This time the boy led the ship with a stolen lamp in a small boat. The light of the lamp helped the ship to correct it way and it followed the boy. The boy brought the ship to the village. The gigantic ship was 97 times longer than the village and 20 times taller than the church. The boy imagined that its loud siren had woken the whole village and they were looking at the ship in disbelieve. This would help him to prove his worth and who he was.
Actually it is the story about the powerful imagination of the boy. Sometimes a person’s creative power becomes so sharp that he can see his vision in concrete form. A normal mind with limited power of creativity hardly sees such picture.
Lesson- 9
God’s Grandeur
Summary
The world is full of God’s magnificence. The electrical images (charged, shining) convey danger as well as power of God. The poet constantly emphasizes that God’s glory is hidden except to the inquiring eye or on special occasions. In comparing the lightening to’ shaken gold foil, he may possibly have been influenced by the gold-leaf electroscope. The opening lines convey Hopkin’s sense of the power ·and glory of god latent in the world. The question describes what man has done to the world that should shine with God’s grandeur. Next comes the suggestion of ruin and dirtiness with the vowel run seared, bleared, smeared. The process is continued by smudge and smell, which pick up the initial consonant sound ’smear’ and, with new intensification, makes man’s smell indeed foul. One can also notice, in Line 7, the intensifying effect in the rhyme of wears and shares and the repetition of man’s with each: the earth is doubly infected (wears, shares) with man’s filth (dirtiness) as it were. The first four lines thus carry the imagery of the thunderstorm at first, the sense of brooding expectancy and then the burst of lighting. Here, Hopkins is concerned with why other people do not respond as he did, and the answer is suggested in the next four lines, beginning with “Generations have trod, have trod, have trod.” Generations of men, ignoring the miraculous quality of life, have lost touch with the grandeur of god and become callous (heartless) to it. Their efforts have all been away from what is most essential to them. Man has betrayed his inborn nature instead of developing it, and has given himself up to trade, industrialization and materialism. He has isolated himself from the sources of knowledge to be found in nature, allowing his greed to destroy his, natural sensitivity to beauty. The poets sweeping condemnation of 19th century industrialization comes very close to his condemnation of man himself.”Shares man’s smell” although it could possibly refer to smells in manufacturing, it suggests physical loathing (hateful). But even at this stage there is hope and faith.
“And for all this, nature is never spent their lives the dearest freshness deep down things”. Natural beauty is still a loving force to him, and a constant reassurance of God’s concern for the world. Explicitly, Hopkins contrasts here the beauty of nature with the ugliness of mankind’s deeds.
Thus, the poem is a protest against the materialism of the Victorian age. Although man is greedy and wasteful, he may still hope to be saved as long as God is there. This is an explicitly religious poem.
Lesson 10
I HAVE A DREAM
“I have A Dream’ is an unforgettable speech delivered (given) by Martin Luther King to millions of American blacks and whites on August 28, 1963. This speech represents the hopes and dreams of all American blacks who have been struggling for their rights and freedom. Though the American constitution and the Declaration of Independence have promised equal rights, justice and freedom to all the blacks and whites, this is not implemented in practice. In the American Societies, there is still strong racial discrimination, injustice, hatred and other inequalities between whites and blacks. The Blacks are hated, neglected and tortured in practice. In the American societies, there is still strong racial discrimination, injustice, hatred and other inequalities between whites and blacks. The Blacks are hated, neglected and tortured because of their black skin. They are deprived of their rights, freedom, equality and justice. They are treated to be slaves and are exiled in their own country. They live very poor and miserable life among the rich whites. Only the whites enjoy rights of life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness.
Luther king addresses the American Blacks and says that they should continue their struggle until they establish equality, peace and brotherhood in America. However, their struggle should be without violence. He says that they should fight for their rights without causing physical violence which may cause bitterness and hatred. They should follow the path and philosophy of Mahatma Gandhi. If they keep on struggling in a disciplined way, they will achieve their aims. Luther king hopes that one day; the chains of hatred, racial discrimination, injustice and Inequalities will be broken. The new sun will rise with the rays of liberty, equality, peace and brotherhood.
Luther King urges that there should be immediate change in the conception of whites. The racial and color discrimination will weaken the foundation of America. Luther King says that his dream is the dream of America. His dream is the dream of freedom, justice and equality. The color of the skin is not important. What is important in humanity? Therefore one day, all discrimination and inequality will disappear. All the blacks and whites will walk together joining hands as brother and sister. At last, not only blacks, all the American people will be free. There will be sweet music of liberty, justice and equality all over America.
1. What is the apparent (exact) purpose of the speech of Martin Luther King Jr.? Explain King’s analogy of bad check (cheque).
Ans. The apparent purpose of King’s speech is to get the black people their rights of freedom, equality and justice avoiding racial injustice based on color of skin. Although the constitution of America promises equal rights to its entire citizen, the black people have been deprived from enjoying the rights and get the victim of social segregation and discrimination. Therefore Martin Luther King Jr. Delivers this speech demanding justice for the black people.
King makes an analogy (comparison) between promises of an American constitution and a bad check. Though the constitution of America promises equal right rights to the entire citizen irrespective of colour and creed, America has failed to pay her black citizen the rights promised in the constitution. They are given bad check i.e. false promises by architects of American constitution. If there is insufficient amount in the bank out, the cheque of higher amount issued against this account is not enchased and returned unpaid such cheque is consider as a bad check. Similar way although the constitution of America guarantees the equality for all, the black citizens are turned down from getting justice in America. Therefore, king compares the promises made by the American constitution with a bad check.
Lesson- 11
Women’s Business Ilene Kantrov
SUMMARY
The writer Ilene Kantov is feminist writer who supports the most of the ideas of the women and their notion in the essay in the modern trend of globalization. She portrays a portrait of Lydia Pinkham and she goes on to tell about other business women who follow her footsteps. Lydia Pinkham combines her business with social service. She supports women’s rights, temperance and their social as well as economic reform. Her kind and beautiful face shines in the pages of papers to advertise her medicinal products to cure the diseases of women. She expects a militant feminist would support the business policy of Pinkham. She would certainly support women’s rights, independence as well as social and economic upliftment. She would react positively to Lydia’s advertising to champion women’s rights, temperance and fiscal reform. She would equally support the women’s advice on nutrition, exercise, hygiene and child rearing. She would, thus praise the activities of Pinkham and other women who tried to make the women race socially aware and economically independent. Lydia Pinkham and many other women of her time played different roles to promote women’s business. They competed with their male counterparts and didn’t hesitate to go to the court of law like male businessmen. A militant feminist would no doubt praise and support all these activities of women in this essay.
However; there are some debatable statements of the writer which are not digestible for a militant feminist. Lydia Pinkham suggests her women customers not to go to the male physicians. A true feminist wouldn’t support such idea. She also wouldn’t support the altitudes of Helena and Elizabeth who attracted women to use cosmetics in the hope of getting married to European aristocrats. She would object the idea of limiting women’s business within their own race. A true feminist may think that men and women are interdependent. In the absence of either men or women, the world will not run. Thus, the business women should focus on the equality of men and women.
“Women’s Business” differs in many ways from their male counterparts. The business women combined their business with social service. They displayed their images to advertise their products. The women offered their customers more than their products. They supported women’s rights, temperance, and social and economic reform. They gave advice to their customers about diet, exercise, hygiene etc. They printed reports for the women to cure physical problems, infertility nervousness, hysteria and even marital conflict. They used their images as women to promote their business. Helena and Elizabeth, for example, took advantage of their images as women to promote their business of cosmetics. Some business women tried to show their roles as mother and grandmother and some other developed their images as glamorous fashionable women. They advertised their products, promoted their business and earned a lot of money as well. Some women even invested some part of their profit into good works and social reform. However, women were more sex conscious. They helped only women and promoted traditional women’s skills. Lydia Pinkham, the leading American Business woman of that time advised her customers to avoid male physicians. In the realities of the market place, some business-women didn’t support feminism.
Lesson- 12
The Children Who Wait
Marsha Traugot wrote the essay “The Children who wait”, in the prevalent trend of child adoption in few decade in America context. Marsha Traugot suggests reasons for a new trend in adoption. Now a wider variety of Families can open their homes to children who in the past would have been leveled unadoptable. In setting forth the causes for this phenomenon, Traugot draws from specific case histories.
The writer begins her essay with an example of a 51/2 years old black homeless girl named Tammy who is suffering from fatal alcohol syndrome which can stop her intellectual growth at any time. By this, Traugot wants to prove that she is not dealing with fiction but a specific case study. In the past, especially before 1960, the black, disabled, handicapped and sick children were unadoptable. Tammy has recently been legally freed for adoption which shows the changes that have taken place in the American adoption scene. Before 1960, only healthy white infants could be adopted. But now, the American adoption scene has been completely changed due to different civil rights movements, birth control, changing social values and social science research. Because of civil rights movements, the attitudes of American people towards Negro children changed. Due to birth control and legalized abortion, fewer unwanted babies were born. Even the unmarried women could keep their babies with them because of the changing social values. As a result, healthy babies were hardly available for adoption and people turned their attention to other children like Tammy.
Due of massive growth of population, the number of homeless children is in the increasing trend. Between 1960 and 1978, the number of children in the foster home reached nearly half a million. Many states have no idea about the number of children who lived with their biological parents, who lived in foster homes and those children who could be adopted. If such children were left in the foster homes more than 18 months, they would suffer from different kinds of illnesses and social crimes. It would make their life more troublesome, complicated and worse. The politicians also wouldn’t invest any fund to begin new programs for such children as the children have no rights to vote. So, the homeless children were neglected and uncared. According to the child care specialists, the cost of keeping an average child in foster home was. $3,600 to $24,000. This shows that the foster home was expensive and cruel. The writer suggests that the social workers should change their attitudes. They should accept even disabled children for adoption. They should open child care centers and hold meetings.
Now, the social workers write down the characteristics of the child and the profile of a suitable family and then they try to match. To find the possible adoptive parents, the social workers first look to their lists. They give detailed information about the children to the regional exchange offices. They organize meetings and parties for children and possible parents to meet informally. If they still can t find adopters by personal contact, they advertise on T.V. and publish the child’s profile in the newspapers. Thus, the child welfare specialists and the social workers can do a lot for the children who wait for adoption.
Lesson- 13
A Child is Born Germaine Greer
SUMMARY
The writer shows many differences between a traditional and modern society in matters of pregnancy, childbirth and childbearing. The traditional society is full of different customs, tradition~ rituals and superstition. A pregnant woman has to follow all such rites. She doesn’t get proper respect at home and society unless she gives birth to a child. Because of the customs, traditions and the culture of the traditional society, pregnant women are loved, cared and supported by her husbands, members of her family and all the relatives. Because of this, she doesn’t worry much about the possible pain and danger in childbirth.
The traditional behaviors are responsible to increase her sense of security. However, in modern western societies, a pregnant woman is not cared like this. Since the people in the modern western society don’t believe much on different rites, traditions and superstitions, the pregnant woman is not attended by her husband and relatives. She is not free from mental burden. She is always worried about the possible danger and pain of the childbirth. She has to practice pregnantal exercises and make other preparations herself. She frequently visits doctors for advice and to get her pregnancy checked up. Her pregnancy is not given much importance by her family, relatives and the society.
In the traditional eastern societies, the infant and mother mortality rate is higher because of the lack of modern methods and equipments. The traditional childbirths are conducted among various superstitions, customs, rites, rituals and traditions. The pregnant women don’t visit hospitals for check up. Because of this, a large number of women and their infants die untimely in the traditional society. In the modern western society, however, the infant and mother mortality rate is very low. The pregnant women shouldn’t carryon various customs, traditions and superstitions. They frequently visit doctors and follow their suggestions. They practice many modern methods and equipments for the childbirth. If the life of the mother or the infant is in danger, the doctors conduct operations to save them. Thus, the women in the modern society give birth very easily and safely among the modern methods and facilities.
After the childbirth, the women in the traditional Eastern society are respected and praised much for their courage. Many people attend her with gifts to see the child and to congratulate the mother. People organize parties to celebrate the birth ceremony. There is feasting, singing and dancing. The mother is given permission to go to her mother’s house for few months. The whole family helps her to rear the child. However, there is no such system in the modern western society. In such society, there is no one at home to welcome the child and to praise the courage of the mother.
Lesson- 14
THE TELL -TALE HE Edgar Allan Poe
SUMMARY
“The Tell-Tale Heart” is a psychological and strange story written by Edger Allan Poe. The unnamed narrator of the story is probably a boy who lives in an old man’s house. He is suffering from the nervous disease. He is over sensitive to hearing. According to him, the old man has the eye like vulture. The narrators fears from the eyes of old man. When the eye of the old man falls upon the narrator, his blood becomes cold. To overcome these fear, the narrator wants to kill the old man to destroy the eye. Every night, the boy tries to kill the old man but becomes unsuccessful. On the eighth night, when he opens the door of the old man, he suddenly has a feeling of power. He kills the old man to be free from the eye of vulture He cuts off the head and arms of the old man and hides the dead body under the wooden floor. The boy neglects to remove the watch from the wrist of the old man. He leaves no sign of blood and other proofs of murder.
After the murder the three police officers have arrived to the house for investigation. They search the house but find no evidence of the murder. The narrator hides his inner feelings and behaves very politely and pleasantly to the police officers. He talks with a smile and shows the policemen the treasure (money) and the room of the old man. He answers the questions of the officers very carefully and happily. They believe the narrator and they talk in a friendly way about other things. Then suddenly, the boy hears the tick-tick sound that comes actually from the watch of the old man. However, the narrator mistakes it for the heart beating of the dead body. The boy tries to kill the sound by talking loudly but the sound becomes louder and louder. He becomes angry and excited. He throws his chairs across the room. The policemen still talk and smile. The boy thinks that they have already known the hidden truth. He realizes that they are making fun of him, and then in his mad sense, the narrator confesses his crime. He says that he has murdered the old man and hidden the dead body under the wooden floor.
Finally, the boy kills an innocent old man because of his madness. His nervous disease leads him to be a murderer. Again, because of his mad sense, he mistakes the clock sound of the watch to be the heart beating of the dead body and thus he confesses his guilt in front of police officers.
Lesson-15
Purgatory William Butler Yeats
SUMMARY
W.B. Yeats’s play “Purgatory” depicts the restlessness of spirit after the death and bothers the living beings. Purgatory refers the place or state into which the soul passes after death to become purified of pardonable sins before going to heaven. In the play, there are two characters as old man and his son. Besides that there is dead spirit who hovers here and there for his part. The play basically concerns with the sorrow of the dead and the consequences of the crimes of the dead upon the living ones. The father of the old man committed a great crime by wasting the property by drinking and destroying the honorable house and deprived his son (the old man) from education and inheritance of the property. As a result, the old man, when he was sixteen, murdered his own father. In the play, the ruined house is often visited by the remorseful spirit of old man’s father and mother. The suffering spirit is not purified to enter the heaven because of its crimes and sins during alive.
The groom (one who looks after the horse) marries a rich lady and the couples have a son. The lady dies after the birth of a child and the groom wastes her property by spending a lot and drinking. When the son becomes 16 years old, he murders his own father who burns the honored house, wastes the property and makes his son deprived of education and inheritance (legal rights) of the property. The son has become old now and he has a bastard son (born out of wedlock). The scene of the play is a ruined house and a bare (naked) tree in the background. The old man and his bastard son stand in the moonlight before the house.
During the anniversary of the old man’s mother’s wedding night, the old man finds that the suffering spirit visits the house again and again in the ruined house. The old man sees the ghost of his mother and hears the hoof-beats (sound from animal foots) of his father’s horse. The boy sees nothing and calls his father mad. The old man discloses the history of the destroyed house to his son. The boy steals the bag of money from the old man and tries to run away. They fight for the money that is scattered (spread) on the ground. The boy threatens to kill the old man. Now the old man is afraid of his own son who has become 16 years old. The old man thinks that his son may repeat the disgraceful tradition of his father. The old man decides to stop the polluted tradition which may last for generations. In the meantime, the boy also sees the spirit of his grandparents and he becomes shocked. The old man suddenly stabs (kills by knife) his son to death to finish all the consequences. The stage is darkened and the bare tree appears “like a purified soul’ in the white light. The old man at the tree and explains why he has killed the boy. He wants to put an end to the chain of consequences, the polluted blood and its consequence. When he bends to pick up the scattered money, he again hears the hoof-beats of the dead spirit and sadly thinks that the consequence has not come to an end. He laments that he has killed his own father and son without any obvious purpose. Finally, the old man prays to God to free the tormented soul and calm them.
1. What is the theme of purgatory?
Ans. Purgatory is a story of remorseful of a departed soul that committed mistakes on itself while being alive. In order to purify itself, it is undergoing suffering in purgatory. It is also concerned with the living beings who suffer the consequences of the sin committed by the dead people while alive and the help rendered by the living beings to get the soul released from purgatory.
2. What is the motive (aim) in murdering his son by the old man?
Ans: The old man believes that by murdering his son, he has stopped the boy to have a son of his own who would kill him after attaining 16 years of age, thereby breaking the endless cycle of violence. He also believes that by killing his son, he helps his mother’s soul to get released from purgatory.
Lesson- 17
Hansel and Gretel Jacob and Wilhelm Grimm
Once in a time, nearby the large forest, a poor woodcutter lived with his wife and two children. The son’s name was called Hansel and the daughter was Gretel. The children were always neglected by their step-mother. She didn’t love them and wanted to get rid of them and felt burden because of their presence at the house. There was the scarcity of food and famine in the region, so their father was unable to give food to the children. The step-mother was cruel and unkind to the children. That is why the stepmother made a plan to leave the children in the forest and for that reason she compelled her husband to leave the children in the forest. The children also understood the plan of their parents but didn’t do anything and accepted the bitter reality. They were suffering from hunger. The boy Hansel was very clever and he had gone out at night, filled his pocket with pebbles so as to scatter in the way of their trip to the forests.
One day in the morning, the poor family had begun their trip to forest with the intention to leave the innocent children. Hansel threw the pebbles on the road one by one. When they reached the forest, their father and mother left them were sleeping nearby the fireside. As the children woke up at night, found them alone and their parents had not there, so they waited until the moon rose and followed the road where the pebbles shone like silver pieces. They were able to come in to their house because of the pebbles. Their step-mother was restless to see them but the father was happy. The parents made another plan to leave them into more dense forest and the children had overhead the conversation of their parents but they couldn’t do anything as they were trapped in the room and given some breadcrumbs by the stepmother for the next day and went to a thick forest. But this time Hansel threw the pieces of bread on the road. When the father and mother came back home like before leaving the children in the forest in their deep sleep, the children woke up at night, followed the road but the pieces of bread were not there They missed the road, were tired and fell asleep under a tree. They followed a singing bird when they woke up. They reached a house. The roof of the house was made up of bread and the windows of sugar. The hungry children began to eat the house. An old woman came out from the house. She took them inside the house. They felt that it was heaven. The woman was wicked witch. She wanted to kill and eat them. So she imprisoned Hansel in the stable, gave good food to fatten him. But once, Gretel pushed the woman into the oven and bolted the door of oven and the woman burnt to death. Then Gretel being very happy freed her brother.
The children were extremely excited when they found a lot of pearls and jewels in that house. They put it into their pockets and headed towards the home. But in their way there was a huge body of the water and began singing a son. Then the duck came and rescued them to the side of the river. When they walked a bit more, they knew that the river was familiar and while walking far they had seen their father’s home. They ran and found their father in the home but their step-mother was died. They gave the precious stone, jewels and pearls to their father and lived happily afterwards.
Lesson- 18
The Gingerbread House Robert Coover
SUMMARY
Robert Coover’s story “The Gingerbread House” consists of forty-two numbered paragraphs which shows the parts of the story and it is an adoption of “Hansel and Gretel”. In the mid afternoon, an old man leads two children to the pine forest. The boy is dropping the pieces of bread and the girl is singing nursery songs and carrying a basket of flowers. The old man seems poor and miserable who wears the torn clothes is very poor, weak and thin. The children are also wearing torn clothes and walking with bare feet. The eyes of the old man are blue and his face is wrinkled. He is looking for the chance to leave the children in the thick forest. He feels guilty. Though he loves his children, he has no food to feed them. As they are walking, they encounter terrible witch who has worn black clothes. Her face is pale, her body is thin and twisted and her eyes are like burning coals. She cries madly and stretches her hand in the empty space. She catches a white dove and tears its red heart out.
When they are on their way to their journey, they reach into the “Gingerbread House”. The house can be reached walking on the biscuits through the garden of sugared fruits. The house is made of sweets, chocolates and sugar. There is sticky I garden of sweets. The door of the house is heart shaped and red. It is shining like a ruby. The door is half-open. The place is sunny and beautiful. The air is fresh. There is river of honey and lollipops grow like daisies. The boy looks back and finds that the breadcrumbs that he drops are eaten up by the white birds. He is sad as his plan to return back home fails. The old man and the children spend the night in the forest. The next day, the old man tries to return back home silently but the children see and follow him. He pushes the girl and strikes the boy. The children weep but the old man returns home leaving the children in the dense forest.
There are several obstacles in the story that are faced by the children. Numerous problems and difficulties in the forest are common for them. However, they don’t lose their heart. They come to the gingerbread house. They fall on the sticky garden of sweets. They lick each other clean and are happy. The boy climbs up the roof of chocolate. They enjoy eating bread and sweets. Beyond the door of the house, there is the terrible sound of the witch flapping her black rags.
Lesson- 19
Gretel Garrison Keillor
SUMMARY
“Gretel” is the contemporary adaptation of the writer Garrison Keillor. In this adaptation, the writer strongly states the statement given by Gretel in their going to forest. Gretel explores various feeling related to her bother Hansel, father and stepmother as well as the witch in the gingerbread house. Gretel is a radical or militant feminist. In the fairy tale “Gretel”, Keillor has sketched her character as a strong and dominant person. She blames the male characters who want to exploit her and her step-mother. She has to get half of the profits earned by selling the book according to the contract. However, the lawyers of Hansel put her under a spell and make her sign another contract. Then she gets very little money and the book is regarded to be pure imagination.
Gretel is a benevolent as well as strong girl. She advocates the women’s rights and seems to be a feminist and wanted to raise her voice against the patriarchal society (male-dominated society). She wants to make the women aware and raises the voice against; injustice and inequality. She believes that women should get equal property right. When her brother makes a conspiracy not to share the money after selling the book, she becomes angry and evaluates that males are very cruel. She learns so many things from her own experience. The more she faces problems and suffers, the stronger she becomes. She is very sympathetic to the condition of women in the society. She is even sympathetic to the witch and her stepmother. She criticizes her father and brother. She always supports justice, equality and liberty. She is strong minded, clever, brave and courageous girl. She is very hopeful about her life and future. She thinks that her step mother and the witch are not completely wrong but they show kind behavior towards the children due to the tradition. So tradition or faith is wrong. She is hopeful because she thinks that a girl like her may be the pray of various animals as well as birds. She may be bothered by fairies, shepherds, hermits as well. Gretel after all cope the circumstances with her wise sense and cleverness.
Gretel expresses her different opinion to the cruel character too. Her step-mother is presented to be wicked and cruel; she is not so according to Gretel. Gretel says that it is the plan of the cruel father to leave her and her brother in the dense forest. She has to beat her brother to make him walk. She has to carry him on her back. Her father is a drunkard and the step mother can do nothing against his will. She blames her father and brother for being cruel and selfish. They live happily in a large building but Gretel and her step-mother have no home of their own. Gretel raises her hand against the male domination. She supports the principle that women should have the equal rights as men. She raises her voice against injustice. She supports feminism. She goes against male superiority. She proves that Hansel, being male, is unable to do anything. He is tired, nervous and afraid. She proves his weakness by carrying him on her back.
Gretel criticizes her father also says he is selfish, unkind and irresponsible. He dominates his wife and doesn’t give her the share of property. Gretel is not afraid of anything. She has even sympathy to the witch. She thinks that the witch and the step-mother are not as bad as they are supposed to be. She feels sorry for the witch as she has pushed her without good reason. She thinks that the witch suffers most. In this way Gretel is a strong feminist who criticizes the existing male superiority in the society. She suffers because of the injustice of males. However, she is never hopeless. She believes that no children suffer permanently in the lap of nature. In this way. We can strongly state that Gretel is the strong supporter of justice, equality and she often condemns (criticizes) injustice, male domination, sex discrimination and other social inequalities.
Lesson- 20
The Little Brother and the Little Sister Jacob and Wilhelm Grimm
SUMMARY
It is transformation fairy tale written by Jacob and Wilhelm Grimm’s. “The Little Brother and the Little Sister” are all about the account of “Hansel and Gretel” in a different way. The children are not identified by their names but by their relation. So, the title is not “Hansel and Gretel” but “The Little Brother and The Little Sister”. In this fairy tale, a poor woodcutter lives by a great forest. He lives very difficult life with his second-wife and two children. Once, there is a famine (food shortage) and the family has no bread to eat. The step-mother is very cruel who forces her husband to leave the children in the forest. The children know the plan of their parents. The brother goes out of the house at night in the moonlight and fills his pocket with the shining pebbles. The next morning, the little brother and his sister are taken to the forest. On the way, the brother keeps on dropping the shining stones one by one. In the forest, the parents make a great fire and ask the children to wait until they come back. However, the parents don’t come back. The children are worried and they wait for the moon. When the moon shines at night, they came back home following the shining pebbles. The father who loves them very much becomes happy but the cruel step mother becomes angry.
In the meantime, there is the scarcity of food. The step mother again compels the father to get rid of the children. They again take the children to the forest. This time the little brother drops the pieces of bread on the ways. The parents again make a great fire and come back home leaving the children in the forest. The little sister and her brother wait until the moon shines at night. However they don’t find the pieces of bread as they are eaten up by the birds. Then they are lost in the dense forest. They walk on and on for three days and finally they reach a house made of bread. The Window is made of sugar. When they begin to eat, an old witch comes and takes them inside the house she provides them with good food and nice bed. The next day, she imprisons the boy in the stable and makes the little sister work hard.
After making Hansel fat, she wants to kill the brother and roast the little sister. One day the witch asks the sister to go into the oven to see if it is hot or not for the cakes. The clever sister says that she doesn’t know how to go into the oven. When the witch shows how to go in, the little girl pushes the witch inside the oven and closes the door of the oven. The witch burns to death. The little sister frees her little brother and they return home with a lot of jewels. The step mother is already dead. The father becomes happy and rich.
Lesson-21
Hansel and Gretel Jack Zipes
INTERPRETATION
Jack Zipes interprets story ‘Hansel and Gretel from the different perspective. He chooses to interpret the story from the Marxist point of view. He expresses that this story is a story of hope and victory. All the character in the story is very low level but supporting traditional cultural values. A poor man wood-cutter who has not sufficient food to feed his family. He has got a second Wife but she also negates the children and shows her rude behavior. The children are so kind and lovely, they are Hansel and Gretel. Because of famine in the region, the woodcutter and his wife decide to leave the children in the dense forest to get rid of them and survive easily. They leave the children according to their previous plan and the children suffer much in the forest and later came to the grip of witch.
According to Marxist theory, there is always conflict between two class, upper class and lower class. Jack describes children as lower class and oppressed and step-mother and witch as high class and oppressor. But the children save themselves because of their cleverness and trick; they kill the witch and returned home with a lot of jewels and pearls. The witch’s house is made up bread and sugar to attract the poor children.
In the story there are two classes higher and lower class. The lower class also represents the woodcutter family and higher class represents the witch and stepmother. This story shows the famine and poverty of 18th and the struggle between the two classes where the lower class always wins at last. At the end of the 18th century the people wanted the change from feudalism to capitalism. The feudal ideology was proved wrong. The people were ready to struggle and they hoped their bright future in capitalism. The poor family changes their lifestyle from extreme poverty to the richness from the jewels the children carries from witch’s house is one of the best example of transition phase from feudalism to early capitalism and this is exactly what Karl Marx predicts.
Lesson-22
Hansel and Gretel Bruno Bettelheim
Interpretation
Bruno Bettelheim interprets the folk-tale “Hansel and Gretel” revealing (showing) various social and cultural meanings. The story reveals the bitter truth that poverty, scarcity and hardships lead people towards selfishness, cruelty and bad deeds (bad works). Hansel and Gretel have always· a fear in their minds that their own parents want to abandon (leave) them because of the lack of food. The step-mother is cruel and selfish. Though the father loves the children, he can’t go against his wife. He feels guilty and his heart becomes heavy when he leaves the children in the dense forest. The children come back to the house though their parents are selfish. In our society also, the step-mothers are generally selfish, cruel and jealous. They usually hate their step children and force their husbands to do whatever they want. The same thing happens in this story. Because of the cruelty of the step mother, the children ‘(Hansel and Gretel) suffer a lot. However, the suffering and hardships make the children bold and mature. Facing many difficulties, they reach the house of witch. They are tempted by the bread and sugar of the house. When they are welcomed by the witch, they become happy. But, when the witch plans to kill them, they realize the danger of greed and temptation. They learn that to be greedy is to invite risk. When the children kill the witch and return with jewels and pearls, they realize that one must bear pain to have a gain. They learn the fact that without facing danger and without taking risk, they can achieve nothing. The treasure is the reward for the danger, pain, hardships etc. faced by the children. After killing the witch, the children learn the social fact that everything can be done by co-operation. At the time of danger, one should use reason (mind) instead of passions.
The story has a great cultural significance. The witch welcomes the children to eat them. The house gives shelter to the children but they can’t control their desires and eat the house which brings danger to them. The white bird which leads the children to the house of the witch is culturally the symbol of peace and kindness. The white duck which helps them to cross the river is the symbol of co-operation and selflessness. The expanse of water is the symbol of maturity. After crossing the river, the children reach a higher stage of development. They become economically strong. They are no longer the burden of the family. They become independent, wise, matured and happy.
Source: HSEB Notes
