-----------------------------------------Grandmother------------------------------------------------
@ What are the four things that Ray Young Bear remembers about his grandmother? [057-3]
@ What is the main idea of the poem? [063-3]
@ What impression of grandmother does the speaker give in the poem 'Grandmother'? [065-3]
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
"Grandmother"
written by American- Indian poet Ray Young Bear is a recollection of
poet's unfathomable love for his grandmother. The poet draws the picture
of his grandmother - all loving, all inspiring- through the use of
images.
As
a grandson, the poet's heart is very close to his grandmother. This
poem presents the poets deep sense of intimacy and closeness to his
grandmother even after her death. He can not forget her. Her images come
into his mind as fresh as before. He could recognize her by all senses
except taste. If the poet would see her from a long distance, he could
easily recognize her. Her warm and damp hands with the smell of roots on
his head would make him guess that those were her caressing hands. Even
the voice coming out of her tombstone would flow inside him like a
light coming from a sleeping fire at night. Her words would inspire him
and enlighten his spirit.
@ What are the four things that Ray Young Bear remembers about his grandmother? [2057] = The things that Ray Young Bear remembers about his grandmother are her shape, her purple scarf, warm and damp hands and her inspiring voice.
@ 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?
=
The poet has used images to discover two intertwined themes -
recollection of his grandmother at one level and search for identity at
another level. The images like 'purple scarf', 'plastic shopping bag',
'the light ... at night ' appeal to our sense of sight. These images
also have symbolic link to the Indian culture. 'Plastic shopping bag'
indicates the poverty of Indian tribe. 'The light .... at night'
associates that the spirituality of Indian culture guides him in the
modern corrupt American society. The images like 'smell of root' appeal
to our sense of smell. It indicates the work ethic of Indian tribe and
his grandmother. They are near to nature and are good farmers. 'Warm and
damp hands' appeal to our sense of touch. It also shows how his
grandmother and Indian tribes work in fields with pleasure and sense of
duty. ' A voice' and 'her words' appeal to our sense of hearing. This
indicates how the teachings and philosophy of Indian culture enlightens
his spirits.
Thus by the use of images, the poet has symbolically linked his grandmother to the lost culture of Indian tribe.
---------------------------------The Lamentation of the Old Pensioner--------------------------------
@ Why does the poet show his anger against time? [Model/065-3]
@ Why does the old man want to 'spit into the face of time'? [058-3]
@ Mention any three things the old man laments about. Why is he sad about them? [059-3]
@ Why and how does the old pensioner lament? [061-3]
@ What is the speaker lamenting on? [062-3]
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
=
"The Lamentation of the Old Pensioner" written by W.B. Yeats, presents
the speaker's reminiscences of his young life which become more painful
when he contrasts his time of youth with his present old age. He laments
on the passing of his joyful youth.
In
the past, the speaker was young and he had a good job. So his friends
and lovers followed him. He was happy to talk about love and politics.
His past life only gives him agony because Time has turned him into
ugly, weak and useless old man. Neither his friends nor any beauties
follow him. He is envious to see other young people who challenge any
conspiracy and evils. This
old man, who is forced away from politics and love, is still tormented
by the passions of his youth for women and conversation. He
thinks that his greater enemy is Time because it made him old and stole
his physical beauty, power and beautiful lovers. Time stole his
youthful vitality, energy and sexual power. He compares his old stage
with the broken tree. Time robbed all his happiness from him because it
transfigured him into an ugly, powerless, passionless, deformed and
lonely old man. So, he shows his anger against Time and spits on the
face of it.
---------------------------Full Fathom Five Thy Father Lies----------------------------------------The poem "Full Fathom Five Thy Father Lies" is taken from Shakespeare's play "The Tempest". Here the spirit Ariel sings this song to Ferdinand, Prince of Naples, who mistakenly thinks that his father is drowned.
Ariel
says that Ferdinand's father is dead and is lying thirty feet below in
the sea bed. The Prince is very sad to miss his father in a sea-wind, so
Ariel gives sympathy to him by saying that death is a meaningful
change. He says that the bones of his father have turned into coral and
eyes into pearls. Sea-nymphs respect him with death bell every hour.
None of the parts have wasted but changed into more valuable. Ariel
pretends that he is listening the ding dong sound of the bell.
In
this poem death is shown as a meaningful change. Death is not an
absolute end but only a process of transformation into another natural
object. The main idea of this song is that - man who is part of nature transforms into another natural objects after death. The
body of Ferdinand's father has been changed into something more
valuable and strange. His bones have changed into corals and eyes into
pearls. Even after death, he is warmly welcomed in heaven by nymphs by
ringing the bell.
----------------------------------------------About Love--------------------------------------------------
@ What kinds of love experiences are suggested by Alyohin in "About Love"?[2057-3]
=
In "About Love" , three kinds of love experiences are suggested by
Alyohin. The first one is the love affair between Nikanor and Pelageya.
Their love is sensual, often violent. Though there is no understanding
between them, sexual passion binds them. Their love is not bound by
marital relation. The second love affair is between Alyohin and a girl
when he was studying in the university. Though Alyohin loved her, she
thought love as a way to earn money. This love affair can be seen as the
ugliest where sex is exchanged with money. The third love affair
between Alyohin and Anna Alexeyevna can be termed as unexpressed love or
spiritual love. Their heart meet, but being trapped by middle class
morality, their love remains unexpressed. They sacrifice their love for
more good. Alyohin sacrifices his love because he thinks that it would
bring disaster in the life of her children, mother and husband.
Similarly, Alexeyevna does not express her love thinking that she wasn't
young enough to live with him.
@ Character sketch of Alyohin. [2062-10]
Alyohin,
a bachelor and a university graduate, lived in Sofinyo working
labourously in his farm. He had to work in his farm to pay the debt that
his father had spent on his education. He desired a civilized living of
the upper class but could not afford it. In the past while he was a
university student, he fell in love with a girl who only loved his
money. Since he was elected honorary justice of the peace, he often
visited town to take part in assizes and sessions. Once he was invited
to the home of Luganovich to dine. There he met Anna Alexeyevna , aged
22 and married to Luganovich. They fell in love with each other but
could not express their love. They chatted for hours, went to the
theatre together but they parted coldly the next time. Later Anna
suffered from nervous prostration and was sent to Crimea for treatment. During her departure, Alyohin had courage to confess his love and kissed her, but had to part with her forever.
Alyohin's
vision of love is shaped by his own love affair. He thinks that when
people are in love, they ask whether it is honorable or dishonorable ,
sensible or stupid , and what their love will lead to . For him, this
reasoning is the source of dissatisfaction and irritation. He thinks
that love is a great mystery. When one is in love, one should start love
from higher, without reasoning whether their love is sin or virtue, or
whether it brings happiness or unhappiness. According to him to what
extent personal happiness counts in love is uncertain, it differs from
person to person.
Alyohin
is like a squirrel in a cage. He is trapped by reason, middle class
morality and poverty. He is a man-of-thought. He fears to express his
love to Anna because he is too much thoughtful about society's moral
standards. He sacrifices his love thinking that his marriage to Anna
Alexeyevna would ruin the lives of her, her children, her mother and her
husband. He fears that he could not make her happy in his country
house.
@ Character sketch of Anna Alexeyevna.
=
Anna Alexeyevna is the main female character in the story "About Love".
She is a beautiful and charming young lady aged twenty-two. She is
married to Luganovich, assistant president of the circuit court and aged
over forty. Her marriage to an old man can be seen as the cause of her
suffering. Her sexual urge cannot be fulfilled by the man double her
age. So, she tries to get emotional fulfillment from Alyohin which later
turns into love. She is also trapped in reason. She does not confess
her love to Alyohin though she deeply loves him because she fears
society's moral standards. She also thought that she was not young and
energetic enough for him to begin a new married life. Later she becomes
the victim of nervous prostration because of psychological depression
and nervousness.
Summary from internet
“About Love “presents three dimensional love stories. The first love is of Nikanor and Palegeya, second is of Alyohin and a Russian girl, and the third Alyohin and a married women Anna. The Love of Luganovich and Anna is one of the third parts. These three stories are the representatives of the three categories of love. The first story is an example of violent love story. The main character- Nikanor- was drunkard, and interestingly religious minded. In due course of his stay in Alyolin’s house, he fell in love with Palegeya. He instated that Palageya married him. Sometime he used to beat her in his intoxicated state to prevent herself from her husband. She used to hide under the bed of Alyohin. Second love-story is the materialistic love. The lady is concerned with the money only. Every time Alyohin held her in his arm, she used to ask for a months allowance. Third story, which is the main story, is the unexpressed love. It presents a sequence of events in the life of Alyohin and his attraction towards Anna. According to the story, Alyohin was a student and his father was a farmer. Therefore, his father spent the amount needed for his study at university. Because of it, he was in debt. To pay debt Alyohin had no options but to return to his farm and labored hard. However, his desire to live civilized life continued and to fulfill it, he stayed up stairs, read a book, and drank liquor but it did not last long. One night a priest came and drank the whole of his liquor. From that day onwards he stared living downstairs and slept on the sledge (small hut). Before he was here, he was appointed as honorary judge in town. During his period, he came in contact with a Luganovich, who surprisingly invited Alyohin for dinner in his home. When they were having dinner, he got an opportunity to see Anna. From the very first sight, he started to like her. He found her beautiful, impressive and elegant. Hence, his first meeting with the lady reminded an unforgettable event. It was spring when he met her. In the summer, he was in his farm, but the memory of the lady remained. He desired very much to meet, but could not meet until autumn. In autumn, he went to the town where he met with Anna. She showed her worry about Alyohin and expressed wonder at his condition. After the show was over, he went to Anna house, talked with her husband, but returned back as usual without confessing his love for her. After it he kept on going to her house in his every visit to his town. At Anna’s house, he was welcomed cordially and regarded as noble fellow. When he met her, she played piano with him, talked for hours, but their mind remained unexpressed. The Luganoviches sometimes requested him not to hesitate in asking for any kind of help. He also did not hesitate in doing so. In return he brought gifts from the village. Days passed in the same ways; neither had they expressed love. But he started appearing in the behavior of Anna. She behaved in mocking (smiling) way with Alyohin-at his fault she appreciated him. At last Anna had to go to another place for her mental treatment. When it was the time for Anna’s departure, Alyohin entered into the apartment of Anna. There their eyes met which resulted in kissing one another, and expressing their love. However, their reunion did not result into their marriage. Alyohin got down in the next station, and there after they did not meet. This story has a frame. In the beginning the sky is grey and the trees are drenched. The environment is gloomy. In the end, when the Alyohin unloads his heart about love, the shining sun appears, after the rainfall. Alyohin tells this story in between this frame to his two guests: Burkin and Ivan. |
**************************************************************************
Onomatopoeia
: It is the imitation of natural sounds by words. For example, cackle,
tin tin, buzz etc. In this poem, 'ding dong' is an example of
onomatopoeia. It imitates the sound of the bell which is slow and
lingering.
Alliteration: It is the repetition of consonant sounds at the beginning of words or stressed syllables. In 'Full fathom five thy father lies', the repetition of /f/ sound gives it a musical quality. It also reminds us of the flow of the sea.
Assonance:
It is the repetition of the vowel sounds at the beginning of words or
stressed syllables. It also enhances the singing quality.
******************************************************************
------------------------------------------I Have a Dream-------------------------------------------------
@ What is the real dream of Martin Luther King about the future of America? [2065-5]
@ What is Martin Luther complaining about? [2063-5]
@ What is the dream Martin Luther King, Jr. has? How is he going to achieve it? [2061-10]
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
= Martin
Luther King, a black civil right campaigner, delivered an unforgettable
speech " I Have a Dream" on August 28, 1963 commemorating the
centennial of Lincoln's Emancipation Proclamation.
In this speech he presses for equal treatment and improved
circumstances for blacks, and stresses on the necessity of eradicating
institutional racial inequalities. King expresses sharp dissatisfaction
over segregation and racial discrimination. He demands a fast end to
racial discrimination, pledging his followers to a fight to the finish
to wipe out all forms of segregation and to achieve equality and
integration. However, he is in favour of creative and disciplined
protest without physical violence. In his speech he even appeals the
Whites to join hands with Blacks in order to revolt against
discriminatory practices against Blacks. He does not show hatred against
Whites, he is against color discrimination and racial prejudice.
He is a dreamer with the vision of equality and justice. He wants a new America
in its social makeup, establish symphony of brotherhood among blacks
and whites, and eradicate the discriminatory treatment of black
Americans. His dream is deeply rooted in the American dream of 'life,
liberty and pursuit of happiness'.
He voices that even after hundred years of passing of Emancipation Proclamation by Lincoln, America
stands as the hell to the blacks. Blacks are exiled in their own
country and live in poverty in the vast ocean of material prosperity.
He also mentions the words of the Constitution and Declaration of Independence
which guaranteed the unalienable rights of life, liberty and pursuit of
happiness. But these magnificent words were not applied into practice
in case of colored citizens. He demands the riches of freedom, security
of justice, and citizenship rights to the blacks. He argues that the
policy of gradualism in the matter of justice will raise discontent
among blacks.
I Have a Dream Martin Luther King.Jr. Internet download
About the text "I have a dream" is a political speech made by Martin Luther king. jr. after the independence of black people. Martin Luther forwards the history of America, the problems faced by black people, suggestions to his followers, warning to the government and his wishes. He describes apartheid (discrimination on the basis of color) as the extreme point of human cruelty, and demands for its end. History: America was the colony of Great Britain before 1776. When it was declared independent, both black and white people had expected for their freedom and happiness. As expected, white people got access over then whereas black people didn't. They were discriminated and pushed to slums. They were not allowed to travel by any vehicle. Indeed, they had to spend the life of great difficulty. This condition created dissatisfaction among the blacks and they wanted to get civil rights. Martin Luther's speech also represents this sentiment and problems faced by black people: The Blacks, like the whites, had expected that their situation would change after independence of America. But it did not happen. Even after the independence, the hope of black people was not materialized, they got neither freedom nor happiness. "The cheque" given to black people was not cashed; it was returned back with the mark insufficient fund, so their condition remained the same. They were not allowed to travel by public vehicle; they were not allowed shelter in any motels; indeed they were not given any rights. Problems faced by black people: The blacks, likes the whites had expected that their situation would change after independence of American. But it did not happen even after the independence. The hope of black people was not materialized. They got neither freedom nor happiness. "The cheque" given to black people was not cashed; it was returned black with the mark insufficient fund so their condition remained the same they were not allowed to travel by any public vehicle; they were not allowed shelter in any motels; indeed they were not given any right. Suggestions to his followers: The present time, according to Martin Luther is the time to rise from the path of segregation to the path of racial justice. As it is the demand of time, no one should try to block the revolt of the blacks for their rights. The revolt would continue unless and until the demands are fulfilled. However, he advises that any means of violence should not be applied. He advised his followers to follow the path of non-violence. He further advised them to use their strength in creative works. Warning to the government and his wishes He advises his followers to follow on the path of peace. At the same time, he warns the government that there would not be peace if laws are not practiced accordingly, their movement would shake the foundation of the nation; he wishes for the end of apartheid. He desires for the oasis of freedom in place of bondage. He dreams that the children would not be judged on the basis of their color rather they would be judged on the basis of their intelligence. More over, he wishes for the prosperity of both black and white for the prosperity of nation. Some of the dreams made by Jr. Martin Luther King in his speech “I HAVE A DREAM”: 1.He had a dream that one day his nation will rise up and live out with the true meaning of its creed holding the equality of all people living in U.S. 2. He had a dream that one day on the hills of Georgia the sons of farmer, slaves(Blacks) and the sons of former slave owners (Whites) will be able to sit together at the table of brotherhood. 3. He had a dream that any children of any color will not be judged on the basis of their color of their skin but by their content or the caliber. 4. He had a dream that every individual will get equal voting rights including their citizenship rights equally in every States. 5. He had a dream that none of the Americans will be judged just by staying in the Ghettos or skyscrapers. 6. He had a dream that any state of U.S will be beyond injustice and oppression but will be transformed into an Oasis of freedom and justice. 7. He had dream that all above situations will be favourable and realistic where little black boys and black girls will be able to join hands with little white boys and white girls and work together as sister and brothers. |
-------------------------------------God's Grandeur----------------------------------------------------
@ Give reasons why men are unaware of the greatness of God? [058-3]
@ What is the central idea of the poem? [059/ 061/062/065-3]
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
In his sonnet "God's Grandeur" the poet G.M Hopkins praises the magnificence and glory of God. He
describes the majestic deeds of God. He claims that God is omnipresent
and omnipotent. The good deeds on earth are also the results of these
qualities of God. Though human beings continuously destroy nature, it is
never spent.
The world
is full of the greatness of God. Due to His greatness, the world shines
like ‘a shook foil’. It gathers to greatness, as it is full of
resources. Despite this fact, human beings act adversely. They don’t
follow the commands of God; rather they function to destroy the world.
Earlier generations destroyed the earth and so is the case with the
present generation. People are more interested in
materialist gain and possessions than in celebrating the glory of a
loving, merciful, heavenly Father. They
act as if they are not rational creatures. As a result of their deed,
the earth has become dry; it has the smell of human beings instead of
its natural smell. Indeed the earth has reached to the verge of
destruction. Nevertheless, the world is not completely destroyed.
Because of the freshness that is inside things, nature keeps on
regenerating. The sun sets in the evening only to reappear in the
morning. These all happenings are the results of the god’s protection.
He protects the earth just like a bird broods over the eggs.
Though the world is infused with the glory of God and Christ offered His
body to be crucified, mankind does not live in awe of God, but imposes
darkness on itself by running endlessly. Even so, despite humanity’s
shortcomings, God is most capable of perfect love and embraces the world
anyway.
The poet is of the opinion that human beings acts are always directed towards destruction: knowingly or unknowingly. But God
loves all the creatures of the world, so he works for the benefit of
the creatures without any hope of benefit or profit. The poet inspires
people to grow faith in God.
-------------------------------Travelling Through the Dark--------------------------------------
@ What is the central idea of the poem? [057-3]
@ Show how the action develops stanza by stanza in the poem. [060-3]
@ What does the traveler feel when he touches the dead doe? [ Model -3]
@ Do you agree with what the narrator did ? Why? [063-3]
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
=
William Stafford's poem "Traveling Through the Dark" examines the
killing of a pregnant doe by a hit-and-run driver, and the dilemma faced
by the speaker who is also a driver. People generally travel in the
dark when there is some urgency or when they have some immediate
destination to reach. Speaker is traveling in the dark with some special
purpose. So he is in a hurry. On his way he finds a dead deer on the
edge of Wilson River.
He stops to drag off the dead deer into the canyon in order to avoid
possible accidents. But on touching her side he finds that it is still
warm and it contains a fawn waiting to be born. In death the traveler
discovers life, but not normal life that emerges from the womb into the
world, for the fawn is "never to be born." This unhappy realization
causes the traveler to hesitate. His mind is filled with mixed-up
emotions: pity, anger, frustration, and confusion about how to act. He
even wonders if the fawn can be saved, but knows all along that the fawn
can not be born when the mother is dead. The car is mechanically alive
and its lights are pointing the speaker towards his destination. In the
final couplet the traveler thinks hard for all, he knows that his love
and pity towards the fawn can not save it. He knows that his delay is
only a waste of time, so he pushes the doe into the river and marches
towards his destination.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Explain the title of the poem. Who are all those driving through the dark?
= The title of the poem “Traveling Through the Dark” is very suitable one. People generally travel in the dark when there is some urgency or when they have some immediate destination to reach. So, the speaker of this poem is traveling in the dark with some special purpose. But when he finds a dead doe on the road, he is in dilemma. He is in confusion either to show deep love and emotion to an unborn but alive fawn in the belly of the doe or to save the passengers on his car as a dutiful driver. After much thoughtful meditation, he pushes the dead doe into the river in order to reach his destination and save the passengers. The ‘darkness’ indicates One of nature's beautiful creatures has been killed and pitilessly left on the road, unburied and unmourned to cause future accidents. The driver's inaction suggests moral darkness. The darkness also suggests the narrator's confusion about what to do with the deer. "Traveling through the dark" also symbolizes the spiritual void of humankind in its insensitivity toward nature.
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@ How does the boy, the narrator, look at his uncle and his aunt? [059-3]
@ Describe the relation between Thomas (the boy's uncle) and his wife.
[060/062/063-3]
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The
narrator, the boy, thinks that the relationship between his uncle and
aunt was not so good. He describes that every Saturday night, his uncle
would lift his wife on to the chair and she would beat him on his head
with the china dog. The readers realize that the relationship between
them was good. Her beating Thomas was an act of playful marital
activity. Though the uncle and aunt were quite contrary in behaviors and
temperament, they loved each other very much. She did not like Thomas’s
drinking habit, so she was against his outing program. On such
occasions she would go to her mother’s house. When she went to her
mother’s home, she left a note asking him to eat eggs from the pantry
and to go to bed taking his shoes off. On Sundays she would not allow
him to play checkers.
@ The plan was to go to Porthcawl for the outing. Did they ever reach here? Why? [064-3]
Thomas and his friends planned to go to Porthcawl for the outing. But they never reached there because the narrator has revealed very early in the story that ‘they never reached Porthcawl’. Similarly there are various indications that suggest that they never reached Porthcawl. The internal intention of Thomas and his friends’ outing was to get drunk, merry make and release themselves from the burden of life. In the name of outing, they wanted to enjoy by drinking and playing cards. This clearly can be seen when they carry twenty cases of ale (alcohol) for the outing. As soon as they started their journey, they stopped at the public house and got heavily drunk. They stopped at several public houses and got drunk. On their way, they stopped at the river and joked and teased each other splashing water to each other. The moon was already up, so they drove towards their home. On the way they sat down in a circle in the field and started drinking remaining cases of alcohol.
--------------------------- A Story--------------------------------------Internet download-----------------@ How were the boy's uncle and aunt? [ Model-3]@ What is the reason for which Will Sentry always followed Mr. Franklyn ? [058-3]
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|
---------------------Hurried Trip To Avoid a Bad Star-------------------------------------------
@ How is Karnali linked economically with the low land regions to the south?
[057/061/o63-3]
= Geographically,
Karnali lies to the northern part of our kingdom. As it is made up of
very sloppy hills, there are many problems. People do not have
transportation and other facilities for their better survival. There is
no sufficient cultivable land. So, they have to depend on the lowland
regions to the south.
People of karnali cannot sell their
products in their localities. To sell their items like medicinal herbs,
silajit, hashish, hand-knit sweaters and blankets, they have to go to
Nepalgunj. Similarly, they cannot buy goods in their places. For this
purpose also, they have to depend upon lowland regions. People of
Karnali have to depend upon lowland region for their jobs also. Being
undeveloped part, it does not have factories. To earn livelihood, young
people have no better options than leaving their places and working in
the lowland region.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
@ What did the two writers learn about the life and culture of the people of the Karnali region during their journey on foot? [059-3]
= ‘Hurried Trip to Avoid a Bad Star” is written by American geographers M. Lilla and C. Bishop Barry. Their essay presents social, economic and educational aspects of Karnali region. To present these aspects, they have brought four events in the text- their meeting with a chhetri woman and the people processing silajit, and their encounter cutting down trees and the people of Karnali buying and selling things. The two writers learnt that the people of Karnali are innocent, simple, laborious and uneducated. Their world is narrow and limited. The Chhetri woman asks the travelers to find her husband and send him to the village. They live in geographically difficult part completely depending on their own or animal strength. They are ignorant about soil erosion and deforestation. Not only that, alcohol consumption in Karnali region is high because one of the porters buys distillery equipments in the bazaar of Nepalgunj. He hopes that he would sell liqueur and earn enough money to buy goods in Karnali.
-------------------------------Hansel and Gretel-------------Grimm Brothers--------------------------
Internet download
|
------------------------------------------Gretel-------------------------------------------------------------
@ Why does Gretel blame her father and brother? [058-3]
@ Do you think Gretel represents modern feminist women? Give your opinion briefly. [061-3]
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‘Gretel’
by Garrison Keillor is an interpretation of the story "Hansel and
Gretel" from the perspective of a female. The interpreter is Gretel who
denies her cowardice in the original story. She claims that the
depiction is distorted one.
Gretel says that there was an
understanding between her and her brother to sell their story to Grimm
brothers. They had signed in a contract paper with an agreement to share
fifty-fifty of the profit. But unexpectedly, Gretel found the story
published the other day totally different order. The story depicts her
as coward and her brother as a brave person. She claims the brother was,
in reality, a coward not vice versa. It was her brother who wept time
and again, and she had to carry him. The portrayal of he father and
mother is also distorted. Father was not so kind hearted; he was a
drunkard; he liked to watch bull fight. Mother was not cruel in any
sense of the word. Gretel describes their parents leaving them in the
forest as a natural phenomenon of the time. Parents used to leave the
children in forest hoping that they will be better cared in forest by
frog, raven or saints. She claims that she was not worried when she in
the forest, as she had known the reality. At last, she repents for
killing the witch, for the witch was not after her; she had wanted to
kill Hansel.
Gretel
supports her stepmother Gladys and finds her a loving mother. She
explains that the woman who gave them cake, bread and house was not a
witch but a loving woman who wanted to kill Hansel in order to revolt
against male dominance.
-------------------- A Child Is Born------------------------- Germaine Greer------------------
Theme
‘A
child is Born’ by Germaine Greer discusses on the matter of childbirth
and childcare. She shows the differences in between the rich
technocratic Western society and the poor traditional Eastern society on
the subject of pregnancy, childcare and child rearing. She is of the
opinion that the Eastern society is better in comparison to Western
society. In the Eastern society, the pregnant woman feels secure in
pre-natal as well as post natal activities. This is hardly found in the
Western society.
Summary:
Childbirth
management in the Eastern society varies from place to place. The
mother is familiar about the way of giving birth to child in such
society because they are used to in such customs. They don't feel so
much physical and mental tension while giving birth. The approach in
Eastern society is ritualistic. She is covered with taboos and prohibitions which reduces her psychological burden.
All the relatives including the husbands remain present during the
process of giving birth. It decreases the pain of the mother. Their
presence gives a sense of security to her. They create such an
environment which make mother feel safe. Nevertheless, the chance of
death of mother is high in Eastern society. In many of the Eastern
societies, a pregnant woman goes to her mother's house. For example: the
writer presents us an example from society of India.
In Rajput society, the woman goes to mother's house prior to giving
birth and after the birth to the child. She is taken care properly. The
birth of the child is celebrated with singing and dancing. The pregnant
woman is taken care not only by family members but also by the members
of the community. It gives her a sense of security and she becomes less
worried about giving birth. There is difference in child rearing also.
In the Eastern society the mother gets respect after she gives birth.
She is called by the name of her first child. The newly born child is
taken care by all the relatives. The mother has to spend less time in
taking care of child. So, the child-family relation is stronger than
child-mother relation. Thus, the Eastern society is better than the
Western society in the matter of childbirth and childcare. The Eastern
society, however is not unaffected by the method of Western society.
Because of modernization, people in the Western societies are forced to use modern equipments. The modern equipments certainly have saved the lives of mother and child; nevertheless they are unable to reduce the anxiety of mother while giving birth. A pregnant woman in the West has to take care of herself with the guidance of nurses and doctors. The nurses and doctors do not give caressing hand to the pregnant woman. The health of mother and child is safer but mother is emotionally weaker. Child is born to fulfill the needs of parents only. The child grows up with its parents and dolls. So, child - mother relation is stronger. The mother has to bear all the problems during child birth and child rearing.
-------------------------------------- The Boarding House---------------------------------------------
@ How do you think Mrs Mooney settled with Mr. Doran about Polly? Did Mr. Moran marry Polly or pay out compensation? [059-3]
@ Sketch the character of Mrs. Mooney. [058/064-10]
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
= Mrs. Mooney, the main character in the James Joyce story “The Boarding House” is described as "a woman who deals with moral problems as a cleaver deals with meat". She was a butcher’s daughter who married her father’s foreman. Later she divorced him because she could not withstand his drinking and bullying nature. Taking charge of her daughter Polly and son Jack, she opened a boarding house in Hardwicke Street. She was strong, strict, determined and practical. She knew how to handle matters- when to act and when to remain silent.
When reading further in the story, we find that the boarding house is a trap, where Mrs. Mooney is a hunter who's looking for a decent husband for her daughter Polly within her guests. She is using Polly as bait to catch Mr. Doran, the victim in the story. Mrs. Mooney manipulates Mr. Doran into her trap by using her daughter's innocence as the bait and Mr. Doran's innocence as a victim. Mrs. Mooney is a woman of business and Mr. Doran is the perfect victim for her and for Polly. Mr. Doran has also a decent job and he fits perfectly to the economical needs of Mrs. Mooney. Mrs. Mooney also uses their society and religion as a tool to cause Mr. Doran marrying her daughter. She knows that her victim is a religious man, who lives in the religious culture of Dublin that obeys to the rules of the church. He is afraid of the church and he is afraid to lose his job in the Catholic wine merchant office. Thus Mr. Doran had no other option than marrying Polly. Mrs. Mooney is like a watchdog that watches that the prey will not run out of the trap, but will run into it.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
@ Write an interpretation of 'The Boarding House'. [060-3]
@ Briefly narrate the story of "The Boarding House" [063-10]
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
=
After a difficult marriage with a drunken husband that ends in
separation, Mrs. Mooney opens a boarding house to make a living. Jack,
her son and Polly, her daughter live with her in the house, which is
occupied by clerks from the city, as well as occasional tourists and
musicians. Mrs. Mooney runs a strict and tight business and is known by
the lodgers as “The Madam.” Polly, who used to work in an office, now
stays at home at her mother’s request, to amuse the lodgers and help
with the cleaning. Surrounded by so many young men, Polly ultimately
develops a relationship with a rich thirty five years old Mr. Doran.
Mrs. Mooney knows about the relationship, but instead of sending Polly
back to work in the city, she monitors its developments. Polly becomes
increasingly uncomfortable with her mother’s lack of intervention, but
Mrs. Mooney waits until “the right moment” to intercede. First she
speaks awkwardly with Polly, then arranges to speak with Mr. Doran on a
Sunday morning.
Mrs. Mooney
looks forward to her argument which she intends to “win” by defending
her daughter’s honor and convincing Mr. Doran to offer his hand in
marriage. Waiting for the time to pass, Mrs. Mooney figures the odds are
in her favor, considering that Mr. Doran, who has worked for a wine
merchant for thirteen years and gained much respect, will choose the
option that least harms his career.
Meanwhile,
Mr. Doran is in distress. He knows he will be called by Mrs. Mooney. He
reviews the difficult confession to his priest that he made on Saturday
evening, in which he was harshly accused for his romantic affair. He
knows he can either marry Polly or run away, the latter an option that
would ruin his sound reputation. Convincing himself that he has been
tricked, Mr. Doran bemoans Polly’s unimpressive family, her ill manners,
and her poor grammar, and wonders how he can remain free and unmarried.
In this vexed moment Polly enters the room and threatens to end her
life out of unhappiness. In her presence, Mr. Doran begins to remember
how he was trapped by Polly’s beauty and kindness, but he still
hesitates about his decision.
Uneasy, Mr. Doran comforts Polly and departs for the meeting, leaving her to wait in the room. She rests on the bed crying for a while, neatens her appearance, and then nestles back in the bed, dreaming of her possible future with Mr. Doran. Finally, Mrs. Mooney interrupts the daydream by calling to her daughter. Mr. Doran, according to Mrs. Mooney, wants to speak with Polly.
Uneasy, Mr. Doran comforts Polly and departs for the meeting, leaving her to wait in the room. She rests on the bed crying for a while, neatens her appearance, and then nestles back in the bed, dreaming of her possible future with Mr. Doran. Finally, Mrs. Mooney interrupts the daydream by calling to her daughter. Mr. Doran, according to Mrs. Mooney, wants to speak with Polly.
From the internet
The storyMrs. Mooney, separated from her husband, a butcher who descended into alcoholism, runs a boarding house for working men. Her daughter Polly entertains the boarders by singing and flirts with them. Mrs. Mooney learns that her daughter is having an affair with Mr. Doran, a man in his mid-thirties who has worked in a Catholic wine-merchant’s office for many years. Mrs. Mooney bides her time before she intervenes, strongly implying that she is deliberately trying to trap Mr. Doran. After much background, the climax of the story commences on a warm Sunday morning. Mrs. Mooney intends to talk to Mr. Doran and demand that he marry Polly or risk open disclosure. The narration then shifts to Doran’s point-of-view as he nervously contemplates losing his job due to the affair and bemoans the girl’s lower class background and vulgarities of speech. After Polly enters in an agitated state, we learn through Doran’s memories that she initiated the relationship. After Doran leaves the room, Polly seems content, suggesting that she was putting on a show of anguish for his sake. The story closes with Mrs. Mooney calling Polly down so that Mr. Doran can speak to her. Analysis In “The Boarding House,” marriage offers promise and profit on the one hand, and entrapment and loss on the other. What begins as a simple affair becomes a tactical game of obligation and reparation. Mrs. Mooney’s and Mr. Doran’s propositions and hesitations suggest that marriage is more about social standards, public perception, and formal sanctions than about mere feelings. The character of Mrs. Mooney illustrates the challenges that a single mother of a daughter faces, but her scheme to marry Polly into a higher class mitigates any sympathetic response from the reader. Mrs. Mooney may have endured a difficult marriage and separation, but she now carries the dubious title of “The Madam,” a term suggestive of her scrupulous managing of the house, but also of the head of whorehouse. Mrs. Mooney does, in fact, prostitute her daughter to some degree. She insists that Polly leave her office job and stay at home at the boarding house, in part so she might entertain, however innocently, the male lodgers. When a relationship blossoms, Mrs. Mooney tracks it until the most profitable moment—until she is sure Mr. Doran, a successful clerk, must propose to Polly out of social propriety. Mrs. Mooney justly insists that men should carry the same responsibility as women in these casual love affairs, but at the same time prides herself on her ability to rid herself of a dependent daughter so easily.
Mr.
Doran agonizes about the limitations and loss of respect that
marrying beneath him will bring, but he ultimately relents out of fear
of social critique from his priest, his employer, Mrs. Mooney, and
Polly’s violent brother. When Polly visits him in distress he feels as
helpless as she does, even though he tells her not to worry. He goes
through the motions of what society expects of him, not according to
what he intuitively feels. When he descends the stairs to meet with
Mrs. Mooney, he yearns to escape but knows no one is on his side. The
“force” that pushes him down the stairs is a force of anxiety about what
others will think of him. While Mr. Doran’s victimization by Mrs.
Mooney evokes pity, his self-concern and harsh complaints about
Polly’s unpolished background and manner of speaking make him an equal
counterpart to Mrs. Mooney. He worries little about Polly’s integrity
or feelings, and instead considers his years of hard work and good
reputation now verging on destruction.
As a place where “everyone knows everyone else’s business,” the boarding house serves as a microcosm of Dublin.
Various classes mix under its roof, but relationships are gauged and
watched, class lines are constantly negotiated, and social standing
must override emotions like love. The inhabitants are not free to do
what they choose because unstated rules of decorum govern life in the
house, just as they do in the city. Such rules maintain order, but
they also ensnare people in awkward situations when they have
competing and secret interests. Even the seemingly innocent Polly
ultimately appears complicit in Mrs. Mooney’s plot. After threatening
to kill herself in despair, she suddenly appears happy and unbothered
about the dilemma when she is left alone, and she knows Mr. Doran will
comply with Mrs. Mooney’s wishes. In “The Boarding House,” marriage
serves as a fixture of life that Dubliners cannot avoid, and the story
shows that strategy and acceptance are the only means of survival.
|
--------------------------------The Tell-Tale Heart---------------------------------------------------
@ Why does narrator develop intense hatred against the old man? Would you call the narrator mad? Give reasons for your answer. [059-10]
@ What made the narrator confess his crime? [062-3]
@ Describe the scene when the narrator killed the old man. [064-3]
@ What made the narrator confess his crime? [065-3]
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Theme:
Edgar Allan Poe's story The Tell – Tale Heart presents murderous act done by a man and confessions done later. The story shows how guilt forces a person to confess his crime.
Summary:
The
narrator claims that he is not mad as he could hear things in the
heaven, earth and hell. To justify himself saint, he confesses dangerous
crime he has committed.
The narrator and the old man used to reside together; they had very good relationship. The man used to love the old man very much. The old man also used to treat him well. The only thing that irritated the narrator was the eyes of him which were pale and vulture like. To end the consequences, he went to the old man's room continuously for seven days. But returned, as he could not see the eyes of the man. In the morning he spoke politely and behaved as if nothing had happened. On the eighth nights, he as usual went there with torchlight. He did every thing stealthy and cautiously. Despite it, he happened to touch tin fastening, which dropped and disturbed the sleep of the man. In desperation, he asked who it was. The narrator remained speechless and motionless. A little later his sense brought him the reason that the old man was asleep again, he aimed the beam towards the old man's eyes. As he saw them, he grew angry. He then, jumped towards the man, dragged the man and pressed his neck with bed. At last, he dismembered the old man's dead body and put it under the plank. After it, he cleaned the place spotlessly clean. It was already four when he finished the task. At four, the three policemen came because someone had heard a shriek and informed them to investigate. The narrator lied them that the shriek was his own in dream and the old man was absent for some days. He welcomed them, brought them to his room and took to every nook and corner of his house. The policemen didn't suspect any wrong there. The narrator took them to the spot where he had hidden the corpse of the old man. He cordially asked them to sit on the chair, which he had kept there. He sat there just over the plank whereas policeman continued talking with smiling face. The narrator, at the mean time, heard tick-tick sound of a watch coming from beneath. He mistook it as the heart-beat of the old man. He desired to reduce the loudness of the sound. For this purpose, he spoke louder; though it didn't do any good. He felt the sound growing; he felt the policemen’s smile as the smile of mockery. It became unbearable for him to keep the reality secret. He thought it better to confess than to hide. Eventually he confessed the crime.
@ Was the narrator mad?
Though sanity and insanity is a matter of debate, there are various indications in the story that suggest his madness. The narrator killed an old and innocent man with out any concrete reason. He did not hesitate to cut the body of the old man into pieces. Though the man loved him, he did not understand the value of love. Rather he mercilessly killed him. Even after killing and dismembering the body of the old man, he suspected that the old man’s heart was beating. He had no idea that after a man is killed his heart stops beating. The narrator has revealed himself that he is suffering from a disease which causes ‘over-acuteness of the senses’. Over-acuteness of senses is also one sign of madness. He was overcome by homicidal mania. Madmen never repent their wrong doing. In this story also instead of repenting for his wrongful act, the narrator has tried to prove his sanity. Thus his abnormal behavior suggests that he was truly mad.
| From the internet "The Tell-Tale Heart" is a short story by Edgar Allan Poe first published in 1843. It follows an unnamed narrator who insists on his sanity after murdering an old man with a "vulture eye". The murder is carefully calculated, and the murderer hides the body by dismembering it and hiding it under the floorboards. Ultimately the narrator's guilt manifests itself in the hallucination that the man's heart is still beating under the floorboards. It is unclear what relationship, if any, the old man and his murderer share. It has been suggested that the old man is a father figure, or whether the narrator works for the old man as a servant, perhaps, that his vulture eye represents some sort of veiled secret, or power. The ambiguity and lack of details about the two main characters stand in stark contrast to the specific plot details leading up to the murder. "The Tell-Tale Heart" is a first-person narrative of an unnamed narrator who insists he is sane but suffering from a disease (nervousness) which causes "over-acuteness of the senses". The old man with whom he lives has a clouded, pale, blue "vulture-like" eye which so distresses the narrator that he plots to murder the old man, though the narrator states that he loves the old man, and hates only the eye. The narrator insists that his careful precision in committing the murder shows that he cannot possibly be insane. For seven nights, the narrator opens the door of the old man's room, a process which takes him a full hour. However, the old man's vulture eye is always closed, making it impossible to "do the work". On the eighth night, the old man awakens and sits up in his own bed while the narrator performs his nightly ritual. The narrator does not draw back and, after some time, decides to open his lantern. A single ray of light shines out and lands precisely on the old man's eye, revealing that it is wide open. Hearing the old man's heart beating unusually and dangerously quick from terror, the narrator decides to strike, jumping out with a loud yell and smothering the old man with his own bed. The narrator dismembers the body and conceals the pieces under the floorboards, making certain to hide all signs of the crime. Even so, the old man's scream during the night causes a neighbor to report to the police. The narrator invites the three arriving officers in to look around. He claims that the screams heard were his own in a nightmare and that the man is absent in the country. Confident that they will not find any evidence of the murder, the narrator brings chairs for them and they sit in the old man's room, right on the very spot where the body is concealed, yet they suspect nothing, as the narrator has a pleasant and easy manner about him. The narrator, however, begins to hear a faint noise. As the noise grows louder, the narrator comes to the conclusion that it is the heartbeat of the old man coming from under the floorboards. The sound increases steadily, though the officers seem to pay no attention to it. Shocked by the constant beating of the heart and a feeling that not only are the officers aware of the sound, but that they also suspect him, the narrator confesses to killing the old man and tells them to tear up the floorboards to reveal the body. |
------------------------------------ The Children Who Wait Marsha Traugot -----------------------------
@ Whom does Marsha Traugot refer to as the children who wait? [ 2057-3]
@ Why was it difficult for the handicapped and the black children to find foster family? [060-3]
@ According to Traugot , what changes are transforming the American adoption scene? What factors are responsible for the changes? [060-3]
@ What kinds of parents were considered suitable for adopting children? What kind of children were considered 'Unadoptable'? [062-3]
@ How do the adoption agencies find the potential parents? [064-3]
@ What had happened to the handicapped children in the past? [065-3]
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Marsha Traugot's essay "The children Who Wait" discusses the scene of adoption in American context.
Marsha Traugot begins her essay with the picture of Tammy, which has been published in a magazine with the hope that someone would be ready to adopt her. She is five and half years old with the face of Mona Lisa. The writer describes her unadaptable child had she been born before 1960. During that period only white healthy children were considered adaptable. Physically deformed children’s were referred as damaged goods. No one was ready to adopt such children. The children who were black, mixed racial group, handicapped and over five years were not adopted by families. This view, however, started disappearing after the sixties. People’s attitude towards them gradually became positive. The change in thoughts was brought by various factors. Traugot mentions black civil right movement, legalization of abortion, change in attitude of the people, and change in government's policy as responsible factors. Black civil rights movement brought sympathetic attitude towards black people. White people started regarding them as humans and treated accordingly. Another responsible factor was women's movement. Because of women’s movement they got right to decide on the matter of childbirth in addition to other right. The lady who had to do abortion to maintain her status could live with dignity with her child. It has the impact in reduction of unwanted children. The third factor responsible for change in attitude was government's policy towards adoption. The government used to emphasize on foster care before the seventies. As they became aware about the drawbacks of foster care, they made changes in their policy. Rater than emphasizing on foster care, they tried to find permanent home for the homeless children. Another factor responsible is the role played by social activists. Their campaign brought changes not only in attitude of the people but also in their behavior. Prior to the 1960, the social activists considered white, two parent, and middle or upper class childless family as an ideal adoptive family. But now the situation has changed. The social workers give children for adoption to even single or two parents, black or biracial, upper class or working class, childless or families with older siblings. The catch phrase of the social worker is ‘matching’. Activists try to get proper family for destitute child. Unlike previous activists, they can't get two-parent family. Instead of searching for two-parent family, they need to evaluate the characteristic of a child and match it with the proper family. Now adoption agencies collect the lists of parents who want to adopt child. They match qualities of children with the need of parents, let both of them meet and interact. They even hold meetings and discuss about the children and the types of families where they can put them. Now adoption agencies collect the lists of parents who want to adopt child. They match qualities of children with the need of parents, let both of them meet and interact. If this system does not work, they publish the profile of homeless children in television or newspaper to look for adoptive parents.
Write an application for the post of ‘Lower Secondary Science Teacher’.
|
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