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| https://www.pinterest.com/pin/699606123339262069/
Somerset Maugham is one of the well-known English writers. His short story “The Ant and the Grasshopper” is a striking example of life’s little ironies. In this story, the writer reverses the moral of the traditional fable. In the fable, the ant gathers food during the summer whereas the grasshopper wastes time. When the rainy season comes, the grasshopper begs the ant for food. But the writer is very doubtful about the moral of this fable and presents a different situation in his story.
The story is narrated by an unnamed narrator. George Ramsey is a hardworking person. He saves money for his peaceful retired life. But his brother Tom is a different personality. He does not go to a job and prefers to enjoy life. He abandons his wife and children. He borrows money from many persons and Ramsey settles some of the debts in order to save the reputation of the family. He expects his brother Tom to have an unpredictable future since he has no savings.
However, Tom is engaged to an old woman who is old enough to be his mother. The lady dies suddenly from whom he inherits half a million pounds. Referring to this incident, Ramsey feels as though there has been an injustice done. It is very much like the ant (George) versus the grasshopper (Tom). As the grasshopper made no provisions for the winter, Tom too made no provisions for his future. But in real life, Tom enjoys life better than his brother and well-settled in life.
When George is sharing about the new fortune of his brother, the narrator laughs heartily. His reaction to Tom’s success in life mirrors the attitude of the society also. In modern times, the society does not care for the means of someone’s success. This story records the truth that all those who work hard do not gain success. Though this story presents the darker side of life, it discloses the extreme changes that take place in the minds of the people regarding life.
‘Irony - a state of affairs or an event that seems deliberately contrary to what one expects and is often amusing as a result’.
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Thursday, 28 May 2020
The Ant and the Grasshopper - W. Somerset Maugham - GP 6
Some Words with a Mummy - Edgar Allan Poe - GP 5
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| http://www.thepoeblog.org/poe-has-some-words-with-a-mummy/ |
"Some Words with a Mummy" is a satire on the notion of progress.
The tale begins with the narrator's receiving a letter from his good friend, Doctor Ponnonner. Ponnonner is very excited because he has been granted permission to examine a mummy. The letter ends with Ponnonner asking the narrator to be present at the examination.
As soon as the narrator arrives at Ponnonner's house, the examination begins. After removing three cases, the examiners finally reach the body, which is wrapped in papyrus. After removing the papyrus, they find the flesh in excellent condition, with no noticeable odour.
As Ponnonner is about to begin his internal examination, one of the men suggests an experiment with electricity. The rest of the men go along with the suggestion, and they send a series of electric charges through different spots on the mummy's body. After the third such charge, the mummy sits up and reprimands two of the men for their absurd behaviour. The two explain that their examination was for the advancement of science, and the mummy, named Allamistakeo, accepts their apology for the wounds he has received.
The men are amazed at the miracle they have witnessed, and they begin to ask Allamistakeo questions. Allamistakeo proceeds to explain that he was embalmed alive and is now in the same condition he was in during the embalming process. He also says that he is a member of the Scarabaeus family, who have an average life span of 800 years. In addition, he adds that there were many men of Scarabaeus blood who were embalmed alive.
The men then begin to explain how advanced their society is, but Allamistakeo responds to each claim and proves that things are not all that much more advanced than in his day. He says that Great Movements "were awfully common things in his day, and as for Progress, it was at one time quite a nuisance, but it never progressed."
The Open Window - Saki - GP 4
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| http://www.woodwindowworkshop.com/inswing_french_casement_window.html |
Framton Nuttel, an eccentric hypochondriac, has moved to the country on his doctor’s advice to effect a cure for a nervous condition from which he suffers. His sister has lived in the area he visits and has given him letters of introduction to his new neighbours. The story concerns his visit to the home of one of these neighbours, a Mrs Sappleton.
Mr Nuttel is first met by Mrs Sappleton’s niece Vera, who entertains him until her aunt is available. Vera, apparently bored with her guest, is graced with an overactive imagination and a sense of mischief. Once she determines that Mr Nuttel knows nothing about the family and is a very literal-minded fellow, Vera spins a gothic yarn involving her aunt, whom she characterizes as a mentally disturbed widow.
Three years ago, Mr Sappleton and his two younger brothers-in-law went hunting, leaving the house through a French window, which was left open until their return. However, all three of them were lost in a bog that day, Vera asserts, and their bodies were never recovered. The aunt, driven to distraction by her grief and loss, left the window open thereafter, anticipating that “they will come back someday” with “the little brown spaniel that was lost with them, and walk in that window just as they used to do.”
When Mrs Sappleton finally appears, she explains why the window is open, apparently confirming Vera’s story. Mr Nuttel then tells Mrs Sappleton about his nervous disorder and his need to avoid any “mental excitement.” Mrs Sappleton is clearly bored, but at that very moment, she sees her husband and brothers returning from their hunt. Vera appears to be horrified by the sight of them. The nervous Mr Nuttel is therefore terrified and beats a hasty retreat from the house.
In the closing paragraphs, the issue is clarified. The men had only that day gone hunting, and Vera’s yarn was purely imaginary. Mr Nuttel has obviously been duped by Vera’s story, but Vera, a habitual liar, does not explain his odd behaviour to the others. Instead, Vera invents another story that suggests Mr Nuttel had once been frightened by “a pack of pariah dogs” in a cemetery “on the banks of the Ganges” and apparently had bolted at the sight of the spaniel accompanying the hunters. Thus, Mr Nuttel is perfectly victimized by the young girl’s imagination.
Source - https://www.enotes.com
Gateman's Gift - R.K Narayan - GP 3
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| https://www.tradeindia.com/fp3680442/Fabrication-Gate.html |
R.K. Narayan’s short stories are noted for Realism, Humour and Sadness. Govind Singh, an ex-serviceman was appointed as a gatekeeper in an English company. He liked the job and was smart in his khaki uniform. Whenever the Sahib's car stopped at the gate, he would give him a military salute. He sincerely served the company for twenty-five (25) years. Then he begged to be pensioned off. The company commended his service and gave him a pension of rupees twelve (12) a month for life. He lived peacefully; his wife also earned little money as a servant. Every month Singh went to the company and got the pension from the clerk. One day Singh made a new discovery about himself. A child brought him a doll for repair. He repaired it and started making dolls out of clay. This skill with which he made beautiful dolls made many people admire him. His models made a miniature reflection of the world. He showed his loyalty to the Sahib of the company by making a present of his handwork to him. One fine day Singh received a registered letter. He was afraid that this might be the news of stoppage of his pension. The letter worried him and drove him mad. One day the police arrested him for breaking streetlights. Even at that time, he had not opened the letter. On the way to the police station, the accountant of the company met him by chance. He told Singh about the content of the letter. It was Sahib's commendation of his artistic models with a reward of rupees hundred. The accountant tore to open the letter and gave him the cheque. The accountant secured the release of Singh. Thereafter Singh never made toys again. This story reveals the gateman as an unforgettable character. His simplicity and loyalty, his pride, his blameless career, his gift of making toys, his misfortune and his deliverance are brought out in this short story.
Wednesday, 27 May 2020
Games at Twilight - Anita Desai - Summary - GP 2
Gifts to Posterity - Lesson 1 - Comrades by Nadine Gordimer - Summary
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| https://theconversation.com/book-review-selling-apartheid-south-africas-global-propaganda-war-4938 |
1. Mrs Hattie Telford is returning to her home after a University conference. The Conference was about People’s education which had both White and Black activists in attendance. Mrs Hattie Telford was one of the committee members.
2. As Mrs Hattie Telford was about to enter her car, a group of four young men came up behind her. One of them addressed her as Comrade and asked whether she was going to town? She was about to say ‘No’, but she thought about the meeting which was all about black and white unity. Keeping the spirit of the meeting. She decided to give them a lift.
3. In the car, they started talking. Mrs. Hattie Telford asked them about their hometown. They tell her that they came from Harrismith, a place that was 200 km away from the university. She knew that these young men arrived late for the meeting and that they had missed their lunch. She had her own private and personal plans for the evening. i.e. to unwind with a drink and enjoy the luxury of solitude. Mrs Hattie Telford invites the young men to her home to eat something. The poor, young, black men are glad to accept the offer of a white, rich, old woman.
4. The White woman leads them to her house through the kitchen door. She made them sit in the dining room with its tables and chairs. There were many expensive furniture adorning the room like golden wooden ceiling, antique brass chandelier, reed blinds etc. There was also a sculpture of an African lion made from the trunk of a Mukwa tree. Mrs Hattie Telford had a Black maidservant who belonged to the same tribe as the young men. Four of them had greeted her in the common language as they entered the kitchen. Mrs Hattie and the maid prepared cold meat and bread along with coffee. Mrs Hattie was somehow embarrassed that the Black maid was her servant and she didn’t want to parade her in front of the four young men. So, ‘She herself carried the heavy tray into the dining room’ (4, Gift to Posterity)
5. As the four young men ate, Mrs Hattie Telford tried to know their names. They didn’t speak English. Mrs Hattie Telford spoke English and the four young men spoke Afrikaans. They were shy and afraid. She offered them apples, bananas and peaches. She said ‘Have some fruit. Help yourself. (5, Gift to Posterity) They filled their plates and cups with food and drinks. One of them tells her that his name is Shadrack Nsutsha. Dumile is the name of the young man who is their leader.
6. Mrs Hattie picks up a conversation with the leader Dumile and asks him whether he is at school. None of them are in school for several years. School for them is a battleground, a place of boycotts and demonstrations. They fought for a life which is different from the life led by their parents. Dumile was arrested for some violent protests at school and he was in jail for six months. Shadrack and others are also quizzed about their past and the plans for the future. They all have a common answer - ‘They are not going to say that they’ve been selected for the first Eleven at cricket or that they’re off on a student tour to Europe in the school holidays. (6, Gift to Posterity)
7. Mrs Hattie Telford makes the atmosphere lively by pointing her finger at the sculpture of the Lion. She tells the four Black, poor, young men that the sculpture is made by a Zimbabwean artist. None of the four boys are interested in the story. They are not interested in the room, space, antique chandeliers, reed blinds, carved lions - For them the only food that they had, and the hunger was real.
Author Bio:
The author, Nadine Gordimer was the daughter of Jewish immigrants and was born in 1923 in Johannesburg South Africa. It was a time of established legally authorised white supremacy. Citizens were legally classified as either pure white, black or coloured by the government. (Indians were also treated as a separate class of citizen.) Where one could live was determined by your race. Where you could go to school was determined by this. In most areas, only whites were allowed to use the libraries, for example. The wealth of the country was concentrated in the hands of whites. Nadine Gordimer was a South African writer, political activist and recipient of the 1991 Nobel Prize in Literature. She was recognized as a woman "who through her magnificent epic writing has – in the words of Alfred Nobel – been of very great benefit to humanity".
Monday, 25 May 2020
Grammar Topic - Forming sentences by arranging the words.
Grammar Help: Basic English Order of Words
In English grammar, the rule is that the subject comes before the verb which comes before the object. This means that most of the sentences conform to the SVO word order. Note that, this is for the sentences that only have a subject, verb and object. Remember that for any type of sentence, we normally put the verb and object together. Some examples are:
I (S) am cleaning (V) the house (O).
He (S) loves (V) the cold breeze (O).
Example sentences
she/there/ every day/to work/goes.
in this world/ looking/everybody/for happiness.
a movie/was/I/when you are called/watching.
She goes there to work every day.
Everybody is looking for happiness in this world.
I was watching a movie when you called.
You can do more exercises if click these links:
Wednesday, 20 May 2020
Julius Caesar - Mark Antony's speech - BC 6 - Summary
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| https://allbooksinenglish.blogspot.com/2016/08/the-famous-speech-by-mark-antony.html |
Friends, Romans, countrymen, give me your attention. I have come here to bury Caesar, not to praise him. The evil that men do is remembered after their deaths, but the good is often buried with them. It might as well be the same with Caesar. The noble Brutus told you that Caesar was ambitious. If that’s true, it’s a serious fault, and Caesar has paid seriously for it. With the permission of Brutus and the others—for Brutus is an honourable man; they are all honourable men—I have come here to speak at Caesar’s funeral. He was my friend; he was faithful and just to me. But Brutus says he was ambitious, and Brutus is an honourable man. He brought many captives home to Rome whose ransoms brought wealth to the city. Is this the work of an ambitious man? When the poor cried, Caesar cried too. Ambition shouldn’t be so soft. Yet Brutus says he was ambitious, and Brutus is an honourable man. You all saw that on the Lupercal feast day I offered him a king’s crown three times, and he refused it three times. Was this ambition? Yet Brutus says he was ambitious. And, no question, Brutus is an honourable man. I am not here to disprove what Brutus has said, but to say what I know. You all loved him once, and not without reason. Then what reason holds you back from mourning him now? Men have become brutish beasts and lost their reason! Bear with me. My heart is in the coffin there with Caesar, and I must pause until it returns to me. (he weeps)
Summary of the play:
Jealous plotters encourage Caesar's friend Brutus to join their assassination plot against Caesar. To stop Caesar from gaining too much power, Brutus and the conspirators kill him on the Ides of March. Mark Antony drives the conspirators out of Rome and fights them in a battle. Brutus and his friend Cassius lose and kill themselves, leaving Antony to rule in Rome.
William Shakespeare was an English poet, playwright, and actor, widely regarded as the greatest writer in the English language and the world's greatest dramatist. He is often called England's national poet and the "Bard of Avon"
BC 5 - Merchant of Venice - Summary
Merchant of Venice - Summary
Bassanio needs three thousand ducats in order to travel to Belmont in hopes of wooing Portia. His close friend Antonio, a wealthy merchant, asks a Jewish moneylender named Shylock to loan him the money to give to Bassanio because his wealth is invested in ships that are currently out at sea. Shylock agrees to loan Antonio the money under the condition that if he forfeits on the loan, Antonio will owe him a pound of his flesh. After Bassanio successfully woos Portia, he learns that Antonio's ships have wrecked, and he will be forced to give a pound of flesh to Shylock. When Bassanio travels to Venice, Portia secretly follows him disguised as a young doctor named Balthazar and presents a clever argument that prevents Shylock from exacting the pound of flesh. At the end of the play, half of Shylock's fortune is taken, and he must convert to Christianity.
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| http://gaylesbardblog.blogspot.com/2010/03/quality-of-mercy.html |
The quality of mercy is not strained: it drops on to the world as the gentle rain does – from heaven. It’s doubly blessed. It blesses both the giver and the receiver. It’s most powerful when granted by those who hold power over others. It’s more important to a monarch than his crown. His sceptre shows the level of his temporal power – the symbol of awe and majesty in which lies the source of the dread and fear that kings command. But mercy is above that sceptred power. It’s enthroned in the hearts of kings. It is an attribute of God himself. And earthly power most closely resembles God’s power when justice is guided by mercy. Therefore Jew, although justice is your aim, think about this: none of us would be saved if we depended on justice alone. We pray for mercy and, in seeking it ourselves, we learn to be merciful. I’ve spoken about this to soften the justice of your plea. If you insist on pure justice, however, then this serious Venetian court has no alternative other than to pronounce sentence against the merchant there.
https://www.nosweatshakespeare.com/quotes/monologues/the-quality-of-mercy-is-not-straind
Macbeth - BC 4 - Summary
Macbeth is a Shakespearean tragedy. It involves the inevitable fate of someone, Macbeth, who challenges the natural order of things. Macbeth defeats the enemies of King Duncan when all seems lost. He is greeted by the witches after the battle and declared Thane of Glamis, Thane of Cawdor and the future king of Scotland. Macbeth reacts in a way which surprises his companion Banquo. This is because it reflects his own secret ambitions, namely, to become king. Duncan stays overnight at Macbeth's castle. Encouraged by his wife Lady Macbeth who is also ambitious for power. Macbeth murders Duncan and lays the blame on Duncan's guards who he kills. So begins an inevitable downward spiral for both into increasing violence, isolation, madness and death. Macbeth murders anyone who he sees as a potential rival including Macduff's wife and children. He also has Banquo murdered but his son Fleance escapes. This confirms the prophecy of the witches that Banquo's line would produce future kings. Macbeth has eventually isolated as all desert him. His wife, now insane, dies. Macbeth confronts the opposing army safely in the knowledge that, as the witches predicted, no man born of a woman can kill him. When he fights Macduff, the latter tells Macbeth that he was born by what we would know to call Caesarean. Macbeth knows his fate is sealed and is slain by Macduff. Duncan's son Malcolm becomes king and the normal balance of society is restored.
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| https://www.bl.uk/shakespeare/articles/character-analysis-lady-macbeth |
It is the scene in which Lady Macbeth is found to be walking in sleep. Lady Macbeth first asleep is moving with a candle in hand. From the attending woman, we come to know that by her instruction a taper is always placed at her bedside for she cannot stand darkness. The terrible memories of the past led to the sickness of the mind. While walking in sleep she speaks incoherently of the horrible past. She rubs her hands and whispers, ‘out, dammed spot’. She utters the words with which she led Macbeth on to the crime! “Fie, my lord Fie! A soldier, and afraid? Then the horrible sight of Duncan lying in a pool of blood ever haunts her like a nightmare! Yet who would have thought the old man to have had so much blood in him? She looks at her hands and cries out, what these hands will never be clean. Next, she utters the words with which she chastised her husband at the banquet scene, ‘You married all with the starting’. She seems to hear still the sound of knocking night at the gate at the castle in the down that follows the night of the murder and goes to bed panic-stricken. Thus, this scene shows that the imagination of lady Macbeth has broken loose and running wild resulting in a serious of strange flashbacks. The most important dramatic function of the scene lies in the fact that it shows that the collapse of Lady Macbeth is now complete. In the earlier scene of the tragedy, she appears stronger than her husband, but she is afraid.
The Last Clock - James Thurber - Summary BC 2
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| https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o11D0ApuBTo
Thurber is unique among major literary figures for his drawings, cartoons, short stories and fables. Many of his stories are humorous memories from his life but he also wrote on darker subjects like madness and murder. Among his classics that everyone must read, are ‘The Secret Life of Walter Mitty’ and ‘The greatest Man in the World.’ Thurber celebrated the comic frustrations and eccentricities of ordinary people. Both of his parents greatly influenced his work, but the stronger influence was of his mother, whom, Thurber describes as a “born comedian.” Thurber wrote over seventy-five fables
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The Fable: ‘The Last Clock: A Fable for the Time, Such as it is, of Man.’
The central characters of the fable are ogres. Ogres are imaginary beings, usually depicted as large, ugly, humanoid monsters. They are also portrayed as having large heads and being very hairy. They may be scary or lovable. In the Hollywood series, Shrek 1, 2, 3 and 4, the ogres are truly charming and endearing - we are drawn to watch more and more of their saga. If you haven’t seen even one of these movies, then, perhaps, this is the time for you to watch Shrek 1. In an unspecified time, frame, and in an unknown location, an ogre was very sick. He had become ill by eating clocks. His ogress had to break down the locked door of his castle and she noted with dismay that the room was littered with fragments of clock-parts - there were dials, oily coils, springs, broken hands and bits of pendulums. The ogre couldn’t speak clearly as too much oil from the clocks had turned all his ‘t’s to ‘l’s. “Wulsa Malla”, he managed to get out to his ogress but what he meant was ‘What’s the matter?” The ogress had brought in a doctor to check him out. But the doctor was shocked at what he saw and said that he felt the case was out of his area. When the ogre struck three o’clock, he wanted to run from there. He suggested that the ogress call in a clock man but then changed his mind, on hearing the ogres slurred speech. He felt maybe a semanticist, or a dictionist or a syntax man, a specialist with words, would solve the problem. Of course, Thurber is making fun of the way doctors pass the buck, not wanting to admit that they sometimes have no idea what’s going on with a patient. The ogress takes his advice and brings in a man with a huge toolbox the next day, thinking he’s a clockman. But he soon admits that he is a Clogman and not a clockman - his job is to unclog drains and pipes that are blocked. He was determined not to step out of his area of expertise and try to help the beleaguered ogre. The ogress brings in a general practitioner, who says he can only help generals, an Inspirationlist who advised them to ignore the problem and was certain if they did, it would go away. “The final experience should not be mummum,” When the ogress asked him what ‘mummum’ was, he mumbled that it was what the final experience should not be! And fell asleep on their couch. The ogress seemed satisfied with this answer. Thurber is referring to all the self-styled gurus and life-coaches and the advice they give people in trouble - although it often makes little sense, it seems to make them happy. The condition of the ogre worsened as he ate all the clocks in the town – from small alarm clocks to mantel-piece clocks, and grandfather clocks to tower clocks, he finished them all. In between, he swallowed little watches as if he were adding salt and pepper to the clocks! Soon this situation began to affect the town: people had no way to tell the time. So they over-slept, they did not go to work, or church, or school. Factories and shops had to close down, trains stopped running, and people had to just stay at home.
The crisis goes to court: When the Town Council held an Emergency Meeting, members came at all different times, some did not show up at all, for they had no idea when to come. Finally, the case came to court for trial. The charge against the accused, in this case, the ogre, was clock-eating. A psychronologist was called to the witness stand. One can only assume that this is some kind of a
cross between a psychologist and a chronologist. But he refuses to argue his case, stating that he has no scientific data, and as such, concludes that if there is no evidence then the clock-eating could not have really occurred. Again, one can feel Thurber’s barbs at the scientific community
that lays many stores by proofs. They deny the reality in its face. At the Town Council Meeting, the Mayor, who came late, called a clockonomist to the stand. We can guess that a clockonomist is some kind of an economist who studies the economy in relation to clocks. The clockonomist spoke on the clockonomic crisis and explained that this is the opposite of a glut of clocks, as a consumer had consumed all the clocks. Under normal circumstances, this would push up the price of the remaining clocks, but as there were no clocks left, there was also no clockonomist left to deal with the situation. The clockonomist suggested that they transfer the subject to another town where clocks still existed and with that, he left the room. Next, a clockosopher also threw up his hands in despair. Although he was mainly concerned with clocks as a concept, this meeting was regarding clocks as objects. He felt helpless and also left. The court had subpoenaed all the clockmakers holding them completely responsible for the crisis. As the ones who had made the clocks, they had literally created the problem. The clockmakers decided it was time to change their profession. The Lord Mayor expressed his dilemma: he would like to deport the ogre. However, as the ogre now contained so many clocks, he had become a container of clocks. He would, therefore, have to be exported, and not deported. But the law of the land required that all clocks be exported in regulation containers. And the ogre’s body fell out of that legal definition!
What was he to do? Three weeks after the ogre had consumed the last clock, he fell very ill. The Chief Diagnostician ruled quite conclusively: “The trouble is that we don’t know what the trouble is.” As there was no precedent of anyone eating clocks, they could not be sure if the ogre had clockitis, clockosis, clockoma or clocktheria. Or it could even be a minor problem like clocking cough, ticking pox, or clumps. Teams would now have to research the subject so they could come to some conclusion. The town Council was concerned that the ogre might even die. The Chief diagnostician assured everyone that if he did, then the ogre would be buried. The case was then shifted to the Supreme Prosecutor. Housewives objected saying they could not boil 3-minute eggs. And many people blamed the political party in power, but there wasn’t any as the Ogre was the party in power. As they were getting nowhere, they decided to call for a Summit Conference with no agenda so that they could impress those who do get impressed with such events. Someone suggested they use sundials, but the problem was that sundials work only when the sun shines. At such times, no one really cared what time it was. At about this time, the sound of a clock ticking was heard. Soon, it even struck the hour. There was great excitement, as the Supreme Magistrate suggested that it be installed in the Tower and life could return to normal. But doubt was raised. What if the ogre ate this clock as well? Just then, they found out that the ogre had died. Soon a collector took the stand. He insisted that as this was the last clock, it must be installed in the museum. Further, he claimed, as all the items in a museum do not function, this clock should not be wound but allowed to run down and stop. The next day, at 9 minutes to 12, the clock ran down and was installed with a proper ceremony in the museum. Soon, life in the town came to a stand-still. As factories and schools shut down, trains stopped running, the town got buried by the sands of a desert. Symbolically it was also the end of mankind as only Thurber could have imagined it: Mankind bringing about its own destruction through such utter foolishness. Many aeons later, a spaceship from Venus landed on Earth. It held the descendants of people from Earth who had gone there long ago and intermarried with Venusians. A man and a woman explorer found the last clock, but they had no idea what purpose it might have served the ancient people of this planet. So, they labelled it: “Antique mechanism. Function uncertain.” And they took it back to Venus the author says, with “other mysterious relics of the Time of Man on Earth.”
How far is the River - BC 3
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| image source: https://www.governmenteuropa.eu/river-biodiversity-analysed/93961/ |
Ruskin Bond (born 19 May 1934) is an Indian author of British descent. He lives with his adopted family in Landour, in Mussoorie, India. The Indian Council for Child Education has recognized his role in the growth of children's literature in India. He got the Sahitya Akademi Award in 1992 for Our Trees Still Grow in Dehra, for his published work in English. He was awarded the Padma Shri in 1999 and Padma Bhushan in 2014. Most of his works are influenced by life in the hill stations at the foothills of the Himalayas, where he spent his childhood. His first novel, The Room on the Roof, was written when he was 17 and published when he was 21. Summary Ruskin Bond’s short story ‘How far is the River’ is taken from a volume of his collection. The short story reflects the writer’s understanding of the psychology of a 12-year-old boy who longs to go out and explore Nature. Between the boy and the river stood a mountain. The boy was young, and the river was small, but the mountain was high. The mountain concealed the river and so the boy had never seen the river but had heard a great deal about it, of the fish in its waters, of its rocks and currents and waterfalls. The boy felt a great desire to touch the water of the river and ‘know it personally’. This short story deals with an unnamed twelve-year-old boy, a sturdy boy with untidy black hair and shining eyes, sharp features and clear brown skin. How he undertakes a long and arduous walk to locate the river in the absence of his parents in the house that day forms the plot of the short story. As he walks towards the river, he meets woodcutters, a grass cutter girl, milkman and mule drivers. Unfortunately, the boy is not able to get clear directions about the river and its exact location. But he still continues to walk, suddenly he encounters a village boy who smiled in a friendly way and told him that the river was not very far away. They have lunch together and then walk for some time. Soon his companion had to diverge along another path and the boy was again on his own. He felt tired, lonely, miserable and hungry and tempted to return to his house. But if he failed, he would always be ashamed of the experience. Finally, to his great delight, the boy heard a sudden roaring sound, the sound of the river. It tumbled over rocks and the boy gasped and ran towards it. Although he slipped and tumbled, he still ran forward. Then he was ankle-deep in the bitterly cold mountain water which was blue and white and wonderful. At last, the boy fulfilled his dream. Ruskin Bond describes the water as “blue and white and wonderful”
Tuesday, 19 May 2020
Prose 4 - The Sky is the Limit
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| https://www.news18.com/photogallery/india/remembering-kalpana-chawla-the-lady-who-touched-the-sky-2021453.html |
Kalpana Chawla was born in 1962, in Haryana. She was from a humble background and her parents had to work very hard to keep the household going. Despite all the hardships, they encouraged their children to get a good education. Haryana was not a state that favoured education for women. Yet, Kalpana found herself at school, studying all subjects keenly, but being fascinated with science. Years later, she studied aeronautical engineering in Punjab Engineering College, Chandigarh, where she was reportedly discouraged from taking up an option that had few job opportunities. However, she went ahead with her choice. Later, she settled down in America and worked at NASA. She eventually became an astronaut as she had always dreamt of. Additionally, she became the first Indian-origin woman to enter space. She has proved that if one is committed and dedicated, then the sky is the limit. She continued to encourage students in India through emails and even set up a program to get two children from India to visit NASA each year. Though she died young, her legacy continues. She has inspired the youth of India, especially women, who are often denied an education. Kalpana did her schooling from Karnal and then went on to pursue a course in aeronautical engineering from Punjab Engineering College, Chandigarh. She went to the United States in 1892 where she pursued a Science degree in aerospace engineering from the University of Texas and then a doctorate in aerospace engineering from University of Colorado. She became a naturalized US Citizen in 1991. She began working at the NASA Ames Research Centre in 1988 and then joined the corps in March 1995. She is the first Indian-born woman to fly to space. The mission began on November 19, 1997, and her first flight shuttle that included Kalpana along with 5 other astronaut crew was on Space Shuttle Columbia. She was also the second Indian to ever fly in space. Kalpana’s second flight in 2003, was also her last. Kalpana’s second flight that was a part of the crew of STS-107, was launched in 2003. After completing 16 day in space, the space shuttle collapsed over Texas while trying to enter into Earth’s atmosphere. Kalpana was the winner of multiple accolades. She was posthumously honoured with the Congressional Space Medal of Honor, NASA Space Flight Medal, and NASA Distinguished Service Medal. In a country and at a time where women were born to get married, she chose to dream high and fly high (literally). The Kalpana Chawla Award was instituted by the Government of Karnataka in 2004 to recognize young women scientists.
Prose 3- The Lady or the Tiger
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| https://creativegirlwriter.wordpress.com/2017/07/31/summary-review-and-reflection-the-lady-or-the-tiger-by-frank-stockton/ |
The Vast Arena as the Trial Place - The king had a built a vast stadium that served to entertain the public and to administer justice. The accused would be brought to this arena for trial. He would have two choices. If he opened one door, a ferocious hungry tiger would jump upon him and tear him into pieces for his crime. If he opened the other door, a beautiful lady would come out and marry him for his innocence. The King’s judgement looks fair because it arises from impartial and honest chance.
King's Daughter and her Lover on Trial - The king had a daughter who loved a young handsome courtier. He came to know about the love affair and put the lover on Trial. King's daughter bribed and found the secret -which door carried the Tiger and which one, the most beautiful lady. But she was in a dilemma. Whatever door is opened, she would be the loser. Moreover, she was hateful and jealous of the lady in the cage. On the appointed day, the lover looked for a signal from his sweetheart. King's daughter showed the right door secretly and the lover opened it.
The Mysterious End - It is an open-ended story and the writer did not tell who came out -the Lady or the Tiger? We do not know what happened to the handsome young man. Life is mysterious and we do not know what will happen next. So is the end of the Story. The writer asks us to be in the heart of the hot-blooded, semi-barbaric princess and then find the answer. Which is powerful – her love, or her jealousy, or her semi barbarism? Who is clever – the king, or the princess, or the Writer, or the reader? Everything is an open secret.
Prose 2 - The Lion and the Lamb
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| https://www.pinterest.com/pin/346284658819525060/ |
The Great Escape of Lion the Conqueror - Bostock and Wombwell is a travelling company known for its wild-beast show. Once it came to the writer's village lying uphill. It had a lot of wagons, horsemen and variety of animals from Africa, South America, Asia and the Poles, particularly a fierce lion, called Conqueror. It was a snowy evening and the snowfall was heavy. Suddenly the horses carrying the lion’s cage slipped to their knees. The cage got crashed and the Conqueror escaped into the darkness. Being reported, the inspector, sergeant, two constables rushed with dozen natives in search of the lion. It became midnight but the lion could not be found.
The Rumours Spreading like Fire - The rumours about the whereabouts of Lion spread out like Fire. The milkman Godbeer told the writer’s mother that he, on his way, saw the lion’s tracks in Long's meadow. The mother’s neighbour Mrs Whittle said that Mr Cox heard from James that actually six lions escaped and ate the whole sheep, later recognized to be a baby. The town crier announced on the street that the company had declared a reward of 5 pounds for the informer. In women’s bible class, a lean lady Miss. Rolls said that the lion might starve to death in such snowy weather and being charitable Christians, they should leave some food for it.
The Mystery Surrounding Lion’s Capture - And two and a half days, at last, the lion is discovered in a jovial manner lying down before a fireplace near a Vicar named Mr Lamb who has given two legs of pork to it as dinner. He has been reading the Bible to the lion. The existence of Lion itself remains mysterious. The writer says that the incident happened long before his birth. So, he is not a witness. Why should the company come with a new lion during their next visit? Where was the lion during those missing days? Can anyone read the Bible to the lion? The lion’s existence, escape, and recovery all remain as interesting stories, probably mere rumours.
‘I believe there’ll come a day when the lion
and the lamb will lie down in peace together’
Prose 1 Refugee - K.A Abbas
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| https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/asia-pacific/70-years-later-survivors-recall-the-horrors-of-india-pakistan-partition/2017/08/14/3b8c58e4-7de9-11e7-9026-4a0a64977c92_story.html |
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