The Magic of Words Final

WikiAstha.com UNIT-1 The Recurring Dream Summary Kimberly Clark was a young and beautiful lady.
Although she worked in a large company and had a good position in her office, her life was not free of problem. She saw a mysterious dream about a person and place which were completely unknown to her. The dream always started on a country roadside which was linked to a white cottage through a lane. The lane had a white fence and hedge on its both sides. Through the lane, in her dream she used to go onto the top of a little hill, where a little white cottage with green shutters was situated. She used to enter the house in her dream and in one of the rooms found a little old man with white hair and white beards sleeping on a bed. When she used to go near that man he used to wake up but when she tried to talk with him she used to find herself awake on her bed in London. The dream caused a great problem for Kimberly as it was a recurring dream and she dreamed same thing every night. Janet Wilson, her roommate, realizing the seriousness as a responsible friend, suggested Kim to go to her parents farm. Kimberly readily agreed and they set for the journey. On the way to Janets parents farm in countryside, Kimberly saw the same cottage and lane that she had been dreaming along the country road. She went to the house in spite of her friends warning. When she knocked the door the same little old man of her dream opened the door. She became afraid, but to her surprise the old man closed the door when he saw her. When she requested, he opened it a little and shouted at her saying her to go away from there. When she asked whether the house was on sale the old man told yes, but he was sure that she wouldnt buy that. She wanted to know the reason and was told that the house was haunted by a ghost. When she asked whether he had seen the ghost the old man told it was she. Thus, when the story ends it makes clear that the house was visited by the soul of Kimberly whenever she slept. It has tried to affirm that there is the separate existence of the supernatural element like soul.
WikiAstha.com is the largest online database system offering free educational contents, notes and materials in Nepal. For other free downloads log on to: www.WikiAstha.com
WikiAstha.com The Lost Doll Summary Maria del Carmen was the only child of Roberto and Rosa Soto. She was bright, beautiful, loving and kind. But unfortunately, she was sick from the day of her birth. As she grew she became sicker, and by the time she reached four, she died. As she was loved by all in the village, everybody came in her funeral and many of them remarked that she looked like a doll. The death of a loving daughter like Carmen was really a great loss for the Soto couple. It was also hard to overcome that grief because Rosa was told by the doctor that she would not be able to become mother again. Rosa wanted to forget that loss. Therefore, she gave all the remaining playthings and clothes of her daughter to a priest from one of the villages down the valley. When Roberto knew that, he became upset as he was hopeful to get another baby. He believed that it is only god, not a doctor, who knows every thing. Rosa expressed her view that it might be possible that the doctor did not know every thing but in the last four years they had already found how difficult it was for her to become a mother again. However, Roberto, like a true believer, still told that the god did not bless them with another child because in those years she was busy with a sick child. As Roberto had hoped, just after a year of Carmens death, Rosa gave birth to another daughter. At her birth Rosa realized that she looked similar to her late daughter. The priest named her Evangelina as she had brought good news for the couple. As she grew everybody found her appearance and activities similar to late Carmen. When she reached around four years, she started telling her mother that she was sick a long time ago. She insisted on it even if her mother told it was only her imagination. One day Rosas sister came from Bogata. Like everyone she was also surprised at the similar look and manner of Evangelina and late Cramen. When she asked about the lost doll to Rosa, Evangelina told she knew where the doll was. She led her mother and aunt in the backyard, under a big tree and told them to dig the stony ground there. When Rosa dug the ground they really found the lost doll there. When, Evangelina was asked by her aunt, she told long ago, she was very sick and fell asleep. Then a real nice man came and took her by hand. When he saw that doll in her hand he told her that she could not take that doll with her and helped her to burry that doll there. The narration of Evangelina made it clear to her mother and aunt that she was mentioning about the death of Carman. The incident established her identity as the reincarnation of Carmen. Carmen and Evangelina Carmen and Evangelina were not only born to same parents but had a lot of similarities in appearance and gestures. Both were quite bright, beautiful, loving and kind. They looked similar to a doll. Their characters and behaviour matched and both of them were fond of doll. The only difference between them was that the former was sick from the day of her birth while the latter was hale and healthy.
WikiAstha.com The House Call Summary It was 9:30 pm of 26th December 1903. Dr. Emil Braun, a famous and senior German surgeon, was trying to have his dinner and write the notes about the surgery. On that day he had performed and supervised some critical operations for more than eight hours and was too tired to do anything. At the same time a girl of six or seven came to his door asking help for her mother, who according to her, was dying. The doctor at once became ready to go with her even if his wife showed some concern for him. He was a dedicated professional and believed that he should do whatever god put in front of him. When he came out of the home he found that the girl had been walking quite ahead of him and in spite of his best attempt he could not catch that girl. The girl led him to the poorest part of Berlin onto the fifth floor of an old tenement building. The girl told that her mother was lying inside and thanked the doctor for the help. After the doctor went inside she closed the door behind him. When the doctor went inside, he recognized the sick lady as Elda, who at one time worked as a maintenance staff in the same hospital. She was suffering from pneumonia. The doctor gave her some medicine and tried to make her feel comfortable. He asked her whereabouts and wondered how big her daughter became. At this, Elda showed her surprise and told her only daughter, Adelheid, had died three months ago when she was just seven years and three days old. The doctor could not believe that because he had just been called by a little girl who told her mother was ill. Elda further told that the shawl and shoes of her late daughter, which she kept for the reminiscent, always made her feel that her daughter was still with her. The doctor got up and observed that it was the same shawl that the girl, who brought him there to attend a house call, had worn. The shoes on the floor were also wet by the rain outside. The doctor got assured that it was the ghost of Adelheid.
WikiAstha.com Fear Summary Armando Gonzalez worked in a shoe shop. He and his wife, Eva, had a dream to buy a house. So, they had saved 50,000 pesos in almost twenty years. The story narrates his disturbed psychology when he went to bank to withdraw the deposit from the bank. Armando was overly anxious when he entered the bank to withdraw his money. When the lady at the counter made some normal inquiry he thought that he was asked unnecessary questions. Besides, the lady counted the money loudly, repeating thousand each time. This made Armando think that the customer behind him exactly knew how much money he was going to take out from the bank. He became more nervous and in nervousness put on his hat backwards. This made him a peculiar figure in the bank. Everybody in the bank was looking at him with great interest and a heavy man almost ran onto a table when he looked at Armando for the second time. But Armando thought they were looking at him for his money. Getting panic with fear he quickly left the bank. When he was waiting for the bus, he found the same heavy man standing by his side. When the man boarded the same bus Armando got assured that he was being followed. According to him, that heavy man looked like a notorious thug, whose profession was to rob the men, who took money out from the bank. In the bus, he also found three teenage boys talking to the heavy man. He thought the boys were helpers of the heavy man and the heavy man would use them to rob him. Armando made a plan to outwit them. He pulled the cord and got off the bus. But to his surprise, he found the three teenage boys also getting off the bus at the same place. There was no house nearby. He saw the boy looking and moving towards him. That was the worst thing that he had expected. He let out a frantic cry and started running wildly. He shouted for help at the pick of his voice but there wasnt anybody to listen to him. He ran across the road and jumped over a fence into a junkyard, where he saw some scavengers working. But in the process he got entangled in a wire and fell down. Before he could stand up again, he found himself surrounded by those boys. Now there wasnt any option left with him. He started crying like a baby and pleaded them not to rob him. But to his utter surprise, he found the boys were his helpers, who ran after him when they found him shouting for help. They were, in fact, students who came in the town for a football tournament. They had climbed onto a wrong bus and got off with him only to take a right bus. Armando realized that his fear was baseless and got relaxed in the company of those boys.
WikiAstha.com The Loving Mother Summary It is the story of a mother who took care of her child even after her death till the child was passed to a safe hand. The story is set in Japan. Shoji Sakota was a pharmacist living in the city of Sapporo on Hokkaido Island. He lived alone in a small apartment, which was attached to his drugstore. One winter night in 1964, while he was preparing his annual business report, he heard a knock on the door. It was mid-night and the weather outside was stormy. It was quite unlikely for any customer to come in such condition and he thought whoever it might be must have seen the shop was closed. When he heard the knock for the second time he thought it was the noise made by the wind. But the third knock definitely sounded like a human knock. Thinking it might be an emergency case, he looked out from the screen in the door. There was a young woman outside. He thought it might be a trick to rob him. He told her to come on the next day. But when he found her pleading a lot and telling that she needed help for her child, he got assured that she was really in trouble and let her come inside. The woman had a strange look. She was abnormally thin and her skin was too light. Her head was bent on her shoulder. Her long, black hair hung untidily around her head and shoulder. She had worn a simple kimono, which looked as if she directly came from her bed. But strangest of all, were her eyes. They looked as if they had extraordinary power which could look through a human body. Even more puzzling was her request. She asked for ame, a Japanese candy. Sakota had thought that she would ask for life-saving medicine or an immediate help. Ame couldnt be that important for which one would need to come in a stormy winter mid-night. Surprisingly, the same event repeated for next two nights as well. On the fourth night, Sakota thought, he must try to know more about the woman. He took the help of his photographer friend in his pursuit. He stealthily (secretly) snapped some photos of the woman. But when the photographs were developed, they didnt show her picture. The case seemed more mysterious. They thought that they would follow her if she would come again. As they had expected, the woman came on the fifth night too. They followed the woman. But since they were not skilled in spying, they were easily noticed by the woman. But it didnt seem a matter of concern to her. Rather, after a minute, it seemed as if she also wanted them to follow her. She led them on the third floor of an old apartment, where she disappeared in the narrow hallway. The men found a door open. When they entered that room, they found a baby licking ame happily. Beside the baby was the dead body the same woman. Sakota assumed she was dead from a number of days.
WikiAstha.com UNIT-2 My Heart Leaps up When I Behold William Wordsworth Q. 1. Interpret the poem in the way you like. Ans: The poem, My Heart Leaps up When I Behold is written by William Wordsworth, who has earned fame as a worshipper of nature among the romanticists. He opined, Poetry is the spontaneous overflow of powerful feelings: it takes its origin from emotions recollected in tranquillity. The influence of this definition is visible on this poem as well. In this poem, he has recollected the experiences of his joyful encounter with a rainbow in his childhood days. The poet says his heart gambols whenever he sees a rainbow in the sky as it gives him unlimited pleasure. The rainbow was equally fascinating when he was a child and enthralled him in the same manner. Now he is a grown up man but he does not find any difference in the rainbow. It is still blissful and charming. The poet wants it to remain equally charming in future too. If the continuity of rainbow breaks he will prefer to die. However, the poet believes that the present is the outcome of past and naturally, the future will be the outcome of the present. This idea gives him the realization that if the rainbow is as beautiful as it was in past, it will definitely remain beautiful in future too. After that the poet feels relaxed and affirms that he could pass his days in the devotion of nature forever. The poet emphsizes on the benevolence of the Nature which is similar to the Gods grace and love which bless every living soul. Q. 2. Explain the paradox in The Child is father of the Man Ans: A paradox is a statement that seems to be absurd or contradictory but is or may be true. Generally we think a man is the father of a child because a father is the source out of which something originates. We know that the role of man is instrumental behind the birth of a child. A child can never produce a grown-up man. Therefore, the statement, the Child is father of the Man seems a paradox. However, the poet does not mean that a child can biologically produce a grown up man. By the above statement, he has expressed his opinion about the socialization of a human being. It is a natural phenomenon, in which a child always develops into a man. A man can never transform into a child. A child possesses a seed-like quality. A seed develops into an autonomous tree and bears flowers and fruits according to the seed. Similarly, a man also inherits all the characteristics from its childhood. A kind child manifests kindness whereas a cruel child manifests cruelty in its manhood. Thus, it can be said that the Child is father of the Man. The statement also means present is the outcome of past. The statement assured the poet about the continuity of the time and natural beauty. According to which, if the rainbow is as beautiful as it was in past, it will certainly remain equally beautiful in future too.
WikiAstha.com Speaking of Children Barbara Holland Q. 1. Does this essay speak in favour or against having many children? Give reasons. Ans: The essay, Speaking of Children by Barbara Holland, speaks against having many children. In ironical language it says one child is an appendage and more than one is a way of life. One child is similar to ones own natural limb. No one finds his/ her natural limb a burden. A natural organ is always useful and lovely. According to the essayist, one child is helpful and lovely in the same manner. However, when she says having many children is a way of life, she does not mean that they add colour to ones life. Its an irony, by which she means that one experiences real trouble and burden when he or she has to feed, clothe, and rear many children. One child is outnumbered. It can be brainwashed and trained by its parents. It can become what its parents want and can achieve higher success and goal in its life. It is not difficult to carry it to important places and parties as it will be a well-mannered child. But if a couple has more than one child, the couple hardly gets time to train and teach manners to them. Such untrained and illmannered children start counter culture in the house. They shout for early dinner, force their parents to go the places which might not be important, and persuade them to talk to someone who is a parent of their friends. Such couples are forced to move far away from the city and settle in the places where there are better schools. With one child you and your husband are still yourselves. You dont have to compromise with your usual way of life. You have merely acquired an extra thing which is tidy and obedient like a terrier or expensive and mechanical like an electric toothbrush. Having such things always gives you pride. With more than a child, you and your husband are no more yourselves. You find everything misplaced around you. You are pushed backward in your life as your maximum time passes in fulfilling the needs of your child. And whats more important, the couples with more than one child hardly get time to discuss about their own private matter, which might destroy the family. Thus, the essayist insists, with multiple children you simply find yourself attuned into such time and situation where everything seems slipping out of your hands and you lose control over your own life. Q. 2. How multiple children can affect the conjugal life of couple? Ans: Barbara Holland tells it is extremely important for a successful or healthy marriage that the couple separate some private time for each other. Especially the wife should set some time aside when her husband comes back from work. The communication gives them time to solve their problems and strengthen the understanding between them. But if a couple has more than one child they cant separate time for themselves. Their children dont allow them to talk freely, no matter how much they try to persuade. In such condition a simple misunderstanding widens the gap between them and their marriage might break down without giving them any time to improvise their mistakes or clear the misunderstandings.
WikiAstha.com Look at a Teacup Patricia Hampl Q. 1. Describe the teacup and saucer. Ans: The teacups and saucers were bought by Patricia Hampls mother in 1939. The cups were made in Czechoslovakia and each cup has a stamp, Czechoslovakia on its bottom. Each cup is made of finest china-clay. They are water-green in colour, which the essayist tells, is even hard to imagine. There are golden lines on cups edges, on base, and on the edges and inner circle of the saucers. There isnt any other decoration outside them. But the inner decoration makes the cups special and supreme example of Czech art. There are flowers falling inside the cups. Those flowers do not seem to be pasted, cemented or painted on the lateral surface of the cups. They appear as if someone has shaken a bundle of flower and all the flowers are caught in motion. They look like a spell of magic. No two flowers are of same kind or colour neither any two of them are falling from the same altitude. There is a golden circle inside the cups which shines beneath the falling flowers. In short, the cup and saucer are extremely beautiful, delicate, and definite. Q. 2. Mention the differences between the mother and the daughter. Ans: Patricia Hampl and her mother are different in their ideas. For mother, family is most important thing in the life of a woman. It is a place where she can find food, shelter, protection, and love. These things included every need of a woman in a traditional patriarchal society. To start a family one must marry, which is a sacred institution for her. Patricia Hampl is a modern feminist and being so she is aware about the pathetic condition of women in the society. She thinks to rescue women from that condition work should be considered as the most important thing. Work can make them independent whereas family makes them dependent. Unlike her mother, she doesnt have any regard for the age-old social values and traditions. She considers marriage a tragic end. It is a bond in which only a woman loses her individuality. She is aware how the women of her mothers generation fell on beds paired with their husband and couldnt stand again in their lives. Therefore, she has refused to fall. She doesnt think marriage was important in her mothers time either. According to her, the only benefit they got was a licence to set physical relation. But she thinks one does not necessarily need to marry to establish physical relations. One can as well have sexual satisfaction outside the marriage. And the marriage must not be taken as a licence for sexual gratification. The mother is introvert and is shy even to express her love for her husband. She is submissive in nature and always suppresses her wishes. It was not only the case of essayists mother but of every women of that generation. To prove that she has recalled an event when her mother was assigned to write an essay on Hitler at high school. Although nobody in the class liked that, they completed the assignment without any complain. The mother, like all traditional women, kills her valuable time in talking about minor things. But the daughter is bold enough to express her idea and fulfil her wishes. Unlike the traditional women of her mothers time she doesnt want to kill her time in nonsense gossips. In fact, through this essay she appeals every woman to come out their usual role and uplift their status themselves. Q. 3. Explain The cup is a detail, a small uncharred finger from the mid-century bonfire. Ans: The mid-century bonfire is the reference to Second World War. It was the most devastating war that the human civilization had ever seen. About 55 million people were killed besides living many more million homeless, crippled, and wounded. Almost all the countries of Europe had to bear WikiAstha.com is the largest online database system offering free educational contents, notes and materials in Nepal. For other free downloads log on to: www.WikiAstha.com
WikiAstha.com unprecedented loss of life and property in the awful fire of war. One of such countries which burnt in the conflagration of war was Czechoslovakia. Patricia Hampl has a set of teacup, which was made in Czechoslovakia, safe with her. She considers it a part of Czechoslovakia. Since the country itself was burnt in the fire of W. W. II, she regards it an uncharred finger. This cup like a natural organ of Czechoslovakia and has a DNAlike quality. The study of DNA from any part of a living body can tell us about all the characteristics of the whole body. Similarly, the study of the cup can tell us a lot about its body, which is Czechoslovakia. It is not only the concrete example superior Czech art but also reminds us the destruction of Second World War, the falling bodies soldiers, falling bombs and crumbling countries. Thus, she thinks it is a detail which could provide enough information to rewrite the history.
WikiAstha.com A Worn Path Eudora Welty Summary Q. 1 Describe Phoenix Jackson and the Journey she undertakes to the town of Natchez. Phoenix Jackson is the protagonist of the story. She is an Afro-American lady. The way she walks suggests she must be very old. She needs a cane to walk. Her eyesight is weak too and she mistakes a scarecrow for a ghost. She wears a red rag in her hair. Her long skirt made of a sugar sack tells she must be very poor. Her skin is yellow and there are wrinkles on her face. But in spite of all these disadvantages, she has a strong determination. Phoenix Jackson makes biannual visits to Natchez to get a soothing medicine for her grandson which she receives as charity. Having swallowed lye, he has suffered without healing for years. Phoenix has made such journey many times before and her path seems to be a worn path now. The story starts with her journey on a chilly December morning. Phoenix Jackson is making her way to the town, slowly but surely, through the woods, tapping her umbrella on the ground in front of her. Her shoes are untied. While she taps along, she also warns the animals to keep out of her way. When she crosses the wood up and down a hill, she complains how difficult the walking becomes. She talks aimlessly to herself. While coming down the hill, due to her poor eyesight, she catches her skirt in the thorns. But quite patiently, she frees her cloth. After that she has to traverse (cross) a stream by walking on a narrow log. Then she takes rest under a tree but due to hunger she imagines a boy bringing a slice of cake. She leaves the place and walks along the trail. In the way she finds a fence. As she can not climb over it, she crosses it by crawling under it like a baby. When she crosses a field, she mistakes a scarecrow as a ghost and when she finds that it is just a scarecrow she dances in joy. When she reaches the wagon track, she meets a black dog with a lolling tongue. She tries to hit that dog but the attempt knocks her off balance and she falls into a ditch. As she can not come out of it by herself, she simply waits for someone to come to her rescue. Soon a white hunter comes and takes her out of the ditch. When she complains that a dog has knocked her down, the hunter goes to chase that dog away but in the process a nickel falls from his pocket. Phoenix takes that coin. When the hunter comes he points his gun on her and asks if she is afraid. But he can not scare her and gets so impressed that he desires to give her a dime in reward. He tries to discourage the lady to go to the town but he can not. When she reaches town she finds it decorated in beautiful way as it is the Christmas time. When she reaches the clinic she forgets the reason that takes her there. But the nurse recognises her and remembers her case. She gives her the medicine after making a normal enquiry. When she leaves, the attendant gives her a nickel as a Christmas gift. After she comes out of the hospital, she finds she has got ten cents with her. She decides to buy a paper windmill for her grandson with that. Q. 2. Trace the various obstacles Old Phoenix comes up against between the valley, where we first pick her up and the wagon track, and describe how she deals with each. Ans. There are numerous obstacles that Old Phoenix has to overcome between valley and the wagon track but she overcomes each of them with her strong will-power. First of all it is a very cold day and she is very old. Her old age and the unfavourable weather are the first obstacles in her long journey but she ignores that with her indomitable spirit. Second, she has to walk through the woods up and down a hill which is haunted by wild animals. She keeps the animals away by poking her cane into bush. Next obstacle is a thorny bush which catches her skirt. Quite patiently, she frees herself from that thorny bush. The obstacle number four is to traverse a stream by a narrow log. She crosses is slowly by closing her eyes and holding her cane firmly in front of her. After that a fence WikiAstha.com is the largest online database system offering free educational contents, notes and materials in Nepal. For other free downloads log on to: www.WikiAstha.com
WikiAstha.com comes in her way. As she is very old she can not cross it by climbing over it, she crawls under it like a baby. The last obstacle that comes before the wagon track is a scarecrow. She mistakes it for a ghost. But as she cannot return back she touches it and finds it is just a scarecrow. In this way she overcomes all the obstacles that come in her way. Q. 3. What is the meaning of the episode in which Phoenix steals the nickel? Does the act offend our sense of honesty? Explain your answer. Ans. When Phoenix Jackson falls into a ditch, she waits for someone to come to her rescue. After some time a white hunter comes and helps her to come out. She complains that she is knocked down by a dog. The hunter goes to drive that dog away. In this process a nickel falls from his pocket. When she sees it, she takes it stealthily. At the same time a bird flies and it makes her think that God is watching her. It shows that she confesses her sin to the God and her act is forgiven at once. We can say this because we see the hunter coming back and expressing his desire to reward the lady with a dime. It can be taken as an attempt of writer to make her reader realize that what she takes is only half of the reward she is worthy of. Therefore, the act of Phoenix does not offend our sense of honesty. Rather, her pathetic condition arouses sympathy in our heart. It was Christmas time and she needed some gift for her grandson. Any other person would do the same if s/he was in her place. Q. 4. How does Phoenix describe her situation to the white man who helps her up? Ans. Phoenix describes that her situation is similar to a June-bug. A June-bug is an insect. When it is turned upside down, it can not turn back to its normal position by itself. It needs help from someone to do so. If the help does not arrive in time, it will die. The situation of Phoenix Jackson is also same. She is too weak to come out of ditch by herself. Therefore, she simply waits for someone to come and lift her up from the ditch. Q. 5. Why is Phoenix taking the long trip to town? Ans. Phoenix has only one relative left with her, who is her grandson. Once he had swallowed a solution named lye. It damaged his throat and made it painful for him to drink or eat anything. According to doctors, it couldnt be cured. However, they gave a kind of soothing medicine which could be used to soften his throat. The medicine helps him to eat and drink. Phoenix is going to fetch the same medicine, which she gets free from a clinic in Natchez. She makes such visits twice a year. Q. 6. What does Old Phoenix plan to do with the money she has got during the day? Why? Ans. Phoenix Jackson plans to buy a paper windmill for her grandson. According to her, it will be a good thing for him because the child has never seen such a wonderful thing in his life. It was also the Christmas time and there is a tradition to give gifts during this time to ones near and dears. Since she has only one relative, she also decides to take a Christmas gift for him from the town. Besides, she has only ten cents and she cannot buy anything more valuable than a paper windmill with that sum of money.
WikiAstha.com The Three Day Blow Ernest Hemingway Q.1.What Did Nick and Bill talk about? Ans. Nick and Bill talked about four things, baseball, writers, their fathers and about Nicks beloved, Marjorie. When they meet at latters house they sat in front of fire and drank. They started their conversation like any normal young man. They talked about their favourite game, which was baseball. But they were not satisfied by the way their team, Cards, performed. Then they talked about their favourite novelists, Walpole and Chesterton. Out of them the former was a better human whereas the latter was a better writer. They reconfirm the age-old belief that one is remembered either for his work or for his behaviour. After that, they talked about their father. Nicks father was a doctor whereas Bills father was a painter. They both found their father better persons. However, they also accepted that Nicks father had missed a lot of things by not drinking wine. The last topic they talked on was about the beloved of Nick, Marjorie. They had quarrelled and busted off recently. The event had disturbed Nick mentally. In spite of Bills several attempts he was not able to forget her. During the talk he realized that there was possibility of their reunion. That realization made him feel better and filled a new energy in Nick. After that they went out for hunting. Q.2. Describe the connection between mental ordeal of Nick and the title of the story. Ans. There is a clear analogy between the title, The Three Day Blow, and the mental ordeal Nick goes through. The movements start from his mental conflict, grow with suffering, and culminate with a sense of reconciliation. When a storm comes, everything in nature is taken by surprise and before giving enough time, a lot of damage is done. Similarly, Nick and Marjorie quarrel and before they can handle the situation they get separated. It disturbs Nick mentally. On the second day of storm when the leaves of the trees are blown away, it looks pathetic. The condition of Nick is also same. He suffers a lot due to his separation from Marjorie, who is blown away from Nicks life like a leaf in the storm. The suffering grows as the time passes. On the third day when the storm is over, there comes a new chance for new creation in the nature. Similarly, at the last of the story we find Nick hopeful about his reunion with his beloved. This sense gave him mental peace. Q.3. The story is presented in a sequence of approximately 7 scenes. Can you find them? Ans. The seven scenes excluding the opening and exposition could be as following: Scene-1 Nick and Bill meet outside the cottage of latter. Scene-2 They sit near fire, drink and talk. Scene-3 Nick brings a chunk through the kitchen. Scene-4 They put the chunk on the fire. Scene-5 Nick looks at a mirror while coming with water from kitchen. Scene-6 They again sit near fire, drink and talk about Marjorie (Nicks Beloved). Scene-7 They come out of the cottage for hunting with their shotguns. Q.4. Describe The Three Day Blow as a dramatic story. Ans. The Three Day Blow can be called a dramatic story for a number of reasons. They are the maximum use of dialogue instead of narration, the dramatic development of the plot, and the episodic (scenic) division in the story.
WikiAstha.com Actually, the elements like, plot, character, setting, and theme, are shared by fiction and drama both. It is dialogue that separates a drama from fiction. We find the use of dialogue is minimal in fictions or stories. They rely on narration most of the time to unfold the plot. But this story is unfolded to us through dialogues between Nick and Bill. The writer, in other words, doesnt inform but involves the readers. They feel as if they are watching a drama rather than reading a story. Second, the plot of story has a dramatic development. It is neatly divided into exposition, climax, and resolution. It starts with exposition of pathetic condition of Nick Wemedge who has just been busted off Marjorie, his beloved. He suffers with the after effects. He drinks to keep away from the reality but it proved to be impossible. This realization is the second stage of drama, or the climax. At the climax the protagonist changes and takes final decision that determines the outcome. It results in the resolution. As per the dramatic plot Nick realizes that it is impossible to live without Marjorie and resolves to reunite with his beloved. The story is also episodic in nature. It further brings it closer to drama. It can be neatly divided into seven scenes. (use ans of q. 3.) Therefore, the story, Three Day Blow, by Ernest Hemingway, seems quite close to a drama. (use q.1 for 2nd para and q.3 for 3rd para if this question is asked as a long question.)
WikiAstha.com UNIT-3 The Poplar Field William Cowper was enchanted by the rural and natural beauty. He gave up his promising public career for a life of retirement in rural area, and exclusively devoted his later life into poetry. His love towards them is visible in the poem, The Popular Field, in which he has compared a beautiful, undisturbed Eden-like state of a poplar wood grown on the bank River Ouse of past with its own ugly and dejected form of present. The poem is written nostalgic in tone. The poet visited a poplar wood grown on the bank of River Ouse 12 years ago and immediately fell in love with it. The shadowy tall poplar trees provided shade to everyone who visited the beautiful landscape. When it blew with cool breeze it took every fatigue away and the rustling sound it produced through leaves provided solace to poets mind and body. Besides, there used to be melodious song of blackbirds to entertain. The river looked beautiful too when the tall poplar trees reflected on it. It would quench the thirst of every soul. But, now the trees are cut and are fallen on the ground. It cannot provide shade to anyone. Nor is there cool breeze blowing. The blackbirds have flown away in search of new shelter and therefore, the poet can not listen to their sweet song anymore. By looking this degraded situation of the same landscape, the poet becomes very sad as he knows there cant be any compensation for the deforestation. It is personally a great loss for the poet. He is separated from his beloved field. He thinks that the limited years of his life are passing away very quickly. Very soon he will be dead and will be buried in a grave. But he regrets that he will not be able to see such poplar grove on the bank of River Ouse again in his life. He not only regrets for himself. The pathetic site of nature also draws his attention towards the perishing pleasure of the whole human. Human life is very short and one must try to fill it with every possible joy and pleasure. But their bad luck is that their joy and pleasure last for shorter time. They are doomed to a life full of sorrow, and for this they themselves are responsible.
WikiAstha.com The Nightmare Life without Fuel Isaac Asimov Summary Q. 1. What kinds of serious problems could fuel shortage cause? Ans. In the essay The Nightmare Life without Fuel, Isaac Asimov has tried to foresee into future when human will have to suffer from extreme fuel crisis. The essayist is an American and he has started the essay by mentioning the negative effect of fuel scarcity on Americans. According to him, the American life which stands for prosperity and comfort today, will be changed into a nightmarish life. They will find themselves unable to keep private vehicles and have to travel in crowded public transport. The factories will stop production and they will have to reuse the metal parts from old and demolished buildings. Inside the house, they wont be able to operate ACs, heaters or refrigerators. Hardly any American will be able to lit lights after supper. In short, they will have to live inside their dark, cold and cave-like houses. The fuel shortage will put the human settlements to an end in suburbs. The American government will have to overlook the personal interest of its citizen. They will only allow the railway to use the coal. The remaining energy will be used by agriculture sector. The car factories will start producing agricultural machines. This will grow the agricultural products in America. But the price of food will knowingly be kept high. This will discourage the people to buy more food and allow the government to export them, as it will be the only source of national income. The condition outside America will be more pathetic. There will be widespread starvation as only one out five people will get sufficient food. About 80% people will suffer from hunger. Around 2 billion, which is about 40% of the total population, will have their brain permanently damaged. The heavy and powerful machines will be replaced by human muscles and beasts of burden. They will have to work for longer hour with less leisure time and amusement. Even then, there wont be any guarantee of food. In short the whole human race will be destined to languish in the hell-like situation. Q. 2. What specific problem does Asimov focus on in this essay? Why does he consider this issue worth of attention? Ans. Asimov focuses on the fuel crisis in this essay. He considers this issue worth attention because the amount fossil fuel is limited. It cannot fulfill the insatiable human demands forever. But human beings are using it ignoring its limitation. This trend might finish them before we expect them to finish and might invite countless troubles for human. It is also a considerable issue because the time has come when we must look for some alternatives of fossil fuel. Unless other alternatives to produce energy are found in time, the human will be doomed to live a cursed life in near future. Q. 3. According to the author, what will be the advantages of the fuel crisis? The disadvantages? Ans. Quite surprisingly, Isaac Asimov has counted some advantages of fuel crisis. He tells the fuel crisis will make the air cleaner. As a result less people will suffer from cold. Crime rate will come down. The police would be present in their beats. And people will be able to walk on the streets in late nights. People will become more fashionable and wil start wearing sweaters at home. It will also help to control population that has been a problem till now. And finally the energy consuming monsters will disappear for ever. However, if we look at the above advantages carefully, we will find they are actually the result of several disadvantages. The air will become pure not due to any promising scientific invention but due to our inability to drive vehicles or run factories. So, the air will become cleaner WikiAstha.com is the largest online database system offering free educational contents, notes and materials in Nepal. For other free downloads log on to: www.WikiAstha.com
WikiAstha.com only at the cost of human comfort. Similarly, the crime rate will be found low because the police will be unable to patrol on the roads or reach crime scenes. Thus, they cannot keep record of crimes due to fuel crisis. The Americans will be walking on streets in late nights because they will be compelled to do so. They wont be able to afford vehicles even at late nights or in time of emergency. There are several other disadvantages of fuel crisis too. It will force the human to give up the use of ACs, heaters, and refrigerators. They will have to languish inside the dark, cold, and cave-like houses. They must need to work manually as they wont be able to run machines. In short, these disadvantages will force the human to live in a nightmarish hell-like situation. Q. 4. In Asimovs essay what is happening in the rest of the world as America struggles without fuel? Ans. The situation outside America is worse as the people are dying out of hunger there. Only one out of five people get enough food. About 80% people outside America and Europe are compelled to live in hunger. The first victims of starvation are innocent children. They can hardly survive once their mothers become dry. There are some who are getting only that much food which can move their bodies. But it cannot keep there mind fit and there are around 2 billion people whose brains are permanently damaged. Q. 5. What does the author mean when he says, the suburbs are born with auto, lived with auto and are dying with auto. Ans. Asimov has imagined a nightmarish life, which can be turned into reality due to the fuel crisis in The Nightmare Life without Fuel. In the given line he has presented the dependency of American suburbanites on automobiles. When the cities grew, a lot of industries and factories were established in it. To run them they needed extra manpower. But there was not enough space to accommodate them all inside the cities. So, these workers settled several kilometers away from cities. They could do so because their life was supported by their automobiles. They could easily go to their work and come back home in time. Thus, the automobiles helped the human to settle in suburbs. As the habitation grew the facilities also grew there. It attracted the rich and professionals to come and settle there because they found almost equal facilities and a better environment. Thus, posh colonies were established and the suburbs developed. But all of the sudden the automobiles, the only medium that has linked them to cities, has stopped working. When the suburbanites can not afford the price of fuel, they left driving cars and can not reach office or do the shopping in time. They are cut with mainstream of America. Therefore, they are dying now.
WikiAstha.com Keeping Things Whole Mark Strand Summary Mark Strand is a surrealist. Therefore, the images that he creates in his work seem alien or uncommon to us. However, he always writes on common theme. Through the present poem also he wants to appeal for universal brotherhood, a kind of wholeness against all the usual fragmentations that appear our in life. The poet tells when he is in a field, he finds himself absent there. It happens because he allows his own individual entity to submerge into a bigger entity, which is field. By doing so he does not lose anything, rather he is recognized as a greater body. According to him, it is always the same case with him. Wherever he goes he finds himself absent there. However, it is the human tendency to make things apart rather than keeping it whole. But such attempts can never succeed because the universe is one. He has given an example to prove his point. When he walks in a field his body parts the air as it moves forward. But immediately after he moves forward vacuum created by his body is filled by air. Thus, he is not able to part things at last. Rather, he joins things at his back too. According to the poet everybody has some projects or goal in his life. His mission is to keep things whole.
WikiAstha.com Unchopping a Tree W.S. Merwin Summary Unchopping a Tree is a pseudodirective essay. W.S. Merwin has coined a new term by adding the prefix un to chopping. By this he has meant the process of reversing the action of chopping a tree. Although the essay has used imperative sentences to give direction to reverse the process of chopping, our common sense makes us realise its impossibility from the very first step. W.S. Merwin instructs us to begin the unchopping by joining leaves to their respective twigs and twigs to their respective branches. If the tree has a hollow trunk, the nests of birds, hives of bees and insects, and their hoards of nuts and food must be reassembled. If there were spider webs on the tree before the fall, it must be weaved again. Any damage done to the neighbouring trees must also be repaired. Now the tree is ready on the ground. In the second step the tree must be erected on its stump without grinding its base into the ground. While putting the tackle into place, no damage to the neighbouring trees can be done. If it occurs, any of such damages must be corrected later. If any leaf is broken or the things in the trunk are misplaced, they must be rearranged by putting the tree back on the ground. The last step is to arrange the wooden chips which fell on the ground during the chopping. After that the saw-dust and bark of the tree must fixed. Here one must be careful to use correct adhesives so that natural look of the tree is not distorted. After giving the instructions, the essayist asks how long such tree can stand. Any blow of wind will be enough to put the tree back on the ground. No one can stop the blowing of wind. So the only thing that you can do is to start the process of unchopping from the beginning if you have to get any success. By giving a Sisyphus-like task the essayist intends to make every reader realize that you can hardly undertake and complete such process. Therefore, it is unwise to chop a tree because we are not wise enough to unchop it.
WikiAstha.com UNIT-4 Concrete Cat Dorthi Charles Summary Concrete Cat is a concrete poem. A concrete poem is an experimental poem, which verbally deals with visual ideas with an attempt to articulate visual thinking and bring the aesthetic principle of paintings into poetry. It is mostly written to look at although it uses letters instead of a painting brush. In Concret Cat we can see Dorthi Charles has used black letters and placed it in such a manner that it shows us a picture of cat on the page. To make the picture more vivid, he has used pointed letters A shows the pointed ears of cat. The capital Y is used to show the wide-opened eyes of cat as it is approaching food. The stripes, whiskers, mouth, paw, and tail are also made visible by appropriate arrangements of letters. The poet has also associated some catness with the concrete cat. For example a mouse is shown upside down. It means the cat has recently killed it, which is a cats nature. Similarly, the letter U is used in mouth to suggest that a cat licks its food. There are some litterboxes at the corner, which suggest that the cat is in a store-room. The food kept near it also suggests that the cat is a domestic one. The poet has also used a pun in the poem. A pun is a device of figurative language in which a word with two meanings is playfully used in a context. The punning words are (nearly) spelled and pronounced in the same way. We find the mid-stripe on the cats body can be read as stripe, which means a long extended black line on a cats body. At the same time it can also be read as tripes, which means the food inside its stomach. Oops! Hows That Again Roger Rosenblatt Summary In our daily life, we make numerous verbal errors. They become the cause of embarrassment, insult, and sometimes just laughter. But most of the time we are not serious about it although they seem surprisingly interesting. Rosenblatt in Oops! Hows That Again, has discussed on such verbal errors in a humorous way. However, at the same time he has provided some reasonable explanations behind such errors. He has categorized the verbal errors into four groups. They are: slips of tongue, mistranslation, bloopers, and spoonerisms. In slips of tongue we mistakenly tell something else instead of what we intend to or are supposed to tell. On the conscious level we never mean what we speak and sometimes we regret for it. For example once a businessman Peter Balfour wished Prince Charles long life and conjugal happiness with Lady Jane on the day he was engaged to Lady Diana. Similarly, when Chicagos Mayor wanted make his city men feel secure, he assured them the policeman isnt there to create disorder, the policeman is there to preserve disorder. Clearly, both the mis-speaker didnt mean what they told. Mistranslation is different but perhaps the most interesting among all verbal errors. It occurs when one tries to translate the original version literally and ignores its sense. i.e. when they rely more on literal translation than on sense translation, they are likely to end up with poor or wrong translation. A popular slogan Come Alive with Pepsi was mistranslated in Germany as Come Alive out of Grave with Pepsi. Similarly once the German President, Heinrich Lubke went to WikiAstha.com is the largest online database system offering free educational contents, notes and materials in Nepal. For other free downloads log on to: www.WikiAstha.com
WikiAstha.com receive the President of India at an airport. He wanted to ask How are you? to his Indian counterpart but asked Who are you? instead. Bloopers are embarrassing errors made in public. Once David Hartman, the anchor of Good Morning America infuriated his sponsor, General Foods, when he announced, well be right back after this word from General Fools. Similarly another American radio anchor, Harry von Zell called his president Hoobert Heever. In fact the presidents name was Herbert Heever. However, bloopers largely consist low-life verbal errors and toilet jokes. It is also an interesting fact that blooper records became great hit programmes on American radios and televisions in 1950s. Spoonerism, an utterly different kind of verbal error, is named after an Oxford scholar, Archibald Spooner. It is the transposition of initial or other sounds of words in a sentence. It seems deliberate. The popular example is the transposition of Conquering Kings Their Titles Take as Kinquering Kongs Their Titles Take. In another interesting example Spooner scolded his student, you have hissed all my mystery lectures... instead of saying you have missed all my history lectures... Although we just laugh at such verbal errors, they are of great importance for linguists and psychologists. According to some linguists like Victoria Fromkin, brain stores idea in a particular grammatical pattern of a particular language. When we speak, we express our idea on the same pattern. But if the ideas are arranged in wrong way, we make mistakes. Mistranslations can be taken as a result of such attempts too. According to psychologists, our brain has three stages called; sub-conscious, conscious, and super-conscious. In our sub-conscious mind there are many wishes related to primitive needs. But our super-conscious mind always stops us to reveal them. Our conscious mind is a balance between them. But sometimes the latent desires of sub-conscious mind tend to come out in the from of slips. For example, when a nun asked the Irish Bishop How many lords, my lump? instead of How many lumps my Lord? she intended to ask a profound theological question. There is another also psychological theory which gives a sound reason for such verbal errors. According to the psychiatrist Richard Yazmajian, there are some incorrect words that exist in associative chains with the correct ones. He calls it dream pair of words. When we speak, sometime incorrect words of dream pair substitute the correct words and we make verbal errors.
WikiAstha.com UNIT-5 Malini Rabindranath Tagore Q.1 What was the revolt against? Against Malini? Against the King? Against Buddhism? Ans: The revolt was against the spread of a new religion on the land old religion. The causes mentioned in the question are merely stimulus. Had there been Michael in stead of Malini, or if there had been the spread of Christianity in stead of Buddhism, the result would have been same. Neither any King would be excused under such circumstances. Kashi is one of the centres, where Hinduism originated and prospered. It is also the place highly dominated by Brahmins. Remarkable thing is that the Brahmins enjoy a great privilege in Hindu society. In such condition any blow to the dominant religious dogma may result in disadvantage of all Brahmins. Therefore, when Malini comes out with a new concept influenced by Buddhism all the Brahmins get united against her and shouted for her banishment. Q.2 Why does Malini ask for her own banishment from the palace? Ans. Malini thinks that she is inspired by some divine force in heaven. She thinks she should go out of the palace among the common people. It will help her to teach them what is right and what is wrong. The instruction of Malini will help them to attain nirvana. Therefore, when the king informs her of Brahmins discontentment, she takes it positively. She tells her father that they are not asking for her banishment but want her to live with them. So, she requests her father to listen to Brahmins demand and banish her from the palace. Q. 3 Would you call Supriya a betrayer? Give reasons. Ans. It would be an injustice to call Supriya a betrayer. Of course, he deceived his friend who trusted him most, but at the same time we must consider his patriotism. All the personal relations and causes are subordinate to national cause and sovereignty. In Supriyas own words Kemankar is dearer than his own life. But when he is informed that Kemankar is going to attack Kashi with mighty foreign soldiers, he becomes panic about the possible bloodshed. He must have understood that a whole country should never be thrown into a war due to the ambition of a single people, no matter how important he is. He informs the king about Kemankars plan and the king makes him a captive after a surprise attack and stops the country from possible destruction. Therefore, I would call Supriya a patriot rather than a betrayer. Q.4 Draw a character sketch of Malini. Ans. Malini is the protagonist of Rabindranath Tagores play, Malini. She is the princess of Kashi, a land where Hinduism originated and prospered and where her new thoughts stirred the conservative Hindus. Although she is a princess, she does not wear dresses or ornaments like a princess. This annoys her mother but Malini thinks her destiny is to find riches in the poverty. Malini is inspired by a divine force of heaven. She thinks she should leave the palace and go among people. It is important because she thinks only by bridging the gap between palace and people, she can preach and rescue them from the troubled life of earth. According to her, the whole world is like a ship left by its captain in a stormy sea. The ship might destroy if she will not reach. She thinks she knows the way to heaven and can lead it there. In other words, she thinks she can help people to achieve nirvana.
WikiAstha.com However, once she goes out, she finds the reality quite different from what she has supposed. She asks help from Supriya in her mission as she lacks words when she is amidst human crowd. This might make the readers think that all her visions are in fact illusions. Nevertheless, it doesnt mean she doesnt possess any power at all. In fact, she looks so bright and benign that agitating Brahmins take her as an incarnation of a goddess who has descended on the pious land of Kashi to rescue it from the possible bloodshed. Malini is taught by Buddhist monks. Accordingly, she is very much influenced by its philosophy, non-violence and peace. When Supriya tells about how he has informed the king about Kemankars plan, who makes him a captive, she doesnt like it. She thinks her heart is big enough to greet even the opponents. Not only that when Kemankar kills Supriya, she pleads the king to forgive him. Remarkable thing is that Supriya is very dear to her and the king wants her to marry him. Malini is the creation by Tagore in which one can find blend of so many eastern mythical ladies. She is benign and beautiful like Sita, and her mere presence might liberate the human mind from any kind of agitation. She is also similar to Bhrikuti who revived Buddhism in Tibet to help people to overcome their sufferings. It is possible that the dramatist might not have thought about these two abovementioned goddesses from Nepal, but the way Malini is respected and worshipped by the people in drama make us identify her with them.
WikiAstha.com
Understanding Kemankar to Understand Malini Introduction Malini, a philosophical poetic drama, written by the great Indian poet-cum-dramatist, Rabindranath Tagore, is told to be the story of love and hatred. However, when looked a bit more closely it also appears the picture of contemporary India. The country had seen hundreds of HinduMuslim riots after 1920s. For the poet like Rabindranath it was a worthy issue to write on, and he could not help touching it. Besides that the major Urdu, Punjabi, and Bengali writers, who liked to be called nationalists, were worried that these sectarian violence would lead the country to ultimate destruction (in fact they were right and the country India was eventually divided on religious ground, on the day of its birth). They wanted to do something to stop that long and perennial series of sectarian conflict. Therefore, Tagore has gone around 2000 years back, into the ancient history, and imagines a similar situation in Malini, when the emergence of Buddhism had put similar threat to brotherhood, and preached for the non-violence, peace, religious tolerance, and co-existence. Surprisingly, Kemankar, who is the principal antagonistic force in the drama, has been proved instrumental to meet the dramatists aim. Thus it becomes important for us to understand his character to understand the drama. Who is Kemankar? Kemankar is the main obstacle that stands like a rock in way of Malini, the protagonist of the Drama. He is a Brahmin and is well-versed in the (Hindu) holy doctrines. He is handsome and very attractive. In the words of Malini The iron chain (gets) (a)shamed of itself upon those limbs. However it is not that he is strong only in body. His mental strength is still greater. He believes and follows whatever is written in the religious books and has a strong faith in the long-run traditional social norms and values. According to Supriya he is firm and strong in his resolution and his thoughts never flicker with doubts. He thinks, as the member of Hindu, it is his duty to safeguard Hinduism. Thus he is a crusader too. Since he is a Brahmin, he has great influence over the society. He gathers the Brahmins and persuades them to raise their voice against Malini, who according to him, wants to corrupt the people of Kashi. But these Brahmis are proved too weak to fulfil his aim and once they come under the serene, sombre and divine image of Malini they are influenced by her and turn away from Kemankar.
WikiAstha.com Moreover, the departure of Brahmins does not weaken the indomitable spirit of Kemankar. Rather, he decides to come out of his usual role of Brahmin and accepts to be soldier at the call of his duty. Here, one thing that must be paid attention to is the fact that in ancient Hindu hierarchy, which was divided basis of occupation and labour, the Brahmins enjoyed the most privilege position. So, choosing the occupation of a soldier must have been an obnoxious decadence for Kemankar. In spite of that, he resolves to go to foreign land and built a strong army which will be powerful enough to defeat the royal soldier and restore the utopian Hindu Kingdom. He vows to create a kingdom, which will be of the Hindus and will be ruled by Hindus. Before going to foreign lands he takes promise from his most intimate friend Supriya to help him in his mission and to what the latter readily agrees too. But his trust on Supriya proves the only flow in his character. Supriya discloses his plans to the king who makes him captive by a surprise attack. Kemankar in Comparison to other Characters of the Drama Kemankar is not a flat character. A flat or type character, according to E. M. Forster, is built around a single idea or quality. Such characters can easily be divided into good or bad block. Such characters are presented without any individualization. For example, the hero will necessarily possess all the good qualities and his opponent will have all the bad qualities. But, Kemankar cant be put under this category. He is a complex character. His temperament and motivation is presented with subtle particularity. Therefore it is pretty difficult to describe his character with any adequacy. His character might not be remarkable like Oedipus (of Sophocles), Hamlet (of Shakespeare) or Willy Lowman (of Arthur Miller). Yet, he has the combination of all the three. He is arrogant like Oedipus, a scholar like Hamlet and fearless like Willy Lowman. Supriyas Character is too weak in front of Kemankar. The former himself accept the superiority of the latter. He is a fluctuating and unreliable person. He is never confident of himself and therefore is always in search of someone who could lead him through out his life. It is Kemankar who always lead and dictate him. But when he leaves for foreign country, Supriya is compelled to take guidance of Malini. He is person who wants butter on the both sides of his bread. One the one hand, he promises that he will help Kemankar in his mission but on the other hand, when the time demands he discloses everything to the King. He tells Kemankar to trust him as their friendship has been older than the influence of Malini but chooses the life of Malini when he is asked to fulfil his promise.
WikiAstha.com Malini, the heroine of the drama, is also not able to walk on the perilous path she has undertaken. She has an illusion that she is guided by a divine power and decides to leave the palace. But when she confronts with the crowd, she gets disillusioned. She understands her limitation and asks Supriya to be her guide. Not only that, she returns to the luxurious life of palace when a favourable atmosphere is created by the Brahmins. After that she prefers to overcome her exhaustion in the palace garden rather than to meet people. These evidences are enough to prove that she cant be Buddha. In the comparison to the two characters mentioned above, Kemankar appears far more firm. He faces jolts after jolts in his mission but rather than kneeling down in front of those drawbacks he emerges more strongly. He is far more learned than Malini, who according to herself has not read the books like them. Supriya has read the books, but to him reading books is similar to crying in wilderness. He is not sure what the words of those holy doctrines mean. However, Kemankar has not only read them but is always sure what those words mean. A Brahmin can preach other only if he himself understands what is written in his doctrines. Thus, he is a true Brahmin. Nevertheless, he is true warrior too. He does not surrender even before his death. When the king asks what he will do if he is forgiven, he fearlessly tells he will complete his incomplete task. In this way refuses to save his life on the mercy of the king though it was Supriyas word that a kings favour does not tempt him. Therefore, due to the determination, ambitiousness, self-confidence, and passion, Kemankar evolves as the most influential character in the drama. Is Kemankars Villainy Justified? When we see and evaluates Kemankar on the surface level or according to the role and script in the drama he tends to appear as a hero rather than a villain. Now, the question appears whether Tagore wanted to present him as an idol. Our common sense tells No! It cant be. Though Malini on the surface level seems to be a play about conflict between Hinduism and Buddhism, it is essentially a conflict between sect and religion. Religion is a sound from soul, an urge to seek reality disregarding anything indoctrinated from outside. A seeker cant be a (blind) believer and a believer cant be a seeker. Thats why a seeker changes path once he or she finds that it can not lead him/her to the ultimate truth. A believer on the other hand, believes what befalls on him or what is indoctrinated to him. In the drama, Malini is a seeker who changes her path once she finds that itll not lead her to the truth. Kemankar, on the other hand, holds the doctrine of Hinduism self-sufficient. WikiAstha.com is the largest online database system offering free educational contents, notes and materials in Nepal. For other free downloads log on to: www.WikiAstha.com
WikiAstha.com The blind believers never think that there can be some other way to look at the same thing(s). They also want to enjoy advantage of being a member of a particular group. They always feel insecure when they see the emergence of a parallel group. Samuel P. Huntington writes in The Clash of Civilizations, such people always associate morality, identity, social injustice and political repression with the meanings of faith. We can see such religious extremists in the world today, who liked be called spiritual leaders. But their relationship is based on business, i.e. to give to take. Such relationship functions not only at the physical level but also at the emotional level hatred for hatred, jealousy for jealousy, laughter for laughter. Kemankar defines his relationship with Supriya in this way. He thinks that he must punish Supriya for his betrayal and kills him. He takes friendship and love as property. His friendship with Supriya and his love for him is based not on the ground of freedom. His love for him is a business-like contract that must be fulfilled to save oneself from the lawsuit. Sypriya finds himself unable to fulfill that contract and thats why he becomes the victim. Thus Kemankar is a fanatic. He wants to enjoy the power of being a Brahmin. But truth challenges and destroys this relationship. Once he finds a threat to his power, he goes on to betray his own country. Kemankar is more concerned about the form then with the essence. Water is water whether it is of a well or a pond. It is useful if it quenches thirst. Kemankar fights for his ancestors well without considering whether it can quench their thirst. Kemankar is quite undemocratic and is tyrannical. Extracted from the paper presented to RIA students on 11 September 2006.
WikiAstha.com UNIT-6 The Six Million Dollar Man Harold J Morowitz Summary Prof. Dr. Morowitz in the The Six Million Dollar Man has tried to examine what the actual worth of a human being can be. It started, when he got a birthday card stating, According to BIOCHEMISTS the materials that make up the HUMAN BODY are only worth 97c. It was hard to believe if a human body is so cheap, especially for the person, who himself was a professor of Molecular Biophysics and Biochemistry. Therefore, he decided to make a through scientific study of the entire matter. He arranged for a catalogue from a Biochemical Co., which had clearly mentioned the rate of chemical ingredients present in a human body. According to the information provided in the catalogue, the cheapest ingredient, Hemoglobin, costed $2.95 per gram and it ranged to $175,500,000 which could be the lowest possible cost for a single gram of prolactin. The overall calculation told the estimated cost for a dry human body would be $ 245.54 per gram. The excited author multiplied it with his own dry weight, 24,436 grams. It revealed that his dry body was worth $6,000,015.44. It was really great upgrade to his ego but his research didnt stop there. He found that the cost he speculated was too low. Because he had calculated the value of the chemicals present in a human body separately but in a human body they work in combination. Clearly if they are synthesized further they would be far more expensive. If they synthesized into molecules the cost would reach around six billion. If the molecules are synthesized to make cellular substructure they would be around six trillion and if they synthesized into organelles the cost could not be estimated in terms of dollars or cents. Still, such organelles wouldnt be able to manifest human qualities. The essay ends with a philosophical conclusion that it is impossible to assemble cells into tissues, tissues into organs and organs into a living person. Neither any amount of money is enough to buy or create a human being. In short, each human is infinitely precious.
WikiAstha.com On the Vanity of Earthly Greatness Arthur Guiterman Summary The poem, On the Vanity of Earthly Greatness makes us realize the remorselessness of time and vanity of human greatness. It tells no earthly glory, wealth or power, can last forever. In the four couplets of the poem four examples are given about the things that were famous for its power and thus were respected and feared by all. The mighty mastodons tusks were powerful enough to win any war but now they are turned into playing commodities. Similarly, the sword of Charlemagne, which helped him to maintain peace and justice, is changed into rust now. The grizzly bear is turned into rug and the great Roman warrior Julius Caesars bust is used as a decorating item in a cupboard. Through these examples, the poet has shown how the greatest and most powerful things are proved futile in the flow of time. Q. 1. Summarize the poem in one sentence. Ans. All the earthly glory and power, no matter whether it is the tusks of mastodons and the hug of grizzly bear or the power of the emperors like, Charlemagne and Julius Caesar, are doomed to decay with the flow of time. Q. 2. Bring out the vanity involved in the last couplet. Ans. Julius Caesar was a great warrior of ancient Roman Empire. Due to his war skill and brilliant diplomacy, he also became the king of the empire. In the phase when he ruled, nobody had ever dreamt that the days of his glory would ever be over. Nevertheless, the irony is that after two thousands years no one bows to his power. He is merely turned into a decorating item, which the poet has kept in his cupboard. Similarly, poet was also felt energetic and strong in past. But with the flow of time, his energy and strength also past and therefore, he is not feeling well.
WikiAstha.com In Bed Joan Didion Summary Q. Write about the sufferings and bitter experience of Joan Didion as a migrainous person. Ans. Joan Didion in the essay In Bed describes the nature of migraine headaches and her own personal experience as a migrainous patient. The essayist is suffering from the migraine since her school days. Currently she has to spend three to five days in bed due to the same problem. When she is attacked by migraine, she loses her ability to focus her eyes upon anything, spills whatever she is holding and gives appearance of being drunk. It also brings chill and sweating with an unbearable headache. She tells the pain is so great that the sufferer desires for an immediate operation of brain. However, more hurting is the sceptical look of people, who dont suffer from migraine headaches. They tend to think that these headaches are imaginary and always forward a couple of suggestions. According to Didion almost any tension or problem can invite an attack of migraine headache. However, she also tells that she has reached to an understanding with her disease. It never comes when she is in real trouble and when it comes she accepts it as a reality. Q. 2. What are the features of migraine headaches? Ans. Migraine headaches are several times more intense than the most unpleasant ordinary headaches. The actual migraine headaches are preceded by migraine aura. In migraine aura people lose the ability to focus their eyes on anything, spill whatever they have in their hands, become unaware about the world around them and look like drunk. Then chill and sweating with an unbearable headache follows. Once an attack is under way, no drug can check or cure it. Some preventive medicines like Methysergide or Sansert can reduce the frequency of migraine attacks. But due to side-effects and contraindication they are rarely prescribed by doctors. A popular misconception is that it is the result of imagination and wrong thinking. Some doctors think only perfectionists suffer from migraine. Thus it is related to attitude and behaviours. However, Joan Didion sees some more reasons behind this disease. First of all it is not imaginary. Secondly, although attitude and behaviour are instrumental to trigger the attack of migraine, the root cause of this disease is some chemical inferiority and it is hereditary. According to her, when the amount of a chemical (a nerve hormone) called Serotonin falls sharply in blood, the patient feels flush of blood into the cerebral arteries. This disturbance in brain results in a severe headache. Q. 3. Why does the writer consider herself fortunate that her husband has migraine? What would happen otherwise? Ans. The majority of people dont take migraine headache a disease. Those who dont suffer from it always think that it is imaginary and a migrainous patient suffers due to their imagination only. They also think that all headaches are same and always suggest taking some pain killer tablets. This attitude makes the misery of the sufferer more painful. Therefore, the writer considers herself fortunate that her husband has migraine and being a migrainous patient himself he understands her pain If the writers husband didnt suffer from migraine he would suspect his wife and would think that the writer was only pretending to be sick.
WikiAstha.com The Gardener Rudyard Kipling Q. 1. What is the real relation between Helen and Michael? Ans. The real relation between Miss Helen Turrell and Michael Turrell is of mother and son. We know this when an omniscient character, the gardener, reveals this fact at the end of the story. Q. 2. What is the truth behind each of the lies Helen tells the village at the beginning of the story? Why does she tell these lies? Ans. Miss Helen Turrell tells the villagers that Michael Turrell is her nephew, who was born in India from an illegal affair between her brother, George Turrell, and an Indian woman. She also reports that when was she in France to cure her lung trouble she made necessary arrangements to bring the child from India and took care of the child for its better future. However, the reality is something else. Michael is her own son and she went to France to give birth to him. She didnt suffer from lung trouble. She tells the village lies because she is afraid of her social prestige. Nobody in the society would respect her if they knew the truth behind Michaels birth. She is unmarried, and a virgin is not supposed to give birth to a baby. Thus, she tries to escape the scornful treatment of the society. On the other hand, her lies and hypocritical nature give her the image of an ideal and serene lady. Q. 3. How do know who the gardener really is? Ans. At the end of the story, the gardener emerges as an omniscient character. He knows the true relationship between Miss Helen Turrell and Michael Turrell. But in spite of his importance in the story, writer does not reveal who he really is and the reader are left helpless to make speculations about him. Our common sense says he must be either a God or a sexual partner of Helen Turrell. To me first possibility seems less likely because I dont think that a writer of 20th century like Rudyard Kipling will bring god into his story to solve puzzles. Therefore, the gardener must be the sex partner of Miss Helen.

The Magic of Words Final

Загружено:

Сведения о документе

Исходное описание:

Авторское право

Доступные форматы

Поделиться этим документом

Поделиться или встроить документ

Параметры публикации

Этот документ был вам полезен?

Это неприемлемый материал?

Авторское право:

Доступные форматы

The Magic of Words Final

Загружено:

Авторское право:

Доступные форматы

WikiAstha.com UNIT-1 The Recurring Dream Summary Kimberly Clark was a young and beautiful lady.

Вам также может понравиться