Karukku

by Bama

Introduction:

In 1992 when a Dalit woman left the convent and wrote her autobiography, the Tamil
publishing industry found her language unacceptable. So Bama Faustina published her
milestone work Karukku privately in 1992—a passionate and important mix of history,
sociology, and the strength to remember. 

Abstract:

Karukku broke barriers of tradition in more ways than one. The first autobiography by a Dalit
woman writer and a classic of subaltern writing, it is a bold and poignant tale of life outside
mainstream Indian thought and function. Revolving around the main theme of caste
oppression within the Catholic Church, it portrays the tension between the self and the
community, and presents Bama's life as a process of self-reflection and recovery from social
and institutional betrayal.

Analysis:

Bama is the pen-name of a Tamil Dalit woman, from a Roman Catholic family. She has
published three main works: an autobiography, Karukku, (1992); a novel, Sangati, (1994);
and a collection of short stories, Kisumbukkaran (1996).
Karukku means palmyra leaves, which, with their serrated edges on both sides, are like
double-edged swords. By a felicitous pun, the Tamil word Karukku, containing the word
hare, embryo or seed, also means freshness, newness.

Karukku is the first autobiography of its kind to appear in Tamil, for Dalit writing in this
language has not produced the spate of autobiographies which have appeared, for example, in
Marathi. It is also in many ways an unusual autobiography. It grows out of a particular
moment: a personal crisis and watershed in the author's life which drives her to make sense of
her life as woman, Christian, Dalit.. It tells the story in "confessional" mode, leaving out
many personal details. The protagonist is never named. The events of Bama's life are not
arranged according to a simple, linear or chronological order, as with most autobiographies,
but rather, reflected upon in different ways, repeated from different perspectives, grouped
under different themes, for example, Work, Games and Recreation, Education, Belief, etc. It
is her driving quest for integrity as a Dalit and Christian that shapes the book and gives it its
polemic.
The argument of the book is to do with the arc of the narrator's spiritual development both
through the nurturing of her belief as a Catholic, and her gradual realization of herself as a
Dalit. We are given a very full picture of the way in which the Church ordered and influenced
the lives of the Dalit Catholics. Every aspect of the child's life is imbued with the Christian
religion. The day is ordered by religious ritual. The year is punctuated by religious
processions and festivals which become part of the natural yearly cycle of crops and seasons.
But parallel to this religious life is a socio-political self-education that takes off from the
revelatory moment when she first understands what untouchability means. It is this double
perspective that enables her to understand the deep rift between Christian beliefs and practice.
Bama's re-reading and interpretation of the Christian scriptures as an adult enables her to
carve out both a social vision and a message of hope for Dalits by emphasizing the
revolutionary aspects of Christianity, the values of equality, social justice, and love towards
all. Her own life experiences urge her towards actively engaging in alleviating the sufferings
of the oppressed. When she becomes a nun, it is in the stubborn hope that she will have a
chance to put these aspirations into effect. She discovers, however, that the perspectives of
the convent and the Church are different from hers. The story of that conflict and its
resolution forms the core of Karukku.
  Karukku is concerned with the single issue of caste oppression within the Catholic Church
and its institutions and presents Bama's life as a process of lonely self-discovery. Bama
leaves her religious order to return to her village, where life may be insecure, but where she
does not feel alienated or compromised.
Conclusion:
The tension throughout Karukku is between the self and the community: the narrator leaves
one community (of religious women) in order to join another (as a Dalit woman).  Dalit,
implying militancy, an alliance with other repressed groups, and a nation-wide — or even
universal — identity. It is the function of Dalit writing to awaken in every reader, a
consciousness of the oppressed Dalit, and to share in the Dalit experience as if it were their
own. (Karukku, he says, is a singular example of a piece of writing which achieves this.)
KARUKKU is a version of a world-wide literature of the oppressed; its politics must be an
active one that fights for human rights, social justice and equality.
Menu

‘Refund’ by Karen E. Bender

Abstract:

Karen E. Bender’s “Refund” is filled with stories about the everyday issues of life in
uncertain economic times.“Our story,” says one of Karen E. Bender’s characters, “was the
usual sad story of our current era.”

Refund is a collection of many short stories received international short story award. Bender
is a short story writer and novelist and current living author. This story is based on the
incident of twin tower plane crash in 2001.

Characters:

Josh and Clarissa- Middle aged married couple

Sammy - Their three year old son

Kim and Garla - who rented Tribeca apartment of Josh and Clarissa

Gary - a friend of Josh who advertised the Tribeca apartment

for rent.

Rainbow - branded school where Sammy studies

Key words: Refund, transaction, artist, financial status, debt, bitterness, argument,
depression, crash, employment, fire, dust, classroom, hotels, attack, tower, apartment
etc.

Summary:

The story arrives, filled with darkly humorous, sharply observed, deeply human stories of
economies both financial and emotional.

The stories in “Refund” revolve around people who have found themselves in jobs with little
security, little pay, and little-to-no opportunity for growth. It is none other than Josh and
Clarissa. They are what economists have come to call the “precariat,” a portmanteau of
“precarious” and “proletariat” that describes an emerging class of workers whose lives are
defined by economic insecurity. Long a topic of conversation in Europe, the concept of
“precarious work” has become more visible in the United States in the wake of the global
financial crisis. And Bender’s tales document the strains and anxieties that haunt those who
seem to waver continuously on the verge of ruin.

Bender begins her story with the introduction of the house which consists of two bedrooms
with terrace and kitchen in Tribeca. Josh and Clarissa belong the age of forty living in the
apartment with their son Sammy. Josh and Clarissa worked as an artist for many years but
caught in debt and loans became poor in financial status. They were disappointment over
their life. Sammy, their three year old son is the only hope for them. It would be time to send
him to a preschool. They chose Rainbow, the most expensive preschool in the area. They
observed the principles of the school where “Medieval studies” is being taught. They were
entirely satisfied with the system of education not with fee structure, it was around $10,000.
Such a huge amount but they hopefully manage the situation. Fortunately they found artist
job at Virginia. So they want to relocate and rent their house for over rent for $3,000 only for
the month of September in order to manage their son’s school fee. They approached Josh
friend Gary, to advertise through Mails.

Josh wrote in the ad:

“Fabulous Tribeca apartment. Two bedrooms, terrace. Three thousand for September.”

Gary sent a mass email to his friends. It has reached a number of people, a lady of one of
Gary’s friends Kim called Clarissa and agreed to the condition. To Josh surprise, Kim
immediately credited $3,ooo dollars to Clarissa’s account. Kim and her friend Garla,
occupied the old Tribeca apartment. Josh and Clarissa stayed in hotels at Virginia and sent
their son to school. One day when they were returning from the school, they were shocked to
observe from the screen of TV showrooms, the crash of plane in twin towers. A giant tower
buckled on the screen in front of them. Numbers of people lost their residence and became
strangers now. They were suffocated with the smoke and dust. Even the middle aged couple
resides nearby the Trade Center. They were escaped out of crash with unexpected luck.

Clarissa received a call from Kim and informing the situation in Tribeca whereas people on
the spot covered their faces with mask. She doesn’t want to continue her stay at Tribeca
wants her Refund. In turn, Clarissa replied that she could refund of $1,000 that too even in
installment of $20. She took Sammy to his first day of school. She walked down the street
with clutter and dust. She reached the school and dropped him off. Psychologist in the school
met parents and enquired about their children response towards coming to school.

Again to Clarissa’s astonish, received a mail from Kim where she mentioned her worst
experience in the apartment. She complained about the low water pressure, scribble on the
walls, poor hairbrush, horrid mascara, old refrigerator etc. Kim requested for $27,000 as a
refund instead of $3,000 the original money. Clarissa keeps on receiving mail from Kim
stating the poor condition of the apartment and increasing the refund too. The next mail stated
the refund payable of $31,000 including hallway odor, broken TV, useless air conditioner.

At hotels, Josh and Clarissa experience their poor condition. They lost their livelihood, rather
listening to the wild screaming of the cranes. It was Sammy’s last day at school; his parents
paid $2,000 for tuition. Clarissa bought a helium balloon as a special treat for her son.
Sammy had an amusement captivated by tender memory. They return back to the hotels, a
week later, Clarissa picked up the phone; it was Kim asked for $54,000 as refund. It was a
bid argument between the two. Finally, Kim charged $54,200 and Clarissa abruptly cut the
call.

Conclusion:

In this new, uncertain world, Bender’s characters struggle to assess their worth.
The feeling is replaced by “nothing but numbness and résumés. Trying to figure out how fast
we could keep from sinking. Could we dream money and see it show up in the checking
account? How little could we spend, eat?”

Her stories are stuffed with poignant, tragic moments, where the characters mislead
themselves in the hopes of escaping their circumstances, taking foolish risks that, in better
times, they would have mocked at.

Bender offers no easy answers in “Refund,” and her stories often end on sad, ambiguous
notes. But her graceful and sensitive treatment of her characters reminds us that in difficult
times, it’s important to remember that everyone is fighting a hard battle.

The Autobiography of an Unknown Indian- The Death of Moral

Consciousness

By Nirad C. Chaudhuri

Introduction:

The Autobiography of an Unknown Indian is the 1951 autobiography of Nirad C.

Chaudhuri, an Indian writer.[1][2] Written when he was around 50, it records his life from his
birth in 1897 in Kishorganj, a small town in present-day Bangladesh. The book relates his
mental and intellectual development, his life and growth in Calcutta, his observations of
vanishing landmarks, the connotation of this is dual—changing Indian situation and historical
forces that was making exit of British from India an imminent affair.
The book is divided into four books, each of which consists of a preface and four chapters.
The first book is entitled "Early Environment" and its four chapters are: 1) My Birth Place ,
2) My Ancestral Place, 3) My mother's Place and 4) England.

‘Winston Churchill thought it one of the best books he had ever read. “

The Autobiography of an Unknown Indian is an astonishing work of self-discovery and the

revelation of a peerless and provocative sensibility. Describing his childhood in the Bengali
countryside and his youth in Calcutta—and telling the story of modern India from his own
fiercely independent viewpoint—Chaudhuri fashions a book of deep conviction, charm, and
intimacy that is also a masterpiece of the writer's art.

Key words: Brahmoism, Hinduism, venal, mercenary, nomos, moral values, corruption,
bribery, nepotism, filth, degradation, homicide, civil justice, birth, death, truth, ethics
etc.
Death of Moral consciousness:

This is an excerpt from The Autobiography of an Unknown Indian. Nirad C. discussed on the
implications of India before Independence. As far as religion is concerned, the narrator and
his family took the path of “Brahmoism” which was a cult of Hinduism heavily influenced by
Christian monotheism. The idea of moral consciousness was brought by Brahmoism and
Hinduism. But India has lost its moral values by pursuit of money, corruption, mercenary,
jobbery etc. According to Plato, Life is worthless without criticism. The Nomos of a
community was established but now it became lost its values without criticism. Both criticism
and awareness have now passed out our existence.

In earlier days, people had an inhibitory break on money making. Higher officials never
solicit for their sons or relatives. They did not expect any benefits from the Government for
their sons out of influence or favour. They refused employment for the sake of convictions
and they were ashamed of jobbery and nepotism. But today, people insist on pursuit of
money, expecting profit without effort, wandering for money like birds and animals in search
of offal or filthy food. Due to this condition, the ethical value of Hindu society became lost.

Moral consciousness is being lost when people trust on superstition, and not true to their
religious principles. Moral consciousness is being lost when people involve in crime,
immodestly assaulting a girl, met a fatal accident due to rash driving, irresponsible towards
civil justice and engage in homicide. Strangling of cow is not least brutal than the killing of
men.

The characteristics of Hindu are buried towards the simpler in preference to the more
complex, towards the unemerged in preference to the emergent and towards the general in
preference to the particular. According to the noblest teaching of Hinduism, the universe is an
illusion, the ultimate reality attributeness, and man; supreme happiness lies in putting an end
to the cycle of births and deaths.

Conclusion:

Nirad C concludes, in the sphere of morals, Hinduism has not progressed very much beyond
it primitive beginnings rather Hinduism ethics has remained immature. Resultantly, the
feeling of antagonism took shape of aggressive Hinduism. However, the irony he talks about
is seen when, long before India could attain any level of perfection economically, they were
freed which led to terrible economic disasters.
 Language component

Road Mapping
1. Excuse me. Could you please tell me how to get to the hospital from here.

Answer: The hospital is behind the post office and nearby the AB Restaurant. Take
right from here and turn left at the Nehru street. You will see the signal, walk towards
the main road then you can find the hospital.

Refer English text book page No: 95 for more examples.

Model exam Blue Print

PART A

I. Spot the Errors 5x1=5

II. Punctuatiion 5x1=5

III. Synonyms & Antonyms 5x1=5

IV. Identify Parts of Speech 5x1=5

V. Fill in the blanks with suitable articles 5x1=5

VI. Road Mapping 5x2=10

PART B

I. Annotations: 7x5=35

II. Descriptive questions 3x10=30

Total 100

Note: Important questions-

The Unknown citizen, On being Trans, Girl child, Men and Women,
Farewell Speech of Mark Antony, A Wrong Man in Worker’s Paradise,
Paper Money.

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