UNIT ONE : LOVE AND REMINISCENCE
GRANDMOTHER
ENGLISH | THE HERITAGE OF WORDS
Ray Young Bear
GRANDMOTHER
ENGLISH | THE HERITAGE OF WORDS
Ray Young Bear
American Indian poet Ray Young Bear in his poem Grandmother
describes his grandmother using similes, metamorphose and sense verbs.
Depicting (pointing) a portrait (image) of grandmother of his tribe. The poet
also reveals (show) the socio-economic status of Mesquaki tribe which he
belongs.
The grandmother of the poet is the source of love and
inspiration for him. As the poet was closely associated with his grandmother,
her image is evergreen in fresh in his mind if the poet saw his grandmother
from a far distance he would instantly recognize her because of her purple
scarf around her neck and plastic shopping bag in her hand. If the grandmother
touch his hand were of his grandmother only because they would feel warm and
damp with smell of root. This indicates poet’s poor financial state which made
the grandmother work in the field despite her old age. If the poet heard a
voice coming from the rock, he would immediately know that the voice was of his
grandmother as it would blow inside him like a light and warm on stirring a
dying fire at night. The words would be inspiring for him as they would
activate his inner feeling making the loving memory of his grandmother
evergreen and very fresh.
The poet is successful in drawing the picture of his grandmother which is appealing to our senses. Deviating (going away) from usual grammatical rules and rules of the poetry, the poet has used small letters in the entire poem to draw the attention to the readers. The poet also reveals the socio-economic status of ‘Mesquaki’ tribe to which he belongs.
Summary
of About Love | The Heritage of Words
UNIT ONE : LOVE AND REMINISCENCE
ABOUT LOVE
ENGLISH | THE HERITAGE OF WORDS
Anton Chekhov
ABOUT LOVE
ENGLISH | THE HERITAGE OF WORDS
Anton Chekhov
Revealing (showing) his perception about mysterious Love,
Anton Chekov in his story About Love expresses that love is governed by
emotions which doesn’t care any physical restriction. Describing three love
stories, the writer puts forward logic that, “Love is different in each
situation and love isn’t confined within marital relationship”.
In a rainy day Alyohin narrated love stories to his friends
while having breakfast. Nikanor, a cook was in love with a beautiful maid
servant Pelageya and they were living in the same house although they weren’t
married. When Nikanor was drunk and had a violent temper he used to abuse and
bit her. Sometimes, she had to hide herself to avoid misconduct from Nikanor
being a person of
religious conviction, Nikanor insisted that Pelageya.
However, she didn’t want to marry with Nikanor, rather she was ready to live
with him just so, despite their contradictory (opposite) views and characters,
they were in deep love with each other which was a great mystery.
Alyohin, the narrator, while studying at universities used
to be in love with a university girl and was living with her in the same house.
Although, Alyohin wanted to devote himself completely in love, the girl
constantly used to think about monetary and household matters and about destiny
of their love. He considered such behaviors in love would be the hindrance and
source of irritation and dissatisfaction.
Alyohin also narrated his own love story with Anna
Alexeyevna. On coming back home after graduation from university he found that
the landed properties had been mortgaged by his father to meet his educational
expenses. To pay off the debt, he decided to live in the village working in the
farm. However, he had been elected an honorary justice of court of peace and
had to go to the town frequently to participate in court session. Once he was
invited to dinner by Mr. Luganovich, the assistant president of the court where
Alyohin meet his wife Anna, he realized as if he had been familiar with Anna
since his childhood. After the meeting, Alyohin started visiting Anna’s house
very frequently and gradually they fall in love with each other. However, being
trapped by their own reasons and logics because of fear of social criticism,
they refrained from expressing their love to each other. Being tired of
maintaining two relationships with her husband and Alyohin, Anna started
exhibiting carelessness towards her family and became a patient of nervous
prostration disease. She was advised to make medical treatment in Crimea. In
the meanwhile, Luganovich got transfer order to western province.
To bid farewell to Anna, huge crowd was their at the railway
station on the day of her departure. When she bade farewell to her husband,
children and friends, Alyohin entered into the cabin to see her of f. When
their eyes met, they couldn’t resist themselves from expressing their love to
each other. In the mean while, the train started moving and Alyohin got down at
next stoppage and moved homewards with heavy heart. On listening to his story,
Alyohin’s friends concluded that he should devote himself in other profession
rather than farming to keep him happy.
The writer by discussing three love story’s shows the
mysterious nature of love, love is not confined and restricted by physical
restriction because it is guided by emotion of human being. Showing
restlessness of Alyohin who was a bachelor was in love with Anna despite the
fact that she was mother of two children, the writer has provide that love is
not confined by marital relationship.
Summary
of The lamentation of the Old Pensioner | The Heritage of Words
UNIT ONE : LOVE AND REMINISCENCE
THE LAMENTATION OF THE OLD PENSIONER
ENGLISH | THE HERITAGE OF WORDS
W.B. Yeast
THE LAMENTATION OF THE OLD PENSIONER
ENGLISH | THE HERITAGE OF WORDS
W.B. Yeast
W.B Yeats in his poem The Lamentation of the Old Pensioner
recollects his young and energetic youth and laments at his neglected state in
his old age.
Understanding a long journey of life through ups and downs
the poet feels tired, upset and heading a neglected life in his old age.
The poet in his old age now is companion less and protecting himself from
the rain taking shelter under a broken tree. But in his young and colorful days
in the past. The poet used to be surrounded by his friends discussing love and
politics in such raining days. He was actively involved in politics and the
political situation was calm and quiet during his time. He recollects the
peaceful political situation of his time and
contracts the present violent political situation where
people are collecting weapons and making conspiracy to over through the
government to get power however, the poet is different about present political
situation who is mentally thinking about cruel time that has transfigured him
from young to old depriving him from enjoying his colorful life.
The poet in his old age now feels neglected and lonely and
struggles with difficulties of life alone. However, the memory of his glorious
past days when he used to be the point of attention and attraction to everybody
is still very fresh in his mind. Although, he is physically weak, old and
disfigured now, his memory is still interact which time is not being able to
remove from his mind. The poet considers that the time is responsible for his
present neglected condition. Therefore, the poet expresses his anger with the
time by splitting into its face for changing him from young to old.
Summary
of Two Long-Term Problems : Too Many People, Too Few Trees | The Heritage of
Words
UNIT TWO : ECOLOGY AND CHANGE
TWO LONG TERM PROBLEMS : TOO MANY PEOPLE, TOO FEW TREES
Moti Nissani
TWO LONG TERM PROBLEMS : TOO MANY PEOPLE, TOO FEW TREES
Moti Nissani
In the brief essay, Two Long Term Problems: Too Many People,
Too Few Trees, Moti Nissani discusses two inter related problems they are,
overpopulation and deforestation. With their impact showing several
consequences of the twin problems, the writer makes us aware about our duties
to solve them and to save the bio-sphere for our future generation.
Scientist from all over the world express their serious
concern (worry) about present state of bio-sphere as human activities caused
very serious damage on environment and on critical resources. With the
introduction of modern medical facilities, nutrition and sanitation, the
world’s population started growing more than 80 million per year. In Nepal
only, in less than 50 years the population increases at the rate of 2.5% per
year from 9 million to 25 million. If this alarming growth continuous
unchecked, the population of Nepal will be 46 million by 2026 A.D. which would
be very difficult for Nepal to accommodate. In order to feed more people, more
forest, lands are destroyed in a very large scale.
As a result, soil erosion, desertification, flood,
landslide, tropical diseases, siltation of rivers and dams and mass migration
are increasing. High growth of population has already polluted our food, air,
water, rivers, soil, drains and farms. The chances of cancers and emphysema
(lungs disease) and asthma are far higher now and we are suffering from
pre-mature hearing loss. Lead and dioxide are causing serious effect on
children’s intelligence and health. The world has already faced frightening
problems such as desertification, acid rain, loss of wild species of plants and
animals, ozone layer depletion and green house effect because of human caused
pollution.
However
the situation could be improved by controlling population and pollution, many
factors such as modernization, effective family planning measures equal
economic, educational and legal opportunities to woman will help to control the
rapid population growth. In order to set this world for our future generation,
we must save forest by reducing population pressure on it through effective
family planning measures and educating people. We may also save the forest by
making effective and strict laws with a provision to impose high tax on wood
product and provision of incentive for pressuring forest. There should be a
provision in the law to punish severely for destroying forest. Massive
reforestation, another effective step will benefit the world in conserving
biodiversity, pristine wildness and to minimize desertification, flood and
weather extremes. By controlling population and saving forest, we may solve
this planet for our future generation utilizing our knowledge to convert our
wisdom, courage and passion into practice to turn this world into a heaven.
Summary
of Full Fathom Five Thy Father Lies | The heritage of Words
UNIT TWO : ECOLOGY AND CHANGE
FULL FATHOM FIVE THY FATHER LIES
ENGLISH | THE HERITAGE OF WORDS
W. Shakespeare
FULL FATHOM FIVE THY FATHER LIES
ENGLISH | THE HERITAGE OF WORDS
W. Shakespeare
The poem "Full Fathom Five Thy Father Lies" is
written by famous English poet and playwright (dramatist)William Shakespeare.
This poem appears to be in Act-I, Scene-2 of his tragic comedy play The
Tempest. Aerial sings this song to Ferdinand, the prince of Naples who
mistakenly thinks that his father is drowned and arrives on the Solitary Island
in search of his father.
Aerial says that the body of Ferdinand’s father keeps lying
30 ft. below in the sea. His bones are changed into precious corals and his
eyes have been transformed into pearls. No part of his body has decayed but
changed into something very strange and precious thing belonging to the sea.
The sea nymphs are ringing the funeral bell every hour and morning the death of
Ferdinand’s father.
Aerial consoles Ferdinand that even the death of his father
becomes very meaningful because no part of his body is decayed rather changed
into strange and very precious things of the sea. The poet in his poem
expresses that death is the door step towards eternity which is an inevitable
truth of life. Everyone has to confront (face) it, presenting the poem
beautifully using various poetic devices, the poet expresses that even the
death could be very meaningful it leads towards eternity and spiritual freedom.
Summary
of Hurried Trip to Avoid a Bad Star | The Heritage of Words
UNIT TWO : ECOLOGY AND CHANGE
HURRIED TRIP TO AVOID A BAD STAR
ENGLISH | THE HERITAGE OF WORDS
M. Lilla and C. Bishop Berry
HURRIED TRIP TO AVOID A BAD STAR
ENGLISH | THE HERITAGE OF WORDS
M. Lilla and C. Bishop Berry
American geographers M. Lilla and C. Bishop Barry in their
essay Hurried trip to avoid a Bad Star present an exploration of Karnali zone
of western Nepal on foot for 15 months. This essay was published as a visit
report in The National Geographic as Karnali, The road less World of Western
Nepal in 1971. The writers in this essay describe the life account of Karnali
zone people, their daily life, their tradition and culture, their lack of
awareness about environmental preservation and Karnali zone’s economic
dependency with the plain region of south Nepal.
With a view to study above mentioned aspects, the writers
move to plain of south Nepal with the peasants (farmers) who were going towards
Nepalgunj for their daily provisions. They were carrying medicinal herbs, hand
knitted sweaters and blankets etc. to sell in Nepalgunj while climbing step
hill near Hari Lekh a Chhetri women of about 36 requested them to send her
husband back home who left the house 15 years ago in search of job in the
Terai. For this request revealed the concept of Karnali zone people about
parameter of the world. In a Sal forest slope the writers noticed the chopping
down trees from several direction which indicated the possibility of rapid
deforestation in the region. On enquiry, the people explained their compulsion
to chop down the trees to feed their animals which exposed their lack of
education and ignorance about the importance of preservation of environment.
The writers noticed a group of 8 or 9 men in a forest processingSilajit in
order to sell in Nepalgunj. This superstitious people made a hurried trip from
their home valley to avoid evil influence of bad star. On arrival in Nepalgunj
the writers watched the hill people buying their daily provisions; one of them
spent all his money buying distillery equipments with a hope to earn money by
selling alcohol. The writers concluded their journey at Jumla. They expressed
their concern on lack of awareness on Karnali zone people about protection of
nature and about the need of educating people regarding this vital aspect. They
expressed that Karnali zone people were living in very difficult place with a
very low agricultural production. The writers suggested them to involve
themselves in trade with the Terai region in order to make their life easy with
satisfactory earning.
Summary
of Traveling Through the Dark | The Heritage of Words
UNIT TWO : ECOLOGY AND CHANGE
TRAVELING THROUGH THE DARK
ENGLISH | THE HERITAGE OF WORDS
William Stafford
TRAVELING THROUGH THE DARK
ENGLISH | THE HERITAGE OF WORDS
William Stafford
“Traveling through the Dark” composed by William Stafford
presents dual responsibilities of any person has possibility of facing: one
self-entered and another community-centered. By the end, he moralizes that one
has to make choice between the two, and such choice is also ways self-centered.
It was dark and the poet was traveling along the road by
Wilson River. On the way, he saw a dead deer. He thought it would be better if he
threw the deer into canyon because the road was very narrow and his returning
would cause more deaths. Thinking of throwing, he got down from his car. And he
went towards the deer. While the deer. While he dragged for the purpose of
throwing, he saw that she was pregnant. This reality forced him to tough the
deer’s side. He felt warmth and knew that her fawn was still alive.
Consequently, he found difficulty in deciding. He looked towards his vehicles.
It was aiming its parking light ahead, its engine was continuously purring. He
stood there and tried to hear the sound of his friends coming but he could not.
He thought for longer about himself and about his friends. He thought at
returning also. But, at last, he pushed the deer into the river.
Summary
of A Story | The Heritage of Words
UNIT THREE : HUMOUR AND SATIRE
A STORY
ENGLISH | THE HERITAGE OF WORDS
Dylan Thomas
A STORY
ENGLISH | THE HERITAGE OF WORDS
Dylan Thomas
This humorous story is narrated by a very young who is
living with his uncle and aunt. In this story, the boy presents the adults' world
from a child’s point of view. This story is about a day’s outing to Porthcawl
by motor coach. In the first part of the story, the boy describes his uncle and
aunt using metaphors and similes. The uncle was big and noisy whereas his wife
was small and quiet who used to move on padded paws. The boy compares his uncle
with a buffalo and a dismantle ship. He compared his aunt with her cat because
of her quick and quiet movement and with a mouse because of her nibbling habit
and tiny tone.
Every Saturday night after heated arguments, the aunt used
to hit the uncle on the head after the uncle lifted her on to a chair. The boy
also describes uncle’s few friends in the story. Mr. Benjamin Franklyn
collected the money for the outing and bought 20 cases of light wine. Will
Sentry kept a strict vigil on Benjamin by following him everywhere in order to
guard the money. One Sunday evening Benjamin and Will Sentry came to uncle with
a list of persons who had paid for the outing for his approval. After their
departure, the aunt asked the uncle to choose either her or the outing. The
uncle however chose the outing at which she became furious at breakfast. The
next Sunday the boy found that the aunt had already left the house.
Finally the boy describes that the uncle and his friends
made a trip to Porthcawl for the outing. When they were out of the village for
their destination, they found that old O’Jones had been left behind and they
had to go back to the village to pick up him. After O’Jones got on, Mr. Weazely
wanted to go home to take his teeth. However his friends convinced him that the
teeth wouldn’t be necessary for him in the outing. On the way to the Porthcawl
they stopped at every public house (Bar) and drank alcohol heaving the boy
outside as children were not allowed into the bars on seem a river on the way
they went swimming there. They didn’t actually arrive at Porthcawl on the way
home, it was already hate everything. Old O’Jones started cooking his dinner
with kerosene stove and other members started drinking alcohol sitting in a
circle in front of closed bar. The boy began to sleep leaning on his uncle’s
waist coat.
The writer in the story is also able to create humor by
describing the uncle, aunt, uncle’s friends and their behavior. However, the
writer points out towards the bitter aspect connected with human behavior and
habit of drinking alcohol. Alcoholic drink may change people’s behavior making
them selfish, cruel and indifferent towards others suffering. Alcohol brings
the nice atmosphere of uncle’s family on the verge of breakfast. Uncle and his
friends also exhibited cruelty towards the small boy after drinking alcohol as
they were totally careless about him during the entire trip.
Summary
of The Last Voyage of the Ghost Ship | The Heritage of Words
UNIT THREE : HUMOUR AND SATIRETHE LAST VOYAGE OF THE GHOST
SHIP
ENGLISH | THE HERITAGE OF WORDS
Garcia Marquez
ENGLISH | THE HERITAGE OF WORDS
Garcia Marquez
Gabriel Garcia Marquez in his story The Last Voyage of the
Ghost Ship which is written in Stream of consciousness style of writing
describes the growth of an ordinary boy to an assertive (strong and confident)
young man.
Many years ago, at night in the month of March the boy saw
very large ship without light and sound while moving towards sandy beach near
the village the boy saw the ship breaking and sinking into the sea but he
didn’t hear any sound. The boy thought that he had a bad dream in the previous
night as he didn’t see any wreckage at the place where the ship broke into
pieces. The boy saw the same ship appearing
at the same place and destroying
like previous year and he was sure that he wasn’t dreaming. He told his mother
about the ship but she didn’t believe him and thought her son became crazy. His
mother used to spend almost her night sitting on her chair after the death of
her husband 11 years ago. As the chair was very old she brought second hand
chair from the market. But she died that very night sitting on the newly bought
chair. Four more women from the same village also died sitting on the same
chair. So the chair was thrown into the sea considering it is an evil chair.
After the death of his mother the boy became orphan and started stealing fish
form the boats to survive rather than depending on the charity of the villagers
who had hated him.
A few years later at night in the month of March the boy saw
the same ship while watching the ship. He shouted loudly calling the villagers
to watch the ship. But when the villagers reached there, the ship had already
broken and sunk into the sea. The poor boy was beaten badly for disturbing and
scaring the villagers at midnight. The boy made a plan to show that them the
ship so that they would believe him. A few years later in the same night of
March, the boy stole a boat and kept waiting for the ship where he had seen in
last year. When the ship arrived he lit a lamp on his boat, the ship followed
the light and the boy let the ship towards his village. When the ship brought
near the village, he blew its large whistle and lit all the lights. All the
villagers wake up because of the sound and started coming out of their houses.
The ship came onto the ground by the village and stopped moving in front of the
church, then all the villagers saw the ship and believed the boy, the boy
became very happy.
Summary
of God's Grandeur | The Heritage of Words
UNIT FOUR : GOD AND MAN
GOD'S GRANDEUR
ENGLISH | THE HERITAGE OF WORDS
Gerard Manley Hopkins
GOD'S GRANDEUR
ENGLISH | THE HERITAGE OF WORDS
Gerard Manley Hopkins
God’s Grandeur by an English poet G.M. Hopkins describes the
majestic deeds of God. He claims that God is omnipresent (present everywhere)
and omnipotent (the most powerful). The good deeds on earth are also the
results of these qualities of God. Thought human beings continuously destroy
nature, it is never spent.
The world is full of the greatness of God. Due to His
greatness, the world shines like ‘a shook foil’. It gathers to greatness, as it
is full of resources. Despite this fact, human beings act adversely. They don’t
follow the commands of God; rather they function to destroy the world. Earlier
generations destroyed the earth and so is the case with the present generation.
They act as if they are not rational
creatures. As a result of their deeds, the earth and so is the case with the
present generation, they act as if they are not rational creatures. As a result
of their deed, the earth has become dry; it has the smell of human beings
instead of its natural smell. Indeed the earth has reached to the verge of
destruction. Nevertheless, the world is not completely destroyed. Because of
the freshness that is inside things. Nature keeps on regenerating. The sun sets
in the evening only to reappear in the morning. These all happenings are the
results of the god’s protection. He protects the earth just like a bird broods
over the eggs.
The poet is of the opinion that human beings acts are always
directed towards destruction: knowingly or unknowingly they destroy though
human beings destroy, the nature regenerates because of the omnipresent and
omnipotent nature of god.
Summary
of I Have A Dream | The Heritage of Words
UNIT FIVE : HUMAN RIGHTS
I HAVE A DREAM
ENGLISH | THE HERITAGE OF WORDS
Martin Luther King, Jr.
I HAVE A DREAM
ENGLISH | THE HERITAGE OF WORDS
Martin Luther King, Jr.
Martin Luther King Jr-known for his policy of passive
resistant and oratorical skills, a leader of black people and campaigner of
civil rights-delivered the speech “I have a dream” on the steps of the Lincoln
Memorial. King states that Lincoln’s Emancipation Proclamation frees the slaves
announced on 22 September 1862, American Constitution drew up in 1787
preserving of individual and federal states’ rights and Declaration of
Independence based on unalienable rights; Life, Liberty and Pursuit of
happiness issued on 4 July 1776 were limited on the paper but the
implementation was strictly beyond from the people and nation. So King assists
his views to provide freedom and equality to black peoples and eliminate the
racial injustice by developing the sense of brother hood and sister hood and
unity among black and white.
King questions on the implementation of written rights
stating that Negros are still sadly crippled by the manacles of segregation and
chains of discrimination. They are neglected and are in exile in their own
land. For freedom and equality, until the Negros is granted their citizenship
rights, they will continue their non-violence revolution. In the response, they
must forever conduct their struggle on the high plane of dignity and discipline
and allow their creative protest to degenerate in to physical force with soul
force. Their action should not cause any distrust in among the white people
because their destiny is tied up with the destiny of the white. So they should
develop the sense of our.
The black people will be satisfied when they are not
oppressed by the police brutality guided by white. When they are tired they
must get lodging in the Motels and Hotels. They should be allowed to go where
the whites go and get the rights to vote with the sense of why they are voting.
King reinforces the people to keep the fighting until they get justice and they
are created equal. His dream is deeply rooted in the American dream which gives
the priority on material prosperity. It is a dream of freedom and equality,
Justice and security, and dream of the land where the content of character is
more important than color of skin. All the racists will no longer believe in
color. The black and the whites will work together, eat together and they will
be brothers and sisters. All the differences will disappear. There will be a
sweet music of liberty which will be common of the Americans guided/inspired by
Negros spirit resounding all over the country. At last they will all be free.
Summary
of Women's Business | The Heritage of Words
UNIT SIX : WOMEN AND CHILDREN
WOMEN'S BUSINESS
ENGLISH | THE HERITAGE OF WORDS
Ilene Kantrov
WOMEN'S BUSINESS
ENGLISH | THE HERITAGE OF WORDS
Ilene Kantrov
Ilene Kandrov in her essay Women’s Business paints the
portraits of Lydia E. Pinkham and other business women who have been successful
in American business world. The women discussed in the essay were not only
business women but also involved in social service particularly in educating
people about issues and problems related to women. However it was clear that
their interest in making money was more important than their interest in
improving society.
Most of the business women used lavish and misleading
advertisement for improving their business. For example, Lydia E. Pinkham who
was in favor of stopping people in drinking alcohol sold her products that it
was very alcoholic. She put steps into the business field with self invented
machine called Lydia E. Pinkham’s vegetable compound. She claimed that her
machine was complete remedy for all kind of diseases faced by women. She also
took advantages of woman weakness to improve her business. By using different
new techniques she activated the women in America and established herself in
very respectable position in American business and secured a place for a lady
in male dominated world of commerce.
Like Pinkham her followers also successfully utilized their
images of being woman to promote their business. Helena Rubinstein and
Elizabeth Arden who were rivals used to sell cosmetic products. They arranged
their managers with European aristocrats with wide publicity in order to
promote their business. In addition to skin care products and cosmetics, they
ran salon (beauty parlour) sold readymade clothes and render advice on
nutrition and exercise. Rubinstein published a book describing good food habit
to keep own self beautiful and healthy which she distributed with her products.
Jeeni Grossinger owned a resort hotel famous for its good
food and entertainment and served more than one lakh fifty thousand customers
per year. Mergaut Rudkin, considering the need to support her husband’s income
began to sell additive free breads was able to establish herself in good
position of American business and earning a lot of money. Gertude Muller sold
entire line of child care products and distribution pamphlets on child raring
with her products. Doctors and home economy instructions supported her in
distributing the pamphlets which help her to get wide publicity and to earn
money securing respectable position in the society. Annie Turnbo Malone, a
black American lady sold a hair dressing preparation making hair look nice. She
also develops a new business strategy by forming a network of authorized
agents. She established a school for training her agents in her Pro System of
Hair Dressing and claimed that the school was for the upliftment of black
people.
Many of the business women utilized their profit for the
benefit of the society Turnbo Malone, Helena Rubinstein and Jenni Grossinger
were noted philanthropists who contribution Lavishly to school, hospital and
cultural organization. Because of the misleading publicity of business women
about their products the government was compelled to regulate agency FOA and
FTC to control such practices. The writer says that the American women were
able to introduce feminine role in the male dominant world of commerce. They
are also able to establish themselves in respectable positions in American
society.
Summary
of The Children Who Wait | The Heritage of Words
UNIT SIX : WOMEN AND CHILDREN
THE CHILDREN WHO WAIT
ENGLISH | THE HERITAGE OF WORDS
Marsha Traugot
THE CHILDREN WHO WAIT
ENGLISH | THE HERITAGE OF WORDS
Marsha Traugot
‘The Childern who wait’ is an essay written by Marsha
Traugot. In this essay, she suggests reasons for a new trend in adoption in
America. Now a wider verity of families can open their house to children who in
the past would have been labeled unadoptable.
In the beginning of her essay she quotes an advertisement
related to a five and half year’s old girl- Tammy. She is a handicapped black
girl and she is beyond infancy. After giving her description Traugot
carries out the history about adoption .Twenty years ago or until about 1960
the process of adoption was strict. If a child was not white that would not
adopted. Adoption was done only of the child that was infant and healthy. A
family having older siblings could not also take a child in adoption.
Similarly, only middle or upper class childless white couples could adopt
healthy white infants.
But in the last 20
years the field of adoption has undergone radical change because of various
civil rights movement, birth control, changing moral and social science
researches. The numbers of healthy infants available for adoption have reduced
due to birth control, legalized abortion, changes in attitudes towards sexual
behavior and marriage. Unwed mothers and teenagers could keep their babies with
them without insult. Then there was scarcity of the healthy children people
turned their attention to other children.
Child welfare specialists became increasingly concerned
about other handicapped children. Black civil rights movement encouraged
interracial adoption. So the number of children in foster care dramatically
increased. It created disastrous results to the children sent in foster care.
So the focus of the system was changed and the social workers started finding
the ideal adoptive family. In the present time, the social workers also try to
match the children with adoptive family. They evaluate the characteristics of
the child and search a suitable (appropriate) family.
The essayist also says that in seeking to match
child and family, the social worker must overcome his/her own attitudinal
barriers .in the present time there are many adoption agencies that find
the potential adoptive parents. These agencies look first to the families
listed with them. If there are also no likely candidates the child can register
with regional state of adoption exchange. Sometimes they also organize parties
where children, workers and prospective parents meet informally. If the
prospective family cannot be found to a child even after doing these processes
to the child is advertised with the help of media. This technique has helped
much to provide homes to the children who wait.
Because of the changes in attitudes in different aspects as
well as in the field of adoption many children have got the supportive families
and writer also hopes that Tammy will also get a warm supportive family life in
the near future.
Summary
of A Child In Born | The Heritage of Words
UNIT SIX : WOMEN AND CHILDREN
A CHILD IS BORN
ENGLISH : THE HERITAGE OF WORDS
Germaine Greer
A CHILD IS BORN
ENGLISH : THE HERITAGE OF WORDS
Germaine Greer
This essay is an extract from the book “Sex and Destiny”
written by a feminist writer Germaine Greer. In this essay, she presents a
comparison between the parent-child relationship in the rich west and the
traditional East. She shows the differences between a traditional society and a
modern society in matters of pregnancy, child birth and child rearing. She
tends to consider the matrimonial practices of the traditional societies as
having greater advantages than those of western attitudes. Her main opinion is
that in the traditional societies the people who surround a pregnant woman make
her feel good and lessen her mental pain.
A pregnant woman of the traditional society in the east does
not feel alone while she is pregnant because other people also support her. But
in the modern society of the west the woman herself should observe her
pregnancy. In this society the birth of the child is also unattended and it is
done at hospital. But in traditional society the birth is always attended. The
people of traditional society use their own experiences in matters of
matrimonial practices.
In many traditional societies, after marriage the bride goes
to live with the mother-in-low and the wives of her husband’s brothers. She is
not thought as member of new families until she has to birth a child. So the
bride also longs for the child, but western people think that such mores
(custom) are backward, cruel and wrong. The reality is that in western society,
too, woman loses her surname after the marriage. Her surname is changed under
her husband’s name. In many traditional societies the relationship between
mother and child is more important than the relationship between husband and
wife. In some such societies the child’s relationship with the rest of his
family is more important than with his parents. His physical intimacy with
other members may be greater than with his parents.
In the traditional society the child birth is celebrated as
a ceremony. It is also thought as the success of the woman. The woman goes to
her mother’s house where she is provided everything that she desires. Such
tradition can be found in Bengal. But child birth is not celebrated in this way
in modern society. There is the present of nostalgic tone in woman in this
society.
In the present time the import of western medicine in
traditional society has been a great problem. The allopathic doctors are
providing expensive drugs in peasant communities, but they are not in
sufficient quantity. Modern hospitals have been made by foreign aid in
traditional society. But the services in those hospitals are very poor, so the
woman is getting great difficulties at the time of child birth (delivery). it
is true that death attends too frequently in the traditional birth places, but
there are worse fates than death in hospitals. Now modern western technology is
forcefully intruding in traditional society but it is true that there is the
population explosion soon.
Summary
of The Tell-Tale Heart | The Heritage of Words
UNIT SEVEN : CRIME AND CONFESSION
THE TELL TALE HEART
ENGLISH | THE HERITAGE OF WORDS
Edgar Allan poe
THE TELL TALE HEART
ENGLISH | THE HERITAGE OF WORDS
Edgar Allan poe
Edgar Allan Poe's story The Tell – Tale Heart presents
murderous act done by a boy and confessions done later. Poe describe that our
heart really can hide the inner reality. Despite desire of secrecy, our heart
reveals what there is.
Summary:The narrator claims that he is not mad as he could
hear things in the heaven, earth and hell. To justify him saint, he confesses
dangerous crime he has committed.
The narrator and the old man used to reside together; they
had very good relationship. The boy used to love the man very much. The old man
also used to treat him well. The only thing that irritated the boy was the eye
of him. To end the consequences, he went to the old man's room continuously for
seven days. But returned, as he could not see the eyes of the man. In the
morning he spoke politely and behaved as if nothing had happened. On the eighth
nights, he as usual went there with torchlight. He did every thing stealthy and
cautiously. Despite it, he happened to touch tin fastening, which dropped and
disturbed the sleep of the man. In desperation, he asked who it was. The boy
remained speechless and motionless. A little later his sense brought him the
reason that the old man easy asleep again, he aimed the beam towards the old
man's eyes. As he saw them, he grew angry. He then, jumped towards the man,
dragged the man and pressed his neck with bed. At last, he dismembered the old
man's dead body and put it under the plank. After it, he cleaned the place spotlessly
clean. It was already four when he finished the task. At four, the three
policemen appeared and rang the bell. The boy went there; welcome them bought
to his room and took to every nook and corner of his house. The policemen
didn't suspect any wrong there. The boy took them to the spot where he had
hidden the corpse of the old man. He cordially asked them to sit on the chair,
which he had kept there. He sat there just over the plank whereas policeman
continued talking with smiling face. The boy, at the mean time, heard sound
coming from beneath. He desired to reduce the loudness of the sound. For this
purpose, he spoke louder; though it didn't do any good. He felt the sound
growing; he felt the policemen’s smile as the smile of mockery. It became unbearable
for him to keep the reality secret. H thought it better to confess than to
hide. Eventually he confessed the crime.
Summary
of Purgatory | The Heritage of Words
UNIT SEVEN : CRIME AND CONFESSION
PURGATORY
ENGLISH | THE HERITAGE OF WORDS
William Butler Yeats
PURGATORY
ENGLISH | THE HERITAGE OF WORDS
William Butler Yeats
W. B. Yeats "Purgatory" deals on the theme of
crime and confession. He presents the predicament of a family; the family whose
history is pathetic; present and future is also similar to the past. He shows
the spirit suffering because of the wrong deeds of the past. Moreover, he
depicts what a person does to relieve the soul from purgatory.
Summary:The boy and his father walk on the moonlight night;
they are near a ruined house. Pointing towards the house, the old man describes
the past of it. The house used to be occupied by his mother and her husband.
The mother of the old man had married with the groom of the stable as soon as
she met him. The man later turned out to be a drunkard and gambler. Due to
drinking and gambling he emptied everything she had. The mother died during
giving birth to him. The father continued his misdeed, which
at last resulted into the complete
destruction of house. Because of fear-the fear of his son becoming greater than
him, he didn't send him to school. When he was sixteen, his father burnt down
the house. This situation creates anger in the boy. As a result the old man got
killed with a knife. The boy then became a peddler. The old man tells his
bastard son that the night is the anniversary of mother's wedding. As he
finishes telling his son about the past, a shadow appears to which the man can
only see. A little later her husband also appears, and they both proceed
towards room. The old man objects to the way they go inside. After the incident
is over the boy talks about property he has acquired. The bastard son demands
for his share in property of his father, which is denied by him. I arises anger
in him. As a result he takes moneybag from his father. A quarrel starts between
them; the boy gets killed at last with the knife of the old man. The old man,
after it, addresses his mother and claims that he has ended the consequences.
He hopes that the soul of mother would be purified.
Summary
of Hansel and Gretel | The Heritage of Words
UNIT EIGHT : PLAYING WITH THE TEXT
HANSEL AND GRETEL
ENGLISH | THE HERITAGE OF WORDS
Jacob and Wilhelm
HANSEL AND GRETEL
ENGLISH | THE HERITAGE OF WORDS
Jacob and Wilhelm
A poor woodcutter used to live with his second wife and two
children called Hansel and Gretel. Once, when the country was in famine father
was really in trouble to maintain the family. His wife wasn’t even worried a
little about the children. She rather insisted her husband to desert them into
the dense forest. The woodcutter didn’t like the idea but he had to accept his
wife’s proposal. The children overheard their parents and Hansel collected
jacket full of shiny pebbles. The next morning, he dropped the pebbles on the
way while going to the forest. When they reached the middle of the forest, the
parents collected firewood, kindled fire and left the children promising to
return soon with firewood. The children soon fell asleep. When they woke up, it
was already dark. Gretel began to cry and Hansel consoled her. As the moon
shone in the sky, they saw the pebbles shining brightly. Following the trail of
pebbles they finally reached their home.
After a few months, the country was again affected by famine
and the children overheard their parents’ plan to leave them in the forest
again. As the door was bolted from outside, Hansel couldn’t go outside to get
pebbles this time. In the morning, when they were taken to the forest he
scrambled the bread and dropped the pieces on the way. The parents left them in
the forest promising them to come back soon. When the children woke in the
evening, they couldn’t find the pieces of bread as they had been eaten away by
birds. They were lost in the forest. They wandered for three days trying to
find out the way to come out of the forest.
Finally, they came to a little house made of sugar and bread
in the middle of the forest where a witch used to live. When the hungry
children started eating the door and window of the house, the witch took them
in and offered them food and rest. The witch wanted Hansel to become fat so
that she could eat his meat. Even elapsing four weeks, when Hansel didn’t
become fat, she decided to eat him. When she asked Gretel to check the
readiness of the oven, Gretel requested her to demonstrate how to check it.
When the witch entered into the oven, Gretel pushed the witch and locked her
from outside. When the witch died, Gretel freed Hansel and they escaped away
after collecting the jewels from the witch’s room. Finally, when they came back
home, they found that their step mother had already been dead. So they lived
happily with their father.
Summary
of Hansel and Gretel | The Heritage of Words
UNIT EIGHT : PLAYING WITH THE TEXT
HANSEL AND GRETEL
ENGLISH | THE HERITAGE OF WORDS
Jacob and Wilhelm
HANSEL AND GRETEL
ENGLISH | THE HERITAGE OF WORDS
Jacob and Wilhelm
A poor woodcutter used to live with his second wife and two
children called Hansel and Gretel. Once, when the country was in famine father
was really in trouble to maintain the family. His wife wasn’t even worried a
little about the children. She rather insisted her husband to desert them into
the dense forest. The woodcutter didn’t like the idea but he had to accept his
wife’s proposal. The children overheard their parents and Hansel collected
jacket full of shiny pebbles. The next morning, he dropped the pebbles on the
way while going to the forest. When they reached the middle of the forest, the
parents collected firewood, kindled fire and left the children promising to
return soon with firewood. The children soon fell asleep. When they woke up, it
was already dark. Gretel began to cry and Hansel consoled her. As the moon
shone in the sky, they saw the pebbles shining brightly. Following the trail of
pebbles they finally reached their home.
After a few months, the country was again affected by famine
and the children overheard their parents’ plan to leave them in the forest
again. As the door was bolted from outside, Hansel couldn’t go outside to get
pebbles this time. In the morning, when they were taken to the forest he
scrambled the bread and dropped the pieces on the way. The parents left them in
the forest promising them to come back soon. When the children woke in the
evening, they couldn’t find the pieces of bread as they had been eaten away by
birds. They were lost in the forest. They wandered for three days trying to
find out the way to come out of the forest.
Finally, they came to a little house made of sugar and bread
in the middle of the forest where a witch used to live. When the hungry
children started eating the door and window of the house, the witch took them
in and offered them food and rest. The witch wanted Hansel to become fat so
that she could eat his meat. Even elapsing four weeks, when Hansel didn’t
become fat, she decided to eat him. When she asked Gretel to check the
readiness of the oven, Gretel requested her to demonstrate how to check it.
When the witch entered into the oven, Gretel pushed the witch and locked her
from outside. When the witch died, Gretel freed Hansel and they escaped away
after collecting the jewels from the witch’s room. Finally, when they came back
home, they found that their step mother had already been dead. So they lived
happily with their father.
Summary
of The Boarding House | The Heritage of Words
UNIT EIGHT : PLAYING WITH THE TEXT
THE BOARDING HOUSE
ENGLISH | THE HERITAGE OF WORDS
James Joyce
THE BOARDING HOUSE
ENGLISH | THE HERITAGE OF WORDS
James Joyce
James Joyce in the story The Boarding House recollects his
own days of youth in Dublin by drawing the characters of Mr. Doran and Mrs.
Mooney.
Mrs. Mooney was a butcher’s daughter who married to the
foreman of his father’s meat shop. After the death of her father, her husband
started drinking alcohol and spending monkey from the shop. He started
quarrelling with Mrs. Mooney in the presence of customers and soon ruined the
business by selling bad meat. Once her husband chased her with large knife in
order to kill her and she had to protect herself by hiding in neighbours house.
After that incident, Mrs. Mooney left her husband, sold the meat shop and
started a boarding house.
Most of the people staying in her boarding house were the
workers from the city. Mr. Doran, an employee of an office used to live in the
same house. Mrs. Mooney had a 19 years old daughter called Polly Mooney who
helped her mother in doing the household work and running the boarding house.
Mr. Doran was having a love affair with Polly Mooney. Mrs. Mooney was aware
about the love affair but she kept pretending to be unknown about the affair,
there by allowing them to proceed ahead in their affair Mrs. Mooney actually
wanted Mr. Doran to marry her daughter. Finally, Mrs. Mooney asked about the
affair to her daughter and Polly Mooney revealed everything about their love
affair to her mother. Mrs. Mooney was happy but the love affair as Mr. Doran
would have to marry her. If he didn’t agree to marry her, he would probably
lose his job as the love affair was known to everyone in the city. Analyzing
all the aspects of the situation, Mrs. Mooney called Mr. Doran in order to
convince him to marry her daughter. Although, he was reluctant to marry miss
Polly Mooney because of her education and family background. He was under
pressure to accept the proposal because of the prevailing situation as the
affair was already known to everybody. When Mrs. Mooney was trying to persuade
Mr. Doran, Ms. Polly Mooney was making a future plan of life with Mr. Doran
being very happy.
About Love by Anton Chekov
Posted on 25/03/2013
Primary charactersNikanor, Alyohin, Luganovich, Anna, Pelageya………what kind of characters do you find within them and can you establish a relationship in between and among them?
Why the writer makes an ordinary man like Alyohin as the central character of his story?
What kinds of differences do you find in the love affair between Nikanor and Pelageya and Alyohin ad Anna?
Do you see Anna as a woman is more submissive to the patriarchy and tradition of the contemporary Russian society?
What is the central idea of the story “About Love”?
In the story “About Love” Anton Chekov tries to establish a model of an ideal love in the platonic level or spiritual level. The tenderness, attraction, and love between two souls should go beyond the transitory hindrances of the material world. In the ordinary world, relationship and love have so many distracters such as sensual pleasure, material needs etc which limit the meaning of love. So, the writer highlights that the sense spiritual love which should go beyond the level of needs of this world.
The love affair between Nikanor and Pelageya is full of turmoil. Nikanor is fully committed to the religious conviction and fails to meet the desires of Pelageya. On the other hand, Pelageya is much more erotic which is against the faith of Nikanor. Both the lovers are engaged in the ordinary needs. Likewise, the affair between Alyohin and Anna is also conditioned because of social norms.
At the one hand, because of Alyohin’s poor economic conditions and his too much consciousness about social norms, Alyohin also fails to express his sense of love towards Anna. In contrast to Alyohin’situation, Anna too can not express her desire with Alyohin. Anna instead suppresses her emotions as generally a submissive woman does in male dominated society. Both the lovers’ inability to articulate the sense of love for each other is because of their mundane conditions. In the final part of the story, when Alyohin realizes the meaning of love in terms of spiritual level, he is already late.
Alyohin is a squirrel trapped in a cage, do you believe?
Firstly, Alyohin is like a squirrel trap in a cage because he fails to go out from the house due to rain. He has to tell stories in a compulsive situation. Secondly having a graduate degree, he cannot run an advanced life like a scholar since he is in trap of creditor. Thirdly, he fails to show his affection to Anna. It is because Alyonhin is too much conscious about social dogmas and values along with is the poor economic situation.
Writer’s rhetoric in the story- Style of writing
Rhetoric in the story “About Love” refers to writer’s way or style of delivering the story. Here, framing technique is essential.
In both the love stories, action is silenced. Inaction (friction) prevails throughout the story. The love between Nikanor and Pelageya do not have a concrete solution. In the same way, the affair between Alyonhin and Anna is too slow to progress.
Study the use of realism in the story for effectiveness of the story or character portrayal.
Why ordinary man?
Chekov’s use of the common man as the primary character in the story is, he simply wants to depict the pictures of ordinary people. Through the medium of common people the writer tries to touch or explore how normal people are living in the world, are they really living painful life, do they able to express their needs and emotions frankly or do they suppress their desires, if they suppress then why and what are the reasons. Therefore, unless and until people do not understand or study about how common people are living life, it is impossible to understand the real suffering of common people. Just reading about scholar, high profile artist, public figure or leaders do not reveal the situation of everyday life of mass people.
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Character sketch of Alyohin. [2062-10]
Alyohin, a bachelor and a university graduate,
lived in Sofinyo working labourously in his farm. He had to work in his farm to
pay the debt that his father had spent on his education. He desired a civilized
living of the upper class but could not afford it. In the past while he was a
university student, he fell in love with a girl who only loved his money. Since
he was elected honorary justice of the peace, he often visited town to take
part in assizes and sessions. Once he was invited to the home of Luganovich to
dine. There he met Anna Alexeyevna , aged 22 and married to Luganovich. They
fell in love with each other but could not express their love. They chatted for
hours, went to the theatre together but they parted coldly the next time. Later
Anna suffered from nervous prostration and was sent to Crimea for treatment. During her departure, Alyohin had courage to
confess his love and kissed her, but had to part with her forever.
Alyohin's vision of love is shaped by his own
love affair. He thinks that when people are in love, they ask whether it is
honorable or dishonorable , sensible or stupid , and what their love will lead
to . For him, this reasoning is the source of dissatisfaction and irritation.
He thinks that love is a great mystery. When one is in love, one should start
love from higher, without reasoning whether their love is sin or virtue, or
whether it brings happiness or unhappiness. According to him to what extent
personal happiness counts in love is uncertain, it differs from person to
person.
Alyohin is like a squirrel in a cage. He is
trapped by reason, middle class morality and poverty. He is a man-of-thought.
He fears to express his love to Anna because he is too much thoughtful about
society's moral standards. He sacrifices his love thinking that his marriage to
Anna Alexeyevna would ruin the lives of her, her children, her mother and her
husband. He fears that he could not make her happy in his country house.
The Lamentation of the Old Pensioner”
is a philosophical poem composed by W.B. Yeats, a famous 20th
century modern Irish poet. In the poem, the poet has proven that time is
supreme and nothing can stand before time. The poet also suggests that
everybody likes to be young and nobody likes to be old. But it is time that
makes us old one day. So, the poet presents his reminiscences of the past
events and experiences of his young life. He becomes very sad when he compares
and contrasts his time of youth with the present old age. He finds old age more
painful and lonely than his young life.
According to the poem, the poet has now
become old. He takes shelter under a broken tree because he has not got any
other places for shelter. He remembers his good old unforgettable days with
friends. In the past while he was young, he used to talk about love and
politics among his friends. Many beautiful women loved him. So, his past was
romantic and unforgettable. Now, he laments over his life because not a single
woman comes near to him to talk about love. Nobody likes him and lives near
him. At the present moment, he has become a matter of hatred. Therefore, he is
sad and dissatisfied with his old age. His bygones days are like a dream to
him.
At present people are busy to make
weapons to fulfill their treacherous plan. They are busy to do some conspiracy.
They are raising their voices against human tyranny. But the mind of the old
man is filled with the experiences of the unforgettable past. When he compares
present life with the past life he realizes that ‘Time has transfigured him
from strong, energetic, vigorous and high spirited youth to a helpless, lonely
and weak creature. Now, he has completely changed due to the course of ‘Time’
because it has the power to change us from young to old. At the present moment,
his condition is miserable. He realizes that everything is changed because of
time. So, he becomes angry to the time and wants to spit into the face of
‘Time’. He says, “I want to spit into the face of time/that has transfigured
me”.
Though the cruel time reduces a person
from young to old one, it cannot seize one’s memories. So, at this point the
poet feels superior to the time and does not want to surrender in front of the
time – rather wants to spit into the face of the time.
Thus, the poem makes us aware that we
all become old one day and lament like the old pensioner due to the nature of
‘Time’. But we should not lament over the old age rather we should try to
celibate it.