TASK 1 Oh, Grandfather more lizard than human. Dog more human than dog (P 44).

Do you find this a hilarious novel or a conflicting novel which teaches us about the morals in todays India? Find out yourself by going through the tasks about the themes, characters, motifs and setting. Method Students work in groups of 3 or 4. Themes: choose one theme and do the accompanying task(s). Characters : do the entire task. Motifs : choose one of the motifs and do the accompanying task. Symbols : do the entire task. Conclusion : individual task

Theme I
Loss of identity as a result of colonialism and the way it has been felt from generation to generation as a sense of loss.

Task
A As a boy the judge went to England to get educated. England, being the country of the colonizers was quite strange to him. Hed expected only grandness, hadnt realized that here too, people could be poor and live unaesthetic lives (p 53). Find two examples of how the judge lost his Indian identity in England and felt some sense of loss in England. As a young man Biju became an illegal immigrant in New York, America. He had been abandoned among foreigners, Jacinto the superintendent, the homeless man, a stiff bow-legged coke runner, women of great weight and heft in shorts with shaven legs They nodded kindly, but Biju did not know what to say to them, even his tiny brief hello came out wrongly; too

softly, so they did not hear (P 132,133). Find two examples of how Biju felt at a loss in America. C Explain what the message of the writer is by telling us the two parallel stories of the judge, belonging to a higher caste in India, and Biju, the cooks son, belonging to a low caste, both abroad and far away from their country of origin. Do so in about 50 words.

Theme II
victim

Binary opposition

the oppressor and the

Task
As an illegal immigrant in America Biju belongs to a shadow class. The writer describes his life in a society which is ruled by oppressors. We read about good versus evil, oppressor versus victim. Former slaves and natives Everything runs by white people. Business was business. Your bread might as well be left unbuttered were the butter to be spread so thin. The fittest one wins and gets the butter (p 180- p 181). You may draw a set of cartoons in order to perform this task. A B C What is the greatest challenge for Biju in his life in America? Explain whether he copes and find a quotation to prove your opinion. Who play(s) a significant role in helping Biju coping with his greatest challenge? Give an example of the kind of help.

D Who are Bijus greatest opponents in America? Give one example of their actions.

Theme III

Alienation

The Anglophile Cambridge -educated judge returns to his relatives in India where he once more feels alienated from the people around him. One day he found footprints on the toilet seat- she was squatting on it, she was squatting on it- he could barely contain his outrage (p 230).

Task I
A Picture the character: who lost his temper at who?

Explain the reason why this person lost his temper in about five sentences.

Task II
Best days of my life, he said. Remember? Punting by Kings, Trinity, what a view, my God, and then what was it? Ah yes, Corpus Christi (p 274).

A B C B

Compose a picture of the person who is talking to the judge. Find a picture of punting in Cambridge on the Internet. What is the setting in this quotation ? Explain whether the judge thinks differently about the time shared with the person the judge is talking to?

Characters in the Inheritance of loss Task

A Express your image of the most important characters in the story. Do not forget to use bits of dialogue, sound effects and descriptions. For example take an imaginary picture of the judge. the cook Biju, the cooks son

The judge

Mutt, the dog

Sai Mistry

Gyan

B Which character can you connect with most? Explain in about thirty words.

Motifs in The inheritance of loss

Post colonial elements :the use of English language versus the use of native language. This enhances the theme of alienation and having feelings of not belonging to the people around oneself. Find one quote which illustrates this element for any character. Post colonial element : the binary opposition in the love of Sai and Gyan .Find a quote which illustrates how Giyan thinks Sai is a copycat of the British people in India. Post colonial element : The binary opposition of oppressor and victim. Find a quote which illustrates this element.

The void of language makes the judge to-be in England and Biju in America feel lonely and alienated. Find a quotation to illustrate the inability to speak in English for the judge-to-be, and the inability for Biju to speak American language . The memories and the long lost dreams : the memories provide the structure of the novel and enhance the theme of conflicting desires. Find a quote of how Noni thinks of the good old days under the British.

Symbols in the Inheritance of loss Task

Symbols represent abstract ideas or concepts. Explain what the role is of the following symbols in the story. a. Powder puff : What is the relation between the powder puff and the snickering of the judges relatives when he returns home.

b. The green card : How does the Green card relate to Bijus dream?

c. National Geographic : Explain how the magazines play an important role in Sais life.

Setting in The Inheritance of loss

Setting, the time and place of a story, and the mood, the atmosphere, usually work together to create a special effect. The sensory details of a place the sights, sounds, smells, tastes, and physical sensations- may contribute to the mood. A place can feel oppressive or terrifying depending on what you see around you. (Ms Ceballos, janae.ceballos@wuhsd.k12.ca.us) Task Fill in the sensory details and the mood for the following two places Place the town of Kalimpong on the Indian side of the Himalaya in 1986

Sensory details :

Mood:

Place

New York

1986

Sensory details :

Mood:

Conclusion
Express your opinion on this novel referring to the question posed at the beginning of the webquest in about 50 words: Do you find this a hilarious novel or a conflicting novel which teaches us about the morals in todays India?

List of References Desai, Kiran. (2006).The Inheritance of Loss. Winner of the Man Booker prize 2006. Penguin Books. Clays Ltd, St Ives plc.

Illustration

Powder puff

retrieved 30-10-2012

http://www.google.nl/imgres?imgurl=http://www.vowstoryshop.nl/2366-5827large/poederdons-met-strikmub016.jpg&imgrefurl=http://www.vowstoryshop.nl/la-belleza/poederdons-metstrikmub016_p2366.html&h=480&w=400&sz=40&tbnid=Mo7IUoRfnufhZM:&tbnh=95 &tbnw=79&prev=/search%3Fq%3Dpoederdons%26tbm%3Disch%26tbo %3Du&zoom=1&q=poederdons&usg=__mrC5h7wJkP3uA10NSFjNfVecZQ=&docid=e_9J2e6bns6xM&hl=nl&sa=X&ei=IeGQULH9LMHJ0AWs04GoCA&sqi=2&ved=0CCwQ9 QEwAg&dur=451

Illustration

National Geographic

retrieved 30-10-2012

http://shop.nationalgeographic.com/ngs/product/magazines/national-geographicmagazine/national-geographic-magazine-u.s.-delivery Illustration Punting in Cambridge retrieved 30-10-2012 http://www.lindsayfincher.com/extreme-punting-in-cambridge.html