The Scientific Point of View – J.B.

HALDANE
Introduction

In the essay “The Scientific Point of View” J.B.S. Haldane opposes superstition and supports rational
thinking. He says that science affects us in two ways – we are benefitted by its applications and it
affects our opinions.

1. According to Haldane, the scientific point of view must come us of the laboratory and be
applied to the events of daily life. What has already revolutionized industry, agriculture, war
and medicine must be applied to the family, nation or the human race.
2. Haldane says that the scientist is superior to God as he is ethically neutral. The scientist
works out the consequences of many actions by the does not pass judgment of them.
3. The average man dwells on the emotional and ethical side of a case rather than on facts
which interest the scientist.
4. Haldane says that modern medicine has come out with miraculous drugs. Diabetes can be
controlled by injecting insulin and typhoid can be controlled by drinking boiled water.
5. But many people are unscientific. Even cancer can be cured but people do not follow the
doctor’s advice.
6. Haldane quotes St. Paul’s words that the world is ruled by demons. Haldane modifies this
statement saying that the world is misruled by ignorance and unscientific thinking.

On Shaking Hands – A.G. GARDINER

Introduction

On shaking hands is written by A.G. Gardiner, a well essayist of 20th century. His essays are
delightful, humorous and thought provoking. In this essay, On Shaking Hands he gives his
observations about the common western practice of shaking hands.

1. In the present essay the author talks about the western practice of shaking hands. To him
shaking hands is an age-old practice in the west. But of late this facing criticism on hygienic
grounds.
2. He compares this with other types of greetings and customs prevalent in different countries.
3. Western people are very much accustomed to shaking hands. It is supposed to be a decent
and enviable practice.
4. A.G. Gardiner in this essay tells us that this practice is charged as being an unhygienic
custom, so as such we are advised to adopt a healthier mode of expressing our mutual
emotion. The writer gives his unbiased views on this deep-rooted habit.
5. He goes on to say that the custom of shaking hands between two people when they meet or
part has become so habitual that it is not at all easy to prevent it. Shaking hands has warmth
and the spirit of human comradeship.

ODE TO AUTUMN- JOHN KEATS

Introduction

1. Throughout the poem, the speaker addresses autumn as if it were a person. In the first
stanza, he notes that autumn and the sun are like best friends plotting how to make fruit
grow and how to ripen crops before the harvest. The ripening will lead to the dropping of
seeds, which sets the stage for spring flowers and the whole process starting over again. He
 tells us about the bees that think summer can last forever as they buzz around the flowers.
But the speaker knows better.
2. The second stanza describes the period after the harvest, when autumn just hangs out
around the granary where harvested grains are kept. Most of the hard work has already
been done, and autumn can just take a nap in the fields, walk across brooks, or watch the
making of cider.
3. In the third stanza, the speaker notes that the music of spring is a distant memory, but that
autumn’s music is pretty cool, too. This music includes images of clouds and harvested fields
at sunset, gnats flying around a river, lambs bleating, crickets singing, and birds whistling and
twittering. All of the sights and sounds produce a veritable symphony of beauty.

I AM NOT THAT WOMAN – KISHWAR NAHEED

Introduction

1. The poem ‘I am not that woman’ presents the picture of a woman, how was exploited by
society. It could be her father, her brother, or even her mother-in-law who suppressed her.
2. She was confined to the four walls of the house. Her activities were restricted only to
domestic work. Nobody paid any attention to her voice. She was crushed in the name of
meaningless custom and tradition. The speaker says that, people took advantage of her by
picking flowers and instead planted thorns and embers.
3. The speaker gives the image of a flower which is chained. She was bought and sold in the
name of chastity. She was treated worse than an animal. Even the parents considered her a
burden, which resulted in early marriage.
4. The woman was considered more as a commodity to be traded in than a human being,
putting chastity, motherhood, and loyalty at stake. Thus the poem vey minutely brings out
several ways of woman’s submission and suppression.

THE BOY WHO BROKE THE BANK – RUSKIN BOND

Introduction

“The Boy Who Broke the Bank” is a short story by Ruskin Bond. It is about a boy who was working at
a bank by sweeping up. The bank manager was way overdue in paying him for the job. Soon that
bank collapsed and rumour had it that was because of the unpaid boy.

Because word got around that the boy didn’t get paid, people assumed that the bank had no
money. Mrs. Bhushan told the news to her husband, Mr. Bhushan who was talking to Kamal Kishore.
Kamal Kishore, who owned a photographic shop, passed on the news to his neighbour, a barber. At
the time the barber was giving a haircut to an elderly gentleman. Hearing the news, the elderly
gentleman ran across the road to a general merchant’s store and made a phone call to Seth
Govindaram, the owner of the bank. He learned that the Seth was away to Kashmir on a pleasure
trip. He concluded that the owner of the bank ran away from the town to escape as the bank was
about to collapse. He informed the same to Dev Chand, the barber. Then he hurried to his home to
get his cheque book to withdraw money from the bank.

As people the rumour that the bank was about to collapse, they gathered in front of the
bank in large numbers demanding the repayment of their deposits. By noon, the small bank had
gone through all its ready cash reserves. The manager could neither get emergency funds nor
contact the owner. He tried in vain to convince the people that the bank had plenty of money.
Several mischief makers joined the crowd. Somebody hurled a brick on the glass widow and broke it.
That was the end of the Pipalnagar Bank.
 HALF A RUPEE WORTH – R.K. NARAYAN
Introduction

R.K. Narayan is the most famous Indo-Anglo writer. His stories belong to the Indian soil and
are reflective of its culture.

Subbaiah was a rice merchant at the market gate in Malgudi. He had a great love and
respect for his profession. As a small boy, his father kept him chained to the shop. He discouraged all
his other interests in such a way that he always dreamt of rice, thought of rice and talked of rice. He
took over the business when his father died. He also lent money to the needy people at an
exorbitant rate of interest and amassed wealth.

At first Subbaih was shocked. H get his shop registered as a fair price grain depot. He began
to stock rice. He bribed the officials who came to inspect his shop and go-downs. He sold rice for
very high rate. He sold in small quantities only and he always took money in advance.

One evening when he had just closed his shop, a person came and requested him to give at
least half-a-rupee-worth of rice, as a children and old months were very hungry.

Subbaiah agreed to give only half a seer of rice and asked him to wait in the street corner.
Taking the half-a-rupee coin he went to one of his secret go-downs.

The man waited for a along time and then went to Subbaiah’s house and informed his wife.
Early next morning the go-downs was opened, they found Subbaiah body crushed under rice bags.
There was by his body, a half-a-rupee coin. His death was attributed to accidental topples of rice
bags.

Subbaiah tragic end is the fate that awaits hoarders.

A MARRIAGE PROPOSAL – ANTON CHEKHOV

Introduction

In the short play “A Marriage Proposal”, Anton Chekov describes the odd courtship of Lomov, who
seeks a marriage with his neighbous’ daughter Lomov, aged 35, is a long time neighbour of
Chubukov. He is a landowner who has inherited property from his aunt.

Though he is well fed and healthy, he is hypochondriac. Chubukov is surprised at the

unexpected arrival of Lomov in his formal dress. Lomov asks him Natalia’s hand in marriage.
Chubukov is also desperately looking for a suitable man for his 25-year-old daughter, Natalia. As a
father of a grown-up daughter, he immediately gives joyful permission to marry Natalia.

She is invited into the room. Lomov becomes nervous and instead of putting his proposal, he
bgins to beat about the bush. When he says that his Ox Meadows touch her birch woods, she begins
to argue with him about the ownership of that piece of land. After her father notices they are
arguing, he joins in, and then sends Lomov out of the house. Chubukov then tells his daughter that
Lomov was there to propose her. Natalia repents and asks her father to call him bank. Lomov comes
and she asks him about his hunting program. He says that he will start hunting after harvest because
his best dog has gone lame. At this point, Natalia contradicts him again and claims that her dog Leap
is better than his dog Guess.

Thus, the quarrel again till over-excitement makes Lomov faint in a chair. Seeing him quiet
and unmoving, Natalia thinks that he is dead and becomes hysterical. At last Lomov comes into
senses and Chubukov forces them to kiss each other and accept the marriage proposal. Immediately
following the kiss, Natalia and Lomov start quarrelling. Chubukov shouts for Champagne because he
wants to celebrate their marriage and at the same time, he feels free by the burden of his grown-up-
daughter.