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Issues That Matter Guidebook
Issues That Matter Guidebook
- a Complete Guide
Love,
Anand K.
Assistant Professor (English)
Rajagiri College of Social Sciences
Kalamassery.
Ph. 7736537252
The Unsurrendered People -Kenzaburo Oe
Kenzaburo Oe, an essayist, novelist and short story writer was born in
Shikoku, Japan. His writings featured two dominant aspects of his life-
firstly, his incapacitated child, Hikari who was born with brain damage
and his disability became a significant influence on Oe’s work. Secondly,
a world of his own created out of myths, history, literature and cultural
anthropology. He started writing as a student and won the Akutagawa
Award for his short story ‘The Catch’. Oe was awarded the Nobel Prize
in 1994.He is a major figure in contemporary Japanese literature and his
writings engage with issues like nuclear weapons, social non-conformism
and existentialism. Some of his popular works are Letters to My Sweet
Bygone Years, The Flaming Green, Until the Saviour Gets Socked and
Vacillating.
Summary
1.
a. Which metaphors does Oe use to represent the atom bomb?
Ans. The author compares the atomic bomb to twilight or the beginning
of night-time, both because the bomb marks the start of an extremely dark
era for the people of Hiroshima as the try to recover and cope with the
results caused by the attack.
Ans. Even though the city was utterly devastated and had become a vast,
ugly death chamber, the Hiroshima survivors first began struggling to
recover and rebuild. They did so for their own sakes, but doing so served
also to lessen the burden on the consciences of those who had dropped
the atomic bomb.
d. What was the calculation, according to Oe, that led to the decision of
dropping an A-bomb?
Ans. The decision was made on the basis of some calculation of a built-in
harmony by virtue of which if the incredibly destructive bomb were
dropped the greatest effort in history would be to counterbalance the
totality of the enormous evil to follow. The inhuman damage caused by
this demonic weapon would be mitigated by the humane efforts of those
struggling to find what hope they could in the desperate situation.
e. What gruesome nightmare does Oe have about humanism?
Ans. Oe has a nightmare about trusting in human strength or in
humanism, it is a nightmare about a particular kind of trust in human
capability.
Ans. God fully trusted Noah would rebuild human society after the great
flood ended. Noah had the needed will and ability, so the deluge played
its part within God’s plan for man, without playing the tyrant beyond
God’s expectations.
Ans. Oe describes how the events could have taken a horrible turn if the
atomic bomb had been dropped on Leopoldville instead of Hiroshima. He
then goes on to say what actually happened in Hiroshima was in fact not
quite as horrible since the people who survived in Hiroshima made no
particular effort to impress on those who dropped the bomb what a
dreadful thing they had done.
Ans. Oe uses the metaphors the Great flood of the present age which is a
kind of Universal Deluge. The twentieth century has become afflicted
with a cancer, the possession of nuclear weapons by various nations for
which there is no known cure.
j. How is the ‘flood’ of the present age different from the biblical Great
flood of Noah?
Ans. Present age floods occur during rainy seasons when the rainfall is
more than normal in localised regions especially low laying areas. The
water level rises steadily. Noah’s flood was sudden and unexpected. It
engulfed the entire world.
2.
Ans. The mindset of the people of Hiroshima lead to the rebuilding of the
nation in a faster and stronger pace than before and hence this itself was
their greatest reply to the bombers and the pilots. The goodwill of the
people of Hiroshima to recover from the miserable and disastrous
situation and continue their life in a better way, gave the strongest reply
to the attackers. The dedication of the doctors of Hiroshima was also a
noticeable act of human goodwill. The way they treated the victims
without any hesitation continuously until the situation became stable was
to be appreciated.
c. What would have made the ‘toughest minds’ postpone the dropping of
an atomic bomb?
Ans. Like the way God made to rain continuously for 40 days knowing
that Noah would be there to save the people from the flood, the bombers
too were aware of the ability of Hiroshima to recover from the miseries of
the bombing and to grow back into a leading nation in the world.
3.
Ans. The bomb and is considered as the bad evil and the mindsets of
people of Hiroshima and the doctor population there who were ready to
serve through the day and night without any hesitation is considered as
good humanism. This is what Oe considers to be dualism of good and
evil. If the bombing was done in Leopoldville the whole place would
have turned into a wasteland forever. There would not have been even a
trace of civilization there. Epidemics would have spread widely. The
bomb and is considered as the bad evil and the mindsets of people of
Hiroshima and the doctor population there who were ready to serve
through the day and night without any hesitation is considered as good
humanism and this what Oe convey the dualism of good and evil. This
dualism in the mind of the attackers is just a minute piece of reason to
give them sleep-full nights and peace of mind at moments when they
think about the evil act done by them. Similarly, to the way the goodness
in Noah saved the people from the flood, the goodness in the people of
Hiroshima and the doctors’ dedication saved them from being non-
existent. They fought back with the aftermath of the bombing, they
recovered, they grew, they emerged back which shows the strength of
people of Hiroshima.
THE OLD PRISON- Judith Wright
Summary
The poem “The Old Prison” is about the convict-build jail at Trail
Bay, near Kempsey. The jail was abandoned in 1903. Later, over 500
German prisoners of world war I were held there but the building was
closed again in 1922. Time and ravages of war have taken their toll and
today the jail is in ruins. The poet also mentions the incident happened in
the ship ‘Trail’ between the convicts in 1816 which caused the ship’s
destruction near the bay. This poem is sustained by the use of strong
imagery.
The rows of cells in the prison are unroofed, terrible and cold wind
is blowing into the cells. The sound of the wind that blows across the
abandoned prison cells are sad and unhappy. It sounds like a flute is being
played. The wind that comes is from the blue caves of the south and is
cold like ice.
The poet calls the day dark and fierce and the wind is called as
angry bee. Like angry bee hunting for black honey, the wind searches for
any life left in the prison, it also searches in the deep sea. The poet refers
black honey as greed of man and all the incident now being related to
ship’s destruction that happened in bay long ago.
Shadows move across the empty prison cells. The waves washed
away the remains in the prison leaving bare stones and the waves sings a
bitter song of the bitter past with all the broken emotions of the prisoners.
The poet compares this scene to that of bare bones, like skeleton.
Then the poet asks who build this prison, only the wind and the sea
along witnessed to those events that had taken place. The wind and the
sea reply that the cold nest or the prison is broken and they are blown
away.
The prisoners were neither married and had families nor did they
experience love. All the prisoners were left along to cry in their cells, as
the wind now cries as it passes through the cells of the prison, like a flute
being played.
The theme of the poem is war. The poem says all about the
sufferings and pain of the prisoners. Judith Wright is known for her
strong imagery which is visible in the poem.
FIGURES OF SPEECH:
PERSONIFICATION:
1. ‘a flute for the wind’s mouth’
2. ‘The wind and the sea’
SIMILE:
1. ‘Wind like an angry bee’
2. ‘like a bone it sings’
3. ‘cried as the wind now cries’
METAPHOR:
1. Shell bone-bare
2. Flute of stone
THE OLD PRISON (Q and A)
Ans. The flute is a musical wind instrument that must be blown with
mouth. As the wind moves over the prison cell, it is as if a flute is being
played. The prison is represented by the flute.
Ans. The wind is ice cold. It must most likely be coming from the south.
Ans. The wind washes across the prison cell. It makes sound as it moves.
It is compared to an angry bee searching for honey, the is also searching
for the prisoners who used to live there.
Ans. The wind is compared to an old bone with story to tell. Like a bone
that would tell its tales through song, the wind attempt to tell its bitter tale
by blowing over the empty cells.
Ans. The old prison once had many prisoners like a nest of birds. But it is
now empty. Like abandoned nest, the prison has also been abandoned and
there are no more prisoners in the cell.
Ans. The prisoners who stayed in the old prison neither loved nor had
families. They were alone in their cells. Like the wind cries as it blows
across the empty prison, the prisoners too might have cried.
ANSWER THE QUESTIONS IN ABOUT 100 WORDS
Ans. The old prison was written by Judith Wright. The poem is taken
from the volume ‘collected poems’: 1942-1985. She is known for her
strong imagery which is visible in the poem. The theme of this poem is
based on war. The poem is about the convict-build jail which was
abandoned.
The prison cells that the poet come across have been abandoned long ago.
They no longer have roofs. As the wind blows across the abandoned
prison cells, the sounds it makes are eerie and sad. To the poet it sounds
like flute being played. The wind’s sounds made in the unroofed prison
are thus compared to a flute.
Ans. The old prison was written by Judith Wright. The poem is taken
from the volume ‘collected poems’: 1942-1985. She is known for her
strong imagery which is visible in the poem. The theme of this poem is
based on war. The poem is about the convict-build jail which was
abandoned.
The movement of the wind is compared to an angry bee. The wind blows
strongly across the prison cells that are unroofed as if in search of
something. Like the angry bee searches for honey, wind searches for any
life in the prison. The prison has been abandoned. There is no living
creature existing between the walls of the prison.
Ans. The old prison was written by Judith Wright. The poem is taken
from the volume ‘collected poems’: 1942-1985. She is known for her
strong imagery which is visible in the poem. The theme of this poem is
based on war. The poem is about the convict-build jail which was
abandoned.
Shadows move across the empty prison cells. The cells are empty and
bare as the prison was abandoned long ago and no one resides there now.
The devastation that has happened has left the building bare to its very
bones. The poet compares this scene to that of bare bones. These bones
are old and have many stories to tell as ancient objects often have. The
song is bitter because the stories here are of prison life and that of normal
life.
Ans. The old prison was written by Judith Wright. The poem is taken
from the volume ‘collected poems’: 1942-1985. She is known for her
strong imagery which is visible in the poem. The theme of this poem is
based on war. The poem is about the convict-build jail which was
abandoned.
The life of the prisoners in the old prison was pretty glum. The prisoners
were all alone in the prison. They neither married nor had families, nor
did they experience love. Each prisoner was left to cry in the cell. There
was no space for happiness and joy. They might have cried themselves to
sleep. They had a very sad life in the prison.
Q. Why does the wind cry through the flute? What has this been
compared to?
Ans. The old prison was written by Judith Wright. The poem is taken
from the volume ‘collected poems’: 1942-1985. She is known for her
strong imagery which is visible in the poem. The theme of this poem is
based on war. The poem is about the convict-build jail which was
abandoned.
The prison has been abandoned long ago. No one is left there anymore.
Only the wind and the sea visit the prison. The prison has no longer roofs,
so when the wind whistles through the walls of the prison, it is almost
like the sound of the flute being played. The wind has been said to cry in
the poem. The movement of the wind causes sounds to be produced, like
a flute. It creates a kind of musical sound like that of a flute.
War by Luigi Pirandello
Summary:
The fat, red-faced traveller said that children are born not for the
parents but rather for the country. The children have their own lives to
live and their own interests that they would like to persuade. The love for
the country is also important, perhaps even stronger than the love for our
children. This passenger also said that he doesn’t mourn the loss of his
son, who died during the war because he died young and satisfied.
According to the traveller, when a person dies young and for the country,
he dies being satisfied as he gave his all for the country. The person is
also spared from the ugly sides of life, the boredom, the pettiness and so
on.
While the men were talking and saying that death is inevitable and
we should just accept it, the wife started to speak out of nowhere and
asked the fat, red-faced passenger if his son had actually died. This
question had startled all the other passengers in the carriage and it made
the man break down and cry uncontrollably as after hearing this question,
he stopped and thought about what exactly had happened. He realized
that his son is gone forever and that he will never get the opportunity to
see him and spend time with him again. He came out of his state of
denial.
The story is about the various ways in which people were coping
with personal losses during the time of the war. Everyone had different
ways of coping with the death of their loved ones: some were in a state of
grief, some were in denial with the whole situation. There isn’t one
correct way to deal with personal loss and this story gives us an idea
about different people and their opinion about the prevailing situation and
how they were dealing with their personal losses.
Q and A:
Ans: The story ‘War’ by Luigi Pirandello was set during the World War I
(1914-1918). The story is about the sufferings of the people because of
the war.
B). Why does the husband feel that the other passengers should pity his
wife?
Ans: The husband felt that the other passengers should pity his wife as
the war was taking away their only son from them. Their son was only
twenty years of age and the parent had devoted their entire lives to him
and now he is being taken away from them so early despite being given
an assurance that he wouldn’t be sent so early to the front.
C). What does the passenger say about paternal love and duty?
Ans: The passenger said that if the parent has only one child or multiple
children, they should love their children equally without any
discrimination and no parent would shower one child with more love and
affection than another child. He said that parental love is not like bread
that you can just break into smaller pieces and split equally but rather the
love is given equally to all children.
D). What was the last message sent by the red-faced man’s son?
Ans: The red-faced man had said that that their children do not belong to
them but their country. The children have a duty towards the country and
it is important to honour that. Children aren’t born for their parents; they
have their own interests and they have to live their own lives. If the
children die for the country, it is a good thing and he died an honourable
death as it was for the country. This is why the red-faced man doesn’t
mourn the death of his son.
Ans: According to the old traveller, sons are born because they have to be
born and when they come to life, they take our own life with them. The
children don’t belong to the parents. Children have their own interests
and their own lives to live and so they should be free to do whatever they
choose and if the country calls for their help, they have to accept that call
and give their all for the country as the love for the country is stronger
than the love for our children.
Ans: According to the stoic traveller, the young ones die inflamed and
happy. If one dies young and happy, without having the ugly sides of life,
the boredom, the pettiness, the bitterness, etc. it is a good thing. If one
dies young and for their country, they will be dying with a feeling of
satisfaction as they have ended their lives in the best possible way.
Ans: The woman had been afflicted by sorrow for three months and she
had her husband and friends who tried to console her sorrow.
I). Why does the woman’s question cause the old man to lose his
temperament?
Ans: The woman’s question caused the old man to lose his temperament
as it was completely out of the blue. After the old man had told the other
passengers about how he doesn’t mourn the death of his son as his son
had died young and satisfied, the woman asked him if is son had actually
died. This shocked the other passengers and the old man as well. He was
unable to find the right words and then came out of a state of denial and
finally realized that his son was gone from him and his live forever and
this realization made him cry uncontrollably.
It was the First World War at the time and their only child whom they
devoted their entire lives was being sent in order to fight for the country.
This made the couple extremely sad. Their child was only twenty years of
age and had so much more to do and discover in life, however, he had to
volunteer for the war as the needs of the nation was the most important
thing at that particular point of time. The couple were extremely reluctant
to send their child but didn’t have any other option. Initially, they were
given a guarantee that their child would not be sent to the front for at least
six months but that did not happen.
The couple was going to see off the reason they had been living this long
for. Their only child was the reason they had worked hard for and now
the time has come to send him off and this has obviously made both the
wife and husband extremely sad as they had to bid adieu to their son.
There was no guarantee that he would return.
B). What advice did the husband receive about parental love?
Ans: The advice that the husband received from one of the passengers
about parental love is about how you give it to your children.
The fellow passenger had said that even if you had only one child or if
you had ten children, you would love them all equally, without any
discrimination. A parent wouldn’t divide their love among their children
but rather love them all completely. He then proceeded to tell the
Ans: In the story ‘War’ by Luigi Pirandello, there were few passengers in
a train carriage and one of the passengers who spoke was an old man.
This particular traveller was fat and had a red complexion. He had
striking gray eyes, which was bulging. Although he was fat, he looked
extremely weak.
From the text, we can understand that the old passenger has some sort of
breathing problem as he was said to be panting while speaking to the
fellow passengers in the carriage. He also had some missing teeth. Even
his shrill laughter could have been a sob. The old traveller was not in the
best mental state and was consoling himself by saying his son was in a
better place and it’s a good thing that he died young but after he realized
that he will never meet his son again, he came out of his state of denial
and broke down in tears.
D). Explain the different opinions shared by the passengers regarding the
war.
Ans: The story ‘War’ by Luigi Pirandello was about a couple who
boarded a train carriage with few passengers and they were on the way to
send off their son, who was going to be sent to the front in order to fight
for the country. As the husband was telling about his predicament, there
were few people who listened attentively and they all gave their opinions
on the situation.
Another thing that the war caused is that the parents got separated from
their sons, who were off to fight for the country. This was not something
that they would have liked as they want to be with their children for as
long as possible. With the war, there is no guarantee that these parents
will be able to see their children again which puts them in a difficult
position. This was the situation of many of the passengers in the carriage.
E). Why was the woman stunned by the remarks of the old man?
Ans: In the story ‘War’ by Luigi Pirandello, the wife was in a state of
grief as she had just got the news that her only son was going to the front
in order to fight for the country. It was said that she was sitting and
listening for the last three months to her friends and her husband and was
trying to find the words to console her grief.
After hearing what the old man had to say, the woman came to the
realization that it was not others who were wrong and couldn’t
completely sympathize with her, but rather, it was her who was wrong.
She had realized that she had to step up and realize the importance of the
country and that she had to rise to the occasion. When she heard the ways
in which the other passengers were coping with their losses, she was
completely amazed, they were all standing so strong even though on the
inside they were all sad because of the prevailing situation.
The woman realized that she had to get over her grief and just accept the
situation. The words of the passengers were able to bring about a
realization in the woman as they were also going through similar
situations and could understand what the woman was going through.
F). What were the feelings of the old man towards sending young people
to the war?
Ans: The story ‘War’ by Luigi Pirandello dealt with the story of a
husband and wife who were travelling by train in order to see their son,
who was going to fight in the war. In the story, there is one passenger, an
old man who gave his opinion on the prevailing situation.
He had said that the love for the country is the most important thing.
Young people will definitely consider the love for the country as a major
priority. They will do anything and everything to protect their country.
The old passenger also said that if he were in the position of the young
children, he too would have gone to fight in the war as he cared that much
about the country.
The old man was also of the opinion that it is best that the young ones die
young as they will be spared from the boringness and bitterness of life.
They will die satisfied, which is something that is good. He said that his
own son, who died in the war, had said that he was dying satisfied with
everything as he was ending his life in the best way he could have wished
for. This was the opinion of the old man towards sending young people to
the war.
Ans: In the story, ‘War’ by Luigi Pirandello, there is a part where the
topic of patriotism is being discussed. It was brought up by the old
passenger. Patriotism, the love one has for his/her country is something
that unites people. No matter what all differences between people, they
will all have one thing in common, which is the love they have for their
country. It gives people a reason to live and instils in a person a great
sense of happiness and sheer pleasure.
The old man brings up patriotism when he talks about young ones and
whether they should be sent in order to fight for the country or not. He
says that for a person in his twenties, the love for the country Is greater
than their love for anything else. So, they will be ready to do whatever
required to protect the country during the bad times. He also said that the
love for the country is always greater than the love for the parents.
The patriotism of the children is also separating the children from their
parents. This makes the parents extremely sad as they have devoted their
entire lives for their children and now, they are going to fight in the war
and there is no guarantee they will return.
H). How do you react to the old man’s grief at the end of the story?
Ans: The story ‘War’ by Luigi Pirandello ends with the old man unable to
control his emotions and cry uncontrollably. He reached this particular
emotional state because of the question the woman asked him.
The old man was talking about how he doesn’t mourn the death of his son
as he knew that his son had died satisfied with life. After listening to the
old man’s story, all the passengers were amazed and were congratulating
him on his bravery. It was at this moment that the woman had a question.
She asked the old man if his son had actually died.
This question was completely unexpected and everyone was taken aback,
especially the old man. At first, he couldn’t speak at all. Then slowly, he
started to realize that his son was dead and gone forever. This realization
made him cry uncontrollably. The reaction of the old man was completely
justified as no matter how strong a person is, the loss of a family member
is bound to hurt a little bit. Initially, he convinced himself that there is no
need to mourn as his son had died happily but then when he realized his
son was really dead, his true emotions came out.
3. A). How does Pirandello portray human nature through the story?
Ans: Through the story ‘War’, the author is telling the story of a husband
and wife who were going to meet their son, possibly for the last time
ever. This was a situation that many people were facing at the time.
During the World War-I, many people were suffering. Many lives were
lost and people were losing their jobs. The author discussed various
themes such as patriotism, fear, and grief.
Initially, the husband and wife were boarding the night carriage in order
to go and meet their son. There were five other passengers in their
carriage. The wife was in a state of grief as her only son was going to the
front in order to fight for the country. The husband decided it was
necessary to tell the other passengers about their situation so they could
empathize with them. The passengers listened carefully to what the
husband had to say and they could all relate to what the couple was
facing. One particular passenger said that his son was sent on the first day
of the war itself and returned back twice after getting injured and went
back. Another passenger said that he has two sons and three nephews out
in the front.
All the passengers could connect with each other as they were in the same
situation. They were all suffering internally because of the war. This is
why they are attempting to console each other as only someone going
through the same thing as you can truly relate with you. There was
another passenger who said that there was no point in being sad about
sending their children away as it was bound to happen at some point. The
children have to live their own lives and make their own choices and
develop their own interests. The thing of importance for the youth is the
love for the country. Everyone is willing to do whatever it takes in order
to protect the country as their love for the country is greater than their
love for anything else.
People deal with personal losses in different ways. Some end up grieving
and others choose to ignore what has happened. This story talks about
people and they ways in which they were dealing with the particular
situation. While some were grieving, one passenger was not mourning the
death of his son as his son had died happily which made him think that
there is no point in being sad.
B). Briefly explain the conflicts and themes raised through War.
Ans: The story ‘War’ by Luigi Pirandello is set during the time of the
First World War. It’s about the various ways on which people were
dealing with the problems caused because of the war.
The main conflict in the story is between the passengers. During the time
of the war, everyone was suffering in one way or another. There were lots
of people who were losing their jobs and many that have died because of
the war. The passengers in the carriage also had different opinions on the
prevailing situation. The conflict is also about the war and what is meant
and whether it was of any use. All the war was doing is causing lots of
problems for the people and taking the young ones away from their
parents. The passengers were all venting out their frustrations caused by
the circumstances. The passengers were all helpless in this situation as
their sons had to go for military service. For some, it was deliberate but
for others, they were forced to fight for the country. If the parents had a
choice, they would try not to send their children to fight for the country as
to protect them.
The various themes that have been discussed in this story is of patriotism
and losses faced by the people. The old passenger said that for the young
ones, the love for their country will be greater than anything else. It is out
of the love for the country that the young ones go out to fight in the war
despite knowing that there is a chance that they could die. Although, this
is not a concern for them as it is considered a noble death and the ones
that die young will be satisfied and spared from the boringness of life.
Another important theme that is being discussed in this story is the way
the different passengers are dealing with the losses and problems caused
by the war. While most of the people are grieving because of the loss of
dear ones, there are few that choose not to mourn. In this particular story,
the old man does not mourn the death of his son as he says that his son
died satisfied with his life and everything he has done. It is because he
knows this that he feels that there is no need to mourn. In the end, the old
man came to the realization that his son was gone forever and this sent
him into uncontrollable tears. After the woman asked him the question as
to whether his son was actually dead or not did he come to terms with
what had happened.
These are the various conflicts and themes that have been raised by Luigi
Pirandello in the story ‘War’.
C). Death is meaningful if one dies for one’s country. Evaluate the
statement based on the story.
Ans: In the story ‘War’ by Luigi Pirandello, the old, red-faced passenger
talked about the importance of patriotism in our lives. He also brought up
the point that children are not born for the parent, but rather, because they
have to be born.
Children grow up and discover their passions and interests and tries to go
and achieve those goals. Their love for the country is greater than their
love for anything else. This is why they go and volunteer to go and fight
for the country. Fighting for the country is something which instills a
sense of pride in that person. They are doing whatever they can in order
to protect their own country, the country that they love above all other
things.
It is said that death is meaningful if one dies for one’s country as that
person will most likely be happy with what has happened to them as they
know that they have done whatever possible for the country. They gave
their lives for the country. There is nothing which is of more importance
than that. A person who dies for the country can die being satisfied with
the choices he made in his life. Knowing that he will be a part of history
is also something of great importance.
Although death itself is something that is sad, when one dies for their
country, it is the ultimate sacrifice. The person has offered themselves for
their country. They put their body on the line for the country and knowing
that, their death becomes meaningful. A person who has died for the
country can die knowing that his efforts will never be considered wasted.
The person’s life was of significant value for the country. The person that
dies for the country is considered a hero. Hence, it can be said that death
is meaningful if one dies for one’s country.
The Consequences of Dissension- Rushdie, Toni Morisson:
Writers who live under the fear of losing their identity, their vision
and freedom, due to government control over them, are not truly free.
And what it does is that it limits one’s talents and prosper it.
Toni Morrison is a Nobel Prize winning writer who was always
vocal about issues we face. She was an American writer who is proud
about her black heritage, something which is visible in her works like
Beloved and Sula.
Paul Jennings is a British humourist who argued that there was a never-
ending war between “Thing” and “No-Thing”. This is a play on a famous
line from “King Lear”, written by William Shakespeare. Salman Rushdie,
in his speech against censorship, connects both these personalities to say
that if writing is the “Thing”, then censorship must be “No-Thing” –
latter is something that is in a constant war with the art.
Salman Rushdie draws a parallel between faucet (of air) and government
control on art. If someone known or unknown (an indirect reference to
God) turns off the faucets, we would be deprived of the plentiful air. By
the time the people protest demanding free flow of air, we would be dead.
Same is the case with liberty and freedom of expression, the speaker tries
to say.
When those in power censors an art, the general public looks at that work
as “Censored Art”. These words would be forever attached to the art so
much that public would always consider these as pornographic or
immoral, forgetting the subject of the work and what the artist is trying to
say.
If the despots give free hand to the writers to publish or follow the truth,
they would asks questions that could disturb the social oppressions and
the comatose public. Now that is the peril of authoritarian regime.
Writers can disturb the silence of those comatose public, something the
dictators call peace, and it is they who stop the wars that some people
seeks to make profit from. Only writers can turn the sorrows and pains we
face into meaningful words. These are the roles of writers, according to
Toni Morrison.
The censorship of art and the dangers that writers face are the equal perils
that Toni Morrison talks about. The absence of such voices are bad for
the ordinary folks like us.
k) Name the two human responses to the perception of chaos.
Toni Morrison says that she knows that there are two human responses to
perception of chaos. One is naming the unknown and the other is violence
that happens when chaos resists. The latter is more frequently used.
The most rational responses when chaos resists are censorship of work,
imprisoning creators at prisons and sometimes, even killing them. It
could be categorised as Violence.
The third response to chaos, which the speaker hasn’t heard of, is
stillness. It is the fear and silence of the comatose public and that is
dangerous to the writers.
saving ourselves. The pain suffered by the society are brought out
through the pens of writers. Nothing else could describe the sorrow as
well as their words, thereby sharpening our morality.
This is why Toni Morrison tells us that a writer’s life and works are not a
gift to the mankind. Instead, their works are a necessity for the
functioning of the society.
Perhaps the most interesting aspect of his speech would be the example of
faucets controlling the flow of air. Instead of diving straight into the
consequences of censorship in society and its effect on creativity,
Rushdie asks us to think about the plentiful air surrounding us. One need
not protest for free supply of air because it is available freely. We would
take the air for granted. That is, until some entity, known or unknown to
us (a brilliant reference to God) decides to limit our exposure to air. It is
only when that we realize that the air is thinning that we protest or make
fuss about it. Through this example, he’s trying to show the terror
censorship brings. It limits one’s freedom and creativity. If artists worries
that the freedom is thinning, their words would be guided by fear instead
of talent.
Both these personalities are creative artists and they know what it is to be
a dissenter. They argue that the freedom is essential for the writers to
speak out the truth, to use their pen against the foolish regimes.
Writer’s words are a gift to mankind because of their power to give our
sorrows and pain some meaning. The public doesn’t have the voice to
raise their concerns to authorities. The creative artists against the
exploitation of public in the hands of regimes and their wrongdoings.
However, they face danger to their life because of this reason.
These writers are watched, tortured, imprisoned and even killed to silence
their voices that inform the public. They live in constant fear of whether
their works would be censored. If they worry whether they will be free
tomorrow, they will not be free today. This would lead to words written
out of fear, instead of talent within them. They themselves would turn
into censors. They would no longer write about naked truths because their
life is under threat. This would deprive us of the artworks that makes our
lives enjoyable.
The need to save the lives of the writers is urgent. The rescue we extend
to them is a generosity to ourselves. The fellow artists must come
together to protect the writers, it is only then that the freedom available to
us would remain the same. This is the message that both Salman Rushdie
and Toni Morrison is trying to deliver through their speeches.
c. How does Toni Morrison categorise the perils of free speech and
the human response to chaos in her essay?
In her speech, she uses repetition of ideas and words and effective
emphasis on words to describe the effects of censorship on society. Based
on her experiences, she has categorized the perils of free speech and
human response to chaos into three.
First one is naming. When the chaos is unknown to us, we would give
names to it – such as, creating names for new stars and species
discovered. Giving proper nouns and charting new landscapes and
unnamed geographies is another way in which naming is effortlessly
accomplished.
But what happens when the chaos refuses to die out and it resists and
rebels against existing order? That’s where the second category comes in:
Violence. It is often understood as the most frequently used response
against chaos. This is could be a rational response against the wild or the
unknown. The so-called rational responses may include censorship,
imprisonment, or death. This could be done by singling out the dissenters
or through war.
The most terrifying and dangerous category is, perhaps, stillness. This is a
concept that the speaker has not heard about. It could be passivity or
dumbfoundedness. This arises from the fear of going against the order or
the government for the fear of one’s life. Toni Morrison calls these
cowards as comatose public. The only way to counter this stillness is art.
Those writers who hurt the order for the peace of humanity must be
protected. Saving them is equivalent to saving ourselves. Otherwise there
could be erasure of voices, depriving us of entertainment.
Burning of the Books- Bertolt Brecht
SUMMARY
The Nazi regime has passed an order to ban books that contain
writings that are against the ideologies of the Nazis. Books that contain
harmful knowledge were taken to a place to burn. The regime has the
power to ban books that because the content questions autocratic rule and
represents ideologies that opposed Nazism.
A banished writer, who is well known, checks the list of books
that are to be burned and found that his books were not in the list.
Enraged, he quickly ran to his table and writes a letter to the rulers of the
native country and asks them to burn him. He again provokes the
authorities by saying that he has only reported the truth and if they don’t
burn his books, they are terming him as ‘liar’. “Burn me” has been used
repeatedly to emphasise his frustration..
Q and A:
Ans;- Usually carried out in a public context , the burning of the books
represents an element of censorship and usually proceeds from a cultural ,
religious or political opposition .
Ans;-- the books targeted for burning were those viewed as being
subversive or as representing ideologies opposed to Nazism. These books
include books that are written by Jewish, communist, socialist and
religious leaders .
Ans;- The writer is who writes letter to the morons in power is a banished
writer which means he is a writer who is thrown out of Germany as part
of censorship.
4. Why does the exiled poet want to protest when he finds out that his
books has not been burned?
5. What is the tone of the poem? How is it made evident through the
poem?
Ans:- The poem shows a angry mood of the writer for not burning his
books. It is evident through the line “ he rushed to his desk with
contemptuous wraith to write fierce letters to the morons in power.”
2. Answer each question in 100 words.
a) Why is the poet offended/ angry that his books aren’t on the list?
The poet is angry that his books are not there on the list because the books
which are being burned are actually threatening the ideology of the Nazi regime
so they burn those books and the author is angry because his books actually talk
about the Nazi and Hitler rule in a negative way and he feels offended that his
books are not being burned.
b) Describe the irony in the line ‘haven’t I always reported the truth? …. Burn
me’?
The poet quoting the line means that he has written all the negative facts and
how the Nazi regime is terrorizing people. But his book is still not in the list to
be burned so he feels offended that they are calling him a liar because he always
tell the truth and his books are not being burned for saying the truth so he feels
like the Nazi are indirectly calling him a liar.
Burn me means that the author says that to burn his books. He also means to
burn him because even though they won’t burn his books he will not stop
writing the negative things about Nazi so it’s better to burn the author directly
so you won’t get any literature or books at all.
c) What is meant by ‘unlawful books’?
Unlawful books mean any books that goes against religion or culture or any
inappropriate language or content etc. with reference to the poem unlawful
books are those books which affect Nazi society or Nazi believers in a negative
way or affect or change the people's mind about Nazi ideology or any literature
that can threaten the Nazi. In fear of this literature, they burn all the books or
literature that affects the Nazi regime in a bad way.
3. Answer each question in about 300 words.
a) How does Brecht express his solidarity with the victims of the Nazi
persecution through the poem?
Bertolt Brecht is a German poet. The poem shares Brecht’s opinion about the
Nazi practice of burning books.
The idea of burning the book is one associated with censorship. The writer
believes that it is honorable for a writer to earn tyrant rulers’ criticism because a
genuine and true writer portrays harsh truth which the regime curbs and prevent
it from spreading among common people. This can lead to rebellion against the
regime.
He writes letter to the rulers of his native country and challenges them to
him. He further questions them if his books never reported the truth and by not
putting his books in the list, they are terming the writer as a liar.
In the poem, the regime had earlier passed an order to prohibit the books which
consist of contents which go against religion, caste, culture etc. These kinds of
books are been burned. The poet writes the list of books that have been banned
and at last, when he looks at the list he becomes frustrated as he is not included
in the list. Then he rushes into the desk with his frustrated mood and writes
“savagely” letters to those in power whom he calls “fools”.
The poet is angry that his books are not there on the list because the books
which are being burned are actually threatening the ideology of the Nazi regime
so they burn those books and the author is angry because his books actually talk
about the Nazi and Hitler rule in a negative way and he feels offended that his
books are not being burned. “Burn me” is what he has written. He is asking for
his books as well as to be burnt. The reason he ensures that he has always said
the truth.
THE CENSORS- Luiza Valenzuela
SUMMARY
The story begins with a young man, Juan living in Argentina under the
control of an authoritarian government. He writes and mails a letter; he is
stricken with fear about what the censors would think about its contents which
would result in the kidnapping and execution of his lover as the dire
consequence.
The letter mailed had to go through the bureaucratic agency, Censor’s
Secret Command that inspected everything for secret messages, poisonous
powders, bombs and like anything and everything could be a potential signal to
the censors notifying them the plotting against the government.
Juan comes up with an utmost clever plan whereby he would get a job
with the censors and intercept his own letter to Mariana and send it through
safely. Since there was a continuous need for new censors, Juan was hired
immediately and he works his way up the ranks at the Censor’s Secret
Command.
His devotion to his new work was so much that by the end of the first
week he was assigned to Section K where the envelopes are opened with
painstaking care to see if they contain some explosive. Juan is then transferred
to Section J where they unfold the letters with infinite care to see if they contain
poisonous powders. From J he was transferred to E where the work became
more interesting as to it was reading and analysis of the letters. Juan then was
transferred to Section B. He censored every letter one by one, disposing most
that came across him.
Being so keen on becoming the best censor, he mercilessly censored his
own letter and tossed it into the reject pile. This resulting in the execution of
Juan the very next day, ’another victim of his devotion to his job’.
a. What does Juan fear would happen to the letter he sent to Mariana?
Juan writes a letter to his lover Mariana. However, he starts worrying about
what the censors would think about the contents of the letter. This prevents him
from concentrating on his work during the day and doesn’t let him sleep at
night.
a. Describe the work done in the various sections of the Censorship Bureau
by the censors.
Juan joins the censorship bureau in the hope of intercepting his letter
written to his love Mariana. He was hired immediately as there was a
shortage of censors.
In the first month, he was assigned to Section K where the envelopes are opened
with painstaking care to see if they contain some explosive. On the third day, a
co-worker loses his arms and his face disfigured by a bomb in a letter.
Juan is then transferred to Section J where they unfold the letters with infinite
care to see if they contain poisonous powders, he felt that he had ascended a
step and could therefore return to his healthy habit of not getting involved in
external affairs.
From J he was transferred to E where the work became more interesting as ot it
was reading and analysis of the letters. This is the section in which he hoped to
come across his own letter. He would spend days crossing out letters.
Juan then was transferred to Section B. The number of letters that reached Juan
daily was minimal. Very few letters cleared the previous hurdles to reach this
level. The work here was intense. He had to read the letters often, put them
under the magnifying glass, look for microdots with the electronic microscope
and tune his sense of smell. He used to return home at night exhausted.
Thus, these are the work done in the various sections of the Censorship Bureau
by the censors.
b. Bring out the satire in the story “The Censors” by drawing examples from
the situations in the story.
This story The Censors is written in the form of a satire against the authoritarian
control of people through censorship, which creates profound stresses in the
mental states of the individuals.
Juan the protagonist of the story writes a letter to his lover Mariana. He had
received Mariana's new address from a confidential source and was too excited
to think of his actions before writing and sending the letter. However, he starts
worrying about what the censors would think about the contents of the letter.
This prevents him from concentrating on his work during the day and doesn’t
let him sleep at night. Soon Juan applies to the Censorship Bureau to become a
censor.
Juan joins the censorship bureau in the hope of intercepting his letter written to
his love Mariana. He was hired immediately as there was a shortage of the
censors.
In the first month, he was assigned to Section K where the envelopes are opened
with painstaking care to see if they contain some explosive. On the third day, a
co-worker loses his arms and his face disfigured by a bomb in a letter.
Juan is then transferred to Section J where they unfold the letters with infinite
care to see if they contain poisonous powders, he felt that he had ascended a
step and could, therefore, return to his healthy habit of not getting involved in
external affairs.
From J he was transferred to E where the work became more interesting as it
was reading and analysis of the letters. This is the section in which he hoped to
come across his own letter. He would spend days crossing out letters.
Juan then was transferred to Section B. The number of letters that reached Juan
daily was minimal. Very few letters cleared the previous hurdles to reach this
level. The work here was intense. He had to read the letters often, put them
under the magnifying glass, look for microdots with the electronic microscope
and tune his sense of smell. He used to return home at night exhausted.
As Juan started working in the bureau, he slowly forgot the actual reason why
he joined the bureau. He got so much absorbed in his work that he forgot his
real intention of becoming a censor. Juan’s own letter to Mariana reached his
hands. He condemned it without remorse. Juan was executed at dawn. This is
ironical because Juan joined the Bureau to keep himself and Mariana safe, but
he was unsuccessful. Thus, through this story, Luisa Valenzuela attempts to
bring out the satire.
c. How did Juan change over the course of the story? Write a character
analysis of Juan.
Juan had received from a confidential source the address of Mariana the women
he loved. She was in Paris and he knew she hadn’t forgotten him. In this
excitement, he wrote a letter to her. However, he starts worrying about what the
censors would think about the contents of the letter. This prevents him from
concentrating on his work during the day and doesn’t let him sleep at night.
Soon Juan applies to the Censorship Bureau to become a censor. He did this so
that he could intercept his own letter and send it safely. Juan was hired
immediately as there was a continuous need for censors.
In the first month he was assigned to Section K where the envelopes are
opened with painstaking care to see if they contain some explosive. On the third
day, a co- worker loses his arms and his face disfigured by a bomb in a letter.
Juan is then transferred to Section J where they unfold the letters with infinite
care to see if they contain poisonous powders, he felt that he had ascended a
step and could, therefore, return to his healthy habit of not getting involved in
external affairs.
From J he was transferred to E where the work became more interesting as to it
was reading and analysis of the letters. This is the section in which he hoped to
come across his own letter. He would spend days crossing out letters.
Juan then was transferred to Section B. The number of letters that reached Juan
daily was minimal. Very few letters cleared the previous hurdles to reach this
level. The work here was intense. He had to read the letters often, put them
under the magnifying glass, look for microdots with the electronic microscope
and tune his sense of smell. He used to return home at night exhausted.
As Juan started working in the bureau, he slowly forgot the actual reason why
he joined the bureau. He got so much absorbed in his work that he forgot his
real intention of becoming a censor. Juan’s own letter to Mariana reached his
hands. He condemned it without remorse. Juan was executed at dawn.
The Poisoned Bread- Bandhu Madhav
Bandhu Madhav (1927-97) was a Dalit short story writer from the Mahar
community in Maharashtra and a Buddhist convert. He was also instrumental in
founding the ‘Little Magazine Movement’ which is blended by modernism and
the Dalit movement. Bandhu Madhav was also a leading writer of Prabuddha
Bharat and Dharmayana.
Summary
"The Poisoned Bread" is a story of an awakened but suppressed Dalit
consciousness and voicing out against the upper caste domination and
exploitation. It shows how education has empowered a new generation of Dalits
to reclaim their legitimate space in a case-ridden society that continues to
diminish them.
Q and A:
c. What was the wage that Mhadeva and his grandfather received at the end
of the day?
Answer: At the end of the day because Yetalya wasn’t in the field doing the
work because he went to take the tripod hence Patil deny any wage or grains for
them. Which lead Yetalya to beg not to let them starve, that is when he saw the
stale crumbs. Therefore, the wage they got after the hard work they did was
stale crumbs.
Answer: Grandfather was writhing in pain the next morning because of the stale
breadcrumbs that Mhadeva’s Mother put in the supper which was covered with
urine and dung therefore it was poisonous causing Yetalya vomiting and
Dysentery.
Answer: Midway during their work in the field grandfather Yetalya went to
Gyanba Patil’s farm to fetch a tripod. Even after a long time Yetalya did not
return, that is when Mhadeva started worrying and wondering where his
grandfather was, also what might happen if Babu Patil comes now. Just then
Babu Patil came with Tuka Magdoom and shouted at Mhadeva asking him
where his grandfather. Unknowing Mhadeva back answered Babu Patil to
defend his grandfather which angered Babu Patil. When Yetalya finally came
Babu Patil screamed at Yetalya telling them to stop working, that he would
manage it himself and he denied their wage or share of corn.
d. How does Mhadeva react to getting the stale, rancid crumbs of bread?
Answer: Mhadeva was angry, shocked, and helpless seeing his grandfather
begging for the stale rancid crumbs of bread. He mocked Yetalya saying to him
that after a long day of work this is what they were going to fill their stomachs
with stale bread smeared with dung and urine. Then he tried convincing
grandfather Yetalya that they no longer should agree with the way the upper
caste treats them. Even a lion locked in a cage all his life forgets how to hunt
says Mhadeva metaphorically linking it with the way they are living, that their
community is so used to being treated inhumane that they forget how it feel and
to live like a human being to the point where they are ready to eat stale bread
crumbs.
e. Comment on the reaction of Grandma when grandfather throws the
crumbs?
Answer: After eating the supper which was poisoned by the slate breadcrumbs
which were cover with urine and dung, grandfather Yetalya vomited his guts
out the next day. The doctor diagnosed it as dysentery by the toxic bread,
Yetalya lost all hope and everyone became helpless. Grandpa uttered his las few
words to crying Mhadeva saying to him that he is the last hope of his
community and told him to save everyone in this community so that they won’t
be any more instances like his grandpa. Lastly, he said to Mhadeva that the
poisonous bread killed the last bit of humanness in him. That line haunts
Mhadeva even twelve years later which also put fuel to his overwhelming fury
and disgust.
Q3 Answer the following questions in about 300 words.
a. Narrate the experience that Yetalya and his grandson Mhadeva had at
Patil's House and the consequent change of attitude that Yetalya had.
Answer:
"The Poisoned Bread" is a story of an awakened but suppressed Dalit
consciousness and voicing out against the upper caste domination and
exploitation. It shows how education has empowered a new generation of Dalits
to reclaim their legitimate space in a case-ridden society that continues to
diminish them.
The experiences that Yetalya and his grandson Mhadeva (who is the
protagonist) led to the change of attitude in Yetalya, can be better explained by
divided the experiences into 2 parts. The 1st part is when the young boy and the
grandfather went to Babu Patil (who is the antagonist) to get some work, as a
reward they might get few grains that will feed the Yetalya’s family. Babu Patil
on the other hand with no respect to Mhadeva's grandfather humiliates them and
talks absolute foolishness. Bursting out of anger Mhadeva argues with Babu
Patil tells him 'if a religion can't tolerate one human being treating another
simply as a human being, what's the use of this inhuman religion ' and more.
This infuriates Babu Patil and he lashes out, fearing this Yetalya pleads to Babu
Patil not to be angry, telling him that Mhadeva is city-bred and he does not
know how things work in the village.
The 2nd part is when Grandfather Yetalya again appeals to Babu Patil to
forgive his grandson for arguing with him and tells Mhadeva to get to work.
Babu Patil tells them to finish the work by the time he returns after breakfast
otherwise they will not get their share of corn if they don’t work hard. Halfway
through the work grandpa Yetalya said he will come soon after taking few tools
from Gyanba Patil’s threshing floor. Working in the red-hot sun with the
scorching heat, exhausted Mhadeva wondered where his grandfather was and
started worrying what would happen if Babu Patil comes when his grandfather
wasn’t here. Just when that thought was fading away, Babu Patil and Tuka
Magdoom come, when Mhadeva tell that grandpa went to take few tools from
Gyanba Patil’s threshing floor Babu Patil asks furiously to Mhadeva whether if
his grandfather went to whore with his wife along with this Tuka Magdoom
adds in his supportive comments. Mhadeva defends his grandpa which adds fuel
to the fire.
Yetalya comes running like a mad man towards Babu Patil asking for his
forgives for not being in the field but Babu Palit kicks them out of the field
without giving them any grains. Yetalya begs Babu Patil not to do that. Just then
Yetalya sees moldering crumbs where flies are swarming around it and it has
turned green and foul. He begs Babu Patil for at least those crumbs. Like that
Yetalya and Mhadeva leave.
Seeing all this Mhadeva mocked Yetalya that after all the work they did in the
end the only thing they got was humiliation and few crumbs which have turned
green and are smeared with dung and urine. Mhadeva tried to explain to his
grandfather, how much longer will they accept being treated like slaves, how
much longer will they accept not being treated like a human being. Finally,
realising the truth put out by his grandson Yetalya changes his attitude.
b. “The Poisoned Bread” highlights the Dalit predicament and the emergence
of an empowered Dalit Consciousness. Discuss.
Answer:
What is Humanity? Humanity includes all the humans, but it can also refer to
the kind feelings humans often have for each other. The hierarchy caste system
which origins during ancient times from the history of India which affects all
Indians alive even today, is what this story reminds us. "The Poisoned Bread"
is a story of an awakened but suppressed Dalit consciousness and voicing out
against the upper caste domination and exploitation. It shows how education has
empowered a new generation of Dalits to reclaim their legitimate space in a
case-ridden society that continues to diminish them.
The evils of this system are seen even in the world we live in today. Many
villages are separated by caste and they may not cross the line dividing them
from the higher castes. They also may not use the same wells or drink in the
same tea stalls as higher castes. They often do not have the facility to electricity,
sanitation facilities, or water pumps in lower caste neighborhoods. Access to
better education, housing, and medical facilities than that of the higher castes is
denied. They are restricted to certain occupations like sanitation work,
plantation work, leather works, cleaning streets, etc. Often subjected to
exploitation in the name of debt, tradition, etc., to work as laborers or perform
menial tasks for generations together.
Mhadeva and Grandfather Yetalya are to deny their wages or their meager share
of corn, forced in the end to feed on stale, dung-smeared, and poisoned bread.
While degradation ultimately takes the life of the grandfather. The argument
between Mhadeva and Babu Patil is an example of how education has
empowered a new generation of Dalits.
A
1. Where is the author going?
The author is going to visit her home in the yankton Indian reservation. She is
going there to visit her mother and brother.
2. Why was the author thrilled?
The author was thrilled because she was going to visit her family after a long
while. She was eager to meet her mother and brother after a long period.
3. How did the author live in the olden days?
In the olden days the author would roam bareheaded over the hill. This is
probably a reference to her childhood days at the reservation.
4. What caused the driver to jump suddenly in his drowsiness?
As the vehicle neared her home the author’s excitement increased. When she
saw the first cone-shaped wigwam she uttered an exclamation. This made the
drowsy driver jump.
5. Where did the author’s mother live?
The author’s mother lived on the eastern edge of the reservation. She lived
beyond the ravin and a large acre of sunflowers. Just beyond this was her
mother’s log cabin.
6. What does the author mean when she says her mother made only
compromises?
The author’s mother had never gone to school. She had meant to give up her
customs as an American Indian and follow the white man’s ways. But she never
did it and instead made only compromises.
7. Why does mother live in an uncemented house?
The author’s mother has grown old and can no longer work for her living. Her
son has also lost his job to a white man. This means they are left without a
means of survival and hence the house remains uncemented.
A. When Sentila visited the old woman, she would strap the baby, who was
ten months old to her back with a cloth and labor up the steep hill to reach their
work shed. She would carry some cooked rice in a leaf packet with her on these
trips. After she put her brother to sleep, she would watch the woman work
intently. Sentila enjoyed being there but by late afternoon, she had to leave
them. So, she would gently pick her brother up from where he slept and
swinging him on the back, would walk home quickly so that when her mother
returned from the fields they would be at home.
2) What was the response of the elders of the village council to Mesoba’s
explanation?
A. After listening to Mesoba’s explanation, the elders decided that there was
no cost to take any drastic action against him yet and they let him go, cautioning
him to remind his wife that it was her duty to train her daughter in the skills that
were handed down from generation to generation for the good of the entire
village. They also told him that skills such was pottery did not belong to one
individual. That experts were obliged to pass on their skills not only to their
own children but also to anyone who wished to learn and ominously they added,
“Anyone refusing to do so will be considered an enemy of the village.”
3) How did Onula help Sentila with pot making on the night of the music
band’s visit?
A. After everyone left for the music night Sentila quietly took out the play
and the tools from her basket and sat down in a dark corner to try to make a pot
quietly for fear of waking Onula but on the contrary the older woman was
watching the young girl’s clumsy efforts with sympathy after noticing that
Sentila was failing the older woman went over and gently asked the frightened
girl what she was doing with the clay. Onula put her arms around Sentila.
“Don’t worry little one.” She said, “I shall teach you to make a perfect pot.
Come, watch how I sit on the stool holding my thigh muscles taut and make
sure to use sacking to cover the thigh so that the lump does not slip. When you
dip your hand in water before slipping it into the clay make sure its not too wet.
Hold the spatula toward your body and tap gently like this. But most important
of all make sure that the tapping is in rhythm with your left-hand rotating inside
the clay. Sentila tried making another pot just like how Onula did and followed
her instructions and was exhilarated beyond words because she was finally
making a real pot. Later Onula told her this was enough for one evening and
others will be back soon and we should keep this to ourselves. Next time watch
how your mother carefully shapes the mouth of the pot. You’re a quick learner
and will do work well but it is your mother who should teach you this.
Remember what the village council has ruled.
4) What was Onula’s impression about the two batches of moist pots in the
shed?
A. Onula tried to distinguish one batch from the other to determine if it was
the handiwork of just one or if a second pair of hands rotated the clay dough and
swayed the spatula to create the two separate batches. She could not find
anything to tell them apart. She knew it was not one’s hard work but if both
mother and daughter were involved in turning out these pots was it possible to
differentiate between the two batches. Onula came out of the shed with a dazed
look on her face and seemed to falter in her gate. She believed she just
witnessed a profound revelation in the two batched of still moist pots, standing
side by side in perfect symmetry inside the shed.
A. Sentila's mom objected to the idea of she becoming a pot maker. Her mom
wanted Sentila to learn weaving as it is a less tiresome job and this would not let
her work hard as she does. But for Sentila, it is always pot making and her
mother had always been a source of inspiration in her life. She loved the
connect for the art form in her and this further motivated her to become what
she loved to be. Thus, the persistence for her dream and her love for art are the
two main driving forces in Sentila becoming a pot maker.
6) Critically analyze and respond to 'The Pot Maker' as a story about tribal
value systems that place collective good over individual interests.
A. The Pot maker written by Tensula Ao is a vivid story about a mother and
her determined daughter to wants to be a pot maker just like her mom and their
community. The mother inspires her daughter unknowingly to become a pot
maker just like her mother and from then despite being young the daughter
decided to learn pot making but when the mother gasps about her daughter’s
wish, the mother strictly says no to her pleadings and turns down her wish and
demonstrates why pot making isn’t very profitable for her daughter and instead
wants her to learn weaving. However, the daughter’s passion was stronger than
anything and she went against her mother’s words and learned the beautiful art
of pot making. This shows how tribal value systems place collective good over
individual interests. The mother wants her daughter to leave her desires and
dreams just because they are risky and may turn out be not cost-effective.
Rather she'd see her daughter pursue something which brings financial gain to
the family and herself. even if she doesn't find the work appropriate according
to her interests and capabilities and even if it means she isn’t happy doing
according to her mother’s will. In the end we learn that she becomes a famous
pot maker just like her mother. The story shows the simplicity of the cultural
people who all make pottery and live content but place collective good over
individual interest.
Does It Matter?- Richard Leakey
Summary
Scientific evidence points to the fact that life on earth as we know it is
currently undergoing a process of mass extinction – the sixth in the history of
the planet. This impending disaster is the result of man’s reckless exploitation
of nature.
Leakey begins with a reference to the Simon-Ehrlich wager and the two
opposing views on the need to preserve biodiversity:
“The recognition that we are rooted in life itself and its wellbeing
demands that we respect other species, not trample them in a blind pursuit of
our own ends.”
But surely, say the sceptics, it is unwise to base expensive decisions to
protect biodiversity on “unscientific” estimates of extinction rates based on
“guesswork” and “anecdote”
He elaborates on the three important areas of the value of biodiversity –
economic, ecosystem services and aesthetic pleasure, and agrees with Les
Kaufman that the loss of any species erodes the human soul.
There have been five great mass extinctions in the long history of life on
earth, the most recent 65 million years ago, when all dinosaur species perished
in an astonishingly brief period of time. Each of these great extinctions was
unimaginably catastrophic - at least 65 percent of all species living vanished in
a geological instant; in the Permian-Triassic extinction, nearly 95 percent of all
species were obliterated. The agency for these extinctions and the why, are
hotly debated - sudden climate change, asteroids, evolutionary inadequacy - but
the patterns are remarkably consistent.
He concludes that for each of the previous mass extinctions there are
theories of what caused them, some of them compelling, but none proven. But
for the sixth, however, the culprit and a sure victim is man.
Points to remember:
a. Richard Leakey in his book ‘The Sixth Extinction’ has identified three
important areas of values of biodiversity. They are: economic, ecosystem
services and aesthetic pleasure.
d. The first and most obvious message given by fossil records is that major
catastrophic collapses of biological diversity can and do occur. They can be
rapid, irreversible and unpredictable. They also show that life has not been a
static phenomenon through the history of the earth.
g. The sixth extinction will be different from the previous five in that there
are theories regarding what may have caused them, some of them compelling,
though none proven, whereas, we know for certain the culprit of the sixth
extinction – man himself as agent and victim.
Theme-wise summary:
a. Leakey says that the loss of diversity of species represents the loss of
associated values. If animals and plants are a potential source of new materials,
new foods and new medicines, then the loss of species reduces that potential. If
an interacting network of plants and animals is important in sustaining the
chemistry of the atmosphere and the soil, the loss of any species reduces the
efficacy of these services. If a rich diversity of species succours the human
psyche in important ways, then the loss of species reduces us in indescribable
ways.
b. Simon says that it is hard to even imagine that we would be better off
with the persistence of any imagined species. The value he attaches to species is
economic and practicality. He argues that scientific and technical advancement,
especially in seed banking and genetic engineering have diminished the
importance of maintaining species in their natural habitat. This view is in
contrast with Kaufman’s view. Kaufman says that a piece of the American soul
died along with the ‘passenger pigeon’, the ‘plains buffalo’ and the ‘American
chestnut’. He means that the loss of any species erodes the human soul.
c. The inputs and outputs of the natural economy of the earth are the
interactions among species at all scales of life, from filaments of fungi nurturing
the health of plant rootlets to the global chemical cycles of water, oxygen and
carbon dioxide. They are the ecosystem services and they represent the tangible
elements of the stability and health that emerge from the entire biota of the earth
operating as a complex dynamic system. As our knowledge of the complexity of
these systems we cannot for certain say which all species may be removed
without detriment to the system.
Gieve Patel is a Mumbai based Physician, painter, playwright and poet. His
poetic works include Poems and How do you withstand, Body and Mirrored
Mirroring.
Summary:
This poem describes the process of cutting a tree completely. The poet shows
criticism of human cruelty and heartless nature in chopping down trees by axe
or other material equipment. He begged the people not to cut the trees that gives
us necessities of life. Hence, one must not cut trees but must plant more and
more trees.
STANZA 3: No, The root is to be pulled out……... For years inside the earth
This stanza implies that to kill/ destroy a tree completely, it has to be taken out
the roots of the soil which is hidden inside the Earth/ below the ground. The
roots are the strength of the tree and it is white in color and soaked. The root is
supportive to the tree and is essential for nutrition when tree starts growing. The
roots have been there for a very long time buried inside the Earth.
f. Why does the poet call the roots ‘the strength of the tree’?
Answer: The Strength of the tree lies in its roots, which the poet asks to snap
out in order to kill the tree. ie. the source of a tree’s existence has to be
destroyed by taking it out of its place of security and stability.
2. Answer the following questions in about 100 words.
a. Why does the poet say that it takes ‘much time’ to kill a tree?
Answer: It takes much time to kill a tree because it has grown slowly,
consuming the earth and absorbing water, air and sunlight for years. The mere
act of hacking and chopping is not sufficient to kill a tree. The tree overcomes
man’s onslaught by branching off small stems close to the ground and resumes
life to rise again to it’s former size. The poet speaks about the life of a tree by
implying that just like humans go through various stages in life from childhood
to adulthood, the tree also takes years of nourishment to grow.
b. What needs to be done to kill a tree permanently?
Answer: The tree is permanently killed by pulling out of the mother earth.
When its roots are exposed to sunlight and air, the tree begins to get scorched
and choked. The roots are the most sensitive parts of a tree. They remain hidden
inside the earth for years. First root is to be pulled out of the anchoring earth. It
is roped tied and pulled out entirely. The strength of the tree is totally exposed.
Then starts the process of scorching and choking. The rootless tree is scorched
in the sunlight. It is choked as it doesn’t get necessary oxygen for its survival
from the air. Then the colour fades and hardens. It loses its proper shape. It
twists and withers. Finally, it dies down
e. What relationship between the earth and trees is presented in the poem?
Answer: A tree has a deep relationship with earth. It owes its very existence to
the earth. The seed germinates in the womb of the earth and the baby plant
sprouts out over the surface of the earth. The tree draws nutrients for it from the
soil. It is the earth that gives support to stand erect and protects it from. Giving a
firm grip to its roots, the earth gives it ground to grow and assume a massive
size. The earth keeps roots of the tree concealed, protecting it from exposure to
sunlight and the air which can prove to be very injurious for its. Thus, the earth
helps the tree right from its birth to its survival. Even a chopped tree grows
again out of the stump and gains the original big size because the earth supports
it.
Hagar: the story of Woman and Water is the second chapter of “Gift
in Green”, translated by Valson Thampu. “Gift in Green” is the translation of
Sara Joseph’s malayalam novel “Aathi.”
As the story opens, we can see Hagar and her son Ishmael abandoned by
her husband in the wilderness under the scorching sun and the hot sand. It came
to a point where she had to face death moreover, she was terrified of the thought
of digging a pit for her own son’s dead body. The days which she had spent
with her son in the wilderness were a nightmare for her in her life.
Hagar faces a wide range of tribulations but still determines to live for her
son and protect her son through the harsh weather in the desert. During her days
in the wilderness, she realizes the value of water and for her, it was of the value
of the life of her firstborn. When she and her son were almost about to meet
death, the voice of a mysterious bird calling her by her name was the greatest
miracle in her life as that bird showed her the spring of water in the midst of the
wilderness. By the end of the story, we see that Hagar meets few nomads and
tribes in who were in search of water and they asked Hagar who was seen
sitting on the banks of the lake with her son if they could have water. Later,
both Hagar and the nomads enter into a covenant where Hagar insists that she
will be the protector and the caretaker of the lake as she knows the value of
water and wanted to protect that lake as the value of the first drop of water was
equivalent to the value of the life of her firstborn. The nomads acknowledged
her as the protector and caretaker of water and they, in turn, agreed to gather
food for Hagar and her son. The nomads fed her and the child and they in turn
bathed and drank water to their hearts' content. Eventually, they worked
together and reaped a joyous harvest. The harvests hatched festivals and in due
course, a people came into being.
From this story, we learn that by facing the toughest circumstances in her life
and having the near to death experience Hagar turns out to be a powerful
woman ready to meet all the challenges to protect and conserve water.
We can see that, Thampu has made changes to Sara Joseph’s chapter, and
made it more poetic by adding a few verses.
2. Briefly narrate how Hagar and her child managed to survive until the
mysterious bird revealed the water spring.
Ans: Hagar and her son Ishmael survived the desert with great difficulty. Both
of them were left abandoned in the vast desert under the scorching sun with just
some loaves of bread, a small number of dates and a goatskin of water. Ishmael
kept on crying because of hunger as the milk in her breasts had dried up. Even
the nights were deadly there. The thought of death kept on scaring her and she
even reached a point where Ishamel became unusually still and she thought he
was dead.
3. Describe the anxiety of Hagar in the face of imminent death.
Ans: Hagar was faced with two frightening thoughts of death: whether it was
her or herself who would die first. She shuddered at the thought of having to dig
a pit with her bare hands to bury her son’s corpse and then wandering about in
the wilderness all alone. The second thought was if she were to die first. This
terrified her even more as she trembled at the thought of her son crying in terror
as he helplessly watched the vultures feasting on her dead body, or crawling in
the burning sand in search of her.
4. What was the water covenant that was born in the desert?
Ans: Nomads and desert tribes had come in search after hearing of the water
source. When they came they saw Hagar and her son sitting on its bank. They
asked if they could drink from it and settle down near the water bank. Hagar
nodded and told they could have the water only if they agreed to a covenant.
She knew the value of water and to her, the value of the first drop of water is the
value of the life of her firstborn. She would be the caretaker of the water and
guard it for the sake of her child and the children yet to be born. The nomads
agreed to this and also said that they would gather food for her and they just
needed water.
5. How was the water spring instrumental in building a new community and a
civilization in the desert?
Ans: In the story, water is considered as an elixir of life. It became an
instrument to build up a community and a civilization in the wilderness of the
desert. The nomads had acknowledged Hagar to be the caretaker of the water
and were filled with gratitude for letting them drink from the lake and they in
turn agreed to gather food for Hagar and Ishmael and they bathed and drank
water to their hearts' content.
Long answer questions
1. Describe how Hagar rose to be the protector and caretaker of the waters in the
desert and of a tribe, in spite of being abandoned in the wilderness be her
husband.
Ans: Hagar: the story of Woman and Water is the second chapter of “Gift in
Green”, translated by Valson Thampu. “Gift in Green” is the translation of Sara
Joseph’s malayalam novel “Aathi.”
As the story opens, we can see Hagar and her son Ishmael abandoned by her
husband in the wilderness under the scorching sun and the hot sand. It came to a
point where she had to face death moreover, she was terrified of the thought of
digging a pit for her own son’s dead body. The days which she had spent with
her son in the wilderness were a nightmare for her in her life.
Hagar faces a wide range of tribulations but still determines to live for her son
and protect her son through the harsh weather in the desert. During her days in
the wilderness, she realizes the value of water and for her, it was of the value of
the life of her firstborn. When she and her son were almost about to meet death,
the voice of a mysterious bird calling her by her name was the greatest miracle
in her life as that bird showed her the spring of water in the midst of the
wilderness. By the end of the story, we see that Hagar meets few nomads and
tribes in who were in search of water and they asked Hagar who was seen
sitting on the banks of the lake with her son if they could have water. Later,
both Hagar and the nomads enter into a covenant where Hagar insists that she
will be the protector and the caretaker of the lake as she knows the value of
water and wanted to protect that lake as the value of the first drop of water was
equivalent to the value of the life of her firstborn. The nomads acknowledged
her as the protector and caretaker of water and they, in turn, agreed to gather
food for Hagar and her son. The nomads fed her and the child and they in turn
bathed and drank water to their hearts' content. Eventually, they worked
together and reaped a joyous harvest. The harvests hatched festivals and in due
course, a people came into being.
We can see that, Thampu has made changes to Sara Joseph’s chapter, and made
it more poetic by adding a few verses.
2. Hagar is a powerful woman, empowered by her determination and sensitivity
to the power and bounty of nature. Discuss.
Ans: In the story, Hagar: A Story of a Woman and Water written by Sarah
Joseph portrays Hagar as a woman with great determination and sensitivity to
the power and bounty of nature. This story is based on water which has the
value of life.
Hagar, who is abandoned by her husband in the of the desert with her firstborn
is seen determined to keep her son and herself alive till the last bit of her
strength and we see that she was not ready to give up whatever maybe the
circumstances or the obstacles that came in her way. We see that the value of
water was the most precious thing in her life as the value of the first drop of
water had the value of the life of her son. When the nomads ask if they could
have water, she obliged as she could understand the thirst of people, the infinite
value of water and the secret of life scripted into it. A covenant was made Hagar
insists that she be the caretaker of the water, guard it and mother it for the sake
of her child and for the sake of children yet to be born. She thinks that they may
waste the water upon being excited but knew nothing about its value but she
very well knew it's valued and did not allow even a drop of water to be wasted.
Seeing her earnestness, the nomads were willing to accept her as the caretaker
of the lake. We can see that Hagar has realized that the water can also be used
for planting vegetables near the lake. They worked together and reaped a joyous
harvest. This harvest brought in new festivals and a new bunch of people came
into being.
Hence from this story, we learn that by facing the toughest circumstances in her
life and having the near to death experience Hagar turns out to be a powerful
woman ready to meet all the challenges to protect and conserve water.
UNDERSTANDING REFUGEEISM: AN INTRODUCTION TO
TIBETAN REFUGEES IN INDIA
WRITTEN BY: MALLICA MISHRA
SUMMARY –
This extract is written by Mallica Mishra, a research scholar and
sociologist specializing in the area of education in India. She also has a PhD
from Jawaharlal Nehru, New Delhi. Currently she is a development consultant
with the National Council of Rural Institutes (NCRI). “Understanding
Refugeeism” is taken from the introduction to her book, ‘Tibetan Refugees in
India’ (2014). This essay provides a fundamental understanding of the notion of
refugeeism. There are four parts/sections to the essay. The first part introduces
the concept of refugeeism by listing a short poem by Tenzin Tsundue. He
conveys that his mother told him he was a refugee when he was born and
because of that, he is categorized into a different community where they are
given no place in the world. The second part deals with the meaning of the word
‘refugeeism’, how they came into existence and how they are different from
other immigrants and ethnicities. Even though they are different from them,
there are some similarities which in a way shows that all human beings are
equal and alike. The third part shows the different problems related to being a
refugee and it also talks about different laws and guidelines put up by different
organizations to resolve the problem of refugees. It mainly talks about the
refugee movement ,1948 Universal Declaration of Human Rights and the 1951
Convention on the Status of Refugees. The final part of the essay deals with the
refugee’s culture and traditions and how difficult it is to maintain their natural
roots in an alien country/place where the host country’s values are completely
different. The attempt to balance tradition and modernity for survival produces
several dilemmas and tensions in the identities of the refugees. Her essay
examines the international dimensions of the refugee problem, and the two
major theoretical approaches on ethnic identity, that is, ‘The Primordialist’, one
which is more rooted in cultural or linguistic similarities, whereas ‘The
Optional-Situational’, one which is more adaptive, relational, and dynamic.
QUESTION AND ANSWERS:
I. IN A SENTENCE OR TWO –
Ans. The term of ‘refugee’ was coined in the west to specify French Protestants
who fled from the forced conversion policy of the French state in the late
seventeenth century. Later, the term was broadened to refer to people who
‘leave their country in times of distress’. The real movement to protect the
rights of the refugees started only with proclamation of basic human rights
irrespective of their nationality or citizenship, by the 1948 Universal
Declaration of Human Rights. The international system of refugee law was
adopted to replace the protection, which is normally provided by the national
governments for their citizens, and it is one of their responsibilities too.
The 1951 Convention on the Status of Refugees
lays down general guidelines for the protection of refugees. The interpretation
of these guidelines remains as a perquisite of individual states as there is no
authoritative body that can impose any particular interpretation of the language
of the Convention.
3. How did Simone Weil address refugeeism?
Ans. Simone Weil is a French philosopher, mystic and political activist. To
understand the problem of refugeeism, we need to realize the notion of
rootedness, that is, how one is connected/rooted to his soul or his social and
spiritual surroundings. The refugees constantly face ‘identity challenges’, and
studies show that they regard the issue of preservation of their native culture
and identity in the host country as an important component of their adaptation.
Simone Weil addresses refugeeism as ‘to be rooted to
one’s virtue of his real, active, and natural participation in the life of a
community’. It is the most important and least recognized need of the human
soul. Every human being needs to have multiple roots. It is necessary for one to
draw out the whole of his moral, intellectual, and spiritual life by the way of the
environment of which he forms a natural part, as cited by Simone.
4. What are the challenges to the re-rooting process, according to Liisa
Malkki?
Ans. Liisa Malkki is a Professor of Anthropology at Stanford University and an
author. Her research on migrant and refugee populations is important as she
regards as erroneous/flawed, work on immigrant cultures that conceptualize the
process of relocation and reconstruction as a ‘smooth journey’, where they
easily pack up and get ‘transplanted’ into an alien country.
This representation, as Liisa observes, is very
wrong and flawed. She says this is problematic as it rationalizes over the fact
that immigration constitutes those crises of great magnitude that involve
changes in legal and political status, ruptures in families, struggles for economic
mobility, etc. Therefore, these are the challenges that are faced in the re-rooting
process of the refugees.
5. Differentiate between the Primordialist and Optional-Situational
approaches to ethnic identity.
Ans. Studies on ethnic groups, culture, and identity are also useful in studying
the aspects of refugeeism. There are two major theoretical concepts based on
the ethnic identity – the ‘Primordialist Approach’ and the ‘Optional-Situational
Approach’. The Primordialist Approach relates to those ethnic groups that are
rooted in similarities in physical appearance as well as a common
culture/tradition. They also share a language, religion, and a sense of common
origin and history.
In contrast, the Optional-Situational Approach relates to the
ethnic groups as an ‘on-going process’, wherein which the individuals or groups
see and define themselves with respect to others, in different ways. That is,
while they try to fix/confirm their identity, there are a lot of factors and
collective definitions that influence him/her. This approach is best for studying
and examining refugee groups as they are similar to this group than the former
one.
1.
a. The grandfather had only one work that is to read newspaper. Whenever he
finds a newspaper on the table, he runs and takes it. When he finds money in the
pocket of anyone’s pant, he takes it and buys newspaper.
b. After thinking for so much time the narrator’s father and his uncle came to an
idea. The task for the narrator and Isam was carry basket from the house and go
to the market and collect the leftover fruits and vegetables from the market.
c. There was an agreement between the narrator and Isam. I was that the best
fruits and vegetables collected by them will be eaten or used by the narrator and
Isam. This agreement was not known to their family members.
d. The narrator’s mother was bribing the narrator to get the 5 pounds from him.
She said that 5 pounds would buy two rotls of meat, new shirt for the narrator,
medicine if needed or books for school since they were planning to send
narrator to school next summer.
e. Once in the market, the narrator met with an accident. He fell unconscious
and he was admitted in the hospital. After regaining conscious, he found that he
did not have 5 pounds. So, this is how he lost his 5 pounds.
2.
a. ‘The Child goes to the camp’ is a short story written by Ghassan Kanafani.
This chapter is taken from the book “Palestine’s Children”. The theme of the
story is that the sufferings the narrator and his family faces. The narrator says
that it was a war time in his house but then he expresses that it is not really war,
but hostility. The narrator says that in war the winds of peace gather the
combatants to repose, truce, tranquillity, the holiday of retreat. But this is not so
with hostility that is always never more than a gunshot away, where you are
always walking miraculously between the shots. That’s why the narrator said it
was a hostile time.
b. The condition of narrator’s family was all eighteen people from different
generations lived in one house, which would have been more than enough at
any time. None of them managed to find work and hunger which is known and
it was their daily worry. That’s why the narrator calls it a hostile time. They
fought for food and then fought with each other over how it would be
distributed among them. If there exist silence then the grandfather would roll up
the newspaper and see everyone with his alert eyes. This meant five piastres had
been pilfered from some pocket. So overall they were suffering from hunger
and not having work which was a main reason for them to have a fight.
c. Isam and the narrator were assigned a task of collecting vegetables in a big
basket which was an idea of narrator’s aunt’s husband. Together they had to
carry a big basket and walk for about an hour and quarter until they came to
vegetable market in the afternoon. The shops in the vegetable market were
beginning to close their doors and the last trucks were loaded with vegetables.
Their job was easy and at same time it was difficult also. They had to find stuff
to fill their basket. From in front of the shops or behind the cars. Even from top
of the tables if the owner happened to be taking a nap or was inside his store.
d. In the chapter, “The Child Goes to the Camp” by Ghassan Kanafani, the
author is in a hostile situation. He was living with seventeen other people and
no one had any money or work. They were hungry most of the time. One day,
when the author and his cousin, Isam went out to get food for the rest of the
family, he spotted a five pounds note near to where a policeman was standing.
At the time, they were in such a bad situation that it was almost necessary to be
selfish at times because you don’t have access to anything. He saw the five
pounds note and forgot everything else and went after it. So, this is how the
narrator got his five pounds.
e. One day, when the author and his cousin, Isam went out to get food for the
rest of the family, he spotted a five pounds note near to where a policeman was
standing. At the time, they were in such a bad situation that it was almost
necessary to be selfish at times because you don’t have access to anything. He
saw the five pounds note and forgot everything else and went after it. So, this is
how the narrator got his five pounds. After getting this Isam and the narrator
retuned back to home. When they reached the narrator saw everyone waiting for
him and Isam. The narrator knew that they were waiting for the five pound
which was with the narrator. The family members wanted the narrator to give
them five pounds but he denied when each and every one was asking. So, the
family members were waiting for the five pound which was with the narrator
since it was a situation of hostile to all the family members.
f. In the chapter, “The Child Goes to the Camp” by Ghassan Kanafani, the
author is in a hostile situation. He was living with seventeen other people and
no one had any money or work. They were hungry most of the time. One day,
when the author and his cousin, Isam went out to get food for the rest of the
family, he spotted a five pounds note near to where a policeman was standing.
At the time, they were in such a bad situation that it was almost necessary to be
selfish at times because you don’t have access to anything. He saw the five
pounds note and forgot everything else and went after it. The author decided
that he won’t share the money with anyone else. His cousin, Isam, asked for the
money. His father and uncle asked him to split the money between the two
families but he decided not to give them the money as that won’t be beneficial
for him. His grandfather also asked for the five pounds as that would help him
get the newspapers he wanted very badly. The author’s mother was also trying
to get the money from him to buy books or a shirt for him. He decided to keep
the money and safeguarded it from everyone else for the next few weeks. One
day when he went out, he met with an accident and when he woke up in the
hospital, he noticed that the money was gone from his pocket. Although he was
sad that the money was gone, he didn’t ask Isam if he took it or not. He didn’t
ask because it was a hostile time. He understood that even if his cousin did take
it from him, it was out of sheer desperation. They were living in such dire
circumstances that one would have to resort to stealing and there was no care
given to human values.
g. The chapter, “The Child Goes to the Camp” by Ghassan Kanafani is about
the tough circumstances at the time. He was living in a small house with
seventeen other people. One particular person who was living in the house with
him was his cousin, Isam. He and Isam were very close and they had many
tasks to do every day and they did them together. They were the ones who used
to go and get the food for everyone else. The author and Isam used to argue
quite a bit about matters such as who gets to eat what. In those hostile times, it
was tough to get any food so they used to split the good food between
themselves. One day, the author found five pounds on the streets and decided to
keep it with himself. He didn’t even share it with Isam, who he was close with.
Although Isam was upset, they never talked about it. They had a strong bond
and due to the prevailing situation, Isam could understand why the author did
what he did. They did care about each other but in the hostile times, human
values don’t have the top priority.
3.
a. The short story “The Child Goes to The Camp” is written by Palestinian
writer, artist, journalist and politician Ghassan Kanafani. This story, taken from
the anthology “Palestine’s Children”, is largely drawn from his own childhood
experience as a refugee. The story is about a ten-year old refugee whose life
turns upside down after he is in possession of a five-pound note – a big sum for
the 18 membered family during a hostile time. The story highlights the
struggles faced refugees during the time of hostilities and wars and the
devastating after-effects of it on childhood. During wars, basic human rights
take a back seat. People are denied rights to education, proper housing and
decent life. The children are forced to resort to rag picking and petty crimes to
fill the family’s stomach. They even have to eat the leftovers collected from the
market. In a camp, the fight to live takes over human values. All it matters to
survive the day and not dying because of the bullets. When the narrator finds
the note, the family fight to use it for their own personal purposes. Even though
five pounds may seem meagre, it is a big sum for those who cannot afford to
wear good clothes or even a proper shelter for them. Their vulnerable life is
further threatened by greed. Even though he almost escaped death, the titular
child is disappointed by the fact that he lost it to his cousin Isam. This story
shows the harsh realities of war and the terrible life that the refugees have to
live. Module 1 “War and Its Aftermath” has connections to Module 5 “Being A
Refugee” in the sense that wars are the main reason why people are forced to
seek refuge. We realise that virtue has got no value when one is faced with
hunger.
b. The short story “The Child Goes to The Camp” is written by Palestinian
writer, artist, journalist and politician Ghassan Kanafani. This story, taken from
the anthology “Palestine’s Children”, is largely drawn from his own childhood
experience as a refugee. The story is about a ten-year old refugee whose life
turns upside down after finds a five-pound note – a big sum for the 18
membered family during a hostile time. The story highlights the struggles faced
by refugees during wars and the devastating after-effects of it on childhood. The
author repeatedly uses “a hostile time” multiple times throughout the text to
emphasise the fact. It is mainly because the general public doesn’t know how it
is to live during a troubled time. During a hostile time, human goodness is
replaced by fight for survival and to fill one’s stomach. People are unemployed.
Basic human rights are denied even to children. Instead of studying, they have
to resort to rag picking and petty crimes. The narrator puts off the spending,
hoping that hostility would end soon. However, what he didn’t know was that
life is one continued hostility. In a war, there would be efforts to call an end of
it, which is absent in a hostility. Everything becomes important during troubled
times. The family could be described as a microcosm of the outside world.
There are continuous fights and growing mistrust between the members.
Everyone has their own idea on how to run things. After the narrator finds the
note, whole family fights for their share in it. The child’s refusal brings up an
emotional wall between the members, especially Isam. Even when he loses the
five pounds to Isam, he lets it go because everyone is trying to survive during
hostility and they no longer care about right and wrong.