1.

Romeo and Juliet

Extracts from the play ‘Romeo and Juliet’ written by William Shakespeare

These verses express Romeo and Juliet’s feelings for one another

Romeo’s dialogue while he saw Juliet on the dance floor:

‘She teaches the torches to burn bright’

Her beauty surpasses the brightness of the torches

‘Hangs upon the cheek of night as a rich jewel in an Ethiope’s ear’ - simile

Her beauty outshines or sparkles against the darkness of the night

‘Beauty too rich for use, for earth too dear’

Her beauty is too good for this world, she is too beautiful to die and be buried; her beauty is divine.

‘a snowy dove trooping with crows as yonder lady over her fellows shows’ - simile

Juliet’s beauty outshines the beauty of her companions on the dance floor like a snowy/white dove
outshines within the company of black crows.

‘Did my heart love till now? Forswear it, sight,

For I never saw true beauty till this night.’

He asserts that the love he now feels for Juliet is the true love and her beauty is the true beauty.

He had not experienced the true love till that night and also he had not seen true beauty until he saw
Juliet.

Juliet’s expression of love for Romeo while she was waiting for him to come to her at night:

‘thou day in night’

Romeo is like day in night; his charm outshines the darkness of the night; he is a beacon of hope against
the hatred and enmity between their families.

‘thou will lie upon the wings of night/whiter than new snow on a raven’s back.’

Romeo comes to visit her by the coming of the night. The Night here is personified as a flying bird which
carries Romeo on its wings.

He will be shining in the night more than the shining of white snow on a raven’s back

‘when I shall die/Take him and cut him out in little stars
She pleads the night to cut out an image of Romeo in the night sky by forming a constellation of little
stars in his image, after her death— thus to immortalize Romeo forever.

His charming image will make the moonlit night sky (face of heaven) so beautiful that all the world will
fall in love with the night and will long for the night never to give way for the daytime.

 What, according to Romeo, does Juliet teach to burn bright?

 The torches

 Who, according to Romeo, teaches the torches to burn bright?

 Juliet

 Who, according to Romeo, seems to hang upon the cheek of night?

 Juliet

 Who is compared to a ‘snowy dove’ by Romeo?

 Juliet

 Whom does Romeo address as ‘yonder lady’?

 Juliet

 What, according to Romeo, was not seen by him until he saw Juliet?

 True beauty

 Who are compared to crows by Romeo?

 Companions of Juliet

 When does Juliet expect Romeo to come?

 At night

 Who, according to Juliet, will lie upon the wings of night?

 Romeo

 Who, according to Juliet, is whiter than new snow?

 Romeo
 2. Too Dear!

A short story written by Russian writer Leo Tolstoy

The Kingdom of Monaco, a tiny little ‘toy kingdom’

• Near the borders of France and Italy; on the shore of the Mediterranean Sea
• Population is about seven thousand
• It had a real kinglet
o he had palace, courtiers, ministers, a bishop, generals and an army of 60 men
• Source of revenue was taxes on tobacco, wine and spirits and a poll-tax

As there were only a few people in Monaco who consumed those items, the revenue the taxes
generated was not enough to meet the expenses required to keep his courtiers and officials as well as to
keep himself

Found a new and special source of revenue

From a gaming house where people play roulette

German sovereigns had prohibited the gaming houses as they proved harmful to people

People would risk all they had and lose it, then commit suicide

‘You can’t earn stone palaces by honest labour.’

A murder was committed for the first time in the Kingdom of Monaco.

The murderer was captured and tried in most judicial manner

The criminal was condemned to have his head cut off

One hitch in the matter

Neither a guillotine nor an executioner

The Council of Ministers considered the matter and decided to write a letter to the French Govt, first,
requesting them to lend a guillotine and an expert to cut off the criminal’s head.

They demanded 16,000 francs and it was too expensive

Again the council was called

Then wrote to the King of Italy

They demanded 12,000 francs including travelling expenses and it was also not affordable for the Prince

Again the Council of Ministers was called

Decided to ask their soldiers to do it in a rough and homely fashion

But they refused saying that they were taught to kill only in war.

The Council of Ministers was again called

Commission- committee – sub-committee

Decided to alter the death sentence to life imprisonment

But again, a ditch in the matter

There was no suitable prison for a man sentenced for life

However, managed to find a place and appointed a guard to watch over the prisoner and also to fetch
food for him from the palace kitchen.

The prince noticed a new item of expenditure after one year

It was for the keep of the criminal, more than 600 francs a year.

The prince summoned his ministers and ordered them to find out a cheaper way of dealing with the
rascal

The ministers decided to dismiss the guard so that the prisoner might run away.

They did so, but the criminal didn’t show any sign of running away

Finally, the ministers decided to tell straight out to run away, but the prisoner refused to and put forth
the following arguments not to run away:

They had ruined his character by branding him as a murderer before the public

So, people will turn their backs on him

He had got out of the way of working as he didn’t have to work for his food all these months

What was to be done? The Council was summoned again

Decided to offer him a pension and the Prince agreed

The sum fixed was 600 francs a year

The prisoner agreed; received one-third of it (200 francs); left the King’s dominions; emigrated and
settled across the border; bought a bit of land; started market gardening and lived comfortably.

He went to Monaco to draw his pension once in every year, visited the gaming house and gambled...
? Mention the new item of expenditure noticed by the kinglet in ‘Too Dear!’.

➢ Expenditure for the keep of the criminal

? Which kingdom in ‘Too Dear!’ monopolised the gaming business?

➢ The Kingdom of Monaco

? Where does the special income mentioned in ‘Too Dear!’ come from?

➢ Gaming house

? What was the initial punishment given to the criminal by the council?

➢ Death penalty/ To cut his head off

? Mention one of the reasons for altering the death sentence to life imprisonment.

➢ Executing death sentence was too expensive

? The King’s special revenue came from______.

➢ a. gaming house. b. poll tax c. tax on tobacco.

? Gaming house

? How many soldiers were there in the kingdom of Monaco?

➢ 60 soldiers

? How much did the king spend on the criminal annually?

➢ More than 600 francs a year

? Where is Monaco situated?

➢ Near the borders of France and Italy, on the shore of the Mediterranean Sea

? How much would a guillotine and an executioner cost if supplied from France in ‘Too Dear!’?

➢ 16,000 francs

? The people of Monaco mentioned in ‘Too Dear!’ were

➢ a. sociable. b. peaceable. c. fashionable.

? Peaceable

? Where did the criminal settle after emigrating in ‘Too Dear!’?

 ➢ Settled just across the frontier of Monaco

? What did the criminal do to earn his living after his release in ‘Too Dear!’?

➢ Market-gardening

? Which government is Republican and has no proper respect for king in ‘Too Dear!’?

➢ French government

? Who was a ‘Brother Monarch’ in ‘Too Dear!’?

➢ King of Italy

? Why did the King of Monaco keep changing his mind in dealing with the criminal? (4 marks)

➢ Too dear!

➢ Detail the different ways they considered and state why the Prince rejected each. . .

? How did the criminal lead his life after his release?

? Why was the criminal reluctant to go out of the prison?

3. On Children

A poem written by Kahlil Gibran

The speaker of the poem is a prophet

A woman with a baby asks the Prophet to speak them of children.

‘Your children are not your children.’

Parents do not own their children OR children do not belong to parents

‘Life’s longing for itself

According to the Prophet, the children are a result of Life’s longing to reproduce itself

‘They come through you but not from you,’

Parents are only a medium through which children take birth, but they are not the source of the children

Parents may only give them their love to the children; they are not supposed to impose their ideologies,
prejudices, worldviews, etc. on children because they have their own thoughts.

‘their souls dwell in the house of tomorrow…’

Children belong to future, a future that cannot be understood by the parents.

It’s better parents try to become like their children rather than trying to make the children like them.

‘bows… arrows… archer’

The poet metaphorically explains the role of parents in nurturing the children.

Parents are merely like bows in the hand of god who uses the bow to shoot arrows (children).

At the same time, the metaphor also brings forth the importance of the sacrifices and sufferings of the
parents in bringing up their children

‘Let your bending in the archer’s hand be for gladness’

 According to the Prophet, what may be given to the children? (1 Mark)

 Love

 According to the speaker of ‘On Children’, the one who loves both the arrow and bow is _____.
(1 mark)

a) The archer b) The parents c)The children

 The archer

 Whom does ‘living arrows’ refer to in the poem ‘On Children’? (1 mark)

 Children

 What does the word ‘bow’ refer to in the poem ‘On Children’? (1 mark)

 Parents

 How is the parent and children relationship brought out in Kahlil Gibran’s poem ‘On Children’?
(4 marks)

 Children do not belong to the parents

 Parents may only give love, not their thoughts to the children

 Parents can try hard to be like their children, not make children like them

 Bows, arrows and archer

 4. Everything I Need to Know I Learned in the Forest

An essay written by Vandana Shiva, an environmentalist.

 Her ecological journey started in the forests of the Himalaya.

 Her father, a forest conservator

 Mother, a farmer;

 Songs and poems composed by her mother were about trees, forests, and India’s forest
civilizations.

 Chipko Movement

 Her involvement in the contemporary ecology movement began with this movement

 a nonviolent response to the large-scale deforestation that was taking place in the
Himalayan region

 In the 1970s, led by peasant women in defence of forests

 Why the Chipko movement?

o Logging led to landslides & floods, and scarcity of water, fodder and fuel
o Logging = cutting down trees in order to use their wood
o Fodder= food that is given to cattle
o Heavier burden on women since they provided these basic needs

 Vandana Shiva volunteered in the Movement

o Spend vacation doing pad yatras

o Documenting the deforestation and the work of the forest activists

o Spreading the message of Chipko

 One of the dramatic Chipko actions

o In the Himalayan village of Adwani, In 1977
o Led by Bachni Devi against her own husband
o They stopped tree loggers from cutting the trees, eld up lighted lanterns in the broad
daylight
o What do the forest bear?
o Produce profit, resin and timber – according to the forest official
o Soil, water and pure air – according to the peasant women
BEYOND MONOCULTURES

 Monoculture - The cultivation of a single crop on a farm, area or country

 Biodiversity - The variety of life in the world or in a particular habitat or ecosystem

 Organic Farming - Farming practiced without using artificial chemicals

 Economy - The system of trade and industry by which the wealth of a country is made
and used.

 Life’s mission of Vandana Shiva

 Protection of both biodiversity and biodiversity-based living economies

 What is the root (reason) of the deterioration of nature and culture?

 Men’s failure to understand biodiversity and its many functions.

 Navdanya Movement – 1987

 A movement for biodiversity conservation & organic farming initiated by Vandana Shiva

 Navdanya Farm- 1994 – A biodiversity farm

 Navdanya Movement

 help farmers make a transition from fossil fuel and chemical-based monocultures to
biodiverse ecological systems nourished by the sun and the soil.

 Setting up community seed banks

 Biodiversity - Her teacher of abundance and freedom, of cooperation and mutual giving.

 Navdanya Farm
 Product of Navdanya Movement
 In 1994, in the Doon Valley, Himalayan region of Uttarakhand Province
 Realization of the need of a farm for demonstration and training
 Practice and promote a biodiversity-intensive form of farming that produces more food
and nutrition per acre.
 The conservation of biodiversity is therefore also the answer to the food and nutrition
crisis.
 Rights of nature on the global stage
 Ecuador - Recognised ‘rights of nature’ in its constitution, recognising her agency & her
rights
 Bolivia - Universal Declaration of the Rights of Mother Earth
 United Nations General Assembly held Conference on ‘Harmony with Nature’ on Earth
Day in 2011; April 22
 On ways to transform systems based on domination of people over nature, men over
women, and rich over poor into new systems based on partnership
 Harmony with Nature- the UN Report
 Elaborates on the importance of reconnecting with the nature.
 Environmentally destructive behaviour—result of a failure to recognise that:
 human beings are inseparable part of nature
 We cannot damage it without severely damaging ourselves
 SEPARATISM
 At the root of disharmony with nature & at the root of violence against nature and
people
 Cormac Cullinan - South African environmentalist
 Apartheid – separateness
 Anti-apartheid movement in South Africa
 Eco-apartheid - Based on the illusion of separateness of humans from nature in our
minds and lives

The Dead-Earth World View

 Industrial revolution
 The concept of living Earth transformed into dead matter.
 replaced diversity
 ‘raw materials’ & ‘dead matter’ replaced vibrant Earth
 Terra Nullius - The empty land, ready for occupation regardless of the presence of indigenous
peoples
 Terra Madre - Mother earth
 By industrial revolution, terra madre replaced by terra nullius

 Francis Bacon (1561-1626) - Farther of modern science

 Science and its inventions have the power to conquer and subdue the nature

 Carolyn Merchant - American ecofeminist

 The shift of perspective

 From nature as a living, nurturing mother to inert, dead and manipulable matter

 Suited to the activities that would lead to capitalism

 Domination image created by Bacon and others - Man over the earth - removed the
cultural constraint on the exploitation of nature
 What nature teaches?

 At the time of crises intensified by globalization we need to move away from the paradigm
(model) of nature as dead matter to an ecological paradigm

 The best teacher is nature herself

 The Earth University in Navdanya Farm, modelled after Tagore’s forest school in Shantiniketan

 Participants learn to work with living seeds, living soil, and the web of life

 Participants - Farmers; school children; & people across the world

 Two of the most popular courses:

 1. “The A-Z of Organic Farming and Agro-ecology”

 2. Gandhi and Globalization

 The Earth University teaches Earth Democracy

 Freedom for all species to evolve within the web of life

 Freedom and responsibility of humans, as members of the Earth family, to recognise,

protect, and respect the rights of other species.

 It’s a shift from anthropocentrism to ecocentrism

 Anthropocentrism- man at the centre

 Ecocentrism- nature at the centre

 It translates into human rights to food and water, to freedom from hunger and thirst
since we all depend on the Earth

The Poetry of the Forest

 She asks us to turn to nature and the forest for lessons in freedom as in Tagore’s time

 ‘Tapovan’ (Forest of Purity) , an essay written by Tagore from which she quotes him

 Basic principle of Indian Civilization - Unifying principle of life in diversity, that is,
democratic pluralism

 It is inspired by the culture of the forest

 Culture of the Forest- influenced by the diverse process of renewal of life in the forest
varying from species to species, from season to season, in sight, sound and smell.
  Indian civilization - Located its source of regeneration—material and intellectual, in the forest,
not the city

 Unity in diversity - Basis of both ecological sustainability and democracy

 Diversity without unity - Source of conflict and contest

 Unity without diversity - Ground for external control

 This is true of both nature and culture

 We are united with the nature through our relationship with the forest

Forest in Tagore’s writings

 Source of knowledge and freedom

 Source of beauty and joy, of art & aesthetics, of harmony and perfection

 Forest symbolises the universe, teaches us union and compassion

 It also teaches us enoughness

 How to enjoy gifts of nature without exploitation and accumulation— principle of equity

 Equity = the situation in which everyone is treated fairly and equally

 No species in a forest appropriates the share of another

 Sustains itself in cooperation with others

 The end of consumerism and accumulation is the beginning of the joy of living.

 Consumerism = the situation in which too much attention is given to buying & owning

 Accumulation = the acquisition or gradual gathering of something

 The conflict between greed and compassion, conquest and cooperation, violence and harmony
that Tagore wrote about continues today.

 Forest shows us the way beyond these conflicts

Ideas in the essay

 Culture and Nature - Our approach/perspective towards the nature influences our culture—our
approach towards others in the society.

 This culture in turns influences our activities in the nature- lead to environmentally destructive
behaviour
  Need a shift in the perspective - Anthropocentrism to ecocentrism

How, according to Vandana Shiva, has Tagore brought out the role of forest in Indian civilization? (4 marks)

 Tagore’s essay Tapovan – quoted by Vandana Shiva – In Tagore’s view – Indian civilization has

been distinctive – locates source of regeneration in forest, not city – India’s best ideas – with man’s
communion with trees and rivers – peace of forest – helped intellectual evolution of man – culture of
forest – fuelled culture of Indian society – diversity in nature – principle of Indian civilization

‘The Earth University teaches Earth Democracy.’ Explain with reference to Vandana Shiva’s essay. (4 marks)

 Earth university – located at Navdanya – biodiversity farm – teaches Earth Democracy – freedom
for all species – to evolve within web of life – freedom and responsibility of humans – as
members of earth family – to recognize, protect, respect rights of other species – shift from
anthropocentrism to ecocentrism – translates human rights to food and water – freedom from
hunger and thirst - participants learn to work with living seeds, living soil, and the web of life

 Name the village woman who led resistance against her own husband. (1 mark)

 Bachni Devi

 Mention any one of the things that replaced ‘the vibrant earth’. (1 mark)

 Raw materials/dead matter

 When according to Vandana Shiva was the Navdanya movement started? (1 mark)

 In 1987

 Where according to Vandana Shiva did her ecological journey start? (1 mark)

 In the forests of Himalaya

 Who according to Vandana Shiva composed songs and poems about trees and forests? (1 mark)

 Her mother

 What according to the women is the real value of forest as mentioned by Vandana Shiva? (1 mark)

 Springs and streams, food for their cattle, and fuel for their hearths

 What surprised Vandana Shiva when she went to swim in her favourite stream? (1 mark)

 That the stream was reduced to a trickle

 Mention any one of the things produced by forests according to the forester. (1 mark)

 Profit/resin/timber
 Mention any one of the things that forests bear according to the women. (1 mark)

 Soil/water/pure air

 Name the author of ‘Monocultures of the Mind’. (1 mark)

 Vandana Shiva

 When was Navdanya Farm started according to Vandana Shiva? (1 mark)

 In 1994
 5. A Sunny Morning

A comedy written by Spanish brothers Serafin and Joaquin Quintero

It’s a story of an unexpected meeting of former lovers after a lot many years of their separation.

The meeting takes place in a park in Madrid.

Laura and Gonzalo are the lovers, both about seventy years old.

Laura enters the park along with her maid Petra, and occupies her usual bench and starts feeding the
pigeons with breadcrumbs she brought.

Gonzalo enters with his servant Juanito, but gets irritated finding his usual bench has been occupied by
three priests.

He scares away the pigeons Laura is feeding while moving ahead in search of vacant bench.

Laura angrily confronts him, but he does not care for the birds and claims it is a public park and goes
ahead.

Laura feels he is an ill-natured old man.

Being not able to find any vacant bench, Gonzalo comes back and sits on the bench Laura is sitting.

There begins an exchange of words showing their annoyance to each other.

(Gonzalo) Comment on the benches being public property

(Laura) Then what about the one the priests have?

(Laura) Handkerchief as shoe brush/ shoe brush as handkerchief

(Laura) Comment on Gonzalo’s eye sight

(Laura) And then on his hunting (‘kill time, that is all you kill.)

Gonzalo, then, shares a pinch of snuff with Laura which makes peace between them.

He, then, begins reading a book. Laura also enjoys the lines he is reading

Their friendly conversation leads to Valencia which was Gonzalo’s native place.

A young Laura also had spent several seasons there in a villa called Maricela.

Gonzalo remembers of the most beautiful woman he has ever seen who lived in that villa.

It was Laura herself who was called Silver Maiden

Laura says that the Silver Maiden had a sad love affair.
The gallant lover was none other than Gonzalo.

But they both decide not to reveal their identity to each other as they felt they had changed a lot.

They both narrate the story of the love affair, one continuing after the the other one. Gonzalo pretends
the gallant lover was his cousin while Laura pretends Laura Llorente as her friend.

Both knew every detail of the story which made them suspicious if it’s Gonzalo/if it is Laura…

Tossing the flowers / fixing the marriage with a merchant / duel with the merchant / fleeing of
Gonzalo fearing the consequences of the duel with a person highly regarded in the society

Then they both go on to invent stories about their death as they didn’t want to reveal their identity:

They thought they had changed a lot.

They both wanted the other one to remember them as they knew them when they were young
lovers.

In fact, Gonzalo ran off to Paris with a ballet dancer in three months whereas Laura married two years
later.

They now get ready to leave the park for the day assuring to meet the next day.

Gonzalo even promises to bring breadcrumbs for the pigeons.

Gonzalo picks up the flowers dropped by Laura before leaving; just then Laura turns her head and
surprises him picking up the flowers.

It was a recreation of the exchange of flowers between the young lovers years back.

They both confirm the other one’s identity beyond doubt at this point, yet they do not reveal their
identity. . .

 Where according to Don Gonzalo had he spent his early youth?

 Valencia

 Where according to Dona Laura had her best friend sat before being swept into the sea?

 Upon a rock

 How old was Don Gonzalo when he went to America the first time?

 Only six years old

 Where do Don Gonzalo and Dona Laura meet after a long time?

 In a park in Madrid
  What did Dona Laura use as a cane in ‘A Sunny Morning’?

 A parasol

 Who accompanied Dona Laura when she came to the park in ‘A Sunny Morning’?

 Petra, her maid

 Who according to Petra belongs to the park in ‘A Sunny Morning’?

 The guard of the park, her lover

 How many priests were sitting on Gonzalo’s usual bench in the park in ‘A Sunny Morning’?

 Three priests

 According to Gonzalo, where ought to Laura be knitting and counting her beads?

 At home

 What right does Laura claim to have to criticize Gonzalo’s actions in ‘A Sunny Morning’?

 A neighbour's right

 What does Don Gonzalo use to brush the dust from his shoes in ‘A Sunny Morning’?

 His handkerchief

 What makes peace between Laura and Gonzalo in ‘A Sunny Morning’?

 Sharing a pinch of snuff

 When, according to Gonzalo, did he compose some verses in ‘A Sunny Morning’?

 In his youth

 Where, according to Gonzalo, did he meet Campoamor in ‘A Sunny Morning’?

 In Valencia

 Where, according to Laura, did she spend several seasons in ‘A Sunny Morning’?

 In Maricela, a villa not far from Valencia

Bring out a few instances wherein Dona Laura ridicules Don Gonzalo in ‘A Sunny Morning’. (4 marks)

‘The ways of providence are strange.’ Explain with reference to ‘A Sunny Morning’. (6 Marks)

Describe how Don Gonzalo glorifies his cousin’s death. (4 Marks)

 6. When You Are Old

A lyric poem written by W B Yeats

A poem that speaks of the worldly and transient nature of the physical beauty and upholds the lasting
beauty of soul.

Theme of the poem is unrequited love, that is, the love that is not returned. . .

 Brings out the transient nature of beauty as against permanence of love

 Transient - Lasting only for a short time; temporary

 Permanence - Continuing for a long time

 Full of sleep – suggests of lack of energy due to old age; the tiredness

 Glad grace – physical beauty

 Pilgrim soul – the soul which is in quest of true love

 Soul?

 The spiritual part of a person that some people believe continues to exist in
some form after their body has died, OR the part of a person that is
not physical and experiences deep feelings and emotions

 Changing face – suggests the fading away of the physical beauty and youth

How does the speaker bring out his love for his beloved against the changing circumstances and ravages
of time? (4)

 Many loved the lady’s moments of glad grace – loved her for her physical beauty –

 their love false or true – their love transitory – speaker loved her pilgrim soul –

 the soul searching for something meaningful – loved sorrows of her changing face – physical
beauty ravaged by time – beauty of soul permanent and eternal – not subject to ravages of time

What does the speaker in ‘When You Are Old’ want his beloved to do sitting by the fire?

 To read the book he is writing

What does the speaker in ‘When You Are Old’ suggest to his beloved to dream of?

 The soft look her eyes had once

According to the speaker in ‘When You Are Old’, what did many admire the lady for?

 For her glad grace/ for her physical beauty

The speaker loved the _________ of his beloved’s changing face in ‘When You Are Old’.

 a) grace b) sorrows c) soft look

 sorrows

In ‘When You Are Old’, the speaker suggests to his beloved to slowly read his book when she is

 a) glad. b) old. c) proud.

 Old

The speaker in ‘When You Are Old’ addresses

 a) a young lady. b) an old lady. c) a little girl

 A young lady

Where according to the speaker in ‘When You Are Old’ did love pace upon?

 Upon the mountains

In the poem ‘When You Are Old’ many loved the lady’s

 a) huge wealth. b) physical beauty. c) pilgrim soul

 Physical beauty

7. The Gardener

A short story written by P. Lankesh

 Genesis of the story in a chance encounter of the narrator with an old man in a coconut grove,
Chennarayapatna

 Eyes suffused with strange memories & native intelligence

 Strong physique

 A labourer, overseer & philosopher

 Hired by the owner of the plantation

 The plantation expanded

Dilemma of Owner’s Wife

 Whether the arrival of the old man was for the better or for the worse

 The plantation expanded

 Her husband’s wealth & social prestige rose higher

 But he recently cultivated adultery and other umpteen vices

The old man met her one day as if he knew all her problems

 He started to narrate a story of Tammanna and his rival Basavaiah

 Stiff competition between them on everything

 In buying land

 In acquiring friends, etc.

 Finally, all land in the village belonged either to Tammanna or Basavaiah

 Tammanna had 1,000 acres of land and Basavaiah had 8,00 acres of land

 Basavaiah sent word to Tammanna asking him to sell 200 acres of land

 Tammanna refused and even offered to buy all the land that belonged to Basavaiah

 An enraged Basavaiah forcibly acquired 200 acres of Tammanna’s land and built a fence around..

Tammanna was advised by his supporters:

 Court of law

 Take recourse to the police

 People were even ready to attack Basavaiah

But he was not satisfied with all these

A Method to Annihilate Basavaiah

 Tammanna started to compose all his experiences in the form of ballads and sing them

 He and his ballads became popular

 Rivalry between them moved from visible domain to an invisible, abstract domain

How did Basavaiah respond to it?

  He had no answer to this and he also tried to compose and sing but failed

 Then he performed his agricultural tasks more diligently

 Tammanna’s songs started to make a mention of Basavaiah’s cruelty and his meanness

 Scholars and critiques showered their praise over him

 Basavaiah encroached more and more into Tammanna’s land

 But Tammanna did not notice any of this

 Art had become the raison-d’etre of Tammanna’s life

 Felicitated as the best poet of his time

 Basavaiah shrunk in humiliation

 He started filling his life with all kinds of material wealth

 A palatial mansion

 Appointed a number of persons just to praise him

 Bedecked himself with gold, diamond, & other precious stones

 But visitors told him that his house looked dull & empty without Tammanna’s books

 Then he started inviting scholars, poets, and musicians to his place to invest his home
with meaning

Health is wealth!

 Tammanna was ill

 Basavaiah found a chance to surpass Tammanna in this situation

 Tammanna’s disease was Basavaiah’s health

But Tammanna had thought of another method of punishing Basavaiah

 If he continued on the level of body, Basavaiah would go on offering stiff competition

 What if his songs were separated from his body?

 He gave up everything and started off in order to fake his death

 After a few days, Basavaiah died as he had no more reason to live

 After Basavaiah’s death, Tammanna realised his mistake

  He forgot all his songs and ballads

 He became a non-entity, who was once famous

 Thus, he avenged himself for the wrong he did

Reflections or thoughts of the gardener on his story

 Man needs wealth, education, art & many more things

 Yet, he lives for some kind of unbearable vengefulness

 Without it, there would be no reason for his existence

 Then says that this is not a real story but got it from a daily (newspaper)

 Conceived the story from the event of Russia told America, “I am not your enemy. I shall not
wage a war against you.”

 Reference to the Cold War between the USSR and the US

 ‘The agony and boredom of America, once it knew Russia was no more an enemy.

 But a nation is capable of withstanding strains like this; but a human being cannot, he added

The old man himself is Tammanna. He was narrating his own story, in fact. . .

Man is complicated that till the day of his death, he goes on living for some revenge or the other;

 Confronting one challenge or the other.

The author concludes the story saying that he had seen all this in a dream. . .

What circumstances led to the unhappiness of the owner’s wife in ‘The Gardener’? (4 Marks)

What invisible means did Tammanna use to annihilate Basavaiah completely? Explain. (4 Marks)

 Where did the narrator of ‘The Gardener’ meet the old man by chance?

 In a coconut grove near Chennarayapatna

 Where was the coconut grove in which the narrator of ‘The Gardener’ met an old man?

 In Chennarayapatna

 What was tucked under the old man’s arm when the narrator of ‘The Gardener’ met him?

 A newspaper

 Who became lethargic after the arrival of the old man in ‘The Gardener’?
  The owner of the plantation

 Who became apprehensive about the plantation owner’s vices in ‘The Gardener’?

 Owner’s wife

 Whom did Tammanna treat as the most important among all his possessions in ‘The Gardener’?

 His rival Sangoji/Basavaiah

 How many acres of Tammanna’s land did Basavaiah acquire forcibly in ‘The Gardener’?

 Two hundred acres

 Who hit upon the idea of composing and singing ballads in ‘The Gardener’?

 Tammanna

 Whose cruelty and meanness did Tammanna’s songs make a mention of in ‘The Gardener’?

 Basavaiah’s. . .

 According to the old man, when did he conceive the story of Tammanna and Basavaiah?

 When all of a sudden Russia told America that it was not America’s enemy any more. . .

 Who thought his death alone could destroy Basavaiah in ‘The Gardener’?

 Tammanna

 When according to Tammanna did he forget all his songs and ballads in ‘The Gardener’?

 After the death of Basavaiah

 When did Basavaiah find the means of surpassing Tammanna in ‘The Gardener’?

 When Tammanna was ill

 When would Basavaiah go on offering stiff competition according to Tammanna?

 As long as Tammanna continued at the level of body

 When, according to the narrator of ‘The Gardener’, does man lose his name?

 After a particular age . . .

 How long does man go on living for some revenge according to the old man in ‘The Gardener’?

 Till the day of his death

  Who paints well according to the old man in ‘The Gardener’?

 The young child of Lokya

8. To the Foot from Its Child

 A poem written by Pablo Neruda, Chilean poet, diplomat & politician.

 A poem that explores the limitations imposed on one’s human potential by oneself and society.

 Suggesting the endless possibilities of human accomplishments.

 Also draws the attention of readers to how those possibilities are thwarted as men and women
grow up facing harsh realities of life losing their imagination and dreams.

 Also, lights into how human beings are shaped to fit into rigid moulds

 Also, of the role of different forces that are active in the process.
 A criticism on how people force children to grow in the society and forget their dreams and
imagination
 In adult world, society crushes childhood dreams

The child’s foot is not yet aware it’s a foot,

and would like to be a butterfly or an apple

 Child/foot thinks of unlimited possibilities

 To become butterfly/apple

 But the harsh realities of life taught the child/foot that it cannot realise its dreams

 Stones / Bits of glass / Streets / Ladders / Path in the rough earth

 Forced to give up its dreams

 Defeated and falls in the battle,

 Is a prisoner condemned to live in a shoe

 Foot refers to child / an Individual

 Stones, bits of glass, etc. refers to hardships one has to face in life

 Shoe refers to confined / limited possibilities in life

Bit by bit ….. Feeling out life like a blind man.

 Gradually understands the world in its own way

 Not in touch with the reality/outside world

 It lives in its limitations believing what’s presented is the reality

 Not broad-minded to understand the world and also the problems and issues of the others

 Growing into a narrow-minded worldview

Soft nails grow into hard opaque substance

 Transformation from softness to hardness

 Transformation from innocence to experience

 Transformation from a simple personality to a complicated personality

 Transformation from open mindedness to closed one

 Living through the hardships conditioned by the society shaping itself into the rigid mould of the
society

Faint volcanoes of death

a coarsening hard to accept

 The stage of old age

 Fear of death

 Difficult to accept that he/she is prone to death

But this blind thing walks

Without respite, never stopping. . .
Until the whole man chooses to stop.

 The walking of the foot to different fields or places being the foot of people of different walks of
life

 The roles and life of people of different walks of life

 The hardships and mechanised life journey of an individual in the contemporary society

 Without sufficient rest, entertainment / Without finding happiness ultimately

 The prevalent order of society doesn’t offer real happiness to an individual

  It makes him/her a prisoner of the demands of family, traditions, industry, nation, culture, etc.

Until the whole man chooses to stop.

 Refers to the death / The end of journey of life

… descended
Underground, unaware, . . .

 Burial of the foot/individual

It never knew it had ceased to be a foot

Or if they were burying it so that it could fly . ..

 Death and possibility of rebirth

 “But it never knew,”

 “Unaware” [a sharp similarity of being unaware of the reality as a child]

 Futility of. . .

 Expectation of life after death

 Expectation of rewards in the afterlife for the sufferings endured in the life. . .

 And also, the possibility of realising the original dreams of the child though it is not aware

Explain how the foot toils in its shoe until the whole man chooses to stop in ‘To the Foot from its
Child’. (4 Marks)

 Foot wants to become butterfly or apple – faces hardships – learns it cannot fly – defeated in
struggle

 Condemned to live in shoe – feels like blind man – soft nails take form of reptiles –become
calloused –

 Walks without rest hour after hour – day after day – through fields, mines, markets, ministries –
backward, inward, forward – toils in shoe – until the whole man chooses to stop

Bring out the changes that the foot undergoes after being condemned to live in a shoe in ‘To the
Foot from its Child’. (4 Marks)

 Soft nails of child’s foot – of quartz, bunched together – grow hard – change into opaque

 substances – hard as horn – Petaled toes grow bunched – out of trim – take on form of eyeless
reptiles – triangular heads – like worms
  Later grow callused – covered with faint volcanoes of death – coarsening hard to accept

Bring out the life of the foot in a shoe as presented in ‘To the Foot from its Child’. (4 Marks)

 Foot – defeated in battle - condemned to live in shoe – in dark – grows to know world – in its
own way – out of touch with fellow – feeling out life like a blind man

 Soft nails of child’s foot ––grow hard – change into opaque substances – hard as horn –

 Petaled toes grow bunched – out of trim – take on form of eyeless reptiles – triangular heads –
like worms – Later grow callused – covered with faint volcanoes of death

 In ‘To the Foot from Its Child’, the paths in the rough earth go on teaching the foot that it cannot
(1 mark)

a) become a butterfly. b) bunch together. c) live in a shoe.

a) become a butterfly

 Mention one of the things that the child's foot likes to be in ‘To the Foot from Its Child’.

 A butterfly/ an apple

 According to the speaker in ‘To the Foot from Its Child’, what would like to be a butterfly or an
apple?

 The child’s foot

 Where is the child’s foot condemned to live according to the speaker in ‘To the Foot from Its Child’?

 In a shoe

 What is out of touch with its fellow in the poem, ‘To the Foot from Its Child’?

 Child’s foot

 Who feels out life like a blind man in the poem, ‘To the Foot from Its Child’?

 Child’s foot

 What do the soft nails of the child change themselves into in ‘To the Foot from Its Child’?

 Into opaque substance, hard as horn

 What are the toes of the child compared to in ‘To the Foot from Its Child’?

 Petals of flower
 What form do the petaled toes take on in ‘To the Foot from Its Child’?

 Eyeless reptile

 What does the blind thing refer to in ‘To the Foot from Its Child’?

 Foot or Child

 Mention any one of the places through which the foot walks in ‘To the Foot from Its Child’.

 Fields/mines/markets/ministries

 How long does the foot walk in ‘To the Foot from Its Child’?

 Until the whole man chooses to stop

 Where did the foot descend after it ceased to be in ‘To the Foot from Its Child’?

 To underground

 In ‘To the Foot from Its Child’, the foot scarcely takes time to bare itself in

a) rest or peace. b) love or sleep. c) death or dream.

 b) love or sleep

 In ‘To the Foot from Its Child’, when descending underground, the foot finds everything ______ .

a) dark. b) rough. c) coarse.

 a) dark

9. I Believe That Books will Never Disappear

 INTERVIEW WITH JORGE LUIS BORGES by ROBERTO ALIFANO, Argentine writers

 Starting from personal memories

o Father’s library

o Mother

 On Books

 On Poetry

 On Metaphors

 On Literature in general. . .
Educated by library. . .

 Grimm’s ‘Fairy Tales’ (English translation)

 Educated by father’s library more than by school or university

Mother

 Dona Leonor

 Kindness / Intelligent and gracious

 Guilty feeling for not giving her the happiness she deserved

 Mothers are taken for granted by all children generally

 Realises only when she dies

His blindness

 A way of life and a resource

 Continuing pretending that he is not blind

 Still buying books

 Go on filling his house with books

Miseries in life. . .

 A resource for art

 Given to us as raw materials to shape our art

 Humiliations / Misfortunes / Embarrassments

 Homer’s ‘The Odyssey’

 ‘The gods wrought and spun the skein of ruin for men, that there might be a song for
those yet to be born.’

 Goethe - ‘All that is near becomes far’

On Books

 Dream of burning of a great library - The Great Library of Alexandria

 A book on history of the book

  ‘Decline of the West’ by Oswald Spengler, a predated attempt of commenting on history of
books

 Quoting Bernard Shaw - ‘Every book worth being re-read has been written by the spirit.’

 A book goes beyond the intention of the author

 Reading an ancient book takes us through all time that has passed . . .

 The book always retains something sacred, mortal, magical. . .that brings happiness

Will the modern developments in communication replace books?

 Books will never disappear

 Book is the most astounding invention of man

 It’s an extension of our imagination and memory

 While all other inventions are extensions of our bodies

 Telephone – of our voice

 Telescope & microscope – of our sight

 Sword & plough – of our arms

 We owe literature almost everything we are; what we have been; what we will be

 Books are the great memory of all centuries

 Their function, therefore, is irreplaceable

 If books disappear, surely history would disappear, and surely man would disappear

 So, it’s impossible that that will happen

 The books will never disappear

On Literature. . .

 Literature is a dream, a controlled dream

 We owe literature almost everything we are; what we have been; what we will be

 Our past is nothing but a sequence of dreams

 Dreaming and remembering the past are the same

 Books/literature are the great memory of all centuries

On Poetry – magical, mysterious & unexplainable event

 Poetry cannot be defined without oversimplifying it

 Like attempting to define the colour yellow, love and the fall of leaves in the autumn
season

 Poetry is not poem

 Poem- a series of symbols

 (the finished product that we can see on paper)

 Poetry is the aesthetic act

 A poetic act that takes place when the poet writes it, when the reader reads it, and

 It always happens in a slightly different manner

 The writer or the reader will feel when the poetic act takes place

 Finding the precise words is important in the art of poetry

 What elicits the emotion

 “This quiet dust was gentlemen and ladies.” - By Emily Dickinson

 The idea is banal (ordinary/common) and cliché

The use of words ‘gentlemen and ladies’ instead of ‘men and women’

On Metaphors

 Metaphors exist from the beginning of time, but we express them differently

 All metaphors can be reduced to five or six— essential metaphors found in all literature around
the world

 Time and river/Life and dreams / Death and sleep / Stars and eyes / Flowers and women

 Poet’s task is to discover metaphors already existing. . .

What is the significance of a book in man’s life according to Jorge Luis Borges? (4 MARKS)

What are Borges’s views on poetry in ‘I Believe that Books will never Disappear’? (4 MARKS)

The modern developments in communications will not replace books.’ Explain with reference to
Jorge Luis Borges’ thoughts on this. (4 MARKS)

 Which according to Borges is his first literary reading? ( 1 mark)

  Grimm’s ‘Fairy Tales’

 According to Borges, in which language did he read ‘Grimm’s Fairy Tales’? ( 1 mark)

 In English

 Where according to Borges was he educated more than high school or the university? ( 1 mark)

 In his father’s library

 What according to Borges is blindness to him? ( 1 mark)

 A way of life

 Borges says one must think that whatever happens to him or her is a _______.

a. resource. b. misfortune. c. embarrassment

➢ a. resource

➢ Name the book of Homer mentioned by Alifano in the interview.

➢ The Odyssey

 ‘All that is near becomes far.’ This line is from a poem by

a. Homer. b. Spengler. c. Goethe.

➢ Goethe

➢ Which library according to Borges may have been the one he dreamed of?

➢ The Library of Alexandria

➢ Name the book which according to Borges has remarkable comments on books.

➢ ‘Decline of the West’ by Oswald Spengler

➢ Who according to Borges quoted that every book worth being re-read has been written by the
spirit?

➢ Bernard Shaw

➢ Mention one of the things that Jorge Luis Borges continued to do even after he became blind.

➢ Buying books/ filling his house with books

➢ Whose line in a poem does Borges remember always?

➢ Of Emily Dickinson
 ➢ Mention any one of the essential metaphors which according to Borges are found in all
literatures.

➢ Time and river/ life and dreams/ death and sleep/ stars and eyes/ flowers and women

➢ Which according to Borges is the most astounding invention of man?

➢ Books

➢ Borges says that the telescope and the microscope are the extensions of our ________.

a) voice. b) sight. c) arms.

➢ Sight

10. Heaven, If You Are Not Here on Earth

A poem written by Kuvempu, legendary Kannada writer

A poem that defines heaven in an altogether different perspective.

The traditional concept of heaven can be reconstructed and reinvented by realising that it can be
created on earth with human effort and by living in harmony with one’s surrounding, physical and social
setup.

The poem denies the existence of supernatural concepts like gods, heaven, heavenly nymphs, etc.:

 Heaven – if not on earth, nowhere else

 Heaven is on earth itself

 Gods – if men themselves cannot be gods, no gods at all

 Men can attain godlike qualities…

 There are no gods with supernatural power

 Heavenly nymphs (heavenly beauties) – if men are not, they are not elsewhere. . .

 There are no supernatural beings. . .

The Poem – finds heaven in the beauty of nature:

 Roaring stream that rushes fast / Rolling surf at the edge of waves

 Surf = the tops of the waves on the sea when they are near to the cost or hit against the
rock

 Tender sunshine that leans on verdant gardens

 Verdant = covered with green plants or grass

 The gentle sun / Splendour of harvest / Splendour of moonlight

 They make the earth heaven and heaven lies all over the nature

The role of poet

 The poet creates heaven on earth writing poetry/songs inspired by the beauty of nature

 “Imbibing and spilling the song of nectar / The poet does create heaven on earth!”

Why does the speaker say that heaven is nowhere else but on earth? (4 Marks)

 Speaker believes heaven is on earth – if not found on earth – nowhere else – humans should try
to become gods and nymphs – attain divinity and inner beauty – conserve nature by non-
intervention

 Find heaven in nature - man should work hard to get fruits of work – bring splendour to harvest

 Poet should imbibe and spill song of nectar - literature should aim to create heaven on earth

What could not be nowhere else but on earth according to the speaker in ‘Heaven, If You Are Not Here
On Earth’?

 Heaven

When can there be no gods according to the speaker?

 if we (human beings) ourselves cannot be gods

According to the speaker, if we ourselves cannot be gods, then there can be no

a) gods. b) nymphs. c) humans.

 a) gods

When can there be no nymphs according to the speaker?

 if we ourselves aren’t heavenly nymphs

According to the speaker, if we ourselves aren’t heavenly nymphs, the nymphs are not

a) everywhere. b) nowhere. c) elsewhere.

 c) elsewhere

Where does the tender sunshine lean on according to the speaker?

 On verdant gardens

What does the poet imbibe and spill to create heaven on Earth according to the speaker?

 The song of nectar

Who according to the speaker imbibes and spills the song of nectar?

 The poet

Where does the poet create heaven according to the speaker?

 On earth

What does the poet create on earth according to the speaker?

 Heaven

What quality of harvest causes heaven to lie all over in ‘Heaven, If You Are Not Here on Earth’?

 Splendour

11. Japan and Brazil through a Traveler’s Eye

A travelogue written by George Mikes, a Hungarian writer.

A travelogue that illustrates the ethos of two countries, Japan and Brazil, with the people’s manners and
way of looking at things.

This lesson has two parts which are extracted from two books of the author— first part is on Japan
which is from “The Land of the Rising Yen” and the second is on Brazil which is from “How to Tango”.

Japanese Manners

Privacy in Japan which is an overcrowded island

The author is appreciating the exquisitely well-mannered Japanese people.

 Double function of courtesy in Japan

  (Courtesy=polite behaviour towards others)

 1. Courtesy is courtesy itself

 2. Courtesy substitutes privacy

 Illustrates it with the red telephones in the street …

 No space to spare booths

 All kind of calls are done in public, yet in perfect privacy

 A man’s telephone receiver is his castle

Mania for bowing

 In Japan, everybody keeps bowing to everybody else

 With ceremonious solemnity of a courtier

 Bowing is a way of greeting in Japan

 Neither less nor sillier than shaking hands or kissing the cheek

 Bowing is quainter, more formal, more oriental

 Oriental= of a characteristic of Asia, especially East Asia

 Also infectious

 After a few hours any visitor will start bowing…

 But a foreigner tends to make mistakes

Bowing is complicated. . .

 Complicated hierarchy in bowing in Japan

 Who bows to whom,

 How deeply and for how long

The complication is explained by an analogy/simile by comparison to an early American traffic law

 Even the smallest difference in rank, standing, age, social position will be subtly reflected in that
split second one man’s bow is shorter than the other’s

But, clear-cut differences in position in certain cases

 In family - Wife to husband/Children to their father /Younger brothers to elder brothers

  But the sister bows to all brothers of whatever age

A few (funny) instances of bowing. . .

 Baby in little saddle bowing along with its mother

 Bowing girls at the top of escalators, employed by stores

 Equivalent to page-boys who turn revolving doors

 Two conductors on the famous Tokaido Line

 A deer in Nara that bowed to the author and then snatched the food packet from him

 Perhaps, deer are more imitative

 They get into the habit of bowing seeing people do all the time

 Or something genetic, in the blood of Japanese deer

 Comparison to the Japanese at the bus stop who bow each other and then fights to get
into the bus

Eating Soup in Japan

 One must make a fearful noise while eating soup in Japan

 As a sign of appreciation

 The possible misunderstanding by the hostess if one makes the noise or not

Traffic in Brazil

 Nobody hurries in Brazil

 Does not matter if one reach early or late

 Pavements in Copacabana are decorated with beautiful black mosaics

 Only a people alive to beauty and have time to enjoy it will do this

 But for drivers in Brazil, no speed is fast enough

 Motor-cars are extremely expensive in Brazil

 Thanks to high import duties

 Yet, number of motor-cars is ever growing

  Thus, the pedestrian’s life is in dangerous

The hunter (the driver) and the prey (the pedestrian) . . .

The pedestrian’s life is in dangerous in Brazil

 A driver targets a pedestrian who steps off the pavements

 Takes aim and accelerates

 The pedestrian has to jump, and run for dear life

 Still, he does not resent this

 Both the driver and the pedestrian smile amicably at each other

War between drivers

 The war is murderous but good-tempered

 They cut-in, overtake on both sides

 Force you to commit all the heinous crimes of the road

 But they smile at you the same time

 No anger, no hostility, no mad hooting

At the Avenida Presidente Vargas

 … the worst place of all, he says

 The near impossibility of not able to cross the road leads to funny moments

 How can crawling (slow) traffic proceed at such terrifying speed!

 The funny remarks on road crossing

 “How on earth did you get over there?’

 “How? I was born on this side!”

How does George Mikes portray a view of Japanese culture through their act of bowing? (4Marks)

Why does Mikes say that nobody hurries in Brazil? What instances does he give to illustrate this? (4 Marks)

Elaborate on the plight of a pedestrian in Brazil. (4 Marks)

 Mikes describes Japan as being________.

a) overconfident. b) overcrowded. c) overjoyed.

 b) overcrowded

 What does Mikes call ‘a man’s castle’ in Japan?

 Telephone receiver

 What is the mania in Japan according to Mikes?

 Bowing

 Who bows to all brothers in a Japanese family according to Mikes?

 Sisters

 What do mothers in Japan carry their babies in according to Mikes?

 In little saddles

 Which place in Japan is connected to Tokyo by Tokaido line?

 Osaka

 Which animal bowed to Mikes in Japan?

 Deer

 Where did Mikes meet a deer in Japan?

 In Nara

 What did the deer do after bowing to Mikes in Japan?

 Jumped at him and snatched the little food-bag from his hand

 George Mikes compares the act of two Japanese bowing to

a) an early American traffic law.

b) page-boys turning revolving doors.

c) Tokaido line that connects Tokyo and Osaka.

 a) an early American traffic law

 In Japan, as soon as the bus arrives, the bowing gentlemen are transformed into
 a) savages. b) slaves. c) servants.

 a) savages

 What must one do while eating soup in Japan according to Mikes?

 One must make a fearful noise

 In Japan, eating soup by making a fearful noise is a sign of

a) depreciation. b) appreciation. c) disregard.

➢ b) appreciation

 The pavements in the streets of Copacabana in Brazil are often decorated with

a) pink granite slabs.

b) grey cobble stones.

c) beautiful black mosaics.

 c) beautiful black mosaics

 Whose life is becoming hazardous every day in Brazil according to Mikes?

 The pedestrian’s life

 As soon as a driver notices a pedestrian step off the pavement in Brazil, he

a) regards him as fair game.

b) greets him and smiles.

-+ c) ignores him and moves on.

 a) regards him as fair game

 What according to George Mikes do the driver and pedestrian finally do in Brazil?

 Smile amicably at each other

12. The Voter

A short story written by Nigerian novelist Chinua Achebe.

Set in Nigerian context that depicts the dilemma of a person involved in the process of electioneering.
It speaks of a person’s predicament when he is compelled to get into an embarrassing situation.

It also throws light on the role of electorate (voter) in a democratic set up providing insights into man’s
individualistic and mass behaviour.

Two main characters— Rufus Okeke alias Roof and Marcus Ibe, both from the same village called
Umuofia

Roof

➢ A popular man in his village, Umuofia on account of having not left his village to the city seeking
better opportunities
➢ He had spent two years in a city, Port Harcourt, as a bicycle repairer’s apprentice, but gave up
and returned to his people to serve them

Marcus Ibe

 Minister of Culture in the outgoing government and leader of People’s Alliance Party
(PAP)
 People of Umuofia belonged en masse to the PAP

Roof was in the service of the Honourable Minister for the coming elections

➢ A real expert in election campaigning, local or national level

➢ Could tell the mood & temper of the voters at any given time
➢ He’d warned the Minister about the radical change in the thinking of people of Umuofia

What was the change and why?

➢ The villagers had five years to see how politics brought wealth, chieftaincy titles, doctorate
degrees & other honours
➢ All these benefits had readily come to the man to whom they had given their votes free of
charge five years ago
➢ By now, they were determined to demand money for their votes

What was Marcus Ibe in the eyes of people of Umuofia?

➢ He was a not too successful mission school teacher

➢ He joined politics wisely to escape an imminent dismissal arising from a female teacher’s
complaint
➢ Today, he was a minister, rich, Chief the Honourable
➢ Had two long cars
➢ Had just built himself the biggest house anyone had seen in those parts
➢ People still revered him as someone who didn’t forget his route to success, someone who is still
dedicated to his village
 o He had installed a private plant to supply electricity to his new house while he failed to
bring electricity and water supply to the entire village.
o But people were not critical of him for that, instead they were happy that he always
visited the village whenever he could.
➢ He had named his new house as Umuofia Mansion in honour of his village
o Inaugurated by the Archbishop
➢ Everyone was full of praise for him while enjoying the lavish feast thrown by Marcus Ibe in
connection with the inauguration of his new house
➢ After the feast, they became aware of the power of the ballot paper and decided to take money
for vote in the coming election

➢ Marcus Ibe was prepared as he was warned by his most loyal campaigner, Roof.

o Had drawn five months’ salary in advance and changed into shillings in order to
distribute among the voters

Whispering Campaign

➢ The campaign led by his loyal campaigners during night in order to influence voters by bribing
them by shillings

Campaign led by Roof in the house of Ogbuefi Ezenwa

➢ There were five elders besides Roof and his assistant

➢ He had offered two shillings for each of them in the beginning
➢ He made speech pointing out that Marcus Ibe was a son of their own village
➢ PAP favours their village, that is why he was chosen as a minister, etc.
➢ But the elders were not happy with two shillings
➢ They demanded more as election time is their time to enjoy benefits
➢ Roof offered one more shilling, but they remained unsatisfied
➢ He offered one more, total four shillings, and declared that he would not offer any more
➢ The elders accepted the four shillings for their vote along with their wives votes too

Benefits enjoyed by Roof as Marcus Ibe’s loyal supporter during election

➢ When he asked Marcus Ibe for one of his rich robes and he had got it
➢ When Marcus’s wife objected him from taking fifth bottle of beer from the refrigerator, she was
severely and publicly scolded by her husband.
➢ He won a land case recently because he had been chaffer-driven (travelling in a car driven by a
driver) to the disputed site, which was possible as he was supported by the Minister.

Enemy of PAP
Progressive Organization Party (POP)
 ➢ Formed by the tribes down the coast
➢ To save themselves from total political, cultural, social, and religious annihilation (total
destruction)
➢ They had jumped into a straight fight with PAP by fielding a candidate, Maduka, against Marcus
Ibe.
➢ They were pumping a lot of money to make people heard of them, though they didn’t stand any
chance to win

The fateful night

➢ When everything was going on fine, Roof was visited by the campaign leader of POP and offered
a five pound for his vote for Maduka
➢ Roof accepted the money being tempted by it
o But he was made swear on iyi from Mbanta, a Native deity
o Roof reasoned in his mind that his vote for the opponent in secret would not affect the
certain victory of Marcus

Election Morning

➢ Roof was active as usual giving the last-minute advice to the voters
➢ Marcus asked his campaign boys to go and cast their vote, first Roof
o His spirit fell down as he was in a dilemma how to cheat his master
o He was experiencing a conflict that arises in a person’s psyche when a moment to
decide comes.
o The conflict was between his word on the iyi to vote for Maduka and his loyalty to
Marcus
o And the temptation of having five pounds was also very strong
➢ When he was inside the booth, first he hesitated what to do, then
o He folded his ballot paper
o Tore it in two along the crease
o Put the first half into Maduka’s box (the box with man’s head) and confirmed the action
verbally, “I vote for Maduka”, in order to appease the iyi
o The other half into Marcus’s box (the box with motor-car)

1. Who was supposed to be very popular in his village in ‘The Voter’?

o Roof
2. Who was addressed as Roof, for short in ‘The Voter’?
o Rufus Okeke
3. Where had Roof spent two years as a bicycle repairer’s apprentice in ‘The Voter’?
o Port Harcourt

4. To which village did Roof belong in ‘The Voter’?

o Umuofia village
 5. Who was PAP’s most illustrious son referred to in ‘The Voter’?
o Marcus Ibe
6. Who was Marcus Ibe’s most trusted campaigner in ‘The Voter’?
o Roof

7. Mention the promise made by PAP if they were voted to power in ‘The Voter’?

o Pipe-borne water

8. Name the man of high traditional title in Umuofia mentioned in ‘The Voter’.

o Ogbuefi Ezenwa

9. What was Marcus Ibe before entering politics in ‘The Voter’?

o A mission school teacher

10. What is the symbol of PAP in ‘The Voter’?

o Motor-car

11. What is the symbol of POP in ‘The Voter’?

o Man’s head

12. What does POP stand for in ‘The Voter’?

o Progressive Organization Party

Trace the changes in the attitude of the villagers before the second election. Give reasons. (4 Marks)

‘Roof is an intelligent manipulator.’ Justify with reference to the story. (4 Marks)

13. Where There Is a Wheel

➢ An essay written by renowned Indian journalist P. Sainath
➢ An essay that elaborates the concept of women empowerment through the simple act of
bicycling.
➢ Women learning cycling has become a social movement in Pudukkottai district in Tamil Nadu in
early ninety nineties.
➢ According to the writer, people find curios ways to hit out at their backwardness.
o And cycling was the chosen medium for rural women in Pudukkottai to bring about
social change
➢ Cycling was a symbol of independence, freedom, and mobility for them
➢ Over one-fourth of all rural women have learnt cycling, excluding the girls below ten years of
age.
 ➢ Jameela Bibi told the writer that it was her right
➢ Fatima, a secondary school teacher, was addicted to cycling
o Hires a bicycle for half an hour; she cannot afford to buy one
o The cost was over Rs. 1200/-
➢ Cycling was taken by rural women from different walks of life
o Women agricultural workers / quarry labourers
o Village health nurses/balwadi & angawadi workers
o Hem cutters and school teachers, etc.
➢ Most of the neo-cyclists became neo-literates

Arivoli Iyakkam (Light of Knowledge Movement)

➢ Spearheading the district’s literacy drive

➢ They made cycling as part of their drive

N. Kannammal

➢ Arivoli central coordinator, a science graduate

➢ One of the pioneers of the cycling movement
➢ Said that the main thing was the confidence it gave women
➢ It reduced their dependence on men
➢ Women did a four kilometer stretch on bicycle to collect water, sometimes with her children
seated on it
➢ Women had to endure vicious (violent) attacks on their character in the beginning
➢ According to her, Arivoli gave cycling social sanction, so women took to it

Cycling offered a way out of enforced routines, around male-imposed barriers

The desire to learn is rampant among the women now

There is now a sense that women ought to learn cycling marking the social change

Sheela Rani Chunkath

➢ The whole phenomenon was the brainchild of her who was the popular former district collector
➢ In 1991, she planned to train female activists so that literacy drive would reach women in the
interior
➢ This move led to including mobility as a part of literacy movement.
o Lack of mobility among women plays a big role in undermining their confidence
o She pushed the banks to give loans for the women to buy bicycles

The trend led to shortage of ‘ladies’ cycles

But women were happy with gents’ cycles, some even preferred it as it had an additional bar where one
can seat a child there

International Women’s Day in 1992 (March 8)

➢ Exhibition-cum contests run by Arivoli

➢ Around 70,000 women took to the road cycling over a span of one week
➢ An impressed UNICEF sanctioned fifty mopeds for Arivoli women activists

What did the males think?

➢ Many made filthy remarks

➢ One who had to approve was S. Kannakarajan, owner of Ram Cycles
➢ Muthu Bhaskaran, an arivoli activist, who wrote the famous cycling song

Economic Implications of Cycling

➢ It boosts income
o They can sell their agricultural and other produces covering more area saving more time
o Gives much more time to focus on selling
o Enlarges area one can hope to cover
o Can increase one’s leisure time
➢ No more dependent on fathers, brothers, husbands, or sons to even reach the bus stop

It would be wrong to emphasize the economic aspects over all else.

The sense of self-respect it brings is important

The bicycle as a metaphor for freedom

1. Name one of the three women who trained other women in cycling in ‘Where there is a
wheel’.
➢ Jamila Bibi

2. What does bicycle represent for the rural women according to P. Sainath?

➢ A social movement/independence, freedom and mobility

3. Who took to ‘cycling’ as a social movement in ‘Where There Is A Wheel’?
➢ Rural women in Pudukkottai
4. Which movement helped the ‘neo-literates’ to become ‘neo-cyclists’ according to P.
Sainath?
➢ Arivoli Iyakkam
5. What has been a chosen medium for rural women of Pudukkottai according to P. Sainath?
➢ Cycling
 6. Name the quarry worker and Arivoli volunteer who trains other women in ‘Where There Is A
Wheel’.
➢ Manormani
7. What was Fathima by profession according to P. Sainath?
➢ A secondary school teacher
8. Who gave social sanction to cycling according to P. Sainath?
➢ Arivoli Iyakkam
9. Who is one of the pioneers of the cycling movement according to P. Sainath?
➢ N. Kannammal
10. Who was the owner of Ram cycles according to P. Sainath?
➢ S. Kannakarajan
11. Whose brain child is the cycling movement according to P. Sainath?
➢ Sheela Rani Chunkath, former district collector
12. Name the district of Tamil Nadu in which cycling has been a social movement.
➢ Pudukkottai

13. Water

A poem written by Dalit Telugu writer Challapalli Swaroopa Rani.

A poem that explores the countless forms of social discrimination and injustice with the
metaphor of water.

Speaks of how water has stood witness to acts of oppression in the name of religion, caste, and
creed for centuries.

It traces the trails of inhuman practices that prevails in our society over several generations.

Also speaks of how water, a natural recourse, has become a commodity in the contemporary
market regulated world.

The water is witness to generations-old violent conflicts between the village and the wada

• Village – where people other than the Dalits live

• Wada – locality where Dalits live
• Dalits – people who belong to one of the lowest cates, outside the four main
castes in the varna system; was once considered untouchables by upper castes

Like the dampness on the well’s edge never dries, untouchability never disappears

Water knows the difference of race

• Between the Samaria woman and Jesus the Jew – a Biblical reference
• Between leather and spool – that is, between cobbler and weaver
The agony of panchama (refers to Dalits)

• Not having the right to draw a pot of water

• Have to wait all day near the well until a Shudra arrives who may draw water and pour
into their pots, but a keeping a distance from them.

Humiliation of a wada girl (Dalit girl)

• For being abused by the Shudra while pouring water into her pot

Righteous rage of Karamchedu Suvarthamma

• Reference to the incident that happened in Karamchedu village, in which members of the
dominant community killed six Dalits following a petty quarrel that began in a water tank

The water is witness to centuries of social injustice

What she (the speaker of the poem) remembers when she sees water? (4 Mark)

• How her wada would thirst all day for a glass of water
o Being denied access to water; if the Shudra fails to arrive, no water for them all day
• How they welcomed their weekly bath as a festival while the entire village enjoyed taking bath
twice a day.
• Her childhood when they walked miles to reach the big canal and carried back heavy pots of
water
• The fire incident at Malapalle, a village in Andra Pradesh, in which huts of Dalits burned to ashes
as they didn’t have water to control the fire at the beginning

Water is not simply H2O for Dalits, it’s a mighty movement

• Reference to Mahad struggle at the Chadar tank (of 1927, led by Dr. B R Ambedkar)
• Many such struggles for their right to take water in which they shed their blood than the water
they gained…

Water is not a simple thing

 It can give life; it can also destroy life

o By satisfying thirsty throats; by being tsunami waves

The poor are the victims of all the natural disaster

The water ignites (causes) many conflicts between the village and the wada; between one state and
another (like Cauveri River issue between Karnataka and Tamil Nadu)

The same water innocently sits in a Bisleri bottle

 Suggesting the commoditization of water in the new globalized era

  Reference to water being taken by the corporates like Pepsi from the village wells
 Now water is not a mean water, it is a multinational market commodity

 Whose humiliation is mentioned by the speaker in ‘Water’?

o Of the wada girl

 Whom does the panchama wait for near the well in ‘Water’?
o Shudra
 What according to the speaker never disappears in ‘Water’?
o Untouchability
 According to the speaker in ‘Water’, they never managed to win even a
a) glass of water b) pot of water. c) puddle of water.
o c) puddle of water
 What was welcomed as a wondrous festival according to the speaker in ‘Water’?
o Weekly bath
 When does the speaker remember her childhood in ‘Water’?
o When she sees water
 What was burnt to ashes for want of a pot of water according to the speaker in ‘Water’?
a) Malappalle b) Mahad c) Village

 a) Malappalle
 _______ are playthings in the vicious hands of water according to the speaker in ‘Water’?
a) The MNCs b) The Landlords c) The poor
o c) The poor
 What is the new name of water mentioned in ‘Water’?
o Mineral water

Comment on the social discrimination associated with water as presented in the poem, ‘Water’. (4 Marks)

 Water – witness to social discrimination and injustice in the name of caste – strife between
village and wada – untouchability – knows discrimination in the name of race – Samaria woman
and Jesus – sub-caste difference – leather and spool – agony of panchama – waiting with empty
pot - humiliation of wada girl – access denied to water – determined by caste – discrimination
leading to violence
 Grammar

Complete the following by filling in the blanks using the right form of the verb given in brackets.

1. A few years ago, a murder ________ (commit). The case ________ (try) in the most judicial manner.
The criminal ________ (sentence) to death.
2. A letter ________ (send) to the French government. A prompt reply________ (receive). It said
that a machine and an expert ________ (could supply) but the cost would be 16,000 francs.

3. When Gonzalo entered the park, his usual bench _________ (occupy) by the priests. He
_________ (annoy) and his servant, Juanito _________ (ask) to rout them out.

4. Tammanna came to the plantation after walking hundreds of miles. He _________ (appoint) to
look after the garden. The workers were happy as their problems _________ (solve). The income
improved dramatically but a change in the owner’s lifestyle _________ (notice) by his wife.

EXPRESSIONS AND MEANINGS & AUTHORS AND THEIR WORKS

1. Match the following ‘Column A’ with ‘Column B’

A B

a) By leaps and bounds i) Every one

b) All and sundry ii) Brazil
c) Bowing iii) Very quickly
d) Traffic iv) mosaics
e) Pavements v) Japan

2. Match the following ‘Column A’ with ‘Column B’

A B

a) Flesh and blood i) To Earn

b) Vanish into thin air ii) A physical, living being
c) Rakes in iii) Disappear suddenly
d) Hunter and prey iv) Brazil
e) Copacabana v) driver and pedestrian
 3. Match the following ‘Column A’ with ‘Column B’
A B

a) All told i) Ram Cycles

b) Hard put to ii) Mopeds
c) Out of hand iii) In total
d) UNESCO iv) Out of control
e) S. Kannakarajan v) Finding very difficult
Fill in the blanks with the right linkers.

1. The special revenue came from a gaming house, _________ people played roulette. Some of the
little German Sovereigns used to keep gaming houses of the same kind _________ some years
ago they were forbidden to do so. The reason they were stopped was_________ these gaming
houses did so much harm. A man would come and try his luck. _________ he would risk all he
had and lose it. (because, then, where, but)
2. The gardener started narrating the story of Tammanna and Basavaiah to the owner’s wife.
_______ proceeding with the story, he started fumbling for words _______ he had made a
mistake. The owner’s wife was not interested in the story. She felt like going away _______
stayed back _______ she did not want to hurt the old man.

(but, after, as though, as)

What do the underlined words in the following extract refer to?

1. Salim took the rare looking bird to his uncle and asked him what kind of bird it was. His uncle
examined it and was unable to satisfy Salim’s curiosity. He took Salim to W.S. Millard, who was
surprised to see such a young boy keen about birds. Millard took Salim and showed him many
stuffed birds at the society, where he worked.
Him: ................ It: ................ who: ...................... where: ......................

2. Colonel Rankin opened his parachute, it blossomed out over him, and another tremendous blast
battered his body, with wind and hail. He could withstand its force, suddenly he felt being pulled up
by a current of air and he was floating in the clouds, which enclosed him from all directions.
It: ................. His: ............. its: .................... which: ....................

There are many Sphinxes in Egypt, and their heads represent the kings who had once ruled over the land.
When a king died he himself was supposed to become the ‘Sun God’. The Egyptians worshipped and had
great faith in the Sun God, whom they trusted would protect them from evil powers.
3. Their: ................... himself: ..................... whom: .................. them: .......................
Report the following conversations:

1. Don Gonzalo : I am fond of good verses. I composed some in my youth.

Dona Laura : Were they good ones?
Don Gonzalo : Why do you ask me such a question?
Dona Laura : Don’t be angry.
Don Gonzalo told Dona Laura that he was fond of good verses and had composed some in his youth.
Dona Laura enquired if they had been good ones. Don Gonzalo replied her why she asked him such a
question. Dona Laura told him not to be angry.
2. Petra : The guard is waiting for me.
Dona Laura : Do you like to chat with your guard?
Petra : He is not mine.
Dona Laura : Wait a moment.
Petra : What does the senora wish?
Petra told Dona Laura that the guard was waiting for her. Then Dona Laura asked her if she liked to chat
with her guard. But Petra replied that he was not hers. Dona Laura asked her to wait a moment. Petra
asked her senora what she wished her to do.

3. Dona Laura : Do you use a shoe brush as a handkerchief?

Don Gonzalo : What right have you to criticize my action?
Dona Laura : A neighbour’s right.
Don Gonzalo : I do not care to listen to nonsense.
Dona Laura : You are very polite.

Dona Laura asked Don Gonzalo whether he used a shoe brush as a handkerchief. Don Gonzalo retaliated
asking what right she had to criticize his action. She claimed that she had the right of a neighbour. He
retorted that he did not care to listen to nonsense. Then Dona Laura sarcastically remarked that he was
very polite.

4. Dona Laura : Are you coming tomorrow?

Don Gonzalo : Most certainly, if it is a sunny morning. And not only will I not scare
. away the birds, but I will bring a few crumbs.
Dona Laura : Thank you very much. Birds are grateful and repay attention.

Dona Laura asked Don Gonzalo whether he was coming the next day. Gonzalo replied that if it was a
sunny morning, he would definitely come. He further assured her that he would not scare away the
birds; instead he would bring a few crumbs. Laura thanked him and said that birds are grateful and
repay attention.

5. Don Gonzalo : Are you speaking to me Senora?

Dona Laura : Yes, to you.
Don Gonzalo : What do you wish?
Dona Laura : You have scared away the birds who were feeding on my crumbs.

Don Gonzalo asked Laura whether she was speaking to him. She replied in the affirmative and then
Gonzalo asked what she wished. She accused him that he had scared away the birds who had been
feeding on her crumbs.
 6. Dona Laura : You should have asked permission to sit on this bench.
Don Gonzalo : The benches here are public property.
Dona Laura : Why did you complain about the priests, then?
Don Gonzalo : Are you taunting me?
Dona Laura : Don’t grumble.
Dona Laura told Don Gonzalo that he should have asked permission to sit on that bench. Don Gonzalo
retorted that the benches there were public property. Dona Laura asked him why he had complained
about the priests then. Don Gonzalo asked her angrily if she was taunting him. Dona Laura told him not
to grumble.

7. Gonzalo : That one over there is mine.

Juanito : There are three priests sitting there.
Gonzalo : Rout them out. Have they gone?
Juanito : No, indeed. They are talking.
Don Gonzalo stated that the one over there was his seat. Juanito responded that there were three
priests sitting there. Then Gonzalo asked him to rout them out and he further asked if they had gone.
Juanito replied in the negative and informed that they were talking.