English XII Hands Out to Student

The Grandmother

-Ray Young BearRay Young Bear is an Amercian - Indian poet. He was born in one of the American

tribes, Mesquaki. He wrote this poem in memory of his grandmother. In this poem the poet

presents the picture of his grandmother. She loved him, cared and showed every kind of

affection to him when he grew up with her. Now the poet has missed his grandmother

because she is no more with him. He only remembers her through images, of her shape, her

love for him and her kind voice.

"Grandmother" is a sensuous poem by Ray Young Bear in the memory of his

grandmother. She is no longer with the poet, but she has left an everlasting impression on

him, which he describes in a sensous detail.

The poet especially remembers four things about his grandmother. They are her

purple scarf and plastic shopping bag, warm touch of her hand, the smell of roots from her

hands. These things have been printed in his mind so strongly that he would recognize her

even from a mile away, he would know a kind of her warm damp hands, he would also listen

her voice from behind a rock. All these different images appeal to our different senses like

the sense of sight, smell, sound, touch and give a concrete picture of the poet's grandmother.

Apart from being a poem about the memory of the poet's grandmother, it is also the

poets reflection on the tradition and cultural heritage of Mesquaki tribe of the North America.

The poem is an expression of the painful awareness of sense of loss of identity. The smell of

root and " a voice coming from a rock" stirs the poet's heart and makes him long for the

disappearing or dead ancestral cultures and traditions.

Thus the poem 'Grandmother' is not only a poem about the poet's grandmother but also a

nostalgic longing for the dead culture of American Indian tribe. It is a poem about the search

for marginalized identity in the midst of the majority of white population.

Questions:

a) What description of grandmother can be found in the poem? Which senses are they connected to?

b) How does the poet feel about his grandmother? c) What does the poet remember about his grandmother ? How do you think he

feels about his grandmother? d) Write a description of a member of your family.

Bijaya Raj Gajurel1

The Lamentation of the Old Pensioner

W.B.Yeats

The poem presents the old poet's reminiscences of his gone youthful days. He

remembers his youth which was full of vigour and energy and contrasts it with present state

of weak and worn out old age. In doing so he brings out the destructive power of time.

The poem opens with the description of his present miserable condition and suffering

as an old man. He compares himself with a broken tree, who takes shelter under a broken

tree. In the next four lines, the speaker moves to the past. He says that he used to sit on his

chair near the fire in the company of his friends talking about love and politics. This was the

time of his youth; the time before he was transfigured by time.

In the next stanza he describes how the young man are making weapons to fight some

human enemies. But the speaker is indifferent to this because his enemy is the destructive

power of time which can't be fought with any kind of weapon.

In the last stanza, the poet reaches to some sort of complacency. Even though no

woman turns her face towards him at present he cherishes the memory of the beautiful girl

whom he had loved in the past. This gives some satisfaction because the money is beyond the

reach of destructive time. In the last two lines he shows his anger and spits on the face of time

that has transfigured him into a miserable weak old man.

The poet has used a refrain "Time that has transfigured me" to express the unstoppable destructive power of time. The refrain also suggests that cruel time doesn't leave anybody. The overall tone of the poem is 'rage'. The old man's greatest enemy is 'Time' and he is helpless against its power. So he expressed his strong anger by spitting on the face of Time.

In conclusion, we can say that the poem is about the destructive power of 'Time' that has transfigured everything except the ideal world of art and imagination. So art always lives on art and art is beyond the reach of destructive hand of time. 1. Justify the title of the poem "The Lamenption of the old pensioner".2. Why is the poet angry with time? Explain. 3. What is the refrain in the poem? What is its purpose ? 4. How does the poet express his anger against the time. 5. What do you think is the theme of the poem? 6. How does the speaker consol himself in the last stanza ? 7. Write the summary of the poem. 8. What is the overall tone of the poem? Explain. 9. Write an essay on life and art.

Bijaya Raj Gajurel2

Full Fathom Five Thy Father Lies'.

- William Shakespeare

This poem is taken from Act I, scene II of Shakespeare's famous play " The Tempest".

It is a song sang by the spirit, Arial, to Ferdinand, the prince of Naples, who thinks his father

is drowned.

Arial says to Ferdinand that his father lies five fathoms ( thirty feets) below the

surface of the sea. His body has undergone a great change. It has changed to something

beautiful and strange. The bones have changed into coral. His eyes have been changed into

pearls. Every part of his body has changed to something permanent and beautiful which is

never going to change or fade like the body of flesh and bones. And the sea Nymphs ring the

death bell every hour. Arial says that he can hear ding-dong bell even there.

The poem is musical. The musicality is given by the figure of speech like

onomatopoeia, alliteration and assonance used in the poem. In the First line of the poem 'f'

sound is repeated - 'full fathom five thy father lies'. This repetation of a consonant sound is

alliteration. In the same time the vowel sound 'i' is repeated in 'thy' & 'lies'. This repetation of

a vowel sound is called assonance. The sound 'Ding-Dong' refers to the bell which produces

this sound. It gives the sound like the ringing of the bells. This is an example of

onomatopoeia. All these sounds give a musical effect to the poem.

In this short musical poem, the poet has expressed his view on life after death. He

believes that death is an entrance into permanent spiritual life which is more beautiful than

the physical existence. Thus death is not the end of life but the beginning.

1. What do you think is the theme of the poem?

2. Do you think the poem is musical? What makes the poem musical?

3. Explain the treatment of death in the poem?

4. Write a summary of the poem.

5. What are the views of the poem on life and death in the poem?

Bijaya Raj Gajurel3

Travelling Through the Dark

by William Stafford

This poem deals with the dilemma not able to face sometimes while making a choice.

It presents the great tension to the choice between two realities of life. On the one hand the

life and action guided by virtues, like efficiency, good judgement and responsibility, on the

other hand the life guided by emotions which are warmer than efficiency and deeper than

good judgement. The poem also ironically hints at the damage that humans are causing in the

nature in the name of development. We are unaware that we are inviting our own destruction

by destroying nature. So, the title "Travelling Through the Dark". doesnot only mean

"travelling or driving during the night but also human beings travelling into future darkness

by destroying nature".

One night driving along the dark Wilson river road, the poet finds a dead doe on the

edge of the road. He stops the car, with an intention of rolling it into the Canyon to stop

future accidents. He goes near the dead doe with the help of tail - lights of his car. He finds

the doe already stiff and cold. He notices That she is a large in the belly, while dragging it

off. He touches the side of the belly and finds it warm, because the fawn is still alive, waiting

to be born. After this the poet hesitates. His car lays there parked with its parking lights

aimed ahead. The car engine is making a continuous noise as if it is feeling happy. The poet

is standing there observing these things in the red exhaust lights; and he feels the wilderness

around him. He is overcome by a warm feeling towards the poor fawn. He can't decide what

to do ? He is in a great dilemma. He knows he cannot leave the dear in that condition because

it might cause fatal accidents later.

Questions:

a) How does the poet feel about finding the deer ?

b) Why does he hesitate before pushing the dead animal off the road ?

c) What does the title of the poem mean ?

d) Who is travelling through the dark ?

e) Explain the title "Travelling Through the Dark"

Bijaya Raj Gajurel4

About Love- Anton chekhov

The story " About Love" is an attempt to establish love as a great mystery. It has been defined in dozens of ways but a definition applicable to one affair may not be applicable to many other relationships. So one thing can certainly be said about love that it is a great mystery. This story discusses the love affairs both mysterious in their own way.

The story starts with a casual discussion during a breakfast among friends, about a love affairs between Ninkanor and beautiful. Paleageya both servants in Alyohin's house. Nikanor was an ugly, drunkard who even punched Palageya when he got drunk, still she loved him dearly. She was ready to live with him. Nikanor wanted to get married with her but she wanted to stay with him just like that. The mysterious thing about this affair is - why Palageya hasn't fallen in love with some body like herself and why she fell in love with someone like Nikanor.

Then the conversation turned to Russian attitude towards love. Alyohin said that love is usually poeticised, made colorful and songs dedicated to it, but the Russians unnecessarily spend time discussing the difficult questions about love instead removing the obstacles that come on the way of love.

Then he went on to narrate his own unsuccessful love affair with his friend's wife. Alyohin was a single man. So he was eager to talk about his love experience. Eventhough he was highly educated he stayed in Sofyino as a farmer because he had to pay the debt which his father had taken to educate him. Before coming to Sofyino he was elected honorary justice of peace. he used to get to the court in town. There he came in contact with many educated men and women there. One of them was Luganovich. He became intimate with him. Once he was invited to Luganovich's house for a dinner, there he met Anna, Luganovich's wife and fell in love with her. Then he started visiting them often. If he didnot go there for sometime, Anna used to get crossed with him. The relationship went on for a long time but both of them couldnot express their love to each other. They used to go for theatrical performance together and spend a lot of time talking to eachother but couldnot express their love.

His love towards her grew internally. He started becoming unhappy. He couldnot understand why such a beautiful and young girl married an old uninteresting fellow like Luganovich.

He noticed lately that some dissatisfaction was there in Anna. She stated to be moody, unhappy and irritated. She was treated for a psychological problem. As all relationship have to part one day, it was time for them to separate. Luganovich was transferred from the city to the west. Anna was also to go to Crimea for further treatment.

It was time to see off Anna. There was a big gathering. The train was about to leave.Knowingly or unknowingly Anna forgot her basket. Aloyohin went to the compartment with the basket. There he took her in his arms and both of them cried. He kissed her and confessed his love. Finally, he had to leave her. He went to the next compartment and cried a lot. He got down at the next station. This was the end of their love affair. The mysterious thing about this affair is that they did not express their love to each other for seven years when they were together and confessed it, in the last few minutes of their life.

i) Narrate the setting of the story 'About Love'.ii) Explain three types of love as mentioned in the story "About love." iii) How does an account of the occassion and of the setting in which the narrative

occurs affect our understanding of Alyohin?

Bijaya Raj Gajurel5

iv) Sketch the character of Alyohin.

Bijaya Raj Gajurel6

Two Long Term Problems: Too Many People, Too Few Trees

- Moti Nissani-

The essay starts with the two famous statement made in 1992 about environmetal degradation and the future of human race and life on earth. The document, "The world Scientists' Warning to Humanity" states that human beings and nature are in continuous conflict. Human activities are bringing an irreversible damage on environment. The human society, plants and animal kingdoms are in great danger of being extinct, so some quick radical changes are very necessary to avoid the future disaster as a result of environmental degradation. In the same year The Royal Society of London and the U.S. National Academy of sciences also agreed that a sustainable development is possible only if the environmental degradation is stopped immediately.

Human beings have already caused a great damage to the environment. This is clear from the fact that the pollution related diseases like-cancer emphysema and asthma are already in the rise. Thousands of people die everyday due to these diseases. Deafness is high due to noise pollution. Natural surrounding has become more polluted. Foods, water and air are more impure. Many species of plants and animals are disappearing due to poisonous environment.

The cause of these environmental hazzards are many, but the most important are over population and deforestation. Human population is growing at an alarming rate. And this growing population needs more space and food: As a result more forests are decreased.

In the past birth and deaths were nearly balanced, but due to the advancement in medical science, modern technology and awareness in nutrition death rates have been greatly reduced but the birth rate is not checked. For example in 1951 Nepal's population was 3 million with an annual growth rate of 2.5% it will be 24 million by 2026 A.D. If this rate goes on, there will be 368 million Nepal's in 140 years.

Another equally dangerous problem is deforestation, which is the direct outcome of population explosion. Trees are removed to create spaces to build houses and to grow food for the growing population. Trees are also cut down to make comfort items like furniture, printing papers, hamburger and other products. Deforestation gives rise to various problems like extinction of birds animals, plants, landslides, soil erosion, danger of weather extremes and other natural calamities.

We can hope for a bright future of this world only if we save forest. This we can do by checking population growth. The Swedish and German population are actually declining. In the same way the population of the countries like China, Thailand and Egypt, the rate of population growth has lowered down. This can be done in other countries too by modernization, education, media campaign, family planning measures, encouragement to preserver forest and certain extent incentives as well and a massive reforestation programme. Certain technology used to give more energy using less fuel should be encouraged - eg- the smokeless 'Chuloo'used in some Nepali villages.

It is therefore, we must control population growth and plant more trees for the future of our children, plants and animals and for our own sake. We have to develop wisdom and courage to convert our knowledge into reality.

Questions: i) What are the two environmental problems that the writer discussed in the essay.

Explain. ii) What are the steps should be taken to solve the environmental crisis? Explain.

Bijaya Raj Gajurel7

Hurried Trip to Avoid a Bad Star

The present essay is a part of an article "Karnali, Roadless World of Western Nepal", published by two American geographers. It presents an account of the adventurous experience the writer had when they explore western Nepal on foot for 15 months. In the passage they present their research on the economic relationship between the Hills of Kanali and the plains of the South. At the same time, they present clearly the difficult life and the ignorance of people living in Karnali region.

After Christmass, the authors started their exploration again. This time they started their journey down towards Nepalgunj. On the way they were surprised by a Chhetri woman. She asked them where they were going and if they were from some faraway village who had come there on a wind ship she had seen in the sky. Then she made a very strange request, that her husband had left fifteen years ago in search of a job but had not come back yet. She asked them to look for him in their village and tell him to return. This request shows how illiterate and ignorant some people living there were.

Further at 9000 feets, the authors found some people processing 'Silajit' which they had bought from 'Sinja'. They said that they could not process 'Silajit' at Sinja due to the fear of the influence of a bad star. This shows the blind belief and superstition of the people living in Karnali region.

Further down, they came across and almost leafless Sal forest. They saw some women chopping the remaining green branches to feed their animals. When Barry told them that they were not doing the right thing by destroying the forest, they replied that they did not know anything but they must feed their goats or they would die.

This shows that the people living there were ignorant and they were not in a position to think about the future. They were compelled to think about the present only.

Finally they reached the Terai, when they reached the terai, they build a camp fire and enjoyed the sound and smell of the Terai. When a bullock cart went past then the authors realised that it had been a year since they had seen a wheel. Then walking down the street, they enjoyed the new sights. Their fellow travellers swarmed from shop to shop buying items to take back to their home. Karma, a porter bought some utensils to make liquer at his home. Then the authors went back to Jumla, completed their research there and left western Nepal to itself.

In this way the essay presents the lifestyle of the people living in Karnali region. Due to absence of roads, people have no choice but to walk when they want to go from one place to another. In order to survive, they do farming and also other things like- bee keeping, raring animals, knitting sweaters and blankets, collecting medicinal herbs and even growing up hashish. They carry all these goods to the Terai and sell them there and buy even food items and carry them back home. This is extremely difficult job but they do it for mere survival.

The life of the people in Karnali Region

The chapter written by two American Geographers during their fifteen months of exploration. upholds the pitiable socio. economic condition of the Karnali inhabitants. They are all not only economically educationally poor and also guided by superstitious belief. Most of the people in the community brew wine and sell in the market banned by the authority. Out of this income they enjoy maintaining their

Bijaya Raj Gajurel8

family. some of the people struggle with steep and precipition mountain to collect "Silajeet" and sell them in the town of Nepalgunj. Then the life of the people of Karnali seems to be under poverty. Furthermore on encounter with a handsome 'Chhetri' woman the two geographers come to know that the women's status is very poor and being simpleminded also guided by superstitious thought the women proposes them to tell about her poor family condition and her husband who had gone out of the village to earn money but till then had not been back home.

Questions: i) How is Karnali linked economically with the Terai region of Nepal? ii) What does the reply of the women " what can we do? The animals must eat it

today" signify. iii) Give a short account of the life of the people in Karnali region. iv) What is strange about the request of the Chhetri woman? What does it tell us

about the people living in Karnali?

Bijaya Raj Gajurel9

A StoryDylan Thomas

The story 'A Story' by Dylan Thomas humurously presents happy and carefree world of adults through the eyes of a small boy. The narrator describes a day's outing in a Charabance made by thirty men to a place called Parthcawl where they never reach. As the narrator admits 'the story hasn't a proper beginning and end and there is also very little in the middle. But if we go through it carefully we find that it has the characteristics of a short story.

The narrator was only a small boy then, and used to live with his uncle and the wife of his uncle. His uncle was a big red-hairy fellow. He used to eat for too much and sneeze like a buffallo. He used to fill every inch of the little shop he was very noisy and dirty too. Whereas his auntie was small silky and quick. Every Saturday night at half-past ten his uncle used to lift her up under his arm onto a chair. She in turn used to hit him on his head with a China dog.

One evening when the boy and his uncle were at the shop Mr. Benjamin Franklyn, Mr. Weazley, Noah Bowen and Will Sentry came to the shop. Mr. Franklyn said that he had collected enough money for the trip by the Charaban and for drink. Mr Franklyn complained that he was sick of being followed by Will Sentry. On Sunday evening Mr. Franklyn came again with the list of the participation in the annual trip. Tom counted the names of the members of the trip and approved the whole his finally. The boy's aunt asked his uncle whether he chose her or the trip. She also said that if he chose the trip she would go to her mother's house and stay there.

It was Saturday morning, the day of the outing. The boy went to the kitchen and found a note on the kitchen table. His aunt had already left for her mother's home and the note contained some instructions for the uncle. His uncle was in a very jolly mood. He said that he would take the boy also with him on the outing.

The bus arrived outside their house. The boy and his uncle left the shop and got into the bus. The members of the outing didn't like the boy accompanying them; they said they might as well take women with them. As they left the village and were up the hill they found that old O'Jones was left behind. They were back to pick him up and drove towards Parthcawl again.

After travelling for some time they reached Mountain Sheep, a small public house. They stopped there and went into the inn for drink. The uncle told the boy to look after the bus. They halted there for about an hour, got drunk and broke many glasses. After sometime they again started for portbcawl. The members of the trip stopped at different public houses like the Blue Bull, Dragon, The Sour Grapes, The Shepherd's Arm, etc. for drink. Whenever they passed a public house Mr. Weazeley would insist on stopping the bus for a drink. Even if they found the bar closed they used to enter it from the rear door. At last they drove from bar and came to a river. All of them jumped into a river and said that it was better than their visit to Portbcawl.

It was already evening. As it was to late to go to porthcawl, they drove beack home. On the bus but there was no public house nearby. They climbed down the bus and sat in a circle in the field and merrily drank and sang together. In the meantime old O'Jones started cooking his meal. The boy who was very tired due to the day's journey drifted into sleep against his uncle's big waist coat. " Who goes there?" called out Will Sentry to the flying moon in the sky.

Questions:i) How does the boy look at his uncle and the wife of his uncle? Describe.ii) Skitch the character of the boy's uncle. iii) How does the boy look at his uncle and his friends? Describe. iv) Why did the trip remain an incomplete one? Explain.

Bijaya Raj Gajurel10

The Last Voyage of The Ghost Ship

-Gabriel Garcia Marquez

This story is written in the stream of consciousness technique. It has tried to capture the nature of thought process in the mind of the characters. It doesn't have a proper plot, it doesn't deal with the character's outer experiences but it is concerned with his inner mind, feelings, perception and private vision. It also doesn't follow the general grammatical rules. The story has been written in just two big sentences, in which the character's feeling vision and imaginations are described randomly. This style gives an opportunity to understand the continuous flow of thought process in the human mind.

Although the story does not have a plot in the usual sense, it presents the growth of an ordinary boy to an assertive young man. The movement of the story is from a time of weakness of the boy without a man's strong voice to a time when he commands his vision experiences feelings and will power in a confident strong new man't voice.

Once when the boy was young, he believed that he saw a large ship passing on the nearby sea. It had no lights and it made no sounds. The boy believed that it was bigger than his whole village and taller than the church. When the light of the lighthouse fell on the ship it disappeared and it appeared on the sea when the light went out. The boy noticed that something was wrong with the ship because it moved to the sand bank and ran into the ground and sank down without giving any sound. Next day he went there and found no sign of the ship. So he thought that it was just a dream. He forgot about the vision until the following March. He saw the ghost ship again on the same night, so he ran and told his mother but she was disappointed. She was afraid that her son was sleeping during the day and going out at night like a criminal. As she was worried about her son, she asked a boatman to take them to the place so that he would be satisfied. Though they did not find any trace of the ship there, the boy was so pigheaded that she agreed to watch it with him next March. But she died before after rocking on the chair.

After the death of his mother the boy became on orphan. People used to hate him and called him the son of the widow who had brought misfortune in the village because few other women also died on the rocking chair used by his mother. Though an orphan he did not wish to live by the charity, so he used to steal fish from the boats and live by that. The next March he saw the ship again told the villagers about it, but they beat him as they didn't see anything there, The boy become more determined to prove it to the disbelievers one day.

The great moment came when he was rowing in a stolen boat. He was rowing in the dark night and was lost in his thought, he saw the ship again. This time he was not afraid and didn't run to tell them, instead he lit a lantern and anchored the ship towards the village. He shouted that the ship was there. He saw the disbelivers open their mouth in surprise.

In this way the narrator traces the growth of a weak boy into an assertive young man. The boy's vision of the ghost ship is linked to his growth. At the end the boy was able to guide the huge ocean linear and the disbelievers were compelled to accept him. The meaning of the boy's newly discovered ability to control the ship's movement to his newly developed capacity to handle his imaginative vision


successfully due to his maturity towards all these things happened simply in the mind of the narrator.

Meaning of the boy's newly derived ability to anchor the ghost ship

This extract is taken from the story based upon the stream of consciousness technique, written by Modern century short story writer Gabriel Grecia Morquez, the Colombian Novelist. He has rightly written on the ground of child's psychology.

The small boy presented in the story as a central character, encounters with his child sight, a mysterious ship crawling on the surface of the sea at night, becomes excited to explain what he sees in front of the community people but due to his unbelievable childish stage, his information all about the event gets neglected by the community people and he gets beaten even. on the accuse of disturbing them at midnight.

But because of the cruel and untrustworthy atmosphere about the child's reputation and personality turns the boy even more determined to prove himself true about the event that he had encountered at midnight. His main aim of life becomes to prove himself a point of trust. Since then he keeps on discovering the arrival of the mysterious ship and finally catches the sight of the ship at midnight and moves forward with the help of the lantern and directs the mysterious ship toward the sea-shore and presents very adventurously before the community people and proves himself before there community as a well-grown up, assertive young man, which was his conscious determination.

Thus it suggests us that the present story gives us the moral of the importance of determination in one sense and in the other sense it suggests that the child has a determination aroused due to contradictory situation. It shows the boy's newly developed capacity to handle imaginative vision successfully.

Questions:1. What do you understand by the 'stream of consciousness technique of writing'?

Explain it with reference to the story.2. What is the protagonist, trying to prove when he brings "the largest ocean liner in

the world of adults and the others in the village?"


I Have A Dream- Martin Luther, King, Jr.

This is the recorded speech delivered on August 28, 1963 by Martin Luther King. Jr. at Lincoln Memorial to celebrate the centennial of Lincoln's "Emancipation Proclamation" freeing the slaves. King says that a century ago the 'Proclamation' had come as the light of hope for the millions of Negro Slaves living in the darkness of injustice and sadly crippled by the handcuffs of segrigation. But the sad fact is that even after one hundred years, the black population is still living under the misery of racial injustice, poverty and is still living as refuges in their own country.

Then he compares the "Emancipation Proclamation" and the "Constitution of United States" with a bad check which couldn't be encashed though there was enough fund in the bank of Justice. This means that eventhough the Negroes were promised equal rights, equal opportunity. liberty and pursuit of happiness by the 'Proclamation', it has failed to keep its promise. The Negros are still the victims of racial injustice. He says that it is a time to convert discrimination and injustice to a strong land of trust and brotherhood. He also warns that it would be dangerous for the nation to ignore the united voice of the Negroes. There would be no justice in America unless justice is done to the suffering Negroes. America would be rocked by revolt until the black population get their rights.

Then he goes on to appeal to the Negroes not to take part in the violence and injustice to get their civil rights. He tells them to hate the wrong deeds. He again tells them that it is very important for them to get the support of the white community and possed the new non-violence resistance adopted by the Negroes to fight against injustice. He says that they will not be satisfied until a tired Negro can rest in the motels and hotels they want to rest and until a Negro in Mississippi can vote and the real promise of the proclamation is fulfilled.

King is quite aware of the torture and suffering of the freedom fighters in the hands of the white and the police. He knows that it is difficult but tells his people not to lose their hope. He tells them to go to different parts of the country and continue their struggle with hope that justice will be restored. He says that in the midest of these difficulties and frustration he has a dream of freedom and harmony which is deeply rooted in the American dream.

His dream is that some day injustice would vanish and justice would be the way of life in America. America would be free from social discrimination and people wouldn't be judged by their colour but according to the content of their character.

Finally, he concludes his highly poetic and moving speech by saying that America can become a powerful nation only if all its people are united in the frame of brotherhood, only if freedom sings in each and every corner of the country. America can become a dreamland only when Black and White, Jews and Gentiles, Protestants and Catholics are able to join hands and sing together the song of freedom. Questions: 1. What is the purpose of King's speech? 2. Explain king's analogy of the 'bad check".3. Give the example of injustice that king points out in his speech. 4. What is king's real dream? Explain. 5. According to King, how can America become a strong nation. 6. Argue in favour of some course of action against one social injustice that prevail in your

society.


The Tell -Tale Heart

by Edgar Allan Poe

Setting the scene:

This story is about a man ( The storyteller ) Who kills an old man. He wants to keep his actions a secret. But even after the old man is dead the storyteller can hear the beating of the old man's heart. The noise from the dead man's heart becomes so loud that the he cannot stand it. He wants the noise to stop. He tells the police his secret - that he killed the old man.

Summary:Paragraph 1 The storyteller says that people will think he is crazy. But he says that he is not crazy.

Crazy people cannot tell their stories calmly, so he is not crazy. The storyteller feels nervous and he can hear everything, even things that other people cannot hear.

Paragraph 2 The storyteller lives in a house with an old man. The old man is nice to him and he likes the old man. But the old man has a pale, blue eye that is like the eye of a bird. He hates the eye, so he decides to kill the old man to get rid of the eye.

Paragraph 3 Before he killed the old man the story-teller was very nice to him. Every night at midnight he went very quietly to the old man's room. He opened the old man's door slowly and quietly put his head inside the room. And then he would very quietly turn on the lamp. The storyteller did the same thing for 7 nights, but the old man's eye was always closed. He wanted to get rid of the eye, but he couldn't kill the old man if he couldn't see the eye. In the morning the storyteller acted normally so that the old man wouldn't know that he wanted to kill him.

Paragraph 4 & 5 On the eighth night at midnight the story-teller did the same thing. But this time when he turned on the lamp he made a sound and the old man woke up. The old man sat up in his bed and asked who was there.

Paragraph 6 & 7 The storyteller stood quietly for an hour. The old man did not go back to sleep. The old man was very afraid. He knew someone was in his room.

Paragraph 8 & 9 The storyteller turned on the lamp and saw the old man's eye. He became angry when he looked at it.

Paragraph 10 & 11 The storyteller could hear everything, so he could hear the beating of the old man's heart. The sound made him feel even more angry. The sound become louder and quicker. The storyteller became worried that the neighbors would hear the noise made by the old man's heart. The storyteller made the lamp light bright and yelled. The old man also yelled. The story -teller threw the old man on the floor and put the heavy bed on top of him. The sound of the heart stopped, so he knew the old man was dead.

Paragraph 12 & 13 Then the story-teller cut the body into pieces and hid them under the wooden floor.Paragraph 14 At 4 am the police came. The neighbors told the police that they had heard a yell come

from the house. The police wanted to look inside of the house to see if something bad had happened. Paragraph 15 The storyteller told the police that the old man was staying in the country and was not at

home. He said that he had yelled of a bad dream. The police searched the house but didn't find anything. Then they all sat in the old man's room and talked. The storyteller sat on the floor above where he had hidden the old man's body.

Paragraph 16 & 17 The police didn't think anything bad had happened. They just sat and talked. The storyteller began to hear the dead man's heart. The sound got louder and really bothered him.

Questions: a) Justify the title " The Tell-Tale Heart".b) Discuss the development of the story. c) Draw a character sketch of the story? d) Would you call the narrator mad ? Give reasons for your answer.


Purgatory-W.B.Yeats

Main Theme

The main theme of this play is that the crime of a father will be repeated by his son in an endless cycle of violence.

PurgatoryIn Christion religion, Purgatory is a place where souls of people who cannot go straight to heaven go because their sins have not been forgiven, souls in purgatory are punished and suffer.

The Christion View of the Journey of a soul

Heaven ( for souls of people with no sin and who are good)

BIRTH - LIFE - DEATHPurgatory (for souls of people whose sins have not been forgiven)

Hell ( for souls of people whose sins cannot be forgiven/ very bad people)

Short Summary:There are only two characters in this play, a boy and an old Man. The Old Man is the Boys father. The Boy does not like the Old Man. They are in front of an old house that has been burnt down. The house had belonged to the Old man's parents - his rich mother and his money- wasting father. The mother had died giving birth to the Old Man and his father had been murdered by the Old man when the house had burnt down.The Old man believes his mother's soul is suffering in Purgatory. He believes that she is constantly reliving her wedding night. He tells this to the Boy.After the Old Man and the Boy fight over the Old Man's money, he kills the Boy. He does this to stop the boy having a son of his own. He believes that this will break the cycle of violence and release his mother's soul from Purgatory. At the end of the play, he realizes that his mother's soul is still suffering in Purgatory.Characters:There are four characters in this play. Two are real people and two are ghosts.Real people: The old Man The Boy (The Old Man's son)Ghosts: The Old Man's Mother

The Old Man's Father

Critical Appreciation of the playPurgatory is an one act play. the theme is related to the crime of patricide and its

confession. There are only two characters, the old man and his son. The Oldman confesses his

crime to his son. The Old Man believes that there is a great tragedy in his family because of the bad and immoral character of his father. And his dead mother still suffers in the purgatory. The Old Man think that if he lets the boy grow up the boy will follow the footprint


of his grandfather of father and pass on the polluted tradition to the future generation. So to stop the further pollution he ends his family line by killing his son.

The play starts with the scene of aruined house and bare tree in the background. The Old Man is accompanied by his father. He says that his mother was very rich. She belonged to an aristocratic family and owned the house and a lot of land. She also owned an expensive race horse. The old Man's father looked after the horse. Then she fell to the charm of her groom. Her failure to check her physical attraction towards her own servant ruined her life. It caused considerable pain to her parents. The young lady's mother never spoke to her again once she ran away with the groom who was in a training stable. The husband naturally failed to upkeep his role as a spouse to his noble lady and he squandered everything she had. It turned out to be a wrong combination. But she did not know about the worse thing that followed because she died at childbirth.

The child grew up and saw what he father did with the family property. He took to wine and women and gambling and spent everything and even the trees in the garden. At last he set the house on fire when he was over drank. The old man was sixteen at that time. He became so angry with his father that he killed him. He could not stand the rowdy behaviour of his drunken father. And, now they are standing near the same house and the Old Man's son is also sixteen. The old man is a wondering peddler and his son is a bastered one.

The night is a moonlit one. The scene of the ruined house brings back the past memories. The night is the weeding anniversary of his mother and father; that was the night when he was begotten. But the marriage destroyed everything, even the whole family. The old man thinks he sees the ghost of his mother and the window of the ruined house, she appears very sad and remorseful to him. She suffers in the purgatory and visits the familiar places of the house to see the destruction of her family. Her marriage to the Old Man's father was the cause of this destruction.

The Old Man feels very sad. At this moments the boy pulls away his bag of money. The Boy threatens his father to give him the money or else he will kill him like the old Man had or killed his father. At the same time the ghost of the Old man's father appears at the window. The boy is frightened and covers his face with his hands. The old man takes this chance and stabs the boy with the same knife that he had used to kill his father. This was the end of his polluted family line.

At the end he prays to God to release his mother's soul from purgatory and to lessen the burden of the living and the regrets of the dead.

Questions:a) What is the theme of "Purgatory". Explain it. b) Explain how "Purgatory" explores the relation of human life to supernatural

forces. c) What is the Old Man's motive in murdering the Boy?


A child is Born -Germaine Greer

" A child is Born " is an extract from Germaine Greer's book "Sex and Destiny". The present essay represents a comparison between the attitude towards pregnancy, childbirth, childbearing and childrearing in the technocratic West and traditional East. The writer also compares the parent- child relationship and the role of children in traditional, agricultural societies with that of children in the western, industrialized countries.

She says that there are many ways of managing childbirth in traditional societies. In traditional societies childbirth is a collective responsibility of the whole family and even the whole community. A pregnant women is looked after and helped by the whole members of the family and societies. So, the pregnant woman fells safe and protected which greatly reduces her fear, anxiety and pain of childbirth. Even though the way of managing childbirth in traditional societies are dangerous and often results in the death of mother and child, a mother gets a lot of love care and moral support from the family and relatives which is more important than even one's life.

On the other hand Western societies have a different approach to pregnancy and childbirth. A pregnant woman does not get extra care and support from her family. She approaches her pregnancy mechanically like she approaches her examinations. The writer gives an example of her friend in college. She says that her friend was superstitious even though she was educated. So, she didn't buy clothes and toys before the birth of the child. But she used to note down every development, do exercise regularly and gave birth almost unattended.

In many traditional societies a woman goes to her husband's house after her marriage, but she is considered a part of the family only after she gives birth to a child. If she cannot bear children then her life is ruined and when she gives birth she loses her identity and is known as the mother of her first born child. In the same way child rearing is also a collective business of the whole family. In fact the biological parents do not have to look after their children. This weakens the parent- child relationship. And also is considered cruel in human and wrong by the western societies.

In Indian orthodox Rajput societies, by bearing a child the woman satisfies the desire of the family, Childbirth is an achievement celebrated with much feasting, singing and fun. The pregnant woman also gets a chance to go to her mother's home. So, we can say that in traditional societies, the birth of a child is more due to the pressure of the family than the mother's own desire.

The writer says that in Bangladesh all the children below fire are looked after collectively by one of the family members. So a child spends the whole day in the company of other members and women to his / her mother only during bedtime where as in the West the woman almost singaly bears with the pains and problems related to pregnancy, child birth and child rearing.

But, now a days, even in traditional societies the use of western equipments and medicine is growing. The doctors, nurses and modern medicine is highly respected by the people. But due to lack of proper facilities and medicines the doctors are compelled to give strong dose even to weak patients. In some places where hospitals have been established with foreign help, they donot have sufficient and proper equipments and medicines and the3 result to disastrous. Shelia Kitzing describes a scene of a delivery ward in a hospital in South Africa, a horrible combination of modern technology and traditional Africa. There were women growning in the pool of blood and the nurses simply ignored them and kept themselves busing with the equipment.


The writer seems to tell us that, keeping in mind the terrible experience that a woman ungoes before, during and after childbirth the birth of alive child becomes irrelevant. So the writer seems to suggest that traditional approach is better than the Western mechanical approach to childbirth. But the best way to manage pregnancy and childbirth would be a aproper combination of the Eastern and the Western approaches.

Questions:1. What differences does the writer show between a traditional society and a modern society

in manners of pregnancy, childbirth, and childbearing? 2. Describe the childrearing system in Bangladesh.


Women's Business-Ilene Kantrov

In the essay "Women's Business" the writer has tried to discuss about some American business women and their business techniques. at first she has mentioned about Lydia E. Pinkham and her business then she goes on to tell about other business women who followed Lydia E. Pinkham's business techniques.

In 1879, Lydia E. Pinkham's face used to appear on the pages of newspapers and magazine. Her face advertised one of her home made medicine vegetable compound, i.c "Lydia E. Pinkham'svegetable compound" which has claimed to bring relief from falling of the womb and other female problems. She not only advocated women to get treatment only from women doctors, but also gave advice on diet, exercise, good hygiene and other health tips. She also used to print the report of the woman than Pinkham's product help them to care not only physical illness but also nervousness and hysteria and marriage related problems.

Pinkham's business and the techniques she adopted to market her product brought her good name and fame and she was able to earn a lot of money as well. also she was able to accupy a special position in the American business world. She had set an example to other business women of her era. Pinkhan's main rivals, Helena Rubinstein and Elizabeth Arden also employed their female image to market their products. They used their glamorous image and their marriage to European aristocrates to catch the consumer's attention.

In the same way Rudskin and and Grassinger achieved success in running successful hotel and resorts by exploiting their image as mother and grandmother.

But all the women entrepreneurs of that era have a common thing in them i.e. their business were based an traditional women's skill and they had mainly served the women consumers. Pinkham and Rudskin supported their husbands through their business of herbal medicine and additive free bread respectively. Elizabeth Arden had introduced her first make up set in 1909 and later added skin care, cosmetics, hair-styling and advised on nutrition, exercise and even yoga. Helena and Rubinstin published a book on th ebenefits of eating raw foods. Both these women promoted the idea that the beauty salon could develop a women inside and out. Another business woman Anne- Trubno Malone founded a hair dressing business. She employed only authorised sales agents and even started a training school to produce trained agents.

All these women got success in their business due to their understanding of women's taste. Not only they combined their business with their campaign for social change and women's cause. For example Rubinstein and Grossinger donated a lot to hospitals, schools and other social and cultural organization.

For the later women entrepreneurs social service became secondary to profit motive. As a result they made unreal claims or false claims about the medical value of their products. As a result the agencies like FDA and FTC had to control their activities, and some of them had to face even legal actions. Only Lydia Pinkham's could maintain a balance between her business and her social service. It is therefore, no one complained her even though she was selling products that contain a lot of alcohol.

Questions:1. Which of Lydia E.Pinkham's business methods did later women capitalists adopt

for their own enter prises? In what ways did they depart from Pinkham's model? 2. In what ways the business women resemble male entrepreneurs of their day.


God's Grandeur-Gerard Manley Hopkins

Gerard Manley Hopkins, being a priest is fully motivated with the religious thought. He believes the whole universe and the individual living man or woman exist upon the will of God. The poet affirms this faith through the lines of this poem.

According to him the whole world is charged or activated by the will of God. This is expressed in the beginning line of the poem. The magnificence or the greatness of God has kept the earth alive and lively. The poet draws the image of the shining foil, which is when reflected, sends out the light of a burning flame. This image is used to show the lively existence of the world. Similarly the oil is another image to show the richness of the earth. Such a magnificence of God is manifested in this way. God cannot be seen or touched, but His noble work of art is understood through different manifestations. Unfortunately human intelligence fails to understand this truth.

God is the embodiment of absolute compassion. And this compassion is meant for the welfare of human beings. Unfortunately men are not aware of such a grace or they are insensitive to perceive the loving care of divine hand. Thus the poet poses a question about the punishment (rod) on the day of the last judgement. This is again according to the Biblical belief that sinners are condemned to hell forever on this day.

The poet feels that the people, who are indulged to fulfil their selfish desire, have exploited the earth completely. " All is seared with trade: bleared, smeared with foil," which means every nook an corner of the earth has been rendered wounded. It seems the original natural freshness have been vanished from the surface of the earth. Such act of exploitation is going on right from the day of creation. Human being, wearing shoes(shod) is treading upon the bust of the earth, which is symbolically meant to express the inability to feel the pain of the earth.

However, in the last six lines the poet reconciles with the positive aspects of the divine love. The God is so merciful that He does not reveal his wrath for the unmindful act of human being. Such an act of forgiveness proves. His absolute compassion for all the world of living and non-living. Due to his grace the earth has been endowed with a never exhausting store of supply. The poet expresses, the nature is never spent. The greenery, the fruits, the flowers, the food grains, the useful herbs are never exhausted. At the completions of each cycle of the four seasons they are available on the surface of the earth. "There lives the dearest freshness deep down things," which means the earth has been endowed with the everlasting freshness in its womb.

The human activities have inflicted the harm to the earth to such an extent that the ray of the last hope seems to have vanished in the west. Again the "west" has been referred to as the "black west" to indicate the complete exploitation of the earth. However the positive aspects of the nature such as the bright morning, the east, the spring (the queen of seasons) bring back they ray of hope of survival. The poet believes that just like the mother dove takes care of its young in the warm breast, the Holy Ghost in the form of white dove with bright wings takes of the earth and all the human beings.

This poem has been composed in the sonnet form containing the lines of fourteen. The rhyming pattern used in the poem is "abba abba cd cd cd." On the fifth line of the poem the "Generation have trod. have trod. have trod," could be better written have trodden. But the poet has used this form in order to match the rhyming pattern.

Question: 1. Explain the greatness of God. 2. Explain the use of alliteration and assonance in this poem. 3. Give reasons why men are unaware of the greatness of God?


The Children Who Wait -Marsha Traugot

In this essay " The children who wait" Marsha Traugot has discussed some changes in the American adoption scene. She has also suggested some factors responsible for the change. She says that few decades years ago there were large number of children who were considered unadaptable.

In the past the family that wanted to adopt children used to look for only healthy, while not overgrown children for adoption. But now many varieties of families are opening home even for black' physically handicapped and mentally retarded children who were considered unadoptable in the past.

She has started the essay with a newspaper description of a five years old black girl Tammy, the girl has a charming look but suffers from a fatal alcoholic syndrome, a diseases caused due to alcoholic consumption of her mother during pregnancy. In the past she would have been rejected by adoptive families but at present she even has a good chance of finding a matching family.

There are various factors that have brought charges in the field of adoption scene. For example, the "Black Civil rights Movement" encouraged cross racial and inter racial adoption practice. The women's movement, the easily availability of the means of birth control and contraceptives. legalized abortion practice, changes in the attitude towards sexual behaviour before marriage, etc, greatly reduced the number of healthy, so called, adoptable children. Even the unmarried mothers preferred to keep babies. So due to various civil rights movements, birth control, changing social values, social sciences research resulted in the scarcity of adoptable children. Even then a lot of children wait at the foster home to be adopted.

Child welfare specialists are much worried about the children who are waiting. The foster care has become very expensive. Also it is cruel as some of the children would develop mental and physical disabilities due to lack of proper love and care. So the system has changed now. The social workers do not look only for middle-class, home-owning two parent, one career families for the children. Now they look for families that are suitable for children of different needs. Thus matching has become proper system. At present the specialist have started giving workshops for placement and also supervision for the adopted children.

These social workers and adoption agencies look for suitable adoptive families. If they can't find the family, they refer the case to regional or state adoption exchange. They also arrange informal meetings and training for th potential parents. And if, they still cannot find the suitable family, they advertise. So the new trend in the field of adoption has raised the hope of even a child like Tammy for a warm loving and caring family.

Questions:1. According to Traugot, what changes are transforming the American adoption

scene? What factors are responsible for the changes? 2. Write an essay about the child adoption practice in Nepal.


The Boarding House- James Joyce

This is a story of adolescence. The story is based on Joyce's experience of growing up in Dublin, Ireland. This story is an example of a story with a ghost chapter. So it demands and active participation from the readers to construct the missing part of the story. Readers are required to be creative and fill in the gap left by the writer in the story.

The story presents the life of a butcher's family in Dublin. Mrs. Mooney was a butcher's daughter, but she had married her father's head servant, when her father died Mr. Mooney became a drunkard and started creating trouble in the house. He regularly fought with his wife in front of the customers and also brought stale meat. So they lost their business. In same occasion when he was drunk he even chased his wife with a knife and Mrs. Mooney had to spend the night in the neighbour's house. After that she went to the priest and got divorce from her husband.

She started living independently with her two children, Jack and Polly. Her husband became a poor useless fellow and waited for a job as a sheriff's man, but she opened a boarding house, with whatever amount was remaining from the butcher's business. Many tourists and young working man used to live in her house. They used to call her 'Madam' and paid 15 shillings a week for board and lodging. Her son was quite social but vulgar. Every Sunday nights there used to be singing and dancing in the boarding house. Polly also used to sing and dance with the young man.

Polly, who was a slim girl of about nineteen, used to feist with the young man. Mrs Mooney wanted her to have a serious affair with one of the young men, but she knew that none of the men were serious about Polly. They did not have any intention of marrying her. But after sometimes she noticed that a kind of affair was going on between Polly and Mr. Doran, a clerk. Mrs Mooney didn't interfere until she thought that the time was right. She was very cunning. So she planned carefully to make Mr. Doran marry Polly.

One day she had a frank talk with her daughter. After she wished to have a serious talk with Mr. Doran. It was a bright Sunday she asked mary her servant to call Mr.Doran. Doran was nervous and in a dilemma. He also regretted his affair with a loose charactered girl like Polly. But he knew that he had no option than marrying Polly. When he was lost in his own thought Polly, entered the room. She was also nervous and cried in his arms. He consoled her by saying that everything would be alright. At that time Mary informed Mr. Doran that Mrs Mooney wished to see him. He arranged his dress and went downstairs to meet Mrs Mooney.

When he was goig downstaris, he met Jack and remembered that he was sensitive about his sister. In the meantime Polly waited eagerly in the room dreaming about her future with Mr. Doran. She was lost in her own thought, when Mrs Mooney herself came to inform her that Mr. Doran wanted to have a talk with her about their marriage.

Questions:1. Explain the character of Mrs. Mooney. 2. How do you think Mrs Mooney settled with Mr Doran about Polly? Did Mr.

Doran marry Polly of pay out compensation?


(Q): Argue in favour of some course of action in a situation that consider an injustice. Racialinjustice is one possible area, or unfairness to any minority, or to women, children, the old, ex-convicts, the handicapped, the poor. If possible, narrow your subject to a particular incident or a local situation on which you can write knowledgeably.

Ans: Despite the fact that the human society has been making progress in science, literature etc over the years, we are unable to dispense with some to the narrow concepts. A glance of the newspapers is sufficient to know that the world is not as civilized as it is thought to be. One finds abundant examples such as racial discrimination and segregation, male dominance, prejudice against the old, the handicapped and the poor etc. All the communities all over the world have failed to remain intact with these narrow way of thinking. Nepal is not an exception.

Recently a news published in the Kathmandu Post indicates that we are still lagging behind in this scientific era. It is about the version of a teacher who has been isolated because of his lower caste. He expresses his concern about the behaviour of educated people towards him. He points out that his fellow teachers and students refuse to dine with him at the same table. His appeal and protest made me think about it.

We are not unfamiliar about this kind of situation. Everyone uses the high sounding slogans of equality, liberty and fraternity. Howerver, when we come to the practical part of the life, we find ourselves being guided by the same narrow and conservative thoughts as any uneducated person. These irrational thoughts have occupied our minds for ages in such a manner that we find it difficult to behave in an uncustomary and untraditional way. In each and every atom of our body, the negative influence of our conservative culture has spread its roots. So the common people are the victims. In such a case, the educated people are expected to guide the laymen to think in a broad manner which is not only right but also essential. This requires a strong will-power and determination.

Hence the educated people have a great responsibility on their shoulders. If they fail to accomplish this responsibility, they are bound to face the humiliation before the great personalities Moreover, the demarcation between civilization and fanaticism will vanish and we will be no better than the savages with a thin quote of civilization. Let us hope against hope that our behaviour will be worthy of our education. It is high time that we discarded the narrow-minded practices and adopted the good ones.

(Q) Write and essay about the values held by the traditional Nepali society in which a woman who cannot bear children is considered as a failure in her personal life and a useless woman in the eyes of the society.

Nepali society is traditional in its practices, cultural behaviour and activities. Being a Hindu society, people follow the culture that has been handed over to them by their forefathers. Naturally in course of following the culture, the ideas of the people happen to be in accordance with the elders and religious authorities. As a result, some of the ideas and practices tend to be parochial and some constructive as well as creative. Because of this reason, one can give number of examples about the bad and good aspects of the culture.

For instance dowry system, sacrificing animals, treating the women as slaves, caste system etc. are some of the negative aspects of our culture. They are the outcome of distortion of the culture in the hands of selfish people. On the other hand, the right guidance of scriptures, respect for elders, loving children, hospitality etc. Are the positive things of the culture in Nepali society. It has discarded some of the destructive practices such as Sathi System, child marriage etc. Inspite of that, we still have some shameful customs and ideas in our society. For example, the parents give priority


to a son and consider their daughter as a burden. Similarly, a woman who cannot bear children is considered as a failure in her personal life and useless woman in the eyes of the society.

Such irrational way of thinking is the result of illiteracy. With the spread of genuine education, such ideas will be replaced with the proper ideas. Such a change in our way of thinking will change the society for the better. The replacement of Panchayati System with Democratic System can be cited as an examp0le. However, the educated people must not hesitate to speak and support what is right. Only in that case, our society can be an ideal society with a great deal of love, cooperation, and the feeling of fraternity otherwise, it will be no better than the society of people having with the hearts of beasts.

1. Write a paragraph on An Old Man Remembers.

The question about what an old man remembers is more philosophical than factual. This question is left up to speculation. Naturally he tends to be nostalgic, thinking about the glorious days of his past. The pleasant memories and also painful experiences of the previous day are likely to haunt his imagination. He may begin recollecting his childhood in the presence of his loving parents. He cannot help remembering the innocent look he had as a boy and the simple way of thinking. After that, his reminiscences may take him to his youth when he used to be strong, ene3rgetic and full of ambition. He remembers how as a young man he passed his time day dreaming in certain occasions. At this instance, his memory drives him towards the romantic scenes of his life and warm emotions he had as a man of romantic heart. These days make him sigh and wonder about the mysteries of life and creation. While dragging himself through the vistas of his life, he may feel suffocated to remember the deaths of his mother, father and near as well as dear ones. However, he never stops remembering the good olden days because they are the only golden experiences left with him. They can be the only refuge left for him to seek while escaping from the bitter present.

2. Write an essay on Youth and AgeIt is a universal truth that every man is bound to pass through the stages of childhood,

youth and the last stage. In one of the dramas of Shakespeare, namely " As You Like It". the dramatist presents the world as a stage with the man and woman as players performing seven parts beginning from the stage of infancy. According to him, the stage of the youth is passed while leaving long sights and writing poems over the beauty of the beloved. On the contrary, the man spends his old age in a pathetic way. At this time, his physical appearance undergoes a drastic change. His face is covered with wrinkles and his mainly voice turns into a shrill sound. He looks no better than a pantaloon with hollow cheeks. The last stage is second childhood and the person at this stage is deprived of all the qualities and power over the senses.

Generally we divide our lives into three stages: childhood, youth and old age. The childhood is passed in ignorance and innocence whereas the youth is passed in follies. A young man is found to be comparatively more energetic and passionate. at this stage, he is guided more by emotion rather than by reason. Owing to this reason, he is apt to commit number of mistakes and repent in later period. It is the delicate and sensitive period when anything is likely to happen in his life. His rash behaviour may lead him out of the right track into the corrupt world. In such a case, his life. His rash behaviour may lead him out of the right track into the corrupt world. In such a case, his activities tend to be destructive and the elderly people consider them with disapproval. At the initial part of his youth, he is more attracted towards the opposite sex. As a result he may not be in a position to concentrate on the creative activities. If the young people are not properly guided at this stage, they are bound to face the dark future. On the contrary, if the proper guidance is given to them, they emerge as the successful candidates with the better future.


The old age is the antonym of the youth. At this stage, a person is found to be packed with wisdom and experiences. He is guided more by reason than by emotion. Although he finds himself physically weak, he is certain of his mental strength. His maturity and prudence guide him across the obstacles. Because of his precaution, he leads himself and his family members towards the right direction. However, as he grows in age, he is likely to be eccentric due to his sensitive way of thinking. His physical appearance undergoes a drastic change. The wrinkled face and trembling hands and legs with stooped body make him look pathetic and miserable. One can read the signs of death all around him. He becomes a stranger in his own house because his children and grandchildren think of him as a killjoy. Every moment in his life is filled with the thoughts of humiliation. Owing to his weakness, he suffers from different diseases and he is bound to depend on the mercy of his kith and kin.. Thus he lives and thus he dies. His death brings a sigh of relief to his relatives.

Hansel & Gretel Jacob and Wilheim Grimn

"Hansel and Gretel' is a fairy tale originally published in Germany by Jacob and Wilhelm Grimm in 1812. It is the story about a poor woodcutter's family and their struggle to make a living in the world.

According to the story, the woodcutter lived at the edge of the forest with his wife and children. Hansel and Gretel. they were so poor that they would find it hard to live in time of famine which threatened them with starvation. Once during the time of famine, he was obliged to leave his children in the forest. However, Hansel and Gretel managed to return home because they had overheard the conversation between their father and mother and Hansel had his pockets filled with pebbles as a precaution to help themselves. They were able to return home even if it was a dark night because the pebbles that had been dropped by Hansel as the markers guided their return. Although they lived together for sometime, the same fate was awaiting them for the next famine. So when the woodcutter's family faced another famine, the woodcutter's wife, stepmother of the children, compelled him as before for leaving the children in the dense forest. This time they failed to return home because Hansel could not fill his pockets with pebbles and the breadcrumbs he had dropped on the way as the markers were eaten by the birds.

So Hansel and Gretel started walking in the forest and on the third day with the help of a white bird they reached a gingerbread house. They had no idea that a witch lived there and she would eat the children. At first she entertained them with delicious food and then put the boy in a shed to fatten so that she could eat him with a great delight. However Gretel was clever enough to do away with the witch and save her brother. Later they returned home with pearls and predious stones which they found in the gingerbread house. On the way they crossed a stream by the help of a duck. They lived happily with their father who had lost his wife in the meanwhile.

The Ginhgerbread House

- Robert Coover


The same fairy tale is adopted by Robert Coover with the title "The Gringerbread House" He used the device of exaggeration to parody the form of the original. In order to do so, he eliminated the first part of the story that is exposition of the crisis and the last part such as complicaiton and denouement. In other words, the important events and the sequence between one and the other event are not included in the story. In place of the events, he furnished the story with extra details about the minor aspects of the story such as the physical attributes of the characters and the forest. Every detail was exaggerated to such an extent that the action and the movement of the story become slow and sluggish. Besides the addition, he modified the characters. Hansel and Gretel by describing their frequent quarrels and reconciliation. Even the old father who was kind in the original story appears irritant now & then. At one occasion he strikes the boy without any reason. Similarly the witch is presented as "outrageous lunatic shredding her own clothes, clawing cruelly at her face and throat, cracking, screeching and tearing doves." Because of such modification, addition and elimination of different aspects of the story, one finds the events beating about the bush.

Gretel - Garrison Keillor

Likewise the story 'Gretel" is adapted by Garrison Keillor. The writer used the device 'relocation' to parody the content or meaning of the original story. It is relocated to the modern context with Gretel as the narrator complaining about the unjust treatment given to her character in the story. She adds extra information about her father being drunk and her brother being weak and cunning. These details help in modifying the characters with Gretel being the real protagonist and strong. She appears more lively with her several weak points such as her thinking that she should not have shoved the witch into the oven. She even considers the trying experience of the forest for which one does not have to worry much. The details of the story and the main events are eliminated.


The Little Brother and the Little sister

- Jacob & Wilheim Grimn"The Little Brother and the Little Sister, an English translation of Hanses and Gretel"

by Jacob and Wilhelm Grimm, deals with the same story of Hansel and Gretel. The writer sincerely included all the essential points of the original story to make it complete and harmonious. However one finds the dialogues between the character and other being eliminated. The minute details of the original story are simply summarized and the conversation between one character and the other is narrated. The Stepmother described as a 'womn' and shown to have wicked nature in the original is modified to some extent and described as the mother. Her vocatives "you lazybones'. 'wicked children". "You fool" etc. meant for Hansel and Gretel areeliminated. Such expressions make her appear no better than a witch. Removal of these expressions help in modifying her into a less witch and more unloving mother. In addition to it, the physical attributes of the witch are ignored in this adaption. In the original, one finds remarkable similarity between the stepmother and the witch in their way of talking with and beating the children. In the adoption, one finds the difference. Moreover, the last part of the original story includes the rich details such as ecstasy of the children over the death of the witch, return journey, crossing the stream with the help of the duck, father's joy over the reunion etc. Such details and jubilant feelings are not included in the adoption.

Hansel & Gretel

Interpretation normally implies transforming story, play, or poem into an essay. The purpose of interpretation includes not only the task of repeating in the form of essay about the things already mentioned in a story, poem or play but also the function of unraveling its complications.

Hansel & Gretel – Jack Zipes

For the better understanding of this concept, one can cite the interpretive essays written by Jack Zips and Bruno Bettelheim on the fairy tale " Hansel and Gretel". The essay by jack zipes is extracted form his book 'Breaking the Magic Spell". according to him, the story of Hansel and Gretel- who leave the house being abandoned by parents, kill the witch in her gingerbread house and return home with pearls and jewels for the peaceful and happy life – is the story of class conflict with an emphasis on hope and action. Accordingly, witch represents the feudal system and aristocracy. Her gingerbread house symbolizes the houses of feudal having abundant foods and hidden treasure. Woodcutter's abandoning the children indicates the pitiable condition and obligation of the poor people, which was the outcome of feudal system. The entanglement with witch and the killing of the witch symbolize the intended struggle and realization of the hatred of the poor people for the aristocrats as boarders and oppressors. The whole story intends to expose the prejudices and injustices of Feudal system with an emphasis on hope and action.

Hansel & Gretel – Bruno Bettelhein

The second interpretation is made by Bruno Bettelheim, offers a Freudian interpretation of the tale. The whole story is interpreted as the necessity of independence in thought and action as well as a self-reliance in children. According to it, children must


overcome the destructive desires of dependence on parents. otherwise parents and society force them for it. Hence the abandonment of Hansel and Gretel indicates the desire of the parents for the children to be independent. The anxiety of the children for returning home is nothing but an attempt to return to passivity. The appearance of the white dove on the roof to bid farewell, a white bird guiding them to the gingerbread house and the white duck helping them to cross the river denote that it is preferable for the children to risk facing the dangers of the world. According to the writer, the gingerbread house and the witch are symbols of mother. It implies that a mother can be a witch if the children yield to oral fixations and regression. Her cruelty is just an encouragement for their growth toward a higher plane of psychological and intellectual existence. Their getting together to outsmart her is, in fact, the virtue and the real achievement of the school-age children who have fought through and mastered the oedipal difficulties. The jewels and the pearls they find and bring home merely symbolize the rich rewards, the positive change of inner attitudes from dependence to independence. The whole adventure of the children is an immense experience which helps them to gain a lot.

"The Boarding House"-James Joyce

" The Boarding House" by James Joyce is the story of internal conflict between the self ;and different forces surrounding the self. It shows how the important decision of a man is influenced by different aspects such as social, financial, religious and psychological factors. In the given story Mr. Doran is obliged to propose Polly Mooney for marriage although he is not mentally prepared for it. His instinct urges him to remain free not to marry. It makes him feel that once he is married, he is done for. As for other reasons, she is the daughter of a disreputable father, a drunkard and her mother's boarding house is beginning to have a certain fame. Besides Polly is a little vulgar with a poor grammar. Above all, he has never been in such a deep and higher love with her that drives a man to discard everything for the sake of his beloved. His affair with her is the result of his inability to resist the physical attraction that coincided with her growing intimacy with him. Had she kept the distance with him and not entered his room at night alone in stimulating appearance, there would not have been any such relationship between them. He is not to be blamed altogether for what has happened. He can not make up his mind whether to like her or despise her for what she has done. He even longs to ascend through the roof and fly away to another country where he will never hear again of his troubles.

Despite these undeniable facts and the instinct of the celibate that warns him to hold back. he is under obligation to speak to her about marriage. He is forced to do so for many reasons. To begin with, Polly's mother Mrs. Moony is a determined woman. She has all the weight of social opinion on her side. She could say that she has allowed him to live beneath her roof assuming the he is a man of honour, and he has abused her hospitality. She could argue that he, being thirty four or thirty five years of age, can not plead for excuse in the name of youth and ignorance. She can even blame him that he has taken advantage of Polly's youth and inexperience. Secondly he is influenced by the religious factor. At his confession, the priest has magnified his sin making him feel guilty. thus his sense of guilt and honour makes him feel that reparation must be made for his sin. Thirdly, he knows that his refusal to marry Polly implies the loss of his job. He has been employed for thirteen years in a great Catholic wine merchant's shop. He has to throw away everything: his industry, diligence and long years of service for nothing. Finally, his decision to marry Polly is influenced by his


psychological fright and his concern for his security. He is aware of the fact that jack, Polly's brother, is violent who threatens to bite the throat of the one who plays with his sister.

On account of these reasons, he wants to propose Polly for marriage. His feelings of humiliation have nothing to do with this decision. The story reads like an illustration about the compromises of life. It has a touch of realism which is a matter of perception.

Questions from Hansel & Gretel1. Narrate the story of Hansel & Gretel in your own words. 2. What are the most striking differences betwen Coover's version and Grimm's ?

Discuss the significance of some of these differences. 3. Sum up Gretel's characters in your own words. ( Gretel)4. Consider Keillor's 'Gretel' as an interpretation of "Hansel and Gretel" and

Criticism of it. What attitude does he seem to adopt toward the original ?5. Show the differences between Grimm's first and second version of the story? 6. How did the witch receive the two children in their first night at the witch's house7. The story of "Hansel and Gretel" is a story of hope and victory. Explain it. 8. Give a analytical criticism of the story hansel and Gretel in your own words. 9. Why does Gretel support her stepmother and repent of killing of witch? 10. Why does Gretel blame her father and brother (Gretel)

(Q) Write a paragraph citing an example of the position of Nepali mother in the family.

Ans: Although women are considered to be inferior to men in Nepali society, they exercise a very important role as mothers in the family. The position of a Nepali mother is very similar to a pillar holding the roof of the house. She resembles the tent that provides shelter to the members of the family. She happens to be attached with all the members emotionally and spiritually. Her responsibilities are so serious that she is very seldom treated as a subordinate. The head of the family, the father can not carry on his activities to support the family without the help of his wife. The children also equally depend on her for several things such as food, clothes to be cleaned and guidance in their studies. If the mother is uneducated, she has to help the family in all the ways possible. She acts like a pivot, playing a very significant role in different matters including the decision making. In several occasions, people admit that the mother makes the house a heavenly abode. The society holds a great respect for the mothers who are used as the symbol of love, affection, and perfection. Although the parents, being the members of a male-dominant society, give priority to sons, the children give their first preference to mothers. They learn to speak, write and read with the help of their mothers. As the scholars are award of this fact, they hold the view that the women must be educated because only in that case the whole family and the society as well will be educated. It sounds like a paradox that mothers are respected in our society where the women are given the subordinate treatment. But it is the undeniable fact that the mothers command infinite respect from the members of the family because they keep the sacrificing spirit in their hearts. They are concerned about the welfare of the children and the family. They are the embodiments of devotion, dedication, friendliness and inspiration. The house without a mother is like a body without life and soul. In sentimental moments, even the rich vocabulary appear to be insufficient to include all the qualities of the mother in our society. The very word 'mother' creates the image of a woman doing her job with full of patience for the progress of her children.


Hansel and GretelBy :Jacob Grimm and Wilhelm Grimm

SummaryHansel and Gretel lived with their step mother and their father. Hansel was a boy and Gretel

was a girl. Their father was a wood cutter and they lived near a forest. The family was very poor and did not have enough to eat. One night Hansel and Gretel heard their parents planning to leave them in the forest to sare food. The woodcutter did not want to leave his children in the forest, but his wife persuaded him.

When they went into the forest the next day, Hansel dropped shiny pebbles on the path. The children were left by themselves. However, when it was night, the moon made the pebbles shine brightly. Hansel and Gretel followed the trail of pebbles back to their home.

Sometime later there was again no food. The woodcutter and his wife took Hansel and Gretel into the forest again. This time Hansel did not have any shiny pebbles, so he dropped small pieces of bread on the path. But the birds ate the pieces of bread so Hansel and Gretel could not find their way to home.

They were lost in the forest for 3 days. They become very hungry. Then they saw a house. It was made out of bread, cake and sugar,

so they began to eat it. An old wich lived in the house. She gave Hansel and Gretel lots of food, but then she locked

Hansel in a small shed and made Gretel do lots of work. The witch wanted to eat hansel and she was waiting until he got fat. However, Gretel pushed the witch into the over. She rescused Hansel and the witch was burnt to death.

Hansel and Gretel tried to find their home. They came to a river but there was no boat and even a bridge. However, they were carried across the water by a large white duck.

When they got home, they discovered that their stepmother had died. They gave their father lots of jewels that they had taken from the witch's house and after that they were all very happy. Comment:

According to Bettelheim, the story is really about things that go on in children's minds.For children, the mother is the sourse of all food. When they grow up, children must learn to

live separetely from their mother. This is why they're left in the forest. But they return home because they are not mature and old enough to live apart from their mother.

The children are left in the forest a second time. They try to solve their problems by concertrating only on food. They donot act like human beings but like hungry animals. This is why they eat the gingerbread house instead of using it for shelter.

The ginger bread house is also a symbol for the mother because the mother gives food to children.

Another message is that greed leads to destruction. The witch wants to eat the children who acted like greedy animals. It is only when they think and act like human beings that they manage to escape from the witch. In this way the witch is also a symbol for the mother. At the beginning of life, children get food from their mother. Then the witch's behaviour forces the children to start growing up and acting like adults.

The white duck that helps Hangel and Gretel get home is a symbol of a new beginning. The duck can only carry one child at a time and this shows that children must learn to live without their brothers and sisters.

Birds play an important part in the story we see that birds were controlling what happened to Hansel and Gretel.When Hansel and Gretel return home, they have grown up. They can now help their father. The help they have done is symbolized by the jewels. The family (now) is not rich because they have money but hansel and Gretel have learnt to think and act like adults.


English XII Hands Out to Student

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