Introduction to Prose Suggestion With Answer (PDF) 1st Year
- Department of English.
- Subject: Introduction to Prose.
- Subject Code: 211107.
- Part C: Suggestions.
- Part C: Answer With PDF File.
Part: C (Broad) Suggestions
1. Write a note on Bacon's prose style. (V.V.I)2. Bacon's essays are full of practical/worldly wisdom. Discuss with reference to "Of Studies".
3. Write the historical background that let Abraham Lincoln to deliver his famous speech at Gettysburg. (V.V.I)
4. Tagore's letter to Chelmsford is a protest against the brutal British rule in India. Discuss/ Discuss the reasons of Tagore's renouncing the knighthood. (V.V.I)
5. How does Orwell depict the hatred of the colonizers and the natives in the essay
"Shooting an Elephant"?
8. Comment on the treatment of love in the story "The Gift of the Magi". (V.V.I)
9. What picture of the city of Dublin do you get in James Joyce's "Araby"?
10. What aspects of child psychology are explored in "Games at Twilight". (V.V.I)
11. Discuss the character of Laura Sheridan in "The Garden Party"/ "The Garden Party" is
a story about a young girl's development into maturity. Discuss (V.V.I)
12. Discuss the role of Eppie in bringing regeneration to "Silas Marner". (V.V.I)
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Part C: Part: C (Broad) Suggestions Answer
Q: Write a note on Bacon's prose style/ aphoristic style. (V.V.I)
Ans: Francis Bacon (1561-1626) has been acknowledged as the father of modern English prose. He made a remarkable contribution to the development of English prose in the Elizabethan period. As an influential writer of his time, Bacon has a distinctive prose style of his own. In this respect, he remains unique in the field of English literature.
The first and foremost trait/feature of Bacon's prose style is aphorism. Aphorism is the terse expression of a universal truth. There is a terseness of expression and an epigrammatic brevity in the essays of Bacon. His sentences are brief and rapid but they are also forceful. The essay "Of Studies" is full of aphorism. As for example:--
"Some books are to be tasted, others to be swallowed and some few to be chewed and
digested"
"Studies serve for delight, for ornament and for ability" Bacon's prose is enriched with brilliant figures of speech. Bacon draws his imagery from the familiar objects of nature. His similes and metaphors are apt, vivid and suggestive. There are not mere ornaments rather they render force, charm and clarity to his style. In the essay "Of Studies", Bacon has used similes in a skillful manner and as example has been cited from this very essay
"...natural abilities are like natural plants that need proyning by study" Bacon's essays bear witness to Bacon's learned mind in the extensive use of quotations and allusions drawn from various sources, classical fables, the Bible, History etc. His vocabulary is largely permeated with Latinism. In "Of Studies", we find the use of Latin words. As for example. We may cite the following line...
"Abeunt studia in mores"
This quotation means studies influence a man's character and mould his personality.
There is no humour in Bacon's essays but there is ample use of wit. He is a master of the skillful use of words. Bacon is unparallel because his thoughts are witty. From the above discussion, we can say that Francis Bacon has employed a distinctive style in his essays. His prose style is unique in nature and for his unique prose style, he occupied a prominent position in the arena of English literature.
Q: Show Bacon as a man of practical wisdom /Bacon as a moralist with reference to "Of Studies".(V.V.I)
Ans: Francis Bacon (1561-1626) is one of the most formidable figures of English literature.
In his essays, Bacon reveals him as a practical moralist full of worldly wisdom. Like a downright utilitarian he insists that knowledge is to be judged by its results. The wisdom enshrined in his essays was concerned with stern realities of life.
Bacon's approach towards studies is purely utilitarian. In his essay "Of Studies", he does not emphasize ono study for its own sake but for the benefit which it can provide to man to be supplemented by practical experience. In the essay "Of Studies", Bacon offers some practical wisdom regarding studies.
Here, Bacon means to say that the man who spends too much time in studies is a lazy man. The man who uses too much bookish knowledge to decorate his speech is a pretender. The man who strictly follows the rules learnt from a book in his day to day life is an eccentric scholar. So, Bacon's advice here is that a man should spend a reasonable length of time on studies and not let bookish knowledge overwhelm him. Thus, Bacon's approach to studies is pragmatic and utilitarian.
Studies develop and perfect a man's natural ability and they are in turn enriched by practical experience. Only bookish knowledge or only practical knowledge cannot help one. One should have both. In "Of Studies", Bacon classifies books for reading purposes. There are certain books which should be read in parts. There are some books that should be read quickly. There are only a small number of books that deserve to be read thoroughly and closely. Thus, only a small number of books provide knowledge and wisdom. In the essay "Of Studies", Bacon makes the following remarks to show his opinion regarding the usefulness of reading books ----
"Reading maketh a full man, conference a ready man and writing an exact man"
Here, Bacon says that reading, writing and conversation with one's fellow men are all necessary to perfect and develop the language skills of one.
Regarding the correct method of reading books, Bacon says "Read not to contradict and confute nor to believe and take for granted nor to find talk and discourse but to weigh and consider".
Those who want to get real benefit from their study should not read merely to find arguments to discuss with others and refute what others say nor should they study to decorate their conversation. Rather, they should ponder and think over what they have studied and in this way improve their judgement. They should not accept as true what they find in books. They should examine it carefully and from their own conclusion.
In the light of the above discussion, we can say that Francis Bacon is a man of practical wisdom. Undoubtedly, he is a moralist, pragmatic and utilitarian thinker. In his essay "Of Studies", he advises regarding studies in a practical way. In fact, his essays are a treasure house of worldly wisdom.
Q: What are the historical background that led Abraham Lincoln to deliver his famous speech "Gettysburg Address?"(V.V.I)
Ans: "Gettysburg Address" delivered by Abraham Lincoln is one of the memorable and the most iconic speeches ever delivered by any man in the political history of the whole world. This famous speech was delivered by Lincoln, the 16th president of America, at the dedication of the soldiers' National Cemetery at Gettysburg on the afternoon of Thursday, November 19, 1863.
This speech is the monumental speech to the people of America reminding them of the sacrifice of their forefathers in building the nation and at the same time the evils of civil war. In fact, this very speech is a turning point in the war. Behind this remarkable speech, there was historical background i.e. the unstable /critical situation of the states during the civil war in America.
The significance of the speech went far beyond the Battle of Gettysburg or the American civil war as Lincoln starts with a reference to the American war of Independence in 1776 fought against the British colonial rule. But unfortunately, it failed to achieve its cherished goal. The heroes of the Independence War visualized a nation on the principles of "liberty and equality".
But the country failed to ensure liberty and equality for all its citizens till Lincoln's days. Racial discriminations were rampant in America. The black people were nothing but slaves to the white Americans. Lincoln's advent in the political arena of America was at this critical period of history. He was always against slavery.
The racial distinction existed in the country led it to a civil war which lasted for five years from 1861 to 1865. The main reason of the war was the issue of slavery. The two parties of the war were the Northern and the Southern states of America. The Northern states were in favour of the abolition of slavery from all lands of America but the Southern states supported the system of slavery. However, the war came to an end with the victory of the Union forces under the able leadership of President Abraham Lincoln.
The most famous but bloodies battle of the American civil war occurred at Gettysburg, Pennsylvania from July to July 3, 1863. Over the course of three days more than 51000 Confederate and Union soldiers wounded, missing or dead on the Gettysburg war field. In fact, the battle of Gettysburg took the lives of many patriotic Americans. The battle proved to be the turning point of the war.
General Robert E. Lee's defeat and retreat from Gettysburg marked the last Confederate invasion of Northern territory and the beginning of the Southern army's ultimate decline. Several months later on November 19, 1863, President Abraham Lincoln went to Gettysburg to speak at the dedication of the cemetery for the Union soldiers who laid down their lives to save their motherland from disintegration.
From the above discussion, we can say that the unstable condition of America led Abraham Lincoln to deliver the world famous speech "Gettysburg Address". In fact, Lincoln's speech is a political declaration to inspire the people to freedom and fraternity. In this famous speech, President Lincoln spoke about the significance of that battlefield and dedicated a plot of land to be used as a national cemetery for soldiers who died in battle.
Q: What are the reasons for Tagore's renunciation of the title of knighthood? / Tagore's patriotism/ a vehement protest against the inhuman oppression of the British colony. (V.V.I)
Ans: Rabindranath Tagore (1861-1941) is the greatest literary figure in the field of Bengali literature who had contributed to every branch of literature. His "Letter to Lord Chelmsford Rejecting Knighthood" is a famous letter ever written by any literary figure as a protest against British colonial rule. Tagore's letter of protest to Lord C displays his great patriotism. The renunciation of his knighthood was a protest not only against the Amritsar Massacre but also against the colonial rule in India.
In recognition of Tagore's great literary achievements, he was conferred with the title of knighthood by the British King George V in 1915.Undoubtedly this title was a very prestigious one for him. But Tagore rejected this knighthood in 1919 as a vehement protest against the Massacre of Jalianwalla Bagh where British troops killed four hundred Indian demonstrators. The renouncing of this prestigious title was not an easy decision for Tagore but he made it as a mark of his protest against the brutality and oppression of the colonial rulers.
Rabindranath Tagore was very alarmed and shocked at the cruelty of the British Raj at the Jalianwalla Bagh Massacre in Amritsar where fifty British Indian Army soldiers under the command of Brigadier General Reginald Dyer opened fire on the unarmed gathering of innocent men, women and children. It was April 13, 1919, a day of Baisakhi Fair, one of Punjab's largest religious festivals.
However as a result of sudden firing of the British army about 400 unarmed people were killed and more than two thousand wounded. Between April 23 and 26, Tagore sent five agitated letters to C.F Andrews, his English friend who himself was extremely disturbed by the oppression of the British Raj in India. Tagore was deeply moved by the mass killing and on May 31, 1919, he wrote to the Viceroy of India, Lord Chelmsford asking to be relieved of the knighthood, he had accepted four years earlier in 1915.
In fact, Tagore's rejection of the knighthood added fuel to the Indian agitation against the British colonial rule in India. The Amritsar massacre left a sharp painful effect on Tagore's mind. According to him, the Raj has lost its position. In his opinion, the British colony has no political expediency. In the language of Tagore "We must strongly assert that it can claim no political expediency far less moral justification."
In fact the British Raj has revealed a tyrannical character through the mass killing in Punjab. The impact of Tagore's letter on the British Raj was significant. This public protest by a prominent Indian against the massacre at Jalianwalla Bagh shook the administration of the British empire in India. Tagore's letter was a symbolic manifestation of the common feeling of the Indian people against the brutality of the British Raj in India. The letter is brief but it is powerful in language.
The poet's patriotism and love for his countrymen found expression in his emotional language. In his letter, he shows the helplessness of the native Indians as well as the unfitness of the rulers. To sum up, we can say that Rabindranath Tagore has renounced the title of knighthood out of his patriotism and as a vehement protest against the oppression and inexpediency of the British rulers.
Q: Sketch the character of Della. (V.I)
Ans: "The Gift of the Magi" is a celebrated short story composed by O' Henry. In this short
story, the character of Della Dillingham is a wonderful creation of the author. Henry has delineated the character of Della in a wonderful way. She has been portrayed as a virtuous housewife, loving wife and selfless woman. She is the central character of the story. Mrs. Dillingham has long smooth and glistening hair of which any woman woman can be jealous despite all the jewels that she passes.
A careful analysis of the short story is needed to sketch the character of Della vividly. The short story "The Gift of the Magi" begins with the problem of Della, the heroine of the story. The whole story revolves round the predicament of Della. From the very beginning of the story. we get an impression that the author has present Della as an economical housewife. She is not only thrifty but also hard working.
Her daily practice is to save money in one and two pennies by hard bargaining with the grocer, the vegetable man and the butcher. She saves only 1.87 dollars by bargaining with shopkeepers. In fact, whatever she buys, she tries to save some pennies for the future especially to buy a gift for her husband.
Della is very practical. She is aware of the hard realities of life. Their family is poverty stricken. She has to maintain her family with a meagre income. Twenty dollars a week is not sufficient for the expenses of the family. Expenses have always been more than her calculation. Now she has only one dollar and eighty seven cents. Poverty cannot stand on the way of her desired wish to buy a nice gift for Jim.
Here, Della shows the dynamism of her character. She is determined to offer a Christmas gift to Jim.
The most striking quality that O' Henry has embowed in Della is her profound and sincere love for her husband. She is highly devoted housewife of Jim. Della loves her husband very profoundly. Her love for her husband is so deep that she does not hesitate to sacrifice her valuable passion to procure money with which she could buy Christmas gift. On the eve of the Christmas, she becomes restless for her financial hardship.
She desperately wants to offer Jim, her beloved husband a nice Christmas gift but she lacks necessary money for the purpose. She has a saving of one dollar and eighty-seven cents but this amount is quite inadequate for buying a gift which is really worthy of Jim. Under this situation, she can do nothing but flop down in her shabby little couch and weep. She realizes the grim reality of life that life is made up sobs, sniffles and smiles.
Della is aware of her proud possession that is her beautiful hair. Finding no other way, she quickly. goes to the market and sells her beautiful hair for twenty dollars. Then she ransacks every store of the market for Jim's present and at last after much searching finds a platinum fob chain for Jim's watch and buys it for twenty-one dollars. Here we find romantic Della. To express her deep love for her husband, Della makes the following remarks----
"May be the hairs of my head were numbered but nobody could ever count my love for
you"
This extract shows Della's spontaneous and unconditional love for Jim. In the light of the above discussion, we can say that Della is endowed with multifarious virtues.
She has been depicted very nicely by O' Henry. She is affectionate, virtuous, selfless and young.
Q: How love is treated in "Gift of the Magi".(V.I)
Ans: "The Gift of the Magi" is a wonderful short story written by O' Henry who is the master of short stories .It deals with the theme of conjugal love. The theme of love is handled by O' Henry very skillfully. The story tells about a young couple Jim and Della who love each other sincerely and profoundly although they lead a poverty stricken life.
The genuine and unconditional love of conjugal life has been shown through the sincere and profound love existed between Jim and Della. Jim and Della have been portrayed as the models of genuine love and sacrifice for each other in the world of today.
It is the Christmas Eve and Della counts her savings. She has only one dollar and eighty-seven cents. She has saved this amount by her silent imputation pf parsimony and hard bargaining with shopkeepers for months. But this little amount of money does not allow her to buy a gift worthy of her beloved Jim.
For many days she has been planning for something fine, rare and sterling for Jim but now she is frustrated for her inability to buy it. In a gloomy mood she goes before the pier glass and sees her reflection there.
Finding no other way, Della takes a quick decision and goes to the market. She sells her beautiful hair for twenty dollars. Then she ransacks every store of the market for Jim's present and at last after much searching finds a platinum fob chain for Jim's watch. The chain is simple and modest in design. She buys it and returns home.
On the other hand, Jim also wants to buy a nice gift for his beloved wife Della. Being short of money, Jim sells his watch which he has inherited from his forefathers and which his proud possession to procure money to buy a set of combs of pure tortoise shell with jeweled rims. When Della returns home, she realizes what damage she has done to her hair. But this is the
expression of her love. She apprehends that Jim will rebuke her for selling her hair. So when she hears Jim's step on the stair, she turns white and prays to God silently that Jim may still consider her beautiful. Jim seems not to be very surprised.
Embracing Della, Jim brings out a package from his overcoat pocket and puts it on the table. He tells her to unwrap the package. When Della sees the set of combs, she gives a loud ecstatic cry of joy and then sheds tears out of emotion. She has craved for this set of combs for long without the least hope of possession.
Now she has got the desired combs but the tresses for the decoration of which they have been purchased are gone. With a smile Della assures Jim that her hair grows very fast. She also makes the following remarks that reveals her profound and boundless love for Jim.
"May be the hairs of my head were numbered but nobody could ever count my love for you" Now, Della holds the platinum fob chain eagerly upon her open palm. It is a dull precious metal, lacking any outward show but it proclaims Della's ardent and sincere love for Jim. By this time everything becomes clear to the happy pair. Jim says
"Let's put our Christmas presents away and keep 'em awhile. They're too nice to use just
the chops on"
at present. I sold the watch to get the money to buy your combs. And now suppose you put This extract shows the spirit of genuine love that exists in sincere feelings rather than material gains. They speak of their genuine and profound love for each other. For the sake of love they have
made supreme sacrifices. They are the winners in the trials of love. From the above discussion, we can say that O' Henry has presented love in his outstanding short story "Gift of the Magi" very successfully through the supreme sacrifices of Jim and Della. In his opinion, they are the models of genuine and sincere love of the modern world. In fact the theme of love is at the core of the story.
Q: What picture of Dublin city do you get in James Joyce's short story "Araby"?(V.V.I)
Ans: "Araby" is one of the celebrated short stories of James Joyce in his collection of stories Dubliners. It is a wonderful work of art. The story depicts the transformation of an adolescent boy from imagination to reality. Though the focus of the story is on the failure of the protagonist's search for ideal beauty and romance, it gives us a moving picture of Dublin city.
In order to bring his themes home, Joyce skillfully uses the setting of the story. It is set in the drab and dreary environment of the Dublin city. The author vividly depicted the life that he experienced as an inhabitant in the city of Dublin. Joyce specially highlights the paralysis of the city and its people through his presentation of his characters and their environment of his stories.
At the very outset of the story, we get a detailed picture of North Richmond Street. As the story begins, the narration throws light on the unpleasant aspect of Dublin life. The city of Dublin has been presented as a dull and dreary place to live in. North Richmond Street is blind and silent except immediately after the school hours of the Christian Brothers' School.
A deserted house of two storeys is at the end of the blind street and is detached from the neighboring houses. Other houses on the both sides of the street are dull and appear pale. The Street is rather thickly congested with numerous houses. The houses in the street are inhabited by a good number of people. A kind of semi-darkness always prevails there. The sky is hardly visible. The inhabitants do not see the sun setting.
The entire descriptions though brief is vivid and finely brings out the semi-gloomy state of a congested portion of a metropolis. In the story, "Araby" Dublin has been portrayed as a city with blind streets, muddy lanes and odorous ash-pits. The author describes the place particularly during the play hours and after. After the sunset the street is generally a semi- dark place. Lights come from the kitchen windows.
The shadows of houses are cast here and there. The marketplace is also depicted as a dirty and repulsive area. It is all a city of dullness and gloom, of dirt and shadows with a stifling atmosphere all around. In the story, Dublin has been presented as its background. Joyce vividly describes certain areas of the metropolis in his days. He brings out the unpleasant realities of the city life.
However, the reality in the story is symbolic manifestation of some ideal. The disagreeable background of the story gives out the contrast between the daily routine of drab Dublin life symbolizes man's monotonous, routine bound life that suppress the instinctive human urge for a cherished ideal of life.
The setting of the story is symbolic. The drab surroundings of the metropolis of the Dublin suggest that in a place which is marked by aridity and vapidity, the romantic ideal of a romantic mind cannot be fulfilled. The setting symbolically alludes to the ultimate frustration and anger that the romantic boy, the narrator of the story suffers from.
The commercialism of the city life has been put in stark contrast to the ideal of romance and beauty. Dublin life has hardly anything smoothing. In conclusion, we can say that James Joyce has given a very vivid picture of Dublin city. This city has been depicted as a stagnant and miserable city. The environment of the city is utterly unpleasant.
Q: Sketch the character of the lady admirer in "The Luncheon". (V.V.I)
Ans: "The Luncheon" is an excellent short story written by William Somerset Maugham, the distinguished writer of the modern age. In this story, Maugham has created a wonderful creation of character i.e. the character of the lady guest. He has delineated the character of lady guest
humourously. In the story, she has been portrayed as an embodiment of a modern woman with all vices and wickedness. We find in her the culmination of all the social evils such as pretensions, falsehood, hypocrisy, shrewdness, artificiality, gluttony, immodesty, audacity etc. When we go through the story, the character of the lady admirer will be clear to us.
From the very outset of the story, the author gives us an impression of the lady humourously. She appears as a pretentious and cunning woman who knows the weak point of a young man like the writer. Her appreciation of the writer's book is actually a cunning strategy to exploit a young man. The writer is easily convinced by her and becomes eager to get her company. The lady expresses her eager wish to have a chat with the writer.
He complies with her request to offer her a lunch at Foyot's, one of the most expensive restaurants in Paris. But his first impression about her is not happy one. She appears to be a woman of forty. The writer expected her to be young and beautiful but when she sees her practically, he develops a repulsive feelings towards her. Besides, she is very talkative lady and always talks sense and non-sense. She seems to be very authoritative.
The lady admirer is not only a pretentious woman but also a glorious liar and master in the art of convincing a young man. The writer is startled to see the high prices on the bill of fare but the lady asks him not to be worried and assures him that she never eats anything for luncheon. The generous writer tells her not to say in that way. Taking the chance she says cleverly
"I never eat more than one thing"
But contrary to her declaration, she consumes more than half a dozen items of costly foods and drinks much to the annoyance of the writer. Her hypocrisy becomes apparent when she criticizes people for eating far too much nowadays.
Her guileful behavior may be noticed in her waving the waiter aside with an airy gesture and tactfully expressing her desire for eating asparagus;
"I should be sorry to leave Paris without having some of them" The manner of her eating the asparagus in large voluptuous mouthfuls undoubtedly proves her gluttony. After this the voracious woman had ice-cream and coffee. At last she snatched a peach absent-mindedly from the waiter's basket during her conversation. This rude behavior of the lady was beyond all etiquette and it shocked the writer greatly.
At the end of the story, the writer expresses his attitude to his lady admirer. He is not a vindictive man but he feels happy to see the lady being punished by the immortal gods for her voracious eating. After twenty years he finds her at a theatre and this time she is a very fat lady weighing about twenty one stone. Thus the character of the lady guest has been presented as a woman of pretension and all ill vices.
Q: What were the tribulations of the young writer in entertaining his lady admirer at
Foyot's? (V.V.I) Or How was the young writer exploited by his lady admirer at Foyot's?
Ans: "The Luncheon" is a remarkable short story of William Somerset Maugham. This very short story deals with the tribulations of a young and inexperienced writer in entertaining his lady admirer at Foyot's. He fell an easy prey to the exploitation of a lady who had appreciated one of his books. In fact, the luncheon the writer had with her lady admirer was not a pleasant one. He had to undergo trial and tribulations at the hands of his lady admirer.
Twenty years ago the writer was living in a small apartment in Paris with his scanty income. Once he got a letter of appreciation from a woman who wanted to meet him and have a chat with him at a restaurant namely Foyot's. The writer was not solvent enough to offer a luncheon to his admirer in a rich hotel like Foyot's. But he complied with her request to arrange a little lunch at Foyot's. But practically the whole luncheon was a bitter experience for him, a serious exploitation of the pretentious lady.
The first impression of the writer about the admirer was disgusting. He expected her to be a young woman but he guessed she was a woman of forty with an imposing appearance.
When the writer was startled to see the high prices on the bill of fare, the lady assured him saying,
"I never eat anything for luncheon"
The generous writer requested her to have something and she tactfully said that she never ate more than one thing and that might be a little fish such as salmon. While salmon was being cooked for her she expressed her fancy for a caviar saying "I never mind caviar" When she saw the writer choosing a mutton chop, she criticized him for overloading his stomach with a heavy meal. On the question of drink, she chose champagne, the costly French white wine, on the excuse that her doctor prescribed it for her for its digestive power.
Her insincere discourse and hypocritical behavior angered the writer but he was still hospitable. The most terrible thing happened when the writer was compelled to order for asparagus for the sake of hospitality as the lady told him that she would be sorry to leave Paris without taking asparagus. The writer was panic stricken on the possibility of any embarrassing situation in case the bill exceeded the amount of money in his pocket. After this the voracious woman had ice cream and coffee.
At last she snatched a peach absent-mindedly from the waiter's basket during her conversation. This rude behavior of the lady was beyond all etiquette and it shocked the writer greatly. When the bill came, he was able to pay it but he had not enough money to pay an adequate tip. He paid three Frances as tip. The writer became penniless and he would have to starve for the rest of the month.
To sum up, we can say that the writer had to undergo trial and tribulation at the hands of the lady guest while he was entertaining her. In fact, he underwent a terrible mental torture. He was exploited by his admirer very badly at Foyot's.
Q: Write a note on the death scene of the elephant.
Ans: "Shooting an Elephant" is a celebrated work by George Orwell, a sub-divisional police officer at Moulmein in Burma. In this great work of Orwell, the death scene of the elephant is highly suggestive and symbolic. This scene symbolically suggests the futility and inner hollowness of the white domination in the East.
The scene also reveals the psychological conflict of the author as a sub-divisional police officer in Burma. In this very essay, elephant symbolizes the British Empire. The entire plot of the story revolves around the killing of the elephant or the death scene of the elephant.
In the essay "Shooting an Elephant", Orwell has given a very toughing and pathetic description of the elephant's death scene. He has described the background of the central incident of the essay that is the shooting of the elephant. He was informed by a Burmese sub-inspector at a police station that an elephant had an attack of 'must' (one kind of disease) and was ravaging in the bazar. Its mahout had gone in search of it in the wrong direction and there was none to control it.
The elephant has already destroyed a bamboo hut, killed a cow and upturned the municipal rubbish van. Going there, Orwell found a Dravidian Coolie was lying seriously injured on the muddy ground after having been crushed under the feet of the elephant. He saw the elephant standing at a distance of eight yards from the metallic road.
Orwell did not want to shoot the elephant as it did not look dangerous at all. But he found a large crowd of about two thousand people looking at him with excitement .The people wanted him to kill the elephant. At last he had to act as per expectation of the crowd who wanted to see his heroic performance with his magical rifle.
Standing before them with the rifle, he first grasped the hollowness and the futility of the white man's domination in the east.. Being a Whiteman, he thought, he should not be frightened before the natives. He put the cartridges into the magazines and lay down on the road to have a better aim at the animal.
The crowd who waited impatiently for the shooting of the animal, wanted to see the fun without delay. When he pulled the trigger he did not hear the bang or feel the kick. But he heard the sounds of joy among the natives. A terrible change came in the elephant. It neither moved nor fell but it suddenly looked pale, stricken and old as if the frightful effect of the bullet had paralyzed its whole body without knocking it down.
A second shot was fired. It did not collapse but climbed with desperate slowness to its feed and stood weakly upright. A third shot was fired and this time the animal was killed. It seemed to rise upward like a huge rock, toppling and its trunk reaching skyward like a tree. It trumpeted for the first and last time and the down it came with a crash that seemed to shake the ground.
Although the elephant seemed totally collapsed, it was not dead. Its mouth was open and it was breathing rhythmically. Orwell waited for it to die but its breathing did not weaken. So he fired finally his two remaining shots at its heart. It was dying very slowly and in great agony. It was really a dreadful sight to see the great beast which was powerless to move and yet unable to die.
To ensure its death and to stop its gasping sounds, the author sent back for his small rifle and poured shot after shot into its heart and down its throat. Unable to bear to witness the sight of the agony of the dying animal, Orwell went away from that spot. Later, he heard that the elephant had taken about half an hour to die.
So from the above discussion, we can say that George Orwell has given a very touching, vivid and pathetic description of the death scene of the elephant. This scene is undoubtedly very symbolic.
Q: How does Martin Luther King point out the discrimination between the white and the Black in America? (V.V.I)
Ans: "I have a dream" is one of the most celebrated speeches delivered by Martin Luther King Jr. on August 28, 1963 from the steps of the Lincoln Memorial. This famous speech has been delivered during the March on Washington for jobs and freedom by the supporters of the American Civil Rights Movement. In this speech, Luther calls for eliminating the racial discrimination between the white and the Black in America.
He has pointed out the discrimination existed between the two races of America. Through his speech, he made a passionate word -picture of the acute discrimination and wide segregation that prevailed in the American society.
The prospect of a new life remained an illusion for the blacks throughout the period from 1776 1963. America achieved independence in 1776 fought against the British Colonial rule. But unfortunately, it failed to achieve its cherished goal. The heroes of the Independence War visualized a nation on the principles of "liberty and equality".
But the country failed to ensure liberty and equality for all its citizen. Racial discriminations were rampant in America. Luther has pointed out the racial discrimination through the following line of his famous speech -
"One hundred years later the life of the Negro is still sadly crippled by the manacles of
segregate on and the chains of discrimination."
Lincoln signed the "Emancipation Proclamation" in 1863 during American Civil War which was fought on the issue whether slavery system will exist in America or not. By issuing the Proclamation, Lincoln declared the slave free in America from the bondage of slavery. It was a great event for the blacks. It gave them freedom from slave bondage. They had been fighting for this freedom since the time when America obtained independence.
From this perspective, the Proclamation was a symbol of bright daylight for the blacks in America. They lived in darkness now they saw light of free life dawning on them. The declaration was there to put an end to "the long night of captivity" that the Negroes lived with in America.
Though the Constitution of the America and the Declaration of Independence promised to achieve freedom and equality for all Americans, there was no significant change in the life of the blacks. But what happened subsequently in America went against the blacks. The Blacks found that they have no human position in American society. Though the proclamation declared the blacks free, it failed to give them actual freedom.
In fact, the Emancipation Proclamation made the Blacks partially free from the bondage of slavery but they were not free to have a free life with access to the basic opportunities of life, Luther marked in his famous speech that historically the Negroes in America had been deprived of their rights of freedom and liberty and equality for all its citizen. Racial discriminations were rampant in America. Luther has pointed out the racial discrimination through the following line of his famous speech -
"One hundred years later the life of the Negro is still sadly crippled by the manacles of
segregate on and the chains of discrimination."
Lincoln signed the "Emancipation Proclamation" in 1863 during American Civil War which was fought on the issue whether slavery system will exist in America or not. By issuing the Proclamation, Lincoln declared the slave free in America from the bondage of slavery. It was a great event for the blacks. It gave them freedom from slave bondage.
They had been fighting for this freedom since the time when America obtained independence. From this perspective, the Proclamation was a symbol of bright daylight for the blacks in America. They lived in darkness now they saw light of free life dawning on them. The declaration was there to put an end to "the long night of captivity" that the Negroes lived with in America.
Though the Constitution of the America and the Declaration of Independence promised to achieve freedom and equality for all Americans, there was no significant change in the life of the blacks. But what happened subsequently in America went against the blacks. The Blacks found that they have no human position in American society. Though the proclamation declared the blacks free, it failed to give them actual freedom.
In fact, the Emancipation Proclamation made the Blacks partially free from the bondage of slavery but they were not free to have a free life with access to the basic opportunities of life, Luther marked in his famous speech that historically the Negroes in America had been deprived of their rights of freedom and equality. Even after a century of the civil war and the famous "Gettysburg Address" of Abraham Lincoln.
Luther does not find any significant changes happenings for the black people of America. He has pointed out that the policy of segregation kept the blacks away from having access to the privileges enjoyed by the white community. This policy is heavily damaging for a democratic country. The blacks were badly treated by the whites and
they were inferior to the whites. In the light of the above discussion, we can say that Martin Luther has very clearly pointed out the acute racial discrimination and segregation between the white and the black. In his speech, he clearly showed that he wanted to eliminate the system of slavery from the land of America as slavery system was the root of all discrimination existed in America.
Q: What aspects of child psychology are explored in "Games at Twilight?"(V.V.I)
Ans: "Games at Twilight" is a well-known short story of Anita Desai, one of the prominent Indian writer. Though apparently the story deals with some Indian child's game, it explores the psychology of a child's world. It depicts the story ever going child psychology. In fact, the story reveals the inner workings of a child and shows his indomitable desire for being acknowledged for his achievement.
The authoress depicts the child's psychology through a game named hide and seek. In the story. Ravi is the central character of it. The events of the story centre around him. In it. The two key characters are Raghu and Ravi. Raghu is the seeker and Ravi is the hider. Ravi tries to evade bring caught. He hides in an old locked shed. Ho loses track of time rejoining in thoughts of his victory and glory. He is sure that he will be the day's hero. Suddenly, he remembers that he had to tough the 'Den' for victory according to the rule of the game.
He comes out of the shed, dashes across the veranda and flings himself against the white pillar crying 'Den'. But nobody notices his sudden appearance. The other children had completely forgotten Ravi and had switched over another game. Ravi felt insulted and insignificant. He throws himself on the grass with a sense of defeat, sobbing bitterly. Through the following line the writer shows Ravi's sense of insignificance-
"He lay down full length on the damp grass, crushing his face into it no longer crying silenced by a terrible sense of his insignificance"
But the story is not a simple story of the game of hide and seek. It deals with the psychology of the children. The story unfolds the inner recesses of Ravi, a child who is crazy for the taste of victory. It's a moving story of a child's mental agony on not recognized for his achievement. All human beings like to be appreciated and complimented. This is predominant in children. Where Ravi, the central figure of the story, comes out of the dark shade frantically claiming his victory. he is given a cold treatment.
When the thrill of being a record breaker is denied to him, he starts crying and howling. No one is willing to acknowledge his victory. This hurts him and makes him feel cheated. The boy's voice breaks with tears when he sees other children neglecting him and chanting
"The grass is green,/ the rose is red/ remember me when I am dead, dead, dead......." The closing of the story is powerful. Ravi's inner feelings are put into the light in the final paragraph of the story. His pain is further heightened by the song chanted by the children in their second game. But everything is overwhelmed by Ravi's terrible feeling of insignificance and his painful realization of futility and triviality of his effort in the real world. In the end of the story, we see that Ravi did not want to join the funeral game because he wanted victory and triumph not a funeral game.
According to Ravi, the funeral game is the funeral of his dream and aspiration. In the light of the discussion, it can be said that Anita Desai has drawn the psychology of a small boy, Ravi very beautifully in her notable work "Games at Twilight". Undoubtedly the story gives us a vivid picture of a little boy's sufferings and the psychological tortures, he undergoes during his participation in the game of hide and seek.
