Silicon City PU College

English – 02 – Comprehension Notes

01. The Gentlemen of the Jungle – Jomo Kenyatta

1. How did the elephant sneak into the man’s hut?

A. The elephant first put his trunk inside the hut with man’s
permission. Then slowly pushed his head inside and threw the man
outside the hut, in the rain making himself comfortable.

2. Why was the man unhappy with the commission of enquiry?

A. The commission of enquiry included only animal representatives

but no one from the man’s side. His request to include one member from
his side was denied. So he became disappointed with the commission of
enquiry.

3. Why was the Commission of Enquiry appointed by the king of

the jungle?

A. The king of the jungle, lion wanted to have 'peace and tranquility’
in his kingdom. He decided to solve the problem between the man and
the elephant by appointing the commission of enquiry. It included
jungle elders as its members and was been set up to provide justice to
the man by giving fair and impartial justice to the problem.

4. Why did the animals decide not to have anyone from the man’s
side on the Commission of Enquiry?

A. From the beginning, the commission of enquiry had no

intention of giving any justice to the man. Having a member from the
man’s side would only hinder (set back) their plan. So to avoid any

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trouble the commission which included only animal members said that
no man was well educated to understand the intricacy (complexity) of
the jungle laws.

5. How did the elephant justify its act of occupying the hut?
A. During the time of the hearing, the elephant addressed the
committee by narrating his version of the story, which was not true. The
elephant said that man himself had invited him to his hut to save his hut
from the hurricane. The elephant entered the hut to fill the empty space
to more economic use by occupying it. Finally, the commission accepted
the elephant's false story and it supported the elephant.

6. Do you think the verdict of the commission of enquiry was on

expected lines? Why?
A. Yes. We can say that the verdict of the commission of enquiry
was given on the expected lines.
The commission of enquiry included only jungle elders as its
members. No one was included from the man's side. Even while hearing
the commission gave prominence only for the elephant's story but no
chance was given to the man to make his statement. Thus the argument
became one-sided. So by these incidents, one could easily say that the
man would never get justice from the commission of enquiry.

7. What fate awaited the man each time he built a new hut?
A. The man’s fate was decided. Every time he would build a new
hut, some animal would come and occupy it. The committee themselves
did not spare the man and occupied the huts every time he built a new
one. He was scared that he could get killed if he went against the
commission members. His fate was really bad because each time he was
promised justice, but each time he was denied justice.

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 8. Do you agree with the action of the man at the end? Why?

A. No. We cannot agree with the action of the man at the end of the
story in ‘The gentlemen of the jungle’ by Jomo Kenyatta. The man sets
fire the hut and the animals, which is wrong.

One should not go the extent of taking other lives. It is

understandable that the man suffered a lot from the animals but he
could have thought of a diplomatic solution to solve the problem. We
should try to find solutions to the problems that would not cost others
happiness or lives.

The man's act shows the colonialism. The animals captured man's
(black people/natives) hut and it continued till he needed to move out
of the society. So to retain his justice he killed the animals (white
people/European powers). This is the important reason as to why there
develops a conflict which later leads to violence in society.

9. ‘An act of kindness is misunderstood as weaknesses’. Discuss

this with reference to the story.

A. From the story ‘The gentlemen of the jungle’ by Jomo Kenyatta, it

is clear that the man’s act of kindness was completely misused and taken
advantage by the animals.

The man did not get justice from the commission of enquiry. He
even accepted this verdict because of the fear of animal attack. This
incident kept on occurring on many occasions. Similarly, people in
society tend to take advantage of other weaknesses. In the story, the man
did not react to the injustice done to him. This was his weakness to their
advantage. So we should be careful in society to make sure that our
weakness should not become the cause of our destruction.

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 10. ‘Peace is costly but it is worth the expense’. What is the ironical
Significance of this statement?

A. In the story ‘The gentlemen of the jungle’ by Jomo Kenyatta, who

gives a message to his readers that the animalistic characters are
replaced with humans? The man burnt the hut along with the animals,
he felt relieved and said that 'Peace is costly but worth the expense'. He
means that it takes a long period, effort and harsh actions to do good for
the society. But it is worth fighting because it destroys evil.

The black people were not allowed to express themselves during

the colonization. Their only choice was to obey their masters (white
people). This suppression of the minorities resulted in fighting and
outbreak of violence. The statement is ironical because to find peace, one
has to indulge in violence and fight a war to win his freedom and peace.

11. Every fable ends with a moral. What ‘moral’ do you find in this
story?

A. The author Jomo Kenyatta of 'The gentlemen of the jungle'

concluded the story by saying 'peace is costly but it is worth the
expense'. The author tries to convey the message that in a society an
individual's weakness can be misused and this would lead the weaker
section to leave the society. He tries to convey the message to his readers
that the dominated majority can fool the minority for a short period but
not forever. The suppressed minorities will eventually rise to seek
power. The moral of the story to its readers could be that one should not
follow the practice of colonialism and discrimination in society.

12.Do you think the story can be read as a political satire on

colonialism?

A. In the short story ‘The gentlemen of the jungle’ by Jomo Kenyatta

the conflict can be looked from the perspective of an entire society. The
hierarchy is seen in this story. We look at it like animals and a man but it
represents white and black people respectively. This hierarchy leads to

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Capitalism. The animals kept occupying man's hut, every time he built a
new one. Finally, the man ended up killing all the animals. The animals
(white people) capture man's land and started exploiting him. It seems
that the author himself might have undergone through such situation
and he might have expressed his opinion through this story. He has
narrated the story in the stream of racism, discrimination, hierarchy and
colonialism.

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 02. The School Boy – William Blake

Summary

'The school boy' is a beautiful composition by William Blake. The

poem is selected from Blake's 'Songs of Experience'. The poet speaks
about childhood experiences from the view of a child.

In the first stanza of the poem, the poet gives an image of the
innocence of nature and a small child. The speaker wishes to enjoy the
summer morning. He likes the splendid sight of birds singing on the
branches of a tree. The speaker enjoys the horn of distant huntsman. The
speaker loves to sing along with the skylark bird. It is good to say that
the speaker loves to be with nature.

In the next stanza, we come to know that the speaker does not like
to go to school on a summer morning. The thought of going to school
itself spoils his early morning joy. It is because he is tired under the strict
supervision of his teacher. The phrase 'a cruel eye outworn' refers to his
highly disciplined teacher. The speaker along with the other students
does not enjoy the pleasures of summer but they sit in the school
unwillingly and spend their day in boredom and dismay.

The child does not like to spend his time in school. The child
spends its day in the school very uneasily. The child is troubled by the
strictness and disciplinary actions of the teacher. The child has no
interest in reading the book. The speaker uses the phrase 'learning

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bower', which suggests that a garden where the children can be taught
interestingly along with the company of nature instead of a strict school
teacher. In another way, it is even a comparison made to the school.

Nature has given the freedom to its creatures. A bird loves to sing
happily only when it is free not when it is caged. Likewise, a child, if
caged under the shades of annoying fear, the tension of his teacher, can
never enjoy the childhood joy and playfulness. The world filled with
rigid discipline will take away the amazing spring (the childhood days
of a person's life).

In the fifth stanza of the poem the speaker questions his father and
mother that a budding (growing) child is swept off in the early stage of
life in the ocean of sorrow, where there is no one to care the child. The
child's stage is very similar to the damaged nature that can bear no fruit.
If care and concern turn out to be rigid rules and discipline then the
child's summer will be dry i.e. the child will be drowned in the miseries
of life.

In the final stanza, the child continues to question his parents that
how can they win back their child, whom the grief has destroyed? The
speaker believes that if childhood pleasures are destroyed, then the
adult life faces the danger of being dry and unproductive. The old age of
the individual becomes miserable.

1. What does the schoolboy love to do on a summer morn? What

drives his joy away?

A. The schoolboy likes to rise early on a summer morning when the

birds sing, the distant huntsman's horn and the skylark bird singing
with him. The boy considers all these things are the sweet company to
him.

The thought of going to school on a summer morning drives his joy

away.

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 2. Describe the boy’s experience in the school.

A. The boy does not like to go to school on a summer morning. The

boy's experience in school is full of sadness and discouragement. He
goes to school with half-hearted feelings. He does not get any kind of
delight in reading the books. He feels as though being imprisoned. He is
restless and unwilling to do the school activities.

3. According to the poet, how does formal education curb a

learner’s potential?

A. In the poem the schoolboy, the poet William Blake believes that
formal education curbs the potential of the child. It takes away the
happiness of childhood from the child. He even questions parents that if
buds are nipped (squeezed), the blossoms blown away and the tender
plants stripped in their springing days then how shall the summer arise
in joy? The poet asks himself what memory he will have to savor in his
future. The poet uses spring to new growth to say that formal
education/schooling does not allow springs to flourish.

4. Formal schooling not only takes away the joy of childhood but
also hinders the child’s growth forever. Explain.

A. In the poem 'The schoolboy' by William Blake, where he says

that formal education is a hindrance for liberty to speak and joy. The
poet says that a happy childhood makes adulthood and old age
pleasurable. He believes that formal education curbs children to have
their thoughts and feelings. It does not help to develop creativity and
imagination among children.

The poet thinks that with formal education the children will not
have many fond memories to recall them during their old age.
According to the poet, childhood experiences are very important to lead
a happy life but the formal schooling does not develop the potentiality
and desire to do great things in a child's mind.

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 5. Do you think the poet is arguing against education? Discuss.

A. No. The poet William Blake is not at all arguing against

education in the poem 'The schoolboy' but he is giving his opinion
against the formal education.

The poet, William Blake says that education should be given in a free
and healthy atmosphere. Education should foster a child's imagination
and creativity but not the other way. School should not become a prison
but it should be the centre of learning new things in a fun way.
Education and schools should provide enough opportunities to develop
their talents and more than that they should help them to become better
human beings. So in the concluding part, we can say that the poet is not
against education but against the formal way of schooling and
education.

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 03. Around a Medicinal Creeper -
Poornachandra Tejaswi
1. What surprised the white man?
A. Once Mara came to the doctor (white man) reporting a cut in his
hand. The doctor saw that he was completely cured. Mara told
about the leaves and hearing to this that leaves cured his hand so
quickly surprised the white man.
2. Why had Mara lost his teeth on the right side?
A. Once Mara used a small stick of a tree to brush his teeth. It was
sour in taste and so he rinsed with water. When he spit the water
out, his teeth fell out. He had brushed only on the right side of his
mouth and he had lost his teeth only on the right side.
3. How long did it take the narrator to learn the facts about the
medicinal creeper? What does it signify?
A. The narrator took about twenty years to learn the facts about the
medicinal creeper.
This suggests us two things. It signifies the immense properties and
abilities of the plant that one can learn and get to know and
secondly it is to be noticed that how interested the narrator was to
learn about the creeper.
4. What does the incident of Mara’s wife throwing the leaves into
fire tell us about Indians in general?
A. The incident of Mara’s wife throwing the leaves into the fire tells
about the carelessness and ignorance of Indians in general. It
shows the less educated society, which does not have any
knowledge about the plants. They took the plants for granted and
as lightly as the other day today objects without trying to know
about the value of the plants.
5. How was Krishna cured of his illness?
A. Krishna, the rickshaw driver suffered from piles. He had to undergo
a medical surgery to get cure from it. But Krishna did not have
enough money and he was afraid of getting operated. So he went to
an old Malayali sadhu. This god man advised him to search for a
certain kind of plant and use its tuberous roots to mix with milk
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 and drink for five days. The effect was quick to happen and the next
day he found improvement in his piles and within a short period he
got cured completely.
6. Do you think the author is suggesting that Indian herbal
medicine is better/safer than allopathic medicine. Support
your view.
A. In the short story ‘Around a medicinal creeper’ by Poornachandra
Tejaswi, it is sure that the narrator learnt more about the herbal
medicinal ways over the allopathic medicine. He even supported
that many complex diseases could be cured by Ayurvedic
medicines.
He is aware of the fact that these herbal medicinal plants have high
potency when compared to allopathic medicines. The author
proves his point that diseases which require surgery, which cost a
lot, could be cured with a minimum amount by the native medicinal
herbs. So in a way we can say that the author is trying to promote
the herbal medicine system over the allopathic medicine system.

7. What has made the modern man lose the knowledge of

traditional medicine? Do you think Ayurveda will make a
comeback in a successful way?
A. In the short story ‘Around a medicinal creeper’ by Poornachandra
Tejaswi, where we can say that by analyzing the incidents given in
the story that the modern man is not aware of the importance of
the Ayurvedic medicinal treatment. The technological
advancement has given more significance to allopathic medicinal
treatment. Even modern people are becoming more prone to
allopathic medicines and on the other hand native people still
believe that the potency of Ayurvedic medicine would reduce if the
knowledge is shared then someday the traditional knowledge of
medicine may disappear in the course of time.
The hope is not completely lost. If proper encouragement is given
for the development of traditional medicine, then we have a chance
to save it. It could happen only by strong will and desire to develop
the traditional Ayurvedic medicines.

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8. ‘Our natural resources are our vital resources’. Explain the
statement in the light of several ‘developmental’ projects that
are being promoted today.
A. In the short story ‘Around a medicinal creeper’ by Poornachandra
Tejaswi, where we get to know the importance of plants and herbs
and their medicinal value. But the developmental projects are
concentrated on the development allopathic medicines. Only a few
measures are taken to create awareness among public about
Ayurvedic medicines.
In the name of development and economic growth, we are losing
natural resources in a fast manner. These natural resources are
very important in traditional medicines. Exhausting the natural
resources has increased the pollution in the environment. So it is
important for us to know that the development should be balanced
along with the conservation of natural resources. So in the light of
above points, we can certainly say that ‘our natural resources are
our vital resources’.

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 04. Oru Manushyan – Vaikom Muhammad Basheer

1. Describe the people and the place where the incident tookplace.

A. The incident took place in a big city far away from the narrator's
house. The people did not have any mercy; they were harsh and stone-
hearted. They were ready to do anything for the sake of money.
Incidents like murder, robbery, pick pocketing were quite common in
the city. The inhabitants of the city worked as soldiers, money lenders
and watchmen in banks, mills and other commercial establishments.
Most of them were selfish. They tend to gain money even at the cost of
others misery. But despite all these, there were some who were good
andwould help others as the man who saved the narrator.

2. What was the routine of the narrator in the city?

A. The routine of the narrator in the city was not much exciting. He taught
migrant laborers English and how to write addresses in English.
He would teach them in the evenings. He used to sleep during the
day so that he could save some money by cutting down morning tea
and noon meal. He would wake up in the evening and would teach
English from nine-thirty to eleven in the night.

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3. Give an account of the embarrassing experience of thenarrator at
the restaurant.

A. One day the narrator got up at four in the evening and went to a
restaurant for his meal. It was a crowded restaurant and he was wearing
a coat and had a wallet in the pocket, which consisted of fourteen rupees
in it. He ate chapatis and meat curry. He took a cup of tea and the bill
was eleven annas. He put his hand to his pocket and was shocked to
notice that his wallet was lost. He shouted about the same but the owner
of the restaurant came and held the narrator by the lapels of his coat. He
stripped down the narrator's clothes and did not give a chance to
explain his condition. Finally, he was asked even to remove his trousers.
The narrator tried to explain that there was nothing underneath. But he
was not excused. So the narrator finally got ready to remove his trouser,
a stranger stopped him from doing so and paid his bill. So he was saved
from further humiliation in front of everyone by the help of the stranger.

4. A stranger saved the day for the narrator. How?

A. The owner of the restaurant humiliated the narrator in front of

everyone at the restaurant. The narrator had lost his wallet and did not
have any money left to pay for the bill. The owner asked the narrator to
strip his clothes in front of the people. The owner did not listen to the
narrator's explanation. So the narrator was helpless and started to
remove his clothes. The owner asked even to remove his trousers. The
narrator tried to explain to him that he had nothing underneath but the
owner did not listen to him. So the narrator was just about to remove his
trousers, he heard a voice which said not to remove his pants. A stranger
saved the narrator's day by humiliation in front of all the people. The
stranger paid the money and took the narrator out of the restaurant.

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5. Does this story talk about transformation in a person? Explain.

A. In the story ‘Oru Manushyan’ by Vaikom Muhammad Basheer,

where one can see the transformation happening with the
thief/stranger. It was the same thief who saved the narrator's dignity.
He even returned the narrator's wallet along with the money in it. We
can say that a good thing still exists in human beings. The stranger
helped the narrator as he realised what is right and wrong.

Though the thief used to steal from others for his living, he had a
good nature. The thief not only returned the wallet but even paid the
narrator's bill of eleven annas with his own money. When the narrator
was in difficulty the thief might had transformation in his heart. So he
understood the narrator's situation and helped him out. Maybe the
narrator's plight made the thief realize the problems faced by people
when they lose their wallet and hard-earned money. So by the end of the
story, we could see the transformation in the behavior of the thief.

6. Do you think the restaurant keeper was overreacting when the

narrator could not pay the bill? If so, what accounts for his
behavior?

A. In the story ‘Oru Manushyan’ by Vaikom Muhammad Basheer, where

one can clearly say that the owner of the restaurant overreacted to the
situation. He could have behaved more maturely. It was wrong on his
part to ask the narrator to remove his trousers. He was so impatient
that he did not even listen to the explanation given by the narrator. His
act was so cruel that he did not have any pity towards the narrator.

It is a possibility that even the owner of the restaurant might have

had bitter experiences. As we have already read that the people living in

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the city were not known for their quality of mercy. They would do
anything for the sake of money, even commit murder. So even the
owner might had people who had come up with false stories when they
were asked to pay for the bill. So the owner over the years might have
lost his gentleness and became such a ruthless person.

On the other hand, we can notice that even people present at the
restaurant supported the owner by laughing at the narrator. This
encouraged the owner to increase his harassment towards the narrator.
He even believed that what he was doing was right. He felt so because
the people behind him kept silent by encouraging the owner.

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 05. Money Madness – D. H. Lawrence
Summary
The poem ‘Money Madness’ is written by D. H. Lawrence. The poet strongly
criticizes the weakness of humans for money. Lawrence is of the opinion that
the madness for money is collective. This collective madness for money is
widely spread and is present everywhere. The poet says that money is a
madness shared by everyone in this world. So according to him every
individual in this world contributes to this wide spread money madness.
Every individual has his share of insanity to the collective madness. So if the
whole world is mad about money then it has its effect on every person as
they carry this madness around them. This madness has spread to such an
extent that people do not wish to share their money. If they have to give away
larger amount then it becomes much more painful for them.

Mankind has become slave to the money. We are so much consumed by this
madness that, we tend to forget what else is important in the world. Our
priority is for money alone. Money has got us down. It has brought us down
to the level of insanity. We have kneeled down before the money by losing
the values and morals of life.

The poet is afraid for the society. The society identifies a person not by his
good qualities but how much money that individual has with him. The world
treats a poor person in an inhuman manner. If a poor person does not have
money then the society expects him to eat dirt (humiliation) and makes him
to beg in front of others.

The poet thinks that if he has no money, mankind would give him bread, so
that he might live with humiliation. This fear, says the poet that the life filled
with humiliation could make a person confused. The poet continues to say
that what the society is going through is wrong. He says that food, shelter and
fire should be made available at free cost to everyone in this world. Finally
the poet warns the mankind that we should regain our sanity about having
money and he even goes ahead saying that if we do not regain our sanity
about possessing money, then a day would come where the entire mankind
would disappear in fight for possessing the money.

1. How does money trigger fear in an individual?

A. People are afraid that if they do not have money, they would have to
eat dirt in order to survive and nobody would care for them. The fact in
the society is that an individual is judged by the money he possesses.
The fear of the individual is that the money-minded people who believe
money could buy everything and the same people would treat the
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 people who do not have money as non-existent in the society.

2. How does an individual measure the value of another individual

in terms of money?
A. In a society, a man’s value is measured upon how rich he is! A rich man
gets more respect according to his status of wealth. The only question
how much an individual is worth and the society expects the answer in
terms of money that individual possesses with him. If a man has done
great and noble deeds in his entire life does not get half the respect and
recognition he deserves because he does not have money with him.
There is no value for the self-respect and self-dignity of the individual
in front of money.

3. Collective madness for money affects the individuals also. How

does the poem bring this out?
A. It is clear from the poem ‘Money Madness’ by D H Lawrence that the
collective madness about money has direct consequences on
individuals. If the whole crowd becomes mad behind the possession of
money then it becomes very easy to the individuals to come under the
clutches of money madness. The madness is like a contagious disease.
It spreads from one person to another. The people who have less
money or no money in the society, start feeling inferior. They are afraid
that they may have to eat dirt if they do not possess money with them.
They are even afraid that the society might completely neglect them
without caring whether they are alive or dead.

4. What, according to the poet, might happen if people do not regain

sanity about money? What solution does he offer?
A. According to the poet D H Lawrence in ‘Money Madness’, if people do
not regain their sanity about money, then there might a day come,
where people will have to kill one another to earn money. The society
recognizes and gives respect to those who possess money with them.
Generally people without money are neglected in the society. So to
avoid leading a life of humiliation, people start accumulating wealth.
They are consumed so much by this thought that slowly it becomes a
delirium in the society. If it continues in the same way then it will be
very dangerous to the growth of society.

The poet, D H Lawrence offers a solution to come out of money

madness. According to him the basic amenities of life such as bread,
shelter and fire should be made available at a free of cost to everyone.
The poet even suggests that it is very much essential for people to save
some money so that they may not have to eat dirt or starve to death.
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 06. Babar Ali – Samarpita Mukherjee Sharma

1. How is Babar Ali’s routine described by the writer?

A. Babar Ali wakes up at seven in the morning. He does some

household chores. He takes an auto-rickshaw and later walks five
kilometers to his school – Cossimbazar Raj Govinda Sundari
Vidhyapeeth, where he is studying in class twelve. He goes to his school
after his school hours, where he is the Headmaster of eight hundred
students.

2. Give a picture of Babar Ali’s school.

A. Babar Ali’s school is named as ‘Anand Siksha Niketan'. The school

is a worn concrete building covered in half-torn posters. Inside we can
find tiny, dank rooms. Behind the office of the school, where a gate
opens to Babar's home and here he teaches the children under the open
blue sky. Here the education is given freely to all those who have come
from below the poverty line.

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 3. Why Babar Ali is called ‘a fortunate soul’ in his village?

A. Babar Ali is called 'a fortunate soul' because he was one of the few
in his village, who went to school to get a formal education and his
father Nasiruddin Sheikh believed that education is man's true religion
and supported Babar Ali's venture with his income.

4. Why is sending children to school, a costly affair for parents?

A. Though children were given free education, sending children to

school was a costly affair for parents as they had to spend money for
uniform, books etc.

5. Why do you think Babar Ali took the initiative to start his
school?

A. Babar Ali was fortunate to receive formal education in his village.

He had the privilege of being educated because his father, Nasiruddin
Sheikh stood by him. But not all the children in the village had the same
advantage. Babar Ali felt sad for those, who were deprived of it. He
used to play school-school with his friends after his school hours, where
he taught Arithmetic to his friends. So what started as a game inspired
him to start a school for poor children for free of cost.

6. ‘What started as a game resulted in a much sought after school

for the unprivileged’. Explain.

A. It is interesting to know that Babar Ali's school started from a

game he and his friends used to play. They used to play 'school-school',
where Babar Ali played the role of a teacher and his friends as students.
The taught his friends Arithmetic and found that his friends enjoyed
learning it. He realised this and took the step to start a school that would
teach the underprivileged children for free of cost. He named the school
as 'Anand Siksha Niketan'. In the later years, Babar Ali received support
from the various sources of society to run his school effectively.

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 7. Do you think that Babar Ali's act of thoughtfulness has
enabled poor children to move towards growth? Discuss.

A. Yes. Babar Ali's step to run a school for poor children has turned
out to be a great success. Poor children got an education for free.
Education is not forced unto them. Most of them work in the morning to
get educated in the afternoon. The society has given a positive response
to his activity. His school has been recognized and registered by the
West Bengal State government. So it is clear that Babar Ali is the
architect of the lives of hundreds of children in his village.

8. According to Nasiruddin ‘education is man’s true religion’.

How does Babar Ali’s school prove this?

A. In the essay ‘Babar Ali’ by Samarpita Mukherjee Sharma, where

Babar Ali’s father, Nasiruddin Sheikh firmly believed that 'education is
man's true religion'. Babar Ali's school started with the strength of eight
students. Slowly this number grew. After nine years the school has sixty
regular attendees and eight hundred students in total. The more
fortunate ones like Babar Ali and others, who are imparting education
without expecting anything from the society. Babar Ali and his friends
have taken the step towards the welfare of the less fortunate of society.
So the idea of educating the children of the village and making them
self-reliable was much adored by Babar Ali's father. Though Nasiruddin
was less educated, he knew the value and importance of education in
the present society. So he decided to join the hands of his son in his
venture to start the school to the underprivileged children in his village.

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 9. The increasing strength of Babar Ali’s school reflects the
transformation in our society’s attitude towards education.
Substantiate.

A. In the essay ‘Babar Ali’ by Samarpita Mukherjee Sharma where

one can see the increasing strength of Babar Ali’s school, which reflects
the transformation in our society’s attitude towards education.

In earlier times education was considered to be the privilege of

wealthy people in society. But today the scenario has started to change.
People have realised that education is a must for an individual to
survive in this society. Few selfless people in society like Babar Ali and
his friends have changed people's thought towards educational aspects.
The people are not anymore the mere spectators but they are actively
participating in the growth of education. Poor children are encouraged
to attend school. They have been made realised about the advantages of
being educated. The young generation is contributing much to this
purpose and to bring an optimistic change or transformation in society.
Finally, we could say that the attitude of the people towards education
has changed.

10. Do you feel that Babar Ali’s initiation is a success story?

Explain.

A. Yes. We can say that Babar Ali's initiation to start a school for the
underprivileged is a success story in the essay 'Babar Ali' by Samarpita
Mukherjee Sharma.

The initiation of Babar Ali has succeeded in its goal. He is

providing free education to the poor children of his village. His intention
to start school has become true and successful. Many of the
underprivileged children have utilized this opportunity. More than that
it has inspired many like-minded youths like Debaritha and others to
serve the underprivileged of the society. Babar Ali has started to get help
from various corners of society to make his effort to make the future
better. Being a young boy Babar Ali has achieved the impossible and has

22
made a positive transformation in the society. The ‘Anand Siksha
Niketan', the school established by Babar Ali is a symbol to the human
goodness and guide path to others in society.

07. If I was a tree – Mudnakudu Chinnaswamy

Summary

The poem ‘If I was a tree’ is written by Mudnakudu Chinnaswamy.

This is a satirical poem, which discusses the caste discrimination
followed in our society. By reading the poem one could analyze that the
poet might have undergone the miseries of discrimination in the
society.

In the first line of the poem, the poet thinks that if he would have
been a tree, then the birds building their nests on the tree would not ask
about his caste. This is the reference to the society repeatedly asking the
poet which caste he was. Next, he mentions about the sunlight, which
falls over him and his shadow touches the ground but the ground does
not feel defiled (making something dirty). It is a reference to the higher
caste people, who do not allow his shadow to fall near them. According
to them touching his shadow is impure.

The poet likes to make friendship with the cool breeze and the
leaves. He considers this friendship to be sweet because not many of
them in the society would extend their hands to make friendship with a
low-caste person.

In the next stanza of the poem, the poet says that the raindrops
would not turn their backs considering him as a dog-eater. It
symbolizes the condition of a low-caste person, who is not allowed to
enter the mainstream of society. In the next lines, the poet says that if
he was a tree and if he allows his roots to touch the earth then mother
earth would not feel defiled. It is the reference to the society where the
upper caste people do not want to touch him and always shoos him
away.
23
 In the next stanza, the poet uses the imagery of a cow. He says that
a cow would come and scrape her body on the tree's bark whenever it
feels itched. By doing so the three hundred thousand gods residing
inside the cow would touch him but the higher caste people, who
worship the cow, would not touch him. It is an irony that people see god
in an animal but they fail to see the same in living human beings.

In the final part of the poem the speaker says that if he was a tree,
then he would have the privilege to be burnt in the holy fire or
becoming the bier for a sinless body and at least four good men would
touch him. It means that as a low-caste person the poet would not get
even a decent death. The discrimination in the society has made the
speaker say that it is better to be born as a tree or even any other
creature, as nature does not make any discrimination.

1. Why would mother earth not flee according to the speaker?

A. There is no discrimination in the world of nature. According to the

poet, the mother earth does not discriminate based on caste. She gladly
accepts the branches and roots descending in her and she does not run
away in search of water to have a bath for touching a low caste. He
believes that mother earth treats all her children equally. Finally, the
poet says that discrimination in the name of caste is seen only in human
society but not in the world of nature.

2. How do the life forces – sunlight and the cool breeze enforce
nature’s idea of equality?

A. The sunlight falls on the tree and it is not worried about the caste
of the tree. The sunlight would fall on all the creatures without making
any distinctions or differences. It does not shine more on some parts
neglecting the others based on their caste. As same as the sun, even the
cool breeze does not think twice before blowing in any part. So the poet
says that the bond of friendship is absent in the human world because of
the caste barrier. But nature does not discriminate and treats everyone
equally.

24
 3. Why does the speaker want to be a tree?

A. By analyzing the poem ‘If I was a tree’, we can say that the speaker
Mudnakudu Chinnaswamy has suffered the miseries of discrimination
in human society. So he believes that being a tree is more convenient
because the bird which sits on the tree would not ask his caste. The
sunlight which falls over the tree and the shadow does not feel defiled.
The cool breeze which blows everywhere equally would not make any
discrimination. The raindrops falling from the sky would not turn its
back on him considering him as a dog-eater. Mother earth would not
shout to take bath when the roots of the tree enter deep inside the earth.
The cow, which is worshipped by the higher caste people would come
and scrape her body to the bark of the tree. The three hundred thousand
gods sheltering inside the cow would touch the tree but not the human
world. Finally, the speaker believes that at least he could become dry
wood and burn in holy fire or at least become a bier for a sinless body,
where four good men would carry the bier by touching it. The poet does
not want to be discriminated based on caste. So he wants to be a tree,
where nature does not discriminate him.

4. The poem is a satire of social discrimination. Discuss.

A. The poem ‘If I was a tree’ by Mudnakudu Chinnaswamy is a social

satire. The poet points out that the supreme creation of God, the humans
have gone against then natural order and have made the practice of
following the evil caste discrimination.

The caste system is a man-made evil and is been practiced in the

society even to the present day. The poem being satirical talks about the
social discrimination followed by people in our society. The poet and
poem mock about the practice of casteism. The poet does not like
humans discriminating other human beings based on caste. The low
caste people are treated inhumanly in society. So he says that he wants
to be a tree by which he could stay away from this caste bias. The poem
conveys the message that nature does not discriminate on the caste. So
humans should learn from nature to treat everyone impartially.

25
5. The speaker brings out the concepts of defilement and
purification. How is the meaninglessness of the practice brought
out?

A. In the poem ‘If I was a tree’ by Mudnakudu Chinnaswamy, where

the speaker brings about the concepts of defilement (state of getting
polluted) and purification by saying that the sunlight shines on the trees
and its shadow would not feel defiled. The sunlight is showered equally
upon all things. There is no distinction made. So it is meaningless for
anyone to feel defiled or ill-treated. The tree feels purified when its dried
piece falls into the holy fire or when it becomes a bier for a sinless body
borne by good men. But it is to be noted that the tree itself is pure and it
does not need to be purified.

The poet believes that purification should be made in the minds of men.
The poem makes it clear that the question of defilement and purification
are man-made concepts. So the poet finally says that it is meaningless to
follow casteism or anyone becoming purified based on caste.

26
08. The watchman of the lake – R K Narayan
1. What was the significance of Mara’s dreams?
A. Mara witnessed two dreams in the play. In the first dream, the
Goddess ordered Mara to convey the message to the king. She
ordered Mara to build a tank to the flowing river Veda and
provide her with a home. In the second dream, the Goddess was
furious. She was in the mood of destruction. She wanted to
destroy the tank which was built on her command.
In both cases, it was Mara, who worked for the welfare of the
villagers and the king. The significance of Mara's dreams could be
understood as nature cannot be controlled by humans and if we
exploit nature then nature could become furious which leads to
our destruction.

2. What instructions did Mara give his son about the lake and the
creatures? What light do these instructions throw on Mara’s
character?
A. Mara clearly said to his son that the lake is very sacred and it
belonged to the Goddess. No one should be allowed to catch fish
in the lake and no killers/poachers should be entertained near the
lake. The lake must be protected by him after Mara is gone. This
attitude of Mara towards the lake shows that he was obedient to
the Goddess and about his duty mindedness and he was a man
who stood by his words.

3. Bring out the significance of the sacred spot that Mara describes
to the king.
A. Mara described the significance of the sacred spot to the king that
it is the place on the mountain where Sanjeevini herbs grew.
Hanuman was guided by divine omens and came to the spot
where the king was standing and the mighty Hanuman collected
herbs for Lakshmana. Such was the speciality of the place, where
the river Veda flew down the mountain.

27
4. How did Mara react to the Goddess when she appeared before
him? (a) The first time (b) The second time
A. (a) The first time
Mara was delighted to see the Goddess in his dream and was very
much happy. He considered it as his duty to pass the order given
by the Goddess to the king though everyone laughed at his story
and called him a lunatic/fool. When the Goddess appeared for the
first time there were stars in her coronet, a ruby as big as the eyes
of an elephant sparkled on her forehead, her garment was of gold
woven with lighting.
(b) The second time
The second time, Mara saw the Goddess in the destructive mood.
This time he was helpless, scared and trembling with fear and
pleaded the Goddess not to destroy the tank but to spare it. When
the Goddess appeared for the second time her tresses were wild,
her eyes gleamed with a strange light, her forehead was splashing
with vermilion and she was carrying a sword.

5. Was the headman justified in calling Mara a lunatic? Give

reasons.
A. In R K Narayan’s drama 'Watchman of the lake', where the
headman considered Mara to be a lunatic. He did not believe
Mara's dreams and stories. According to him, Mara was an
ordinary person and he could not get the vision of the Goddess. So
he did not believe Mara when he wanted to convey the message of
the Goddess to the king.
The headman was not interested in Mara’s stories especially about
the Sanjeevini herbs. Mara believed that the mountain from where
the river Veda flew contained Sanjeevini herb. This herb was
collected by Hanuman to save Lakshmana, who was badly
wounded during the battle. Everybody including the village
headman considered this story as a fairytale and called Mara a
lunatic.

28
6. ‘Nature is both protective and destructive’. How does the play
bring out this idea?
A. The play ‘Watchman of the lake’ by R K Narayan makes it clear
that 'nature is both protective and destructive'. By analyzing the
play we come to know that the dramatist has used the character of
Goddess to represent nature.
At the beginning of the play, the Goddess instructed to build a
tank to store the excess water of river Veda. By doing so the
wastage of water would be conserved and it would be useful in
the summer. In the later part of the play where water flew over the
bank and it was bound to destroy the surrounding village by
flooding it. This shows us that 'nature can be both protective as
well as destructive'.

7. How differently did Mara treat the fisherman and the visitor?
A. In the play ‘Watchman of the lake’ by R K Narayan, where Mara
treated both the fisherman and the visitor in different ways. Mara
was very devoted to being the watchman of the lake and he
followed all the command that was given by the Goddess. The
fisherman had come to the lake with a rod to catch fish from the
lake. Mara saw this and he became angry with his action. He
approached the fisherman and scolded him for his misdeeds. He
said that the lake belonged to the Goddess and it was sacred. Mara
was not supposed to entertain anyone to destroy the creatures
living in it. Mara became angry with the fisherman as he was
selfish and had violated the rules.
In the case of the visitor, Mara's way of behaving changed. He was
courteous towards the visitor. He even offered him the food and
shelter. Mara agreed to provide water to his village from the lake.
This was because the visitor wanted it for a good cause and he did
not have any intention to harm the lake or the creatures living in it.

29
8. Why do you think Mara asked the king to make his son, son’s
son and so on, the watchman of the lake?
A. In R K Narayan’s 'Watchman of the lake', Mara requested the king
to make his son, son's son and so on as the watchman of the lake.
Mara was very much attached to the lake. Mara firmly believed
that the lake was sacred and belonged to the Goddess, who had
ordered him to protect it. He wanted to protect it even after his
time. So he considered that his family should take the
responsibility of protecting the lake. He took it upon himself to
save the village from flooding. He wanted his coming generation
to remember the sacrifice and continue to protect the lake and
finally, even the king agreed to this.

9. In what way do you think Mara’s sacrifice saved the lake? What
‘sacrifices’ need to be made to save the lakes today?
A. In the play ‘Watchman of the lake’ by R K Narayan, whereby the
end of the play Mara sacrificed himself to protect the village from
the flood. Mara visited the king and described the situation of the
lake and told him that if he returned the Goddess would break the
lake, which would lead to the outbreak of heavy flood. So he
decided not to return by which the lake would be saved and the
flood would never arise.
Today in the present context there are no guard men to watch over
the lakes. We have been exploiting the water sources very
selfishly. We are drowning the water excessively from the
underground source. We need to prevent the water in the lakes
from getting polluted by various means. Dumping of wastes of
every kind, disposing idols in the lakes should be stopped.
Awareness programmes should be made for the people to realise
the importance to conserve the water sources. We should
ourselves become social volunteers to clean up the lakes and rivers
rather expecting the government to do it.

30
 09. The Farmer’s wife - Volga
Summary

The poem ‘The farmer’s wife’ is a Telugu composition by P Lalitha

Kumari (Pen name Volga) and it is translated into English by Vasanth
Kannabiran. The theme of the poem circles around the farmer’s wife,
who is haunted by misfortune.

The poem begins with the lamentation of the farmer's wife. The cause of
her lamentation is because of her husband's unnatural death. The
readers could realise her miserable condition after her husband's death.
The farmer/husband had committed suicide as he could not show his
face to his creditors. He cared only about his respect and did not want to
stretch his hands before the others. But his hideous act has made his
wife miserable, who now should stretch her hands out in front of the
world. In this tragic condition, she will have to take care of her children.
She adds to her statement by showing the reflection of her life to the
society that she was born in this world with head bent and hands
stretched out. The lady criticizes her husband’s act of cowardness and
questions about the family, which he had left behind him.

The farmer's wife even criticizes her husband by saying that she had
escaped death many times. The death which she escaped was not a
natural death but the humiliation, abusive words of her husband, the
physical beatings from her husband, when he came home drunk. But
despite all these harassments, she continued to live but she never
expected a death blow like her husband's unnatural death.

The farmer had taken debt from the creditors for the cultivation. But
unfortunately, the cotton crop failed and he had to bear the heavy
burden of loss. He was unable to clear the debt. The creditors stood in
front of their house. They lost their respect, hope in the neighborhood.
The man was so self-centered that he thought only about himself. He
saw only the failed crops but what about his children? He might have
abandoned them but she would not leave them to the wind like worm-
eaten cotton pods.

31
The farmer's wife continues saying that it only takes a moment to die. It
is not a struggle. Life is full of struggles for sustaining and continues to
live. For this one needs a firm heart. Only the one with a firm heart can
question what of this and why is this. Here 'what of this' refers to that,
what would be the outcome of all these struggles and 'why is this' refers
to the self-pity of asking why the ill-fate fell over me? The farmer's wife
takes a strong decision to survive despite the difficulties. She cannot
abandon her children as her husband did. She would survive and would
teach her children how to live but not just to exist. She would hold
tightly her children and would embrace life but not death. Embracing
life would lead to a life full of miseries and difficult challenges. But she
is ready for the struggles of life.

So to conclude we can say that this poem is a salute to all those who
continue to live despite the adversities of life.

1. What series of contrasts does the speaker draw between herself

and her husband?
A. The speaker says that her husband was a virtuous man and she
was a poor sinner. She continues to say that he was unable to bend
his head before his creditors and hence committed suicide by
consuming poison but she was born with a head bent. She
escaped her death many times by taking physical beatings from
him.

2. What expressions in the poem bring out the contrast between the
speaker and her husband’s plight? What difference does this
indicate?
A. In the poem the lines 'You are virtuous..... your head' suggest that
the farmer lived like a man of his word. He had to repay his credit
but unfortunately, his crops failed and fearing the humiliation at
the hands of his creditors, he committed suicide. He was scared to
stretch out his hands in front of others and was not willing to bend
his head before the creditors.
The farmer’s wife felt that life is more than anything in the world
and she could not leave behind her children as their father did.
Many times the husband insulted her in abusive language but
32
 even then she lived to take care of her family. It was going to be
very difficult to take up the responsibilities after her husband’s
death. She knew the difficulties and challenges that she had to
face. In spite of facing the difficulties, she filled courage in her
children which her husband lacked.

3. What memories of her husband trouble her now?

A. The farmer’s wife is troubled by the unpleasant memories of her
deceased husband. He used to drink and hit her daily. She never
opposed him or said a word because she thought he was a man
but she did not expect him to give a death blow to her. Being a
man he committed suicide as a coward.

4. What does the phrase 'harvest of my womb' suggest? Why is

their plight compared to 'worm-eaten cotton pod'?
A. The phrase 'harvest of my womb' refers to the four children of the
farmer's wife.
In the poem, the farmer's wife compares her children's plight to
'worm-eaten cotton pods'. The phrase suggests the unripe cotton
crops eaten by worms. The plight of her young children exposed
to the bad and cruel world is similar to the unripe cotton crops.

5. To what condition had her husband’s act of committing suicide

pushed her?
A. The farmer’s act of committing suicide made the situation worse
for the farmer’s wife. She has to face the harsh realities in terms of
money, dignity and difficulties of raising her children. She has to
face all these difficulties without any material sources or human
resources for support.

33
6. Many times the tone suggests the attitude of the speaker. What
kind of attitudes are suggested by the words ‘virtuous’, ‘poor
sinner’, ‘he is but a man’, ‘what of this?’, ‘why is this?’
A. In the poem ‘The farmer’s wife’ by Volga, where the different
tones suggest the attitude of the speaker. Some of those tones
mentioned in the poem are –
Virtuous – The speaker uses the word ‘virtuous’ as an irony. The
speaker is accusing the farmer of being a man of his word and
died because he could not repay the credit, which he had taken
earlier.
Poor sinner – The speaker considers that she is not as virtuous as
her husband. She is alive because she is a sinner. She feels the
sorrow of being alive as she stands in front of her husband's
creditors to repay the credit, which she had taken.
He is but a man – The speaker kept silent even when her husband
hit her, abused in an abusive language. He used to drink daily and
used to hit her but in spite that she kept quiet because she thought
he was a man. By using the phrase the speaker is trying to show
the conditions in a patriarchal society.
What of this? – The speaker uses this phrase to accuse the farmer
of his cowardly act of committing suicide. The phrase even
suggests that it is about the question being asked that what would
be the outcome of all these difficulties.
Why is this? – By using this phrase the speaker wants her husband
to face the questions i.e. challenges in life. She is very upset about
the cowardly act of her husband. It even suggests that asking why
all these miseries only to me.

34
7. What kind of questions does the poem raise about the plight of
farmers widows? Do you think that these questions are only
addressed to the speaker’s dead husband?
A. In the poem 'The farmer's wife' by Volga where she is talking
about the contemporary problems faced by the farmers and their
families. The poem is like an eye-opener to the society as it has
depicted the plight of the farmers' family after they commit
suicide.
The farmers’ widows are left to face a sinful life for which they are
not responsible. They are forced to take up the responsibility
which is not rightfully theirs. They have to take care of their
families which their husbands left behind. They need to repay the
loan to the creditors, which their husbands took. The speaker in
the poem in rightful anger questions the husband and the
merciless society. It is to be noticed that the question is not only for
the farmers but for all those, who vows to take care of their
families and become irresponsible towards their duties. It is also
the responsibility of the government to interfere in such situations
and to provide help to farmers when there is a failure of crops.

35
10. Frederick Douglass – Frederick Douglass

1. What prevented the slaves from knowing their birth days?

A. The slaves were separated from their mothers at an early age and there
were no authentic records of their birth. They were not allowed to
make enquiries about this. So they did not know about their birth days.

2. How would the master look at the enquiries about the slaves
birthday?
A. The master did not entertain about the enquiries of slaves’ birthdays. It
was considered improper and impertinent and evidence of restless
spirit.

3. Why wasn’t Douglass affected much by his mother’s death?

A. Douglass was separated from his mother when he was an infant.
He spent very less time with her that to only during the night times. He
lost her at the age of seven but he never enjoyed any care and
communication in those years. He was not allowed to visit even during
her burial. When he learnt that his mother had passed away, he felt as
though a stranger had died. So he was not affected by his mother’s death.
But in the later part of his life he regretted for the same.

4. What kind of hardships did the slaves suffer at the hands of the
slave holder and his mistress?
A. In the excerpt Frederick Douglass by Frederick Douglass, where the
author explains about the hardships of the slaves under their masters.
The mistress always found faults with the mulatto children and would
take pleasure in punishing them. Even the slave master could not show
any consideration to his mulatto children. The mistress would make
her husband or the white son to whip the slaves. Sometimes the master
had to sell them to human flesh mongers as per the wish of his white
wife. If the master was the father of the slave or supported the slaves in
anyway, it would make the matter worse for the children.

36
 5. How does the passage comment on the dreadful experience of
slavery?

A. In the excerpt Frederick Douglass written by Frederick Douglass

himself throws light on the lives of slaves and how worsely they were
treated by their masters, overseers and masters’ mistress. The slaves’
conditions were worse than animals. They did not get respect. They
were treated inhumanly. They were not given any basic rights. The
slaves were not supposed to make any requests or enquiries to their
masters. They were mere puppets in the hands of their masters. Even
the punishment given to these slaves were cruel. The slaves were
whipped not only by their slave masters but even by their mistress
and by the overseers. In spite of all these hardships, Douglass did not
lose the hope and courage. He got out himself from this evil and for the
rest of his life worked for others to get them out of this slavery.

6. In spite of the hardships he suffered as a slave, why does the author

say, “slavery would not always be able to hold me within it foul
embrace?”

A. The passage Frederick Douglass is an extract from his autobiography,

where he has documented all the hardships that he faced under
slavery. He had to undergo a lot of hardships but in spite of these
hardships, he never lost the hope and courage. He thanked God for
giving him hope and strength to come out of slavery. He became
rebellious and was always trying to come out of slavery. Slavery is foul
embrace as it can keep people under its control but it is not a
pleasurable relationship between the slave and his master. The
relationship is filled with hatred and violence. The author built
strength within himself to release from the clutches of slavery and he
was successful in doing so.

37
 11. An old woman – Arun Kolatkar
Summary

The poem ‘An old woman’ is written by Arun Kolatkar. This poem is
selected from ‘Jejuri', a collection of his poems. The plight of an old
woman and the mind-set of the speaker are depicted in this poem.

The speaker narrates an incident, which took place at Jejuri, in a

horseshoe shrine. It is a legendary temple and Khandoba is the
presiding deity. Once the speaker had been to this shrine and on his
way out of the temple, he met an old woman, who grabbed his sleeve
and tagged along with him. The purpose why the old woman caught
hold of the speaker was to get fifty paise coin for which she would
show him ‘the horseshoe shrine’.

The tourist or the speaker has already seen the shrine but the old
woman tightens her grip and hobbles (walking lamely and slowly)
along the way. She clings to the speaker like a burr. Here the poet
represents the mindset of the people. The speaker has tried to show
the mindset of the society as to how it looks at the old people. The
speaker generalizes his statement by saying that all the old women
are the same.

The old woman is holding the speaker by his sleeves in front of

everyone at the temple. The tourist feels embarrassed for being pulled
away in front of all. The speaker wanted to end this absurd situation.
But he was shocked when the old woman said that what else can an
old woman do on this wretched (miserable) hill to survive?

The narrator is moved by the reality of the old woman and he turns
to look at her face. He observed the two-deep sunken eyes that
looked like bullet holes. Her skin is wrinkled and cracks have
appeared around her eyes and have spread beyond her skin. The poet
felt as though everything is falling apart and everything is cracked
and ruined. The reference to the hill, temple and sky cracking and

38
falling means that there is a change in the pre-occupied mindset of
the speaker.

In the last part of the poem, the poet says that the old woman who
looked like shatterproof crone (an ugly old woman) is standing all
alone. She does not have anyone to take care of her but in spite that
she is not just begging the money but in return, she offers to show the
horseshoe shrine to the tourists. By seeing the determination of the
old woman the mindset of the poet shatters and falls like plate-glass.
Though the poet was educated and now he has become so small in
front of the old woman that he is reduced to be the small amount of
change, which the old woman is holding in her hand. It means that
the poet feels ashamed about himself for thinking very lightly about
the old woman.

1. How is the plight of the old woman depicted in the poem?

A. The old woman in the poem stands as an example showing all
those who live below the poverty line and those who do not have
anybody to take care of them. The old woman believes that she has
to work for her living and not beg. She takes the tourists to see the
horseshoe shrine to earn her living. As she is too old, she cannot
do other jobs. Her plight is that she is helpless, lonely, who is
forced to beg for her living.

2. The old woman in the poem is a self-appointed tourist guide, not

a beggar. Do you agree? Give reasons.
A. No. The old woman in the poem is not a self-appointed tourist
guide but her plight has made her act so. She asks the
speaker/tourist to pay her fifty paise coin for which she would
show him the horseshoe shrine. But the speaker has already seen
the temple. Now the old woman has nothing more to offer to the
speaker and says about her plight. She is forced to live a life like a
beggar and as a self-appointed tourist guide.

39
3. How does the speaker’s attitude undergo a change?
A. The old woman holds the sleeve of the speaker and drags him near
the horseshoe shrine in front of all. He is embarrassed by the
situation and tries to lose her grip from his sleeves. Then the old
woman replies to him saying that 'what else can an old woman do
on hills as wretched as these?' For which the speaker becomes
speechless. His pre-mindset opinions shatter towards her. He was
reduced to be a small change in her hands. He became an
insignificant person by witnessing her determination. So after all
these, we can say that the speaker's attitude has changed towards
the old woman.

4. The old woman reduces the self-esteem of the speaker and

makes him feel that he is nothing more than 'so much small
change'. Comment.
A. In the poem, 'An old woman' by Arun Kolatkar selected from his
literary work ‘Jejuri' where the old woman reduces the self-esteem
of the speaker and makes him feel that he is nothing more than 'so
much small change'.
The old woman holds the sleeve of the speaker and drags him near
the horseshoe shrine in front of all. He is embarrassed by the
situation and tries to lose her grip from his sleeves. Then the old
woman replies to him saying that 'what else can an old woman do
on hills as wretched as these?' For which the speaker becomes
speechless. His pre-mindset opinions shatter towards her. He was
reduced to be a small change in her hands. He became an
insignificant person by witnessing her determination. So after all
these, we can say that the speaker's attitude has changed towards
the old woman.

5. What is the speaker trying to convey through the lines ‘And the
hills crack, And the sky falls?
A. In Arun Kolatkar’s poem, 'An old woman' selected from his work
'Jejuri’ where the poet uses the line ‘And the hills crack, And the

40
 sky falls’ which means that the attitude of the speaker has changed
towards the old woman.
At the beginning of the poem, when the old woman held him
through his sleeve, the poet felt embarrassed in front of all. He had
pre-notions about old women but after listening to the words of
the old woman, the poet's mindset started to change. The speaker
realised the determination and honesty which the old woman had
in her eyes and words and when she said what other jobs she
could do in these wretched hills, shook his conventional beliefs
about old people. He was so much ashamed of his thought that his
entire existence got reduced to be some change in the old woman's
hand.

6. How do you relate the ‘cracks around her eyes’ to the cracking of
hills and temples?
A. In the poem ‘An old woman’ by Arun Kolatkar, where he uses the
phrase 'cracks around her eyes' to describe the old woman. In a
normal sense, the phrase describes the signs of old age. But in the
case of the old woman, it is more than the description of old age.
The phrase even symbolizes the hardships which the old woman
has been through.
The hill and temple symbolize the speaker's conventional idea
about old people. The old woman is crone (ugly) but she is
shatterproof and nothing happens to her. But it was the speaker,
who was reduced to a small change in her hand. Cracks around
her eyes extend to the hills and temple which shows the
determination of the lady to live a dignified life. So the old
woman, despite the cracks around her eyes is the only one who is
shatterproof.

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12.Two Gentlemen of Verona – A J Cronin

1. Why doesn’t the driver approve of the narrator buying fruit from
the two boys? Does he succeed?
A. The driver, Luigi did not approve the narrator buying fruit from
the two boys as he felt that they could get much better fruits in
Verona and he was not happy with their shabby appearance.
No. The driver did not succeed to stop the narrator buying fruit
form the boys.

2. List the different things that the boys did to earn their living.
A. The boys did many things to earn their living. They sold fruits,
shined shoes, hawked newspapers, took tourists around the town
and exploited every avenue which the troubled economy of the
town left open to them.

3. What qualities in the two boys attracted the narrator?

A. The narrator was attracted by their innocence, artlessness (quality
of simple and innocent), eagerness to work under all adverse
circumstances, cheerfulness, competence, uncomplaining about
the hardships they have to put up with were the qualities which
attracted the narrator.

4. Why did the two boys go to Poleta and why did they want the
narrator not to follow them?
A. The boys went to Poleta to visit their ill sister, Lucia at the hospital.
They did not want the narrator to know about their problems. So
they did not want the narrator to follow them.

5. What does the narrator learn from Lucia’s nurse?

A. The narrator came to know about Lucia from the nurse that she
was suffering from tuberculosis of the spine, which was contracted
during the miseries of war. She had been undergoing treatment at

42
 the hospital from the last twelve months and had shown signs of
walking again.

6. In what different ways were the boys useful to the narrator?

A. The boys were useful in many ways. On the first day, they took the
narrator and his driver to Juliet's tomb. In the upcoming days, they
brought packs of American cigarettes, seats for the opera and
suggested names of good restaurants.

7. What do you understand about the boys’ character from their

action and behavior?
A. The narrator from the first day of meeting with the boys had been
observing their behavior. The boys were always cheerful and friendly
but there was seriousness about their behavior which was strange
for their age. They earned good money but did not spend on
themselves for food or clothing. They neither begged nor stole from
others. They did not disclose their sister's medical condition to
others. They were secretive about the reason behind their hard work.
They never complained or whined about their plight and accepted
the situation more maturely far ahead of their age. They acted as
secret agents and played the role of messengers during the war
against German troop.

8. Do you think the ending comes to you a surprise? Why?

A. In a way, we can say that the ending of 'Two Gentlemen of Verona'
by A J Cronin comes as surprise. It is so because it could be rarely
seen as the young boys struggling hard to earn money. They never
used the money for their needs but spent most of the money to
their sister, Lucia's medical treatment. Nicola and Jacopo never
complained about their hardships. They did many things to earn
money. When we come to know about the early lives of the boys,
then our respect for the boys increases naturally. Though the
narrator knew the truth and yet he did not reveal it to the boys.
This behavior of the narrator increases his respect in the eyes of

43
 readers. Even the narrator was in a way a gentleman along with
the boys.

9. Had you been in the place of the narrator would you have
behaved differently?
A. In the short story 'Two Gentlemen of Verona' by A J Cronin, where
one could observe that the boys were cheerful, lively and friendly
but they had one strange seriousness, which was way beyond their
age. Even the narrator was attracted to these boys because of this
quality in their behavior. They earned good money but did not spend
on themselves. The boys were proud and had self-respect. So they
did not disclose about their sister, Lucia's medical condition to
anyone. The narrator wanted to honour their self- respect. So even
after knowing about their secrets from the nurse, he kept quiet. Any
sensible person would behave in the same wayas the narrator did.

10. ‘Appearances are deceptive’. How does the story bring out this
idea?
A. The line 'Appearances are deceptive' is true, when we read the
story 'Two Gentlemen of Verona' by A J Cronin. At the beginning
of the story, the narrator's driver, Luigi was deceived by the
shabby appearance of Nicola and Jacopo. It is a possibility that he
might have thought about them as thieve, who were selling stolen
fruits. But this was a false assumption and the narrator realise
about these boys in upcoming days. The narrator noticed that the
boys used to do a lot of hard work to earn money by they never
spent that hard-earned money on themselves. Later from the nurse
at the hospital, the narrator came to know they were from a well
cultured, decent family. The war had ruined their lives making
them homeless. They suffered the ill-fate t save their sister, Lucia,
who was diagnosed at the hospital for tuberculosis of the spine.
They were cheerful and friendly but secretive about their
problems. In this way, we can say that the title suits best to these
two boys.

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11. ‘War may destroy one’s home but not one’s heart’. Discuss the
statement with reference to the story of the two boys.
A. The statement 'War may destroy one's home but not one's heart' is
very true in the case of Nicola and Jacopo in A J Cronin's short
story 'Two Gentlemen of Verona'. The plight of the boys
completely changed when the war began. Though they did not
participate in the war but had to face its ill-effects. They lost their
father in the course of war though he was not a soldier. Their
home was destroyed during the war and became homeless. Their
sister, Lucia had to suffer because of tuberculosis of the spine.

The boys had to face all kinds of loss. But they did not lose their
heart. When Verona was occupied by Germans, they joined the
resistance movement to act as messengers. They worked hard
risking their lives to pass the messages. After the war, they
admitted their sister to the hospital. Though the boys were
brought up in a cultured and decent family, despite that they did
all the odd jobs to earn money. They never spent the money on
themselves but they used it to pay the hospital bill to save their
sister. So by considering their determination and courage, one
could say they were a fine example of the above-said statement.

12.Do you think the story is a telling comment on the true character
of a gentleman? Elaborate.
A. In the short story 'Two Gentlemen of Verona' by A J Cronin, where
we can say that the story does talk about the true character of a
gentleman.

The boys were true 'gentlemen' and sensitive. They had

honorable behavior in the story. They did many odd jobs to earn
money. But they never spent the earned money lavishly on
themselves. They spent most of their money to pay the hospital
bill, where their sister Lucia was admitted. She was diagnosed for
tuberculosis of the spine, which she had contracted during the
miseries of war. They never considered any job below their

45
dignity. They had to work hard, sacrifice sleep, food and other
pleasures but they never chose ill-means to make money. The
respect towards the boys' increases, when we learn that being
small kids, they joined the resistance movement to act as
messengers. They had almost risked their lives during this task.
They were always loving by nature, cheerful and selfless. They
never discussed their problems with others. They were brought up
in a cultured family. They lost almost everything during the war.
They lost their father and became homeless despite that they
believed in good and were determined to achieve something
valuable in life. This attitude of the boys makes them be called
gentlemen though they were small kids.

46
 13. Do not ask of me, my love – Faiz Ahmad
Faiz
Summary
The poem ‘Do not ask of me, my love’ is written by Faiz Ahmad
Faiz. In this poem the poet expresses his opinion that we need to
think, care and love the entire humanity and we should not confine
our love to our loved ones alone. This is one of the best poems
written by Faiz by looking the misery around him related to people
in the society. It is an Urdu poem and it is translated into English by
Shaheen Sultan Dhanji.
The poem begins with a couplet. Throughout the poem the poet
addresses to his ‘beloved’. Faiz asks his beloved not to expect the
love, which he had once towards her.
In the next stanza of the poem followed by the couplet, where the
poet describes the way he viewed life in the earlier stages of his life.
It was during his younger days, when his life was filled with
brightness and the entire world looked young and blooming. It was
so because of his love for his beloved. He loved his beloved so much
that she was the reason for happiness in his life. The poet could not
withstand any kind of suffering his beloved faced. He considered his
beloved’s problems as his problems. In the next lines, it is to be
noticed that the poet says that the beauty of his beloved gave the
spring everlasting youth. Perhaps we can assume that the poet was
attracted to his beloved’s eyes, which he had thought that all else
was useless in front of her eyes. Just being in the company of his
beloved was the greatest grace to him. The poet’s beloved was world
to him. But now the poet says that all these were just an illusion. This
illusion was growing in his imagination. The poet immediately says
his love towards his beloved was an illusion because he realised that
there are other agonies in this world than the sorrows of love and
there are other happiness, which is way beyond his love towards his
beloved.
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In the next part of the poem the poet builds the poem by referring to
few contrasts. He says that there are silk and satin brocade, which
have woven the dark and brutal curses of human world for countless
centuries. The dark and brutal curses means that human bodies
bathed in blood in the bloodshed of wars, humans covered with dirt
and dust and some of them sold in the streets and market-place,
there are many of them, who are suffering very badly because of
diseases. By the above explanation we can assume that the poet is
referring to miseries of battle, poverty, prostitution, slavery and lack
of care and concern respectively, which are been followed in the
human world even to this day. By looking at these barbaric things
the poet has turned his attention towards them.
In the final part of the poem the poet says that his beloved is still
beautiful but he has become helpless to give her the same attention
which he once had for her. It is because he has realized that there are
other pains than his beloved’s and there are other pleasures than his
love. The pleasures refer to the satisfaction, which the poet gets by
serving the unhappy, suffering people. He concludes the poem with
the same couplet, which he used in the beginning of the poem.

B. What does the line ‘those dark and brutal curses of the countless
centuries’ suggest?
A. The line ‘those dark and brutal curses of countless centuries’
suggest that the miseries and sufferings endured by the world
have been there since the evolution of human beings. The poet
means that the sufferings caused by poverty, which has fallen over
the poor people as a curse. The phrase even says that the poor
have no escape from this. These sufferings are due to war, slavery,
prostitution and diseases. Hence the poet refers to them as curses.
C. What harsh realities of life have drawn the speaker’s attention
much more than the beauty of his beloved?
A. The poet saw the harsh realities like sufferings caused because of
war and bodies bathed in blood, dust covered over the bodies’ of
48
 soldiers and poor people. The sufferings of people having chronic
and deadly diseases, the miseries of women, who were sold in
markets and pains of slaves, who were ill-treated like animals are
some of the curses which the poet has mentioned in the poem. All
these painful realities have drawn the speaker’s attention much
more than the beauty of his beloved.
D. What transformation in the perception of love do you see in the
poem?
A. In the beginning of the poem the poet was immersed in love for
his beloved. The poet had no other world, sorrows or joys
beyond her. But, then the poet realised that there was another
world beyond his small world. Even this world needs care and
concern. So the love which was confined to his beloved now has
a wider perspective and now it is universal.
E. At the end of poem we feel ‘the speaker does not love his
beloved less, but the suffering humanity more’. Do you agree?
A. In Faiz Ahmad Faiz’s poem, ‘Do not ask of me, my love’, we can
certainly agree that the sufferings of humanity have moved him.
But it does not mean that he has no concern for his beloved. He
still loves her but not like the earlier times. His love is not
anymore confined to his beloved.
The speaker has witnessed the pain and sufferings of the world.
He has realised his duty and concern towards society and
country. The speaker makes an indirect plea to his beloved to let
him go to do his duties to the society. The speaker feels that his
responsibility of serving the poor in the society is greater than
pleasing his beloved. So the poet requests his beloved not to ask
him to love her in the same way as he once used to love her. The
poem speaks about the heavy burden of realizing and taking
responsibility and the inner struggle that the person has to face
himself.

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F. Many critics have pointed out in this poem ‘the beloved’ means
not just a lover but country and nationalism. With this
observation, does the poem read differently?
A. The poem ‘Do not ask of me, my love’ is written by Faiz Ahmad
Faiz. The poem could be read and interpreted in two different
contexts. Both these two contexts are inter-connected and have
their own meaning.
If the reader reads the poem and analyses it according to the
view point of a lover to his beloved then it could be understood
as a lover, who used to love his beloved so much and now he
has realised his duty towards his society and country. Thus he
cannot give the same attention to his beloved as once he used to
love her.
The poem could be understood in another context i.e. as though
the speaker is addressing to his country. Even it is a possibility.
It means that the poet, who had loved his country the most and
had confined his care and concern to his country alone, has now
changed. After seeing the miseries in other parts of the world,
the speaker has now come out from the confinement of his love
only to his country. He thinks that the entire world belongs to
him and he belongs to the world. He thinks about the welfare of
all people in the world.
So in the concluding part we can say that in the poem as the
critics have pointed out ‘the beloved’ is not only a person but it
could also be a country and nationalism.

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