SHORT SUMMARIES II YEAR PU ENGLISH UNITS

01. ROMEO AND JULIET: These collection of verse lines are extracted from the same name play by William
Shakespeare the greatest playwright and poet. Here the poet expresses the implicit love feelings of Romeo and
Juliet for each other.
Romeo’s soliloquy: Romeo sees Juliet on the dance floor. He gets fascinated by her beauty. He says that she is
brighter than the torches’ light. She looks like a rich jewel in an Ethiope’s ear. She looks like a snowy dove
among the crows. He wishes to touch her hands. He says that he had not seen such a beautiful lady till then.
Juliet’s Soliloquy: Juliet too is fascinated by Romeo’s charming personality. She urges the night to give her
Romeo and says that he looks like day in night. He is whiter than new snow on a raven’s back. To immortalize
their love, She asks the night to cut him into little stars after his death and sky would appear brighter with
these little stars. Then, people would fall in love with night and ignore the garish sun.
02. “Too Dear!” is a short story written by Count Leo Tolstoy. It ridicules the ways of punishing a criminal
and criticizes an unfit ruler.
A Note on Monaco: The king of Monaco ruled a tiny kingdom with a small population of about seven
thousand. In that kingdom he was a real kinglet. He had a palace, courtiers, ministers, a bishop, generals and
an army to take care of. However, he had very limited sources of income: a tax on tobacco, wine, spirits and
a poll-tax. These sources were insufficient. So, he found a new source of special income; a gaming house
where people played roulette.
The Kinglet’s failure to carry out the punishment to the murderer: Once a murder was committed and
the criminal was sentenced to death, there was only one hitch in the matter; they had neither a guillotine nor
an executioner. A council of ministers was called and letters were sent to France and Italy asking them whether
they could provide the machine and if yes what would be the expenses. France and Italy governments agreed
to provide the guillotine machine for and francs respectively. It was too dear. So the ministers
decided to ask one of their soldiers to execute the criminal but they were not ready. Later, it was decided to
alter the death sentence to one of imprisonment for life. The criminal was kept in a small lock-up and a guard
was appointed to look after him. But exactly after a year when he looked over the account, he noticed a new
item of expenditure francs for the keep of the criminal.
The criminal’s denial/reluctance to run away: When they found dealing with the criminal is too dear they
told the criminal to run away but the criminal was reluctant to run away because he had nowhere to go. He
complained that by their death sentence, they had ruined his character. He was afraid that people would turn
their backs on him. Besides, he had lost touch with the way of working. He said he had been treated badly
which was not fair. After he was sentenced, he should have been executed. Instead, they changed it to life
imprisonment, put a guard on him and then took him away again. He had to fetch his own food. Though he
agreed to all these changes without complaining. So, he declined to go out of the prison. Finally they decided
to get rid of him by offering him a pension of francs a year by which the criminal started a market
gardening near the frontiers and led a happy life.

03. ON CHILDREN is taken from Lebanese-American poet Kahlil Gibran’s poetic essay The Prophet. The poem
is a critique of the usual expectations of parents about their children and urges parents to introspect themselves.
The prophet says that children do not belong to the parents. Parents are just biological means. They are the
sons and daughters of Life’s longing. Parents may give their love to children but not their thoughts because
they have their own thoughts. Parents may house their bodies but not their souls because their souls live in
the house of tomorrow. Parents may try to be like their children. But they should not try to make their children
like themselves. Prophet compares the parents to bow, children to arrows and God to archer. God uses parents
as His instruments to make the children reach a particular goal. Parents should accept this pain with gladness.
God loves the arrow that flies and also loves the bow that is stable.

04. “A Sunny Morning” is a one act play by Serafin and Joaquin Alvarez Quintero, brothers and celebrated
Spanish playwrights. The story is centred on two old lovers now in their s meeting at a park and trying to
recall their romantic past.
Reasons for Laura’s Irritation on Gonzalo: Laura was feeding pigeons with breadcrumbs. As Gonzalo
came late to the park, his usual bench was occupied by three priests, as a result he was angry and impatient.
While he was in search of a bench for himself, Gonzalo scared away the birds and Laura became furious on
him. Then Ganzalo sat on Laura’s bench without her permission and said that benches there were public
property, meanwhile Laura asked him then why did he said the priest’s bench was his. She made comment on
dust on his shoes and his act of wiping shoes with handkerchief.
Identification Of Each Other’s True Identity: Gonzalo soon gives up his verbal combat with Laura and
offers her a pinch of snuff and reconciles with her. When Don Gonzalo reads from Campoamor’s ‘Twenty
years pass He returns’, and said that he met Campoamor in Valencia, the city where Laura had spent her
youth, both felt that they were the lovers in the past. But they chose to pretend to hide their identities.
Both recall their youthful days: Laura Llorente lived at Maricela in Valencia. She was known as ‘The Silver
Maiden’ in her locality. Gonzalo would pass by on horseback every morning down the rose path under her
window and would toss up to her balcony a bouquet of flowers. Later in the afternoon he would return by the
same path and catch the bouquet of flowers she would toss him. Laura’s parents wanted to get her married to
a merchant. A duel followed and the merchant was badly wounded by Gonzalo.
Gonzalo’s fictitious story to hide his true identity: Don Gonzalo tells Laura that he was Gonzalo’s cousin
and as the merchant was badly wounded by Gonzalo in the duel and Gonzalo became fearful of the
consequences took refuge in his cousin’s home and then went to Seville and came back to Madrid. Wrote
many letters to Laura and as they might have been intercepted by her parents, he didn’t get reply. Then Gonzalo
in despair believed his love lost to him forever and joined the army, went to Africa, and there in a trench met
glorious death by holding the flag of Spain and whispering the name of his beloved Laura.
Laura’s fictitious Story to hide her true identity: Laura said that she heard about Dona Laura’s story
through her friend. Laura waited for days and months and no letter came from Gonzalo for long time and she
left her home one afternoon and went to the beach where her beloved had risked his life. While she was
engrossed in his thoughts she was washed away by the waves. She herself told that she was not less than
Gonzalo in decorating her own funeral.
Reasons for hiding their true identities: Gonzalo said that he would not reveal himself because he was
grotesque now and better that she would recall him as a gallant horseman who passed daily beneath her
window tossing flowers. Laura felt that she too was sadly changed and better he should remember her as
black-eyed girl tossing flowers as he passed among the roses in the garden. Moreover, there was no hope of
their union as they were at the final stage of their life. Finally, they gave importance to newly developed
relationship between them, that was friendship.

06. WHEN YOU ARE OLD is the best love poem by Nobel Laureate and Irish poet W B Yeats. The speaker is in
love with the most beautiful young lady who does not reciprocate his love and he imagines her old age when
she is left with nothing. Then he urges her to read his book of poems which expresses his true love for her.
There are other young men who love her physical beauty and do not care for her feelings, whereas the speaker
loves her inner beauty and her pilgrim soul which is in quest of truth. He also loves the sorrows of her changing
face. He warns that she would be old by the time she realizes this truth and regret for having lost her true love
by murmuring little sadly how love has fled beyond her reach over the mountains.
07“The Gardener” written by noted writer and journalist P. Lankesh. The story narrates how rivalry can
divide people and relationships leading to revenge.
The change of owner’s life style: The owner’s life changed dramatically after the entry of the man on his
farm. The petty thefts in the garden came to an end, income from the garden improved and the plantation
expanded. However, the owner became lethargic and shied away from hard work. His wealth and social
prestige had risen higher. He went on to acquire new friends in the next town and in his own village as well.
He became crowded with colourful events. He was also involved in adultery through his newly acquired clout.
Basavaiah’s efforts to overcome humiliation: Tammanna started to compose all his experiences in the form
of ballads and sing them. Basavaiah had no answer, though he tried to sing yet he failed. Tammanna’s
reputation spread all around. He was felicitated as the best poet of his times. Basavaiah shrunk in humiliation.
He tried to fill his life with all kinds of material wealth. He built a palatial mansion for himself, appointed a
number of persons just to praise him, and wore gold, diamonds and other precious stones. But his house looked
dull without Tammanna’s books. Therefore he started inviting scholars, poets and musicians to his place.
Thus, he tried to overcome his humiliation.
The rivalry between Tammanna and Basavaiah: Tammanna, a rich man owned acres of land whereas
his rival Basavaiah had acres of land. He wanted to buy another acres from Tammanna. As he was
not willing to sell, Basavaiah encroached upon the lands of Tammanna. Though advised to approach the court
of Law or the Police, Tammanna found an innovative way to compose all of his achievements in the form of
ballads which became very famous. Basavaiah in turn amassed huge wealth and tried to increase his popularity
by appointing people to praise his glories but in vain. Tammanna wanted to punish Basavaiah through another
method that was his death. So, he gave up everything and left the village causing the absence of a rival in
Basavaiah’s life. Basavaiah died soon finding life boring without a rival.

08. HEAVEN, IF YOU ARE NOT HERE ON EARTH is a poem by the greatest 20th century poet of Kannada literature
Kuvempu. Here the poet tries to demystify the concept of ‘heaven and gods’. The speaker asserts that heaven
is on earth. If heaven is not on earth, it could be nowhere else. We ourselves are gods and nymphs if we could
not be gods there would be no gods at all. In the beauty of nature, heaven lies all over on the earth. The roaring
stream, the rushing surf rolling at the edge of waves, the tender sunshine on the verdant gardens, the gentle
sun, the splendour of harvest, and the splendour of moonlight – thus the presence of nature in all these things
on earth makes it a real heaven. The poet, drinking the song of nectar and spilling it in the form of songs,
creates heaven on earth.

09. JAPAN AND BRAZIL THROUGH A TRAVELLER’S EYE

George Mikes is a Hungarian artist, author, publisher, illustrator and journalist. These excerpts are from ‘The
Rising of The Yen’ and ‘How To Tango’. Here he writes about his travelling experiences from two different
places of the world, Japan and Brazil.

Japanese Manners / Courtesy - substitute privacy: The writer observes that Japanese are well-mannered
people. They respect one another’s privacy immensely. Courtesy has a double function there: it is courtesy
and it is substitute privacy. They conduct their most confidential business transactions, their love -quarrels in
public in perfect privacy.
Bowing: Everybody in Japan keeps bowing to everybody else. It’s a mania. Bowing is quainter; more formal,
more oriental and infectious too. Japanese have a complicated hierarchy in bowing: who bows to whom, how
deeply and for how long. Though a little complicated to us, they manage it effortlessly. Even the smallest
difference in rank, standing, age, social position will be subtly reflected in that split second. The wife bows to
her husband, the child bows to his father, younger brothers to elder brothers, and the sister bows to all brothers
of whatever age. The writer notes that despite with their distinct manners, Japanese can turn into savages as
soon as the bus arrives.
Eating Soup: One must make a fearful noise while eating soup in Japan, for it is a sign of appreciation. It
must be according to the expected levels of approval or it is thought to be an example of ill manners.
Brazilians’ sense of beauty / Traffic in Brazil: Life in Brazil looks slow paced to the writer. He appreciates
their aesthetic sense in decorating the grey pavements in Copacabana with beautiful black mosaics. But the
same leisurely characters speed madly when they get to the steering wheel. They are highly passionate about
cars, though motor cars are extremely expensive. As soon as a driver notices a pedestrian step off the
pavement, he targets him and accelerates in a fair game. The pedestrian has to run for dear life. It’s a driver
and pedestrian - hunter and prey game. They smile at each other amicably and move on. Even the war between
the drivers is murderous but good tempered. There is no anger, no hostility, no mad hooting.

09 “The Voter”
Roof is an intelligent manipulator: “The Voter” is a story by Chinua Achebe, a Nigerian novelist, poet,
professor and critic. In this he unravels the lapses of newly introduced Western democratic system in Africa
where the native people are innocent and do not understand the intricacies leading to corruption and
manipulation. No doubt, Roof is shrewd and a manipulator. Throughout the story there are many instances
where he proves his skills. He stayed back in Umuofia to guide people thus winning their confidence. When
politics made its entry in his village he capitalized his strength by supporting Marcus Ibe. After Marcus became
the minister, he took advantage of the situation. He got many favours through Ibe’s influence. When it was
time for the second election, he had already read the mood and mind of his villagers. He negotiated with them
over four shillings in return for their votes to Marcus Ibe. He made most of the situation when an offer came
from Maduka for five pounds. His attitude suits exactly how people and money operate under the influence of
politics. He is a quick decision maker and didn’t hesitate to tear his ballot paper into two to strike a balance.
This proves that he is an intelligent manipulator.
The change in the attitude of the villagers before the second election: The central theme of the story revolves
around the second election scenario. When the first election was held, the villagers had elected Marcus Ibe
based on Rufus Okeke’s words without any expectation. After Ibe became Minister of Culture, there was a
dramatic change in his lifestyle and social status. He owned two cars and had just built himself the biggest
house. All these developments made the villagers change their attitude. This time they were sure, they would
vote only by taking their share of the opportunity.
The formation of the POP: The POP had been formed by the tribes down the coast to save themselves from
“total political, cultural, social and religious annihilation.” Though it was sure to lose, yet it wanted to make
an impact. It took on PAP straight by providing cars and loudspeakers to a few rascals to make a lot of noise.

The essay “Where There Is A Wheel” is taken from the book ‘Everybody loves a good drought’ written by P.
Sainath a noted Indian journalist who writes columns regularly on social, rural problems post globalization in
leading journals.
Changes Are Noticed In Pudukkottai By P. Sainath During The Eighteen Months: This essay is about a
social movement through cycling in Pudukkottai district of Tamilnadu where over , rural women have
taken to bicycling. Most of them are neo-literates who use bicycling as a symbol of independence, freedom
and mobility. Cycling has given new meaning and social identity to women, agricultural workers, quarry
labourers and village health nurses. Even balwadi and anganwadi workers, gem cutters and school teachers
have joined the bandwagon. There are also gram sevikas and mid-day meal workers who have joined the new
movement.
The Arivoli Iyakkam that led the community literacy movement successfully has found a new source of
inspiration in cycling to make women further independent and confident. Very large number of trained women
have volunteered to help new learners. They strongly believe that all women ought to learn cycling.
Role of Sheela Rani Chunkath: The very idea was the brainchild of the popular former district collector,
Sheela Rani Chunkanth. She took it as a personal challenge to promote the cause of bicycling. She pushed the
banks to give loans for women to buy cycles. This was because by training female activists’ literacy could be
reached to women easily. She included mobility as a part of the literacy drive. Sheela Rani realised the fact
that lack of mobility in women undermined their confidence. Surprisingly, every woman wanted to learn.
Muthu Bhaskaran, a male Arivoli activist even wrote the famous cycling song which has become their anthem.
Economic Implications of Cycling: Cycling boosted income. Some women their sold agricultural or other
produces within a group of villages. For them, bicycle cuts down on time wasted in waiting for buses.
Secondly, it gave much more time to focus on selling their produce. Thirdly, it enlarged the area they can hope
to cover. Lastly, it can increase their leisure time too. These women earlier were depended on the male
members of their family even to reach bus stop and could cover only a limited number of villages. But now
women who have bicycles can combine different tasks and perform independently with nonchalance. Along
some remote roads we can see a young mother, child on the bar, produces on the carrier and carrying two or
three pots of water hung across the back, and cycling towards home or work.
Cycling for these women has helped in several ways: they sell their agricultural products; their waiting time
is saved; they are now able to cover large areas and they have more leisure. More than economic aspect,
cycling has given these women a sense of self-respect. This humble vehicle is a metaphor for freedom which
has given neo-cyclists the feel of goodness and freedom.