"What?" Isaid, stecling myselt.

Amitav Ghosh's
"He's learming to wiggle his ears." personal essay is
immortalise the memory ot a hero whoone
also
such
attempt to
This was, I realised, how my children
or any
children, good frie d. The essay reaffirms
ones taith
happened to be a

for that matter wouid have responded: turming their attention noble l.uman qualities. in the existence of

elsewhere, during the age that would pass before the news Ghosh begins his essay by
began to gain purchase in their minds. frlends, a couple Frank and Nicole Deintroducing his two
gond
Martini, who lived
At about noon we took the children to Fort Greene Park. same Brooklyn neighbourhood as he and his wife in the
thelr kids. Ghosh's children and the De Deborah and
It was a bright, sunny day and the children were soon absorbed Martini's children were
in riding their bicycles and scooters. In the meanwhile, my wife good friends. Frank and Nicole's lives were
with the World Trade Centre Towers. Frank wasclosely connected
Deborah and I sat on a shaded bench and spoke with Nicole.
Manager of the Towers and his ofñice was on the Construction
a

"An hour passed between the blast and the fall of the building," 88th floor of
Tower 1 and Nicole, being an
she said. "Frank could easily have got out in that time. The employee of the engineering firm
that built the Towers, worked in an office which
only thing I can think of is that he stayed back to help with the 35th floor of Tower 2. For Frank
was in the

evacuation. Nobody knew the building like he did and he must working in the World Trade
Centre Towers, was not just a job but also a
have thought he had to do it" great passion as
he familiarised himself with the nuances of the structure of the
Nicole paused. "I think it was only because Frank saw me buildings over the years. Frank and Nicole firmly believed that
"He knew
leave, that he decided that he could stay," she said. the buildings were indestructible.
looked after. That
that I would be safe and the kids would be On September 11, 2001, however, their belief was to be
he could
he felt back to help the others. He loved
go
was why shattered. After reaching work, Nicole went to Frank's office
Whatever happens,
the towers and had complete faith in them. to share a cup of coffee and chat for a while when the first
his choice."
I know that what he did
was own
fight hit Tower 1. It was then that Frank made the irreversible
decision to stay back and send Nicole alone down the stairs to

SUMMATION safety. Frank believed that since he knew the building so well,
the 21* century he could help people. Nicole went back home and waited with
on an event that permanently changed
Written
World Trade Center",
Frank's sister by the phone while she left the children at Ghosh's
Amitav Ghosh's essay, "After the it evident that Frank had not
world, world home. The next moring was
disaster that left the
human element in the made it and Nicole had to break the news to her children. While
brings out the stories of everyday
disbelief. There were many debated the political
in shock and and Americans and the rest of the world
Center narrative
the World Trade
heroes that made up
 8 AURORA Sem IlI

ramifications of this event, Ghosh's essay points out to us that

it was after all a very tragic human story that brought out
humane qualities such as selflessness, sacrifice and courage
among ulikely heroes.
 e cons reat
eroblem world anew. "In
anew.
"In oother
words,
eatedcannot
ords. you it. You seldom a bed of
and it
worid

nindse
the roses is the trials and tribulations that
d eam
to
see

with the
same minds
that created strengthen us. BCOLLECTI
P p u rn e wi f e
the lu
re
now.
As
Wayne

l o o k at
Dyers o

ings, the
things,
aptly

the things i"When

things you look at wiyou
eh
The
essay begins with the observation that one is too
often bogged down by the
pressures and challenges of life.
1. Hov
in li

, he
a y you

Within you
right
now are the raw materials
all the
Achang When things zo wrong. people feel
lose interest in life. The
depressed
and dejected and
depicts how these difficult times
2. Fa

r wou to create the coaltequi

e x t r a o r d i n a r y diamonds
in and the pain that
essay
one
experiences can be converted into
3. W

happiness, but you

live in peace
and happiness
somethin8 precious such as diamonds. The author observes that
4 Th
You can
fe. the path offear and struggle.
ust failures only exist to help us, as frustrations
walking
again full of love
and anger can
resourcefu-once transform into amazing source of
erome strength and productivity.
YOu m u s t find Referring to the study conducted by Dr. Prigogine who contested
So here
is your
work. a
metho or, the second law of
thermodynamics and concluded that instead
methods for creating a resourcefu be
litations, yoga, cognitivetspace vi
several of systems failing under mounting pressure, under 6.
yet a r e medita the right
Some opüons conditions of pressure 7.
organisms actually
theenavio
you. evolve into
enmotional releasing techniques, sucha complex structure,
a more

therapy, or

or the releasing
work I teach. You r Seta to real life as well. An apt
the author
observes that this can be applied
Method, EFT, eed tofa example would be how cancer patients
8ome way to
your
remove
stuckemotions, applying alter their view of life
despite enduring
the horrors of the RUEACE
works best for you, and
whiche
use it on dreadful disease.
approach1
a
daily basia
resourcefuly allowing the pressure and stress in The author goes
your lie explain the meaning of 'right
on to
hreak through to the other side, you will reorder yourlb conditions' something that lies in one's thinking, mental
as

you will shine, giving a whole new meaning to: "What de programming and the ability to be resourceful. To be resourceful
is to approach life with
kil me will make me stronger-as strong as diamonds. love and not resentment, anger and
bitterness. To conclude, he quotes
world anew' to solve a
Einstein,"..learn to see the
problem. Get out of the mindset that
SUMMATION created it and change the way
you look at it. He suggests some
Great thinkers and philosophers have constantly reiteratedt options like meditation, yoga and EFT (Emotional Freedom
truth that in life what happens to us is less important than Techniques) to overcome setbacks and struggles in life.
We react to it The reflection on how a positive ou
essay is a
On e brings happiness and is a source of inspiration.
 Ohanedralekha Ra

mongy
e NCPA beuised oyed

theatre non voccinoted

suddenly
mine

StUMMATION
umbai, the commercial capital, city of glitz and glamour, the
Ampst crowded city known for its traffic snarls, its perennially
Overflowing local trains ferrying people back and forth, leaves
one with a strong sense of claustrophobia. Yet to the
Mumbaikars, it holdsa dear place in their hearts. This sense of
belonging is poignantly presented in the poem, "City and I" by
Arundhati Subramaniam.
As stated by the poet, she returns to Mumbai after the
November 26th,2008, when the city was devastated by terror
attacks. The opening line, "This time...' very clearly indicates
that the most common and familiar things seem different now.
The poet's perceptions have changed and she no longer finds
it difficult to adjust to the constant jostling for space in an
ever-crowded city. Now, post the disaster everything seems to
have changed as people were trying to grapple with the gravity
of the situation and were desperately
looking for ways to get
back to normal life.The poet finds that like others in the
city,
she too is suddenly bestowed with a greater understanding of
things and a sensitive and tolerant outlook towards life. She
was able to find space and time for
everyone and everything
now. The 'nose-digging librarian', the poetry reading peon at
the Litle Theatre and the lost woman in the Bhayandar railway
junction-the ones that used to annoy her now give her a sense
 nomalcy. She seems to derive strength and solace from those
ordinary, commonplace realities of life.
n conclusion, she observes that the city beckons to her,
despite being wounded and unprotected, providing her a sense
of beionging and an identity. She reaffirms that Mumbai is the
a y where she truly belongs.
SUMMATION

The poem, "Nature Trail", written in a simple and lucid

style
drives home the truth that nature is all around us and one must
commune with nature for our spiritual wellbeing. The poet
suggests that we need to embrace nature with the
faculty of
our senses so that we may get close to it and learm life's lessons
from it.
In today's world, people have estranged themselves from
the world of nature. The
poet wonders if one really needs to
set out on a nature trail to learn
about the flora and fauna so
as to develop a
responsible attitude towards the environment,
as it is an
undisputed truth that humans are dependent on
nature for survival and sustenance. He
points out that the
garden in one's home has enough and more for us to learn about
ecology and wildlife. Right from the tiniest ereature, the creepy
 481 AURORA Sem Ill

crawlies to the wild fox, every creature can be found in a garden.

He goes on to say that these creatures 'chose their time' as it
were to search for food, to visit his garden. The birds that fly
by in the day and the nocturnal creatures like dragon flies, bats
and owls visit at the appointed hour. Each creature seems to
wait patiently for its moment to explore the garden.
In the concluding stanza, he states that bis garden is a
lively and vibrant haven for all things living. There is no lull
or dearth of life in his garden as it is forever filled with constant
activity as the creatures search for food and the flowers blossom
following nature's own pattern and cycle. Above all, he affirms
that nature is the best companion and seldom does one feel
lonely in the presence of nature.
 Ramu Ramanathan's play 3, Sakina Marzll is a memory play
which deals with the themes of unfulfilled love and missed
opportunities set again the backdrop of the Indian freedom
movement in the city of Bombay. With just two characters, a
man and a woman who reminisce about their youth and thelr
experience of falling in love, the play brings alive an array of
lively characters, weaves a beautiful narative on the innocence
of love and depicts the historical events surrounding the
freedom struggle. The playwright deftly reconstructs history at
the same time narrates a sad and tragic love story.
The play begins with the introduction of the two
charactersone a seventy-year-old woman, Shashi and the
other, a man also named Shashi around the same age. In the
past, however, the man called the woman as Shashiji and she
called him as Comrade Shashi. After fifty years, they find
themselves at a doctor's waiting room. They do not recognise
each other but a song played in the background prods their
memories and they both look back at a certain time in their
lives during the pre-independence period when they almost fell

with each other. ShashiJi was the daughter of Gala Seth,

o0 owner who lived in 3, Sakina Manzil. Comrade Shashi

s in Gala Seth's shop. When the two met, there was a sense
of mutual attraction. Their exchanges are laced with humour
and wit Both the Shashis have one thing in common that brings
them together-the freedom movement to which each one
contributes. There are hints of a love blossoming between them,
had things gone on as planned on 14th April, 1944.

that fateful day, when the two decided to meet in

On
the
evening at five, on the occasion of Shashiji's birthday, Bombay
was rocked by a series of
explosion that originated on a freight
ship which was anchored in the dockyard.In the ensuing chaos
and confusion, Shashiji and Comrade Shashi missed their
appointment. 3, Sakina Manzil was destroyed and Shashiji went
to the
hospital to volunteer as she was a nurse. Shortly after,
Shashiji's family moved to Kuteh. The beginnings of their lovee
never saw fruition each one believed that the
as
other was
married and had gone on with life. But the
fact remained that
both were never married. Chance
brought them
hospital after fifty years. Both wondered at the together
at the
whether it was Shashi but they would
other thinking
never find out. The
ends as the two miss another play
opportunity to rekindle thelr love
SUMMATION
From the short-story collection, Memory Wall, the story, "The
River Nemunas" depicts the tale of young Allison as she tries
to come to terms with the tragic death of her parents and her
subsequent relocation to Lithuania from Kansas, United States
Allison, a fifteen-year-old teenager, lost her parents to cancer
and had to move to Lithuania to live-with-her Grandpa Z-With
her dog and three bags of her worldly possessions, she embarked

on a long emotionally arduous

nd
the deaths of her rents, leaving journey toL
story brings out behind the ithuania after
in Kansas. The
sto
.tAllison. only
knew

creating
at
ife and
life
a new
the new Allison's gries, herworld she
and the
Grandpa Mrs. Sabo.
Z and
relationships she forged
attempts
with
The River Nemunas played an
grief important
rocess of Allison's recovery fromn mportant
and role in the
Grandpa Z went to
work every heartache.
tombstones, she took out his old
day as the When
river with the
paddle boat and engraver of
the neighbour, Mrs. Sabo went out to
and her
When she recounted to Grandpa 2 that she dog Mishap.
in the river, he refused to
believe sighted a
endangergered species and cannot be
her
saying that itsturgeon
was an
found
believed what she saw. Her daily forays
in the
river. But Allison
into the river with
Sabo with their fishing lines in the hope of Mrs.

became therapeutic for Allison.

finding theesturgeon,
The fact that she
mother's childhood photo with a sturgeon, pushed her her
saw
to find
the fish and eventually, the sturgeon became a metaphor for
hope for Allison.
When Mrs. Sabo died, Allison had to deal with
grief again.
Her Grandpa Z accompanied her to the river to fsh and one

ay Alison's fishing line caught a big fish-sturgeon. After a

g struggle, it surfaced and stayed on the water for some time
Z t
em. The sturgeon was cut
let go after Grandpa
line. T peaceful interaction with the sturgeon brings torth
a
a y of hope for Allison and Grandpa
their
Allison and Grandpa Zput
oncludes on aapPOSItive note as anew.
ne
ief andd and endeavour
to start
enind them,
 ALURORA Sm l
4I

SUMMATION

Kanishk Tharoorsstory, "The Fall of

of
story one such immigrant named Eyelash",,depicts the
to leave her home and
an Eye

Forough who was

undertake perilous
a
ike all other displaced
people for better and forced
a safe haven. She was literally riaky journey
while college student and theysmuggled
a opportunitdes
man into the
and for
ithout getting caugnt. Sne was age to croas new counuy
country and able to
was recelved wellmany borders
complete her education in her host
academic. Despite, being and
engaged in work, she qualify as
family and homeland.
pined for her
She met Jonas who
loved her
of her. she married himdeeply and toolk good care
Eventually,
could only bless the and her
coupl from afar as it faraway famy
them to directly get in was
touch with their dangerous
for
discreetly conveyed updates of daughter. Relatives
Forough to her parents
Among many new customs that
Jonas, there was one which had to do with
Forough learnt from
Jonas wishes. Every time
spotted a
eyelash on her face, he would rush to
stray
place it on the
tip a finger. He would then ask her to wish
insist on it and he would blow and
the eyelash away saying whatever
she wished for would definitely come true. Though she hardly
ad any belief in wishes coming true for the first time in her
when she learnt that her parents were making arangenes
younger brother to enter this country,she wished with
Ther might that her brotherrshould arive safely. As fate would
Ve i, he was not as lucky as she was. The story does not focu
0geographical details
where she migrated regarding
to but Fo that he
we do know she was
was in one of
in one of

Dr G Chanlralekha Rao| 65

the developedcountries which open their gates to immigrants.

This one sad
story is the story of millions of displaced people
who are forced to
migrate to other country. The story ends on
a positive note as
Forough founda loose eyelash.
 his voice is low and steady) All
s them fixedly, This constant vacillation between the audience/reader's
e faces about,
and with his head held proud
and peroeption of the protagonist, John Dyke as to whether he is
to the world, he moves slowy guilry or innocent is what makes the play successful in its
Auilders squared
FATHER DALY,
ioor.
with the light of his calling purpose. That the idea of 'guilt' can have various shades of
THE
in line jaust ahead of DYKE. WARDEN, his meaning is also revealed in the play. The warden and he
When have all
fals in behind, tiey gone forward chaplain are the other two characters who believe that there
Prd to speak, and DYKE to
EATHER DALY begins reply. was something more to Dyke than what he projects himself to
3 roice is strorgand sweet and DYKE speaks just be.
but in brave and unfaltering reponse)
sDhamiclly, beginning of the play, which is set in a prison,
At the
t mine eyes unto the his...
1 ill ifrt up preparations are underway for the execution of a prisoner, John
ER DALY.
T H E R

never taste ofdeath but once.... Dyke who was convicted of murdering another man. The
The valiant
DIKE warden and the prison chaplain are quite apprehensive about
ATHER
DALY. From whence cometh my help. the situation as they believe that Dyke was not telling the truth
valuant never taste of death but once. about anything, right from revealing his identity to the details
prKE The about the alleged crime that he committed. Dyke is summoned
almost reached the door; his voice rises
ETHER DALY (has to the warden's room so that they could convince him to tell
from the Lord
aks
nd gains n emotion) My help cometh the truth before the hour of execution. Dyke comes across as a

Heaven and earth.

nade defiant young man who reiterates what he had been saying
deserved
"The valiant never taste of death.. but once'.
DYKE. earlier thathe committed a murder and that the man

claiming to be his sister

whose hands to die. It is then that a young woman
When the WARDEN,
are tightly clenched, has is
the and closes the door behirnd arrives at the prison to meet him for one last time before he
te tresholi, JALER folows the warden that she will
and then.) put to death. The young woman tells
Thee is very brief pause
a
about their childhood in which
try to refresh Dyke's memories
(Curtain) The
he used to amuse his sister with quotes from Shakespeare.
and
warden believes that Dyke is definitely not the young gir>'s
pAMATION brother as he has no knowledge of Shakespeare.
and the young girl reveals
brthy Hall and Richard Middlemass' post-war play 7he The conversation berween Dyke
who is sensitive and capable of love
iat deals with the heart-breaking story of a mysterious his other side as someone
hand
however much he tried to prove
otherwise. Dyke, who initially
g man who appears to be an unrepentant murderer but
aly turns out to be somenne urhn could be morally unrioht.
2ALURORA Sm U

behaved as
though he did not recognise the young gri Josie,
later on softens his stand. He
makes up a story about Josie's
brother, Joseph Anthony Paris, and tells her that he died in the
war as a brave soldier.
He also sends the money he made writing
his fake autobiography to Josie's mother. After
Josie leaves, it
is revealed that Dyke is in fact
Joseph Anthony Paris as he
quones from Shakespeare. The play ends when Dyke is led to
his execution as he repeats the
Shakespearean lines, 'Cowards
die many times before
death, The valiant never taste of death
but once' Dyke stands for the ideals of
valour, courage and
proivably sacrifice ideas that were influenced by the just ended
First World War