THE BUDDHA

-Elizabeth Coatsworth

Literal Comprehension
“The Buddha” is an essay by Elizabeth Coatsworth. The artist had to paint a
picture of the death of the Buddha to be hung in the village temple. To do this he
had to understand the Buddha. On the first day, he imagined himself to be a
young prince, Siddharth, living in the palace.

He went and won the princess Yashodhara in a competition. He had no bad

feelings against the rivals.

The artist felt that a line of servants was serving his food when his housekeeper
came with his midday meal. He imagined his cat, Good Fortune, to be a dancing
girl. On the second day, he became Siddharth, who give up everything seeing an
old man, a sick man, and a dead man. Feeling powerless, he wanted to know the
cause of the suffering.

At night he left his wife and son and went secretly out of his father’s kingdom. The
prince’s pain made the artist tired the next morning. On the third day, he
imagined Siddharth sitting under a bo tree.

Being unmoved by temptation, he got great wisdom. He loved every living thing
including the rocks as his own wife or son. He wandered here and there making
disciples and carrying happiness. Now he was eighty and was about to die.

The artist looked for the cat and remembered that the cat was not allowed to go
to heaven because it has paid no homage to the Buddha. He felt sad for the cat.
Knowing all this about the Buddha, he slept for twenty-four hours. After this in
less than three hours, he painted the picture of the Buddha dying peacefully on
the couch.

 
Interpretation

In this story, the writer might be trying to tell us that we must be devoted to our
work to become successful. Similarly, death is natural and it doesn’t discriminate
between rich and poor.

The writer also wants to spread the message of Buddha about life, death, peace,
and satisfaction. Death is suffering to those who are in grip of physical pleasures
and it is peace to those who have given up such pleasure.

  Critical Thinking

Though this story presents a very sensual theme about life, death, and Buddha’s
principle, I am dissatisfied with the writer.

Some of my questions are:

 Is it possible for people to sleep for 24 hours pretending as if they were

dead?
 Is there really the existence of gods, devils, and heaven?
 Can we paint any picture by imagining their nature?
 

Assimilation
After reading this story, I realized that we must be devoted to anything if that
thing is our aim and goal.

Similarly, I remember my old days when I used to paint a picture of movie heroes
by imagining their looks and personality. Also, hard and continuous preparation
ultimately gives a positive and better result.

 
 THE HITCH-HIKER

- -Roald Dahl

Literal Comprehension
As the writer was driving up to London in his new car, the hitch-hiker asked for a
lift. When he got into the car, he said he was in a skilled trade. Because of the
new car, he guessed that he must have been a successful writer. He encouraged
the writer to drive the vehicle at a speed of 129km/hr as claimed by the carmaker.

When the car was running at 120km/hr a policeman stopped the car and wrote
down the writer’s name and address and other details in a book of tickets. He
issued the narrator threats of license cancellation and imprisonment. He also
wrote down the passengers’ names and addresses and warned them that they
would have to go to court.

After the policeman is gone, the hitch-hiker rolled a cigarette very fast. This made
the writer curious. He proved that he was a skilled workman by showing the
writer’s belt, shoelaces, and many other things. He did not like to be called a
pickpocket, but a finger smith. He puzzled the writer by showing the policeman’s
notebook and ticket book. They were safe and decide to leave the highway and
make a bonfire to burn.

 Interpretation

This story might be telling that practical knowledge is the best knowledge i.e.,
gained through experience of life. The writer focuses on the truth of life, which is
to become very good at something very hard. This story also presents the
proudness and carelessness of an educated person. 

 Critical Thinking
This story is very interesting and gives more respect to the hitch-hiker. It is too
agreeable that no easy work makes a man great but hard work brings success in
our life.
Though the presentation of the story is marvelous, I have some critical issues:

 Is it possible to take one’s belt, and shoelace, and watch silently?

 Why should the writer speed up the car? Is he dumb that even doesn’t
know a hitch-hiker understands the speed of the car?
 

 Assimilation
Reading this story has changed much of me. I felt that one needs a lot of formal
education to be efficient, capable, genius, respectable, and likable. But my views
are shaken badly after reading this story.

I need to coach myself to do something that is pretty tough and sounds almost
impossible. Also, I learned that we must be a master of something than a jack of
everything.
 THE LOTTERY

-Shirley Jackson 

Literal Comprehension
On the morning of June 27 of a recent year, the 300 villagers of an American
village prepare for the annual lottery in a mood of excitement. The tradition of
the lottery is so old that some of the rituals have been forgotten and some have
been changed. Its basic purpose is entirely unremembered, but residents are
present to take part in it.

The civic-minded Mr. Summers has been sworn in and then he hands a piece of
paper to the head of each family. Once the men have chosen, Mr. Summers
allows everyone to open the paper and see who’s been selected.

When it is discovered the Hutchinson family has drawn the marked slip, each
member of the family-Bill, Tessie, and the children is given another slip. Silence
prevails as suspense hovers over the proceedings.

After helplessly protesting the unfairness of the first drawing, Tessie finds that she
holds the marked slip. Set in a clear space, desperately afraid, she feels the first
pebbles hitting her as people, holding stones, push forward, and they were upon
her. The winner is stoned to death by her fellow townsmen. Tess protests in rain
as the villagers attack her.

  Interpretation

On a basic level, “The Lottery” asks us to think about the rituals and traditions
that we unthinkingly follow as a member of society. This is due to historic
construction. Human beings are fearful creatures. It makes them selfish and
society wrongly allocates scapegoats to bear the sins of the community.

Mainly, this essay represents the false idea confidently of the scapegoat as
someone who is blamed for the evils of a society and banished to expel sin and
allow for renewal. 
 Critical Thinking
This text is so beautifully constructed that every character has a significant role.
Not only this, even each word is worth reading in the text.

However, I am not convinced and have some critical questions:

 How can the villagers go back to work after executing an innocent

woman by stoning?
 How can they become heartless and happy to murder their own family?
 What might they do if all the women became endangered from their
community?
 How is it possible to grow heavy crops by executing someone?
 

Assimilation
After reading this story I realized that we shouldn’t take part in any lottery. A
lottery is taken as a shortcut to prosperity by many people. But I don’t believe in
that because without any effort, we can’t be really happy with the result.

Similarly, I will not follow any brutal traditions of my society at any cost. Instead
of being a slave to the blind traditions, I will try to vanish such unscientific beliefs
and think logically as well as critically so that it will be good for everyone.