ENGLISH LESSON SUMMARIES (PLUS TWO)
The 3 Ls of Empowerment
Plus Two
English
Summaries
In the story, the writer compares women to matchboxes. Matchboxes have the potential to light up and burn
everything down. But we let them lie around as if they were harmless things. It is the same with women. They also
appear to be meek and harmless because the society expects women to suffer and sacrifice their pleasures to suit
men, just like matchsticks that burn themselves out. But they are also capable of setting everything on fire within no
time.
The central character of the story is Nomita. She was born in a poor family and after her father’s death, her mother
had worked hard to marry her off to a rich family. It is a three-storied house where many families lived together. Like
every married Indian woman, she has to sacrifice her freedom and pride to please her husband and his family. Her
married life really reveals the above truth in a simple and touching manner. Her husband Ajit has the habit of
opening her mail and reading it. He argues that it his right to screen her mail to check if she had any secret lover. He
doesn’t pay any attention to Nomita’s protest. Whenever she protests, Ajit just ignores her. Besides, her poor family
background makes her suffer everything in silence.
Her mother’s letters embarrass her further because they are full of details of her miseries . The readers become very
much empathetic with Nomita as they understand the poverty and other miserable conditions of her mother. Her
mother has the habit of begging money from her daughter and son-in-law. The other members of the family too
pinch her with sharp words. Really the letters she received were from her loving mother. Mother used to write about
her misfortunes and the miserable conditions of their house. She asks for money to find a solution. She is afraid of
dying under the weight of a collapsed roof.
When we come to the climax of the story we see a woman who gets angry and goes out of control. She even threatens
him that she would teach him a lesson. But he is making humorous comments at her raging phrases. In the end she
frightens him by setting fire the anchol of her own sari. Seeing that things have gone out of control and fearing
humiliation in front of the rest of the family, Ajit tries to console and cool her down with sweet talk. Ajit, the
dominating husband now becomes meek and mellow just because his wife started to react fearlessly. All this
happens in their bedroom upstairs. She just walks downstairs and joins the other women in household chores. When
someone asks her about the burnt anchol she carelessly remarks that it caught fire from the stove. She resumes her
work thinking of a way to get some money and send it to her poor mother.
In the story, Ashapurna Debi presents the typical Indian woman caught in the web of married life. She is pulled apart
by multiple forces and caught between her family and her husband’s family. But they are never willing to unmask
their husbands, they accept everything as their fate. Every woman lives with a fire of anger and humiliation burning
inside her and it could break out into raging fits of anger if not handled carefully.
Character Sketch of Nomitha
Nomitha in the story Matchbox written by Ashapurna Debi is a typical Indian housewife who is bound to sacrifice
many of her ambitions and hopes to be enslaved in the kitchen. Ashapurna Debi portrays her without the glittering
colors of a happy married life. Her widowed mother thinks that she is successful in marrying her daughter off to a
rich family not on the merit of finance but by looks alone. Nomitha expects a minimum freedom of reading the
letters addressed to her. Her husband seems to distrust her about the letters when he tries to read it without her
consent. It is true what Ashapurna Debi says about Nomitha and women in general that they are like matchboxes
pushed to the corners of the house with their hidden power to explode at any time. Nomitha follows the example of a
matchbox and she burns with anger when she is
helpless. To break the shackles of marital slavery she is ready to kill herself. Again she is depicted as a meek innocent
woman who smiles in front of others when a volcano is burning inside her. She can tear off the mask of
her husband’s large – heartedness, but she doesn’t. Thus she proves to be a prototype of an Indian woman who is
meek as a lamb.
Horegallu
Sudha Murty
'HoreGallu' literally means 'a stone that can bear weight'. These horegallus are found in the cool shades under large
banyan trees in villages where travellers and villagers can rest during their journey or work. They usually have
besides them a pot of cool water to quench thirst and refresh the traveller along with the much needed rest.
In this story the author is tells the story of two people in her life who performed this duty selflessly. One was her
grandfather a retired school teacher who used to sit under a banyan tree and listen to the travellers or villagers who
came to rest there. He did not give suggestions or solutions to their problems, but just patiently listened to what they
had to say.
He used to tell her,
Speech by Christine Lagarde – the first woman Finance Minister of a G8 country and head of IMF.
Women contribute far less than 50% of per capita income in most countries. They don’t contribute their true
potential.
Women can be liberated with 3 Ls of empowerment – Learning, Labour and Leadership.
Learning is the foundation upon which any change is built. Learning helps women to liberate themselves and to help
each other. There is an African proverb which says: ‘If you educate a boy, you train a man. If you educate a girl, you
train a village.’
Labour helps women to develop and achieve their true potential. But in fact women get stuck in low-paying, low-
status, low-security jobs. Women should get ‘equal pay for equal work’. We must change property and inheritance
laws that discriminate against women. The governments should implement policies that improve education and
healthcare. Women should also get easy access to loans so that they can enjoy economic independence.
Leadership roles help women to rise and develop their abilities and talents. Women are capable of making good
decisions because they are compassionate and inclusive by nature, and focus on long-term goals. Women do not have
the confidence according to their abilities. They should come forward and be ready to take risks and ‘dare the
difference’.
We should create a world where all women can live according to their true potential.
Any Woman
Katharine Tynan
Any Woman, by Irish poet Katharine Tynan, is a celebration of the all-inclusive and selfless love of mothers. The
speaker of the poem is a mother who expresses her sentiments on her role in holding the family together.
She considers herself equivalent to the pillars of the house and the keystone of the arch which hold the roof and
walls of the house in place. The ‘house’ is the central metaphor of the poem representing the family in every aspect.
She is the fire on the hearth which gives warmth to the family and the sun that gives warmth and light to the earth.
The earth would turn dark, cold and lifeless without the sun. Similarly, the family wouldn’t survive without the love
and care of the mother. For the children of the house, the mother is ‘their light of love alive’, the ‘sacred ring’ that
protects them and the ‘knot of love’ that binds them together in safety. The mother’s attention and care reaches
every corner of the house from the floor to roof. She decorates the walls, arranges food on the board, spins the
curtains and shakes the bed for the children to sleep in. She is the wall that protects them and the door that keeps
out wind and snow.
The poem ends with a touching prayer to God to prolong her life until her children grow up. The prayer is addressed
to ‘Thou whom a woman laid in a manger’, which is a reference to Jesus Christ. The poet’s message is clear. A
woman’s role becomes indispensable even to the Birth of Jesus Christ. She is confident that it is her love and care
which perpetuate life on earth.
The poem abounds in metaphors like ‘pillars’, ‘the keystone of the arch’ and ‘knot of love’. All these metaphors are
pointers to the complex nature of maternal love. The metaphor of ‘sacred ring’ is deliberately used to indicate the
holiness associated with marriage vows and subsequent bondage with which the children are fastened to the family.
The ring is in the form of a circle which symbolizes wholeness, unity, perfection, permanence and peace. The
expression ‘wind and snow’ is another exquisite metaphor which stands for the crises affecting the family. The tone
of the poem is serious, sober and solemn.
In conclusion, the poem deals with a relevant theme and conveys a powerful message. It carries an optimistic mood
and a serious tone. The abundant use of poetic devices reinforces the theme and message of the poem.
Matchbox
Ashapurna Debi
“Matchbox”, written by Jnanpith award winning Bengali writer Ashapurna Debi, tells the story of a married couple. It
reveals the unhealthy marital relationships arising out of gender bias existing in most Indian families.
A Horegallu is important in any journey. People carry their burdens according to their situation or capacities. Once in
a while we need to stop, put down the burden and rest. Only then can we be refreshed to pick up the load once more.
The Horegallu does just that, it helps them regain their strength.
The second person was her colleague Ratna who was cheerful middle aged woman working in the company for 25
years. She did her boring work with a cheerfulness which was infectious. She also did one more thing. Every day
during lunch hour she would sit with a different person and have long chats with them. When asked what they
chatted she would say 'They share their troubles with me. I only listen'.
She also said
'No one can solve your problems. You have to do it yourself', 'When a person is in trouble or under a lot of strain
finds an outlet for his worries, it relieves half his burden.' This way she relieved them of their burden for a short
while, till they are ready to pick themselves up and carry on with their journey.
Everyone needs a Horegallu in their Life's journey. It can be a short break taken to reduce stress, a talk with a friend,
vacation, or even an argument which refreshes or refocuses you on your path. Some people are good listeners and
trustworthy not to publicize your secrets or problems. We need such people in our lives and should thank them
whenever we can.
Points for Women’s Liberation:
- Women are treated like lesser human beings. They are marginalized, sidelined, humiliated, and kept away from all
sources of power and freedom.
- Most women do not have access to higher education. Even the parents believe that they are destined to end up in
the kitchen.
- Most women cannot claim equal rights to their ancestral property. Most women do not have any role in decision
making.
- Most women are not paid well though they are made to toil for hours like slaves. They are not given any top jobs
with managerial roles or decision making power.
- When women are not paid well, fifty percent of the population is not paid well. When women are disrespected,
humiliated or exploited, a major chunk of the world population is disrespected, humiliated or exploited. And the
entire human race will lag behind, unable to realise its true potential.
- That’s why we speak about empowering women – for a better tomorrow, for a better humanity.
- Education is the key to women empowerment. If a girl is educated, she will have confidence. She will have
employable skills. Employment will lead her to financial independence. Entrepreneurship will make her stronger
and daring to take up new challenges.
- As Malala Yousafzai, the Nobel Peace Prize winner says, “One child, one teacher, one book, and one pen can change
the world.” And nowhere is it truer as in the case of women.
- The educated women will become leaders with the right mindset, making the right decisions at the right time.
When women are at the helm of affair conflicts resolve naturally. As mothers, they care. They care about the future
generations. They care about this earth. If a male leader takes you where you want to be, a female leader takes you
where you ought to be.
Mending Wall
Robert Frost
Robert Frost is the Pulitzer winning American poet who is well known for his love of simple country-life and the
great wisdom one can learn from nature. He believed that a poem begins with delight and ends in wisdom. ‘Mending
Wall’ is a dramatic narrative poem composed in blank verse. It reflects on the man-made barriers prevalent in the
contemporary society. The poem presents a balanced view by showing us the role they play in sustaining peace and
harmony.
Every year, two neighbours meet to repair the stone wall that divides their property. The narrator does not believe
in this tradition, unable to understand the need for a wall when there are no animals to be contained on the
property, only apples and pine trees. He does not believe that a wall should exist simply for the sake of existing.
Moreover, the natural world seems to dislike the wall as much as he does: mysterious gaps appear, boulders fall for
no reason. Moreover hunters widen the gap in the walls to expose the rabbits hidden there. The poet feels it
mysterious how the gaps are seen in spring, the mending time, even when no one has seen or heard them made.
The narrator hates his neighbour’s eagerness to repair the wall; he views it as old-fashioned and even uncivilized.
After all, he comments, his apples are not going to invade the property of his neighbour’s pinecones.
The neighbour, on the other hand, asserts that the wall is crucial to maintaining their relationship, asserting, “Good
fences make good neighbours.” Over the course of the mending, the narrator attempts to convince his neighbour
otherwise and accuses him of being old-fashioned for maintaining the tradition so strictly. No matter what the
narrator says, though, the neighbour stands his ground, repeating: “Good fences make good neighbours.”
Every year, the two neighbours fill the gaps and replace the fallen boulders, only to have parts of the wall fall over
again in the coming months. It seems as if nature is attempting to destroy the barriers that man has created on the
land, even as man continues to repair the barriers, simply out of habit and tradition. Each one picks the boulders on
his side and sets it right. The whole ordeal of restoring the boulders back is difficult since the fallen rocks have
assumed a variety of shapes, some like bread pieces; others like balls etc. This wall-building act also seems ancient,
for it is described in ritual terms. It involves “spells” to counteract the “elves,” and the neighbour appears a Stone-
Age savage who gropes in darkness with the stone in his arms.
The poem, thus, seems to meditate on three grand universal themes: barrier-building (segregation, in the broadest
sense of the word), the absurdity of this enterprise, and our determination to continue this activity.
Ultimately, the presence of the wall between the properties does ensure a harmonious relationship between the two
neighbours. By maintaining the division between the properties, the narrator and his neighbour are able to maintain
their individuality and personal identity as farmers: one of apple trees, and one of pine trees.
In terms of form, “Mending Wall” is not structured with stanzas; it is a simple forty-five lines of first-person
narrative. Frost also does not use any obvious rhyme patterns and instead relies upon the occasional internal rhyme
and the use of assonance in certain ending terms (such as “wall,” “hill,” “balls,” “well”).
The Amigo Brothers
Piri Thomas
“The Amigo Brothers,” by Piri Thomas, is a story about two 17-year-old best friends and boxers, both trying to
qualify for the Golden Gloves Championship Tournament. They grew up together like brothers, lived in the same
place in Manhattan and both of them wanted to become lightweight boxing champions of the world.
The story centres on a boxing match between the two that will decide who goes to the competition. The two face
internal conflicts about the value of friendship as they prepare for the physical conflict.
Antonio Crux (Tony) is fair, lean and lanky and has a precise boxing style. Felix Vargas is dark-skinned, short and
well built with a hard-hitting power game. Though they have always trained together, in the days leading up to their
bout the boys decide to separate, each focusing on his own strategy. Antonio decides to live with Aunt Lucy in the
Bronx. They agree to treat each other like typical opponents in the ring, and they vow that, whatever happens in the
ring, their friendship will remain intact.
On the evening before their match, both fighters are restless. Antonio seeks refuge on his tenement’s rooftop,
preparing mentally. Felix takes in a boxing movie, “The Champion,” and sees himself as the victor.
On the appointed day, both fighters come out swinging. Each uses his boxing style to his advantage. During the
rounds, both boys take some heavy blows and sustain damage. At one point, Antonio knocks Felix down, but he
quickly recovers. At the end of the final round, the boys are fighting so intensely they do not hear the bell, and they
must be separated. The crowd is uneasy, fearing further violence. However, as the referee is about to announce the
winner, he discovers that the boxers have already left the ring together, their friendship restored. “No matter what
the decision, they knew they would always be champions to each other.”
The title is taken from the Spanish word ‘Amigo’ meaning ‘friend’. It is an apt title for a story about true friendship.
The Hour of Truth
Percival Wilde
Percival Wilde’s play ‘The Hour of Truth’ is an intense psychological study of the corrupting influence of money on
people. The play explores greed from diverse angles. All individuals are tempted by money at one point or other in
life. Here the author particularly shows how easily people forget their moral values and principles when they are
tempted by money. But at the end of the play the reader realizes that money only brings with it isolation,
punishment, deception, frustration and endless shame.
Didi
Shaheen Mistri
Shaheen Mistri is an Indian social activist and educator. She is a founder of the Akanksha Foundation, an Indian
educational initiative in Mumbai and Pune, and is also the CEO of Teach For India since 2008. ‘Didi’ is an edited
version of the first chapter of a book written by Shaheen Mistri. In ‘Didi’, Shaheen speaks about her experiences in
the Mumbai slums and her motivation to educate the kids in those slums.
Shaheen Mistri was born in Mumbai. She had an international upbringing and grew up in various countries, as she
moved countries with her father, a senior banker. When she was a small child and living in Jakarta, someone took her
to an orphanage. Seeing the helplessness of the children there, she started visiting the place every week. Later, when
she came to Mumbai during vacations, she used to visit a blind school.
At Mumbai she learned about inequity and injustice existing in the world. At a friend’s party she would see piles of
food wasted. But in the streets and slums poor families had nothing to eat. One day, when three street children ran
up to her car window at a traffic stop, she had a flash of introspection which changed her life forever. She decided to
stay back in India and do something for the poor children.
She somehow persuaded her parents on the condition that she would return to the US for higher studies. She joined
St. Xavier’s college but found the teaching style very boring. She walked around the city and visited a large slum
where 10,000 people lived without essential facilities.
Shaheen Mistri, as a young college student, walked into the Mumbai slums and expressed her desire to teach the less
privileged children who roamed the streets.[6] To fulfill this goal, she founded the Akanksha Foundation, a non-
profit organisation working primarily in education, at the age of 20 to impact the lives of such children.
Over a period of 20 years, her Akanksha Foundation, which started with just 15 children in one centre, now teaches
3,500 children in 58 centres and six schools. In the summer of 2008, she took on a leadership role at Teach For India
which enlists India’s most promising college graduates and young professionals to spend two years teaching in low-
income schools and attempt to bridge the educational gap in the country.
Stammer
K Sachidanandan
‘Stammer’ is a thought provoking poem written by K Sachidanandan, a well known poet and critic writing in
Malayalam and English. He is considered as a pioneer of Modern Malayalam Literature. The poem Stammer was
originally written in Malayalam with the title ‘Vikku’, and later it was translated into English by the poet
‘Stammer’ is a beautiful poem that amazes the readers with its delightful ease of expression. The poem is presented
as a series of half-humorous musings on stammering. The poet makes stammer the key to an exploration of the
imperfections that mark the mettle of the human kind.
The poem opens with a paradoxical assertion that challenges all our notions of stammer. The poet says that stammer
is not a handicap. It is only a mode of speech. Then he moves on to justify this statement.
There is a well-known story about the late Indian Communist leader EMS Namboodiripad, who was prone to
stuttering. A reporter once asked EMS if he always stammered. “No, only when I speak, ” replied EMS, leaving the
reporter dumbstruck.
Well, those who knew EMS will always remember him as a man who never stammered in action. As the poem
progresses, the readers are reminded that stammering may not be confined to speech alone. It can also be in action.
Here the poet compares stammering in speech to lameness in walking. Lameness is a stammering in action and
stammering is a lameness in speech. Both involve a gap or a silence in between. It seems very clear which one is
more serious: if stammering is the silence that falls between the word and its meaning, lameness is the silence that
falls between the word and the deed. When there is a disparity between the word and the deed, it becomes
stammering in action.
Now that stammer has become a synonym for all the imperfections in speech and action, the poet moves on to the
nature and cause of stammer. He wonders whether stammer preceded language or succeeded it. Another question is
whether stammer is a language or a dialect only. These are paradoxical questions that may confuse even linguists.
But if stammer stands for imperfections, it is built into the fabric of human beings. Thus it becomes a language rather
than a dialect. And it should have preceded language.
Mr. Robert Baldwin works in the bank of Mr. Gresham who is now in police custody for misappropriation of
depositor’s money. He offers Mr. Baldwin, a truthful person, 100000/- dollars as bribe to say three words ‘I don’t
remember” at the time of the trial which is going to take place the next day. The reaction to this offer from all other
members of his family is the main plot of the play.
Readers become aware of evil effects of money – money has a great influence on people but not on truthful – virtue
gets rewarded – God Sees the Truth but Waits (Leo Tolstoy) is true with this story – God waits may be for the
confession of the criminal or to test a truthful person to see how far he can be truthful – an apt ending – hero gets a
better job – positive message – Bribe may be given better names such as compensation for low salary or a help to
children, etc but truth will prevail in the end, it is sure.
All the members of Robert’s family – Martha, Evie and John – wants him to save Gresham by lying at the trial. John
argues that Gresham would make Mr. Baldwin partner in the business he would start next if Mr Baldwin helps him.
All of them blame him for having earned nothing all these years and try to talk him into giving false testimony at the
trial.
Just when Mr. Baldwin gives up all his defence, Marshal, the President of the Third National, visits him and offers him
a job in return for his honesty and loyalty. He is moved to tears for almost surrendering to the temptation of
corruption.
Character sketches
Mr. Robert Baldwin: Hero of the play – worked with Mr. Gresham, a banker who paid low salary for the last 35
years – a truthful, trustworthy and loyal person – gets an offer of 100,000/- as bribe from his employer, Mr. Gresham
who is now in police custody – rejects it – later gets a good position from another bank – never changes mind at the
influence of money – virtue gets rewarded – represents old generation of honourable persons.
Martha Baldwin: A great support to her husband – changes her mind at prospect of getting a huge amount- money
makes changes in her character – even persuades her husband to accept the bribe money offered by Mr. Gresham
listing a good number of reasons.
Mr. John Gresham: Important character of the play but not comes to stage – everything reported about him – a
banker in police custody for misappropriation of depositor’s money – offers 100000 dollars to Mr. Baldwin as bribe –
confession of guilt before his trial begins – recognizes the virtue of Mr. Baldwin.
Three Wheeled Revolution
Irfan Alam
Irfan Alam, an internationally acclaimed entrepreneur is a man with a difference. He has deviated from the usual
path of corporate business mentality to a socially responsible entrepreneurship. During his teenage years, he started
a portfolio management firm and won a famous reality show, “Business Baazigar”in which he contested with a
business proposal. The main idea behind the proposal was to organize the rickshaw sector and make it a profitable
venture. He suggested on redesigning rickshaws and equipping it with drinking water, newspapers, refreshments
and advertisements. It created a revolution in the rickshaw sector. He was invited for the Presidential
Entrepreneurship summit 2010 and Obama complimented him with the words as “you are doing a tougher job than
me”.
The real journey to his success began with water. When he was seventeen years old, he hired a rickshaw on a
summer afternoon. He was thirsty. He asked the rickshaw puller whether he would provide him water. He answered
him that there was no such provision because he did not have money to buy and stack them. That moment made him
to think about the plight of the rickshaw pullers. Thus in 2007,Samman was formed to organize and empower the
rickshaw pulling industry under one shade and thereby improving their livelihood. He did not accept the seed money
he had won at Business Baazigar because he wanted to start a non profit venture. The word Samman means respect
or dignity to all. Alam strongly believed to bring the marginalized to the mainstream. He selected elegible rikshaw
pullers and they were given training on basic etiquette and traffic rules. They were also given insurances, id cards
and uniforms. ‘Samman’ stood as guarantor to arrange bank loans to buy rikshaws. The money earned through
advertisements and other amenities was divided between the rickshaw pullers and the Samman. It gave them a
sense of belonging and empowerment.
The social venture thus became a social cause. Children of the operators and their spouses attended free evening
classes called Samman Gyan. Innovative ideas like solar powered fibre glass rickshaws are being tested. The
environmental friendly mode of transport has given a new identity and self esteem to the underprivileged.
Some people enjoy success individually. There are people who are able to make others taste the fruits of their
triumphs. Here Irfan Alam stands unique as a saviour for the downtrodden.
Having given stammer a universal dimension, the poet now looks into the cause of human imperfections. Here
Satchidanandan rolls out his world view that we are living in an imperfect world created by an imperfect God. There
are two notions that are basic to almost every religion on this earth. One is that God is perfect; and the other is that
God created man in His likeness. These notions taken together lead to a pertinent question: ‘Then why are human
beings imperfect?’ If we think the other way round, God too must be imperfect. We don’t sacrifice any defective
things to God because He is the perfect one. If God Himself is imperfect, what can be a better sacrifice to God than our
imperfections? Each time we stammer, we prove that we are the children of God and offer sacrifice to him. It is
rather these imperfections that prove again and again that we are human beings.
Now, there is no doubt as to whether stammer is a language or a dialect. When a whole people stammer it becomes
more than a language. It becomes a mother tongue, just as it is with us now. The tongue-in-cheek satire here is
unmistakable. While he underlines the universal nature of imperfections, the poet also pokes fun at our reactions to
burning social issues. Why do we hesitate? Why do we stammer when it needs action on our part? Why this
dangerous silence and inaction? Still we consider mere stammering in speech a handicap!
When do we stammer? We stammer in speech when we do not know if we are going to say the right thing. We
stammer in action if we are not sure that we are going to do the right thing. So God too must have stammered when
He created man. What else could He do while creating an imperfect creature and entrusting this world with him? The
stammer of the Creator has got into his creation and that is why we all stammer today. That is why we do not have
convictions. That is why we speak one thing and mean another thing. That is why all our commands and prayers
suffer from a lack of conviction. That is why we stammer. Where stammer is the rule rather than the exception, and
where there are graver stammers than the stammering in speech, is stammer really a handicap?
The story of stammer doesn’t end here. The story of stammer is the story of creation. God created man. Man too
became a creator when he created language. The poet too is a creator. Imperfection runs through life, language, and
poetry. If language were perfect there would be a definite meaning to words, just as there would be a definite
meaning to life if human beings were perfect. Poetry too suffers from this imperfection, and meanings differ with
each reader and each reading. That is why the poem ends, ‘like poetry’.
But these different meanings of a word, or the different meanings of a poem, cannot be treated as handicaps. They
add charm to language and poetry. And in life, can you imagine a world where everyone is perfect? A world with a
definite single meaning to life? Without these little imperfections, life would suffer from a great monotony. These
imperfections, these differences, are actually the spice of life.
Philosophy of the poem: The poem brings together life, language, and literature and shows the reader how
imperfections run through all three. As the reader begins to fill the silences in the poem that the poet has
deliberately left, he realizes how stammer has become his own mother tongue. At the same time these different
meanings that arise from these silences add variety and charm – not only to poetry, but also to life.
The poet makes effective use of the word ‘meaning’ at different places. The meanings of the word range from the
meaning of a word, to purpose and intention, and again to the ultimate meaning of life. Writing poetry also involves a
search for the ultimate meaning. But the poet doesn’t hide his self-mockery and admits that what he can create is
only stammer. But it is a mode of speech where silence also becomes meaningful. One has to read between the lines
and fill in the gaps to comprehend the glamour of stammer.
Thus ‘Stammer’ becomes a masterpiece where the form and the theme become one, as life, language, and poetry join
together in a search for the perfect meaning, which is absent.
When a Sapling is Planted
Wangari Maathai
‘When a Sapling is Planted’ is the Nobel acceptance speech of Wangari Maathai, the Kenyan environmentalist who
began the Green Belt Movement to reforest her country by paying poor women a few shillings to plant trees. She is
the first African woman to win a Nobel Peace Prize.
In her speech she strikes at the dangers of commercial farming and mentions her holistic approach to sustainable
development that embraces democracy, human rights and women’s rights in particular. Dr. Maathai also tells us how
the inspiration for her work came from her upbringing in rural Kenya.
In the mid-1970s, Maathai, in an effort to meet the basic needs of rural women, began to plant trees with them. Her
non-governmental Green Belt Movement has planted 30 million trees across Kenya, many of which still stand. In
2004 her work was internationally recognized with the Nobel Peace Prize. Maathai became aware of Kenya's
ecological decline: watersheds drying up, streams disappearing, and the desert expanding south from the Sahara. On
visits to her native village she found streams she had known as a child dried up. She hit on the idea of using trees to
replenish the soil, provide fuel wood, protect watersheds and promote better nutrition. Planting trees seemed
“reasonable, doable,” she says. In her speech, Maathai called for a new relationship with the Earth, “to heal her
wounds and in the process heal our own.” She called on her audience to “embrace the whole creation in all its This has led to wide spread drug abuse. At the first sign of nervousness people use stimulant drugs. They use drugs
diversity, beauty and wonder….” not only when they are depressed but when they feel great already. They depend on drugs not to solve their
problems but to forget them.
She says that many human activities are devastating to the environment and human societies. Widespread
destruction of ecosystems, deforestation, climatic instability, and contamination in the soils and waters - all But medicine should be distinguished from sensual drugs. As said by Hippocrates, the father of medicine, a
contribute to excruciating poverty. In the beginning, the Green Belt Movement's tree planting activities did not remedy must take into account not only the disease but also the constitution of the patient. He adds that persons in
address issues of democracy and peace. But Maathai understood that responsible governance of the environment good health quickly lose their strength by taking purgative medicines.
was impossible without democratic space. Therefore, the tree became a symbol for the democratic struggle in Kenya.
The sensual drugs give the users a strong sense of pleasure. These drugs stimulate the brain’s pleasure
. Using trees as a symbol of peace is in keeping with a widespread African tradition. For example, the elders of the
centers. The brain governs the sensations, moods, thoughts and actions. These are easily upset by drugs. But only
Kikuyu carried a staff from the thigi tree that, when placed between two disputing sides, caused them to stop
naturally attained pleasure can give total satisfaction.
fighting.
Drug-related health disorders are many and varied. Dirty needles and solution used for injecting drugs can
She warns us that, even after 30 years since they started the work, activities that devastate the environment and
cause liver disease, venereal disease and infection of the kidneys and brain. The chemistry of the brain cells is
societies still continue. So she calls on world leaders to expand democratic space and build fair and just societies.
complex. Toxic drugs can easily destroy this complex system.
She urges young people to commit themselves to activities that contribute toward achieving their long-term dreams.
They have the energy and creativity to shape a sustainable future, she says. Finally drug addition ends in physical discomfort. The addict feels depressed and ‘dead inside’. He fails to
respond either to his environment or other people. The dangers of drug abuse lie between the degeneration of
She remembers that, as a child, she used to fetch water from a stream full of black, energetic tadpoles. It represents
health and the depletion of brain function. But the damage to the brain is the most subtle but the lease understood
the virginity and vitality of mother earth in the past. She tell us that it is our duty to give back a clean and unpolluted
consequence of drug abuse.
earth to out next generations.
Maathai's mobilisation of African women was not limited in its vision to work for sustainable development; she saw
tree-planting in a broader perspective which included democracy, women's rights, and international solidarity. In POINTS
the words of the Nobel Committee: "She thinks globally and acts locally." She represents an example and a source of
DRUGS
inspiration for everyone in Africa fighting for sustainable development, democracy and peace.
a. to prevent & cure physical disease
b. to reverse mental disturbance
CAUSES OF DRUG ABUSE
Rice
a. The popular belief that any illness can be relieved by taking a pill – This led to Drug Abuse
Chemmanam Chacko b. People depend upon drugs not to solve their problems but to forget them.
PROBLEMS OF DRUG ABUSE
Chemmanam Chacko’s ‘Rice’ (‘Nellu’ in Malayalam) deals with the plight of the farmers in Kerala who are forced
Over dependence on drugs to solve problems lead to lose of the capacity to deal with life’s situations
to move from food crops to cash crops. It mourns the loss of paddy fields which have been replaced by commercial
through perseverance, self-discipline and mental effort.
plantations.
HIPPOCRATES: Father of medicine says
The poet pictures the nostalgic feelings of the narrator who returns to his homeland after a long stay in North India. a. A remedy must take into account
He has earned a doctorate in the art and science of making toys with husk. While in train, the bustle and excitement i. Symptoms of disease,
of farming in his homeland fills his mind. He is eager to have a meal of ‘athikira’ rice – cultivated by his father and ii. General health of the patient
prepared by his mother. b. Person in good health loses strength by taking purgative medicine
WHAT ARE SENSUAL DRUGS?
But to his great shock he finds that the place has changed completely. Tall rubber trees have taken the place of rich
a. It gives strong sense of pleasure.
paddy fields. With the least sentiment and with great pride, his father says that they have stopped paddy cultivation
b. Stimulates the brain’s pleasure centres.
as it is not profitable any more. “Only fools would turn to cultivating rice,” he says. He takes pride in having changed
Brain governs sensations, moods, thoughts & actions. Sensual drugs upset this mechanisms that control
over to rubber farming, which is more profitable. Here the poet points an accusing finger at the farmers in Kerala
pleasure & satisfaction.
who gave up food crops to make easy money by cultivating cash crops.
This weakens brain’s pleasure reflexes & in severe addiction pleasure mechanisms fail to respond. Later the
The narrator sarcastically concludes the poem commenting on the Chief Minister who flies high above the cash crops
brain is unable to interpret it as pleasure.
to the Centre to demand for allotment of more rice. He pathetically asks himself whether the state will get some husk
from the Centre too.
Rice is a brilliant satire on our greed for money and apathy to environment destruction. The poem can be seen as a DANGERS OF DRUGS
dramatic synthesis of dream and reality. The first part presents the imagined nostalgia of the people of Kerala – a a. user feels physical discomfort & personality changes,
prosperous time of innocence and harmony with nature. The latter part of the poem is the stark reality which exists b. feels depressed & fails to respond,
now. Kerala has slowly shifted away from being a self sufficient agrarian state to a consumer state depending of the c. psychotic disorder & distrust of others,
centre for food grains. The poem becomes a humorous and sarcastic satire on the hopelessness of the present d. feels people are looking at him strangely
situation. The poem is written in free verse without any rhyme scheme or stress pattern. e. feels dead inside
f. harmful side effects
g. death from overdose,
Dangers of Drug Abuse h. decline of health & brain function,
i. mental mechanism responds abnormally,
Hardin B. Jones
j. A great deal of harm will be done before warning symptoms occur
Hardin B. Jones, Professor of Medical Physics in “Dangers of Drug Abuse” describes the evils of drug abuse k. Damage to Brain (Most subtle but least understood) – upset chemical balance of brain’s communication
and gives a warning against it. l. Damage to cell tissue
Nowadays people believe that any illness can be relieved by taking a pill.
DRUG RELATED DISORDERS
i. Dirty needles and solution used for injecting
Effects:- liver disease, venereal disease, infection of kidney and brain

ii. Sniffing of cocaine & other drugs III. Aptness of the title
Effects:- damage of the tissue of the nose, hair to fall out.
The title Post Early for Christmas refers to the main action of the play. The customer Mrs Smith says to the Assistant
iii. Smoking marijuana & tobacco
she believes in posting early for Christmas. To this the Assistant agrees that parcels are damaged in the last minute
Effects:- lung disease, damage cells.
rush. When the Foreign Tourist comes to send the parcel he expresses his regret for not posting early. But the
iv. Women addicted to drugs
Assistant consoles that if it is a present it is well in time. This Christmas present – a clock is mistaken for a time-
Effects:- babies born with withdrawal symptoms.
bomb and is damaged. The theme of the play centres round the unnecessary fuss over trivial matters. The message of
v. An overdose of any of sensual drugs
the play is clear that we should not jump into a conclusion without thinking seriously. The title does not suggest the
Effects:- respiratory or cardiac failure and death.
theme and message. But the main action of the play is posting Christmas presents on time. Hence the title is apt and
It is a study on the effects of drugs in brain – damage of brain is the most subtle, most often unrecognised & least
appropriate.
understood consequence of drug abuse

This is Going to Hurt Just a Little Bit

Post Early for Christmas
Ogden Nash
R. H. Wood
‘This is Going to Hurt Just a Little Bit’ by Ogden Nash is a humorous poem filled with exaggerations, puns and
‘Post Early for Christmas’ by R. H. Wood is a hilarious play that brims with funny characters, humorous situations
metaphors. It is a hilarious description of the whole experience of sitting in a dental chair which causes the poet
and witty dialogues. The title seems to be a warning to the people who hurry at the last minute to send Christmas
great agony.
presents to their dear and near ones. Through an interesting series of events that take place in a post office, the play
shows how the last-minute hustle and bustle creates commotion everywhere and finally ends in spoiling a present. The poet considers sitting in the dentist’s chair the worst torture a man can undergo. Some tortures are physical and
some are mental. But the only torture that combines both is dental. Whoever you are, you lose all your calm,
The play opens with the assistant’s description of the utter senselessness of people who come to the post office. Soon
cheerfulness and dignity when you sit in the dentist’s chair with your mouth wide open and your jaw digging into
funny people begin to pour in. But she never loses temper even with arrogant customers. The first customer, Mrs.
your chest.
Smith, has rheumatism and doesn’t seem to like her comment on the weather. Then Mrs. Jones, a rude woman, comes
and responds harshly to the assistant’s advice to post early for Christmas. Then a fussy old lady who comes seeking The poet violates rules of the language with poetic license and invents the phrase, ‘hope hopen’ to humourously
medical advice for her cat thinking that it is a veterinary hospital creates a roar of laughter. make it rhyme with the previous ‘open.’
Then an old gentleman comes to the post office for his old-age pension. He is a very funny character who doesn’t To bring out the horror of dental treatment, the poet makes a few comparisons that are outrageously hilarious and
recognise that he is partially deaf. He mishears everything that the poor assistant says and shouts at her, thinking exaggerated. He compares his mouth being worked on to a road being repaired. All his nerves are being irked on by
that she is pulling his legs. The audience cannot but laugh when he dares to tell the assistant that she is a bit deaf. But the noise and he feels that the dentist is using stone crushers, concrete mixers, drills, and steam rollers. He also
the assistant responds in a polite, well-mannered way. compares a dentist to a bear, because the dentist mauls and suffocates him like a bear suffocating its prey. Moreover,
he feels that the dentist is approaching him with a crowbar.
The conversation between Mrs. Higgins and her son Bertie adds flavour to the play. Bertie is as curious as a monkey
and stares at everyone and everything. His terrible grammar and pronunciation are high spots of humour in the play. According to the poet the use of mirrors for dental treatment is the most terrifying thing about it. He fears that the
When his mother asks him about it, he mistakes ‘grammar’ for ‘grandma’ and tells her that she’s at home watching lateral inversion in the mirror may cause the doctor to confuse the right side for the left.
TV.
After the treatment the patient sighs in relief to hear that it was all. But then, the dentist coats the mouth with
The farmer, a customer in the post office, gives news about a time bomb that has been discovered in a post office in something that resembles the polish used on a horse’s hoof. The last nail on the coffin is when the dentist tells him to
London. He has only half-baked knowledge about the time bomb, but he creates terror in the minds of everyone. come back in three months.
When they hear a ticking sound from the parcel given by a tourist, the farmer diagnoses that it is a time bomb. They
In the end, the poet feels that having to visit the dentist again and again is the most vicious circle that fate sends him.
call a policeman for help.
He feels that he can never get out of it. The paradox is that he wants his teeth in good condition only to keep the
Meanwhile, people try to deactivate the bomb and the policeman is about to throw the parcel into a bucket of water. dentist away. He hopes it is only for once, but it becomes a cyclical process.
The tourist, who re-enters the scene to take his forgotten glows back, begs not to do so as it a special parcel. This
The comic effect of the poem is achieved through exaggerations. Sitting in the dentist’s chair is viewed as something
makes them all the more suspicious and the policeman throws it into water. The tourist then discloses that it is a
that may change the course of one’s life. The tension makes you scratch your palm with your fingernails so hard that
special dock for his friend. He gets angry with the employees in the post office for ruining his parcel and decides to
even your lifeline may get altered. Puns and wordplay abound in the poem. It is evident in word pairs such as
inform the post master general.
mental-dental, polished-demolished, hope-hopen, etc.
The sight of the sinister looking tourist lifting the damaged clock from the bucket and revealing that it was only a
Doctors always say, “This is going to hurt just a little bit” to soothe their patients before some painful treatment.
present is funny and pathetic at the same time. In the end, the assistant leaves the post office for good to take up a
Nevertheless, the patient knows that it is going to be painful. The title of the poem takes a humorous turn when the
job in the animal dispensary. When she says that animals don’t do such silly things, we cannot but agree with her.
readers realize that Nash may be actually telling the same to the dentist. He warns the dentist that the poem may
II. Humour in the play. Humour is not always innocent and harmless. Sometimes humour is roused at the cost of hurt him a little bit, but when the ‘treatment’ is finished, the dentist realizes that he has been delivered a fatal blow.
creating inconvenience to others. This is the type of humour created in the play Post Early for Christmas. The play
Frederic Ogden Nash, the American poet is reputed for his humorous poems. The poem “This is Going to Hurt Just a
evokes humour in the form of funny characters, witty dialogues and humorous situations. Situational humour is in
Little Bit” presents in a humorous way the poet’s experience while sitting in a dentist’s chair. There are ever so many
plenty. The whole act is set in a Post Office. Much of the humour lies in the situations when the Post Office is
painful or awkward or embarrassing situations in our lives. But it is our attitude or our way of looking at it which
mistaken for a bar or a chemist’s store or an animal clinic. In the beginning of the play itself the Assistant refers to
determines its gravity. Reading between the lines, this is the theme of the poem. Treatment for dental problems is a
the funny people in the world and gives us an idea what would be in store for us as funny characters. She says that a
painful process. It involves both physical and mental torture. Every nerve in our head gets hurt during the process.
man came and asked her where he could get a stamp from.WThe dialogue with Deaf Old Gentleman evokes laughter.
This experience is the least liked experience in the poet’s life. After the long and strenuous process he feels that any
He always mistakes the Assistant’s words. It becomes more humorous when he finally says that the Assistant is deaf.
way this is the last time he visits the dentist. But to his utter disappointment and agony the dentist asks him to come
Bertie, the naughty little boy’s character also rouses fun. He always annoys his mother with demands for engines and
after three months. Hence the poet calls it as the fate to be involved in this vicious circle. The Man has to go to the
ice creams. When his mother Mrs Higgins asks about his grammar, he replies that she is at home, watching television.
dentist quite often not to keep his teeth in good condition. But he has to keep his teeth in good condition so that he
This is also humorous. The mother who is not good in grammar tries to correct her son’s grammar wrongly is also a
won’t have to go to the dentist. The theme is noted for its relevance though the treatment of this theme is a unique
situation for laughter. Fuss created over a parcel which is mistaken for a time-bomb is the most noticeable humorous
one.
situation. This becomes the climax of the play. Thus the characters, their traits and dialogues and incidents bring
about humour in the play.
MESSAGE
Humour adds to the spice of life. It relieves the tension and reduces the stress and strain. Even unpleasant
experiences lose its gloom and gravity when it is viewed in a humorous perspective. This way of looking at things
adds years to our life enhancing physical and emotional well being. The poet’s message is obvious. We are forced to
go to the dentist and undergo the painful and embarrassing situations in his chair. But we have to suffer the same
with an attitude which eases the tension and which makes it lighter.
TONE
The tone of the poem is light and humorous. But the subject and theme have depth. The lighter tone makes the poem
wonderful and enjoyable.
POETIC DEVICES
The poem abounds in many poetic devices like figures of speech, consonance, rhyme and rhythm. The poet creates
comic effect with the use of deliberately misspelt words. The words ‘hopen’, ‘monce’ add to the humour of the poem.
Moreover the words are thus used to rhyme with the ending words in the previous lines. Thus the poetic technique
of consonance is employed throughout the poem. The graphic presentation of the experience is made more vivid
with the help of visual images. There is simile in the comparison of mouth with a section of road that is being worked
on. There is exaggeration in the line which refers to the serious alterations made in the lines in the palm due to the
pain. Another example for exaggeration is in the line ‘he then coats your mouth from cellar to roof’. Metaphor is used
when the dentist is compared with a bear. When the poet calls Fate, fate is personified. Another poetic device used
here is Apostrophe.
The poet says that Man has to go to the dentist quite often not to keep his teeth in good condition. But he has to keep
his teeth in good condition so that he won’t have to go to the dentist. Here there is irony. Humour is the most
important technique the poet has used. The line ‘Because some tortures are physical and some are mental/But the
one that is both is dental’ is the most humorous line.
All the poetic devices add to the humour which in turn makes the poem a wonderful read.
TITLE
The title of the poem This is Going to Hurt Just a Little Bit indicates the theme and topic of the poem. The unpleasant
experience when we sit in a dentist chair begins with the doctor giving us a warning about the little bit of physical
pain which he creates in us. The title is suggestive of the humour embedded in the poem. This is an indication that
the poet treats an unpleasant experience in an unusual perspective. Hence the title is apt and appropriate.

CRIME AND PUNISHMENT’

R.K.Narayan is famous for his universal stories with informative and realistic description of Indian life and
experience. His ‘Crime and Punishment’ is a story about an impatient teacher who slapped his student on impulse,
then was exploited by the child, resulting in an unexpected ending later.
In the story, we find the teacher punishes the boy and it seems to be a crime for the parents who gives too much care
to the boy. The boy threatens to complain to his parents and uses the situation to take revenge on the teacher. It is
another crime in the story. Teacher’s punishment here takes backfires on the him as the boy doesn’t understand his
mistake or obey the teacher. But he turns to be quite adamant and authoritative. It is ironic that the teacher here has
to obey the boy. The boy is described to be ‘a little angel, all dimples, smiles and sweetness- only wings lacking’. In
contrast to this, the boy is not a little angel but a boy who blackmailed his teacher. In the end, the boy is protected by
the teacher. When the parents enquire about the preparation for his test in arithmetic, he says he (the boy) is all
right and they are playing just to keep up his spirits. This is the real punishment for the student. The story focuses
more on the character than on its settings. The traditional roles of a teacher and student is reversed by the author in
a master-stroke of comedy and satire. One character becomes another, their actions are different from their usual
selves. It gives the readers a good laugh and adds to the humour of the story. The characters are also given no names.
So it can be any teacher or boy. This makes the story universal and popular.
The title of the story is apt. The humour and sarcasm in the story lies in the crime that the teacher committed –
hitting the boy, and the punishment – dancing to the boy’s tune to avoid the parents’ wrath. The Changing trends in
our life system is also represented through the characters – the teacher and the boy.

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Content taken, adapted and compiled from: hsslive.in, iluenglish.com and deltathrissur.wordpress.com