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    6 views4 pages

    Charles Lamb

    Uploaded by

    husnasohail486

    Copyright:

    © All Rights Reserved
    Download as PDF or read online from Scribd
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    of 4
    UNIT Ill: Prose ream : Dream-Children; AReverie Charles Lamb About the Author ‘Charles Lamb (1775-1834) was born in London. He was one of the most loved writers of his times and had close personal associations with Coleridge, Wordsworth, Shelley, Robert Southey and William. Hazlitt. Best known for his Essays on Elia and Tales from Shakespeare, co-authored by Mary Lamb and published by William Godwin, as part of his “Children’s Library”, Charles remained in the limelight both for his prolific writing as well as the terrible family tragedy involving his mother’s murder by his mentally unstable sister Mary. Charles spent his entire life tending to his sister, protecting her from imprisonment in mental asylums, engaging her in literary activity and creating a social circle that accepted Mary’s insanity sympathetically. He was also given to bouts of depression following two unsuccessful attempts at finding love. Yet, his writing often features memories of happy times spent with his Aunt Hetty and in the large country house belonging to the affluent Plumer family, which was under the charge of his grandmother, Mrs. Field, The time that he spent there fed his imagination in the most fruitful manner. Interestingly, Charles Lamb worked as a clerk in the East India Company in London. About the Text “Dream Children; A Reverie”isa personal essay published in Essays of Eliain 1823. tis autobiographical in nature and Lamb uses the pseudonym of Elia to narrate events from his past life. Lamb creates characters and situations that are deceptively real, but are actually not, as we discover at the end Of the essay. Very cleverly, Lamb blurs the lines between reality and make-believe with some very creative narration. The reverie in the title suggests a dreamlike experience as the author reminisces abouthis past, not as it was in fact, but as wishful thinking, Even his more real experiences of growing Up in the huge country house with his grandmother Field have a dream like quality to them, much ike how nostalgiais always cloaked with heavy sentimentality. His relationship with his brother John om he misses gives an impression that he regrets not loving him enough when he was alive. ‘central characters of the essay are the children, John and Alice, born to him and his beloved lice — all of which is fiction. Lamb never married her, nor did he have any children of his own. So, ae children and his dead wife are a wishful dream that remained unfulfilled and Lamb remained a Dream-Children; A Reverie dren love to listen to stories about their elders, when they were children; to stretch their ation to the conception of a traditionary great-uncle or grandame, whom they never rom Literatures,in English , 4: both the children gradually grew fainter to my view, receding, and still receding till nog “a last but two mournful features were seen in the uttermost distance which, wi a i ; 1 Witho speech, strat pon me the effects of speech: We are not of Alice, nororie —hor are we children at children of Alice call Bartrum father. We are nothing, ja’, than nothing, and dreams. We are only hie use hacelbe n, and must wait upon th tedious shores of Lethe millions of ages before we have existence, and a name” ~ any immediately awaking, I found myself quietly seated in my bachelor armchair, where [hag fallen asleep, with the cease by my.side ~ but John L.. (or James ig was gone forever. pis (Gage a) er) hes dead : Pps eurrted #1 The person Plicg i Summary coolly warncd A ivl Lorin In the essay, Charles Lamb seems to be in a very indulgent mood, where he fondly accepts how children love to listen to stories of their elders, when they themselves were children, Their imagination comes alive while listening, to these stories, and his own children in tum beg him to narrate old incidents about their great-grandmother, Field, and the grea house. Among other grand things in the house was a famous wooden tablet that depicted the tragic story of two children and their beloved uncle, a story that he as a child had heard many times. Mrs Field was only the caretaker, but, as a child, Elia had free access tothe grounds and he felt as if she was the real mistress of the house. Later, when the ownership of the house changed, all the great old things were pulled down. This memory and others during the narration elicit varied responses from the imagined children, Alice and John, who remind Elia of his dead wife and himself. He watches them as they playfully keep distracting each other. When the great house was pulled down, the old ornaments were taken to the modem mansion of the new owner but were such misfits there. When Mrs Field died, the whole county attended her funeral as she was loved and respected by everyone. She was a devout woman, graceful and youthful. She also believed that the house was haunted by two children but was not afraid, as she believed they meant no harm to her. But this was scary for little Elia. Among all the grandchildren, he was the one who enjoyed exploring the grounds the most. Elia goes on to describe the large open spaces with huge trees and many marble sculptures of ancient emperors. As a child, he did not mind roaming alone around the large vacant chambers of the house, or among the tall fruit trees. He preferred to be by »imself, rather than indulging in the common activities of children of his age. Lamb now begins his sad tale of his older brother, John, many years older than him, and who was very kind to him. He claims that John was a special favourite of Mrs Field. Lamb portrays John as a heroic figure, larger than life. The narration at this point is filled with sad regret, that he did not show the same kindness and love to him in return. John was 4 spirited sportsman with a golden heart. John had carried him when he became lame, but all he did was fret and complain. It’s only when he died that Elia realised how much he loved him and how much he missed having him in his life. His sorrow affects the children so much that they start crying and beg him to stop talking about dear uncle John. ; The children want to next hear about their pretty mother, Alice, now dead. Lamb goes into another dreamy narrative about their beautiful, shy and graceful mother. But as he j —a Dream-Children; A Reverie ns jooks at the little Alice who resembles her mother, the children soon begin to disappear from his vision. At this point, the readers come to realise that they are not real but figments of Lamb’s imagination. And as they fade away, they seem to say that their father is not him, put Bartrum who married Alice. Lamb slowly wakes up to the reality that he was alone, and Alice was never his, nor were the children his. At the end of the narration, he was not Elia who had a happy life with Alice, but Charles filled with regrets. _ )/ : les Qi) Deseriec hehuge Paansion = SL Glossary grandame: an old woman pallad: a poem that narrates a story upbraiding: scold, find fault county: an area smaller than a town tawdry: of cheap quality concourse: large open area psaltery: a musical instrument Testament: (here) the Bible desisted: stop from doing something apparition: an image, ghost tapestry: a decorated piece of cloth, heavily embroidered basking; relaxing in sunlight impertinent friskings: irrelevant searches mettlesome: lively, spirited re-presentment: reappearance, resembling Lethe: river Lethe in Hades that causes forgetfulness Comprehension 1. Answer the following questions in about 200 words, yp, /.

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