LOST SPRING
ANEES JUNG
The story ‘Lost Spring” talks about the
miserable life of two young boys,
whose spring (Childhood) is lost in
poverty
THEME
The author explains the grinding
poverty and traditions which condemn
these impoverished children to a life of
suffering and exploitation
SAHEB (SAHEB-E-ALAM):
A young boy from Seemapuri, outskirts of Delhi,
inhabited by refugees and rag pickers
Saheb is a rag picker
Parents came from Bangladesh, in search for
opportunities, became refugees and then rag pickers
CHARACTERISTICS
Saheb and many young boys like him help their
parents to earn a living through rag picking – it is
their livelihood
These children are impoverished and scrounge the
garbage heaps for something valuable – a rupee or even
a ten rupee note
Garbage is ‘gold’ for them, a ‘wonder’ – to their parents
it is ‘a means of survival’
Saheb wishes to attend school, although it is not
within his means
He loves to watch Tennis – he wears mismatched shoes
which he must have scrounged from the garbage
The rag picker boys like Saheb, do not wear ‘chappals’,
it is a luxury to them – when asked by the author, the
CHARACTERISTICS boys even joke about it
Later, Saheb started working for a tea stall owner – he
was paid Rs.800/ and all his meals wereprovided
Although Saheb now earned well, he had lost his
freedom – he was no longer his own master – the steel
canister that he carried seemed heavier than the plastic
bag which he carried as a rag picker, because the
canister belonged to the tea stall owner
MUKESH
Mukesh is a boy from Ferozabad, U.P.
He belonged to a community of bangle – makers,
everyone who lived in Ferozabad were bangle –makers
They believed it was their ‘karma’, their destiny and
had accepted their fate – poverty, mind-numbing toil,
CHARACTERISTICS impoverished surrounding and exploitation by the
vicious cycle
People in Ferozabad often became blind due to exposure
to the welding flames and working in dark hutments,
in front of flames of flickering oil lamps, welding
pieces of coloured glass
Even if the people wished to pursue a different
livelihood or protest – they were beaten up by the police
and dragged to the prison
CHARACTERISTICS
The people of Ferozabad were not allowed
to organize into unions
Mukesh is different from his family
members – he wishes to become a motor
mechanic, learn how to drive, even if he
had to walk miles – Mukesh dared to
dream
The author calls Mukesh’s dream of
becoming a motor mechanic, a ‘mirage’
According to Anees Jung, Mukesh’s
dream was unattainable because it was
difficult for him to break out of the
shackles of generations of bangle
making tradition – however, the author
applauded Mukesh’s courage to dream in
the midst of such dismal surrounding
and social exploitation
LITERARY DEVICES
IRONY –
‘Saheb – e – Alam’ means ‘Lord of the Universe’. His name is a contrast to his
reality
‘Seemapuri, a place on the periphery…metaphorically’ – although the town was
in the outskirts of Delhi, it was far removed from the riches that one found in
the capital city
HYPERBOLE –
‘Drowned in an air of isolation…’
‘Garbage is gold’
‘Through the years it has acquired the proportions of a fine art’
SIMILE –
‘…who appear like morning birds’
‘As her hands move mechanically like the tongs of a machine’
LITERARY DEVICES
METAPHOR –
‘Seemapuri, a place on the periphery of Delhi
yet miles away from it, metaphorically’
‘The steel canister seems heavier than the
plastic bag he would carry so lightly over his
shoulders.’
‘web of poverty’
‘Few airplanes flew overFerozabad’
‘Garbage is gold’.
CONTRAST –
‘For the children it is wrapped in wonder; for
the elders it is a means of survival’
‘She still has bangles on her wrist, but no light
in her eyes’
‘few planes flew over Ferozabad’
ASSIGNMENT
5.‘Listening to them, I see
3. Why does Anees Jung two distinct worlds….’ In
say that the bangle 7. Saheb and Mukesh
1. Mukesh is content the context of Mukesh, live in a perpetual state
with driving a car makers are caught in a which two worlds is the
vicious circle? (SQP 2020- of poverty. Both try to
instead of flying a author referring to?(2) fight under different
plane. Elucidate. (2) 21). (2)
6. Certain condition and circumstances and their
4. Discuss about the Lineage, condemn attitude differ from
author's personal opinion thousands of children to a
2. Discuss the irony each other. Cite
regarding the reason life of abject poverty and
behind Saheb's name. examples from the text
behind walking barefoot. choke their aspirations.
(2) to explain the
(2) Discuss. (4) statement. (4)