1

Lesson 1 The Last Lesson

The story is narrated by a French boy, Franz. He is lazy but sensitive and likes to play. He
dislikes studying French and hates his teacher M. Hamel.

After overpowering their districts of Alsace and Lorraine in France, Berlin has ordered that
German language instead of French be taught in the schools there.
It is the last day of their French teacher M. Hamel, who has been there for forty years. He is
full of grief, nostalgia and patriotism. As a mark of respect to his hard work, the village men
also attend his ‘last lesson’. They are sad as they did not learn their mother tongue, French
in their childhood.
Franz is shocked to know that it’s his last lesson, as he does not know French. Now,
suddenly, he gets interested in learning it and understands everything taught on that day!
He develops an instant liking for the teacher, M. Hamel and respects him for his sincerity
and hard work.
He feels sad at departing from him and is ashamed for not being able to recite the lesson of
participles.
M. Hamel tells them that they all are at fault for not being eager enough to learn, putting it
off to the next day. He blames himself for not teaching them sincerely.
His patriotism is reflected in his praise for the French language as being the most beautiful
and most logical language in the world. He tells the class to guard their language as being
close to one’s language is the key to escape from the prison of slavery. It will help them in
getting free from the Germans.
They realize the importance of learning their mother tongue and that they have been
defeated by the Germans because of their illiteracy.
Franz feels that it is not possible to take away one’s language from a person as it is natural
to each being, may it be the “coo” to the pigeons or “French” to the Frenchmen.

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Lesson 2 Lost spring: Stories of Stolen Childhood

(Part-1)

The author tells us stories of her interactions with children from deprived backgrounds. She
describes their poor condition and life in an interesting manner. The story touches the
reader and is thought-provoking.

The author described two of her encounters with children from deprived backgrounds.
Through them she wants to highlight the plight of street children forced into labour early in
life and are denied the opportunity of schooling. Also, she brings out the callousness of
society and the political class towards the sufferings of the poor. The first encounter is with
a rag picker boy named Saheb – E – Alam who migrated from Bangladesh in 1971 and lives
in Seemapuri in Delhi. These ragpicker children look for ‘valuables’ in the garbage – things
like a coin or torn shoes which are as precious as ‘gold’ for them.
They could hardly manage some food for themselves, other things like identity, education,
shoes and sports are their unfulfilled dreams. Their parents scrounged the garbage
searching for things that helped them survive – afford food, clothing and shelter for the
family. The children hunted through the garbage heaps looking for things which could
partially fulfil their unfulfilled dreams.
One day the writer saw the boy, holding a steel can, going towards the milk booth. He had
got a job at a tea stall. He was happy that he would get eight hundred rupees and all the
meals. The writer noticed that Saheb had lost the freedom of being his own master which
he had enjoyed as a rag picker.

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(Part-2)
The author tells us stories of her interactions with children from deprived backgrounds. She
describes their poor condition and life in an interesting manner. The story touches the
reader and is thought-provoking.

This excerpt is about the fate of bangle makers in Firozabad. The author
portrays the kind of poverty that looms over the houses and streets of
bangle makers in this town. Mukesh, a young boy from Firozabad takes the
narrator to his house, where she discovers the grim conditions under which
the people work — around furnaces with high temperatures without proper
air or light. They do not know that it is illegal for children to be working
under these kinds of conditions. The narrator observes that bangle-making
is done by people belonging to a particular caste specialising in it. The art
has been passed down from parents to their children for generations. Even
after the whole family worked at the bangle factory, they remained poor.
Mukesh’s family was not able to build a proper house yet. The same is the
fate of other people living in this area. The sorrow and desperation of being
unable to feed themselves even three proper meals daily reduced their
courage to fight against the situation. When asked why they cannot form a
cooperative to improve their living conditions, they said they fear being
beaten and hauled away by the police for doing something illegal. Their
fathers and forefathers were trapped by middlemen. The younger
generations are still paying the price for that. The bangle makers are
downtrodden due to the poverty and stigma of their caste. The narrator
points out the presence of a vicious circle here: The involvement
of sahukars, policemen and middleman who do not let these people rise
up in society. Therefore no one dares to break away from this line of the
profession, from this tragic world of poverty and suppression. Mukesh
dreams of being a motor mechanic, and the narrator sees a flash of
rebellion in his eyes. She asked him if he would like to be a pilot someday.
Mukesh seemed embarrassed and replied that he was happy dreaming
about being a motor mechanic. Flying a plane was a dream beyond his
reach.

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Poem: 1 My Mother at Sixty Six

This is a touching poem written by Indian poet Kamla Das who wrote under the pen name of
‘Madhavikutty’. In this poem, she describes her feeling of love and attachment towards her
ageing mother.
Once the poet went to visit her mother. She was on her way back to the the airport to return
to Cochin. She looked at her mother who was seated beside her in the car. Her mother had
dozed off to sleep and her ageing face – was smoky in colour like ash. Her mouth was open
and she resembled a dead body. The poet realized that her mother was old. She felt pain
and sympathy for her. Her mother needed love, affection and care.
In order to come out of the gloom, the poet shifted her glance and looked out of the car’s
window. There she saw young trees pass by. Little children were running out of their houses
into the playgrounds. These things were contrary to the ageing face of her mother. They
symbolised energy, life and happiness.
As they reached the airport and the poet was about to leave for the aeroplane, she glanced
at her mother one more time. Her mother appeared weak and pale just like the moon in the
winter season which seems to have lost all its strength. The poet felt the pain and fear of
losing her mother. She was reminded of her childhood when she used to fear losing her
mother. As a child she could not bear to be separated from her mother even for a few
moments. Now the loss would be permanent as her mother was about to die and she would
lose her forever.
The poet did not express her feelings. She smiled and said “see you soon, Amma” because
she wanted that her mother should live and they could meet again.

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POEM: 3 Keeping Quiet

Pablo Neruda
“Keeping Quiet” is a peace poem written by the Chilean poet Pablo Neruda. The
poet asks humanity to count numbers from one to twelve - twelve being the number
of hours shown in a clock or the number of zodiac signs. He requests everyone not
to speak because languages create barriers between people. The moment when
everyone stops moving their body will be very special and different as we have never
experienced such a moment before.
The poet says that in this period of inactivity the fishermen would not harm the
whales, the salt gatherers will not hurt their hands, those who are busy destroying
the nature will adopt a new approach towards life, The men who are preparing for
wars and victory based on deaths of innocent people will join their enemy and stand
in unity with them, doing nothing. No one will harm himself or any other person.
Everyone will unite and ponder upon his acts and realize the results of his deeds.
The poet clarifies his idea and says further that he does not want that people should
stand idle. He wants that there should be no war because he does not want to see
trucks laden with dead bodies of the soldiers. He is promoting Universal brotherhood
and peace.
The poet says that everyone is working continuously, to achieve one’s goals. People
are threatened by death and the fear forces them to work endlessly so that they can
achieve everything quickly. In this mad rush, they do not realize the repurcutions of
their acts. He wants us to pause and come out of the mad rush. He wants us to be
happy about our achievements and celebrate them. He wants us to overcome the
fear of death and to relax for a while. We should know the results of our deeds and
celebrate our achievements. When the people will remain quiet for a while, they will
realize the purpose of their lives. Just like all the creations of nature undergo a
rebirth with the change of seasons, similarly, keeping quiet will be a rebirth for the
human soul. It will give a new meaning to our life. Again, the poet says that he will
count till twelve and asks everyone to remain quiet while he leaves.

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UNIT-3 DEEP WATER

William Douglas
Characters & Places

• Douglas: Narrator of the story

• YMCA Pool: A swimming pool runs by Young Men’s Christian Association
• Yakima: Yakima is a US city located about 60 miles southeast of Mount Rainier in
Washington.

The story, “Deep Waters” tells us how the writer overcame his fear of water and
learned swimming with sheer determination and will power. He had developed a
terror of water since childhood. When he was three or four years old, the writer had
gone to California with his father. One day on the beach, the waves knocked the
child down and swept over him. The child was terrified but the father who knew,
there was no harm, laughed. The experience bred a permanent fear of water in the
child’s sub-conscious mind. Still another incident, more serious, increased his terror.
The writer was trying to learn swimming in the Y.M.C.A. swimming pool in Yakima.
One day while he was waiting for other boys, a big boy suddenly played a dangerous
prank and pushed him into the water. The writer was terribly frightened. He went
down nine feet into the water. When he reached the bottom, he jumped upward with
all his strength. He came up but very slowly. He tried to catch hold of something like
a rope but grasped only at water. He tried to shout but no sound came out. He went
down again. His lungs ached, head throbbed and he grew dizzy. He felt paralyzed
with fear. All his limbs were paralyzed. Only the movement of his heart told him that
he was alive. Again he tried to jump up. But this time his limbs would not move at all.
He looked for ropes, ladders and water wings but all in vain. Then he went down
again, the third time. This time all efforts and fear ceased. He was moving towards
peaceful death. The writer was in peace. When he came to consciousness, he found
himself lying on the side of the pool with the other boys nearby. The terror that he
had experienced in the pool never left him. It haunted him for years and years to
come. It spoilt many of his expeditions of canoeing, swimming and fishing. It spoilt
his pleasures in Maine Lakes, New Hampshire, Deschutes, Columbia and Bumping
Lake etc. But the writer was determined to conquer his terror. He took help of a

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swimming instructor to learn swimming. The instructor taught him various actions
necessary in swimming part by part. He put his face under water and exhaled and
inhaled raising it above water. He practiced it for several weeks. He had to kick with
his legs a few weeks on the side of the pool. At last he combined all these actions
and made the writer swim. He learned swimming but the terror continued. So deep
goes our childhood experiences! So fearful is the fear of fear! Whenever he was in
water the terror returned. Hence forward the writer tried to terrorize terror itself. He
tried to face the new challenge. When terror came, he confronted it by asking it
sarcastically as to what it can really do to him? He plunged into the water as if to
defy the fear. Once he took courage the terror vanquished. He faced the challenge
deliberately in various places like the Warm Lake. He conquered it at last.

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UNIT-4 THE RATTRAP

Selma Lagerlof

Characters

1. A peddlar with rattraps.

2. An Oldman: A crofter
3. Master Smith in the Ramsjo Iron Mill in Sweden
4. Helpers in the Mill: blacksmiths
5. Iron mill owner
6. Edla Willmansson – daughter of the Iron Mill owner.

A rattrap peddler went around selling small rattraps. His clothes were in rags. His cheeks
were hollow. He had the look of a starved man. He made wire traps. He begged the material
from stores and big farms. Sometimes he resorted to begging and a little stealing to survive.
The world had never been kind to him. He had no home, no shelter. The peddler led a lonely
life. One day while he was thinking about his rattraps, an idea struck him. He thought that
the world itself was a rattrap. As soon as anybody touched it, the trap closed on them. He
was amused to think of some people who were already trapped, and some others who were
trying to reach the bait in the trap. It was a cold evening in December. He reached a cottage
on the roadside. He knocked at the door and asked for a night’s shelter. The owner of the
cottage was a lonely old crofter. He wanted someone to talk to. He welcomed the peddler.
He gave the peddler hot porridge to eat, and tobacco to smoke. Then they played cards. The
crofter was generous as well as trustful. He told the peddler that he had a cow and sold her
milk to a creamery. He also told him that he received thirty kronors as payment the previous
month. Then he took down a pouch and showed him the money. Then he put the money
back in the pouch and hung it on a nail in the window frame. Next morning the peddler left.
The crofter locked his cottage, and went away. The peddler came back to the cottage. He
had been tempted to steal the money that hung like a bait in the window frame. He smashed
the pane and stole the money. Now he thought it was not safe to walk along the public
highway. So he went into the woods. There he walked and walked but could not get out. He
moved in circles. He was tired. He looked upon the forest as a rattrap in which he was
caught. He thought his end was near. He lay down to die. After a while he heard regular

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thumping of a hammer’s strokes. He knew the sound was coming from Ramsjo Ironworks.
He stood up and walked in the direction of the sound. He opened the gate of the ironworks
and went into the forge. The owner came on his nightly rounds and noticed the ragged
wretch near the furnace. The ironmaster looked intently at the peddler’s face. He felt sure
that the peddler was one of his old regimental comrades, Captain von Stable who had fallen
on evil days. He invited the peddler to go home with him for Christmas. But the peddler was
alarmed. He thought it was risky for him to accept the offer. He firmly declined it. The
ironmaster went [Link] ironmaster sent his daughter Edla to persuade the peddler to
come home. She spoke gently to him. The peddler felt confidence in her and agreed to go
with her. On the way he was sorry to have stolen the crofter’s money that had put him in a
trap. The ironmaster was happy to have his old regimental comrade under his roof. He
planned to feed him well and give him some respectable work. The servant cut the peddler’s
hair, shaved him ad bathed him. The peddler appeared wearing one of the ironmaster’s fine
suits. But when the ironmaster looked at him in daylight, he felt that he had made a mistake.
The peddler was not captain von Stable. He thought that the man had deceived him. He
even thought of handing him to the sheriff. The peddler said that he had not pretended to be
what he was not. He had not been willing to go to the ironmaster’s house. Even then he was
willing to put on his rags and leave. He also told the ironmaster that the world was a rattrap,
and he himself might one day be tempted by a big bait and get caught in the trap. The
ironmaster told him to leave at once. Edla did not like her father’s asking the poor peddler to leave.

She thought it was unfair to turn away the man whom they had invited. She wanted to have the joy of

entertaining a homeless wanderer on Christmas Eve. She stopped the peddler and her father agreed

to it. Edla served food to the peddler. He was given Christmas presents which he thankfully received.

Edla told him that her father’s suit that the peddler was wearing was also a Christmas present. She

assured him that he would be welcomed again if he liked to spend the next Christmas Eve with them.

Next morning the ironmaster and his daughter went to church. There they learned that the peddler

was a thief. He had robbed the crofter. The ironmaster was sure that the peddler must have made

away with their silver. Edla was dejected. But when they reached home they learned that the peddler

had left. But he had taken away nothing. On the other hand he had left a Christmas present for Edla.

Edla opened the present. It was a tiny rattrap. Edla was happy to see that the peddler had left the

crofter’s money behind. There was a letter also. It was addressed to Edla. He thanked her for her

kindness. He wanted to repay her kindness. So he had left the crofter’s money and had requested her

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to return it to the crofter. He said he had been raised to captain. That was why he could come out of

the rattrap in which he had been caught. He signed the letter Captain von Stable.

UNIT-5 INDIGO
Louis Fischer
Characters

• Raj Kumar Shukla: A sharecropper

• Charles Freer Andrews: A follower of Gandhi
• Kasturba: Wife of Gandhi
• Devdas: youngest son of Gandhi

This story describes Gandhi’s struggle for the poor peasants of Champaran. In those
days most of arable land in the Champaran district was divided into large estate
owned by Englishmen and worked by Indian tenants. The chief commercial crop was
Indigo. The landlords compelled all tenants to plant 15% of their Indigo and
surrender the entire Indigo harvest as rent. This was done by long term contract. The
British didn’t need the Indigo crop any more when Germany had developed synthetic
Indigo. Just to release the peasants from the 15% agreement they demanded
compensation. Some illiterate peasants agreed but the others refused. One of the
sharecroppers named Raj Kumar Shukla met Gandhi in this regard and compelled
him to visit Champaran because of the long term injustice of landlords. Then the two
of them boarded a train for the city of Patna in Bihar. From there Shukla led him to
the house of a lawyer named Rajendra Prasad. Mahatma Gandhi’s humble and
simple attire made the servants mistook him as another poor peasant. He surveyed
before taking any vital step in order to get those peasants justice. It was the time
when British government punished those who in any condition gave shelter to
national leaders or protesters. Gandhi’s arrival and the nature of his mission spread
like a wildfire. Many lawyers and peasant groups came in large numbers to support
him. The lawyers accepted the fact that their charges were high and for a poor
peasant it will be irksome. Gandhi rebuked them for collecting big fee from the
sharecroppers. He stressed on counselling as this would give the peasants enough
confidence to fight their fear. He managed to get justice after a yearlong battle for the
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peasants. He also made arrangements for the education, health, and hygiene for the
families of the poor peasants. He gave them the lesson of self-reliance.

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UNIT-6 POET AND PANCAKES

Asokamitran

In this lesson, Asokamitran talks about Gemini Studios and all that helps in keeping it
in the spotlight. He starts by making a mention about ‘Pancakes’, the famous make-
up brand which Gemini Studios ordered in truckloads. He then talks about the plight
of actors and actresses who have to bear too many lights on their face while getting
ready in the make-up room. The make-up department, according to him, used heaps
of make-up to turn them into ugly-looking creatures. Shockingly, he talks about the
office boy of the make-up department whose task is to slap paint onto the faces of
players at the time of crowd-shooting. He was a poet and had joined the Studio in
the hope of becoming an actor, screenwriter, director or a lyricst. In those days, the
author used to work inside a cubicle and had the task of collecting newspaper
cuttings which, according to others was insignificant. Thus, office boy would come in
time again, to bother him with his complaints. He was well-convinced that the
reason behind his misery was Subbu. He thought Subbu had an advantage because
he was born a Brahmin. Subbu was a resourceful man whose loyalty made him
stand out. He was tailor-made for films and it was difficult to imagine film-making
without him. He was very welcoming and was known for his hospitality. Just like
many others at the Gemini Studios, he also did poetry. He worked for the story
department which also consisted of a lawyer. People generally called him the
opposite of a legal practitioner. He was a logical and neutral man amidst a room full
of dreamers. Asokamitran then describes how Gemini Studios got a chance to host a
group of international performers called Moral Rearmament Army. Though the plots
and messages were not complex, their sets and costumes were near to perfection so
much so that for many years, Tamil plays displayed sunset and sunrise in a way
inherited from ‘Jotham Valley’. Then another guest, Stephen Spender comes to visit
Gemini Studios. People had hardly heard of him and they couldn’t even connect
with him due to linguistic barriers. It was not until a few years later that Asokamitran
saw his name in a book and realised who he actually was.

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UNIT- 7 THE INTERVIEW

Christopher Silvester
The lesson begins with the introduction to interview as a commonplace of journalism
since its invention, which was a little over 130 years ago. According to the author, it
is not very surprising that people have very distinct opinions about the usage of
interview. Some think of it in its highest form whereas some people can’t stand being
interviewed. An interview leaves a lasting impression and according to an old saying,
when perceptions are made about a certain person, the original identity of his soul
gets stolen. Famous celebrities, writers and artists have been heard criticising
interviews. Rudyard Kipling’s wife wrote in her diary how their day in Boston was
ruined by two reporters. Kipling considers interviewing an assault, a crime that
should attract punishment. He believes that a respectable man would never ask or
give an interview.
There is an excerpt from the interview between Mukund (from The Hindu
newspaper) and Umberto Eco, a professor at the University of Bologna in Italy who
had already acquired a formidable reputation as a scholar for his ideas on semiotics
(the study of signs), literary interpretation, and medieval aesthetics before he turned
to writing fiction. The interview revolves around the success of his novel, The Name
of the Rose whose more than ten million copies were sold in the market. The
interviewer begins by asking him how Umberto manages to do so many different
things to which he replies by saying that he is doing the same thing. He further
justifies and mentions that his books about children talk about peace and non-
violence which in the end, reflect his interest in philosophy. Umberto identifies
himself as an academic scholar who attends academic conferences during the week
and writes novels on Sundays. It doesn’t bother him that he is identified by others as
a novelist and not a scholar, because he knows that it is difficult to reach millions of
people with scholarly work. He believes there are empty spaces in one’s life, just like
there are empty spaces in atoms and the Universe. He calls them interstices and
most of his productive work is done during that time. Talking about his novel, he
mentions that it is not an easy-read. It has a detective aspect to it along with
metaphysics, theology and medieval history. Also, he believes that had the novel
been written ten years earlier or later, it would have not seen such a huge success.
Thus, the reason for its success still remains a mystery.

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UNIT- 8 GOING PLACES

A R Barton
Characters

1. Sophie: a school going teenager

2. Jansie: a friend and classmate of Sophie
3. Geoff: an elder brother of Sophie
4. Derek: a younger brother of Sophie
5. Danny Casey: A young Irish football player
6. Tom Finney: A great football player
7. United: name of the football team
8. Father & mother of Sophie

Sophie, a teenager is filled with fantasies and desires. She comes from a poor financial
background. She dreams of owning a boutique one day or being an actress or fashion
designer but her friend Jansie believes that they are from a poor financial background
and have to work in a biscuit factory. Jansie, who is more realistic, tries to pull Sophie to
reality, but in vain. Sophie lives in a small house with her parents and brothers, Geoff
and little Derek. Though she voices her feelings and desires, her parents don’t believe her
because they, unlike her, are more mature and know the harsh realities of life. Sophie
finds a sort of fascination for her elder brother Geoff, who is tall, strong, handsome and
reserved. She envies his silence and often wonders about his thoughts and areas of his
life that she doesn’t know about. Sophie fantasizes about Danny Casey, an Irish football
player whom she had seen playing in innumerable matches. She makes up a story about
how she met him in the streets and tells this to Geoff. Geoff, who is more sensible than
Sophie, does not really believe her, even if she wants to. It seems an unlikely incident for
Sophie to meet the prodigy in their street, but when Sophie describes the meeting in all
her details, he begins to hope that it could be true. She tells him that Danny has
promised to meet her somewhere again. Sophie gets so pulled into the story she made
that she herself begins to believe that it’s true. She waits for the Irish player, but
obviously, he never arrives. Then, she makes her way home, wondering how her brother
would be disappointed on knowing that Danny Casey never showed up. However, Sophie

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still fantasizes about her hero, Danny Casey and believes he would definitely come to
meet her.

POEM-4 A THING OF BEAUTY

John Keats

A beautiful thing is a source of eternal joy, its loveliness grows with the passage of
time and its impact never fades away. It is as soothing as a cool shade. It never
passes into nothingness. It gives us good health, sound sleep and mental peace. It
provides the beholder with a haven of tranquility and solace. Man and nature are
inseparable. It is the beauty of nature that keeps us attached to this earth. Every
morning we collect fresh lovely flowers and prepare garlands. They refresh our
moods and we forget our worries for a [Link] person gets a bitter taste of
sorrow, suffering and grief. Disease, disappointments and misfortunes give us
mental and physical suffering. It is the beautiful things that remove the pall of
sadness from our lives and make us happy and [Link] beautiful things of nature
are a boon for human beings. The sun, the moon, the trees, daffodils, simple sheep,
clear streams, forests ferns, musk rose etc. provide us peace and happiness. In
addition to these lovely objects of nature, there are plays and poems to lift our spirits.
The glorious achievements of mighty heroes and magnificent rewards by God on the
day of judgement for those mighty men, lovely tales of olden days are endless
source of everlasting joy. The poet feels that nothing can surpass the beauty of
nature. They are an elixir of life. They are like an endless fountain that pours
immortal drink from the heaven into our hearts. So beauty is a gift of God and it gives
us joy forever.

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POEM-5 ROAD SIDE STAND

Robert Frost
Robert Frost, a highly acclaimed American poet, in his poems usually focused, on
the themes of human tragedies and fears and their ultimate acceptance or their
solution.
In his poem, ‘A Roadside Stand’ he deals with the lives of poor deprived people of
the villages with a clarity that is perceptive and at the same time portrays his deepest
sympathies and his feelings of humanity. The poem also brings in to focus the
unfortunate fact that progress and development are unequal between the cities and
the villages leading to feelings of distress and unhappiness among the dwellers of
the latter. In the poem, the poet describes the feelings of the owners of a roadside
shed who seem to wait interminably for those whizzing past, their house in their
shiny cars, to stop and buy something from the shack-some fruit, some humble
vegetables, or even stop and rest in the beautiful mountain scape. They long for the
feel of hard currency that is a symbol of poverty alleviation in their lives of
deprivation. It appears to be a vain hope, however, that those who do glance their
way are either reproachful of the blot on the landscape, their shed, that seems to
mar the beauty of the landscape, or stop to ask for [Link] use the space to
turn their cars around unmindful of the damage to their turf. The poet is outraged at
the callous attitude of the government, the civic authorities and the social service
agencies who appear to help them but actually end up harming [Link] news says
that these poor people are to be relocated to the vicinity of the towns near the
theatre and the shops. There they will be well looked after and will have nothing
worrisome to think [Link] poet, however, regards this as a great disservice to the
people who will be thus robbed of their voices and their freedom and ability to find
solutions to their problems. Lulled into oblivion by this false and perhaps short-lived
sense of security, the villagers will forever lose their abilities to make calculated
decisions for themselves and become pawns in the hands of their so-called
benefactors who are waiting to take over their land. This will finally culminate in a
futile sense of dissatisfaction for the villagers. The poet is filled with sadness to see
the almost childish longing that seems to emanate from the roadside shed, for a life
that is described in the movies, a life so far removed from their life in the village. The
unthinking occupants of a car who stop at the shed to buy a gallon of gas, speaks of
the disconnect that exists in the perceptions of town people with regard to the
[Link] are unable to comprehend that the lives of the villagers are far
removed from theirs, so replete with the comforts that the material world offers. The
poet is saddened at the thought that the rural poor have not been able to experience
the satisfaction that comes from a feeling of well being and contentment.

CHIRAG PATEL
(M.A (English Literature), [Link])
(Contact For Special English: 9825646429)
 17

POEM-6 AUNT JENNIFER’S TIGERS

Adrienne Rich
In the poem ‘Aunt Jennifer’s Tigers’ a woman expresses her suppressed feelings
through her art. Aunt Jennifer is the victim of the male dominated society. She has
no one to tell her mental and physical pain. She makes a picture to convey her deep
feelings. The speaker describes the tigers which her aunt produced on the panel.
They are set in motion. They are moving quickly by raising the front legs and jumping
forwards on the back legs. In the green jungle they look free, bright, brave, fearless
and magnificent. There are men sitting under the tree, but the tigers do not. They
move on to their goal boldly and smoothly. Jennifer finds it difficult to make pictures
by using the ivory needle. She is tired of doing the household work after she got
married. She can’t get herself involved in her artistic work. She has to do it in her
leisure time. Even then she has to be sure whether her husband is watching her or
not. So her hands are terrified. She will not be free from fear until she dies. She will
be dominated by her husband. She will die, but her art will express her desire to
move proudly and fearlessly like the tigers she has made.

CHIRAG PATEL
(M.A (English Literature), [Link])
(Contact For Special English: 9825646429)
 18

UNIT-3 JOURNEY TO THE END OF THE EARTH

Tishani Doshi

The writer visited Antarctica, the coldest, driest and windiest continent in the world,
aboard the Russian research vessel, Akademik [Link] journey, beginning at
Chennai, passed through many areas, geographical, legal, ecological and
[Link] writer’s first reaction to the continent was of relief, followed by wonder
at its vastness, seclusion and geological history.

Part of History:

Before human evolution, Antarctica was part of a huge tropical landmass called the
Gondwana land, which flourished 500 million years [Link] (flora and fauna),
geological (changing continents) and geographical (climatic)changes occurred and
Antarctica separated and moved away evolving into what it is today.A visit to
Antarctica gave the writer a deeper understanding of fold mountains, the earth’s
history, ecology and environment. The writer felt unsettled in two weeks time not only
because she came from a much hotter place, but also because all features of human
civilization were absent from an already desolate landscape. The long summers, the
silence broken occasionally by cracking ice sheets and avalanches, the blue whales
and ice bergs, all contribute to an ecological implication that the future for humans
isn’t good.

Human Impact

Humans, who are known to have existed for a mere 12000 years, have caused
tremendous impact and played havoc with [Link] explosion, putting a
strain on available resources, carbon emissions, fossil fuels and global warming
have all resulted in climatic and ecological imbalances that have also affected
Antarctica. Antarctica, though unpopulated, has been affected and there are
concerns for its half a million year old carbon records trapped under its ice sheets.
The ‘Students on Ice’ programme, an initiative of Canadian adventure educator,
Geoff Green takes students on expeditions to Antarctica, to create awareness in
them, the future policy makers. The stark proof of global warming and environmental
threats helps students attain an understanding of ecosystems and biodiversity of our
planet. An amazing display of the food chain of the Southern Ocean helps in the
understanding that further depletion of the ozone layer, will set off a chain reaction
that will affect the global carbon [Link] simple truth is, take care of the small
things and the bigger ones will automatically be taken care of.

Walk on The Ocean

Before their return, the writer got an opportunity to walk on the ocean at 65.55
degrees south, which made her realize that she was walking on 180 meters of ocean
water, a rich kaleidoscope of life.

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(M.A (English Literature), [Link])
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 19

Reaching home, she wondered whether Antarctica would ever be warm again, how
much difference a million years can make and, that each day makes a difference.

UNIT-4 THE ENEMY

Pearl S Buck
Characters
1. Dr. Sadao Hoki: A Japanese doctor trained by Americans.
2. Sadao’s father: much concerned about his son’s education, a true patriot.
3. Hana: Wife of Dr. Sadao, met in America, became friends and got married in Japan.
4. Tom: An American prisoner of war, a soldier of U.S. Navy.
5. The old General: a sick Japanese army General, needed an operation, trusted only Dr.
Sadao.
6. Yimi: Hana’s maid servant.

Sadao was a Japanese surgeon. He studied in America and returned with Hana, a
Japanese girl whom he met there, and married her in Japan and settled down
comfortably. While most of the doctors were sent to serve the Japanese army in the
World War II, Sadao was allowed to stay home because he was wanted by the old
General who was dying. But one night into his uneventful life came an American
Navy-man, shot, wounded and dying. Though unwilling to help his enemy, Sadao
took the young soldier into his house and provided him with medical aid. He was in
danger from that moment. Soon his servants left him. Dr. Sadao saw that the soldier
was getting well and absolutely alright. Once his patient was no more in need of him,
the doctor turned out to be his assassin, conspiring to kill him in his sleep. He
informed the General of the American and the General promised, he would send his
private men to kill the American. Sadao awaited the American’s death every morning
but to his gloom the man was still alive, healthier and posing danger to him. At this
point Sadao becomes the real man in him, a true human being who realizes the
essential worth of human life and universal brotherhood. He thinks beyond countries
and continents and races and wars. He finds no reason to believe that the American
is his enemy. Sadao rescues the American. Thus Sadao rises above narrow
prejudices and acts in a truly humanitarian way.
CHIRAG PATEL
(M.A (English Literature), [Link])
(Contact For Special English: 9825646429)
20

CHIRAG PATEL
(M.A (English Literature), [Link])
(Contact For Special English: 9825646429)
 21

UNIT- 6 ON THE FACE OF IT

Susan Hill

The story begins Derry, a 14-year-old boy, strolling into a garden hoping to not find anyone
there. Having suffered an acid injury which burnt almost half of his face, he had become
reclusive and pessimistic. Therefore, he tended to be isolated and aloof and avoid
interaction with people.

However, he was not alone in the garden. Suddenly, a man with a tin leg appeared in front of
him and engaged in a conversation with him. Mr Lamb was completely opposite of Derry. He
had learned to be content with his deformity and find meaning in his life. Derry, on the other
hand, was young, angry and confused. He thought nobody could ever love him because
they feared him. He was so self-conscious that he hated his own face and thought only his
mother loved him. She only loved him only because she was her son, thought young Derry.
Mr Lamb said that he also used to think like that but time heals every wound. He gives an
analogy of bees that irritate people with their buzzing but if one observe and hear them
patiently, one will find music in their sounds. Derry confessed that he was disturbed by other
people’s comments and stares and therefore felt comfortable in seclusion. Mr. Lamb
reassures him there are many who are a lot worse than him and he can still do whatever he
wants. He still had his limbs, eyes, ears etc. to fulfill all his dreams. Mr. Lamb tells him that
after his leg got blown off in a blast he conquered his own fear. He learnt to walk and even
climb trees. He welcomes Derry to join him in plucking apples of his trees when or if he
comes back. Mr. Lamb tries to encourage Derry to embrace all of his abilities that God had
given him and not just focus on his one flaw. He tells him that he lives in a house without
curtains and keeps his doors opens for others. He wants to be friendly everyone and advises
Derry that hate and anger is worse than any kind of corrosive acid. Derry narrates another
incident when he heard his parents talking about his deformity and that they thought he
would die with his deformity. This was really tough for Derry to take. Even his relatives
thought he would be at peace in a hospital with other persons with deformities. Mr. Lamb
assures Derry that people get tired of talking and staring eventually. He needed to not
concentrate on what they rather and focus on his own aspirations and abilities. Mr. Lamb
also tells him that the World and the people living in it will gradually move onto some other
new thing or person to critique or notice. He should not waste away his life by pondering on
other people’s opinions of him. He tells Derry a story of a man who stayed inside his house because
he feared death by an accident. However, in the end, he died inside his room when a painting fell over
his head. Thus, even Derry should come out his ‘room of fear’ and embrace the outside world and its
people. He calls Derry his friend even thought Derry does not reciprocate the same feelings. Derry
says that he would never return to the garden so he could not call Mr. Lamb a friend. Mr. Lamb
asserted that the same fact did not make them enemies also. He reiterated that they were friends and
that Derry is always welcome to his garden. Derry tells Mr. Lamb that if he comes to his garden, all his
other friends will get scared of his face and Mr. Lamb will lose his friends. Mr. Lamb consoles him by
saying that kids often call him by funny names like ‘Lamey Lamb’ but still comeback to his garden.
Derry finally expresses some optimism and hopes to have a house without curtains of his own. He too
wants to live in the light of faith and self-belief and come out of the shadows of self-doubt and fear.
Derry then returns home to his mother and narrates his encounter with Mr. Lamb. She warns him to
stay away from Mr. Lamb who she thought was a dangerous person. However, Derry defies her
injunctions and returns to Mr. Lam’s garden. He was finally free of all his inhibitions, all thanks to the
encouragement and comforting words of Mr. Lamb. However, he returns to see Mr. Lamb lying flat on

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 22

the ground. The ladder had slipped from the tree and Mr. Lamb had suffered a terrible fall. He laid
there unmoved, injured (or even worse). The story ends with Derry breaking into melancholic tears.

UNIT- 8 MEMORIES OF CHILDHOOD

Zitkala-Sa-Bama

The Cutting of My Long Hair

Characters
1. Gertrude Simmons: the narrator of the story
2. Zudewin: a friend of Gertrude Simmons
3. A pale-faced woman: a teacher or a member of staff at the Carlisle Indian Industrial School in Carlisle.

This account relates to an American Indian woman who becomes the victim of racial
discrimination. She is admitted to a school where native Indians do not get respect,
honour, dignity and due weightage in America. She is forced by the whites to follow their
traditions and traits. Simmons is dragged out and tied to a chair to shingle out her long
hair. She cries, struggles, kicks, resists, shows reluctance and she ultimately feels like
one of the many animals driven by a herder. This extract is a painful revelation of a
particular period of the life which the writer had to suffer during her hostel days. It was
the first day of her boarding school situated in the land of apples. The children were
given the task of apple picking in the bitter and biting cold. They were taken to the
breakfast hall and the girl was feeling stressed. She did not know the table manners.
She was being watched very carefully by a strange pale-faced woman. The girl felt very
fearful and insulted. Her friend who could understand some English, told her that the
pale strange woman intended to cut her long hair. Zitkala-Sa learned from her mother
that hair would be shingled only for the unskilled warrior, cowards and mourners. She
decided to fight back and got herself hidden in a dim room under the bed. Everybody
looked for her and called her name but eventually caught. Her long hair was cut,
although she resisted a lot. She spent her rest of the life there like a small animal being
a part of a herd, which was driven by a herder.

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(M.A (English Literature), [Link])
(Contact For Special English: 9825646429)
 23

We Too Are Human Beings

This chapter narrated the life of a Tamilian Dalit of India named Bama. In a place
where patriarchic society being a Dalit (called Untouchables before enactment of
Indian Constitution) added more factors of discrimination in the life of a young
[Link] was a cheerful and beautiful young girl who always had questions
to satisfy her burning curiosity. However, one such curious voyage led her to an ugly
truth of the World, the prevalence of Untouchability and the subjugation of people
based on racial and blood [Link] saw some labourers working for their rich
landlord. Little Bama noticed one of them holding the landlord’s food packet with the
strings, carefully not cupping it in his [Link] was amused and asked
her elder brother, Annan, about it later. Her brother educated her about the evil
practice of Untouchability and that the labourer had to hold the packet at the strings
only, lest he polluted the contents of the [Link] felt a surge of rage and
disgust at such an evil belief and practice. She felt that her community and people
must show resistance to such oppression and refuse to run trivial errands for the rich
upper caste [Link] tells her that until their Dalit community can uplift
their identity through education they will continue to be looked down upon and run
roughshod [Link] encourages Bama to use the opportunities offered by education
to circumvent the odds of caste discrimination and bridge the chasm of racial
inequality. Through education, people can change their destiny even though
they cannot do anything regarding their birth or place of [Link] brother’s word left
a deep imprint on the mind and psyche of little Bama. She resolved to prove him
right and studied vigorously. As a result, she came ahead of every other student in
her [Link] success bred more confidence in her. Her self-belief and hard work
made her popular among her classmates and teachers alike. Finally, she was able to
change the course of her fortunes and write a glorious destiny, surpassing the
limitations that society marked her with at her birth.

CHIRAG PATEL
(M.A (English Literature), [Link])
(Contact For Special English: 9825646429)