Refugee Blues

 Page 86

2. Where do the narrator and his companion want to go? Why are they unable to do so?

The narrator and his companion want to go to a safe place to live as they were sent out of their country. They are unable to do so because they are not allowed to enter any country.

3. Why did the consul bang on the table? Why was he angry?

The consul banged on the table because the narrator and his companion were attempting to enter the country. He was angry as they did not have any passports.

4. What was the refugee offered by the committee and what did they ask him? What was his reaction?

The refugee was offered a chair by the committee. They asked him to come next year. The refugee reacted by saying where should they go on that day.

5. What did the narrator see at the harbor?

The narrator saw fish swimming at the harbor. The refugee saw singing birds in the woods.

6. What did the refugee see in his dream?

The refugee saw a building with a thousand floors. It has a thousand windows and a thousand doors. Sadly, none of them were theirs.

7. Who is looking for the refugees?

Ten thousand soldiers are looking for the refugees.

8. What is the setting of the poem?

The setting of the poem dates back to the second world war. Jews were driven out of Nazi Germany. Millions of Jews fled seeking refugee around the world. No country was ready to accept them.

9. The poem talks about human rights violations suffered by a pair of German-Jewish people during the second world war. What are the difficulties that they faced?

The right to life and liberty, freedom from slavery and torture are basic human rights.

The pair of German Jewish people were homeless. They had no place. They did not have basic facilities. They were hunted by the German army and nobody gave them shelter. These were the difficulties faced by them.

Pocahontas

 

Reading 1

2. a. Who was Pocahontas? How did she get her name?

Pocahontas was the daughter of Chief Powhatan. She got her name for her beauty and liveliness. Pocahontas means playful one.

b. Why did the Powhatans not like the settlers?

Powhatans didn’t like the settlers because the settlers kill the native people and take their lands.

c. How did Pocahontas help John Smith twice?

Pocahontas helped John Smith twice by saving his life. The first time, she persuaded her father not to kill John Smith. The second time, she revealed her father's secret plan of murdering John Smith, enabling him to escape.   

d. How did Captain Argall manage to capture Pocahontas as a hostage?

Captain Argall took the help of Chief Japazaws to lure Pocahontas onto his ship. He invited the Chief with his wife and Pocahontas to visit his ship. Thus he managed to take Pocahontas as a hostage.

e. What did Captain Argall expect to achieve by holding Pocahontas to ransom?

Captain Argall expected the release of English prisoners and the return of English weapons tools by holding Pocahontas to ransom.

f. How did captivity change Pocahontas’ life forever?

Pocahontas learned the English language. She also learned English customs and way of life. She took Christianity and married an Englishman. Her marriage with an Englishman brought peace and harmony among the warring natives and settlers.

g. Why did Pocahontas go to England?

Pocahontas and her family along with some native women went to England to raise support for their settlements in America.

h. How was Pocahontas received in England?

Pocahontas was received well in England. She toured all of England and her presence in London created a sensation. He visited several important persons there including the king.

Reading: 2

1. This narration brings out the conflict between the Native Americans and the colonists. List the reasons of conflict and how it was resolved?

Colonists were occupying the land and other resources of the native people. They were killing the native people with their modern weapons. The native people were resisting their efforts to establish colonies. The native people were refusing to give the colonists the necessary food.

The conflict is resolved by trading. The native people offered food in exchange for the colonists’ tools and other goods.

2. What do you think of the settlers who sailed thousands of miles away to unknown lands in the 17th century, when travel and communications, healthcare, etc. were not very advanced as today? What difficulties do you think they faced?

I think the settlers were desperate to find new lands and new opportunities. Some of them mush have died because of ill health and malnutrition. Some might have lost their way in the sea. Some might have been killed by natives.  They braved vast expanses of seas, unfriendly natives, unknown diseases, and unpredictable weather to reach places that were thousands of miles away. These were the difficulties they faced.

3. The memory of Pocahontas is honored with a life-sized bronze statue at St George Church in Kent. You have been invited to write an epitaph (words written about a person on their gravestone) in about 50 words to be engraved under the state. Write the epitaph.

Here is the woman who brought peace between two warring communities with her love and compassion. She had made her people prosper. History remembers her as the first-ever black woman to marry an Englishman. She is a true daughter of the Powhatan clan, who ensured the safety of native people. 

A Day in the Country

 Reading 1 (Page 44 and 45)

On the basis of your understanding of the text, answer the following questions.

a. Why was Fyokla looking for Terenty?

i. The weather has changed.

ii. She was scared of the storm.

iii. Her brother had an accident.

iv. all of the above.

b. Why did the little girl came looking for Terenty?

i.. He knows a lot about nature.

ii. He was tall and sturdy.

iii. He could run very fast.

iv. He was kind and helpful.

2. What was the effect of the change of weather on the following?

a. the sky: The sky became dark with clouds. There was lightning. There was a rumbling sound faraway.

b. the grass and trees: The grass was moving as the wind blew playfully. The wind forced the trees to bend.

c. the people of the village: The people of the village became busy as the rain was coming. They took shelter in their huts.

3. What happened to Danilka? What caused the accident? How did Terenty help him?

Danilka had an accident. His hand had stuck in a hole in a tree trunk. Terenty had snapped off the broken piece of the tree trunk which obstructed Danilka’s hand.

4. What had Terenty learnt about Ants and Bees?

Terenty had learned that the downpour had damaged the ant heap and the ants had learned not to settle on low grounds another time. He also learned that the swarm of bees had settled on a branch of a tree as the rain started while they were flying looking for a home.

5. Danilka looks at Terenty and greedily drinks in every word.

a. What is Danilka’s mood here?

Danilka was very curious to know everything about nature.

b. Where were they?

They were walking about the fields and talking about nature.

c. What was Terenty telling him?

Terenty was telling Danilka about thunders ants, bees Spanish flies healing herbs stream engine and answers all his questions.

6. Describe the change in Fyokla’s mood in the story.

In the beginning of the story she was worried about the safety of her brother Danilka. He had an accident. She searched for Terenty. She felt relieved when she saw him and requested him to help her brother Danilka. The man and the boy started moving around fields and talking about nature. She was bored as the two did most of the talking. She followed them. She was tired and slept peacefully on the straw in the community barn.

7. The story reflects Terenty’s love for the children. Give three reasons to prove this.

The story shows Terenty’s love for the children. Here are the three reasons to prove this point. 1. Terenty talks with Fyokla tenderly and agrees to help her brother. 2. He answers all the questions asked by Danilka and patiently tells him about nature. 3. He leaves bread secretly under the children’s heads while they were sleeping on the straw in the community barn.

8. The children were impoverished but joyful. Justify this statement.

It is clear that the children were impoverished as Terenty secretly leaves bread under their heads while they were sleeping. But they were joyful because they could move freely in the countryside enjoying all the natural wonders. They had people like Terenty to protect them and teach them about nature.

Reading 2

1. Describe the setting of this 20th century Russian village.

This 20th century Russian village was surrounded by fields and woods. It had a river running by. The villagers knew many things about nature. There was a railway track nearby the village. The villagers used to store their crops in the community barn. There was a church in the village.

2. Terenty was unschooled but nature had been his greatest teacher. What lessons had Terenty learnt from nature?

Though Terenty was unschooled he learned that we should not settle in low ground. If we want to make a bee to be still, we have to sprinkle some water. He knew about the power of steam. He knew the names of wild flowers animals and stones. He knew the herbs that cure people. 

A Newspaper Is a Collection of Half-Injustices

 1.What is the contrasting picture that the poet creates in stanza one?

In the first stanza, the poet created the contrasting picture of merciful and well as sneering men. These are people who sneer at the stories carried by the newspapers or are sympathetic towards them.

2. Why is the newspaper compared to a court?

A newspaper is like a court because everyone is kindly and unfairly tried by a group of honest men who too much importance to moral and ethical considerations.

3. How is the newspaper a game?

A newspaper is like a game because one person's error brings victory to a player while another's skill results in death. A misstatement made by a reporter can change the outcome of a particular game while another person’s skilled reportage could lead to someone's death.

4. What do you think are the injustices a newspaper can do?

The newspaper may give fake news so that it can hide the important news. That may lead to several unwanted circumstances. Newspapers give importance to celebrities and negative news. Real news which is useful to common people is neglected by newspapers.

5. The poem uses a number of metaphors, for example, A newspaper is a market. What does it sell?

A newspaper is a market because here the truth is sold and compromised for the selling of the newspaper.

Explain four metaphors used in the poem.

1. A newspaper is a court.

A newspaper is a court because honest men who give undue importance to righteousness judge everyone.

 2. A newspaper is a market.

A newspaper is a market where truth is sold to falsehood and rumors.

3. A newspaper is a game.

A newspaper is a game because it can change the outcome of any game by its reporting,

4. A newspaper is a symbol.

A newspaper is a symbol as it symbolizes deceit, popularity, indifference and far-off news.

6. Do you think the poem indicates the poet's disbelief about this medium of communication? Give reasons.

Yes. I think the poem indicates the poet’s disbelief about newspapers. The poet calls a newspaper a collection of half-injustices as it is a collection lies.

7. If Stephen Crane were alive during the 21st century, would he have still found the same problems that he immortalized in the nineteenth century?

Yes. If Crane was alive today, he still would have problems that he immortalized in the nineteenth century. Journalism has become more biased. Commercial importance and financial necessities made newspapers unreliable. 

Iswaran the Story Teller

 Summary

This is a story about Mahendra, a junior supervisor, and his cook, Iswaran. Mahendra had to keep moving from place to place as ordered by the head office. But he had, fortunately, an expert caretaker, Iswaran who cooked his meals, washed his clothes, and chatted with him at night.

Iswaran was very fond of reading Tamil thrillers during his spare time. As a result, he innovated his own thrillers and would tell them to Mahendra. Mahendra would listen and enjoy them without any criticism.

Iswaran told a story about how he paralyzed a mad elephant that had gone berserk. He told that there were timber logs loaded on trucks. But if an elephant went mad no mahout could control it. The elephant now entered a school ground where children were playing, breaking through the brick wall. Children and teachers ran helter and shelter to save their lives. The elephant was stunned when Iswaran then only a little boy took a cane and hit at the elephant’s third toenail. The secret was if the elephant is hit there, his nervous system gets paralyzed.

Finally, one day talking about spirits of the ancestors, Iswaran began to talk of ghosts. He said that the place where they had their shed was once a burial ground. He also had come across ghosts but he was not scared of them. He told Mahendra about a woman ghost seen only on a full moon night. She moaned and carried a fetus in her arms. This terrified Mahendra so much that he finally thought of that woman ghost on a full moon night. He could hear a low moan outside his window. He peeped from his window and there stood the ghost of the woman. He flung himself down and found that he was often dreaming of that woman ghost. He had forgotten all about it the next morning till Iswaran asked him, “Sir, you were angry with me the other day when I told you about the ghost but didn’t you see her yourself last night?” Mahendra felt that the place was really haunted by ghosts and decided to go away from the place.

Question and Answers

1. In what way is Iswaran an asset to Mahendra?

A. Iswaran is an asset to Mahendra as he accompanies him everywhere without complaining. He cooks food for him, washes his clothes, cleans the living place, and entertains him with his unique stories.

2. How does Iswaran describe the uprooted tree on the highway? What effect does he want to create in his listeners?

A. Iswaran would describe the uprooted tree dramatically by raising his eyebrows and making animated gestures with his hands. He would describe it as a huge beast lying on the road. Only after going near to it he realized that it was a fallen tree. He would say that its branches appeared to be the beast’s limbs that had spread out onto the road.

He wanted to create a scene in the listener’s mind so that he would get captivated in the story.

3. How does he narrate the story of the tusker? Does it appear to be plausible?

A. He gave an introduction that his village was surrounded by a dense forest. The wood was processed at the timber yards and the logs of timber were transported onto the lorries by elephants. He added that the beasts were huge and in case one of them went mad, it could not be controlled even by an experienced mahout. He told about a tusker that had gone mad. He would get so caught up in the excitement of his own story that he would get up from the floor and jump about, stamping his feet in emulation of the mad elephant.

No. The story doesn’t appear plausible.

4. Why does the author say that Iswaran seemed to more than make up for the absence of a TV in Mahendra’s living quarters?

A. Iswaran seemed to more than makeup for the absence of a TV in Mahendra’s living quarters because his stories were so entertaining that every night they made up for the absence of a TV in Mahendra’s living place. Mahendra would enjoy these stories which were full of adventure, suspense and horror.

5. Mahendra calls ghosts or spirits a figment of the imagination. What happens to him on a full moon night?

A. Mahendra scolds Iswaran and says that ghosts do not exist. On a full moon night, he woke up from his sleep as he heard someone crying. At first, he thought that it was a cat that was hunting mice but as the sound grew louder and harsher, he was tempted to peep out of the window. In the white moonlight, he saw a dark, shady figure holding a bundle in its arms. Initially, he got scared but overcame it as he felt that his subconscious mind had played a trick on him. The next day, the presence of the ghost was confirmed by Iswaran and Mahendra realized that he actually saw a ghost the previous night. He did not want to live at a haunted place and so, resigned from the job.

6. Can you think of some other ending for the story?

A. The story proved the narrating abilities of Iswaran. I think it would be interesting if both the characters Iswaran and Mahendra did some more investigation into the matter before coming to a conclusion. After all, the presence of the ghost was confirmed by the storyteller, Iswaran himself. There was no other proof. 

Boyhood Days

 Questions and Answers

1. What were the two issues that colored people discussed after gaining freedom?

Coloured peopled discussed two main things after gaining freedom. 1. About changing their names and 2. About leaving the plantation for at least a few days to know what freedom really was.

2. Where did the narrator travel to? Why? What were the difficulties that they faced during their travel?

The narrator traveled to Kanawha Valley in West Virginia. He traveled because his step-father had sent for his mother. His step-father and his mother had different owners.  The journey from Virginia to West Virginia was difficult and painful. Children had to walk most of the journey. They had to sleep in the open and cooked their food outdoors. Thus they walked for several weeks.

3. Our new house was worse than the one we had left on the old plantation in Virginia. How was the new house worse? What was the culture in the new surroundings?

Their new house was in an overcrowded cluster of cabins. It was filthy and intolerable. Their old house on the plantation provided pure air always. Thus, the new house was worse. The culture was like that that the people in the new surroundings were all colored people who often quarreled and fought.

4. What were the difficulties that the colored race faced in their desire to educate their children?

The colored race were slaves till then and they were not allowed in the schools run by white people. They had no schools of their own. They were too poor to buy any books for their children. They had no teachers to teach in the Negro schools. These were some difficulties that colored race faced in their desire to educate their children.

5. The narrator’s mother was not schooled, yet very wise woman. Give two reasons to justify this statement.

The narrator’s mother was wise as she appreciated the importance of education in spite of being illiterate. She procured a spelling book for his son. The narrator wanted a hat as every student was wearing a hat at school. She sewed one for him instead of borrowing money to buy one. Her strength of character inspired the narrator.

6. I think there are not many men in our country who have had the privilege of naming themselves in the way that I have. What is the privilege the narrator is talking about? How did the narrator name himself?

The teacher demanded two names because the attendance register required a first and a last name for every student. The narrator is talking about the privilege of naming oneself.  The narrator named himself Booker Washington. As soon as he learned that his mother had named him Taliaferro, he made his full name Booker Taliaferro Washington.

7. Washington’s family became free but that was not the end of his troubles. Explain.

The freedom of colored people lifted them out of their former misery. The road to a better life was still full of obstacles, discouragement, and temptations. The introduction of education was a step in the direction of advancement.

8. As a member of the colored race, how were the narrator’s experiences while growing up different from other boys of his age?

The narrator felt that the experiences of white boys were different from the experiences of black boys. While the white boy was expected to succeed in a task, the black boy’s success came as a surprise. The black youth had to face many obstacles in their path to success. Prejudice and presumptions about the black community were a major setback.

9. The experience of a whole race beginning to go to school for the first time presents one of the most interesting studies in the development of any race. Do you think education builds cultural bridges? How?

Education is the first step towards the development of any culture. The advancement of a race is by education as it opens the doors to the future. Culture is the social behavior of any society which focuses on the knowledge of ethics, norms, and traditions. Education prepares the students to deal with cultural ethics and norms and facilitates a better future. Thus education builds cultural bridges.

Rain on the roof - Slides

Prepared by Master Praneeth Surya Datta