Every Morning I wake up By Dylan Thomas

The poem presents a religious perspectives as the persona of the poem prays the god to have mercy on people who are living under mild wood.

The speaker wakes up every morning and prays the god. He requests god to show mercy on feeble creature who does not last for long. He also asks for the blessing for night to overcome it. He views that human are neither good nor bad. The people who are living under Milk wood. The god always look the positve aspects of human and cares them.

He requests god to let them survive so they can see the other day.

Class 11 New course

Class 11 New course

subject verb agreement 

Subject verb agreement

The basic rule of subject verb agreements is singular subject singular verb plural subject plural verbs.

The singular verbs: is, has. V5, does, was 

The plural verbs: are, have, V1,do, are were

Common verbs: all past verbs (V2) and modal 

1. An uncountable noun, though in the plural sense, takes singular verbs: my hair is grey.

2.  The +adjectives to denote group takes plural verbs: The poor are kind.

3. Two or more singular subjects connected by and take a verb in plural. When and is followed by a negative word as no or not, the verb agrees with word preceding no or not. Imran and Irfan are two brothers. Only boys and not the girl are guilty. The boy and not girls is guilty. 

4. Only one definite article the is used and joined by and takes singular verb. The scriptwriter and director is very famous.

5. Titles and names of plural form also take singular verb when they refer to one thing: Seven Dwarfs was a famous movie.

6. A phrase of measurement, though plural in forms takes a singular verbs. Two hours is long time to wait.

7.  We use singular verbs after a subject with every each any no some, but John Eastwood, the writer of Oxford Guide to English Grammar opines that each takes plural verb when it follows plural subject. Each boy is responsible. The pupils each have to take test. 

8. The subject with each and every joined by and, takes singular verb. Each boy and each girl is in discipline.

9. When two subjects are joined by or, nor, either…or, neither… nor takes verbs according to second subject. Either he or I am guilty. Either boy or girls are responsible. Note the placing of pronoun is 231.

10. A collective noun takes singular verb when it is thought of a whole, but takes plural verb when individuals are separately thought of. The jury has ordered to hang the man. The jury are divided in their opinion.

11. A number/ A group of/ A lot of takes plural verb when it is used at the beginning of the sentence. If there is ‘the’ in place of a we can use singular verb. The number of participants is remarkable in meeting. A number of boys were standing in the street. 

12. Some nouns, which are singular in the form but plural in meaning, take plural verb. Police people staff dozen etc. The police are running after the thief.

13. Some nouns are plural in form but singular in meaning take singular verb. The news is true.

14. When subject of a sentence is phrase, the verb must agree with main noun in subject group. The only excuse that he gave for his action was that he was tired.

15. When a plural noun is placed with a real singular subject one or each with help of the verb must be singular. One of the boys was ill.

16. When words are joined with: together with, or as well as, the verbs agree with first subject. The Prime minister with his ministers has arrived.

17. Many a/many an before a singular noun is form and verb is usually singular. However, a great many/ a good many/ too many is used instead of these words can take plural verbs. 

Complete the sentences by choosing the correct verbs from the brackets. 

a. Everyone …… (has/have) problems in their life. Countries also …… (has/have) problems, and so …… (do/does) the world. One of the greatest problems …… (is/are) the growing population. The population in some countries …… ( is/are) huge. 

b. A number of my friends …… (love/loves) riding bicycles, but neither my brother nor my sister …… (own/owns) a cycle. At 4 o’clock, either my mother or father …… (is/are) coming to pick me up in a car. c. The pair of shoes on the floor …… (is/are) mine.          The shoes …… (was/ were) made in China. The three thousand rupees I spent on them …….. (was/were) worth it. 

Are the following sentences correct? If not, correct them. 

a. Every one of the workers receives the same benefits. 

b. There are two gerbils in my bathroom. 

c. Both of my friends live in Kathmandu. 

d. Scissors is used to have our hair cut. 

e. You and your friends are welcome to join us 

f. Are the news on at five or six? 

g. The man with all his children live in the city. 

h. Mathematics are Prem's favorite subject, while Economics is Alina's favorite subject.

.

Marriage as a Social Institution by Steven L. Nock

Marriage as a social institution

Marriage is a social institution is an essay that examines how people ideas towards marriage function as a social institution in modern society though they have been deviated. The objectives of the essay are to strengthen the marital relation, lowered the divorce rate, and minimize the unwed lock birth. It examines the definition of marriage, its strength and weakness and valorises the institutional function of marriage in modern society though people perception regarding marriage has been changed.

The essayist defines marriage is not only a sum total of two spouses. It is a relation defined by legal, moral and conventional assumptions. It is a close personal affiliation uniting two adults. It is an institution culturally patterned and integrated. It establishes the self-boundaries around the relationship that allows the limits of behaviours and differentiates with other relations.

A married couple has some peculiar things that other lacks.  A married couple can have an heir to vast system of understood principles. They can organize and sustain their lives. Marriage provides structure to life and organizes the desires and ambitions.

Emily Durkheim, a French sociologist, has discussed marriage as protective role that prevents suicide. He argues that basic human necessities are more or less available in advance society. Modern people think on well-being, comfort, luxury and prestige. It establishes legitimate boundaries. Marriage benefits as an organ of society that restrains people, uncontrollable impulses. He further views marriage assigns a strictly definite object to the needs for love and closes the horizon. It forms the state of moral equilibrium from which human befits.

Despite having such peculiarity of marriage, American people are deviated as they believe unmarried relation offers something more than marriage. They view cohabitation as a freedom from rules of marriage. It frees them from arrangement of relationship and maintenance of parental relationship. However, the essayist critiques them and views the thing they lack are is that they exempt from vast range of marriage norms and laws in our society.

Criticizing cohabitation, the essayist emphasizes marriage and opines that a marriage couple is certain about maintaining relationship. They tie up to maintain their commitment and responsibility to their children whereas unmarried couple are not sure about it.

He further analyses the marriage and points out the reason behind of its being as social institution. He views marriage as a form of capital. It helps to create intangible social capital that maintains relationship. It creates a type of trust and trustworthiness that form social capital for productivity. Marriage creates a type of kinship that has a lot of effort to make something successful. It helps to bind the relatives strongly. Social capital firmly joins individuals in a network channel of knowledge. These networks function by social norms and sanctions. It cannot be separated from configuration of institution and communities. The boundaries of marriage distinguish from other form of relation. He further examines the American society which has advocated for six dimensions of normative marriage system that has paved the way for establishing marriage as a social institution. They are:

It indicates the entry of voluntary maturity

Heterosexuality where males are supposed to be principle earners

Sexual faithfulness

Married couple will be parents

It is a form of social control where behaviours and aspirations are channeled properly

It is a force greater than individuals as it represents the collective sentiments of others.  

The essayist has critical examination of marriage systems that prevails in different society and comes up with it as a social institution.

On Libraries by Oliver Sack

The autobiographic writing of the essayist presents the importance of libraries for a learner. The essayist presents his love and longing for knowledge in a library. It views library is not only a room with books but also a lively store house of knowledge that can awaken one’s perception and explores with new dimension of the world.

He stresses that knowledge should not be bound with formal education only. It should not be constrained 

with few academic parameters. A person needs to have freedom of choice. The specific hunger of knowledge could be satisfied from a library.

The essayist has library as a favorite room. In childhood he used to enter his father’s library and read the books. As his father was a Hebrew scholar, there were plenty of the books to read. The library was full of Ibsen’s plays. He would easily reach the books which were in lower case. He liked the Jungle book that he read in his childhood. His mother has also collected the books of Dickens, Trollope, and Thackeray.

Moving ahead he entered into Ur Library, Willerden Public Library on his locality. Though he disliked school, he was fond of libraries as libraries have freedom of choice. Slowly he got interested towards science. In Walker Library, he did not get the books he longed for. Needlessly, his teacher helped him to get access to the library of Science Museum and he got the book he desired for: Mellor’s Comprehensive Treatise on Inorganic and Theoretical Chemistry, Gmelin’s Handbook on Inorganic Chemistry.

He got access to Radcliffe Science Library and Bodleian Library, where he got a historical book of 1602. He got the idea to write biographical writing of Theodore Hook. Entering University, he got access to Queen’s College Library, which was designed by Christopher Wren. He got several books that enlightened his idea about history 17^th and 18^th century literature he also got the insight of his language too.

He recalled his past days how he spent his days in New York in 1965. He had a very small room. He did not have enough space to write. He used to write on refrigerator. He wished he could get a spacious place. Then, he went to Albert Einstein College of Medicine as it had enough space.

He viewed library could help to get the friends of same taste though it was a silent place. People who are searching books in wardrobe can have friendship. However, he finds the changes in people preference in libraries. The modern techno based reading has devalued the libraries as students highly rely on electronic media of reading. Such changes have abandoned the importance of libraries. The books are thrown out. The librarian assured that things are digitized. Nevertheless, it destroyed the sense, smell and feelings of a person towards the book reading.      

Neighbours

                                by Tim Wi

The story presents the life in multilingual and multicultural neighborhood. It presents cultural and linguistic barriers cannot stop someone from love and compassion.

The young couple was anxious about the neighborhood when they migrated to new land. They feel like they were temporary dwellers of the place. The place was full of European migrants. Thought their house was small it was spacious enough for them. They planted the tree and kept a sheepdog.

They had lived in the place where they hardly saw good neighbors. The next-door neighbor, Macedonian family used to make unnecessary noise. Later, the couple realized that they were talking with each other.

The polish man used to hammer the nail throughout the day to pull them out again.  He wanted to repair the salvaged lumber. They was not relations to their neighbors. The husbands find their disapproval being stayed at home to write his thesis and the wife going to work. He disliked the neighbors’ boy urinating in the street. The boy was caught spraying the cat and shaved regularly, probably for, getting thick hair grow.  The husband used to be nervous looking the boy’s slivery white eyes.

In autumn, they cleared the yard and planted onion, cabbage. The neighbors came near and advised them about plantation. They even gave the sapling and seeds for plantation. They made a coop for hen. The polish widower mended it as he saw it fall down.

In the winter season, the couple slowly had a cardinal relation with their neighbors. They received many presents. They slowly adjusted in the society. They can walk proudly. They were taught many domestic chores.

The future planning of the family they have not made yet. However, the wife became pregnant and decided to take maternity leave. The couple was and in rest and felt like being disturbed by the sound, the polish widower made. They thought it was deliberately done.  Gradually the neighbors knew the news of pregnancy. They turned with presents. They even helped them to get the name of the baby. One of the neighbors, the Italian woman declared that there would be a boy baby. The young woman became so happy, as she noticed their care and help.  Finally the time of waited arrived, the day of pregnancy. The neighbors were standing at the fence. They were there to express their best wishes.

Analysis of the story:

The plot structure of the story is straight forwards. It presents the transition of individuals in new places and social context. It confronts individual stereotypes through exploring the multicultural context. The characters do not have proper name that presents the the differences in between individuals in cultural differences. It creates the challenges questioning question their individual perspective upon society's moral truths and forces the revaluation of the values of social friendship. It puts the insights to individuals to reconsider their upheld values in the social context in which they are placed.

 

A Day by Emily Dickinson

A Day    

                    by Emily Dickinson

A  Day

By Emily Dickinson

A day presents innocence views of a child. His innocence views on sun rise and sunset.

The surprise of the writer can be seen as the speaker expresses certainty with explanation. The persona might be a small child who can explain about the rising sun. The arrival of rays down to the earth smoothen the steeple of the church like amethyst, a purple precious stone. The newness of the life appears. The bird, bobolink starts chirping.  The animals start their life journey. feels that the object is the sun.

The second part of the poem presents that she is not aware about its set. There is a gradual purple step as there are frequent changes in the shape of the sun. The boys and girls start moving ahead to reach another side. The old teacher enters into the bar and takes the flock away.

The rising sun has been compared with the beginning of the life. The life begins with the riisng sun. life moves ahead with rising sun and fades away with setting sun. The speaker, or poet persona, in Dickinson’s poem is an unnamed child. He/she begins the poem as if responding to a question. The persona is confident and excited talking about sunrise. However, that confidence wanes when the child describes sunset. Regardless, this speaker’s diction and inherent innocence urge readers to appreciate the beauty of nature. 

The poem is full of literary devices. There is the use of symbols, metaphors, simile and personification. The dominant literary device use in the poem is sybolism. The poem symbolizes the transition from life to death. The rising sun symbolizes the life and setting sun symbolizes death. The stanza of the poem infers the human behaviors associated with life and death. The religious perspective that awaits after death. We can also find the use of metaphors in the poem. Ribbons, for rays yellow boys and girls, Dominie in gray, evening bars are strong metaphors.

The speaker takes the reader on a mental journey from the miracle of sunrise to the mystery of sunset. The poem begins with declaration “ I’ll tell you how the sun rose.” The speaker is confident enough to presents the idea of rising sun.

An Astrologer's Day

Class 11 New course

An Astrologer's Day 

by  R. k. Narayan 

An Astrologer’s Day

In an unnamed village, an astrologer laid his tool of trade, requirements for telling fortune of others. He had some cowries; shells obscure charts, a notebook and other such curios. They are the matter of the mysticism. He has painted his forehead with sacred ash (may be abeer) wrapped his head in a turban and seated under a big tree. He has set up himself in very busy market place among people fencing stolen goods, cheap food, and low quality fabric.  He makes his livelihood through making prophecies or selling cosmic insight to gullible villagers though he does not know cosmos or actual spiritual insight.

The astrologer always opened his business at midday. He used to sit under a tree on the Town Hall road. The road was crowded and he could allure his costumer. The groundnut vender also used to sit beside him. The gaslight of vender helped him to run his business in the evening. The astrologer used to analyze human nature and psychology.

He just made guesswork to satisfy his costumers. He left his village, as he did not want to continue the traditional occupation of his ancestor. He had never plan to return his native land.

One day the light of vendor blowout and astrologer started to pack up his stall. Then, he saw a man. The astrologer’s tongue watered, as he could be prospective customer. However, the man challenged his astrology. The man made a bet with him. He provided an anna to the astrologer and asked him to return with interest if he could not satisfy him. The astrologer denied and informed the man that he would take three pies for each question. He demanded five rupees for satisfactory answer. In negotiation, he agreed on eight anna. However, he would ask double if he did not get satisfied with his answer.

The astrologer happened to see the face and he denied the challenge/ and asked the man to let him go. But the man held him tightly. So, the astrologer accepted challenges unwillingly. He started using the same traditional pattern of  narrating astrology. But, the man informed him that he had only one question to be answered. The man asked him whether he would get the things that he was searching for. He promised to give him a rupee if he got satisfied with answer. Astrologer informed the man that he was stabbed and thrown into a well nearby to die.

The man informed him that a passerby saw and rescewed him. The man wanted to know about the culprit.

 

The astrologer informed man that culprit died four month ago in a far town. The man was disappointed hearing this. The astrologer even identified his name and addressed him as Guru Nayak. He also told the man that his house located in north side with two days journey. He warned him not to travel to south. He might get trouble if he stayed there. The man gave him handful coins. The astrologer went home.  The astrologer wife counted the money. She decided to buy jaggery and coconut for the children. However, astrologer looked worried and not happy. He was angry with Guru Nayak, who promised to give him  a rupee but he gave only twelve and half anna. After dinner he shared a secret of his life. He said a great burden of his life had gone away. He used to think that he had killed a man, Guru Nayak. In fact, he had a bad company with the man. He used to drink and gamble with him. 

Theme of Story

The story focuses on single day incident that has happened in the life an astrologer. The main theme of the story is to present darker side of human life with its hypocrisies, shrewdness, revengeful nature and selfishness.

The story presents hypocrisy of human. The narrator presents hypocrisy as he writes:

”… he had not in the least intended to be an astrologer when he began life; and he knew no more of what was going to happen to others than he knew what was going to happen to himself next minute.

It  presents astrologer as a hypocrite. He does not know about others’ idea. He can not have any idea about cosmos. However, he pretends he knows other’s fortune. He runs his business analyzing mankind’s trouble. The narrator further writes:

He had a working analysis of mankind’s troubles: marriage, money and the tangles of human ties. Long practice had sharpened his perception. Within five minutes he understood what was wrong.

The astrologer has done a job analyzing different situation of  humankind. He has used different triangular situation of life. He observes common problems that human face like marriage, money and marriage. There is no any cosmic understanding. He simply listens others problems. The story presents how wisdom plays role in living. The astrologer uses his common sense to tell the people about cosmos and make a living. The way he deceives Guru Nayak presents his wisdom to tackle the situation. In fact, it was a danger in the life of Guru Nayak. It was for astrologer but he managed to assure Guur Nayak, and keep him away from him.

 

 

Irony in the story

The story has irony. The greatest irony of the text is that a drunkard or ill mannered man has started his life as  an astrologer. The people visit him to know about cosmic idea. The ironic expression is that human pretend to be export of the things that they do not have even a single idea about. In the same line, GuruNayak asked the astrologer whether he would find the person who stabbed him. In fact, the astrologer was the person who stabbed him. The greatest irony is that we call other to be superstitious but we ourselves do the same. Guru Nayak, at first, suspects the astrologer. He presents astrologer as a fraud. Soon after, he relies on him.

Point of view:

It depicts the tension between darkness and light of the life. Though the plot of the story is brief, it presents the inner core of human psychology, where people are longing to know about future. It  has ironical point of view that presents reality of the society. It turns on a most important human weakness, the desire to know the future.

 

Class 11 New course

Two Little Soldiers

by Guy de Maupassant

characters: 

Luc Le Ganidec: He was carefree and open minded

Jean Kerderen: He  was quiet and

The milkmaid 

Summary:   

Both of them used to spent their holiday away from barrack every Sunday. They used to go countryside. They used to go to little woods to spend their time as it used remind them about their homeland. They hardly talked with each other when they left the barrack.

They used to stop at Bezon’s bridge. They used to enjoy the river Seine. On the way, they would buy some things so that they could spend their days. As they were passing the time at the village side, they saw a young milkmaid. She used to go to the pastor to milk the cow. One day she opened conversation with them. She also gave them some milk. Frequently, they used to talk with other. They became good friends in short period of time. Jean Kerderen advised Luck Le Ganidec to buy some present for the girl. They bought some candy for her. However, they were shy to inform her about the present. Finally, Luc revealed about it. She was happpy to receive the present. Then after, she became a good friend with them.

After a while, Luc Le Ganidec started leaving the barracks. On Tuesday, he returned to barrack quite late. He again left the barrack on Friday. He borrowed the money but did not explain the reason for it. Next weekend, they went to the countryside to spend the time. The girl became delighted to see Luc. She kissed him. She did not pay attention to Jean. Both, they disappeared in the wood for a long time. Jean was alone. He was desperate. He failed to understand their relation. He came to know about Luc’s behavior. After returning from shed, she again kissed Luc. She did not give milk to Jean.

Jean was feeling quite upset. As they were returning back, Jean leaned over the bridge. He fell into the river. Luc Le Ganidec asked for help. Boatman took out his body.  Luc being nervous narrated the incidents in barracks.

Theme:

The theme of the story is incompatibility of friendship and romantic love. Betrayal of idyllic relationship is challenged which leads to destruction of life and friendship. The betrayal of love has devastating effect in characters life.   

Jack and Luc are good friends. They used to go together. They used to visit in countryside. They are in really friends. The line that presents about their friendship is They both answered together: "All right! How's everything with you? They replied together. Their reply presents their close relation. However, this relation does not last for long. In the same line, their relation has strong bond in the beginning. They did not have any conflict the time they met the girl. They discussed together to decide what to buy for her.  The narrator presents:

Luc was in favour of bringing her some chitterlings; but Jean, who had a sweet tooth, thought that candy would be the best thing. He won, and so they went to a grocery to buy two sous' worth, of red and white candies.

They have a good discussion between them what they need to buy for her. If they did not have good relation, they would not come into same stand point or idea. They agreed to buy her candies. However their relation does progress in the same pace. They slowly have splinters of relation as Luc started leaving barrack alone. The line of the text helps the reader think about their problems in the friendship. The line Jean, worried and racked his brain to account for his friend's having obtained leave presents the beginning line of splinters. Jean observes the changes in his behavior and suspected him. The writer writes:

When he started out with Jean on Sunday he seemed queer, disturbed, changed. Kerderen did not understand; he vaguely suspected something, but he could not guess what it might be.

The word suspect presents incompatibility of friendship. There is no any clear reason for Jean to suspect Luc. In a good friendship, there should not be doubt. He has observed the changes in his friends. He could have asked about it. Instead, he suspected him. Jean was ‘dazed’. Why Jean has to bewilder there? He should not be confused as she kissed his friend Luc. The narrator further writes, “The two little soldiers sat side by side, motionless as always, silent and quiet, their calm faces in no way betraying the trouble in their hearts.” They become motionless. Why do they need to be motionless? The word betraying presents incompatibility in the relation between them.

Jean commits suicide at the end of the story. It contributes the reader to guess inappropriate love by soldier the girl. Jean might have loved the girl inwardly. He has not expressed his love to the girl as well as his friend. As he sees his friend relation with the girl he considers it as a treachery of his friend. it can be taken as jealousy of friend in love affair.

Class 11 New course

Civil Peace

by Chinua Achebe

 

·     The central character Jonathan Iwegbu considers himself fortunate as he survives along with his family members.

·     He works hard in aftermath of the war as he starts a taxi service and opens the bar for soldiers.

·     He gets reward of 20 pounds 

 

 Summary

 Jonathan has survived the Nigerian Civil War along with his wife and three of his four children, and thus considers himself “extraordinarily lucky”. He also treasures his still-working bicycle, which he buried during the war to ensure it would not be stolen. Another apparent miracle is his still-standing home, which he repairs and reoccupies after returning home to the capital city of Enugu. To explain both his good and bad fortune to himself and others, he often repeats a phrase: “Nothing puzzles God.”

Jonathan works hard in the aftermath of the war, using his bicycle to start a taxi service and opening a bar for soldiers. His family mirrors his example, cooking food and picking fruit for sale. Since the coal mine where Jonathan worked before the war has not reopened, this resilience is crucial towards securing even their minor comfort.

One day, after turning over rebel currency, Jonathan is given an award of 20 pounds. He takes care not to be robbed, remembering a theft he observed several days earlier, in which a man broke down in public over the indignity.

That night, a group of thieves knocks on his door demanding money. Frightened, the family calls for the neighbors and police, but the heavy silence when they finish reminds them that nobody looks out for anyone but himself. The thieves then mock them, crying out even louder to indicate how helpless the family is.

The thief demands 100 pounds, promising not to hurt Jonathan or his family if he cooperates. Eventually, Jonathan realizes their lack of options, and gives the thieves the 20 pounds of reward money so they will leave the family unharmed. Some thieves insist they should search the house for more, but the thief leader believes this is all Jonathan has, and accepts it.

The next morning, Jonathan and the family are back at work as the neighbors arrive. Sensing their confusion over his ability to toss off the situation of the night before, Jonathan explains to his neighbors that the reward money cannot compare to what he lost in the war. He chooses to focus on his work in the present rather than regret what has happened, since “Nothing puzzles God.”

Theme:

The story presents post war trauma. It presents how people suffer in civil war time. It also presents the difficulties to maintain peace when there is civil war. The stake of the governance are corrupt. They give trouble to public. "Jonathan, suspecting he might be amenable to influence, rummaged in his raffia bag and produced the two pounds with which he had been going to buy firewood which his wife, Maria, retailed to camp officials for extra stock-fish and corn meal, and got his bicycle." It shows the authorities are corrupted. Jonathan has to bribe the soldiers to get his own bicycle. It presents tragic situation of governance in post war time. Similarly, the words 'extra-ordinarily lucky' 'Happy survival!' present people willingness to be alive in war. The common people very delighted if they are found to be alive in war. Jonathan considers extraordinarily lucky as he survives though he is asylum seeker. He has to leave his own land. He has to go somewhere else. However, he is happy to be alive.

The narrator presents the hardship of economic life in post war time. He narrates: 

            His children picked mangoes near the military                           cemetery and sold them to soldiers' wives for a few                pennies - real pennies this time - and his wife started                making breakfast akara balls for neighbors in a hurry                to start life again".

The Economic hardship of post war period can be seen in the story. The collection of mangoes for few pennies presents very ugly picture of the economic society during the war time. The real pennies of the time presents the harsh economic condition of people. 

The story also presents the fear of having no security in the society in post war time. It is expressed in the line:

        As soon as the pound notes were placed in his palm                Jonathan simply closed it tight over them and buried fist         and money inside his trouser pocket. He had to be extra            careful because he had seen a man a couple of days                earlier collapse into near-madness in an instant before            that oceanic crowd because no sooner had he got his                twenty pounds than some heartless ruffian picked it off            him.

Jonathan has closed his hand tightly. He is afraid that his money would be taken away by some one else. There are no peace and security anybody can be robbed at any time. He has to he very careful. The word extra careful for only twenty pounds presents the harsh reality of collapse of securit system in post war time. Similarly, the line 'Na tief-man and him people,' also presents the lack of security. The gang of thief dared to say who they are. The direct utterance as a thief clarifies there is no peace and security in the society. 

• The story has irony. The title of the story is Civil Peace. However, it presents the picture of traumatic situation of post war. Therefore, the story  questions on maintainance of peace in post war time and people suffering.

( 

Class 11 New course

Literature

Refund

One act play

Writer: Fritz Karinthy

Characters:

The Principal

The servant

Wasserkopf

The mathematics teacher

The physics teacher

The geography teacher

The history teacher

The staff

 

This is the story of a former student Wasserkopf, who demands that his tuition should be refunded because he feels his education was worthless. However, he loses his fight when the mathematics master tricks him.  The play “Refund” is full of humor, which deals with an extraordinarily absurd situation.

The servant informed the the head teacher that one man wants to meet him. The principal does not want to meet him as it is not the proper time. However, the servant informed him that he is with beard. As the principal has been sure that he is not a school inspector, the man with forty is called. He is Wasserkopf the one, who studied in the same school. He has been there to get the refund. The principal got shocked to hear this. The principal has asked him how he come to know that he is nothing worth of. The man informed him that people used to tell him he could do nothing. Even his friend Leaderer told him that he did not have any idea, as he did not understand about foreign exchange. Leaderer advised him to get refund of the money from school.

The principal requested the man to wait a while in the waiting room, as it is a serious matter. He has to talked with his staffs before the thing decided.

The staffs come with the conclusion that he should not be failed. If he fails, it will put them awkward position. Likewise, day by day, the number of the pupil will be increased, and there will be really problems.

They come to conclusion that they need to pass him any way. They need to unite to overcome the problems. The man calls them loafers when he enters. The mathematics teacher cunningly valorizes his greeting as a matter of patriarchal like medieval humanist. The man asks him to fail him and give him the money. He tells the history teacher numskull and asks him to put question. As the teacher asks how long did the thirty year war last he answers it lasted in seven days.

 

 

 

Wasserkopf wanted the refund of his tuition fees which were paid eighteen years ago because he was taught badly. When he asks for it, the principal is shocked. The principal is in a peculiar situation now and he calls for an urgent meeting with all other staff members. The masters realized that Wasserkopf’s real intention was to fail in the exam and claim the refund. Therefore, they decided to outsmart the old student by proving all his answers right. The Mathematics Master said that they had to be united and ought to help each other in implementing their plan. The exam was an oral one as Wasserkopf’s refusal to write. They decide that whatever answers he gives whether it is right or wrong they will prove him right.

 

The first question was from the History Master. The Master asked him how many years the ‘Thirty Years’ war lasted. The answer was in the question itself. But Wasserkopf, who was keen on giving wrong answers, said that the ‘Thirty Years war’, lasted seven metres. The History Master did not know how to prove this answer right. Fortunately for him, the Mathematics master aided him by proving that the answer was right on the basis of Einstein’s Theory of Relativity. The Master argued that time and space are relative terms and therefore years can be represented in terms of meter. The war took place during half of each day, three hours a day to eat, hours given up to noon day, so totally seven years.  The actual time spent in fighting was seven years and it has been by Einstein’s equivalence of seven meters. Wasserkopf called the History Master a numskull.

 The Physics Master asked Wasserkopf whether clocks in church become smaller if one walks away from it or is it because of optical illusion.  He called The Physics master as an ass.  The master says that the answer is correct because ass does not have any illusion of vision. Therefore, Wasserkopf has given a metaphorical explanation. Wasserkopf called him a cannibal.

 

     The Geography Master asks Wasserkopf for the name of a city which has the same name as the capital of German Providence of Brunswick.  He replied as ‘Same’.  Master said it as the correct answer.  There was a legend that once as the emperor Barbarossa was riding in the city, he met a young peasant (farmer) girl, who was munching a bun mouthful.  He called out her God Bless you and asked her the name of the city, she answered same to you sir for his wishes, and Emperor mistaken the city name as ‘Same’.

 

One by one, each teacher justified his wrong answer to be correct one and they mark him excellent. Though Wasserkopf gives wrong answers and use abusive words to each teacher, they do not show their anger because they have to prove him as an excellent student.

 

At last, the mathematics master asks him a difficult question and an easy question. For the easy question he gives wrong answer and the master gets angry and says that he has failed in his examination so he should be given his tuition fees back. The master says that they have decided to give him his tuition fees back and asks for the exact amount which he has to get. Wasserkopf without knowing that he is going to fall into their trap gives them the list of exact amount. The mathematics master says that was his difficult question and he gave the right answer. Now he is proved excellent in the entire subject and they throw him out without allowing him to say anything further. It shows the ability of the teachers to manage the situation and how they tackle Wasserkopf without spoiling the reputation of their school.

 

Class 11 New course

Class 11 New course

Sagar's Diary: The Gift in Wartime

Sagar's Diary: The Gift in Wartime: Class 11 New course The Gift in Wartime by Tran Mong Tu   The poem presents the different thing a war victim should give up in wartime. The ...

Class 11 New course

Class 11 New course

The Gift in Wartime

by Tran Mong Tu

 

The poem presents the different thing a war victim should give up in wartime. The poem is a=ironical in the sense that there is use of positive diction ‘gift’ to present the catastrophe of the war. The verbal irony implies in the poem presents the contrary in its theme than the word used in the poem. The word gift stands not for positivity, but for grief and loss. The poem has implied different figurative language like anaphora, metaphor, and apostrophe.  It grieves the futility of war, employing the visual imagery of roses, clouds, and the body of a corpse.

 

    The speaker offers the beautiful roses. The speaker even offers the marriage gown until the grave covered with green grass. The offering of red rose denotes that a soldier can get respect and honor in their life.. It denotes the speaker offers his love and strength of life for the soldiers who gave up their life for the nation.

 

    The speaker addresses that the soldier has given her the medal that he got after he fought bravely in the wartime. The medal is with her after his death. It reminds her about him. However, the medal are not so important for her though it is like a signing star. The word ‘ unused and still signing refers that there is no utility of the medal. The word Silver Star stands that they are signing. It reflects his bravery in the war. He got recognition as he gets medal. However, it is not so useful in his physical absence.

 

    The speaker has offered her youth. She was in love with him. She desired to live with him throughout her life. She was delighted with him. She was happy. The sentence ‘ I offer you my youth’ presents her yearning for living together. It is her in-depth wish loaded in core of heart. She has not imagined her productivity of life in his absence. The line of the poem, ‘my youth died away when they told me the bad news’ presents her inner desire to be with him. She anticipates the productivity of life has connection with him. It also confirms the devastating effect of the war. The speaker views that her youth died away after she has heard the bad news. Probably, ‘the bad news’ refers to destruction of the war. A family gets motionless, speechless and completely broken when it gets the information of member being injured or dead. It explains the devastating effect of the war and catastrophe of the war.

 

    Ironically, the speaker opines that she has the smell of the blood. She smells the blood from uniform of her lover, who is a soldier. The smell of the blood presents the labor or sacrifice a warrior has to do for the nation in the battlefield. It also moves ahead to clarify the death of the soldiers in war. She comes closer and meditates. She finds it does contain the blood of enemy too. It goes in the line to explain the devastating effect of war. It tells that war is the game of losing. Everybody loses in the war. The line ‘your blood and your enemy’s so that I may be moved’ explains the deeper sense of understanding of war. It has negative impact on the both side. The speaker presents sympathy to both parties as there is use of the word ‘enemy’. The use of apostrophe in enemies presents absence of people in war.

 

    The speaker offers the cloud. It means she is here to offer different aspects or changes. She is here to offer her unwillingness  of sending her husband in war. She has hoped to get better life in days to come. She has to go through such tragic condition in between of her happy life. She expresses her dissatisfaction towards war.

 

    The speaker ironically presents the gift of the war. She gets her lover back from the war. The body has returned from the war. The lines of sixth stanza:  ‘lips without smile’, ‘arms without tenderness’, ‘eyes without sight’, ‘motionless body’ present the catastrophe of war. It presents the death of the warrior.  The life of the soldier has not returned in the same pace after he returns from war.

 

Finally, the speaker asks for apologies. She has promised that she would meet him in the next life. She would take scattered body of bomb as token that would help recognize each other the time they meet each other.

Considering this summary, it seems that Tran Mong Tu’s poem is mainly about all of the things that a victim of war is forced to give up. Perhaps the “you” in the poem is war itself. That might be why the “you” reacts to the speaker’s offerings with a mix of violence and indifference.