NEB RESULT AT A GLANCE (2074-2075)

RS72_NEB Result at a Glance... by RupEsh

The Little Brother and The Little Sister by Jacob and Wilhelm Grimm | Playing With The Text | The Heritage of Words

‘The Little Brother and the Little Sister’ an English translation of ‘Hansel and Gretel’ by Jacob and Wilhelm Grimm, deals with the same story of Hansel and Gretel. The writer sincerely included all the essential points of the original story to make it complete and harmonious. However, one finds the dialogues between the character and other being eliminated.

The minute details of the original story are simply summarized and the conversation between one character and the other is narrated. The stepmother is described as a ‘woman’ and shown to have wicked nature in the original is modified to some extent and described as the mother. Her vocatives “you lazybones”, “wicked children”, “You fool” etc. meant for Hansel and Gretel are eliminated. Such expressions make her appear no better than a witch. Removal of these expressions helps in modifying her into a less witch and more unloving mother. In addition to it, the physical attributes of the witch are ignored in this adaption.

In the original, one finds a remarkable similarity between the stepmother and the witch in their way of talking with and beating the children. In the adoption, one finds the difference. Moreover, the last part of the original story includes the rich details such as ecstasy of the children over the death of the witch, return journey, crossing the stream with the help of the duck, father’s joy over the reunion etc. Such details and jubilant feelings are not included in the adoption.

The Gingerbread House by Robert Coover | Playing With The Text | The Heritage of Words

The same fairy tale ‘Hansel and Gretel’ is adopted by Robert Coover with the title ‘The Gingerbread House’. He used the device of an exaggeration to parody the form of the original.

In order to do so, he eliminated the first part of the story that is an exposition of the crisis and the last part such as complication and denouement. In other words, the important events and the sequence between one and the other event are not included in the story. In place of the events, he furnished the story with such as the physical attributes of the characters and the forest. Every detail was exaggerated to such an extent that the action and the movement of the story become slow and sluggish. Besides the addition, he modified the characters, Hansel and Gretel by describing their frequent quarrels and reconciliation. Even the old father who was kind in the original story appears irritant now and then. At one occasion he strikes the boy without any reason. Similarly, the witch is presented as outrageous lunatic shredding her own clothes, clawing cruelly at her face and throat, crackling, screeching and tearing doves. Because of such modification, addition, and elimination of different aspects of the story, one finds the events beating about the bush.

The Boarding House by Wilhelm Grimn | Playing With The Text | The Heritage of Words

After a difficult marriage with a drunken husband that ends in separation, Mrs. Mooney opens a boarding house to make a living. Jack, her son, and Polly, her daughter live with her in the house, which is occupied by clerks from the city, as well as occasional tourists and musicians. Mrs. Mooney runs a strict and tight business and is known by the lodgers as “The Madam.” Polly, who used to work in an office, now stays at home at her mother’s request, to amuse the lodgers and help with the cleaning. Surrounded by so many young men, Polly ultimately develops a relationship with a rich thirty-five years old Mr. Doran.

Mrs. Mooney knows about the relationship, but instead of sending Polly back to work in the city, she monitors its developments. Polly becomes increasingly uncomfortable with her mother’s lack of intervention, but Mrs. Mooney waits until “the right moment” to intercede. First, she speaks awkwardly with Polly, then arranges to speak with Mr. Doran on a Sunday morning. Mrs. Mooney looks forward to her argument which she intends to “win” by defending her daughter’s honor and convincing Mr. Doran to offer his hand in marriage. Waiting for the time to pass, Mrs. Mooney figures the odds are in her favor, considering that Mr. Doran, who has worked for a wine merchant for thirteen years and gained much respect, will choose the option that least harms his career.

Meanwhile, Mr. Doran is in distress. He knows he will be called by Mrs. Mooney. He reviews the difficult confession to his priest that he made on Saturday evening, in which he was harshly accused of his romantic affair. He knows he can either marry Polly or run away, the latter an option that would ruin his sound reputation. Convincing himself that he has been tricked, Mr. Doran bemoans Polly’s unimpressive family, her ill manners, and her poor grammar, and wonders how he can remain free and unmarried. In this vexed moment, Polly enters the room and threatens to end her life out of unhappiness. In her presence, Mr. Doran begins to remember how he was trapped by Polly’s beauty and kindness, but he still hesitates about his decision.

Uneasy, Mr. Doran comforts Polly and departs for the meeting, leaving her to wait in the room. She rests on the bed crying for a while, neatens her appearance, and then nestles back in the bed, dreaming of her possible future with Mr. Doran. Finally, Mrs. Mooney interrupts the daydream by calling to her daughter. Mr. Doran, according to Mrs. Mooney, wants to speak with Polly.

Important Questions :

1. Sketch the character of Mrs. Mooney.
Ans: Mrs. Mooney, the main character in the James Joyce story “The Boarding House” is described as “a woman who deals with moral problems as a cleaver deals with meat”. She was a butcher’s daughter who married her father’s foreman. Later she divorced him because she could not withstand his drinking and bullying nature. Taking charge of her daughter Polly and son Jack, she opened a boarding house in Hardwicke Street. She was strong, strict, determined and practical. She knew how to handle matters- when to act and when to remain silent.

When reading further in the story, we find that the boarding house is a trap, where Mrs. Mooney is a hunter who’s looking for a decent husband for her daughter Polly within her guests. She is using Polly as bait to catch Mr. Doran, the victim in the story. Mrs. Mooney manipulates Mr. Doran into her trap by using her daughter’s innocence as the bait and Mr. Doran’s innocence as a victim. Mrs. Mooney is a woman of business and Mr. Doran is the perfect victim for her and for Polly. Mr. Doran has also a decent job and he fits perfectly to the economic needs of Mrs. Mooney. Mrs. Mooney also uses their society and religion as a tool to cause Mr. Doran marrying her daughter. She knows that her victim is a religious man, who lives in the religious culture of Dublin that obeys to the rules of the church. He is afraid of the church and he is afraid to lose his job in the Catholic wine merchant office. Thus Mr. Doran had no other option than marrying Polly. Mrs. Mooney is like a watchdog that watches that the prey will not run out of the trap, but will run into it.

Questions for Practice :

1. How do you think Mrs. Mooney settled with Mr. Doran about Polly? Did Mr. Moran marry Polly or pay out compensation?
2. Sketch the character of Mrs. Mooney.
3. Write an interpretation of ‘The Boarding House’.
4. Briefly narrate the story of “The Boarding House”.

Gretel by Garrison Keillor | Playing With The Text | The Heritage of Words

‘Gretel’ by Garrison Keillor is an interpretation of the story “Hansel and Gretel” from the perspective of a female. The interpreter is Gretel who denies her cowardice in the original story. She claims that the depiction is a distorted one. Gretel says that there was an understanding between her and her brother to sell their story to the Grimm brothers. They had signed in a contract paper with an agreement to share fifty-fifty of the profit. But unexpectedly, Gretel found the story published the other day totally different order.

The story depicts her a coward and her brother as a brave person. She claims the brother was, in reality, a coward not vice versa. It was her brother who wept time and again, and she had to carry him. The portrayal of his father and mother is also distorted. Father was not so kind-hearted; he was a drunkard; he liked to watch a bullfight. Mother was not cruel in any sense of the word. Gretel describes their parents leaving them in the forest as a natural phenomenon of the time. Parents used to leave the children in forest hoping that they will be better cared in the forest by frog, raven or saints. She claims that she was not worried when she in the forest, as she had known the reality. At last, she repents for killing the witch, for the witch was not after her; she had wanted to kill Hansel.

Gretel supports her stepmother Gladys and finds her a loving mother. She explains that the woman who gave them cake, bread and house was not a witch but a loving woman who wanted to kill Hansel in order to revolt against male dominance.

Questions for Practice :

1. Why does Gretel blame her father and brother?
2. Do you think Gretel represents modern feminist women? Give your opinion briefly.

Hansel and Gretel by Jacob and Wilhelm | Playing With The Text | The Heritage of Words

Once there was a famine in a country, which compelled the stepmother to think of leaving the children to the forest. The father yielded to the wish of wife, as she was pigheaded. In the morning, the stepmother asked them to get ready to go to the forest. Hansel had collected pebbles as he had heard the conversation of parents the earlier night. As they left their home, the boy dropped pebbles on the way. After walking for some duration, they reached a spot where the stepmother asked the children to wait until they return back. But it was only a trick to leave the children in the forest.

At midnight, when they got up, the boy thought of returning to the house. He could return successfully with the assistance of pebbles he had dropped. At home, they were welcomed by the father though the mother was indifferent. There was another famine in the country, which forced the mother to bring the previous idea back again. The father accepted despite his unwillingness. The boy, unlike the previous time, was unable to collect pebbles as the mother had locked the door from outside. Early in the morning, the children were woken up and given bread. The boy dropped the bread on the way making it crumbs. Unlike before, the parents took them deep into the forest. The children were left there. They wished that their parents would come which didn’t happen as they had thought. The children couldn’t return back to their house as the bread crumbs had been eaten by birds. They, at last, reached to a house made of bread and cakes. As they nibbled from the house, a voice sweetly spoke them to continue. It was a witch, who used to eat children whoever came handy. The witch, on the next day, imprisoned the brother and compelled the sister to do laborious deeds. Every day the witch went there and checked how fat he had become.

The boy could deceive her with the help of a bone. As she realized that the lad would never become sedentary, she decided to end the consequence. Early in the morning, she ordered Gretel to fetch water. She had prepared oven to end the brother and sister. As Gretel arrived there, she asked her to be in. Gretel showed ignorance of the way of entering and asked her to demonstrate. No sooner had the witch tried to enter her head, she pushed her into the oven and closed it. She then released her brother. They went inside the house and collected treasures. On the way back home, they arrived by a river, which was full of water. The boy asked a duck to help him across the river. As they reached their house after a long walk, they saw their father, who welcomed them happily. Their stepmother had already died.

Important Questions :

1. Psychological analysis of Hansel and Gretel
Ans: The writer in his adapted story Hansel and Gretel presents the psychological analysis of the story. In this story, he expresses a unique truth of life that poverty and deprivation make human beings selfish and less sensitive to others sufferings. The writer tells us that when the children grow up, they must learn to live separately from their parents. Hansel and Gretel have left in the forest in order to give them a chance to learn to live independently. However, they have come back as they have not been able enough to live apart from their parents. The children have again been left in the forest for the second time and they’ve tried to solve the problem by concentrating on fool only. As they’ve acted like hungry animals rather than human beings, they have been the captive of the witch. The house and the old witch being the source of food are symbolized as the mother. This story gives us a message that greed leads to destruction. Hansel and Gretel manage to get rid of the witch when they start thinking and behaving like human beings. The white duck that helps Hansel and Gretel get home carrying across the water stretch is the symbol of the new beginning. The duck can carry only one child at one time shows that children must learn to live independently without any support from their brothers and sisters. The bird which led them to the gingerbread house is a symbol of peace. When Hansel and Gretel return home, they have grown up and started helping their father. The help they render is symbolized by the jewels. The family is considered rich and happy not because of the wealth but because Hansel and Gretel have learned to think and act like matured people.

2. Political analysis of Hansel and Gretel
Ans: This story Hansel and Gretel written by Jack Zipes from the political point of view tell us about the struggle between the poor and rich group of people. The woodcutter and his family represent the poor class people who are forced to commit deeds because of their poverty. The witch represents the aristocratic class of people and also symbolizes as the entire feudal system. She is also symbolized as the greed brutality of the aristocracy which is responsible for the difficult condition of the poorer class of people. The killing of the witch is the symbolical realization of the hatred felt by the poor people because of the oppression and exploitation of them by the aristocratic people. The writer depicts the class conflict and exposes the prejudice and injustice of feudal ideology. The writer emphasizes that poor people must be optimistic and should react appropriately against the oppressors for the transition of the situation in their favor.

Purgatory by William Butler Yeats | Crime and Confession | The Heritage of Words

The boy and his father walk on the moonlight night; they are near a ruined house. Pointing towards the house, the old man describes the past of it. The house used to be occupied by his mother and her husband. The mother of the old man had married the groom of the stable as soon as she met him. The man later turned out to be a drunkard and gambler. Due to drinking and gambling, he emptied everything he had. The mother died while giving birth to him.

The father continued his misdeed, which at last resulted in the complete destruction of the house. Because of fear-the fear of his son becoming greater than him, he didn’t send him to school. When he was sixteen, his father burnt down the house. This situation created anger in him. As a result, the old man killed his father with a knife. The OLD MAN then became a peddler. The old man tells his bastard son that the night is the anniversary of mother’s wedding. As he finishes telling his son about the past, a shadow appears to which the man can only see. The shadow is of his dead mother.

A little later her husband also appears, and they both proceed towards the room. The old man objects to the way they go inside. After the incident is over the boy talks about the property he has acquired. The bastard son demands for his share in the property of his father, which is denied by him. It arises anger in him. As a result, he takes moneybag from the Old man. A quarrel starts between them; the boy gets killed at last with the knife of the old man. The old man, after it, addresses his mother and claims that he has ended the consequences. He hopes that the soul of the mother would be purified.

Important Questions :

1. In the short drama Purgatory, the writer WB Yeats expresses the following things:
Ans: The crime of the father will be repeated by his son to an endless cycle of violence. Living beings can render help to the departed soul which suffers in purgatory. Living beings have to suffer the consequences of the sin committed by the dead while alive.

2. What is the theme of purgatory?
Ans: Purgatory is a story of remorseful of a departed soul that committed mistakes on itself while being alive. In order to purify itself, it is undergoing suffering in purgatory. It is also concerned with the living beings who suffer the consequences of the sin committed by the dead people while alive and the help rendered by the living beings to get the soul released from purgatory.

3. What is the motive (aim) in murdering his son by the old man?
Ans: The old man believes that by murdering his son, he has stopped the boy to have a son of his own who would kill him after attaining 16 years of age, thereby breaking the endless cycle of violence. He also believes that by killing his son, he helps his mother’s soul to get released from purgatory.

Questions for Practice :

1. Do you think Yeast believed in life after death?
2. Explain how Purgatory explores the relation of human life to supernatural forces.
3. What is the Old Man’s motive in murdering the Boy?

The Tell-Tale Heart by Edger Allan Poe | Crime and Confession | The Heritage of Words

The narrator claims that he is not mad as he could hear things in heaven, earth, and hell. To justify himself a saint, he confesses a dangerous crime he has committed. The narrator and the old man used to reside together; they had a very good relationship. The man used to love the old man very much. The old man also used to treat him well. The only thing that irritated the narrator was the eyes of him which were pale and vulture-like. To end the consequences, he went to the old man’s room continuously for seven days. But returned, as he could not see the eyes of the man.

In the morning he spoke politely and behaved as if nothing had happened. On the eighth nights, he, as usual, went there with torchlight. He did everything stealthy and cautiously. Despite it, he happened to touch tin fastening, which dropped and disturbed the sleep of the man. In desperation, he asked who it was. The narrator remained speechless and motionless. A little later his sense brought him the reason that the old man was asleep again, he aimed the beam towards the old man’s eyes. As he saw them, he grew angry. He then jumped towards the man, dragged the man and pressed his neck with the bed. At last, he dismembered the old man’s dead body and put it under the plank. After it, he cleaned the place spotlessly clean. It was already four when he finished the task. At four, the three policemen came because someone had heard a shriek and informed them to investigate. The narrator lied to them that the shriek was his own in a dream and the old man was absent for some days. He welcomed them, brought them to his room and took to every nook and corner of his house. The policemen didn’t suspect any wrong there.

The narrator took them to the spot where he had hidden the corpse of the old man. He cordially asked them to sit on the chair, which he had kept there. He sat there just over the plank whereas policeman continued talking with a smiling face. The narrator, in the meantime, heard the tick-tick sound of a watch coming from beneath. He mistook it as the heartbeat of the old man. He desired to reduce the loudness of the sound. For this purpose, he spoke louder; though it didn’t do any good. He felt the sound growing; he felt the policemen’s smile as the smile of mockery. It became unbearable for him to keep the real secret. He thought it better to confess than to hide. Eventually, he confessed the crime.

Important Questions:

1. Justify the title, ‘The Tell-Tale Heart’.
Ans. The narrator is the victim of the nervous disease and over sensitive to hearing. He wants to kill the old man to get rid of the vulture-like eyes of the old man. After entering into the room of the old man with an aim to kill him, the narrator starts hearing a strange, dull sound as if being made by a watch which he believes to be the heartbeat of the old man. After killing the old man, he cuts the body into pieces and hides them under the wooden floor. In the morning, when three police officers arrived there, he starts talking with them sitting in the old man’s room as the police officers don’t find anything unusual. However, while being there, the narrator starts hearing a strange sound which he believes to be the heartbeat of the old man. As he couldn’t stand the sound of the said heartbeat, he confesses his crime and reveals the entire story before the police. Since the supposed heart discloses the secret of the murder, the title The Tale-Tale Heart is therefore justifiable and appropriate to the text.

2. Was the narrator mad?
Ans. Though sanity and insanity is a matter of debate, there are various indications in the story that suggest his madness. The narrator killed an old and innocent man without any concrete reason. He did not hesitate to cut the body of the old man into pieces. Though the man loved him, he did not understand the value of love. Rather he mercilessly killed him. Even after killing and dismembering the body of the old man, he suspected that the old man’s heart was beating. He had no idea that after a man is killed his heart stops beating. The narrator has revealed himself that he is suffering from a disease which causes ‘over-acuteness of the senses’. Over-acuteness of senses is also one sign of madness. He was overcome by homicidal mania. Madmen never repent their wrongdoing. In this story also instead of repenting for his wrongful act, the narrator has tried to prove his sanity. Thus his abnormal behavior suggests that he was truly mad.

Questions for Practice :

1. Why does the narrator develop intense hatred against the old man? Would you call the narrator mad? Give reasons for your answer.
2. What made the narrator confess his crime?
3. Describe the scene when the narrator killed the old man.
4. What made the narrator confess his crime?

A Child is Born by Germaine Greer | Women and Children | The Heritage of Words

Childbirth management in Eastern society varies from place to place. The mother is familiar with the way of giving birth to a child in such a society because they are used to in such customs. They don’t feel so much physical and mental tension while giving birth. The approach in Eastern society is ritualistic. She is covered with taboos and prohibitions which reduces her psychological burden.

All the relatives including the husbands remain present during the process of giving birth. It decreases the pain of the mother. Their presence gives a sense of security to her. They create such an environment which make the mother feel safe. Nevertheless, the chance of death of the mother is high in Eastern society. In many of the Eastern societies, a pregnant woman goes to her mother’s house. For example, the writer presents us with an example from the society of India. In Rajput society, the woman goes to the mother’s house prior to giving birth and after the birth to the child. She is taken care of properly. The birth of the child is celebrated with singing and dancing. The pregnant woman is taken care not only by family members but also by the members of the community. It gives her a sense of security and she becomes less worried about giving birth. There is a difference in child rearing also. In Eastern society, the mother gets respect after she gives birth. She is called by the name of her first child. The newly born child is taken care of by all the relatives. The mother has to spend less time taking care of the child. So, the child-family relation is stronger than the child-mother relation. Thus, Eastern society is better than Western society in the matter of childbirth and childcare. Eastern society, however, is not unaffected by the method of Western society.

Because of modernization, people in Western societies are forced to use modern equipment. The modern equipment certainly has saved the lives of mother and child; nevertheless, they are unable to reduce the anxiety of mother while giving birth. A pregnant woman in the West has to take care of herself with the guidance of nurses and doctors. The nurses and doctors do not give a caressing hand to the pregnant woman. The health of mother and child is safer but the mother is emotionally weaker. The child is born to fulfill the needs of parents only. The child grows up with its parents and dolls. So, child – mother relation is stronger. The mother has to bear all the problems during childbirth and child-rearing.

Important Question :

1. What differences does the writer show us between a traditional society and modern west in matters of pregnancy, childbirth, and child rearing?
Ans. In traditional societies, when a woman becomes pregnant, she has to observe certain prohibitions and carry out the set rites. All these taboos and prohibitions help her keeping herself mentally free and to lessen the pain and fear. The pregnant lady is helped by her husband and other members of family and community which enhances her sense of security. But in modern western societies, the pregnant lady has to take care of herself. In such an individualistic society, no other family member renders any support that helps the pregnant lady feel secure. She has to undertake all the preparations for newcomer by herself. In traditional societies, childbirth irrespective of its sex is celebrated although there is a greater risk of the lives of the mother and the baby. The woman, after the birth of the child, is fully accepted by the new family and she is allowed to visit her father’s house. The women in such societies are started calling after the names of their children ignoring their original identity which the western people criticize calling it a wrong behavior. However, in the west, although modern and sophisticated hospitals are there, a child is born in an isolated hospital bed surrounded by modern medical equipment. There is no one to welcome the child and to support the lady emotionally to help lessen difficulties in western societies. In traditional society, the children are usually looked after collectively by the family members. The entire family is involved to bathe and to feed the children collectively. In the evening, children are told fairy tales by other members of the family. However, these practices aren’t seen in modern western societies. The respective family mothers have to take care of their children by themselves as there is no help from other family members in the matter of childcare. The writer argues that the traditional east is far better than the modern west in matters of pregnancy, childbirth, and child raring although there is a high risk of mothers and children mortality rate in these societies.

Question for Practice :

1. What differences does the writer show between a traditional society and a modern society in matters of pregnancy, childbirth, and childbearing?
2. Why does the writer bring in the examples of traditional societies to discuss the problems of a modern, especially western society?

The Children Who Wait by Marsha Traugot | Women and Children | The Heritage of Words

Marsha Traugot’s essay “The Children Who Wait” discusses the scene of adoption in the American context. Marsha Traugot begins her essay with the picture of Tammy, which has been published in a magazine with the hope that someone would be ready to adopt her. She is five and a half years old with the face of Mona Lisa. The writer describes her unadaptable child had she been born before 1960. During that period only white healthy children were considered adaptable. Physically deformed children’s were referred to as damaged goods. No one was ready to adopt such children. The children who were black, mixed racial group, handicapped and over five years were not adopted by families. This view, however, started disappearing after the sixties.

People’s attitude towards them gradually became positive. The change in thoughts was brought by various factors. Traugot mentions black civil right movement, legalization of abortion, change in the attitude of the people and change in government’s policy as responsible factors. Black civil rights movement brought a sympathetic attitude towards black people. White people started regarding them as humans and treated accordingly. Another responsible factor was the women’s movement. Because of women’s movement, they got the right to decide on the matter of childbirth in addition to other rights. The lady who had to do an abortion to maintain her status could live with dignity with her child. It has an impact on the reduction of unwanted children. The third factor responsible for the change in attitude was the government’s policy towards adoption. The government used to emphasize on foster care before the seventies. As they became aware of the drawbacks of foster care, they made changes in their policy. Rather than emphasizing on foster care, they tried to find a permanent home for homeless children. Another factor responsible is the role played by social activists. Their campaign brought changes not only in the attitude of the people but also in their behavior. Prior to 1960, the social activists considered white, two-parent, and middle or upper-class childless family as an ideal adoptive family. But now the situation has changed. The social workers give children for adoption to even single or two parents, black or biracial, upper class or working class, childless or families with older siblings. The catchphrase of the social worker is ‘matching’. Activists try to get a proper family for the destitute child. Unlike previous activists, they can’t get a two-parent family. Instead of searching for a two-parent family, they need to evaluate the characteristic of a child and match it with the proper family. Now adoption agencies collect the lists of parents who want to adopt a child. They match qualities of children with the need of parents, let both of them meet and interact. They even hold meetings and discussions about the children and the types of families where they can put them. Now adoption agencies collect the lists of parents who want to adopt a child. They match qualities of children with the need of parents, let both of them meet and interact. If this system does not work, they publish the profile of homeless children in television or newspaper to look for adoptive parents.

Questions for Practice :

1. Whom does Marsha Traugot refer to as the children who wait?
2. Why was it difficult for the handicapped and the black children to find a foster family?
   According to Traugot, what changes are transforming the American adoption scene? What factors are responsible for the changes?
3. What kinds of parents were considered suitable for adopting children? What kind of children were considered ‘Unadoptable’?
4. How do the adoption agencies find potential parents?
5. What had happened to the handicapped children in the past?

Women’s Business by Ilene Kantrov | Women and Children | The Heritage of Words

Women’s business is an essay written by Ilene Kantrov which is about some women from the United States of America who have been successful in business. It tells about other business women who followed Lydia’s footsteps. It deals with the subject of how women took part in the business and what things were produced and sold by them.

At the beginning of this essay, the writer describes the business method of Lydia E Pinkham. In 1879 she appeared in the newspaper advertisement by advertising a remedy for “falling of the womb and all female weakness.”The medicine produced by her was known as Lydia E Pinkham’s Vegetable Compound. She prepared the product by using traditional methods. She not only advertised for her product but also put forward women’s rights, temperance, and fiscal reforms. She also opened a department of advice and suggested other women about diet, exercise, and hygiene. She also printed testimonials from women reporting cures. She also advertised in a courageous manner. As a result of such bold marketing, she became very famous.

In the following century, some other women also followed her business pattern. Among them, two were Helena Rubinstein and Elizabeth Arden. They competed not only in selling cosmetics but also in luring {attracting) publicity by their marriages to European aristocrats. Elizabeth Arden also produced different facial treatments. She also practiced and advocated yoga. Her rival A Helena Rubinstein also published a book explaining the benefits of eating raw foods.

Margaret Rudkin and Jennie Grossinger were other to women entrepreneurs that followed Lydia.E.Pinkham’s business pattern. Grossinger ran a hotel in upstairs New York renowned for its food and entertainment. She had also hired a public relations man Margaret Rudkin produced additive free wheat bread that was very helpful to a person suffering from asthma. At first, she had baked such bread as a diet for her asthmatic son. Next entrepreneur was Gertrude Muller who invented the “toilet seat”. With her products.S he also enclosed her booklets about childrearing. One of her booklets was also distributed by doctors.

Next black female capitalist Annie Turnbo Malone also cast herself in the role of social activist.H er business was on a hairdressing preparation. She developed an innovative marketing strategy. She also established a school for training agents in her poor system of hairdressing. Like other capitalists, she also started advising other women about hygiene.T hrift and other homely virtues.

Important Questions :

1. What is the thesis (theme) of the essay? How did the business women (female entrepreneur) differ from their male counterparts? In which way did they resemble the male entrepreneurs of their days?
The thesis of the essay is to focus on the success of American businesswomen who adopted an innovative business strategy and establish themselves in a respectable position in the business field as well as in society. The business women were also involved in social work for uplifting the society. However, their aim was to promote their own business on the pretext on social service for the sake of their business, they activated the society, earned money and upgraded their own position in the society. The women entrepreneurs discussed in this essay were different in many ways from their counterparts. The women were involved in earning money along with social service for upgrading their own position. Adopting the cleverest marketing techniques by rendering practical advice on various advice they activated the women of the society. They were not only involved in selling their products but also played an important role for the benefit of society. They cleverly utilized their image of being women to upgrade their business. They were extremely sex consciousness with they revealed by serving the female only. Lydia advised her customer to bypass the male physician. Adopting new business skill the female entrepreneurs were able to introduce feminine’s role in the male-dominated world of commerce in America. The business women were similar to their male counterparts in the matters of obeying the law of the state besides their claim about their produces through misleading and lavish advertisement.

Question for Practice :

1. Which of Lydia E. Pinkham’s business methods did later women capitalists adopt for their own enterprises? In what ways did they depart from Pinkham’s model?
2. How did the business women the writer introduces in her essay differ from their male counterparts? In what ways did they resemble male entrepreneurs of their day?
3. How would you expect a militant feminist to react to this essay? Are any of the writer’s general statements debatable?

I Have a Dream by Martin Luther King, Jr. | Human Rights | The Heritage of Words

Martin Luther King, a black civil right campaigner, delivered an unforgettable speech ” I Have a Dream” on August 28, 1963, commemorating the centennial of Lincoln’s Emancipation Proclamation. In this speech, he presses for equal treatment and improved circumstances for blacks and stresses on the necessity of eradicating institutional racial inequalities. King expresses sharp dissatisfaction over segregation and racial discrimination. He demands a fast end to racial discrimination, pledging his followers to a fight to the finish to wipe out all forms of segregation and to achieve equality and integration. However, he is in favor of a creative and disciplined protest without physical violence. In his speech, he even appeals the Whites to join hands with Blacks in order to revolt against discriminatory practices against Blacks. He does not show hatred against Whites, he is against color discrimination and racial prejudice.

He is a dreamer with the vision of equality and justice. He wants a new America in its social makeup, establish symphony of brotherhood among blacks and whites, and eradicate the discriminatory treatment of black Americans. His dream is deeply rooted in the American dream of ‘life, liberty, and pursuit of happiness’.

He voices that even after a hundred years of the passing of Emancipation Proclamation by Lincoln, America stands as the hell to the blacks. Blacks are exiled in their own country and live in poverty in the vast ocean of material prosperity.

He also mentions the words of the Constitution and Declaration of Independence which guaranteed the unalienable rights of life, liberty, and pursuit of happiness. But these magnificent words were not applied into practice in case of colored citizens. He demands the riches of freedom, security of justice, and citizenship rights to the blacks. He argues that the policy of gradualism in the matter of justice will raise discontent among blacks.

Important Questions :

1. What is the apparent (exact) purpose of the speech of Martin Luther King Jr.? Explain King’s analogy of the bad check (cheque).
Ans. The apparent purpose of King’s speech is to get the black people their rights of freedom, equality, and justice avoiding racial injustice based on the color of skin. Although the constitution of America promises equal rights to its entire citizen, the black people have been deprived of enjoying the rights and get the victim of social segregation and discrimination. Therefore Martin Luther King Jr. Delivers this speech demanding justice for the black people. King makes an analogy (comparison) between promises of an American constitution and a bad check. Though the constitution of America promises equal right rights to the entire citizen irrespective of color and creed, America has failed to pay her black citizen the rights promised in the constitution. They are given bad check i.e. false promises by architects of the American constitution. If there is the insufficient amount in the bank out, the cheque of higher amount issued against this account is not enchased and returned unpaid such cheque is considered as a bad check. Similar way although the constitution of America guarantees equality for all, the black citizens are turned down from getting justice in America. Therefore, the king compares the promises made by the American constitution with a bad check.

Questions for Practice :

1. What is the real dream of Martin Luther King about the future of America?
2. What is Martin Luther complaining about?
3. What is the dream Martin Luther King, Jr. has? How is he going to achieve it?

The Last Voyage of the Ghost Ship by Garica Marquez | Humour and Satire | The Heritage of Words

The boy, who is also the main character of the story used to go to sea where he had seen a mysterious ship in his childhood. The ship used to appear when there were darkness and vice versa. The ship was bigger than the village and taller than the steeple of the church. But he could not see the ship in the later years. However, the boy didn’t stop going to sea. He had determined to show the existence of the ship to the villager after he was beaten on the charge of being a liar. After many years he saw the same ship by the harbor. He could not believe his eyes.

So until next March, he waited to see the same ship. No sooner had he seen the ship than he went home to tell about it to his mother. His mother got angry with him; she advised him to get involved in a romance with some lady instead of going to sea. The boy’s mother, however, agreed to go there next march. But unluckily, his mother expired while she was sitting on a chair and thinking about her dead husband. This event made the boy angrier. His determination grew bolder; he wanted to prove the existence of the ship to the villager and went towards that location with a lantern. He didn’t stop anywhere; he went straight towards his destination. As he reached near the place, he saw the ship again. The ship was moving without any sound. His presence there made the ship disappear. Nonetheless, it reappeared after some time. The boy lit the lantern and showed it towards the ship. As he showed the light, a miracle happened. The ship started following him. The boy guided the ship towards the village. At last, he took the ship there. The ship blasted as it reached there. The villagers came there running and saw the destruction of ninety thousand champagne glasses. The boy watched the villagers’ gaping their mouth at the ship.

Questions for Practice :

1. What do you think is the meaning of the boy’s newly discovered ability near the end of the story to control the ship’s movement?
2. What is the protagonist asserting when he brings “the largest ocean liner in this world and the other” into his village.

A Story by Dylan Thomas | Humour and Satire | The Heritage of Words

The boy, with his uncle, was sitting in their room when the boy’s uncle’s friends came there. Their coming had the aim of deciding the date for an outing. They said that they had collected fund and liquor for an outing. Afterward, the uncle’s friends returned back to their home. The next day they came with the list of names for uncle’s acceptance. He read the whole list and accepted all the names. Then there was his wife with china dog.

She threatened him that she would go to her mother’s house if he did not cancel the program. In anger, she asked him to choose either her or outing. The uncle said that he preferred outing. On Saturday morning the uncle’s wife left the house. She had written a note to her husband in which she had asked him to put off shoes before going to bed. At about eight the uncle’s friend came to his house with a charabanc. They became ready to go for an outing. As they drove off, the women of the village peeped out from windows and boys bid them good-bye. No sooner had they crossed the village then reached a public house. The uncle asked the boy to look after the charra whereas they went inside. A little later a man came and asked for the way to the pub. The boy took the man there. Inside the pub, he saw his uncle and his friends drinking, breaking the glasses and talking nonsense. The boy did not remain there. He was afraid of the situation. Afterwards, the uncle and his friends came out and got into the charra.

Then they reached a river where they all got down and played with water. From that time onwards, they forget the idea of Porthcrawl. By the evening they reached to place called Hermit’s nest. There they decided to rest and enjoy drinking. They drank so much rum that they could not control their sense. They later made the decision to return back. On the way home, they rested in a field and sat in a circle. They continued drinking there too.

Important Question :

1. The plan was to go to Porthcawl for the outing. Did they ever reach there? Why?
Ans. The plan of the narrator’s uncle and his friends was to reach to Porthcawl for the outing. But they could not reach their destination because of their habit of drinking. But it does not mean that it was the only one cause for it; there are many. The first cause was their late departure. It was only at eight o’clock they started their outing. Another cause of it was the late arrival of one of their partners. Because everyone was worried about himself, they moved without counting all heads. But when they knew that one was missing, they could not continue their journey. They returned to receive him. The third and the greatest of the causes as already said is their nature of drinking a lot. When they reached the mountain sheep, they drank a lot. They did not think of their destination. It was only after the owner informed them of the closing time. They came out though it was already late to reach to Porthcawl. No one worried about even after they came out. They thought of playing with water when they reached the river. Hence, they could not reach.

Question for Practice :

1. How were the boy’s uncle and aunt?
2. What is the reason for which Will Sentry always followed Mr. Franklyn?

Traveling Through the Dark by William Stafford | Ecology and Change | The Heritage of Words

William Stafford’s poem “Traveling Through the Dark” examines the killing of a pregnant doe by a hit-and-run driver, and the dilemma faced by the speaker who is also a driver. People generally travel in the dark when there is some urgency or when they have some immediate destination to reach. Speaker is traveling in the dark with some special purpose. So he is in a hurry. On his way, he finds a dead deer on the edge of Wilson River.

He stops to drag off the dead deer into the canyon in order to avoid possible accidents. But on touching her side he finds that it is still warm and it contains a fawn waiting to be born. In death the traveler discovers life, but not normal life that emerges from the womb into the world, for the fawn is “never to be born.” This unhappy realization causes the traveler to hesitate. His mind is filled with mixed-up emotions: pity, anger, frustration, and confusion about how to act. He even wonders if the fawn can be saved, but knows all along that the fawn cannot be born when the mother is dead. The car is mechanically alive and its lights are pointing the speaker towards his destination. In the final couplet the traveler thinks hard for all, he knows that his love and pity towards the fawn cannot save it. He knows that his delay is only a waste of time, so he pushes the doe into the river and marches towards his destination.

Important Questions :

1. Explain the title of the poem. Who are all those driving through the dark?
Ans. The title of the poem “Traveling Through the Dark” is a very suitable one. People generally travel in the dark when there is some urgency or when they have some immediate destination to reach. So, the speaker of this poem is traveling in the dark with some special purpose. But when he finds a dead doe on the road, he is in dilemma. He is in confusion either to show deep love and emotion to an unborn but alive fawn in the belly of the doe or to save the passengers on his car as a dutiful driver. After much thoughtful meditation, he pushes the dead doe into the river in order to reach his destination and save the passengers. The ‘darkness’ indicates One of nature’s beautiful creatures has been killed and pitilessly left on the road, unburied and unmourned to cause future accidents. The driver’s inaction suggests moral darkness. The darkness also suggests the narrator’s confusion about what to do with the deer. “Traveling through the dark” also symbolizes the spiritual void of humankind in its insensitivity toward nature.

Question for Practice :

1. What is the central idea of the poem?
2. Show how the action develops stanza by stanza in the poem.
3. What does the traveler feel when he touches the dead doe?
4. Do you agree with what the narrator did? Why?

Hurried Trip to Avoid a Bad Star by M. Lilla and C. Bishop Berry | Ecology and Change | The Heritage of Words

American geographers M. Lilla and C. Bishop Barry in their essay Hurried trip to avoid a Bad Star present an exploration of Karnali zone of western Nepal on foot for 15 months. This essay was published as a visit report in The National Geographic as Karnali, The road less World of Western Nepal in 1971. The writers in this essay describe the life account of Karnali zone people, their daily life, their tradition and culture, their lack of awareness about environmental preservation and Karnali zone’s economic dependency with the plain region of southern Nepal.

With a view to studying above mentioned aspects, the writers move to the plain of south Nepal with the peasants (farmers) who were going towards Nepalgunj for their daily provisions. They were carrying medicinal herbs, hand-knitted sweaters and blankets etc. to sell in Nepalgunj while climbing the steep hill near Hari Lekh a Chhetri women of about 30 requested them to send her husband back home who left the house 15 years ago in search of a job in the Terai. For this request revealed the concept of Karnali zone people about the parameter of the world. In a Sal forest slope, the writers noticed the chopping down trees from several directions which indicated the possibility of rapid deforestation in the region. On inquiry, the people explained their compulsion to chop down the trees to feed their animals which exposed their lack of education and ignorance about the importance of preservation of the environment. The writers noticed a group of 8 or 9 men in a forest processingSilajit in order to sell in Nepalgunj. This superstitious person made a hurried trip from their home valley to avoid the evil influence of the bad star. On arrival in Nepalgunj, the writers watched the hill people buying their daily provisions; one of them spent all his money buying distillery equipment with a hope to earn money by selling alcohol. The writers concluded their journey at Jumla. They expressed their concern on lack of awareness on Karnali zone people about protection of nature and about the need of educating people regarding this vital aspect. They expressed that Karnali zone people were living in a very difficult place with a very low agricultural production. The writers suggested them to involve themselves in the trade with the Terai region in order to make their life easy with satisfactory earning.

Important Question :

1. How is Karnali linked economically with the low land regions to the south?
Ans. Geographically, Karnali lies to the northern part of our kingdom. As it is made up of very sloppy hills, there are many problems. People do not have transportation and other facilities for their better survival. There is no sufficient cultivable land. So, they have to depend on the lowland regions to the south. People of Karnali cannot sell their products in their localities. To sell their items like medicinal herbs, silajit, hashish, hand-knit sweaters, and blankets, they have to go to Nepalgunj. Similarly, they cannot buy goods in their places. For this purpose also, they have to depend upon lowland regions. People of Karnali have to depend upon lowland region for their jobs also. Being an undeveloped part, it does not have factories. To earn a livelihood, young people have no better options than leaving their places and working in the lowland region.

2. What did the two writers learn about the life and culture of the people of the Karnali region during their journey on foot?
Ans. ‘Hurried Trip to Avoid a Bad Star” is written by American geographers M. Lilla and C. Bishop Barry. Their essay presents social, economic and educational aspects of Karnali region. To present these aspects, they have brought four events in the text- their meeting with a Chhetri woman and the people processing silajit, and their encounter cutting down trees and the people of Karnali buying and selling things. The two writers learned that the people of Karnali are innocent, simple, laborious and uneducated. Their world is narrow and limited. The Chhetri woman asks the travelers to find her husband and send him to the village. They live in geographically difficult part completely depending on their own or animal strength. They are ignorant about soil erosion and deforestation. Not only that, alcohol consumption in the Karnali region is high because one of the porters buys distillery equipment in the bazaar of Nepalgunj. He hopes that he would sell liqueur and earn enough money to buy goods in Karnali.

Questions for Practice :

1. Write a paragraph or two to show how Karnali is linked economically with the lowland regions to the south.
2. What does the skeletal looking sal trees indicate about the exploitation of nature?
3. What does the reply “What can we do? The animals must eat today” Signify?
4. Give s short account of the life of the people of Karnali.

Full Fathom Five Thy Father Lies by William Shakespeare | Ecology and Change | The Heritage of Words

Fathom Five Thy Father Lies” is taken from Shakespeare’s play “The Tempest”. Here the spirit Ariel sings this song to Ferdinand, Prince of Naples, who mistakenly thinks that his father is drowned.

Ariel says that Ferdinand’s father is dead and is lying thirty feet below in the sea bed. The Prince is very sad to miss his father in a sea-wind, so Ariel gives sympathy to him by saying that death is a meaningful change. He says that the bones of his father have turned into coral and eyes into pearls. Sea-nymphs respect him with death bell every hour. None of the parts have wasted but changed into more valuable. Ariel pretends that he is listening to the ding dong sound of the bell.

In this poem, death is shown as a meaningful change. Death is not an absolute end but only a process of transformation into another natural object. The main idea of this song is that – the man who is part of nature transforms into other natural objects after death. The body of Ferdinand’s father has been changed into something more valuable and strange. His bones have changed into corals and eyes into pearls. Even after death, he is warmly welcomed in heaven by nymphs by ringing the bell.

Important Questions :

1. Define the poetic devices used in the poem with examples.
The following are the poetic devices used in this poem.
a. Alliteration: It is the repetition of the initial sound of the word many times in a sentence. Example: Full Fathom Five thy Father lies. Here, the ‘F’ sound is repeated four times in the sentence.
b. Onomatopoeia: It is a way of expressing on the object by imitating its sound instead of naming the object. Example: Ding-dong-bell Mew-cat
c. Assonance: It’s the process of making a vowel sound long and nasal to create a special effect and to maintain the poetic matter. Example: d-i-ng, d-o-ng

2. Write a brief account on ‘Art and Life’ or ‘Life and Art’.
The skill of creation is called Art. People in possession (having) of this creative skill are known as the artist. Art may be different by its form, style and time. Although it is different by its form and style, art always influences human beings. Art always remains an effective and important motivational factor for human beings. In order to live a happy and satisfied life, art is an inevitable aspect of life. Art in its supreme form is able to provide us the deepest inner freshness which in turn inspires us to make ourselves happy and amiable. To get rid of difficulties in life, it is immensely important for us to appreciate. By appreciating art, we can keep ourselves happy by forgetting the problems of life.

Human life is very transient (short) and when we die our life is finished. But despite this appearance of physical existence, an artist can live an immortal life. Life is sure to come to an end but art remains forever. Laxmi Prasad Devkota is remaining immortal among Nepali people for his fine piece of art in, literature in the form of Muna Madan. Other great artist’s of different artistic fields are still immortal because of their great works of art. When we enjoy art we find amiability within ourselves thereby inspiring us to appreciate art. It is indeed true that all works of art provide us with the deepest experience and higher value of our life.

Question for Practice :

1. Write a summary of the poem in one paragraph.
2. Is death meaningful in this poem?

Two Long-Term Problems : Too Many People, Too Few Trees by Moti Nissani | Ecology and Change | The Heritage of Words

In the brief essay, Two Long Term Problems: Too Many People, Too Few Trees, Moti Nissani discusses two interrelated problems they are, overpopulation and deforestation. With their impact showing several consequences of the twin problems, the writer makes us aware of our duties to solve them and to save the biosphere for our future generation.

Scientists from all over the world expresses their serious concern (worry) about the present state of bio-sphere as human activities caused very serious damage to the environment and on critical resources. With the introduction of modern medical facilities, nutrition, and sanitation, the world’s population started growing more than 80 million per year. In Nepal only, in less than 50 years the population increases at the rate of 2.5% per year from 9 million to 25 million. If this alarming growth continuous unchecked, the population of Nepal will be 46 million by 2026 A.D. which would be very difficult for Nepal to accommodate. In order to feed more people, more forest, lands are destroyed on a very large scale.

As a result, soil erosion, desertification, flood, landslide, tropical diseases, siltation of rivers and dams and mass migration are increasing. High growth of population has already polluted our food, air, water, rivers, soil, drains, and farms. The chances of cancers and emphysema (lungs disease) and asthma are far higher now and we are suffering from premature hearing loss. Lead and dioxide are causing a serious effect on children’s intelligence and health. The world has already faced frightening problems such as desertification, acid rain, loss of wild species of plants and animals, ozone layer depletion and greenhouse effect because of human-caused pollution.

However the situation could be improved by controlling population and pollution, many factors such as modernization, effective family planning measures equal economic, educational and legal opportunities to the woman will help to control the rapid population growth. In order to set this world for our future generation, we must save the forest by reducing population pressure on it through effective family planning measures and educating people. We may also save the forest by making effective and strict laws with a provision to impose a high tax on wood product and provision of an incentive for pressuring forest. There should be a provision in the law to punish severely for destroying the forest. Massive reforestation, another effective step will benefit the world in conserving biodiversity, pristine wildness and to minimize desertification, flood and weather extremes. By controlling population and saving the forest, we may solve this planet for our future generation utilizing our knowledge to convert our wisdom, courage, and passion into practice to turn this world into heaven.

Question for Practice :

1. What prime (main) problems does the writer discuss in his essay?
2. What is wrong in Nissani’s view with treeless in Nepal?
3. What leads Nissani to the belief that the world is facing an overpopulation crisis?

The Lamentation of The Old Pensioner by W.B. Yeast | Love and Reminiscence | The Heritage of Words

“The Lamentation of the Old Pensioner” written by W.B. Yeats, presents the speaker’s reminiscences of his young life which become more painful when he contrasts his time of youth with his present old age. He laments on the passing of his joyful youth.

In the past, the speaker was young and he had a good job. So his friends and lovers followed him. He was happy to talk about love and politics. His past life only gives him agony because Time has turned him into an ugly, weak and useless old man. Neither his friends nor any beauties follow him. He is envious to see other young people who challenge any conspiracy and evils. This old man, who is forced away from politics and love, is still tormented by the passions of his youth for women and conversation. He thinks that his greater enemy is Time because it made him old and stole his physical beauty, power, and beautiful lovers. Time stole his youthful vitality, energy, and sexual power. He compares his old stage with the broken tree. Time robbed all his happiness from him because it transfigured him into an ugly, powerless, passionless, deformed and lonely old man. So, he shows his anger against Time and spits on the face of it.

Questions for Practice :

• Why does the poet show his anger against time?
• Why does the old man want to ‘spit into the face of time’?
• Mention any three things the old man laments about. Why is he sad about them?
• Why and how does the old pensioner lament?
• What is the speaker lamenting on?

Grandmother by Ray Young Bear | Love and Reminiscence | The Heritage of Words

“Grandmother” written by American- Indian poet Ray Young Bear is a recollection of poet’s unfathomable love for his grandmother. The poet draws the picture of his grandmother – all loving, all inspiring- through the use of images.

As a grandson, the poet’s heart is very close to his grandmother. This poem presents the poet's deep sense of intimacy and closeness to his grandmother even after her death. He can not forget her. Her images come into his mind as fresh as before. He could recognize her by all senses except taste. If the poet would see her from a long distance, he could easily recognize her. Her warm and damp hands with the smell of roots on his head would make him guess that those were her caressing hands. Even the voice coming out of her tombstone would flow inside him like a light coming from a sleeping fire at night. Her words would inspire him and enlighten his spirit.

Important Questions :

1. What are the four things that Ray Young Bear remembers about his grandmother?
Ans. The things that Ray Young Bear remembers about his grandmother are her shape, her purple scarf, warm and damp hands, and her inspiring voice.

2. What images do you find in this poem written by a member of the Sauk and Fox (Mesquakie) Indian tribe of North America? To what senses do these images appeal?
Ans. The poet has used images to discover two intertwined themes – recollection of his grandmother at one level and search for identity at another level. The images like ‘purple scarf’, ‘plastic shopping bag’, ‘the light … at night ‘ appeal to our sense of sight. These images also have a symbolic link to the Indian culture. ‘Plastic shopping bag’ indicates the poverty of the Indian tribe. ‘The light …. at night’ associates that the spirituality of Indian culture guides him in the modern corrupt American society. The images like ‘smell of root’ appeal to our sense of smell. It indicates the work ethic of the Indian tribe and his grandmother. They are near to nature and are good farmers. ‘Warm and damp hands’ appeal to our sense of touch. It also shows how his grandmother and Indian tribes work in fields with pleasure and sense of duty. ‘ A voice’ and ‘her words’ appeal to our sense of hearing. This indicates how the teachings and philosophy of Indian culture enlighten his spirits. Thus by the use of images, the poet has symbolically linked his grandmother to the lost culture of the Indian tribe.

Question for Practice :

1. What are the four things that Ray Young Bear remembers about his grandmother?
2. What is the main idea of the poem?
3. What impression of grandmother does the speaker give in the poem ‘Grandmother’?