The Elder's Passing - Jonathan Hill

In the ancient times, mostly in Greek or Roman History when writing and print wasn’t in circulation, viva voce (oral communication) was the only way to convey knowledge to a person. Oratory hasn’t been just about a man coming to stage and giving a good speech, but about conveying knowledge to people on a large scale. In these times, knowledge was imparted to students and others through just narrating the knowledge. Lengthy writings writ in the minds of great men would be passed on for generations together just by narrating the same.

The Elder’s Passing by Jonathan Hill looks at this idea and brings it in the context of the Aborigines.

The library of this land

Resides within your mind

A tapestry of knowledge

Spanning from the dawn of time.

First Stanza: The poet refers to the Elders of the Aboriginal tribes and the wealth of knowledge they had accumulated. Its ‘spans from the dawn of time’ as this knowledge isn’t just knowledge of the current generation but also the knowledge which has been passed down from the Elder’s Elders and their Elder’s Elders.

I ponder all the secrets

You’ve taken to the grave

The stories and the song lines

Of how this land was made.

Second Stanza: After the massacre of the Aborigines, and the genocide carried over Australia from 1780s to 1920s, a lot of knowledge was lost in the process. By knowledge I mean cultural knowledge over here, which may include traditional remedies they might be using or the stories and events taken place over the continent.

The location of sacred places

Including ceremonial sites

Traditional bush remedies

And endless bush tucker delights.

Third Stanza: All the memories and facts about the location of sacred places to the location of Bush tucker delights has been lost in the process in the name of knowledge.

To convey these ancient truths

Many languages you used

But with your death they're diluted

With one less teacher for the youths. 

Fourth Stanza: After the death of the Aborigines we didn’t lose just one language out of the many languages in the world but over 10 to 15 languages lost in the process. We get dictionaries for aboriginal languages for languages like  Burarra, Bilinarra, Djinang, Gurindji, Iwaidja, Kriol, Martu Wangka, Maung, Tiwi, Walmajarri, Warlpiri and Wik Mungkan which are among the few remaining languages of the Indigenous Australians.

I reflect on the cultures crushed

In the creation of this nation

And wonder how many Australians

Know the extent of devastation.

Fifth Stanza: The poet is trying to make people, including the residing Australians understand the magnitude of devastation caused to the continent in terms of cultural wealth. As the English people took over the continent they washed the continent off of most of the Aborigines over a period of a century and this was one of the largest massacres in history. In 1788 there were over 250,000 of them, by 1920 we had only 60,000 remaining.

Only one source of solace

Soothes the growing grief

As you descend into the Dreaming

You are finally at peace.

Sixth Stanza: The one way an Aborigine can forget about his terrible history and the wrongs done to his people would be that of dreaming for a better future and finding peace. It is possible to be peaceful even in the worst of times, as peace of the mind would bring about peace in the world.

The poem describes the plight of the Aborigines and the devastation caused to the. To make us understand the poem in a more relatable sense, the poet has introduced the concept of knowledge which puts light on the traditions of the Aborigines. It’s the Culture which brings a society to its forefront and it has always been culture which has brought humans together for so many years. With a diversity in cultures we have the opportunity to interact with different cultures and bring everyone together to bring about change in humanity and improving the world. As we embrace different cultures, we understand the importance of these and the different ideas evolved from the different ways people lived, we would understand life as a whole. Not just traditions passed down from person to person but knowledge which would shape the ideal human in the society.

Jurmana - Premchand

Jurmana, written by Premchand, is a peek into the life of Alarakkhi who is a sweeper who is most probably employed by the Government under the sanitation department.

In the story Alarakkhi is shown to be in a state of constant turmoil as she is not paid in full by her boss, then she is always picked on by the inspector and is fined constantly. She is shown as an everyday mother who is working hard to sustain family. Towards the end of the story, as Alarakkhi is getting paid, her name is unusually called later on which erupts gossip among the other sweepers gathered at the Municipal office to collect the pay. After her name is called, she is given her salary in full amount. Instead of being happy for the money that she got, she feels guilty for having abused the Inspector.

Characters:-

Munshi Khairat Ali: The Inspector

Alarakkhi

Husseni: Alarakkhi’s Husband

The Baby

In Short:-

The inspector has over 1000 sweepers under him – the feeling while waiting in line for the pay is the same as a student waiting in line to get his grades while speculating over the amount of deduction – Alarakkhi scolding her daughter(still a baby) as she doesn’t want to leave her mother as the mother works – Alarakkhi abuses the Inspector – Inspector appears - Alarakkhi is scared – Asks her to leave the baby home next time – Baby has a fever– Inspector asks Alarakkhi as to why she was abusing him – Alarakkhi is scared – she tells the inspector that no such thing happened – Huseni alarakkhi go to collect the pay – Alarakkhi thinks she has been fired – Her name usually comes after Champa, but doesn’t this time – gossip in the room – Alarakkhi’s name finally comes – She collects her pay – leaves – guilty of abusing inspector – the end

Themes:-

Unfair treatment, lives of workers, Guilt, Happiness

Motifs:-

Suffering – We can see that throughout the short story Alarakkhi’s suffering continues and even at the end of the story when she should have been happy she brings herself down by feeling guilty. Guilty for having abused the inspector. 

The Song that Men Should Sing - Kenneth Mackay - TAKE 1

The Song that Men Should Sing is more of a war poem with Australian Aborigines in context. Written by Kenneth Mackay, who served in the Boer war, understands the plight of the Aborigines, not only in Australia but also in South Africa. This led him to write literature on the Aboriginals and promote the culture of the aboriginals to the world while bringing our attention to the harms done to their society and culture.

The cohorts who fought when the world was young
have their blood-red legends told,
for a hundred poets have bravely sung
the deeds of the days of old. 

First Stanza: This stanza talks about all the battles that have taken place in the past and all the stories related to them. Glorifying war and ‘blood-red legends’ is one of the main aims of the poem as you might have thought. These stories or poems about wars have been narrated by hundreds of poets not necessarily in one timeframe but over a long period of time.

The story is writ of the men who fell
in desert and sun-scorched track:
The legions who served their country well -
The heroes who marched 'Out Back’.

Second Stanza: The second stanza tells us who these men exactly are. Desert, out back… sounds like Australia. Aborigines. Australia is also called Down Under referring to where it is located on the World Map.

But they tell us now, in their lifeless lays,
these knights of the stool and pen,
we must boast no more of the stirring days
when they fought and fell like men...

Third Stanza: The poet admires the Aboriginals in this stanza for not giving up and fighting for their freedom, ’...Fought and fell like men.’ They are called the knights of stool and pen as they fought with shields and swords, and also forced the poets to take up their pens and pull their stools(to sit on) to write about their glory out of respect.

But the tale is best that has oft been told
if it love of birthland brings;
and the song they sang in days of old
is the song that I will sing... 

Fourth Stanza: The poet says that if a tale is told often, it is okay only if it brings love to the birth land. The story of Australia which is brought up a lot including the massacre and the imprisonment of criminals by the British onto this island is what is referenced here.

We won the land from a nerveless race,
Too mean for their land to fight;
If we mean to hold it we too must face
the adage that 'might is right'.

Fifth Stanza: The British easily captured the Australian territory and massacred the population over there, in the name of ‘might is right’.

It matters nothing what dreamers say,
when they prate that wars must cease,
for the lustful war-god holds his sway
in these piping days of peace... 

Sixth Stanza: The poet says that war is something that will go on forever. If people ask for peace and would want war to cease, they can only hope for the war to come back again. Even if there is peace in this world, it can never be considered as true peace as there is always a certain kind of conflict happening in the smaller parts of the society which in turn takes a turn for the worse growing into a conflict. Peace is only an illusion and the illusion of peace shines in front of our eyes mostly when war is closer than ever.

So our lads must learn there's a sterner task
than playing a well-pitched ball;
that the land we love may someday ask
for a team when the trumpets call.

Seventh Stanza: The poet tells the next generations to teach the children more than playing on the field and competing properly. As sports have become the ground to settle disputes among countries as to who is better, it can also be seen as a battleground where bloodshed is prohibited. In time, when humans would need to protect their territories, and everyone should be ready when the time comes.

A team that is ready to take the field
to bowling with balls of lead,
in a test match grim, where if one appealed,
the umpire might answer 'dead'!

Eighth Stanza:  According to the poet the youth should be ready for battle as war needs no reason to erupt. Balls of lead refer to he Cannister Guns which they used back in the day for shooting lead bullets. The game of war, as the poet has put into context is a very revolting idea to the whole idea of peacekeeping and peace itself.


The concept of War and Peace has caused a ton of debates over the last century. War being an integral part of human conflict can never be stopped as there is someone or the other, out there that a majority of humans would fight against, to get their point of view in picture. Defining peace and the concept of peace is very important at this point as no one really knows what world peace is. World Peace is the idea of planetary non-violence. As far as I know, humans are the most non-peaceful mammals ever. Peace would only bring death to all humans, then I guess, the death of all humans might bring peace as well. When we talk of peace we always talk of what is right and what is wrong, but the whole idea of peace narrates the non-sensitization of humans to other views, hence the modern idea of peace is a bit revolting to the main concept of peace itself. Peace is a long way ahead for us humans. Under the veil of glory and war, we must realize that  war might erupt out of nowhere and put nations in conflict. To the everyday man, who lived in the 1900s might have had no idea about the war. He might have been flabbergasted to find out that there is a war happening between countries, and for what reason, well he does not know, he is busy thinking about his future. But what the future brings may be just as unreasonalble and scary as it can be set. Hence, the poet tells us to be ready for war in case there is one.

For a different view on the same poem go here.

Lol. Peace.

A child said, What is the Grass?

The poem ‘A child said what is the grass?’ was written by Walt Whitman, one of the pioneers of modern American literature. In it, he attempts to respond to a child’s innocent question of what the grass is.  If you haven’t read the poem yet, check it out here:

http://www.poemhunter.com/poem/a-child-said-what-is-the-grass/

Okay, let’s start.

Before I delve into a full-fledged analysis of the poem, I would like to point out a couple of key points about this poem. If a child were to come and ask you what the grass is, what would you say? You’d probably tell him it’s a plant, that it naturally grows, or, if you’re exceptionally lazy, might tell him ‘it’s complicated’. But look at what Whitman does; he sets aside what he thinks he knows and digs deeper and deeper in an attempt to come to the root of the answer. In a manner akin to how children persistently ask question after question, Whitman questions his stance again and again throughout the poem until he finally reaches a desirable answer. By doing so, he attempts to answer the child’s question by thinking like a child.

Another interesting point worth mentioning is how the poem follows no clear-cut rhythmic scheme. Rather, it stumbles forward in a non-linear and haphazard way. It almost seems to follow the poet’s stream of consciousness.  All the answers and subsequent questions in his mind are laid out before us on the paper. By this approach, the poet takes us along with him on his journey for an answer.

The theme of death dominates the piece. This is unsurprising as Whitman was a war nurse in the civil war and had seen much suffering and brutality. Through the course of this poem he seeks to philosophically ascertain that life is no different from death.

Now; let’s begin with the poem.

Upon being asked what the grass is by the child, the speaker muses that it’s impossible for him to answer as he doesn’t know what the grass is any more than the child does. He begins to examine the possibilities of what exactly the grass could be. Mind you, it is important at this point of time to note that many of the lines or stanzas in the poem begin with the phrases ‘I guess’, ‘Or’, etc. By using such phrases his uncertainty and subsequent humility is brought to the forefront. This can be linked back to the aforementioned concept of attempting to analyse this problem from a child’s point of view.

I guess it must be the flag of my disposition, out of hopeful green stuff woven.

Or I guess it is the handkerchief of the Lord,
A scented gift and remembrancer designedly dropped,
Bearing the owner’s name someway in the corners, that we may see and remark, and say Whose?

Or I guess the grass is itself a child. . . .the produced babe of the vegetation.

                He examines different possibilities; the first of which is particularly profound as it links to the themes that will emerge later on in the poem. The word disposition is used to refer to one’s attitude, beliefs, or feelings on an issue. Thus, by calling the grass the flag of his disposition, he is quite literally saying that the grass perfectly represents his thoughts on life and death ( his belief that  life is one continuous ciricle; death does not conquer, it just feeds the circle of life ).

The reference to grass being the handkerchief of the Lord appears to be used for its imagery. Take a handkerchief and drop it on a table tennis ball; it’ll cover the ball completely, adhering to its shape. Similarly, grass covers the earth like a blanket, like a divine handkerchief dropped.

The poet now attempts to think of the grass as a product of the vegetation, the result of seeds, fertile soil and favourable weather.

What is important about all of these is not so much the significance each one holds, but the manner in which they have been displayed. It seems as if each of these are points in Whitman’s mind and as he philosophizes on, he is attempting to connect the dots and gain a better view of the overall picture.

The following stanza is particularly important:

Or I guess it is a uniform hieroglyphic,
And it means, Sprouting alike in broad zones and narrow
zones,
Growing among black folks as among white,
Kanuck, Tuckahoe, Congressman, Cuff, I give them the 
same, I receive them the same.

                In this section, Whitman begins to ponder on the indiscriminatory nature of the grass. The usage of the word hieroglyphic is somewhat deep as a hieroglyphic is a word written as a drawing. Information encoded in visual imagery. By referring to the grass as a hieroglyphic, Whitman hints that the grass is not merely there for aesthetic beauty, but that it contains some piece of vital information that we must seek out.

                The grass grows everywhere. Broad zones, narrow zones. Near black people, near white people. The grass doesn’t care. In the last line, the subject suddenly changes from the grass to the poet ( I give them the same, I receive them the same). By doing this the poet is attempting to tell us that we should be more like the grass. Also, in case you were wondering, a Kanuck is an offensive term for a Canadian, a Tuckahoe for a Native American, a Congressman for the rich white majority, and Cuff for the enslaved black. These were vital notions for Whitman, who had lived through the Civil War, and seen so much violence, death and suffering over the question of slavery.

                The fact that the grass grows everywhere, and doesn’t care about our differences, makes our prejudices seem shallow, foolish and petty. Whitman embraces this and incorporates himself into the stream of thought to show his support ( the usage of I).

//Please ignore the colours, theres no significance, I just don't know how to blog

And now it seems to me the beautiful uncut hair of graves.

Tenderly will I use you curling grass,
It may be you transpire from the breasts of young men,
It may be if I had known them I would have loved them,
It may be you are from old people, or from offspring taken
Soon out of their mothers' laps,
And here you are the mothers' laps.

The contrast evoked between ‘beautiful uncut hair’ and ‘graves’ instantly catches the reader’s attention. The sheer polarity, that tug, induced by having beautiful uncut hair and graves so close together in the sentence evokes a sense of energy. The imagery evoked is that of the earth slowly growing hair (untrimmed grass) from the bodies buried within it (graves). This link exists because, like hair, grass grows from roots. Hair can still grow on a human head after he or she dies, so the mentioning of hair goes back to the theme of life sprouting from death. 

Throughout the rest of the above stanza, Whitman continues to build on the idea of grass/death being an equalizer of sorts. Everyone is equal in death. The grass will grow form them nevertheless, regardless of who they were when they were alive. The final line twists the concepts of life and death in a macabre fashion by speaking on the death of a child. The children who have passed have been “adopted” by Mother Nature. The ground holds them like a mother would.

This grass is very dark to be from the white heads of old Mothers,
Darker than the colourless beards of old men,
Dark to come from under the faint red roofs of mouths.

O I perceive after all so many uttering tongues,
And I perceive they do not come from the roofs of mouths
For nothing.

I wish I could translate the hints about the dead young men
And women,
And the hints about old men and mothers, and the offspring
Taken soon out of their laps.

The first stanza implies that the grass is pulling its colour from the bodies beneath it. The dark green grass contrasts greatly with the pale white hair on dead elderly people.

The usage of the word ‘tongues’ can be read as talking about the language of the grass. ‘Tongues’, in a biblical context, is a language that the angels of heaven speak and that no mortal can understand. Thus by saying that ‘they do not come from the roofs of mouths for nothing’, implies that the grass means something, and is not merely there. This links back and emphasizes the point made earlier by referring to the grass as a ‘hieroglyphic’. In short, Whitman is saying that the grass has a meaning, that it has a deep philosophical secret it is attempting to diverge to us.

The sage of ‘I wish’ in the third stanza, implies that he is unable to translate the hints. He wishes he could explain and justify the tragic deaths of people taken long before their time; but he cannot. The fact that death is inevitable and a requiem for life to continue conflicts with the undeniable tragedy of a premature death. The poet deeply wishes that he could explain or philosophize on this front but is unable to do so.

What do you think has become of the young and old men?
And what do you think has become of the women and Children?

The poet now asks another question, delving deeper and deeper in his search for the answer.  He ponders on the fate of those who have died and who now lie buried under the earth. Off this question, Whitman leaps into the enlightening conclusion of the poem.

They are alive and well somewhere,
The smallest sprout shows there is really no death,
And if ever there was it led forward life, and does not wait at
The end to arrest it,
And ceas'd the moment life appear'd.

All goes onward and outward, nothing collapses,
And to die is different from what any one supposed, and Luckier.

This paragraph is not only Whitman’s answer as to where the dead have gone, but is also his answer to the child’s question. The fact that the dead are alive and well somewhere is odd to say the least, but as we read on we see how the poet has effectively bypassed our traditional views of life and death (life is the beginning, death is the end) and provided us with a much grander scheme of things. The death of a person allows for life, in some form or another, be it the life of the sprouts or the life of creatures. Life begets life. 

In the last 3 lines of the second last stanza, the poet implies that death is not to be mourned as life is nothing but a by-product of death. We are alive and life exists around us because of the death that preceded us. Through this stanza, Whitman paints a verbal picture of our world and its fascinating equilibrium; though constantly changing, everything obeys the law of conservation of energy, even life.

Finally, the image of an expanding circle is evoked to visualize the recycling of life energy. We don’t really die when our hearts stop beating as we are fed back to the earth that birthed us. The life cycle keeps on going and going and going and both the living and the dead are a part of that cycle, interacting freely with each other. By removing our fear of death and our desire to keep it at bay, Whitman, looking at the problem from the perspective of a child, has taken us with him on an amazing journey, at the end of which we’ve seen life and death for the inseparable friends they really are.

So, what is the grass?

          The grass is both life and death. It lives, but it lives because of death. The grass is the embodiment of the paradox that is existence.

Graduation Day - Maya Angelou

Graduation Day by Maya Angelou is an excerpt from her Auto biography. This excerpt narrates her 8^th Grade Graduation Ceremony. As a pattern following 3 main sections, flowing into Graduation from Pre-Graduation and concluding to a very satisfying end.

Considering the time constraint, I am going to link the summary here. Please do refer to the same before moving forward. http://entertainmentguide.local.com/summary-the-graduation-maya-angelou-3385.html

The distinction that is naturally created between the blacks and whites in this excerpt shows us that what has been written in history and the torment the slave south has endured is no joke. As this is just a reflection of the same in a post-traumatic era. Prevalent themes and motifs of lingering hope and racism exist. Racism is a very important theme as it is important to understand the difference in lifestyle and standards followed by the whites compared to the blacks.

Important extracts

1. 1.       Unlike the white high school, Lafayette County Training School distinguished itself by having neither lawn, nor hedges, nor tennis court, nor climbing ivy.
2. 2.       …bats and balls could be borrowed from the P.E. teacher if the borrower was qualified and if the diamond wasn’t occupied.
3. 3.       …our usual assembly pattern: The American National Anthem, the pledge of allegiance, then the song every black person I knew called the Negro National Anthem.
4. 4.       (Enter white people)The shorter one walked to the speaker’s platform, and the tall one moved to the centre seat and sat down. But that was our Principal’s seat and already occupied.
5. 5.       The Central School (naturally, the white school was central) had already been granted improvements that would be in use in the fall. A well-known artist was coming from Little Rock to teach art to them.
6. 6.       The white kids were going to have a chance to become Galileos, Madame Curies and Edisons and Gauguins, and our boys (the girls weren’t even considered) would try to be Jesse Owens and Joe Louises.
7. 7.       Graduation, the hush-hush magic time of frills……had exposed us.
8. 8.       Donleavy was running for election … part of Arkansas
9. 9.       He finished, and since there was no need to give any… at the door
10. 10.   The ugliness they left was palpable… captain of my soul.
11. 11.   I thought about colours I hated : ecru, puce, lavender, beige and black

Line 1 and 2 show how well off the Central School was compared to the grammar school Maya Angelou was studying in. They weren’t even given proper facilities compared to the other school, considering they were in the same County.

Line 4 shows the arrogance of the shorter white person as he approached the seat of the Principal and his nonchalance dictated the importance they gave to the blacks.

Line 5 elucidates the fact that the white people in general are being provided with a lot compared to the blacks.

Line 6 employs racism to the job prospects the blacks have compared to the whites. Where whites excel in the academic areas and blacks in the athletic areas.

Para 7 After working so hard for the entire year and studying so much, it all seems to have gone to waste. Even after graduating as the topper of her class all this seemed very ambiguous as there is nothing for her to achieve as she knows that in the end she would be judged based on her colour and not her work. ‘We were maids and farmers, handymen and washerwomen, and anything higher that we aspired to was a farcical and presumptuous.’

Line 9 narrates how Donleavy left without greeting but merely nodding to the people as he left with his unintroduced companion.

Para 10 Here, after the departure of the white gentlemen, recitations were in procession. Elouise, the daughter of the Baptist Minister recited the fabled poem, Invictus by William Ernest Henley. Beautiful poem (http://www.poemhunter.com/poem/invictus/). The last line of the poem ‘I am the master of the fate, I am the captain of my soul’, contrasts the statement made by Angelou in Para 7. Thus, creating a sense of hopelessness that lingers throughout.

Line 11 is the skin colours of the black people. This is important as it shows us the blame she puts on her being black and cursing the very fact that her achievement did not depend on her hard work but her colour.

Towards the last two pages of the short story, as the Negro National Anthem(as mentioned in the text) is being sung, each and every word of the same, which Angelou had never put any effort in listening to before, made it all clear to her now. Liberation, hard work, sacrifices, and acceptance has now captured her senses. Accepting not that she is from the graduating class of 1940 but also that she is a part of the beautiful Negro Race.

The excerpt ends with the acceptance to the community that she embraces and also that she is a part of a family of poets, preachers, musicians and romanticists.

Monkeys – Punyakante Wijenaike

More on the writer of this short story, Punyakante Wijenaike. 

(http://www.loc.gov/acq/ovop/delhi/salrp/punyakantewijenaike.html)

This short story narrates the life of a young Samanera (Buddhist monk in training) and his love towards the monkeys in the forest nearby which he visits every afternoon. The boy carries a bit of food with him every time he visits the forest. He feeds the monkeys and plays with them. Love, is what he experiences every time he spends time with the monkeys. At the time of departure he hates leaving the monkeys as he has to go back and complete the chores at the hermitage. Waking up early at 4 every morning to meditate and then complete the chores only to leave later on to beg for food and in the end come back to the monkeys. This was the monotonous life he led every day. The thought of being a monkey seemed to please him as the love the moneys shared between themselves is what he longed for.

One night, as he was bating he saw his own reflection in the water to be that of a monkey, only to realize after distorting the still water that it was just a trick of the mind. Later, when the boy was sweeping the compound with a broom, he noticed that the same monkeys had followed him there and were sitting on the treetops.

The same monkeys, in hordes, had followed him to the hermitage and this time they boldly started jumping and running in the hermitage disturbing the priests out of their morning meditation. The monkeys created a havoc by throwing the fruits grown by the chief priest around and ringing the temple bells.

After this incident, the Chief Priest led the young Samanera to an inner room. He made him understand the difference between men and animals. And how the life of a Samanera differed from those of animals and other human beings. At the end of the story he looks back at the rock and the trees for the last time and turns away, as now he must remember that after all he is a man.

The prevalent themes in the poem are that of love and humanity. Throughout the poem love acts as a constant as the young boy craves it but never shows it. The life of a Samanera and the sacrifices involved in leading such a life are ones to be thought of very carefully. Abandoning the essence of human life i.e love, to break the cycle of rebirth seems to be the effective conclusion of the life of a Samanera.

As the boy longed for love, he had to be told in the end that it is not the kind of life he could lead. Having peace within oneself is what is necessary as compared to love and other petty functions of life.

The Boarded Window - Ambrose Bierce

The Boarded Window is a short horror story written by Ambrose Bierce and is set in the early 1800’s. Rather than typing a full summary, I’ll provide a link to a page with an accurate and simple one:

http://murdertodissect.blogspot.in/2013/11/the-boarded-window-paragraph-by.html

The above page summarises the story paragraph by paragraph and explains practically everything required for direct questions. Strangely however, the page doesn’t make a single reference to magic realism.

Magic realism is, in simplest terms, any form of art that, while encompassing a range of subtly different concepts, share in common an acceptance of magic in the rational world. An accurate example of a magic realism painting is included below.

http://amazingezone.com/img/2012/August/Setowski/Magic-Realism-Tomek-Setowski-Poland-05.jpg

The story, ‘The Boarded Window’, makes extensive use of the magic realism in its closing paragraphs – in which the man’s wife’s corpse is attacked by the panther. The all too elements of human fear and panic are expertly conveyed through the flashes of lightning-illuminated vision that the man gets. This comprehendible fear is contrasted in the final lines by the discovery of a piece of the animal’s ear between the wife's teeth. This contrast may give rise to magic realism. This is most certainly not the only way that magic realism can be found in the piece; it is however, the most easily noticeable.

The story is an open-ended one in the fact that the mystery of his wife is never resolved (Was she dead before? Is she a zombie? Was she possessed? Is she dead now?). This uncertainty, the intentional failure of the author to clear up such questions, is a crucial component of an open ended story. 

By the Lake - Tu Fu

By the Lake is a poem, originally written in Chinese in the early 8^th century. The piece, though seemingly very complex, actually has very simple and prominent themes. There is a pronounced historical tone in which the poem progresses. Themes of upheaval and exile are equally present. The contrast between nature and man is explored extensively in the piece.

                While reading the piece we must consider the historical events which were occurring at that time. The poem is set during the An Lushan Rebellion that took place in China. During this time many people were forced to leave the country owing to the violence. The poet Tu Fu, had to leave the country too; thus the themes of upheaval come into the picture.

                The contrast between man and nature is shown by the irony in the question, “For whom have the willows and the rushes put on their fresh greenery?” The fact that the plants remain beautiful as ever despite the turbulent times is a comment on how whimsical man’s fate is, unable to remain constant and peaceful like the plants. The turbulence of the times is emphasized by the contrast of how good things were (implied as being prior to the usurper) and how things are now.

Though the above themes are not really open to interpretation, countless other themes and meanings can be taken from the text owing to the surreal sense in which the historical events are described. One could interpret the poem as being representative of memory or death; this is primarily possible from reading into the lines at the ending:

“It is human to have feelings and to shed tears for such things … my way is towards the south city but my gaze turns northwards”

The vagueness of the above line is a suitable habitat for sundry strange and seemingly unnecessary interpretations. However, fret not! If you can read into the poem and suitably justify your take on the poem, nobody can say you’re wrong. 

The Cactus - Hasan Manzar

The Cactus is a short story by Hasan Manzar set in Hyderabad, Pakistan. In it the author speaks on the after-effects of the youth’s departure to other countries to work and eventually live. Such migration often leaves the parents feeling incredibly lonely and alienated.

                The story comprises of a man (the narrator) and his wife visiting a house that is for sale as prospective buyers. At the house, the couple is greeted by an elderly man and his wife, the owners of the house. They show the buyers around but the latter decide that it is too large, both for their needs and their budget. The elderly couple then sit down for coffee with the narrator and his wife during which the house owners begin to talk about their children. They have 3 daughters and 2 sons, all of which are abroad, in Kuwait, Dubai or America.

                The story is not all that hard to interpret, the primary theme being, as mentioned earlier, the ramifications of migration. A sense of loneliness and emptiness pervades the piece, primarily manifested through the fact that the parents seem almost abandoned by their children and thrown aside. This sense is amplified by the seemingly commonplace nature of the story; many children, especially those from upper middle class families, leave the country for a better education and job. The fact that the rooms of the children remain neat and well maintained long after they have left generates pity for the parents in the contrast in the mindsets of the elderly and the young. While one has carelessly abandoned the other, one still cherishes the other.

                If you look closely at the piece, you may notice that no character’s name has been mentioned. This is not an unintentional doing, rather it is literary device frequently employed by writers. The fact that no names are mentioned increases the chances of the reader empathizing more with the characters. In addition to this, the withholding of names can also be indicative of just how widespread the problem of migration is; it is not limited to one or two families but many.

                At the end of the story, the author associates the story with a nest. This is owing to the fact that when birds grow old enough to fly, they tend to leave the nest and their parents and set out on their own life.

                Finally the image of the cactus seen by the buyers when they first enter the house bears a lot of significance. The cactus had grown so tall that it encountered the wooden shelf above. But rather than pruning the cactus, the family cut a hole in the overhanging shelf, allowing the cactus to grow freely. The cactus can be seen as a manifestation of the undying love that the parents hold for their children; they refuse to cut it even when it becomes a burden to do so. The properties of a cactus also come into play here, allowing us to link the title to even more. While cactuses are visually appealing with their bright green colours, they are enveloped in sharp vicious thorns that sting, embedding themselves in the flesh of the victim if touched. This could be compared to the love held by the parents for their children; painful to hold on to, yet too beautiful to let go of.

Communalism and Politics in India - Ashis Nandy

The essay starts off with the reallocation and correlation of communalism to the right examples of the related violence and affirmation that the problem is not impossible to solve.

Example 1: No. of people killed in Communal violence < No. of people killed in street crimes of the last 50 years in Detroit alone (Detroit being one of the most crime affected cities in the world).

Example 2: 2 million people killed in Partition Violence (Communal) < 5 million people killed during separatist movements in the country (non-communal)

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With an example of a family which tried to save their friend from communal violence gets to know that the son in the family was one of the soldiers working towards the main perpetration of the plan. The setting of this story is the communal riot(s) of 1992 caused because of demolition of the Babri masjid.

The main point of the essay comes out during this reading. Internal contradiction occurs which leads to a number of different facets telling us that communalism is a complex phenomenon and not so easy to deal with.

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Up until now we understand that Communalism can be extinguished but because of its complexity, each and every element has to be smartly distinguished and analysed to come up with a proper plan to exterminate communalism.

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Propositions of Communalism:-

1.       Communalism is from its roots is an urban phenomenon. Compared to the villagers there are more communal riots in cities and village city borders than in actual villages. This is something the city dwellers should learn from their “rustic, illiterate” counterparts of development.

2.       Secular issues are usually the issues due to which communal riots are caused. Due to this the non-secularism also seeps in (indirectly) giving rise to Religious issues giving rise to communal religious riots.

3.       Political parties, secretly also encourage communalism as it helps in the promotion of the individual parties and helps gain more individualised power to themselves.

4.       Some communal riots are fuelled by the fanaticism of political parties. As followers of a party get into an argument into followers of other party leading to discrimination and loose parallels.

5.       The Indian social system is traditionally community based and not individualised. So people are discriminated according to the community they are from and not their individuality.

6.       Self-hatred among Hindus is dominant and many of us might have seen such examples. Inclination to Islam or Christianity is commonly seen amongst many Hindus.

7.       Communalism fuels material based politics as the society doesn’t clearly understand (vs.) ideology based politics anymore. One must try and understand the ideas and the ideology which is trying to be established by the political party rather than just checking the growth in GDP that could be caused by them coming into power.

8.       The NRIs fuel this material based politics. This is the same situation as the Tamilians in India funding LTTE and American Jews donating Israelis if looked at properly.

9.       Communal politics seems like a way of secularizing politics.

10.   This gives rise to a new kind of political culture of flesh and not of the mind.

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Important Issues:-

·         Change in the hierarchy of castes in terms of wealth caused due to communal riots includes elevation of castes such as Kurmis, Jats, and Reddys.

·         Laws and legal matter are the only ones that can suppress communal riots.

·         Secularisation creates its own insecurities due to internal conflicts.

·         Secularisation gives rise to increased individualisation giving rise to gradual increase in absence of faith in individual communities.

·         Coalition politics or Allied politics is on the rise to secularise the country, but will it turn out to be conservationism? That is the end question.

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Riders to the Sea - John Millington Synge

‘Riders to the Sea’ is a one act tragedy, first performed in Dublin (Ireland) in 1904. The play is written by the Irish playwright John Millington Synge. The play focuses primarily on the plight of the poor rural folks in Ireland. Before I continue, I wish to state that this is far from an all-encompassing analysis of the play, but focuses more on the relatively prevalent themes throughout the piece. If you have not read the play yet, or do not have a copy, check out the following link:

http://www.gutenberg.org/files/994/994-h/994-h.htm

In the play, there are very few characters playing an important role; Maurya (The mother of the household), Michael (Her missing son), Cathleen and Nora (two of her daughters), and Bartley (Her only remaining son). The play opens with Maurya grieving over the loss of her son Michael, presumed dead at sea. Upon Maurya falling asleep, a young priest arrives at the cottage and gives Nora a parcel of clothes, recovered from a young man, washed up on the northern shore of the island for identification purposes (to see if they belong to Michael, thus confirming his death). Not wanting to further upset the already grieving mother, the daughters keep the parcel hidden, deciding to inspect the contents when the mother is not around. The remaining son Bartley is intent on going to the fair on the neighboring island to sell a horse, despite the pleading of his mother. Eventually, despite her beseeching, Bartley leaves, without taking her blessing.

Almost instantly feeling remorseful for not giving her son her blessing, Maurya, following the suggestion of her daughters, is persuaded to intercept him before he leaves to give her blessing, and a lunch prepared by the sisters. Upon Maurya’s departure, the girls open the parcel and confirm that the clothes are indeed Michael’s. Their only comfort lies in the knowledge that, owing to his being washed up in the north; he will be given a respectable Christian burial.

At this point the mother returns frightened, a result of a terrifying vision she had of Bartley’s soon coming death. The vision was of Michael (The deceased older son), riding a horse behind Bartley. This, combined with the fact that she had been unable to give Bartley her blessing, results in her certainty about Bartley’s death. Upon being told that Michael’s body has been found in the North, her only response is that at least the boards that the family had bought for Michael’s funeral could be employed for Bartley’s burial. At this point, men walk in the door of the hut, carrying the body of Bartley who had been knocked off the cliff onto the beach below by the horse he was riding. The play closes with the following chilling words of Maurya:

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“Michael has a clean burial in the far north, by the grace of the Almighty God. Bartley will have a fine coffin out of the white boards, and a deep grave surely. What more can we want than that? No man at all can be living for ever, and we must be satisfied.”

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The usage of the word “must”, in the final line is indicative of not only her, but all humans’ helplessness in the face of calamities and accidents brought on by Mother Nature. Further reading into this line of thought gives rise to the Stoic philosophy present throughout the course of the play, a theme that will be dealt with later on in the analysis.

First and foremost, before attempting to analyze the script, we must take a closer look at the history of the Irish, a recurring presence throughout the piece.

From prehistoric times up until the 11^th century, Ireland consisted of a patchwork of numerous territories, each controlled by Kings or Chieftains. Occasionally, rare as it was, a powerful ruler was acknowledged as High King of Ireland. Thus, owing to the incredulously long time in which Ireland had little to no exposure to the outside world, Ireland developed an unbelievably rich history and culture. However in the early 1100’s, French warlords (Refered to here on as Normans), invaded England, overthrowing the local British warlords (Saxons), and establishing their own command. Under the Normans, large chunks of Ireland were distributed to warlords and governors. The king of England claimed sovereignty over this entire island, labeling the island as, “The Lordship of Ireland”. (Lordship, in this context, refers to a form of colony). Under the rule of Henry the Eighth in 1541 however, Ireland was changed from a Lordship to a full Kingdom, an extension of the British kingdom. However, due to the British’s attitude of haughty sovereignty and the way that they never treated the Irish as fellow beings resulted in loathing from the Irish and disdain, towards the Celts, from the British. 

As this play sympathizes extensively with the plight of the Irish, rather than merely mock them (as was the case with most British made plays at that time), it made a mark, gaining popularity with the lower class as well as the upper class Irish. Another important aspect of the play is the way that it portrays that, even in the face of overwhelming odds and seemingly unavoidable defeat, the Irish family in the script, manages to carry on with a sense of dignity; refuting the idea of Irish being sub-human and savage (as was the colonial view held by most British at that point of time).

Another important theme of the play is the ruthlessness of the sea in the dispatching of Maurya’s family members, primarily her husband and sons. As we can see by reading the play, the roles of Genders are rigid in the family depicted. Women tend to cooking and household chores, whereas men tend to fishing, trading and farming. The death of her last remaining son Bartley, ends the play on an incredulously depressing note, not just because of the bond of family and the grief of the survivors, but because there is little to no hope for the remaining family members: owing to the clear-cut gender roles in society, a family consisting fully of women would find it exceptionally hard to make a living.

The aspect of the language difference is an important one throughout the play. In stark contrast to the other contemporary plays, ‘Riders to the Sea’, is written (and intended to be enacted in) the Gaelic English style. Gaelic (or Irish), the traditional language of Ireland is entirely different from English and is spoken even today in much of Non-UK Ireland. (Clip of an Irish TV reporter):

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hR5YS7k9eL8

Thus, many of the so called ‘Irish Slangs’, are no more than colloquial Irish phrases having lost a substantial amount of their essence in translation. As can be seen by even a quick glance at the play, the difference in the English used is prominent. By styling the characters’ language after the traditional Gaelic tongue, the writer seeks to comment on the richness and beauty of, not only the Irish tongue, but also the people; a beauty callously ignored by the British for much of their rule.

The aspect of the supernatural in the play could be interpreted in a number of ways. One argument is that it is merely a ploy through which the author comments on the complex blend of pagan, catholic, and protestant cultures and religions in colonized Ireland. The British attempted, without much success, to convert Ireland to Protestantism, while under the rule of Henry the Eighth who converted the Country’s official faith to such. Later on attempts were made to catholicize the island, leading to the formation of the Angelican (Irish Catholic) church. The blend, of Christianity with the pagan religions and accompanying superstitions of the Irish, is visible throughout the play: emphasized by the contrast between the family’s relief for their son’s (Michael’s) Christian burial, and the visions of a pagan nature seen, and quickly believed, by the mother.

Another means of interpreting the supernatural element is by interpreting them as naturalistic concurrences. Men fishing on the open sea in small boats lead dangerous lives, and many often died. In the case of Maurya, and the sheer number of loved one’s that she has seen die in her lifetime, the inescapable helplessness and unavoidability, could be the cause for religion and superstition in her life, giving reason and logic to the incomprehensible forces of nature.

Further interpretations of the supernatural aspect in the play are given on the following sites:

http://wenku.baidu.com/view/aa44002bbd64783e09122bed.html

http://www.enotes.com/homework-help/relationship-natural-supernatural-eliments-j-m-291892

Finally, as mentioned in the beginning, Maurya’s acceptance of fate, without unnecessary mourning, is indicative of a Stoic philosophy. In brief, a Stoic philosophy is an acceptance of fate made possible by the logic that, “What must happen will happen”. The unimaginable suffering Maurya’s endured throughout her life, has not numbed her to the pain of losing a loved one, as one might think by shallowly reading the text. Rather, the pain is still there, its cry stronger than before; but muffled by the pervasive blanket of helplessness and inability to change the past, a wall through which no tears can seep.

               

Transports of Delight - Manjula Padmanabhan

                  Transports of Delight by Manjula Padmanabhan is a satirical essay which discusses the Rickshaw culture in India. She narrates funny incidences which involve her travelling from place to place in an auto rickshaw. She also describes the different types of auto rickshaws. Almost all of these are over exaggerated in their descriptions and seem very unrealistic and obviously are.

          Instead of ‘Auto rickshaw’, ‘TSR (Three Wheeled Scooter Rickshaw)’ has been used in the whole essay. This essay has a lot of dry humour which might make the reader bored after a bit of reading. She differentiates TSRs in different areas and different cities and also talks about the decorations on them. These decorations usually have symbolic meaning pertaining to religion or fictional characters or simply exist for cosmetic reasons.

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The following extracts would help you the grasp the main idea and help you get a clear understanding over this essay:-

(It would be helpful if you have the text side by side as you read these points)

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“In the jungle of urban traffic, it is the bumble bee.”

The Bumble Bee here refers to the TSR because of the similar black and yellow colour scheme. In the chaos that is the urban traffic the TSR moves with nonchalance like a bumblebee which would move past all obstacles to reach the destination.

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“Indian city streets is an example of the Survival of the Unfittest.”

Indian streets as we all know are not exactly commanded by the best drivers. On an average 14 traffic accidents happen in India per hour. Here, ‘Survival of the Unfittest’ crudely refers to the way Indian people drive. ‘Unfittest’ here, also refers to rickshaws considering they are the only ones who do not seem to get in many accidents compared to the other vehicles. And ironically they might as well be the least protected vehicles on the road.

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“A gas trap for poisonous fumes, unstable and flimsy…..as hammer blows to the passenger’s fragile sinews.”

This is a description of the TSR. It tells how dangerous TSRs are and how rashly the drivers drive the vehicle.

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“His chariot took a corner at Grand Prix Speeds.”

It’s called a chariot because of the regressive design and technology that goes into making a TSR. With all that it still manages to take sharp turns at high speeds.

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“In part, the secret of their success…….yet are fastidious enough to disdain the sweaty intimacies offered by a bus…….what they lack in volume.”

This excerpt says that, A TSR is an intermediate between a bus and a taxi. Money wise it is not as expensive as a taxi and not as cheap and crowded as a bus considering public transport.

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“Though we have reports from Outlook Magazine that women auto rickshaw drivers are flourishing in Kerala here in the wilds of the north it is hard to imagine such a development.”

Here we can see the clear distinction in culture and how the society in different places thinks about each gender and their line of work. In the south where gender discrimination is decreasing and the job diversity of women is slowly increasing, North India doesn’t seem to be progressing much in this sense.

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“Perhaps the reason they are generally very young is that…..warily, as if tensed for attack.”

This excerpt, in its satirical sense the writer tells us that many TSR drivers start their jobs at a young age which would be like 19 or 20 and don’t live long enough because of the danger to lives in their job.

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“The likelihood of finding a driver willing to travel….and desperation of one’s need.”

TSR drivers are very stubborn considering their cause many a times. Instead if the passenger being the boss, they act as the boss. This helps them extract more money out of the passengers and they are willing to pay more to get to their destination due to their yearning for shade and rest.

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“In Madras, TSR drivers consider it their privilege…..I’m a rascal I know it.”

Here the drivers have been shown in a bad light as it is told here that they always try and extort more money out of the passengers, relative to the meter. For this extra profit they charge unreasonable prices and then gradually come down to a not really reasonable but ok price point.

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“Some drivers swaddle the front and rear wheel guards with webs of metal tubes……of the latest film hits on request.”

The TSR drivers love decorating their rickshaws in the most unique way possible. But this differs from place to place as not all TSR drivers have enough money for decorations. Thus, the economic diversity can be seen from state to state delving into the cosmetic differences between these TSRs.

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“Delhi rickshaw owners seem to prefer verbal messages....…….’Love for Sale – 100% Discount.’”

The influence and the culture can be seen if one notices the different messages written on auto rickshaws around town. The traditionally influenced drivers with the Gazals quoted on the side skirts or the cheesy messages quoted on the influenced on the younger rickshaw walas all in relative from place to place.

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“There are standard ornaments in the form of 3D reliefs…….Mahavirs or Zoroasters, however!”

The different religious following can be seen through the hangings and the ornaments. The usual religious symbols of the Hindus, Sikhs, Christians and Muslims are seen. But for the others like Mahavir and Buddha are not seen. This tells us that the population following these religions are in a very tight minority which cannot be seen publicly like this.

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 “Tweeters have peevishly squawking electric horns…….voiced adolescent boys.”

This line and the paragraph it lies in talks about the differences and that all of them cannot be related to each other considering the amount of decorations and the different canopies being black or yellow or any other colour. Many of them also have cheap audio systems and overtly decorated insides.

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“With so much invention and creativity on view………..adventurous auto designer”

This is the ending to the description and the viewpoint embraced by the author of the TSR. This also prompts the start to the description of autos encountered by the author which were adventurous in design.

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Different types of auto rickshaws:-

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Bikaneri Phut Phut:-

These are the usual Rajasthani kind of autos that have been described here and which have been over exaggerated in terms of description.

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Autorustic

The over exaggerated satirical outlook on the village autos which aren’t taken care of properly have been described by this auto.

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God’s Rocket

The well-kept auto with a really good engine and usually looks good and is seen as a new auto is the auto discussed over here. There are a lot of ornaments pertaining to the faith of the driver in this auto.

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Baroque-on-wheels

This auto is literally art on wheels. These autos in reality are literally decorated a lot. But the description given in the textbook is far too exaggerated (again).

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Hell’s trishaw

Only a fool would believe that these autos would ply even if there was an artist who would work on this auto, autos like these would be banned and wouldn’t be allowed to ply.

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Auto-Ethnotic

Some autos used for competitions which make you drive an auto with your team across India have such exotic designs. These do not ply on a usual basis as they are only available during such circumstances of stake.

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Strato-Darter

This auto is definitely a fake but might portray those autos which travel to the destinations really fast.

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Road Rani

Similar to the Strato-Darter this example portray the autos which command the business and are customer satisfactory.

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