The Boarding House       James Joyce 

‘The Boarding House’ by James Joyce is the story of internal conflict between the self and different forces surrounding the self. It shows how the important decision of a man is influenced by different aspects such as social, financial, religious and psychological factors. Mr. Doran is obliged to propose Polly Mooney for marriage although he is not mentally prepared for it. His instinct urges him to remain free not to marry. It makes him feel that once he is married, he is done for. As for other reasons, she is the daughter of a disreputable father, a drunkard and her mother’s boarding house is beginning to have certain fame. Besides, Polly is little vulgar with a poor grammar. Above all, he has never been in such a deep and higher love with her that drives a man to discard everything for the sake of his beloved. His affair with her is the result of his inability to resist the physical attraction that coincided with her growing intimacy with him. Had she kept the distance with him and not entered his room at night alone in stimulating appearance, there would not have been any such relationship between them. He is not to be blamed altogether for what has happened. He can not make up is mind whether to like her or despise her for what she has done. He even longs to ascend through the roof and fly away to another country where he will never hear again of his troubles.
Despite these undeniable facts and the instinct of the celibate that warns him to hold back, he is under obligation to speak to her about marriage. He is forced to do so for many reasons. To begin with, Polly’s mother Mrs. Moony is a determined woman. She has all the weight of social opinion on her side. She could say that she has allowed him to live beneath her roof assuming that he is a man of an honor, and he has abused her hospitality. She could argue that he, being thirty four or thirty five years of age, can not plead for excuse in the name of youth and ignorance. She can even blame him that he has taken advantage of Polly’s youth and inexperience. Secondly he is influenced by the religious factor. At his confession, the priest has magnified his sin making him feel guilty. Thus his sense of guilt and honor makes him feel that reparation must be made for his sin. Thirdly, he knows that his refusal to marry Polly implies the loss of his job. He has been employed for thirteen years in a great Catholic wine merchant’s shop. He has to throw away everything: his industry, diligence and long years of service for nothing. Finally, his decision to marry Polly is influenced by his psychological fright and his concern for his security. He is aware of the fact that Jack, Polly’s brother, is violent who threatens to bite the throat of the one who plays with his sister.
On account of these reasons, he wants to propose Polly for marriage. His feelings of humiliation have nothing to do with this decision. The story reads like an illustration about the compromises of life. It has a touch of realism which is a matter of perception.


Important Questions from The Boarding House by James Joyce
Short Answer Questions
1. How do you think Mrs. Mooney settled with Mr. Doran about Polly? Did Mr. Doran marry Polly or pay out compensation? [2059] 2. Write an interpretation of the story, ‘The Boarding House’. [2060] 34


3. What was the major problem in the relation between Mr. Doran and Polly? [2069]


Long Answer Questions
1. Sketch the character of Mrs. Mooney. [2058, 2064] 2. Briefly narrate the story ‘The Boarding House’. [2063]
Glossary: [fame: when you are known by many people because of your achievement, vulgar: unholy, abusive, intimacy: special friendship or sexual relationship, stimulating: exciting (उत्तेजक), celibate: someone who does not have sex, diligence: when you work hard with care and effort, influenced: highly affected]

The Little Brother and the Little Sister   Jacob and Wilhelm Grimm 

‘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 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.
Glossary: [ecstasy: feeling of extreme happiness, jubilant: feeling or showing great happiness]

Gretel         Garrison Keillor

Likewise the story ‘Gretel’ is adopted by Garrison Keillor. The writer used the device of ‘relocation’ to parody the content of meaning to the original story. It is relocated to the modern context with Gretel as the narrator complaining about the unjust treatment given to her character in the story. She adds extra information about her father being drunk and her brother being weak and cunning. These details help in modifying the characters with Gretel being the real protagonist and strong. She appears more lively with her several weak points such as her thinking that she should not have shoved the witch into the oven. She even considers the trying experience of the forest for which one does not have to worry much. The details of the story and the main events are eliminated.


Important Questions from Gretel’s version by Garrison Keillor
Sort Answer Questions
1. Why does Gretel blame her father and brother? [2058] 2. Do you think Gretel represents modern feminist woman? Give your opinion briefly. [2061]
Glossary: [cunning: clever at getting what you want, protagonist: the main character of a play, film or story]

The same fairy tale ‘Hansel and Gretel’ is adopted by Robert Coover with the title ‘The Gingerbread House’. He used the device of exaggeration to parody the form of the original. In order to do so, he eliminated the first part of the story that is 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.
Glossary: [exaggeration: when you describe something larger, greater than it actually is, denouement: climax, reconciliation: to agree or become friendly, outrageous: extreme, lunatic: some who behaves in a crazy way, shredding: to torn a small piece from something]

Interpretation of Hansel and Gretel  Jack Zipes and Bruno Bettelheim 

Interpretation normally implies transforming story, play or poem into an essay. The purpose of interpretation includes not only task of repeating in the form of essay about the things already mentioned in a story, poem or play but also the function of unraveling its complications.
For better understanding of this concept, one can cite the interpretive essays written by Jack Zipes and Bruno Bettelheim on the fairy tale ‘Hansel and Gretel’. The essay by Jack Zipes is extracted from his book ‘Breaking the Magic Spell’. According to him, the story of Hansel and Gretel-who leave the house being abandoned by parents, kill the witch in her gingerbread house and return home with pearls and jewels for the peaceful and happy life – is the story of class conflict with an emphasis on hope and action. Accordingly, witch represents the feudal system and aristocracy. Her gingerbread house symbolizes the houses of feudal having abundant foods and hidden treasure. Woodcutter’s abandoning the children indicates the pitiable condition and obligation of the poor people, which was the outcome of feudal system. The entanglement with and the killing of the witch symbolize the intended struggle and realization of the hatred of the poor people for the aristocrats as hoarders and oppressors. The whole story intends to expose the prejudices and injustices of feudal system with an emphasis on hope and action.
The second interpretation is made by Bruno Bettelheim, which offers a Freudian interpretation of the tale. The whole story is interpreted as the necessity of independence in thought and action as well as self-reliance in children. According to it, children must overcome the destructive desires of dependence on parents. Otherwise parents and society force them for it. Hence the abandonment of Hansel and Gretel indicates the desire of the parents for the children to be independent. The anxiety of the children for returning home is nothing but an attempt to return to passivity. The appearance of the white dove on the roof to bid farewell, a white bird guiding them to the gingerbread house and the white duck helping them to cross the river denote that it is preferable for the children to risk facing the dangers of the world. According to writer, the gingerbread house and the witch are symbols of mother. It implies that a mother can be a witch if the children yield to oral fixation and regression. Her cruelty is just an encouragement for their growth toward a higher plane of psychological and intellectual existence. Their getting together to outsmart her is, in fact, the virtue and the real achievement of the school-age children who have fought through and mastered the oedipal difficulties. The jewels and the pearls they find and bring home merely symbolize the rich rewards, the positive change of inner attitudes from dependence to independence. The whole adventure of the children is an immense experience which helps them to gain a lot.

Hansel and Gretel      Jacob and Wilhelm Grimm 

‘Hansel and Gretel’ is a fairy tale originally published in Germany by Jacob and Wilhelm Grimm in 1812. It is the story about a poor woodcutter’s family and their struggle to make a living in the world.
According to the story, the woodcutter lived at the edge of the forest with his wife and children, Hansel and Gretel. They were so poor that they would find it hard to live in time of famine which threatened them with starvation. Once during the time of famine, he was obliged to leave his children in the forest. However, Hansel and Gretel managed to return home because they had overheard the conversation between their father and stepmother and then Hansel had his pockets filled with pebbles as a precaution to help them. They were able to return home even it was a dark night because the pebbles that had been dropped by Hansel as the markers guided their return. Although they lived together for sometime, the same fate was awaiting them for the next famine. So when the woodcutter’s family faced another famine, the woodcutter’s wife, stepmother of the children, compelled him as before for leaving the children in the dense forest. This time they failed to return home because Hansel couldn’t collect pebbles as before and he had to drop breadcrumbs on the way. Those breadcrumbs were all eaten by the birds.
So Hansel and Gretel started walking in the forest and on the third day with the help of a white bird they reached a gingerbread house. They had no idea that a witch lived there and she would eat children. At first she entertained them with delicious food and then put the boy in a shed to fatten so that she could eat him with a great delight. However, Gretel was clever enough to do away with the witch and save her brother. Later they returned home with pearls and precious stones which they found in the gingerbread house. On the way they crossed a stream by the help of a duck. They lived happily with their father who had lost his wife in the meantime.




Important Questions from Hansel and Gretel by Grimm Brothers
Short Answer Questions
1. What do the bird and the expanse of water symbolizes in the fairy tale ‘Hansel and Gretel’? [2057] 2. How did the witch receive the two children in their first night at the witch’s house? [2059] 3. How did Hansel and Gretel free themselves from the witch? [2060]


Long Answer Questions
1. Briefly narrate the story of Hansel and Gretel. [2062] 2. Narrate the story of Hansel and Gretel. [2066]
Glossary: [starvation: to suffer from hunger, dense forest: forest having large number of trees (घना जङ्गल), breadcrumbs: very small pieces of dry bread]

Purgatory        William Butler Yeats 

‘Purgatory’ is a poetic-play which is open to wider perception. It can also be regarded as a symbolic play written by Anglo-Irish poet and playwright W.B. Yeats. It deals with the destruction of an honored house.
The play is based on the concept and theme that the souls in purgatory revisit the scenes of their earthly activities and ‘relieve’ their transgressions, and thereby understand them. Then alone can they be freed from their taint. If they fail to understand their actions, they will be condemned to other unhappy lives. In the given play a spirit suffers because of its share, when alive, in the destruction of an honored house, which may be interpreted as the symbol of Ireland.
According to the play, the daughter of an aristocratic family married her groom, a drunkard who simply wanted her money to spend lavishly. This caused separation between her and her cultured mother. Later she gave birth to a son known as the Old Man in the play and breathed her last. Although he was not brought up properly, he managed to have education through the help of a gamekeeper’s wife and a catholic curate. In course of time when he was about sixteen years old, his father being drunk burned down the house and he stabbed his father dead with a knife. Then due to fear of being caught, he became a wanderer and went about as a peddler and adventurer. After a time he returned to the scene of his crime, the ruined house where his parents used to live.
Presently he finds the house haunted by his mother’s spirit who comes to relive her past experience. There has been a great change in his appearance. He has a son by his side born between him and a thinker’s daughter. The knife with which he had slain his father is still with him. At the sight of his mother’s spirit, a thought occurs to him that she will never know peace as long as the consequences of her deed, the marriage, are still present. Being convinced that his mother’s spirit can be relieved from the taint by bringing the pollution and consequence to an end, he stabs his son to death with the same knife. He does it because he feels that his sixteen-year old son is the consequence of her deed.
But the tragedy consists in his realization that neither this murder nor anything can save her from the taint. Therein the patient must minister to herself.
In other words, if the consequence of the transgression is more upon the self than upon others, there can be no help except in the self and in the mercy of God. Hence, it is essential for the spirit to repent for her transgression in order to have salvation. However, it doesn’t turn out to be as easy as Old Man expects. Prior to killing his son as an attempt to help his mother’s spirit, he has a vague suspicion about it. In order to remorse, she has to relive the transgression in exact detail which involves renewing the sexual act. The sexual out is attached with pleasure. Hence he wonders “If pleasure and remorse must both be there which is the greater?”
Along with this metaphysics of individual responsibility for one’s own salvation, Yeats has woven his aristocratic disdain for his newly independent country, Ireland. The cultured
27 www.hsebnotes.com 

woman who married her drunkard groom can be interpreted as the symbol of Ireland. The woman prior to marriage stands for old and prosperous Ireland that was led by cultured people and the woman after the marriage symbolize the New Ireland governed by parvenus who have neither old culture nor wisdom. The act of murder represents and reflects Yeast’s will to end the New Ireland.
The views expressed by the playwright after opening performance of ‘Purgatory’ justifies the same aspect. According to him, “In my play a spirit suffers because of its share, when alive, in the destruction of an honored house. That destruction is taking place all over Ireland today.”
Thus, the play appears to be quite significant on account of its spiritual and political appeal.







Important Questions from Purgatory by Y.B. Yeats
Short Answer Questions
1. Why did the Old Man kill his own son? [2058] 2. What is the Old Man’s motive in murdering the Boy? [2067, 2069]
Long Answer Questions
1. Sketch the character of an Old Man. [2063] 2. “We are always punished for our sins.” Elaborate this statement. [2064] 3. Interpret the play ‘Purgatory’ from any perspective you like. [2069]
Glossary: [transgressions: something done against the law, freed: allow to leave, taint: to spoil something, aristocratic: rich, lavishly: carelessly, gamekeeper: someone who looks after wild animals and birds that are going to be hunted, curate: a person who works in the church of England and whose job is to help the priest, peddler: the person who sells something (esp. drugs and goods of bad quality) by roaming countries, ruined: destroyed, slain: to kill someone in  a violent way, repent: to feel sorry, salvation: when god saves someone from evil, vague: not clear, remorse: the feeling that you are sorry for something bad you have done, metaphysics: a branch of philosophy, woven: gone somewhere by moving a lot of things, disdain: when you think someone do not deserve respect, parvenus: a person of obscure origin who has gained wealth, influence or celebrity]

The Children Who Wait       Marsha Traugot 

‘The Children Who Wait’ is an essay written by an American writer Marsha Traugot. The author in this essay explains a new trend in adoption. According to her, presently varieties of families have opened their homes to children who have been labeled unadoptable. She explains the causes that had led to this kind of situation.
The essay begins with a description of handicapped girl who is expecting ideal adoptive family for her. The girl is 5 and half years old having a light brown complexion. She is the victim of fetal alcohol syndrome. The writer explains that the social worker of this girl Tammy is looking for a one or two parent, black or biracial family with old children. She further explains that, twenty years ago, there was a different situation. During that time only healthy white babies were adopted by white families. Non-white children and handicapped babies were not adoptable. One-parent adoptions were not in practice. Further only infants were permitted for the adoption. Social workers used to look for middle class, home-owning two parents, one-career families for the children in their care.
According to the writer, there are various reasons that have brought about the changes in the given situation. One of them is the civil rights movement. It has raised the standard of justice and humanity. It also encouraged liberal whites to adopt non white babies for the sake of racial integration. In addition to it, the women’s movement, availability of birth control, legalized abortion, change of attitude towards sex and marriage etc. caused the scarcity of white babies. Besides, unwed mothers and teenagers began to look after their children. Because of these reasons, the attention has been drawn to the children who have been waiting for the adoption.
Besides these reasons, economic reality and the miserable condition of these orphans in the institution compelled the social workers and government authorities to change their rules and regulations for the adoptions.
This time the social workers have concentrated on the buzzword-matching. According to it, selection of the adoptive family depends upon the nature of the baby to be adopted. For instance, a 15-year old boy having the aggressive background needs the family that has a strong male to control as well to look after the boy. The social worker has to overlook the barriers for the better selection. In order to find out the right family, a social worker launches the search individually and through different agencies even to the extent of employing media blitzes.
Important Questions from The Children Who Wait by Marsha Traugot
Short Answer Questions
1. Whom does Marsha Traugot refer to as the children who wait? [2057] 2. Why was it difficult for the handicapped and the black children to find Foster family? [2060]


3. According to Traugot, what changes are transforming American adoption scene? What factors are responsible for the changes? [2060] 4. What kinds of parents were considered suitable for adopting children? What kinds of children were considered ‘Unadoptable’? [2062] 5. How do adoption agencies find the potential parents? [2064] 6. What had happened to the handicapped children in the past? [2065]
Glossary: [handicapped: not to be able to use a part of a body or mind, syndrome: a combination of physical problems that often goes in a particular illness, infants: babies, blitzes: a lot of activities to achieve something in a short period of time]

Women’s Business        Ilene Kantrov 

‘Women’s Business’ is an essay written by Ilene Kantrov. It is an account of a few business women in America who prospered in their business due to their innovative strategies. 
According to the writer, these women made use of different techniques to succeed in their business. First of all, they exploited their images as women to motivate the customers. In other words, they projected themselves as being women, mothers, and grandmothers etc. besides that they also created the impression that they were social activists, philanthropists, social reformers and saviors of their sex and race. At the same time, they gave the impression that they were selling more than a mere product. They did so by including advices on practical aspects of life and distributing booklets among the customers. They presented themselves as the capitalists who were motivated by the desire to serve as well as sell.
Although they seemed to favor altruism, they could not hesitate to give priority to the profit in case of the conflict between profit and altruism. Since their main concern was to sell the products to women, they tried their best to encourage the women for bypassing the business men. At times, they were found to be unscrupulous for the sake of profit. For instance, Lydia Pinkham who used to sell vegetable compound as the medicine for feminine weakness included sufficient alcohol into it. Thus she sold booze although she championed the women’s rights. Lydia Pinkham was the first lady who got into business in the second half of the nineteenth century. Prior to that, she was a housewife who used to make folk remedies to her families. She was obliged to get into business when her husband’s real estate business collapsed. She made extravagant claims about her medicine. She depended on an advertisement and also included testimonial from women reporting cures for many physical symptoms. She convinced the women that her medicine was the best remedy for all the feminine weakness including infertility, nervousness, hysteria etc. She became a popular figure and earned 200,000 dollars in 1881. Other women followed her techniques, Margaret Rudkim, Jenie Grosiner, Elizabeth Arden, Helena Rubinstein and Annie Turnbo-Malons etc. were some well known female capitalists. They imitated Lydia Pinkham in every possible way. For instance, Grosinger who had a resort hotel exploited the image of a grandmother and served 150,000 guests every year. As for Helena and Elizabeth, they presented themselves as glamorous socialites. They even used their marriage with European Aristocrats for publicity.
Important Questions with Answer from Women’s Business by Ilene Kantrov
Short Answers Questions
1. Why did Lydia Pinkham first begin to sell her products? [2058] 2. How did women start and flourish their business in America? [2061] 3. What is the main idea of the essay? [2064] 4. How did Pinkham act as savior of her sex? Explain. [2069]
Glossary: [philanthropist: donor, altruism: well being of others, unscrupulous: unfair behavior, booze: alcoholic drink, extravagant: wasting money]

I Have a Dream       Martin Luther King, Jr. 

‘I Have a Dream’ is an unforgettable speech delivered by civil right campaigner Martin Luther King Jr. in 1963. He delivered the speech on August 28 at Lincoln Memorial on the occasion of the centennial of Lincoln’s Emancipation Proclamation. In this speech, he emphasized equality and justice. In course of the speech, he criticized the policy of segregation and discrimination as well as the necessity for launching the non-violent movement. According to the speaker, despite the proclamation made by Lincoln in 1863 to free the Negro slaves, they were still victims of segregation and discrimination. Also they were obliged to lead their lives in poverty and still they were deprived of freedom. According to him, the black people in America found themselves as exile. He argued that the constitution and declaration of independence guaranteed the unalienable rights of life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness. However this kind of promissory note was found to be invalid. The speaker admitted that the court of justice also refused to do justice to the black people in this regard.
The speaker insisted on fierce urgency for the implementation of the constitution. He argued that it was not the time to think about gradualism. Instead it was the right time to put on end to segregation and the racial injustice. He pointed out that it was the time for implementing the promises of democracy with equal opportunity to all. Irrespective of sex, race etc. Further he referred to the determination of the black people with a tone of warning. He also warned that this discontent would continue until they would achieve freedom and equality. According to him, there would be neither rest nor peace till their demands were accomplished.
He also advised his followers not to be guilty of wrongful deeds. They should think of achieving the freedom through discipline and dignity. He suggested they should fight with soul force without distrusting all the white people. Later, he criticized the police brutality and said that there would be no satisfaction so long as the black were suppressed and oppressed. He encouraged his followers by saying that their unearned suffering would be redemptive. Finally he admitted that he dreamt of an ideal American society where there would be a sense of brotherhood between the white and the black and expressed his hope that all the discords would be converted into the symphony of brotherhood. He also instructed his followers to go back to their places with optimistic message of the change in the situation. His speech ends with a note that the song of freedom will echo and reecho from each and every nook and cranny of America.

Important Questions from I Have a Dream by Martin Luther King Jr.
Short Answer Questions
1. What is Martin Luther King complaining about? [2063] 2. What is the real dream of Martin Luther King about the future of America? [2065, 2067] 3. To what extent does King’s personal authority lend power to his words? [2066] 


Long Answer Questions
1. What is the historical significance of Martin Luther King’s speech? [2057] 2. What is the dream Martin Luther King Jr. has? How is he going to achieve it? [2061] 3. Argue in favor of some course of action in a situation that you consider an injustice. Racial injustice is one possible area, or unfairness to any minority, or to women, children, the old, ex-convicts, the handicapped, the poor. If possible narrow subject to a particular incident or a local situation on which you can write knowledgeably. [2061 4. Describe the dream which Martin Luther King had in his speech ‘I have a Dream’. [2068] 5. Discuss ‘I have a Dream’ as a plea for freedom and equality. [2069]
Glossary: [emphasize: to show that something really needs attention, segregation: separation of a group from another, deprive: to take something away, exile: when someone has to leave their home and live in another country, unalienable: not to be given away, pursuit: when you try to achieve a plan, activity or situation, fierce: strong, powerful, dignity: calm and serious behavior, brutality: violent and cruel, suppressed: to stop someone by using force, oppressed: treated in an unfair way, redemptive: improving, discords: disagreement, symphony: a long piece of music, nook & cranny: something remote, (कुना-कुना)]

God’s Grandeur         Gerard Manley Hopkins 

‘God’s Grandeur’ is a poem written by an English poet, Hopkins. It is a sonnet through which the poet praises the magnificence and the glory of God in the world, blending accurate observation with lofty imagination. The poem is based on the concept that God is kind enough to have created the splendid world whose freshness and greatness kept on increasing for centuries despite the pollution caused by man.
According to the poet, the world is filled with the grandeur of God. It keeps on shining like gold tinsel and becoming greater and greater. The poet wonders about the reluctance of men to pay attention to the command of God although they are gifted with such a beautiful world. Further, he indicates the noisy activities of man on the earth. According to it, the earth has been habituated by man for generations after generations. As such, they are activated with trade and toil. Owing to this reason, the world is polluted bearing the smudge and smell of man as well as bare soil. The poet ironically points out that man is unable to perceive the pollution and soil erosion because of his shoes on. It indicates the lack of sensitivity in man.
Despite the damage done to nature, it is not exhausted. Its freshness continues to be present as before because the world is fresh from its core. In addition to it, Holy Ghost has designed the world to be fresh and bright. For this reason, the last light of the day leaves the world from the black west and returns to it in the morning at the brown brink (edge) eastward. This happens because the God at the horizon broods with warm breast and bright wings.
The poem is found to be simple despite the lofty imagination. It consists of a serious religious tone. Above all, it is based on the poet’s optimistic way of thinking. The first eight lines are devoted to the description of contrastive pictures of the world filled with grandeur of God and pollution of man. The last six lines take the form of a meditation on the freshness of nature preserved by Holy Ghost.

Important Questions from God’s Grandeur by Hopkins
Short Answer Questions
1. Give reasons why men are unaware of the greatness of god? [2058] 2. What is the central idea of the poem ‘God’s Grandeur’? [2059, 2061, 2062, 2068, 2069] 3. How the glory of God is praised in the poem ‘God’s Grandeur’? [2067]
Long Answer Questions
1. What is the central idea of the poem ‘God’s Grandeur’?
Glossary: [grandeur: beauty, tinsel: long shiny string used in decoration, reluctance: when someone does not want to do something, toil: to do difficult work for a long time, ironically: a type of humor in which people say exactly opposite of what they mean, perceive: notice, Holy Ghost: The third person in the trinity (trinity: The Christian godhead as one god in three persons: Father, Son and Holy Ghost), broods: family of young animals or birds, lofty: of a good nature]

The Last Voyage of the Ghost Ship    Gabriel Garcia Marquez 

 

‘The Last Voyage of the Ghost Ship’, written in the stream of consciousness style, traces the growth of an ordinary boy to an assertive young man. In addition to the depiction of the character, the story deals with the “Ghost Ship” that appears once in a year at night and sinks without a sound. It is written by Columbian novelist and story writer, Gabriel Garcia Maquiz.
According to the story, the narrator happens to be an orphan. As a boy he was brought up by his widow mother who died in course of time leaving him alone in the world. As a result he had to resort to the stealing of the fish from the boat and maintain his life in a miserable way. In those days when his mother was alive, he used to stay very late on the beach to enjoy the surroundings. He remembers having encountered the ghost ship for the first time. It was the largest ship he had ever seen. Surprisingly enough, it groped its way towards the channel and then suddenly headed towards the shoals as if something went wrong with the channel, where it sank without any sound. He found himself frozen with fright and thought that it could be a dream. This happened in the month of March. Being not sure about it, he kept the matter to himself. 
However, he was puzzled to see the same spectacle in the next year at the same time. This time he was so sure of himself that he revealed the things to his mother. Naturally she did not believe in him and was worried over his activities. At the third time, being confident he created a great fuss at night causing the fright among the people of the village. They lost their temper when they failed to notice any ghost sip as was told to them by the boy. So they calmed their anger by covering him with blows.
On account of this event, the boy made up his mind to show them who he was. With this determination at heart, he started waiting for the next season. When the time came, he managed to steal a boat and kept waiting for the ship. Exactly at the same time in the same place it appeared. It was an intermittent ship disappearing in beacon light and reappearing in the dark night. The mysterious liner moved as if its compasses were out of order. It was grouping for the invisible channel but actually heading for the shoals. There he understood as if he got a revelation then he lighted the lantern in the boar. Surprisingly enough, the liner corrected its course and entered the main gate of the channel in the movement of lucky resurrection.
The lights of the lines went on and the boilers wheezed with variety of sounds filling the atmosphere. It appeared as if the life that had ceased long ago was renewed. Although, he was frightened by such miracle, his determination to let the people see who he was activated him take the confidence of the ship which was twenty times taller than steeple and ninety seven times longer than the village. He guided the ship till he was sure of its obedience. Then he made it change the direction towards the lights of the sleeping village. It headed into the village causing cataclysm and shattering the ground. Ninety thousand five hundred champagne glasses were broken and the whole atmosphere was illuminated with the light of the ship. The disbelievers watched it with their open mouth.

The story reads like a fable with full of supernatural touch. It sounds rather strange and uncanny. Although, the whole story is narrated in one sentence with the technique of interior monologue, the readers find the story interesting due to the style of narration.
Important Questions from The Last Voyage of the Ghost Ship by Garcia Maquiz
Short Answer Questions
1. What does the refrain of the boy “Now they’re going to see who I am” mean? [2061] 2. Why did the boy have to prove who he was? [2064]
Long Answer Questions
1. Narrate the story of the boy’s growth from an ordinary boy to an assertive young man. [2057]
Glossary: [voyage: a long journey by ship, stream of consciousness style: it is a narrative way to portray one’s point of view, assertive: behaving in confident way, resort: a place where many people go for holiday, groped: to try to get hold of something by hand usually without the sight of the object, fuss: getting excited about (usually) something unimportant, intermittent: stopping and starting again for a short period of time, boar: wild pig, resurrection: existing again after a long period of time, wheezed: a lung problem causing to breathe with a noisy sound, steeple: a church tower that has a point at the top, cataclysm: violent event, champagne: French white wine, fable: a short story, uncanny: strange and impossible to explain, interior monologue: a piece of writing expressing a character’s inner thought]

Hurried trip to avoid a Bad star    M. Lilla and C. Bishop Barry 

‘Hurried Trip to Avoid a Bad Star’ is an extract form the article ‘Karnali, Roadless World of Western Nepal’ written by two American geographers. It gives a short account of the life of the people in Karnali.
According to it, people in Karnali are peasant folks as in other parts of Nepal with the land which is not sufficient for their subsistence. Hence they are obliged to combine farming with other pursuits to survive such as selling silazit, medicinal herbs, hashish, hand-knit sweaters, blankets etc. in Nepalgunj. In order to make a living, they have to make constant movement to and fro with their goods and animals over the dangerous paths of the region.
People living in this part are quite innocent and superstitious. Some of the people form these parts go to Terai regions to find the work and return home after several years. Unfortunately, most of the people lack education to understand the value of the forest. On account of this reason, deforestation has been on the increase. They feel that they are obliged to depend on the forest area to feed their animals. If the forest continues to be destroyed at this pace, there will be no trees left in this part of the country for the future.
Since the land is not fertile, they get little out of it and earn money through other means and activities. Terai is the bread-basket of Nepali and hence for Karnali too. People from Karnali at their visit to Nepalgunj swarm from shop to shop in the bazaar and buy things like cotton cloth, aluminum, ironware, spice, distillery equipment etc. above all one finds them extremely simple with a very small universe surrounding them.

Important Questions from Hurried Trip to Avoid a Bad Star by M. Lilla and C. Barry Short Answer Questions
1. How is Karnali liked economically with the low land regions to the south? [2057, 2061, 2063, 2068] 2. What did the two writers learn about the life and culture of the people of the Karnali region during their journey on foot? [2059] 3. Give a short account of the life of the people of Karnali as you find in ‘Hurried Trip to Avoid a Bad Star’. [2066, 2069]
Glossary: [folks: people, subsistence: material, hashish: a kind of herb that is used to smoke (गाँजा), fro: forward, superstitious: believing objects or events to be lucky or unlucky, swarm: a large group of things, generally insects moving together]

Full Fathom Five Thy Father Lies           -William Shakespeare 

 

‘Full Fathom Five Thy Father Lies’ is an extract taken from Shakespeare’s play ‘The Tempest’. It is in the form of a song sung by the spirit Ariel before the prince of Naples, Ferdinand who mistakenly thinks that his father is drowned. The spirit refers to the death as something that brings about a wonderful change to the person who is dead. Thus the poem gives the impression to the readers that death is meaningful and one should not worry as well as lament about it. The poem seems to be an attempt of consolation for Ferdinand.
The speaker begins the song by informing Ferdinand that his father lies at the bottom of deep water measured to five fathoms with a lot of sea change taking over him. According to it, his father’s bones have turned into coral and his eyes are converted into pearls. In place of decaying the body has undergone a rich and wonderful sea change. The sea nymphs announce his death by ringing his knell: Ding-dong. The speaker tells the prince that the sound is still heard.
The way the poem (song) is presented with the help of literary devices such as onomatopoeia, alliteration and assonance show that death is different from what we think it to be. It is meaningful that may announce the beginning of another kind of life and death. These devices enhance the musical qualities of the song making the death as something that needs to be celebrated. Thus they contribute to the theme and the meaning of the poem. The expression “Ding-dong” appears to be significant as it sounds like the announcement about the end of one thing and the beginning of another thing. It may be a suggestion that there is life after death and it is going to be more glorious than the life we lead on earth.
Important Questions from Full Fathom Five Thy Father Lies by Shakespeare
Sort Answer Question(s)
1. Write the central idea of the poem ‘Full Fathom Five Thy Father Lies’. [2067]
Long Answer Questions
1. How does Shakespeare present the meaningfulness of death in the poem ‘Full Fathom Five Thy Father Lies’? Give your own idea about the meaningfulness of death in our life.[2069]
Glossary: [Naples: ancient city of Rome (currently Italy), consolation: something that makes you feel better about a bad situation, fathom: a unit to measure the depth of water (approximately six ft per unit), full fathom five: 5 x 6 = 30 ft, nymphs: angel, a spirit of young girl living in trees and mountains, onomatopoeia: words named after the sound associated with itself (e.g. buzz, murmur), alliteration: the occurrence of the same letter on adjacent or closely connected words (e.g. ding-dong, kill-bill), assonance: same vowel sounds used with different consonants (e.g. penitence-reticence]

Revealing his perception about mysterious Love, Anton Chekov in his story ‘About Love’ expresses that love is governed by emotions which doesn’t care any physical restriction. Describing three love stories, the writer puts forward logic that, “Love is different in each situation and it isn’t confined within marital relationship”.
In a rainy day Alyohin narrated these love stories to his friends while having breakfast. Nikanor, a cook was in love with a beautiful maid servant Pelageya and they were living in the same house although they weren’t married. When Nikanor was drunk and had a violent temper he used to abuse and beat her. Sometimes, she had to hide herself to avoid misconduct from Nikanor. Being a person of religious conviction, Nikanor insisted that she marry him. However, she didn’t want to marry with him, rather she was ready to live with him just so, despite their contradictory views and characters, they were in deep love with each other which was a great mystery.
Alyohin, the narrator, while studying at universities used to be in love with a university girl and was living with her in the same house. Although, Alyohin wanted to devote himself completely in love, the girl constantly used to think about monetary and household matters and about destiny of their love. He considered such behaviors in love would be the hindrance and source of irritation and dissatisfaction.
The writer through this story suggests that Love is a great mystery and everything which has been written about love is only a statement of questions that have remained unanswered. The explanation that would fit in one case does not apply to a dozen others. Hence the writer concludes that every case of love should be explained separately without generalization. In other words, each case should be individualized. The next story can be taken as an illustration about love not bound by marital relations. It is about love between Alyohin and Anna Alexeyevna, the wife of Luganovich. It ends with separation between the lovers. The writer has treated love as an emotion and passion that cannot be controlled by wisdom and sense of reason.
Alyohin, the narrator of the story, holds the view that the people in love always ask themselves whether it is honorable or dishonorable, sensible or stupid and so on. He feels that it is a hindrance and a source of dissatisfaction and irritation. On the base of his experience, he admits that one must reason about love from either higher or more important level than happiness as well as unhappiness or one most not reason at all. He narrates his experience in love with a married woman Anna.
According to it, after his graduation from the university he was obliged to look after the farm because his estate was heavily mortgaged for the sake of his education. He tried to maintain the civilized living with his hard work in the field. In those days he was elected as honorary justice of the peace. So he had to visit the town to take part in legal matters frequently. He made friends in the town who would receive him warmly. One of them was Luganovich, the assistant president of the circuit court. Once he invited the narrator to his house for dinner. There the narrator was introduced with his wife Anna who was in her early twenties. She was 5 www.hsebnotes.com 

beautiful, kind, intelligent and fascinating. The narrator sensed himself being familiar with her. Luganovich was also good natured and simple minded. He was in his forties. They had a conversation about the legal matters. Luganovich had a strong conviction against guilty people.
After that, the intimacy between them increased. Very soon he became one of their family members. The memory of Anna haunted him when he was at the village. He felt the presence of her shadow on his soul. He always experienced the feeling of nearness. She seemed to be equally influenced by him and greeted him with anxious air. On several occasions they would stay together and walk here and there. Both Luganovich and Anna looked worried about him and his way of living. They wanted to help him in different ways. The narrator Alyohin sometimes regretted that she had not met hem before her marriage with Luganovich. Although they were attracted towards one another, they did not confess their love. The narrator thought that she could not be happy with him as his wife. She also reasoned the same way. In course of time, she became moody and recognized that her life was without satisfaction. She displayed an odd irritation with him. At the end he was separated from her when her husband got an appointment in the western province. Being sick she left for the Crimea. At the time of the farewell, he ran into her compartment to place a basket while the train started moving away from the platform. There, both of them lost their restraint and came together. They confessed their love for one another in tears and embraced. After that, they separated.
The story of the narrator clearly illustrates the point that their successful efforts to suppress their deep and genuine longing for one another resulted into grief, disorder and sickness. Owing to the divided feelings and emotions, Anna could not do justice either to her family or her love or herself. The mental pressure drove her indifferent to her family and made her a sick woman. Likewise, the troublesome life led by the cook, Nikanor and his beloved Pelageya is the outcome of such fruitless reflection. 

Important Questions from About Love by Anton Chekov Short Answer Questions
1. What kinds of love experiences are suggested by Alyohin in ‘About Love’? [2057] 2. How did Alyohin define love?[2064, 2065] 3. Sketch the character of Luganovich briefly. [2068] 4. Why is Alyohin compared with “Squirrel in Cage” in the story ‘About Love’? Elaborate [2069]

Long Answer Questions
1. Sketch the character of Alyohin. [2062]
Glossary: [perception: belief, conviction: found to be guilty of a crime, contradictory: different, obliged: feel forced to do something, mortgaged: something valuable kept to lend money as an insurance of return ( िधतो ), intimacy: special friendship restraint: control, embraced: to hug or hold lovingly]

  ‘The Grandmother’ is a poem composed by an American-Indian poet. In this poem, the poet Ray Young Bear draws a picture of his grandmother, all-loving, all-inspiring. The remarkable quality of this poem is its appeal to the four senses such as sight, smell, hears and feeling. The poem shows the devotion of the speaker towards his grandmother who seems to have a great influence upon him.
The speaker draws different images of his grandmother, which appeal to the senses of sight, smell, hearing and feeling. According to it, the speaker admits that he can recognize the shape of his grandmother from a mile away returning home with a plastic shopping bag in her hand and the purple scarf round her neck. At this stage, the readers find the image of an active woman involved in daily activities such as going to the market.
The speaker again points out that he knows the hands of his grandmother for their warmth. By feeling the hands which happen to be warm and damp with the smell of roots coming from them, he is quick to conclude that they are the hands of his grandmother. This description makes the readers see the image of a kind warm hearted woman of a rural area. The words warm and damp and smell of roots’ appeal to the senses of smelling and feeling.
At the last part of the poem, the speaker mentions that he recognizes the voice of his grandmother when it comes from a rock and her words flow inside him with a glow. This expression begets the images of hard-working woman of the hills and a soft spoken woman with full of love and inspiring for the speaker. These images appeal to the senses of hearing and feeling. The last reference of the poem to her words flowing inside him like the light at night indicates his deep affection and attachment towards his grandmother. In addition to it, on account of the references to the smell of roots and a voice coming from a rock, the grandmother becomes more significant with a symbolical connection to the oldest part of the earth. 

Important Questions from Grandmother by Ray Young Bear
Short Answer Questions
1. What are the four things that Ray Young Bear remembers about his grandmother? [2057] 2. What is the main idea of the poem ‘Grandmother’ by Ray Young Bear? [2063] 3. What impression of grandmother does the speaker give in the poem ‘Grandmother’? [2065]

Glossary: [devotion: love or loyalty, beget: bring about, give rise to]