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Memories of Childhood Summary in English by Zitkala-Sa, Bama

Memories of Childhood by Zitkala-Sa, Bama About the Author

Born Gertrude Simmons Bonnin, (Zitkala-Sa) (22 February 1876 – 26 January 1938) was a Sioux writer, editor, musician, teacher and political activist. She was the co-founder of the National Council of American Indians in 1926. Her articles were published in the ‘Atlantic Monthly’ from 1900 to 1902 and in ‘Harper’s Monthly’. Most of her work is focused on tensions between tradition and assimilation and literature and politics. She was also an active member of the society of ‘American Indians which published the ‘American Indian’ Magazine. She worked for the recognition of native American culture and traditions but at the same time advocated US citizenship rights for American Indians to bring them into the mainstream.

Bama (Born: 1958-) is a Tamil novelist. Her autobiographical novel Karukku (1992) brought her fame. After this she wrote two novels Sangati and Vanmam along with two collections of short stories. Kusumbukkaran and Oru Tattvum Erumaiyum. She was born in a Roman Catholic family in Madras.

Most of her novels focus on caste and gender discrimination and that prevailing in Christians and Hindus. Her works embody the Dalit feminism and celebrate the inner strength of the subaltern woman.

Author Name	Zitkala-Sa
Born	22 February 1876, Yankton Reservation, South Dakota, United States
Died	26 January 1938, Washington, D.C., United States
Spouse(s)	Raymond Bonnin
Movies and TV shows	New England Conservatory of Music (1897–1899), Earlham College (1897)
Nationality	American

Memories of Childhood Introduction to the Chapter

The “Memories of Childhood”, written by Zitkala-Sa and Bama has extracts taken from the writings of two different female writers from the marginalised communities. In both these autobiographical extracts, the writers narrate the painful experiences of their childhood when they were subjected to humiliation merely as they belonged to backward tribes or communities. The former is a victim of racial discrimination, whereas the latter is a victim of caste discrimination.

The first part titled ‘The Cutting of My Long Hair’ is by the extraordinarily talented and educated Native American writer, Gertrude Simmons Bonnin (pen name Zitkala-Sa). Her works criticised the dogma and the evils of oppression towards the Native American culture and women. The second part ‘Vie too are Human Beings’ is written by Bama, a Tamil Dalit woman from a Roman Catholic family. This is an excerpt from her 1992 autobiography, ‘Karukku’. This excerpt relates her first experience with untouchability.

Memories of Childhood Theme

The chapter, ‘Memories of Childhood’ explores the theme of prejudices and humiliation faced by the marginalised communities. The chapter tells us how the two brave girls stood up for their own and community rights, using their talent and education.

Memories of Childhood Summary in English

The Cutting of My Long Hair – Zitkala-Sa

The first day in school was a bitter and cold day. The noise made by the breakfast bell, the clatter of the shoes and the constant murmuring voices in a foreign tongue annoy the author. She sees many girls dressed in clinging dresses with stiff shoes and shingled hair. She finds the breakfast ritual of doing things according to the bell, strange. She calls it eating by formula. More atrocities were to follow for the new girl.

Zitkala-Sa’s friend overhears a talk about cutting r the long hair of the new girls. For Zitkala-Sa, this was absolutely atrocious. She belonged to a Native American warrior tribe. Their tradition was to keep long and heavy hair. Only those warriors captured by the enemy had their hair shingled. Short hair was worn by mourners, and shingled hair by cowards. Zitkala-Sa tries to rebel by hiding herself, but finally gets caught. Her voluble protests bear no fruit and her hair is also shingled forcibly on the very first day. This extract describes the narrator’s agony. She lost her beautiful long hair. Nobody provided comforit to her. Other children in the school had shingled hair. So she felt herself as one of the many animals driven by a herder.

We too are Human Beings—Bama

Bama was an innocent child living in a village. She had never heard of the word untouchability during her childhood. Certain small incidents of her life made her feel that she was born in the marginalised caste. She was a happy peppy girl. She loved the short-but- long walk from her school to her home. The plethora of beauty that she experienced on the way back from school made her very happy.

The performing monkey, the snake charmer, the Maariyaata temple, the pongal offerings being cooked in front of the temple—she could just go on and on looking at the beautiful sights. Once when she was in the class 3, while going home, she saw her people working hard for their landlords. In spite of their hard work, the landlords humiliated them.

Bama further narrates how an elder of their street had to act in a humiliating manner just because he belonged to the Dalit community. The village landlord sent the elderly man to get some vadai for him. The man held the packet by its string. He was not supposed to touch the packet as his touch would pollute the vadai. That is why, he had to carry the packet by its string. When Bama’s elder brother told her all the reasons behind this, her mind filled with revolt. She was enraged thinking why her elders work so hard for those people who despised them so much.

She wanted her people to stop paying undue respect and reverence to the upper caste people. Her brother told her that if they study hard and progress in their lives, it would help them in throwing away the indignities. Education is their weapon with which they fight back the society. Bama did the same and got many friends in her life. Education gave her double¬sided sword to fight very sharply against the unjustified caste system.

Memories of Childhood Summary Questions and Answers

Question 1.
How was Zitkala-Sa different from the other Native American students?
Answer:
Zitkala-Sa was a Native American girl. She had great love for her tradition and culture. She was proud of her beliefs. She held these beliefs close to her heart and felt hurt when the rest of the girls followed the foreign culture without any hesitation.

Question 2.
Mention any two reasons because of which it would take thirty minutes to an hour for Bama to reach home? (Memories of Childhood—We too are human beings)
OR
What would take ‘Bama’ half an hour to cover ten minutes distance?
Answer:
There were many reasons why Bama took long to reach home. She would watch all the fun and games going on the road, she would also look at the shops and bazaars; she loved looking at the performing monkey and the snake charmers. The various food stalls, the street plays, the political meetings, the Maariyaata temple, the pongal offerings being cooked in front of the temple—she could just go on and on looking at the beautiful sights.

Question 3.
Why was the girl tied to a chair in Memories of Childhood?
Answer:
The girl, Zitkala-Sa was refusing to accept the school’s decision to shingle the hair of all girls. According to her traditions and customs, a girl’s long hair was shingled only when captured by enemy, in mourning or for cowards. She felt insulted and hid herself. She was finally caught and forcefully tied to a chair and her long hair was chopped off.

Question 4.
Why did Zitkala-Sa not want her hair to be cut short?
Answer:
Zitkala-Sa belonged to a Native American warrior tribe. Their tradition was to keep long and heavy hair. Only those warriors, captured by the enemy, had their hair shingled. Short hair was worn by mourners, and shingled hair by cowards. Therefore, for her, this was absolutely atrocious.

Question 5.
When did Bama first come to know of the social discrimination faced by the people of her community?
Answer:
Bama came to know of the social discrimination when she was in class 3. On her way back from school, she saw an elder from her community carrying a small packet of eatables by a string without touching it. She found it very funny that a huge elderly man was carrying a small packet so strangely. Later on, she discovers from her brother that the real reason was that the landlords were of a higher class and they thought that their food would get polluted, if touched by people from her caste.

Question 6.
How did Zitkala-Sa try to prevent the shingling of her hair?
OR
Describe how Zitkala-Sa tried in vain to save her hair from being cut. Why did she want to save her hair?
Answer:
Zitkala-Sa went upstairs and crawled under a bed to hide herself. But to her plight, she was caught and brought downstairs and tied to a chair. Though she made many voluble protests, they were not fruitful. She cried, shook her head all the while but could not avoid her hair from being shingled.

Zitkala-Sa belonged to a Native American warrior tribe. Their tradition was to keep long and heavy hair. Only those warriors captured by the enemy had their hair shingled. Short hair was worn by mourners, and shingled hair by cowards. Therefore, for her, this was absolutely atrocious.

Question 7.
What are the similarities in the lives of Bama and Zitkala-Sa though they belong to different cultures?
OR
What kind of discrimination did Bama and Zitkala-Sa experience? How did they respond to their respective situations?
Answer:
Both Bama and Zitkala-Sa are victims of racial discrimination. Zitkala-Sa was a Native American and their community was treated poorly. The white skinned settlers of Europe considered local tribes as inferior. Similarly, Bama was a Dalit and was treated badly by the higher caste people. Both of them have painful experiences as they were subjected to humiliation merely as they belonged to backward tribes or communities. Both of them protest in their own ways and try their best to overcome all these humiliations. Zitkala-Sa fights against the shingling of hair by hiding, voicing out her protests aloud. Bama tries to study hard and be successful.

Question 8.
How was Zitkala-Sa’s hair cut?
Answer:
Zitkala-Sa’s hair was cut even after her resistance and strong opposition. It was all in vain since her stiff resistance was met with equally stiff efforts. She was tied to a chair and amidst her loud disapproval, her hair was cut.

Question 9.
Why did the landlord’s man ask Bama’s brother, on which street he lived? What was the significance?
Answer:
The street on which a person lived signified the caste of a person. Each street was dominated by a particular caste.

Question 10.
What did Zitkala-Sa feel when her long hair was cut?
Answer:
Zitkala-Sa was terribly shocked. She was in tears. She cried for her mother. However, no one came to comfort or reason out with her.

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Going Places Summary in English by A.R. Barton

Going Places by A.R. Barton About the Author

A.R. Barton is a modern English writer. He lives in Zurich and has written a number of literary pieces depicting the contemporary problems and issues. In the present story ‘Going Places’ Barton emphasizes that fantasy and imagination end up in being illusions and empty mirages.

Author Name	A R Barton
Born	17 December 1913, London, United Kingdom
Died	4 April 1943, Llandow, United Kingdom
Education	Britannia Royal Naval College
Awards	Distinguished Flying Cross and bar (DFC and bar)
Battles and wars	Battle of Britain, Siege of Malta

Going Places Introduction to the Chapter

The chapter ‘Going Places’, written by A.R. Barton, discusses about the teenagers and their dreams, f The author says that teen age period is all about aspirations. They believe to achieve the impossible f things in life. Most of the teenagers have a role model, whom they worship as their hero.

Going Places Theme

In this chapter, the author stresses on the fact that it is quite natural for teenagers to have unrealistic dreams, especially when their families are not well off. If the fantasies are beyond our approach, it may lead to miseries. Youngsters usually idiolise successful people and dreams of following their footsteps. Their dreams drive them away from the harsh realities of life. This makes it difficult for them to come in terms with life.

Going Places Summary in English

The story revolves around the life of Sophie, a teenager, who like others of her age, is filled with fantasies and desires. She comes from a poor financial background, but hopes to be sophisticated in the future. Sophie dreams of owning a boutique one day or being an actress or fashion designer, but her friend Jansie believes that both of them were earmarked to work for the biscuit factory. Jansie, who is more realistic, tries to make Sophie see reality, but in vain.

Sophie lives in a small house with her parents and brothers, Geoff and little Derek. Though she voices her feelings and desires, her parents ridicule her because they, unlike her, are more mature and know the truths of life.

Sophie finds a sort of fascination for her elder brother Geoff, who is tall, strong, handsome and reserved. She envies his silence and often wonders about his thoughts and areas of his life that she doesn’t know about.

The centre of this story is that Sophie fantasises about Danny Casey, an Irish football player, whom she had seen playing in innumerable matches. She makes up a story about how she met him in the streets and tells this to Geoff. Geoff, who is more sensible than Sophie, does not really believe her, even if she wants to. It seems an unlikely incident for Sophie to meet the prodigy in their street, but when Sophie describes the meeting in detail, he begins to hope that it could be true. She tells him that Danny has promised to meet her somewhere again.

Sophie gets so pulled into the story she made that she herself begins to believe that it’s true. She waits for the Irish player, but obviously, he never arrives. Then, she makes her way home, wondering how her brother would be disappointed on knowing that Danny Casey never showed up. However, Sophie still fantasises about her hero, unperturbed.

The whole story is about unrealistic dreams and how we love to indulge in them knowing all the while that they have little possibility of coming true. The story seems to hint at dreaming within limits. Unless you are impossibly ambitious, hardworking, and have loads of patience and perseverance, such dreams are best kept under lock and key unless you like the taste of bitter disappointment.

Going Places Main Characters in the Chapter

Jansie

Jansie belonged to a middle class family. She was a sensible and a practical girl. She did not have high ambitions in life as she is aware of the realities of her life. She does not believe in fantasies, unlike Sophie. She already knew that she has to work in a biscuit factory after completing school.

Geoff

Geoff was a soft-spoken person and an introvert. He preferred to live in reality and was very hardworking.

Sophie

Sophie was an outspoken and a daydreamer. She had various dreams and fantasies. She refused to accept the realities of life. Belonging to a middle class family, her fantasies were very far away from her reach.

Going Places Summary Reference-to-Context Questions

Read the extracts given below and answer the questions that follow.

1. Jansie, knowing they are both earmarked for the biscuit factory, became melancholy. She wished Sophie wouldn’t say these things. When they reached Sophie’s street Jansie said, “It’s only a few months away now, Soaf, you really should be sensible.

a. Who became sad?
Answer:
Jansie became sad.

b. What does Jansie know?
Answer:
Janise knows that they both are earmarked for the biscuit factory.

c. What are ‘these things’ referred to here?
Answer:
Here, ‘these things’ are referred to the fantasies of Sophie.

d. “You really should be sensible”. Why did she say so?
Answer:
Jansie says so because Sophie has been daydreaming and fantasising those things which can never happen in real life.

2. He was kneeling on the floor in the next room tinkering with a part of his motorcycle over some newspaper spread on the carpet. He was three years out of school, an apprentice mechanic, travelling to his work each day to the far side of the city.

a. Who is ‘he’ here?
Answer:
Here, ‘he’ is Geoff, Sophie’s brother.

b. What was he doing in the next room?
Answer:
He was kneeling on the floor on the next room tinkering with a part of his motorcycle over some newspaper spread on the carpet.

c. For how long had Geoff been out of school?
Answer:
He had been out of school for three years.

d. What was Geoff’s profession?
Answer:
Geoff was an apprentice mechanic. He travelled every day to the far side of the city.

3. And she was jealous of his silence. When he wasn’t speaking it was as though he was away somewhere, out there in the world in those places she had never been.

a. Who is ‘she’ here?
Answer:
Here, ‘she’ is Sophie.

b. Whom was she jealous of?
Answer:
She was jealous of her brother, Geoff.

c. What was the reason of her jealousy?
Answer:
She was jealous of her brother’s silent nature.

d. What did Sophie feel about her brother when he does not speak?
Answer:
According to Sophie, when Geoff does not speak, his mind is travelling some other places where she had never been.

4. And I knew it must be him because he had the accent, you know, like when they interviewed him oh the television. So I asked him for an autograph for little Derek, but neither of us had any paper or a pen.

a. Who is ‘I’ here?
Answer:
Here, ‘I’ is Sophie.

b. About whom is the speaker speaking?
Answer:
The speaker is speaking about Danny Casey, the footballer.

c. How did she know that he was him?
Answer:
She knew that he must be Danny because she recognised his accent which was familiar with the one, she heard on a television interview.

d. Why did they need paper or pen?
Answer:
They needed paper or pen for an autograph.

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A Dog Named Duke Summary in English by William P Ellis

A Dog Named Duke Summary in English

Charles “Chuck” Hooper had everything going for him. He was tall, popular, used to play for the university football team and was now a successful zonal sales manager for a chemical company. He was happily married and had brought home a four year- old Doberman called Duke. But things changed dramatically after a freak accident which left him depressed and bed-ridden for life. After a long stay at the hospital, during which time Duke was kept in a kennel, he returned to an empty home which further heightened his depression and loneliness. His wife Marcy brought Duke back home and right from day one Duke understood his master’s needs and did not leave his bedside even for a moment.

Master and dog spent time staring at each other till one day the dog lost patience and started poking and prodding his master, compelling him to respond. Slowly, he guided his master and pushed him to walk again. Initially, Chuck walked very slowly holding on to the dog’s leash but gradually he started walking by himself. The progress was slow, almost a step at a time, till he was able to walk around his neighbourhood. One day he walked to his old work place and started working—at first for a few hours—till, slowly, he was able to work for a full day. All this time, Chuck was shadowed and guided by his loyal companion, Duke. They became a familiar sight in the neighbourhood. The partnership however came to an abrupt end one day when Duke was hit by a car and succumbed to his injuries.

A Dog Named Duke Summary Questions and Answers

Question 1.
Based on your reading of the story answer the following questions by choosing the correct option.

a. With reference to Hooper, the author says, ‘Every thing was going for him ’. What does it imply?
(i) he had everything that a man aspires for.
(ii) people admired him.
(iii) he did what he wanted.
(iv) he was capable of playing games.
Answer:
He had everything that a man aspires for.

b. Duke never jumped on Chuck again because:
(i) Duke was paralysed and unable to jump.
(ii) Chuck was angry with Duke for jumping at him.
(iii) Duke realized that Chuck was not well and could not balance himself.
(iv) Marcy did not allow Duke to come near Chuck.
Answer:
Duke realized that Chuck was not well and could not balance himself.

c. The author says that Duke ‘knew his job ’. The job was:
(i) to look after Chuck.
(ii) to get Chuck on his feet.
(iii) to humor Chuck
(iv) to guard the house.
Answer:
to get Chuck on his feet.

d. ‘…even Duke’s presence didn’t reach Chuck ‘. Why?
(i) Duke was locked in his kennel and Chuck couldn’t see him.
(ii) Duke hid himself behind the bed post.
(iii) Duke had come to know that Hooper was not well.
(iv) Hooper was lost in his own grief and pain.
Answer:
Hooper was lost in his own grief and pain.

Question 2.
Answer the following questions briefly

a. “In 1953, Hooper was a favored young man. ” Explain.
Answer:
It means that Chuck Hooper had everything going for him. He was a tall young man who had played in the university football team and was now a zonal sales manager for a chemical company. He seemed to have everything that he wanted.

b. “They said that they would create a desk job for Hooper at headquarters. ” Why did they decide to do this?
Answer:
They decided to do this because they wanted to show their support for Chuck during his difficult time. They realized he would not be as active as he had been in the past.

c. “Duke was an extraordinary dog. ” What special qualities did he exhibit to justify this?
Answer:
Duke was truly an extraordinary dog, he was quick to understand his master’s disability and took care not to injure him. Duke also managed to push Hooper out of a rut and gave him the strength and the will to walk again.

d. What problems did Chuck present when he returned to the company headquarters?
Answer:
The problem was that the company did not think that he would be able to contribute much to the work due to his injuries and handicap, yet they did not have the heart to discourage him especially as he was trying so hard to bring some normalcy into his life.

e. Why do you think Charles Hooper’s appointment as Assistant National Manager is considered to be a tribute to Duke?
Answer:
It was a tribute because it was the result of Duke’s persistence, help, support, and love that Hooper regained an interest in life and started working again, to prove that his handicap was not going to limit his abilities.

Question 3.
Following dates were important in Charles Hooper’s life in some way. Complete the table by relating the description with the correct dates.
Answer:

Date	Description
June 1	News spread that Hooper and Duke had made it to an intersection
January 4	Hooper walked independently from the clinic to the branch office
March 1	Hooper planned to start a full day’s work at office
October 12	Duke met with a fatal accident

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How I Taught My Grandmother to Read Summary in English by Sudha Murthy

How I Taught My Grandmother to Read Summary in English

The story is a first-hand narrative in which the author recalls how she taught her grandmother to read. The author’s grandmother had never gone to school as a young girl, but had nursed a deep desire to study. As she grew older, she ensured that her children, and later, her grandchildren were educated.

Her deep desire to read came alive when her granddaughter went to another village to attend a wedding and she was not able to follow one of the stories that her granddaughter used to read out to her, from a magazine. This made her determined to learn to read, even though she was sixty two years old. She asked her granddaughter to be her teacher and the author was amazed at the sincerity and dedication with which she applied herself to her studies.

By Dussehra, the grandmother had learnt to read and on the day of Saraswati Puja, she gifted her granddaughter material for a frock and touched her feet as a mark of respect for her young teacher. In return, the author gifted her grandmother her favourite story, Kashi Yatre, which had inspired her to learn to read and which had now been published as a novel.

How I Taught My Grandmother to Read Summary Questions and Answers

Question 1.
Now that you have enjoyed reading the story, answer the following questions by choosing the correct options.

a. The grandmother could relate to the central character of the story Kashi Yatre as:
(i) both were old and uneducated.
(ii) both had granddaughters who read to them.
(iii) both had a strong desire to visit Kashi.
(iv) both were determined to learn to read.
Answer:
(iii) both had a strong desire to visit Kashi.

b. Why did the women at the temple discuss the latest episode o/Kashi Yatre?
(i) to pass their time.
(ii) the writer, Triveni. was very popular
(iii) they could relate with the protagonist of the serial.
(iv) women have a habit of discussing serials.
Answer:
Because the writer, Triveni, was very popular

c. The granddaughter found her grandmother in tears on her return as:
(i) the grandmother had been unable to read the story ‘Kashi Yatre’ on her own.
(ii) the grandmother had felt lonely.
(iii) the grandmother wanted to accompany her granddaughter.
(iv) she was sad she could not visit Kashi.
Answer:
The grandmother had been unable to read the story Kashi Yatre on her own.

d. Why did the grandmother touch her granddaughter’s feet?
(i) As a mark of respect to her teacher.
(ii) It was a custom in their family.
(iii) Girls should be respected.
(iv) She had read the story of ‘Kashi Yatre’ to her.
Answer:
(i) As a mark of respect to her teacher.

Question 2.
Answer the following questions briefly.

a. What made Triveni a popular writer?
Answer:
Triveni wrote in an easy, convincing style. Her stories dealt with the complex psychologicafproblems in the lives of ordinary people and were very interesting.

b. Why did the grandmother depend on her granddaughter to know the story?
Answer:
The grandmother had never gone to school, so she could not read. Therefore, she depended on her granddaughter to read out the story to her.

c. Pick out two sentences which state that the grandmother was desperate to know what happened in the story.
Answer:
Para 4: ‘During that time… I read the serial out to her.’
Para 14: ‘Many times I … read for me.’

d. Could the grandmother succeed in accomplishing her desire to read? How?
Answer:
The grandmother did succeed by working hard under the guidance of her granddaughter. She would read, repeat, write, and recite what she was taught.

e. Which of the following traits would be relevant to the character of the narrator’s grandmother?
Answer:
(i) determined
(ii) selfish
(iii) emotional
(iv) mean
Give reasons for your choice.
(i) determined: We know that the grandmother was determined because once she made up her mind to study . she set a date by which she wanted to become literate and accomplished it through perseverance and sincere hard work.
(iii) emotional: We know that she was emotional because she felt embarrassed and upset at not being able to read her favourite story when her granddaughter had gone away to attend a wedding in a nearby village.

Question 3.
Here are some direct quotations from the story. Identify the speaker and write what each quotation suggests about the speaker. You can use the adjectives given in the box and may also add your own.
Answer:

Speaker		Quotation	Quality Highlighted
a.	Narrator	‘Avva, is everything all right? Are you O.K.?’	concerned, kind, tender
b.	Grandmother	‘At times, I used to regret not going to school, so I made sure that my children and grandchildren studied well.’	prudent, understanding, determined
c.	Narrator	‘Avva, don’t cry. What is the matter? Can I help you in anyway?’	enthusiastic, tender, kind, helpful
d.	Grandmother	‘We are well-off, but what use is money when I cannot be independent.’	wise, understanding
e.	Grandmother	‘I will keep Saraswati Pooja day during Dassara as the deadline.’	determined, diligent, systematic
f.	Grandmother	‘For a good cause if you are determined you can overcome any obstacle.’	wise, determined
g.	Grandmother	I am touching the feet of a teacher not my granddaughter.’	humble, amiable

 

We have decided to create the most comprehensive English Summary that will help students with learning and understanding. in This article, we are discussed The Interview Summary

The Interview Summary in English by Christopher Silvester

The Interview by Christopher Silvester About the Author

Christopher Silvester (1959) was educated at Lancing College Sussex, and Peter House, Cambridge, where he read history. From 1983 to 1994, he worked for Private Eye, initially writing the ‘New Boys’ column. He has written for several newspapers and magazines. He is also the Editor of The Penguin Book of Interviews: An Anthology from 1859 to the Present Day and the author of The Pimlico Companion to Parliament. He currently writes obituaries for the Times (of London) and book reviews. He is writing a three-volume social history of Hollywood for Pantheon Books.

Author Name	Christopher Silvester
Born	1959, London
Education	Lancing College, Sussex, and Peterhouse, Cambridge, where he read history
Books	The Pimlico Companion to Parliament: A Literary Anthology
Books edited	The Penguin Book of Interviews: An Anthology from 1859 to the Present Day

The Interview Introduction to the Chapter

‘The Interview’ is an extract from an interview of Umberto Eco. The interviewer is Mukund Padmanabhan : from the ‘The HINDU’. Thousands of celebrities have been interviewed over the years. Our most vivid impressions about contemporary celebrities are through interviews. But for some of them, interviews , are ‘unwarranted intrusion in their lives’.

In the second part of the chapter, the interviewer highlights how Umberto Eco considers himself as an . academician first and a novelist later on. He considers himself a university professor who writes novels : on Sundays – occasionally. The possible reasons of the huge success of Eco’s novel, ‘The Name of the i Rose’ are also highlighted in the interview.

The Interview Theme

‘The Interview’ written by Christopher Silvester briefs the new invention ‘Interview’ in the field of journalism. Interview that was invented over 130 years has become a commonplace journalism. Today, every literate or illiterate will have to experience interview at some points of their life. It is surprising to notice that as an interviewer, each one is comfortable, whereas as an interviewee, they feel it much disturbing and diminishing.

The Interview Summary in English

The narration, “The Interview”, written by Christopher Silvester is a very interesting lesson speaking about the invention of the interview about 130 years ago. We face interviews throughout our journey of life and several thousand celebrities are the part and parcel of this process. Yh e opinions of the interview—its functions, methods and merits—vary considerably. Some people believe that they are able to recall the truth while there are those who have a great despise from the word ‘interview’. They believe it to be a kind of direct encounter into the lives of the celebrities. In this context, some of the world fame writers had varied opinion. According to V.S. Naipaul, a cosmopolitan writer, “Some people are wounded by interviews and lose a part of themselves.”

Given below is an extract from an interview of Umberto Eco. He is interviewed by Mukund Padmanabhan from The Hindu.

Mukund : Once an English novelist, David Lodge remarked that he was unable to understand how Eco could do so many things.

Umberto Eco : People might feel, ‘I am doing many things but in the end I have found that I am always doing the same thing.’

Mukund : Which is that thing?

Umberto Eco : It is very difficult to explain. I have got some philosophical interests which are pursued by my novels and academic work. There are my books for children. They are about peace and non-violence and this is all philosophical interest. Even then there is a secret. All of us have a lot of empty spaces in our lives and I call them interstices.

Suppose you are coming over in an elevator to my place and I am waiting for you. This is an interstice—an empty space. I work in empty spaces. Your elevator will come up from the first to the third floor, and I am waiting for it. I have already written an article.

Mukund : It must be your non-fictioiial writing. Your work has a certain playful and personal quality about it. This is a departure from a regular academic style. You must have adopted an informal approach.

Umberto Eco : While presenting my first doctoral dissertation in Italy, one of the professors said “Scholars learn a lot of certain subjects, then they make a lot of false hypotheses, correct them and give the conclusions. But you told the story of your research.”

At the age of 22,1 understood that the scholarly books should be written the way I had done—by telling the story of the research. So, my essays have a narrative aspect. At the age of 50, I started writing novels. I remember that my friend Roland Barthes was always frustrated that he was an essayist and not a novelist. He wanted to do some creative writing but he died. In my case, I started writing novels by accident. The novels satisfied my taste for narration.

Mukund : Thus, you became famous after the publication of The Name of the Rose. You have written five novels and many more on non-fiction. Among them a seminal piece of work on semiotics. If we ask people about Umberto Eco, they will say that he is a novelist. Does it trouble you?

Umberto Eco : Of course, it troubles me. I consider myself a University Professor who writes novels on Sundays. It is not a joke. I always participate in academic conferences. I do not attend the meetings of Pen Clubs and writers. I identify myself with the academic community. By writing novels, I am in a position to reach to the large number of people. I cannot expect to have one million readers with stuff on semiotics.

Mukund : I ask you another question. Your novel The Name of the Rose is very serious novel. At one level, it is a detective tale, and then it goes deep into metaphysics, theology and medieval history. It is being enjoyed by a large number of audience. Were you puzzled at all by this?

Umberto Eco : No, the journalists are puzzled. We can even see that sometimes publishers also get puzzled because both believe that people like trash and do not like difficult reading experiences. Suppose there are six billion people in this planet and the novel is sold to 10 and 15 millions. Thus, I am getting only a small percentage of readers. Thus, these readers do not always want easy experiences. After dinner at 9.00 p.m., I watch television, and see ‘Miami Vice’, or Emergency Room. I enjoy it and I need it but not all day.

Mukund : Can you tell that how your novel has got a good success even if it deals with the medieval history?

Umberto Eco : That is possible. But I can tell you another story. My American publisher told she did not expect to sell more than 3000 copies in a country where some has seen a cathedral or studied Latin. So, I was given an advance for 3000 copies but in the end it sold two or three million in the U.S. So many books have been written about the medieval past but the book has a mysterious success. Nobody can predict it. If I had written it ten years earlier or later, it would not have been the same. Why it worked is a mystery? Thus, the novel The Name of the Rose has got a good success.

The Interview Main Characters in the Chapter

Mukund Padmanabhan

He is an interviewer from ‘The Hindu’ who interviews Umberto Eco after his huge success of the book he wrote.

Umberto Eco

He is the author of the popular novel, ‘Name of the Rose’. He is a University Professor. Writing novel is his hobby which he does only on Sundays. He had written 40 scholarly works of non-fiction and 5 novels. He always identified himself with the academic community, and never with writers or novelists.

The Interview Summary Reference-to-Context Questions

Read the following extracts and answer the questions that follow.

1. Some might make quite extravagant claims for it as being, in its highest form, a source of truth, and, in its practice, an art. Others, usually celebrities who see themselves as its victims, might despise the interview as an unwanted intrusion into their lives, or feel that it somehow diminishes them, just as in some primitive cultures it is believed that if one takes a photographic portrait of somebody then one is stealing that person’s soul.

a. What is ‘it’ referred here?
Answer:
Here, ‘it’ is referred to interview.

b. How is ‘it’ described in the above lines?
Answer:
The interview is described as the highest form, a source of truth and an art in its practice.

c. Who might despise the interview?
Answer:
Celebrities who see themselves as its victim despise the interview.

d. Why do they despise?
Answer:
Celebrities despise interview because they consider it as an unwanted intrusion into their lives.

2. Rudyard Kipling expressed an even more condemnatory attitude towards the interviewer. His wife, Caroline, writes in her diary for 14 October 1892 that their day was ‘wrecked by two reporters from Boston’. She reports her husband as saying to the reporters, “Why do I refuse to be interviewed? Because it is immoral!

a. What was the attitude of Rudyard Kipling towards the interviewer?
Answer:
Rudyard Kipling expressed a condemnatory attitude towards the interviewer.

b. What happened on 14 October 1892?
Answer:
On 14 October 1892, Rudyard Kipling and his wife’s day was wrecked by two reporters from Boston.

c. Where were the two reporters from?
Answer:
The two reporters were from Boston.

d. Why did Rudyard Kipling refuse to be interviewed?
Answer:
Rudyard Kipling refused to be interviewed because he considers it to be immoral.

3. H.G. Wells in ah interview in 1894 referred to ‘the interviewing ordeal’ but was a fairly frequent interviewee and forty years later found himself interviewing Joseph Stalin. Saul Bellow, who has consented to be interviewed on several occasions, nevertheless once described interviews as being like thumbprints in his windpipe.

a. What did H.G. Wells refer to in an interview in 1894?
Answer:
In an interview in 1894, H.G. Wells referred to ‘the interviewing ordeal’.

b. Who was a frequent interviewee?
Answer:
H.G. Wells was a frequent interviewee.

c. Who was H.G. Wells interviewing to after forty years?
Answer:
After forty years, H.G. Wells was interviewing Joseph Stalin.

d. How did Saul Bellow once describe interviews?
Answer:
Saul Bellow once described interviews as being like thumbprints in his windpipe.

4. Aah, now that is more difficult to explain. I have some philosophical interests and I pursue them through my academic work and my novels. Even my books for children are about non-violence and peace…you see, the same bunch of ethical, philosophical interests.

a. Who is the speaker of the above lines?
Answer:
Umberto Eco is the speaker of the above lines.

b. Whom is the speaker speaking to?
Answer:
The speaker is speaking to Mukund Padmanabhan, the interviewer.

c. How does the speaker pursue his philosophical interests?
Answer:
He pursues his philosophical interests through his academic work and his novels.

d. What are his books for children about?
Answer:
His books for children are about non-violence and peace.

5. This is why my essays always have a narrative aspect. And this is why probably I started writing narratives (novels) so late – at the age of 50, more or less. I remember that my friend Roland Barthes was always frustrated that he was an essayist and not a novelist. He wanted to do creative writing one day or another, but he died before he could do so.

a. Why did his essays have a narrative aspect?
Answer:
His essays have a narrative aspect because he used to write in a way of telling stories.

b. When did Umberto Eco start writing novels?
Answer:
He started writing novels at the age of 50, more or less.

c. Why was his friend Roland Barthes always frustrated?
Answer:
Roland Barthes was always frustrated that he was an essayist and not a novelist.

d. What did his friend want to do?
Answer:
His friend wanted to do creative writing.

 

We have decided to create the most comprehensive English Summary that will help students with learning and understanding.

Deep water Summary in English by William Douglas

Deep water by William Douglas About the Author

William O. Douglas (16 October 1898 – 19 January 1980) was born in Maine, Minnesota and was raised in Yakima, Washington. He was an American jurist and politician. He served as an Associate Justice of the Supreme Court of the United States. He was nominated at the age of 40 by President Franklin D. Roosevelt and was the youngest justice appointed to the court and served for the longest term in the history of the Supreme Court.

Author Name	William O. Douglas
Born	16 October 1898, Minnesota, United States
Died	19 January 1980, Bethesda, Maryland, United States
Books	Of Men and Mountains
Party	Democratic Party
Nationality	American, Canadian

Deep water Introduction to the Chapter

‘Deep Water1 is our autobiographical account of the author’s childhood misadventure at the swimming pool. In this chapter, he tells us how as a young boy, he was nearly drowned in the swimming pool. Thereafter, he feared water so much that he avoided it whenever he could, but on the other hand, he was also determined to get rid of his fear. Slowly and steadily, he overcame the fear of water in the end.

Deep water Theme

The chapter, ‘Deep Water’ is an essay written by William Douglas, in which he shares about his fear of water and how he overcomes the fear with courage, hardwork, determination, will power, perseverance and a strong desire to learn swimming. The theme covered in this chapter is ‘fear’ and his ‘triumph’ over it. It conveys the idea that fear is a great obstacle to our happiness and progress. It is a negative feeling which we can overcome by sheer will power and optimism.

Deep water Summary in English

The excerpt, ‘Deep Water’ written by William Douglas is taken from his book ‘Of Men and Mountains’.

‘Deep Water’ talks about his fear of water, and thereafter, how he finally overcame it. His first such experience was on the sea beach. He was with his father when a powerful wave swept over him. Though the wave receded, it left Douglas petrified. He decided to learn swimming. For this, he chose the Y.M.C.A. pool. It was safe. Its depth at the shallow end was only two feet. However, the deep end was nine feet deep.

One day, a strong young man picked Douglas and tossed him into the deep side of the pool. Douglas sank to the bottom. However, he jumped and came up gradually. Fear had seized him and he was nearly drowned. His efforts to save himself went in vain. No one came to’ his rescue. He tried to breathe but swallowed water. Though death was at his doorstep, he experienced complete freedom from the fear of death. He lay in complete peace. There was no sensation or fear of death. But someone finally saved him. This horrific experience, however, shook Douglas badly. Its memories haunted him so much that he felt sick. The sight of water rattled him so much that he could not even go canoeing or fishing.

Finally, he made up his mind to overcome his fear. He found an instructor who trained him as a swimmer bit by bit. He was able to overcome his fear completely and swim for miles.

The experience of fear and death; and its conquest made him live intensely. Conquering fear made him realise the true value of life and this helped him enjoy every moment of his living. He finally learnt to live life to the fullest.

Deep water Main Characters in the Chapter

William Douglas

William Douglas, the narrator of the story, was a positive thinker. He feared water since childhood. So he decided to overcome his fear. He was a determined man with a very strong will power. It was his determination and will power that helped him get rid of his fear. He was a strategic thinker also. When he was unexpectedly pushed into the water, he quickly planned his strategy to save his life.

Deep water Summary Reference-to-Context Questions

Read the extracts given below and answer the questions that follow.

1. From the beginning, however, I had an aversion to the water when I was in it. This started when I was three or four years old and father took me to the beach in California. He and I stood together in the surf. I hung on to him, yet the waves knocked me down and swept over me. I was buried in water. My breath was gone. I was frightened. Father laughed, but there was terror in my heart at the overpowering force of the waves.

a. Who is ‘I’ here?
Answer:
Here, T is the author, William Douglas.

b. When did the aversion to water start?
Answer:
Aversion to water started at the age of three or four.

c. Where did his father take him?
Answer:
His father took him to the beach of California.

d. Why was the author frightened?
Answer:
The author was frightened because he was swept over by the waves while surfing with his father.

2. With that he picked me up and tossed me into the deep end. I landed in a sitting position, swallowed water, and went at once to the bottom. I was frightened, but not yet frightened out of my wits. On the way down I planned: When my feet hit the bottom, I would make a big jump, come to the surface, lie flat on it, and paddle to the edge of the pool.

a. Who is ‘he’ here?
Answer:
Here, ‘he’ is a boy of eighteen years old.

b. In which position did he land?
Answer:
He landed in a sitting position and went once to the bottom.

c. Was he frightened?
Answer:
He was frightened but was not out of his wits.

d. What did he plan?
Answer:
He planned that when his feet would hit the bottom, he would make a big jump, come to the surface, lie flat on it and paddle to the edge of the pool.

3. The next I remember I was lying on my stomach beside the pool, vomiting. The chap that threw me in was saying, “But I was only fooling.” Someone said, “The kid nearly died. Be all right now. Let’s carry him to the locker room.” Several hours later, I walked home. I was weak and trembling. I shook and cried when I lay on my bed.

a. Where was the author lying?
Answer:
The author was lying on his stomach beside the pool.

b. Why was the author vomiting?
Answer:
The author was vomiting because he got drowned inside the pool.

c. Where was the author carried to?
Answer:
The author was carried to the locker room.

d. Describe the condition of the author.
Answer:
The author walked home alone after few hours. He was weak and trembling with fear.

4. Next he held me at the side of the pool and had me kick with my legs. For weeks I did just that. At first my legs refused to work. But they gradually relaxed; and finally I could command them. Thus, piece by piece, he built a swimmer. And when he had perfected each piece, he put them together into an integrated whole. In April he said, “Now you can swim. Dive off and swim the length of the pool, crawl stroke.”

a. What did the author do for weeks?
Answer:
For weeks, the author’s instructor held him at the side of the pool and had him kick with his legs.

b. Was he able to do?
Answer:
Initially, his legs refused to work, but gradually, they relaxed and later he could easily command them.

c. Who built a swimmer?
Answer:
The instructor built a swimmer out of the author, piece by piece.

d. When did he put together into an integrated whole?
Answer:
When the instructor perfected each piece of the author, he put them together into an integrated whole.

We have decided to create the most comprehensive English Summary that will help students with learning and understanding.

Poets and Pancakes Summary in English by Asokamitran

Poets and Pancakes by Asokamitran About the Author

Asokamitran (22 September 1931-23 March 2017) was a famous Tamil writer and Sahitya Akademi, winner. He was one of the few writers who wrote fluently in both Tamil and English. In a career spanning over six decades, he wrote 8 novels, 20 novellas and hundreds of short stories, on a wide range of issues.

He spent the initial years of his career in the famous Gemini Studios of Chennai. Although he was entrusted with the clerical task of cutting and pasting newspaper articles, he learned a lot about the functioning of Gemini Studios, which he humorously depicted in his autobiographical book My Years with Boss.

Author Name	Asokamitran
Born	22 September 1931, Secunderabad
Died	23 March 2017, Chennai
Books	The Eighteenth Parallel, Manacarovar, Tannir
Movies	Sivaranjiniyum Innum Sila Pengalum
Awards	Sahitya Akademi Award for Tamil Writers

Poets and Pancakes Introduction to the Chapter

Set up in 1940, for almost thirty years, Gemini Studios of Madras (Chennai) was one of India’s pioneering and influential film-producing organisations of India. Founded by the brilliant and talented S.S. Vasan, it had a staff of over 600 people and made movies for Tamil Nadu and other southern Indian states. Pancake was the make-up material used by Gemini Studios. Sahitya Akademi award winning Tamil writer Asokamitran worked for the Gemini Studios from 1952 to 1966. He later recorded his reminiscences in the book, ‘My Years with Boss’.

Poets and Pancakes Theme

This chapter has been taken from “My Years with Boss’ written by Asokamitran. Through this write up, Asokamitran brings up a lot of topics pertaining to film industry in particular and India in general, and provides the reader a glimpse of independent India in its infancy. Asokamitran also tells about the manner in which the legal advisor ruins the career of a talented actress unwittingly.

Communism also finds a place in the musings of Asokamitran. At that time of India, the educated folk took pride in showing their support for communism and Gemini studios was no exception. He also mentions the anti-communism movement run by the West.

Poets and Pancakes Summary in English

The essay, “Poets and Pancakes” is an extract from Asokamitran’s book “My Years with Boss.” The Boss was S.S. Vasan, who founded the Gemini Studios which produced a number of films that influenced every aspect of Indian life.

Asokamitran talks about his days at Gemini Studios. He is known for his humour and gende satire. He explains us about a make-up material. The brand name of this material was Pancake. This material was bought and used up in the studios. He gives name of few actresses who used that material. He suggests that the make-up department was located in a building which was believed to have been Robert Clive’s stable. However, there were several buildings associated with Robert Clive’s residence but this was not true as Clive’s stay in India was very shortlived.

Further, he gives a description of the make-up department as a symbol of national integration and the make-up room as a hair-cutting salon. Pancake and many other lotions made actors ugly as it was necessary to make them presentable in a movie. In the make-up department, there was a forty-year-old office boy with dream of becoming a star-actor or director or lyrics writer. His dreams remained unfulfilled, making him frustrated. For this, he blamed Subbu, who was No. 2 and a favourite of the boss.

The writer tells about poets who used to wear khadi and believed that Communists were monster^. He even tells about legal adviser who had been the member of the story department. He was at odds in the department and lost his job with the closure of story department. The legal adviser had even once brought an abrupt end to the promising career of a talented actress.

The Gemini Studios even hosted a two-hundred strong Moral Rearmament Army (MRA) which showed two plays in the most professional manner. The plays became a good success and left their impression on Tamil drama. Later, the writer however, learnt that MRA was actually a counter-Communist movement.

The writer even tells us about Subbu, a man of many abilities and kind-hearted person. However, the office boys felt jealous of him, and cursed him.

The writer humorously tells of an English poet’s visit to the studios. Though royal preparations were done but the purpose of his arrival was a mystery for long time to come. At the studios, they had never heard the poet’s name before. Further, they did not understand what he spoke. The poet also perhaps felt baffled.

Asokamitran’s duty at the studios was to cut newspaper clippings on several issues and store them in files. However, anyone who saw him tearing newspapers thought he had no work. Thus, everybody wanted to deliver some work to him.

The author saw a notice in The Hindu. A short story contest had been organised by a British periodical called, The Encounter. The writer desired to send an entry. However, he wanted to know status of the periodical. For this, he went to British Council Library. There he found it. He learnt that the editor of the periodical was Stephen Spender, the poet who had come to Gemini Studios.

After his retirement, he came across a book titled, The God That Failed. It had six essays about failure of Communism. One of these essays was written by Spender. The mystery of Spender’s visit to Gemini Studios was cleared. Perhaps it had something to do with his anti-communist perspective.

Poets and Pancakes Main Characters in the Chapter

Asokamitran

The author of the narrative and an employee of Gemini Studio, Asokamitran’s work was to cut newspaper clippings, paste these and maintain a file of the same. The other stafflooked down on his job and believed themselves to be superior to him.

Office Boy

The office boy was not really a boy, but a grown-up man. He was forty years old. He was in charge of the crowd make-up. Though his job was an easy one, he considered himself to be a skilled artist. He had once aspired to be a star actor or a top screen writer. He blamed Subbu for his failure.

Kothamangalam Subbu

Kothamangalam Subbu was the No. 2 at Gemini Studios. Though he definitely came from a less advantaged background than the office boy, being a brahmin by birth had given him better exposure than the office boy. He had the ability to look cheerful at all times and his undivided loyalty was to Vasan, the principal of Gemini Studios. Extremely creative, Subbu directed all his talent to his principal’s advantage.

Though a brilliant actor, he was content playing secondary roles and usually performed better than the lead actors. Without a doubt, Subbu gave direction and definition to Gemini Studios during its golden years. Subbu was an extremely talented poet as well. Though capable of writing complex poetry, he deliberately chose to write in simple Tamil verse to enlighten the masses. Generous to the core, Subbu’s house was a permanent residence for dozens of near and distant relations, whom he fed and supported without a thought. Yet, even Subbu had enemies.

Legal Advisor

Like Subbu, the story department of Gemini Studios also had a lawyer, officially known as legal advisor, though better known for the opposite reasons. While every other member of the story department wore a khadi dhoti and white khadi shirt, the legal advisor wore pants and a tie, and sometimes an oversized coat. He is described as a man of cold logic in a crowd of dreamers. He was responsible for destroying the acting career of a highly talented actress, by his irresponsible behaviour.

Stephen Spender

Stephen Spender, an English poet, editor and a one-time communist, came to Gemini Studios and gave a speech. His lecture was about Communism on one side and about his struggles to establish as a poet on the other. The content of the speech and the accent of the poet left everyone utterly bewildered. The reason for his visit remained an unexplained mystery. Asokamitran later discovered that Stephen Spender was the editor of the British periodical, ‘Encounter’. When he accidentally chanced upon Spender’s essay on Communism in the book, ‘The God that Failed’, Asokamitran understood the connection between the English poet, Stephen Spender and the owner of Gemini Studios, S.S. Vasan.

Poets and Pancakes Summary Reference-to-Context Questions

Read the following extracts and answer the questions that follow.

1. They were all incandescent lights, so you can imagine the fiery misery of those subjected to make-up.The make-up department was first headed by a Bengali who became too big for a studio and left. He was succeeded by a Maharashtrian who was assisted by Dharwar Kannadiga, an Andhra, a Madras Indian Christian, an anglo- Burmese and the usual local Tamils. All this shows that there was a great deal of national integration long before A.I.R. and Doordarshan began broadcasting programmes on national integration.

a. Where were all these lights to be found?
Answer:
These lights were to be found in the make-up room of the Gemini Studios.

b. What was the name of the make-up material used by Gemini Studios?
Answer:
‘Pancake’ was the brand name of the make-up material that Gemini Studios used in vast quantities.

c. Explain: “fiery misery”.
Answer:
The heat emanated by all the incandescent lights made the make-up room very hot. Actors who had to put on make-up had to endure the misery of this fiery heat.

d. Why does the author say that there was a great deal of national integration here?
Answer:
People from different states of the country worked in complete harmony in this department. They were a Bengali, succeeded by a Maharashtrian, assisted by an Andhra, and sundry local Tamils.

2. He wasn’t exactly a ‘boy’; he was in his early forties, having entered the studios years ago in the hope of becoming a star actor or a top screen writer, director or lyrics writer. He was a bit of a poet.

a. Who was ‘he’?
Answer:
“He” was the office boy.

b. What had he aspired to become?
Answer:
He had hoped to become a star actor or a top screen writer, director or lyrics writer.

c. What was his role in Gemini Studios?
Answer:
Though a bit of a poet, the office boy’s work was to put make-up on the crowd players on the days that had crowd shooting.

d. Whom did he blame for his failure? Why?
Answer:
He blamed Kothamangalam Subbu.Though both started their careers in Gemini Studios at the same level, Subbu rose to become No. 2 at Gemini Studios while he remained an office boy in the make-up department.

3. Even in the matter of education, specially formal education, Subbu couldn’t have had an appreciable lead over our boy. But by virtue of being bom a Brahmin—a virtue, indeed! he must have had exposure to more affluent situations and people.

a. What was Subbu’s position in Gemini Studios?
Answer:
Subbu held the No.2 position in Gemini Studios.

b. Who does “our boy” refer to?
Answer:
It refers to the office boy, Subbu’s arch-rival.

c. What was Subbu’s advantage over “our boy”?
Answer:
Subbu’s advantage over the boy was by virtue of his birth, since he was born a Brahmin.

d. Name two ways in which Subbu’s ‘birth’ helped him.
Answer:
It gave him a greater exposure to an affluent society, with affluent situations and people.

4. It seemed against Subbu’s nature to be even conscious that he was feeding and supporting so many of them. Such a charitable and improvident man, and yet he had enemies!

a. Who were the people Subbu fed and supported?
Answer:
Subbu was extremely generous and large hearted. His house was apermanent residence for dozens of near and far relations and acquaintances.

b. Why did he do so?
Answer:
Charity and generosity was an integral part of nature. He was not even conscious that he was feeding and supporting so many people all the time.

c. Who do you think was Subhu’s enemy?
Answer:
Subbu’s enemy was the man the office boy who envied Subbu his success and popularity.

d. Why did Subbu have enemies?
Answer:
Subbu’s intimacy with the boss and his eagerness to say nice things in all situations made him appear like a sycophant. This made him enemies.

5. While every other member of the Department wore a kind of uniform- khadi dhoti with a slightly oversized and clumsily tailored white khadi shirt- the legal adviser wore pants and a tie and sometimes a coat that looked like a coat of mail. Often he looked alone and helpless—a man of cold logic in a crowd of dreamers—a neutral man in an assembly of Gandhiites and khadiites.

a. Which is the department referred to in the above passage?
Answer:
The department referred to is the story department.

b. How was the lawyer differently dressed?
Answer:
Unlike all other members of the department who khadi, the lawyer wore pants, a tie and an oversized coat.

c. What did it say about him?
Answer:
The lawyer’s attire isolated him from the others. He looked like a man of cold logic in a crowd of dreamers.

d. Why was the lawyer, a legal adviser, also known as the opposite?
Answer:
The lawyer was responsible for wrecking the career of brilliant actress when he recorded her outburst in the studios and played it back.The girl was so shocked that she could never overcome the trauma she experienced.

6. Most of them wore khadi and worshipped Gandhiji but beyond that they had not the faintest appreciation for political thought of any kind. Naturally they were all averse to the term ‘Communism’.

a. Who are “them”?
Answer:
Some of them were poets like Harindranath Chattopadhyaya and sundry other members of the Gemini Studios.

b. What was the role of the poets in Gemini Studios?
Answer:
Most of the time they radiated leisure, ie., were idling, which was an apparent pre¬requisite for poetry.

c. Why did they wear khadi and worship Gandhiji?
Answer:
Most of these people had no political awareness or ideology they expressed their nationalism by wearing khadi and worshipping Gandhiji.

d. Why were they averse to communism?
Answer:
For them, a Communist was a godless man with no love for parents or wife. He was ruthless and did not hesitate to kill his parents or children. His aim was to spread violence and unrest in society among innocent and ignorant people.

7. ………. they couldn’t have found a warmer host in India than the Gemini Studios. Someone called the group an international circus. They weren’t very good on the trapeze and their acquaintance with animals was only at the dinner table, but they presented two plays in a most professional manner.

a. Who were “they”?
Answer:
‘They’ were Frank Buchman’s Moral Rearmament army, a group of two hundred people, that visited Gemini Studios.

b. Why had they come to India?
Answer:
They presented two plays to counter-act the rising spread of international Communism.

c. Name the two plays they presented.
Answer:
The two plays were, jotham Valley’ and ‘The Forgotten Factor’.

d. How did they impact the Tamil drama community?
Answer:
The Tamil drama community was very impressed by their sets and costumes. For years, thereafter, all Tamil plays imitated their scenes of sunrise and sunset with a bare stage, a white background curtain and a tune played on the flute.

8. Then the poet spoke. He couldn’t have addressed a more dazed and silent audience— no one knew what he was talking about and his accent defeated any attempt to understand what he was saying. The whole thing lasted about an hour; then the poet left and we all dispersed in utter bafflement—what were we doing?

a. Who was the poet who spoke ?
Answer:
The speaker was Stephen Spender, English poet and editor.

b. Whom did the poet address?
Answer:
He addressed a dazed and silent audience consisting of the members of the Gemini Studios.

c. What caused the lack of communication between the poet and his audience?
Answer:
No one knew what he talked about and his accent was so heavy that as no one could understand what he said.

d. Why was the audience baffled?
Answer:
The poet spoke for an hour and left, leaving everyone utterly bewildered. No one had followed a word of what he spoke.They wondered why he had been brought to Gemini Studios at all.

We have decided to create the most comprehensive English Summary that will help students with learning and understanding. In this article, we have created A Legend Of The Northland Summary.

A Legend of the Northland Summary in English by Phoebe Cary

A Legend of the Northland by Phoebe Cary About the Poet

Poet Name	Phoebe Cary
Born	4 September 1822, Mount Healthy, Ohio, United States
Died	31 July 1871, Newport, Rhode Island, United States
Nationality	American
Genre	prose
Siblings	Alice Cary

A Legend of the Northland Introduction to the Chapter

A Legend of the Northland is based on a story from the Old Testament in the Bible. In the ballad, Phoebe Cary reminds us what happens when we cannot bring ourselves to share with those in need. The legend, which is set in the snow-covered polar region of is quite famous and has been passed on through generations. The poet doesn’t believe in the authenticity of the story but yet is tempted to share the story because of the moral it teaches. Mythological stories may not relate to reality but they always carry a good message and that is why the poet is narrating the story.

A Legend of the Northland is a ballad. A ballad is a song narrating a story in short stanzas. Ballads are a part of folk culture or popular culture and are passed on orally from one generation to the next.

A Legend of the Northland Summary in English

The poem A Legend of the Northland is a legend about an old lady who angered Saint Peter because of her greed.

This is a legend of Northland where the days are short and the nights so long and chilly and it is difficult to sleep through them. In this part of the world reindeers are used to pull sledges on snows and the children have to be kept warm in fur clothes. In this region people tell of a strange story which I don’t believe can be true but one must listen to it as it has a moral to teach us all.

Once, when St. Peter was living in the world, and he went about preaching from place to place, he reached the door of a cottage. He saw a woman making cakes and baking them. He was tired and hungry as he had fasted the whole day. So, he asked her for one of her cakes.

The woman, who was miserly, felt the cake that she was baking was too big to be given away in charity, so she kneaded the dough again and made a still smaller one but did not have the heart to give it away either. She finally took a very small ball of dough and made a cake which was as thin as wafer but decided not to give that away as well.

She said that the cakes that seemed too small to fill her own stomach, appeared too large to be given away. So she stored them on the shelf. St. Peter, who was fainting with hunger, became angry with the old woman. He told her that she was too selfish to not fit to live in human form and enjoy food and warmth. He cursed her and transformed her into a woodpecker who has to bore in hard and dry wood to get its scanty food. Because she was wearing a red cap on her head, the colour of the woodpecker’s head is also red. Since the rest of the clothes were burnt in the chimney, the rest of the body is black. She can be seen boring in the trees for food all day.

A Legend of the Northland Theme

The theme of A Legend of the Northland is that greed and selfishness can annoy even a saint.

Long long ago, there lived an old lady in Northland. One day Saint Peter, while preaching round the world, reached her door. She was baking cakes on her hearth. St. Peter, who was fainting with hunger, asked the lady to give him a piece of cake. The selfish lady tried to make a tiny cake for him. But as it was baking, she found it too large to be given away. She tried baking two more times but even the smallest of cakes seemed too large to her. Such greedy behaviour of the lady annoyed the hungry saint. He cursed her saying that she was far too selfish to be a human, to have food, shelter and fire to keep her warm. Thus, she was transformed into a woodpecker. All her clothes except her scarlet cap were burnt black as she went up the chimney and flew out of the top. The old woman can still be seen in the forest, boring into the wood for food.

A Legend of the Northland Tone

The poet, though she declines all responsibility about the truth of the story, yet narrates it because she wishes to convey the message of generosity and kindness. Her tone is preachy and sanctimonious as she narrates the story. Though she claims she does not believe in the authenticity of the story, she ends on a warning note when she says the old woman may still be seen boring into wood for food.

A Legend of the Northland Message

The poem A Legend of the Northland is a legend, or an old traditional and popular story that is told to the children of the Northland. Though it is considered to be historical, but its authenticity is not attested. It is a “curious” and conventional story with a supernatural element present at the end of the tale. The main objective of such poems or folktales is to convey a message or teach some values. In A Legend of the Northland the poet tells us that we should not be greedy or selfish and must always be ready to help those in need. The poet seems to be warning people who are selfish that they may be punished, and that the punishment may be very severe, for the old woman is still seen boring into wood for food.

A Legend of the Northland Title

The poem has an apt title. A legend is an old traditional and popular story that is told to convey a message or teach some values. This legend, which is a foltale from Northland, teaches the lesson of kindness and generosity.

A Legend of the Northland Setting

The poem is set in Northland or the cold polar region of the North, including Greenland, northern Europe and Siberia. She says that in this region the days are short, and nights are long. When the snow falls, the people heretie reindeer to their sledges and go sledging. Because of the cold, children are made to wear heavy woollen clothes that cover them up fully and make them look like bear cubs.

A Legend of the Northland Literary Devices

Enjambment is when a sentence, phrase, or thought does not end with the line of poetry. Rather, it carries over to the next line.

Example: He came to the door of a cottage,
In travelling round the earth,
Where a little woman was making cakes,
And baking them on the hearth;

Imagery

Imagery is a poetic device wherein the author uses words or phrases that appeal to any of the senses or any combination of senses to create “mental images” for the reader. Imagery helps the reader to visualize more realistically the author’s writings. Imagery is not limited to only visual sensations, but also refers to igniting kinesthetic, olfactory, tactile, gustatory, thermal and auditory sensations as well.

In A Legend of the Northland we find sensory imagery that includes vision, taste, and sound as Saint Peter approaches the cottage and sees the old woman baking the cakes, then turns the woman into a woodpecker that can be heard tapping tapping on a tree.

Rhyme Scheme

Rhyme scheme refers to the order in which particular words at the end of each line rhyme. The first end sound is represented as the letter “a”, the second is “b”, and so on. If the alternate words rhyme, it is an “a-b-a-b” rhyme scheme, which means “a” is the rhyme for the lines 1 and 3 and “b” is the rhyme affected in the lines 2 and 4.
Example: “Away, away in the Northland, (a)
Where the hours of the day are few, (b)
And the nights are so long in winter (c)
That they cannot sleep them through.” (b)

Imperfect Rhyme, also known as ‘partial’, ‘near’ or ‘slant rhyme’, occurs when a: poet deliberately changes the spelling or pronunciation of word so that it rhymes with the last word of another line in the stanza. Use of imperfect rhyme is fairly common in folk poetry.

Example: Where they harness the swift reindeer
To the sledges, when it snows;
And the children look like bear’s cubs
In their funny, furry clothes:

A Legend of the Northland Summary Questions and Answers

Question 1.
What is a legend? Why is this is called a legend?
Answer:
A legend is a very old story from ancient times, which may not always be true, and one that people tell about a famous event or person. A legend often teaches a lesson. This poem is called a legend because it tells an old story of Northland. This is the story of an old greedy woman who angered St. Peter and was turned into a woodpecker because of her greed, and the poet herself says, ‘I don’t believe it is true’.

Question 2.
Where does this legend belong to and what kind of country is it?
Answer:
The legend belongs to the “Northland”, an area that could refer to any of the extremely cold countries in the Earth’s north polar region, such as Greenland, the northern regions of Russia—Siberia, or the Scandinavian countries – Denmark, Norway, Sweden, Iceland and Finland. It is a cold place where days are short and the nights are long.

Question 3.
Why does the poet say that the hours of the day are few?
Answer:
In the poem, the poet says the legend is told Northland. The Northland is a cold snow-covered region near the North Pole. Here the days are shorter and the nights are longer. As a result there are very few hours in a day.

Question 4.
Why are the People unable to sleep through the night?
Answer:
The people are unable to sleep through the night because the nights are very long and very cold.

Question 5.
‘And the children look like bear’s cubs.’ What have the children been compared to? Why?
Answer:
Northland is a cold place so the children have to wear funny furry dresses to protect themselves from cold. These dresses make them look like bear cubs.

Question 6.
What does the poet tell us about the story she is about to narrate? Why does she want to tell the tale?
Answer:
The poet says that she is going to tell a strange tale told by the people of Northlands. She admits that thoughthe story may not be true, still she wants to tell the story because it contains an lesson in generosity and philanthropy. She wants the readers to learn a lesson from the poem.

Question 7.
Who came to the woman’s house and what did he ask for?
Answer:
Saint Peter, while preaching round the world, reached the woman’s door. He had been travelling the whole day and was tired and hungry. When Saint Peter saw the woman making cakes, he asked her for one of her large store of cakes.

Question 8.
Why was Saint Peter tired and hungry?
Answer:
Saint Peter was an apostle of Jesus Christ. He travelled around the land, preaching the message of Christ. During the course of his journey, sometimes, he did not get food and water. Besides, he had to observe fasts also. This often left him tired and hungry.

Question 9.
What did Saint Peter ask the woman for? What was the woman’s reaction?
Answer:
Saint Peter asked the old lady for a cake from her store of cakes. The woman, who was very greedy, did not wish to part with her cakes as she felt they were too large to be given away. So she made a small cake for him, but, that too, seemed to her too big to be given away. In the end, she made a very small and thin cake. But she did not give even that cake to St. Peter and she put it away on the shelf.

Question 10.
Why did the woman bake a little cake?
Answer:
The woman in the poem has been shown as being highly stingy, miserly, greedy and mean by nature. Whenever she picked up a cake to give it away, it appeared to be too large to give away. Hence, she baked a ‘ very small cake for Saint Peter that was as thin as a wafer.

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The Invisible Man Summary in English by Herbert George Wells

The Invisible Man is a science fiction novella by, Herbert George Wells, regarded as the Father of Science Fiction. First serialised in Pearson’s Weekly in 1897, The Invisible Man was published in the same year, under the title, The Invisible Man: A Grotesque Romance and became an instant hit.

The novel is the story of Griffin, a young scientist, who creates a serum that makes things invisible. He uses it on himself and realizes that he has found the key to invisibility. However, the tragedy is it that he is unable to enjoy it because of his inability to reverse the results of the serum. The Invisible Man is considered a masterpiece of science fiction.

A stranger arrives at the town of Iping on a cold February day, and asks for a room and a fire in the ‘Coach and Horses’ inn. Mrs Hall, the innkeeper, shows him the guest parlour gladly as visitors are rare in winter and the stranger doesn’t even try to haggle over the prices. She serves him lunch and observes that he is strangely dressed, with big blue glasses that hide half his face. The rest of his face is completely covered with white bandages and he covers the lower half of his face with a serviette (a piece of cloth or paper used at meals for protecting one’s clothes and cleaning one’s lips and fingers) when he talks to Mrs Hall during lunch. The only part of his face that is visible is his pink nose. He also wears gloves and a velvet jacket with a high collar.

Mrs Hall assumes that the stranger must have been in a bad accident, but he does not respond properly when she tries to draw him into conversation. He is only interested in knowing if she can arrange for his things to be brought from the station at Bramblehurst. Mrs Hall tells him it can only be arranged to be brought by the next day at the earliest, but feels snubbed by him when she tries to ask him about the accident. She leaves him alone for the rest of the afternoon.

At tea time, Teddy Henfrey arrives to fix the clock in the parlour where the stranger is. Mrs Hall leads him into the room, where she finds the stranger dozing on the armchair before the fire. He gives Mr Henfrey permission to fix the clock and asks Mrs Hall about his luggage again, to which she responds a little coldly. He explains that he is an experimental investigator, and hence, needs his equipment at the earliest; that he had an accident which had left his eyes sensitive and this is why he requires darkness and solitude. Once again, he cuts off Mrs Hall before she can ask any questions.

Mrs Hall leaves and Mr Henfrey delays fixing the clock so that he can get a better look at the stranger. But the man gets angry as he realizes what Mr Henfrey is doing and tells asks his him to hurry up. Mr Henfrey repairs the clock and leaves, feeling irritated and snubbed. He meets Mr Hall in the town and he tells him about the stranger, and warns him that he seems like a suspicious character, perhaps a criminal in disguise. He advises Mr Hall to be careful and warns that Mrs Hall is too trusting. However, when Mr Hall reaches home and tries to question his wife, she is not willing to listen to him and asks him to mind his own business.

The next day, the stranger’s luggage arrives in Fearenside’s cart. Mr Hall observes that it is a very strange mix of objects. In addition to the regular luggage of a couple of trunks, there are also boxes with big books, and many crates and boxes containing unknown objects packed in straw. The stranger, covered from head to toe, comes out to oversee the unloading of the cart. As soon as Fearenside’s dog sees him, it starts growling and attacks the stranger. Fearenside’s dog tries to bite him on the wrist and when he kicks it, it bites him on the leg, ripping the trouser. Fearenside then manages to control the dog and the stranger rushes off to his room. When Mr Hall follows and tries to enter his room to see if he is all right, the stranger shoves him out of the room and slams the door.

He appears at the front door a few minutes later, claiming to be unhurt, and demands angrily that the luggage be unloaded quickly. He begins unpacking with great haste in the parlour and it is revealed that all the six crates have many bottles, of all shapes and sizes and containing powders, poisons and liquids, packed in straw. Once the unpacking is over, he starts working very seriously and doesn’t pay attention to the straw strewn around the room or anything else. This annoys Mrs Hall but he impatiently offers to pay her for the mess he has created. Later, Fearenside is heard telling Henfrey that the stranger is a black man because when the dog ripped off the stranger’s trousers, Fearenside could not see pink skin, only blackness.

The next few months pass without incident and Mrs Hall is more or less satisfied with the stranger because he settles his bills promptly, although Mr Hall has more reservations about him. The stranger is of a moody and irritable nature, but kept to himself, only going out for long walks in the evening, fully covered regardless of the weather. His reserved nature makes the villagers curious about him, leading to speculation and gossip that he was a criminal in disguise, and other theories.

Finally, one of the villagers, the physician named Cuss, tries to satisfy his curiosity by approaching the stranger with some excuse. But after the interview at the inn, Mrs Hall sees him rushing out looking white-faced and shocked. Cuss goes to Mr Bunting, the vicar and tells him the strange story of his meeting with the stranger. He tells him how he approached him with the excuse of collecting funds for the Nurse Fund, and during the conversation that followed, the stranger agitatedly revealed that he was working because he had accidentally burned a five-ingredient prescription. In the course of the conversation, the stranger pulled his hand out of his pockets and Cuss saw that the stranger had no hand but the cuff of his shirt was filled, as if there was a hand there. The stranger then laughed and reached out and touched Cuss with what felt like his hand, even though there was nothing visible. Mr Bunting agrees that the story is indeed remarkable but doesn’t look fully convinced.

The burglary at the vicarage takes place in the early morning on Whit Monday. Mrs Bunting wakes up when she hears noises in the house and so she wakes her husband up too. They get out of the room to investigate, armed with a poker. They see that there is someone in the downstairs study which has their household money, and hear the sound of a match being lit. However, when they rush in to confront the robber, the room is empty, although the candle is lit and their money is gone. They are puzzled, and then they hear sneezing and the back door slamming open and shut, but they still cannot see anyone.

The same morning, Mr and Mrs Hall wake early for some work in the cellar where they brew their beer. Mr Hall notices that the stranger’s door is ajar and later, that the front door is unbolted though it was bolted the previous night. He knocks on the stranger’s door and when there is no answer, he enters. He finds that the room is empty but the stranger’s things, including all his clothes are still there. He fetches Mrs Hall, and on their way to examine the stranger’s room, they hear the front door open and shut but see no one. As they look around the bedroom, the furniture suddenly go mad. The clothes on the bed fling themselves at Mrs Hall and a chair chases them out of the room, banging the door shut behind them.

Mrs Hall almost faints, and is convinced that the room and the furniture must be haunted, and blames the stranger for it. They fetch someone to try to exorcise the room but find that the door is locked from the inside. As they debate breaking the door down, it suddenly opens, and to everyone’s surprise the stranger walks out, looking irritated as usual. He refuses to answer any questions and locks himself into the parlour.

The stranger, after locking himself into the parlour early in the morning, remains there all day. On hearing the news of the burglary in the vicarage, the Halls put two and two together and Mr Hall, along with Mr Wadgers, goes to look for the magistrate, while a curious crowd gathers in the inn and outside the stranger’s parlour window. Meanwhile, Mrs Hall refuses to serve him any food, even though the stranger rings for it many times. Finally, in the evening, he comes out of his parlour and demands food from Mrs Hall, who presents him with his bill and refuses to serve him unless he settles it. Initially, he argues saying that his money has not arrived but later says that he might have still some in his pocket. Mrs Hall, suspecting him of being behind the burglary, challenges him on how he got the money, and enraged, the stranger tells her that she doesn’t know who he is and begins pulling off everything that covers his face. Then the horrified crowd realizes that he has no face, and in fact, is headless! Everybody panics and runs out of the inn and a large crowd begins gathering outside the entrance of the inn. When Mr Hall, Mr Wadgers and Mr Jaffers, the constable, return, they enter the stranger’s parlour and try to arrest him, despite the fact that he is headless. The stranger resists and gets into a scuffle with Jaffers, at the end of which he nevertheless surrenders, and pulls of his gloves revealing that he has no hands. Jaffers is unable to cuff him as he can’t see his hand. The stranger then defends himself saying that being invisible is no crime so he shouldn’t be arrested, but Jaffers shows him the warrant for his arrest in connection with the burglary at the vicarage.

At this point, the stranger begins undressing, revealing that he is invisible under the clothes, and Jaffers realizes that he is trying to escape. The men try to stop him but he is extremely strong, and they are unable to fight an enemy that they cannot see. Finally, they chase the stranger out of the inn and Jaffers catches hold of him but the Invisible Man pushes him off. Jaffers falls on the ground and hits his head on the gravel. The crowd outside the inn scatters and people panic, but Jaffers remains quite still on the ground.

A man named Gibbons, who is lying in the open countryside and enjoying the solitude with not a soul around, suddenly hears someone sneezing, coughing and swearing savagely. He looks around, but is startled to see no one; his peace is broken and he hurries back to his village.

Mr Thomas Marvel is a large, slow-moving tramp, who is sitting outside the town of Adderdean, staring at his two pairs of boots which are in front of him. He hears a voice from behind him, and he has a small conversation about how ugly the boots are, but when he looks back and realizes that there is no one behind him, he begins to panic and doubt his own sanity. The voice continues talking and then starts throwing flints at Marvel in order to convince him that he is not insane or imagining the voice, and introduces itself as an invisible man.

Mr Marvel is finally convinced and the Invisible Man tells him that he could have killed him but he spared him because he felt Marvel, like him, was an outcast from society. By intimidating him this way, and telling him that he had great power, he makes Marvel promise to help him out.

The scene shifts back to Iping, where the celebrations for Whit Monday are continuing despite the strange events of the morning. Very few people have actually witnessed the Invisible Man’s unveiling and so there is growing doubt regarding the rumours about what happened at the ‘Coach and Horses’. People go on with their preparations for the celebrations, and only Jaffers is missing as he is still lying unconscious after the attack in the morning. At four o’clock, some people in the village observe a short, stout stranger enter the village wearing an extraordinary hat and talking to himself. The actions of this man is revealed to us through Mr Huxter’s gaze, who watches him enter the ‘Coach and Horses’ and go into the parlour. When Mr Hall calls out to him that it is private, the man enters the bar, has a drink and reappears to go into the yard which has a window that leads to the parlour. After smoking his pipe for a couple of minutes, the stranger enters the parlour through this window and reappears with some books in one hand and other things bundled into a table cloth in his other hand.

Mr Huxter, realizing that this was a robbery, tries to stop the man, but someone he cannot see grabs him by his shins and throws him into the air, and he falls to the ground with great force.

At the inn, Mr Cuss and Mr Bunting are in the parlour, examining the Invisible Man’s things, and Mrs Hall has cleared the stranger’s clothes from the room and tidied up. Cuss and Bunting find a book marked “Diary”, but it is written is some strange code, in a combination of mathematical symbols and what looks like Russian and Greek. Mr Cuss asks Mr Bunting to interpret the Greek part of it, but Bunting does not want to reveal that he has no knowledge of the language. During their conversation, it is revealed that Bunting is sceptical about the events of that morning and the possibility of an actual invisible man existing. As he pretends to read the diary, however, they are both suddenly held down by the neck by an invisible force and a voice that demands to know where its clothes are. The Invisible Man then threatens to attack them with the poker if they don’t sit quietly.

The reader is now given an account of these events from the perspective of Mr Hall and Henfrey who are discussing the events of the morning. They suddenly hear thudding and other stranger noises from the parlour and they stand outside the door and call out, asking if everything is all right. They hear Mr Bunting’s voice replying that everything is fine and that they should not interrupt, then the same voice raised in protest. Mr Hall and Henfrey are intercepted and scolded by Mrs Hall for being a nuisance but when they explain, she refuses to believe that something is wrong. Then Henfrey thinks he hears the parlour window opening and they hear Mr Huxter yelling for the thief to stop.

Mr Hall, Henfrey and two of the labourers in the bar of the inn rush out, chasing the stout stranger, convinced for some reason that he is the Invisible Man. But before they get very far, they are all attacked by an invisible force. Hearing the commotion, the people of the village come out of the field where the Whit Monday celebrations are taking place and see the men sprawled on the ground. Great confusion ensues as more and more people are attacked by the Invisible Man, who seems to have lost all control and is in a rage. Meanwhile, Mrs Hall is still at the inn and Mr Cuss appears from the parlour wearing a strange costume. He tells her with great agitation that the Invisible Man has taken his trousers and all of the vicar’s clothing! Cuss exits the inn but when he realizes that the Invisible Man is in a rage and attacking everybody in his path, he rushes back into the parlour where Mr Bunting is also trying to cover himself with a rug and a newspaper. He tells him that the Invisible Man is coming and alarmed, they both jump out of the window to escape him.

The people of Iping are all afraid of the Invisible Man’s attack and in panic, try to find places to hide from him. The man, meanwhile, goes around attacking people at random and breaking them windows of the inn and wrecking various things in Adderdean too.

When the narrative resumes, Mr Marvel and the Invisible Man are walking through the woods on the way to the town of Bramblehurst. Mr Marvel is still carrying the bundle and appears to be hurt, and from the conversation it is revealed that the Invisible Man thought Mr Marvel was trying to run away with his things and hurt him. Mr Marvel seems extremely unwilling to work for the Invisible Man, and tells him that he has a weak heart and is not suited for the kind of help that the Invisible Man needs. But the Invisible Man refuses to let him go, telling him that he is his only tool, even if he is a weak one. He constantly bullies and threatens Mr Marvel, telling him that he will be sorry if he doesn’t help him. They pass through a village, with the Invisible Man holding Mr Marvel by the shoulder to prevent him from trying to run off again.

At ten the next morning, a dusty, exhausted Mr Marvel is found sitting on a bench outside an inn in Port Stowe. The Invisible Man has abandoned the bundle in the table-cloth, so now Mr Marvel only has the books. A mariner comes up to him and begins to make conversation about strange news in the newspaper. He tells Mr Marvel the story of the Invisible Man as reported in the paper, in full detail, and Mr Marvel is anxious of being identified but realizes that he has not been described in the newspaper article. He keeps an ear out for the Invisible Man but when he thinks he is safe, he begins to tell the mariner that he knows some information about the Invisible Man. But before he can reveal it, he jumps up and announces he has a toothache and clutches at his ear. He gathers the books and as he leaves, he is prompted by the Invisible Man to tell the mariner that it is all a hoax and that he knows the man who started the rumour. The mariner is irritated with Mr Marvel for letting him tell him the whole story when Mr Marvel knew it already, instead of stopping him right at the beginning.

Later, the mariner hears of the rumours of ‘floating money’, fistfuls of money that are found floating by themselves in various places, from shops and inns and banks, and of people who try to catch them being attacked by a mysterious force. The mariner realizes only much later that this money must have ended up in Mr Marvel’s pocket, and that he had a brush with the Invisible Man.

The reader is introduced to Dr Kemp, a tall, blond, slender scientist, who is resting in his study near the town of Burdock. He is an ambitious young man of science, and suddenly, he catches sight of a man, who the reader recognizes as Mr Marvel, running very fast down the hill at a distance. Dr Kemp is irritated at the sight, as it reminds him of the panic around the rumours of the Invisible Man, which he finds unscientific and medieval.

Those who see the running man nearby, however, realize that he is extremely panicked and feel only sympathy for him, despite the heavy purse full of money that he carries, and begin uneasily to wonder what he is running from. Behind Marvel, there are sounds of someone chasing, but no one is to be seen, and soon word reaches the town even before Mr Marvel that the Invisible Man is coming, causing great fear and panic.

Mr Marvel arrives in complete panic at an inn named the ‘Jolly Cricketers’ at the bottom of the hill, where the barman is in conversation with a cabman and an American with a local policeman. Mr Marvel screams that the Invisible Man is after him and that they should lock the door and protect him. Mr Marvel then hides in the bar and the men lock all the other doors, unlocking only the front door. Arming themselves, they wait for the Invisible Man to enter. Instead, another cabman enters and tells them that the yard door is unlocked and the Invisible Man might have already entered the building. Soon afterwards, the bar door is forced open and Mr Marvel is pulled away by an invisible force and dragged into the kitchen. The policeman, barman and cabman enter the kitchen and almost manage to overpower the Invisible Man but he goes berserk and fights them all and manages to get away, entering the narrow yard.

The American fires five shots into the yard with his revolver, and is certain that he must have shot the Invisible Man. He asks the others to look for his body in the yard.

Dr Kemp hears the shots being fired from where he is working in his study and it disturbs him so much that he is not able to concentrate on his work for the rest of the day. He hears the bell ring and the maid answers it but when he asks her she says that there was no one at the door. He finally gets back to his work and decides to go to bed at two in the morning.

While getting a drink from the kitchen, he notices dried blood on the floor and finds that the door handle of his room is also bloodstained. He enters the room and finds a lot of blood on the sheets and hears a noise in the room, and then someone says his name. The Invisible Man suddenly begins talking to him and Dr Kemp is extremely startled and.frightened. Finally, the Invisible Man manages to calm him enough to ask him for some help as he is tired, hurt and hungry. It so happens that they already know each other and the Invisible Man was Dr Kemp’s junior at the university. For the first time, he introduces himself by name, which is Griffin. He explains that a man stole his money and that some stranger shot him because everyone is afraid of him. He demands some food and clothes from Dr Kemp, who gives him a robe and food from the pantry. Griffin smokes a cigar after finishing his meal. Dr Kemp is startled by his tale and wants to know from where Griffin got the money that was stolen; he is also eager to know how Griffin became invisible but he is too tired to tell him anything. The Invisible Man wants to sleep but even though Kemp assures him that he would be safe, the Invisible Man is scared of being caught and doesn’t want to trust Dr Kemp.

The Invisible Man, despite being suspicious of Dr Kemp, still needs sleep. So, he goes to sleep after locking himself inside Dr Kemp’s room, who goes to the dining room and stays up all night thinking and talking out loud to himself. He spots the newspaper that is lying in the room and reads the reports in it about the strange events in Iping. At the end of it, he concludes that the Invisible Man must be not just mad but also homicidal. The household staff arrive meanwhile and much to their surprise, he asks them to set breakfast for two. He reads in the newspaper about the events of the previous day and about Mr Marvel, although there is no mention of money or the books. He concludes that the Invisible Man is mentally disturbed and sends off a note to someone, just as the man upstairs wakes up in a foul mood.

Griffin smashes Kemp’s chair because he wakes up in a bad temper, but Kemp doesn’t object and instead leads him to the room upstairs for breakfast. Finally, Griffin begins his story about how he gave up medicine because of his interest in science and in particular the theories of optics. He worked under a provincial professor against whom he guarded his work carefully. Griffin realized that the only way matter could become invisible is if it neither reflects, refracts nor absorbs light, i.e., if the refractive index of the object is the same as the air around it; and that the human body is capable of this. The only part of the human body that has colour and therefore cannot do this is the blood and hair, which have pigments. After six years of secret research, however, Griffin found a way to make blood transparent and yet he is at a dead end because of lack of money.

At this point, he reveals that he stole the money he needed from his father, who had borrowed it from someone else and therefore killed himself when it was lost. Griffin went ahead and bought the equipment he needed with his father’s money and gave the man a very cheap funeral, and he does not have any sympathy for him because of his ‘sentimentality’. He went back to his lab where he felt at home and where he figured out how to complete his experiment.

The only thing he reveals to Dr Kemp is that the object whose refractive index is to be reduced must be kept between two vibrating centres of a new kind of vibration. He experimented with wool fabric first, then with a cat that entered his room. The experiment was not wholly successful as the back of the cat’s eyes never became fully invisible. The owner of the cat had come looking for it, but she could not see it in his room, so she left. After the success of the experiment, Griffin did not know what to do with himself, and his money was running out. The landlord then arrived and revealed that the cat’s owner suspected Griffin of torturing his cat in the night. He wanted to look around the room and asked a lot of questions, so Griffin threw him out of the room.

Understanding that now the time had come to act quickly, he began the process of becoming invisible himself. The process of turning the blood colourless is, however, very painful and he became very weak. He had to force himself to finish the process and when he was halfway through it, he was interrupted by the landlord who was horrified to see that Griffin’s face was completely white, like stone! He went away in a hurry and Griffin completed the process, and became fully invisible.

By that time, the landlord returned with his sons and tried to break into the room, while Griffin hid on the ledge outside the window. They were unable to locate him because of his invisibility and were also not able to understand what the equipment in his room was for. Finally, Griffin escaped from there, but admits quite openly that he set the house on fire, and in response to Dr Kemp’s exclamation of horror, he says that the house was probably insured; and that this was the only way to destroy all the evidence.

Griffin describes his first experiences upon becoming invisible. He felt a great sense of power and exultation when he realized the things he can do with invisibility but very soon discovered the problems it brought. Although he was tempted to play pranks on people, he realized how dangerous it could be when someone accidentally knocked into him with a heavy basket. Griffin had grabbed it spontaneously but this caused so much uproar that he realized he would be discovered very soon unless he was careful. He also found that being naked and wandering around in the cold of January was very uncomfortable and that dogs could sense him with their noses even though he was invisible. He wandered around the town and was almost discovered by a group of young men who saw his footsteps in the snow, appearing mysteriously. He was chased, but he lost them in the crowd and made sure thereafter that he travelled only on the small, empty side roads. Suddenly, there were shouts and he looked back and realized that it was a fire—the fire he had set to bum his own clothes and equipment.

The Invisible Man then tells Kemp about his dilemma as he was out in the open in the cold weather, with no shelter or clothing. Finally, an idea struck him and he made his way to the emporium named Omnium which sold many different kinds of things. He managed to slip into the shop and found a hiding place among a pile of mattresses,’and waited for a chance to rob the store of some clothes that would make him look somewhat human at least. Once the shop had shut and all the employees had put away the things on display and had left, Griffin began to prowl around, looking for the things he needed. He found clothes to cover every inch of his body except the eyes, found a fake nose in the toys section and food in the refreshment sections. He also took money from one of the counters and feeling well-fed and warm for the first time in a while, he went to sleep among the mattresses. He dreamt strange dreams of being buried in his father’s grave as he was invisible, and woke to find that the shop had opened.

Since he was fully dressed, he was visible and quickly discovered and what followed was a chase around the store, from one department to the next, and Griffin managed to get away only by wounding his assailants. Finally, he took off his clothes and became invisible again and managed to leave the store undetected, but once again vulnerable.

The Invisible Man thus began discovering the problems of being invisible and unnoticed: any food he ate would be visible till it was assimilated in his system and rain, snow, fog and accumulating dust would give him away. He went back to the poorer section of the city and came across a costume shop with masks and wigs, which gave him an idea. He entered the shop and planned to rob it of costumes and money. The owner of the shop, however, proved more difficult to handle that he anticipated, for he was very alert and had very acute hearing. So, he quickly grew suspicious of the little noises that Griffin made in moving around the house. Griffin waited for him to settle down for the night and then began exploring the house, but forgot that he should not make much noise and so the owner of the house almost discovered him. He started locking the doors of all the rooms in the house because of his suspicions, and when the Invisible Man realized that he would be locked in soon, he got violent, and hit the other man on the head and tied him up with a sheet.

When Dr Kemp expresses his moral objections to these actions, Griffin explains that such morals are for ordinary people and then begins to get irritated with Dr Kemp, who therefore calms down and talks to him in a softer tone. Griffin goes on to narrate how he stole clothes and money from the man’s house, and although he looked hideous with the mask and wig, nobody took much notice of him. He enjoyed the sense of power that being invisible gave him, and decided to live life as he liked it. However, he ran into many unexpected difficulties that came from wanting to keep his invisibility a secret. He finally worked out a plan, a chemical formula that will make him visible again when he wishes to, after finishing all he needs to do as an invisible man. He says he will share the formula with Dr Kemp. Therefore, to work it out properly, he bought the necessary equipment and came to Iping. Griffin asks Dr Kemp if anybody had died because of his attack, and laughs and seems quite unrepentant when Dr Kemp tells him that people were seriously injured and not dead. He complains about how everybody else is stupid and how frustrating this is for him.

When Griffin finishes his story, Dr Kemp asks him what his future plans are, and what he originally planned to do in Port Burdock. Griffin tells him that he had originally planned to leave the country and go south, where the temperature would be better suited for him to wander about invisible, but now that he has run into Dr Kemp, his plans have changed. He wants to get his books. Dr Kemp tells him that Mr Marvel has surrendered himself for safe custody in the strongest cell of the prison there but he, Dr Kemp, might be able to retrieve Griffin’s books if Mr Marvel does not know he is working on Griffin’s behalf. Meanwhile, there are sounds outside, and Dr Kemp realizes that the men he wrote the note to are arriving, and keeps the conversation with Griffin to prevent him from noticing their footsteps. Griffin tells him that with Dr Kemp’s help, he will take over the town and then the country in a reign of terror as it is easy for him to attack and kill anyone as an invisible man. As Dr Kemp objects to this, Griffin finally notices the noises in the house and realizes what has happened.

He calls Kemp a traitor and begins undressing, preparing to flee, but Kemp exits the room and tries to lock him in. But the Invisible Man manages to break free just as Colonel Adye, the police chief that Kemp contacted, reaches the landing. The colonel watches as Kemp is attacked by an invisible force and then he is also attacked viciously. Finally, the Invisible Man runs down the stairs, past the constables downstairs and escapes from there.

Dr Kemp quickly gives Adye a gist of the Invisible Man’s story and warns him with great urgency that he must be caught at once, otherwise he would execute his plan of the reign of terror. He tells Adye of the books that are the only things of value to Griffin, and that Mr Marvel and the books must be protected. He tells Adye that all the houses must be locked in the town and no food should be easily available to Griffin. He hopes for cold weather and rain and instructs Adye to set every man in the force to comb the area for Griffin so that he can neither eat, sleep nor rest. Kemp also suggests that Adye finds dogs which can sniff out the Invisible Man, even if they can’t see him, and that all weapons must be hidden from him.

As a final, plan, Kemp asks Adye to cover the roads with powdered glass. He admits that it is cruel but can think of no other way to stop a man like Griffin, who now seems to be beyond the reach of humane morality, and will kill anyone at will.

The Invisible Man then disappears from human contact for the whole afternoon as he tries to recover from his rage at Kemp’s betrayal. Nobody sees or hears from him but this period of inaction works to his disadvantage as in that time, the news about him spreads like wildfire throughout the district, and people begin preparing to fight him. Schools are shut early and common folk are advised to keep their doors locked. Men gather together in twos and threes with dogs to beat the countryside looking for him. Goods trains into and out of the district are suspended and passenger trains are locked during the journey. From a rumour, the Invisible Man becomes a tangible threat that they must all struggle against.

The Invisible Man commits his first murder and the body of a man named Wicksteed, the steward of Lord Burdock, is found and it is clear from the state of his corpse that he must have been bludgeoned to death by an iron rod that is found nearby.

The story reconstructed from the crime scene is that Griffin must have pulled the iron rod out of a fence, meaning to use it as a weapon, and Wicksteed, perhaps not even knowing of the existence of an Invisible Man, saw the iron rod floating by itself as he was passing by and began following it. At one point, Griffin probably found himself trapped between a bush of stinging needles and a gravel pit, with the middle aged man behind him. In anger at being trapped, he must have gone wild and beaten up Wicksteed severely, killing him. After this, he must have made his way into town and realized that the preparations are being made against him and read the notices put up everywhere. After managing to find something to eat and resting through the night, though, he comes back in full strength and malignancy in the morning.

Dr Kemp receives a letter the next morning from Griffin, accusing him of betraying him and saying that Griffin would now go on a reign of terror for sure. He says in the letter that he will begin by executing Dr Kemp and no matter however much he tries to hide or protect himself, he will be dead by the end of the day, which Griffin calls the First Day of the Terror. Dr Kemp, however, sends notes through his maid to Adye and believes that this threat can become a trap to catch Griffin. Adye arrives soon at the house and tells Dr Kemp that his maid was intercepted by the Invisible Man. At this point, the windows in Dr Kemp’s house begin to be smashed one by one, but all the shutters are drawn so the glass falls outside. Adye borrows Dr Kemp’s revolver and leaves the house to get help, but is stopped by the Invisible Man who takes the gun from him and asks him to return to the house. Adye pretends to agree but tries to attack Griffin, who shoots him with the revolver. Dr Kemp then hears the sound of wood being smashed and realizes that Griffin has found an axe and is forcing his’way through the kitchen window. Two policemen arrive at the house at this point with the maid and Dr Kemp warns them of the danger.

Dr Kemp, the maid and the policemen wait for Griffin, armed with a poker. When he arrives with his axe, he asks the policemen to stand aside and give him Kemp but they begin fighting him. The first one tries to wound him with the poker, but he misses and Griffin hits him on the head with the axe. The second policeman, however, finds his mark and wounds Griffin. Griffin retreats into the hall, and the policemen realize that in the confusion Dr Kemp has escaped with the maid.

Mr Heelas, Dr Kemp’s neighbour, is a sceptic who does not believe in the rumours about the Invisible Man. He wakes up from his afternoon sleep and finds that Dr Kemp’s house looks like it has been hit by a riot. He then observes the maid and Kemp escaping through the window and finally understanding the situation, raises the alarm in his house so that all the doors and windows are locked. He refuses to let Dr Kemp into the house, and so Dr Kemp begins to run down the hill towards the town.

When Dr Kemp reaches the town, people stare at him because of his strange haste and ignoring them, he runs towards the police station. He hears footsteps behind him and calls out that the Invisible Man is after him. He tries to disappear into the crowd and changes his course and takes a little side road. When he emerges on the main street again, he sees there is a crowd chasing after someone, and suddenly, Kemp is struck by an invisible hand. He is hit again and falls to the ground and feels a knee on his diaphragm and hands around his neck, gripping. But the grip is weak and when Kemp catches hold of the wrists, there is an exclamation and his attacker pulls back. By this time, the crowd reaches them and the Invisible Man is struck with a navvy.

Dr Kemp manages to then escape his clutches and pins him down. The crowd surrounds them and begins to beat up Griffin. Dr Kemp, realizing that he is hurt, yells for them to stop. Somebody yells that Dr Kemp shouldn’t let him go as he is only pretending to be hurt. Dr Kemp denies this and tells them that the man is not breathing. Then, suddenly, the crowd sees the ghostly outline of a hand, and from there, slowly, Griffin becomes visible again. The Invisible Man is finally revealed, and they see that he is a young man of thirty with the white hair of an albino. His horrified eyes are open, and he is dead. His body is covered up and he is taken into the ‘Jolly Cricketers’ inn.

The author advises the reader to go to the ‘Jolly Cricketers’ inn if he wants to know more about the Invisible Man. The bartender there tells the whole story, and what happened after Griffin’s death when he was accused of keeping all the money that Griffin stole. The author says that if the reader asks him about Griffin’s lost books, he will deny any knowledge of them. But every night and every Sunday morning, the inn keeper goes into the bar parlour and after making sure no one can spy on him, he pulls out the three books of Griffin from a cupboard and looks through them. Though he cannot understand a word of the cipher, it fills him with a feeling of wonder. And nobody would be able to discover his secret as long as he lives.

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Silas Marner Summary in English by George Eliot

George Eliot’s Silas Marner is based in the beginning of the nineteenth century in England. This was the time when the introduction of machines and heavy industries was bringing about a change in British society. Old values, ethics and ways of living were being replaced by new. Silas Marner, the central character of the novel, lives in this changing society.

Silas Marner does not belong to the city. He is a linen-weaver and lives in the countryside, in the village of Raveloe. Since he is the only weaver in the village, he gains importance among the villagers. Marner is not rich, but at the same time, he is not poor. However, it is not money or the lack of it that makes him unhappy. People look down upon him as an outsider, as someone who cannot be trusted. This attitude of the villagers disturbs Marner and he does not feel at home in Raveloe.

Things take a turn for the worse when Marner is suspected of being a witch doctor. One day, Marner’s neighbour is sick and asks him for help. Marner’s herbal treatment cures her. But this leads the villagers to believe that there is indeed something supernatural or even evil about him. Since Marner often experiences fits, the people suspect him even more. To make matters worse, news reaches Raveloe that he had been thrown out of the religious sect to which he belonged in a place called Lantern Yard.

In Lantern Yard, Marner was a deeply devout Christian. However, the senior deacon under the care of Marner died. When the deacon’s money bag was recovered from Marner’s house and Marner’s pocket-knife was recovered from the Deacon’s bureau, he was accused of being a thief and thrown out of Lantern Yard. His engagement to Sarah, an inmate in Lantern Yard, was broken and she, in turn, married Marner’s friend William. In fury and despair Marner renounced his faith since he had eagerly hoped that God would come to his help.

In such a climate of distrust and dislike, Marner finds himself increasingly isolated and unwanted. In Raveloe he works diligently, but loses every human connection with the village society. He does not once visit the church and this is one of the reasons why he is looked down upon by the villagers. Shunned by the villagers as an evil man, Marner seeks, and perhaps finds, comfort in his work. As time passes, Marner though friendless, accumulates a lot of wealth and it appears that his wealth is his most beloved friend and his sole companion.

New characters are introduced in the third chapter. Here one comes across the Squire, the British equivalent to a zamindar in India. In the novel, it is the Squire’s sons – Godfrey and Dunstan – who are of importance and not so much the Squire himself. Godfrey, the older son is handsome but rather weak-willed. The younger son Dunstan, popularly called Dunsey, is heavily into gambling and drinking.

Despite Godfrey’s flaws, villagers in Raveloe like him and hope to see him married to the pretty village girl, Nancy. While there is nothing apparent to stop this marriage, an ugly secret between the brothers threatens it. Godfrey and Dunstan have a furious quarrel over a hundred pounds: money which was rent from a tenant. Godfrey had lent this sum to his brother who quite predictably squandered it. With the Squire asking for the money, Godfrey now insists that Dunstan returns it to him.

When Godfrey threatens to report the matter to the Squire, Dunstan threatens Godfrey that he would tell the Squire of Godfrey’s secret marriage to Molly, an opium addict. Thus, Godfrey’s marriage to Nancy would be impossible. With this piece of information comes a revelation that Godfrey was actually lured into the marriage as a trap so that Dunstan could always exert influence over him. This revelation clears Godfrey of his wrongdoing and also shows the reader that Dunstan is an ill- natured man.

The problem is resolved when Dunstan suggests that Godfrey should sell Wildfire, Godfrey’s horse, and pay the Squire. Godfrey reluctantly agrees to do it. It becomes clear that Godfrey has feelings for the beautiful and noble Nancy; and it also shows that Godfrey is weak-willed, and is easily manipulated by his cunning brother.

The focus of the novel, from here on, is Dunstan. On his way to sell Godfrey’s horse, Duncan passes Marner’s cottage and thinks about borrowing money from Marner instead of selling the horse. However, he soon dismisses the thought because he feels that it would be more pleasurable to see the sorrow on Godfrey’s face after selling the horse. Dunstan soon runs into some of his friends, who are out on a hunting expedition. Not only does he make a deal with them to sell the horse, he even joins them with the intent to show them his horse. His plans go horribly wrong when Dunstan tires the horse and in the midst of a leap, severely injures and kills it. Since everyone is deeply engrossed in the hunt, nobody notices this mishap. Dunstan escapes without much injury.

On his way home, while he is about to pass by Marner’s cottage, Dunstan wonders about the rumour of Marner’s hoarded wealth. Given the current situation he is in, he can go to any lengths to save himself. It is already dusk and the light from Marner’s window invites him to carry out his ill intentions. Luck seems to be on his side as the door is unlocked, and though there is meat roasting on the fire, Marner is not at home. Dunstan spots a tiny mound of sand inside and rushes towards it. After sweeping it away, he removes the loose bricks below, and finds the bags of gold which belong to Marner. Dunstan takes the bags of gold – Marner’s savings of a lifetime – and flees.

Unfortunately, Marner is again at the receiving end of a theft and this leaves him extremely upset. Till now, he was happy as a loner but now he is desperate for help. Initially, Marner suspects a poacher called Jem Rodney but he’s not sure whether Jem has taken the gold. For the first time in years Marner seeks company to share his grief and heads for the village tavern, the Rainbow. When he reaches the Rainbow, he finds that most of the people have gone to the dance. He remembers Godfrey being excited about it since he had hoped to meet Nancy there.

These dances were important social interactions. The dances gave the opportunity to the people to have a drink together, or share a joke, or dance. However, strict codes of propriety had to be adhered to and the dances took place under the supervision of the elders. The Rainbow may be seen as an example of Raveloe society. From the familial space, the focus shifts to the public arena. The power equation is shown clearly.

The rich order expensive spirits and are seated near the fire, w hile the poor order beer and sit further away from the fire. It may be gathered from the conversations that the village folk are rather simple-minded and do not indulge in much thinking about anything that does not have any direct impact on their lives. Their needs are limited and so are their worldviews.

Everyone in the tavern is startled by Marner’s appearance. Since Marner preferred to be alone, people hardly saw him, and now, with his looks of bewilderment and grief, he looked nothing less than a ghoul. Jem Rodney is present as well, but soon Marner stops suspecting him when he is told that Jem was with the landlord at the time of the theft.

However, once they find out about Marner’s loss, the villagers show great concern. It is decided that the villagers will help Marner in trying to recover his money.

From the Rainbow, the scene now shifts to the household of the Squire. Upon returning from the dance, Godfrey finds that his brother is not at home, but his feelings for Nancy keep him distracted. The next morning the entire village is talking about the theft. Though some pity Marner, some are dismissive of his situation, stating that the words of Marner are nothing but the ravings of a mad man. When the dwelling of Marner is checked for clues, a tinder-box is recovered. Though not much comes out of this discovery, Mr Snell, the tavern owner, reminds the search party that a peddler had mentioned a tinder-box some time ago.

Though no one sees anything suspicious about the disappearance of Dunstan, Godfrey tells his father that the money received as rent had been spent by Dunstan. He also informs the Squire about the misfortune that has befallen Wildfire.

The short-tempered Squire is very angry and blames his sons for all his misfortunes. He also expresses his discontent over Godfrey’s hesitation in proposing marriage to Nancy. The Squire even proposes to play match-maker and act on behalf of Godfrey. However, Godfrey is miserable and cannot take a decision. He’s simply unable to muster courage and tell his father the reason why he is not in a position to marry Nancy.

As time passes, it becomes more and more evident that there is very little hope of any recovery of Marner’s money. Some of the villagers of Raveloe seem to have softened. They come to Marner’s cottage to cheer him up and offer their regrets over his misfortune. One such visitor is a pious woman named Dolly Winthrop. She and her son, Aaron, bring him lard cakes. She insists that Marner visits the church; which according to her is the only source of solace. But Marner is beyond any consolation. He has formed a kinship with his money; so the subsequent loss of it makes him almost inconsolable. It is Christmas time, and while the villagers of Raveloe are in a mood to make merry, Marner is in a mood to mourn.

After the Christmas festivities, the New Year dance is an event eagerly awaited by all in Raveloe. At this juncture in the narrative, the focus directly shifts on how life was like for the womenfolk in Raveloe. Till now we knew about the life of the women in the lower strata of the society; but now one sees what life was like for women belonging to the more privileged sections.

Nancy Lammeter, the love interest of Godfrey, arrives in the Squire’s household along with her father and her sister, Priscilla. In the eleventh chapter, one notes how intensely conscious the women are of their social class – especially of their socio-economic standing. Though Nancy seems uncomfortable with Godfrey, she cannot help but wonder what it would be like to be the mistress of such a splendid house. While the Squire keeps asking Godfrey to speak to Nancy about marriage, Godfrey is unable to decide what to do.

While the dancing and merry-making is underway in the Squire’s house, Godfrey’s wife Molly is walking towards the Red House with her baby in her arms. She is aware that a party is going on there and intends to avenge her misfortune. While she directs her anger towards her husband, she is equally aware that her opium addiction is the root cause of all her misery. Besides, she also resents the fact that while she’s bearing all the poverty and cold, her husband is enjoying a life of wealth and comfort.

Weakened by ill-health and addiction, Molly sits down on the roadside and has some opium to relax her, and soon becomes unconscious and dies. The child in her arms, upon finding her mother’s grip loose, starts toddling towards the light emanating from Marner’s cottage window. After the theft Marner has been in a wretched state himself. He keeps the door open, hoping that someone might bring back his gold. On this day when Molly’s daughter makes an appearance, the door is unlocked as always and Marner is having a fit. By the time he recovers, the child is already inside the house and asleep by the fireplace. Marner has grown old and has become short-sighted. When he recovers, all he can see is what seems to be a mound of gold. Marner is thrilled. He thinks his gold has been returned to him. But upon touching the mound, he realizes that it is the silken golden hair of a child. The child reminds him of his sister who died in her childhood. He is taken back to his days in Lantern Yard. He feeds the child some porridge and follows the footprints of the child. Before long, he finds Molly’s corpse.

The party in the Red House is in full swing when Marner makes a sudden appearance with the child in his arms. The Squire is irritated to see this unwelcome visitor. Godfrey immediately recognizes the child and turns pale. Marner narrates to them the circumstances in which he came into the possession of the child. When it is confirmed that the child’s mother is indeed dead, Godfrey breathes a sigh of relief. Marner informs the people that he intends to bring up the child. Though Godfrey seems a little uneasy about Marner taking custody of his daughter, he is also quick to notice that this is the best option, given the circumstances. The death of Molly gives him the liberty to propose marriage to Nancy. He feels that since his daughter is under the care of Marner, he will certainly be able to keep an eye on her.

Molly’s death brings relief not only to Godfrey but also gives the child a better life. Had she been under Molly’s care or the lack of it, she was almost destined for a difficult life. In Marner’s household, she finds a very loving father figure. He loves her and cares for her. Seeing the love and concern that Marner has for her, the villagers start liking him and offer their help in whichever way they can. Dolly Winthrop often comes to help him and it is she who suggests that the child be baptized. Although he is reluctant at first, Marner gives in. Marner and the child get baptized. He names her Hephzibah, the name of both his long-dead mother and sister. People in Raveloe, including Marner, lovingly call her Eppie.

With Eppie’s arrival, life takes a dramatic turn for Marner. Marner is no longer an outcast; the villagers have a new-found love and admiration for him. While his earlier wealth had kept him aloof from society, his new-found wealth, Eppie, has brought him in close contact with the people. In the spring and summer, they are to be found in the open fields. Even when he is out to collect yam, little Eppie is his constant companion. The very children who were terrified of him, seem to like him.

Godfrey, too, keeps an eye on Eppie and every once in a while offers help. He is content to see his daughter being showered with love by Marner. Without any worries in his life, even Godfrey seems to have become a new man. Even the villagers have noticed a change in him.

When the novel opens in the second section, sixteen years have elapsed. There have been many changes in the people who live there. In this section we find the characters being re-introduced.

Squire Cass has died and his estate has been divided. Godfrey is one of the most noble and respected residents in Raveloe. He has married his beloved Nancy. Silas Marner, in his fifties has become a part of the society in Raveloe. Little Eppie has grown up. Dolly Winthrop’s son Aaron is deeply in love with her. Dolly, we are told, is Eppie’s godmother.

At this point, it appears that Marner has stopped running from his painful past and has accepted it. He talks to Dolly and Eppie about his life in Lantern Yard. Marner has also revealed the fact to Eppie that he is not her biological father. She does not seem perturbed as she believes that nobody could have loved her and cared for her like Marner had. However, Eppie is quite curious to know about her mother and keeps looking at her mother’s ring, which Marner had given her. Eppie informs Marner that Aaron has proposed marriage to her and since she loves him she intends to marry him. She says that Aaron does not mean to desert Marner and wants him to stay with them as their father.

During this time, the pit near Marner’s cottage is being drained. The fields need to be watered and the water from the pit near Marner’s dwelling is being used for this purpose.

The focus now shifts from the residence of Marner to the Red House – the Cass residence. As mentioned earlier, the Squire is dead and his younger son, Dunstan, has not been seen again after stealing Marner’s money. The elder son Godfrey has married Nancy and now the Red House is orderly and peaceful under her supervision. However, not all is well in the Cass dwelling. Nancy has had a miscarriage and she is childless since. Godfrey has suggested adoption time and again but Nancy sees adoption as meddling with Providence. While Godfrey tries to persuade her to adopt a child she continues to oppose his suggestion. Godfrey even suggests adopting Eppie but to no avail. Godfrey has turned out to be a rather thoughtful person. With Eppie growing up in front of his eyes, it appears that Godfrey remembers Molly, who he never acknowledged as his wife, and the grief he had caused her.

In chapter eighteen, the skeleton of Godfrey’s younger brother, Dunstan, is found in the pit near Marner’s cottage. The body had been in the pit all along and is discovered while it was being drained to water the fields. The money Dunstan had stolen is also found on him.

Godfrey is shaken but it is not only because of the death of his younger brother. What appears to have disturbed him most is the realization that all evil comes to light at some point or the other. One may succeed in hiding it for a while but not for long. In his state of disorder and shock, he confesses to Nancy that in his married life he has had one secret. The woman Marner found dead in the snow, long years ago, was actually his wife, Molly, and the child that Marner has been raising as his own is actually Godfrey and Molly’s.

Nancy’s maturity and nobility of character comes to the fore when in response she tells her husband that had he made this confession to her earlier, he would have spared Eppie the situation of being motherless and spared Nancy the pain of being childless. Nancy makes it clear to him that she forgives him simply because he has been a good husband to her but the wrong he has done to Eppie is not to be forgiven easily.

While Marner and Eppie are sitting in their cottage talking thoughtfully about the discovery of Dunstan and the money, Nancy and Godfrey arrive. They offer to adopt Eppie which is very politely and firmly refused even when the advantage of this adoption is explained to them. Upon meeting strong refusal from them, Godfrey realizes that he has no choice but to reveal to Marner that Eppie is his daughter and it is only right that she comes and stays with him. Even Nancy thinks that Godfrey is very justified in wanting his daughter back in his life with him.

Much distressed and angered, Marner says that the decision is neither his nor Godfrey’s to make as to who has greater claim over her and that it is entirely Eppie’s decision as to with whom will she live. After Nancy, it is now Eppie’s turn to show her nobility of character and makes it very clear to both Godfrey and Nancy that despite all the benefits, she has no intention of abandoning the person who has brought her up with such love and devotion.

Godfrey and Nancy come back home and realize that Eppie’s mind is already made up and that she is probably going to marry Aaron. Godfrey says that Eppie’s refusal to acknowledge him as her father is the punishment he deserves for all the wrongs he has committed. At the same time, he says that he is indeed grateful that Nancy, the love of his life, is still with him.

The final chapter contains an interesting peek into nineteenth century British society and what industrialization was doing to it. With the money recovered, Marner and Eppie travel to Lantern Yard. They are surprised to see that the place has changed beyond recognition. The high buildings and narrow, filthy lanes frighten them. The old chapel of Marner has been replaced by a large factory and none of the old residents of Lantern Yard are to be seen anywhere. Marner is content that Raveloe is his home now and that Eppie is his precious possession. Upon returning, Dolly tells him that truth matters most in the end and as he has always stood for the truth, he has no reason to feel unhappy.

The book concludes with an account of the beautiful marriage ceremony of Eppie and Aaron. Nancy and her sister Priscilla comment on the event along with their father. At the Rainbow, the people discuss the life of Marner. As the wedding procession arrives at its destination, one is told that Aaron and Eppie have decided to stay with Marner in his cottage. Interestingly, a beautiful garden has been now laid and Godfrey has paid for the expense.

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The Tiger King Summary in English by Kalki

The Tiger King by Kalki About the Author

Kalki is the pen-name of Ramaswamy Aiyer Krishnamurthy (9 September 1899 – 5 December 1954). He was a Tamil writer, journalist, poet, critic and Freedom Movement activist. His writings include over 120 short stories, 10 novelettes, five novels, three historical romances, editorials and political writings and hundreds of films and music reviews. Kalki received the Sangeetha Kalasikhami award conferred on him by the Indian Fine Arts Society in 1953. On the occasion of the centenary celebrations, a postage stamp was released in his honour. His works were nationalised by the government of Tamil Nadu.

Author Name	Kalki Krishnamurthy
Born	9 September 1899, Manalmedu
Died	5 December 1954, Chennai
Movies	Ponniyin Selvan, Thyaga Bhoomi, Kalvanin Kadhali, Parthiban Kanavu, Meera, Tananam Tananam, Ponvayal
Short stories	Tiger King, Otrai Roja, Tharkolai, Amara Vazhvu

The Tiger King Introduction to the Chapter

The story revolves around a King whose death at the hands of a tiger had been foretold by astrologers, when he was born. He tries to reverse the fate spelled out for him and the author uses thinly-veiled satire to walk the reader through the King’s attempts, which later prove futile, in a manner that makes the readers laugh.

The Tiger King Theme

The chapter, ‘The Tiger King’ is a story about the transience of life and power. The chapter is a satire on the pride and stubborness of those people who are in power. The author in the story tells about the days of autocratic and eccentric kings. These kings fear the British as they lived under the thumb rule of British.

The Tiger King Summary in English

When Maharaja Jilani Jung Jung Bahadur was born, the astrologers had foretold that one day, the king would have to die. Suddenly, the ten-day-old prince started speaking; he told them that all those who were born would have to die one day.

He asked them to tell the manner of his death. Everyone stood stunned as an infant born just ten days ago was talking in such a manner. The chief astrologer told the Prince that he was born in the hour of the bull. As bull and tiger were enemies, therefore, his death would come from a tiger.

The Maharaja grew stronger and took to tiger hunting. He was overjoyed when he killed the first tiger. When he fold the chief astrologer about it, the chief astrologer told him that he may kill 99 tigers, but he must be careful with the hundredth one. In ten years,he killed 70 tigers. He banned the killing of tigers in Pratibandapuram. The tiger population became’extinct at Pratibandapuram. So the Maharaja married into a royal family in a state where tiger population was high. Thus, he killed 99 tigers but one was still left. There was no sign of tigers anywhere. Maharaja could not bear this any more.

He raised the land tax and also dismissed some of his men. Later, a tiger was brought for the Maharaja. Maharaja took his men for hunting. He shot the tiger but missed it. Since the tiger fainted on hearing the shot, the Maharaja did not realise that he had not killed the tiger. Maharaja’s men knew it but they feared that if they tell it to Maharaja, then they may lose their job, so they killed the tiger. But the Maharaja did not know that he still had one tiger left to kill. Free from the threat of imminent death, the Maharaja had now decided to celebrate his three-year-old son’s birthday.

He gifted him a wooden tiger. The tiger was made by an unskilled man. Its surface was rough, as a result, a splinter pierced into Maharaja’s hand. The infection spread into his whole hand and the Maharaja died.

Thus, ironically, the fateful hundredth tiger, though a wooden one, was the cause of the Maharaja’s death and proved the prediction of the astrologer correct.

The Tiger King Main Characters in the Chapter

The King

The Maharaja of Pratibandapuram was a brave, resolute, determined, courageous and a firm ruler of his state but lacked worldly wisdom. He was only ten-day-old, when he challenged the prediction of the astrologers. He grew up to be a tall, sturdy, brave and strong man. He became the King of his state at the age of twenty. He was determined to fulfil his pledge.

The Tiger King Summary Questions and Answers

Question 1.
When did the Tiger King stand in danger of losing his kingdom? How was he able to avert the danger?
Answer:
Tiger King, to disprove the astrologer’s prediction, started to hunt and kill tigers. He also banned tiger hunting by anyone except the Maharaja. Anyone who disobeyed him was punished and all his wealth and property was confiscated. A British high-ranking officer wished to hunt tigers. The Maharaja told that the officer could hunt any other animal except the tiger. The British officer’s secretary wanted the Maharaja to allow the British officer to take a photograph of himself holding a gun and standing over a tiger’s , carcass. The Maharaja refused permission because he did not want anybody to kill a tiger. At this, the Maharaja stood in danger of losing his kingdom. Hence, he offered a bribe of 50 diamond rings worth three lakhs, to the wife of the British officer. By this act, the Maharaja was able to avert the danger.

Question 2.
What did the British officer’s secretary tell the Maharaja? Why did the Maharaja refuse permission?
Answer:
The British officer’s secretary told the Maharaja to allow him to shoot the tigers in his kingdom. But the Maharaja did not allow him because he thought that the number of tigers would decrease and he would not be able to complete the desired number.

Question 3.
Why, do you think, was the Maharaja in danger of losing his throne?
Answer:
A high-ranking British official came to the state. He desired to hunt tigers. The Maharaja did not give permission. The officer sent a word to get himself photographed holding a gun beside a tiger’s dead body. However, the Maharaja refused even that. As the Maharaja had prevented a British officer from fulfilling his desire, he was in danger of losing his kingdom.

Question 4.
What led the Maharaja to start out on a tiger hunt?
Answer:
When the Maharaja of Pratibandapuram was born, an astrologer predicted that his death would be caused by a tiger. So the Maharaja started out on a tiger hunt.

Question 5.
What was the astrologer’s reaction, when the Maharaja told him that he had killed his first tiger?
Answer:
On being told that the Maharaja had killed his first tiger, the astrologer announced that he could kill ninety-nine tigers, but he must be very careful with the hundredth one.

Question 6.
How does the hundredth tiger take its final revenge upon the Tiger King?
Answer:
Few days after killing the hundredth tiger, the Maharaja gifted a wooden tiger to his son on his third birthday. A tiny splinter on the surface of the wooden tiger pierced the Maharaja’s right hand, leading to a sore, followed by the Maharaja’s death. Hence, the hundredth tiger took its final revenge upon the Tiger King.

Question 7.
Why did the Maharaja decide to get married?
Answer:
As the Maharaja occupied the throne at the age of twenty, he went on a tiger hunting campaign. He was excited to kill his first tiger, and within ten years, he killed seventy tigers. Soon, tigers became extinct in his own state. So he decided to get married to the . royal family of a state that had a large number of tigers.

Question 8.
Why was the Maharaja so anxious to kill the hundredth tiger?
Answer:
The Maharaja had killed ninety-nine tigers. If he could kill just one more tiger, he would have no fear left. Then he could give up tiger hunting altogether. Moreover, he had to be extremely careful with the last tiger.

Question 9.
What sort of hunts did the Maharaja offer to organise for the high-ranking British officer? What trait of the officer does it reveal?
Answer:
For the high-ranking British officer, the Maharaja was prepared to organise any other hunt—a boar hunt, a mouse hunt, a mosquito hunt. But a tiger hunt was impossible. The officer was a big show-off. He actually did not wish to hunt or kill the tiger himself, he just wanted to be photographed with a gun in his hand, standing over a dead tiger.

Question 10.
Why was it a celebration time for all the tigers inhabiting Pratibandapuram?
Answer:
It was a celebration time for all the tigers inhabiting Pratibandapuram because the ,Maharaja banned tiger hunting in the state. Except the Maharaja, no one was allowed to hunt tigers. It was proclaimed that if anyone was found hunting a tiger, all his property and wealth would be seized.