English Koans, Folk Tales & Stories - PDF

**Koans** **Brainstorming** - \"Two hands clap and there is a sound; what is the sound of one hand clapping?\" - \"What was your face before your parents were born?\" **About Koans** The koans are Paradoxical statements or questions which help us indulge in non-intellectual, intuitive understanding, and challenging assumptions and dualism. The koans emphasize meditation and mindfulness. Koans aim to provoke insight beyond rational thinking and cultivate mindfulness and awareness. According to tradition, Zen originated in ancient India, when Gautama Buddha held up a flower and Mahākāśyapa smiled. With this smile, he showed that he had understood the wordless essence of the dharma. This way the dharma was transmitted to Mahākāśyapa, the second patriarch of Zen. Zen traces its origins to India, but it was formalized in China. Chan, as it is known in China, was transmitted to Japan and took root there in the thirteenth century ***\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\**** ***Cliffhanger*** One day while walking through the wilderness a man stumbled upon a vicious tiger. He ran but soon came to the edge of a high cliff. Desperate to save himself, he climbed down a vine and dangled over the fatal precipice. As he hung there, two mice appeared from a hole in the cliff and began gnawing on the vine. Suddenly, he noticed on the vine a plump wild strawberry. He plucked it and popped it in his mouth. It was incredibly delicious! ***[The Gates of Paradise]*** A soldier named Nobushige came to Hakuin, and asked: "Is there really a paradise and a hell?" "Who are you?" inquired Hakuin. "I am a samurai," the warrior replied. "You, a soldier!" exclaimed Hakuin. "What kind of ruler would have you as his guard? Your face looks like that of a beggar." Nobushige became so angry that he began to draw his sword, but Hakuin continued: "So you have a sword! Your weapon is probably much too dull to cut off my head." As Nobushige drew his sword Hakuin remarked: "Here open the gates of hell!" At these words the samurai, perceiving the master's discipline, sheathed his sword and bowed. "Here open the gates of paradise," said Hakuin. ***Obedience*** The master Bankei\'s talks were attended not only by Zen students but by persons of all ranks and sects. He never quoted sutras not indulged in scholastic dissertations. Instead, his words were spoken directly from his heart to the hearts of his listeners. His large audience angered a priest of the Nichiren sect because the adherents had left to hear about Zen. The self-centered Nichiren priest came to the temple, determined to have a debate with Bankei. \"Hey, Zen teacher!\" he called out. \"Wait a minute. Whoever respects you will obey what you say, but a man like myself does not respect you. Can you make me obey you?\" \"Come up beside me and I will show you,\" said Bankei. Proudly the priest pushed his way through the crowd to the teacher. Bankei smiled. \"Come over to my left side.\" The priest obeyed. \"No,\" said Bankei, \"we may talk better if you are on the right side. Step over here.\" The priest proudly stepped over to the right. \"You see,\" observed Bankei, \"you are obeying me and I think you are a very gentle person. Now sit down and listen.\" **Glossary** 1\. Scholastic (adjective): Relating to academic or intellectual pursuits. 2\. Dissertations (noun): Long, formal written arguments. 3\. Adherents (noun): Followers or believers. 4\. Self-centered (adjective): Preoccupied with one\'s own interests. 5\. Humility (noun): Modesty and willingness to learn. 6\. Paradox (noun): Statement contradicting itself. 7\. Intuition (noun): Direct understanding without reasoning. 8\. Koan (noun): Paradoxical statements or anecdotes. 9\. Sutra (noun): Buddhist scriptures. 10\. Precipice (noun): Steep cliff or slope. 11\. Impermanence (noun): Temporary or transitory nature. 12\. Vine (noun): Climbing plant with stems. 13\. Fatal (adjective): Causing death. 14\. Desperate (adjective): Feeling hopeless. 15\. Plump (adjective): Juicy and ripe. **Questions for Discussion** 1. Discuss the significance of Hakuin's words "here open the gates of hell" and "here open the gates of paradise.' 2. Analyse Bankei's strategy to humble the proud priest. 3. What is the significance of the strawberry in the story? **Suggested Reading** 1. One Hand Clapping 2. The Gateless Gate: The Classic Book of Zen Koans. Wumen Huikai 2. **How Mushrooms First Grew** ***West African Folk Tale*** **Brainstorming** - Have you heard of chain stories? Can you recollect a few chain stories and discuss their purpose? - The concept of interconnectedness is scientific, philosophical, religious, and spiritual. In small groups, discuss the various aspects of this concept. **About the Story** This folk story from West Africa is one of the many stories about mushrooms. It is about a debt that gets transferred from one to another and showcases the power of observation and creativity in storytelling. It also reveals the rich cultural heritage of Africa. \*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\* Long, long ago there dwelt in a town two brothers whose bad habits brought them much trouble. Day by day they got more deeply in debt. Their creditors gave them no peace, so at last they ran away into the woods. They became highway robbers. But they were not happy. Their minds were troubled by their evil deeds. At last, they decided to go home, make a big farm, and pay off their debts gradually. They accordingly set to work and soon had quite a fine farm prepared for corn. As the soil was good, they hoped the harvest would bring them in much money. Unfortunately, that very day a bushfowl came along. Being hungry, it scratched up all the newly planted seeds and ate them. The two poor brothers, on arriving at the field the next day, were dismayed to find all their work quite wasted. They put down a trap for the thief. That evening the bushfowl was caught in it. The two brothers, when they came and found the bird, told it that now all their debts would be transferred to it because it had robbed them of the means of paying the debts themselves. The poor bird---in great trouble at having such a burden thrust upon it---made a nest under a silk-cotton tree. There it began to lay eggs, meaning to hatch them and sell the young birds for money to pay off the debt. A terrible hurricane came, however, and a branch of the tree came down. All the eggs were smashed. As a result, the bushfowl transferred the debts to the tree, as it had broken the eggs. The silk-cotton tree was in dismay at having such a big sum of money to pay off. It immediately set to work to make as much silk cotton as it possibly could, that it might sell it. An elephant, not knowing all that had happened, came along. Seeing the silk cotton, he came to the tree and plucked down all its bearings. By this means the debts were transferred to the poor elephant. The elephant was very sad when he found what he had done. He wandered away into the desert, thinking of a way to make money. He could think of none. As he stood quietly under a tree, a poor hunter crept up. This man thought he was very lucky to find such a fine elephant standing so still. He at once shot him. Just before the animal died, he told the hunter that now the debts would have to be paid by him. The hunter was much grieved when he heard this, as he had no money at all. He walked home wondering what he could do to make enough money to pay the debts. In the darkness he did not see the stump of a tree which the overseers had cut down in the road. He fell and broke his leg. By this means the debts were transferred to the tree-stump. Not knowing this, a party of white ants came along next morning and began to eat into the tree. When they had broken it nearly to the ground, the tree told them that now the debts were theirs, as they had killed it. The ants, being very wise, held a council together to find out how best they could make money. They decided each to contribute as much as possible. With the proceeds one of their young men would go to the nearest market and buy pure linen thread. This they would weave and sell and the profits would go to help pay the debts. This was done. From time to time all the linen in stock was brought and spread out in the sunshine to keep it in good condition. When men see this linen lying out on the ant-hills, they call it 'mushroom,' and gather it for food. **Source**: from *William Henry Baker's compilation from Guttenberg* **Glossary** Bushfowl: a type of bird belonging to Africa **Questions for Discussion** 1. We have heard of property being inherited and passed on. However, in this story, a debt is inherited and passed on. What does this tell us about the African culture? Discuss. 2. How did the ants end up being responsible for the creation of mushrooms? Elaborate. 3. Draw a chain of events to show the link between the events in the story from the beginning to the end. **Suggested Reading** 1. ನೂಲೊಲ್ಲ್ಯಾಕಾ ಚೆನ್ನಿ- Kannada folk song 2. The Old Woman and her Pig- Gaelic folk tale 3. Interconnected: Embracing Life in Our Global Society-By Ogyen Trinley Dorje **3. Leela's Friend** **R.K. Narayan** **Brainstorming** - In what ways do power dynamics manifest in the interactions between domestic workers and their employers? - How can trust influence the hiring of skilled versus unskilled labourers? - How do children typically express appreciation or affection towards their caretakers? **About the Author** R.K. Narayan (1906-2001) was a prominent Indian writer known for his vivid portrayal of life in the fictional town of Malgudi. A master of simple yet profound storytelling, Narayan\'s works explore themes of everyday life, human relationships, and social issues with warmth and humor. His notable novels, including \"Swami and Friends,\" \"The Guide,\" and \"The English Teacher,\" reflect his keen observation of Indian society and culture. Narayan\'s distinctive narrative style and rich character development earned him a place among India\'s literary greats, influencing generations of writers and readers alike. **About the Story** It is about a young girl named Leela who befriends her family\'s new servant, Sidda. However, when Leela\'s gold necklace goes missing, Sidda is falsely accused and arrested. It is later found that Leela had simply misplaced the necklace. \*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\* Sidda was hanging about the gate at a moment when Mr. Sivasanker was standing in the front veranda of his house, brooding over the servant problem. 'Sir, do you want a servant?' Sidda asked. 'Come in,' said Mr. Sivasanker. As Sidda opened the gate and came in, Mr. Sivasanker subjected him to a scrutiny and said to himself, 'Doesn't seem to be a bad sort... At any rate, the fellow looks tidy.' 'Where were you before?' he asked. Sidda said, 'In a bungalow there,' and indicated a vague somewhere, 'in the doctor's house.' 'What is his name?' 'I don't know, master,' Sidda said. 'He lives near the market.' 'Why did they send you away?' 'They left the town, master,' Sidda said, giving the stock reply. Mr. Sivasanker was unable to make up his mind. He called his wife. She looked at Sidda and said 'He doesn't seem to me worse man the others we have had.' Leela, their five-year-old daughter, came out, looked at Sidda and gave a cry of joy. 'Oh, Father!' she said, 'I like him. Don't send him away. Let us keep him in our house.' And that decided it. Sidda was given two meals a day and four rupees a month, in return for which he washed clothes, tended the garden, ran errands, chopped wood and looked after Leela. 'Sidda, come and play!' Leela would cry, and Sidda had to drop any work he might be doing and run to her, as she stood in the front garden with a red ball in her hand. His company made her supremely happy. She flung the ball at him and he flung it back. And then she said, 'Now throw the ball into the sky.' Sidda clutched the ball, closed his eyes for a second and threw the ball up. When the ball came down again, he said, 'Now this has touched the moon and come. You see here a little bit of the moon sticking.' Leela keenly examined the ball for traces of the moon and said, 'I don't see it.' 'You must be very quick about it,' said Sidda, 'because it will all evaporate and go back to the moon. Now hurry up...' He covered the ball tightly with his fingers and allowed her to peep through a little gap. 'Ah, yes,' said Leela. 'I see the moon, but is the moon very wet?' 'Certainly, it is,' Sidda said. 'What is in the sky, Sidda?' 'God,' he said. 'If we stand on the roof and stretch our arms, can we touch the sky?' 'Not if we stand on the roof here,' he said. 'But if you stand on a coconut tree you can touch the sky.' 'Have you done it?' asked Leela. 'Yes, many times' said Sidda. 'Whenever there is a big moon, I climb a coconut tree and touch it.' 'Does the moon know you?' 'Yes, very well. Now come with me. I will show you something nice.' They were standing near the rose plant. He said, pointing, 'You see the moon there, don't you?' 'Yes.' 'Now come with me,' he said, and took her to the back yard. He stopped near the well and pointed up. The moon was there, too. Leela clapped her hands and screamed in wonder, 'The moon here! It was there! How is it?' 'I have asked it to follow us about.' Leela ran in and told her mother, 'Sidda knows the moon.' At dusk he carried her in and she held a class for him. She had a box filled with catalogues, illustrated books and stumps of pencils. It gave her great joy to play the teacher to Sidda. She made him squat on the floor with a pencil between his fingers and a catalogue in front of him. She had another pencil and a catalogue and commanded, 'Now write.' And he had to try and copy whatever she wrote in the ages of her catalogue. She knew two or three letters of the alphabet and could draw a kind of cat and crow. But none of these could Sidda copy even remotely. She said, examining his effort, 'Is this how I have drawn the crow? Is this how I have drawn the B?' She pitied him and redoubled her efforts to teach him. But that good fellow, though an adept at controlling the moon, was utterly incapable of plying the pencil. Consequently, it looked as though Leela would keep him there pinned to his seat till his stiff, inflexible wrist cracked. He sought relief by saying, 'I think your mother is calling you in to dinner.' Leela would drop the pencil and run out of the room, and the school hour would end. After dinner Leela ran to her bed. Sidda had to be ready with a story. He sat down on the floor near the bed and told incomparable stories: of animals in the jungle, of gods in heaven, of magicians who could conjure up golden castles and fill them with little princesses and their pets. Day by day she clung closer to him. She insisted upon having his company all her waking hours. She was at his side when he was working in the garden or chopping wood, and accompanied him when he was sent on errands. One evening he went out to buy sugar and Leela went with him. When they came home, Leela's mother noticed that a gold chain Leela had been wearing was missing. 'Where is your chain?' Leela looked into her shirt, searched and said, 'I don't know.' Her mother gave her a slap and said, 'How many times have I told you to take it off and put it in the box?' 'Sidda, Sidda!' she shouted a moment later. As Sidda came in, Leela's mother threw a glance at him and thought the fellow already looked queer. She asked him about the chain. His throat went dry. He blinked and answered that he did not know. She mentioned the police and shouted at him. She had to go back into the kitchen for a moment because she had left something in the oven. Leela followed her, whining, 'Give me some sugar, Mother, I am hungry.' When they came out again and called, 'Sidda, Sidda!' there was no answer. Sidda had vanished into the night. Mr Sivasanker came home an hour later, grew very excited over all this, went to the police station and lodged a complaint. After her meal Leela refused to go to bed. 'I won't sleep unless Sidda comes and tells me stories... I don't like you, Mother. You are always abusing and worrying Sidda. Why are you so rough?' 'But he has taken away your chain...' 'Let him. It doesn't matter. Tell me a story.' 'Sleep, sleep,' said Mother, attempting to make her lie down on her lap. 'Tell me a story, Mother,' Leela said. It was utterly impossible for her mother to think of a story now. Her mind was disturbed. The thought of Sidda made her panicky. The fellow, with his knowledge of the household, might come in at night and loot. She shuddered to think what a villain she had been harbouring all these days. It was God's mercy that he hadn't killed the child for the chain... 'Sleep, Leela, sleep,' she cajoled. 'Can't you tell the story of the elephant?' Leela asked. 'No.' Leela made a noise of deprecation and asked, 'Why should not Sidda sit in our chair, Mother?' Mother didn't answer the question. Leela said a moment later, 'Sidda is gone because he wouldn't be allowed to sleep inside the house just as we do. Why should he always be made to sleep outside the house, Mother? I think he is angry with us, Mother.' By the time Sivasanker returned, Leela had fallen asleep. He said, 'What a risk we took in engaging that fellow. It seems he is an old criminal. He has been in jail half a dozen times for stealing jewellery from children. From the description I gave, the inspector was able to identify him in a moment.' 'Where is he now?' asked the wife. 'The police know his haunts. They will pick him up very soon, don't worry. The inspector was furious that I didn't consult him before employing him...' Four days later, just as Father was coming home from the office, a police inspector and a constable brought in Sidda. Sidda stood with bowed head. Leela was overjoyed. 'Sidda! Sidda!' she cried, and ran down the steps to meet him. 'Don't go near him,' the inspector said, stopping her. 'Why not?' 'He is a thief. He has taken away your gold chain.' 'Let him. I will have a new chain,' Leela said, and all of them laughed. And then Mr Sivasanker spoke to Sidda; and then his wife addressed him with a few words on his treachery. They then asked him where he had put the chain. 'I have not taken it,' Sidda said feebly, looking at the ground. 'Why did you run away without telling us?' asked Leela's mother. There was no answer. Leela's face became red. 'Oh, policemen, leave him alone. I want to play with him.' 'My dear child,' said the police inspector, 'he is a thief.' 'Let him be,' Leela replied haughtily. 'What a devil you must be to steal a thing from such an innocent child!' remarked the inspector. 'Even now it is not too late. Return it. I will let you off, provided you promise not to do such a thing again.' Leela's father and mother, too, joined in this appeal. Leela felt disgusted with the whole business and said, 'Leave him alone, he hasn't taken the chain.' 'You are not at all a reliable prosecution witness, my child,' observed the inspector humorously. 'No, he hasn't taken it!' Leela screamed. Her father said, 'Baby, if you don't behave, I will be very angry with you.' Half an hour later the inspector said to the constable, 'Take him to the station. I think I shall have to sit with him tonight.' The constable took Sidda by the hand and turned to go. Leela ran behind them crying, 'Don't take him. Leave him here, leave him here.' She clung to Sidda's hand. He looked at her mutely, like an animal. Mr Sivasanker carried Leela back into the house. Leela was in tears. Every day when Mr Sivasanker came home he was asked by his wife, 'Any news of the jewel?' and by his daughter, 'Where is Sidda?' 'They still have him in the lockup, though he is very stubborn and won't say anything about the jewel,' said Mr Sivasanker. 'Bah! What a rough fellow he must be!' said his wife with a shiver. 'Oh, these fellows who have been in jail once or twice lose all fear. Nothing can make them confess.' A few days later, putting her hand into the tamarind pot in the kitchen, Leela's mother picked up the chain. She took it to the tap and washed off the coating of tamarind on it. It was unmistakably Leela's chain. When it was shown to her, Leela said, 'Give it here. I want to wear the chain.' 'How did it get into the tamarind pot?' Mother asked. 'Somehow,' replied Leela. 'Did you put it in?' asked Mother. 'Yes.' 'When?' Long ago, the other day,' 'Why didn't you say so before?' 'I don't know,' said Leela. When Father came home and was told, he said, 'The child must not have any chain hereafter. Didn't I tell you that I saw her carrying it in her hand once or twice? She must have dropped it into the pot sometime... And all this bother on account of her. 'What about Sidda?' asked Mother 'I will tell the inspector tomorrow... in any case, we couldn't have kept a criminal like him in the house.' **Glossary:** brooding = showing deep thought about something that makes one sad, angry or worried errands = to take or get something for somebody stump = a remaining part queer = unusual, strange panicky = frightened shuddered = shiver, as from fear or excitement deprecation = to express a low opinion of treachery = betrayal, disloyalty **Questions for Discussion:** 1. Contrast Leela's innocence with the attitudes of the adults around her. 2. Examine how the story critiques the justice system and societal attitudes towards the marginalized. How does the story highlight the unfair treatment of Sidda? 3. Discuss the significance of the title "Leela's Friend". How does it reflect the central relationship in the story, and what message does it convey about friendship across social divides? **Suggested Reading:** - *"Kabuliwala"* by Rabindranath Tagore - *"The Gift of the Magi"* by O.Henry - *"The White Tiger"* by Aravind Adiga 4. **Let the Poem Wish Well for All** - **Mekhala Venkatesh** **Brainstorming** - How does wishing well for others benefit both the giver and the receiver? - Can you share an instance where you felt the need to wish well for someone else? - Is it realistic to wish well for everyone, even those who may be considered adversaries? Why or Why not? ![](media/image2.jpeg)**About the Poet** Dr. Mekhala Venkatesh, Associate Professor and Research Guide, Head of Post Graduate Department of English, School of Humanities and Social Sciences, Jain Deemed-to-be University, Bengaluru. She is the co-translator of K.S.Narasimha Swamy's collection of poems '*Bride comes Home'.* **About the Poem** The poem emphasizes universal goodwill and positivity. The poem focuses on the power of words and poetry to spread messages of kindness, hope, and harmony. Through this poem, the poet encourages compassion, suggesting that poetry has the potential to reach out and heal, fostering a sense of unity across different experiences and walks of life. The poem serves as a reminder of the potential of art to be a unifying force that inspires empathy and well-wishing for everyone. \*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\* The blue sky doesn't discriminate, Everyone is born of the same earth, Everyone heads towards the same, Joy or sorrow, let whatever befall Let the poem wish well for all. Forging on by breaking the wall hurdles, The poor and needy amiably mingle Let all brothers working together, Savour the fruits of labour. Let the poem wish well for all. May all- Get shelter to stay, Children drink pure milk, Soak in dawn's golden ray, Brim in peace. Let the poem wish well for all. The earth's compassion is endless, There is fruit for every labour, The future opens to a garden of bliss, Love and peace be ever the victor. Let the poem wish well for all. **Glossary:** forging = put a lot of effort into making something hurdles = leap over to overcome or surmount amiably= qualities that make one liked/easily liked brim = the top/edge/rim of something **Questions for Discussion:** 1. In what ways can the poem's message be applied to contemporary social and environmental issues? 2. How does the tone of the poem contribute to its overall impact on the reader? **Suggested Reading:** "*Desiderata"* by Max Ehrmann *"Mending Wall"* by Robert Frost *"A Blessing*" by James Wright 5. **The Mountain Lion** Brainstorming - What is the role of humans in the natural world? - What is the attitude of humans towards non-humans? - What can we do when we see something wrong happening in front of us? Discuss. **About the poet:** David Herbert Lawrence was born in 1885 in Eastwood, Nottinghamshire, the fourth child of Arthur Lawrence and Lydia Beardsall. Lawrence was a prolific writer - of poetry, novels, short stories, plays, essays, and criticism. His works are heavily autobiographical and the experiences of his early years in Nottinghamshire continued to exert a profound influence throughout his life. **About the poem** This is a melancholic poem about the death of a lioness at the hands of two men in the beautiful Lobo Canyon. The intention of the killers in killing her is not clear in the poem. But the naive lioness trusts the humans. The speaker laments how humans see themselves as the center of the universe. The only animal with no predator and \"the only animal in the world to fear\" is the human being. The poem invokes the feeling of empathy and helps students in responding to the inhumane attitude of humans. \*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\* Climbing through the January snow, into the Lobo canyon Dark grow the spruce trees, blue is the balsam, water sounds still unfrozen, and the trail is still evident. Men! Two men! Men! The only animal in the world to fear! They hesitate. We hesitate. They have a gun. We have no gun. Then we all advance, to meet. Two Mexicans, strangers, emerging out of the dark and snow and inwardness of the Lobo valley. What are they doing here on this vanishing trail? What is he carrying? Something yellow. A deer? \_Qué tiene, amigo? León\_\-- He smiles, foolishly, as if he were caught doing wrong. And we smile, foolishly, as if we didn\'t know. He is quite gentle and dark-faced. It is a mountain lion, A long, long slim cat, yellow like a lioness. Dead. He trapped her this morning, he says, smiling foolishly. Lift up her face, Her round, bright face, bright as frost. Her round, fine-fashioned head, with two dead ears; And stripes in the brilliant frost of her face, sharp, fine dark rays, Dark, keen, fine rays in the brilliant frost of her face. Beautiful dead eyes. Hermoso es! They go out towards the open; We go on into the gloom of Lobo. **Glossary** 1.Lobo canyon : a canyon in Santa Rosa island 2.Spruce trees: coniferous ever green tree 3.Balsam: medium sized ever green tree 4.Trail :series of marks in a long line that is left by somebody/something as he/she/it moves 5:Que tiene: (non- standard Spanish)\"what does that have to do with anything\' 6\. Hermoso es:( Spanish )beautiful **Questions for Discussion** 1\. Why does D H Lawrence say \"There was room in the world for a mountain lion and me.\"? 2\. The beautiful mountain lion is killed in the beautiful lobo canyon. Comment. **Suggested Reading** In the Shadow of Man by Jane Goodall Gorillas in the Mist by Dian Fossey **6. Chaturvarnya Is Irrational and Impracticable** **Dr. B.R. Ambedkar** **Brainstorming:** - Caste discrimination has been prevalent in India since ancient times. Discuss. - How were people divided into different castes? **About the Author:** ![](media/image4.jpeg)One of the pillars of Indian democracy who played a pivotal role in shaping the Indian Constitution, Dr Bhimrao Ramji Ambedkar is also known for his radical, no-holds-barred views on discrimination against the backward classes, particularly the Untouchables, and the caste politics practiced by Hindus. Born an Untouchable, he fought social discrimination at every step of his life. He was always vocal about his opposition to the treatment of not only Dalits, but also women and the disadvantaged. His path-breaking ideas, most of which are relevant even today, are reflected in his writings. **About the Speech**: Dr. Ambedkar's speech on *Chaturvarnya* was meant to challenge the deeply entrenched caste hierarchy in Hindu society. The *Chaturvarnya* system, according to Hindu tradition, divides society into four main categories: 1. **Brahmins** (priests and scholars) 2. **Kshatriyas** (warriors and rulers) 3. **Vaishyas** (merchants and traders) 4. **Shudras** (laborers and service providers) Additionally, the *Dalits* (formerly called \"Untouchables\") were considered outside of the varna system and were subjected to severe discrimination and exclusion. Ambedkar critiqued the caste system because it entrenched social, economic, and political inequalities based on birth, with individuals being assigned roles in society according to their caste rather than their abilities or aspirations. He saw the caste system not as a natural or divine order but as a social construct that was designed to oppress and marginalize certain groups, particularly the lower castes and Dalits. **\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*** To disarm the opposition the protagonists of Chaturvarnya take great care to point out that their Chaturvarnya is based not on birth, but on guna (worth). At the outset, I must confess that notwithstanding the worth-basis of this Chaturvarnya, it is an ideal to which I cannot reconcile myself. In the first place, if under the Chaturvarnya of the Arya Samajists an individual is to take his place in the Hindu Society according to his worth, I do not understand why the Arya Samajısts insist upon labelling men as Brahmın, Kshatriya, Vaishya and Shudra. A learned man would be honoured without his being labelled a Brahmın. A soldier would be respected without his being designated Kshatriya. If European Society honours its soldiers and its servants without giving them permanent labels, why should Hindu Society find it difficult to do so a question which Arya Samajısts have not cared to consider. There is another objection to the continuance of these labels. All reform consists in change in the notions, sentiment and mental attitudes of the people towards men and things. It is common experience that certain names become associated with certain notions and sentiments, which determine a person\'s attitude towards men and things. The names Brahmin, Kshatriya, Vaishya and Shudra are names which are associated with a definite and fixed notion in the mind of every Hindu. That notion is of a hierarchy based on birth. So as long as these names continue, Hindus will continue to think of the Brahmin, Kshatriya, Vaishya and Shudra as hierarchical divisions of high and low, based on birth, and act accordingly. The Hindu must be made to unlearn all this. But how can this happen if the old labels remain and continue to recall to his mind old notions? If new notions are to be inculcated in the minds of people, it is necessary to give them new names. To continue the old name is to make the reform futile To allow this Chaturvarnya based on worth to be designated by such stinking labels of Brahmın, Kshatriya, Vaishya, Shudra, indicative of social divisions based on birth, is a snare. To me this Chaturvarnya with its old labels is utterly repellent and my whole being rebels against it. But I do not wish to rest my objection to Chaturvarnya on mere grounds of sentiment There are more solid grounds on which I rely for my opposition to it. A close examination of this ideal has convinced me that as a system of social organizaion, Chaturvarnya is impracticable, harmful and has turned out to be a miserable failure From a practical point of view, the system of Chaturvarnya raises several difficulties which its protagonists do not seem to have taken into account. The principle underlying caste is fundamentally different from the principle underlying varna. Not only are they fundamentally different but they are also fundamentally opposed. The former is based on worth. How are you going to compel people who have acquired a higher status based on birth, without reference to their worth, to vacate that status? How are you going to compel people to recognize the status due to a man in accordance with his worth, who is occupying a lower status based on his birth? For this you must first break up the caste system, in order to be able to establish the varna system. How are you going to reduce the four thousand castes, based on birth, to the four varnas, based on worth? This is the first difficulty which the protagonists of the Chaturvarnya must grapple with. There is a second difficulty which the protagonists of Chaturvarnya must grapple with, if they wish to make the establishment of Chaturvarnya á success. Chaturvarnya pre- supposes that you can classify people into four definite classes. Is this possible? In this respect, the ideal of Chaturvarnya has, as you will see, a close affinity to the Platonic ideal! To Plato, men fell by nature into three classes. In some individuals, he believed, mere appetites dominated. He assigned them to the laboring and trading classes. Others revealed to him that over and above appetites, they have a courageous disposition. He classed them as defenders in war and guardians of internal peace. Others showed a capacity to grasp the universal reason underlying things. He made them the law-givers of the people. The criticism to which Plato\'s Republic is subject is also the criticism which must apply to the system of Chaturvarnya, insofar as it proceeds upon the possibility of an accurate classification of men into four distinct classes. The chief criticism against Plato is that his idea of lumping of individuals into a few sharply marked-off classes is a very superficial view of man and his powers. Plato had no perception of the uniqueness of every individual, of his incommensurability with others, of each individual forming a class of his own. He had no recognition of the infinite diversity of active tendencies and combination of tendencies of which an individual is capable. To him, there were types of faculties or powers in the individual constitution. All this is demonstrably wrong. Modern science has shown that lumping together of individuals into a few sharply marked-off classes is a superficial view of man, not worthy of serious consideration. Consequently, the utilization of the qualities of individuals is incomputable with their stratification by classes, since the qualities of individuals are so variable. Chaturvarnya must fail for the very reason for which Plato\'s Republic must fail, namely that it is not possible to pigeon men into holes, according that he belongs to one class or the other. That it is impossible to accurately classify people into four definite classes is proved by the fact that the original four classes have now become four thousand castes. There is a third difficulty in the way of the establishment of the system of Chaturvarnya. How are you going to maintain the system of Chaturvarnya, supposing it was established? One important requirement for the successful working of Chaturvarnya is the maintenance of the penal system which could maintain it by its sanction. The system of Chaturvarnya must perpetually face the problem of the transgressor. Unless there is a penalty attached to the act of transgression, men will not keep to their respective classes. The whole system will break down, being contrary to human nature. Chaturvarnya cannot subsist by its own inherent goodness. It must be enforced by law. The protagonists of Chaturvarnya do not seem to have considered what is to happen to women in their system. Are they also to be divided into four classes, Brahmin, Kshatriya, Vaishya and Shudra? Or are they to be allowed to take the status of their husbands? If the status of the woman is to be the consequence of marriage, what becomes of the underlying principle of Chaturvarnya, namely, that the status of a person should be based upon the worth of that person? If they are to be classified according to their worth, is their classification to be nominal or real? If it is to be nominal then it is useless and then the protagonists of Chaturvarnya must admit that their system does not apply to women. If it is real, are the protagonists of Chaturvarnya prepared to follow the logical consequences of applying it to women? They must be prepared to have women priests and women soldiers. Hindu Society has grown accustomed to women teachers and women barristers. It may grow accustomed to women brewers and women butchers. But he would be a bold person who would say that it will allow women priests and women soldiers. But that will be the logical outcome of applying Chaturvarnya to women. Given these difficulties, I think no one except a congenital idiot could hope and believe in a successful regeneration of the Chaturvarnya. Assuming that Chaturvarnya is practicable, I contend that it is the most vicious system. That the Brahmins should cultivate knowledge, that the Kshatriya should bear arms, that the Vaishya should trade and that the Shudra should serve sounds as though it was a system of division of labour. Whether the theory was intended to state that the Shudra need not or that whether it was intended to lay down that he must not, is an interesting question. The defenders of Chaturvarnya give it the first meaning. They say, why should the Shudra need trouble to acquire wealth, when the three varnas are there to support him? Why need the Shudra bother to take to education, when there is the Brahmin to whom he can go when the occasion for reading or writing arises? Why need the Shudra worry to arm himself because there is the Kshatriya to protect him? The theory of Chaturvarnya, understood in this sense, may be said to look upon the Shudra as the ward and the three varnas as his guardians. Thus interpreted, it is a simple, elevating and alluring theory Assuming this to be the correct view of the underlying conception of Chaturvarnya, it seems to me that the system is neither foolproof nor knave-proof. What is to happen if the Brahmins, Vaishyas and Kshatriyas fail to pursue knowledge, to engage in economic enterprise and to be efficient soldiers, which are their respective functions? Contrariwise, suppose that they discharge their functions but flout their duty to the Shudra or to one another, what is to happen to the Shudra if the three classes refuse to support him on fair terms or combine to keep him down? Who is to safeguard the interests of the Shudra or, for that matter, that of the Vaishya and Kshatriya when the person who is trying to take advantage of his ignorance is the Brahmın? Who is to defend the liberty of the Shudra and, for the matter, that, of the Brahmin and the Vaishya when the person who is robbing him of it is the Kshatriya? Interdependence of one class on another class is inevitable Even dependence of one class upon another may sometimes become allowable. But why make one person depend upon another in the matter of his vital needs? Education everyone must have Means of defence everyone must have. These are the paramount requirements of every man for his self-preservation. How can the fact that his neighbour is educated and armed help a man who is uneducated and disarmed? The whole theory is absurd. These are the questions, which the defenders of Chaturvarnya do not seem to be troubled with. But they are very pertinent questions. Assuming their conception of Chaturvarnya, that the relationship between the different classes is that of ward and guardian, is the real conception underlying Chaturvarnya, it must be admitted that it makes no provision to safeguard the interests of the ward from the misdeeds of the guardian. Whether the relationship of guardian and ward was the real underlying conception on which Chaturvarnya was based, there is no doubt that in practice the relation was that of master and servants. The three classes, Brahmins, Kshatriyas and Vaishyas, although not very happy in their mutual relationship, managed to work by compromise. The Brahmin flattered the Kshatriya and both let the Vaishya live in order to be able to live upon him. But the three agreed to beat down the Shudra. He was not allowed to acquire wealth lest he should be independent of the three varnas. He was prohibited from acquiring knowledge lest he should keep a steady vigil regarding his interests. He was prohibited from bearing arms lest he should have the means to rebel against their authority That this is how the Shudras were treated by the Triyavarnikas is evidenced by the Laws of Manu. There is no code of laws more infamous regarding social rights than the Laws of Manu. Any instance from anywhere of social injustice must pale before it. Why have the mass of people tolerated the social evils to which they have been subjected? There have been social revolutions in other countries of the world. Why have there not been social revolutions in India is a question which has incessantly troubled me. There is only one answer which I can give and it is that the lower classes of Hindus have been completely disabled for direct action on account of this wretched system of Chaturvarnya. They could not bear arms and without arms they could not rebel. They were all ploughmen or rather condemned to be ploughmen and they never were allowed to convert their ploughshare into swords. They had no bayonets and therefore everyone who chose could and did sit upon them. On account of the Chaturvarnya, they could receive no education. They could not think out or know the way to their salvation. They were condemned to be lowly and not knowing the way of escape and not having the means of escape, they became reconciled to eternal servitude, which they accepted as their inescapable fate It is true that even in Europe the strong have not shrunk from the exploitation, nay the spoliation of the weak. But in Europe, the strong have never contrived to make the weak helpless against exploitation so shamelessly as was the case in India among the Hindus. Social war has been raging between the strong and the weak far more violently in Europe than it has ever been in India. Yet, the weak in Europe has had in his freedom of military service his physical weapon, in suffering his political weapon and in education his moral weapon. These three weapons for emancipation were never withheld by the strong from the weak in Europe All these weapons were, however, denied to the masses in India by Chaturvarnya. There cannot be a more degrading system of social organization than the Chaturvarnya. It is the system which deadens, paralyses and cripples the people from helpful activity. This is no exaggeration. History bears ample evidence. There is only one period in Indian history which is a period of freedom, greatness and glory. That is the period of the Mourya Empire. At all other times the country suffered from defeat and darkness. But the Mourya period was a period when Chaturvarnya was completely annihilated; when the Shudras, who constituted the mass of the people, came into their own and became the rulers of the country. The period of defeat and darkness is the period when Chaturvarnya flourished to the damnation of the greater part of the people of the country. **Glossary:** Chaturvarnya- four varnas Protagonist- an advocate or champion of a particular cause or idea Repellent- causing disgust Perpetually- constantly Lumping- treat as alike without regard for particulars **Questions for Discussion:** 1. On what basis did the Arya Samajists divide society? 2. What are Dr. B.R. Ambedkar's contentions to refute the division of society based on Chaturvarnya? **Suggested Reading** Annihilation of Caste: Dr. BR Ambedkar The Untouchables : Who Were They? and why They Became Untouchables? : Dr. BR Ambedkar **7.Homesickness** **Roald Dahl** 1. Discuss some of your childhood experiences. 2. How does a child feel staying in a boarding school? 3. Share your experiences about staying away from your family. About the Author ================ Roald Dahl was born on 13 September 1916. He was a British novelist, short-story writer, poet, screenwriter, and wartime [fighter](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fighter_aircraft) pilot. Dahl was born in [Wales](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wales) to Norwegian immigrant parents. He served in the Royal Air Force during the [Second World War](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Second_World_War). He is referred to as \"one of the greatest storytellers for children of the 20th century\". In 2008, The Times placed Dahl 16th on its list of \"The 50 greatest British writers since 1945\". Dahl\'s short stories are known for their unexpected endings, and his children\'s books for their unsentimental, macabre, often darkly comic mood, featuring villainous adult enemies of the child characters. ====================================================================================================================================================================================================================================================================================================================================================================================================================================================================================================================================================================================================================================================================================================================================================================================================================== About the story =============== "Homesickness" is an excerpt from Roald Dahl‟s autobiography, "Boy: Tales of Childhood‟. An autobiography is the true story of one‟s own life. It is written in the first person and includes important events in the author‟s life. In an autobiography, the author remains the main character and the narrative is related from the author‟s perspective, expressing their own ideas or feelings about happenings and the people who have played a role in the story of their life.) When he was nine, Dahl was sent to a boarding school called St.Peter‟s. He feels so homesick there that he thinks of a desperate plan to go back home. \*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\* I was homesick during the whole of my first term at St Peter\'s. Homesickness is a bit like seasickness. You don\'t know how awful it is till you get it, and when you do, it hits you right in the top of the stomach and you want to die. The only comfort is that both homesickness and seasickness are instantly curable. The first goes away the moment you walk out of the school grounds and the second is forgotten as soon as the ship enters port. I was so devastatingly homesick during my first two weeks that I set about devising a stunt for getting myself sent back home, even if it were only a few days. My idea was that I should all of a sudden develop an attack of acute appendicitis. You will probably think it silly that a nine-year-old boy should imagine he could get away with a trick like that, but I had sound reasons for trying it on. Only a month before, my ancient half-sister, who was twelve years older than me, had actually had appendicitis, and for several days before her operation I was able to observe her behaviour at close quarters. I noticed that the thing she complained about most was a severe pain down in the lower right side of her tummy. As well as this, she kept being sick and refused to eat and ran a temperature. You might, by the way, be interested to know that this sister had her appendix removed not in a fine hospital operating-room full of bright lights and gowned nurses but on our own nursery table at home by the local doctor and his anaesthetist. In those days it was fairly common practice for a doctor to arrive at your own house with a bag of instruments, then drape a sterile sheet over the most convenient table and get on with it. On this occasion, I can remember lurking in the corridor outside the nursery while the operation was going on. My other sisters were with me, and we stood there spellbound, listening to the soft medical murmurs coming from behind the locked door and picturing the patient with her stomach sliced open like a lump of beef. We could even smell the sickly fumes of ether filtering through the crack under the door The next day, we were allowed to inspect the appendix itself in a glass bottle. It was a longish black wormy-looking thing, and I said, \"Do I have one of those inside me, Nanny?\" \"Everybody has one,\" Nanny answered. \"What\'s it for?\" I asked her. \"God works in his mysterious ways,\" she said, which was her stock reply whenever she didn\'t know the answer. \"What makes it go bad?\" I asked her. Nanny, who in my eyes was filled with more wisdom than Solomon, replied, \"Whenever a bristle comes out of your toothbrush and you swallow it, it sticks in your appendix and turns it rotten. In the war,\" she went on, \"the German spies used to sneak boxloads of loose-bristled toothbrushes into our shops and millions of our soldiers got appendicitis.\" \"I never lie to you, child,\" she answered. \"So let that be a lesson to you never to use an old toothbrush.\" For years after that, I used to get nervous whenever I found a toothbrush bristle on my tongue. As I went upstairs and knocked on the brown door after breakfast, I didn\'t even feel frightened of the Matron. \"Come in!\" boomed the voice. \"What\'s the matter with you?\" the Matron shouted, and the sheer force of her voice caused that massive bosom to quiver like a gigantic blancmange. \"It hurts, Matron,\" I moaned. \"Oh, it hurts so much! Just here!\" \"You\'ve been over-eating!\" she barked. \"What do you expect if you guzzle currant cake all day long!\" \"I haven\'t eaten a thing for days,\" I lied. \"I couldn\'t eat, Matron! I simply couldn\'t!\" \"Get on the bed and lower your trousers,\" she ordered. I lay on the bed and she began prodding my tummy violently with her fingers. I was watching her carefully, and when she hit what I guessed was the appendix place, I let out a yelp that rattled the window-panes. \"Ow! Ow! Ow!\" I cried out. \"Don\'t, Matron, don\'t!\" Then I slipped in the clincher. \"I\'ve been sick all morning,\" I moaned, \"and now there\'s nothing left to be sick with, but I still feel sick!\" This was the right move. I saw her hesitate. \"Stay where you are,\" she said and she walked quickly from the room. She may have been a foul and beastly woman, but she had had a nurse\'s training and she didn\'t want a ruptured appendix on her hands. Within an hour, the doctor arrived and he went through the same prodding and poking and I did my yelping at what I thought were the proper times. Then he put a thermometer in my mouth. \"Hmm,\" he said. \"It reads normal. Let me feel your stomach once more.\" \"Owch!\" I screamed when he touched the vital spot. The doctor went away with the Matron. The Matron returned half an hour later and said, \"The Headmaster has telephoned your mother and she\'s coming to fetch you this afternoon.\" I didn\'t answer her. I just lay there trying to look very ill, but my heart was singing out with all sorts of wonderful songs of praise and joy. I was taken home across the Bristol Channel on the paddle-steamer and I felt so wonderful at being away from that dreaded school building that I very nearly forgot I was meant to be ill. That afternoon I had a session with Dr Dunbar at his surgery in Cathedral Road, Cardiff, and I tried the same tricks all over again. But Dr Dunbar was far wiser and more skilful than either the Matron or the school doctor. After he had prodded my stomach and I had done my yelping routine, he said to me, \"Now you can get dressed again and seat yourself on that chair.\" He himself sat down behind his desk and fixed me with a penetrating but not unkindly eye. \"You\'re faking, aren\'t you?\" he said. \"Because your stomach is soft and perfectly normal,\" he answered. \"If you had had an inflammation down there, the stomach would have been hard and rigid. It\'s quite easy to tell.\" I kept silent. \"I expect you\'re homesick,\" he said. I nodded miserably. \"Everyone is at first,\" he said. \"You have to stick it out. And don\'t blame your mother for sending you away to boarding-school. She insisted you were too young to go, but it was I who persuaded her it was the right thing to do. Life is tough, and the sooner you learn how to cope with it the better for you.\" \"What will you tell the school?\" I asked him, trembling. \"I\'ll say you had a very severe infection of the stomach which I am curing with pills,\" he answered smiling. \"It will mean that you must stay home for three more days. But promise me you won\'t try anything like this again. Your mother has enough on her hands without having to rush over to fetch you out of school.\" \"I promise,\" I said. \"I\'ll never do it again.\" Glossary ======== 1. Seasickness: a feeling that you want to vomit because of the constant movement of the ship. 2. Appendicitis: a condition in which the appendix becomes infested and has to be removed through an operation. 3. At close quarters: from a close distance. 4. Anaesthetist: a doctor who gives an anaesthetic to a patient. 5. Lurking: waiting quietly and secretly, especially before doing something bad. 6. Sickly fumes of ether: strong smell of ether, which is a substance used as an anaesthetic. 7. Matron: a woman in charge of the living and medical arrangements of the children at a boarding school. 8. Prodding: poking with a pointed object. 9. Inflammation: a painful swelling caused by an infection. 10. Stick it out: face an unpleasant situation with courage and patience. Discussion Questions ==================== 1. What are the speaker\'s arguments against being called silly? 2. Attempt an analysis of Dr. Dunbar‟s way of helping the speaker. 3. "Life is tough, and the sooner you learn how to cope with it the better for you. Explain the statement in context to the story. 8. **The Face on the Wall** **E V Lucas** **Brainstorming** - What is imagination? Discuss the role of imagination in the lives of creative people. - Socially active people are quick in resolving problems. Elucidate. ![](media/image6.jpeg)**About the Author** **Edward Verrall Lucas**, born in 1868 was an English humorist, essayist, playwright, biographer, publisher, poet, novelist, short story writer and editor. Lucas joined the staff of the humorous magazine [*Punch*](https://www.wikiwand.com/en/articles/Punch_(magazine)) in 1904, and remained there for the rest of his life. He was a prolific writer, most celebrated for his short essays, but he also produced verses, novels and plays. From 1908 to 1924 Lucas combined his work as a writer with that of [publisher\'s reader](https://www.wikiwand.com/en/articles/Publisher's_reader) for [Methuen and Co](https://www.wikiwand.com/en/articles/Methuen_Publishing). In 1924 he was appointed chairman of the company. **About the Story** A group of friends are sharing supernatural stories at a party when a pale man is asked to tell his own story. The man tells them about a patch on the wall in his bedroom that looked like a human face. He becomes obsessed with finding the man and eventually tracks him down. The man is a millionaire from the United States named Ormond. The irony of the story is that the man spends so much time studying the face on the wall, thinking it is mysterious, when it is actually a reflection of himself. \*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\* I had a tingling experience at Dabney\'s house last evening. We were talking of the supernatural theme and most of us had cited an instance, without, however, producing much effect. Among the strangers to me was a little man with an anxious white face, whom Rudson-Wayte had brought, and he watched each speaker with the closest attention but said nothing. Then Dabney, wishing to include him in the talk, turned to him and asked if he had no experience to relate, no story that contained any element that couldn\'t be explained. He thought for a moment. \"Well,\" he said, \"not a story in the ordinary sense or a hearsay, like most of your examples. Truth, I always hold, is not only vastly stranger than fiction but also more interesting. I could tell you an occurrence which happened to me personally and which oddly enough completed itself only this afternoon.\" We begged him to begin. \"A year or two ago,\" he said, \"I was in rooms in Great Ormond Street -- an old house on the Holborn side. The bedroom walls had been distempered by a previous tenant, but the place was damp and great patches had formed. One of these - as indeed often happens - was exactly like a human face. Lying in the bed in the morning before getting off the bed, I used to watch it and gradually I came to think of it as real - as my roommate, in fact. The odd thing was that while the patches on the walls grew larger and changed their contours, this never did. It remained identically the same. \"While there, I had a very bad attack of influenza, with complications, and all day long I had nothing to do but read or meditate and it was then that this face began to get a firmer hold of me. It grew more and more real and remarkable. It dominated my thoughts day and night. The face was full of individuality. It was the face of a man. "Well, I got better, but the face still controlled me. I found myself searching the streets for one like it. Somewhere, I was convinced, the real man must be somewhere and I must meet him. Why? I had no idea. I only knew that he and I were in some way linked by fate. I frequently went to places where men assembled in large number -- political meetings, football matches, the railway stations where the suburban trains run packed in the morning and in the evening. \"The search became a mania with me. I neglected everything else. I stood at busy corners watching the crowd until people thought me crazy, and the police began to suspect me. I never glanced at women. I watched men, all the time.\" \"And then,\" he continued, \"at last I saw him. He was in a taxi. I turned and ran beside the taxi for a little way and then saw an empty one coming. \'Follow that taxi,\' I hurried, and leapt in. The driver managed to keep it in sight and it took us to Charing Cross. I rushed on to the platform and found my man with two ladies and a little girl. They were going to France by the 2.20 train. I hung about to try and get a word with him, but in vain. They moved to the train. \"I hastily purchased a ticket to Folkestone, hoping that I should catch him on the boat before it sailed but at Folkestone he got on board before me and he disappeared into a large private saloon of several cabins. Evidently he was a man of wealth. \"Again I missed but I was determined to meet him, feeling certain that when the voyage began he would leave the ladies and come out for a stroll on the deck. I had only just enough fare to Boulogne, but nothing could stop me now. I took up my position opposite the saloon door and waited. After half an hour the door opened and he came out, but with the little girl. My heart was pounding against my chest. There was no mistake. The same face - every line was the same. He glanced at me and moved towards the upper deck. \"It was now or never\", I felt. \"Excuse me,\" I stammered, \"but do you mind giving me your card? I have a very important reason for wishing to communicate with you.\" \"He seemed to be astonished, but he complied. He took out his case and handed me his card and hurried on with the little girl. It was clear that he considered me insane and felt that it was wiser to avoid me". \"I held the card and then I hurried to a deserted corner of the ship and read it. My eyes dimmed; my head swam; for the words: Mr. Ormond Wall with an address at Pittsburg, U.S.A. I remember no more until I found myself at Boulogne. There I lay in a broken condition for some weeks, and I returned just a month ago.\" He was silent. We looked at him and at one another and waited. All the other talk of the evening was nothing compared with the story of the little pale man. \"I went back,\" he resumed after a moment or so, \"to Great Ormond Street and set to work to discover all I could about this American in whose life I had so mysteriously interfered. I wrote to Pittsburg; I wrote to American editors but all that I could find out was that he was a millionaire with English parents who had resided in London. But where? To that question, I received no answer. \"And so the time went on until yesterday morning. I had gone to bed more than usually tired and slept till late. When I woke, the sun was streaming into the room. As I always do, I looked at once at the wall on which the face was to be seen. I rubbed my eyes and sprang up in alarm. It was only faintly visible. Last night it had been as clear as ever and now it was almost invisible. \"I got up dazed and dejected and went out. The early editions of the newspapers were already out, and on the headlines I saw \'American millionaire\'s Motor Accident\'. You must all of you have seen it. I bought it and read the news once. Mr. Ormond Wall, the Pittsburg millionaire, and party, motoring from Spezzia to Pisa, came into collision with a wagon and overturned. Mr. Wall\'s condition was critical. \"I went back to my room still dazed, and sat on the bed looking with unseeing eyes at the face on the wall. And even as I looked, suddenly it completely disappeared. \"Later I found that Mr. Wall had succumbed to his injuries at what I take to be that very moment.\" Again he was silent. \"Most remarkable,\" we said; \"most extraordinary,\" and so forth, and we meant it too. \"Yes,\" said the stranger. \"There are three extraordinary, three most remarkable things about my story. One is that is it possible for the discolouration in a lodging-house in London not only to form the features of a gentleman in America, but to have this intimate association with his existence? It will take Science some time to explain that. Another is that the gentleman\'s name bore relation with the spot on which his features were so precisely reproduced by some mysterious agency. Is it not so?\" We agreed with him, and our original discussion on supernatural manifestations set in again with increased excitement, during which the narrator of the amazing experience rose and said good-night. Just as he was at the door, one of us- I think, it was Spanton -recalled us to the cause of our excited debate by asking him, before he left, what he considered the third extraordinary thing in connection with his deeply interesting story. \"You said three things\" Spanton reminded him. \"Oh, the third thing,\" he said, as he opened the door, \"I was forgetting that. The third extraordinary thing about the story is that I made it up about half an hour ago; Good-night, again.\" After coming to our senses we looked round for Rudson-Wayte, who had brought this snake to bite our bosoms, but he too had disappeared. **Glossary** 1. Fellow lodger: someone who lives with you. 2. Fate: future or a power that is believed to control what happens in people's lives. 3. Leaped in: jumped in very quickly. 4. Stammered: spoke with a lot of pauses and repeated sounds. 5. Reeled: repeated a lot of information quickly and easily. 6. Reproduced: made a photograph or pointed something or to make something that is just like something else. **Discussion Questions** 1. Describe the symbolic significance of the Great Ormond Street and Mr. Ormond Wall in the story. 2. Explain the extraordinary things in the narrator's story. 3. Discuss the title of the story. **Suggested Reading** 1. *Phantom Rickshaw* by Rudyard Kipling 2. *Ghost* by Satyajit Ray **6. Reading Comprehension: Unseen Poetry/Prose** One of the most vital skills in language learning is reading, which requires more than the ability to read words and sentences with the right pronunciation. To read effectively is to do many things. It involves reading the words correctly with the right pronunciation and pauses. It also includes making meaning of what is read. Comprehending the text means understanding the meaning of the words and sentences. Besides making meaning, reading also involves understanding the author's intent, interpreting the words, inferring meaning when it is hidden, and analysing the language used in the text. To become an effective reader, one must develop the following skills, a. Vocabulary: If your knowledge of words is good, you will be able to understand texts better and faster. If you do not know some words, you may not comprehend the text fully and it will also be time-consuming to look for the meanings in a dictionary. A good knowledge of vocabulary guarantees a good reader. And to improve your vocabulary you need to read more and more. Vocabulary building therefore becomes one of the primary skills to develop your reading. b. Inferring skills: Sometimes the writer may not explicitly say everything. The reader has to make some effort to understand the messages hidden in the text. To infer a meaning means to look for evidence in the text that supports a particular reading of a text. Consider the following example: As Kavitha was passing by the passage, she noticed that it was quite dark. There was not a single soul around. She rushed quickly, almost running from one end of the passage to the other. She was breathing heavily by the time she crossed it. Can you infer, Kavitha's feeling as she was passing by the passage? a. Happy b. Anxious c. Afraid d. Sad c. Interpretative skills: When you comprehend a text you need to understand the context, the writer's intentions, and the themes. You also need to understand the tone and mood of the writer. Interpretative skills also require critical thinking abilities. They help the reader to go beyond the words in the passage and understand the background, themes, intention, and tone. i. What kind of a story is this? ii. Where is Kavitha going? iii. What might happen next? **Steps for Effective Reading Comprehension** To comprehend what you are reading better, follow these steps: a. Read the text more than once. b. Skim the text the first time instead of reading it word by word. Skimming is a skill where you run your eyes through the text quickly to get the gist or main idea of the text. c. Take note of all the accompanying details like the title, pre-reading exercises, the length of the text, etc. These will prepare you with some background information about the text and help in your reading process. d. Ask a few questions about what you are going to read. e. Identify the main ideas and supporting details while reading. f. Contextualizing and visualizing are effective strategies to adopt when you do not understand a word or a concept in the text. g. Summarize what you have read before proceeding to the next part or page. **Unseen Poems** When you are reading a poem on your own and solving comprehension questions on the poem, remember to make note of the following: Now let us read some poems and answer the questions following them. **Poem Comprehension 1** **The Lapwing** In the dark that falls before the dawn, When the dew has settled on the thorn, When the stars have been obscured by clouds, A silence covers all things in shrouds. No wind sighs in the mulberry tree, No firefly glimmers wild and free, A shadow has wrapped the night in gloom, It's silent as a deserted tomb. All of a sudden a lapwing's cry Cuts the black silence as it flies by, Again and again it slashes the dark That haunts the empty, desolate park, Anguish, sorrow pours from its throat, It wings in the night, note after note; I open my window so the light Will flood the dark of this wretched, night. Why does it cry so miserably? Why is it so solitary? All I know is that loss and ache Are left behind in the lapwing's wake. -- Meera Uberoi **Answer the following questions.** 1. The poet opens the window because \(A) he can see the lapwing \(B) he can get some air \(C) he can get some light \(D) he can hear the lapwing 2. When darkness falls there is \(A) a shroud covering all things \(B) the crying of the lapwing to be heard \(C) complete silence everywhere \(D) gloom and destination 3. The lapwing's song is A. full of joy B. filled with sorrow C. melodious D. weary and tired 4. What does the lapwing's song signify? A. good days are ahead B. there will be happiness C. there will be pain and sorrow D. there will be darkness 5. The poet says that the lapwing is A. lonely B. in a group C. following another bird D. with the poet **Poem Comprehension 2** I lay in sorrow, deep distressed ; My grief a proud man heard ; His looks were cold, he gave me gold But not a kindly word. My sorrow passed I paid him back The gold he gave to me ; Then stood erect and spoke my thanks And blessed his charity. I lay in want, in grief and pain; A poor man passed my way He bound my head, he gave me bread He watched me night and day. How shall I pay him back again, For all he did to me ? Oh, gold is great, but greater far Is heavenly sympathy ! -- Charles Mackay **Answer the following questions**. 1\. What did the proud man do for the poet? \(A) He gave him some gold \(B) He showed sympathy for him \(C) He spoke kindly to him \(D) He took him home 2\. Why does the poet say that he 'stood erect' ? \(A) Because he was deeply distressed \(B) Because he had got gold from a proud man \(C) Because he had paid back the gold given to him \(D) Because he had in him heavenly sympathy 3\. What did the poor man do for the poet? \(A) He gave him gold. \(B) He paid him back. \(C) Said a kindly word. \(D) Took care of him day and night. 4\. What, according to the poet, can't be paid back? \(A) Sympathy \(B) Gold \(C) Bread \(D) Charity 5\. What does the poet say about sympathy? \(A) That it can be paid back \(B) That it is rare \(C) That it can be given only by the poor \(D) That it is heavenly **Poem Comprehension 3** In London Town It was a bird of paradise Over the roofs he flew Children clapped their hands and cried:\" How nice! Look- his wings are blue!\" His body was of ruby red His eyes were burning gold All the grown-up people said \"What a pity the creature is not dead, For then it could be sold\" One was braver than the rest, He took a loaded gun Aiming at the emerald chest He shot the creature through the breast, Down it fell in the sun. It was not heavy, it was not fat And folk began to stare \"We cannot eat it, that is flat! And such outlandish feathers as that Why, who could ever wear?\" They flung it in to the river brown \"A pity the creature died!\" Thus they said in London town But all the children cried. **Answer the following questions.** **Unseen Prose** To comprehend a prose passage, the same tips given above can be followed. Always remember that each paragraph has a main idea and many supporting details. It is important to identify the main idea to comprehend the passage. Very often, the main idea will be in the first or last sentence of a paragraph. Keeping some of these points in mind, let us do some prose comprehension exercises. **Unseen Passage 1** Cell phones have become a nearly universal aspect of contemporary Western culture. In many locations, children of elementary school age regularly carry cell phones. Cell phones, however, are not always welcome, and, in some areas, cell phones are banned. The reasons for the ban involve health and safety. There are various reasons for not allowing cell phones in schools. Most schools have banned their usage completely. It is not only the classrooms where is a blanket ban on the usage of the cell phones but it has been banned while driving too. Distracted driving is a major factor in serious and fatal automobile accidents. In the United States many locations have passed laws banning the use of cell phones while driving. Other laws allow cell phones to be used for conversation if they are connected to hands-free devices. Texting while driving poses a heightened risk because it involves taking one or both hands off the steering wheel in order to operate the telephone keypad. President Barack Obama issued an executive order banning texting while driving for federal employees in 2009. Teenagers are especially prone to text while deriving. The original reason given for banning cell phones on airplanes was the risk of interference with sensitive cockpit equipment. Newer digital phones have been shown to present little or no risk to air navigation, though; several airlines have lifted bans on cell phones use. There are usually still restrictions involved with on-board cell phone use, such as limitations to a particular network. The United States has continued to ban cell phone use on airplanes. The House of Representatives went so far as to draft a bill called HANG UP (H.R. 5788 Halting Airplane Noise to Give Us Peace Act of 2008) although the bill never made it out of committee. With airlines such as American Airlines introducing on-board Wi-Fi service, some commuters believe it is only a matter of time before cell phone use is also permitted, especially if the airlines are allowed to charge fees. **Answer the following** 1. Why are cell phones not allowed in schools? \(a) because of health and safety reasons. \(b) because these are expensive \(c) because they distract in the class \(d) only (a) and (c) 2. Why have cell phones been banned while driving? \(a) because they distract the attention of the public \(b) because they may lead to accident \(c) because they are very expensive \(d) none of the above 3. What was the reason to ban cell phones on airplanes? \(a) risk of interference with sensitive cockpit equipment. \(b) Cell phone may be used as a bomb \(c) Network problem \(d) None of the above 4. Which one of the following is not true? \(a) United States has continued to ban cell phone use on airplanes. \(b) 40% people believe that health and safety is the major reason for the ban on Cell phones. \(c) teenagers are especially prone to text while driving. \(d) none of the above. 5. What is the innovation of using cell phone in the airplanes? \(a) On-board Wi-Fi service \(b) free internet \(c) Free Wi-Fi \(d) none of the above **Unseen Passage -2** NEGATIVE IMPACTS OF CARTOONS Cartoon Pokémon, created by Satoshi Tajiri in 1995, belongs to anime, the Japanese name for animated film. Anime have a distinctive appearance (e.g. big eyes). The original name of the cartoon was Pocket Monsters. A year later, the name was shortened into Pokémon. Each episode of the cartoon is a special adventure of the main hero Ash Ketchum who fights against other trainers. Despite hard blows they receive all the time, Pokémon never die as they have the ability to recover energy. In 1997 in Japan, 653 children were admitted to hospital for epileptic seizures. After detailed research it was found the seizures were caused by flashing red and blue lights which appeared in 38th episode of Pokémon, which children watched that night. The episode was never commercially released or re-broadcast anywhere in the world, as it was banned by the Japanese government. There are other, less radical, health issues. For example, it is obvious that there is nothing good in sitting all day in front of the TV, watching cartoons. This can only weaken kids' eye sight, or may lead to spine curvature disorders. Lack of physical activity also creates problems with obesity. Furthermore, many experts stress negative impact of cartoons on speech development of children by the age of three. Psychologists claim that watching cartoons is a passive activity in which there is no interaction required for proper speech development. **Answer the following** 1. Distinctive -- means... \(a) common \(b) comparable \(c) characteristic \(d) unique 2. The word 'Pokémon' -- shortened from Japanese name... a. pocket monsters b. packet monsters c. Ash Ketchum d. packer monsters 3. One serious negative impact of cartoon Pokémon was... \(a) it created epileptic seizures \(b) it created flashing lights of red &blue \(c) 653 children watched all 38 episodes in nights and acquired seizures later \(d) it spoiled kids' eye sight 4. Pokémon neither commercially released nor re-broadcast after being banned because a) people realized the addictive aspect of Pokémon cartoon on kids b\) parents protested for commercial release and re-broadcast of cartoon c\) doctors community revealed the health factors black and white d\) a ban on cartoon by Japanese govt exposed the psycho-physic and emotional problems of children. 5. Speech development impair in children of 3 years who watch cartoon as a\) they don't play naturally b\) they play games with gadgets c\) The children don't interact with parents to imitate their language d\) poor pre-school peers Synonyms: --------- -- -- -- -- -- -- Sample 1: --------- 1. One of the missions of the Peace Corps is to help the people of interested countries meet their need for trained men and women. People who work for the Peace Corps do so because they want to, but to keep the agency **dynamic** with fresh ideas, no staff member can work for the agency for more than five years. Choose the synonym for the highlighted word: -------------------------------------------- a. Livelihood b. abandon c. lively d. effect Sample 2: --------- Exercise 1: ----------- 1. Windy days are [typical] of December. 2. Her moods are as [changeable] as the weather. 3. He tends to be [ill-tempered] before he has had breakfast. 4. We sailed around the entire [boundary] of the island. 5. The swindler tried to [evade] the law. 6. We heard the pots and pans [clanking] in the kitchen. 7. The defendant was grateful for the judge's [kindness]. 8. His character was of the highest [merit]. 9. A chameleon [disguises] itself by changing color. 10. A good critic must be a man of great [honesty]. Exercise 2: ----------- 1. This bottle [ ] about a liter of water. - Comprises - Consists of - Contains - Includes 2. Betty, you promised to help me with my homework, now [ ] your promise. - Execute - Fulfill - Realize - Perform 3. I think you have a good chance of getting your money back, [ ] on wood. - Beat - Hit - Knock - Strike 4. She doesn't have any [ ] of humour. - Emotion - Feeling - Sensation - Sense 5. He was fired and he couldn't find another [ ] in his field. - Job - Work - Labor - Toil 6. She won [ ] in a local chess tournament. - Award - Premium - Prize - Reward Antonyms: --------- 1. Traditional -- 2. Comedy -- 3. Increase -- Answers: 1. Modern/ unconventional 2. Tragedy 3. Decrease Exercises 1: ------------ 1. More 2. Flexible 1. Own 2. Allow 3. Balance 4. Responsibility Exercise 2: ----------- Give antonyms for the following words. Prefix can also be used: --------------------------------------------------------------- 1. Old 2. Light 3. Fluffy 4. Little 5. Often 6. Sensitive Exercise 3: ----------- 1. Include 2. Complete 3. Interest 4. Scholar Exercise 4: Find words in the above passage with similar meaning for the words: ------------------------------------------------------------------- 1. Many 2. Careful 3. Significant 4. Inspire Write antonyms for all the above words. Exercise 5: --------------------------------------------------- Find words in the passage with opposite meaning to the following words: ----------------------------------------------------------------------- 1. Often 2. Build 3. Young 4. Found Homophones and Homonyms ----------------------- Homophones Examples: -------------------- 1. Altar/ Alter 2. Berth/ Birth 3. Cast/ Caste 4. Days/ Daze 5. Earn/ Urn Sample Exercise: ---------------- a. I turned [ ] when I dropped the water [ ]. (Pail/Pale) b. Will the teacher give me a special [ ] now that I'm on the honor [ ] ? (role/roll) Exercise 1: ----------- 1. The teacher read the instructions [ ] to the students. (allowed/aloud) 2. The day was warm, so the students [ ] their lunch outside.(ate/eight) 3. He\'s taking a [ ] in marketing. (coarse/course) 4. The stairs [ ] in my house. (creak/creek) 5. Your parcel should arrive in three [ ] (days/daze). 6. I had to get up early, so I\'ve been in a [ ] \_ all morning. (days/daze) 7. Make your decision based on [ ] (facts/fax). 8. He released the brake, and the tractor slowly moved [ ] (foreword/forward). 9. The bag is made from [ ] fabric.(red/read) 10. The comedian\'s jokes are so bad that audiences usually [ ] laugh.(groan/grown) 11. We keep a [ ] , two cows, and six chickens. (hoarse/horse) 12. You have to repay the 13. Training your dog requires a lot of 14. My great-grandfather was born during the [ ] of Queen Victoria.(rain/reign) 15. Wear leather gloves when pruning the [ ] bush. (rose/rows) What are Homonyms? ------------------ Homonym Examples: ----------------- 1. Address -- location/ to speak to 2. Bark -- the sound of dogs/ tree's outer layer 3. Band -- a ring/ a musical group Sample: ------- 1. Board -- -------- a. The teacher's writing on the board is not visible. b. Board members are waiting in the room for the meeting. 2. Race -- ------- c. Students are willing to participate in 200 mtr race. d. There should be no discrimination based on race. Exercise 2: ----------- 1. Light 2. Sole 3. Mean 4. Right 5. Kind 6. Well 7. Match 8. Express 9. Pound 10. Spring 11. Tender 12. Stalk 13. Rock 14. Ring 15. Drop 16. Ruler 17. Scale 18. Can 19. Watch 20. Foot Suffix and Prefix: ------------------ - We work hard in order to ensure our children's happiness. - In classroom, students will research on the current elect*ions* - Suffix = ions is added to elect to change the meaning and mean a process. **Suffix** **Meaning** ------------ ------------------------------------------------ -- -able able to, having the quality of -al relating to -er comparative -est superlative -ful full of -ible forming an adjective -ily forming an adverb -ing denoting an action, a material, or a gerund -less without, not affected by -ly forming an adjective -ness denoting a state or condition -y full of, denoting a condition, or a diminutive What does prefix mean? ---------------------- ------------ ------------- -- **Prefix** **Meaning** ------------ ------------- -- **Prefix** **Meaning** ------------ ------------------------------------- -- de- from, down, away, reverse, opposite dis- not, opposite, reverse, away ex- out of, away from, lacking, former il- Not im- not, without in- not, without mis- bad, wrong non- Not pre- before pro- for, forward, before re- again, back un- against, not, opposite - Craig was *dis*satisfied with the customer service he received at the store. - Prefix = *dis* = negative Exercise 1: ----------- 1. Wrap 2. Comfort 3. Use 4. Fortune 5. Understand 6. Behave 7. Spell 8. Guide 9. Close 10. Agree 11. Fold 12. Construct 13. Appropriate 14. Healthy 15. Familiar Exercise 2: ----------- 1. He is acting in a very [ ] way. (child) 2. She looked [ ]. She started to cry. (happy) 3. He passed the exam. He was [ ] for the second time. (success) 4. The team that he supported won the [ ]. (champion) 5. I couldn't find any [ ] in his theory. (weak) 6. He wants to be a [ ] when he grows up. (mathematics) 7. There were only a [ ] of people at the match. (hand) 8. The road was too narrow, so they had to [ ] it. (wide) 9. I think that you should [ ] your decision. (consider) 10. You need a [ ] of motivation, organization and hard work to realize your dreams.(combine) Collocations: ------------- Some Common Collocations: ------------------------- -- -- -- -- Verb Collocations: ------------------ -- -- -- -- Business Collocations: ---------------------- -- -- -- -- - He had intended to **take a holiday** in New York. - He wanted to see if he could **get a job** with us. - I might **take a lesson** from you. - My goals were to go back to school and **get a degree**. - I'll **take a look** at the website and let you know what I think. - He was beginning to **get angry**. - Can't you **do a favour** and leave me alone? Exercises: Choose the correct word from the brackets and fill in the blank: ---------------------------------------------------------------- 1. The meeting took almost five hours, so it was difficult to [ ] (give/pay) attention all the time. 2. The problem is difficult to [ ] (keep/hold) under control. 3. Only 30% of students who [ ] (made/took) the final exam passed it. 4. Accepting gifts from vendors is [ ] (strictly/strongly) forbidden. 5. I think you need to let it go, you should not [ ] (keep/hold) a grudge. 6. After [ ] (careful/cautious) consideration, we decided not to go with it. 7. We are planning to move operations to a [ ] (emerging/developing) country. 8. The goal of the campaign is to [ ] (raise/create) awareness about pollution and overfishing in India. 9. We would like to [ ] (warmly/cordially) invite you to the grand opening. 10. A [ ] (vast/big) majority of our employees have a decade's experience. Words often confused: --------------------- For example: ------------ Lie vs. Lay ----------- Exercise: --------- 1. Accept vs. Except 2. Allusion vs. Illusion 3. Appraise vs. Apprise 4. Capital vs. Capitol 5. Climactic vs. Climatic 6. Complement vs. Compliment 7. Elicit vs. Illicit 8. Emigrate vs. Immigrate 9. Ensure vs. Insure 10. Farther vs. Further 11. Imitated vs. Intimated 12. Passed vs. Past 13. Lose vs. Loose 14. Breath vs. Breathe 15. Principal vs. Principle 8. Reported Speech ================== Speaker reporting verbwords spoken by the speaker ------------------------------------------------- noun clause ----------- Note ---- - The spoken part of direct speech is usually one of the following sentences: Statement - The reporting verb indicates the kind of sentence that is being reported. Points to remember while changing direct speech to reported speech: ------------------------------------------------------------------- - Identify what kind of sentence is being reported. - Remove the inverted commas and link the speaker and words spoken. - Use relevant reporting verb based on the reported sentence. - Pronouns used as first and second person gets changed into third person. - If the person addressed in direct speech is reporting about what he/she has spoken, then the pronoun is changed to the first person. - The present tense changes into the past tense and the past tense changes into past perfect when the reporting verb is in past tense. Some changes in tense are as follows: ------------------------------------- 1. ---- -- -- 2. 3. 4. -- -- -- -- -- -- Some Exceptions --------------- - The tenses may not change if the statement is still true or a universal truth. Example 1: ---------- - If the reporting verb is in the Present Tense, the tense of the Direct Speech do not change Example 1: ---------- Example 2: ---------- Example 1: ---------- Direct: Ritwick said to me, "I am going to London next week". Indirect: Ritwick informed me that he was going to London the following week. Example 2: ---------- Reporting questions ------------------- Examples 1: ----------- Example 1: ---------- Example 1: ---------- Reporting mixed type: --------------------- Examples: --------- a. "What are you going to do with the tinder-box?" asked the soldier. "That's no business of yours", said the witch; "You've got your money; give me the tinder-box". b. "How very well you speak Hindi!" Murali said. "I ought to know it", Banu modestly said. "I learnt it in school, and moreover my mother is from Delhi." c. He said, "Has your father been taken seriously ill. I understand he had a mild heart attack. I hope he will soon be home, none the worse for the attack". Exercises: ---------- 1. **Change the sentences into reported speech by using appropriate reporting verbs:** a. The old man said, "You must wake up early in the morning". b. He said to Prem, "My child is alone at home today". c. "Let us plan the vacation next week", said Priya. d. My mom said, "Where are you?" e. The principal said, "Do not use the mobile phone in classrooms". f. Ranga said, "Be careful while trekking". g. Keerthi said, "I am going out of Bangalore next week". h. She said, "Do you want this book?" i. "Hurry up", the teacher told students. j. The coach said, "How disappointing! They lost the match again". k. The diplomat said, "This is the most beautiful palace I have ever visited!" l. They said, "Why has the train not yet reached!" m. Peter said, "Please do not disturb me". n. "How kind of you!", the beggar said. o. Hritik said, "Nupur, are you coming to the movie?" 2. Change the following conversations to reported speech: ------------------------------------------------------ 1. Kalpana: \"What would you like to order?\"\ Kumuda: \"I'll have a coffee and a cutlet.\"\ Kalpana: \"That sounds good. I think I'll get the same.\"\ Kumuda: \"Have you tried their chocolate cake before?\" Kalpana: \"Yes, it's delicious, but the cutlet is my favourite.\" 2. Manoj: \"Where should we go for our next vacation?\"\ Nyla: \"I'd love to visit Paris.\"\ Manoj: \"Do you think we can afford it this year?\"\ Nyla: \"If we save up for a few months, it's possible.\"\ Manoj: \"Great! Let's start planning right away.\" 3. Samir: \"Has anyone finished the Botany assignment?\"\ Tilak: \"I just started mine yesterday.\"\ Samir: \"I finished it, but it was really challenging.\"\ Tilak: \"Do you think the essay question will be on the test?\"\ Samir: \"Probably, since it was such a big part of the assignment.\" 9. DialogueWriting ================== To write a good dialogue ------------------------ - Understand the context/situation of the conversation. - Brainstorm all possible opinions or arguments that can take place between the characters. - Arrange these ideas in a logical order. - The dialogue should be conversational, spontaneous and impromptu. - To make the dialogue lively, elements of surprise, irritation, pleasure etc., may be introduced. - The conversation may also be in the form of questions from one speaker and answered by another speaker. - The conversation should lead to a definite conclusion. - Keep the conversation as realistic as possible. Examples 4. A conversation between two friends planning their weekend vacation 5. Conversation between two classmates over the phone about exam preparation 6. Two students' conversation immediately after coming out of the examination hall. Exercises: ---------- A. **Develop a dialogue between:** 1. An interviewer and an interviewee. 2. Two friends who have met after 10 years. 3. The bank manager and a customer who wants to stop the payment of a cheque he has issued to someone. 4. Father and son about course selection after PU. 5. A doctor and his patient B. Complete the dialogues given below by filling in the blanks: ------------------------------------------------------------ 6. A police inspector meets a manager to enquire about a clerk in the manager's office. Inspector: Good Morning Mr. Mehra. Conversation between a cab driver and a passenger ------------------------------------------------- A conversation between a student and a teacher ---------------------------------------------- A mechanic and a car owner -------------------------- A customer visits a showroom to buy a washing machine ----------------------------------------------------- C. Develop dialogues for the given narrative: ------------------------------------------ 11. Once upon a time a poor woman was walking from one village to another carrying a bundle on her head. Unable to lift it easily, she rested every now and then. A horseman passed by. The woman requested him to carry the bundle on horseback till the next village. He refused and said that she would walk slowly and he would be delayed. The old woman requested again. Looking at her condition, he finally agreed. 12. An old man came to the farm; the owner of the farm needed a person exactly like him. His arrival to the farm improved the income but made the farmer lethargic. His wife found all this strange. She informed this to the old man and requested him to leave the farm. 13. One day a wolf was drinking at a stream. He saw a lamb that was farther down. The wolf made up his mind to eat the lamb. He ran up to the lamb and started a fight over the muddy water. He said that the lamb had made the water muddy. The lamb replied that he did not understand how that can be, since the water was running from the wolf to him and not from him to the wolf. **10.Verbal Communication and Non Verbal Communication** Verbal communication: --------------------- Types of Verbal communication: ------------------------------ 1. Oral communication. 2. Written communication. Oral communication: ------------------- Advantages of oral communication: --------------------------------- - It is less time consuming, more direct, simple and the least expensive. - It is more communicative, interactive and effective. - It provides an immediate feedback. - More personal and can be informal. - Helps to foster better rapport with co-workers and friends. - Since every information cannot be written down, majority of the information conveyed by means oforal instructions, mutual discussions and telephonic conversations. Disadvantages of Oral communication: ------------------------------------ - Verbal talks may often be distorted if there is some cause of indifference between thereceiver and the sender. - Sometimes due to physical or mental barriers communication is incomplete. - Not convenient for long messages. - Spontaneous responses may not be carefully thought. - The spoken words can be more easily misunderstood than the written words, even forgotten unless it's recorded. - There is no consideration of legal worth evidence. Written communication: ---------------------- Advantages of written communication: ------------------------------------ - Easy to preserve as permanent and legal records. - Longevity and used as a reference. - Easy to verify and make it effective. Disadvantages of written communication: --------------------------------------- - Expensive and time consuming. - Cannot be comprehended by illiterates. - Delayed response results in delayed decision making. - Difficult to interpret jargon and vocabulary as language is sometimes complex. - Difficult to maintain secrecy. Non-verbal communication: ------------------------- Kinesics: --------- - Gestures: --------- - Body movement ------------- - Posture ------- - Facial expression ----------------- - Eye Contact ----------- Haptic: ------- Proxemics: ---------- - Proxemics communicates levels of intimacy with those near or around us. - A person can signal to someone else that they don\'t feel very safe around them by standing further away. - We signal to a comfortable partner that we want affection by standing closer. - The distance people place between themselves and others can vary greatly by culture. - **Public:** Over 12 ft. away - Delivering a lecture or speech. - **Social:** 4-12 ft. away - Addressing a customer/employee at a store. - **Personal:** 1-4 ft. away - Conversing with a friend/family member or about to shake hands with a colleague. - **Intimate:** Less than 1 ft. away or touching - Reserved only for people we are intimately close with, such as romantic partners. Clues of Para Linguistics: -------------------------- - Rate: Speed at which you speak. A well-paced, varied message suggests enthusiasm, self- assurance and awareness of audience. - Volume: Loudness or quietness of vocal speech. Confidence, assertiveness and boldness are reflected in volume of speech. - Pitch: the highness or lowness of vocal tone. Voice, pitch determine whether making a statement or asking a question or expressing concern or conviction. Also express emot

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