Animals in Prison200225111102021515.pdf

Home: Subject name : English Title of the lesson : Animals in Prison Author : Jawaharlal Nehru No of Parts (I/II) and Duration : I; duration half an hour Paper/Level (I/II) : VIII (G)...

Home: Subject name : English Title of the lesson : Animals in Prison Author : Jawaharlal Nehru No of Parts (I/II) and Duration : I; duration half an hour Paper/Level (I/II) : VIII (G) Indian Writing in English Under Graduates (B.A, B.Sc, &B.Com) : B.A Subject Expert: Name : Dr.K.Karuna Devi Qualification : Ph.D Designation : Lecturer in English, Andhra Mahila Sabha College for women Phone No : 9441307252  “Animals in Prison” Jawaharlal Nehru Objectives: 1. To study the (non-fictional) prose style of Nehru in Indian writings in English. 2. To know Nehru’s skill as an essayist Summary: This essay is from a volume called Towards Freedom: The Autobiography of Jawaharlal Nehru. Here Nehru describes a period of solitary confinement that he had to undergo at Dehra Dun jail. The essay contains a detailed account of the sights and sounds he observed from his cell. He particularly mentions his experiences with the different insects, birds, small animals, stray dogs and kittens and so on. In reading the prose piece our attention is constantly drawn to his keen observation and his profound love for animals. Nehru sacrificed his own comforts and his family life in order to embrace imprisonment for his fight against the foreign rule. Often he had to stay away from his near and dear ones very frequently. He also had to live in the most unfavorable conditions in the various prisons where he was lodged during his association with the freedom struggle and civil disobedience movements. The essay also illustrates the excellence of Nehru’s prose style. Module - 1 ABOUT THE AUTHOR and NEHRU’S PROSE STYLE Jawaharlal Nehru was born on 14 November 1889, in Allahabad, Uttar Pradesh. His father Motilal Nehru was a renowned advocate and also an influential politician. For higher education, young Nehru was sent to Harrow school and then later to Cambridge University in England. After spending two years at the Inner Temple, London, he qualified as a barrister. During his stay in London, Nehru was attracted by the ideas of liberalism, socialism and nationalism. In 1912, he returned to India and joined the Allahabad High Court Bar. He was a member the Congress Party that led the freedom movement against the British Empire. Jawaharlal Nehru became the first Prime Minister of independent India. Pandit Nehru is an important figure in Indian English Prose writing. Nehru’s writing’s, particularly his books Glimpses of World History, Letters from a Father to his Daughter, and the autobiography Toward Freedom, show his mastery in English Prose and depth of ideas besides highlighting his world view. His autobiography highlights his preoccupations with nation building, the idea of India as a nation-state, his views on India and on being Indian as well as his personal experiences during and after the freedom struggle. But Nehru‘s achievement as a writer are equally impressive, if not more so than his contribution as a statesman. Nehru’s prose style is perhaps among the best in the world, with its innate simplicity, honesty and eye for evocative detail. His powers of observation were commendable, and this is very much in evidence in the prescribed prose piece ‘Animals in Prison.’ Though not a professional writer Nehru played a considerable role in shaping the development of English prose in India. He has left behind a legacy of excellence in prose which has served as a model for many writers after him. Module - 2 The Essay This unit acquaints you with the key areas which will make you understand the importance of Nehru as one of the foremost Indian writers writing in English. Besides, you will also get to know much about Nehru’s life, personality, contributions as a statesman and chiefly as a multifaceted personality. His contribution to the field of literature is remarkable as exemplified by his essay ‘Animals in Prison ‘. The essay illustrates Nehru’s love for nature and his skill as an essayist. As you know, Jawaharlal Nehru was the first Prime Minister of India and his life is closely intertwined with the history and destiny of modern India. He was greatly fond of children and animals which can be seen by reading this essay. Here he describes a period of solitary confinement in Dehradun jail and narrates his experiences with the different insects, birds, small animals, stray dogs and kittens and so on. When you read the prose piece, you will notice that your attention is drawn to the details he paints using his keen observation and his great love for animals. The prescribed prose section is an excerpt from Nehru‘s Towards Freedom. In this piece he describes a period of solitary confinement that he had to undergo at Dehra Dun jail. He gives a detailed account of the sights and sounds he observed from his cell. He particularly mentions his experiences with the different insects, birds, small animals, stray dogs and kittens and so on. In reading the prose piece our attention is constantly drawn to his keen observation and his profound love for animals. Nehru sacrificed his own comforts and his family life in order to embrace imprisonment and fight against the foreign rule. Often he had to stay away from his near and dear ones. He also had to live in the most unfavorable conditions in the various prisons where he was lodged during his participation in the freedom struggle and civil disobedience movements. In his autobiography, he has given a faithful representation of these years and of the zeal that fired the Indians during those trying times. The present essay offers one of Nehru’s most keenly felt moments of joy amidst the birds, animals and insects seen from within the four walls of the prison in Dehradun. Module – 3 Explanation (1) In the extract, “Animals in Prison”, Nehru wrote about the various interesting animals and insects that he came across when he was in Dehra Dun goal. He lived there for fourteen and a half months. So he became very familiar with everything inside and outside his cell. He felt that he was not alone, as many wasps, hornets and lizards too lived there. The cell and its surroundings were intimately associated with the memories and feelings of Nehru. Nehru and other prisoners of A and B classes were kept in an old lock-up inside the goal compounds. The cells there were very small. So the prisoners were allowed to come out of their cells and walk up and down in front of the gate. Nehru considered it a great privilege as he could see the fields, a public road and the Himalayas. The outside walls broke the monotony, boredom and loneliness. Most of all Nehru could see the Himalayas that he loved. He felt great comfort as long as he was near the Himalayas. Spring in Dehra Dun lasted longer than in the plains. In winter all the trees including the four great peepal trees in front of the gate shed their leaves. But they began to sprout small green leaves as the air of spring came. The monsoon rain reduced the summer heat and they were welcomed. But there was too much rain and it was not pleasant to sit confined in a narrow cell trying to avoid the water dripping from the ceilings or coming through the windows. Having no normal activities, Nehru and other prisoners observed the ways of nature including the various creeping, crawling and flying insects. He had to fight with bed-bugs, mosquitoes and flies. Once he had to fight against the wasps, one of which had stung him. But at last he made peace with them. He followed the principle of not interfering with insects—wasps and hornets etc.—as long as they did not interfere with him. Module – 4 Explanation (2) Nehru also described his experiences in other jails. He had some interesting experiences with squirrels when he was in the Lucknow Jail. The squirrels used to come down from the trees and approach very near him. One day a squirrel came and sat on his knees. Then realizing that he was not a tree, it scampered away. When the baby squirrels fell down from the trees the mothers would come down and take them away. Once a companion of Nehru reared three baby squirrels feeding them with a fountain-pen filler. Dehra Dun had a variety of birds. Nehru used to listen to the koel or the brain fever bird repeating its plaintive note day and night due to which it had rightly earned its name. In Dehra Dun, Nehru also watched eagles, kites and wild ducks. While in Bareilly jail, Nehru saw many monkeys and their interesting tricks. One day a baby monkey came down into the barrack compound. It could not go away as it could not climb the wall. Some people tied a string around its neck. The parents saw it and grew angry. One of them, a large monkey, came down charging. The monkey did not fear the large crowd equipped with sticks. The people fled in fear and the monkey rescued the baby. Module – 5 Explanation (3) Nehru quite often encountered scorpions in the prison cells. It was surprising that he was never stung by one, for he would come across them in the most unlikely places on his bed, or sitting on a book which he had just lifted up. Once he caught one and put it in a bottle and when he tied it up on the wall, it escaped and could not to be found again. Three or four snakes were found in his cells or near them. Once the press got the news that a snake was found in his cell and that generated some excitement. Nehru liked the digression from the monotony of prison life. Though he feared snake-bite, he had no great fright for the snakes. He had repulsion for centipedes rather. Once in Alipore jail he found a centipede crawling over his foot. He jumped out of his bed in fright, almost dashing against the wall. In Dehra Dun, Nehru saw a strange animal resembling a crocodile and a lizard both. He was standing at the jail gate talking to the jailer when we noticed a man outside carrying a strange animal. The jailer sent for him, and he saw something between a lizard and a crocodile, about two feet long with claws and a scaly covering. This uncouth animal, which was very much alive, had been twisted round in a most peculiar way, forming a kind of knot, and its owner had passed a pole through this knot and was merrily carrying it in this fashion. He called it a Bo. When asked by the jailer what he proposed to do with it, he replied with a broad smile that he would make bhujjiz kind of curry out of it! He was a forest dweller. Subsequently, from reading F. W. Champion's book The Jungle in Sunlight and Shadow Nehru discovered that this animal was the pangolin. Module – 6 Conclusion Prisoners, especially the long-term prisoners suffered emotional starvation, Nehru concluded. For emotional satisfaction, they often keep pets. Nehru saw the convicts keping pets like squirrels, mongoose and cats. Once a little kitten became friendly with Nehru. Another time Nehru also looked after a deserted bitch and her puppies. Nehru enjoyed the company of more animals in prison than outside. At home, he could not pay much attention to animals as he had to pay attention elsewhere. Indians, Nehru thought, do not generally, like household pets and are generally insensitive to animals. Nehru wondered how they could be callous to animals in spite of their philosophy of non-violence. Nehru concludes by writing about different countries that have adopted different animals as symbols of their ambition or character the eagle of the United States of America and of Germany, the lion and bulldog of England, the fighting cock of France, the bear of old Russia. How far do these patron animals mold national character? Most of them are aggressive, fighting animals, beasts of prey. The people who grow up with these examples before them appear to mold themselves consciously after them, strike up aggressive attitudes, roar, and prey on others. The Hindu is mild and nonviolent, for his patron animal is the cow. He remarks that the adoption of these animals could perhaps be responsible for the violent and greedy streak in the citizens of these countries while the adoption of the meek and docile ‘cow’ as the national animal could perhaps explain the non-violent and tolerant nature of the Indians. But even the cow, that favored animal, though looked up to and almost worshiped by many Hindus and often the cause of riots, is not treated kindly. Worship and kindliness do not always go together. In this way the essay expressive the sensitive and sympathetic nature of the great national leader and the felicity with which he could express his innermost thoughts and feelings in English. Case study: 1) Comment on Jawaharlal Nehru’s works and his style. A) Pandit Nehru is an iconic figure in the realm of Indian English Prose writing. Nehru’s writing’s include his books Glimpses of World History, Letters from a Father to his Daughter, and the autobiography Toward Freedom. They show Nehru’s mastery in English Prose and the depth of ideas besides also highlighting his world view. His autobiography highlights his pre-occupations with nation building, the idea of India as a nation-state, his views on India and on being Indian as well as his personal experiences during and after freedom struggle. But Nehru‘s achievement as a writer commands equal respect, if not more, as his contribution as a statesman. Nehru’s prose style is perhaps among the best in the world, with its innate simplicity, honesty and eye for evocative detail. 2) Give a brief description of the time that Nehru spent at Dehra Dun jail with reference to the animals that he came across there? A) In the extract, “Animals in Prison”, Nehru wrote about the various interesting animals and insects that he came across when he was in Dehra Dun Jail. He lived there for fourteen and a half months. So he became very familiar with everything inside and outside his cell. He felt that he was not  alone, as many wasps, hornets and lizards too lived there. Nehru and other prisoners observed the ways of nature including the various creeping, crawling and flying insects. He had to fight with bed-bugs, mosquitoes and flies. Once he had to fight against the wasps, one of which had stung him. He also saw a strange animal resembling a crocodile and a lizard both. He was standing at the jail gate talking to the jailer when he noticed a man outside carrying a strange animal. The jailer sent for him, and Nehru saw something between a lizard and a crocodile, about two feet long with claws and a scaly covering. FAQs 1 1) What do you learn from this essay of Nehru? A) The essay ‘Animals in Prison’, illustrates Nehru’s love for nature and his skill as an essayist. 2) How did Nehru become familiar with everything in the Dehra Dun jail? A) Nehru became very familiar with everything inside and outside his cell because he stayed there for fourteen and a half months. He felt that he was not alone, as many wasps, hornets and lizards too lived there. The cell and its surroundings were intimately associated with the memories and feelings of Nehru. 3) How does Nehru describe the changing seasons and landscape that he witnessed during his stay at Dehra Dun jail? A) Nehru describes the changing seasons and landscape as follows: spring in Dehra Dun lasted longer than in the plains. In winter all the trees including the four great peepal trees in front of the gate shed their leaves. But they began to sprout small green leaves as the air of spring came. The monsoon rain reduced the summer heat and they were welcomed. But there was too much rain and it was not pleasant to sit confined in a narrow cell trying to avoid the water dripping from the ceilings or coming through the windows. 4) How did Nehru along with other prisoners spend their time in the prison? A) Having no normal activities, Nehru and other prisoners observed the ways of nature including the various creeping, crawling and flying insects. He had to fight with bed-bugs, mosquitoes and flies. Once he had to fight against the wasps, one of which had stung him. But at last he made peace with them. 5) What is the principle followed by Nehru towards the insects in the Dehra Dun jail?  A) Nehru followed the principle of not interfering with insects—wasps and hornets etc—as long as they did not interfere with him 6) Which is the animal Nehru often encountered with in the jail? A) Nehru quite often encountered scorpions in the prison cells. Once he caught one and put it in a bottle and when he tied it up on the wall, it escaped and could not to be found again. 7) Describe in brief Nehru experiences with snakes? A) Three or four snakes were found in Nehru’s cells or near them. Once the press got the news that a snake was found in his cell and that generated some excitement. Though he feared snake-bite, he had no great fright for snakes. 8) Explain Nehru’s experience in Alipore jail? A) Once in Alipore jail he found a centipede crawling over his foot. He jumped out of his bed in fright, almost dashing against the wall. 9) What does Nehru say about his experience with the squirrels? A) One day a squirrel came and sat on his knees. Then realizing that he was not a tree, it scampered away. When the baby squirrels fell down from the trees the mothers would come down and take them away. Once a companion of Nehru reared three baby squirrels feeding them with a fountain pen filler. 10) Give a description of the pangolin from your reading of Animals in Prison? A) Nehru saw a strange animal resembling a crocodile and a lizard both. He discovered from reading F. W. Champion's book The Jungle in Sunlight and Shadow that this animal was the pangolin. This uncouth animal, which was very much alive, had been twisted round in a most peculiar way, forming a kind of knot, and its owner had passed a pole through this knot and was merrily carrying it in this fashion. Quiz: 1.What is the name of the lesson?  a) My Autobiography b) Nehru in prison c) Animals in Prison d) Animal Protection 2. Nehru stayed in Dehra Dun goal for: A) Fourteen and a half months B) Two years and six months C) Ten days D) Ten and a half months 3 Most of the time Nehru could spend his time watching ________ outside the jail A) the Himalayas B) people working in the fields C) fields D) roads 3. What stung Nehru in his cell a) Wasps b) Snake c) Bat d) Scorpion 4. Once Nehru caught scorpion and put it in a) a bottle b) a can c) water d) out of his room 5. A man outside the jail gate was carrying a) A pangolin b) A snake c) A bird d) Grass 6. The animal symbol of England is a a) Bear b) Bulldog c) Eagle d) Zebra 7. The patron animal of the Hindus is a a) Lion b) Goat  c) Cow d) Dog 8. Which was the place were Nehru was sent to jail? a) Dehra Dun b) Delhi c) Hyderabad d) Kashmir 10) This lesson is a(n) A) poem B) essay C) story D) novel Self study assignments: 1. “Worship and kindliness do not often go together.” Comment on the idea contained in this expression 2. Write about animal rights? Glossary: Goal: jail Wasps: An insect Hornets: An insect Emerging: coming out Centipede: small creature like an insect with long thin body and many legs Plaintive: sad, mournful, lamenting Digression: deviation, aside, detour Uncouth: bad-mannered, rude, uncivilised Callous: heartless, unfeeling, cruel privilege: opportunity, freedom, right, advantage Patron: support, fan, sponsor, investor Kindliness: sympathy, compassion, gentleness, soft References: i. Toward Freedom, An Autobiography by Jawaharlal Nehru 2. The essential writings of Jawaharlal Nehru edited by S.Gopal. 3. Jawaharlal Nehru by M.Chalapathi Rao, Publication divisions, Govt. of India, 1973. Web-based tutorials: Source: http://www.shvoong.com/books/classic-literature/2092487-summary-jawaharlal- nehru-animals-prison/#ixzz1v0OzmmvY http://middlestage.blogspot.com/2007/07/jawaharlal-nehru-as-writer-of-english.html Links: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SBqt18QKdBo