XI - The Gardener

Unit - 6

The Gardener - Analysis

- Rudyard Kipling

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The story, "The Gardener", written by Rudyard Kipling presents Kipling's scorn of organized society's shallowness of feeling and his conviction of depth and purity of individual feelings. In this story, Kipling has given priority to the purity of an individual in place of the shallowness or doubt of the so-called society. The relationship between Helen and Michael has been made the public property. They have suffered from society's unnecessary concern regarding their relationship.

Everyone in the village has doubt about the relationship between Helen and Michael. There was a scandal about them. Helen was unmarried but still she had a baby named Michael. Whenever the society raised the question against their relationship, Helen responded them by telling that Michael was not her own son, but the son of her brother George Turrell. George Turrell was an Indian inspector who had been entangled with the daughter of an officer. George Turrell was father of Michael. Michael was born just after the death of George Turrell who died when he fell off the horse. Then onward, Helen started taking the responsibility of that baby. She even took the baby away from his grandfather so that she could look after the baby properly. Even though the society kept on asking questions about Michael-Helen relationship, they loved each other very much. Helen kept on responding the same thing to quieten the scandal. But later on, when Michael became six years of old, he himself felt uneasy with that relationship. He even asked a question to Helen that why he couldn't call her "mummy". Helen tried to persuade him by telling him that she was not his mother but only his aunt. She further told that she didn't have any problem if Michael called her "mummy" at bed time. When Michael became very much disappointed, he threatened Helen that very soon he would die and she would be hurt forever. On hearing that, Helen cried bitterly but Michael consoled her and made a promise that he would never raise any questions regarding their relationship.

Michael completed his public school and he was about to join Oxford but quite surprisingly, he joined army. That news made Helen shocked. But Michael persuaded Helen by telling that he was interested in army and it was his family line. He fought in war but he became safe but later on, his luck didn't favor him and he was killed in war. That news brought extreme sorrow towards Helen. She wandered from here to there to find the place where the dead body of Michael had been buried. Later on, she got a letter where it was mentioned an address "Hagenzeele Third Military Cemetery". Once she became confirmed, she caught a train and moved towards that cemetery. On the way, she met with a lady named Mrs. Scarsworth who at first told that she was going to the same cemetery to take photographs of her relatives. But later on, she herself revealed the secret that this was her ninth visit to that cemetery. She keeps on going to that .......

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XI - Speaking of Children

Unit - 2

Speaking of Children - Analysis

 - Barbara Holland

"Speaking of children" is an essay written by Barbara Holland. In this essay the writer describes about the advantages of having single child and disadvantages of having plural children.

The writer believes that it is important for her to talk about her work with her husband. She doesn’t want her children listen to the things she tells her husband. Instead she wants to have some private time with him and talk while having small drink of martinis. She wants her children to play with their playthings in their own room. But the children want attention from her. As a result there is a conflict between her desire for her private talk with her husband and the need to give attention to her children.

The writer views that it is better to have single child rather than having plural children. When there is only one child the parents can control him/her. But with more than one child the children controls the parents. The parents having plural children cannot talk to each other freely. Through essay the writer suggest the married couple to have only one child so that they can have enough free time to share their feelings and understand each other. This is must for happy married life according to the writer.

There are many advantages of having single child. Single child is just like the part of the body of the parents. He is small in number. He can be taught and his brain can be molded as they like. They can take him anywhere they like with them. With one child they can do anything and live in their own way. Single child is just like having a pet or toothbrush necessary for parents. Parents can manage enough time to talk, drink, share their feeling and understand each other. This helps to improve their relationship which result happy life.

In the essay when the writer tries to talk to her husband she cannot do so because he children always seek attention from her. This makes difficult to understand her husband properly.

There are many disadvantages of having plural children in the family. Plural children introduce unwanted culture in their life due to different desire and wishes the parents become out numbered. The house is always littered with dolls and play things that can’t be easily managed. The parents cannot visit wherever they like as they are worried about the problems caused by the children at home. They have to shift from one place to another for searching better school for children. They have to spend much time talking with unknown people because their children know latter's children. They can fix their journey only at the leftover time, after taking their children where they want to go. Their free time is very limited due to which they cannot share their feelings with each other that causes negative effect in their married life and the married life can even be ruined.

Does this essay speak in favour or against of having many children? Give reasons.

This essay written by Barbara Holland is a critical analysis about having children. Making comparison between having single child and having many children, the writer has added voice against having many children in this essay.

In the context of this essay, when the writer tries to talk to her husband, she cannot do so because her children always seek attention from her. This makes it very difficult for her to understand her husband properly. There are many disadvantages of having plural children in the family according to the writer. Plural children introduce many unwanted cultures in their life due to their different desires and wishes. The parents become outnumbered. The house is always littered with dolls and playthings that cannot be easily managed. The parents cannot visit wherever they like as they're worried about their children's problems. They have to shift from one place to other for searching better school for children. Because of many children, couple's free time is very limited due to which they cannot share feelings with each other that may cause negative on their marriage life. Thus, in this sense, this essay speaks in favour of not having many children.

 

XI - The Six Million Dollar Man

Unit - 6

The Six Million Dollar Man - Analysis

- Harold J. Morowitz

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The essay, "The Six Million Dollar Man" written by Harold J. Morowitz is an example that how the specialized knowledge can be made clear and engaging to non-specialist. Morowitz in this essay comes up with surprising fact that the human body is worth six million dollar with which he is not satisfied. He associates the things such as the heart, soul, art, creativity and emotions. The essay comes to the conclusion that the human being is priceless as it cannot be measured by any scientific inventions.

On the envelop of greeting card, there was written "According to BIOCHEMISTS, the materials that make up the HUMAN BODY are only worth 97cents." Morowitz received the birthday card from his daughter and son-in-law on his birthday. The writer became shocked at such unbelievable statement. Therefore, he decided to come up with the exact value of human being. He consulted with Biochemical Company and prepared a catalogue including the list of different ingredients that make-up the human body such as Haemoglobin was $2.95 a gram, purified trypsin was $36 a gram etc. Then he found the average value of gram dry weight of human being that is $245.54. Then he went to gymnasium and took the measurement of his weight. He was 168 pounds and with the help of his pocket calculator, he converted his weight into grams. He became 76,364 grams. And after supposing that water occupies 68% out of his total weight. Then he calculated his dry weight to be 24,436 grams. He multiplied his weight by the average value of a gram and came to conclusion that the materials that make up are not only worth 97 cents but six million dollar.

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XI - On The Vanity of Earthly Greatness

Unit - 6

On The Vanity of Earthly Greatness - Short Analysis

 - Arthur Guiterman

The poem 'On the Vanity of Earthly Greatness' composed by Arthur Guiterman makes us realize the remorselessness of time and the vanity of human greatness. This poem mentions many examples to give the readers the message that no matter how powerful we are, one day, this power disappears. People take unnecessary pride in themselves having power, strength, name and fame but they forget that all these earthly greatness are just momentary and at the end, they have to kneel down in front of time. Once, so called powerful living and non-living things lose their previous glory and charm as time takes its course.

This poem is an ironical poem. At the surface level, the poem expresses something but at deeper levels its implied meaning of something else. The poem does have four couplets with eight lines. The first sentence of couplet talks about something that is great but at the same time, the second line of couplet expresses the meaninglessness of such great things such as the tusks of mastodons which were used in war has now been transformed into billiard balls. So called powerful tusks has now been used as the means of entertainment for the human beings. Similarly, the sword of Charlemagne the Just which got victory over almost everything has now become ferric oxide. It means it has become rust. Likewise, the poet also gives another example to show how the great things turn into the minor ones. The grizzly bear whose strong hug frightened almost everyone has now become a rug (warm blanket). Moreover, the poet takes the example of Great Caesar who was Roman statesman and general, who conquered the Gaul, invaded Britain and mastered Italy was assassinated by Brutus and Cassius. His bust is on the shelf. The poet himself doesn't feel good since he knows that he does have the same destiny as all those once so called powerful ones.

Thus, this poem ironically discusses about the human greatness and suggests us not to think others to be inferiors and we should not cultivate the sense of unnecessary pride in our superiority (supremacy) because it is not long lasting.