XII - A Story

A Story

Analysis

-Dylan Thomas

The story “A Story” written by Dylan Thomas is all about a day’s outing to Porthcawl. The main character of the story is a boy who humorously presents the adult’s world from his prospective. So, the story is all about what a child thinks about the grown up drunk people. The story is about the plan, management and the failure implementation of the plans. In the story, the boy who is narrator describes his uncle and aunt, his uncle’s friends and an annual outing to Porthcawl. In the story, the narrator says that it is not like a story because there is no real beginning and ending but there is little in the middle. The writer in this story seems to be more interested in describing the characters and the events in a funny way through the narrator.

The boy, the narrator is living with his uncle and aunt. The boy says that his uncle is big, fat and noisy. He is loud while speaking. He has red hair like burning fire. He is so big that when he sits, he seems like a buffalo. When he eats, he drops food on his clothes. Most often, he drinks and appears to be a good singer. He has a small shop in his house. The boy says that the space in the shop becomes too small for him after meal though it is sufficient for other people.

Just contrary to it, his aunt is so small that she can’t touch his uncle’s head without standing on a chair. She is quick and keeps walking with a pause like a cat. She spends a lot of time cleaning the small house. She always sets the mouse trap that never catches any mouse. Sometimes she gets angry at her husband when he wants to go for an outing without her, and comes home heavily drunk. When they quarrel, her husband lifts her up on his arms and places her on a chair in the kitchen so that she can hit him with chinaware. Whenever his uncle wants to go for an outing, she challenges him saying that she will go to her mother’s house.

In the next part of the story, the writer describes about an outing and some of the men going on outing. The boy first heard about the outing while he was sitting outside his uncle’s shop. Mr. Franklyn, Will Sentry and Mr. Weasely, the friends of his uncle come to his house and talk about the outing that year. They talk about others who are supposed to be involved in the outing committee. They drink, play cards and make many humorous comments about others. Hearing their comments, the boy describes them in his own way. He describes Mr. Franklyn as the treasurer of the outing committee. He has collected money for the bus fare and beer. He says Will Sentry as a person who always follows Mr. Franklyn like a dog to keep an eye on money. Bob is the ex-treasurer of the past outings who had once stolen the money. Mr. Old O’ Jones is a frequent goer of outing. Mr. Johny is a person who whistles on women. And Mr. Weasely is a person who suffers a lot in the bus.

They become ready to go on outing. They also became ready not to take their wives so that they can have some privacy. As a result, the boy’s aunt becomes angry and plans to visit her parents. Her decision becomes a problem for the boy as there will be no one to take care of him. His uncle assures him that he will take him for an outing. Before leaving the house, his aunt drops a message that says ‘there is some eggs in a pantry, take your boots off before you go to bed’. Finally they depart from the village in the coach. After getting out of the village, they come to know that Mr. Old O’ Jones in missing in the bus. They drive back to village to pck him up. When Mr. Weasely leaves his teeth in the house, he is ignored. They move ahead and make their coach stop at every public house to drink. They get into the pubs leaving the boy outside the bus looking for the things they have carried in it. They remain a lot inside the pub, get themselves heavily drunk, have hot discussions and make the pub empty. When there is not life any drink, they throw the bottle to each other and speak very rough languages. The boy on the other hand looks hither and thither. He spends the time lazily stoning and grazing cows. After sometimes, his uncle along with other members gets out of the pub and get on the coach. But after few minutes, they again stop their bus by the river and enjoy swimming and bathing in the cold water.  They soon feel that it is getting late as it has been evening. Then they drive back towards their village. While they are moving back, Mr. Old O’ Jones cooks food inside the coach. They see the moon shining in the sky. As they are feeling very hungry, they start to have their dinner near the field. While they are having dinner, the poor boy feels sleepy and sleeps on is uncle’s waistcoat.

XII - I HAVE A DREAM

I HAVE A DREAM

Analysis

-Martin Luther King

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'I Have a Dream' is a speech delivered by Black Civil Rights leader Martin Luther King addressing the thousands of Negro people along with the white people, in the Washington DC, on August 28, 1963. He paints a picture of an integrated and unified America for his audience. Through this speech Luther has taken the black to the past with the sad memory of the time 100 years back when blacks were ensured with liberty, happiness, freedom when Lincoln signed Emancipation proclamation. That assurance was just in words not in practicality. Through this momentous speech, Martin wants to establish the sense of brotherhood among the blacks and whites. In his speech he has seen a dream where through the collective effort of both the black and white will uplift the colour of America. Moreover, the speech has significant historical significance as it could bring harmony among all the citizens of America. Martin tells that 100 years ago the great person Lincoln signed Emancipation Proclamation which ensured the entire black that they would be set free from all domination, oppression and suppression and police brutality. But, unfortunately even after 100 years the plight of the black people has been the same. The black are still in the chain of racial and colour discrimination. They are still thought to be inferior to the white people. They have been deprived of many fundamental things. Martin reminds all the black people that the white people had given them a check and promissory note ensuring them that they would be equal to the white 100 years ago. But, Martin makes them realize that the check given to them was bad as it couldn't be cashed. The equality, opportunity, freedom and justice were just confined into the words having no practical application. Thus, Martin tells that it is high time of urgency to cash this check.

Since Martin Luther King was the worshipper of non-violence, he tried to persuade the black people not to be guilty of wrongful seeds that made them realize that their struggle should be full of dignity and discipline. He further told that in the process of gaining their freedom they shouldn't invite any physical violence, rather their physical force should be fused with soul force. He even requested the black people that they shouldn't disturb all the whites as some of them have been present in this demonstration.

Martin Luther King in his speech shows extreme dissatisfaction on behalf of the entire black people. He tells that they will never be satisfied until they are free from the police brutality, until they can take rest in the motels of highway and hotels of the city, until they are allowed to vote and until they are ensured that they will be no more captive, dominated, inferior and ill-treated. Despite all the difficulties and frustrations, Martin Luther King tells that he has a dream in which all will be treated equal, there will be no more injustice, racial and colour discrimination. He further tells that he has seen a dream in which the sons of former slave and the sons of former slave owner will sit on the same table of brotherhood. The children will not be judged on the basis of their colour or complexion rather they will be judged on the basis of the content of their personality. There will be the perfect harmony among the black and white people. They will play together, sing together, share the moments of pleasure and happiness. Both the races being united will make the nation America the most prosperous one. He is very optimistic in his dream therefore he uses imperative expression like 'LET THE BELL RING FROM EACH AND EVERY SIDES OF USA'. Eventually, when there will be peace and rest in the nation, everyone will sing the song of freedom.

In his remarkable speech, King described his dreams of freedom and equality arising from a land of slavery and hatred. King had the power, the ability and the capacity to influence all the steps on Lincoln Memorial and make the march worthwhile. By speaking the way he did, he educated, he informed not just the people there, but people throughout America and the unborn generations.

XII - Hurried trip to avoid a bad star

Hurried Trip to Avoid a Bad Star

Analysis

-M.  Lilla and C. Bishop Barry

The extract “hurried trip to avoid a bad star” is from the article “Karnali, roadless world of western Nepal” by M. Lilla and C. Bishop Barry. It presents an exploration of the region which the authors did on foot for 15 adventurous months. The authors have talked about the issue in which the people of Karnali region make a hurried trip to Nepalgunj for trade indicating the various facts of the life in Karnali.

After Christmas, the authors joined the annual trek to view how Karnali zone was economically linked to the lowland regions to the south. The travelers carried baskets filled with medicinal herbs, hashish, hand-knit sweaters and blankets to trade. This shows that the economy of the Karnali region depended on the Himalayan herbs and cottage industries. On their way, they met a Chhetri woman of about 30 in Hari lekh. She told them that her husband might have moved to their village 15 years ago to find job. She requested them to look for him and tell him to return. This reflects the communication gap due to illiteracy and lack of infrastructures there. Similarly, moving to other places for job resembles the remoteness of area and poverty.

In an oak and rhododendron forest at 9000 feet, they passed a party of some men processing ‘silajit’, a medicinal tar-like deposit that they were about to sell for pharmaceutical use. When they were asked why they didn’t process silajit before leaving Sinja, they replied that they couldn’t wait for they would have been under the influence of omen. This indicates the superstitious character of people in Karnali. Similarly, the sights of deforestation, a forceful act to feed the cattle clarify the dependence of people on natural resources. Observing such facts, the writers reached Terai, known as ‘bread-basket’ of Nepal. The life-style out there was much more advanced than that in Karnali. The writers tell that they hadn’t seen a wheel for nearly a year on the highland paths, which shows the backwardness of Karnali.

In Terai, the traders from Karnali traded their materials with cotton cloth, aluminum, ironware, spice and jewelry stalls. One of them spent every rupee on distillery equipment with aim to make and sell liquor and earn money. This barter system reflects poverty and lack of geomatic knowledge in people of Karnali. Overall, the continuous movement of people in Karnali is the only way to survive there because of the diverse nature and landscapes. It is their only way of living.

The entire passage epitomizes the way of life in Karnali, full of struggle and hardships. The authors have shown absence of distant communication, compulsion of nature exploitation, illiteracy, lack of transport, lack of government approach, no ecological awareness, dependent economy, poverty, traditional and superstitious belief, obligation for constant movement, etc. as the true face of life in Karnali, the roadless world of western Nepal.

XII - Model of a Police Decsription

Model of a Police Description of a person you know well

Police Description of my friend

My friend’s name is abc xyz. He is in his mid twenties. He has an oval face. His dark brown hair is curly and thick, covering some area of forehead. His ears are small and almost hidden inside the thick hair. He has dark brown eyes and his eyes are deep with thin and narrow eyebrows. He has a moustache and a mole on his right cheek. He has a curved nose and a pale complexion.

He is slightly built and is about five feet eight inches tall. He is usually well-dressed, wears a holy band on his wrist. He speaks with a French accent and has a friendly nature. Anyone can notice the tattoo of a sun on his right arm.

XII - Travelling through the dark

Travelling through the dark

- William Stafford

Short Analysis

The poem 'Travelling through the dark' composed by William Stafford presents a great tension or conflict between two realities, two system of life. On the one hand, there are efficiency, responsibilities, judgement and unglamorous virtues that we have to face or admire during the time of loss and danger. On the other side, there are emotions and feelings deeper and warmer than the efficiency and good judgements. In the poem, in one side there is a mother deer lying dead on the side of river. In next side, there is a fawn alive and still, waiting to be born. But it would never be born. Anyway, the poet does the full justice to both sides by throwing the deer into the river. He cleans the way and helps to lessen the fawn getting extreme pain further.

The poem also presents the controversial idea. Generally we think death impossible in life. But here in the poem, the poet has shown life being possible in death as well. In another word, death in life and life in death is another theme of the poem. In the last of poem, the poet controls his emotions and using his reason, he throws the dead deer into the river. It shows that we should learn to use our reason in the critical situation and accept the situation as they are.

XII - Full fathom five Thy father lies

Full fathom five, thy father lies

-William Shakespeare

Analysis

The extract ‘Full fathom five thy father lies’ is a song taken out from William Shakespeare’s play ‘The Tempest’. It is a song sung by the invisible spirit Ariel to Ferdinand, the Prince of Naples, who mistakenly thinks that his father has drowned into the sea and died. According to the story, one day the king with his son Ferdinand and other people set out for the sea-journey in ship. Suddenly, there is a terrible tempest that causes accident. The king and other people drown into the sea and Ferdinand finds himself on the bank of the sea. He thinks that his father has died, and begins to weep. Suddenly, the invisible Ariel comes and tells him that his father has not died but has got the new life.

The poem begins with the song by giving information to the prince that his father lies thirty feet below the sea. So, there is no need to be worried. According to the Ariel his father’s bones have been changed into coral and eyes have been changed into pearls. No any organs have been decayed. Instead, all organs have undergone a wonderful change and changed into valuable things. In order to confirm it, sea-nymphs ring the bell producing the sound ding-dong. The Ariel tells the Prince that the sound is still heard and says him to listen to it carefully.

Through the poem, the poet has tried to show that death is something very important which changes the dead person into something valuable and precious. In a sense, the poet gives the impression to the readers that death is meaningful and one should not worry and lament on death. Here, the poet’s attempt is to give emphasis upon the meaningful death. According to simple understanding, both life and death exist side by side. But our priority goes to life only. We talk about life and forget death. But in this poem, through Ariel, the poet tries to show that death is not the ending of human life but the beginning of new life in new place.

This is a lyrical poem. The poet has used different literary devices like alliteration, assonance, onomatopoeia in order to make the poem musical and interesting. The way the poem is presented with the help of such literary devices show that death of Prince’s father is different from other people. The musical quality of the song shows that death is something that is to be celebrated. Thus, they contribute to the theme and meaning of the poem. The expression ding-dong seems to be significant as it sounds like the announcement of the end of one life and beginning of another. It may be a suggestion that there is life after death and it is going to be more glorious than the life we live on the earth.