XI - Fear

Unit - 1

Fear - Summary

This is the story of MEXICO. In this story Armando Gonzalez is the main character. He visited a bank to take out 50,000 pesos. It took him 20 years to save that money and he was going to buy a house with it. In the bank Armando became very much nervous when the bank teller counted his money loudly. All the people looked at him which made him afraid of being robbed. Because of nervousness he put his hat backwards which made the people in the bank look him again and again.

He decided to leave the bank. He took bus to go home. A heavy man whom he had seen in the bank also got on the same bus. Armando saw that man talking to three boys inside the bus. He became very unhappy and nervous thinking that the three boys were the helpers of that heavy man and they were planning to rob him. He wanted to get rid from them and got off the bus. The three boys also got off the bus at the same place. When they all looked towards him and walked towards him he began to run wildly. He shouted for help. The boys thought that he was in trouble so, they followed him. Armando became very much frightened but soon he found that the three boys were students and they were going to see the football match. When he asked them why they were talking to the heavy man in the bus and why they got off at the same place, they said that they were asking about the bus that they had to catch and knowing that they had caught the wrong bus from the heavy man, they got off the bus and said that they followed him to help him not to rob him. When he knew the reality, he stood up and took out his sweaty hand from the pocket and put on his hat straight.

What are some things which made Armando think that someone was going to rob him?

>> While Armando was withdrawing money from the bank, the bank teller counted the money loudly and it seemed to him that everybody in the bank knew how much money he was carrying. Due to nervousness, he put on his hat backwards and all the people were looking and staring on him. A number of people noticed him and a few of them did a double take. While he was waiting for the bus, he noticed the same heavy man standing next to him who had looked at him in the bank. The heavy man was traveling in the same bus in which Armando was also travelling. The heavy man was talking with other three boys and those three boys got off the bus at the same place where Armando got off and they were also following him. These are the things which made Armando think that someone was going to rob him.

 

XI - The Poplar Field

Unit - 3

The Poplar Field - Analysis

- W. Cowper

The poem, "THE POPLAR FIELD" composed by Willam Cowper compares the disappearing popular tree with perishing pleasure of human being. This poem is remarkable for its celebration of the rural and its nostalgic tone. This poem can be taken as defense on nature conservation. Through this poem the poet delivers important message that for our personal benefit. We should not cut down trees as it invites a number of problems in the days to come.


The poet tells that poplar tress have been cut down as a result the shade and the whispering sound has been told goodbye. The wind no more plays with the leaves and no more sings having gentle touch with the leaves of the popular tress. Moreover, the river Ouse no more reflects the beautiful image of the poplar trees on its bosom.


The poet talks about the time of 12 years back. In the past, the poet use to go to the poplar field where he could see a number of popular trees and take rest. But at present all the popular trees have been turned into lodges and the poet sits on them.


The black bird which is known for its beautiful voice has gone to another shelter so that he could be saved from the heat of sun. The black bird takes shelter under the hazel. The poet at present can no more listen to the melodious short songs of the black bird.


The poet tells that his days are passing quickly and very soon one day he must die. His death body will be as low as the poplar trees.

The poet becomes thoughtful and engaged whenever he thinks about the time span of life of human being. According to the poet the life of human beings short lived whereas, the movement of pleasure are still shorter than that, "It means our happiest movement die sooner than we."

 Critical Analysis

• William Cowper 's fine sensitivity to nature anticipates the great nature poetry of the Romantic Movement. ‘The Poplar Field’ is a poignant expression of a feeling of anguish (sorrow) at the sight of the poplars cruelly leveled to the ground. Cowper bids his first farewell to the shade provided by the poplar trees during his childhood days. He recalls the times when the cool breeze blows, it produces a whispering sound through the colonnade of these poplar trees. But now, the same wind does not blow nor produces anymore musical effect on the leaves of these trees. The River Ouse on whose banks the poplar trees once grew no longer receives their images on its slow deep running waters.

• The poet’s feeling for nature comes through touchingly.  The first time that Cowper came to the field of poplar trees was twelve years back since this date of event. It was his favorite field which touches the banks of the River Ouse, where these trees grew.  These poplar trees that once lent him a cool shade now lay as ugly logs of timber on the grass. All the wild birds of the forest including the uncommon black bird have flown out of this destructive site to a nearby forest cover to rebuild their nest. A new forest with thick hazel leaves that offer them a proper shade from the scorching heat of the sun. All the songs of the different kinds of birds have finally vanished. The many sights and sounds associated with the poplars which were a source of joy to him are now no more.

• The poem The Poplar Field has many facets to it. One among them is the reflections on environmental concerns. The poet speaks about a specific incident, however, the image symbolizes the evils of the destruction of nature on a larger level. How all the good associated with nature vanishes, is depicted marvelously in the poem. The shade, the wind, the singing blackbirds and the reflections on the river are fond memories associated with the poplar field. The destruction of poplar fields leave the land barren with no more of these charming trifles happening in the field. The poplars have transformed to mere trunks lying on the grass, just as the dead would lie in their graves.

• The fast moving and fleeting years of his age show no signs of slowing down. His life like anybody else will come to an end and he too will have to sleep six feet down under; in his grave; dead just like the dead poplar trees. The tombstone will be placed over his head and the turfs of grass on his breast. His only last wish would be to see another grove of poplar trees to grow in place of the old. With all the joy gone, the poet sadly anticipates for himself a fate similar to that of the poplars.

• It is a sad sight indeed to see and this has compelled him to ponder on the short-lived and selfish pleasures of man. Though he lives his real life as in a dream and his enjoyments not hidden from the eyes of the world, they have a more fleeting existence more than him. The poem ends with the sad reflection that if human life is short, the joys of this life are even shorter.

XI - Unchopping A Tree

Unit - 3

Unchopping A Tree - Short Analysis

- W.S Merwin

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The essay , "Unchopping a tree" by W.S Merwin is directive in the sense that its uses lots of direction along with imperative forms of verb to direct the readers for the reversal of chopping th trees. This essay at the surface level seems to be directive but at dipper level pseudo-directive and persuasive. The writer by inviting the readers to process of restoring a felled tree once to persuasive the readers that restoring a tree is impossible task. Therefore the wisdom lies in not chopping down the trees instead of trying to do something impossible.


The writer in this essay seems to direct the readers for the process of restoring a felled tree. In most of the path writer has used many imperative form of verb. 
Restoring a fell tree means getting all mutilated (destroyed) structures such as twigs, branches, leaves, flowers, fruits, bird's nest into their previous position, erecting the trunk of the tree straight and finally infusing life in it.

XI - The Recurring Dream

Unit -1 

The Recurring Dream - Summary

The story is set in England. The main character of the story is Kimberly Clark who is usually shortened to Kim.

Kim lives and work on London. She has a good position in the office but she has got a problem. The problem is that she has a mysterious dream. It is mysterious in the sense. It is about the place and the person which is strange to her. In her dream she stands on the country side road and sees a lane with a white fence and hedge on each side. At the end of the lane, on the top of the little hill, she sees a white cottage with green shutter. In the dream, she walks on the land and goes inside the cottage. There she sees a man asleep in a bed who is little old with white hair and beard. She sees a same dream almost every night, when she tries to speak to that man in her dream; she wakes up in her bed in London. The dream bothers her a lot; she shares her dream to her roommate Janet who advised her to visit to her parent's farm for a few days.

According to Janet's advice, they leave the city on Janet's car. After sometime, they reach the country road where Kim sees the same palace. She makes Janet stop the car. She walks to the same lane and knocks at the house. The little old man opens the door when he sees Kim, he closes the door immediately. Kim says "she, wants to talk to him, then the old man opens the door and asks what she wants to talk". She asked, why the house is for sale because she is curious about FOR SALE sign that she had never seen in her dream. The old man replies that the house is for sale because it is haunted by a ghost who visits there almost every night. Kim ask who the ghost is. The old man says, "It's you".

XI - The Three Days Blow

Unit - 2

The Three Days Blow - Analysis

- Ernest Hemingway

"The Three Days Blow" is a plot less story in a dramatic way. Two friends Nick and Bill meet at Bill's cottage. The weather is shown violent. There is rain and storm. So, this is an ideal situation to stay inside home. They make fire, burn lots of logs and make themselves warm. They drink different alcohol and go on talking about different topics such as books, fishing, girlfriend, hunting, etc. without any plot, the story ends. The topics of the talk change suddenly from one subject to another. There is no third character. We know a lot about the subject, which go through their conversation only. Bill and Nick have no specific purpose of meetings or talking. The weather creates situation for them. This keeps them inside when they talk about different topics. Hemingway creates situation of drinking so that they can reveal their feelings. The scene moves forward excluding the opening exposition. He talks about the weather- rainfall, storm, wind, surf, etc. suddenly, he begins to have different sorts of drinks and talk about games of baseball. The topic of their talk shifts to books and writer. They slowly get drunk and talk about their habits. Then, they talk about nick's girlfriend. This is the climax of the story. The theme of this scene lastly talks about hunting and go to.
When we read the drama, this scene opens one by one. The title of the story says something symbolically. Weather doesn't remain same always. Even a single day we can experience the fluctuation of weather. This is the principle of nature. Weather is dynamic; it doesn't remain constant all the time. Just like weather, mental conflict of tension of suffering is presented in several scenes or sequence of events. In the beginning scene, nick looks calm but with the movement of different scenes, his calm face changes.
The setting of this story goes to be open with a nice scene. Nick is presented in the beginning on the way. He is going up to the village. Natural presentation is also seen. There is an orchard and we see the blowing of air, breeze that is the first autumn storm. Nick picks up an apple and keeps it in his pocket. The two characters Nick and Bill are presented inside the house. They have their personal talk. The story begins with the scene of woods, lakes, kitchen, sitting room, dining room etc. In the beginning Nick is seen and the story ends with guns. They go down where Bill's father was hunting. There are similar events between the weather and sequence of events of "The Three Days Blow". There is conflict in the character Nick. He is getting confused about his girl friend Marjorie. He wants to meet her again but Bill makes him leave her. He wants to marry her although her mother is bad. So the conflicts are similar. There is union in both weather hand love of Nick with Marjorie. Weather becomes fair and love also becomes negotiable.

The story is dramatic because there are characters and dialogues and unity of time and place. There are two characters Nick and Bill who have continuous dialogues like in the drama. The setting of the story is also like a drama. There is internal and external scene. These scenes can be converted into the drama. They just talk about some little subject that is the subject matter of both drama and story. These story deals with love. Marjorie's mother can be presented as an antagonist, Nick as a protagonist and Bill as an inciting force. So the story is dramatic.

The three-day blow and Nick's mental condition are related. Marjorie's business is fundamental subject of the story. Nick, though he is not enjoyed with her, is going to get married. Because of her mother, he breaks relation from Marjorie, his beloved. After different kinds of talks Bill and Nick's conversations is concentrated. Marjorie's business has broken his relation with her easily. So moment from Nick's conflicts of love affairs, through suffering and separation to reconciliation ends. Thus Marjorie's business is like a three day below that comes and disappears itself. Three-day blow comes, threatens and finally goes away. In the same way, conflict of love appears and disappears with despair and again with hope.

The Marjorie's business is fundamental subject of this story. Nick, though he was not engaged with her, was going to get married. Because of her mother he broke relation from Marjorie, his beloved. His mother was very terrible. To marry her meant he would have married the whole family her mother.

Though the character Bill, the writer seems to be giving practical message. Nick seems to be emotional but Bill is practical. Nick is ready to accept Marjorie although her mother was bad. He really loves her and ready to accept her. His life can be compared with the storm. The moment when he met Marjorie and he left her due to unfavorable situation that moment is just like a violent storm, which doesn't last for long time in the nature. Bill is practical. He says Nick to forget all the events related with Marjorie and lead his wife towards new direction. Human life is a mixture of sorrow and happiness. If any disastrous event comes in our life also, we should control our emotion and lead our life towards new phase and time happily. We should have capacity to adjust with all the fluctuations that come in our life.

XI - The House call

Unit - 1

The House Call - Summary

A day after Christmas, late in the evening, Dr. Emil Braun was trying to write notes while having his dinner. He was very tired that day, so he slept, but woke up when a little girl had come to call him for her mother, who was very sick. Though the doctor was tired and his wife asked him to go next day, Dr. Braun went out into the rainy night with the little girl who was wearing a ragged shawl and a shabby shawl.

The little girl was almost a block up the street than the doctor each time. She stopped only long enough to show the way for the doctor. After sometime, Dr. Braun passed through his old hospital and reached an old tenement house. After reaching the fifth floor, the little girl showed him where her mother was and thanked the doctor for coming. When the doctor entered the room, he saw a woman lying on the bed and infected by pneumonia. The doctor remembered her as the staff in the hospital previously. He said that her daughter had grown big enough. The woman became surprised and told the doctor that her only daughter had passed away three months away due to flu. She even showed the shawls and shoes of her daughter, Aldeheid. The doctor noticed that they were same as the girl was wearing and were wet as well. The surprised doctor medicated the woman, closed the door and went away with many questions in his mind.

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