Grade 8 - English Literature

51 Imagery's Influence The five senses are involved in imagery, which gives readers the impression that they are actually experiencing the subject of the writing. As a result, readers are better able to relate to the people and circumstances and to think back on their own lives and experiences. Reading becomes more engaging, dynamic and intimate as a result. Strong imagery in writing assures that readers will continue to pay attention. Images are frequently symbolic. When an image or detail appears repeatedly in the piece of literature, the author may be hoping that readers will connect it to a main idea. Let’s Speak Questions from the story: 1. Spot all the examples of imagery in the poem and write down their meanings. 2. Can you write a sentence using imagery, showing that words are delicate and another one suggesting they are strong? 3. Following is an excerpt from 'Great Expectations' by Charles Dickens: It was a rimy morning and very damp. I had seen the damp lying on the outside of my little window… Now, I saw the damp lying on the bare hedges and spare grass… On every rail and gate, wet lay clammy; and the marsh-mist was so thick, that the wooden finger on the post directing people to our village-a direction which they never accepted, for they never came there-was invisible to me until I was quite close under it. Underline the words which portray the effect of imagery. Literature Reading Let’s read another poem by Hannah Flagg Gould. A Name in the Sand ALONE I walked the ocean strand; A pearly shell was in my hand: I stooped and wrote upon the sand My name—the year—the day. As onward from the spot I passed, One lingering look behind I cast; A wave came rolling high and fast,

52 And washed my lines away. And so, methought, ’t will shortly be With every mark on earth from me: A wave of dark oblivion’s sea Will sweep across the place Where I have trod the sandy shore Of time, and been, to be no more, Of me—my day—the name I bore, To leave nor track nor trace. And yet, with Him who counts the sands And holds the waters in his hands, I know a lasting record stands Inscribed against my name, Of all this mortal part has wrought, Of all this thinking soul has thought, And from these fleeting moments caught For glory or for shame.

53 66 SUPER HERO YUUKI exultant - overjoyed Koshogatsu - Japanese new year celebration impending - something about to happen tsunami - a long and high sea wave which causes a natural disaster scoffing - mocking annihilated - utterly and completely destroyed hovering - linger around or above colossal - massive ebb - water moving away from the land quivering - shivering commemorated - remembered someone with respect and honour Get Set Go! Know the keywords and their meanings Understand and Know Mother Earth has endowed us with a bounty, but occasionally, we play with it too much. We frequently forget that Mother Earth's fury can utterly and instantly destroy a civilisation. Cities can be completely destroyed by cyclones. Read this account of a tsunami to learn the value of responsibility and observation. Let’s Read ‘Haru! Catch!’ Yuuki threw the frisbee with full force towards his friend Haru, who wasn’t exactly paying attention to the game. ‘Ow!’ shouted Haru in pain, as the Frisbee hit the back of his head. ‘Haru, I shouted for you to catch because you were looking the other way. And what are you looking for in the other direction anyway? You were the one who said, ‘Let’s go play up on the mountain.’ Don’t you want to play now?’ complained Yuuki.

54 ‘There’s something strange about the sea today. Look,’ said Haru as he pointed towards the sea behind them. Yuuki came and stood beside Haru, staring at the direction he was pointing at. The sea was, as Haru said, very strange today. The waves weren’t exactly hitting the rocks, as much as they were sliding high on them. Yuuki then took a look at his village under him that was nestled by the shore below the mountain. He watched the people being exultant and busy in preparation for Koshogatsu, the festival that was about to take place that very night, in order to celebrate the rice harvest. It sure is the best night of the year, as it takes place once in a blue moon. But Yuuki knew it in his bones that something was wrong. As he continued to brood over this thought, a massive shake swept him and Haru off their feet, making them fall to the ground. It felt like an earthquake. But this was different. Living in Japan, Yuuki was familiar with dozens of shakes. But this was an odd, slow, long and spongy motion that was moving everything around him. In just another moment, Yuuki noticed that the sea had darkened and was pushing towards the horizon, as if it was running away from the shore, leaving the beach damp with sparkly sand. Yuuki felt a chill in his spine. He suddenly remembered the words of his grandfather. When he was a little boy, his grandfather told him about his own grandfather’s experience with the sea. The sea had quickly rolled back to the horizon the same way it was happening right now. A terrible tsunami was about to take place. Yuuki rushed down the mountain. He had to warn everybody of the impending danger. But many had already coursed down to the beach to witness the enormous new expansion of the ribbed sand. ‘Get away from the beach!’ shouted Yuuki. ‘A tsunami is coming!’ Instead of listening, Yuuki found people laughing and scoffing at him. He knew he had to do something, so decided to bite the bullet. With a lit torch in his hand, Yuuki ran from one corner to the other, setting alight the golden fields. The ripe fields blazed an angry orange. ‘Fire! Fire! Everyone hurry up to the top of the mountain! Hurry!’ shouted Yuuki. Without further ado, all the people ran up to the mountain. Meanwhile, the sea continued to push back towards the horizon. As the crowd looked horridly towards the fire burning down the whole village, they suddenly turned towards Yuuki in great rage. ‘You did this on purpose!’ the crowd shouted. Before Yuuki could explain anything, a great roar took everyone’s attention. All their complaints were annihilated by heavy thunder. They turned around to see the coastline as dark as ever. A great shadow came within a blink of an eye, hovering over them like a big tower. ‘Tsunami!’ the people shrieked in great terror. The gigantic wave stood high up in the air, and it felt like

55 time stood still for a moment. Then in a few seconds, the colossal sweep of the waves raged swiftly towards them, sending a shudder through the rocks. In a blaze of lightning, the white foam of the sea took everything down the mountain inside it in one big scoop. Nobody was able to wrap their head around it, as they watched the wrecked debris of what was left of their homes. Then after several hustles, the sea began to ebb. The once angry, foamy waves turned humble and quiet. The shock of nature’s rage did not surprise everyone, but the scattered huts and livestock were a reminder for these people about Nature’s ‘temper tantrums’. ‘I am sorry for burning the fields,’ said Yuuki in a quivering voice. ‘No, my son, you saved us all!’ said Yuuki’s father turning towards him, with tears rolling down his eyes. Everyone cheered with joy. ‘We were about to celebrate the harvest festival. But now because of Yuuki, we’ll celebrate life!’ And till today, Yuuki is commemorated in Japan to have saved four hundred lives that day. Yukki was given the national honour of saving lives by having the presence of mind and a sense of responsibility, where he is remembered with fondness and respect, even today. The choices we make shape not only our consequences, but can add value, or even life to others. Let’s Write I. Read the given extract and answer the following questions. A. Yuuki rushed down the mountain. He had to warn everybody of the impending danger. 1. Why did Yuuki rush down the mountain? 2. What was the impending danger that Yuuki was thinking about? 3. Give the synonym of ‘impending’. B. ‘We were about to celebrate the harvest festival. But now because of Yuuki, we’ll celebrate life!’ 1. Who said this to whom? 2. Why did the speaker say the above lines? 3. Give the synonym of the word ‘celebrate’.

56 II. Answer the following question in 30-40 words. 1. From the above story, what are the two things you learned about Japan? 2. The term ‘Nature’s tantrums’ signifies something definite. Can you tell what it means? 3. Describe the effects of the disaster on the village. 4. What can you say about the attitude of the people in the story? State it in the way they responded to the disaster and Yuuki’s warning. 5. Justify the title of the story. III. Multiple Choice Questions. 1. Which country does this story originate in? a. Japan b. China c. Singapore d. Sri Lanka 2. What is the central theme of the story? a. the danger of natural disasters b. national honour c. Koshogatsu d. Yuuki’s presence of mind 3. What kind of a boy was Yuuki? a. friendly but deceitful b. alert and thoughtful c. selfish but loving d. obedient and shy 4. Why did Yuuki set the golden fields on fire? a. He wanted the people to go up to the mountain so they could be safe from the tsunami. b. He got mad because no one believed him. c. He wanted to teach the people a lesson. d. It was an accident. 5. How do we know that Yukki became a hero? a. His friend said so. b. He was remembered nationally with honour and respect. c. The newspaper mentioned him as a hero. d. His father misunderstood that. IV. True or False. 1. The story is about a young boy who saved many people from a natural disaster. ( T / F ) 2. Yuuki was observant and knowledgeable about the changes that happen in the sea. ( T / F ) 3. Haru was the first one to notice changes in the sea. ( T / F ) 4. Everyone believed Yuuki’s warning of a tsunami. ( T / F ) 5. Yuuki’s father was upset that he burnt the fields. ( T / F )

57 Digging Deep 1. Can you say that since Haru was the first one to observe something unnatural, it was he who should have been commemorated, instead of Yuuki? Give reasons. 2. What is the link between the Koshogatsu festival and Yuuki’s burning of the fields? 3. Write a note on Yuuki. 4. Read these lines from the story: “There’s something strange about the sea today.” But Yuuki knew it in his bones that something was wrong. What do these lines tell you about what is going to happen in the story? Can you spot one more line which foreshadows something? Thinking Hat What’s the Good Word? A. In what context has the word exultant been used in the story? (a) When people were busy in the preparations of the celebrations that were about to take place. (b) When people saw the tsunami coming. (c) When people heard Yuuki’s cries. B. Make a sentence using the word ‘exhultant’. A. What does the word ‘impend’ indicate? (a) something that has already happened (b) something that is about to happen (c) something that is currently happening B. In what context has the word ‘impending’ been used in the text? A. What type of a natural disaster is a tsunami? (a) a disaster caused by landslides on mountains (b) a disaster that is caused by an earthquake in the sea or ocean (c) a disaster that is caused by a wind storm causing the houses to blow away B. When was the last news you heard about a ‘tsunami’ and where?

58 A. What does a person do when he or she is scoffing? (a) mocking (b) sleeping (c) dying B. Make a sentence using the synonym of the word ‘scoffing’. A. What volume is described through the word colossal? (a) very small (b) massive (c) equal to the size of a book B. Make a sentence using the word ‘colossal’. Let’s Learn Grammar A. Complete the sentences using the correct form of the verbs given in the brackets. 1. The girls _____________ (do) their homework. (present continuous) 2. The sea _____________ (is), as Haru said, very strange today. (simple past) 3. They _____________ (write) since 11 in the morning. (present perfect continuous) 4. She _____________ (not heard) from her friend since last night. (present perfect) 5. Without further ado, all the people _____________ (run) up to the mountain. (simple past) B. Write the following dialogues from the story in indirect speech. 1. ‘Get away from the beach!’ shouted Yuuki. 2. ‘Ow!’ shouted Haru in pain, as the Frisbee hit the back of his head. 3. ‘Fire! Fire! Everyone hurry up to the top of the mountain! Hurry!’ shouted Yuuki. 4. ‘Tsunami!’ the people shrieked in great terror. 5. ‘I am sorry for burning the fields,’ said Yuuki in a quivering voice. Understanding Literary Genres Folk Literature Folk literature is the traditional knowledge and beliefs of societies without written languages, often known as folklore or oral tradition. It is passed down orally and includes stories in both prose and verse, poems, songs, myths, dramas, rituals, proverbs, riddles, and the like. It is similar to written literature in that it is communicated this way. It has been made by almost all known peoples, both present and past. What is Folklore? Folklore is defined as the collection of cultural artefacts—such as rituals, tales, dances, and other forms

59 of expression—that are passed down orally within a community of people. Folklore contains all of the creative expressions and artistic forms that characterise a given culture and includes stories, songs, jokes, dances and proverbs. Folklore is transmitted orally by the elders of a community and is responsible for its preservation. Folklore is not governed by any institutional institution, unlike other forms of cultural identification like magazines or books. Folklore is a distinctively human invention that is kept through a culture's collective memory through storytelling and other cultural practices. Folk literature, which aims to maintain the oral legacy of folkloric forms in writing, is a subset of folklore. Although the terms "folk literature" and "folklore" are frequently used interchangeably, folk literature typically has a more constrained scope. It alludes to old doctrines and narratives that were first kept orally before being written down. Folk literature includes written poems, proverbs, idioms, songs, stories, myths, riddles, and other artistic knowledge transmissions that have been handed down from generation to generation. In other words, folklore becomes folk literature when it is recorded. Types of Folk Literature There are many different types of folk literature; all of which contain formulaic patterns or recognisable structures that facilitate memorisation, and they are all concerned with the preservation of oral traditions. Folk literature assisted individuals in understanding their relationship with their environment and other people after the invention of the written language. The elders of a community may compress the core of its culture into a select number of cultural objects, like folklore stories, that would instruct future generations on how to navigate life thanks to predictable themes, forms and motifs. Poetic forms, narrative forms, song forms, and proverbs are some of the most common folk literary genres. Poetic Forms Some of the earliest examples of folk literature in recorded history are poetic forms. Before there was written language, singers and narrators would begin cultural rites or events by reciting poems, frequently in metrical or epic form. Poems were spoken at key cultural occasions for two reasons: to amuse the audience and to provide a sort of history on which people might establish their identities. Due to the nature of folklore, it is challenging to pinpoint the origin of poetic forms in folk literature. Even the most well-known works of poetic folk literature, like Homer's epic hymns, are untraceable. 'The Epic of Gilgamesh' is typically regarded as the earliest example of poetic folk literature. Song Forms Songs are collections of words that have been rhythmically, melodically or musically placed into music. Songs use the sound of music to convey an idea or sentiment, and they are most closely related to the metrical verse in this regard. Folk songs rely on an oral tradition for preservation, much like all other types of folklore. Folk songs cover universal themes like work, birth, death, or grieving and include a

60 variety of musical folk styles like rhymes and chants. Folk songs are among the most enduring types of folk literature because of their musical aspect. According to certain academic research, folk poetry performed with music can also be referred to as folk songs. Narrative Forms More than any other folkloric relic, narrative forms like tales and stories are directly linked to folk literature. Folkloric narrative styles include fairy tales, folk tales, fables, tall tales, "why" stories, and myths. These frequently use narrative devices to describe the nature of the world and human existence, such as the quest or a stranger entering a village. Conflicts between good and evil, moral teachings, and humanity's tenacity in the face of insurmountable odds are common themes throughout folklore tale genres. Fairy tales are one example of a folk storytelling genre that employs a magical or supernatural aspect as a plot device to effectively convey the intricacy of the natural world. The dramatic impact of a moral lesson is increased by giving individuals superhuman ability in other folk story genres, such as folk tales. Proverbs Proverbs are succinct, artistic expressions that sum up a general fact or concept. Adages, maxims, and aphorisms are forms of folklore that are widely employed in cultures all over the world, although proverbs are frequently connected with the Judeo-Christian tradition. Q.1. What elements in the story make it a folk literature? Q.2. How is Japanese folk literature different from other literature writings? Q.3. Do you think you were able to learn about the ancient culture of Japan through the story? Give reasons for your answer. Understanding Literary Elements Tone The narrator's attitude toward the events, settings, and characters in the story is expressed through tone, which is connected to voice. Conflict Story problems are primarily caused by conflicts. Conflicts can be either large or small. Theme A theme is the main message or idea of a story, and it can be conveyed through characters' actions, transformations, and settings. Flashback A story’s segments can be interrupted so that readers can relive a character’s key moment in time. This is called a flashback.

61 Plot Pattern of events in a story that reveal the main theme. Point of View When the story is told from the character or an outside observer’s perspective. Characterisation The visualising, creation, placement and development of the people in a story. Symbolism A place, person, object or event that is presented with a deeper meaning in contrast to its literal meaning. Allusion When we make a suggestion and count on the other person to get the reference, we are using an allusion. Alliteration When two or more words with the same first consonant sound are combined, as in "fish fry," alliteration takes place. Hyperbole The deliberate use of exaggeration and overstatement for emphasis and impact is known as hyperbole in rhetoric and literature. Imagery The term 'imagery' refers to the use of figurative language to describe things, activities, and concepts in a way that engages our physical senses. Personification A literary technique that communicates abstract concepts in a relevant way by using nonliteral language. Onomatopoeia When we read, we practically hear the sounds that an onomatopoeia creates because it genuinely looks like the sound it makes. Oxymoron A figure of speech known as an oxymoron combines words with opposite meanings that are incompatible with one another. Motif A motif is a recurring pattern—an image, sound, word, or symbol that appears repeatedly throughout a certain story. What is a PLOT? The sequence of actions that make up a story's primary action is known as the plot. A journey is often forced upon the main character(s) by a series of distinct yet interconnected factors. This trip can be both physical and mental and emotional; however, it frequently involves both. The main action of the plot culminates in a climactic scene and a satisfying conclusion. The fact that a plot contains more than a list of facts is one of its distinguishing characteristics. The objective of the facts is to assist the character's overall journey (s). The development of a cause-and-effect link is another story feature. Characters make decisions and then deal with the results, whether they be positive or negative. The plot, then, includes not just the what but also the how and the why. The word plot is derived from 'complot', an Old French word for a covert scheme or conspiracy. The Greek philosopher Aristotle noted in the fourth century BCE that the plot, which he called mythos, is the "essence" of all tragedy. Plots have long been a crucial element of the narrative. The Traditional Plot Structure The Freytag's Pyramid concept, developed by German novelist Gustav Freytag in 1863, forms the

62 foundation for many contemporary interpretations and understandings of the narrative. Aristotle's discussion of dramatic tragedy served as Freytag's inspiration. Most stories have a basic framework that consists of these five components. Exposition The protagonist, other important characters, their interpersonal and intrapersonal relationships, the scene, and any pertinent background information are all introduced at the beginning of the novel. Exposure is what we call this. The protagonist finds their primary objective in this segment, which is generally a challenge that must be overcome. For instance, the introduction of Harry Potter, his miserable life with the Dursleys, and the subsequent disclosure of the wizarding world and Harry's place in it are all part of the exposition in 'Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone.' Rising Action The following stage is the rising action, which starts with an incident or difficulty that sets off the subsequent chain of events. The inciting occurrence typically has significant stakes since it drives the protagonist forward on their path. The protagonist realises what they stand to lose if they fail to reach their objective, which motivates them to start actively working towards it. The protagonist runs into a lot of challenges as the escalating action plays out. They frequently manifest as an antagonist figure and their distracting behaviours. Such challenges only serve to bolster the protagonist's resolve—and occasionally to frustrate it. As the action rises and moves into the subsequent phase, tension tends to increase. The growing action in Harry Potter starts when Harry and his companions start to believe that the main antagonist Voldemort is still alive and that he is seeking the fabled Sorcerer's Stone. They believe that Harry's contact with the openly hostile Professor Snape is assisting the dark lord. Climax This is the story's pivotal moment, when all the events and feelings that have been building throughout the exposition and increasing action come to a head. Obviously, these are the times when there is the most anxiety, conflict, and drama. In most climaxes, the protagonist makes a crucial choice that determines both their fate and the course of the narrative. Climaxes aren't always the difficult moral choices they seem to be at first. These are known as anticlimaxes because they achieve the important objectives of the story while taking little actions. In Harry Potter, after overcoming a challenging set of obstacles meant to safeguard the stone, Harry and his friends learn that the professor, who at first glance seemed inept, was actually working with Voldemort all along. Falling Action In this phase, the characters' actions solve the story's main conflict, bringing the plot to an end. In Harry Potter, Harry successfully pushes Voldemort away by keeping the stone away from him (for the time being). Denouement The achievement of the objective, the resolution of the issue, and the cessation of the conflict constitute the final narrative elements. The characters' outcomes are revealed in the finale. Either the protagonist

63 or the antagonist may succeed, or both may, to varying degrees, taste victory and failure. Some stories end by revealing what happens to the main character or characters in the future. The school year comes to an end as Harry Potter concludes with Harry and his companions receiving rewards for their heroic achievements. The Function of a Plot The plot's purpose is straightforward but vital. It gives the piece structure, creates suspense and excitement, and keeps the reader interested. Without a plot, a tale would just be an exposition or a collection of connected ideas. Without momentum, the story would become lifeless and didactic. Even in works with a lot of commentary on the topic, the reader needs to be drawn in and kept interested by some sort of a plot. Let’s Speak Questions from the story: 1. Can you state the plot of the story in less than 100 words? 2. Under what category does the plot of the story fall into? 3. Which other story do you think has a similar plot? 4. Which part of the story helped you gain a moral lesson? Literature Reading Let's read a classic short story by the French writer Guy de Maupassant. The Diamond Necklace The girl was one of those pretty and charming young creatures who sometimes are born, as if by a slip of fate, into a family of clerks. She had no dowry, no expectations, no way of being known, understood, loved, or married by any rich and distinguished man; so, she let herself be married to a little clerk of the Ministry of Public Instruction. She dressed plainly because she could not dress well, but she was unhappy as if she had really fallen from a higher station; since with women there is neither caste nor rank, for beauty, grace and charm take the place of family and birth. Mathilde suffered ceaselessly, feeling born to enjoy all delicacies and all luxuries. She was distressed at the poverty of her dwelling, at the bareness of the walls, at the shabby chairs, and the ugliness of the curtains. All those things, of which another woman of her rank would never even have been conscious, tortured her and made her angry. The sight of the little Breton peasant who did her humble housework aroused in her despairing regrets and bewildering dreams. She thought of silent antechambers hung with Oriental tapestry, illumined by tall bronze candelabra, and of two great footmen in knee breeches

64 who sleep in the big armchairs, made drowsy by the oppressive heat of the stove. She thought of long reception halls hung with ancient silk, of the dainty cabinets containing priceless curiosities and of the little coquettish perfumed reception rooms made for chatting at five o'clock with intimate friends, with men famous and sought after, whom all women envy and whose attention they all desire. When she sat down to dinner, before the round table covered with a tablecloth in use three days, opposite her husband, who uncovered the soup tureen and declared with a delighted air, “Ah, the good soup! I don't know anything better than that,” she thought of dainty dinners, of shining silverware, of the tapestry that peopled the walls with ancient personages and with strange birds flying in the midst of a fairy forest; and she thought of delicious dishes served on marvellous plates and of the whispered gallantries to which you listen with a sphinx-like smile while you are eating the pink meat of a trout or the wings of a quail. She had no gowns, no jewels, nothing. And she loved nothing but that. She felt made for that. She would have liked so much to please, to be envied, to be charming, to be sought after. She had a friend, a former schoolmate at the convent, who was rich, and whom she did not like to go to see anymore because she felt so sad when she came home. But one evening her husband reached home with a triumphant air and holding a large envelope in his hand. “There,” said he, “there is something for you.” She tore the paper quickly and drew out a printed card which bore these words: The Minister of Public Instruction and Madame Georges Ramponneau request the honor of M. and Madame Loisel's company at the palace of the Ministry on Monday evening, January 18th. Instead of being delighted, as her husband had hoped, she threw the invitation on the table crossly, muttering: “What do you wish me to do with that?” “Why, my dear, I thought you would be glad. You never go out, and this is such a fine opportunity. I had great trouble getting it. Everyone wants to go; it is very select, and they are not giving many invitations to clerks. The whole official world will be there.” She looked at him with an irritated glance and said impatiently: “And what do you wish me to put on my back?” He had not thought of that. He stammered: “Why, the gown you go to the theatre in. It looks very well to me.” He stopped, distracted, seeing that his wife was weeping. Two great tears ran slowly from the corners of her eyes toward the corners of her mouth. “What's the matter? What's the matter?” he answered. By a violent effort she conquered her grief and replied in a calm voice, while she wiped her wet cheeks: “Nothing. Only I have no gown, and, therefore, I can't go to this ball. Give your card to some colleague whose wife is better equipped than I am.”

65 He was in despair. He resumed: “Come, let us see, Mathilde. How much would it cost, a suitable gown, which you could use on other occasions—something very simple?” She reflected for several seconds, making her calculations and wondering also what sum she could ask without drawing on herself an immediate refusal and a frightened exclamation from the economical clerk. Finally, she replied hesitating: “I don't know exactly, but I think I could manage it with four hundred francs.” He grew a little pale because he was laying aside just that amount to buy a gun and treat himself to a little shooting next summer on the plain of Nanterre, with several friends who went to shoot larks there on a Sunday. But he said: “Very well. I will give you four hundred francs. And try to have a pretty gown.” The day of the ball drew near and Madame Loisel seemed sad, uneasy, anxious. Her frock was ready, however. Her husband said to her one evening: “What is the matter? Come, you have seemed very queer these last three days.” And she answered: “It annoys me not to have a single piece of jewellery, not a single ornament, nothing to put on. I shall look poverty-stricken. I would almost rather not go at all.” “You might wear natural flowers,” said her husband. “They're very stylish at this time of year. For ten francs you can get two or three magnificent roses.” She was not convinced. “No; there's nothing more humiliating than to look poor among other women who are rich.” “How stupid you are!” her husband cried. “Go look up your friend, Madame Forestier, and ask her to lend you some jewels. You're intimate enough with her to do that.” She uttered a cry of joy: “True! I never thought of it.” The next day she went to her friend and told her of her distress. Madame Forestier went to a wardrobe with a mirror, took out a large jewel box, brought it back, opened it and said to Madame Loisel: “Choose, my dear.” She saw first some bracelets, then a pearl necklace, then a Venetian gold cross set with precious stones, of admirable workmanship. She tried on the ornaments before the mirror hesitated and could not make up her mind to part with them, to give them back. She kept asking: “Haven't you anymore?” “Why, yes. Look further; I don't know what you like.”

66 Suddenly, she discovered, in a black satin box, a superb diamond necklace, and her heart throbbed with an immoderate desire. Her hands trembled as she took it. She fastened it round her throat, outside her high-necked waist, and was lost in ecstasy at her reflection in the mirror. Then she asked, hesitating, filled with anxious doubt: “Will you lend me this, only this?” “Why, yes, certainly.” She threw her arms around her friend's neck, kissed her passionately, and then fled with her treasure. The night of the ball arrived. Madame Loisel was a great success. She was prettier than any other woman present, elegant, graceful, smiling and wild with joy. All the men looked at her, asked her name, and sought to be introduced. She danced with rapture, with passion, intoxicated by pleasure, forgetting all in the triumph of her beauty, in the glory of her success, in a sort of cloud of happiness comprised of all this homage, admiration, these awakened desires and of that sense of triumph which is so sweet to woman's heart. She left the ball at about four o'clock in the morning. Her husband had been sleeping since midnight in a little deserted anteroom with three other gentlemen whose wives were enjoying the ball. Loisel held her back, saying: “Wait a bit. You will catch a cold outside. I will call a cab.” But she did not listen to him and rapidly descended the stairs. When they reached the street, they could not find a carriage and began to look for one, shouting after the cabmen passing at a distance. They went toward the Seine in despair, shivering with cold. At last, they found on the quay one of those ancient night cabs which, as though they were ashamed to show their shabbiness during the day, are never seen around Paris until after dark. It took them to their dwelling in the Rue des Martyrs, and sadly they mounted the stairs to their flat. All was ended for her. As to him, he reflected that he must be at the ministry at ten o'clock that morning. She removed her wraps before the glass so as to see herself once more in all her glory. But suddenly she uttered a cry. She no longer had the necklace around her neck! “What is the matter with you?” demanded her husband, already half undressed. She turned distractedly toward him. “I have—I have—I've lost Madame Forestier's necklace,” she cried. He stood up, bewildered. “What!—how? Impossible!” They looked among the folds of her skirt, of her cloak, in her pockets, everywhere, but did not find it. “You're sure you had it on when you left the ball?” he asked. “Yes, I felt it in the vestibule of the minister's house.” “But if you had lost it in the street, we should have heard it fall. It must be in the cab.” “Yes, probably. Did you take his number?” “No. And you—didn't you notice it?”

67 “No.” They looked, thunderstruck, at each other. At last, Loisel put on his clothes. “I shall go back on foot,” said he, “over the whole route, to see whether I can find it.” He went out. She sat waiting on a chair in her ball dress, without the strength to go to bed, overwhelmed, without any fire, without a thought. Her husband returned about seven o'clock. He had found nothing. He went to police headquarters, to the newspaper offices to offer a reward; he went to the cab companies—everywhere, in fact, whither he was urged by the least spark of hope. She waited all day, in the same condition of mad fear before this terrible calamity. Loisel returned at night with a hollow, pale face. He had discovered nothing. “You must write to your friend,” said he, “that you have broken the clasp of her necklace and that you are having it mended. That will give us time to turn around.” She wrote at his dictation. At the end of a week, they had lost all hope. Loisel, who had aged five years, declared: “We must consider how to replace that ornament.” The next day they took the box that had contained it and went to the jeweller whose name was found within. He consulted his books. “It was not I, madame, who sold that necklace; I must simply have furnished the case.” Then they went from jeweller to jeweller, searching for a necklace like the other, trying to recall it, both sick with chagrin and grief. They found, in a shop at the Palais Royal, a string of diamonds that seemed to them exactly like the one they had lost. It was worth forty thousand francs. They could have it for thirty-six. So, they begged the jeweller not to sell it for three days yet. And they made a bargain that he should buy it back for thirty-four thousand francs, in case they should find the lost necklace before the end of February. Loisel possessed eighteen thousand francs which his father had left him. He would borrow the rest. He compromised all the rest of his life, risked signing a note without even knowing whether he could meet it; and, frightened by the trouble yet to come, by the black misery that was about to fall upon him, by the prospect of all the physical privations and moral tortures that he was to suffer, he went to get the new necklace, laying upon the jeweller’s counter thirty-six thousand francs. When Madame Loisel took back the necklace Madame Forestier said to her in a chilly manner: “You should have returned it sooner; I might have needed it.” She did not open the case, as her friend had so much feared. If she had detected the substitution, what would she have thought, what would she have said? Would she not have taken Madame Loisel for a thief? Thereafter Madame Loisel knew the horrible existence of the needy. She bore her part, however, with sudden heroism. That dreadful debt must be paid. She would pay for it. They dismissed their servant;

68 they changed their lodgings; they rented a garret under the roof. She came to know what heavy housework meant and the odious cares of the kitchen. She washed the dishes, using her dainty fingers and rosy nails on greasy pots and pans. She washed the soiled linen, the shirts and the dishcloths, which she dried upon a line; she carried the slops down to the street every morning and carried up the water, stopping for breath at every landing. And dressed like a woman of the people, she went to the fruiterer, the grocer, the butcher, a basket on her arm, bargaining, meeting with impertinence, defending her miserable money, sou by sou. Every month they had to meet some notes, renew others, and obtain more time. Her husband worked evenings, making up a tradesman's accounts, and late at night he often copied manuscripts for five sous a page. This life lasted ten years. At the end of ten years, they had paid everything, everything, with the rates of usury and the accumulations of the compound interest. Madame Loisel looked old now. She had become the woman of impoverished households—strong and hard and rough. With frowsy hair, skirts askew and red hands, she talked loudly while washing the floor with great swishes of water. But sometimes, when her husband was at the office, she sat down near the window and she thought of that gay evening of long ago, of that ball where she had been so beautiful and so admired. What would have happened if she had not lost that necklace? Who knows? who knows? How strange and changeful is life! How small a thing is needed to make or ruin us! But one Sunday, having gone to take a walk in the Champs Elysees to refresh herself after the labours of the week, she suddenly perceived a woman who was leading a child. It was Madame Forestier, still young, still beautiful, still charming. Madame Loisel felt moved. Should she speak to her? Yes, certainly. And now that she had paid, she would tell her all about it. Why not? She went up. “Good day, Jeanne.” The other, astonished to be familiarly addressed by this plain good wife, did not recognize her at all and stammered: “But—madame!—I do not know—You must have mistaken.” “No. I am Mathilde Loisel.” Her friend uttered a cry. “Oh, my poor Mathilde! How you are changed!” “Yes, I have had a pretty hard life, since I last saw you, and great poverty—and that’s because of you!” “Of me! How so?” “Do you remember that diamond necklace you lent me to wear at the ministerial ball?” “Yes. Well?”

69 “Well, I lost it.” “What do you mean? You brought it back.” “I brought you back another exactly like it. And it has taken us ten years to pay for it. You can understand that it was not easy for us, for us who had nothing. At last, it is ended, and I am very glad.” Madame Forestier had stopped. “You say that you bought a necklace of diamonds to replace mine?” “Yes. You never noticed it, then! They were very similar.” And she smiled with a joy that was at once proud and ingenuous. Madame Forestier deeply moved and took her hands. “Oh, my poor Mathilde! Why my necklace was paste! It was worth at most only five hundred francs!”

70 67 I AM ANANDIBAI JOSHI indomitable - unwilling to accept defeat ordeal - a difficult or unpleasant experience resolve - to make a firm decision to do something missionary - a person sent on a religious mission, especially to teach people about Christianity to a foreign country censure - strong criticism or disapproval accord - agreement applause - approval or praise expressed by clapping reverberated - repeated several times like an echo ecstatic - very happy attire - clothes declining - weakening dissertation - a long piece of writing on a particular subject, written for a university degree obstetrics - the branch of medicine concerned with the birth of children convocation - a formal ceremony held in a university or college to give students their degrees ovation - great enjoyment and/or approval of something shown with loud and long clapping Get Set Go! Know the keywords and their meanings Understand and Know Anandibai Joshi was the first Indian woman to be awarded a medical degree, from the Women’s Medical College of Pennsylvania. This was a remarkable achievement in an age when women were not even allowed to go to school. In this narrative, Anandibai shares her life’s journey. Her determination to succeed, her indomitable courage and willpower continue to inspire women even today. Let’s Read I was very sick during the journey back home. Many times, I feared that I would not survive, but by the grace of God, I reached India safely.

71 As I look out of the window and see the sun shining, I remember the white carpet of snow outside my window last year. India is so different from America! And yet, love and kindness are the same everywhere. I would not have survived the ordeal if it hadn’t been for Mrs Carpenter’s love and belief in me. I have never spoken much about myself. I would like to share a few things about my life. I was born on 31 March 1865, in Kalyan, a small town near the Bombay Presidency. At the time of my birth, my family named me Yamuna. I belonged to a family of landlords who had lost their wealth. I was married at the age of nine to Gopalrao Joshi. He was a widower and almost twenty years older than me. I know all this sounds strange but we women could not express our opinions freely and I came from a very orthodox Brahmin family. Gopalrao changed my name to Anandi post-marriage. My husband worked as a clerk at the post office. He strongly believed in women’s education as well as widow remarriage. I was able to read a little Marathi before I got married. However, it was uncommon to educate girls. A husband did not even address his wife directly in front of others, so you can imagine how difficult it was for women to receive an education. After we got married, Gopalrao started teaching me. I was a quick learner. I was soon able to read Sanskrit, and could also read and speak English. Great was my joy when at the age of fourteen, I gave birth to a baby boy. Ten days later my little boy passed away because of insufficient medical care. I was shattered! I realised that most women in my country did not approach doctors because there were no lady doctors. Out of my grief was born a new resolve to ensure that no woman would lose her loved one because of a lack of medical attention. I decided to become a doctor! My husband encouraged me. He tried very hard to get me admitted to an American university. In 1880, he wrote a letter to Royal Wilder, an American missionary, about my desire to study medicine in America and inquired about a suitable job in America for himself. This letter was published by Wilder in his publication, ‘Princeton’s Missionary Review’. Theodicia Carpenter, a resident of Roselle, New Jersey read it and was impressed by my desire to become a doctor. She was touched by my husband’s support and encouragement. She wrote to us, offering me accommodation in America. We started writing letters to each other. I grew very fond of Carpenter Mavashi and used to discuss many things with her, things I would never have dared to express in public. We discussed early marriage and its effect on women’s health. We also discussed Hindu culture, religion and the status of women in society. In 1883, my husband was transferred to Serampore, near Calcutta. Since he could not get a job in America, he decided to send me to America on my own. I was constantly unwell at this time but Gopalrao persuaded me to influence other women through my actions.

72 It is difficult to even begin to guess the amount of opposition and censure we faced at the hands of orthodox Hindus. A woman attempting to cross the seas, to live in a foreign country all by herself was unthinkable! What was my husband even thinking of letting his wife go all alone, and that too for education? Nonetheless, Gopalrao strongly supported me. Finally, I addressed my community at Serampore College Hall. I explained why I wanted to go abroad for higher studies, and my desire to become a doctor because the country desperately needed Hindu female doctors. I said that I intended to start a medical college for women in India. When I stopped speaking, there was a profound silence. Then as though by one accord, these orthodox pillars of society started clapping. The thunder of their applause reverberated throughout the hall. I was ecstatic! After my speech, I started receiving financial aid from all over the country. Even the Viceroy of India donated two hundred rupees for my education. Finally, in June 1883, I reached America accompanied by missionary women. In New York, I was received by Mrs Carpenter. I applied to the Women’s Medical College in Pennsylvania and Rachel Bodley, the dean of the college admitted me. Initially, I had a problem with what attire to wear in winter. My Maharashtrian attire left me cold. Finally, I decided to wear a saree in the Gujarati style. However, the unfamiliar diet and the cold took a heavy toll on my already declining health. At the end of three years, my health had weakened considerably, but I had come to America to become a doctor and a doctor I would become! My dissertation was on ‘Obstetrics among the Hindu Aryans.’ At the convocation, a proud Gopalrao along with Pandita Ramabai watched me receive my MD degree on 11 March 1886. I received a standing ovation for being the first woman doctor from India. That was the proudest moment of my life! Even Queen Victoria sent me a congratulatory message! But fate had other plans for me! I was diagnosed with tuberculosis. I decided to come back to India and accept the post of a doctor of the female ward at the Albert Edward Hospital, Kolhapur. The journey back home further weakened me. I am currently staying at my cousin’s place in Poona for further treatment. The Ayurvedic doctor refuses to treat me because I have crossed all limits of decency by travelling abroad. As I look out of the window, I can hear the temple bells ringing softly. Everything is very calm and peaceful. Something tells me that I may not be able to enjoy this beauty much longer, but I am very glad that I have told you the story of my life. On 26 February 1887, Anandibai passed away, just one month before her twenty-second birthday. It cast a pall of gloom throughout India. Mrs Carpenter received Anandi’s ashes and placed them in her family cemetery.

73 Let’s Write I. Read the given extracts and answer the following questions. A. Out of my grief was born a new resolve: to ensure that no woman would lose her loved one because of lack of medical attention. 1. What was the cause of the speaker’s grief? 2. What did the speaker resolve to do? 3. Who encouraged the speaker in her resolve? 4. Find the synonym of the word ‘determination’. B. The journey back home further weakened me. I am currently staying at my cousin’s place in Poona for further treatment. 1. Who is referred to as ‘I’? Where did she return from? 2. What was she under treatment for? What was the cause of her illness? 3. What post did she accept on her return? 4. Find the antonym of the word ‘awakened’. II. Answer the following question in 30-40 words. 1. Describe Anandibai in not more than 30-50 words. 2. Why was Anandi’s life different from most child brides of her age? 3. Why did Anandibai decide to become a doctor? 4. Why did Anandibai address her community at Serampore College Hall? 5. What issues did Anandibai dwell upon in her maiden speech to her community? III. Multiple Choice Questions. 1. At what age did Anandibai gave birth to a boy? a. fourteen years b. fifteen years c. eighteen years 2. Which university did Anandibai's husband try to get her admitted? a. Australian b. British c. American 3. Why did Anandibai's health deteriorate? a. travelling and cold weather b. unfamiliar diet and cold weather

74 c. unfamiliar diet and hot weather 4. Why did the Ayurvedic doctor refuse to treat Anandibai? a. She was a doctor as well. b. She was suffering from an incurable disease. c. She had crossed all limits of decency by travelling abroad. 5. Why did Anandibai receive a standing ovation? a. For being the first woman doctor from India. b. For being the first woman teacher from India. c. For being the first woman journalist from India. IV. True or False. 1. Anandibai’s husband worked as a clerk at the post office. ( T / F ) 2. Theodicia Carpenter offered accommodation to Anandibai in America. ( T / F ) 3. After her speech in Serampore College Hall, all the people started shouting and screaming loudly. ( T / F ) 4. The Viceroy of India donated three hundred rupees to Anandibai for her education. ( T / F ) 5. In June 1883, Anandibai reached America accompanied by missionary women. ( T / F ) Digging Deep 1. Give a character sketch of Anandibai. 2. Describe Gopalrao’s contribution in Anandibai’s life. 3. Why did orthodox Hindus oppose Anandi’s decision to go to America for further studies? 4. What problems would Anandibai have faced after going to America? Thinking Hat

75 What’s the Good Word? A. What happens when you go through an ordeal? (a) You are happy. (b) You have to deal with something very tough. (c) You have to deal with something very easily. B. Make a sentence using the word 'ordeal'. A. What people do when they applause? (a) express their happiness by clapping (b) express their happiness by jumping (c) express their happiness by dancing B. Write a sentence using the word 'applause'. A. Which word is similar to 'attire'? (a) colouring (b) clothing (c) wedding B. Which kind of an attire do you prefer to wear? A. Missionary is a member of which group? (a) communication (b) government (c) religious B. Write a sentence using the word 'missionary'. A. What does it mean when yo censure? (a) strongly disapprove (b) strongly approve (c) strongly B. Write the antonym of the word 'censure'. Let’s Learn Grammar Combine each pair of sentences using a suitable subordinating conjunction/ relative pronoun. 1. I started receiving financial aid from all over the country. I gave my speech. 2. I stopped speaking. There was a profound silence. 3. He decided to send me to America on my own. He could not get a job in America. 4. Most women in my country could not approach doctors. There were no lady doctors 5. I belonged to a family of landlords. They had lost their wealth. 6. He wrote a letter to Royal Wilder, an American missionary. This letter was published in ‘Princeton’s Missionary Review’.

76 Understanding Literary Genres Biography Knowing what details to add in a biography can be a good first step when you're required to write about people in certain situations, whether it's about yourself or someone else. There are certain rules to follow that will help you decide what to include in a biography when a person's life is packed with interesting details and details that make it hard to decide what to include and what to leave out. Key Elements to include in a Biography Choosing what information to include is the first stage in creating a biography. While the length and content of biographies can differ greatly, all forms have some basic components. Take into account incorporating these details concerning the biography's subject. Begin with Basic Facts The length of the biography should be taken into consideration when deciding how much or how little information to include and how in-depth it should be. Simple sentences will just include a few broad, fundamental truths, such as: • place of birth and date (if applicable, death) • where do they currently reside • educational background • experience in profession • what are they experts of • major achievements Think about what makes the most sense in light of the biography's subject's life story and the intended audience. Use that knowledge to decide what details should be included in a biography. Include In-Depth Information The complexity of what is included in a biography increases as the biography's length increases since more information can be considered for inclusion as you use more words. A book-length biography will go into deeper depth regarding the subject's past; it will also explore how their life's experiences shaped who they are today and what is noteworthy about them. In a longer biography, you would want to include the following significant details: • Birth and childhood - Giving your readers background information about someone's upbringing will provide historical perspective. Write about the person's upbringing, for instance, if you're writing about a civil rights leader from the 1960s.

77 • Life as an adult - Your biography's main emphasis will presumably be on the subject's adult years, when key events began to take place. Concentrate on significant occurrences like the beginning of a relationship, a significant life change, or another significant turning point. • Death of the person - If the subject of your narrative has passed away, you should probably discuss the circumstances leading up to their demise. What kind of legacy did they leave? • Interesting facts of the person’s life - Tell entertaining tales about the person's life, choosing details that will interest readers or are especially pertinent to the reason the biography is being written. • Any quotations by the person - Consider including a few quotes that illustrate what others have said about the person if they have been the subject of articles books, or news stories. • Person’s photograph - Include a picture of the person if the biography will be printed, published online, or featured in a PowerPoint presentation before the presentation. You'll run into issues with what to mention and how to discuss it as you create more in-depth biographies. Just keep in mind who would be interested enough to read the biography and why you find this person interesting. Then, based on the information that your audience will find most valuable and that provides the most context for your subject, write the biography. Who is your audience? Choosing information that are both pertinent to and intriguing to your audience is the key to producing a fantastic biography. To accomplish this, you should first think about why the biography is required and who will be reading it, and then concentrate on the aspects of the subject's life that the reader is most likely to be interested in learning about. Be Focussed It will be easier to decide what information is most crucial if you have a plan for how to split the narrative and the topics you want to cover. For instance, you wouldn't need to spend much time on a person's early job as a salesperson if the focus of your biography is on their service in a war, unless it had an impact on their conduct during the war. Think about several samples of biographies with various focuses. Put in the Right Details A biography can cover practically any aspect of a person, including their entire life or simply one significant moment. It's up to you what details you include. Regardless of the length or intended audience, the majority of biographies provide fundamental information like the person's time and place of birth. However, other, more complex aspects will mostly depend on the circumstance — and on the writer. Your Perfect Bio The secret to writing a riveting biography, whether it's about you or someone else, is to vividly and intriguingly present the subject's real-life story. Offer only true information, but do so in an engaging way.

78 Q.1. Write giving reasons to show that the above lesson is a biography and not a fiction. Q.2. What parts of the story makes it a true inspiring story? Quote some lines to support your answer. Q.3. What other biographies have you read recently which you found inspiring? Understanding Literary Elements Read through the various literary elements that are used in literature: Tone The narrator's attitude toward the events, settings, and characters in the story is expressed through tone, which is connected to voice. Conflict Story problems are primarily caused by conflicts. Conflicts can be either large or small. Theme A theme is the main message or idea of a story, and it can be conveyed through characters' actions, transformations, and settings. Flashback A story’s segments can be interrupted so that readers can relive a character’s key moment in time. This is called a flashback. Plot Pattern of events in a story that reveal the main theme. Point of View When the story is told from the character or an outside observer’s perspective. Characterisation The visualising, creation, placement and development of the people in a story. Symbolism A place, person, object or event that is presented with a deeper meaning in contrast to its literal meaning. Allusion When we make a suggestion and count on the other person to get the reference, we are using an allusion. Alliteration When two or more words with the same first consonant sound are combined, as in "fish fry," alliteration takes place. Hyperbole The deliberate use of exaggeration and overstatement for emphasis and impact is known as hyperbole in rhetoric and literature. Imagery The term 'imagery' refers to the use of figurative language to describe things, activities, and concepts in a way that engages our physical senses. Personification A literary technique that communicates abstract concepts in a relevant way by using nonliteral language. Onomatopoeia When we read, we practically hear the sounds that an onomatopoeia creates because it genuinely looks like the sound it makes. Oxymoron A figure of speech known as an oxymoron combines words with opposite meanings that are incompatible with one another. Motif A motif is a recurring pattern—an image, sound, word, or symbol that appears repeatedly throughout a certain story.

79 We’ve learned about what is Point of View in our previous classes. Let us give ourselves a revision and learn a bit more about it. What is POINT OF VIEW? The vantage point from which a writer delivers a story is known as the literary point of view. It's one of the most crucial choices writers make when creating a story. Unnamed or a particular character may serve as the narrator. The choice of writing in the first, second, or third person is also up to the author. Which pronouns are used to refer to each character can help readers understand this in part. First Person In numerous novels, the first-person, condensed narrative is used. The narrator, who goes by "I," is aware of only a portion of the story. Aside from a few exceptions—more on those in a moment—the majority of memoirs are also written in the first person restricted. In the first person, the narrator's voice is more apparent. The protagonist is frequently — but not always — a first-person narrator. The protagonist and firstperson narrator of ‘The Hate U Give’ is Starr Carter. Along with her, readers experience the events in the book. 'The Great Gatsby' features Nick Carraway as a character and narrator, but he is not the main figure. The book portrays Jay Gatsby's inner circle while maintaining his mystique by not having him serve as the narrator. Second Person There are numerous ways to employ "you," the second person, in narration. In books like 'Choose Your Own Adventure', the narrator will occasionally address the reader directly in the second person. In other instances, readers do not take on the role of characters in the story; however, the use of the second person enables readers to connect more strongly with a particular character. The short story "Girl" by Jamaica Kincaid is written in the second person as a mother giving advice to her daughter. A rare second-person memoir, 'House of Prayer No. 2', immerses the reader in the lonely experience of author Mark Richard growing up crippled in the 1960s. Third Person The pronouns he, she, and they are third-person pronouns. Third-person limited narrative focuses mostly on the viewpoint of a single individual. In the third person, the author can be a little more creative than in the first. They could, for instance, utilise words from their adult vocabulary rather than just those that a young protagonist would be familiar with. One of the most popular POVs in fiction is a third-person omniscient narrative. The narrator is familiar with the full plot and is able to share the characters' inner thoughts. Free indirect speech refers to the third-person narrating that takes a backseat and includes the opinions of certain characters. One of the first writers to employ this approach was Jane Austen. Some readers could find this "head-hopping" confusing when authors swap perspectives too frequently. According to Louise Harnby's blog, readers could get confused if they have to become used to thinking

80 of a new character from one line or paragraph to the next. Many authors use numerous points of view in their works today, but to avoid head-hopping, they could decide to concentrate on one character's perspective for an entire chapter or section. Although the third person is frequently thought of as being more objective than first or second person, this is not always the case. Additionally, even an anonymous, third-person, omniscient narrator may not accurately reflect the author's viewpoints or voice. In his article "The Death of the Author," Roland Barthes discussed this gap between authors and their narrators. There is no such thing as a "reliable narrator," as Stacey Megally recently noted in Book Riot, because both real and fictional persons have biases and flawed memory and knowledge. Let’s Speak Questions from the story: 1. In whose point of view has the above lesson been written? 2. Can you write one paragraph from the first person point of view? 3. How beneficial is writing a story from first person’s point of view? 4. If you had to choose to write the above lesson in a point of view, which POV would you choose - first, second or third person? Why? Literature Reading Let’s read a classic story by H. H. Munro. The Interlopers In a forest of mixed growth somewhere on the eastern spurs of the Karpathians, a man stood one winter night watching and listening, as though he waited for some beast of the woods to come within the range of his vision, and, later, of his rifle. But the game for whose presence he kept so keen an outlook was none that figured in the sportsman's calendar as lawful and proper for the chase; Ulrich von Gradwitz patrolled the dark forest in quest of a human enemy. The forest lands of Gradwitz were of wide extent and well stocked with game; the narrow strip of precipitous woodland that lay on its outskirt was not remarkable for the game it harboured or the shooting it afforded, but it was the most jealously guarded of all its owner's territorial possessions. A famous lawsuit, in the days of his grandfather, had wrested it from the illegal possession of a neighbouring family of petty landowners; the dispossessed party had never acquiesced in the judgment of the Courts, and a long series of poaching affrays and similar scandals had embittered the relationships between the families for three generations. The neighbour feud had grown into a personal one since Ulrich had come to be head of his family; if there was a man in the world whom he detested and wished ill to it was Georg Znaeym, the inheritor of the quarrel and the tireless game-snatcher and raider of the disputed border-forest. The feud might, perhaps, have died down or been compromised if the personal ill-will of the two men had not stood in the way; as boys, they had thirsted for one another's blood, as men each prayed that misfortune might fall on the other, and this wind-scourged winter night Ulrich

81 had banded together his foresters to watch the dark forest, not in quest of the four-footed quarry, but to keep a lookout for the prowling thieves whom he suspected of being afoot from across the land boundary. The roebuck, which was usually kept in the sheltered hollows during a stormwind, was running like driven things tonight, and there was movement and unrest among the creatures that were to sleep through the dark hours. Assuredly there was a disturbing element in the forest, and Ulrich could guess the quarter from whence it came. He strayed away by himself from the watchers whom he had placed in an ambush on the crest of the hill, and wandered far down the steep slopes amid the wild tangle of undergrowth, peering through the tree trunks and listening through the whistling and skirling of the wind and the restless beating of the branches for sight and sound of the marauders. If only on this wild night, in this dark, lone spot, he might come across Georg Znaeym, man to man, with none to witness--that was the wish that was uppermost in his thoughts. And as he stepped round the trunk of a huge beech, he came face to face with the man he sought. The two enemies stood glaring at one another for a long silent moment. Each had a rifle in his hand, each had hate in his heart and murder uppermost in his mind. The chance had come to give full play to the passions of a lifetime. But a man who has been brought up under the code of a restraining civilisation cannot easily nerve himself to shoot down his neighbour in cold blood and without a word spoken, except for an offence against his heart and honour. And before the moment of hesitation had given way to action a deed of Nature's own violence overwhelmed them both. A fierce shriek of the storm had been answered by a splitting crash over their heads, and ere they could leap aside a mass of falling beech trees had thundered down on them. Ulrich von Gradwitz found himself stretched on the ground, one arm numb beneath him and the other held almost as helplessly in a tight tangle of forked branches, while both legs were pinned beneath the fallen mass. His heavy shooting- boots had saved his feet from being crushed to pieces, but if his fractures were not as serious as they might have been, at least it was evident that he could not move from his present position till some one came to release him. The descending twig had slashed the skin of his face, and he had to wink away some drops of blood from his eyelashes before he could take in a general view of the disaster. At his side, so near that under ordinary circumstances he could almost have touched him, lay Georg Znaeym, alive and struggling, but obviously as helplessly pinioned down as himself. All around them lay a thick-strewn wreckage of splintered branches and broken twigs. Relief at being alive and exasperation at his captive plight brought a strange medley of pious thankofferings and sharp curses to Ulrich's lips. Georg, who was early blinded by the blood which trickled across his eyes, stopped his struggling for a moment to listen, and then gave a short, snarling laugh. "So you're not killed, as you ought to be, but you're caught, anyway," he cried; "caught fast. Ho, what a jest, Ulrich von Gradwitz snared in his stolen forest. There's real justice for you!" And he laughed again, mockingly and savagely. "I'm caught in my own forestland," retorted Ulrich. "When my men come to release us you will wish, perhaps, that you were in a better plight than caught poaching on a neighbour's land, shame on you." Georg was silent for a moment; then he answered quietly: "Are you sure that your men will find much to release? I have men, too, in the forest tonight, close behind me, and _they_ will be here first and do the releasing. When they drag me out from under these damned branches, it won't need much clumsiness on their part to roll this mass of trunk right over on

82 the top of you. Your men will find you dead under a fallen beech tree. For form's sake I shall send my condolences to your family." "It is a useful hint," said Ulrich fiercely. "My men had orders to follow in ten minutes time, seven of which must have gone by already, and when they get me out--I will remember the hint. Only as you will have met your death poaching on my lands, I don't think I can decently send any message of condolence to your family." "Good," snarled Georg, "good. We fight this quarrel out to the death, you and I and our foresters, with no cursed interlopers to come between us. Death and damnation to you, Ulrich von Gradwitz." "The same to you, Georg Znaeym, forestthief, gamesnatcher." Both men spoke with the bitterness of possible defeat before them, for each knew that it might be long before his men would seek him out or find him; it was a bare matter of chance which party would arrive first on the scene. Both had now given up the useless struggle to free themselves from the mass of wood that held them down; Ulrich limited his endeavours to an effort to bring his one partially free arm near enough to his outer coatpocket to draw out his wineflask. Even when he had accomplished that operation, it was long before he could manage the unscrewing of the stopper or get any of the liquid down his throat. But what a Heaven-sent draught it seemed! It was an open winter, and little snow had fallen as yet, hence the captives suffered less from the cold than might have been the case at that season of the year; nevertheless, the wine was warming and reviving to the wounded man, and he looked across with something like a throb of pity to where his enemy lay, just keeping the groans of pain and weariness from crossing his lips. "Could you reach this flask if I threw it over to you?" asked Ulrich suddenly; "there is good wine in it, and one may as well be as comfortable as one can. Let us drink, even if tonight one of us dies." "No, I can scarcely see anything; there is so much blood caked round my eyes," said Georg, "and in any case, I don't drink wine with an enemy." Ulrich was silent for a few minutes and lay listening to the weary screeching of the wind. An idea was slowly forming and growing in his brain, an idea that gained strength every time that he looked across at the man who was fighting so grimly against pain and exhaustion. In the pain and languor that Ulrich himself was feeling, the old fierce hatred seemed to be dying down. "Neighbour," he said presently, "do as you please if your men come first. It was a fair compact. But as for me, I've changed my mind. If my men are the first to come you shall be the first to be helped, as though you were my guest. We have quarrelled like devils all our lives over this stupid strip of forest, where the trees can't even stand upright in a breath of wind. Lying here tonight thinking I've come to think we've been rather fools; there are better things in life than getting the better of a boundary dispute. Neighbour, if you will help me to bury the old quarrel I--I will ask you to be my friend." Georg Znaeym was silent for so long that Ulrich thought, perhaps, he had fainted with the pain of his injuries. Then, he spoke slowly and in jerks. "How the whole region would stare and gabble if we rode into the marketsquare together. No one living can remember seeing a Znaeym and a von Gradwitz talking to one another in friendship. And what peace there would be among the forester folk if we ended our feud to-night. And if we choose to make peace among our people there is none other to interfere, no interlopers from outside . . . You would come and keep the Sylvester night beneath my roof, and I would come and feast on some high day at your

83 castle . . . I would never fire a shot on your land, save when you invited me as a guest; and you should come and shoot with me down in the marshes where the wildfowl are. In all the countryside, there are none that could hinder if we willed to make peace. I never thought to have wanted to do other than hate you all my life, but I think I have changed my mind about things too, this last half-hour. And you offered me your wineflask . . . Ulrich von Gradwitz, I will be your friend." For a space both men were silent, turning over in their minds the wonderful changes that this dramatic reconciliation would bring about. In the cold, gloomy forest, with the wind tearing in fitful gusts through the naked branches and whistling round the tree-trunks, they lay and waited for the help that would now bring release and succour to both parties. And each prayed a private prayer that his men might be the first to arrive, so that he might be the first to show honourable attention to the enemy that had become a friend. Presently, as the wind dropped for a moment, Ulrich broke the silence. "Let's shout for help," he said; he said; "in this lull, our voices may carry a little way." "They won't carry far through the trees and undergrowth," said Georg, "but we can try. Together, then." The two raised their voices in a prolonged hunting call. "Together again," said Ulrich a few minutes later, after listening in vain for an answering halloo. "I heard nothing but the pestilential wind," said Georg hoarsely. There was silence again for some minutes, and then Ulrich gave a joyful cry. "I can see figures coming through the wood. They are following in the way I came down the hillside." Both men raised their voices in as loud a shout as they could muster. "They hear us! They've stopped. Now, they see us. They're running down the hill towards us," cried Ulrich. "How many of them are there?" asked Georg. "I can't see distinctly," said Ulrich; "nine or ten," "Then, they are yours," said Georg; "I had only seven out with me." "They are making all the speed they can, brave lads," said Ulrich gladly. "Are they your men?" asked Georg. "Are they your men?" he repeated impatiently as Ulrich did not answer. "No," said Ulrich with a laugh, the idiotic chattering laugh of a man unstrung with hideous fear. "Who are they?" asked Georg quickly, straining his eyes to see what the other would gladly not have seen. "Wolves."

84 68 OLIVER TWIST (AN EXCERPT BY CHARLES DICKENS) gruel - a watery cereal-like very thin oatmeal devoured - consumed assiduously - diligently voracious - hungry diem - day nudged - pushed temerity - bravery stupefied - confused confinement - imprisonment Get Set Go! Know the keywords and their meanings Understand and Know Charles Dickens' second book, 'Oliver Twist,' was published in 1843. It was initially released as a serial over the period of two years, with new chapters appearing each month in the magazine 'Bentley's' 'Miscellany' (1837–1839). Oliver Twist, an orphan who was born in a workhouse and subsequently escaped to join a gang of thieves, is the main character of the book. This excerpt is taken during Oliver's stint in the workhouse. Let’s Read The room in which the boys were fed was a large stone hall with a copper [a large, heated copper pot] at one end: out of which the master, dressed in an apron for the purpose, and assisted by one or two women, ladled the gruel [a watery cereal like very thin oatmeal] at mealtimes. Of this festive composition, each boy had one porringer [small bowl], and no more—except on occasions of great public rejoicing, when he had two ounces and a quarter of bread besides. The bowls never wanted washing. The boys polished them with their spoons till they shone again; and when they had performed this operation (which never took very long, the spoons being nearly as large as the bowls), they would sit staring at the copper, with such eager eyes, as if they could have devoured the very bricks of which it was composed; employing themselves, meanwhile, in sucking their fingers most assiduously [diligently], with the view of catching

85 up any stray splashes of gruel that might have been cast thereon. Boys have generally excellent appetites. Oliver Twist and his companions suffered the tortures of slow starvation for three months: at last, they got so voracious and wild with hunger, that one boy, who was tall for his age, and hadn’t been used to that sort of thing (for his father had kept a small cook-shop), hinted darkly to his companions, that unless he had another basin of gruel per diem [each day], he was afraid he might some night happen to eat the boy who slept next him, who happened to be a weakly youth of tender age. He had a wild, hungry eye; and they implicitly believed him. A council was held; lots [objects, such as straws, that would be taken out of a container to make a decision or choice] were cast who should walk up to the master after supper that evening, and ask for more; and it fell to Oliver Twist. The evening arrived; the boys took their places. The master, in his cook’s uniform, stationed himself at the copper; his pauper [poor] assistants ranged themselves behind him; the gruel was served out; and a long grace was said over the short commons. The gruel disappeared; the boys whispered to each other and winked at Oliver; while his next neighbours nudged him. Child as he was, he was desperate with hunger, and reckless with misery. He rose from the table; and advancing to the master, basin and spoon in hand, said: somewhat alarmed at his own temerity [bravery]: “Please, sir, I want some more.” The master was a fat, healthy man; but he turned very pale. He gazed in stupefied astonishment on the small rebel for some seconds, and then clung for support to the copper. The assistants were paralysed with wonder; the boys with fear. “What!” said the master at length, in a faint voice. “Please, sir,” replied Oliver, “I want some more.” The master aimed a blow at Oliver’s head with the ladle; pinioned [trapped] him in his arm; and shrieked aloud for the beadle [an official]. The board were sitting in solemn conclave [meeting], when Mr. Bumble rushed into the room in great excitement, and addressing the gentleman in the high chair, said, “Mr. Limbkins, I beg your pardon, sir! Oliver Twist has asked for more!” There was a general start. Horror was depicted on every countenance [face]. “For more!” said Mr. Limbkins. “Compose yourself, Bumble, and answer me distinctly [clearly]. Do I understand that he asked for more after he had eaten the supper allotted by the dietary?” “He did, sir,” replied Bumble. “That boy will be hung,” said the gentleman in the white waistcoat. “I know that boy will be hung.” Nobody controverted [argued with] the prophetic gentleman’s opinion. An animated discussion took place. Oliver was ordered into instant confinement; and a bill was next morning pasted on the outside of the gate, offering a reward of five pounds to anybody who would take Oliver Twist off the hands of the parish. In other words, five pounds and Oliver Twist were offered to any man or woman who wanted an apprentice to any trade, business, or calling. Let’s Write I. Read the given extract and answer the following questions. A. The gruel disappeared; the boys whispered to each other and winked at Oliver; while his next neighbours nudged him.

86 1. What were the boys whispering to one another? 2. Why did Oliver’s neighbour nudge him? 3. Describe the gruel served to the boys. 4. Give the synonym of ‘nudged’. B. Do I understand that he asked for more after he had eaten the supper allotted by the dietary?” “He did, sir,” replied Bumble. “That boy will be hung,” said the gentleman in the white waistcoat. 1. Who said these lines? 2. What did the boy ask for? 3. What was the decision taken by the board? 4. Give the synonym of the word ‘allotted’. II. Answer the following question in 30-40 words. 1. What can you say about the condition of the children? 2. What kind of era can you make out from the story? 3. Why do you think a harsh order was passed against Oliver? 4. Explain the following lines: In other words, five pounds and Oliver Twist were offered to any man or woman who wanted an apprentice to any trade, business, or calling. 5. Describe the kind of food that was served at the workhouse. III. Multiple Choice Questions. 1. Who is the story about? a. Oliver Twist b. Charles Dickens c. Charlie d. Mr. Winston 2. What was the condition of the boys? a. They were rich b. They were sick c. They were starving d. None of the above 3. For how many months were the boys starving? a. 3 b. 4 c. 5 d. 6 4. Who did Oliver approach for more food? a. the counsel b. the chef c. the chief d. the owner 5. How much money was offered to the person who would take Oliver? a. 5 pounds b. 5 cents c. 5 dollars d. 10 pounds

87 IV. True or False. 1. The story was written by Charles Dickens. ( T / F ) 2. Oliver was chosen to ask for more food. ( T / F ) 3. The chef happily gave more food to Oliver. ( T / F ) 4. The children were given gruel to eat. ( T / F ) 5. The boys were fed in a small stone hall. ( T / F ) Digging Deep 1. Give a brief character sketch of the main character of the story. 2. On what theme has the above story been written? Give lines from the story to support your answer. 3. In what ways are you able to relate the story to real life? 4. What can you comment on the condition of the children as shown in the story? Thinking Hat What’s the Good Word? A. What kind of food is gruel? a. a thick paste of rice b. a watery oatmeal cereal c. a watery soup of chicken broth B. In what context has the word ‘gruel’ been used? A. Which of these is a lion most likely to devour? a. a sheep b. a tree c. a table B. Make a sentence using the word ‘devour’. A. Which of these if you assiduously pay attention to, will help you score well in your exams? a. your homework b. the subjects taught in school c. both a and b B. In what context has the word ‘assiduously’ been used in the lesson? A. If a person nudges you, what action are they performing? a. pushing b. sliding c. pulling B. Make a sentence using the synonym of the word ‘nudge’.

88 A. In what condition is a person when he or she is stupified? a. surprised b. confused c. overjoyed B. When was the last time you found yourself ‘stupified’? Let’s Learn Grammar A. Write the correct appropriate pronouns or adjectives. 1. Oliver Twist and his companions suffered the tortures of slow starvation for three months: at last they got so voracious and wild with hunger, that one boy, ___________ was tall for his age, and hadn’t been used to that sort of thing. 2. He was afraid he might some night happen to eat the boy ___________ slept next him. 3. With ___________ did Ryan leave? 4. ___________ football team won the world cup this year? 5. ___________ books are lying on the table? B. With the help of the Internet, write a short research report on the life of Charles Dickens. Understanding Literary Genres Novel Charles Dickens, one of the most well-known British novelists of all time, has a literary style that is so distinctive and significant that it has its own adjective: Dickensian. He was famous for writing novels. Let us take a look at a novel, its definition and its type. Definition of a Novel A novel is a lengthy work of literary language that tells a story. Storytelling and entertainment are the goals of narrative prose. It describes a series of incidents that have a cast of characters, a scene, and a resolution. Most publishers like novels that are between 80,000 and 120,000 words long, depending on the genre. Genre Novel Romance, mystery, horror, westerns, science fiction and fantasy are only a few examples of the distinct genres that fall under the umbrella term "genre" and are associated with literature.

89 For genre novels to live up to reader expectations, they must follow the prevailing trends and norms in their genre. Readers of mysteries, for instance, anticipate that every book in that genre will open with a crime or the threat of a crime, offer hints and potential explanations throughout the course of the narrative, and end with a resolution of the issue, such as the capture of the criminal or the foiling of the villain's plot. Romance readers anticipate a hero and heroine who are incredibly drawn to one another, go through a struggle that complicates their relationship, and then work through the problem to allow the romance to progress (and often result in marriage). You should read multiple works in each genre and take notice of the recurring themes, plot devices, and character types to learn the traditions of each one. It's crucial to select just one genre. While you might be able to locate a publisher prepared to take a chance on a book that crosses genres, the majority of agents and editors seek out stories that can be readily tailored to a particular audience. Your book will be tough to sell to readers and difficult to promote to book store buyers without a clear category. Instead than having trouble finding a publisher for a cross-genre work, it is preferable to push the boundaries of a genre—and stay well within it. Do readers of romance, mysteries, sci-fi, etc., prefer my book more than others? The audience that would be most interested in your narrative can be determined using your response. By connecting your work with the genre that drives your story, this can boost your chances of success. Structure of a Novel Chapters, characters, such as a protagonist and antagonist, dialogue, point of view, topic, setting, and storyline are all vital components of a novel. Let's start by discussing what a chapter is. A novel's major developments and events are divided into chapters, which facilitate smooth changes in time, place, or point of view. Many authors and agents want to leave readers on a suspenseful cliffhanger at the conclusion of each chapter. You decide what and how much goes into a chapter. A simple paragraph change, employing a transitional phrase like "The next morning she," can change scenes within a chapter. Alternatively, it can be done by inserting blank lines between paragraphs, which is particularly useful when the scene change also entails a shift in viewpoint. Novel as a Literary Genre While historians debate which novel was the "first," the definition of the novel itself could be the subject of a different debate. The concept as it originated in the 18th century covered a wide range of aspects because of the various viewpoints connected to the novel. The work has been described in a variety of ways, including as an imaginative recreation of reality, a history, a dangerous conveyance of truth that urged inquiry, a biography, a harmless diversion, a travelogue, a romance, and a story of a spiritual journey. Despite the discrepancies that exist within these many interpretations of the novel in the 18th century, a few essential characteristics can be identified as elements of the novel as a new textual form. The novels gained credibility because characters and situations were created to be believable, as if to reflect the people and circumstances of the time's everyday reality. The characters inside the stories were not shown as kings or queens, but rather in a manner similar in social standing to the readers of the novels; this provided a level of familiarity with them. Readers were able to recognise and relate to the

90 characters in the book as a result of familiarity. Additionally, narratives that were stereotyped, like those in older aristocratic fiction, started to be rejected by writers. Instead, self-consciousness and the mental process received more emphasis from writers. Stories as a result showed more of their subjectivity and individualism. They had interesting beliefs and were written with a guiding structure that produced dominant themes. Novels occasionally veered from the storyline, but only when it served the pattern and design guiding the story. Some observers were apprehensive about the novel's ascent to literary greatness despite these advances. Why was the book frightful? First of all, it needed close examination because it seemed to probe the reader's own reality. It also conveyed a degree of truth. Q.1. Do you think the excerpt given in the lesson is a part of a novel? Give reasons for your answer. Q.2. Find out what was the unique style of Charles Dickens writings that made him different from other classic writers. Q.3. Do you think you can find relatable themes to real life in the story above? Understanding Literary Elements Read through the various literary elements that are used in literature: Tone The narrator's attitude toward the events, settings, and characters in the story is expressed through tone, which is connected to voice. Conflict Story problems are primarily caused by conflicts. Conflicts can be either large or small. Theme A theme is the main message or idea of a story, and it can be conveyed through characters' actions, transformations, and settings. Flashback A story’s segments can be interrupted so that readers can relive a character’s key moment in time. This is called a flashback. Plot Pattern of events in a story that reveal the main theme. Point of View When the story is told from the character or an outside observer’s perspective. Characterisation The visualising, creation, placement and development of the people in a story. Symbolism A place, person, object or event that is presented with a deeper meaning in contrast to its literal meaning. Allusion When we make a suggestion and count on the other person to get the reference, we are using an allusion. Alliteration When two or more words with the same first consonant sound are combined, as in "fish fry," alliteration takes place. Hyperbole The deliberate use of exaggeration and overstatement for emphasis and impact is known as hyperbole in rhetoric and literature. Imagery The term 'imagery' refers to the use of figurative language to describe things, activities, and concepts in a way that engages our physical senses.

91 Personification A literary technique that communicates abstract concepts in a relevant way by using nonliteral language. Onomatopoeia When we read, we practically hear the sounds that an onomatopoeia creates because it genuinely looks like the sound it makes. Oxymoron A figure of speech known as an oxymoron combines words with opposite meanings that are incompatible with one another. Motif A motif is a recurring pattern—an image, sound, word, or symbol that appears repeatedly throughout a certain story. What is CHARACTERISATION? Characterisation is a literary strategy that is employed in literature piece by piece to emphasise and clarify the specifics of a character in a narrative. In the first act, the author gives the character a clear emergence. The author frequently discusses the character's behaviour after introducing him, followed by the character's cognitive processes as the novel goes on. The character then moves on to the following phase, when he expresses his thoughts and engages in dialogue with the other characters. The conclusion demonstrates how other characters in the narrative react to the character's characteristics. The term "characterisation" was first used in literature in the middle of the 15th century. "Tragedy is a portrayal, not of persons, but of activity and life," Aristotle claimed in his book 'Poetics'. This makes the claim that "plot-driven narrative"—the dominance of plot over characters—unmistakable. Many people later abandoned this viewpoint because, in the 19th century, petty bourgeois novels made it abundantly evident that character predominated over plot. Characterisation : Purpose Characterisation can advance the plot in addition to creating intriguing characters. A reader may be more or less startled at specific actions or situations if they are aware of a character's intention to accomplish a particular objective or adhere to a particular set of values. A shrewd reader could speculate that the plot might take that turn if they are aware that a character loves their spouse more than anything and a villain is presented who enjoys kidnapping people who are close to their foes. Characterisation : Types The most straightforward method of describing and comprehending a character is explicit characterization, commonly referred to as direct characterisation. A writer will describe a character's characteristics and motivations in detail. Implicit characterisation, often referred to as indirect characterisation, is a less direct and more indirect technique to describe a character and their characteristics. When a writer employs this technique for characterisation, the reader is left to deduce the subtleties of the character. The author may skirt around the character's flaws by describing what they do and don't do without explaining why. The reader must investigate, infer, and come to a full understanding of each character.

92 Let’s Speak Questions from the story: 1. State the characters in the above story. 2. How have the characters been introduced in the excerpt by Charles Dickens’ Oliver Twist? 3. Which character from the story impresses or inspires you the most? 4. How do you think characters add strength to the plot of the story? Literature Reading Let’s read the first chapter of the classic story by Hugh Lofting. Dr Dolittle Puddleby Once upon a time, many years ago—when our grandfathers were little children—there was a doctor; and his name was Dolittle—John Dolittle, M.D. “M.D.” means that he was a proper doctor and knew a whole lot. He lived in a little town called, Puddleby-on-the-Marsh. All the folks, young and old, knew him well by sight. And whenever he walked down the street in his high hat everyone would say, “There goes the Doctor!—He’s a clever man.” And the dogs and the children would all run up and follow behind him, and even the crows that lived in the church tower would caw and nod their heads. The house he lived in, on the edge of the town, was quite small; but his garden was very large and had a wide lawn and stone seats and weeping willows hanging over. His sister, Sarah Dolittle, was his housekeeper for him; but the Doctor looked after the garden himself. He was very fond of animals and kept many kinds of pets. Besides the goldfish in the pond at the bottom of his garden, he had rabbits in the pantry, white mice in his piano, a squirrel in the linen closet and a hedgehog in the cellar. He had a cow with a calf too, and an old lame horse—twenty-five years of age—and chickens, pigeons, two lambs, and many other animals. But his favourite pets were Dab-Dab the duck, Jip the dog, Gub-Gub the baby pig, Polynesia the parrot, and the owl Too-Too. His sister used to grumble about all these animals and said they made the house untidy. And one day when an old lady with rheumatism came to see the Doctor, she sat on the hedgehog who was sleeping on the sofa and never came to see him anymore, but drove every Saturday all the way to Oxenthorpe, another town ten miles off, to see a different doctor. Then his sister, Sarah Dolittle, came to him and said, “John, how can you expect sick people to come and see you when you keep all these animals in the house? It’s a fine doctor who would have his parlour full of hedgehogs and mice! That’s the fourth

93 personage these animals have driven away. Squire Jenkins and the Parson say they wouldn’t come near your house again—no matter how sick they are. We are getting poorer every day. If you go on like this, none of the best people will have you for a doctor.” “But I like the animals better than the ‘best people’,” said the Doctor. “You are ridiculous,” said his sister, and walked out of the room. So, as time went on, the Doctor got more and more animals; and the people who came to see him got fewer and fewer. Till at last, he had no one left—except the Cat’s-meat-Man, who didn’t mind any kind of animals. But the Cat’s-meat-Man wasn’t very rich and he only got sick once a year—at Christmas time, when he used to give the Doctor sixpence for a bottle of medicine. Sixpence a year wasn’t enough to live on—even in those days, long ago; and if the Doctor hadn’t had some money saved up in his money box, no one knows what would have happened. And he kept on getting still more pets, and of course, it cost a lot to feed them. And the money he had saved up grew littler and littler. Then he sold his piano, and let the mice live in a bureau drawer. But the money he got for that too began to go, so he sold the brown suit he wore on Sundays and went on becoming poorer and poorer. And now, when he walked down the street in his high hat, people would say to one another, “There goes John Dolittle, M.D.! There was a time when he was the best-known doctor in the West Country—Look at him now—He hasn’t any money and his stockings are full of holes!” But the dogs and the cats and the children still ran up and followed him through the town—the same as they had done when he was rich.

94 69 THE PAINTED CEILING -BY AMY LOWELL parlour - a sitting room tumble - fall invisible - which cannot be seen accomplished - achieved success at something Get Set Go! Know the keywords and their meanings Understand and Know Remember the movie Alice in Wonderland ? She entered a realm of fantasy, complete with talking animals and rabbit holes, thanks to this short narrative. Sometimes, a painting, a trip, or even a smell can take us to beautiful world where we experience wonderful feelings. Follow the poet as she enters another realm, thanks to an elaborate ceiling. Let’s Read The Painted Ceiling by Amy Lowell My Grandpapa lives in a wonderful house With a great many windows and doors, There are stairs that go up, and stairs that go down, And such beautiful, slippery floors. But of all of the rooms, even mother’s and mine, And the bookroom, and parlour and all, I like the green dining-room so much the best Because of its ceiling and wall.

95 Right over your head is a funny round hole With apples and pears falling through; There’s a big bunch of grapes all purply and sweet, And melons and pineapples too. They tumble and tumble, but never come down Though I’ve stood underneath a long while With my mouth open wide, for I always have hoped Just a cherry would drop from the pile. No matter how early I run there to look It has always begun to fall through; And one night when at bedtime I crept in to see, It was falling by candle-light too. I am sure they are magical fruits, and each one Makes you hear things, or see things, or go Forever invisible; but it’s no use, And of course I shall just never know. For the ladder’s too heavy to lift, and the chairs Are not nearly so tall as I need. I’ve given up hope, and I feel I shall die Without having accomplished the deed. It’s a little bit sad, when you seem very near To adventures and things of that sort, Which nearly begin, and then don’t; and you know It is only because you are short. Let’s Write I. Read the given extract and answer the following questions. A. But of all of the rooms, even mother’s and mine, And the bookroom, and parlour and all, I like the green dining-room so much the best because of its ceiling and wall. 1. Whose house is the poetess talking about? 2. Name the rooms mentioned in the above lines.

96 3. Which room does the poetess like the best? Why 4. Give the synonym of ‘parlour’. B. For the ladder’s too heavy to lift, and the chairs Are not nearly so tall as I need. I’ve given up hope, and I feel I shall die Without having accomplished the deed. . 1. Why does the poetess need the ladder? 2. Why do you think the poetess has given up hope? 3. Which deed did the poet want to accomplish? 4. Give the synonym of the word ‘accomplished’. II. Answer the following question in 30-40 words. 1. State the speciality of the green dining room. 2. Give a description of the painted ceiling in the dining room. 3. What sort of magic does the poetess think the fruits possess? 4. Why does the poetess claim that she would never be able to taste the fruits? III. Multiple Choice Questions. 1. What fascinates the poetess the most? a. the green colour of the dining room b. the realistic fruits on the ceiling c. doors and windows d. stars that go up and down 2. Which of these lines show that the poetess is just a child in the poem? a. I like the green dining room…..ceiling and wall. b. It is only because you are short. c. The ladder’s too heavy to lift. d. It’s a little bit sad. 3. Choose an alternative title which best suits the poem: a. Grandpa’s House b. Summer-time c. Shorty Me d. Fruits from the Roof 4. The fruit seemed to ‘fall by candle-light too.’ What is referred to here? a. shadows b. ghosts c. night time d. winter 5. Which stanza from the poem shows that the poetess anticipates the fruits to be real? a. stanza 3 b. stanza 4 c. stanza 6 d. stanza 8 6. Which of these lines from the poem show that the poetess is imaginative?

97 a. No matter how early I run there to look. b. I am sure they are magical fruits. c. My grandpa lives in a wonderful house. d. There’s a big bunch of grapes. 7. Which of these was magical for the poetess? a. the ceiling b. the wall c. the fruits d. the funny hole 8. What was the reason for the poetess sadness? a. her height b. her background c. her grandfather d. the ceiling Digging Deep 1. Why did the poetess prefer the green dining room compared to other rooms in the house? 2. After reading the poem, how would you describe the poetess? Describe her personality and aspirations. 3. What do you understand by the last stanza of the poem? 4. What according to you is the essence of the poem that has been highlighted? Thinking Hat What’s the Good Word? A. What is a parlour used for? a. for dining b. as a sitting area c. as a store room B. Make a sentence using the word ‘parlour.’ A. Which of these animals is most likely to tumble easily? a. a panda b. a lion c. a dog B. When was the last time you accidentally ‘tumbled?’ A. Which of these is invisible? a. breeze b. trees c. clothes B. Use the antonym of the word ‘invisible’ to make a sentence. A. What does a person feel when he or she has accomplished his dreams? a. happy b. sad c. angry B. Which of your goals do you think you have ‘accomplished’ so far? Summarising Skills Write the summary of the poem in 80-100 words.

98 Let’s Learn Grammar A. Circle all the prepositions you can find in the stanzas from the poem given below: 1. My Grandpapa lives in a wonderful house With a great many windows and doors, There are stairs that go up, and stairs that go down, And such beautiful, slippery floors. 2. Right over your head is a funny round hole With apples and pears falling through; There’s a big bunch of grapes all purply and sweet, And melons and pineapples too. 3. No matter how early I run there to look It has always begun to fall through; And one night when at bedtime I crept in to see, It was falling by candle-light too. B. Imagine yourself in the place of the poetess. Now, write a letter to your friend describing your grandfather's house. Poetic Devices/Theme: Quatrain A quatrain is a a stanza of four lines which rhyme. A quatrain can be a poem in itself or part of a poem, as in this one. Each quatrain is complete in itself, thought and message. Though not always true, but mostly lines 2 and 4 rhyme in a quatrain. Thus, the rhyming scheme changes. They can be: AABB, ABAB, AAAA, ABBA. Look at Auden’s example from 'Leap Before You Look': The sense of danger must not disappear: (A) The way is certainly both short and steep. (B) However gradual it looks from here; (A) Look if you like, but you will have to leap. (B)

99 'The Painted Ceiling' is entirely made of many quatrains: My Grandpapa lives in a wonderful house (A) With a great many windows and doors, (B) There are stairs that go up, and stairs that go down, (C) And such beautiful, slippery floors. (B) What Are the Quatrain's Origins? Ancient Greece and Ancient Rome are where the quatrain first appeared as a poetry form. With the development of polymath poets—poets who were knowledgeable in a variety of fields—it gained popularity. Omár Khayyám, a Persian astronomer, mathematician, philosopher, and poet, used the quatrain exclusively in a collection of interconnected lines titled "Rubáiyát," which is Arabic for "quatrains," during the eleventh century, commonly known as the Dark Ages. In the 1800s, English poet Edward Fitzgerald translated it, which contributed to its rebirth as a well-liked literary stanza. The nineteenth-century poet Emily Dickinson embraced quatrains and included them throughout the majority of her works, such as this stanza from "Hope is the thing with feathers": “Hope” is the thing with feathers - That perches in the soul - And sings the tune without the words - And never stops - at all - Famous Poetry Quatrain Examples Thomas Gray’s poem “Elegy Written in a Country Churchyard” The curfew tolls the knell of parting day, The lowing herd wind slowly o'er the lea, The plowman homeward plods his weary way, And leaves the world to darkness and to me. The celebrated poem "Rubáiyát," by Omár Khayyám, is made of 101 quatrain stanzas and is a lyric poetry that explores life and death. AWAKE! for Morning in the Bowl of Night Has flung the Stone that puts the Stars to Flight: And Lo! the Hunter of the East has caught The Sultan’s Turret in a Noose of Light. For his poem "Stopping By Woods on a Snowy Evening," Robert Frost, like other writers influenced by the translation of "Rubáiyát," chose the quatrain format: Whose woods these are I think I know. His house is in the village though; He will not see me stopping here To watch his woods fill up with snow.

100 Let’s Speak Questions from the story: 1. What is the message conveyed by of the first quatrain? 2. Write the quatrain which tells you that the poetess finds this whole imagination, ‘magical’? 3. Write the rhyming scheme of this quatrain by Christina Rossetti: Does the road wind up-hill all the way? Yes, to the very end. Will the day’s journey take the whole long day? From morn to night, my friend. Literature Reading Let’s read another poem by Amy Lowell. The Garden by Moonlight Amy Lowell A black cat among roses, Phlox, lilac-misted under a first-quarter moon, The sweet smells of heliotrope and night-scented stock. The garden is very still, It is dazed with moonlight, Contented with perfume, Dreaming the opium dreams of its folded poppies. Firefly lights open and vanish High as the tip buds of the golden glow Low as the sweet alyssum flowers at my feet. Moon-shimmer on leaves and trellises, Moon-spikes shafting through the snow ball bush. Only the little faces of the ladies’ delight are alert and staring, Only the cat, padding between the roses, Shakes a branch and breaks the chequered pattern As water is broken by the falling of a leaf.