Time and Time Again by AK Ramanujan: Summary, Analysis & Notes (Class 12)

Welcome to this detailed analysis of A.K. Ramanujan's profound poem, 'Time and Time Again,' a significant piece from the NCERT Class 12 Elective English textbook, Kaleidoscope. This guide provides a comprehensive summary, thematic breakdown, line-by-line explanation, and practice questions to help you master this thoughtful poem on time, society, and the human experience.

Table of Contents

1. Summary of Time and Time Again
2. Important Themes
3. Line by Line Explanation
4. Literary and Poetic Devices
5. Responding to the Poem (Q&A)
6. MCQs on Time and Time Again
7. Critical Appreciation
8. Important Questions with Answers

Summary of Time and Time Again

The poem Time and Time Again by A. K. Ramanujan paints a vivid picture of how time works in the world around us. The poet listens to the clocktowers of an old city striking every hour. Each clock sounds a little different—some deeper, some lighter—because of their different materials, makers, and histories. These small differences show how time is never exactly the same for everyone.

The clocks also remind the poet of how people, religions, and communities live close together but are never fully in sync. Hindus, Christians, and Muslims share the same city, yet their lives move at their own pace. Sometimes their harmony breaks—by a quarrel, a change of mood, or even a sudden sound like a siren.

In the end, the poet notices one broken clocktower. Its face is gone, its machinery destroyed. It stands silent after some violent event—perhaps a riot, a bomb, or a storm. This image tells us that time, though powerful, can also be interrupted by human anger or nature’s force.

Through Time and Time Again, Ramanujan helps readers see time not as one single rhythm but as many voices beating together, sometimes in order, sometimes in chaos.

Important Themes of Time and Time Again

1. Diversity of Human Experience

In Time and Time Again, A. K. Ramanujan compares the sound of many clocktowers to the way human lives differ. Each clock strikes in its own tone and rhythm, showing that everyone’s sense of time and life is unique. The poet suggests that our experiences, like the clocks, depend on small things — place, mood, culture, and even chance. This diversity makes life interesting but also reminds us that no single pattern fits everyone. Time moves forward for all, yet its sound changes from one person to another.

2. Unity and Difference in Society

The poem also highlights how people live together yet remain distinct. Ramanujan mentions Hindus, Christians, and Muslims sharing the same city, their lives running side by side but not always in harmony. Just like the clocktowers beat at different moments, communities often follow their own traditions and beliefs. The poet shows that while unity is possible, difference always remains. The city becomes a living picture of both peace and conflict, where sounds mix and sometimes clash, just like human relations in daily life.

3. Change and Destruction

Towards the end, the poet describes a broken clocktower — silent, empty, and damaged. It symbolises how violence, natural disasters, or human anger can disturb the flow of time and peace. Events like riots or storms leave behind destruction, turning once-lively places quiet. Through this image, Ramanujan warns how quickly order can turn into chaos. Time, which once moved with steady rhythm, suddenly stops. The broken clock becomes a strong reminder that peace is fragile and can vanish in a single moment.

4. The Passing Nature of Time

Ramanujan’s poem gently reminds readers that time never stands still. Everything — buildings, clocks, people, and even emotions — fades or changes. The silent clocktower at the end symbolises how time continues even when human creations fail. The poet’s tone is calm but thoughtful, showing that life’s beauty lies in its movement. Nothing lasts forever, yet every moment matters. Through this theme, Time and Time Again teaches us to value each hour and recognise that even silence and loss are part of time’s long journey.

Line by Line Explanation of Time and Time Again

“Or listen to the clocktowers / of any old well-managed city”

The poet asks the reader to listen carefully to the clocktowers of an old, organised city. These towers keep time and mark the passing of every hour.

“beating their gongs round the clock, each slightly / off the others’ time, deeper or lighter / in its bronze,”

Each clocktower strikes the hour, but not at the same moment. Some sound deeper, others lighter, because the metal of each bell is different. The poet uses this to show that even time feels different in different places.

“beating out a different / sequence each half-hour, out of the accidents / of alloy, a maker’s shaking hand / in Switzerland,”

Every clock follows its own rhythm because of small differences in how it was made — the mixture of metals, the skill or trembling hand of its maker. This shows how chance and human effort shape what we think of as perfect time.

“or the mutual distances / commemorating a donor’s whim,”

The clocks also differ because they are placed far apart, built at different times, and funded by different people. Each clock reflects someone’s wish or decision.

“the perennial feuds and seasonal alliance / of Hindu, Christian, and Muslim—”

Here, the poet moves from clocks to people. He compares the clocks’ uneven sounds to the relations among communities — sometimes peaceful, sometimes tense. The three religious groups live in the same city but have their own ways and beliefs.

“cut off sometimes by a change of wind, / a change of mind, or a siren / between the pieces of a backstreet quarrel.”

Just as a sound may fade with the wind, human understanding can also change suddenly. Fights, noise, or confusion can break harmony, just as the siren or quarrel interrupts the steady rhythm of time.

“One day you look up and see one of them / eyeless, silent, a zigzag sky showing”

The poet describes a sad sight — a clocktower with no face or hands, standing empty and broken. Through its hollow frame, the sky is visible. It is a strong image of loss and destruction.

“through the knocked-out clockwork, after a riot, / a peace-march time bomb, or a precise act / Of nature in a night of lightnings.”

The broken clocktower may have been damaged in many ways — by human violence like a riot or bombing, or by natural events such as lightning. Whatever the cause, time has stopped there. It no longer measures life as it once did.

Through these lines, A. K. Ramanujan shows how time, culture, and human life are linked. The poem Time and Time Again moves from sound to silence, from order to ruin — reminding readers that even the strongest signs of time can fall quiet one day.

Literary and Poetic Devices in Time and Time Again

1. Imagery

A. K. Ramanujan uses strong visual and sound images to make the reader feel the life of the city. Words like “clocktowers,” “beating their gongs,” and “zigzag sky” help us hear and see the scenes clearly. The poem moves from lively sounds to silence, creating a picture of both time and change.

2. Metaphor

The clocktowers are a clear metaphor for human life and society. Each clock stands for a different person, community, or belief system — all running in their own rhythm. The broken clocktower at the end symbolises how peace and order can collapse due to violence or natural forces.

3. Symbolism

The clocks symbolise time, order, and continuity. The eyeless clocktower symbolises loss, destruction, and the breakdown of harmony. The poem also symbolises how small differences — like the tone of a bell — reflect deeper differences among people and cultures.

4. Alliteration

The poet uses repetition of consonant sounds to give rhythm and flow to the lines. For example, “beating their gongs round the clock” uses the ‘b’ and ‘c’ sounds to create musical movement, echoing the striking of the clocks.

5. Personification

Ramanujan gives life to the clocks, making them seem almost human. They “beat,” “speak,” and “fall silent” like living beings. This personification helps readers feel that time itself is alive and affected by human actions.

6. Contrast

The poem moves between sound and silence, peace and violence, unity and division. This contrast keeps the poem alive and helps the reader see how quickly things can change. The lively city at the start becomes a quiet ruin by the end.

7. Enjambment

Many lines flow into the next without a pause. This technique, called enjambment, makes the poem sound natural, like spoken thought. It also reflects the continuous flow of time — always moving forward, never stopping.

8. Tone and Mood

The tone of the poem shifts from calm observation to sadness. At first, the poet enjoys the sound of the clocks. Later, he feels sorrow when one clocktower stands broken. The mood moves from peaceful to reflective, showing the fragile nature of time and human life.

Responding to the Poem (Q&A of Time and Time Again)

1. What did you think the poem was about when you read the first few lines?

(Very Short Answer – 30–40 words)
At first, the poem seems to be about the clocktowers of a city striking time. The sounds of the clocks appear simple and musical, as if the poet is only describing the daily rhythm of city life.

2. From which line does the import of the title strike the reader?

(Very Short Answer – 30–40 words)
The meaning of the title Time and Time Again becomes clear from the lines where the poet speaks of clocks striking differently yet together. It shows how time repeats itself but is never perfectly the same.

3. What makes for the differences between the timekeeping of the various clocks? What is the implicit comparison?

(Short Answer – 50–60 words)
The differences arise from the materials used, the maker’s skill, and the distance between the clocktowers. These small variations make each clock unique. The poet subtly compares this to human life and society, where people, like clocks, follow their own pace and rhythm, influenced by culture, belief, and experience.

4. Why is the act of nature described as ‘precise’?

(Short Answer – 50–60 words)
The act of nature, like a lightning strike, is called “precise” because it happens suddenly and accurately, leaving no doubt or mistake. Unlike human violence, which is emotional and chaotic, nature’s action is exact and beyond control. The poet uses this word to show how nature’s power can end human order in a moment.

5. Which of the following reflects the poet’s attitude towards communal disharmony?

(Very Short Answer – 30–40 words)
(iii) Wistful lament
The poet feels sorrowful and reflective about the lack of unity among communities. His tone is sad rather than angry. He mourns how peace is broken by quarrels, like the clocks falling out of rhythm.

6. Is the poet’s attitude a representation of how the average Indian feels both towards human violence and nature’s fury?

(Long Answer – 160–180 words)
Yes, the poet’s attitude mirrors how most Indians feel when faced with violence or natural disasters. A. K. Ramanujan writes with quiet sadness, not anger. He shows how ordinary people witness riots, storms, and other destructive acts with helpless sorrow. The broken clocktower stands as a symbol of ruined peace, something people learn to accept because it happens “time and time again.” The poet does not shout or accuse; instead, he mourns gently, knowing that such events are part of life in a diverse country.

His tone also reflects the Indian way of seeing time — continuous, circular, and forgiving. Just as time moves on after destruction, people also rebuild and move forward. The poet’s calm observation of both human and natural damage reveals a deep patience and endurance. Through this, Ramanujan captures the silent pain and quiet hope of the common Indian who learns to live with difference, loss, and renewal.

MCQs on Time and Time Again

1. What central idea does the poem Time and Time Again convey?

A. The perfection of modern machines
B. The harmony and conflict in human society
C. The beauty of ancient buildings
D. The passing of seasons
Answer: B
Explanation: The poem uses the image of clocktowers to show unity and difference among people, symbolising harmony and conflict in society.

---

2. Which of the following best describes the tone of the poem?

A. Angry and bitter
B. Cheerful and humorous
C. Calm yet sorrowful
D. Cold and factual
Answer: C
Explanation: The poet maintains a calm and reflective tone but ends with sadness over destruction and disharmony.

---

3. The sound of the clocktowers striking differently symbolises —

A. Faulty engineering
B. Human error
C. Diversity in human life
D. Passage of time
Answer: C
Explanation: The different sounds of the clocks stand for the variety in human lives and experiences within the same world.

---

4. What poetic device is used in the phrase “beating their gongs round the clock”?

A. Simile
B. Alliteration
C. Metaphor
D. Hyperbole
Answer: B
Explanation: The repetition of the ‘b’ sound in “beating” and “gongs” creates rhythm through alliteration.

---

5. The broken clocktower in the poem stands for —

A. Progress of science
B. Loss of time
C. Destruction caused by violence or nature
D. End of tradition
Answer: C
Explanation: The silent and eyeless clocktower symbolises destruction caused by riots, bombs, or storms.

---

6. Why does the poet mention Hindu, Christian, and Muslim communities together?

A. To show religious festivals
B. To suggest their shared time and space
C. To discuss their architecture
D. To highlight ancient history
Answer: B
Explanation: The poet uses these communities to show how different groups live together yet remain distinct, like clocks striking at different times.

---

7. What does the poet mean by “a maker’s shaking hand in Switzerland”?

A. The poor skill of Indian craftsmen
B. The global origin of clockmaking
C. Human error that creates difference
D. The influence of European trade
Answer: C
Explanation: The poet suggests that small human imperfections cause each clock to sound slightly different, reflecting human variety.

---

8. Which poetic device is seen when one line flows into the next without a pause?

A. Repetition
B. Enjambment
C. Irony
D. Contrast
Answer: B
Explanation: Ramanujan uses enjambment to create a continuous flow, mirroring the movement of time.

---

9. The phrase “a zigzag sky showing through the knocked-out clockwork” creates —

A. A picture of repair and renewal
B. A scene of natural beauty
C. A sense of loss and destruction
D. A moment of celebration
Answer: C
Explanation: The line paints an image of a broken clocktower, suggesting destruction and emptiness.

---

10. Why is the act of nature called “precise” in the poem?

A. It is gentle and predictable
B. It strikes accurately and without error
C. It can be stopped by human effort
D. It follows human logic
Answer: B
Explanation: Nature’s actions, like lightning, are exact and beyond control — they strike with perfect accuracy.

---

11. What does the word “eyeless” in the poem symbolise?

A. The clock has lost its face and hands
B. The poet cannot see clearly
C. The tower has no windows
D. The people have lost faith
Answer: A
Explanation: “Eyeless” suggests that the clocktower’s face is broken, and it can no longer show time or see the world.

---

12. Which of the following best describes the structure of the poem?

A. It follows a strict rhyme scheme
B. It is written in free verse
C. It uses a sonnet form
D. It is divided into stanzas of equal length
Answer: B
Explanation: The poem is written in free verse without rhyme or regular metre, allowing a natural and flowing rhythm.

---

13. What human quality does the poet link to the different striking of the clocks?

A. Laziness
B. Jealousy
C. Individuality
D. Dishonesty
Answer: C
Explanation: The varied sounds of the clocks reflect individuality — each clock, like each person, has its own rhythm and way of marking time.

---

14. The line “cut off sometimes by a change of wind, a change of mind, or a siren” suggests —

A. Sudden breaks in peace or understanding
B. Effects of weather on machinery
C. Joyful moments in the city
D. Regular working of time
Answer: A
Explanation: The line shows how easily peace or harmony can be disturbed, much like sound changes with the wind.

---

15. What mood does the poem end with?

A. Hopeful joy
B. Quiet sadness
C. Excitement
D. Anger and protest
Answer: B
Explanation: The final image of the broken clocktower leaves readers with a feeling of calm sorrow and reflection on loss and time.

Critical Appreciation of Time and Time Again

A. K. Ramanujan’s poem Time and Time Again is a thoughtful piece that connects time, human life, and social reality through the simple image of city clocktowers. What begins as a description of bells striking the hour turns into a deep reflection on difference, unity, and the fragile nature of peace.

The poem shows how even clocks — made to measure time with precision — can differ slightly. This small variation becomes a symbol of human diversity. People, like the clocks, live close to each other but follow different rhythms shaped by belief, custom, and experience. Ramanujan’s reference to Hindu, Christian, and Muslim communities highlights India’s mixed culture, where harmony and conflict exist side by side.

The tone remains calm but ends in sadness when one clocktower is seen broken and silent. This image of destruction symbolises loss caused by riots, bombings, or natural disasters. Through it, the poet reminds us that time and life can be interrupted suddenly.

Written in free verse, the poem uses imagery, symbolism, alliteration, and enjambment to create a natural flow. The sound of the clocks moves like time itself — continuous yet uneven. The language is simple, but the meaning is rich. Ramanujan’s quiet observation and sensitive eye make Time and Time Again a beautiful reflection on how human life moves through time, sometimes in harmony and sometimes in pain.

Important Questions with Answers from Time and Time Again

1. What does the poet compare the sound of clocktowers to?

Answer (Very Short – 30–40 words):
The poet compares the sound of clocktowers to the different rhythms of human life. Just as each clock strikes differently, people too live by their own pace, shaped by beliefs, habits, and experiences.

2. What message does A. K. Ramanujan convey through the poem?

Answer (Short – 50–60 words):
Ramanujan conveys that time and life are not the same for everyone. Small differences — in culture, thought, or nature — make each life unique. The poem also reminds us that harmony can easily be disturbed, but time continues to move on, repeating its pattern time and time again.

3. What does the “eyeless, silent” clocktower symbolise?

Answer (Short – 50–60 words):
The broken and silent clocktower stands for loss and destruction. It symbolises how peace, order, and human achievements can be ruined suddenly — by violence, riots, or nature’s fury. It is a strong image of how time, once broken, cannot be heard again in the same way.

4. How does the poet show unity and difference in society?

Answer (Short – 50–60 words):
The poet shows unity through the shared sound of the clocktowers in one city. Yet, each strikes differently, reflecting differences in faiths and ways of life — Hindu, Christian, and Muslim. The poem suggests that people live together but often move out of rhythm, like clocks slightly out of sync.

5. What does the phrase “a maker’s shaking hand in Switzerland” suggest?

Answer (Very Short – 30–40 words):
It suggests human imperfection. Even the best craftsman can make small errors, and those tiny differences cause each clock to strike slightly off time. It symbolises human variety and the beauty of imperfection.

6. How does the poem connect human life with the passage of time?

Answer (Long – 160–180 words):
The poem connects human life and time through the image of clocktowers that strike in different rhythms. Time is the same for all, yet everyone experiences it differently. The poet uses this idea to show how people and communities, though living together, have their own pace and beliefs. The sound of the clocks becomes a symbol of harmony and diversity.

Later, when one clocktower falls silent, Ramanujan shows how time can be interrupted by violence or nature. This silence stands for the destruction that stops life’s rhythm, even though time itself continues. The poet’s tone is calm but filled with sadness, reflecting both acceptance and loss.

Through these images, Ramanujan captures the idea that time moves forward endlessly, while human life is full of change and difference. The poem becomes a quiet reminder that order, peace, and life’s rhythm must be valued before they fall silent forever.

7. What role does nature play in the poem?

Answer (Short – 50–60 words):
Nature acts as both a silent observer and a sudden destroyer. The poet mentions “a precise act of nature” to show how lightning or storms can end peace and order in a moment. It reminds readers that nature’s power is exact and beyond human control.

8. What feeling does the poem leave with the reader?

Answer (Very Short – 30–40 words):
The poem leaves a feeling of quiet sadness and reflection. It makes readers think about time, loss, and human differences. The calm tone turns sorrowful at the end, showing that peace is fragile.

9. How is the poem Time and Time Again an example of free verse?

Answer (Short – 50–60 words):
The poem has no fixed rhyme or rhythm. Instead, it flows naturally like thought or speech. This free verse form suits Ramanujan’s reflective style, letting him move smoothly between ideas about sound, time, and society without being limited by structure.

10. What makes A. K. Ramanujan’s poetry different from others of his time?

Answer (Short – 50–60 words):
Ramanujan combines observation, culture, and emotion in simple language. He uses small everyday images — like clocks — to express large ideas about time, life, and human nature. His calm voice, Indian setting, and universal message make his poetry both modern and deeply thoughtful.

Class 12 - Elective English - A Wedding in Brownsville by Isaac Bashevis Singer

DETAILED SUMMARY

Issac Bashevis Singer was a Polish – American writer who used to write in Yiddish language. He received a Nobel Prize in Literature in 1978.  This story basically points out the void or the emptiness that overpowers the protagonist of the story, that is, Dr.  Solomon Margolin, even after he manages to accomplish his goals and objectives. The story commences with the portrayal of marriage as a burden in the eyes of Dr.  Solomon. Dr. Solomon was basically a Jew who initially used to reside in Poland where his family was killed in the holocaust that was enforced by Hitler.  

(Holocaust here refers to the extermination of Jews by German Nazis in the rule of Hitler. This means that Jews were killed on a large scale by the Nazis under the supervision of Hitler). Dr.  Solomon ultimately escaped to America along with the other Jews who survived the holocaust. In America, Dr. Solomon had been appointed as the board member of a Jewish scholastic society and co-editor of an academic Jewish quarterly. However, the brutal treatment that was imposed on his family in Poland had an adverse impact on the mind of Dr.  Solomon, he seemed to have lost his faith in humanity and the fear of death often used to haunt him.  Also, Dr.  Solomon often used to keep thinking about his past memories, his first love, Raizel, who was a beautiful Jewish girl and the daughter of a Jewish watch – maker, Melekh. He also recalled that Raizel got married to someone else which disheartened him at that time but she and her entire family was later killed by Nazis. This thought further used to intensify his depressive tendencies.  Dr.  Solomon’s wife, Gretl, was also a German, but she was anti - Nazis. Dr.  Solomon used to treat rabbis, refugees and Jewish writers without charging any money from them and he also used to provide medicines and hospital beds to them in case of necessity. Dr.  Solomon and Gretl used to live a life of simplicity and modesty. Gretl used to manage all the household chores herself without ever thinking of appointing a maid or helper. Sometimes, Dr.  Solomon used to ponder about the transformation of his wife from a German blonde to a Jewish home – maker. Even after originally being a German, Gretl had begun to embrace Jewish culture and befriend Jewish women. This was primarily because one of Gretl’s brothers was killed by the Nazis, merely because he was a communist and he opposed the idea of exterminating (killing on a large scale ) the Jews. The story further begins to unfold. A Jewish wedding was about to happen in a town, that is, Brownsville and Dr.  Solomon had been invited to attend that wedding ceremony. The wedding ceremony was of Sylvia, daughter of Abraham Mekheles, an acquaintance of Dr.  Solomon. Abraham Mekheles was a Senciminer, that is, he too belonged to Sencimin (a small town in Poland) just like Dr.  Solomon. However, Dr.  Solomon was hesitant in attending that wedding ceremony because he was making attempts to distance himself from the Jewish community. This is because Dr.  Solomon had begun to feel that the Jews did not maintain the trueness of their culture after they had gone to America. Dr.  Solomon used to feel that the Jews were breaking their cultural legacy, for instance, Jewish men had started consuming alcohol in excess. This drove Dr.  Solomon away from his own community. Gretl noticed her husband’s aloofness from his own community. But since Dr.  Solomon occupied a prominent position in Jewish community, he finally decided to attend the wedding ceremony in Brownsville. He hired a taxi to reach Brownsville. Suddenly, the taxi in which Dr.  Solomon was going to Brownsville, stopped abruptly and Dr.  Solomon witnessed that an accident had taken place on that road. A man was being taken on a stretcher and Dr.  Solomon apparently seemed to recognize that person. Nevertheless, the driver again started driving the taxi and finally, Dr.  Solomon reached the wedding destination, that is, Brownsville. Upon reaching there, he discovered that the wedding venue was full of mirth and festivity, ladies were dancing around and people were getting drunk.  He came across Zissel, a person from his hometown, who narrated the old stories that described the brutal way in which the Jews were killed by the Nazis.  He described that the Jews were compelled (forced ) by the Nazis to dig their own graves and then those Jews were shot and buried in the graves that were dug by themselves. Many Jews were starved to death, burnt alive and many were transported to Auschwitz concentration camp in Poland which had over 40 extermination camps. Each camp was filled with poisonous gases in order to kill the Jews mercilessly. 

Dr.  Solomon felt suffocated when he recalled the animalistic ways in which the members of his community were killed and suddenly, he saw the face of a lady amidst the chaos of people. When he tried to get closer to that lady in order to recall who she was, that lady turned out to be his long – lost love, Raizel. He 

went ahead to confront Raizel and shockingly discovered that it was not a dream rather Raizel was really there at the wedding venue. The old romance between Dr.  Solomon and Raizel rekindled. Dr.  Solomon held the hand of Raizel and took her away from the crowd of people. Dr.  Solomon’s act of taking Raizel away from the crowd of people metaphorically depicts that Dr.  Solomon did not want to lose Raizel amidst the chaos of life all over again. A thought came to Dr.  Solomon that he was still single according to Jewish Law as he got married to Gretl in a civil ceremony.  Therefore, he took Raizel in a secluded place and expressed his desire to get married to her. He needed only a penny (currency ) in order to get married to her.  However, when he searched for his wallet in his breast pocket, he was surprised to discover that he had lost it. Moreover, suddenly it occurred to him that Raizel seemed much younger than the way she should have looked. Dr.  Solomon started feeling devoid of life, he was not able to feel the weight of his body and his body seemed to be deflated as if his body did not exist. This made Dr.  Solomon wonder whether the accident and the body laid on the stretcher that he witnessed on his way to Brownsville (on Eastern Parkway ) was his own accident and his own body. Dr.  Solomon was perplexed and wondered whether he was really alive or it was only his soul that was floating on Earth in order to seek his long – lost love. He also wondered whether Raizel was real or she was just a figment of imagination. The story ends on the note of this ambiguity and finally, Abraham Mekheles led his daughter, Sylvia, down the aisle for her wedding ceremony. 

VARIOUS THEMES

1. Impact Of Holocaust On The Psyche of The Survivors: One of the important themes of this short story is that the holocaust survivors often go through a psychological breakdown and are likely to live in a state of despair throughout their lives because the brutal memories of their past continue to haunt them forever.  For instance, in this story, the central character, that is, Dr.  Solomon was never able to recover from his sorrowful memories in which his family and his beloved, Raizel got slaughtered at the hands of the Nazis under the dictatorship of Hitler.

2. Surrealism: Surrealism in literature basically refers to the presentation of a story in such a way that it starts resembling a dream. In this story, Issac has used ambiguity in order to present a fantastical possibility of the reunion of Dr. Solomon and his long – lost love, Raizel. He presented this possibility by creating two conditions in the minds of his readers : either Dr. Solomon died in the car accident at Eastern Park and his wandering soul reunited with the wandering soul of his beloved, Raizel OR Dr. Solomon was in a state of hallucination which made him imagine his reunion with Raizel amidst the chaos of life. Both these conditions are unrealistic, dream – like and fantastical and therefore, these conditions give a touch of surrealism to the story.
   
   

3. The Unbreakable Chains of A Void That Can Never Be Filled: Issac has depicted the fact that there are some voids in the lives of human beings that can never be filled by anything or anyone. In this story, Dr. Solomon led a life hollowness and emptiness because of the loss of his family and his beloved during a holocaust. This made him miserable with the passage of time and he was never able to restore himself to a life of genuine bliss even after becoming a successful doctor and occupying a prominent position in the Jewish society. All his professional accomplishments and all the ranks that he achieved in the Jewish community ultimately proved worthless because they did not help him in getting rid of his deep – seated depression and his insurmountable (something that cannot be overcome) void.
   
   

4. The Submergence or The Loss Of True Identity in a Foreign Place: Finally, Issac has pointed out to the fact that people often tend to lose their true identities when they migrate to a foreign place. For instance, in this story, Dr. Solomon drove himself away from his own Jewish community because Jews adapted themselves to the culture of America and developed habits like drinking and dancing in order to celebrate their happiness. These habits were condemned in Judaism and the inability of the Jewish community to retain the principles of their religion represent the loss of their true identity.

 

UNDERSTANDING THE TEXT

QUESTION 1. What do you understand of Dr. Margolin’s past? How does it affect his present life?

ANSWER: Dr. Margolin’s past was a mixture of recognition and grief. As a child, he was declared a prodigy. Everyone thought he would grow up to be a genius. But he also faced hardships. His entire family had been tortured, burned and gassed. He had lost his one true love, Raizel. All this shaped Dr. Margolin’s present state of mind. He had grown aloof from the Senciminers after the loss of his family. He suffered from hypochondria ad fear of death. The death of his family and his love in the reign of Hitler made him lose faith in humanity. However, on the other hand, he had a good career. He was a success in his profession. He had an office in West End Avenue and wealthy patients. He was highly respected by his colleagues and everyone else.

QUESTION 2. What was Dr. Margolin’s attitude towards his profession?

ANSWER: Dr. Margolin has always been loyal towards his profession. He had never broken the Hippocratic Oath and had always been honourable with his patients. He was an enormous success in his field and is highly respected. Although he has wealthy patients, he treated rabbis, refugees and Jewish writers without any charge, and even supplied them with medicines and a hospital bed, if necessary. However, Hitler’s reign and the brutal death of his family and his community made him despise the matrons who came to him for petty ills while millions faced horrible deaths.

QUESTION 3. What is Dr. Margolin’s view of the kind of life the American Jewish community leads?

ANSWER: The kind of life the American Jewish community led was not appreciated by Dr. Margolin. According to him, Jewish laws and customs were completely distorted. Those who had no regard for Jewishness wore skullcaps. He even found their celebrations irritating, the Anglicised Yiddish, the Yiddishised English, the ear-splitting music and unruly dances. He was ashamed whenever he took his wife to a wedding or a Bar Mitzvah.

QUESTION 4. What were the personality traits that endeared Dr. Margolin to others in his community?

ANSWER: Dr. Margolin was a self-taught man, a son of a poor teacher of Talmud. As a child, he was declared as a prodigy, reciting long passages of the bible and studying Talmud and commentaries on his own. He even taught himself geometry and algebra. At the age of seventeen, he attempted a translation. He was referred to as great and illustrious. As a doctor he was always available to other community members, was very social and involved himself in other community activities to promote Yiddish language and Jewish culture. This endeared Dr. Margolin to others in his community.

QUESTION 5. Why do you think Dr. Margolin had the curious experience at the wedding hall?

ANSWER: Dr. Margolin experience at the wedding hall was a result of his death. The write has tried to showcase the Jewish sentiments through the metaphysical experience of Dr. Margolin. He met with an accident on the way to the wedding. His curious and mysterious encounter with Raizel could probably be explained through his past. Raizel was his one true love who he never had a chance to marry. She was given away to someone else and was later shot by the Nazis.

QUESTION 6. Was the encounter with Raizel an illusion or was the carousing at the wedding-hall illusory? Was Dr. Margolin the victim of the accident and was his astral body hovering in the world of twilight?

ANSWER: The carousing at the wedding-hall was illusionary. Raizel herself has been dead for long and her encounter with Dr. Margolin was because of his own death. He was the victim of the accident and his astral body was hovering in the world of twilight. Both were missing a physical dimension, and in fact, were spirits.

APPRECIATION

QUESTION 1. Surrealism was an artistic and literary movement in France between the two World Wars. Its basic idea is that the automatic, illogical and uncontrolled associations of the mind represent a higher reality than the world of practical life and ordinary literature. Do you think this story could be loosely classified as surrealistic? What elements in this story would support the idea?

ANSWER: Yes, this story could be loosely classified as surrealistic. The ending is an element of such surrealism. Dr. Margolin is in absence of a physical dimension and yet the story shows him to be participating in the wedding, dancing, drinking, chatting with guests, etc. His encounter with Raizel, his one true love who was shot by Nazis also stands out to explain surrealism.

QUESTION 2: Comment on the technique used by the author to convey the gruesome realities of the war and its devastating effect on the psyche of human beings through an intense personal experience.

ANSWER: The author uses banter at the wedding and the conversation between the guests to portray the realities of the war. At the wedding party, people are shown to be conversing with each other and with Dr. Margolin about the deaths of their family and the destruction of their community. Through this, the author used an unusual and an uncommon way of showcasing the realities of the war in the story.

STOP AND THINK QUESTIONS

Q1. Who were the Senciminers?

ANSWER: Senciminers were the native Jewish inhabitants of the town Sencimin. They were however forced to leave the town because it was destroyed by the Germans. Many Senciminers were tortured, burned and gassed, however, few survived and escaped to America from the camps.

Q2. Why did Dr. Margolin not particularly want his wife to accompany him to the wedding?

ANSWER: Dr. Margolin didn’t want his wife to accompany him to the wedding because he was ashamed of the mess that the American Judaism was. Every time he took his wife to a wedding or a Bar Mitzvah, he had to make apologies to her. However, this time he was relieved of it.

Q3. What is the Hippocratic oath?

ANSWER: The Hippocratic Oath is an oath usually taken by doctors to swear their loyalty to their profession. The protagonist, being a doctor himself, says that he has never broken the oath and that he has always been honourable towards his patients.

Q4. What topic does the merry banter the wedding invariably lead to?

ANSWER: The merry banter at the wedding invariably lead to the mentioning of the deaths of the Senciminers. Every conversation eventually led to that and occasionally, the protagonist found himself being asked about his own family and their death.

Q5. Who was the woman that Dr Margolin suddenly encountered at the wedding?

ANSWER: The woman that Dr Margolin encountered was his one great love, Raizel, the daughter of Melekh the watchman. He, however, had no luck with her and couldn’t marry her. The last time Dr Margolin heard of her was that she married someone else and was later shot by the Nazis.

Q6. What were the events that led to his confused state of mind?

ANSWER: Dr Margolin started to realize that something is wrong when he noticed that his wallet was missing but wasn’t sure how he could have lost it. He also couldn’t understand the fact that Raizel looked too young and he thought that maybe she was her daughter, trying to mock him.

Short Story - I Sell My Dreams - Gabriel Garcia Marquez

Summary - I SELL MY DREAMS
                   –Gabriel Garcia Marquez

The giant wave of destruction

The story opens with the author having breakfast one sunny morning on the terrace of the Havana Riviera Hotel. Suddenly, a huge wave rises up over the sea wall, leaps over the wide, two-way street and hits the twenty-storey building of the hotel. The wave is so strong, it throws up into the air the cars on the avenue, the tourists in the lobby and the furniture of the hotel and even shatters the window panes.

A dead woman with a serpent ring

In the chaos that follows, a car is found to be embedded in the hotel wall with a dead woman at the wheel. She is soon identified as the Portuguese ambassador's housekeeper. The only thing that could be recovered from the woman was her gold serpent shaped ring with emerald eyes.

The author is intrigued by this information as he is reminded of another woman he had met many years back who had worn a similar ring on her right forefinger. The author is unable to find out which finger the dead woman’s ring was on.

The woman who dreams

The story goes back to the author’s first meeting with this woman in Vienna at a tavern thirty-four years before. The woman had been born in Columbia and had come to Austria as a child to learn music. As she never disclosed her real name, everybody referred to her as Frau Frieda. The author wanted to know what she did for a living, to which she replied that she sold her dreams. The third among seven children, at a very young age she had convinced her family that her dreams and her interpretation of them were as potent as oracles. A dream that she had about her brother and which she interpreted established the young girl’s power to foretell events through her dreams.

Her dreams make her rich

During the intense Viennese winters, the girl secures a job at the house of a very religious family, getting a room, three meals a day and wages just enough to cover her minor expenses. Her only job is to interpret her dreams and predict the family’s daily fate based on which the family members, including children, planned their activities. The master of the house bequeaths part of his estate to her on the condition that she continue to interpret her dreams for the family.  

One evening she whispers to the author to leave Vienna right away and not come back for five years. Her conviction is so strong that the author leaves for Rome that very night and never returns.

Frau Frieda comes to Spain

Thirteen years later, the author is in Barcelona with his poet friend Pablo Neruda. This was Neruda’s first day on Spanish soil after the Civil war, a stopover en route to Valpaiso by sea. During lunch, Neruda whispers to the author that he feels somebody is continually watching him from behind. The author turns back and is pleasantly surprised to recognise the woman watching Neruda to be Frau Frieda. She had been Neruda’s co-passenger on the ship but they had not seen each other. The author introduces her to all at the table and encourages her to talk about her dreams hoping to astound the disbelieving poet.

Pablo Neruda has a dream

After lunch, the author takes a stroll with Frau Frieda and finds out that she had managed to inherit the full estate from the Viennese family. She tells him that he can go back to Vienna now. He laughingly replies that even if her dreams were false he would never go back.

The author then leaves her to accompany Neruda back to his house for his siesta. Neruda fusses over the temperature and light in his room and once satisfied with the changes, falls asleep right away. Ten minutes later he walks into the living room refreshed. He announces that he dreamt that the woman who dreams was dreaming about him. There is some light hearted banter on this and the matter soon forgotten.

Some dreams slip in

Later that evening Neruda boards his ship and the author takes his leave of him and goes in search of Frau Frieda. He finds her on the tourist deck. She too had taken a siesta. She tells him that she had dreamt that the poet was dreaming about her. Noticing the amazement on the author’s face she quickly justifies herself saying that some dreams do slip in that have nothing to do with real life. The author never thought about her after that till the Havana tragedy.

The dead woman is identified

A few months after the incident, the author finds himself at a banquet with the Portuguese ambassador and asks him about his dead housekeeper. The ambassador speaks of her with great admiration and enthusiasm without actually explaining her work. To the author’s direct question on this the ambassador replies, she dreamed.


Q1. Did the author believe in the prophetic ability of Frau Frieda?

ANSWER: The author apparently believed in her dreams. We know this by his response of Frau Frieda's request when she said that she had dreamt of him and that he should leave Vienna for five years. The author leaves Vienna the very next day and never goes back. But later in the story he reveals, "I had always thought her dreams were no more than a stratagem for surviving. And I told her so."This hints that may be he left Vienna for some other reasons and not due to the prophetic ability of Frau Frieda.

Q2. Why did he think that Frau Frieda’s dreams were a stratagem for surviving?

ANSWER:  Frau Frieda’s dreams were a stratagem for surviving because her conversations made it clear that, dream by dream, she had taken over the entire fortune of her ineffable patrons in Vienna. That did not surprise the author, however, because the author had always thought her dreams were no more than a stratagem for surviving.

Q3. Why does the author compare Neruda to a Renaissance pope?

ANSWER: The author compares Neruda to a Renaissance pope because he moved through the crowd like an invalid elephant, with a child’s curiosity in the inner workings of each thing he saw, for the world appeared to him as an immense wind-up toy with which life invented itself. Moreover the author compared Neruda to a Renaissance pope because he was gluttonous and refined. Even against his will, he always presided at the table. Matilde, his wife, would put a bib around his neck that belonged in a barbershop rather than a dining room, but it was the only way to keep him from taking a bath in sauce.The author had never known anyone closer to the idea one has of a Renaissance pope other than Neruda.

TALKING ABOUT THE TEXT

Q1. In spite of all the rationality that human beings are capable of, most of us are suggestible and yield to archaic superstitions.

ANSWER: In spite of all the rationality that human beings are capable of, most of us are suggestible and yield to archaic superstitions because superstitions are a part of human life since in every tradition there are some superstitions, for instance, the author of the story is also yield to superstition since he obeyed the dreams of the lady and left Vienna forever and the same situation arises in everyone’s life.

Q2. Dreams and clairvoyance are as much an element of the poetic vision as religious superstition.

ANSWER: Dreams and clairvoyance are as much an element of the poetic vision as religious superstition because dreams are the root of a good poem and most poems based on dreams and clairvoyance enriches the readers with the creativity of the poet and dreams and clairvoyance are also part of religious superstitions too because in many fortune-telling priests implies their superstition to the people by making them believe that they dreamt about it.

APPRECIATION

Q1. The story hinges on a gold ring shaped like a serpent with emerald eyes. Comment on the responses that this image evokes in the reader.

ANSWER: The image of the lady in the story will have different effects on the readers but the author is successful in creating the image of the lady like a traditional fortune teller who wore golden ring shaped like a serpent and with emerald eyes. The narration is effective in order to gain the acceptance of the readers with a horror style of narration even though it is not a horror story.

Q2. The craft of a master story-teller lies in the ability to interweave imagination and reality. Do you think that this story illustrates this?

ANSWER: The craft of a master story-teller lies in the ability to interweave imagination and reality because story telling becomes effective when it interweaves imagination in the readers and take the listeners to a virtual world. This story too illustrates this because the craft of the author in narrating the story is revealed through his masterpiece work which takes the readers to the virtual world created by the story which makes the listeners more interested.

Q3. Bring out the contradiction in the last exchange between the author and the Portuguese ambassador ‘In concrete terms,’ I asked at last, ‘what did she do?’ ‘Nothing,’ he said, with a certain disenchantment. ‘She dreamed.’

ANSWER: The last part of the story highlights the talk between the author and the Portuguese ambassador but it contains a contradiction even though the author knew what did the lady actually does he again put forward the question before of the Portuguese ambassador for his answer and the ambassador replied that she did nothing but she dreamed was the answer which the author actually knows.

Q4. Comment on the ironical element in the story.

ANSWER: Throughout the story the author utilizes all methods to create irony in the story even though the characters appear to be realistic the ironical element is hidden inside the story in the form of superstition and the appearance of lady implies an irony and in the last part of the story which highlights the talk between the author and the Portuguese ambassador is also ironical too because even though the author knew what the lady does he asks the ambassador the same question which is really ironical.

STOP AND THINK QUESTIONS

Q1. How did the author recognize the lady who was extricated from the car encrusted in the wall of Havana Riviera Hotel after the storm?

ANSWER: The author recognized the lady who was extricated from the car encrusted in the wall of Havana Riviera Hotel after the storm because of the gold ring she wore which shaped like a serpent and her emerald eye helped the author to identify the similarities with the lady which he knew from Vienna who used to wear the same type of ring and who had emerald eyes.

Q2. Why did the author leave Vienna never to return again?

ANSWER: The author left Vienna and decided never to return again because the lady who used to dream told him to leave Vienna and not to return there for next five years the author thus decided not to return to Vienna again.

Q3. How did Pablo Neruda know that somebody behind him was looking at him?

ANSWER: Paulo Neruda came to knew that somebody behind him was looking at him when he was eating he noticed a lady three chair away from him was staring at him and reported to the author that somebody behind was looking at him and when the author noticed it he found a lady staring at him and identified her it was Frau Frieda, with the snake ring on her index finger.

Q4. How did Pablo Neruda counter Frau Frieda’s claims to clairvoyance?

ANSWER: Pablo Neruda countered Frau Frieda’s claims to clairvoyance by telling her that according to him ‘Only poetry is clairvoyant,’. When she interacted with them at their table Pablo Neruda paid no attention to her and he had announced that he did not believe in prophetic dreams.

***