Showing posts with label english notes. Show all posts
Showing posts with label english notes. Show all posts

Friday, October 5, 2018

Telephone Conversation by Wole Soyinka - Chapter 04 - Woven Words - Elective English - Class XI NCERT

Poem Text

The price seemed reasonable, location
Indifferent. The landlady swore she lived
Off premises. Nothing remained
But self-confession. ‘Madam,’ I warned,
‘I hate a wasted journey—I am African.’
Silence. Silenced transmission of
Pressurised good-breeding. Voice, when it came,
Lipstick coated, long gold-rolled
Cigarette-holder pipped. Caught I was, foully.
‘HOW DARK ?’... I had not misheard... ‘ARE YOU LIGHT
OR VERY DARK ?’ Button B. Button A. Stench
Of rancid breath of public hide-and-speak.
Red booth. Red pillar-box. Red double-tiered
Omnibus squelching tar. It was real! Shamed
By ill-mannered silence, surrender
Pushed dumbfounded to beg simplification.
Considerate she was, varying the emphasis—
‘ARE YOU DARK? OR VERY LIGHT?’ Revelation came.
‘You mean—like plain or milk chocolate?’
Her assent was clinical, crushing in its light
Impersonality. Rapidly, wave-length adjusted,
I chose. ‘West African sepia’—and as afterthought,
“down in my passport.” Silence for spectroscopic
Flight of fancy, till truthfulness changed her accent
Hard on the mouthpiece. ‘WHAT’S THAT?’ conceding
‘DON’T KNOW WHAT THAT IS.’ ‘Like brunette.’
‘THAT’S DARK, ISN’T IT?’ ‘Not altogether.
Facially, I am brunette, but madam, you should see
The rest of me. Palm of my hand, soles of my feet
Are a peroxide blonde. Friction, caused—
Foolishly madam—by sitting down, has turned
My bottom raven black—One moment madam!’—sensing
Her receiver rearing on the thunderclap
About my ears—‘Madam,’ I pleaded, ‘wouldn’t you rather
See for yourself ?’

 

Word Meaning

Notice these expressions in the poem and guess their meaning from the context:

rancid breathsquelching tar
spectroscopic flight of fancy
rearing on the thunderclapbrunette
peroxide blondeclinical assent
raven black

  • rancid breath: Rancid means a matter which is offensive or disagreeable. Thus, the voice in which the lady speaks to the poet is under an immensely nasty or insulting breath.
  • squelching tar: The verb squelch means to strike or press with crushing force. Thus, the expression used here is that of a huge amount of compressed tar, the dark coloured product obtained after distillation of coal or wood, expressing the complexion of the poet. 
  • spectroscopic flight of fancy: The word spectroscopy originated from the concept of dispersion of visible light into seven different colours. Thus, the word explains the dispersed flow of thoughts of the lady after talking to the erudite poet. Her fancies of a “dark” man gained wings and attained new levels of interpretations when she had to submit to the fact that she knew lesser than the person on the other side of the line.
  • rearing on the thunderclap: A thunderclap refers to something resembling the sudden occurrence of a thunder, as in loudness or unexpectedness. 
  • brunette: Brunette here refers to dark hair and, often, dark eyes and dark or olive skin.
  • peroxide blonde: This expression refers to a harsh or unnaturally bleached palm and sole of feet rather than a natural fair complexion. Peroxide is a chemical which is used as a bleaching agent. 
  • clinical assent: The voice of the lady in the poem seemed clinical while assenting to the poet's revelation. It refers to the concerned voice based on a vivid and actual observation of the poet, giving in to the situation after a lot of thought and inspection.
  • raven black: Here, raven black is a metaphorical expression to describe the intensity of the colour black. Raven is supposedly a very large, dark complexioned bird of the crow family. This metaphor is usually used to describe dark-skinned people. 

UNDERSTANDING THE POEM

  1. State the central issue in the poem.

    ANSWER:
    The central issue dwells around the ironical fact that when a person is in search of shelter, the questions being asked are based on his skin colour and not the usual queries exchanged like that of the rent, the amenities provided and other basic requirements in an apartment. The landlady is shown to have possessed a very shallow racist behaviour in the poem and ironically, the poet is shown to be sorry for something which he was born with. Discrepancies between what appears to be and what really is create a sense of verbal irony that helps the poem display the ridiculousness of racism.
  2. There are intervals of silence in the interaction between the landlady and the prospective tenant. What are the reasons for this?

    ANSWER:
    There are intervals of silence in the interaction between the landlady and the prospective tenant. The main reason behind this was the fact that the landlady felt inferior in the face of the poet and realised her lack of knowledge as compared to the erudite intellect of the poet. The sudden silences are prominent in the poem emphasizing the impact of the African’s race being revealed to the landlady. The ignorance of the landlady is also portrayed with humour on a very subtle level.
  3. How is colour highlighted in the poem and why? List all the words in the poem that suggest colour.

    ANSWER:
    The various colours highlighted in the poem exemplify the difference between the landlady and the poet, based on the skin-colour of both. The use of the colour red is magnified to explain the various things which are red in colour like the telephone booth, the double-tiered bus and the pillar-box. It explains the colour of the dark-skinned poet who was not fair-complexioned like the landlady on the other side of the line. The expression 'gold-rolled' shows the elite class to which the 'fair-skinned' people are said to belong.

    Various colours which are used in the poem are: Red, Black, Gold, milk chocolate, brunette and blonde.
  4. Which are the lines in the poem that impressed you the most and why?

    ANSWER:
    'West African Sepia' is the phrase which impressed me the most. This phrase seems to be a befitting reply to the ignorant white woman. This phrase in the poem projects humour on a very subtle level where the poet, when asked again and again, about his color, turns to reply like a person with a high level of intellect. Through these words Soyinka tries to emphasise on the fact that it is wrong to judge a person's level of wisdom and knowledge based on his color.
  5. You know what ‘hide-and-seek’ is. What would ‘hide-and-speak’ mean?

    ANSWER:
    The expression 'hide-and-speak' here expresses the taboo of the dark-skinned people being inferior to those who claim themselves to be 'fair-skinned' and thus, more learned, sophisticated, civilised and superior.
  6. Certain words in the poem are in capital letters — why?

    ANSWER:
    Certain words in the poem which are in capital letters are: “HOW DARK?', 'ARE YOU LIGHT?', 'OR VERY DARK?', ' OR VERY LIGHT?'
    These words exemplify the purpose of the poem which is to showcase the racist mentality of the fair-skinned. When a landlady talks to a tenant, the only matter of concern should be whether the person is suitable for staying with respect to his behaviour, financial position, etc. and not on his skin colour. These capital letters magnify the fact that it is more important for the landlady to know how dark-skinned the person on the other side of the phone is, rather than how erudite or intellectual or well-behaved he might be.
  7. Why do you think that the poet has chosen the title ‘Telephone Conversation’? If you were to suggest another title for the poem, what would it be?

    ANSWER:
    'Different- are We?' could be another suggestion for the title of the poem.
    However, the poet has chosen a very appropriate title for the poem - 'Telephonic Conversation'. It refers very aptly to the shallow racism being projected by the conversation between the landlady who is 'white' and the poet who is 'dark'. The telephone symbolises the gap between the two ends of the line, the impossibility for both the ends to meet.
  8. The power of poetry lies in suggestion and understatement. Discuss this with reference to the poem.

    ANSWER:
    Understatement means to state or represent less strongly or strikingly than the facts would bear out. Thus, it is a very well known fact that it is very understating to decide one's status or level of knowledge based on his/her color. The play of words between the landlady and the poet clearly proves that a man's color and region has nothing to do with the levels of education he has attained and the power of wisdom he possesses. The questions posed by the landlady became a mockery at her own level of intellect. Thus, the poem very strongly suggests that the question of civilisation does not rest on own's color. Soyinka humorously uses sarcasm as he says 'Shamed/By ill mannered silence" when it is obvious that is the woman who is the ill mannered of the two.


Saturday, September 29, 2018

Elective English - Woven Words - L02 - A Pair Of Mustachios by Mulk Raj Anand

UNDERSTANDING THE TEXT

  1. What do you understand of the natures of Ramanand and Azam Khan from the episode described?

    ANSWER:

    Ramanand, the grocer and the money lender, is quiet cunning and possess a servile nature that is fit for his business of selling groceries and money lending. He never gets angry but prevails on his customers like Azam Khan with cleverness and by provoking the so called pride. It is also evident that Ramanand regards his customers as always right at least in principle. So he always keeps his business first and pride secondary.

    Azam Khan on the other hand is a victim of so called pride. He is still lost in the past glory of his forefathers. He is arrogant, full of anger and short sighted. He is ready to sell all his property for the sake of keeping Ramanand's mustaches down, which was suitable to his(Ramanand) class. Obviously Azam Khan is living in his past. He is impractical, short tempered and doesn't know what is good or bad for him.
  2. Identify instances in the story that show the business acumen of Ramanand.

    ANSWER:

    Ramanand is a good businessman. His business acumen is evident from the fact that he readily agrees to lower his mustache on Azam Khan'request. But he lowers only one tip of his mustache just to cleverly provoke Khan to bring in more of his property for mortgage. Unlike Khan he never gets angry and keeps his business interests above all his priorities.

  3. Both Ramand and Azam Khan seem to have very fixed views. How does Ramanand score over Azam Khan towards the end of the story?

    ANSWER:

    Ramanand and Azam Khan have a fixed view regarding themselves and each other. They are part of the social milieu that believes in the categorization of people on the basis of their mustaches. Ramanand belonged to goat class while Khan sahib belonged to tiger class mustache. They are both in harmony with the fact that they should not trespass into each other's boundaries.

    Ramanand scores over Azam Khan at the end of the story by turning up the tip of his goat mustache so that it looked like a tiger mustache. This enrages Azam Khan and he is tricked into selling all his property to Ramanand.

TALKING ABOUT THE TEXT

  1. The episode has been narrated in a light vein. What social mores does the author seem to ridicule?

    ANSWER:

    The author has mocked the society and its people who live in false pride of their community or lineage. How a fool who knows not of the practical matters and just to feed their image they go ahead auctioning their actual possessions. And such people are fooled by the smarter ones like Ramanand who bend but do not break. They alter their values according to the need of the situation but do not compromise entirely on their pride. They are the cunning ones who take advantage of fools who are stuffed with their worn out social status and forsake the present to protect the past. The author has ridiculed such people who weave their fall with their insensibilities.

  2. What do you think are the reasons for the references made to the English people and the British monarchy?

    ANSWER:

    Indian society, unfortunately, is the one that takes pride in the language and culture of their rulers and not in their own rich and vibrant history. The nabobs and babus that were in British Raj are still looked up and are respected. Though the truth is that these are the people that ensured English Queen's authority on our land. The reference in the story of Mulk Raj Anand makes it clear. He cites an example of how the nabobs and generals in English army are to wear the prestigious lion mustache, which is worn by resplendent rajas and maharajas  of our land. This makes clear how we Indians take pride in being slaves of Britishers.

  3. What do you think is the message that the author seems to convey through the story?

    ANSWER:

    The author has tried to make a point that how people living by age old impractical values weave their own fall and create unnecessary disturbance in the society. One should evolve as the time advances and the society grows. Sticking to false pride is not what will bring prosperity to one. One must be cautious and keep a wide eye to see if one is taking advantage of their virtues.

APPRECIATION

  1. Comment on the way in which the theme of the story has been introduced.

    ANSWER:

    The theme of the story-mustachios has been introduced in a scientific but light manner. In the beginning, it seems that it might be an essay on how Indians take pride on their style of mustaches. It is only later the reader realizes the significance of the introduction. The author wisely served the reader with the detail description of the object around which the whole story will revolve. How men rise and fall by altering and sticking to their status symbols, such as mustachios.

  2. How does the insertion of dialogue in the story contribute to its interest?

    ANSWER:

    Inclusion of dialogues in a story enables the writer to express things in their actual perspective. It allows him to include words and expressions which a writer normally would not write on his own. For example when Azam Khan gets angry he says to Ramanand: "You know what I mean, seed of a donkey!" or & "I tell you, turn that tip down" or "I shall wring your neck."

LANGUAGE WORK

  1. Nouveau riche and bourgeoise are French words. Collect from newspapers, magazines and other sources some more French words or expressions that are commonly used in English.

    ANSWER:

    Following are few popular French words frequently used in English:
    - Salade
    - Soupe
    - Omelette
    - Restaurant
    - Depot
    - Genre
    - Voyeur
    - Souvenir
    - Bouquet
    - Boutique
    - Entrepreneur
  2. Locate expressions in the text which reflect the Indian idiom, for example, the pride of the generations of his ancestors.

    ANSWER:

    Here are a few Indian idioms reflected in the text.

    Seed of a donkey,
    To become a mere worm,
    Oily lentil-eaters
  3. We ‘draw up a deed’. Complete the following phrases with appropriate words 

  4. a. To give one’s word
    b. Carry out one’s will
    c. To make ends meet
    d. To owe a loan
    e. Give a deaf ear to


                      Sunday, April 8, 2018

                      Fiction, Chapter 3 - The Man Who Knew too Much - Class-IX English-A


                      Chapter-3
                      The Man Who Knew Too Much

                      Answer these questions-

                      Question- What is a nickname? Can you suggest another one for private Quelch?
                      Answer- a nickname is a name given to a person (except the real name) in any kind of feeling (affection, jealousy etc.) or which describes his or her traits.
                               Another name for private Quelch can be ‘Mr. know all ’.

                      Question- Private Quelch looked like a ‘professor’ when the author first met him at the training depot. Why?
                      Answer- When the author first met him at the training depot, his lanky, stooping posture, his frown and his horn rimmed spectacles made him look like a professor.

                      Question- What does the dark sun dried appearance of the sergeant suggest about him?
                      Answer- The dark sun dried appearance of the sergeant suggests that he was very experienced and had dedicated his life to the army. He was not a man to be trifled with and knew his subject well.

                      Question- How was private Quelch’s knowledge exposed even further as the sergeant’s classes went on?
                      Answer- As the sergeant’s classes went on and he finished his lecture he questioned everybody including the professor. The professor answered every question with confidence and accuracy and thus, his knowledge was exposed even further.

                      Question- What did the professor meant by intelligent reading?
                      Answer- By intelligent reading the professor means to do a thorough study through observation and have as much knowledge about any subject as possible.

                      Question- What were the professor’s ambition in the army?
                      Answer- The professor wanted to get a commission in the army. His first step was to get a stripe.

                      Question- Did private Quelch’s day to day practices take him closer towards his goal? How can you make out?
                      Answer- Private Quelch was hardworking and intelligent with a clear goal. But his habit of exhibiting his knowledge in the hope of impressing was his backdrop. This habit of his was extremely irritating and the reason he was appointed to the back quarters of the kitchen.

                      Question- Describe corporal Turnbull.
                      Answer- Corporal Turnbull was a young officer who had come from Dunkirk. He was disciplined and the squad used to admire him a lot. His personality commanded respect and he was known for his toughness.
                      Question- How did Private Quelch manage to anger the corporal?
                      Answer- Private Quelch interrupted the corporal in the midst of his lecture and tried to correct him where he was already correct. Then he compared the corporal’s way with the way of another instructor and showed off as if he was an expert on the subject and thus, managed to anger the corporal.

                      Question- Do you think that private Quelch learnt a lesson when he was chosen for cookhouse duties? Give reasons.
                      Answer- No, I don’t think private Quelch learnt his lesson when he was chosen for cookhouse duties because the write narrates over hearing him addressing the cooks about their unscientific method of peeling potatoes. This shows that he still used to show off his knowledge whenever he got the chance.

                      Want to check grammar for free? Try Free Grammar Checker.

                      Saturday, April 7, 2018

                      Fiction, Chapter-2 - A Dog Named Duke - Class IX English-A


                      Chapter-2
                      A Dog Named Duke
                      William D. Elis

                      Answer these questions –

                      QUESTION- In 1953 Hooper was a favored young man. Explain.
                      ANSWER-This means that in 1953, Hooper had everything a man could ask for. He was healthy and fit. He was extremely successful in his job, was married and had his own home. He was liked by everyone and everything was going for him.

                      QUESTION- They said that they would create a desk job for him.
                        (a) Who are ‘they’?
                      ANSWER -‘They’ refers to some men from the company in which Hooper worked.
                      (b) Why did they decide to do this?
                      ANSWER -They decided to do this because they knew that due to his accident chuck will not be able to move around ad work as he did earlier. So, they told him to take a year off and decided to create a desk job for him which not requiring much movement would have suited his circumstances.

                      QUESTION- Duke was an extra ordinary dog. What qualities did he exhibit to justify this?
                      ANSWER- Duke was an extra ordinary dog.
                      ·       After the accident, he realized that chuck can’t maintain his balance and so he never jumped on his master again.
                      ·       He understood that he can help his master to walk again.so, he dragged Hooper patiently and persistently and helped him gain back his endurance and strength.
                      ·       When walking in the dark, Hooper would stay still until Hooper would trip and fall down, Duke would stay still until stood on his feet again.
                      All these instances prove that Duke was an intelligent, careful, tactful and responsible dog who helped his master not only to get back on his feet but also flourish in his career. These instances prove that Duke was an extra ordinary dog.

                      QUESTION- What problems did Chuck present when he returned to the company’s headquarters?
                      ANSWER- When Chuck returned back to the company’s headquarters neither could he work continuously for a long time nor could he write. This move of Hooper presented a problem because due to his condition , he was useless of his old job  of a salesman but nobody could tell him so because no one wanted to hurt his feelings after all his struggle to get back to work again.

                      QUESTION- Why do you think that Charles Hooper’s appointment as national assistant sales manager is considered a tribute to duke?
                      ANSWER- Charles Hooper’s appointment as national assistant sales manager is considered a tribute to duke because it was duke who taught him to cope with the challenge and accept the changed mode of life after his accident. Without Duke, Chuck would never have been able to walk, get back to his job, work hard and get promoted.


                      Friday, April 6, 2018

                      Fiction Chapter -1 How I Taught My Grandmother to Read Class IX English-A


                      Chapter 1
                      How I Taught My Grandmother to Read


                      Question- What made Triveni a popular writer?
                      Answer- Her style of writing and her convincing stories which dealt with the day to day life of ordinary people made Triveni a popular writer. People liked her and her stories because they could easily relate to her stories as they usually depicted the psychological problems people face in their day to day life.

                      Question- Why did grandmother depend on the granddaughter to know the story?
                      Answer- Grandmother depended on her granddaughter to know the story because she was an uneducated lady who never went to school and so she didn’t know how to read or write.

                      Question- Pick out two sentences which state that the grandmother was desperate to know what happened in the story.
                      Answer- Two sentences which state that the grandmother was desperate to know the story are-
                      1.    “I waited eagerly for you to return.”   
                      2.    During that time she would forget all her work and listen with the greatest concentration.

                      Question-Could the grandmother succeed in accomplishing her desire to read? How?
                      Answer- Yes, the grandmother succeeded in accomplishing her desire to read by working very hard, doing lots of homework, reading, writing, reciting, repeating and being determined to continue and accomplish her goal of learning the Kannada alphabets.

                      Question- Which of the following traits would be relevant to the character of the narrator’s grandmother?
                      Answer- The following traits are relevant to the character of the narrator’s grandmother-
                               (i) Determined- grandmother was a determined lady as she set the goal and decided to keep Saraswati pooja day as the deadline and was able to accomplish her goal in spite of many obstacles.
                               (ii) Emotional- grandmother was an emotional lady as when her granddaughter was not with her she felt sad and helpless. When her granddaughter returned and she related her story and helplessness she got emotional and cried.

                      Question- Write the character sketch of grandmother.
                      Answer- The main character in the story ‘how I taught my grandmother to read’ written by Sudha Murty is Krishtakka, the grandmother of the writer. Of sixty-two years with grey hairs and wrinkled hands. She worked a lot in the kitchen as she enjoyed feeding her children and grandchildren a lot. The writer states that she had not seen her grandmother cry even in the most difficult situation which shows that she had a strong-willed character.
                      She was a very determined lady as she didn’t give up in spite of all obstacles when she decided to learn the Kannada language. She was also very diligent and hardworking as the amount of homework she did was amazing. She decided to learn the Kannada language so that she could read independently. This shows that she possessed an independent spirit. She was also very religious and pious as she obeyed her holy scriptures and respected her teacher (granddaughter) irrespective of her age.