How Much Land Does Man Need? by Leo Tolstoy

Hello readers, 

I have studied this short story at UG level. I personally liked this story because of its moral message. So here are my views regarding this story.

       

      

  Leo Tolstoy is a writer of this short story which is supposed to be greatest short story ever written in English literature. This particular story revolves around the character mane Pakhom and his greed. It revolves around the theme of leading to your own demise. Story starts with the scene  wherein two sisters are talking to each other in the village from which one resides in the town and other in the village. One who state in the village is the wife of Pakhom , she is happy with the life but her husband is dissatisfied  with his life. Once out of arrogance finally decides to buy some land and saw seeds in his own land.

      

         After earning some good money he became more greedy and interested in the land which is very cheap and as good as dirt near Volga. He came across the fact that he would get 30000 acars in thousand rubles. Land is belong to the Bashkirs. They were king hearted  people who would give him  as much land  as he wants and all were expected good gifts in return. Pakhom decides to go there with family. He go there with his family and meet with Bashkirs with the gifts for them. They are very happy for gifts. They decides to give land to Pakhom but only he has to pointing the figures, he has to walking by the dawn and  as much as he covers by coming back to the hillock good.

          

           Pakhom can’t believe and tells them to sign a deed because if it is not done. Ecstatic Pakhom decides to start walking but his greed and ambition overpower his thoughtfulness and physical energy. As soon as he come back he lost his consciousness and causes his own demise.

      

        Thus, the story tells us that one should not be ambitious and dissatisfied with whatever have. Containment is what  required to be happy. The story is in a way didactic in nature and shows that excessive desire may lead to one’s own downfall.

Thank You.

A Cup of Tea

    

        

          This short story is written by Katherine Mansfield.  Rosemary   is a main character of the story who feels pity for one beggar girl named Miss Smith. The main concern of Rosemary is her beauty is compared  with that beggar girl by her husband, Philip. When the story begun, we find a fashionable woman who is fond of shopping  and fashion itself. We also find that Rosemary goes for shopping to Paris instead of Local streets. Through this can get an idea that she belongs to upper class and don’t have any idea about poor people.

          

          The narrator who is unknown narrates beautiful picture of Rainy season in which Rosemary went on shopping after that she met a beggar girl who ask Rosemary for a price of cup of tea. She feel sympathy for her and decides to take her home. The house is glorious mention Rosemary serves food and tea to girl. Philip, Rosemary’s husband, comes and sees that beggar girl and became angry and talks with Rosemary and she declares to adopt the girl. But as woman is naturally jealous by other woman. Philip find a single way to persuade that h praise that beggar girl which automatically affects Rosemary as she jealous from that girl and goodbye to that girl by giving her three pounds.  Here we find that woman is enemy of another woman and the theme of beauty works here. This story focus on woman’s mind when her romantic dreams come into conflict with reality. Psychological condition of woman’s mind is very well presented here.

Thank You.

The Mother

 Hello readers,

 This short story was a part of my BA syllabus. This short story touches upon the female psychological aspects and that's why this is one of my favourite short story.                                           

                              

           

William Somerset Maugham has written this short story, is a touching story of a jealous,  possessive and quarrelsome nature of  woman whose name is La Cachirra. She lives on her own , becomes possessive when her son , Currito visits her. Currito loves Rosalia , a daughter of Pilar. When La Cachirra Comes to know about it she became horrible  and violent because she doesn’t want any woman let her son rob. This psychological state of La Cachira’s mind can be found or understood very easily . She spent seven years in prison to save her child from the torture of Pepe Santi. So, it’s quite natural to mother who worried for her child.

    

            So far as La Cachira’s psychological state is concerned  she earns reader’s sympathy. She is right as Currito should give priority to her mother. She is the woman who craves for someone’s company in her life as she has been alone a long time. She is a woman who has suffered a lot throughout her life. Her life centered around her love for her son and as a wretched woman she is shaken by Currito’s love for Rosalia and as a result  she stabs Rosalia into her neck and kills her. She is a representative of women who are psychologically disturbed.

Thank You.

Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde

Hello readers,

I have studied this book in my graduation and here are my views about it.

           Strange case of  Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde  by the famous Scottish author Robert Louis Stevenson , published in 1886. It is associated with the rare mental condition  called ‘Split Personality’where within the same body, exists more than one distinct personality. In this novella, Dr. Jekyll has duel  personality within himself good and evil as Each coin has two sides.He has duel personality but he wants to be civilized  in front of others. So he found the liquid which separates his personality but physically he is one. He create his evil personality that id Mr. Hyde through which he did all evil works and as civilized he lived life as Dr. Jekyll.

    

        In Freudian Theory the thoughts and desires of unconscious mind motivate the behavior of conscious mind. It also explains the Christian concept of hiding evil behind the light.

                                              

                                                Civilized  v/s Savage

                                               Appearance v/s Reality

         

               This theme reminds us of Mary Shelley’s work ‘Frankenstein’ which also deals with the same aspects the inner self and outer appearance through the character of Victor Frankenstein the  creator like Dr. Jekyll and Monster the creation like Mr. Hyde. The only difference between them is  physical separation of one person into two otherwise it directly shows the inner side of Victor through Monster. This is how Dr. Jekyll as a creator refers to his creation as his own darker personality the evil one.

       

          To sum up , one can say that in Dr. Jekyll’s view every soul contains of both good and evil but one dominates as in Jekyll’s case , his good side is dominant at   the beginning but he knows his evil inside him.

Thank You.

Moby Dick by Herman Malville

 Hello readers,

 I have studies this novel in my first year of graduation. Moby Dick is a novel written by Herman Melville, an American Writer. Ahab is a protagonist of the novel and captain of the ship named ‘Pequod’ is a whaling ship which goes for huge voyage the white whale at the beginning of the novel and destroyed  by the  white whale at end of the novel.

          

        This is the novel of Physical adventure and psychological  one. It folds two voyages one is voyage upon seas and other is voyage into the human mind. Melville shows how the Ahab’s mind working to take revenge from White whale a once in a voyage  because of white whale he lost his one leg. Ishmael  is a narrator he is only one who  survives till the end of the novel. Here , the violent side of Nature is shown as Ahab try to destroy the nature by killing  white whale. But Nature punished him by toke his life and many other’s life with him. So, the Nature has both side happier as well as sad side. As Wordsworth’s poetry  about Nature as happier side and as Mother of Human beings but when we read the poems of Robert Frost , he has presented sad side of Nature which destroy human’s life.

        

         Ahab lost his life at the end only because of his ego, pride and wish of taking revenge from white whale .While Ishmael’s mind developed throughout the voyage and his emergence as philosopher cum psychologist who can speak authoritatively on human life and its vicissitude. Rightly does Ishmael say that the Pequod served as his Yale college and as his Harvard University. 

Thank You.

Fear No More by William Shakespeare

                                              

             William Shakespeare has written 37 plays and 154 sonnets that bear his name.  ‘Fear No More’ is an extract from one of Shakespeare’s plays  ‘Cymbeline’. In the original play the dead one is called Imogen , though disguised as a boy, Fidele. In fact Fidele or Imogen has just took a drug that only fakes death. Two friends immediately begin to mourn.

    

              Shakespeare’s poem ‘Fear No More’ is actually a part of his drama,‘Cymbeline’. It appears as a song on the death of one of the characters. This poem is based on the concept of immortality of death. The poet wants to say that death over power everything else. This poem is divided to three stands and every one of them gives prominence to the in inevitability of death.

       

               The poem is a type of funeral song in four stanzas of six lines each. There are two speakers, poem is addressed to the body of Fidele.  In the first stanza,  Speaker begins by offering the advise about death. Death is removal from extreme weather , hot sun in the first line and severe winter in the second line. At the end of the natural life, a person has completed their work  in life and should be on their way to their reward in heaven. Then he claims that death comes equally to rich and poor ‘golden’ people and ordinary chimney sweepers.

     

            In the second and third stanza, the speaker claims that death is benefit as it frees one from dread of all powerful and from economic pressures. The speaker points out that difference between strength and weakness make no difference after death. Then he lists three important types of people  who can’t  avoid death, ‘king, professor and doctor’. Everybody from king to normal person  will have to die one day and turn to dust.

  

        In last stanza, the speaker tells us not to be  afraid of lighting or cloud burst and we shouldn’t be afraid of any negative  opinions given by anybody  because for a dead man everything seems to be natural even the young lovers have to go to the same place as the elders did that is to death and to dust. This poem suggest the ultimate reality of life and death. Death is actually freedom which is justify properly in the song by William Shakespeare .

Thank You.

Daybreak

            

              

                 Henry Wordsworth Longfellow has written this poem which consists of eighteen lines. This poem is basically a nature poem. The activity  of sea wind at down is described in the poem, poet personifies sea wind.

        

        In first two lines, the poet says about wind, it came from the sea and it says that the mists give him space and you disappeared. The next two lines,

          “It hailed the ships and cried sail on,

            Ye mariners the night is gone”

the wind called the ships that to keep working and shouted over sailor that start their journey on the sea  with move upward sail as the  night came to an end. The next two lines it come with great haste on the land which is  very far and cry means shouted the wake up as it was day. In the next two lines  it blew through forest and ask forest  to create murmuring sound and open their leaves as flags of nature. Next lines, it touched the wood birds whose asleep with folded wings then the birds are open their wings so that they could start their flight with sing.

        The next two lines, it went to the farm and requested the domestic crow to crow like a trumpet because the clear day was too hear. The next two lines, it whispered to the fields of ripe corn whose heads were heavily loaded to bow down to great the approaching day. In next two lines, it also blow through the tower with the church bell and called the bell to declare the hour the dawn with loud ringing sound. The last journey of the wind came to an end at the churchyard the place for burial. The wind left a sigh for those lying under the grave in peace. It is the traditional Christian belief that at the time all dad Christians will rise up with everlasting glory.

         To sum up, the poet says that the wind is blow from  one place to another  place to give the message that it is morning to all people , birds, farm etc.. and its journey is finished in the churchyard.

Thank You.

Fakeer of Jungheera by Derozio

                               Fakeer of Jungheera

                                                                       By Henry  Derozio

                     

                                 

     

         This is a long poem by Derozio, he was a poet, novelist and writer. His most of the works based n the Indian religions, culture, rules and regulations, rigidity etc.. of Indian society that based on the different religions and castes and its different belief system which strongly effects more the lives of women rather than the men.

   In India we have many religions like: 

 

      

and many more. This poem is based on the Hindu philosophy. Castism  also plays vital role on the lives of Indian people like in earlier time , we have major four Varnas like

            

                       

        These all Varnas are based on the different occupations done by people. These all are the major sources that affects lives of people.

     

       In this poem, Derozio has describes one of the inhuman practices that going on in Indian society  that is Sati Pratha in which women are forced to die after the death of their husbands if they want or not. They don’t have right to start new life. We have also Sati Temples in which we worship Goddess Sati. Nuleeni is protagonist  who forced to be sati after husband’s death by Indian society but she doesn’t want to be Sati , so she escapes with her lover (Fakeer) but her lover killed by that society and she kills herself after that.

      

       This poem presents the cruel picture of real society of India and how it treat with the lives of human only for the sake of the religion ad caste.

Thank You.

La-Bella Dame Sans Mefrci by John Keats

    La-Bella  Dame  Sans  Merci

                (French for ‘The Beautiful Lady without Mercy’)

        

            John Keats has written this ballad, he was english romantic poet. This poem exist in two version with minor differences between them. This poem is about a Soldier who suffered  in hands of beautiful lady. This poem is written in 12 stanzas which show the suffering of soldier.

       

           In the very first stanza, the Soldier in questioned by a stranger near the river on the cold hill’s side wherein the stranger finds the Soldier in a pathetic condition alone and loitering aimlessly and in second stanza Stranger further questions the Soldier on his condition where the Nature is very beautiful but the Knight is suffering .

       

             The third stanza, the Stranger  talks about his fever and his facial condition as he was looking extremely pale. The Knight start answering the Stranger about how he met a beautiful Lady in the meadow ,who was like fairy’s child with beautiful eyes and long hair. In the next stanza, he talks about how he made garlands and bracelets of roses in love as a gift.

        

            In the six stanza, he talks about how he made her comfortable on her steed and kept looking at her by listening  to her wonderful songs. The seven stanza talks about how he taught  that in her strange language, she kept on speaking, ‘I love you’ and found him roots and honey to eat. Then she took him to the grot wherein she cried and I made her comfortable by kissing her eyes.

       

               In nine stanza, she made me sleep by singing a Lullaby and that is when he saw a dream which was very dreadful and found himself near the hill. In the next stanza, the dream continues where he saw many kings and princes almost dead and were crying “ La Belle Dame Sans Merci”.

       

      In eleven stanza, he found all the Kings, princes, soldier in extremely poor condition and he was awake  all of sudden almost shocked because of bad dream. In the last one , he says that that is the reason why he is “alone and palely loitering on the cold hill’s side”.

                                  “Memories are always painful”

The Play All My Sons

Hello readers,

Here i am sharing my views regarding the text which i have studied in BA English. 

 The Play ‘All My Sons’  written by Arthur Miller. It is a tragic play. Joe Keller is the protagonist of this play. As the story is interwoven  to this character, Joe Keller’s problem as he can be called the representation of the American Society. It is set during the second world war. His story deals with confusion between family and nation or country.

       

              All Miller’s plays are concerns with the large social issues. The theme of the All my Sons is the importance of a Man’s social responsibility. A man generally think of his own interest and of family’s interest, he does so without paying attention to the efforts of his action on other people. Every man seeks his own material interests and make great efforts to promote the material ad money interest of his family at the cost of the other people. In this play manufacturer Joe Keller is such a man  who regards his family as his chief interest in life. He built up business for his own prosperity and family. But time comes to chose between family and  nation he chose with disastrous results that he decides to send the cylinder heads to air force which are defective. These defective cylinder heads prove risky to the air pilots, but he didn’t realized the enormity of risk  and that cylinders. AS many as 21 air pilots were killed before  the defect in aircraft was discovered. Joe Keller passed whole blame to Steve Deever who is sentenced to imprisonment and Joe  by the means of trick save his own skin but his wife and neighbors knew that he was guilty for what he had done. Because of his greed and selfishness , he being responsible for the death of 21 pilots of the American Air Force at the time of world war when every single pilot’s life was precious.

           

           Main point is that how the Joe Keller avoid his social responsibilities in order to maintain his business and property.

Thank You.