Tharavaad       (Part I )                                                            My story

“Hi, uncle, I am Gauri Luka” a fatty, short heighted semi dark skinned woman greeted me and I am confused. I stared at her inquiringly. Her large round breasts struggle hard to break out of her tight  American tunic and her red lipstick coated lips and the tight jean leggy convinced me that she is certainly  an ultra modern new Gen child.  But her face is in a dimly manner familiar to me; yet I could not locate the source and finally I surrendered and helplessly said ‘ I am sorry, I can’t remember you,  please help me”.

She put her hands on her head in  a surprised manner and  said “ I am Veronica’s only daughter, don’t you know me uncle?’ I m your niece!”

At that moment I was ashamed of myself and my poor memory. Of course an old man suffers  from fading memory power. It is not his fault, but natural. Many years ago I had seen Gauri, the only daughter of my sister Veronica when they were at our Tharavaad and my mother was alive and full of vigour in those days. When time changed, we became strangers and don’t know each other. I ruminated.

 “Uncle, you are badly in need of money, aren’t you? I was waken from thoughts and I started. ‘How do you know that I am in need of money?”

“ Mother told me. Don’t worry, uncle. We hit upon a plan to help you. You will get ten lakhs rupees. All the children of our grandfather will get that much amount”. Again I blinked and looked at my niece inquiringly.  She continued “ our Tharavaad has been offered for sale at two crores of  rupees by a rich guy at Kattappana and Daddy made  the settlement”.

 At that moment her mobile phone rang and she excused me “ uncle one second, she then walked to the shade of a tree and I heard distinctly her talk ….” Bloody fool, what did you think of me? Am I your slave, idiot. Yes,  it is true that we lived together in the apartment for two years…. No. you can’t wash your hands. Living together is equal to marriage before Indian law. Don’t teach me the  law,…. I know everything. …No, I don’t want to abort the child. I keep it as an evidence to trap you. I go to court and make you pay me alimony” Shut up your bloody mouth….”

 My niece put out the phone and came to me. “Sorry my uncle”.

“That’s OK. I don’t mind”.             ………to be continued                                    kjt/12-07-2019

Tharavaad           ( part II  )                                                              My Story

 This news about the sale of Tharavaad was a bolt from the blue for me.  I stood on the road  side spell bound. Violent waves of sorrow rose in my mind. Gauri continued “ All you have to do is to come to  the Registrar and sign the document, and you will be rich, my dear uncle. Mummy and Daddy are waiting at Kattappana for me. See you uncle again. I am in a hurry”,

 She  walked and she looked like an elephant calf with full-fledged round buttocks shaking violently in  the jean leggy struggling hard to burst out. Indian feminity is peeping out through  the narrow broken holes of the American tailoring design. The red innerwear was clearly visible  through the designed holes with a few threads revealing the sexy bottoms. What a fashion!

I was very sad. That night I leaped over the compound wall of the churchyard and  stealthly walked to the spot where my  mother’s body was buried long ago. It was my usual habit whenever I was overwhelmed with grief that I sought my mother’s help. All souls are sleeping here awaiting the Judgement Day. I moved between the broken tombs and reached my place. I knelt down on  the snowy grass and told her that they are going to sell  Tharavaad, a mere 5 cent land with an old tile roofed, three rooms with kitchen home. Its market price is gone upto two crores. I told my mother her market price is over two crores.

I thought of the sufferings mother and myself had had when we bought this property years ago. Borrowed money from many people on ‘ blade interest’, to make a shelter for eleven children and parents. Tired of humiliations and evictions from rented houses, forced us to make this  land property. At that time we could not afford the price eight thousand rupees and I paid the owner only six thousand rupees and promised him that the balance amount would be paid in three years with compound interest. Mother and myself knelt down before the owner in tears and on compassionate ground the rich man gave us the documents of ownership. When years passed by, all my sisters were married, gave birth to children and they all romped about and played in the court yard, under the shade of the mango tree and mangostine tree and Njaval. There was a tree standing in the  extreme corner of the courtyard and the white fragrant elanji flowers,  like stars from  the sky fell on our heads while mother and myself sitting under the tree in  the night after supper.

 When I came out of the cemetery, I was relieved of my tension and peace refreshed me when I walked home.        ……..to be continued…..

Tharavaad                                        (Part III)                                               My Story

A few days after, I woke up hearing the persistent bell of my moble phone. Veronica was on the other side and In the midst of sobbing, she told me her Luka has been admitted in hospital in a serious condition.

 At once I rushed to Kattapana St. Johns hospital. It was pathetic that my in law’s two legs were hanging on a bar and his limbs were heavily bandaged. On the side of  the pillow was seen the Bible with the chapter of St.Luke opening for everyone to read. Luka’s eyes met mine and I saw the body pain reflected on his face. I grasped his palm as a token of assurance and confidence.

When I came out, Veronica followed me and told me that the other day ‘her dear Luka climbed the jack fruit tree to pluck two ripe fruits. While cutting the second one, the branch on which he fixed his foot broke down and Luka fell head long. Luckily he grasped another branch on the way down and his life had a narrow escape, but two legs are seriously broken.

 “Chettai, we never thought that jackfruit tree would never harm us” When Veronica says these words, tears welled up and rolled through her semi dark cheeks. I consoled her and came back home.

On the bus, I thought of Veronica and Luka. He was studying in the high school nearby our home and he kept his lunch box in our home and mother permitted him to  have his lunch sitting on the bench on the verandah. Most days his curry was made of jackfruits. Sometimes he brought home jackfruits and Veronica was very fond of jackfruits and she made jacknut curry for Luka and in turn Luka brought home many sweet jack fruits and Veronica ate nothing but Luka’s jackfruits,  which slowly paved the way for their love for each other which culminated in the marriage.

 In the honeymoon days itself Veronica learned that her husband  is not a saint as pretended earlier but a ‘sugar chewing kuttappan’ and his eyes always rested on the beautiful flowers of opposite sex. This infuriated Veronica who is rather short and semi black skinned and soon she hit upon  a  a clever strategy.

 She put into practice this plan with the help of her father in law who is the Sacristan of the parish church. Luka had no other way out. Since that Sunday, both Luka and Veronica went to  church reciting rosary on  the way together. Veronica always leads the prayer “ Our father who art in heaven……” and Luka answered “Hail Mary full of grace….” . Sometimes in the rainy season the couple went to church holding an umbrella saying the  rosary.

 Poor Luka had no chance to peep into  the face of other girls on the way and Veronica followed him everywhere as his shadow and slowly Luka became as meek as a lamb and  safe in the hands of the shepherdess Veronica. The vicar of the church praised lavishly in his Sunday sermons about the ideal couple and asked others to follow suit.

After a few months, Luka was discharged from the hospital and both of them secretly consulted the famous astrologer Raman panicker and Panicker had known the imminent arrival of Luka and his wife because they  always consulted Panicker on important matters, although it is against the teachings of the Bible.  Panicker told them ‘the ancestors of the land property’ is bitterly against the sale of the Tharavaad. This is why the accident occurred as a warning and because of his piety and prayers Luka had a narrow escape. This news greatly disappointed Luka and  Veronica.

But I know well Paniker was forced to say lie because I paid him the amount he demanded in advance. A few days later I reached the spot in the churchyard in the dead of night, and thanked my mother.                          Kjt/12-07-2019

ROBERT BRUCE AND THE SPIDER ( stories for students of English )

Part I      

This is a beautiful  short story, oh no, absolutely not, it is not a story at all. Is it a legend, just as the legend of Mahabali? The truth is that it is neither a short story nor a legend. It really happened far, far away,  beyond the seas and mountains and valleys, and this eventful history occurred long, long ago in the twelfth century in Scotland.

 At that time Robert Bruce was tall and very handsome young Scottish warrior full of adventurous spirit, a little  naughty like all Scottish young men, and energetic. but kind hearted to children, women, the sick, and the poor. He had no rival in  Scotland in the art of warfare.

His favourite hobby was hunting. One day he was returning  home after a night’s hunting, very tired and he saw two rabbits leaping on the green turf on his way. He was a great lover of Nature and fond of innocent animals like birds, peacock and rabbits.  He netted the two rabbits which seemed to him coming from heaven to visit this beautiful Scotland. He wanted to bring home and keep these darling rabbits as his favourite pets.

 He looked around and noticed a smart looking girl child sitting alone on a bench in  the rose garden  nearby on the way side. She was wearing a straw hat and her sweet plumpy rosy cheeks sent strange feelings  of love to him.  He approached her and requested her to keep those two rabbit angels with  her until he came back.

She frowned at the young man’s face and asked him why they are called angels? The young man said, ‘These rabbits are more beautiful than any human being”

 Do you mean to say that I am not so beautiful as the rabbits?’ The naughty girl asked ,winking at him.   The young man was shocked but concealing his surprise said casually

 “yes, I think so”

 Bruce went to bath in the nearby pond and came back to her and demanded the rabbits. But she said looking into the warrior’s eyes “ one rabbit ran away”

 And Bruce angrily asked her how the rabbit fled?. She set free the rabbit in her hand and  said, “this way”. At once the sweet innocent creature leaped away to safety and life in the bushes.

One second, the young man stood spell bound and was at his wits end. But the next moment his heart whispered him that she is more beautiful than any creature in the world. She is right. She is the angel. He said nothing and stood before her in silence for a while.  The girl’s defiant nature attracted the brave warrior and he looked into her bright blue eyes and saw radiant love sparkled like a twinkling star in the dark sky.

 Bruce knelt down on the soft green grass covered with morning mist  and stretched out his rough hand towards the child girl and without any hesitation she put her rosy lips on the palm indicting her love and admiration to the Scottish young man. The truth was that both of the were transported to far, far away dream world. At that moment the Scottish soldier’s face was flushed and joy leaped in his heart.

 Robert Bruce lost the two sweet rabbits but earned angelic Elizabeth. Bruce was 28 years when he married Elizabeth who was only 13.                       Kjt/- 02-08-2019

Part II   Robert Bruce and the Spider     Stories for Students of English language.

Soon after the coronation ceremony, trouble began. Scotland was attacked by English army and Scottish army was crushed to defeat and soldiers ran for life, Robert Bruce’s wife and daughters were taken prisoners of war and three of his brothers were murdered. Robert Bruce was arrested as war prisoner.

 But he somehow fled from Scotland and escaped to Northern Ireland in disguise as a hermit and took shelter in a rocky cave in the dense jungle. The cave was mossy dripping water from all corners and the ground was damp and dirty.  Days passed by and he absorbed himself in contemplation how to fight for the independence of his motherland.

One day as he was in deep thoughts, his attention was arrested by a spider on the corner of the rocky cave. The spider was swinging between one side of the corner to the other side trying to anchor its web. Every time the spider leaped, it slipped and failed to make the web. Bruce counted, one, two, three, four and Bruce gazed at the spider what was its next plan. He thought the spider gave up its attempt and go else where to make web. But, oh no, the spider continued its effort  and the fifth time the spider jumped, but failed, sixth time also the spider was defeated, but not disappointed. This Bruce looked at the poor creature with admiration because of the will power of the spider. On the seventh time spider leaped to the other end and succeeded in making the web!

Bruce was excited. New ideas of warfare flashed through his mind. He was thrilled with joy and he walked through the dense forest in the dead of night and somehow he  landed at his native place encountering many obstacles on the  way, where English king ruled. He organized his Scottish soldiers in groups and trained them in  the art of  guerilla warfare. In the training camp Bruce drew the painting of his mascot ‘The Spider making web” which always inspired the brave soldier who  has now become the captain of Scottish guerilla army and fought against the huge English forces and won the independence of Scottish monarchy. Now Robert Bruce is known as the Father of Scottish independence. Robert Bruce and Elizabeth Bruce  had four children; Matilda, Margret, John and David who became the king of Scotland.                                                      Kjt/-03-08-2019

Manmade tragedy at Puthumala and Kavalappara

Madhav Gadgil Report should be implemented without any further delay in order to avoid future landslides and human tragedies as occurred at Kavalappara in Nilambur and Puthumalai in Vayanad district. At Puthumalai, a panoramic and idyllic village life has been washed away in no time killing many poor peasants who had been living there in peace and love doing hard toil day and night. At Kavalappara landslide, total 63 persons were buried alive in the soil and frantic search has been still continuing to recover the dead bodies with the help of excavators.

After the bloods in August 2018, if Kerala government had been a little more  vigilant and taken care of the warning given by Madhava Gadgil Report on the fragile,  eco-sensitive landscape of the Western Ghats, this human tragedy at Nilambur and Puthumala in Vayanad would have been averted and saved the precious lives of 40 persons that perished in the landslide.

At Kavalappara, large scale excavation had been carrying out by poachers and real estate mafia using earthmovers (JCB) for rubber plantation in Muthappankunnu. As a result many landslides occurred one by one. Still leaders of certain political parties and even church leaders oppose nail and tooth the implementation of Gadgil Report which says that these areas in Vayanad and Malappuram and Idukki districts are highly eco-sensitive areas where if the soil is upset by cutting down trees and make agriculture, there is every possibility for soil erosion, pipping of soil and large scale landslides would be repeated causing death to flora and fauna.

In Idukki district, a series of landslides destroyed agricultural lands and endangered human and animal life. This is because of unbridled felling of trees and the non- stop functions of innumerable quarries. During the investigation at the landslide spot, it has been found that there had been large scale felling of huge trees, especially very old trees, whose roots are deeply rooted in to the soil, to set up rubber plantation in 1980s.

These huge tree roots decayed gradually creating cavities beneath the earth and it functioned as huge pipes through which soil began to flow down to slopes during heavy rainfall. This phenomenon is called  ‘piping’. This piping phenomenon detached the soil from the rock below and slipping downwards, washing away acres of fertile land soil. More over the recent cardamom cultivation on the hill slops also contributed to the piping phenomenon.

In the year 2013 large scale violence had erupted in the hilly regions of Kozhikode with the blessing of the Church against the implementation of Kasturirangan Report.  There was wide spread violent protests under the leadership of the priests of the Church on Thamarasserry Adivaaram route. Addressing a protest meeting in front of the collectorate, Thamarasserry bishop then warned that another Jallianwala Bagh would take place if the Kasthurirangan Report was implemented. This news was published by English daily (TOI).  Can the church wash off its hands now in the light of the Kavalappara and Puthumala human tragedies?

 For both the church leaders and political leaders, these poor peasants in Malappuram, Vayanad and Idukki are nothing but vote banks and in order to satisfy these farming class who had migrated to  these highly eco-sensitive hillocks for their livelihood these leaders of both the church and the political parties stopped the implementation of the Gadgil/ Kasthurirangan Report.

 It is the urgent duty of the government and NGO organizations to rehabilitate these poor people in proper and safe places where they can earn their livelihood without danger to life.                                                                                  Kjt/-15-08-2019

The Mosquito (poem) D. H. Lawrence DH Lawrence

 The Mosquito             (poem )           D. H. Lawrence

‘The Mosquito’ as a hilarious poem where DH Lawrence is at his playful best. The poem ‘The Mosquito’ is taken from DH Lawrence’s collection of poems titled “Birds, Beasts and Flowers”. It is written in free verse which adds the beauty and elegance of the poem. This poem is the best example for his effective visualization of the animal world. In the poem the speaker describes his meeting with a mosquito and he addresses the tiny creature as ‘Monsieur” which shows the poet’s respect for this silly creature. He considers man a humble member of this animal world. The poet uses such words as “phantom”, sorcerer, “Ghoul”, “heron”, “pointed fiend” and “Winged Victory” to describe the superhuman qualities of this “nothingness”, semi-transparent, frail animal called mosquito. The poet contemptuously calls the mosquito ‘a dull clot of air’.  The poet attributes many human and supernatural qualities to this small creature. Therefore the poem is a “pathetic fallacy”. Pathetic fallacy is a figure of speech which ascribes many human qualities and emotions to animals and inanimate objects in nature.

Mosquito is always considered as a hateful tiny creature that no one likes because it is a nuisance to us in our sleep. But in this poem, DH Lawrence raises this tiny, silly creature to the level of a superhuman being which has more capabilities than man. The theme of the poem is the conflict between Nature and Culture. The poet describes the movements of the mosquito and how the tiny creature uses his dirty magical power to put human mind on an anaesthesia and silently and skilfully sucks human blood which is a ‘forbidden liquor’ for the mosquito. In a playful manner the poet speaks about the action of the mosquito. Its centre of gravity is lifted upwards and settles on the poet’ hand. The mosquito stands on its high thin legs. The poet remembers a woman in Venice called the mosquito “Winged Victory”. On hearing it, the mosquito turns to its tail and smiles at the poet. The poet wonders why this tiny, semi-transparent creature is so wicked and cruel. It flies faster than heron and moves like a clot of air.

The poet calls mosquito a sorcerer because it can move around man silently and invisibly. He also calls it a winged Ghoul watching its victims reading their thoughts. He again calls it ‘a pointed fiend.’ He challenges the mosquito to play with him hide-and-seek game. The mosquito flies in circles and disappears when the poet tries to catch it. The blood is forbidden liquor for the mosquito because the mosquito stealthily sucks the poet’s blood by giving anaesthesia to the poet by means of its dirty magical power. The mosquito is under intoxication of the blood for some time in silence. Finally the mosquito flies away from the poet after sounding the bugle of victory. The mosquito disappears like a blood drop far away. There is a big stain on his hand where the mosquito has sucked his blood. DH Lawrence has composed this poem in free verse. Long lines describe the movements of the mosquito and the short lines show the thoughts and feelings of the poet.

1.Why does the narrator describe human blood as “forbidden liquor”? In the poem titled “The Mosquito”, the narrator plays ‘sly game of bluff’ It is a kind of hide and seek game. The mosquito tried to suck the blood of the narrator and the narrator tried his best to kill the mosquito. But the tiniest creature very skilfully evades his all attempts and finally sucks the narrator’s blood from his skull even without his knowledge and permission. After having sucked the blood, the mosquito sounded a bugle. It was a victory song of the mosquito. Thus the narrator is defeated by the mosquito in the sly game. But when the blood was sucked, the mosquito is intoxicated like a drunkard. This is why the narrator calls it ‘forbidden liquor”.                Kjt/-06-12-2018

I Know Why the Caged Sings - poem - Maya Angelou

I know Why the Caged Bird Sings                                                                     Maya Angelou

Dr.Maya Angelou, one of the greatest voices in contemporary literature, is an African-American poet, memoirist, educator, historian, best- selling author, actress, dramatist, civil rights activist, film maker, director and teacher. She won international recognition with the publication of ‘I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings’. This poem expresses the African American’s intense longing for freedom. Angelou uses the metaphor for a bird struggling to escape its cage as a central image throughout her autobiographical fiction. But in this poem the caged bird sings of freedom.  As a black woman she has encountered racial discrimination, segregation and domination. She is an optimist and the companion of Martin Luther King fighting for the Civil Rights movement in the USA and achieved what they dreamed.

Maya Angelou says that a free bird leaps on the back of the wind floats in the blue sky enjoying the pleasures of life. The free bird stands for the white people leading luxurious life and dreaming of new business fields and colonies in order to exploit the poor countries in the world to reap maxim profit.

 But a bird walks sadly in its narrow cage. The caged bird’s wings are clipped and its feet are chained up. So the bird opens his throat to sing of freedom. The caged bird stands for the Black people who live in misery, poverty and sorrow, waiting centuries for their God given birth rights such as equality, citizenship rights and freedom.

The caged bird sings with painful sound of the things unknown such as equality, liberty and fraternity. The caged bird never enjoyed freedom. The bird’s song is heard far way beyond the distant hills and valleys.

 The free bird enjoys the freedom and flies in the depth of the infinite blue sky thinking of new opportunities and planning to set up new colonies in order to reap more profits and pleasures of life.

But the caged bird stands on the grave of dreams.  The Black had been working hard as slaves for the white people for centuries. They built up modern cities in various parts of America, made railways, bridges, towers and skyscrapers, but still lives in the slums and ghettos. Everywhere they are rejected and unwanted because they see the boards ‘For whites only’ in the restaurants, buses and buildings. They have no opportunity for education or employment and live in poverty and sorrow. So the caged bird sings of things unknown to him and he sings of equality, liberty and fraternity.            Kjt/16-11-2018

                               

A Doll's House (play ) - Henrik Ibsen

A Doll’s House                                                                                               Henrik Ibsen

1. “A Doll’s House” fell like bomb into contemporary life” – Explain

2. How far Nora’s life a representation of social reality?

3. Justify the title of the play “A Doll’s House”

A Doll’s House is a realistic drama written by the Norwegian playwright Henrik Ibsen in the year 1879. His plays attacked the age-worn values of male dominated society. He discarded outmoded dramatic techniques such as soliloquies and monologues.  The theme of the play is individual freedom and emancipation of self.  Nora, the protagonist of the play is the wife of Torvald Helmer and they have been married for the last eight years and have three children.

 Doll’s House is not only a realistic play but also a problem play. Ibsen in this play deals with a social problem.  It is the status of a woman in relation to her husband and home. Ibsen shows the pathetic situation of Nora being treated by her husband as mere doll or child who doesn’t know anything and she is called the squirrel, the skylark, doll, spendthrift etc. She is nothing but a doll for her husband.

When the curtain rises, Nora is seen on stage telling innocent lies in a child-like manner. Helmer treats her like an irresponsible child, a possession, anything except a woman. But underneath surface of Nora’s mind, there is lurking a strong protest against the male domination with its age old laws, religion and social customs, all trying to crush the individuality, freedom and dignity of woman. Her father, and later her husband, with the help of these social laws, tried to crush Nora with advises and advises.

 On many occasions Nora wanted to run away from her father to their maid servants. Both of them tried to keep “true realities of life” from her and made her ignorant of her reasonable rights and obligations. From the First Act onwards, the gradual growth of Nora is seen and it reaches its climax in the IIIrd Act when she goes out of Helmer’s home and children, slamming the door against the worn-out male-dominated ideas, laws and social customs.

Nora’s father committed forgery while working as a government employee. Torvald Helmer was appointed to examine the documents of Nora’s father. It was during this verification of the documents that Torvald met and fell in love with Nora and married her. Nora made supreme sacrifice in order to save the precious life of her husband. She borrowed money from Nils Krogstad for the medical treatment of her husband in Italy. When Helmer was seriously ill, doctors advised her to make a trip to Italy and stay there for his treatment..

 During this period, Nora’s father was on death-bed but she could not go to him. Not desiring to trouble her father at such a time for a loan and knowing fully well Helmer would never agree to take a loan himself, Nora secretly borrowed the loan without Helmer’s consent.

Nora signs her father’s name on the back of the promissory note (bond) made by Nils Krogstad. Nora put the date of signature as 2^nd of Ocober, whereas her father died on 29^th September.  This is the forgery Nora has committed in the bond.

When Nils Krogstad is sacked from his job at the bank by Torvald Helmer, he tries to blackmail Nora in order to get back the job in the bank. Nora tries her best to get back the job for Nil Krogstad, but fails. The job is given to Mrs.Linde.

Nora made many sacrifices in her life with Torvald Helmer. Whenever Nora is given money for household expenses, such as new dresses, home needs, Nora never spends more than half of it and bought simple, cheaper, but good quality things. She also did a lot of copying work. She locked up and sat writing every evening quite late at night. Thus she saved every penny and paid the loan in  installments.

In the concluding scene Nora questions the foolish male-dominated religious ideas, spiritual laws, the legal system and the social views about man-woman relationships. In the male-dominated society, laws are made by men for their own selfish interests. Nora has committed a forgery and she admits it and she is proud of it because she has committed the forgery for the love of her husband, to save his precious life. But her husband tells on her face that she has committed a crime, a sin and woman’s duty is to look after the needs of her husband and children. She has no duty to herself. Therefore Torvald Helmer accuses her of a cheat and she has no right to bring up her children, because she has committed a forgery.

Nils Krogstad is dismissed from the Savings Bank by Torvald as soon as he becomes the manager of the bank.  In retaliation, Krogstad writes a letter to Torvald Helmer revealing the forgery committed by his wife Nora. Torvald reads the letter and is angry with Nora and tells her that she is a cheat and dishonest and not fit for bringing up their three children. At that moment Nora finds the real face of Torvald because his masked face if fallen and she learns that he is a hypocrite and has no love for her. Meanwhile another letter comes from Nils Krogstad with the forged promissory note (bond) and canceling all revengeful action against Nora.

 This made Torvald happy and forgives Nora for her sin and tells her that she is once again his ‘skylark’, squirrel etc.’ But Nora tells him that she had expected a wonderful thing from Torvald that he would certainly take up the blame of the forgery on his shoulder and tell that world that he asked her to commit the forgery for him and therefore he was guilty one and not Nora. But the wonderful thing did not happen. So Nora goes out of Torvald’s home slamming the door against the male dominated social laws and customs.

The play “A Doll’s House” has dropped a bomb in the male-dominated society all over the world. Social life in the cities began to change fast ever since the publication of this play and woman has gradually attained equal social status with man in all field of life.

The role and character of Mrs.Linde

Mrs.Linde is the best friend of Nora who calls her pet name Christine. Christine comes to the to get a job and she meets Nora. Christine and Nils Krogstad are childhood friends and they fell in love with each other. But Christine had to look after her ailing mother and two younger brothers and she needed money for them. Being highly practical minded, Christine consented to marry a rich business man. Krogstad is  jilted by Christine and he gets married to another woman.

 But fate was cruel to her. Her mother died and the younger brothers ran away from her one by one. Soon her husband died and also his business ruined and Mrs.Linde becomes penniless and childless. A sense of loneliness seizes her and she finds life meaningless. So three years after the death of her husband, she has come down to city to meet her old friend Nora. She urgently wants a job to burry her loneliness and sorrow. Torvald Helmer gives Krogstad’s job in the bank to Nora’s friend. Now Nora tells her friend her dreadful secret to Christine and Christine promises to help Nora. She meets Krogstand and and both of them learned the truth that they are ‘shipwrecked’ man and woman. Krogstad is a widower and Christine is a widow.

 She is willing to marry and glad to look after Krogstad’s children. Thus Christine transformed Krogstand to a reformed character. Krogstand is thrilled with joy and promises to undo his mistake to Nora. He writes a letter to Torvald enclosing the forged bond and canceling all revengeful action against Nora. This made Torvald happy and tells Nora that she is once again his ‘skylark and ‘squirrel’ to him. Thus Mrs.Linde has played an important role in averting the crisis that faces the Helmer family.

The role and character of Krogstad

Krogstad is introduced in the Ist Act of the play “A Doll’s House” as a villain. According to Dr.Rank, the family friend of Torvald Helmer, Nils Krogstad is suffering from ‘a diseased moral character’. Krogstad is a lawyer and a widower with ‘several children’. His married life was very unhappy. Christine and Nils Krogstad are childhood friends and fell in love with eacher.

 But Krogstad is jilted by Christine and she married a rich business man and thus she became Mrs.Linde. This is why Krogstad married another woman and they had children. But Christine’s husband died and she is childless and penniless. By the time Krogstad also became a widower. Nora borrowed a huge amount from Krogstad for the medical treatment of her husband, but commited forgery by putting her father’s signature. The date of signature is 2^nd October whereas her father died as early as 29^th September.  Krogstad was dismissed from the Bank by Nora’s husband Torvald Helmer and the post was given to Nora’s friend Mrs.Linde who needed a job urgently to bury her loneliness and sorrow.

Krogstad comes to Nora and threatens her that if he does not get back the job in the bank, he will file a case in the court for forgery. Nora tries her best to persuade her husband not to dismiss Krogstad  from his post in the bank, but Torvald was adamant. Torvald tells Nora that while working in the Bank, Krogstad committed forgery and somehow he was excused from the punishment as the case was settled out of court. But he neither confessed his guilt nor underwent punishment.

This is why Torvald dismisses Krogstad.. As soon as he receives the dismissal order, Krogstad sends a letter to Torvald revealing the forgery committed by his wife. But Mrs. Linde helps Nora and she meets Krogstad. Mrs Linde is willing to marry Krogtad and is glad to look after his children.

 Krogstad is transformed into reformed character. The villain turns a hero and Nora and Torvald are saved from legal action and humiliation. Krogstad sends a letter to Torvald enclosing the forged bond, and canceling all revengeful acts against Nora.

Kjt/23-11-2018

Joychen (in the pages of my memory book ) Obituary - K. J. Thomas

Joychen in the pages of my memory book.                                   OBITUARY

My maiden meeting with Joychen was at his residence Ponga – in  Chennamkari village, long ago when we were young and handsome. Joychen was a typical Kuttanadan gentleman with a coconut grove as his own which yielded him enough coconuts every forty days adding to a landlord’s income, besides his earnings at Kochi as a smart tourist guide. His luxurious Kuttanadan menu consists of boiled tapioca, boiled rice, beef fry, fish curry, and a bottle of toddy once in a blue moon. He was happy. But his joyful days did not last long.

He was sober, no alcoholic drink no smoking, no boasting, no gossiping, andwas a perfect gentleman among us.  I never see him angry with anyone. He always kept his aristocracy and gentle behavior till his end.

But he made a blunder as all henpecked husbands do.  All his properties were transferred to his wife. I was very angry with my  father who brokered the land deal because I had foreseen the tragedy. One should not sell one’s inherited properties under any circumstances. It is like uprooting a huge family tree. It is one’s THARAVADU – which is his identity and family reputation. Once it is destroyed, it is destroyed forever. Yet Joychen  was unperturbed and calm. He was sadder but wiser. Once I asked Joychen about it., “ I love my wife and children more than myself. Let them do as they like”was his reply. Finally the Kuttanadan land-loard’s  long journey of life ended in the soil of a Roman Catholic cemetary of a remote hamlet somewhere in Kerala-Karnataka border in the most tragic manner.

Joychen had simple dreams. He loved Kochi, his dream city where he spent many years as a smart tourist guide. Joychen never bargained. So he was the favourite of  foreign tourists.

Grown up human beings are like grown up trees. Both are wilted away when  replanted in another soil. But new generation don’t know the woes of old people. Poor Joychen slowly died away in the soil of Karnataka where he was alienated, unwanted and a stranger, could not speak his mother-tongue, did not get idiappam, palappam, neyyappam and Ethakaappam,

 He escaped from his home at the remote Kannada village in the disguise of consulting a skin specialist and wandered through the streets of Kochi munching, and munching and  yet munching his tasty Keralite eatables in a nostalgic mood.

After a few days stay at Kochi he boards train to Bangalore only to come back to his beloved city after three months interval. I scribble these lines to express my tearful homage to my dear comrade, my Kuttanadan gentleman landlord whose departure is irreparable.     Kjt/05-10-2018

Tonight I can Write the Saddest Lines ( Love poem ) Pablo Neruda

1. Examine the uniqueness of “Tonight I can Write the Saddest Lines” as a confessional love poem.

Pablo Neruda is the great poet of Chile. He was a communist and a revolutionary poet. He was awarded the Nobel Prize for Literature in 1971. ‘Tonight I can Write the Saddest Lines’ is one of the best love poems of Neruda. It is a monologue written in a confessional mood, lamenting the loss of love of a jilted lover. The lover thinks of the natural world, the night, the stars, the wind, the sky and everything that reminds him of his lost love. The night and the darkness match his sad mood. The lover confesses that tonight he is writing the saddest lines and thereby he is ritually killing his lady love with his pen which becomes his mighty sword!

The poet juxtaposes ‘tonight and the nights of the past when his lady love was with him. Tonight he is terribly alone. Now the night stands for his shattered love and the twinkling stars became blue and shiver in the distance. The narrator of the poem is a jilted lover whose girl friend has become another man’s wife/friend. This makes him very sad and is lamenting on the loss of his love. He admits that their love for each other became a failure on account of their mistakes. The fickleness of love is the major cause of his loss of love. But he cannot run away from the past which haunts him day and night like a nightmare. He says, ‘She loved me, sometimes and I loved her too’. I loved her, and sometimes she loved me too’. This frank opinion of the narrator is the beauty of the love poem.

 All human beings and their words and deeds are imperfect which leads to failures and the poet admits this truth. When she was with him, they enjoyed every night and all nature supported their love. The night, the sky, the stars and the cool breeze welcomed the young couple. They thought their meetings would last forever but the inevitable came and they were separated. Still the narrator loves her and thankfully remembers the sweet joy that she has given him.

 He says, ‘Love is short, forgetting is so long’. Their love for each other was so sweet that the time flew away in a lightning speed. But the past love haunts him day and night like a nightmare. The narrator, like all human beings thought that she would be forever his lover and only his. It is a foolish idea. Nothing belongs to us. She has gone to another man. Now the narrator wants to escape from his past which is still haunting him day and night. Therefore he starts writing a poem which begins ‘The night is shattered and the blue stars shiver in the distance’

 In the poem he expresses his love, anguish, helplessness and the terrible loneliness. Thus he explains his love which is now dead and gone forever. His past love is shattered and shiver in the distance.  Night and stars are metaphors of his past love. The lines of his poem falls on his heart like dews on the meadows. He is certain that this poem is like a ritual killing of his love for her. Thus he can set himself free from the thought of her.

 ‘Tonight I can Write the Saddest Lines’ reaches universal level. Pablo Neruda gives us our love poem which we hug to our heart with great satisfaction and whisper every line of it in our solitude. This is genuine love poem meant for every human being who is born to love and be loved!                                            Kjt/-16-11-2018

The Laboratory: Ancien Regime                                                                     ROBERT BROWNING

1.       Why does the speaker call the laboratory the “devil’s smithy”? What is the motive behind her visit to that place?  The speaker of the dramatic monologue titled ‘The Laboratory: Ancien Regime’ written by Robert Browning is a danseuse. She has come to the laboratory of the old chemist to order for deadly poison. She is a revengeful woman who wants to kill the new girl friend of her husband. She calls the laboratory the “devil’s smithy” because the old chemist misuses his precious scientific knowledge to make poisons and weapons for destructive purpose. It is the work of a devil.

2.       Why does she say that the poison in the phial is sure to taste sweetly?  The narrator of the dramatic monologue is a famous danseuse who says that the poison in the phial is  sure to taste sweetly because its colour is bright blue which is very attractive. So she thinks that the poison is sure to taste sweetly.

3.       How does the woman propose to  kill Pauline and Elize? The woman narrator in the dramatic  monologue bears devilish character and that is why she has decided to murder her rivals Pauline and Elize. The famous danseuse will give Pauline a poisoned lozenge (sweet) and in thirty minutes she will be dead. As for Elize, the narrator will kill her with a pastille. When the pastille is lighted, the poisoned smoke will kill her.

4.       “She’s not little, no minion like me!” What makes the speaker pass such a comment on her rival? The narrator of the dramatic monologue is a revengeful woman who wants to  murder her rivals Pauline and Elize. Speaking about her arch rival, the narrator says that her husband’s girl friend is tall and beautiful but the narrator is not so charming and this is why her husband was entrapped by the girl friend.

5.       What intentions must have prompted the chemist to prepare the poison according to the speaker’s wish?There are only two main characters in the dramatic monologue titled ‘Laboratory’ written by Robert Browning. The narrator is the famous danseuse and the silent listener is the old chemist. Both are wicked characters. The old man is greedy for wealth and sex. He misuses his precious chemical technology for making poisonous weapons to kill people. He is prompted to prepare the poison to achieve two desires, wealth and sex with the danseuse. This is why she tells him in the end of the poem to gorge gold and jewels to his fill and if he wants, he can kiss her on her mouth indicating sex with her.

6.       ESSAY:  Comment on the character of the old chemist as the silent listener in ‘Laboratory’

OR  Discuss how Browning performs a psychological dissection of the woman’s character through his dramatic monologue ‘The Laboratory’

Robert Browning the great Victorian poet of English literature is the master of a new genre of poetry called ‘dramatic monologue’. His masterpiece is ‘ My Last Duchess”. Browning was followed by Alfred Lord Tennyson and others perfected this form. ‘Ulysses’ and ‘Tithonus’ are the best examples for Tennyson’s dramatic monologues. Dramatic monologues begin with certain urgency and a critical situation and there is only one narrator and other characters are silent listeners. When the narrator speaks, the readers get a clear picture of his/her character and also the qualities, merits and defects in their characters of the listeners

In ‘The Laboratory’, the narrator is a famous danseuse and she has come to the laboratory of an old chemist, while hundreds of people are waiting at the palace of the King to enjoy her dance performance!. The poem is an exploration of a vengeful woman’s psyche. She is betrayed by her husband because of her own wicked character. She is extremely possessive, selfish and cruel.

 But she is worried about making poison to kill her rivals. She orders the chemist to make poisonous tools to kill the girl friends of her husband. She may be a victim of unrequited love. But she has chosen the wrong path to settle her problem. Instead of going to church and pray, she came to ‘the devil’s smithy’ to make deadly poison to kill her rival.She says that her rival is stronger, taller and more beautiful than her. This is why her husband is entrapped by her seductive charm. She tells the old scientist to give her rival maximum pain and the pain of death must be reflected on her face and it is also a punishment for her husband that he would not forget the dying face of his new girlfriend. The narrator offers enough gold, wealth and even allows the old chemist to kiss her on his mouth indicating sex with him.

 As soon as the poisonous tools are ready, the narrator asks the chemist to remove her glass mask and shake off all the dust and chemicals her dress because she is in a hurry to go to the palace of the King to perform her dance. The narrator has been abundantly blessed by God by giving her dancing skill. But alas! This wicked woman is more interested in killing her rivals and punishing her husband. She has no moral values. She says the if she were the owner of the laboratory with all its chemical equipment and the chemist, she would have been the happiest person in the world!

The character of the listening chemist is stranger than the character of the narrator. Even in his old age, he is greedy for wealth and sexual pleasures is very interesting and confusing. He finds pleasure in making deadly poisons and thereby killing people by misusing his precious scientific knowledge. He is selfish and morally corrupted.

 But we must admit the amazing power of his chemical knowledge! With the help of his poisonous tools, one can easily murder any number of people in complete safety. Thus the chemist helps criminals to commit crime without evidence or proof!  The old chemist makes poisonous earring, casket, signet, fan mount filigree basket, lozenge, pastille and sweet drinks.

Kjt/-27^th October 2018.

Three poems - Telephone Conversation, When we two Parted and Longing

Telephone Conversation                                                                                   Wole Soyinka

Wole Soyinka is a renowned African novelist and poet.  Soyinka was the first African to receive the Nobel Prize for Literature in 1986.  “Telephone Conversation” is a simple and amusing poem.  As the title suggests, it is a conversation over ‘phone between an African and a white lady who is the owner of the apartment in London.  The narrator is looking for a rented apartment in London

. In this poem, the poet is able to portray the hypocrisy and cold inhumanity of the white lady who rejects the African only because he is ‘black’. Thus the poem is a strong satire on racial prejudice.

The speaker of the poem is an African. He is well educated, cultured and willing to pay the rent demanded by the landlady. At first the white English land lady is very happy that a tenant has come to stay in her apartment. The location of the building is not good. But the African is not worried about it. For him, the rent is reasonable and the landlady promises that she is living at another place. Therefore the Nigerian is also very glad to get such an apartment in London City.

 But he has a big problem. His skin is black. So he is afraid whether the white lady likes him or not. Suppose he travels all the way from Nigeria to London, and if the landlady does not like him, it is sheer waste of time and money. So the speaker has decided to confess his identity.

 The flora and fauna in Nature have different colours. The sky is blue, the rose is red, the oak is black, the crow is black, orange is yellow, there are black dogs and cows and here the colours are blessing and beautiful. Nature is blessed with all the colours given by God. But man hates man if his skin is not white. So the African confesses to the white lady that he is an African. It is a rude shock to the white lady as if “African” is a criminal or dirty animal. There is a prolong silence. This silence hurts the African. He is insulted. Humanity is insulted. After some time she asks politely ‘how dark he is’?  She enquires whether he is light black.

She does not say that she does not want an African as his tenant. Instead she asks again and  whether he is dark or very light. She wants to know how dark he is! The speaker uses two terms such as plain or milk chocolate to describe his dark skin.  He tells her that he is “West African sepia in his passport”.  Again there is a long silence because she is worried about his dark skin.  Her words were compared to stinking or polluted air because her words are poisonous. She is a hypocrite.

Now the African knows that he will not get the apartment, because the landlady does not want a black man as her tenant.  So the African tells her that the colour of his face is dark brown (brunette), but unfortunately certain parts of his body are very dark. The palm and sole of his feet are semi dark. But the bottom is raven black because of friction by sitting and requests her to see it by herself personally. At that moment the white lady knows that she is insulted by the African and she angrily puts the ‘receiver on the thunderclap. Thus the poem proves that it is the white people who believe in the colour prejudice are always insulted. The colour prejudice boomerangs upon the white people themselves!

Comment on the use of satire, irony, sarcasm, imagery and pun in this poem

“Telephone Conversation” is a vehement attack on racial discrimination. The poet uses various poetic devices such as satire, irony, sarcasm, imagery, pun, alliteration and assonance have been used to bring home to the reader the hypocrisy and racial discrimination of the white landlady. “Location indifferent”, Nothing remained but self-confession”, “Caught I was foully” are all used in ironical tone. The speaker very politely tells the English landlady over phone that he hated a wasted journey- he was an African is irony because he speaks that he is an African is like a crime. There is also pun here because African means a criminal. “Plain or milk chocolate” is also a pun. “Silence for spectroscopic flight of fancy” is an example for double alliteration of ‘s’ and ‘f’. The satirical poem reaches its climax with the words ‘wouldn’t you rather see for yourself?” shows the irony in judging people based on the colour of their skin.   

                         

When We Two Parted                                                                  Lord Byron

‘When We Two Parted’ is a famous love poem written by Lord Byron, who is a great English poet and satirist. This love poem belongs to ‘break up’ or ‘missing you’ love poem. Lord Byron was one of the great Romantic poets in English literature. In this poem ‘When We Two Parted’ the narrator tells us how he was jilted by the infidelity of his beloved.

The narrator of the poem is a man who loves his dear one in secret. But she has deceived him and the narrator suffers mental conflict of love and hatred for his lady love. The narrator still loves her in silence. He says that when they two parted in silence and tears, she gave him the parting kiss, he felt her cheek pale and grew cold. It shows her guilty conscience. But the narrator did not understand it. Later people talked to him about her and only then did he realize that she has betrayed him. It was like a death-knell for him. But she is still his darling and he cannot forget her love. Thus the narrator suffers severe mental pain because he is divided between his intense love and hate for her. In silence he grieves because she can easily forget her deception and he cannot. Still he loves her and he says that if he should meet her after long years, he will certainly greet her with silence and tears.

Questions 1.   “Truly that hour foretold

                        Sorrow to this! – That hour foretold what?  Why the speaker is sad?

             

                   2.  “In secret we met:

                      In silence I grieve”  Who is the speaker and what is the reason for his grief?

    3.”They name thee before me,

        A knell to mine year;” – Explain

Longing                                                                                                         Matthew Arnold

Matthew Arnold is a great poet and critic in English literature. His poem “Longing” is a typical love poem expressing the lover’s intense longing for the presence of his beloved. With the fire of love burning in his heart, the lover asks her to come to him in his dreams at night so that he can wipe out all his worries and miseries of day time.

“Longing” is one of the best lyric poems written by Matthew Arnold and the theme revolves round an ardent lover’s dream about his beloved. The true note of the poem is sadness. It is pensive melancholy essentially romantic in origin. In this short poem, the speaker gives expression to the passionate longing of his heart.

The poet calls his lady love to come to him in his dream at night so that all his sufferings and sorrow and pain will be vanished and he will be refreshed again. He considers her an angel from a heavenly place and her charming smile relaxes him and relieved him from all miseries of day time. Throughout the day he has been waiting with a burning desire for her presence in his dream at night.

 Now he wants his dream to be converted to reality. He wants her real presence and combs his hair and to kiss him passionately and asks him “My love, why are you suffering?”

 The poem ends with the ardent longing of the speaker that his dream girl must be real to him and gives him spiritual comfort.                                                                                                                            Kjt/02-12-2018

Laboratory - Poem (dramatic monologue ) Robert Browning

1.       Why does the speaker call the laboratory the “devil’s smithy”? What is the motive behind her visit to that place?  The speaker of the dramatic monologue titled ‘The Laboratory: Ancien Regime’ written by Robert Browning is a danseuse. She has come to the laboratory of the old chemist to order for deadly poison. She is a revengeful woman who wants to kill the new girl friend of her husband. She calls the laboratory the “devil’s smithy” because the old chemist misuses his precious scientific knowledge to make poisons and weapons for destructive purpose. It is the work of a devil.

2.       Why does she say that the poison in the phial is sure to taste sweetly?  The narrator of the dramatic monologue is a famous danseuse who says that the poison in the phial is  sure to taste sweetly because its colour is bright blue which is very attractive. So she thinks that the poison is sure to taste sweetly.

3.       How does the woman propose to  kill Pauline and Elize? The woman narrator in the dramatic  monologue bears devilish character and that is why she has decided to murder her rivals Pauline and Elize. The famous danseuse will give Pauline a poisoned lozenge (sweet) and in thirty minutes she will be dead. As for Elize, the narrator will kill her with a pastille. When the pastille is lighted, the poisoned smoke will kill her.

4.       “She’s not little, no minion like me!” What makes the speaker pass such a comment on her rival? The narrator of the dramatic monologue is a revengeful woman who wants to  murder her rivals Pauline and Elize. Speaking about her arch rival, the narrator says that her husband’s girl friend is tall and beautiful but the narrator is not so charming and this is why her husband was entrapped by the girl friend.

5.       What intentions must have prompted the chemist to prepare the poison according to the speaker’s wish? There are only two main characters in the dramatic monologue titled ‘Laboratory’ written by Robert Browning. The narrator is the famous danseuse and the silent listener is the old chemist. Both are wicked characters. The old man is greedy for wealth and sex. He misuses his precious chemical technology for making poisonous weapons to kill people. He is prompted to prepare the poison to achieve two desires, wealth and sex with the danseuse. This is why she tells him in the end of the poem to gorge gold and jewels to his fill and if he wants, he can kiss her on her mouth indicating sex with her.

6.       ESSAY:  Comment on the character of the old chemist as the silent listener in ‘Laboratory’

OR         Discuss how Browning performs a psychological dissection of the woman’s character through his dramatic monologue ‘The Laboratory’

Robert Browning the great Victorian poet of English literature is the master of a new genre of poetry called ‘dramatic monologue’. His masterpiece is ‘ My Last Duchess”. Browning was followed by Alfred Lord Tennyson and others perfected this form. ‘Ulysses’ and ‘Tithonus’ are the best examples for Tennyson’s dramatic monologues. Dramatic monologues begin with certain urgency and a critical situation and there is only one narrator and other characters are silent listeners. When the narrator speaks, the readers get a clear picture of his/her character and also the qualities, merits and defects in their characters of the listeners

In ‘The Laboratory’, the narrator is a famous danseuse and she has come to the laboratory of an old chemist, while hundreds of people are waiting at the palace of the King to enjoy her dance performance! . The poem is an exploration of a vengeful woman’s psyche. She is betrayed by her husband because of her own wicked character. She is extremely possessive, selfish and cruel.

 But she is worried about making poison to kill her rivals. She orders the chemist to make poisonous tools to kill the girl friends of her husband. She may be a victim of unrequited love. But she has chosen the wrong path to settle her problem. Instead of going to church and pray, she came to ‘the devil’s smithy’ to make deadly poison to kill her rival. She says that her rival is stronger, taller and more beautiful than her. This is why her husband is entrapped by her seductive charm. She tells the old scientist to give her rival maximum pain and the pain of death must be reflected on her face and it is also a punishment for her husband that he would not forget the dying face of his new girlfriend. The narrator offers enough gold, wealth and even allows the old chemist to kiss her on his mouth indicating sex with him.

 As soon as the poisonous tools are ready, the narrator asks the chemist to remove her glass mask and shake off all the dust and chemicals her dress because she is in a hurry to go to the palace of the King to perform her dance. The narrator has been abundantly blessed by God by giving her dancing skill. But alas! This wicked woman is more interested in killing her rivals and punishing her husband. She has no moral values. She says the if she were the owner of the laboratory with all its chemical equipment and the chemist, she would have been the happiest person in the world!

The character of the listening chemist is stranger than the character of the narrator. Even in his old age, he is greedy for wealth and sexual pleasures is very interesting and confusing. He finds pleasure in making deadly poisons and thereby killing people by misusing his precious scientific knowledge. He is selfish and morally corrupted.

 But we must admit the amazing power of his chemical knowledge! With the help of his poisonous tools, one can easily murder any number of people in complete safety. Thus the chemist helps criminals to commit crime without evidence or proof!  The old chemist makes poisonous earring, casket, signet, fan mount filigree basket, lozenge, pastille and sweet drinks.