Department of English English II

Department of English

Lesson Notes

General English

Course Code 24ENG22L

Year I

Semester 2

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English II

Unit I

Poetry

1. My Grandmother’s House:

The poem starts with the reference of a grandmother as ‘that woman’ which is particular
and who is no more now. The house is now far away and the past happy condition is
irretrievable. The house represents the feeling of love which the speaker could get from her
grandmother. But, now the house is silent. The poem moves through the happy past and sad
present.

The poet uses the image of snakes moving among the books now for which she was too
younger in her childhood. Now very often she thinks to revisit the house but now it is very
difficult now to peep through the blind windows. Here, the image of blind windows may
represent the eyes which are now visionless. The air is frozen and now she wants to bring the
handful of darkness.

The poet uses the simile where she compares herself with the brooding dog who is
helpless. The sudden reference to the reader as a ‘darling’ is striking. The speaker again
mentions the love which she once received but now her condition is like a beggar asking the
change of love.

The poet in intense terms expresses the sadness. The use of language represents the
strangeness and unhealthy relationship between people and this woman. Note the words- House,
that woman, asking love as a change etc.

Analysis of the poem

Kamala Das’ s childhood reminiscences are linked to Nalapat House, her family home in
Malabar, and her grandmother, whom she loved dearly. These memories are often connected to
feelings of nostalgia and wit. In My Story she writes, “from every city, I have lived I have
remembered the noon in Malabar with an ache growing inside me, a homesickness.” Her family
home and her ‘presiding deity’- her grandmother, symbolise the poetry of ‘joy,’ ‘innocence,’
‘respectability’ and ‘Traditional values’ .

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The house is viewed in this poem with care and pathos, and the poet shares her poignant
feelings of yearning for this house. She needs to get back to it.

The terms ‘windows’ and ‘air’ are qualified by the two prefixes ‘blind’ and ‘frozen.’
There is a rich ambiguity of the expression which makes the suffering of the poetess very real.
Her heart is itself like a dark window where the. ‘fresh air does not blow. Images working on
several layers of response, or enrich the poem’s texture. One of the favourite images is that of the
window where she sits and enjoys the cool refreshing breeze of the past. This recurs to the extent
of becoming an obsessive image.

The image highlights the lingering longing of the poetess for a sentient peep into her past,
resurrecting her hopes and desires. With the destruction of the old building, the windows were
blind, only the heat of the reunion with the house would melt the ice, and the window would be
returned to old life. The crumbling of the old house and the death of the old woman also leave
their mark on the poet. With them, her own life of innocence and beloved ideals crumbles.

2. Of Mother, Among Other Things - AK Ramanujam

Part 1 – The Youth

I smell upon this twisted blackbone tree

the silk and whitepetal of my mother�s youth.
From her earrings three diamonds
splash a handful of needles,
and I see my mother run back
from rain to the crying cradles.

The first part of the poem deals with the youth of the poet’s mother. The poet says that he
smells silk and whitepetal of his mother’s youth upon this twisted blackbone tree.

“Smelling upon” here means remembering. “Twisted blackbone” tree here refers to the
present condition of poet’s mother who is probably bent now because of her old age like an old
tree with a bent stem. “Silk and whitepetal” depict the softness and beauty of his mother in her
youth. So, the poet says that while seeing his old mother (who is bent like an old tree), he
remembers her youth when she was soft, beautiful and charming.

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Next, the poet says that during her youth days, there were beautiful diamond earrnings in
her ears which would splash i.e. sparkle a handful of needles i.e. the rays of sun. Here, again, the
poet is describing the beauty of his mother. Colourful rays reflecting from the earrings depict the
glow that poet’s mother had.

Next, the poet sees i.e. remembers his mother running back from rain to the crying
cradles. “Crying cradles” refer to the young children (including the poet himself). This line
brings into light the struggle of his mother even in her youth. Rain symbolises hardships. His
mother would use to care for her children even if she herself was suffering.

Part 2 – The Middle Age

The rains tack and sew

with broken threads the rags
of the tree tasseled light.
But her hands are a wet eagles
two black-pink crinkled feet,
one talon crippled in a garden-
trap set for a mouse. Her saris
do not cling: they hang, loose
feather of a one time wing.

The second part deals with the next phase of poet’s mother – her middle age. The first
line is a little bit difficult and jumbled, so we will rearrange it and discuss it word by word. The
poet says that the rain tacked and sew the rags of the tree with broken threads of tasseled light.

“Tack” means a long stitch used to fasten fabrics together temporarily, prior to permanent
sewing. “Rag” means an old piece of cloth usually torn from a larger piece. “Tree” refers to the
same twisted blackbone tree (mentioned in the first line of the poem. “Rags of tree” thus means
mother’s weak body. “Tassel” refers to the thread used for knotting. “Tasseled light” refers to the
sun rays which penetrates through the cracks of the tree or its leaves, or even the branches. Here
they mean hope, energy and enthusiasm

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So, the line means that the rain (here symbolises difficulties and hardships) tried to stitch
(stop) poet’s weak mother, her daily activities and her enthusiasm.

However her hands were like a wet eagle’s two black-pink crinkled feet. “Crinkled”
means rough and having creases. “Black-pink” symbolises eagle’s struggle which puts its life in
danger in order to feed its young ones.

Hence, the hands of poet’s mother are compared with the feet of eagle. The poet is trying
to say that hardships tried to stop his mother. However faced them boldly and did everything for
her children without thinking for herself.

Next, the poet says that one talon (claw, here it means her foot) of her mother was
crippled in a garden trap set for mouse. Here, the poet is telling that she literally sacrificed
herself for her children. While in the garden, she happened to put one of her feet on the mouse
trap which crippled her.

Note that, the foot of his mother is called as talon and not foot which depicts that the poet
is continuing imagining his mother as the eagle (which puts its life in danger for its chicks).

Finally, the poet describes the weakness of his mother. According to him, the saris of his
mother do not cling (fit her) and rather hang (as she has become weak) like the loose feather
(weak wings) of a one time wing (the eagle which spent its only life for its young ones).

Part 3 – The Old Age

My cold parchment tongue licks bark

in the mouth when I see her four
still sensible fingers slowly flex
to pick a grain of rice from the kitchen floor.

The final part of the poem describes the last phase of poet’s mother – her old age. The
poet says that his cold (emotionless) and parchment (harsh) tongue licks bark (dry surface) in the

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mouth while seeing her four sensible (working) fingers (as she has lost of her fingers) flexing
(bending) slowly to pick a grain of rice from the kitchen floor.

This part holds the theme of the poem i.e. the way we people treat our mothers without
understanding them. The poet says that he is feeling guilty because he used to talk harshly to his
mother (when he was young) and could not understand her sacrifices for them.

Now he feels sorrowful when he sees the condition of his old mother who is very weak
but still tries to do all the work. The poem ends on a sad note and gives the message of love for
all the mothers.

3. The Night of the Scorpion – Nissim Ezekiel

Summary

In "Night of the scorpion," the poet describes how the narrator's mother was bitten by a
scorpion on a rainy day. The poem depicts typical Indian motherhood, which includes sacrifice
and devotion. The villagers' peasant-folk rushed in like swarms of insects to express their
sympathies. They believed that the poison would move in mother's blood with every movement
of the scorpion. So, loaded with lit candles and lanterns, they set out to find him, but in vain.In
pain, Mother twisted and groaned. Her skeptic and rationalist husband tried every curse and
blessing; powder, herb, and hybrid. As a final option, he poured a little paraffin on the bitten part
and lit a match to it. To try to contain the poison, the holy man performed his rites and used an
incantation. The sting of the poison had gone off after twenty hours, and the mother was happy
that the poison had spared her children.

The Night of the Scorpion shows the selfless love of a mother who is stung by a scorpion.
The poem begins with the poet recalling his childhood and how his mother was stung by a
scorpion one night. The scorpion had taken refuge behind a sack of rice after ten hours of
nonstop rain. The scorpion inflicted horrific pain on the mother with a flash of its diabolic tail
before returning to the rain.

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The surrounding peasants arrived in great numbers, singing and carrying torches and
lamps. They sang God's name in order to paralyse the evil one and stop the scorpion from
moving. They believed that the poison would move in mother's blood with every movement of
the scorpion. They wanted to kill it, but they couldn't find it.

They opened the bundle of their superstitions to console the mother and assured her
mother that her previous birth's sins would be burned away by her agony and pain. In anguish,
Mother twisted and groaned.

The villagers were superstitious, but her husband was a rationalist, and his beliefs were
founded on logic and reason. He tried every powder, mixture, and herb before finally pouring a
little paraffin on the bitten toe and lighting a match to it. The poet observed the flame consuming
his mother, as well as the holy man conducting his rites in an attempt to counteract the effects of
poison with words, prayers, and magic.

The sting was gone after twenty hours, the poison was significantly weakened, and the
mother recovered. She had forgotten all of her sufferings. She thanked God for showing mercy,
and was grateful that the scorpion had spared her children.

Themes

The poem "Night of the Scorpion" by Nissim Ezekiel explores themes of motherhood,
sacrifice, and superstition:

Motherhood

The poem depicts the selfless love and devotion of an Indian mother who is stung by a
scorpion. The mother is thankful to God for sparing her children from the same fate.

Sacrifice

The poem shows the mother's sacrifice in taking the pain for her children.

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Superstition

The poem highlights the superstitious nature of Indian people. The villagers believe that
the poison moves through the mother's blood with every movement of the scorpion. They try to
find the scorpion with lit candles and lanterns. The father also resorts to superstitions.

Contrast

The poem contrasts the superstitious approach with a scientific approach. The father tries
every curse and blessing, including pouring paraffin on the bite and setting it on fire.

Indian culture

The poem presents a typical Indian society and the temperament of the villagers.

Unit II

Prose

With the Photographer - Stephen Leacock

The story “With the Photographer”, describes one of Leacock’s incident with a
photographer in a studio, where he visits to have his photograph taken and is unintentionally
humiliated by the photographer.

During the early times, there were no smartphones and other brand gadgets, so people
were supposed to visit studio to be photographed. The story exposes the theme of Humiliation,
Self-respect, Insecurity and Appearance that how a man, who just wanted to be photographed,
had to face such humiliation and bear insult just because of his face.

No Enthusiasm

On seeing Leacock, the photographer did not show any sort of enthusiasm and asked him
to sit and wait. Leacock says in his essay that “I waited an hour. I read the Ladies Companion for
1912, the girls Magazines for 1902, and the Infants Journal for 1888. I began to see that I had
done an unwarrantable thing in breaking in on the privacy of this man’s scientific pursuits with a
face like mine”

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After an hour, the photographer asked the author to come in and sit down. The author sat
down in a beam of sunlight filtered through a sheet of factory cotton hung against a frosted
skylight.

After wasting a lot of time by crawling back into the machine again and again, drawing a
black cloth over himself, tearing at the cotton sheet and the window panes with a hooked stick,
the photographer came with a disappointed face and said that Leacock’s face was wrong.

Humiliating Moment

This was the most humiliating moment for the narrator because for a good picture, a
happy face and a happy mood is required, which the photographer completely ruined by
commenting on his face.

The photographer pointed out a number of faults by criticising and condemning his face,
head, and ears by saying “I don’t like the head, “the ears are bad”, ”I don’t like the face”,
ultimately making the author feel angry and he develops a sense of insecurity within himself.
The photographer was a mysterious man, and instead of focusing on how to make the photo
proper and elegant, he was searching for the faults on Leacock’s appearance.

Distorted Photo

The photo which the author finally received was completely different and distortion of
his real face and figure. It did not look like author’s original photo. The photography was very
poor and disappointing. The author’s eyebrows were removed, and his mouth was adjusted a
little.

The photographer had no guilt of his mistake and instead he shamelessly said that he had
used a process named the delphide for removing them. He had even removed the hair which
were present on the author’s face.

Unable to control his aggression, the author uttered about his expectation that he came to
receive a photograph exactly like him, how he actually looked in real but the photographer has
completely destructed his appearance, just to show off his photography skills and his status.

The author asked the photographer to keep the art of photograph with himself, because for him, it
was totally worthless and useless. By the end, the author left the studio with tears.

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2. Travel By Train - JB Priestly

About the Author

J.B Priestley John Boynton Priestley (1894–1984), was an English novelist, dramatist,
broadcaster and an essayist. He was born in Bradford, a city in the North of England. Priestley
was educated at the Belle Vue Grammar School, which he left at the age of sixteen, to work as a
junior clerk at a wool firm in the Swan Arcade.

In 1914, he joined army, served during the First World War, and was wounded by mortar
fire. During the Second World War, he was a very popular broadcaster on BBC Radio. He
gained reputation as a writer in the year 1922 Priestley was a prolific writer with 47 plays, 32
works of fiction, and 62 titles of non-fiction including essays to his credit. He was awarded the
Order of Merit in 1977. Among his major works are The Good Companions, An Inspector Calls,
Bright Day, Festival at Farbridge and The Image Men.

‘Travel by Train’ is a delightful piece of prose filled with light-hearted humour and
caricatures. Humour is a comic or incongruous quality causing amusement. Caricature is a
picture or description that exaggerates the appearance or behaviour of persons in a humourous or
critical way.

In this prose, Priestley describes short caricatures of:

• The middle-aged women

• The heavy carriers

• The non-stop eaters

• The noisy children

• The cranks

• The innocent people

• The mighty sleepers

• The seafaring men

• The confidential strangers

• The elderly man

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The middle-aged woman: Priestley explains the middle-aged woman as a person with a
rasping voice and a face of brass. She evades into the smoking compartments that are already
filled with smokers. She is described as a character who comes in shouting and bustling and she
is accompanied by a dog that is only one degree less offensive than her.

The heavy carriers: They are the passengers who would go on a journey, taking all their
odd chattels and household utensils, parceling them up in brown paper. Furthermore, they also
carry baskets of fruits and bunches of flowers to add to their own and other people’s misery.

The non-stop eaters: They are described as simple folks who board the railway carriages
for the sole purpose of eating and drinking. Once they are settled, they pass each other tattered
sandwiches and scrapes of pastry, and talk with their mouths full, and scattering crumbs over the
trousers of fastidious old gentlemen.

The noisy children: The children are not good to travel with while on a train journey.
They whimper and howl throughout the journey. In addition, they spend all their time daubing
their faces with chocolate or trying to climb out of the window.

The cranks: The cranks are described as those who insist on keeping the windows open
during the cold and desolate day. However, they do not allow the windows to be open in the
oppressively hot season due to the fear of cold air rushing in.

The innocent people: They are the ones who always board the wrong train. Neither do
they have the understanding to interpret the complicated railway time-tables nor do they ask the
railway officials for advice. They climb into the train that comes first. In the midst of the
journey, with a sudden look round the carriage, they enquire whether they are on the right train
or not. The writer has often wondered whether these people will ever reach their destination.

The mighty sleepers: They are the ones who sleep at their command. Once they get into
the train, they compose themselves and are off to sleep in a moment. Two minutes or so from
their destination, they wake up, collect their baggage and a moment later they go out, alert and
refreshed. The author describes these mighty sleepers as the descendants of the Seven of
Ephesus.

The Seven of Ephesus: It refers to the legend of seven noble Christians who lived in
Ephesus, an ancient Greek city, who were fleeing the persecution of Emperor Decius. They took
refuge in a cave. The Emperor, knowing this, ordered the caves to be closed. But as a heavenly
intervention, these noble Christians fell into a deep sleep for 187 years. When the cave was
opened, these men came to know that Christianity was established in their county; they narrated
their story and died.

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The seafaring Men:They make good companions on a railway journey because they are
always ready for a crack with any man, and there is always an entertaining matter in their talk.
But they can only be met in the coastal towns.

The confidential strangers: The confidential strangers are rarely seen and are compared to
a very dull dog, which compels the co-passenger to yawn through the lengthy story of his life.
He takes pleasure in talking about things of his own interest.

The elderly man: The elderly man is a neatly dressed person who is always seated in a
corner. He opens his conversation by pulling out a golden hunter and remarking that the train is
at least three minutes behind time. And from then on, his talk will be all about trains. The author
warns the readers to be aware of the elderly man, for he is the Ancient Mariner of railway
travelers.

3. On Forgetting - Robert Lynd

Forgetfulness is mainly a result of preoccupation. As we are busy with some important

tasks or activities, we forget certain things. Our focus is on completing the day’s work and
getting a good name from the teachers as well as parents. In the course of doing the most
important task assigned for that particular day, we forget to take back essential things such as
lunch boxes, instrument boxes, notebooks or books. We may forget certain things on account of
carelessness. But mostly preoccupation makes us forget to do important things.

Robert Lynd is a very humorous and delightful Irish essayist. His essays are simple,
playful, humorous and satirical. His style of writing is elegant and charming. In his essay
“Forgetting”, Robert Lynd writes about the root causes of forgetting and also explains what
items are usually forgotten by people.

Robert Lynd says that he is amazed by the efficiency of human memory. Modern man
remembers even telephone numbers and names of actors and actresses and cricketers and
footballers and murderers. Thus he can remember almost everything in his life.

In some matters human memory works less than its usual perfection. For example, most
people forget to take medicine. But they don’t forget to take meals, and medicines are usually
taken before or after or during meals. Psychologists say that we forget things because we wish to
forget them. Generally people don’t like medicines and so they forget them. But Lynd does not
agree with this.

According to Robert Lynd, the commonest form of forgetfulness is posting letters. Most
people forget to post letters. So Robert Lynd humorously remarks that if anyone asks him to post
a letter he will be a poor judge of character because Robert Lynd never posts the letter even if he

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keeps it in his pocket for many days. Similarly the author leaves walking sticks and umbrellas
during his journey.

Lynd says that a list of articles lost by railway travellers has been published and it shows
that most of these travellers are young sportsmen. They have forgotten their cricket-bats and
footballs. Lynd says that these boys returning from the games have their imagination filled with
the vision of the playing field. The defeated players are very sad and they think about their lost
opportunities and failures. The victorious boys have thoughts about their achievements. They are
in a dream world and they forget to take their cricket bats and footballs when leaving the train.

Similarly the anglers are also the citizens of dream-land. They are day-dreamers. They
forget to take the fishing rod when they go home in the evening. Their minds are filled with
matters more glorious. Thus both the sportsmen and anglers are absent-minded people. Lynd
remarks that such absent-mindedness is a blessing because these people forget their unhappiness
and live in the dream world of Utopia. Great thinkers, poets and philosophers were absent-
minded people because their minds were full of high ideals and imagination. Socrates, the great
Greek Philosopher and S.T.Coleridge, the great English poet were absent-minded people.

Ordinarily good memories are very common. So if a man does not have a good memory,
we may call him an eccentric. Lynd narrates a very funny story of a father who takes his baby
out in a perambulator in the morning. When he was going with his child in the perambulator, he
was tempted to get into a public house for a glass of beer. Leaving the child outside in the
perambulator, he disappeared through the door of the saloon bar. After some time, his wife came
that way for shopping. She was horrified to see her sleeping baby in the perambulator. She was
so angry with her husband that she decided to teach him a lesson and wheeled away the
perambulator. At lunch-time the husband came home smiling cheerfully. He had completely
forgotten all about his child and the perambulator. He just asked her what was for lunch that day.
Lynd remarks that very few men below the rank of a philosopher would be capable of such
absent mindedness as this man in the story.

Unit III

Short Stories

1. The Taxi Driver - KS Duggal

Dittu, when he was young, was known as Hardit Singh and was a son of well to do
parents, but now Dittu was a taxi driver, and on one day, he had parked his taxi, and he had
noticed a wallet lying on the back seat with currency notes belonging to some passenger. Dittu
felt uneasy, and it was already late in the evening. The last passenger was picked up on the
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roadside and dropped at the railway station. Dittu had already suffered once like this before, and
today, it happened again. If he knew the name and address of the passenger, he could have
returned it

At that moment, he thought he would leave the wallet on the back seat, but his little son
would come to clean the car in the morning and find it odd. Lost in thought was Dittu, Banti, his
wife, who was waiting for him in the evening. Seeing the wallet in Dittu’s hands, she took it. Her
husband had never had a wallet. Fearing that he might lose his temper, Dittu got into bed and
went to sleep, but he had bad dreams. Dittu woke up from his slumber. Banti was sleeping in her
bed; she had the wallet in her hand. Dittu tried to snatch it from her, but she woke up. Dittu lost
his patience and hit Banti on her face. Banti screamed. Dittu gave her another hit.

Their son Gullu woke up; he rushed to his mother. Dittu felt ashamed of himself. He had
never lost his temper like that in his life. Banti tried to explain to her son as if nothing had
happened, taking her son into her arms, Banti then put out the lamp and went back to bed. A little
later, she got up again and started counting the currency notes in the wallet. She counted the
notes, then she called her son, who was still struggling to go to sleep and asked if he saw 100 and
50 rupee notes he said no, and by this talk, Gullu had gone off to sleep, just like her taxi driver
husband, in his bed across the room.

The story The Taxi Driver by K S Duggal highlights the importance of honesty, which is
seen in Dittu’s internal struggle. The story also shows the theme of poverty, where we see Banti
Seeing the wallet as an opportunity to escape reality, which mirrors how money can push
people.The story shows marriage and the roles of gender in houses where there are lower
incomes. Thechild in the story notices struggles without a proper understanding and is introduced
to the reality of poverty and how it affects familial relationships, wherein his mother, Banti, tries
to normalise violence, which even more shows Gullu how his family gets affected due to
poverty. Here, through this story, Gullu's childish innocence, for the first time, witnesses the
world of adulthood and the struggles of surviving.

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2.A Retrieved Reformation - O Henry

Jimmy Valentine is hard at work in a prison shoe-shop before being escorted to the
warden’s office. There, he is given his freedom in the form of a pardon by the governor of
Arkansas. Jimmy has been in prison for nearly ten months, after being sentenced to four years,
yet instead of celebrating his good fortune, he accepts the pardon “in a tired kind of way.” As a
well-connected criminal, Jimmy had expected his friends on the outside to get him out much
sooner.

The warden reminds Jimmy that he is “not a bad fellow at heart” before telling him to
“stop cracking safes, and live straight.” Jimmy jokingly denies having ever cracked a safe and
the warden plays along, defending Jimmy’s feigned innocence. Early the next morning, after
being given a five-dollar bill and railroad ticket, Jimmy is released from prison and walks out
into the sunshine a free man.

Once on the outside, Jimmy quickly finds a restaurant to indulge in a luxurious meal
before boarding a train and returning to his rented room. There, he notices detective Ben Price’s
shirt button on the floor, evidence of Price’s arrest of Jimmy for a burglary in Springfield. Jimmy
changes into his usual stylish clothing and removes his suitcase of burglar’s tools from a hidden
panel in the wall.

A string of increasingly higher-stakes robberies occurs in the area, attracting the attention
of law enforcement, and, eventually, Ben Price. Price is convinced that Jimmy is responsible;
Jimmy is the only thief capable of such difficult jobs, and he is also the only one who possesses
the tools to pull them off. Price is well-versed in Jimmy’s crimes, and he is determined to catch
him and hold him accountable.

Meanwhile, Jimmy travels to the small town of Elmore to case the local bank and comes
upon a beautiful young woman standing outside. He immediately falls in love with her, and soon
learns that the young woman is Annabel Adams, the daughter of the local bank owner. He then

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checks into a local hotel under a false identity, Ralph D. Spencer, and pretends to be a
prospective businessman looking to relocate to the area. Under the guise of Ralph, Jimmy lives
and works in Elmore, builds a successful shoe business, and wins the heart of Annabel. After one
year, Jimmy has the trust of Annabel’s family, is popular and accepted within the community,
and is set to marry her in two weeks’ time.

Reformed by his love for Annabel, Jimmy writes a letter to an old friend telling him of
his transformation. Jimmy has no intention of returning to his life of crime and wants to gift his
friend his suitcase of burglar’s tools. Soon after, Ben Price arrives in Elmorel in pursuit of
Jimmy, and finds him living as Ralph Spencer.

The next day, Jimmy has breakfast with Annabel and her family before going to Little
Rock to order his wedding suit and drop off his suitcase of tools to his old friend. With his tools
in hand, Jimmy accompanies Annabel and her family to The Elmore Bank, where her father, Mr.
Adams, shows off his new safe. Annabel’s nieces, May and Agatha, play nearby as Ben Price
walks unnoticed into the bank.

Suddenly, May inadvertently locks Agatha in the new safe, engaging the bolts and
combination before Mr. Adams has had the chance to set them. Agatha is stuck in the vault,
frightened and running out of air. The family begins to panic, imploring Jimmy to find a way to
get her out. Jimmy smiles and asks Annabel for the rose pinned to her dress before opening his
suitcase and quickly cracking the safe, freeing Agatha and casting suspicion on his identity as a
mere shoe salesman. As Jimmy leaves the bank, he notices Ben Price and resigns himself to his
custody, facing his past robberies. Price responds, “Guess you’re mistaken, Mr. Spencer. Don’t
believe I recognize you,” before turning and walking away.

3. Kabuliwala - Rabindranath Tagore

“Kabuliwallah” opens with the narrator describing his five-year-old daughter, Mini. She
“can’t stop talking for a minute” and is frequently scolded by her mother for it. The narrator, on
the other hand, thinks that it’s “unnatural” when Mini is quiet, and so he spends a lot of time

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talking to her and answering her many questions. One morning, Mini chats with her father while
he’s working on an adventure novel. She looks out the window and spots a Kabuliwallah named
Rahamat and starts calling to him. However, when he comes over, Mini runs into another room,
convinced that his large bags are full of children, not goods.

A few days later, the narrator finds Mini sitting next to Rahamat and talking to him with a
pile of raisins and nuts in her lap. The narrator tells Rahamat not to give her any more treats and
gives him a half-rupee, which Rahamat takes. Later, Mini’s mother scolds Mini for having a
half-rupee, which Mini says Rahamat gave her. The narrator saves Mini “from her mother’s
wrath” and brings her outside where she tells him that Rahamat has come by almost every day to
listen to her talk. Among the numerous jokes they have together, one starts with Rahamat telling
Mini, “don’t ever go off to your śvaśur-bāṛi.” Mini doesn’t understand what this means because
the narrator and his wife are “progressive people” who “don’t keep talking to [their] young
daughter about her future marriage,” and so she innocently asks him if he is going to his.
Rahamat jokingly shakes a fist and says he’ll “settle him,” making Mini laugh.

It is autumn, which the narrator associates with kings setting out “on their world-
conquests,” which further reminds him that he has never left Calcutta even though he longs to
explore the world. He has an active imagination and frequently imagines distant lands, but he is
“a rooted sort of individual” and whenever he does leave his “familiar spot” he will “practically
collapse.” Because of this, the narrator is happy to spend a morning just listening to Rahamat’s
stories of Afghanistan and traveling. Mini’s mother is very different: she is scared of the outside
world and imagines it is full of extreme dangers. Unhappy with Rahamat, a complete stranger,
spending so much time with Mini, she warns the narrator to keep an eye on him. When the
narrator tells her there is nothing to worry about, she talks about the possibility of Mini being
kidnapped and sold into slavery. Rahamat, however, continues to come and the narrator
continues to enjoy seeing him with Mini.

Rahamat is preparing to go home. Part of these preparations is to go all around Calcutta

and collect money that customers owe him, but he always makes time in the evening to stop at

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the narrator’s house to talk with Mini. One morning, the narrator hears something going on in the
streets and looks out the window to see Rahamat, covered in blood, being led down the street in
handcuffs. The narrator runs outside, and Rahamat tells him that he got into a physical
altercation with a customer who had refused to pay and, during the fight, he stabbed the
customer. Mini comes out and asks Rahamat if he’s being taken to his śvaśur-bāṛi, and he says
that he is. Rahamat is sent to jail. It does not take long for Mini to forget Rahamat and find new
friends, first with the groom (someone who takes care of horses) and then with girls her age. She
stops visiting her father’s study and the narrator says he “dropped her,” as well.

A few years later, the narrator and his wife are preparing for Mini’s wedding day. The
house is full of people setting things up and the narrator has isolated himself in his study.
Rahamat suddenly arrives and tells the narrator he had been released from jail the day before,
which reminds the narrator of his crime and sets him on edge. The narrator tells Rahamat that
they are busy and he will have to go, but Rahamat asks if he can see Mini. Once again the
narrator tries to brush him off and Rahamat prepares to leave, but as he walks out the door he
asks the narrator to give Mini some grapes, nuts, and raisins he brought for her as a reminder of
their past friendship. The narrator gets some money to pay Rahamat for them, but he refuses
payment and tells the narrator that he had come with his own daughter “in mind,” not to do
business.

Rahamat pulls “a crumpled piece of paper” out of the breast pocket of his shirt and shows
the narrator the handprint of his daughter, Parvati, that he carries with him while he travels for
work. Seeing it, the narrator “forgot then that he was an Afghan raisin-seller and I was a Bengali
Babu,” instead recognizing that “he was a father just as I am a father.” This changes the
narrator’s mind about sending Rahamat away and instead he calls Mini down. When she comes
in, she’s “dressed as a bride” and acts shy and uncomfortable. Rahamat tries to joke with her as
he used to, asking if she’s going to her śvaśur-bāṛi, but instead of laughing and asking questions,
Mini “blushed […] and looked away.” The narrator’s “heart ache[s].”

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When Mini leaves, Rahamat suddenly realizes that his daughter, like Mini, will have
grown up and be different from the little girl he once knew. As Rahamat thinks about
Afghanistan and his daughter, the narrator pulls out some money and asks Rahamat to use it to
get home. He tells Rahamat that, “by your blessed reunion, Mini will be blessed.” Giving
Rahamat the money means that Mini’s wedding party is not as grand as it might have been, but
the narrator is happy with it, believing that “the ceremony was lit by a kinder, more gracious
light.”

Themes:

1. Emotional Bond: The story highlights the power of human connection, transcending
cultural, social, and language barriers. The relationship between Mini and the Kabuliwala
grows into one based on trust and affection.
2. Separation and Longing: The Kabuliwala's longing for his daughter mirrors the themes
of separation and yearning for loved ones, which is a central motif of the story.
3. Innocence of Childhood: The innocence of childhood is evident in the relationship
between Mini and the Kabuliwala. Mini's trust in him, and her ability to form a bond with
him despite their differences, highlights the purity of a child's heart.
4. Cultural Differences and Empathy: Tagore explores the theme of cultural differences
but emphasizes the shared humanity that binds people across different backgrounds.

Unit IV

Language Competency

Homophones, Homographs and Homonyms

Words that are similar and maybe spelt similarly but differ in meaning. Homonyms are
considered to be a synonym for homographs and homophones.

A homograph is those words with the same spelling but different meanings pronounced
similarly or not. For example, Bass ( instrument) and Bass ( a fish).

At the same time, homophones have the same pronunciation and may have the same or
different spelling but differ in meaning. For example, they’re, their, and there are homophones.

Therefore homophones and homographs are considered homonyManymany homonyms

are used regularly, which is more confusing for beginners and native speakers. They are not
much important but rather understand their use properly to create proper meaningful sentences.

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Differences between the three will help in understanding the meaning of it easily. While the
name itself also helps in understanding the difference between this three.

Homophones, homographs, and homonyms begin with the term “homo,” which means
the same or similar. “Phones” from the homophones means the sound. And “graph” from the
homograph means the written.

At the same time, “nyms” from the homonyms define the name. Therefore homonyms are
referred to as both homographs and homophones. It is also used as a synonym for these both
terms. Among these three, homonyms are mostly used more than homographs and homophones.

Your, you’re, to, too, and two kinds of words develop confusion while understanding
their meaning because of the same pronunciation in day-to-day life for everyone. These are types
of homophones used regularly for speaking the English language.

Most common confusing examples of homophones:

1. Effect/affect:- the effect is a verb while the effect is a noun.

2. Than/then:- then is an adverb, adjective, or noun. Then, it is a subordinary conjugation.

3. You’re/your:- your is the pronoun used in language while you’re a contraction used for

you are.

While native speakers do not face any difficulties while speaking because they can easily
understand the homophones, it is difficult for beginners and students to understand them.
Therefore many activities have been included in the topic for students allotted by teachers.

Examples of homophones are as follows

1. Break/brake:- both have similar pronunciation but different meanings. While teaching

driving to my niece, I told her that if she didn’t hit the brake on time, she would break the
car’s side mirror or the entire car.
2. Dye/Die:- If you have drunk dye, you will die.

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3. Sell/ cell:- if you find selling drugs, you will reach the cell automatically.

4. Flower/ flour:- to develop a flower-shaped biscuit, we need more flour.

5. Heal/heel:- If a girl puts her heels on someone’s leg, that will need time to heal.

6. Night/knight:- the Knight is on his way to the castle, but travelling at night might be

dangerous.
7. Write/ right:- writers often say there is no right time to write a book.

8. Whether/weather:- I found the weather is a little cloudy, so I am not sure whether I

should take an umbrella with me or not.

9. Tale/ tail:- While I was reading the fairy tale, the doggy tried to bite his tail.

10. See/sea:- I love to see the sea early in the morning.

11. Sun/son:- My son wakes up after sunrise.

12. Pour/poor:- My friend is poor to fulfil his finance. He pours a drink at the bar.

13. Except /accept:- Rahul’s assignments have been accepted except the maths one.

14. Complement/compliment:- Rita has complimented raj’s cooking skills while they are

complementing dinner.

15. Too/to:- it’s too hot to handle outside.

Portmanteau words
A portmanteau is a word that combines the sounds and meanings of two or more words.
Here are some examples of portmanteau words:

● Brunch: A combination of "breakfast" and "lunch"

● Biopic: A combination of "biography" and "picture"
● Chortle: A combination of "chuckle" and "snort"
● Motel: A combination of "motor" and "hotel"
● Smog: A combination of "smoke" and "fog"
● Spork: A combination of "spoon" and "fork"
● Affluenza: A combination of "affluent" and "influenza"
● Botox: A combination of "botulism" and "toxin"
● Chillax: A combination of "chill" and "relax"
● Guesstimate: A combination of "guess" and "estimate"
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Subject-Verb Agreement

Subject-verb agreement refers to the grammatical concept that the subject of a sentence
must align with the main verb of that same sentence. In particular, singular subjects take singular
verbs and plural subjects take plural verbs.

The most common verb agreement errors occur when writers lose track of the real subject of the
sentence—by treating the object of a preposition as part of the subject, for instance—and choose
the wrong form of the verb. By studying subject-verb agreement rules and learning how to
separate the prepositional phrases from the subjects, you can consistently match subjects with
their proper verbs.
Rules for Subject-Verb Agreement
1. Singular subjects require singular verbs. For example, in the sentence, “The train runs
from Phoenix to El Paso,” “the train” is the singular subject taking on the singular verb
“runs.”
2. Plural subjects require plural verbs. In the sentence, “The trains run all night long,” the
plural “trains” necessitates the plural verb “run.”
3. Compound subjects with the word “and” require plural verbs. In the sentence, “Pizza
and cauliflower taste great together,” “pizza” and “cauliflower” are grouped together to
create a compound subject.
4. Compound subjects with the word “or” or “nor” can take either a singular verb or a
plural verb. If the number of the subject closest to the verb is singular, use a singular
verb. For example, “Either Jeff or Jane knows the answer.” If the number of the subject
closest to the verb is plural, use a plural verb. For example, “Either Jeff or his sisters
know the answer.”
5. Collective nouns can be singular or plural. Collective nouns like “team,” “company,”
“city,” “state,” “government,” “committee,” and “store” are singular nouns and thus take
singular verbs. Collective nouns like “team members,” “company leaders,” and “city
officials” are plural and thus take plural verbs.

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6. Indefinite pronouns are singular and take singular verbs. The indefinite pronouns
“anything,” “anywhere,” “anybody,” “anyone,” “each,” “each one,” “either,” “neither,”
“everyone,” “everybody,” “nobody,” “somebody,” “someone,” and “no one” are singular.
They take the singular form of verbs. For example, “Nobody likes fondue anymore.”
7. A pair is a singular noun and takes a singular verb. For example, “pair” is the singular
subject in “That old pair of jeans has treated me well.”
8. Plural-form subjects are often singular when presented as a title. For example, “Physics
is an essential subject.”
9. Gerunds often function as singular nouns, and they take singular verbs. For example,
“Swimming was the sport that taught me how to win.”
10. The phrase “one of the [plural noun] who/that” requires a singular verb. Although the
phrase will contain a plural noun, it should receive a singular verb to agree with the noun
phrase “one of the [plural noun],” which functions as the subject. Despite the sentence
referencing a group of people or things, the noun phrase is focusing on just one of them.
For example, “Mr. Lee is one of the teachers who coaches sports after school.” Another
example is: “One of the dogs is wagging its tail.”
11. “They” is a third-person pronoun that can be both singular and plural. “They” can
refer to a group of people or to one individual. Corresponding verbs should be singular or
plural according to the context.

Error Correction
In correcting errors in a language, an important step is the identification of errors. Identification
of errors refers to picking up errors after carefully proofreading the sentences.

Steps in the identification of errors:

● Carefully read the sentences provided.

● Identify and mark the errors in the sentences.
● Think about the correct alternative for the mistake.
● Write the correct word instead of the error.

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● Read the corrected sentence again to confirm it is right.

1. You should know how to use adverbs, adjectives, conjunctions, nouns, interjections, and

other parts of speech.

These must be used correctly because they aid in the construction of a sentence.

For instance, she is a fantastic cook. (Incorrect) She’s a fantastic cook. (Correct)

2. Verify that the sentence is grammatically correct, with the subject agreeing with the verb.

The subject-verb agreement should be present; if it isn’t, the sentence is incorrect. It also serves
as a hint for locating a mistake.

3. The sentence should not have any parallelism. The various words in the sentence should

all be written in the same tense to follow the same concept.

Students, for example, must learn about programming, computing, and how to process.
(Incorrect)

Programming, computing, and processing are all required of the student. (Correct)

1. A modifier should come after the subject because it modifies the subject. If the modifiers

come before the subject, the sentence may be incorrect.

2. Pulses are a rich source in protein.

Correction: Pulses are a rich source of protein.

2. I go to school every day through the bus.

Correction: I go to school every day by bus.

3. I read your book, but I had not understand it.

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Correction: I read your book, but I couldn’t understand it.

4.The sun is up lets pack our bags.

Correction: The sun is up, let’s pack our bags.

5. We all saw it the cat catched the yarn ball.

Correction: We all saw it, the cat caught the yarn ball.

6. It is raining cats or dogs.

Correction: It is raining cats and dogs.

7. Tom is the tall kid in his class.

Correction: Tom is the tallest kid in his class.

8. She packed her lunch, it was only a apple.

Correction: She packed her lunch, it was only an apple.

9. Can you make few coffee for me?

Correction: Can you make some coffee for me?

10. Man is the social animal.

Correction: Man is a social animal.

Unit V

English for Communicatiomn

1. Listening with Courtesy

Courteous listening is a way of listening that involves giving your full attention to the speaker,
showing that you are engaged, and asking questions to clarify. It can help to improve
communication and understanding between the speaker and listener.

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Here are some tips for courteous listening:

● Give your full attention: Give the speaker your undivided attention and acknowledge
their message.
● Show that you are listening: Use nonverbal engagement to show that you are listening.
● Summarize key points: Summarize the main points of what the speaker has said.
● Ask clarifying questions: Ask questions to clarify if you don't understand something.

Participating in a Meeting

Participating in a meeting" means actively engaging in a gathering where people come together
to discuss a topic, share information, make decisions, or solve problems by contributing your
thoughts, ideas, and opinions throughout the discussion; essentially, being an active listener and
contributor to the meeting agenda.

Key aspects of participating in a meeting:

Preparation:
Reviewing the meeting agenda beforehand to understand the key topics and come prepared
with relevant information.
Active listening:
Paying close attention to what others are saying and asking clarifying questions if needed.
Sharing insights:
Contributing your own ideas, perspectives, and expertise on the discussion points.
Asking questions:
Seeking clarification on points that are unclear or raising relevant questions to further the
discussion.
Following meeting protocols:
Adhering to time constraints, speaking respectfully, and taking turns to contribute.

Reading News and Weather Reports

When reading news and weather reports, proper etiquette includes being mindful of
others around you by keeping noise levels low, not interrupting conversations, and respecting
the seriousness of the information being presented, especially when discussing sensitive topics;
when reading weather reports, focus on the key details like temperature, precipitation, and

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potential warnings relevant to your location without excessively commenting or interrupting

others with unnecessary information.

Key points

● Be aware of your surroundings:

If you're reading news or weather reports in a public space, keep your voice down and
avoid loudly discussing details that might disturb others.
● Respect sensitive topics:
When reading about serious news events, maintain a respectful tone and avoid making
insensitive comments.
● Focus on relevant information:
When reading weather reports, pay attention to the key details like temperature, precipitation
type, and any potential warnings for your location.
● Don't interrupt with unnecessary details:
If you're sharing weather information with others, provide only the most important updates
and avoid going into excessive detail unless asked.
● Be mindful of your audience:
Consider who you are sharing information with and tailor your delivery accordingly,
avoiding jargon or overly technical language.

Preparing First Drafts of Short Assignments

To prepare a first draft for a short assignment, start by thoroughly understanding the prompt,
conduct necessary research, create a brief outline, and then write a rough version of your
response, focusing on getting your main points down without worrying too much about perfect
grammar or formatting at this stage; remember to review your draft for clarity and coherence
before submitting.

Key Steps:

1. Understand the Assignment:

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● Read the prompt carefully: Identify the key questions, required elements, and specific
instructions.
● Check for deadlines and word count limitations: Plan your writing time accordingly.

2. Research and Brainstorm:

● Gather relevant information: If needed, conduct research through textbooks, articles, or

reliable online sources.
● Develop your main points: Brainstorm key ideas and arguments to support your answer.

3. Create a Basic Outline:

● Organize your thoughts: Structure your response using a simple outline with an
introduction, body paragraphs, and conclusion.
● Identify key points for each section: Decide what information to include in each
paragraph.

4. Write the First Draft:

● Start writing: Focus on getting your main ideas down without getting bogged down in
details or perfect phrasing.
● Use clear and concise language: Write in a straightforward manner, avoiding unnecessary
jargon.
● Support your points with evidence: If required, cite relevant examples or data from your
research.

5. Review and Revise:

● Read through your draft: Check for logical flow, consistency, and clarity of ideas.
● Address any gaps: Fill in missing information or elaborate on key points where needed.
● Proofread for errors: Correct any grammatical mistakes, typos, or punctuation issues.

Important Considerations:

Focus on the core message:

A first draft is not about perfection, but about getting your ideas on paper.
Don't be afraid to change your approach:
If new insights emerge during the writing process, adjust your outline as needed.

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Seek feedback if possible:

Ask a friend, classmate, or writing center tutor to review your draft and provide
constructive criticism.

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