Summary of FULL FATHOM FIVE THY FATHER LIES : William Shakespeare

UNIT TWO : ECOLOGY AND CHANGE

FULL FATHOM FIVE THY FATHER LIES

ENGLISH | THE HERITAGE OF WORDS
W. Shakespeare

The poem "Full Fathom Five Thy Father Lies" is written by famous English poet and playwright (dramatist)William Shakespeare. This poem appears to be in Act-I, Scene-2 of his tragic comedy play The Tempest. Aerial sings this song to Ferdinand, the prince of Naples who mistakenly thinks that his father is drowned and arrives on the Solitary Island in search of his father.

Aerial says that the body of Ferdinand’s father keeps lying 30 ft. below in the sea. His bones are changed into precious corals and his eyes have been transformed into pearls. No part of his body has decayed but changed into something very strange and precious thing belonging to the sea. The sea nymphs are ringing the funeral bell every hour and morning the death of Ferdinand’s father.

Aerial consoles Ferdinand that even the death of his father becomes very meaningful because no part of his body is decayed rather changed into strange and very precious things of the sea. The poet in his poem expresses that death is the door step towards eternity which is an inevitable truth of life. Everyone has to confront (face) it, presenting the poem beautifully using various poetic devices, the poet expresses that even the death could be very meaningful it leads towards eternity and spiritual freedom.

Summary of HURRIED TRIP TO AVOID A BAD STAR : M. Lilla and C. Bishop Berry

UNIT TWO : ECOLOGY AND CHANGE

HURRIED TRIP TO AVOID A BAD STAR

ENGLISH | THE HERITAGE OF WORDS

M. Lilla and C. Bishop Berry

American geographers M. Lilla and C. Bishop Barry in their essay Hurried trip to avoid a Bad Star present an exploration of Karnali zone of western Nepal on foot for 15 months. This essay was published as a visit report in The National Geographic as Karnali, The road less World of Western Nepal in 1971. The writers in this essay describe the life account of Karnali zone people, their daily life, their tradition and culture, their lack of awareness about environmental preservation and Karnali zone’s economic dependency with the plain region of south Nepal.

With a view to study above mentioned aspects, the writers move to plain of south Nepal with the peasants (farmers) who were going towards Nepalgunj for their daily provisions. They were carrying medicinal herbs, hand knitted sweaters and blankets etc. to sell in Nepalgunj while climbing step hill near Hari Lekh a Chhetri women of about 36 requested them to send her husband back home who left the house 15 years ago in search of job in the Terai. For this request revealed the concept of Karnali zone people about parameter of the world. In a Sal forest slope the writers noticed the chopping down trees from several direction which indicated the possibility of rapid deforestation in the region. On enquiry, the people explained their compulsion to chop down the trees to feed their animals which exposed their lack of education and ignorance about the importance of preservation of environment. The writers noticed a group of 8 or 9 men in a forest processingSilajit in order to sell in Nepalgunj. This superstitious people made a hurried trip from their home valley to avoid evil influence of bad star. On arrival in Nepalgunj the writers watched the hill people buying their daily provisions; one of them spent all his money buying distillery equipments with a hope to earn money by selling alcohol.

The writers concluded their journey at Jumla. They expressed their concern on lack of awareness on Karnali zone people about protection of nature and about the need of educating people regarding this vital aspect. They expressed that Karnali zone people were living in very difficult place with a very low agricultural production. The writers suggested them to involve themselves in trade with the Terai region in order to make their life easy with satisfactory earning.

Summary of TRAVELING THROUGH THE DARK : William Stafford

UNIT TWO : ECOLOGY AND CHANGE

TRAVELING THROUGH THE DARK

ENGLISH | THE HERITAGE OF WORDS

William Stafford

“Traveling through the Dark” composed by William Stafford presents dual responsibilities of any person has possibility of facing: one self-entered and another community-centered. By the end, he moralizes that one has to make choice between the two, and such choice is also ways self-centered.

It was dark and the poet was traveling along the road by Wilson River. On the way, he saw a dead deer. He thought it would be better if he threw the deer into canyon because the road was very narrow and his returning would cause more deaths. Thinking of throwing, he got down from his car. And he went towards the deer.

While the deer. While he dragged for the purpose of throwing, he saw that she was pregnant. This reality forced him to tough the deer’s side.He felt warmth and knew that her fawn was still alive.

Consequently, he found difficulty in deciding. He looked towards his vehicles. It was aiming its parking light ahead, its engine was continuously purring. He stood there and tried to hear the sound of his friends coming but he could not. He thought for longer about himself and about his friends. He thought at returning also. But, at last, he pushed the deer into the river.

Summary of A Story

UNIT THREE : HUMOUR AND SATIRE

A STORY

ENGLISH | THE HERITAGE OF WORDS

Dylan Thomas

This humorous story is narrated by a very young who is living with his uncle and aunt. In this story, the boy presents the adults' world from a child’s point of view. This story is about a day’s outing to Porthcawl by motor coach. In the first part of the story, the boy describes his uncle and aunt using metaphors and similes. The uncle was big and noisy whereas his wife was small and quiet who used to move on padded paws. The boy compares his uncle with a buffalo and a dismantle ship. He compared his aunt with her cat because of her quick and quiet movement and with a mouse because of her nibbling habit and tiny tone.

Every Saturday night after heated arguments, the aunt used to hit the uncle on the head after the uncle lifted her on to a chair. The boy also describes uncle’s few friends in the story. Mr. Benjamin Franklyn collected the money for the outing and bought 20 cases of light wine. Will Sentry kept a strict vigil on Benjamin by following him everywhere in order to guard the money. One Sunday evening Benjamin and Will Sentry came to uncle with a list of persons who had paid for the outing for his approval. After their departure, the aunt asked the uncle to choose either her or the outing. The uncle however chose the outing at which she became furious at breakfast. The next Sunday the boy found that the aunt had already left the house.

Finally the boy describes that the uncle and his friends made a trip to Porthcawl for the outing. When they were out of the village for their destination, they found that old O’Jones had been left behind and they had to go back to the village to pick up him. After O’Jones got on, Mr. Weazely wanted to go home to take his teeth. However his friends convinced him that the teeth wouldn’t be necessary for him in the outing. On the way to the Porthcawl they stopped at every public house (Bar) and drank alcohol heaving the boy outside as children were not allowed into the bars on seem a river on the way they went swimming there. They didn’t actually arrive at Porthcawl on the way home, it was already hate everything. Old O’Jones started cooking his dinner with kerosene stove and other members started drinking alcohol sitting in a circle in front of closed bar. The boy began to sleep leaning on his uncle’s waist coat.

The writer in the story is also able to create humor by describing the uncle, aunt, uncle’s friends and their behavior. However, the writer points out towards the bitter aspect connected with human behavior and habit of drinking alcohol. Alcoholic drink may change people’s behavior making them selfish, cruel and indifferent towards others suffering. Alcohol brings the nice atmosphere of uncle’s family on the verge of breakfast. Uncle and his friends also exhibited cruelty towards the small boy after drinking alcohol as they were totally careless about him during the entire trip.

Summary of THE LAST VOYAGE OF THE GHOST SHIP : Garcia Marquez

UNIT THREE : HUMOUR AND SATIRETHE

LAST VOYAGE OF THE GHOST SHIP

ENGLISH | THE HERITAGE OF WORDS

Garcia Marquez

Gabriel Garcia Marquez in his story The Last Voyage of the Ghost Ship which is written in Stream of consciousness style of writing describes the growth of an ordinary boy to an assertive (strong and confident) young man.

Many years ago, at night in the month of March the boy saw very large ship without light and sound while moving towards sandy beach near the village the boy saw the ship breaking and sinking into the sea but he didn’t hear any sound. The boy thought that he had a bad dream in the previous night as he didn’t see any wreckage at the place where the ship broke into pieces.

The boy saw the same ship appearing
at the same place and destroying like previous year and he was sure that he wasn’t dreaming. He told his mother about the ship but she didn’t believe him and thought her son became crazy. His mother used to spend almost her night sitting on her chair after the death of her husband 11 years ago. As the chair was very old she brought second hand chair from the market.

But she died that very night sitting on the newly bought chair. Four more women from the same village also died sitting on the same chair. So the chair was thrown into the sea considering it is an evil chair. After the death of his mother the boy became orphan and started stealing fish form the boats to survive rather than depending on the charity of the villagers who had hated him.

A few years later at night in the month of March the boy saw the same ship while watching the ship. He shouted loudly calling the villagers to watch the ship. But when the villagers reached there, the ship had already broken and sunk into the sea. The poor boy was beaten badly for disturbing and scaring the villagers at midnight.

The boy made a plan to show that them the ship so that they would believe him. A few years later in the same night of March, the boy stole a boat and kept waiting for the ship where he had seen in last year. When the ship arrived he lit a lamp on his boat, the ship followed the light and the boy let the ship towards his village. When the ship brought near the village, he blew its large whistle and lit all the lights. All the villagers wake up because of the sound and started coming out of their houses.

The ship came onto the ground by the village and stopped moving in front of the church, then all the villagers saw the ship and believed the boy, the boy became very happy.

Summary of GOD'S GRANDEUR

UNIT FOUR : GOD AND MAN

GOD'S GRANDEUR

ENGLISH | THE HERITAGE OF WORDS

Gerard Manley Hopkins

God’s Grandeur by an English poet G.M. Hopkins describes the majestic deeds of God. He claims that God is omnipresent (present everywhere) and omnipotent (the most powerful). The good deeds on earth are also the results of these qualities of God. Thought human beings continuously destroy nature, it is never spent.

The world is full of the greatness of God. Due to His greatness, the world shines like ‘a shook foil’. It gathers to greatness, as it is full of resources. Despite this fact, human beings act adversely. They don’t follow the commands of God; rather they function to destroy the world.
Earlier generations destroyed the earth and so is the case with the present generation.

They act as if they are not rational creatures. As a result of their deeds, the earth and so is the case with the present generation, they act as if they are not rational creatures. As a result of their deed, the earth has become dry; it has the smell of human beings instead of its natural smell. Indeed the earth has reached to the verge of destruction.

Nevertheless, the world is not completely destroyed. Because of the freshness that is inside things. Nature keeps on regenerating. The sun sets in the evening only to reappear in the morning. These all happenings are the results of the god’s protection. He protects the earth just like a bird broods over the eggs.

The poet is of the opinion that human beings acts are always directed towards destruction: knowingly or unknowingly they destroy though human beings destroy, the nature regenerates because of the omnipresent and omnipotent nature of god.

Summary of I HAVE A DREAM : Martin Luther King, Jr

UNIT FIVE : HUMAN RIGHTS

I HAVE A DREAM

ENGLISH | THE HERITAGE OF WORDS

Martin Luther King, Jr.

Martin Luther King Jr-known for his policy of passive resistant and oratorical skills, a leader of black people and campaigner of civil rights-delivered the speech “I have a dream” on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial. King states that Lincoln’s Emancipation Proclamation frees the slaves announced on 22 September 1862, American Constitution drew up in 1787 preserving of individual and federal states’ rights and Declaration of Independence based on unalienable rights; Life, Liberty and Pursuit of happiness issued on 4 July 1776 were limited on the paper but the implementation was strictly beyond from the people and nation. So King assists his views to provide freedom and equality to black peoples and eliminate the racial injustice by developing the sense of brother hood and sister hood and unity among black and white.

King questions on the implementation of written rights stating that Negros are still sadly crippled by the manacles of segregation and chains of discrimination. They are neglected and are in exile in their own land. For freedom and equality, until the Negros is granted their citizenship rights, they will continue their non-violence revolution. In the response, they must forever conduct their struggle on the high plane of dignity and discipline and allow their creative protest to degenerate in to physical force with soul force. Their action should not cause any distrust in among the white people because their destiny is tied up with the destiny of the white. So they should develop the sense of our.

The black people will be satisfied when they are not oppressed by the police brutality guided by white. When they are tired they must get lodging in the Motels and Hotels. They should be allowed to go where the whites go and get the rights to vote with the sense of why they are voting. King reinforces the people to keep the fighting until they get justice and they are created equal. His dream is deeply rooted in the American dream which gives the priority on material prosperity. It is a dream of freedom and equality, Justice and security, and dream of the land where the content of character is more important than color of skin. All the racists will no longer believe in color. The black and the whites will work together, eat together and they will be brothers and sisters. All the differences will disappear. There will be a sweet music of liberty which will be common of the Americans guided/inspired by Negros spirit resounding all over the country. At last they will all be free.

Summary of WOMEN'S BUSINESS

UNIT SIX : WOMEN AND CHILDREN

WOMEN'S BUSINESS

ENGLISH | THE HERITAGE OF WORDS

Ilene Kantrov

Ilene Kandrov in her essay Women’s Business paints the portraits of Lydia E. Pinkham and other business women who have been successful in American business world. The women discussed in the essay were not only business women but also involved in social service particularly in educating people about issues and problems related to women. However it was clear that their interest in making money was more important than their interest in improving society.

Most of the business women used lavish and misleading advertisement for improving their business. For example, Lydia E. Pinkham who was in favor of stopping people in drinking alcohol sold her products that it was very alcoholic. She put steps into the business field with self invented machine called Lydia E. Pinkham’s vegetable compound. She claimed that her machine was complete remedy for all kind of diseases faced by women. She also took advantages of woman weakness to improve her business. By using different new techniques she activated the women in America and established herself in very respectable position in American business and secured a place for a lady in male dominated world of commerce.

Like Pinkham her followers also successfully utilized their images of being woman to promote their business. Helena Rubinstein and Elizabeth Arden who were rivals used to sell cosmetic products. They arranged their managers with European aristocrats with wide publicity in order to promote their business. In addition to skin care products and cosmetics, they ran salon (beauty parlour) sold readymade clothes and render advice on nutrition and exercise. Rubinstein published a book describing good food habit to keep own self beautiful and healthy which she distributed with her products.
Jeeni Grossinger owned a resort hotel famous for its good food and entertainment and served more than one lakh fifty thousand customers per year. Mergaut Rudkin, considering the need to support her husband’s income began to sell additive free breads was able to establish herself in good position of American business and earning a lot of money. Gertude Muller sold entire line of child care products and distribution pamphlets on child raring with her products. Doctors and home economy instructions supported her in distributing the pamphlets which help her to get wide publicity and to earn money securing respectable position in the society. Annie Turnbo Malone, a black American lady sold a hair dressing preparation making hair look nice. She also develops a new business strategy by forming a network of authorized agents. She established a school for training her agents in her Pro System of Hair Dressing and claimed that the school was for the upliftment of black people.

Many of the business women utilized their profit for the benefit of the society Turnbo Malone, Helena Rubinstein and Jenni Grossinger were noted philanthropists who contribution Lavishly to school, hospital and cultural organization. Because of the misleading publicity of business women about their products the government was compelled to regulate agency FOA and FTC to control such practices. The writer says that the American women were able to introduce feminine role in the male dominant world of commerce. They are also able to establish themselves in respectable positions in American society.

Summary of THE CHILDREN WHO WAIT : Marsha Traugot

UNIT SIX : WOMEN AND CHILDREN

THE CHILDREN WHO WAIT

ENGLISH | THE HERITAGE OF WORDS

Marsha Traugot

‘The Childern who wait’ is an essay written by Marsha Traugot. In this essay, she suggests reasons for a new trend in adoption in America. Now a wider verity of families can open their house to children who in the past would have been labeled unadoptable.

In the beginning of her essay she quotes an advertisement related to a five and half year’s old girl- Tammy. She is a handicapped black girl and she is beyond infancy. After giving her description Traugot carries out the history about adoption .Twenty years ago or until about 1960 the process of adoption was strict. If a child was not white that would not adopted. Adoption was done only of the child that was infant and healthy. A family having older siblings could not also take a child in adoption. Similarly, only middle or upper class childless white couples could adopt healthy white infants.

But in the last 20 years the field of adoption has undergone radical change because of various civil rights movement, birth control, changing moral and social science researches. The numbers of healthy infants available for adoption have reduced due to birth control, legalized abortion, changes in attitudes towards sexual behavior and marriage. Unwed mothers and teenagers could keep their babies with them without insult. Then there was scarcity of the healthy children people turned their attention to other children.

Child welfare specialists became increasingly concerned about other handicapped children. Black civil rights movement encouraged interracial adoption. So the number of children in foster care dramatically increased. It created disastrous results to the children sent in foster care. So the focus of the system was changed and the social workers started finding the ideal adoptive family. In the present time, the social workers also try to match the children with adoptive family. They evaluate the characteristics of the child and search a suitable (appropriate) family.

The essayist also says that in seeking to match child and family, the social worker must overcome his/her own attitudinal barriers .in the present time there are many adoption agencies that find the potential adoptive parents. These agencies look first to the families listed with them. If there are also no likely candidates the child can register with regional state of adoption exchange. Sometimes they also organize parties where children, workers and prospective parents meet informally. If the prospective family cannot be found to a child even after doing these processes to the child is advertised with the help of media. This technique has helped much to provide homes to the children who wait.

Because of the changes in attitudes in different aspects as well as in the field of adoption many children have got the supportive families and writer also hopes that Tammy will also get a warm supportive family life in the near future.

Summary of A CHILD IS BORN : Germaine Greer

UNIT SIX : WOMEN AND CHILDREN

A CHILD IS BORN

ENGLISH : THE HERITAGE OF WORDS

Germaine Greer

This essay is an extract from the book “Sex and Destiny” written by a feminist writer Germaine Greer. In this essay, she presents a comparison between the parent-child relationship in the rich west and the traditional East. She shows the differences between a traditional society and a modern society in matters of pregnancy, child birth and child rearing. She tends to consider the matrimonial practices of the traditional societies as having greater advantages than those of western attitudes. Her main opinion is that in the traditional societies the people who surround a pregnant woman make her feel good and lessen her mental pain.
A pregnant woman of the traditional society in the east does not feel alone while she is pregnant because other people also support her. But in the modern society of the west the woman herself should observe her pregnancy. In this society the birth of the child is also unattended and it is done at hospital. But in traditional society the birth is always attended. The people of traditional society use their own experiences in matters of matrimonial practices.

In many traditional societies, after marriage the bride goes to live with the mother-in-low and the wives of her husband’s brothers. She is not thought as member of new families until she has to birth a child. So the bride also longs for the child, but western people think that such mores (custom) are backward, cruel and wrong. The reality is that in western society, too, woman loses her surname after the marriage. Her surname is changed under her husband’s name. In many traditional societies the relationship between mother and child is more important than the relationship between husband and wife. In some such societies the child’s relationship with the rest of his family is more important than with his parents. His physical intimacy with other members may be greater than with his parents.

In the traditional society the child birth is celebrated as a ceremony. It is also thought as the success of the woman. The woman goes to her mother’s house where she is provided everything that she desires. Such tradition can be found in Bengal. But child birth is not celebrated in this way in modern society. There is the present of nostalgic tone in woman in this society.
In the present time the import of western medicine in traditional society has been a great problem. The allopathic doctors are providing expensive drugs in peasant communities, but they are not in sufficient quantity. Modern hospitals have been made by foreign aid in traditional society. But the services in those hospitals are very poor, so the woman is getting great difficulties at the time of child birth (delivery). it is true that death attends too frequently in the traditional birth places, but there are worse fates than death in hospitals. Now modern western technology is forcefully intruding in traditional society but it is true that there is the population explosion soon.