Sunday, 30 September 2018

Learning of E. A. Poe's Short Stories by Dr. Jay Mehta


    Sometime learning becomes interesting when we study under someone else who has great command over that topic. Same way Department of English time and again invites that kind of scholars who have proper knowledge to share with students. 

    During 19 - 22 September we had guest lectures of Dr. Jay Mehta. Who has great skill to teach E. A. Poe's short stories. From the beginning of his lecture he told that I will not let you feel bored in the class. And same way we never felt bored in his class. Before I discuss the style of his teaching let me share some of the vital points related to the Poe's horror and Detective stories. 



# The Tell - Tale Heart :
 -   An unnamed narrator , Who confesses the crime.
  -  An old man who becomes the victim. An Eye of old man becomes the reason of murder.
   - At the end narrator hears the heartbeat of a died old man. Almost everything remains unclear in reader's mind. 

# The Black Cat : 
   - In this story a pet animal remains in the center. 
    - Somehow narrator start hating his cat. Accidentally he kills his wife. And tries to hide her. But because of the cat police come to know the crime. 

# The Fall of House : 
    - Theme of hallucination is vital one. An unnamed narrator arrives at the house of Roderick Usher. 
      - His sister suffers from the catalepsy. Roderick and narrator thinks that she is died and they buries her in his house. But actually she was not dead. 
      - At the end Madline stands near her brother and both falls down. Roderick dies and his house also splits. 

# The Cask of Amontillado : 
    -  A murderer ( Montresor ) narrates the whole story. 
     -  He thinks that Fortunato insulted him and to take revenge of it he trowel him. 

#  The Purloined Letter :
     - It is a detective story. How a letter creates the mysterious situations. 
         -  The way letter is stolen it Seem he has great skill of it.

# The Gold Bug :
   - This story is quite different from other stories.
    - Two friends Legrand and Jupiter tries to find treasure with the help of a letter. 

        After studying the stories we can say that Poe' s character never feels guilty for the crime. For them it is like accomplishment of a goal. An interesting thing comes in our mind is that All the evil characters never uses negative words in "accomplishing the goal." This is the thing which makes Poe different from the other writers. 

             Thus we can say that Sir has tried his best to make things easier for the students. By learning this we came to know about the importance of Freudian theory in human lives. How Id, Ego, Super Ego affects the human. 

           super ego - Morality              /
         
         ego - Rationality                    /       \

          id - Pleasure                       /             \
   
           If I talked about teaching methods then I can say that sir has great skill of teaching. He uses jesture and posture in his explanation which makes understanding interesting. We learnt so many new words because Sir used to write all new word on the board. He is also good ' Shayar ' too. Which makes him more special. On his last lecture he taught us how to write poetry. Altogether it was an amazing experience to study under him.  Thanks  to Dr Dilip Barad Sir for inviting such a scholar.    
                    
                                                      Thank you... 


     

Tuesday, 25 September 2018

" Breath" by Samuel Beckett - An Interpretation Challenge



    This task has been given to the students as an understanding of absurdity in the Beckett's play. For more details CLICK HERE.... 

      When we heard that the play " Breath "  is a Thirty Second play, So in a way it quite surprised us. 

        Here is the my interpretation of the play - " Breath "

 The script of the play:
CURTAIN Up
1. Faint light on stage littered with miscellaneous rubbish. Hold about five seconds.
2. Faint brief cry and immediately inspiration and slow increase of light together reaching maximum - together in about ten seconds. Silence and hold for about five seconds.
3. Expiration and slow decrease of light together reaching minimum together (light as in 1) in about ten seconds and immediately cry as before. Silence and hold about five seconds. 


CURTAIN Down

   The whole play creates a trivial images in our mind. The process of life is a merely journey of a  " Thirty Second." Time and again it reminds us about the concept of  nihilism. 
      
     If we read the first part then we can say that FAINT LIGHT - Which shows the contradiction. Same way in life there is a light but in a way there is full darkness prevail in the life. 

    In second part we heard the vagitus and it increases with the light. We can say after suffering from the pain suddenly we get some inner power to boost our lives but after a moment the situation remains the same. 

     Again in the last part the whole process comes to it's end. We work hard for our existence but yet somehow we feel that something is lacking in our lives. At the end the rushing process comes to it's end  as our death knocks on the doors. 




   After watching this play we can say that we heard the sound of inhaling and of  exhaling. In this short movie we finds medical waste. Which reminds us about our worst health and also of The robotic life. When we see the image of SWASTIKA ... We can interpret that we blindly follow the rituals which leads us towards the "hell." 




       In this movie we finds so many fruits. Which represents the luxury of the life. Sometimes we gets so many things in the life but yet we never feel happiness. 




We heard the cry of a child. Which means to be born in the planet is a curse. The whole life is a rubbish thing. 


          The another interpretation comes in our mind is that rape and corruption is happening in seconds. The Swastika is in garbage. Which means spirituality is lacking in the people or we can say there is no need of spirituality because in a way both leads to the suffering. 

          Thus we can say that Samuel Beckett has presented the real concept of life. A concept of absurdity and of meaninglessness.
          

                                                       Thank you.... 



Tuesday, 18 September 2018

Pre - Thinking Activity : Related to the Themes of Edgar Allan Poe's Work


        This Pre - Thinking Activity task is given by Dr. Jay Mehta as a background learning with the help of the writer Edgar Allan Poe's work. Click Here to see the task. 

        If we read Edgar Allan Poe's works then we will  find the theme of mystery and the  pattern of human behavior. He is also considered as a inventor of detective fiction genre too. 

1- Recollect a moment of your life when you were at the height of ferocity (anger) on someone with/without some specific reason. What did you feel like speaking to or doing with that person?

  There were so many moments when I have felt ferocity towards the persons. Let me share some of the experiences of the past. When I was child that time my brother  and some of the friends used to annoy me and that time my mind was thinking to fight with them. Another example is of Cricket.  I often uses to play cricket. But before 3/4 years ago when some of the players were making mistakes in fielding that time I often started to loosing my temper. But fortunately right now I hardly loose temper. 



2- Have you ever felt tremendous drive to hit or murder someone? When? Why? How? Elucidate.


      Not to murder, but when I was in high school that time some of the right wing students were considered themselves as a  Prince  and they were trying to suppressed others by their " unity".  So that time I was thinking to hit them one by one.



3- Have you ever felt like committing suicide? Was it just a passing thought or you were serious? What propelled you to think so? Describe your experience (although momentary) of suicidal tendency.

   No,  I just never felt like committing suicide. Because I always like to accept the things as it is. And I often like to considered my self as a believer of nihilism. So I just never think of any results but I like to enjoy the path.


4- Write about the scariest of your dreams. Have you ever cried or screamed by a bizarre and horrible nightmare? Elaborate.

       After recollecting the childhood memories I can say that I had experienced some of the dreadful nightmare. And all the nightmare were creating the bewildering images. But I had  never cried or screamed. In present I never experienced any kind of nightmares



5- Do you believe in ghosts? Have you ever undergone any experience of supernatural elements? Explain.

   No, according to me there is nothing like ghost. When we were children that time our elders tried to give that type of examples as a solution of our demands. But that seed start growing in our mind and as a result of it we feel fear. Secondly I would like to say that if someone has done wrong with somebody , that can be the reason of fear too.( Revenge Motive)  Some of the gruesome fantasy film also affects a lot in creating these kinds of situations. Somehow whole concept of fear/ ghost is connected with the darkness. Which is deeply inserted in our mind by the ancestors. 


      Same way I don't believe in supernatural elements too.  I have already tried so many things against it, nothing happens. Actually those who believe in these kinds of things they have to suffer a lot. Sometimes it might take someone's life also. So it will be better if you stay away from these kinds of rubbish things. 

                                                       Thank you...

   

    






   

Sunday, 9 September 2018

ELT - Interaction with Dr. J. H. Khan

# Attended the Guest lecture 
# At Department of English, MKBU.


   Whenever we talk about education a question arises in our mind. What should be the process of teaching...? How we judge the learning ? But teaching and learning both are connected with each other. And in learning an " interaction " with learner can be more appropriate to use. 

• Key concepts of ELT :

    ELT refers to the various approaches. How ELT creates the new dimension of learning. In his starting point he says that one can not teach... And I am here to interact with you. So by interactions one can learn more. Further he talk about English as a native language and as a foreign language. How our syllabus remains like primary school syllabus. The change is must require in the higher studies. The direction of seeing English language should be positive.

• Core Knowledge discussed in the class :

        If we talk about the core knowledge then we find English as a ESP - English for Specific purpose. And another purpose is EAP -  English for Academic Purpose. These both purposes has there own different fields. For example someone can learn business language as a specific purpose. Same way for Academic purpose Sir discusses the essay by Liz Hamp. And also he refers to the English as a literary purpose.

• Comment of teaching style/ communication / language / presentation.

         He has a great command over the English language. Which seem in his interactions. He believes in interactions. Because it gives more chances to the learner. He present everything by connecting with outer world. And also he often uses the humours in his presentation which make classroom lively.

• Learning experience :

      It was a an unique experience to attend his lectures. From the first day he gave one motto which we should keep in mind for ever. That be a seeker, don't demand.  According to him one should be active in the class. A good student always posses good confidence. He stressed on the reading.

• How it will help you further :

     Obviously it will help a lot in the future. As a student we have to keep that hunger for learning. If we see in the context of exams there also it will help too.  As a teacher also he gave so many good suggestions like sacrifice for the better civilization. In the life you will not get another chance for study so make it count.

                                                       Thank you... 


Monday, 3 September 2018

" To the Lighthouse " - Virginia Woolf

                         Thinking Activity



1- How can you explain that 'what' Virginia Woolf wanted to say (for example, the complexity of human relationship, the everyday battles that people are at in their relationship with near and dear ones, the struggle of a female artist against the values of middle/upper class society etc) can only be said in the way she has said? 

   It seems an exquisite representation of the all characters. Some how it gives the biographical images of the writer. We might be feel that she writes this novel to her parents.  After reading about her we find that she had all the facilities but for the basic women rights, she tries to portray the real situation of the   ' Patriarchal ' society. Through the female characters she wants to show that a woman should know the menace of the gilded cage. 

    When we see the characters of Mr and Mrs Ramsay that time we realizes the complexity of human relationship, which remains  present even today also in the society. The main difference between this couple is the approach towards the life. The expression of their desires. 

         Through the character of Lily writer tries to show the struggle of a female artist. People like a Transley thinks that women can not paint or write. This thing happens even today also. There are so many fields where women are still not considered as an equal employer, writer, player or artist. 

2Do you agree: "The novel is both the tribute and critique of Mrs. Ramsay"? (Key: Take some clues from the painting of Mrs Ramsay drawn by Lily Briscoe and the article by Andre Viola and Glenn Pedersen. Can we read Mrs. R in context of the idea of Ideal Indian Woman - Karyeshu dasi, Karaneshu manthri; Bhojeshu mata, Shayaneshu rambha; Kshamayeshu dharithri, Roopeshu lakshmi; Satkarma yukta, Kuladharma pathni. ) 

   Yes, The novel is both the tribute and critique of Mrs. Ramsay. During the whole novel she remains in the center. Here writer has shown her as an " Ideal " woman. Who always remains busy in the fulfillment of the others. She tries to make her daughters like herself. " They must keep the windows open and the doors shut. " And we find that Prue dies because of the childbirth. So most of the time she remains inferior to the men. Which raises the question of independence. 

    Most of the time Lily argues with her. But even after her death she remains present in everything. Which makes her character lively. 

3- Considering symbolically, does the Lighthouse stand for Mrs. Ramsay or the narrator (Virginia Woolf herself who is categorically represented by Lily)? (Key: Take help from the presentation on Symbolism to connect Mrs. Caroline Ramsay with Lighthouse. Secondly, the narrator / author cannot fully disappear from the novel and thus the stoicism of Lily to paint and thus prove that she can paint, is symbolically presented in stoicism of Lighthouse. 



   Both interpretation can be true. If we see  the Lighthouse as a symbol of Mrs. Ramsay we find that she possesses the quality of strongness, nurturing and as a tolerant lady. 

  But actually it more suits to the character of Lily. During the whole novel she remains single. She struggles for her own identity. To live freely is more important.Where (At lighthouse) there are no one to tell you anything. We can say that Mrs. Ramsay dies but Lily still stands as a lighthouse. She faces so much inner pain to prove herself. 

4- In the article by Joseph Blotner, two myths are patterned together. Name the myths? How they are zeroed down to the symbols of 'Window' and 'Lighthouse'? How does the male phallic symbol represent feminine Mrs. Ramsay? (Key: The strokes of light-beams. . . )
      
    Here we can say that myth functioned as a legitimization. From the past (in myth) we finds that women  are considered as a land of fertility. Indians considered the furrows in the land like female vulva and the semen as the seed. Words shovel and penis have the same root in Sanskrit. (Langala).
     Holy Quran also states that " Your wives are a tilth for you. " 

Here we can see the myth of Pagan, Primordial Goddesses and Oedipus. 

In the novel Mrs. Ramsay remains in threefold relation. As a Rhea, Demeter and Persephone. If we see the character of James he always hates his father. He always wants to remain close to her mother. The another myth comes in our mind is that Gaia and Uranus. 

5- What do you understand by the German term 'Künstlerroman'? How can you justify that 'To The Lighthouse' is 'Künstlerroman' novel? 

   The German term Kunstlerroman means a growth of an artist. It can be anybody's growth also. We can say physical or Artistic growth too. 

    In the novel Augustus Carmechael struggle to write the poem. But at the end of the novel he get the insight. Same way Lily also grapple through out the novel to complete the painting. And in the end she get her vision. Thus we can connect this term with the maturity of the characters. 

6- Lily's Dilemma in the novel  " To the Lighthouse ." 

    As we all knows that Lily's character represents the biographical image. She always talk about the independent life. According to her there is no need of man.  In short Lily's thoughts remains totally vice versa from the thoughts of  Mrs. Ramsay. But at the end she constantly thinks about Mrs. Ramsay. In a way she also wants to be like her. Because she realizes that Mrs. Ramsay remains in everyone's heart even after her death. 

7-  You have compared the 'beginning' and the 'ending' of the novel and the film adaptation of the novel directed by Colin Gregg. Do you think that the novel is more poignant than the movie? If yes, do you ascribe the fact that the power of words is much greater than that of the screen / visuals?



  Yes,  there are a few difference between the novel and a movie. In the movie most of the scene runs faster compared to the novel. The another different is comes in the end. In the novel Lily just puts her brush. While in a movie she goes upstairs and start talking with herself. 

   In a movie it becomes little bit difficult to understand. Whereas the technique, parentheses of the novel helps reader in the understanding. 

8-  How do you interpret the last line of the novel ? 

   In the end of the novel she feels fatigue. But she is now happy too. She thinks that she has now got the artistic vision. Which she was wanted. We can interpret that she considers herself as a winner against the Mrs. Ramsay and Charles Transley. How independent life gives her good vision. 

    But in the movie after completing the painting she goes upstairs and and consider herself as a fool. She was thinking that without this family life, she can live the life easily. But now it becomes difficult for her to live alone. And she starts thinking to be like Mrs. Ramsay.

9-  What does the catalogue named as 'Army and Navy' signifyWhat does cutting of 'Refrigerator'  signify?



        We finds the reference of the WW1 in the novel. And Mr. Ramsay's bigger son also dies in the war. So here the catalogue named as ' Army and Navy ' represents the war and consumerism. 

         Whereas ' Refrigerator ' represents the change of time. It also portrays the character of Mrs. Ramsay. During the whole novel she remains as a preserver of the culture. And a shaper of her children. One another thing comes in our mind is that because of Mrs. Ramsay's over caring nature her children faces problems in the future. 

10- Why did Virginia give such prominence to the tale of the “Fisherman’s Wife”? In particular, why did she weave such a misogynist tale into the fabric of a book which so eloquently challenges received patriarchal notions about the roles and capabilities of women



    Here we can interpret that writer wants to do satire through the tale of the  "Fisherman's Wife." In the tale female character is represented more dull. But here it is compared with the characters of Mr. Ramsay and Mrs. Ramsay. And also in the characters of Lily and Transley. 

    Over depending nature always leads towards the failure. So we find that after the death of Mrs. Ramsay, for Mr. Ramsay it becomes so much difficult to handle everything. And Charles Transley also wants to complete his work quickly whereas Lily works slowly but with full of passions. 

11- How is India represented in 'To The Lighthouse'? 

     First time it represent the patriarchal discourse through the character of Mrs. Ramsay- As a ideal lady. 

         So many times  we hear about the prosperity of the India. So most of the time India portrayed as a land of pearls. 

            We can interpret that Augustus Carmichael refers India as a land of peace. We can connect this thing with the T. S. Eliot' s  The Waste Land too. 



                                                      Thank you...