The Danger of a Single Story

How to Pronounce Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie?

obligated -require or compel

Impressionable- easily influenced or affected by something.

 Vulnerable: weak and easily hurt physically or emotionally, exposed to harm and danger. 

 Convinced: completely sure of something 

 Kinky: (here) curly 

Ponytails: a hair style in which hair hangs down like a horse’s tail

 Stirred: (here) moved

Conventional: traditional and ordinary

 Norm: an accepted standard, a custom 

Live-in: working and staying in the same home 

 Yam: A yam is a root vegetable which is like a potato, and grows in tropical regions. 

 I'm a storyteller. And I would like to tell you a few personal stories about what I like to call ‘the danger of a single story.’ I grew up on a university campus in Eastern Nigeria. My mother says that I started reading at the age of two, although I think it probably happened when I was four. So I was an early reader, and what I read were British and American children's books.

 I was also an early writer, and when I began to write, at about the age of seven, stories in pencil with crayon illustrations that my poor mother was obligated to read, I wrote exactly the kinds of stories I was reading. All my characters were white and blue-eyed, they played in the snow, they ate apples, and they talked a lot about the weather, how lovely it was that the sun had come out. But I had never been outside Nigeria. We didn't have snow, we ate mangoes, and we never talked about the weather, because there was no need to

1. What kinds of books did Adichie read when she started reading?

2. What kinds of stories did she write and how were her characters?

3. What was her mother obligated to read?

4. How were her characters different from the children of Nigeria?

 What this shows, I think, is how impressionable and vulnerable we are in the face of a story, particularly as children. Because all I had read were books in which characters were foreign, I had become convinced that books by their very nature had to have foreigners in them and had to be about things with which I could not personally identify. Now, things changed when I discovered African books. There weren't many of them available, and they weren't quite as easy to find as the foreign books. But when I read Chinua Achebe and Camara Laye, I realised that people like me, girls with skin the color of chocolate, whose kinky hair could not form ponytails, could also exist in literature. I started to write about things I recognised. I loved the American and British books I read. They stirred my imagination and opened up new worlds for me. But African writers saved me from having a single story of what books are.

5. What were Adichie’s ideas about books before she discovered African books?

6. How could she realize that people like her, girls with chocolate-coloured skin and kinky hair,

could also exist in literature?

7. How did American and British books help her in her writing?

8. How did the African writers save Adichie?

 I come from a conventional, middle-class Nigerian family. My father was a professor. My mother was an administrator. And so we had, as was the norm, live-in domestic help, who would often come from nearby rural villages. So, the year I turned eight, we got a new house boy. His name was Fide. The only thing my mother told us about him was that his family was very poor. My mother sent yams and rice and our old clothes to his family. And when I didn't finish my dinner, my mother would say, ‘Finish your food! Don't you know? People like Fide's family have nothing.’ So I felt enormous pity for Fide's family. 

9. Describe Adichie’s family.

10. Who was Fide?

11 What would her mother do to help Fide’s family?

12.What actually made Adichie form a single story about Fide’s family and what was that story?

13. What did Fide’s mother show Adichie when she visited their family and why did it startle her?

Assignment

Adichie’s visit to Fide’s family was a great learning experience for her.

 After reaching back home, she jots down her feelings in the diary. Write the likely diary entry.

Startled: surprised, shocked

Raffia: the fibre from the leaves of the raffia tree (a type of African palm tree)

 Then one Saturday, we went to his village to visit and his mother showed us a beautifully patterned basket of dyed raffia that his brother had made. I was startled. It had not occurred to me that anybody in his family could actually make something. All I had heard about them was how poor they were, so that it had become impossible for me to see them as anything else but poor. Their poverty was my single story of them. 

 Occur: (here) come into mind Consequently: as a result

 Default: (here) standard or normal

 Patronizing: apparently showing kindness by actually covering a feeling of superiority. 

 Embrace: (here) receive 

Irritable: easily annoyed, ill-tempered, sensitive 

Incomprehensible: not easily understood 

Authentically: really,

 Devalue:, underestimate.

 Insist on: (here) stick on. 

Flatten: (here) knock down or defeat

 Stereotype: a fixed idea about a person or thing but that is not often correct.

 Years later, I thought about this when I left Nigeria to go to university in the United States. I was 19. My American roommate was shocked by me. She asked where I had learned to speak English so well, and was confused when I said that Nigeria happened to have English as its official language. She asked if she could listen to what she called my ‘tribal music’ and was consequently very disappointed when I produced my tape of Mariah Carey 

She had felt sorry for me even before she saw me. Her default position towards me, as an African, was a kind of patronising well-meaning pity. My roommate had a single story of Africa. In this single story, there was no possibility of Africans being similar to her in any way, no possibility of feelings more complex than pity, no possibility of a connection as human equals. 

 I must say that before I went to the U.S., I didn't consciously identify as African. But in the U.S., whenever Africa came up, people turned to me. I did come to embrace this new identity, and in many ways I think of myself now as African, although I still get quite irritable when Africa is referred to as a country. After I had spent some years in the U.S. as an African, I began to understand my roommate's response to me. If I had not grown up in Nigeria, and if all I knew about Africa were from popular images, I too would think that Africa was a place of beautiful landscapes, beautiful animals, and incomprehensible people unable to speak for themselves and waiting to be saved by a kind, white foreigner. I would see Africans in the same way that I, as a child, had seen Fide's family.

 I began to realize that my American roommate must have throughout her life seen and heard different versions of this single story. A professor once told me that my novel was not 'authentically African.' I did not know what African authenticity was. The professor told me that my characters were too much like him, an educated and middle-class man. My characters drove cars. They were not starving. Therefore they were not authentically African.

  When I learned, some years ago, that writers were expected to have had really unhappy childhoods to be successful, I began to think about how I could invent horrible things my parents had done to me. But the truth is that I had a very happy childhood, full of laughter and love, in a very close-knit family. But I also had grandfathers who died in refugee camps. My cousin Polle died because he could not get adequate healthcare. One of my closest friends, Okoloma, died in a plane crash because our fire trucks did not have water. essiv e military governments that I grew up under repressive devalued education, so that sometimes, my parents were not paid their salaries. All of these stories make me who I am. But to insist on only these negative stories is to flatten my experience and to overlook the many other stories that formed me. stereotypes The single story creates  stereotypes, and the problem with stereotypes is not that they are untrue, but that they are incomplete. They make one story become the only story.

Assignment.

Critically analyse the speech of Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie and prepare a write up

In her speech “The danger of a single story”, Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie claims that single stories are often develop from misunderstandings,. She explains that how there could be a danger of only knowing one sided story about a group. The single story creates stereotypes, and the problem with stereotypes is that they are false as well as misleading. They make one story become the only story to be heard and taught to other people. Through few examples, she illustrates her own experience of being a victim of false stories.

Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie was an early writer when she began writing at about the age of seven. She used to write exactly the kinds of stories she read, where all the characters were white and blue-eyed playing in the snow, eating apples and talking a lot about the weather like how lovely the sun’s appearance had been etc.After reading Chinua Achebe and Camara Laye, she realised that people like her, girls with skin the colour of chocolate, whose kinky hair could not form ponytails, could also exist in literature.

The year she turned eight, her family got a new house boy, Fide. The only thing her mother told her about him was that his family was very poor. Then one Saturday, she saw a beautifully patterned basket of dyed raffia that Fide’s brother had made. It had become impossible for her to see them as anything else but poor because poverty was her single story of them. This was her first single story which made her realise that how misleading such things could be.

Years later, she left Nigeria to go to university in the United States at the age of nineteen. Her American roommate was startled by her knowledge of English and her lifestyle.She began to realize that her American roommate throughout her life must have seen and heard different versions of this single story. A professor once told that her novel was not authentically African as the characters of her work were too much like him, an educated and middle-class man, driving cars, not starving. Therefore, they were not authentically African according to him.

When she learned that writers were expected to have had really unhappy childhoods to be successful, but in the other side she had a very happy childhood, full of laughter and love, in a very close-knit family, she realised that to insist on only these negative stories was to flatten her experience and to overlook the many other stories that formed her.

The single story creates stereotypes, and the problem with stereotypes is not that they are untrue, but that they are incomplete. They make one story become the only story.

The danger of a single story

Adventures in a Banyan tree-paragraphs 18-22

The banyan tree was also the setting for what we were to call the Strange Case of the Grey Squirrel and the White Rat. The white rat was Grandfather's - he had bought it from the bazaar for four annas - but I would often take it with me into the roots and branches of the old tree. Banyan tree, where it soon struck up a friendship with one of the squirrels.They would go off together on little   excursions among the branches


Then the squirrel started building a nest. At first she tried  building it in my pockets, and when I went indoors and  changed my clothes I would find straw and grass falling  out. Then one day Grandmother's knitting was missing.We hunted for it everywhere but without success. Next day I saw something glinting in the hole in the banyan tree. Going up to investigate, I saw that it was the end of Grandmother's steel knitting-needle. On looking further, I discovered that the hole was crammed with knitting. And amongst the wool were three baby squirrels-all of them white!


Grand father had never seen white squirrels before, and we gazed at them in wonder. We were puzzled for some time, but when I mentioned the white rat's frequent visits to the tree, Grandfather told me that the rat must be the father. Rats and squirrels were related to each other, he said, and so it was quite possible for them to have offspring- -in this case, white squirrels!

Knitting

Answer the following questions

How did the new and strange friendship develop between the grey squirrel and the white rat?

Did they enjoy each other’s company? How?

How did the boy come to know that the squirrel was building  a nest?

What happened to grandmother’s knitting? Where did the boy find it later?

What was the wonder that nature had kept for them in the nest?

 'And amongst the wool were the three baby squirrels - all of them white!’ The boy couldn’t stop wondering about the white squirrels. If he scribbled down this unforgettable sight in his diary, how would it be?

 

Read activity 3 on page number 22 of the English reader and complete the activity.

Revisit the story and complete the story tree. (Activity1 in CB)

ASSIGNMENT 

 Conduct a seminar on the topic ‘Save the Earth.’ (Activity 8 on page no.19.) 

 

Video Links

 

Story up to fighting between cobra and mongoose.

Running commentary of the fight prepared  by Ameen Aslam,S O HSS Areekode.

Malayalm summary

Adventures in a Banyan tree-paragraphs 7-17

That was the time I saw a mongoose and a cobra fight to death in the garden, while I sat directly above them in the banyan tree.It was an April afternoon. And the warm breezes of approaching summer had sent everyone, including Grandfather, indoors. I was feeling drowsy myself and was wondering if I should go to the pond behind the house for a swim, when I saw a huge black cobra gliding out of a clump of cactus and making for some cooler part  of the garden. At the same time a mongoose (whom I had often seen) emerged from the bushes and went straight for the cobra.

In a clearing beneath the tree, in bright sunshine, they came face to face.


Cobra knew only too well that the grey mongoose, three feet long, was a superb fighter, clever and aggressive But the cobra was skilful and experienced fighter too. He could move swiftly and strike with the speed of light, and the sacs behind his long, sharp fangs were full of deadly venom.

It was to be a battle of champion

Hissing defiance defiance, his forked tongue darting in and out, the cobra raised three of his six feet off the ground, and spread his broad, spectacled hood. The mongoose bushed his tail. The long hair on his spine stood up (in the past,
the very thickness of his hair had saved him from bites that would have been fatal to others).

Though the combatants were unaware of my presence in the banyan tree, they soon became aware of the arrival of two other spectators. One was a myna, and the other a jungle crow (not the wily urban crow). They had seen these preparations for battle, and had settled on the cactus to watch the outcome. Had they been content only to watch, all would have been well with both of them.

The cobra stood on the defensive, swaying slowly from side to side, trying to  mesmerize  the mongoose into marking a false move. But the mongoose knew the power of his opponent's glassy, unwinking eyes, and refused to meet them.

Instead he fixed his gaze at a point just below the cobra's hood, and opened the attack.

Moving forward quickly until he was just within the cobra's reach, he made a feint to one side. Immediately the cobra struck. His great hood came down so swiftly that I thought nothing could save the mongoose. But the little fellow
jumped neatly to one side, and darted in as swiftly as the cobra, biting the snake on the back and darting away again out of reach.

The moment the cobra struck, the crow and the myna hurled themselves at him, only to collide heavily in mid-air. Shrieking at each other, they returned to the cactus plant.

A few drops of blood glistened on the cobra's back. The cobra struck again and missed. Again the mongoose sprang aside, jumped in and bit. Again the birds dived at the snake, bumped into each other instead, and returned shrieking
to the safety of the cactus.

The third round followed the same course as the first but with one dramatic difference. The crow and the myna, still determined to take part in the proceedings, dived at the cobra, but this time they missed each other as well as
their mark. The myna flew on and reached its perch, but the crow tried to pull up in mid-air and turn back. In the second that it took him to do this, the cobra whipped his head back and struck with great force, his snout thudding
against the crow's body.

I saw the bird flung nearly twenty feet across the garden, where, after fluttering about for a while, it lay still. The myna remained on the cactus plant, very wisely refrained from interfering again

The cobra was weakening, and the mongoose, walking fearlessly up to it, raised himself on his short legs, and with lightning snap had the big snake by the snout. The writhed and lashed about in a frightening manner, and even coiled itself about the mongoose, but all to no avail. The little fellow hung grimly on, until the snake had ceased to struggle. He then smelt along its quivering length, and gripping it round the hood, dragged it into the bushes. The myna dropped cautiously to the ground, hopped about, peered into the bushes from a safe distance, and then, with a shrill cry of congratulation, flew away.


When I had also made a cautious descent from the tree and returned to the house, I told Grandfather of the fight I had seen. He was pleased that the mongoose had won. He had encouraged it to live in the garden, to keep away
the snakes, and fed it regularly with scraps from the kitchen. He had never tried taming it, because wild mongoose was more useful than a domesticated one

clump of cactus 

To know the meaning of the word glide click here

To know the meaning of the word combatant click here.

To know the meaning of the word spectator click here .

To know the meaning of the word wily click here .

To know the meaning of the word sway click here.

To know the meaning of the word mesmerize click here.

To know the meaning of the word feint click here. 

To know the meaning of the word snout click here 

To know the meaning of the word thud click here 

To know the meaning of the word scrap click here 

 

Answer the following questions 

What was the incident that triggered a long lasting excitement for the boy in that summer?

How did the cobra regard his opponent? Where they true warriors?

How did the mongoose manage to escape from the snake’s bite?

Who were the new spectators?

Why were the combatants unaware of the presence of the boy?

How did the mongoose resist the tricky move of the cobra to mesmerize it?

What did the spectators do when they saw the cobra struck?

How did the cobra push itself into trouble?

Why is the myna said to be wise?

Go through the Activity 1 in page 20 of English reader

Complete the table given in Activity 3 page no.17. 

Adventures in a Banyan Tree-Paragraph 4,5 &6

In the spring, when the banyan tree was full of small red figs, birds of all kinds would flock into its branches, the red-bottomed bulbul, cheerful and greedy; gossiping rosy- pastors; and parrots and crows, squabbling with each other all the time. During the fig season, the banyan tree was the noisiest place on the road.

 Halfway up the tree I had built a small platform on which I would often spend the afternoons when it wasn't too hot. I could read there, propping myself up against the bole of the tree with cushions taken from the drawing room. Treasure Island, Huckleberry Finn, The Mowgli stories, and the Novels of Edgar Rice Burroughs and Louisa May Alcott made up my bag of very mixed reading

 When I did not feel like reading, I could look down through the banyan leaves at the world below, at Grandmother hanging up or taking down the washing, at the cook quarreling with a fruit vendor or at Grandfather grumbling at the hardy Indian marigolds which insisted on springing up all over his very English garden. Usually nothing very exciting happened while I was in the banyan tree, but on
one particular afternoon I had enough excitement to last me through the summer.

 red figs

 Birds flock into branches

BULBUL

ROSY- PASTORS

To know the meaning of the word squabbling click here

prop up

to lift and give support to something by putting something under it. 

 

The bole of a tree

To know the meaning of the word grumble click here

To know the meaning of the word hardy click here

 

Marigold

Answer the following questions.

Who are the visitors in the banyan tree in spring season?

How was the banyan tree the noisiest place during the fig season?

The boy was a voracious reader. Do you agree? Give reasons

 Go through  the activity 2 in the  page number 21

Adventures in a banyan tree-Paragraph 1.2&3

Read the paragraphs (1,2 & 3)

 Though the house and grounds of our home in India were Grandfather's domain, the magnificent old banyan tree was mine-chiefly because Grandfather, at the age of sixty-five, could no longer climb it. Grandmother used to tease him about this, and would speak of a certain Countess of Desmond, an English woman who lived to the age of 117, and would have lived longer if she hadn't fallen while climbing an apple tree. The spreading branches of the banyan tree, which curved to the ground and took root again, forming a maze of arches, gave me endless pleasure. The tree was older than the house, older than Grandfather,
as old as the town of Dehra, nestling in a valley at the foot of the Himalayas.

My first friend and familiar was a small grey squirrel.Arching his back and sniffing into the air, he seemed at first to resent my invasion of his privacy. But, when he found that I did not arm myself with a catapult or air-gun, he became friendlier. And, when I started leaving him pieces of cake and biscuit, he grew bolder, and finally became familiar enough to take food from my hands.

Before long he was delving into my pockets and helping himself to whatever he could find. He was a very young squirrel, and his friends and relatives probably thought him headstrong and foolish for trusting a human.

To know the pronunciation of Banyan tree click here


 Katherine FitzGerald, Countess of Desmond

 Katherine FitzGerald, Countess of Desmond (c. 1504 – 1604) was a noblewoman of the Anglo-Norman FitzGerald dynasty in Ireland. English writers of the Tudor period, including Sir Walter Raleigh, helped popularise "the old Countess of Desmond" as a nickname for her, due to her longevity. One estimate placed her age at death in excess of 120 years. Another ranged as high as 140. Most likely she lived to about 100.

 maze

 a complicated system of paths or passages

To know the meaning of the word nestling click here 


To know the meaning of the word sniff click here

To know the meaning of the word delve click here

To know the meaning of the word headstrong click here 

Answer the following questions

In the beginning the squirrel was suspicious towards the approach of the boy. Why?

How did the squirrel become the friend of the boy?

Why did the friends and relatives of the squirrel think him as head strong and foolish?

Adventures in a Banyan Tree

    
              
What do you see in the picture?
What idea do you get from the picture?
What does the title ‘Glimpses of Green’ suggest?


 ‘Haiku’

 ‘The mountain mist
Hovering over the pines and ponds
Unveils the heaven’

What does this Haiku convey?


.

 What is nature for you? Do you agree with the statement given below.

‘Nature is not a place to visit. It’s home’.



Watch this video and prepare a speech on the beauty and the  diversity of the nature

The Castaway

 

Prepare a write-up on ‘The role of society in moulding a person’.

The role of society in moulding a person

All are born with some sort of a skill. But many of us often fail to identify what special skill we possess.Sometimes our innate talent takes quite a long time to be identified even by us. A person’s abilities may be recognized by others. Teachers will have more opportunities to identify various abilities of their students than the parents. Sometimes our friends can identify our unknown talents.Once we recognize a person’s special skill in any field, we have to encourage and support him or her to develop the skill. Some do not have enough courage to perform their abilities; then we have to encourage them. Some others do not have the means to develop their skills; then we have to support them by providing them with what they lack. Still some others may not know how to develop their skills and where to channelize their skills. Then it is the duty of others having that knowledge to help them. Many actors, artists, singers and lots of talented people in various fields come out to limelight and succeed in life when they get support from the society. But a lot more are gone unknown because of the lack of support they are in need of. A timely act of encouragement from our side will help a skilful person to grow; on the other hand, a word or deed of discouragement will sometimes perish even a maestro.

Mother to Son

 

Mother to Son

APPRECIATION

‘ Mother to Son’ is a beautiful poem written by Langston Hughes. A mother says to her son that he would face many adversities in life and he must overcome it and keep going. Mother says to her son that life has never been as smooth and comfortable as a “crystal stair” for her.Her stair has always had splinters and torn boards on it, as well as places without carpet. The stair is bare –a life without luxuries and comforts. turning corners sometimes However, she still climbs on, reaching landings, turning corners sometimes going through darkness. She advises her son not to turn back or set down on the steps even if it is hard to climb.

The poem is a dramatic monologue written in the Free Verse style.

Poetic Devices used in this poem

Visual images: ‘tacks’, ‘splinters’ “torn-up boards, bare floor with no carpet symbolizing the hardships and poverty of life. Crystal stair: symbolizing comforts and luxuries of life.

Metaphor: The life of the mother is compared to a crystal stair to establish that her life has never been comfortable, luxurious or glamorous as a crystal stair.

Alliteration:  Alliteration is very sparingly used in ““Don’t you set down on the steps” with the sounds ‘d’ and ‘s’.

Questions

1. Who is the speaker in the poem? Do you feel the presence of a listener? How?

2. What does the expression ‘crystal stair’ stand for?

3. How was the mother’s life?

4. Comment on the style of writing and poetical devices used in these lines.

5. Comment on the language of the mother.

6. What do the expressions ‘reachin’ landin’s’, ‘turnin’ corners’ and ‘goin’ in the dark’signify?

7. What does the mother advise her son to do?

8. How does the mother encourage her son in facing hardships?

9. Point out examples of alliterations from these lines.

Answers

1. The speaker is a mother who is the representative of the black Afro-American community.

2. ‘Crystal stair’ stands for the comforts and luxuries of life.

3. The mother’s life had never been a crystal stair; it had tacks and splinters all the way. Her life had never been comfortable; it was full of hardships and obstacles.

4. The poem is in the style of ‘free verse’. It does not have a consistent meter pattern, rhyme

or any other musical pattern. The comparison of the mother’s life to a crystal stair is an example of the extended metaphor.

5. The language used in the poem is a deliberate attempt of the poet to depict the mother as an illiterate and poor woman of the Afro-American community.

6. The expression ‘reachin’ landin’s and ‘turnin’ corners’ signify the different phases of the mother’s life. Sometimes she finds some momentary solutions for her problems. The expression ‘goin’ in the dark’ signifies the hopeless moments of her life.

7. She advises her son not turn back when he faces an obstacle in the way, not to sit down when he finds it difficult to climb life’s stairs and not to fall down in his youthful days, for his mother is still climbing the difficult stairs of her life.

8. She encourages her son by telling her own experiences. She is still climbing the rough and tough stairs of life without yielding in front of the hardships of life.

9. In the line ‘Don’t you set down on the steps’ there is a repetition of the letters ‘d’ and ‘s’ and that makes ‘alliterations’.

The Never-Never Nest

 

Significance of the Title

The title is very catchy and compact. It has a rhythmic beauty.The compound word ‘never-never’ means ‘hire purchase’  or ‘instalment payment system’.The title proclaims that in the instalment system anything never ever belongs to us, even our nest, until we pay off a great deal of amount in instalments. It sarcastically points towards the pretentious and pompous human nature of leading a showy life beyond their means.

Character sketch

Aunt Jane

A lady with enough practical wisdom and high care and concern .for his relatives. She appears to be very generous and gifted Jack and Jill two hundred pounds at the time of their wedding. She is pleased to see the comfortable life they lead. But when she knows that everything at their home is on hire purchase system and a very small portion of the things only they own, she disapproves their way of life. She becomes annoyed and is not ready even to sit on the furniture or travel in the care, which actually Jack does not possess fully. Still she feels pity towards the family and gives them a cheque for ten pounds to enable them pay one of their bills and own at least one thing for them.

Prepare a Review of the drama

The well known playwright Cedric Mount very sarcastically attacks one of the bad aspects of the modern consumerism – the hire purchase system – through his one act play ‘The Never-Never Nest’.The title itself shows that by this system one never ever owns anything, even one’s nest. The author presents a middle class family with a small and fixed income. The husband and wife, Jack and Jill, are attracted to the hire purchase system and buy all the household items on instalment basis. Jack is the sole bread-winner of the family, and he has the weekly income of only six pounds. But they have to pay seven pounds eight and eight pence a week as the instalment payment. To pay the rest of the amount,they are going to borrow money from some finance corporation. They plan to pay that loan amount also by instalment! The character of Aunt Jane exposes the downside of this system. She sarcastically asks them what portion of each household item they own for themselves. Jack and Jill are pathetically forced to answer that they only own a sing leg of their furniture and the steering wheel and one of the tyres of their car. Aunt Jane refuses to sit on the furniture and to travel in the car to show them that those things belong not to them but to someone else. She convinces them that the hire purchase system never lets them own things, but leads them from debt to debt, because their expenditure is more than their income.Finally she gives them a cheque for ten pounds to pay one of their bills and to own at least one thing for them. Jill immediately pays off the last instalment of their hospital bill, and tries to make their child their own!

Vanka

 

1 Nine year old Vanka Zhukov, who had been apprenticed  three months ago to Alyakhin the shoemaker, did not go to bed on Christmas eve. He waited till his master and mistress and the senior apprentices had gone to church, and then took from the cupboard a bottle of ink and a pen with a rusty nib,spread out a crumpled sheet of paper, and was all ready to write. Before tracing the first letter, he glanced several times anxiously at the door and window, peered at the dark  icon, with shelves holding cobbler's lasts stretching on either side of it,and gave a quivering sigh. The paper lay on the bench, and Vanka knelt on the floor at the bench

2 ‘Dear Grandad Konstantin Makarich,.

‘I am writing a letter to you. I send you Christmas greetings and hope God will send you his blessings. I have no Father and no Mummie and you are all I have left.’

 3 Vanka raised his eyes to the dark window -pane,in which the reflection of the candle flickered. In his imagination he distinctly saw his grand dad, Konstantin Makarich. He was a night watchman on the estate of some gentle folk called Zhivarev. He was small, lean, old,man about sixty five, but remarkably lively and agile with a smiling face and eyes bleary with drink. In the day time he either slept at the kitchen or sat joking with the cook and kitchen-maids. In the night he wrapped himself in a great sheepskin coat, walked round and round the estate, sounding his rattle. Two dogs, Eel and Kashtanka would follow him with drooping  heads. Eel was named on account of his black coat and long weasel-like body. He was wonderfully respectful and insinuating . He had the same  appealing glance on friends and strangers alike, but he inspired confidence in no one. His deferential manner and docility were pretexts for his cunningness and hostility. He was adept at stealing up to snap at a foot, creeping into the ice -house, or snatching a peasant's chicken. His hind legs had been slashed again and again twice he had been strung up, he was beaten with an inch of his life every week, but he survived it all.

4 Grandad was probably standing at the gate at this moment, screwing up his eyes to look at the bright red light coming from the church windows, or stumping about in his felt boots, fooling with the servants. His rattle would be fastened to his belt. He would be throwing out his arms and hugging himself against the cold, or, with his old man's titter, pinching a maid, or one of the cooks. ‘Have a nip,’ he would say, holding out his snuffbox to the women. The women would take a pinch and sneeze. Grandfather would be overcome with delight, breaking out into jolly laughter, and shouting:

‘Good for frozen noses!’

5 Even the dogs would be given snuff. Kashtanka would sneeze, shake her head and walk away, offended. But Eel, too polite to sneeze, would wag his tail. And the weather was glorious. The air still, transparent and fresh.It was a dark night, but the whole village with its white  roofs, the smoke rising from the chimneys, the trees, silver with rime, the snow-drifts, could be seen distinctly. The sky was sprinkled with gaily twinkling stars, and the Milky Way stood out as clearly as if newly scrubbed for the holiday and polished with snow....

6 Vanka sighed, dipped his pen in the ink, and went on writing: ‘And yesterday I had such a hiding . The master took me by the hair and dragged me out into the yard and beat me with the stirrup-strap because by mistake I went to sleep while rocking their baby. And one day last week the mistress told me to gut a herring and I began from the tail and she picked up the herring and rubbed my face with the head. The other apprentices make fun of me, they send me to the tavern for vodka and make me steal the master's cucumbers and the master beats me with the first thing he finds. And there is nothing to eat. They give me bread in the morning and gruel for dinner and in the evening bread again, but I never get tea or cabbage soup. They gobble it all up And they make me sleep in the passage and when their baby cries,I don't get any sleep at all. I have to rock it.Dear Grandad, for the dear Lord’s sake take me away from here. Take me home to the village. I can't bear it any longer. Oh! Grandad, I beg and implore you and I will always pray for you, do take me away from here or I'll die. . . .’

7 Vanka's lips twitched,he rubbed his eyes with a black fist and gave a sob.I will grind your snuff for you,’ he went on. ‘I will pray for you and you can flog me as hard as you like if I am naughty. And if you think there is nothing for me to do I will ask the steward to take pity on me and let me clean the boots or I will go as a shepherd-boy instead of Fedya. Dear Grandad I can't stand it. It is killing me. I thought I would run away on foot to the village but I have no boots and I am afraid of the frost. And when I grow up to be a man I will look after you and I will not let anyone hurt you and when you die I will pray for your soul like I do for my Mummie.’

8 Moscow is such a big town. There are so many gentlemen's houses and such a lot of horses and no sheep and the dogs are not a bit fierce. The boys in the town don't roam the streets with stars and they don't allow one to sing in church at Christmas. They were also seen selling fishing hooks that could even hold a sheat fish weighing thirty pounds. There are shops that have all sorts of guns just like the ones the master has at home. They must cost a hundred roubles each. In the butchers' shops they sell grouse , wood-cock and hares about which they don't say where they were shot.

9 ‘Dear Grandad when they have a Christmas tree at the big house take a gilded nut for me and put it away in the green chest. Ask Miss Olga Ignatyevna, tell her it's for Vanka.’

10 Vanka gave a sharp sigh and once more gazed at the windowpane. He remembered his grandfather going to  get a Christmas tree for the gentry and taking his  grandson with him. Oh, what happy times those had been! Grandfather would give a chuckle, and the frost-bound wood chuckled, and Vanka, following their example, chuckled, too. Before chopping down the fir-tree, Grandfather would smoke a pipe, take a long pinch of snuff, and laugh at the shivering Vanka... The young fir-trees, coated with frost, stood motionless, waiting to see which one of them was to die. And suddenly a hare would come leaping over a snow-drift, swift as an arrow. Grandfather could never help shouting:

‘Stop it, stop it . . . stop it! Oh, you stub-tailed devil!’

11 Grandfather would drag the tree to the big house,and they would start decorating it... Miss Olga Ignatyevna, Vanka's favourite, was the busiest of all. While Pelageya, Vanka's mother, was alive and in service at the big house, Olga Ignatyevna used to give Vanka sweets, and amuse herself by teaching him to read,write and count to a hundred, and even to dance the quadrille . But when Pelageya died, the orphaned Vanka was sent down to the back kitchen to his grandfather,and from there to Moscow, to Alyakhin the shoemaker....

12 ‘Come to me dear Grandad,’ continued Vanka. ‘I beg you for Christ's sake take me away from here. Pity me unhappy orphan they beat me all the time and I am always hungry and I am so miserable here. I can't tell you I cry all the time. And one day the master hit me over the head with a last and I fell down and thought I would never get up again. I have such a miserable life worse than a dog's. And I send my love to Alyona, one-eyed Yegor and the coachman and don't give my concertina to anyone. I remain, your grandson Ivan Zhukov. Dear Grandad, do come.’

13 Vanka folded the sheet of paper in four and put it into an envelope which he had bought the day before for a kopek. Then he paused to think, dipped his pen into the ink-pot and wrote: ‘To Grandfather in the village,’scratched his head, thought again, then added:

‘TO KONSTANTIN MAKARICH’.

14 Pleased that no one had prevented him from writing,he put on his cap and ran out into the street without putting his coat on over his shirt. The men at the butcher's told him, when he asked them the day before,that letters are put into letter-boxes, and from these boxes sent all over the world on mail coaches with three horses and drunken drivers and jingling bells.

Vanka ran as far as the nearest letter-box and dropped his precious letter into the slit.

15 An hour later, lulled by rosy hopes, he was fast asleep. He dreamed of a stove. On the stove-ledge sat his grandfather, his bare feet dangling, reading the letter to the cooks.... Eel was walking backwards and forwards in front of the stove, wagging his tail.... 

   Words and their meanings are from https://www.hsslive.guru/kerala-syllabus-10th-standard-english-solutions-unit-5-chapter-1/

According to Vanka, what kind of a person is Konstantin Makarich?

Do you justify Makarich’s decision to send Vanka away to Moscow? Why?

Konstantin Makarich is a night watchman on the estate of the Zhivarev family. He is a small, lean, old

man about sixty five years of age. He is remarkably lively and agile with a smiling face and eyes bleary

with drink. He is a fun-loving man. In the day time either he sleeps in the back kitchen or spends time

cracking jokes with the cooks and other kitchen maids. In the night he does his watchman duty walking round and round the estate, sounding his rattle, wearing a large sheepskin coat and felt boots. He has two dogs named Kashtanka and Eel. He will always be in the company of his beloved dogs. He has the habit of snuffing tobacco and he will offer the snuff to kitchen maids and even to his dogs. He enjoys seeing them sneeze, breaking out into jolly laughter.

Makarich’s decision to send Vanka to Moscow was right. We cannot blame the old, innocent and

illiterate man. We are sure that while sending Vanka to Moscow, he must have in his mind only the

thought that his grandchild should learn a trade and earn a living!

Suggest an alternative ending to the story and write it in your own words.

Everyone at Alyakhin’s house treated Vanka cruelly. His life was worse than a dog’s life there.

He wished earnestly to escape from there. So he wrote a letter to his grandfather begging him to

come and save him. When the grandfather read the letter he felt enormously sorry for his mistake

of having sent his grandchild to a cruel person. He determined to save him by any means. He

sought the help of his employer Zhivarev. He was a rich man and had many friends in Moscow

town. He immediately arranged to register a complaint against Alyakhin for abusing children

and ill-treating them as child-labourers at his shoe factory. Soon the police arrested Alyakhin

and saved all children including Vanka. Vanka’s grandfather took him back to their village.

Vanka lived happily with his grandpa helping him in his service at Zhivarev’s estate.

Imagine that there are many children in your locality who have similar experiences like that of Vanka. Write a letter to the editor of a newspaper describing the sad plight of such children and the need to uplift them.

Raj Kumar

Vanmala

Kollam.

15 March 2022

The editor,

The Hindu,

Kollam.

Dear Sir,

I am a tenth standard student and resident of the Vanmala Colony in Kollam town. I would like to bring to your kind attention the evil of child labour that still prevails in our area despite there are many laws in our country to prevent and eradicate it.As we all know children are tomorrow’s citizens . Some 

illiterate and poor parents in our locality send their children to fields instead of sending them to school. In  fields children are exploited both physically and mentally.I request you to prepare a write-up and publish it in your newspaper in order to bring this issue into light and create a social awareness against it.

Thanking you in advance,

Yours faithfully,

Sd/

Raj Kumar

A speech for making the society aware of the evils of child labour.

Honourable chairperson, all the dignitaries present on and off the dais and dear friends:

I am so happy to be here in front of you to speak a few words on child labour and its evil consequences.

We all know that child labour is a crime and it is prohibited by law all over the world. But it still prevails in our society even when there are strict laws against it. What does it show then? It shows the failure of the authorities in enacting the laws effectively.It is vital to enact the laws and at the same time, it is essential to find out the reasons behind the existence of child labour and seek solutions. Then only we can eradicate this social evil once and for all.

When children are employed in factories and fields, they are deprived of their rights. They are denied their education and natural growth. Today’s children are tomorrow’s citizens, but they are abused by profit-craving employers. They have to work harder and longer but are paid meagerly.Some poor and illiterate parents send them to earn instead of sending them to learn.Our authorities must conduct programmes to educate and enlighten such parents and provide them with adequate facilities to send their children to schools.

We all talk and write always against child labour issues, but our words should be reflected in our actions. The government authorities, social servants, teachers, parents and all who despise this social evil should stand together to eradicate child labour from our society. Let’s create a better tomorrow and see all our children go to schools.

Let me conclude my words here and I wish you all a nice day. Thank you.

The Ballad of Father Gilligan

 

Appreciation of the poem 'The Ballad of Father Gilligan'

The Ballad of Father Gilligan is a touching narrative poem by W.B Yeats. The poem is composed in the form of a Ballad. The poem is about a priest, father Gilligan who rendered selfless service to the poor and the needy in his Parish. The ballad also tells us about the mercy of God to his devotees . The poem is rich in imagery and follows a strict rhyme scheme abcb. 

The old priest Father Gilligan was in charge of a parish. There was an epidemic in his area.Almost half of his parishioners were either sick or dead. The priest was tired of doing his priestly duties. One day after the day's busy schedule while he was sitting in his chair, a poor man sent for him. The priest started complaining that he had no rest or joy. Suddenly he realized his mistake and asked for God's forgiveness. He knelt and begged to God for forgiveness, and in the prayer he fell asleep leaning over his chair. He woke up only in the following morning at the time of sparrow chirp. Then he realized that he failed to do his priestly duties. So within no time he roused his horse and went to the sick man's house. The sick man's wife informed him that the man died as merry as a bird immediately after the priest left him.. On hearing this father Gilligan understood that God had sent one of his angels to help him to do his duty. Father praised God for showing his benevolence and kindness towards him. He expressed his gratitude to the merciful God.

Thus the poem beautifully narrates the story of God's timely intervention in the life of a poor priest.The poem is rich in imagery. ‘The green sods’ , ‘rocky lane’, ‘moth hour ‘etc are some of the visual images. ‘The sparrow chirp’ and ‘the wind that shook the leaves’, are examples of auditory image in the poem. ‘The stars began to peep’ is an instance of personification. The poetic device simile can be seen in the line ‘The man died as merry as a bird ‘.The use of alliteration also adds beauty to the poem.

The Scholarship Jacket

 

1 The small Texas school that I went to, had a tradition carried out every year during the eighth- grade graduation: a beautiful gold and green Jacket was awarded to the class valedictorian, the student who had maintained the highest grades for eight years. The scholarship Jacket had a big gold ‘S’ on the left front side and your name written in gold letters on the pocket.

                    

2 My oldest sister, Rosie, had won the Jacket a few years back, and I fully expected to also. I was fourteen and in the eighth grade. I had been a straight ‘A’ student since the first grade and this last year had looked forward very much to owning that Jacket. My father was a farm labourer who couldn't earn enough money to feed eight children. So when I was six I was given to my grandparents to raise.

1. What was the tradition followed in the small Texas School? 

2. How did the scholarship jacket look like?

 3. What do you think the letter ‘S’ on the jacket represents?

 4. Why did Martha expect to win the jacket this year? 

5. Why was Martha given to her grandparents to raise when she was six?

3 We couldn't participate in sports at school because there were registration fees, uniform costs, and trips out of town; so, even though our family was quite agile and athletic there would never be a school sports Jacket for us. This one, the scholarship Jacket, was our only chance.

4 In May, close to graduation, spring fever had struck as usual with a vengeance . No one paid any attention in class; instead we stared out of the windows and at each other, wanting to speed up the last few weeks of school. I despaired every time I looked in the mirror.  Pencil thin, not a curve anywhere. I was called ‘beanpole’ and ‘string bean’ and I knew that's what I looked like. That really wasn't much for a fourteen-year-old to work with, I thought, as I absentmindedly wandered from my history class to the gym. Another hour of sweating in basketball and displaying my toothpick legs was coming up. Then I remembered my P.E. shorts were still in a bag under my desk where I'd forgotten them. I had to walk all the way back and get them. Coach Thompson was a real bear if someone wasn't dressed for P.E. She had said I was a good forward and even tried to talk Grandma into letting me join the team once. Of course Grandma said no.

6. ‘This one, the scholarship jacket, was our only chance.’ Why does Martha say so?

 7. How does Martha describe herself?

 8. Why did she have to walk all the way back to her class room instead of going directly to the gym?

 9. What kind of a person was the Coach Thompson? 

5 I was almost back at my classroom door when I heard voices raised in anger as if in some sort of argument . I stopped. I didn't mean to eavesdrop, I just hesitated, not knowing what to do. I needed those shorts and I was going to be late, but I didn't want to interrupt an argument between my teachers. I recognised the voices: Mr. Schmidt, my History teacher and Mr. Boone, my Math teacher. They seemed to be arguing about me. I couldn't believe it. I still remember the feeling of shock that rooted me flat against the wall as if I were trying to blend in with the graffiti written there.

‘I refuse to do it! I don't care who her father is, her grades don't even begin to compare to Martha's. I won't lie or falsify records. Martha has a straight A-plus average and you know it.’ That was Mr. Schmidt and he sounded very angry. Mr. Boone's voice sounded calm and quiet.

‘Look. Joann's father is not only on the Board, he owns the only store in town. We could say it was a close tie and-’

6 The pounding in my ears drowned out the rest of the words, only a word here and there filtered through.‘Martha is Mexican . . . resign . . . won't do it . . . .’Mr. Schmidt came rushing out and luckily for me went down the opposite way towards the auditorium, so he didn't see me.

Shaking, I waited a few minutes and then went in and grabbed my bag and fled from the room. Mr Boone looked up when I came in but didn't say anything. To this day I don't remember if I got in trouble in P.E. for being late or how I made it through the rest of the afternoon. I went home very sad and cried into my pillow that night so Grandmother wouldn't hear me.

10.Who were the teachers engaged in the argument? 

11. What were Martha’s teachers arguing about? 

12. Why was Mr. Boone arguing in Joann’s favour?

 13. Why was Martha very sad and why did she cry? 

7 It seemed a cruel coincidence that I had overheard that conversation. The next day when the principal

called me into his office I knew what it would be about. He looked uncomfortable and unhappy. I decided I wasn't going to make it any easier for him, so I looked him straight in the eyes. He looked away and fidgeted with the papers on his desk. 

‘Martha,’ he said, ‘there’s been a change in policy this year regarding the scholarship Jacket. As you know, it has always been free.’ He cleared his throat and continued. ‘This year the Board has decided to charge fifteen dollars, which still won't cover the complete cost of the Jacket.’

8 I stared at him in shock, and a small sound of dismay escaped my throat. I hadn't expected this. He still avoided looking in my eyes.

‘So if you are unable to pay the fifteen dollars for the Jacket, it will be given to the next one in line.’ I didn't need to ask who that was.

14.“It seemed a cruel coincidence...” Why did Martha say so? 

15. What did the principal tell Martha regarding the scholarship jacket? 

16. Why was the principal uncomfortable and unhappy while talking to Martha? 

17. Why was Martha shocked? 

9 Standing with all the dignity I could muster, I said, ‘I'll speak to my grandfather about it, sir, and let you know tomorrow.’ I cried on the walk home from the bus stop.The dirt road was a quarter mile from the highway. So by the time I got home, my eyes were red and puffy 

Where's Grandpa?’ I asked Grandma, looking down at the floor so she wouldn't ask me why I'd been crying.She was sewing on a quilt as usual and didn't look up.‘I think he's out back working in the bean field.’

10 I went outside and looked out at the fields. There he was. I could see him walking between the rows, his body bent over the little plants, hoe in hand. I walked slowly out to him, trying to think how I could best ask him for the money. There was a cool breeze blowing and a sweet smell of mesquite fruit in the air, but I didn't clod. I wanted that Jacket appreciate it. I kicked at a dirt clod so much. It was more than just being a valedictorian and giving a little thank you speech for the Jacket on graduation night. It represented eight years of hard work and expectation.

 18. What was the grandmother doing when Martha approached her?

 19. What was Martha thinking while walking to her grandfather?

 20. Why was winning the scholarship jacket so much important to Matha? 

11.I knew I had to be honest with Grandpa; it was my only chance. He saw my shadow and looked up. He waited for me to speak. I cleared my throat nervously and clasped my hands behind my back so he wouldn't see them shaking. ‘Grandpa, I have a big favour to ask you,’ I said in Spanish, the only language he knew.

12 He still waited silently. I tried again. ‘Grandpa, this year the principal said the scholarship Jacket is not going to be free. It's going to cost fifteen dollars, and I have to take the money in tomorrow, otherwise it'll be given to someone else.’ The last words came out in an eager rush.Grandpa straightened up tiredly and leaned his chin on the hoe handle. He looked out over the field that was filled with the tiny green bean plants. I waited,desperately hoping he'd say I could have the money. He turned to me and asked quietly, ‘What does a scholarship Jacket mean?

13 I answered quickly; maybe there was a chance. ‘It means you've earned it by having the highest grades for eight years and that's why they're giving it to you.’ Too late I realized the significance of my words.

Grandpa knew that I understood it was not a matter of money. It wasn't that. He went back to hoeing the weeds that sprang up between the delicate little bean plants.

It was a time-consuming job; sometimes the small shoots were right next to each other. Finally he spoke again as I turned to leave, crying.

‘Then if you pay for it, Martha, it's not a scholarship Jacket, is it? Tell your principal I will not pay the fifteen dollars.’

21.What did Martha say to grandfather nervously?

22. Why did she use the Spanish language?

28. Why did Martha’s grandfather refuse to pay the money for the jacket? 

29. What did the grandfather want Martha to tell the principal?

14 I walked back to the house and locked myself in the bathroom for a long time. I was angry with Grandfather even though I knew he was right, and I was angry with the Board, whoever they were. Why did they have to change the rules just when it was my turn to win the Jacket?

Those were the days of belief and innocence.

It was a very sad and withdrawn girl who dragged into the principal's office the next day. This time he did look me in the eyes.

‘What did your grandfather say?’

I sat very straight in my chair.

‘He said to tell you he won't pay the fifteen dollars.’

15 The principal muttered something I couldn't understand under his breath and walked over to the window. He stood looking at something outside. He looked bigger than usual when he stood up; he was a tall, gaunt man with gray hair, and I watched the back of his head while I waited for him to speak.

Why?’ he finally asked. ‘Your grandfather has the money'. He owns a two-hundred acre ranch.

16 I looked at him, forcing my eyes to stay dry. ‘I know,sir, but he said if I had to pay for it, then it wouldn't be a scholarship Jacket.’ I stood up to leave. ‘I guess you'll just have to give it to Joann.’ I hadn't meant to say that, it had just slipped out. I was almost to the door when he stopped me. ‘Martha-wait,'

17 I turned and looked at him, waiting. What did he want now? I could feel my heart pounding loudly in my chest. Something bitter and vile tasting was coming up in my mouth; I was afraid I was going to be sick. I didn't need any sympathy speeches. He sighed loudly and went back to his big desk.

He watched me, biting his lip. ‘Okay. We'll make an exception in your case. I'll tell the Board, you'll get your Jacket.’

30.What did the principal ask Martha and what was her reply? 

31. Why does the principal think that Martha’s grandfather can pay the money if he wants? 

18 I could hardly believe my ears. I spoke in a trembling rush. ‘Oh, thank you, sir!’ Suddenly I felt great. I didn't know about adrenalin in those days, but I knew something was pumping through me, making me feel as tall as the sky. I wanted to yell, jump, run the mile, do something.

I ran out so I could cry in the hall where there was no one to see me.At the end of the day, Mr. Schmidt winked at me and said, ‘I hear you're getting the scholarship Jacket this year.’

19 His face looked as happy and innocent as a baby's,but I knew better. Without answering I gave him a quick hug and ran to the bus. I cried on the walk home again,but this time because I was so happy. I couldn't wait to tell Grandpa and ran straight to the field. I joined him in the row where he was working, and without saying anything I crouched down and started pulling up the weeds with my hands. Grandpa worked alongside me for a few minutes, and he didn't ask what had happened. After I had a little pile of weeds between the rows, I stood up and faced him.

‘The principal said he's making an exception for me,Grandpa, and I'm getting the Jacket after all. That's after I told him what you said.’

20 Grandpa didn't say anything; he just gave me a pat on the shoulder and a smile. He pulled out the crumpled red handkerchief that he always carried in his back pocket and wiped the sweat off his forehead.

‘Better go see if your grandmother needs any help with supper.’

I gave him a big grin. He didn't fool me. I skipped and ran back to the house whistling some silly tune.

32. How did Martha wish to express her joy? 

33. Who really helped Martha get the scholarship jacket? How?

Activity 4, textbook page 120

 After receiving the Scholarship Jacket, Martha delivers a speech. Prepare the speech .

Honourable principal, respected teachers and my dear friends.

“Where there is a will, there is a way”! As the proverb says, today it has happened to me and that’s why I am standing in front of you now. It has been my dream to win the scholarship jacket ever since my sister won it, and that dream has now come true in my life. My sister Rosie really inspired me from the beginning to work for winning this award, and I should thank her first. 

I am a member of a poor Mexican farmer’s family having great difficulties to bear the expenses of my studies. When I was told to pay 15 dollars for the scholarship jacket, which I deserve to win by my merit, I was really shocked and became disappointed. My grandfather, with whom I am staying, was not ready to pay for the jacket. He told and taught me that awards are not to be bought by money. It should come our way by our efforts and merit. Yes, finally it has come in my way as he said. Also, many of our teachers have supported me greatly, especially our history teacher Mr.Schmidt. I should thankfully remember them all on this occasion. 

I believe that honours like this scholarship jacket are to inspire students in their studies. Merits should only be the consideration while bestowing such honours, and any sort of partiality or favouritism should not have any role in the selection of candidates for awards.

 Let me conclude my words expressing my sincere gratitude to all of you for having supported me in winning this prestigious award. Thank you very much and I wish a good day to all of you! 

🈤Activity 5, textbook page 120 

The management decides to change the policy regarding the Scholarship Jacket. The principal feels uncomfortable and unhappy about this change. He expresses his resentment in a letter to the management. Write the likely letter

The Principal, 

Texas School, Texas, USA.

10 March 2020 

 The Manager, 

Texas School, 

Texas, USA. 

Subject: Change of policy regarding the Scholarship Jacket. 

Dear Sir, 

I would like to bring to your attention that the new decision taken by the management regarding the Scholarship Jacket is unfavourable. This decision puts me in a dilemma. The scholarship has so far been a prestigious award presented every year to the valedictorian student of our school free of cost. Now, to pay 15 dollars for it is unjustifiable. I believe that honours should be bestowed to students based on their merit. I hereby express my strong disagreement on the management’s new decision – money for award! I would like to request you to rethink about the new decision and consider poor and deserving students like Martha. Thank you. 

Yours faithfully, 

Sd/

Activity 7, textbook page 120 

Martha is awarded the Scholarship Jacket by the Vice - Chancellor of the University. Prepare a news report of the award ceremony.

Martha wins Scholarship Jacket 

 TEXAS: Martha, a 14 year old Mexican-American girl and eighth grade student of the Texas school has won the scholarship jacket of the school this year. The scholarship jacket is a prestigious award the school awards to the valedictorian student as a tradition every year, during the eighth grade graduation. It is a very beautiful green and gold jacket awarded to the student who has maintained the highest grades for eight years. Vice Chancellor of the Texas University distributed the award to Martha in the presence of the school principal, teachers and students. “I was very much disappointed and was afraid of losing it, when I heard that I had to pay for it. But, thank God, I have won it, and it’s like my dream has come true”, jubilant Martha said.

Prepare a character sketch of Martha. 

'Martha', the central character in the story 'The Scholarship Jacket'  is sensitive, bold and brilliant. She is a Mexican-American girl of 14 years of age, and an eighth grade student at the Texas school. She has maintained a consistent ‘A’ level since her first grade. She is in every sense qualified enough to win the prestigious scholarship jacket, an award to the class valedictorian of her school. Martha is the daughter of a poor Mexican farm labourer. Owing to the poverty at her own family, she has been given to her grandparents to raise. In appearance she is very lean and her friends call her ‘beanpole’ and ‘string bean’. Once she happens to overhear a heated argument between her two teachers. She understands that a conspiracy is going on to undermine her chance of winning the jacket. Eventually the principal asks her to pay 15 dollars for the award. Although bold and brilliant, this incident makes her cry in despair. But when Martha's granddad tells her that a paid award is not an award at all, she accepts his words. She strongly believes that she deserves the award by merit and it will come her way. She determines to tell the principal looking straight into his eyes that she is not ready to pay. Here, we see a bold Martha. However, later when Martha hears from the principal that she is going to get the jacket, she cannot control her happiness. She wants to express her extreme joy by whatever means – she wants to yell, jump or run the mile. While rushing back home to inform her grandpa and grandma about the good news, she can’t help crying – but this time it is a cry of joy. Martha's words and deeds show that she is quite bold and sensible but at the same time sensitive and childlike.

Malayalam translation from  https://www.hsslive.guru/kerala-syllabus-10th-standard-english-solutions-unit-4-chapter-1/👇

                                                            

                                                            

    

                                                            

                                                                                                                                                        

                                                        

                                                                                                                    

                                                        

Activities and  answers are taken from  ©English Eduspot Blog www.englisheduspot.blogspot.com

Prepared by Mahmud K Pukayoor