A review on Dickens-GREAT EXPECTATIONS

Expectations is one of Charles Dickens’s most famous works. It was published (as a novel in three volumes) in 1861. Pip is a young orphan boy who lives with his elder sister and her husband. He knows that he will be a blacksmith like his brother-in-law when he grows up. But an anonymous benefactor settles a lavish allowance on him. Pip goes to London and starts life in a society that is completely alien to him. His new-found prosperity and his undying love for his childhood friend Estella change him in many ways. He becomes more and more ashamed of his humble origins. But many disasters and challenges await him. The novel chronicles Pip’s experiences from childhood to adulthood. Great Expectations is generally termed a bildungsroman. Bildungsroman is a German word used for novels that portray the psychological development of the central character. But Great Expectations, like most of Charles Dickens’s novels, does not conform to any one genre. It is a tale of love and passion; a mystery story with several twists; a narrative that functions as a serious social commentary
I must confess that I started to read this book with a little bit of reluctance during my summer vacation. The problem with an old book is that we usually have a general idea about it even if we haven’t read it. But instead of the boredom I expected, the experience turned out to be both memorable and enriching. Great Expectations is one of the most complex and moving love stories I have ever read. The relationship between Pip and Estella comes alive from the very beginning. There are also mysteries to be solved- the urge to find out what happens next. The irresponsible and immature Pip is one of Dickens’s most endearing characters. His friends, John Wemmick and Miss Skiffins, are unforgettable. The numerous comic moments stand out, as do the moments of suspense, passion or realization. I have read this book more than once, and every read has been an entirely new experience.

A review on Dickens masterpiece- GREAT EXPECTATIONS

I should admit that I abandoned the book immediately when I started reading it. The narrative was slow, the story wasn't progressing and there were too many characters at the same time. I wasn't just happy. 

I picked up the book again after 10 days and this time, I was wearing a smile at every line that I read, every page that I read and every chapter that I read. It is such a wonderfully written story with touching elements of love, ambition, help, hope and gratitude.

It's all about a boy Pip, and his life. He grows up, he learns and he transforms: that's the story all about. Pip is brought up by his sister and his brother-in-law and is then sent to Miss Havisham to entertain her. Miss Havisham is an eccentric lady: wearing her bridal dress all throughout, she has discarded living. She sits in a black room and does not come out either at day or at night. She has a story of her own. Pip meets Estella here. Estella is a girl of the same age as that of Pip and Pip falls for her. Love for Estella is a constant part of Pip's life. 

Pip, then, receives a fortune from someone he doesn't know but only speculate about. Pip moves to London to get good education and become a gentleman. Pip forgets all that he valued once: his brother-in-law, Joe and his home and his life upon the marshes. Pip's life then is revealed to be full of interesting and shocking revelations and coincidences. 

Dickens has taken care in crafting his characters and story. He hasn't described the characters at length. He gives them their own space to develop and does it so deftly that it all looks very clear and convincing. At some times, he has directly described their characteristics and at other times, he lets them show themselves to the reader through their disposition. 

I found his writing to be humorous and tender at the same time. There are so many times when Dickens made me sit back and think and laugh. Its first person narrative makes you feel that Pip is sitting just beside you and telling you his story. It all is so simple and heartwarming that it makes you keep reading. Be it the love between Estella and Pip, the oddity between Pip and Mr. Jaggers, the sense of gratitude (and ingratitude) between Pip and Joe, everything will move you as a human being and will affect you deeply. 

My reading pace slowed terribly when I was reaching the end because I did not want to finish the book. I wanted the story to go on. I wanted to read more of it. I wasn't convinced and happy that this is coming to an end. I read somewhere the Dickens wanted to write a longer story than the one that he has written. I wanted that too. Nevertheless, this book will touch your heart

Children at Work- Class 8 supplementary reader

Children at Work

Question 1: Velu stood on the platform but he felt “as if he was still on a moving train”. Why?

Answer: Sometimes long distance travel causes motion sickness. After the end of the journey one gets a sense the body is still shaking as if on a moving vehicle. That is what seems to have happened to Velu.

Question 2: What made him feel miserable?

Answer: Velu was in an unfamiliar place. He was hungry and was penniless. He did not know where to go from there. He was not sure what future lay in store for him. That is why he felt miserable.

Question 3: Velu travelled without a ticket. Why?

Answer: Velu ran away from his home. He was not having money to buy a ticket. So, he traveled without ticket.

Question 4: How did he escape the ticket collector’s attention?

Answer: Probably Velu’s luck was with him. The ticket collector never came to the compartment he was traveling in.

Question 5: Why had Velu run away from home?

Answer: Velu’s father used to snatch whatever money used to be with him to buy hooch. His father used to beat him as well. Velu was fed up of this continuous torture. To escape his father’s wrath he ran away from home.

Question 6: Why did he decide to follow the ‘strange’ girl?

Answer: The ‘strange’ girl was the only ray of light for Velu. There was no other option. So, he decided to follow the ‘strange’ girl.

Question 7: Can Velu read Tamil and English? How do you know?

Answer: The fact that Velu was unable to comprehend anything from hoardings in English indicates that he could not read English. He could read ‘Central Jail” written in Tamil. This shows that he knew to read Tamil.

Question 8: “If you are not careful, you will soon be counting bars there,” the girl said.

• What is she referring to?
• What does she mean when she says “If you are not careful...”?

Answer: The police in India follow strange practice of putting unsuspecting and innocent poor people behind bars. The girl was referring to this practice. Once impressionable kids fall in police’s net the ambience of jail has every potential to make hardened criminals out of them.

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Question 9: Where did the girl lead Velu to? What did they get to eat?

Answer: The girl led Velu to a place where a marriage ceremony was being held. They went to the garbage pile to dig some edibles from there. They got some vada and banana to eat. It is normal practice for poor children in cities to search for leftover food from garbage heaps.

Question 10: What work did she do? Think of a one-word answer.

Answer: Ragpicker

Question 11: What material are the ‘strange’ huts made out of? Why does Velu find them strange?

Answer: The huts were made of plastic, old tyres and tins. Velu was from a village. All his life he had seen huts made of mud and thatched roofs. For him it was surprising to see a house made of discarded material.

This happens in all slums around the world. People migrating from village for better prospects find petty jobs which is not enough to sustain them. Majority of them sleep on roadsides. More lucky ones get some resources to build makeshift houses which are built of every conceivable material.

Question 12: What sort of things did Jaya and children like her collect and what did they do with those things?

Answer: Jaya used to collect garbage. These types of children sell them to dealers who in turn sell them to factories for recycling. Especially, in countries like India and China this is a big industry. In some way it helps in saving our environment as well, because recycling helps reuse of the waste product.

Question 13: Is Velu happy or unhappy to find work? Give a reason for your answer.

Answer: Velu never thought of doing the dirty work of rag-picking when he left his village. But the harsh reality forced him to do so. The fact that he is planning to switch over to a better job indicates that he is not happy at all.

Glimpses of the past CLASS VIII

Who is an artisan? Why do you think the thumbs of expert artisans were chopped off?

An artisan is a person who is skilled in an applied art; a craftsman. The expert artisans of India worked so well that there was no parallel to their creation. The British feared that the goods which they were importing from their country to sell in India would not stand competition in quality with the goods produced by these expert Indian artisans. So to make them incapable of doing their work the British used to chop off the thumbs of artisans.  

Do you think the Indian princes were short-sighted in their approach to the events of 1757?

Indian princes were indeed short-sighted in their approach to the events of 1757. They fought against each other and sought the help of the British. They could not see that this will eventually make the British most powerful. This happened and they had to suffer for their short-sightedness.

How did the East India Company subdued the Indian princes?
Indian princes were divided and fought one another. Very often they sought the help of East India Company to do so. As a result they became weak. By this divide and rule policy the Company subdued them all one by one.

In what ways did the British officers exploit Indians?

The British exploited Indians in several ways. They passed a resolution according to which an Indian could be jailed without trial in a court. British goods were imported in India tax-free. The English prospered on the company’s loot while the Indian industries began to die. Even the British Governor-General Bentinck reported to England, “The bones of cotton weavers are bleaching the plains of India.”

The Lake Isle of Innisfree -Summary

SUMMARY-The Lake of Innisfree by William Butler Yeats

This poem by William Butler Yeats is about his longing for the peace and tranquility of Innnisfree, a place where he spent a lot of time as a boy. It is a description of the beauty of  the Lake of Innisfree. The natural beauty charms the poet greatly. He describes the natural scene of The Lake of Innisfree beautifully. He used to spend more time in that natural place. He longs or wishes to spend sometime in the natural lap of The Lake of Innisfree.
The twelve-line poem is divided into three quatrains and is an example of Yeats’s earlier lyric poems. Throughout the three short quatrains the poem explores the speaker’s longing for the peace and tranquility of Innisfree while residing in an urban setting. The speaker in this poem yearns to return to the island of Innisfree because of the peace and quiet it affords. He can escape the noise of the city and be lulled by the "lake water lapping with low sounds by the shore." On this small island, he can return to nature by growing beans and having bee hives, by enjoying the "purple glow" of noon, the sounds of birds' wings, and, of course, the bees. He can even build a cabin and stay on the island.
This poem creates an interest among the readers to adopt the nature in their lives and to live life in natural environment. The poet wants to build a small cabin of clays and fence in the lake Isle of Innisfree. He wants to have nine bean rows and a hive for the honeybee. He will live alone in the glade full of bees’ sound and there will be peace all round, the singing of cricket, glimmer of midnight, purple glow all over the place at noon and song of the flying linnet in evenings will charm and inspire him live in a natural place. He will spend some precious time in the lap of beautiful nature.