Unit- 2
Language through literature.
2.1.1 Kabuliwala” -By Rabindranath Tagore
Kabuliwala” by Tagore is a tale of heart-rending friendship between a 5-year-old Bengali girl Minnie and an Afghan moneylender, Abdur Rahman or Rahamat. The story beautifully ties a bond of mutual affection and the unconventional relationship between the two.
Inception of an Odd Friendship
The voice of the story is lent by the father of Minnie. Rahamat, who is a hawker of dry fruits and shawls from Kabul, frequents the Bengali locales where Minnie and her family reside. He was a strapping, turban-clad man and fascinated Minnie.
One day she called him from the window of her house. But as he approached closer she got startled and ran back inside. Minnie’s father talked to Rahmat and learned about his family in Kabul.
He introduced Minnie to him with the title of Kabuliwala. To make her more comfortable Rahmat offered some dry fruits to Minnie. He started calling Minnie as Khuki (a child).
As their friendship blossomed, Minnie and Rahmat started meeting and interacting every day. Rahmat narrated stories of his homeland to Minnie and the young girl happily returned the warmth with her own innocent tales and playfulness. Kabuliwala listened to the young girl with great intent and relish.
Misfortune Overtakes the Kabuliwala
However, the maidservant of Mini’s parents started filling the ears of Rama, Minnie’s mother regarding the Kabuliwala’s true intention. Soon, Minnie’s mother grew suspicious of this flourishing friendship and feared that Rahmat might even kidnap and sell her daughter. She also stopped paying Kabuliwala for his goods.
On the other hand, Kabuliwala’s woes magnified as he got arrested for stabbing a customer after getting involved in a scuffle. The tiff started due to non-payment of a Rampuri shawl that the Kabuliwala sold to the customer. The customer denied having ever bought the shawl and that caused Rahmat to lose his control.
During the trial, he confessed to killing the man even after being advised against it by his lawyer. The judge decided to reduce his punishment to 10-years imprisonment after being impressed by his honesty. After getting released several years later he went to see Minnie.
Return of a Friend
To his surprise, a lot had changed and the day he arrived was actually Minnie’s wedding day. But when Minnie’s father realized his presence, he asked Rahmat to leave the premises owing to his ill-fated and inauspicious absence.
Kabuliwala obliged but while leaving offered some raisins for Minnie. He also showed a scruffy piece of paper with a handprint of his daughter that he left in Kabul.
Seeing that her father’s heart melted and he called Minnie. Mini was dressed and embellished like a bride but was too apprehensive to meet her long-forgotten friend.
Kabuliwala was taken aback to see a girl he could not recognize and struggled to cope with the reality of the time he lost while imprisoned. He was tormented by the thought of having lost his own daughter’s childhood. She would have been a grown woman like Minnie.
Minnie’s father understood his precarious condition and offered him enough money for a safe trip back to Kabul and a reunion with his own daughter. Even Minnie’s mother, realizing her misjudgment, extended the money she saved for Minnie’s wedding ceremony.
Minnie’s father set aside a portion of the wedding expenses like for lights etc in order to arrange 100 rupees for Rahmat. In a way, they could sympathize with the plight of another parent longing for his long-separated daughter.
Key Lessons
The fundamental message of the story is that people have the ability to do good as well as bad to others. Often, it is easier to side with our fears and suspect someone who is not like us. It can be a different skin colour or a different language.
But if we are patient with people and try to understand their situations and problems then we can find some common ground. They go through the same emotions and conflicts as we do.
They are also faced with difficult choices like us. Therefore, we must show empathy for their struggles if we expect to receive the same from them In the end, we all live to make each other’s life easier and worth living.
2.1.2 Am I Blue?
Alice.Walker
About the Story:
“Am I Blue” deals with a horse – Blue, who used to live a dreary and weary life in five beautiful but fenced acres. The narrator started feeding Blue apples which the horse would relish. After some time, Brown, a mare, was also brought there. Blue felt excited and elated to have a companion and began leading a blissful life. But Brown was taken away from there when she became pregnant. It came as a jolt from the blue for the horse and a total change took place in his life. The horse may not have experienced in its full complexity the kind of shock the writer attributes to him, but he certainly felt greatly disturbed when the mate was taken away from the grassy field where he had now to live all by himself. He had certainly developed a deep attachment for the mare and missed her badly. Alice Walker makes us aware through this story of the emotional needs which animals do have and the bonds of affection they develop for each other. We are generally obtuse and selfish in our attitude towards the animals and callously reduce their being to a few gross appetites. But the more important aspect of the meaning of the whole story lies in the fact that the horse becomes a symbol of those oppressed and neglected sections of humanity which are treated like animals. It is a symbol of oppressed humanity that the feelings attributed to the horse gain the special significance.
We can then understand how the horse developed a deep dislike for humanity and its selfish ways. The writer actually highlights the selfishness and the gross obtuseness with which racists treat the African – Americans and the bigoted male chauvinists treat women. The story thus sensitizes us to the needs of all those whom we treat as others. It takes due recognition of the fact that animals also suffer mentally and emotionally. The story reveals the callousness which we unconsciously show when we treat animals as commodities and not as living creatures who also undergo emotional and psychological turmoil just like us. Alice Walker also touches indirectly upon the sensitive issues of slavery and racism in this story.
2.1.3 ‘If you are wrong, Admit it' By Dale Carnegie
Preface:
Dale Carnegie is a well-known trainer in corporate training and interpersonal skills. “If you are wrong, Admit it" is an extract from his famous book “How to Win Friends and Influence People” Here the author gives examples to prove the benefits of admitting one’s wrong.
His Experience with a Policeman
Once the author took his dog Rex without a muzzle or leash in Forest Park. It was against law in America. He gave reasons to defend him - There was nobody in the park and the dog was also harmless. The policeman got angry and warned him not to do it again. But on another occasion, when the author let the dog run loose again, he admitted his fault. This made the policeman behave in a soft and graceful way, even to let him run the dog loose.
The Experience of Warren with an Art Editor
Warren is a commercial artist. He was often criticised by a particular art editor even for small errors. This time Warren applied the principle- “If you are wrong, admit it.” He started criticising himself. He said that he committed an unpardonable blunder. He said that he was ashamed of himself. This made the art editor behave psychologically the other way. He said that it was just a slight error. He offered even lunch and another work to do.
Harvey's Experience with his Supervisor
Harvey from New Mexico came to know of an error that he had wrongly authorized full payment to an employee on sick leave. The employee was ready for recovery now but on installments only. Harvey knew that his Supervisor would explode over this error. But he handled this tense situation differently and solved the problem. He started by saying that it was his fault. Instead of getting angry, the supervisor defended him by saying that it was the fault of personnel or accounting department.
General Lee and Picket's Charge
Picket's Charge(1863) is a part of American civil war (1861-65) that took place between northern states (unions) and southern states (confederates). General Picket was so confident of victory but General Lee’s fault of ordering infantry resulted in failure of the war. The enemies started attacking from behind a stone wall and 4000 Picket's men had a fall. General Lee can say reasons such as late coming of cavalry but he admitted his fault and even resigned his post.
Thus the author gives examples of public, commercial, professional and war issues to prove the value of admitting one’s fault.
2.1.4 Engine Trouble
R.K Narayan
R.K. Narayan was an Indian Writer. His first novel is “Swami and Friends”. “Malgudi” is a fictional town, imagined by the author. He received the A.C. Benson Award by Royal Society of Literature (1980) and Sahitya Akademi Award (for The Guide, 1958). In this story, the narrator uses first person narration.
A brief description of the Story :
A showman came in their town, was the owner of the Gaiety Land. They provided various fun, games and slide shows. The narrator won a Road Engine in Lottery. But he had no space to keep it. Few days later, the Municipality ordered him to take away the engine. He begged every passing Bus-Drivers and a Mail Engine-Driver but none helped him. Finally local priest offered him the service of the temple elephant. He decided to be disappear. Then he met with Joseph, a dismissed bus driver. He arranged the rest to remove the engine. The scene was very funny. But the result became different. At this point a Swamiji came to the town to show his yogik feats. From eating glass tumblers, lying on spike boards to licking hot iron rods, stopping his heartbeat he could show many more. He also offered to have a road engine driven over his chest. But when everything was ready, an inspector came and prohibited to swallow potassium cyanide and have an road engine driven over his chest. Swamiji left angrily. However, nature rescued him in unexpected manner. An Earth-quake hit the town and the engine stuck into the open mouth of a disused well. The owner of the well was very happy as it was the dirtiest water on the earth and the Municipality frequently ordered him to close it. So, the owner agreed to pay all the debts of the narrator. Finally, the narrator heaved a sigh of relief.
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