The Relentless 'Old Man' and 'The Sea'

Hello Everyone,

The leaders of the Library Committee have come up with an interesting idea of the "Monthly Bookshelf," where we read a specific book every month and then review it. This month's book is "The Old Man and The Sea", a novella written by Ernest Hemingway. In this blog post, I will review this book.

The first significant thing about "The Old Man and The Sea" is that it is not a very lengthy book, you can complete it in just a single sitting. The novella narrates the story of an old man named Santiago and his deep voyages into the sea to capture fish. The language is typical of Hemingway's style—clear, lucid, and to the point. The description of the old man and his hut is captivating, allowing us to visualize the entire scene in our minds. The novella will keep you engaged until the very end.

The story is not simply about an old man capturing fish,  it is a tale of perseverance, hope, desire, and an unyielding attitude. Throughout the novella, there are references to Santiago's younger days when he was full of energy and seemed blessed with a winner's mindset. Santiago's sea expeditions are usually accompanied by a young boy named Manolin. However, it has been a long time since Santiago last caught a big fish. On one fateful day, despite Manolin's wish to join him, Santiago ventures into the sea alone.

“But man is not made for defeat, a man can be destroyed but not defeated”

This famous quote from the book sums up a significant portion of the story and highlights the inner conflict in Santiago's mind as he stays at sea for several days after capturing the giant marlin. During those three days, we gain a clear understanding of Santiago’s character and his attitude. The old man and the giant marlin serve as metaphors, connecting to our own lives. We are the old men of our lives, and our day-to-day problems are the giant marlin—whether big or small. Our attitude toward these problems and our lives defines us and distinguishes us from others.

The moment Santiago captures the marlin, and what follows afterward, is the most enthralling part of the story. Although Santiago loves being a sea hunter, he is not a ruthless killer of fish and sharks, despite having to brutally attack sharks several times. Santiago is more of an artistic killer, seeing the act of killing as a duel or a competition.

“Fish, I love you and respect you very much. But I will kill you dead before this day ends.”

Santiago considers the marlin his brother and feels a deep sense of melancholy after each shark attack on the marlin. When the fish was struck, it was as though Santiago himself had been hit. The marlin was not just a fish, it was a partner and companion to Santiago.

A few references to Spanish words may confuse you during reading, and also refer to some vocabulary related to sea voyages and the tools used in fishing. I hope this review would inspire you to read this amazing book.

Thank you.

Final Solutions by Mahesh Dattani

 

Greeting,

      The Department of English at MKBU organized a 'Drama Workshop' from July 15 to 22. This workshop was conducted by the department's research scholar, Alpa Ponda, who is pursuing her PhD on 'Drama Pedagogy' in the literature classroom. During the workshop, we learned many aspects of drama and its performance. Students also had the opportunity to perform the drama 'Final Solutions' on stage, which is part of our syllabus. We are all thankful to Alpa ma'am and our HOD, Dr. Dilip Barad for giving us this opportunity. 

This blog post reflects on my experiences and learning from the recent Drama Workshop organized by the Department of English at MKBU. Over the course of the workshop, I gained valuable insights into drama and its performance techniques. I will also share my personal experience of performing the drama 'Final Solutions' and address some reflective questions along with my answers.

Reflect on your journey through Final Solutions as a student of theatre. How did the process of studying, rehearsing, and performing this play shape your understanding and appreciation of theatre?

This was the first time I was taught drama using theatrical techniques. During the workshop, we initially learned how to speak with proper intonation and deliver dialogues effectively. We explored various forms of drama and learned how to perform on stage. Personally, it was my first experience speaking and performing in front of an audience. It was not an easy task, as I had never done this before. We also had to maintain our postures and gestures to convey meaning non-verbally. 

One of the activities involved a theater game designed to release bodily tension and improve our stage presence. This game was both fun and useful for our drama performance. Moreover, we were given a small task to perform a five to ten minute stage performance in groups.

We also engaged in the 'Vachikam' of the drama, a group reading that ran couple of days. During these sessions, we discussed the core themes of the play. The superficiality and guilt of Ramnik's character were clearly exposed during the reading. Ramnik was aware that his family had burned down Zarine's father's shop and purchased it at half its value. This awareness was the reason he defended Javed and Bobby superficially and allowed them to stay for the night, while Hardika and Aruna opposed them.

During the last few days, we received our roles, and I had the opportunity to play two parts. I was a member of the chorus and also performed as Bobby. Due to the large number of students and fewer roles, multiple students played each character. The casting changed by scene to ensure everyone had a chance to perform. We selected specific scenes to perform and prepared the entire performance within a short span of four days under the excellent guidance of Alpa Ma'am. Fortunately, we had the opportunity to perform on a big stage. The lighting, provided by Ronak Bhai, and the music, provided by Chirag Bhai, greatly enhanced our performance.

The chorus is one of the most important parts of the play, as it sets the initial tone and represents the Hindu and Muslim communities, each with their own violent and extreme attitudes towards one another. Among the two roles I played, the role of the chorus was relatively easier for me, as it primarily involved expressing anger. On the other hand, Bobby's character required deeper, more intense emotions and mixed facial expressions, which was challenging for me, given that it was my first time performing in a drama. Yet, I did my best to give justice to the role.

Casting For This Scene 

Aakash as Bobby

Jay as Javed 

Akshay as Ramnik

Bhumi as Smita 

Our performance began with the introduction of the chorus, followed immediately by our scene. To convey the entire story through selected scenes was challenging, so Alpa Ma'am provided some background information to the audience. This also gave us time to arrange the props on stage and change costumes between scenes. 

In this particular scene, Javed’s past is revealed to Ramnik and his daughter, Smita. Although Ramnik initially appears sympathetic towards the boys, his attitude changes when Smita reveals that Javed is connected with some unknown organizations. This revelation causes Ramnik to lose his temper, and the scene concludes with a rift between the two boys and Ramnik and Smita.

Bobby and Javed are Muslim characters with different approaches. Javed is portrayed as a rude character, while Bobby is more humble and defends Javed’s actions in front of Ramnik and his family. Mastering Bobby's facial expressions was challenging for me.

In addition to performing and learning how to act, I learnt about collaborative work, connecting with characters, and understanding how they evolve throughout the play. I also learned about the importance of props, lighting, and music in enhancing the overall drama performance. These elements are crucial in bringing the play to life. 

Here you will find some reflective question and answers,

Q) How does Mahesh Dattani manipulate time and space within the dramatic framework of Final Solutions to create meaning? Explore the interplay of these elements with specific reference to the stagecraft techniques employed by the playwright.

The play 'Final Solutions' shifts back and forth in time to explore the inner conflict of Hardika’s character, who struggles to move on from her past. Through her diary, Hardika revisits her past and attempts to justify her current behavior towards the two boys. She believes that these boys and the entire Muslim community are responsible for the events that happened with her father. In one of her dialogues, she even asserts that Javed's sister and Zarine deserve punishment.

Additionally, Hardika reflects on her earlier days as Daksha, her marriage to Hari, and the mistreatment she suffered from her husband and mother-in-law. Using these elements into stagecraft is challenging. We used lighting techniques, staging, and costumes to convey these aspects effectively on stage. 

You can observe the frame, on the left side we have old Hardika, and on the other side newly married Daksha, and Hardika is recalling her past through diary. 

Q) Examine the complexity of guilt experienced by the characters in the play. How does this emotion shape their actions and relationships?

The play "Final Solutions" moves back and forth in the time to show the inner conflict of Hardika's character. She is not able to move on from her past. Hardika through her diary delves into past, tries to give justification to her present behaviour with the two boys. She thinks that these two boys and whole Muslim community is responsible for whatever happened with her father in thepast. She also in one of her dialogues reveals that Javed's sister and Zarin both deserves to be punished. 

Moreover, Hardika recalls her early days as Daksha in the marriage with Hari, and how she is not treated properly by her husband, and her mother-in-law. If we talk about using these element in stagecraft, then it is a bit difficult to perform this onstage. We performed this using the lighting technique, using stage, and costume. 

Here you can watch Behind the Scenes and Feedback of students, 

Thank you for visiting...

Post-Colonial Studies | Sunday Reading Task

 Hello, 

         We have just started our unit on post-colonial studies, and our professor, Dr. Dilip Barad, has provided the basic outline for this unit. To further our work on this unit, we were assigned a Sunday reading task, which involves watching three TED Talks by the prominent Nigerian novelist Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie and writing about the ideas we found most compelling.

This blogs post contains a few ideas from the videos. Click here for Teacher's blog.

Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie 

Chimamanda is a prolific feminist Nigerian novelist, short story, and non-fiction writers. Her works explores the aspects of black feminism in general, and talks about the hardships, that is faced by black women across the world. She has written the novels such as, Purple Hibiscus (2003), Half of a Yellow Sun (2006), and Americanah (2013), the short story collection The Thing Around Your Neck (2009), and the book-length essay We Should All Be Feminists (2014).

Dangers of the 'Only Story'

Chimamanda Adichie discusses the danger of the "single story" or the idea of a single narrative about any country, race, or group of people. This creation of a single narrative generates stereotypes about specific groups. She shares her own experience, as a child, she was an avid reader and read many British and American children's literature books. She was influenced by British fiction and believed that heroes or heroines could only be white-skinned people with blue eyes. She never thought that a character like herself could also be the protagonist until she discovered other African writers like Chinua Achebe.

This is the powerful influence of a single story. Literature produced before the advent of postcolonial studies often portrayed Black people as primitive, "Other," and uncivilized. For a long time, white people have considered Black people as savages and constructed a single story about all African Black people as ruthless and uncivilized, waiting to be civilized by white people. British writers began this long ago, depicting Africans or Black people as primitive and savage. If white people were good, Africans were bad.  If white people represented light, then Black people were trapped in darkness. On a binary level, Africans were always marginalized and seen as perpetually inferior in every aspect of life. Black people are referred to as "half-devil, half-child" in the poem by one of the most prominent poets, Rudyard Kipling. Shakespeare's work "The Tempest" is considered archetypal in postcolonial studies, where Shakespeare imagines an uncivilized man named Caliban on an uninhabited island, where Prospero teaches him his language and enslaves him. Writers like Joseph Conrad portray Africans as very savage and uncivilized in his work 'Heart of Darkness'.

She shares a story about her experience when she came to America for her studies and found her white roommate startled to hear her speak English fluently. To her roommate, who only knew a single story of Africa. A story of poverty, violence, and starvation, it was surprising to see a Black woman like Chimamanda who didn't fit that narrative. Chimamanda counters this perception by referring to the movie *American Psycho*, in which an American businessman is depicted as a serial killer. She questions whether it would be fair to judge all Americans as cold-hearted murderers based on a single movie. The point she emphasizes is that we should view things from multiple perspectives and not rely on a single story or different versions of the same narrative.

"Single story robs people of their dignity"  

In this context, who tells the story becomes crucial, as it often depends on power dynamics. Those in positions of power tend to dominate and impose their narratives on others. Consider the example of India, when we were a colony of the British, they held the power and attempted to impose their way of life and the English language on us. They viewed Indians as inferior, but in response, Indians learned their language and used it as a tool to retaliate. This also marked the rise of Indian English Literature.

Islamophobia is a contemporary example of the single-story narrative, particularly in relation to Pakistani people. They are often associated with terrorism, but the question arises that can we judge all Pakistani people based on this single narrative? Or should we explore other aspects of Pakistan and its people to gain a more accurate and clear understanding?

We Should All Be Feminist

Postcolonialism is also valuable tool in feminist discourse. In patriarchal societies, women have long been viewed as inferior to men, often considered subservient or even enslaved to men. In today's world, feminist discourse is crucial as women are competing with men in various fields, yet they are often not given equal opportunities. Even when opportunities are provided, women frequently face wage discrimination.

"The higher you go, the fewer women there are"    - Wangari Maathai 

                                            

This discrimination has roots in ancient times when survival (of fittest) was the primary goal of human beings. Physical strength and endurance, traits in which men often have a biological advantage, were crucial for survival. As a result, societies became male-dominated. However, as society has evolved, so too should our understanding of gender roles. We must adapt to today’s context and needs, recognizing that physical strength is no longer the sole determinant of a person’s value or capabilities. It’s essential to move beyond these outdated norms and work towards true equality, where opportunities are not limited by gender.

Chimamanda give her own definition of feminism,

"yes there is a problem with gender as it is today, and we must fix it, we must do better" 

In her TED Talk, Chimamanda Adichie shares an insightful account of her experiences as a Black woman. She recounts her childhood and her early days as a young writer. Despite being a clever student and achieving high marks, she was not allowed to become a class monitor simply because she was a girl. The challenges for Black women are even greater, as they are often dominated not only by white people but also by white women. This double layer of discrimination led to the emergence of a specific form of feminism for Black women. In many Black African societies, women are treated as if they are invisible, as though they do not exist.

We need to adopt a different and more progressive mindset, raising our children in a way that teaches them not to discriminate between men and women.

Burden of Passing Out From Famous Institutes

Chimamanda Adichie addressed the students of Harvard University on the occasion of their graduation, emphasizing the importance of truth in an era dominated by deepfakes and post-truth narratives, where truth is often altered and distorted. She highlighted how governments and politicians may present only one side of the truth, leaving people in the dark about certain issues.

One idea I particularly liked was her discussion about the burden that graduates from prestigious universities often carry. The labels of intelligence, intellectuality, and smartness are inevitably associated with them, which can be stifling. As humans, we all make mistakes, and it's perfectly acceptable not to have all the answers. Success comes at different times for everyone, and learning occurs at one's own pace. However, those who are capable should strive to reform society for future generations.

Thank you for visiting.

Lab Activity | CLiC Dickens Project

 HELLO, 

         This blog task is prepared in response to the lab activity assigned by Dr. Barad Sir.  In this task we have to explore CLiC Dickens Project and it's CLiC activity book, and have to do small activity based on that booklet.  Click here for the project.

I will be doing couple of thematic activities.  

Activity 1. The Creation of Fictional Characters 

This activity emphasis on that the character that are depicted in literature are representation or near representation of actual human beings. We imagine those characters as if they have thoughts, feelings and experience just like real peoples. The point is that just as we understand these fictional characters are the same way we understand people around us. 

In this activity the example is takes on Mr. Dick from David Copperfield. How that character is portrayed in the novel, at what time that character comes. Mr. Dick writes an autobiography called a "Memorial" but keeps getting distracted by a picture of King Charles I. This distraction is meaningful because "Dick" is short for "Richard," and it connects to King Charles I. This suggests that Mr. Dick could represent a part of Charles Dickens, showing how characters in books can reflect their authors in interesting ways. No one talks about Mr. Dick unless he is there, and also there is narratorial focus on Mr. Dick's face and mouth. We will see this thing in the activity.

Picking up the Character

After going through CLiC concordance, we get to know that Mr. Dick is referred in the novel 229 times.

After doing this activity, I find that Mr. Dick is someone who is not a man of action, or a strong agency. He is associated with weak verbs that does not denote relatively strong action. For example, "Laugh", "Recovered", " Shook", and "Accompanied"...etc. 

Picking out the characterization 

After searching Mr. Dick from non-quotes, we find that Mr. Dick is referred 178 times, which is under 200, and from which we can analyze any particular pattern in the characterization on Mr. Dick. 

Mr. Dick in "David Copperfield" is depicted as whimsical and scattered, often repeating lines and phrases and showing variable thought processes. However, he has surprising moments of sharpness, especially in interactions with Aunt Betsey, who alternates between frustration and appreciation of his insights. This dynamic adds depth to both characters.

Isolating the reporting clause

More than half of the times Mr. Dick is mentioned in the story, it’s to report what he said. If you include other words that describe speaking, like "returned," "suggested," "rejoined," "asked," and "cried," you’ll see that Mr. Dick gets to speak for himself a lot in the story.

Exploring the narrative comments on the character

This shows short list of sentences about 12. Almost all of these mentions also include details about his body language, feelings, or thoughts. For example, looking, thinking, in a hurry, and shaking. 

Face and features of the character

Searching facial expressions and features we can get to know about how character is portrayed. 

Eyes and mouth referred one time

Head is sixteen times 

Face referred three times

What is the Learning ?

From what I understand, this task is part of studying language or linguistic. By examining these details, we can learn about Mr. Dick's character. Even though I haven’t read the novel or know much about this character, we can understand who he is just by looking at how he is described in the text.

Activity 2: Growing up in Great Expectations

This activity suggests that, noble men and women largely belongs to the educated upper middle class. Then what about those young men and women who are not that much fortunate, who are uneducated poor, destitute and orphan people. Still orphans are the popular figure in the nineteenth century literary fiction. 

in this activity the example given of Pip, an orphan protagonist from Dicken's novel "Great Expectation". Pip narrated his story from adult point of view. 

Parenting in Great Expectations

In "Great Expectations", Pip is repeatedly advised to be grateful, yet he continually experiences feelings of regret. He often in the novel refers the phrase that he is brought 'up by hand'. And there are fourteen times where he uses this phrase. 

By examining these phrases in larger context we get know know about how Pip is brought up by his sister Mrs. Gargery. She takes pride in her parenting of Pip with 'by hand', which means that Pip is brought up in strict and physically disciplined manner. Many time situation comes when Pip is portrayed in negative light by other character but as being an orphan child he can not do anything. 

Moreover, Mr. Pumblechook also seems to praise the strict and disciplined methods of Mrs. Gargery in raising Pip. Pip goes through a very uncomfortable and thorough cleaning and dressing process done by his young guide, who treats him like he needs strict discipline. After being scrubbed, soaped, and put into stiff, formal clothes, Pip is handed over to Mr. Pumblechook, he then pompously reminds him to be grateful, especially to those who raised him with strict methods.

Gratitude and regret in Great Expectations

Pip is feeling happy and thankful to his sister Joe Gargery, because he remembers that how his sister loved him when he was yet a children and also whenever Joe uses old endearing names for Pip, he is overwhelmed by gratitude. Pip is grateful for the love and familiarity Joe offers him. Pip is grateful for Herbert's care and kindness. Despite his own painful injuries and the difficulty of moving around, Herbert devotes an entire day to attending to him. Herbert's compassionate and attentive nursing during his recovery, which provides him both physical relief and emotional comfort.

Pip is grateful for the consistent kindness of Mr. Pumblechook's yearly gifts and the festive cheer of Christmas gatherings. He also appreciates Herbert’s tender care during his recovery. He is also grateful because he feels blessed that Estella, despite his humble background, is destined for him, and he is overwhelmed by the idea of such an esteemed person being a part of his life.

Why Pip is being (un)grateful

Pip is remorseful because he feels deeply ashamed of his ingratitude towards Joe, especially when contrasted with the deceitful and pompous Mr. Pumblechook. Pip is remorseful because he sees that Miss Havisham's self-destructive actions and isolation have led to her profound suffering and madness, which evokes Pip's deep compassion. He is also remorseful because he fears the consequences of his fight with the pale young gentleman, worrying that he will be punished for the injuries he caused and the evidence left on his clothing.

Pip mourns deeply over Estella's impact on his life, acknowledging her influence on both his good and bad impact. He chooses to remember the positive, and, overwhelmed by the moment, decides to walk to London to escape his distress and avoid facing others peoples. 

Learning Outcome

Following this activity, we can observe a significant change in Pip's perspective. His way of thinking and understanding things has changed drastically. As an adult, Pip can now see and understand other characters more clearly, compared to his childhood views. For example, as a child, he admired Mr. Pumblechook, but as an adult, his admiration for him gradually wanes. Thus, by examining words like "grateful" and "ungrateful," we can gain insights into how Pip's views of characters evolve over time.

Thank you.

Laughing Buddha by Pravin Gadhvi

 Hello, 

          Recently, we have completed our study of the poem, "Laughing Buddha" by Pravin Gadhvi. In this blog post you find some critical questions and answers related to that poem. 

Praveen Gadhvi

Pravin Gadhavi, born 13 May 1951, is an IAS Officer in the Government of Gujarat. A prolific writer, his collections of poetry are Bayonet (1985), Padchhayo (1996) and Tunir (2002). His short story collections are Pratiksha (1995), Antarvyatha (1995) and Surajpankhi. The last publication was given Govt. of Gujarat Award.

Poem - Laughing Buddha 

(Full Moon day of Buddha's birthday)

There was an

Underground atomic blast on

Buddha's birthday-a day of

Full Moon

Buddha laughed!

What a proper time!

What an auspicious day!

Buddha laughed!

At whom ?

There was a laughter on his

Lips and tears in his

Eyes

He was dumb that day.

See,

Buddha laughed!

Background of Poem

The title of the poem "Laughing Buddha" alludes to a significant event in Indian history. On 18th May, 1974, India covertly conducted a nuclear experiment in the desert of Pokhran, Rajasthan. This particular day was chosen for the atomic test because it was the birth anniversary of the deity Gautam Buddha. The operation was named 'Smiling Buddha.' The poet is referring to this idea in his poem.

Q)  What should be of a higher moral importance for governing bodies, national security or basic needs of its citizens? What do you think is Gadhvi's opinion about this?

While answering this question, we have to consider many factors. Both national security and the basic needs of the people are equally important. However, the key issue here is understanding what the need of the hour is. This poem critiques the atomic experiment conducted by the Indian government because those were the early years of independent India, and the country was still struggling with many difficulties. Economic crises were at their peak, and there were major issues of poverty and the basic needs of food, clothing, and shelter. Keeping these factors in mind, the poet mocks the idea of this atomic test in the poem. The prime concern in the 1970s era was poverty, rather than focusing on nuclear experiments.

The issue of national security is also paramount. We are living in times when anything can happen to anyone at any time, you do not know when a country might suddenly declare war against your nation. A prime example in contemporary times is the conflict between Gaza and Israel.

Considering these things in the mind, according to my opinion the poet's mockery of this specific event is fair. 

Q) The rise and fall of significance of a particular moment in history depends on the narrative that is build around it. Discuss this statement with specific reference to Laughing Buddha.

Yes, it is true that the rise and fall of the significance of any historical event depend on the narrative built around it. In the context of this poem, it critiques the atomic experiment conducted in India. Such an event is crucial for any country, but the timing of the experiment was not appropriate. As discussed above, that was a time when the focus should have been on helping the poor people of India. In 1974, this experiment received significant criticism from both within and outside India. Literature took notice of this and portrayed it in a negative and unacclaimed manner.

However, a similar experiment was conducted later in 1998, which did not receive as much criticism as the first one. By that time, India was emerging as a developing country, and people's basic needs were being met. Thus, the decision was seen as appropriate and is remembered as a milestone in Indian history. This demonstrates how the way historical events are narrated in literature can affect our perception of specific events from the past.

    

Q) Share your interpretation of the lines: "What a proper time! What an auspicious day!"

This is significant line from the poem. From the ancient times, Indians have a ways to do specific things, like we look for specific date, time and place. So, keeping this thing in mind, we Indians have a tendency to do auspicious work on auspicious day. As far as this atomic experiment is concern, full moon day of Buddha Purnima was chosen, and it is believed to be a good day for begin any good work.

Q) In light of Henri Bergson's essay titled "Laughter: An Essay On The Meaning Of The Comic" share your thoughts about the possible interpretations of Buddha's laughter in Gadhvi's poem.

According to Henri Bergson, laughter or the comic exists only among what we call humans. For example, we laugh at a cat, but we actually laugh because we see human expressions or attitudes in that animal. On Instagram, we find many reels in which cats and dogs behave or walk like humans, and we consider it funny. We usually laugh at someone's folly or something that we do not consider ordinary or common. Such uncommon things or deeds are the subjects of laughter.

In this poem, the lines that repeatedly appear are "Buddha laughed, See, Buddha laughed." So what makes Buddha burst into laughter? There are two interpretations of this. 

First, the atomic test carried out on the 'auspicious day' of Buddha Purnima is ironic. Buddha is a figure associated with tranquility, peace, and help. However, the Indian government chose such a peaceful day to conduct a violent experiment. This irony is one reason why Buddha might be laughing.

Second, as discussed earlier, 1974 was not the appropriate time to focus on national security. It was a time to aid the poor with their basic needs. Such nuclear experimentation requires substantial funding, and those who truly need the money are deprived of it. Therefore, Buddha may be laughing at the foolish decision of the Indian government.

Thank you.