English Literature Notes

                        KARMA                                         Khushwant Sing 1. Bring out the significance of the title ' Karma '. Or Discuss the central idea of the story ' Karma ' The term 'karma' expresses the Hindu religious concept of the result and subsequent effects of one's actions. The story revolves around the identity of Sir Mohanlal. Sir Mohanlal had a negative view and attitude towards all things Indian and was influenced by the British people and culture. On the other hand his wife Lachmi is a village woman. Although Sir Mohanlal abused Lachmi, Lachmi never complained against her husband. Mohanlal liked British customs and sought the company of the English. When two English soldiers entered the same room, Mohanlal made up his mind to welcome them. But the English could not tolerate the presence of an I...

                          AS YOU LIKE IT                                     W. Shakespeare  1. "The inspiration that the youth got from the ladies worked wonders for him..... " Describe the wrestling match between Oliver and Orlando in the light of this statement . The wrestling match helps to develop the play. Orlando is about to face the best wrestlers backed by the King. Duke Frederick, fearing that Orlando might lose his life in this unequal contest, begs Celia and Rosalind to dissuade him from participating in the contest. But the women's sympathetic words make Orlando more determined. Celia wants the inexperienced young man not to get hurt, while Rosalind is more concerned about the unknown young man as they are both victims of bad luck. This inspiration from the young women makes the young man more fearless and he defeats...

                  ASLEEP IN THE VALLEY                                        Arthur Rimbaud  1. Justify the title of the poem - 'Asleep in the Valley'. Or. How does the poet express the futility of war through his poem 'Asleep in the Valley'. The central theme of the poem 'Asleep in the Valley' is the futility and meaninglessness of war. Rimbaud himself has witnessed the horrors of war as a soldier and in this poem he reveals his strong anti-war attitude by expressing the tragic aspects of war. The poem presents us with a picture of a young soldier who rests in a small green valley among flowers and buzzing insects. He lies open mouthed with one hand on his chest and a soft smile on his lips.This peaceful picture suddenly changes when we find two red holes on his body.  Bullet marks on the side of his body placed the soldier in a ...

                                        Leela's Friend                                          R.k Narayan 1 . Discuss the Character of Sidda.  Sidda was a poor boy. He belonged to a poor society.  Sidda was assigned to the house of the Shivashankar Is especially for his cleanliness. He was assigned to do laundry, tend to the garden, run errands, chop wood and take care of 5-year-old Leela. He used to obey Leela's orders.  He was a patient playmate and highly imaginative. He was able at perceiving the mind of children and possessed a present wit. He was a good story teller and could tell amazing stories that filled Leela's mind with wonder. Sidda had to suffer the humiliation of losing the gold chain.  He was subjected to cruel exploitation by the upper class...

                      THE COMEDY OF ERRORS 1. Explain the significance of the title of the story THE COMEDY OF ERRORS By discussing the subject matter of the COMEDY OF ERRORS , we may judge the propriety of its name.The basic story formula revolves around two pairs of identical twins who are separated from each other and happen to meet at the same place.One pair of twins was named Antipholus and the other pair was named Dromio.This creates a massive confusion.These confusions lead to false accusations of marital infidelity.The story of Dromio and Antipholus' dinner at Aadriana's house, the incident of the gold necklace, and encountering the strange situation of the younger Antipholus near Ephesus.Finally all the confusion and misunderstandings are resolved when two pairs of twins, Antipholus and Dromio, come face to face and shock everyone around them.The audience witnesses the dialogue throughout the play and the many unintended bl...

                                 MACBETH  1. Give a brief account of the "Banquet Scene" in "Macbeth". After Macbeth becomes king, he constantly lives in fear of losing his ill-gotten power.  The witches' prediction that Banquo's descendants will be the future king makes Macbeth and Lady Macbeth very uneasy.  Macbeth and Lady Macbeth conspire to kill Banquo and his son. To this end, they hold a banquet where they invite the chief lords, including Banquo and his son Fleance. Macbeth arranges some hired assassins who kill Banquo on his way to attend the banquet but his son manages to escape.  In the banquet hall, Macbeth mourns Banquo's absence in a peaceful tone, while Macbeth sees Banquo's ghost sitting on the empty chair reserved for Banquo. Distraught, Macbeth begins to act like a lunatic.  But Lady Macbeth tactfully handles the situation and bids farewell to the guests, fe...

                                                                   THE PROPOSAL   1.Describe the character of Natalya. Stepan Chubukov's 25-year-old daughter, Natalya Stepanovna is moderately well-educated in appearance and good at housework.But she is fast passing the age of marriage. When she suspects that Lomov has come to talk about Oxen Meadows, she changes her nature, gets angry and finally kicks him out. But later she learns that Lomov came here for the sake of taking her hand. At once she is seized with hysteria and forces her old father to fetch him. She eventually becomes embroiled in a debate over the superiority of the Squeezer over the Guess.Love-sick yet consumerist, She can be the ideal pair of depressed nature Lomov. 2.Describe the character of Lomov. Ivan Veselevich Lomov, a 35-year-old Russian lan...