The Awakening of Women

-K.M Panikkar

About the author - The lesson “The Awakening of Women” is written by “K.M Panikkar”.
Kavalam Madhava Panikkar was a statesman, diplomat, journalist, historian, and writer.
He was educated in Madras and at the University of Oxford. He was a prolific writer and
published numerous articles in Malayalam and English.

1)In The Awakening of Women the author portrays the position of women in India. Women in
ancient India enjoyed an enviable position. But their status in the eighteenth and nineteenth
century touched its lowest point.From the earliest days there had been many notable women in
India- poets,scholars,capable administrators and leaders of religious movements. Even the
eighteenth century produced women like Ahalyabai Holkar whose administration of Indore State
was considered a model for all India. The author enumerates the factors that contributed to this
fall. Women in those days were isolated from the mainstream. They were kept behind the
purdah, they were denied education. Child marriages were the order of the day . Once married,
women were subjected to many more restrictions. Early maternity, men’s high mortality rates,
and the resulting widowhood added to women’s woes. Collectively condemned women to a
pathetically low condition.
Awakening of women from that pitiable position began with the Gandhian movement. When the
movement actually started, women were encouraged to come forward and in the life of the
nation. Gandhi’s appeal was addressed directly to the women regarding the rehabilitation of
villages. Women were everywhere at the forefront. Whether it was picketing liquor shops in
enforcing the boycott of foreign cloth or undertaking civil- disobedience. Later, the movement for
emancipation by the Brahma Samaj and the freedom movement by Gandhiji brought
considerable change in the position of women. Women actively participated with men in the
freedom struggle. They came forward denying all the social taboos , sacrificing physical
comforts and any restrictions enforced on them. Equal participation of women in the struggle
thus became the motto of Satyagraha. The hardening effect of women growing up in an
atmosphere of not only tension but calling for every sacrifice, gave the women their present
place in Indian life. There was no suffragette movement in India, no feminism for the share of
women in the battle of freedom. Gandhi recognized the immense untapped power that women
had. He thought that it could rightly be diverted to the work of his heart. He strongly believed in
equality of women, and he wrote a good number of articles in his ‘Harijan’ supporting women’s
rights and privileges. But by the beginning of the 20th century, the concept of education for
women had gained momentum. Some of the women tasted the fruits of modern education and
started seriously the work of women’s up-liftment. It impacted the administration in a positive
way, that it brought many legislative reforms such as the equality of women, their right to
independent property, freedom of marriage, education, and employment. The raising of the age
of consent for marriage and the prevention of dedication of women to temple services helped
them to change their status. Although they fought against the British equally with men, they
couldn’t get good posts and positions in independent India.
Thus the article deals with the status of women over various periods. Rights have been
reinforced. Women’s contribution to modern India resulted in important development.
 On the Grasshopper and Cricket
-John Keats

About the author - The poem “On the Grasshopper and Cricket” written by “John Keats”.
He was an English Romantic Poet. He devoted his life to the Perfection of poetry. His
odes such as “Ode on a Grecian Urn”, "Ode to a Nightingale" are among his most
famous works.

The Poem On the Grasshopper and Cricket was inspired by nature’s beauty, which is a popular
theme of the poetry of romantic poets. The first part talks about the Grasshopper, while the
second part is devoted to cricket. The poet expresses his feelings regarding nature’s song and
says that the poetry of earth never ceases. The Grasshopper and Cricket are used as symbols.
Seasons may come and go, but nature never fails to inspire us with its songs. During the
Summer heat, birds stop singing, because of the hot and harsh sun and hide under the shade of
the cooling trees. What gives us comfort and pleasure is the poetry or music of nature. The
grasshopper’s songs represent nature’s poetry.Nature is brimming with elements that help living
things flourish. Grasshopper sings endlessly, but when tired, rests under some pleasant weed to
freshen itself so that it can provide relief to the entire nature. As a result, even in the intense
heat, natural elements such as the “cooling tree” and “pleasant tree” can be discovered.
During extreme winter the birds stop singing. There is a death-like silence in which nature
seems to have got enveloped. Frost spreads its blanket over all elements of nature. Despite
that, a shrill sound comes from under the stones, it’s the Cricket who is singing. The ‘warmth’ of
the cricket’s song balances out the extreme cold during the winter month. People hear the song
and to many, it seems as if the grasshopper was singing from the grass hills and has the same
soothing effect that the grasshopper’s song did during the Summers. They are recovered from
their drowsy sleep to listen to the endless music of nature. The warmth of the cricket’s song
balances out the extreme cold during the winter months.

Thus, in the poem John Keats depicts the beauty of nature. The poetry of earth is never dead,
which becomes the central image or the metaphor that would be invoked in the entire poem.
 Fear
-Khalil Gibran

About the author - The poem is written by Khalil Gibran was a Lebanese poet,
writer, and visual artist of the late 1800s and early 1900s. He’s quite well known for
his book, The Prophet.

The poem ‘Fear’, expresses a philosophical understanding of overcoming fear. The

speaker thinks of the image of a river flowing into the sea. The poet talks about how
a river feels when it travels through mountains and plains to merge with an ocean.
He talks about her fear directly. He compares human beings to river. Even for a man
there's always fear of the unknown and being lost in it. Their is a desire to revisit the
past and to go back that is impossible in existence. The poet suggests that people
need to accept the fact that there are no other options but to move forward and meet
the world. As a result, people must take risk and believe in themselves.
The river may have travelled difficult paths before entering the ocean, yet it trembles
with fear at the sight of the vastness of the ocean.​
And in front of her, she sees an ocean so vast, that to enter there seems nothing
more than to disappear forever. The fear takes hold of its thoughts. It seems that
nothing can come out of it other than her losing itself. Still, that is the only option left
for it. The river cannot go back. Nobody goes back. To go back is impossible in
existence. Thus, it has to strive forward as it is time to face its greatest fear. It's not
about disappearing into the ocean, but of becoming the ocean. You call it risk but
that is the truth. The speaker discusses the fear that human beings encounter too.
Even for a man there is always the fear of the unknown and being lost in it. The
speaker suggests that people need to accept the fact that there is no other option
but to move forward and meet the world. One can conquer fear only by taking risks
and striving ahead without looking back at the past. The speaker says the end of the
journey is an act of merging with the supreme soul of where we all originate.

Thus, the poem touches on a variety of themes. The fear of anxiety of losing oneself, and the
Journey of life, till death are among the poem’s major themes and to overcome fear.
 A Gift for Christmas
-O Henry

About the author - The story “A Gift for Christmas” is written by “William Sydney Porter”
known as “O. Henry” an American Short Story writer. His stories are remarkable for their
wit and surprising end. They mainly deal with human emotions. His works include A Gift
for Christmas and The Ransom of Red Chief.

1)The story is about the Passionate, Pure, and Sacrificial love of a Couple Jim and Della, a
young married couple, who live in a small flat.
Della is a young, affectionate, and selfless woman. She has a passionate love for her husband
Jim. The most attractive feature of Della’s beauty is her long, brown, and Silky hair.Jim is logical,
compassionate, intelligent and above all loyal to Della’s love. Jim is Della’s twenty-two-year-old
husband who can barely afford a cheap apartment. The narrator describes Jim’s appearance as
thin and serious, a poor fellow due to the burdens he faces on a low salary that is $20 per week.
Despite these burdens however, he is described as content, quiet, and good-natured. He loves
his dear wife Della intensely. Jim possesses a gold watch passed down from his grandfather.
It’s Christmas time, and Della has been planning for a long time to buy a worthy gift for Jim for
Christmas. She saves $1.87 throughout the year to buy a gift for her husband. As she has very
little money to buy a present for Jim, she sells her proud Possasian- long brown hair- to buy a
beautiful Platinum watch chain for her husband for $21 to see a smile on her husband’s face on
Christmas evening.
On the other hand, Jim sells his most Prized belonging, the gold watch in order to buy fancy
ivory combs for Della’s beautiful silk hair.

O. Henry uses situational irony to emphasize surprise and the unexpected outcome of the story.
Clearly, Della cannot make use of these decorative combs in her very short hair and Jim lacks
the watch, as he has sold. He has no need for the expensive chain, the irony is that both gifts
are useless to the recipients.
Thus both of them show the true meaning of love, sacrifice, and generosity for happy living. It
highlights the valuable Possessions of mankind.
 The Woman on Platform 8
-Ruskin Bond

About the author -The Woman on Platform No.8 is a story by Ruskin Bond. is an Indian
author of British descent. He received The Sahitya Akademi Award and was awarded
Padma Shri and Padma Bhushan. He has written several novels, short stories, and books
for children. It is a story about love and affection that transcends all barriers of Kinship.

1)Arun is a twelve-year boy studying in a boarding school. He is confident and independent and
is not afraid to travel alone at midnight. When Arun is sitting on platform number 8 at Ambala
Station for the northern Bound train. He meets a woman in a white sari on the platform. Though
he is suspicious of the woman, he notices her sadness, her soft voice, kindness and concern
make him trust her.
She takes him into the station dining room and orders tea, samosas, and jalebis. At once he
begins to take interest in the women. He relaxes and shares all his details with her. He responds
to the care and affection showers on him.
After eating they both go back to station No 8. To his delight, his school friend Satish, a boy
about his age, is in the station with his mother. Satish’s mother thinks that the woman in the
white sari was Arun’s mother. Satish mother’s advises Arun not to talk to strangers.
She says that they are so many dishonest people in the world, she warns him to be very careful
about strangers and never to talk to them. She advises Arun’s supposed mother to watch her
children carefully or they will walk straight into trouble Arun stared resentfully at her and Satish
who was behind his mother smiled at Arun in approval of Arun’s honesty.
Arun does not like Satish's mother's behavior. She considers Arun and the woman in white Sari
to be from a poor family. When Arun gets in to train, the woman smiles at him in a gentle and
understanding way. Arun leans out of the window and kisses her cheeks. Arun said, “Goodbye,
Mother…” and watched until he could see her no more.

Arun’s calling her mother at the time of parting is a sweet gesture of recognition of a loving and
relationship
 Solution to Plastic Pollution
-Internet

The lesson “Solution to Plastic Pollution” is an essay taken from the internet.
The essay discusses Dr. R. Vasudevan’s research.

1)Dr. Rajagopalan Vasudevan was born in Tamil Nadu. He graduated with a Bachelor of
Science and later obtained a Master of Science Degree. He received a Doctorate in science
from the University of Madras. He was the Professor and Head,Department of Chemistry in
Thiagarajar College of Engineering. It was in 1975 that he joined TCE. Since then, he had been
carrying the Bhagavad Gita as a manual for leading a life. He voluntarily conducted classes for
students who gathered under the peepal tree, the Shlokas from the Gita. These classes went on
uninterrupted for 36 years; however,with a striking naman on his forehead,he was mistaken to
be a Sanskrit Pandit. He transformed plastic waste into material to be used in road
construction.His interest in the subject began when he heard a doctor on TV mistakenly saying
that plastic “dissolved” in water bodies and caused pollution. So he started mixing some waste
plastic in heated Bitumen and in this way a new idea was born.
While on his work , once doctor A.P.J Kalam visited the college. Dr. Vasudevan presented his
project to Kalam and its potential use as a quoting over the pebbles for laying roads. Kalam told
Dr. Vasudevan said that one day his test would become a convention and not to worry if people
don’t approve or get convinced. As a sample, he asked the Professor to lay a plastic road within
his campus first once the results are there, people will automatically come.He encouraged him
to continue without any disappointment. His words proved Prophetic. Dr. Vasudevan laid the first
road 60 feet long plastic road within the Campus.
After a decade’s of hard work and persistence efforts, his invention of simple technology to use
plastic waste to lay roads was approved by the centre for its wider applications. Even as his
technology was being debated in the government, Dr. Vasudevan started receiving offers from
private companies both within and outside the company to sell the patent. Dr. Vasudevan’s
ethics and commitment to his nation prevented him from migrating to other countries. He
proudly announces that it is his duty to serve his country first and therefore, he gave to the
Indian Government
Dr. Vasudevan said waste plastic could be used as an excellent binder material to develop good
roads. The gravel is heated to 170 degrees celsius and shredded plastic is sprayed over the hot
stone aggregate. The plastic instantly melts and coats the gravel without releasing toxic gases
into the atmosphere. Immediately bitumen heated to 160-degree celsius is mixed at 155-degree
celsius and used for laying the road. It yielded two benefits. It reused plastic waste and built
durable roads. He has rightly been called ‘Plastic Man of India’.
It serves the twin purpose of increasing the quality of roads and also solving the problems of
plastic disposal.
The benefits are many. They are -
(1)Low cost (using less bitumen)
(2) Simple technology
(3) Spot used waste plastic
(4) Waterproof roads that last up to 60 years
(5) Doubling of road Strength
(6) Higher Toad Carrying capacity
(7) Almost Zero maintenance and
(8)A new surface without rutting, cracking or Potholes.
His department is now evolving cold process technology as well. Such a process would be
highly useful in laying roads in cold regions. Widener university, Philadelphia, has already
shown interest in the cold process .
1200 km of plastic roads in 29 districts of Tamil Nadu in 2005, 1 Km in Madurai. Plans are to lay
demonstration roads in Hyderabad, Mumbai Municipal Corporation, and Tata enterprise,
approached Dr.Vasudevan for using plastic waste in laying roads in Jamshedpur.

Thus, with his persistent research in his laboratory, he showed the world a permanent solution
as to how plastic waste can be used in laying roads.
 Guilty
-Horace J Gardiner and Bonneriere Arnaud

About the author - The authors are Horace J Gardiner and Bonavier Arnaud. People
consider Horace J.Gardiner and Bonneviere Arnaud a ‘single author’, for the apparent
reason of the non-availability of any literary work by them individually!
The play is full of gripping narrations and it delivers a clear social message. The play
talks about the problem of unemployment, the beauty of work, the need for moral values,
self- deception, the anxiety caused by superficial illusions.

1)Jim Ryan is the central character of this one-act play. He is an engineering graduate. But he
has been compelled to work as a night watchman, for want of a better job. Jim’s mother Ma
Ryan knows about her son well. She has unflinching love towards her son, but what stresses
her most is that Jim still keeps some of the bad company. She says that she is very much afraid
that the boy will remain unemployed forever. She worries a lot that he would get discouraged,
and depressed. One could do anything when it becomes difficult to survive. The neighbouring
woman Mrs. Moore says that the boy is not that sort and he won’t do anything wrong. Ma Ryan,
too, agrees Mrs. Moore always
One night, the neighbour Mrs. Moore calls on Ma Ryan and shows her in a news item in the
newspaper. It is about a stolen Diamond robbery committed at the Van Kings Warehouse, the
previous night where Jim is working. The thieves have stolen the famous Van King’s diamond
pendant, coincidentally Ma Ryan has found a jewel wrapped in a kerchief in Jim’s sweater. She
immediately calls her son at the warehouse and learns he doesn’t work there. Hearing this she
is filled with despair as she remembers Larry Wilson, a boy in the neighbourhood who was
sentenced for ten years . Mother doubts if it is the stolen diamond of Van King. She grows
anxious, she fears that her son would be sent to Jail.
The next movement a police officer calls at their house. In the meantime her son enters with a
stranger who gives him money. She is now convinced that the stranger wasn’t a good man. She
is determined to return the diamond to the rightful owner. Ma Ryan asked Jim to run away from
home, then the stranger says that she guessed it wrongly it is indeed Mr. Jim, who somehow got
the Diamond.

Later, Jim clarifies that all her fears are untrue, and she is totally confused. The stranger as well
as her son cautioned her never to jump to conclusions so easily. Appearances sometimes can
be deceptive.
 The Doctor’s word
-RK Narayan

About the author - The Doctor’s Word’ is a story from Malgudi Days, the short-story
collection by the Indian writer R. K. Narayan (1906-2001). Penguin edition of Malgudi
Days, ‘Malgudi’ is Narayan’s coinage, an imaginary town thought to be located
somewhere in southern India, near the city of Chennai (formerly Madras), where Narayan
was born, although there are also echoes of Mysore, the city where he lived for much of
his adult life.

Ramu is a doctor in Malgudi. He often complains that people only come to seek his help when
the patient is at death’s door, either because they don’t want to confront the fact that their
relative is seriously unwell, or because they lack the money to pay him.
One day, Ramu learns that his friend Gopal is dangerously ill. Both Ramu and Gopal are in their
forties and have known each other since kindergarten. Gopal’s son comes to the doctor and
asks him to come and examine his father. Ramu does so, learning that Gopal has been unwell
for some time but the family didn’t want to bother him.
Gopal’s wife is keen to know what is wrong with her husband and whether he’ll pull through, but
Ramu refuses to tell her specific details. Gopal, too, wants to know if he will recover or not. He
tells his friend that if he is not going to survive, he needs to sign his will that will settle his
financial affairs before it’s too late. However, still Ramu refuses to be direct with his friend.
Ramu goes and sits outside in his car, deciding what to do. Eventually, he goes back into
Gopal’s home and tells both Gopal and Gopal’s wife that he will be all right. Gopal doesn’t need
to worry about his will. He will live to be ninety years old.
because, even though Ramu doesn’t believe Gopal will definitely die, he is clearly being more
definitive and certain when he tells his friend that he will live and his heart is ‘absolutely sound’.
Narayan uses the word ‘acting’ for Ramu’s performance, and acting is a form of lying, of
adopting a position that is not actually one’s own.
Narayan’s third-person narrator tells us that Ramu doesn’t actually know whether Gopal will die
or not. It appears that his illness could go either way, taking a turn either for the better or the
worse. But the prognosis appears fairly bleak. The only hope lies in giving Gopal hope that he
can fight off the illness and survive. Certainly it’s true that in some cases, a hopeful mental
perspective can make a positive difference when patients are unwell.

The ending of ‘The Doctor’s Word’ sees Ramu scratching his head over how Gopal survived. In
ending the story like this, of course, Narayan encourages us to ponder what might have made
the difference. Would Gopal have made a full recovery anyway? Or did Ramu’s ‘word’ of hope
really save him?
Narayan’s text offers us no definitive answer to these questions. Instead, he throws them back
to us, inviting us to answer them according to our own beliefs and attitudes.
 Goodbye Party for Miss Pushpa TS
-Nizzim Ezekiel

About the author -Nissim Ezekiel (1924-2004) was an Indian poet, playwright, critic, and
editor. He was born in Mumbai, India, and was educated at the University of Mumbai and
Birkbeck College, University of London. Ezekiel was one of the most prominent Indian
poets writing in English in the 20th century. He was known for his witty and satirical
poetry that often tackled social and political issues. Ezekiel's poetry was deeply
influenced by his experiences as an Indian Jew and his observations of Indian society
and culture.

1)This is one of Ezekiel's most famous poems, both because of its subject matter and the way in
which it was written. There are two abundant sources of humor in this poem: Ezekiel's use of
Indian English and the character of the speaker, who seems to be lacking certain public
speaking skills. Ezekiel uses a type of register and style of speaking that many people in India
use when speaking English, particularly when English is their second language. This type of
English deviates from standard English, but it is spoken by a large number of Indians, the
number of which is still on the rise. Ezekiel's use of this English demonstrates his commitment
to the everyday as a poet—he relays a relatively ordinary bit of speech, exactly as he imagines
it would sound. Additionally, this realism adds a bit of humor to the overall message of the
poem, since the ability to speak English is a huge marker of status in India and the characters in
this poem struggle with the language without even seeming to notice. For those with a keen
eye, the ability to speak English indicates social status faster than many other markers, such as
material wealth, titles, or names. The speaker makes several mistakes that are humorous for a
speaker more familiar with standard English (for example, a person from the United States or
Britain), including calling Miss Puspa "sweet" on the inside and outside, and saying that she is
popular among the men and the women.

2)The poem 'Goodbye Party for Miss Pushpa T.S.' is a monologue. А monologue is a poem in
which we find a single speaker, though we feel the presence of other listeners. At the beginning
of the poem, the speaker explains that Miss Pushpa is going to a different country and states
that she's a sweet person. He explains that the woman comes from a well-to-do family.
However, he gets sidetracked with his own memories. After digressing, the speaker states that
Miss Pushpa is a popular person who is kind and always willing to help others. At the end of
the.poem, the speaker asks the others at the party to give their own speeches about the party's
honoree.
The main theme of 'Goodbye Party for Miss Pushpa T.S.' isn't the loss of a friend; instead, it is
human foibles or character
faults. This is a popular theme among Ezekiel's works. The poem offers a satirical look at how
some people in India speak English, a device that the poet presumably used to get an Indian
reader to laugh at himself. The poem misuses the present continuous tense and uses phrases
and syntax found in the Indian language.
For example, when Ezekiel writes, adpushup ver I or anybody is asking/ She is always saying
yes." The poem also satirizes the Indian habit of digressing from the topic by showing that in
between his speech, the speaker unnecessarily speaks about his visit to Surat.
Ezekiel wrote many of his works, including 'Goodbye Party for Miss Pushpa T.S.' in the dialect of
urban Indians, particularly those in Bombay. This dialect is called "Babu English." Originally, the
colonial British used the word "babu" as a derogatory term while referring to subordinate Indians
who spoke English as a second language.
A "Babu" was a person who tried to impress a British master using stylish ornamentation, as the
way that he expressed a message was more important than the information relayed.

3)In the poem, speaking to those attending a farewell party, the speaker reminds them that they
are gathering today to wish their beloved sister, Miss Pushpa, a safe journey, who is going
abroad in two or three days. The speaker implies that when he talks about Miss Pushpa's
tenderness, he is actually talking about her inner delicacy. He continues by saying that Miss
Pushpa never stops grinning, even when there isn't much to smile about.
The speaker continues by stating that Pushpa comes from a very prestigious family and that her
father was a renowned lawyer in Bulsar or Surat, though he is having trouble recalling which
city. The spokesperson suddenly recalled the location and mentioned that it was Surat, where
he had stayed with the family of his uncle's very old friend just once.
Getting back to Miss Pushpa, the speaker claims that she is the most appreciated woman
among both men and women. She would always promise to do something right away when he
asked her to. She is being positive in her response, and he always appreciates positive
attitudes. Miss Pushpa never refuses a request and always agrees when he or anyone asks;
today, she will attempt to increase her chances, so they wish her luck on her journey.
 The Awakening of Women
-K.M Panikkar

About the author - The lesson “The Awakening of Women” is written by “K.M Panikkar”.
Kavalam Madhava Panikkar was a statesman, diplomat, journalist, historian, and writer.
He was educated in Madras and at the University of Oxford. He was a prolific writer and
published numerous articles in Malayalam and English.

1)In The Awakening of Women the author portrays the position of women in India. Women in
ancient India enjoyed an enviable position. But their status in the eighteenth and nineteenth
century touched its lowest point.From the earliest days there had been many notable women in
India- poets,scholars,capable administrators and leaders of religious movements. Even the
eighteenth century produced women like Ahalyabai Holkar whose administration of Indore State
was considered a model for all India. The author enumerates the factors that contributed to this
fall. Women in those days were isolated from the mainstream. They were kept behind the
purdah, they were denied education. Child marriages were the order of the day . Once married,
women were subjected to many more restrictions. Early maternity, men’s high mortality rates,
and the resulting widowhood added to women’s woes. Collectively condemned women to a
pathetically low condition.
Awakening of women from that pitiable position began with the Gandhian movement. When the
movement actually started, women were encouraged to come forward and in the life of the
nation. Gandhi’s appeal was addressed directly to the women regarding the rehabilitation of
villages. Women were everywhere at the forefront. Whether it was picketing liquor shops in
enforcing the boycott of foreign cloth or undertaking civil- disobedience. Later, the movement for
emancipation by the Brahma Samaj and the freedom movement by Gandhiji brought
considerable change in the position of women. Women actively participated with men in the
freedom struggle. They came forward denying all the social taboos , sacrificing physical
comforts and any restrictions enforced on them. Equal participation of women in the struggle
thus became the motto of Satyagraha. The hardening effect of women growing up in an
atmosphere of not only tension but calling for every sacrifice, gave the women their present
place in Indian life. There was no suffragette movement in India, no feminism for the share of
women in the battle of freedom. Gandhi recognized the immense untapped power that women
had. He thought that it could rightly be diverted to the work of his heart. He strongly believed in
equality of women, and he wrote a good number of articles in his ‘Harijan’ supporting women’s
rights and privileges. But by the beginning of the 20th century, the concept of education for
women had gained momentum. Some of the women tasted the fruits of modern education and
started seriously the work of women’s up-liftment. It impacted the administration in a positive
way, that it brought many legislative reforms such as the equality of women, their right to
independent property, freedom of marriage, education, and employment. The raising of the age
of consent for marriage and the prevention of dedication of women to temple services helped
them to change their status. Although they fought against the British equally with men, they
couldn’t get good posts and positions in independent India.
Thus the article deals with the status of women over various periods. Rights have been
reinforced. Women’s contribution to modern India resulted in important development.