Television: What can a television do to children…

Television: What can a television do to children…

Class VIII:

Stanza 1: “The most important thing…..the idiot thing at all.” The poet Ronald Dahl appeals to the parents in the most emphatic manner that the children should not be allowed to watch television. It would be better if a TV set is not installed in the house.

Stanza 2: In almost every house, the children are seen glued to the screen of the TV. They are so much lost in watching the programmes that their mouths remain gaping and eyes fixed to the screen until they seem to be popping out of their sockets. The children watch TV in different postures, i.e. in half-lying position while relaxing and in some odd manner also. In the last line of this stanza, the poet humorously points out the seriousness of the matter by saying that a dozen eyeballs were found scattered on the floor in a house the previous week.

Stanza 3: They sit and keep on staring until they get fully lost in the visuals. They sit fixedly at one place as if they were hypnotised by some power. The parents feel and think that they have relief from their children as they would not jump from the window sill if they watch TV. They would not make any disturbance in the house and the parents feel relaxed and peaceful. The poet asks the parents if they know what damage actually they are causing to their beloved tots (little children).

Stanza 4: It gradually stops the progress of their power of understanding and imagining things around them. Watching TV fills their mind with so much with material and other stuff that they hardly think and imagine freely of their own. The originality of their thoughts is completely lost. A child’s mind becomes blocked to the natural world. They no more enjoy the natural scenery. They fail to enjoy the world of fantasy and fairyland.

Stanza 5: In this stanza, the poet replies to the parents question as to what they should do to entertain their children if they do not allow their children to watch TV. To reply this, the poet makes another question to them as to what they used to do to make their children busy before the invention of TV.

Stanza 6: In this stanza, the poet himself explains as to what the children did before the invention of TV. The poet repeats the word READ to make its effect on the mind of the reader. He says that the children used to read a lot. They used to read about great poets like Scott and Gadzooks. They passed half of their lives reading wonderful tales of dragons, gypsies, queens, whales, treasure islands, distant shores (the edge of the sea) where smugglers rowed their boats with muffled (without creating sound, hushed-up) oars and  sea-pirates (sea robbers) would come to loot ships wearing purple-coloured pants.

The young ones had with them the famous book of Beatrix Potter and they read the famous characters like Mr. Rat, Mr. Ted and Mr. Mole in Kenneth Grahame’s book ‘The Wind in the Willows.’ They also read Rudyard Kipling’s popular stories like ‘How the Camel got his ump’ and ‘How the monkey lost His Rump’. Those were the wonderful books for the children.

In the last four lines the poet ends the poem making an appeal again to the parents to throw away the TV and in its place a lovely bookshelf is to be installed.

Questions:

1.     What is the most important thing the poet has learnt?

Ans. The poet has learnt that the children should not be allowed to watch television. It would be better if a TV set is not installed in the house.

2.     How does the television keep the children still?

Ans. In almost every house, the children are seen glued to the screen of the TV. They are so much lost in watching the programmes that their mouths remain gaping and eyes fixed to the screen until they seem to be popping out of their sockets.

3.     What should the parents do for the entertainment of their children?

Ans. In the last four lines the poet ends the poem making an appeal again to the parents to throw away the TV and in its place a lovely bookshelf is to be installed.

4.     Name some of the things that the poet has seen in houses which have televisions.

Ans. The poet humorously points out the seriousness of the matter by saying that a dozen eyeballs were found scattered on the floor in a house the previous week.

Page 101:  Exercise B

1.     IT ROTS THE SENSE IN THE HEAD!  

IT KILLS IMAGINATION DEAD!

a.     What has been referred to as ‘it’ here?

Ans. The television has been referred to as ‘it’ here.

b.     Whose imagination and the head the poet is talking about here?

Ans. The poet is talking about the children’s imagination and head.

c.      Why has the poet used capital letters? How do you think he is feeling?

Ans. The poet has used capital letters in the above lines to highlight the damage done to the children by watching television. The poet feels concerned or worried about the children.

2.     How used they keep themselves contented

Before this monster was invented?

a.     What has been referred to as monster here?

Ans. The television has been referred to as monster here.

b.     Why has the poet called it a monster?

Ans. The poet calls the television a monster because it does a huge damage to the mind and imagination of the children.

c.      Who are they? How did ‘they’ keep themselves busy earlier?

Ans. ‘They’ are the children of the earlier time before the invention of television. They kept themselves busy in reading books of great writers.

Tom Sawyer by Mark Twain

Detailed Simplified Summary:Tom Sawyer by Mark Twain 

This lesson is an extract from a novel ‘Adventures of Tom Sawyer’ written by Mark Twain.

Tom Sawyer lives with his Aunt Polly and his half brother Sid. Tom Sawyer has been punished by his Aunt for dirtying his clothes in a fight.

The characters in this one act plat are Tom, Jim, Ben, Joe and Aunt Polly.

The scene is at the pavement (roadway) near the fence (boundary wall)  made up of wooden boards and it is morning time. Some boys are passing from that way laughing, shouting, playing tag, etc. They go away and then a boy hurries along the pavement with a fishing rod slung (hung) over his shoulder. Two more boys were also playing leap-frog across the pavement. After that Sid also comes through the gate, then crossing the yard reaches the pavement and he also goes off rolling a hoop (ring) happily.

Then Tom enters through the gate carrying a large bucket of white paint and a broad brush. He puts the bucket down on near the fence and has a look on the long-spread (expanse) of the fence which he was to white-wash as punishment. He seems to be very sad and hopeless about his freedom from the punishment.

He dips the brush in the white-wash and passes it along a part of the topmost part of it. He steps back and surveys the painted streak (line) that was quite unimportant for him and compares it with the rest of the unpainted part.

Feeling unhappy and disappointed, he sits down on an upturned barrel (drum).

Then Jim comes through the gate with an empty pail (bucket).

Tom asked him where he was going.

Jim told him that he was going to the pump to fetch (bring) water. He also told him that if he finished his task early, Miss Polly would allow him to watch Big Ho (awesome person, here it may be something interesting) draw up and then he laughs in delight.

Tom offered to Jim that he could do the work of bringing water if he white-washed some part of the fence.

Jim shook his head rejecting the offer and said that he could not do it because he was told by Miss Polly that he would fetch water and not stop anywhere. She had already expected that Tom would ask him to white wash, so she advised him to go along and mind his own business.

Tom was very clever and he tried to bribe Jim by showing him a marble which he took out from his pocket. Jim was influenced. He began to waver.

Jim was afraid of Miss Polly. Tom assured him that she would never come to know about it. He also promised to show him his sore toe. After some hesitation, Jim got ready to help him. He puts down his pail and collects marbles from Tom and bends over the sore toe. *His eyes widens with interest as Tom starts unwinding the bandage.

In the meantime, Aunt Polly, clutching (holding tightly) a slipper appeared on the scene and gave a powerful blow to Jim and he picked up his pail and giving out a startled (full of surprise) ran away quickly. Tom jumps towards the fence and began whitewashing it.

Aunt Polly went back from the scene feeling victorious. Now Tom was whitewashing at a good speed.

In the distance, he heard a whistle which gave a long mournful (full of sadness) sound. It was the whistling sound of a steam-boat called Big Missouri. Tom felt excited and he looked wishing that he should have been there to see the steam-boat. Then he took a long breath feeling helpless. The whistle was repeated.

After some time, Ben Rogers, a strongly built boy approached (reached) there. He was of Tom’s age. He was eating an apple and imitating the sound and movement of the steamboat as he walked along the pavement.

In the next lines, Ben was speaking some words that showed the sounds created by the moving steam-boat.

Tom looked at Ben and then he looked at the brush and then to the fence. An idea was forming in his mind. He started quickly dipping the brush and beginning the work showing full determination (strong decision).

Ben is speaking the same type of words.

After sometime, Ben noticed Tom doing work and he asked him if he was in a difficult situation.

Tom did not pay any heed (attention) to him. He started doing his work as if he were an artist and was very much interested in it. He wanted to impress Ben. So he surveyed his last touch like an artist who surveys ( watches carefully) his painting or drawing. Then he gave a gentle sweep with the brush and watched it in the same way.

Ben stopped near him and watched Tom doing work and also enjoyed eating his apple.

Then Ben asked him if he was given a work to do.

Tom pretended that he did not noticed (see) him.

Ben told him that he was going to enjoy swimming till he heard the sound of the steamboat. He asked if he did not wish to accompany (go with) them. Then he in a taunting way said that he would prefer work to enjoyment.

After saying that he laughed in a suppressed way and took another bite of the apple. Tom stared (gazed, looked in a fixed way) at the apple as if feeling entranced (involved, willing to eat), but soon he turned his eyes away from it..

Then he asked Ben as to what he called work.

He also told him that it was not work that he was doing at that time. It suited him and he liked it very much.

Ben Got more interested in it and Tom began to do his work showing more interest. Tom kept creating interest in Ben for the work he was doing.

Ben stopped biting the apple and Tom swept the brush back and forth delicately (softly), stepped back to notice the effect, added a touch here and there, criticized the effect again. Ben stood watching getting more and more interested in the work. Tom pretended not to see Ben.

At last Tom won and Ben asked him to allow him to whitewash a little. In the beginning Tom wanted to give him the brush at once, but then he controlled himself.

He made some excuses. The more Tom refused, the more Ben became interested in it.

Ben became so much interested in the task that he was ready to give his apple to him.

Showing reluctance (hesitation), Tom gave the brush to him and took the half eaten apple. Ben started white-washing and Tom sat on a drum and took a full bite of the apple.

In between, he also kept giving warnings to Ben to remain careful in his work.

Then another boy, named Joe Harper reached there. He was carrying a kite with him.

He talked about the steamboat and suggested to Tom to go together to watch it.

But Tom told him that he and Ben had more important things to do than watching the steamboats.

Then Joe started asking about the white-washing and Tom applied the same method to attract him to it.

Ben asked Tom if he had given Ben something for doing whitewashing for him. Tom told him that he did not give him anything rather Ben gave him his apple.

Tom also created a spirit of competition in Joe and Ben told him that he could whitewash as good as Ben could.

Tom made the work more difficult for Ben by saying that he could not take brush from Ben. Then Joe ran to his house to fetch his father’s brush for doing white-wash.

Joe also promised to give his kite to Tom.

Tom again sat on the barrel (drum), holding the kite given to him by Joe. Joe and Ben stood side by side while white-washing the fence. The steamboat Big Mo sounded again.

Tom looked anxiously (worriedly) at the unpainted fence and wanted to get more victims to help him in his work.

Then another boy of Tom’s age came down picking up a dead rat swinging and held by a string. Soon a crowd of boys came down the pavement Tom collected a big treasure for him I addition to the kite and the dead rat, a window sash (that holds glass in a window), six marbles, a piece of chalk, a glass stopper from a decanter (bottle, vessel), a tin soldier, a couple of tadpoles (frog or a toad), six firecrackers, a kitten with only one eye, a brass door knob, a dog’s collar, a knife handle, etc.

In addition to Joe and Ben, a number of boys joined in whitewashing the fence. Some were whitewashing, some mixing more whitewash, some waiting their turns at the brushes or mixing buckets. Tom learnt feeling lazy against the barrel. He was surrounded by the valuable things and watching the boys idly (doing nothing) white-washing and sweating due to the work.

Ben wanted to do more work. He said that there was only one board left. Joe also wanted to whitewash on that. In a way they argue for that. The other boys also gathered round and asked for a chance to paint the last board. Tom told them to line up and take their turn in a disciplined way.

Tom gave all the boys their turn till they finished whitewashing.

Aunt Polly was in the kitchen knitting something. She roes and moved out muttering to herself that she should see how much work Tom had done. She had expected only one quarter of it and she decided to be satisfied at it.

Tom was sitting on the barrel and was arranging his wealth. The other boys had gone. Aunt Polly came through the gate spying him. She did not notice the fence and reached near him.

She asked him if he could do whitewashing in that way lying about in the sun and playing with his small things of little value.

Tom informed her happily that it was all done.

She was amazed to see all that. She asked him doubtfully as to how he managed complete all that.

Tom said that he did it without taking any break. She had to believe him and then she caught his wrist and led him inside the house. She promised him to give him doughnut (daonut: a kind of cake) as he had earned a treat.

L-1: 'How I Taught My grandmother to Read' by Sudha Murti: C.B.S.E. CLASS IX

L-1: 'How I Taught My Grandmother To Read': by Sudha Murti

Detailed Summary of the lesson:

1.The narrator used to stay in a village with her grandmother in north Karnatka when she was about twelve. They used to get their morning paper in the afternoon as the transport system was not good.  They had to wait for the bus anxiously It would fetch the news papers, weekly magazine and the post in the afternoon for the weekly magazine for a week.

2. In those days Triveni was a very popular writer in the language of Kannada. Her style was very easy to understand and very satisfying one. She usually took complex psychological problems of ordinary people as the subject-matter of her stories. Unfortunately she died very young at the age of forty years and it was a big loss to Kannada literature. Her novels are much appreciated now-a-days also.

3. One of her popular novels titled ‘Kashi Yatra’ was appearing as a serial in the Kannada weekly Karamaveera at that time. It was about an old lady who had an ardent (keen) desire to go to Kashi or Varanasi. It is a common belief among the Hindus that going to Kashi and worship Lord Vishweshwara is the ultimate ‘punya’. That old lady also had this belief, and her struggle was described in that novel. There is another thread of story in the main plot of the novel and that is about an orphan girl who falls in love with a boy and had no money for the wedding. It he end, the old lady who wanted to go to Kashiji gave all of her money for the girl’s wedding and did not go to Kashiji. She says, “The happiness of this girl is more important than worshipping Lord Vishweshwara at Kashi.’

4. The narrator says that her grandmother, Krishtakka was unable to read because she never went to school. The narrator would read the next episode of the story to her on every Wednesday when the magazine came after one week. She would suspend all of her activities to listen to the story with full attention. The narrator’s grandmother also never went to Kashi and she identified herself with the protagonist of the story i.e. the old women who could not go to Kashi and gave all of savings to the orphan girl for her wedding. She was always anxious like any one to know what happened next in the story.

5. After listening to what happened next in Kashi Yatra, she would do other activities like joining her friends at the temple courtyard. The narrator and her friends also would gather there for playing hide and seek. She would discuss the latest episode with her friends also. At that time the narrator did not understand as why there was a big debate on the story.

6. In those days, a wedding was thought to be a great event. Once, the narrator went with her cousins to attend a marriage in the neighbouring village. They enjoyed the marriage fully by eating and moving about freely there because all elders were so busy. The narrator went there for a couple of days, but stayed there for a week.

7. When she came back to her village, she saw that her grandmother was in tears. She asked her the reason. She was worried to see her grandmother in that condition because she had never seen her cry even in the most difficult situations.

8. “Avva, is everything alright? Are you ok?

9. The narrator used to call her Avva that means mother in Kannada language spoken in north Karnataka.

10.  The grandmother did not reply but nodded her head as if she did not want to tell her the reason. At night, the narrator along with her cousins was sleeping in the open terrace of the house. The moon was full in the summer night. ‘Avva’ came and sat beside her. Then she touched the narrator’s forehead with her affectionate hands. The girl understood that her grandmother wanted to say something. So she asked her, “What is the matter?

11. She told the narrator that when she was young, her mother passed away and there was nobody in the house to look after her. Her father was a busy man, so he got married again. Those were the days when education for girls was not considered of much importance. That was the reason as to why she did not go to school. She was married when she was very young and she had children. Married life made her very much busy and then with the passage of time, she had grandchildren also. She felt very much happy in cooking and feeding her children At times she had regret for not going to school, but she always thought of sending her children and grandchildren to school for studies.

12. The narrator could not understand as to why her sixty-two year old grandmother was telling the story of her life to a twelve year old grand-daughter. But she knew that she loved her grandmother greatly and there would be some solid reason for she was talking to her in that way. She saw her grandmother’s face and felt very sad to notice tears in her eyes. She could not forget the sad face of her even today. She leaned forward and caught her hand into hers.

13. ‘Avva, don’t cry. What is the matter? Can I help you in any way?’

14. ‘Yes, I need your help. You know when you were away, Karmaveera came as usual. I opened the magazine. I saw the pictures that accompany the story of Kashi Yatra and I could not understand anything that was written. Many times, I rubbed my hands over the pages wishing they could understand what was written. But I knew it was not possible…”

 She also wished she had been educated. She continued saying that she waited for her return eagerly so that she could listen from her the whole story of the episode. She further said that she had even thought of going to the village where her grand-daughter had gone. She had also thought of asking anybody about the episode, but she was embarrassed to do so. She was so dependent and helpless at that time. She felt regret for her being helpless and dependent even though her family was well off.

15. The narrator was silent and did not know what to say. 16. The grandmother continued saying that she had decided to learn the Kannada alphabet for the next day onwards. She would work very hard. She also fixed  ‘Saraswati Pooja’ day during ‘Dassara’ as the dead line. She would be able to read a novel of her own by that day and become independent I that way.

17. There was a kind of determination on her face, yet the narrator laughed at her.

18. “Avva, at this age of sixty-two you want to learn the alphabet? All your hair is grey, your hands are wrinkled, you wear spectacles and you work so much in the kitchen…”

19. In a childish manner, the narrator made fun of her old grandmother, but she only smiled at her.

20. “For a good cause if you are determined, you can overcome any obstacle. I will work harder than anybody but I will do it. For learning there is no age bar.”

21. The narrator became her grandmother’s tutor from the next day. Avva was a wonderful student because she did all of her work with full sincerity and devotion. She would read, repeat, write and recite. She was her granddaughter’s first student. The narrator did not know at that young age that one day she would become a teacher and would teach hundreds of students.

22. The narrator secretly bought one copy of the book ‘Kashi Yatra that had been published as a novel by the Dassara festival. The grandmother called the narrator to sit on a stool at the pooja place and gave her a frock material as a gift. After that she did something unusual. She touched her granddaughter’s feet. That surprised the little girl as elders did not touch the youngers’ feet. The younger touched the feet of God, elders and teachers only. It was a great tradition and all considered it as a mark of great respect.

23. She said, “I am touching the feet of a teacher, not my granddaughter; a teacher who taught me so well, with so much affection that I can read a novel confidently in such a short period. Now I am independent. It is my duty to respect a teacher. Is it not written in our scriptures that a teacher should be respected, irrespective of the gender and age?”

24. The narrator also returned ‘namaskara to her grandmother by touching her feet and gave her gift to her first student. She opened it and read immediately the title Kashi Yatra by Triveni and the publisher’s name.

25. She knew that her student had passed with flying colours.

Textual Questions

a.  What made Triveni a popular writer?

b.  Why did the grandmother depend on her granddaughter to know the story?

c.   Pick out two sentences which state the grandmother was desperate to know what happened in the story.

d.  Could the grandmother succeed in accomplishing her desire to read? How?

e.  Which of the following traits would be relevant to the character of the narrator’s grandmother?

(i) determined (ii) selfish  (iii) emotional  (iv) mean

Give reasons for your choice