THE RATTRAP

AUTHOR’S NAME:

SELMA LAGERLOF

CHARACTERS IN THE STORY:

• A peddler
• A crofter
• An iron Master
• Edla Willmansson

IMPORTANT CHARACTER SKETCH:

The Rattrap Seller:

➢ Poverty stricken life, difficult circumstances.

➢ Begging, petty thievery and selling rattraps occasionally were his means of livelihood.

➢ Morally not upright

➢ Spares not even his host - the old crofter-cheats him of his 30 kronor.

➢ Takes advantage of situations and opportunities. Philosophical and thoughtful .

➢ Basic/inherent goodness in him is brought out through the kindness of Edla.

Ironmaster's Daughter Edla Willmansson:

➢ Kind, compassionate, shy, modest, humble and a great host.

➢ With a keen perception and an extremely sharp observation, she zeroes in on the fact

that the peddler had robbed someone or was on the run. She could even judge that he

did not seem to be lettered.

➢ In a subtle way she brings out the hidden but inherent goodness of the peddler by

liberating him from the 'philosophical' trap; of his own raking.

➢ Persuasive

➢ Truly/aptly deserves the titles: Honourable and Noble.

The ironmaster

➢ Successful Businessman famous for supplying good quality iron products.

➢ Was an army officer earlier

➢ Dedicated businessman

➢ Hasty and haughty in temperament.

➢ Not good at judging people

CHAPTER LEARNING POINTS:

• The story is based on the universal theme that the essential goodness in man can be
awakened through understanding and love.
• The story revolves around the belief that the whole world is nothing but a big rattrap with
all its temptations used as baits.
• The author uses the rattrap as a metaphor to justify the theme and basic idea that the
world offers riches and joys as baits to trap man
• The peddler in the story was a vagabond who sold rattraps with a little thievery on the
side to make both ends meet. He had no worldly possession to call his own, not even a
name.
• It amused him to think of the world as a rattrap and all the material possessions as bait as
the world, he felt was never kind to him.
• He takes shelter at a crofter’s cottage. The crofter welcomed him, gave him dinner, shared
his pipe, played Mjolis with him also confided in him about his income and showed him
where he put it.
• Next morning, the Peddler steals the money and takes the back roads to keep away from
people and gets lost in the jungle at night. While he wanders in the forest he realises that
he has also got caught in the rattrap and that the money was the bait for him.
• Finally reaches Ramsjo ironworks, where he takes shelter for the night. The blacksmith
and his assistant ignore him but the master mistakes him to be an old acquaintance and
invites him home. The Peddler does not correct the ironmaster, hoping to get some money
out of him. But at the same time, he declines his invitation because of the fear of being
caught for stealing crofter’s money.
• The ironmaster then sends his daughter who persuades him to go home with her. She
notices his uncouth appearance and thinks that either he has stolen something or he has
escaped from jail.
• The Peddler is scrubbed, bathed, given a haircut, a shave and a suit of old clothes of the
ironmaster. In the morning light, the iron master realises that he is mistaken and that he is
not the Captain. He wants to call the Sheriff. The peddler is agitated and breaks out that
the world is rattrap and he too is sure to be caught in it. The ironmaster is amused but
orders him out.
• The compassionate Edla convinces her father that they should spend the Christmas day
with him.
• The Peddler spends the whole of Christmas Eve eating and sleeping. The next day at
church, Edla and her father come to know that the Peddler is a thief who stole thirty
kronor from the poor crofter.
• Back home, they found a letter addressed to Edla, signed as Captain von Stahle and a
rattrap as a gift from the crofter. In the rattrap were the three ten kroner notes of the
crofter.

THEME:

This is the story of a peddler who steals 30 kronor from a crofter’s house, gets trapped in a
forest and meets an iron master who mistakes him to be his regimental friend. He sends his
daughter Edla to take him home from his iron works. The kind behaviour, love, care and
generosity shown by this girl really transforms him and he leaves his old ways.

WORD MEANINGS:
 Word Meaning

at odd In his free time

moments
keep body and soul Survive, especially in difficult circumstances
together

sunken hollow
hunger gleamed in his eyes anybody could make out that he was
hungry from his eyes
vagabond a person who wanders from place to
place without a home or job
plods along the road walks slowly with heavy steps on the
road started thinking about something
fallen into a line of thought started thinking about something
set baits offering temptations
unwonted joy unusual enjoyment
dreary ploddings snare: a slowly progressing
trap
trudging walking slowly with heavy steps
carved off cut
mjölis a card game played in Sweden
confidence secrets, private matters
crofter Small farmer
bossy (here) cow
creamery a factory that produces butter and
cheese
kronor The currency in Sweden
In a good season In a timely manner
Peddler a person who goes from place to place
selling small goods
Impenetrable Unbreakable
summoned Gathered
smelter an establishment for producing a base
metal from its ore
Forge A furnace where metals are heated or
wrought
 Barges Long flat- bottomed bats for carrying
heavy goods on cannel
Scows Flat-bottomed boats for
transporting cargo to and from ships in
harbour
Pig iron Crude iron first obtaining from a smelting
furnace
Maw Mouth or opening
Naughty Arrogantly
Ragamuffin A person in ragged , dirty cloth
Eased his ways Came in slowly and carefully
Deigned Condescended
Slouch hat A hat with a wide flexible brim or edge
Undeceive Reveal his real identity
Regiment A unit of army commanded by a
lieutenant colonel
Manor house A large country house
Inconspicuously Not attracting attention
Apprentice A person who is learning a trade from an
skill learner
Things have gone down hill Matters have deteriorated or worsened
Tramp Homeless person who lives by begging
or doing causal work
Puckered wrinkled
Parson priest
interceded Intervened or spoke on behalf of
someone else
fare A range food

INDIGO
AUTHOR’S NAME:

Louis Fischer

IMPORTANT CHARACTERS/ PERSONALITIES:

Rajkumar Shukla
 • A poor, emaciated peasant in Champaran — deeply distressed by the sharecropping system
— complained to Gandhi about the injustice of landlord system in Bihar —illiterate, but
resolute — never left Gandhi’s side until he agreed to visit Champaran.

Mahatma Gandhi

• Prominent political leader — visited Champaran on the request of Rajkumar Shukla — to

solve the issue of sharecropping system — disobeyed the order to leave Tirhut — Civil
disobedience in India’s struggle for freedom — spent almost a year in Champaran — instilled
courage in the peasants — sole representative of the peasants in an official commission of
inquiry into the indigo sharecroppers’ situation — agreed to 25 per cent refund of the
compensation amount by the landlords — taught people the lesson of self-reliance — a true
leader with persistence and patience — convincing argumentation and negotiation —
ensured justice for the peasants of Champaran.

Rajendra Prasad

• A lawyer in Bihar — lived in Patna — who later became President of Congress party and of
India — The servants at Rajendra Prasad’s residence thought Gandhiji to be a untouchable.

Sir Edward Gait

• Lieutenant Governor who ordered to drop the case against Gandhi. As a result of several
meetings with Gandhi, an enquiry commission was set up to investigate the problems of
sharecroppers.

Charles Freer Andrews

• An English pacifist and devoted follower of Gandhi. He was willing to stay at Champaran and
help Gandhi.

Professor J.B.Kripalani

• A professor at the Arts College, Muzzafarpur — along with a large body of students,
welcomed Gandhi at Muzzafarpur railway station.

Professor Malkani

• A teacher in a government school — Gandhi stayed at his home for two days. Reverend
J.Z.Hodge
• A British missionary in Champaran — observed the entire episode at close range.

Mahadev Desai and Narhari Parikh

• Two young disciples of Gandhi — volunteer teachers in the villages of Champaran. Kasturbai
• Wife of Gandhi — taught ashram rules on personal cleanliness and community sanitation —
talked to women about personal cleanliness.

Devadas

• Gandhi’s youngest son — came to Champaran to support and help his parents.

CHAPTER LEARNING POINTS:

• Louis Fischer visited Gandhi in 1942 at his ashram in Sevagram.

• Gandhi explained how he had decided to ask the British to leave India.
• Annual convention of the Indian National Congress party was organized in Lucknow
in 1916.
• Rajkumar Shukla met Gandhi there and introduced himself as a sharecropper from
• Champaran and requested him to visit his district, Champaran. He told Gandhi about
the injustice of the landlord system in Bihar.
• Raj Kumar Shukla was illiterate but resolute. For weeks he never left Gandhi’s side.
• He followed Gandhi everywhere until he agreed to visit Champaran.
• Rajkumar Shukla met Gandhi at Calcutta and from there took a train to Patna and
went to meet Dr Rajendra Prasad who was out of town. The servants at Rajendra
• Prasad’s residence thought Gandhiji to be an untouchable.

• He sent a telegram to his friend, Professor J.B. Kripalani of the Arts College in
Muzzafarpur. He reached Muzzafarpur on 15th April 1917 to get detailed information
about the conditions in Champaran. He was welcomed by Prof. J.B Kriplani and his
students.

• He stayed at Professor Malkani’s house for two days. Malkani was a teacher in a
government school. In smaller localities, Indians were afraid of showing sympathy to
the supporters of home rule.
• The news of Gandhi’s arrival and the nature of his mission spread quickly.
• Sharecroppers assembled in large number to see their champion.
• Gandhi met some lawyers who were handling the cases of sharecroppers. Gandhi
chided the lawyers in Muzzafarpur for collecting big fee from the sharecroppers.
• Sharecropping system oppressed the peasants. Champaran district was divided into
estates owned by Englishmen and worked by Indian tenant farmers.
• The British landlords forced the peasants to grow indigo on 15 per cent of their land,
and then surrender the entire harvest as rent. This was done by long-term contract.
• In the meantime, Germany had developed synthetic Indigo and consequently the
British planters extracted money from the sharecroppers as compensation to
release them from the 15 per cent arrangement.
• Many signed willingly. Those who resisted, engaged lawyers. The landlords hired
thugs.
• The peasants, who had signed, wanted their money back.
• Gandhi reached Champaran and visited the secretary of the British landlord’s
association, but he was not given any information because he was an outsider.
• Gandhi then met the British Official Commissioner of Tirhut division who asked
Gandhi to leave Tirhut immediately. Instead of returning, he went to Motihari, the
capital of Champaran and started gathering complete information about the indigo
contract. Several lawyers accompanied him.
• Gandhi was on his way to meet a peasant who was maltreated by the British
landlords.
• He was stopped by the police superintendent’s messenger who served him a notice
asking him to leave. Gandhi received the notice but disobeyed the order – Civil
Disobedience. A case was filed against him.
• Gandhi was summoned to appear in the court. A large crowd gathered near the
court.
 • Motihari was black with peasants. The spontaneous demonstration around the
courthouse was the beginning of their liberation from the fear of the British. Gandhi
helped the officers to regulate the crowd.
• He was in a conflict of duties —whether to obey law or respect inner conscience. He
disobeyed the legal orders to be obedient to the voice of conscience. Gandhi gave
his statement that he was not a lawbreaker, but he disobeyed the law so that he
could help the peasants.
• Gandhi was released without bail and later on the case was dropped. Civil
Disobedience had triumphed.
• Gandhi had many interviews with the lieutenant-governor in the upcoming days.
The lieutenant-governor appointed an official commission of inquiry into the indigo
sharecroppers’ situation. Gandhi was made the representative of the sharecroppers.
• There were multiple pieces of evidence of the landlords and British officials for
illegally taking money from the sharecroppers.
• Gandhiji agreed to 25% refund of the compensation amount by the landlords. The
Landlords were obliged to surrender part of the money, and with it, part of their
prestige.
• The peasants realized that they had rights and defenders. They learned courage.
• Gandhi took effort to improve the health conditions as well as social and cultural life
of the peasants in Champaran. He opened six schools in Champaran villages and
took the help of volunteers like Mahadev Desai, Narhari Parikh, and his son, Devdas.
• Kasturbai, wife of Gandhi taught the ashram rule on personal cleanliness and
community sanitation. Gandhi got a doctor to volunteer his service for six months.
• Gandhi refused to accept the help of Charles Freer Andrews as he wanted the
people of Champaran and the lawyers to learn the lesson of self-reliance.

THEME:

• An uneven battle between the oppressor and the oppressed. Injustice of landlord system in
Bihar.
• The Champaran peasants, the sharecroppers are exploited by the rich and influential English
landlords. The issue of indigo harvesting and high handed attitude of the British becomes a
road to freedom for the sharecroppers.
• The leadership shown by Mahatma Gandhi to secure justice for oppressed people through
convincing argumentation and negotiation. Persistence and patience of Gandhi help him in
ensuring justice for the peasants of Champaran.
• Need to develop qualities like self–reliance, strong will and courage and stand up openly
against injustice of any kind.
• Fight one’s own battles in times of adversity instead of depending on others. Liberate
oneself from the fear of any kind.
• The initiation of Civil Disobedience Movement, Non- Cooperation Movement and fight for
freedom. Champaran episode becomes a turning-point in Gandhi’s life and India’s struggle
for freedom as well.
• Efforts made by Gandhi to improve the health conditions as well as social and cultural life of
the peasants in Champaran villages.
• Contributions made by ordinary Indians to the freedom movement. Fighting for a
noble cause.
WORD MEANINGS:

WORD MEANING
urge the departure Start the exit
convention A meeting or formal assembly
Emaciated Abnormally thin
Towering Very tall or high
Sharecroppers tenet farmer who apart of each crops as rent
Resort To adopt
Yeoman Peasant or farmer

Tenacity Determination
Harbor a man like Give shelter to a
me person who advocate freedom
Advent Arrival
Champion A person who defend
Chided Scolded
crushed Suppressed
Holdings Area of land on lease
Irksome Irritating
thugs criminal
summon An order to appear before a judge or magistrate
Conflicts of duties Having to duties opposing each other
reconvened Met again after a break
conferred Consulted
deposited Out of court oral testimony of a witness that is redused to writing for
later in use
protracted Longer then expected
unlettered Illiterate
alleviate Reduce
pacifist One who believe in adopting peaceful means rather then war
Seek a prop Look for support
Protected Longer then expected
entreaty

SHOULD WIZARD HIT MOMMY?

AUTHOR’S NAME:

JOHN UPDIKE

Characters in the Story:

• Jack, father
• Clare, mother
• Jo, daughter
 • Bobby, Jo’s two years old brother

Jack tells his daughter Jo a bed time tale every day in the evenings and for Saturday naps.

This practice started when Jo was two years old. She is four years old now. Within these two

years, Jack has narrated the same bed time story with slight variations.

• A small creature, usually named Roger (Roger Fish, Roger Squirrel, Roger

Chipmunk), had some problem

• Roger went to the wise old owl

• The owl told him to go to the wizard

• The wizard performed a magic spell and solved Roger’s problem

• The wizard demanded a number of pennies for solving the problem

• Roger didn’t have enough pennies to pay the wizard

• The wizard directed him to a place where extra pennies could be found

• Roger followed wizard’s advice and found the extra pennies and paid the wizard

• Roger happily played many games with other creatures and later went home

• Roger’s daddy came home from Boston. The family had their supper

A creature named Roger Skunk had a problem: He smelled very bad and therefore no

woodland creatures played with him. They humiliated him calling him, ‘Roger Stinky

Skunk’. He felt insulted and isolated.

• Roger Skunk wanted to solve this problem. He wanted to smell good.

• He went to see the wise old owl

• The owl directed him to the wizard

• Roger Skunk went through the dark woods, into the swamp, over the crick and came

to a little white house. He rapped on the door and the wizard came out.

• The wizard performed a magic spell and made Roger Skunk smell like roses

• The wizard asked for seven pennies but Roger had only four pennies.

• As per the wizard’s instructions, Roger went to the end of the lane and turned around

three times and found the three pennies in the magic well.

• Roger paid the wizard, happily went back and played with other creatures.

• But Roger Skunk’s mommy didn’t like the way Roger smelled. She got angry, took an

umbrella and went back with Roger Skunk and hit the wizard right over the head

asking him to change Roger’s smell back to the bad smell. The wizard obeyed her.
Roger smelled bad again and the mommy was quite happy about it. She hugged him

and loved him very much.

Now, Jack is facing a crisis

• He doesn’t have any new stories to tell Jo.

• Jo is growing up and doesn’t accept the story Jack narrates. She keeps asking

questions and expects new stories

• She corrects him when he mistakenly refers to Roger Skunk as Roger Fish

• She fakes her expressions listening to the story which irritates Jack

• She insists on a different ending to the story: she wants the wizard to hit the mommy

back

• Jo doesn’t fall asleep in naps anymore.

The argument between Jack and Jo

• Jo doesn’t want the story to end the way Jack narrates it. She doesn’t approve of

Skunk’s mommy’s behavior and wants Skunk to smell good. She even wants the

wizard to hit the mommy back on her head.

• Jack doesn’t like Jo’s version of the story. Jo doesn’t accept Jack’s ending of the

story. The debate continues.

Questions asked by Jo while Jack narrated the story

• Are magic spells real?

• When Jack told her spiders eat bugs, she turned to her mother and asked, “Do they

really?”

• When Clare told her God was in the sky and all around them, she turned to her father

and asked, “Is He really?”

• Will the wizard die?

WORD MEANINGS:

WORD MEANING

Napes Short bouts of sleep,

especially during the day
Wizard A man with magical powers

Futile Useless

Woodland A small forest

Solemnly With deep sincerity

Humiliation Embarrassing situation

Tiptop The highest point

Crick A small steam

Rapped Struck hard

Infantile Characterizing very young children

Scrunching Squeezing

Whining Complaining

Rheumy Watery

Rummaged Searching unsystematically

Trance A half – conscious

Rapt Completely Fascinated or absorbed

Feigning Expressing or pretending

Cranky Bad – tempered

Tag A children’s game

Lacrosse A team game

Apprehensive Nervour or attentive

Of all the nerve A phrase used to

express shock , or anger

Skittered Moved lightly and quickly

Underbrush Shrubs and small

tree forming the
undergrowth in a forest

Astounded Shock or great surprise

Crouching To sit by bending the legs

Gingerly In a careful or
cautious manner

Smock A loose coat-like

outer garment, worn to
protect clothes while
working

Stroking Painting with a gentle

movement of hand

Spank Hit , thrash

Moldings Decorative
architecture feature

Baseboards Bottom boards

Tan A yellowish-brown colour

 On the Face of It

Author’s Name:

Susan Hill

IMPORTANT CHARACTER SKETCH:/QUCK WORDS

Mr Lamb –

• an old man, lives in a house full of books & windows without curtains. Lonely - leaves the
garden gate open Spends his time watching, listening & thinking ‘lamey Lamb’ for he has lost
his leg in war. Appreciates everything God has made.
• EMPATHETIC – identifies with the boy and helps him overcome his drawback. Reassuring
Helped the boy to recognise his potential.

Derry –

• 14 year old boy with a half-burnt face Lacks confidence – not able to face people.
• Escapist – lame excuses to run away instead of facing the world Hates the society/world –
insensitive, callous

Derry’s mother –

• insensitive, prejudiced – warns Derry to not to return to Lamb’s house has sympathy for her
son but not for others who are like him.
• Over protective – out of her concern she constantly reminds the boy about his weakness.
Representative of the callous society

CHAPTER LEARNING POINTS:

➢ Friendship between a lame, old man (Mr Lamb) and a 14 year old boy with a

‘horrible’ face (Derry).

➢ Derry enters into Lamb’s garden mistaking it to be an empty place.

➢ He wants to leave at the earliest after noticing the elderly man’s presence.

➢ Mr Lamb tries to engage the boy in a conversation despite his resistance.

➢ Derry does not want people to show their sympathy and this is revealed through his

words “You think, ‘Poor boy.’ But I’m not.”

➢ Derry feels that the man is changing the subject when he seeks the boy’s help for

picking apples.

➢ He knows that acid has consumed him as he is no longer the same Derry.

➢ Mr Lamb tries to convince the boy that what matters is the perspective. People treat

one green, growing plant as a ‘weed’ and another as a ‘flower.’

➢ Mr Lamb teaches Derry a great lesson when he says that he does not want to put on

trousers to cover up his tin leg.

➢ Mr Lamb neglects Derry’s attempts to go back to his weakness by talking about crab

apples, weeds, spider, sun flowers and so on.

➢ Derry’s insistence that Beast should never have changed into a handsome prince

shows his hatred against the callous attitude of the society.

➢ He doesn’t want his mother to kiss him for he knows that she does so because she has

to.

➢ Mr Lamb tells him that the ‘world’s got a whole face, and the world’s there to be

looked at.’

➢ The woman at the bus-stop stands for people who are insensitive and do not

appreciate the feelings of people like Derry.

➢ Mr Lamb reinforces his point when he tries to tell the boy that the same bees hum and

buzz depending on how we look at it.

➢ The first positive sign is when Derry laughs a lot after listening to the story of a man

who locked himself up in a room for he was afraid.

➢ Mr Lamb spends his time reading books. He doesn’t have curtains for he does not

believe in ‘shutting things out, shutting things in.’

➢ Mr Lamb, unlike Derry’ family members, tries to boost his confidence by reminding

him of what he has rather than what he has lost.

➢ Derry is apprehensive and is not ready to accept his friendship.

➢ Lamb reinforces his point when he says that each one is unique.

➢ The teenager is not ready to appreciate her mother’s concern by saying ‘People fuss.’

➢ The boy becomes confident and leaves the garden telling the old man that he will

come back since he can run as he has not got a tin leg.

➢ Lamb’s loneliness gets revealed when he tells himself that no one is going to come

back.

➢ Derry’s mother is not able to understand the old man though her own son is a victim

of the callous attitude of the society.

➢ Derry defies her and reaches the garden only to see Mr Lamb lying motionless.

Theme

• Loneliness and mental pain experienced by people with disabilities form the theme of the
play. Insensitive attitude of society makes people like Derry to be cynical. Mr Lamb’s
empathetic handling of the situation helps Derry forget about his ‘short comings’ and to try
to seek the world which has a whole face.

WORD MEANINGS:

WORD MEANING
Windfalls Fruits blown down from a tree
scrump Steal from an orchard and garden
Give (me)a hand Help ,assist
Blown of Separated
monstrous Frightening
daft Crazy , foolish
Dribble To let saliva drip from the mouth
peculiar Stanger
Filling box A box for keeping document
Make out Understand
thumping Falling down with loud
swishes Moves with a hissing sound

EVANS TRIES AN O - LEVEL

AUTHOR’S NAME:

Colin Dexter

CHARACTERS IN THE STORY /Dramatis Personae

• The Secretary of the Examinations Board

• The Governor of HM Prison, Oxford
• James Evans, a prisoner
• Mr.Jackson, a prison officer
• Mr.Stephens,a prison officer
• The Reverend Stuart McLeery, an invigilator
• Mr. Carter, Detective Superintendent
• Mr.Bell, Detective Chief Inspector

IMPORTANT CHARACTERS SKETCH:

James Roderick Evans:

1. Cunning, smart and deceitful prisoner.

2. Imprisoned in H.M. Prison,Oxford under the direct vigilance of the Governor.

3. Had managed to run away from prison three times earlier as well.

4. Also called by the name ‘Evans the Break’.

5. Good at impersonating others.

6. Good knowledge of human psychology and he was able to convince Mr. Jackson to

keep his hat with him as it was his lucky charm.

7. Had many friends who helped him to escape.

Mr. Jackson:

1. An experienced and senior officer of the D wing in the prison.

2. He was strict but tender- hearted. Allowed Evans to keep his lucky bobble hat and

wished him good luck for his exam despite the fact that he hated him and thought it

would be good if he cut his throat while shaving and bleed to death.

3. Also ignorant as he should have checked the hat before allowing Evans to keep it.

4. He had a string of Second World War medals on his coat.

Mr. Stephens:

1. A burly, surly-looking man who was recruited recently.

2. Ignorant as he missed a lot of opportunities to stop Evans from escaping the prison- he

did not suspect anything when he saw the parson McLeery keeping his finger in a

strange way .Never thought why Evans wrapped himself in the dirty blanket.

3. He should have reported the details of the slightest unusual things he noticed in

Evans’ cell which could have played a major role in hampering the plans of Evans from

the very beginning.

Governor:

1. A good man as he allowed Evans to take the exam and made all the necessary

arrangements for it as well.

2. He had a premonition that Evans might try to escape again this time and ensures that

the prison officials are taking all the precautions.

3. He cross-examines every call on the day of the exam to make sure it is not a hoax.

4. Overconfident

5. He is impressed by Evans’ cleverness.

6. Gullible and boastful.

CHAPTER LEARNING POINTS:

• James Roderick Evans is known as ‘Evans the Break’ as he had escaped from prison thrice
• In this story Evans is in HM prison, Oxford and is all set to take his O-level German exam.
• The Governor has taken special permission from the Examination Board to conduct Evans’
exam in his own cell itself and one of the parsons named Mc Leery is to act as the invigilator.
• Jackson and Stephens visit Evans’ cell and remove all suspicious articles like nail-scissors and
razor.
• On the day of exam Evans’ accomplices visit McLeery’s room, tie him and lock him in his
study.
• One of the accomplices reaches the cell disguised as the invigilator.
• The invigilator is thoroughly frisked. Jackson finds a semi-inflated rubber ring as a suspicious
object but when the invigilator tells that he suffers from haemorrhoids and that he is going
to use the rubber for sitting, Jackson allows it.
• Evans gathers the information about the plan of escape from Index and centre numbers and
from the correction slip.
• After the exam, when Mc Leery comes out he appears slimmer and his Scots accent sounds
broader.
• Later Stephens finds Evans disguised as parson, mistaken for Mc Leery, injured and bleeding
profusely.
• Evans befools the officials and escapes.
• The Governor too decodes the plan and reaches the hotel where Evans is hiding. Evans does
not try to escape and narrates the whole plan of escape to the Governor. He tells the
Governor how his friends -the German tutor, accomplices from Examination Board, the
invigilator who carried pig’s blood in semi-inflated rubber helped him in his escape.
• The Governor arrests Evans and hands him over to the police personnel, waiting in a prison
van outside the hotel, without verifying their identity.
The men in prison van are Evans’ accomplices disguised as policemen and thus Evans makes
his final escape.

THEME:

• The story describes the conflict between the criminal and the law imposing authorities and
how a sharp criminal manages to escape from the prison fourth time befooling the prison
officials. It shows the lack of intelligence, alertness and sharp – wittedness on the part of the
prison authorities.

WORD MEANINGS:

WORD MEANING
Dead keen Absolutely eager
Packet Larg some of money
Card A witty entertaining person
Congenital From birth
Kleptomaniac Someone with an irrational desire to steal
Parsons Members of the clergy
Incommunicado Without being able to communicate
Gracing Indicating presence
Grubby Worn out
Burly-surly-looking Heavily built
Carrtly In an abrupt and discourteous
Bobble that A knitted hat with a tufted woollen ballon top
Bust in Entered suddenly
Scrapping Shaving
mug Face

Ramrod Absolutely
Smouldered Glowed with anger
Leered Looked unpleasantly
Smarten yourself up Make neat or smart
Spattered Covered with splashes
Lathering Covered with splashes
Swath A board strip
bug Plant or hide an electronic listening device
in somebody’s room to hear or record the
person’s coversation

chisel A long bladed handed tool with a cutting edge, used for cutting stone
Jack knife A large knife with a folding blade
Thumb-flicked Open with the thumb
riffled Turned over quickly
cursorily Hastily and not very attentively
staccato With each sound or note sharply separated from other
Bleeps Short- high –o pitched sound made by an electronic device
Remand The act of sending an accused into legal custody
Run riot Act behave In an uncontrolled way
Askew Toward one side
Amateurishly Unprofessionally
Pebble lenses Lenses that are very thick
Crackled Showed single of life
Parky Disagreeable cold or chilly
Fostered Cherished, encourage
Tufted Growing close together in a short cluster

awash Covered
squelchy Producing a splashing sound
Wodge A thick or large piece
Streaked Marked with line
Caked Covered with a thick layer
Dredging Uncovering
Crescendo A gradual increase in the volume or intensity of sound
Blithering Talking foolishly
Dog collar A stiff white collar worn by priest
Paraphernalia Equipment or article used in a particular activity
Rapped out Spoke suddenly or sharply
Good –for –a –giggle Something meant for entertaining or amusement
Pinched Taken away
gorgon An ugly or tariffing women
 Blonde A person with a light golden- coloured hair
Ruefully With sorrow or regret
Throw (a few ) spanner in the works Be a source of impediment and annoyance
Pints Small liquid measure
Clambered Climbed with difficulty

A Thing of Beauty

POET’S NAME:

John Keats

John Keats (October 31, 1795– February 23, 1821) was an English Romantic poet of the second
generation, alongside Lord Byron and Percy Bysshe Shelley. He is best known for his odes, including
"Ode to a Grecian Urn," "Ode to a Nightingale," and his long form poem Endymion. His usage of
sensual imagery and statements such as “beauty is truth and truth is beauty” made him a precursor
of aestheticism. ‘A Thing of Beauty’ is an excerpt from his poem ‘Endymion: a poetic romance’. It is
based on the Greek mythology of Endymion, the shepherd whose beauty was of such joy to the
moon goddess Selene that it immortalized him for the rest of his days. The poem reflects the poet’s
attitude towards beauty.

Keats attempts to provide a touchstone to define beauty. According to him, a beautiful thing is a
source of eternal joy, its beauty grows with the passage of time and its impact never fades away.
Rather, its memory is imprinted in our minds, leading to a good night’s sleep full of sweet dreams.
This restful sleep promotes mental well-being as well as physical health.

The poet states that the earth without the beautiful things is a despondent, spiteful place with an
insensitive dearth of noble values. Every day human beings face gloomy days packed with unhealthy
spite and darkness. However, in spite of all, a thing of beauty helps remove the dark cloud that
burdens our souls. Every morning we tie ourselves to the Earth with a flowery band. The poet wants
to emphasise that it is our association with the beautiful things that keeps us connected to the earth.

Nature has an abundance of beautiful objects. The sun, the moon, old and young trees that provide
shade to everyone, daffodils that bloom in the forests, the clear streams, the thick growth of ferns
embellished with musk roses, the lovely tales that we have read or heard and the memorials that we
erect in memory of the idealists who have died bravely for a cause. If one looks around, there are
numerous beautiful things to notice. They seem to flow immortally as a fountain, from the gods
above to help the pitiable human beings to deal with the harshness of life. He compares this bounty
of Nature to an endless fountain of immortal drink that falls unto humanity from heaven.

Theme

• Beauty is a heavenly tonic/drink – an endless fountain of nectar which appears in different

forms– a tale, a poem, a play, a lovely object of nature or the heavenly bodies. It soothes our
 spirits and gives us good health, sound sleep and mental peace and removes the sadness
from our lives and gives an everlasting joy.

Tone

• Pleasant and optimistic

Genre &Rhyme Scheme

• `A Thing of Beauty’ belongs to the Romantic genre. The poem is written in rhyming couplets
and the rhyme scheme is aabbcc.

Poetic Devices

Alliteration: Use of consonant sound at the start of two words which are close in series

• Noble Natures, cooling covert

Metaphor: A metaphor is a figure of speech that makes a comparison between two unlike things.

• The pall, Dark spirits, Endless fountain of immortal drink, wreathing a flowery band

Transferred Epithet Figure of speech in which a modifier (usually an adjective) qualifies a noun other
than the person or thing it is actually describing

• Unhealthy and over darkened ways, Gloomy days

Personification A poetic device where animals, plants or even inanimate objects, are given human
qualities

• Shape of beauty

Antithesis Opposite words placed together

• old and young

Imagery The usage of verbal images to describe a concept.

• Sprouting a shady boon, Daffodils with the green world they live in.

Anaphora Use of same word in two consecutive lines.

• of noble natures- Of all the unhealthy

Imagery Creating a sensory effect of beautiful things lined up in a string

• A flowery band to bind us, daffodils in green world, clear rills, grandeur of dooms, cooling
covert, endless fountain of eternal drink

Inversion: Normal order of words is reversed

• Are we wreathing a flowery band

Oxymoron A figure of speech in which apparently contradictory terms appear in conjunction

• Mighty dead
 Symbol

Simple sheep -refers to mankind as Christ is considered the shepherd who leads human souls
out of the dark world of sins and temptations.

WORD MEANINGS:

WORD MEANING

Pass into Change or turn into

Bower A pleasant shady place

Morrow Morning

Wreathing Weaving or forming into a wreath

Spite Malice ,it will

Despondence Disappointment

Pall Covering, shroud or cloth spread over a coffin

Spirits Souls , temperaments

Rills Small streams

Covert Shelter or covering

Brake Dense undergrowth

of ferns

Musk-rose A wild rose with large white musk –scented flowers

 Aunt Jennifer's Tigers

POET’S NAME:

Adrienne Rich

STANZA 1

The first stanza of the poem introduces us to the Aunt’s ‘tigers’ that are stitched across a

screen (needlework). The poet describes the tigers as “bright topaz denizens of a world of

green”, to refer to tigers’ bright yellow colour. The tigers in the needlework are free and

uninhibited. The expression “They do not fear the men beneath the tree” implies that

these tigers are aware of the power they have. The movement of the tiger is described as

“sleek chivalric certainty”. As the tigers are unafraid and are aware of their strength,

they move smoothly, fearless and with confidence.

The tigers stitched on the cloth by Aunt Jennifer aren’t merely a representation of a real

tiger. It is rather symbolic of the tigers within her. The tigers are a symbol of the free,

roaring spirit that moves around the forests, fearing no man or beast. The same spirit lies

within Aunt Jennifer. Though marriage had crippled this free spirit in the real life, it bursts

forth in the figure of the tigers whenever the aunt stitches the screen. Aunt Jennifer’s

needlework therefore isn’t just imitative but an expressive one.

STANZA 2

The second stanza introduces us to Aunt Jennifer and the reality of her life. She is

depicted doing embroidery which is a very traditional activity for a woman. Her fingers are

fluttering to create the beautiful image of the tigers. The fluttering of fingers suggest signs of

anxiety, nervousness and weakness. Her marriage to the uncle doesn’t seem to be a happy

one. She is finding it difficult to pull the ivory needle because she is afraid of her husband’s

dominating nature. This is because a “massive” wedding ring weighs her fingers down and

prevents her from working on her art. Uncle’s wedding band is symbolic of an oppressive

marriage. Though her needlework is the expression of herself, it is the wedding ring which

weighs the finger down when she attempts to make this expression.

The gloomy, closed and claustrophobic domestic space of the second stanza in which the aunt

is trapped is contrasted with the open, spacious and natural atmosphere of the forests in the
first stanza. The Aunt is truly unhappy in the ‘man-made’ institution of marriage, clearly

unlike the tigers who roam about freely in their ‘natural’ state.

STANZA 3

The third stanza presents the reader with the sight of Aunt Jennifer’s lifeless body. The

poet says Aunt Jennifer will remain caught in the ordeals of her marriage till her death.

The poet says even when Aunt Jennifer dies, her hands will lie lifeless (still) surrounded

(ringed) by the great troubles (ordeals) she was overpowered by (mastered by). Even in her

death, the ring on her finger will remain as a testament of the unhappy marriage in

which she was trapped. However, after her death, the tigers in the panel created by her will

“go on prancing, proud and unafraid”. The fearless tigers she created,- an embodiment of

everything she aspired to be – proud, fearless and free will continue to live on. The

tapestries will outlive Aunt Jennifer, Uncle, and their marriage, indicating that art can

create an immortal kind of freedom that goes beyond human oppression. The fact that

her creation continues to exist even after her death makes the poem quite visionary.

RHYME SCHEME: Divided into three stanzas of two couplets each, the poem employs a rhyme
scheme of aabbccddeeff.

MOOD OF THE POEM: Fear is the main atmosphere in Aunt Jennifer’s life of ‘ordeals’

where her fingers tremble and show terror. An air of freedom and confidence dominates the

atmosphere in her artistic creations.

TONE OF THE POEM: The tone appears to be positive and cheerful when the poet

describes the tigers.. The tone becomes sad while describing the life of Aunt Jennifer.

THEME OF THE POEM: The poem addresses the gender struggle that women across the

world are subjected to in a male dominated society. Aunt Jennifer represents women all

across the globe who are caught in a patriarchal society.

POETIC DEVICES
ALLITERATION Finger’s fluttering Prancing proud
METAPHOR Still ringed with ordeals she was mastered by
TRANSFERRED EPITHET terrified hands
HYPERBOLE “The massive weight of Uncle’s wedding band”
PUN “ Ringed” –
1) ring in Aunt Jennifer’s hand
2) difficulties which will always surround her
IMAGERY bright topaz
World of green
PERSONIFICATION The tigers are personified throughout the poem when
they are described as being proud, confident, and
unafraid of men. The most striking instance of
personification, however, is when they are referred to as
"chivalric."
ENJAMBMENT: It is the continuation of a sentence or clause across a line break
“The massive weight of Uncle’s wedding band Sits heavily upon Aunt Jennifer’s hand”
“When Aunt is dead, her terrified hands will lie Still ringed with ordeals she was mastered by.”
IRONY The poem centers around the situational irony of Aunt Jennifer embroidering an
image of "proud and unafraid" tigers while she is weak and terrified.
ALLUSION Aunt Jennifer’s “ Bright topaz denizens of the world of green reminds us of the
famous lines from Blake’s poem “ The Tyger” which describes a “ bright” tiger in the forest.
SYMBOLS USED IN THE POEM
Tigers- symbolize untamed free spirit. Here they stand in contrast to their creator’s
personality. The use of colours implies that Aunt Jennifer's tigers and their land are more
vital
and enjoy a sense of freedom far greater than her. They pace and prance freely, proudly,
fearless, confident and majestic, fearless of men.
Wedding band :symbol of oppression in an unhappy marriage. Its weight refers to the
burden of gender expectations. Ringed means encircled or trapped, losing individuality and
freedom.
Aunt Jennifer: a typical victim of male oppression in an unhappy marriage, who suffers loss
of individuality, dignity and personal freedom silently. She becomes dependent, fearful and
frail.
Embroidery : symbol of creative expression. The artwork expresses the Aunt’s suppressed
desires and becomes her escape from the oppressive reality of her life.
WORD MEANINGS:

WORD MEANING

PRANCE Jump or move in a spirited manner

SCREEN Here, the wall or the surface of the tapestry

TOPAZ A bright yellow precious

stone

DENIZENS Inhabitance

CHIVARLRIC Brave and honourable

CERTAINTY Confidence

FLUTTERING Moving with a light irregular or trembling motion

Ringed Confined or tied up

Ordeals Unpleasant or painful

experiences

INFORMAL INVITATIONS
Main Characteristics:

Informal invitations follow the pattern of ordinary personal letters. These letters are written to
relatives, friends and acquaintances.

• It is written in the first person (I/We)

• The sender's address is written as usual but the receiver's address is not mentioned.

• The date of writing the invitation is given but it is not compulsory to write the year.
• The salutation is 'Dear + name'.

• The complimentary close is Yours lovingly/Yours affectionately

• Various tenses of the verb are used unlike the formal invitation.

• The invitation does not ask for a reply as in the formal invitation. However, it is polite

to reply to the invitation

• The vocabulary is less formal.

Marking scheme: 3 Marks

Format :1

Content :1

Expression :1

INFORMAL REPLIES

Reply to Informal Invitations: -

It is an essential courtesy to reply to an invitation. The layout of a reply to an informal invitation is

also informal, like the invitation.

The reply is written in the first person. The salient points in the reply to an informal invitation are: -

• acknowledging the invitation

• Include date, time, venue

• mention acceptance/ refusal (It is essential to give a reason for refusing an invitation.)

• making use of warm and simple language.

FORMAL INVITATIONS AND REPLIES

Formal Invitations are written to invite guest(s) to a formal event like the celebration of a

special occasion or day or programme. It can be classified as the following

• Card-type invitation-usually meant for larger numbers of people.

• Letter-type invitation-usually meant for VIPs or special guests.

On receiving an invitation, it is important to respond to the invitation as a courtesy to the host.

This will help the host to make arrangements for the smooth conduct of the event. This can

be classified as

• Letter-type replies-written in response to a letter-type invite

Marking Scheme

• Format-1 mark

• Content-1 mark
• Expression-1 mark

Word Limit: 50 words

Letter-type invitations

• It is written in the format of a formal letter.

• All the details of the event, the place, date and time are to be clearly mentioned.

• It is addressed to a few special invitees.

Replies to Letter -type invitations

• It is also written in the format of a formal letter.

• The name of the sender, the host, and event and the time, date and venue are

clearly mentioned.

• Express gratitude for the invitation and appreciation for the initiative.

• Acceptance or refusal of the invitation has to be stated clearly.

APPLICATION FOR JOB

Job applications demand a formal and precise treatment. Their format is almost the same as that of
the forwarding cover letter and is usually accompanied by a curriculum vitae/resume/bio-data.

(A)COVERING LETTER

Content:

Para 1: Refer to the source of information about the job or the advertisement in the newspaper.

Example- ‘With reference to the advertisement published in the (name of the newspaper), dated
(date), I would like to apply for the post of (name of the post) in your
(firm/organization/institution).’

Para 2: Reason for applying Share your interest and competence level. Key words that can be used-
(young, dynamic, communication skill, committed to hard work, qualification, etc.)

Para 3: Stating the suitability. Concluding statement- ‘My Bio-data is enclosed herewith for your
perusal/ sympathetic consideration.’

(B)Bio-Data – Bio-data/ Curriculum Vitae/ Resume.

It should include:

1. Full Name:
2. Address

3. Contact No.:

4. E-mail ID:

5. Date of Birth:

6. Educational Qualifications:

7. Professional Qualifications:

8. Work Experience:

9. Skills

10. Languages Known:

11. Hobbies and Interests

12. Achievements

13. Salary Expected:

14. References:

(1)

(2)

DECLARATION

Place: Signature:

Date: Name:

Word Limit: 120-150 (Marks: 05 M Format: 01M, Content: 02M, Expression: 02M)

Points to Remember

• Identify the newspaper, magazine, person, or other source from which you learned about
the position.
• Specify what job you seek and briefly describe your major qualifications for the position.
• Explain how your education has prepared you for the position by discussing such things as
significant courses, seminars, professors, presentations, projects, etc.
• Discuss other qualifications relevant to the position.
• Refer to your enclosed or attached resume and the kind of information that can be found
there.
• Solicit an interview and provide information about how and when you can be contacted.

Example Phrases

✓ perfectly match my qualifications

✓ according to the advertisement

✓ am submitting my resume
✓ am applying for

✓ am confident that

✓ am certain that an ideal candidate for the position of

✓ are compatible with

✓ as described in

✓ as indicated in your job description

✓ as advertised in

Example Phrases

✓ a wide variety of

✓ ability to perform at

✓ am expert in

✓ am fluent in

✓ am qualified as a

✓ am responsible for

✓ am currently supervising the work of

✓ as a result of my experience in

✓ because of my broad background in

✓ certified by the state as

✓ enabled me to progress from

✓ energy, experience, and skills are focused on

✓ extensive experience in

✓ have confidence in my ability to

✓ have the knowledge, skills, and experience necessary to

✓ have had considerable experience with

✓ have been working in the office of

✓ have a broad background in

REPORT WRITING
A report is a factual description of an event, incident happened or a programme conducted. It is a
systematic and well-organized presentation of facts and findings. A report is written for a clear
purpose and for a particular audience.

Types of Reports

➢ For News Paper

➢ For Magazine

Points to Remember

➢ Be brief and to the point.

➢ Report an event in the order in which things happened.

➢ Stick on to the word limit.

➢ Use formal language

➢ Avoid jargons.

➢ Must use uniform verb tense, preferably past tense.

Format

HEADLINE / TITLE: Catchy and brief

BYLINE: A Sub Headline/Name, rank, position etc. of the person writing the report (it can also come
at the end).

OPENING PARAGRAPH: A brief mention of what happened, where, how and the most prominent
consequence/effect along with the day, date and time when it took place.

DETAILS: Paragraph 2 & 3 give details of the event being reported. Eye witness account (along with
some quotes) is also included. In case of accidents, loss of life and property is listed, cause of the
accident is included, police action, rescue operation and damage control exercise are detailed.
Compensation and help announced by government is mentioned.

CONCLUSION: A remark as to how the event had an impact on people.

Tips for report writing

➢ Keep sentences short and simple.

➢ Focus on the objective.

➢ Use every day English.

➢ Plan well before you start writing

➢ Use a clear layout

BEST OF LUCK BACHAA PARTY !

ROAR LIKE
SIMBA