Thinking activity

THINKING ACTIVITY
Critical Analysis is the primary tool in
language study. Through these activities mind
develops for same.
By : Vishva Gajjar

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Contents
Web Tools for Teaching Language Skills.......................................................................................................4
Expert Lecture by R. B. Zala on 'Waiting for the Barbarians'........................................................................6
Characters:................................................................................................................................................8
Themes:.....................................................................................................................................................8
The White Tiger by Arvind Adiga ..................................................................................................................8
Comparison between The White Tiger and Slumdog Millionaire :............................................................10
1) Narrative structure : ...........................................................................................................................11
2) Indianans : ..........................................................................................................................................11
3) List of the questions asked in the film 'Slumdog Millionaire'.............................................................12
4) Deconstruction of film from post colonial perspective......................................................................15
5) Compare with Texture and Treatment of subject content in film and novel.....................................15
Language Lab - Survey: Dell Software.........................................................................................................16
One Night @ the Call Center.......................................................................................................................17
(1) Globalization:.....................................................................................................................................17
(2) Cyberpunk:.........................................................................................................................................18
Impressionistic criticism:.........................................................................................................................18
Journalism...................................................................................................................................................19
Feature Writing:......................................................................................................................................19
Lead Writing:...........................................................................................................................................20
Education and Technology......................................................................................................................20
Representation of native by colonizer....................................................................................................22
A Grain of Wheat: ...................................................................................................................................24
Importance of communication ...................................................................................................................25
Modes of Communication: .....................................................................................................................26
Barrier of Communication: .....................................................................................................................26
Existentialism: Video Resources .................................................................................................................26
Video 1: What is Existentialism?.............................................................................................................26
Video 2: The Myth of Sisyphus: The Absurd Reasoning (Feeling of the Absurd)....................................27
Video 3: The Myth of Sisyphus: the notion of philosophical suicide......................................................28
Video 4: Dadaism, Nihilism and Existentialism.......................................................................................28
Video 5: Existentialism - a gloomy philosophy .......................................................................................29
Video 6 :Let us introduce Existentialism again!......................................................................................29
Video 8: Explain like I'm Five: Existentialism and Nietzsche...................................................................30
Video 9: Why I like Existentialism? Eric Dodson.....................................................................................30

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Thinking Activity on "Waiting For Godot" by Samuel Beckett....................................................................31
Reflective Blog on "Postcolonial Studies" by Prof. Balaji............................................................................36
1) Black Skin White Mask 2) Imaginary Homelands 3) Orientalism 4) A Tempest.............................36
"Orientalism" by Edward Said.....................................................................................................................37
"A Tempest" by Aime Cesaire.....................................................................................................................38
"Imaginary Homelands" by Salman Rushdie...............................................................................................39
Pre Thinking Task on Short Stories .............................................................................................................40
Thinking Activity on "The Birthday Party" ..................................................................................................42
Characters:..............................................................................................................................................43
Methods of English Language Teaching #ELT #Unit3 .................................................................................45
Edward Said on 'Orientalism'......................................................................................................................46
Israel - Palestinian Issue:.............................................................................................................................48
Thinking Activity "To The Lighthouse"........................................................................................................48
Elements of Transcendentalism and Anti-Transcendentalism in "The Scarlet Letter"...............................53
Transcendentalism..................................................................................................................................55
Anti-Transcendentalism..........................................................................................................................56
The Old Man and The Sea...........................................................................................................................57
Characters:..............................................................................................................................................58
The Role of English in India #ELT #unit1 ending task..................................................................................59
'Kya Kehna' in the context of 'The Scarlet Letter'.......................................................................................61
Thinking Activity on 'Wasteland' by T.S. Eliot.............................................................................................66
Modernist Poems........................................................................................................................................70
Modernist Poets:.....................................................................................................................................71
1. 'The Embankment' - T.E. Hulme........................................................................................................71
2. 'Darkness' - Joseph Campbell............................................................................................................71
3. 'Image'- Edward Storer......................................................................................................................71
4. 'In a Station of the Metro'- Ezra Pound.............................................................................................72
5. 'The Pool'- Hilda Doolittle .................................................................................................................72
6. 'Insouciance'- Richard Aldington.......................................................................................................72
7. 'Morning at the Window'- T.S. Eliot..................................................................................................73
Bilingualism and Multilingualism................................................................................................................73
Bilingualism:............................................................................................................................................73
Multilingualism: ......................................................................................................................................73
EXAMPLES ...............................................................................................................................................74
Middlemarch...........................................................................................................................................74

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Deconstruction and Derrida........................................................................................................................77
Structuralism Theory...............................................................................................................................78
Structuralism .........................................................................................................................................78
1) Order...................................................................................................................................................79
2) Frequency ...........................................................................................................................................79
3) Duration..............................................................................................................................................79
4) Voice ...................................................................................................................................................81
5) Mood...................................................................................................................................................82
The Archetypes of Literature.... Northrop Frye ..........................................................................................82
I.A. Richards Figurative Language ...............................................................................................................89
I . A. Richard .....................................................................................................................................89
T.S.Eliot Thinking Activity............................................................................................................................92
Thinking Activity on Matthew Arnold.........................................................................................................94
Wordsworth's Preface To Lyrical Ballads....................................................................................................95
Aristotle's Poetics........................................................................................................................................97
Dryden's Essay: of Dramatic Poesy .............................................................................................................98
Works:....................................................................................................................................................99
If we see the definition of Dryden we can see this three thing:.......................................................100
1. Just and lively image .................................................................................................................100
2. Passions and humors ................................................................................................................100
3. Delight and instruction .............................................................................................................100
Coleridge: Biographia Literaria .................................................................................................................101
Thinking Activity: Paradise Lost Book Ⅸ ..................................................................................................102
Hamlet: Post-Viewing task........................................................................................................................107
Robinson Crusoe .......................................................................................................................................112
Introductory Thinking Task On T. P. Kailasam's " The Purpose"...............................................................115
Thinking Activity - Metaphysical poetry ...................................................................................................117
Thinking Activity on Doctor Faustus: A play by Christopher Marlowe .....................................................119
Ben Jonson............................................................................................................................................122
Expert Lectures on ELT - Prof. Atanu Bhattacharya..................................................................................123
Teaching language through Literature:.................................................................................................123
Thinking Activity: The Sense of an Ending ................................................................................................124
Thinking Activity: The Da Vinci Code ........................................................................................................126

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Web Tools for Teaching Language Skills
In modern day, English is considered as the primary language for conveying your expressions. The
widespread recognition of the language has resulted in many non-natives wanting to learn it.
The key benefits of learning English with apps is that it allows you to practice anytime, anywhere,
at your own convenience. Learning English with apps is definitely a game changer in terms of cost-
effectiveness and making language learning available to everyone. Some are completely free, the others
will charge you a very small monthly fee to get access to all of their features. Most of the apps tend to use
learning methods that contain images, sounds, videos and games, which is very effective and motivating
at the same time. English learning apps are often designed to help learners improve different English skills.
They provide all kinds of cutting-edge features, such as adaptive algorithms to suit users’ learning speed
and purposes (for example, learn for exams, communication, business, travel etc)
Technological innovations are part of education and English language teaching, but not all have
staying power. The novelty of some innovations will wear out, and there are growing concerns about
privacy and data protection. Only the innovations that come with solid teaching practices will stand the
test of time.
Here, are some innovations that has changed the English language teaching and learning:
• Blended learning
• Mobile learning
• Gamification
• Embodied learning
• English as a lingua franca (ELF)
• Multi-literacies and trans-languaging
• Supporting learners of specific needs
Now, let's have a look on some applications or tools for learning English language:

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1. English Attack:
• Pricing: Free or from $6 to $8 per month to get full access to features.
• Platforms: web
• Special features: learn English with videos and interactive games.
• English level: Beginner – Intermediate
English Attack is an English learning website focusing on young English learners who are around 15-25
years old. The given lessons combine video clips (movies,TV shows, music videos and news) and
language games in an immersive learning experience to help learners improve their English in an exciting
way.
2. Busuu:
• Pricing: Free trial or $3 – $7 per month to get full access to different features.
• Platforms: Android, IOS, Web
• Special features: Learn vocabulary, grammar and basic conversations.
• Level: Beginner – Intermediate (A1-B2)
Busuu is an online social network that will enable you to learn a language on your own or with
other learners. Each course on Busuu is developed using the CEFR (The Common European Framework of
Reference for Languages). Featuring 150 different topics for each course, Busuu also provides learners
with learning materials such as audio, podcast, pdf files to help them improve their pronunciation and

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vocabulary. Besides English, you can also learn any of 12 different languages with free online courses on
Busuu.
3. Duolingo:
• Pricing: free
• Platforms: IOS, Android, Windows Phone, Website
• Special features: Basic grammar, vocabulary, translation, listening and pronunciation
• Level: Absolute beginner
Duolingo is one of the most popular and well-known tools for learning a language online. Each
lesson in Duolingo includes different modules (the circles in the screenshot below) which are grouped to
form certain skills. Your mission is to complete those modules.
Before taking any lessons, you can test out your English skills with an entry test so that the app
can determine your fluency level and give you the most appropriate modules. In addition, you can access
additional study options when using the website platform. These include conversations, stories, podcasts
that will help to improve your listening and reading comprehension. Duolingo also allows you to add
friends to the app and challenge them in language study. You can also join clubs on the app to discuss and
practice English with other learners.
These tools may appeal because they seem shiny and new. But the true value of innovations lies
in how much they can help learners to become better communicators in English., and the extent to which
they can help teachers encourage learners in the most efficient, motivating ways.
Expert Lecture by R. B. Zala on 'Waiting for the Barbarians'

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J.M. Coetzee, in full John Maxwell Coetzee, (born February 9, 1940, Cape Town, South Africa),
South African novelist, critic, and translator noted for his novels about the effects of colonization. In 2003
he won the Nobel Prize for Literature.
Dusklands (1974), Coetzee’s first book, contains two novellas united in their exploration of
colonization, The Vietnam Project (set in the United States in the late 20th century) and The Narrative of
Jacobus Coetzee (set in 18th-century South Africa). In the Heart of the Country (1977; also published
as From the Heart of the Country; filmed as Dust, 1986) is a stream-of-consciousness narrative of a Boer
madwoman, and Waiting for the Barbarians (1980), set in some undefined borderland, is an examination
of the ramifications of colonization. Life & Times of Michael K (1983), which won the Booker Prize,
concerns the dilemma of a simple man beset by conditions he can neither comprehend nor control during
a civil war in a future South Africa.
Waiting for the Barbarians is a novel by the South African-born writer J. M. Coetzee. First
published in 1980, it was chosen by Penguin for its series Great Books of the 20th Century and won both
the James Tait Black Memorial Prize and Geoffrey Faber Memorial Prize for fiction. American
composer Philip Glass has also written an opera of the same name based on the book which premiered in
September 2005 at Theater Erfurt, Germany.

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The story is narrated in the first person by the unnamed magistrate of a small colonial town that
exists as the territorial frontier of "the Empire". The Magistrate's rather peaceful existence comes to an
end with the Empire's declaration of a state of emergency and with the deployment of the Third Bureau—
special forces of the Empire—due to rumors that the area's indigenous people, called "barbarians" by the
colonists, might be preparing to attack the town. Consequently, the Third Bureau conducts an expedition
into the land beyond the frontier. Led by a sinister Colonel Joll, the Third Bureau captures a number of
barbarians, brings them back to town, tortures them, kills some of them, and leaves for the capital in
order to prepare a larger campaign.
Characters:
• The magistrate
• Colonel Joll
• The nomad girl
• Warrant officer Mandel
• The birdlike girl
Themes:
• Imperialism
• Colonialism
• Mail Sexuality
• Power
• Interrogation
• Fear of the other
Coetzee took the title from the poem "Waiting for the Barbarians" by the Greek poet Constantine
P. Cavafy.
Coetzee's novel has been deeply influenced by Italian writer Dino Buzzati's novel The Tartar
Steppe.
The White Tiger by Arvind Adiga

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The White Tiger is the debut novel by Indian author Aravind Adiga. It was first published in 2008
and won the 40th Man Booker Prize in the same year. The novel provides a darkly humorous perspective
of India's class struggle in a globalized world as told through a retrospective narration from Balram Halwai,
a village boy. In detailing Balram's journey first to Delhi, where he works as a chauffeur to a rich landlord,
and then to Bangalore, the place to which he flees after killing his master and stealing his money, the
novel examines issues of religion, caste, loyalty, corruption and poverty in India. Ultimately, Balram
transcends his sweet-maker caste and becomes a successful entrepreneur, establishing his own taxi
service. In a nation proudly shedding a history of poverty and underdevelopment, he represents, as he
himself says, "tomorrow.
1) How far do you agree with the India represented in the novel The White Tiger?
The India which is represented by Adiga is poor, corrupt, uneducated, and cheater also. Well I do
agree that not only India but all countries in the world do have these bad kinds of problem but, it doesn’t
make them all bad. Adiga has represented the darker side of India. This novel was written in 2008, after
India has progressed in many ways but, then even we can not fully deny that poverty, corruption, and
illiteracy are vanished from India. Still in some remote places there are landlords who rule over town
people. Still there are many people who are not educated properly. So, we can not deny the India which
is represented in “The White Tiger” by Adiga, but we can say that, India is not only what is represented by
Adiga. There is bright side of India. By bright side I mean There are people who are educated, rich enough
and honest.

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2) Do you believe that Balram's story is the archetype of all stories of 'rags to riches'?
We can see that the stories which portrays poor as central character at the end of the story the
poor becomes rich. We can see many people who are same as Balram. Same like who belongs to poor and
also has large family, who didn’t complete their studies, who goes to work from early childhood, and who
has bear insults from those who are rich. These types of stories shows the struggle of poor to achieve their
dream and for that becoming rich. The ways of reaching to the destination of wealth might differs of each
stories but the suffering always remain same. So this way we can say that Balram’s story is archetype of
all stories of “Rags to Riches”.
3) "Language bears within itself the necessity of its own critique, deconstructive criticism aims to show that
any text inevitably undermines its own claims to have a determinate meaning, and licences the reader to
produce his own meanings out of it by an activity of semantic 'free play' (Derrida, 1978, in Lodge, 1988, p. 108).
Is it possible to do deconstructive reading of The White Tiger? How?
Yes, it is possible to deconstruct “The White Tiger”. We can deconstruct it with the help of
Derrida’s concept of free play of meanings. To break the language we need to find the loose stone of it.
The loose stone of “The White Tiger” is that Balram himself says that he is “Half-backed”. This word breaks
all the philosophy and all the ideals which Balram is presenting by giving his own example. Because he is
not fully educated. He understand things with his limited power of analysis. He appropriate the deep
philosophies with his shallow ideas and thinking. For example, he compares his idea of killing his master
and get freedom with the enlightenment of Buddha. This proves his shallow knowledge about Buddha
and his idea of enlightenment. So, this way we can deconstruct “The White Tiger”.
Comparison between The White Tiger and Slumdog Millionaire :

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1) Narrative structure :
The Novel and the film has almost similar and parallel structure. Both the works starts with
flashback techniques. In the film used one reality show KBC in which question and answer session going
on. All the questions leads Jamal into his past. While in the novel wanted poster used. By using this poster
writer talking about his past.
2) Indianans :
● Train :
Train is also found in both the works. It shows the Indianans in the work. In the film highly used
train. It also a symbol of poverty and crowd. In the novel also discrimination of train can be seen.
● Corruption :
Corruption can be found in both works. In the novel talking about Corrupt nature of
entrepreneur's drivers. How they can earn little extra cash by sell the patrol , repair the car from Corrupt
mechanics ,sell the whisky bottles , turn master's car into a freelance taxi. In the film shows Corrupt nature
of Jamal 's brother. He was Getting more money from tourist. Also thieves selling the car parts of
foreigners. Anchor of KBC show do cheating by telling answer to Jamal.
● Religion :

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Religion is also important element of Novel and film. In the novel described the darker side of
religion by talking about Ganga as Black mud river , Hanuman as example of faithful servant , Buddhism.
Similar in the film shows the Hindu Muslim riot which creates problem in the Area , depiction of Lord
Rama, criticism of Darshan do Ghanshyam song . It shows that on the name of religion people do wrong
things. They even not care about humanity. Religion consider more important than Humanity.
●Education System :
Both the protagonist Jamal (Film) and Balaram (Novel) are uneducated. In the novel shows darker
and Corrupt side of education system : school teachers are stolen lunch money, Teachers do nothing in
the class, Sales uniform of students , No basic facilities in schools : no chair , no duster , no uniform. It
shows the darker side of India which is full of thugs and idiots. Similar way because of poverty Jamal could
not able to study. Both the protagonist taking knowledge by observing the people.
● Darker side of India ( Poverty ) :
In the film shows Dharavi the largest slum area of Asia which located in India. Both the works
based on the life of poor people's suffering and struggle. Both the protagonist came from poverty. Both
works criticised poverty as the darker side of India. Poverty forced them to do wrong things to get rich.
3) List of the questions asked in the film 'Slumdog Millionaire'
1. Who was the star in the 1973 hit film "Zanzeer"
a) Shah Rukh Khan
b) Salman Khan
c) Amitabh Bachhan

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d) Ranbir Kapoor
2. A picture of three lions is seen in the national emblem of India. What is written underneath it?
a) The Truth alone triumphs
b) Lies alone triumphs
c) Fashion alone triumphs
d) Money alone triumphs
3. In depiction of God Rama, he is famously holding what in his right hand?
a) A bow and arrow
b) A sword
c) A child
d) A flower
4. The song " Darshan Do Ghanshyam" was written by which famous Indian poet?
a) Surdas
b) Tulsidas
c) Mira bai
d) Kabir
5. On the American One Hundred Dollar Bill, there is portrait of which American Statesman?

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a) George Washington
b) Franklin Roosevelt
c) Benjamin Franklin
d) Abraham Lincoln
6. Who invented the revolver?
a) Samuel Colt
b) Bruce Browning
c) Dan Wesson
d) James Revolver
7. Cambridge Circus is in which UK City?
a) Oxford
b) Leeds
c) Cambridge
d) London
8. Which cricketer has scored the most first class centuries in history?
a) Sachin Tendulkar
b) Ricky Ponting
c) Michael Slater
d) Jack Hobbs

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9. In Alexander Dumas' book, "The Three Musketeers", two of the musketeers are called Athos and
Porthos. What was the name of the third Musketeer?
a) Aramis
b) Cardinal Richetieu
c) D' Artagnan
d) Planchet
All these questions and their answers are connected with the life of Jamal. It shows that how
minutely he observed the things and remember it. This all the questions leads him into his past incidents.
All the questions are aptly connected with Jamal ' s life. I don't want to add any other question in this.
4) Deconstruction of film from post colonial perspective.
The Slumdog millionaire can be seen from post colonial perspective. This film was directed by
English director Danny Boyle. In the film white people are portrayed as good and gentle fellow. In India
many foreigners came to visit the famous places of India and to see the beauty and real India. In movie
the scene comes where the foreign people had came to visit the Taj Mahal at that time Salim
charged more money from the visitors but, some how thief stole the car parts of foreigners and sold
them. At that time Jamal was suspected and was falsely been doubted for the crime. He was beaten by
the Indian driver and foreigners shows mercy upon him and gave him some money. So by this director
portrayed white people as good , civilized sophisticated and humble people. While on the other hand
Indian portrayed as Poor , dirty, uncivilized, corrupt, uneducated people. The term it self based on the
power dynamics. It shows the superiority of white on the Indian people.
5) Compare with Texture and Treatment of subject content in film and novel.
The novel and the Film are based on the darker side of India. The texture of the film and novel
differs a bit from each other. In the novel the protagonist himself is the corrupted person. He himself can
be considered as the example of darker side of India while in the film Jamal was good person he never did
anything wrong in his life. In the novel if we minutely observed then description of each and every dark
part of India is been portrayed. In the novel poetic justice doesn't happens by punishing the Balram.
He killed his master and did many wrong things yet not caught by police. While in the film poetic justice
happened when Salim committed suicide at the end and Jamal became popular and rich. Both the works
differs from each other on the bases of treatment given to wrong people.

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Language Lab - Survey: Dell Software
Dell Software:
Advantages:
• Development of basic skills like: Listening, Speaking, Reading and Writing.
• Teacher can easily assess and monitor the students work.
• Ease of operating the software.
• Convenient for group work.
• Students can easily listen to the native speakers and can learn the language.
Disadvantages:
• Inconvenience of time and place.
• Affordability and availability issue of the digital tools.
• Lack of awareness regarding the usage of the software and the digital tools.
Learning outcome:
• It helps in learning new words and phonetics very easily.
• It also helps in learning basic Grammar.
Five New Words:
• Czech
• Veneer
• Liaison
• Silhouette
• Bureau
Comparison:
Comparatively, the Namo-Tab can be considered as more convenient than the DELL software;
since the tab is user friendly. The learner is not bound by any restriction of time or place when it comes
to language learning through Namo-Tab. Neither is there any barrier of the condition of the digital tools.
The language lab software in the Namo-Tab appears to be well updated than that of the DELL monitor. As

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far as the speaking skills are considered though, the DELL software has an advantage over Namo-Tab. DELL
software allows the learner to practically test their speaking skills, whereas in the Namo-Tab the learners
can only listen to the correct pronunciations and cannot practically test them
One Night @ the Call Center
One Night @ the Call Center is a novel written by Chetan Bhagat and first published in 2005. The
novel revolves around a group of six call center employees working at the Connexions call
center in Gurgaon, Haryana, India. It takes place during one night, during which all of the leading
characters confront some aspect of themselves or their lives they would like to change. The story uses a
literal deus ex machina, when the characters receive a phone call from God.
The book was the second best-selling novel from the award winning author after Five Point
Someone.
(1) Globalization:
Chetan Bhagat has written that his “call-centre cousins, sisters-in-law and friends” inspired his
tale, “providing information, stealing various training materials and arranging meetings” (317). But in One
Night’s framing story, a mysterious woman—who, as it turns out, is actually God in disguise—furnishes
Bhagat with this information, chastising him for paying too little attention in his first novel to “the biggest
group of young people facing a challenge in modern India” (14): the 300,000-strong men and women who
work in the Indian call center industry. The author’s wording here is somewhat surprising; in many ways
this group would appear to be among the main beneficiaries of globalization in India. After all, in a country
where the majority of the population makes less than two dollars a day (Murphy 429), their pay is
relatively high; and, as critics have pointed out, as English speakers many of them could find other jobs

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outside the outsourcing industry quite easily. Instead, in One Night they are depicted as the underdogs of
the country’s globalization story, their rights and dignity trampled upon by Americans. The character
Vroom compares his dehumanizing call-center work to prostitution:
“Every night I come here and let people fuck me.”. . . [He] picked up the telephone headset. “The Americans
fuck me with this, in my ears hundreds of times a night . . . And the funny thing is, I let them do it. For
money, for security, I let it happen. Come fuck me some more,” Vroom said and threw the headset on the
table. (216)
The problem with the call-centre (and thus globalization), Bhagat suggests, is that, as Vroom
implies in this passage, it has resulted in a new materialistic culture in India that mirrors American
consumerism. Relatedly, working at the call-centre is tantamount to a betrayal of the nation-state and its
anti-consumerist social idealist founders. This newly materialistic culture and nationalist betrayal are
linked closely to, and perhaps even rendered possible by, the accent neutralization and renaming
practices of the call-centre, which undermine, erase, and distort a sense of “authentic” Indian-ness.
(2) Cyberpunk:
Cyberpunk is a postmodern science fiction genre. Cyber Punk is connected with science and
technology. It features higher science, such as information technology and cybernetics, coupled with a
degree of breakdown or radical change in the social order. Cyberpunk plots often center on a conflict
among hackers, artificial intelligences, and Mega Corporation, The characters deals with cyber technology.
Vroom hacks Bakshi's email and writes email to Esha on his behalf. The American's are terrorized with the
help of bug in MS Office as virus attack on Internet . In the world of technology heroes are hiker like
Shyam. Machine is controlling human beings. Bakshi controlling heroes and other high teach and law life.
Character dealing with Bug, FM radio, Email, Internet (computer). So we can say it classify as Cyber punk
novel.
Impressionistic criticism:
For the first time when I read this book I felt that the Bhagat is writing about the young India and
what problems are faced by the generation and specially Indian people. This book also reflects the
problem of the call center and people working there. He has also tried to touch the basic problem people
face in there daily life. In this book we can also see the love hate relation among the characters. I also felt
shocked when writer brings in the God's call which catches the attraction. I have never thought that this
book would also be having characteristics like self help book, nationalism, globalization etc.

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Journalism
Journalism is a discipline of knowledge .the word journalism is derived from French word “De Jour
which means ‘ of the day; .Journalism can be defined in different ways from different perspectives. It is a
process.
Running on the ABC principle that is Accuracy, Balance and Credibility, the profession journalism
is maintained and balanced by journalist. Journalism as such, is a process of collecting, verifying, reporting
and interpreting information of any event and people, has its own importance’s along with its
responsibilities. Winston Churchill has said that journalism is a guardian that never sleeps and protects
freedom of the people. From his statement it is proved how important journalism actually is. Some
importance of journalism are described below:
• It provides information to the public
• It acts as fourt state
• It acts as the ‘ voice of the voiceless’
• It plays the role of watch dog
• It is the mediator between related authorities and public
Journalism is an investigation and reporting of current world affairs which include fashion trends,
political or general issue and events to a broad audience. Though there are various purposes for it, the
most important aspect is the freedom of expression. The root of journalism comes from people’s right to
have an opinion.
Feature Writing:

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Feature Journalism is creative journalism. It escapes the hard-news format allowing the creative
writers among us to write feature articles in an inventive and compelling way. Unlike short and to-the-
point news articles, feature articles deal with a subject in greater depth and, usually, at greater length.
The best journalism engages as it informs. When articles or scripts succeed at this, they often are
cast as what is known as features or contain elements of a story. Features are built from facts. Nothing in
them is made up or embellished. But in features, these facts are embedded in or interwoven with scenes
and small stories that show rather than simply tell the information that is conveyed. Features are
grounded in time, in place and in characters who inhabit both. Often features are framed by the specific
experiences of those who drive the news or those who are affected by it. They are no less precise than
news. But they are less formal and dispassionate in their structure and delivery.
Lead Writing:
In journalism, the beginning sentences of a news story are everything. Called leads or “ledes,”
they must convey essential information, set the tone and entice people to continue reading. If you’re
interested in becoming an expert journalist, understanding how to write a lead is a key skill for your
toolbox.
A lead (also known as a lede) is the first paragraph or several paragraphs of a story, be it a blog
entry or a long article. Its mission is to catch readers’ attention and draw them in. Getting them truly
involved is the duty of the rest of the story; getting them to that point is the job of the lead.
There are two broad categories of leads, direct and indirect. The first gets right to the
basics: who, what, when, where and why, with a dose of how if appropriate.
Education and Technology

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We live in a world where nearly everything is ‘tech.’ We are glued to our mobile phones from
morning to night - gaining knowledge through social media and websites. We download apps to learn new
languages and watch YouTube videos to learn how to play musical instruments. Yet, when it comes to
learning in the classroom, we’ve barely scratched the surface of what’s possible; many universities still
require students to purchase print textbooks and we lecture at students as they sit passively. I’m
encouraged by the innovative approaches I’ve seen some professors take, as they adopt more technology
in the classroom and I think that will only accelerate as they learn and gain access to new and helpful
tools.
Of course, what technology looks like in ten years may change pretty dramatically. Innovation in
AI, for instance, is happening at a rapid pace. While I don’t think AI tutors and teaching assistants will ever
replace teachers, I do think that machine learning algorithms will help educators on non-priority tasks -
like reading directions out loud, grading standardized tests, taking attendance - so educators can focus on
more 1-on-1 time with students and on the more thoughtful activities only a human can do, like forming
arguments, writing critically, and initiating more interesting and compelling discussions.
Instructors have been working to create a more dynamic classroom experience for decades. This
has taken shape in experiments with flipped classrooms, as well as a heavy emphasis on group work and
peer collaboration.
At the same time, by incorporating digital quizzes and assessments, videos, simulations, and
gamification elements into course content, educators can create a dynamic learning experience for each

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student on an individual level. By capitalizing on the digital habits of students, the classroom can be filled
with interactivity regardless of the class size or topic.
However, in many ways, technology has profoundly changed education. For one, technology has
greatly expanded access to education. In medieval times, books were rare and only an elite few had access
to educational opportunities. Individuals had to travel to centers of learning to get an education. Today,
massive amounts of information (books, audio, images, videos) are available at one’s fingertips through
the Internet, and opportunities for formal learning are available online worldwide through the Khan
Academy, MOOCs, podcasts, traditional online degree programs, and more. Access to learning
opportunities today is unprecedented in scope thanks to technology.
Sugata Mitra shared his wish at TED2013. In November 2013, the first School in the Cloud learning
lab — located inside a high school in Killingworth, England — opened its doors to students. Since then, six
more learning labs have been built — one more in the UK and five across India.
Sugata Mitra has also launched the School in the Cloud platform which ensures that anyone,
anywhere, can experiment with self-organized learning. As of 2016, more than 16,000 SOLE sessions have
taken place globally, with partner learning labs and programs scatted across the world — including in
Pakistan, Colombia and Greece. The platform debuted at TED2014, with Microsoft and their Skype Social
Good team stepping in to provide core technology and connect a global community. Made By Many, the
product design partners, and IDEO, the research design partners, co-created the experience. Newcastle
University opened SOLE Central in 2014, as a global hub for research on self-organized learning. The
platform is managed at the university's Culture Lab.
David Crystal has talked about the changes in English language after arriving of certain
technologies. He has given example of printing, Telephone, broadcasting, and internet. He says that every
time with new technology, new language also introduced to suit that technology. He also talked about the
text messages and twitter. He refers to the short length of messages and tweet and says that has bring
the abbreviation of the words in use. People tend to think that this abbreviation will ruin the English
language but he says that it is not so. These abbreviation of is only 10 percent in the text. Other 90 percent
remain the standard English or any English which is used by people. So he basically throws the light on
how with the arrival of new technology, people also think and write in new way. Technology bring the
new aspect of language, or new way of writing language.
No doubt, all education will continue to be valuable and necessary. Students and people will need
to continue to adapt to technology, continue to want to learn, and continue to stay motivated in their
own self-development.
Representation of native by colonizer
In this blog I would like to show the representation of native by colonizer. How the colonizer use to
treat them, what were their thoughts about them etc etc with the help of two examples one of Friday in
'Robinson Crusoe' and the other in 'A Wheat of Grain'.

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Robinson Crusoe:
Character of Friday is given below.
Friday is the first person Crusoe introduces into the social order of the island. His name, of course,
isn't Friday by birth, but this is the name that Crusoe gives him after saving him from the hands of the
cannibals. Crusoe also teaches Friday to speak English, encourages him to eat goat (you know, instead of
human flesh), and aids in his conversion to Christianity.
The first and most obvious point about Friday's relationship with Crusoe is that Friday is Crusoe's
subordinate. Friday always calls Crusoe "master," for example. Crusoe also mentions that their
relationship is much like that of "a Child to a Father" (176). Why does Crusoe not see Friday as his equal,
even after Friday converts to Christianity?
Crusoe's dominant relationship to Friday produces a pretty interesting dynamic between the two
of them. See, for example, Crusoe's description of Friday as he is sleeping:
He was a comely handsome Fellow, perfectly well made; with straight strong Limbs, not too large;
tall and well shap'd, and as I reckon, about twenty six Years of Age. He had a very good Countenance, not
a fierce and surly Aspect; but seem'd to have something very manly in his Face, and yet he had all the
Sweetness and Softness of an European in his Countenance too, especially when he smil'd. His Hair was
long and black, not curl'd like Wool; his Forehaed very high, and large, and a great Vivacity and sparkling
Sharpness in his Eyes. The Coulour of his Skin was not quite black, but very tawny; and yet not of an ugly

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yellow nauseous tawny, as the Brasilians, and Virginias, and other Natives of America are; but of bright
kind of a dun olive Colour, that had in it something very agreeable; tho' not very easy to describe. (173)
Crusoe spends a great deal of time describing Friday's body, to be sure, especially the ways in
which he resembles a European.
A Grain of Wheat:
A Grain of Wheat is a novel by Kenyan novelist James Ngugi (Ngũgĩ wa Thiong' o) first published
as part of the influential Heinemann African Writers Series. The novel weaves together several stories set
during the state of emergency in Kenya's struggle for independence (1952–59), focusing on the quiet
Mugo, whose life is ruled by a dark secret. The plot revolves around his home village's preparations for
Kenya's independence day celebration, Uhuru day. On that day, former resistance fighters General R and
Koinandu plan on publicly executing the traitor who betrayed Kihika.
Here, Britain’s colonization of Kenya is the context against which its characters are formed as well
as the primary political tension of the book. Ngũgĩ Wa Thiong’o, himself a native Kenyan, uses this context
and development of his characters to explore the moral aspect of colonization from both the perspective
of the British and rural Kenyans. Ngũgĩ’s narrative argues that, although both the colonizer and the
colonized feel morally justified in their pursuits, colonialism is ultimately an immoral and oppressive
practice, justifying the colonized people’s struggle for freedom, even through violent means.
The novel ends on the day of Kenya’s independence from Britain, thus resolving the conflict
between colonizer and colonized. Even so, since the author observes that Britain remains imperialistic,
the moral argument against such colonization by any country remains firm.

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Importance of communication
Communication is the foundation of all human relationship. At first, strangers start talking and
getting to know each other, and then the relationships are formed when they have more interaction and
communication. Communicating helps people to express their ideas and feelings, and it, at the same time,
helps us to understand emotion and thoughts of the others. As a result, we will develop affection or hatred
toward other people, and positive or negative relationships will be created.
It is no doubt that communication plays a vital role in human life. It not only helps to facilitate the
process of sharing information and knowledge, but also helps people to develop relationships with others.
Therefore, the importance of communication cannot be underestimated. Every day, we communicate
with a lot of people including our families, our friends, our colleagues, or even strangers.
Communication is the process to express his thoughts, ideas, and messages, from one person to
other person for the sake of personal interest or business interest. Communication is more effective if you
receive the response from other person.
Communication is a process of sending and receiving information among people. Humans
communicate with others not only by face-to-face communication, but also by giving information via the
Internet and printed products such as books and newspapers. Many people believe that the significance
of communication is like the importance of breathing. Indeed, communication facilitates the spread of
knowledge and forms relationships between people.

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Modes of Communication:
• Verbal Communication
• Non-Verbal Communication
• Electronic or mass communication
Barrier of Communication:
• Cultural Barrier
• Languages Barrier
• Perceptual Barrier
• Physical Barrier
According to my opinion I'm comfortable in verbal and electronic communication.
Existentialism: Video Resources
Video 1: What is Existentialism?
I like following thoughts from this video:
We can apply this term existentialist to many great thinker such as
• Søren Kierkegaard

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•
Friedrich Nietzsche
•
Franz Kafka
•
Martin Heidegger
•
Jean-Paul Sartre
•
Simone de Beauvoir
A first person who referred to himself as an existentialist and founded the whole moment was
John Paul Sartre but start with Kierkegaard. When we read all the thinkers, we comes to know that their
views are different from each other. But all are philosophical thinkers and they think individual. All believe
that individual thinking is more convenient then group thinking and yes it's true. Your own thinking
matters a lot. If you are talking about existentialism, than you have to remember two main points that are
1. Passion
2. Freedom
We all are craving for both the things. Philosophers like Camus argue against this and he also said
that by believing in god, you have taken the easy way to out. Believing in god is considered philosophy
called suicide. Existentialism is mainly popular among young people because it touches on subjects which
a person in his or her youth might be struggle with. There were other subjects like suicide, anguish,
absurdity, passion, emotion etc. So in this video there are some interesting key aspects.
Video 2: The Myth of Sisyphus: The Absurd Reasoning (Feeling of the Absurd)
Camus starts this eassy by bringing our attention to one interesting point. He writes that,
"There is but one truly serious philosophical problem and that is suicide"

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We have to ask ourselves to one question that why we are thinking about suicide? Suicide is
individual thought. When we think about this? Because we think we are nothing in the world or our life is
meaningless or Absurd. Sometimes your silence kills you. So Camus talk about this point. Like we can see
in Waiting for the Godot play that both characters Vladimir and Estragon think about suicide twice.
Video 3: The Myth of Sisyphus: the notion of philosophical suicide
Like in previous video Camus talk about Suicide and absurdity, in this video he talk about accepting
the Absurdity in life.
"Absurd is neither in man not in the word, it can only occur in their presence together - man and the
world"
As we think our world is irrational and yes it is and you need human being for this irrationality to
be conceived. We have to think that if there would not be any human being than there would not be any
desire pr human nostalgia to be satisfied. We have to accept all the consequences which we face in our
life and obviously the absurdity ends with death.
There are three important thing which we have to remember.
A total absence of hope
A continuous rejection
Conscious dissatisfaction
Video 4: Dadaism, Nihilism and Existentialism

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I like following thoughts from:
Dada moment rose up against world war one in1916. Most people believe that Dadaism is
associated with Nihilism but this is not true. Dadaism is a quest for change. We connect the absurdity of
life with Dadaism. A few artists sucs as Hugo Ball Bianco, Jean Arp and Lazaro, Tistan Tzara and others
were disgusted by the war moved to Zurich and found the movement. So Dadaism is a quest for searching
something new and questioning rather than creating the things. Creation is primarily goal of Dadaism. It
is very difficult to questioning the things which are exist. Nietzsche said that,
"Whom do they hate them most? Him who breaks up their tables of values the breaker, the law brakes, he however
is the creator."
Existentialism is forces you to become who you are and not to accept what other impose on you.
Dadaism as a way to becoming free of everything.
Video 5: Existentialism - a gloomy philosophy
• Existentialism is often accused of being a gloomy philosophy.
• If you want to achieve something than you have to struggle a lot.
• You have to find your own meaning in life.
• Existentialism is Narcissistic philosophy.
• Being an individual does not mean you are a narcissistic.
• Existentialism is response to emptiness.
Video 6 :Let us introduce Existentialism again!

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• Existentialist thinkers created some if the greatest work of philosophy and literature.
• Examine Sartre's famous statement 'Existence proceeds essence'
• Kry concern of philosophy
• Different between Existentialism and Nihilism.
• Existentialism is not philosophical system but viewed as a philosophical movement.
• 'Human, all to human'
• Divine perspective vs human perspectives
Video 8: Explain like I'm Five: Existentialism and Nietzsche
• Nietzsche’s concept about Existentialism.
• Example like who is good?
• Not follow the rules but question
• Make your own rules.
Video 9: Why I like Existentialism? Eric Dodson
I like following thoughts from this video.
• Existentialism has two sides.
1. Intellectual
2. Movement of extraordinary or something staggering honesty
• Understanding like holistically
• Existentialism is strategic

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Thinking Activity on "Waiting For Godot" by Samuel Beckett
Waiting for Godot is a play by Samuel Beckett, in which two characters, Vladimir (Didi)
and Estragon (Gogo), wait for the arrival of someone named Godot who never arrives, and while waiting
they engage in a variety of discussions and encounter three other characters. Waiting for Godot is
Beckett's translation of his own original French-language play, En attendant Godot, and is subtitled (in
English only) "a tragicomedy in two acts". The original French text was composed between 9 October 1948
and 29 January 1949. The premiere, directed by Roger Blin, was on 5 January 1953 at the Théâtre de
Babylone, Paris. The English-language version premiered in London in 1955. In a poll conducted by the
British Royal National Theater in 1990, it was voted the "most significant English language play of the 20th
century".
Q.1 What connection do you see in the setting (“A country road. A tree.Evening.”) of the play and these
paintings?
“Longing” is painting by Caspar David Fredrich. He has drawn two paintings and both paintings have
same background of nature. From these paintings Samuel Beckett has got inspiration for his setting of the
play “Waiting For Godot”. Other than this there is no more connection between these image and setting
of the play because Fredrich belongs to romanticism, his depiction of nature has different meaning, and
Beckett’s depiction of nature has different meaning. Fredrich wants to show nature as healer and soothing
to humans, while in Beckett’s play nature don’t has anything to do with characters. So, these paintings
are inspiration for setting of the play and I don’t find any more connection.
Q.2 The tree is the only important ‘thing’ in the setting. What is the importance of tree in both acts?
Why does Beckett grow a few leaves in Act II on the barren tree - The tree has four or five leaves?

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The tree in the play is reflecting nature. Mostly people take nature as something which coordinate
with human life. Romanticism also sing a song of nature as supporter in every ups and downs in human
life. But in this modern play Beckett shows nature as totally indifferent from human life. Here tree stands
for itself and not representing any character from play. It don’t has anything to do with the quest and
misery of any human’s life. In second act there are leaves on tree which shows it does not wait with
Vladimir and Estragon for Godot. Nature don’t need any Godot and it also don’t sympathies with human
beings. It doesn’t have rationality but human always try to give rational meanings to it. It works on its own
way and it has its own world.
Q.3 In both Acts, evening falls into night and moon rises. How would you like to interpret this ‘coming
of night and moon’ when actually they are waiting for Godot?
In both the acts scene of night and moon, we can interpret it as that both Vladimir and Estragon has
killed the time successfully. They have killed one day of their life. In other way we can interpret it as
temporary end of their waiting for Godot. As when night comes they come to know that now Godot will
not come. We can also interpret it as the hope of rise of next day and coming of Godot. We may can say
that their Godot is night, because when moon rises and night comes they both says “let’s go”. Though
they don’t move but they stop saying that they are waiting for Godot.
Q.4 The director fills the setting with some debris. Can you read any meaning in the contours of debris
in the setting of the play?
Director fills setting with debris which shows that how freckle the materializing world is. It brakes
down and don’t has capacity to stand against while on the other hand there is barren tree which in next
act has some leaves. Nature or we can say reality can stand and sustain on its own, while cultural or fake
things can be broken down in to the pieces. To show this shattered nature of world may be director had
scene of the setting with debris.
Q.5 The play begins with the dialogue “Nothing to be done”. How does the theme of ‘nothingness’
recurs in the play?
The beginning of the play itself suggest the meaninglessness of life. “Nothing to be done”. There is
nothing in life to do. Though human beings always tries to find some meaning in life same as Vladimir and
Estragon tries to find meaning in waiting and also while killing the time. Doing nothing is also doing
something. It don’t has any meaning but we always try to rationalize it. But at the end of the day every
thing is meaningless.
Q.6 Do you agree: “The play (Waiting for Godot), we agreed, was a positive play, not negative, not
pessimistic. As I saw it, with my blood and skin and eyes, the philosophy is: 'No matter what— atom
bombs, hydrogen bombs, anything—life goes on. You can kill yourself, but you can't kill life." (E.G.
Marshal who played Vladimir in original Broadway production 1950s)?
Yes, I am agreed that this play is not pessimistic because the central theme of the play is waiting,
which means hope, hope of something to be done or get or coming. The whole life of human is passed

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with this waiting. It is true that no matter what happens but life goes on. It does not wait and stop for
anything or any one it just go with flow. No matter Godot come or not the life of everyone and everything
goes on. One can commit suicide but other are still living and will keep on living. So this play is not
pessimistic play, it is positive play.
Q.7 How are the props like hat and boots used in the play? What is the symbolical significance of these
props?
The props like hat and boots are representing human’s attraction towards mind or body. Hat
symbolically represents the mind as Vladimir is with hat and he keep on thinking, same with lucky, when
he starts thinking then to stop him one has to remove his hat. While Estragon has hat but he doesn’t use
it he is more concentrating on his boots which are not comforting to him. In second act when he finds fit
to him he is satisfy with it. It shows that how some people are constantly thinking and how some are
constantly comforting their bodily needs. With this vast difference also both are at same place.
Q.8 Do you think that the obedience of Lucky is extremely irritating and nauseatic? Even when the
master Pozzo is blind, he obediently hands the whip in his hand. Do you think that such a capacity of
slavishness is unbelievable?
Yes, the obedience of Lucky is extremely irritating and nauseatic because he has started loving his
slavishness, his chains and because of that he don’t even feel like slave and even when his master is blind
he don’t think of freeing himself. We also have these kind of slaves in our society who has loving masters
and they don’t feel that their master is using them as slave. Such chains should be broken but slave them
selves don’t want freedom.
Q.9 Who according to you is Godot? God? An object of desire? Death? Goal? Success? Or . . .
According to me Godot is an object of never ending desires. One after another we keep on changing
our object of waiting. Ultimately our destination is death but while waiting for death we keep dangling
carrot front of our eyes to not see directly in the eyes of death. So some times our Godot arrives and we
create new Godot and some times Godot doesn’t arrive and we keep on waiting. When our final Godot
arrives our wait ends. Our death is our final Godot.
Q.10 “The subject of the play is not Godot but ‘Waiting’” (Esslin, A Search for the Self). Do you agree?
How can you justify your answer?
I do agree with Martin Esslin because if Godot was subject of the play at the end we might have
some clarity that who is Godot and may be he will come also at the end. But the subject of the play is
waiting. It is so because Beckett wants to make us feel the flow of time during waiting and how our whole
life is only waiting for death. So we can say that the subject of play is waiting and not Godot.
Q.11 Do you think that plays like this can better be ‘read’ than ‘viewed’ as it requires a lot of thinking
on the part of readers, while viewing, the torrent of dialogues does not give ample time and space to
‘think’? Or is it that the audio-visuals help in better understanding of the play?

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I think that this type of play should be viewed and read both. First one should have background
knowledge of the play, otherwise they will not get any thing. After background reading this play should
first watch, this is not advisable for all literature but plays like this one should be watch first. Because the
visual and audio will help to get the sense of the play and after this the play should be read for deeper
understanding. While watching the torrent of language will not allow to think deeply so after getting the
texture of the play if one will read it will help in better understanding.
Q.12 Which of the following sequence you liked the most:
Vladimir – Estragon killing time in questions and conversations while waiting
Pozzo – Lucky episode in both acts
Conversation of Vladimir with the boy
I like the conversation of Vladimir and the boy because it is so relatable. Many time it happens in
our life that we are eagerly waiting for something and at the end we didn’t get it and the irritation we feel
same we can feel in conversation of Vladimir and boy. So I like this conversation most.
Q.13 Did you feel the effect of existential crisis or meaninglessness of human existence in the
irrational and indifference Universe during screening of the movie? Where and when exactly that
feeling was felt, if ever it was?
Yes I do feel existential crisis during screening of the movie. It is felt when Vladimir and Estragon both
are trying to kill time by asking questions and meditation and all that things. At that time I feel that how
we are also doing the same, these all things does not make any sense in larger structure of life but we are
keep on doing such things just to kill time nor we are waiting for our death.
Q.14 Vladimir and Estragon talks about ‘hanging’ themselves and commit suicide, but they do not do
so. How do you read this idea of suicide in Existentialism?
In our innumerable list of desire, one is death also. Vladimir and Estragon also have that desire. We
can say that they are fed up with waiting daily and trying to kill them selves, but because it is not easy
they don’t do so. According to Existentialism suicide is not the solution. Existentialism says that even if
there is no meaning in life but it doesn’t mean that one should end their life. That is why Vladimir and
Estragon thinks to do so but they don’t.
Q.15 Can we do any political reading of the play if we see European nations represented by the 'names'
of the characters (Vladimir - Russia; Estragon - France; Pozzo - Italy and Lucky - England)? What
interpretation can be inferred from the play written just after World War II? Which country stands for
'Godot'? So far as Pozzo and Lucky [master and slave] are concerned, we have to remember that Beckett
was a disciple of Joyce and that Joyce hated England. Beckett meant Pozzo to be England, and Lucky to
be Ireland." (Bert Lahr who played Estragon in Broadway production). Does this reading make any
sense? Why? How? What?

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This play is written after world war II. So effect of world war was reflected in play. If we go by the
names than Vladimir stands for Russia, Estragon for France, Pozzo for Italy and Lucky for England than
Godot will stand for Germany. Hitler is the one who is waited by every one. When he came he came he
destroyed every thing. If we want to see Pozzo and Lucky, master and slave, Pozzo stands for England and
Lucky for Ireland. Though Pozzo becomes blind Lucky don’t free himself. Same because Ireland is small
country and for its own goods it sticks with England.
Q.16 The more the things change, the more it remains similar. There seems to have no change in Act I
and Act II of the play. Even the conversation between Vladimir and the Boy sounds almost similar. But
there is one major change. In Act I, in reply to Boy;s question, Vladimir says:
"BOY: What am I to tell Mr. Godot, Sir?
VLADIMIR: Tell him . . . (he hesitates) . . . tell him you saw us. (Pause.) You did see us, didn't you?
How does this conversation go in Act II? Is there any change in seeming similar situation and
conversation? If so, what is it? What does it signify?
Majorly both the acts are similar but in act 2 the conversation of Vladimir and Boy has some changes.
It goes like…
“BOY: What am I to tell Mr. Godot, Sir?
VLADIMIR: Tell him . . . (he hesitates) . . . tell him you saw me and that . . . (he hesitates) . . . that you saw
me. (Pause. Vladimir advances, the Boy recoils. Vladimir halts, the Boy halts. With sudden violence.) You're
sure you saw me, you won't come and tell me tomorrow that you never saw me!”
In first act he mentions both of them but in second act he only talk about himself. Here Vladimir has
become selfish. We can connect the story of two thieves which was told earlier that one was saved and
one was damned. Here he also want to be the one who was saved. He emphasize on remembering only
him.

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Reflective Blog on "Postcolonial Studies" by Prof. Balaji
In postcolonial studies we have the following unites:
1) Black Skin White Mask
2) Imaginary Homelands
3) Orientalism
4) A Tempest
In the first lecture Balaji sir introduced us to the concept of post-colonial studies. Then sir dealt with
the main ideas of first unit:
"Black Skin White Mask" by Frantz Fanon
This unit is divided into seven chapters:
1) The Negro and language
2) The woman of color and white man

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3) The man of color and white woman
4) The So-called dependency complex of the colonized
5) The lived experience of the black man
6) The Black man and psychology
7) The Black man and Recognition
Prof. Balaji Sir gave us the main ideas about the book in following way
• Toward a new humanism
• Understanding among men
• Our colored brothers
• Mankind, I believe in you
• Race prejudice
• To understand and to love
Black Skin White Mask is a sociological study of the psychology of racism and dehumanization
inherent to colonial domination. Fanon describes that Black people experience in the White world Fanon
talks about, self-perception of the Black Subject who has lost his native cultural origin, and embraced the
culture of the Mother Country. He also talks about the inferiority complex in the mind of the Black subject.
We can intemperate that how this White and Black are portrayed in literature in different ways.
Novel ‘Oliver Twist’ by Charles Dickens’ in this novel we can find the controversy of Black and White.
Here Christianity – Whiteness portrays as goodness, while Jew – Black portrayed as Evil. Here reader can
find conflict between Christian v/s Jew. The novel has an idea of Christianity and Jewish. At some extent
writer has described Christianity as a superior and dark side of Christianity has been presented. He
portrayed Jew in a negative connotation.
"Orientalism" by Edward Said
Sir give basic idea about what is Orientalism?

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Orient means the countries which are colonized by other colony or the countries of the East and specially
East Asia.
Orientalism by Edward Said is a colonial text of cultural studies in which he has challenged the
concept of Orientalism or the difference between East and west.
This unit is divided into three chapters:
1) The Scope of Orientalism
2) Orientalist structure and Restructures
3) Orientalism Now
Orientalism by Edward Said is a canonical text of cultural studies in which he has challenged the
concept of orientalism or the difference between east and west, as he puts it. He says that with the start
of European colonization the Europeans came in contact with the lesser developed countries of the east.
They found their civilization and culture very exotic, and established the science of orientalism, which was
the study of the Orientals or the people from this exotic civilization.
"A Tempest" by Aime Cesaire

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Then sir explained us “ A Tempest” by Amie Cesaire and told the major difference between
Shakespeare’s The Tempest and Cesaire’s A Tempest.
Explanation of ideas:
• Identity
• Colonial resiontion
• Appropriation of Language
• Term of Rebellion
There is not much difference between Shakespeare’s The Tempest and Aime Cesaire’s A Tempest.
But ‘A Tempest’ presents colonial aspect and mentality of master-slave relationship. Here in the play
Caliban and Ariel portrays as a different way. Prospero is also a good example of the role power plays in
the story. Character of Stephano is another example of power in the play. Miranda plays very innocent
role in the play and she is only one character who presents woman role in the island.
"Imaginary Homelands" by Salman Rushdie
In the third day lectures Balaji sir dealt with last unit Imaginary Homeland by Salman Rushidie. We
have some of easy in our syllabus:

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1) Attenborough’s Gandhi
2) Commonwealth literature Does not Exist
3) New Empire within British
4) On Palestine
Salman Rushdie is most controversial writer among Indian writing in English. His book published
under the title “imaginary Homeland” Is the collection of the essay written during 1981 to 1992. All essays
are based on the experience of Salman Rushdie’s and his contemporary time scenario. This book nicely
collected the controversial issues of the decade. In these days Indira Gandhi was ruling. In this session one
of the novelist whose name Rushdie did not reveal, began his contribution by reciting a Sanskrit Shloka,
and then, instead of translating the verse he declared. “Every educated Indian will understand what I have
just said”. This was unacceptable as, in the room were Indian writers and scholars from conceivable
backgrounds such as Christian, Parasi, Muslim and Sikh. None of them rose in Sanskrit tradition and they
were reasonably educated. The questions that surrounded his mind were -what were we being told? -we
aren’t Indian’? The second day, an eminent Indian academic delivered a paper on Indian culture that
utterly ignored all minority communities and characterized Muslim culture as imperialist and inauthentic.
This made him write a book that searched for his ‘existence'. The conference was for him a bitter
experience which pricked him like a thorn.
Pre Thinking Task on Short Stories
Edgar Allan Poe (January 19, 1809 – October 7, 1849) was an American writer, editor, and literary
critic. Poe is best known for his poetry and short stories, particularly his tales of mystery and the macabre.
He is widely regarded as a central figure of Romanticism in the United States and of American literature
as a whole, and he was one of the country's earliest practitioners of the short story. He is generally
considered the inventor of the detective fiction genre and is further credited with contributing to the
emerging genre of science fiction. He was the first well-known American writer to earn a living through
writing alone, resulting in a financially difficult life and career.

41
Q.1 Read the first Gujarati story and listen to the audio recitation of the second story. Observe how
the two wordsmiths work wonders through words! (Absolute obsession of alliteration)
Mansangh short story by Jayant Khatri and Pankor Doshi by Zaverchand Meghani both story are really
interesting and the use of language is pure native Gujarati, it is called vulgar or vernacular language. I
observed in Mansangh story two wordsmith works as wonder
એક તો એ અંધારી રાત હતી'.
નીરસનીજૅન વાતાવરણ
Here story starts with the dark night we can say that author is trying to create fearful soundings for
readers. Second story Pankor Doshi also start with night. Words used like “બિહામણી રાત”, “કાળના
તમાચા”. Through that words author creates an visual image in readers mind and it effects on reader
heart too.
Q.2 List out various adjectives that contribute the most in creating the "pre-established design" or
effect that the author intended to create.
The use of adjective is used very appropriately to create an effect on the readers mind-
નીરસનીજૅન વાતાવરણ
ખોખરો અવાજ, અંધારી રાત etc. And in the second story author uses adjectives like- સાકડ શેરી, ઘોઘરો અવાજ,
ધુમાડીયુ કાળુ ફાનસ etc.
Through the adjectives author tries to creating the pre established design for readers.
Q.3 Which are the phrases you find frightening? How are they placed in the text?
I feel frightened while reading this phrase –
હૈયા સૂના કરયા, અંતરમાાં લાઈ િળવી, નનગૂઢ રૂદન કરવુ and other story phrase – ઢગલો થઈ પડવુ, મરણોત્તરના
મુખે, ચરરત્રતાની દાડીએ, િોકાસા પાડવા when I was listening Pankor Doshi story at 12:05 I really felt that
kind of horror feeling.
Q.4 Can you find out any other lexical varieties such as figures of speech like simile, metaphor,
personification etc? Briefly explain their significance in the story.
Yes, I found figures of speech like metaphor, personification, exaggeration –

42
Metaphor – મે જોયુ તો માનસાંઘની દષ્ટિ શૂન્ય િની ગ્ઈ,
Simile - આભય ફાિી જાય એવુ હસી
Personify - પૃથ્વી અને આકાશ િાંને રડી રહ્યા છે
Alliteration- આસુના દરરયા ની કાંઈક ભરતી હતી જાણે!
In the second story –
Exaggeration-
ચાલતુ ગાડુ ઘોડીયા જેવુ િની ગયુ
Simile-
કોઈ બચતારાએ છાયા બચત્ર આલયુ હોય તેવુ સ્તબ્ધ ઊભુ હતુ
Assonance -ધન્ય મોલા ધન્ય અલ્લા ધન્ય તારી સાહેિી
Both stories are related to terrible condition of society, sometimes people don’t know anything
but they talked about something which is not real in life, even they don’t think about how it could effect
on someones life and in the second story Pankor Doshi is also untouchable character she suffers a lot
but she doesn't have courage to face any situation. Here again it satires on societies mindset how one
woman lost her husband and looses her identity too and for her son's death the ruthless society is
responsible. At last she fight against the society and makes a way for her.
Q.5 What is the impact of listening to the stories on your mind? Which Rasas/emotions erupt in you
during and after the reading/listening sessions?
While reading and listening story at that time I thought such a cruel society is portrait where
destroying someone life is easy because in both the story situations are same. In the first story Mondhi
suffering after her husband's death and in the second story Pankor Doshi's condition is same after her
husband death, but here Pankor Doshi's story is for appropriate for a quote - 'Man can defeated but
cannot be destroy'. When I was reading and listening the story I had the feeling of terror, horror and
thriller.
Thinking Activity on "The Birthday Party"

43
The Birthday Party (1957) is the second full-length play by Harold Pinter, first published in London
by Encore Publishing in 1959. It is one of his best-known and most frequently performed plays. In the
setting of a rundown seaside boarding house, a little birthday party is turned into a nightmare when two
sinister strangers arrive unexpectedly. The play has been classified as a comedy of menace,
characterized by Pinteresque elements such as ambiguous identity, confusions of time and place, and dark
political symbolism.
Characters:
• Petey
• Meg
• Stanley
• Lulu
• Goldberg
• McCann
The Birthday Party is about Stanley Webber, an erstwhile piano player who lives in a
rundown boarding house run by Meg and Petey Boles, in an English seaside town, "probably on the south
coast, not too far from London". Two sinister strangers, Goldberg and McCann, arrive looking for him,
supposedly on his birthday, and turn his apparently-innocuous birthday party organized by Meg into a
nightmare.
The Birthday Party has been described by Irving Wardle and later critics as a "comedy of
menace" and by Martin Esslin as an example of the Theatre of the Absurd. It includes such features as the
fluidity and ambiguity of time, place, and identity and the disintegration of language.
Q.1 Why are two scenes of Lulu omitted from the movie?
It is very difficult to know director’s intention behind omitting Lulu’s scene because it does not
make any difference if the scenes are omitted. Lulu is a girl who can be impressed very easily and we can
see in the movie that she is actively participating with Goldberg. Goldberg is not doing it forcefully or
Lulu is not in position where she has to be submissive, she is doing it willingly. The center of the play is
Stanley and symbolically Lulu is his inspiration. When Lulu goes near to Goldberg, it is enough to see that
how Stanley is left alone now and after this may be there is no need to show the scene of Lulu blaming
Goldberg. May be because of this reason director omitted the scene of Lulu.

44
Q.2 Is movie successful in giving us the effect of menace? a you able to feel it while reading the text?
Yes, while watching movie we do feel the effect of menace. The pause between dialogues we can feel
while watching, but while reading we don’t take pause and we can’t feel also. The effect of menace come
when we watch the expression of actors and by that we also can feel. The pause and silence of Pinter is
hard to understand while reading. When we have audio visual effect the menacing effect becomes
stronger. But while reading some time it happens that we don’t understand effect and so we can not feel
it.
Q.3 Do you feel the effect of lurking danger while viewing the movie? Where you able to feel the same
while reading the text?
Yes, I do feel lurking danger while watching movie. In movie I feel it when Stanley hide in kitchen and
then they all are playing blind man’s buff and this danger remain as it is when Goldberg and MacCann take
Stanley away. While reading for the first time we feel this when Meg ask to Petey that is it him or not and
for some time Petey don’t answer we feel the danger there. Then again when interrogation scene came
and at last when they take Stanley away.
Q.4 What do you read in 'newspaper' in the movie? Petey is reading newspaper to Meg, it torn into
pieces by McCain, pieces are hidden by Petey in last scene.
Newspaper is one of the symbol in movie. Newspaper is something which shows us the reality of
world. Petey is reading newspaper to Meg at that time he exercising his power over his wife. Meg is the
person who mostly live in her goody goody world. She also ask Petey to tell her some good news only.
Petey is different person than Meg so while reading newspaper he is trying to have his own separate world
from Meg. MacCann is tearing the newspaper, it shows that he is trying to destroy the reality, may be his
real self. He is very disturbed by the job which is given to him and by tearing the newspaper he is trying
to tear his fear and frustration. At last Petey hides the pieces of newspaper from Meg. To keep Meg in her
imaginative and happy world and to hide the reality of Goldberg and MacCann and Stanley.
Q.5 Camera is positioned over the head of McCain when he is playing Blind Man's Buff and is positioned
at the top with a view of room like a cage (trap) when Stanley is playing it. What interpretations can
you give to these positioning of camera?
The director of the movie had taken very effective work from camera. During the blind man’s buff
scene also it works effectively. MacCann was there in that house because he wants to grab Stanley. When
it come to blindfold MacCann the camera was over the head of MacCann and his expression was also
savage. It is like he is trying to get his prey. But when it comes to Stanley the camera is on top of the room
and room is looking like cage and Stanley is trying to escape. So it is symbolically said that now Stanley is
in trap and he can not escape because Goldberg and MacCann will not allow him to do so.
Q.6 "Pinter restored theatre to its basic elements: an enclosed space and unpredictable dialogue,
where people are at the mercy of one another and pretense crumbles." (Pinter, Art, Truth & Politics:
Excerpts from the 2005 Nobel Lecture). Does this happen in the movie?
Yes, this do happen in movie. Most of the scenes are in drawing room. The space is so narrow and
the dialogues are also unpredictable. We can not imagine what is going on in the mind of characters. Every

45
character is on the mercy of each other, weather it is Stanley, Petey, Meg, Goldberg, MacCann, or Lulu.
Every characters are living on other. At some point of time every one’s false faces falls down. They became
what they really are. So yes this lines do happen in movie.
Q.7 How does viewing movie help in better understanding of the play ‘The Birthday Party’ with its
typical characteristics (like pinteresque, pause, silence, menace, lurking danger)?
The movie is really great help to understand its typical characteristics which most of them while
reading is hard to get. Like there is two Silence in Pinter’s play which gave better understanding rather
than reading. The pause we can feel while watching but while reading it is just like a word. So yes it is
better to watch movie of this play then the reading and it also gives deeper understanding of Pinter’s
characteristics.
Q.8 With which of the following observations you agree:
o “It probably wasn't possible to make a satisfactory film of "The Birthday Party."
o “It's impossible to imagine a better film of Pinter's play than this sensitive, disturbing version
directed by William Friedkin. (Ebert)
Though I haven’t seen any other version of play but I will go with second observation because by this
movie we feel all the effect which Pinter wants to create on audience mind. Director has take good shots
from camera and all actors have also did very good job. So I can’t imagine a better film than this one.
Q.9 If you were director or screenplay writer, what sort of difference would you make in the making
of movie? Who would be your choice of actors to play the role of characters?
This film is great in it self, I don’t feel anything to change, but may be I will add the scene of Lulu
because I don’t think Pinter has written it purposelessly. Other than that I don’t think movie needs any
further change.
If I have to choose the actors for this movie I will choose…
Stanley – Ranveer Singh
Goldberg – Paresh Rawal
MacCann – Manoj bajpayee
Petey – Anupam Kher
Meg – Kiran Kher
Lulu – Kangana Ranaut
Methods of English Language Teaching #ELT #Unit3
In this unit we learnt different types of method which are very much different from each other. They
are as given below:

46
• The Grammar Translation Method
• The Direct Method
• The Audio Lingual Method
• Total Physical Response
• Suggestopedia
• The Silent Way
1. Which method appealed you the most from the above given methods? Give Reasons.
The most appealing method to me is the direct method. In this method non-native learner can easily
learn the second language by looking at the picture or expression of a person. In this method handwriting
and speech both are improved. One can easily learn English by this method. Reading and self-correcting
is being done so I feel that this can work for a beginner.
2. Tell something about your favorite method used by your teachers from School till PG. How is their
method unique?
My favorite method up till now is the one in which first teacher use to give the basic and fundamental
knowledge of the lesson is going to start so that the base of the student get strong and clear. Once the
base is ready teacher can easily explain the lesson by just giving the important points and then the class
interaction is conduct in order to make it more firm.
3. Tell something about the method you didn’t like from School till PG. Give Reasons.
In some of the methods I didn't liked are just coming in class and simply going through the lesson
without any basic information. All students are not same and so all might not be having the clear idea
about the topic and teacher has to keep all students in mind and teach.
Edward Said on 'Orientalism'

47
• Executive Producer and Director: Sut Jhally
• Producer and Editor: Sanjay Talreja
• Assistant Editor: Jeremy Smith
Featuring an interview with Edward Said Professor, Columbia University and author of Orientalism.
Introduced by Sut Jhally University of Massachusetts-Amherst
In this interview the points are mainly covered are as under:
1) Introduction (Montage of entertainment and news images
2) The Repertory of Orientalism
3) Orientalism and Empire
4) American Orientalism
5) Orientalism Today - The Demonization of Islam in the News and Popular Culture
6) Orientalism in Action - The Media & the Okiahoma City Bomb
7) Orientalism and The Palestinian Question
Edward Said's 'Orientalism' was published in 1978 and it's mainly based on the ground of assumptions
and on the academic field of oriental studies. It is mainly portray East and West with the Western
structuring of the orient as other. Said analyses central Western texts in order to account for the way the
conception of The East was crystallized. This conception, according to Said, prepared the
ground for the political and cultural occupation of the non-Western regions by the West.
Said's analysis in Orientalism is on the thought of Michel Foucault and especially his thoughts on
the concept of discourse and the knowledge/power equation. Another influence found in Orientalism is
the concept of hegemony derived from the philosophy of Antonio Gramsci. Using this terminology Said
shows how Orientalism served as a system of representations which served to consolidate the West's
authority and supremacy over the East, and not just to reflect or describe it.

48
One of the main implications of Said's work is that even and maybe especially scholarly research
about the orient is in fact deeply political in being an essential part of the imperialist mechanism of control
and exploitation. Said's book became a central text of post colonialism since it seeks to expose the
fundamental principles and structures of colonialism embedded within different systems of knowledge
and representation.
Israel - Palestinian Issue:
As a public intellectual, Said was a controversial member of the Palestinian National Council, because
he publicly criticized Israel and the Arab countries, especially the political and cultural policies of Muslim
regimes who acted against the national interests of their peoples. Said advocated the establishment of a
Palestinian state to ensure equal political and human rights for the Palestinians in Israel, including the
right of return to the homeland. To begin with the theory of Orientalism itself, Said proposes that
throughout the history of colonialism, those coming from the colonial metropolises created discourse
frameworks that set up those living in the colonies as systematically inferior individuals who were, in all
cases, fictitiously painted as the binary opposites of Western colonialist. Thus, while the colonialists
perceived themselves as rational, they painted the dwellers of the colonies as impulsive and irrational.
While the colonialists perceived themselves as reasoned and enlightened saviors, the dwellers of the
colonies were constructed as heathens.
Thinking Activity "To The Lighthouse"

49
1. How can you explain that 'what' Virginia Woolf wanted to say (for example, the complexity
of human relationship, the everyday battles that people are at in their relationship with near
and dear ones, the struggle of a female artist against the values of middle/upper class society
etc) can only be said in the way she has said?
The narrative technique which Virginia Woolf has chosen is the best way to say what she
wanted to convey. She didn't wanted to entertain people rather she wanted to tell something
which make people think, think about their behavior, their relationships, about the people
leaving around them. Every human being has complexity of thoughts which can not be seen
from outer appearance, to see that conflict one has to dive deep in to the mind of human being
and stream of consciousness technique which helped Virginia in making this novel different and
best. By using this technique she beautifully shows the inner complexity of feelings and memory
towards the people with whom we live our life, and how our emotions and impressions are
continuously shifts.
2. Do you agree: "The novel is both the tribute and critique of Mrs. Ramsay"?
Yes, I agree that the novel is both the tribute and critique of Mrs. Ramsay. Virginia Woolf
was rebellious during her age. Then even if she is putting a domestic character like Mrs. Ramsay we can
say that it is for criticizing the stereotypes of woman and for that she is putting a total opposite personality
Lily. By showing Mrs. Ramsay as an idea woman Woolf tries to criticize the way society see women. In
this novel Mrs. Ramsay is a way through which whole family converse with each other but we also can see
that till she is alive no relations of family was healthy but after her death all problems have seems to
resolve. This way it is critique of Mrs. Ramsay.
On the other hand it is also tribute to Mrs. Ramsay, because after her death she was alive in the
memory of everyone. At the end also she is the subject of Lily’s painting and when she completes her
painting and she got her vision which is Mrs. Ramsay. At the end whole Ramsay family goes to the
lighthouse because it was the wish of Mrs. Ramsay and family wants to fulfill it. The family also takes the
gift which is made my Mrs. Ramsay to give to the people leaving on the lighthouse. So these ways the
novel is also tribute to Mrs. Ramsay.
3. Considering symbolically, does the Lighthouse stand for Mrs. Ramsay or the narrator (Virginia
Woolf herself who is categorically represented by Lily)?
Yes I think at some extent lighthouse symbolically stands for Mrs. Ramsay. For whole family and
guests she is the one who stands with light in her hand to show directions to the others. She suffers alone
from all miseries of her self and of others also. She is constantly having inner conflicts with herself like the
waves at sea-shore. But I also feel that lighthouse symbolically stands for Lily Briscoe also. As she is
representing Virginia Woolf, we can say as a woman artist in Victorian age she has to suffer a lot and that
suffering of standing alone, more searching and at some level guiding others to start walking on their own

50
path, it suggests that lighthouse is symbolically stands for Lily Briscoe. As a woman artist she has to stand
in against of society and that constant suffering is we can see as sea waves. So I found the symbol of
lighthouse more for Lily Briscoe than Mrs. Ramsay.
4. In the article by Joseph Blotner, two myths are patterned together. Name the myths? How they
are zeroed down to the symbols of 'Window' and 'Lighthouse'? How does the male phallic symbol
represent feminine Mrs. Ramsay?
The first myth which is shown here is of Rhea and Demeter. First Mrs. Ramsay is compared with Rhea.
Rhea is Greek goddess, and her husband is killing all her child but he saves the Zeus somehow. We can
see same with Mrs. Ramsay as she is also saving James from Mr. Ramsay. Saving in the sense of anger.
Both Mr. and Mrs. Ramsay treat James differently. Mrs. Ramsay treat James in a sense which create anger
in James mind for his father, she behaves in front of James as she is trying to save him from his father.
Secondly she is compared with Demeter. Demeter is a daughter of Rhea and goddess of corn and fertility.
It is said that when she is in sorrow whole earth becomes barren. Demeter is more worshiped by men
than women, same as men are in more need of Mrs. Ramsay than women. Every men in summer house
are in need of Mrs. Ramsay in one or the other way.
The second myth which is described is of Oedipus, who kills his father and marry his mother. The
relation between James and Mrs. Ramsay are somewhat like that. James hatred towards his father reflect
the Oedipus complex in him. He always think to kill his father because he want his mother care for only
him and live only with her. When Mrs. Ramsay died that place is taken by Cam but then even his feelings
for his father didn't changed. When Cam also have sympathy for her father James again thought that his
father has stolen her. But at the end may be this hate has been vanished because Mr. Ramsay praised
James for handling boat very well and Cam thought that James got at last what he always wanted.
At last "The Window" is symbolically female and "The Lighthouse" is symbolically male. Virginia Woolf
has shown female as love and life giver while on the other hand she has shown male has hatred, violence
and are fatal. In a way she wants to say that female energy is necessary to function. By Virginia Woolf the
quality of giving birth by female is emphasized here over male.
5. What do you understand by the German term 'Künstlerroman'? How can you justify that 'To The
Lighthouse' is 'Künstlerroman' novel?
(Key:http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/325047/Kunstlerroman)
Künstlerroman is a German term which can be translated as "artist novel". Basically this term means
a novel where the growth of artist is shown, mainly as a painter, musician or poet. In this type of novels
the biographical elements are strong, because they describe their struggle as a writer or artist. In Virginia
Woolf's " To The Lighthouse" we can see the growth of poet and painter. Augustus Carmichael as poet
and Lily Briscoe as painter in both the cases it is shown that how a artist struggle for one thought or feeling
that can lead towards the creation or how it is hard to paint our mind on canvas. At the end of the novel
both the artist have their own creation. Augustus Carmichael has his collection of poems and Lily Briscoe
has her vision in painting and at the end Virginia Woolf also had her novel. So we can say that this novel
is künstlrrroman novel.

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