Pretask on Edgar Allan poe's stories - by jay Mehta sir.

 Hello! Everyone welcome to my blog.

This blog is about Edgar Allan Poe's stories,we supposed to do pretask ,to read some Gujarati stories. So,here is my view according to my understanding.

AboutEgarAllan Poe :-

Edgar Allan Poe (born Edgar 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.

• His famous short stories :-

1. The black cat
2. The fall of the house of usher
3. The gold bug
4.The purloined letter

Que :-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).

Ans :- The story is “MANSANGH” write by Jayant Khatri. The story started with a very unique way and also suspense story.  The language is used in 'Talpadi Gujrati'. The story begins with Dark night. So the Dark midnight’s is also a symbol of the macabre story. It’s very hard to write a horror scene rather than showing and listening. In this story, there are no sounds only words to explain all expression. So it’s very difficult. But Jayant Khatri writes very well techniques. Readers feel that deep words and horror situation.
 In this story, the name of the narrative is not mentioned but we can say that the story narrated by the master.

Que :- 2] List out various adjectives that contribute the most in creating the "pre-established design" or effect that the author intended to create.

Ans :- t is a type of suffix and prefix. I  found some adjective in this story.
- ખુલ્લુ  મોં
- સફેદ લુગડુ
- ફાટેલું તકીયુ
- ખુલ્લુ આકાશ

Que :- 3 ]Which are the phrases you find frightening? How are they placed in the text?
Ans :-  I find phrases from which I feel frightening;
• આંખ ચમકવી.
• માથુ‌  વાઢવુ.
• અંધારા ઊતરવા.
• તોબહ પોકારી જવા.

Que :- 4]  Can you find out any other lexical arieties such as figures of speech like simile, metaphor, personification etc? Briefly explain their significance in the story.

Ans :- when I read the story I find the figurative language in story.As we know figure of speech like simile,metaphor, personification has it's own importance in all kind of stories or book.So, o find the figurative language like ;
“ડોક ના સતરસો વલાક”
“હસવાનો અવાજ જાણે ભરેલી ગાગર ઠલવાઈ. ”
“જાણે આંસુના દરિયા ની ભરતી હતી.”


Que :- 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?

Ans :- According to me,to read story before learning was a good idea.If we have read in advance then it becomes easy while we are learning.our concept is more clear. I also enjoyed it very much through reading.I feel BHAYA,KARUN, rasa in reading of the story.

Thank you..😊🤗

Thinking activity on " The Birthday party".

Hello!

Readers welcome to my blog.This blog is about the play "The birhday party ". We have to give soem answers of questions which was asked by Dilip sir,so here is the link of Sir's blog ;
https://dilipbarad.blogspot.com/2013/09/worksheet-film-screening-harold-pinters.html?m=1

  • 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, characterised by Pinteresque elements such as ambiguous identity, confusions of time and place, and dark political symbolism.

 • Pinter began writing The Birthday Party in the summer of 1957 while touring in Doctor in the House. He later said: "I remember writing the big interrogation scene in a dressing room in Leicester."

About Harold Pinter :-

  • Harold Pinter CH CBE (10 October 1930 – 24 December 2008) was a British playwright, screenwriter, director and actor. A Nobel Prize winner, Pinter was one of the most influential modern British dramatists with a writing career that spanned more than 50 years.

His best known plays :-

• " The birthday party"(1957)
• "The homecoming"(1964)
• "Betrayal "(1978)

• He got the Noble prize for literature in 2005.

• Structure of play,has a sense of emptiness and menance comes primarily from the way the camera records and magnifies the trivia and sloth of Meg's world rather than from the dialogue between Meg and Petey.Here Newspaper has used as Metaphor.we also can see the power conflict scene. It showed as highly political condition.

• Some interrogation scenes from the movie  " The birthday party".

 • So,now lets talk about some question and answer which was a part of  my thinking activity.

Que :- 1] Why are two scenes of Lulu omitted from the movie?

Ans :- we can see the character of Lulu in movie was not clear ,not specified about her character, it is up to us how to take her character. But when we read play we can come to know that she was not a good girl,she is characterless.while in movie we can herd her voice when she said she was abused or raped ,we feel sympathy for her and we believe that she has a good character.Her character was not clear or fully portrayed in movie.when  Bat Goldberg comes in house she behaved well or very closely,maybe she thinks her longtime relation with Nat Goldberg but it isn't.Nat Goldberg just using or doing timepass with her through overnight.


Que :- 2] Is movie successful in giving us the effect of menace? Where you able to feel it while reading the text?

Ans :- No, I think Movie is not giving us the effect of menace,because there are some scene which are not specified or showed clear.we are in confusion what to believe. Yes, I'm able to feel it while reading the text.


Que :- 3]Do you feel the effect of lurking danger while viewing the movie? Where you able to feel the same while reading the text .

Ans :-Yes, I feel the effect of lurking  danger in movie as well as in play.when Meg tells Stanley about two starngers ,they are asking about rent room,that time we can see lurking danin Stanley's face .He don't want this.As he is refuse Meg to give house to them.He was in kind of fear that if they come ,there is going to some wrong,and as they are knowing some secret or thing about stanley.


Que :- 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.

Ans :- For ,Petey we can say Indifference of society towards fellow citizens.He has used Newspaper to hide himself from another.Whenever Meg talks about stanley he is reading newspaper,what he likes this ? Also he know about Meg and Stanley still he is pretending as he don't aware about this.He is hide the newspaper cutting which was done by McCain,When Nat Goldberg and McCain take  away Stanley and Mag comes ,asks about Stanley and he keeps her in illusion.He don't want to specify to Meg about Stanley.


Que :- 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?

Ans :- When Stanley is playing Blind Man's Buff,at that time McCain tore his Goggles,this time camera moves on room and Stanley was like a animal of any cage.Maybe Stanley thinks now he is trap or kept by strangers and game was over now he can't do anything.The camera deeply focus on Stanley and his movement when he was playing this game.


Que :- 6] Pinter restored theater 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?

Ans :- Yes, it happens in movie .There are some dialogues scene between Goldberg and Stanley, Goldberg is asking to Stanley but Stanley is not giving proper answer to him.


Que :- 7]  How does viewing movie help in better understanding of the play ‘The Birthday Party’ with its typical characteristics (like painteresque, pause, silence, menace, lurking danger)?

Ans :- According to me,Movie should be more effective than play or novel.Because while we are reading play we can just read dialogues and imagine scene or event in our mind,but still we can't think in appropriate manner which movie shows us.Movie has it's own sound ,effect,action , background music,particular situation through the hell of movie we can feel more or understand the condition.As sound goes up and down ,camera is moving and focuses on the thing which author want to say us.

Que :- 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”[3]. (Ebert)

Ans :- I'm agree with the second point.It was an full of boredom dialogue or scene.still movie has it's own identity which was a quite boring, at some moment we can feel boring.If movie is showing its own efforts or effect then it has no any problem. Director can give final stroke to the movie or he can put open ended things,upto audience.


Que :- 9] If you were director or screenplay writer, what sort of difference would you make in the making of movie?

Ans :- If I'm director then I dealt it with two ways,first whether to keep it as full mystery type story or second tell evething about movie to audience .I will try to make movie a little bit lightly ,though audience can't get boring.I am not playing more with lights ,and try to remove some unnecessary scene from the movie.


Que :- 10] Who would be your choice of actors to play the role of characters?

Ans :- I will choose,
 John Abraham for Stanley
Kangana Ranaut for Lulu
Helen for Meg
Rajkumar Rao for Petey.
Amitabh Bachchan for Nat Goldberg
Irrfan Khan for McCain


Que : - 11] Do you see any similarities among Kafka's Joseph K. (in 'The Trial'), Orwell's Winston Smith (in 'Nineteen Eighty-Four') and Pinter's Victor (in 'One for the Road')? 

Ans :- Yes, I can see similarities among Kafka's Joseph k., Orwell's winston smith and Pinter's vision .so,mostly I found  situation was highly political portrayed by all and second thing was the power plays a vital role ,what can do power in humanbeing,with any normal person. It leads towards death .So,both the things are very dangerous.


Thank you.......

References :
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Birthday_Party_(play)

Thinking activity on " To the lighthouse".

 Hello, Everyone welcome to my blog !
This was a part of my thinking activity which was given by Dilip sir. Here is the Sir's blog link ; 
https://dilipbarad.blogspot.com/2014/09/worksheet-virginia-woolfs-to-lighthouse.html?m=1

 To the  lighthouse novel by Virginia Woolf .

• To the lighthouse is a 1927 novel by Virginia Woolf.The novel's  centres  is on the Ramsay family and their visits of the isle of Skye in Scotland between 1910 and 1920.It was written in stream of consciousness.Here the title is also concerned as a symbol.Tone of the novel is Elegiac,poetic, rhythmic and imaginative .

" Life is not a series of gig lamps symmetrically arranged ; life is a luminous halo,a semi - transparent envelope surrounding us from the beginning of consciousness to the end ." 
                                                                                                             - Virginia Woolf

About Virginia Woolf :- 

• Adeline Virginia Woolf was an English writer,considered one of the most important modernist 20th century authors and also a pioneer in the use of stream of consciousness as a narrative device.Woolf was educated by her parents in their literate and we'll - connected household.she belong to a very good and high class still she is doing rebel .She was also a part of Bloom's berry group.Her life was a full of courage and stoicism.she is writing in stream of consciousness.she was concerned as excitement,pain, horror,beauty of daily event.she was attracted towards Industrialization,she use to write on shopping.she has a trivia of everybody's life, about every moment.politically she was writing for women,for education and for job.woolf suffered from severe bouts of mental illness throughout her life,thought to have been the result of what is new termed bi-polar disorder and committed suicide by drowning herself in 1941 at the very young age.

Very feminist work of that time :- 
• A Room of one's own.
• To the lighthouse
• Mrs. Dalloway
• The voyage out

• To the lighthouse is divided into three sections:- 
1. " The window"
2. " Time passes "
3. " The lighthouse".



• Mrs. Ramsay is the central focus of the beginning of the lighthouse. The novel opens just before the start of World War 1. It has thin plot.great kind of event does not happened." SHUT A DOOR" this line keeps on coming. During the whole novel nothing important happens.There is a connection between story & Stream of thoughts.

∆ Now, let's talk about some questions and answers which were the part of my thinking activity.

Que :- 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? (Key: The 'How' of the narrative technique is to be discussed along with features of Stream of Consciousness technique which helps Woolf to put in effective manner what she experienced in abstractions.)

Ans :- As we know that she is writing in stream of consciousness and her life was a full of courage and stoicism .As she belongs to a very good family still she feels like she has not getting something which her brother is getting.She fights for all women of that time.It was very difficult to raise our voice against anyone specially infront of Men. Woolf's husband has his own press which was a very good things and she can write easily.She can do easily experiment.she basically writing about radical things.So,here we can see the struggle of a female artist against male person or everyone .


Que  : - 2] Do you agree: "The novel is both the tribute and critique of Mrs. Ramsay"? (Key: Take some clues from the painting of Mrs Ramsay drawn by Lily Briscoe and the article by Andre Viola and Glenn Pedersen. Can we read Mrs. R in context of the idea of Ideal Indian Woman - Karyeshu dasi, Karaneshu manthri; Bhojeshu mata, Shayaneshu rambha; Kshamayeshu dharithri, Roopeshu lakshmi; Satkarma yukta, Kuladharma pathni. )

Ans :-  Yes, I am agree with that the novel is the tribute and critique of Mrs. Ramsay. So, firstly Mrs. Ramsay was the soul of the house.she likes to take care of all family members, about their food, specially to care about guests. She is the lively element of the house.Lily  Briscoe who don't like this all things.she is always arguing with Mrs.Ramsay but  in a way  she wants to take place of her .she want to be like Mrs. Ramsay.When at the end of the movie,we see the painting of lily Briscoe at that time  we realise that Mrs. Ramsay is everything of house which lily also accept at the end.Through the character of lily we can see both side of Mrs, Ramsay ; good or positive as well as negative side.


Que :- 3 ] Considering symbolically, does the Lighthouse stand for Mrs. Ramsay or the narrator (Virginia Woolf herself who is categorically represented by Lily)? (Key: Take help from the presentation on Symbolism to connect Mrs. Caroline Ramsay with Lighthouse. Secondly, the narrator / author cannot fully disappear from the novel and thus the stoicism of Lily to paint and thus prove that she can paint, is symbolically presented in stoicism of Lighthouse. Read 'lighthouse' symbol from presentation slide with this insight to connect lighthouse with the narrator. Give your concluding remarks in the comment below in this blog )

Ans : Mrs, Caroline Ramsay stands as guiding star and harbours emotional safety to other family/ guest members visiting summer house .she is the spiritual bridge between other humans in the novel.She is stands strong like the lighthouse amidst emotionally shattered beings .since the beginning of the movie lily Briscoe is started painting but she can't complete,she doesn't get view or visual to draw. At the end she get visual ,she has completed the painting but with the Mrs,Ramsay.Mrs, Ramsay is her visual , Without Mrs,Ramsay the painting is not metaphorically as the element of water represents the emotions ,the lighthouse is a symbol for the spiritual strength and emotional guidance which is available to us during the times we feel we are being helplessly tossed around in a sea of inner turmoil.


Que  :- 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? (Key: The strokes of light-beams. . . )

Two Myths are : 

1. Myth of oedipus ; 
 killed his father and married with his mother. So here James character portrait as like father hated child, Virginia Woolf use stream of consciousness technique when James mind portrait father hated son.

2. Cronus afraid of his death because of his father curse his child killed him that why Cronus killed his children but at last once day Rhea didn’t give child and that child grown up knowingly his name Zeus, Zeus killed his father as per his mother wish and again cycling continues father killed by his son.

Que : - 5 ] What do you understand by the German term 'Künstlerroman'? How can you justify that 'To The Lighthouse' is 'Künstlerroman' novel? 
Ans : According to Offered dictionary meaning,The German term (meaning ‘artist-novel’) for a novel in which the central character is an artist of any kind, e.g. the musical composer Leverkühn in Thomas Mann's Doktor Faustus (1947), or the painter Lantier in Zola's L'Oeuvre (1886). ... In novel this meaning is connected with Lily Briscoe because she was an artist,and lot of talk about her paintings is done in novel .At the end her skill of artist came out with her paintings.


Que. : - 6] "... the wages of obedience is death, and the daughter that reproduces mothering to perfection, including child-bearing, already has on her cheeks the pallor of death. One reminded here of various texts by Lucy Irigaray, in which she attacks mothers for being, however unwillingly, accomplices in the patriarchal system of oppression." (Viola). In light of this remark, explain briefly Lily's dilemma in 'To The Lighthouse'. 
Ans :- Lily Briscoe's dilemma in ' To the lighthouse' is because of she was against of Mrs, Ramsay.She is believing that as Mrs, Ramsay is not living a good and satisfied life ,she is living for others,for family,for to take care of people.Lily is not believing that Mrs, Ramsay can be a part of painting,she is thinking how she can be visual of her paintings,why she is the soul of the house.

Que :- 7 ] You have compared the 'beginning' and the 'ending' of the novel and the film adaptation of the novel directed by Colin Gregg (you can see it again in the embedded video below this). Do you think that the novel is more poignant than the movie? If yes, do you ascribe the fact that the power of words is much greater than that of the screen / visuals?
Ans : The beginning of the movie and Novel are different.we need to aware or to read original novel before watching movie.Story doesn't start same in both. But the ending was same in movie and novel .it ends with Lily Briscoe's painting.According to me Movie was more apply to understand plot, character, concept of the novel .we more understand with visualisation. In the movie the camera angle was very good .

Que : - 8 ]How do you interpret the last line of the novel (It was done; it was finished.
Yes, she thought, laying down her brush in extreme fatigue, I have had my vision.) with reference to the ending of the film (After the final stroke on the canvass with finishing touch, Lily walks inside the house. As she goes ante-chamber, the light and dark shade makes his face play hide-and-seek. She climbs stairs, puts her brush aside, walks through the dark and light to enter her room. Gently closes the door - speaks: "Closed doors, open windows" - lies on the bed and with some sort of satisfaction utters: "Dearest Briscoe, you are a fool".) 

Ans :- After the final stroke on the canvas with finishing touch,lily walks inside the house,goes into ante - chamber, some  light and dark shades are playing hide and seek with her face.She said to Mrs,Ramsay that you are fool ,look without family, without getting married I can live alone happily, I can paint.At the end he completes her paintings.She proves himself infront of Mrs,Ramsay.

Que :- 9 ] What does the catalogue named as 'Army and Navy' signify? What does cutting of 'Refrigerator'  signify?

Ans :- maybe it was a symbol of change,of Changing technology.james ,son of Mr and Mrs. Ramsay who is also in army and he died. James is guided in his choice by Mrs. Ramsay and it should therefore be associated with her.Mrs, Ramsay is repeatedly shown as someone who is training and shaking her children's minds and her approach to her son's.she wants her daughter and the women around her to support and sustain men,while she wants the men to be a success in the public sphere.

Que :- 10 ] Why did Virginia give such prominence to the tale of the “Fisherman’s Wife”? In particular, why did she weave such a misogynist tale into the fabric of a book which so eloquently challenges received patriarchal notions about the roles and capabilities of women? 

Ans :- Here in novel Mrs,Ramsay is reading story of " Fisherman's wife" and in novel Virginia Woolf portrayed the character of Mrs,Ramsay and her opposite character Lily Briscoe. Virginia wants to draw the picture of women characters at different way,with different perspective.

Que :- 11 ] How is India represented in 'To The Lighthouse'?

Ans :- so, through the character of Mrs,Ramsay India is represented as a ldiol and good housewife,caring wife.she is always pampers her husband's ego and attitude.She also always take care of children and guest also.she is a perfect image of an Indian daughter in law.

Que :- 12] Write summaries of this articles ? 

 •  There are three article like ; 
1. Mythical pattern in " To the lighthouse " by Joseph L. Blotner 
• This article deal with Greek myth.
• Here Mrs, Ramsay is proved as a lighthouse at the lighthouse was constant and stable.
• Mrs,Ramsay is a 'giver' always and Mr,Ramsay was 'Taker ' always.
• According to Sigmund Freud,male was lighthouse,but according to Karl Yung,female was a lighthouse.

2. Fluidity V/S Masculinity by Andre Viola.
• This article shows the character of Lily.so ,lily was at the centre.Through the character of Mrs,Ramsay we can see the patriarch society. As lily don't like Mrs,Ramsay so both are arguing always against eachother.It is Kunstel Roman's novel,it shows lily Briscoe's journey.This also representing Woolf's life and Briscoe's painting.

3. Vision to the lighthouse :- 
This article was a quite different from novel.Here Mrs, Ramsay is Matriarch. When she was alive there was not good relationship between father and son. After the death of Mrs,Ramsay they meet and Lily Briscoe also get her vision.

Thank you.......

Sunday reading : August - Patriotism and religious fervour.

Hello ! Readers,

Welcome to my blog.

Here is a blogtask which was given by Dilipsir.we supposed to do that what we think about the month of August.



The month of SHRAVAN : -


•    The month of August (Shravan) is a full of festival,rituals, very strong feeling of patriotism.  It was also known as pious month. It was good month also because it has many holidays. In month of August there was a festival like ; Rakshabandhan, Independence day,Gaurivrat ( molakat,fulkanjali,Divaso,Kevdatrij ),janmastami.In this vrat Girls are doing fast for getting good husband so,this was a rigid and normal beliefs of people.But nowadays we are realised that there was nothing like that ,the husband which  we will getting is not dependent upon we have taken any vrat or not ? There was a thing to do fast in Shravan, people use to do fast for Bholanath, God shiva. But it was not it. Ancient Saint said to do this because to give rest or break our stomach.Because during this time there was a lot illness, pollution, change in atmosphere,due to this all reason we have to control on our food. To stay hungry is also a good benefit for our stomach.so Saint joined it with a religion. If you say to people to do fast for health they are not going to do ,but if you say for God Shiva then all are doing happily. In a way they are not thinking about their own life or health but only to keep happy God shiva.  Some are doing fast for whole month ,whether their health is good or bad.People  are crazy for this full of month.A lot rushes at shiv temple in the early morning as well as full day. Ladies who are doing SATSANG for 3-4 hours the entire month.But why all are remembering shiv only in Shravan.

Shitla satam :- 

  • Shitla satam was a vital festival which people are celebrating.This day normally all ladies goes to temple of Shitlama. They have to eat cold or steal food of yesterday.They can't eat fresh and hot food.There was a belief that if we start Gas stove or Chula on that day then shitla mata will be angry or will burn in it. Ancient time,there was a diseases named shitla which was very dangerous.To cure from shitla was very difficult at that time .Then Vaccination of Shitla was found by Edward Jenner.It was not found after it.still people worshiping of Shitlama as they are frightening from Shitlama. people are celebrating this day with cold food. In some case ,if we are eating cold food,then it was not good for our health,still people are not understand.

15th August. :-

  •  This was a national festival of India.This was a day of Independence,so all are going to talk about Bharat Mata. This month is also known as patriotism, people want to show their love towards country, whether in reality they have done something or not. At that time many issues are open like History war, freedom fighters contribution,economical or political situation of country in contemporary time as well in past.

   •  So, if we really want to do fast,want to worship of shiva ,to do something for country then why we need a special kind of Month.why this all only in Shravan.What we can't do this all things in normal , regular days of any month.Recent time there was not name of Shitla disease still people are not recall Edward Jenner ,they worshiping for shitla devi.Our mentality was tightly tied with religion or it's rituals and beliefs.

Religion V/S Science : -

   •  India was a country which was full of many Religion,many caste, various types of culture,multiple languages, different life style of each and every person.Yet this all people are somehow related or connected with religion.If u want to tell some serious or good decision for country,then if u using medium of science then it becomes toughest for u to convince public.If u are using religion as a medium then it was a easiest way to convince people with your idea or concept. Nowadays,even in 21st century, science is growing on its highest step ,still who have their own rigid mentality towards religion,they can't accept science or it's innovation quick.we can see through the technology almost many problems are solving,the vaccination of many danger disease is found by scientists,Not  many people are dying because of illness,and they get also good quality treatment with technology. Slowly young generation is going towards or understanding Necessity of technology in today's era.Among them also some are not accepting this fact.In modern time this century becomes a digital then we also have to change in our life .we have to update ourself with the time and technology.so, why the humanbeing is not accepting science father than religion,why they are not broad mentality towards science.

  

Thank you...........

Thinking activity on " Waiting for Godot ".

Hello ! Everyone,
 Welcome to my blog.Here I am going to give answers of questions which was a part of my thinking activity and given by Dilip sir,so here is sir's  blog link https://dilipbarad.blogspot.com/2014/09/worksheet-screening-movie-waiting-for.html?m=1

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.It begin in very tiny theatre.No women characters are there in play.It was a plotless play.The play raises the question of Existentialism and we reffered the MYTH OF SISYPHUS written by Albert Camus  during the learning of play.The play does not tell a story but it explores the static situation ;
   
   "Nothing happens,nobody comes,
         nobody goes, it's Awful."

About Samuel Beckett :-

Samuel Barclay Beckett (13 April 1906 – 22 December 1989) was an Irish novelist, playwright, short story writer, theatre director, poet, and literary translator. A resident of Paris for most of his adult life, he wrote in both English and French.

• He got the NOBLE PRIZE for  literature in 1969.

• Most famous Beckett's subsequent plays :-

During the 15 years following the war, Beckett produced four major full-length stage plays:

En attendant Godot (written 1948–1949; Waiting for Godot),
 de partie (1955–1957; Endgame),
 Krapp's Last Tape (1958),
 and Happy Days (1961).



Que :- 1 ] What connection do you see in the setting (“A country road. A tree.Evening.”) of the play and these paintings?

Ans :-  Through this painting Beckett was inspired for the' setting'of his play - 'Waiting for Godot'.Here Beckett's universe was quite different.His waiting is related to longing in a sense of nature but it was not Beckett's wordly vision.maybe longing or desire maybe fulfilled sometimes but here Beckett's used this Waiting has it's no end.It never going to be finish.. Beckett was inspired by these painting but he makes use of this 'longing' as 'never ending wait'.

Que :- 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 - ?

Ans : - In the screening of the movie there was a one scene of tree where both tries to do suicide but they don't.In Act 1 the tree was barren ,there was no leaves ,as in plays Vladimir and Estragon are waiting for Godot but Godot doesn't come.Then next day there are leaves on tree maybe it was a kind hope with new morning that Vladimir and Estragon has.yesterday Godot hasn't come then today he comes and they are waiting for whole day.But as we know that there is no ending of wait.


Que :- 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?

Ans : In both Acts, evening falls into night and moon rises.so in this situation Vladimir and Estragon are waiting so they have to pass time.They don't care about night and moon as they are waiting for Godot so they are thinking about the time that when is Godot comes.At night Estragon sleep easily but Vladimir has some past memories so he can't sleep .He also can't eat.



Que :-4]
The director feels the setting with some debris. Can you read any meaning in the contours of debris in the setting of the play?

Ans  :- Yes,I can read they the director feels the settings with some debris.The place where both act plays ,it was a hill ,first day barren tree and second day with some leaves.yet with this kind of debris which Beckett has used it says alot to us . He talk here about human being,its  life ,etc.



 Que : - 5] The play begins with the dialogue “Nothing to be done”. How does the theme of ‘nothingness’ recurs in the play?

Ans :- As the play was absurd it includes the theme of Nothingness.Baisically Estragon and Vladimir haven't done anything just what is to wait,one moment comes when they forgot what they doing and for what they are waiting?Just for the waiting of Godot they uses some gymics,some tricks,time killing questions.Maybe they are enjoying their this waiting work.In real sense this Nothingness teach us real word or meaning of Beckett's play,his purpose of writing.




  Que : - 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)?

Ans : - Ya, the play "Waiting for Godot" is positive play,not negative ,not pessimistic.But it depends on reader's mind.How reader want to look it.Everybody  hasits own point of view or perspective.I am agree with that everything goes on life on it's time  idea of E.G.Marshal.



  Que :- 7] How are the props like hat and boots used in the play? What is the symbolical significance of these props?


Ans : - In the novel as well as in movie props like hat and boots are used .Both are used as a symbolic way.it is symbolically trival things . Vladimir and Estragon are doing as jokers as jokers doing in circus.Hat &Boots are Necessity and Absurdity of the play.It was also great to pass and kill the time.we can connect Waiting with Happiness with futile time or things.They are Experiencing the time which is painful and in a way they are waiting for death maybe.



Que  :- 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?

Ans:- How can it's possible a slave is carrying luggage of master and also carry whip from which he maybe beaten still he is giving it to his master.Even when pozzo, the master was blind then why don't lucky leave him why still he is giving whip to pozzo.which kind of this slavishness is.



Que :- 9] Who according to you is Godot? God? An object of desire? Death? Goal? Success? Or  . .
Ans :- The question of Godot is remaining that who is Godot ? A supernatural character whether humanbeing? I think it was a object of desire and they thought if Godot will come then everything will be fine .They have a desire of Godot .

Que :- 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?
Ans :-  Martin Esslin : " The search for the self ".He gives some characteristics of the play  which are;
1. Constructed story/ plot :- No story, no plot.as I above mentioned that it was a plotless play.it has not ant constructed story about particular things.
2. Subtlety of characterization and motivation :- Mechanical puppets ,it was without motive.The motivation was important because it describes what is good or bad in this play.
3. Theme :- Fully explained - solved at the end ,neither beginning nor end,no resolution of theme .
4. Hold mirror upto nature & portray manners & mannorism of age ,reflection of dreams and nightmares.
5. Dialogues :- Witty repartee pointed , meaningful, Incoherent bubblings.so,with this point I agree that the subject of the play is "Waiting" not Godot.



Que :- 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?
Ans :- If I say yes it needs reading before play studied.because it was a Absurb play still Samuel Beckett had gone very deep and connected dot with some events or myths.so,before studying play we have to aware about it,our concept should be clear then dialogue or audio-visuals help in better understanding of play.




Que :- 12] Which of the following sequence you liked the most:
o   Vladimir – Estragon killing time in questions and conversations while waiting
o   Pozzo – Lucky episode in both acts
o   Converstion of Vladimir with the boy

Ans :- Basically I like all sequence and I was interested in all sequence and I like to watch.But if I have tell about only one sequence then it would be first Vladimir – Estragon killing time in questions and conversations while waiting. Now why I like because they are talking which was very interesting yet they are talking Absurb things it has no meaning,still it leaves a meaning.They are talking as they have a lot of wordly knowledge and both put a good argument against among.


 Que :- 13]  Did  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?

Ans : - In movie I saw and feel that they are waiting for a person for whom they don't know.Even they don't know who is Godot a humanbeing,a supernatural power,a god or what else? They don't aware then still why they waiting.We have our Existence in life then we have think it and use it on proper way.As  Vladimir and Estragon are talking to pass time they are raising rational questions then what about their identity or existence.



Que:- 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?

Ans :- so, Vladimir and Estragon talks about 'hanging ' themselves and commit suicide .so, according to me are they really want to suicide or for time pass they doing this kind of stupid activity.They don't no how to hang with what and Estragon suggest his wrist belt and Vladimir says it was too short we can't hang with this.They both decides that tomorrow if Godot doesn't come then we will hang ourself and we will bring rope for it.

  Que :- 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'?

Ans  :- In play GODOT stands for Germany.yes,we can do political reading of characters because the characters are representing the European nations by some characteristics or event or person.



 Que :- 16] 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? 

 Ans  :- Here Beckett meant Pozzo to be England,because as we know England rule over other Country. In play Pozzo was a master and Lucky Was a slave.Lucky blindly follows his master.He even don't think about going against his master or to betray pozzo.He is carrying a whip from which he will be beaten still he is giving to pozzo.we can see in movie that lucky
lucks is not moving for a single step or word.one more thing he is thinking or talking a lot on command of Master.



Que :- 17] 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?

Ans :-  yes,there is a change in Act 1and Act 2. When in Act 1 boy comes to them and asked Vladimir that what I asked to Godot sir ? Then Vladimir replies that tell him that you saw us,and in Act 2 when boy asked the same question and Vladimir replies a quite different,this time he says you tell godot that you saw me not us.So,here comes self-perspective ,he thought that if Godot comes then he will save me and Estragon was sleeping so he wasn't thought about him.According to Vladimir only he deserved God's attention or presence.so,here we can see self motive of Vladimir.It was a great change in both act and it questions on humanbeing,how a person was changed.


Thank you......

Movie review of The Black prince, Midnight's children and Reluctant Fundamentalist :-

Hello! Everyone , welcome to my blog.

Here I am going to share my review upon three movies ,which task was given by Dilipsir,so here it's link; https://dilipbarad.blogspot.com/2015/09/postcolonial-studies-film-screening.html?m=1



 
  1) The Black Prince :- 

          The  Black Prince is a 2017 international historical drama film directed by Kavi Raz and featuring the acting debut of Satinder Sartaaj. It tells the story of Duleep Singh, the last Maharajah of the Sikh Empire and the Punjab area, and his relationship with Queen Victoria.The story revolves around the young prince as he attempts both to regain his throne and reconcile himself with the two cultures of his Indian birth and British education.
At the age of 15, Duleep Singh is sent to England where he meets Queen Victoria. A relationship between the two develops.
Here in movie we find issues like ; Skin colour, Difference or classism among Black people and white people,post colonialism, political power,About queen Victoria and his power.

Duleep Singh is eventually able to reestablish contact with his mother and as a result begins to reconnect with the culture of his birth. Duleep attempts to return to India to reclaim his kingdom, but is continually thwarted by British colonial politics.Edward never became king - he died before his father, Edward III - he is remembered as a great medieval military hero, with notable victories against the French in the Hundred Years War.In the movie prince Duleepsingh play roll as a protagonist. Movie reflected good side of British government though providing so many things for prince but Prince always prefers conman life. Mother of the princes also hate British government and people.



2) . Midnight's children :- 

Midnight's Children is a 1981 novel by British Indian author Salman Rushdie. It deals with India's transition from British colonialism to independence and the partition of British India. It is considered an example of postcolonial, postmodern, and magical realist literature. The story is told by its chief protagonist, Saleem Sivay.Here Salman build a strong background of movie. He reffered many city,state and County and also war between country. We can see three region like Hindu ,Muslim and Christian in movie.He also deal with the political situation as well as economic situation of Nation.We find crisis in nation. Here in movie the class issue is also described on big level. Behaviour of upper class and lower class and also the relation of the Master and servant we find.Here is a minor character named Marry who played a very vital role in this.she changed destiny or full life of not only two boys,but also their families.This is a story about those children who born in midnight and  Indira Gandhi was PM of india and ruling over india.The protagonist and narrator of the story is Saleem Sinai, born at the exact moment when India became an independent country. He was born with telepathic powers, as well as an enormous and constantly dripping nose with an extremely sensitive sense of smell.

• On the day at midnight when the children are born,Mary write a destiny of rich and poor.she changes Shivay (Who is son of Saleem and Jamila ,belong to upper class family) with Saleem ( who is a son of Methods and Vanita,belong to poor and lower class ).Mary has done this all because Joe told him.Joe is also Christian and lover of Mary.Here Joe also played a vital role .In movie he represents the community,Marxism.He want to do revolution.

   • Here Salman Rushdie satirise on community through the character of Joe.
Meanwhile ,Rushdie captures the cold war between America and Russia (Russia send sputnik in space).Then poster of mother India ,it represents post-modernism.One question raises was the question of Identity- blood group is coming.Rushdie also doing satire on democrary.Here a crisis when Indira Gandhi declared EMERGENCY in India.So,Salman Rushdie collected all thread and tie a strong and hard knot.

•   As unfortunately Saleem gets all facilities and benefits and good life and Shivay who have to be in place of Saleem ,he faces alot of problems and struggles alot.The children who born at the same time at midnight,all came with some different magical power.Saleem can call and talk with all midnight children with his nose.
One more issue or big thing of that time is that ,one side there was growing of science (Nuclear) and other side Black magic.peole believed in black or magical power . Science has grown on its hight still there are people who bind with religion and Magic kind of things.In movie it shows that all people are in search of this magical children,and killing them because they are bad because they are intellectual and not good for nation or Indira Gandhi maybe.So.at the end of movie there was a last frame Adam ,Saleem ,Mary and pictureji make one family,New india.It deliberately shows the concept of New India.

3) . Reluctant Fundamentalist :- 

  •  TheReluctant Fundamentalist is a 2012 political thriller drama film based on the 2007 novel, The Reluctant Fundamentalist by Mohsin Hamid, directed by Mira Nair, starring Riz Ahmed and Kate Hudson in lead. ... The film had a limited release in the United States, India, and in Europe and North America.

  •  Normally the story was about a young man named Changez and his whole life,he has a dream to live or work in America and he loves America and also goes there and lives there and then suddenly happened something and he hate America and lives America. So,the story start with Kidnapping of an American proffesor,who teaching in Lahore University and Bobby taking interview of Changez who also teaching in same University.This interview is taking in one cafe and then there was a flashback and Changez is telling his story of America .
Here we find some points like ; Racism,Attack , Nationality, story of love with westerner,business ,Fundamentalism ,etc.In this movie another character kate who is Girlfriend of Changez but behind she is cheater or she doing wrong behind the Changez. That is the suspense of this movie.One exceptional scene dramatises a crucial encounter between Changez and the head of a doomed publishing house, played, brilliantly, by Turkish theatre legend Haluk Bilginer.Here we find discussion or quarrel between chnagez and his Father who is a poet he was always arguing with Changez about his job and living in America .They are not set with eachother.we can see conflict between both also can see corrupted world through the movie.Changez who lived in America and get a good job and get promotion and got higher stage.still at one point he realised that this all people are using me ,they have no value of us, whatever we have done but we are like beggar or  we have to be followers of them.If we denied of them about any thing,they will behaved like we have done any sin,they forces us to do what they want.So.In Lahore University Changez is teaching this fact of our life and aware all students with it.


Thank you.........

Thinking activity on Girish Karnad.

Hello, readers !

Welcome to my blog.

Here is my blog task upon the famous writer and actor Girish karnad.The task which was given by Dilip sir.so,here is Dilip sir's blog link .https://dilipbarad.blogspot.com/2019/07/girish-karnad-artist-citizen-and.html



GirishGirishad (19 May 1938 – 10 June 2019)was an Indian actor, film director, Kannada writer, playwright and a Rhodes Scholar, who predominantly worked in South Indian cinema and Bollywood. His rise as a playwright in the 1960s, marked the coming of age of modern Indian playwriting in Kannada, just as Badal Sarkar did in Bengali, Vijay Tendulkar in Marathi, and Mohan Rakesh in Hindi. He was a recipient of the 1998 Jnanpith Award, the highest literary honour conferred in India.

  •  His Notable Books :- Tughlaq,Hayvadan, Wedding Album.

  •  His Notable awards:- Jnanpith Award, Padma Shri, Padma Bhushan, Gyanpith Award.



    •    However, the man wasn’t just a Hindu hater due to his beliefs, he was an opportunistic Hindu hater. During the Datta Peeta movement, he had called upon an anti-communal campaign, which he later abandoned when the cause stopped suiting him. Moreover, ahead of the 2014 elections, he had referred Narendra Modi as a “dangerous man”, but in July 2014, he decided to certify that Modi has “provided good governance”. Similarly, being against the “fascist” government did not make him return his award during the Award Wapsi charade in 2015.As expected, Karnad was publicly opposed to the BJP and the Sangh Parivar and yet, he was not against accepting the directorship of the Nehru Centre and the post of minister of culture in the Indian high commission in London under Vajpayee’s government. here One of the controversy is Karnad was hindu hatred man according to his play Tughalaq because in this play he portrait muslim is protagonist and this character killed so many hindus.


     • When he died everyone and media started praising and talked alot about him.I find in many cases,many writer got fame or value after his death .same Girisk Karnad got fame after his death.He was in discussion of people after his death.society and media said him hero .He also known for contribution in Bollywood and films.Media has a habit to show only good side of person or sometimes bad side of any particular person.Girish Karnad played a good role hindi movies.He translated many plays in English also.Any writer famous not with who is he but what he has write ? What he has given to people? What is his idea ? With this all any writer got fame.

Thank you...........

Thinking activity on Existentialism.

Hello , Everyone ! Welcome to my blog.

This blog is a part of my thinking activity.



[1]  What is Existentialism?

 Here I like most the idea that triangle of Individuality , passions and freedom. Existentialism is mainly popular in young people because firstly it has it's own subjects.

[2]. The Myth of Sisyphus : The Absurb Reasoning :- 

 • I find major idea of Suicide.
• "An elegant suicide is the ultimate work of art".
• people want divorce from life , it's full of absurdity.
• Death is mistress of men.life is totally meaningless.

[3].  The notion of philosophical suicide : -

• In video there is one statement like ;If there is no human being than there is no any desire.
• Philosophical suicide
• A total absence of hope,a continual rejection, conscious dissatisfaction.
• Reason is absurd and there is nothing beyond reason.
• Absurd men know there is no place for hope.
• Absurb + Faith = Escapism


[4]. Dadaism ,Nihilism and Existentialism : - 
• Dadaism declared against war ,both have not connected with eachother.They have their Arbitrary values.
• We condemn old values to death

[ 5]  Existentialism a gloomy Philosophy: - 

• Here I find notion of Anxiety, despair ,absurdity .
• Life + Anxiety = ?
• Become who you are ?


[6 ].  Existentialism and Nihilism : Is it one and the same ? 

• Existentialism is not a philosophical movement it has more concerned with subjectivity while Nihilism has more concerned with Objectivity.

[ 7 ]. Existentialist again ! 

• It examine Sartre's famous statement" Existence precceds essence " .
• Existentialist is the key concern of philosophy.
• It described ' Human condition' 1. Why I am here ?    2. What does it mean to be human ?   3. How should I live my life ?
• In video it has rejection of all Encompassing systems.


[8 ] Explain like I'm Five : Existentialism and Nietzsche  :- 
This video's speech was very easy to understand.we get it easy.because they are taughting to little children.with simple example it explained it said we don't have to believe in our grand parents Rosemary.we can make our own Rose.There is no universal morality.Here Nietzsche has given idea of "Ubermensche" .which was good .


[ 9 ]  why I like Existentialism? Eric Dodson ? 
 • Existentialism is way of life. It's connected with our religion, rituals, routine life etc
• It has combining of mind and heart also, there is two side of everything.
• Existentialism makes an appeal to our mind ,it also makes appeal to our heart and soul .

[ 10 ]  From Essentialism to Existentialism? 

• Here I like idea of difference between Essentialism and Existentialism.
• Example of Knife I like.
• Here one question raised'  what give your life meaning ?' have we understand our life ? .



# Which video I like the most and why? 

I mostly like the last video among all . Because here we talk about our life,our meaning of Life,for what and for why ? From what we got good things or happiness. Any of the things which said in video can give meaning to our life .Plato and Aristotle said that '  Everything has Essence including us '.


Thank you......

Interpretation challenge Play Breath bySamuel Beckett.

Hello ,Reader welcome to my blog !

Here is my views upon the task which was given by Dr,Dilip Barad sir.so here we have to write our view on short video from the Samuel Beckett's Breath.
Here is a link of sir's task ;
https://dilipbarad.blogspot.com/2014/09/interpretation-challenge-breath.html?m=1


About Samuel Beckett  :-

 Samuel Barclay Beckett (13 April 1906 – 22 December 1989) was an Irish novelist, playwright, short story writer, theatre director, poet, and literary translator. A resident of Paris for most of his adult life, he wrote in both English and French.

His notable Works :-
 Murphy (1938)
Molloy (1951)
Malone Dies (1951)
The Unnamable (1953)
Waiting for Godot (1953)
Watt (1953)
Endgame (1957)
Krapp's Last Tape (1958)
How It Is (1960)
Happy Days (play) (1960)

 #   Notable  awards

  •Nobel Prize in Literature (1969)

   •Croix de Guerre (1945)




•  short play "Breath ":-

CURTAIN Up
1. Faint light on stage littered with miscellaneous rubbish. Hold about five seconds.
2. Faint brief cry and immediately inspiration and slow increase of light together reaching maximum - together in about ten seconds. Silence and hold for about five seconds.
3. Expiration and slow decrease of light together reaching minimum together (light as in 1) in about ten seconds and immediately cry as before. Silence and hold about five seconds.

CURTAIN Down


So,here first we have to watch video and give our view or opinion upon video.it become difficult to give overview on shortest video. in some kind of video we find absurdity still we have to think where it is connected.so,here I am sharing my views.


Video :-1 ].   Breath by Damien Hirst :-

In this video we can see the picture of rubbish kind of medical garbage. There is a keyboard also. We also can see the symbol of Swastik.so with this symbol we can recall remember Hitler and his symbol of Swastik. Another thing is that with a lot of medicine we can connect our nowadays illness of human beings.yet it is full of absurdity or garbage it related somewhere with our life.

Video :- 2].  Breath by Lina De Jordan :-

In this video we can see the different kind of fruits.we can compare this fruits with human being As all fruits,have their own identity,some are jointed and some are separated,same the way, human beings have their own world.some are living together and some are seperated.All the fruits have their specific benefits,and people also their unique personality or perspective.


Video : - 3].  National Theatre school first year Technical production class project, production of Samuel Beckett's play Breath :-

So,this video started with full of darkness and one sharpen yelling of someone's voice.with a one hearness of voice become us afraid with this voice.we can see first darkness and then light.it happens 3-4 times in video.So the concept of light and darkness we can compare it with our life and death.if there is light then we have our full life and if there is darkness then there is nothing maybe in life.with a yelling of voice and darkness our journey of life starts and when light off there everything has it's end.


Video  :- 4 ]. Samuel Beckett's play Breath : -

We can see that the video started with the natural scene.from where we come.we human being were the part of nature. Nature was essentially needed for us.in this video there are many things shown like doll,the equipmens of game,music ,phone ,city,day to day life of people, reading, Business,some kind of tension. All people have their own occupation, Passion.They are wandering for that.In a way all the things connected with people. All have their own objects and interpretation according to their will........
So,this are my understanding of videos.............

Thank you.........https://dilipbarad.blogspot.com/2014/09/interpretation-challenge-breath.html?m=1