If you are looking for BEGC-103 IGNOU Solved Assignment solution for the subject Indian Writing in English, you have come to the right place. BEGC-103 solution on this page applies to 2021-22 session students studying in BAEGH courses of IGNOU.
BEGC-103 Solved Assignment Solution by Gyaniversity
Assignment Code: BEGC-103 / TMA / 2021-22
Course Code: BEGC-103
Assignment Name: Indian Writing in English
Year: 2021 -2022
Verification Status: Verified by Professor
Answer All Questions
Section A
Q.1 Explain the reference to the context the following 4 x 5 = 20
Q1. (i) He even poured a little paraffin upon the bitten toe and put a match to it. I watched the flame feeding on my mother.
Ans) “He even poured a little paraffin upon the bitten toe and put a match to it.”
Despite the fact that the poet's father was a sceptic and rationalist, he was too distraught by his mother's plight to think practically. As a result, he attempted whatever anybody around him advised would assist reduce the mother's grief and suffering. It demonstrates that, in the face of a crisis, people will undertake anything advised by others to assist them in overcoming the situation. People wax philosophical, claiming that the pains of this birth will reduce the pains of the next.
According to them, suffering is proportionate to past-life sins and inversely proportional to future-life misdeeds. While the mother was in excruciating pain, several individuals appeared to sympathise with her and did nothing to help. However, the father was a highly logical man who, rather than taking his mother to a doctor, tried a variety of plants and medications to get rid of the poison. He really burns the mother's toe. Nonetheless, she forebears all the patient land, and to our surprise, she blesses the heavens that it was she who was stung, not her offspring. Because it was supposed that putting a little paraffin on the bitten toe and lighting it would burn the poison from the wound, the father did so.
“I watched the flame feeding on my mother”
The poet, who is also the narrator, is referred to as "I." "The flame" most likely conjures up images of a funeral, or the burning or cremation of a deceased person in accordance with funeral procedures. The dead body is thrown into the flames in it. The poet is undoubtedly reminded of this by the scorching of the mother's toe. The poison gradually subsided after twenty hours of agony, and the mother was relieved. While the mother was in excruciating pain, several individuals appeared to sympathise with her and did nothing to help. However, the father was a highly logical man who, rather than taking his mother to a doctor, tried a variety of plants and medications to get rid of the poison. He really burns the mother's toe. Nonetheless, she forebears all the patient land, and to our surprise, she blesses the heavens that it was she who was stung, not her offspring.
Q1. (ii) And the way it carried off three village houses,
One pregnant woman
And a couple of cows
Named Gopi and Brinda, as usual.
Ans) A image of the river during the wet season is also included. In general, all types of poets have produced poems on it. During the rainy season, when floods brew, residents keep a close eye on the situation. From time to time, they recall the river's inch-by-inch rise. They recall how the bathing place's stone steps were buried one by one.
They watch how the floods wrecked and washed away three village cottages. They know how Brinda and Gopi, two cows, were taken away. They also know that during the flood, a pregnant woman drowned in the river. These topics have been mentioned in poems by both old and new writers. However, the manner they recounted these events in their poetry demonstrates that they were not particularly sensitive to or empathetic to human pain.
Q1. (iii) Fed on God for years
All her feasts were monotonous
For the only dish was always God
And the rest mere condiments.
Ans) The poet makes no attempt to delve into the history of the three-hundred-year-old house beyond what she knows about it. It is currently a dilapidated house with cracked and damaged walls that have been wet by rainfall, as well as fallen tiles, whining and groaning windows, and rodents scampering past the door. The grandmother is described with humour and detachment as someone who is "very basic" and "nourished on God for years," and who is proud of her "oldest blood." Disturbance and deterioration are at work, and the poet's remembrance of the grandmother who is saddened by the house's demise is moving.
Q1. (iv) Bangle sellers are we who bear our shining loads to the temple fair... Who will buy these delicate, bright Rainbow-tinted circles of light?
Ans) The speakers introduce themselves as bangle dealers who sell their wares at the temple fair at the start of the poem. They appeal to the public to purchase their bangles. Their bangles are described as delicate, dazzling, rainbow-tinted rings of light by the hawkers. Adjectives like delicate, dazzling, rainbow-tinted rings of light are used by these peddlers to describe the attributes of their goods.
They encourage passers-by to purchase them for their daughters and wives. To demonstrate that the sellers all share the same goal and purpose, they are all represented by a single voice.
Section B
Q. II Answer the following questions in about 350 words each: 4 x 7.5 = 30
Q1. Give a character sketch of The Master.
Ans) Another intriguing figure in this tale is The Master. The Master, like any other average guy, attends college in his early years, reflecting his desire to learn and educate himself and gain a better grasp of the world around him. He gets a job, marries, and has children, demonstrating his hard work and love for his family. He prospers and gains respect as a result of his pleasant demeanour and appealing attributes toward others. However, one day, he, like the Buddha, abandons everything and renounces the world due to an "inner urge." He reaches the Sanyasi spiritual degree. Through Yoga and meditation, he achieves serenity and insight. The Master identifies Raja, the tiger, as a kindred soul and assists him in his transformation from the subhuman to the superhuman level.
Moreover, despite his accomplishments, the Master refuses to let anyone take "dust from his feet." “You must only prostrate before God,” he asserts. You should simply seek Deity's blessings....the same god dwells within each of us.” The Master's teachings are always wise. “No relationship, human or otherwise, or any partnership of any type could survive forever,” he assures Raja before giving him over to the zoo authorities. Separation is a natural law of life that begins in the mother's womb. If one is to live in God's designs, one must embrace it.” He was a true gentleman with a submissive demeanour, a character worth imitating.
Q2. Discuss the theme of feminism in the novel The Binding Vine.
Ans) The novel "Binding Vine" weaves together three key themes: the institution of marriage, rape, and woman emancipation. Shashi Deshpande shows her readers that marriage is a pain for all of them in the lives of Mira, Urmi's mother-in-law, Vanna, her friend and sister-in-law, Urmi herself, Sulu, and Sakuntai.
Her female heroines in her works rebuild aspects of women's reality and strive to give voice to ‘muted' beliefs, registering opposition. Shashi Deshpande's female heroines are searching for inner strength, and her attempt to convey their frustrations, hopes, and disappointments honestly makes her novels vulnerable to feminist treatment.
Shashi Deshpande deftly addresses the juxtaposition of the two scenarios – rape perpetrated within and outside marriage – in The Binding Vine. Urmila (also known as Urmi), the narrator-protagonist, underlines the sorrow of two women: Mira, who is a victim of marital rape, and Kalpana, who was brutally raped outside of marriage and is now on her deathbed. Shashi Deshpande compassionately conveys the anguish of married women whose bodies are abused by their husbands but who would not object or dare to divulge this to anybody for the sake of social and moral security through this novel. She also brings up the issue of women who are raped outside of marriage. Such unlucky victims typically prefer to suffer in silence rather than face the embarrassment of having their tragedy publicised. Deshpande gives us a look into the life of many other women who are victims of various forms of abuse, oppression, and deprivation through the voice of Urmi.
Q3. Critically analyze the poem ‘A River’.
Ans) Ramanujan's poetry reflects an Indian sensibility that has been honed and shaped by Western education. With the publication of his debut volume of verses, The Striders, he rose to popularity. In 1966, the poem "A River" was released. Ramanujan's pictures and his family have an organic relationship, as evidenced by his poetry. The Vaigai, which runs through Madurai's heart, is the subject of the poem. The poem is about truth, the actuality of the river, and the nature of the present-day-past link. Past poets in Madurai sang about the city, its temples, and the river as being full.
“A River” is a poem about the Vaigai River, which flows through Madurai, a city that has been the seat of Tamil culture for two thousand years. The poem performs brilliantly as a river evocation. At the same time, the river serves as a metaphor for the ironic contrast between the ancient and modern Tamil poets, both of whom are exposed for their callousness to suffering as a result of the floods.
The river dries up to a trickle every summer, and the poets only sung about the floods. Floods are extremely devastating, resulting in the deaths of people and property destruction. However, contemporary Tamil poets continue to repeat the old poets while ignoring reality. It is interpreted as a satire on sensation-seeking poets who write primarily about events that excite them, such as floods, oblivious to the devastation and suffering they create.
The current poem perfectly expresses this increased perception. In Madurai, the city of temples and poets who always sang of cities and temples (not of people), flows the Vaigai River, which dries every summer, exposing the sand-ribs, straw, and women's hair clogging the water gates, with the wet stones sparkling like sleepy crocodiles, and the water buffaloes lazing in the sun. No one, however, sung about the river that had dried up. The poet solely sings about the floods. The dry river is then contrasted with the flooded river, which, as is customary, carried three village cottages, one pregnant woman, and two cows named Gopi and Brinda. The poets continued to sing, but in the traditional tradition of old poets, they exclusively sung about floods.
Q4. Discuss both the surface and deeper meaning of ‘The Lost Child’.
Ans) The storey "The Lost Child" has at least two interpretations. The following are the details:
Surface Level
On the surface, it looks like the child in the narrative, like any other child, yearns for appealing items such as toys, chocolates, balloons, and flowers; nevertheless, after he misses his parents, he loses interest in the items he had previously requested and insists on locating his father and mother.
Deeper Level
The storey is meaningful on a deeper level. The youngster represents all people, whereas the fair represents the entire world. The fair's attractions appeal to the senses: toys entice the eyes (and the mind in general), burfi entices the palate, flowers entice the eyes and nose, balloons entice the eyes, and music entices the ears. To put it another way, these attractions represent a variety of pleasures or temptations that humans encounter at international fairs.
At a deeper level, it appears that the child in the narrative — like any child — yearns for appealing items such as toys, sweets, balloons, and flowers; nevertheless, after he loses his parents, he loses interest in the items he had previously requested; hence, the storey is metaphorical. The youngster represents all people, whereas the fair represents the entire world.
The fair's attractions appeal to the senses: toys entice the eyes (and the mind in general), burfi entices the palate, flowers entice the eyes and nose, balloons entice the eyes, and music entices the ears. To put it another way, these attractions represent a variety of pleasures or temptations that humans encounter at international fairs. God is represented through the parents in the storey. Finally, the lost kid depicts those who have lost touch with God and are lost in the pleasures/temptations of the world fair.
Section C
Q. III Answer the following questions in about 600 words each: 5 x 10 = 50
Q1. Discuss the elements of satire, irony and humour in A Tiger for Malgudi, quoting examples from the text.
Ans) The elements of Satire, Irony and humour in A Tiger for Malgudi is described as follows.
Satire: It is the art of making a subject appear foolish in order to reduce it. Satire appears in Narayan's work when a character, situation, or passage of commentary on some facet of human nature is satirised. Humans believe that they are superior to animals and that animals are inferior to humans. Raja, the tiger, however, makes the following caustic remarks on human nature:
“Human beings have their own theories, and it is always amusing to hear them
think about us. Such ignorance and self-assurance!”
“For one used to the grand silence of the jungle, the noisy nature of humanity was distressing.”
“Tigers attack only when they feel hungry unlike human beings who slaughter one another without purpose or hunger.”
The following are some satirical comments made by the Master:
“Never use the words beast or brute. They are ugly words coined by man in his arrogance. Human beings think all other creatures are ‘brutes’, awful word.”
“He is no brute…no more than any of you here.”
When we look at the incident at the Collector's office, we can see how Narayan mocks officials who do not act quickly and instead insist on following protocol. There are numerous satirical remarks throughout this scene. The following is an example of a piece:
“After a brief moment of observation, the Collector asked, ‘Have you brought your petition in writing?' They were afraid, as if they had no understanding of the world of letters. ‘I can't do action unless there is a written petition,' the Collector remarked, feeling sympathetic. Make an appointment with a petition writer.... Put the petition on one rupee and fifty paise stamp paper and leave it with my office clerk. Then I'll schedule an inspection and take appropriate action.”
There are also sarcastic observations about the overemphasis on official formality in the educational setting. During a discussion on how to get rid of the tiger, several teachers say, "We can't even get a cane without the D.P.I's sanction." (p.127)
“Every time we come, we bring him an offering: cucumbers or sugarcane, pumpkin, melon, or anything else,” Narayan's characters say, satirising the rampant corruption in government offices and on corrupt officials. Despite the fact that he is seldom seen without his hands, he is unhelpful.”
In the school scene, the Chairman of the local branch of the Save Tiger Project proclaims the tiger a man-eater and gives written authorization to Mr. Alphonse after collecting a hefty bribe from the latter.
Irony: It's a claim in which the literal meaning of a term or statement is the polar opposite of the intended meaning. Dramatic irony occurs when the audience shares with the author information that the character in question is unaware of. When Captain suggests performing a trapeze act in a ring of flames, his wife Rita objects, saying:
“I’m not prepared to spare any of my girls or set fire to myself just to please your fancy. I’m not an orthodox wife preparing for sati.” (p. 58) Ironically, Rita commits suicide (Sati) after her husband’s death.
On the set of the movie, there is yet another ironic circumstance. Captain initially refuses to use the whip or electric metal device on the tiger he loves, but when greed for money overcomes him, he uses the electric device on the tiger.
Humour: It is defined as the amused perception of the incongruities of life and the artistic expressions of such perception. The following conversations between
Captain and his wife are humorous:
“All our animals…are in excellent condition”, he boasted at breakfast. “Yes” said his wife, “they are tended better than your family”.
“You must say something unpleasant—otherwise you are never happy.” “Your beloved animals may also have something to say if they could speak.” “While your wit and eloquence are reserved only for the tiger and the rest, I suppose.”
“Yes, they need introduction not you: why are you always talking like this? Something wrong with our horoscopes….” “Your horoscope and the tigers seem to be better matched,” She would say. (p. 68)
It's worth noting that satire, irony, and humour are all intertwined: Satire can contain irony, while satirical statements and ironic situations can contain humour
Q2. The Binding Vine is a stream of consciousness novel. Do you agree? Give reasons for your answers.
Ans) Because it is told from the perspective of Urmi, a bereaved mother whose daughter has died, The Binding Vine is a stream of consciousness novel. This is something that no one ever tells us. Urmi's lamentations provide us with information about it. Associations are the foundation of her consciousness. Anu's death confirms Balaji's death. Balaji reminds her of her childhood days in Ranidurg. According to the storey, Urmi did not live with her grandparents. This can be seen in Urmi's back-and-forth suggestions. Her thoughts, internal monologue, and discourse can all be used to derive her feelings. She had a nice childhood, but she lamented the loss of her parents and hated her mother, Inni, for taking her away.
Urmi regularly employs the interior monologue when discussing life issues and Mira's philosophy of life. Mira may or may not have been raped throughout her marriage; all we know is that she was afraid of her husband's approaches. Urmi notes, "What happened to Kalpana happened to Mira as well" (p. 63). This comment is unspoken; it is nonverbal, yet it is informative. Urmi's conclusion at the end of the storey is an excellent example of internal monologue. Urmi's positivity, life philosophy, tenacity, and success in overcoming her melancholy are all evident in this piece. "I will not break," she says at the beginning of the storey, and she has demonstrated that she is not broken by the end.
The time used in the Kalpana episode is psychic time, however it is combined with clock time. In the present, Kalpana is raped, and we learn about her from Shakutai. Shakutai's memory is at work right now. The present is depicted through the events of Shakutai's daily life, including her suicide, Sulu's visit, and Prakash's misbehaviour. Shakutai only reminisces when she is reliving a previous experience. Her present, on the other hand, is more dismal, and her future, more terrifying. Urmi also lives in the present at this period, keeping note of her activities in real time, such as her visit to Dr. Bhaskar, her walk along the beach, and Amrut's second visit. The past and the present merge in this scene.
Urmi develops into an intriguing figure. Because she is interested in the present and lives in the past through memory and association, her awareness becomes the consciousness of the entire storey. Through repetition, dreams, and recurrence in the structure, Shashi Deshpande has portrayed inner time and constructed a universe that is as real as life.
Q3. Write a detailed note on the rise, development and the main characteristics of the short story.
Ans) In the early nineteenth century, short stories were popular as a literary form. However, the word "short story" was not coined until the second part of the nineteenth century.
The rise of the short story can be attributed to:
the rise of the reading public; in the nineteenth century, an increasing number of people began to read fiction;
the increase in the number of journals that could print fiction;
broad literacy; education was now more generally accessible;
the haste and pace of modern life.
The first three requirements also supported the novel's emergence in the eighteenth century. Those were the days when novels took up a lot of space. In fact, in the nineteenth century, the three-decker novel was a popular phenomenon. A single novel was usually released in three volumes. People nowadays do not have the time or inclination to read such lengthy stories. Short stories, on the other hand, can be read while travelling or relaxing and do not require a substantial amount of time.
The Development of the Short Story
The short storey evolved in the hands of novelists, many of whom were also short storey authors. However, as you will see, the strategies used by novelists and short storey writers are both similar and dissimilar. This may seem perplexing at first, but as you read more short stories and novels, it will become clearer.
Characteristics of a Short Story
All short stories have a beginning and ending and a general purpose. The main features of short stories are:
1. Setting – the place and time where the events take place. These can be stated directly or implied. The short story usually covers a short time span. It is unusual to have several settings in a short story because of it limited length.
2. characters – the number of characters is limited. There may be only one main character (protagonist). We usually meet this character at a crucial point in his life. We may only come to know one or a few of his/her qualities. The other people in the story are usually minor characters.
3. events – the facts that drive forward the action and form the storyline. The way they are arranged and presented by the narrator is called the plot. The short story has one main plot; there is no room for sub-plots.
4. a closure – the “ending” of the narrative, which may solve the problematic issues – in this case the ending is closed – or leave situations unresolved – in this case the ending is open, and story ends with the climax.
5. a narrator – the “voice” that tells the story. The narrator must not be confused with the author, who is a real person. The narrator is purely fictional.
Q4. Why is it important for protagonist to learn swimming in the story ‘Swimming lessons’?
Ans) “Swimming Lessons” is told from the author’s viewpoint except in the italicized portions that use the third person to depict Kersi’s parents’ responses to the mail he sends from Toronto. These are set in Bombay in his parents’ home as they read his communications, first letters and then the manuscript of stories, and discuss their son and his work. Otherwise, the story takes place in an apartment complex in the Don Mills suburb of Toronto, its elevator lobby, its parking lot, and, when the protagonist ventures out to take swimming lessons, the local high school pool.
But it is clear from the opening passages that there is another important setting for this story, namely the memory of the narrator. From the outset, he compares events in his new environment with those back in the Bombay housing complex called Firozsha Baag, where he grew up surrounded by his family and an assortment of quirky, colorful neighbors. In the opening scene, for example, the narrator describes “the old man” (he is never named) who waits for people in the apartment lobby in order to make small talk. As he plays a favorite conversational game, asking people to guess his age, Kersi is reminded of his own grandfather, who had Parkinson’s disease and sat on the veranda of their complex waving at anyone who went by.
After introducing the old man, the Portuguese woman in Toronto, and making the first italicized jump-shift to Bombay, the narrator begins to reveal things about himself. He is candid about his erotic urges as he describes spotting two women sunbathing in bikinis beside the parking lot and his attempts to get a closer look. When they turn out to be less than attractive at close quarters, he remembers the swimming lessons he has signed up for, saying he has that “to look forward to.”
The narrator believes that he must know how to swim in order to be accepted by the Canadians; otherwise, he will remain an outsider who lives among them but is not one of them. His inability to swim at first symbolises the challenges he encounters as an immigrant. However, his determination to take swimming lessons and, as a result, to swim would make him like the other Canadians whose culture he would embrace. As a result, swimming becomes a symbol for his cultural acceptance.
He recounts a conversation with the attendant at the pool registration desk in which he explains his “non-swimming status” and she in turn explains why she never learned to ride a bicycle. After this there is a long passage of memory based on incidences of swimming, water, and religious festivals relating to water in the narrator’s life before immigrating to Canada. He also discusses his newly purchased swimming trunks and recounts a sexual fantasy about them that indicates his high hopes for an erotic encounter at the upcoming swimming lessons. This is followed by another shift to India where the narrator’s parents converse about their son in Canada as they write to him. The first section of the story closes with the introduction of Bertha, the building superintendent, who is yelling at her son as he tinkers with his van in the parking lot. The narrator describes her slavic-language tirades and the family’s general situation—Bertha’s hard work at the apartments, her husband’s factory work and occasional binges of “boozing,” and the son’s seeming lack of any work at all.
The second section opens with the narrator describing his first swimming lesson. There are some bigoted comments from white teenagers as he leaves the locker room. His erotic fantasy does materialize, but only in his mind. He describes his excitement as a woman in the group demonstrates floating face up and he watches her pubic hairs wafting in the water around the edges of her suit. That is the high point. The low point comes when he is asked to paddle to the deep end. He is terrified and almost goes under.
Q5. Discuss the theme of the poem ‘Enterprise’ by Nissim Ezekiel.
Ans) Nissim Ezekiel's poem "Enterprise" is one of the few Indian poems that has received a lot of critical attention. One of Ezekiel's best poetry is this one.
The poem's theme is around a metaphorical trek begun by a group of excited people. Despite the fact that the business started off on a positive note, it ran into some difficulties in the middle. Finally, when they arrived at their objective, they questioned the value of the arduous trek. They recognised it was pointless and concluded, "Home is where we must gather grace." As a result, the narrative poem ‘Enterprise' sends a powerful message. The poem is instructive.
Satire on organized religion:
The pilgrimage that Ezekiel describes is actually a parody of organized religion. He says that organized religion is a sham. It tells the man that pilgrimages and donations are the only way to serve God. It tells the man to follow priests blindly and to ignore their own inner voice. Organized religion causes differences among men and is easily doubted. However, if man’s faith comes from within himself, it can never lead him to the wrong track. It will teach him that to serve God, one must serve his loved ones. It will teach him that piety starts at home. Hence, we should shun organized religion and worship God in our own way.
The futility of life:
One interpretation of the poem says that the pilgrimage described by Ezekiel is actually a metaphor for life. In life, we face many difficulties, we become skeptical, and we often quarrel over trivial issues. However, when we are close to death, we realize that all this is futile. The journey of life itself serves no purpose. One man’s life is but an instant in comparison to the life of the universe. We are misguided in our search for meaning in life. Instead, we should focus simply on looking after our loved ones and making the most of our short time on earth.
The tone of this poem varies frequently from one line to the next. In the beginning, the poet is brimming with enthusiasm. Then when he is beset with difficulties, he starts to lose hope. In the end, he reaches the shrine, but he feels that the journey has been wasted. He is filled with regret when he realizes that home would have been a better place to find one’s faith.
This poem is an allegory, but its purpose is satirical. The poet starts on the pilgrimage hoping to lessen his burdens, but the pilgrimage itself becomes a burden for him. The pilgrimage is undertaken precisely to show how futile pilgrimages are. The message the poet gives us is an important one. It can be summarized in a quote from George A. Moore – “A man travels the world over searching for what he needs and returns home to find it.” Ezekiel’s point is that man searches for faith through pilgrimages and comes to find that it was available at his home all along
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