Sakhi ve mujhse keh kar jaate by Maithali sharan gupt

Introduction

In the beginning of 20th century the most popular bhasha (language) used in Hindi lierature was braj and second awadhi. Khari boli (spoken hindi) was not used in hindi poetry. Maithali sharan gupt is considered among the pioneers of khari boli. He was a student of Mahavir Prasad dvivedi, an Indian literary writer and editor. Maithali sharan was a receiver of Padma bhushan award.
Sakhi ve mujhse keh kar jaate is one of his very well known poems.

My point of view
Sakhi ve mujhse keh kar jaate ( friend, I wish he had told me before going). I think the title very well explains the concept of the poem. Not very complicated as it was one of the starting write ups in Khari boli as mentioned before.
Its a narrative by Yashodhra(wife of Gautam Buddh) as she speaks to a friend about the pain she felt when Buddha left for his journey of enlightenment  without even informing her about his departure.
She wonders if he thought that she would have been an obstacle. She wonders if he ever really completely understood her, when she understood even his unsaid words. (That actually contradicts the poem cause then she should have understood that he wants to leave). She talks about how women in those time would keep control on their emotions and send their spouses for fighting in the wars from where they might never return.(basically highlighting their sacrificing behavior). Her eyes call him unkind but her tears and heart say the contradictory, maybe he should have just told her,she says,in an act of pity. She wonders whom to even taunt about it since he was gone and doesn't want him to be upset due to her in any way. She hopes and believes that when he returns he will get something beautiful and new to the world. But then also what would she be singing, she thinks, that he could have just told her and gone.
I do not quite know how to review this piece of literature.
Its acceptable(to an extent) and good and talks about emotions that really matter to someone but the whole idea of the situation seems a bit absurd to me. I understand the generation gap problem but there is something more to it. I mean. Buddha went to spread love. His definition of love however clearly didn't support his wife's definition of love. His love was for the people, for the world etc. Which is not wrong. That was his thought and its totally fine to me. But if there were such problems they shouldn't have married. And if they married and then the problem came up later they should have separated? Don't take me wrong it's not even about being modern. Its about being a victim. Its funny how people fail to notice how the woman has been victimised in the name of loyalty and love. Its plain stupid to self pity and lament this way. There might have been limitations in those times. But that just further proves how royalty and loyalty was inhumanly confused with mental and emotional victimization of women. I am not criticizing or going against your opinion but I personally don't find any greatness in this whole act. Its filled with pain which could be avoided. If not communication (which won't happen cause women must not complain) separation could have been a good enough solution to deal with the issue. Anyway its past or fiction and I hope we learn something good out of it. That surely would be enlightment then.
And yeah I think it's totally human to fall in love with another human and expect and wish and COMPLAIN.
PS: I don't know much about lord Buddha but this is my interpretation of the poem.

SemestaCruinneArt

First 20 pages of The little prince by Antoine de saint

Introduction
Antoine de saint exupéry was a french writer,poet,journalist  who has won France's highest literary awards and also the US national book award. One of his finest works include the 64 page novella - The little prince.
Prior to the war, The little prince was translated into over 250 languages and dialects.

My point of view
Interestingly the author of our story ,here, was a successful pilot and the story itself also starts with a similar lifestyle. Probably because we write best about things we can directly or closely relate to (in my opinion). Then comes imagination and creativity(again, in my opinion).
Sir Antoine has written a beautiful novella for no particular age group. It's an illustrative text with easy vocabulary, also containing humorous parts for the reader to enjoy.
However if read through carefully, very major and important issues have been raised in this literary piece.
I shall not give out the suspense or even hint you with his intelligent and wistful frames. Mostly (till where I have read yet) it questions the systematic and so called thoughtful and practical behaviour of the grown ups. It talks about how one's light can be another one's darkness. It gives out beautifully weaved trick lines. One of my favourite talking about a sheep being able to eat a huge plant. How? You shall figure out. I strongly recommend everyone to read this book.

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Pigs can't fly by Shyam Silvadurai

To my parents, 

Christine and David Selvadurai,

for believing that pigs can fly.

Introduction
Shyam Selvadurai is a Sri Lankan Canadian novelist who wrote Funny Boy, which won the Books in Canada First Novel Award.In 2013 Shyam's Funny Boy was included in the syllabus under marginalized study and gay literature of the under graduation English Department of The American College in Madura.In 2014, Shyam was presented the Bonham Centre Award from The Mark S. Bonham Centre for Sexual Diversity Studies, University of Toronto, for his contributions to the advancement and education of issues around sexual identification.
Through his readings we learn more about gender, sexuality, behavior structure, transgender, lesbian, gay, cross- dressing, homo/heterosexuality etc.
Funny boy was written in 1994.
This story is in flashback, it's a non- autobiographical(fictional set up) and emphasizes on sexual inequalities.

My point of view
Family politics, sexual issues,biased sexual abnormalities, innocence of childhood are the main topics that have been raised. Society as a system has been questioned up on. Acceptance of the different or the unexpected in a society. And good parenting has been questioned.
Its a first person narration but must not be confused with autobiography. Its a story of transition of a child into an adult.
Arjie(Arjun), the narrator, our protagonist, a seven year old young kid, has a great inclination towards girls' games and fascination towards dressing up like a beautiful lady. He has the idea of a bride as a graceful, benevolent, perfect being upon whom the adoring eyes of the world rested. He could not comprehend the fun of standing in the sweltering sun and running around in the field sweating, like the other boys did.
The story starts by introducing (us) the reader to  -spend-the-day- concept of holiday which occurred once in a month to the characters of the story. The kids were sent off to the grandparents' and the adults went off to enjoyably spent their recreation day.
It has been mentioned that the narrator is a migrant from Sri Lanka because of the communal violence and has then settled in Canada. The story however is set in the early years, that is in Sri Lanka.
The kids were divided into two groups, largely boys and girls. The narrator however was the part of the girls' team. The coming of Tanuja and her parents (relatives from abroad), has been called revolting by the narrator. Initially the hierarchy of the girls' game where Arjie was at the top was not disturbed. But as Arjie's instinct says and the actions and reactions explain, Tanuja's parents had an underline meanness due to their own personal reasons. Not too late, Arjie was humiliated in front of the whole family one evening, by them, mostly as a revenge of not treating their daughter as the princess. Arjie's father reacted in a protective and worried manner, by protective I do not mean he supported his child, but 'protected' the kid from getting 'spoiled' further. He blamed the mother and the mother unwillingly did as she was 'suppose to'. She forced Arjie to be who he was not and do what he was unwilling to.
(Above single quoted words are a mockery to the society in the story)
The whole scenario indeed, hurt Arjie in an unknown manner. Something changed forever in him, but he was not very sure what. The not-completely-understood insult, the laughter of the elders, the domination by "Her fatness"(Tanuja), the disapproval from the father, the abandonment and change in relationship with the mother, not just confused Arjie but left him feeling like a misfit. The story then briefly explains the realization by Arjie about his abnormality and his acceptance towards the fact that that was the instant which had left the life at a point when everything could not be expected to be same again or ever again. This was again his instinct and his faith in his instinct was pointed over and over again.
Meena was the foil(adding irony through another character) in the story which led to bias behavior even in sexual abnormalities. Chelva, the father was the eldest son, which added on to the family politics. The Sari that Arjie carried and wore for the game played a crucial role and Arjie's sister was shown as a constant emotional support to Arjie.
Now do I really need to ask questions, for the writer has given them all, right on our faces. All I can ask is, after all, who decides what?

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Games at twilight by Anita Desai

Introduction

Anita Desai has been shortlisted for the Booker Prize three times,she received a Sahitya Academy Award in 1978 for her novel Fire on the Mountain.
She has been touted by British Writers' A. Michael Matin as "one of the preeminent contemporary Indian novelists," even referred to by many as the Mother of the Indian psychological novel genre.
Games at twilight is a part of her collection of short stories. It's about a child Ravi, growing in a well off family, a regular family and his mock experience of death. The story touches themes like - Hierarchy, Ageism and meaning of friends and family.

My point of view
Ageism (also spelled "agism") is stereotyping and discriminating against individuals or groups on the basis of their age. This may be casual or systematic.
(quoting Wikipedia)
Time and again this issue is raised, Is age directly related to one's wisdom, knowledge and power?In this story by Anita Desai, too, this crucial issue has been brought up. Here along with age the hierarchy lies in the size of the body(physical strength). This can be understood also by analyzing the first few minutes(1.25 mins) of the first sound cartoon by Walt Disney in 1927 - Steamboat Ville.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8nfEIHcsR8c
The bigger chimney hits the smaller one, the larger animal hits mickey and mickey also hurts the smaller bird. And we laugh, absent minded ly. However, in the story, it is impossible to do so.
Throughout the story, the author reminds us of the dark side of life - the end (death). She also uses the color purple - the color of wounds to describe certain things in the story frequently. Which makes it difficult to ignore the underline theme of tragedy of life and darkness of death in the story. She talks of discrimination on the basis of age and size as our main character Ravi has been dealt with.
Ravi's attempt to triumph against the 'bigger' older cousin clearly shows so.
The story has been plotted in a well off regular Indian family during some summer vacation(could be a weekend). This can be figured out as the author talks about the children playing freely and the elders sitting out in the garden.
Its funny how the author emphasizes on the way "death" has been used as just a word by the children in their games of hide and seek and funeral game. They fail to understand the meaning and the intensity of the word and the verb 'dying'. Until the protagonist, Ravi feels it creep up his body through his experience of being cleanly erased from the scene and the minds of others. He feels the insignificance of his mere existence. When he comes out of the hiding place ( the dark room near the garage) he was treated in a manner much unexpected and unaccepted by Ravi. He realized they have been oblivious of his absence. The children and the mother, in straight terms - DID NOT CARE enough to even find out that he was absent forget alone finding where he was. The mother asked him to not act like a baby. And the children resumed their funeral game, at the time when Ravi wanted to feel victorious. Not only was he not appreciated but also demotivated and casually scolded by the mother. As if he was a disgrace, when Ravi himself wanted to be the looked-upon-at one.
I think its a great story and I can much relate to the kid Ravi and his absolutely SIGNIFICANT experience of feeling INSIGNIFICANT. The questions risen here are many. First of all AGEISM itself is a big question. Is it really fair? Then whose fault was it? Was Ravi 'allowed' to feel what he felt? Was it the fault of the mother? Can smaller experiences leave bigger impacts? Can feathers be heavy? I think its a turning point in Ravi's life. Cause .It shows the thin line between a casual experience and a tormenting one. The child had never felt the same and will never again, for he learnt an important lesson of life, that is,there is an end and in the end, its just you.

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I stand here ironing by Tillie Olsen

Introduction

Tillie Olsen was an american writer who was associated with the political turmoil of 1930s and the American feminists. Quite parallel to that, the story has been written during the great depression in world economy(1929-1932). The main themes covered are - parenting rather mothering issues, issues of gender and quite significantly the problematic times in which the story has been plotted.

 Not to forget Tillie Olsen won the O'Henry award in 1961(America) for the title story for her collection of "Tell me a riddle".

My point of view

And then to get hit by the car wasn't the beggar's fault and to hit the footpath due to long hours of work wasn't the sleep deprived driver's fault either. Both were hurt.

You know, at times I look up, but then I am compelled to look down. 

 Is it really always in our hands? is willingness enough? A blind person willing to see, how much so ever she wants, CANNOT. But we often fail to understand in capabilities of others and ourselves. We fail to understand that there are situations, circumstances, places, people and a lot more that makes us act in a certain manner. We cannot always play the blame game.
Tillie Olsen, in my view is trying to repeatedly emphasize on this. I stand here ironing is an indirect narration, where the narrator's thoughts have been portrayed in a  much- appreciable manner. The author starts as the narrator stands ironing and thinks about a statement passed on to her regarding her child. This takes the narrator to old times and she factually narrates her coarse behavior towards her first child, Emily. However, it is very interesting the way the narrator does NOT blame herself for the same until she finds it reasonable. It is also interesting the way the narrator accepts her own mistakes and all the harsh realities even in her thoughts. She was being honest. To herself. So, to begin with she speaks about her first motherhood and her trials to make it pleasant. She was 19 and a single mother during the great depression in America. This can be found out as the author talks of pre-WPA (work progress administration) which was formed for dealing with world depression in America. The mother was young, and so was the  child. No experience, no knowledge, the mother had no job(which indicates she had no family support and probably was a migrant)or money to sustain or raise her child. It has been shown how she tried to the best of her knowledge to live and grow Emily best in the worst scenario. However the question that rises here is, is willingness enough? Did the mother choose to be where she was? and Emily? who was constantly neglected, ignored, left alone, choose to feel the way she did? At times we feel what we feel, and its not simple to explain, justify, classify or even understand it. At times situations are hard and people's behavior hurt. No matter what. The intensity of the feeling cannot be measured in accordance to the action always. The person might feel worse or better than imagined and might react in a different manner failing to understand the reason behind the act from the perspective of the actor. Emily here feels, in simple words, horrible. (as per the narration) She has been sent to the neighbor, the father's family, the nursery school,convalescent home neither of which were welcoming and she had not had oh-so-great-time at home either. At a young age she had delusions as she heard the wall clock talk. She was a weak child caught by numerous diseases throughout her childhood. She did not look 'Shirley Temple' which was again an irony as the narrator calls her the most beautiful by birth. When sent for education she was found slow which was easily declared as inability to learn for the world worked (and still does) on glibness and quickness. Later she suffered asthma. She grew in the age of depression, of war , of fear. She was trained as the mother of her sisters and brothers and quite evidently missed her own childhood. But here is the catch. Does the story really revolve around Emily? Or what her mother feels of her? Her guilt? And her regret and her pride? Pride? yes towards the end the author has given a twist by showing our protagonist Emily as a 'comedian' in the story's present! The mother is then filled with pride and hope. And optimistic feeling. In the present Emily's age is 19. The author is clearly trying to draw the difference between Emily and her mother's life at that age. The narrator( mother) seems to be content about her daughter AT LEAST not falling in the same fate. And so questions the remark given on 'does Emily really need help'? She feels she can find her own way. But can she really? Is a big question mark to the reader.

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Hunger by Jayanta Mahapatra

Introduction
Jayanta mahapatra is the first ever Indian poet to win sahitya akademi award for English poetry. The poem 'hunger' was originally a part of the poet's collection "A rain of rites". The poem is a post facto narration of an event.

My point of view
The title depicts hunger of two kinds
. One is the hunger of food and the other is sexual gratification. The issue highlighted is the insignificance of woman's body. The way the fisherman talks about the girl and casually asks the narrator to 'feel' the girl who is actually his own daughter not only disgusts but also leaves a huge question mark on the mere existence of a female. its not general discrimination but harassment because of gender bias. The oil lamp's spot shows the routine behaviour of the act. The girl opens her legs absent minded-ly. Is she left with any life in her?
The poet tries to reason the act by mentioning the severe poverty faced by the fisherman and her family. at the age of laughing and learning the girl has been made a prostitute(no softer word). I understand that the person cannot afford education or even food for the child. but somehow. It is still not enough for a justification. For to die inside is no less than dying outside. For to me food is just as important as dignity.  For life is not just about physical presence or bodily existence. It is more than that
which the fisherman seems to either not understand or neglect. and the leaves the narrator in a dilemma questioning his complicity. His confused desperation can be understood in lines such as 'hope lay perhaps in burning the house I lived in'.
However All these supposedly 'bad' things makes us hover only on the practical side. what about philosophy? I fail to understand.  The meaning of prostitution. or the meaning of the term given to selling of one's body. One comprises. of mind and body, everyone says. exploitation of mind for money is fair but exploitation of body for money isn't?  what does it mean? body has more worth than mind? or the body matters Oh - my - god so much. why doesn't one understand that it is equally important for dignity to sustain for a living as it is for the stomach.(as said before) to earn to eat. to live. can lead to selling of body. why is it a crime anyway? If it's not forceful. well it becomes forceful for its termed bad. If beauty if paintings can cost. If beauty on stage can cost. why can't beauty in bed cost?
If life gave a chance no one would probably choose to fall. but if fall isn't in selling a body then one would probably not miss the chance.
If its all about money.  then please let it be all about money. plus. its not. even regarding human emotions directly. she is not paid to love. she is paid to have sex. and if you think it can emotionally detoriate a person. any job can.  washing a vomited sink can.
But no. what's wrong is the word. prostitute.
Why?  simply.  cause it's.  - "bad"
When someone is miserable,dear. when someone has nothing to give. no service no good. She gives what is naturally given to her and is naturally asked for.
She gives her body.
And when thirst and hunger kills.
It doesn't bother.Nothing does.

SemestaCruinneArt