English Notes For You

A Devoted Son [By : Anita Desai] [A Devoted Son] Introduction : This story is based on 'father-son relationship' in an Indian family. Dr. Rakesh, the devoted son of Mr. Varma, did every thing to keep his parents happy and satisfied. But as the story progresses, situations change, and change the father-son relationship. After his mother's death the relationship between him and his father grew tensed. Their perceptions (the way something is regarded, understood or interpreted) changed. Mr. Varma mistook his son's efforts of treating him. He misinterpreted Rakesh's efforts to be only exercising power over him.  There remained no warmth of love between the two. The old man didn't find any joy in his life. Gradually he developed a death instinct. And, sadly one evening the old man left the world rejecting to take any more medicine. The title is ironic because Rakesh was so overtly devoted and loyal to his father that he wouldn't let his father do what he wanted...

  I Was My Own Route 1. Summary : This poem is composed by Julia de Burgos. Most of her poems are rich with themes of blackness, nationalism, feminism and social justice. In this poem also we find her doing feminism. In other words, she is advocating for equal women rights to those of men. Here her aim is to make women aware of their rights and freedom. She encourages them to detach themselves from the age worn patriarchal norms, and move on the path of  setting up own identity. But she has not put her idea in any argumentative or advisory way. She only presents her own example as to how she detached herself from the age worn  norms to set up her  identity. Initially she was ready to follow the norms set up by male-dominated society. But she felt she was a different stuff, she was not a woman of the 'past', she was she was made of 'nows'.  With this realization she boldly defied (refused to obey) the idea that her course of life would be determined by the males....