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....

  The Awakening Age By: Ben Okri 1. Awaking ---- What is it ? Awaking is the act of waking up from sleep.  It also refers to a new or sudden consciousness. Any time you realize or accept something important and life changing, it can be called an 'awaking'. 2. The Awakening Age : Title Justification  Ben Okri is a Nigerian poet. In this poem the poet communicates with his country people by addressing them directly.   The Nigerians have suffered a lot in the age long slavery imposed upon them by  their white rulers. Furthermore, the three years of devastating civil war smashed their lives into pieces. They are in the mud of poverty, misery, uneducatedness, despair and segmentation.  Here the speaker presents a new vision for the betterment of his countrymen where there will be hopes, glory, joy, unity, and harmony. That is, they have to enter into an age of awakening. The awakening age is a new age/era of enlightenment where a new new world is reign...