BLOCK 2 AN IRISH ROSE, KALPANA CHAWLA 1.

. The author realized that Rose had pawned the birth day gift to buy milk for her beloved baby mother. The author made an entry in his diary that evening. What would he have written in his diary? When I met her today, I was thinking that Rose would be wearing the new dress sent to her. But she was still in her rags. I asked about the new clothes. She told me that she had pawned it to buy milk for her baby. I just could not understand how a small girl like Rose could love her small brother so much. I wondered how she got such a loving mind. I should do something more for this girl. I should immediately contact Fr. Walsh and solve her problems. 2. Character sketch of Rose Donegan Rose Donegan was a girl of fourteen. She has four younger brothers. Her mother had died when the youngest boy was only one month old. She was particularly devoted to her younger brother. Her father was a weak person who worked occasionally in the docks. He spent most of his money and time in a nearby bar. With such an irresponsible father around, Rose had to assume the role of a mother to the young children. She never complained or cursed. The author sent a birthday gift to her. But she pawned the gift to feed baby Michael. She was the perfect example of selflessness and sacrifice. It was with great reluctance she left the baby with the friends of the author. But the moment she hears that the baby has pneumonia she rushes to him to nurse him. She nursed so much that ultimately she herself got infected and had to pay with her life. She was the incarnation of duty and devotion. Rose will ever remain a shining rose in our minds. 3. Character of Kalpana Chawla Kalpana Chawla was born into a conservative middleclass family in Haryana. Right from her childhood she dreamt of stars. Her father wanted her to be a doctor or a teacher. But against the wishes of her parents and relatives and even the Department, she took Aeronautical Engineering. Kalpana chose a field which was supposed to be meant only for men. She was the only female student choosing aeronautical engineering. She was filled with immense self confidence, determination, will power and intelligence. These qualities helped her to become the first Indian woman to travel into space. She would often say, If the boys can do it, then why cant I? She became a global celebrity following her successful space flight in Columbia. Kalpanas death was quite unexpected. She dies as Columbia burnt up in the sky, just 16 minutes before the scheduled landing. Kalpana became an inspiration for the whole world. 4. Problems of women Women in the present day face a lot of adversities. Being born as a woman becomes almost a curse to many women and they suffer their entire lives. One of the worst things in India is the dowry system. Even poor people who have not even enough to eat are expected to pay huge dowries to their daughters. Although there are laws against dowry, people still demand and get it. Another adversity women face is the lack of security. Working women are faced with a lot of unpleasant situations at their place of work. Some others have unpleasant experiences while they travel in buses and trains. The newspapers report incidents of rapes, sexual harassment, immoral trafficking, sex rackets etc. almost every day. Women are the victims in most of these incidents. Another adversity women face is the lack of equal pay for equal services. People employ men and women to do the same kind of job. But at the end of the day the men get much more in wages than women. This is injustice. There are also some jobs which men think that only they can do. This is not right. Women can excel in any area. We have the bright example of Kalpana Chawla who has become a citizen of the Milky Way. Proper enlightenment and severe punishment are necessary for the protection of women from evil people. We must realize that women have the same rights and freedom as men. 5. Kalpana Chawla had to face many difficulties in fulfilling her dream. Imagine that you are Kalpana Chawla and write a diary entry about your first day in the Punjab Engineering College. Day, Time, Date I feel terribly lonely today. I want to do Aeronautical Engineering course. There is no one in my family to support me. I went to Punjab Engineering College with great expectations. But they were not at all willing to admit me. They consider it as pure foolishness for a girl to join this course. They think that this is not suitable for a girl. If the boys can do it, then why cant I? Anyway I will persuade them to give me admission in Aeronautical Engineering. 6. Who are more courageous boys or girls? There is a general belief that boys are more courageous than girls. Physically there is great difference between the male and the female. But intellectually and mentally women are on

a par with men. Yet, women have been considered as the weaker sex and they have been confined to the kitchen since time immemorial. But now that system is changed. When we think of Jhansi Rani, Kalpaan Chawla, Indira Gandhi, we find that they also are equally courageous as men. They have shown their excellence in fields and professions demanding courage and spirit, like military, space travel etc. Thus we can see that girls are not behind boys in courage and adventurous actions. Men and women must realize their roles and strive to complement each other in their life. As men or women we all have rights as human beings. We should celebrate the differences that exist between us. Each must happily respect and honour the others strengths and weaknesses. Women give and nurture life. Men protect and gather for those giving and nurturing. It is a perfect combination of strengths and weaknesses. At last we are people, not gender.