SELECTION OF MODERN ESSAYS

B.A
PART-II
NOTES
 PAKISTAN AND MODERN WORLD
BY LIAQUAT ALI KHAN
Q 1. What were the differences between the Hindus and the Muslims?

Ans. Liaquat Ali Khan was the first prime minister of Pakistan. On a visit to U.S.A he addressed
the Americans in the University of Kansas City. In his address he threw light on the demand,
creation and future of Pakistan. He enlisted the causes that led to the creation of Pakistan. The
main cause was that of the differences present in the Hindu and the Muslim ways of life. In the
sub-continent one hundred million Muslims lived with three hundred million Hindus. Their
ways of living, their history, their heroes, their opinions and their beliefs were totally different.
They came in conflict at almost every step. Moreover, the Muslims were ruling Hindustan
before the British, so it was natural for the British as well as the Hindus to be hostile to them.
The gulf between these two nations was so unfathomable that it was impossible for them to
live together. Just consider if the touch of a Muslim could have corrupted the religion or belief
of a Hindu, so there was no question of their living together in harmony.

The basic difference was socio-religious. The Muslims believed in one God but the Hindus had
many gods. The Muslims believed in the Prophets of Allah and specially in the last Prophet,
(P.B.U.H) but the Hindus did not. Their rites and rituals were quite contrary to each other. The
social system of Islam stood in sheer contrast with the Hindu ways of living. The Muslims
believed in equality of all men while the Hindus observed a strict caste system. They
considered the members of upper caste as super-human and the members of lower castes
were thought to be semi-human. The lower classes had no rights and they were not even a
allowed to enter in the cities while Islam was totally opposed to such beliefs and practices. The
Muslims regarded even priesthood as unnecessary hurdle in the relation of man and his
Creator. The Muslims had definite laws of inheritance but the Hindus did not have. Islam
stressed on trade while the Hindus preferred interest. The Muslims gave the right of private
ownership to all whether a man or woman but the Hindus did not. They treated their woman as
a “thing” and gave no rights to her but Islam gave respect to a lady and she was given all the
human rights.

The differences of these two nations were so deep rooted and pervasive that it had become
impossible for both of them to co-exist. The differences were so deep and wide that even their
dressing style, eating habits and the way of constructing their homes were at the opposite
corners of a gulf.
 If we carefully analyze these factors, we come to know that the demand of Pakistan was quite
reasonable. These differences were so strong as to cause serious conflicts between the two
nations, which have now been dissolved to some extent, by the creation of Pakistan.

Q 2. What is freedom? Why did the Muslims of the sub-continent demand a separate
homeland for themselves?
Ans. Every man has a right to live freely, so is the case with the nations. All the nations have a
right to spend their lives according to their own specific principles and codes of life. Freedom
means to be free in all respects. In past, the freedom was considered to be an external
phenomenon. A nation free from foreign domination was considered to be free. But today its
meanings have widened. Now freedom means to be free physically as well as mentally. The
freedom of belief, the freedom of action and the freedom of expression all help to construct
this idea. The true freedom is to be free from want, from poverty and disease. These factors
are very important to make a nation strong. If a nation is lacking in all these aspects, it can
never be able to preserve its freedom because to get the freedom is hard but to maintain it, is
harder. In the British India the Muslim were leading a backward life. They were not given equal
chances to develop side by side with the Hindus. Almost all the Muslims were uneducated;
they were not in the jobs. Civil and military bureaucracy was in the hands of the British or the
Hindus. The Muslims had no industries. They had no traders. They had very few skilled
people. In a backward country, the Muslims were even more backward economically and
industrially.

Politically, the Hindus joined hands with the British against the Muslims. As a result of all these
conspiracies the Muslims were undermined at every stage. The Hindus cheated the Muslims in
all the joint movements and left them in lurch. A glaring example is the Tehrik-e-Khilafat, when
Mr. Gandhi retreated with out taking the Muslim leaders in confidence and the Muslims had to
bear the brunt of this war and its consequences. They were victimized in every way.

Religiously, the Hindus were very intolerant towards all other religions, especially Islam. Every
other day there erupted the Hindu- Muslim clashes on religious grounds. in fact India was badly
plagued with these riots.

These were the conditions that prevailed before the demand of Pakistan. The Muslims realized
that in British India, their future would be completely tarnished and they would never be able
to make themselves developed in any way. So they decided to make the demand of Pakistan.
It was a reasonable demand on political, geographical and human grounds. With utmost efforts
they managed to carve the name of Pakistan on the map of the World.

Q 3. What were the problems of Pakistan as a new state?

Ans. In 1947, Pakistan was carved out on the map of the world. The Muslims, being backward
and victimized in the united India, were not expected to build up a new state of eighty million
people. The infrastructure of the government was yet not made. It had to be started from
scratch. They had no capital and no flag. The administrative machinery had to be built up from
zero. Pakistan was given an army but its personnel were dispersed far and wide. They had no
military equipment. Their share of the military equipment of the British India, which was
allotted to them on paper, remained largely undelivered even after too many years.

The industrial and economical base of the nation was practically nothing. There was no
industry, trade or skilled workers in the country.

The biggest problem that Pakistan had to face was the inrush of seven million homeless
refugees who had been driven out of India. They came over to Pakistan in a miserable plight to
seek shelter.

It was the resolution and faith of the Pakistanis that supported them in this time to solve all
these problems and a strong country was created in the world by a determined and brave
nation.

Q 4. How was the creation of Pakistan necessary for the peace of the world?

Ans. After the Second World War, scenario of the world greatly changed. The British had to
leave their colonies. India was also a colony of Britain and the international pressure forced
them to leave India too. But before leaving India, they had to divide it into two parts; India and
Pakistan. The creation of Pakistan was very vital for the world peace. The Muslim and the
Hindu factions of India always remained at daggers drawn. Their leaders and followers all were
incompatible with each other. Communal violence was a matter of every day. Both the
communities were highly intolerant and violent towards each other. Its stark evidence came at
the time of migration when thousands of men were slaughtered mercilessly. The enmity and
hostility was let loose and inhuman cruelty was witnessed.

By the creation of Pakistan, this problem was solved once and for all. But if these two
inflammable nations would have to live together, the intensity and magnitude of disruption
could easily be gauged. In such a case, the sub-continent would have become a danger zone in
Asia. The peace of the whole world would have been on stake. Even now, when they live in
separate countries, they have to fight several wars but if these wars were to take place inside a
single country, the extent of danger would have been thousand times more than it is now.

So the creation of Pakistan was important for the peace of the world as well as for the
development of the Muslims of the sub-continent.
Q 5. How can the Western Countries help third-world countries?

Ans. The Asian countries had been languishing under the British rule for many centuries. They
had to undergo two world wars as their fuel. Britain badly exploited and looted the resources
of this region during the middle ages.

The eighteenth and nineteenth centuries were the times, when on one hand these oppressed
countries of the East were fighting to get themselves free from the clutches of slavery while on
the other hand the West was making enormous progress on a very swift pace. The
industrialization and the advent of science had altogether changed the face of the world
civilization. These were the times that the eastern people missed due to the tyranny of the
West. They were pushed at least two centuries back.

Now, when they have gained their freedom, they can get this treasure of knowledge and skills
from the West and utilize it in their own region. The differences between the East and the
West have created a wide gulf between the living standards of both the people. The
dissatisfied and deprived masses of this region are quite impatient they want to wade through
this gulf as soon as possible. This impatience can cause some serious problems for the peace of
the world. The West and specially America should share its fund of knowledge, skill and
scientific progress with these backward nations so that the balance in the world civilization can
be established and maintained. In this way the world can be saved from the revolutions, wars
and riots.

The ideological funds, like the values of liberty, freedom of expression, rights of the individual
and democracy can also be shared with these people. This is the only way to create equilibrium
in the world.
 THE ECLIPSE
Q 1. Describe the scene of people's journey towards the North?
Ans. Virginia Woolf was a distinguished essayist who possessed a brilliant imagination and a
creative intelligence. She was a sensitive artist who went deep down into the nature and origin
of the things and recorded her observations in a keen and subtle way.
She described her experience about a June night when everybody in England was curious to
witness the solar eclipse. It was to take place very early in the morning and could be clearly
seen in the North of England. So, a very large number of people traveled to the North for this
purpose. All were on the roads. There was no sleep or fixity in England that night. Everyone
was thinking about the dawn. Some people were travelling in their cars and some in
trains. Everyone was pointing to the north. The atmosphere was full of excitement and
anticipation.

The sky gained too much importance that night. As the time was advancing, the consciousness
about the sun and the sky was increasing. At that day people were thinking only about the sun
and their relation with every thing was completely changed. They were related to the whole
world. Their experience was universal and cosmic. They had gone there for a disembodied
intercourse with the sky.
The activity and fervour of these people was only due to their concern for the world and its
future. That’s why they travelled in a large number to witness this natural phenomenon.

Q 2. Describe the atmosphere before the eclipse?

Ans. On a June night, a large number of people travelled to the north of England to view the
solar eclipse. People were full of excitement and curiosity. Their motive was same, as was their
destination. Every thing looked pale before the eclipse. The river and fields were colourless.
The flowers waved palely.

Nothing was clearly visible. People had gathered from far and wide of England and this
congregation presented a strange scene. The farmers of that area also joined the procession of
the eclipse-watchers. They had a sense of keeping an appointment with an actor of such vast
proportion who would come silently and be everywhere. The ignorant ladies of that area were
unable to understand the motives and activities of this procession.

People were standing on a high hill, above a brown valley. Everyone was over dressed due to
cold but still it was too cold because they were standing on a wet spongy ground almost in a
swamp. Some people were sitting on their nylon coats and were eating among cups and plates.
No one was an individual there; they had lost all the signs of individuality. They had become
the emblems of a collective human mind and sensibility. They looked very dignified. It seemed,
as they were the statues of humanity on the vast ridge of the earth.

They thought themselves to be very old. They looked like the members of the sun-worshipper
of primeval age who used to gather on a certain place in Stonehenge to worship the early
morning sun. At the time of solar eclipse, they thought that their “sun god” was annoyed so
they made different sacrifices and tried to please their god. Virginia thought that they also
looked like those worshippers because they had also religiously undertaken this journey to
salute the dawn.

Meanwhile, the sun was rising. Its rays fell on the earth but soon the clouds held it and its face
was completely covered with a thick blanket of clouds. The sun was trying to get free before
the sacred seconds of the eclipse were up. So, it was the scene that led to the actual scene of
the solar eclipse.

Q 3. Describe the scene of eclipse?

Ans. At the moment of sunrise the clouds gathered round the sun and covered it fully. The sun
violently tried to get itself free. For some moments, the clouds subsided and the sun shone
with its full splendor. The valley and trees regained their colours but soon the clouds started a
race again. They tried to muffle its face completely. The sacred time of twenty-four seconds
began. The sun was racing frantically to come out of this darkness. Clouds spread, they
thickened and it seemed as if the sun would never be able to show itself. People got
disappointed and thought that they would not be able to witness the eclipse. All realized that
the sun was being defeated. The colours went away from the valley. Out of twenty-four, only
five seconds of eclipse remained.

Still the sun was obscure. People were extremely dejected and they turned away from the dull
cloud blanket in front to the moor behind. All were pale, all were livid but they felt that
something more was yet to come. Shadows became darker and darker. The flesh and the blood
of the world were dead; only the skeleton was left. Suddenly, there was a slight movement and
the sun was able to rescue itself. It slowly and gradually came ahead. All the humiliation and
disgrace of the sun was over. The light returned. It seemed that the life on the earth had been
reshaped. The sun regained its grandeur and splendor.

This gave a new vision to people that the earth is made up of colours and the colours are due to
the sun. If there is no sun, there is no life. So, the importance of sun should be realized. This
was a thrilling experience about the earth and its sun.
Q 4. What is the conclusion of this essay?

Ans. This is a descriptive essay by Virginia Woolf, who has forcefully portrayed the atmosphere
of a specific June night, with its minute details.

She presented the hustle and bustle at the Euston railway station with its body and soul. The
outward activity was blended with mental excitement of people. Their purpose was to view the
eclipse at dawn. All went to the north to witness it. The world seemed as a different place to
them. Their relation with everything was new and unique. They experienced the early morning
eclipse and understood the reality of earth as a planet and our life on this plan. The cloud-
covered sun was racing to get itself free. The absence of the sun made everyone realize its
importance and its re-emergence seemed to be a new life for the earth and its inhabitants. The
life on the earth was reshaped and remoulded. The importance of the sun was affirmed and
verified. This experience revealed that the earth is made of colours and colours are due to the
sun. Today atomic and industrial wastes are badly damaging the sun and sunlight. The chloro-
floro carbons are piercing the ozone layer. The atomic experiments are heating this planet up
and are causing a disturbance in the whole solar system. The world authorities should carefully
check these things to rectify the situation. The thesis of the writer is to stress on the
importance of the sun.
 THE WHISTLE OF THE BIRD
BY D.H LAWRENCE
Q 1. What does the whistling of birds indicate?
Ans. Whistling of birds is a philosophical essay that expresses some stark realities of life in a
very simple and straightforward way. D.H. Lawrence exhibits a strong attachment and affection
to nature and has deep understanding of different natural phenomena. He recorded the
attitude and reactions of birds with the skill and accuracy of an ornithologist. The writer knows
that whistling of birds is not a meaningless thing rather it indicates something of great
importance.
The writer describes the destruction caused by writer and its effects, especially on birds. A
number of birds have died due to the extremity of cold snowy weather. Their dead bodies lie
scattered at every place. Their flesh has been eaten away by some predators. Almost all types
of birds have been perished. The vitality and vigor of the living birds is gone. They have to live a
very limited life due to frost. Suddenly the winter-struck birds realize the wind of change. They
start cooing, the sounds of birds become louder and louder with the melting snow. Still the
effects of winter can be seen on the earth but the birds perceive the change and collect
themselves to announce the retreat of the army of winter. They always believe that if spring
has gone, the winter would also go and gain the joyous and lively era of spring will come in
effect.

So the whistling of birds is indicative of a new life. The birds announce the power of life over
death. They seem to say that the living being can be killed but the urge to live can never be
stopped. It will remain there until the last moments of the last man or animal or vegetation on
the earth. The life and hope never die and they always give power to fight with the death and
destruction. So, the birds can be called the heralds of “Hope” and “Life”.

Q 2. Where does the happiness come from?

Ans. D.H.Lawrence is a miraculously gifted artist who minutely dissects the nature and the
natural motives. He believes in the supremacy of instinct over intellect and this is what he
portrays in 'whistling of birds'.

He comprehensively enlists the destruction caused by winter. This destruction ranges widely
from the choked earth to the destroyed bodies of innocent birds. In winter, the earth is
strangled and the birds are brutally killed. Their whole race is under attack and the 'Goddess of
life' is badly bruised. One thinks that this situation should have killed the birds and their “urge
to live” but quite contrary to this we see that as soon the signs of change appear, birds start
cooing and they announce the arrival of spring. This indicates that happiness and joy do not
come from outside rather they spring out of the soul. The happiness comes from within. The
outer conditions may be very hard and disappointing but the under- springs of life and joy go on
bubbling forth. The death, cruelty or destruction can never mar the rush of life or joy. The life
goes on, with hope. Hope gives direction to the dying and the victim becomes the symbol of
resistance. The life and the latent power of happiness urge the living beings to struggle even in
the hardest conditions. The destruction may be physical, material or atmospheric but the soul
goes on with the urge of life and never lets the well of happiness to dry. Therefore the joy and
vigour do not come from outside but they are deep rooted in the soul.

Q 3. What is the relation of life and earth or spring and winter?

Ans. The world is full of conflicting powers. They always struggle to defeat each other but they
can never exist together. One retreats to hand the charge over to the other. Life and death are
also an observation of every day and we see them striving to beat each other. Death tries to
take a man away and life wants to keep him in its own realm. One, who is alive doesn’t know
what the death is. Similarly the dead will never know the taste of life again. Death and life are
two banks of a stream that always remain together but can never merge into one. Similarly the
seasons strive to get precedence over one another. The spring and winter are different and
they let loose different forces to carry out their orders. The winter is destruction and spring is
construction. Winter is death; spring is life. Winter is darkness while spring is light. Both can
never exist at the same time. Where one is, the other is not to be found. The way to death is
quite opposite to the road to life. Both differ in nature and functions.

Similarly the happiness and grief can never exist in the same soul. The grief expels the joy and
joy kills the grief. The death and life, winter and spring, grief or joy all are incompatible. They
can never come at the same time. But this combat cannot be regarded as useless or cruel
because it gives us the energy to live. The threat of death makes us courageous and we resolve
to fight. Life gives fruit to our struggle and our faith in life and goodness lingers on. The choice
of evil or good gives direction to our lives and we try to reach one destination or the other.

So the relation of life and death is very strong but is like two different sides of a picture, it is
same with spring and winter, with grief and happiness or with evil and virtue.

Q 4. Discuss the images used by D.H. Lawrence?

Ans. D.H. Lawrence always attempted to invent some new versions and meanings of life.
"Whistling of Birds" is an allegorical essay in every way because too many images and
metaphors are employed in it to increase the depth and width of its main theme. The title of
the essay is symbolic. The phrase, "whistling of birds" brims with meanings. It has some deep
and hidden interpretations. It is not the simple cooing of birds but it is the bugle of a new life.
The whistling of birds is presented as the rhythm of life, as spring and happiness.
Winter is the symbol of death and destruction. Its mortifying powers are equated to the
overwhelming power of death. The winter represents grief or evil. Similarly spring is not only
the weather but it shows the brighter side of our existence. It is life, it is happiness and it is
light. The destroyed bodies of birds are intended to manifest the enormous power of death
and winter. The singing birds show the softness and humility. Death is presented with the
metaphors of choked earth, surge of ruin, black tide, ragged horror, thunder of frost and beasts
of prey.

While life is metaphorically shown in terms of gleamy sunset, threads of silver, bugles,
fountains, wellheads, sap of a new summer, lambs, flowers and blossoms.

The musical references as drums, bugles and silvery sounds are given to exhibit the writer’s love
of music, art and nature. The whole atmosphere of this essay is an exquisite example of a
strong imagination and an ability to merge reality, philosophy and fancy. The focus of the
writer is entirely on the opposites found in nature.

This essay is replete with images, symbols, similes and metaphors. They give depth an intricacy
to the narrative and enchant the reader with its writer’s magnificent skill of description and
reasoning.
 TAKE THE PLUNGE
BY GLORIA EMERSON
Q 1. Why did Gloria Emerson decide to jump?
Ans. Gloria Emerson was a journalist. She had been working in many parts of the world
specially in war-struck Nigeria and Vietnam.
She was a thin and lean lady with uncertain ankles and a very bad back. She wanted to prove
that in spite of all these things, she was not a weakling. Her friends and colleagues laughed at
her and made fun of her resolution to prove her physical prowess. They were not ready to
believe that she would actually jump from an air -plane. One of her friends joked that if she
broke her bones she would have to be shot because she would never mend.

She decided to jump from a parachute to surprise all the people and to finish a sense of
boredom. She wanted to feel reckless and adventurous. She thought of many plans like running
a race or being bold in her journalistic career. But jumping from a plane looked to her as
something compatible and at last she decided to perform it. She wanted to prove that physical
power is not as important as is the will power. Impossible can be achieved through the will to go
on. She also did it as a reaction against the attitude of society, where people discourage and
ridicule others.
So, whatever was her motive, she proved herself as a determined lady. Capable of doing
anything, howsoever risky it may be.

Q 2. Describe the construction of the parachute?

Ans. Gloria Emerson was a journalist who decided to jump out of a plane through a parachute.
Her friends took her to the newly established parachuting centre. This centre was for the
competitions and teaching of skydiving. Mr. Jacques Istel, an ex-marine, founded it. He
thought parachuting to be a creation and a passion. He described it as world's most soul-
satisfying sport.

He had designed a new parachute to remove the complexities and to make it easier even for
the beginners. It was a parachute with thirty-two foot canopy with a large cut out hole that
funneled escaping air. Pulling at the back straps opened old parachutes but Istel’s parachute
was operated through two wooden knobs. This parachute increased the lateral speed but
slowed down the rate of falling down. It also reduced oscillation. It was so safe and easy that
the beginners, only with brief instructions, were put in action with it. Gloria jokingly said that it
was to show that any dope could do it.

Q 3. Describe the scene before her jumps?

Ans. Gloria Emerson went with her friends to the first U.S sports parachuting centre. She was
to perform there with Jacques Istel’s newly designed parachute. She was given brief but
intense instructions about how to do it.

She boarded a Cessna 180 with her instructor and another man. She felt very strange due to her
helmet, boots, equipments and the jump suit. She could not sit, stand or bend normally. She
wanted to do a lot of things but could not do because of too many straps around her.

At twenty three hundred feet the other man jumped silently, making a thumbs-up sign. In fact
she developed a disliking for that person because he was not as nervous as she was. He was
eager and composed.

When her turn came, she suddenly got frightened and wanted to back out. She wanted to hold
some object or lie down to avoid the jump but she was tied to a static line that made it difficult
for her to do so. She started to shout but her instructor did not pay any heed to her. He knew
what was going on in her mind. He brought her to the door, made her sit down and yelled
something. She was not clear whether he said, "Go", “Now" or “Out”.

She was in the open sky now. She tried to hold on to her line, moved her feet violently but she
was helpless and all alone in the sky. The strong rush of air knocked the spit out of her mouth.
Her eyes and nose were also leaking.

In this way she started her amazing and superb stay in the sky.

Q 4. What was the atmosphere in the sky?

Ans. When Gloria jumped out, the air struck her strongly. Her eyes and nose started to leak.
There was a continuous dribble on her chin. She tried to avoid the situation but soon realized
that she would have to face it. Her parachute opened with the sound of a plop.

When the plane had gone away with its noise and wind, she was in a domain of sweet stillness.
She saw the universe in a new way. She saw the earth in so many colours and textures. The sky
looked endless. She viewed the earth and sky with a new vision and new thought. All of this
had never been described by anyone before. It was a uniquely personal experience for her.
Being in the sky became a passion and a fever to her. Parachute itself seemed to her as an
easily controllable toy with its wooden knobs to change the direction. She wanted to remain
there forever and stop the earth from coming closer.

Her target was a huge arrow in a sandpit. She did not want to land but she had to. She landed
on her feet and sat down for sometime. She had successfully completed her parachute fall and
thus her aim was materialized.
Later she was introduced to General James Gavin. Mr. Istel’s mother wrote a charming letter of
congratulation to her. All were pleased at the successful completion of her task. In fact they
were surprised and could not believe it. In this way Gloria surprised her friends and colleagues.

Q 5. Why her feelings change in the course of her experience?

Ans. Gloria Emerson describes her experience of the para jumping in a detailed way. She has
masterfully narrated the events as well as the changes in her emotions in the course of her
experience. She starts the essay with description of her motives in deciding to do an
adventure. She enumerates her mental restlessness when she mentions her desire to "feel
reckless". The reaction and comments of her friends also show her mental process. She has a
sense of insufficiency as regards her physical abilities, that’s why she decides to prove her
worth in physical terms.

She narrates the gradual process of her reaching at a decision. She considers too many options
but ultimately decides in favour of par jumping. The thought of jumping makes her emotional.
She wants to feel the big load of parachute on her back and wants to take steps in the black
long army boots. She visualizes a small plane with open doors, then she jumps and is struck by
wind, the parachute opens and a delicate white umbrella encircles her, she drifts through the
sky with pleasure. It becomes a sort of daydreaming for her.

After taking the decision she is firm on it. Her mind is as clear as clay. She is afraid of nothing
and is quite confident that nothing will go wrong with her. She does not think about the risks
involved in this experience. She is quite confident before the jump though she feels strange
because of her jump accessories. She is enjoying all of it but as the actual time of her jump
comes, she becomes mutinous and tries to avert it. But when she takes the plunge and comes
in the open sky, all her feelings get transformed. Fear and tension change into a balmy calm
and pleasure. The atmosphere of the sky is so bewitching that she wants to remain pinned in
the sky. The earth and sky look enchanting in a different way. Wind seems kind: trees look
soft. Her feelings get completely changed. Such a satisfying and thrilling experience elevates
her soul. She does not want to land because it will finish her heavenly joy of being in the air.
She triumphantly completes her parachute Jump and all the people are surprised and pleased.

In this way she constructs her feelings gradually. Her feelings undergo a tremendous change in
the course of her experience. The feelings of insufficiency in her mind compel her to take the
decision and then to carry it out practically. The emotional element in the essay shows Gloria's
grip on human psychology. It also indicates that she was well aware of every thing going on in
her mind before, during and after the jump.
 WALKING ON THE MOON
BT DAVID R SCOTT
Q 1. Describe their landing on the surface of the moon?

Ans. In 1971, America planned a manned expedition to the moon to expand their knowledge
and to affirm their primacy in space technology and travel. David R. Scot was one of the three
astronauts who piloted “The CSM Endeavour”, in the Apollo-15 mission to the moon.

After twelve revolutions in the lunar orbit they reached sixty feet above the moon surface.
Their spaceship churned up a lot of gray dust from the surface of the moon that completely
covered every thing. It was very difficult for them to see due to the dust. So they had to land
on speculations. Their LM struck the surface abruptly and shuddered to rest. It was the time of
night and the planet earth could be seen shining on the sky. The light of the earth was many
times greater than the glow of the moon on our earth. The hills and craters rims were clearly
visible in this light. Then the sun rose and filled the moonscape with colours and features.
Every thing had the colour of milk chocolate. The dust settled down after a long time. They
opened the upper door of their spaceship to cast the first look on this place and thus they
started the 67 hours of their lunar stay.

Q 2. Describe the landscape of the moon?

Ans. David R. Scott was one of the first astronauts who went to the moon expeditions. Such
expeditions provided a detailed knowledge about the moon for the first time. The astronauts
made observations. They conducted experiments and photographed there to know exactly
about the moon and its different facets.

On July 29, 1971, the lunar module called Falcon landed on the moon surface. James B. Irwin
and David R. Scott were in that spaceship. They landed at a place that was surrounded by many
mountains. To their south, stood a high ridge of almost 11,000 feet, on their west side a very
deep gorge was present whose depth was more than a thousand feet, a great mountain that
was at least three miles in height stood on the northeastern horizon.

On going further inside the moon, they noticed that high mountains, deep canyons and large
plains characterized moon geology. The gorges were created by the fall of meteorites from the
sky.

Every thing was covered with a gray dust. Almost every thing had the gray colour. Even their
space suits gained this colour permanently due to the moon dust. The mountains had a ring of
smudges round their basis due to subsiding of the lava. Perhaps that lava used to be there
before millions of years. The sun shone very brightly and the temperature of the moon
morning was more than 150 F.

In the beginning they faced many problems due to the distance perception but later they were
able to work it out. They worked from place to place and gathered the costly treasure of
knowledge, many photographs and 78.6 kgs of soil and rock samples.

They performed a marvellous job for the humanity and exposed the truth about the mysteries
of moon and its surface.

Q 3. What is the difference between movement on earth and movement on the moon?

Ans. The movement on the moon surface is quite different from the way we move on the earth.
It has its peculiar restrictions. The gravity on the moon is six times less than that of earth
gravity. The weight also decreases by six times. That's why the astronauts experienced a
bounding motion. They moved as if they were walking on a circus trampoline because of less
gravity and less weight. They had to exert a lot of force to stop or to start walking. They fell on
the moon surface quite frequently. Scott said that it was like rediscovering the childhood, as it
did not involve any disgrace or injury. Only the dust was troublesome that clung to their
equipments and dresses otherwise falling frequently was accepted by the moon-walkers as part
of game.

Q 4. Evaluate the feelings of David. R. Scott?

Ans. David R.Scott has masterfully composed the essay “Walking on the Moon”. He conveys the
information as well as his personal feelings.

After landing there, the writer felt himself as an alien on the moon. The whole atmosphere was
strange and unknown. But soon they settled in. The walking on the moon made them realize
the dignity of man and his access to the highest treasures of knowledge in the world. It was a
place that nobody had ever stepped on. It was the scene that no naked eye had ever
witnessed. These were living marks of the universal history. These were the hidden treasures
of nature that man managed to discover. Writer and his co-astronaut thought that they were
the most privileged men in the world. They knew that their experience was one of the most
exceptional events in the human history. Their initial uneasy feelings were now changed into a
deep attachment. The silent and serene atmosphere of the moon was a gratifying experience to
them.

The writer has used many comparisons and contrasts to establish the details about the moon in
our mind. He has used a highly imaginative diction to convey his message completely. He
thought that their footprints on the moon dust would remain there eternally because there was
no wind or rain to wipe them out. They left too many things on the moon as relics of the man
and his planet, earth. If astronauts of any another solar system arrived there, they would
observe these relics and would come to know about the man and his planet.

At the end of their stay, the writer experienced a sense of loss. He did not want to leave that
place. Even now, when he sees towards the moon from the earth, he feels nostalgic and recalls
his short stay there, which now simply looks like a dream to him.
 GRAND FATHER
BY W.B YEATS
Q 1. What type of childhood memories the writer had?
Ans. The initial memories of the writer did not have any sequence. He remembered his past as
something in smoke, with no definite form or shape. Most of his recollections were related to
places and emotions but they were without any sensibility or understanding of time. He did not
know the sequence and division of events as being first or second.
Little children have undeveloped minds and their ability to reason is less that’s why they cannot
vividly recall their past. They only remember their feelings, emotions and sometimes the
places. The writer too remembered some places related to his childhood. He could also recall
his agonized feelings. His initial memories were related to windows and his toys. With the
passage of time his mind got developed and he even remembered people, his relation to them
and their reactions to him. In fact this essay is a study of gradual maturation of a child's mind
and personality. He grows physically as well as mentally. Age and experience make him self-
assured and confident and he is able to reason the things on merit. The early memories of the
writer show that he was a keen boy with extreme sensitivity and a strong capability to learn.

Q 2. What did the writer remember about windows?

Ans. The Writer’s early memories include some events related to the windows.
The first window was in front of a wall that was covered with falling and cracked plaster. The
writer was sitting on someone’s knees but he did not know anything about that wall. Later he
came to know that some of his relatives lived there.

The second window was in London at Fitzroy Road. He was looking out of it and enjoying the
game of some boys in the street. Among them was a boy in uniform. The writer asked his
servant about the identity of that boy and he was told that the boy would blow the town up. It
was told by the purpose of scaring the writer and he went to sleep in terror.

The windows play a very important role in writer's memories. The recollection of little details of
his childhood may be symbolically taken as a window to his sunken memory. These windows
bring out the forgotten reports form his conscience, unconscious and sub-conscious. They
provide a deep insight to his personality and its foundations. So everyone should have these
windows to ventilate the suppressed emotions and pains from one’s mind.

Q 3. What happened at the Rosses Point?

Ans. The writer had twice mentioned Rosses Point in connection with his past memories. The
first event was related to his grandfather's life. Once, when they were about to cast anchor at
the Roses Point, the captain of the ship reported something wrong with the rudder. Writer’s
grandfather asked the captain to send someone down to check the problem but no one
obeyed. Then his grandfather asked the captain to go down himself but he also refused to
comply with. So the grandfather jumped down himself and sorted out the problem of rudder. It
showed his moral courage and strength that he never ordered anything to any one that he
would not do himself.

In the second event his uncle asked him to get to Rosses Point to borrow a railway pass from a
cousin. At midnight he set out on a horseback. He delightedly rode in the moonlight and awoke
his cousin to get the pass. He retuned at two or three in the morning and the coachman was
waiting for him in the street.

These events from his childhood memories were related to the Rosses Point.

Q 4. What did the writer remember about punishment?

Ans. The writer had a very painful childhood because he was very sensitive. Main cause of his
miseries was his faulty concept of God that He would punish him for his sins. And as he thought
himself to be a wicked boy, so his fear of punishment was tremendous. Another thing that
caused fright in him was fear of his grandfather, William Polexfen whose towering personality
created the rays of awe and respect in others.

The writer always remained afraid of punishment. Once he broke the wing of a duck and was
mentally quite ready to get punishment but he was astonished when the duck was cooked and
he was not punished.

Similarly, once his grandmother punished him for some of his childish indecency and as a
punishment he had to take his dinner alone. These events and expectations of being punished
sometimes by God, sometimes by grandfather or grandmother caused much disturbance in the
writer’s childish mind. He was unable to cope with this situation so he remained distressed
throughout his childhood.

Q 5. Draw the character sketch of the writer’s grandfather?

Ans. W.B.Yeats is a consumate artist who truthfully describes the minute details of his
experiences. This essay is an extract from his autobiography and is the witness of writer’s
retentive memory, vivid observation and an affectionate attachment with his maternal
relatives. Writer’s childhood memories are strongly stamped with the towering character of his
grandfather, William Ploxfen. His grandfather belonged to some younger branch of an old
Cornish family. Everyone living around him was greatly impressed by him. He had a strong hold
on all his relatives and acquaintances. Not only had the members of his family but the whole
community respected him. When he returned from any journey and specially after taking the
waters at "Bath", people lighted bonfires along the railway line for miles to welcome him.

William Polexfen's father was in army who became the owner of many sailing ships when he
retired. William Polexfen himself was a brave man and had won the freedom of some Spanish
city.

He never ordered anyone to do anything that he would not do himself. Once at Rosses Point,
his ship developed some problem in the rudder. He ordered his captain to send a man down to
know the problem. The captain told that nobody was ready to go down. So he asked the
captain to go down himself. On being disobeyed he himself jumped in water to know the
problem. He was physically very strong and had a violent temper. He would knock a man down
instead of going to law. He kept a small axe for the burglars at his bedside. The writer saw him
hunt a party of men only with a whip.

He had a very few friends. Only two of them were in writer’s memory; the Campbell of Islay and
William Middleton. He was a solitary and silent man. He was very proud and disliked his
neighbours.

He had been to many parts of the world and had souvenirs from the whole world. He was a
well-travelled man. The writer thought that he was not literate. He could recall only two books
on his table; one was his "Bible" and the second was Falconer’s “Shipwreck”. He could not
properly study because he ran to the sea when he saw very young, “Gone to sea through the
hawsehole” as he himself phrased it.

He had a strong personality but it didn’t mean that others obeyed him fully. He himself was a
naive person so he never suspected anyone. He had ordered to lock the stable door with
servants inside due to some incident but in spite of all the ceremonious bringing of the key to
him, the door was never locked. It was the thing that all knew but he did not.

All these characteristics made him a loveable character with ideal qualities of truth, simplicity,
valour and charisma. The writer still cherished his memory as something sacred and elevated.

Q 6. Draw a character sketch of the writer’s grandmother?

Ans. The writer’s memories of Sligo included the sunny and pleasant figure of his
grandmother. She seemed to him like someone extremely soft and loving. He still
remembered here with affections and reverence.
Writer’s grandmother belonged to the Middleton family. She was a very kind and polite lady.
She did many charities to needy people living around her because she was considerate by
nature. She was in habit of fear and never talked freely even to her husband. She was also
afraid of the bedside hatchet of her husband and every day she took a round of the house with
a candle in hand to save the burglars form it.

She was an artistic lady. She loved her garden and in her youth days, she would choose some
flowers from the garden and copy them on rice paper. Recently writer saw her handiwork and
was amazed to see the skill and mastery of handling, tasteful delicacy of colours and the
elegance of from. These drawings were so minute that a magnifying glass might be needed to
see them.

He remembered his grandmother punishing him once. In horseplay a servant pulled out his
shirt at the same moment when his grandmother entered the room. His grandmother accused
him of childish indecency and he had to take his dinner alone as a punishment. His
grandmother was like the rays of a bright sun in a freezing morning. He loved to remember her
soft and delicate personality that provided some benevolent and benign aspects in his rather
cold and painful childhood

Q 7. Compare and contrast the characters of the writer’s grandfather and grandmother?

Ans. W. B. Yeats used to spend his summer holidays in Sligo with his grandparents. They were
very kind and loving with him. Both the characters had their own specific qualities and were
clearly distinguished in the writer’s mind.

The grandfather was a fearless man with physical strength and initiative while grandmother
was a soft and kind lady. She was also in habit of fear. His grandfather hated his neighbours
and lived a solitary life with no friends around. But the grandmother was a social lady and she
made many charities to her neighbours and took care of their needs.

William Polexfen was a brave man and had won the freedom of a Spanish city. He was strong
enough to hunt a party of men only with a whip. He kept a hatchet at his bedside for knocking
the burglars down while the grandmother was an artistic lady and she loved her garden. She
made drawings of the flowers on rice paper with extraordinary delicacy and skill. Though both
grandmother and grandfather were different in some aspects of life but overall they were kind
and loving. They both had ideal human qualities. And this blend of soft and hard gave a colour to
their lives and made them an ideal couple.
Q 8. What is the conclusion of this essay?

Ans. Basically this essay shows the love and emotional attachment of the writer to his
grandparents but it throws some light on the character of writer himself as a child. The thesis
of the writer is to highlight the troubles of children. We should pay attention to the mental
tangles and troubles of little children.

The personality of a man is like a building and its foundations are laid in the early years of a
man’s life. So the importance of these years should be realized. Their loneliness and insecurity
should be properly dealt with to give a sound foundation to their personality. The writer
himself was a worried child with many troubling factors around him. The false and faulty
learning of different concepts should be clearly checked to make life easier and more pleasant
for the little children. Moreover, the characters of family elders like grandparents cast a strong
effect on the personalities of the kids. Their kindness and love can be the source of strength
and confidence for kids. So they should have a close relation with children to give them the
energy to go on in life. On the whole this is a very deep essay with a strong insight into the
construction of human mind and emotions.
 Nagasaki, August 9, 1945
Michaito Ichimaru
Q 1. What happened to the writer at the time of air attack?
Ans. Michaito Ichimaru is a professor of medicine at the Nagasaki University School of
Medicine. As a witness to the bombardment in Nagasaki, he gives us an unusual and striking
view of nuclear warfare. He writes about the Nagasaki bombing from the angle of a participant
and has selected his details with utmost care to communicate the horrors he had witnessed.
It was the month of August in 1945 when the writer was a first year student in Nagasaki
Medical School. It was August 9, when he set out for his School at the usual time of eight in the
morning. Luckily, he had to come back because his train had been derailed in an accident. He
returned to his hostel room. At 11 am he heard the sound of a B-29 passing overhead. After a
while, the air flashed with a brilliant yellow light and there was a huge blast of wind. He got
terrified and ran to save his life. He hid himself in a toilet with a fellow student. Every thing
around them was shattered. He was hit in his shoulder by a piece of glass and was
bleeding. When his senses restored, he saw the horrible destruction around him. All the walls
had changed in to a heap of bricks. The sky had turned black and the black rain started to fall.
This was the writers experience at the time of nuclear attack.

Q 2. What was the condition of people coming back from Urakami?

Ans. When the writer came to his senses, he tried to go to his medical School in Urakami. It
was very close to the center of attack. Here the rate of radiation was very high. He tried to go
ahead but could not because the fire had broken out everywhere. He saw the people who were
coming back from Urakami. Their condition was very bad. Their clothes were tattered, the skin
hung with their bodies and their limbs were missing. They were terrified to death and looked
with vacant eyes. They were still baffled and shocked. There were dead bodies lying around
with white edges of bones showing through. Almost all living or dead were badly charred.

The effect on the people was so tremendous that none of them survived. All the victims died in
the coming few weeks. The humanity was helpless before the immense power of weapons.
The war was won but the humanity lost. The politics came on front and civilization was
dragged back. The butchered bodies of men cried for justice but there was no one to listen to
this crying entity. The scene was horribly pathetic and severe. It looked like a slap on the face
of so called “champions” of humanity and human rights.

Q 3. What was the scene in Urakami?

Ans. The writer managed to enter Urakami the next day. In Urakami the condition was heart-
rending. Still too many students, doctors and patients were crying there for help. They were in
a very bad condition and wanted water badly. Every one was severely wounded. The buildings
had reduced to ashes, only their skeletons remained standing. Writer heard many voices in
pain. He was unable to bear it. Even now when he remembers them he shudders with horror,
anguish and grief. Every thing around had been perished. The trees had lost all their leaves.
The ladies were crying in their last moments. They all suffered from many diseases because
their bodies had been melted from inside on account of tremendous effects of the radiations.
The writer tried to help them but he could not save them from death. All his friends died in few
weeks. Urakami was totally destroyed with its buildings, vegetation, animals and men. There
was nothing left except the debris, smoke and ashes. Mutilated human dead bodies were
mocking at the ambition of barbaric human passions. It was the worst destruction caused by
man on his fellow beings, and that only for some pieces of land. The man won but the
humanity lost, leaving a trial of chaos and darkness behind it. Urakami became the graveyard
of man and humanity alike.

Q 4. What did the healthy people do for the survivors?

Ans. After the attack Nagasaki was left in ruins. Too many people were subjected to heavy
material and physical loss. Everyone was badly injured. So the healthy people had to come
forward to help the survivors. The writer himself took part in these activities. He brought many
of his friends to the survivor camps. The condition of these survivors was pitiable. They cried in
pain. They were desperately trying to live but were helpless before the tremendous power of
nuclear weapons. So many people died, even a larger number got disabled. The healthy people
helped to rehabilitate these survivors with full devotion. One of the writer's jobs was to
contact the families of missing people. The schools, where they established the camps for
survivors, presented a hellish picture. There were deaths, groans, shrieks and a terrible stench.
Writer remembered it as inferno.

A large number of People died. It became difficult to dispose of their dead bodies. So they
burnt these bodies in piles of wood. Writer could clearly see the bowels moving in the fire.
Healthy people had to do a lot to meet the needs of this situation.

Q 5. What is the Conclusion drawn by the writer?

Ans. Dr. Michaito Ichimaru recalls a nightmare to shake us from our slumber. He narrates the
destruction caused by an inhuman nuclear attack on civilian population by the allied forces
during the final phase of Second World War. It is not the whole account of this event but is
only a glimpse of it. He is the eyewitness of this infernal day and narrates it truthfully so that
we can see the future of the present world in this perspective.

The thesis of the writer is to condemn the human beings on their mad race of weaponization.
He urges us to realize the situation and its expected outcome. The world should leave this
enmity and hostility for the welfare of the human race.

At the end of the essay he says that the souls of his friends will never rest in peace if mankind
does not renounce the nuclear weapons and their use for the destruction of innocent people.
 My Tailor
Stephen Leacock
Q 1. What were the ways of the tailor?

Ans. This essay is taken from a collection of humorous pieces called “Further Foolishness”. In
this essay Leacock mingles humour with pathos and leaves a lasting impression on the reader’s
mind. Here, he masterfully delineates an unforgettable character. He presents his tailor before
us to entertain as well as educate us. Writer’s tailor was every special person with some
specific ways and habits.

Writer's relation with him was thirty years old and in these thirty years, his style never changed.
He remained standing in the back part of his shop with his inches tape round his snack. He used
to greet the writer with a warm smile and asked him what he wanted. Then, the tailor himself
made the choice of cloth for him as "serge" and then himself chose the colour as dark blue. His
way of displaying the cloth was quite amusing. He lifted one knee and draped the cloth over it,
standing upon one leg. The tailor could stand in this posture for an indefinite time. It was very
difficult for the writer to resist him. So, he readily agreed with his choice. They had a strange
way of obliging each other. The writer always asked him if his dress would be cool and decent.
This question pleased the tailor a lot and he told the writer that it would be so.

Then he took measurements of the writer, only round the chest. He tried to flatter him by
telling that the writer was growing round the chest. It was like a psychological trick. Then there
was the matter of billing. The tailor never talked about the bill rather he turned to other things.
This matter was only dealt with by correspondence. The tailor wrote him a letter in such a
tone that suggested that he would never have written to him if he were himself not under the
pressure of paying for his consignments from Europe. The writer noticed that these
consignments generally arrived when he had passed the limit of owing for two suits and had
ordered a third one. Then the tailors talked about weather. He always finished his conversation
with weather and that only after the order of the suit. He offered the writer to buy some shirts
or collaring but the write never did. They walked to the door in a friendly way. After bidding
each other "Good afternoon" they parted. This was the description of writer’s tailor that had
some specific details and with the help of these details he has successfully established the
salient features of his tailor's personality.

Q 2. How did the deal with the problem of billing?

Ans. The writer and his tailor had a strong relation of courtesy. The tailor never talked about
the bill. Whenever the writer tried to talk about this matter, he waved it aside and started to
discuss something else. This was the matter they never spoke of. They dealt it through
correspondence. The tailor wrote him a letter in a fine, decorous and courteous way. His
manner of asking for the bill was quite apologetic. He would give reasons for his demand of bill
like arrival of heavy consignments from Europe for which he needed money. Writer noticed
that these consignments usually arrived when he had to pay for two suits and had ordered a
third one. But it might be a coincidence. It was their unique style of dealing with the matter of
bill.

Q 3. Why did Leacock regard his tailor to be "Immortal"?

Ans. The writer had been visiting a very nice tailor for last thirty years. They had
very courteous and warm relationship. The writer was extremely shocked when
one day he heard the news of his tailor's sudden death. He never thought it
possible. He had been meeting the tailor for last thirty years and had expected to
see him forever. He regarded him as being immortal. This event carries a
criticism on our ways and behaviors in this world. In fact the writer wants to
make us realize the importance of “man”. Today people are so busy in their own
lives that they cannot see and understand the problems of people living around
them. The modern race of collecting more and more money has blinded the
human race and people care for nothing except their own lust, selfishness and
competition. The modern man regards people around him as machines and never
tries to recognize their personal problems and worries.

It was the same case with the writer; he never took his tailor to be a human
being. He thought him only to be a machine that provided him a service and that
would never break down. Leacock never tried to know about his personal life and
worries. His relation with him was only superficial and business like. That's why
the news of the tailor’s death struck him with wonder. The writer was equally
shocked by the existence of his wife and a daughter. The financial problems and
the religious interests of the tailor also seemed strange and unreal to him.

The motive of Stephen Leacock is only to make us realize this great reality that
humanity will never flourish or be preserved unless the individual man is given
importance. The relation ship, the understanding and helpfulness is very
important in the society and it is the lack of all these things that has made the
modern man lonely and helpless. This situation should be rectified and people
should come closer to understand and help each other.

Q 4. What was other side of the tailor's personality?

Ans. The writer describes his intercourse with his tailor in a very effective and amusing way.
He tries to invoke us to think deeply about the human beings and different aspects of their
lives.
Every man has a three dimensional life and character but our rushed life does not give us
enough time to look beyond life’s apparent or obvious facet. The writer too did same in the
case of his tailor. He took his tailor as a worker or “hand” but never thought about his inner
life. The tailor, besides being a skilled professional, was a religious person. He was interested
in music and played the flute. He had a daughter who was also learning music. His business
was not going on well. In spite of his smooth and calm ways, his business worry was mounting
up with every passing year and now it had finally killed him. It was quite unbelievable for the
writer that even the business worries can help to kill a person. He was told that the tailor's wife
would have to face grave financial problems. It was quite strange for the writer who never
thought about other aspects of the tailor's life. The smiling face and amusing manners of the
tailor were hiding a deeply tragic life and a helpless death behind them. This is the moral of this
essay that pleads us to look through the veil or mask of human face and discover the troubled
and agonized soul of a man behind it. Today’s man needs some companion or helper who can
at least listen to his problems sympathetically.

Q 5. What is the moral of this essay?

Ans. In this essay, Stephen Leacock presents a finely knit character of his tailor. Through this
character and the circumstances of his life, he tries to give us a message. Today the life has
become so busy that human beings have taken the shape of isolated Islands that lie scattered in
the deep and wide ocean of the world completely oblivious of each other.

Today nobody cares for others. Everyone tries to pursue his own motives and objectives. The
sense of friendship, co-operation and sympathy has been finished and human beings take no
interest in anybody else's life. Modern man never comes to know that how many people suffer
silently and never share their troubles with anyone like Stephen Leacock's tailor.

The thesis of the writer is the need to cultivate love and courtesy in the world so that man can
live a humane life. Today we all are running a race with machines and technology. The urge to
become rich has killed the soul of humanity and compassion. But we should halt for a moment
to take a breath and think who we are and what are we doing. We are human beings but we
live an artificial life like machines and this is leading us to the tragedies of the tailor's type.
Today a man dies even without expressing his agonies because nobody can spare a moment to
talk about his life and its troubles. We should try to improve the situation and live like a man
and also consider other people as a “man”.
 The Beauty Industry
Aldous Huxley
Q 1. How much is being spent on beautification by American women?

Ans. Aldous Huxley is a prolific writer who experimented in all forms of literature and delighted
in debunking all accepted ideas and standards. In "The Beauty Industry", Huxley deals with the
most extravagant habits of the fashionable American women. Written in a polite, ironic and
mild satirical tone, the essay reveals its writer’s moral purpose his vivid observation, close
attention to factual details, effective use of contrasts and comparisons and above all his
consummate artistic skill. With an increase in consciousness of beauty, people have started
spending an enormous sum of money on beautification. After the Second World War when all
the business and trade activities faced a grave depression, it was only the beauty industry,
which sustained the pressure and went on flourishing. It indicated the trend of women
generally and of American women in particular.

According to an estimate, American women of that time spent three million pounds a week on
beautification that was two times more than the revenue collected from India by the British
government. It shows that the American women prefer to curtail other expenses and spend a
lot of money on aids to beauty and advanced experimentation in beautification .

Q 2. What are the reasons of modern cult of beauty?

Ans. Modern mad rush behind beauty is something that invites us to have a closer look into the
matter and to sort out its reasons. The basic reason seems to be the general increase in
prosperity. Today people are far richer than they used to be. The rich people always take care
of their personal appearance. So now people spend more money and time on the cult of
beauty.

Another reason is the change in the status of women. Now women are freer than past and
they enjoy almost all the privileges equally with men. They have the right to look attractive and
they exercise it excessively. They concentrate a lot on their personal appearance and behave
like the glass dolls with perfection in all physical aspects. They try madly to look beautiful
apparently and they have neglected the spiritual beauty. Sometimes ladies behave, as they are
possessed by the demon of beauty that compels them to lead merely a physical life and makes
their souls numb and sometimes even dead.

Another reason is the concession given to "Body". People hold the view that body has its duties
as well as rights and these rights should be snatched away by the body neglecting each and
every other aspect of life. The ladies pamper their bodies and have become the standard of
fairy-like beauty but their inner soul is as immature and undeveloped as ever.
The media has also played an important part in this mad race. The advertisements related to
beautification, sex and personal appearance have produced an unabated desire to look
attractive in ladies. The manufacturers of the aids to skin, hair, fitness and other beauty
specialists exploit the psychological complexities and inferiority complex of the ladies and divert
their attention to outward appearance only to achieve their own vested interests.

The sense of depravity and the urge to get emancipation has compelled the ladies to become
only an "object" of pleasant looks and flirtation. They try to have a good time and think it very
crucial to look like a "Lost women". They try to attract others and in this endless effort they
sometimes cease to look human at all.

All these reasons are very strong and compel the ladies to follow the cult of beauty in a blind
and mad way. They look like the kids, following the “Pied Piper" wholesomely and blindly.

Q 3. What are the practical results of the cult of beauty?

Ans. The world is badly affected by the trends of glitz and glamour. People look like robots in
their search for beauty. Ladies are madly adopting the ways of glamour. They wish to look
attractive at any cost. They spend a lot of money, time and energy on this cult. They are pre-
occupied with fashion mania. The only thing left in this world is the appearance and it is
something that helps to determine someone’s level and social status. But one wonders that if
people are so mad about beauty, have they become beautiful? Are ladies more beautiful today
than in the past? And if every one around us is beautiful, has the world become beautiful?

Yes, whereas the outward beauty is concerned, yes. Now the ladies retain their youth for a
longer time. The “old lady” has become extinct like the dinosaurs. Ladies remain young for a
longer time. Today the portrait of any artist’s daughter can never be distinguished from the
portrait of his mother. Today’s old lady has stylish hair, cherry lips, neat ankles and slender
body, and all this has been achieved by the worship of beauty and beautification. Up to this
level, it is a successful campaign and it has really made people look attractive and younger.

The aids to beauty have helped people in mimicking the symptoms of beauty that in reality are
the symptoms of health. Pink, cheeks, red lips, glowing skin, smart figure, shining hair and
sparkling eyes all these are the symbols of health and beauty cult mimicks it. But have people
truly become healthier? No, they have not, neither physically nor spiritually.

Beauty is not a singular term and it can never be determined by a single standard. It is a
compound term that is multifaceted and complex. If we want to judge the beauty of a china
vase or any thing of that kind, we will only need to assess its colour, shape and surface texture
but a lady is not a stone-like thing. She needs to look beautiful physically as well as spiritually.
The spiritual contents of lady show through and she can never look beautiful if there is some
corruption in her personality. So the cult of beauty is a failure. Its practical results are nothing.
People are not beautiful, healthy or satisfied but they try to look so.
Q 4. What type of ugliness shows through?

Ans. The beauty is not a superficial thing. It is not only skin deep. It has its roots in the soul and
if the soul is beautiful the body will automatically look charming. The beauty is a complex
phenomenon. It includes thoughts, morality, social customs, intentions and the way of a
person's life.

The ugliness of the soul shows through. People trying to have fun in any possible way, break
the limits of society, religion and morality. This trend spoils the personality of such people and
they look detestable and ugly. The natural purity and innocence of a face fades away due to
some abominable activities. It is so because these people are going against the flow and laws
of nature, specially against the laws related to the sex.

So the ugliness or emptiness of soul, character and personality are obvious even on the first
look and they spoil the artificially made up bearing too.

Q 5. How can the humanity become beautiful?

Ans. A lot of money time and energy is being spent on beautification. People are preoccupied
with this cult. They want to become beautiful at any cost. But question arises if the humanity
has become beautiful. No, it has not. Humanity is not an object to be embellished with face
paints, hair lotions, and fitness equipment or by any beautician. Humanity needs harmony to
become beautiful; harmony in the thoughts, actions and relations. It will become beautiful only
when all the people will get their rights and pay their duties honestly, when psychological
ugliness is removed and when the spirited filthiness is cleansed. In the present condition, it is
difficult rather impossible to beautify the world community. For this purpose every individual
will have to realize the situation and act accordingly to wipe out the ugly reflection of the
modern man in the mirror of morality and humanity.

Q 6. What is the difference between the beauty of a porcelain jar and that of a lady?

Ans. Today, the ladies try to beautify themselves as the perfect “object”. They try to polish
their skin, figure, hair and dressing. They look perfectly beautiful according to the beauty
standard of a porcelain jar. Like these ladies, the beauty of a porcelain jar is judged on the
standard of its shape, colour and surface texture. It does not matter what lies inside it. But the
beauty of a lady is a different matter. She cannot be judged on the level of a porcelain jar. Her
figure or shape does not make her exclusively beautiful. She needs to have a spiritual beauty
too. She needs to be morally beautiful and she needs to be psychologically beautiful.
Otherwise she will have a beauty like that of a plastic dummy modeling in a Shopping Mall. A
lady has a dummy like beauty unless she is beautiful form inside.

Q 7. What are the disharmonies present in the human beings?

Ans. Man has to live his life according to some rules and laws. A man cannot live in this world
without values and traditions. These laws and traditions are generally according to the human
nature. When man breaks the limit of these boundaries, and he blindly runs behind his animal
instincts, he loses his balance and falls a victim to disharmony. This disharmony has many
aspects.

Physical disharmony can be seen in those factions of society who go for over painting and over
cult of beauty. They neglect every other thing and emphasize only on the physical charms and
joys.

Psychological disharmony can be seen in those people who are unable to set any realistic goal
before them. They try to express their psychological tangles and complexes through a bold way
of dressing and make up. They fail to make a defense mechanism and run impulsively behind
their desires and raw motives.

Social disharmony is indeed the biggest problem. All those members of society, who are denied
the right of being accepted, exhibit an eccentric behaviour. Generally, women are not given
their rightful status in society so they adopt such type of attitude that makes them prominent
and distinguished. Other social outcasts also show the same tendencies.

Spiritual disharmony can be seen in the people who try to fulfill their primary needs in an
instinctive style and many evils like greed, avarice, nudity and selfishness afflict them and spoil
them as a human being. Breaking the moral laws and values of society and religion causes the
moral disharmony.

These disharmonies spoil the status and role of a man and they drag him down to the level of
an animal. So such things should be watched out and rectified to regain the balance of the
society.

Q 8. Bring out the elements of irony, satire and humour?

Ans. Humour is an effective tool for the prose writing. In humour, things are lightly ridiculed in
a pleasant way. The purpose of humour is to point out the faults and follies of someone in a
humours way to create laughter and smiles but at the same to produce some thought
provoking process in the mind.

"The Beauty Industry" is essentially a humorous essay which light heartedly ridicules the
madness and preoccupation of modern mind with the cult of beauty. He compares the beauty
expenditures of American women to the total revenue collected from India. Then he
humorously talks about the condition of British and other European women and their hope of
becoming beautiful. The crone of the modern day is presented funnily as having cherry lips,
slender figure and neat ankles. He further laughs at the fact that the portrait of an artist's
mother cannot be distinguished from the portrait of his daughter. The most humorous
reference is about the ladies who cease to look human at all due to over make up and hair dyes.
Humour is supported here by satire. Satire means to ridicule something in a bitter way. Writer
has ridiculed the beauty cult in a bitter way at some places. The very first paragraph satirizes
this trend and laments that the slump affected every industry and business but could not touch
the beauty industry. He contemptuously talks about the British Matron and calls her a “lost
woman”. She tries to keep herself young and beautiful in spite of the fact that a "nun" should
never even think about any worldly matter. The Christian ascetic ideas no longer trouble
anyone. Huxley declares that this campaign is a total failure because no one has genuinely
become beautiful. He ridicules the superficiality of people and their standards.

This essay has some ironic elements too. When the writer talks about porcelain jar as the
standard of beauty, he simply wants to make fun of the aesthetic sense of the beauty
specialists. The rights of "Body" are also satirized. The results of this campaign are ironically
presented to make us realize the situation and its implications.

This is a superb essay that has serious, humorous, and ironic as well as satiric elements. It
conveys all the aspects of modern cult of beauty and the writer vividly expresses his point of
view about it.
 Are Doctors Men of Science?
BY G B Shaw
Q 1. What do common people think about science?
Ans. This is a very effective essay that compels us to think ablaut the doctors in a new
way. Bernard Shaw points out the common wisdom on the matter of doctors and says that it is
wrong.
Common man is generally non-critical and accepts things as they are. People never try to think
carefully and deeply to find the truth for themselves. Due to this trend common people hold
many faulty and ridiculous beliefs. For example a common man thinks that the captain of any
trading ship is as great a man as Galileo. The street singer is as gifted a music expert as
Helmholtz. A common organ player is Beethoven. A petty roadside pigeon dealer is
Darwin. Every engine driver is as miraculous as the father of railways, George Stephenson. A
common copyist or drafter of documents is as wonderful as Shakespeare. All these examples
show the common delusions that make it difficult to know the hierarchy of the learned people.
The narrow outlook of common people makes it hard to understand the grades of efficiency
and knowledge. Similarly people do not have a correct view of doctors. The doctors are not
scientific rather they mimic the practices of science as an art and work to earn their bread. In
fact science is not a profession; it is a complete way of thinking. It is the mode of observing
things in a critical fashion. So the understanding of common people about science is not
complete and true.

Q 2. Are the doctors men of science?

Ans. G. B. Shaw discusses the relation of doctors and science. He says that commonly doctors
are considered to be the men of science but in fact they are not. Science is a complete thinking
process that holds different technical steps. The scientific method is strictly a logical process
with nothing superficial or superfluous. Nothing is there on speculations. Everything needs
evidence. Things are again and again tested to know the ultimate truth. The negligence of a
single second can spoil everything. The medical science also works on the same principles. They
too need extreme vigilance and keen observation. The people, busy in medical researches,
have reduced human misery to its lowest level but if the common practicing doctor are also
doing all this.

No, they are not. Doctors do not pay attention to anything. They cure people, it is true. But a
common practicing doctor has never added anything to the scientific knowledge. They never
do research on the new and challenging diseases and maladies. They just cram the names of
some diseases and their respective medicines to earn their bread. Doctors cannot keep a man
healthy. They only cure the diseases. A doctor can never suggest anything in order to keep a
man away from disease. Even a grandmother or a quack can advise you better. The doctors do
not know how to handle the evidence and statistics.
At the end of the essay, writer narrates the case of an old lady. She was treated in an ignorant
way by a doctor who prescribed a stiff dose of medicine for the disease that she never had.

This shows the way in which the doctors work. The sprit of research and inquiry is totally
absent in them. Their main purpose is to earn money in whatever way. Some doctors even use
quite heretical methods for treating diseases. Their degrees do not lend a scientific urge to
them but they only provide them a chance to work fearlessly and cost people their lives
because of their attitude and ways. So the doctors are not men of science but they should try
to be so.

Q 3. Discuss the role of bon-setters, hygienists and herbalists?

Ans. Due to the failure of doctors, many other quacks have come ahead to rob the common
man. There are many kinds of these quacks who are earning money not only from ignorant
people but also from educated and wealthy people.

Bonesetters are earning a lot of money in front of highly qualified surgeons. The hygienists
fashionably work and are popular even in highly educated classes. The herbalists are the
humblest professional healers and they face a tough times. They also work on speculations like
doctors. They sell packets of different herbs and give a long list of diseases to be cured by a
single herb. They always think that they are on the verge of discovering a miraculous medicine
with the help of Virginia Snake Root. People go on buying these medicines that shows their
satisfaction with the science of the herbalists.

These are not the only healers. There are village witches and Christian Science also in vogue.
Due to the failure of the doctors, the alternative medicines are making their roots firm in the
society.

Q 4. What is the conclusion of this essay?

Ans. This essay is a fine piece of satire and it effectively points out the inefficiency of doctors in
certain ways. According to the writer, doctors are not at all scientific and their ways of treating
diseases are quite unscientific and illogical. He bitterly makes their fun when he says that
distinction between a qualified and unqualified doctor is only that the registered doctors is
authorized to sign a death certificate for which both have almost equal chances. Bernard Shaw
rightly says that most of the doctors practice only to earn their bread and they never try to
update themselves with the modern researches and knowledge. The urge to learn more is
extinct in doctors.

The writer has become quite cynical in his invective of doctors. He has concentrated only on
the bad faction of the doctors and has ignored the good ones. He is right when he talks about
their negativity but still there are too many doctors who have done miracles for humanity.
They have curtailed human suffering to its minimum level. We can never neglect this great
contribution of the doctors. We can condemn certain members of this profession but we can
never denounce them as a class. Concluding the discussion, it can be said that G. B. Shaw
correctly lashed the bad eggs among the doctors but he forgot to praise the angelic figures
among them but this thing can be defended. As we know that this essay is satiric and no satire
work will keep its force and energy if it points out the positive side too so to activate the
reader's thought, he might have excluded the positive aspects of the topic. So it cannot be
termed as the drawback of Shaw's essay.
 Hosts and Guests
BY Max Beerbohm

Q 1. What is the difference between hosts and guests?

Ans. Max Beerbohm was an eminent humourist, author, critic and cartoonist. He was regarded
as the best essayist and parodist of his age. His satire was ruthless and creative due to his
highly cultivated intelligence.” Hosts and Guests" is also a superb example of pleasant and light
humour.

Hospitality is an old tradition of humanity. A man has to act as a host or a guest according to
the situation. This is an outward action but the base of this act depends mainly on the nature
of a man. Some people are host by nature and some are guests by nature. Writer discusses
this psychological feature of mankind in a very casual and lucid style. He establishes his
arguments logically and describes two major types of people. Members of one type always
remain at the giving end and are called the hosts. Members of the second class are always at
the receiving end and are known as guest.

The hospitality is an ancient tradition. There are many events in the history that confirm its
importance. Many great people have proved themselves as great hosts. Similarly there have
been some people who maliciously betrayed their guests. Writer gives examples from the lives
of some great kings and warriors.

There are some people who are instinctively hosts. They always bend on favoring others.
These favours may range from mere food to the sacrifice of the host’s life to honours the
tradition of hospitality. Similarly some people always remain guests. They get advantages and
accept invitations but they seldom give such offers themselves. These people enjoy being a
guest and they cannot adopt the role of a host even if they try. Such people have some specific
graces as being humble, complimentary and passive while the hosts have some other qualities
as being active, leading and sometimes being proud. The hosts love to give their things away to
others. This quality may have too many motives. Some people become hosts for some of their
own vested interests. If instinctive hosts try to become guests, they badly fail because they
have acquired the characteristics of leading others on dinner table as well as in conversation.
They soon expose their host-like nature. Being a guest or host doesn’t depend even on the
financial status of a man. Neither all the guests are to be found among needy nor all the hosts
among the affluent.
The ability to be a host or a guest is reserved only for the mankind. Animals do not exhibit any
tendency of this type. Even man has acquired it after many centuries. The earliest people like
cavemen would have never been in the habit of giving and receiving hospitality. The
development of human civilization has brought this trend in action and that’s why civilized men
have been divided into these two categories. Writer has employed too many references from
history to solidify his thesis about the hosts and the guest.

Q 2. What historical references Max Beerbohm has given in this essay?

Ans. Max Beerbohm attempts to trace the course of the developments of hospitality as a
tradition and as a part of human nature. He gives many references from the primeval and
medieval times.

His first example is based on imagination. He thinks about the way in which the first man may
have acted as a host and invited someone to dinner. The caveman and his wife may have
invited a red-haired man to dinner who may have declined due to distrust and suspicion of
treachery. It shows that the instinct of being a host existed before the instinct of being a guest.

The first historical reference is given about an Israelite called Jael. She was the wife of Heber,
the king of Kenite. She cold- bloodedly cheated her guest and killed him. Then the writer turns
to Greece where Odysseus killed all his enemies when they were under his roof as guest. Then
Circe, a goddess has been mentioned as an example of a bad host.

Rome has been considered the most civilized region in the world. The famous Borgia family of
Rome used a mild poison in their drinks and meals and anyone who dined with them, was killed
by that poison. In this way they exterminated all their enemies. Then the writer turns to
Scotland. Shakespeare portrayed the characters of Macbeth and Lady Macbeth as the worst
example of a host and hostess in his legendary dram "Macbeth". They murdered King Duncan
who was a guest in their home.

There is another literary allusion to a character called old Wardle from the famous book, “The
Pickwick Papers” by Charles Dickens. Old Wardle was a superb host. He invited people to his
house called Dingley Dell and generously offered everything to his guests but he possessed a
strong sense of pride and arrogance. He did every thing to satisfy his ego and assert his
importance.

All these examples show good or bad hosts but the writer shocks us by giving the example of a
bad guest. Dante, the famous Italian poet and philosopher had been a guest to many people in
the days of his exile. He repaid their hospitality by criticizing their homes and food in his
writings.
This wide range of references shows the highly intellectual background and outlook of the
writer. The references are given from the Bible, mythology, history, art and literature. He has
masterfully used them to describe the history of hospitality with its good and bad examples.

Q 3. How does the writer judge himself?

Ans. Max Beerbohm describes different aspects of the tradition of hospitality. After an
exhaustive discussion, he judges himself and says that he himself is a guest by nature. He has
always enjoyed receiving favours from others. In the same way he proves himself as a very
uneasy and clumsy host who can never entertain his guests properly.

In this connection he cites an event from his school days. Sometimes the boys living in the
hostel received the food baskets sent by their parents. They were ordered to share them with
their mess fellows, once the writer too received a box containing twelve sausage rolls.
Fortunately, nobody knew about the arrival of this box, he ate up all the rolls himself and did
not even mention about them to his hostel friends. Now he analyses this act and says that he
did it because he is not a host by nature and doesn’t want to get compliments and praise of
other people. The boys who received such food baskets suddenly achieved too much
importance among other boys. But the writer lacked the urge to be a leader or the centre of
everyone’s praise. It proves that the writer was a guest by nature.

Then he describes about his days in London, where he sometimes acted as a host and was
always uneasy in this capacity. He used to be worried about the amount of bill and quality of
food. He was in fact a very confused and humble host. In such situations he felt that he should
have been seated at the place of a guest to be comfortable according to his nature. In this way
he dissects his own psychology and invites us to do the same to know the truth about
ourselves; whether we are a guest or a host by nature.
 Bachelor's Dilemma
BY Herbert Gold
Q 1. What do different people think about a bachelor?

Ans. The bachelor is a man who does not take a decision is his life and sticks to his condition of
status quo. The bachelor is not a common man; he goes against the traditions and set ways of
life in a society. He avoids the trap of responsibilities and relations. Every member of society
holds different attitude and opinion towards him.

A wife idealizes him as a challenge. She thinks that he is a romantic, charming and a dream like
man. Unlike her husband, he is an ideally perfect man. She has sympathy with him and thinks
of getting a girl for him but when he gets close to her, she tries to trap him in an inviting
manner. A husband sometimes glances at him with envy because he is a free man who has not
been trapped in the net of promises and desires of family life. Sometimes he pities him as a
man who is alone and is deprived of the conjugal bliss, joy of children and the homely pleasure
of hearth.

A girl has mixed feelings about him. Sometimes she is apprehensive and thinks about the
diseases and disabilities mentioned in the Sunday supplements and magazines. But mostly she
tries to trap him. She knits a snare with her beautiful looks and promises of home cooking.
Even she knows that he has run through a dozen like her but “I am different”, she decides
bravely. For the hostess he is an extra man or a partner to dance with. The dinner table takes
him to be a gobbling mouth. A psychiatrist sees a patient. Another bachelor takes him as a
friend who has an incomplete life with one button always missing from his shirt. He bores him
with complaints but finally runs away with him girl friend. A bachelor has too many identities
because he has no certain identity. He is like a liquid that can set in any type of thought or
opinion according to the needs of the thinker.

Q 2. What are the two types of bachelors?

Ans. The bachelor is a man who doesn’t take a decision to settle down in his life. He decides to
live a solitary life without any responsibility. He floats here and there on the ocean of the world
and does not find any harbour for himself.

The writer describes two types of bachelors. One is a very clever boy of Don Juan type with
plenty of time, money, initiative and a will for adventure. He can do whatever he likes. He can
pick the girl of his choice and have fun. He can experience all kinds of joys. He is fought for, as
a commodity especially in large cities where there tend to be more girls than men. He flies high
and is envied by all.
Then there is a meeker and milder bachelor of Don Mitty type. He does not have a lot of
resources. He cannot get the entertainment of his choice. He does not have the chances to
pick his favourite girl in reality but his dreamland is full of such girls who always throng around
him to please him and to get his favours. As soon as the dream breaks, he comes back on hard
surface of reality and is faced by his own loneliness, troubles and needs again.

Whatever is the type of bachelor, he is a lonely person, constantly in need of companionship

and in search of his roots.

Q 3. Discuss the problems of a bachelor?

Ans. A person who does not get married is called a bachelor. Marriage is a fine social institution
that makes a family. Family is the basic unit of society. It makes the society stable and
productive. Family provides protection and moral support. It helps us to live together with a
fine "give and take". The man who refuses to become a family man or a married man is
deprived of these advantages. Though, the family life has some demands and responsibilities
too but these are much less than the advantages of it. A bachelor faces many problems. The
foremost and basic problem is his loneliness. He has to spend his life alone. He is alone in his
joys, his progress, his sorrows, his illness, in his failure and in all his life. He is alone in all
respects. People try to use him in their own favour. Nobody cares for him and he does for
nobody. Then there are diseases that become his chronic partner. Almost every bachelor
suffers from some maladies. Some of them are psychological, related to anxiety and frustration
and some are physical mostly related to his stomach. The bachelor suffers from stomach
diseases like ulcers etc. It is because he has to eat in a disorganized way. He has no timings and
proper arrangements for meals. Too much restaurant food spoils his health.

Then comes the problem of sex; no doubt a bachelor always remains engrossed in the problems
related to sex. He feels deprived and tries to get sexual satisfaction in any safe or unsafe way.
The lack of sex-life makes him sluggish and deprived of the urge to live.

The boredom always surrounds a bachelor's existence. Nothing gives him the true happiness
and joy. He gets fed up with the same stale routine of life and same dull face in the bathroom
mirror. In whatever way you count, a bachelor always has a short life expectancy. He dies
young because of all these problems in which he cannot find any shoulder to help or support
him. The bachelor lives a miserable and lonely life.

Q 4. Why does the writer talk about paramecium?

Ans. Paramecium is a one-called creature. It reproduces by binary fission that means to split
into two equal and alike beings. It does not need any sexual activity for this reproduction. But
the scientists discovered something every curious. In a microscopic study, some biologists
noticed that the paramecium became very tired and sluggish after continuous fission. They
viewed a culture of paramecia, under the microscope to know the reasons of this exhaustion.
What they found was the meeting of a paramecium with another of its kind. They exchanged
their nuclei and again became vigorous and healthy enough to start the process of binary
fission with a new fervour.

All this shows that even a unicellular creature needs companion ship, friendship and physical
contact. So for a man how can it be possible to live without all these factors? He cannot live
alone and if he tries like a paramecium, he loses the vigour of life and finally disintegrates
mentally, physically, sexually and emotionally.

Q 5. What is the conclusion of this essay?

Ans. This essay gives an ample discussion on the life, ways, behaviors and circumstances of a
bachelor. After an exhaustive discussion, he concludes that a person should get married
because it is according to the laws of nature. Nature tends to destroy everything that goes
against its flow. So the bachelor's avoidance from this demand of nature leads him to a
meaningless, boring and directionless life. He is rootless and floats like a ghost ship on the
ocean of life alone, alone and then alone. His loneliness echoes and surrounds his whole
existence.

So the writer's objective in presenting the hopeless condition of a bachelor is to stress the need
of love, companionship and relations in life. One cannot live alone, so one should not try to live
alone.
 Tolerance
BY E.W Forster
Q 1. Why was the reconstruction needed?

Ans. E. M. Forster wrote this essay after the Second World War. He masterfully depicted the
complexities and subtleties of civilization in those disorderly times. Wars have always been
destructive. They destroy not only the lives and property of a nation, but they also destroy the
ideals and the ideological foundations of a nation. Similarly the Second World War destroyed
everything and left behind a looming shadow of "Chaos" and "Nada". In this situation the
whole world felt the need of rebuilding the civilization. The situation demanded that all people
should get ready for the reconstruction of the world. This reconstruction was bound to be
physical, ideological and material. E. M. Forster discussed the ways in which this purpose might
be attained.

Q 2. What was needed to rebuild the civilization?

Ans. Civilization is something very complex. It has its roots in different values and ideals. These
values make the civilization stable. And if these values are destroyed, the civilization is
automatically destroyed. The Second World War, not only damaged the world physically but it
shook the moral, social and human bases of the world civilization too. People had no values;
they had no code of life. They experienced a strong sense of nothingness. After the war,
people felt the need to restore some values. Different suggestions were promoted for this
purpose. Some people thought that love might be the force that could bring the stability back
in the world. But the experience of many centuries proved that love had failed badly in public
affairs. It had been tried again and again and it never produced the desired results. E. M.
Forster thought that the basic thing needed for the reconstruction was a sound state of mind.
A mental state that could analyze the situation candidly, make plans and bring them into action.
It was a mental state that could make a realistic effort to live with people peacefully and this
thing could only be a tendency to tolerate others. Tolerance was the only solution in the post
war world.

Q 3. How should people live in post-war situation?

Ans. In the post war-world people had to live with a different attitude. They had to live with
those people who had been fighting against them. They had to share their social and public life
with friends as well as foes. After the war, there emerged some new parties, some new groups,
new factions and some new sentiments in the population. The people belonging to the
aggressive nations might have faced the wrath of others for the misdeeds of their leaders and
armies. This reaction could have incurred the feelings of insecurity and resentment in the
population. The coexistence of different races, classes and nations could have become
impossible, especially in the multi-national societies. Then, the only solution was to tolerate
each other. If common people tolerate each other, the wars can never come in the streets of
peaceful cities. They remain in the military and political grounds and the common man is not
influenced by their destructive powers. So in the post-war world, the only way of living was
through tolerance.

Q 4. Discuss the importance of the tolerance?

Ans. This essay has been written by E. M. Forster, he discusses the nature, the importance and
uses of tolerance in our modern times. Tolerance means to accept the views of other people
open heartedly and without any malice. One should respect one’s own opinion as well as the
opinion of other people. It is the way in which we can create a balance between different ways
of life. We should adopt the theory of live and let live.

Today the world is full of people. Trade and quick ways of transportation have changed the
world into a global village. The boundaries of all countries have become flexile. The whole
Europe is changed into a European Union. The nations are quickly merging into others. In
modern societies, different nations, races and classes have to live together. They cannot live
with their prejudice and bias. They have to be broad minded and tolerant. They should accept
the rights of other to live freely. So in the world where merit and abilities are the only
standard, any fanaticism has no place. The dogmatic and fundamentalist faction can prove
highly destructive for the society and its peace. The only solution for the peaceful co-existence
of different parts of society is tolerance.

The writer further says that there are not too many examples in history where tolerance has
been used. That’s why, if we look at the history of mankind, it is nothing but a heap of
intrigues, conspiracies, murders, massacres, wars and fanaticism. He thinks that the only way
to purge the human condition is to flourish the spirit of tolerance in people. It is the way of
democracy and it has been advocated by almost all religions. There is another way to live in the
world and that is the way of Nazis. They believed in destroying everything, every object, every
idea, every person and every theory that they did not like. They exterminated every other race
from Germany. But the civilized societies can never adopt this way. We cannot live by the "law
of jungle". We are the human beings; a social animal and we have to create a society. But a
society cannot be created without respecting the social and human rights of other people. So
the only way of creating a society or a civilized culture is tolerance. Writer quotes a text form
the Bible in support of his view! "In my father's house are many mansions"

Similarly he refers to different philosophers, spiritual and religious leaders who have supported
the doctrine of tolerance. The writer suggests a therapy to cultivate the tolerance in people.
He says that one should put oneself in the place of others and analyze the situation. In this way
one can easily understand the limitations of others and can find the reason of their attitude and
opinion. This understanding gives us the ability to judge something judiciously. This will help us
to tolerate the conflicting ways and opinions of other people. We can notice that the people
with clear judgment and understanding are always tolerant.

Then E. M. Forster compares the love and tolerance. He says that love is important in personal
life but it is not effective in public life. The only force in public life is tolerance.Concluding the
discussion the writer urges us to be open-minded and to see not only the faults of others but of
ourselves too. He says that tolerance is not weakness rather it is strength. It is the only force
that can construct or reconstruct any thing durable.

Q 5. What is the importance of tolerance in the external and internal problems of Pakistan?

Ans. Tolerance is the most effective guiding principle in the public life of a nation. Pakistan is
an ideological state that was created in the name of Islam. Islam stresses on the need of
tolerance and a Muslim is demanded to show courtesy even to his enemy. Islamic history is full
of such events.

Today Pakistan is running through a very serious crisis. The whole nation is divided due to
many conflicts. Sometimes these differences are of religious nature and sometimes political.
The changes in international affairs also cause much disruption.

We need tolerance in our religious life. We should be tolerant in our relations with other
religions. We should give equal rights to them. Similarly we should be tolerant to all the sects
of Islam. Shias should respect Sunnis and Sunnis should regard the rights of Shias. In this way
we can stop the endless series of bomb blasts and bloodshed on a large scale. This situation
has involved the whole population in it and our image in the world has been badly tarnished by
this intolerant attitude.

The political scenario of Pakistan presents a very bleak picture. Conspiracies have strangled the
democracy. Politicians do not tolerate each other. Members of opposition are victimized. And
the opposition writes letters to the Army to take over. They organize movements to bring
martial law. The army does not tolerate politicians. It tries to subdue them. Army doesn’t
respect the basic human rights of politicians as well as the civillian population. And this
attitude has badly harmed our integrity. We reaped its fruit in 1971 when we lost one of our
vital parts due to this intolerance. Even today the condition is not any better; we are still
heading towards disasters of worst kind. Provincialism is playing havoc to our existence. The
irrationality of political element is leading us to hapless ends. The haughty and unbending
attitude of army is the cause of social unrest and frustration on a large scale. This horrible
situation is only the result of intolerance.

The difference between classes is also a serious matter. Today our society is without a middle
class. There are the rich or the poor; some people enjoy every thing while others struggle even
for the bread. According to the facts and figures of the World Bank, 87% of Pakistani
population is living under the line of poverty. The whole sum of national wealth is in the
control of some rich families. Feudalism is crushing the poor people. The system is not
supportive. This situation has produced an atmosphere of resentment and distrust between
both the classes. But if they open heartedly tolerate each other, the gulf between them can
easily be removed. The rich should try to help poor. The poor should work harder to lessen
this difference.

In our international affairs, tolerance can be very vital. Since the creation of Pakistan we had to
bear the enmity of India. We spend almost 70% of our national wealth on the race of weapons.
If we become tolerant towards India, we can spend this money on raising the standard of our
people’s life.

So it proves that all our internal and external problems can be solved through the tolerance.
This can save us from the discontent and disappointment present in our nation today.
 On Saying Please
Alpha of the Plough
Q 1. Why do we call bad manners infections?

Ans. This essay has been written by Alfred George Gardiner whose pen name was "Alpha of the
Plough". He was a journalist, biographer and essayist. He was an ardent social reformer. In the
present essay he throws light on the importance of good manners. He urges us to be civil and
spread civility around us. Similarly we should avoid bad manners because bad manners spread
very quickly. We can call bad manners infections because every action has a reaction. A good
act will get a good reaction and a bad action will surely produce a bad reaction. If we deal with
people in a good way, naturally they will adopt the same course and will be civil but if we are
hostile to some one, he is bound to be uncivil and hostile to us. We can see it in our day-to-day
life that the people behaving in a bad way always incur a bad and unpleasant aura around
them. The individual is the unit of society and if the unit is going wayward the whole society will
be doomed to disturbance. The writer gives an example. In a city office a customer asked the
liftman to take him to "top" but the liftman demanded, "top Please". This gave rise to a serious
brawl and liftman threw the customer out of his lift. The writer conceives that the customer
behaved rudely because his employer did not greet him and the employer was uncivil because
he had been hen-pecked by his wife to whom the cook had been insolent because the
housemaid had answered the cook back. On the other hand the liftman, who was not allowed
to express his anger, would go home and beat his wife to restore the equilibrium.

This shows how quickly the bad manners are transferred from one person to another. Bad
manners and rudeness spread sooner than any virus and are more fatal to the civilization and
society.

Q 2. Is there any law against the bad manners?

Ans. We have many laws that can protect us against material losses. For example if we are
attacked physically or if our property is damaged, we can retaliate with the same amount of
wrath and the law will protect us. If we do not avenge ourselves the law will give us redress.
This is because the material loss is a solid phenomenon while the hurt pride is an abstract thing.
Loss of material can be proved but the loss of self-respect and vanity cannot be proved.
Moreover, the concept of being hurt intellectually, changes from person to person. Some
people are more tolerant but some are less. At times we become so much hostile and
prejudiced about some people that we always view their actions negatively and we, ourselves,
become uncivil to them. So it can be almost impossible for any law court to judge such cases.
Although there is no law against bad manners but there are very strong social traditions that
compel us to be tolerant, polite and humane. Laws can never make us civil. It is the voice of
humanity inside and out side us that makes us behave unlike the brutal animals or the residents
of jungle. There is liberty of expression in almost all the societies of the world and there are
certain limitations levied on this liberty by a man's conscience. As it is our self-respect that
makes us respect the "self" of others. So, no law can be feasible for keeping us civil and
humane, only the tradition and humanity can ask us to do so.

Q 3. Draw a character sketch of the polite conductor?

Ans. The writer has featured a very impressive character in order to stress the need of civility
and good manners in our daily social life. This character was a bus conductor who impressed
the writer with his pleasant personality and helpful manners. The writer noticed him when,
once, he boarded a bus without any money in his pocket. This was a very trying situation for
him because in this situation no one believes that the money has been accidentally misplaced.
Common people and specially the conductors think that the person is trying to cheat. The
writer searched his pockets thoroughly and declared that he would have to alight from the bus.
He was ready for any kind of reaction but quite unexpectedly the conductor behaved
generously and politely. He offered to take him to his destination even without any money.
The writer was very impressed. Though later the writer could square his account with a stray
coin present in his pocket but such a nice act gave him a serene pleasure and satisfaction. On
second occasion the writer met the same conductor when he heavily trampled writer’s toe but
he apologized in such a humble and nice way that writer assured him that he had not hurt him
at all. This reaction was only due to his polite ways. This proves that every action has a
reaction equal in strength. The writer says that he is not ashamed of writing a panegyric to an
unknown bus conductor because the wisdom of life can be achieved from anywhere. No one is
low or high it is their manners that divide human beings in low or high level.

Q 4. Why should a person be civil?

Ans. A person should be civil in his dealings with others. "Man is a social animal" and if he does
not respect the society and its values he is just an animal. All the societies in the world have
their own specific set of values. No society allows its members to have bad manners or to
express their annoyance openly. Societies devise some civilized ways to give vent to any
resentment.

The peaceful coexistence of the individuals in a society is only possible through courtesy and
good manners. In a society, people have to indulge in continuous give and take that is possible
only through acknowledging the services of other people. If we start ordering, like a superior,
no body will cordially listen to us. But if we ask something in a polite manner, no one will
refuse us. Our religion, Islam also teachers us to be civil, The Holy Prophet (Peace be upon him)
said, "The best amongst you is one, who has good manners”.

We should adopt the ways of courtesy and civility to spread smiles on faces of all those who live
around us.

Q 5. How can good manners affect our social life?

Ans. Alpha of the plough attempts to stress on the need of having good manners in life. He
asserts that we should behave in a polite and gentle way. We should not hurt any body and
should not lose our temper because these things cast a deep impact on our general life.

The writer presents an incident from a city office where a liftman threw out a person who
insulted him by treating him as a social inferior. The person demanded "top". The liftman asked
for “top please”. It led to a fierce quarrel. It was only a question of "please". The liftman was
punished for his violent behaviour. It happened because the law doesn’t recognize the damage
to our feelings but if we experience a material or physical loss the law can protect us. The
liftman was punished because he broke a definite command of law by hitting the customer. We
may sympathize with the liftman whose feelings were hurt but we will have to admit that the
law is quite reasonable.

The bad manners are subjective. Their effects change from person to person. Sometimes even
a light comment or action can hurt a man. It depends on our mental state at that time. If we
are already hurt or disturbed then any thing can provoke us. As was the case with the man who
did not say "please" to the liftman. He was rude because his employer had misbehaved with
him. The employer did so because he had been hen-pecked by his wife and his wife was angry
because the cook had been insolent, as the housemaid had answered back to the cook. This
shows how quickly the bad manners start a chain reaction of penetrating in the social life.

All the religions have preached in favour of good manners but neither any religion nor any
constitution has ever tried to legislate against bad manners.

In writer's view "Please", "thank you” and "sorry" are the little courtesies by which we keep the
machine of life oiled and running sweetly. They produce an atmosphere of cordiality and good
will. The writer pleads us to restore these manners and behaviours so that the society can
become a safe and pleasant place to live in.

Q 6. What is the theme of this essay?

Ans. "On saying please" is an apt commentary on the mannerism of people in the society. The
writer wants people to be civil and courteous. The world is a place where, we have to live with
a lot of different people who have different attitudes, different manners, traditions and
mentalities. They behave in different ways but we have to put up with them so that the life can
smoothly go on. If we do not adopt good manners, we will poison the whole atmosphere and
spoil the stream of life.

Moreover the writer wants to tell us that there is no law that can compel people, to have good
manners. No law can force people to be well mannered. But the civilization, culture and
tradition of all good nations enjoin a man to be civil and tolerant. So people should have good
manners to make their lives easier and more pleasant.
 To Err is Human
BY Lewis Thomas
Q 1. What is the importance of errors in life?

Ans. Lewis Thomas is basically a man of science. He presents deep scientific truths in a simple,
straightforward and lucid style. The essay “To Err is Human” is a study of human brain and its
working. The author establishes his thesis in a very light manner. He asserts the importance of
errors in life and says that almost every new thing has been created or discovered through
errors. The whole history of scientific developments is based on coincidences, chances and
errors. Everything that deviates from the normal course leads us to new regions of knowledge
and possibilities.

Error is exclusively a human trait. In the whole universe, only the man is capable of making
mistakes. When a man thinks freely and makes some choices the probability of mistakes is
increased. One out of many courses can be right but the choice of a wrong course can
sometimes lead to more beneficial avenues. We learn by trial and error and finally reach at the
correct path. Human body and mind are in a constant process of evolution. Similarly the
environment and circumstances go on changing every day. So, man has to devise newer ways
to cope with the new conditions. In this process, he sometimes makes mistakes and these
mistakes become the herald of new discoveries and inventions.

Animals do not commit error that’s why they seldom learn anything new. They have been
spending the same life for million of years. But man has revolutionized his life and living
standard. The cave man could not even dream of the life of today. After a thousand years, our
life too may seem to be as undeveloped as that of the cavemen because the tempo and
magnitude of our progress is tremendous. And most of our progress is based on the moves
made by error. Errors give us new ways to pave and new mysteries to unveil. Similarly if we let
our machines like computer to work freely and commit mistakes, they can also create new
horizons for us. Mistakes should not be regarded as something negative rather they should be
properly death with to get the maximum profit out of them.

Q 2. How do the computers work?

Ans. Computers are thought to be an excellent machine that cannot commit errors. But our
common observation refutes it and we see that often we have to suffer due to computer
errors. Computer by error increases a tiny bank account to a massive one; the utility companies
give notice of disconnection due to non-payment. When you report about these errors, the
same computer gives you a guilty letter and settles yours account. The writer says that
computers have their brains and the sounds coming out of them indicate the working of their
brains. The computer can think as quickly as to beat a man at chess. The sums done by
computer can consume too much of a man's time. The accuracy of computer is unmatched.
Even then the computers make mistakes because they are an extension of human brain and
have the quality of error. The error is the base of human activity and it generates too many
benefits for man.

He thinks that computer should also be given the right to err so that it can also find new vistas
for itself and mankind. A computer should be given a list of courses, mostly wrong and it
should be asked to choose at random. This can lead to too many possibilities and may prove to
be the threshold of new discoveries. So computer as well as human beings should take the
errors as a guide because "trial and error" is the foundation of all our learning.
 GOSSIPS

Q 1. What is the background of the word gossip?

Ans. Francine prose was an American novelist, essayist and teacher of creative writing. Her
essay on "Gossip" makes an interesting and unusual point about a much-criticized activity.
Gossip is a tool of acquiring information and understanding and it is quite useful and effective.
Almost every one indulges in it at his leisure. It is not a novel or new activity rather it is a very
historical thing or phenomenon. In the writer’s view it may be the first recreational use of the
spoken word. The caveman at night must have started this activity by describing the stories of
people living in the cave next-door. He may even have exaggerated the information about
hunting and other ordinary matters. The gossip may have achieved its peak in the eras when
people frequently talked about human relation and contact with gods, spirits and fairies.

Basically this word has been derived from the Anglo-Saxon term "godsibbe" which stands for
god-parents and relatives. Later times widened its meanings to include the friends and
acquaintance in it. The journey of the evolution of this term and phenomenon is still going on
and its climax can be seen in some literature, media and press etc. So it has quite definite
background that needs deep research to dig out its more aspects and meanings.

Q 2. What are the social uses of gossip?

Ans. Gossip is a social activity and it creates connection in the society. It has been very useful
for the development of relations and understanding in the society. It gives us our identity by
telling, what type of people we know, and what mode of life they lead and who we ourselves
are. It is a matter of general observation and experience that we get more than half of the
information about our family, our social circle and ourselves, through the tool of gossip. It
makes us feel close to the people, who we talk about. Generally gossip has a bad press, people
take it as something negative, and mean whose chief purpose is to condemn, criticize and
scandalize other people. But it is not true as this activity gives us an insight into the human
psychology and character. It gives us a critical attitude of mind that can determine the right and
wrong. This is the source of moral education that tells us the acceptable and non-acceptable
norms of society and we censor our own personality for removing the unwanted traits in us.
Thus we make ourselves mature socially, morally, mentally and intellectually.

Keeping its social uses in mind, writer suggests that its bad name must be cleared. It should not
be called gossip, but should be given the name of oral tradition. It is a tradition, which orally
makes us wiser, and we learn through the experience of other people.Some critics believe that
gossip is an important part of all well-knit literatures. Both need pacing, tone, clarity and
authenticity. So nobody can deny the importance and uses of gossip. We admit that sometimes
it is used negatively but everything in the world has its uses and abuses. So it should be taken
seriously and given its due status in the civilized society.
 Q 3. What is the difference between gossiping and exchanging information?

Ans. At our leisure we indulge in gossip and we learn a lot through a passive activity. Generally
people do not find any specific difference between exchanging information and gossiping. But
if we go deep into the sense of the word we can come to know that there are some basic points
that differentiate both. Exchanging information means to tell someone about some happening
objectively, with out mixing one’s own critical point of view in it, while the gossip gives an
information as well as the emotional and subjective commentary of the narrator. The writer
gives an example that if someone says, “John got a new Job" its an information, but if one says,
"Hey did you hear John got fired?” It is a gossip. It is so because the second expression is meant
to damage the social standing of a person by ridiculing his expulsion from the job.
Generally people take gossip as a negative thing that is meant to undermine somebody’s
reputation.

Q 4. How do we learn through gossip?

Ans. Through gossip we learn a lot about the world. When people discuss about some person,
event or idea, they not only tell us the main action but the standard morality of a society is also
discussed in detail. This discussion makes us morally wise. We come to know about a lot of
things in the world. We cannot experience every thing ourselves so we have to borrow
common sense from the opinions of other people and in gossip people discuss the news as well
as give their own point of view. This increases our common sense and makes us mature.

Gossip not only reveals the character of the man who is being gossiped about but the
personality of the gossiper is also marked out. This makes us understand the variety of actions
and characters in the world.

Little kids learn to tell stories through gossip. They reveal their true fascination and
enchantments when they gossip about fairies, giants and warriors. The literary work also
involves gossip. So as a tool of understanding the role of gossip can never be neglected.

Q 5. What is the conclusion of this essay?

Ans. This essay gives a detailed discussion about the uses and abuses of gossip. It features
gossip in a unique light and goes to an untraditional view about it. The writer asserts that
gossip is thought to be something negative but it has a lot of positive aspects too. It should not
be taken as a vice or weakness because it enlarges the vision of a man and gives him a deep
insight into the realities of life.Francine Prose presents gossip in a positive light to make us
realize its usefulness. And she gives enough arguments to prove that it should not be taken as a
frivolous or time-wasting activity.
 Science and Values
BY Bertrand Russell

Q 1. How has science helped us to diminish bad things?

Ans. Bertrand Russell is a philosopher, mathematician and reformer. Throughout his life he has
been working for introduction of scientific attitude in life, for rights of women, for denunciation
of war and for the formation of a world government.

In the present essay, he gives his arguments to make us realize the importance of science, its
advantages and disadvantages. He says that science has totally changed the orientation, tempo
and nature of our lives. He enlists many things that science has conferred upon us to make our
life easier. In his views, science has helped us to diminish certain bad things from the world.
The first thing that has been curtailed by science is poverty. In past people did not have
anything they were very badly off. The food and other necessities of life were not provided to
them but now the situation has been totally changed. The scientific development in agriculture
and industry has altogether changed the face of life. Industrialization has helped mankind to
control the excessive labour hours and poverty. The advent of medicine and medical science is
considered to be a great boon for the mankind. Before the growth of medicines, the death rate
was very high in the world. In 1920 the infant mortality rate in England was 80 per thousand
but in 1948 it was reduced to 34 per thousand. The sum of human suffering has been greatly
diminished by the discovery of anesthetics and other medicines. The crimes and lawlessness
have also been reduced by the science. The police force, their scientific method of detection,
finger prints, telephones, street lights and the psychology of crimes and punishment have
helped greatly to reduce the general crime rate specially in Europe.

The science has reduced the fanaticism to its lowest level. The swift communication and
transportation have made the world a global village, thus bringing the nations, classes and
religions closer together to enhance the tolerance and good will in the world.

All these things could have been possible only due to the science and its seasonable use.

Q 2. How has science helped us to flourish the beneficial aspects of life?

Ans. The science has completely changed the life of man on this planet. It has helped us in
many ways. The most important advantage of science is the spread of education. Now almost
everyone is educated, at least in Western countries. The knowledge about the world and life
has increased immensely. Now people can get every type of knowledge through media, books
and Internet. Science has also increased the opportunities. The people even from the lower
classes can go higher and higher in life with their education and skills. The industrialization has
increased the job opportunities and it gives chances to people to earn their bread as well as to
improve their status in life. Another thing that science has gifted to mankind is the happiness.
In past, people had no ways of entertainment but now there are thousands of sources created
by science and technology to increase the pleasure and amusement in the world. Prosperity has
been increased. The health facilities are improved to reduce the human suffering. So we can
say that science is the only factor that has revolutionized our whole existence for the better.

Q 3. What is the relation of science and values?

Ans. Russell points out many ways in which science has helped mankind but in Russell’s views it
could have helped mankind even better. It is the matter of common observation that the
negative uses of science have affected us badly and they have diminished the positive works of
science almost completely. Russell thinks about this problem and detects its reason. He thinks
that science and the values have not developed at the same pace. At some places or times the
science has developed and at others the values have. Science regards values as useless and
orthodox. The values regard science as obstinate. The science and religion have always
confronted. This is the fact that causes the inhuman use of science and destruction of values.

In order to restore this balance he suggests some ways. The first thing that he mentions is the
intellectual tamper. In people, there should be a desire to know the exact reality and they
should judge everything according to their own intellect. There should be an unwillingness to
adopt the already existing dogmatic creeds. One should never be intensely devoted to some
belief or idea rather they should be kept tentatively. There is always a chance of change and
improvement in one’s thoughts and beliefs so one should not be ready to kill others or die
himself for some cause. The urge of impartial inquiry should be present in every man to avoid
conflicts and wars in the world.

The priesthood and other such institutions forcibly impose their views on others and hamper
the way of free inquiry and judgment. These doctrines have often badly opposed the scientific
developments. Similar was in the case of anesthetics that were bitterly opposed by orthodox
and religious factions of society as an interference with the will of God.

The lust of power is an inherent desire of mankind and this desire has led mankind to many
fierce and brutal wars. If the wars are controlled, the magnitude of human prosperity could be
increased thousand times more than the present one. Russell says that science can offer the
greatest possibilities of well being for the human race. It offers this on certain conditions such
as the abolition of war, even distribution of ultimate power and a strict control over the growth
of population. In the western industrial countries, the population growth is strictly controlled
and it gives a chance to people to live a better life. Forming a world government can control
the wars. All the countries should unite and make a government that will have a complete
control of all the weapons of the world and so will reduce the fear of wars greatly. The world
government can be formed either by negotiations or by the use of force. Once this government
is established the mankind will be introduced to a phase of extreme human welfare and
happiness. This government will help scientists to concentrate on the projects of human
comfort and prosperity. Then the money, resources and energy wasted on the weaponization
will be diverted to the constructive plans for humanity. If science and all these values are
synthesized, the earth can become a paradise of peace and prosperity. So we can say that
science and values are closely linked and they should be developed in unison.
 SUPER
Q 1. Discuss the background of "Super?

Ans. This essay has been written by some anonymous writer and was published in "The Times"
magazine. The writer humorously criticizes the use of different prefixes.

Mr. Shaw translated the word “super” from German to English language from the work of
Nietzsche, who originally used this word. He applied this word as a prefix to the "man" and
created a character of super qualities. When this word was translated to English, it caught the
fancy of people, specially the advertisers. They vehemently made use of the word ‘super’ with
almost everything that was advertised. Every thing was given the status of being super. The
character of the "Superman" was a man of extra-ordinary qualities but the super things are
quite ordinary. Writer says that super things should be superior to something but they are not.
In writer’s view people use this prefix with their products but never use it with their own
names. For example a man would call his trousers as super-trousers and even he may call
himself a super tailor but would never call himself super, as a man.

In past, too many people were given distinguished titles but they never called themselves as
super. Even today the richest man does not try to embellish himself or his conversation as
being a super-human thing. The writer mocks at the over use of this prefix and ironically says
that this word has lost its worth and emphasis because of its over use. As the modern music
produces no effect on mind body or soul, so is the case with "Super". It is as meaningless and
irritating as is the modern music.

Q 2. What is wrong with the use of this word?

Ans. The writer humorously points out the use of unnecessary phrases in advertisement,
specially the word "Super". He states many examples to present his case.

He objects to the overuse of this prefix with every thing. He says that we live in a realm of
super things like super chocolate, super soap, super cigarettes and so on. He objects because
the quality of things has not been improved even by a zero percent but their names have been
changed to "Super". Being super means that the thing is superior to something else, but to
what, it is not known. He ridicules the situation by saying that these things must be made by a
race of supermen.

In fact the writer wants to assert that the things should not be improved superficially but their
true quality should be raised, so they can genuinely impress people. Modern time is the time of
glitz and glamour. Things are presented in super packing and super advertisement but their
true quality is nothing.
The things are symbols of their makers, who have become super outwardly but from inside they
are still uncultured and undeveloped. The change should come in the soul of everything. This
is what the writer wants to suggest through this essay.

Q 3. Point out the elements of satire and humour from this essay?

Ans. This essay is full of humorous and satirical expressions. Writer has light-heartedly pointed
out the use of the word “super”. He ridicules the emptiness of shallow modern man who tries
to embellish things outwardly but their inner hollowness remains intact.

The very first line is satirical when writer says that Mr. Shaw could never foresee the immense
effects of his novel use of the word super. He says that the superman is an imaginative
character that may come in future but the use of this word has filled the world with super
things like super soap, super cigarette, super chocolate etc. Being super they should be of a
higher quality but they are not. He humorously adds the example of a certain abusive epithet
that has lost its meanings due to over use. Ironically enough he expects that this bulk of super
things might be made by a race of super men. He laughs at the trends of advertisement where
people go to the extent of calling themselves, for instance, as super-tailor due to the super
trousers they make. He compares the use of the word super to the doubling of paper money
that increases the quantity of currency but buying power remains the same. Today nobody
caress about the personal worth or quality of a man. Writer says that our development is so
superficial and fickle that we think that our super inventions like our super aero-planes will
astonish and amaze even Shakespeare or Leonardo da Vinci. At the end he mocks at the quality
and impact of super music and says that now the use of "Super" does not produce any effect
like the super music. On the whole this is a fun-packed essay that conveys its message in an
emphatic and straightforward way.
 Some Policemen And A Moral
BY G K Chesterton

Q 1. What happened to G. K. Chesterton?

Ans. G. K. Chesterton was a journalist. He worked in the "Daily News". Once in holidays, he
went to Yorkshire. He was staying there with a rich and renowned person. One day he was
free from work and was sitting in a wood. He had a Swedish knife and was practicing the style
in which people murdered each other in Stevenson’s novels. Unluckily he could never hit any
tree. Suddenly two policemen appeared from somewhere and overwhelmed the whole area. It
seemed there was no one else in the jungle. They accused him of murder-attempt on the tree
and started a detailed interrogation regarding some relevant or irrelevant matters. They asked
him who he was, what the knife was, why was he throwing it, what was his address, trade,
religion, opinion on the Japanese war, name of his favourite cat and so on. The writer tried to
convince them that he was a journalist and was staying with “Mr. Blank of Ilkely” and he was
working at “The Daily News". All these things impressed the policemen and they left as quickly
as they had come. The matter of his being guilty or not was dissolved by the fact that he knew
some well-to-do people and was a journalist.

Q 2. Why did they release him?

Ans. The policemen entangled him badly in the snare of their complicated irrelevant questions.
They tried to confuse him and get the answers of their own choice. But when the writer told
them that he was a journalist related to an honest and esteemed newspaper called "The Daily
News" and that he was staying with very rich and well-known people, they shuddered with awe
and terror and released him. The writer produced an envelope, an unfinished poem and some
other documents to prove his statement. The policemen were so impressed that the elder of
them declared himself as a regular reader and admirer of the writer. They forgot all about his
crime and their accusation. They disappeared as unobtrusively as they had appeared.

Q 3. What was Chesterton’s reaction on his release?

Ans. The writer was quite amazed at his acquittal and release. He asked the policemen why
they had acquitted him when he was guilty of cruelty to a green entity. He further said that the
policemen had rushed to him as if he was some villain of the Greek mythology who was trying
to spoil a goddess tied to the ground and as if the huge tree was now shattered to pieces, its
green blood was wailing and calling out for the "Justice". It was protesting against the cruelty
of a man. His crime could not be dismissed by the fact that he was Chesterton, a journalist, a
well-known person or that he was staying with some wealthy people.
But to the writer's disappointment, the major part of this speech was made to the silent wood
because both the knights had vanished away. It made him think that they might be fairies
whose standard and criterion of crime and punishment was different from the normal human
standard. In their domain, it might be a crime to damage a tree or a blade of grass. In these
terms this event could easily be explained but if the policemen were taken as "real", the
situation again became confusing. They arrested him because he was guilty of something so
they should have taken him to the police station for proper proceedings. And if he was not the
criminal then why had they interfered with him and accused him. This is what the writer is still
unable to understand. He thinks that if there has been a poor man at his place, who is
homeless or who does not know any dignitary, what they might have done to him. Basically
this essay is written to criticize the practices of policemen who question the innocent but let
the criminals loose. They threaten the simple people and impress them with their power and
authority. They accept bribes and can be influenced by aristocrats. They have no clear
knowledge or sense of crime and punishment. They accuse a person according to his social
status. They acquit a person according to his contacts and connections. The true essence of
the police department has been lost under the cover of worldly and materialistic considerations
and recommendations.

Q 4. "Policemen in Chesterton's essay behave exactly like our own Policemen”, Elucidate.

Ans. G. K. Chesterton is a keen commentator of the society and its evils. His style is very
amusing and subtle. He points out the cancerous diseases of society in a light and humorous
way. “From Some Policemen and a Moral" presents the attitudes and ways of the policemen.
He narrates an event when he was nearly arrested by two policemen on charge of damaging a
tree. After a heated discussion of half an hour, he was acquitted. He hardly won his acquittal
by proving that he was a journalist and knew some aristocrats. These things impressed the
policemen and they neglected his crime, if there was any. This provoked the writer to think
deeply about the police and their working. He establishes the meaninglessness of police
department and its activities by using some super metaphors and symbols. This analysis
provokes us to think deeply about the policemen of our own area. For some decades, our
country has been turned into a police state. The discretionary powers of policemen are
immense. They do whatever they want and the administration gives them protection.
Generally police department is thought to be a symbol of protection and security but in our
country no gentleman dares to pass near a police station. People try to solve their problems on
a local level instead of going to police station because the policemen put them into a swamp of
bribes recommendations and injustice. Even filing of FIR has become a very difficult task and if
it is filed the applicant has to provide "tyres" to it in form of money to start or to speed up the
proceedings. The government cannot control their excesses because of political consideration.
The looting, theft and murders never disturb the police. Their attention is only to get as much
money out of the innocent people as possible. Too many people die every year in police
custody. Too many lose their youths, languishing in jails on wrong charges. Not only the
accused is punished but also his whole family has to suffer the police-terrorism. The sanctity of
home is violated every day. If the accused is some influential man, police never go near him and
try to shift the burden of his crime on the shoulders of someone else. All the drug, gambling
and wine business is running under police patronization. They get monthly "Jagga Tax" from
the dons of such business. Though policemen have their own problems too but still they are
responsible for the deformity in the police department as well as in the general society. The
policemen in Chesterton’s essay were light and trivial but the atrocities and dishonesty of
Pakistani police have no bounds. They are in nobody's control. They respect no law. They
recognize no moral, religious or ethical code of conduct.The government should pay attention
to their activities so that the evils of terrorism, gambling, drugs and many other vicious crimes
can be wiped out from our society.
 VITAMINS
Q 1. Discuss the history of vitamins and their discovery?

Ans. Dr. Kenneth Walker was a consultant surgeon in London. He has a neat simple and
straightforward style that suits his purpose excellently. "The Vitamins" is an extract from his
research work, "Human physiology". It is written in his typical plain prose style. In the beginning
only five basic ingredients of food were known. People tried to include all these ingredients in
food to make it a balanced diet. In 1906 Sir F. Gowland Hopkins conducted some experiment
on rats. He kept these rats on a diet of pure proteins, fats, carbohydrates, salts and water but
still they developed the signs of malnutrition. It diverted the attention of scientists to another
ingredient that was still not known. This ingredient was needed to keep ones body perfectly
healthy. Later experiments discovered it and it was named as the vitamin.

In 1906 a disease called scurvy invaded the ships of East India Company. In order to combat
this scourge, lemons and oranges were used, which are a rich source of vitamins. Another
disease, which is thought to be due to vitamin deficiency, is beri-beri. It is characterized by
weakness and even complete paralysis of legs associated with dropsy.

The research on all these diseases solidified the existence of vitamins and their importance for
human body. The true nature of vitamins is still not completely known and researches are still
going on.

Q 2. What are the main types of vitamins?

Ans. The vitamins are divided in two categories. This division is on the basis of their solubility in
fats or in water. The letters of the alphabet are employed to distinguish them. The fat-soluble
vitamins are A, D, and E. The water-soluble vitamins are B and C. The first fat-soluble vitamin is
A. It is found in cod-liver oil in large quantity. Its smaller amounts are present in butter and
green vegetables. Deficiency of this vitamin results in stunted growth and reduces the natural
resistance offered by the body to invading organisms. Its deficiency produces a dry condition of
eye known as Exophthalmia. The second fat-soluble vitamin is D. It is found in cod-live oil and in
lesser amounts in other animal fats but is not present in vegetable oils. Its absence from food
interferes with the growth and calcification of bones and is the cause of rickets. Rickets is cured
by adding vitamin D to diet or by exposing the patient to sunlight because another major source
of vitamin D is sunlight

The main water-soluble vitamins are B and C. Vitamin B is found in yeast and in the outer layers
of rice and wheat. Its absence causes beri-beri and pellagra. Vitamin B actually contains six
different substances of varying importance. The second water-soluble vitamin C is present in
fresh vegetables, in germinating peas and beans and in some fruits especially in lemons and
oranges. It is important as anti-scorbutic vitamin. Still more vitamins are being discovered and
their efficacy is also being elucidated.
Q 3. Discuss the reasons of rickets?

Ans. Rickets is a disease characterized by softening and bending of bones. During the research
on rickets, two completely divergent theories were presented about its causes. According to
some investigators, it was purely a diet-deficiency disease. They proved that it could by readily
cured by adding a small quantity of cod-liver oil to diet of the patient. At the same time, some
investigators believed that it was related to the physical environment of the patient because
rickets almost always attacked children living in dark industrial cities and was quickly cured
when they were brought into the sunlight. On further investigations, it was proved that the
main cause was the deficiency of vitamins D and it can be obtained either by mouth or skin.
That's why rickets may be caused by shortage of vitamins D or by the lack of sunlight. Vitamin D
is present in cod-liver oil and animal fats. Similarly it can be obtained through sunlight that
transforms a certain fat found in the skin to vitamin D.

So this disease can be cured in these two ways.

Q 4. What should be done to fulfill the deficiency of vitamins?

Ans. Today we fully know the importance of vitamins and we also know that the use of alkalis in
flour grinding and in the milling of rice is strongly helping in the destruction of vitamins found in
different foodstuffs. The governments and authorities do not pay attention to it. So people
should take steps to rectify the situation by compensating the loss of vitamins by taking them in
the form of tablets. In this way the interests of the government, millers and masses will be
secured at the same time.