10.

THE THREE-DAY BLOW

-Ernest Hemingway
Discussion questions
1. Discuss "The Three Day Blow" as a
dramatic story.
"The Three Day Blow" is a dramatic story written
by a famous 20th century American writer Ernest
Hemingway. Its plot is full of dramatic actions
and it seems as if they are taking place on a
stage. In a story the actions unfold chiefly
through narration but in this story the whole plot
unfolds mainly through the dialogues between
two major characters Nick and Bill. In a drama
also the plot unfolds through the dialogues
between characters. Dialogue is the essence of
drama whereas narration is that of a story. In
this story, "The Three Day Blow" there is
minimum narration and maximum dialogues. As
in a drama, we find several scenes in this story.
There are altogether seven scenes in this story.
The first scene is located outside Bill's cottage in
its porch where he receives his friend Nick .The
second scene is located in the living room where
both of them sit near the fireplace, and start
drinking whiskey and talking together. The third
scene takes place in the kitchen where Nick hits
a pan with a log that he brings from the
backyard. The pan falls on the floor and the
apricots of it get all scattered. Nick picks them
and put in the pan. He also pours some water in
it and then carries the log in the living room
where the fourth scene takes place. The fifth
scene of the story is located in the dining room
where he looks in a mirror and finds his own
face strange. He smiles and winks at his own
face and comes back in the living room, where
Bill begins to talk about his love affair with
Marjorie. The sixth scene is again located there.
In this scene the author presents the most
important part of the plot of the story- serious
discussion about Nick's love affair with Marjorie.
Finally, the 7th scene is located outside the
cottage. They carry two short guns and go
hunting. In this way, we find seven scenes in this
story, excluding the opening exposition. Thus, it
is more like a drama than a short fiction.

UNDERSTANDING:
1. Describe the setting in which the writer
locates his characters.
And forests can be seen below Bills cottage
both Bill and Nick sit together in front of the fire
place in the living room and drink and talk on
several topics. As far as time is concerned, it is
the autumn season, Rain has recently stopped
and the autumn wind is blowing through the bare
trees.

RHETORICAL STRATEGIES
1. What has the weather condition to do with
the sequence of events?
The weather condition in this story has a lot to
do with the sequence of events. It seems to
have affected them to a large extent; it is
because of the weather condition that all the
major events take place inside the cottage,
especially in the living room in front of the fire.
There is little cold outside, since it is autumn
season and wind is blowing after rain. The two
major characters Bill and Nick, who are very
close friends, drink and talk in front of the
fireplace. The weather condition has a
symbolical meaning also in this story. There is
an analogy between the three-day blow and
Nick's mental ordeal. The first day blow
symbolizes the conflict between Nick and his
beloved Marjorie. They quarrel and get
separated. Their separation is symbolized by the
second day blow. Wind abates on the third day
and the overall environment is rather peaceful
and there is again hope of regeneration in the
nature. Likewise, a new hope of getting his
beloved back arises in Nick's mind. In other
words, soothing storm of hope and aspirations
start in his mind. Thus, the third day blow stands
for Nick's hope of meeting Marjorie in the town
and getting reunited with her. In this way, the
movement from Nick's conflict with Marjorie
starts. It grows with his suffering and separation,
and finally ends with his hope of reconciliation.
His painful experience is thus symbolically
represented by the three-day blow.

2. The story is presented in the sequence of

approximately
seven scenes (excluding the opening
exposition). Can you find them?
-For its answer, see the answer if discussion
Q.NO.1.3. What do Bill and Nick talk about?
Nick, who is the protagonist in the story, talks
with his bosom friend in the letter's cottage
about four things-baseballs, favorite writers, their
fathers and his own love affair with Marjorie.
Both of them are fans of a baseball club named
Card. They are rather sad and disappointed with
its performance. Then they talk about their
favorite writers – Walpole and Chesterton, and
keep drinking whisky at the same time.
Chesterton was a better person where as
Walpole was a better writer. Both Bill and Nick
agree on this point and also
believe that both are great writers. They wish to
invite their favorite writers for fishing. After that
their conversation shifts to the topic of their
father. Nick's father was a doctor and Bill's
father was a painter. Nick thought that his father
missed great pleasure and a lot of other things
not by drinking wine. Finally, they have a really
serious discussion on several aspects of Nick's
love affair with Marjorie. Bill did not want Nick to
meet with her again but after their discussion
Nick hoped to meet with her and gather back.
Finally, both went outside for hunting with two
shotguns.

11. THE POPLAR FIELD

-William Cowper
UNDERSTANDING
2. Consider the poem, The Poplar Field as a
defense of nature conservation.
The poem, "The Poplar Field" written by a
famous English poet William Cowper deals with
the theme of environment. It basically reveals
deforestation as a very serious problem that is
degrading the environment and ultimately
damaging not only human but also wild life. The
poet seems more concerned with countryside
that is also being very badly affected by
deforestation nowadays. The poet had a
beautiful poplar field on the bank of the Ouse
river, where he used to enjoy cool shade of the
trees, their whispering sound, their beautiful
reflection on the water of the river, and sweet
songs of birds twelve years ago. At present, the
poplar trees are felled and
are lying in the grass. The poet becomes so
much disappointed to see this miserable
condition in the field. He suddenly realizes that
he will die soon but before his death he will not
be able to see such another grove in its stead.
The saddening situation of his poplar field
makes him think seriously about the perishing
pleasures of man. After thinking deeply about it,
he reaches a very sad conclusion that the
human life is short and is becoming more and
more painful because our enjoyments are being
destroyed by the destruction of natural
resources. In this way, the poet has expressed
his serious concern over the degradation of
nature and has warned the human beings of its
harmful effects on their life. The poem, the
poplar field written by a famous English poet
William Cowper is in fact a defense of nature
conservation. It is rather the poet's plea to the
human beings to conserve nature, which plays
an extremely important role in their life. The
quality of life much depends on that of nature.
The poet suggests that we cannot live a
peaceful happy life if nature is not conserved
and kept intact. He describes his own painful
experience of losing his pleasures due to the
destruction of his poplar field in order to illustrate
this point. The poet is a representative of the
human beings, who are badly affected by
deforestation and destruction of other natural
resources. No one can remain untouched by it.
The poet lost several pleasures because of the
destruction of his poplar field, which seems to
stand for forests. Like him, we also not only lose
our pleasures but also face several troubles and
calamities for this reason. Not only the human
beings even animals and birds are also badly
affected by the destruction of nature. The poem
raises the issue of deforestation which is not
only problem in itself but also the causing factor
of so many other problems like flood, soil
erosion, landslide, famine, green house effect
and so on. All these troubles are magnifying the
pain and misery of life. If we conserve he natural
resources, we can avoid them to a very large
extent. This is what is slightly implied in the
conclusion, which the poet reaches at the end of
the poem. It is because of the destruction of
nature that our enjoyments die sooner than we
do. In this way, the poem suggests that we are
digging our own graves by destroying the
nature. We should rather learn to conserve it.
The poem seems to urge us to get involved in
forestation and stop deforestation. Thus,
this poem is a defense of nature conservation.

RHETORICAL STRATAGIES
1. Why do you think the poet has written this
poem in the first person?
The poet has written this poem in the first
person narration to describe his personal painful
experience of losing some pleasures of his life
due to the destruction of his favorite poplar field.
When he visited it after twelve years, he became
very sad to see the poplars lying on the ground.
He could not enjoy the cool shade of the trees,
their whispering sound, and their beautiful
reflection in the water. He painfully realized that
he could never see another such grove in its
stead and enjoy those pleasures again. The
poet was such a great lover of nature the he had
given up his public career for a life in rural
retirement, and to enjoy pure beautiful form of
nature. The sad scene of his destroyed polar
field made him quite upset. He expresses those
feelings of frustration and
pessimism in this poem.

12. THE NIGHTMARE LIFE WITHOUT FUEL

- Isaac Asimov
UNDERSTANDING:
1. What specific problem does Asimov
focuses in this essay? Why does he consider
this issue worth of attention?
In this essay Asimov focuses on the problem of
the shortage of fuel. He believes that the way we
are using fuel will cause fuel crisis very soon. He
considers this issue worth of attention because it
can have a very devastating effect on the human
life. According to him, the human world will
return to the days before 1800. The situation of
pre-industrial age will arise again on this earth
due to the shortage of fuel. The author intends
to warn the human beings to use fuel sensibly
and to find out its options in time.

2. According to the author, what will be the

advantages and disadvantages of the fuel crisis
of 1997? The disadvantages?
According to the author he advantages of the
fuel crisis will be as follows-
§ Air will be cleaner and therefore there will be
fewer colds.
§ The crime rate will drop.
§ the police and army, who consume fuel in a
very large amount and are very expensive to
maintain, will not be much required. Most of
them will disappear.
§ Population growth will go down.
§ People will feel mutual protection in crowds
on the road, public places, parks etc. The writer
believes there will be many disadvantages of the
fuel crisis, too. Some of them are as follows-
§ Vehicles in which we cover a long distance
within a short time will (disappear) go out of
use.
§ We will be forced to give up so many other
facilities like refrigerators, heaters, television etc.
§ People will have to work harder but will get
less to eat. As a result, by will damage their
mind under nutrition.
§ Mothers will go dry, resulting in increase in
infant mortality rate.
§ the cities will ultimately turn into dark rural
areas.
3. In Asimov's essay, what is happening in the
rest of the world, as America is struggles without
fuel?
As America struggles without fuel, the rest of the
world except European countries is facing bigger
trouble. Poverty and disease are spreading
everywhere. People are starving out. Not more
than one in five gets enough to eat at any given
time. All these things cause rapid decline in the
population growth rate. The people, who
somehow manage to keep themselves alive, are
not enjoying a healthy life because they have to
work very hard but get less to eat. As a result
their brains get damaged by under nutrition.
Especially infants are
most badly affected; they are starving out (dying
out of hunger) as their mothers have gone dry.
In this way, there is a very miserable condition in
the rest of the world except Europe, when
America struggles without fuel.

4. What does the author mean when he says

"The suburbs were born with the auto, lived with
the auto, and are dying with the auto".
When the author says, "the suburbs were born
with the auto, lived with the auto, and are dying
with the auto", he means the existence of
suburbs depends on the auto. They cannot
survive without it. The suburban areas came into
existence mainly because of the auto. After the
industrial revolution, people started to move in
great number from villages to towns in search of
employment and more facilities. Therefore, cities
were much crowded. When the auto was
discovered, it became possible for people to
work in the cities but live
outside. Thus, people spread around the cities
and suburbs came into existence. As long as
there were automobiles, people enjoyed their life
there. But now the situation in the suburbs is
quite miserable.
There is scarcity of not only food but also of
other facilities like electricity, transport etc. As a
result, people find it much difficult to live there.
They cannot manage to work in the towns and
live outside. Therefore, they are moving back to
rural areas where life is rather easier and more
peaceful. Thus, the suburbs are dying with auto.

15. CONCRETE CAT

-Dorthi Charles
Understanding
1. What does the poet indicate by capitalizing
the A in ear? the Y in eye? the U in mouth? By
using spaces between the letters in the word
tail?
The poet has capitalized the middle letter A to
indicate that the cat's ears are pointed; the letter
Y in eye to indicate that its eyes are wide open,
and similarly the letter U in mouth to show that
its tongue is falling downward. It is perhaps
licking its food i.e. the killed mouse. The poet
has used spaces between the letters in the word
tail to show that it is not only long but also has
the combination of white & black colors. The
spaces between the letters symbolically refer to
the white colour where as the letters stand for
black.
2. Why is the word mouse upside down?
The word mouse is upside down because it is
recently killed by the cat. It is lying in dead
condition.

3. What possible pun might be seen in the

cat's middle stripe?
Pun is the humorous use of a word that has two
meanings or of different words that sound the
same. It is a kind of word game. In the poem,
Concrete Cat, we find pun in the cat's middle
stripe. This word has two different but relevant
meanings in the poem. When it is read as
"stripe", it means relatively long band of color on
the cat's body but when it is read as tripe it
means the stomach tissue of the mouse, which
the cat has used as its food.

Discussion Questions
1. Would you call this work of art a poem?
This work of art is of course a poem. It is rather
an unusual and experimental poem. The poems
like this in which the words are arranged and
printed on the page in such a way that they
create a vivid picture of something at once in our
mind, are called concrete or typographical
poem. Such poems function more like a painting
than a usual poem, which has emotions, ideas,
and music. The given poem has tried to create
the visual image of a cat in action on the page.
The word arrangement in this poem has violated
grammatical rules but it has been accepted as a
poetic technique and is used by many other
prominent poets like e. e. Cummings and
William Carlos Williams.
18. THE SIX MILLION DOLLAR
- Harold J. Morowitz
1. Explain the title of this essay and the
author's joy in discovering that he is a six million
dollar man.
The title of this essay is closely related with its
text. Therefore, it is meaningful and relevant.
However, it doesn't encapsulate the essence of
the essay; instead it creates a false impression
at first in our mind as if somebody is on sale and
his value is six million dollar. The title reflects the
materialistic attitude towards human being,
which is not justifiable. The writer was extremely
delighted and excited when he discovered that
he was a six million dollar man. The vast gap
between the biochemists' evaluation of 97 cents
and his own first personal evaluation of six
million dollar made him quite egoistic. He felt
much proud of himself but as he continued
thinking rationally and
seriously, all his delight, excitement and the
sense of ego disappeared because he realized
very soon that his real value far exceeded that
figure and in fact priceless.
2. What definition of the human body is
implied in the greeting card? Why does Morowitz
question it? In the statement on the greeting
card we find a partial and materialistic definition
of the human body, which fixes its chemical
value only 97cents. It is partial because it has
considered only the chemicals but ignored all
other valuable things found in the body in
the evaluation. It is also materialistic because it
has considered the human body us an object
which can be evaluated in terms of money. The
author Morowitz questions it because he finds it
incomplete and irrational. He cannot believe that
he can be so cheap.

3. At what strikingly different definition does

the author finally arrive?
After his long chain of thinking and deep studies
about the related subject matter the author
finally arrives at a totally different definition from
that implied in the statement on the greeting
card. According to him, all the human beings,
irrespective of their age, status, caste etc. are
infinitely priceless. Their value cannot be
determined in terms of money.

4. In his conclusion Morowitz declares that

how we think about humans must color our view
of the world. Define the worldview of someone
who answers the question "What is human?"
with the greeting card assumption "A human is
97 cents worth of chemicals.
The person, who thinks that a human is 97 cents
worth of chemical, must have a materialistic
worldview. Such persons are rather money
minded and narrow-minded as well. They try to
evaluate all animate and inanimate things in
terms of money. They take this world as market
in which each & everything has some value. For
them, materials matter more than spirit. In order
words, they give more
importance to money than morality, human
emotions and sentiments.

19. ON THE VANITY OF EARTHLY

GREATNESS
- Arthur Gateman
1. Summarize the poem in one sentence.
In this poem, the speaker doesn't feel well after
realizing well the vanity of earthly greatness
which gets illustrated by the examples of the
transformation of mastodon's tusks, which
"clashed in mighty brawls," into billiard balls,
Charlemagne's sword into rust, the powerful and
dangerous bear into a rug, and Julius Caesar's
great personality into a bust as an object of
decoration and show piece.
2. Bring out the "vanity" involved in the last
couplet.
By giving a very appropriate example of Julius
Caesar and the change in his position in the last
couplet the poet has effectively and efficiently
revealed the vanity of earthly greatness, power
and achievements. Julius Caesar was a great
Roman statesman and general. He had
defeated so many armies and captured
kingdoms, for example head conquered Gaul,
invaded Britain, mastered Italy and defeated
Pompey. Common people could not even dare
to look into his eyes directly. He exercised his
great authority and enjoyed wide popularity,
power and position in his lifetime but after his
death all those things turned into ashes. Such a
great person has become a mere showpiece
and is lying quite helpless in the form of a bust
on the shelf in the speaker's sitting room. A big
irony about him lies in the fact that he doesn't
have even legs and arms in his bust. His
crippled situation in the form of a bust
symbolically shows that all earthly power and
glory are reduced to nothing in the course of
time.
3. What is ironical about the poem?
The poem has dealt with two very powerful
animals and two great historical figures of the
Roman empire but it doesn't glorify their power
and position; instead it reveals some remarkable
negative changes which have taken place in
there previous situation.
Mastodons used to show their power by fighting
with others but at present their tusks have been
changed into billiard balls, which are hit with
sticks in the game. The grizzly bears also don't
remain powerful and frightening forever. After
their death the skin from their body has been
removed and changed into a rug. Those
persons, who would get afraid of them, now sit
on their rug. Charlemagne maintained justice
and strict rule and regulation in his empire by the
help of his sword but now after his death it has
rusted. Similarly, the great Roman statesman
and general Julius Caesar is lying helpless
without legs and arms in the form of a bust on
the post's self. Thus, it is abigirony that a great
soldier of the past is without even arms and legs
at present in the form of showpiece.