LS.12. THE DEAR DEPARTED – STANLEY HOUGHTON - summary

LS.12. THE DEAR DEPARTED – STANLEY HOUGHTON

 

SUMMARY

 

INTRODUCTION

The play ‘The Dear Departed’ by Stanley Houghton is a story that depicts the sad reality of the modern nuclear families that are strained with selfish interests and individual desires. Reflecting the society at large, the tale takes place at the house of the Slaters. Mrs Slater is one of two daughters of Mr Abel Merryweather who lives with her. The other daughter Elizabeth and her husband Ben stay separately.
CONTENT:
The scene of the play is set in the sitting room of a small house in a lower middle-class district of a provincial town. The setting of the play reveals that the tea-table has been laid. Mrs Slater, a plump and active lady is in mourning and she is getting ready to receive some guests. She beckons to her daughter Victoria, who is ten year old, and instructs her to change into something sober. It is revealed that Victoria’s grandfather has passed away and the Slater family is getting ready to receive Aunt Elizabeth and Uncle Ben. Victoria expresses surprise at this news because her aunt and uncle had not paid them a visit for years. Mrs Slater reveals that they were coming over to talk about grandfather’s affairs, on hearing of his death. In the meanwhile Mr Slater enters. He was a heavy man who stoops he was also in mourning dress.
Henry Slater was skeptical whether Elizabeth will come, for the last time when Mrs Slater and Elizabeth had quarrelled, she had vowed never to pay a visit again to their house. Mrs Slater gives Henry new slippers of her father. She also plans to take away the new bureau of the grandfather and shift it to their room, before Elizabeth and Ben arrive. Both the husband and wife, lock the front door and shift the bureau down and put their old chest of drawers there. Victoria wants to know why they were stealing grandfather’s things but her mother tells her to remain quiet. Grandpa’s new clock is also taken away. Meanwhile Grandpa was stirring and moving.
After some time Mr Abel Merryweather (Grandpa) enters and was surprised to see his other daughter and son-in-law, Mr. and Mrs. Jordan. He reveals that he was well and just had a slight headache he notices Henry wearing his new slippers and takes them. Abels wished to know, why all were in mourning dresses. Mrs Jordan makes up some story to pacify him. Abel Merryweather enjoys tea and has a generous slice of the apple-pie. He grumbles and scolds Mrs Slater for taking away his bureau. Mrs Jordan gets agitated and accuses her sister of robbing her father. The husbands also join their wives in hurling accusations at each other Abel discovers about his death. He addresses his daughters directly and declares that he was going to change his will and all the money will go to the one, in whose house he dies. Both the daughters fight with each other to keep their father.
Abel was amused and watches all the fun. At last he makes his announcement which shocks everyone. On Monday, he would go to the lawyer and alter his will, and then he would go to the insurance office and pay his premium. After that he would go to the church and get married to Mrs Shorrock. Everyone was shocked. Abel reveals that he had at last found someone who was happy to keep him. He exits with an invitation of his marriage. He also thanks Mrs Slater for shifting the Bureau down-stairs for now it will be easy to cart it away to “Ring-O-Bells.’ Thus they will marry each other and spend the rest of their days taking care of one another
CONCLUSION
The play ‘The Dear Departed’ presents an interesting situation that has tragically become common place in the world of today. A true test of people is how they behave towards the elderly. The daughters in ‘Dear Departed’ are very materialistic and like beasts of prey, they are only ready to pounce on the money and belongings of their father. Keeping father at home has become a tiresome burden. Looking towards the elderly has become a matter of comfort and financial aid rather than for inspiration and emotional strength. The author asks us to remember that the difference between a helping hand and an outstretched palm is only a twist of the wrist.

LS.9. RESIGNATION - PREMCHAND -SUMMARY

LS.9. RESIGNATION - PREMCHAND
SUMMARY

INTRODUCTION

'The Resignation' by Premchand is a real extension of the theme, ‘dignity in work place’. It tells us about the employer-employee relationship and how far the employee is bound to the employer.
CONTENT:
"The Resignation" is a very entertaining story that begins with these lines: "An office clerk is a dumb creature". The narrator tells us that if you insult a coolie he will throw off his load and walk away, reprimand a beggar and he will walk away, and even an abused donkey will kick back. An office clerk, however, will take any form of abuse from his master and smile through it.
“The Resignation” The story revolves around the life of a clerk named Lala Fatechand, he was a failure at everything, he had only 2 daughters. At age 32 his health was already ruined. He goes to work at 9:00 AM and returns at 6:00 PM and he lacks the courage to go out at night. His livelihood is depended upon his office work. He was constantly in fear of losing his job. He has no interest in religion, the poor, the arts, literature, sports, or movies. One night something very unusual happens. A messenger shows up from his office telling him to come into work to take care of an urgent matter. His wife tells him not to go as they ask too much from him. They fight over it and he goes in telling her his job could be at stake.
The office peon tells him to hurry into the boss's house. The boss demands to know why they took so long to get there. When the clerk tries to explain, the boss says he was lying and threatens to box his ears. When the clerk argues, the boss threatens to flog him and ask him to get the file from the office. Fatechand will get back to home instead of the office to get the file thinking that the Saheb was drunk and even didn’t tell him the name of the file to be bought. After going home Fatechand tells how he was humiliated at Saheb's house to his wife. Wife ask Fatechand to quit the job saying that honour is man’s greatest possession. Fatechand realizes that it is stupid to raise the family at the cost of self-respect and walks towards Saheb's house by fetching a cane from his friend’s house.
Fatechand lifts the stick at Saheb and orders him to hold his hand on his ear and apologize and say that he would never abuse anyone again. When Saheb apologize,  Fatechand leaves by handing over the resignation to him. Thus Fatechand had tested the pleasure of true victory. This was the first triumph of his life.

CONCLUSION
In this story ‘Resignation’ Premchand describes how a dumb clerk will react when his employer will abuse him. Though the employee is bound to the employer to safeguard his job, he rebels when something goes beyond his tolerance. “Never test the patience of any human”

UNEASY HOMECOMING - WILL F JENKINS - summary

8.  UNEASY HOMECOMING - WILL F JENKINS

SUMMARY

INTRODUCTION

“Uneasy Homecoming” by Will F Jenkins is a short story that has the effect of a particularly tense atmosphere. Will F Jenkins is a very popular writer of thrillers, short stories and science fiction. In this story, the author successfully creates the atmosphere of vague restlessness and fear which lands the reader in a world of suspense. This story is about a woman named Connie returning to an empty house after a two-week holiday.
CONTENT:
Connie returning to house after a two-week holiday and she was alone, as her husband will not be home until midnight. She feels a strong feeling of uneasiness which never really subsides throughout the story.  Her house was the only one that had been built on the other side of the bay. Connie was alone, far from any other houses, which means that there was nobody close to her if she needed any help.
When she arrives home she had developed a nervous feeling. It continued while she heard the taxi moving away and purring down the road. When she arrived it was dusk and she could hear the noise of birds and the insects. Then she turned on the refrigerator and switched on all the lights of the rooms so that she could get rid of the uneasy feeling.
Connie moved around the house and checked it but failed to look at the motorcycle which was leaning in the garage and the Pantry window. To fell better she calls Mrs. Winston who was elderly woman, she tells Connie about the series of burglaries in the town and requests her to come to her house along with her son ‘Charlie’, for which Connie refuses as she don’t like Charlie.
After talking to Mrs. Winston, Connie takes her suitcase and goes upstairs to her bed room. She finds out that her house is being used as a safe house by criminals to keep their stolen goods. When she finds this out her uneasiness builds to fear and so when she escapes into the garage the reader is relieved. She manages to sets fire to the burglar’s motorbike, which is the key incident. The burglar comes running out of the house and gets caught by the authorities.
Conclusion
Throughout the “Uneasy Homecoming” the main character played a very important part in creating a tense atmosphere. The main character, Connie, developed a sense of fear about man hunting women. In this short story the author had beautifully described how Connie had used her quick wit and safe guard herself from the burglar.

Ls. 7 My Brother My Brother - Norah Bruke - summary

Ls. 7 My Brother My Brother - Norah Bruke

INTRODUCTION

                             My Brother, My Brother is a story written by Norah Burke. She was born in Bedford on August 2, 1997. Her father George Burke ,was a forest officer that's why she spent the next twelve years traveling around the jungle at the foothills of the Himalayas. She started writing at the age of eight. 'My Brother My Brother' is a story of a one young brave boy and about the conditions of tribal and poor people who lived in jungle. We know that they don't have facilities of hospitals or any kind of vehicle.

 

CONTENT:

           Sher singh was only twelve years old and his brother was younger than Sher singh. He had many Brothers and sisters but they dead, carried off by cholera and influenza. Now there were only two of them. Sher singh and kuwar. In the beginning of the story it was found that Sher Singh's Brother' was suffering from stomach pain. Sher Singh and his mother tried a lot to cure kunwar  but they were unsuccessful.  When his mother said that "He must be carried to the hospital at kalaghat”, Then Sher singh understood that his brother kuwar was going to dying and Hospital was the last option for jungle peoples. Sher singh was about to run to call his father, the mother stops him saying that he cannot reach him as he was deep in the jungle for hunting.

Sher singh carried his brother to the hospital of Kalaghat, on the way of Hospital he faced many  problem. There was no road in the jungle. He had to cross two river without any support. He did not care of himself and tries hard to save his younger Brother's life. Sher Singh started for alight carrying his brother. He was walking through the jungle. He saw a cobra on the path. He stood still and the cobra slipped off into the grass. He became normal again and he walked on.
Sheer Singh was on his way to Callaghan carrying his brother. He was walking through the forest. He was tired. He lay against a tree with his eyes shut. Then he heard the sound of elephants. They came near him. It would be dangerous if he shouted. He was to the river bed. Later the elephant’s disappeared. He was relieved. Later he uttered a prayer of thanks and crossed the first river.

Towards midnight Sher Singh heard the second river ahead of him. He reached the second river ahead of him. He reached the river. It was full of water. The bridge moved like a monster. There was water over the rope round his brother and himself to keep themselves together. He kept his brother’s head above water and began to cross the river.

At the end of the story when he wake up he finds that he was in the hospital. He had no money. Every morning he went to the railway yard to get the work of loading coal. He labored all day and earned money to prepare food.

Conclusion

The story is about the life in the jungle. It is dangerous to live in a jungle. People have to fight for life. They have no medical facility. People die of diseases like cholera, influenza and such. Some are killed by cruel animals. Sher Singh’s father has a scar on his body. It has been made by the claws of a tiger. Shersingh was very much afraid when he sees a cobra and elephants in the jungle. He finds it difficult to cross the river when he is on the way to Kalaghat. Norah Bruke  works reflect her experience and life in jungle. The story ‘My Brother’ is all about the heroism of a jungle boy.

Ls.6 The Model Millionaire – Oscar Wilde - summary

Ls.6  The Model Millionaire – Oscar Wilde

summary

INTRODUCTION:

The short story ‘The Model Millionaire’ was written by Oscar Wilde (1854-1900). He was a famous Irish writer. In this story Oscar Wilde describe about a boy Hughie Erskine who was a young man of good profile. His financial status was very low as he had no profession. He tried his hand in different profession to earn money but was not successful. So the author referred him as “a delightful, ineffectual young man with a perfect profile and no profession”

CONTENT:

Hughie Erskine was a poor young man who was good looking with crisp brown hair and gray eyes. He was not only popular among men but also among women. He failed to build a career although he kept changing everything. He had gone on the Stock Exchange for six months, he had been a tea-merchant for a little longer, then he had tried selling a dry sherry. He was in love with a girl named Laura Merton,  daughter of a retired Colonel. The Colonel was against the engagement and would only allow them to get married if Hughie had ten thousand pounds of his own.
One day, Hughie visited his friend named Alan Trevor who was a painter. When Hughie came in, he found Trevor painting the finishing touches to a wonderful life size picture of a beggar man. The beggar himself was standing on a platform in a corner of the studio. He was a wizened old man with a face like wrinkled parchment and a most piteous expression. And then, at that night, Hughie went to the Palette Club about eleven o’clock, and found Alan in the smocking room. They had a talk about the model of a beggar-man which was painted by Alan Trevor. On the conversation, Alan said that the model of his picture was not a beggar, but a millionaire. Hughie was surprised and he did not believe about what he heard from Alan. The name of the millionaire was Baron Hausberg. Hughie went home unhappily, whereas Alan laughed loudly. Hughie had mistaken the Baron for a beggar and offered him a sovereign. He felt very bad for treating a rich man in that manner and feared that the Baron would have taken his act as an insult.

The next morning, a messenger from Baron Hausberg came and brought a letter to Hughie. The letter contained a cheque for ten thousand pounds which was a wedding present to Hugh Erskine and Laura Merton from Baron Hausberg. On the day of the marriage, Alan Trevor was the best man and the Baron made a speech at the wedding breakfast. Alan said, "Millionaire models are rare enough, but model millionaires are rarer still!"

CONCLUSION:

In The Model Millionaire, Oscar Wilde portrayed beautifully the theme of appearance, generosity, friendship, gratitude, love, compassion, charity, commitment, connection, struggle and happiness.  In this story Hughie was fooled into thinking that the Baron was a beggar solely based on how the Baron was dressed and on what Alan Trevor has told him. It was for this reason that Hughie hands the Baron a sovereign. Hughie’s act of generosity is the fact that Hughie gives the Baron more than he can really afford. The Kindness of Hughie repaid him with kindness of Baron in the way of ten thousand pounds as wedding present.

Ls.5 The Open Window -Saki - summary

Ls.5 The Open Window    -Saki

INTRODUCTION:

 The open window is written by Saki(1870-1916). Saki is the pen-name of Hector Hugh Munro, a famous short stories and novels writer born in Scotland. ‘The Open Window’ is a short story that makes intensely interesting reading. It presents to us a very self possessed young lady of fifteen whose speciality is ‘mischief and framing tale at short notice’. Mr Nuttel who was supposed to be undergoing nerve-cure was terribly frightened by her story. The element of horror fades away, leading to a pleasant surprise at the end.

CONTENT:
Framton Nuttel, an eccentric (strange) hypochondriac (a person who is always worried about his health and belives he is ill even though he is alright), has moved to the country on his doctor’s advice to effect a cure for a nervous condition from which he was suffering. His sister has lived in the area he visits and has given him letters of introduction to his new neighbors. The story concerns his visit to the home of one of these neighbors, Mrs. Sappleton.
Mr. Nuttel first meets Mrs. Sappleton’s niece Vera, who entertains him until her aunt is available. She deceived him by telling false story about her aunt. She told him that her aunt’s husband and her two brothers had gone out with their dog for hunting three years ago and never came back and they are dead .  The aunt was driven to distraction by her grief and loss, left the window open thereafter, anticipating that “they will come back some day” with “the little brown spaniel that was lost with them, and walk in that window just as they used to do.” She told the story in such a way that Framton believed it.
When Mrs. Sappleton comes to Mr. Nuttel she explains why she kept the window open, apparently confirming Vera’s story. He gives  horrible expression when Mrs. Sappleton said that her husband and brothers would be home soon from the shooting. To avoid that horrifying discussion  Mr. Nuttel then tells Mrs. Sappleton about his nervous disorder and his need to avoid any “mental excitement.” At that very moment Mrs. Sappleton sees her husband and brothers returning from their hunt. Veera was a good actor, she appears to be horrified by the sight of them. The nervous Mr. Nuttel is therefore terrified and believed them to be ghost and without waiting even a second he dashed outside the house.
Spinning another tale, Vera explains to the newly arrived hunting party and her aunt that Mr. Framton fled when he saw the brown spaniel because of his severe fear of dogs.

CONCLUSION:
This story shows Veera’s remarkable ability to create convincing fiction, instantly and crack practical jokes. She was very clever, resourceful and naughty. She was very good fabricator.