birth

Birth

                                       By A. J.Cronin

Analysis:

The story ‘Birth’ is written by A. J. Cronin, the Scottish novelist and physician. It is an excerpt from his novel ‘The Citadel’.

This story is a beautiful message of mental strength, courage, deterrence and resilience and commitment to profession.

It is an account of a complicated case of child birth tactfully dealt by a doctor, Andrew Manson who has just started his medical practice in Blaenelly. The family of Joe Morgan was expecting their first child after 20 years of his marriage, hence they were anxious still they had complete faith in Dr. Andrew.

It vividly captures his first experience of the childbirth, highlighting the emotional intensity, professional responsibility, and life-and-death dilemmas. 

The style of the story is narratives as it narrates small details, situation, surroundings, characters and the small acts of bravery and courage performed by the doctor.

The story is great lesson to all the people on how to fight the hurdles and emerge triumphantly in the time of crisis especially about the life-saving acts of the doctors who bring smiles on the grim faces.

Dr. Andrew Manson stood out as a true example of strong stamina and perseverance. He displayed amazing sensibility with sensitivity, great awareness of medical cases, and complete commitment to his profession with an amzing sense of kindness.

 

Summary :

The story is about Andrew Manson, a young doctor who has just started his career as an assistant to Dr. Edward Page in Blaenelly, a small Welsh mining town. This excerpt narrates one intense night in his career that tests his knowledge as well as his emotional strength.

It begins with Joe Morgan waiting for Doctor Andrew Manson as his wife was in labour pain even before the time of her child’s birth. She was in a critical situation. Andrew tried to come out of the unpleasant time with his girlfriend Christine. He got his bag, came out of his house and started walking towards Joe’s house 12 Blaina Terrace, Joe’s house. When they reached, Joe told, he won’t come in and showed full confidence in Andrew. Joe was tense and nervous.

Andrew entered the house and reached the bedroom which was not lavish, but was neat. Inside the room there were Mrs. Morgan’s mother, who was an elderly woman and a midwife to assist the childbirth. Mrs Morgan’s mother offered Andrew a cup of tea. Realising the old lady’s worry due to the waiting period, giving a gentle smile doctor comforted her saying that he won’t go anywhere before the child birth.

Though he was mentally and physically exhausted due to the unpleasant encounter with Christine, he knew it was impossible for him to even get an hour’s worth of sleep if he went home.

He went upstairs after almost an hour to check upon Mrs Morgan and again come back. While he sat in the kitchen, Mrs Morgan’s mother sat in front of him wearing her black dress. She looked at him constantly with her wise eyes that were filled with hope.

He was still being haunted by the incident that took place at Cardiff station with Christine. He decided not to marry recalling some examples of failed marriages in his acquaintances, Bramwell, Dr. Edward Page and Denny.

The old lady tells the doctor that Susan was worried Susan due to her complicated situation and refused to have anaesthesia as it might affect the baby. She told him, they all want that child very badly. The doctor assured the old lady that the anaesthetic would do no harm to either of them.

Suddenly, the nurse called the doctor that Mrs. Morgan needed him as it was the time. After struggle of an hour the child was born with the first ray of the dawn, but the child was lifeless. As he looked at the lifeless child, a shiver passed down his spine. He was devastated as well as confused. He had to decide to address the still-born or the miserable mother. He intuitively addressed the mother first while giving the child to the nurse. Susan laid unconscious. He instantly broke the medicine’s glass to fill the syringe and inject it into her.

When he was assured that she was safe, he turned to the child without wasting a moment. The midwife had kept it under the bed, considering the child lifeless. He took the child out. The child had perfect shape and flawless soft skin. His body was warm and limbs felt boneless. He observed the child and knew it could only be a case of oxygen deprivation. He had seen a similar case in Samaritan. He instantly stood up and asked the nurse to bring hot water and cold water in separate tubs. The nurse hesitated as she thought the efforts were useless but the doctor shouted at her to follow his instructions.

Then, Andrew grabbed a blanket and placing the child on it, performed the CPR. The nurse arrived and he began with the procedure. In one basin, he put cold water and in the other, he put hot water at the temperature the child could bear. He started dipping the child in the basins, one after another. He did the procedure for about fifteen minutes. He was extremely tired and sweating badly. One of his sleeves got unfolded and wet with water. Despite all his effort, the child still laid lifeless. After the long struggle, the floor was extremely wet and dirty. He slipped and the child also almost slipped as he was wet like a white fish. The midwife then pleaded the doctor to stop as the child is stillborn.

He felt that he had failed so, was disheartened. All eyes were on him. Then, he thought of something else and rubbed the child with towel, and then clinched and released the child’s chest. He repeated this process again and again. Just then, like a miracle, the little chest which was enclosed in Andrew’s hands, took a breath. He continued heaving, leaving Andrew weak in his knees. The feeling of the little one’s breathing on his fingers was incredible. He, then doubled the efforts until the child breathed deeply. As he gasped, a bubble formed by the mucus came out of the baby’s tiny nostril, his pale skin turned pink and the body no longer felt like it was lifeless.

The nurse was praying with tears in her eyes. Andrew handed her the child, he felt extremely weak and tired. The mother lay still on the bed, the anesthesia still had its effect. Susan’s mother stood still in one place in wonder and gratitude.

Andrew told the nurse that he will take his bag later. After drinking a glass of water from kitchen he took his coat and hat and headed outside. He met Joe outside and told him that everything was fine. While walking towards his home, his heart was full of the thought that he finally accomplished something.

 Important Question Answers

What impression do you form of Andrew Manson on the basis of the story ‘Birth’?

Ans. Andrew Manson is a young doctor who has recently started his medical practice as an assistant to Dr Edward Page in the small Welsh mining town of Blaenelly. Andrew is mature enough to keep his private and professional lives apart. Once confronted with his responsibility, he discharges his obligations to the utmost capacity even though he was mentally exhausted and sad after his fight with his girl friend, Christine. He is duty conscious. 

He is not a theorist only. He believes in practical approach. He is pragmatic and is smart at trying new methods as per the demand of the situation.

Andrew is sensible as well as sensitive. He respects feelings of others. He knows how deeply Susan and her family loved her coming baby. He has polite manners and reassuring tone. On the whole, Andrew is a dedicated and committed doctor and a compassionate human being.

Important Question Answers Vistas

Important Question Answers
Vistas

Q. What does ‘Third level refer to?

Ans. There is a subway in New York called The Grand Central Station which basically has two levels from where passengers go to their respective destinations by train. When Charley was in hurry to catch his trains from first and second level of the station, he found an unknown way which led him to the another station which was the third level which made him think about the period of 1980s which was very peaceful that is not there in that present era but in actual there was no third level ever built it was all his imagination.

Q. Do you think, the third level is an escape from reality? Why? Why not?

Ans. Yes, because according to Charley the present era is full of insecurity, fear, war, worry and he was unhappy in the present conditions but when he imagined the third level, he found it peaceful and pleasant and he felt happy in that period of time so definitely it proved third level a medium of escape for charley.

Q. What is the theme of the story ‘The Enemy’? How is Humanity kept at the helm by Dr. Sadao?

Ans. The story emphasises the subject of prejudice and its damaging impact on interpersonal relationships. The plot centres on the connection between a Chinese doctor and an American soldier, who are originally strangers, and in fact enemies amid the period of the second world war. Despite the difference in nationality, the Japanese doctor, Sado remained loyal to his profession and thus, saved the life of the injured enemy soldier. However, this did not go well with his fellow men who considered him not to be loyal towards his country. The narrative shows us how the Japanese doctor, Sadao balances these two duties and emphasizes on the importance of humanity over his nationalism, patriotism and everything else.

Q. The story is a satire on the conceit of those in power. How does the author employ the literary device of dramatic irony in the story?

Ans. The story 'The Tiger King' is a satire on the pride and conceit of those in power. The Maharaja of Pratibandapuram tried to belie what was written in his fate. The result was ironical as well as tragic. The chief astrologer had foretold that the tiger would be the cause of his death. King, being intoxicated in power tried to kill 100 tigers to save himself but he couldn’t escape his death. He wasn’t killed by a real tiger but wooden toy tiger.

The proud King’s death episode is quite dramatic. When the king refused to leave the forest in order to kill the hundredth tiger, a very old and weak tiger was brought by his dewan and left in the forest but the king missed his aim and tiger wasn’t shot by him. Later, the hunters shot the tiger.

Here, the author employs the literary device of dramatic irony in the story. The irony is that the King thinks himself safe after killing the hundredth tiger but the hundredth tiger didn't die of his bullet. Ironically, danger was looming large on the king and when he along with his son were playing with the wooden tiger, the slivers on its rough surface caused infection and it resulted into the death of the Tiger King. Even after lot of drama, sincere efforts and danger faced by the king, he got killed due to a tiger though a wooden one.

Q. How will you compare and contrast the characters of Derry and Mr. Lamb?

Ans. Derry and Mr. Lamb are two distinct personalities with completely different characteristics, most probably due to their age difference. Derry is a boy of 14 years who suffers from inferiority complex. He got his face burnt in an accident, which made him lonely and withdrawn. Mr. Lamb has a tin leg as one of his legs was blown off in the war. Darry came to Mr. Lamb's garden where everyone is welcome. It is a meeting of two minds with totally opposite view points. Derry is withdrawn. Mr. Lamb is very social. Darry avoids men and their company as he doesn't want their reactions and comments. He can't stand their cruel remarks. Mr. Lamb has a positive outlook towards life, people and things. He accepts life as it comes and tries to comfort others. He lives alone but rarely he displays the sign of loneliness and disappointment on his face. He likes to talk to people and likes their company. He has friends and everybody knows him. Kids come for the apples, pears and toffees. There is nothing that doesn't interest him. He enjoys sitting in the sun and reading books. He doesn’t have curtain in his house.

Mr. Lamb leaves the stamp of his personality on Derry. He shows the young boy the ways of the world. He motivates him to move forward in life and accept his reality bravely.

Q. Why is Antarctica the place to go to, to understand the earth’s present, past and future?

Ans. Antarctica is a part of earth’s history so it becomes the place to visit in order to understand the earth's past, present and future. This place gives us an idea of how the earth was millions of years ago. About 650 years ago there was one super continent, Gondwana and India and Antarctica were the part of the same land mass which was forced to get divided into countries as we have today. It was quite warmer earlier and now again it is getting warm. The melting of ice sheets and glaciers give us an idea what kind of future we are heading to. Thus, visiting Antarctica gives us an idea of earth’s past, present and future.

Q. What are Geoff Green’s reasons for including high school students in the Students on Ice expedition?

Ans. ‘Students on Ice’ programme by Geoff Green aims at providing the students with inspiring educational opportunity. Geoff Green, a Canadian took high school students on an expedition to the southern end of the Earth. He wants to make them realise the impact that human intervention could have made  on nature. He perceives the students as the future policy – makers and projects them to life changing experience. He wishes them to realise how difficult it would be to sustain life with the rising global temperature. He successfully made them see the melting glaciers and collapsing ice shelves and estimate the trouble that mankind may be facing very soon so that they can do something to bring a positive change.

Q. What message is conveyed through ‘Memories of Childhood’?

Ans. The chapter ‘Memories of Childhood’ teaches us a beautiful lesson that we should not discriminate or harrass other people just because they belong to different caste, religion or community. More importantly staying quiet and not speaking against any injustice or harrassment is even worse. Sometimes such bullying or harassment may result in grave issues such as suicides, mental trauma and psychological problems but if we speak up and spread awareness against such injustice and educate ourselves and our children, there will be revolutionary change in the society. The writers, Bama and Zitkala Sa, through their articles speak about the discrimination faced by them in their childhood so that all become at par in the society.

 

Memories of Childhood

Memories of Childhood Part I and II

 

Analysis :

·      The chapter 'Memories of Childhood’ are the anecdotes from two writers' childhood. It is a compilation of two stories – ‘Cutting of My Long hair’ written by Zitkala Sa and ‘We Too are Human Beings’ written by Bama.

·      The first account is by an American Indian woman, Gertrude Simmons Bonnin. She was born in 1876. She struggled against the severe prejudice that prevailed towards Native American culture and women. She wrote under the pen-name 'Zitkala-Sa'.  She criticises dogma and oppression.

·      The second account is by a contemporary Tamil Dalit writer with the pen-name 'Bama'. She belongs to a Roman Catholic family. The second excerpt has been taken from her autobiography 'Karukku'.

·      This chapter depicts that various people in our society face harassment, bullying, ill-treatment and discrimination due their caste, colour, creed and community.

·      The story teaches us that one should not bully or harrass other people just because they are different from the rest. More importantly staying quiet and not speaking against such injustice or harrassment is even worse.

This unit presents autobiographical episodes from the lives of two women who belong to communities of secondary importance. They look back on their childhood and think about their relationship with the mainstream culture.

 

Synopsis / Summary 

Part I – The Cutting of My Long Hair by Zitkala Sa

On her first day at school Zitkala was in the dining hall. A large bell rang for breakfast. Shoes clattered on bare floors. The girls were marching in a line into the dining room. A paleface woman, with white hair also appeared. Zitkala walked noiselessly in her soft moccasins. She felt like sinking to the floor because her stoles had been removed from her shoulders. The Indian girls did not seem to care about being immodestly dressed in tight fitting clothes.

The boys entered from the opposite door. A small bell was tapped. The pupils drew a chair from under the table. The writer pulled out her chair and at once sat on it. But she was the only one seated. All the rest at their table remained standing. She began to rise. Then, second bell sounded and all were seated. She heard a man's voice at the end of the hall. She looked around to see him. All the others hung their heads over their plates. She found the paleface woman looking at her. The man stopped his mutterings. Then a third bell was tapped. Everyone picked up knife and fork and began eating. These eating norms and rules were a difficult experience.

Late, her friend, Judewin told her that she had overheard the paleface woman talk about cutting their long heavy hair. Among their people, short hair was worn by mourners and shingled hair by cowards. Judewin said that they had to submit because the school authorities were strong and they can’t fight. But, the writer decided to struggle before submitting.

When no one noticed, she disappeared and crept upstairs. She hid herself under the bed in a large room with three white beds in it. She heard loud voices in the hall calling her name. Even Judewin was searching for her. She did not open her mouth to answer. The sound of steps came nearer and nearer. Women and girls entered the room. They searched her everywhere. Someone threw up the curtains. The room was filled with sudden light. They stopped and looked under the bed. She was dragged out. She resisted by kicking and scratching wildly. She was carried downstairs and tied fast in a chair.

She cried aloud and shook her head. Then she felt the cold blade of scissors against her neck. One of her thick braids was removed. Her long hair was being shingled like a cowards. Since the day she had come here, she had suffered insults. People had stared at her. She had been tossed about in the air like a wooden puppet. She moaned for her mother, but no one came to comfort her. Now she was only one of many little animals driven by a herder.

 

Part II - We Too are Human Beings by Bama

When Bama was studying in the third class, she had not yet heard people speak openly of untouchability. But she had already seen, felt, experienced what it was.

One day she was walking home from school. It was possible to walk the distance in ten minutes, but it would usually take her at least thirty minutes as she witnessed all the fun and games, novelties and oddities in the streets, the shops and the bazaar. Each thing would pull her to a standstill and not allow her to go any further.

Speeches by leaders of political parties, street plays, puppet show, stunt performances and other entertaining things drew her attention on the way. She watched waiters pouring coffee, people chopping up onions, or almonds being blown down from the tree by the wind. She saw people selling snacks, payasam, halva and iced lollies.

One day she saw in her street, a threshing floor and the cattle crushing the grain from straw on the threshing floor. She saw the landlord who was seated on a piece of sack and watching the proceedings.

Just then, she saw an elder of their street coming from bazaar and holding out a packet by its string without touching it. Then he went to the landlord, bowed low and extended the packet towards him. The landlord opened the parcel and began to eat the vadais, the banana curry.

She found this whole scene funny and narrated her elder brother the story with its comic details. But, Annan was not amused. He told her that the elder was carrying the package for his upper caste landlord without touching it because these people believed that people of lower caste should not touch them. If they did, they would be polluted. She became sad on listening all this and felt angry towards the people of upper castes.

She thought that these miserly people, who had collected money somehow, had lost all human feelings. But the lower castes were also human beings. They should not do petty jobs for them.

Annan, her elder brother, was studying at a university. He had come home for the holidays. He would often go to the library in their neighbouring village in order to borrow books. One day, one of the landlord's men met him and addressed Annan respectfully. But, his manner changed on knowing his name and the street he lived in, that indicated their caste.

Annan told her that they were not given any honour, dignity or respect because they were born in a particular community. He advised her to study and make progress. Thus, she can gain respect. She studied hard and stood first in her class. Many people then became her friends.

Theme

Racial and caste discrimination is an injustice towards marginalised communities and this injustice can be erased through education and progress. Not raising voice against such injustice is even greater injustice.  

Message

The story teaches us a beautiful lesson that we should not discriminate or harrass other people just because they belong to different caste, religion or community. More importantly staying quiet and not speaking against any injustice or harrassment is even worse. Sometimes such bullying or harassment may result in grave issues such as suicides, mental trauma and psychological problems.

We must speak up and spread awareness against such injustice and educate ourselves and our children so that all become at par in the society.