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STUDY MATERIAL FOR B.A ENGLISH SHORT STORIES AND ONE PLAYS SEMESTER - VI, ACADEMIC YEAR 2020-21

UNIT CONTENT PAGE Nr

I SHORT STORIES 02

II SHORT STORIES 05

III SHORT STORIES 08

IV ONE-ACT PLAYS 12

V ONE-ACT PLAYS 14

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STUDY MATERIAL FOR B.A ENGLISH SHORT STORIES AND ONE ACT PLAYS SEMESTER - VI, ACADEMIC YEAR 2020-21

UNIT - I LEO TOLSTOY - GOD SEES THE TRUTH, BUT WAITS (1872) Novelist, writer and philosopher, Leo Tolstoy has been hailed as one of the greatest writers of all time. His works stand witness to the simplicity of his style and profoundness of thought. His characters reflect all kinds of human behaviour and lives. The story “God Sees the Truth, but Waits” highlights the importance of patience, faith and non-resistance to evil.

The story is part of a collection of short stories that Leo Tolstoy has written to expound his own understanding of Christianity and his philosophy of non-violence and an adherence to truth. As the title suggests, it is a story of man’s endurance and faith in difficult circumstances and also the assurance that God will set things right in time and that man needs to be faithful and patient. The story, in the form of a , highlights the importance of always speaking the truth, keeping faith and not reacting to any situation aggressively. Ivan speaks the truth about his innocence but when he has realized that even his wife does not believe in his innocence he decided to put his faith in God. The many years of punishment in Siberia are the trial of his faith and the culmination of this test was the arrival of MakarSemyonich. Upon knowing the identity of the real culprit Ivan is driven to anger and wants to seek vengeance. The opportunity presents itself when he spots MakarSemyonich digging a tunnel to escape from the prison. Ivan passes his test when he does not seek revenge and refuses to MakarSemyonich’s name to the authorities. Ivan is rewarded with a release from prison into the kingdom of God.

Ivan is a young, high spirited and successful businessman. He faces difficult circumstances when he is accused of a crime he does not commit. However, he holds on courageously, pleading his innocence to the authorities. He even seeks to petition the Czar asking to be acquitted. He stops when he realizes that his wife too does not trust him, as the murder weapon is found in his possession. He accepts his fate with quiet dignity and chooses to live out his punishment without complaint.

This acceptance gives him a dignity and poise that is admired by all in the prison. He is called “Grandfather” and “Saint”. Twenty six years in prison he spends in prayer believing that this is how it is meant to be. However, his stoicness, patience, faith and wisdom are all put to test when he encounters Semyonich. He finds that he can easily be moved to anger and even to murder to avenge his wrongful arrest. Instead, Ivan chooses to listen to the voice of his faith, his God and does not stoop to revenge. Ivan’s silence makes Semyonich realizes the error of his ways and apologizes to Ivan. Ivan forgives Semyonich when he realizes that he too may have been sinful and has been punished for it. When he forgives, Ivan feels that he has been relieved of a heavy burden hanging on his soul. He understands that through all those years of prayers and pious living he has still held on to the belief that he has been treated unjustly. This feeling of resentment leaves him weak and capable of anger. When Ivan finds it in his heart to forgive that is when he truly surrenders to his faith in God. Ivan comes out of the test a better man and a content man. There was no more any longing or desire in his heart for worldly freedom. That is when Ivan becomes one with God. '

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STUDY MATERIAL FOR B.A ENGLISH SHORT STORIES AND ONE ACT PLAYS SEMESTER - VI, ACADEMIC YEAR 2020-21

JEROME K JEROME – UNCLE PODGER HANGS A PICTURE (1889) Humourist, journalist, editor and lecturer, Jerome K Jerome is best known for his Three Men in a Boat. The story “Uncle Podger Hangs a Picture” is an extract from Three Men in a Boat. The narrator, referred to as J, recollects a humourous incident about his Uncle Podger’s attempts to hang a picture. The story begins with the delivery of a picture in a frame. Uncle Podger volunteers to put it up. A series of misadventures ensue that involves the entire family. Uncle Podger proves to be utterly inept at even the simplest of tasks like nailing a picture to the wall. The humour in the story is in Uncle Podger’s supreme confidence in his ability to undertake any task. Even his failures somehow become everybody else’s fault!

The story makes for enjoyable because of the author’s skillful use of in the writing of the story. The seriousness with which the narrator approaches the story adds to its inherent humour. He has employed literary devices like outrageous hyperbole, vivid , and comic exaggeration to create something extraordinary out of an ordinary, everyday incident.

Uncle Podger is a typical patriarch, with an infinite sense of self. He believes that the house and all its members are completely dependent on him for every little task. The story is a comic unraveling of his exaggerated sense of self. The first instance of his ineptitude is seen in his inability to hoist the frame. He struggles to lift it and eventually drops it, breaking the glass. He cuts himself and screams for the handkerchief in his coat. He sits waiting for his family to find his coat all the while scolding them for not doing a job properly. When he discovers that he has been sitting on it all the time, he covers for it by claiming that he had to do everything and nobody could help him as they are all inefficient!

Then, when a new glass is fitted on to the picture, a whole new set of misadventures begin. First, the nail is lost and found, and then the hammer is lost and found; while Uncle Podger stands on the chair watching the rest of the family scrambling about looking for the tools. The search for the ideal spot on the wall to hang the picture turns out to be another long exercise with musical accompaniment when Uncle Podger over balances and lands on the piano, playing all the keys at once! The picture is put up only by midnight with the wall full of holes and scratches and the picture hanging crooked and likely to fall off soon.

The family is tired of running around looking for tools, being scolded and hurt by flying hammer and nail or just being around Uncle Podger. However, Uncle Podger walks away claiming that he is unnecessarily called upon to carry out simple tasks. Uncle Podger is blissfully unaware of the confusion and damage he has caused and takes inordinate pride in his handiwork.

A.J. CRONIN – TWO GENTLEMEN OF VERONA (1949) Novelist, physician, short story writer, A.J. Cronin is best known for his the social awareness, and romance that he brings to each one of his writings. His writings abound with descriptions of the Scottish landscape that he has belonged to. The story “Two Gentlemen of Verona” examines the prejudices which is harboured by people and questions accepted notions of people and situations. The title of the story has been deliberately chosen. It is the title of one of Shakespeare's early , which tells the story of two gentlemen friends, one of whom betrays the other for the love of a woman. The title problematises the qualities one expects to find in gentleman honesty, politeness, mildness of spirit, optimism, generosity and nobility of . The narrator and the reader assume that these are qualities one would expect to find in a certain class of people. The story’s twist in the end gives the life to these assumptions.

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STUDY MATERIAL FOR B.A ENGLISH SHORT STORIES AND ONE ACT PLAYS SEMESTER - VI, ACADEMIC YEAR 2020-21

At the beginning of the story, the narrator is puzzled about the boys since their first meeting. He is touched by their sincerity and continues to associate with them. The narrator sees that they do not spend the hard-earned money even to feed themselves adequately. When asked, Nicola simply answers that they have plans but does not reveal any of the trials they faced. The boys put up a brave front to the world and spend their energies working to earn money. It is to acknowledge the single-mindedness of the boys’ endeavour and Jacopo’s sweet request that the narrator agrees to drive them to their home town.

He drives down believing that he is doing the boys a favour. The narrator believes he is being a true gentleman because he has risen above the idea of class division when he befriends the poor street urchins. He believes he is being a gentleman in not probing into their affairs but by expressing his concern for their well-being. He believes he is being a true gentleman when he chivalrously offers to drive them by himself.

The narrator is surprised to find the boys entering a villa in their hometown. He is taken aback when he enters the villa and finds out that it is a hospital. He is stupefied when he finds the boys visiting a young girl who is a patient there. It is, however, his conversation with the nurse that reveals that he is no gentleman but just another man with all the assumptions and prejudices that go with his kind. He sees just enough beyond their shabby clothes to know they are different from other urchins but does not think to probe further into who they really are. He has seen just enough of their labour to know that there is a purpose to it but has assumed that it is to secure a better future for them. He has decided that their home will be a humble dwelling and so does not bother to ask them where they have lived.

The boys turn out to be the actual gentlemen in the story. The loss of their father does not crush them but has brought out their innate strength. They have built a shelter for themselves despite their young age. Their hardships during the war and the German occupation does not embitter them. They have not wallow in self-pity but rose to fight like true patriots by joining the resistance. They have returned home to find their sister seriously ill. This does not scare them or deter them. They simply does what theyhave had to do to save their sister. Their earnestness, honesty and willingness to work has made them exemplary young men who has lived up to the code of chivalry that has demanded the sacrifice of personal comfort for the well-being of others. Supreme amongst all their gentlemanly qualities is that they do everything without a complaint or a sense of duty but because of the true and sincere love they have for their sister.

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STUDY MATERIAL FOR B.A ENGLISH SHORT STORIES AND ONE ACT PLAYS SEMESTER - VI, ACADEMIC YEAR 2020-21

UNIT - II OSCAR WILDE – THE SELFISH GIANT (1888) Oscar Wilde is best remembered for his wit and his felicity with words. The story “The Selfish Giant” carries all the hallmarks of Wilde’s style, witty, imaginative, and humourous and a beautiful work of literary art. The story is meant to be read as a Christian therefore the characters are allegorical and didactic. They are personification of archetypes that represent human qualities, both good and bad.

The giant represents the human soul that covets all material comforts for it. The garden represents all material comforts and the temporal joy it imparts to the soul. The giant feels a sense of ownership over his garden indicating that the soul in its delusion imagines that all possessions it gathers in its time on earth are its own. So taken up with the material things is the soul that it has forgotten its spiritual origin and destination. It begins to regard the human body it occupies is its permanent abode and goes about accumulating possessions in its desire to surround itself with earthly comforts. The soul forgets its divine purpose to lead a life that is worthy; to be a source of comfort and aid to others.

The giant’s life has beencenteredon fulfilling his own needs without concern for others is barren. Hence, the once flowering, warm and colourful garden becomes home to everlasting winter. Snow, Frost, the North wind and Hail take up residence in the giant’s garden. This cold winter is the consequence of closing of the giant’s heart and soul to love. Love that warms the heart, love that celebrates friendship and brotherhood, love that promotes charity, kindness and generosity represented by spring is missing. The soul is given a chance to redeem itself. In the story, children steal into the garden and begin to .

The giant is amazed and happy at the arrival of spring. He understands that the cause for warmth, colour and joy in his garden are the innocent children. His heart melts at the sight of the littlest child trying to reach up to a tree but failing. The soul is redeemed by the kind act of the giant as he lifts the child and places him on the tree. The gratitude that the child shows by hugging and kissing the giant frees his soul from its material trappings. The giant is no longer limited by his possessions and therefore throws open his garden to who wish to come there.

It is only through sharing love, kindness, charity and joy that the soul grows happy. The giant learns that true joy is not in accumulating things but in celebrating all the creations of God. With time the soul yearns for salvation and this can be seen in the giant’s longing to meet that one particular child who kissed him. The story ends with the arrival of Christ. The giant is invited to Paradise marking the end of the soul’s journey from heaven to earth and back again. GUY DE MAUPASSANT – AT THE CHURCH DOOR Guy de Maupassant is a prolific writer, a master of the short story form and as a representative of the naturalist school of writers. The French writer Flaubert has a great influence on Maupassant. Maupassant’s stories reflect real life and real people, their follies, joys and disappointments. His stories revolve around the common man and his struggle against fate and circumstances. The story “At the Church Door” depicts the love of a couple for their son. He was born to them after a long wait. Their despair when he was lost knew no bounds. They gathered all their wealth and went about looking for him. They were ready to brave life in the large, crowded city of Paris to look for their missing son. After many years of waiting and searching, they meet him at

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STUDY MATERIAL FOR B.A ENGLISH SHORT STORIES AND ONE ACT PLAYS SEMESTER - VI, ACADEMIC YEAR 2020-21 the church door where the father stood sprinkling holy water on all those leaving the church. The reunion was tearful and joyful. They found their young son well brought up and engaged to be married to a good and beautiful girl. The title indicates the place where the reunion takes place. It is also significant because a church is the place where one’s faith and prayers are answered.

The story celebrates the love of parents for their child. The couple work hard to earn a fortune and after a long wait are blessed with a son. Their only child is taken away from them when he was only five years old. In despair the parents sell their house and set out to look for him. They travel far seeking their child, approaching strangers in the fields, on doorsteps, travellers on the road asking for whereabouts of their child. They reach Paris and continue their search.

Such is the love for a child the parents give up a thriving livelihood and embrace poverty in the big city. Such is their patience they go from church to church every Sunday looking for a familiar face. Such is their faith that even old age does not dim their yearning and longing to meet him. It is this love, patience and faith that are rewarded in the end. Their son, who only remembers their names, is returned to them in good health and happiness.

The story is symbolic of their remarkable resilience and faith. Their love for their son and the belief that he will be reunited prompt them to undergo severe penance in their search for him. However, the long years of failure does not break their spirit as they continue to search for him, in spite of personal loss, old age and privations. The couple remains nameless throughout the story, suggesting their symbolic nature. They represent every parent who have lost their child and continue to search for them in spite of forbidding circumstances.

Little Jean is kidnapped by the members of a circus who have visited their village. In Dickensian style, he spends three years with them and then is bought and adopted by an old lady. He is brought up by her and also inherits her fortune. He meets his parents outside the church he visits with his fiancée. All he remembers is the name of his parents and he is overjoyed when he finally meets them. The son represents the test of the parents’ faith. His loss prompts untold changes and problems for the couple who persevere in their search for and reunion with him. He also represents the ultimate end of man which is reunion with God. If the couple is Everyman who in the material world has lost his faith in God, the son is God who is waiting to be reunited with man. SINCLAIR ROSS – THE LAMP AT NOON (1968) Novelist and short story writer, James Sinclair Ross is credited with bringing alive the stark beauty of the Canadian landscape, the mercilessness of forces of nature and the futility of man’s effort in such conditions. His writings are well crafted structures with sharp images. Ross is widely known for his anthologized short stories including The Lamp at Noon and Other Stories (1968).

The story “The Lamp at Noon” examines the crisis that has been faced by settlers in the strange and hostile land of Canada. The title indicates the alienness of the experience of the Canadian landscape. To light a lamp at noon when the sun should shine overhead is an unusual activity. The story is set in the middle of a raging dust storm that has engulfed all the land. It has blotted out the sun and has made it so dark that the lamp needs to be lit at noon. The two Paul and Ellen represent two attitudes of the settlers. One feeling a strong loyalty to the land and therefore ready to face odds even at the risk of being destroyed; the other wanting

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STUDY MATERIAL FOR B.A ENGLISH SHORT STORIES AND ONE ACT PLAYS SEMESTER - VI, ACADEMIC YEAR 2020-21 to quit and run but unable to do so, is trapped and afraid for survival. Their child represents the next generation who is caught in the midst of these conflicting attitudes.

Paul is a young farmer trying to make it work in hostile environs. He works very hard to make ends meet but is helpless against the strength of the elements which seem to conspire to ruin him. He has faced bad harvests for some years now and is desperate for one good harvest to be able to survive. Hard labour has aged him beyond his years and hardened him. He wants to succeed as a farmer so that he can provide for his son a life that is secure and comfortable. So driven and committed is he to his dream that he fails to register the seriousness of the grinding poverty that he face every day. He seeks solace and escape in physical labour and hence does not understand the desperation, anger and resentment of his wife. He sees her yearning to go back to her father’s home as a ploy to subjugate and enslave him. He prefers the freedom of his own unproductive land to the comfort and security that working for his father-in-law could afford him. He chafes against such bonding and therefore refuses to listen to his wife even when his child’s life is threatened.

Paul represents the early pioneers who has fought and struggled to make their way in the frontiers of Canada. They have survived great odds with just a tenacious belief in their labour and the good intentions behind every act. They have felt an affinity to the land that nothing can alter neither the unpredictable and harsh weather, nor the hostile and unfamiliar flora and fauna. They have hacked their way into the country making it ready for the construction of homesteads and colonies. Their indomitable spirit that has helped them survive the harsh experience of discovering and settling a new land transforms into the foolish obstinacy in the present circumstance where Paul refuses to seek better opportunities despite continuous failure of crops. He does not heed Ellen’s advice about crop rotation and doggedly plods on, not willing to learn from his experience. It is only towards the end of the story one can see Paul acknowledging the truth of Ellen’s words. His search for Ellen shows his changing attitude but it happens a little too late. Ellen and the child are lost.

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STUDY MATERIAL FOR B.A ENGLISH SHORT STORIES AND ONE ACT PLAYS SEMESTER - VI, ACADEMIC YEAR 2020-21

UNIT - III STEPHEN LEACOCK – THE ERRORS OF SANTA CLAUS (1918) Stephen Leacock is a humourist, educator, lecturer and author and is best known for his short stories. The story “The Errors of Santa Claus” is part of his collection titled Frenzied (1918). The story satirizes the modern practice of gift giving during Christmas. The practice of gifting is a replaying of the visit of the Magi to the child Jesus in the manger where he was born. The gifts of incense, myrrh and gold signify their declaration of faith in Jesus as King and Lord. The gifts are a symbol of the royal status according to Jesus. Saint Nicholas or Santa Claus as he is popularly known to leave necessities like food, clothes and money for the poor. The two practices combine to make the season of Christmas a time to share one’s wealth with those who need it and spread cheer everywhere. The joy of giving is the spirit of Christmas. The giving, however, should be from what one has to be given to one who is in need of it; in other words, charity. Charity breeds empathy, kindness and generosity values that are typically Christian. Therefore, Christmas ideally should be a time of introspection, thanksgiving, sharing and deriving joy in the company of family and friends.

Modern times have seen a drastic change in the way Christmas is celebrated. Gift giving has become fashionable rather than relevant. Cross commercialization of this practice by business houses has made it a time for spending wealth rather than sharing it. Commercial establishments encourage the sale of commodities, consumer durables and food items. Items are packaged attractively and set up in shop windows to lure shoppers. The season of Christmas has become the season of shopping. Children are the most affected by this phenomenon. They no longer look forward to sharing their possessions but demand gifts and toys for themselves. Parents too encourage this consumerist behaviour in children by indulging their demands.

The title of the story is ironical because the author has transposed the errors onto to a non-existent entity. The characters in the story have bought gifts for each other and derive joy in having done right. The humour in the story arises when the gifts they have bought for others are ones they enjoy the most. So while Santa Claus has placed the gifts in the relevant stocking in the night, the next day, the gifts are returned to whoever sought the most joy in using it. To that extent the spirit of Christmas has been achieved.

The act of exchanging gifts makes the giver and the receiver happy. The Browns and the Jones are well-to-do families that can afford expensive gifts for their family members. Even the children are given enough money to pick up expensive gifts for their parents. They even 0pen the gifts they have bought for the neighbours to see and appreciate their effort.

The is that they have each bought gifts for their families and not for their friends. The act of showing the gifts is to brag about the amount of money they have willingly spent on their family members. The act of buying the gift does away with the notion of charity and sharing. The expense involved robs the act of empathy, kindness. The practice of giving family members gifts turns the idea of sharing one’s wealth with those who need it on its head.

Along with the joy of giving what brings Christmas cheer is the time spent with family and friends. It is time to think of one’s blessings to be thankful for the gifts received and to pray for the health and wellbeing of everybody.

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STUDY MATERIAL FOR B.A ENGLISH SHORT STORIES AND ONE ACT PLAYS SEMESTER - VI, ACADEMIC YEAR 2020-21

In the story, the two families come together only to eat. Then they break into groups where they brag about the gifts they have bought for their families, extolling the line qualities of the gifts they have purchased. They do not wait to hand over the gifts but open it themselves and begin to use it forgetting themselves in the thrill of the new purchases. There is no introspection or thankfulness expressed. The joy they experience is selfish, in opening up the gifts they have bought and using it themselves.

The humour in the story is in the misconceptions the characters harbour about each other. The parents have bought toys and dolls for their children believing that they are innocent enough to take delight in playing with trains, aero planes and dolls. The children believing that their parents were grown up and would like grown up gifts pick up expensive cigars, cigarettes and card sets. They seem to have forgotten a simple facet of human nature “Yonder grass is always green”. Children wish they are grown up and imitate adult habits while adults who yearn for their childhood relish anything that is childish. Hence, the inordinate pleasure with which the Brown and Jones men and women play with the train and the toys and the Brown and Jones kids smoke cigars and gamble with cards. The grandfather, left alone in his room, relishes the gifts he has bought for his son and grandson in solitary pleasure.

ANTON CHEKHOV – MISERY (1886) A prolific short story writer and dramatist, Anton Chekhov is celebrated for his humour and his sharp observation of human nature. His characters seem to be drawn from real life. His stories are a comment on the human condition. The story “Misery” examines the human condition in an urban . The author reflects on the loneliness one can feel in the busy lifestyle of the city. The title signifies not just the state of the but every aspect of city life. The lack of sympathy and kindness, warmth and friendship become evident with every encounter of the protagonist. The title also hints at other miseries the misery of the cold weather, the misery of poverty that forces an old man to make a living when he should be retired and resting, the misery of losing a young son in one’s old age and the misery of not having anyone to share one’s feelings. The only warm contact the protagonist is able to make is with his horse with which Iona Potapov shares his misery.

The story can be analyzed for the representation of a Marxist critique of society. Karl Marx in his Communist Manifesto identifies the Capitalism as the evil power that divides society into the rich and the poor. It alienates individuals and corrupts them to focus attention on material possessions. It constantly increases the gap between the haves and the have-nots. In our story, Iona is a representative of the victim of Capitalism. He is a poor sledge-driver who finds himself alienated from the rest of the city as they all focus on their life.

Iona Potapov, a sledge driver in a city in Russia, has just recently lost his son and wants to share his grief. He is old and tired and miserable about the loss of his young son. He wishes he had died instead of his son. He is forced to drive out into the cold to earn money so that he and his horse do not have to starve. He has no family or friends and therefore attempts to befriend customers who ride with him.

His first words to the customer are about the great loss he has suffered. Other than the cursory enquiries about how and when, the customer has no wish to know more. Iona turns round in the hope of engaging in a longer conversation but he finds that the customer has closed his eyes indicating his unwillingness to speak. His next customers are three young men. Iona’s

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STUDY MATERIAL FOR B.A ENGLISH SHORT STORIES AND ONE ACT PLAYS SEMESTER - VI, ACADEMIC YEAR 2020-21 attempts to share his grief and fail as the young men couldn’t care what happened with him as long as they reach their destination. The only physical contact Iona shares with them is when the hunchback beats him on the back. This too Iona hears rather than feels.

Not one soul in the crowded city, pushing and jostling against each other has time to listen to Iona. Unable to bear his sorrow and his loneliness Iona drives to the yard where he lives. At last, when he cannot bear it any longer Iona pours out his soul to his horse. KATHERINE MANSFIELD – THE DOLL’S HOUSE (1923) Katherine Mansfield is credited for writing stories with deep feminine insight into psychology of relationships, social and economic discrimination. The story “The Doll’s House” is from the collection The Doves’ Nest and Other Stories (1923). The story deals with social and economic discrimination among adults and its unpleasant influence on children. A family of three girls, the Burnells, receives a doll’s house as a gift. The girls are allowed to show it off to their friends from school. Two girls named the Kelveys are deliberately left out of the group as they are considered socially inferior. The youngest Burnell girl invites the Kelvey girls to see the doll’s house earning a harsh reprimand from her aunt.

The story looks at how adult attitudes shape the behaviour of children. It is seen as an unhealthy practice that teaches children to judge people based only on their appearance while it ignores the more important details like the character of a person. It encourages prejudice in children, robbing them of their innocence. The sign of hope in the story is the sight of the two youngest tentative friendships, when Kezia invites the Kelveys to see the doll’s house. She symbolizes the hope that children will remain untouched by the cross materialistic standards by which people are judged.

The story explores dark, adult themes such as discrimination based on class and status, along with the marginalization of the poor. The Kelvey girls are victims of social and economic discrimination. They are deemed unfit for ‘proper’ society because their mother is a washerwoman. The children are isolated in their school because of economic inequity. Their poverty results in their suffering social ostracism. Their clothes, a patchwork of bits donated by wealthier inhabitants of the town, draw sneers and comments from the other girls in the school. They are deliberately not invited by Isabel to see the doll’s house. Since the Burnells are an influential family, the other girls also voice their dislike for the Kelvey girls. The passivity of the girls incites more personal attacks.

The children pick up this unhealthy behaviour from their teacher, “Even the teacher had a special voice for them and a special smile for the other children when Lil Kelvey came up to her desk with a bunch of dreadfully common-looking flowers.” Children are very perceptive and absorb such nuances and begin to imitate adults. Another example is when Emmie Cole begins a rumour about Lil.

“Lil Kelvey’s going to be a servant when she grows up.” “O-oh, how awful!” said Isabel Burnell, and she has made eyes at Emmie. Emmiehas swallowed in a very meaning way and has nodded to Isabel as she has seen her mother do on those occasions. Just as Lil and Else look different to those around them by the way they are dressed, the other children view the Kelveys as being different.

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STUDY MATERIAL FOR B.A ENGLISH SHORT STORIES AND ONE ACT PLAYS SEMESTER - VI, ACADEMIC YEAR 2020-21

Marginalization occurs when certain people are not allowed a voice. They are kept away and not allowed to participate along with others in society. Women, children and the poor for various reasons are silenced and not allowed to speak their story. In this story one can similar marginalization’s in the mutism of the Kelvey girls.

Lil and Else Kelvey do not speak until the end of the story. So the reader does not know what they feel about their experience at school. They are not allowed into the houses of the rich and even a glimpse of that kind of life is not available to them in the form of a view of the doll’s house. The only time they are allowed a voice is when Kezia invites them to see the doll’s house. This transgression results in their cruel humiliation by Aunt Beryl. The Readers can see Lil burning with shame after the incident but not uttering in words how she feels. “Burning with shame, shrinking together, Lil huddling along like her mother, our Else dazed, somehow they crossed the big courtyard and squeezed through the white gate.”

The two younger Burnell girls are also marginalized in the sense they too are not allowed to voice their opinions or desires. Kezia is the one who chooses to break the prejudice by inviting the Kelvey girls. She does this because these are the only people who are not governed by the strict rules of hierarchy and therefore she could share her delight about the doll’s house with them. She is scolded harshly by her aunt for attempting to wipe out class boundaries.

Aunt Beryl, the spinster living with the Burnells also suffers marginalization. Being unmarried, society does not allow for the expression of her sexual desires. She has an affair in secret and is in constant dread about being found out. The consequent shame and social ostracisation she is likely to face makes her hide her secret from the world. In addition to the pressure of maintaining the secrecy she is now at the mercy of the man with whom she has had an affair. His threats leave her on edge and she seeks release by humiliating the Kelvey kids and scolding Kezia, all three powerless and voiceless persons in the story.

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STUDY MATERIAL FOR B.A ENGLISH SHORT STORIES AND ONE ACT PLAYS SEMESTER - VI, ACADEMIC YEAR 2020-21

UNIT - IV J. B. PRIESTLEY – MOTHER’S DAY (1953) Essayist, , novelist, social critic and historian J.B. Priestly is one of the deepest thinkers and most influential essayists and playwright of the twentieth century. Mother’s Day was published in 1953. The play is set in a middle-class suburban home. The Pearson family consists of the couple and their son and daughter. Mrs. Pearson has been felt neglected by the others as they lead their own selfish lives without a thought about her, what she wants or feels. Mrs. Fitzgerald, a neighbour notices this and steps in to help. They exchange their souls and Mrs. Fitzgerald takes over. She makes the family members aware of what life at home would be like if the mother too would begin to behave like them. The family realizes that they are neither polite nor grateful for all the help the mother has been rendering them. They understand that she too is a person and her feelings also need to be considered. By the end of the play, the family rallies around the mother assuring her of support and appreciation.

The play is one of the early works of feminist writing by a male writer. It deals with the of the assertion of a woman’s identity like Ibsen’s Doll's House. The playwright also explores the Marxist-Feminist idea of the secondary, unquantified status of women’s production and housework.

Marriage and motherhood are two patriarchal intuitions that work to keep women as the other. They present the idealized behaviour and role of women as keepers of the household and care-givers of the young, old and infirm. The mother in a middleclass household is expected to keep a clean house, ensure that the members of the family are well fed and happy and help them with their work. She should take pride in the achievements of her husband and children and not seek to draw attention to herself. She should selflessly serve the needs of the family members and rest only after her chores are completed. All this she is expected to do in the name of love for her husband and children; love for her home and love of service. Any attempt to delay or not take up any chore by her would see her labeled as lazy, a poor housekeeper and therefore by inference a bad influence on the children. If she chooses to do something for herself she will be judged as selfish, narrow-minded and uncaring. Speaking up would name her a shrew.

Such judgment calls have forced the woman to take on too much work alone and endure silently the burden of the tasks. The fear of judgmenthave lowered the self esteem of the woman making her feel inferior, inefficient and therefore work harder to prove herself. Staying at home carried the connotation of not doing any work at all. Family members conveniently chose to ignore the grinding labour that goes into maintaining a home and family.

In the play Mrs. Pearson is an example of the woman enslaved by patriarchy in the name of family. She has been slaving for her family, making them feel comfortable and cared. In turn one can find that she has been neglected; her opinion not asked for nor do husband and children spend time with her. She feels lonely and has shared her grief with her neighbour, Mrs. Fitzgerald. The Readers can see the boundless love Mrs. Pearson has for her family when she stands up for them requesting Mrs. Fitzgerald to stop tormenting her family. She realizes that she needs to stand up for herself too if she is to gain any respect or recognition from her family. It is only when she ceases to be self-effacing and asserts her desires that she can bring the family to operate as a unit.

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STUDY MATERIAL FOR B.A ENGLISH SHORT STORIES AND ONE ACT PLAYS SEMESTER - VI, ACADEMIC YEAR 2020-21

ANTON CHEKHOV – THE SWAN (1887) Humourist, dramatist and doctor of medicine Anton Chekhov’s plays exhibit a keen eye, a clear vision and a sharp and steady hand over his skill. Chekhov’s plays are a scientific treatise on human nature, its follies, its grandeur and its dignity even in the most comic moments. His plays are an experiment into the workings of the mind when it’s faced with the most mundane experiences but so richly it’s presented, they take on a seriousness that imbues it with insights about human nature.

The Swan Song, one of his early plays is a character sketch of an ageing artist. It is also a comment on aristocratic society, disillusionment in relationships and the fears of a lonely old age and approaching death. The actor, Vasilivietlovidoff, finds himself one evening all alone in the where he has performed. The empty theatre, its darkness and silence prompt him to play out his life, the one true of every man.

He finds that his aristocratic upbringing had given him a keen appreciation of the arts. But when he pursued his passion he found himself isolated from society. Though feted and celebrated on , society would not welcome him into their homes. Disillusioned by these double standards, he took to drink and chooses to play roles of fools and clowns in plays, thereby mining his health and career. Now, in his sixty-eighth year, he found himself, wasted, lonely and afraid. He found solace in playing out his best roles for a non-existent .

The word “swan song” refers to a final gesture or , given before dying or retirement. This term is derived from the that swans sing beautifully and mournfully just before they die eventhough they have remained mute during the rest of their lives. It is most apposite as the title because one can see the last performance of Vasilivietlovidoff, a sixty-eight- year-old veteran of the stage. He finds himself facing an empty theatre after a show and this silence and emptiness prompts him to think back at his life and how he has came to be here. He is reminded of his aristocratic beginnings, his illustrious military career and then his decision to exercise his historic skills. He looks back at the success and attention he enjoyed as a renowned actor. He is disillusioned by his failure in love and slowly degenerates. He rejects major roles and chooses to play the part of a fool or clown in plays. He now finds himself old, alone and fearful of the death that is to come. He feels the absence of the warmth of family and friends and most specifically, a home. His swan song becomes a recollection of his greatest .

Vasili is an old actor who finds himself alone in a theatre after a show given in his honour. He sees that even the two men to whom he has paid money to keep him company has deserted him. He begins to feel afraid in the empty theatre when he meets the prompter who spends the nights there. Vasili stands on the littered stage and recounts high points of his life. He realizes that he had a good start in life but has now degenerated into an old, drunk man playing bit parts as a clown or a fool in plays, “a Merry Andrew”, as he calls himself. He has frittered away forty two years of his life in meaningless existence as a reaction to being rejected by a girl. Towards the end of his life he has understood that shunning life and wearing the garb of a fool kept him where he stood years ago while life has moved on. He desires the warmth of a home, hearth and family but it is too late now. He also understands he can no longer play the fool and that his time on stage is over. He bids farewell to his art by re-enacting the roles that has made him famous. He recalls the passion and love that has brought him to the theatre and regrets that he has given.

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STUDY MATERIAL FOR B.A ENGLISH SHORT STORIES AND ONE ACT PLAYS SEMESTER - VI, ACADEMIC YEAR 2020-21

UNIT - V ERISA KIRONDE – THE TRICK (1968) Administrator, , playwright, columnist, critic, editor and teacher, ErisaKironde is one of the prolific writers in the Ugandan literary scene. He has been greatly influenced by the plays of J. M. Synge, the Irish writer. His play “The Trick” is an adaptation of Synge’s play The Shadow of the Glen. It is transposed on to an African setting.

The play is about a couple, an old man who has a young wife. The old man fears that his young wife is being unfaithful to him and decides to play a tick on her. He pretends to be dead and waits to see what his wife will do. She accosts a shepherd she knows who offers to marry her as she has come into money after her husband’s death. The husband catches them as they are talking and sends his wife away saying she will have to spend her life on the streets as no one will want to marry her now that she has no money. A musician is witness to this entire episode. He offers to take the wife with him. He promises her an interesting life even though he is poor and homeless. She takes up the offer as she prefers an interesting and challenging life than a comfortable but boring and meaningless one.

The play explores the aspects that goes into a happy marriage companionship, trust and children. The couple in the play does not have all three. The wife feels lonely seeking the company of anyone who passes by the house. The husband does not trust his wife and refuses to share any of his wealth with her. They have no children signifying a lack of emotional bonding between them. At the end of the play the husband thinks he is sending his wife away but actually the wife steps out of the marriage as she believes that the musician can provide a better life for her. The play is also a review of the effects of colonization or any kind of oppressive rule and the need to light for freedom. The playwright examines colonization under the lens of a patriarchal man-woman relationship. It celebrates the woman, thereby the colonized nation, seeking independence and freedom from an oppressive system.

Kalekezi is an old man who has lost his youthful vitality. He spends his days in drunken stupor bemoaning the loss of his youth and the good old days gone by. He has shriveled with old age and is not capable of warmth. He does not care for his young wife any more. He depends on her to take care of him and in turn beats her up in his drunken rages. He also suspects his wife of infidelity. He plays a trick on her to catch her cheating on him. He pretends to be dead to see what she will do. The trick he plays is successful to the extent that he catches her with another herdsman proposing marriage to her. He thinks he has won and throws her out telling her that she will not be able to attract any man because she is penniless and homeless. What he fails to understand is that his wife has decided to step out of the marriage and seek the companionship of Majangwa, the musician.

Kalekezi can be seen as a colonial ruler who has outlived his presence in the country he has colonized. He has exploited it and now suspects the loyalty of the colonized people. He exercises harsh controls in the hope that he can contain the dissent brewing within. When he captures natives who he believes are plotting against them he threatens them with economic sanctions. He deludes himself thinking that he still has the upper hand when clearly the native country has made its choice to move away from the clutches of the colonizer and seek freedom for itself.

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STUDY MATERIAL FOR B.A ENGLISH SHORT STORIES AND ONE ACT PLAYS SEMESTER - VI, ACADEMIC YEAR 2020-21

LADY GREGORY – THE RISING OF THE MOON (1907) Isabella Augusta, Lady Gregory was an Irish writer and playwright. The playThe Rising of the Moonis the story of an Irish nationalist leader’s attempt to escape the British police. Disguises himself as a penniless singer, he gets into conversation with a Sergeant who is waiting to capture him and claim a reward of hundred pounds. During the course of the conversation, the leader reminds the Sergeant of his Irish roots and the need to encourage and support the fight for freedom. The Sergeant is torn between the two loyalties one to his job and the other to his country. One can see the Sergeant make his choice as he lets the leader escape.

The play explores the of identities personal and professional. It also brings to the fore the struggles and difficulties that has been faced by the common Irishman under the British colonial rule. The play also explores the theme of Irish Nationalist cause for freedom from British oppression and the need to strengthen Irish identity through , , stories and plays in the Irish language.

There are two main characters in the play and both symbolize two different ideologies. The Sergeant is the representative of the British in the island. The ragged man is the Irish rebel in disguise who stands for the Nationalist cause. The conflict in the play is enshrined in the two characters.

The Sergeant represents the authority and power of the colonial rule. It is embodied in his uniform of tunic and hat. However, he is an Irish by birth and therefore sympathetic to the cause. The play marks a transformation in his character because of his encounter with a wanted criminal. He is an unusual man because he does not act as an automaton of the Government machinery but as a thinking man. He is a man with good imagination and therefore is able to guess quite early where the convict is likely to escape. The convict’s exploits draw a grudging admiration from the Sergeant. His interaction with the convict reminds him of his past that he had spent with his friends, singing old favourites.

The part when he plays out his dilemma is one of the most striking passages in the play. Sergeant. That’s a queer thought now, and a true thought. Wait how till I think it out. If it wasn’t for the sense I have, and for my Wife and family, and for me joining the force the time I did, it might be myself now would be after breaking goal and hiding in the dark, and it might be him that’s hiding in the dark and that got out of goal would be sitting up here where I am on this barrel... And it might be myself would be creeping up trying to make my escape from himself, and it might be himself would be keeping the law, and myself would be breaking it, and myself would be trying to put a bullet in his head or to take up a lump of stone the way you said he did no, that myself did....

His encounter with the criminal makes him analyze how his professional loyalties have changed his attitude and determined his life choices. For the first time he is given a glimpse into what choices the under privileged have in their country and the unfairness of the situation. This marks the transformation of the Sergeant. The convict casts off his disguise and reveals himself. The Sergeant finds himself torn between his duty towards his job and his love for a fellow native. The convict reminds him that in his youth he too had been passionate about his country and his people and not the law. The Sergeant understands that beneath his uniform he is and will always be an Irishman and hence, allows the convict to escape.

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