October 16th Written Test
Pigeons at Daybreak
The Accompanist
The Devoted Son
Scholar and Gypsy
8 oct 2009
The Crucible
The Crucible – Arthur Miller
Main Aims:
· What are the relationships between the characters of TheCrucible?
· What contributed to the events leading up to the real witch trials of 1692?
· How do the political events of the 1950s contribute to our understanding of The Crucible?
Context
E arly in the year 1692, in the small Massachusetts village of Salem, a collection of girls fell ill, falling victim to hallucinations and seizures. In extremely religious Puritan New England, frightening or surprising occurrences were often attributed to the devil or his cohorts. The unfathomable sickness spurred fears of witchcraft, and it was not long before the girls, and then many other residents of Salem, began to accuse other villagers of consorting with devils and casting spells. Old grudges and jealousies spilled out into the open, fueling the atmosphere of hysteria. The Massachusetts government and judicial system, heavily influenced by religion, rolled into action. Within a few weeks, dozens of people were in jail on charges of witchcraft. By the time the fever had run its course, in late August 1692, nineteen people (and two dogs) had been convicted and hanged for witchcraft.
More than two centuries later, Arthur Miller was born in New York City on October 17, 1915. His career as a playwright began while he was a student at the University of Michigan. Several of his early works won prizes, and during his senior year, the Federal Theatre Project in Detroit performed one of his works. He produced his first great success, All My Sons, in 1947. Two years later, in 1949, Miller wrote Death of a Salesman, which won the Pulitzer Prize and transformed Miller into a national sensation. Many critics described Death of a Salesman as the first great American tragedy, and Miller gained an associated eminence as a man who understood the deep essence of the United States.
Drawing on research on the witch trials he had conducted while an undergraduate, Miller composed The Crucible in the early 1950s. Miller wrote the play during the brief ascendancy of Senator Joseph McCarthy, a demagogue whose vitriolic anti-Communism proved the spark needed to propel the United States into a dramatic and fractious anti-Communist fervor during these first tense years of the Cold War with the Soviet Union. Led by McCarthy, special congressional committees conducted highly controversial investigations intended to root out Communist sympathizers in the United States. As with the alleged witches of Salem, suspected Communists were encouraged to confess and to identify other Red sympathizers as means of escaping punishment. The policy resulted in a whirlwind of accusations. As people began to realize that they might be condemned as Communists regardless of their innocence, many “cooperated,” attempting to save themselves through false confessions, creating the image that the United States was overrun with Communists and perpetuating the hysteria. The liberal entertainment industry, in which Miller worked, was one of the chief targets of these “witch hunts,” as their opponents termed them. Some cooperated; others, like Miller, refused to give in to questioning. Those who were revealed, falsely or legitimately, as Communists, and those who refused to incriminate their friends, saw their careers suffer, as they were blacklisted from potential jobs for many years afterward.
At the time of its first performance, in January of 1953, critics and cast alike perceived The Crucible as a direct attack on McCarthyism (the policy of sniffing out Communists). Its comparatively short run, compared with those of Miller’s other works, was blamed on anti-Communist fervor. When Julius and Ethel Rosenberg were accused of spying for the Soviets and executed, the cast and audience of Miller’s play observed a moment of silence. Still, there are difficulties with interpreting The Crucible as a strict allegorical treatment of 1950s McCarthyism. For one thing, there were, as far as one can tell, no actual witches or devil-worshipers in Salem. However, there were certainly Communists in 1950s America, and many of those who were lionized as victims of McCarthyism at the time, such as the Rosenbergs and Alger Hiss (a former State Department official), were later found to have been in the pay of the Soviet Union. Miller’s Communist friends, then, were often less innocent than the victims of the Salem witch trials, like the stalwart Rebecca Nurse or the tragic John Proctor.
If Miller took unknowing liberties with the facts of his own era, he also played fast and loose with the historical record. The general outline of events in The Crucible corresponds to what happened in Salem of 1692, but Miller’s characters are often composites. Furthermore, his central plot device—the affair between Abigail Williams and John Proctor—has no grounding in fact (Proctor was over sixty at the time of the trials, while Abigail was only eleven). Thus, Miller’s decision to set sexual jealousy at the root of the hysteria constitutes a dramatic contrivance.
In an odd way, then, The Crucible is best read outside its historical context—not as a perfect allegory for anti-Communism, or as a faithful account of the Salem trials, but as a powerful and timeless depiction of how intolerance and hysteria can intersect and tear a community apart. In John Proctor, Miller gives the reader a marvelous tragic hero for any time—a flawed figure who finds his moral center just as everything is falling to pieces around him.
· Read the play CAREFULLY.
When you finish each act, read the Summaries and Analysis at http://www.sparknotes.com/lit/crucible/
· Vocabulary study: Glossary: these words are defined for you.
1. theocracy: governed by religion
2. providence: God’s will; God’s intervention in human affairs
3. Puritanical: strict in morality and religion; this term has come about since the reign of the Puritans
4. inculcation: impress with insistent urging; convince
5. propitiation: win good will
6. ameliorate: improve
7. theology: the study of a religious doctrine; what a particular sect believes
8. vestry: the room in the church where robes are kept
9. apparition: ghost
10. trafficked: have dealings with
11. blink: tolerate
· Study Questions: Answer each fully
Act I
1. What was Samuel Parris’s attitude toward children?
2. Why do you think Rev. Parris has many enemies?
3. After Parris begins to believe his daughter to be afflicted by witchcraft, what is Thomas Putnam’s advice to him?
4. What truths come out when the adults leave the girls alone?
5. What’s going on between Abigail and John Proctor?
6. Why does Betty start screaming?
7. Why are some people, including John Proctor, inclined to stay away from Sabbath meeting?
8. Why does Hale believe the Devil would strike Rev. Parris’s house?
9. Though Rev. Hale is trying to get Tituba to name her accomplices, who is the first person to actually mention names?
10. Why isn’t it difficult for Ann Putnam to believe that Goody Osburn is a witch?
Act II
11. What do you know about the relationship between John and Elizabeth Proctor from the stage action and opening dialogue of Act II?
12. Describe the power Abigail has in the court room.
13. What’s going on between the Proctors on pages 52-53 (________)?
14. Though Mary Warren cannot say who accused Elizabeth Proctor, who do you believe accused her and why?
15. Ironically, which commandment can John not remember?
16. John Proctor seems to be the only voice of reason in the confusing end of Act II. What are some examples to support this idea?
17. Why is Mary Warren afraid of telling the truth about Abigail, for herself and for John?
Act III
18. Over and over, Danforth says that the good have nothing to fear. What evidence can you give to show that the opposite is true?
19. On pages 95-96 (_______) Danforth gives the premise for judging a witch. Summarize his guidelines.
20. Mary Warren's testimony is destroyed in the end because she cannot do something. What? How does she explain the problem?
21. Finally, Proctor admits that he and Abigail have been lovers. This truth could be the end of Abigail’s control. Why isn’t it?
22. What is the importance of John Proctor’s last speech (in Act III)?
Act IV
23. What is Hale’s mission in Act IV?
24. Parris tells Danforth, “You cannot hang this sort” (123). What does he mean?
25. Why won’t Danforth pardon the prisoners?
26. Do you think Elizabeth Proctor would confess if she were in her husband’s place? Explain.
27. In the end, what is it that is of utmost importance to John Proctor?
· When you finish the Play read and study about Themes, Motifs and Symbols and Analysis of Major Characters at http://www.sparknotes.com/lit/crucible/
· Character study: For each of the following characters, write who she/he is, what relationship to other characters, any important character or personality traits and any other important information.
Who is he/she?
Relationship to whom?
Problem? Acts of courage/cowardice?
Reverend Samuel Parris
Betty Parris
Abigail Williams
Tituba
Mrs. Ann Putnam
Thomas Putnam
John Proctor
Elizabeth Proctor
Rebecca Nurse
Reverend John Hale
· Think of what you mean when you use the words “honor,” “truth,” “justice,” or “courage.” Choose one character that exemplifies your idea of one of these ideals and explain how he/she lives up to your standards (or do the reverse: fails to live up to your standards).
Main Aims:
· What are the relationships between the characters of TheCrucible?
· What contributed to the events leading up to the real witch trials of 1692?
· How do the political events of the 1950s contribute to our understanding of The Crucible?
Context
E arly in the year 1692, in the small Massachusetts village of Salem, a collection of girls fell ill, falling victim to hallucinations and seizures. In extremely religious Puritan New England, frightening or surprising occurrences were often attributed to the devil or his cohorts. The unfathomable sickness spurred fears of witchcraft, and it was not long before the girls, and then many other residents of Salem, began to accuse other villagers of consorting with devils and casting spells. Old grudges and jealousies spilled out into the open, fueling the atmosphere of hysteria. The Massachusetts government and judicial system, heavily influenced by religion, rolled into action. Within a few weeks, dozens of people were in jail on charges of witchcraft. By the time the fever had run its course, in late August 1692, nineteen people (and two dogs) had been convicted and hanged for witchcraft.
More than two centuries later, Arthur Miller was born in New York City on October 17, 1915. His career as a playwright began while he was a student at the University of Michigan. Several of his early works won prizes, and during his senior year, the Federal Theatre Project in Detroit performed one of his works. He produced his first great success, All My Sons, in 1947. Two years later, in 1949, Miller wrote Death of a Salesman, which won the Pulitzer Prize and transformed Miller into a national sensation. Many critics described Death of a Salesman as the first great American tragedy, and Miller gained an associated eminence as a man who understood the deep essence of the United States.
Drawing on research on the witch trials he had conducted while an undergraduate, Miller composed The Crucible in the early 1950s. Miller wrote the play during the brief ascendancy of Senator Joseph McCarthy, a demagogue whose vitriolic anti-Communism proved the spark needed to propel the United States into a dramatic and fractious anti-Communist fervor during these first tense years of the Cold War with the Soviet Union. Led by McCarthy, special congressional committees conducted highly controversial investigations intended to root out Communist sympathizers in the United States. As with the alleged witches of Salem, suspected Communists were encouraged to confess and to identify other Red sympathizers as means of escaping punishment. The policy resulted in a whirlwind of accusations. As people began to realize that they might be condemned as Communists regardless of their innocence, many “cooperated,” attempting to save themselves through false confessions, creating the image that the United States was overrun with Communists and perpetuating the hysteria. The liberal entertainment industry, in which Miller worked, was one of the chief targets of these “witch hunts,” as their opponents termed them. Some cooperated; others, like Miller, refused to give in to questioning. Those who were revealed, falsely or legitimately, as Communists, and those who refused to incriminate their friends, saw their careers suffer, as they were blacklisted from potential jobs for many years afterward.
At the time of its first performance, in January of 1953, critics and cast alike perceived The Crucible as a direct attack on McCarthyism (the policy of sniffing out Communists). Its comparatively short run, compared with those of Miller’s other works, was blamed on anti-Communist fervor. When Julius and Ethel Rosenberg were accused of spying for the Soviets and executed, the cast and audience of Miller’s play observed a moment of silence. Still, there are difficulties with interpreting The Crucible as a strict allegorical treatment of 1950s McCarthyism. For one thing, there were, as far as one can tell, no actual witches or devil-worshipers in Salem. However, there were certainly Communists in 1950s America, and many of those who were lionized as victims of McCarthyism at the time, such as the Rosenbergs and Alger Hiss (a former State Department official), were later found to have been in the pay of the Soviet Union. Miller’s Communist friends, then, were often less innocent than the victims of the Salem witch trials, like the stalwart Rebecca Nurse or the tragic John Proctor.
If Miller took unknowing liberties with the facts of his own era, he also played fast and loose with the historical record. The general outline of events in The Crucible corresponds to what happened in Salem of 1692, but Miller’s characters are often composites. Furthermore, his central plot device—the affair between Abigail Williams and John Proctor—has no grounding in fact (Proctor was over sixty at the time of the trials, while Abigail was only eleven). Thus, Miller’s decision to set sexual jealousy at the root of the hysteria constitutes a dramatic contrivance.
In an odd way, then, The Crucible is best read outside its historical context—not as a perfect allegory for anti-Communism, or as a faithful account of the Salem trials, but as a powerful and timeless depiction of how intolerance and hysteria can intersect and tear a community apart. In John Proctor, Miller gives the reader a marvelous tragic hero for any time—a flawed figure who finds his moral center just as everything is falling to pieces around him.
· Read the play CAREFULLY.
When you finish each act, read the Summaries and Analysis at http://www.sparknotes.com/lit/crucible/
· Vocabulary study: Glossary: these words are defined for you.
1. theocracy: governed by religion
2. providence: God’s will; God’s intervention in human affairs
3. Puritanical: strict in morality and religion; this term has come about since the reign of the Puritans
4. inculcation: impress with insistent urging; convince
5. propitiation: win good will
6. ameliorate: improve
7. theology: the study of a religious doctrine; what a particular sect believes
8. vestry: the room in the church where robes are kept
9. apparition: ghost
10. trafficked: have dealings with
11. blink: tolerate
· Study Questions: Answer each fully
Act I
1. What was Samuel Parris’s attitude toward children?
2. Why do you think Rev. Parris has many enemies?
3. After Parris begins to believe his daughter to be afflicted by witchcraft, what is Thomas Putnam’s advice to him?
4. What truths come out when the adults leave the girls alone?
5. What’s going on between Abigail and John Proctor?
6. Why does Betty start screaming?
7. Why are some people, including John Proctor, inclined to stay away from Sabbath meeting?
8. Why does Hale believe the Devil would strike Rev. Parris’s house?
9. Though Rev. Hale is trying to get Tituba to name her accomplices, who is the first person to actually mention names?
10. Why isn’t it difficult for Ann Putnam to believe that Goody Osburn is a witch?
Act II
11. What do you know about the relationship between John and Elizabeth Proctor from the stage action and opening dialogue of Act II?
12. Describe the power Abigail has in the court room.
13. What’s going on between the Proctors on pages 52-53 (________)?
14. Though Mary Warren cannot say who accused Elizabeth Proctor, who do you believe accused her and why?
15. Ironically, which commandment can John not remember?
16. John Proctor seems to be the only voice of reason in the confusing end of Act II. What are some examples to support this idea?
17. Why is Mary Warren afraid of telling the truth about Abigail, for herself and for John?
Act III
18. Over and over, Danforth says that the good have nothing to fear. What evidence can you give to show that the opposite is true?
19. On pages 95-96 (_______) Danforth gives the premise for judging a witch. Summarize his guidelines.
20. Mary Warren's testimony is destroyed in the end because she cannot do something. What? How does she explain the problem?
21. Finally, Proctor admits that he and Abigail have been lovers. This truth could be the end of Abigail’s control. Why isn’t it?
22. What is the importance of John Proctor’s last speech (in Act III)?
Act IV
23. What is Hale’s mission in Act IV?
24. Parris tells Danforth, “You cannot hang this sort” (123). What does he mean?
25. Why won’t Danforth pardon the prisoners?
26. Do you think Elizabeth Proctor would confess if she were in her husband’s place? Explain.
27. In the end, what is it that is of utmost importance to John Proctor?
· When you finish the Play read and study about Themes, Motifs and Symbols and Analysis of Major Characters at http://www.sparknotes.com/lit/crucible/
· Character study: For each of the following characters, write who she/he is, what relationship to other characters, any important character or personality traits and any other important information.
Who is he/she?
Relationship to whom?
Problem? Acts of courage/cowardice?
Reverend Samuel Parris
Betty Parris
Abigail Williams
Tituba
Mrs. Ann Putnam
Thomas Putnam
John Proctor
Elizabeth Proctor
Rebecca Nurse
Reverend John Hale
· Think of what you mean when you use the words “honor,” “truth,” “justice,” or “courage.” Choose one character that exemplifies your idea of one of these ideals and explain how he/she lives up to your standards (or do the reverse: fails to live up to your standards).
1 oct 2009
The Accompanist
1) Read the beginning up to “…I followed”.
Who do you thing the “He” mentioned here is?
What does the narrator complain about?
2) Read from “For fifteen years now…” up to “ No marriage was closer”.
Narrate how the narrator first met Ustad Rahim Khan.
Describe what kind of relationship developed between them. Illustrate this relationship with quotations.
3) Read from “ When I was a boy….” Up to “ ..after the late show, not now”
What kind of childhood did he have? Which were his interests?
What do we learn about his father and mother? Support this with quotations from the story.
4) Read “But all fell away from me…” up to “ …will convey this to him”
Explore the narrator´s feelings towards his relationship
with Ustad Rahim Khan
Support your views by close reference to Desai’s writing
5) Read from ‘Only once was I shaken.’ Up to ‘I talked to myself.’
How does Desai vividly convey how dreadful this
moment is in the life of the accompanist?
6) Finish reading the story.
Comment on the following quotation “ .. But he did not take anyone else, he chose me. He gave me my destiny, my life. Could I have refused it? Does a mortal refuse God?”
What is your personal response to the decisions in life made by Bhaiyya,” the tanpura player”? Consider everything you have analysed so far.
Who do you thing the “He” mentioned here is?
What does the narrator complain about?
2) Read from “For fifteen years now…” up to “ No marriage was closer”.
Narrate how the narrator first met Ustad Rahim Khan.
Describe what kind of relationship developed between them. Illustrate this relationship with quotations.
3) Read from “ When I was a boy….” Up to “ ..after the late show, not now”
What kind of childhood did he have? Which were his interests?
What do we learn about his father and mother? Support this with quotations from the story.
4) Read “But all fell away from me…” up to “ …will convey this to him”
Explore the narrator´s feelings towards his relationship
with Ustad Rahim Khan
Support your views by close reference to Desai’s writing
5) Read from ‘Only once was I shaken.’ Up to ‘I talked to myself.’
How does Desai vividly convey how dreadful this
moment is in the life of the accompanist?
6) Finish reading the story.
Comment on the following quotation “ .. But he did not take anyone else, he chose me. He gave me my destiny, my life. Could I have refused it? Does a mortal refuse God?”
What is your personal response to the decisions in life made by Bhaiyya,” the tanpura player”? Consider everything you have analysed so far.
Studies in the Park
- Enrich this summary with appropriate quotations from this short story. Re-write the whole essay.
"Studies in the Park" is Anita Desai's short story about the choice of a young Indian man, named Suno, who rejects his family's scholarly objective for his life in favor of a life of exploration and studies of human nature.
As the story begins, Suno bemoans the constant noise in his home, where he is confined to study for his university entrance exam. ( Quotations)
The pressure continues to build on Suno, who cannot concentrate in this environment surrounded by people who do not understand the need to be quiet. (Quotations)
Suno escapes from the house and tries to study in a local cafy. ( Quotations)
Suno tentatively enters the park and wonders why he has not thought of the park as a solution to his problem before. At first, (Quotations)
Eventually, Suno becomes comfortable with studying in the park. ( Quotations)
He resents some of the park's visitors, ( Quotations)
Suno's family continues to prod him to study late into the night. ( Quotations)
There is only one month left before the exams. ( Quotations)
Now, everything in the park seems as lifeless as Suno's mood. ( Quotations)
One evening, on his way out of the park, Suno sees a tender scene that changes his world forever. ( Quotations)
From this moment on, Suno's books are dead to him, because he has had a glimpse of real life. ( Quotations)
Suno's parents continue to plead with him to continue his studies, but he has no interest in academic achievements any longer. ( Quotations)
Suno returns to the park. Now, he's not a student, but a lover of life. He takes the time to interact with the people whom he thought unworthy before. As he engages with his new acquaintances, Suno is always on the lookout for the couple that served as the basis for his metamorphosis. However, they never appear again.
Sale
- The profound theme in Games at Twilight in general, and in Sale in particular is the tension between convention and exploration.
- Re-read the story, analyze the characters´s actions and words and establish all the different contrasts that Desai depicts in this story.Classify these contrasts into “ convention” or “ exploration
Surface Textures
Essay Writing
Explore the ways by which Anita Desai manages to create a fantasy story with a happy ending set in the poor background of an Indian town. Support your ideas with well-chosen quotations from the story.
Pre-writing Activities.
Re-read this short story carefully and look for the following information
1) Who is the narrator of the story? What special devices does Desai use in connection to this narrator?
2) Where does the story take place? What information about its social background do you get from the story?
3) Semantic fields include vocabulary thematically related. Look for specific words and expressions related to “Surface textures”. Write them down.
4) What kind of story is this? Contrast and compare it to the other ones you have read by Anita Desai. What would you say was the author’s intention when she wrote it?
5) Explore the use of irony in the story.
Organizing your ideas
Use the information you have collected above and organize your ideas using useful graphic organizers.
Write your essay, proofread and revise it .Finally, write a clean copy.
Explore the ways by which Anita Desai manages to create a fantasy story with a happy ending set in the poor background of an Indian town. Support your ideas with well-chosen quotations from the story.
Pre-writing Activities.
Re-read this short story carefully and look for the following information
1) Who is the narrator of the story? What special devices does Desai use in connection to this narrator?
2) Where does the story take place? What information about its social background do you get from the story?
3) Semantic fields include vocabulary thematically related. Look for specific words and expressions related to “Surface textures”. Write them down.
4) What kind of story is this? Contrast and compare it to the other ones you have read by Anita Desai. What would you say was the author’s intention when she wrote it?
5) Explore the use of irony in the story.
Organizing your ideas
Use the information you have collected above and organize your ideas using useful graphic organizers.
Write your essay, proofread and revise it .Finally, write a clean copy.
Games at Twilight
Games at Twilight
At a glance:
· Author: Anita Desai
· First Published: 1978
· Type of Plot: Psychological
· Time of Work: The 1970's
· Setting: A large city in India
· Principal Characters: Ravi, Raghu
· Genres: Short fiction
· Subjects: 1970’s, Children, Twentieth century, Alienation, Jealousy, envy, or resentment, Asia or Asians, Brothers, Reality, Fantasy, India or East Indian people, Boys, Games, Summer, Heat
The Story
This title story in Anita Desai's acclaimed collection Games at Twilight, and Other Stories (1978) deals with a universal theme of children at play and their fantasies and disillusionment. Desai begins the story objectively from the third-person vantage, but as the action progresses and the tension mounts, she skillfully shifts the narrative focus to the consciousness of the central character, Ravi. The story is remarkable for its insights into child psychology, powerful evocation of atmosphere, vivid imagery, and symbolic use of setting.
'Games at Twilight' is a book of short stories by Anita Desai (an Indian writer who is well respected in Western literary circles - not quite of Salman Rushdie's calibre though): 'Games at Twilight' is also the name of one of the stories within it: if you haven't read the story, then a lot of the discussion below won't be of much use to you. If you have, however, then there are some interesting ideas.
'Games at Twilight' is, as I see it, a story of contrasting emotions, with the protagonist Ravi, entering a phase in his growth that involves learning through experience, and the realisation of some bleak facts of life.
Desai opens the story with imagery that mirrors the contrasting sentiments. Elements of *pathetic fallacy are used, with the humid, hot climate reflecting the simultaneous captivity and latency of the children. We are told, 'Their faces were red and bloated with the effort, but their mother would not open the door ... their lungs were stuffed with cotton wool.' Immediately we realise their actions are controlled, and they have very little freedom at this stage. Through the dulled metallic colours Anita Desai uses, the enforced captivity does not appear as malign as it normally would, since there are always underlying images of energy and growth: 'the birds still drooped, like dead fruit ... a band of parrots suddenly fell out of the eucalyptus tree, tumbled frantically in the still, sizzling air.'
The images of stasis are broken by the streak of colours, and this mirrors the moment afterwards, as the children are released; yet the morbid imagery – 'The outdoor dog lay stretched as if dead ... some squirrels lay limp.' – runs throughout the story, perhaps as a pre-echo to Ravi's metaphorical death at the end. This adds a distinctly malign streak in the story. Furthermore, as Ravi enters the garage we are told, 'It had a muffled smell, as of graves,' and, 'Except for the white-hot cracks along the floor, there was no light.' The reference to the cracks appears to be a reference to hell, and the continuing morbid imagers leads me to believe that the garage functions as a memento mori; the death occurring metaphorically, of course. In addition to this, Desai uses the game of hide-and-seek to compare the children to predatory animals hunting for prey that raises a sinister aspect to these games. She's almost tring to signify that all childhood games have an underlying motive, and represent a part of human instinct. In the case of hide-and-seek, the game reveals humans' natural desire for survival.
All this contrasts sharply with the transformation of the garden into an idyllic scene, with the use of Edenic imagery: 'It would be evening soon ... water would fall lavishly through the air to the ground, soaking the dry yellow grass and the red gravel and arousing the sweet, intoxicating scent of water on dry earth.' This imagery also has a nostalgic tint to it, and perhaps this is designed to show the manner in which many look at heir own childhood; regardless of low-points, it seems like a peaceful, enjoyable time, when one is free from responsibilities. However, we see the same situation from the children's point of view, and they see the very opposite, feeling cooped up and trapped. However, even while this scene is being describes, we are told, 'Ravi wondered if it would not be better to be captured by Raghu and be returned to the milling crowd as long as he could be in the sun, the light ... and the familiarity of his brothers, sisters and cousins.' - he's always drawn back. It's like Freud's death-drive and life-drive - always torn to the opposite side.
Here is where the emotional conflict begins in earnest, with Ravi questioning the value of exerting his own identity, something he later decides outweighs being part of a group. He willingly undergoes the isolation in expectation of lone victory, and the suffering he takes illustrates the degree to which humans will suffer in return for glory. However, the imagery turns far bleaker as the evening progresses. 'It grew darker in the shed,' we are told, 'as the light grew softer.' Desai again using pathetic fallacy shows us this as the moment when the truth begins to set in for Ravi, and I find the situation very bleak; the underlying malign streak in the story finally rises, and ironically Ravi has indeed singled himself out, yet discovers the truth that the world moves on without him.
*Pathetic fallacy:The tendency to attribute human characteristics to nature, inanimate objects, or animals, but not quite as formally giving the thing a human identity as in personification. Also called the emotional fallacy.
http://everything2.com/index.pl?node_id=1440845
By
Philippe Horak
Anita Desai's short stories reflect the kaleidoscope of modern Indian life. They are set in contemporary Bombay and other cities and they evoke the colours, sounds, smells and white-hot heat of Indian cities. The stories are peopled with intensely individual characters: there is a painter living in a slum who fills his paintings with landscapes, birds and flowers he has never seen. There is an American woman who turns to the hippies in the Indian hills because she is unhappy with her life in the verdant countryside of Vermont. There is a man spiritually transformed by the surface texture of a melon. And many more. It is a finely written, atmospheric, memorable collection of short stories. As always with Anita Desai, her work is warm, perceptive, both funny and touched with sadness.
http://www.amazon.com/review/R1CVZD6KRF4VMG/ref=cm_cr_pr_viewpnt#R1CVZD6KRF4VMG
http://www.glencoe.com/sec/literature/cgibin/splitwindow.cgi?top=http://www.glencoe.com/sec/literature/top2.html&link=http://www.gameskidsplay.net/frame_alphabetical_listing.htm games
Making Meanings Games at Twilight First Thoughts
1. How much empathy for Ravi did you feel at the end of the story? Did his experience remind you of any of your childhood experiences? Shaping Interpretations
2. What specific words and images in this story are most vivid to you? If you had to draw one picture to illustrate the story, what would you draw?
3. Which images suggest loss and death to you? How do these images make you feel?
4. Why is everyone so surprised to see Ravi when he finally comes out of his hiding place?
5. What kind of game are the children playing at twilight?
6. What has Ravi discovered by the end of the story? Find a passage of the text that supports your answer.
7. How would you state the theme of this story—what revelation about human life does it make to you? As you think about the theme, think also about how the story’s title reinforces its theme. (Think of the layers of meanings you can give to the word games.)
8. How do Ravi’s experiences in the shed contribute to the mood of the story? Extending the Text
9. Are the children in this story (and childhood itself) more realistically portrayed than the children in television situation comedies, or less so? Give examples to support your view.
----
At a glance:
· Author: Anita Desai
· First Published: 1978
· Type of Plot: Psychological
· Time of Work: The 1970's
· Setting: A large city in India
· Principal Characters: Ravi, Raghu
· Genres: Short fiction
· Subjects: 1970’s, Children, Twentieth century, Alienation, Jealousy, envy, or resentment, Asia or Asians, Brothers, Reality, Fantasy, India or East Indian people, Boys, Games, Summer, Heat
The Story
This title story in Anita Desai's acclaimed collection Games at Twilight, and Other Stories (1978) deals with a universal theme of children at play and their fantasies and disillusionment. Desai begins the story objectively from the third-person vantage, but as the action progresses and the tension mounts, she skillfully shifts the narrative focus to the consciousness of the central character, Ravi. The story is remarkable for its insights into child psychology, powerful evocation of atmosphere, vivid imagery, and symbolic use of setting.
'Games at Twilight' is a book of short stories by Anita Desai (an Indian writer who is well respected in Western literary circles - not quite of Salman Rushdie's calibre though): 'Games at Twilight' is also the name of one of the stories within it: if you haven't read the story, then a lot of the discussion below won't be of much use to you. If you have, however, then there are some interesting ideas.
'Games at Twilight' is, as I see it, a story of contrasting emotions, with the protagonist Ravi, entering a phase in his growth that involves learning through experience, and the realisation of some bleak facts of life.
Desai opens the story with imagery that mirrors the contrasting sentiments. Elements of *pathetic fallacy are used, with the humid, hot climate reflecting the simultaneous captivity and latency of the children. We are told, 'Their faces were red and bloated with the effort, but their mother would not open the door ... their lungs were stuffed with cotton wool.' Immediately we realise their actions are controlled, and they have very little freedom at this stage. Through the dulled metallic colours Anita Desai uses, the enforced captivity does not appear as malign as it normally would, since there are always underlying images of energy and growth: 'the birds still drooped, like dead fruit ... a band of parrots suddenly fell out of the eucalyptus tree, tumbled frantically in the still, sizzling air.'
The images of stasis are broken by the streak of colours, and this mirrors the moment afterwards, as the children are released; yet the morbid imagery – 'The outdoor dog lay stretched as if dead ... some squirrels lay limp.' – runs throughout the story, perhaps as a pre-echo to Ravi's metaphorical death at the end. This adds a distinctly malign streak in the story. Furthermore, as Ravi enters the garage we are told, 'It had a muffled smell, as of graves,' and, 'Except for the white-hot cracks along the floor, there was no light.' The reference to the cracks appears to be a reference to hell, and the continuing morbid imagers leads me to believe that the garage functions as a memento mori; the death occurring metaphorically, of course. In addition to this, Desai uses the game of hide-and-seek to compare the children to predatory animals hunting for prey that raises a sinister aspect to these games. She's almost tring to signify that all childhood games have an underlying motive, and represent a part of human instinct. In the case of hide-and-seek, the game reveals humans' natural desire for survival.
All this contrasts sharply with the transformation of the garden into an idyllic scene, with the use of Edenic imagery: 'It would be evening soon ... water would fall lavishly through the air to the ground, soaking the dry yellow grass and the red gravel and arousing the sweet, intoxicating scent of water on dry earth.' This imagery also has a nostalgic tint to it, and perhaps this is designed to show the manner in which many look at heir own childhood; regardless of low-points, it seems like a peaceful, enjoyable time, when one is free from responsibilities. However, we see the same situation from the children's point of view, and they see the very opposite, feeling cooped up and trapped. However, even while this scene is being describes, we are told, 'Ravi wondered if it would not be better to be captured by Raghu and be returned to the milling crowd as long as he could be in the sun, the light ... and the familiarity of his brothers, sisters and cousins.' - he's always drawn back. It's like Freud's death-drive and life-drive - always torn to the opposite side.
Here is where the emotional conflict begins in earnest, with Ravi questioning the value of exerting his own identity, something he later decides outweighs being part of a group. He willingly undergoes the isolation in expectation of lone victory, and the suffering he takes illustrates the degree to which humans will suffer in return for glory. However, the imagery turns far bleaker as the evening progresses. 'It grew darker in the shed,' we are told, 'as the light grew softer.' Desai again using pathetic fallacy shows us this as the moment when the truth begins to set in for Ravi, and I find the situation very bleak; the underlying malign streak in the story finally rises, and ironically Ravi has indeed singled himself out, yet discovers the truth that the world moves on without him.
*Pathetic fallacy:The tendency to attribute human characteristics to nature, inanimate objects, or animals, but not quite as formally giving the thing a human identity as in personification. Also called the emotional fallacy.
http://everything2.com/index.pl?node_id=1440845
By
Philippe Horak
Anita Desai's short stories reflect the kaleidoscope of modern Indian life. They are set in contemporary Bombay and other cities and they evoke the colours, sounds, smells and white-hot heat of Indian cities. The stories are peopled with intensely individual characters: there is a painter living in a slum who fills his paintings with landscapes, birds and flowers he has never seen. There is an American woman who turns to the hippies in the Indian hills because she is unhappy with her life in the verdant countryside of Vermont. There is a man spiritually transformed by the surface texture of a melon. And many more. It is a finely written, atmospheric, memorable collection of short stories. As always with Anita Desai, her work is warm, perceptive, both funny and touched with sadness.
http://www.amazon.com/review/R1CVZD6KRF4VMG/ref=cm_cr_pr_viewpnt#R1CVZD6KRF4VMG
http://www.glencoe.com/sec/literature/cgibin/splitwindow.cgi?top=http://www.glencoe.com/sec/literature/top2.html&link=http://www.gameskidsplay.net/frame_alphabetical_listing.htm games
Making Meanings Games at Twilight First Thoughts
1. How much empathy for Ravi did you feel at the end of the story? Did his experience remind you of any of your childhood experiences? Shaping Interpretations
2. What specific words and images in this story are most vivid to you? If you had to draw one picture to illustrate the story, what would you draw?
3. Which images suggest loss and death to you? How do these images make you feel?
4. Why is everyone so surprised to see Ravi when he finally comes out of his hiding place?
5. What kind of game are the children playing at twilight?
6. What has Ravi discovered by the end of the story? Find a passage of the text that supports your answer.
7. How would you state the theme of this story—what revelation about human life does it make to you? As you think about the theme, think also about how the story’s title reinforces its theme. (Think of the layers of meanings you can give to the word games.)
8. How do Ravi’s experiences in the shed contribute to the mood of the story? Extending the Text
9. Are the children in this story (and childhood itself) more realistically portrayed than the children in television situation comedies, or less so? Give examples to support your view.
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