Monday, 9 December 2019

Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie - Know the Author

Hello Readers!

Literature is becoming free from the prejudices and false beliefs. It is good to observe that the lines of so called cultural barrier is now blurring. Authors and activists have come forward with a fervor of new thoughts Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie is a Nigerian novelist, short story writer and nonfiction writer. She has written many novels including, Purple Hibiscus (2003), Half of a Yellow Sun (2006), Americanah (2013). Her collections of short story is The Thing Around Your Neck (2009). She also wrote an interesting essay on We Should All Be Feminists (2014).

Here are some of her videos, from which we can get much of the things which are nowadays we are constantly forgetting. Our perspectives vary, when we look at things only with one aspect. And it has  become necessary to see it with multiple angles. Feminism and how should it be looked at, and the embracing the truth are vital things

1. Talk on importance of story/literature.



From this video one can get the glimpse of the thought that how a bad impact of a single sided story is created on our minds. Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie talks about the drawbacks of having one sided story. One should cultivate the habit of looking at things with multidimensional approach. Seeing only one part or a front side of anything, becomes truth for us, and we get ready to deny all the other perception other than the front side. Similarly many misconceptions regarding African literature have taken place. She gives a good example of the different perceptions by describing two to or three incidents from her life. When she was a child, she had only seen the books which contain British and American characters, but later on she came to know about Chinua Achebe and Camara Laye. One is an incident of Fide's family and the other is of her interaction with a roommate while studying in U.S. In short this she has conveyed a good message about how Africa should be looked at. Before interacting with any chocolate skinned person who seems to have African roots, one must clear bout the country. Because Africa is a continent, not a country. Literature also should be free from such false beliefs.

2. We should all be feminist



When Adichie and her brother used talk, she didn't know what was feminism. The very root of this term lies somewhere in the development of a child, no matter if it is boy or a girl. Every boy and girl should be equally treated right from the childhood. Rather than explaining a boy about masculinity, teaching him to respect girls is worthier. If a boy is getting a certain opportunities, girls also should have different. Each one should be raised equally. We see much discrimination between men and women. Women are paid less than men, even after having similar qualification and talent. It is truly true that we should all be feminist.

3. Importance of truth in post-truth era


One can completely agree with the thoughts she presets. An individual should always have the courage to embrace the truth. Complimenting an author is good, but one should't admire her/his works without reading it. The hardest truths are those that we need to tell to ourselves. Be courageous enough not to be provoked by any misleading elements. Accepting, embracing and acknowledging the truths is the most valuable thing. Be courageous enough to accept that life is messy, and it doesn't always matches the ideology we have in our minds. We have to acknowledge it. Personally speaking, these are the thoughts which I liked because they contain contexts. They are directly relating with our daily happenings. Life teaches us many lessons, and we just have to identify it.

Sources:
(1) Wikipedia: Feminism, Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie
(2) Britannica - biography
(3) Ted - Ted video
(4) YouTube - TEDx and Harvard

Thank You!

Thursday, 5 December 2019

I A Richards - Verbal Analysis of Poem

Hello Readers!

In the criticism of the 20th century, critics have introduced a very new way to analyse any work of art, be it prose or poetry. Ivor Armstrong Richards (1893 - 1979), who was an educator and literary critic, put forward the experimental approach in criticism. He has given four kinds of misunderstandings of poetry. As part of the syllabus, the essay of I. A. Richards leads students to do this experimental yet innovative task to analyse any poem, song, or hymn, whether it be in English, Hindi, or Gujarati.

In this blog, I've tried to apply the principles of I. A. Richards's critical essay 'figurative language'.




Song: Woh Chali Woh Chali [click here to listen]
Album : Bombay Vikings (1994)
Artist: Neeraj Shridhar

Lyrics taken from the source: https://gaana.com/lyrics/woh-chali-woh-chali-4. Some lines are typed in Hindi for better understanding.

वो चली वो चली, देखो प्यार की गली,
उसे रोके ना कोई, वो चली, वो चली
ना ना ना मेरी जाँ, देखो जाना ना वहां,
कोई प्यार का लुटेरा, लुटे ना मेरी जाँ...

Woh chali woh chali,
She's found the love that's real
now her wounded heart is healed
finally, finally...

woh chali woh chali,

leavin all her tears behind,
only love's on her mind,
Finally, finally...

Thou she tried but she can't hide

all her joy wrapped up inside
she can't wait to reveal,
and tell you how she feels

Well this time it feels so right,
there'll be no more lonesome nights,
good times are here to stay,
love will shine on every day. [Woh Chali Woh Chali x1]

In my heart there is some pain,

don't ask me why I can't explain,
may be I did love her too,
now there's nothin' I can do

On the other side of town,
her love is waitin' on
as she's waivin' me goodbye,
I think my heart is gonna cry.

Woh Chali woh chali...

_____________________

According to I. A. Richards, there are four kinds of misunderstandings.

1. Sense of poetry: Careless or intuitive reading (rhyme or irregular syntax)
2. Over-literal reading - prosaic reading
3. Defective scholarship: inappropriate metaphor
4. Difference in meaning of words in poetry and prose (personification, metaphor, etc.)

Here are my personal comments on the lyrics:

Firstly, the lyrics seem to be addressed to a beloved. The first reading of the lyrics sets us to think that it is written in a mood of separation. If we translate the first words of the song, Woh chali woh chali in English, it means there she goes, there she goes. The words suggest moving on from the odds of life, or getting up from an emotional crisis. Words seem well organised with proper poetic devices like, personification (my heart is gonna cry), alliteration in the line (her wounded heart is healed) rhyme scheme in some lines with specific sounds like T sound (though she tried but she can't hide) O sound (on the other side of town, there'll be no more lonesome nights) etc.

The other good reading is that the song connects the reader easily to the situation. The lyrical setting is good. The current generation is facing breakup and patch-up issues, and the song somehow relates to a particular age group, like youngsters.

Now, let's find out the problems in the song, keeping in mind the four kinds of misunderstandings propounded by I.A. Richards.

1. The heart can only circulate the blood; it cannot cry. Metaphor seems inappropriate.
2. प्यार का लुटेरा seems to be in a connotative meaning. In the sense of a betrayer. But this line becomes problematic if we compare it with other stanzas, like (leaving all her tears behind, only love's on her mind)
3. Love is not a human being; it can't wait.
4. Joy is not a physical object, and it cannot be wrapped like a gift hamper.

Keeping the misunderstandings in mind, it can be said that the poem seems to have some problems and yet some good rhyme and syntax. It contains some improper metaphors also.

References:

Four kinds of meaning

1. Click Here (PDF)

Four kinds of misunderstanding

1. Click Here

Thank You!

Sunday, 1 December 2019

Arundhati Roy - Know the Author

Hello Readers!

Authors generally express their feelings and experiences through their best narrative style and storytelling. Authors pen down and highlight the basic lacking of nation, sometimes they describe the political, socio-economical problems, and at times they also put their own views and theories to curb the majorly spread disease of the country. Speaking of India, there are still many deep dark stains, and they must be removed. Rape, corruption, unemployment, political malpractices, caste conflicts, poverty, starvation, malnutrition, child labor, child marriage... This is the only glimpse, but the list may become that much long that you may get tired reading this blog. This blog is a part of Sunday Reading task. Students were asked to write about the author. Here I've written the information about the author Arundhati Roy.

Arundhati Roy is an Indian author who is well known for her bestseller novels, "God of Small Things" and "The Ministry of Utmost Happiness" She is also awarded with Man Booker Prize in 1997. She is also a political activist and involved in human rights.


Most of her works, whether it be a fiction or non-fiction, are directly related to Indian politics. Her debut novel God of Small Things (1997) is a semi-biographical book, but majorly showing her own childhood experiences. Her second novel The Ministry of Utmost Happiness (2017), highlights the orthodox mentality of people. She called Narendra Modi as Gujarat ka lalla, and Manmohan singh as Caged Rabbit, Kejarival as a Mister Aggraval. Thus she strikes on many political incidents. Here is the video best describes the content of her novel.




It seems that Arundhati is more interested in political happenings of India, that's why she reflected most of the things related to it. Secondly, the success of her first novel, established that she, as an author, has got the perfect cut picture of Indian taste of readers. Because to reach out to the audience, one has to be very observant and has to have wide vision. She knows very well in which side to be. She was campaigning with Medha Patkar against Sardar Sarovar Project. Roy counters that her writing is intentional in its passionate, hysterical tone: "I am hysterical. I'm screaming from the bloody rooftops. And he and his smug little club are going 'Shhhh... you'll wake the neighbours!' I want to wake the neighbours, that's my whole point. I want everybody to open their eyes."

In 2013 Roy gave her views on Narendra Modi, saying that "he runs everything, he has all backing of media, army and the majoritarian right wing votes. He has everything in queue. He is the system."

Thank You!

Sources: