Telangana SCERT TS 10th Class English Guide Pdf Unit 3A The Journey Textbook Questions and Answers.
TS 10th Class English Guide Unit 3A The Journey
Look at the picture and read the following excerpt from the diary of a 72-year-old man. Answer the questions that follow.
As I sit here alone and waiting
I gaze at people passing me by.
I try to smile and reach out to them
But no one notices; no one waits.
They look to me like I am nothing –
Are they afraid to be seen saying “Hi”
to an old man like me ?
Question 1.
What is the excerpt about ?
Answer:
The excerpt is taken from an old man’s diary in which he was sorrowful about his pathetic condition. The excerpt is about how he is neglected by others.
Question 2.
How do people respond to the old man’s plight ?
Answer:
The people don’t notice the old man’s smile. No one waits for him. They don’t care for him. He is nothing to them. They don’t feel his presence there.
Question 3.
How should old people be treated so that they do not feel neglected ?
Answer:
We should not ill-treat the old people. We should notice their presence. We should give value to their opinions. They should be treated equally along with all our family members. They should be treated in a dignified way. They should be respected. We should inform them about the family matters. We shouldn’t try to avoid anything from them. Their needs should be met. We should take account of their choices. We shouldn’t abuse them.
Oral Discourse:
Question.
Description – Describe the picture in your own words. (Reflect on the theme, people, events, about the old man etc.)
Answer:
The picture depicts a busy usual village setting with an old man sitting idle, or being observant in the veranda of his house. There are people under the peepal tree in the junction getting busy in a conversation, and the people working hard to get the day’s living. Children are busy playing and finding fun, where as the ladies have got into some petty talks at the pump, while collecting water. The house wife is also busy taking care of her husband. Only the elderly man sits simply, observing the entire world out there.
Comprehension:
I. Answer the following Questions:
Question 1.
After spending a leisurely Sunday at home, the very thought of returning to work on Monday is tiring’. Do you agree ? Have you ever felt so ?
Answer:
Yes, I agree with it. Most of us feel it tiring to work on Monday after spending a leisurely Sunday at home. On a holiday, we spend joyously. When we think of the following day, we experience some unknown disliking. I have felt so when I have tried to go to school on the first day after midterm holidays and summer vacation are over.
Question 2.
The last sentence of the first paragraph and the first sentence of the second paragraph appear to contradict each other. What could be the reason for the change in the decision ?
Answer:
The last sentence of the first paragraph says that the author didn’t want to go but the first sentence of the second paragraph says that the author decided to go finally. Both the sentences contradict each other. At first he didn’t want to go as he had got married. He didn’t want to leave behind his newly-wed wife. But, when he remembered his increased respeonsibilities because of his marriage and his debts, he decided to return to work.
Question 3.
Why did the author get into debt ? Think of some possible reasons.
Answer:
The author told that he had got into debt after his marriage. The author might have got into debt by the following reasons.
- i)He might have got into debt with the marriage expenses.
- He might have got into debt as he had no salary when he was on leave.
- He might have bought jewels for his newly – married wife.
- The young couple might have made a honey-moon trip.
- He might have bought the furniture for their family.
- He might have paid off his father’s debts.
Question 4.
Why was the author reluctant to carry his own luggage ? What would you do if you were in the author’s place ?
Answer:
The author was reluctant to carry his own luggage as he had the feeling that if he carried the luggage, the whole world would laugh at him. He thought that his education had made him shun physical labour. In fact, the author looked for someone’s help. He felt that his guilt, shame, self-consciousness and pride might have stopped him from carrying the luggage. If I were in the author’s place, I would not do like he did. I would myself carry the luggage without looking for others’ help.
Question 5.
The author feared that the whole world would laugh at him if he carried the trunk. Was the fear imaginary or real ? Give reasons for your answer.
Answer:
The author thought that the whole world would laugh at him if he carried the trunk. He also thought that he would be littled. His fear was only imaginary. No one could laugh at him if he carried his own luggage as he was a young man and it was an easy thing for him to carry it. He was not carrying the luggage of others. It was his own. Hence, there was no question of laughing. In fact they would all praise him for his modesty for not making his father carry the luggage.
Question 6.
Choose one sentence from the story that best expresses the author’s false prestige. Support your answer with details from the story.
Answer:
“If I carried the luggage, my father and my people, in fact the whole world would laugh at me and I would be littled.” This sentence expresses the author’s false prestige. The real thing was that his education had made him avoid physical labour. He thought that carrying his luggage was not at all suitable for him as he was a government officer.
As he was a young man, it would not become an issue for him to carry it. At sometime, the author wanted to tell his father that he would like to carry the trunk himself but his guilt and shame did not allow him to do so. His education and his white collar job and his pride made him think that it would be better to let his father carry it. All these details show us his false prestige.
Question 7.
What does the phrase ‘Opposite directions’ in the last sentence suggest ?
Answer:
When the bus started moving, the author saw his father gradually receding into the distance. The author felt that their journeys started in two opposite directions, with him seated in the luxurious seat of a bus and father walking back with tired legs on the pebble-strewn road. The phrase ‘opposite directions’ suggests that both their directions were different.
Actually, the son and the father had to travel in opposite directions to reach their destinations. In the other sense, the writer’s way was a luxurious one as he was an educated one and a government officer. He didn’t need to lead such a hard and laborious life like his father used to lead. When compared with his life, his father’s life was much harder one.
Question 8.
How was the story told! Were the events narrated in the order in which they had happened ? Spot the sentences where the course of narration changed its directons. How effective was it ?
Answer:
The Journey’ is a beautiful narrative by Yeshe Dorjee Thongchi. Most of the events were narrated in the order in which they had happened. Here and there we find that the narration changed its directions.
The sentences where the course of narration changed its directions:
a) “I did not have much to carry by way of luggage – just a trunk. Ours is a hilly terrain ………..”
Here the author tried to give the reason. Then he explained the purpose of his coming to his place. Thus, the course of narration was changed.
b) “Nobody had time to spare for me. In fact, carrying the trunk should not have been such a worry ………….”.
The course of narration was changed after the first sentence when the author tried to tell us about his inner feelings.
c) “We were walking up a narrow hilly road and neither of us uttered a word as if we were strangers who spoke different languages. I did not know what was going on in his mind.”
When we observe the two sentences given above, the first one changed its direction when the author tried to present his thoughts.
d) “Father wanted to say something but the bus started moving.” Later the narrative was changed its course when the author tried to think about his way in comparison with his father’s.
A reader could understand vary well about the author’s inner thoughts by this way of narration. He too would try to think in his own way imagining that if he were in the author’s place. Thus it was effective in provoking the thoughts.
Question 9.
Why did the narrator come to his village ? Why didn’t he want to leave his village?
Answer:
The narrator came to his village to get married. He spent six months joyously with his newly – wed wife. Though it was the time for him to join his duties, lethargy crept in him. He didn’t want to leave behind his newly – wed wife. Hence, he didn’t want to leave his village.
Question 10.
Why don’t they carry luggage usually?
Answer:
Theirs is a hilly terrain, without any motorable roads. The roads are uneven and they are covered with pebbles. So, they don’t carry luggage usually.
Question 11.
Why did the narrator decide to go to his duties finally?
Answer:
He knew very well that his marriage had increased his responsibilities and he had got into debt. So, the narrator decided to go to his duties finally.
Question 12.
What was the narrator ? What was his problem?
Answer:
The narrator was a government officer. The problem was that he couldn’t find anyone who could help him carry his trunk to the bus stop which was a little far away from their village.
Question 13.
How did the narrator feel when his father carried his luggage ? Was his attitude was right? Justify your answer.
Answer:
While his father was carrying his luggage, the author felt that It was improper for him to let his father carry the luggage. At first he wanted to tell him that he would like to carry the trunk himself, but his guilt and shame did not allow him to do so.
He thought that his father would not see him carrying a trunk on his back and would be very hurt if he carried. He concluded that it would be better to let him carry it. His attitude was not right. It was not the correct thing on the part of the narrator to make his father carry the trunk as he was old.
II. Write the number of the paragraph that gives the stated Information in each of the following sentences.
1. The author enjoyed his married life
2. The author tried to convince himself that he had not done anything wrong.
3. The author was ashamed of making his father carry his trunk.
4. The author looks at himself and his father as two travellers taking two different roads.
Answer:
1. Para 1
2. Para 11
3. Para 10
4. Para 16
III. The following statements are false. Correct them.
1. The author offered to carry the trunk for sometime.
2. The author could decide on whether to allow his father to carry the trunk or not.
3. The author took unpaid leave.
4. The father was not happy with the old shoes his son gave him.
Answer:
Corrections
1. The authori didn’t carry the trunk at all throughout the story. His father carried it all the way.
2. The author decided that it would be better to let his father carry the trunk.
3. The author initially through of taking unpaid leave but later he decided against it.
4. The father was happy with the old shoes his son gave him. His face lit up with contentment when he noticed the author taking out his pair of shoes from the trunk.
Vocabulary:
I. Look at these words from the story:
1. Newly-wed wife
2. bus stop
3. forehead
They are all compound words. A compound word is a union of two or more words to convey a unit idea or special meaning that is not as clearly or quickly conveyed by separated words. As shown above, compound words may be hyphenated, written open (as separate words), or written solid (closed). The use of compounding in English is an evolving process.
As expressions become more popular or adopt special meanings, they follow a gradual evolution from two or more separate or hyphenated words to single words.
The words in the first, second and third columns are called ‘open compounds’, ‘hyphenated compounds’ and ‘closed compounds’ respectively. In this unit we focus on hyphenated compounds.
A hyphenated compound is a combination of words joined by a hyphen or hyphens. Here, the hyphen aids understanding and readability and ensures correct pronunciation. Words are hyphenated mainly to express the idea of a unit and to avoid ambiguity.
A. Pick out all the compound words from the story and group them under the headings as explained above.
Compound words given in the story :
Extended period, newly-wed wife, far-off place, hilly terrain, motorable roads, tribal society, five months, bus stop, anyone, someone, physical labour, government officer, 20- kilo chest, large crowd, sometime, moreover, two hills, three kilometers, little distance, home-made wine, matter-of-fact, forehead, tiny bag, narrow hilly road, different languages, myself, self-consciousness, white-collar job, somehow, whole world, greater degree of admiration, anyway, physical labour, childhood, useless, two places, sometime, tea shop, each other, myself, anything, two cups, first sip, pair of old shoes, uneven, uneven pebbles, bare feet, first time, a pair of hunting shoes, a pair of canvas shoes, remaining amount, old pair, new shoes, new pair, hunting boots, a pair of leather shoes, something giant motionless rope, same road, opposite directions, two opposite directions, luxurious seat, weary legs, pebble-strewn road.
Categorisation:
Grammar:
I. In this story the author used the past perfect tense (had + past participle) in many sentences. If you observe the following sentences from the story and the rules given under them, you will understand why and how the past perfect tense is used.
1. It was 10.20 ……………….. My father had already left (para 6)
When an action takes place before a point of time in the past, the action is expressed in the past perfect tense. (Sometimes the point of time can be understood from the earlier sentences and other contextual clues.)
2. Finally we reached Dirang. The bus from Tawang had not yet reached Dirang. (para 11)
When two actions in the past are clearly separated by time, the earlier action is expressed in the past perfect tense.
3. I quickly sat down on a rock. My father laughed at my plight, (para 7)
When two actions in the past happen simultaneously, both of them are expressed in the past tense.
4. a) Sunitha never saw a bear before she was transferred to Maredumilli. (not from the story).
b) Shindh closed the doors because she heard loud noises from outside.
c) I never met him after I left India.
Normally, when the time relation is unambiguous, (by the use of before, after, because, etc.), the simple past (past perfect is optional) is used to refer to both past actions.
Identify the tense and give reasons for the use of the tense used.
1. I had come home this time round for a special purpose: to get married. My parents had arranged my marriage according to the customs of our tribal society.
2. Time flew, and five months into my marriage I realized it.
3. But after some dilly-dallying I finally decided against it because marriage had increased my responsibilities and I had got into debt.
4. On my way home from the bus stop my trunk had been carried by a porter. (para 3)
5. A large crowd gathered at our place the day I was to leave. People had come to wish me luck. (para 6)
6. Father was quiet for some time. He thoughtfully looked at the sun for a moment, and then his eyes fell on the can of home-made wine that I was carrying. (para 9)
7. I gave him the can of wine. He poured himself a mug and handed me the can. He drank all of it at one go. He then arranged the belt that was attached to the trunk carefully on his forehead. (para 10)
8. I had never got used to physical labour having stayed in hostels right from my childhood. (para 11)
9. His feet had developed cracks and somehow resembled those of an elephant, (para 14)
10. I noticed this for the first time. I hadn’t noticed that the road was uneven. (para 14)
11. I checked my wallet and saw I still had around Rs. 40 with me. (para 14)
12. I then took out my pair of leather shoes from the trunk, and noticed my father’s face lighting up with contentment. (para 15)
13. I saw that the road we had come by looked like a giant motionless rope. (para 16)
14. He stopped his business after he became old.
15. I never ate ‘haleem’ before I visited Hyderabad.
Answer:
1. When the narrator was narrating, he went into the past and narrated about them. These two actions had taken place before the narrator’s narration. Hence the two actions.
(i) “I had come home this time ……………. to get married”
(ii) “My parents had arranged my marriage according to the customs of our tribal society” are said in the past perfect tense, (had + v3).
Verbs in the past perfect tense :
(i) had come and
(ii) had arranged
In the two sentences given above, the past perfect tense (had + V3) is used as those two actions had already completed before the anthor’s narration.
2. “Time flew, and five months into my marriage I realized it.”
→ Here the two actions happened simultaneously in the past. Hence they are expressed in the past tense.
Verbs in the past tense :
(i) flew and
(ii) realized
3. “But after some dilly-dallying I finally decided against it because marriage had increased my responsibilities and I had got into debt.”
→ Here the actions,”…………………… marriage had increased my responsibilities and, “I had got into debt” had occurred before the narrator’s action, “I finally decided against it.” Hence the past perfect tense (had + v3) is used to denote the earlier actions and the simple past tense (v2) is used to denote the latter one.
Verbs in the past perfect tense : “had increased” and “had got”.
Verb in the simple past tense : decided
4. “On my way home from the bus stop my trunk had been carried by a porter.” (para 3)
→ The narrator, while narrating the story, went into past and narrated it. So, we understand that the above action had taken place in the past before the writer’s narration. Hence, the past perfect tense is used to denote the action. Verb in the past perfect tense : had been carried.
5. “A large crowd gathered at our place the day I was to leave. People had come to wish me luck” (para 6)
→ The above two actions occurred in the past one after another and they are clearly separated by time. Hence the earlier action, “People had come to wish me luck,” is expressed in the past perfect tense and the latter one, “A large crowd gathered at our place …………….” is expressed in the past tense.
Verb in the past perfect tense → had come
Verb in the simple past tense → gathered
6. “Father was quiet for sometime. He thoughtfully looked at the sun for a moment, and then his eyes fell on the can of home-made wine that I was carrying” (para 9)
→ All the three actions happened simultaneously in the past. Hence the simple past tense is used to express all the three actions.
Verbs in the simple past tense(v2) → was, looked, fell
7. “I gave him the can of wine. He poured himself a mug and handed me the can. He drank all of it at one go. He then arranged the belt that was attached to the trunk carefully on his forehead.” (para 10)
→ All the above actions occurred in the past simultaneously. Hence, the simple past tense(v2) is used to denote all the above actions.
Verbs in the simple past tense(v2) : gave, poured, handed, arranged
8. “I had never got used to physical labour having stayed in hostels right from my childhood.” (para 11)
→ Here the action had taken place before the narrator’s narration. Hence the past perfect tense (had got) is used to denote it.
Verb in the past perfect tense : “had got”
9. “His feet had developed cracks and somehow resembled those of an elephant.” (para 14)
→ Here the earlier action, “His feet had developed cracks ………………..” had taken place before
“……………. somehow resembled those of an elephant.” Hence the earlier action is expressed in the past perfect tence (had + v3) and the latter action is expressed in the simple past tense(v2).
Verb in the past perfect tense : “had developed”
Verb in the simple past tense : “resembled”.
10. “I noticed this for the first time. I hadn’t noticed that the road was uneven”, (para 14)
→ Here the earlier action, “I had not noticed that …………….” had taken place before the latter action, “I noticed this ”
Hence the past perfect tense (had + v3) is used to denote the earlier action and the simple past tense (v2) is used to denote the latter one.
Verb in the past perfect tense : ‘had noticed’
Verb in the simple past tense : ‘noticed’
11. “I checked my wallet and saw I still had around Rs. 40 with me.” (para 14)
→ All the actions in the above sentence occurred in the past simultaneously. Hence, the simple past tense(v2) is used to express the above actions.
Verbs in the past tense (v2) : checked, saw, had
12. “I then took out my pair of leather shoes from the trunk, and noticed my father’s face lighting up with contentment.” (para 15)
→ Here the two actions occurred in the past simultaneously. Hence, the simple past tense(v2) is used to denote the above actions.
Verbs in the simple past tense (v2) : took, noticed
13. “I saw that the road we had come by looked like a giant motionless rope.” (para 16)
“I saw that …………………” and “………………… looked like a giant motionless rope”
→ These two actions are the part of his narration and happened in the past. Hence the simple past tense (v2) is used to denote the expressions.
The expression, “…………….. we had come by ……………..”
had taken place earlier than the other actions in the sentence. Hence the past perfect tense (had + V3) is used to denote it.
Verbs in the past tense : saw, looked
Verb in the past perfect tense : had come
14. “He stopped his business after he became old.”
→ Here, the time relation is unambiguous and ‘after’ is used as the connective. Hence, the tense (v2) is used to refer to both past actions.
Verbs in the past tense : stopped, became
15. “I never ate ‘haleem’ before I visited Hyderabad.”
→ Here, the time relation is unambiguous and ‘before’ is used as the connective. Hence, the simple past tense(v2) is used to refer to both past actions.
Verbs in the past tense : ate, visited.
Writing:
I. In the story ‘The Journey’ the author says …………….” my education had made me shun physical labour”. This is an adverse effect of education. Now write an essay on ‘The Adverse Effects of Education’. Here are some points :
Effect on
doing some work that involves physical labour
dress / fashion
family relationships
giving respect to elders
the treatment of illiterate people
Answer:
The Adverse Effects of Education
There is no doubt; one’s education can give oneself the knowledge, the job, the status and the better way of living. Today, we need education to move up economically and socially. Most of the successful persons are educated ones. With education, one may achieve better benefits in life such as money, assets, the right kind of friends and soon.
One must possess education to know what is happening in the world around oneself. One must need educaton if one doesn’t want to be deceived. These are all some of the advantages of the education. This is only one side of the coin. Along with these advantages, we need to think about the adverse effects of education.
The first thing is that one’s education avoids oneself from doing physical labour. The educated fellows don’t think about the importance of the physical labour. They depend upon others for the things that involve physical labour. They feel that the whole world will laugh at them if they do some kind of work. They feel that it is shameful to do physical labour. In one way, they will face a lot of health problems with their attitude.
The second thing is that their dress sense. They want to wear fashionable dresses which are all a part of western culture. They don’t give any importance to our culture and they lead their lives without values. They want to be different from others and so they develop these kinds of habits. In fact, the dress sense of the modern youth will cause a threat to their existence. The number of incidents of molestation of the women are increasing day by day.
The next thing is that the adverse effect of the education on family relationships. The educated ones don’t show any affection for their family members especially the old ones. Their only aim is to make huge amounts of money. They forget the sacrifices made by their parents. When we see it from a different angle, the educated one doesn’t even find time to spend with one’s wife and children.
They don’t find time to move freely with their family members. In that way they are destroying the family relationships. The family is the main characteristic of our Indian society. The bond among the members of a family are very strong. But now, with their senseless thinking, the educated ones are causing a threat to family relationships.
The educated fellows are not giving respect to elders. Now, they are all westernised in their thoughts. The elders are nothing for them. They don’t give any kind of importance to them. Some of them even think that they are useless. They feel proud of their education.
The last thing is that their treatment of illiterate people. They look down upon the illiterate ones. They think that the illiterate ones are the people of second class. The literate ones are not treating the illiterate ones as human beings. In their view, the lives of the illiterate ones are meant for only physical labour.
These are all the adverse effects of one’s education. There may be many advantages with one’s education. But a learned person should not avoid physical labour. They should give importance to our culture and values. They should maintain proper family relationships. They should give respect to elders. They should treat the illiterate ones amicably. Then only, there is a meaning to their education.
Study Skills:
Scientists believe that we have various kind of intelligence. All intelligences are equally valuable and present in every individual, girl or boy, man or woman, though some intelligence is better developed than others in each one of us. Some of the intelligences have been detailed below.
There is also Naturalistic Intelligence- Love for animals, plants and Spiritual Intelligence – Belief in God, thinking about life and its purpose. Find out which intelligences are better developed in you, and which ones you would like to develop. Write down your findings as shown in the example after the table.
| VISUAL INTELLIGENCE | VERBAL INTELLIGENCE | MATHEMATICAL INTELLIGENCE |
| You like to:
think in pictures, create mental images to remember things. You enjoy looking at maps, charts, pictures, videos, and movies.
You are good at: puzzle building, reading, writing, understanding maps, charts and graphs, a sense of direction, sketching, painting, fixing or making objects, understanding pictures.
You can become a: navigator, sculptor, artist, inventor, architect, interior designer, mechanic, engineer. |
You like to:
use words and language. You speak well and think in words rather than pictures.
You are good at: speaking, writing, story telling, listening, explaining, teaching, using humour, understanding the meaning of words, remembering information, convincing someone of your point of view.
You can become a: poet, journalist, writer, teacher, lawyer, politician, translator. |
You like to:
use reason, logic and numbers. Always curious about the world around, you ask lots of questions and like to do experiments.
You are good at: problem solving, solving puzzles, experimenting, questioning and wondering about natural events, doing mathematics calculations, working with geometric shapes.
You can become a: scientist, engineer, computer programmer, researcher, accountant, mathematician. |
| BODILY INTELLIGENCE | MUSICAL INTELLIGENCE | INTERPERSONAL INTELLIGENCE |
| You like to:
understand others. You control your body movements and handle objects skillfully. You have a good sense of balance and can catch or hit a ball well, and like to dance. You like to move around while learning.
You are good at: dancing, physical coordination, sports, crafts, acting, miming, using your hands to create or build. You express emotions through your body.
You can become a: dancer, athlete, physical education teacher, actor, firefighter, crafits-person. |
You like to:
play and enjoy music. You think about sounds, rhythms and patterns. You immediately respond to music either appreciating or criticising what you hear.
You are good at: singing, whistling, playing musical instruments, recognising tunes, composing music, remembering melodies, understanding the structure and rhythm of music.
You can become a: musician, disc jockey, singer, composer. |
You like to:
try to see things from other people’s point of view in order to understand how they think or feel. You are a good organiser and manage to get other people to cooperate and work as a team.
You are good at: seeing things from others’ view, listening, understanding other people’s moods and feelings, solvingproblems, cooperating with groups, noticing people’s moods,communicating,building trust.
You can become a: counsellor, salesperson, politician, business person, teacher. |
Example:
I like to speak a lot and I enjoy music too. I am very good at telling a story. I am also good at remembering information as well as melodies. I understand the meaning of words, but I cannot understand maps and charts. Therefore, I have good verbal intelligence and musical intelligence though my visual intelligence is poor. I can become a writer, teacher, singer or a disc jockey.
Answer:
I like to use good and well furnished words, while speaking to others, that too in a convincing manner. I am good at assessing other people and coming to quick conclusions. I love questioning and appreciate others – in both ways, without hurting their feelings. I can mingle with others quiet easily. I can search my career in Counseling, Business, Teaching or as a trainer.
Listening:
Listen to the story and answer the questions that follow.
Once there was a very rich man. His name was Dhanaraju. He had two sons, Ganiraju and Pothuraju. Ganiraju was hard working and obedient. He always helped his father in the fields. But Pothuraju was lazy. He never went to fields. He was disobedient to his father. He always wanted to lead a free, lavish life, so one day he said to his father, “Father, give me my share of property.”
The father was heart-broken. He divided the property between his two sons. Pothuraju left home with his share. He went to a distant land, made a lot of friends and soon spent all his property lavishly on friends, food and drinks. All his friends left him.
At that time, there was a famine and Pothuraju had no work and food. None of his friends gave him food or money. He took up the job of feeding pigs. Sometimes, he had to eat the food kept for the pigs. He was very sad about his condition. He soon began to think of his father and his brother.
He said to himself, “In my father’s house, even the servants have enough food. They get good shelter too. But here, I am struggling for food and shelter. I will go back to my father. I will beg him to take me as his servant.”
So decided, the dishonest son set out for his father’s house. In the meantime, his father was always thinking of his second son. He would sit near the windows. He would look out at the road, expecting his son to return home.
One day Dhanaraju saw his son coming at a distance. He ran out of the house in great joy and hugged his son. His son knelt down. He said, “Father, I am not fit to be your son. Take me as your servant.”
I. Read the statements given below and mark True or False against each of them.
Question 1.
Pothuraju went to far-off lands to enjoy free life.
Answer:
True
Question 2.
Ganiraju asked his father to give his share of property.
Answer:
False
Question 3.
Pothuraju had a lavish life from the beginning.
Answer:
False
Question 4.
Dhanaraju did not care about Pothuraju.
Answer:
False
II. Which of the following is the most appropriate title for the story you have just listened to.
(a) A Rich Son
(b) Repentance
(c) Two Sons
Answer:
(b) Repentance
The Journey Summary in English
’The Journey1 is written by Yeshe Dorjee Thongchi and is translated by D. P. Nath. Yeshe Dorjee Thongchi is a prominent name in Assamese literature. In this lesson, the narrator tries to bring out some of the adverse effects of education and how the old people are ill-treated. He tries to present how human relations are affected by one’s education.
The narrator was a government officer and he came to his village that time to get married. He got married and spent six months at home. Though it was the time for his joining the duties, he didn’t want to return. He didn’t want to leave behind his newly-wed wife. At first, he wanted to extend his leave but decided against it because marriage had increased his responsibilities and he had got into debt.
The bus stop was a long way from his home and the problem for him was that he couldn’t find anyone who would help him carry his trunk to the bus stop. He thought that his education had made him avoid physical labour. He could have easily carried his luggage but the thought of people seeing him carry it stopped him from doing so. Finally, his father told him that he would carry his luggage upto bus-stop.
Though the narrator protested, his father decided to carry the chest. His father had started before him and a large crowd wished him luck at the time of his leaving. He walked speedily to catch up with his father. By the time he met his father, he was tired. His father laughed at him as he sat down on a rock. His father drank a mug of wine and they resumed their walk.
While they were walking, the narrator thought that it was improper for him to let father carry the luggage. He wanted to tell his father that he would like to carry the trunk himself but his guilt and shame did not allow him to do so. His education and his job made him think that the whole world would laugh at him if he carried the luggage.
According to the narrator, his parents had earned a greater degree of admiration and respect from the villagers because of him only. He thought that his father would not like to see him carrying luggage. Though he was young and strong, he was physically useless. Finally, they reached Dirang but the bus had not yet arrived. They entered a tea shop and ordered tea.
Then the narrator’s father asked him for a pair of old shoes. The narrator noticed that his father’s feet had developed cracks as he had never worn shoes. The narrator wanted to give his father money to buy a new pair of shoes but he protested. He didn’t want his son to spend money on new shoes. Hence, the narrator gave him his hunting boots and made his father happy.
The narrator got into the bus and it started moving. The narrator thought that their (the narrator and his fathre’s) journeys were in two opposite directions; his way was a luxurious one where as his father’s way was laborious and difficult one.
About the author:
Yeshe Dorjee Thongchi (born in May, 1952) is a prominent name in Assamese literature. Though he grew up in poverty, he studied well and entered Arunachal Pradesh Civil Service and was later elevated to the Indian Administrative Service. He writes fiction, drama and essays in Assamese and English. He has received a national recognition with his novel ‘Mouna Ounth Mukhar Hriday’, which won the Sahitya Academy award in 2005. Many of Thongchi’s novels, including Sonam, deal with the cultural life of the Monpa and the Sherdukpen tribes of Arunachal Pradesh.
Glossary:
lethargy (n) = the state of not having any energy or enthusiasm for doing things ;
creeps (v) = develops very slowly ;
dilly – dallying (v) = taking a long time to do something, go somewhere or make a decision ;
shun (v) = to avoid something or somebody ;
dissuade (v) = to convince somebody not to do something ;
plight (n) = a difficult and sad situation ;
guilt (n) = the unhappy feelings caused by knowing that you have done something wrong ;
self-consciousness = feelings of nervousness about what other people think of you ;
contenment (n) = a feeling of happiness or satisfaction;
weary (adj) = very tired ;
terrain (n) = strectch of land, with regard to its natural features ;
extend (v) = to continue for a longer period of time;
chest (n) = large strong box ;
see off (phr. v) = to say good bye ;
protest (v) = express dissapproval about;
catch up (phr.v) = reach ;
utter (v) = make a sound with the mouth ; say or speak ;
belittle (v) = make a person or an action seem unimportant or of little value ;
pebble (n) = small stone made smooth and round by the action of water;
bare foot (n)= without shoes or stocking ;
recede (v) = move back from a previous position or away from an observer
pebble – strewn road (phr.v) = the road covered with pebbles ;
white – collar job (n-phrase) = a job without physical labour.
admiration (n) = respect
wallet (n) = purse
contenment (n) = a feeling of satisfaction
uneven (adj) = rough
amusing (adj) = interesting