The telegram on the table

-          Parashu Pradhan, Nepal (1943- )

Translated by Michael Hutt

I. Literal Comprehension      

Context: This story is written by a contemporary Nepali writer Parashu Pradhan (1943- ). He has depicted a young male character living alone in the city, away from his family, for ten years with a dream to go abroad.

Krishna, the protagonist and single character of the story, has been living in a city, perhaps in Kathmandu, for many years. He is originally from a village in the distant hill where he hasn’t gone back since he left the place. Krishna came to the city in search of a promising future, but is suffering from various crises and problems. Still he doesn’t like to go home because he is hopeful to get a chance to go abroad. He dreams high despite the constraints he is fighting against. For him, the main constraint in achieving his ambition is his wife whom he has left at home in his village perhaps because he was forcefully married to her in his childhood. Now he tries to avoid her as far as possible. Meanwhile, one day he suddenly gets a message about her death. He becomes very happy to hear it. But despite his hard effort, he can’t keep his happiness for long. At last, he realizes his mistake, tears the telegram with the message of his wife’s death into shreds, and weeps for long.

II. Interpretation

            This story might be trying to tell us that the city life makes one very selfish and ego-centric. Krishna, a young man with a dream of going to America, has never returned to his village for the last ten years. He has taken even his wife as a burden and barrier in the way to his dream. Even after he got the message of her death, he has not been sorry or remorseful. Rather he has been happy and satisfied. This story might also be trying to tell us that man is also not a stronger sex. A man also cries if the pain is too unbearable, no matter however a man pretends to be hard and undaunted. Krishna in the story is a typical masculine character. His happiness knows no bound when he gets the information about his wife’s death. He doesn’t become sorry to hear that. We shouldn’t be surprised when he doesn’t cry even after hearing about his wife’s death because traditional gender roles dictate that men are supposed to be strong (physically powerful and emotionally stoic). They are not supposed to cry because crying is considered a sign of weakness, a sign that one has been overpowered by one’s emotions. Perhaps this is the cause behind his undue happiness. Instead of being sorry for his wife’s death, he smiles. In fact, he is to be hurt and weep. But he is not affected even a bit. He also doesn’t want to give his wife a respectable position. He doesn’t accept his wife’s separate existence. He doesn’t recognize her by her own name. Instead, he recognizes her only as an object. The telegram which his family members send reminds him of his wife, but he doesn’t regard her much. He doesn’t feel the need to pay much attention to her. That’s why, he doesn’t feel regret and doesn’t fast after his wife’s death. As he remembers his wife, he remembers her as “that woman”, not by her identity or name. His wife, for him, is the woman he does not want to define. He does not want to accept her separate existence or identify her. But his pretension does not last long. At last, he outbursts with anger and cries a lot.

III. Critical Thinking

            The writer has presented Krishna as a cruel and selfish husband. He has not returned to his village since he left it ten years ago. However, the writer does not give any information why he hates his wife so much. The readers wonder while reading the story whether it is marital discord or the result of forced marriage by his parents that deters him so much. But their inquisitiveness remains unanswered throughout the story. Similarly, Krishna, the indifferent husband who remains apathetic towards his wife’s death and simply ignores the telegram with the message of his wife’s death, suddenly cries at the end of the story when he has read the message and ponders on his sorrows and pitiful life in the city. The readers are left confused why he cries, due to his wife’s death or due to his unfulfilled dream of going to America.

IV. Assimilation

            After reading the story I have understood why people in the city are often selfish and indifferent to others. Actually, they are ego-centric and money-minded. They are ambitious and keep on following high dreams which are often unfulfilled. As a result, they are often unhappy and dissatisfied. 
 Also read Defeat of Masculinity in The Telegram on the Table

To his coy mistress

                                                                              -          Andrew Marvell, England (1621-1678)

I. Literal Comprehension

            Context: This poem is written by the English author and politician Andrew Marvell 1621-1678). It is a metaphysical poem that uses far-fetched comparison of very dissimilar things.

The speaker of the poem is a seductive young man who addresses a shy or demure woman who has been slow to respond to his sexual advances. In the first stanza, he describes how he would love her if he were to be free from normal duties and responsibilities. He could spend centuries admiring each part of her body. Her resistance to his advances would not discourage him. In the second stanza, he laments how short human life is. Once life is over, the opportunity to enjoy one another is gone. He frightens the woman by saying that she will soon be old and her beauty will be gone. When she will be dead, her long preserved virginity will be eaten by the worms. Then, her pride will be of no use. He will not be able to make love with her in the grave. In the last stanza, the speaker urges the woman to respond positively to his efforts. He argues that they should enjoy their youth now and have sexual pleasure.

II. Interpretation

Written as a carpe diem poem, it might be trying to tell us that we should live our life enjoying it and making ourselves burden-free, for human life is very short. Our youth doesn’t last long. Therefore, we must enjoy it when there is time or opportunity. 

III. Critical Thinking

            This poem is written with the logic: If…, But…, Therefore… I agree with the poet that our life is very short, so we must live it with full enjoyment and pleasure, and that we must do everything on time. But the seductive tone of the speaker of the poem has shocked me. I don’t agree with the poet that we should be hedonists for enjoying our lives. What type of society can we expect to have if the poet is taken seriously?   

IV. Assimilation

            After reading the poem, I have come to know what life is for some people who think bodily pleasure is everything. They might be around me, but I think I will never respect them.

Third thoughts

-          E. V. Lucas, England (1868-1938)

I. Literal Comprehension

Context: This essay is written by E. V. Lucas, England (1868-1938), a celebrated twentieth century essayist. In this essay, he has written about one of his friend’s experience of bargaining for profit.

One of the writer’s friends was an unsuccessful businessman who bought things at high price and sold at low price. Once, he experienced unexpected success. He found a portfolio of water-colour drawings in a curiosity shop. One of them was possibly by Turner. The dealer was not sure of it, so he sold him the drawing for ten shillings. Luckily, the writer’s friend found a customer who bought the drawing at fifty pounds. By this dealing, he earned a profit of forty-nine pounds and ten shillings. He became very happy. He remembered the dealer’s fair behavior and wanted to send him half the profit. He wrote a small note of thanks to him and put half the profit into the envelope, but he had no stamps and it was very late night. He couldn’t send it then. He woke up early the next morning, and realized that he was too idealistic, and wanted to give the dealer only ten pounds. He again thought the dealer would expect the same letter every day and be sad. So, the writer’s friend decided to send him only five pounds. While he was dressing, he thought about the dealer again. He realized that for the first time in his life he had earned such a huge profit. Why should he be so much impulsive and send the dealer a chunk of it. Rich people are not impulsive. Impulse is the negation of magnetism. At last, he was ready to send the dealer one pound only. He went to the club for lunch with an envelope that contained a note and the one pound cheque. That afternoon, he played bridge and lost even that cheque. Then, he came to the conclusion that buying and selling are a perfectly straightforward matter between a dealer and a customer. A dealer asks as much as he thinks he can extort, and the customer has no obligation with the dealer after paying for it. The business ends here.

II. Interpretation

This story might be trying to tell us that one should be practical, and avoid impulses to be a rich and successful dealer. The story also shows us the general human nature, i. e. one becomes generous when one is overpowered by impulses. When time passes, the generosity turns into unwillingness. The narrator’s friend also felt generous at first and wanted to share his profit with the dealer with whom he had bought the drawing by Turner. At last, he was unwilling to do so. This text can also be taken as a criticism of high profit-oriented dealings that often happen in businesses.

III. Critical Thinking

The writer has forced his readers to think critically upon the practices of profit making. He hopes to create a more just and happier society by urging his readers to share the profits with each other, but will it be ever possible? Who will be involved in that kind of business?

IV. Assimilation

I have got to know the truth that generosity and practical-mindedness are two different conditions of human mind.

The stub-book

-          Pedro Antonio de Alarcon, Spain (1833-1891)

I. Literal Comprehension

            Context: This story is written by Spanish writer and diplomat Pedro Antonio de Alarcon (1833-1891).

            People of Rota are known in Andalusia as pumpkin- and tomato-growers because of their hard work and the quality of the fruits and vegetables they produce. They look after every single plant in their fields as if it is their own child. Uncle Buscabeatas was one of those gardeners. He was sixty and had already had the experience of working in the field for forty years. This year he had grown pumpkins in his field. He knew each of them by color, shape, and even by name. One afternoon, he decided to take the forty fattest and yellowest pumpkins to the market at Cadiz, thirty-eight kilometres away from Rota. He couldn’t sleep whole night because of his love for his pumpkins. But the next morning, he found all his forty pumpkins robbed. He guessed anybody who had stolen the pumpkins might have taken them to the market at Cadiz. He remained in his field for twenty minutes more, and reached the market by hour boat. He found in the market that a vendor was about to sell his pumpkins. But the vendor denied his claim and said that he had bought those pumpkins from another gardernes of Rota called Uncle Fulano. When the market inspector asked Uncle Buscabeatas for proof, he called each of the pumpkins by its name. He took out all the stubs of the pumpkins for a sack while the crowd was watching him curiously. Meanwhile, the supposed thief Uncle Fulano, out of his curiosity for the crowd, arrived at the scene and was caught. Uncle Buscabeatas showed everyone which pumpkin belonged to which stem. The spectators were amazed to see that the stems really fitted the pumpkins exactly, and delighted by such strange proof, they all began to help him. Finally, the thief was compelled to return the fifteen duros (unit of currency) to the vendor. The money was given to Uncle Buscabeatas instead. He returned home happily with the money.

II. Interpretation

This story might be trying to tell us that hard work is never wasted. Uncle Buscabeatas worked so hard in his field that he had unbelievable attachment with every single plant or vegetable. He had given every pumpkin a name and its own identity. It shows us how much one should love one’s work and be fully devoted. The story might also be trying to tell us that a wrong-doer can never outsmart an honest person. Uncle Fulano, the thief, had no proof that the pumpkins were his, but Uncle Buscabeatas had enough proof that they were all his. He presented the stems of the pumpkins as proof and made everybody present there surprised with his creative idea.

III. Critical Thinking

I appreciate the story’s message that one should be fully devoted to one’s work. But is the event that occurs in the story possible to take place in the real life? It’s a kind of thriller story. Another question is also in my mind, i. e. why was the thief not punished even after he was found guilty after uncle Buscabeatas had proved that the pumpkins were his.

IV. Assimilation

After reading the story, I have understood the value of hard-work and devotion to one’s work.