NEB Grade: 11 (English) Unit: 10 Home Life and Family Relationship The Tattered Blanket- by Kamala Das
The Tattered Blanket- by Kamala Das
Kamala Das is also known as Kamala Suraiya. She was a major Indian English poet and litterateur and at the same time a leading Malayam author from Kerala state, South India.
She is noted for her fiery poems and explicit autobiography. Her genres contain the theme of female sexuality, guilt and femininity.
About the story: The Tattered Blanket
Main Points:
“The Tattered Blanket” is an exquisitely written emotional story written by Kamala Das about an old mother, her son who is least bothered about her and the widowed daughter of the old lady.
After five years Gopi comes to Kerala to see his mother. Gopi is a big officer in Delhi living with his wife Vasantha and four children. He has come to Thiruvananthapuram as a part of his official assignment. He ‘Just dropped in his way back’ to meet his mother. His mother is very old. She lives with his eldest sister Kamala who is a widow.
When he arrived unexpectedly at his home in the countryside, his mother was lying in an armchair on the veranda. Mother fails to recognise her son Gopi. She believes that Gopi is still a school boy. She doesn’t recognise anybody. Sometimes her memory is quite sharp, sometimes she forgets the present, but remembers the past. When her memory is very sharp she asks about Gopi’s letters from Delhi. Kamala tells her a lie that everything is fine with Gopi, his wife and kids. But Gopi doesn’t write any letters to his mother.
Mother doesn’t recognise her son. She asks her son Gopi ‘Who is your Amma? What is her name? Where does she live? Is it far from here?’ But mother has the picture of her son in her mind. She says, My son ‘is in Delhi... a Government Officer. He draws a salary of two thousand five hundred rupees’.
Mother tells Gopi if he meets her sons ask him to send her a blanket. A red one. She has a blanket, the one Gopi bought for her when he was studying in Madras. It is all tattered now, just a ball of knotted yarn.
Gopi has come home to ask his sister to sell his share of land and get some money for him. Kamala knows that Gopi has come only for money, not to see his mother. It took more than five years for him to find time to come home. Kamala says, ‘Amma is eighty three now. I don’t think she will pull on much longer. It took you so long to visit her after the last time.’
But Gopi has his excuses for not visiting Amma. He says ‘But Amma can’t remember who I am.’
The story ends
with Kamala's question to Gopi, ‘But do you remember your Amma?’ Amma doesn’t
recognise her son because she has lost her power of memory. In fact
forgetfulness is a blessing for her. Her son doesn’t have any love for his
mother.
This is one of
the brilliant short stories penned by Madhavikutty in Malayalam. Her focus has
always been on the tormented female self craving for love. She is concerned
with the condition of women and the way in which they are betrayed by society.
In ‘The Tattered Blanket’ mother craves for her son’s love. Her son is
evergreen in her memory.
But she has been
overpowered by forgetfulness. She needs a red blanket because the old one is
tattered. Here blanket represents the warmth of her son’s love. She actually
needs her son’s love.
Ways
with words:
A.
Fill in the blanks with an appropriate words.
[irritation,
huddled up, awkwardly, futile, grating, mumbling, feebly]
a.
All my efforts to convince her for the tour were …… .- Futile
b.
The lost traveller …… under a shelter made of branches and leaves.- Huddled
up
c.
Her rude behaviour was the main cause of …… for him. – irritation
d.
She moved …… in the room, thinking that I was watching.- awkwardly (अप्ठ्यारो रूपमा)
e.
She is …… something, but I can’t hear her.- mumbling
f.
When I met my sister after a long time, she talked to me in a …… voice.-
feebly (low)
B.
Tick (√) the correct words that are similar in meaning to the underlined words.
a.
Rupa studied Science reluctantly due to her father’s pressure.
i. eagerly ii. unwillingly
iii. willingly iv. enthusiastically
b.
She moved her fingers exasperatedly through her hair.
i. pleasingly
ii. calmingly iii. patiently iv. annoyingly
c.
My grandmother is over eighty. She lifted her hands feebly.
i. strongly ii.
robustly iii. weakly iv. firmly
d.
She is wearing a tattered shawl.
i. old ii.
torn ii. dirty iv. branded
e.
I have to work at two jobs to make ends meet in this expensive city.
i. earn much
money ii. spend much money iii. live on money iv. earn just enough money.
D. Syllable
c. Consult an
English dictionary and find the number of syllables in the following words.
1.
bury- 2 syllables
Number of
Syllables: bur-y
2.
development- 4 syllables
Number of
Syllables: de-vel-op-ment
3.
syllabic- 3 syllables
Number of
Syllables: syl-lab-ic
4.
Vowel- 2 syllables
Number of
Syllables: vow-el
5.
education- 4 syllables
Number of
Syllables: ed-u-ca-tion
6.
Discipline- 3 syllables
Number of
Syllables: dis-ci-pline
7.
examination- 5 syllables
Number of
Syllables: ex-am-i-na-tion
8.
children- 2 syllables
Number of
Syllables: chil-dren
9.
Separately- 4 syllables
Number of
Syllables: sep-a-rate-ly
10.
pronunciation- 5 syllables
Number of
Syllables:
pro-nun-ci-a-tion
Comprehension:
Answer the following questions.
a.
Why didn't the mother recognise her son Gopi?
The mother didn’t recognize her son Gopi because she was eighty years old and she had lost her memory.
b.
Why is the sister living with her mother?
The
sister is living with her mother because she is a widow and nobody is there to
take care of her mother.
c.
What is the sister’s attitude towards her brother?
She is critical of her brother’s behavior.
d.
Does the son love his mother very much? How do you know that?
Yes,
he does. We know by his love of bending
down and bringing his face close to her wrinkled cheeks.
e.
What does the mother actually need: a blanket or the warmth of her son’s love?
The mother actually needs the warmth of her son’s love. Here, ‘The blanket’ symbolizes love and care.
f.
What does the phrase 'the tattered blanket’ mean? Is it only the blanket that
is tattered?
The
phrase 'the tattered blanket’ means hurt the feelings of the mother/the
weakened family relation.
g.
The son says, ‘Amma can't remember who I am’. Do you think that he remembered
his mother? Why didn’t he answer when his sister asked, ‘Do you remember your
Amma?’
No, I don’t think he remembered his mother. He didn’t answer her question
because it had been a year since he wrote to his mother and more than five
years since he saw her.
Critical
thinking
a. What can be
the expectations of the parents from their offspring at the old age?
Parents in old
age are weak both physically and
mentally and it is obvious that the most
ageing parents are sad and unhappy with
their children and they complain for the lack of understanding. The children
don’t realize what their parents
actually want from them. Parents must have some expectations from their children and their children must
understand and fulfill them.
Ø The parents hope
for love, affection and care from their children.
Ø They expect for
healthy food, apt clothes, comfortable bed and regular health check-ups and so
on.
Ø They desire
their children to listen to, talk to and
sit nearby them.
Ø They expect
their children’s support emotionally and physically in need.
Ø The elderly
people love to share their life experiences with their children for their
betterment.
But most of the
children seem to neglect the genuine experience of their parents have. The
children should permit them to be a part of their life, respecting their
suggestions.
Our parents do
not have high expectations which can not be fulfilled. They just want to be
loved, cared, respected and be with their children.
b. Some children
who live in a distance tend to be indifferent to the feelings of their parents.
Why do you think they are like that? Discuss.
Ø Some grown-up
children leave their family, parents and home for several reasons such as to
continue their study, in search of jobs or start business. To accomplish their
goals, they completely invest their time and efforts thinking that it does not
happen in overnight which creates a gap between parents and their children.
Ø For the grown up
children, money, job and success are more important than the parents’ feelings.
They do hard work for saving their prestige and social position, but not making
the parents happy. They get fully engaged themselves in the materialistic
world. Visiting parents, spending time with them and listening to their real
experience become the disgusting idea for the children.
Ø They begin a new
life with their family far away from
their parental home . For them. their wife and children become the matter of
priority more than the elderly parents. They consider that their world is their
new home. That is why they have no time to visit their parents, write to them
or call them or take care of them.
Ø This
indifference towards their parents not only degrades their relationship but
also leads their parents to live a
lonely and painful life in their old age.
c. A mother's love is everlasting and indispensable. Justify.
Ø A Mother’s love
is like a universal truth, unconditional, Selfless and everlasting. No
condition applied to the love of a mother. Whatever your age, status,
everything is priceless when it comes to about mother's love.
Ø “Truly when I
say mom (Maa) my childhood come up to in my eyes and joy of maturity
(adultness) fill me bitter.” - Dula Bhaya Kag
Ø This sentence
tells us how deep the love of a mother is.
Ø There are many
historical examples represent the true love of the mother. The mother carries
her child for 9 months in her womb and after feeling heavy pain she will alive
her child and give birth. This is the power of mother that we live for 9 months
without air and not a single place created by our greatest scientist to save us
for a minute without air. This is the most generous example of Mother’s love
which is greater than the dynamism of God.
Ø The child never
sleeps without her mother; after hearing some songs and hearing voices from
him, the child will sleep. A child grows up and becomes young for a world but
for a mother, he is still a little boy whom she kisses and gives her everything
she has.
Ø A mother is the
symbol of love, tolerance, patience and forgiveness. No condition is applied to
the love of a mother. A child finds his
mother as a best friend, mentor, teacher and caretaker. She is the most imperative
person in everyone’s life.
A diary entry is a section of writing that has been organized by date on the basis of the chapters of a book. Their length can be determined as per the writer’s wish.
Since diary entries are like chapters in a book, one should first decide about his/her specific topic and then he/she can begin.
Some Specific Tips for Writing a Diary Entry
1. Write in the first person ‘I’
2. Date your entries at the top
3. Pick up a specific topic
4. Organize paragraphs with topic sentences and write naturally
5. Be truthful and be friendly to give a clear message
6. Focus on the key moments or incidents in one’s world
7. Provide a sense of time and sequence
8. Keep writing and re-read your entry
9. Varied punctuation and sentence types
10. Make it a habit and enjoy doing it. The more you practice writing diary entries, the better you will become at it.
Ideas for
Diaries
Health Diary
A health diary
is not just a list of medical readings and calorie counts. It is a way to
record feelings, goals, activities, surrounding events, and results for any
particular area of health.
Work Diary
Write about your
work experiences to reflect on your professional life to track your day-to-day
work, consider career opportunities, set milestones, and achieve your goals.
Wedding Diary
There are so
many moving parts involved in your big day that it's easy to lose sleep. The
good news? There is a way to organize your wedding.
Electronic Diary
Whatever your
reasons for keeping a diary, you will surely appreciate the ease and
convenience of an electronic diary.
School Diary
Unlike printed
diaries, which we agree are pretty “bleh”, electronic school diaries are much
more customizable and some have multiple categories pre-set for you.
(but, however, although/even though, in spite of/despite)
a. …… the fact that he is an octogenarian; he still leads an active life. - In spite of
b. I still enjoyed the week …… the weather was bad.- although
c. He has passed MA. ……, he hasn’t got a job.- However
d. …… I had a headache, I enjoyed the movie.- Although
e. Ramila didn’t get the job …… the fact that she had all the necessary qualifications.- in spite of
f. …… the fact that he had no money, he bought the car anyway. - In spite of
g. We can go to the park for lunch. …… the weather report says it's going to rain. - although
h. ……, I speak English well, my first language is actually Maithili.- However
C. Combine the
following sentences using the words given in brackets.
a.
He was annoyed. He didn’t say anything. (although)
Although he was annoyed, he didn’t say anything.
b.
Playing the stock market is exciting. It can be risky. (however)
Playing the stock market is exciting, however, it can
be risky.
c.
He works slowly. He never makes a mistake. (even though)
Even though he works slowly, he never makes a mistake.
d.
It was raining. We still went to the park. (in spite of)
In spite of rain, we still went to the park.
e.
Hark bought the watch. It was expensive. (despite)
Despite being
expensive, Hark bought the watch.
f.
He is very poor. He wears expensive clothes. (but)
He is very poor but wears expensive clothes.
D. Rewrite the
following sentences using (a) although and (b) in spite of.
a. He had very
little time, but he offered to help us.
Ø Although he had
very little time, he offered to help us.
Ø In spite of having
very little time, he offered to help us.
b. She is very
poor, but she still wears expensive clothes.
Ø Although she is
very poor, she still wears expensive clothes.
Ø In spite of being very
poor, she still wears expensive clothes.
c. He's a
millionaire, but he lives in a very small flat.
Ø Although he's a
millionaire, he lives in a very small flat.
Ø In spite of being a
millionaire, he lives in a very small flat.
d. They have a
lot of money, but they are still not happy.
Ø Although they have
a lot of money, they are still not happy.
Ø In spite of having a
lot of money, they are still not happy.
e. The traffic
was heavy, but we got there in time.
Ø Although the
traffic was heavy, we got there in time.
Ø In spite of the heavy
traffic, we got there in time.
Although/ Even though:
Although/ Even though+ Sub+v+obj
(situation), +Sub+v+obj (unexpected event)
Despite/ In spite of:
Despite/ In spite of + NP (situation),
Sub+v+obj (unexpected event)
Despite/In spite of the fact that +Sub+v+obj (situation), +Sub+v+obj (unexpected event)
For instance:
- They have known each other for a long time. They call each other by their surnames.
- She complains a lot. She's my best friend.
- She has seen the movie several times. She cries at the end.
- The beach was beautiful. We had a beautiful day!
- She ran very fast. She lost the race.
However:
Sub+v+ obj (situation)+, however,
+Sub+v+obj (unexpected event)
Use a semi-colon (;) before and a comma
(,) after however when you are using it to write a compound sentence.
- The movie got good reviews; however, it was very long.
- She is the best student in the class. She doesn't do homework in time.
- She is the best student in the class. However, she doesn't do homework in time.
If ‘however’ is used to begin a sentence, it must be followed by a comma, and what appears after the comma must be a complete sentence.
- However, the data were analysed, the result remained constant.
But: to suggest a contrast
•
The stick was thin but it was strong.
•
He was ill but he went to work.
•
She is poor but honest.
Finding
Qualified Job Candidates: 10 Important Traits to Consider for Better Hiring
Consider these
10 traits when evaluating candidates for a job:
1.
Positive Attitude.- Candidates
who show enthusiasm in an interview — and who are willing to discuss past
mistakes without becoming overly negative — are more likely to approach the new
job with an attitude that delivers results.
2.
Team Player.- Team players
bolster the work of others and raise the overall efficiency of your business.
3.
Self-motivated.- Self-motivated
employees take the initiative and get the work done without extensive oversight
or direction.
4.
Strong Work Ethic. -
Employees with a strong work ethic often set high goals for themselves and keep
going until they achieve them.
5.
Dependable -Keeping
commitments and meeting deadlines are the hallmarks of dependable employees.
6.
Detail Oriented- Hiring
applicants who are detail oriented and who show signs of being well organized
will benefit your business later.
7.
Good Communicator- Being
able to communicate effectively with colleagues, clients or partners is a characteristic
of top employees.
8.
Adaptable- You
want employees who aren’t resistant to change and who are willing to take on
new challenges or learn new skills if needed.
9.
Confident- Candidates
who meet the qualifications you listed and who have the experience to back it
up will display confidence in their abilities.
10.
Honest- Talent
is important, but honesty and integrity are characteristics that distinguish
quality employees.
(All Images Credit: Google Images)
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