NEB Grade:11 (English) Unit-8 Humour and Satire -A Few Kind Words for Superstition -by Robertson Davies
“Remember, Today is the Tomorrow you worried about Yesterday.” - Dale Carnegie
According to Cambridge Dictionary:
Humour (noun) - amusement
-the ability to find things funny, the way in which people see that some things are funny, or the quality of being funny:
Satire (noun)
- a way of criticizing people or ideas in a humorous way, especially in order to make a political point, or a piece of writing that uses this style. for instance, Political satire
Before
you read:
a.
What
do you see in the picture? What’s your quick response to this situation?
b.
What
is superstition? Do you think luck has a role in your life?
Ø A Few Kind Words
for Superstition is an essay by the Canadian writer Robertson Davies. The essay
focuses on the belief of the human world in superstition and its different
forms.
Ø Davies states
that superstition throughout human culture is something of an underground
belief that no one will admit to, and most frown upon, yet most people still
participate in it. The author inquires on why, so called, irrational things
such as Parapsychology –( the study of strange mental abilities that seem to exist
but can not be explained by accepted scientific theories), UFOs, miracle cures,
transcendental meditation are condemned in our societies yet, superstition is
slightly disapproved of.
Ø Davies states
that even though people wont admit they are superstitious, he sees all four
forms of superstition everyday at the college he attends. Davies writes that
the four forms/rows of superstition are Vain Observances, Divination,
Idolatry, and Improper Worship of the True God.
Ø The author tells
us that Vain Observances (बेकार अवलोकन) can include
things like throwing salt over your left shoulder after spilling it to build
the devil in the eye, or avoiding walking under a ladder.
Ø Davies goes on
to tell us that Divination (भविष्य)involves basing
a decision on the advice of prophecies, or oracles. It is being guided by a
religious group, including one of his professors, partake to the I Ching
(Yi Jing- a Chinese Oracle) for
good advice.
Ø He then proceeds to say that Idolatry (मूर्तिपूजा)is the belief in the luck or fortune of
a certain item, whether it is a lucky coin or some sort of other charm. It is a
ballpark one shown at university exams, when comfortable items are laid on the
learners desks.
Ø Improper/Unreasonable
Worship of the True God (साँचो परमेश्वरको अनुचित उपासना) is something Davies describes as the
bribery of the Deity, or basically trying to pay off God to get what you want.
Davies displays it with an engineering student and how he placed a two-dollar
account either day on the altar of the college chapel, to bribe theology to
dish up him with daughter issues .
Ø Davies tells us
that superstition is an ancient belief and is actually, he believes, not even
as widely believed in today than in the past. He also goes on to say that
superstition can be seen very early in life as well. The author informs us that
superstition is ancient enough to have sprung from the part of the human mind
that does not see race or creed.
Ø Davies states
that superstition seems to exist in humans from the ascendant of their kind,
scarce they have a intemperate time admitting it. He conveys that superstition
appears very early in life, as shown through the example of when kids fear that
stepping on a crack in the paving will bring ill fortune. It also carries on as
people grow older,, as shown through the example of Dr. Samuel Johnson, who fix
it necessary to touch every posts that
he passed in the street.
Ø Many
superstitions are so widespread and so old that they must have risen from a
depth of the human mind that is
indifferent to race or creed.
Ø For instance,
Ø Orthodox Jews
place a charm on their doorposts; so do or did the Chinese.
Ø Some people in
the Middle Europe believe that when a man sneezes, his soul for a moment, is
absent from his body or seized by the Devil. The western world is no far away
form it. Even the author’s mother joined in killing spiders with her Roman
Catholic friends on July 11.
Ø An Italian who
was a good scientist also watched very morning before leaving home so that he
might not meet a priest or a nun as his first person who would certainly bring
bad luck.
Ø Finally, the
author presents his own experience with
superstitious belief when he was a university student, a gypsy( a member of
tribe) woman with a child in her arms used to appear every year at examination
time and ask for a shelling who touched
the Lucky Baby and he had to pay altogether four shilling and he never
failed an examination as well. The author did it merely for joke but it
worked.
Ways
with words:
A.
Match the following.
a.
Transcendental i.
to feel or express strong disapproval
of (something) -B
b.
Deplore ii. A charm or fetish used by some West African
people-D
c.
Absolve iii. Natural state- E
d.
Juju iv. Spiritual, nonphysical or mystical -A
e.
Crude v. a written record of historical
events -F
f.
Chronicle vi.
Set free from blame, guilt, or responsibility; release -C
B.
Find the contextual meanings of the following words from the text and then use
them in sentences of your own.
a.
Condemn-
to express disapproval- he has condemned the agreement.
b.
Terror-
extreme fear- Common people are afraid of the explosion in terror.
c.
Unbidden-
with out being asked/ invited- He entered into the hall unbidden.
d.
Persist-
continue to exist- visit the physician if the symptoms persist.
e.
Devout-
religious feeling- Mt friend is a strong devout of Christianity.
f.
Banish-
to exile- The king banished Kemankar from the palace.
g.
Creed-
faith/ a system of belief- People should work together despite their vary
colour and creeds.
h.
Hasten-
happen quickly- She was hastened from high fever after medicine.
i.
Sober-
serious and sensible- we should face the difficult situation in sober way.
j.
Scorn-
abuse- My father scorned at me for my
stupid mistake.
k.
Yearning-
a strong and emotional desire- they
had a deep yearning for their motherland.
l.
Aloof-
not friendly- He remained aloof as others abused me.
m.
Swarthy-
having dark skin- My best friend had
swarthy complexion.
n.
Humbler-
modest- Robert is very humbler to his physics teacher.
Comprehension
Answer
these questions.
a.
According to the author, what are the four types of
superstition?
Ø According to the
author, the four types superstition are: Vain Observances , Divination,
Idolatry, & Improper/Unreasonable Worship of the True God.
b.
Which language is the word ‘superstition’ derived
from? What does it mean?
Ø The word
‘superstition’ is derived from Latin language ‘supersisto’ which means ‘
to stand in terror of the Deity.’
c.
How do psychologists understand superstition?
Ø Psychologists
understand superstition as a compulsion neurosis which can not be banished from
the human mind.
d.
How does superstition differ from religion?
Ø Superstition
differs from religion in the sense the
former has a link with somebody of belief that for antedates( before the date)
the religion but religion has no place for such beliefs.
e.
What is the belief of some people in the Middle
Europe about sneezing?
Ø Some people in
the Middle Europe have belief that when a man sneezes, his soul, for the
moment, is absent from his body, and his soul is seized by the Devil.
f.
In the author’s view, why are people so fascinated
about superstition?
Ø In author’s
view, people are fascinated about superstition to promote positive mental
attitude, reduce anxiety and to have a sense of control during the time.
Critical
Thinking:
a.
What is the key takeaway (key message) of this
essay? Do you think this essay is satirical? Why?
Ø In this essay,
“A Few Kind Words for Superstition”, the Canadian writer Robertson Davies
focuses on the belief of the human world in superstition and its different
forms such as Vain Observances , Divination, Idolatry, &
Improper/Unreasonable Worship of the True God.
Ø I think this
essay is satirical in the sense superstition throughout human culture is
something of an underground belief that no one will admit to, and most frown
upon, yet most people still participate in it. No one is faraway from it
knowingly or unknowingly though they have faith in it or they take it jokingly
as the author took it in his life.
b.
Can education bring change in the belief of superstition? Present your arguments
to support your answer.
§ Ofcourse,
education can bring change in the belief of superstition but it can not
eradicate superstition completely from the society or the nation.
Ø After being
educated people may think before they belief on it and they consider it as a blind belief or
traditional fact.
Ø Educated people
believe in scientific fact and they act accordingly.
Ø They realize
that there’s no rational proof that these superstitions can affect your life.
Ø They avoid
superstitious beliefs when making decisions.
Ø They prove that
these superstitions have no basis in reality.
Ø They know that a
superstition only works because you believe in its inherent charm and power.
Writing:
A.
Write an essay on superstitions that exists in your
community in about 250 words.
Introduction: ‘Superstition’
is a blind belief in the supernatural which is to say, a belief in the
existence of forces or entities that do not confirm to the laws of nature or a
scientific understanding of the universe. It finds a fertile soil and breeding
ground in human ignorance and a lack of scientific knowledge.
The word ‘superstition’ is
often used to refer to a religion not practiced by the majority of a given
society regardless of whether the prevailing religion contains alleged
superstitions. Identifying something as superstition is generally pejorative.
Items referred to as such in common parlances are commonly referred to as folk
belief in folkloristic.
Examples of
Superstitions: Superstitions
that belong to a cultural tradition (in some cases inseparable from religious
superstition) are enormous in their variety. Many persons, in nearly all times,
have held, seriously or half-seriously, irrational beliefs concerning methods
of warding off ill or bringing good, foretelling the future, and healing or preventing
sickness or accident. Some other examples of ‘superstitions’ included:
→ belief in magic (e.g., spells and curses)
→ belief in omens (good or bad)
→ belief in good luck charms and rituals (a lucky penny, throwing salt over one’s shoulder to avoid the “bad luck” incurred by spilling it)
→ belief in divination (fortune-telling and prophecy)
→ belief in
astrology (i.e., that our fates are determined by the positions of the stars and planets)
→ belief in ghosts or a spirit world beyond what can be explained by science.
Conclusion: Superstitions are unreasonable and
irrational, though but they had been existing and they still exist inspite of
all science and scientific development. They exist and are believed in not only
in the East but also in the West.
b.
“Superstition is prevalent in every walk of life.” Argue for and against this
statement.
Ofcourse,
superstition prevalent in every walk of our life where ever we go whether for
the school, college, office, or to any institution or for any specific or
unspecific purpose of tasks. Some examples are as follows:
1.
It
is believed that one shouldn’t say a young baby healthy or fat as doing so will
make him/her sick.
2.
Spilling
rice on the floor and walking on it is considered as an insult to the Hindu
Goddess of food and one should immediately clean the rice before stepping on
it.
3.
Red
chilies with lemon are used to protect one from bad spirits and ward off bad
luck.
4.
One
cannot cut their hair or shave on their birthday because doing so is not
considered good for one’s financial situation.
5.
One
should never keep their shoes or sandals upside down because it is believed
that doing so brings some sort of bad luck to you.
6.
It
is impolite to touch an adult’s head as it is considered disrespectful and rude
to do so..
7.
Right
hand should be considered as dominant hand for eating and doing all other
activities, while, left hand should be used for cleaning your butt after you
defecate.
8.
Sex
is considered only for married couples, and getting sexual before your marriage
is considered as a disgrace to the society.
9.
It is believed that stepping on something
holy such as a god’s picture or monument can bring you bad luck and lead
to future misfortunes
10. If
you whistle during night times, then you are asking the devil or ghost to come
over.
11. More
specifically, books have 'Saraswati Bhagwan’ (Goddess Saraswati) in
them, so if you step on them, it is bad luck unless you ’dhog’ (bow)
them.
12. This
is universal. If a cat crosses your road, you must proceed backwards and spit
or throw stones. Kind of stupid, really. I just keep walking.
13. Legend
says that if you cut your nail during night time, then something bad will
happen tomorrow.
14. There
are variations for this, but the general belief is that eye twitching is bad.
Some says that if your right eye twitches, then it is good luck.
15. It
is said that if a dog 'cries’ (howls) in front of your house, then someone will
die from your family. It is said that the dogs can see the souls of humans, and
then they cry after seeing this. Ah—uhh!!!
16. This
is really wicked. If you play with fire, then you will urinate in bed at night.
Most people say this to children.
17. It
is said that if you step on a pillow, then you will see bad dreams. Bad
nights….
Grammar: Present Simple
or Present Continuous/Progressive
|
Present
Simple |
Present
Continuous |
|
a.
Water boils
at 100˚ Celsius. b.
Jenisha lives
in Jumla. c.
I drink
coffee every morning. d.
He always
tells lies. e.
My plane
leaves at six this evening. f.
I know her
very well. g.
At the end of
the story, the protagonist catches the killer. |
a.
The water is
boiling. Can you turn it off? b.
Jenisha is
living in Tokyo for a few months. c.
I am drinking
too much coffee these days because I’m so busy at work. d.
You are
always telling lies. e.
I am leaving
for Pokhara tomorrow. f.
I am reading
a novel by Paulo Coelho. g.
In this
photo, my mother is wearing a blue sari. |
B.
Put the verb into the correct form, present simple or present continuous.
a.
Nisha
…..(speak) English very well.- speaks
b.
Hurry
up! We …. (wait) for you. - are waiting
c.
Excuse
me! ….(you/speak) English? – Do you speak
d.
She
…. (have) a shower in bathroom. – is having
e.
How
often…..(you/read) a newspaper?- do you read
f.
I’m
sorry. I ….(not/understand). Can you speak more slowly? – do not understand
g.
You
can turn off the radio. I ….(not/listen) to it.-am not listening
h.
I
usually ..... (get up) at 5 o’clock every morning.-√
i.
Look!
The river …. (flow) very fast.- is flowing
j.
Amrita
….. (not/seem) very happy at the moment.- does not seem
C.
Are the underlined verbs in the correct form? Correct them where necessary.
a.
Water
boils at 100˚C. - √
b.
The
water boils. Can you turn it off. – is boiling.
c.
I
must go now. It gets late. – is getting
d.
This
sauce’s tasting really good. -tastes
e.
I’m
thinking this is your key. -think
f.
Are you believing in God? – Do
you believe
g.
I
usually go to school on foot. -√
h.
Look!
That man tries to open the door of her car. – is trying
i.
The
moon is going round the earth. - goes
j.
I’m
getting hungry. Let’s go and eat. -√
Questions for
Practice:
Present Simple & Present Progressive (Present Continuous)
1.
Martin ……… in his garage. (work, works, is working, are working)
2.
Martin ……… fixing things. (enjoy, enjoys, is enjoying)
3.
What ………… for breakfast? (do we have, are we having, does we have)
4.
I …………France this summer. (visit, am visiting, are visiting)
5.
I ………… France every summer.(visit, visits, am visiting)
6.
……… on any new projects at the moment? (Do you work, Are you working, Is
you working)
7.
………… on Sundays? (Do you work, Are you working, Either could be used here)
8.
How often ………… ? (are you working out, do you work out)
9.
Susie ………here often. (come, comes, is coming)
10.
………… with us to the movies? (Do you come, Are you coming)
11.
…………what ………? (Is she knowing, she is doing, Does she know, she does, Does
she know, she is doing)
12.
How ………… a washing machine? (are you starting, do you start, does you start)
Answers
1. Martin is working in
his garage.
2. Martin enjoys fixing things.
3. What are we having for breakfast?
4. I am visiting France this summer.
5. I visit France every summer.
6. Are you working on any new projects at the moment?
7. Do you work on Sundays?
8. How often do you work out?
9. Susie comes here often.
10. Are you coming with us to the movies?
11. Does she know what she is doing?
12. How do you start a washing machine?
(Source: https://www.englishgrammar.org/simple-present-or-present-continuous-tense-exercise-3/ )
Exercise : 2
1.Tim
......... in a bank. (Work, Works, Is work, Working)
2. We usually .......... our grandparents at the weekend. (Visit,
Are visiting, Visiting, Visits)
3. We .......... our grandparents this weekend.(Visit, Are
visiting, Visiting, Visits)
4. He .......... late and that's really annoying! (Is always
come, Always comes, Always come, Is always coming)
5. What time .......... the film ..........? (Is,
starting- Do, start- Does, starts- Does, start)
6. The bus .......... in ten minutes.(Leaves, Is leaving, Leave,
Leaving)
7. I .......... what to do. (Am not knowing, Not know, Doesn't
know, Don't know)
8. I .......... up at seven o'clock every morning. (Get, Am
getting, Getting, Gets)
9. What time .......... you .......... to work in the
mornings? (Are, going- Are, go- Does, go- Do, go)
10. The earth .......... around the sun. (Go, Going, Is
going, Goes)
(Source: https://www.proprofs.com/quiz-school/story.php?title=present-simple-vs-continuous)
Exercise : 3
1. Look! That girl ........ her uniform. ( not/uniform)
2. Our cat seldom ......... on the sofa. (to lie)
3. ..... they .... at the moment? (to text)
4. I ........supermarkets, but my father doesn't. (like to)
5. What ......the man .......in our garden. ( to do)
6. We .......the bus to school. (not/ to take)
7. Where ......you ....from ? (to come)
8. ..... your girlfriend always.....green T-shirt? (to wear)
9. I ....... a cup of tea now. (to have)
10. ......the boy ..... in the pool right now?
Answer: 1. is not wearing 2. lies 3. are they texting 4. like 5. is doing 6. is doing 7. do come 8. does wear 9. am having 10. is swimming
(Source: https://www.englisch-hilfen.de/en/exercises/tenses/simple_present_progressive3.htm)
Speaking:
¨ Advise/
Suggestion:
§ You should/
ought to + infinitive….
§ Why don’t you +
infinitive….
§ If I were you,
I’d + infinitive….
§ It’d be a good
idea to + infinitive….
Example:
§ Muna: I’m
sleepy.
§ You: You
should/ought to drink a cup of tea.
§ If I were you,
I’d help him.
§ It’d be a good
idea to help the needy people.
What would you
advise to Muna in the following situation.
a.
I’m hungry. – You ought to go to canteen.
b.
I’m cold. – You should have a hot soup.
c.
I can’t control my temper. – if I were
you, I’d practise meditation or yoga.
d.
I have hiccups.- Why don’t you drink a glass of
water?
e.
I can’t get to sleep at night. – You should a
novel.
f.
Your friend lost his/her pen. – He should be
careful.
g.
Ramila is weak in Mathematics.- She should
take extra classes of Mathematics.
h.
Pradip has a headache. – He should
take medicine.
i.
Your friend is getting fat. – He should go
for morning walk.
j.
Mukesh wants to dance but he can’t. – he ought to
take dance training.
Superstitions: An Essay
There are
superstitions that have been created out of some Social Considerations.
Sleeping at dusk is treated as a sign that one may fall ill. It is actually
that one should not be languid or lazy in the evening. Do not cut the ‘Peepal’
or the ‘Banyan’ tree that only is a superstition to save trees from
destruction. Dogs are very sensitive to natural calamities and become very
restless before a natural calamity actually occurs.
There is no
logic behind belief in these superstitions but they have grown age-old and even
all the scientific advancement of thought does not make them disappear.
1. Friday the 13th: Bad Luck
2. Itchy Palm: Good Luck
3. Walking Under
a Ladder: Bad Luck
4. Breaking a
Mirror: Bad Luck
5. Finding a
Horseshoe: Good Luck
6. Opening an
Umbrella Inside: Bad Luck
7. Knock Twice on Wood: Reverse Bad Luck
8. Tossing Spilled Salt Over Your Shoulder: Good Luck
9. Black Cats: Bad Luck
10. Saying “God
Bless You”: Good Luck 10. Saying “God Bless You”: Good Luck
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