Reflective view on post colonial study: Pro. Balaji ranganathan

This blog is a part of our Reflective Learning on a particular guest lectures, where we need to write our views on the learning of Guest lecture.

                  During 14-16 September, 2018, we had three days guest lecture of Dr. Balaji Ranganathan at Department of English, MKBU. In these three days he dealt with the paper of Postcolonialism. 

Three days guest lecture by  Prof.Balaji Ranganathan.sir seems very knowable and beneficial for all of us. We have learnt so many important things about Postcolonial literature by Prof.Balaji Ranganathan.On second day he has discussed about Net-Set in combine class with Sem 1 students. Our Department arrange class of Net-Set because Students aware about Net-Set 

Day-1 - Black Skin, White Mask: Frantz Fanon (1952)

Day-2

1-Orientalism: Edward Said (1977)

2-A Tempest: Aime Cesaire (1969)

3-Net-Slet: The great Challenge

Day-3

Imaginary Homelands: Salman Rushdie (1981-91)

On first day we are very happy to see them in front of us. I met him second time . I was very impressed by his language, tone of speak already during our Academic Tour to his university (CUG)  I really  enjoyed his lectures. He mainly deal with the topics related with Post Colonial studdies and gave many example which was related with topic. along with his core area of Post Colonial studies, he took a lecture on NET/SET examinations also, and provide us lots of important information to crack these type of exams.

Balaji sir has given us very useful and appropriate method to prepare for NET/SET.

• Collect the Database of 5000 Questions
• Solve all the questions and find your level
• Found the pattern : Things you know / don't know.
• Start feeling gaps.
• Found strong / weak areas.
• start making database which you don't have / which you not good. 

At last we click group picture so one day we see this images and store in our memory

 

Reflective view on Edgar Allan poe's short stories: Dr. Jay mehta sir

In our department Dr. Jay mehta as a guest lecturer was invited. In this four day lecture with him we learn many things. He was specially came to deal with Edger Allan Poe' s short stories. But by the time we came to know he was very interested in Gazal , shayri , poems. In this love of poet and art he also created his own poems and shayaries , which was amazing.

He deals with different way of teaching. He taught short stories of Edger poe ' s , which are full with the element of horror, suspence , thriller and Gothic elements. But the way Jaysir deals with it, it  become very interesting. There is no need of further reading of stories.

Jaysir ' s enthusiasm towards subject and teaching is also appreciated. ' He said now the time of take off , now the time of landing , all passengers are ready ... ' such a humorous way of teaching and learning makes lecture more interesting.

In ' The tell- tale heart ' murder of an old man because of awkward eye. It was cold- blooded murder. Split personality of narrator is reflected and revelance of subconscious level .

In ' Black cat ' narrator loves the pets but he becomes made. When he ignored by cat not accept it and killed it. But fear and burden on his soul.

In ' The fall of the house ( usher )  ' usher house has a melancholy view. Roderick boyhood companion of narrator and sister mate tragic death by sickness of house. It evokes feeling of terror , horror and thriller.

 In  ' The cask of Amontillado ' narrator who is Montresor in the story takes revenge to the friend Fortunato who insulted him a lot. Very planned of murder during carnival. Our involvement also in the story.

In ' The Purloined letter ' Story of stolen letter. It is detective story.
In ' The Gold bug ' William legrand get Gold bug , looks like human skull . By cryptography there is a clew of '  treasure ' with bug. But with treasure two skeleton with it also.

Thus poe was far advanced than his time. He creates suspense before the term psycho - thriller.  In his story every words creates effect . Character portration can't imagine by other writers. Thus poe was pioneer in established gothic and horror elements in literature.

At last day special lecture of poems and  poets. Such a amazing lecture. We also fall in love of shayari and gazal , after hearing Jaysir. It was fabulous time and we enjoyed a lot with teaching of sir and also session of poetry. 

At the last we have a session of how to write poetry. On that session he had told us some good writers and poets name to read their works. It is very inspirational lecture.some of the sites and apps and also some youtube channels have suggested by him. So by this 4 days jourmey we have a very fruiteful lessons and also a method of teaching. 

Websites for Gujarati songs and poems

1.Tahuko

2.Rankar 

3.Laystaro

4.Jalso Application

Other Facebook page like…

-Shabdmehfil

-Shodhganga

5. Mirza ghalib in youtube

6. Sahitya acadamy

7. Poem hunter

8. Rekhta.org

He haf suggested so many poets and writers whose works are very creativr and different:

Like,

Gulzar, befam, ghayal, harish muniya, ramesh parekh, mukul choksi, yesha dadawala, a.k. ramanuj, bhavesh bhatt, mukesh joshi, jalan matri, saumya joshu, harivanshray bacchan, misky, rahat indori, galib, ahmed faraz, mehndi hasan, manoj khandesiya, anil chavda, i.k. vijliwala.

Thinking Activity on T.S Eliot's The Wasteland.

This blog is the part of my classroom activity that is given by teacher. This is the link of teacher,s blog.

1) What are your views on the following image after reading 'The Waste Land'? Do you think that Eliot is regressive as compared to Nietzche's views? or Has Eliot achieved universality of thought by recalling mytho-historical answer to the contemporary malaise?

• Nietzche talks about Ubermencsh means Superman or Superhuman. according to him, in every decade there is/has been some people came out with strong will power, with more mental ability, more enthusiasm and became great through their revolutionary ideas among the ordinary people.
• on the other side T.S Eliot talks to look backward into the past because anyhow past is connected with the present time. 'The Wasteland' by Eliot is also tries to compare the myths or past incidents with the contemporary time's issues. 
• Nietzsche's view point about superhuman and Eliot's theory about looking backward in past both are right on their own. So From my point of view there can not be any comparison take place between them because they both are different in their perspectives.

2) Prior to the speech, Gustaf Hellström of the Swedish Academy made these remarks:

T.S. Eliot and S. Freud

What are your views regarding these comments? Is it true that giving free vent to the repressed 'primitive instinct' lead us to happy and satisfied life? or do you agree with Eliot's view that 'salvation of man lies in the preservation of the cultural tradition'?

Yes, it is truth that giving free vent to the repressed primitive instinct' can lead us to happy and satisfied life, but individually, things and happiness which is satisfying us can harm others and which give pleasure to others can harm us. But as per Eliot views if all follow such culture, tradition and belief in such lifestyle and moralities, a network of understanding can be created human live peacefully.

3) Write about allusions to the Indian thoughts in 'The Waste Land'. (Where, How and Why are the Indian thoughts referred?)

In the last part of the poem 'What the Thunder Said', Eliot takes the reference of Indian myths and spiritual ideologies like 

"Ganga was sunken, and the limps leaves

waited for rain, while the black clouds

gathered far distant, over Himvant

The jungle crouched, humped in silence."\

Then Eliot gives three 'Da'

1)Datta- to give not only charity but giving oneself for some noble cause.

2) Dayadhvam- Sympathies yourself with the sorrows and suffering of others, come out of your isolation and love into others.

3)Damyata- Self control, control over one's passion and desire.

So, according to me Eliot took Indian thoughts in his poem because he believes that peace is in the air of India and India is spiritually high, so it might be the indication of getting the revelation from the sexual perversion and spiritual degradation from the philosophies of India  

Online Discuss on 'Oneness of Literature'

Everything has it's origin either it is material thing or Human being or nature. i.e Water is just a water either it comes from ocean or from river, in the same way Human is just a Human either male or female. Only the difference is a different types of that particular thing. so poetry, short stories, novels are ultimately the Literature, the only difference is it,s form or matrix in which it is being shaped. Such critics has tries to prove that literature is just a literature or literature comes from Literature, it means one literature always comes from any other literature and that is called the oneness of literature.

          According to T.S Eliot,

"what happens when a new work of art is created is something that happens simultaneously to all the works of art which preceded it. The existing monuments form an ideal order among themselves, which is modified by the introduction of the new (the really new) work of art among them. The existing order is complete before the new work arrives; for order to persist after the supervention of novelty, the whole existing order must be, if ever so slightly, altered; and so the relations, proportions, values of each work of art toward the whole are readjusted; and this is conformity between the old and the new.”

According to Northrop Frye, 

        "Every organized body of knowledge can be learned progressively; and experience shows that there is also something progressive about the learning of literature.He developed theory of Archetypal criticism based on the idea that whole of the literature has oneness of its existence. All literature shares common DNA or skeleton". 

Now let us compare some lines from 'Wasteland' by T.S Eliot and Short story 'A Joke' by Anton Chekhov

And when we were children, staying at the archduke's, 
My cousin's, he took me out on a sled, 
And I was frightened. He said, Marie, 
Marie, hold on tight. And down we went. 
In the mountains, there you feel free.

These lines indicates very deep meaning, this shows the superiority of man upon the Woman. She is frightened to do coasting but her cousin helps her to get rid of that fear. and sexual perversion is also there in this poem.

Now, in the short story 'A Joke' by Anton Chekhov is also the same kind of story, difference is just in their names. Eliot's 'Wasteland' concerns with the sexual perversion but this is story seems to have the theme of love as there is nothing which indicate the sensuality or sexuality in it. In the short story the nature like snow, wind etc. plays a vital role.

So, observing the poem as well as short story we can say that the matrix in which both lies is same, the theme are just different. so it clearly indicates the oneness of literature where story goes on in a same way but though meaning of both different. 

Thinking Activity 'To the Lighthouse'.

This blog is a part of my thinking activity given by a teacher on 'To the Lighthouse', by Virginia Woolf. In this activity, such questions are being asked on the digital platform (http://dilipbarad.blogspot.com/2014/09/worksheet-virginia-woolfs-to-lighthouse.html) and students need to answer all the question in their blogs.

1. How can you explain that 'what' Virginia Woolf wanted to say (for example, the complexity of human relationship, the everyday battles that people are at in their relationship with near and dear ones, the struggle of a female artist against the values of middle/upper class society etc) can only be said in the way she has said? (Key: The 'How' of the narrative technique is to be discussed along with features of Stream of Consciousness technique which helps Woolf to put in effective manner what she experienced in abstractions.)

There are other techniques also through which, one can explain all the thing what Virginia Woolf wanted to say, but the technique of Stream of Consciousness seems the best to explain as the whole novel is highly psychological where the complexity of relationships as well as the problems in day to day life with near relations due to such circumstances are being tried to explore by the author. i.e the relations between Mr. Ramsay and his son James is not looking good from the side of James the even James have an anger (inside) towards his father that even he wants to kill him just denial of Mr. Ramsay to visit the lighthouse, but it can be consider as his immaturity, but as he shown grew up in the third part 3 (The Lighthouse), his thinking also becomes mature towards his father, he has a respect towards him. Now all this feelings of anger as well as respect of James expressed through Virginia Woolf with the help of Stream of Consciousness, and this is the real success of an author that she able to make us understood what is the Psyche of James by exploring the dark as well as bright psychological condition of James.

2. Do you agree: "The novel is both the tribute and critique of Mrs. Ramsay"? (Key: Take some clues from the painting of Mrs Ramsay drawn by Lily Briscoe and the article by Andre Viola and Glenn Pedersen. Can we read Mrs. R in context of the idea of Ideal Indian Woman - Karyeshu dasi, Karaneshu manthri; Bhojeshu mata, Shayaneshu rambha; Kshamayeshu dharithri, Roopeshu lakshmi; Satkarma yukta, Kuladharma pathni. )

Yes I agree that the novel is both the tribute and critique Mrs Ramsay. Firstly The definition of an ideal woman given in above link is itself problematic in contemporary times, as every person wants the liberality in his/her life, they don't want to be confines in the control of any institution (But anyhow, they have to be) so the idea of an ideal Women according to Indian mythology given in above link says that a wife must be a good loyal worker just like a maid; a good adviser like a minister of King’s court; a caretaker like a mother; Romantic like Rambha, in bed room; a pardoner just like a goddess of earth; a beautiful like Lakshmi, the goddess of leaning and wife of Brahma; and perfect duty minded one. Now, all the characteristics indicates that a wife must be doing something for others not for herself like she must be a caretaker like a mother who can take cares of of her husband or children, romantic like a Rambha who would satisfy the need of man. in this idea of Women we can't find the free space for a women as the responsibilities has been already give as a boss gives to their paid employs. so we can say that novel is critique of Mrs Ramsay as she seems a traditional housewife whose duty is please other people surrounded by her. I think the tragedy of a traditional Women in modern times has been shown in the delighted character of Mrs Ramsay through the perspective of Lily Briscoe and her painting. In painting Mrs R. is knitting and guiding a child which shows the characteristics ideal housewife. on the other side, the novel is also the tribute to Mrs R. as the unfinished desire to provide cloths, first aid, newspaper (necessity of all an entire human being) to far living people to the lighthouse being fulfilled by her family members, especially by Mr. Ramsay. I this the novel is more critique rather tribute to Mrs Ramsay as it is nowhere indicated or said in the novel that the visit to the Lighthouse is in the memory of Mrs. Ramsay, but it has been tried to convey in more philosophical way.  

3. Considering symbolically, does the Lighthouse stand for Mrs. Ramsay or the narrator (Virginia Woolf herself who is categorically represented by Lily)? (Key: Take help from the presentation on Symbolism to connect Mrs. Caroline Ramsay with Lighthouse. Secondly, the narrator / author cannot fully disappear from the novel and thus the stoicism of Lily to paint and thus prove that she can paint, is symbolically presented in stoicism of Lighthouse. Read 'lighthouse' symbol from presentation slide with this insight to connect lighthouse with the narrator. Give your concluding remarks in the comment below in this blog )

Mrs. Ramsay can be seen as the lighthouse as the symbol of lighthouse is consider as the strong pillar which bears the pounce from the sea, which is stood in between of the sea and not only suffering from the sea but also shows the way to the wandered people. In the same manner Mrs. Ramsay is also tries to please all the people all the time and still remains objective and having very kind nature. 

Lily can be also called the lighthouse because throughout the novel she is being irritated by the Tensely(Patriarchy) by such statements like "Women can't write or paint" as the lighthouse also has to suffer many storms into the sea. but ultimately at the last she proves herself by completing her painting that whatever Tensely (society) says about her (Modern Women) she is free from all the stereotypes.

4. How do you interpret the last line of the novel (It was done; it was finished.Yes, she thought, laying down her brush in extreme fatigue, I have had my vision.) with reference to the ending of the film (After the final stroke on the canvass with finishing touch, Lily walks inside the house. As she goes ante-chamber, the light and dark shade makes his face play hide-and-seek. She climbs stairs, puts her brush aside, walks through the dark and light to enter her room. Gently closes the door - speaks: "Closed doors, open windows" - lies on the bed and with some sort of satisfaction utters: "Dearest Briscoe, you are a fool".) 
  
Yes, the last line of the novel (Yes, she thought...........I have had my vision) suggests two things. one is that painting is now completed and another is that she proved herself as an independent women in the modern times just by complete the paint. she does not just paint a picture but that picture is of Mrs. Ramsay, by that painting she would tries to prove that she is not like Mrs. Ramsay who was busy in house keeping which clearly indicate in her painting. 

Pre Thinking Activity on Poe's Short Stories

This blog is a part of our Pre Thinking Activity given by Dr Jay Mehta. 

01. Recollect a moment of your life when you were at the height of ferocity (anger) on someone with/without some specific reason. What did you feel like speaking to or doing with that person?

Ans Once my mobile was stolen from my Active's dickey, I had filed a complaint and ultimately mobile was found also by the Police Department. But when I claimed to bring back that mobile, I had to go police station again and again for many paper works and processes even though the mobile was mine. At that time my anger was at the extreme height as it was just waste of time, there is one policeman who is not doing his duty properly, who is irresponsible and because of whom, I had to waste my time without any reason even to the thing that is mine. At that very moment I came to understand why people having hesitate of court and police station in India.

02. Have you ever felt tremendous drive to hit or murder someone? When? Why? How? Elucidate.

Ans No, I never felt that kind of anger that I would kill someone.

03. Have you ever felt like committing suicide? Was it just a passing thought or you were serious? What propelled you to think so? Describe your experience (although momentary) of suicidal tendency.

Ans-No, I never felt or even thought to commit suicide.

04. Write about the scariest of your dreams. Have you ever cried or screamed by a bizarre and horrible nightmare? Elaborate.

Ans- Anyhow I have an extreme fear of snakes and many times I got the horrible dreams of snakes where I find myself bedraggled by lots of snakes and usually I wake up by that kind of dreams. But I never cried or screamed because of scary dreams or nightmares.

05. Do you believe in ghosts? Have you ever undergone any experience of supernatural elements? Explain.

Ans- There is some supernatural powers/negative powers existed in the world that is usually refers as ghosts, Jinn, and many more. If here, ghosts means some nagative power, I completely believe in ghosts.

Movie Review of 'The Modern Times' (1936)

The Modern Times

A movie, 'The Modern Times' is 1936's Socio-Political Satire written, produced and directed by Charlie Chaplin.

Title

Title, 'The Modern Times' is very apt and important regarding movie context. Title shows the pride of modernity in itself, it suggesting the modern time/modern culture, modern things, somehow it suggests a human being that there is no space for whom who can't make a synchronization with modern time. So, here our character, Charlie (A Factory Worker) becomes a kind of victim of modern time because he can't able to do a concordance with modernity (Industrialization).  

Situation of poor

Movie shows us that poor people controlled by the factory owner as the employment in their factories is poor' essential need. There is one scene in the movie where Charlie (Factory Worker/poor) used to do an experiment of food feeding machine, here we can find that for the wealthy people, poor are just a kind of objective/thing to do an an experiments.

Machines overpower Human Being.

The main theme of the movie is itself related to an industrialization, a scene in the movie where Charlie swallowed by the machine and other scene shows that Charlie's boss entangled in machine though it is a surreal, but it symbolizes that at what extent machinery controlling the whole race of Human Being and not just the poor people becomes the puppet of machines but the wealthy and authorized can also be one of them. Because of the industries many changes occurred like an increased unemployment and the death of craftsmanship.  

  

The Last Scene.

Last scene of movie is very apt because it represents nature over machinery. It indicate that ultimately only and only nature can make a person delighted. At last the natural tendency of human being becomes superior on industrialization as it seems that Charlie and his friend Gemin get out into the lap of nature from the society and machines.