English Literature & Theology

 The Rightful Inheritors of the Earth” by Vaikom Muhammad Basheer is a short narrative in which the author talks about the need to consider the other animals also as part of this earth, as they are the rightful inheritors of the earth.  The story is an excerpt from the translation of the story "Bhoomiyude Avakashikal". The narrator who feels secure when he owned a tiny piece of land meets with adventures. His land is visited by creatures like crows, owls, bats and cobra.  Though his wife tries to get rid of these creatures, the narrator comes to the realisation that not only human beings but all the other living things also have a right to live on this earth. They are the rightful inheritors of the earth The narrative progresses through a situation faced by the narrator and his wife after they started living in the newly bought house and surrounding land. The problem encountered by them was that their coconuts were eaten by some animals. Later they identified that bats ar...

  "Stay Hungry, Stay Foolish" is the title of Steve Jobs' inspiring commencement speech delivered at Stanford University on June 12, 2005. In this address, Jobs shares three personal stories from his life, each of which offers valuable lessons about passion, failure, perseverance, and living a meaningful life. Here's a detailed summary of the speech: 1. The First Story: Connecting the Dots Jobs starts his speech by talking about his experience with college and how he dropped out after only six months. Though it may have seemed like a failure or a mistake at the time, he explains that dropping out gave him the freedom to explore things that truly interested him. - Calligraphy Class: After dropping out, Jobs attended a calligraphy class at Reed College. This course was not required and seemed irrelevant to his future, but it taught him the art of typography—something that would later influence the design of Apple’s products. He emphasizes how seemingly random and discon...

Short Summary,  "The Town by the Sea" is an essay by Amitav Ghosh that reflects on a personal experience he had in the Andaman and Nicobar Islands during the devastating tsunami of December 26, 2004. In The Town by the Sea , Ghosh presents the story with a vivid portrayal of the chaos and destruction that struck the islands. The essay revolves around the director, an acquaintance of Ghosh’s, who resides on the islands. The narrative details the director's emotional journey as he copes with the aftermath of the tsunami, offering a firsthand glimpse into the lives of those affected by the disaster. The author's friend, the director was in Port Blair. He had left his family in Malacca but an unexpected incident took place, a Tsunami followed an earthquake. After that incident, the family home had been swept away by a huge sea wave, thankfully he contacted his son, through the officials and came to know that his wife and daughter had died on the spot, while his son saved ...

  "The Refugee"  by K.A. Abbas    Summary, The Refugee by K.A. Abbas is a poignant short story that explores the harrowing effects of the partition of India in 1947 through the experiences of displaced individuals. The narrative revolves around an old woman and old her husband who is a refugee, symbolizing the suffering and displacement that millions experienced during this traumatic historical event.   "The Refugee" by K.A Abbas revolves around a women called Manji at the time of the partition of India and Pakistan. It talks about the hardships, endurance, sacrifice and predicaments that Manji and so many countless people had to face during such times.  The story also portrays Manji's change of lifestyle from a contented and wealthy woman before the partition to a miserable poor woman after the partition. The story in overall presents us a picture of the consequences of the partition and mostly the lives of the women affected by it.   Maanji is ...

"Digging" by Seamus Heaney  Between my finger and my thumb    The squat pen rests; snug as a gun. Under my window, a clean rasping sound    When the spade sinks into gravelly ground:    My father, digging. I look down Till his straining rump among the flowerbeds    Bends low, comes up twenty years away    Stooping in rhythm through potato drills    Where he was digging. The coarse boot nestled on the lug, the shaft    Against the inside knee was levered firmly. He rooted out tall tops, buried the bright edge deep To scatter new potatoes that we picked, Loving their cool hardness in our hands. By God, the old man could handle a spade.    Just like his old man. My grandfather cut more turf in a day Than any other man on Toner’s bog. Once I carried him milk in a bottle Corked sloppily with paper. He straightened up To drink it, then fell to right away Nicki...

"The Best Investment I Ever Made"  by  A.J. Cronin Short Summary,  "The Best Investment I Ever Made" is a short story by A.J. Cronin , which reflects on the power of kindness and redemption. The narrator, a doctor, recalls a significant event from his past where a small act of charity changed someone’s life forever. The story begins with the narrator, Dr. Cronin, recalling an encounter on a ship where he meets a man named Mr. John  H.. Mr. John H is now a respected social worker, but years ago, he had been a broken young man on the brink of destruction. Mr. John H had once been a young man living in London, who, through a combination of bad choices, poor judgment, and unfortunate circumstances, found himself in a desperate financial and emotional state. He had squandered his inheritance on bad investments and gambling, and after accumulating a significant debt, he saw no way out. Utterly hopeless, he decided to end his life by committing suicide. On the night of his...

Short stories   1. THE LAST LEAF O.HENRY (1867-1910) 1. Name the village to which the art people came prowling in the short story, „The Last Leaf’. Answer; Greenwich Village. 2. Name the disease mentioned in the short story, „The Last Leaf’. Answer: Pneumonia  3. Name the two young artists in the story,‘The last Leaf’.Where do they come from? Answer: Johnsy and Sue. Johnsy comes from Maine and Sue from California. 4. What did Johnsy want to paint? Answer: The Bay of Naples. 5. Who was suffering from pneumonia? Answer: Johnsy  6. What was Johnsy counting? Answer: Johnsy was counting the leaves of the ivy vine.  7. Who saved Johnsy from pneumonia disease? Answer: Behrman 8. Who was Behrman? Answer: A Painter and an artist.  9. How old was Behrman? Answer: 60 years.  2.  THE DEATH OF A GOVERNMENT CLERK  By Anton Chekov (1860-1904) 1. Name the government employee mentioned in the story The Death of a Government Clerk. Answer: Ivan Dmitritch Tcher...

 SHORT STORIES THE MODEL MILLIONAIRE  by  OSCAR WILDE (1856- 1900) 1. What were the two things that Hughie Ernskine inherited from his father? Answer: Cavalry sword and a History of the Peninsular War in fifteen volumes. 2. Where did the Mertons live? Answer: Holland Park 3. What was Alan Trevor‟s profession? Answer: Painter 4. What was the only means of sustenance for Hughie? Answer: Two hundred pounds a year given to him by an elderly aunt.  5. Why could not the colonel accept the engagement of his daughter with Hughie? Answer: Because Hughie did not have any profession and a wealth of ten thousand  pounds. 6. How does Hughie show his kindness to the beggar? Answer: By giving a sovereign to the beggar .   7. Who was the beggar in reality? Answer: The beggar in reality was Baron Hausberg, one of the richest men in Europe. 8. Name the girl whom Hughie Erskine loved. Answer: Laura Merton 9. How does Baron Hausberg help Hughie? Answer: By giving him a cheque ...

 ONE MARK QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS Answer the following questions in a word or a phrase or a sentence: * JIMMY VALENTINE by O. Henry  1. How many months did Jimmy Valentine spend in the prison? Answer: Ten months 2. What was the accusation against Jimmy Valentine? Answer: He was accused of opening a safe in Springfield. 3. How many extra dollars did the prison officer give to Jimmy Valentine when he was released from the prison? Answer: Five dollars 4. What was the number allotted to Jimmy Valentine while in the prison? Answer: 9762 5. How many dollars did Jimmy Valentine pay to get the tool for breaking safes? Answer: Nine hundred dollars 6. Name the places where safes were broken after Jimmy Valentine‟s release from the prison. Answer: (1) Richmond, Indiana (2) Logansport City (3) Jefferson City  7. Who is Ben Price? Answer: Cop (Police)  8. Why did Ben Price suspect Jimmy of bank robbery? Answer: Why Ben Price suspected Jimmy of bank robbery because he was safe-break...