June 12, 2007
Linda Liu
Dear portfolio reader:
First I would like to appreciate the time you take for reading this portfolio, which is a selection of my works for Academic Writing Class taught by Mr. Ron Corio.
Here I want to share with you an important change in my mind during this semester. That is my understanding towards English writing. It is a little embarrassing to admit that I didn’t have a high expectation when I first entered this course, for past experience of English writing has already infused in me a set of biased criteria of a “good” writing which is composed of correct grammar, some intricate sentence patterns as well as some “big words”. Because in China we are taught the shining point that most teachers look for in your writing is a good language skill but not what your idea is or how you convey it. With such an understanding, I always put myself in the position of a “craftsman”, of whom “excellence” means incessant repeating until one can manipulate words skillfully. Under the light of this statement, the meaning of this course comes me as a “workshop” to practice skills—a course to enhance “speed” and “fluency” of writing.
However I am glad that my experience during this semester has proved me wrong. I didn’t get as much practice on writing in class as I had expected but each piece of writing brings to me a new understanding. For now I am no longer merely satisfied with the position of a “craftsman”, instead, I am striving to be a “sculptor”, who conveys his or her idea though a process of composing, exploring and modifying.
The first three drafts of “The Humorous Tone in the Grass-Eaters” might enable you to see what I meant for a “sculptor” as well as my attempt in changing my role.
Before rushing to embark on a sculpture, a sculptor should draw a draft first, and it is also true with writing. The first essay draft, presented in the form of an outline, is such a “blueprint” that comes before a real “project”. In preparing this draft, I employed both methods of free-writing and brain-storming. After reading through my notes as well as the storyseveral times, I finally set the thesis statement and develop several points to support it.
The next concrete step is the most challenging, as how to develop a vague picture into an almost-complete sculpture with a concrete form. Perhaps I will never forget the long and unfriendly hours in front of the computer, striving to fill the “skeleton” with “flesh and blood”. There are several modifications in the framework during the process of writing, for example the reverse of order, the shift of focus and etc. What I learnt from this process is that problems as well as new ideas will occur when you put the first draft into practice. So in revising my previous framework while taking in new ideas, eventually, the second draft displays a clearer and deeper understanding of the thesis I wrote.
The final draft is not as moderate a modification as I thought it to be. For instance, after receiving feeds-back from my teacher and my peers, I revised the analysis on the effect of Hinduism several times but still found it not convincing. At last I had to delete the whole paragraph, for I realized that it failed to be well-integrated into my thesis. It is a hard decision, when considering the efforts I had already put in it, but I learnt to be selective and give up. The next important lesson I learnt is during the process of editing. Many details which I ignored previously come back to my attention, such as the punctuation, the tense as well as the quotation, which give me a real sense of “academic writing”. I learned from this process that just as a sculptor might never be fully satisfied with his or her works, there might be no end to the process of revising.
The item that follows these drafts is a reading log for “The Dead Men’s Path”. I choose this one because the comment I got from my peers on the ICA is rather encouraging, which fueled up my confidence. And I believe it also reflects better my “writing style” in informal writing—frequent use of questioning and parallels. From interacting with my peers in the ICA, I learn respect, friendship as well as critical thinking. Each of us gets a chance to learn others’ ideas, to argue or agree with them as well as give and take support from our peers.
The final-timed writing is about the story “The Necklace”, in which I mainly express my idea of what is meant to be a good life. It is trilling experience as I have to deliver my ideas in a limited time.
My experience during this course has taught me to focus on more significant traits of a good writing, such as the “cohesiveness”, “strength of convincing”, ”clearly-delivered ideas” and etc. I also learn that writing means a process which consists of several stages. And all these newly-acquired understandings benefit me not merely within the realm of English writing. For instance, when working on a term paper for a course on “The Iliad”, I employed the same strategy in writing the essay above, which I find very helpful. In scrawling my thoughts on a piece of paper, I enjoy the process of letting the ideas flow; in revising the essays now and again, I experience the real ecstasy of displaying my ideas clearly to others. As a whole, what I learnt from this course raised my expectation and requirement for my later writings, which I hope can be improved with more practice.
Towards the end of my cover letter, I want to share with you this sentence—to be a “sculptor”, not a “craftsman” in your writing, and in your life. Thanks again for reading this portfolio.
Sincerely,
Student
Linda Liu
2007年5月20日星期日
Essay Draft Three
Linda Liu
June 23, 2007
Draft three
The Humorous Tone in the Grass-Eaters
Living in a world rife with vivid and bloody reports of violence and poverty from the media, we have become immune to miseries; the mass-produced stories that intend to jerk our tears can no longer stir our sympathy. To some extent, we are more callous and less credulous readers who are not easily satisfied.
However, the story of “The Grass-Eaters” by Krishnan Varma, which is filled with pathetic scenes, is still compelling to modern readers. In the story, Krishnan depicts the wretched life of the first-person narrator Ajit who lives in the context of the Indian society. The miserable life displayed in the story is perhaps beyond most reader’s imagination, yet the author uses a humorous tone throughout the story. So here an intriguing question might be raised: why does the author use a humorous tone in such a miserable story? In order to explain such a seemingly contrast, the effect of a humorous tone on readers acquires further exploration.
The story begins with a comic scene –a conversation between the narrator, the Indian tutor Ajit and his student’s father, Misrilal. The characters that appear in this scene are almost cartoon-like. The boy that Ajit taught is “spherical”（56）; his mother is “cuboid”（56）while his father Misrilal is “ovoid”（56）--what a funny combination of a well-off family! This humorous and sarcastic description immediately arouses the readers’ interest, and their attention is held from the very beginning. When Ajit answers that he lives in a pipe, the seemingly exaggerating reaction from Misrilal and his wife is even noticeable: the couple was overwhelmingly dismayed and even “near to tears” (56) , they seemed to find the answer unbelievable and unacceptable, for they kept questioning how it came about that Ajit lived in a pipe. It is obvious that this well-off couple, taking a comfortable life for granted, has long been ignorant of the life of the poor. The blindness and ignorance shown here makes this scene both theatrical and sarcastic. However, while the readers are amused by the couple’s seemingly hysterical reaction, the same question might also be circling in their mind: how Ajit comes to live in a pipe? So in this stage, anticipation for Ajit’s further explanation is raised.
This humorous start has well intrigued the readers to proceed. The next scene is on the footpath, which is a ridiculous and dramatic fray vividly depicted by Krishnan in a humorous tone. In this scene, Ajit and his wife Swapna slept on the footpath that is crammed with refugees, and one morning Ajit woke up to find “[he] had one leg over an old woman!”(56). Needless to say, the cost Ajit paid was tremendous. Not only was the enraged woman posing him the threat of losing one eye, but his wife also rushed to him furiously. Through the narration from Ajit himself, the readers might easily visualize a funny picture of a poor and miserable husband running desperately with two furious women after him. Whereas after a carefree laugh, prudent readers might discover that the diction here is a little “dehumanizing”, which arouses their curiosity. The old woman is described as “a bag of bones” (56), her husband is compared to “a hill of man” (56) and Swapna even rushed to Ajit, “fangs bared, claws out” (56). Here words usually used on beast or lifeless things are used to describe human beings, which makes the tone ridiculous. Such a peculiar diction might provoke the readers’ thought: what does the author intend to indicate here? Does such a scene reflect the overall living conditions of the poor Indians? Or does this connote their decreasing in humanity? In raising questions like these consciously, it seems the readers have been prepared to take a further step towards a lager theme lying beneath the humorous tone.
Another type of humor, which is even thought-provoking, lies in the sharp contrast between what the protagonists react in certain situation and what is expected in real life. Reactions from Ajit in several occasions are typical examples. For instance, there is clear “exultation” written on his face when he settled in a freight wagon and commented, “it was heaven, I felt I was God” (57). Who could imagine a school teacher so easily and fully satisfied by a confinement that even ordinary people might find unbearable? And what was his reaction when he finally settled on the roof? Pretty content! In painstakingly listing all the benefit he got from living on a roof, Ajit seems striving to convince the others that he is happy, whereas the readers know clearly in their mind that this explanation is totally absurd and invalid. “We are not insane!” they will perhaps blot out such comments after listening to his explanation. Such a contrast makes the entire situation ridiculous. The readers might be even surprised by how he mentioned the privilege he got from his handicap, “I don’t mind my handicap at all; I need wear only one sandal and thereby save on footwear” (59). It’s hard to imagine someone would willingly sacrifice one leg for the benefit of saving one shoe, and the irony is that Ajit just don’t care it. Unlike those characters that usually show in a comic as humorous and positive, Ajit’s humor stems from his indifference to his own misfortune, from his content of an unbearable situation, which sounds absurd and ridiculous. This kind of humour could give the readers an emotional shock, which compels them to read between the lines, think of the real message hidden beneath and raise a series of questions. Is Ajit still normal? Why he react to his surroundings so abnormally? What is the reality of the society that he lives in?
So Varma invites the readers, finally, to examine the entire picture of the society which is tint with a color of absurdity. He portrays the picture as follows:
Thanks to the great power of the mass-media, most modern readers have already been familiar with such a scene in India—buses and even trains squeezed with people. But it is still unimaginable that a conductor’s due behave could become the trigger of a long list of ever deteriorating turmoil. It sounds absurd—and it certainly is. Beneath the absurdity that is revealed by the long list, the author displays a picture of the India society which is rife with chaos and turmoil. What bears a particular sense of sarcastic is that the last activity in this long and ever upgrading list is “set off crackers” (59), which is both childish and ironic when comparing with the serious protests and the bloody violence.
Though in the last paragraph of the story, the tone sounds more placid rather than humorous, it is still very important for the readers’ further understanding of the humor throughout the story. In the brief sum-up of his eventful life, Ajit commented with a peaceful and content tone, “But does it matter? We have survived them. And now, we have no fears or anxieties” (59). So here the readers might come up with such an understanding that since Ajit has “survived” the vicissitudes of life, he counts his blessings when compared with thousands or even more that fail to maintain their lives. So it seems the humorous tone in Ajit’s narration is reasonable. Perhaps the readers have just felt relieved at this point, and want to have a truce with the endless pursuit of the reason of a humorous tone. However the author does not propose to let the readers merely satisfied in finding such an explanation. So he continues:
Though the author uses a humorous tone throughout the story, the final tone of the story is set as miserable and bleak. This ending is like a melancholy echo, reverberating in the story and pinching each reader’s heart continuously.
To some extent, the intriguing appeal possessed by the story stems from the unconventional tone the author used throughout the story. In the story, Krishnan employs the humorous tone in different scenes, the effect of which enables him to exert certain influence on the readers. Sometimes it attracts them; sometimes it leads them to more serious thinking and sometimes it compels them to raise questions. The humorous tone has intrigued the readers to explore the story and to go through a process of questioning and exploring wider themes, from the characters to the setting of the story. Eventually, what the story successfully leaves behind is not merely a miserable depiction of the Indian society; but sympathy, passion and thoughts, which can be still lingering in each readers’ mind.
Work Cited
Krishnan, Varma. "The Grass-Eaters".1985. Rpt. in The International Story: An Anthology with Guidelines for Reading and Writing about Fiction. Ruth Spack. New York: St Martin's, 1944. 56-59
June 23, 2007
Draft three
The Humorous Tone in the Grass-Eaters
Living in a world rife with vivid and bloody reports of violence and poverty from the media, we have become immune to miseries; the mass-produced stories that intend to jerk our tears can no longer stir our sympathy. To some extent, we are more callous and less credulous readers who are not easily satisfied.
However, the story of “The Grass-Eaters” by Krishnan Varma, which is filled with pathetic scenes, is still compelling to modern readers. In the story, Krishnan depicts the wretched life of the first-person narrator Ajit who lives in the context of the Indian society. The miserable life displayed in the story is perhaps beyond most reader’s imagination, yet the author uses a humorous tone throughout the story. So here an intriguing question might be raised: why does the author use a humorous tone in such a miserable story? In order to explain such a seemingly contrast, the effect of a humorous tone on readers acquires further exploration.
The story begins with a comic scene –a conversation between the narrator, the Indian tutor Ajit and his student’s father, Misrilal. The characters that appear in this scene are almost cartoon-like. The boy that Ajit taught is “spherical”（56）; his mother is “cuboid”（56）while his father Misrilal is “ovoid”（56）--what a funny combination of a well-off family! This humorous and sarcastic description immediately arouses the readers’ interest, and their attention is held from the very beginning. When Ajit answers that he lives in a pipe, the seemingly exaggerating reaction from Misrilal and his wife is even noticeable: the couple was overwhelmingly dismayed and even “near to tears” (56) , they seemed to find the answer unbelievable and unacceptable, for they kept questioning how it came about that Ajit lived in a pipe. It is obvious that this well-off couple, taking a comfortable life for granted, has long been ignorant of the life of the poor. The blindness and ignorance shown here makes this scene both theatrical and sarcastic. However, while the readers are amused by the couple’s seemingly hysterical reaction, the same question might also be circling in their mind: how Ajit comes to live in a pipe? So in this stage, anticipation for Ajit’s further explanation is raised.
This humorous start has well intrigued the readers to proceed. The next scene is on the footpath, which is a ridiculous and dramatic fray vividly depicted by Krishnan in a humorous tone. In this scene, Ajit and his wife Swapna slept on the footpath that is crammed with refugees, and one morning Ajit woke up to find “[he] had one leg over an old woman!”(56). Needless to say, the cost Ajit paid was tremendous. Not only was the enraged woman posing him the threat of losing one eye, but his wife also rushed to him furiously. Through the narration from Ajit himself, the readers might easily visualize a funny picture of a poor and miserable husband running desperately with two furious women after him. Whereas after a carefree laugh, prudent readers might discover that the diction here is a little “dehumanizing”, which arouses their curiosity. The old woman is described as “a bag of bones” (56), her husband is compared to “a hill of man” (56) and Swapna even rushed to Ajit, “fangs bared, claws out” (56). Here words usually used on beast or lifeless things are used to describe human beings, which makes the tone ridiculous. Such a peculiar diction might provoke the readers’ thought: what does the author intend to indicate here? Does such a scene reflect the overall living conditions of the poor Indians? Or does this connote their decreasing in humanity? In raising questions like these consciously, it seems the readers have been prepared to take a further step towards a lager theme lying beneath the humorous tone.
Another type of humor, which is even thought-provoking, lies in the sharp contrast between what the protagonists react in certain situation and what is expected in real life. Reactions from Ajit in several occasions are typical examples. For instance, there is clear “exultation” written on his face when he settled in a freight wagon and commented, “it was heaven, I felt I was God” (57). Who could imagine a school teacher so easily and fully satisfied by a confinement that even ordinary people might find unbearable? And what was his reaction when he finally settled on the roof? Pretty content! In painstakingly listing all the benefit he got from living on a roof, Ajit seems striving to convince the others that he is happy, whereas the readers know clearly in their mind that this explanation is totally absurd and invalid. “We are not insane!” they will perhaps blot out such comments after listening to his explanation. Such a contrast makes the entire situation ridiculous. The readers might be even surprised by how he mentioned the privilege he got from his handicap, “I don’t mind my handicap at all; I need wear only one sandal and thereby save on footwear” (59). It’s hard to imagine someone would willingly sacrifice one leg for the benefit of saving one shoe, and the irony is that Ajit just don’t care it. Unlike those characters that usually show in a comic as humorous and positive, Ajit’s humor stems from his indifference to his own misfortune, from his content of an unbearable situation, which sounds absurd and ridiculous. This kind of humour could give the readers an emotional shock, which compels them to read between the lines, think of the real message hidden beneath and raise a series of questions. Is Ajit still normal? Why he react to his surroundings so abnormally? What is the reality of the society that he lives in?
So Varma invites the readers, finally, to examine the entire picture of the society which is tint with a color of absurdity. He portrays the picture as follows:
In Calcutta the trams are always crowded and if you can’t get into a carriage
you may get up on its roof. The conductor will not stop you. If he tries to, the
passengers beat him up, set fire to the tram and any other vehicles parked in
the vicinity, loot nearby shops, break street lamps, take out a procession, hold
a protest meeting, denounce British imperialism, American neo-colonialism, the
central government, capitalism and socialism, and set off crackers.(59)
Thanks to the great power of the mass-media, most modern readers have already been familiar with such a scene in India—buses and even trains squeezed with people. But it is still unimaginable that a conductor’s due behave could become the trigger of a long list of ever deteriorating turmoil. It sounds absurd—and it certainly is. Beneath the absurdity that is revealed by the long list, the author displays a picture of the India society which is rife with chaos and turmoil. What bears a particular sense of sarcastic is that the last activity in this long and ever upgrading list is “set off crackers” (59), which is both childish and ironic when comparing with the serious protests and the bloody violence.
Though in the last paragraph of the story, the tone sounds more placid rather than humorous, it is still very important for the readers’ further understanding of the humor throughout the story. In the brief sum-up of his eventful life, Ajit commented with a peaceful and content tone, “But does it matter? We have survived them. And now, we have no fears or anxieties” (59). So here the readers might come up with such an understanding that since Ajit has “survived” the vicissitudes of life, he counts his blessings when compared with thousands or even more that fail to maintain their lives. So it seems the humorous tone in Ajit’s narration is reasonable. Perhaps the readers have just felt relieved at this point, and want to have a truce with the endless pursuit of the reason of a humorous tone. However the author does not propose to let the readers merely satisfied in finding such an explanation. So he continues:
We live very quietly, content to look at the passing scene: a tram burning, a
man stabbing another man, a woman dropping her baby in a garbage bin (59).
Though the author uses a humorous tone throughout the story, the final tone of the story is set as miserable and bleak. This ending is like a melancholy echo, reverberating in the story and pinching each reader’s heart continuously.
To some extent, the intriguing appeal possessed by the story stems from the unconventional tone the author used throughout the story. In the story, Krishnan employs the humorous tone in different scenes, the effect of which enables him to exert certain influence on the readers. Sometimes it attracts them; sometimes it leads them to more serious thinking and sometimes it compels them to raise questions. The humorous tone has intrigued the readers to explore the story and to go through a process of questioning and exploring wider themes, from the characters to the setting of the story. Eventually, what the story successfully leaves behind is not merely a miserable depiction of the Indian society; but sympathy, passion and thoughts, which can be still lingering in each readers’ mind.
Work Cited
Krishnan, Varma. "The Grass-Eaters".1985. Rpt. in The International Story: An Anthology with Guidelines for Reading and Writing about Fiction. Ruth Spack. New York: St Martin's, 1944. 56-59
Essay Draft Two
Linda Liu
May 23, 2007
Draft two
The Humorous Tone in the Grass-Eaters
Living in a world rife with vivid and bloody reports of violence and poverty from the media, we have become immune to miseries; the mass-produced stories that intend to jerk our tears can no longer stir our sympathy. To some extent, we are more callous and less credulous readers who are not easily satisfied.
However we find the story of “The Grass-Eaters” by Krishnan Varma so compelling, in which the author depicted the wretched life of the first-person narrator “Ajit” under the context of Indian society. The miserable life displayed in the story is beyond our imagination, yet the author used a humorous tone throughout the story. So here we may come up with an intriguing question: “why does the author use a humorous tone in such a miserable story? In order to resolve such a problem, let us explore the effect the humorous tone has on us readers.
The story begins with a comic scene --a conversation between the narrator, an Indian tutor Ajit and his student’s father Misrilal. The characters that appear in this scene are almost cartoon-like. The boy “I” taught is “spherical”; his mother is “cuboid” while his father Misrilal is “ovoid”. What a funny combination of a well-off family! This humorous and sarcastic description immediately arouses the readers’ interest; therefore the author grasps our attention from the very beginning. What will their conversation be about? We readers are curious.
Misrilal looked exceedingly distressed. “A pipe, Ajit Babu? Did you say—a pipe, Ajit Babu?”
His cuboid wife was near to tears. “A pipe, Ajit Babu? How can you live in a pipe?”(56)
Their exaggerating reaction as well as the repeated questioning vividly depicts how surprised the couple is at the answer from Ajit of where he lived. This is a scene both theatrical and typical. A further reading of the story perhaps will enable us to notice that the sharp contrast in social and economic status among the characters makes such a scene particularly sarcastic. The well-off have no idea of the life of the poor. How can they be so blind to each other? We readers might be amused by the couple’s hysterical reaction but we also doubt how it comes about that Ajit live in a pipe! Therefore a further explanation from Ajit is needed and anticipated.
This humorous start has well intrigued the readers to go on reading. The scene that proceeds is a most vivid and detailed description of a fray set in a footpath, which we may find even funnier. “I” and “my wife” Swapna slept on a footpath that is so crowded that one morning “I” woke up to find “I” had one leg over an old woman! So “I paid bitterly for my mistake. The woman very nearly scratched out my eyes. Then came Swapna, fangs bared, claws out…” (56 ) We could not fail to visualize such a funny picture of a poor and miserable husband with two furious women running after him! But after a carefree laugh, prudent readers might discover that the diction here is a little “dehumanizing” which arouses our curiosity. The old woman is described as “a bag of bones” (56), her husband “a hill of man” (56) and Swapna even “fangs bared, claws out…” (56) Words that normally describe lifeless things or even beast are used, which sound ridiculous. However, such a seemingly ridiculous scene really provokes our thinking: what does the author intend to indicate in such a scene? Does this reflect the overall living conditions of the poor Indians? Or does this connote their decreasing in humanity? In asking such questions, it seems, we are really taking another step towards what lies beyond the humor.
Another type of humor which we find in the story lies in the sharp contrast between what the protagonists react in certain situation and what is normally expected is even thought-provoking. And Ajit’s reactions in several occasions are typical examples. For instance, there is clear “exultation” written on his face when he settled in a freight wagon and commented: “…it was heaven, I felt I was God.”(57) Who can imagine that a human being can be so easily and fully satisfied and overjoyed at what we might regard as unbearable confinement. And what was his reaction when he finally settled on the roof? Pretty contend! For now he has a roof that is “flat” “made of cement concrete”, the rent is “far less”(58), “we have far more light and ventilation” and their son “has far more room to play than the children below.” (58) He seems trying to convince others while we readers know clearly the explanation is totally absurd and invalid, which makes the entire situation ridiculous. We are even more surprised at how he mentioned the privilege he got from his handicap: “I don’t mind my handicap at all; I need wear only one sandal and thereby save on footwear.”(59) I suppose no one is willing to exchange one leg for the benefit of saving one shoe. But Ajit just doesn’t mind it “at all”! Unlike the character we usually find in a comic show, which is both humorous and positive, Ajit’s humor stems from his indifference to his own misfortune, from his contention of an almost unbearable situation which is absurd and ridiculous. And it is this absurdity as well as the ridiculousness that at first shocks the readers. After recovering from the shock, they begin to think of the real message that the author intends to convey to them. Why Ajit’s reactions are so different from us? Why they live in a world that seems so strange from ours? Is that absurdity the reality of life? The humorous tone here prompts the readers to ask questions and seek answers from the text.
Some comic scenes are intentionally created by the author to draw our attention to one facet of the society which we may not be familiar with, that is the prevalent belief of Hinduism. For instance, we find such a scene amusing. When Ajit knew that Swapna was pregnant again, he couldn’t help kissing him. But how did he do that? Ajit kissed her wife “on the elbow”(57) but was “roundly chided”(57) and Swapna reproached her husband seriously, “Kissing, she holds, is a western practice, unclean also, since it amounts to licking, and should be eschewed by all good Hindus.”(57) At first we might find her reaction strange and funny, for the humor lies in our ignorance of the belief of Hinduism. Therefore it prompts us to realize the sharp chasm between us in religious belief and ideology. If we have some idea of Hinduism, which is characterized by a belief in reincarnation, then we may come to a better understanding of the Indian society. The Hindus believe that if a person leads a good life, the soul will be born into a higher state. Therefore several scenes depicted in the story may get some proper explanation from a religious perspective. With this belief, Swapna seems sometime so prudent and adamant. With this belief, they can endue poverty and miseries better.
However, Varma does not merely aim at providing the readers with some insights into Hinduism. He invites us, finally, to examine the entire society, through a humorous and absurd picture of it.
In Calcutta the trams are always crowded and if you can’t get into a carriage you may get up on its roof. The conductor will not stop you. If he tries to, the passengers beat him up, set fire to the tram and any other vehicles parked in the vicinity, loot nearby shops, break street lamps, take out a procession, hold a protest meeting, denounce British imperialism, American neo-colonialism, the central government, capitalism and socialism, and set off crackers.(59)
Thanks to the great power of mass-media, we have already been familiar with such a scene in India—buses and even trains with people thronging on the roof. But how can it become the trigger of this long list of ever deteriorating turmoil. It seems absurd. And it certainly is! Beneath the absurdity reveals by the long list, what the author really contrives to display to us is an India society rife with chaos and turmoil. What bears a sense of sarcastic is that the last item of this long and ever upgrading list is “set off crackers”(59), which seems extremely childish when comparing with the serious protests and the violence!
Through in the last paragraph of the story, the tone sounds more contend and quiet rather than humorous, it is still very important for our further understanding of the whole story as well as the humor in the previous paragraphs. In the brief sum-up of his eventful life, Ajit commented with a peaceful and content tone. “But does it matter? We have survived them. And now, we have no fears or anxieties.”(59) So here we come to the understanding that they have “survived” the vicissitudes of life, so they count their blessings when compared with thousands or even more that fail to even maintain themselves. So to some extend the humor in Ajit’s depiction is reasonable. Perhaps we have just felt relieved at this point, and wanted to have a truce with the endless pursuit of the reason of Ajit humor. Whereas the author, it seems, does not propose to let the readers merely satisfied in finding such an explanation. So he continues:
We live very quietly, content to look at the passing scene: a tram burning, a man stabbing another man, a woman dropping her baby in a garbage bin.
Through the author uses the humorous tone throughout the story, the final tone of the story is set as miserable and bleak. This ending is like a melancholy echo which is reverberating in the story and pinching readers’ heart continuously!
To some extent, the intriguing appeal we find in the story stems from the unconventional tone the author used in the story. By manipulating the humorous tone in certain scene, the author exerts certain influence on us through its effect. Sometimes we are attracted; sometimes we come to understand the differences and sometimes we are compelled to raise questions. The humorous tone which is absurd and sarcastic has intrigued the readers to explore the story and go through a process of continuing questioning and examining, from the character to the nature of the humor, from the religious belief to the reality of Indian society. Eventually, what the story leaves us is not only a picture of the Indian society, but sympathy, passion and thoughts, which linger in each readers mind.
May 23, 2007
Draft two
The Humorous Tone in the Grass-Eaters
Living in a world rife with vivid and bloody reports of violence and poverty from the media, we have become immune to miseries; the mass-produced stories that intend to jerk our tears can no longer stir our sympathy. To some extent, we are more callous and less credulous readers who are not easily satisfied.
However we find the story of “The Grass-Eaters” by Krishnan Varma so compelling, in which the author depicted the wretched life of the first-person narrator “Ajit” under the context of Indian society. The miserable life displayed in the story is beyond our imagination, yet the author used a humorous tone throughout the story. So here we may come up with an intriguing question: “why does the author use a humorous tone in such a miserable story? In order to resolve such a problem, let us explore the effect the humorous tone has on us readers.
The story begins with a comic scene --a conversation between the narrator, an Indian tutor Ajit and his student’s father Misrilal. The characters that appear in this scene are almost cartoon-like. The boy “I” taught is “spherical”; his mother is “cuboid” while his father Misrilal is “ovoid”. What a funny combination of a well-off family! This humorous and sarcastic description immediately arouses the readers’ interest; therefore the author grasps our attention from the very beginning. What will their conversation be about? We readers are curious.
Misrilal looked exceedingly distressed. “A pipe, Ajit Babu? Did you say—a pipe, Ajit Babu?”
His cuboid wife was near to tears. “A pipe, Ajit Babu? How can you live in a pipe?”(56)
Their exaggerating reaction as well as the repeated questioning vividly depicts how surprised the couple is at the answer from Ajit of where he lived. This is a scene both theatrical and typical. A further reading of the story perhaps will enable us to notice that the sharp contrast in social and economic status among the characters makes such a scene particularly sarcastic. The well-off have no idea of the life of the poor. How can they be so blind to each other? We readers might be amused by the couple’s hysterical reaction but we also doubt how it comes about that Ajit live in a pipe! Therefore a further explanation from Ajit is needed and anticipated.
This humorous start has well intrigued the readers to go on reading. The scene that proceeds is a most vivid and detailed description of a fray set in a footpath, which we may find even funnier. “I” and “my wife” Swapna slept on a footpath that is so crowded that one morning “I” woke up to find “I” had one leg over an old woman! So “I paid bitterly for my mistake. The woman very nearly scratched out my eyes. Then came Swapna, fangs bared, claws out…” (56 ) We could not fail to visualize such a funny picture of a poor and miserable husband with two furious women running after him! But after a carefree laugh, prudent readers might discover that the diction here is a little “dehumanizing” which arouses our curiosity. The old woman is described as “a bag of bones” (56), her husband “a hill of man” (56) and Swapna even “fangs bared, claws out…” (56) Words that normally describe lifeless things or even beast are used, which sound ridiculous. However, such a seemingly ridiculous scene really provokes our thinking: what does the author intend to indicate in such a scene? Does this reflect the overall living conditions of the poor Indians? Or does this connote their decreasing in humanity? In asking such questions, it seems, we are really taking another step towards what lies beyond the humor.
Another type of humor which we find in the story lies in the sharp contrast between what the protagonists react in certain situation and what is normally expected is even thought-provoking. And Ajit’s reactions in several occasions are typical examples. For instance, there is clear “exultation” written on his face when he settled in a freight wagon and commented: “…it was heaven, I felt I was God.”(57) Who can imagine that a human being can be so easily and fully satisfied and overjoyed at what we might regard as unbearable confinement. And what was his reaction when he finally settled on the roof? Pretty contend! For now he has a roof that is “flat” “made of cement concrete”, the rent is “far less”(58), “we have far more light and ventilation” and their son “has far more room to play than the children below.” (58) He seems trying to convince others while we readers know clearly the explanation is totally absurd and invalid, which makes the entire situation ridiculous. We are even more surprised at how he mentioned the privilege he got from his handicap: “I don’t mind my handicap at all; I need wear only one sandal and thereby save on footwear.”(59) I suppose no one is willing to exchange one leg for the benefit of saving one shoe. But Ajit just doesn’t mind it “at all”! Unlike the character we usually find in a comic show, which is both humorous and positive, Ajit’s humor stems from his indifference to his own misfortune, from his contention of an almost unbearable situation which is absurd and ridiculous. And it is this absurdity as well as the ridiculousness that at first shocks the readers. After recovering from the shock, they begin to think of the real message that the author intends to convey to them. Why Ajit’s reactions are so different from us? Why they live in a world that seems so strange from ours? Is that absurdity the reality of life? The humorous tone here prompts the readers to ask questions and seek answers from the text.
Some comic scenes are intentionally created by the author to draw our attention to one facet of the society which we may not be familiar with, that is the prevalent belief of Hinduism. For instance, we find such a scene amusing. When Ajit knew that Swapna was pregnant again, he couldn’t help kissing him. But how did he do that? Ajit kissed her wife “on the elbow”(57) but was “roundly chided”(57) and Swapna reproached her husband seriously, “Kissing, she holds, is a western practice, unclean also, since it amounts to licking, and should be eschewed by all good Hindus.”(57) At first we might find her reaction strange and funny, for the humor lies in our ignorance of the belief of Hinduism. Therefore it prompts us to realize the sharp chasm between us in religious belief and ideology. If we have some idea of Hinduism, which is characterized by a belief in reincarnation, then we may come to a better understanding of the Indian society. The Hindus believe that if a person leads a good life, the soul will be born into a higher state. Therefore several scenes depicted in the story may get some proper explanation from a religious perspective. With this belief, Swapna seems sometime so prudent and adamant. With this belief, they can endue poverty and miseries better.
However, Varma does not merely aim at providing the readers with some insights into Hinduism. He invites us, finally, to examine the entire society, through a humorous and absurd picture of it.
In Calcutta the trams are always crowded and if you can’t get into a carriage you may get up on its roof. The conductor will not stop you. If he tries to, the passengers beat him up, set fire to the tram and any other vehicles parked in the vicinity, loot nearby shops, break street lamps, take out a procession, hold a protest meeting, denounce British imperialism, American neo-colonialism, the central government, capitalism and socialism, and set off crackers.(59)
Thanks to the great power of mass-media, we have already been familiar with such a scene in India—buses and even trains with people thronging on the roof. But how can it become the trigger of this long list of ever deteriorating turmoil. It seems absurd. And it certainly is! Beneath the absurdity reveals by the long list, what the author really contrives to display to us is an India society rife with chaos and turmoil. What bears a sense of sarcastic is that the last item of this long and ever upgrading list is “set off crackers”(59), which seems extremely childish when comparing with the serious protests and the violence!
Through in the last paragraph of the story, the tone sounds more contend and quiet rather than humorous, it is still very important for our further understanding of the whole story as well as the humor in the previous paragraphs. In the brief sum-up of his eventful life, Ajit commented with a peaceful and content tone. “But does it matter? We have survived them. And now, we have no fears or anxieties.”(59) So here we come to the understanding that they have “survived” the vicissitudes of life, so they count their blessings when compared with thousands or even more that fail to even maintain themselves. So to some extend the humor in Ajit’s depiction is reasonable. Perhaps we have just felt relieved at this point, and wanted to have a truce with the endless pursuit of the reason of Ajit humor. Whereas the author, it seems, does not propose to let the readers merely satisfied in finding such an explanation. So he continues:
We live very quietly, content to look at the passing scene: a tram burning, a man stabbing another man, a woman dropping her baby in a garbage bin.
Through the author uses the humorous tone throughout the story, the final tone of the story is set as miserable and bleak. This ending is like a melancholy echo which is reverberating in the story and pinching readers’ heart continuously!
To some extent, the intriguing appeal we find in the story stems from the unconventional tone the author used in the story. By manipulating the humorous tone in certain scene, the author exerts certain influence on us through its effect. Sometimes we are attracted; sometimes we come to understand the differences and sometimes we are compelled to raise questions. The humorous tone which is absurd and sarcastic has intrigued the readers to explore the story and go through a process of continuing questioning and examining, from the character to the nature of the humor, from the religious belief to the reality of Indian society. Eventually, what the story leaves us is not only a picture of the Indian society, but sympathy, passion and thoughts, which linger in each readers mind.
Essay Draft One
Linda Liu
May, 5 .2007
Draft One
Title
Living in a world which is rife with violence, blood and tears, we are becoming more and more immune to most of the tear—jerking tragedies. So it might not be so surprising that, conversely, the black humour we find in the story of “The Grass—Eaters” by Krishnan Varma is extremely successful in moving us. We get a glimpse of the life of the poorest in India through the humorous narration of Ajit Babu, whereas his life of struggling against various misfortunes was miserable. It is this sharp contrast that intrigues our thinking—why does Krishnan use a humors tone in such a pitiable story?
1.briefly examine the structure of the story. The first part can be regarded as an answer or an explanation from Ajit Babu to Misrilal. The second part is the narrator’s own portrait of his life later on the roof and as a whole. So in the circumstances of a casual conversation, the humourous tone manipulated here is quite unsurprising and understandable.
2.examine the reaction of the reader. “Misrilal looked exceedingly distressed.”(P56). “His cuboid wife was near to tears.”(P56). “How can you live in a pipe?” to some extend, their reaction prefigures we readers’ reaction.
Little sum up: on a whole, the arrangement of the story not only catches the readers’ attention and compels them to read but also adds some credibility from the very beginning.
Search deeper into the context.
3.The character of Ajit Babu is optimistic. “it was heaven, I felt I was God.”(P57) “I found it an intensely thrilling experience”(57) “ I need wear only one sandal…”(59), “we have found it far more comfortable than our previous homes.”(56), and etc.
Transition: But this is not the point I want to emphasize, because by doing so, we are in the danger of interpreting Ajit as a peculiar character that stands out among all the other Indians. In fact, it is the entire social background that the author intends to reflect on.
4.First look at some background information of Hinduism. “kissing, she holds, is a western practice,…and should be eschewed by all good Hindus.”(57). What is more, the Hindus tend to overlook the earthly enjoyment. So what seems to them as reasonable creates a sense of absurdity if we lack the proper understanding of their beliefs. “We have found it far more comfortable than our previous homes.”(56) “it was heaven, I felt I was God.”(P57). “it is not as bad as it sounds.”(58). “I don’t mind my handicap at all.”(59). Under the light of Hinduism beliefs, these details make more sense.
5.Then look at the background of the entire society. I will work on the later part of the story mainly. It reflects the overall situation in rural India. “we have far more light and ventilation than they…”(58). “he has a theory that if you …”(58) “in Calcutta the trams are always crowded … and set off crackers.” “a train burning, a man stabbing …”(59)
So we should not overlook the society that Ajit lives in, thus his presence should be regarded as a typical one that is molded under a peculiar society and the influence of Hinduism belief.
Little sum up: At last, it should be easier for us to understand why Ajit is so optimistic in depicting his “eventful life”. “But does it matter? We have survived them. And now we have no fear or anxieties.”(59) “We live very quietly, content to look at …”(59). They have survive the vicissitudes of life, so they “count their blessings” when compared with thousands or even more that fail to even maintain themselves.
Conclusion
May, 5 .2007
Draft One
Title
Living in a world which is rife with violence, blood and tears, we are becoming more and more immune to most of the tear—jerking tragedies. So it might not be so surprising that, conversely, the black humour we find in the story of “The Grass—Eaters” by Krishnan Varma is extremely successful in moving us. We get a glimpse of the life of the poorest in India through the humorous narration of Ajit Babu, whereas his life of struggling against various misfortunes was miserable. It is this sharp contrast that intrigues our thinking—why does Krishnan use a humors tone in such a pitiable story?
1.briefly examine the structure of the story. The first part can be regarded as an answer or an explanation from Ajit Babu to Misrilal. The second part is the narrator’s own portrait of his life later on the roof and as a whole. So in the circumstances of a casual conversation, the humourous tone manipulated here is quite unsurprising and understandable.
2.examine the reaction of the reader. “Misrilal looked exceedingly distressed.”(P56). “His cuboid wife was near to tears.”(P56). “How can you live in a pipe?” to some extend, their reaction prefigures we readers’ reaction.
Little sum up: on a whole, the arrangement of the story not only catches the readers’ attention and compels them to read but also adds some credibility from the very beginning.
Search deeper into the context.
3.The character of Ajit Babu is optimistic. “it was heaven, I felt I was God.”(P57) “I found it an intensely thrilling experience”(57) “ I need wear only one sandal…”(59), “we have found it far more comfortable than our previous homes.”(56), and etc.
Transition: But this is not the point I want to emphasize, because by doing so, we are in the danger of interpreting Ajit as a peculiar character that stands out among all the other Indians. In fact, it is the entire social background that the author intends to reflect on.
4.First look at some background information of Hinduism. “kissing, she holds, is a western practice,…and should be eschewed by all good Hindus.”(57). What is more, the Hindus tend to overlook the earthly enjoyment. So what seems to them as reasonable creates a sense of absurdity if we lack the proper understanding of their beliefs. “We have found it far more comfortable than our previous homes.”(56) “it was heaven, I felt I was God.”(P57). “it is not as bad as it sounds.”(58). “I don’t mind my handicap at all.”(59). Under the light of Hinduism beliefs, these details make more sense.
5.Then look at the background of the entire society. I will work on the later part of the story mainly. It reflects the overall situation in rural India. “we have far more light and ventilation than they…”(58). “he has a theory that if you …”(58) “in Calcutta the trams are always crowded … and set off crackers.” “a train burning, a man stabbing …”(59)
So we should not overlook the society that Ajit lives in, thus his presence should be regarded as a typical one that is molded under a peculiar society and the influence of Hinduism belief.
Little sum up: At last, it should be easier for us to understand why Ajit is so optimistic in depicting his “eventful life”. “But does it matter? We have survived them. And now we have no fear or anxieties.”(59) “We live very quietly, content to look at …”(59). They have survive the vicissitudes of life, so they “count their blessings” when compared with thousands or even more that fail to even maintain themselves.
Conclusion
Final Timed-writing
06300110092
Linda Liu
June 21, 2007
Final-timed writing
From The Necklace, what might have been the quality of Mme Loisel’s life if she had not lost the necklace? If her life better or worse now?
Life is like a flowing river that goes ever on and on, for there is no way you can modify or revise it after all that has happened. However, the magic of literature has enabled us to contrive various possibilities for the character we have created. So what if Mme Loisel had not lost the necklace?
She might still live in agony. The ecstasy she got from that glorious night could only save her from the agony for one moment, after which a strong feeling of lost would ensue. Neither would she cease the agony, nor find a truce with the vanity that had already rooted in her character and prevented her from a peaceful mind, for the agony stemmed from the great chasm between what she aspired for—an exquisite life style, and what was facing her—the rather disappointing reality. But why could not she endeavor to pursue her dream instead of moaning the reality? For however strong-minded she is, never could she reach beyond the horizon which has already been set by the society she lived in. We have to admit that when facing this reality, efforts from one individual seem so trivial.
Then what about her life now? After the toil and moil in all these ten years, I think Mme Loisel had found a real sense of peace in mind. No matter what kinds of life one lead, one of the crucial things in a good life is a peaceful mind. To my opinion, it can even out-weigh the material enjoyment. In this sense, the life she lives now is better. Ten years of hard work is hash for such a beautiful lady, but it is well enough to dissipate the vanity that had been haunting Mme Loisel. Someone might argue that the tragedy of Mme Loisel’ life lies in the fact that she lost her dream of living a better life, but why can not us think in this way—if this dream is unrealistic or even harmful, isn’t it better to give it up and learn to appreciate what one has got?
Linda Liu
June 21, 2007
Final-timed writing
From The Necklace, what might have been the quality of Mme Loisel’s life if she had not lost the necklace? If her life better or worse now?
Life is like a flowing river that goes ever on and on, for there is no way you can modify or revise it after all that has happened. However, the magic of literature has enabled us to contrive various possibilities for the character we have created. So what if Mme Loisel had not lost the necklace?
She might still live in agony. The ecstasy she got from that glorious night could only save her from the agony for one moment, after which a strong feeling of lost would ensue. Neither would she cease the agony, nor find a truce with the vanity that had already rooted in her character and prevented her from a peaceful mind, for the agony stemmed from the great chasm between what she aspired for—an exquisite life style, and what was facing her—the rather disappointing reality. But why could not she endeavor to pursue her dream instead of moaning the reality? For however strong-minded she is, never could she reach beyond the horizon which has already been set by the society she lived in. We have to admit that when facing this reality, efforts from one individual seem so trivial.
Then what about her life now? After the toil and moil in all these ten years, I think Mme Loisel had found a real sense of peace in mind. No matter what kinds of life one lead, one of the crucial things in a good life is a peaceful mind. To my opinion, it can even out-weigh the material enjoyment. In this sense, the life she lives now is better. Ten years of hard work is hash for such a beautiful lady, but it is well enough to dissipate the vanity that had been haunting Mme Loisel. Someone might argue that the tragedy of Mme Loisel’ life lies in the fact that she lost her dream of living a better life, but why can not us think in this way—if this dream is unrealistic or even harmful, isn’t it better to give it up and learn to appreciate what one has got?
Reading Log
How should we react when science collides with the so-called superstition? And how should we behave when “the civilized” clashes with “the barbaric”? These questions linger in my mind after reading through the story of “The Dead Men’s Path”.
Here is the answer I got from the story, “Let the hawk perch and let the eagle perch!”(54).
The notorious “culture imperialism” has already done much wrong to human's civilization, which is also reflected in this story , Acting on the belief that they are bringing the dominating force of science and technology to the “less-civilized” society, some western countries eradicate other nation’s tradition and culture brutally. Their eagerness and enthusiasm, together with the efforts from some local people, always results in the local people’s blood and tears. The aftermath of this kind of eradication might not show itself immediately, for western education and modern lifestyle do bring the locals higher living standard and more enjoyment. However there is time when the fear and confusion from the local people is looming large, for they realize not only do they cast aside their customs and beliefs, but also put their culture and their own identity at a risk! In this sense, this story could raise the concern of people from different cultures. We should realize that it is not the color of our hair of our eyes and skin that distinguishes us from each other, but the culture in which we are brought up and the value we share. Who am I? Where do I belong? How can we answer such questions if we lost our culture as well as our own identity?
With such an understanding of the vitality of culture, we should always cherish the hope that we can still appreciate the beauty of Greek mythology even if there is nowhere called Olympus; we can still pay tribute to our ancestors even if there is no spirit after death; we can still promote CTM (Chinese traditional medicine) to the other parts of the world even if some of its methods temporarily fail scientific explanation.
No wonder a lot of these beliefs and customs stem from our forefathers totally false assumption of the world, but they have long been woven into our culture and thus acquired a new significance—they bond us together; they guide our spirit back to our home. Too often we tend to overlook or even snore at such ideas, just in the name of science.
There still exists the paradox, and the clashes are never-relenting. But with the rise of more and more nations’ awareness, the attempt of a brutal eradication of culture is doomed to fail, just like the beautiful hedges torn down and trampled by the furious villagers.
Here is the answer I got from the story, “Let the hawk perch and let the eagle perch!”(54).
The notorious “culture imperialism” has already done much wrong to human's civilization, which is also reflected in this story , Acting on the belief that they are bringing the dominating force of science and technology to the “less-civilized” society, some western countries eradicate other nation’s tradition and culture brutally. Their eagerness and enthusiasm, together with the efforts from some local people, always results in the local people’s blood and tears. The aftermath of this kind of eradication might not show itself immediately, for western education and modern lifestyle do bring the locals higher living standard and more enjoyment. However there is time when the fear and confusion from the local people is looming large, for they realize not only do they cast aside their customs and beliefs, but also put their culture and their own identity at a risk! In this sense, this story could raise the concern of people from different cultures. We should realize that it is not the color of our hair of our eyes and skin that distinguishes us from each other, but the culture in which we are brought up and the value we share. Who am I? Where do I belong? How can we answer such questions if we lost our culture as well as our own identity?
With such an understanding of the vitality of culture, we should always cherish the hope that we can still appreciate the beauty of Greek mythology even if there is nowhere called Olympus; we can still pay tribute to our ancestors even if there is no spirit after death; we can still promote CTM (Chinese traditional medicine) to the other parts of the world even if some of its methods temporarily fail scientific explanation.
No wonder a lot of these beliefs and customs stem from our forefathers totally false assumption of the world, but they have long been woven into our culture and thus acquired a new significance—they bond us together; they guide our spirit back to our home. Too often we tend to overlook or even snore at such ideas, just in the name of science.
There still exists the paradox, and the clashes are never-relenting. But with the rise of more and more nations’ awareness, the attempt of a brutal eradication of culture is doomed to fail, just like the beautiful hedges torn down and trampled by the furious villagers.
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