CHAPTER 1: VANKA (SHORT STORY) 

1. Summary / Essay:

Anton Chekov’s Vanka is the story of a nine year old orphan boy from a small village. His grandfather brings him to Moscow as an apprentice to Alyakhin, the shoemaker. Then, the protagonist Vanka faces a lot of difficulties here. Thus, on the Christmas eve, sad Vanka secretly beginsto write a letter to his only granddad.



Vanka’s grandfather Konstantin Makarich is a night watchman on the estate of a gentlefolk called Zhivarev. He is a small, lean, old man about sixty-five. But, he is lively and agile with a smiling face and bleary eyes. In the daytime he either slept in the kitchen or sat joking with the cooks. In the night he put on a sheepskin coat and walked around the estate sounding his rattle. His two dogs old Kashtanka and Eel followed him. Eel was adept at stealing. Grandfather wore felt boots and hugged himself against the cold. He gave snuff to women and even to the dogs. When women sneezed with his snuff and he laughed and shouted ‘Good for frozen noses’.

In Moscow, Vanka’s master Alyakhin, his mistress and other apprentices tortured him severely. His master took to his hair, dragged him into the yard and also beat him. Master punished him because by mistake he went to sleep while rocking the baby. One day his mistress rubbed his face with the head of a herring. The other apprentices made fun of him and sent him for vodka. Master beat Vanka when he stole cucumber for them. They did not give him tea or cabbage soup. They gave him only gruel for dinner and bread in the morning and evening. Vanka had to sleep in the passage. He lost sleep when the baby cried.

Vanka remembers his happy life in the village. He thinks of the Christmas day celebrations too with his friends and grandfather. When his mother Pelageya was alive, Vanka’s favourite Olga Ignetyevna used to give him sweets, teach him to read, write, count to hundred and even to dance the quadrille. When his mother died, his grandfather sent him to Moscow. Thus he is here. In his letter, Vanka begs his grandfather to escape him from this miserable life. This life is worse than a dog’s. He is ready to pray and grind snuff for grandfather. He will look after him when he grows up. He will go as a shepherd-boy instead of Fedya. Thus, after posting his letter to granddad, Vanka was fast asleep. He dreamed of his cheerful days in his village.

2. Character sketch of Vanka:

Vanka is a nine year old boy from a small village. He is the protagonist of the story. He lived with his mother Pelageya who was working at a big house. When his mother died, Vanka was sent to his grandfather Konstantin Makarich. His grandfather brings him to Moscow as an apprentice to Alyakhin, the shoemaker. Here, Vanka leads a miserable life. His master, mistress and other apprentices tortured him severely. He wishes to escape to his village. Thus, on a Christmas eve, sad Vanka secretly writes a letter to his only grandfather. After posting the letter with no address, Vanka falls asleep and dreams of a happy life.

3. Character sketch of Konstantin Makarich:

Vanka’s grandfather Konstantin Makarich is a night watchman on the estate of a gentlefolk called Zhivarev. He is a small, lean, old man about sixty-five. But, he is lively and agile with a smiling face and bleary eyes. In the daytime he either slept in the kitchen or sat joking with the cooks. In the night he put on a sheepskin coat and walked around the estate sounding his rattle. His two dogs old Kashtanka and Eel followed him. Eel was adept at stealing. Grandfather wore felt boots and hugged himself against the cold. He gave snuff to women and even to the dogs. When women sneezed with his snuff and he laughed and shouted ‘Good for frozen noses’.

4. Letter to the editor:

‘Oasis’
Kannur Post, Kerala
25 June 2018
The Editor
The Hindu, Kochi

Sir,

Subject: Miserable life of the Child Labourers
I would like to bring your attention to the problems of child labour in my locality. Many children lead a miserable life here.There is a fish market in my area. Many children under 14 are working here.They have continuous work of 12 hours. They don’t get leave from their master. These child labourers aretreated as animals. Undoubtedly, they are leading a miserable life. Society denied them proper education.

Police registered many complaints against this child labour. But they did not take strict action till this moment. It is high time we protested against this injustice. If you publish this letter in your news paper the higher authorities will notice this. Thus, they can take immediate action and save these innocent children.
Yours truly,
Fidal

CHAPTER 2: MOTHER TO SON (POEM) 


Appreciation of the poem ‘Mother to Son’:

The poem ‘Mother to Son’ was written by the noted Black American poet Langston Hughes. The poem has the theme of perseverance. The poem is a monologue written in the Afro-American dialect.

The simple and straight forward poem ‘Mother to Son’ is structured in the form of a conversation between a mother and her son. The mother reminds the boy that life is not a crystal stair. The mother and son are the members of the Black. The mother had passed a very difficult path in her life. So she advises her son to go ahead in life. Though their life is difficult in the white dominant society, he should not to turn back in life.

Through simple imagery the poet conveys the idea of hope. The central image of the poem is the ‘crystal stair’. The life is compared to a crystal staircase. It is the use of a metaphor. The poem is written in free verse and has lyrical quality. The poem conveys a great message. The stairway is a path to freedom and liberation. This freedom was the goal of the African Americans.

CHAPTER  3: THE CASTAWAY (SHORT STORY) 



Summary

On a rainy evening on the banks of the Ganges, Sharat and Kiran, a husband and wife, started quarrelling in their riverside house. As Kiran had fallen ill, people advised Sharat and his mother to take Kiran to her home for a change. But Sharat and his mother took Kiran to a riverside house till she recovered. Kiran believed she had recovered and wanted to go back. Sharat wanted her to reside there for some more days. That was the reason of their quarrel.

Then they heard a call, and they went out to see a boy named Nilkanta. He had just survived from an upturned boat. He was a member of a drama group. Kiran welcomed him by giving him dress and milk to drink. She felt happy with his company. Sharat and his mother also felt happy that Kiran would continue living there. But Nilkanta made company with some naughty boys in the neighbourhood and made a village stray dog his pet. Sharat and his mother began to dislike Nilkanta, and they wished his departure from the house. But still, Kiran enjoyed his company. One day, Sharat’s younger brother Satish came there. Kiran and satish were engaged in merry making. Nilkanta felt ignored. He wanted to take revenge on Satish. He took satish’s inkstand to throw it into the river as a revenge. Satish quarrelled with Nilkanda over his missing inkstand and called him thief.

Both Nilkanda and Kiran felt sorry. Then, they planned to return to their native village. Kiran wanted to gift Nilkanta something because they were leaving him. She opened his box to place the gift and found the missing inkstand inside it. Nilkanta came there and saw Kiran holding the inkstand. He realized that he could not prove his innocence, and he left the house.