Glimpses of Greatness

Success is the fruit of hard work, perseverance, inspiration, motivation and an unyielding mentality. One has to grab the chances that are presented and it may never come back.

Greatness is partially achieved through hard work and the will to conquer great heights.

Abe’s First Speech:

1. What made little Abe stand on the dry good box and deliver the speech?

One Abe and his friend Dennis Hanks heard the political speech made by a typical campaign orator. Neither were impressed. At the end of the speech Dennis Hanks declared that his friend could make a better speech. He brought a dry good box and asked Abe to reply to the Campaign Orator. Abe made a fine speech and the crowd as well as the politician were impressed. It was Dennis Hank’s motivation and encouragement that made Abe make his first Speech.

2. Some people take the initiative, while others do not dare to showcase their talents. All are born with talents. What do you think the reasons for people do not take opportunities presented to them?

· Fear (stage fright)

· Lack of opportunity

· Lack of confidence

· Lack of motivation

· Laziness

· Thought of what others will think

3. Have you ever faced a similar situation to that of Abraham Lincoln? How did you react? Narrate an incident from your life when you got on the stage to make a performance. How did you feel when you made preparations, got on the stage, and when you finished the performance?

Character Sketch of Ajit and Nomita from Matchbox

Character Sketch of Nomita Nomita in the story Matchbox written by Ashapurna Debi is a typical Indian housewife who is bound to sacrifice many of her ambitions and hopes and be enslaved in the kitchen. Ashapurna Debi portrays her colorless – without the hues of a happy life. Her widowed mother thinks that she is successful in consigning her daughter to a rich family which is not on the merit of finance but by looks alone. Nomita expects a minimum freedom of reading the letters addressed to her. Her husband seems to be dubious about the letters when he tries to read it without her consent. It is true what Ashapurna Debi says about Nomita and women in general that they are like matchboxes settled at the corners of the house with their hidden power to explode at any time. Nomita follows the example of a matchbox and she burns with anger when she is helpless. To break the shackles of marital slavery she is rea...

The Price of Flowers: Notes

1. Why was the narrator’s attention drawn to the English girl? Mr. Gupta, an Indian, visiting England, once went to a Vegetarian restaurant. He saw an English girl of 13 or 14, sitting opposite to him, watching him with interested surprise. But she turned her eyes away as soon as he looked at her. The girl’s interest in him drew his attention. 2. What is your impression of the girl? The girl, Maggie, is a teenager from a poor family. Her clothes betray her poverty. Her large eyes with a sorrowful expression move our minds. When she saw the narrator, her belief that an Indian, who is a yogi, can find something about her brother through the crystal ring and that is why she watches him so closely. Then she asks the cashier to find out if he is an Indian and if he comes to that particular restaurant all the time....

Matchbox By Ashapurna Debi : Summary

Matchbox Ashapurna Debi “Matchbox”, is written by Ashapurna Debi, a Bengali Novelist. It tells the story of Ajit and Nomita , young married couple. The story narrates the unhealthy man-woman relationship existing in most Indian families. Ashapurna Debi, in the beginning of the story compares women to matchboxes. Matchboxes have the potential to light up everything into fire. The tiny bit of gunpowder in it can burn down a hundred Lankas, she says. But in appearance, they are meek and harmless. You can place the matchbox in the kitchen, pantry, bedroom, in pocket or anywhere without fear. We know that it won’t cause a fire by itself. It is the same with women. They also appear to be meek and harmless. Men treat the like matchboxes. Men don’t fear women and take them lightly. But Ashapurna Debi tells us that if they want, they can set everything into fire within no time. The central character of the story is Nomita. Her husband Ajit has the habit of opening his wife’s letters a...

Horegallu : Character Sketches of Grandfather and Ratna

Horegallu Sudha Murthy Horegallu is a stone bench, placed on road sides. Travellers and farmers working in nearby fields could take a little rest on the horegallu. They were usually placed under trees like banyan which provide much needed shade and relief. Cool water would also be made available in earthen pots for the weary travellers. They could put down the burden they carry, rest for a while, refresh themselves, exchange the news of the road with fellow travellers, share their worries and difficulties, and later continue their journey. Character Sketches of Grandfather and Ratna Grandfather was retired schoolteacher. He used to sit under the banyan tree, in the village and talk to those resting there. They were mostly farmers working in the field nearby or long distance travellers. He used to listen to their worries and hardships patiently. Talking to him used to refresh the travellers and they would pick up their burden once again and continue their journey. Ratna ...

And Then Gandhi Came : Notes

And Then Gandhi Came 1. What is referred to as the “all-powerful monster”? The brutal, oppressive and humiliating British colonial rule that denied the Indian people the right to live respectfully is referred as all powerful monster . 2. What was the impact of the First World War? The first world war had already caused enough suffering in the Indian sub-continent. The Indian soldiers fought alongside with the British forces. When the war ended, the people thought that the British would be more lenient but they humiliated the people with more oppressive legislations and imposed martial rule in the Province of Punjab. People thought that they had become a derelict nation and felt hopeless and helpless. Unemployment and poverty worsened. 3. How does Nehru describe the coming of Gandhiji? Jawaharlal Nehru describes the coming of Gandhiji in beautiful words. He co...

Character Sketch of Maggie

Character Sketch: Maggie Maggie is the central character in the story "The Price of Flowers" written by Prabhat Kumar Mukhopadhyay. Maggie’s or Alice Margaret Clifford, is a young English girl of 13 or 14 years of age whom Mr. Gupta meets in a restaurant. Her clothes betray her poverty. Her hair hung in a heavy stream down her back. She had large eyes with a sad expression. She works in a shop close the restaurant as a typist. She goes to the restaurant only on Saturdays because Saturday is pay day. Maggie is hardworking. She lives with her old mother in a small house in the poor neighbourhood of Lambeth. Her only brother, Francis, is in the army and he is in India. She loves her brother very much and he too loves her. She loves her mother. She nurses her when she is sick. She is very disciplined and has polite manners. Maggie is not happy with her work in the shop. She says it is a mechanical job. She wants a job in which her brain can be used. When she gets a better ...

The Sacred Turtles of Kandavu

The Sacred Turtles of Kandavu A Fijian Legend 1. What is a legend? A legend is a very old story or set of stories from ancient times about famous events or persons. These stories are not always true . 2. Where does the story “The Scared Turtles of Kandavu” take place? The legend of the sacred turtles of Kandavu takes place in the Fijian island of Namuana. 3. Fiji: Fiji, a country in the South Pacific, is an archipelago (group of islands) of more than 300 islands. It's famed for rugged landscapes, palm-lined beaches and coral reefs with clear lagoons. 4. How, according to the legend, did the warriors of Kadavu save themselves a long journey by sea? The Fijian islands are surrounded by sea. The legends says that the warriors of Kadavu saved the time for a long journey by sea, by sliding their canoes on rollers up over the na...

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The Sacred Turtles of Kandavu