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प्रश्न
From the library or Internet, read the story ‘How much land does a man need?’ by Leo Tolstoy and write a review of the same, covering the following points.
- Background of the story
- Characters
- Plot/Theme
- Climax
- Message/Moral
| If necessary, the students can read the same story two or three times to understand all the points. |
उत्तर
Background of the story:
Leo Tolstoy wrote "How much land does a man need?" against the backdrop of massive changes in the 19th century in Russia. Until the emancipation of Russian serfs by Czar Alexander II, the peasants were virtual slaves of landowners and aristocrats, Tolstoy wrote this story after the Serfs had already got their freedom for 25 years. They now had rights and their own land. There was progress among the peasants but Tolstoy was apprehensive about whether the peasants' progress brought changes they would regret. This story brings a harsh warning of unchecked materialism which is clearly established through the fate of Pahom, the protagonist of the story, and his sad, untimely death.
Characters - Pahom (the protagonist), his wife, his sister-in-law, the Bashkirs, and the Devil.
Plot/Theme - Pehom, a Russian peasant, overhears his wife and her sister having an argument over whether it is better to live in the country or the city. This lands Pahom to make the dangerous declaration that if he had just enough land, he would not even fear the Devil. The Devil hears this boast and decides to put this to the test and exploits the greed of Pahom. The story relates to Pahom's success in buying land, yet also his dissatisfaction.
Climax - Pahom comes to know about the Bashkir region where very fertile land can be purchased very cheaply. The Bashkirs agree to sell him for 1000 roubles, as much land as he can pace off in a day as long as he returns before the end of the day to the starting point. Pahom walks far, trying to get as much as land as possible, but when he sees more fertile land ahead of him, greed overtakes his senses and he keeps walking further and further away without realizing it would be difficult for him to return to the starting point. In his rush to get back to the starting point. In his rush to get back to the starting point which he succeeds in, he collapses and dies. When he dies the Baskhins ask Pahoms servant to bury him on the same land and he ends up with six feet of land, enough to bury him instead of all the land that he had acquired.
Message/Moral:
The story tells us about the destructive consequences of human ambition & greed. The message is clear, a warning against biting off more than you can chew. The story shows us how human nature pushes us to want more and more. We are never content, no matter how well off we may be. While trying to improve our standard of living, we put ourselves in danger of ending up with nothing, It gives us the message, how greed and excessive desire for earthly desires can destroy a person.
APPEARS IN
संबंधित प्रश्न
Read the passage given in question 4(A) and write a summary of it in a paragraph. Suggest a suitable title.
There are various ways of incorporating other writers’ works into your own writing. They differ according to the closeness of your writing to the source writing. Match the ways of writing in brief given in column (A) with their descriptions in column (B).
| Sr. no. | (A) Ways of writing | (B) Descriptions | |
| 1. | Summarising | a. | It includes not just the main idea but every detail expressed clearly and to the point |
| 2. | Paraphrasing | b. | It includes selection of proper lines from the given text for correction, condensation and organization |
| 3. | Précis writing | c. | It includes the most essential part or the crux of the matter. |
| 4. | Quoting | d. | It includes taking a broader segment of the source and condensing it slightly. |
| 5. | Editing | e. | It includes the presentation of main ideas into one’s own words. |
| 6. | Gist writing | f. | It must be identical to the original and match the document word by word. |
Cut redundant words:
We’re often inefficient in our language, using more words than necessary. Consider the following phrases. Find five more redundant words.
- “Circle around” can become “circle.”
- “Write down” can become “write.”
- “Added bonus” is simply a “bonus.”
- “Get to the point as quickly as possible” is really “get to the point.”
- “Close proximity” is “close.”
- “During the course of” is “during.”
Adverbs clutter up your copy. You can usually live without them. Just delete italicized word and rewrite.
“That’s usually a good thing to do.”
Adverbs clutter up your copy. You can usually live without them. Just delete italicized word and rewrite.
“I totally agree.”
Transforming Complex to Simple: By using phrases like ‘too...to’ or using noun phrase instead of a clause:
Nagpur is the city where oranges grow.
- Oranges grow in Nagpur
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- The old man is too weak to walk.
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You have to prove that you are innocent.
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Summary Writing
Read the above passage and write a summary of it in a paragraph. Suggest a suitable title.
Prepare a summary of the extract given in Q. 2 (A). Give it a suitable title. You may use the following points :
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Read the following passage and write the summary of the following in a paragraph. Suggest a suitable title for it.
|
You are endowed with certain naughtiness as a child. Keep it alive. Humour will lighten all tough situations. One who has humour can sail through any conflict. Humour is buffer that saves you from humiliation. Humour brings everyone together, while humiliation tears them apart. In a society tom with humiliation and inSult, humour is like a breath of fresh air. Humour should be coupled with care and concern. Humour can keep the spirit high, yet if overdone, it leaves a bad taste. Humour without wisdom is shallow. |
Write a summary of the above extract with a suitable title, with the help of the given points/hints.
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