Question

Answer the following questions in 120-150 words:

'A Roadside Stand' and 'Lost Spring' depict two contrasting worlds existing in society.

Justify this statement with reference to the poem 'A Roadside Stand' and the text "The Lost Spring".

You may begin.
Social satire in the two texts portrays two contrastirig worlds that exist in society.

Answer 1

Social satire in the two texts portrays two contrasting worlds that exist in society, as depicted in the poem ''A Roadside Stand" and the text "Lost Spring."

Robert Frost depicts a scene in "A Roadside Stand" where two worlds collide: the farmer's rustic, rural life and the metropolitan, consumerist culture represented by the passing cars. The farmer's children staffing the stand serves as a reminder of the fight for survival in the face of financial adversity. The contrast between the materialism and excess of metropolitan civilization and the simplicity and self-sufficiency of country life is parodied in the poem. The passing drivers are portrayed as cold and uncaring, more focused on their own needs and comforts than the suffering of those less fortunate, while the farmer and his family struggle to make ends meet. Frost critiques the ideals and priorities of contemporary society by highlighting the sharp contrast between these two worlds through his use of wit and irony.

On the other hand, Anees Jung's "Lost Spring" depicts the hard reality that the impoverished citizens of Firozabad, a town well-known for its glassblowing industry, must contend with. The abuse of child labour is revealed in the text, especially with regard to young females like Saheb and Mukesh, who are compelled to work in dangerous jobs in order to provide for their families. Jung emphasizes the sharp contrast between the sparkling glass bangles made in Firozabad and the depressing life of the kids who work in the factories through striking imagery and moving storytelling. The book is a potent critique of the societal unfairness and systematic poverty that afflict Indian society, especially in underprivileged areas where kids are deprived of their childhoods and denied access to education and better prospects for the future.

The writers of "A Roadside Stand" and "Lost Spring," respectively, employ satire to highlight the differences between the haves and the have-nots and to question social conventions. Jung's work highlights the predicament of underprivileged children in India, whereas Frost's poetry concentrates on the contrast between rural and urban life in America. Despite the variations in location and context, both pieces ultimately express the same idea: that society's goals are frequently misplaced and that real progress can only be made when we face and resolve the injustices that sustain misery and inequity.