UNIT
– V
Oh Father,
Dear Father – Raj Kinger
Q1. Why is
the letter written?
Q2. What
is the father’s advice to the writer of the letter?
Q3. Write
brief note on the relationship between the letter writer and his father?
Q4. What
is the letter writer’s perception of literacy?
Q5. How does the letter writer
critique the education system in India? Does he make a convincing argument?
Why/ Why not?
Rahul and his father are poles
apart. Rahul’s father is a typical
rigid-minded Indian parent who believes in high score. He leads a complicated
and boring life. He earns well, believes in the importance of money and has a
set of rules written for his son. He has a specific approach to life and cannot
expect his son to go against his approach. He has an uncompromising attitude
and has always taught his son to be moulded in the mould of his beliefs. He
often asks his son to think twice before studying and before answering the
papers. He scolds his son for losing his first rank.
Rahul, on the other hand, is intelligent
but loves a simple and natural life. He is inspired by the life style of his
grandparents. Rahul learns from his grandparents that peace of mind and
happiness are the most important things in life. For Rahul, practical education
matters more than theoretical examinations. In his opinion, high scores are of
no use if one is unable to put his theoretical knowledge into practice. Real
education is that which comes handy in our day-today life. For instance it
should teach us how to protect our plants from pests, how to fix a fuse or how
to make your own desk using your carpenter tools.
(Rahul’s argument against the
education system in India is quite convincing. He is against the Indian
educational system which is characterized by rote learning without any practical
exposure to the real world. He condemns the emphasis placed on examinations,
marks and ranks.)
Q6. How
did the letter writer’s teacher react to his asking her a question?
Rahul has an unpleasant experience
with his Biology teacher. When his
Rose plant is attacked by pests, Rahul seeks advice of his teacher to save his
plant. But the teacher gets irritated as she thinks it a question out of their
syllabus and asks him to approach a gardener for advice. The teacher serves as
a warning to all those teachers who do not show any interest or reverence
towards their profession and mould the students into mere mechanical objects.
Q7. What
kind of childhood does the letter writer wish he had?
Q8. What
approach did the letter writer’s grandfather have towards studies?
Q9.
Describe the letter writer’s grandparents and their outlooks towards studies
and life.
Rahul loved the peaceful and happy
childhood of his grandparents. Rahul’s
grandfather used to speak of a carefree and beautiful childhood, of the
days when he spent plucking mangoes and guavas from their jameen, of picnics on the banks
of the river where men cooked mouth-watering food and of playing marbles
and gilli danda. During his grandfather’s childhood, studies were only
secondary for our survival. The major subject in their education was living and
experiencing.
Rahul had always found his
grandfather in the right place. He was a man who believed in simplicity in
sharp contrast to Rahul’s father. Rahul asks his father whether his grandfather
was a liar in order to remind him that his grandfather’s life was the one worth
living and not any failure. Seventy years He refers to the 70 years age of his
grandfather and questions his father if the world has turned upside down during
this period. It was during these 70 years that his grandfather had acquired a
load of experience which Rahul considers ideal.
Q10. Why is the letter writer’s
grandmother wise?
Rahul’s
grandmother was semi-literate while his mother
was highly qualified. Yet his grandmother lived a happy and contended life and
was very wise. She took delight in cooking, gardening and reading the Gita.
Rahul’s mother, on the other hand, was always tensed and nervous. Rahul
questions his father whether literacy has become a harbinger of restlessness,
fear and frustration.
Q11. How
did the letter writer lose his first rank?
Q12. What
does the letter writer fear?
Rahul expresses a fear that his rigid schooling will
deprive him of the joy of learning. He tells his father that the over emphasis
on his studies has taken away all his enjoyment from his childhood. He says
that education does not seem to make people happy.
Rahul condemns our educational system and explains
the reason for losing his first rank. It was due to his disagreement with his
teacher regarding an answer in English Grammar. Although the teacher was wrong,
he was adamant that he was correct. Rahul criticizes such an education system
which curbs independent thinking and encourages blind adherence to whatever the
teacher teaches.
No comments:
Post a Comment