Father to Son

The father complains that he does not understand his own child. Though they have lived together for so many years now i.e. since the time of his son’s birth, the father knows nothing of him. The father tries to build up a relationship with his son from the early years, in a manner when his son began to recognize people around, to crawl and to walk in a desperate attempt. 

The father wonders whether he has destroyed the seed of his off-spring or sown it where the land belongs to his heir and none is his.

 Both father and son continue to speak like strangers now and there seem no signs of understanding in the air between the two. 

In traditional belief, the son is created and born to the likings and designs of his father, yet in this case, the father cannot share what his son loves. 

Most of the time silence surrounds them. The father’s greatest wish is for his son to be ‘The Prodigal’ son who will very soon return to his father’s house; the home which he always knew. 

This is definitely the better alternative rather than to see his son move out into the world blindly on his own, by himself and fall into trouble. The father is ready to forgive him at any cost as long as he is able to reshape him up from the long bounded sorrow to a new love.

Both father and son all over the world must learn to live on the same globe and on the same land. The father finally admits that there are times that he cannot understand himself or why his anger grows from grief? However they have learnt to put out each other’s empty hand and with each other’s heart that is longing for something to forgive.

Letter to the Editor (A Sample)

You are Sidhi/ Sanjay of U‐03 G Block Kasturi Nagar Mysore‐Write a letter to the Director NGO Bird Links Society, Bangalore expressing your concern about the decrease in the number of the birds in Delhi.

House No‐ U/03
G Block
Kasturi Nagar
Mysore ‐37

30 June 2011

The Director
NGO Bird Links Society
Bangalore
Karnataka

Sir

Subject: Diminishing number of birds

With deep regret I wish to bring to your kind notice about the decrease in the population of birds in Mysore. Mysore is known to have more than 500 species of birds but many of them are on the verge of extinction.

According to the reports from the recent seminar held on Conservation of Birds, there was a time, when a number of birds would flock to the banks of river Kaveri, Bandipur wild life sanctuary and forested canopy in Mysore. These numbers have come crashing down in the recent years.

The main reasons are rampant construction of buildings, bridges and flyovers, cutting of forests and of course environmental pollution. Many species have become endangered. It is time the people of Mysore were made aware of this grave situation by conducting seminars and workshops.

The locals should be given incentives for preserving the birds. Sanction for the construction of buildings, malls, bridges ands so on should be given only after proper evaluation of the environmental impact of those constructions over the life of species there. Let’s not forget that birds are an important link in the food chain.

I request the government, environmentalists and the society to show their concern before it is too late.

Thanking You
Yours faithfully
Sidhi Sharma

The Address by Marga Minca ( Sample Questions)

Question.1: ‘Have you come back?’ said the woman. ‘I thought that no one had come back.’ Does this statement give some clue about the story? If yes, what is it?

Answer: Yes, the words of this statement made by Mrs. Dorling to the narrator give us many clues about the story.

The given statement shows how the war caused devastation in the lives of the people of Holland. During the pre-war times and when the war was not in its full fury, Mrs. Dorling visited Mrs. S, the narrator’s mother frequently. Mrs. Dorling used to exploit her fears and insecurity. After each visit she took away antiques and other valuable items from the narrator’s mother assuring her that she would keep those things safe during the war. Mrs. S trusted her to take care of the valuables while the narrator was not convinced of Mrs. Dorling’s intentions. The narrator and her mother, Mrs. S had to leave Holland to save their lives during the war. After the war was over, Mrs. S was dead. The narrator came back and went to Mrs. Dorling’s address in search of her mother’s belongings. Mrs. Dorling was shocked and surprised to see narrator standing at her door when she made the above statement. Mrs. Dorling’s statement clearly proves she knew the narrator already although she refused to recognize her. Rather she behaved rudely and unfriendly. This particular behaviour of Mrs. Dorling towards the narrator reveals her uncharitable, unfaithful nature and reluctance to return Mrs. S’s belongings to her daughter, which she had been using all these years.                   

Question.2: Why did the narrator of the story want to forget the address?

Answer: Once the war was over the narrator went to Mrs. Dorling’s address in search of her mother’s belongings. But the woman pretended not to recognize her. Nor does she show any intention of returning the things which she had taken from the narrator’s mother. The narrator was shocked to see the ‘nice belongings’ of her mother lying unceremoniously in unpleasant surroundings in Mrs. Dorling’s house. She felt nostalgic and resolved that she would not try to possess them. Their true owner was no longer in this world and the things seemed to have lost their worth. She felt that it was better to forget the address of the uncharitable Mrs. Dorling, which symbolizes a tragic past.  

Question.3 ‘The Address’ is a story of human predicament that follows war. Comment.  

Answer: War brings with it death and destruction. Marga Minco’s short story “The Address” describes human predicament that follows war. War in Holland had caused an upheaval in the lives of its people. People lost their lives, properties and homes. Mrs. S too was a victim of war. Even before the war was in its full fury, Mrs. S felt insecure and afraid of losing her home and valuables. Her situation was exploited by her acquaintance Mrs. Dorling, who took away the valuable items and antiques assuring that she would keep them safe until the war was over. In fact, Mrs. Dorling had no intentions of returning the valuables as she was sure that Mrs. S and her family would not survive the war. So when the narrator, Mrs. S’s daughter, went to Mrs. Dorling’s house to claim those articles to which her mother’s precious memories were associated, she became surprised to see the narrator, at her address, 46 Marconi Street and even pretended not to recognize her. The narrator was shocked to see the ‘nice belongings’ of her mother lying unceremoniously in unpleasant surroundings in Mrs. Dorling’s house. She felt nostalgic and the things appeared to have lost their worth in absence of their true owner. Therefore, she decided to leave those things and forget the address forever.

Thus the story presents the upheaval in the lives of the narrator and her mother caused by the war. The story shows how war brings a dehumanizing effect on human beings. It kills the finer feelings of love and sympathy. It makes man cruel and selfish.