Understanding ‘On the Face of It’ and ‘My Mother at Sixty-Six’
Understanding ‘On the Face of It’
Q1: Why is Derek Startled as Soon as He Enters the Garden?
A1: Derek enters Mr. Lamb’s garden by climbing over the boundary wall, believing there is no one in the garden. But no sooner does he land on the ground than he hears Mr. Lamb, the owner’s words, “Mind the apples!”. The presence of Mr. Lamb thus startles Derek.
Q2: What Terrible Complex Does Derek Suffer From?
A2: One side of Derek’s face was severely burned by acid. As a result, he looked very ugly. Nobody
Read MoreTypes of Novels: A Comprehensive Classification
Types of Novels
1. Bucolic or Pastoral Novels
Written in a tone of simplicity and inspired caste, these novels idealize characters and their environment. They describe the loves of shepherds living in a benign and gentle natural setting.
2. Byzantine Novels
Characterized by the accumulation of implausible adventures and episodes, including travel, shipwrecks, findings, and disappearances.
3. Picaresque Novels
These novels tell the colorful life stories of thieves, thugs, gamblers, and vagabonds—in a
Read MoreHindi: National Language of India and Linguistic Diversity
Is Hindi the National Language of India?
Yes, Hindi is suitable to be the national language of the country. Here’s why:
- Hindi is one of the major languages of the world and is spoken globally.
- Hindi is a reflection of our culture and traditions.
- Hindi is an ancient, rich, and simple language.
- Hindi is written in the Devanagari script, which is the world’s most scientific writing system.
However, no language has been given the status of a national language in India. The Constitution does not give any language
Read MoreUnderstanding Words: Structure, Types, and Morphology
Unit 2: Problems with the Term “Word”
The term word is central to lexicology and linguistic studies in general.
Words in Writing
The orthographic criterion defines words as sequences of letters that are preceded and followed by blank spaces. There are some words that are not a single word but two orthographic words which appear together. We call them “compounds” (a word formation process whereby a new word is formed by combining two or more simple words) because a hyphen makes clear its status as a
Read MoreStandard Language Ideology and Variations in English
Standard Language Ideology in the Inner Circle
The term “Standard Language” refers to the variety considered to be the norm:
- Considered optimum for educational purposes because there is just one.
- A prestige variety, associated with ideology, spoken by a minority of people within a society (positions of power).
- Life and power on its own, from which other dialects deviate.
- Prescriptive languages have rules taught in education.
- Dynamicity of language leads to changes of rules over time.
- The language changes
Transcendentalism, Symbolism, and Society in Hawthorne’s Works
Transcendentalism in Hawthorne’s The Scarlet Letter
Transcendentalism, a movement emphasizing divinity in all things, profoundly influenced Nathaniel Hawthorne. He subtly integrates its ethics into The Scarlet Letter, blending transcendentalist ideals with his Puritan upbringing. Transcendentalism, defined as a belief in knowledge beyond human reason, was influenced by Deism and Romanticism. It values self-reliance, individualism, and nature, positing a direct link between the universe and the individual
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