Wednesday, July 14, 2010

How to Understand the Theme of 'To the Indian Who Died in Africa' by T.S. Eliot

Solved Essay Type Question of 10 Marks: ‘To the Indian Who Died in Africa’ by T.S. Eliot

Posted in Free ICSE English Resources Blog on 14.07.2010

Linked to Blog given in ‘write-better-speak-better’ on 14.07.2010

Q. State briefly the theme of the poem.

The poem contains a number of themes and layers of thoughts so characteristic of a poet like Eliot’s stature.

That pursuing actions in one’s life with absolute detachment without any concern for the fruits of one’s labour is the main theme of this rather complex poem. Eliot, who was an extraordinary poet as well as a scholar, seems to be inspired by the sayings of the Bhagavad-Gita while choosing this theme. The soldiers’ sense of duty made him willingly go to Africa where some of them laid down their lives with this philosophy in their heart. As a result, the foreign land where they died in the course of performing their duty becomes their home and the country of their birth becomes an alien land. Their sublime action would bring its own reward though they would not know it.

Again the canon of Selfless Action or Nishkam Karma is another thematic element of the poem. It is in the spirit of selfless action that the soldiers go wherever his duty demands him to be. Some of them get killed abroad far away from their home but their self-sacrifice not only render them immortal in the memory of their people but also make their souls face the day of ‘The Last Judgement’ (The Old Testament) with their heads held high.

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Sunday, July 11, 2010

Appropriate Words: Prepositions and Adverbs

Please study the following sentences paying special attention to the appropriate words which are underlined. Please remember that in certain cases, these appropriate words are more closely related to usage than to grammar and it is only these fitting words which add punch to the expressions.

1. The moneylender has fortunately written off the poor man’s debt. (cancelled)

2. The politician’s fiery speech worked up the rustic audience. (excited)

3. The technician is working at a new project. (trying to innovate)

4. Enraged by his son’s shameful act, the father had walked/of the house though he came back after a few days to be in control once again. (left)

5. The star player of the Spanish football team was injured and so didn’t turn up for practice. (appeared)

6. His mentor (guru) turned against him because of his unsteady habits. (became hostile)

7. My boss works very hard but it tells upon his health. (affect)

8. The pupil who has been neglecting her studies, was told off by the Headmistress. (rebuked)

9. She could not help taking his unkind remarks to heart and fell crying. (grieved)

10. Ulysses never failed to take on the challenges that came his way. (face)

11. It is not a good practice to take everyone to confidence in every matter. (trust)

12. Take heart and try again. (be encouraged)

13. The villagers initially took the robbers for

policemen because they were wearing khaki uniforms. (regarded as)

14. Sons and daughters often take after their parents. (resemble)

15. A true friend should stand by his buddy in times of difficulties. (support)

16. The abbreviation CV stands for curriculum vitae. (represents)

17. Be up and doing and always be prepared to stand against injustice. (resist)

18. Some of the audience who were standing up shut out our view. (blocked)

19. The head of the committee set down the points raised by some members. (recorded)

20. He always sets about his tasks after careful planning.

The same lesson and other paper I and II solved lessons are available at

Write Better Speak Better

and at

ICSE and ISC English India

Wednesday, July 7, 2010

As You Like It - Answer to Contextual Question Act II Scene I

Solved Contextual Questions

Extract: Here feel we but the penalty of Adam,

The seasons’ difference, as, the icy fang

And churlish chiding of the winter’s wind;

Which, when it bites and blows upon my body,

Even till I shrink with cold, I smile and say

‘This is no flattery: these are counsellors

That feelingly persuade me what I am.’

Sweet are the uses of adversity,

Which like a toad, ugly and venomous,

Wears yet a precious jewel in his head;

i) Where does this scene take place? Who are present at the scene? What has made them to come to the place?

The scene takes place in the Forest of Arden.

The Duke senior, Amiens and other Lords, dressed like Foresters, are present at the scene.

The usurping Duke Frederick, who has banished the Duke senior, forces him to take refuge here. Amiens and the other Lords, who are all loyal to the Duke senior, have followed him to Arden as they immensely dislike the vile and wicked Frederick.

ii) Give the meaning of:

a) The seasons’ difference: punishment consisted in the change of seasons on the earth.

b) That feelingly persuade me: teach me through my senses.

c) And churlish chiding of the winter’s wind: the icy sting and the severe buffeting of the winter wind.

iii) Who was Adam? What is referred to as the penalty of Adam?

Adam was the first human male created by God.

The penalty of Adam consists of the hardships suffered by him due to the change of seasons. Having disobeyed God’s command, Adam and Eve (his female companion) were expelled from the Garden of Eden, his original home. According to the Bible, only one season, namely the balmy spring, prevailed on earth before the fall of the first two human beings whom God had created after His image.

iv) What inconvenience is caused to the Duke by the harsh weather? Why does he call such inconveniences as counsellors?

The severe buffeting of the winter wind makes the Duke shiver with cold. It seems to pierce his flesh and bones when his old limbs begin to shrink with cold.

Such inconveniences appear to him as counsellors because the severity of the elements here does not hide itself under any false show of warmth following the example of the courtiers who falsely flatter their sovereign. On the contrary, these cold winds are the wise advisors who make him realize how frail he is.

v) By referring to the extract, compare the Duke’s life in the court with his life in the forest.

Whereas the Duke’s life in the court was constrained, calculated and full of rivalry and hypocrisy, his life in the forest is free from the political intrigues (manoeuvrings), and perils of the court life. The Duke feels that even the hardships of nature in the forest are kinder than flatterers and false counsellors of the court.

vi) Give two traits of the Duke’s character as highlighted in the extract.

The two traits that the Duke demonstrates in the extract are his philosophical attitude toward life’s reversals and a sense of adaptability which makes it possible for him to live contentedly in the Forest of Arden in spite of all the inconveniences that he has to suffer there.

Tuesday, July 6, 2010

As You Like It: Act I / Scene III - Solved Write a Brief Note Type Questions

Q. Duke Frederick banishes Rosalind from his dukedom. How do the following respond to the punishment?

a) Rosalind

Rosalind responds to her punishment firmly and yet with a calmness of mind that further endears this charming lady to us. She is no longer the submissive Rosalind as we knew her but turns to be quite assertive when it comes to the question of her father’s honour. She goes to great length to prove that she is not a traitor, talking reasonably and precisely all the time and in the process, exposes the malicious biasness of her wicked uncle toward her. Her polite assertion that Duke Frederick should not treat her poverty and wretchedness as signs of her treason shows how balanced and self-possessed as a person she is.

b) Celia

The young lady, who is fiercely loyal to her cousin Rosalind, at first, pleads her father to repeal the banishment on her (Rosalind) but when this goes unheeded by the wicked Frederick, she boldly admonishes her father for his spiteful deeds toward the Duke Senior and his incomparable daughter. Celia’s totally identifying with Rosalind’s woes and giving her whole-hearted support to her cousin at the risk of attracting her father’s displeasure, wins our admiration. Celia suggests that Rosalind and she should go to meet the banished Duke in the forest of Arden, and this shows how resourceful she is.

Q. Briefly show the intimate bond that exists between Celia and Rosalind.

That an intimate bond exists between the two cousins, is proved time and again by the way the two princesses extend their love and support to each other. Celia begs her father to allow Rosalind to stay in the court and even threatens him that she would accompany Rosalind if she is banished. On the other hand, Rosalind demonstrates her caring and concern for Celia by always discussing with her candidly and honestly all that could affect their lives favourably or adversely.

Sunday, July 4, 2010

As You Like It / Act I Scene III / Solved Short Notes Type Question

1. Give the reasons which made Duke Frederick to banish Rosalind.

The malicious and vindictive Duke feels that Rosalind’s personality would

eclipse Celia’s virtues and this is the primary reason of his banishing Rosalind

from his court. There is perhaps another fact which further fires his vindictive

nature. He suspects Rosalind’s attraction for Orlando, the son of his enemy. The

man who had earlier kept Rosalind at the court to give company to his daughter

and used to call her ‘daughter and cousin’ now feels otherwise. Duke Frederick is

strongly motivated to hate Rosalind for the same reason which made Oliver to

hate Orlando. This strong motivation comes to the fore when we hear him speak

to Celia in the following manner.

“Thou art a fool; she robs thee of thy name,

And thou wilt show more bright and seem more virtuous

When she if gone.”

2. How does the scene show that Celia and Rosalind are very responsible young

ladies?

The firm yet polite way in which Rosalind tries to protect his father’s

honour, clearly demonstrates her sense of propriety and responsibility. She shows

her affection for her father when she says that her father is not a traitor and treachery

is not something that is inherited by children from their fathers. Her calm assertion

that her uncle should not use her poverty and helplessness for branding her as a

betrayer wins our admiration. On the other hand Celia’s unflinching (unwavering)

loyalty to Rosalind shows that she too is a responsible girl. She appeals to her father

for repealing the punishment so unethically thrust upon her and even threatens him

that she would accompany Rosalind if she is banished. Again the way the two sisters

devise a way to escape from the clutches of the cruel Duke, and the common sense

with which they execute their plan, could not have happened without being

their being conscientious and responsible.

Friday, July 2, 2010

ICSE Drama As You Like It Act I Scene III Solved Contextual Question

Extract 3

Duke Frederick: Ay, Celia; we stay’d her for your sake:

Else had she with her father rang’d along.

Celia: I did not then entreat to have her stay;

It was your pleasure and your own remorse.

I was too young at that time to value her;

But now I know her; if she be a traitor,

Why so am I; we still have slept together,

Rose at an instant, learn’d, play’d, ate together;

And wheresoe’er we went, like Juno’s swans,

Still we went coupled and inseparable.

i) Why did Duke Frederick detain Rosalind from accompanying her banished father?

He did so to let her be a companion to his daughter Celia who he knew loved

and cherished Rosalind like anything. Besides he perhaps realized that he would double

his sin if he banished the poor girl too in addition to his noble elder brother whom he

forced to leave the dukedom so unceremoniously.

ii) What does ‘pleasure’ and ‘remorse’ mean? What was the ‘pleasure’ and ‘remorse’

of the Duke for keeping Rosalind back at the court?

The contextual meaning of ‘pleasure’ is self-interest here. The meaning of

‘remorse’ is the feeling of guilt which the usurper felt after banishing his elder brother.

Duke Frederick was pleased to keep back Rosalind because it will make Celia

happy and as a father it was but natural for him to take such an action. His ‘remorse’

was born the moment he expelled his elder brother because no man can expel his

conscience from his heart.

iii) Give the significance of the expression Juno’s swans. How have the cousins lived

like Juno’s swans?

The expression signifies the inseparability of the two cousins just like Juno’s

swans which draw the chariot of Venus, the goddess of love and beauty.

The cousins, like the Juno’s swans which always live together, have always

kept together, have risen from bed at the same moment, have studied together, played

together, eaten together, and gone everywhere together.

iv) According to the Duke, what would happen if Rosalind were to continue to live

in the Duke’s court?

As such the people admires and pities Rosalind for her charms and forbearance

And so if she were to continue to live in the dukedom, her presence would only serve

to eclipse Celia’s good name and prestige.

V) How does Celia react to the sudden banishment of Rosalind?

Celia begs her father to allow Rosalind to stay at the court and even goes to the

extent of threatening him that she would accompany Rosalind if she is exiled. She also

boldly points out how he detained Rosalind when banishing his elder brother partly to

atone for his unethical action.

vi) How can you conclude from this scene that Celia has great love and loyalty for

Rosalind?

Celia’s great attachment to Rosalind is clearly evident in the scene. She boldly

defends Rosalind when Duke Frederick accuses her of being a traitor. When Duke

Frederick went away, Celia tells Rosalind that it is not Rosalind alone who has been

Banished but that she herself too is also ready to put up with what Rosalind has to

suffer.

As You Like It: Act I Scene III Solved Contextual Question

Extract II

Duke Frederick: Thus do all traitors:

If their purgation did consist in words,

They are as innocent as grace itself:

Let it suffice thee that I trust thee not.

Rosalind: Yet your mistrust can not make me a traitor:

Tell me whereon the likelihood depends.

Duke Frederick: Thou art thy father’s daughter; there’s enough.

i) What did Duke Frederick accuse Rosalind of? What arguments did she give to defend herself?

Duke Frederick accused Rosalind of a feigned (artificial) innocence like that of the traitors who try to prove their blamelessness with mere words instead of concrete proof. Simply put, he bluntly accused Rosalind of being a traitor.

Rosalind asserted that her uncle’s not trusting her could not make her a betrayer. She then wanted to know on what ground he could level such a grave allegation at her. When Frederick said he did not trust her because she was the daughter of her father, Rosalind quipped back saying that it was strange that he could rely on her when he took the dukedom and banished her father. She further said confidently that sedition (treachery) is not inherited or, if treason automatically passes from a father to his daughter, it did not affect her because her father was not a traitor. Then she firmly defied being called a traitor because she was wretched and poor.

ii) How did the Duke react to her defence? State why the Duke does not trust Rosalind?

The Duke only said that her being her father’s daughter was enough reason to banish her from his court.

Frederick has the same reason for mistrusting and hating Rosalind as Oliver has for hating his brother. The Duke tells Celia—

Thou art a fool; she robs thee of thy name,

And thou wilt show more bright and seem more virtuous

When she is gone.

iii) Give the meaning of:

If their purgation did consist in words,

They are as innocent as grace itself.

If traitors could vindicate (prove right) themselves by talk alone, they would be able to prove themselves to be as innocent as innocence (grace) itself.

iv) After this extract how does Rosalind try to convince the Duke that “Treason is not inherited.”

Rosalind calmly asserts that treason is not something that by design passes from a father to his son or daughter or, if at all it does so, how that affects her since her father was not a traitor. She appeals to the unfeeling Duke not to misjudge her just because she was wretched and poor.

v) Where does the scene take place? Who are present at the scene?

The scene is enacted in a room of Duke Frederick’s palace.

Rosalind, Celia, Duke Frederick and some Lords are present at the scene.

Thursday, July 1, 2010

As You Like It: Act I Scene III: Solved Contextual Question

As You Like It: Act I Scene III

Rosalind: The duke my father loved his father dearly.

Celia: Doth it therefore ensue that you should love his son dearly?

By this kind of chase, I should hate him, for my father hated

his father dearly; yet I hate not Orlando.

Rosalind: N, faith, hate him not, for my sake.

Celia: Why should I not? Doth he not deserve well?

i) What inconvenience has Orlando suffered on account of being the son of Sir

Rowland?

Orlando has to suffer the malice of his elder brother Oliver since his father’s death and secondly, this fact has made Duke Frederick feel antagonistic to the young man as he is the son of his enemy.

ii) What argument does Celia give to the reasoning given by Rosalind for having fallen in love with Orlando?

Celia asserts that if Rosalind’s reasoning that she loves Orlando because her father the Duke senior loved his father were true, she (Celia) should likewise hate Orlando since her father hated Sir Rowland de Boys. (the deceased father of Orlando)

iii) How can you conclude from the extract that Rosalind is in deep love with Orlando?

Rosalind’s reasoning that she had to fall in love with Orlando anyway because her father loved his (Orlando’s) father clearly shows her deep love for Orlando.

iv) What were Celia and Rosalind discussing about love just before the extract?

On Celia’s asking Rosalind if Cupid (the god of love) had mercy upon her and as to why she was keeping silent, Rosalind answered that she had not a single word to hurl even at a dog. Protesting, Celia says that her cousin’s words were too valuable to be wasted like that. Having engaged in such word-play for a while, Celia urged Rosalind to fight against the feeling of love which had taken possession of her. When Rosalind expressed her inability to do so, Celia wanted to know if it was really possible for her to develop such a strong liking for Orlando so abruptly.

v) Who interrupts the conversation of Rosalind and Celia? In what mood is that person? Why has that person come there?

The Duke Frederick does so.

He is in an angry mood since his discovery of Rosalind’s preferences for Orlando, the son of his enemy Sir Rowland de Boys.

He has come with the intention of announcing Rosalind’s banishment from his court.

Monday, June 28, 2010

ICSE English Free Resources: The Ballad of Father Gilligan Summary This...

ICSE English Free Resources:

The Ballad of Father Gilligan

Summary

This...: "The Ballad of Father Gilligan Summary This is a narrative poem written by W.B. Yeats. As most of his flock is dying, an old and dev..."

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The Ballad of Father Gilligan

Summary

This is a narrative poem written by W.B. Yeats. As most of his flock
is dying, an old and devout priest gets to be weary and melancholy.
Though he is sent for by a dying man, he falls asleep in his chair and
fails to answer the call while the stars multiply and God keeps on
talking to mankind as ever.

The morning witnesses Father Gilligan awaking with a start and he
repents at not having his duty. On riding to the sick man’s hut, he
learns from the wife of the man of the death of the person. “Mavrone!”
– cries out the priest in horror but is surprised when the woman
thanks him for coming the night before. Falling to his knees, Father
Gilligan expresses his gratitude to God for sending an angel to do his
work when his weariness prevented him from doing his duty.

Analysis

The poem takes the form of a ballad which was traditionally sung with
short and regular stanzas telling a short but profoundly meaningful
story. Yeats’s poems are not usually overtly religious, but this poem
is one. Though Yeats was a protestant who later turned to theosophy
and mysticism, this poem is Catholic in tone. Also contrary to his
practice, Yeats uses an Irish word in the poem – ‘mavrone’ which in
Irish is ‘mobhron’, a cry of grief.
Not only does the poem address the poverty of rural Ireland in the
poem but also the extreme religiosity of the village people of
Ireland. That Father Gilligan could not make it to the bedside of the
dying man before he died and that no priest performed the rites of
extreme unction i.e. that the man did not die in a state of grace,
would close the door of heaven to him. The element of Catholic
tradition is obvious here and the divine intercession to make it
otherwise is an assertion of a loving, kind God.
This particular ballad of Yeats seems to be a homage to the
traditional poetry and legend of his country. It is said that the poet
was attracted by the immediate, naïve beauty of similar Irish stories
and songs that he went on collecting through out his mature years
gaining fresh insights as he passionately studied them. There is no
doubt that this dramatic narrative poem draws upon the character and
the form of the traditional Irish ballad.

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ICSE Sample Language Usage

Please note that although, though and even though are all used to
indicate something unexpected and can be used interchangeably.
Examples-
Even though she is keen to be an astronaut, she can not be one because
of her poor health.
Though it is a cake walk to own a website, it is not as easy to
attract many visitors to it.

Despite
If you begin a sentence with 'despite', you have to put a comma in the
middle of sentence but comma is not required if 'despite' is used in
the middle of a sentence.
Examples-
Despite the weather being fine or foul, they will be undertaking the
journey.
They will be undertaking the journey despite the weather being good or
bad.

THE Difference in American and British Spelling

Since the Americans dominate the Internet, the words are mostly spelt
the American way. As we follow British spelling in India, we should
know the difference in them.

For example-

The Americans spell colour, humour, flavour (British spelling) as
color, humor and flavor.

Examples

American usage- A rainbow has seven colors.
British usage- Holi is a festival of colours.

American usage- Darjiling tea has a flavor of its own.
British usage- The flavour of the tea is appealing.

'However', 'nevertheless', and 'nonetheless' project a contrasting
thought. Please remember they are generally used formally i.e. in
writing exclusively.

Examples-

He is quite poor. Nevertheless, he is likely to succeed because of his
determination.
India is fragmented by inner turmoil. However, she is doing well in
education and technology.

We're having difficulties with the project. Nevertheless, we'll finish
on time.
We've been working hard all week. However, we'll have to continue next
week as well.

ICSE Sample Language Usage: Idiomatic Expressions

Idiomatic expressions lend an undeniable punch to your writing and so
you should consciously try to incorporate them in your compositions.
You may learn a couple of them on a daily basis and use them in
essays, letters or in your Paper II literature answers and you will
soon build the skill to use them in the right context.

Examples –

1. Through thick and thin (under all conditions):- A true friend is
one who stands by another through thick and thin.

2. To a fault (he is over-indulgent) His talents are largely stained
for he is indulgent to certain vices to a fault.

3. Bid fair (seems likely):- She bids fair to overtake her peers in
academic excellence.

4. Lives by his wits (earns his bread and butter by deceit or fraud):-
Having never been trained in any particular trade or avocation, he has
to live by his wits.

5. Burnt his fingers (got himself into trouble):- He burnt his fingers
by risking his savings in the share market.

6. To hold a candle to (can not be compared with):- Mother Teresa was
fit to hold a candle to the saints who had served the Roman Catholic
Church before her.

7. At issue (in dispute):- The administrator decided to closely look
into the points at issue to resolve the discontent among his staff.

8. Sitting on the fence (procrastinating over an issue):- It is no use
sitting on the fence when one has to take an important decision.

9. Turn errors to account (to profit from errors):- A man who learns
from his mistakes is one who turns his errors to account.

10. Hand and glove (very closely associated):- Most politicians are
hand and glove with corrupt people.

ICSE Class Literature Sample Project Work

Literature Project Work

Summary

R.K. Narayan’s Malgudi is a fictitious town of India which forms the
setting of most of his novels and short stories. The simple and
ordinary characters of his fiction live and enact their roles in life
here. The versatile author has very aptly portrayed this imaginary
town in South India as a microcosm of India. The city is as synonymous
with Wessex created by Thomas Hardy as it is for Narayan. He populates
an imaginary landscape with the unique characters of his narratives.

In Narayan’s own words, ‘Malgudi was an earth-shaking discovery for
me, because I had no mind for facts and things like that, which would
be necessary in writing about Lalgudi or any real place. I first
pictured not my town but just the railway station, which was a small
platform with a banyan tree, a station master, and two trains a day,
one coming and one going. On Vijayadasami I sat down and wrote the
first sentence about my town: The train had just arrived at Malgudi
Station.'' The same landmarks used in his novels and short stories
have somehow lent an organic wholeness to his literary creations.

Critical Appreciation

The fictional world of Malgudi strongly smacks of Indianness brimming
over with basically Indian sensibilities. The human drama growing and
developing in ‘Malgudi Days’ is not only dynamic like real life is but
the characters themselves also appear to be drawing sustenance from
the drama itself.

Narayan chose to treat Malgudi exclusively as provincial because he
thought –

``I must be absolutely certain about the psychology of the character I
am writing about, and I must be equally sure of the background. I know
the Tamil and Kannada speaking people most. I know their background. I
know how their minds work and almost as if it is happening to me, I
know exactly what will happen to them in certain circumstances. And I
know how they will react.''

Even a writer of Graham Greene's stature has expressed his love for
the symbolic town saying that Malgudi is a place ‘where you could go.’
According to him - ``into those loved and shabby streets and see with
excitement and a certainty of pleasure a stranger approaching past the
bank, the cinema, the haircutting saloon, a stranger who will greet
us, we know, with some unexpected and revealing phrase that will open
the door to yet another human existence.''

``into those loved and shabby streets and see with excitement and a
certainty of pleasure a stranger approaching past the bank, the
cinema, the haircutting saloon, a stranger who will greet us, we know,
with some unexpected and revealing phrase that will open the door to
yet another human existence.''

There is no doubt that the popularity of Narayan’s literary work among
the general reading public and literary critics evidence the versatile
depth and expanse of his story-telling canvas.

ICSE Class IX Sample Paper – The Postmaster by Rabindranath Tagore

ICSE Class IX Sample Paper – The Postmaster by Rabindranath Tagore

Solved Contextual Question

“But Ratan had no such philosophy to console her. All she could do was
wander near the post office, weeping copiously. May be a faint hope
lingered in her mind that dadababu might return: and this was enough
to tie her to the spot, prevent her from going far. Oh poor,
unthinking human heart! Error will not go away, logic and reason are
slow to penetrate. We cling (hug) with both arms to false hope,
refusing to believe the weightiest proofs against it, embracing it
with all our strength. In the end it escapes, ripping our veins and
draining our heart’s blood; until, regaining consciousness, we rush to
fall into snares (traps) of delusion (illusion) all over again”.

i) What was the philosophy that consoled the postmaster? Why didn’t
Ratan have a philosophy to console her?

It was not that the postmaster did not feel occasional pangs of
sorrow when he was leaving the village without taking Ratan with him.
He reconciled himself with the situation by musing (reflecting) that
life had to go on regardless of the helplessness of the misery of the
orphan girl for whom he was neither responsible nor accountable to the
society or the world. He told himself that human bondage was after all
a frail thing which was often broken by the hard realities of life.
But Ratan who was naive (immature) and impressionable (easily
influenced), did not share her master’s philosophy. Being young, she
was not yet hardened by the harshness of life and she was still
hopeful that her dadababu might somehow return to give her shelter in
the temple of his affectionate and kind heart.

ii) What was Ratan’s hope? How would it help her?

Ratan hoped that her dadababu had ceased to be an employer and had
become her own elder brother. This perception of the relationship
between Ratan and the postmaster was but one sided and a delusion
(fantasy). This the innocent girl could neither comprehend nor
realise. She believed herself to be a member of the postmaster’s
family and thought that her days of woe were over. She imagined
herself to be in the citadel (sanctuary) of his dadababu’s kind and
loving heart.

Ratan’s simplicity and blind faith did not help her in the least.
This did nothing but cruelly tearing her heart into pieces. She
finally sank in a sea of misery and unbearable agony. What actually
happened to her was akin (similar) to a bleakness (isolation) which
was darker than the darkest of nights.

iii) Why does the author exclaim ‘unthinking human heart’? Why do we
cling (stick) to false hopes?

Human hearts have a universality and the universality is that it is
powerlessly fond of hope even when it is a false one. Human beings
usually abhor (dislike) to take the path of logic. Clinging to unreal
and improbable aspirations, they never fail to allow themselves to be
struck by tragedy after tragedy.

We all grip false hopes because it is simply human nature. What human
heart is mostly fond of is love but life being a very exacting
(demanding) affair indeed, it rarely offers an acceptable solution to
our miseries or woes. Yet, human nature is uncomprehending of this and
so goes on clinging to false hopes.