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| Neb English Support Class 12 |
Section 2: Literature (Short Stories)
A Devoted Son by Anita Desai
MAIN INTRODUCTION
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DETAILED CLASS 12 ENGLISH GUIDE SUMMARY OF "A DEVOTED SON" BY ANITA DESAI
Today, I have brought for you the third short story of Class 12 in this article. Today’s story is a very, very interesting one. So, without further ado, let’s start our short story.
Today’s story, "A Devoted Son", is a realistic story - a story based on reality. It is a short story written by the Indian writer Anita Desai. This story was first published in 1978. It was published by a publisher named Vintage in a small story collection book titled "Games at Twilight and Other Stories". The narration of this story is done by a third-person narrator, meaning it is not narrated by any character within the story but by someone outside it.
Now, I am going to talk about the story. This story is about a middle-class Indian family, and the main character of this story is Dr. Rakesh. This story revolves around Dr. Rakesh’s life. In this story, we see Rakesh as a highly devoted son who has made every possible effort throughout his life to serve others, and this service is primarily for his family members, especially for his father, Mr. Varma.
SETTING
If we talk about the setting, we find a rural Indian village setting, and within that village, the first small house located at the very edge of the road, which belongs to Mr. Varma. This house is the primary setting of the story.
MAIN THEMES
From this story, we can derive many central themes. The major themes include gratitude, change, disobedience, freedom, desire, loyalty, powerlessness, and dependence. But the theme I like the most and find the best is devotion. This theme matches perfectly with the story because we see the dedication and devotion of the main character throughout the entire story. The devotion he shows toward his father is extraordinary. That’s why I love this main theme so much.
MORAL LESSONS
Now, if we talk about the moral lessons, we can gain very important lessons from this story.
For example:
We must give special importance to family relationships.
We must serve our parents throughout their lives.
We must never forget the contributions our parents have made for us.
CHARACTERS
Now, let’s talk about the main characters in this story.
Dr. Rakesh:
The central character is Dr. Rakesh. From a young age, Rakesh was a very friendly, well-behaved, and obedient child. As he grew up and became aware of his duties, he became an honest and devoted son, living harmoniously with his parents at home. From childhood, he was a brilliant student. He was well aware of his responsibilities. He worked very hard in the field of education and brought honor to his family. During his school years, he scored the highest marks in the entire village, bringing pride to his father and mother. Later, due to his hard work, when he wrote his MD thesis, he received a scholarship to study in the USA. He became a promising doctor in the USA, and afterward, he returned to his village and got married.
Rakesh is a very good person who has tried his best throughout his life to serve his parents. He has worked tirelessly to uphold his parents’ name, earning both fame and wealth, and has made every effort to keep his parents happy. He is an extremely obedient person. From a young age, he was exceptionally sharp in his studies. We can find honesty, discipline, and dedication in his life. Instead of staying in the USA, he returned to his village and devoted himself to serving his parents. Through his hard work, he significantly improved his financial situation and brought happiness to his parents’ lives.
Veena:
Now, talking about the second character, there is Veena. Veena is the daughter of an uncle from Rakesh’s village. Veena is not highly educated. The reason Rakesh married Veena, who is less educated, after returning from the USA was also for the sake of his parents. Veena appears to be very fat and lazy, but she is an extremely active woman. Veena is a very beautiful woman. She is active in everything, from the kitchen to taking care of the children to looking after her father-in-law. We can call her a very honest and dutiful housewife. The best quality of Veena is that she follows everything Rakesh tells her and moves forward in life accordingly.
Mr. Varma:
Now, the third character is Mr. Varma. Mr. Varma is the head of the family. He is extremely happy seeing his son Rakesh’s progress and achievements. Mr. Varma’s desire was to make his child an educated person, and through his sacrifices, dedication, and hard work, he succeeded in making his son the first educated person in his family. Mr. Varma worked hard for 40 years at a kerosene depot. As Mr. Varma grew old, his wife passed away. His body began to react in very strange ways, and he became afflicted with various mysterious illnesses. His mind stopped functioning properly. He became irritable all the time, and his behavior surprised even Rakesh. In the end, he even got angry with Rakesh, behaving like a child, crying and shouting.
Mrs. Varma:
Now, another character is Rakesh’s mother, Mrs. Varma. Talking about Mrs. Varma, we see her as a good housewife throughout her life. She was a very hardworking person, taking excellent care of every family member, from the kitchen to everyone’s needs. However, later, she fell ill and passed away. But even when she died, she left with satisfaction because she had the chance to witness her son’s progress during her lifetime.
Bhatia:
The final character is Bhatia. Bhatia is an elderly person and Mr. Varma’s neighbor. Whenever Mr. Varma needs to share his complaints or thoughts, he calls Bhatia, and they talk for hours. Bhatia tries to console him and gives him advice. Both friends talk a lot and share their thoughts.
Now, let’s move toward a short introduction to the story. If we were to write a short introduction, we could write it like this, and you can use this short introduction in your answers. The short introduction is as follows:
This realistic short story, A Devoted Son, written by Indian writer Anita Desai, was first published in 1978 by Vintage Publication in a small volume of collected stories, "Games at Twilight and Other Stories". The story is about the life of Rakesh, who does his best to serve his family members, especially his father. There are many themes in this story, but the major theme, which I find important, is the concept of devotion. In this story, we find the extreme devotion of Rakesh for his father.
DETAILED SUMMARY
Now, let’s move toward the summary of the story.
The story begins in the morning. At the gate, we meet Rakesh, wearing pajamas but no slippers, holding a newspaper in his hand. Rakesh reads the newspaper and rushes toward the veranda. On the veranda, Rakesh’s father, Mr. Varma, is drinking tea. Rakesh goes to his father with the newspaper, bows down to touch his father’s feet, and shares the good news from the newspaper, saying, “Father, I passed!” Seeing this, Mr. Varma is extremely happy and asks, “Did you pass in the first division?” Rakesh replies, “No, Father, I scored the highest marks in the entire village, and I have topped the whole village.” Hearing this good news, Mr. Varma is overjoyed, and the Varma family is filled with cheer. They gather, jump, dance, and shout. This morning’s newspaper brings a kind of good news to this family.
Now, hearing this cheering, dancing, and commotion in the Varma family, other neighbours from the village also arrive at the first house by the roadside, which is the Varma house. When they learn about this news, they are all very happy. They congratulate Mr. Varma, and even Rakesh is congratulated, patted on the back, and praised with words like “Well done!” At that time, Rakesh also receives gifts. Many people come, and everyone is served suji halwa. With dancing, singing, colors, and food, this occasion turns into a grand celebration. Everyone is served sweetmeats and ghee-cooked sweets. The occasion is celebrated splendidly by everyone together. Many people come to meet Mr. Varma, saying, “Congratulations, Mr. Varma!” Most of the people who come are told the morning’s story by Mr. Varma - how Rakesh brought the newspaper, placed his head on his father’s feet, and took his blessings. Hearing his words, the women nearby are moved and become emotional. Tears fall from their eyes, and they wipe their tears with their sarees. Such an honest, capable, and worthy child like Rakesh - such qualities are perhaps not seen in other children. In the village, too, people talk about how Mr. Varma has truly given birth to an exceptional son. They say such a child is only born to the fortunate.
As the days pass, with great hard work, Rakesh writes a thesis - an MD thesis. When Rakesh submits the thesis, a few months later, another piece of good news arrives in the Varma family: the good news of a scholarship. For writing that thesis, Rakesh receives a scholarship to study medicine in the USA. Hearing this, Mr. Varma and the family members are extremely happy. People again come to the Varma family to offer congratulations. However, some people advise Mr. Varma, saying, “You shouldn’t send your son to the USA. Sons get spoiled there, stay there, and don’t return.” They try to convince Mr. Varma in this way, but no matter what people say, Mr. Varma is extremely happy seeing his son’s progress. Whether his son returns or not is not Mr. Varma’s concern. The biggest thing is that his son should go to the USA and complete his medical course. All this contribution, this sacrifice, belongs to Mr. Varma.
Today, Rakesh is able to go to the USA, and behind this lies the contribution of Mr. Varma. Mr. Varma, a simple man who worked at a kerosene depot, did not come from a strong financial background. Mr. Varma’s parents were vegetable vendors. Mr. Varma had never set foot inside a school in his entire life. He wanted his son to be educated in his family. Through his hard work, Mr. Varma made Rakesh an educated person. This was his greatest achievement - that for the first time in his family, an educated person emerged, and that was his son, Rakesh.
The author has also added a bit of humor to this story, something amusing. Whenever anyone, even a member of Mr. Varma’s own family, says “America,” Mr. Varma gets extremely angry. According to Mr. Varma, the name of this country is not America; we should call it the USA. He believes that ignorant neighbours call it America, but the real name is the USA. He has even warned his family members: “Don’t ever say America by mistake; say the USA.” In this way, the author has humorously introduced the concept of America versus the USA.
In the USA, Rakesh studies with great dedication and later passes his medical course with good marks. He starts working at a reputed hospital there. Rakesh sends news of every event in his life to his father through letters - how he scored such marks, how he was praised, everything. Hearing his son’s news, Mr. Varma is extremely happy in the village. Mr. Varma also tells everyone in the village about his son’s progress. Seeing Rakesh’s hard work, his work, and his behavior, even the people working with Rakesh in the USA greatly praise him.
Now, Rakesh earns good money and, without informing his parents, returns directly to India. This was the first event in Rakesh’s life that he did without his parents’ permission. His parents are not happy to see Rakesh return to India. According to Mr. Varma, he should have worked in the hospital in the USA and lived his life there. But Rakesh, without anyone’s permission, comes back to India from the USA.
In the village, many women used to meet Rakesh’s mother. Many women would talk about how most Indian boys go abroad, marry foreign girls, and bring foreign daughters-in-law back home. These women had told Rakesh’s mother the same thing and even warned her that Rakesh might go abroad, marry a foreign girl, and bring a foreign daughter-in-law. This fear was also in Rakesh’s mother’s mind. But talking about Rakesh, he returned to his village from the USA and married a farmer’s daughter from his own neighborhood, a friend of his father’s. That girl’s name was Veena, and Veena was a girl Rakesh’s mother really liked. Rakesh’s mother had also chosen Veena for Rakesh.
Talking about Veena, she was less educated, appeared very lazy, and was a fat girl. But in reality, though she was fat, she was extremely active in work. She was very beautiful to look at, but in terms of work, she was very efficient. After marriage, Rakesh started working at a city hospital, away from the village. After working at the city hospital for a few years, Rakesh was promoted and appointed as the director of the city hospital. While working there, Rakesh’s first son was born. After the birth of her first son, Veena became slim, like melted wax. After working at the city hospital for a few more months, Rakesh planned to open his own clinic. Then, Rakesh quit his job at the city hospital and started his new clinic, which was near his village. After opening his clinic, Rakesh took his parents in a sky-blue Ambassador car and showed them his clinic. The clinic was very nice. The clinic’s signboard was very large, written in red letters.
As time passed, another son was born in Rakesh’s house. A few months later, as Mr. Varma grew old, he retired from his kerosene depot. Mr. Varma had worked hard at the kerosene depot for 40 years. As the days went by, Rakesh’s mother fell ill. Rakesh was very sad seeing his mother’s condition. He managed his clinic and, whenever he got free time, came home to take care of his mother. Every day, Rakesh served his mother. He would sit by her side and massage her legs. A few days later, Rakesh’s mother passed away, but at the time of her death, there was a kind of satisfaction on her face. She had seen her son’s progress, the Varma family’s prosperity, her grandchildren, and all this happiness during her lifetime. We can say she passed away very satisfied.
After his mother’s death, Rakesh took care of his father as a very obedient son. He made his wife laugh, took great care of his sons, and at the clinic, Rakesh took excellent care of his patients. Due to his work at the clinic, Rakesh earned a lot of fame and money. His reputation spread everywhere, and he became a popular doctor.
Talking about Mr. Varma, after his wife’s death, he started feeling very lonely. In this loneliness, Mr. Varma began to harbor various resentments and complaints in his heart. His body started reacting in very mysterious ways. Different complications appeared in his body every day. These diseases were very mysterious, and even Rakesh was surprised, wondering what was happening to his father. If we talk about Mr. Varma’s condition, he was completely broken. He became more irritable and started shouting more. He would sit by the doorframe all day. Children would scream, people would pass by, and he would watch everyone. Slowly, Mr. Varma had a habit of chewing paan, and if anyone passed by closely, he would spit paan juice with a mocking gesture. This bad habit had developed in Mr. Varma. If anyone passed by, he would spit paan juice, insulting or mocking them. This kind of habit had developed in Mr. Varma.
A few months later, Rakesh planned to celebrate his younger son’s birthday party. Many important people and villagers attended the party, but Mr. Varma did something very inappropriate at this party. That day, Mr. Varma behaved like a madman. He dramatically spat paan juice on the orange saree worn by his daughter-in-law, Veena. Everyone was shocked, wondering what this red thing was. That day, Mr. Varma acted as if he had fainted, become motionless, or lost his pulse. Rakesh postponed the party that day and focused even more on caring for his father.
Now, Rakesh became deeply involved in his father’s care. He would bring morning tea for his father in a large brass tumbler. While others were served tea in china cups, he served his father tea in a brass tumbler. Every morning, he would read the newspaper to his father. He would massage his father’s legs, take care of his every need, and tell his father, “Don’t stay locked in this room, Father. In the evening, you need fresh oxygen; it’s good for your health.” Every evening, he would place his father’s cot in the garden outside in fresh air, setting it up comfortably with pillows. He was very concerned about his father’s health because he loved his father dearly.
Rakesh imposed many restrictions on his father, especially regarding his diet. Anything that could harm his father was banned by Rakesh as a doctor. Mr. Varma, seeing all these actions and Rakesh’s behavior, was very angry inside but did not speak. He was silently harboring resentment toward Rakesh. But one day, Mr. Varma got extremely angry and went straight to his daughter-in-law, saying, “Veena, make me suji halwa!” Veena fried suji halwa and gave it to her father-in-law. That day, Mr. Varma ate suji halwa plus a bowl full of cream. Afterward, Mr. Varma’s body developed problems, and he became flatulent. When Rakesh found out, he was very angry. He scolded Veena and his father, warning his father, “No more suji halwa from today, Father!” Rakesh banned all the foods his father liked - no oily items, no sweet items. His father was to eat only boiled foods: boiled rice, boiled dal, boiled vegetables. Even chicken and fish were included in the diet, but for his father, they had to be boiled.
From here, Mr. Varma’s anger grew even more. Because his son banned all the foods he loved throughout his life, Mr. Varma became extremely resentful toward his son. All the foods Mr. Varma liked were now given to him not fried but boiled, served at different times of the day. One day, Mr. Varma craved something sweet. He called his grandson and gave him 50 paisa, instructing him to buy jalebi with the money and eat something he liked with 20 paisa as a bribe. The grandson followed his grandfather’s orders, but one day, Rakesh found out. He caught his son with the money, and the son told his father everything. In a fit of anger, Rakesh came home and scolded his father, saying, “You are cheating my son!” That day, Rakesh lectured his father a lot, and Mr. Varma sat like a corpse, head down, listening to Rakesh’s scolding. Rakesh said, “What have you done? Your health condition is like this. You bring jalebi in this dirty wrapper and cheat your grandson!” Rakesh overwhelmed Mr. Varma with lectures about how the entire area was plagued with cholera, gastroenteritis, and typhoid, and in such a crisis, he was eating like this without caring for his health. Poor Mr. Varma had to endure a lot that day.
One day, Mr. Varma called his neighbour Bhatia to his side and shared his heartfelt thoughts with him. Bhatia gave Mr. Varma a lot of support and explained many things to him. Mr. Varma shared his complaints and grievances with Bhatia. Mr. Varma told Bhatia, “Today, fried fish was cooked at home. I told my daughter-in-law Veena that I also want a fried fish, but Veena came quickly and said, ‘No!’ They eat fried fish, and I only get to smell it. They cook, they enjoy, and my job is just to smell. If they give me anything, it’s a little, and that too boiled in water. How can I live here eating pills and powders, Bhatia?” Hearing this, Bhatia said, “Oh, friend, you have a doctor at home who is taking care of your health.” Mr. Varma replied, “I worked so hard my whole life, I made him study such a course, I made him a great doctor, and this great doctor bans everything I like and keeps me on medicines. Is this a great doctor?” The next day, Mr. Varma even argued directly with his son Rakesh. He told Rakesh, “I want the foods I like. I can’t live my life based on these pills. Pills for controlling pressure, pills for keeping the heart running, pills for arthritis.” Hearing this, Rakesh said, “Father, this is my duty. As a son, as a doctor, I have to save you.” Mr. Varma replied, “I don’t care. Let me die. You don’t need to save me. I can’t eat this. Give me the foods I like. I can’t live on pills. Let me go, let me die.”
Here, Mr. Varma expressed his grievances to Rakesh. Extremely angry, Mr. Varma called Bhatia again and complained a lot, shouting, “Let me die! God is calling me!” and making all sorts of commotion. Now, Mr. Varma began to see his son Rakesh and his daughter-in-law Veena as his biggest enemies.
One day, Rakesh brought a new kind of tonic and told his father, “Father, this is a new tonic. It will improve your health.” At that moment, Mr. Varma became so angry that he threw all the tonic bottles, tablets, and pills, acting like a madman, saying, “Let me die! Leave me alone! I’m not eating any of this today!” The tonic bottles broke, and the medicine spilled everywhere. Mr. Varma behaved like a child, shouting and throwing everything in a chaotic manner. In the end, he looked up at the sky, saying, “God is calling me! I can’t stay here! God is calling me!” This resentment toward Rakesh is what he carried.
The story does not give any indication of Mr. Varma’s death. As a doctor and a devoted son, Rakesh did his best for his father throughout his life. He paid attention to every detail of his father’s needs. However, Rakesh became an object of resentment for his father. As a doctor, we find Rakesh completely right. If we look at Mr. Varma, life is not lived without eating but by eating. Food is a very important part of life. If we cannot eat the foods we like and enjoy, that life is like death. Mr. Varma’s anger is somewhat justified, but as a devoted son, considering the care for his father’s health, we can truly see Rakesh as a devoted son. He loved and respected his father deeply.
SHORT SUMMARY
The story "A Devoted Son" is a realistic one based on familial relationships. This story was written by an Indian author, Anita Desai. This story has been extracted from a story collection called "Games at the Twilight and Other Stories". This story has presented the story of a man named Dr. Rakesh of India. The story focuses on his unselfish devotion towards his family members, especially his father. Rakesh's family background was poor. His grandparents used to sell vegetables in the market. His parents were quite laborious. His father used to work at a kerosene depot. His mother spent her life honestly caring for family members and household tasks. Rakesh has been full of good manners and a brilliant student since his childhood.
The story starts with good news in the morning. Rakesh touched his father's feet and revealed his top pass marks in the country. All his family members and neighbours celebrated the occasion as a festival. Next, Rakesh won a scholarship for his MD thesis, which made his family members happy and proud. His father didn't like the term America. He only learned to say the USA. Rakesh moved to the USA and completed his medical degree easily. He returned to his homeland after earning experience and money. His parents were surprised to find him back in India. He married an uneducated village girl against his parents' will. His wife was a fat, pretty woman who was so careful about her household tasks. Rakesh started his job in the city hospital, and he did his job quite honestly there. He will get a promotion soon. Later, he left his job at the city hospital and started his clinic. He remained dutiful towards his profession and became able to get a name, money and popularity. He became so happy at the time of his son's birth.
Next, Rakesh became so sad about the death of his mother. His father, Varma, suffered from depression. Due to his old age, he was even retired from his job. He started falling ill mysteriously and frequently. Rakesh provided him with much care. He cared for the overall activities of his father. He even postponed his son's birthday party to recover from his father's health. He provided his father with morning tea in a brass tumbler. He read the morning newspapers for his father. He became angry with his father to find him giving bribes for jalebis to his son. He banned Varma's desirable foodstuffs, such as sooji-halwa, oily foodstuffs and other foodstuffs. Varma got irritated at finding out about his son and daughter-in-law's activities. He started complaining about them to his friend, Bhatiya. Their relationship became quite weak. Varma cried and even smashed the bottles of medicine and asked his son to let him die. He wanted to spend his remaining days enjoying and eating his desirable foodstuffs. But Rakesh kept on providing his services to his father, being a devoted son till the end. He didn't step back in the matter of his devotion.
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SHORT STORIES CLASS 12 ENGLISH IMPORTANT QUESTIONS' SOLUTION PACK
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QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS
BEFORE YOU READ
a. Will you be ready to sacrifice your career, status and economic opportunities for the good of your parents? Why or why not?
Answer:
Yes, I will be ready to sacrifice my career, status and economic opportunities for the good of my parents because they are similar to the gods to me. They have provided me with a chance to see this beautiful planet.
b. In your view, what are the qualities of a devoted son/daughter?
Answer:
In my view, the following are the qualities of a devoted son or daughter:
▪︎ He or she must be sincere towards his or her parents.
▪︎ He or she must be lovable and caring towards his or her parents.
▪︎ He or she must support his or her parents in every essential need.
▪︎ He or she must have a respectful attitude towards his or her parents.
▪︎ He or she must be obedient and follow his or her parents' guidance.
UNDERSTANDING THE TEXT
Answer the following questions.
a. How did the morning papers bring ambiance of celebration in the Varma family?
Answer:
The morning paper brought an ambiance of celebration in the Varma family with the joyous news of Rakesh's achievement in his academic life. It contained the news of Rakesh's highest pass marks in the whole country.
b. How did the community celebrate Rakesh’s success?
Answer:
The community celebrated Rakesh's success in a very splendid way. As the community knew about Rakesh's achievement, they arrived at Rakesh's house and congratulated him as well as his family members. They celebrated the day as a festival with sound and colours. They blessed Rakesh by providing blessings and gifts. People were served delicious halwa. All of them became quite happy and felt pride in Rakesh's achievement.
c. Why was Rakesh’s success a special matter of discussion in the neighbourhood?
Answer:
Rakesh's success was a special matter of discussion in the neighbourhood because he was the first son in Varma's family to pass his higher education with top marks in the whole country. His parents had sacrificed their whole lives doing hard labour to make their son literate. The people of the neighbourhood liked Rakesh and his manners. They felt pride in his achievement.
d. How does the author make fun with the words ‘America’ and ‘the USA’?
Answer:
The author makes fun of the words ‘America’ and ‘the USA’ by presenting the opinions of Varma regarding the words. The author has presented fun through Varma's opinions, saying that he has never called the country's name America. He has only learned to say 'The USA'. For Varma, ignorant neighbours only say America. He asks all his family members to say 'The USA'. The author has even mentioned the prohibition of Varma to his family members in the matter of saying the word 'America'.
e. How does the author characterize Rakesh’s wife?
Answer:
The author characterises Rakesh's wife in quite an ironic tone. According to the author, his wife is the daughter of Varma's old family friend. His wife is such a pretty and fat woman. She is uneducated and old-fashioned. She seems too lazy, but she is quite a placid and pleasant woman. She tries her best to please others through her household tasks.
f. Describe how Rakesh rises in his career.
Answer:
Rakesh has been quite a hardworking and brilliant student since his childhood. He comes from a very poor family background. He has keen love and respect for his family members. Due to his father's hard sacrifices and labour, he is able to pass his higher education with top marks in the whole country. Later on, he writes a thesis for his MD and wins a scholarship to study further in the USA. He easily passes his medical education over there and gets a chance to work in the best hospital. He gets fine experience and earnings there in America. He returns to his homeland and starts his job in the city hospital. Due to his sincerity and dutiful behaviour, he gets promoted. He becomes able to get the rank of director in the hospital. Later on, he leaves the city hospital and starts his clinic. He gets success in his clinic too. He becomes able to earn his name, fame and money. He becomes the richest doctor in the town.
g. How does the author describe Rakesh’s family background?
Answer:
The author describes Rakesh's family background, showing the miserable condition of his family. Rakesh comes from a very poor and illiterate family background. His grandparents used to do business as vegetable vendors. His father has worked so hard for forty years in a kerosene depot. His mother has spent her life as a housewife doing household tasks. They have a small yellow house at the end of the road.
h. What is the impact of Rakesh’s mother’s death on his father?
Answer:
There is quite a bad impact of Rakesh's mother's death on his father. His father felt quite sad and his body started reacting badly. He starts complaining each time. He is seen ill frequently with mysterious diseases. His son Rakesh isn't even able to find out the real cause of his frequent illness. His acts are quite uncommon. Due to his acts, all his family members have to watch him being much careful. They even cry sometimes to see his state. He spits his red beetle juice from his mouth anywhere he likes, as if he tries to mock his family members' behaviour.
i. What did Rakesh do to make his father’s old age more comfortable?
Answer:
Rakesh tried his best to comfort his father. To make his father's old age more comfortable, he used to bring morning tea for his father in his favourite brass tumbler. He used to read out the morning news for his father. He used to advise him to move outside to the garden. He helped his father get him down from the bed, taking him outside under the stars during the night. He banned various foodstuffs for his father's good health. He banned sooji-halwa, oily foods and other unhealthy foodstuffs for him. He provided his father with those items, which were boiled and less oily.
j. Why did the old man try to bribe his grandchildren?
Answer:
The old man tried to bribe his grandchildren to fulfil his desire for sweet items. He was banned from his desirable foodstuffs at home. He wanted to eat jalebis from the shop at the crossroads. He provided his grandchildren with bribes to bring jalebis from the shop and eat them secretly.
k. Are Mr Varma's complaints about his diets reasonable? How?
Answer:
No, Mr. Varma's complaints about his diets aren't reasonable. His son Rakesh had banned some of his unhealthy diets. He hadn't allowed him to have sweets, oily foods and other unhealthy foodstuffs only to improve his health. He cared for him a lot, just for his healthy life. He wanted his father to be healthy and only allowed healthy food and drinks.
Being a devoted son, he didn't want to lose his father. As a doctor, he was aware of various diseases that were increasing in the town at a high speed. He knew very well about old people's health risks. He wanted to keep his father away from getting weak and ill.
REFERENCE TO THE CONTEXT
a. How did Varma couple make sacrifices for their son's higher education?
Answer:
The Varma couple made sacrifices for their son's higher education by doing hard labour in their entire lifetime. They had a lifelong dream about their son's education. To achieve their dream, Varma had worked hard for forty years in a kerosene depot, whereas his wife had devoted herself honestly to household tasks.
Mr. Varma had never stepped inside the school in his life. As the son of a vegetable vendor, he didn't get a chance to study. But he desired quality education for his son Rakesh. He was able to accomplish his goal and turn his dream into reality. His son Rakesh was the first son in the family to receive a higher education. Varma and his wife finally got the fruits of their sacrifices. The achievement they achieved was quite golden and glorious.
b. Mr. Varma suffers from diseases one after another after his wife's death. Would he have enjoyed better health if she had not died before him? Give reasons.
Answer:
Yes, he would have enjoyed better health if his wife had not died before him. Mr. Varma suffered from illness mysteriously and fell ill frequently. His body started reacting badly after the death of his wife. Rakesh even didn't get the proper idea behind his father's frequent illnesses. Varma was quite good while his wife was alive. He seemed so happy and satisfied with his mentality. But after his wife's death, he found himself alone and suffered from depression. He started doing unusual activities. He felt broken into pieces.
Due to his health hazards, he was prohibited from eating his preferred foodstuffs. He reacted even more badly after that. He treated himself as if he were disliked and ignored. At last, he preferred dying rather than taking medicines.
c. Dr. Rakesh found himself is divided between a doctor and a son. As a son, he loves his father and worries about his weakening health, but as a doctor, he is strict on his father’s diet and medicine. In your view, what else could Rakesh have done to make his father’s final years more comfortable?
Answer:
In my view, Rakesh could have done the following things to make his father's final year more comfortable:
1. He could have treated his father more friendly instead of shouting at him.
2. He could have tried to understand his father's feelings instead of becoming tense about his health.
3. He could have tried to make his father happy all the time instead of being strict.
4. He could have provided his father with mental support.
5. He could have brought a bit of change within himself instead of changing his father.
d. What does the story say about the relationship between grandfather and grandchildren?
Answer:
In most families, we find bonding relationships between grandparents and grandchildren. This story has also presented a fine relationship between grandfather and grandchildren. Varma has his small friends in the house, who are his grandchildren. He feels mentally sad due to Rakesh's activities. For him, his grandchildren are his best friends, with whom he plays and passes his lonely time. The act of Rakesh banning his desirable foodstuffs makes him do a bad deed in the house. He starts trying to fulfil his demands through his little grandson.He starts providing bribes to his grandchild to get jalebis for him. The act of varma is not good at all. Here, we find him seeking benefits from an innocent child who doesn't know the meaning of a bribe.
Grandparents must be good teachers for their grandchildren. But Varma is seen doing just the opposite of this. He is seen teaching his grandson a bad deed.
e. Do you call Rakesh a devoted son? Give reasons.
Answer:
Yes, I call Rakesh a devoted son. This story has mainly focused on the relationship between a father and son.
Rakesh is a very good son, full of manners. He always respects his family members. He passes his medical education in America and returns to his homeland for the sake of his family members. The act of marrying an uneducated village girl is also for the welfare of his family members. He only thinks about them, though they feel surprised about his decision to marry a village girl. He always remains faithful and honest towards his family members. He only provides them with a sense of pride in his achievements. He never becomes boastful or ungrateful towards his family members. He has tried a lot for his parents in his life. After the death of his mother, he has experienced a lot of hardship. His father falls ill frequently and mysteriously. He tries his best to keep his father away from illness and weakness. He never steps back in the matter of his father's care. He only gives priority to his father's health. His father becomes angry with him, but he never leaves his devotion to him. He remains honest, faithful and devoted to his father till the end.
REFERENCE BEYOND THE TEXT
a. Write an essay on The Parents’ Ambition for their Children in Nepali Society. You must give at least five examples.
Answer:
Parents are the foundation of children. They are the main people who are recognised for their lifelong sacrifices and hard labour for their children. They play a vital role in shaping the bright future of their children. They always think about their children's future and happiness, being optimistic.
In the context of Nepali society, we find parents quite careful and ambitious in the matter of shaping their children's bright careers. They serve their children their entire lives with feelings of love and affection for them. They are too ambitious for their children. They give much preference to children's overall activities and take their interests in various factors that help to shape their children's bright future. Following are some of the ambitions of parents in Nepali society.
1. Parents in Nepali society are quite ambitious about their children's good manners. They always try to teach them good manners along with knowledge of cultural and religious aspects.
2. Parents in Nepali society always take care of their children's demands' fulfilment. They are seen fulfilling their children's rightful demands.
3. Nepali parents give much preference to their children's quality education. For them, quality education is the best way to shape their children's bright future.
4. They want to see their children's progress in their lives. They feel quite happy to see their children's achievements.
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5. The parents expect a lot from their children. They desire their children's love, care and support in old age.
b. Medicines replace our diets in old age. What can be done to make old age less dependent on medicine?
Answer:
Old age refers to a part of life that comes after the prime age. It is the final stage of human life. This age is considered the age of weakness and illness. This age depends on a variety of medicinal supports. At this age, old people suffer a lot because of various health-related problems. Medicines replace diets in old age, and the body starts reacting differently. Due to the use of a variety of medicines, the body becomes weak and causes pain in life.
Following are some of the tips with which we can make our elderly people less dependent on medicine.
1. Avoiding unhealthy foodstuffs
2. Sufficient usage of healthy foodstuffs
3. Fine management in drinking pure water
4. Avoiding mental stress
5. Concentrating on daily physical activities
6. Trying to adopt a hygienic living style.
c. Write an essay on “Care of Elderly Citizens” in about 300 words.
Answer:
Care of Elderly Citizens
Elderly citizens are known as those senior citizens who are over sixty. These are the people who are living their lives in homes or old-age homes. These people are considered retired from their jobs as well as their responsibilities. These people suffer a lot due to their unstable health conditions. At this age, they lack various things in their lives. Their old age provides them with only pain. In this old age, they lose their physical as well as mental support. They suffer a lot due to various kinds of diseases. Varieties of health risks are seen within them. Their acts are uncommon sometimes. Most of the elderly citizens are seen complaining about various things. The loneliness in their lives makes them one-sided and irritable. They are seen as monotonous and even depressed.
In this old and painful age, they need proper care and support each time. They have a bundle of expectations in their lives. They want to see conditions in their favour. They always seek a fine company to share their experiences and ideas with. They want to spend their remaining days happily with their close friends. Caring for elderly citizens is one of our moral duties. It only requires paying attention to their needs.
Elderly citizens must be respected, cared and loved. Everyone should be aware of their responsibilities towards elderly citizens. The task of caring for senior citizens must be given importance. It is the stage where all humans reach one day and expect a lot from their youngers. Elderly citizens must be treated well for their lifelong contributions to us.
As humans, we have to follow the concept of humanity in our lives. Human relationships go beyond all aspects. We must not forget elderly people's roles in shaping our lives. We need to be positive all the time about them. We should try our best to fulfil our elders' desires and demands. The task of devoting our lives to their care itself is a great way to get satisfaction in our lives. Our support and care provide them with hope to live further. We should try to provide them with smiles all the time on their faces. We must think about them and their importance in the family. We should be aware of the fact that nothing is more important than humanity.
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