English Literature And Theory This blog contains the explanation of various critical theories that provide a new insight to view literature and interpretation of various literary texts.

Paper is written by famous Singaporean woman Catherin Lim. Catherine explores the greed towards easy money making and how it leads city people to the tragic result.

Tay Soon and Yee Lian are main characters of the story. They belong to middle class family and they have strong ambition to buy a well managed building with all perfection. They dreamt of beautiful house having marble floors, oval shaped sitting rooms and fantastic swimming pool. They both share their plan to all the family members including Yee Yeng, Yee Lian's sister but mother of Tay Soon didn't pay any attention or concern to them. She was engaged in her traditional profession, i.e, vegetable business. She was completely contained and happy. She also suggested them not to keep such dream but for Tay Soon. it was not only dream. He thought it could be fulfilled if he handled the money appropriately because he had saved 40,000 in bank.

In that period, Tay was attracted to share market because share price was rising. So, he invested his 30,000 at risk in share market. Fortunately, he was able to make $100,000 within short period of time. At that time, he proudly told his mother that he was able to buy 50 houses like mother's. He further was excited towards the share and invested more money. But unfortunately, the value of share began to fall rapidly. There was no any device to control the declining. He invested all amount of money. Few remaining money was also invested in last attempt but it was also in despair. His hope of building modern house was broken into pieces. He himself broke physically. He left eating and started beating his wife and children. His condition was worse and worse and he was admitted in hospital. At last, it was mother who ordered a beautiful paper house somewhere in the market to satisfy his son. At last, Tay Soon was dead and paper house was put on his dead body and they both were burnt together and turned into ashes.

This story is giving satire on the ambition of young generation in Singapore who are crazy for material gratification. The structure of story is divided into three parts - opening, climax, and anti-climax. In opening, we can see Tay Soon and his strong aspiration to have modern house. In the climax, we can observe his excessive greed towards money hoarding. The anti-climax is a total ruin of Tay Soon due to the greed for paper in this story. "Paper" stands for many things such as plain paper, money, etc. The growth of the value of paper means their success in matter. In this story, "Paper" denotes bank, cash, share, certificate, prosperity, game, etc. And on the other hand, it also indicates Tay Soon's ambition, effort, sleeplessness, broken and deserted. And lastly "Paper" also stands for material success and failure both. "Generation Gap" between young and old is also shown in the story. The feeling of Tay Soon is taken lightly by his mother and feeling of mother is taken lightly by son.

"An Episode of War" is a story written by Stephen Crane, an American writer. In this story, he presents a very inhuman picture of war in the battle field or in the barracks or at the hospital. Here we find the scene of seriously wounded soldier who makes tremendous effort to live a normal life.

Theme of the text:

The writer wants to convey that war doesn't do good to anyone; it is always inhuman and destructive in nature; it is everywhere in the world.

Summary

The Lieutenant is the main character of the story but his name is not mentioned. Once, he was distributing the coffee powder in the barracks. Corporals and other representatives of each squad (groups) were in queue. The Lieutenant was very busy in his duty. Suddenly, he cried out because he was shot. The other soldiers also cried out after seeing the blood in Lieutenant's sleeves. He fell dangerously on the ground and straightens his body. He looked towards the forest and found puffs of smoke appeared after the fire. The Lieutenant tried to continue his work but he failed because his wounded hand did not support him. At the same time, a sergeant appeared forward and kept the sword in his scabbard. Then, the Lieutenant left the place holding his right wrist and set out for the hospital.

While passing through the line of battle, he could see many new things. He was always there but did not know some people. He noticed a general in black horse come to the field as soon as he reached there., a bodyguard appeared and saluted him. The guard also handed him a piece of paper which indicated a historical painting. Everything around the officer was in motion. He heard the thud of hoofs and the cries of some soldiers. The Lieutenant looked at the troops until they disappeared. The battle was continued. The scene was tragic and devastating. He saw the smoke rolling upward and some people moved to different place. Some soldiers followed the Lieutenant and showed him the way to hospital.

The Lieutenant saw another scene at the road side. A brigade was making coffee for the passers by He also halted different staffs for some time and noticed that several officers came to the brigade and asked about the unknown thing or tricks but he resumed his journey to hospital. After sometime he reached he hospital compound and saw the low tents in the hospital. Two ambulances were covered with deep mud and a crowd of bandaged men were moving around. Others were sitting under trees caring about their wounds. Even at the hospital, he heard continuous cries in wailing.

At the hospital a surgeon greeted him with a friendly smile. Later on his face turned serious after seeing the wound in the Lieutenant's hand. He examined the wound with hatred and brought the Lieutenant to the operation theatre. At this point, the Lieutenant was very much worried about his arm, He doubted that it might be cut off. His doubt came true. Thus, his hand was amputated His family cried after seeing this tragic scene. And the Lieutenant felt ashamed and said that the hand was not as important as anything else - that is duty towards the nation; name and fame in the world.

The poem, "When Icicles Hang by the Wall " is taken from Shakespeare's play "Love's Labour Lost". It is a song to criticize the winter season but poem doesn't present the direct and strong criticism. Poet is able to manage modest criticism to select the objective words. In the poem, the poet very cleverly to shows his dislikeness towards winter season.

According to the poem, when winter comes it brings several influences, the walls are covered with ice, everything including human's life get influenced by the cold and due to extreme cold, each phenomena come to freeze. To prevent excessive cold, Dick blows his nail and Tom Carries fire logs into the house. Milk freezes as soon as it is poured into the pail. The blood of living creatures comes to freeze. The snow has covered the way and made it muddy. The staring owl sings at night while Joan is keeling kitchen pots. Priests is unable to deliver his preaching due to his old age and coldness. Birds sit for brooding into their nests to skip away from the cold and due to heavy cold Marian's nose becomes red and raw. These all are the symptoms of winter season mentioned in the poem that shows the arrival of winter season. All people used to sit around the fire-place and the sounds of the roasted crabs could be heard. They ate and drank to prevent the coldness of winter season. Through all these images, we can notice winter is not pleasant in England.

The content of the talk sparks from Salman's ideas evoked by his experiences with most of Cambridge managerial staffs, working system, arrangement for graduation ceremony and flaws in the sexual conduct and revengeful acts of the deities and his sense of great wonder at finding his name in a paper as a substitute for Miss Piggy for the 1996 commencement speech to the graduates of Southampton University on Long Island. It was only on the speakers' desire, his first American friend, the former editor for Alfred Knopf- a New York Publishing House, founded by Alfred A. Knopf in 1915, informed him that Kermit the Frog was not but Miss Piggy or even Pig, the author of "Guide to Life", a popular preacher of the philosophy of twentieth century American life. Miss Figgy, Kermit the Frog was popular American author and also a character in Mr. Jim Henson's The Muppet or Puppet TV presentation.

Before Mr. Salman joined the Cambridge University, he did not now even the least of the official procedures of its graduation ceremony. Further, at the hint of an American friend, he is reminded of the episode of how a past university batch was to go on a sit- in at the gate for a protest against Jeanne Kilpatrick, a democrat turned republican, nominated to give a Graduation address. The speaker's graduation speech reveals that he has no respect for conventional wisdom and practice of offering the degree to the graduate only when he falls on his knees before the Vice-chancellor. Though he did so, he felt too humiliated to bow down before the VC to acquire what he earned on his own efforts. He is depressed here for his inability to fight against the infringement of his individual right by the university authorities. He is so sick of the system that takes the university management as a means of control over human liberty. He is also the believer in organized religion as Feynman or Palacio is.

Salman expresses deep reverence for any person who has done the best in service to broad humanity and appreciates all those men and women who have made this world a beautiful place to live amidst mutual affinity. Also, he honors human strength to make and condemns the network of power, the type which compelled him to pay the fine as the scapegoat for the fault of the re decorator to receive the degree from the VC seated in the ceremonial chair quite high above him.

Text's Name: The Good Example

Author: Riva Palacio

The message of the author is justified by the title, itself. The setting of the story is pure nature and the details of environment effectively reflects the taste of Don possessed with a virtues of good teacher. All that Don holds is expected in every teacher if dedicated to his hob. His nature becomes so hospitable that even the students and the pets follow a the parrot does in the story. For his noble qualities and full commitment to his regular duties, Don was quoted far and wide in the village. In the villager's eye, Don Lucas was a true follower of the course of action, who cares nothing as the return from the students from his efforts to teach them. So, Don was quoted as a good model of teaching community and as veritable martyr.

Don as a good example of teaching cared for the student's needs as he did for his own. So he encouraged Perico, the parrot to share with his regular refreshment. Similarly, the parrot should be appreciated for acquiring the good qualities of good company or of all those around. Even babbling with Don Lucas as a friend and listening to the pupils singing in chorus at the school, the parrot learned alphabets, words syllables exactly as pronounced by the school children. The tale shows that a teacher is a best source for the pupils to learn the best about the good principles and conduct of life. This is shown in the industry by passion of the parrot for imitating and paving the path of Don to teach his neighbours as taught to himself to chant Ba, Da, ...Ge, Je, etc even in far distance from the master.

Despite all these, the story is tilted towards throwing a satire on education system based on memory that of Mexico in the 19th century. The writer is much convinced if the learning process is as such then the school can be opened and run by the other creatures as well. To exemplify the very statement, he has intentionally brought about the case of Perico pet tamed by Don Lucas. To mug up something is terrible monotonous and boring. Repetition of something to set in our mind indeed kills our creative power and intuition. education is not something we should gain out of memorizing. Rather it should be assimilated and implemented into our practical affairs by understanding. It is a satire in the sense that education system of Mexico in 19th century was not inclined towards encouraging students towards comprehension and promoting their creative aspect. Rather it was forcible and tiring process which the writer did not prefer. That is why he attacked it in a mild and literary way.