UNIT I
PROSE
TEXT BOOK; MACMILLAN COLLEGE PROSE - T. SRIRAMAN
(Macmillian India Limited)
1. On Letter Writing - Alpha of the Plough
Alpha of the plough was the pen name of A.G. Gardiner. He was the finest essayist. In this essay "On Letter Writing" he talks about the lost art of letter writing.
The essay opens with the conversation between two soldiers Bill and Sam. They find it very difficult to write letters.
A.G. Gardiner says that letter writing is not practised by many people now-a-days. They do not have the gift of self-expression. They are not able to condense the atmosphere into concrete word.
The art of letter writing was killed by penny post and modern hurry. The poor people could not enjoy the luxury of letter writing. In those days a letter was an important event.
The art of letter writing is not practised in our age. This is because of the advent of the penny post. Letter writing has become very cheap. So people do not bother to write good letters. Moreover the telephone, the telegraph and the hype writer has destroyed the art of letter writing.
Modern people do not write literary letters. They are not able to put the great things that happened in their lives into words. The secret of letter writing is intimate triviality and through such trivialities a living picture should be presented.
In short, a good letter should be written in a light and causal way. It should be simple and perfect. It should be personal and not abstract. It should not be orderly, stately and elaborate like a good essay. It should be written in a familiar tone.
Thus A.G. Gardiner advices the readers to review the art of letter writing by constant practice.
2. The Night the Ghost Got In - James Thurber
James Thurber is one of the celebrated essayists of the 20th century. His essay covers a variety of fields and subjects. His style is spontaneous lucid and witty.
One November night at one O' clock Thurber heard someone walking in the dining room. James Thurber thought that it was ghost. So he woke up his brother Herman. Both of them listened the sound. There was no sound. A little later they heard the steps running around the dining table out of fear locked themselves.
On hearing the sound their mother woke up and she thought that there was Burglars. She wanted to inform the police. But the phone was downstairs. So she threw a shoe into the bedroom of their neighbours Bodwell. Bodwell was very angry to find the window glass pane broken Mrs. Bodwell was shocked.
Bodwell immediately informed the police and they came to Thurber's house. A cop came to Thurber's room and asked him who he was. Thurber replied that, he lived there.
At the time grandfather woke up and he thought that the cops were the deserters from General Meade's Buttalion in the American Civil war. He attacked the policemen and the policemen escaped.
Next day the grandfather asked innocently what the cops were doing in their house the previous nights.
Thus Thurber's story is filled with wit and humour that arise out of mistaken identity.
3. Professions for Women - Virginia Woolf
Virginia Woolf was a critique and novelist. This essay ‘Professions for Women’ is plea for intellectual freedom and artistic integrity. Woolf’s profession was literature. Many women writers came before her. They made the path smooth and regulated the steps. So that was not much difficulty in writing. Writing was a reputable and harmless occupation. The family peace was not broken by it. Much money was also not needed.
Woolf explained how she became a journalist. She wrote review and sent them. It was rewarded. She got one pound ten shillings and six pence. She bought a Persian cat with that money.
Woolf narrated her experiences as a novelist. A novelist must be as unconscious as possible. Woolf wanted to review a novel by a famous man. For that she had to fight with the phantom. The phantom was a woman. She was called as the Angel in the house (the heroine of the poem written by Coventry Patmore) She was symbol of domestic dependence and domestic drudgery.
The phantom disturbed her mind. Woolf killed that phantom. Killing the Angel in the house was part of the occupation of a women writer.
Women writers were impeded by the conventionalities of the other sex. The obstacles against women were very powerful. Women had to overcome many problems.
Killing the Angel in the house and telling the truth about her own experience were two important adventures of Woolf's professional life.
Woolf concluded the essay by saying that no profession was without obstacles. She called woman to break the idol of womanly profession to challenge the world.
4. The Donkey - Sir. J. Arthur Thompson
Sir J. Arthur Thomas is the author of this essay. He responded to nature and life in all varieties. His essays are based on difficult science subjects. His style is lucid and literary.
Thomas pictures the donkey as a fire, lovable, strange, affectionate, clever and philosophical creature. But the traditional view is that the donkey is ugly, stupid sulky and dull creative.
The author says, that the domesticated donkey is descended from the African wild ass. There is a variety of donkeys. The donkey differs physically and mentally among them the donkey looks like the pony but has different features.
The Hee- Haw is one of the weirdest sound in the animal kingdom. It commence with loud enthusiasm and ends in melancholic sobs. This braying sound is associated with its ancestral home desert. This sound wakes up the other creatures in the desert.
It's dirty colour is often suited to sandy background. This helps to hide itself in the dry dust it recalls its past. Its long sensitive ear helps to locate the enemy. It's very simple and poor food shows its desert home but man exploits them and does not give enough food.
The African wild ass is a handsome, agile, high spirited, courageous creature. A male ass lives with many females and their young ones. They also fight fiercely with confidence. But often the domesticated donkey is pictured as a depressed creature. The Egyptian high caste white ass is an example for good breeding.
Conclusion
It will be sad pity if this fine type of donkey vanishes from the world. Even though donkey retains many good qualities they are depressed by the careless nature.
5. A Cup of Tea - Katherine Mansfield
Katherine Mansfield is the author of this essay. She was born at Wellington (New Zealand) . Her essays cover the evils of hypocrisies and self deception of life. Her work is a real criticism of life. She believed in the art of suggestion.
Pretty Rose Mary Fell
Rose Mary Fell was a pretty girl. She was young, brilliant, extremely modern, well dressed, well read, presentable and amusing. She was a married girl. Her husband name was Philip.
Flower loving Rose Mary Fell
1) Rose Mary was fond of flowers even if she wanted to buy flowers she would go to prefect shop.
2) Among them she loved roses and tulips but hated life.
Art loving Rose Mary Fell
One-day she went to an antique shop. She saw an exquisite little enamel box. She loved it very much. Its price was 28 guineas. So she didn't buy. She said to the shop man, keep the price till I get.
Snogging Rose Mary Fell
It was drizzling. A young girl drenched in the rain requested (begged) for the price of a cup of tea. Suddenly Rose Mary remembered a similar scene from the Dostoevsky's novel.
Mothering Rose Mary Fell
She decided to take girl home and play the role of a fairy good mother. She took her home. She made her feel comfortable. She fed her with hearty meal and gave her many cup of tea. She made the girl quite comfortable and happy.
Persuading Rose Mary
When Philip came, she introduced Miss. Smith as her friend. She persuaded her husband saying she wants to put the words in the novel in reality.
Possessive Rose Mary
Rose Mary could not bear her husband's compliments about the girl. She realised the daughter. She presented three hundred pounds and sent her away.
Glamourizing Rose Mary
She glamourized herself. She informed him, that she went away and asked him "Am I pretty"?
Conclusion
Thus the author proved the sobbing character of Aristocrats.