Interpretation Challenge; Breath

Interpretation Challenge; Breath: the shortest Play by Samual Beckett

This Blog is the part of thinking activity, which is given by Dilip Barad sir,  Click here to Open Sir's Blog on Interpretation challenge; Breath.

This type of video is very short play about 30 second  duration. It seems meaningless but carries basic meaning of life it also considered as experimental play. This type of video can be interpreted in many ways. In the starting we hear the sound of Breathe that is connected with life. The play has opened with Dark to Light, Light means Birth and end it goes Light to Dark, and Dark mean Death. Nothingness is the center. We can interpret in this video nothingness in the life. Our journey start up with born and end up with death. so we can feel meaningless and nothingness in our life. At the end what we can do when our death happen nothing. We can say that the world is full of things which leads us toward nothingness, like most of things in garbage is related with hospital and technology. We can also connect hospital’s strachur, injection and medicines with Life. Today man start his/her journey at hospital, and during the journey take medicines and the end they are also in Hospital. (Post mortem, ailments) like Gujarati Bhajans ‘Jite bhi Lakdi, Marke bhi Lakdi’. It seems, nothingness of life, we all are live as a habit of routine. We have habit to breathing and wish to success in our mind has habit to think about various things so one or another we can live with our habits and follow some things which going on and it is really need to live a long life with medicine. So here existentialism theory exist in this sense of what is meaninf and purpose of our life. Its matter with our existence. We are here and born on the earth and feeling about our lives in absurdity, nothinfness and meaningless. But we can’t find the reason and also answere behind this why we are exist and for whom we live and whats aim behind this everythings.

Chimamanda Ngozi

Hello Reading, this Blog is the response of the Task of Sunday Reading, which is given by Dr. Dilip Barad sir. Click Here to Open Sir’s Blog. 

Chimamanda Ngozi is a Nigerian Novelist, Short story writer and Non Fictional Writer. Her Famous Novels are ‘Hibiscus’, ‘Half of a yellow sun’, ‘Americanah’, Short stories like, ‘The thing around your Neck’, famous Essay ‘We should all be Feminists’. 

1)  " The danger of single story " she used to write her all characters were white and blue eyed . They played in snow , ate an apples and drinks. In way there is an impression in the face of story. She write according to her reading of foreign books. After reading African books , Chinua Achebe there is mental shift in her writing and change perceptions about literature. She realized her own existence in literature and started to write things she recognized. Her experience at University of united states , when American roommate surpisurp on her speaking English as Nigerian.

2) She talk about Feminism. Her experience with tag of feminist by okuloma and idea of feminist in mind of people that's why she is happy feminist. In society men always physical strong then women. Men always superior in position and power then women. At same place , same job women will get less salary then men. She shares her experience at hotel , when she alone as Nigerian consider as sex worker. Thus she should be accompanied by men. When she was with man waiter greets man and ignored her. Thus they are products of society. Thus need of equality in rights of men and women . Same opportunity for both in every aspect. Changes in policy , attitude and mindset about gender role.

3) Talk on importance of Truth in Post-Truth Era: In the third video about truth in post-truth era, she beautifully said about the courage of speaking truth. Her thought is to be loyal with ourselves to tell the truth. Post truth is very dangerous weapon in this 21st century, especially political parties make use of this kind of weapon to provocate riots and also Media used for profit and to raise their TRP. So. She tries to say that do not driven as sheeple with the political language, try to understand the truth with authentication and always doubt in such a things

Thinking Activity :- To The lighthouse

1) Virginia Woolf has thrown some light on this serious topic of human relations. Virginia Woolf has used stream of consciousness in this novel. She has presented psychological level of a person that shows the aspects of living and complexity of relations. As it is rhetorical term so properly refers to the literary technique of stream of consciousness. Woolf’s technique of stream of consciousness highly inspired by William James' principles of psychology. Mrs. Ramsay's character is of a typical woman and a housewife. And relation between children and their father. As we can see the Children are not directly connected with their father in the novel. And She is a woman who sacrifices herself for others.

2) The technique of stream of consciousness especially with description of consciousness. So it is all characters can be vividly seen by reader were then author has no need to describe anything. Mrs.Ramsay does all things for family members; she lives for others’ she does so many sacrifices for the sake of others and so many things which is already decided by patriarchal society. Mrs.Ramsay is alive in mind of others because of her services and compassion to each. She has something to give all characters. Mrs.Ramsay is also known as ' Angle of the House'. And Lilly Briscoe is totally opposite from the Mrs.Ramsay. Lilly tries to break wrong idea that “the women can’t paint can’t write”. She does that and prove women’s identity as intellectuals as men. I think Virginia Woolf is more interested to Lilly Briscoe's character rather than Mrs. Ramsay. Both are remarkable characters in novel because Mrs. Ramsay is alive because of her Womanhood only and Lilly Briscoe for her art.

3) Yes, I agree for Mrs., Ramsay's character .In Mrs. Ramsay is both thing are there Critique and tribute. Because she has tribute for her family is first like and care and some are they. Lighthouse stands for Mrs Ramsay because she is harbor for her family member and very much spiritual guidance. She takes care of her family members and her husband. She manages ego of her husband and if we talk about considering symbolically through presentation we can say that symbol of Mrs.Ramsay as we read in the novel she always indicates as an emotional guide for other characters. So we say that she is a central character in the novel. One thing that here we cannot forget that between husband and wife writer creates some distance between them and also their children. Here we can take one example of Mr.Ramsay and his son James. If we talk about writer and her biographical context, we can say that writer’s character is more presented in Lily Briscoe’s characters.

5) 'kunstlerroman' is a German term which is about the somebody's life or Artist's novel, or we can say which describe development or a struggle of an artist as in ' To The Light House' Lily's character and the novel itself is a struggle of an artist she what's to prove her intelligence in front of men.

7)The novel is more difficult than the movie ,both words and screen have its own advantages but words are more powerful than the screen.screening movie is restricted the power of imagination.Novel has poetic charm which movie can't provide to reader and audience. Sickvance of the film is very melodramatic ,and both end are different dialogue,end of the film dialogue is Lily Briscoe :"You are fool" , ""Closed the door and open the window".But end of the novel there:"Yes , she thought ,laying down her brush in extreme fatigue,I have had my vision".

Learning Experience :Jay Mehta on E. A.Poe's short stories

Learning Experience In Dr. Jay Maheta’s lecture on Poe’s Short stories.

18 Sept to 22 Sept, Department of English has organized Guest lecture on Poe’s short stories, which is tough by Dr. Jay Maheta. Dr. Jay Maheta is a formal student of Department. Nowadays he is lecturer of R.C. Technical College Ahmadabad. I like his teaching skill. My experience of learning from him amazing, these day he deals with the Poe’s short- stories which is very mystery and macabre work. His teaching style is really different from others because of he tough us with Poem, Sigmund Freud's theories. He also gave pre-reading task about the Death, which is Poe’s stories main them ‘Wish to Death’. His style of beginning  of class is an amazing it catches the attention of everyone in class,in these four day he talk about Short stories, How to write poem etc.

1)   The Tell-tale Heart

2)   The Black Cat

3)   The Fall of the house of Usher

4)   The Cask of Amontillado

5)   The Purloined Letter

6)   The Gold Bug

As we know that Edgar Allan Poe is the master of Macabre. He is famous for horror, fear, bloodshed, lie, and various psychological abnormalities. He gave a new concept to see the world. His most of the work are based on the Suspense  and create a fearful atmosphere. Poe’s short stories is of course create the suspense and create a atmosphere of Fear but when Sir has tough us that time he also create a fearful atmosphere like this incident happen in font of us.

The Last day of the session, sir has taken a lecture on Poet, and poem, (Musairo) sir is given fruitful suggestion to up coming poet and writer and he also recited two or three poem, which are written by him.

Thank you so much Barad sir and Maheta sir……

Aeshvariyam Youth Festival 2018

Maharaja Krishnakumarsinhji Bhavnagar University has organized Youth Festival 26-27-28 Oct 2018. This Youth Festival host is ‘Takshsila institude of Science and Management’. Normally Youth Festival is for Students, Students are participant and show his/ her abilities, skills.

Generally Youth Festival is for entertainment, enjoyment, shown the skill and abilities of students but as a student of English Literature and criticism, Dr. Dilip Barad sir has given a task to observing the events and apply the Terms and theory on the event. Like,

1.   One Act Play/Skit :

 Aristotle’s Poetics

 Dryden’s Definition of Play

 Martin Esslin’s Theatre of Absurd

 Davin Compton’s Comedy of Menace

 Approaches, (Feminism, Psychoanalysis, cultural studies, biographical approach, Mirroring of the moment etc)

2.   Mono Acting

Thematic study,

Mythical characters,

Historical

3.  Poetry Recitation

Theory of Coleridge (Poem v/s Poetry & Imagination, Fancy)

Wordsworth’s definition (Spontaneity & Simplicity)

T.S. Eliot (Theory of Depersonalization)

I.A. Richards (Figurative Language)

Cleanth Brooks (language of Paradox)

Deconstruction

4.   Lalit Kala

Thematic study

Political satire

Mirroring of contemporary society

Post Modernist painting

Traditional v/s modern

Thus sir has given us the real test of our observation power, literary sensibility and our skills to apply classroom learning in real life situation. As we learn English Literature and criticism last 4 or 5 years, we learnt many theories and approaches, terms and many other thing in those days. So as student of literature we have to apply all the theories, terms and approach in real life. I am very excited to apply all the theories and term to this events but somehow I could not observing all the events, but here I try to apply all the theories and approach in my personal observation of society and some personal also. Let’s begin with the Youth Festival,

1)  One Act Play/Skit

I have observing only two play. One is ‘Sikka ni triji baji’ and second I forget it name. Sikka ni Triji Baju is the satire on society. Society is abusing the third Gender, they does not accept the Kenner. It is not a tragedy that we can apply the theory of Aristotle. But I have seen the another play, ‘Adhuri Tasvir’ where we can apply this theory. The prince is fall in love with the servant, she also the servant of the king so she have good reputation in the town. The prince came his uncle kingdom, and there he met the chandrakala (servant) and fall in love. The prince is good in painting, and write a poem. When his uncle know about his love with his servant, He killed Chandrakala. Before killing the prince is drawing her painting. but the painting still remaining, the prince became a mad and chandrakala came (Ghost) and give a chance to complete her painting. The end of the play Prince has died with painting. This play follow all the six elements of tragedy like Plot, character, diction, thought, spectacle and song also.

According to John Dryden, “Drama is a just and lively image of human nature, representing its passions and humors and the changes of fortune to which it is subject for the delight and instruction of mankind”.  This definition I would like to apply in our Department’s performance, ‘Sikka ni Triji Baju’. According to Dryden the Drama is a just and lively images of human nature, which we also find that in this play, the Kenner is the represented the real situation of human mind and also nature. ‘Rekha’ is the main character of the play who is kinner or the third gender. This play made a ‘just and lively image which is Dryden talk about. When the third gender born the society does not accepted it so they make their society, like Rekha, kajal. When it born the kinner came and take it, why because of the society, the parents of the kinner, they want to live with it but the society force to leave it as Rekha’s parents leave him. However Rekha does not feel he is nothing or he is a third gender person but he believe that it’s a God’s Gift. Live a life with passion, he does not believe that it is a weak point. the subject of the play really given biggest moral. if we want to apply the Feminist criticism, we find the both of the example like they give freedom and also Ligation of family. In this play the character likes Sarda (Mother of tusar), Alpa (Sister of tusar) both are free to do as they want and the character of Mina (Wife of Tusar) is in ligation, she cannot take a decision. She wants to live with Kiran (Third Gender’s child)but Sarda and tusar doesnot want. Here we can also see some events of Rekha’s past (Psychoanalysis) like when he is in childhood his parents left him without telling him. This events was in his unconscious mind which he suffered a lot. This play is reflection of society of course today Government gives Rights for third gender but somehow this decision became a fail to real society (Rights of 377) still society does not give priority to it, still they does not want to give him employment, job etc. As I say I saw two Plays, which one is connected to historical concept.

Second thing I did not attended the Mono Acting or the poetry recitation. So could not interpret it with the critical approaches and terms. But here I would like to interpret my own poem. According to Wordsworth, “Poetry is the spontaneous overflow of powerful feeling: it takes its origin from emotion recollected in tranquility”, in this definition Wordsworth define two contradiction, like ‘Spontaneous overflow of powerful feeling, and another side ‘emotion recollected in tranquility’. it means the poet would then express those powerful impressions spontaneously with ease and felicity without any imposition of restriction in point of language or poetic diction. Immediate impression has a blending of both important and unimportant impression. When they allowed to rest for some time, only the important impression remain in the memory, and unimportant ones was away. In this Youth festival we find that (I take a review form participant of Poetry recitation) the poets are not write effective poem immediately. As a rule of Youth Festival. Participant should be written in limited time. So we can say that we cannot apply this definition of this event. But we can appy T. S. Eliot’s theory of Depersonalization. Because somehow poet apply his own life experience to his works, whatever in form, like my first published work ‘Drasti; Ashatitv ni khari anubhuti’, When I got this idea form Dilip sir (teach us Feminism), and also Ganesh Mahotsv (Svk), during the Mahotsav I have been going to see to the Ganesha and there I see theboard, where written the Women are not allow to enter, who wear a Jeans Top (Western cloths)  and many other thing. When I was going to Rajkot for migration, I started to write, I did not want to apply this insult to my work, I only want to write on feminism. When I have completed it I saw the my personal experience are mingled with my story, it is not only about my experience but every poets/ writers.

I have also attended the Mime, which I saw two or three mine, normally mime is the well performance because it leaves to audience to interpret and understood their self. The second thing is that most of the theme of mine is the current problem like Child abuse, Machines etc. As I also attended Western Group song and also Quiz. I have attended some parts of the Youth festival but I tried to observe all the things/ events very critical.

Thus, I attended the three day Youth festival in Maharaja Krishnakumarsinhji Bhavnagar University. This is my observation of Youth festival, and tries to interpretation.