The Savage Male

LITERAL COMPREHENSION
The Yanomamo is one of the most aggressive , war like and male oriented societies in the world. The body of adult males or females are covered with the wounds and scars. Wife have to obey their husbands immediately. Other wise they are punished. Brother-in- low are close relatives, with whom they take drugs together. Because of the hallucinogenic drugs, the Yanomamo males have supernatural visions. And can endure several pain in different types of duels. Menstruated  girls and women kept separately. Male superiority is seen in different types of duels. In the chest pounding duels, the guest hit on the chest of the host with fist as hard as he can. But later the host also hits the guest back on the chest. The more one receives, the more one can hit back. In the side slapping duel, the opponent hits with the open hands just bellow the ribs. In the club fight the competitor sticks on the head with a pole. The spear is also dangerous. The fight against the relatives and enemies is quite common. The alliance of the Yanomamo depends on the military power. They past most of time by fighting.

INERPRETATION
This assay has clearly express the lifestyle of the Yanomamo people. It shows that their life is full of struggle. In order to survive they have to keep on fighting

CRITICAL THINKING
The essayist has presented a banned view in this assay. He has quoted chignon, a male researcher, whose attitude was male oriented. He has also presented the views of Judith sapiro, a female researcher. Thus he has tried to be unbiased.

ASSIMILATION
By reading this assay I have come to know many things about male oriented society. In such society, women and girls are always abuse.  they have to do what the male want. They make myths  to prove males superior. But, on the other hand, males are more precocious  and war like. I become sad when I imagine the life of the Yanomamo people who always fighting and never at peace.

The Cabuliwallah

LITERAL COMPREHENSION
One day Mini called a Cabuliwallah but when he came to her, she ran away. In order to remove the fear of the child, the narrator, her father, brought her close to the street trader  from that day on, the child and the vendor become close friend. They would tell stories and jokes and would be very happy. Once the Cabuliwallah was imprisoned for several years and he was forgotten. But on Mini's wedding day he appeared again with some dry fruit for his little Mini. The narrator learn that Rehaman! The cabuliwallah would visit Mini because she reminded him of his own daughter parvati in Afghanistan. Then he called Mini, who was in her wedding dress. Rehaman was quite surprised to see the grown up Mini and thought of his own daughter. The narrator out his expenses and gave him a hundred –rupee note so that he could go home to see his daughter.

INTERPRETATION
This story might be trying to tell us that friendship and that human beings are same in all over the world. So far as parental love is concerned. It may also be interpreted to mean that self sacrifices are the root of happiness. The Cabuliwallah was happy because he loved somebody else child as his own. Similarly the narrator also gave a hundred rupees to Rehaman and was happy thinking of the long-lost father meeting with his only child.

CRITICAL THINKING
This story has many beautiful aspects which touch our heart. If shows that love is the basis of human existence. If clearly express the pain of all the people who have to leave their home and go abroad to earn money in order to support their family. But we don't agree with the narrator regarding some of the things, Likes mini's mother, we would not allow our children to visit a stranger everyday. Hoe can Rehaman's daughter's name be Parvati?

ASSIMILATION
After reading this story my attitude to the vendor have totally change. Now I look to them with loving eyes. I think them as human beings who are compelled to leave their house because of their poverty. I take an interest in them. If possible I purchase things from them and thus I help them. My attitudes have been broadened.

Marriage is a Private Affair

LITERAL COMPREHENSION
The marriage in the city of Logos of Nneameka and Nene is against the custom of the bridegroom's village by cutting across religious tribal  and family beliefs. Everything is against Nane: She comes from Lagos, She is not an Ibo and she is a school teacher. Such on event has never happened in the history of the village. The opposition is express by Mnaemeka's father, who, after the event rejects any kinds of compromise. The villagers propose various suggestions but he reject them all. Even after eight years there has been no change in the father. But when a letter from his daughter in law arrives telling him about unknown grandson, his strong resistance being to grow weaker. And he feels sorry and imagines that he has left his grandson outside in the raring weather.

INTERPRETATION
This story might be trying to tell us that marriage is a private affair and that the society should no go against the wishes of the marriage partner. Such a marriage life is happier than the life of those who are marriage traditionally. If may also be interpreted to mean that in a rapidly changing society the open conflict of the first and the second generation is resolved through the innocent third generation.

CRITICAL THINKING
This story questions the custom of arrange marriage by showing the prejudice (narrow minded) against inter-tribal marriage and calls for acceptance and understanding to protect and institutions believed to be the foundation of society. This beautiful story represents the traditional society all over the world. The writer presents this as a victory of natural forces of kin and affection over custom. The society gradually changes and the older generation has to accept the new situation slowly. I did not find any weakness in this story

ASSIMILATION
After reading this story I understood myself and my father batter. In our society fathers are like Okeke, and sons revolt  against fathers if they do not accept their son's desire. This story has encouraged us to find out a marriage partner who will have all the good qualities of Nene or Nnaemeka. Only does an educated partner make a marriage life happy.

Teaching In The Television Culture

LITERAL COMPREHENSION
When English teacher learn that their students were born in the house where the television was always on and when they consider TV at the park, they become worried about their students. They like a anti-TV tale in which the main character Lennie, addicted to TV, later things that TV people are not real. In the beginning of the TV era (age) many critics thought that TV was responsible for lowering the quality of students and people in generation. They supposed that people would be less educated after a decade (10 years time) or so. The critics did not support when TV was used for educational purpose. In reality, today's students were brought up with TV which plays an important role in their lives. Actually TV does not cause addiction. The viewers are not concentrated in one particular program. There are commercial and TV serials being broadcast alternately. With the remote control, many stations can be viewed alternately. Moreover there is an interaction between the real world and the TV world. A viewer is a traveler, who goes from one world to another. Homework and TV can be handling at the same time.

INTERPRETATION
This assay might be trying to tell us that TV is not as harmful as people in the past considered it to be. It has become a part of modern life. This assay has also presented a new theory of perception( learn, knowledge) which stressed  that it is possible to group so many things at the same time from various sources.

CRITICAL THINKING
This assay has presented the modern situation realistically. It has put forward the idea of past generation, who considered TV harmful and later on it has beautifully presented a new approach of perception. Whenever we learn we can get so many things from different sources. It is possible to write a letter and to watch the news on the TV at the same time.

ASSIMILATION
When I read this assay I understood how some of my friends solve their math's problem when their radio is on. They can do both things at the same time. Perhaps modern generation is smarter than the earlier generation. They grasp whatever they need from various sources.

Curbing The On–Eyed Monster

LITERAL COMPREHENSION
Television stations are owned by very rich people. They do not tell us the truth. Their main purpose is to handover us to advertisers as long as possible. Ordinary people are tired of protesting against them. The easiest way to make our home TV free or to put our TV set on the curb. We may missed very useful programs and become outsiders. But we can use the spare time to do something really valuable. We can live a real life. We can make our self familiar with the highest quality in art, music and literature. But TV present us the lower quality of all these and reality in fragments and thus misguides us. We don't know what reality is? We do what the advertiser or rich people want us to do. We fill their pockets with our money. So, the effective way to save us is to boycott TV otherwise we will be getting misinformation. We have been compelled to feel that our natural life is worse and therefore we being to live artificially.

INTERPRETATION
This assay tell us that rich people and bigness man have made us puppets . They will use us the way they like. They will use us for their own advantages by misguiding us. They will never give us anything of the best quality. Therefore we have to protect ourselves from their exploitation.

CRITICAL THINKING
Although the writer has presented some of the advantage of TV, he has emphasized its bad aspects. He has made us escapists. Instead of fighting against the rich people, he wants us to stop watching TV. If we do so we will missed many good programs. If everyone throws their TV sets where shall we go to watch the historical events? Can't we make a choice and watch only good programs?

ASSIMILATION
This assay has help me to understand many of the things which I did not understand before. Now I have understood how easily people imitate mannerism and why people watch TV. They don't like to be outsiders. I also know why people use the things advertise on TV. They want to be number one.

Great Scott

LITERAL COMPREHENSION
We should not allow our children to go near the Television set. If possible we should not install it at all. In nearly every home child watch TV until their eyes get tired. They sit and watch TV until they are spellbound and absolutely drunk with very bad things. We allow them to watch TV because they will not fight and do naughty things and they allow us to do our work freely. But we have never supposed that TV will kill their senses and imagination, that they do not understand the imaginary world and that they can not think at all. If you take the set away, they will be unhappy at first and then they will start reading good books as children in the past would do.

INTERPRETATION
This poem might be trying to tell us that, the TV set has prevented children from reading
books. It may also be interpreted to mean that parents are solely responsible for spoiling their children. they have thought of their convenience alone. They have never studied the bad inflect of TV programs on their children

CRITICAL THINKING
This poem has beautifully presented the trouble of every parent. It is true that children don't read any good books a part from their text book. But the poem has ignored the advantage children get by watching TV. When classic was televised they will be interested in watching more such serious. When they don't get such serials they borrow classics from the library and read them. More over TV helps them to imaging much more clearly. How does it kill their imagination Del.?

ASSIMILATION
This poem has help me to understand why children passed most of their time before their TV set. It hypnotizes them. I also came to know why the younger generation thinks differently. They have taken in so many good as well as bad things from different sources including TV. Modern culture has been changing rapidly because of television.

The Wretched Stone

LITERAL COMPREHENSION
When the Rita Anne started her voyage, her crew passed their free time by reading, singing and talking stories. They found a stranger island on the way. They brought a rock from there and place it in the cargo store. Now when the salers were free, they would watch the peculiar light it gave off. The captain missed their music and story telling. Their behavior change. They rarely spoke. They climbed on the rope more easily. Then the captain said that he would throw the rock. After this he did not see any one on the deck. They all had locked themselves in the store waiting the Uretched stone. They suppose that the captain alone could sail the ship. A powerful stream was heading that way. So he went to call them. But surprisingly, they all had turned in to hairy apes. They did not understand the word he said. The storm passed and the ship was still floating. The crews were sad because the stone had gone dark. Then the captain stared playing the violin and reading to them. After this who could read improved more quickly afterwards they were rescued by a passing ship and the Rita Anne was born with the stone

INTERPRETATION
Since the title of this unit is Television, the stone here stands for television. Therefore we may say that this story is trying to tell us something about television. T V makes people dull and finally they were change in to uncivilized once. They don’t understand what is told to them. They neglect their duties. They prefer to pass their whole time sitting before their TV sets.

CRITICAL THINKING
The writer has rightly presented the bad influences of TV on people. But he has not mentioned the advantages people get by watching TV. People can see new places and new people sitting in their own rooms. They can also watch many important historic events. They can get a lot of information from it.

ASSIMILATION
When I read this story I remember my own passed life at home. Years ago I and my brother requested our parents to buy a TV set. When it was brought home, we would watch it only after we had finished our homework. But later we neglect our study. When an interesting programs was being broadcast. We would not even go for our meals. Once the TV set was struck by lightning and our father did not repair it. Then we started doing our homework and everything was all right.

Stickeen

LITERAL COMPREHENSION
John Muir, the narrator, in spite of his objection, had to take the dog Stickeen to the dog in icy cold region of Alaska at the request of its master. The creature proves to be an interesting company in the journey. It always followed the narrator even leaving its own master. It never complains. It did not love anyone and did not allow anyone to do so. It did not leave the narrator when he was making the most measurable journey in his life. That day he left the comp early in the raring morning with breakfast in his pocket. The dog somehow follow him. They were walking in the snow. There were many crevasses on the way. The narrator crossed them carefully but the dog was moving like the flying cloud. It did not notice any danger. After reaching the end, they were returning to the camp. On the way they were trapped on the island surrounded by crevasses (holes). The only way to cross it was Sliver Bridge. The narrator cut notches (V shape holes) on the bridge. After he crossed the bridge, he again had to cut the holes at the other end to climb up. After he reached the other side he called the dog. But it did not come because it had wisely sensed the danger. When the writer repeatedly threatened to leave it there, it very carefully crossed the bridge. And afterwards it was so happy that it cried and danced and dashed. From that day on, it likes to be a close to the narrator. It might have thought that the narrator was its god.

INTERPRETATION
This story might be trying to tell us that experience teaches us more than anything else. The dog stickeen changed completely after it successfully cross the silver bridge and save its life. It may also be interpreted to mean that there are many things which we find in animals and human beings equally. Friendship and gratitude are equally found in animals.

CRITICAL THINKING
This beautiful story has many points which are normally unacceptable to us. Why do people explore such remote place by putting their lives in danger? Don't they die of cold when they are wet in the icy cold region? Otherwise this story is really impressive. It makes us feel as if we are with the writer making the journey.
ASSIMILATION
After reading this story I came to know so many things about Alaska. I also learned that beauty in nature and danger are interwoven that experience makes one perfects is true even in the case of animals.

Shep's Hobby

LITERAL COMPREHENSION
James herriot, the narrator, was going to Mr. Bailes's place to see how his cow Rose was. She was suffering from stomach trouble of unknown nature. As the narrator was passing between the two walls, shep suddenly jumped and frightened him. He jumped up in to the air and his heart was beating violently. After giving the Lawage to the cow he wet to home. The next day he was passing through Mr. Bailes's field to see the farmer in the barn. The midday sun, the sweet breeze, the greenery and the solitude impressed Jemes very much. All of a sudden, the sky darkens and roared. It was Shep again. Jemes was so afraid that he almost evacuated (empty) his bowel (stomach). After giving some treacle to the cow, he came again the next day. Now he was happy to see rose all right. But it was the postman who had cured the cow by making her run. Then Jemes was lost in deep thought and solid his hand. To wash the hand as he was going to Mr.Bailes's kitchen, he was frightened again the dog. This time he was so angry that he punished the dog by scolding and threatening. When he comes to Mr. Bailes next time Shep did not frightened him and he was sorry because he had deprived the dog of its pleasure. But later when he found the dog frightening a tinker (pot maker), the speaker was happy.

INTERPRETATION
This story might be trying to tell us that any animal has the right to make fun and that there is not much different between dogs and men so far as recreation is concerned.

CRITICAL THINKING
This lovely animal story has some points which might be unacceptable. How could a postman cure the cow which a vet could not? Has a dog's sense of timing so perfect as to frighten the people? Is the story convincing enough? Perhaps we have raised such questions because we have not absence dogs as closely as a vet.

ASSIMILATION
This story has changed by attitudes to animals completely. Before I read this story, I would run away if a dog comes close to me. I would think that it had come to bite me. But now I think that it has come to play with me. Now I love a dog and want to make friend with it.

A fight between a lion and a crocodile

LITERAL COMPREHENSION
It was late evening. The narrator and his friend being to sleep drowsily on the bank of the river. They could hear different kind of roaring sound. Job told them to look to the water toward them. They sow the lion's signing eyes as one of was 15 feet away. Leo fired at the lions and see died. A fully grown male was to step behind her. Suddenly there was a rush and disturbance of the water. The lion uttered a roar. A crocodile had cut him by the leg. The lion pull the crocodile on to the bank and clawed its head, and one of its eyes was turn. Both of them were struggle fiercely. The lion's body up to the hive was in the crocodile's jaws. The lion clawed the crocodile's throat a part. The lion felt on the crocodile's back and died . After a while the crocodile also died.

INTERPRETATION
This story might be trying to tell us that there are many more wonderful things in the world of nature. All living things are closely related to their environment, and are equally important in their own place. The lion is the king of the jungle, but the crocodile can defeat him in the water, which is not the kingdom of the lion.

CRITICAL THINKING
There are many things in the story, which seem unbelievable. How can people try to fall as sleep when they hear the rearing sound? How can people feel safe in such a place? Can is a crocodile strong enough to grip a lion? Since this story seems to be realistic, we have to accept many things without questions.

ASSIMILATION
After reading this story I am fully convince that all animals are equally important in the eco –system. Every animals has its importance in its own place. But if it goes to the place to other animals, it will be defeated. There for every living things identifies its habit act and lives accordingly.