On Orientalism: Edward Said

On Orientalism: Edward Said:

• Orientalism revolutionized study of the middle East and helped to create and shape entire new field of study such as post-colonial theory as well influencing disciplines as diverse as English, history and cultural study.

• He calls this lens through which we view that  part of the world Orientalism. A framework that we use to understand the unfamiliar and the strange to make the peoples of the middle east appears different and threatening. 

• The central argument of Orientalism is that the way that we acquire this knowledge is not innocent or objective but the end result of a process that reflect certain interest, that is highly motivated.

• Edward Said that Orientalism is a discourse which is a regulated system of producing knowledge within certain constraint where by certain rule have to be observed.

• There is certain sense in which in not really mounting a serious critique of it the Arab have participated and continue to allow themselves to be represented as orientals in this Orientalist way.

Review of films: Midnight's Children and The Reluctant Fundamentalist

Midnight's Children:

Midnight's Children is  1981 Novel by British Indian author Salman Rushdie. It deals with India's transition from British colonialism to independence and the partition of British India. It is considered an example of postcolonial, postmodern and megical realist literature. (Wikipedia)

Postcolonial critique of Salman Rushdie's most famous novel, Midnight's Children. 

Midnight's Children are the children born at the stoke of the midnight of 15th August 1947 that marked India's independence. 

The story is narrated by its chief protagonist Saleem Sinai. The conceptual framework of postcolonial theory is adopted to critique this novel.

Concept is analyzed to extract postcolonial elements of.....

• Magical Realism
• Hybridity
• Postcolonial Feminism
• Mimicry

Magical Realism:

The magical realism narrative adds beauty and vigor to the historical events represented in this novel which otherwise could have been boring to read. The Midnight Children were not ordinary kids they had supernatural power.

Saleem incredible sense of smell, Parvati the witch invisibility basket, Tai the eternal boatman is ageless, Mian Abdullah humming and so on.....

Hybridity:

Saleem is a perfect representation of the hybrid man, born with multiple allegiances and identities. He is character of mixed William Methwold and a poor Indian woman. Yet raised as a son by the middle class Sinais.

 

The Reluctant Fundamentalist:

The Reluctant Fundamentalist Mira Nair's movie is a salutary reminder of the horror that began the 21st century, based on the 2007 novel by Mohsin Hamid.

Fundamentalist refers to religious identity one unfortunately most often associated with Islamik terrorism these day.

Maybe it is disingenuous of the writer to use such a loaded title. But he wants to question our belief. I think it is a clever tactic that compels you to confront your prejudice or your stereotypes.

It's an engrossing story, told and it begins like many immigrant sagas with the American dream, a great job, a beautiful girlfriend and unlimited prospects. But Changez's dream begins to turn into a nightmare after 9/11.

He does an about face and returns to Pakistan. There he teaches at a university and incites students to demonstrate for Pakistan's disengagement from the US. It is his mission in a decaying part of the world to stop the empire from manipulating the fate of powerless countries. He is labeled anti-American. 

Thinking Activity: Virginia Woolf's "To The Lighthouse"

Thinking Activity: Virginia Woolf's "To The Lighthouse".

1)-

Stream of consciousness this technique is very well used in this novel by Virginia Woolf. She very well explain that how thinking makes our relations so much complicated. Because every people think differently to another people and this kind of thought which makes life more complicated.

2)-

Yes, Mrs. Ramsay is a good wife and also good mother. Mrs. Ramsay is major character in the novel because this character which remain from beginning of the novel and end of the novel. In this character Lily is semientobiographical which is represent the Woolf her self and artistic process.

3)-

Catalogues of Army and Navy symbolized that the change of technology and improving human culture. James Cutting the refrigerator it is a symbol of preservation. It is an instrument of science. Cutting a refrigerator it is a negative thing. The catalogues in 'To The Lighthouse' does not have a date but it does have a name world war.

4)-

In 'To The Lighthouse' Virginia Woolf uses a variety of myths. In the novel female role like the mother, and mother remain become the center, mother is controlling one or all. In this novel James who was a son of the Mrs. Ramsay. He love his mother deeply and feels a murderous antipathy toward his father.

5)-

Kustlern means artist it,  eans artist novel. And it is related with the character of Lily Brisco. We can say that 'To The Lighthouse' is kunstlernrroman novel. Because there is two character growth, Virginia Woolf's growth in her life as a writer and the character of Lily Brisco. She is painter but her painting is not complete earlier when Mrs. Ramsay is live but after her death time passes and Lily completed the novel ends. So, painter her growth is also seen in the novel.

6)-

Virginia Woolf her self who is categorically represented by Lily, so in the light house she explain her dilemma with the use of Lily's character. In this novel Mrs. Ramsay always has to struggle or balance the relation between son and father, but Mr. Ramsay storms about in a temper when people do not act according to his wishes or his timetable.

7)-

In the novel we find that the beginning of the novel James desire to go to the lighthouse, and we find that in the end of the novel. Here I'm agree with it that this novel is more poignant than movie because when we read something that time we imagine, so many things with various point of view and different way.

8)-
At the end Lily's painting and she complete the picture of Mrs. Ramsay and its shows the complexity of this both character Lily and Mrs. Ramsay. We can see in this  end Lily always wanted be like Mrs. Ramsay but she not becomes totally like her.

OD on oneness of literature

OD on oneness of literature:

       Literary canon always concerned with three major themes "Life, Love and Death". World literature from ancient to present time has the same pattern and theme to express Human emotions and feelings. The literature is connected with each other. Or we can say,the literature is produced from the literature.

Northrop Frye:

    "Archetypal Criticism" concept which is given by Northrop Frye, he describes the human feelings and emotions with different seasons. One or the other way this idea is connected with oneness of Literature. When any work of art created by any artist or we can say when any writer writes something there is some essence of another peace of art or another writings. Because in past  there are many myths and mythical stories and literary works are written. 

T.S Eliot:

     The poem by "wasteland" is also great example of that. there were many parts which suggests many things like lust death hatred etc.. From eve and Adam because of there disobedience mankind suffers from this perhaps.. this universal feeling of love life and death from there time to till present it is similar which also Frye trys to suggest.  

'A Joke' by Anton Chekhov:

   'A Joke' by Anton Chekhov same thing appears. In this story female character time again wishes to go for the sled with his cousin.

   So we can say that some how she feels fear of that act but because of lust see can not deny herself.

In fact, T.S Eliot's 'Waste Land' and Anton chekhov's short story 'A Joke' both has some similarities, which also signifies oneness of literature.

 

કહેવાય છે.....

    કહેવાય છે...

જીવન હકીકતમાં જેવું જીવાય છે,

એવું ક્યાં કદી કોઈને કહેવાય છે..

આંખે છલકાતાં આંસુ છુપાવીને,

કોઈ પૂછે તો મજામાં છું એમ કહેવાય છે…

અઢળક ઇચ્છાઓ ઉછળતી અંતરે,

પણ ઈચ્છા મુજબ ક્યાં કશું થાય છે…

રોજ પીરસાય છે અહીં અવનવી વાનગીઓ,

ગુસ્સો ખવાય છે ને ગમ પીવાય છે…

સુખનાં મૃગજળ પાછળ તરસ્યા હરણની દોટ,

આ મૃગજળનું છળ ક્યાં કોઈને સમજાય છે..

તોય માણે ‘રુચી’ જિંદગી નાં રંગને,

પાનખરને પણ વસંત સમજી ઉજવાય છે…

                      -😊

Activity on Student & Teacher

Student & Teacher

Student:

How a student should be?

A good student is an asset of a school or college. Everybody wants to be a good student but very few attain it. A student should have followed some instructions to become a good student. Firstly be should attend his classes regularly. This will help to know the daily lessons of the class. Then he should be punctual to his duties. Punctuality is the pre-condition to become a good student. Next he should prepare his lessons well. If he does not understand his lessons himself he should take help of others. Finally he should possess some qualities in him. Honesty, sincerity, cordiality, industrious, intelligence, dutiful etc. are some qualities. By following the above instructions a student can be a good student.

Asking to other people is also important as a way to be a good student. Someone will be stupid when stop to ask. We don't need to be shy when asking to other people, because we will get some information which contains some benifits to make up our knowledge.

Teacher:

How a teacher should be?

      A teacher is he or she who teaches his or her students perfectly and instructively. He tries to pull out the hidden treasures from the students. He makes himself ready for school in the very morning and reaches school early. Sometimes he does official works and sometimes he teaches his students in the class. The students feel very happy, proudly, and needy for a good teacher. 

     A good teacher has some special qualities. He is very dutiful, responsible, attentive, punctual, and smart. A good teacher makes his lessons attractive and easy to his students. He makes the dull students understand their lessons in an easiest method. His service is very important because he plays an active role to build up the nation. He teaches his students morals and helps in building up their future by proper teachings. He is busy with his works because he wants his students cut a good figure in the examination. His only thought is to guide the students into a proper way. 

      A teacher not only has to take classes but also has to assess students’ test and exam scripts outside the class. As a social worker he tries to do good to the people of the society. He is popular with his students because of his good and attractive character. He develops the relationship with his students as a father, a guide and a philosopher.

Movie Review of Lagaan

Movie Review:

Dear Friends,

   I present my review about the film " Lagaan ". On the 15th August in my English Department organized screening play  " Lagaan " present by Dr.Dilip Barad the head of department. The writer Gowariker and Abbas Tyrewala,  producer Aamir Khan, directer of this movie Ashutosh Gowariker.

'Lagaan' which literally mean Tax (in the form of grains) is a story of ordinary people set in a small village 'Champaner' in Central India during the British rule in 1893. The tale narrates the determination of the villagers to fight against injustice and opposition.      The story goes like this...There is no rain in the village since a year. The villagers who depend on rain for farming are unable to pay the lagaan to the ruler Captain Russel. In the form of the Raja's people, who announce dugna lagaan (double tax). All because the Raja being the strong-principled vegetarian he is, refused to eat meat with a British captain.     The villagers are stumped. Only one among them, Bhuvan, is foolhardily idealistic enough to accept a dare from the captain: Win a cricket match against the fearsome British team and be exempt from lagaan for three years. Or stand to pay tiguna lagaan (three times the tax).It becomes a life or death situation for the villagers. In his escape to victory, Bhuvan garners a few homegrown talents, the poultry owner, a deaf mute, an untouchable, a Sikh, a Muslim, even the village rebel. The heavens do their bit and send Bhuvan an emissary in the form of Elizabeth, Captain Russell's sister. She offers to teach the villagers the game of cricket.

Minuses? Honestly, the script. But then, what is one to say about a film which exhausts its plot in the first two hours and 40 minutes, and devotes an hour to a cricket match? But what a match. Here's a film where you have its every thrilling feature exaggerated in melodramatic detail -- run-outs, no balls, sledging, chucking, overthrows, catches (that win matches) spin bowling... and, of course, fours and sixes galore. The cricket sequences have also been taken very well and the only drawback you can point out is its length which is a full 3 hours 40 minutes.