11th - Unit - 1 Paragraphs

Paragraphs

Gifted Student's Paragraph

 Title : The Portrait of a Lady 
Author : Khushwant Singh  
Theme : Orthodox Grand mother’s bonding with grandson

My grandmother is a great inspiration to me. She had a positive influence on me. When I did my schooling she used to narrate a lot of stories to me. Though she did not help me in my academic side, her stories had a close link with my school curriculum. Like Kushwant Singh’s grandma, my grandma was too pious. My grandma inculcated morality in me through her stories in the form of narrating bed time tales. Actually she taught me a lot through her bed time stories. Sometimes she spun her own story. Later only I could realize it. She introduced to me many Puranas. She was a secularist. She told me stories from the Holy Bible too. She cited the quotes even from the Quran. I missed her a lot when she was in deathbed. As soon as I heard of her ailment, I rushed but I was late. I was unfortunate to be by her side when she left the world. Thanks to my grandmother, I am a person of morality now.

Slow learner's Paragraph
❋ The author’s parents had gone to the
❋ So the author was left with his grandmother in the village.
❋ The grandmother accompanied the author to school.
❋ Later they went to the city and joined with their parents.
❋ She spent her time feeding food to the sparrows there.
❋ She did not feel sentimental when the author went abroad for his higher education.
❋ She is ready to face her own death boldly.
❋ She was strong-minded.

 

Explain the things the poet has learnt when he grew into an adult. 

Gabriel Okara (the Nigerian poet) addresses this poem to his son. He brings out the difference between the behaviour of the people in the past and their behaviour at present. In the past people laughed with their hearts sincerely. Laughing with one’s heart reveals real gladness while laughing with one’s teeth reveals one’s external showy love. They greeted one another with real gladness. But now, people laugh with any real happiness and greet one another with an artificial, pretended smile. Okara says that he has also learnt to behave in an artificial manner like other people. The poet has learnt to change faces according to different situations. He has learnt to laugh artificially.The artificial smile of the poet made his teeth look in the mirror like those of a snake.The poet wanted his son to show how to laugh.

Slow learner's Paragraph
✿ Gabriel Okara addressed this poem to his son.
✿ Once the people laughed whole heartedly.
✿ Now they shake hands without hearts.
✿ They invited their friends without any sincerity.
✿ The poet has learnt to change faces according to different situations.
✿ He has learnt to laugh artificially.
✿ The artificial smile of the poet made his teeth look in the mirror like those of a snake.
✿ The poet wanted his son to show how to laugh.

O. Henry in his short story ‘After Twenty Years’ describes the friendship of two men, Jimmy Wells and Bob. They lived in New York. When Bob was eighteen and Jimmy was twenty, they decided to go their own way to find their livelihood. When they parted, they decided to meet each other after twenty years. On that day they dined in Big Joe Brady’s restaurant and said they would meet in the same place at the same time after twenty years. Bob went to the West and Wells stayed in New York. So far they did not have much difference in their characters. But the West changed Bob a lot. He became a criminal and earned a lot. Wells became a respectable policeman. As they planned, Bob came to the place at the scheduled time. Wells was also in the same place as the patrolman. Wells identified Bob as the wanted criminal from Chicago but Bob could not identify Wells. In the twenty years Bob became very rich with the ill-gotten money. Wells was not that rich in terms of money but he was rich in character. He respected his friendship with Bob so he did not arrest him. He sent another plainclothes man to arrest him.

Slow learner's Paragraph
✔ “After Twenty Years” tells the story of two friends.
✔ Bob and Jimmy were friends.
✔ At the appointed time, Bob waited outside a hardware store. A policeman walked up and asked what he was doing. Bob explained about their pact and waited for Jimmy wells.
✔ Later a tall man in plain clothes came to meet Bob. Bob thought him Jimmy Wells.
✔ Later Bob identified that the man he is talking to is not his friend.
✔ Actually, Bob learnt that the police officer whom he met earlier was Jimmy, his old friend.
✔ Since Bob was a criminal wanted by the police, Jimmy Wells did not want to arrest his intimate friend.
✔ So Jimmy wells has sent another police officer to do the work.
✔ Jimmy wells was duty-conscious. For him duty was more important than friendship.