A Bird’s eye view of some of the characters of the novel, ‘The Hound of the Baskervilles’ by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle

Perhaps the most important characters in the novel are the protagonist Sherlock Holmes and his assistant Dr. Watson. Sherlock Holmes is depicted as the quintessential eccentric detective who has is typical mannerisms and habits. He prefers to close himself in a room smoking on his pipe, essentially filling the room with a fug of tobacco smoke in order to ruminate on the circumstances and clues. That his typical way of thinking over things! His clichéd remark, ‘ It is elemental, Dr Watson!’ suggests a degree of superiority and perhaps a degree of pride in his abilities.  I wouldn’t refer to Dr Watson as Sherlock Holmes’ “side kick” because that is just what Dr Watson does not want to be regarded as. Sherlock Holmes might be viewed as a flat character, a stereotype who does not grow as the plot progresses. He is the quintessential smart investigator who can read between the lines. He is rational, scientific, and can put himself in the shoes of his adversary, his foil and equally intelligent adversary, Mr Stapleton. What marks Sherlock as an accomplished detective is his patience and ability to reserve his judgement till he has adequate proof to substantiate his conclusions. His remarkable abilities of observation are described at length in the first few chapters of the novel when he is able to describe the owner of the walking stick, Dr Mortimer rather accurately as someone who had served in a prestigious hospital in London and then had shifted to the country side. Sherlock adds that the owner was a person who walked a lot and had a pet dog. Sherlock Holmes displays immense rationality later in making a connection between the similarity between Mr Stapleton’s facial features to those of his ancestor, Hugo Baskerville, noting the distinct long jawed feature shared by Mr Stapleton and his ancestor. He hides his suspicions from his assistant fearing lest the discovery should prejudice the fairness of the investigation. Unlike his assistant, Dr Watson he is a shrewd person who doesn’t jump to conclusions. He keeps his plan of visiting Devonshire a secret and sends Dr Watson to Baskerville Hall in order to conduct his own investigation-a decision that hurts the sentiments of his assistant! Sherlock Holmes somehow overshadows his assistant in terms of rationality, scientific detachment, and shrewdness to the degree of showing off Dr Watson to be a rather gullible and rather dumb kind of an investigator. Sherlock comes up a triumphant opponent when pitched against a formidable opponent in Mr Stapleton when he double times the latter, often guessing and predicting the latter’s moves well in time. He is quite certain that Dr Watson’s and Sir Henry’s lives could be in danger which is one reason why he personally decides to visit Devonshire without making his intention clear to them.

Dr Watson is the Ex-Military assistant to the formidable detective Sherlock Holmes. He is the more muscular of the two but what he lacks is the the shrewdness and rationality of his friend. Unlike Sherlock, Dr Watson likes to exercise at the club house in order work out the stress of the turn of events. He is more dependent on his visual senses, and goes with first impressions. Dr Watson’s letters to Sherlock display a sense of impulsiveness, especially in his strong belief that Mr Barrymore could have more to do with the death of Sir Charles. The needle of his suspicion falls on Mr Barrymore, the  Butler because he was probably the last man who had seen Sir Charles. His suspicion is stoked by his observation of Mr Barrymore’s suspicious behaviour at night, his tip-toeing to the French window, and signalling with a candle late at night. In his rather ham handed manner Dr Watson places much significance to the suspicious behaviour of the Butler. Dr Watson displays numerous errors of judgement throughout the novel. He is quick to suspect anyone with an eccentric  behaviour. He is distracted by the strange behaviour of Mr Barrymore and can’t think with a clear mind. However, it can be also said that the lucid descriptions of events during his stay at Baskerville Hall do a lot in helping Sherlock Holmes understand the wider picture. His detailed description of his meeting with Mr Stapleton and Miss Stapleton brings out the possible streak of violence in Mr Stapleton’s nature. Dr Watson cannot however be dismissed outright as an incapable investigator as he displays initiative in going out to Coombe Tracey to meet Laura Lyons and interview her. He also displays remarkable presence of mind in tracking down Sherlock Holmes to his lair by talking to Mr Frankland and looking through his telescope to see the errands boy carrying a parcel of food to his benefactor. It can be said that although Dr Watson might lack the shrewd insight of his friend, he is however the kind of person one would like to have when in a crisis.

Another important character in the novel is Dr Mortimer. It is clear that if it were not for the concern of this man for his friend, Sir Charles, this investigation would never have taken place! A man of science and thus a man who should have learned to apply a more rational approach to the whole episode of the death of his friend, Sir Charles, he is however swayed  by the supernatural elements in the whole story. Sherlock Holmes chides him for his rather unscientific view of the whole incident. Dr. Mortimer can be described as a trustworthy outdoorsman whom one would always like to have as a friend, although, perhaps one might question his decision to quit a lucrative post in one of the well established hospitals in London for the sake of marrying a rich woman. Yes, Dr Mortimer is eccentric in some ways, especially when he expresses his desire to measure Sherlock Holmes’ cranial dimensions, but then this can be ascribed to his being a man of science.

Another important character that strikes our minds is Mr Barrymore. The faithful butler of Sir Charles,  he is asked to stay on by his new master, Sir Henry. He however expresses his view that his new master might not after all desire to keep him, since he would probably like to appoint people of his own choice. Barrymore however displays a degree of tolerance towards the presence of his brother in law in Devonshire. He displays an immense degree of secrecy in hiding the fact that he is helping a man on the run from the law, just because he happens to be his wife’s brother. Barrymore’s secrecy and the consequent suspicious manner earn him the suspicion of Dr Watson. He is however a husband who is faithful to his wife and ready to go out of the way to help her brother out even though he knows that this could cost him his job. Barrymore also benefitted from his master’s death because he stood to gain some money from him. Barrymore’s secrecy however could have caused him more harm than good.

Mrs Stapleton and Laura Lyons are two women who fell victim to the predations of an unscrupulous criminal, Mr Stapleton. Ms. Stapleton, who later turns out to be the wife of Mr Stapleton is a woman of great beauty. She became  the unwilling partner in crime for her husband, Mr Stapleton. She refused point blank to be a part of his nefarious plans to destroy the entire succession of the Baskervilles so that her husband could acquire the title ship of the Baskerville estate. She was later brutalised and tied up in Merripit Hall because of her resistance to acquiesce to her husband’s nefarious plans. She does come up bravely to warn Dr Watson rather erroneously thinking him to be the new master of Baskerville hall advising him to return to London forthwith. She however turns out to be a helpless victim in the clutches of a ruthless criminal. A beautiful woman, she remains a victim of marital violence.

Laura Lyons is a woman whose beauty has been marred by the tragedies of life that she has had to undergo at the hands of a husband who had no scruples in ditching her a few months after marriage. One can say that she is damaged goods, damaged by the circumstances and a husband whom she had married against the wishes or her father. The so called cast off, she struggles to survive in a society that is rather inflexible in its principles of  propriety. She is a woman in distress like Ms Stapleton which is why she falls prey to the whiles of Mr Stapleton who promises to get her a divorce from her husband. Laura Lyons incidentally plays an important role in the whole story because she had been convinced to write a letter to Sir Charles to draw him out of Baskerville Hall so that he could be frightened to death by the hound. She is filled with fear when Dr Watson confronts her with the facts. She informs Dr Watson that she had been forced to write the letter although she never turned up to meet Sir Charles. She realises the wrong she has done when Dr Watson links her letter to the fact that Sir Charles had been drawn out doors to meet her although she had not turned up.

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Why was the Champaran episode a turning point for Gandhi?

The lesson, Indigo describes Gandhi taking on the landlords of Champaran in order to relieve the peasants of the scourge of sharecropping and the amount of money that the British Landlords had extorted from them.  The sharecroppers of Champaran wanted a refund of the amount that they had given to the landlords in lieu of the indigo harvest (which was in excess of the price of natural Indigo). The peasants’ grievance was that they had been made to pay more than what the indigo was worth after scientists in Germany had developed synthetic Indigo. When Gandhi met the secretary of the Landlord’s association, he was told that ‘they could give no information to an outsider’. The British official commissioner of the Tirhut division bullied Gandhi suggesting that he should leave Motihari forthwith!

It was in light of all the opposition that Gandhi experienced that he probably decided to experiment with Non-Cooperation. The first instance of Non-Cooperation took place when Gandhi was served with an order to quit Champaran while on a trip to a village to investigate an incident of the harassment of a sharecropper by his Landlord. Gandhi signed a receipt for the order and added that he would not comply with the order. Gandhi was then served with a notice from the Magistrate ordering him to appear for a hearing the next day. The next day, we are told that Motihari was, “black with peasants” who wanted to see a ‘Mahatma’  who had come to fight for them. The presence of the peasants in such large numbers put the administration into a tizzy. Gandhi went on to manage the crowd. Looking at the tense situation, the magistrate decided to adjourn the court hearing. Gandhi, however, didn’t wait for a judgement to be passed on him. He went on to declare himself guilty for breaking the laws of the land, but then he claimed that he was upholding the higher laws of humanity. This was the second instance when Gandhi used the tool of non-cooperation in so far as he didn’t wait for the judge to pass judgement on him. The judge then announced an adjournment for two hours and asked Gandhi to furnish a bond for that period. Gandhi refused. This was the third instance when he used the tool of Non-Cooperation. The end result was that the case against Gandhi (for refusing the order to leave Champaran) was dropped by the British administration. This was a major victory for Gandhi!

What happened next was that an enquiry commission was set up by the British Administration and it resulted in the acceptance of the fact that the share-croppers had indeed been wronged. What happened next was that the landlords decided to enter into a stalemate with Gandhi about the percentage of the amount to be returned. Gandhi however, relented on a demand for a fifty per cent refund and agreed to a twenty-five per cent refund, thus breaking a possible deadlock with the Landlords. Gandhi later stated that the amount of refund was not as important as even a twenty-five per cent refund would prove that the Landlords were not above the law, and moreover, he wanted to pass on the message to the peasants that they had rights and had people who would fight for their rights! Ultimately, the landlords quit Champaran being unable to face the peasants whom they had been compelled to compensate.

The whole Champaran episode became a turning point for Gandhi because it had taught Gandhi about the effectiveness of Non-Cooperation, and Satyagraha. He had succeeded in teaching the peasants a lesson in courage, he had been able to pass on a message to the British that they could not order him about in his own country. He had proved to the Landlords that they were not above the law, and most important of all he had taught the share-croppers that they had rights. The battle was fought and the peasants were victorious, all through a revolution that was based not on blood-shed, but on the tenets of Non-Cooperation, Satyagraha and Non-Violence. His success in Champaran convinced Gandhi that some wars can be fought successfully not with violence and bloodshed, but through more humane means. The Champaran Episode was an eye-opener not just for Gandhi, but also for the common people who rose to the occasion in their own way to support their Mahatma. The Champaran episode proves to the world that what might not be achieved through violence and bloodshed might be in fact achieved through more peaceful means. This is a potent message for all of those who are aggrieved that the tools of Non-Violence, Non-cooperation and Satyagraha are more potent than the tools of violence, namely, guns, bombs and knives-an important lesson for us in times of impatience and shortened tempers!

Important extract-based questions
Morning found the town of Motihari black with peasants. They did not know Gandhi’s record
in South Africa. They had merely heard that a Mahatma who wanted to help them was in
trouble with the authorities. Their spontaneous demonstration, in thousands, around the
courthouse was the beginning of their liberation from fear of the British.
1. What does the term, ‘black with peasants’ mean in the above extract?
Answer: The town of Motihari was filled with peasants. A large number of peasants had
gathered in the town of Motihari.
2. Why had so many people gathered in Motihari? What kind of trouble was Gandhi in?
Answer: Gandhi had disobeyed the orders of the police superintendent’s order to quit
Champaran. As a result, Gandhi had been summoned to the court. He could go to prison
for this.
3.What impact did such a show strength have on the British Administration?
Answer: The Administration dropped charges and released Gandhi from appearing in court.
They feared lest the peasants should get out of control and resulting in a riot.
4. How was this show of strength a ‘turning point’ for Gandhi experiment in Champaran?
Answer: The peasants learned a lesson in courage. Gandhi learned about the immense power
of the common man.

"What I did," he explained, "was a very ordinary thing. I declared that the British could not order me about in my own country."

But Champaran did not begin as an act of defiance. It grew out of an attempt to alleviate the distress of large numbers of poor peasants. This was the typical Gandhi pattern - his politics were intertwined with the practical day to day problems of the millions. His was not a loyalty to abstractions; it was a loyalty to living, human beings.

1. What was the 'ordinary thing' he had done in Champaran?

Answer: He had taught the British landlords that they were not above the law. He had taught the peasants that they had rights and champions to fight for them.

2. How was the Champaran episode a turning point in Gandhi's life?

Answer: It was a turning point because he had experimented with non-cooperation or satyagraha with great success. He had learned how even the common man could become a game-changer when properly educated and motivated. He had learned how it was important to be connected to grass root level problems than to be obsessed with abstract philosophy as a politician.

3. What were the 'practical day to day problems' of the peasants? How did Gandhi address them?

Answer: They did not have proper medical facilities. They did not have schools. They did not have any idea about hygiene. He asked for doctors from other parts of the country to volunteer their services, opened dispensaries, he asked for teachers to volunteer their services, opened primary schools, and he asked Kasturbai to talk to the women about hygiene.

4. How was Gandhi a grass-root level politician? 

Answer: He addressed the problems of the peasants. He strived to address the 'cultural and social backwardness' of the people.

You might also like to read:

1.https://rodrickwrites.blogspot.com/2019/08/gandhis-leadership-qualities-included.html

2.https://rodrickwrites.blogspot.com/2013/10/the-relevance-of-gandhis-experiment.html

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Dr. Sadao, and General Takima - a critical analysis of two central characters in the lesson The Enemy

The central theme of the lesson, ‘The Enemy’  deals with  the paradox of how a human being can also be termed as the enemy of a nation which is at war with another nation.The white sailor who is washed on to the shore is labelled as 'The Enemy' according to the Laws of the Land, and one wonders whether the harsh rules of patriotism might not ultimately challenge the very laws of humanity! It is in light this consideration that the next issue crops up, and that is, who is the guiltier of the two, Dr Sadao, or General Takima? The Lesson, ‘The Enemy ’- an extract from one of Pearl S. Buck’s works is a seminal prose piece which challenges our understanding of the narrow limitations of Patriotism by presenting before us the higher laws of humanity!

To begin analysing the whole issue, one might agree that by giving shelter to ‘The Enemy’ Dr Sadao had broken the rules of patriotism, and he could even be guilty of treason! But then one should also go into the motive for giving shelter to the white sailor Tom, was it that he had a sympathy for Americans since he had studied in America? The answer to this question is a clear no and moreover Dr Sadao makes it clear that there was sense of, ‘repulsion’ in the minds of Dr Sadao and Hana. So then why did he desire to save the life of the white sailor and does it make his crime less acute than that of General Takima? The answer to this question deals with his profession which was saving lives, and the Gardener’s complaint about his master is that, ‘he saves any life’ without distinction between enemy and friend apparently! It is clear that for Dr Sadao, the very purpose of his life was to save lives without distinction, and this is exactly why he went ahead to save the life of Tom! Faced by the dilemma of saving Tom’s life or turning him over to the authorities, he instinctively decides to do the former, as handing him over to the authorities would result in his death. While operating on Tom, Dr Sadao’s hands move deftly of their own accord, they are the skilful hands of an accomplished Surgeon! It is clear, therefore that Dr Sadao was compelled by his duty as a doctor to help the enemy soldier.

Like Dr Sadao is equally party to the crime of treason for the very fact that he didn’t report the presence of the, ‘Enemy Sailor’ in Dr Sadao’s home! General Takima chose to keep the presence of Tom under wraps, but then unlike Dr Sadao, this was not out of a desire to save a life, ( in any case, General Takima was known for his ruthlessness in quelling dissent and there were rumours about torture), rather it was all about using the information about the white sailor as tool of leverage over Dr Sadao so that he would continue to treat General Takima! General Takima’s crime against the state is based more on selfish reasons than a desire to give precedence to the higher laws of humanity over the laws of patriotism! That this is indeed the case becomes clear after the operation when both Dr Sadao and General Takima engage in a conversation. General Takima tries to defend himself for not sending the assassins suggesting that he, “was suffering a good deal. The truth is, I thought of nothing but myself. In short, I forgot my promise to you.”  General Takima goes on to impress upon Dr Sadao that, “ it was not lack of patriotism or dereliction of duty” that had made him turn a blind eye to the whole issue. Dr Sadao realized however after the conversation with General Takima that, ‘the General was in the palm of his hand and that,’ consequently at least, ‘he was perfectly safe’ from any action that the General might plan to take against him in order to  ensure that he continued to treat him! Dr Sadao now knew that the General was after all a selfish cowardly man who thought about himself before the nation! This in any case is not true about Dr Sadao!

Dr Sadao, unlike the General didn’t have a selfish motive for saving the life of Tom, while the General did have a selfish motive in not reporting the presence of the white sailor to the authorities. They both were guilty of the crime of treason, but the the nature of their guilt varies. With Dr Sadao it was about giving precedence to the higher laws of humanity than to the harsh laws of patriotism, while for the General it was about giving the self precedence over the Nation and its strict laws of patriotism. What Dr Sadao had done was to suggest and prove how the higher laws of humanity are greater than the narrow harsh and inflexible laws of patriotism. It was an affirmation about how respect for humanity can help transcend the narrow barriers and boundaries that divide nations on the basis of colour, language, race, and geographical distinctions!  It is clear from the outset that General Takima stands out as the guiltier of the two because of the fact that his motives for breaking the rules were based almost entirely on selfish reasons, to be able to blackmail and compel Dr Sadao to continue treating him without fail. Dr.Sadao too broke the laws of the land, but then the motive was fair, it was not selfish, it was about obeying the higher laws of humanity and it was about saving a life, something he had promised to do when he took the oath of Hippocrates- in a way he was doing a duty towards humanity, he was doing his job as a surgeon! A final round of questions would perhaps clear any doubts we might have about who is the guiltier of the two – What would you choose in such a case, humanity or the discriminating laws of Patriotism? What would you choose you self or the nation? What would you choose risk your life to save another’s life, or save your own life at the cost of another’s life? Dr. Sadao risked his life in order to save the life of the white sailor!

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What is wrong with Sophie in the lesson, 'Going Places' ( CBSE Grade twelve English course) ?

The lesson, ‘Going Places’ by A.R. Barton highlights what can go wrong when a teenager dreams and fantasizes excessively ( yes, that is the theme too ). While it is true that a life without dreams is a dry, drab and rather dead, life that is divorced from reality is equally harmful, bordering on insanity and an inability to differentiate between what is real and what is mere fantasy! Young children often pass through a phase of role-playing and fantasizing, but then they soon grow out of it. Sophie, however, hasn’t grown out of this phase! She keeps dreaming about what she will do after graduating from school, open a boutique, become an actress, or a manager-all without having the wherewithal to convert these dreams into reality. Her friend, Jansie presents a contrast to Sophie. She is grounded in reality, and she knows very well that they, ‘are earmarked for the biscuit factory’ at the most. Jansie’s cold logic and understanding of reality, however, might be in themselves rather too depressing, a reaffirmation of the idea that they have a bleak future ahead of them because of their economic circumstances. One might wish for more hope something provided for by dreams and fantasies. It is true that fantasizing or daydreaming within limits might provide a suitable refuge from the stress, disappointments and sadness of real life. In excess, however, this very refuge might become a trap from which there is no escape.

In many ways, one can’t help pitying Sophie for becoming what she is-a person who will spin tales in order to gain the attention of her father and her brother Geoff, whom she admires. Sophie spins the yarn of having met Danny Cassey probably in order to draw Geoff’s attention away from the motorcycle parts with which he was tinkering. He is the only one who sympathizes with her, although he knows that she has a propensity for spinning tall tales. Sophie is very much like Mademoiselle Loiselle in the short story, ‘The Necklace’ by Guy De Maupassant whose dreams for a better life ultimately leads her and her husband into destitution! Borrowing what she thought was a diamond necklace from her friend proves to be her undoing! Sophie too is like Mademoiselle Loiselle. She is however like a bird trapped in the cage of poverty, and she wants to spread her wings to fly and explore the world that had been denied to her because of her economic circumstances! With Sophie however, we don’t get to see things deteriorating as badly as they did for Madame Loiselle, although looking at how things are progressing we can only guess that her daydreaming could lead to great distress! Sophie’s father is aware of how things could work out for Sophie when he warns her that, “One of these days you’re going to talk yourself into a load of trouble”. Instead of the word, “talk” replace it with daydreaming, and obsession for a more fantastic life. For Sophie, the obsession for a better life coupled with her tendency to daydream and fantasize a lot are sure signs of a mental malady that could cause her great harm in the long run! Some of the danger signs of this tendency to fantasize are described in the part where Sophie walks by the canal to sit on the wooden bench beneath the solitary elm to wait for Danny Casey to come to her. She waits for him and initially is filled with the emotion of excitement which then gradually changes into a sense of disappointment when she realizes that Danny will not be coming after all. The greatest pain is felt by daydreamers when they undergo a phase of disillusionment,  waking up from a fantastic dream into a world of reality. Sophie undergoes all these emotions when she wakes up from her fantastic dream to realize that it was after all only a dream and that her Knight in Armour, Danny Casey will not, after all, come to rescue his damsel in distress!

The message of this lesson is that one should beware of falling into the habit of fantasizing and daydreaming too much, lest the waking up be too painful. Sophie’s dreams and disappointments are all in her mind and she is responsible for her own disappointments. She should have come to terms with the facts and realities of life, the fact that she was a small-town girl living the humble life of a girl with little means. She had put too much store in her dreams which were unfortunately divorced from reality, and when she woke up from her dreams, she realized that the reality was made even harsher by contrast that the dreams had provided to the real world, she woke up to the reality where she was the Sophie of a small town, and that she was the daughter of impoverished circumstances, the daughter of a miner struggling to make both ends meet.

Important extract-based questions

   Now I have become sad, she thought. And it is a hard burden to carry, this sadness. Sitting here waiting and knowing he will not come. I can see the future and how I will have to live with this burden. They, of course, will doubt me, as they have always doubted me, but I will have to hold up my head remembering how it was.

1. Who is the narrator in the above lines and what is she sad about?

Answer: Sophie is sad about not being able to meet the person she has come for. She will not be able to live her fantasy.

2. Where is she sitting?

Answer: She is sitting on a wooden bench beneath a solitary elm by the canal.

3. Who is 'he' and why will 'he' not come?

Answer: He is Danny Casey, the Irish football prodigy who plays for Manchester United. He will not come because he has never met Sophie!

4. What 'burden' is she talking about?

Answer: The 'burden' refers to the guilt of having lied to her brothers and father about having met Danny Casey. It also refers to a feeling of disappointment, disillusionment on not being able to prove that she had met Danny Casey.


5. Who are 'they' and what have they 'always doubted'?

Answer: 'They' are Geoff her elder brother, Derek her younger brother and her father. They have always doubted the stories she has told them from time to time.


6. How is she going to hold up her head on being 'doubted'?

Answer: She will cope with the disappointment and mockery by going back to her fantasy world where she can live in her make-believe world. She will find refuge in a world where she can live her fantasy.

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‘An Elementary School Classroom in a Slum’- a critical analysis for grade Twelve CBSE Course

Background of the Poet

Stephen Spender (1909-1995) was an English poet and essayist who took a keen interest in politics. He took interest in the Socialist school of thought which explains his stance regarding the paradox of teaching elementary school children in a slum. His belief as strongly recorded in the Poem, ‘An Elementary School Classroom in a Slum’ is that it is mere wish fulfilment to think that you can teach children on an empty stomach! Stephen Spender became disillusioned by his tryst with socialism and he wrote about this disillusionment in an essay written by him in a book titled, ‘The God That failed’.

The theme of the poem

The central theme of the poem deals with the paradox of teaching elementary school children in a slum. Spender very strongly believes that you cannot hope to provide education to children who are poor and hungry. A feeling of hopelessness coupled with the actual lack of a bright future (symbolized by the words, ‘fog’, and ‘foggy slum’) suggests that the very purpose of educating these children has been defeated. Poverty, hunger, hopelessness, and the fact that they are cut off from the rest of the world is expressed in the words, ‘A narrow street sealed in with a lead sky,’ and ‘catacombs’. It is the poet’s belief that the only solution is to, ‘break' down the slum and let the children run free on ‘gold sands’ and to, ‘let their tongues run naked into books the white and green leaves’. What Spender means is that it is only after the policymakers have addressed the problem of poverty and its attendant problems like malnourishment and inherited diseases that you can hope to provide an education that is empowering in the true sense!

Important metaphors used by Spender

The poem, ‘An Elementary School Classroom in a Slum’ contains a few very important metaphors that support the poet’s attitude towards the idea of teaching children who are impoverished. The metaphor of ‘Shakespeare's Head,’ represents the teaching of concepts and ideas that the students are not able to relate to because of their impoverished nature. The children are so poor malnourished, tired and hopeless that they don’t have the luxury of leisure to study works by Shakespeare. Moreover, ‘Shakespeare is wicked, the map a bad example’ because their exclusiveness tempts ‘them to steal’. It is ironical that by teaching them about Shakespeare, you are in fact teaching the students to steal. What they can’t hope to achieve in the normal course of time, they will try to achieve through unfair and illegal means, and this is more so because you have taught these children that Shakespeare is good, and the world shown on the map is good. The children will, therefore, try to achieve good things in life by hook or crook! The metaphor of Nature as a teacher appears in the last stanza and it is represented in the words, ‘gold sands’ and the books with, ‘white and green leaves’. The ‘green leaves’ are pages in the book of Nature. The ‘Open-ended map’ rather paradoxically is a metaphor for slavery or imprisonment because it shuts ‘upon their lives like catacombs’. What Spender suggests is that you can’t hope to teach the impoverished children about the real world by showing them the map because then they are reminded of the world they live in and the hopelessness that shuts upon them like, ‘Catacombs’ a twisted maze from which there is no escape. What they can relate to, therefore is not what is shown on the map, but rather the world of poverty and misery that they can see through the windows of their classroom. The windows of the classroom are the true maps that they can relate to, not the ‘open-ended map’!  The Sun incidentally is a metaphor for freedom as opposed to the ‘fog’. Stephen Spender makes it clear that history can be written only by those ‘whose language is the sun.’ It is clear that the message that Spender wants to pass on to the reader is that the fruits of education can be enjoyed only by those who are free from the shackles of poverty. A hard-hitting point, but then what Spender seeks to express is the idea that policymakers should target the poverty of the children before attempting to provide them with education!

The tone of the poem

The tone of the poem is rather sombre and profound mainly because the poet is trying to express a rather serious problem that affects our society at large. The descriptions of the foggy atmosphere, the ‘narrow street sealed in with a lead sky’, the, ‘slag heap…skins peeped through by bones’, and ‘spectacles of steel with mended glass’ all add to the rather festering and palpable atmosphere of poverty and hopelessness. The poet wants to deliberately shake the reader out of his sense of complacency so that he or she realizes that mere donations or high ideals of providing an education that is supposed to be empowering are useless as long as they don’t target the problem of poverty. Poverty is a glaring problem in today’s world and it needs to be tackled before anything can be done to further the development and empowerment of the society. The image of the ‘slag heap… bottle bits on stones’ creates a rather overwhelming sense of hopelessness that can be linked to the de-humanisation of the society. What comes to mind is the image of society that has devolved into a ‘Wasteland’ as described by T.S. Eliot in his poem with the same name. The overall tone of sadness and gloom is paradoxical in nature as it highlights the irony of life in the twenty-first century in spite of all the technological advancement that is taking place. The gap between the rich and the poor is aptly brought out in this poem. The tone of the poem is a mix of hope (as in the last two lines of the first stanza where the boy at the back of the classroom dreams about a squirrel's game), anger, helplessness and despair (see the last line in the third stanza: "So blot their maps with slums as big as doom." Somehow, this line reminds me of a similar line written by Robert Frost in the poem A Roadside Stand, where he writes, "I can't help owning the great relief it would be to put these people at one stroke out of their pain"). There is an overall feeling of anger, helplessness and an extreme feeling of angst in the poet about not being able to make people open their eyes to the fact that you really can't teach underprivileged children on an empty stomach!
Style of writing
Stephen Spender has made use of a lot of sarcasm, and irony to expose the fallacies of a political system that claims to address the problems of underprivileged students. Thus he uses very strong words to describe Shakespeare when calls him "wicked" and the map "a bad example". The violence of Spender's emotions towards the hypocrisy of the system of politics and education is evident in the words, " Break O break open till they break the town"- you need to destroy the decadent old world order in order to introduce a new one! Stephen Spender uses vivid descriptions to create a vivid world of decay and waste that are an ironic comment on the progress we have made post the Industrial Revolution era. The children in this poem are living on a veritable wasteland, a "slag heap", a veritable junkyard which is littered with "bottle bits on stones" and piles of steel scrap. In many ways, this is a poem that shares the same theme as that of the prose lesson, Lost Spring by Anees Jung, which is a description of rag-pickers who are living in primaeval conditions in Seemapuri, Delhi's largest slum, and Firozabad, the bangle making industry. There is extreme sarcasm in the expression "unlucky heir of twisted bones." You inherit wealth, power, and respect, but then this boy in the classroom has inherited his father's genetically transmitted disease of twisted and deformed bones. The student has inherited poverty, hopelessness, despair, and perhaps the sins of his father!

The philosophy of the Poet

Stephen Spender’s poem, ‘An Elementary School Classroom in a Slum’ very aptly encapsulates his philosophy of life which is based on the themes of social injustice and class inequalities.  The poet constantly highlights his belief in the paradox of poverty, the idea that the more advanced the society, the larger the gap between the poor and the rich. His philosophy of life exposes the sham that exists in the society today and the so-called hollowness in the intentions of the humanitarians of the world who want to do good to the underprivileged by donating gifts which are in effect of no use.
Poetic Devices used by the Poet:
Stephen Spender has made use of poetic devices like similes, metaphors, synecdoche, repetitions and epithets in order to bring out the theme of the poem. The second line in the first stanza contains a simile that compares the hair of the children to 'rootless weeds'. In the third stanza, the poet compares the 'skins peeped through by bones' to 'bottle bits on stones.' In the fourth stanza, Stephen Spender compares the 'windows' in the classroom to 'catacombs' from which there is no escape. All these comparisons are similes that describe the impoverished condition of the children, and their circumstances. Their poverty is like a catacomb within which they are imprisoned.
The poet repeats the word, 'far' in the first line of the first stanza and the last line of the second stanza in order to stress the fact that these children are cut off from the rest of the world. They are living in a self-contained world. Apparently, this is why the poet exhorts people who matter to break down the barriers that separate these children from the rest of the world.
Some of the metaphors that the poet has used to describe the condition of the classroom, the condition of the children and their impoverished circumstances include rat's eyes, sour cream walls (which includes a pun on the word 'cream'), fog, green fields, and green leaves. The expression, 'star of words' is yet another example of the metaphor where 'words' are compared to 'stars', a world denied to the children, the world of literature, a world of free thought. When Stephen compares 'language' to  'the sun', he is using the sun as a metaphor for freedom. Light as opposed to fog and darkness. The children in the slum will never write history because the sun never shines on their world metaphorically. A hidden metaphor in the fourth stanza is nature, nature as a teacher.
One interesting example of the synecdoche is found in the words, 'Shakespeare's head'. The expression uses the part to describe the whole. Thus Shakespeare's head represents the whole of Shakespearian literature as being the prerogative of the wealthy rich who have the leisure to study classical literature.
Some interesting epithets include, 'civilized dome, lead sky,  and bottle bits,' which are transferred epithets because these epithets are not employed in this manner in everyday usage. Other epithets include, 'cramped holes, (which is also a metaphor for the overcrowded lodgings or quarters they live in) slag heap, and endless night.

The poet makes extensive use of puns throughout the poem. There is a pun on the word, "cream" in the first line of the second stanza. In the ideal, literary sense, cream refers to the best of the best, the creme de la creme. In An Elementary School Classroom, however, the word "cream" refers to dregs of the society, the unwanted, the "rootless weeds" of the world, the outcasts and the misfits of the society.
Images used by the poet

Stephen Spender has made extensive use of imagery in his poem mainly to highlight the message of the poem and the central theme. Some of the most important images that come to mind and their relevance include the ones mentioned below.

1. Gusty waves - the image symbolises energy, dynamism, inertia, movement, things that are missing in the lives of the children in the slum.

2. Rootless Weeds - the image symbolises rootlessness, the lack of permanence, it signifies uncertainty, drifting where the winds blow, lack of direction and control over one's fate.

3. Rat's eyes, weighed down head, twisted bones - these are images pertaining to the condition of the children in the school. They are malnourished, hungry and weak.

4. Sour cream walls -  the image symbolises dullness, gloom, an atmosphere of hopelessness and an overall sense of foreboding.

5. Lead sky- the image symbolises gloom, darkness, a feeling of being imprisoned, boxed in, a feeling of being trapped, imprisoned inside a slum, trapped in poverty.

6. Slag heap, spectacles of steel, bottle bits on stones -  this is an image that reminds us of an industrial wasteland, a junkyard with junk made of iron and steel, all symbolising a sense of living on top of a wasteland, a garbage dump or a junkyard. There is a strong sense of dehumanisation of the children.

7. Cramped holes - the children in the slum school live in cramped spaces, there is a sense of overcrowded home and a life of compromise.

8. Green fields, gold sands, green leaves - these are images that represent the world of progress, freedom, prosperity and general well being. This is the world that has been denied to the children in the elementary school classroom.

Resource Used:

The Textbook Flamingo-Textbook for class XII (Core Course)

Technorati Tags: A Critical Analysis of the poem,An Elementary School Classroom in a Slum by Stephen Spender

Poster Writing for Grade Eleven

Poster Writing is part of the short composition section of the CBSE Grade Eleven syllabus. Marks are awarded for creativity, sticking to the format, and following conventions. Posters are fun to make and they are scoring too!

Learning Targets

1. I can frame a poster using accepted formats.

2. I can identify important elements in a poster.

3. I can present important information concisely.

Two kinds of Posters can come in the exam.

The Event Poster:

Event Posters include events like School Fetes, Book Fairs, Blood Donation Camps…etc
•It deals with events that are to take place. The event poster contains the following value points:
•Slogan
•Statement(also announcement)
•Venue
•Date
•Special Feature
•Other Features
•Important Information
•Concluding slogan/statement
Name of Organizer

The Non-Event Poster:

Posters on Social Issues, Social evils, and Bad Habits (Child Marriage, Female Infanticide, Alcohol abuse, Deforestation…etc)
•This type of poster deals with important everyday social issues. This poster is made up of the following elements:
•Slogan
•Statement
•List of reasons(to answer the question why?)
•Statement
•Slogan
Name of the person or organizer who has issued the poster.

The Marks Distribution for Posters is as under:

Format 1 

Content 1

Coherence and Grammar 1

Total Marks: 3

Some examples  of  Event Posters are given below:

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Note: all posters have to be put inside a box like the one below:

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One example of a non-event poster highlighting  drug abuse as a  social evil is given below:

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Given below is a poster on smoking tobacco:

The poster above was designed by my students, Tarini, Keshav and Upasana on cleanliness.

The poster above is a motivational poster meant to promote smart planning and smart work ethics.

Here is a poster on Road Safety

Note: Posters are written inside a box!

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Poster  on Afforestation

Plant more trees, save the Planet

Trees are our lifeline!

Plant more trees because:

1. They provide you with Oxygen     2. Trees prevent soil erosion

3. They provide us raw material     4. Trees provide us fruits and food

5. They give animals shelter   6. Trees provide shade to tired travelers 

A Green Planet is a Healthy Planet!

Grow more trees, ensure a healthy future.

Issued in the public by the Ministry of Environment

Articles, Reports, Speeches and Debates for Grade Twelve

Students preparing for the class twelve board exams in English should know that good articles have a logical flow of ideas and arguments; a smooth transition of sentences and paragraphs, along with a unity of structure (a well-defined introduction, followed by the argument, and a sound conclusion). A good article has a ‘voice’, it is neatly written without too many grammar and spelling errors. A well-planned article will have fewer errors, and therefore fewer cancellations, and overwriting. It makes good sense to use a blank sheet for rough work to list value points to be used under each of the three paragraphs. Students should use sensible vocabulary without being too pompous, and stick to the word limits, exceeding the word limit by ten to twenty words should not result in a penalty.

Learning Tasks:

1. Determine whether the question in the paper will lead to a discursive article, an opinion based article, or a descriptive article; it could also be a factual report, a speech or debate.

Some of the descriptive/discursive/factual articles that appear in the board exam could include topics like International terrorism, Bio-Terrorism, A.I.D.S., Pollution, Population Crisis, Unemployment, Crime against Women, Literacy, Communalism …etc. 

The purely factual descriptions include reports, descriptions of concepts, The definition of a good leader, Genetic Research, Gene-Therapy, Renewable and Non-Renewable Energy Sources, E-Commerce, Immunization, Global Warming, A visit to an Old age home…etc. It would, however, be wrong to assume that articles might belong only to one category - thus a question dealing with the ‘Impact of Social Networking sites’ can be either discursive, descriptive, or even both while an article on Global Warming can be an opinion-based article. Factual descriptions include reports, description of processes, ancient monuments, biographies and so on. If a student was asked to write an article on Refraction or Optical Illusion, then it would be more factual than opinion-based - the same goes for an article on Photosynthesis, Mutation, and even a description of fuel cell technology.

2. Identify a suitable title for the article. It should be catchy, interesting and crisp!
A catchy title will draw the reader's attention. It goes without saying that the title is a window into the article itself, so be sure to make your title not just catchy, but also crisp!

3. Supply the name of the writer, the "By" line, in many cases, the name is in the question itself.
Attribution is an important element of article writing, so don't forget to write the by-line, otherwise, someone else might claim that he is the original writer of your article!

4. Start listing value points under the three headings for three paragraphs, the first being the introduction, the second is the analysis, and the third is the conclusion.

Important Elements of the Article include:

1. A Suitable Title (This should be a minimum of two words but not exceeding five)
2. Name of the writer or the 'By' line ( The name provided in the question is to be used, if it is not there in the question, then the student will supply a name.)
3. The first paragraph of your article introduces the topic. It includes a brief description of the impact of the problem, a definition, (immediate impact on the society, the environment and flora and fauna). This paragraph sets the tone of the article, it can also include the thesis statement.
4. The second paragraph will analyze the problem from a broader perspective. It deals with a greater emphasis on the following points (some of which were touched upon in the first paragraph): a) Impact on the environment, society, flora and fauna b) future implications. This paragraph brings out the conflict, the argument and could provide the antithesis to the first paragraph.Steps that were taken by the Government to solve the problem. Facts, data, and statistics are provided in this paragraph.
5. The third paragraph deals with The writer's suggestions on how to solve the problem. conclusion about the whole issue, and the writer’s perceptions about the topic.All the loose ends, queries, and doubts are tied up in the concluding paragraph. This paragraph provides the synthesis of the first paragraph and the second paragraph.

Learning Targets

1. I can describe my ideas clearly and logically with supporting evidence.

2. I can write an article within the prescribed number of words and cover all the value points.

3. I am aware of the importance of having transitions in my article.

4. I use appropriate words in my article to convey my observations effectively.

3. I am aware of the five parts of an article which include: The title, the by line, the first paragraph or the introduction, the second paragraph or the body of arguments/data/evidence and the third paragraph which is the conclusion.

 

Check List

1. My article has a catchy title that has a minimum of two words not exceeding five words.

2. My article has the name of the writer in the by-line.

3. My first paragraph/introductory paragraph contains the thesis statement/statement of the topic

4. My second paragraph contains/states the antithesis - argument, conflict and includes the body of evidence/data/examples/information.

5. My third paragraph or the concluding paragraph contains the synthesis/the conclusion in which you have addressed the issue/conflicts/ideas expressed in the first and the second paragraph (where you take the first paragraph and the second paragraph and create a conclusion).

Now attempt the below-mentioned question. The question appeared many years back in one of the CBSE question papers for grade 12, English Core. At that time the word limit was 150-200 words and the question was for 10 marks. Today the same question would be for 5 marks, hence the student would be required to write the answer in fewer words.

Morning assembly in schools gives a cool and calm start to the otherwise hectic schedule of the day. It can be a means of passing on important information to the students. What are your views on this significant event of the day? Write an article in 100-125 words on the ‘Importance of Morning Assembly. You are Navtej/Navita.  5 Marks

The suggested number of words for each paragraph:

1^st paragraphs 30 – 35 words

2^nd paragraph 40-45 words

3^rd paragraph 30-35 words

Suggested value points for the topic: Communication in the I.T.Age:

The first Paragraph or the Introduction can be based on the following headings:
What is communication? It refers to the effective transmission of information
1. Means of communication in the past: horseback, smoke signals, semaphores, the electric telegraph, radio …etc.
2. Means of communication in the IT age: microwave, blue tooth, Classroom Wi-Fi, internet…etc.

The second Paragraph or the analysis, argument or justification could be based on the 
following headings:
Analysis of communication in I.T. age: The advantages
1. Communication has become fast - Vast quantities of information can be exchanged-Broadband,
    Wi-Fi Technology has boosted the  Speed of signals, microwave radio waves
2. Students are able to explore the whole world and do research
3.  It has a classroom which is better connected to reality
4. Education without Boundaries
5. Transfer of Money
6. Browsing of books, study material,
7. Exchange of notes in medical research
8. Conferencing
9. Instant communication with pictures
10. Effective means of communication
11. The World as a global village
The Third and concluding paragraph could include the following points:
The benefit of  Communication in the I.T. age
1.  brings the rural communities into the mainstream
2.  educate rural communities
3.  provide solutions
4. Meteorological forecast
5. Communication
6. Pricing of Farm Produce
7. Illiteracy
8. Global Classroom
9. Basic tailor-made solution to cultural problems
10. To provide rural students with sufficient study material
11. Commerce-online transaction
12. Concluding statement:
I.T. has changed the entire society.We have come a long way from the time when we sent smoke signals. The Internet has transformed communication, it has become more effective and faster and more reliable.

Suggested Value points for an article on Global Terrorism could include the following value points:

The First Paragraph: The Introduction:
1. What is terrorism- the definition
2. Brief history
3.Few examples from recent times
The Second Paragraph: The Analysis
1. The impact of terrorism on human life
2. History of terrorism (I.R.A., P.L.O…etc.)
3. Present-day examples (detailed-with specific instances)
4. Steps that were already taken by the Government to solve the problem.
The Third Paragraph, the conclusion could include the following value points:
Suggested Steps to solve the problem
1.Democratic methods
2.Sanctions
3.Educate the masses
4.Dialogue
5.Military option

6. Concluding Sentence or sentences which summarize the whole article briefly.

Suggested Value Point for an article on Smart Skills or Smart Strategies:

Work Smarter, not Harder!

By Kunwar

1^st Paragraph- Introduction

Thesis Statement: Smart Work Helps you Achieve Success Easily

a. What is Smart Work?

   smart strategies

   smart Habits

   sound time management Skills

 

 2^nd. Paragraph

Antithesis Statement : Is Smart work better thank Hard work?

a.  Why Smart Work?

      It helps you achieve success w/o too much effort

      It improves efficiency

      Examples/instances/anecdotes

      Robert the Bruce was inspired by the spider

      The Trojan Horse-example of smart strategies by the Greeks

 

b. How to work smart?

      Identify problem areas

      Adopt a smart strategy

       Prepare yourself for change in work ethics

 

c. Tips/Suggestions for smart Strategies

 

      Smart planning includes micro planning and macro planning

      Prioritizing Work includes tackling problem areas first

      Taking guidance from a mentor or a subject expert

      Assessing performance regularly

      Revising strategies

 

 

 

3^rd Paragraph

Synthesis Statement: Smart Strategies and Smart Work are Far Better than Hard Work!

 

 a. Advantages of working smart- Statements about how smart can be the best solution/in times of stress, deadlines, uncertainty/pandemic/the only solution is Smart Work. When you are against the wall, when there is too much work/when you are running against multiple deadlines, the only way out depend on adopting smart strategies!

 b. Concluding Statement

“Sometimes in life it is better to be lazy than to plod like Tom because life is too precious to  waste on hard work!”- Rodrick

 

 

Important Note for Speech and Debates:

Learning Targets:

By the end of the lesson I can:

1. Express my views effectively, concisely and precisely

2. Compare a speech with a debate

3. Argue, support and prove my point of view effectively

4. Show a visible transition from the introduction of a point to the body of supporting evidence argument and then a transition to an appropriate conclusion to wind up.

Students should note that the formats for Speechwriting, Debate writing and article writing are quite similar except for the following distinctions:

Speech Writing:

• The opening sentence and the closing sentence are different from that of the article. In a speech, you would use a more conversational style or voice because you are addressing a visible audience. Ideally, you would start by greeting the audience and then introducing yourself and the topic. Look at the example as under: "Respected Principal, respected teachers, and my dear friends, a very good morning to all of you! Today, I, Keshav Kumar of class 12-A am going to deliver a speech for morning assembly on the topic, 'How much information should we share on social networking sites.' I hope I will be able to do justice to the topic."

           

• The closing sentence of a speech would be: " I would like to thank all of you for listening to me so patiently, have a wonderful day!"

• Students should note that in a speech, the student is at liberty in not taking a specific stance towards a particular topic. He or she might give equal importance to the positives and negatives.

Debate Writing:

• The opening sentence of a debate is different from that of an article because like in the speech, the student is addressing a visible audience. Unlike the article, the voice would be more conversational and unlike the speech, where the voice is more conciliatory, the voice in the debate is more firm and aggressive. An example of how an opening sentence would look like in a debate is: "Respected Judges, respected teachers, and my fellow students, I am Keshav Kumar a  participant in this debate. The topic before me is, "We should allow students to bring their mobile phones to school" and I am going to speak for the motion. I am sure I will be able to convince my opponents and all of you that what I argue holds true for everyone."

• A good debate like a good speech should have a closing sentence, and one of the most common closing sentences could be: " I would like to thank all of you for listening to me so patiently, and I am confident that I  have been able to convince you adequately, though there will be exceptions! Have a good  day!"

• While the voice in the debate is the most aggressive voice of all, one has to ensure that etiquette is maintained and one's tone is not derisive or too sarcastic! One can use subtle sarcasm, tongue in cheek, or even irony without appearing to be insulting or cheeky!

The Inverted Pyramid Format-What do you put in each paragraph, how are the value points different in a report?

Note: 

In the report, The inverted Pyramid has its broadest part on top. This is because the introduction though short has most of the value points clustered together.seems to be the smallest part of the report. It, however, has most of the value points!

Note: A report might be written in three or more paragraphs. The number of paragraphs does not matter as long as there is a distinct Introduction, Main Body or Analysis and The Conclusion. 

Every Article, Debate, and Speech is built like a burger. The top half of the bun is the introduction, the stuffing is the Body and the bottommost bun is the conclusion.

The analogy of the fish can also be used to explain the flow of ideas in Articles, Debates, Speeches and even Reports. The head of the fish is the Introduction, the fish gets a taste of its food The body of the fish can be compared to the middle of the write-up, the stomach which digests the food, it is the main body of the article which contains the analysis of the topic, while the tail of the fish is the conclusion this is where you tie up all your arguments, your loose threads or points.

Steps for building up an effective argument in a debate:

Note: The workshop model of writing can be of great help to students who want to improve their quality of writing. To understand the workshop model of writing better, students can refer to the 6+1 traits of writing. A good article should have the following elements:

1. Voice: The personal tone, message of the writer, does he or she have a conversational tone?
2. Idea: The main message, is the message clear? Is the writer clear about his ideas, and arguments?
3. Presentation: The appearance of the writing, flow, handwriting, neatness...etc
4. Conventions: The mechanical correctness (Grammatical structure, Syntax). Grammatical fluency cannot be ignored. Some students mix tenses.
5. Organization: Internal Structure, flow, transitions, paragraphs (introduction, body, conclusion)
6. Word Choice: Word usage, use of appropriate words which communicate the idea best. 
7. Sentence Fluency: The rhythm and flow of language (Semantics)

Some topics for practice in article writing are given below:

1. You are Samarth/Akshita a student of grade twelve. You have been following Greta Thunberg recently and believe that Global Warming needs to be tackled on a priority basis. Write an article in 150 to 200 words on why you think we need to tackle global warming immediately. Supply a catchy title.

2. Akarshit/Seema, a student of grade eleven has observed how careful planning and smart strategies can help students score better in their exams than mere hard work. Write an article in 150-200 words on why smart strategies are better than mere hard work.

3. Recently you attended a rally in which people were protesting against increasing levels of air pollution. They were demonstrating in favour of the right to breathe clean air. You were particularly impressed by the rally and learned a lot about the actual causes of air pollution. Write an article on the same in 150-200 words, you are Anukriti/Anukrit a student of grade twelve.

4. You are Sourish/Rekha, a student of grade eleven and you are concerned about how rumours on social networking sites have led to the lynching of innocent people in the country. The dissemination of fake news on social networking sites has caused a lot of harm. Write an article in 150-200 words warning your readers to beware of fake news on social networking sites.

5. Recently you read an interesting article about the discovery of a subglacial lake on the planet Mars. You are interested in the possibility of colonising the planet Mars. Write an article for your school magazine in 150-200 words with an interesting title about how the planet Mars can be a home for mankind, you are Rakesh/Roshni, a student of class twelve.

Some topics for practice in Debate writing:

1. Marks are the only criteria for success in life

2. The Corona Virus Pandemic has caused more harm than good

3. Honesty is the only criteria for success in life

4. Homeschooling is better than traditional schooling.

5. Sex education should be mandatory in schools.

6. Social media is an ideal medium for expressing one's self.

7. Self-study is the only means for success in competitive exams.

8. Animal testing for vaccines and medicines should be banned.

9. Demonetisation was a blessing for the country.

10. Virtual learning is the only solution in times of crisis.

11. The media can make or break celebrities

12. Freedom of speech is a myth in a democracy

13. Brands rule our lives

14. The banning of Chinese products is the only solution to the ongoing crisis in Ladakh

15. Technology is a boon

16. Beauty pageants should be banned

17. Technology leads to unemployment

18. LGBT rights should be legalized

19. E-learning is a substitute for classroom learning

20. Exams have killed  the joy of education

21. Education is about developing career skills

22. Exams in schools and colleges should be abolished

23. Studying in an A-grade school guarantees success in life

24. There should be no advertisements on kid's channels

25. People should be fined according to their income

26. Eat to live is the only purpose of life

27. The "Me too" movement has gone too far

28. Fairy tales affect children's reality perception therefore they should be banned

29. Advertisements for cosmetic products target a false perception of beauty

A Model Debate (just for reference)

Respected judges, fellow contestants, and the worthy audience, I, Rudra Kumar, am participating in this debate competition, the topic of which is, "Brands rule our lives". I am going to speak for the motion to prove the opposition wrong. In this context, I would like to draw your attention to my worthy sparring partner from the opposition who has put on Prada shoes, Gucci Goggles, and a pair of branded jeans. Is that not proof enough that he is obsessed with brands?

I am not mincing words when I claim that brands rule our lives indeed! The opposition in this competition provides the context for my argument! Anyway, I would like to ask anyone from the audience if he or she would not prefer to buy branded merchandise if provided the opportunity. What would you like to wear to school, a local brand of jeans or an international brand of jeans? Let us be honest folks, and let us ignore the opposition who have proved themselves to be the greatest hypocrites, indeed, we all favour brands and labels in our lives. Brands rule our lives, we live to buy branded clothes and goods. Our peers, our family, and the society at large encourage us to go for branded products.

To conclude, look let us not be fooled by facts or even appearances, (thanks to the opposition) we are obsessed with brands. You are part of the 'cool' crowd if you are wearing Guccis, Pradas, Levis, or even Channel, but then if you are not, then you had better join the loser's gang. If you don't wear or own branded stuff, then you are probably poor, underprivileged and not likely to have many friends. So, my dear friends in the audience, and my dear opposition, let's face it, Brands rule our lives! I know I have convinced all of you on the matter. Thank you for listening to me so patiently, have a great day!

                                                            A model counter argument

Respected judges, fellow contestants, and the worthy audience, I, Rudra Kumar, am participating in this debate competition, the topic of which is, "Brands rule our lives". I am going to speak against the motion to prove the proposition wrong. In this context, I would like to draw your attention to my worthy sparring partner from the opposition who has put on a Khadi Kurta, cotton pajamas, and traditional shoes and is carrying a Khadi Sling bag-strange indeed knowing that they will speak for the motion.

I wouldn't be mincing words if I stated categorically that Brands do not rule wise lives! Looking at the way the gentleman in the proposition is dressed, would make you believe that they are wise. I know, they will claim that brands rule our lives and they have put on traditional clothes to prove their point. However, how sure can you be that they don't have branded merchandise lying in their closets at home? Would anyone like to bet? No, I guess not. Well, to move on in support of my argument, I would like to give the example of Mahatma Gandhi, the Father of the Nation, who despite his greatness did not wear branded clothes or even shoes. He was a wise man who knew it would be foolishness to own branded merchandise. He went around in dhoti-kurta and traditional jooties because he didn't allow brands to rule his lives. 

I would like to conclude my debate by reiterating my argument that brands do not rule the lives of people, at least those who have an iota of wisdom in them. Brands can only rule the fickle-minded, self-obsessed people. All the great people in this world have risen above this childish obsession for branded goods. I exhort all of you to become swadeshi, accept the goodness of khadi. I am sure I have convinced you on this matter. Thank you so much and have a great day.

The latest CBSE distribution of marks for articles and reports is given below.

Format; 1 Mark

Organisation of ideas : 1 Mark

Content: 2 Marks

Accuracy of Spellings and Grammar : 1 Mark

You can also read the following articles as examples of frequently given questions in the paper:

1. http://rodrickwrites.blogspot.in/2010/06/are-we-headed-towards-apocalypse.html

2. http://rodrickwrites.blogspot.in/2011/07/impact-of-terrorism.html

3.https://rodrickwrites.blogspot.in/2013/07/climate-change-myth-or-reality.html

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