A few important Chapterwise questions for Invisible Man

Chapter 19:
1. What are the principles behind invisibility according to Griffin?
2. What is the significance of  Chesilstowe?
3. What difficulties did Griffin face during the course of his research? How did he tackle them?
Chapter 20:
1. Describe Griffin's experiment with the cloth and the cat.What difficulties did he face with the cat?
2. Why was Griffin forced to bring forward his experiment on himself? What made him burn down his lodgings?
Chapter 21:
1. How did Griffin feel while on Oxford street? Describe his experience.
2. Do you think invisibility had been an advantage for him after all he had gone through in Oxford Street?
3. Bring out the irony of Griffin's situation in the 21st chapter.
Chapter 22:
1. Describe Griffin's experience at the Omniums Emporium. Why did he get into the store, and why did he have to flee into the street the next day?
2. Describe the dreams that Griffin saw while asleep in the store. What is the symbolic importance of the two dreams that he sees?
3. How does Griffin behave the next morning when he is confronted by the staff of the Omniums store? What does this tell you about his character?
 Chapter 23:
1. What "common conventions of humanity" did Griffin break in Drury Lane? Was he justified in doing so?
2. How does Griffin suddenly feel about being invisible? Why did he think that an invisible man 'was a helpless absurdity'?
3. Describe Griffin's appearance after dressing up at the prop shop in Drury Lane. Describe the term 'Romance of the grotesque' with reference to the chapter.
4. Why could Griffin not eat in public, or at an upscale restaurant after becoming invisible?
Chapter 24:
1. What are Griffin's plans for unleashing a reign of terror? Why does he need Dr. Kemp's support?
2. Why did Griffin change his plan for leaving the country? What forced him to change his plans?
Chapter 25:
1. What advice did Dr. Kemp give to Colonel Adye for the apprehension of Griffin?
Chapter 26:
1. How had the tables been turned against Griffin? Why had he become the hunted instead of the hunter?
2. What state of mind might Griffin have been after fleeing from Dr. Kemp's house?
3. What proof do you have that Griffin might have come across Mr. Wicksteed?
4. Do you think Griffin was fully responsible for the murder of Mr. Wickstead? Make a case for or against Griffin.
Chapter 27:
1. Describe the Seige of  Dr. Kemp's house.
2.Narrate the events that led to the death of Colonel Adye. Do you think his death could have been avoided?
3.What does the policeman mean when he states, "Doctor Kemp's a hero"? Do you agree with the policeman or do you think Dr. Kemp was an opportunist?
4. Who was the braver of the two, Dr. Kemp or Colonel Adye?
Chapter 28:
1. Describe Heelas. What kind of a neighbour was he?
2. Why did Dr. Kemp head towards the Port Burdock Port Stowe Road? What did Dr. Kemp finally do to ensure that Griffin was captured?

or

    Describe the steps taken to apprehend Griffin.
3. Describe the last moments of Griffin.
The Epilogue:
1.Describe the transformation that has taken place in Mr. Marvel.
2.Do you think Mr. Marvel was a better custodian of the diaries than Dr. Kemp would have been if he had been given the chance?  

Regarding Manual Scavenging and Ragpicking

Although it has been seventy years since we have achieved independence from Colonial rule, we still have not managed to break free of some of the practices that existed then. Manual scavenging, manual removal of night-soil, and manual cleaning of sewer lines take place in many parts of our country even today. As students of English, we have even read a lesson titled Lost Spring by Anees Jung in grade twelve which describes besides other things, Saheb e Alam, a rag-picker scrounging in garbage bins for something that might be of use. Rag-pickers like Saheb look for gold which might be a ten Rupee note. While rag picking might be something akin to opening boxes of gifts that have been gift wrapped, one side of rag-picking is that it is hazardous since it exposes rag pickers to diseases, toxic contamination, and perhaps even the stink of garbage.

Manual scavenging is an unfortunate task involving the manual removal of untreated human waste from toilets that have no sewer lines. There used to be time when toilets were located on the upper floor would have a pipe through which the excreta would drop into a shallow chamber at the street level. The manual scavenger would visit twice or thrice a day and remove the offal. Often the offal would be carried in an iron container on top of the head. Today, manual scavenging is on the wane, especially in relatively more developed towns and cities. The clarion call for a clean India along with better sanitation and  hygiene has had its impact on the scourge of manual scavenging.

Doing away with the stigma of caste, proving scavengers with employment opportunities, empowering them and perhaps making them custodians of the recycling industry could perhaps open better avenues for them, and in the process give a boost to the country's economy.

Talk of rag picking and one will often find children and adults going through garbage dumps looking for stuff they can sell to the neighbourhood 'Kabadiwalla' or recycle goods merchant. Manual scavengers are often on the look out for plastics and scrap metals that that can be recycled. Cardboard, waste paper, glass bottles, are like gold for the people who have made scavenging their bread and butter. 

Somehow it seems we are to blame for the custom of manual scavenging in the world's largest Democracy for the main reason that honest and sincere segregation of waste does not take place at home! The segregation of biodegradable waste from non biodegradable, segregation of toxic waste and e-waste from other waste might help mitigate manual scavenging. Unfortunately, poverty and superstition are also major causes for manual scavenging. Casteism and the socio-economic divide the exists between manual scavengers and mainstream communities is so great that one wonders if we can ever treat them with dignity!

The Government of  India 'Employment of Manual Scavenging and Construction of Dry Latrine (Prohibition) Act 1993 specifically prohibits the engagement or employment of persons for manually carrying human excreta, and further possible maintenance and construction of dry latrines. Unfortunately, the manual cleaning of sewers continues to this day. People enter sewer pipelines and chambers to manually remove blockages. A few of them never return alive! These people enter the sewer pipes and chambers without safety gear, let alone disinfectants or even medical treatment. The protection they have from the foul smell or the ugliness of he sewage is to consume some alcohol to kill their sense of smell and perhaps numb them to the menial task they are doing. Laws are made only to be broken, the reality is that manual scavenging is taking place even today.It is still to be seen the the metros and swanky cities that have sprung up all over the cities! We might drive flashy cars, flaunt expensive phones, but when it comes to unblocking our sewers, we turn to the sewer expert to do our dirty work for us! We have as yet to upgrade to modern equipment for unclogging our sewers. We have got around to calling Manual Scavengers as Sanitation workers and turn a blind eye when we see them entering a manhole. Well, I guess as long as we have round manhole covers, we we continue to have Manual Scavengers (That is metaphorically of course)!

The fact of the matter is that if we can somehow transform manual scavenging into an organised industry and employ people who did the menial task of scavenging with their hands, then surely we could transform their lives. Recycling is a money-spinning industry in some Western and Scandinavian countries. As they say, nothing sells better than recycled raw material. To do away with the scourge and stigma of manual scavenging, we need to provide people at the grass-root level with proper training on how to handle hazardous waste; we need to provide them with proper equipment, systems, technology and processes for contributing to the recycling industry.

Critters in Macro Mode

It is amazing what an ordinary Canon EFS 18-55 mm will do for you! The photographs posted below were taken with hand-held Canon 1100D and 1300D cameras. One needs to, however, understand that the sweet spot of this lens lies between f-7.1 to f-10.

If the flies were not particularly glad to be photographed, the spider that I saw another day in the verandah was most particularly shy. She had been sitting on top of an empty ice-cream cup and was very scared! I wonder who was more surprised, the spider or me!

This is probably the previous spider's cousin 

It takes two to tango!

A Flow Chart for Experiential Learning of Article Writing, Opinion based articles and Reports

Experiential Learning Demystified

Is Digital Equity a Reality?

Digital Equity is an elusive Civil Right even today, thus it is a major issue that can be put to the debate. People believe that technology should provide everyone with opportunities for growth. However, the reality is that although we might thrust Digital Technology onto the entire population of a country, the fact remains that a large number are still Digital Technology Illiterate! Some don't even have access to Technology. It is clear that Digital Equity is a major issue that divides the society into the haves and the have nots! Those who have access to Digital Technology might get the best jobs or even get admission to some of the best colleges without being really intelligent or even accomplished professionals, while those who really deserve to get that seat because of their abilities are left out just because they don't have that internet connection or even a smartphone!

It is an unfortunate reality that lack of Digital Equity and thereof the lack of opportunities for all have resulted in a society that is in a state of a divide. Take for example the tedious process of registering yourself for a seat in a college. Unless you are tech-savvy, it is going to be difficult for you to get yourself registered. A large number of students aspiring for a seat in a prestigious college in the capital city might be left out for the specific reason that they don't have a good internet supply in the countryside, or perhaps their internet device is not capable of handling the pages on the college website. A few students might outsource the filling in of their college forms to the Guy running the Neighbourhood Cybercafe, in many cases for an exorbitant amount! Where then, is Digital Equity?  

A large number of people living in the country are the elderly, those who have somehow managed to handle cell phones that have a keypad, they might have tried a smartphone but are nervous about using the touchscreen. With the Government insisting on Digital Payments, the elderly are simply at a loss because they don't know how to use the technology. The fact of the matter is that Technology has become for some, a monster that refuses to let go!

Most of the jobs today require some kind of basic skills in handling computers. Some people can't imagine that there are a lot of people in this world who are simply not computer literate. Would you expect a Janitor to be able to fill in an excel sheet or even share his schedule on a Google sheet? 

So then, can we in any way claim that Digital Equity exists in our world today? Can we claim that everyone on this planet has access to electricity, technology and an internet connection that is reliable? In a world that reels under shortages of power, water, basic resources, can we turn a blind eye towards those who don't have access to digital technology and expect them to compete with those who have access to the same? How much does being Tech Savvy make you a better person than one who is not? Has technology helped you improve your scores on a test? Has it made your handwriting better? Does being Tech Savvy give you the right to the coveted seat in a world that is unfair in the opportunities it gives to all its citizens?

It all boils down to the dichotomy between Intellect and Tech. Savviness. Being Tech Savvy does not necessarily make you an intellectual, in the same way, that being an intellectual simply does not make you Tech Savvy! Both of these skills do not always connect!

What is badly wrong about our understanding of Digital Technolgy is that we have a seriously flawed idea that access to Digital Technology (and being Tech. Savvy)  automatically makes us better than others! The fact is that Digital Equity is still a distant reality, and at the most a misnomer, all illusion that we are deluding ourselves with!

A few very short Horror Stories

Deluge

They were driving up the mountain road when they heard the loud noise like an airplane's engines, the next they realized was that they had become part of the deluge and were being carried relentlessly towards the edge and the chasm a thousand feet below them.

Lost

They had been driving for quite some time, the two girls at the back and him at the wheel; his head nodding, he had stopped for a while, when he woke up there was only one girl, the other they had taken away in the dark.

The Long Road

They were driving at a steady pace, admiring the landscape, below them flowed the Beas river, a deep-swift flowing river, the road began to descend, a left forked into the river and the right into the tunnel; suddenly we saw a beautiful temple across the river, attention diverted, he drove towards the left fork into the river, suddenly his father called out a warning, "I don't think you want to go there, we will end up grinning with shock!"

Short Circuit

He was riding his motorcycle on the overpass when suddenly the engine quit, he glanced with horror at the truck and car behind him, turning anxiously towards the left curb, he managed to coast to a stop even as the traffic brushed past, a hairs breadth between life and death, the battery had shorted, wires under the tank had caught fire!

Agents

The two friends had read many detective stories so they agreed to become agents, but when they entered the establishment that was suspected to be responsible for the disappearance of children, they found it difficult to get out, the establishment's security was very strong, the police would have to rescue them before they themselves were 'processed' or 'eliminated'.

The Fly

He turned towards his companion, "What the heck! Why do you have such bright red eyes? What's that nasty thing coming out of your mouth?" His friend turned his head towards him, "Don't you remember? The nuclear blast has turned us into flies!"

 The Crowd

The crowd chanted, it roared, and then engulfed the occupants drowning their screams and cries.

Dusk

 At dusk, they stepped out of hiding places, swarmed down the streets looking for victims to feed on, but when reached the streets, there was no one around, there were no street lights no cars, nothing, the silence frightened them!

Midnight

She was woken by a sound of scratching and the need to relieve herself, she did not have the courage to step out of the bed, suddenly she saw the bedroom door open the light from the living room caused the hand holding the sword to cast a shadow that loomed towards her, she choked a scream only to see the axe swinging towards her from side.

Rats

The rats had become rather troublesome lately, the scratching and squeaking sounds were coming from the closet that had been his, she had never opened it before but then she couldn't bear the sound so she turned the key for the first time in five years - she did hesitate for a moment, but then it was too late - inside the closet was her worst nightmare, a huge spider that had not fed for five years, it advanced towards her, its eyes hypnotised her and the fangs slid into her, her screams lasted a couple of minutes but there was none to hear her, she lived alone!

The Djinn

He was  on the way to the railway station on his bicycle, when an old man in white clothes asked him for a lift, pitying the old man he complied and let his passenger sit on the carrier; after a few minutes he noticed that the pedal turned with great difficulty - no it was not a puncture, fearing the worst, he turned towards the carrier and saw a djinn twice his size!

Honeymoon

He had to leave his wife behind at the hotel, his company website had been hacked, it could be fixed then he could return to his wife, unfortunately, disaster struck, he was midway when the earthquake struck, the hillside town was cut off from the rest of the world, at first he called her up and she called him up, she cautioned him that the only charging point was at the bus stand, and then she stopped calling, and he couldn't get a ringtone on her mobile, the operator stated that the number had been switched off.

The Bailiffs

He owed them a lot of money, so he fled to another city and led an anonymous life for a couple of years, but then one day while returning from the market with some provisions, he saw them on the road leading to his house, he panicked and gunned his motorcycle away from them and blindly headed into the path of a truck, when he woke up in hospital he could neither talk nor move his limbs, he could only hear them talk about him and to him but not respond, he was trapped in a prison from which there was no escape!

Dracula

He was all alone in the huge house, he had just read Dracula when the power went off, in the silence of the night he could hear claws scratching the door that led to the  backyard, he had to go out, but feared the Unknown, after some time he could not bear the wait and so stepped out to check on things, when he stepped out with his heart in his throat, in the dark, he noticed that the papaya tree leaves had been brushing against the tin roof of the shed because of the light breeze!

Monsters in the Night

The sounds coming from the back lane into which their window opened were loud and frightening, the two brothers decided to investigate, the younger brother loaded the air rifle with a pellet while the elder brother picked up a stout cane, together they unlocked the back door and stepped into the lane, the sounds were terrible, sounds of tortured and angry souls, mixed with sounds of gnashing teeth, curses, and threats, they noticed that the sounds were coming from the window of the room on top of their's - it was the sound of their tenant snoring off his way into the night!

Romance

She visited him in his dreams, a beautiful woman who had the most beautiful face with eyes full of compassion and love, everything was alright as long as it was a dream, until of course that night when she called out to him with an insistence that was difficult to ignore, he got up from his bed and followed her into the dark deserted street, and then he caught up with her and she turned towards him, fangs bared in a face from which worms wriggled skeleton  arms reached out to him, helpless with shock he succumbed to her embrace and she sighed as she fed on him, the foolish enamoured youth, one who would be so romantic!

Eyes

There are eyes everywhere, eyes in the dark, eyes behind the window, eyes in the darkest corner of the closet, and guess what they are waiting for him to weaken up, even as the virus ravages him from inside, and however much he tries, he can't escape their probing eyes, not even when he covers his face with the damp sheet, for then, he fears, they's feed on him even as he lives!

The Game

The messages keep coming, uncanny about how accurate they are, he'd broken up with Samantha, she'd left with Garry, the first few tasks were easy, but not now, he could not refuse them for fear of offending the messenger, and then standing on the edge of the cliff, he thought he heard laughter, but then a gust of wind hit him hard, his foot slipped, he screamed, his cell phone landed safely on the ledge, the message, "Mission Successful" flashed on the screen!