E-C-401. New Literature

Name- Patel Payal G.

Sem-  M.A. Sem-IV

Roll no- 16

Paper- The White Tiger: A Challenge to the Ethnic Codes of India

Year-2012

Submitted to- Dr. Dilip Barad

Head of the Department of English

Bhavnagar University

Bhavnagar

The White Tiger: A Challenge to the Ethnic Codes of India

The White Tiger is the form of seven letters to the Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao who is planning to visit India and the letters are delivered by a Bangalore Businessman Balram Halwai. In these letters he tells him his journey from Munna to the White Tiger, the portrayal of New India. When he becomes a driver of a rich family in New Delhi, he learns that success often involves corruption, cruelty and inhumanity.

Delhi has become the synonym of crime and corruption. The situation has become in a way strange that none believe another one easily. Newspapers, now, speak of the cases of exploitation, mal-practice, cheating, murder, bribery, fraud, etc. the image of India is changed and it is worse than the prior one when honesty and humanity was at heart of India. This is how the novel challenges the Ethnic codes which make people aware of moral values but those values are subsiding day by day in India. One more thing which is highlighted in the novel is communication between rival countries India and China. Both these countries are emerging as next powerful country of the world and Adiga has shown this idea even in the novel. As Balram Halwai sends the Chinese premier letters, it means he makes him aware of Indian culture and moral aspects. China is far better so far as their moral codes are concerned. The White Tiger is his rebuke of the cheerful and false notions of a new and transformed India. Adiga has travelled various parts of the country including places whose backwardness has shocked his sensibility. He himself says about this novel that it has been the fruit of his labours as a reporter.

Balram Halwai writes about three countries with admiration;

Only three nations have never let themselves be ruled by foreigners: China, Afghanistan, and Abyssinia. These are only three nations I admire.

                                                                                       (The White Tiger)

Furthermore, Adiga writes;

The future of the world lies with the yellow man and brown man because “our erstwhile master, the white skinned man, has wasted himself through buggery, mobile phone usage and drug abuse.”

                                                                                    (The White Tiger)

As it is mentioned earlier, he tries to portray the picture of India, and India- China are emerging countries. This novel also presents the elements of darkness in the entire book. Balram Halwai comes from Biharic-rural area and in New Delhi and Bangalore becomes villains character. His actions question the morality of India. It is the country where the myths of Gods and Goddesses exist, where the martyrs became the winners, where Gandhiji was born and where humanity was at the heart. Now, the condition is changed,  the myths are washed away and the Gandhian ideologies become ancestral and the martyrs become the foolish who sacrificed their lives for their patriarchy. Balram is not only a hero but a modern –Indian hero, and modern heroes are different from their ancestors. Now, Salman Khan in Dabbang becomes modern hero, who has moral values but in modern terms. Balram, at the same time, is not only an entrepreneur but also a roguish criminal with a remarkable capacity of self-justification. The characters also seem superficial. Balram’s boss and his wife, Mr. Ashok and Pinky Madame, are caricatures of the insensitive upper-class, cruel to and remote from their employs. Balram and other driver Ram Prasad go for buying liquor for his boss. This is the present India where wine becomes the livelihood of modern man and people openly accept it and enjoy it. The White Tiger also shows this mentality of Indian. It advocates the idea of crime similar to the novel The Godfather by Mario Puzo, at the very beginning of the novel he writes;

Behind every great fortune there is a great crime

-          Balzac

(The Godfather by Mario Puzo)

Same thing is similar to this novel and to the character of Balram Halwai, as his fortune and his modernity as a master become a part of crime. He murders Mr. Ashok, his master, to whom he was merely a driver but as he shows modern India, kills his master and breaks the ethnic codes of India. India was having the heroes like Rama, Krishna, Mahavir Swami, Gautama Buddha, Gandhiji, Swami Vivekananda etc. and there was a golden time during their time and when it had all the providence. But, West culture and tradition have affected Indian society in a way that Indian people even have surpassed all the levels of immorality. In the novel, the present situation of India is demonstrated for example, there is the voting system and it is already pre-planned whoever will become next minister is decided at the beginning and sometimes they force people to vote particular party. For example, Vijay, the bus conductor attacks and insults the rickshaw-puller for election. Indian water system, roads, hospitals get repaired or established when the election comes close. People cheer up the Great Socialists saying that “Long live the Great Socialist.” But those socialists are corrupted, they have reached to their success by committing crime or murder which is the dark side of India. This is how the moral ideas are broken down by those who crush the poor people and slaves. Munna is the poor boy but when experiences reach to him, he puts his step forward to Mr. Ashok. In older India, the multiculturalism prevailed and all the castes and cultures lived together like bread and butter, but, the present condition says something else about India. Now, there is no relation between Hindu and Muslim at least not that much of the prior one. The number of murder rape and revenge is increasing each day. This is how the writings of the novel challenge the Ethical elements of India, as Mukesh says to Ashok,

This is India, not America. There’s always a way out here.

                                                             (The White Tiger. pg-121)

From Mukesh’ statement, it becomes clear what exactly he does is the comparison between India and America so far as their moral conduct is concerned.  America is far better than India because the people are not that far corrupted, first of all for them their nationality becomes important and then other matters come as its follower. They give priority to their nation whereas; Indian people are always concerned about their own advantages. Patriarchy has evaporated from the mind of the nationalists. 

The novel also advocates the Marxist theory of all are equal but the novel does not deal with the idea of social values. Balram kills Mr. Ashok to be equal to him but at the same time he becomes a murderer. The Indian nation has failed somewhere and the statue of Gandhiji in The White Tiger is shown differently than the statue of him in Delhi. It also presents the ideas of class conflict, society division and rapidly changing world. Bourgeoisie class is at the centre because the number of this class people is highest than any other and also it shows that progress can make an unmake civilization, as it is called unethical progress. The idea of uniform is also very big thing in this novel. For example, dress, fashion, popular magazine, popular music, slang, television and internet are demonstrated as alternative subversive cultures as against the established standard cultures. There are layers of cultures like high culture and low culture. It is having consumption behaviour like if you have money you spend. Idea of success overtakes humanity which happens in the novel The White Tiger. Changing behaviour and changing language become a share of this novel.

Conclusion:

Arvind Adiga tells two interrelated stories of Balram and his ambition, and his ambition causes moral decay. Darwinian concept of Survival of the fittest is very applicable to the novel. But what matters a lot in this novel is changing milieu and morality. It can be considered as new morality which is full of immoral items.

E-C- 404. Mass Communication and Media Studies

Name- Patel Payal G.

Sem-  M.A. Sem-IV

Roll no- 16

Paper- Modern plus popular Mass-Media: Television,Cinema & New Media

Year-2012

Submitted to- Dr. Dilip Barad

                         Head of the Department of English

                         Bhavnagar University

                         Bhavnagar

      Modern plus popular Mass-Media: Television

                                                                Cinema &

                                                                New Media

Modern communication technology has made people closer in the world and in this technologies Television, cinema and New Media take or stand first in importance as well as in influence. All these media can reach a number of people at a time. It means they are so powerful and fast than they seem. Television is the parent of changes in society, as people are diverted towards it rather than other sources of entertainment. It makes people visit the whole world in a day, what an influential controlling media it is!

When it came into existence in India, became a great concern to parents and teachers because children were diverged by the use of it. Television is given so much importance and time, that it has become a member of family. Now, parents also accept that they also spend lots of time with it and that is why they cannot control their children to watch it. The present condition is set in a way that the simpler man may not have refrigerator, washing machine, vacuum cleaner or other high class facilities but a set of television in his house. Some of the families are having more than one or two TV sets at home. So that they can watch their favourite programmes any time they like to. Now there are also various programmes recording system is provided sothat one can watch programme whenever one likes. The idea of two or more TV sets at home and the changing pattern of society is alarming the decay of family relationship. Initially, the whole family used to watch television programmes together but in recent time no one is ready to make those days alive, as the programmes and messages re changing quickly.

First, television came with only one channel which was Doordarshan but now there is a range of channels and some of them are specialized for particular programmes. For example; Star plus is for Saas-Bahu programmes, Sony Max, Star Gold, Zee Cinema etc. are for movies, 9XM, [V] Channel, MTV, etc. are for songs, Star Cricket, ESPN, Ten sport, are for sports, India TV, Aaj Tak, Times Now etc. are for news programmes. So, TV channels offer self-service, whatever viewer wants to eat, can have in his dish. At the same time television also provides positive aspects like union ship of family. For example on Sub TV, there are lots of funny programmes like Tarak Mehta ka Ooltah Chashma, Lapata Ganj Shard Joshi ki Kahanion ka Pata, R.S. Laxmanki Duniya, in short, all programmes on sub TV Channel are comfortable with the whole family to watch. They can watch them together as they are free of violence and obscenity but comedy. Each coin has two sides, similarly TV shows are also having violence and obscenity like Big Boss, a reality show which makes the members of family uncomfortable while they watch such shows together. There is one more example of a TV serial named CID (Crime Investigation Department), that was came into Gujarat Samachar news Paper saying that one boy kidnapped another one and demanded for the money to his father, and they got the idea from this CID, so, children also learn some unwanted things from television serials which causes moral anarchy in society.

Once on Discovery channel there was one survey which was carried out by some health experts that television shows make children lazy and they become victim of obesity. The children are now not that much healthy and active, thus, one can say that television also affects their health. Advertisements are also a major part of it from which children learn violence, vulgar and cheap jokes and sometimes Tappori language too. It is also recommended that some of the ads should not be telecast on television, but it cannot be taken into consideration, as it has become a public source for public, of public and by public. This is how television plays its role in society. It also makes children or youth far from indoor and outdoor games. They prefer watching television shows than playing healthy games.

Cinema:

Cinema has become bread and butter (basic need) of people, as they can survive without food for a long time but cannot without cinema or television at least for a while. It has vastly influenced the generation of children, youth, and adults even aged people. Their lives are changing faster than the colour of chameleon and this is all because of cinema. The moral values and social or cultural manners are changing their patterns. It is claimed by the people that media or cinema changes the moral values of society at the same time cinema counter argues that it is only the reality which cinema shows. What is right and wrong is as difficult to say as to say about the egg and hen, which came first egg or hen? Similarly, no one can give final answer of what is right or wrong. Cinema is having both aspects negative and positive, as the negatives are innumerable. For example, people prefer watching movies than reading texts. Generally people go for the movies like 3 idiots, than for the novel five point someone by Chetan Bhagat. Similarly there are many movies which have been watched like Hello, Omkara, Namesake, Pride and Prejudice, Provoked, Maqbool, but the texts of these particular movies have rarely been read like one night @ the call center by Chetan Bhagat, Othello by William Shakespeare, Namesake by Jhumpa Lahiri, Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen, Provoked by Kiranjit Ahluwaliya, Macbeth by William Shakespeare respectively. So, it is negative part of cinema that people go for movie but at the same time it is good to know that some of the viewers are interested in reading texts by watching the films and this is how they preserve some of the cultural traditions. At the same time all these aspects help marketers increase their selling ratio high and in this matter other Medias also play significant role like newspapers, magazines, advertisements etc.

Impact on Children:

When children watch any particular contemporary movie, it is not without obscenity and violence, they do not know about the fictional elements of film but consider it as reality. From their very young age they become mature enough before their age. The films like Dabbang, Bodygaurd, Wanted, Gajini, Agnipath and Style, One Two Three, Kya kool hein Hum, Murder, Dirty Picture are full of violence and obscenity. These films can affect the children as well as youth in a dangerous way. There are also many films like Chiller Party, Slumdog Millionaire in which the Tappori language is pervaded throughout the films. They do not know what is right to see or what is not, so, they should watch films under their parents’ guidance. But, on a contrary part, parents are also changing their thinking because when their children imitate hero or heroines of speak Tappori language, they seem very funny to them and that is how the generation becomes corrupted from the very childhood.

Movies are created to provide refreshment and entertainment to people. They make people aware of happenings, present issues, politics and all. Movies at the same time becoming more commercial, they do not care about society. The rights of film are sold in a huge number of money, then director do not care about how the film will affect the society or what circumstances it will create after its release. Producers and financiers consider it as a tempting and lucrative business. For actors and actresses, it is a means to earn money and popularity among people. But, the society blindly imitates their favourite heroes and heroines. Film dialogues, actions, songs are based on the tastes of the audience. Item songs and Masala make movie attractive and people go for those movies. Media makers said that they are making the films according to the demand of public, and item songs like, Munni Badnaam, Chikni Chameli, Jalebi Bai, Anarkali Disco Chali, etc. are getting popularity in a wider range. The dialogues are changing as time passes their forms are becoming or having double meaning, full of slangs, for example Delhi Belly, is the film in which slangs dominate the whole film. People cannot watch the movie with their family members now a day, because the scenes, the actions, the dialogues and the songs are so cheap in words that no one can bear those things when they watch together.

New Media:

Internet and Facebook have become part of new media. Technology and science have made its use simple and comfortable and cheap. It is both boon as well as bane. It has helped people to see the other part of the world at just a click of a mouse. People know their surroundings, but Internet gives information about every corner of the world precisely and concisely. It makes interaction faster through mails with a number of people at a time. It gives a chance to express new thoughts and ideas in terms of blogs and other web resources. Similarly, Facebook is the part of internet but can be considered as new media in a particular term. Even in Facebook people can share their views, comment, put pictures and other similar things. But it affects children’s health and wastes their time, as it is social network to connect people, but the excessive use of Facebook leads people towards their frustration and disappointment. Recently there was one incident on  India TV news channel that one father killed his daughter because she did not cook, she did not work properly but set on the Facebook for a long time, and the father got angry by her abusive words about him on Facebook and it resulted into tragedy. This is how the excessive use of it can destroy people’s mental condition.

Internet is boon for those who are sincere in their study and want to know more something about their topics but it becomes a tool for time pass even for those who just merely use for the sake of entertainment. Facebook also causes destruction, as there is one news in Gujarat Samachar 30 March 2012, that one lady committed suicide because of Facebook chatting. She wrote on her Facebook account that “I am dying... This Facebook will be poison.” Thus, this example shows how internet and social networking sites also become obstacles in society.

Conclusion:

Cinema in India is like brushing your teeth in the morning. You can’t escape it.

-          Shahrukh Khan

Same thing can be applied to television and new media, as in the modern times one cannot escape from it.

E-E- 405. Thomas Hardy. Study of an Author

Name- Patel Payal G.

Sem-  M.A. Sem-IV

Roll no- 16

Paper- The Representation of Women in Hardy’s Novels

Year-2012

Submitted to- Dr. Dilip Barad

                         Head of the Department of English

                         Bhavnagar University

                         Bhavnagar

The Representation of Women in Hardy’s five Novels.

Tess of the D’Urbervilles

Jude the Obscure

For from the Madding Crowd

The Return of the Native

The Mayor of Casterbridge

Thomas Hardy portrays different characters in his novels but the treatment he has given to his women characters is noteworthy. It is said that Hardy has represented his social structure, norms and conditions in his writings besides women of his time. Moreover, in most of his novels female characters are protagonist which shows women empowerment as well. Tess remains Hardy’s favourite heroine as she is different from other female characters, as Hardy has given subtitle to this novel Tess of the D’Urbervilles “A pure woman”, this much he likes the character of Tess that he proves her purity of heart by describing her fragile and pure nature. But at the same time women are also presented  in different forms in some of his novels. For example, one cannot compare Tess with Arabella, sue, Thomasin, Eustacia, Bathsheba, because the way they are portrayed is difficult to compare them to her.

The Analysis of Women Characters:

1. Tess Durbeyfield:

             

She is innocent and very pure by heart. There is no evil in her mind and at the same time when she comes to know the death of her family horse named Prince she puts the hat of blame on her head. This much sincerity she contains in her life. But, when she stabs Alec, her husband who seduced her in the forest of The chase, one cannot believe about her action. The reader tries to judge her character when she commits such unexpected and unbelievable actions. But whatever she dose at the end of the novel is her dilemma and she is constantly passing through mental stress. Her condition is somewhat similar to the character of Hester Prynne in The Scarlet Letter by Nathaniel Howthorne because Hester Prynne has to also suffer a lot because of her both men Roger Chillingworth, her husband and Arther Dimmesdale, her lover. She has been sandwiched between both these characters same has happened in the novel Tess of the D’Urbervilles especially with the character of Tess. Hardly also questions the society that, Does only a physical purity matter? Because Tess becomes pregnant without being married and was blamed not the person who seduced her. It gives a hint towards the condition of women during time which says that Victorian Era was having a narrow mindedness, as women were blamed or they were at a stake. It also messages that the condition of mothers who are virgin was bitter or more than that. Tess could not get, throughout her life, that comfort which woman expects from her married life. She, at last was punished by the society who is also responsible for her tragedy in one or other way.

           

            Thus, the character of Tess shows that evil traits in society like Alec, Angle, and society itself. One can argue why Angel is blamed for her tragedy. The answer is similar to Alec’s case that Tess was pure as she decided to make Angle aware of her past and she dose that, but with a change, that she passes one letter to Angle’s room but unfortunately it goes under the carpet so, she thinks that Angle has forgiven her as they meet at the place where they used to. But when Angle comes to know this reality he denies accepting Tess and leaves home and Tess for Brazil. Why the woman with past has no future? This well-known statement is also applicable to Hester Prynne, as she is also not accepted by society and by her own husband. Had Tess been impure and having evil traits, she would have not tried to inform Angle about her past before their marriage. This gives the faithfulness of Tess’ characters.

2. Arabella Donn and Susana Bridehead:

            Arabella is the female protagonist of Hardy’s one of the famous novels Jude the Obscure great expectations from life. This novel demonstrates the idea of marriage which has become a business. In most of his novels Hardy shows marriage as a need not as an outcome of love. It also presents the aspirations of Arabella, as she marries Jude because she thinks that she is impregnated by Jude and he for his moral duty gets married with her, but, after their marriage they realize mutual anarchy, as they were like North Pole and South Pole. To fulfil her desires she goes to Australia and she marries an Australian person. So, Arabella’s character is like butterfly who never sticks to one thing ever. When Arabella goes and Sue, another female character in the novel, comes to his life, Arabella comes back and in jealousy or to make her jealous Sue becomes ready to marry Jude. But, before that she had another husband named Richard Philloston, who goes to Christminster for degree. He is aged compare to Sue and their marriage life was also not that much good. But, when Sue enters into the life of Jude, she does not marry Jude but lives with him and has children by him. So, society opposes this thing as moral anarchy. This novel also presents the moral degradation of the characters. But, so far as the female characters are concerned both of them, neither Sue nor Arabella genuinely loves Jude. It seems at the end of the novel when Jude is dead, Arabella is enjoying village occasion and Sue has taken a vow not to see Jude’s face again and she keeps living with Richard Philloston again.   

Thus, this novel exhales the idea of the novel which is urbanization and impact of industrialization. People started living free style as “free style of living” became their motto. Even women are no exception in this case which is presented by both these female characters Sue and Arabella. Their behaviour also shows their pretend able nature. At the same time, one cannot blame Arabella only for Jude’s present situation because he is having some weaknesses. He was confused about choosing Ambition or Attraction that is Arabella. One may have a question like “Is Arabella a bad woman or does she behave badly because of circumstances? Because throughout the novel she is portrayed as an ambitious and mean woman. Perhaps, this novel also shows the problem of survival in the case of women. That is why Hardy’s characters behave in particular manner only. And Sue gives voice to the right of common woman Arabella follows her own spiritual or ideal state of life.

Arabella does not care for Jude’s emotions. Their marital life is not satisfactory. Furthermore, when the children die, Sue goes away to live with her ex-husband without taking any care of Jude. They are changing their place from one to another. The reader has no one to blame in this novel but the culture itself is rigid and orthodox. The Hardy Women are perhaps free without freedom. And Hardy presents women’s reaction against the society. Whatever Hardy writes in any of his novels, his main and major point is to look at the society and to present it the way it is.     

4. Thomasin Yoebright and Eustacia Vye:

            Thomasin is Clym Yeobright’s cousin and Mrs Yeobright’s niece in hardy’s novel The Returns of the Native. She is good hearted but uses Damon Wildeve to make Eustacia jealous and marries him and have a child whom she baptized Eustacia but at the end of the novel she marries Diggory Venn and leaves Damon Wildeve.

           

Her character also presents the themes of the marriage, love and modernity. At the same time Eustaica’s character is also difficult to catch because when she comes to know about Clym Yeobright’s providence and future journey to Paris, tries to manipulate him and marries him as a result of her desire to be modern and urbanized. But, after their marriage she realizes that Clym does not want to go to Paris but want to settle in his village and thus their marriage life gets the rain of rifts. Because of their marriage Mrs Yeobright also breaks her relation with Clym, as she is very proud and class-conscious woman and a widow and ward of Thomasin Yeobright. The destruction of the female characters also takes place in this novel heavily because of their stubbornness. Eustacia was ready to go abroad, but Clym was not ready for that, this was the only reason Eustacia married him but and the novel takes different shapes after marriage.

            One major thing Hardy has presented in his novels is his insight to portray female in such a way that the readers feel that they are the founder and destroyer of man’s courage. Victorian Era also faced the problems of materialism and mechanism through the age of industrialization. It reached to its pinnacle and Hardy shares his views with the reader that women were highly attracted by this modernity. Eustacia the best example of it.

6. Bathsheba Everdene:

           

She is the protagonist of Hardy’s novel Far from the Madding Crowd. When the novel opens, she shows her vanity by using mirror and cosmetics, it shows materialist perceptive of human nature and mechanism in life. She becomes an owner of a wider farm and runs it very smoothly. She proves that even a lady can handle such a vast farm with a number of workers. She becomes rich but her character shows poorness and the journey of a girl to a woman. Life shows lots of ups and downs to her but passes through all of them and at last comes to a happy end but in between she made mistakes and mischief with William Boldwood by proposing him for marriage. Her character also illustrates woman mentality of security as Bathsheba marries Sergeant Francis (Frank) Troy who is an army man attracts her by his fencing art.

            If one wants to judge Bathsheba’s character one should undertake Fenny Robin who is the beloved and fiancée of Troy. She fails to see the place or church where they both were going to marry and he departs from him forever. She is much better than Bathsheba, because Bathsheba neglects Gabriel Oak, and runs far from reality. One more important and striking point Hardy presents in his novels is woman’s purity. As most of his novel present unmarried mother and the idea of that, which would have been the problem of his time. Tess, Arabella, Feeny for instance.

7. Susan Henchard Elizabeth-Jane Newson and Lucetta Templemen:

           

All these female characters are from Hardy’s novel The Mayor of Casterbridge represents the social condition. Michael Henchard is the protagonist of the novel who sells his wife Susan Henchard and daughter Elizabeth Jane to a sailor named Newson and she becomes his wife and Elizabeth a daughter. Thus, the theme of marriage is again portrayed by Hardy that it is a business and an outcome of security rather than love. So far as the Lucetta Templeman is concerned, she first proposes Michael Henchard and later on gets married with Donald Farfrae. Susan’s daughter was also planning to marry him but he marries another woman. Marriage makes complexity among the characters because a single character marries twice or thrice in his most of the novels.

            The characteristics of Susan match with Hester Prynne’s because even she does not reveal the name of his lover Arthur Dimmesdale in The Scarlet Letter by Nathaniel Hawthorne, Susan also does not reveal when Henchard becomes a mayor. Hence, her faithfulness is portrayed in her character and at the same time the characteristics of Victorian Era.

Conclusion:

                       

Thus, Hardy, through various female characters in his novels, presents the Victorian women condition. How the women were treated and how they behaved in different condition according to the demand of their Era. The class was divided into two haves and have nots, so, various class conflicts and class- consciousness issues are also introduced in the novel. Some of his heroines present masculine power like Eustacia and very fragile like Tess and Sue. Whatever behaviour that consisted of it shows the influence of that time. Some of the characters are also similar to Hardy’s other female characters in nature. Some of the women also advocate the idea of struggle for survival like Arabella and Sue Bridehead, as they shift their husband, place one by one. Some of them also present the ideology of morality like Tess and she thinks to accept her responsibilities as her moral duty. Over all, the Victorian Era was having the mixture of all modernist and older ideologies of characters.

CALL

Name- Patel Payal G

Roll no- 16

M.A.Sem-IV

Paper- E-C-402: English Language Learning-2

Year- 2012

Topic- Computer Assisted Language Learning

Submitted to Mr. Dilip Barad.

Department of English.

Bhavnagar University.

Bhavnagar.

Computer Assisted Language Learning

Computer has made Language Learning interesting and speedy.  The Introduction part says that in the 1990s computer got attention as an important tool for language learning. It became widespread support machine for language learning which made the learners involved in it. Then local area networks (LANs) and internet added feather in the hat of the popularity of computer and with its help learners started enhancing their communicative abilities. Its overall definition is, …..It is any process in which a learner uses computer and, as a result, improves his or her language.

To make the field of CALL clear, its background is also necessary and its background presents the history of CALL, how it became popular and how people found it necessary with some advantageous elements. When language learning through computer came into light in the 1980s and 1990s, it was considered as technological rising.  It has make learning as well as works of learners fastest and more powerful. For example, if a learner wants to present his or her academic work in the whole class, it is easy for him to present it through computer and this makes it more effective too. It also provides different software so that it becomes easiest and simpler one to use computer while discusses something very important.  And this is how learning takes place. Higgins and Johns (1984) discussed the issue of computer use. They wanted to make sure whether the computer was ‘master’ of or ‘slave’ to the learning process. They also raised the question like, Was the computer to be a replacement for teachers, or merely an obedient servant to students?

The use of computers was for the better understanding of the teaching and learning languages. Communicative approaches (Krashen 1982), content-based learning (Cantoni-Harvey 1987) and task-based learning (Nunan 1989a, 1995b) are all improved by the use of the computer. CALL has divided many ways in communicative teaching. Technology-enhanced language learning was given a vast support by Sydney Papert in 1993 who is the creator of the computer language Loge and later on the principles of Dewey (1938) and Piaget (1950) to the use of computers were given. There is one theory named ‘Constructivism’ which involves the use of problem-solving activity during tasks and projects instead of direct instruction by the teacher. In CALL this theory suggests learning by using computer tools to discover simulated worlds, to make presentations and websites, and to undertake authentic communication with other learners around the world. This theory of learning helps to improve learner’s skills. Chamot and O’Malley (1996a) call this theory the Cognitive Academic Language Learning Approach (CALLA). It directly addresses the need for the students and to their awareness of their own learning progress.

Comparison of Computer with other technological gadgets:

Computer always has been the super machine for all kind of tasks, academic activities, audio-visual learning, image learning and the list of names goes on. Now, students do not go for different devices to learn so far as the language is concerned, because computer is mixture of every needed material. It provides audio-visual system, it has various software which can be useful for language learning. Moreover, it also offers the correction system, so, when the learner writes something, it shows different error markers with different colors for different errors. For example, if the learner writes something about his assignment topic and there are some red colored lines under the words it means the word is incorrect and then the learner can correct it. Similarly if there is green line under the whole sentence it means there is grammatical error in that particular sentence. This is how learner can make his writing error free and at the same time he learns the correct word and grammar. This is nothing but a way of learning language. There are many gadgets like smart phones, iPods, radio, etc. but they do not provide this much packed sources as computer gives. It is also considered as a research tool as it storages the data, audio-visual files. Hence, whenever the learner wants to learn he can go for it at any time, even after a decade.

Motivation plays a very vibrant role in CALL. It improves his or her language learning skill. Sometime what happens, if the students’ learning style does not match with the teaching style, students find it boring and uninteresting and this is how they are less motivated.  Therefore, the proper use of computer especially for CALL is necessary. It has become a utensil for general skills like listening, speaking, reading and writing (LSRW).

Practice:

The practice of four skills, grammar and vocabulary helps the learner to achieve the appropriate learning and computer helps in this matter. Here, some exercises are given below to prove this point in the favor of CALL.

Listening Skill:

Conversation One

You will hear a phone message from a supply company.

                                                   

                                            Phone Message

For: Emily Chung

From: Sam Webster, SW Packaging Supplies

Re: Your order for____rolls.

The order delivery will be delayed until____. They’re waiting for an overdue____ to arrive from the manufactures.

They apologies for the inconvenience. If this causes any problems, contact____ department on 01424797999.

Conversation Two

You will hear a man leaving a message for your colleague about a meeting they are goingto attend.

Re: Project Meeting

Remember to take information on raw material and_____ costs.

Prepare cost breakdown for the bank’s_____ Manager.

Meet Thomas at_____.

Remember report on_____.

This is how the learner can improve listening skill by hearing the conversations and then he can fill the blanks. When the learner visits the websites like www.realinglish.tm.fr) which gives same exercise to improve listening skill. Nowadays the Scope exams are also based on computer into which the learners have to complete each field of each skill.

Reading Skill:

Choose the word which best completes each sentence.

1.      Our new pocket PC is targeted_____the business traveller.

A.      at

B.      on

C.      with

D.     to

2.      One of the _____ to consumers of competition between companies is lower prices.

A.      benefits

B.      advances

C.      improvements

D.     profits

3.      People are_____ less on luxury goods than they were last year.

A.      buying

B.      purchasing

C.      paying

D.     spending

4.      The management are_____ a possible pension plan for the employees.

A.      discussing

B.      talking

C.      thinking

D.     deciding

This is how learning takes place. The learner come to know about the answers are based to its context and he can improve vocabulary and grammar through this kind of tests. Though it is possible that some ELT Practice books also provide similar tasks or tests but computer makes it quick. Only one click is enough to make your answer and the learner can make the process of learning vast.

Writing Skill:

You are making a speech at a conference and have received this fax from the conference organizer.

Fax

From: John Mason

Subject: Arrangements for Conference

Thank you for agreeing to speak at our conference. I have arranged for a taxi to collect you from your hotel at 8 am. Please could you confirm that this time is convenient and let me know what equipment you need for your talk.

Write a fax in reply.

Fax To: John Mason From: Subject: Arrangements for Conference      ___________________________________________________________      ___________________________________________________________      ___________________________________________________________      ___________________________________________________________

Thus, writing through computer helps in making correct fax without grammatical or words errors. Computer makes this process faster and hence it is convenient to the learner.

Speaking Skill:

The exam related with speaking tests is introduced in computers too. The Scope exams are based on learner’s answers which he gives by speaking the answer. The computer records learner’s voice and then the process of marking goes on.

Conclusion:

There are some websites like http://www.merriam-webster.com/which provides the learner the testing of vocabulary. With the help of this kind of websites learner can improve his or her language. Computers with net resources are superior to any other resource of language learning as it plays very supportive role in it.

E-C- 301. The Modern Literature

Name- Patel Payal G

Roll no- 16

M.A.Sem-III

Paper- E-C-301. The Modernist Literature.

Year- 2011

Topic- Critical Appreciation of “To The Lighthouse”

Submitted to Mr. Dilip Barad.

Department of English.

Bhavnagar University.

Bhavnagar.

Critical Appreciation of “To the Lighthouse”

Character Analysis:

Mrs. Ramsay:

E.M. Forster and other critics have expressed the view (about her art of characterization) that Mrs. Woolf fails to provide in her novels a memorable gallery of portraits such as we get in the works of other novelists. Her characters, it has been said, do not live long in the mind and soon forgotten. So, from this, it is clear that she uses conventional technique for characterization. We are told directly what a character looks like, how he/she dresses up, what are his oddities and what are the salient qualities of his/her head and heart.

Mrs. Ramsay is a beautiful and loving wife of Mr. Ramsay. The basic quality of Mrs. Ramsay is to keep people happy which is her philosophy of life. In this sense she is totally opposite to Mr. Ramsay. She is a dutiful wife but often struggles with her husband’s difficult moods and selfishness. She is the center character in the novel, but there are some other opinions of other critics about the central character of the novel. Some of them believe that Lily Briscoe is at the center, but it depends upon the situation and the perception of the reader towards the central character of the novel. She is a typical mother who cares for her children; she concerns for her children and tries to make them happy whenever she gets opportunity. She is having eight children. She is the pillar of the family, as she holds everyone together and it is said that bringing people together is her special talent. She is sensitive to everyone’s feelings. When Mrs. Ramsay is dead in last two parts of the novel, even we also miss her. Virginia Woolf has portrayed her as the embodiment of caring mother, understanding wife, faithful neighbor or friend.

Mr. Ramsay:

He is totally opposite to his wife’s looking at the things. He is well-known philosopher. Woolf uses his philosophy as a subtle irony. He is very realistic kind of character. If his wife makes other happy, he makes other aware of reality which is always bitter one. He believes in a philosophy that says the thing as it is, without mixing or removing anything. He looks beyond the horizons. When the novel opens the Ramsays talk to each other and when he predicts that the weather would be unsuitable and postpones the plan of visiting lighthouse, at that time his own son James has some kind of hatred towards him, as he is very harsh. But, we also sympathize with the same character when his wife Mrs. Ramsay is departed forever and he needs her company. But at last, he fulfills the wish of James of visiting the Lighthouse. He is a sincere father. But why he behaves in this way is because he does not want the people to be distracted by him. He wants to show other characters the world in its colors. So, he is not that much rude, rather he is a true seer of life.

James Ramsay:

He is the youngest son of the Ramsays. There are also other children of the Ramsays like: Andrew, Jasper, Roger, Prue, Rose, Nancy and Cam Ramsay. James loves his mother deeply and feels a murderous antipathy towards his father, here; we can apply the Oedipus Complex Theory through the character of James. When he was six years old, his father indirectly denied visiting the Lighhouse, but after ten years he is able to go to the lighthouse with his father Mr. Ramsay and with her sister Cam Ramsay. This is how his desired is satisfied by his lovable father.

Lily Briscoe:

She is a young and single painter, who becomes friend of the Ramsays on the Isle of Sky. She begins a portrait of Mrs. Ramsay at the beginning of the novel but has some trouble in finishing it. The people like Charles Tansley insist that women can not paint or write and he threatens her and tries to break down her confidence. She thinks that she will marry and give up her painting, but then she gives up the idea of marriage and carries on her painting. There is the question of her position in the novel, whether she is the central character or Mrs. Ramsay. It is bit confusing but generally readers think that until the decease of Mrs. Ramsay, she is the protagonist and then, after her decease, Lily Briscoe becomes the protagonist. Her character also shows the mindset or mentality of the Victorian people, that they believe, women are supposed to be the caretaker of the home and home-men, nothing beyond that. They cannot imagine woman as a professional person in any occupation except as a housewife.

Charles Tansely:

He is a young philosopher and student of Mr. Ramsay who stays with the Ramsays on the Isle of Sky. He is a very objectionable kind of personality. He often insults other people, particularly women such as Lily, so, he seems to be misogynist person. He is the representation of those who believe that women should not paint or write, they should be better housewives. So, this is how he represents the atmosphere of the Victorian society.

“To The Lighthouse” as a Stream of Consciousness Novel:

In simple words, What Stream of Consciousness is the thinking process of the character and at the same time he performs his speech as well. So, both these things are happening simultaneously in this novel. Because of the element of stream of consciousness it is added in the list of Modernist Literature. Another meaning of this term ‘stream of consciousness’ is to study the human psyche. The aim of the modern psychological novelists is to render the soul or psyche truthfully and realistically and for that they use the ‘stream of consciousness’ technique. The stream of Consciousness novelists are more concerned about the psyche of their characters and the inner process of their mind. But, here, there is one harmful point about this novel is the decay of the plot. Because of the use of this technique, the plot is not arranged logically. The actions move backward and forward in time. The novelist makes their character fly in different directions. There is a close confrontation of clock time, and inner time, and the transitions from the past to the present and from one conscious to another. With the help of this technique characters become more lifelike, because in Modern time, the lives of people have changed, they speak, at the same time, the process of thinking goes on in their mind, which play the duality of their characters. In this novel, Virginia Woolf has used brackets to show the process of Stream of Consciousness, had she not given the brackets, readers would have not understood it properly. The use and appearance of brackets is very decisive or symbolic.

The Narrator:

Like “The Scarlet Letter” this novel is having an unknown narrator. He is anonymous, who writes the inner psyche of the characters. Though he is a part of this novel, he is not involved in it. The narrator writes about the characters what he thinks, but there is a possibility that the next person may have different views or thoughts by the different characters. Whatever those views may be, but what here important is, Virginia Woolf in the form of that unknown writer, has uncovered the minds of the characters. The use of brackets, is here, very important because with the help of brackets, at least, readers can know, what the character thinks and what the narrator writes about their dialogues or conversations.

Time and Structure of “To the Lighthouse”:

One of the most striking features of “To the Lighthouse” is the unequal lengths of time covered by each of the three sections. The first and the third- ‘The Window’ and ‘The Lighthouse’ – each occupy less than a day. On the other hand, the middle section- ‘Time passes’ deals with a span of about ten years. In short, the treatment of time is having a double movement. One is a forward horizontal movement and the other is a vertical movement. The present movement is seen in relationship with the past and the past is constantly woven with the present in the mind of the characters. Elizabeth Drew writes about her treatment of time

“The inescapable forward movement of temporal progression is counter pointed against the inward and downward exploration of the psychic time of memory, introspection, association, sensation, day-dream, where hours or years can be collapsed to moments, events from past and present, or far apart in place, can be telescoped and folded into one another.”

Poetic Pattern in “To the Lighthouse”:

Virginia Woolf has very cleverly used poetical quality into her novel. In the very beginning of the novel, reader can see the use of poetic tone or quality. For example,

“To her son these words conveyed an extra ordinary joy, …” ( ‘The Window’)

Here, she uses the poetical tone, she could write “She conveyed her son these words and he became joyful”. But she is very careful about using the words in this poetical prose. There are many such examples would be found from the whole text as she has sprinkled the poetical lines in it.

Allegorical Element:

Each and every text is having allegory or symbols in it in one or another way, as it is incomplete without it. Here, in the novel “To the Lighthouse”, reader finds some allegorical elements like the lighthouse itself, it is the gap between man and woman, father and son, old generation and new generation. But, the characters try to bridge the gap and that is why they plan to visit the lighthouse which removes the gap between father and son. The second example is the use of brackets, which also shows the gap between thoughts and that is why the characters think in their mind. Different brackets in different parts give different interpretation. For example in second part “Time Passes”, the brackets symbolize the deaths of Prue and Andrew Ramsay. There are also such cryptograms in the novel.

Symbols:

Symbols give a new way of looking at the things or texts. There are many symbols in the novel like….

Lily’s Painting:

Lily’s paintings indirectly show the struggle against gender convention, represented by Charles Tansley’s statement that women cannot paint or write, shows the thinking of Victorian people. Virginia has broken that illusion by writing some superior works of literature. Her desire to express Mrs. Ramsay’s essence as a wife and mother in the painting mimics the impulse among modern women to understand the gendered experiences of women. Woolf makes Lily portrays the picture of Mrs. Ramsay, as she portrays the picture of her own mother. The painting also dedicated to feminine artistic vision, and at the end of the novel Lily is very satisfied with what she has portrayed, symbolizes her vision and with that the novel ends.

The Ramsays’ House:

The Ramsays’ house is a stage where Woolf and her characters explain their views, beliefs, observations and thoughts. During her dinner party, Mrs. Ramsay sees her house displays her own inner notions of shabbiness and her inability to preserve her beauty. While it is but obvious that each and every house speaks about the person live in like behavior. The house stands for collective consciousness of those who stay in it. For example, when Mr. Ramsay wants water, he raises his hand thinking that Mrs. Ramsay will give him a glass of water. So, the house becomes the memory of Mrs. Ramsay for her husband. Woolf shows the house from every angle which means whatever associated with house is revealed by Woolf.

The Sea:

The reference of sea occurs throughout the novel. The waves symbolize the inner waves in human mind; also show the forward moment of time and the change it brings. At the same time, sea also symbolizes the destruction, the destruction of human-relations day-by-day.

The Boar’s Skull:

The scene of boar’s skull occurs after the dinner scene. Mr. Ramsay finds that children are bothered by the boar’s skull that hangs on the nursery wall. The presence of skull always reminds that life is uncertain, and death is at hand always.

The differing behavior of Men and Women:

We get the idea of differing behaviors of men and women from very beginning of the novel. Even Lily Briscoe and Charles Tansley differ in their behaviors. So, the idea of extreme opposite behavior of men and women is based on the gender. The Ramsays differ from each other in their thinking. For example, Mrs. Ramsay makes other happy, but Mr. Ramsay does not believe in such a rubbish kind of thing. He wants to show the humankind as it is. He is rather a practical man in life. It also shows the idea of Victorian men and women. Perhaps, the women might not be looked the way men are looked by people.

Conclusion:

To sum up, for Virginia Woolf the novel is, “neither a criticism of life”, in the Arnoldian sense nor an entertainment in the popular sense, but a rendering of life in all its complexity and subtlety. The novel demonstrates how short and meaningless our life is! The breaking of the relations is portrayed. People have started understanding without speaking or listening to the person. It also presents the generation gap, men-women relationship and men and society.