Elaine Cruz

CeD06- 401a

MY LORD THE BABY – Rabindranath Tagore

Summary:

The main character here is named Raicharan. He was only 12 years old when he became a servant. His

Master made him a private servant to his Son. He took good care of him, until the time that the little

Master Anukul grew up and got married. When Anukul had a son of his own.Anukul still made Raicharan

his Son’s private servant. But fate got in the way, the little Master disappeared when Raicharan was

taking him for a stroll. No one knows whether the Baby was taken by a group of Gypsies who were

hovering nearby or He drowned in the river. Anukul’s wife got so distressed and furious that there is no

reasoning with her. They made Raicharan go back to his Village. There he learned that his wife just gave

birth to a Baby Boy but she died immediately. At first Raicharan didn’t want to accept his Son because he

knew that he cannot sire a child. But as the Boy grows, he can see similarities with his young master. And

so he thought that his son is the reincarnation of the young master. Raicharan gave everything and

anything his son would want, he made his son live like a rich man up to the point that he is sturbing

himself to death. When he can no longer give Phailna, his son, all that he wants, he decided to go back to

Anukul and told him that his son was with him all along,Raicharan let them think that he’s the one who

kidnap their son. This just goes to show that a Father can and is willing to sacrifice almost anything just

for the good of his beloved son. Even if it means that he will lose his son forever or it would mean his

death. Also, the story relates on the belief that there is reincarnation, life after death.

GUNO AND KOYO – Retold by Harold Courlander

Summary:

Guno means Helpful and koyo means rich

Old hadji :Oldmans house

The villagers : seeing guno and koyo swimming in the river

THE COCK – Tao Kim Hai

THE LOTTERIES OF HAJI ZAKARIA –MochtarLubis

THE MEN AND THE MONKEY

PAPER –Catherine lim

Summary:

Tay Soon and Yee Lian are main characters of the story. They belong to a middle class family and they

have strong ambition to buy a well managed home with many perfections. They have dreamt of a beautiful

house having marble floors, oval shaped sitting rooms and afantastic swimming pool. They both share

their plan to all their family members including Yee Yeng, Yee Lian's sister. The mother of Tay Soon didn't

pay any attention or concern to them. She was engaged in her traditional profession, i.e, vegetable

business. She was completely happy. She also suggested to them that they not pay attention to their

dream, but for Tay Soon. it was not only dream. He thought it could be fulfilled if he handled the money

appropriately because he had saved $40,000 in the bank.

In that perod, Tay was attracted to the share market because share price was rising. So, he invested

$30,000 at risk in share market. Fortunately, he was able to make $100,000 within short period of time. At

that time, he proudly told his mother that he was able to buy 50 houses like mother's. He further was

excited towards the share and invested more money. But unfortunately, the value of shares began to fall

rapidly. There was not any device to control the declining. He invested all of his money. Few remaining

dollars were also invested in a last attempt, but it was also in despair. His hope of building a modern

house was broken into pieces. He himself broke physically. He stopped eating and started beating his

wife and children. His condition was became worse and worse and he was admitted to hospital. At last, it

was his mother who ordered a beautiful paper house somewhere in the market to satisfy his son. At last,

Tay Soon was dead and paper house was put on his dead body and they both were burnt together and

turned into ashes.

THE MOLE– Kawabata Yasunari

Summary:

Sayoko to her husband of some years. She tells him about a dream that she has had. The night before,

during a visit to her mother’s home, Sayoko reports that she dreamed of the mole located high on the

upper right side of her back, near her shoulder. Through her reflections on her marriage and life and her

account of her dream about her mole, Sayoko reveals both her past and present. She knows that her

husband will know about the mole about which she has dreamed because it has been the focus of

dissension between them from the earliest days of their marriage. When she lay in bed, her left arm across

her chest, playing with the mole, her husband scolded her. It was a bad habit. The mole would grow

larger. She should have it removed.

Sayoko’s letter tells her husband of the shame she felt when he first began scolding. Even more

important, she says that she first became faintly conscious of the oppression of her marriage; her lack of

privacy, her lack of refuge, her total vulnerability to his control. Although she then tried to dismiss his

attention to her habit of playing with the mole as inconsequential, now that she has been away from him

for many years, she sees its importance.

THIS EARTH OF MANKIND – PromedyaAnantaToer

Summary :

This Earth of Mankind‖ is about a young man, Minke, who develops maturity and greater wisdom through

experiences too great for a youth like him. Initially, he lives a rather simple life as a student in a Dutch

high school in Surabaya, Indonesia. Although he is one of the few Natives who studies in his school, he is

able to move with confidence and uphold his beliefs amidst the colonial environment and racial division.

His life begins to change dramatically when he is invited by a friend to one of the most exquisite houses,

occupied by a mysterious family. Unexpectedly, he meets and falls in love with the most beautiful girl he

has ever seen. Annelies is a mixed-blood daughter of a Native concubine and a European businessman.

Furthermore, he is amazed with her mother’s strong character, which is explained by her own harsh

experiences in the past. With the help of her Pure husband, she learns how to read, speak other

languages, and run a business. And when her husband later proves worthless, she is still able to stand on

her own feet. She eventually becomes one of the most significant figures in Minke’s life as a teacher and

mother.

As Minke’s relationship with Ann grows deeper, people of the town start spreading rumors and perceives

them to be unlawful and shameful. Still, despite these challenges, Minke remains rational and is

determined to prove that his education is not useless. Even after his life is threatened and his situation is

brought to the court, he continues to believe in the importance of fighting against the injustices of the

government, not merely to win but to defend humanity and its rights.

Because of Minke’s education and liberal thoughts, he is able to share his views and perceptions about

the corruption in this earth of mankind through his writings published in a newspaper. His efforts prove

purposeful when supporters appear in his defense of keeping his wife after legally marrying under Islamic

law. Thus, his publications prove that knowledge is the key to change and success.

Ultimately, Minke and his mother-in-law are defeated after fighting for Annelie’s rights. However, their last

lines in the novel show that they have not lost anything, but rather gained. Although their loved one is

temporarily taken away from them, they know that they have achieved their goal. After setting a great

example to the public, they know that they’ve shared to others the importance of voicing out opinions for

their rights and justice.

A LITTLE INCIDENT – Lu Hsun

YOUNG GIRL – Katherine Mansfield

A VERY OLD MAN WITH ENORMOUS WINGS – Gabriel Garcia Marquez

Summary:

After a lot of rain, a couple named Pelayo and Elisenda’s newborn baby gets sick and their patio gets… full

of dead crabs. In the middle of the chaos, Pelayo discovers that a very old man with enormous wings is

also stuck in the mud in their patio.

That is some superstorm.

The old man looks like a beggar, even though a neighbor lady is sure that he’s an angel. However, she’s

suspicious of angels and recommends that they club him to death. Pelayo and Elisenda decide to opt out,

because they’re decent human beings. But, just in case, they keep him locked in their chicken coop.

A few days later, the child is better. Did the angel help? Maybe. Just in case, Pelayo and Elisenda decide

to reward their captive by setting him loose at sea with some water and food. Too late, though—word is

out, and the whole neighborhood moseys by to check out the angel, just like a zoo animal.

The town priest comes out too, and tests the man to see whether he’s an angel. He decides he’s not,

since he doesn’t understand Latin (obviously the Lord’s language). Plus, there’s the issue of the smell.

No matter, though. The people still want to believe, and they all line up to see the ―angel.‖Elisenda gets

the bright idea to sell tickets, and it’s as good as winning the lottery. People keep coming and Elisenda

and Pelayo make a killing.

But, of course, it’s not so great for the angel. People throw things, hens peck him, and once the crowd

even puts a red-hot branding iron on him to see whether or not he’s alive. Surprise: he is indeed alive and

not too happy about being branded.

Luckily for the winged old man, another carnival comes to town with a woman who had been turned into a

spider. She’s much more exciting than the boring old angel who doesn’t even fly, so the crowds start to

leave Elisenda and Pelayo’s courtyard for freakier freak shows.

Elisenda and Pelayo use the loads of dough they’ve made to build a mansion and quit their jobs.

Meanwhile, the winged man gets older and older, while the family treats him like an irritating but beloved

pet.

Finally he grows some feathers on his wings and starts belting out old sea songs. One day Elisenda sees

him fly away through the kitchen window. Whew! Now he’s not an annoyance; he’s just an imaginary little

dot in the sky.

SIX FEET OF THE COUNTRY – Nadine Gordimer

YOUNG GOODMAN BROWN – Nathaniel Hawthorne

Summary:

Goodman Brown says goodbye to his wife, Faith, outside of his house in Salem Village. Faith, wearing pink

ribbons in her cap, asks him to stay with her, saying that she feels scared when she is by herself and free

to think troubling thoughts. Goodman Brown tells her that he must travel for one night only and reminds

her to say her prayers and go to bed early. He reassures her that if she does this, she will come to no

harm. Goodman Brown takes final leave of Faith, thinking to himself that she might have guessed the evil

purpose of his trip and promising to be a better person after this one night.

Goodman Brown sets off on a road through a gloomy forest. He looks around, afraid of what might be

behind each tree, thinking that there might be Indians or the devil himself lurking there. He soon comes

upon a man in the road who greets Goodman Brown as though he had been expecting him. The man is

dressed in regular clothing and looks normal except for a walking stick he carries. This walking stick

features a carved serpent, which is so lifelike it seems to move.

The man offers Goodman Brown the staff, saying that it might help him walk faster, but Goodman Brown

refuses. He says that he showed up for their meeting because he promised to do so but does not wish to

touch the staff and wants to return to the village. Goodman Brown tells the man that his family members

have been Christians and good people for generations and that he feels ashamed to associate with him.

The man replies that he knew Goodman Brown’s father and grandfather, as well as other members of

churches in New England, and even the governor of the state.

The man’s words confuse Goodman Brown, who says that even if this is so, he wants to return to the

village for Faith’s sake. At that moment, the two come upon an old woman hobbling through the woods,

and Goodman Brown recognizes Goody Cloyse, who he knows to be a pious, respected woman from the

village. He hides, embarrassed to be seen with the man, and the man taps Goody Cloyse on the shoulder.

She identifies him as the devil and reveals herself to be a witch, on her way to the devil’s evil forest

ceremony.

Despite this revelation, Goodman Brown tells the man that he still intends to turn back, for Faith’s sake.

The man says that Goodman Brown should rest. Before disappearing, he gives Goodman Brown his staff,

telling him that he can use it for transport to the ceremony if he changes his mind. As he sits and gathers

himself, Goodman Brown hears horses traveling along the road and hides once again.

Soon he hears the voices of the minister of the church and Deacon Gookin, who are also apparently on

their way to the ceremony. Shocked, Goodman Brown swears that even though everyone else in the world

has gone to the devil, for Faith’s sake he will stay true to God. However, he soon hears voices coming

from the ceremony and thinks he recognizes Faith’s voice. He screams her name, and a pink ribbon from

her cap flutters down from the sky.

Certain that there is no good in the world because Faith has turned to evil, Goodman Brown grabs the

staff, which pulls him quickly through the forest toward the ceremony. When he reaches the clearing

where the ceremony is taking place, the trees around it are on fire, and he can see in the firelight the

faces of various respected members of the community, along with more disreputable men and women and

Indian priests. But he doesn’t see Faith, and he starts to hope once again that she might not be there.

A figure appears on a rock and tells the congregation to present the converts. Goodman Brown thinks he

sees his father beckoning him forward and his mother trying to hold him back. Before he can rethink his

decision, the minister and Deacon Gookin drag him forward. Goody Cloyse and Martha Carrier bring forth

another person, robed and covered so that her identity is unknown. After telling the two that they have

made a decision that will reveal all the wickedness of the world to them, the figure tells them to show

themselves to each other. Goodman Brown sees that the other convert is Faith. Goodman Brown tells

Faith to look up to heaven and resist the devil, then suddenly finds himself alone in the forest.

The next morning Goodman Brown returns to Salem Village, and every person he passes seems evil to

him. He sees the minister, who blesses him, and hears Deacon Gookin praying, but he refuses to accept

the blessing and calls Deacon Gookin a wizard. He sees Goody Cloyse quizzing a young girl on Bible

verses and snatches the girl away. Finally, he sees Faith at his own house and refuses to greet her. It’s

unclear whether the encounter in the forest was a dream, but for the rest of his life, Goodman Brown is

changed. He doesn’t trust anyone in his village, can’t believe the words of the minister, and doesn’t fully

love his wife. He lives the remainder of his life in gloom and fear.

THE GLORIOUS WHITEWASHER – Mark Twain

THE GIFT OF THE MAGI – Omar Henry

THE FALL OF THE HOUSE OF USHER – Edgar Allan Poe

Summary:

An unnamed narrator arrives at the House of Usher, a very creepy mansion owned by his boyhood friend

Roderick Usher. Roderick has been sick lately, afflicted by a disease of the mind, and wrote to his friend,

our narrator, asking for help. The narrator spends some time admiring the awesomely spooky Usher

edifice. While doing so, he explains that Roderick and his sister are the last of the Usher bloodline, and

that the family is famous for its dedication to the arts (music, painting, literature, etc.). Eventually, the

narrator heads inside to see his friend.

Roderick indeed appears to be a sick man. He suffers from an "acuteness of the senses," or hyper-

sensitivity to light, sound, taste, and tactile sensations; he feels that he will die of the fear he feels. He

attributes part of his illness to the fact that his sister, Madeline, suffers from catalepsy (a sickness

involving seizures) and will soon die, and part of it to the belief that his creepy house is sentient (able to

perceive things) and has a great power over him. He hasn’t left the mansion in years. The narrator tries to

help him get his mind off all this death and gloom by poring over the literature, music, and art that

Roderick so loves. It doesn’t seem to help.

As Roderick predicted, Madeline soon dies. At least we think so. All we know is that Roderick tells the

narrator she’s dead, and that she appears to be dead when he looks at her. Of course, because of her

catalepsy, she might just look like she’s dead, post-seizure. Keep that in mind. At Roderick’s request, the

narrator helps him to entomb her body in one of the vaults underneath the mansion. While they do so, the

narrator discovers that the two of them were twins and that they shared some sort of supernatural,

probably extrasensory, bond.

About a week later, on a dark and stormy night, the narrator and Usher find themselves unable to sleep.

They decide to pass away the scary night by reading a book. As the narrator reads the text aloud, all the

sounds from the fictional story can be heard resounding from below the mansion. It doesn’t take long for

Usher to freak out; he jumps up and declares that they buried Madeline alive and that now she is coming

back. Sure enough, the doors blow open and there stands a trembling, bloody Madeline. She throws

herself at Usher, who falls to the floor and, after "violent" agony, dies along with his sister. The narrator

flees; outside he watches the House of Usher crack in two and sink into the dark, dank pool that lies

before it.

THE LOTTERY – Shirley Jackson

Summary:

The villagers of a small town gather together in the square on June 27, a beautiful day, for the town

lottery. In other towns, the lottery takes longer, but there are only 300 people in this village, so the lottery

takes only two hours. Village children, who have just finished school for the summer, run around

collecting stones. They put the stones in their pockets and make a pile in the square. Men gather next,

followed by the women. Parents call their children over, and families stand together.

Mr. Summers runs the lottery because he has a lot of time to do things for the village. He arrives in the

square with the black box, followed by Mr. Graves, the postmaster. This black box isn’t the original box

used for the lottery because the original was lost many years ago, even before the town elder, Old Man

Warner, was born. Mr. Summers always suggests that they make a new box because the current one is

shabby, but no one wants to fool around with tradition. Mr. Summers did, however, convince the villagers

to replace the traditional wood chips with slips of paper.

Mr. Summers mixes up the slips of paper in the box. He and Mr. Graves made the papers the night before

and then locked up the box at Mr. Summers’s coal company. Before the lottery can begin, they make a list

of all the families and households in the village. Mr. Summers is sworn in. Some people remember that in

the past there used to be a song and salute, but these have been lost.

Tessie Hutchinson joins the crowd, flustered because she had forgotten that today was the day of the

lottery. She joins her husband and children at the front of the crowd, and people joke about her late

arrival. Mr. Summers asks whether anyone is absent, and the crowd responds that Dunbar isn’t there. Mr.

Summers asks who will draw for Dunbar, and Mrs. Dunbar says she will because she doesn’t have a son

who’s old enough to do it for her. Mr. Summers asks whether the Watson boy will draw, and he answers

that he will. Mr. Summers then asks to make sure that Old Man Warner is there too.

Mr. Summers reminds everyone about the lottery’s rules: he’ll read names, and the family heads come up

and draw a slip of paper. No one should look at the paper until everyone has drawn. He calls all the

names, greeting each person as they come up to draw a paper. Mr. Adams tells Old Man Warner that

people in the north village might stop the lottery, and Old Man Warner ridicules young people. He says that

giving up the lottery could lead to a return to living in caves. Mrs. Adams says the lottery has already been

given up in other villages, and Old Man Warner says that’s ―nothing but trouble.‖

Mr. Summers finishes calling names, and everyone opens his or her papers. Word quickly gets around that

Bill Hutchinson has ―got it.‖ Tessie argues that it wasn’t fair because Bill didn’t have enough time to

select a paper. Mr. Summers asks whether there are any other households in the Hutchinson family, and

Bill says no, because his married daughter draws with her husband’s family. Mr. Summers asks how many

kids Bill has, and he answers that he has three. Tessie protests again that the lottery wasn’t fair.

Mr. Graves dumps the papers out of the box onto the ground and then puts five papers in for the

Hutchinsons. As Mr. Summers calls their names, each member of the family comes up and draws a paper.

When they open their slips, they find that Tessie has drawn the paper with the black dot on it. Mr.

Summers instructs everyone to hurry up.

The villagers grab stones and run toward Tessie, who stands in a clearing in the middle of the crowd.

Tessie says it’s not fair and is hit in the head with a stone. Everyone begins throwing stones at her.

ILIAD– Homer

In the tenth year of the Trojan War, tensions are running high among the Achaians (a super-ancient name

for the Ancient Greeks). First, the priest Chryses comes to ask their leader, King Agamemnon, to release

his daughter, whom Agamemnon was holding captive. When Agamemnon refuses, the priest prays to the

god Apollo to send a plague against the Achaians.

After nine days of plague, the Achaians assemble again and demand that Agamemnon give the girl back.

Agamemnon eventually agrees, but only if he gets to take Briseis, the girlfriend of Achilleus, the greatest

warrior of the Achaians. Even though Achilleus gives her up, he becomes so enraged that he refuses to

fight any more. That and he prays to his mother, Thetis, who happens to be a goddess, to pull some

strings with the other gods so that the Achaians will start getting defeated in battle and realize how much

they depend on him.

Achilleus's mom definitely spoils him. She gets Zeus, the king of the gods, to agree to Achilleus's request.

Sure enough, the next day the Trojans make a successful counterattack, led by Hektor, their greatest

warrior. Several days of violent fighting follow, at the end of which the Trojans have the Achaians pinned

against the beach, and are threatening to burn their ships. At this point, Achilleus's best friend Patroklos

asks for permission to go into battle in Achilleus's place. Achilleus grants Patroklos's request, and even

lets him wear his armor. Patroklos's gambit is successful – when the Trojans see him, they think he must

be Achilleus and become absolutely terrified. The plan goes off the rails, however, when Hektor kills

Patroklos – with the help of the god Apollo and a minor Trojan warrior named Euphorbos. Hektor then

takes the armor off Patroklos's body.

When Achilleus learns of the death of his friend, he experiences terrible grief and swears revenge. He

sends his mother, Thetis, to get a new suit of armor made especially for him by the fire-god, Hephaistos.

The next day, Achilleus rejoins the battle and kills many Trojans, including Hektor in a one-on-one battle.

But Achilleus isn't satisfied. For the next few days, he continually abuses Hektor's body in gruesome

ways, even after Patroklos has received a proper funeral. The gods don't like this, and send a message

down to Achilleus telling him to give up the body. When the Trojan King Priam – Hektor's father – comes

unarmed, by night, to ask for his son's body, Achilleus agrees. The two men eat together and experience a

moment of shared humanity. Achilleus grants the Trojans a grace period to perform their funeral rituals.

The poem ends with the funeral of Hektor – though we know that soon Achilleus will die and Troy will be

captured.

ODYSSEY – Homer

THE MARRIED WOMAN – Simone De Beauvoir

THE BET – Anton Chekhov

Fifteen years ago, a banker threw a shindig in which he bet a young lawyer two million rubles that the

lawyer couldn't stay in solitary confinement for five years. The lawyer raised the stakes to fifteen years,

and holed up in a guesthouse on the banker's estate. He's had no contact with any humans during this

time, but has been able to read all the books he could want. The lawyer's reading has ranged from novels

to philosophy and languages to religious texts to a confusing mishmash. What can we say? The dude has

had some time on his hands.

Now, the fifteen years is almost up and the banker is worried that if he has to pay the two million large,

he'll be bankrupt. Solution? He opts to ice the lawyer. So he sneaks up on the lawyer, who's fast asleep.

Just as he is about to kill the dude, the banker finds a note that explains that through his reading the

lawyer has come to totally reject the material world. It turns out he's planning on throwing the bet on

purpose by leaving five hours early. The banker kisses the lawyer's head, cries, and leaves. The next day,

the guards report that the lawyer bailed early. The banker takes the letter and puts it into his safe.

GOD SEES THE TRUTH, BUT WAITS - Leo Tolstoy

Summary:

Once there lived a young merchant named Ivan Dmitri Aksenov with his family in the land of Vladimir, who

in his younger days lived life to the fullest by experiencing all the material things world has to offer. Until

he got married.

One summer, he planned to go to Nizhny fair but his wife warned him that she had a bad dream of her

husband-- she dreamt about Ivan that he returned from the town with hair of grey. Ivan laughed as if he

doesn't care and went on the fair.

He travelled half way and met a merchant, whom he spent the night drinking tea with and shared an

adjoining room in the inn. Since Aksenov is not used of sleeping for long hours he decided to wake up and

continued his journey.

Along the way of his journey, two soldiers in a troika stopped him, and began asking questions, for the

merchant he met halfway on his travel was found dead. Since all evidences of the crime are pointing

Aksenov guilty he was imprisoned.

Learning the sad fate of Aksenov, his wife remembered her dream about Aksenov and was worried and

even considered the thought of her husband being guilty. The thought made Aksenov even sadder.

26 years in prison made Aksenov a well grounded and God-fearing man. In spite the fact that his family

has completely forgotten him, he still serves as a ―Grandpa‖ to the other prisoners. Then came a new

prisoner named MakarSemyonich.

After months of knowing each other, Aksenov discovered that Makar is the one who killed the merchant

whom he was told he murdered. He was furious with what he found out but didn't speak or uttered a word

about it.

Until one night, Aksenov heard some earth rolling under where the prisoners were sleeping. He went out

and saw Makar. Makar told him not to tell a word about what he had witnessed or else he will kill him.

When they were led out to work, a soldier noticed a prisoner took of some earth off his boots. The soldier

searched for escaping plans and found the tunnel. Then, they asked each of them who knew about this

but they denied for they knew they will be killed before the one who did it as Makar warned them. Finally,

the governor asked Ivan for he knew he was a just man. But then Ivan said it wasn't his right or his

will but God's to tell such name.

Night fell and Makar went to Ivan. He thanked him and felt sorry for what he had done to him a long time

ago that made Ivan suffer for all this years. He sobbed as well as Ivan and said that the Lord will forgive

you. Makar said that he will confess to the governor so that Ivan would be sent free--back to his home.

Ivan did not want to go out of prison for he has no family neither home to back to; rather, he waited for his

last hour to come.

In spite of what they've talked about, MakarSemyonich confessed his guilt. But when the order for Ivan

Dmitri Aksenov's release came, he was already dead.