Question

From the poem provide evidence for the following:

Stages	Evidence (lines from the poem)
(a) the attempts by the peasants to help alleviate the mother’s pain.
(b) the action of these same peasants to kill the scorpion
(c) the reaction of the rational father.
(d) the various superstitions versus the ‘scientific’
(e) evil versus good.

Answer 1

Stages		Evidence (lines from the poem)
(a) the attempts by the peasants to help alleviate the mother’s pain.	A	"May he sit still, they said, May the sins of your previous birth be burned away tonight, they said. May your suffering decrease the misfortunes of your next birth, they said. May the sum of all evil balanced in the unreal world against the sum of good. Become diminished by your pain. May the poison purify your flesh of desire, and your spirit of ambition"
	B	"and they sat around on the floor with my mother in the centre, the peace of understanding on each face"
(b) the action of these same peasants to kill the scorpion	A	"With candles and with lanterns throwing giant scorpion shadows On the mud-baked walls"
	B	"They searched for him: he was not found"
(c) the reaction of the rational father.	A	"My father sceptic, rationalist, trying every curse and blessing, powder, mixture, herb and hybrid."
	B	"He even poured a little paraffin upon the bitten toe and put a match to it"
(d) the various superstitions versus the ‘scientific’	A	"and buzzed the name of God a hundred times to paralyse the Evil one"
	B	"With every movement that the scorpion made his poison moved in Mother's blood, they said"
	C	"May he sit still, they said, May the sins of your previous birth be burned away tonight, they said. May your suffering decrease the misfortunes of your next birth, they said. May the sum of all evil. balanced in the unreal world against the sum of good. become diminished by your pain. May the poison purify your flesh of desire, and your spirit of ambition"
	D	"Trying every curse and blessing, powder, mixture, herb and hybrid. He even poured a little paraffin upon the bitten toe and put a match to it"
	E	"I watched the holy man perform his rites to tame the poison with an incantation"
(e) evil versus good.	A	"I remember the night my mother Was stung by a scorpion."
	B	"flash of diabolic tail in the dark room"
	C	"May he sit still, they said, May the sins of your previous birth be burned away tonight, they said. May your suffering decrease the misfortunes of your next birth, they said. May the sum of all evil balanced in the unreal world against the sum of good. become diminished by your pain. May the poison purify your flesh of desire, and your spirit of ambition"
	D	"I watched the holy man perform his rites to tame the poison with an incantation"