Advertisements
Advertisements
Question
Referring closely to the essay Unbirthday and Other Presents, discuss why E V Lucas feels that `unbirthday‘ gifts are better than the regular gifts people give.
Advertisements
Solution
E.V Lucas’s The Unbirthday Gift is an essay written in the lighter vein. It tells us humorously how the unity and cooperation of animals helped the rabbits to scoot away from the hunter. The essay opens quite dramatically with a hunter’s description of his failed attempt at hunting rabbits. The unbirthday present demands the nicest of care…It is the only kind to which the golden rule of present-giving imperatively applies – the golden rule which insists that you must never give to another that which you would not rather keep for yourself, nothing that does not cost you a pang to part from. There are several qualities we can learn from this lesson. To speak in animal terms, the essay swoops down on the reader and captures his mind with the power of a fable. In fact, the essay looks like a story. But the rabbit’s comment ‘four feet are thicker than two,’ which is a parody of the popular saying ‘blood is thicker than water,’ leads the reader to some revealing questions on the attitude of human beings. Have human beings become a curse to this earth? Is he a protector or a destroyer? There is no room for doubt because the other animals’ motive for saving the rabbits was not devotion to the rabbits, but a dislike for human beings.
Do we have any unity among human beings? What has happened to our trade unions? Can we say that two feet are thicker, stronger and more united than four feet? What would happen if some human beings were in the place of the rabbits?
And most prominently, what may happen if the dream of Old Major in Orwell’s Animal Farm ever comes true? What if the animals rise up in revolt against human beings? If it is a matter of voting, rightfully they have the majority. Now we need to think on this.
APPEARS IN
RELATED QUESTIONS
Why does the poet use repetition in the poem?
How did the last event turn out to be special?
What does “I think the sun is a flower” mean in Ray Bradbury’s short story “All Summer in a Day”?
Choose two of the passages (a) to (c) and answer briefly the questions that follow:
Raina :
Come away from the window (She takes him firmly back to the middle of the room. The moment she releases him he turns mechanically towards the window again. She seizes him and turns him back, exclaiming) Please! (He becomes motionless, like a hypnotized rabbit, his fatigue gaining fast on him. She releases him, and addresses him patronizingly). Now listen. You must trust to our hospitality. You do not yet know in whose house you are. I am a Petkoff.
The Man: A pet what?
Raina : [rather indignantly] I mean that I belong to the family of the Petkoffs, the richest and best known in our country.
The Man: Oh yes, of course. I beg your pardon. The Petkoffs, to be sure. How stupid of me!
Raina: You know you never heard of them until this moment. How can you stoop to pretend!
The Man: Forgive me. I'm too tired to think, and the change of subject was too much for me. Don't scold me.
(i) Why did the man keep turning to the window?
(ii) Which examples of the social superiority of the Petkoff's does Raina give the man?
(iii) Which opera does Raina mention? With whom does she compare herself? What does this tell you about her?
(iv) In Raina's opinion, what should the man have done instead of threatening her?
(v) What does the man tell Raina about his father? Why does he do so?
(vi) What does the man do at the end of the scene?
Answer the following questions with reference to Ray Douglas Bradbury's short story, 'All Summer in a Day'.
Describe how the planet was transformed when the sun came out and shone briefly over it.
Why was Margot not able to witness this phenomenon?
What emotion of you supposes the children experienced when Margot emerged at the end of the story?
Given below is an interesting combination of words. Explain why they have been used together.
virtual body
Write a letter to the editor of a newspaper expressing your views on the deteriorating law and order situation in your city.
Interview the students of your class regarding the career they would like to pursue and the reason for selecting that particular career. Collect the data from your class and analyze the information you have collected.
The words in the box are all words that describe movement. Use them to fill in the blank in the sentence below.
The birds _______________ at the snake.
Write a summary of the sonnet. Refer to the earlier poems for the points to be covered for writing the summary.
- Title
- Introductory paragraph (about the poem, type, nature, tone)
- Main body (central idea, the gist of the poem)
- Conclusion (opinion, views, appeal).
‘Live as if you were to die tomorrow. Learn as if you were to live forever.’ Mahatma Gandhi
Collect some more quotes on education by famous thinkers.
Imagine that you are the Captain of your team. A famous cricketer is going to visit your school. You are assigned the task to conduct an interview of that famous cricketer. Frame a set of 10 questions that you will ask the cricketer. Take help of the points given below.
- Early life
- Interest in this field
- Inspiration
- Coaching and guidance
- Achievement/Records
- Future plans
- Advice to youngsters
Look at the two trees. One is a green flourishing tree and the other, a brown withering tree.
The class will now be divided into two groups. Group A will list down the agents that support a tree’s growth. Group B will list down those that prevent it. Once the groups are ready with their lists, a few representatives from each group will write down the lists on the black board.
Create a pamphlet for the following.
Make a pamphlet on the latest gadgets (Mention the variety of models, uses, needs, and availability).
Write some sentences about the picture.
She, is, has, girl, shirt, pants, beautiful, pink, blue, long, hair.
Fill in the blank by choosing the preposition from the option.
The birds were caught ______ the net.
Here is a word, morning. Now write down words related to it.
Find one word from the story that means
to think w ______.
In the sentence below the capital letter, comma, full stop and question mark are missing. Put these in the correct place.
every sunday i go for a walk have breakfast read story books listen to music and watch television
Why were the streets devoid of people?
What would you do in this situation, if you were Jimmy Wells? Substantiate your reason.
Who were the patients waiting for?
Why was Miss Meadows upset and dejected?
What would make Jack the owner instead of being the tenant?
Write a paragraph of about 150 word, on the following topic.
The importance of Good Health
Write letter to your father asking permission to go on a educational tour.
Write a dialogue between a student and teacher on 'Importance of Yoga'.
Think of an occasion when you did not like the decision/actions of your family members but realised later on that they were right. Write about it in 5-8 lines.
What strategies do you use when you study on your own?
Imagine someone has invited your family to a programme and you were the only person at home when the invitation was given orally.
Write a note (4-5 lines) to pass on the message to the other people in your family. Or, write an imaginary conversation in which you pass on the message to your parents.
