The Gardener - Summary | The Magic of the Words

English | Summary | Unit Six: Life and Death

The Gardener | Rudyard Kipling

Characters: Helen Turrell, Michael Turrell, the Gardener, Mrs. Searsworth and George Turrell

“The Gardener” is a beautifully written story. Kipling contempts/despises the so-called civilized society for its shallowness of feeling, dead habits and lack of respect for the individual emotions and feelings. The story presents the fact that an individual is caught between two fires: world of emotion and the world of social rules or norms and values. If he engrossed in things pleasant to the senses and sensuality, they may lead him to doom.

In Bed - Summary | The Magic of the Words

English | Summary | Unit Six: Life and Death

In Bed | John Didion

                “In Bed” is a personal essay; however, there are some traces of public concern. Didion describes migraine headache in general and her own in particular. Thus the essay hints us that ordinary/personal feelings are fit for artistic creation. She has talked about migraine in such an effective way that both the sufferers and non-sufferers can know something on migraine. Migraine headache is a part of her life.

Malini - Summary | The Magic of the Words

English | Summary | Unit Five: Identity, Gender and Ethnicity

Malini | Rabindranath Tagore

Setting: A Hindu kingdom in India.

Characters: Malini, King, Queen, Supriya, Kemankar, some Brahmins, Prince

                Malini has been taught by Buddhist monks, although she is the daughter of a Hindu king. She wants to leave the palace and go out into the outside world because she believes wealth does not cling to those whose destiny is to find riches in poverty. The Brahmins want the king to throw Malini out of kingdom because they feel threatened by her ideas on religion. Malini wants to be banished but the queen does not understand this.

Six Million Dollar Man - Summary | The Magic of the Words

English | Summary | Unit Six: Life and Death

Six Million Dollar Man | Harold J. Morowitz

                It is a thought provoking essay. It is partially humorous because like an object a human body has been valued in money. The chemical value of a human body is six million dollars. It is also partly philosophical because it is an instrument to create art in the life of human soul. It is more precious than what the biochemists have assumed it to be.

On the Vanity of the Earthly Greatness - Summary | The Magic of the Words

English | Summary | Unit Six: Life and Death

On the Vanity of the Earthly Greatness | Arthur Guiterman

                In the past, the tusks of the mastodons were strong and reliable weapons in the battles. They clashed in the battlefield and were used to wound and kill fatal enemies. But the cruel time has ended their greatness.

The Concrete Cat - Summary | The Magic of the Words

English | Summary | Unit Four: Humour

The Concrete Cat | Dorthi Charles

                This is a typographical poem of a cat. It is meant for eyes, not for mind and heart as it conveys no ideas. The poet has told about cat and its activity. Dorthi Charles has drawn a picture of the cat on the paper.

The Loving Mother - Summary | The Magic of the Words

English | Summary | Unit One: Stories of the Supernatural

The Loving Mother | A story from Japan

                Pharmacist Shoji Sakota lived alone in Sapporo of Hokkaido, in Japan. He was a widower. His pharmacy was at the front part and the living apartment was at the rear of the same building. He sometimes would work in the pharmacy late after it had been closed.

The House Call - Summary | The Magic of the Words

English | Summary | Unit One: Stories of the Supernatural

One: Stories of the Supernatural

One: Stories of the Supernatural

One: Stories of the Supernatural

One: Stories of the Supernatural

One: Stories of the Supernatural

One: Stories of the Supernatural

One: Stories of the Supernatural

The House Call | A story from Germany

            “The House Call” is a story of appearance-after-death. It occurred in the city of Germany in 1903. The main character of the story is an old German doctor named Dr. Emil Braun. While he was trying to have his dinner at 9:30, a little girl came to his house for call. She told him that her mother was very sick. Despite his wife’s unwillingness and his overtiredness, Dr. Braun decided to help the child’s mother and followed the child. He thought it was an order to him by God.

The Lost Doll - Summary | The Magic of the Words

English | Summary | Unit One: Stories of the Supernatural

The Lost Doll | A story from Colombia

                The story is set in a village of Colombia. The main characters are Rosa Soto, her two daughters Maria Del Carmen and Evangelina. Other characters are Rosa’s husband Roberto and sister from Bogota.

The Recurring Dream - Summary | The Magic of Words

English | Summary | Unit One: Stories of the Supernatural

The Recurring Dream | A story from England

                The story is set in England. Kimberly Clark (Kim) is the main character of the story. Janet is her roommate.

Oops ! Hows That Again? - Summary | The Magic of Words

English | Summary | Unit Four: Humour
Oops! How's That Again | Roger Rosenblatt

            The essay deals with the mistakes people make when speaking and the reasons why they make mistakes. As a natural trait, everybody makes mistakes. Some mistakes are easy to take whereas others are not.

One Sentence Summary of All Chapters in Magic in Words

1. My Heart Leaps up when I behold
The poem " My Heart Leaps up When I Behold" is about the joy the poet feels at the sight of a rainbow which has been source of his ecstasy since his childhood and will continue to be so till his old age.

2. Speaking of Children
One child is an appendage and the parents can have privacy and proper guidance of the child where as the plural children is the end of privacy and the beginning of the obligations.

3. Look at a Teacup
 The writer who has decided to remain unmarried fearing disintegration, inherits china cups from her mother which were bought in 1939 and they have the pictures of falling flowers, which are significant and symbolical.

The Worn Path - Summary | The Magic of Words

English | Summary | Unit Two: Men, Women and Children

A Worn Path | Eudora Welty

            “A Worn Path” is a story of unconscious heroism, firm dignity and innocent humour, shown by an old African American woman Phoenix Jackson. The story decides Jackson’s journey from her house to the town. She had a grandson, who had been suffering from a throat pain ever since he swallowed lye. They lived in a village behind the hill. Their house was a long way from the town Natchez. It was the month of December and an occasion of Christmas, so she had to go the town to get some medicine and Christmas gifts for her grandson.

Look at a Teacup - Summary | The Magic of Words

English | Summary | Unit Two: Men, Women and Children

Look at a Teacup | Patricia Hampl

            Hampl’s mother bought the teacup in 1939; it was made in Czechoslovakia; she was married in the same year. It was the year when the Second World War started. Czechoslovakia was taken over and destroyed by the armies of Adolph Hitler. After a lapse of time, her mom gave the teacup to Hampl as a souvenir. Hampl takes it in a metonymical way as a page of history book, and makes many associations, and exploration. It shows that a seemingly insignificant object like a teacup can be a great source of information for artistic creativity.

Speaking of Children - Summary | The Magic of Words

English | Summary | Unit Two: Men, Women and Children

Speaking of Children | Barbara Holland

Theme:         

            A single child is a boon of God for the parents and plural children a curse; they destroy the personal life and privacy of the parents by keeping them under their control. Therefore, Holland suggests that one should beget one child.

            This essay is set in America; it deals with the American culture. For the Americans personal freedom and privacy are the most important of all aspects in life. A wife is expected to have some private time with her husband when he returns home from work.

            One child is an inseparable part of parents’ body whereas many children a way of strange life. A single child is controlled easily, and parents can shape him/her as their wish. They can take him/her to parties, on their journeys and teach him/her any lesson like morality. Unlike it, plural children create counter culture in the house; parents are controlled by the children and house is littered with playthings and clothes. Long errands are beyond imagination for the parents of multiple children. Besides, they have to dine at 6 pm instead of 8 or 9 in the evening. They should change apartment frequently to find cheap school, and should speak to the unwanted people as well.

My Heart Leaps Up When I Behold - Summary | The Magic of Words

English | Summary | Unit Two: Men, Women and Children

My Heart Leaps Up When I Behold | William Wordsworth

            William Wordsworth, an English poet, worshiper of nature. “My Heart Leaps Up When I Behold” is a poem which is related to the natural beauty (rainbow), time and nature.

            Wordsworth says his heart leaps up with joy when he sees a beautiful rainbow in the sky. The joy was similar in his childhood (past), is alike in degree now (present), and will be the same when he becomes old (future). Otherwise, he will prefer dearth to life because life away from nature will be listless for him. The experiences of the childhood are delightful; they shape our mind, which in turns shapes the course of future life. Thus the Child is father of the Man. Since nature is God for the poet, he wishes to pass life (his days) respecting and worshiping nature until he dies.

Keeping Things Whole - Summary | The Magic of Words

English | Summary | Unit Three: Ecology and Environment

Keeping Things Whole | Mark Strand

           

         “Keeping Things Whole”, a three stanza poem, composed by Mark Strand. This poem highlights identity crisis, a smoldering problem of the present time.

The Three Day Blow – Summary | The Magic of Words

English | Summary | Unit Two: Men, Women and Children

The Three Day Blow | Ernest Hemingway

                Very Short Summary of the Story

“The Three Day Blow ’’ is a story of unpleasant recollections, of mental ordeal and disturbance. As a dramatic story, it takes us into the mental agony of Nick. Nick suffers the blow given by Marge which has been compared with a storm that blows on outside of his home for three days. When the three day blow stops, his ordeal too comes to an end. In consequence both the surrounding and Nick fell relaxed, and cheerful. It is a well written story because the plot moves from conflict, to suffering and separation, and finally comes to reconciliation. It conveys that every conflict or grief passes through several stages before coming to reconciliation or compromise like a violent storm. In the same manner, no matter how deep the grief is it lasts for some time. 

The Nightmare Life Without Fuel – Summary | The Magic of Words

English | Summary | Unit Three: Ecology and Environment

The Nightmare Life Without Fuel | Isaac Asimov

                The essay sheds the lights on the fuel crisis in the USA in 1997. Asimov says that the life of the Americans will become like a nightmare. It will suffer a lot and will be changed into the world of primitive days.

                The scene is The United States of America in the future, at a time when fuel (gases, petrol, diesel, kerosene etc.) is running out. People no longer drive cars, but rides bicycles, instead, and old buildings are torn down so their materials can be reused. The alternative sources of fuel like solar power, atomic energy and coal will not cope with the problem.

                However, the fuel shortage will bring us some advantages. The air is cleaner, fewer people have colds, there is less crime, and people will have learnt to live life without facilities such as electric lights, indoor heating and showers with hot water.

The Poplar Field – Summary | The Magic of Words

English | Summary | Unit Three: Ecology and Environment

The Poplar Field | William Cowper

Very Short Summary of the Poem

                Set in rural background, this poem deals with environment degradation in the modern world. It is an outcome of people’s quest for material heaven. It is nostalgic in tone. William Cowper feels like crying over the loss of favorite poplar field because it was a place for him to pass hi leisure and was a source of joy in the past. The loss of trees pokes his mind; he thinks that he too will die like the poplar trees, and be buried with earth and stone. Such a day is very near. Therefore, he concludes that human life is short and his pleasure is far shorter.

Summary

                The poplar trees on the bank of Ouse River are cut down; the shade is all gone. The sound of the cool trees is heard no more because the wind does not play with trees anymore; neither leaves sing any songs. You cannot see the reflection of the trees on Ouse River water either.