1. 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.
2. 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.
3. 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.
4. 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.
5. 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
6. 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 hypersensitivity 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.
7. 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.
8. 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
9. 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.
10. 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.