Pre task on Edger Allan Poe's Short Stories

This blog is a part of pre thinkking activity which was given in Post-colonial study paper. Click Here to get the task link.

     1. Read the first Gujarati story and listen to the audio recitation of the second story. Observe how the two wordsmiths work wonders through words! (Absolute obsession of alliteration)

Bhagvan bagvan

Mansingh from Jayant Khatrini Ghadhya Srushti

The author  begins the story with description of darkness, so here for the beginning we can assume that the flow of the story will further moves either in frightening  way or a kind of horror happen. The title character Mansingh is also portrayed as he is quite mysterious character and no one has that dare to ask him about anything. It also reminds me about the movie Bhulbhulaiya also in which Dr.Aditya wonders and encounters the ghost of Manjulika. This story also flows in a same way, each chapter of it is unfolded with narrator’s aim to reveal the truth of ghost which appears at Banyan tree.

Delineation has its own importance and it seems quite powerful in story.

               Use of phrases, metaphors and adjectives play a vital role in maintaining Every word of the story portrayed a image in front of us . while reading the story we can feel that as the story itself is happing in front of us. The last scene in which Monghi appears at banayan tree is portrayed in quite realistic way. It also portrayed a struggle between natural and supernatural elements.

  

Pankor Doshi from Meghani ni Shreshth Vartao

In comparison to first story, in this one we find a more use of alliteration. In this story also we can see the portrayal of grey shades like other stories of Zaverchand Meghani. The central idea of the story is society v/s individual. It reflects the poor mentality of old woman who was left alone as her husband and a elder son was dead. And the other son was made and the younger one who has hatred towards her mom rather than to be sympathized towards her. And also behaves as her mom was dead for him. She raised her children after facing a lots of struggle than even society use bad words for her. We can also find a use of alliteration such as ઠક્ ! ઠક્ ! ઠક્ ! ઠક્ ! ,હૂ-ઉ-ઉ…

    2. List out various adjectives that contribute the most in creating the "pre-established design" or effect that the author intended to create.

Adjectives are generally used to modify a noun which goes before the noun which modifies. In the present story also we can find use of adjectives  which creates the pre establishing design of effect in our mind. The use of adjectives like 'અંધારી રાત' symbolizes that something wrong happnes. During the character portrayal of Mansingh certain adjectives are used such as 'બેડોળ' 'રાક્ષસી  વ્યક્તિત્વ' and 'અણીયાળુ નાક ', these adjectives create a image of Mansingh as he has a kind of devil personality.  While in the other story we can find adjectives such as 'javanjodh jeth' and 'dakan'. Mostly the phrases are used to describe how society look at old woman with negative point of view keeping in mind.

   3. Which are the phrases you find frightening? How are they placed in the text?

While reading the story, I found many phrases; some phrases are easy to understand as they are already known to use and some are difficult to understand. Here I mention the some phrases.

આંખે તણખા જરવા
તોબાહ પોકારી જવા
મોંમાં આંગળા ઘાલવા
આંખ ચમકવી
 લમણે કોણી મૂકવી
અંધારા ઉતરવા
સૂર પૂરવો
બે પૈસા ભેગા કરવા

    4. Can you find out any other lexical varieties such as figures of speech like simile, metaphor, personification etc? Briefly explain their significance in the story.

In the firs story I find a use of metaphor and simile such as...

Use of Metaphor

 As we know that metaphor are used for rhetorical effects which may provide clarity between two ideas.In this story also we find a use of metaphor such as..

વ્યોમમાં ઊંચે કોઈ ક્ષુધાતુર શક્તિના દાંત જેવા  તારાઓ જેવા   ભયાનક હસી પડ્યા હતા
 અવાજમાં  ધીમી હાલક હતી અને શબ્દોમાં કરુણ અનુકંપ હતો.
દોરીએ સુકવેલું વસ્ત્ર પવનને ઝપટે ધરતી પર પડે એમ એ માનસંઘ ના પગમાં પડી.

This metaphor is used for Monghi when she got made and bite on Mansingh's lag as she believed that he was responsible for her critical situation.
Besides it in the first line we can also find the use of personification as star was compared with teeth. 

Use of Similie

સૃષ્ટિ બહુ બહુ વખત મનુષ્ય ની મૂર્ખાઈ તરફ હસે છે પણ એવીય પળ આવે છે કે મનુષ્ય સાથે એનેય રડવું પડે છે, આ પળ આવી જ હતી કઈ! પૃથ્વી અને આકાશ બને રડી રહ્યા હતા.

This one shows the resemblance between human and nature. There are at certain stages both are used to bring out their grief in a one or another way. 

 5. What is the impact of listening  to the stories on your mind? Which Rasas/emotions erupt in you during and after the reading/listening sessions?

 While reading the first story Bhaynak, Bhibhits, Karun and Shringar Rasa  erupt in my mind. Shringar Rasa arises in description of beauty of Monghi. The descriptive narrative of Monghi specially when she returned from Mumbai and got made, this description arises the Bibhits rasa in our mind as well her poor condition and struggle derive our mind to show sympathy towards her.While in the begining of story when Jamraj came to bring the old woman at that time we can feel a Bibhits rasa is suddenly erupted in mind as well as after the death of her husband old woman alone faces the society, this description arise a Karun rasa in our mind.