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Minyi Ruan period 3 January 22, 2012 chapter 13 The Plot Characters Nathan- the husband of Rukmani and the head of the family; a farmer Rukmani- the wife of Nathan; protagonist Biswas- a rich merchant Sivaji- the employee of the lord who help the lord collect money from the farmer
Conflicts There was a drought happened. Nathan and Rukmani had a bad harvest and they didn't earn any money. Sivaji came and ask them to pay for the land rent, but since they have a bad harvest, they can afford the payment. Sivaji told them to pay at least half of the payment, if not they will loss their land. Nathan and Rukmani sold all the things they can. Rukmani even sold her clothes to Biswas who try to buy her clothes with a very low price. Even though they sold all the things they can, but it is still not enough. Finally the rain fall, but it is too late.
Setting Rukmani's home land.
Interactions Sivaji asked Nathan Rukmani to pay for the rent Rukmani sold her things to Biswas Nathan argued with Rukmani since they don't have enough money.
Mood Gloomy Hopeless distraught
Mar- destroy or injure severely Serenity- the state or quality of being serene Obstinately- in a stubborn unregenerate manner Scour- examine minutely Shrunk- reduced in size by being drawn together Trickle- run or flow slowly, as in drops or in an unsteady stream Reap- gather Paddy- an irrigated or flooded field where rice is grown Sagged- droop, sink, or settle from or as if from pressure or loss of tautness Meagre- deficient in amount or quality or extent Repent- regret Travail- work hard Thenceforth- from that time or place onward Jackal- a person who performs menial or degrading tasks for another Reckoned- make a mathematical calculation or computation Thrive- grow Exasperated- make furious Contempt- lack of respect accompanied by a feeling of intense dislike Fester- ripen and generate pus Idleness- lazy Reservoir- lake used to store water for community use Decreed- fixed or established especially by order or command
Historical context Saris-a garment worn by Hindu women, consisting of a long piece of cotton or silk wrapped around the body with one end draped over the head or over one shoulder.
Dhoti-a long loincloth worn by many Hindu men in India. Rupee- a cupronickel coin and monetary unit of India, Nepal, and Pakistan, equal to 100 paise.
QUESTION When Nathan talks about his song who work in the tannery, why Rukmani cried to herself?
I believe that Rukmani cried when Nathan mentioned their son in the tannery because she feels sympathetic for her son not being noticed and perhaps that he doesn't earn much money and he won't be able to help the family gain money for their rent. I have a question though: Which son right now is working in the tannery?
In a Indian Wedding, the guests should wear sari and is only for women. Indian would also wear it normally beause it give them comforted. Different places that wear sari included Bangladesh, Nepal, Sri Lanka, Bhutan, Hurma, and Malaysia.
This happen during the 1900s which Indian was under the British rules. During the 20th century, it showed that 25% of the population were in poverty and it is in the same situation as Rukmani and Nathan in. This mostly causes by high rent and disasters. Related to chapter 13 which they were trying to sell most of their stuff to pay off the rent.
Vocabulary
murmur- a low Continuous sound gleamimg-a small beam of light proseper-to be successful or fortuate bullock-a youngg bull reckoned-to count or caculate saris- a strip of unstiched cloth worn by women sowing- the action of planting seeds for growth barter-a method of exchange by which goods temptation- a strong feeling of wanting to have or do ailing-when your body is sick overburdened- material that lies above an area of economic Biswas- An Indian Measure bewilderment- in a state of being puzzled or condused desolation-a state off barren or laid waste relinguished- to retire or give up menace-present a danger to lurched- rolling to one side distillusionment-a freeing or a being freed from conviction
Questions
What kind of diseases were being spread during the drought? what kind of crops do they plant? How much is 125 rupees? What had causes the drought? How long do grain need to be harvest?
answer 1) I don't think there are diseases spreading during the drought. Maybe one possible disease is when so many people died and the corpses will increase the number of bacteria and cause people sick 2)- -I don't know. 3)125 rupees = $2.49 4) The cause of drought is no water. = = 5) It's depend on what kind of grain you plant.
In the book, it really talking about the disease being spread that cause people to choke green, and for number three, I want to know rather the drought happen every year or just in this particular year?
To Sam: There is no disease occuring in the chapter. The author is just comparing the changing of colors on the shoots to the spreading of a disease. The shoots were once green and turned brown, and spread that color around like a disease. When she says it was "choking out the green", she means that like a disease, where you choke, the colors of the shoots had "choked" of got rid of, threw out, it's green color. 2)The drought doesn't happen every year; some years don't have droughts, some have floods (like earlier in the book), and some years are just normal. We can blame "mother nature".
Engulf- flow over or cover completely Hoard- a secret store of valuables or money Temptation- the desire to have or do something that you know you should avoid Forsake- leave someone who needs or counts on you; leave in the lurch Consciousness- an alert cognitive state in which you are aware of yourself and your situation Stiff- not moving or operating freely Vestige- an indication that something has been present Hastily- in a hurried or hasty manner Bewilderment- confusion resulting from failure to understand Mute- lacking power of speech Menace- act in a threatening manner Hatred- the emotion of hate
Character- Kunthi- bad woman; takes all the food from Nathan and Rukmani; Kuti- son of Nathan and Rukmani; always sick and weak Ira- daughter of Nathan and Rukmani' always take care of Kuti
QUESTION What is ollock？ who is the man that having relationship with Rukmani according to Kunthi?
Vocabulary: Mar: spoil; corrupt; damage Murmur: mutter; grumble Obstinately: stubbornly Scour: clean; scrub; wash bid: order; command; invite Evoke: arouse; provoke Jackals: a slender long-legged wild dog Dhoti: loincloth Succulent: juicy; sappy; lush Pretence: a false or unsupportable quality Fissures: split or crack that forms a narrow opening Endured: suffer patiently, tolerate
Historical context: - Indian agriculture is heavily dependent on the climate of India - in some parts of India some monsoons lead to water shortages or droughts - this can lead to a large decrease in crops and famine - millions of people in India died due to famine in the 18th, 19th and 20th centuries
Plot: - Rukmani prayed and prayed for more rain, but there wasn't any. The river was dry and the crops died, so they didn't have a source of food or water. She didn't want to die, so she just kept hoping it would rain, but she was losing hope each and every day. - Nathan would rather sell the dhal and chillies instead of having their land taken away. If the land's gone, they wouldn't have anything left. - the sky was clear and calm, with not one cloud in the sky. - Rukmani tried to sell the saris to Biswas to get some money for the land. - Rukmani and Nathan counted up their money they earned and they got one hungered and twenty five rupees which wasn't enough. - Rukmani was sad and upset about the lives they're living, so she went to sleep. - the drought continued for days and days, but after some days the storm clouds came which brought an abundance of rain. - even though the rain came, they still wasn't happy.
Colonialism: negative - the people of the village starved because it didn't rain for days. The rivers were dry and they didn't have any crops to eat. - they lost all hope because as each day went on, nothing seemed to get better. - when it finally rained they should have been happy, but they lost hope and it was too late to regain it back. - many people have died already, so they didn't really have a good reason to be happy.
Vocabulary: Sowing: planting seeds by scattering on the soil Falter: hesitate Singly: one by one; one at a time Tremulous: enormous; huge; terrific Spires: a tapering conical or pyramidal structure on the top of a building, typically a church tower Barter: exchange; swap; change Suffice: satisfy; be enough Simpleton: a foolish or gullible person Bewilderment: confusion resulting from failure to understand Vehemence: intensity or forcefulness of expression Treacherous: guilty of or involving betrayal or deception Disillusionment: freeing from false belief or illusions Impotence: powerlessness Query: to question, to ask
Historical context: - famine is a recurring thing that happens in India. - Famine cause more than 60 deaths over the course of the 19th, 18th and early 20th centuries. - famines in British India was very severe and could have impacted the population growth.
Plot: - the lands were moist and the cracks were healed after the rains had stopped. - she began planting the seeds and after a few weeks, the seeds sprouted. - everyone was still scared of their dark future and death. - she divided the food up for her and her family for about a months worth. - she had a nightmare of a dark, shadowy figure with no face coming into their hut and stealing their food. After that she didn't have trust from anyone, but her family. - Kunthi wanted some food too from Rukmani, but she said no because it's for her and her family. - she basically tells Rukmani if you don't give me the rice, your husban will break up with you. Rukmani was furious with her. - she got nervous with stomach aches and got headaches worrying if Kunthi would be watching her. - Her son Kuti might die of malnutrition even though they try to feed him.
Vocabulary: Paddy- A field where rice is grown. Travail- Painful or laborious effort. Dhoti- A loincloth worn by male hindus. Saris- A garment consisting of a length of cotton or silk elaborately draped around the body. Prosper- Succeed in material terms; be financially successful. Decreed- Something by decree.
Glossary of Characters Nathan- The husband of the main character Rukmani. Rukmani- The main character and Nathan's wife. Sivaji- The landlord's worker who collects money from farmers. Biswas- A merchant that did business with Rukmani.
Summary -In chapter 13, a drought came and destroied Nathan's crops which meant their was nothing to reap for the harvest. At the same time an employee of the landlard came to collect his money but Nathan and Rukmani had nothing to give him because the drought destroied the harvest. So the worker, Sivaji gave them some more time to pay him. In order to get more money, Rukmani and Nathan had to sell some of their things. Rukmani went to a rich merchant named Biswas and sold him some clothing for 75 rupees. But at the end both Nathan and Rukmani didn't have enough money to pay Sivaji in half but he took the money and went back to the landlord.
Historical Context -In India, their agriculture is very dependent on the climate. However, throughout history tens of millions of people died because of droughts within India. -The period of Colonialism refers to the 15th and 20th century, where many countries established colonies in another country. India was a country that was colonialized by many other counrties because of its location.
Colonialism -Colonialism didn't have a huge affect in this chapter. - Pre-colonial life had a huge negative affect within this chapter because people within Rukmani's village is very dependent on traditional ways of farming. Since the people of the village weren't industrialized which is a result of colonialism, the drought had a huge impact on people's lives. If the village were industrialized in some way they would have other means of getting food and in turn the drought would not have been so severe.
Vocabulary: Hither- To or toward this place Speculatively- With speculation. Vehemence- Intensity or forcefulness of expression. Disillusionment- Freeing from false belief or illusions. Emaciated- Bony.
Glossary of Characters Nathan- The main character's husband. Rukmani- The main character/Protagonist. Kunthi- Rukmani's neighbor. Kuti- Rukmani's youngest child. Ira- Rukmani's eldest daughter
Summary - In chapter 14, the drought ended and the crops in the farm started to grow back. However, the crops were not ready to reap so many people in the village still starved and are despreate for food. But luckily the main character Rukmani saved some rice which would last for 24 days. A few days later Kunthi came and asked for some food which Rukmani gave to her. Then Kunthi blackmailed Rukmani to give her some rice or she would tell Nathan what she did her. So in the end Rukmani gave her a few days worth of rice. The next day, she checked the amount of rice there was left and realized that there was only a little bit left. She later found out that Nathan stole the rice and gave it to Kunthi because she blackmailed him since Nathan had two kids with Kunthi. By the end of the chapter, Rukmani and her family struggled to survive and find food to survive.
Historical Context -Between the 15th and 20th century, colonialism had a huge effect on countries. Colonialism spreaded culture and industrialization to many unadvanced countries and societies.
Colonialism - Colonialism didn't have a huge impact in this chapter. - Pre-colonial life was present throughout this chapter and had a negative impact to the village. The effects were negative because the village wasn't advanced like many other cities or countries so when theres a disaster it becomes more severe. Rukmani's family was an example of how bad things can get if you do have technological advancements.
Vocabulary: Murmur- indistinct voice Mar- to damage or spoil to a certain extent Obstinately- not yielding to argument, persuasion, or entreaty Scour- to clear or rid of what is undesirable Paddy- a rice field Heaps- a group of things placed, thrown, or lying one on another Gleaning- a person gathering bit by bit Overlord- a person who is lord over another or over other lords Meager- deficient in quantity or quality; lacking fullness or richness; scanty Wring- to twist and compress Travail- the pain of childbirth Dhal- the ninth letter of the Arabic alphabet Thenceforth- from that point on Jackals- a person who performs dishonest Tannery- a place where tanning (to convert (a hide) into leather) is carried on Bewilderment- in a state of being confuses or puzzled Desolation- state of barren or laid waste Relinquished- to retire or to give up Thither- to or toward that place or point Idleness- lazy Repent- regret Quarrelling- a cause of dispute, break in friendly relationship Shriveled- make or become helpless or useless
Mood: Hopeless Desperate Doubtful Sorrow
Plot: 1. There is no rain for a while in Rukmani’s village and the river had dried up. 2. Rukmani prayed to a goddess to bring rain for their crops because their crops had died of and now they don’t have money or crops to give to the owners of their land. 3. Nathan’s decided to give off their stored chilies instead giving a payment since they have no money and the farm is the only place they have. 4. The weather was still clear without any signs of rain. 5. Rukmani decided to go sell the clothing of her sons, husband’s and her self’s to Biswas in order to make money to pay for their farm land/ home. 6. They received their money from the clothing, but fail to meet the price. 7. The drought continues to happen within their village and people were starting to become hungry and thirsty. Plants and animals died and suffer as well as the villagers. 8. Water reservoirs were built in the town for workers and their families, but not Rukmani and her family. 9. Finally after days and days of suffering they had spotted storm clouds which rain heavily to the people. However they were not enthusiastic about this since their crops had already died off.
Historical Context: British colonies had taken over India and their land by taking their farm land and making a profit out of it. Droughts had occurred during this time period which was in the 18th and 19th century where villages would go without rain for days.
Nadda Elnasharty p3 Chapter 13 Vocabulary: Compassion- a feeling of deep sympathy Assented- agreed Rebuke- to express sharp dissaproval Parched- excessively dry Disconcerted- confused by something unexpected Bereft- lacking the necessities of life Retort- to reply to, usually in a sharp or retaliatory way; reply in kind to. Twofold- double Wailing- mournful cry Prone- lying face downward Thither- to or toward a place or point Dole- dealing out; distribution
Nadda Elnasharty pd3 Chapter 14 More Vocabulary: Tremulous- characterized by trembling, as from fear, nervousness, or weakness Spire- a sprout or shoot of a plant Despair- loss of hope Hoard- supply that is hidden carefully Ailing- sickly; unwell Alloted- divided Hither- to or toward this place Fared- experience good or bad fortune Ravaged- damaged; to work havoc upon
Vocabulary: sowing- to scatter (seed) over land spires-a tall, acutely pointed pyramidal roof or rooflike construction upon a tower latter- more advanced in time; later simpleton- an ignorant, foolish, or silly person allotted- to divide or distribute by share or portion frenzied- wildly excited or enthusiastic desolation- devastation; ruin vehemence- characterized by rancor or anger impotence- weakness
Mood: hope sorrow
Plot: -Rain came and healed all the cracks and fertilized the farm land. -Seed began to sprouted and there was hope once again. -They were low on rice, so Rukmani portion the rice so that each day they would have a portion of the rice they have left. -Kunthi there neighbor came over and demanded rice from Rukmani.She was pale and skinny and dying from hunger. -Rukmani gave her rice water,but not the rice since they were low on it. However Kunthi threaten her in giving her rice by saying that she will tell Nathan secrets about her. -That night Rukmani had a dream that she lost all her rice and woke up realizing that she did. -At first she blamed her children, but her husband came in claiming that he stole it for Kunthi. -At that moment Nathan told her that he was the father of Kunthi's sons.Rukmani was astounded and didn't know what to do. -Days past and Rukmani and her family are starving from hunger.
Concept of Time: People in India has suffer from famine in the 17th-19th century. The British colonies has taken over their land and made a contract that if they want to own farmland they would have to pay them either in money or crops even certain amount of time.
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ReplyDeleteMinyi Ruan
ReplyDeleteperiod 3
January 22, 2012
chapter 13
The Plot
Characters
Nathan- the husband of Rukmani and the head of the family; a farmer
Rukmani- the wife of Nathan; protagonist
Biswas- a rich merchant
Sivaji- the employee of the lord who help the lord collect money from the farmer
Conflicts
There was a drought happened. Nathan and Rukmani had a bad harvest and they didn't earn any money. Sivaji came and ask them to pay for the land rent, but since they have a bad harvest, they can afford the payment. Sivaji told them to pay at least half of the payment, if not they will loss their land. Nathan and Rukmani sold all the things they can. Rukmani even sold her clothes to Biswas who try to buy her clothes with a very low price. Even though they sold all the things they can, but it is still not enough. Finally the rain fall, but it is too late.
Setting
Rukmani's home land.
Interactions
Sivaji asked Nathan Rukmani to pay for the rent
Rukmani sold her things to Biswas
Nathan argued with Rukmani since they don't have enough money.
Mood
Gloomy
Hopeless
distraught
Mar- destroy or injure severely
Serenity- the state or quality of being serene
Obstinately- in a stubborn unregenerate manner
Scour- examine minutely
Shrunk- reduced in size by being drawn together
Trickle- run or flow slowly, as in drops or in an unsteady stream
Reap- gather
Paddy- an irrigated or flooded field where rice is grown
Sagged- droop, sink, or settle from or as if from pressure or loss of tautness
Meagre- deficient in amount or quality or extent
Repent- regret
Travail- work hard
Thenceforth- from that time or place onward
Jackal- a person who performs menial or degrading tasks for another
Reckoned- make a mathematical calculation or computation
Thrive- grow
Exasperated- make furious
Contempt- lack of respect accompanied by a feeling of intense dislike
Fester- ripen and generate pus
Idleness- lazy
Reservoir- lake used to store water for community use
Decreed- fixed or established especially by order or command
Historical context
Saris-a garment worn by Hindu women, consisting of a long piece of cotton or silk wrapped around the body with one end draped over the head or over one shoulder.
Dhoti-a long loincloth worn by many Hindu men in India.
Rupee- a cupronickel coin and monetary unit of India, Nepal, and Pakistan, equal to 100 paise.
QUESTION
When Nathan talks about his song who work in the tannery, why Rukmani cried to herself?
I believe that Rukmani cried when Nathan mentioned their son in the tannery because she feels sympathetic for her son not being noticed and perhaps that he doesn't earn much money and he won't be able to help the family gain money for their rent.
DeleteI have a question though: Which son right now is working in the tannery?
Their first son Arjun and second son Thambi.
DeleteThis comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteSam Zhang
ReplyDelete2th period
January 23, 2012
Historical Context
In a Indian Wedding, the guests should wear sari and is only for women. Indian would also wear it normally beause it give them comforted. Different places that wear sari included Bangladesh, Nepal, Sri Lanka, Bhutan, Hurma, and Malaysia.
This happen during the 1900s which Indian was under the British rules. During the 20th century, it showed that 25% of the population were in poverty and it is in the same situation as Rukmani and Nathan in. This mostly causes by high rent and disasters. Related to chapter 13 which they were trying to sell most of their stuff to pay off the rent.
Vocabulary
murmur- a low Continuous sound
gleamimg-a small beam of light
proseper-to be successful or fortuate
bullock-a youngg bull
reckoned-to count or caculate
saris- a strip of unstiched cloth worn by women
sowing- the action of planting seeds for growth
barter-a method of exchange by which goods
temptation- a strong feeling of wanting to have or do
ailing-when your body is sick
overburdened- material that lies above an area of economic
Biswas- An Indian Measure
bewilderment- in a state of being puzzled or condused
desolation-a state off barren or laid waste
relinguished- to retire or give up
menace-present a danger to
lurched- rolling to one side
distillusionment-a freeing or a being freed from conviction
Questions
What kind of diseases were being spread during the drought?
what kind of crops do they plant?
How much is 125 rupees?
What had causes the drought?
How long do grain need to be harvest?
This comment has been removed by the author.
Deleteanswer
Delete1) I don't think there are diseases spreading during the drought. Maybe one possible disease is when so many people died and the corpses will increase the number of bacteria and cause people sick
2)- -I don't know.
3)125 rupees = $2.49
4) The cause of drought is no water. = =
5) It's depend on what kind of grain you plant.
In the book, it really talking about the disease being spread that cause people to choke green, and for number three, I want to know rather the drought happen every year or just in this particular year?
DeleteTo Sam: There is no disease occuring in the chapter. The author is just comparing the changing of colors on the shoots to the spreading of a disease. The shoots were once green and turned brown, and spread that color around like a disease. When she says it was "choking out the green", she means that like a disease, where you choke, the colors of the shoots had "choked" of got rid of, threw out, it's green color.
Delete2)The drought doesn't happen every year; some years don't have droughts, some have floods (like earlier in the book), and some years are just normal. We can blame "mother nature".
Minyi Ruan
ReplyDeleteperiod 3
January 23, 2012
chapter 14
Engulf- flow over or cover completely
Hoard- a secret store of valuables or money
Temptation- the desire to have or do something that you know you should avoid
Forsake- leave someone who needs or counts on you; leave in the lurch
Consciousness- an alert cognitive state in which you are aware of yourself and your situation
Stiff- not moving or operating freely
Vestige- an indication that something has been present
Hastily- in a hurried or hasty manner
Bewilderment- confusion resulting from failure to understand
Mute- lacking power of speech
Menace- act in a threatening manner
Hatred- the emotion of hate
Character-
Kunthi- bad woman; takes all the food from Nathan and Rukmani;
Kuti- son of Nathan and Rukmani; always sick and weak
Ira- daughter of Nathan and Rukmani' always take care of Kuti
QUESTION
What is ollock？
who is the man that having relationship with Rukmani according to Kunthi?
According to Kunthi, Rukmani is having a relationship with Kenny, the British doctor.
DeleteGianni Alexander
ReplyDeletePeriod 3
1/23/12
Chapter 13
Vocabulary:
Mar: spoil; corrupt; damage
Murmur: mutter; grumble
Obstinately: stubbornly
Scour: clean; scrub; wash
bid: order; command; invite
Evoke: arouse; provoke
Jackals: a slender long-legged wild dog
Dhoti: loincloth
Succulent: juicy; sappy; lush
Pretence: a false or unsupportable quality
Fissures: split or crack that forms a narrow opening
Endured: suffer patiently, tolerate
Historical context:
- Indian agriculture is heavily dependent on the climate of India
- in some parts of India some monsoons lead to water shortages or droughts
- this can lead to a large decrease in crops and famine
- millions of people in India died due to famine in the 18th, 19th and 20th centuries
Plot:
- Rukmani prayed and prayed for more rain, but there wasn't any. The river was dry and the crops died, so they didn't have a source of food or water. She didn't want to die, so she just kept hoping it would rain, but she was losing hope each and every day.
- Nathan would rather sell the dhal and chillies instead of having their land taken away. If the land's gone, they wouldn't have anything left.
- the sky was clear and calm, with not one cloud in the sky.
- Rukmani tried to sell the saris to Biswas to get some money for the land.
- Rukmani and Nathan counted up their money they earned and they got one hungered and twenty five rupees which wasn't enough.
- Rukmani was sad and upset about the lives they're living, so she went to sleep.
- the drought continued for days and days, but after some days the storm clouds came which brought an abundance of rain.
- even though the rain came, they still wasn't happy.
Colonialism: negative
- the people of the village starved because it didn't rain for days. The rivers were dry and they didn't have any crops to eat.
- they lost all hope because as each day went on, nothing seemed to get better.
- when it finally rained they should have been happy, but they lost hope and it was too late to regain it back.
- many people have died already, so they didn't really have a good reason to be happy.
Gianni Alexander
ReplyDeletePeriod 3
1/23/12
Chapter 14
Vocabulary:
Sowing: planting seeds by scattering on the soil
Falter: hesitate
Singly: one by one; one at a time
Tremulous: enormous; huge; terrific
Spires: a tapering conical or pyramidal structure on the top of a building, typically a church tower
Barter: exchange; swap; change
Suffice: satisfy; be enough
Simpleton: a foolish or gullible person
Bewilderment: confusion resulting from failure to understand
Vehemence: intensity or forcefulness of expression
Treacherous: guilty of or involving betrayal or deception
Disillusionment: freeing from false belief or illusions
Impotence: powerlessness
Query: to question, to ask
Historical context:
- famine is a recurring thing that happens in India.
- Famine cause more than 60 deaths over the course of the 19th, 18th and early 20th centuries.
- famines in British India was very severe and could have impacted the population growth.
Plot:
- the lands were moist and the cracks were healed after the rains had stopped.
- she began planting the seeds and after a few weeks, the seeds sprouted.
- everyone was still scared of their dark future and death.
- she divided the food up for her and her family for about a months worth.
- she had a nightmare of a dark, shadowy figure with no face coming into their hut and stealing their food. After that she didn't have trust from anyone, but her family.
- Kunthi wanted some food too from Rukmani, but she said no because it's for her and her family.
- she basically tells Rukmani if you don't give me the rice, your husban will break up with you. Rukmani was furious with her.
- she got nervous with stomach aches and got headaches worrying if Kunthi would be watching her.
- Her son Kuti might die of malnutrition even though they try to feed him.
Edson Acosta
ReplyDeletePeriod 2
1/24/12
Chapter 13
Vocabulary:
Paddy- A field where rice is grown.
Travail- Painful or laborious effort.
Dhoti- A loincloth worn by male hindus.
Saris- A garment consisting of a length of cotton or silk elaborately draped around the body.
Prosper- Succeed in material terms; be financially successful.
Decreed- Something by decree.
Glossary of Characters
Nathan- The husband of the main character Rukmani.
Rukmani- The main character and Nathan's wife.
Sivaji- The landlord's worker who collects money from farmers.
Biswas- A merchant that did business with Rukmani.
Summary
-In chapter 13, a drought came and destroied Nathan's crops which meant their was nothing to reap for the harvest. At the same time an employee of the landlard came to collect his money but Nathan and Rukmani had nothing to give him because the drought destroied the harvest. So the worker, Sivaji gave them some more time to pay him. In order to get more money, Rukmani and Nathan had to sell some of their things. Rukmani went to a rich merchant named Biswas and sold him some clothing for 75 rupees. But at the end both Nathan and Rukmani didn't have enough money to pay Sivaji in half but he took the money and went back to the landlord.
Historical Context
-In India, their agriculture is very dependent on the climate. However, throughout history tens of millions of people died because of droughts within India.
-The period of Colonialism refers to the 15th and 20th century, where many countries established colonies in another country. India was a country that was colonialized by many other counrties because of its location.
Colonialism
-Colonialism didn't have a huge affect in this chapter.
- Pre-colonial life had a huge negative affect within this chapter because people within Rukmani's village is very dependent on traditional ways of farming. Since the people of the village weren't industrialized which is a result of colonialism, the drought had a huge impact on people's lives. If the village were industrialized in some way they would have other means of getting food and in turn the drought would not have been so severe.
Edson Acosta
ReplyDeletePeriod 2
1/24/12
Chapter 14
Vocabulary:
Hither- To or toward this place
Speculatively- With speculation.
Vehemence- Intensity or forcefulness of expression.
Disillusionment- Freeing from false belief or illusions.
Emaciated- Bony.
Glossary of Characters
Nathan- The main character's husband.
Rukmani- The main character/Protagonist.
Kunthi- Rukmani's neighbor.
Kuti- Rukmani's youngest child.
Ira- Rukmani's eldest daughter
Summary
- In chapter 14, the drought ended and the crops in the farm started to grow back. However, the crops were not ready to reap so many people in the village still starved and are despreate for food. But luckily the main character Rukmani saved some rice which would last for 24 days. A few days later Kunthi came and asked for some food which Rukmani gave to her. Then Kunthi blackmailed Rukmani to give her some rice or she would tell Nathan what she did her. So in the end Rukmani gave her a few days worth of rice. The next day, she checked the amount of rice there was left and realized that there was only a little bit left. She later found out that Nathan stole the rice and gave it to Kunthi because she blackmailed him since Nathan had two kids with Kunthi. By the end of the chapter, Rukmani and her family struggled to survive and find food to survive.
Historical Context
-Between the 15th and 20th century, colonialism had a huge effect on countries. Colonialism spreaded culture and industrialization to many unadvanced countries and societies.
Colonialism
- Colonialism didn't have a huge impact in this chapter.
- Pre-colonial life was present throughout this chapter and had a negative impact to the village. The effects were negative because the village wasn't advanced like many other cities or countries so when theres a disaster it becomes more severe. Rukmani's family was an example of how bad things can get if you do have technological advancements.
Edwin Chung
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1/24/12
Chapter 13
Vocabulary:
Murmur- indistinct voice
Mar- to damage or spoil to a certain extent
Obstinately- not yielding to argument, persuasion, or entreaty
Scour- to clear or rid of what is undesirable
Paddy- a rice field
Heaps- a group of things placed, thrown, or lying one on another
Gleaning- a person gathering bit by bit
Overlord- a person who is lord over another or over other lords
Meager- deficient in quantity or quality; lacking fullness or richness; scanty
Wring- to twist and compress
Travail- the pain of childbirth
Dhal- the ninth letter of the Arabic alphabet
Thenceforth- from that point on
Jackals- a person who performs dishonest
Tannery- a place where tanning (to convert (a hide) into leather) is carried on
Bewilderment- in a state of being confuses or puzzled
Desolation- state of barren or laid waste
Relinquished- to retire or to give up
Thither- to or toward that place or point
Idleness- lazy
Repent- regret
Quarrelling- a cause of dispute, break in friendly relationship
Shriveled- make or become helpless or useless
Mood:
Hopeless
Desperate
Doubtful
Sorrow
Plot:
1. There is no rain for a while in Rukmani’s village and the river had dried up.
2. Rukmani prayed to a goddess to bring rain for their crops because their crops had died of and now they don’t have money or crops to give to the owners of their land.
3. Nathan’s decided to give off their stored chilies instead giving a payment since they have no money and the farm is the only place they have.
4. The weather was still clear without any signs of rain.
5. Rukmani decided to go sell the clothing of her sons, husband’s and her self’s to Biswas in order to make money to pay for their farm land/ home.
6. They received their money from the clothing, but fail to meet the price.
7. The drought continues to happen within their village and people were starting to become hungry and thirsty. Plants and animals died and suffer as well as the villagers.
8. Water reservoirs were built in the town for workers and their families, but not Rukmani and her family.
9. Finally after days and days of suffering they had spotted storm clouds which rain heavily to the people. However they were not enthusiastic about this since their crops had already died off.
Historical Context:
British colonies had taken over India and their land by taking their farm land and making a profit out of it.
Droughts had occurred during this time period which was in the 18th and 19th century where villages would go without rain for days.
Nadda Elnasharty p3
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Vocabulary:
Compassion- a feeling of deep sympathy
Assented- agreed
Rebuke- to express sharp dissaproval
Parched- excessively dry
Disconcerted- confused by something unexpected
Bereft- lacking the necessities of life
Retort- to reply to, usually in a sharp or retaliatory way; reply in kind to.
Twofold- double
Wailing- mournful cry
Prone- lying face downward
Thither- to or toward a place or point
Dole- dealing out; distribution
Nadda Elnasharty pd3
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More Vocabulary:
Tremulous- characterized by trembling, as from fear, nervousness, or weakness
Spire- a sprout or shoot of a plant
Despair- loss of hope
Hoard- supply that is hidden carefully
Ailing- sickly; unwell
Alloted- divided
Hither- to or toward this place
Fared- experience good or bad fortune
Ravaged- damaged; to work havoc upon
Edwin Chung
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1/25/12
Chapter 14
Vocabulary:
sowing- to scatter (seed) over land
spires-a tall, acutely pointed pyramidal roof or rooflike construction upon a tower
latter- more advanced in time; later
simpleton- an ignorant, foolish, or silly person
allotted- to divide or distribute by share or portion
frenzied- wildly excited or enthusiastic
desolation- devastation; ruin
vehemence- characterized by rancor or anger
impotence- weakness
Mood:
hope
sorrow
Plot:
-Rain came and healed all the cracks and fertilized the farm land.
-Seed began to sprouted and there was hope once again.
-They were low on rice, so Rukmani portion the rice so that each day they would have a portion of the rice they have left.
-Kunthi there neighbor came over and demanded rice from Rukmani.She was pale and skinny and dying from hunger.
-Rukmani gave her rice water,but not the rice since they were low on it. However Kunthi threaten her in giving her rice by saying that she will tell Nathan secrets about her.
-That night Rukmani had a dream that she lost all her rice and woke up realizing that she did.
-At first she blamed her children, but her husband came in claiming that he stole it for Kunthi.
-At that moment Nathan told her that he was the father of Kunthi's sons.Rukmani was astounded and didn't know what to do.
-Days past and Rukmani and her family are starving from hunger.
Concept of Time:
People in India has suffer from famine in the 17th-19th century. The British colonies has taken over their land and made a contract that if they want to own farmland they would have to pay them either in money or crops even certain amount of time.