Kanthapura by Raja Rao

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Narrative techniques used by Raja Rao in the novel Kanthapura

Hema's presentation on kanthapura from Hema Goswami

Kenneth Branagh's 'Hamlet' based on 'Hamlet' by William Shakespeare

• How faithful is the movie to the original play? after watching the movie, have your perception about play, characters or situations changed?  

The movie is faithful in terms of the soliloquy and the dialogues spoken by the characters in the play. The main incidents like the madness of Ophelia, grave digging scene etc are very well shown in the film as similar to the way it is described in the original play

But there are many things in the movie which is different from the original play in terms of costumes, customs. Even in the film hamlet is portrayed as too old than the real Prince Hamlet in the play who is very young.

there are many changes made in this film. The presence of ghost is shown by the movement of the sword of the statue whereas in the play the text is unable to show it dramatic movement.Even the falling of the statue at the end is also indicates a big change. So after watching the film my perception about the play, character and the situation is totally changed.

• Do you feel aesthetic delight while watching the movie?

In the film the players came to enact on stage as per the instructions and some dialogues given by Hamlet.When they are performing the incident which relates to the life of Claudius, Gertrude and King Hamlet, both the husband and wife that is Claudius and Gertrude became fearful and Claudius leaves that place immediately. From this scene we saw relief on the face of prince Hamlet because his doubt about hte murder of king Hamlet is clear now and he surely comes to conclude that Claudius is the only murderer of his father. This scene gives aesthetic delight to me, as I feel delightful that how cleverly Hamlet with is wit power unfold the truth in front of the audience.

The way drama performed shows the sense of aesthetic delight. the audience sitting step by step as just like they are sitting in the theater. the director very nicely presents this scene in the film.

• Do you feel catharsis while or after watching the film?

Yes, I feel catharsis in the film when Ophelia gone mad. The madness of Ophelia is very miserable. We feel pity and fear that how innocent Ophelia turns to madness because of the three men in her life. The first is her father who abuse her for his own motives. He did not understand that how truly Ophelia loves Hamlet and he used her against Hamlet.

Even her brother Laertes also involves in the same. Hamlet also used abusing words for her. There is no one in the play who understand the plight of Ophelia. She suffers internally a lot and afterwards she gone mad.

• Does screening of the movie helped you in better understanding?

Yes the screening of the movie helps me a lot in better understanding of the play. It is obvious that by seeing the characters performing lively in the film, we remind them in a better way with each and every incident connected to them. But if we only read the text, it takes time to remember the lengthy text full of characters and all such things which is connected to them.

• Was there any particular scene that you will cherish lifetime

Yes, there was one scene when Hamlet takes the skull of the court jester's in the graveyard. That time he says that the skull of all humans is the same and the condition of all the skull is also same that it resolve into the earth. There is no difference between the skull of rich man and the poor. Similarly the skull of court jester's who made people laugh during his lifetime, is the same as the skull of over proudy human who waste his life in gaining materialistic things. At the end all thing destroy. This scene I will cherish lifetime, because it is the truth of life, it is the reality.

• If you are a director what changes would you like to make?

If I am a director first of all I bring the character of Ophelia strong and life like. A strong female character who knows her rights and who argue against all the wrong decisions taken by his father, instead of following blindly and will put her own point of view  regarding the things.

Even in the film of Robinson Crusoe, the director changed entire character of Friday. In text he was shown as weak and never disobeying his master but in film he is total opposite. Similarly I would like to change the character of Ophelia.

• What does the fallen statue signifies?

In the beginning of the movie, camera rolls over the statue of king Hamlet outside the Elsinore castle and the movie ends with the similar sequence wherein the statue of the king Hamlet is hammered down to the dust.

This fall of statue symbolically represent the fall of the dynasty of the king Hamlet,  or we can say that there remain no heir of king Hamlet and his rule over Denmark ends. The fall of the statue also signifies that at the end after death nothing remains, all things like pride, rule, money destroy with the cycle of the immortal time on the mortal things. 

Even in the poem 'Not marbles nor the gilded monuments', Shakespeare defines that time destroy the marble as well as gilded- gold plated monuments. Nothing is immortal in this world.

                                               

In the poem 'Ozymadias' Percy shelley describes that the statue of the king broken into pieces and the hand, head of the statue lay half sunken in the sand. there remain only pedestel of the statue where written " my name is Ozymandias, king of kings", but this proudy lines becomes useless because after the death, arrogant king and his statue loses its value. there is no one who recall him, his statue is lying all alone in that desert.

The fallen statue also suggests that the king Hamlet is responsible for his own fall. I f he did  not tell to Hamlet to take revenge of his murder then things and events will quite be different.

• While studying the play through movie, which approach do you find  more applicable?

While studying the play through movie I found Feminist approach more applicable. I found that Gertrude is being loved by king Hamlet ans Claudius as well as. Both the men treats her very well. but on the other side Hamlet who seems as misogynist use abusing words not only for his lover Ophelia but his mother also. he is shocked when his mother remarried after the death of king Hamlet immediately. What is the matter of shock? every woman has right to live life as the way she wants to live. Every woman have right to choose her own life partner. Why it is crime for woman only? man can marry to other woman not only after the death of former wife but also when his former wife is living. 

Hamlet used very abusive word for Gertrude:-

"O most pernicious woman"

In this way the morality of the prince Hamlet also breaks down. Therefore i found feminist approach more applicable.

Robinson Crusoe by Daniel Defoe

                                                                                         
                                                    Robinson Crusoe is the most famous novel written by Daniel Defoe. It is about the survival of Robinson Crusoe in an unknown island.
The process of colonialism  is described through various points in the novel:-
                                       1. POLITICS OF NAMING
In the very biginning of the novel Crusoe give a Christian name 'Friday' to one of the inhabitant of that island. From this naming method the process of colonialism started. Crusoe did not say that he is Friday's friend, but he introduced himself as master and consider Friday as his slave. In this way Crusoe started ruling over Friday just as what a colonizer do over a colonized. In this way he takes all the power and this is called POLITICS OF NAMING.
                                           2. RELATION
After naming Master-slave relationship begin. Crusoe teach Friday that he is superior to him. He gives commands and Friday follows every commands of his master.
                                         3. LANGUAGE
Crusoe also teach Friday his own English language, that is another way of colonialism. Friday started believing that Crusoe is superior and he is inferior.
                                         4. CULTURE
Crusoe imposed his own culture on Friday. He tells him that wearing clothes is good than nakedness. Even if Friday was not comfortable he do it. Crusoe says that he is more civilized and Friday is uncivilized.
                                          5. RELIGION
Crusoe started teaching his own Christian religion to Friday. Crusoe tells him that his God is superior. Crusoe started calling Friday as 'my man'. 15 times he call Friday as 'my man'. Crusoe give description of his Gun and Friday worshipped Crusoe and his weapon because he was fearful of that dangerous weapon.
In this way from these all points the elements of colonialiam is described in the novel
 

                                      In our contemporary time, colonialism works, if not physically but mentally. Our mind still set up with the way that Britishers taught us in past. Yes it is true that once our land is colonized by Britishers but even after independence they are ruling over our mind. We still engaged in doing western culture's ceremonies. The most famous Ring ceremony, was imposed by britishers.  The celebration of our birthday by cutting cake is inherited from western culture. The foreigner taught us that 'whites' are good and superior and 'blacks' are bad and inferior. All wants to be white, in the Fair and lovely advertisement girls who wish to become white applying this cream. But this waa all fake promises. Our mind is so much affected by english language that when we wish someone , we say Good morning, Good evening etc rather than Namaste or Namaskar.
Therefore we can say that colonialism still working in our life.
                           

                The movie is different than the original text in so many ways:-
1. The movie is describing about only one voyage but originally in text before this there are two or three voyages already done. There is shipwreck, Crusoe's returns to his home and again starts a new voyage. These all things are absent in the movie.
2. Movie focus only on one aspect, there are many other things like repenting, dis obeying his parrents, the whole life of Crusoe that is not presented in the film.
3. In the novel there is total submission of Friday to Crusoe, but in film there is no total submission.
4. In the text when Crusoe introduced his Gun, Friday becomes afraid of it, but in film Friday was not get afraid and also shows that his own tool is more superior than Crusoe's weapon.
5. In the film when Crusoe telling about his God that his God is the maker of everything, even he makes Friday, then Friday argued that he didn't believe in this idea. He says that his God is 'Pokya' a crocodile. In text when Crusoe trying to imposed his God, Friday get convinced easily without any arguement.
6. In the novel when Crusoe tells Friday to go back to his own land, Friday started apologising, he feels that he had done sometning wrong thats why his master did not need him any more. He was  emotionally attached by Crusoe and never want to leave his company. In the film there is total opposite situation. Crusoe needs Friday's company, his friendship. Crusoe can't live without Friday in that unknown island.
                                         ANTI-COLONIAL ELEMENTS IN THE FILM
The most important change in the film that shows anti-colonial nature is that Crusoe wish to becomes Friday's friend. The strong bond of friendship between Friday and Crusoe Is shown in the film.
Friday's rebelling nature also shows anti-colonialism. He rebels, argued with Crusoe in every point. He never allowed Crusoe to dominate him. He never follows Crusoe's culture, he did not wear clothes, he didnot worship Crusoe's God, he is not afraid of Crusoe's weapon, he did not gives Crusoe the master position. Overall he never easily convinced. Even Crusoe also treats him very well, as his best friend.
So,these all points shows anti-colonialism while the text is totally opposite of it.😊

Narrative techniques used by Raja Rao

Here is my presentation attached with the link
https://www.slideshare.net/HemaGoswami1/hemas-presentation-on-kanthapura

1. 1. Kanthapura By Raja Rao
2. 2. • Raja Rao was an Indian writer of English language. • He was born on 8 November, 1908 and died on 8 July 2006. • Raja Rao is a novelist of philosophical consciousness. • Born in brahmin, he is aware of his brahminical obligations.
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4. 3. • Raja Rao’s first novel Kanthapura was published in 1938, mainly portrays the freedom movement launched by Mahatma Gandhi in the 1920s to liberate India from the imperialistic hegemony of the British. • The novelist sympathetically explores the Gandhian values of loving one’s enemies, non-violence and abolition of untouchability.
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6. 4. RAJA RAO’S USE OF NARRATIVE TECHNIQUES IN KANTHAPURA Raja rao’s Kanthapura is a triumph of narrative art. Straightforward and chronological- the narration is straightforward and chronological, there is no backward and forward movement as we found in a stream of conscious novel.
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8. 5.  Use of persona Raja Rao makes effective use of persona (imagined character) called Achakka. So it means that the tale has not been narrated by the novelist himself. This device of narration followed by many novelist like Joseph Conrad in Lord jim and Kamala markandya also used but no one get such success which Raja rao got.
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10. 6. The advantage of the choice of persona Fact and Myth  Making Achakka the narrator enable Raja Rao to mingle fact and myth. For the old woman Jawaharlal is a Bharata to the Mahatma. The mahatma who,she believes, will slay Ravana so that Sita may be freed. For her Gandhi has attained the status of God and Moorthy is regarded as his avtar in Kanthapura. To her Satyagraha has become a religious ceremony.
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12. 7. The manner of narration • Achakka’s manner of telling the tale is characteristically Indian. • The telling of the story gives the whole affair an ithihasik- at least a PURANIC dignity. • There are rhythmic chains of proper names like Rachanna and Chandranna and Mandanna; Satamma and Rangamma and Puttamma and Seethamma. • There is nevertheless consummate art in all this riot of artlessness
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14. 8. Narration: Dramatic and Varied • The narration is dramatic, it varies according to the requirements of the action and the situation. • The language, the accent, the tone, the tempo, constantly keep changing. • The life on the coffee estate, the crucidities and vulgarities of the Red-man, the sickness that broke them and the violation of women’s honor- all have been portrayed most vividly to the last details of credibility
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16. 9. Use of suspense • Suspense and anxiety of villagers to see Moorthy when he released from jail have been adequately conveyed. “ And hearts began to beat and yet we saw no Moorthy, and yet no Moorthy, and yet not a hair of his head was seen……….” The suspense is that if really Moorthy was released then where he gone, so was it the true news or just a rumour.
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18. 10. • Visualization Achakka is garrulous and when she conveyed large events she liberally picked up epithets and images, so we should say we visualised the way she narrated the picketing and Satyagraha. Even the large numbers of coolies who comes out of coffee estate is conveyed through multiplicity of images and epithets.
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20. 11. • Poetry Sheer poetry comes out of the narrator’s lips. She sung the song of coming of Kartik- “ Kartik has come to Kanthapura…….with the glow of lights and the unpressed footsteps of the wandering Gods…… In such passage narrator becomes an inspired poet.
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22. 12. Conclusion In this way we can say that Raja Rao makes effective use of narrative style. The act of villagers are transformed into a Gandhian epic instead of remaining merely a sthala puran or regional novel.

Pehredar Piya ki

I am in support of this serial. I really liked the concept. It is not all about the marriage of two different age group, that is one is too young and the other is too elder. It is about making girl or a woman same powerful as man. In this serial the girl Diya married to the young prince Ratan to protect him from the other evil members of his family. His life was in danger after the death of his mother and father. This first thinking makes us moves forward than just patriarchal thinking that only man can protect.
Overall i find it progreessive not regressive

Doctor Faustus by Christopher Marlowe

Doctor faustus is one of the most famous play of Christopher marlowe. Here I am going to discuss about three questions
1.

What does this last scene (the image of lucifer) signify?

It it obvious from this image that lucifer is celebrating his victory. Evil wins at the end of the play. After a lots of dialogues between Doctor Faustus, Lucifer wins in tempting Doctor Faustus with the help of Mephistophilis. In the last scene Doctor Faustus regrets a lot and did not want to go to hell, but it was already too late for redemption. Doctor Faustus says "or let this hour be but a year, a month, a week, a natural day, that faustus may repent and save his soul!"

Doctor Faustus wants more hour, one more day, or one more year to repent so that his soul may save from devilish world that is hell. But his own decisions led him to fall in hell. Now nothing can be changed. So this is the full victory of the prince of Satanic world Lucifer which is clearly shown in the above image.

                                                                                           2. Is God present in the play? If yes where and how? If no, why?

We can think about God in two perspective, that is mentally or physically. God is not presented in the play physically but mentally he is present throughout the play in the mind of Doctor Faustus. In the first scene of the play Doctor Faustus wish to be like God, he wants to equate himself with God. And at the end when his end was near, he recall God for redemption. He wants to repent for all the sins he commited. Doctor Faustus is responsible for his own fall. With the help of necromacy he calls Mephistophilis for the quest of knowledge. But Mephistophilis the evil draws Doctor Faustus to the world of lust,greedness and also there is written contract between them that after four and twenty years he gives his soul to Mephistophilis to the hell.

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                                                                                        3. What reading and interpretation can be given to this image with the reference to central theme of the play Doctor Faustus?                                                                                                   This is the image of two Greek mythological character- The father Daedalus and his son Icarus.

Icarus wants to fly in the sky so his father makes waxen wings for his son and warns him to do not fly near sun otherwise his wings would have melt. Icarus ignores his fathers's warning and therefore he fall and drowned into the sea. He is responsible for his own fall. Similarly in the play Doctor Faustus drowned in the world of evil by ignoring the warnings of the good angel, the old man, his two good friends. All this good characters warns him a lot to do not listen evil voice and constantly told him to repent for all the sin he has done but Faustus did not listen and at the end when his death comes near he wanted to repent but now it was too late. In this way ignorance and declining from all moral values leads to his tragic end.

Icarus also does the same thing of ignorance and leads towards his tragic fall. Therefore this image is connected with Doctor Faustus.

Yugpurush- mahatma ka mahatma

Today we all total 35  students of sem 1 and sem 3 go to yashwant rai natyagruh for seeing the drama Yugpurush- mahatma ka mahatma. Awesome play i have ever seen.
This is the first live play which i have seen in my life. It was really a motivating play. We never heard such name kavishri Rajchandra ji in history of Gandhi ji but after watching this play, we come to know about many unfolded topics. The father of India Mahatma Gandhi was very much inspired by this famous knowledgeable man of the age. The all performer of the play enacted very well on stage. They knew where to put homour where to get extreme seriousness. All the events of a good play find in it..there is some tragic part as well as happy part also. This play combines both this element. The structure of the plot is very well built. There is flashback technique used when Mahatma Gandhi himself talks about Shri Rajchandra ji. In some moments he brings us to past and in another very successfully he returns to present.  Overall the play is very much entertaining and helps us to increase our knowledge and even my faith for God also increased.