NAME-MD WASIM

SAMBHUNATH COLLEGE
ROLL NO- 17013090 0098
REG NO- 201701030506 OF 2017-18
DATE-15/07/2020

CC-XIII

A DOLL’S HOUSE: TITLE

The title of Ibsen’s A Doll’s House focuses on the doll and the house. Nora’s deceptive
father used to call her his “doll child”. She was taught to be a doll that spoke and danced
when instructed to. This was the life that she was accustomed to, and didn’t see it as
abnormal being a Victorian daughter and wife. Nora’s father, wanting to be viewed as a good
and loving father, believed he was doing what was right for his daughter by teaching her the
ideals of a Victorian woman. Nora, wanting to be seen as a good mother to her children,
believed it was fair to teach her daughter the same principles her father impressed upon her.

The title is significant to society and entrapment within the house. Ibsen represents Nora as
a doll. Nora therefore reacts in the same way as a doll, trapped in a house. Helmer has power
over Nora and treats her as a doll, his doll. ‘A Doll’s House’ relates to power, it represents a
doll being played with and owned. This doll is controlled; its every move is depicted. Nora is
cultivating the same gendered behaviour in her child that plagued her own childhood and still
haunts her as a woman and wife. When Nora played with the children she always referred
them as “[her] sweet little dolly”. From her use of the word “dolly,” she is implicitly
reinforcing the common ideal, that being a plaything that is beautiful to look at is not only a
normal experience but an expectation for women in Victorian society. Due to her early
exposure to these oppressive behaviours, Nora is naturally compliant to societal expectations
and begins to mould her daughter into the domestic roles of a woman and wife, simply in
attempts to mirror her father’s teachings.
The world famous dramatist Bernard Shaw holds that when Nora’s husband inadvertently
deems her unfit in her role as a mother, she begins to realize that her actions consisting of
playing with her children happily or dressing them nicely does not necessarily make her a
suitable parent.  She needs to be more to her children than an empty figurehead. From this
point, when Torvald is making a speech about the effects of a deceitful mother, until the final
scene, Nora progressively confronts the realities of the real world and realizes her subordinate
position. Although she is progressively understanding this position, she still clings to the
hope that her husband will come to her protection and defend her from the outside world once
her crime is out in the open.  After she reveals the “dastardly deed” to her husband, he
becomes understandably agitated; in his frustration he shares the outside world with her, the
ignorance of the serious business world, and destroys her innocence and self-esteem.  This
disillusion marks the final destructive blow to her doll’s house.  Their ideal home including
their marriage and parenting has been a fabrication for the sake of society.  Nora’s decision to
leave this false life behind and discover for herself what is real is directly symbolic of
woman’s ultimate realization. 
In the case of the title of this play, the word 'house' has the connotation of 'just a place to
live in', 'a shelter', 'a lifeless thing', and so on. Indeed, for Nora, the house of Helmer has
never been a home; it has been a house. As we see her in the beginning, Nora is mainly
satisfied with her living place, her house; so, it is her 'home' indeed. But, as she finds out
later, it has been a house, a cage, she has been living there as a plaything until her expectation
of an act of, sacrifice by her husband, or what she calls "miracle", fails to happen. During the
final confrontation with her husband, Nora claims that both he and her father treated her like
a “doll child.” Both he and Torvald wanted her pretty but compliant. “I had the same
opinions; and if I had others, I hid them; because he wouldn’t have liked it,” she tells her
husband. Torvald had the same disposition as her father, which we can clearly see given the
way he reacts when Nora was outed as having committed an illegal action. The pet names he
chooses for her, such as squirrel, skylark, and songbird, show that he wants her to amuse and
delight him like a cute, little animal. Nora notes how neither Torvald nor her father actually
loved her, but that it was “amusing” to them to be in love with her, the way someone could be
endeared by something lesser than a human, such as a doll or a cute pet. When she is
disillusioned about her place and value, her dignity and respect from her husband, she
realizes that her husband has been treating her like a child treats its doll. She has the feeling
of that home which has been like the doll's house. 
The word "house" also has symbolic suggestions and thematically significant
connotations. "House", as contrasted to "home", means 'a structure or shelter to live in',
unlike "home" which means 'a house where one's family lives and one gets love and care".
"Home" is an emotively charged word, whereas "house" is not. So, in the case of the title of
this play, the word 'house' as the connotation of 'just a place to live in', 'a shelter', 'a lifeless
thing', and so on. Indeed, for Nora, the house of Helmer has never been a home; it has been a
house. As we see her in the beginning, Nora is mainly satisfied with her living place, her
house; so, it is her 'home' indeed. But, as she finds out later, it has been a house, a cage, she
has been living there as a plaything until her expectation of an act of, sacrifice by her
husband, or what she calls "miracle", fails to happen. When she is disillusioned about her
place and value, her dignity and respect from her husband, she realizes that her husband has
been treating her like a child treats its doll. She has the feeling of that home which has been
like the doll's house. That is the meaning of the title. The title is thus very appropriate and is
also indicative of the theme of the play.
CC-XIV

Haroun’s growth

Haroun Khalifa is the eponymous hero of Haroun and the Sea of Stories. The story revolves
around the teenage boy Haroun living with his parents in a sad city in the country of Alifbay.
Initially Haroun is a fairly ignorant child, unable to understand the larger implications of
what is happening with his father and the nature of political control that is involved. He
begins to assert a greater voice in helping his father gain back the ability to tell stories, to
resume his role finally.

The hero is a happy, clever boy who lives in “a sad city, the saddest of cities, a city so
ruinously sad it had forgotten its name.” His mother elopes with their neighbor, a Mr.
Sengupta. This leaves Haroun alone with his father, Rashid, a storyteller of great renown. The
problem is that since his wife eloped, Rashid has been unable to tell stories. The magic spark
is gone. This is doubly serious because he has contracted with unscrupulous politicians to
deliver vote-catching stories at the Valley of K (Kashmir). On the eve of their assignment
when Haroun and the Shah of Blah settle down for the night in a house boat on the Dull Lake,
they are fearful for the future. But then Rushdie gives his wand a flourish, and the story takes
wing.

Haroun becomes as sad and inconsolable as the city around him. He begins to suffer
from a short attention span and can't concentrate on anything for longer than eleven minutes.
In an attempt to save his family, Haroun journeys to the Second Hidden Moon of Earth to
connect with the Ocean of the Streams of Story. Along the way, his bravery and
resourcefulness help restore balance to that world and to his family.

On that fateful night, Haroun meets Iff, a Water Genie and a Guppee, who has come from
the moon Kahani to disconnect Rashid's subscription from the Sea of Stories. All this is done
by a P2C2E, a Process Too Complicated To Explain. Haroun gets the drop on Iff by seizing
his irreplaceable Disconnector; he then blackmails the Water Genie into taking him to Kahani
so that he can ensure his father's story-water supply is not cut off. Haroun and Iff, astride Butt
the Hoopoe, arrive in Kahani to find the Guppees, guardians of the Sea of Stories, in an
epileptic rage. Inspired by the Cultmaster of the Union of the Zipped Lips, Khattam-Shud
(the end: every story's arch enemy), who worships the idol Bezaban, the Chupwalas are
dangerously polluting the Sea of Stories. Living in perpetual darkness, the Chupwalas are
trying to silence the Guppees, whose greatest article of faith is an unbridled freedom of
speech.

As Haroun discovers, stories do not come from nowhere, or from an elusive muse. No,
in fact they come from the waters of the Great Story Sea, as dispensed by invisible Story
Taps installed in homes by Water Genies. Marvelous, isn’t it? Haroun was dubious at first,
but soon found that how any of this works is simply P2C2E – a Process Too Complicated To
Explain. This, Iff the Water Genie tells him with a wicked grin.

Haroun has no choice but to travel to the Sea of Stories and have his father resupplied.
Traveling to this magical world, to the source of stories, is not something anyone can do, of
course. As the Water Genie replies to Haroun’s request: “No can do, it’s off the menu, don’t
even dream about it. Access to Gup City in Kahani, by the shores of the Ocean of the Stream
of Story, is strictly restricted, completely forbidden, one hundred per cent banned, except to
accredited personnel; like, for instance, me. But you? No chance, not in a million years, no
way, José.” But Haroun is able to coerce the Water Genie to help him, and so makes his way
to the Sea of Stories to have his father’s water supply restored

Once there, however, he finds that a greater trouble than his own is afoot, and growing.
The Sea of Stories is being polluted by Khattam-Shud, “the arch-enemy of all stories, even of
language itself. He is the Prince of Silence and the Foe of Speech.” A most suitable
antagonist for a novel, I think. What happens next – well, that’s what you’ll buy the book for,
right?

Haroun goes on a quest to restore his father's access to the Ocean of the Streams of
Story, which has been a vital resource for the stories Rashid Khalifa is famous for telling.
This isn't just a quest to restore his father's livelihood, but a quest to restore his father's joy.
Haroun's quest resembles many other stories in which a young person travels to magical
lands in search of something. On his quest, Haroun travels to a fantastical world—the hidden
second Moon of Earth, where the Ocean of the Streams of Story is found. He makes friends
along the way, who help him on his journey, although he must face the final task alone. Once
the quest is accomplished, Haroun returns home to restoration and healing. His success brings
peace both to the magical land and, in some measure, to his real life.
Dse-3
q. What is Logocentrism? Briefly discuss Feminism
with special reference to Feminist critics?
Logocentrism is the tradition of European Science and Philosophy which looks upon words
and language as a fundamental expression of an external reality.
Ludwig Klages , a German Philosopher, was the creator of Logocentrism.
Feminist literary criticism, arising in conjunction with sociopolitical feminism, critiques
patriarchal language and literature by exposing how these reflect masculine ideology. It
examines gender politics in works and traces the subtle construction of masculinity and
femininity, and their relative status, positionings, and marginalizations within works.

Beyond making us aware of the marginalizing uses of traditional language (the

presumptuousness of the pronoun "he," or occupational words such as "mailman") feminists
focused on language have noticed a stylistic difference in women's writing: women tend to
use reflexive constructions more than men (e.g., "She found herself crying"). They have
noticed that women and men tend to communicate differently: men directed towards
solutions, women towards connecting.
Feminist criticism concern itself with stereotypical representations of genders. It also
may trace the history of relatively unknown or undervalued women writers, potentially
earning them their rightful place within the literary canon, and helps create a climate in which
women's creativity may be fully realized and appreciated.
Feminist literary criticism recognizes that literature both reflects and shapes stereotypes and
other cultural assumptions. Thus, feminist literary criticism examines how works of literature
embody patriarchal attitudes or undercut them, sometimes both happening within the same
work.
Feminist theory and various forms of feminist critique began long before the formal
naming of the school of literary criticism. In so-called first-wave feminism, the "Woman's
Bible," written in the late 19th century by Elizabeth Cady Stanton, is an example of a work of
criticism firmly in this school, looking beyond the more obvious male-centered outlook and
interpretation.Feminist literary criticism may use any of the following methods:

● Deconstructing the way that women characters are described in novels, stories,
plays, biographies, and histories, especially if the author is male.
● Deconstructing how one's own gender influences how one reads and interprets a text,
and which characters and how the reader identifies depending on the reader's gender.
● Deconstructing how women autobiographers and biographers of women treat their
subjects, and how biographers treat women who are secondary to the main subject.
● Describing relationships between the literary text and ideas about power and sexuality
and gender.
● Critique of patriarchal or woman-marginalizing language, such as a "universal" use of
the masculine pronouns "he" and "him".
● Noticing and unpacking differences in how men and women write: a style, for
instance, where women use more reflexive language and men use more direct
language (example: "she let herself in" versus "he opened the door").
● Reclaiming women writers who are little known or have been marginalized or
undervalued, sometimes referred to as expanding or criticizing the canon—the usual
list of "important" authors and works (Examples include raising up the contributions
of early playwright Aphra Behn and showing how she was treated differently than
male writers from her own time forward, and the retrieval of Zora Neale Hurston's
writing by Alice Walker is an example.
● Reclaiming the "female voice" as a valuable contribution to literature, even if
formerly marginalized or ignored.
● Analyzing multiple works in a genre as an overview of a feminist approach to that
genre: for example, science fiction or detective fiction.
● Analyzing multiple works by a single author (often female).
● Examining how relationships between men and women and those assuming male and
female roles are depicted in the text, including power relations.
● Examining the text to find ways in which patriarchy is resisted or could have been
resisted.
 Feminist literary criticism looks at literature assuming it's production from a male-
dominated perspective. It re-examines canonical works to show how gender stereotypes are
involved in their functioning. It examines ( and often rediscovers ) works by women for a
possible alternative voice. A study of the social suppression and minimalization of women's
literature becomes necessary. These questions emerge : What is sexual difference and how
has it been represented ? How has the representation of women relied on a presupposition of
inequality between the sexes ? Is there a feminine essence, biological or otherwise, that
produces "women's writing" ?
Feminist who believe that a woman is culturally or socially constructed look for evidence of
that process in literature. The socio-cultural and politico-economic construction of sexual
difference is 'gender'. Feminist criticism sometimes relates to psychoanalysis or Marxism ,
criticizing their masculinism and using their resources. It expands into film as well as social-
scientific or philosophical texts.

DSE-4
Scandinavian influence on English language

English By 850 A.D. the daring sea-roving Norseman or the Vikings of Denmark and
Norway settled down in East Angelia and the Northern countries.These people called
themselves Scandinavians. Numerous names of places ending with –‘by’ , -‘thorp’ etc bear
witness to the preponderance of the invaders.
 Strangely enough the Vikings contributed many common terms of relationship and
domestic use. Miscellaneous name-words nouns like anger bank birth calf egg husband knife
roof sister window –all are proposed to have come from the Scandinavian source .So also are
the diverse adjective like awkward flat ugly weak. Verbs of everyday use such as ‘bark’ ‘call’
‘cast’ ‘die’ ‘get’ ‘give’; adverbs like afloat athwart and pronouns like they them their etc are
also due to Scandinavian influence.

Among words with political and legal significance were law outlaw wrong etc. Verbs with
adverb/preposition such as take up/down/on/out/off owe their origins from this Scandinavian
language. There are such terms of technical interest as ‘saga’ ‘Vikings’ etc.

Verbs which have come from the Scandinavian show how thoroughly the two people were
infused.Sometimes Norse words or Norse meaning of words have supplanted their
counterparts. In Old English ‘sindor’ was the ordinary plural of the present tense of plural
form of ‘to be’. Its place is taken by are in the regular form in Norse. ‘Dream’ in Old English
meant ‘joy’; its modern meaning comes from the Norse.

The extent of Scandinavian influence is difficult to ascertain for Old Norse and Old English
were both in Teutonic tongues. A large number of words were the same or nearly the same in
both. However there are a few sound-test which may definitely guide us in these respects:

(a) Consonant test: A hard ‘c’ or ‘g’ sound before a palatal vowel indicates a word to be of
Scandinavian origin. Thus ‘kid’ ‘give’ ‘get’ etc are all Scandinavian. The combination
of ‘sc’ was pronounced ‘sh’ in Old English and ‘sk’ in Scandinavian so that ‘ship’
‘shall’ etc are English whereas ‘shy’ ‘skin’ ‘busk’ are Scandinavian.
(b) Vowel test: Teutonic diphthongs became ‘a’ in Old English and ‘ei’ and ‘e’ in
Scandinavian so that (w)hole in the sense of healthy as in ‘wholesome’ and ‘no’ are
English where as ‘hale’ and ‘way’ (with similar meaning) are Scandinavian.
The Scandinavian influence on the development of English language is far
reaching. Jespersen has remarked that English man cannot ‘thrive’ or ‘be ill’ or ‘die’
without Scandinavian words. Still it should be noted that the Englishmen may have
borrowed innumerable words from the varied foreign sources, the idioms and grammar
are always English.