Animal Farm Day

Today being an Animal Farm day was arranged very beautifully by the juniors who are in their first year. The performance of every individual was awesome and some performances brought goosebumps on the skin making us emotional in various segments. The entire play was divided into ten groups and each group with each chapter to be performed. Every team managed to keep the audience on their toes to what would happen next. 

" Animal Farm" by George Orwell is a political satire that helps you think and retrospect, finding different types of people in society. This farm is a representation of reality rather than a superficial imagination.

Watching the performances brought me back to my first year of college when we once performed the play. The excitement and nervousness of the very first performance made us want to perform our best. The weeks of staying back in college, preparing scripts and finally doing practises were the beautiful days of mingling and knowing each other more.

On the auspicious day, the classroom was transformed into a farm with twigs, branches and leaves.  It wasn't a classroom anymore but rather it was "Mr Jones's farm". We even painted our faces according to the characters which was a small representation without needing much detail. The waiting in the corridor for your time to come and finally trying your best not just for your team but also for yourself. 

Today brought back a lot of memories and it was an engaging day where you excavate your talents and overcome fears confidently standing to represent your team. I hope this tradition of "Animal Farm Day" continues in the upcoming years. 

" Rabbi Ben Ezra" by Robert Browning

"Rabbi Ben Ezra" is a monologue where Browning addresses an unknown audience. This spiritual poem brings him closer to God. He has a lot of experience with the world and he is addressing the elderly who are also experienced a lot in this world. This poem is philosophical and paradoxical. 

He says young people have a spirit that pushes them forward to achieve success. Young people are merciless even to the point of being violent. They want every work to be done immediately and aren't very patient. 

As people grow in age they come to know that the desire they have is part of the human needs. God has provided according to their needs which helps them to accept their shortcomings. They are very capable of making decisions wisely due to their years of practice and wisdom.

At the end of the poem, he tells his observations regarding the people around him. He talks about the afterlife and continues by saying all people are part of a big absolute and everyone has to meet one day but they cannot see it yet. When maturity hits, the realisation occurs about this absolute that takes them closer to God. 

One's own experience teaches them to be satisfied with what they have and be grateful to God. Happiness and sadness are not in control of humans, but experiences teach us how to deal with both situations. 

Story: The captor

Have we ever given a story or piece of folklore a lot of thought? We have been exposed to stories like "Panchtantra," "Tenali Rama," and other mythology since we were young, but did we ever look for philosophy in them as kids? 

Abigail Tulenko wrote a fascinating piece titled "Folklore is Philosophy." Through the story, what can appear to be a philosophical conundrum can be clarified and guided in a far more straightforward way through a story.

Using a story to engage an entire class is more effective than introducing the study topic at the outset. The majority of minor students in their junior year of schooling can benefit from this method of drawing attention. Telling stories instead of presenting boring speeches, which quickly causes pupils to lose attention, makes studying more easier and interesting.

The mind is designed to store important things but without any interesting keynote, it automatically deletes all the files that are recorded. The story is like a deeply hidden folder that emerges as a story before revealing its essential information when it needs to be resurrected.

"Combing through Folklore, it is easy to find stories that map well on to our contemporary concerns"

 For instance, "The Tale of Panchtantra" is read to kids of all ages since it still has a reference to the present context. Children are taught moral principles through the reading of these stories. 

The story of " Tenali Raman" still runs in my memory even though years have passed. The title itself induced curiosity to go back and read once again. 

"Ancient tales have played a pivotal role in challenging previously unquestioned epistemic assumptions."

The assumptions that are considered the unspoken truth are challenged through the tales which was "empty or incorrectly defined".

These tales are historically connected to the culture of ancient times that has evolved a lot over centuries, spoken tales remain alive as they surpass the timelessness.

"Fahrenheit 451" by Ray Bradbury

The book "Fahrenheit451" explores a dystopian future world that takes place in or around 2052 AD. The first edition of this book appeared as "The Fireman" in Galaxy Science Fiction (magazine). In February 1951, it was first made available, and in 1953, the title was changed from "The Fireman" to Fahrenheit 451.

This book covers a wide range of topics, most of which are connected to the idea of pleasure and the technologically driven society. Instead of putting out flames, Fireman burns down houses that contain books in this world. The work of a firefighter is quite different from what we have known and experienced. 

The concept of equality is a delusion in which individuals' minds are equally tuned to prioritise pleasure over thought, utterly destroying their individuality and reducing them to a group of people with the same goal. The characters' lives in the book are so routine and dull that they are devoid of any unique emotions or thoughts.

The ability to think is destroyed by burning all the books and even people who rebel or seem unique to others are also burnt. We see them emotionally watching an old woman burn with her books. They relished the pleasure of burning books and hunting people and saw the entire process as a game. Firemen's historical details about them being distinguishing fire have even been altered and changed. Another figure, Beatty, provides insight into the past and how the world developed, revealing that people were the real cause of this "Hell" rather than any exterior force.

People's families are the walls they refer to as their "parlour," and they detest anything that has to do with emotions as it does not make them "happy."  The idea of happiness is selfish as it is bound to themselves and the instant happiness that they receive.

The names of technological objects are replaced with names that represent elements of nature, such as mechanical hounds, seashells, beetles, and so forth. The phoenix bird is compared to humans in a passage because both species create fires; the only distinction is that man starts the fire on purpose.

An additional element that stalks the characters—which they are unaware of—is loneliness and isolation. Despite being married for a year, the main character Montag and his spouse lack emotional ties, which makes them feel lonely even while they are together. When the discussion of children is brought up by ladies they mention a very disturbing idea of burden, because the kids impede their happiness, they are also viewed as a "burden." The lack of pain or sadness at the loss of family members also makes them seem so heartless.

This book serves as a warning to a future world where technology and human selfishness have taken over and turned Earth into a "Hell on Earth."

The creation

       

           "In the beginning,

      God created the heavens

             and the earth". 

This is the Bible's very first verse. This declaration represents the beginning of His creation up to the sixth day when He created man. To allow him to rest on the seventh day, he methodically planned each of his masterpieces over six days. 

When he first created the earth and heavens, the universe was entirely dark since light was later created to distinguish darkness from light. From a scientific perspective, the universe was created by an explosion, as described by the Big Bang theory. Light is regarded as day and darkness as night after the division of light and dark. 

He created various kinds of flora and fauna after dividing the land from the sea. The creation of the sun, moon, and stars, to give light during day and night. His words created all of His creation apart from humans.

                   "And God said..."

Since man was created in the image of God, he was given unique consideration among all other creations. Leaving the creation of man for last demonstrates how important it was to bring him into a completely created and comfortable planet. To prevent loneliness, he made a woman out of a man's ribs, and the two of them would care for his creation.

Man is never without anything since whatever he needs is given to him in one way or another. We disrespect his creation by wreaking havoc and upsetting the natural order. The destruction of forests, the depletion of soil fertility, water pollution, global warming, etc. These result from man's insatiable hunger and greed. More devastation equals more imbalance, which prompts nature to retaliate in its way.

Humans are given power, but it is the power to coexist with them, not to dominate them.

"What it means when a man falls from the sky" by Lesley Nneka Arimah

This short narrative opens with the mathematician Furcal and his newly found formula. A man falling from an aircraft caused a lot of criticism, therefore his granddaughter is defending his profession as the man falling is blamed upon the scientist for his finding a formula to plane. 

In this short narrative, the use of mathematics serves as a means of elucidating the feelings of the characters and relieving their suffering. A mathematician with expertise in measuring and treating pain is the main character. It functions similarly to a medical counsellor, here they calculate and eliminate grief using mathematics.

This is an intriguing short story that uses a unique technique to quantify emotions in the mind. We also witness the various relationships she discusses and how important a role they have had in moulding her.

When mathematicians suffer other people's loss, they begin to lose their minds, nearly to the point of talking to themselves and hallucinating. This is demonstrated concerning Nneoma's friend Kioni, who works in the same field. Naomi recognises that she could find herself in a similar circumstance at any moment. 

Through Nneoma's life, the significance of family is demonstrated in this short story. Until her mother passed away, Neoma had a joyful childhood; nonetheless, she also loses her father emotionally as a result of his overwhelming sadness. They couldn't close the large gap between them until the end of the short story but she often remembered and visited him. 

The power of memory is also demonstrated by a young child who doesn't have a name so we can see her as a voice of the refugees. "The girl" was left an orphan and a refugee in a foreign country after losing both her parents and brother. Even Neoma feels as though she is suffocating with the memory and pain the little girl bears.

This short story introduces us to several viewpoints on suffering and the potential that lies ahead. 

Bluebird by Bukowski

 During my conversation with my friend today, we frequently discussed our shared interests, and she brought up Charles Bukowski. She recommended this poem, which I thought was intriguing.

American poet Charles Bukowski is renowned for his honest and unvarnished work. The poem "Bluebird" expresses his unfiltered feelings. He speaks about finding optimism and beauty in the face of adversity. 

Bukowski juxtaposes the bird's symbolism of happiness and optimism with the brutal facts of life. The poem expresses the poet's difficulties in finding happy moments in a world full of misery. 

The poet claims that although the bluebird is hiding and longing to fly, he has kept it imprisoned inside of him. He pushes the bird down with whisky and smokes whenever the temptation to fly out arises, keeping the caged bird a secret. 

He makes every effort to keep the bird singing in its cage since he is aware of the harm the bird may cause if it were liberated. Despite everything, he ensures the bird's survival while maintaining their privacy.

This poetry can sometimes be related to because, like the poet who hides his feelings out of fear of hurting other people, we too frequently harbour pent-up feelings. Even though we could seem as though we've forgotten, those feelings are still there, piercing our awareness and staying hidden.

The Blackout

The absence of power last night brought back memories of the time a cyclone struck in December, leaving us without power for a full day and a half. The room was quite bright throughout the day when there was some natural light, but it gradually became darker as time passed.

Since no one in the building had access to the internet or even a phone charger, everyone was lounging around doing nothing. Up until that point, I was aware that phones are a necessary part of our everyday lives, but the whole extent of the addiction hit home to me in that instant. 

People began to slowly emerge from their rooms and congregate in clusters, huddled close to one another. In a very short time, from never having spoken to one another, everyone becomes amiable and at ease around each other.

We five got together in one room and gradually got to know one another. Without any electronic disruption, the atmosphere in the room quickly became lively. We switched to oil lamps as the emergency lights went out, which had an aesthetic effect.

Dinnertime arrived, so we assembled all the ingredients we could find in our room and began preparing several dishes as a group. The room came alive with the sound of the ukulele mixed with voices after a lavish meal. Numerous songs that were sung both solo and in chorus uplifted our spirits.

We are no longer strangers because of the deeper memory that unites us all, notwithstanding the consolation that that modest union of strangers brought.

"Angels and Demons" by Dan brown

"Dan Brown's intriguing and gripping book "Angels and Demons" follows symbolist Robert Langdon as he looks into a murder and discovers the existence of the long-lost secret society known as the "Illuminati." This novel revolves around anti-matter which is very similar to the big-bang theory.

The novel explores the concept of truth as it relates to both science and religion. The subject of faith, reason, and their connection has long been at the centre of this conflict. "Antimatter," which was developed to demonstrate God's presence through science, becomes the novel's central conflict.

Another recurring topic in the novel is the pursuit of power. It turns out that all of these sacrifices were made to uphold and demonstrate the power. Their deaths are justified by manipulating the 'Word of God', which goes against their faith. The ordinary is manipulated by the power.

To convey the hidden meaning, symbols are used. The entire book reads like a puzzle; the more riddles it has, the more fascinating results are revealed. The symbols are depicted authentically, resulting in a visual feast that incorporates ancient architecture and sculptures.

Although the concept of "anti-matter," also referred to as God particle, was admirable, there are concerns about the potential for catastrophe. 

The fun fact is the entire book is just one day event. Conspiracy theories added intrigue to the book, and the author's writing style kept the reader guessing right up until the very end.

The role of gender

There have been roles that are specific to men and women since the dawn of society. They have an identity because of these roles, but it is limited to the four walls of women's existence. According to Simone de Beauvoir, "One is not born a woman, one becomes one" in her book "The Second Sex". The idea of womanhood that was imposed upon them was summed up in this phrase.

The Bible says that women are made of a man's ribs. This doesn't mean that women are less valuable than men; rather, it means that women are meant to be a man's companion. Men are inherently the family's primary provider, while women are the carers, however, this does not limit their gender roles. Looking further into history reveals that women bear the load of suffering in silence rather than having a voice for themselves. 

When a lady became a widow, sati was once done; but what happens if a man's wife passes away? He marries another woman with ease. Does patriarchy operate in this way? Even if it may not be relevant now, there are still many patriarchal societies that prevent women from advancing in their lives. When girls reach legal age, they are married off, whether voluntarily or not. Let's examine another reasoning that society holds: if a woman has an affair, she has lost her chastity; nevertheless if a guy has the same affair, it represents his definition of manhood. Isn't this picture strange if we simply ignore gender and realize that both of them are human beings with the right to be treated equally?

There are still concerns about how women are represented in the entertainment sector as a whole. In movies, women are usually shown as a trophy to help the main character. It is quite disheartening that there aren't many powerful female characters who elevate the male characters. While a song is played we find women being objectified to satisfy the male gaze. This was a trend in movies where they had at least one 'item' song where women would be half-naked dancing. Is this how society pictures a woman and her identity?

We claim that society has advanced greatly, but where is the progress if these practices persist, if girls still need to struggle to receive an education, or if girls continue to be found dead for unknown reasons or commit suicide as a result of pressure to meet their obligations? Women's emotional sensitivity is both their strength and a weakness; if it wavers even a little, it can become an Achilles' heel. We still need to work for a change and wait for the magic of the 'butterfly effect'.

"The Freaks" by Kamala Das

Is love a necessity in marriage?

One of the poems from "Summer in Calcutta" is titled "The Freaks". As a confessional poet, Kamala Das expresses her discontent in her marital relationship. She married early, even before she was able to understand what she desired. She writes of giving herself over to her spouse so he can abuse and take advantage of her sexually. The poem's themes include a lack of affection and a submissive, strange sexual behaviour.

She gives an account of her perception of him at the opening of the poem. She does not seem to be feeling love for her spouse in the description, which could be because she is not getting any emotional response from him. The man's view of himself as superior than that of an equal, signifying patriarchy, is evident. She searches for even the hint of affection in his touch, but he is just motivated by sexual desire, so she is left feeling let down and focuses on her desire just like him as she calls herself "freak". She accepts herself without being partial.

                            "The heart, 

               An empty cistern, waiting

            Through long hours, fills itself

             With coiling snakes of silence..."

Her heart is visible to be empty, devoid of all emotions but resentment, although it ought to be full of love and affection. In her married life, love is not real; rather, it is merely a trap that she is caught in. She is devoid of all affection and has a monotonous, mechanical life. She presents a negative picture of a couple who aren't in love which is quite opposite to the portrayal of a  relationship.

Now it brings back to the question " Is love really a necessity in marriage or is it just an utopian concept?" It's an image that needs to be pondered upon.

Tale of the wise and foolish virgin

"Watch, therefore, for you know neither the day nor the hour in which the son of man is coming" (Mathew 25:13)

Parables are a very powerful tool for meaning-conveying. Jesus told a parable to get his message across to the listeners. Jesus used words to construct pictures that made people draw judgements and pass judgment. The reader deciphers the story's meaning, which enhances its effectiveness.

We learn the value of time from the parable of the wise and foolish virgin. Ten virgins, or bridesmaids, were waiting for the bridegroom to be taken to the wedding by escort. While the five, who were foolish, did not pack oil, the other five carried additional oil to light their lamp. Five of them had oil when the bridegroom arrived, so they went ahead along with the groom, while the other five went off in quest of oil. When they retired, it was already too late.

This parable serves as a warning to everyone who is still unprepared and sleeping in a spiritual state.  At the last second, they scatter like a headless chicken. To ensure that nothing can ever topple the foundation, the faith must be as strong as a pillar. Exam preparation is similar to an aggressive preparation process: if you study hard, you'll pass with flying colours, but if you don't, you'll fail. Since the five wise virgins had a vision and plan, we must have the vision to proceed forward to avoid any obstacles.

There are many opportunities to get lost in the dark in this world we live in. If not for that small light and excess oil that is already in store, it would be easy to be engulfed in the abyss of darkness.

Insomanic monster

Sleep is a phenomenon that all of us do effortlessly but there are a lot of people who can not sleep due to a lot of physical as well as psychological problems. Some are caused by traumas which are replayed in the form of nightmares and some may be due to stress and other work pressures. We have a lot of people among ourselves who are unable to sleep at night we tend to call them "night owls" but it's a natural choice. They tend to rest during the day and work during the night. 

Have we ever thought about what would happen if we did not sleep for a few days? A lot of people tend to work continuously for a long period but without any rest. If a baby does not sleep during their scheduled time they get cranky and cry till they are put to nap. This even happens to adults as they tend to become very sensitive. Recently I came across a sleep experiment that was conducted during World War and it made me think that can humans turn unrecognisable if not for proper rest. Experiments are usually conducted on animals but here they are conducted on humans. At the end of the experiment, they looked unrecognizable and almost lost their mind making them violent which led to them killing each other. Now people started to copy this without any external influence which is shocking.

Thinking back doctors always suggest that a person should have at least six to eight hours of rest but in this present fast-moving world we tend to sleep fewer hours. People are working all day without any rest and at night they stay awake till late watching their gadgets which has become a habit. Once the routine becomes a habit it is very difficult to change which disrupts the sleep patterns.

Sleep is a neglected and avoided topic as it's not considered important anymore but happens to be one good treatment for a lot of physical and mental problems. When a person follows a routine and has a proper rest their entire day happens to be energetic rather than a lethargic and lazy day.  Some patterns need to be revisited and followed for a healthy lifestyle.

Tale vs adaptation

Adaptations of the fairy tales all seem so nostalgic as they bring back our childhood days. We have watched lots of adaptations like Cinderella, Beauty and the Beast, Sleeping Beauty and so on. Sometimes even though there are new versions of the same story we tend to go back to the original one and it remains our all-time favorite.

Today I will discuss a Japanese animated movie called "Bubble". This movie is an adaptation of Little Mermaid's tragic story. When we hear about a fairy tale it often starts with 'once upon a time...' and ends with 'and they lived happily ever after'. We are tuned to only listen and watch stories which have a happy ending. The other reason may be because fairy tales are part of children's literature so it's mostly a story that is dedicated to children.

Even though the fairy tale we know is a 'happy' one there is also another version of the story that is tragic. Most of the plot remains the same apart from the ending. This Japanese movie brought out that realistic element in a very different plot line. The plot does not have any connection to the little mermaid fairy tale apart from the references they often mention in the movie. 

The plot of this movie is a unique one, even though the ending is predictable the story is compelling to watch till the end. The story begins with an introduction of a few teenagers along with two adults living in a stranded city. Their city was once flooded with bubbles that burst over some time and the land was filled with the water body disrupting the gravity. They spend most of their time playing games that are quite dangerous but it is their coping mechanism. The movie takes a turn when a girl appears in their life. She is a quirky character who happens to be attached to one boy whom she calls 'prince'. There are a lot of elements that turn the plot accordingly. The theme of friendship is highlighted here as how the teamwork of two people helps them with a game in the movie. The setting displays an almost destroyed city that might drown at any moment in the water completely. The remaining dwellers refuse to leave the place as it holds an emotional sentiment. There are a lot of mysterious and supernatural elements.

This movie promotes co-existence as we find only a few people staying in a stranded city but they all get together to help and support each other. The aesthetic view and the music in the movie are also very engaging till the end. 

A literary journey on "Sweat" by Lynn Nottage

"Sweat" by Lynn Nottage explores the lives of the American working class in a post-industrial town. Lynn Nottage is a renowned American playwright and screenwriter. She is known for powerful and socially relevant works, such as " Intimate Apparel" and " Ruined" which won a Pulitzer award in the field of drama. She usually explores the themes of race, class and gender contributing significantly to contemporary theatre.

The play "Sweat" delves into the economic hardships, friendship and racial tensions faced by the characters in the play. This play received critical acclaim for its powerful storytelling and depiction of societal issues. The play revolves around two central characters Tracy and Cynthia who are factory workers. We dive through the various dynamics of working-class society.

Characters of the play:

• Tracy: Factory worker who has spent her life in town, facing economic struggles and insecurities. 
• Cynthia: Tracy's friend works alongside her in the factory and is dealing with similar problems.
• Chris: Cynthia's son
• Stan: A bartender and a former factory worker.
• Jason: A young man around the same age as Chris.

This play focuses on the economic struggles due to their loss of jobs that impact their livelihood. The instability of the society is picturised through the eyes of the play.

We also see the friendship between Cynthia and Tracy becoming strained due to the economic pressure that has slowly started to affect their personal life too.

The play addresses racial tensions within the working-class community, exploring how economic hardships can exacerbate existing divides and lead to conflicts.

The play also focuses on the younger generation especially their goals and future emotions through the portrayal of the younger generation that is Chris and Jason.

This play suggests a cyclic rotation of despair that revolves around them.

Amidst the challenges the play also touches upon the themes of hope where the characters strive to find meaning and purpose in life.

A trip to Mount

Having a lot of work to do makes you want to escape the piling amount of work for a short period. This trip was a short escape from the bustling moment that turned out to be ethereal. The timing of the trip was wrong as it was a sunny afternoon when the sun was on my head. My friend Theresa had been wanting to drag me to that place since December but all we did was postpone the trip but the the afternoon we just decided to go which all of a sudden was a very good decision. 

St. Thomas Mount is the place where Jesus disciple was killed. There is a church built on top of the mountain. This church may not be very huge but it has a lot of uniqueness embedded within. First of all, we find a sculpture portraying an expecting Mary with Jesus in her womb. I have visited quite a few churches and chapels and found such a visual for the first time. Some  believers came to pray and spend time in the presence of God which was a pleasant feeling.

In a world where everyone is running, it's a very moment of peace to pause, wait and think. One thing that made me think was some people enter the church, went in front prayed for a few seconds and left. Can a prayer be done that fast? I am not questioning any belief system its just made me think and reflect because we go to church for something that we need and want, but how many of us go to worship and thank for all the blessings known and unknown that we received ? Hmm, a good thought to ponder upon.

The places also had other sculptures that showed a very brief life of St Thomas. There were pictures of the remaining disciples of Jesus who went to different places to spread the gospels and each of them had a brutal death. 

St. Thomas Mount is known for its viewpoint, as it is on a mountain top we can see the entire city. The view of the city was so packed and we can hear the bustling sound if strained our ears. The mountain top was silent and lot of families were sitting outside relaxing and spending time with each other. It's a very beautiful sight to be visited.

A past called school

 

A school is a place where we begin our journey. Years have passed since the last time stepped out of the threshold of my school. It was a fleeting moment that might never come back how much ever we wish for. Thoughts of those old days passed like movie scenes. The bright corridors with CCTV cameras, the chaotic school grounds, the quiet library and the lively classroom. The birthday wishes and distribution of sweets to friends and all the teachers. The cutting of cake for teachers and giving cards as well as pens for teachers' day along with various stage programs which include imitation or mimicry of our favourite teachers. On children's day despite being a half day with no classes we used to go to school for Haldiram's sweets box and muffins. The school competitions like elocution in Hindi and English language, poster making, drawing competitions and so on. The fire drill every year was an interesting event that was never been practically applicable and hope it stays that way. The punishments and imposition for not answering in class remind me specifically of my dear teacher who has now retired but still hopes to meet again.  Annual and sports day are another set of chaos but it was an event we all look forward to enthusiastically both teachers as well as students. It would mostly be dressing up as a tree or a chicken as a prop but it never gave a sense of inferiority as they also had an important role. The bright colourful clothes, being dressed as a man, wearing weird and heavy makeup was embarrassing then but now when I think about it it's quite funny. 

Despite all this, my favourite spot was the library as it was the most quiet and peaceful place in the entire school. My library teacher always invited me with open arms providing lots of book suggestions and helping me choose interesting books to read. I even remember bunking classes just to sit there and read which I should not be proud of but I don't regret those moments. I still vividly remember borrowing books from the library mostly novels and reading between classes. It was those beautiful days that made me feel alive.

I believe that everyone at one point in their life would think back to their school days. No matter how beautiful the current life is there were special stories to those school days. There may be beautiful as well as tragic stories connected to that phase of life but it is undeniable that school gave us a foundation that is very strong even to let us build a monument on an unstable ground.