“More Sinned against than Sinning” (Short Story by Umm-e-Ummara) Summary

“More Sinned against than Sinning”

                                                             by Umm-e-Ummara

“More Sinned against than Sinning” is an Urdu short story translated into English by Vishwamitter Adhil and Alok Bhalla. The story is written in first person and narrated by Munni Bitiya (Bibi). The title is taken from William Shakespeare famous tragic play King Lear where the titular character makes this utterance. The phrase means that though someone may be guilty of wrongdoing, they think themselves as the victim of a more serious wrong.

“More Sinned against than Sinning” talks about the violence and the destruction of Munni Bitiya’s family, because of her father’s decision of taking the family to Dhaka much against the wishes of the other family members. Though the action of the story takes place a few years after the Partition, the enmity between the two communities still existed, and both tried to destroy the other.

Munni Bitiya and and her family live in Patna, where their mother takes care of every household necessities efficiently. Their father visits them occasionally. Munni’s elder sister is married; she has an elder brother (Bade Bhaiya), younger brother and two younger sisters: Rani and Baby.

Munni’s life is very peaceful, under the efficient hands of her mother. She loves her father and feels happy to see him. The children are well-educated and live a comfortable life. During one visit, Baba tells them that they have to move to Bangladesh because of the political condition. Meanwhile, Bade Bhaiya marries a woman named Pakhi. She is a lovely woman and adopts the language, ritual and traditions of her husband’s family.

Bade Bhaiya is a man who is ready to forget his past and hopes for a bright future in the new land. Then the family leaves for Dhaka and Munni goes to the university. Bade Bhaiya leaves for Phoolbari with his family. Munni’s younger brother takes active part in the politics of the country and frequently gets arrested, much to the dismay of Amma and Baba. When Amma was on her deathbed, she had neither of her sons near her. After Amma’s death, Munni gets an opportunity to visit her brother and his family in Phoolbari.

Phoolbari was a very beautiful village, rich in greenery. Munni was able to rekindle her childhood love for flowers. Pakhi was cheerful always and her brother too looked like a Bengali. They adopted the lifestyle of the land, but still the scar of the partition was so deep. One day, Phoolbari was set to fire and the entire family, except Munni were burnt to death; even Amma’s grave was destroyed and her body floated on water.

The story gives a subtle description of the impact of Partition in the separated regions. The title is justified by the burning of Phoolbari, where Munni silently feels that she is responsible for the death of her brother’s family and also she considers herself a victim. This is because she has to live with the burden of witnessing the entire family’s death. Life itself is a punishment for Munni henceforth. 

"Homework" (Poem by Allen Ginsberg) Summary

"Homework" by Allen Ginsberg

Allen Ginsberg was a famous American writer, born in 1926. He was the founder of the Beat Generation. His poet usually discusses the problems in the society. The poem "Homework" begins with a homage to Kenneth Koch, another contemporary famous writer. This poem is about the cleansing of the world and to make the entire planet pollution- free. The poet uses 'washing' metaphor and puts forth his opinions about the cleansing of the world.

The poet begins by washing the dirty Iran and the United States as there is always war between the two countries. He wants to soap and scrub Africa and restore the animals and bats back into the jungle. He wants to wash the Amazon river in South America and clean the oil spills from Caribbean Sea and the Gulf of Mexico. These two places have several oil rigs; hence the pollution of water due to oil spills.

He moves to the North Pole to rub the smog out of it. The poet focuses on the pollution of air water and land resources next. He talks about cleaning the oil circulating pipelines in Alaska. Rocky Flats was the place where the spare parts for nuclear bombs were made; Atom bomb was created in Los Alamos. The poet wants to cleanse these places from nuclear pollution and atomic wastes; Caesium is a sparkly gold colour liquid-metal which was disposed in large quantity by a chemical factory in love canal Niagara Falls.

The Greek Goddess Athena's temple is in Parthenon, Greece. Due to the acid rain, the heritage site is losing its beauty just like the Sphinx in Egypt. Sewage wastes have been directed into different Oceans and Ponds all over the world polluting the water bodies. The poet wants to cleanse the Mediterranean basin and colour the sky blue over river Rhine. He talks about cleansing river Hudson, Thames and Neckar and Lake Erie all of which were dangerously polluted due to human activities.

            Then he wants to throw the whole of Asia into the washing machine and clean the Agent Orange sprayed in Vietnam during the Vietnam War by the US soldiers. The poet moves on to throw Russia and China in the wringer. He also talks about the atrocities of US Central American police state. He lays stress on the cleansing of the planet and so, he says that it he wishes to put the whole planet inside the dryer for 20 minutes or for a thousand years until it comes out clean. Thus, the poet discusses about the cleansing of the world, by strongly putting forth the political problems and pollution associated with the places.

Thank You M'am (Short story by Langston Hughes) Summary

Langston Hughes was a 20th century American writer, best known as the leader of the Harlem Renaissance. James Mercer Langston Hughes was born in 1901 in Missouri. Thank You M’am is a short story about forgiveness and compassion.

The story begins with Roger, a teenager of 14 or 15 years, snatching the purse of Mrs Luella Bates Washington Jones. Mrs Jones is portrayed as a tough and brave woman who walks home at 11 o’clock in the night. Roger is a naive, adolescent boy who tries to steal Mrs Jones’ purse because he wants to buy a pair of blue suede shoes.

Mrs Jones, instead of punishing the boy, drags him to her home and makes him wash his dirty face. She pities Roger as there is no one to take care of him. Roger feels scared that Mrs Jones might take him to the police. So initially, he keeps looking for an opportunity to escape from the house.

Mrs Jones does not ask any personal questions to embarrass Roger. Instead, she tells about her young stage when she could not afford what she had wanted. She also had committed unspoken crimes during her youth and she advises him not to do the same.

When Roger realises that Mrs Jones is not punishing him, he stays back and makes sure not to break her trust. Mrs Jones goes to the kitchen to prepare some food for them. She no longer watches Roger, despite leaving the purse near him. They both trust one another due to the forgiveness and compassion shown by Mrs Jones. Then, Mrs Jones and Roger have supper. When it is time for him to leave, she asks him to behave well. She also gives him a $10 bill to buy the blue suede shoes that he wanted. Thus, this story shows the importance of trust, forgiveness and compassion.

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Exile (Partition Short Story by Jamila Hashmi) Summary

Exile is an Urdu short story written by Jamila Hashmi and translated into English by Alok Bhalla. The story traces the effects of the rape and abduction of women, in association to the partition of India.

The narrator is a young woman who was abducted by Gurpal, her now husband, during the partition of India. She is the nameless protagonist of the story and commonly addressed by everyone as Bibi. The partition of India resulted in a lot of violence and bloodshed. It involved the rape, kidnap, mutilation and murder of several Hindu and Muslim women. Bibi is one such Muslim woman who belonged to the other side of the country. After the tragic incident, she keeps thinking of her past and her childhood memories. She feels sad about the unexpected separation from her family and longs to be united with them.

Bibi’s parents were murdered by Gurpal. He had forcefully raped Bibi and dragged her to Sangraon to be his slave-wife. Bibi does not know what had happened to her brother and sister-in-law and keeps hoping for their arrival.Bibi is initially treated like a slave by Gurpal and his grandmother Badi Ma.

Later on, as years pass, Gurpal treats her with respect like a wife and Badi Ma also feels proud of the skills and beauty of her Bahu (daughter-in-law). One day, during Dusshera, Badi Ma asks Gurpal to take Bibi and the children to the Fair. Dusshera reminds Bibi about her past and she compares herself to Sita and her husband Gurpal to Ravana.

Munni, her daughter, keeps asking her questions during the Fair. She also says that her friend Swaroop received a soft, silk dress for Diwali, as gift from her Mama. So, Munni enquires her mom, if she has a Mama, who would send her gifts. Bibi is devastated by the questions, as she is once again reminded of her brother.

Her two sons and her daughter Munni feel very tired and so they halt for some time. Gurpal comments that, women are so careless that they forget and lose their children during the Fair, watching Ramlila. Bibi replies that children get lost even outside the Fair, referring to her past. This scene shows the deep impact of her rape and abduction still so fresh in her mind. The psychological trauma associated with the terrors of partition still haunts the young women who had fallen prey to it. Bibi hopes for her brother to come and take her back home.

After the abductions during the partition, both the governments in India and Pakistan initiate the repatriation of stranded women from both the sides. One day, soldiers arrive at Sangraon to take the abducted women back to their natives. Badi Ma and Gurpal are worried that Bibi would leave them. But, on seeing the soldiers, Bibi hides inside the house as she fears that her body is polluted and she might not be accepted by her family. She considers her daughter Munni as an obstacle for her to unite with her family. She cannot leave her present family abruptly and so she accepts her new situation and adapts to it. Thus, the story reveals how partition and its aftermath are like a permanent scar in the life of Bibi. She has no way to find peace, except, finally accepting the house of Ravana as her home

A Handful of Dates by Tayeb Salih

A Handful of Dates is a short story written by Tayeb Salih, a renowned 20th century Sudanese writer. This story was translated into English by Denys Johnson – Davies. It is a story about exploitation, greed and injustice. It traces how the narrator, as a young boy gets epiphany about his grandfather in his childhood.

The story begins with the narrator recollecting his childhood memory with his grandfather. He adores his grandfather who is also a respectable man in their village. The narrator is so good at memorising verses from the Koran, which the children of his age did not prefer. The narrator does everything possible to please his grandfather. He accompanies his grandfather wherever he goes.

One day, the narrator’s grandfather explains how he had come to the village with nothing and at present half the land in the village is his. The narrator asks his grandfather about a man named Masood. His grandfather does not like the mention of his name and says that he is an irresponsible man. He also states that the land which belongs to them was previously inherited by Masood from his father.  But, Masood had lost almost all his property to his grandfather, because of his ignorance and multiple marriages. The grandfather believes that Masood will not be able to repay the debt that he owes and soon the entire property can be taken. The narrator is shocked by the greed and exploitation done by his grandfather.

The next day, Masood invites his grandfather to the farms for date palm harvest. During the harvest, nobody cares about Masood’s presence or his instructions but treat the narrator’s grandfather with respect. The young boy pities Masood and feels bad for him. Many eat the harvested dates and his grandfather too, gives the narrator a handful of dates. The narrator chews them, but as he sees Masood, he feels that he is eating something that actually belongs to him. The grandfather tells Masood that he still owes him 50 pounds. When the narrator hears that, he feels guilty and also disgusted by the way his grandfather is exploiting Masood.

The narrator continues his walk back home with his grandfather, but with a change in his mind. He now hated his grandfather. By eating the dates, he felt like taking part with his grandfather in exploiting Masood. So he put his finger inside his throat and spit the dates out. This action shows how he does not want to be like his grandfather and gets a realisation about the injustice that the grandfather has been doing to a poor man in their village.

 

The Doll’s House (1922) by Katherine Mansfield

            Katherine Mansfield was born in New Zealand in 1888. She was a famous short story writer well known for her The Garden Party and A Cup of Tea. She passed away at the age of 34 in 1923, because of Tuberculosis.

            The Doll’s House is a short story about the class discrimination prevailing in the minds of children and adults. The story opens with Mrs Hay gifting a beautiful doll’s house to the Burnell children. The Burnells are wealthy people and they have three daughters namely Isabel, Lottie and Kezia.

            The school has all classes of students ranging from the richest to the poorest. The Kelveys are the poorest and nobody knows the whereabouts of Mr Kelvey. It is assumed that he is in the prison. Mrs Kelvey makes little income by working as a washerwoman in the neighbourhood. She borrows the excess curtain clothes and table clothes to stitch dresses for daughters Lil and Else. Lil is a plump girl with freckles and Else is a tiny girl who never speaks. The children and the teachers in the school do not speak with the little Kelveys.

            The Burnell children consider the doll’s house as an asset. So, they seek permission to their parents to show the doll’s house to the children in the school. Isabel, the eldest, is bossy and decides who should see the doll’s house first. So, all the girls in the school try to be nice with the Burnells to make sure that they are taken to see the house first.

            The youngest girl Kezia loves the lamp in the doll’s house, the best. She feels that, it looks like a real lamp. Few days have passed and all the girls in the school have seen the doll’s house, except the Kelveys. Kezia wishes to show the doll’s house even to the poor Kelveys.

One day, Kezia sees the little Kelveys crossing her house. So, she invites them to see the doll’s house. The girls refuse initially, but Kezia insists them to have a quick look. Lil and Else see the doll’s house and are just admiring it when Aunt Beryl chases the little girls away like chickens. She scolds Kezia for having invited the Kelveys.

The story comes to an end with Else exclaiming about the beauty of the lamp inside the doll’s house. The story shows how the younger generation are ready to accept others irrespective of differences. On the other hand, the rich adults try their best to instigate class consciousness in the minds of the younger generation. Thus, Katherine Mansfield portrays the attitude of the rich people in the society.

The Skylight Room (1906) by O. Henry

 

O. Henry is the pen name of William Sydney Porter, a famous American short story writer. He was born in 1862 and has written several short stories like The Last Leaf, The Gift of the Magi and The Ransom of the Red Chief. His stories are famous for the surprise endings.

This short story, The Skylight Room, traces the life of a young woman named Miss Elsie Leeson, who struggles because of poverty and unemployment. The young woman seeks the boarding house rented by Mrs Parker. But, Mrs Parker loves only to have elite people in her boarding house. She treats the poor people indignantly and to them her coloured maid Clara shows the rooms.

Along with Miss Leeson, there live men and women from different walks of life in the boarding house. All the men love Miss Leeson for her cheerfulness and positive nature. The young women Miss Dorn and Miss Longnecker are jealous of Miss Leeson for the attention she receives from the men.

Miss Leeson is a tiny, beautiful woman with long hair. She is always happy and occasionally sits on the stairs to chat with the other boarders. She lives in a compact skylight room. The skylight room is rented for $2, and that is the smallest room in the boarding house. Miss Leeson usually comes with a bunch of papers and a huge typewriter. She lies on her bed and enjoys the beautiful view of the sky and the stars. She loves one particular star and names it as Billy Jackson.

The next day, during their regular conversation, she speaks about her newly named star. On hearing this Miss Longnecker, a public school teacher, laughs at her ignorance and lists down the information about that star. But, the men are more amused by the name given by Miss Leeson.

One evening, Miss Leeson returns hungry and exhausted after having looked for job, for the past few days.  Mr Hoover, a fat and old boarder proposes her and she slaps him. She walks to her room and lies down hungry on her bed. She is completely exhausted of looking for job and is extremely hungry. In her starvation, she looks at Billy Jackson and thanks the star for giving her positive attitude and happiness always. Finally, she waves the star farewell and passes out (becomes unconscious). The next day, Mrs Parker reluctantly calls the ambulance. The ambulance doctor named William Jackson, rushes to the skylight room, carries Miss Leeson and leaves to the hospital.

The narrator ends the story, by reading a news item from the newspaper, stating the survival of the starving patient from No. 49, East Street, referring to Miss Leeson. This story discusses how a young woman had been suffering from unemployment, poverty and hunger, but still managed to keep up her spirit positive and cheerful.