1st PUC English Notes | Oru Manushyan

4. Oru Manushyan

-Vaikom Muhammad Basheer

Translated from Malayalam by V Abdulla titled ‘A Man’

Glossary:

Vague : strange

Predicament : perplexing or dangerous situation

Befall : to happen or occur

Rescues : saves

Notions : a thought, idea

Dingy : gloomy/drab

Gouge : chisel with blade/ cut out roughly

Stark : completely/ bare

Intact : not damaged, remaining uninjured

Insignificant : unimportant

Comprehension:

1. How far was the big city from the narrator's home-town?

The big city was some thousand five hundred miles away from the narrator's home-town.

2. Where did the narrator stay in the big city?

The narrator lived in a big city in the valley of a mountain and he stayed in that city in a very small dingy room on a dirty street and carried on teaching profession.

3. For money people would do anything, even commit murder.

4. What was the narrator doing to earn a living?

The narrator taught the skill of writing addresses to migrant labourers from nine-thirty till eleven in the night.

5. ________ was considered great education there. 

Learning to write an address in English.

6. What reason did the narrator give for sleeping all day and having food in the evening?

The narrator slept whole day and woke up in the evening to have his meal because he wanted to save the expense of drinking his morning tea and eating noon meal.

7. How much money did the narrator have in his pocket as his life's savings?

The narrator had fourteen rupees in his wallet as his life's savings.

8. The man who came forward to pay the narrator's bill was _____

A man with a red turban.

Comprehension: II

1. Describe the people and the place where the incident took place.

The writer Vaikom Mohammad Basheer is a well known Malayalam short story writer and novelist. He gives description of a very gloomy atmosphere where the incident took place. Author stayed in a very small, dingy room on a dirty street, where he taught the skill of writing addresses to migrant labourers. He had a very vague notion about human beings. He considers that people around him are notorious and cruel and their main aim was to get money by fair or foul means. Murder, robbery and pick pocketing was daily occurrences of that place. By tradition, the people were professional soldiers who migrated to distant places and lent out money on interest. Many others served as watchmen in banks, mills and large commercial establishments in big cities. They valued money more than anything. For money they would do anything, even commit murder. Most of them were sadist who seeked pleasure by hurting or humiliating other people.

2. What was the routine of the narrator in the city?

The writer Vaikom Mohammad Basheer is a well known Malayalam short story writer and novelist. He is known for his sympathetic portrayal of the joys and sorrows of ordinary life. The narrator stayed in a small, dingy room on a dirty street. He made his living by teaching English to some migrant labourers from 9:30 to 11 in the night. He taught them to write the addresses in English. Just to avoid the expense of morning tea and afternoon meals, he slept whole day and woke up only at four in the evening. This was his daily routine.

3. Give an account of the embarrassing experience of the narrator at the restaurant.

OR

4. A stranger saved the day for the narrator. How?

The writer Vaikom Mohammad Basheer is a well known Malayalam short story writer and novelist. He is known for his sympathetic portrayal of the joys and sorrows of ordinary life. One day the author went out to have tea and meal. He was in a suit and had fourteen rupees in his wallet. The bill amounted to eleven annas. But when he checked his pocket, he was shocked to find that his wallet was missing. The narrator found himself caught in a dangerous situation. The owner of the restaurant thought that he was lying and threatened him to gouge his eyes and ordered him to take off his coat, shirt, shoe and finally trousers. The narrator thought that the owner would chisel his eyes out and send him naked. But he was rescued by a stranger who was a tall handsome man with red turban, and wearing white trousers. He had blue eyes which was common in that place. The man paid the bill and told him to put on his clothes. On enquiring, the man said that he had no name and thus remained a stranger. In this way the stranger saved the day for the narrator.

Comprehension: III

1. Does this story talk about transformation in a person? Discuss.

The writer Vaikom Mohammad Basheer is a well known Malayalam short story writer and novelist. He is known for his sympathetic portrayal of the joys and sorrows of ordinary life. Yes, this story is about the transformation of a pick-pocketer into a more considerate and humane person. The author in a far off place from his native land is struggling to earn his bread. Sometimes he foregoes his morning tea and afternoon lunch to cut his expenses. It so happens one evening after consuming a full meal and a cup of tea he realizes that his wallet that contained fourteen rupees was missing. This was followed by threats from the restaurant keeper. When he was on the verge of getting stripped, a fair complexioned man, six foot tall, with a red turban and white trousers with blue eyes and handle-bar moustache appeared as a God-man to save him. He pays the eleven annas and takes the author to a deserted bridge. There he asks him to pick his wallet among the five wallets he had flicked. By experiencing this pathetic incident, the author changes his pessimistic notion and becomes more considerate and flexible and concludes that the robbers too have a heart and is flexible in his thoughts and consideration.

2. Do you think the restaurant keeper was over reacting when the narrator could not pay the bill? If so, what accounts for his behavior?

The writer Vaikom Mohammad Basheer is a well known Malayalam short story writer and novelist. He is known for his sympathetic portrayal of the joys and sorrows of ordinary life. The inhabitants of the big city in the valley of a mountain were cruel and known for robbery, pick-pocketing and murder. Money was highly valued by them. They would even commit murder for money. It so happened that the narrator took up a profession of teaching English to migrant labourers in that place. To save the expense he would forego his morning tea and noon lunch. One evening as usual he went to a crowded restaurant and ate a full meal and drank tea. But to his horror he realizes his wallet has been picked by someone. He conveys to the owner of the restaurant about the same. The restaurant keeper with a loud laughter caught him by the lapels of his coat and cried out loudly saying that such tricks would not work there and if he fails to pay the bill, his eyes would be gouged out. Here the restaurant keeper was a little over-reacting and drawing the attention of the crowd. He was rude and his act was a humiliating one when he decided to strip the author and gouge his eyes.

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