Prose
1. Father, Dear Father (Raj Kinger)
6. Match any four of the following words in column A with their meanings/definitions in column B (4×1=4)
| 1. transgression | Doing wrong violation of a code |
| 2. Pythagoras | Greek philosopher and mathematician |
| 3. Pythagoras Theorem | Square of hypotenuse of right-angled triangle is equal to sum of square on the two sides |
| 4. muse | Reflect, think over |
| 5. ancillary | Secondary, additional |
| 6. fibbing | Telling a trival life |
| 7. Tospy-Turvy | Upside down |
| 8. highly strung | Nervous and easily upset |
| 9. nervy | Nervous, rude |
| 10. harbinger | Something that foretells the coming of something |
| 11. cross | annoyed, angry |
| 12. Hypotenuse | term used in geometry |
| 13. prattles | repeats meaninglessly |
| 14. traverse | travel across |
| 15. adamant | unyielding, inflexible |
| 16. atstake | at risk to be lost |
| 17. anguished | expressing great mental pain |
1. Answer the following in about 100 words each [2 x 4 = 8 Marks]
a. What does the boy think of his grandparents in his letter?
b. Write a paragraph on the present-day education system as
described in Rahul’s letter?
c. What is the attitude of teaches towards learners as illustrated in
Father, Deer Father?
d. What is the significance of the postscript to the text in Father
Deer Father?
The lesson “Father, Dear Father” is written by Raj kinger. He writes for the press, Father, Dear father is an article published in the English daily The Hindu.
Father, Dear Father is an effective thought-provoking on the commentary on the education system prevailing now. It highlights the defects in the mindsets of parents, learners, teachers, and government bodies. The short write-up is in the form of a letter to a father.
Rahul is a class topper in his school, his first rank slips to the second. He write a letter to his father raising several questions about our education system. He believes that education should give a feel of life. The son explains to his father that whatever he learns in school has no practical application. The word comma ‘think’ makes him reflect on several issues including many pitfalls in our education systems. As his rose plant almost died, he asked his biology teacher what he should do, to save it and she was cross. The teacher did not think Rahul’s question relevancy in her class, so she asked him to approach the gardener for advice. Rahul says ” We learn about pesticides, but we do not know to use them”. Rahul’s fears is that if he were to meet Newton face to face, he would fail to recognize him, as he is so busy in learning about him.
Rahul finds his grandfather’s outlook appealing and agreeable. According to his grandfather education is through his experience of life. His grandfather has a carefree and beautiful childhood. Days are spent plucking the mangoes and guavas from their orchards, having picnics on the banks of the river where men cook mouth-watering food , playing marbles and gilli-danda. Studies then was just an ancillary subject. Living and experincing was a major subject. He asks his father very innocently whether his grandfather is lying and the world turned topsy-turvy in just 70 years. It is significant because during these 70 years grandfather had acquired lot of experience that shaped a philosophy that Rahul considers ideal. Rahul’s grandmother is semi-literate, she is not very much educated as his own mother, yet his grandmother was a happy one. His grandmother lived a life of contentment while his mother is highly strung, tensed and nervy Rahul says that his grandmother is happy with her kitchen work, gardening and reading the Bhagavad Geetha and other holy books. Further Rahul says that the essence of life is not taught to him. For Rahul, practical education matters more than theoretical. He likes to live happily wishes to know many things of nature and feels that the education that he gets should be practical useful in his life.
Rahul explains that he lost the first rank owing to a disagreement with his teacher over a minor point in English grammar. He uses satire and writes if a teacher says George Bush is the president of India, The sun rises in the West or the earth is flat then even though it is completely wrong the student have to accept it.
He tells his father that the over emphasis on his studies has taken away all enjoyment from childhood. He wants his father to be friend, philosopher and guide his imagination wants to fly like a rocket to Jupiter and Mars, to travel a new world a new field. In his opinion, classroom knowledge should come handy in our day-to-day life. He says that his father’s eyes never see’s his anguish.
This letter is never meant to be posted to his father but was his method to deal with his overburden heart.
Thus, this letter is his anguished plea to his father who scolds him for losing his first rank, Rahul expresses his emotions through a letter.
“Education is the key to unlocking the world. It is the passport to freedom.”
(OR)
The lesson Father, Dear Father written by Raj kinger writes for the press. “Father, Dear Father” is an article published in the English daily, The Hindu.
Rahul is a schoolboy. He is the class topper. His first rank slips to the second. He write a letter to his father raising several questions about our education system. He believes that education should give a feel of life
to the learners and enable them to live a complete life rather they are letting life pass by. He says that his grandfather had a carefree and beautiful childhood. He enjoyed in the mango and guava gardens and playing
marbles on the river bank. Rahul’s grandmother is semi literate yet she was a happy compared to his educated mother.
Thus, this letter is a request to a Father, who lost his first rank.