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excerpt from novel by same name "She was taught at an early age that it did not matter what she thought or felt and she was placed here on earth for one reason only, to please the men and do exactly as they demanded. Her mother told her that she would have paradise one day, but only with her husband. Zeinab took ongoing abuse throughout her whole life. She learned at a very early age that every man that was ever in her life was going to mistreat and abused her because she had no purpose here on earth. She often found herself daydreaming of a beautiful place that had no suffering and pain. After her husband’s death, she wanted to seek happiness with another man, however understanding how others would view her, she kept on mourning. I believe the mourning was for her own torture, not the loss of her husband. This story was a little confusing. I hope that I am reading this right. The way I read this, it seemed that she faked her death to finally see paradise and found that her ...

Summary  (one-line recaps of every single chapter) Totto-chan as Children's Literature: A literary genre is a category of literary compositions. Genres may be determined by technique, tone, content, or length. According to Anderson, there are six categories of children's literature (with some significant subgenres): picture-books, traditional literature, fiction, non-fiction, biography and autobiography, and poetry and verse. Totto chan, the Little Girl at the Window, written by Tetsuko Kuroyanagi, classifies as autobiographical children's literature. Tetsuko Kuroyanagi's nickname as a child was Totto-chan. Kuroyanagi went to Tomoe Elementary School (Tomoe Gakuen) when she was young.  Kuroyanagi published her children book Totto-chan, the Little Girl at the Window, about the values of the unconventional education that she received at Tomoe Gakuen elementary school during World War II, and her teacher Sosaku Kobayashi. The book is considered her childhood mem...

http://express-journal.com/pdf/ACRITICALSTUDYM.pdf http://www.jirasindia.com/Publication/Vol-1-Iss-4/JJH-005-2014-FP.pdf (^introduction is v. helpful but go through the rest also) Remember the subheadings at least: Tales in Childhood Women's Oral Tales Stories about Stories Tales Have Relatives all Over the World Stories for Small Children Beginnings and Endings

Relevance of Gandhi as an icon today How have the perceptions and perspectives about Gandhi changed over time. Why does Rushdie say that Gandhi today is up for grabs? How has Gandhi become a "citizen of the world"? Explain with examples.

Redefine terrorism w.r.t. the U.S. government's activities during and after the Cold War. Comment on the irony of "War on Terrorism" initiatives by America. Who is Eduardo Galeano? Discuss his role as a writer and a revolutionary with reference to Allende's introduction. What is literature and writing according to Allende and Galeano? (pg 292 last paragraph and 293 after Open Veins of Latin... )

Significance of title:  Helen of Troy an iconic woman, a symbol of beauty; hers was the face a thousand ships sailed for. She also stands for the unattainable, the out-of-bounds, a woman they (men, or the dancer's clients) cannot have. The poet uses this symbol to shock the readers and to bring out the crassness and total objectification of a beautiful woman such that she has no grace left - she is a piece of meat on a shelf. Read this:   http://themosthappy.me/2014/01/07/margaret-george-and-margaret-atwood-tackle-helen-of-troy/ Quote these: "Exploited, they'd say. Yes, any way you cut it, but I've a choice of how, and I'll take the money." "It's the smiling that tires me the most, and the pretense.." "You think I'm not a goddess? Try me." Line-by-line analysis: The world is full of women who'd tell me I should be ashamed of myself if they had the chance. Quit dancing. Get some self-respect and a day job. slut-s...

Monkeys Why was the young Samanera attracted to the monkeys? How did Samanera find time to be with the monkeys? Write a note on the life of the little boy in the hermitage. Describe the change in the boy after he befriended the monkeys. What brought the monkeys to the hermitage? What did the chief priest tell the little boy and do you think he understood it? How does the author portray the monkeys? The world of monkeys is so simple and joyful but the world of the boy is confusing and complicated. Explain.

Graduation How do the students prepare for the ceremony? Bring out the excitement in the tone of narration. How does the wait for the event turn out to be a disappointment? What are some of the striking features of this narrative that make it autobiographical? What is the significance of the speakers and the impact of their speech on the young girl? Compare and contrast both the speakers mentioned in the story. "Maya Angelou’s “Graduation” is the story of Marguerite Johnson’s eighth grade graduation, but the events of the story and Marguerite’s reactions to them also suggest Marguerite’s personal growth in terms of her understanding of herself and others." " Maya Angelou   describes in her essay “ Graduation ” an abrupt shift in identity that she experienced. During her 8th grade commencement ceremony, she became painfully aware of the prejudice and stereotypes that haunt her race. She also realized the history of this behavior and the obstacles that she faces ...

The speaker recalls with adoration <adulation?> the lovely things she has watched that have unwittingly seeped  her soul in color with every passing day. Stanza 2: saffron sunset clouds larkspur ( meaning ) mountains* fenceless miles of plain* (fields, prairies) golden-green hillsides*, shining unearthly after rain Stanza 3: nights of blue and pearl simile - long smooth beaches yellow as sunburnt wheat others - line of foam that creams and hisses, enticing weary feet  (transferred epithet) Stanza 4: emeralds sunset-hearted opals Asian marble veined with scarlet flame cool green jade misty and azure-stained moonstones Stanza 5: almond trees in bloom oleanders* wide purple sea of plain-land (meaning field) gorgeous with a lovely poison - the evil Darling pea* She calls on these images to help her dream when she is tired, like how in stanza 6, lemon, pink, or faintest, coolest lilac dawn-lit skies float on her soothed eyes. No n...

My trouble is I always try to save ("save" is usually used in the context of preservation for future use) everything old clocks and calendars ("calendars" - serve no purpose except as souvenirs) expired words buried in open graves (like how conversations are recollected and analyzed in the night; gade murde ukhadna ) But hoarded grains of sand (juxtaposition - hoarding something transient) keep shifting as rivers redefine boundaries and seasons (how memories change with time; you tweak them and make them more sparkly, more magical or more rotten; timelines also morph in the land of memories) Lengths of old string (string a metaphor for stories, tales woven, the tapestry of life) rolled into neat balls neither measure nor bind (do not serve their original purpose (the object not the metaphor) but only serve as remnants of past times) nor do shelves laden with rancid sweets preserve (description of setting - shelves laden with boxes of spoil...

Uncertain Objects of Desire What are the general trends observed + what has changed Why did matrimonial ads seek green card or HI Visa holders? What are the changes in the attitude toward the Indian diaspora? "Stories of entire lives" - how do matrimonial ads reflect this? How has the idea of an ideal wife changed <or not> with time?