Character - sketch of Miss Beam
Miss Beam was a middle- aged, kind and authoritative lady. She was not satisfied
with the conventional way of imparting education. She started a new type of
school and named it 'The School for Sympathy'. She felt that degrees are of no
use unless one is kind and sympathetic especially towards handicapped people.
To understand somebody's pain, we must step into their shoes. She devised
various methods to make students sympathetic. Every student had one blind day,
one deaf day, one dumb day etc. The narrator felt that Miss Beam was successful
in her new approach.
Character-sketch of Otchumyelov
Otchumyelov represents those people who lack conviction. He is a police
Superintendent. The way he changes colour can put even a chameleon to shame.
At the start of the story, we find him walking across the market. The way he
confiscates gooseberries shows his high headedness. Then he comes to know
that a man called Ḥryukin is bitten by a dog. Otchumyelov deals with the
situation in such a manner that instead of labelling him as an authoritative
policeman, we would like to call him a spineless joker.
Describe the early childhood of Bholi
Bholi's real name was Sulekha. She was the fourth daughter of Numberdar Ramlal.
Everyone called her Bholi, the simpleton. When she was ten months old, she fell
from a cot. A part of her brain was damaged. She became mentally retarded. At
the age of two, she had an attack of small - pox. Her entire body got permanently
disfigured. She could not speak. She used to stammer. Children made fun of her.
She was not properly taken care of by her parents.
Describe the Shop Owned by Datta
The name of the shop was 'Modern Frame Works'. It was a very big wooden box
fixed on shaky legs. It was between a medical store and a radio repair shop. Datta
did not allow any friends to disturb him. He was always seen busy working. The
walls of the shop were covered by pictures of gods, saints, players and leaders.
He worked silently there.
Character-sketch of Hassan
Hassan represents all those students who are capable but due to
circumstances cannot excel in studies. Sudha Murthy wanted Hassan to be a bit
sincere. So, she was sometimes harsh with him and also called his parents.
Hassan wasted his time in futile things and didn't attend classes regularly. He
was in a way a spoilt child of rich parents. When he was not able to achieve the
desired results, he again approached his teacher. This time also Sudha Murthy
lovingly encouraged him and he promised to work hard.
Character-sketch of John Philip Sousa
John Philip Sousa was a young boy. He idolised his father as young boys generally
do. Mr. Sousa worked in the brass section of United States Marine Band. Taking
inspiration from his father, John Philip also decided to be a musician. He excelled
in playing violin. Once he was chosen to play violin solo in a concert. But he made
a mess as he was not able to dress up timely. Being sensitive he felt embarrassed.
He had a small altercation with his teacher, Mr. Esputa and he decided to join
bakery. But bakery was not his cup of tea. He again resumed his music classes
and ultimately joined the Marine Band. Due to his sheer hard work, he became
a March King.
Character-sketch of Chandu
Chandu is the main protagonist of the story. He is a barber boy and is looked
down upon by the members of the so-called upper caste. He has some strange
qualities like catching wasps, making kites and due to all those qualities, the
narrator holds him in high esteem. Chandu is very innovative. He is
unconventional and never hesitates to try something new. He buys a bicycle to
go to the city and earn more. He dresses like a doctor to look more professional.
When he is insulted by village elders, he confronts them indirectly and has the
last laugh.
Character-sketch of Datta
Datta is a skilled craftsman. He belongs to the tribe of people who consider work
to be worship. Although his shop is not very impressive, yet he is quite famous
and sought after. He is always seen engrossed in his work. He gives telegraphic
answers and avoids talking much. He is very sensitive. He gets very much
disturbed when he spoils the photograph. That shows his sincerity towards his
work. He is a bit clever too. He replaces the photograph in such a clever manner
that it is not noticed by the customer.
Character-sketch of Karam Singh.
Karam Singh was a Havaldar in the army. He was an apple of everybody's eye in
the village. The villagers would ask his father about his next leave. The reason
was that they enjoyed the tales of war told by Karam Singh. Karam Singh had a
knack of narration and the listeners were spell bound. In the army he excelled in
all fields. He was a crack-shot. He used to spot the enemy when his fellow
soldiers failed to notice. He was a keen gymnast. All these qualities made him
much sought after and admirable.
Character-sketch of Mann Singh
Mann Singh is naik in the army. He is a close friend of Karam Singh. He is on leave
and is very eager to visit his close friend's native village. He reaches Karam
Singh's house very enthusiastically but was taken aback by the kind of welcome
he gets. He is very sensitive and decides to go back as early as possible. Then he
comes to know about his best friend's death from the postman. He feels
suffocated. When he comes to know about the real reason behind the cold
welcome, he is all praise for Karam Singh's father. He realises how the old man
fulfils all his responsibilities
Character-sketch of the Bus Conductor
The bus conductor was a true specimen of the gifted people who have a knack
of making everyone around them happy. He had an inexhaustible treasure of
patience. He ensured that everyone was comfortable in his bus. With old people,
he was like a son and with children, he was like a father. The weather in his bus
was always sunny. So much so, the narrator missed him when he was shifted to
some other route. The journey with him was a lesson in good manners.
Brief note on Ghadar Party.
The Ghadar Party was founded by Punjabi Indians in the U.S.A. and Canada in
1913. The object was to free India from the British rule. The important members
were Lala Har Dayal, Sohan Singh Bhakna and Wasakha Singh. The Ghadar Party
members returned to Punjab after World War I. They conducted activities in
central Punjab. They were sent to Cellular Jail in Port Blair.
Theme of 'The School for Sympathy
'
Normal schools teach only information of facts. We are trained to earn our living.
But in Miss Beam's school, humanity and citizenship were taught. Every child had
one blind day, one lame day, one deaf day and one dumb day. The purpose was
to make the students empathetic towards physically challenged people. Degrees
are of no use if we are not human. Feeling the pain of others makes us better
human beings.
Justify the title of the story 'A Chameleon'.
The title of the story 'A Chameleon' is very apt. Otchumyelov represents the title.
He changes his opinion from time to time. Hryukin complains that he is bitten by
a dog without reason. Firstly, Otchumelov wants to teach the owner of the dog
a lesson. When he is told that dog is of General Zhigalov, he changes stand. So
we can say that Otchumyelov is a chameleon who changes colour every now and
then.
Character-sketch of Karam Singh's father
'The Bull Beneath the Earth' is an apt title for Karam Singh's father. He knows
how to strike a balance between feelings and responsibilities. He has lost a son
and has to take care of his family. On the other hand, he is very much careful
about the feelings of an army man on leave. He knows how much the army men
value their leaves. He doesn't want to spoil Mann Singh's leave. Mann Singh is
all praise for Karam Singh's father who bears the yoke of his responsibilities well.
Theme of Hassan's Attendance Problem.
The theme is that hard work is the key to success. Shirkers achieve nothing in
life. Students must attend their classes regularly. They must work hard and make
their careers. If they are not regular, they can't progress in life. In the chapter
‘Hassan’s Attendance Problem’ we see that Hassan was not regular. He was a
bright student but could not progress due to his careless nature. His classmates
were regular. They got good Jobs. Hassan was disliked by his parents too. So he
was advised by his teacher to be sincere and he promised to work hard.
Theme of ‘Thinking Out of the Box:
Lateral Thinking’
The theme is that difficult problems can be solved by lateral thinking or thinking
differently. Lateral thinking is creative. In the chapter we find that the poor
farmer's daughter is able to come out of a very difficult situation by thinking
differently. She could not have solved that problem by conventional ways. In the
same manner, a millionaire is able to park his car in the bank for only 15 dollars.
He also used lateral thinking.
Describe the value of polite behaviour in the essay 'On Saying Please'.
Words like 'Please' and 'Thank you' make our life easy. Bad manners create
bitterness. But through good manners we can win hearts. Good manners create
very positive atmosphere. Good manners are also infectious. An ill-mannered
person is a misfit in a cheerful company. The writer gives the example of a polite
bus conductor. He makes everyone happy with his polite behaviour. Small
courtesies keep the machine of our life oiled.
Theme of 'The story of My Life'
The theme is that even the blind and the deaf can lead a fuller life. If a person is
gifted, he or she can contribute to the world inspite of being handicapped. Helen
Keller was such a person. She was blind and deaf but she had a remarkable gift
for communication. Her teacher, Anne Sullivan taught her with so much love and
dedication that she was able to polish her skill. Conviction and sheer hard work
go a long way in deciding our destinies.
Theme of 'Two Gentlemen of Verona'
The theme of the story is that selfless action makes human life noble. It promises
hope for human society. The two boys in the story sacrifice their childhood for
their sister. They leave no stone unturned for her treatment. They do all sorts of
odd jobs and never complained. This teaches us that care for the sick would
make the world a better place. The two boys have set good example of
selflessness.
Theme of 'In Celebration of Being Alive'
The theme is that pleasure and pain are integral part of human life. We should
not feel sad by the thoughts of suffering. We must try to find joy in every
situation. We can learn to live happily from the two young boys. They were in
the worst of situations but still enjoying and laughing. We suffer more in
thoughts than in reality. We must try to be in the present moment and enjoy the
very fact that we are alive
Theme of 'On Saying Please'
This essay tells us the value of good manners. Bad behaviour is not a legal crime
but a person with bad manners is not liked by anyone. Words like 'Please' and
'Thank you' make our life easy. A person with good manners finds that his
journey of life becomes easier. Small courtesies keep the machine of life oiled. A
person with good manners is liked by one and all. His behaviour brings a sort of
light in the life of everyone he meets
Character sketch of Helen Keller
Helen Keller was one of those rare human beings who lead a fuller life despite
being physically challenged. She became blind and deaf at the age of nineteen
months. But this tragedy couldn't stop her from bringing out the innate talent
that she had. She had a remarkable gift of communication and it was polished
by her teacher Mrs. Anne Sullivan. Helen Keller has always been an inspiration
for millions of people who have read her autobiography ‘The story of My life'
which she wrote at the age of twenty-two.
