What is my Name?

TS 10th Class English Guide Unit 8C What is My Name?

I. Answer the following questions

Question 1.
What made Mrs. Murthy so restless to know her name ?

Answer: In her scrubbing zeal Mrs. Murthy had forgotten her name. At once she felt that she had lost her own identity. She had lost her self-respect. That made her so restless to know her name

Question 2.
Do you notice any change in Mrs. Murthy in the first picture and Sarada in the second picture ?

Answer: Mrs. Murthy in the first picture is more traditional, cool and obedient. She seems to be much bold and energetic in the second one, as Sarada. She feels like a real person as she thinks that she has got her identity and self-respect

Question 3.
Do you find any similarities between Mrs. Murthy and the women in your family ? If yes, list them?

Answer: Yes, I find some similarities between Mrs. Murthy and my mother as well as my grandma. My mother and grandma are completely dedicated to the well being of the family like Mrs. Murthy. They totally confine themselves to the chores such as cleaning floors, washing clothes, cooking , looking after children etc. They dont have any identity and know nothing about the world outside our home

Question 4.
Why do you think the writer decided to focus on the question of married womens identity ?

Answer:The writer decided to focus on the question of married womens identity because she wanted them to live with their own identity and self-respect. She did not want them to confine to their homes. She wanted them to be given equal rights, equal respect. She wanted that they should also assume some responsibility in nation building activity

Question 5.
Which part of the story shows that Mrs. Murthy feels her identity restored ?

Answer: In the last part of the story, when she returned to her husbands house Mrs. Murthy feels her identity restored. It is clear from her words .. from now onwards dont call meyemoi, geemoi. My name is Sarada - call me Sarada, understood ?"

Question 6.
Dowry was given in Saradas marriage. Is taking and giving dowry an offence? What are your thoughts on people offering and demanding dowry?

Answer: Both taking and giving dowry is an offence. No one should demand dowry nor offer dowry. A person may give her daughter some money or jewellery. But it must not be at demand. It must be pleasing. Dowry is also against the constitution

Question 7.
Make a list of activities/ professions. Find out about women and men in varied professions. Is there any job that only a woman or only a man can do? Discuss?

Answer: List of activities or professions : Lawyers, Doctors, Scientists, Entrepreneurs, Administrative Officers, Soldiers, Teachers, Politicians, Writers, Artists and such others. There is not any job that only a woman or a man can do. Nowadays women are also doing all types of jobs

Writing:

QuestionI.
Translation: Read the following news item in Telugu and compare it with its translation in English given after that. The following is the translated version of the above Telugu news item. Centres nod to Kasturi Rangan Committe Recommondations on Western Ghats?

NEW DELHI:

The Ministry of Environment has accepted the report made by the Kasturi Rangan Committee on the conservation of Western Ghats. The committee, in its recommendations, made it clear that no further development activities be undertaken in the Western Ghats spread across the 60 thousand square kilometers in six states. The committee was appointed by the Union Government and headed by Kasturi Rangan to suggest measures to conserve the rarest ecosystem of the Western Ghat forests. The committee submitted its Report on 15th of April. The Ministry of Environment, after taking opinions of the six state governments and the people of the states, accepted the recommendations. The Western Ghats extend in Gujarat, Maharashtra, Goa, Karnataka, Kerala and Tamil Nadu states

Lets think of the following

1. Do you think that translation is just translation of language ? Or does it also include translation of ideas
2. Which translation is better true translation or free translation
3. Do you find any change in the order of the sentence? For e.g: We have Subject, Verb, Object in English but the order is Subject, Object, Verb in Telugu
4. Do you think sometimes it creates problems in the choice of vocabulary while attempting to translate a text
5. Is it possible to translate a poem from one language to the other
6. Is it necessary to take cultural aspects into consideration

Answer:

1. No. I dont think that translation is just a translation of language. It includes linguistic, pragmatic and cultural elements. A literary translation must reflect the imaginative intellectual and intuitive writing of the author. Literary translation must reflect all the literary features of the source text such as sound effects, selection of words, figures of speech, etc
2. The true translation keeps the original message sufficient without its form and word order changed. While the free translation aims at the message adequately represented paying little attention to the form or order. The method we should employ depends on the form of the text we are to translate. Often the combination of the two methods works better
3. Yes, I do
4. Yes, I do
5. Yes, it is possible
6. Yes, it is necessary
7. Now, take a paragraph in Telugu from your text book/ magazine and translate it into English. List the difficulties while translating the text

Who is this boy ? His original name is Narendranath. All used to call him Naren. He is none other than the person Sri Vivekananda Swami, who became ideal to all Indian youth, by his will-power like that of lion and became world famous, later on. All Indians celebrate his birthday, 12th January as National Youth Day. The father of Naren was Sri Viswanath Datta, a famous lawyer, well educated and respected by all. Mother was Bhuvaneswari. She was like a queen in her appearance and behaviour. All loved and respected her

Some difficulties while translating the text: Translation is the replacement of textual material in one language (Source Language by equivalent textual material in another language (Target Language)

 
1. removing arbitrarily through paraphrasing is very difficult
2. Selecting suitable words and phrases to translate the meaning along with its feeling is a difficult task
3. A translator must distinguish between formal/ informal, fixed expression or personal expressions
4. Finding the idiomatic expressions and translating them into other language is the most difficult as every language has its own idiomatic expressions

Question 3.
Translate the following extract into Telugu and compare it with the original story in Telugu. (Refer to teachers handbook for Telugu version.) Sarada! My dear Sarada! she shouted and embraced her. The housewife felt like a person - totally parched and dried up, about to die of thirst - getting a drink of cool water from the new earthen kooja poured into her mouth with a spoon and given thus a new life. The friend did indeed give her a new life - You are Sarada. You came first in our school in the tenth class. You came first in the music competition conducted by the college. You used to paint good pictures too. We were ten friends altogether - I meet all of them some time or other. We write letters to each other. Only you have gone out of our reach! Tell me why are you living incognito? her friend confronted her?

Answer: This chapter talks about human rights from a different perspective. Let us now understand the rights of children to keep them safe through the following section

Speak for Safety:

Mother : Tony, why are you so irritable these days? Even the next door aunty was telling me that you have stopped going over to help her as you usually do

Tony : Its nothing! I dont want to talk about it

Mother : No Tony, I feel you are worried about something. Talking about our troubles helps us feel better

Tony : (Hesitantly) I would like to. But I think it might upset you.

Mother : (Sitting down next to him) Its not about me, Tony. We need to figure out what the problem is and find a solution

Tony : Well. It is about the aunty next door. I had gone to her house to give the clothes she had asked me to collect from the dhobi. She asked me to put the clothes in the top shelf of the inside cupboard.(Tony then stops.)

Mother : (Gently) I see

Tony : Well. she was standing very close to me. It made me feel uncomfortable. And when I tried to move away, she held me back.I did not like it but she would not let go of me. I got away. But it has been bothering me ever since

Mother : Tony, it is really brave of you to tell me this. Aunty has behaved in an unsafe manner. I will talk to her about it this evening

Tony : What if she denies it and gets angry with us

Mother : I know you are telling the truth and I believe you

Tony : I am a big boy now, may be I should have done something to stop it. I feel ashamed

Mother : But its not your fault! You did not break any rules. The person who breaks the rule is to be blamed. She is the one who needs to feel ashamed, not you. Our laws - like the POCSO Act, prescribe punishment for such offences

Questions for discussion:

Question 1.
What makes this issue sensitive? What are the different ways to handle such issues?

Answer: The young woman standing close to the grown up boy and holding him back when he tried to move away makes the issue sensitive. To handle such issues, we have to consult with our elders like parents or teachers who can guide us in a right path

Question 2.
Always seek help. Do you think the boy was correct? How do you support?

Answer: Yes, the boy was correct. We should accept that he was wise because he sought the help of his own mother, who was the most trusted

Project Work:

Question1.
Collect paper clippings that appeared in daily newspapers over a period of fifteen days or so that depict gender discrimination/violation of human rights/child rights. Paste them on a chart and display the chart in the class?

Answer: Students Activity

Question2.
Work in groups and discuss what specific actions you as students can take to stop the violation of human rights/gender discrimination/child rights in school, home and in the locality where you live?

Answer: Group Work

Group 1: I (we) will treat all our students equally

Group 2: We will organize seminars, meetings etc. on the violation of human rights and how to prevent such violation

Group 3 : We wont ill treat any body because of their caste religon and gender

Group 4: We will arrange meetings in our neighbourhood and bring awareness among the people about gender discrimination

Group 5: We will take the support from community to stop the violation of human rights/gender discrimination/child rights.

Group 6 : We will lodge complaints against such incidents

Self Assessment:

Question.
How well have I understood this unit?

Answer:

What is My Name ? Summary in English

The author deals with a common scenario that the women in India face - even forgetting their name. Their names are not given much importance. Right from the childhood, they are called with many common names like ammayi, ammadu, amma and so on. Their real name doesnt has much importance. The story deals with a lady, who after watching the name board of a lady in her neighbourhood, started thinking about her own name. She couldnt remember that. She tried to take the help of anyone-the servant, her children, her neighbour and even her husband. But no one could help her. At last she went to her parental home, to check in the certificates as it is mandatory that they hold her name. But her mother told her that her certificates were kept on the attic and they would search them the next day and asked her to take her meal

When she met her college mate and friend that friend called her by name with affection and talks with her. After returning home, she found the certificates and prizes. Taking them she went to her own home. She told her husband to call her by Sarada not by "yemoi, geemoi". She sat there on the sofa which has not been dusted and started showing her children the album and paintings of her childhood

About the Author:

Smt P. Satyavathi is one of those writers who have brought feminism to the peak in Telugu literature. Though she is a retired English lecturer, she has great understanding of the Telugu accent and the idiom of the respective regions. She is adept in portraying human experience universally. The technique of appealing to the readers by weaving the story wonderfully with a philosophical touch and theological aspect is her forte. She has published four anthologies of short stories, five novels and a collection of essays. She has won a number of prestigious awards. This story "What Is My Name" is originally published as "Illalakagaane Pandagouna" in Telugu in 1990 and has been translated into almost all the south Indian languages and Hindi

Glossary:

perturb (v) = make someone anxious, agitated or worried

mistress (n) = A woman who has control, power and authority of a house

daubing (n) = the act of spreading a substance such as mud thickly

immerse (v) = absorb oneself in something

giggling (v) = laughing nervously

anguish (n) = to cause to suffer severe mental distress

frantically (adv) = worriedly/anxiously

maternity home (n.phrase) = house of ones parents (especially a womans)

attic (n) = a part of a house under the roof

parched (adj) = very dry

choultry (n) = a resting place for visitors; incognito = having a concealed identify

fish (v) = search

sacred (adj) = holy

knots (v) = tying two ends of rope

tucked (v) = pushed

mission (n) = particular work to do

query (n) = a question

maid servant (n) = a lady servant

immersed (adj) = completely covered

urge (n) = impulse

anguish (n) = severe pain

bothered (v) = spent time or energy

chore (n) = household duties

strain (n) = pressure

embraced (v) = hugged

confronted (v) = faced