The Bangle Sellers Poem

 

The Bangle Sellers

Extract - I

Bangle sellers are we……daughters and happy wives.

1.    What is being referred to as ‘shining loads’? Who all are its prospective buyers?

The shining bangles that are being carried by the bangle sellers to the temple fair for sale are referred to as shining loads. Women of every age group are the prospective buyers of these bangles.

2.    Bangle sellers could sell their goods anywhere. Why do they choose to go to the temple fair?

Temple fair is the place which is visited by women of all age groups. Here the bangle sellers can sell their goods to ‘happy daughters and happy wives.’

3.    Which figure of speech is used in the line ‘Rainbow-tinted circles of light’? Explain what is linked to the happiness of daughters and wives.

The figure of speech used here is  a metaphor as multi-hued bangles are compared to the radiant lives of ‘happy daughters and happy wives.’ The multi-coloured bangles have been linked to the dreams, youthfulness and aspirations of ‘happy daughters and happy wives.’

4.    Explain how the poet uses her descriptive skills to present facts. Give two examples from the extract.

The bangle sellers go to the temple fair to sell bangles as women of every age would be present there. The poet’s descriptive skills are reflected in the way she has expressed the different stages in a traditional India woman’s life. For example, in a single stanza she had described bangles as ‘shining loads’, ‘rainbow tinted circles of light’ and ‘lustrous tokens of radiant lives.’

5.    What role do the bangle sellers play in a traditional Indian set-up, according to this extract?

The bangle sellers are the carriers of those ‘shining loads’ that glorify the idea of Indian womanhood. They try to convince buyers of the spiritual and symbolic importance of the bangles in the lives of ‘happy daughters and happy wives.’ The bangles are symbolic of different stages of womanhood.



Extract - II


Some are meet for a ……..of new born leaves.

1.    What type of bangles are befitting for a maiden’s wrist? Why are silver and blue colours compared to the mountain mist?

Silver and blue coloured bangles are befitting a maiden’s wrist. These bangles are compared to blue and silver mist of mountains as they symbolise the freshness and the beauty of young maidens.

2.    In what way are the buds set to dream? What figure of speech is used in ‘the buds set to dream’?

The bangles are suitable for the bud-like young maidens who dream of their happy future. They dream of growing up and blossoming like beautiful flowers. The figure of speech- personification.

3.    Give the meaning of :

Some are flushed like the buds that dream

On the tranquil brow of a woodland stream

Some of the bangles have shades of pink of yet to bloom flowers on a woodland stream.

4.    How are the bangles compared to the newborn leaves?

The bangles suitable for maiden’s wrist are see in association with the freshness of ‘new born leaves’ or the clear dew drops on newborn leaves. The maidens like the newborn leaves or dew drops are pure, fresh and chaste. They are yet to see the world.

5.    State the colours of the bangles meant for a maiden. What do these colours symbolise?

Silver and blue coloured bangles are meant for a maiden. These colours have their association with mountain mist or streams, which are fresh, beautiful and evolving.





Extract - III


Some are like fields of sunlit corn……laughter and bridal dear.

1.    What is being compared to ‘fields of sunlit corn’? Why?

Golden or yellow coloured bangles, suitable for a bride are compared to fields of sunlight corn. The corn fields- a proof of Mother Nature’s fertility are symbolic of the fertility of a young girl getting married.

2.    What do you understand by the phrases ‘bridal laughter’ and ‘bridal tear’? With what have they been compared in the extract?

Bridal laughter means the happiness and blissfulness a bride experiences while getting married. Bridal tear means sadness that accompanies a bride while leaving her parental abode.

These phrases are compared to the bangles suitable for a bride, which are luminous, bright and tinkling. The bangles are symbolic of her entry into  a new life.

3.    Which figure of speech is used in these two lines? Explain with examples.

Some, like the flame of her marriage fire,

Or, rich with the hue of her heart’s desire

 Simile, in which a likeness between two different things is stated  in an explicit way using the words ‘like’ or ‘as’.

In these lines the golden and red coloured bangles suitable for a bride are compared to the flame of her  marriage fire and the love that she would experience in her new life.

4.    Bring out the relevance of the line:

Some , like the flame of her marriage fire

The colour of the bangles suitable for  a woman on her wedding day is compared to the reddish yellow flame of marriage around which the bride takes marriage vows with her groom. The flame-like colour of bangles is appropriate to symbolise the flame of love in marriage.

5.    Wedding become befitting occasions to wear bangles. In what ways does the poet associate bangles with a bride?

The bangles worn by a bride in a traditional Indian wedding have spiritual and symbolic significance. Each stage of an  Indian woman’s life is described according to the colour of bangles suitable at that stage from a dreamy maiden to an excited bride and finally to a mature matriarch. The bangles that are suitable for a bride are golden coloured like the holy fire around which the bride takes marriage vows with her groom. The bangles also have the colour of ‘her heart’s desire’ which is suggestive of dreams and hopes of a newly wedded bride.





Extract - IV


Some are purple and gold…..her husband’s side.

1.    For whom are the  ‘purple and gold flecked grey’ bangles suitable for? Which phase of their lives is symbolised by these bangles?

For a woman ‘who has journeyed through life midway’ and has gained experience and wisdom.

These bangles symbolise that phase when the maiden turned bride becomes a proud mother and responsible wife. She has experienced all the aspects of being a woman.

2.    Discuss the use of colour imagery in the above extract.

Colours represent various moods and aspects of life. In the above extract, all the aspects of being a woman have been experienced. The colours chosen for he bangles are purple and gold flecked grey. Purple colour indicates power, authority, pride and dignity and gold flecked grey, a sober colour, indicates experience and wisdom. Thus, the woman wearing purple bangles has gained maturity, reared her children with love and at last has achieved the fullness of her role as wife and mother.

3.    Explain briefly the following lines:

Whose hands have cherished, whose love has blest,
And cradled fair sons on her faithful breast.

The lines are relevant to the concept of Indian motherhood. The bangle sellers attribute purple and gold flecked grey bangles to the mother who has attained maturity by rearing her children. The bangles are suitable for those hands that  have cherished, loved, blessed and cradled her sons.

4.    What special significance does the phrase ‘fruitful pride’ hold in the above extract?

‘Fruitful pride’ is a significant phrase in context of a woman who has ‘journeyed through life midway’; she has been a loving daughter, a happy bride; a responsible wife and mother. Her experiences have made her a perfect India woman. She has been productive and fecund for her family and thus ‘serves her household in fruitful pride.

5.    Comment on the changes in the life of a woman vis-à-vis the colour of her bangles.

Rainbow-tinted bangles are symbolic of different shades of womanhood.

The blue and silver coloured bangles like the blue and silver mist of mountains; shades of pink of yet to blossom flowers or the clear dew drops on new born leaves are suitable for young maidens.

The golden coloured like the holy fire around which the bride takes marriage vows and the golden coloured bangles, compared to yellow sunlit corn fields are suitable for a bride.

The purple and golden flecked  grey bangles are suitable for a woman who has journeyed through life midway. 

Chapter-2. "The Old Man at the Bridge"

Chapter-2. "The Old Man at the Bridge"

Extract I
There was a pontoon bridge across the river…..he was too tired to go any further.

Que.1.    What is a pontoon bridge? Why are many people crossing the bridge?

Ans.1.      A bridge that is made of large hollow containers filled with air is called a pontoon bridge.
The story is set during the Spanish Civil war and people are crossing the bridge to protect themselves from the impending attack by the enemy troops.

Que.2.    Where was the old man sitting? Unlike others, why didn't ’t he move?

Ans.2.The old man was sitting by the side of the road near a pontoon bridge.
The old man was too tired to go any farther because he had already walked twelve kilometers since he left his hometown, San Carlos.

Que.3.    Who is the speaker in the above extract? Why was he there?

Ans.3. The unnamed narrator, who is an army scout is the speaker.
He was on a mission to cross the bridge and find out how far the enemy had advanced.

Que.4.    What was the first question that the narrator asked the old man? What did he answer? Why did the old man smile?

Ans.4. The narrator asked the old man where he came from.
The old man replied, “ San Carlos”, and he smiled because the mention of his native town gave him pleasure.

Que.5.    Why was the old man the last one to leave his town? Describe his physical appearance.

Ans.5. The old man was the last to leave because he was taking care of his animals.
The old man wore dusty clothes and steel rimmed spectacles. His face was grey and dusty.



Extract II
He did not look like a shepherd…. “What animals were they?”

Que.1.    Who is referred to as 'He' in the extract above? In what condition is he?

Ans.1. Old man is 'He'.
He is in a weary condition as he has already walked twelve kilometers and too tired  to move further. Moreover his clothes are dusty and his face has turned grey.

Que.2.    What all animals did he own? What kind of relationship did he share with them?

Ans.2. He had two goats, a cat and four pairs of pigeons. The animals were his family; he loved them and cared for them so much that separating from them made him feel that he had lost his reason for existence.

Que.3.    What did he do with the animals? What forced him to do so?

Ans.3. He left the animals behind in his native town of San Carlos. The heavy firing from the enemy forced him to do so.

Que.4.    Why didn't the old man cross the bridge and escape to a safer place?

Ans. 4. He had already travelled twelve kilometers, so he was too tired to go any further. He was weak. The old man had no family and he had left his animals behind, he felt helpless as he couldn’t save his animals; he surrendered himself to his fate. 

Que.5.    What do the incidents in the story show about the consequences of the war.

Ans.5. The Spanish civil war forms the background to the story and Hemingway depicts that how in times of war man acts inhumanly to his own race. War causes death and destruction, and this is highlighted through the condition of the old man who can be seen as the symbol of civilian victims of war. The old man gives meaning to his life by taking care of his animals, but the war takes away everything from him. He sits alone by the side of the road; he is as helpless as his goats; he cannot escape and is too old and tired to save himself.



Extract III
“ I am without politics…..forks for Tortosa.

Que.1.    What does the old man mean when he states, “ I am without politics”? Why does he mention his age?

Ans.1. Like other innocent civilians what matters to the old man is his home and animals rather than politics. He mentions his age along with the fact that he had already walked twelvekilometers to reflect the extent of his weariness.

Que.2.    Describe the old man’s appearance. What was he doing in San Carlos?

Ans.2. The old man wore steel rimmed spectacles; his clothes were black and dusty and his face had turned grey from dust. In San Carlos, he was taking care of his animals.

Que.3.    The narrator says “ This is not a good place to stop.” Which place is he referring to? Why is it not advisable to halt there?

Ans.3. The place referred to is a war zone at a pontoon bridge across the Ebro river. The place is 12 kilometers from San Carlos in Spain. 

Que.4.     What does the narrator give to the old man? How does the old man react to it?

Ans.4. The narrator advised the old man to cross the bridge and catch a truck towards Barcelona. But the old man replied that he did not  know anyone there. However, he thanked the narrator for his suggestion and continued to express his concern for the fate of the animals he had left behind.

Que.5.    Explain why the old man finally resigns to his fate.

Ans.5. The Spanish civil war forms the background to the story and Hemingway depicts that how in times of war man acts inhumanly to his own race. War causes and death and destruction, and this is highlighted through the condition of the old man who can be seen as the symbol of civilian victims of war. The old man gives meaning to his life by taking care of his animals, but the war takes away everything from him. He sits alone by the side of the road; he is as helpless as his goats; he cannot escape and is too old and tired to save himself. Forced to flee his town the old man sits  near the Ebro river; he surrenders to his fate and waits for his impending death.



Extract IV
He looked at me very blankly….think about others?

Que.1.    Why does the old man look blank and tired? How can you say that the old man needed someone to talk to?

Ans.1. The man was forced to flee from his native town, leaving behind his only family i.e. his animals. He was concerned for them but did not know what to do. It made him blank. Moreover, he was 76 years old man who had already traveled twelve kilometers so he was tired.
The manner in which the old man engaged in a conversation with the narrator and told him about his village and animals shows that he needed someone to talk to.

Que.2.    What is the cause of old man’s worry and guilt?

Ans.2. The old man believed that he must watch over the cat, the goats and the pigeons in San Carlos. The man was not able to fulfill his responsibilities so was guilty and wondered what would the animals do in his absence.

Que.3.    Explain how the story brings out the conflict between man and his inner self.

Ans.3. The story has two levels of conflicts. One of the conflicts is that between man and his inner self which is seen in the character of the old man. The old man is guilty of leaving his animals behind for the fear of fire by the artillery.

Man against another man is the other conflict in the story. In times of war, a man causes pain and suffering to another man. He fights with his own race for a seemingly greater good.

Que. 4.    The old man seems to have given up on his life. Do you agree? Why ?

Ans.4. Yes, it seemed that the old man had given up on his life:
He was not concerned for his safety. He sat by the side of the road at a pontoon bridge in the war zone. Despite repeated insistence from the narrator to save his life and to catch a truck to Barcelona, the old man paid no heed. He was preoccupied only with the fate of his animals he had left behind in San Carlos.

Que.5.    How does the narrator try to relieve the old man of his worries? Does he prove successful? Support your answer with instances from the story.

Ans.5. The Narrator tries to engage in a conversation and inquires if he had left the dove cage unlocked. He tries to reassure him that the animals would be fine. At regular intervals, he reminds him to cross the bridge. The narrator becomes a friend in need for the old man but he is not able to relieve him of his worries. The  old man surrenders to his fate and till the end he only thinks of his animals. The narrator thus realizes that  nothing can be done  about him and moves on leaving him at the bridge.



Extract V
“ I was taking care of animals……would ever have.

Que.1.     Why does the narrator note that the old man spoke ‘dully’

Ans.1. The old man had lost all hope and was filled with guilt for not being able to look after his animals. War thus does not  only cause physical destruction but also psychological destruction.

Que.2.    What makes the narrator feel that “ there was nothing to do about him?”

Ans.2. The Narrator tries to engage in a conversation and inquires if he had left the dove cage unlocked. He tries to reassure him that the animals would be fine. At regular intervals, he reminds him to cross the bridge. The narrator becomes a friend in need for the old man but he is not able to relieve him of his worries. The  old man surrenders to his fate and till the end he only thinks of his animals. The narrator thusrealizes that  nothing can be done  about him and moves on leaving him at the bridge.

Que.3.    State how both the narrator and the old man are depicted as helpless by the end.

Ans.3. The old man loved his animals so much that separating from them made him feel that he had lost his reason for existence. The old man, like his goats, had no one to take care of him and thus he surrendered to his fate.

The narrator lends a kind ear to the old man and urges the man to get up and cross the bridge; the man tries but fails. The soldier feels sorry for him. Thus the story ends with the old man’s concern for the goats and the soldier’s  concern for the man.

Que.4.    What is “all the good luck that old man would ever have?”

Ans.4. All the luck that he would have is that the cats could protect themselves and as the day was overcast, the Fascists would not  launch their planes to attack the local people.

Que.5.    The story is set on an Easter Sunday, which symbolically shows renewal and peace. How is it ironical with reference to the events in the story?

Ans.5. The Old Man at the Bridge, the action of the story is set on Easter Sunday, the day when Jesus Christ rose from the dead on the third day after he was crucified. Thus, Easter is symbolically viewed as a welcome time of rebirth, renewal and possible change. However, for the old man at the bridge, this day meant inevitable death and the destruction of that was meaningful to him.

The image of resurrected Christ is like the image of the old man’s doves being released from their cage, both being symbols of hope and peace. The soldier , however, is not hopeful about the old man’s fate-he bitterly remarks that ‘all the good luck that old man would ever have’ was the fact that the artillery planes of the enemy could not fly that  day.

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