Today is our topic of discussion-Relation and Jealousy
Relation and Jealousy
Let’s read
We often find that two brothers or friends become jealous of each other. They become rivals sometimes. Let’s read the story about two brothers-Nasim and Rana and find out what happened to them. Nasim is narrating the fact.
Section: I
I was only a year and some months younger than Rana; we grew up, studied and played together. No distinction of elder and younger was made between us. But just about the time I am speaking of I began to realize that I was no companion for him, either in age, in interest or in ability.
It even seemed to me that Rana himself was aware of his superiority and was proud of it. This idea (it may have been a wrong one) was inspired by my vanity which suffered every time I came in contact with him. He was better than me in everything: at lessons, in arguments and in manners, and all this took me farther from him and caused me moral anguish which I could not understand.
When Rana was given tucked linen shirts for the first time I was unhappy for not having shirts like that. I am sure I would have felt happier if I was convinced that every time he arranged his collar it was not done to annoy me. What tormented me most was that it sometimes seemed to me Rana understood what was going on inside me but tried to hide it.
But perhaps my sensitiveness and tendency to analyse deceived me in this case. It may be Rana did not feel at all as I did. He was impulsive and his enthusiasm in different hobbies did not last long.
He would suddenly develop a passion for pictures, himself take up painting. spend all his money buying them and beg them of his drawing-master, of papa and of grandmamma. Then it would be a craze for curios to decorate his table, collecting them from every room in the house, or a mania for novels which he obtained on the sly and read all day and night.
I could not help being impressed by his hobbies but I was too proud to imitate him and too young and not independent enough to choose a hobby for myself. But there was nothing I envied so much as Rana’s happy large heartedness which showd itself most strikingly when we quarrelled. I always felt that he was behaving well but I could not do likewise.
Read, Think and Answer I
The two brothers were not much different in their age. But the younger brother says “I was no companion for him.”
1. Give two reasons why he felt?
2. What was the effect of this feeling on his relationship with his elder brother?
3. What action of Rana, the elder brother, irritated the younger brother most?
4. What two qualities of Rana have been highlighted by the author?
5. What were Rana’s hobbies?
Let’s Read
Let’s read further to find out how the two brothers pulled on inspite of difference of their temperament. Did they quarrel? Did they learn to tolerate each other?
Section II
Once when his passion for ornaments was at its height. I went up to his table and accidentally broke an empty brightly-coloured little scent-bottle.
“Who asked you to touch my things” demanded Rana coming into the room and seeing how I had upset the symmetry of the different treasures on his table. “And where is the scent bottle’. You must have…..”
“I knocked it over by accident and it broke. What does it matter?” “Do me the favour-never dare touch my things again”.
he siad. Putting the piece of the broken flask together and looking at them sorrowfully.
“And you please don’t issue orders”. I retorted, “That’s all” And I smiled, though I did not feel in the least like smiling. “Yes, it’s nothing to you but it does matter to me”, pursued Rana, jerking his shoulder, a gesture he had inherited from papa. “He goes and breaks it, and then laughs, the nasty little brat!”
“I’m a little brat; and you’re big but you’re stupid.”
“I am not going to quarrel with you.” said Rana, giving me a slight push. ‘Go away’.
“Don’t push!”
“Get away!”
“Don’t push, I tell you!”
Rana took my word and tried to drag me away from the table; but I was beside myself by now: I got hold of the leg of the table and tipped it over. “There now!” And all his china and glass ornaments crashed to the floor.
“You disgusting little boy!” Cried Rana, trying to save some of his falling treasures.
“Well, now it is all over between us.” I thought as I left the room. ‘We have quarrelled for good.”
Read, Think and Answer II
1.
(a) How did the qurrel between Rana and the narrator start?
(b) Was it an intentional act of the narrator?
2. How did Rana react to the narrator’s action?
3. What in the narrator’s behaviour, was annoying to Rana?
4. How did the narrator show his anger when Rana dragged him ?
5. Why did the narrator think that it was all over between them?
Let’s read
The two brothers quarrelled and the narrator parted with a feeling that it was all over between them. Did it happen like that? Did they quarrel forever? Let’s find out.
Section III
We did not speak to each other till evening. I felt myself in the wrong and was afraid to look at him and could not do anything all day. Rana on the contrary. did his lessons well, and after dinner talked and laughed with sisters as usual.
As soon as afternoon lessons were over I left the room. I was too scared, uncomfortable and ashamed to be alone with my brother. After our history lesson in the evening I took my exercise books and started towards the door. As I passed Rana, though I wanted to go up to him and make friends, I scowled and put on an angry expression.
At that moment Rana raised his head and, with a meaningful smile, looked me full in the face. Our eyes met and I knew that he understood me; but some irresistable feeling made me turn away.
“Nasim!” he said in a most natural voice without a scrap of pathos. “Don’t be cross anymore. Forgive me if I offended you.”
And he held out his hand.Something that came higher and higher seemed to be pressing my chest and stopping my breath but this only lasted a second; tears came to my eyes, and I felt better.
“Forgive…. me Rana,” I stammered, squeezing his hand. Rana looked at me as if he could not make out at all why there should be tears in my eyes.
Read, Think Answer III
Now answer the following questions.
1. How did Nasim feel after the day’s incident?
2. How was Rana’s reaction different from that of Nasim?
3. “I was too scared, uncomfortable and ashamed to be alone with my brother,’ says Nasim Why does he think so?
4. How did Rana show that he was keen to make friend with Nasim inspite of the day’s event?
5. What do the tears in Nasim’s eyes speak about his feelings?
6. What actions of Nasim show that he was sorry for all what he did that morning?
Overall Questions
After breaking his brother’s scent bottle or dropping various curios on Rana’s table. Nasim didn’t say ‘sorry’. It was because…
a) He thought he was not wrong.
b) He thought it was a petty matter.
c) He wasn’t large hearted like his brother.
2. Why did the elder brother ask his younger brother’s forgiveness? It is because……
a) He had a large heart unlike his younger brother.
b) He was really in the wrong.
c) He thought “to err is human and forgive is divine”.
d) He wanted to show his superiority.
e) He wanted to let down his brother.
Let’s Learn Grammar
Read the following sentences “I began to realize that I was no companion for him” (Rana). Break the sentences above as shown below
A 1 began to realize (what)
B. That I was no companion for him.” A&B are two parts of this sentence each part has a subject and a verb A1 Subject
# began….. Verb B. I Subject
(H) was verb
(i) These parts are called clauses, Le. each clause has a subject as well as a verb
(tv) Clause
(b) is joined with clause (a) with a conjunction, that’
(v) Clause (b) is not independent. It is a subordinate clause
(vi) It (clause (b) functions as a noun (object to the verb began to
realize). It is noun clause.
Exercise 1
Separate the clause that is dependent in the following sentences.
1. He (Rana) said to Nasim. “Don’t be cross any more. Forgive me if I offended you.” . “I knew that he understood me.”
2. “Rana looked at me as if he could not make out at all why there should be tears in my eyes.
II. Useful Expressions:
Re-read the following sentences to understand the meaning of the underlined expressions.
1. I did not feel in the least like smiling
2 I was beside myself by now.
3. I got hold of the leg of the table.
These expressions mean as under
1. in the least not all
2. beside myself: out of one’s own control (due to anger)
3 got hold of got the possession of These are idiomatic expressions.
Exercise:
Now use these expressions in the following sentences to convey theirmeaning.
1. The Manager said, Tm not prepared to change the rates
2 With great efforts I have been able to Advanced Learner’s Dictionary. the latest edition of the
3. When my younger brothers broke of my bicycle I was
Increase Your Word power
Abstract words
There are some words that very clearly describe our feelings or mental state. e.g. Aware, anguish, understand, happy, annoy torment.
Exercise 1.
From the text pick out a few more words that relate to the mind and
feeling.
Let’s talk
Read the following dialogue and note the use of expressions underlined.
Bithi: I’m sorry Shatht. I have lost your book of stories. I am really sorry..
Shathi: It’s alright. But don’t you think that you are a bit careless about other’s things?
Bithi: I’m afraid, you’re not right. I really can’t forgive myself. I’m not careless. I had kept it in my bag. My bag is missing. I guess, it’s not really my fault I’ll buy another book for you. Would it do?
Shathi: Never mind I’m sorry for what I said. Let’s forget it now. I have another story book.
Bahti: So nice of you.
The expressions underlined convey what we really feel on such occasions.
Exercise:
You have lost a friend’s cricket bat. Talk to him and express your feelings of regret. Use the dialogue given as a model.
Let’s write
At the end of the day Rana and Nasim became friends again. Nasim, the younger brother wrote a page in his diary to record his feelings about his brother’s behaviour. Read it
24 Sept. 9 pm
It was very strange to see Rana in my room after the day’s incident when I had broken most of his curtos, china and glass ornaments. I had thought it was all over between us. But he was unusually polite and apologetic. He said sorry.
At last he had forgiven me. I was moved by his behaviour. I too was moved. What had happened to me? I wonder. We were both changed persons.
Nasim.
Do you know how to write a diary?
Let’s try to write a diary. Before writing in a diary it is important to make notes as shown below:
Event – Date when?
What was the event?
Consequences
Who all were involved
Where did it happen?
Reactions/emotions of people
Exercise
1. Write a page of your diary recording your feelings when you had quarrelled with one of your friends and have tried to make friends again.