What did Kalam’s father tell him about the relevance of prayers?
In the prose piece ‘Strong Roots’, extracted from APJ Abdul Kalam’s autobiography ‘Wings of Fire’, we see that as a child, Kalam was convinced that their prayers reached God. When he grew older, he asked his father about the relevance of prayers. Kalam’s father gave a meaningful answer. He said that prayers help us to transcend our body and become a part of the cosmos which knows no division of wealth, age, caste or creed. Therefore prayers help us to overcome the narrowness of mind, separatist tendencies and control negative emotions like anger and hatred. Kalam’s father also conveyed complex spiritual concepts in lucid Tamil. He pointed out that every human being is a specific element within the whole of the manifest divine being. Hence one should not be afraid of sufferings and problems, rather try to analyse its relevance and reasons. Adversities should be treated as opportunities for introspection. Thus, he enriched young Kalam with spiritual knowledge.
What information do we get about the daily routine of Kalam’s father from the autobiographical piece Strong Roots’? How did it inspire young Kalam?
Kalam’s father led a very disciplined and austere life. He used to wake up at 4 a.m. every day and started his day by reading the namaz before dawn. After the namaz, he used to walk down to their small coconut grove which was about four miles away from their home. He would return with a dozen of coconuts tied together thrown over his shoulder and only then he would have his breakfast. He followed this strict routine even when he was in his late sixties. In the evening, he went to the mosque where after the namaz, people of all religions used to come to him with bowls of water in which he dipped his fingertips and prayed. This water worked as medicine for the invalids. He also spent time discussing spiritual matters with Pakshi Lakshmana Sastry, the high priest of the Shiva temple.
This hardworking nature of his father inspired young Kalam to become like him-patient and wise. His father’s spiritual concepts made Kalam believe in the supreme divine power that can lift one up from misery and failure. He learnt that instead of fearing the odds, one must introspect and try to find the reasons behind his sufferings.
What had remained the routine for Abdul Kalam’s father even when he was in his late sixties? What does Abdul Kalam say about his emulation of his father?
How did his father’s attitude to adversity influence the young Kalam?
How did Kalam’s father influence Kalam’s perception and interpretation of divine power? How, according to Abdul Kalam, can an individual achieve freedom, happiness and peace of mind?
What do you learn from APJ Abdul Kalam’s autobiography?
How does Abdul Kalam express his gratitude towards his father?
Discuss the central idea of the story “Thank You Ma’am.”
Discuss the significance of the title of “Thank You Ma’am”.
What features of the character of Mrs Luella Bates are exposed in the short story “Thank You Ma’am”?
“The boy wanted to say something else other than “Thank you, ma’am” to Mrs Luella Bates Washington Jones’ – Who was the boy? Why did he want to say something else other than “Thank you, Ma’am” to the woman?
Sketch the character of Roger.
“…and shook him until his teeth rattled.” Who is mentioned as “him'”? Who shook him? Why was he shaken?
“I’m very sorry, lady, I’m sorry,”—Who said this to whom? Was the speaker really sorry? Why did he apologise?
“You ought to be my son. I would teach you right from wrong.”-Who speaks to whom? 35 Did the speaker manage to teach what he/she claimed to teach? Give reasons for your answer.
“I would teach you right from wrong.”-Who said this, to whom and when? How did the speaker transform the person spoken to here?
“When I get through with you, sir, you are going to remember Mrs. Luella Bates Washington Jones.”-Why do you think the woman would prove to be unforgettable for Roger and what kind of a person would he remember her as?
“Sweat popped out on the boy’s face and he began to struggle.”-When did sweat pop out on the boy’s face? Why did he struggle? What next happened to the boy?
“You gonna take me to jail?”-Who said this? Why did the speaker think so? Was the speaker eventually taken to jail? If not, why?