Implementation of Teachers Package-Clarification

Implementation of Teachers Package-Clarification

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The Arrow and the Song by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow

Analysis of Balthazar's Marvellous Afternoon

Analysis of Balthazar's Marvellous Afternoon

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1. Narrative Technique
• Combination of Omniscient Intrusive Narrator and Dialogue.
• The Omniscient Narrator describes the world of the story, describes the character and tells us what is going on inside them--what they are thinking and feeling.
• The Narrator also makes direct comments about the characters. In truth, Jose Montiel was not as rich as he seemed, but he would have been capable of doing anything to become so.
• Large sections of the story are told in dialogue between the characters. cf. paragraphs: 2, 4, 6, 10, 11, 13, 15, 16, 17, 18.
2. Plot
   
   
   • Balthazar makes "the most beautiful cage in the world" for Pepe Montiel. When he brings the cage to Pepe he discovers the father won't pay for it because Balthazar didn't consult with him. Balthazar gives the cage as a gift to Pepe, which outrages the father who has no control over the gift. The villagers see B.'s act as a victory of the poor man over the rich man. Baltazar has become a hero and gets drunk and ends up being robbed in the street at the end of his "marvelous afternoon."
3. Setting
   
   
   • a village somewhere in Columbia? 5 basic locations: B's house and shop; Montiel's house; the pool hall; a bar or whore house; the street.
   • The world is that of the simple village craftsman who has been making cages all his life as well as doing carpentry work. The worker, B, goes to the home of the rich man. Not comfortable in that world. The conflict is between the worlds of the worker and the rich.
4. Characters
   
   
   • Balthazar is the central character. He's the artist who makes "the most beautiful cage in the world." He confronts the rich man Montiel and outwits him over the issue of the cage that Pepe had ordered without his father's consent. B. acts with pity for Pepe and his independence from Montiel's world of the power of money, by giving the cage as a gift. His act is spontaneous and not premediated. The other's see it as a victory over Montiel, and then so does B. He is a innocent, but not simple or naive. He is an artist who is humble about his creation, but finally can't be bought. The act of giving away "the most beautiful cage in the world" frees him from the power of the rich man. So he celebrates his marvelous afternoon.
   • Dr. Octavio Giraldo. He's important because he has aesthetic taste and is eloquent in recognizing the beauty of the cage. He has the most lyrical lines.
   • Jose Montiel. He's the rich man who is completely insensitive to beauty. He's the only one in the story who isn't awestruct by the beauty of the cage. Nice description of his world: in a house crammed with equipment, where no one had ever smelled a smell that couldn't be sold, he remained indifferent to the news of the cage. Montiel has the power of money and refuses to buy the cage. But B. outwits him by giving the cage to Pepe. Montiel is left with frustrated anger because he's lost his power over B.
5. symbol
   
   
   • The most beautiful cage in the world is the only significant symbol. Symbolizes the work of art. The cage evokes astonishment and pleasure in all who see it, except for the rich man. As the Dr. says:This is a flight of imagination.
6. Theme
• Balthazar creates a stunning work of art--the most beautiful cage in the world and gives it as a gift to the rich man who can't buy it. His money has no power over the artist, who gives his art away. Use value trumps exchange value. A marvelous afternoon for the artist who can't be bought, who doesn't let money determine the fate of his work.

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BALTHAZAR’S MARVELOUS AFTERNOON

BALTHAZAR’S MARVELOUS AFTERNOON

An analytical review

By Kenny Beachmount

Márquez’s story about a poor carpenter and his magnificent birdcage has been the object of much critique and the presumed underlying connotations of this fable-like tale have been subjected to such detailed scrutiny as to border on the absurd. When reading stories of this caliber, we are faced with two possible ways of assessing them. The first is of course a simple critique, the end result of which can be categorized into various forms of likes and dislikes, without going into exhaustive analysis of the deeper meaning of the story. The second form of assessment evaluates the story in light of any potential connotations, hidden implications or vague allusions that in some ways lend themselves to interpretation. In the realm of academia it is a tool used to awaken and sharpen the intellectual faculty of students, and while this in itself should not be assigned any disparaging censure, there are individuals who hold the opinion that in some instances, too much emphasis is put upon this form of literary assessment. The old saying: “Let sleeping dogs lie” may be applied to many great stories. If it is pleasing to the inner bliss of the reader, leave it at that; don’t try to analyze or interpret it for hidden implications.

Balthazar’s Marvelous Afternoon is one of those beguiling stories which may force a reader into a realm of deeper contemplation that often leads to different conclusions by different readers. Thus, an English speaking person reading the story translated from Spanish to English, may well arrive at different theories as to the deeper meaning of the story than a native Latin American, reading the same in Spanish, and whose knowledge and understanding of the environment outlined in the story, is superior. Assuming the author has written the story with built-in deeper meanings, the following is an example of a potential interpretation of some of the possible underlying connotations.

One of the first questions we may ask is why the main character in the story is called ‘Balthazar’, the name of one of the three biblical wise men. Is there some hidden reason for this? Highly unlikely. The name is common in many Latin countries, but the author may indeed have chosen this name for the sake of getting the reader to consider some possible connotation. The same can be said about Ursula’s derogatory comment to her unshaven common-law husband, calling him a “Capuchin”, which of course is her way of likening him to a hairy faced South American monkey.

There are no distinctly coherent patterns in the story except for the slightly disguised references to Balthazar’s social standing in the town. As with any small town, the society is distinctly stratified according to position, wealth and education. Balthazar is a poor carpenter whose social standing is on the lower rung of the steps leading to privilege and recognition. His only claim to fame is his life-long ability to make bird cages and his two-week long effort to make a cage of outstanding beauty and quality was the chisel he used to momentarily break the social barrier that separated him from the wealthy. He had made an object that was a piece of fine art, and highly desirable. By not selling it to the town’s medical doctor, whose wife desired it, he shows that he had other intensions with his creation. Instead, he went to Chepe Montiel, one of the wealthy people in the town, reputed to be somewhat tight with his money, and in doing so he enters the realm of the Holy Grail, where he otherwise would never be invited. He may have predicted he would fail to sell the cage to Chepe on the pretense that his son Pepe had contracted for it, but it enabled him to present it as a gift to Pepe. This would clearly insult Chepe, who well could afford to buy it. Was this Balthazar’s way of showing disdain for the rich people? Did Chepe perceive he was being called a cheapskate?

His little devious scheme to show the town folks that he could sell his cage to a person who was known to be somewhat of a tightwad nearly failed, was it not for Pepe’s temper tantrum. Pepe was allowed to keep the cage, but Balthazar didn’t get any money. His subsequent celebration in a bar became his “marvelous afternoon” during which he received a great deal of recognition for “selling” the cage. Balthazar ends up in a whore house, drunk and deliriously happy, perhaps for the first time in his mundane life. He departed, leaving his watch behind to secure payment for the bill on the following day, only to pass out in the street and though quite aware of being robbed of his shoes, he chooses not to interrupt his happy dream.

No self-respecting town in most Latin countries will be without one or several whore houses. They occupy quite a different social status than that perceived by someone not familiar with daily life in this part of the world. They are places to go and drink and although the girls are there for a price, they will often just entertain a patron at the table or not bother him at all if he just came to have a few drinks.. It would not be anything out of the ordinary for a local resident to end up in such a place, except in Balthazar’s case, it was the first time he did so.

The story clearly shows that art has a powerful authority in society, but ownership of fine art is often the prerogative of the wealthy. Art is an envoy that carries many messages. The purpose of it is to convey meaning and it does so in numerous ways. It glorifies or chastises, it immortalizes or angers, it hails or rejects, it evokes sadness or ecstasy, it reflects the worst or best of humanity. The quintessence of an artist’s life is recognition of his ability and works of art. Had Balthazar merely given his cage, which he incidentally did not consider a work of art, to some ordinary person, he would not have received any recognition beyond mere gratitude and his life would have continued its monotonous doldrums. By his manipulative actions, he managed to gain a moment of glory in his life, albeit with negative financial rewards.

The fact that some ladies, walking to church for the early mass, encounters Balthazar passed out in the street and walk past him, thinking he was dead, speaks volumes to this writer and awakens memories of similar experiences in Central America.

The above interpretation of the story may be completely individual or quite in consensus with other interpreting readers, but there are some aspects of the author’s intention with the story that perhaps warrant further enquiry. Did he write it in a manner meant to provoke readers to analyze the significance of what he wrote? Did he deliberately create a story that would be a godsend for critical literary analyst? Did he write it in such a manner that it would provoke argumentative and diverse interpretations? Did the author himself interpret an event, either imaginary or real? If so, are we not like Ion, when Socrates[1] said to him : “So you are interpreters of interpreters”. Readers may analyze it to a point of absurdity, finding preposterous meanings in even the simplest words and hailing the authors story as intriguing, brilliant, a masterpiece of prose, while the author’s objective in reality was far simpler. Is it possible that Márquez’s intent was no more than describing the events of a day in the life of Balthazar, without any deeper meaning than that perceived through mere casual reading? The real aim and meaning of the story is known only to the author. We are merely interpreters of the interpreter.

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BEECHMOUNT'S WRITING CORNER

UPON THE THORNS OF LIFE

VISION LEARNING

The Atlantic Book of Modern Plays

  (THE BEGGAR AND THE KING)

Limericks

A Form of Poetry? Limerick Poems? Limericks the genre? 
The form of poetry referred to as Limerick poems have received incredibly bad press and dismissed as not having a rightful place amongst what is seen as 'cultivated poetry'. The reason for this is three-fold:

• The content of many limericks is often of a bawdy and humorous nature.
• A Limerick as a poetry form is by nature simple and short - limericks only have five lines.
• And finally the somewhat dubious history of limericks have contributed to the critics attitudes.

Limericks - The History 
Variants of the form of poetry referred to as Limerick poems can be traced back to the fourteenth century English history. Limericks were used in Nursery Rhymes and other poems for children. But as limericks were short, relatively easy to compose and bawdy or sexual in nature they were often repeated by beggars or the working classes in the British pubs and taverns of the fifteenth, sixteenth and seventh centuries. The poets who created these limericks were therefore often drunkards! Limericks were also referred to as dirty.Where does the term 'Limerick' come from? 
The word derives from the Irish town of Limerick. Apparently a pub song or tavern chorus based on the refrain "Will you come up to Limerick?" where, of course, such bawdy songs or 'Limericks' were sung.Limericks - The form  
Limericks consist of five anapaestic lines.
Lines 1, 2, and 5 of Limericks have seven to ten syllables and rhyme with one another.
Lines 3 and 4 of Limericks have five to seven syllables and also rhyme with each other.Limericks - A Defence - Shakespeare even wrote Limericks! 
Admittedly the content of Limericks can often verge on the indecent, the dirty, or even the obscene, but they make people laugh! Limericks are easy to remember! Limericks are short and no great talent is necessary to compose one - Limericks are a form of poetry that everyone feels happy to try (especially when inebriated!). Limericks as a form of poetry has survived the test of time dating back for centuries! And whilst the poetic and literary skills of Shakespeare are not necessary for the composition of a limerick the great Bard himself did in fact write limericks which can be found in two of his greatest plays - Othello and King Lear.The Limericks of Edward Lear - Limericks are Fun!! 
Edward Lear's Book of Nonsense included the poetry form of Limericks. His work with limericks were, however, was not in any way indecent and this particular book proved to be extremely popular in the nineteenth century and this was contributed to by the humorous magazine Punch which started printing examples of limericks leading to a craze by its readers. The first edition of Edward Lear's Book of Nonsense was published by Thomas McLean on 10th February 1846. There were altogether seventy-two limericks in two volumes which sold at 3s 6d each. These limericks have proven to be extremely popular with children.

Limericks by Edward Lear from A Book of Nonsense 

Limerick There was an Old Man with a beard, Who said, 'It is just as I feared! Two Owls and a Hen, Four Larks and a Wren, Have all built their nests in my beard!'
LimerickThere was an Old Man of Kilkenny, Who never had more than a penny; He spent all that money, In onions and honey, That wayward Old Man of Kilkenny.
Limericks by Edward Lear
LimerickThere was an Old Man of Vienna, Who lived upon Tincture of Senna; When that did not agree, He took Camomile Tea, That nasty Old Man of Vienna.
LimerickThere was a Young Lady whose eyes, Were unique as to colour and size; When she opened them wide, People all turned aside, And started away in surprise.
Limericks by Edward Lear
LimerickThere was an Old Man who supposed, That the street door was partially closed; But some very large rats, Ate his coats and his hats, While that futile old gentleman dozed.
LimerickThere was an Old Man of Columbia, Who was thirsty, and called out for some beer; But they brought it quite hot, In a small copper pot, Which disgusted that man of Columbia.	.
Limericks by Edward Lear
LimerickThere was an Old Man of the West, Who wore a pale plum-coloured vest; When they said, 'Does it fit?' He replied, 'Not a bit!' That uneasy Old Man of the West.
LimerickThere was on Old Man of the Isles, Whose face was pervaded with smiles; He sung high dum diddle, And played on the fiddle, That amiable Man of the Isles.	.
Limericks by Edward Lear
LimerickThere was an Old Person of Hurst, Who drank when he was not athirst; When they said, 'You'll grw fatter,' He answered, 'What matter?' That globular Person of Hurst.
LimerickThere was an Old Man with a gong, Who bumped at it all day long; But they called out, 'O law! You're a horrid old bore!' So they smashed that Old Man with a gong.
Limericks by Edward Lear
LimerickThere was a Young Person of Smyrna, Whose Grandmother threatened to burn her; But she seized on the cat, And said, 'Granny, burn that! You incongruous Old Woman of Smyrna!'
LimerickThere was an Old Man on a hill, Who seldom, if ever, stood still; He ran up and down, In his Grandmother's gown, Which adorned that Old Man on a hill.
Limericks by Edward Lear
LimerickThere was a Young Lady whose bonnet, Came untied when the birds sate upon it; But she said: 'I don't care! All the birds in the air Are welcome to sit on my bonnet!'
LimerickThere was a Young Lady of Ryde, Whose shoe-strings were seldom untied. She purchased some clogs, And some small spotted dogs, And frequently walked about Ryde.
Limericks by Edward Lear
LimerickThere was an Old Man of Moldavia, Who had the most curious behaviour; For while he was able, He slept on a table. That funny Old Man of Moldavia.
LimerickThere was a Young Lady of Portugal, Whose ideas were excessively nautical: She climbed up a tree, To examine the sea, But declared she would never leave Portugal.	.
Limericks by Edward Lear
Limerick There was an Old Man of Kilkenny, Who never had more than a penny; He spent all that money, In onions and honey, That wayward Old Man of Kilkenny.
LimerickThere was an Old Person of Dover, Who rushed through a field of blue Clover; But some very large bees, Stung his nose and his knees, So he very soon went back to Dover.
Limericks by Edward Lear
LimerickThere was an Old Person of Basing, Whose presence of mind was amazing; He purchased a steed, Which he rode at full speed, And escaped from the people of Basing.
LimerickThe was a Young Lady of Bute, Who played on a silver-gilt flute; She played several jigs, To her uncle's white pigs, That amusing Young Lady of Bute.
Limericks by Edward Lear For more click here

X-Bar Theory

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Resources to teach English

Resources to teach English   
2009 12 15

Hi Lingoholics....walk through these activities to enrich the language experiences……   More 

Teacher Training module for english language by Sri Ramanujam Meganthan

Teacher Training module for english language by Sri Ramanujam Meganthan   
2010 03 22

Useful resources for teachers to understand the nature of language and learning a (language as a) second language. It gives insight towards the recent trends in language education and particularly second language education. It also provides direction to think of the objectives of language teaching and whole language perspective and the use of using various strategies in language teaching. You will find different illustrates how English language classroom could integrate various skills. This module is contributed by Sri Ramanujam Meganthan-Senior Lecturer in Language Education (English) in NCERT & Lancaster Univeristy TESOL   More 

Effective teaching- The essentials

Effective teaching- The essentials 2009 04 29

Teaching is an art but everyone cannot be a perfect ten artist because some adopt teaching as compulsion rather than choice. Despite this, the fact remains that they are teachers. Once one has adopted teaching as a profession he/she has to understand that it is a profession which affects the generations, the future citizen. It is said that a country is as good as its teachers. Therefore, teacher has an important role to play in the development process of the country. All societies in the world gives teacher supreme place in the society. In our country teacher has been equated with the god. Therefore society expects results from the teachers. Results, in the form of academic achievement, Moral values, citizenship spirit from the taught. A teacher can change the course of a Country. The teaching in the present world is more challenging than ever. The technological advance has made the world Global villages. The results are now seen in global perspective. The students from different countries compete with each other as the opportunities are wide open to all. Teacher is a prime factor behind the good and performing student and a teacher is also behind the non performing students. A student's outlook and future can be greatly influenced by teachers. One can see the precedents in the history where Chanakya turned a common boy into one of the great Kings in the form of Chandragupta Maurya. Through non violence Gandhiji made whole nation to fight against British rule in India. Former President Late Dr. Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan preferred to be remembered as a teacher. Dr. A.P.J. Abdul Kalam has inspired and is inspiring millions to dream and to commit themselves to fulfill them. The parallel of great teachers applies to all teachers. The teacher is meant for good and effective teaching. Effective teaching is that which motivate the learner to learn more. There is not a single rule for effective teaching as it is the teacher who decides how to deal with the situation but still there are certain qualities which can help a teacher to be more effective. Some of these qualities which have been supported by various researches are being listed below. Passion for teaching- The teacher should have passion for teaching. He/She should feel pride in it. Communication- A teacher has to be good speaker, listener and communicator. He/She should provide ample opportunities to the students for listening, talking and interacting. Flexible- A teacher is flexible in terms of the execution of teaching plan and should be able to modify and redesign his/her plan according to learning needs of the students. Effective leader- A teacher has to be an effective leader as he/she has to lead students from front, from behind and some time by mingling with team. Sense of humor- A teacher has good sense of humor to release the tension or uneasiness in the class. Creative- A teacher is ought to be a creative person, open to innovation and should promote creativity and innovation in the students. Ready to Accept mistakes- The teacher should not believe in the “Aham Brahmasmi”. I am the divine flame approach, so cannot commit mistakes during teaching. He should gracefully admit mistakes as and when pointed out and should be ready to correct them. Dutiful- Teacher should observe self discipline in completing task on time, has be regular, punctual and should appear organized. Positive Attitude- The positive attitude of teacher helps in inculcating positive attitude among the students. Motivated- Teacher has to be energetic, motivated and should know how the students get motivated. Compassionate- Teacher should share the success and failure of students in a sympathetic manner. Full of moral values- Teaching is a challenging task and the teacher is normally seen as an Idol by the students. His/Her behavior has definite impact on students. Therefore a teacher should observe high moral values and he/she should appear being observing. Dependable- The student should have confidence in their teacher. This happens when the teacher appear dependable. Effective in Intrapersonal relation- A teacher knows how to develop effective intra personal relation so that the acceptance of the teacher among students is permanent and fruitful. Planned Teaching- A teacher always has a plan for the teaching with an element of flexibility. The teacher should always be clear about the goal, objective, output and outcome of the lessons. Good Evaluator- A teacher is well versed with various evaluation techniques and use them as and when required. He/She uses evaluation as a diagnostic tool to plan and execute remedial/enrichment measures. Knowledge of Psychology- A teacher should be well acquainted with the psychological theories. The learning theories, personality traits, learning styles etc. Always a student- A good teacher is always a good student. He keeps himself/herself updated on the pedagogical issues, learning material, evaluation techniques etc. Skilled in IT- Technological advances has made learning joyful experience. The teacher should be able to use enormous learning resource available on the internet. He/She should be efficient in developing his/her own multimedia content. “Think local, act global” approach- The teacher must be aware of the global perspective of education. He/She must be aware of the global trends in his/her field. He/She ought to act in local conditions with global perspective. Therefore the practicing teacher, aspiring teachers should try to inculcate the essentials for effective teaching for proper job competence. The teacher training institutes and the school organization should devise the means and tools to keep the teachers updated, skilled and effective. Kuldeep Gairola HOD, SIEMAT State Project Office Uttarakhand, Dehradun Click here to see this.

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