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| Neb English Support Class 12 |
Section 2: Literature (Short Stories)
My Old Home Exercise | Lu Xun
My Old Home by Lu Xun
MAIN INTRODUCTION
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DETAILED INFORMATION ABOUT MY OLD HOME CLASS 12 ENGLISH GUIDE | LU XUN
ABOUT THE STORY
This story has presented the writer's dual feelings before and after his arrival at his old home. He had a deep longing for his homeland while being away from his old home. But, after he arrives at his old home, his memories are forced to come to confront the realities. His prior conceptions and understandings of the world come into conflict with his reality.
This story has presented the major themes of relationships, friendship, childhood memories, class differences and memories versus realities.
This story presents the setting of the Chinese village where the narrator grew up.
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Today, in this article, I have brought for you a very interesting story from Class 12, Chapter 5.
Today’s story is "My Old Home", a short story written by a Chinese writer, essayist, and translator named Lu Xun. In China, Lu Xun is also known as the "Father of Modern Chinese Literature." This story is part of a small story collection called "Hometown", from which it has been extracted. This short story collection, "Hometown", was published in 1921.
My Old Home is a story based on the memories of Lu Xun, who is the main narrator of the story. In this story, we encounter events from Lu Xun’s childhood to his youth. The story presents a conflict between memories and realities. This conflict arises when Lu Xun returns to his village, to his old home, after many years.
SETTING
Talking about the setting of the story, we find the primary setting to be an old house in a rural Chinese village. As for the time period, the story depicts the early 20th century, specifically around 1921.
THEMES
Now, speaking of the main themes, we find themes such as relationships, friendship, childhood memories, class differences, and separation. However, the theme that I personally love in this story is the "Conflict between Memories and Realities". In this story, we see a clash between memories and realities. This conflict is something our main narrator, Lu Xun, feels internally and mentally.
MORAL LESSONS
Now, let’s talk about the moral lessons of the story. We can derive many moral teachings from this story, which can be very useful for our lives.
For example:
We must accept present realities.
Responsibilities bring changes to our behaviour.
Childhood relationships are far above anything else; they hold a special place.
CHARACTERS
Now, let’s discuss the characters. In this story, we encounter various characters, and the main character is Lu Xun himself.
Lu Xun:
He is the main narrator, and we understand the entire story through his narration. In the story, we see an internal conflict within Lu Xun, a clash between his memories and realities. This conflict arises in his mind when he returns to his old home after many years.
Another character is the narrator’s mother.
Lu Xun’s mother:
She has spent her life in the village, particularly in their old home. When Lu Xun arrives in the village, his mother agrees with him and, in the end, leaves the village with him. For years, Lu Xun’s mother has been living in their old home in a rural Chinese village. When her son returns after many years and decides to leave the village to settle somewhere in the north, she packs everything and leaves the village with her son.
Runtu:
Another main character is Run-tu. This character is the narrator’s childhood hero. The narrator always remembers Run-tu as "my dear friend." Growing up in a rural environment, Run-tu was very clever as a child and skilled in many things. After the narrator left the village in his childhood, he received no news about Run-tu. However, many years later, when the narrator meets Run-tu again, he is deeply saddened to see Run-tu’s condition and life. Run-tu’s life is completely different from what it was in childhood, as observed by the narrator.
Hong'er:
Another character is Hong'er, the narrator’s nephew. The narrator meets Hong'er for the first time after returning to the village after many years. Hong'er also leaves the village with the narrator at the end of the story. Hong'er has a brief encounter with Run-tu’s fifth child, Shuisheng, and in this short meeting, Hong'er forms a close friendship with Shuisheng. Hong'er expresses a desire to meet Shuisheng again in the future.
Shuisheng:
The final character is Shuisheng, Runtu’s fifth child. Shuisheng resembles Runtu from his childhood but is thinner, and his complexion is slightly different. This child comes to the narrator’s house with his father, Runtu, and during this visit, he gets to play with Hong'er, the narrator’s nephew, for a while. In this short time, Shuisheng forms a very good bond with Hong'er.
Now, let’s talk about a short introduction to this story.
"This story, "My Old Home", was written by Lu Xun, a Chinese writer. This story was extracted from a story collection named "Hometown", which was published in 1921. This story is mainly about the conflict between memories and realities. It is based on the narrator’s memories regarding his old home, most importantly his childhood friend, Runtu. The main theme of this story is the conflict between memories and realities."
MAIN SUMMARY
Now, let’s move on to the summary of the story.
At the beginning of the story, we meet our narrator, Lu Xun himself, who is narrating and telling us the entire story. The story starts with the narrator traveling. Today, after more than 20 years, he is returning to his village for the first time. This journey is a 600-mile journey, first by train and then by boat. For all these years, the narrator has been living far away from his beloved village, his old home, and his fellow villagers, somewhere in the north. Today, he is returning to his village after more than 20 years. He returns in the winter, toward the end of the season, and the weather is extremely cold, with the sky completely overcast, covered in gray clouds. As he looks toward his village through a small hole in the boat, he sees his village in a dull, lifeless state, with no signs of life. Seeing this lifelessness, he becomes very depressed. While working in the north, he used to think of his beautiful, beloved village, especially his old home, every day. The memory of his village and old home was very fresh in his mind. But today, in this atmosphere, when he sees his village, he feels deeply depressed because the village looks dull, lifeless, and deserted. This sight makes him very disheartened.
Now, the narrator is extremely depressed and tells all of us readers that for 20 years, the village and old home he remembered are not the same as the village before his eyes today. His village was far more beautiful than he had imagined, and his old home was so beautiful that he cannot describe it or explain it. It was that beautiful. However, he also accepts that the present reality is the truth. Memories only provide momentary happiness. Despite being depressed in this situation, he accepts reality and says that whatever is before our eyes in the present is the truth. Another truth is that there is no sign of progress in his village or old home. He says that although he is depressed seeing this sight, he shouldn’t be so depressed. Perhaps what he imagined is not what his eyes are seeing, or perhaps his attitude has changed. Most importantly, he says that after all these years, he is not returning to the village in a happy mood to start anew. This time, he has come to say a final goodbye to his beloved old home, his village, and all the villagers, to leave this place forever, to bid farewell to the village and its people, and to give a final farewell to his old home.
According to him, many families from his clan have lived in and left this old home. Many have packed their belongings and shifted elsewhere. Today, after all these years, he has come to the village, especially because some business matters are to be settled by the end of the year. A few days later, he will bid farewell to the large, comfortable rooms of this house, the entire house, the village, and all the villagers, and move far north to earn a living. After getting off the boat, he walks a long distance and reaches his village the next morning. He stands in front of his beloved old home, which he has remembered his entire life, and looks around. There is silence everywhere. He looks at the roof tiles, where dried grass is swaying in the wind. After a while, he heads toward the rooms. As he moves forward, his mother is standing at the door to welcome him. Behind her is a small boy named Hong'er, standing quietly. Hong'er is Lu Xun’s nephew, now eight years old. The narrator is seeing Hong'er for the first time in his life, and Hong'er is also seeing his uncle for the first time. Upon seeing her son, the mother looks extremely happy, but the narrator notices a deep sadness on her face, which comes from the fact that they will soon leave this old home. The mother asks the narrator to rest, while Hong'er curiously watches his uncle from a distance.
Now, the narrator discusses leaving the village with his mother. He tells her that he has rented a house in the north, bought some furniture, and plans to sell the old furniture from this old home to buy new furniture for his new residence. The mother informs him that all her belongings are ready, and she has already sold the large, immovable furniture items from the old home, though she hasn’t collected the money yet. She plans to collect the money during the year-end business transactions and then leave. After a while, the mother brings up Runtu. She says that Runtu often thinks of him and is eager to meet him. She has told Runtu that they will leave after the new year, and Runtu might visit any day now.
After the mother mentions Runtu, the narrator slips into a wonderful flashback, and this is about his favorite character - his childhood hero, Run-tu. He recalls a vivid image: a round moon in the night sky, a blue-black sky, a sandy ground with a large watermelon field, and in the middle of the field stands his hero, a boy named Runtu. Runtu has a silver necklace around his neck and is holding a pitchfork. He is holding it to guard the watermelons against a very cunning creature called a zha. This zha is an extremely clever and fast animal with a slippery outer coat that’s hard to catch. It eats all the watermelons. To protect the watermelons, Runtu guards them with his pitchfork. The narrator is immersed in this memory, seeing Runtu powerfully attacking the zha with his pitchfork, but the zha is so fast that it slips between Runtu’s legs and escapes. Catching a zha is not easy. The narrator vividly recalls this image and tells us that this boy is his hero, his childhood friend named Runtu. He met this boy 30 years ago when he was 10 years old, and Runtu was around 12. At that time, his father was still alive. Their family was considered well-to-do, and he was known as a young gentleman.
At that time, their clan had to perform rituals related to ancestral sacrifices every 30 years. During these rituals, ancestral sacrificial vessels were worshipped. These vessels were placed on an altar, and all the families of the clan worshipped them. Many people participated in these rituals, and the security of the vessels was very important. Every 30 years, one family from the clan was responsible for securing the vessels. That year, their family was given the responsibility, and Runtu, a sharp boy, was appointed for the task on his father’s recommendation. Runtu’s father worked for their family as a busy-month worker, and on his recommendation, Runtu got the opportunity to secure the sacrificial vessels. Since Runtu’s father was busy, he assigned his son to the task, and the narrator’s father approved Runtu for the job.
The narrator now tells us about the workers in Chinese society at that time. There were three types of workers: year-long workers who worked for a family throughout the year, short-timers who worked on a daily basis, and busy-month workers who had their own work but worked for a family during the end-of-month rent collection. Runtu’s father was a busy-month worker for their family. The narrator had heard a lot about Runtu when he was young, and when his father approved Runtu, he was thrilled.
Now, the narrator shares something important about Runtu. According to the Chinese lunar calendar, Runtu was born in the Run month, but he lacked the tu (earth) element among the five essential elements. So, his father combined Run with tu and named him Runtu. The news that Runtu would arrive for the new year made the narrator very excited. When Runtu arrived, the narrator rushed to see him. Runtu was standing in the kitchen, and everyone was looking at him. Runtu was very shy in front of others. The narrator looked at him: he had a round face with a purplish color, wearing a light hat and a shiny silver ring around his neck. Runtu’s father loved him dearly. Fearing for Runtu’s life in childhood, he took him to a large Buddhist temple, where he received the silver necklace as a protective charm. Runtu’s father vowed to do something for Lord Buddha in return and put the necklace around Runtu’s neck.
According to the narrator, although Runtu was shy with adults, he was very open with him and shared amazing stories. The next day, the narrator asked Runtu to show him how to catch birds and set traps. Runtu replied that it wasn’t the season for catching birds; it needed to snow heavily. After the snow, they would clear it to make a trap, place a bamboo top, and tie a stick with a string to wait on one side. Grains would be scattered under the top, and when birds came, pulling the stick would trap them. Runtu shared his experiences of catching many birds this way. He also told the narrator to come in the summer to collect shells of various colors - red, blue, and more. At night, he and his father guarded the watermelons, inviting the narrator to join them. The narrator, unfamiliar with the zha, asked if it looked like a small dog and if it bit. Runtu explained that they attacked it with a pitchfork, but it was very fast and slippery. During spring tides, they could find jumping fish with tiny legs, like flying frogs. The narrator was amazed by Runtu’s stories.
At the end of the new year, when Runtu was about to leave, the narrator sat in the kitchen for hours, saddened by the impending separation. Runtu’s father took him away, but before leaving, Runtu sent a gift for his friend - a packet of beautiful seashells and bird feathers. The narrator also sent a gift to Runtu later. After that separation, he never saw Runtu again. For the narrator, Runtu was the closest, dearest, and most admirable person from his childhood, his hero.
Now, back to the present, the narrator asks his mother about Runtu’s current life. She replies that it’s not going well. The mother then goes to check on some people who are looking at the furniture, suspecting they might take things. As the narrator is looking at the items, a humorous character enters: Mrs. Yang, also known as Second Sister Yang. The narrator describes her in a funny way. Mrs. Yang is around 50 years old, and her appearance is comical. Her cheekbones are sharp, her lips thin, and she wears trousers with her hands on her hips, standing with her small feet spread apart, staring at the narrator like a compass from a drafting kit. The narrator can’t help but laugh inwardly, wondering who this compass-like person is. Mrs. Yang asks if he recognizes her, and the mother explains that she is Second Sister Yang, who used to run a shop across the street selling bean curd. Her shop was always crowded, and she was known as the "Bean Curd Beauty" because her beauty attracted customers. The narrator recalls her shop and how she sat there, powdered and elegant, with a thriving business due to her charm. He notes that her high cheekbones and thin lips weren’t there before, nor did she stand like a compass. Mrs. Yang, hearing this, is slightly annoyed and gives a sharp look, like a Frenchman who’s never seen Napoleon or an American unaware of George Washington. She then says that rich people like the narrator have plenty of heavy items they can’t take and suggests giving them to poor people like her. The narrator clarifies that he isn’t rich and must buy things himself, which angers Mrs. Yang. She says that the richer people are, the greedier they become, and storms off, taking a pair of the mother’s gloves as she leaves.
The next morning, it’s very cold, and the narrator is drinking tea when he learns that his childhood hero, Runtu, has arrived. He jumps up, filled with joy, and rushes to meet him. But when he sees Runtu, he pauses. Runtu is no longer the same. He is twice as tall, his once purplish face now pale and gray, with deep wrinkles. His eyes are red and swollen, like his father’s. He wears a tattered hat and clothes, shivering in the cold. His once soft hands are now rough, cracked, and like pine bark. The narrator is thrilled but overwhelmed, wanting to talk and ask many things but unable to speak. After a moment of silence, Runtu respectfully says, “Master.” This shocks the narrator, who never expected Runtu to call him that after all these years. It deeply hurts him. Runtu then introduces his fifth child, Shuisheng, asking him to greet the “master,” which the narrator dislikes even more. For him, Runtu is a childhood hero, a soulmate, not an ordinary person, and the word “master” creates a thick wall between them.
The mother, annoyed, tells Runtu not to be so respectful and to call him “brother” as he did in childhood. Runtu then offers a packet of dried bean pods, saying it’s all they have in the cold season. The narrator feels ashamed. The mother sends Hong'er to play with Shuisheng outside. The narrator and his mother ask Runtu about his life, and he shares his struggles: too many children, frequent famines, heavy taxes, harassment by soldiers, bandits, officials, and landlords. After hearing this, the narrator and his mother tell Runtu to take whatever he needs from the house for free. Runtu takes two long tables, an incense burner, candlesticks, a set of scales, and asks for the ash from the stove. He promises to return on the final day of departure and leaves.
Ten days later, the day of departure arrives. The boat is ready, and Runtu arrives with his sixth daughter to show her the boat. It’s a busy time, with people bidding farewell, taking items, and settling final transactions. All the used items from the old home are cleared out. Everyone waves as the boat moves forward, and the narrator’s old memories fade away. Hong'er expresses his wish to meet Shuisheng again in the future. The mother and narrator discuss Runtu and Mrs. Yang’s opportunistic behavior. As the boat sails away, the narrator feels separated by an invisible wall from his people and place. The memory of his childhood hero with the silver necklace guarding watermelons grows hazy. The narrator hopes that the separation he and Run-tu experienced doesn’t happen to Hong'er and Shuisheng’s generation. He wishes for a new kind of life for them, filled with connection, love, and affection.
The narrator then reflects on hope, comparing it to a path on the ground that forms as more people walk on it. He discusses two types of idols: tangible idols, like the items Runtu wanted, linked to tradition and superstition, and abstract idols, ideals people create and hold onto. For the narrator, hope is an abstract idol, a vague goal guiding aspirations but not yet tangible. The story emphasizes that present realities outweigh memories. Your past or memories are not what matter; the present reality is what drives life forward. Responsibilities push past memories aside, and life moves according to present realities, not memories.
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SHORT STORIES CLASS 12 ENGLISH IMPORTANT QUESTIONS' SOLUTION PACK
SHORT SUMMARY
According to the narrator, he returned to his hometown after more than twenty years of travelling more than six hundred miles. He was deeply connected to his hometown. He had a deep longing for his old home. But when he saw his hometown under the clouds upon his arrival, he started feeling depressed about its unprogressive, desolate and scattered state. For him, his old home was quite beautiful in the past, and many people of his clan used to live there. He even added that his attitude towards his hometown changed as he came to it in an unhappy mood. He returned to his hometown with the sole purpose of saying "goodbye" at that time.
When he arrived at his old home, his mother welcomed him. He saw his nephew, Hong'er, for the first time. He informed his mother about a rented house in his workplace where they were going to migrate sooner. He wanted to sell old furniture items from the house to buy some items for his rented house. His mother informed him about Runtu and his curiosity to meet him. The narrator had a deep longing to meet his childhood friend Runtu too. The narrator started seeing his childhood memories along with Runtu. He saw an image of Runtu with a silver necklet and a pitchfork in his hand. He saw Runtu trying to thrust zha with his full might. But the cunning and fast creature, zha, dodged his blow and escaped between his legs. He remembered working-class people and their divisions as full-timers, dailies and part-timers. In his memories, the narrator saw himself and Runtu playing on a sandy bank and guarding watermelons against zha. He remembered all the strange things that Runtu taught him. After his childhood memories, many relatives, as well as people, came to his old home. Mrs. Yang was the one who was such a talkative and funny lady. The narrator described her quite humorously. He described her as the compass of a geometry box. Mrs. Yang surprised the narrator with her acts. She held the narrator in her arms. The narrator remembered her later on. In her childhood, Mrs. Yang used to sit in her beancurd shop powdering herself and was quite famous by her name "A Beancurd Beauty". Mrs. Yang threw her words related to miserliness when she knew the narrator's intention of selling his old home's furniture. Later, the narrator met Runtu after many years. He didn't feel good to hear the word "master" from his mouth. Both the narrator and his mother knew about Runtu's poverty and hardships in his life, along with those of his many children. Runtu had been squeezed by various factors such as responsibilities, high taxes, soldiers, bandits, government officials, landed gentry, social differences etc. These various factors led him to poverty throughout his life. The narrator and his mother decided to help Runtu by providing him with some old items from the house he needed. Runtu selected a few items from the old house. He even laughed behind Runtu's back in his selection.
After nine days, when the narrator departed, he became quite nostalgic. He thought about Runtu and his act of worshipping superstitious idols. He realised the hope that people always desired. He expected his nephew Hong'er and Runtu's son Shuisheng to have a fine relationship in the future. He realised his present realities against his memories. He left his memories in his past and moved towards his new destination.
QUESTIONS & ANSWERS
Answer the following questions.
a. How do you feel if you visit a place after an interval of ten years?
Answer:
I feel very excited if I visit a place after an interval of ten years. I feel extremely happy to revisit the place that I visited once.
b. Who is your best childhood friend? What special memories do you share with him/her?
Answer:
My best childhood friend is Ramesh. I share our past days' picnic memories with him. Those moments of our picnics are so entertaining and unforgettable for both of us.
UNDERSTANDING THE TEXT
a. How does the narrator describe his feeling at the arrival of his old home?
Answer:
On the arrival of his old home, the narrator describes his feelings in both negative and positive ways. He expresses his depressed feelings at first to see an unprogressive, desolate and scattered village under the clouds, which seems lifeless to him. Next, he describes his positive feelings regarding the past beauty of his old home, which he used to recall time and again in his life. He adds that his attitude has changed after a long time, and he has come in an unhappy mood.
b. What were the three kinds of servants in China then? What does it indicate about contemporary Chinese society?
Answer:
The three kinds of servants were full-timers, dailies and part-timers in China then. They were divided into three classes. At that time, those who worked all the year for one family were called full-timers; those who were hired by the day were called dailies; and those who farmed their lands and only worked for one family at New Year, during festivals, or when rents were being collected were called part-timers.
It indicates the poverty as well as the feudalistic system of contemporary Chinese society. Rich people used to keep servants for their different kinds of tasks. Poor labourers were divided according to their tasks. They had a lot of hardships in their lives. There were various factors, such as high government taxes, bandits, soldiers, government officials, landed gentry etc., that squeezed them bitterly most of the time.
c. What makes the narrator nostalgic? What did he do with Runtu in the teenage?
Answer:
The information of the narrator's mother regarding Runtu makes the narrator nostalgic. When his mother tells him about the curiosity of Runtu to meet him, he sees Runtu in his reminiscence. In his teenage years, he passed his time and enjoyed a lot with Runtu, playing and learning various strange things from him.
d. How did Runtu hunt a zha in his young age?
Answer:
Runtu hunted a zha with his pitchfork at a young age. He tried his best to thrust zha with his full might using his tricks. He used to guard watermelons on the sandy shore of the sea.
e. How does the narrator make a humorous picture of Mrs. Yang?
Answer:
The narrator makes a humorous picture of Mrs. Yang through his humorous descriptions. Mrs. Yang appears quite surprisingly in front of the narrator. She is in her pair of trousers, hands on her hips and stands there with her legs wide apart in a balanced way. The narrator describes her as a pair of compasses in a geometry box with thin cheekbones and lips. She is quite talkative lady. He calls her a powdering lady who used to sit in her beancurd shop and was quite famous by her name "A Beancurd Beauty" in his childhood. She chatters much about miserliness after knowing the narrator's intention.
f. According to the narrator, what were different factors that made Runtu a poor man throughout his life?
Answer:
According to the narrator, poverty, a big family, social responsibilities, class differences and different other factors made Runtu a poor man throughout his life. He had been squeezed by various factors in his life. Those factors were famines, taxes, soldiers, bandits, officials, landed gentry etc. Due to all those factors, he faced lots of hardships in his life.
g. How does the narrator help Runtu before leaving the old home?
Answer:
Before leaving the old home, the narrator helps Runtu by providing him with the old furniture items and other things from his old house. He asks Runtu to take the things he needs from his old house.
h. How does the author differentiate two kinds of idols?
Answer:
The author differentiates between two kinds of idols through his realization. He says that superstitious idols are worshipped for a short time for something immediate, but hope isn't an idol but a long-time desire that people need in most situations. He gives examples of Runtu and his own ways of worshipping idols in two different ways. Runtu worships the idols, but he requires hope for a faraway land.
REFERENCE TO THE CONTEXT
a. While reading the friendship between the narrator and Runtu, Hindu readers remember the friendship between Krishna and Sudama. Which particular description reminds you of the mythological example?
Answer:
In the Hindu mythological story of Bhagwat Purana, we find a tremendous story of friendship between Lord Krishna and his poor friend Sudama. Poor Sudama once came to Dwarka to meet his friend Lord Krishna after many years. As a god, Lord Krishna knew all about the hardships faced by Sudama. Sudama's gift of the last grains of beaten rice to Lord Krishna brought unbelievable changes in Sudama's life. His poverty turned into extreme wealth. This amazing help between friends is always remembered by the Hindus.
Here, in this story, we find the same example of friendship between Lu Xun and his poor friend Runtu. We can't find any miracles here in this story, but only the unselfish help of the narrator to his friend Runtu. When the narrator knows about all the hardships and problems in Runtu's life, he asks him to take away the things he needs from his old home. Runtu gets two long tables, four chairs, an incense burner and candlesticks and one balance according to his choice. He even asks for the ashes from the stove.
b. How does the story support the proposition that the relationships of childhood are innocent, impartial and disinterested?
Answer:
This story supports the proposition that the relationships of childhood are innocent, impartial and disinterested by presenting various examples of this relationship between the childhood friends Xun and Runtu. In the story, we find their friendship beyond various social barriers. In their childhood, we find them passing their time playing and sharing their ideas, free from bias. Their friendship is so sacred. There are no feelings of class differences. They play with each other without having any concept of master and servant. They are seen as quite unaware of the so-called societal concepts of class differences. We don't find any impartiality between them. They enjoy each moment freely, being innocent. We can only find true friendship between them. In most cases, childhood friendship always has similar aspects, as seen in the text. There is always a deep relationship between the kids. Childhood friendship always remains far away from societal so-called negative aspects. It is a pure relationship where there are no negative aspects like class differences, bias, discrimination etc. Childhood friendship depends on enjoyment, care, love and affection.
c. After reading the story, what inferences can you make about the contemporary Chinese economic and social system?
Answer:
After reading the story, I can make the following inferences about the contemporary Chinese economic and social system:
1. The working-class people or peasants were in a quite miserable state in contemporary Chinese society.
2. The working-class people were divided into three classes according to their tasks.
3. They were exploited by various factors such as responsibilities, high taxes, soldiers, bandits, government officials, landed gentry, social indifference etc.
4. There was a trend towards the slavery system, and most working-class people were seen working in rich people's houses.
5. Most of them were poor. They had to face various hardships in their lives due to their poor economic status.
6. The concept of class differences was highly prevalent.
7. Apart from feudalists, the problems of famines, high taxes of government, bandits, officials etc. were there.
8. Feudalists and people who worked for the government were quite rich. They used to oppress poor people.
9. There was bias among the people according to their social and economic status.
Thus, the economic and social system of contemporary Chinese society wasn't good for the working-class people of that time.
d. What does the story indicate about the geographical features of the narrator’s hometown?
Answer:
The story is based on present realities as well as memories. The story moves along with the narrator's description of his hometown and his old home. We find differences in the narrator's memories and the present realities, especially in the matter of geographic description. The story is presented at the end of the Qin Dynasty. If we talk about the geographical features of the narrator's hometown during his childhood, we find quite lovely as well as favourable features. The story indicates quite a lovely hometown near the sea. During that time, there was greenery everywhere. Most people used to live happily and peacefully in the village. The sandy bank of the sea was also green due to the cultivation of watermelons. The village looked quite beautiful, with sloppy hills. The narrator and his friend Runtu enjoyed the beautiful environment of their hometown a lot.
But with the narrator's gap and his arrival after more than twenty years, he finds his hometown quite desolate and scattered under the clouds. He feels depressed to find its unprogressive state during late winter. He finds no favourable features after his long journey of more than six hundred miles. The village near the sea seems lifeless to him.
REFERENCE BEYOND THE TEXT
a. Human beings are on the road from time immemorial, always migrating to new places. Write an essay on The Trend of Migration in Nepal in about 300 words.
Answer:
The Trend of Migration in Nepal
The term "migration" refers to the movement of people over some distance (or at least from one "migration-defining area" to another) and from one "usual place of residence" to another. People always try to change their living places for various reasons. They migrate from one place to another for the sake of their betterment. The trend of migration is seen all over the world. People keep changing their living places with their different views or opinions.
In the context of Nepal, the trend of migration is at its peak. We can see both local as well as foreign migration in Nepal. Most Nepalese people are seen migrating from rural areas to urban areas. Most of the villages are less populated due to this trend of migration. In recent times, most villages have faced a lack of youth. Youths from villages are leaving villages for the sake of their better opportunities as well as the education of their kids. We find only old citizens in most of the houses in villages. This trend has had a kind of negative impact on relationships among people. Villages are ignored and biassed, whereas urban areas are given much preference by most of the people in Nepal. People prefer to live their lives in attractive cities, leaving peaceful and healthy lives in villages.
Apart from this local migration, the foreign migration of people is also on trend. Most Nepalese people and families are seen migrating from Nepal to foreign lands. Due to the lack of opportunities, people prefer to live their lives in foreign lands, leaving their homeland, Nepal. This trend of migration itself is a big problem for all. Due to this trend, humans are seen quite far away from the concepts of their relationships, patriotism and humanity. This problem has brought a lack of active manpower to the whole country.
People in the present time prefer to work in foreign lands to uplift their lifestyle. The government of Nepal should think about this trend of migration and try its best to find a proper solution. The government should launch various opportunities for the citizens and provide them with a fine environment to work and earn in the country.
Thus, the trend of migration in Nepal is at a high speed. This trend of migration should be controlled for the future of Nepal and its people.
b. Find one of your relatives or friends, who has migrated to a new place leaving his/her old home. Talk to him/her and prepare a report on what he/she felt while leaving the old home.
Answer:
My Relatives' Nostalgia
My cousin, along with his family members, have recently left their hometown of Baitadi and come to live their lives in the city of Mahendranagar. Before arriving here in this city, they sold their ancestral home along with all the old things from that house. They even distributed the things of the house to their relatives for free. They were quite excited to move to the city.
After arriving in the city, they started living in a rented house for a few months. Later, my brother bought a big house near the cinema hall. I recently met him and asked him about his life in the city. He expressed his nostalgic feelings a lot. According to him, he is quite upset here in this city. He is still nostalgic after spending one year over here. He remembers his homeland and his relatives all the time. He thinks that he has made a blunder in his decision to leave his homeland. He is still regretting his quick decision. His family members are also feeling the same. They are feeling bad about being away from their homeland. They have found the city life quite different from their expectations. My brother still remembers his relatives' crying faces and their gloomy farewells.
After hearing their recent opinions, I don't think that they will spend much time over here.
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