Major :- 14
Name :- Mohinani Harshita pavanbhai
Year :- T.y B.a [ sem - 6 ]
Main subject :- English
Paper name :- Major :- 14 - study of Indian novel and short stories
Assignment topic :- class assignment
• characters of short stories
- Home assignment
•. How I taught my grandmother to read by Sudha Murthy
:- Essay on The Importance of Critical Thinking in Education
Teacher's name :- Aamina ma'am
★ 1. Short story : Toba Tek Singh by Saadat Hasan Manto
• Characters
1.Bishen Singh (Toba Tek Singh)
A Sikh inmate who has been in the mental asylum for 15 years.Everyone calls him Toba Tek Singh, the name of his hometown.Speaks in strange, meaningless words. Always stands; rarely sleeps.Very confused about whether his hometown is in India or. Pakistan.Represents the pain and confusion of Partition.Dies in no-man’s-land, showing that he belongs to neither India nor Pakistan.
2. Fazal Din
A Muslim friend of Bishen Singh from Toba Tek Singh.Visits him after 15 years.Brings news:
Bishen Singh’s family is safe in India.Kind-hearted and caring.Adds to the confusion when he gives mixed answers about where Toba Tek Singh is.
3. The ‘God’ Inmate
A patient who claims he is God.Bishen Singh asks him whether Toba Tek Singh is in India or Pakistan.He answers jokingly, making Bishen Singh angry.Represents how even “God” cannot solve the confusion of Partition.
4. Muslim League Worker (the Jinnah-claiming patient)
A Muslim patient from Chaniot.Used to be a strong supporter of the Muslim League.Bathes 15–16 times a day, then suddenly stops.Declares that he is Quaid-e-Azam Muhammad Ali Jinnah.Shows how political events deeply affected even asylum inmates.
5. Sikh Patient claiming to be Master Tara Singh
A Sikh inmate who claims he is Master Tara Singh, a Sikh leader.Created as a mirror to the Muslim patient acting like Jinnah.Both are locked in different cells to prevent communal fights.
6. The Hindu Lawyer
A young Hindu man who became insane after a failed love story.His beloved lives in
Amritsar.Gets depressed when told Amritsar will be in India.When he learns he will be sent to India, he refuses, saying his law practice won’t succeed there.Shows how Partition separated lovers and destroyed lives.
7. The Two Anglo-Indian Patients
Stay in the European ward.Shocked when told that the British have left India.Worry about what will happen to European food and European ward privileges.Represent the fear and uncertainty of minorities during Partition.
8. Newspaper-Reader Muslim Inmate
Read the newspaper Zamindar When asked “What is Pakistan?” He gives a funny, confused answer:“A place in India where razors are made.”Shows how people did not understand the concept of a new country.
9. Bath-Time “Pakistan Zindabad” Patient
A Muslim inmate who shouts Pakistan Zindabad loudly. Shouts so hard that he faints. Symbolizes extreme confusion and misplaced nationalism.
10. Roop Kaur
Bishen Singh’s daughter
11. Bhai Balbir Singh
Friend of Fazal Din, mentioned in his message
12. Bhai Vadhawa Singh
Another friend mentioned in Fazal Din’s message
13. Bahain Amrit Kaur
Woman mentioned by Fazal Din for greetings
★2 Short story : Lihaaf (The Quilt) by Ismat Chughtai
• Characters
• Narrator (unnamed young girl)
The story is narrated by an unnamed young girl who remembers a strange experience from her childhood. When she sees her quilt forming the shape of an elephant on the wall, she recalls the
days she spent at the house of her mother’s adopted sister, Begum Jaan. As a child, she slept in the same room as Begum Jaan and her masseuse, Rabbu. She often saw the quilt shaking and
heard unusual sounds, but because she was too young to understand what sex was, she felt confused and frightened. When Rabbu went away one night, Begum Jaan behaved inappropriately with the narrator, which made the child feel a deep but indescribable fear.
• Begum Jaan
Begum Jaan, the narrator’s aunt, is shown as a beautiful but troubled woman. Although she is married to a nawab, her husband has no interest in her and spends most of his time behind closed
doors with young men. Lonely and neglected, Begum Jaan finds emotional and physical comfort in Rabbu, her masseuse. Their relationship is hidden from the world. When Rabbu leaves to visit
her son, Begum Jaan becomes desperate and turns towards the child narrator for the same attention, showing her as the main negative force in the story.
• Nawab Sahib
Nawab Sahib, Begum Jaan’s husband, is the head of the household and is respected publicly for his good character. However, the story hints that he secretly has sexual relationships with young
male students who stay in his house. He completely ignores his wife and keeps her separated from others, which pushes her towards Rabbu. It is also suggested that Nawab Sahib behaved wrongly with Rabbu’s son, causing the boy to run away and never return.
• Rabbu
Rabbu, the masseuse, is a constant companion to Begum Jaan. She massages her, sleeps beside her, and shares an intimate relationship with her. Rabbu belongs to a lower class, shown through
her dark complexion and marks of smallpox. When she leaves the house to meet her son, Begum Jaan becomes restless and irritable, showing how dependent she is on Rabbu.
• Amma
Amma, the narrator’s mother, sends her daughter to stay with Begum Jaan for a week because the girl often fights with her brothers. The narrator misses her mother deeply during this stay, especially when she feels unsafe around Begum Jaan.
• Rabbu’s son
Rabbu’s son is a young man who refuses to visit the Nawab's house after a mysterious incident involving Nawab Sahib. The story hints that he, too, was mistreated by the nawab. Even though the nawab tries to win him back with gifts, clothes, and even a shop, the boy never returns, showing the seriousness of what happened to him.
★ 3 short story : The Night of the Full Moon (Pooranmashi) Kartar Singh Duggal
• Characters
1.Malan
Malan is Minnie’s mother. Even though she is middle-aged, she is still very beautiful and looks young, almost like Minnie’s sister. Her husband ignores her and stays busy with work, which makes her feel lonely and unhappy. For many years, a man has loved her silently and waited for
her. On a full-moon night, Malan finally gives in to her hidden feelings and goes to meet him. This decision later causes a misunderstanding, and people wrongly blame her daughter Minnie for what happened.
2. Minnie
Minnie is Malan’s daughter. She is young, beautiful, innocent, and shy. She is about to be married in a week and behaves like a well-mannered and respectful girl. She regularly prays at the temple and follows social rules. Sadly, she becomes a victim of false accusations when villagers think they saw her with a man at night. In reality, it was Malan wearing Minnie’s dupatta and bangles, but Minnie has to suffer because of this mistake.
3. The Lover (Malan’s Secret Admirer)
The lover is a man who has deeply loved Malan for more than twenty years. Every full-moon night, he comes quietly, hoping Malan will accept his love. For years, she refused him, but this
time she opened the door. He meets Malan near the bo tree on the full-moon night. His meeting
with Malan becomes the reason for the later misunderstanding in the village.
4. Malan’s Husband
Malan’s husband is a strict and hardworking moneylender. He is always busy earning money and caring only about work. He does not show love, care, or emotional support to Malan. Because of his cold behavior, Malan feels neglected. On the important full-moon night, he is away from home, which indirectly allows the misunderstanding to take place.
5. Lajo (Neighbour Woman)
Lajo is Malan’s neighbour. She is curious, judgmental, and enjoys gossiping about others. She claims that she saw Minnie with a strange man in the fields at night. Instead of checking the truth, she spreads her assumption. Her words play a big role in starting the false rumour and
damaging Minnie’s reputation.
6. Jumma (Village Watchman)
Jumma is the village watchman. He also says that he saw “Minnie” with a man during the night.
In truth, he saw Malan, but he could not recognize her because she was wearing Minnie’s dupatta. By repeating what he saw without understanding the truth, Jumma adds more strength to
the false accusation and scandal.
7. Ratna (Zamindar / Landlord)
Ratna is the rich and powerful landlord of the village. He becomes angry when he finds a broken red bangle in his field. Since Minnie was seen wearing twelve bangles, he believes the broken
one belongs to her. Without listening carefully or thinking deeply, he accuses Minnie in front of everyone. His strong words make the situation worse and increase the public humiliation of an
innocent girl.
★4 Short story: the night train at deoli by Ruskin bond
1. The Narrator (Young College Student)
Role: Main character (Protagonist)
Explanation:
He is a young college student who travels by train to Dehra during his holidays.
He is sensitive, romantic, and emotional.
When he sees the basket-selling girl at Deoli station, he instantly feels attracted to her. He does not even know her name, yet he feels a deep emotional connection.
He dreams about her and waits eagerly every year to see her again.
After she disappears, he feels sadness and confusion. He chooses not to search for her because he wants to preserve her memory as something beautiful and mysterious.
Character Traits:
Romantic
Emotional
Dreamy
Sensitive
Idealistic
👉 The narrator represents young love and the pain of separation.
2. The Basket-Selling Girl
Role: Female lead character
Explanation:
She is a poor village girl who sells baskets at Deoli railway station.
She is simple, innocent, and quiet.
She does not speak much, but her eyes express deep emotions.
There is a silent understanding between her and the narrator.
She also seems to wait for him every time the train stops.
One day, she suddenly disappears from the station.
Her disappearance creates mystery and sadness in the story.
Character Traits:
Innocent
Simple
Quiet
Mysterious
Emotional
👉 She symbolizes pure, unspoken love and mystery.
3. The Station Master
Role: Minor character
Explanation:
He appears briefly in the story.
When the narrator asks about the girl, the station master says he does not know anything about her.
His character shows how life moves on normally, even when someone’s personal world feels broken.
👉 He represents reality and indifference of the world.
★5 short story :- how I thought my grandmother to read by Sudha Murthy
• characters
1. Grandmother (Avva)
🔹 Nature and Personality
Very loving, caring, and affectionate.
Deeply emotional and sensitive.
Strong determination to learn.
Self-respecting and independent.
🔹 Illiteracy and Realization
She could not read or write because girls were not sent to school in her childhood.
She depended on others to read stories for her.
When Sudha went to a wedding and she couldn’t read the story Kashi Yatre herself, she felt helpless.
That moment made her realize the importance of education.
🔹 Determination and Effort
She decided to learn reading at the age of 62.
She worked hard and practiced daily.
She respected her granddaughter as her teacher.
On Dasara festival, she touched Sudha’s feet as a mark of respect.
🔹 Symbolic Role
Represents millions of illiterate women of old India.
Symbol of courage and lifelong learning.
Shows that education brings confidence and dignity.
2. Sudha (Narrator)
🔹 Nature and Personality
Intelligent and studious girl.
Loving and respectful towards her grandmother.
Responsible and patient teacher.
🔹 Role in the Story
She used to read the weekly story Kashi Yatre to her grandmother.
When she was away, her grandmother felt the absence deeply.
She agreed to teach her grandmother sincerely.
She felt proud when her grandmother learned to read.
🔹 Emotional Growth
Initially surprised when grandmother touched her feet.
Learned that knowledge deserves respect, not age.
Understood the value of education more deeply.
🔹 Symbolic Role
Represents the younger educated generation.
Shows how education can empower others.
Symbol of hope and change in society.
📚 3. Minor Character – Triveni (Author of Kashi Yatre)
Writer of the Kannada novel Kashi Yatre.
Her story inspired the grandmother to learn reading.
Though not directly present, she plays an important indirect role.
★6 Short story: Karma by Khushwant Singh
• characters
1. Sir Mohan Lal (Main Character)
🔹 Personality Traits
Highly educated and English-speaking.
Proud and arrogant.
Obsessed with British culture.
Looks down upon Indians.
🔹 Western Mentality
Studied in England for five years.
Drinks Scotch whisky and smokes expensive cigarettes.
Speaks English fluently and admires British manners.
Feels superior because he imitates the British lifestyle.
🔹 Attitude Toward Indians
Dislikes Indian language, food, and clothing.
Feels ashamed of his Indian identity.
Embarrassed by his wife’s traditional appearance.
Prefers to travel in the first-class compartment alone.
🔹 The Turning Point
Two British soldiers enter his compartment.
They insult him and throw him out despite his English accent.
He is humiliated publicly on the platform.
🔹 Symbolic Role
Represents Indians who blindly imitate the West.
Symbol of false pride and colonial mentality.
His humiliation shows poetic justice (karma).
👩 2. Lachmi (His Wife)
🔹 Personality Traits
Simple and traditional.
Uneducated but content.
Patient and humble.
🔹 Lifestyle and Nature
Wears traditional saree.
Eats simple Indian food.
Does not speak English.
Comfortable with her Indian identity.
🔹 Contrast with Sir Mohan Lal
She is natural and confident in her simplicity.
She accepts her husband’s arrogance silently.
While Sir Mohan is humiliated, she travels peacefully in the zenana compartment.
🔹 Symbolic role
Represents traditional Indian values.
Symbol of simplicity and dignity.
Shows inner strength despite being uneducated.
★ home assignment :
• How I taught my grandmother to read by Sudha Murthy
• Introduction of Author
Sudha Murty (née Kulkarni) was born on 19 August 1950. She is a well-known Indian educator, author, and philanthropist. She is the Founder and Chairperson of the Infosys Foundation, a non-profit charitable organisation that works in the areas of education, health care, rural development, and social welfare. She is married to N. R. Narayana Murthy, the co-founder of Infosys.
Sudha Murty is widely respected for her simple writing style and meaningful stories written in Kannada and English. Some of her notable literary works are:
Mahashweta (2000)
Dollar Bahu (2003)
How I Taught My Grandmother to Read (2004)
Her works focus on moral values, human relationships, social issues, and everyday life.She has received several prestigious awards for her contributions to society and literature. She was awarded the Padma Shri in 2006, India’s fourth-highest civilian honour, for her social work. She also received the Daana Chintamani Attimabbe Award for her contribution to Kannada literature.
In 2023, she was honoured with the Bal Sahitya Puraskar for her contribution to children’s literature. In the same year, she received the Padma Bhushan (2023), India’s third-highest civilian award, in recognition of her lifelong service to education, literature, and social welfare.In recognition of her outstanding contribution to social work and education, Sudha Murty was nominated as a Member of Parliament to the Rajya Sabha on 8 March 2024.Introduction of Author
Sudha Murty (née Kulkarni) was born on 19 August 1950. She is a well-known Indian educator,
author, and philanthropist. She is the Founder and Chairperson of the Infosys Foundation, a non-profit charitable organisation that works in the areas of education, health care, rural
development, and social welfare. She is married to N. R. Narayana Murthy, the co-founder of Infosys.
Sudha Murty is widely respected for her simple writing style and meaningful stories written in Kannada and English. Some of her notable literary works are:
Mahashweta (2000)
Dollar Bahu (2003)
How I Taught My Grandmother to Read (2004)
Her works focus on moral values, human relationships, social issues, and everyday life.She has received several prestigious awards for her contributions to society and literature. She was awarded the Padma Shri in 2006, India’s fourth-highest civilian honour, for her social work. She
also received the Daana Chintamani Attimabbe Award for her contribution to Kannada literature.
In 2023, she was honoured with the Bal Sahitya Puraskar for her contribution to children’s literature. In the same year, she received the Padma Bhushan (2023), India’s third-highest civilian award, in recognition of her lifelong service to education, literature, and social welfare.In
recognition of her outstanding contribution to social work and education, Sudha Murty was nominated as a Member of Parliament to the Rajya Sabha on 8 March 2024.
About the story
How I Taught My Grandmother to Read is a short story written by the famous Indian author Sudha Murty. It was first published in 2004 in the book How I Taught My Grandmother to Read and Other Stories by Penguin Books, India.The story is included in the Class 9 English
Communicative CBSE syllabus.
Summary
The story How I Taught My Grandmother to Read is a touching real-life account of the author’s childhood and her special relationship with her grandmother. When the author was about twelve years old, she lived in a village in north Karnataka with her grandparents. Life in the village wassimple, and transport facilities were poor. Newspapers arrived only in the afternoon and weekly magazines came a day late. Everyone in the household waited eagerly for the bus that brought
letters, newspapers, and magazines.
At that time, Triveni was a very famous writer in the Kannada language. One of her novels, Kashi Yatre, was being published as a serial in the weekly magazine Karmaveera. The novel was about an old woman who strongly wished to go to Kashi (Varanasi), which is believed to be the holiest place for Hindus. However, in the end, the old woman gives all her savings to help a poor orphan girl’s marriage, believing that helping someone is more important than a religious
pilgrimage.
The author’s grandmother was named Krishtakka, and the author affectionately called her “Avva,” meaning mother in the local Kannada dialect. Avva was sixty-two years old and had never been to school, so she was illiterate. Even though she could not read, she had a sharp memory and a deep interest in stories. Every Wednesday, when the magazine arrived, the author
would read the new episode aloud to Avva. Avva listened with full concentration, forgetting all her household work, and later could repeat the story word for word. She identified strongly with the old woman in Kashi Yatre because she herself had never gone to Kashi.
Once, the author went to a neighbouring village for a wedding and stayed away for about a week.
During that time, the magazine arrived, but Avva could not read it. This made her feel helpless, dependent, and embarrassed. Although she was financially well-off, she realized that money without education cannot give independence. She waited eagerly for her granddaughter to return
and felt deeply hurt by her inability to read.
One night, under the full moon, Avva shared her life story with her granddaughter. She spoke about losing her mother early, never getting an education, marrying young, and spending her life
caring for her family. She explained that she always ensured her children and grandchildren were educated, even though she herself remained illiterate. That night, she firmly decided to learn the Kannada alphabet, despite being sixty-two years old. She set a goal to read a novel
independently by Saraswati Pooja during the Dassara festival.
Though the granddaughter laughed at her age at first, Avva remained determined. From the nextday, the granddaughter began teaching her. Avva proved to be a disciplined and hardworking student, practising reading, writing, and reciting daily. The granddaughter became her first
teacher, and Avva became her first student.
On Dassara day, Avva performed the pooja and then surprised her granddaughter. She gifted her a frock material and then touched her feet as a mark of respect. This was unusual because elders do not touch the feet of youngsters. Avva explained that she was touching the feet of a teacher, not her granddaughter, because a teacher deserves respect regardless of age or gender.
In return, the granddaughter gifted Avva a copy of Kashi Yatre in book form. Avva immediately read the title, author’s name, and publisher on her own, proving that she had successfully learned to read.
The story beautifully conveys that education brings independence, learning has no age limit, and teachers deserve the highest respect. It also highlights the strong emotional bond between a
grandmother and her granddaughter.
★ Essay :-
• The Importance of Critical Thinking in Education
• Introduction
Education is not only about memorizing facts, passing examinations, or earning degrees. True education shapes the way a person thinks, questions, and understands the world. In today’s fast-changing and information-driven society, critical thinking has become one of the most essential skills for students. It enables learners to analyze information, evaluate arguments, solve problems, and make logical decisions. Therefore, critical thinking plays a vital role in modern education.
What is Critical Thinking?
Critical thinking is the ability to think clearly, logically, and independently. It involves questioning assumptions, examining evidence, identifying biases, and forming well-reasoned conclusions. Instead of blindly accepting information, a critical thinker asks:
Is this information reliable?
What is the source?
Is there evidence to support this claim?
Are there alternative viewpoints?
This type of thinking helps students move beyond surface-level understanding to deeper knowledge.
• Importance of Critical Thinking in Education
1. Develops Independent Thinking
Critical thinking encourages students to form their own opinions rather than depending entirely on teachers or textbooks. It builds confidence and intellectual independence. Students learn to trust their reasoning abilities and express their ideas clearly.
2. Improves Problem-Solving Skills
Life is full of challenges, both academic and personal. Critical thinking helps students analyze problems from different angles and find practical solutions. Whether it is solving a mathematical equation, writing an essay, or handling a real-life situation, critical thinking improves decision-making skills.
3. Enhances Academic Performance
Students who think critically understand concepts more deeply instead of memorizing them. This deep understanding improves comprehension, writing skills, and analytical abilities. It also helps in competitive exams and higher studies where reasoning is essential.
4. Protects Against Misinformation
In the digital age, we are surrounded by information from social media, websites, and news platforms. Not all information is accurate. Critical thinking enables students to differentiate between facts and opinions, truth and misinformation. This skill is especially important in a world where fake news spreads quickly.
5. Encourages Creativity and Innovation
Critical thinking is closely connected to creativity. When students question existing ideas, they often discover new possibilities. Many scientific discoveries and technological innovations are the result of critical and analytical thinking.
Role of Teachers in Promoting Critical Thinking
Teachers play an important role in developing this skill. Instead of focusing only on lectures and rote learning, they should:
Encourage open discussions and debates
Ask thought-provoking questions
Promote research-based assignments
Allow students to express different viewpoints
Create a classroom environment where questioning is welcomed
Such practices make learning more interactive and meaningful.
Challenges in Developing Critical Thinking
Despite its importance, many educational systems still focus on rote memorization and exam-oriented learning. Students are often rewarded for reproducing textbook answers rather than presenting original ideas. This limits intellectual growth. Therefore, educational reforms are necessary to emphasize reasoning and analytical skills.
• Conclusion
In conclusion, critical thinking is the foundation of quality education. It prepares students not only for academic success but also for responsible citizenship and professional life. In a world filled with complex problems and vast information, the ability to think critically is more valuable than ever. Education should aim not just to fill minds with knowledge, but to teach students how to think wisely, logically, and independently.
Thus, critical thinking is not merely an academic skill—it is a lifelong tool for success and personal growth.
