The Cry of the Graves

Kahlil Gibran is the author who has highest degree of eloquence and strong voice. He is considered one of the most influential authors of twentieth century. He has written about numerous human and social issues which make him a universal author. His short story “The Cry of The Graves” is one of his best creation where he has addresses issue of social justice.

The issue seems very trivial one, yet it is one of the most important elements of any society. Gibran asks the question in the story such as: Why does justice system and judges see the criminals only? Why the motive of the crime is not considered serious as the crime itself? With Gibran’s typical style and narrative, these question are addresses with a beautiful artistic way.

At the beginning, three criminals, two male and one female, are brought to the court of justice separately. Males have committed crimes of murder and theft. While the woman is accused of adultery. They all are condemned to death by the honourable judge.

Next day, the narrator visits far area of the city and see those three corpses. To his utter surprise, one by one victims’ mourners come and bury their corpses. Out of curiosity, he does not help asking those people about their relation with the deceased. Once known, the narrator becomes disillusioned with the so-called system of justice.

In this sense, Kahlil Gibran aptly raises the question such as: A murdered is a murderer indeed but what about sanctity of the judge and police system who sentence him to death? A man who is denied of his livelihood by the stronger ones is left with no option other than stealing bread for his children. A girl who is sold to a richer persona is left with no other option but to meet her lover. A person murders Ameer’s soldier who cast a unholy glance at his fiancée will surely fight with the Ameer’s man.

This man-made law does not consider anything else but catching the accused and sentencing him. Even then this law is not equal for all citizens. It prevails for weaker only. Stronger always get escape from it. Gibran has slashed the existing law and justice system by calling it a discriminatory for treating men and women differently, weaker and stronger differently. One of the most vital question raised by Gibran is “Who has allowed human beings in position to judge fellow human beings and determine their crimes and characters?”

Quotations:

"Three creatures whom ignorance made wrongdoers because they were weak; whom Law destroyed because it was strong".

"When a man destroys his fellow, people say that such a one is a murderer. When one set in authority destroys, it is said that thus one is a faithful judge".

After the Dance

“… And you say that a man cannot, of himself, understand what is good and evil; that it is all environment, that the environment swamps the man. But I believe it is all chance. Take my own case . .

.”. thus starts Tolstoy’s wonderful social commentary titled “After The Dance” or “After The Ball” which offers a psychological insight human soul and addresses two questions: Can a man not, on his own, differentiate between good and evil? Is environment the main determinant of making a man what he is?

These both are indeed the most important questions faced by human beings throughout their survival. Many people always blame their atmosphere and surroundings for their deeds as well as misdeeds. However, Count Tolstoy disagrees and he believes that only a moment is enough in human being’s life to change him.

Tolstoy’s name is known globally for his longer novel such as “Anna Karenina”, “War and Peace”, “Kreutzer Sonata”, “Hadji Murat”, “Family Happiness” and many others. Author’s shorter works are also no longer irrelevant. I got the opportunity of reading short works of Tolstoy and, believe me, I enjoyed them a great deal. Today, we are going to review for you Tolstoy’s short story titled “After The Ball”.

Like many of his other works, Tolstoy has also told this story via its protagonist who oppose with other companions on above mentioned statement and emphasises otherwise. Ivan Vasilievich, a decent Russian rich man, tells one of the anecdote from his life which changed him forever. After that he stops blaming atmosphere and surroundings.

One evening of his life, he is dancing in a party with a very beautiful woman. He likes that woman very much. Woman’s father was also there in the party. He was handsome, well-preserved old man and he behaved like a gentle man. Ivan likes that man greatly. But on the very next morning he sees the same person in a uniform and beholds a completely different man.

After this event, Ivan stops believing in people’s exterior faces and nature and he always tries to look beyond what seemingly appears to be. This was not the same person whom Ivan had seen last night at the ball. This one night completely changes Ivan’s life and he does not ever blame surroundings for ever.

Like many other of his stories, here too Tolstoy has shown a psychological aspect of human behaviour. And he has shown the ways how a man’s attitude and behaviour changes completely in different surroundings and power structures. This story is highly recommended for all those who are interested in 19^th century Russian literature and those who seek to study fiction on human behaviour. I will rate it 4 out of 5 stars. 

Heart of Darkness

Well, I had heard and read a great deal about Conrad’s “Heart of Darkness”. It was recommended by many friends. I also got impressed after reading reviews. But the novel disappointed me a great deal. If someone asks me to define the book in one word; I would directly say ‘Overrated’. Why it is so, I will explain later. Lets’ first have an over view of the book.

The story is narrated by a seaman named Charlie Marlow who gets appointed as captain of a steamboat destined to Congo River. During his stay at various stations of his company he witnesses two things: firstly, he witnesses exploitation and deplorable condition of native and, secondly, he often hears one name a certain Mr. Kurtz.

While talking about the natives we must keep in mind that they are sons of the soil and should be one of the main concerns of the book. However, for the author, this important issue of exploitation of natives under imperialism merits only two paragraphs. This approach shows an ugly face of European narrative on the colonies and the natives. It shows a racist and one-sided approach of the author. Though, we do not expect much from the Western authors to write for rights of the natives, but, at least natives deserve more than one paragraph.

And secondly Mr. Kurtz is shown as a first-class agent, a great supplier of ivory, in charge of a very important station. Since Kurtz was born of a half French mother and half British father, the author describes him as ‘All Europe contributed in making of Kurtz. Kurtz is presented as a symbol of European colonialism. Yet he holds a godly sway over the natives. Natives love him; they adore him and even don’t want him to leave.

Here the writer again has shown an attitude of supremacy of colonizers over the colonized victims. This colonialism and imperialism has often been justified in the names of progress, development, civilization etc. but all these are ‘words, words and words’. It is far beyond from morality and ethics.  

The novel portrays corruption of individuals at individual level. European agents’ “only real feeling was a desire to get appointed to a trading-post where ivory was to be had, so that they could earn percentages. They intrigued and slandered and hated each other”. It missed to portray corruption of colonial powers at highest systematic level. How can one forget exploitation of Asian, African and Latin American countries by colonial powers? Genocide and exploitation of Congo for the mere sake of ivory and diamonds is unforgettable and unforgivable sin.

As far as the novel is concerned, it is boring one in many senses. First of all, author’s language is not fascinating and does not succeed to draw attention of reader for a long time. Reader finally gets exhausted with tasteless diction. Secondly, the first chapter discloses about Mr. Kurtz and reader waits for something big is coming up. Yet, till third chapter nothing big comes up and finally the reader gets frustrated.

I still recommend this novel to the readers of international literature in the developing countries so that they may see how European writers describe their colonialism in a soft way.

Metamorphosis

“Metamorphosis” tells the story of a reluctant albeit hardworking salesman named Gregor Samsa. One morning Gregor finds himself transformed into an ugly vermin. Now place yourself at the position of Gregor and think: How absurd this sounds? How will your family react to this transformation of yours?” How will you react to reaction of your family? How will you show your intentions of friendliness to your family since they are unable to understand you? Will your family and society be ready to take your burden? Financially as well as socially.

All these questions have been addressed by Franz Kafka, a celebrated Czech author who has influenced almost all the writers of twentieth century. Gregor’s family, at first, becomes worried about him on his transformation. They provide him food and do not allow him to get out of his room. However, with the passage of time, family members become indifferent to him mainly because they have to feed him now. Gregor starts to have feelings about identity crisis and being burden upon the people whom he has been feeding since years. He feels isolation and loneliness. 

The rise of capitalism has given birth to the alienation where even a creator does not possess any sensitivity toward his own creation but it becomes a part of market. Such alienation has also insensitivity in blood relations where relations are treated in terms of marketing instead of feelings. Very alienation is greatly felt by Gregor once he is unable to earn for his family. On the other hand, his family becomes ashamed of him.   

The story is a beautifully social commentary on family dynamics. Authority is one of the major themes always addressed very beautifully by Kafka. He himself fell victim to his father’s authoritarian nature which is clearly depicted in his letters to his father. In “Metamorphosis”, he has shown authority of Gregor’s father. Though protagonist’s father loses enough in a business and is a liability on Gregor, yet, as head of the family, he exercises his authority over every family member and especially over Gregor. Greta is Gregor’s loving sister for whom Gregor used to have a great concern, care and affection. She also becomes annoyed at Gregor’s incomprehensible transformation and finally calls him a ‘shame for family’.

Despite of strong disliking his job, Gregor keeps doing it because of his family’s debt. He devotes his whole life for getting rid of that debt. Gregor’s good-for-nothing father ventilates his anger at him after Gregor’s transformation and often reacts as if now Gregor has become a liability over him. Actually here the author presents Gregor as a symbol and wishes to record the emotions of a person who out of a sudden is trapped in a dilemma and unable to take responsibility of life. 

Metamorphosis is a psychological thriller exploring the subthemes suffering, identity, belonging, rejection, guilt, shame, responsibility and burden. A very beautiful novella and treated in equally beautifully by writer, "Metamorphosis" is recommended strongly to all lovers of literature. 

 Title: The Metamorphosis

Author: Franz Kafka

Translator: Susan BerNofsky

Publisher: W. W. Norton & Company, US

ISBN: 978-0-393-34709-8

The Old Woman and Her Cat

This short story is about homelessness, loneliness, isolation, old age, of children abandoning their parents and parents, in turn, making pets their children instead. This is first time I read something from Lessing and believe me it made my eyes tearful and my heart weep. I was unaware of Lessing's power of putting feelings into words. But now she has become one of my favourite authors.

Housing is a universal issue in developing as well as developed nations. In developing nations, people keep their parents with them as a guide and as a blessing. While developed nations have quit this idea and they feel ashamed of their parents and keep them at old houses provided by the Councils concerned. Over there, the older people have nothing else to do but gossiping, keeping and loving pets. The love and blessings which are destined for their children are achieved by pets.

This is story of an old woman called Hetty, a lively soul with a gipsy blood, a defiant woman. She is abandoned by her children because they get embarrassed by her strange 'habits'. Her children are always fearful of her gipsy might express its worst. Hetty dies at the age of seventy. The story narrates last years of her life living in loneliness with her cat whom she calls Tibby. The story is just like an psychological insight into human-human and human-animal relationship. 

After her husband’s death, she is moved by the Council to a smaller flat. Thus she has to leave the area where she has been living for thirty years. Second time, she moves secretly to another place due to not being able to pay the rent. Third time, she and other tenants are made to leave that area and move to a Home run by authorities. Hetty comes to know that pets are not allowed in the Home. So what she should do now? She hides herself somewhere and decides to keep living in the same building until it is demolished. One night when she sees a builder’s truck, she moves herself to a ruin in nearby area where her destiny is written.

This is not story of Hetty only but hundreds of thousands of such people who are victims of homelessness, loneliness, empathy at old age. People who are not taken care of by their children. And children who have no compassion for their parents. It is a heart-rending story of a world based on materialism. And addresses the question how that materialistic world treats it’s older people and why senior citizens discover themselves through pets instead their loved ones. 

Following is my favourite quotation from the story:

“There are men in London who, between the hours of two and five in the morning, when the real citizens are asleep, who should not be disturbed by such unpleasantness as the corpses of the poor, make the rounds of all the empty, rotting houses they know about, to collect the dead, and to warn the living that they ought not to be there at all, inviting them to one of the official Homes or lodgings for the homeless”.

Title: The Old Woman and Her Cat

Author: Doris Lessing

Publisher: FOURTH STATE, LONDON

ISBN: 9780007525768

The Dream of A Ridiculous Man

The story is a psychological insight into human nature narrated by an unnamed/unknown narrator who is a nihilist. (Nihilism is a philosophical idea which upholds that nothing in this world does matter. Nor any thing related with the world. Be it relations, feelings, ideologies etc.). The narrator claims to have known the truth one year ago with a chance encounter with a young girl. Being a nihilist, he is supposed to feel indifference towards the pleading girl, he tries too but he can not. 
On that dismal evening, he had intended to commit suicide by shooting himself. That night the narrator embarks upon an inner journey via a dream which makes him conscious and beholds the truth.
On that inner journey he beholds a new world which is unstained by sin such as men's world before the original sin. After that the narrator tells us about that new earth and its residents. The tale is quite fascinating and interesting.
First written in 1877, only four years before his death, Dostoevsky seems to have put maximum experience of his life in this philosophical fiction. As usual the author has beautifully stated the idea of nihilism and their sub-ideas later on to oppose them at the full. Dostoevsky is an artist of great value. His miserable life taught him many lessons and he expressed all those lessons in his writings in different ways. In this story he has shown and opposed the idea of nihilism by portraying an analogy of this world and another world and through this analogy he has shown how absurd are the ideas indifference based on nihilism. The story touches both ideas of absurdism and existentialism as well. It is about redemption, personal growth, spiritual awakening written in symbolical way. 

In this story Dostoevsky has once again emphasised on man's meaning for life, man's inner beauty of goodness and virtue beautifully. And he asserts humanity in man's character no matter what may hinder him. And indeed this is beauty of humankind. It is a very nice allegory and social commentary. 
Here are few quotations from the short story:

1. “Oh, how hard it is to be the only man to know the truth!”

1. “The consciousness of life is higher than life. The knowledge of happiness is higher than happiness”- that is what we have to fight against.

Dostoevsky, you are immortal.