Indlish: The role of English in India

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Indlish: The role of English in India

Introduction:

After the independence of India in 1947, with new symbols, pride, values and power there was a force to make Hindi language as official language. But looking at the multi characteristic The Indian Constitution did not speak of the national language of the Union. India has multi cultures and Indian can’t believe in oneness rather it believes in openness. After so many debates it was decided that Hindi will become the official language for Hindustanis. But even after fifteen years in 1950 English remain as one of the dominant languages. As the time passes constitution make a decision that English will be the work language in the processor of government forms.

Indlish: The role of English in India

So slowly but staidly like this English language emerged. Then soon after English language was take place in primary, secondary education. And now the English medium schools are also available. Because Indian people are native people of English, we can the face of English: Satan and Saraswati. English as Saraswati because now some Indian people are capable enough to talk in English and learn the English language, by knowing this language they in those elite groups who have the power. (E.) The Satan face of English language is that it was unknown to larger people in the India. But as the time passes it had become more and more Indian language with Indian grammar and this happened because it was used by the large number of Indians, education system, commerce and journalism. It became fit for cultural expression also as the Indian journalists and creative writers in English demonstrated. Today, India one of the stronger nations in the world and we all know that English is the world language. So communicate with other countries we need the English language and that is the fact. India has already started growing as the learned country of English language. We have very good cultural heritage, but up till now the world was not aware about this. It came to the world through English language. Yoga is basically from India and now known to the world which is the recent example. (Chinku)

The other fact of English language is that those who don’t know English for world they are actually not exist in the world. For example those who choose Indian languages as their study medium they are automatically become the small minority and are poor students scholastically and economically, because now days the English language is the dominant language in the world as well as in India. The products of the colleges and universities, being educated through English, found it convenient to do their work through the same language, whether it is administration, professions or business management. It is true that the intention of the British rulers to introduce the English language was different. They wanted the people who can help them. The other thing remains here is that all the people wanted to know English language.

The other aspect of the English language is that in India English language is taught as the second language. The term ‘second language’ is understood in two different ways-1) English is second language after one or more Indian languages, which are primary and more significantly, 2) in school education, the second language is what is introduced after the primary stage and has a pedagogical as well as a functional definition, particularly in the context of the ‘the languages formula’. As above said that India has the multi characteristic that’s why Indian people at least know two to three languages.  The interest of the British to teach the English language is dead now. Now the role of English is like this:

• English is the language of knowledge (science and technology),
• English is the language of liberal, modern thinking;
• English is our window on the world;
• English is the library language;
• English is the lingua-franca. (Kapil )

English has opened up many new aspect to us also and the world also, because English has become world language and through which we can communicate to the world. Now people know the importance of the English language and with the changing time they also start mastering in English language. If you want to share your knowledge or gain knowledge you must be capable enough to communicate. English language does this. English worked as the bridge among the people. Now it is accepted as the one of the important languages but it was the time when English was not known to all. As above said English is very much important and known as the window to the world. Here the metaphor of the ‘window’ is central in this structure, in which Indian languages are the ‘walls’ that, lets in the ‘light’ of reason and modernization. As we know that we are not the native of the English language we start our own English with the Indian grammar but it so happened that we are little expert in this language. The standers of English, the success in teaching English, have always fallen short of the ideal or even the minimum, and we know how several education commissions and committees went into the question of declining standers in English and made series of recommendations pertaining to syllabi, curriculum, weightage, teacher-training, methodology, learning-teaching theories, and what you have. But now days it is trend to call the foreign speakers. To know more about the English language and by this it opened up our views. In the education system we find that all most all the institutes frequently goes on inviting the foreign speakers. It is true that it has improved our ability and knowledge of the English language. We can convey our message through symbols also but still there is the need of this language to learn. It is expected from the first year students of B.Sc. or B.Tech course must know the basic level of the English language, because they have passed their all the exams in the English language and reaches to the intelligence and attainment above the average. He has successfully completed some courses in General English and has acquired Communicative Competence in English to a not inconsiderable extent. His English, however, requires remedial work and further improvement. He is possessed of adolescent psychology characterized by awakening ego, widening mental horizon, and desire to gain distinction in some areas. He is more eager to know things and ready to accept the challenges rather than viewing the pictures and language-games and mechanical learning, he wants to learn with understanding the things. It is important to note that at this stage curiosity and challenges act as stronger motivations than the 

desire to enjoy, or play or see attractive objects.

English in India is a potential national resource. It is important to develop tolerance and positive attitudes towards English. Practical approaches can be adopted in the areas of its teaching by making it more need based, flexible and innovative. Our national freedom fighters established English language during the after freedom struggle, and this language rooted. The intention was not for mutual communication and coexistence but also for saving the republic from small state nationalism. It established its roots in our country as a language of national resurgence, political awakening, and cultural unification, and happily, continues to grow as such in its own localized way.

We have to change our attitude towards the English language. To do this we must have to forget that this language is connected with U.K or U.S.A. So learning another language makes one bigger, gives one a wider vision, and makes one aware of the subtleties that we don’t get in one language. If we teach English as a means of communication, we should also understand the essence of communication is meaningful interaction between participants, be it in the context of speaking, listening, writing or reading. While we are teaching the English language to the students we have to give opportunities to use language in intelligent and relevant interaction; they deserve an opportunity to think, to provide information from their world of knowledge, to express their personal opinions and to disagree with other people’s, to choose among equally valid alternatives etc. The other objective relates to motivating the students to experience success, to make them believe it is possible. The negative feelings of futility of learning or teaching English have to be changed.

Teaching the language is not an easy task. For that one must be the master of the language. Every learner is born with a built-in language-learning mechanism. And teacher should also respect this built-in language-learning skill of the students. The teacher should work on the practical tasks rather than giving the bookish knowledge.    

Conclusion:

Learning and teaching is the two way process. In this process one gives something and other receives. Here encoding and decoding play a vital role and English, the much loved and hated surrogate child of the British rule in India, has managed to remain in the center-stage of controversy even after 47 years of the country's independence. To an impartial observer, it seems that it can neither be thrown away nor can it be adopted completely. It notes that the language-question is the most complicated problem that the country has faced since independence and one that has resisted a solution. It goes on to add that on account of educational, cultural and political reasons and the problem needs to be satisfactorily and urgently resolved.

Works Cited

Chinku. The Mirror. 5 August 2012. 18 october 2015 <http://chinksmirror.blogspot.in/2012/08/the-role-of-english-in-india.html>.

E., Annamalai. Satan and Saraswati: The Double Face of English in India. PhD Thesis. Mysore: Central Institute of Indian Languages, 1986.

Kapil , Kapoor. Teaching English as 'Second Language' in India. PhD Thesis. New Delhi: Jawaharlal Nehru University, 1991.

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Psychological Study of the character of 'Lavinia' in 'Mourning becomes Electra'

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Psychological Study of the character of 'Lavinia' in 'Mourning becomes Electra'

Introduction:

‘One’s behavior represents one’s psyche.’ Psychology is the study of mind and behavior. It is an academic discipline and an applied science which seeks to understand individuals and groups by establishing general principles and researching specific case. (Wikipedia) Psychology studies one’s behavior with the society, one’s emotions, feelings etc. 

Brief about the author & play:

The play ‘Mourning becomes Electra’ is written by the American play writer Eugene O’Neill published in 1931. He was born on 16^th October 1888 and died on 27^th November 1953. The play is much inspired by the Greek ancient play ‘Oresteia’ by Aeschylus. Of course because here it is modern play it has modernist features. In both the plays the characters are much similar. The play ‘Mourning becomes Electra’ is divided into three parts: 1) Homecoming 2) The Hunted & 3) The Haunted.

The play ‘Mourning becomes Electra’ tells the story of the Mannon family. All most all members were having high position in the society. That is why they were the talk of the town. Many people also tried come near to the Mannon family to know about them. The town was proud upon Ezra Mannon, but not upon her wife Christine Mannon; because she was having foreign look. Lavinia and Orin are the siblings. The other thing about this family was almost all the male family members were having same kind of look.

This is the story of Lavinia Mannon. She loves her father so much and from the childhood she thinks that her mother is her envy. Her father spends 10 years in army and stay away from the house. During these 10 years her mother Christine falls in love with her husband’s stepbrother Adam Brand. When Ezra comes back he feels gap between husband and wife. He behaves as if during these ten he was here with his wife. He tells her wife to forget about these 10 years. It was not so easy for her and she openly confesses her love with Adam Brand. She tells that when she marries Ezra she was in love with him but after marriage she feels disgusting towards Ezra. She needs a lover and that’s why she goes to New-york to meet Adam Brand. Hearing this truth Ezra feels something in his left side may be heart-attack. And after taking the medicine he died. Here ambiguity remains that whether it was his nature death or he died because of medicines given by his wife Christine.

Here other notable thing is that Lavinia also wants to receive her father’s love. When her father was away from her she all the time was thinking that when her father will be here she will receive all his attention and love. Even when Peter proposes her she denies his proposal and says that her relationship with him is like brother and sister and she can’t marry him because her father needs her. Here we can see Lavinia’s too much love towards her father. Even when after ten years her father comes at home he ordered her to go into bedroom which doesn.t like. Her father wanted to spend some time with his wife, and that is why Lavinia thinks that her mother is competitor. Here we can see the Electra complex in Lavinia’s character. 

What is psychology? : Electra Complex

Psychological knowledge is often applied to the assessment and treatment of mental health problems; it is also directed towards understanding and solving problems in several spheres of human activity. The word psychology derives from Greek roots meaning study of the psyche. (Wikipedia) Here Lavinia’s psychology is connected with Electra complex. This complex is the other side of Oedipus complex. This complex is reversal complex of Oedipus complex. This complex shows the sexual desire between the daughter and father or brother and sister. The theory of the Electra complex was discovered by Freud from the mythological character Electra, and the term was coined by Hung in 1913. In classical psychoanalytic theory, the child's identification with the same-sex parent is the successful resolution of the Electra complex and of the Oedipus complex; his and her key psychological experience to developing a mature  identity. Sigmund Freud instead proposed that girls and boys resolved their complexes differently. (Wikipedia)

Psychological study of Lavinia:

As above said that this play is much inspired by the Greek ancient play, like in that character here also Lavinia feels attraction towards her father.

“CHRISTINE: What are you moon gazing at? Puritan maidens shouldn't peer too inquisitively into spring! Isn't beauty an abomination and love a vile thing? Why don't you marry Peter? You don't want to be left an old maid, do you?
LAVINIA: You needn't hope to get rid of me that way. I'm not marrying anyone. I've got my duty to Father. (Homecoming, Act 3)” - (Shmoop)

Here we can say a hint of Electra complex, excessive love towards father. Here other ambiguity remains about the death of Ezra Mannon that was his death natural or naturalized? He soon died after taking the medicine. Here a question arises in our mind that whether the medicines were wrong given by his wife or it was already changed by Lavinia. Because when her father was on death-bed she was the first to enter in the room and said that she saw a night-mare. At that time her mother was hiding something may be the right medicine. And when Ezra was dying her mother told her that he is taking rest. In reality she knew that he is on his death-bed. Nothing is clear about Ezra Mannon’s death. But then in the very next chapter Eugene uses the word murder for Ezra Mannon’s death. So he was murdered that is the truth. 

We can say that may be this action was taken by Lavinia to take revenge. She was behaving with her mother as if she is her rival. May be she killed her father thinking that he will think that his wife has killed him. She wants to be the wife of his father. And she wants to marry her father. Here are the some glimpse of the psychology of Lavinia and her mother Christine both.

“CHRISTINE: No. I loved him once--before I married him--incredible as that seems now! He was handsome in his lieutenant's uniform! He was silent and mysterious and romantic! But marriage soon turned his romance into--disgust!
LAVINIA: So I was born of your disgust! I've always guessed that, Mother--ever since I was little--when I used to come to you--with love--but you would always push me away! I've felt it ever since I can remember--your disgust! (Then with a flare-up of bitter hatred) Oh, I hate you! It's only right I should hate you!
CHRISTINE: I tried to love you. I told myself it wasn't human not to love my own child, born of my body. But I never could make myself feel you were born of anybody but his! You were always my wedding night to me--and my honeymoon! (Homecoming, Act 2)” - (Shmoop)

After the death of her father Lavinia’s love converted towards her brother Orin, may be same looks of the Mannon family. Orin was very much near to his mother but there was the absence of oedipal complex, the way it is in Lavinia’s case. When he came to know about his mother’s affair he kills Adam. Soon after this his mother also committed suicide. At that time Lavinia tells him that though now their mother is not alive, but she is here with him. Here we can see the attraction of Lavinia towards her brother. After the death of his mother he was not in a mood to go out anywhere but Lavinia forces him to go on the tour of south sea and islands. Here we can see the force of Lavinia upon his brother. Peter’s sister Hazel was in love with Orin. Christine wanted that her son marry to Hazel, but after her death Hazel was not much liked by Lavinia. She wanted all the control upon her brother.  

Conclusion:

Orin also committed suicide at the end. At that time Lavinia speaks that ‘Forgive me Orin’. At that time we can see a little change in her. May be she was realizing her mistakes. She interferes in everybody’s life. At the end Peter again proposes her but again she denies. She said that now she is the last Mannon member of the Mannon family. Now she will lock up herself in this Mannon house and will not even allow the sun rays to come in. “The dead forget us, we forget the dead”. This is the line spoken by her at the end of the play. And she shut the windows and also the doors. She also said that “I will not commit suicide”.  Symbolically she is dead now not physically but mentally. She is now broken within. At the end she locks up herself in the Mannon house with the same look like her mother.

 

Works Cited

Shmoop, Editorial Team. Mourning Becomes Electra Sex and Lust Quotes. 11 november 2008. 13 october 2015 <http://www.shmoop.com/mourning-becomes-electra/sex-lust-quotes.html>.

Wikipedia, Contributers. Psychology. 2 november 2015. 14 october 2015 <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Psychology>.

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Existentialism & Identity Crisis in 'Waiting for Godot'

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Existentialism & Identity Crisis in 'Waiting for Godot'

Introduction:

Yesterday deform us, and we deform yesterday – Existentialist Critics

The basic idea of Identity Crisis and Existentialism is with thinking and here Rodin’s statute of ‘Thinker’ becomes a symbol.

What is Existentialism? What is the Identity Crisis? How it is reflected in the play ‘Waiting for Godot’? These are the some questions about which I have tried to give answers.

Brief about the author & The Play:

The Play ‘Waiting for Godot’ is written by Samuel Beckett and was published in 1952. The play was originally written in France language and later translated into English language by Beckett him. He was born on 13^th April 1906 and died on 22^nd December 1989 at the age of 83. ‘Waiting for Godot’ is his one of the notable works. The setting of the play is much similar to the painting ‘Longing’ by Caspar David Friedrich. The play is divided into two acts. Critics labeled the play “the strange little play in which ‘Nothing Happens’”.

Existentialism & Identity Crisis:

Existentialism is a movement in 20^th century philosophy and literature that centers on the individual and his or her relationship to the universe or God. This existentialist label has been applied to writers, philosophers, visual artist and filmmakers; the movement flourished in Europe. What is Existentialism? To give answer to this question in very simple words then one’s way of living life, the way an individual wanted live life is existentialism.

The basic idea of Existentialism is do whatever you want to do. Means there is the difference between ‘My World’ [Emotional] and ‘Your World’ [Logical]. Generally our approach towards society remains like this that ‘My World is better than Your World’. There are two ways of looking toward the society: one is Secular way of looking and another is religious way of looking. If I start from the self then when somebody asks us who are you? Then our answers must be like this that I am John or David or any other name. But who said this that my name is so and so? Then our next answer must be like this that my parents or relatives. Apart from this we don’t know much about ourselves. Our names are related with our physical appearance only. But this are the not appropriate answers for who am I? When we think about all these questions then we find that everything is meaningless. Why? The answer is because our ultimate destiny is death.

GWF Hegel, Soren Kierkegaard, Fyodor Dostoyevsky, Nietzsche, Edmund Husserl, Kafka, Sartre, Beckett, Beauvoir, Camus these are the well-known names in the field of existentialism. (Wikipedia) Basically the existentialism asks us the question about our existence in this universe. Why we are here? Who am I? The basic consult is search for the self.

That is why the existentialist critics would say that our birth is not in our hand so at least our death must be in our hand. It means the way I want to die I must be free to do so. And that is why other critics say that Existentialism is a negative criticism. That is way many critics would say that Existentialism is Nihilism. There is a minor difference between existentialism and nihilism.

It is true that Existentialism talks about the death idea but here death in the sense the philosophical death. Every day we wake up in the morning, do our routine work and end of the day goes to our bed. Apart from this we never tried to think about existence that why I am here? What is my purpose in this human world? Who am I?

Among the most famous and influential existentialism propositions is Sartre’s dictum. “Existence precedes and rules essence”, which is generally taken to mean that ‘there is no pre-defined essence to humanity except that which we make for ourselves.’ For Sartre humans are fundamentally different from the things like car, fan etc. before making a car we can say that what will be the work of the car but about human we can’t say, and still we try to bind ourselves in different identities. I.e. religious identity, family identity, community identity etc. and then we see the clash between all these identities. 

Then next question arises in our mind that what is identity crisis? The concept originates in the work of developmental psychologist Erik Erikson who believed that the formation of identity was one of the most important parts of a person's life. (Kit)

Existentialism and Identity Crisis in Waiting for Godot:

Basically the play ‘Waiting for Godot’ is an absurd play. But from where this absurdity comes? When we think that from where I am belonging, my being and my purpose in this nature. In the play the characters are tramps. First of all this is a kind of new experiment which Beckett does with his play. Generally tramps are those people who are out casted from the society. Society never cares for their being. For the society this tramps are insignificant, the same way for this tramps the society is insignificant. How from time to time and person to person the point of view changes. And this is known as Existentialism. May be according to nature we human beings are also insignificant.  

So first of all let’s start with the setting of the play. The setting of the play is inspired by the painting ‘Longing’ by Caspar David Friedrich. So if here we focus on the word ‘Longing’ means deep desire of something. This desire is connected with my desire. And when this word ‘My’ comes Existentialism also comes. May be the characters are in search of something (Mr. Godot). May be this is the search of Beckett himself or let us apply universal touch that may be this search is all of us. In our life each and every mode we are always in search of something. All the time we want something.

The second thing is that we put lots of impression in our name. This very basic thing of human nature is falsified by Beckett. We are not sure about the names of the characters in the play. When the messenger comes to convey the message from Mr. Godot at that time he calls Vladimir as Mr. Albert and Estragon calls Vladimir as Didi so here the ambiguity about his name remains. The same way Vladimir also calls Estragon as Gogo. So this thing is connected with existentialism as well as identity crisis. Who they actually are? What they are doing here? I.e. ‘BOY: Mister Albert . . . ? VLADIMIR: Yes.’

Yesterday is memory and tomorrow is hope. I.e. ‘ESTRAGON: I'd forgotten. VLADIMIR: Extraordinary the tricks that memory plays!’ This play is in between this situation. Both the tramps try to recall their memory and hope which is connected with the tomorrow which is never going to come. Here this thing we can connect with us. We don’t know about our last life, and we also don’t know about our future the only thing we can do is hope. And still we go on living our present life. I.e. ‘BOY: Mr. Godot told me to tell you he won't come this evening but surely tomorrow.’

Here we are talking about hope, we Hope for everything. We hope for our home, we think that at the end of the day I will go to my home. So with this at sub-conscious level there is also a fear that may be I will lose my home. We connect this home with God. Existentialism is all about the absence of the God from the universe. We think that there is God and so if I will do wrong thing then God will punish me. But Beckett’s characters are tramps. Means they must not be having home so they have no fear about losing their home. Basically Existentialist critics would say think rationally. Where God is not responsible for anything rather we human beings are responsible for everything.  

The other thing about Existentialism is that it talks about the repetitive nature of human beings. I.e. ‘ESTRAGON: I'm tired breathing.’

The other example of Identity Crisis is about the name of Mr. Godot. We can say that Mr. Godot is may be the almighty God and we are waiting about Him and the way it happened in the play He is never going to come. We don’t know about God’s identity and that is way we creates different identities of God the way we want to depict him. We have never seen God and the same the characters in the play also never seen Mr. Godot.

Conclusion:

Existentialism is the world where God is absent. We are remembering God because there is lack of confidence in ourselves. And that is why we are afraid of God. And that is why there is a kind of fear that I will lose something. Everybody wants freedom and it is also good but the thing is that we also have to be ready to pay the price of our freedom. There is Life plus anxiety and that is why there is Existentialism in our life.

Works Cited

Kit, Advertising & Press. Identity Crisis. 2015. 13 October 2015 <http://psychology.about.com/od/developmentalpsychology/a/childdevtheory.htm>.

Wikipedia, contributors. Existentialism. 27 October 2015. 30 October 2015 <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Existentialism>.

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