UP Board Chapter 1 Class 12 Explanation
| Board | UP Board |
| Text book | NCERT |
| Class | 12th |
| Subject | English |
| Chapter | Chapter 1 |
| Chapter name | A GIRL WITH A BASKET |
| Chapter Number | Number 3 Explanation with Reference to the Context |
| Category | English PROSE Class 12th |
UP Board Chapter 1 Class 12 English
The platforms were packed with people
- The platforms were packed with people-Sikhs, Moslems, Hindus; soldiers, merchants, priests, porters, beggars, hawkers. Almost everyone was barefoot and dressed in loose white garments. I would askat least three people beforel could
find one who spoke English. We would talk world affairs and everymajor topicthe news of the day produced. In this way I was trying toget a feel of the pulse of the nation, checking opinion against official attitudes and reports.
Reference
Reference:These lines are taken from the lesson ‘A Girl WithABasket‘, written by William C.Douglas
Context
Context: W.C. Douglas,ajudge of the Supreme Court of America, visited India in 1950. He travelled from New Delhi to Bareilly by train. He wanted to know the feelings of Indian people. com
Explanation
Explanation : Thewriter heredescribes the people on the platform. They were Sikhs, Moslems, Hindus, soldiers, merchants, priests, porters, beggars, hawkers. Nearly everyone was without shoes. They were wearing loose white clothes.
He talked to them to find out one who could speak English. After asking thiee or four persons he found one. Then he talked to him. They talked about the events in the world. They also talked about the important subjects and about the news of the day. He knew the opinion of the government. Healso knew what had been written about the events. Nowheheard what people feltabout those things. He compared all these things. He was trying to find out people’s ideas about various things.os
Monkeys-
- Monkeys-some of them mothers with babies clinging to them and riding underneath-swung off trees at the stations looking for foods. The villages we passed had walls made of mud mixed with water and cowdung. Their peaked roofs were thatched-bundles of grass tied to bamboo poles stretched across the rafters. That day the pumpkin vines that grew over them were in bloon, trailing
streaks of yellowover drab walls.
Reference
Reference : These lines have been taken from the lesson A Girl With A Basket” written by William C.Douglas.
Context
Context : In these lines the writer narrates ascenervof Indian houses. Some monkeys with their babies were swinging off trees. The houses were madeofmud and grass.
Explanation
Explanation :On the trees at the platforms some monkeys with their babies were climbing on the trees. They were in search of food. The houses, near the station, were made of mud and grass. Their peaked roofs were thatched.Pumpkin
vines were swinging with the thatches. The whole scenery explained the povertyof the Indians.
3. Arone station my routine of talking with the people was interrupted.As soon asTalighted, a group of young children gathered around me. They were selling baskets-hand-woven, reed baskets with simple designs and patterns. They held the baskets high, shouting words. I did not know but conveying unmistakably their desire…
Reference
Reference: These lines have been taken from the lesson ‘A Girl With A Basket‘ written by William C. Douglas.
Context
Context: The author was travelling in a train. At every station he stepped down on the platform and walked there. Alone station a group of the refugee
children gathered around him. The children were very poor and wanted to sell | baskets and fans,
Explanation
Explanation : Thewriter of thislesson gotdown at everystation, walked on the platform and talked to the people. But at one station he could notdoso.As soon as he got down atastation, agroupofthesmall retugee childrensurrounded him.All of them held hand-woven baskets in their hands. The baskets were madeofreeds. These were made in simple designs. The children raised their baskets high to the writer and shouted words in Hindi. The writer failed to understand those words because he did not follow Hindi. But he could understand the desire of the chil- dren very well that they all wanted him to purchage their baskets.
They were poor people to start with
4.They were poor people to start with; they were poorer as they began their Jone trek: for all they could carry was a bit of food and a fewbelongings. Soon thev were out of food. A few days after they started, they began to fall by the wav-sidel
from the weakness of hunger, and died where they fell.
Reference
Reference: These lines have been taken from the lesson ‘A Girl With A Basket‘. written by W.C. Douglas.
Context
Context: At one station a group of young children surrounded the writer. The children were selling baskets. They were the sons and daughters of refugees.After partition a great number of refugees came to India leaving their homes in Paki- stan.
Explanation
Explanation : In these lines W.C. Douglas has presented a very miserable -condition of refugees. Their economic condition was pitiable. They had left their houses and other valuable things there at Pakistan. They became beggar while on journey to India on foot. They could bring only a small amount of food with them which finished in the way.They began to starve. Many of them died on the waydue
to starvation and weakness..
- The children selling baskets were sons and daughters of these refugees. Theyor their parents or relatives hadgathered in the cities, setting up stalls, manu- facturing simple articles, trying to make a living in markets already overcrowded. They lived in cloth and grass sheds that lined the streets. The peasants among these refugees, had been accustomed to little all their lives for the annual income of an agricultural family does not on the average exceed one hundred dollars a year. The average unskilled labourer makes thirty cents a day or less than two dollars a week.
Reference
Reference : These lines have been taken from the lesson ‘A Girl With A Basket‘ written by william C. Douglas.
Context
Context : The writer is describing the pitiable condition of the refugee chil- dren. These children were selling baskets. The refugees were living in cloth and grass sheds that lined the streets.
Explanation
Explanation : The sons and daughters of refugees were selling baskets on the station. Their parents orrelatives were settled in the cities.They had set up stalls of simple articles. They were living in the sheds madeofcloth and grass. The income of peasants was not even average. It means it was not more than one hundred | dollars a year. The unskilled labourers earned thirty cents a day or less than two | dollarsa week.
- The most diligent, aggressive vendor was a beautiful girl of nine right infront of me. She had a lovely basket with handle; and she wanted a rupee and a half for | it or about thirty cents. She was an earnest pleader There were tears in hereyes She pleaded and begged in tones that would wring any heart.
Reference
Reference : These lines have been taken from the lesson ‘A Girl With A Basket | written by william C. Douglas.
Context
Context: The writer was very much impressed by the appearance of a lna refugee girl. In these lines he describes the girl and her actions.
Explanation
Explanation : Among the girls there was a most careful and pushing vendor She was a beautiful girl of nine years. She was standing right in front of the author She had a beautiful basket with handle. She wanted the writer to buy her basket
She wanted thirty cents for her basket. She wasasincere vendor makingan emo-tional appeal. There were tearsinhereyes. She pleaded and begged in suchaway as produced pity in the heart of anybody.
The people I saw in India
- The people I saw in India-those in the village as well as those in high office-have both pride and alively sense of decency and citizenship. They also
have a passion for independence. This beautiful child-born in squalor and pov- erty, uneducated in both grammar and manners-had given meaglimpse of the warm soul of India.
Reference
Reference: These lines are taken from the lesson ‘A Girl With A Basket‘ written by W.C. Douglas.
Context
Context: These are the concluding lines of the lesson. In these lines the writer points out the good qualities of Indians.
Explanation
Explanation : The author met different kinds of persons in India during his journey. He saw people with the high quality of respect in their character. The people knew the value of good manners. They had a strong enthusiasm and love for freedom. The small beautiful girl lived in dirty surroundings. She belonged to apoor family. She was uneducated. Nobody had taught her the correct use of language orrules of conduct. Buther conduictshowed the authorthat Indians had deep feelings for good and respectable things.
UP Board Chapter 1 Class 12 English