A Child Is Born - Germanie Greer

Theme
A child is born by Germaine Greer discusses on the matter of childbirth and childcare. She shows the differences in between the western society and the eastern society on the subject of the, pregnancy childcare and child rearing. She is of the opinion that the eastern society is better in comparison to western society. In the eastern society, the pregnant woman feels secure in pre-natal as well as post natal activities. This is hardly found in the western society.
Summary:
Childbirth management in the eastern society varies from place to place. the mother are familiar about the way of giving birth to child in such society because they are used to in such customs, they don't feel so much physical and mental tension while giving birth. The approach in eastern society is ritualistic. All the relatives including the husbands remain present during the process of giving birth. It decreases the pain of the mother. Their presence gives a sense of security to her. They create such an environment which make mother feels safe. Nevertheless a chance of death of mother is high in eastern society. In many of the eastern societies, a pregnant woman goes to her mother's house. For example: the writer presents us an example from society of India. In Repute society, the woman goes to mother's house prior to giving birth and after the birth to the child. She is taken care properly. The birth of the child is celebrated with singing and dancing. The pregnant woman is taken care not only by family members but also by the members of the community. It gives her a sense of security and she becomes less worried about giving birth. There is difference in child rearing also. In the eastern society the mother gets respect after she gives birth. She is called by the name of her first child. The newly born child is taken care by all the relatives. The mother has to spend less time in taking care of child. Thus, the eastern society is better than the western society in the matter of childbirth and childcare.
The eastern society, however is not unaffected by the method of western society. Because of modernization, people in the eastern societies are forced to use modern equipments. The modern equipments certainly have brought changes in the sector: nevertheless they are unable to reduce the anxiety at mother while giving birth. It has became problem in the western society. When a mother realize that there is unlikely to be anyone to celebrate her attempt, she is not certain to bear the problem

The Children Who Wait - Marsha Traugot

Summary:
Marsha Traugot's essay "The children Who Wait" discusses the scene of adoption in American context. There is a dramatic change in the attitude towards adoption. Prior to 1960 people had prejudiced concept towards adoption. After 1960 people's tendency of searching for healthy white children for adoption ended due to various factor. The various factors responsible for the dramatic change are black civil right movement, women's movement and awareness through media campaign. Though there is change in peoples mind, childcare specialists still have problems. Traugot's essay ends with the activities childcare specialist have been doing for proper match of family and the needy child. Summary- MarshaTraugot begins her essay with the picture of Tammy, which has been published in a magazine with the hope that someone would be ready for her adoption. She is five and half years old with the face of Mona Lisa. The writer describes her inadaptable child had she been born before 1960. During that period only white healthy children were considered adaptable. Physically deformed children’s were rehired as damaged goods. No one was ready to adopt such children. This view, however, started disappearing after the sixties. People attitude towards them gradually became positive. The change in thoughts was brought by various factors. Traugot mentions black civil right movement, legalization of abortion, change in attitude of the people, and change in government's policy as responsible factors. Black civil rights movement brought sympathetic attitude towards black people. White people started regarding them as humans and treated accordingly. Another responsible factor was women's movement. Because of women’s movement they got right to decide on the matter of childbirth in addition to other right. The lady who had to do abortion to maintain her status could live with dignity with her child. No body showed her with index finger. It has the impact in reduction of unwanted children. The third factor responsible for change in attitude is government's policy towards adoption. The government used to emphasize on faster care before the seventies. As they became knowledgeable about the drawbacks, they made change in their policy. Rater than emphasizing on foster care, they tried to find permanent home. Another factor responsible is the role played by social activists. Their campaign brought not only in attitude of the people but also in their behavior. Though the situation in the present context is favorable, there are still problem in this sector. Activists have to get proper family for destitute child. They need to search suitable family for child. Unlike previous activists, they can't get two-parent family. Instead of searching for two-parent family, they need to evaluate the characteristic of a child and match it with the proper family. To overcome this problem, they hold meetings and discuss about the children and families where theycan put them.

Women's Business - Illene Kantrov

Theme:
Illene Kantrov's essay Women's Business depicts the business activities performed by women. She present her logic that Women's business was related with cosmetic items and the techiniques they appplied for the production of goods by them were traditional. She presents Lydia Pinkham as the precursor of womens's business. Other women entrepreneurs also followed the path she showed. Though they followed her path, they could hardly become as successful as Lydia.
Summary:
There was a picture of a lady Lydia Pink ham in a newspaper. Below the picture was an advertisement, which claimed that the company owned by the lady had remedy for a problem of women. The lady, according to the writer, used the techniques of social activism to sell her products. She advised her clients, to consult only female physicians. She suggested the client about diet, exercise and hygiene. Due to the business conduct by her, she could earn huge amount $200000 in the year 1881. Her success in business made her very famous. She became a folk heroine, the subject of popular songs and jokes.
Other women followed the path shown by Lydia. Like Lydia, her successors. Arch-rivals were Helena Rubinstein and Elizabeth Arden. They printed their beautiful faces in the magazines to advertise their goods. They allured their customers by marrying European aristocrats. They competed in their business. To show their product of high quality, they used women's sentiments as well as the boldness of gambler. In addition to cosmetics, they opened beauty parlors, sold ready-made clothes, and advised on nutrition. Helena published books on the benefits of eating raw foods; the book became extremely popular. Similarly a black female capitalist also followed the path of Lydia but the technique used by her was quite different. She used sales agents to sell her products. Though the female capitalist followed the path of Lydia, their main aim was to gain personal benefits, in which they could become successful to some extent.

I Have a Dream Martin Luther King.Jr.

About the text
"I have a dream" is a political speech made by martin Luther king. jr. after the independence of black people. Martin Luther forwards the history of America. the problems faced by black people suggestions to his followers. warning to the government and his wishes. he describe apartheid (discrimination on the basis of color) as the extreme point of human cruelty, and demands for its end.

History:
America was the colony of Great Britain before 1776. When it was declared independent, both black and white people had expected for their freedom and happiness. As expected. white people got access over then whereas black people didn't. They were discriminated and pushed to slums. They were not allowed to travel by any vehicle. Indeed, they had to spend the life of great difficulty. This condition created dissatisfaction among the blacks and they wanted to get civil rights. Martin Luther's speech also represents this sentiment. problems faced by black people:

The Blacks, like the whites, had expected that their situation would change after independence of America. But it did not happen. Even after the independence. the hope of black people was not materialized. they got neither freedom nor happiness. "the check " given to black people was not cashed; it was returned back with the mark insufficient fund. so their condition remained the same. they were not allowed to travel by public vehicle; they were not allowed shelter in any motels; indeed they were not given any rights.

Problems faced by black people:
The blacks, likes the whites had expected that their situation would change after independence of American. But it did not happen even after the independence. The hope of black people was not Materialized. They got neither freedom nor happiness. "The check" given to black people was not cashed; it was returned black with the mark insufficient fund so their condition remained the same they were not allowed to travel by any public vehicle; they were not allowed shelter in any motels; indeed they were not given any right.

Suggestions to his followers:
The present time, according to martin Luther is the time to rise from the path of segregation to the path of racial justice. as it is the demand of time, no one should try to block the revolt of the blacks for their rights. the revolt would continue unless and until the demands are fulfilled. However, the advices that any means of violence should not be applied. He advised his followers to follow the path of non-violence. He further adviced them to use their strength in creative works.

Warning to the government and his wishes
He advice his followers to follow on the path of peace. at the same time, he warns the government that there would not be peace if laws are not practiced accordingly. their moment would shake the foundation of the nation; he wishes for the end of apartheid. he desire for the oasis of freedom in place of bondage. he dreams that the children would not be judged on the basis of their color rather they would be judged on the basis of their intelligence. More over he wishes for the prosperity of both black and white for the prosperity of nation depends on it.

Some of the dreams made by Jr. Martin Luther King in his speech “I HAVE A DREAM”:

1.He had a dream that one day his nation will rise up and live out with the true meaning of its creed holding the equality of all people living in U.S.
2. He had a dream that one day the hills of Georgia the sons of farmer, slaves(Blacks) and the sons of former slave owners (Whites) will be able to sit together at the table of brotherhood.
3. he had a dream that any children of any color will not be judged on the basis of their color of their skin but by their content or the caliber.
4. He had a dream that every individual will get equal voting rights including their citizenship rights equally in every states.
5. He had a dream that none of the Americans will be judged just by staying in the Ghettos or skyscrapers.
6. He had a dream that any state of U.S will be beyond injustice and oppression but will be transformed into a Oasis of freedom and justice.
7. He had dream that all above situations will be favourable and realistic where little black boys and black girls will be able to join hands with little white boys and white girls and work together as sister and brothers.

Gretel - Garrison Keillor

Theme:
Gretel by Garrison Keillor is an interpretation of the story "Hansel and Gretel" from the perspective of a female. The interpreter is Gretel who denies her cowardice in the original story. She claims that the depiction is distorted one.

Summary:
Gretel says that there was an understanding between her and her brother to sell their story to Grimm brothers. They had signed in a contract paper with an agreement to share fifty-fifty of the profit. But unexpectedly, Gretel found the story published the other day totally different order. The story depicts her as coward and her brother as a brave person. She claims the brother was, in reality, a coward not vice versa. It was her brother who wept time and again, and she had to carry him. The portrayal of he father and mother is also distorted. Father was not so kind hearted; he was a drunkard; he liked to watch bull fight. Mother was not cruel in any sense jog the word. Gretel describes their parents leaving them in the forest as a natural phenomenon of the time. Parents used to leave the children in forest hoping that they will be better cared in forest by frog, raven or saints. She claims that she was not worried when she in the forest, as she had known the reality. At last, she repents for killing the witch, for the witch was not after her; she had wanted to kill Hansel.

Hansel and Gretel - Grimm Brothers

Theme:
Hansel and Gretel by Grimm brothers present a story of a family; which consists of a father, a stepmother and two children. The writers present the psychology of seep mother in very realistic manner. At the same time, he shows that evil force suffers in the end and good force emerges victorious.

Summary:
Once there was a famine in a country, which compelled the step mother to think of leaving the children to the forest. The father yielded to the wish of wife, as she was pigheaded. In the morning, the step mother asked them to get ready to go to the forest. Hansel had collected pebbles as he had heard the conversation of parents the earlier night. As they left their home, the boy dropped pebbles on the way. After walking for some duration, they reached to a spot where the step mother asked the children to wait till they return back. But it was only a trick to leave the children in the forest. At midnight, when they got up, the boy thought of returning to house. He could return successfully with the assistance of pebbles he had dropped. At home they were welcomed by the father though the mother was indifferent. There was another famine in the country, which forced the mother to bring the previous idea back again. The father accepted despite his unwillingness. The boy, unlike previous time, was unable to collect pebbles as the mother had locked the door from outside. Early in the morning, the children were waked up and given bread. The boy dropped the bread on the way making it crumbs. Unlike before, the parents took them deep into the forest. The children were left there. They wished that their parents would come which didn’t happen as they had thought. The children couldn’t return back to their house as the breads crumbs had been eaten by birds. They, at last reached to a house made of bread and cakes. As they nibbled from the house, a voice sweetly spoke them to continue. It was a witch, who used to eat children whoever came handy. The witch, on the next day imprisoned the brother and compelled the sister to do laborious deeds. Everyday the witch went there and checked how fat he had become. The boy could deceive her with the help of a bone. As she realized that the lad would never become sedentary, she decided to end the consequence. Early in the morning, she ordered Gretel to fetch water. She had prepared oven to end the brother and sister. As Gretel arrived there, she asked her to be in. Gretel showed ignorance to the way of entering and asked her to demonstrate. No sooner had the witch tried to enter her head then she pushed her into oven and closed it. She then released her brother. They went inside the house and collected treasures. On the way back home, they arrived by a river, which was full of water. The boy asked a duck to help him across the river. As they reached their house after long walk, they saw father who welcomed them happily, but could not find mother as she had died.

The Tell – Tale Heart Edgar Allan Poe

Theme:
Edgar Allan Poe's story The Tell – Tale Heart presents murderous act done by a boy and confessions done later. Poe describe that our heart really can hide the inner reality. Despite desire of secrecy, our heart reveals what there is.

Summary:
The narrator claims that he is not mad as he could hear things in the heaven, earth and hell. To justify him saint, he confesses dangerous crime he has committed.
The narrator and the old man used to reside together; they had very good relationship. The boy used to love the man very much. The old man also used to treat him well. The only thing that irritated the boy was the eye of him. To end the consequences, he went to the old man's room continuously for seven days. But returned, as he could not see the eyes of the man. In the morning he spoke politely and behaved as if nothing had happened. On the eighth nights, he as usual went there with torchlight. He did every thing stealthy and cautiously. Despite it, he happened to touch tin fastening, which dropped and disturbed the sleep of the man. In desperation, he asked who it was. The boy remained speechless and motionless. A little later his sense brought him the reason that the old man easy asleep again, he aimed the beam towards the old man's eyes. As he saw them, he grew angry. He then, jumped towards the man, dragged the man and pressed his neck with bed. At last, he dismembered the old man's dead body and put it under the plank. After it, he cleaned the place spotlessly clean. It was already four when he finished the task. At four, the three policemen appeared and rang the bell. The boy went there; welcome them bought to his room and took to every nook and corner of his house. The policemen didn't suspect any wrong there. The boy took them to the spot where he had hidden the corpse of the old man. He cordially asked them to sit on the chair, which he had kept there. He sat there just over the plank whereas policeman continued talking with smiling face. The boy, at the mean time, heard sound coming from beneath. He desired to reduce the loudness of the sound. For this purpose, he spoke louder; though it didn't do any good. He felt the sound growing; he felt the policemen’s smile as the smile of mockery. It became unbearable for him to keep the reality secret. H thought it better to confess than to hide. Eventually he confessed the crime.