Short Summaries of All 12 Stories || Class 12 Optional English
1. Brahmadatta and the Bunyan Deer (Buddhist tale)
•Setting: Benaras(Kashi) in ancient India
•Main characters: Brahmadatta, Bunyan deer king, Branch deer king, a pregnant doe
•Themes: compassion, pity, non-violence, selflessness, harmony, coexistence of all creatures
•Summary:
"Brahmadatta and the Bunyan Deer" is a Buddhist tale which tells how the human king Brahmadatta gave up hunting and followed the principle of non-violence learning the lesson of compassion and pity from the bunyan deer. The setting of this story is Benaras.
Brahmadatta was fond of hunting and eating deer meat. He bothered villagers and destroyed their crops. Villagers made a trap(stockade) to capture the herds of deer and help the king for his hunting. Two herds of deer were captured. As the two deer kings made the plan to go turn by turn for being hunted, it was the turn of a pregnant doe one day. Seeing her pathetic condition, Bunyan king(actually he was Buddha) decided to replace her and sacrifice himself. As the human king Brahmadatta saw a radiant deer whom he had seen in his dream the previous night, in front of him, he asked him why he was there. The bunyan king told Brahmadatta the story of the pregnant doe. From this incident, Brahmadatta was deeply impressed and learnt the lesson of pity and compassion. From that day, he decided to spare all living creatures of the land and water. He learnt that it was the duty of the king to protect his citizens.
This story teaches the moral lesson that compassion and pity should be the basic human qualities for the equal existence of all the creatures. It deals with the themes such as compassion, pity, non-violence, selflessness, harmony, coexistence of all creatures.
2. King Odin's Wisdom /Cost of Wisdom (Norse Mythology)
•Setting: Asgard, Midgard, Jotunheim
•Main characters: Odin, Mimir
•Themes: wisdom, knowledge, sacrifice
•Summary:
"King Odin's Wisdom" is a Norse myth that tells the story of how King Odin became the wisest of all the gods. The story begins with Odin seeking wisdom and knowledge from the wise giant, Mimir.
On the way to Jotunheim, Odin proves his wisdom and intelligence by winning a contest against a giant who challenges him to a game of riddles. The giant asks Odin a series of difficult riddles, but Odin is able to answer them all correctly. The giant tells Odin that the only way to gain his wisdom is to sacrifice his right eye in a Mimir's well. Odin does so and gains the knowledge and wisdom he seeks.
The story highlights the importance of wisdom and knowledge and the sacrifices one must make to obtain them. It also emphasizes the power of intelligence and the ability to outsmart one's opponents. Overall, the story teaches the importance of seeking knowledge and using one's intelligence to solve problems and overcome challenges.
3. This is a Story by Jennette Christine Armstrong
•Setting: Okanagan Canada during the colonial period
•Main characters: Kyoti
•Themes: cultural identity, colonialism, alienation, migration, tradition vs. change, rebellion/protest, loss of indigenous life style
•Summary:
"This is a Story" by Jennette Christine Armstrong is a short story which takes place in Okanagan Canada. It shows how the arrival of the colonizers has ruined and killed the culture of the Okanagan people. The main character of this story is Kyoti which is the personification of an animal "Cayote".
After the arrival of the white colonizers, many things have changed. They have built dams blocking the free flow of salmons, destroyed forests, defecated everywhere and polluted. The Okanagan people have also followed their food habits due to which they are lean, thin, weak and deformed. New generation of the Okanagan people has accepted the hegemony of the Swallow people(colonizers). Native Okanagan people have been suppressed and tempted by giving food and jobs.
Kyoti feels sad at the loss of native culture, language and tradition. He meets a few people who are lamenting the loss of their culture. Finally, they form a group of colonial resistance. They decide to destroy the dams. This story deals with the loss of indigenous culture after the arrival of colonizers and explores themes of cultural identity, colonialism, alienation, migration, tradition vs. change, rebellion/protest, loss of indigenous life style. It sheds light on the struggles of Indigenous people in Canada and the importance of preserving cultural heritage.
4. Paul's Case by Willa Cather
•Setting: Nebraska and New York America
•Main character: Paul(a school boy)
•Themes: alienation, addictive nature of art, day-dream vs. reality, obsession for money, conformity vs. individuality
•Summary:
"Paul's Case" is a short story written by Willa Cather. It deals with the life of a young schoolboy named Paul who is unhappy with his middle-class life in Pittsburgh. Paul feels disconnected from his family and friends and spends his time dreaming of a glamorous and extravagant lifestyle, which he believes can only be achieved through wealth.
He becomes obsessed with the arts and spends time with theater people, leading him to be expelled from school. He steals money from his new job and runs away to New York City, where he spends all of his stolen money on a lavish hotel room, new clothes, and a night of partying. Paul's theft is eventually published by the newspaper and he returns to Pittsburgh. On the way, Paul decides to end his life than to return to the same old boring life. He jumps in front of a moving train and dies.
The story highlights the dangers of disconnecting oneself from reality and the importance of finding meaning in one's life.
5. The Three Students by Sir Arthur Canon Doyle
•Setting: a university building in an unnamed city in 1895
•Main characters: Sherlock Holmes, his friend, a professor, three students(Gilchrist, Daulat and Miles)
•Themes: crime, cheating, investigation, suspense, loyalty, dishonesty, justice
•Summary:
"The Three Students" is a short story by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle featuring detective Sherlock Holmes and his companion Dr. John Watson. The story takes place at a college where a scholarship exam is about to take place, but one of the examiners discovers that someone has tried to gain access to the exam questions. The three main suspects are the only students who had access to the exam papers, and they are all equally talented.
Holmes is called in to solve the case and, using his keen observational skills and deductive reasoning, he is able to identify the culprit. In fact, when the professor had left a key at his door, an athlete boy Gilchrist had entered the room and copied the paper in professor's absence. As the professor returned, he was hiding behind the curtain. Gilchrist's father's former servant Bannister(now professor's servant) also had tried to hide Gilchrist's crime. Moreover, Bannister had suggested Gilchrist not appearing the exam. At last, Gilchrist went to Africa and Holmes wished him good luck.
The story highlights the importance of honesty, as well as the power of observational skills. It also shows the unique abilities of Holmes as a detective and his ability to solve complex cases. Overall, "The Three Students" is a classic detective story that deals with the themes of crime, cheating, investigation, suspense, loyalty, dishonesty, justice, etc.
6. Everything that Rises must Converge by Flannery O'Connor
•Setting: American South during the early 1960s, after the Civil Rights Movement.
•Main characters: Julian and his mother Mrs. Chestny
•Themes: generation gap, racism, complexities of human behaviour, class discrimination, reality vs. perception, family conflict
•Summary:
"Everything That Rises Must Converge" is a short story by Flannery O'Connor that tells the story of a young college graduate named Julian who accompanies his mother on a bus ride in the American South. Julian and his mother have different views on race and society, and their relationship is strained(तनाबपुर्ण).
As they ride the bus, they encounter an African American woman and her young son, who sit next to them. Julian's mother makes several condescending and racist remarks, which make Julian uncomfortable. He tries to distance himself from his mother's behavior but ultimately cannot control his own judgmental thoughts.
At the end of the story, the situation worsens, and Julian's mother is hit by the African American woman's purse. Julian realizes the consequences of his mother's behavior and how it contributed to the incident.
The story explores themes of racism, generation gap, and the complexities of human behavior. It shows how deeply rooted prejudices can lead to conflict and how difficult it can be to change one's beliefs. Overall, "Everything That Rises Must Converge" is a powerful and thought-provoking story that challenges readers to examine their own biases and assumptions.
7. Lullaby by Leslie Marmon Silko
•Setting: Navajo Country/ New Mexico, USA
•Main character: Ayah (old Navajo woman)
•Themes: war, grief and loss, memories, power and racial oppression, storytelling, cultural identity
•Summary:
"Lullaby" is a short story by Leslie Marmon Silko that tells the story of an old Navajo woman named Ayah who reflects on her memories. Ayah has experienced great loss in her life, including the deaths of her husband and children, as well as the forced assimilation of her people into mainstream American culture.
The story shifts back and forth between Ayah's memories of the past and her current reality. She thinks about the traditions and language of her people that are disappearing and reflects on the pain she has experienced throughout her life.
The story explores themes of loss, cultural identity, and the effects of colonization on Indigenous communities. It also highlights the ability and strength of Indigenous people who continue to maintain their cultural traditions in the face of difficulty.
"Lullaby" is a powerful and poignant story that sheds light on the experiences of Indigenous people in the United States and their ongoing struggles to maintain their cultural heritage.
8. Devil Deer by Rudolf Anaya
•Setting: Pueblo, New Mexico in America
•Main character: Cruz(a hunter)
•Themes: hunting culture, ecological crisis and imbalance, man's dependence in nature, nature as subject vs. nature as an object
•Summary:
"DevI'll Deer" is an ecological story written by Rudolf Anaya. This story shows how human activities have adversely affected wildlife. setting of this story is Pueblo in New Mexico, America.
People in Pueblo used to go hunting during autumn season which is known as the deer season or hunting season. The protagonist of the story Cruz went hunting to the Black Ridge where Los Alamos Laboratory was located. He spent a night in his truck near the fence of the laboratory. He dreamt of a deformed bear in his dream which warned him to go away from that place. In the morning, he killed a deformed deer with twisted paws and deformed face. Despite being afraid of it, he took it home to show it to his people. When he reached home, people took him inside the home and they prepared to burn the deer. They called it "devil" because they had never seen such deer before.
In fact, harmful radiations, lasers and atom smashers and vibration of the laboratory had made the deer deformed. The story shows the harmful impact of human activities on ecosystem and wildlife. Moreover, the number of deer was getting scarcer day by day. This story deals with the themes of hunting culture, ecological crisis and imbalance, man's dependence in nature, nature as subject vs. nature as an object
9. Deal in the Wheat by Frank Norris
•Setting: Kanas and Chicago America at the end of 20th century and beginning of 21st century
•Main character: Sam Lewiston(a wheat farmer)
•Themes: greedy and corrupt business, monopolistic market, exploitation of the poor, capitalism and market, victimization of the poor
•Summary:
"Deal in the Wheat" is a naturalist story written by Frank Norris. It shows how capitalist and corrupted businessmen victimize the working class people. It deals with the monopolistic wheat market of Chicago at the turn of the century.
Sam Lewiston was a wheat farmer who had his farm in Kansas, USA. Due to the unhealthy competition between the bull(businessmen who profit from the rising market) and the bear(businessmen who profit from the falling market) in wheat price, Sam couldn't get good price of his wheat. As a result, he was compelled to hand over his property to the creditors leaving his wife at her sister's house. He worked at a hat factory for some time. When the hat factory closed due to debt, a park bech became his home. He had to stand in a queue at 1 am in the rainy morning to get a free bread from the bakery. He was refused bread too due to the rise in wheat price. Later, he got the job of a cleaner and got promotion too.
The story shows the pathetic condition of the wheat farmer who became unable to get bread made up of the same grain. Thus, story deals with the monopolistic market, unhealthy business practices, scapegoating/victimization of the poor class, power of nature over man, etc.
10. Leaving by MG Vassanji
•Setting: Tanzania in Africa
•Main character: Aloo
•Themes: separation, hard work, family support, mother's love and sacrifice, ambition, understanding one's financial condition, optimism
•Summary:
“Leaving” is a short story written by MG Vassanji. Set in Tanzania, it is about a young man's (Aloo's) dream to go abroad to study and his mother's fear of separation from her children. His mother is reluctant to let him go for various reasons. Despite her husband's early death, she brought up her five children. Two older daughters were already married, the older son worked at a shop. She wanted the younger two(Aloo and his sister) to do well in their studies.
After completing school level education, Aloo(the youngest son) applied for scholarship to study medicine in America. His mother was unhappy to let him go so far away. Seeing his eagerness, she decided to let him go. Aloo's mother advised him not to give up his values
and beliefs. Aloo was thrilled to be in a foreign land and wrote home excitedly on seeing London where he stopped over on the way to America. But his mother wondered sadly if he would ever return to the family again.
This story deals with the themes of separation, hard work, family support, mother's love and sacrifice, ambition, understanding one's financial condition, optimism and so on.
11. Autobiography: A Self-Recorded Fiction by John Barth
•Setting: America
•Main character: Fiction (it is speaking like a human)
•Themes: identity crisis
•Summary:
"Autobiography: A Self Recorded Fiction" written by John Barth is a postmodernist story. It is a metafiction. Metafiction is a story (fiction) about fiction (story about story). Generally, autobiography means an accounts(विवरण) of someone's life written by himself/herself but this story is not like that. Unlike conventional autobiographies, it is an autobiography of the fiction, not any person.
The narrator of this story is "Story/Fiction". The writer has personified the story. It is speaking like human beings. It has been given "I" pronoun. In this story, the narrator(story) is uttering monologue(मनोबाद) about himself. Therefore we can call him narrator or speaker or monologuer. As the title suggests (self-recorded fiction), the speaker is recording his own voice.
The narrator remembers his memories about himself. He remembers and speaks of his conception(गर्भधारण), birth and growth. He is self-aware of his begetting. The setting of this metafiction is America because his life-span(आयु) covers various historical events
The narrator(fiction) directly addresses the readers. He wants them to listen to him. Listening to him means giving him life. If we listen to him, his monologue becomes dialogue and he feels alive. He cannot become alive if we don't listen to him. He says he doesn't have proper name and identity. His father (writer) and his mother (tape-recorder) refused to give him proper name. He is the result of his parents' conjoined shame and father's infatuation (short term attraction) to his mother. He is not happy with his existence in this world. He finds himself detached from everyone. He reveals that his dad intends to destroy him before he utters a word. Though he is a bloody (disgusting) mirror(resemblance) of his father, his father continuously tried to destroy him. At the time of his birth, his father was taken to mental hospital. Therefore, his mother refused to give him a proper name. His father regards him as an unwanted child. Identity crisis pushes him towards madness. He is not in control of the situation. He, therefore, pleads with his father using a maniacal voice to end it for him.
12. The Lost Child by Mulk Raj Anand
•Setting: a rural village in India
•Main character: an unnamed child
•Themes: parents and child bond, child psychology,
•Summary:
“The Lost Child” is a short story written by Mulk Raj Anand. This story depicts children’s psychology. The story is set in a rural village village in India during the spring festival season.
A small child went to a fare along with his parents, during a spring season. He was filled with joy and happiness. There were many stalls selling a variety of things such as toys, sweetmeats, flowers, balloons, etc. There were snake charmers and merry-go-round and many other attractions. He stopped before every stall and requested his parents to buy those items. He also knew that his parents would refuse his request and strictly say ‘No’ to his request.
While observing the merry-go-round, the child lost contact with his parents. Hw was overpowered by the fear and started crying. He searched for his parents by running here and there. But, he could not find them anywhere. When he reached a temple in search of his parents, a stranger picked him up from the crowd. He tried to pacify the child by taking the child to the stalls and offering the toys, sweets, flowers, and colourful balloons. But the child lost interest in them. Rather he wanted only his mother and father.
Thus, the story portrays child psychology very effectively. The main theme of the story is the deep relationship of pure love between parents and a child. It shows that no material possession can compensate the absence of parents.
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