Lit.Guruji

Cat’s Eye by Margaret Atwood This novel explores the themes of memory, identity, and the complexities of female friendships. The story follows Elaine Risley, a successful painter who returns to Toronto for a retrospective of her work. This visit triggers memories of her childhood and adolescence, particularly her complicated relationship with Cordelia, a childhood friend who was both a tormentor and an influence on her development. Elaine grows up in a non-traditional household, moving around Canada with her entomologist father before settling in Toronto. There, she becomes friends with Cordelia and two other girls, but their friendship turns into psychological bullying, with Cordelia often humiliating and controlling Elaine. Over time, Elaine learns to resist Cordelia’s influence, but the effects of this toxic friendship shape her self-perception and relationships throughout her life. As an adult, Elaine navigates failed relationships, struggles with her artistic career, and confront...

Meet Me at the Lake by Carley Fortune is a second-chance romance about love, fate, and personal growth. The story follows Fern Brookbanks, who spent one unforgettable day with Will Baxter ten years ago. They promised to meet again a year later, but Will never showed up. Now, at 32, Fern has returned to her family’s lakeside resort after her mother’s passing, struggling to keep it afloat. Unexpectedly, Will reappears, offering to help. As they work together, old feelings resurface, but so do unanswered questions about why he never returned. Set against a nostalgic lakeside backdrop, the novel explores love, loss, and the power of timing in relationships.

Summary of Handmaid Tale The Handmaid’s Tale by Margaret Atwood is a dystopian novel. This novel is set in the Republic of Gilead, a totalitarian regime that has replaced the United States. Due to environmental disasters and declining birth rates, the new government enforces strict societal roles, particularly for women. The protagonist, Offred, is a Handmaid—one of the few fertile women forced into reproductive servitude for high-ranking officials and their wives. She serves the Commander and his wife, Serena Joy, and must bear the Commander’s child. Women in Gilead have no rights, are forbidden to read or write, and are constantly monitored. Offred recalls her past life, including her husband Luke and daughter, who were taken from her. As she navigates the oppressive system, she begins a secret affair with the Commander and later with his chauffeur, Nick, who may be involved with a resistance group called Mayday. The novel explores themes of power, control, resistance, and the subjug...

Unit 1V grammar  solved answer Part II English  Exercise A:   Change the infinitive without 'to' of these verbs into the correct present simple form with it .  1. play  - plays   2. do - does   3. enjoy  - enjoys   4. fix - fixes   5. teach - teaches   6. miss - misses   7. think - thinks   8. say - says 9. try - tries    10. wash - washes  Exercise B:  Complete these facts about India. Use the correct present simple forms of the verbs in the box.   Look, come, have, have, live, show, visit.  1. India has ____________a population of around 1.41 billion.  Answer : have   2. 81.5 million people ___________ in Tamilnadu. Answer: live 3. The name 'Thanjavoor' __________ from 'Tanjan' an asura in Hindu mythology.  Answer : come 4. Around 14,00,00,000 tourists ___________ Tamil Nadu every year.  Answer : visit 5. Every tourist ____________ around the temples and heritage si...

E- mail.  Email, short for electronic mail.  Leave Request regarding mail. To : Principal @gmail.com Cc:  Hod@gmail.com Bcc:  Classcoordinator@gmail.com  Leave Request - (your name) Respected sir,            I have decided to attend a meeting to be held at S.T. Hindu College, Nagercoil on 21.01.2025. So kindly grant me leave for the day and consider my absence.  With Regards  (Your name). 

Engine Trouble is a humorous short story written by R.K.Narayan. He is a renowned Indian author. This story explores the misadventures of the narrator who unexpectedly wins a road engine in a local fairs raffle.  The story begins with the arrival of a showman in the town. He sets up an amusement park called Gaiety Land. This park becomes popular among people for its attractions and games. Among various attractions is a lottery in which the narrator wins half a ticket and he was gifted with a road engine. The narrator was excited to receive the road engine. Later he realises the burden approaching him because of the road engine. His friends advice him to sell the road engine. But the narrator is unable to find a buyer. The narrator approaches the municipal authorities to remove the road engine from Gymkhana Grounds. He fails in this attempt.  Finally, he seeks help from a man named Joseph, who works as a showman. Joseph advises him to move the engine with the help of elephants ...

Still Here            - Langston Hughes  Still Here is a powerful poem written by Langston Hughes. He is an American poet. This poem is about the toughness, difficulties and. endurance of African Americans in the face of racism and oppression. The poem consists of eight lines. This poem was published in 1957. The speaker describes the hardships endured under the hands of Americans. They have been " battered and scattered " and their hopes were scattered like the winds. Their extreme difficulty is compared to the imagery of " snow freezing and the scorching sun". Despite these difficulties the poet is strong enough to face life. He express his determination to continue laughing, loving and living. He claims that " But I don't care"! I'm still here!" Langston through this poem celebrates the strength of the African American people who have faced centuries of discrimination, hardship and oppression in America.  In this poem Hughes captures the es...

When We Lost Our Heads                       (2022) by Heather O’Neill This novel is a dark, feminist historical novel set in 19th-century Montreal. It follows two young women, Marie Antoine and Sadie Arnett, whose intense and obsessive friendship leads to destruction and upheaval. Summary : Marie Antoine is the spoiled daughter of a wealthy sugar baron, while Sadie Arnett is a rebellious, intellectual girl fascinated by radical ideas. When they meet as children, their friendship is passionate but dangerous, filled with competition, manipulation, and betrayals. After a tragic event forces them apart, their lives take separate but equally dramatic paths. Marie becomes trapped in her father's rigid world of high society, while Sadie is exiled from her privileged life and thrown into the underbelly of Montreal, where she becomes a leader in a revolutionary movement advocating for women’s rights and labor reform. Their stories eventuall...

Gregor’s family becomes concerned when he does not come out of his room. His boss, the office manager, even visits to check on him. When Gregor finally opens the door, everyone is terrified. His mother faints, and his father drives him back into his room, injuring him in the process. At first, Grete takes care of Gregor. She brings him food and cleans his room, though she avoids looking at him. Gregor begins to enjoy crawling on the walls and ceiling, but he feels lonely because he can no longer talk to his family. His parents struggle financially since Gregor can no longer work, and they take in boarders (paying guests) to make money. Over time, Grete becomes tired of caring for Gregor. She and the rest of the family start to resent him. One night, Gregor leaves his room to listen to Grete playing the violin for the boarders. When they see him, they are disgusted and threaten to leave without paying. His family finally decides that they cannot live with him anymore. Feeling unwanted a...

D.H. Lawrence's poem Snake is a  philosophical poem that explores the themes of nature and human morality. The poem describes the speaker’s encounter with a snake that comes to drink water from his trough on a hot day. The speaker is both attracted and fearful. He admires the creature’s beauty and presence. At the same time he feels the pressure of societal teachings stating that snakes as dangerous. At first, the speaker watches the snake with suprise, seeing it as majestic and almost noble. However, his ingrained prejudices make him feel that he must kill it. In a moment of impulse, he throws a log at the snake, causing it to move into its hole. Immediately, the speaker is filled with regret and shame, realizing that he has acted against his natural admiration and respect for the snake. The poem explores the conflict between human instinct and learned behavior, questioning why humans often fear and destroy what they do not understand. Lawrence suggests that the snake, a symbol of...

The Road Not Taken: A Simple Essay Introduction "The Road Not Taken" is a famous poem by Robert Frost. In this poem, the author talks about making choices in life. He uses the image of a traveler standing  in a two diverging yellow road to show how every decision we make leads us down a different path. Summary of the Poem In the poem, the speaker is walking in a yellow wood and comes across a fork in the road. He must choose between two paths. Even though both roads seem similar, he decides to take the one that is less traveled. Later, he imagines that this choice has made a big difference in his life. However, the poem also suggests that both choices could have been equally good. Analysis and Meaning Making Choices: The poem reminds us that life is full of choices. Just like the traveler, each person must choose a path. Some choices may seem small at the moment but can change our future in important ways. Regret and Wonder: The title, "The Road Not Taken," makes us...

Don't Quit              - Edgar A. Guest Don't Quit is a poem written by Edgar A. Guest. He is an American poet. Don't Quit is an inspirational and motivating poem. The central theme of this poem is perseverance. In the first stanza, the speaker tells that everyone face difficulties in their life. We have to be happy but also have to deal with difficult situations.This poem paints a clear picture of a tired traveler on an uphill road, weary about his financial crisis. He says at this point, “ rest if you must, but don’t you quit.”   The poet talks about the unpredictable nature of life. In life everyone one has to face many twists and turns. Many of us fear for the twists and turns that comes in our life. Guest claims that success often follows failure. It is essential to move forward. Success may happen slowly but it is attainable. He uses the Metaphor " success is failure turned inside out".  The poem stresses the fact that if we give up...

Sublimity by Longinus  Longinus defines sublimity as the quality of a literary work that is excellent, lofty, and moving. It is also the power to provoke ecstasy in readers. The five sources of sublimity are  1. Grandeur of thought 2. Intense and powerful emotions  3. Appropriate use of Figure of Speech  4. Noble and elevated diction 5. Dignified and Majestic Composition  1. Grandeur of Thought:  A writer or speaker must possess intellectual greatness and a lofty imagination. Example: The opening of John Milton’s Paradise Lost, which attempts to describe the vastness of heaven and hell, embodies grandeur of thought. 2. Intense and Powerful Emotions: True sublimity arises from deep passion and sincerity. If an orator or poet lacks genuine feeling, their work will feel artificial and fail to move the audience. 3. Appropriate Use of Figures of Speech The skillful use of literary devices enhances the power of expression and creates an elevated effect. Common fi...