An
Avenger:
- · Morality and Justice
By Vemuri Sai Gayatri, 1640728,
4BCB
In the
eyes of the law, murder is the ultimate crime for which there is no
justification. The protagonist, Sigaev, knows that he will be severely punished
and sent to prison if he kills his wife and her lover. However, society’s
concept of justice and morality is filled with ambiguity. If one party in the
marriage contract violates its terms of eternal faithfulness and monogamy, the
other is seen as entitled to seek vengeance, no matter how extreme a form it
takes. In Sigaev's world, it is commonplace for a wife to cheat on her husband,
a matter of course for a cuckold to commit murder or suicide. It is so mundane
that the gunsmith discusses it conversationally, the way one would talk about
the weather. He complains about the corruption of morals while making money off
it. Sigaev himself goes about the whole thing not in a fit of jealousy and hurt
passion, but with careful deliberation. He wants to punish his wife for
breaking her vows, and feels perfectly justified in the lengths he is going to
go. He fairly logically debates with himself about which combination of murder
and suicide would be best, ultimately choosing divorce. The newspapers and
gossips would feel more sympathy than anger for his lurid scandal, and anyway
it would be one of many. By mostly ignoring the element of emotion, Chekov
exposes the inconsistency in human concepts of morality and justice, where
adultery is wrong, and so is murder, but murdering an adulterous spouse is
justice served.
- · Satire
By
Pakhi Sharma, 1640719, 4BCB
There
are a few instances in the short story ‘an avenger’ which shows that there is a
pinch of satire in it. First of all, Sigaev planning the whole murder, then
thinking who to kill and whether to kill himself or not is a satire in itself.
He is trying to select an appropriate gun from a gunsmith. The shopman has been
portrayed in a satirical character as well. He is praising about his guns to
Sigaev. He displayed a gun of high price and when Sigaev said that it was too
much for him he replies that he has cheaper guns but that are only bought by
hysterical ladies or the mentally deficient and committing suicide or shooting
ones wife with this cheap gun is considered bad nowadays. Another satirical
instance was when Sigaev imagined his own funeral. Who would ever want to think
about their funeral? When he was not
satisfied with any of these guns, the shopman took down another dozen cases of
revolver. The shopman displayed a Tula revolver and said that if he would aim
with this gun at his wife, he might shoot himself on his shoulder blade.
Finally, the most satirical part of this story was when Sigaev suddenly felt
mortified and sorry that he would be dead. All this while, he was planning to
murder his wife and then kill himself and now he does not want to do so because
he feels that to shoot oneself is cowardly. A revolver was now of no use.
However seeing the shopman getting very enthusiastic, he wanted to buy
something so that the shopman would not feel bad. So he bought a net for
catching quails for eight roubles and walked out of the shop.
- · Hypocrisy
By
Fletty Reji, 1640711, 4BCB
Sigaev
wants to take revenge on both his wife and his wife’s lover. However it is also
noticeable that at times he also considers killing himself after he has killed
wife and her lover. This is important as Sigaev appears to be looking for
sympathy from others when it comes to killing himself. He wants to let others
know that he is the offended party- that he has done nothing wrong and that responsibility
lies with his wife and her lover. Strangely, Chekhov gives no background as to
why Sigaev’s wife might have been unfaithful. It is also strange how Chekhov
gives no background to Sigaev himself. The reader is left to take his word on
everything. Only his feelings are felt throughout the story. Though it is clear
his pride is wounded, the reader never knows if Sigaev’s potential actions are
justified. We don’t know how Sigaev has treated his wife, which leaves the
reader wondering if it is possible that Sigaev’s wife’s actions were triggered
by the fact she feels as though she is in an unhappy marriage. The reader never
knows. Sigaev does not at any stage in the story think that he might be at
fault and it is also difficult for the reader to suggest that he is at fault.
The entire story is focused upon how Sigaev feels and the importance of him
being seen in a good light. Sigaev doesn’t appear to mourn the fact that his
wife has been unfaithful; rather, avenging his pride is more important to him.
- · Cowardice
By
Jaisleen Kaur Sondhi, 1640713, 4BCB
Anton
Chekov, in his short story 'The Avenger’, talks about Sigaev, a man who caught
his wife in an extra marital affair. He does not even think over the situation
completely and immediately. Without giving this sensitive matter a second
thought, decides to go to a gun shop to buy a gun and kill both his wife and
the other man. But, while he is at the shop, he changes his views numerous
times and doesn’t seem to be motivated and focused on his opinion. He acts in
an illogical and irrational manner and doesn’t listen to what his mind tells
him. His cowardice is reflected the first time he pictures himself as an
insulted man who will not be valued anymore in society. Throughout the story,
he plans for different ways to take revenge but in the end he leaves all the
ideas because of some or the other flaw in the plan. These flaws in the
situation or his lack of courage to execute the situation highlight the coward inside
him. Ultimately he disregards the idea of killing anyone and leaves the shop
with just a green net of eight roubles.
- Social Commentary by Chekov
By Deepthi Shrivastava, 1640752, 4BCB
The story talks about the revenge,
pride, shame , trust and unfaithfulness. Its mentioned in the story that the
Sigaev have been cheated by his wife and he has caught her red handed, for the sake of revenge he wants to kill his
wife and lover. But in the story its completely noticeable that he is very
confused about the idea of killing himself because he wants to gain sympathy
from the society. He wants the society to know the who is being cheated by
whom. That he has not done anything wrong. He wants to show the society that
because of the romantic engagements have driven him to the pint of madness. So he visited to a gun shop to buy the best
revolver and imagines how he would see his wife and her lover in affliction . It's
very clear that sigaev lives in society who is more concerned about the reason
of death of either of the party but not necessarily on fact that who is guilty
or what was the reason behind the failed relationship between a husband and
wife.
The author has not mentioned that why Sigaev has been
cheated? The sigaev cannot trust his wife because of the lack of love between
them. Its not clear that maybe his wife
actions are been triggered due to failed marriage. He only wants to shame his wife,
shows that he doesn't want to solve the problem but to feel her wife guilty. At
the end of the story he wishes to be seen as the person to the society who has
been offended shows that showing the society and making them understand is more
important then solving the issue . Jumping onto conclusions without knowing the
reason of unreliablity. Sigaev’s only real complaint is the fact
that his pride is wounded. At the end he decides to give divorce , and to come up as
wounded party.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
As
One Listens to the Rain by Octavio Paz
- · Continuity
By
Noori Khan, 1640732, 4BCB
The poet
in the poem has a high admiration for nature, and is describing the beauty of
the rain and how one can connect themselves to it and the same way he is tries
to build that connection with a loved one to whom he is addressing the poem.
While the poem proceeds the poet puts the reader’s attention to the peace and
solace one can get in listening to the rain. He puts emphasis on the rain by
relating it to time, air or even the loved one at some places. the reader can
go along the flow of the poem as it provides a very calm and serene experience
to the reader and by doing so the writer engages the reader in his own world
where he is personifying nature from his point of view and and wants us to pay
emphasis on it.
- · Lack of Structure
By
Vyahruti Pasupunuri, 1640730, 4BCB
Structure
of a poem is where each stanza ends in a full stop and tells a clear part of
the story; but a lack of punctuation within the stanzas means that the meaning
is sometimes unclear. This gives the poem the feeling of a dream and the
freedom for the readers to read between the lines and use their own imagination
and their ability to understand which will help to fill up the loop holes in
between.
Here,
the poem is written in free verse, which means it has no clear form. It goes
all the way from talking about the rain to comparing it with light footsteps
and by showing similarities between water, air and time which is a very
beautiful way to look at rain. This type of writing allows the poet to think as
deep as he wants to and the leaves the readers lingering around, letting them
open to thoughts about the poem. This
form gives the poem a strange, uneasy feel. It has no regular pattern. We do
not know where we are; in time or space. As one continues reading, this poem
makes your head spin, but in a positive context.
Lack of
structure ultimately is a way of the poet reaching out to people leaving them
to their own opinions and putting a question forward without actually using
question marks.
- · Implication of Lack of Structure
By
Harini Suresh, 1640712, 4BCB
This
poem highlights the worldly happenings in a very vague manner.
For
example: not attentive, not distracted, this is very pale in a single reading
but if one thinks deeply the subconsciously intellectual reasoning arises. The
poem has to get a lively direct meaning to it , so that the readers get an
actual gist of it without analysing it much.
A lot of
contradictions are used, instead positive directories can be used to make it
more creative and understandable. The imaginaries used in the poem can be
slightly entitled to have more highlights and domination than the puzzled
phrases like “what we are and are “. The poet uses an essence of existence in
the present and the future together, this can have many implications. Maybe a
talk about the present can make it clear and effective to the readers who look
forward to seeing the reality. The poet describes even a woman using the
elements of nature by complicating the meaning of the poem that makes it difficult
to understand efficiently.
The
actual beauty of rain and the pleasing quality of rain is not portrayed
directly but is twisted and showcased in a very long aspect.
- · Romanticism
By
V Yashwanth, 1640705, 4BCB
This
poem can be lauded as being steeped in romanticism. Many aspects indicate the
whimsical yet deep and weighty contemplations of the author with regard to him
and his lover. His dialogue on the passage of time that is water that is air,
his beckoning of his lover to inspect, contemplate and understand him, his
vivid similes for his lover’s being, are all testaments to the mysterious and
captivating approach he has taken in writing this poem. Perhaps the most
romantic part of the whole poem is the rain itself- as a concept that
transcends time, as an object that binds his lover and him together, as an
entity that commands attention. The surrealism, ambiguity and mysticism all contribute
towards casting an air of romance surrounding this poem. The way he commands the attention of the
reader is similar to the musings of a lover towards their other- a prime
example being the phrase ‘listen to me’. The whole poem revolves around a ‘we’,
a ‘you and I’, an ‘us’- the tango of two. The most blatant evidence of romance
is reserved towards the end, when the two lovers unite, with the falling of the
shadow of the other on his page, which leaves the reader with a warm longing
for the memories of their own experiences with this familiar affection.
- · Rain
By
Anusha Kulkarni, 1640714, 4BCB
Octavio
Paz has written ‘As one listens to the Rain’ with rain as the centrepiece of
the poem. Paz urges us to listen to him as one listens to the rain. One doesn't
try and comprehend the sound of rain, we hear it and accept it. The line ‘water
that is air, air that is time’ might be suggestive of the interwoven existence
of space and water when raindrops rapidly descend down to the earth through
air, so much so that one cannot distinguish the boundary where water ends and
air begins.
Paz
compares time with water when he says ‘Figurations of mist at the turn of the
corner’. Mist is associated with haze, which is exactly what the future is
like. One can never be sure of what lies ahead for them in a mist, only near
objects and things are visible, just like how the present is clear, unlike the
future. One way to interpret this poem would be, to look at it in a spiritual
perspective. When Paz urges us to accept his words as we accept the sound of
rain, we accept everything; water, time, space, our love; we realise the
presence of permanence in this transient, ever changing world.
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