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B.A 3RD SEMESTER GENERAL(LCC-1/2) ENGLISH
UNIVERSITY OF KALYANI
STUDY CARE
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1) ON HIS
BLINDNESS -BY JOHN MILTON
When I consider how my light is spent
যখন আমি ভাবি কিভাবে আমি আমার দৃষ্টি শক্তি ব্যয় করলাম
Ere half my days in this dark world and wide
আমার অর্ধেক জিবনের আগেই এই বিশাল অন্ধকারময় পৃথিবীতে
And that one talent which is death to hide
এবং সেই প্রতিভা টি যেটি লুকিয়ে রাখা হল মৃত্যুর সমান
Lodged with me useless, though my soul more bent
সেই প্রতিভাটি মুল্যহীন ভাবে আমার মধ্যে রয়েছে, যদিও আমার হৃদয় চায়
To serve therewith my Maker, and present
আমার সৃষ্টি কর্তা/ ইশ্বর কে সেই প্রতিভা দিয়ে সেবা করতে এবং হাজির করতে
My true account, lest he returning chide;
আমার প্রকৃত স্বত্তা কে পাছে তিনি ফিরে এসে আমায় বকেন;
"Doth God exact day labor, light denied?"
"ঈশ্বর কি আমার অন্ধত্বের সময়ে আমার কাজের হিসাব নেবেন/(বাকি কাজের দাবী করবেন)?"
I fondly ask. But Patience, to prevent
আমি বোকার মত জিজ্ঞাসা করলাম। কিন্তু ধৈর্য প্রতিরোধ করল
That murmur, soon replies,. "God doth not need
আমার চাপা ভাবনা কে, ধৈর্য আমায় উত্তর দিল, "ইশ্বরের প্রয়োজন নেই
Either man's work or his own gifts. Who best
মানুষের কাজের অথবা তাঁর প্রদত্ত প্রতিভা/ উপহার। যে মানুষ সবচেয়ে ভালো ভাবে
Bear his mild yoke, they serve him best. His state
বহন করবে ইশ্বরের হালকা জোয়াল, তারাই হল ইশ্বরের সবচেয়ে বড় সেবক। ঈশ্বরের অবস্থান
Is kingly; thousands at his bidding speed,.
রাজার মত; তাঁর হাজার হাজার দুত/ এঙ্গেল তাঁর আদেশে দ্রুত
And post o'er land and ocean without rest;
ছোটে স্থলভাগে এবং জলভাগে বিশ্রামহীন ভাবে;
They also serve who only stand and wait.
কিন্তু যারা শুধুমাত্র দাঁড়িয়ে থাকে এবং ভগবানের আদেশের অপেক্ষা করে তারাও ভগবানের সেবক।
2) Sonnet 18: Shall I Compare Thee to a Summer's Day- BY William Shakespeare
Shall I compare thee to a summer's day
আমি কি তোমায় গ্রীষ্মের দিনের সাথে তুলনা করতে পারি?
Thou art more lovely and more temperate.
তুমি গ্রীষ্মের দিনের থেকে কত বেশী সুন্দর এবং অপরিবর্তনশীল।
Rough winds do shake the darling buds of May,
ঝড়ো বাতাস মে মাসের সুন্দর কুঁড়ি ফুলকে ঝড়িয়ে দেয়
And summer's lease hath all too short a date.
এবং গ্রীষ্মকালের মেয়াদ খুব অল্পদিনের।
Sometime too hot the eye of heaven shines,
মাঝে মাঝে সূর্য খুব উত্তাপ দেয়
And often is his gold complexion dimmed;
এবং প্রায়শই তার সোনালী রং ফিকে হয়ে যায়
And every fair from fair sometime declines,
এবং প্রতিটি সুন্দর জিনিস থেকে তার সৌন্দর্য হারিয়ে যায়
By chance or nature's changing course untrimmed;
দুর্ভাগ্যবশত বা প্রকৃতির পরিবর্তনশীল নিয়মে এবং সবকিছুকে অগোছালো করে দেয়।
But thy eternal summer shall not fade
কিন্তু তোমার চির শাশ্বত যৌবন কখনো ধ্বংস হবে না
Nor lose possession of that fair thou ow'st;
তুমি তোমার ধারণ করা সৌন্দর্য সম্পত্তি কখনো হারাবে না
Nor shall Death brag thou wander'st in his shade,
এমনকি মৃত্যু তোমাকে বলতে পারবে না তার ছায়াতে ঘুরতে যাওয়ার জন্য
When in eternal lines to time thou grow'st:
যখন কবিতার অমর লাইনে যুগের পর যুগ ধরে তোমার সৌন্দর্য বৃদ্ধি পেয়ে যাবে।
So long as men can breathe or eyes can see,
যতদিন পৃথিবীতে মানুষ নিঃশ্বাস-প্রশ্বাস নেবে বা চোখ দেখতে পাবে
So long lives this, and this gives life to thee.
ততদিন আমার কবিতা বেঁচে থাকবে এবং ততদিন ধরে তোমাকে প্রাণ দিয়ে যাবে l
3)She Dwelt among the Untrodden Ways
BY -William Wordsworth
She dwelt among the untrodden ways
Beside the springs of Dove,
A Maid whom there were none to praise
And very few to love:
A violet by a mossy stone
Half hidden from the eye!
—Fair as a star, when only one
Is shining in the sky.
She lived unknown, and few could know
When Lucy ceased to be;
But she is in her grave, and, oh,
The difference to me!
বঙ্গানুবাদ
সে বাস করত চলাচল হীন পথে
উইলিয়াম ওয়ার্ডসওয়ার্থ
সে বাস করত চলাচল হীন পথে 1
ডাভ ঝরনার পাশে 2
সে একজন কুমারী মেয়ে যার সৌন্দর্যের প্রশংসা করার কেউ নেই 3
এবং যাকে ভালবাসার মত মানুষ খুব কম: 4
সে একটি ভায়োলেট ফুলের মত যে শেওলা ভরা পাথরে জন্মায় 5
যে সকলের দৃষ্টি থেকে অর্ধ অগোচরে থাকে 6
- সে তারার মতো উজ্জ্বল, যখন শুধুমাত্র একটি তারা (শুকতারা) 7
আকাশে জ্বলজ্বল করে। 8
সে সকলের অজানা স্থানে বসবাস করে, এবং খুব কম লোক জানতে পেরেছিল 9
কখন লুসি মারা গিয়েছে;
10
কিন্তু সে এখন তার কবরের মধ্যে এবং 11
যা আমার কাছে অনেক প্রভেদ সৃষ্টিকারী!
12
4) Prayer Before Birth
BY-Louis MacNeice
I am not yet born; O hear me.
Let not the bloodsucking bat or the rat or the stoat or the
club-footed ghoul come near me.
I am not yet born, console me.
I fear that the human race may with tall walls wall me,
with strong drugs dope me, with wise lies lure me,
on black racks rack me, in blood-baths roll me.
I am not yet born; provide me
With water to dandle me, grass to grow for me, trees to talk
to me, sky to sing to me, birds and a white light
in the back of my mind to guide me.
I am not yet born; forgive me
For the sins that in me the world shall commit, my words
when they speak to me, my thoughts when they think me,
my treason engendered by traitors beyond me,
my life when they murder by means of my
hands, my death when they live me.
I am not yet born; rehearse me
In the parts I must play and the cues I must take when
old men lecture me, bureaucrats hector me, mountains
frown at me, lovers laugh at me, the white
waves call me to folly and the desert calls
me to doom and the beggar refuses
my gift and my children curse me.
I am not yet born; O hear me,
Let not the man who is beast or who thinks he is God
come near me.
I am not yet born; O fill me
With strength against those who would freeze my
humanity, would dragoon me into a lethal automaton,
would make me a cog in a machine, a thing with
one face, a thing, and against all those
who would dissipate my entirety, would
blow me like thistledown hither and
thither or hither and thither
like water held in the
hands would spill me.
Let them not make me a stone and let them not spill me.
Otherwise kill me.
প্রেমিকারা আমার প্রতি হাসবে, 21
যখন সাদা ঢেউগুলি আমায় ডাকবে বোকামি করার জন্য এবং মরুভূমি আমায় ডাকবে 22
ধ্বংস করার জন্য এবং যখন ভিখারিরা প্রত্যাখ্যান করবে 23
আমার দান এবং যখন আমায় সন্তানরা আমায় অভিশাপ দেবে। 24
( অনুরোধ)
আমি এখনো জন্মাইনি; আমার কথা শোনো,25
যে লোক পশুর মত অথবা যে নিজেকে ভগবান ভাবে 26
সে যেন আমার কাছে না আসে। 27
(যুদ্ধের প্রতি বিরূপ ভাব প্রকাশ)
আমি এখনো জন্মাইনি, আমাকে ভরিয়ে দাও 28
শক্তি দিয়ে, যা দিয়ে আমি প্রতিরোধ করতে পারব তাদেরকে যারা আমার মানবিকতাকে রুদ্ধ করে, 29
যারা আমাকে জোর করে নিয়ে যায় প্রাণঘাতী অস্ত্রের দিকে, 30
যারা আমাকে এমন যন্ত্রের যন্ত্রাংশে পরিণত করে যার 31
একটি মুখ আছে এবং শক্তি দাও তাদের বিরুদ্ধে 32
যারা আমার সম্পূর্ণ স্বত্তাকে ক্ষয় করবে 33
যারা আমাকে আগাছার মত এদিক ওদিক উড়িয়ে দেবে 34
অথবা যারা আমাকে যত্রতত্র 35
হাতের জলের মত 36
ছিটিয়ে দেবে। 37
(নিরাপত্তা প্রার্থনা)
তারা যেন আমাকে পাথরে না পরিণত করে এবং আমাকে ছিন্নভিন্ন না করে। 38
নয়তো ভ্রূণ থাকা অবস্থাতেই আমায় যেন হত্যা করা হয়। 39
5) DOLL'S HOUSE --- BY --- KATHERINE MANSFIELD
Introduction
A Doll’s House is a 3-act problem play written when a revolution
was going on in Europe. The play is a landmark in the development of a new
genre-realism, which depicts life appropriately, thus going against, idealism
and utopian thoughts of the preceding ages.
The play deals with the fate of a married woman, who lacked opportunities
for self-fulfilment in a male dominated-world at that time.
Summary:-
Henrik Ibsen describes the story of a married woman who considered her life to
be quite satisfied with her husband in their “doll house” of which she is the
doll. However, with the development of the play, she is insulted by her husband
for a forgery that she did for his sake, even after knowing the truth. When the
matter is solved, her husband tried to calm her down, but she becomes aware of
her status in the “doll’s house” and at once leaves it. Thus she is the modern
woman who fights against gender discrimination.
Act 1
As the play opens, Nora enters her home along with a number of gifts as
it is Christmas Eve. Her husband (manager at a bank) who is reading books,
chides Nora for spending lavishly on these things as the last year they were
out of money because she spent too much. However, as Halmer is about to get a
promotion, Nora doesn’t find anything wrong with spending money.
The maid comes and announces that Mrs Linde (A widow who is an old school
friend of Nora) and Dr Rank (a rich family friend who is secretly in love
with Nora) have come. While Halmer goes away, Nora attends Mrs Linde and both
ladies start telling about their lives to each other. Linde tells about her
unhappy life. Her husband died without leaving fortune or children for her. She
further tells Nora that her mother got ill and she had to take care of her
brothers as well. This is why she appears to be older than Nora who seems to be
quite young and innocent.
Nora says that her life was equally difficult. Since one last year, they had a
hard time as her husband got ill and she had to take him to Italy for his
recovery. The expenses of treatment were quite high and she had to borrow money
from Krogstad by forging her father’s signatures without telling him and even
her husband. Since then she is secretly saving to pay off her debt. Also,
Halmer became a bank manager and thus their economic conditions got
better. Linda tells Nora that she came in search of a job.
Nora assures to help her. Krogstad (an employee at Torvald’s bank) appears and
goes straight to Halmer. His appearance makes Nora uneasy. A little later
Halmer comes out and when Nora tells him about Mrs Linde, he at once agrees to
give her a job at his bank. All leave and Nora remains alone.
Just then Krogstad comes and tells Nora that her husband is about to fire him
from the job and asks her to pursue her husband to let him retain his job
or else he will disclose her crime (forgery) to him. Saying this he leaves.
When Halmer returns back, Nora pleads him not to fire Krogstad from his job but
Halmer tells about his hypocrisy and lies and remains unmoved to his decision.
Act 2
The next day Nora being quite worried again pleads her husband not to
dismiss Krogstad adding that he will defame him, but fails to convince Halmer.
Dr Rank comes and as Nora is about to ask for some financial help, he confesses
his love for her as he is about to die of Tuberculosis. Nora is stunned. She
gives up the idea of asking for money from him.
A little later Krogstad comes. Nora asks Dr. rank to go to Halmer’s study room.
Nora tells Krogstad that she tried her best to persuade her husband but he did
not change his mind.
At this Krogstad says that he will write a letter to Halmer telling about the
forgery. Nora begs him not to do so but he puts the letter in the Halmer’s
mailbox.
Nora tells Linde about the critical situation. Linde reveals that she was in
love with Krogstad before her marriage and even today they love each other. She
assures to help Nora by persuading Krogstad. When Halmer tries to open his
mailbox, Nora uses her charms to prevent him from opening it saying that he
should keep business aside till the next night party. Halmer agrees. Nora feels
guilty and even thinks of committing suicide to save her husband from the shame
of the revelation of her crime.
Act 3
The next night, Linde and Krogstad meet. Linde tells him that she had to
marry a rich man who could support her and her family. She also tells that she
is a widow now and also free from family obligation. She expresses her desire
to live with him.
Krogstad is quite pleased. He decides to take back his letter but Linde says
that Halmer should know the truth for the sake of marriage. Nora and Halmer
return back. Dr Rank who secretly followed them finding Nora alone bids final
goodbye as his death is near. Halmer reads Krogstad letter and is quite
outraged over his wife’s forgery. He abuses Nora. Just then maid comes with
another letter of Krogstad.
Halmer reads the letter and is overjoyed to learn that Krogstad has had a
change of heart and has returned the bond. He at once forgives his wife. However,
Nora realises that her husband never loved her and she was just a doll whom he
played with. She decides to end up living in Halmer’s house and in spite of his
ple as she goes out ‘slamming the door behind her’.
6) PLAY: THE RISING OF THE MOON ---
BY
--- LADYMANSFIELD
Summary of the Play “The Rising of The Moon”
“The Rising of The Moon” is a one-act play written by Lady Gregory in about
1904. It was included in her book “Seven Short Plays” (1909). It was
first staged in March 1907 at the Abbey Theatre. The play is obviously a
political play about the relationship between England and Ireland as they
struggle for independence from English authority. The English have had a long
history of dominance over Ireland. Lady Gregory portrays characters caught
between duty and patriotism, but who are ultimately unified as Irishmen by the
stories, myths, and songs that they share as a nation. The idea of being a
citizen of a country trumps feelings of responsibility to a foreign nation.
The play begins with a sergeant and two police officers pasting a notice or
placard with the escaped prisoner’s physical information. The sergeant suggests
that the warning be posted on the barrel. The barrel is reached through a
flight of stairs. This place must be monitored since the escape’s associates
may bring a boat there to aid him in escaping to a safe spot. The sergeant
notices the poster and wishes he had seen it before escaping from jail. He is
well aware that the desired person is no ordinary thief, but rather a major
political figure. He is in charge of the overall plans of the Irish nationalist
organisation. The sergeant believes he
could not have escaped without the assistance of many jailors. Policeman B
believes that the £100 reward is insufficient, but he is convinced that any
officer who apprehends him will be promoted. The sergeant then states that he
would take command of the situation himself because he is convinced that he can
apprehend the wanted man himself. However, he bemoans the fact that he has no
one to help him. He requires the funds because he has a family. Policeman B
claims that if they catch him, the public will abuse them and their personal
relationships will suffer as a result. The cops are aware of how popular the
escapee is among the Irish. The sergeant, on the other hand, says that they
were only doing their job. The police are responsible for maintaining peace and
order throughout the country. Those who are down will rise if the officers fail
to carry out their responsibilities, and vice versa. He tells the two cops to
place the placards in different spots and asks them to return to the docks
since he is alone with the moon. Policeman B complains that the government has
not dispatched enough cops to the town. They say their goodbyes to the sergeant
and leave.
As the sergeant analyses the reward, a dishevelled man appears. The
sergeant is completely unaware of who this scruffy man is. He bills himself as
an Irish ballad singer from Ennis. He was, however, the Irish
nationalist who had fled from prison. He claims to have arrived at the port to
sell tunes to the sailors. He went to the assizes to sell songs and is now at
the harbour on the same train as the judges. The sergeant then stops the man as
he approaches the flight of stairs. In contrast, the man offers to sit on the
steps until a sailor buys a ballad. He is aware that they will be arriving
late at the ship. He saw them in the nearby town of Cork, being transported
down to the harbour on a handcart. He then performs two ballads for the
sergeant. When the officer orders him to return, he starts singing a ballad about
a rich farmer’s daughter who fell in love with a Scottish soldier. The sergeant
is annoyed and orders him to leave. The man looks at the placard and tells the
sergeant that he recognises the wanted man. The sergeant now demands that he
reveal everything he knows about the escapee.
The shabby man then informs him that he has located the wanted man in County
Clare. He informs the sergeant that he is a dangerous man with tough muscles
who knows how to handle any weapon. He once used a stone to kill a sergeant
from the town of Bally Vaughan. According to the sergeant, he has never heard
of anything like this happening before. The man explains that the incident was
not featured in the newspapers. There was once an attack on the police barracks
in Limerick on a starry night. The man tells the sergeant that a nationalist
kidnapped a police officer from the barracks and that he has not been seen or
heard from since. It was a nightmare, according to the sergeant. The man
continues to tell the storey of the nationalist’s bold efforts. Because he is
such a guerrilla, the cops have a difficult time apprehending him. He will be
on the sergeant before he realises what is struck him. According to the
sergeant, a huge police force should be dispatched there. The man offers to
help the sergeant by sitting atop the barrel and viewing the bay from that
side. His suggestion is approved by the sergeant. The man is adamant about not
sharing the prize. While seated on the barrel, the two continue their
conversation while keeping an eye on the water. The man asks for a match to
light his pipe, and the sergeant gives him one by lighting his own.
According to the sergeant, being a police officer is a challenging profession.
It is a thankless and dangerous job; police officers must face public scrutiny
and have no choice but to carry out their bosses’ orders. People have no
concept of how married cops feel when dispatched on dangerous assignments. The
man then sings a popular Irish folk tune. The sergeant tells him to stop singing
the song since it is unsuitable for the situation. The man claimed he wanted to
sing it in order to lift his mood. His heart sinks as he imagines the escapee
sneaking up on them. The man pretends to be hit by something by touching his
heart. The sergeant reminds him that his reward will be in paradise, to which
the man responds that life is priceless. Then he starts singing about how
outsiders have wronged mother Ireland. The sergeant reminds him that he omitted
to mention Mother Ireland’s blood-stained robe. The man is relieved that he
recognises such patriotic music. He informs the sergeant that he remembers
singing the ballad with his friends when he was younger. He must have
sung more songs, such as Shan Bhean Bhoct and Grean on the Cape. Those ballads
were probably sung by the nationalist when he was younger. The man praises the
sergeant for his patriotism. He advises him that the wanted man may be one of
his friends. The sergeant agrees. The man believes that if his friends had told
him about a plan to liberate Ireland from foreign domination when he was
younger, he would have joined them since he, too, desired freedom for his
motherland. The sergeant admits that he had a nationalist streak as a child.
Because a mother cannot anticipate what her child will become or who will be
who in the end, the guy regards the world as strange. The sergeant agrees with
the man’s viewpoint. Who knows what he might have been if he had not become a
cop to support his family. He may have been a patriot who escaped from jail and
ended up on the barrel like this, while the sought man could have been a
sergeant and tracked him down. He could have broken the law, and the wanted man
could be defending it. He could have murdered him with a pistol or a stone.
The two men hear the sound of a boat in the water. The man lies and pretends to
be deafened. He claims that the sergeant used to work for the people
rather than the law when he was younger. This statement irritates the sergeant,
who reacts by saying that he is proud to be an officer. The man believes he
should have been If he had been a nationalist, he would have supported Ireland.
The sergeant arrives and orders the man not to speak in such a manner. He must
fulfil his obligations. He begins to sing a patriotic melody when he hears the
sound of a boat approaching. The song signalled the arrival of the boatman. If
the man does not stop singing, the sergeant threatens him with arrest. The
music is repeated by a whistle from below in response to the sought man’s
singing. The sergeant attempts to halt the individual and inquires as to his
identity. He quickly realises that he is the sought man. As he rips off the
man’s cap and wig, the sergeant seizes them. He is sorry he was tricked. The
man claims that he is going to arrest him. The two cops’ words can be heard as
the man attempts to take a firearm from his pocket. The sergeant is then begged
not to betray him.
He hides the wig and hat behind him as the two coworkers approach. He argues
that he has not seen anyone and that he does not need their company. He prefers
a peaceful environment. He declines policeman B’s offer to leave him a lantern.
They tell him that because the night is dark and gloomy, he could need it. A
lantern, they say, is a source of consolation. It not only provides light but
also warmth. It is like having a fire at home. The sergeant orders them to
proceed immediately. As they travel, the person appears from behind the barrel.
Before leaving, he informs the sergeant that he wishes to return his hat and
wig. The man thanks him as he moves towards the steps. He promises him that he
may be able to help him as much as he can. When Ireland gets independent, the
small will thrive while the great will perish. As the Moon rises, they will
swap places. The Moon Rising is a symbol of Irish freedom. As the man walks
away, the sergeant examines the sign and turns to face the audience, wondering
if he is a fool to give up the medal.
Analysis of The Rising of the Moon
The play The Rising of the Moon is about an Irish nationalist leader’s struggle
to elude British authorities. He disguises himself as a
poor ballad singer and strikes up a discussion with a Sergeant who is
on the lookout for him in order to claim a prize of a hundred pounds.
Throughout the chat, the leader reminds the Sergeant of his Irish ancestry and
the importance of encouraging and supporting the battle for freedom. The
Sergeant is divided between two allegiances: one to his work and one to his
country. The Sergeant makes his decision as he allows the leader to flee.
The play delves into the struggle between personal and professional identities.
It also highlights the trials and problems that the common Irishman suffered
under British colonial control. Through songs, myths, stories, and dramas in the
Irish language, the play also examines the issue of the Irish Nationalist
movement for freedom from British rule and the necessity to strengthen Irish
identity.
The play features two main characters who represent opposing philosophies. The
Sergeant is the British representation on the island. The ragged guy is a
disguised Irish rebel who supports the Nationalist cause. The play’s tension is
embedded in the two characters.
The Sergeant signifies the colonial ruler’s authority and strength. It is shown
through his tunic and headgear. He is, nevertheless, of Irish descent and thus
sympathetic to the cause. Because of his interaction with a wanted criminal,
his character undergoes a shift in the play. He
is an exceptional man in that he does not act like a cog in the Government
machinery, but rather as a thinking man. He has a good imagination and can
therefore predict where the criminal will most likely escape. The Sergeant has
a grudging appreciation for the convict’s exploits. His relationship with the criminal
reminds him of his past, which he spent singing old favourites with his
buddies.
The part when he plays out his
dilemma is one of the most striking passages in the play. Sergeant. That’s a
queer thought now, and a true thought. Wait how till I think it out. If it
wasn’t for the sense I have, and for my Wife and family, and for me joining the
force the time I did, it might be myself now would be after breaking goal and
hiding in the dark, and it might be him that’s hiding in the dark and that got
out of goal would be sitting up here where I am on this barrel… And it might be
myself would be creeping up trying to make my escape from himself, and it might
be himself would be keeping the law, and myself would be breaking it, and
myself would be trying to put a bullet in his head or to take up a lump of
stone the way you said he did no, that myself did….
His interaction with the criminal causes him to reflect on
how his professional affiliations have influenced his attitude and life
choices. For the first time, he is shown what options the underprivileged have
in their country, as well as the unfairness of the system. The Sergeant has
undergone a change. The inmate removes his mask and reveals himself. The
Sergeant is caught between his duty to his work and his feelings for a fellow
native. The inmate tells him that he, too, was enthusiastic about his country
and his people in his youth, rather than the law. The Sergeant recognises that
beneath his uniform, he is and always will be an Irishman, and thus permits the
convict to flee.
7) ESSAY: FREEDOM --- BY --- G.B.
SHAW
Summary
Nobody can be totally and absolutely free, and this is true of the richest as
well as the poorest among us. For, whatever we may do, we can never hope to be
free from the necessities imposed on us by nature. And, the women’s lot is even
worse than men’s because they have to bear the additional burden of
child-bearing. But there are other Jobs, besides such natural ones as eating
and drinking, from which one can free oneself by exploiting the labour of his
fellow beings. Through force or fraud or trickery, one can manage to steal from
others the fruits of their labour, just as you ride a horse instead of walking
to a place yourself. Thus the rich and the powerful people in our society shift
many of their jobs on the shoulders of the poor and the weak.
Thus, a great majority of people have to labour hard, providing not only for
their own necessities but also for those of their masters. And, our
governments, instead of abolishing this slavery of man to man, protects and
strengthens it by all means. It is true that they impose certain minor
restrictions on the greed of the master class. And they take a lot of
precautions so that you mistake your slavery for your freedom. In order to
convince the people that they are free citizens, they give the people a right
to vote and persuade them that this right makes them the free citizens of a
democratic country. The reality, however, is that a man having a right to vote
is just as much a slave as one without such a right. The surprising fact is
that this hoax on the part of the ruling class proves quite effective with the
people in general.
But man’s slavery to nature is radically different in character from man’s
slavery to his fellow beings. Instead of regarding our natural wants as
slavery, we derive great pleasure from their satisfaction. But the slavery of
man to man has no such redeeming virtue. This slavery gives rise to class
hatred and class struggle in society. Our poets and thinkers unanimously
declare that there can be no really stable and peaceful society until this
slavery of man to man is abolished forever.
Naturally, the ruling class does everything in its power to prevent us from
realizing that we are essentially slaves. They make every effort to convince
the common people that they are free and that their freedom was won by their
forefathers through a series of so-called glorious historical struggles.
Sometimes great writers start exposing this hoax of the ruling class, and the
government then quickly bans their works and vilifies their names as best they
can. When the teachings of these great writers inspire a people to attempt a
social revolution, England immediately starts doing everything in her power to
suppress that movement.
Thus in order to delude the common people, the ruling classes build up an
elaborate framework of trickery and false propaganda which, in the long run,
deludes the master class more completely than it deludes the working people. A
gentleman’s education and breeding thoroughly convince him that the social
system in which he lives is the best of all possible systems. He feels that he
must do everything in his power to preserve this ideal social system. But the
masses of oppressed workers, who are less thoroughly deluded by the propaganda
of the ruling class, now and then give vent to their fury and hatred by
resorting to (unorganised) violence. But such (unorganised) violent activities
never succeed in improving their lot.
Having thus far placed the “plain natural and historical facts before his
readers, Shaw starts praising the institution of slavery in his
characteristically ironical manner. He points out that slavery constitutes the
very foundations of a class society and that obedient workers and law-abiding
citizens are nothing but slaves who have been deceived to believe that they are
the free members of a democratic society. So firm is the grasp of this
deception on the common workers that, when given a choice, they would always
choose as their representative’ a member of the ruling class rather than one of
their own. Since this slave mentality of the working people is but a forced,
artificial product of a very particular kind of education and propaganda, it
naturally follows that an opposite kind of propaganda would inevitably produce
an opposite kind of mentality.
The fundamental practical question is related to the equitable distribution of
the total income of a whole country. Such a distribution may, indeed, become
possible only when wealth is produced in absolute abundance. But it is quite
possible that nature may put some restraint on our efforts to increase production
indefinitely.
Now the author returns to his original proposition and declares that no one can
ever be absolutely free. For, nature compels us to do a number of things which
we can avoid only at the risk of our own destruction. Moreover, we have to earn
our living. Over and above all these compulsions, our freedom is further
restricted by the laws of the land. But, for the vast majority of the people
there are two more formidable compulsions in a class-divided society. These are
the compulsions exercised on the common man by his landlord and his employer.
To protest and fight against the oppression of their employers, the workers
sometimes use the trade union weapon of the strike. But Shaw calls into questions
the efficacy and wisdom of this weapon.
Chapter wise questions and answers
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