rssenglishworld, The English Literature and Grammar Digest

Summary of The Medicine Bag by Virginia Driving Hawk Sneve The Medicine Bag is a first-person narrative told by Martin, a young boy living in a modern American city with his parents and sister Cheryl. Martin belongs to a mixed cultural background: his father is a Native American (Sioux/Lakota), while his mother is white. Though Martin is aware of his Native roots, he feels emotionally and socially distant from them and is more comfortable with his urban lifestyle. The story begins with Martin recalling how he and his younger sister Cheryl often boasted about their Sioux grandfather, Joe Iron Shell, to their city friends. Since their friends knew Native Americans only through movies and television, they were deeply impressed by the siblings’ stories. Martin admits that they sometimes exaggerated, making Grandpa and life on the reservation sound far more glamorous than it actually was. During their annual summer visits to the Rosebud Reservation, Grandpa would give them authentic Sioux i...

The Cookie Lady  by Philip K. Dick Event-Based Summary of The Cookie Lady  The story is set in a quiet neighborhood where an old woman named Mrs. Drew lives alone in a small, neglected house at the end of Elm Street. The house is shabby, surrounded by dry weeds, with sagging steps and an old rocking chair on the porch. Mrs. Drew rarely receives visitors and leads a lonely life. A schoolboy named Bubber Surle regularly visits Mrs. Drew’s house. The visits usually take place after school. He is attracted by the warm smell of freshly baked cookies, which Mrs. Drew prepares for him. She welcomes him kindly, calls him Bernard, and invites him inside. She serves him cookies and cold milk, which he eats eagerly. After eating, Mrs. Drew often asks Bubber to stay longer and read aloud from his schoolbooks, explaining that her eyesight is poor and that listening to someone read comforts her. Bubber agrees, usually choosing subjects like geography or other school texts. He sits on the co...

  Detailed Summary of Atithi Atithi is a poignant psychological short story that explores the tension between freedom and social responsibility, restlessness and domestic stability, and the individual’s inner calling versus societal expectations. Arrival of Tarapada The story revolves around a young orphan boy named Tarapada, who is discovered wandering aimlessly by Motilal Babu, a kind and affluent zamindar. Struck by the boy’s gentle manners, intelligence, and musical talent, Motilal Babu brings him home and treats him not as a servant but as an honoured guest—an atithi. Tarapada quickly becomes beloved by everyone in the household. His ability to sing, play the flute, and his calm, thoughtful nature charm both the family and the villagers. However, beneath this surface calm lies a deeply restless spirit. Tarapada’s Nature and Inner Conflict Though Tarapada enjoys affection and comfort, he is fundamentally a wanderer. He feels suffocated by routine, attachment, and permanence. Hi...

Small Towns and the River   by Mamang Dai Line-by-line Paraphrase (Please keep a copy of the poem from your textbook before you to read line by line paraphrase. Poem cannot be published due to copyright reasons) 1. Small towns make the poet think constantly of death. 2. Her hometown is quiet and peaceful, surrounded by trees. 3. The town never changes. 4. The sameness continues in every season. 5. Dust is always present, filling the air. 6. Strong winds blow noisily through the deep valley. 7. Recently, a person passed away in the town. 8. People cried quietly in a heavy, fearful silence. 9. They gazed at funeral flowers symbolizing grief and death. 10. Life and death keep occurring repeatedly. 11. Only traditional customs continue unchanged, even as people die. 12. The river is alive and spiritual. 13. During summer, the river forcefully flows through the land cutting it. 14. Its movement resembles overwhelming sorrow like flood. At certain moments, 15. Occasionally, the poet...