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The character of Maggie( The Price of Flowers )
NOTE : TEACHERS ARE ADVISED TO TAKE SUFFICIENT PRINTOUTS BEFORE USING IN A CLASSROOM
The character of Maggie( The Price of Flowers )
NOTE : TEACHERS ARE ADVISED TO TAKE SUFFICIENT PRINTOUTS BEFORE USING IN A CLASSROOM
PERIOD 1
1.Discuss the social issues involved in the images
Six images given(DOWNLOAD AND KEEP IN A FOLDER NAMED PHOTOS)
(begging,Stealing,drug
trafficking,-sand mining,bootlegging,smuggling,alcoholism)
groupwork
2.Find out five reasons why people engage in……(ONE TOPIC FOR EACH GROUP)..
begging
Stealing
drug trafficking-
sand mining
bootlegging
smuggling
alcoholism
GENERAL REASONS
POVERTY,UNEMPLOYMENT,GREED FOR
MONEY,FRUSTRATION,AMBITIONS,FINANCIAL PROBLEMS
3.WHAT ARE THE IMPLICATIONS OF POVERTY ?
1.People may resort to negative behavoiurs.
2. People may face the challenge positively.
4.In what way MAGIIE AND HER FAMILY were responding to
poverty ?
Did they submit to poverty ?
Did they resort to the negative
ways of life ?
DID THEY REQUEST THE AUTHOR FOR
FINANCIAL HELP ?
Did they try to face life courageously ?
What did Maggie do to earn a
living ?
What did her mother do to help
her ?
5.WHAT ASPECT OF HER CHARACTER
IS EVIDENT FROM THIS VIEWPOINT ? Is she a different person ? WRITE A NOTE
***********************************************************
PERIOD 2
Read the following excerpts from
the lesson and find out what aspect of her character is revealed.You may select
from the words or phrases given in brackets
(TAKE PRINT OUTS AND SUPPLY TO EACH GROUP)
1. 'Yes,' she answered,' I work as a typist in the Civil
Service
stores. Every afternoon, I come home this way. Today is
Saturday, so I am off early.'
'Shall I call you Miss Clifford or Alice? '
'I am not grown-up yet. You may call me what you like.
I am usually called Maggie.' She laughed.
'Are you very anxious to grow up?'
'Yes.'
'Tell me why.'
'When I grow up, I shall be paid more for my
work. My mother is old.'
(Confusing,understands the ways of life , determined to fight,Caring towards her mother,simple and polite,hardworking,realistic,proud
and vain )
2. 'Is the work you do to your liking?'
'No. The work is very mechanical. I want work
that will make me use my head, brain work.
Like the work of a secretary.'
(Confusing,ambitious,intelligent,imaginative,satisfied,simple and
polite,hardworking,realistic,proud and vain )
3. 'Maggie,' said Mrs. Clifford, 'show Mr Gupta the
ring.'
'Has your brother sent you a ring?' I asked her. 'Let me
see what kind of a ring it is.'
'It is a magic ring, 'Maggie explained. 'A yogi gave it
to
Frank.'
She brought it and asked, 'Can you see the past and the
future in it?'
(superstitious,manipulative,innocent,caring,selfless
love,amicable,lovable,selfish)
4. 'Maggie,' I pleaded, 'please play something! I am very
fond
of the violin. I have a sister at home about your age.
She
used to play for me.'
'The way I play is not at all worth listening to,' Maggie
said.
My entreaties at last persuaded her to play. 'I do not
know
many pieces,' she said. 'What would you like to hear?'
'Shall I choose something? All right, then, give me your
music. Let me see what you have.'
…………. I selected 'The Blue Bells of Scotland' and handed
Maggie the music. Maggie played and I hummed the tune
to myself.
When the song was over, I praised her playing lavishly as
I thanked 'Maggie has never had the opportunity to
study,' Mrs. Clifford said. 'She has learned what she
knows
by herself. If our circumstances ever improve, I shall
arrange for her to have lessons.' On my way back, I was
filled with astonishment.
(hardworking, aritistic, loves music, disciplined, learns by
herself,independent,talented,victorious)
5.'Mr Gupta,' the girl said, ‘I do not know what you will
think of the request I am going to make. Please forgive
me
if it is very, very wrong.'
'What is it? What do you wish to ask?’
'All day yesterday, Mother kept saying that if Mr Gupta
would come and gaze into the crystal, he might learn
something about Frank. Mr Gupta is a Hindu, she said. If
only he would come, she said. That is why l wrote to
you.'
'If you want me to try once more, go and bring me the
ring, Maggie. Of course I'll do it.'
'But if you don't see anything again this time?' I
understood
what Maggie meant. I was silent.
'Mr Gupta, I have read in books that Hindus
are extremely truth-loving. If you could bring
yourself to tell Mother only once, after looking
into the crystal, that Frank is all right, that he is
alive --
will it be too much of a lie? Will it be very, very
wrong?' As
she spoke, tears streamed from her eyes.
I thought it over. I am not very virtuous. I have done my
sinful things. So I decided to do this.
(communicates well,practical,wise,foolish,manipulating,sensitive,tries
everything to save her mother,successful in compelling the narrator to tell a
lie,a negative personality ,uses the power of words
effectively,emotional,powerful in communication)
6. 'Frank is buried at Fort Monroe, near
Dera-Ghazi-Khan.'
The girl's eyes were filled with tears as she spoke.
'When I go to that part of the country, I shall visit your
brother's grave and write to you.'
'It won't be troublesome for you? Or
inconvenient?' Maggie asked.
'Why should it be? Dera-Ghazi-Khan is not very far from
where I shall be. It will certainly be possible for me to
go
there someday. I'll write and tell you about it.'
Maggie's face was filled with gratitude. As she thanked
me, her voice choked. She took a shilling out of her
pocket
and put it down on the table in front of me, saying,
'Please
buy flowers with this shilling when you go,
and lay them on my brother's grave for me.’
In my emotion, I lowered my eyes. The child had earned
the shilling with so much toil!
( polite but compelling in argument, uses simple words with magical power,
sincere and hardworking,sensational,sensitive,commanding,emotional,persuading,sacrificing,thankful,determined,deidicated
)
7.But I reconsidered. Why should I deprive her
of the joy this sacrifice would give her? All that this
shilling could have given her ,
she was foregoing for the love of her brother. The joy of
doing it was beyond
all price. The grief in her heart would be eased a
little.
What good would it do to deprive her of it? I picked up
the
shilling.
'Maggie,' I said, 'I shall use this shilling to buy
flowers and
put them on your brother's grave.'
Maggie stood up. 'How can I thank you?'
she said. 'Now it is time for me to go to work. Good-bye,
remember to write.'
( deeply sad on the demise of her
brother , uses simple words with magical
power, sincere and hardworking,sensational,sensitive,commanding,emotional,persuading,finds
joy in sacrificing,thankful,determined,dedicated ,deep love towards her
brother)
PRINT OUT S OF THE FOLLOWING TABLES MAY BE SUPPLIED FOR THE STUDENTS TO DISCUSS AND COMPLETE IN GROUPS
A.
Exercise.No
|
summary
|
Attitudes/qualities
|
1
|
Maggie handing over one shilling
|
.............................
|
2
|
Maggie speaking about her anxiety to
grow up
|
....................................
|
3
|
Maggie speaking about her ambitions
|
......................................
|
4
|
The writer deciding to take the
shilling
|
.......................................
|
5
|
Maggie requesting the narrator to gaze
into the ring the second time
|
.............................................
|
6
|
Maggie requesting the narrator to gaze
into the ring and “see the past and the future in it ”
|
.....................................
|
7
|
Maggie playing violin
|
OR
B.
summary
|
Attitudes / Qualities
|
Maggie speaking about her anxiety to
grow up
|
|
Maggie speaking about her ambitions
|
|
Maggie requesting the narrator to gaze
into the ring and “see the past and the future in it ”
|
|
Maggie playing violin
|
|
Maggie requesting the narrator to gaze
into the ring the second time
|
|
Maggie handing over one shilling
|
|
The writer deciding to take the
shilling
|
LEARNERS MAY BE ENCOURAGED TO MAKE SMALL PARAGRAPHS USING THE DATA AVAILABLE IN THE ABOVE SENTENCES.
Eg.
When we find Maggie speaking about her anxiety to grow up, her understanding of life and her determination to fight on is revealed.
........................
Period 3 :
AFTER COMPLETING THIS WORK STUDENTS MAY BE ENCOURAGED TO FOLLOW THE INSTRUCTIONS IN THE TEXT (ACTIVITY III,CHARACTER SKETCH,PAGE 63)
AFTER A GENERAL DISCUSSION THEY MAY BE ADVISED TO PREPARE A WRITE UP on the character of Maggie PROVIDING RELATED EVIDENCE using the notes made in the earlier periods.
