Character sketch of Jerome K Jerome in English chapter packing
Answers
The writer had a friend named Agha Shahid who knew he wouldn’t live long, so he asked the writer to write about him when he wouldn’t be there anymore. The author kept his promise. The author and Shahid were both studying at the University of Delhi. However, their time at the university had overlapped briefly. They never had met. Shahid belonged to Kashmir and moved to America in 1975 where his brother had already been settled. The two sisters of Shahid also joined them later. Shahid used to write poems and published a collection of his poems. The author had read some poems and was very impressed. But so far he had never met Shahid. The two had friends together. One of them contacted the author Shahid. From 1998 to 1999, the two had several phone conversations and even met a couple of times.
Shahid had sudden blackout in February, 2000. The tests showed that he had cerebral cancer. On 7 May 2000 the author went to Shahid, where he worked as a teacher. With his students, Shahid was very popular. Shahid now moved to Brooklyn in order to be close to his youngest sister. The writer lived a few blocks away, too, and the two met very often. On 25 April 2000, the writer phoned Shahid and reminded him of their friend’s invitation to lunch.
Shahid spoke to the author about his approaching death for the first time and asked him to write something about him after his death. The author kept a record of all his talks and meetings with Shahid. He noted that Shahid shared the music of Roshanara Begum, Kishore Kumar and his fondness for Rogan Josh, and his interest in old Bombay films. And both shared a cricket indifference. On 21 May 2001, Shahid was admitted to hospital.
He was very weak now, and could hardly stand. However, he was as happy as ever. On 27 October, the writer met him last. He died on 8 December 2001 two o’clock. Without Shahid, the writer says he feels a great void. He feels surprised that such a brief friendship has led to such an enormous void. She often remembers Shahid’s presence there when he walks into his living room.
The Ghat of The Only World
Detailed Summary Of “The Ghat of the Only World”
The Ghat of the Only world is a friend’s homage to a friend almost in the manner of the Romantic Essayists. In this essay, the writer Amitav Ghosh recalls all the memories of his beloved friend Aga Shahid Ali. At the beginning of the story, Shahid suffered from a malignant brain tumor. When he couldn’t see anything, his words seemed a touching epitaph, ” I hope this doesn’t mean I’m dying… ”
And a few words later, his wish also moved his friend, “When it happens, I hope you’ll write something about me.” Agha Shahid Ali, a Kashmir expatriate, asks Amitav Gosh to write something about him and his poetry when he dies. Amitav ‘s unusual suffering and shocks. He could think for a while of nothing to say. He looks for words in which one promises a friend that after his death one will write about him. Finally, he agrees and says that he will definitely write about him.
An indomitable emptiness fills the mind of the author.”So brief a friendship ” results in ” so vast a void. ” Both Shahid and Shahid—”witness and martyr “— mixed and melted eternally. Now, to fulfill his promise, Amitav Gosh responds with this beautifully warm piece of writing in which he not only talks about the world of Agha Shahid Ali’s verse, but also about his personal experience of moments shared with him.
It is therefore a tribute to Aga Shahid; a poignant obituary that gives us a very poignant vision of this is a profoundly emotional response to a friend’s desire to write something about him after his death.
He feels that his beloved ones call him from the other world. Ghat is an Urdu word also used in Hindi which means a place at a river bank from where the boats depart with passengers to the other side. Ghat is used as a metaphor for death and the only world symbolizes the man’s life on this earth and Ghat is the bank ( point of death) which takes the man to the other world.
Shahid as a Great Poet and Music Lover
Agha Shahid Ali was a profound lover of good poetry and music. He was a great poet and always enjoyed the company of poets and writers. He was strongly influenced by James Merril, who changed the direction of his poetry radically.
Shahid loved music, too. He enjoyed doing tasks against the background of songs and voices. Even the doorbell ring had a musical sound. His mother was also a famous singer from Gazal whom he remembered a lot. Through his poems, his melodious words and his amazing sentences, he gave him freedom to live and gladly shook his hands with death.
Knowing that he would die at any time, Shahid Ali opened his treasure trove of enormous strength of life and tied Ghosh to the ropes of nostalgia. He was also very strong in repartee. This sheer dynamism was his way of life until ” the last saffron of the Shahid world ” was gone.
ᴊᴇʀᴏᴍᴇ
ᴊᴇʀᴏᴍᴇ ᴡᴀs ᴛʜᴇ ᴄᴇɴᴛʀᴀʟ ᴄʜᴀʀᴀᴄᴛᴇʀ ᴏғ ᴛʜᴇ ɴᴏᴠᴇʟ, "ᴛʜʀᴇᴇ ᴍᴇɴ ɪɴ ᴀ ʙᴏᴀᴛ." ʜᴇ ᴡᴀs ᴀ ᴘᴇᴀᴄᴇ ᴀɴᴅ ʟᴇɪsᴜʀᴇ-ʟᴏᴠɪɴɢ ᴄʜᴀʀᴀᴄᴛᴇʀ. ʜᴇ ᴡᴀɴᴛᴇᴅ ᴛᴏ ᴘᴀss ʜɪs ʟɪғᴇ ɪɴ ᴀ ᴘᴇᴀᴄᴇғᴜʟ ᴇɴᴠɪʀᴏɴᴍᴇɴᴛ ᴏғ ᴛʜᴇ ᴠɪʟʟᴀɢᴇ. ʙᴇᴄᴀᴜsᴇ ᴏғ ᴛʜɪs, ʜᴇ sᴜɢɢᴇsᴛᴇᴅ ʜɪs ғʀɪᴇɴᴅs ᴛʜᴀᴛ ᴛʜᴇʏ sʜᴏᴜʟᴅ ᴘᴀss ᴛʜᴇɪʀ ʜᴏʟɪᴅᴀʏs ɪɴ ᴛʜᴇ ɴᴀᴛᴜʀᴀʟ sᴜʀʀᴏᴜɴᴅɪɴɢ ᴏғ ᴛʜᴇ ᴠɪʟʟᴀɢᴇ. ᴀᴛ ᴛʜᴇ sᴀᴍᴇ ᴛɪᴍᴇ, ᴡᴇ ᴀʟsᴏ ᴄᴏᴍᴇ ᴛᴏ ᴋɴᴏᴡ ᴛʜᴀᴛ ʜᴇ ʜᴀᴅ ᴀ ɢʀᴇᴀᴛ ʟɪᴋɪɴɢ ғᴏʀ ɴᴀᴛᴜʀᴇ ᴀʟsᴏ. ᴛᴏ sᴏᴍᴇ ᴇxᴛᴇɴᴛ, ᴡᴇ ᴄᴀɴ ᴀʟsᴏ sᴀʏ ᴛʜᴀᴛ ᴊᴇʀᴏᴍᴇ ᴡᴀs ᴀ ʟᴀᴢʏ ᴄʜᴀʀᴀᴄᴛᴇʀ. ʜᴇ ᴛʀɪᴇᴅ ᴛᴏ ᴀᴠᴏɪᴅ ᴡᴏʀᴋ, ᴀɴᴅ ғᴏʀ ᴛʜᴀᴛ, ʜᴇ ᴍᴀᴅᴇ ᴇᴠᴇʀʏ ʀᴇᴀsᴏɴ ғᴏʀ ʜɪs ᴀɪʟᴍᴇɴᴛs. ʜᴇ ᴏᴘᴇɴʟʏ ᴅᴇᴄʟᴀʀᴇᴅ ᴛʜᴀᴛ ʜᴇ ʜᴀᴅ ᴇᴠᴇʀʏ ᴅɪsᴇᴀsᴇ ᴇxᴄᴇᴘᴛ ᴀ ʜᴏᴜsᴇᴍᴀɪᴅ's ᴋɴᴇᴇ. ʜᴏᴡᴇᴠᴇʀ, ᴡᴇ ᴄᴏᴜʟᴅ ғɪɴᴅ ᴀ ʜɪɢʜ ᴅᴇɢʀᴇᴇ ᴏғ ғʀɪᴇɴᴅsʜɪᴘ ɪɴ ʜɪs ᴄʜᴀʀᴀᴄᴛᴇʀ. ʜᴇ ᴀʟᴡᴀʏs ᴛʀɪᴇᴅ ᴛᴏ ᴀᴠᴏɪᴅ ᴄʀᴇᴀᴛɪɴɢ ᴛᴇɴsɪᴏɴ ғᴏʀ ʜɪs ғʀɪᴇɴᴅs. ʜᴇ ʙʀɪʟʟɪᴀɴᴛʟʏ ʀᴇᴀᴅ ᴛʜᴇ ᴅᴇᴍᴀɴᴅs ᴏғ sɪᴛᴜᴀᴛɪᴏɴs ᴀɴᴅ ғɪɴᴅs ᴀ sᴜɪᴛᴀʙʟᴇ ᴡᴀʏ. ɪᴛ ᴡᴀs ᴛʜᴇ ʀᴇᴍᴀʀᴋᴀʙʟᴇ sɪɢɴ ᴏғ ʜɪs ғʀɪᴇɴᴅʟʏ ᴄʜᴀʀᴀᴄᴛᴇʀ.
ʜᴀʀʀɪs
ʜᴀʀʀɪs ᴀᴘᴘᴇᴀʀᴇᴅ ᴛᴏ ʙᴇ ᴀ ᴘʀᴀᴄᴛɪᴄᴀʟ ʏᴏᴜɴɢ ᴍᴀɴ, ᴡʜᴏ ᴄᴏᴜʟᴅ ɴᴏᴛ sᴇᴇ ᴍᴜᴄʜ ʀᴏᴍᴀɴᴛɪᴄɪsᴍ ɪɴ ᴛʜᴇ ᴡᴏʀʟᴅ ᴀʀᴏᴜɴᴅ ʜɪᴍ. ʜᴇ ᴡᴀs ғᴏɴᴅ ᴏғ ᴅʀɪɴᴋɪɴɢ ᴀɴᴅ ᴡᴀs ɴᴏᴛ ᴛᴏᴏ ғᴏɴᴅ ᴏғ ᴡᴏʀᴋɪɴɢ ʜᴀʀᴅ. ʜᴇ ᴅɪᴅ ɴᴏᴛ sᴇᴇᴍ ᴛᴏ ʜᴀᴠᴇ ᴍᴜᴄʜ ɪᴍᴀɢɪɴᴀᴛɪᴏɴ ᴀɴᴅ ᴡᴀs ᴍᴏʀᴇ ᴀɢɢʀᴇssɪᴠᴇ ᴛʜᴀɴ ᴛʜᴇ ᴏᴛʜᴇʀ ᴛᴡᴏ. ʜᴇ ᴡᴀs ᴀʟsᴏ ᴠᴇʀʏ ғᴏɴᴅ ᴏғ ᴇᴀᴛɪɴɢ. ʜᴇ ʜᴀᴅ ᴀ sᴛʀᴀɴɢᴇ ғᴀsᴄɪɴᴀᴛɪᴏɴ ғᴏʀ ᴄᴇᴍᴇᴛᴇʀɪᴇs ᴀɴᴅ ᴛᴏᴍʙs ᴀɴᴅ ᴡᴏᴜʟᴅ ʟɪᴋᴇ ᴛᴏ ᴠɪsɪᴛ ɢʀᴀᴠᴇʏᴀʀᴅs, ᴜɴʟɪᴋᴇ ᴛʜᴇ ɴᴀʀʀᴀᴛᴏʀ ʜᴇ ᴅɪᴅ ɴᴏᴛ ʜᴀᴠᴇ ᴍᴜᴄʜ ᴀᴇsᴛʜᴇᴛɪᴄ sᴇɴsᴇ ᴀɴᴅ ᴅʀᴇssᴇᴅ ɪɴ ʟᴏᴜᴅ ᴄᴏʟᴏᴜʀs ʟɪᴋᴇ ᴏʀᴀɴɢᴇ ᴀɴᴅ ʏᴇʟʟᴏᴡ, ᴡʜɪᴄʜ ᴅɪᴅ ɴᴏᴛ sᴜɪᴛ ʜɪᴍ. ʜᴇ ᴡᴀs ᴀ ᴛᴇʀʀɪʙʟᴇ sɪɴɢᴇʀ ᴀɴᴅ ᴄᴏᴜʟᴅ ɴᴇᴠᴇʀ ʀᴇᴍᴇᴍʙᴇʀ ᴛʜᴇ ᴡᴏʀᴅs ᴏғ ᴀ sᴏɴɢ. ʜᴇ ᴅɪᴅ ᴛʜɪɴᴋ ʜᴇ ᴡᴀs ᴀ ɢʀᴇᴀᴛ ᴄᴏᴍɪᴄ sɪɴɢᴇʀ, ᴛʜᴏᴜɢʜ, ᴀɴᴅ ᴏғᴛᴇɴ sᴀɴɢ ᴄᴏᴍɪᴄ sᴏɴɢs, ᴡʜɪᴄʜ ᴇɴᴅᴇᴅ ᴜᴘ ʙᴇɪɴɢ ɴᴏᴛ ᴠᴇʀʏ ғᴜɴɴʏ. ʜᴇ sɪᴍɪʟᴀʀʟʏ ᴛʜᴏᴜɢʜᴛ ʜᴇ ᴄᴏᴜʟᴅ ᴄᴏᴏᴋ ᴡᴇʟʟ ʙᴜᴛ ᴀs ᴛʜᴇ ɪɴᴄɪᴅᴇɴᴛ ᴡɪᴛʜ ᴛʜᴇ ᴇɢɢs sʜᴏᴡᴇᴅ, ʜᴇ ᴡᴀs ɴᴏᴛ ᴀ ɢᴏᴏᴅ ᴄᴏᴏᴋ ᴇɪᴛʜᴇʀ. ɪɴ ᴀᴅᴅɪᴛɪᴏɴ, ʜᴇ ᴡᴀs ᴀ ғʀᴀɴᴋ ᴀɴᴅ ᴏᴜᴛsᴘᴏᴋᴇɴ ʏᴏᴜɴɢ ᴍᴀɴ, ᴡʜɪᴄʜ ᴡᴀs ᴇᴠɪᴅᴇɴᴛ ᴡʜᴇɴ ʜᴇ ᴇɴsᴜʀᴇᴅ ᴛʜᴀᴛ ɢᴇᴏʀɢᴇ ᴅɪᴅ ɴᴏᴛ ᴘʟᴀʏ ʜɪs ʙᴀɴᴊᴏ ᴡɪᴛʜɪɴ ʜɪs ʜᴇᴀʀɪɴɢ.
ɢᴇᴏʀɢᴇ
ɢᴇᴏʀɢᴇ ᴡᴀs ᴇᴍᴘʟᴏʏᴇᴅ ᴀᴛ ᴀ ʙᴀɴᴋ, ᴡʜᴇʀᴇ ᴛʜᴇ ᴏɴʟʏ ᴡᴏʀᴋ ʜɪs ғʀɪᴇɴᴅs ᴛʜᴏᴜɢʜᴛ ʜᴇ ᴅɪᴅ ᴡᴀs sʟᴇᴇᴘ. ʜᴇ ʜᴀᴛᴇᴅ ᴡᴏʀᴋ ᴏғ ᴀɴʏ ᴋɪɴᴅ. ʜᴇ ʜᴀᴅ sᴏᴍᴇ ᴋɴᴏᴡʟᴇᴅɢᴇ ᴏғ ᴛʜᴇ ᴡᴀʏs ᴏғ ᴛʜᴇ ᴡᴏʀʟᴅ ᴀɴᴅ ᴡᴀs ᴛʜᴇ ᴏɴᴇ ᴛᴏ ɢɪᴠᴇ sᴇɴsɪʙʟᴇ ᴀᴅᴠɪᴄᴇ ᴀɴᴅ sᴜɢɢᴇsᴛɪᴏɴs sᴜᴄʜ ᴀs ᴛʜᴇ ᴀʀᴛɪᴄʟᴇs ᴛʜᴀᴛ sʜᴏᴜʟᴅ ʙᴇ ᴛᴀᴋᴇɴ ᴀʟᴏɴɢ ᴏɴ ᴛʜᴇ ᴛʀɪᴘ-ᴛʜᴇ ᴄʟᴏᴛʜᴇs, ғᴏᴏᴅ, ᴇᴛᴄ. ʜᴇ ᴡᴀs ᴍᴏʀᴇ ᴄᴀʟᴍ ᴀɴᴅ ʟᴇss ᴀɢɢʀᴇssɪᴠᴇ ᴛʜᴀɴ ʜᴀʀʀɪs. ʜᴇ ᴛᴏᴏ ᴅɪᴅ ɴᴏᴛ ᴀᴘᴘᴇᴀʀ ᴛᴏ ʜᴀᴠᴇ ᴍᴜᴄʜ sᴇɴsᴇ ᴏғ sᴛʏʟᴇ, ᴀs ᴇᴠɪᴅᴇɴᴛ ғʀᴏᴍ ᴛʜᴇ ʟᴏᴜᴅ ʙʟᴀᴢᴇʀ ʜᴇ ʜᴀᴅ ʙᴏᴜɢʜᴛ ғᴏʀ ᴛʜᴇ ᴛʀɪᴘ ɢᴇᴏʀɢᴇ ᴅɪᴅ ɴᴏᴛ ʟɪᴋᴇ sᴘᴇɴᴅɪɴɢ ᴍᴜᴄʜ ᴛʜᴏᴜɢʜᴛ ᴏɴ ᴛʀɪᴠɪᴀʟ ᴀs ʜᴇ ʀᴇᴍᴀʀᴋᴇᴅ ᴛʜᴀᴛ "ɪғ ᴀɴʏᴛʜɪɴɢ ᴡᴀs ʙʀᴏᴋᴇɴ, ɪᴛ ᴡᴀs ʙʀᴏᴋᴇɴ." ʜᴇ ᴅɪᴅ ɴᴏᴛ ᴇxᴇʀᴛ ʜɪᴍsᴇʟғ ᴛᴏᴏ ᴍᴜᴄʜ, ᴀɴᴅ ᴡᴀs ᴛʜᴇ ʟᴀsᴛ ᴏɴᴇ ᴛᴏ ᴏғғᴇʀ ᴛᴏ ᴅᴏ ᴀɴʏᴛʜɪɴɢ ᴛʜᴀᴛ ʀᴇǫᴜɪʀᴇᴅ ᴘʜʏsɪᴄᴀʟ ʟᴀʙᴏᴜʀ. ʜᴇ ᴡᴀs ɴᴏᴛ ᴠᴇʀʏ ǫᴜɪᴄᴋ-ᴡɪᴛᴛᴇᴅ ᴀɴᴅ ᴅᴇᴘᴇɴᴅᴇᴅ ᴏɴ ᴏᴛʜᴇʀs ᴛᴏ ʟᴇᴀᴅ ʜɪᴍ. ʜᴇ ʟᴏᴠᴇᴅ ʟᴀᴜɢʜɪɴɢ ᴀᴛ ᴏᴛʜᴇʀs, ʙᴜᴛ ᴅɪᴅ ɴᴏᴛ ᴇɴᴊᴏʏ ɪᴛ ᴍᴜᴄʜ ᴡʜᴇɴ ᴛʜᴇ ᴊᴏᴋᴇ ᴛᴜʀɴᴇᴅ ᴏɴ ʜɪᴍ. ʜᴇ ᴡᴀs ᴋᴇᴇɴ ᴛᴏ ᴘʟᴀʏ ᴛʜᴇ ʙᴀɴᴊᴏ, ʙᴜᴛ ʜᴇ ᴘʟᴀʏᴇᴅ ǫᴜɪᴛᴇ ʙᴀᴅʟʏ ᴀɴᴅ ᴇᴠᴇɴ ᴛᴜʀɴᴇᴅ ᴀ ᴄʜᴇᴇʀғᴜʟ sᴏɴɢ ɪɴᴛᴏ ᴀ ᴍᴏᴜʀɴғᴜʟ ᴛᴜɴᴇ. ʜᴇ ʜᴀᴅ sᴏᴍᴇ ᴋɴᴏᴡʟᴇᴅɢᴇ ᴏғ ᴄᴏᴏᴋɪɴɢ, ʜᴏᴡᴇᴠᴇʀ, ᴀs ᴄᴀɴ ʙᴇ sᴇᴇɴ ʙʏ ᴛʜᴇ ғᴀᴄᴛ ᴛʜᴀᴛ ʜᴇ ᴍᴀᴅᴇ ᴀ ʜᴇᴀʟᴛʜʏ ɪʀɪsʜ sᴛᴇᴡ.