explain the difference between the two children regarding their survival in the lost spring
Answers
The Lost Spring
As we all know, spring is the season associated with optimism and hope. It also works as a metaphor for the childhood stage of our life. Right from the time we’re born until late childhood, every child hopes for new beginnings and a bright future. The phase of childhood is all about innocence, energy, and tremendous inclination towards outdoors activities along with fun and play. And playtime does not have any limits. It is also a time of getting more skill and knowledge and going to school. Here, we take a look at a particularly impressive rendition – here is the lost spring summary!
The ‘Lost Spring’ written by Anees Jung talks about the national shame of children being forced to live a life of poverty and exploitation. The main two protagonists of the chapter, Saheb-e-Alam and Mukesh don’t live their childhood as they have to carry the burden of poverty and illiteracy. In their miserable stories of exploitation, the author provides glimpses of fortitude and resilience.
About the Author
Anees Jung is an Indian female author, journalist and columnist who writes for major newspapers in India and abroad. She was born in Rourkela and belongs to an aristocratic family in Hyderabad. Her father, Nawab Hosh Yar Jung, who was a renowned scholar and poet, worked as the musahib (adviser) to the last Nizam (prince) of Hyderabad State. And her mother and brother are also well-known Urdu poets.
Jung hit the headlines with the publication of ‘Unveiling India in 1987’, which is primarily a travel diary that focuses on interviews with women. She went on write many subsequent books on the same topic, and talked to women about their everyday lives, and wrote books like ‘Night of the New Moon: Encounters with Muslim women in India’ (1993) and Seven Sisters (1994). Her book ‘Breaking the Silence (1997) includes conversations on women’s lives from around the world.
Introduction to the Lost Spring Summary
The story, “Lost Spring” deals with the deplorable condition of poor children who get forced to miss the simple joyful moments of childhood because of their socio-economic conditions. These children are not given the opportunity of schooling and are compelled to start working early in life. The author Anees Jung strives hard to eliminate child labour through her book. She propagates the education of children and enforcement of strict laws against child labour by the government. The message is to put an end to child exploitation and let all children enjoy their days of the spring and joy.
Characters of the Lost Spring Summary
Saheb-e-Alam: A rag picker
Mukesh: Son of a bangle maker
The Lost Spring Summary
I – Sometimes I find a rupee in the garbage.
The first part talks about the writer’s impressions about the life of the unfortunate rag pickers. The rag pickers migrate from Dhaka and find a settlement in Seemapuri. They end up losing their fields and homes due to storms. They then come to the big city to find a living, but are poor. The author then watches Saheb, the rag picker, every morning who is always scrounging for “gold” in her neighbourhood. Garbage is actually the means of survival for the elders and it is something wrapped in wonder for the children. Sometimes, the children find a coin or two from it. Even these kids have desires and ambitions, but they have no clue about how to achieve them. There are many things that are unreachable to them, for instance, shoes, tennis and similar stuff. Later on, Saheb starts working at a tea stall where he earns 800 Rupees and also gets to eat all the meals. But the job takes away his freedom.
II – I want to drive a car.
The second part is about the life of Mukesh, who comes from the family of bangle-makers. Firozabad is quite popular for its glass-blowing industry. A staggering 20,000 children are a part of this business and any law that forbids child labour is brutally ignored here. Also, the working environment and the living conditions are pathetic. Children live in dingy cells and work around hot furnaces that make them blind when they enter adulthood. Since they are weighed down by debt, they cannot think or find any way to escape this trap. The politicians, policemen, middlemen and bureaucrats obstruct their way of progress. Most women in such families think that this is their fate and just follow the tradition. But Mukesh is very different from the rest of the folks there. He has dreams of becoming a motor mechanic. The garage is quite far from his house but he shall walk.