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My Old Home by Lu Xun
Summary | Exercise (Questions and Answers)
Neb Compulsory English Class 12
Neb English Notes
My Old Home by Lu Xun
SUMMARY
My Old Home by Lu Xun
This short story "My Old Home" by Chinese writer Lu Xun, is about the conflict between memories and realities. This story is based on the writer's memories regarding his old home and his friend Runtu.
The narrator (Lu Xun) had a deep longing for his homeland to be very far away. Upon his arrival in his homeland, all his memories are forced to come to confront the realities.
The major themes in the story are relationships, friendship, childhood memories, class differences, and memories versus realities.
The story presents the setting of a Chinese village where the narrator has grown up.
The narrator returned to his homeland, travelling more than six hundred miles after more than twenty years. He felt quite depressed to find the desolate condition of his village. His village seemed scattered, without any sign of life in it. For him, his old home was much better in the past. The main reason for the narrator to arrive at his old home was to hand over his home and say goodbye to his relatives.
When the narrator arrived at his home at dawn, he saw his mother at the door, welcoming him. His eighth-year's nephew, Hong'er, was also present there. He informed his mother about a rented house in a town far away, along with a few furniture items. He had a plan to sell his old home's furniture and buy more things for his rented house.
His mother informed him about a person named Runtu, the narrator's childhood friend. The narrator moved into his flashback and saw eleven-year-old Runtu on the seashore with a silver necklet. In his memory, he saw Runtu hunting a zha with his steel pitchfork.
Thirty years ago, the narrator met Runtu, who was just over ten. His father was alive at the time. His family had to take charge of a big ancestral sacrifice. During that time, the labourers in China were divided into three classes: full-timers, dailies, and part-timers.
With the permission of the narrator's father, Runtu took charge of guarding the sacrificial vessels. The narrator met Runtu during his childhood. He saw him in the kitchen for the first time. Runtu had a round and purplish face and seemed so high in spirits. He was so shy then.
The narrator learned various things in the company of Runtu. He got a chance to hear amazing things from him, as well as a way of guarding watermelons against Zha, a very fast and cunning creature whose feathers were so oily and slippery.
When Runtu departed from the narrator's place, he missed Runtu much and even cried a lot in his kitchen. During their separation, both shared gifts. Runtu provided the narrator with a packet of shells and a few beautiful feathers as presents. The narrator also provided him with gifts once or twice. After that separation, they never met again.
After the flashback, people came over to buy furniture in the narrator's home. The narrator met a woman who was about fifty with prominent cheekbones and thin lips. She seemed just like the compass as she stood in front of the narrator. The narrator's mother informed him about that woman named Mrs. Yang, a bean curd shop lady. The narrator recognised her. Mrs. Yang referred to herself as poor, whereas the narrator was rich. Next, Runtu arrived. This time, the narrator found Runtu quite changed. He looked like an old man whose face had deep lines and wrinkles.
Both the narrator and Runtu remained speechless for some time. Later, Runtu addressed the narrator as Master. The narrator didn't like to hear Master speak from his mouth. Runtu was there with his son Shuisheng, who was so shy and awkward.
Later, the narrator learned about Runtu's life. Actually, Runtu had spent his life in poverty and hard times, along with many children. He had faced problems of famine, taxes, soldiers, bandits, officials, and the landed gentry. All these factors had squeezed him. The narrator's mother desired to offer him the things of the old home. The narrator agreed with his mother's decision. She allowed Runtu to choose the essential things for himself from the house. Runtu selected two long tables, four chairs, an incense burner and candlesticks, and one balance of ashes from the stove for him.
After nine days, in the evening, the narrator's family left the place by boat. During their departure, Runtu also arrived. The narrator realised there were two types of idols: a superstitious idol and an idol of hope. He got a realisation about the value of social responsibilities and the blurred relationships of humans, and all his memories and even his old home were left behind.
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SHORT STORIES IMPORTANT QUESTIONS' SOLUTION PACK
QUESTIONS & ANSWERS
Answer the following questions.
a. How do you feel if you visit a place after an interval of ten years?
Answer:
I feel very excited if I visit a place after an interval of ten years. I feel extremely happy to revisit the place that I visited once.
b. Who is your best childhood friend? What special memories do you share with him/her?
Answer:
My best childhood friend is Ramesh. I share our past days' picnic memories with him. Those moments of our picnics are so entertaining and unforgettable for both of us.
UNDERSTANDING THE TEXT
a. How does the narrator describe his feeling at the arrival of his old home?
Answer:
At the arrival of his old home, the narrator describes his feelings in both negative and positive ways. He expresses his depressed feelings at first to see an unprogressive, desolate, and scattered village under the clouds, which seems lifeless to him. Next, he describes his positive feelings regarding the past beauty of his old home, which he used to recall time and again in his life. He adds that his attitude has changed after a long time, and he has come in an unhappy mood.
b. What were the three kinds of servants in China then? What does it indicate about contemporary Chinese society?
Answer:
The three kinds of servants were full-timers, dailies, and part-timers in China then. They were divided into three classes. At that time, those who worked all the year for one family were called full-timers; those who were hired by the day were called dailies; and those who farmed their lands and only worked for one family at New Year, during festivals, or when rents were being collected were called part-timers.
It indicates the poverty as well as the feudalistic system of contemporary Chinese society. Rich people used to keep servants for their different kinds of tasks. Poor labourers were divided according to their tasks. They had a lot of hardships in their lives. There were various factors, such as high government taxes, bandits, soldiers, government officials, landed gentry, etc., that squeezed them bitterly most of the time.
c. What makes the narrator nostalgic? What did he do with Runtu in the teenage?
Answer:
The information about the narrator's mother's relationship to Runtu makes the narrator nostalgic. When his mother tells him about the curiosity of Runtu to meet him, he sees Runtu in his reminiscence. In his teenage years, he passed his time and enjoyed a lot with Runtu, playing and learning various strange things from him.
d. How did Runtu hunt a zha in his young age?
Answer:
Runtu hunted a zha with his pitchfork at a young age. He tried his best to thrust Zha with his full might using his tricks. He used to guard watermelons on the sandy shore of the sea.
e. How does the narrator make a humorous picture of Mrs. Yang?
Answer:
The narrator makes a humorous picture of Mrs. Yang through his humorous descriptions. Mrs. Yang appears quite surprisingly in front of the narrator. She is in her pair of trousers, hands on her hips, and stands there with her legs wide apart in a balanced way. The narrator describes her as a pair of compasses in a geometry box with thin cheekbones and lips who is so talkative. He calls her a powdering lady who used to sit in her beancurd shop and was quite famous by her name, "A Beancurd Beauty" in his childhood. She chatters much about miserliness after knowing the narrator's intention.
f. According to the narrator, what were different factors that made Runtu a poor man throughout his life?
Answer:
According to the narrator, poverty, a big family, social responsibilities, class differences, and different other factors made Runtu a poor man throughout his life. He had been squeezed by various factors in his life. Those factors were famines, taxes, soldiers, bandits, officials, landed gentry, etc. Due to all those factors, he faced lots of hardships in his life.
g. How does the narrator help Runtu before leaving the old home?
Answer:
Before leaving the old home, the narrator helps Runtu by providing him with the old furniture items and other things from his old house. He asks Runtu to take the things he needs from his old house.
h. How does the author differentiate two kinds of idols?
Answer:
The author differentiates between two kinds of idols through his realization. He says that superstitious idols are worshipped for a short time for something immediate, but hope isn't an idol but a long-time desire that people need in most situations. He gives examples of Runtu and his own ways of worshipping idols in two different ways. Runtu worships the idols, but he requires hope for a faraway land.
REFERENCE TO THE CONTEXT
a. While reading the friendship between the narrator and Runtu, Hindu readers remember the friendship between Krishna and Sudama. Which particular description reminds you of the mythological example?
Answer:
In the Hindu mythological story of Bhagwat Purana, we find a tremendous story of friendship between Lord Krishna and his poor friend Sudama. Poor Sudama once came to Dwarka to meet his friend Lord Krishna after many years. As a god, Lord Krishna knew all about the hardships faced by Sudama. Sudama's gift of the last grains of beaten rice to Lord Krishna brought unbelievable changes in Sudama's life. His poverty turned into extreme wealth. This amazing help between friends is always remembered by the Hindus.
Here, in this story, we find the same example of friendship between Lu Xun and his poor friend Runtu. We can't find any miracles here in this story, but only the unselfish help of the narrator to his friend Runtu. When the narrator knows about all the hardships and problems in Runtu's life, he asks him to take away the things he needs from his old home. Runtu gets two long tables, four chairs, an incense burner and candlesticks, and one balance according to his choice. He even asks for the ashes from the stove.
b. How does the story support the proposition that the relationships of childhood are innocent, impartial and disinterested?
Answer:
This story supports the proposition that the relationships of childhood are innocent, impartial, and disinterested by presenting various examples of this relationship between the childhood friends Xun and Runtu. In the story, we find their friendship beyond various social barriers. In their childhood, we find them passing their time playing and sharing their ideas, free from bias. Their friendship is so sacred that there are no feelings of class differences. They play with each other without having any concept of master and servant. They are seen as quite unaware of the so-called societal concepts of class differences. We don't find any impartiality between them. They enjoy each moment freely, being innocent. We can only find true friendship between them. In most cases, childhood friendship always has similar aspects, as seen in the text. There is always a deep relationship between the kids. Childhood friendship always remains far away from societal so-called negative aspects. It is a pure relationship where there are no negative aspects like class differences, bias, discrimination, etc. Childhood friendship depends on enjoyment, care, love, and affection.
c. After reading the story, what inferences can you make about the contemporary Chinese economic and social system?
Answer:
After reading the story, I can make the following inferences about the contemporary Chinese economic and social system:.
1. The working-class people, or peasants, were in a quite miserable state in contemporary Chinese society.
2. The working-class people were divided into three classes according to their tasks.
3. They were exploited by various factors such as responsibilities, high taxes, soldiers, bandits, government officials, landed gentry, social indifference, etc.
4. There was a trend towards the slavery system, and most working-class people were seen working in rich people's houses.
5. Most of them were poor. They had to face various hardships in their lives due to their poor economic status.
6. The concept of class differences was highly prevalent.
7. Apart from feudalists, the problems of famines, high taxes on government, bandits, officials, etc. were there.
8. Feudalists and people who worked for the government were quite rich. They used to oppress poor people.
9. There was bias among the people according to their social and economic status.
Thus, the economic and social system of contemporary Chinese society wasn't good for the working-class people of that time.
d. What does the story indicate about the geographical features of the narrator’s hometown?
Answer:
The story is based on present realities as well as memories. The story moves along with the narrator's description of his hometown and his old home. We find differences in the narrator's memories and the present realities, especially in the matter of geographic description. The story is presented at the end of the Qin Dynasty. If we talk about the geographical features of the narrator's hometown during his childhood, we find quite lovely as well as favourable features. The story indicates quite a lovely hometown near the sea. During that time, there was greenery everywhere. Most people used to live happily and peacefully in the village. The sandy bank of the sea was also green due to the cultivation of watermelons. The village looked quite beautiful, with sloppy hills. The narrator and his friend Runtu enjoyed the beautiful environment of their hometown a lot.
But with the narrator's gap and his arrival after more than twenty years, he finds his hometown quite desolate and scattered under the clouds. He feels depressed to find its unprogressive state during late winter. He finds no favourable features after his long journey of six hundred miles. The village near the sea seems lifeless to him.
REFERENCE BEYOND THE TEXT
a. Human beings are on the road from time immemorial, always migrating to new places. Write an essay on The Trend of Migration in Nepal in about 300 words.
Answer:
The Trend of Migration in Nepal
The term "migration" refers to the movement of people over some distance (or at least from one "migration-defining area" to another) and from one "usual place of residence" to another. People always try to change their living places for various reasons. They migrate from one place to another for the sake of their betterment. The trend of migration is seen all over the world. People keep changing their living places with their different views or opinions.
In the context of Nepal, the trend of migration is at its peak. We can see both local and foreign migration in Nepal. Most Nepalese people are seen migrating from rural areas to urban areas. Most of the villages are less populated due to this trend of migration. In recent times, most villages have faced a lack of youth. Youths from villages are leaving villages for the sake of their better opportunities as well as the education of their kids. We find only old citizens in most of the houses in villages. This trend has had a negative impact on relationships among people. Villages are ignored and biassed, whereas urban areas are given much preference by most of the people in Nepal. People prefer to live their lives in attractive cities, leaving peaceful and healthy lives in villages.
Apart from this local migration, the foreign migration of people is also on trend. Most Nepalese people and families are seen migrating from Nepal to foreign lands. Due to the lack of opportunities, people prefer to live their lives in foreign lands, leaving their homeland, Nepal. This trend of migration itself is a big problem for all. Due to this trend, humans are seen quite far away from the concepts of their relationships, patriotism, and humanity. This problem has brought a lack of active manpower to the whole country.
People in the present time prefer to work in foreign lands to uplift their lifestyle. The government of Nepal should think about this trend of migration and try its best to find a proper solution. The government should launch various opportunities for the citizens and provide them with a fine environment to work and earn in the country.
Thus, the trend of migration in Nepal is at a high speed. This trend of migration should be controlled for the future of Nepal and its people.
b. Find one of your relatives or friends, who has migrated to a new place leaving his/her old home. Talk to him/her and prepare a report on what he/she felt while leaving the old home.
Answer:
My Relatives' Nostalgia
My cousin, along with his family members, have recently left their hometown of Baitadi and come to live their lives in the city of Mahendranagar. Before arriving here in this city, they sold their ancestral home along with all the old things from that house. They even distributed the things in the house to their relatives for free. They were quite excited to move to the city.
After arriving in the city, they started living in a rented house for a few months. Later, my brother bought a big house near the cinema hall. I recently met him and asked him about his life in the city. He expressed his nostalgic feelings a lot. According to him, he is quite upset here in this city. He is still nostalgic after spending one year over here. He remembers his homeland and his relatives all the time. He thinks that he has made a blunder in his decision to leave his homeland. He is still regretting his quick decision. His family members are also feeling the same. They are feeling bad about being away from their homeland. They have found the city life quite different from their expectations. My brother still remembers his relatives' crying faces and their gloomy farewells.
After hearing their recent opinions, I don't think that they will spend much time over here.
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DETAILED INFORMATION ABOUT MY OLD HOME BY LU XUN
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