PLUS TWO ENGLISH STUDY NOTES
Focusing on Critical Summaries and Key Points
1. RICE - Chemmanam Chacko
Chemmanam Chacko is a master of satire. Through 'Rice' (translated by Prof. Ayyappa Panicker), he expresses a strong protest against social evils and the greed of modern society. The poem sarcastically depicts the shift in the attitude of farmers from food crops to cash crops for easy money.
The poet returns home after four years of research on husk-based toys, eager to eat his favorite 'Athikara Rice'. However, he finds his village transformed: paddy fields have vanished, replaced by rubber plantations. Even his father justifies the shift, claiming rice farming is a "loss" only for fools. The poem ends with a biting satire where the poet sees the Chief Minister flying to the center to beg for more food grains, symbolizing the state's failure in self-sufficiency.
2. DRUG ABUSE: MENTAL & PHYSICAL IMPACTS
Drug abuse is a rampant menace in modern society. People often fall into the trap of believing that every physical or mental problem can be solved by a pill. This dependency weakens the human capacity to deal with reality.
Key Impacts:
- Mental: Paranoia, personality changes, loss of self-awareness, and feeling "dead inside."
- Physical: Damage to liver, kidneys, and brain. Risk of pneumonia, TB, and cardiac failure.
- Social: Leads to violence, smuggling, and hinders national progress.
3. WHEN A SAPLING IS PLANTED - Wangari Maathai
This is the Nobel Prize acceptance speech of Kenyan environmentalist Wangari Maathai. She founded the Green Belt Movement to fight biodiversity loss caused by commercial farming.
She emphasizes that "little things" like planting trees can make a massive difference. The movement empowered rural women and addressed basic needs like water and food. Maathai calls upon the youth to commit to protecting nature and rebuilding the beautiful world we inherited from our ancestors.
Prepared by: Sajith M R
NVT in English | GVHSS, Vadakkadathukavu, Adoor
