Television as a medium for education

                  Assignment Topic: Television as a medium for education

               Subject: The Mass-Media and Communication

                         Name: Gohil Khanjaniba Mahipatsinh

                                              Roll no: 13

                            MA (Part-2)       Semester: 4^th

^{Suggested by: Parth Bharatbhai Bhatt.}

^{Dedicated to: The Department of English,}

 ^{Maharaja Krishnakumarsinhji Bhavnagar University, Bhavnagar.}

 ^{Enrollment no: PG13101009}

  ^{Email_id: khanjani.gohil1993@gmail.com}

                             ^{Influence of Television} 

               ^{Decades ago there were many short-stories were telecasted by entrepreneurs. E.g. stories of Panchatantra, Cinderella, Hanuman, etc.Thus mostly children used to came in the use of television. But now days not only stories but also live shows also telecasted by many channels, so it has broader way than ten years ago we having as a viewer.}

                          ^{Television has been given considerable importance in many countries as a source and as a tool of teaching. Television is adaptable by even a common person and it can follow many different approaches which are used in different educational situations. It can be used in three ways that are as under:}

^{Formal Education:}

                                   ^{Television usually functions as supportive and reinforcement tool. Television can be used or attached with school’s curriculum and time-tables. When systematically organized it takes the form of school broadcast.}

^{Non-Formal Education:}

                                     ^{Television has a more specific role to play when it used as a part of multi-media and communication tool. Television can directly or indirectly teach the subject matter.}

^{Informal Education Television:}

                                    ^{Importance of television is to communicate and to spread information, ideas, skills and attitude has been affirmed by researchers. BBC’s director has said, “Next to home and school, I believe television to have a more profound influence on human race than any other human’s medium for education.”}

                             ^{The role of television is more profound that directly related to the question of how the planners are serious and determined to use television. It has many roles to play and here we can achieve many things like:}

^{o    School quality in education.}

^{o    Enhance quality in education.}

^{o    Reduce dependency on verbal teaching and teachers.}

^{o    Provide flexibility of time and space in learning.}

^{o    Stimulates learning.}

^{o    Provide Mass education opportunities.}

                         ^{Now days distance remained nothing because student can learn and grasp the knowledge from anywhere with the help of television. But in rural areas there are many people who are facing the problems regarding electricity and all other matters. But so far in rural areas people can get into touch with information and technology.}

      ^{Television is more effective in teaching of mathematics, science and social studies. Whereas, in history, humanities and literature has not benefited from this medium the same degree. The impact of television can be studied under this guideline:}

^{o    Teacher’s Competencies.}

^{o    Student’s Competencies.}

^{o    Effects on general viewers.}

               ^{Educational Programs of AIOU}

             ^{It has produced more than four hundred television programs and many non-broadcast audio-visual cassettes. Television is used in sciences, technical and vocational subjects. The demonstrations through television help to substitute the laboratory experiments. In social science and language, television is used tom show real life situations. It can also be helpful in the understanding of the great epics and Bible. Generally we are not reading it line by line. But we can closely watch and can get ideas about the religious books which can be well-debated in the education system’s use only.}

^{1.         To show practical application of principle already written in the textbooks and to show the laboratory work and demonstrations: Similarly to this point, we can contribute another idea of language-lab, which was in use in older days. But now days we have not even see that how it works and produce ideas in language learning.}

^{2.         To humanize distance education and to improve language skills and teaching skills by showing model-teaching techniques: There are different methodologies in teaching-learning process and we usually came across the old system of chalk and talk. But now the system has been changed and now teachers has to use technology, different videos, which are telecasted on television, but by recording it and by YouTube channel’s downloads we can view some important teaching techniques into the class.}

^{3.         To show real life situation and microscope things on magnified scale: In other words we can watch on television some rescue operations or sting operations so it helps us in knowing of that how to operate some minor unknown things for self-defense and also for others to whom we can help by knowing these ideas.}

^{4.         Animations, dramatic presentations, slow motions and case studies: Generally, children used to watch cartoons and stories with animated with characters and it provides knowledge with fun. For example, one serial was so famous on television it was “The Jungle Book”, Where the main character of Mogli was trying to give morals that what to do if we fall in some difficulties and all that serious-typical complexes. Thus, it is not happening to us but we can get aware about with the help of television as a medium for education in nation or in system.}

                              ^{Another example is of cricket-matches where slow-motion’s techniques helps in conveying of the results and pauses are used to keep focus on the on-going process and we can generate general decision that what will happen. Thus, television provides the all above things including some informational ideas.}

Feministic study of "The Da Vinci Code"

 Name: Gohil Khanjaniba Mahipatsinh.

Roll No: 13.

Class: MA (Part-2).

Semester: 4^th.

Subject: The New Literature (3202).

Topic of the Assignment: Feministic study of the text “The Da Vinci Code”.

Enrollment no: PG13101009.

Suggested by:  Dr. Dilip Barad.

Dedicated to: The Department Of English,

                          Maharaja Krishnakumarshihji Bhavnagar University,

                          Bhavnagar.

Email_id: khanjani.gohil1993@gmail.com

                      Feminism in the “New Literature”

             “There never will be complete equality until women themselves help to make laws and elect lawmakers”

                                                                                                                        – Susan B. Anthony.

                   When a literature is portrayed as the narrative of male domination in regard to female bodies by exploring the economic, social, political, and psychological forces embedded within literature.

          According to Lisa Tuttle feminist theory is like this “New questions of old texts”. The goals of feminist criticism are as under: 

·        To develop and uncover a female tradition of writing.

·        To interpret symbolism of women’s writing so that it will not be lost or ignored by the male point of view.

·        To rediscover old texts.

·        To analyze women writers and their writings from a female perspective.

·        To resist sexism in literature and

·        To increase awareness of the sexual politics of language and style.

        Meanwhile in the 21^st century the most influential topic of literature was ‘Feminism’.

                                        Male Written Texts and Subjectivity

                        “The Da Vinci Code” is a male-written text and has destruction of the myth. According to the subjectivity of History, in this text it is well reflected that the history is written by winners not by defeaters. Thus here we can judge that because of supremacy of a particular gender (male) has changed the system which is lacking behind our belief with regards to humanity, which does not exists now days in any compartment of reality.

                     When Sophie was asked about belief or trust in God, she denied to believe in God and also she said that she believes in humanity because humans can be helpful not a religion. In other words religion makes debates and fights between people not peace and help in positive manners. It seems that she is non-believer of God and spirituality but here her views are more practical and realistic in comparison to Faith in idols. Thus we can say that she tries to break the ideal women’s situation and psychological boundaries which is actually unbreakable because it is constructed in mind previously, nobody can think beyond those boundaries and it proven by the end of the text that women is as a mute and silent human being. She can’t do anything without man’s help and access in their life. The end is satirical in itself and as a writer of the text he is also showing his own psychology indirectly over female rights. Let’s do the theoretical study of the text:

                                    Theoretical study of the text “The Da Vinci Code”

The Catholic Council of Nicaea, led by Emperor Constantine wanted male leadership. So Jesus intended for Peter to be the head of the church, they denied the canonicity of scriptures that contradicted their views and then rewrote the rest of the Bible to confirm to their views.

                 So here the supremacy (the power position) in the religiosity goes to so called male power or to the patriarchal society, then its development. As there is a line written by one of the Marxist that:

                                “The rich became richer and the poor became poorer”

                  Same like this the society has been constructed under the male dominancy. It is favorably claimed by men. Another reference is related to that ‘How Christianity has removed one religion and how the killings happened on the name of God?’’ How female were treated during the emergence of new religion and power?’

                “The Da Vinci Code” is the fictional story about the myth of Holy Grail and Feminine sacredness. Here Dan Brown’s approach towards the study of gender biases and other so called deconstruction of the myth and beliefs indirectly reflected in his writings. Mostly in the new literature we could not say that the issues regarded to feminist reading of the text has lesser importance in comparison to the other studies of the text like religious, aesthetic, unaesthetic, etc.

                    Recently there was a speech delivered by Emma Watson (about equality for women): ‘’ Fighting for women’s rights has too often become synonymous with man-hating…This has to stop…..For the record, feminism by definition is: ‘The belief that men and women should have equal rights and opportunities’”. This speech was delivered on 20^th September, 2014. 

Gnosticism: A religious orientation advocating Gnosis as the way to release a person’s spiritual element; considered heresy by Christian Churches.

      Pagan Goddess Worship, Gnosticism, Feminism and “The Da Vinci Code”

                  Mostly not only in Christianity or in Paganism but also in others religions, there is an existence of female’s adventures and Goddesses. So we could not say that it is removed so politely. It happened in other religions too but by forcing them well. There are many wars and debates and fights took place for this single issue about the theme of Feminine Sacredness and feminism in the religion. Behind the name of religion we fought to each other and bloodshed happened so violently.

        In the movie “The Da Vinci Code”, when Sir Leigh Teabing and Robert Langdon were talking about history of the paganism and the mysteries about the Holy Grail, Robert Langdon speaks these lines during the talk: “Sex begot new life – the ultimate miracle and miracles could be performed by a God. Those women who were thinking freely and having some intelligence in comparison to males it was hardly impossible to explain the truth. Religious people have killed many women in this wrong belief because they were not ready to give rights to speak to women and they marginalized them. Voice of women became mute or unknowingly unheard to religiosity.

                    The Neo Pagan groups have referred to the feminine sacredness as well as female worship in their religion. In the new literature we can say that there are debates regarding feministic reading of the text and has a narrowed way of looking at the new literature. Here Dan Brown focuses on feminine sacredness and also gives hints about the past wars about Paganism and Christianity. Generally religion, science, super power or super naturalism of human has many issues and it can be presented with the help of fictional or imaginational characters. Thus Dan Brown indirectly has emphasized on the present days issues regarding religion and position of female and its importance in the society.

                              In the modern Roman Catholic Church there are delusion stories regarding feminine sacredness. In the movie and also in the text, Sophie Neveau’s struggle for her identity is symbolic. But actually her mother and father were killed by Opus Dei’s people; it was not merely an accident. So because of that incident, she lost her family and lived with Jacques Sauniere. He has never revealed that who is she and what actually happened to her parents. Thus here also we can see that the power or strength over female.

                          Mary Magdalene was treated by Jesus very differently. As she was his one of the disciple and he also used to come across to her. So their relations were presented as normal meeting as Jesus used to do with his other disciples. Once Jesus also tells her, “You are whose heart is more directed to the kingdom of heaven than all your brothers”.

                      Although their relation was mostly undermined by other disciples in other powerful scriptures. Jesus tells to Mary Magdalene that, “Excellent Maria. Thou art blessed beyond all women upon the earth because thou shalt be the pleromas of all pleromas and completions”. After that we can got conclusion of this statement that Mary Magdalene has also confessed her resurrection act with Jesus and it is noted that Mary Magdalene has all the knowledge of the world what Jesus knew. We can completely say that including this act that Jesus was not only the father of the Church as he was entrusted in Mary Magdalene, but never scripted anywhere else.

                     However if we look into the New Testament, it is clearly embedded that in all Gospels there Mary Magdalene’s reference comes eleven times and it also preferred that the repetition has its importance. Although where Sir Leigh Teabing and Pro.Robert Langdon were discussing about feminine sacredness, they talked about this matter that women could not write Gospels. As Sophie also objected that Mary Magdalene may have written those Gospels. But Langdon refuses her approval that he told to her that Women can’t write and Sophie after hearing this she speaks that there are possibilities that those Gospels were written by Mary Magdalene herself.

                       According to Nag Hammadi, the Gnostic gospels have revealed that Mary Magdalene was intended to be the leader of the Christian movement, and suddenly people are faced with ‘One tradition where Peter plays role tremendous and significance and Mary is on the margins, while in another tradition, Mary is the significant figure and Peter is the suspect”.

                   If we talk about suspect that suspects are unrevealed and mysterious. The sexual rituals in the text and also in the movie were treated as suspects only, and with mysterious behind its knowledge about a kind of religion or a kind of ritual in itself.

          In the conclusion part of this assignment topic “Feministic reading of the text “The Da Vinci Code””, that Mary Magdalene and Sophie Neveau are the real feministic heroes.   

Critical analysis of "A Grain of Wheat" by Ngugi Wa Thiongo

 Assignment Topic: “A Grain of Wheat” By Ngugi WA Thiongo: A critical analysis

                                       Subject: The African Literature

                                       Name: Gohil Khanjaniba Mahipatsinh

                                                      Roll no: 13

                                      Enrollment no: PG13101009

                                      Class: MA (ENGLISH, Part-2)

                                                  Semester: 4^th

 Suggested by: Heenaba Zala

Dedicated to: The Department of English,

                          Smt.S.B.Gardi,

                          Maharaja Krishnakumarsinhji Bhavnagar University,

                          Bhavnagar.

email_id: khanjani.gohil1993@gmail.com

                             Introduction of the Writer: Ngugi WA Thiongo 

                                    Ngugi WA Thiongo was from Africa and he also had written many literary texts under the most emerged English Language. This novel “A Grain of Wheat” has been written as a part of the African history and it was written when the author himself was studying in Leeds University and was firstly published by Heinemann in 1967. By occupation he was a Kenyan novelist himself. He is the founder and editor of the Gikuyu – a language journal. 

                                  The year of 1950’s and Mau Mau Emergency in “A Grain of Wheat” (1987) presented for first time from an African perspectives. That fight was against British colonialism and also in other countries. We can see the over powered Britishers in the map of the world. In other words, this book has covered up that portion of the state of Emergence as well as Uhuru kind of events in the African states. Here some major characters are focused like:

i.         Mugo

ii.       Gikonyo

iii.      Karanja

iv.     Mumbi

v.       Waiyaki

                   This book is more focusing on Fanonist- Marxism and also the poor of the Africa who were replaced by the white people and Britishers. Thus clearly these lines lead us to the post-colonial point-of-view regarding the narration of the text itself. Ngugi WA Thiongo himself remarked that:

     “I am a writer some have been called me a religious writer. I write about my people. I am interested in their hidden lives and hates and how the very tension in their hearts affects their daily contact with other men. How in other words, the emotions stream of the man within interacts with the real type” – This book is divided into the three parts. The novel starts in the village Thabai, just a few days before Kenyan independence of the village and has been selected as a day in December, 1963 (Uhuru Day).

                          The narrative technique and the characterization is well differ from the African and European perspectives. Where with the help of freedom fighting struggles, it looks back to the post-colonial approaches. However, it is not goes on coming an idea of climax. The plot refers to the rising action, middle and falling action. If we do feministic reading of the text we can take Mumbi’s character in the analysis. Who breaks the ideal moral woman’s idea in the society. Similarly we can say that this novel follows the regulations of the post-modernisms. Fanonist Marxism approach has taken place between Britishers and the rural people of Thabai. The movement is presented well in light and it also exemplified as a narration of nation. If we keep focus on the narration of nation, there we can say that the people who are already living on a place and when others comes with a power position at that time they have aura of being superior than the people who were living already there. Thus generally we have hatered for others who came over on our land and try to make us betrayed to win the land. Here by narration it is shown when Britishers came in Thabai or in the Kenyan society.

                              The narrative generally moves forward to the Uhuru celebration, it has unique narrative style which shifts its point of view from one character to another character. The title of the novel is taken from The New Testament and refers to a passage from Paul’s first letter to Corinthians which is placed as an epigraph at the very beginning: “Thou fool, that which thou sowest is not quickened, accept it die. And that which thou sowest, thou not that body that shall be. But bare grain it may chance of wheat or some other grain”.

                            The above given lines gives the reference of epic and religious tone at the end of the novel, same like this:

     “Verily, verily I say unto you accept a corn of wheat fall into the ground and die, it abideth alone: but if it dies, it bringeth forth much fruit”. – These lines directly focus on the rebirth of the wheat and new life to the livings. Here rebirth is represented as a mythical and utopia palingenesis. Let’s do analysis of some characters here:

                                   Major characters in the text

Mugo:  He is the main character and the hero of the British Concentration camps, where he led strike. Once he also protects a pregnant woman when one guard was trying to beat her badly. Mugo is a farmer, and he was under her aunt’s care who was a drunken woman and however, Mugo himself feels that he is an outsider. In between we can say that Mugo has different personality and also has respect for women and villagers. His characterization is stronger than Britishers.

Gikonyo: He is an ambitious carpenter and business man. He was married to Mumbi, but when he comes to his home to Mumbi at that time he became shocked by the news that Mumbi is pregnant. He was in the jail and at that time Mumbi was alone as a caretaker of Gikonyo’s parents. Gikonyo was having a rival or an enemy named as Karanja, who actually took advantage in his absence.

Karanja: He is young man and a friend of Kihika. Kihika was also in love with Mumbi. When Mumbi marries to Gikonyo he feels that he became alone in the village and there everything has been ended without Mumbi. He mostly focuses on his sorrows and desire for Mumbi. There he takes an oath that with his friends for the movement but he was in favor of Britishers and he joins their governance and becomes one of the guards. Karanja rises as a chief of the area.

         Meanwhile Karanja invites Mumbi to his office once and tells her that her husband is going to come soon. Because of weakness unfortunately Mumbi allows sex with Karanja but at a time she regrets and Karanja doesn’t get fulfillment of his love with Mumbi.

                  Then Karanja leaves working at the library in Githima, where he is little more than toy. The White men don’t have respect for him and black people hate Karanja. He becomes a man without the world. Mugo saves Karanja from almost certain death by his confession.

Kihika:  He was Mumbi’s brother and embraces the movement as a young man. He is more religious person and he compares the struggle in Kenya to the Jews in Egypt and wants to be free. He believes in sacrifice and unity. He wants Mugo in the movement and he plans an underground movement in the town. But Mugo becomes the reason of Kihika’s death as he reveals the next plan to the Britishers and Kihika was hanged. Thereby Kihika dies and becomes martyr for the movement. We can say that Mugo is responsible for Kihika’s death and he must be punished somewhere. Wambuku is Kihika’s girlfriend but she is not interested in his patriotism and her friend Njeri falls in love with Kihika. Wambuku marries to another man becomes pregnant but when being beaten by a guard, Mugo tries to save her. Although after a struggle she died.

Mumbi: Mumbi is the most beautiful woman in the village of Thabai. She was admired by many youngsters in the village but she falls in love with Gikonyo and they got married. She thinks that she will protect her husband when the officers will come to arrest him, but she does not. Thereby she takes entire responsibility of Gikinyo’s home and also takes responsibility of building a new house and working in the trenches while Gikonyo was away from her in imprisonment.

        But after meeting Karanja her life totally ruined and she goes back to her parents but also there she suffered and her parents throws her back because of her mistake. Then even she starts living her life alone and started working on her own abilities. Thus here the example of this character is more in light if we do feminist reading of the text.

Waiyaki:  Waiyaki was an early rebellion against the White men, who is rumored to have been buried alive with his head facing into the earth. And it becomes the main theme of the text “A Grain of Wheat”.

      Heroism and sacrifice in “A grain of wheat”

                           Heroism and sacrifice has been shown to the readers with the help of Kihika’s character and the courageous guerilla leader full of messianic spirit. This character has been given importance by the narrator himself for an example if we talk about Hitler, the black community will surely hate him but somewhere he is also worshipped as a Life giver or as a great man. Thus with the help of different perspective the narration gets difference. Thus sometime the protagonist becomes antagonist for some other readers and antagonist becomes super hero for the readers.

         Some of the points to be analyzed here

*        Mugo’s connection with the woman in the hut is a central element in the story. They are connected by their common loneliness. As Mugo was all alone and he was never tried to get part in the community. The old woman has lost her son and she also talks to no one. She and Mugo live in isolated way, away from the world, treated by loss and trauma.

*        Britishers came to Kenya and brought some technology and superiority in the village. Thus this difference became irony here.

*        Religion in itself is important element in the novel. God is on the side of oppressed and will save the impoverished and downtrodden. Mugo does not follow this but he makes changes to himself. Gikinyo’s refusal to talk about the child of his wife’s disloyalty leads him to a bitter isolation.

*        Karanja tries to become loyal to his work. But he is not even as important as dog to the white people.

*        Thomas has no idea how to implement his idealism. Uhuru is a failure of the British conquests of Africa. Kenya run by blacks will decay and self-destruct.

*        Independence is achieved; it is also marred by death and corruption. There is no hope that the dream of greatness will come true, because there white’s politics will be hurdle for that.

*        Mugo’s self realization and delusions of his mind changes himself entirely. He thinks that whatever happened to Mumbi is just because of him and also thinks that he should be punished in a way.

*        In detention Mugo was numb and he accepts punishments and he endures his existence. In actual sense, the sufferings were in the village was because of Mugo.

*        Instead of embracing the community, Mugo destroys himself at the end of the novel.

*        This novel ends with Uhuru. There no one knows what is coming? Good or bad? The reality remains as before it was that the rich becomes richer and the poor becomes poorer.