MODEL QUESTION

Apply the four levels of meanings to "A 1996 Commencement Speech" given by Salman Rushdie.

Literal Comprehension:

"A 1996 Commencement Speech" is a graduation speech given by a famous Indian-born writer, Salman Rushdie to the students of Bard College, New York in 1996. He was given an honorary degree by Bard College on that occasion. While giving a speech Rushdie remembers his graduation day, 1968 from Cambridge University. A few nights before his graduation some unknown persons threw bucketful gravy-onion in his room. Salman was accused of this fault and punished. Again, when he went to the graduation program with brown shoes he was rejected asking to wear black shoes. At the neck hour of the ceremony, he had to return for black shoes. In the ceremony also he had to kneel down to ask for a degree in Latin language with the Vice-Chancellor. He did as authority ordered him. When he was giving this speech he repented saying that he shouldn't have paid up, should not have changed his shoes, and should not have knelt down. doing compromise, he committed the crime of accepting injustice and domination, Rushdie said due to his three years of hard work and his parents' investment he was qualified to get a B.A. degree not freely given by the university.
Rushdie pointed out that the Irani leader declared his death notice but he was saved by Bard College. Talking about any supreme authority and power, Rushdie said even god has committed many crimes and cruelties. God has not created the world and human beings rather people have created Him. Because of people's belief and mercy, there is the existence of god. Arachne, Prometheus had challenged the misdeeds of gods. There could be a money god, a power god, etc. If gods do crimes over humans, why respect them? Being radical Rushdie encouraged students that we must be guided by our personal will or personal nature. If possible, we should follow our better natures than bad ones.

Interpretation:

This speech given by one of the renowned scholars of the world might be advocating the call for freedom of expression. It points out that everyone should be guided by their personal possibility by better nature. By any condition, one shouldn't bow down and follow others' domination and order. As Salman Rushdie accepted the order for death rules he repented for that later. It might be questioning about the existence of god and His power. God Himself has done a lot of crimes so they are because of our faith but not the god has created us. Freedom and rights can't be achieved by mercy, begging, and bowing down but rather by snatching. It also encourages all to fight against any unfair authority injustice and domination. Obedience and tolerance can't be the ways to freedom rather defiance (protest) is revolt and inevitable.

Critical Thinking: 

This essay as a speech has given full credit for action done by human nature. It has opened up the eyes of people/the public to evaluate everything reasonably. Compromise to any domination is a crime. This philosophy for personal rights and freedom is ok. Still, some disagreeable points can be raised here. Can we always go against all types of systems? Can defiance always become a constructive tool for freedom? Are there other goods besides Greek gods? But the message of revolt against injustices can’t be discarded fully.

Assimilation: 

After going through this speech I was shocked. Sooner I went 10 years back to my school days. When I was studying in class five I had to face a bitter criticism of my class teacher. Any of the boys in our class had written pornographic (rough) sentences on the wall of the classroom. When the teacher came into the classroom, the accusation came over me because other boys were clever. I was innocent then, so I couldn’t defend myself at all. Now I regret it, I wish should have defended against it at the right moment. I should have told directly the teacher about my non-involvement in that work. I should have fought against the injustice that I had to accept them.

Or

Discuss whether arranged marriages are declining among the educated professional classes of India based on Serena Nanda’s research essay.

Professor of Anthropology from New York Dr. Serena Nanda has visited India for her research and study. When she happened to face the strong ethics of arranged marriage, she became much more surprised and angry. She directly rejected the arranged marriage system where a life partner was selected by parents or guardians. With her many visits and studies about Indian arranged marriage systems, she was fully influenced form them. She started to work as a matchmaker and ultimately became successful in her mission. As he has presented in her essay “Arranging a Marriage in India” arranged marriages have not declined but rather dramatically increased or at least rested on a fixed level as a strong ethical system in India.
According to Nanda, there are many more advantages in Indian arranged marriages and disadvantages. Her comparisons between US marriage and Indian marriages also show that Indian marriages are more durable, happy, better, and full of love and affection, by reading her research-based essay we can’t find any declining symptoms in arranged marriages in India.
There are unique cultural rituals and activities. Boundaries, rules, and regulations have kept arranged marriage as an ideal system in India. With this ideal, all Indian cultural systems are so permanent and strong that there are more advantages and positive aspects than negative ones. Parents are equally responsible for their children’s marriages, class, level reputation, and standards everything is checked and tested well before fixing the candidates. From this, the marriage process is preceded. That is why there is an almost happy and luxurious life after marriage. Even any class’s people and intellectuals follow their unique and stand marriage traditions. Among the educated professional classes as well there is a positive impression and implications of this marriage system in India. We can’t find any sign of declining of this system of marriage. The writer has focused on the glory, image, and standard ethics of arranged marriages in India in this essay. So we hardly even guess that there is a declining pace of arranged marriages among Indians in general and among educated professional classes’ people in particular.

Thus from Dr. Nanda’s essay and other socio-cultural and anthropological studies, we can be clear that this arranged marriage system is strongly rated in Indian culture. For all classes educated and uneducated levels of people have a mostly positive impact on arranged marriage. They have also adopted this system of marriage in most cases.

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