Refund Essay

Refund

-- Fritz Karinthy

Introduction: The play “Refund” is a synthesis of humour and satire. Fritz Karinthy, a Hungarian dramatist, criticizes the present system of education, which does not prepare students for their career.

Wasserkopf: The main character in the play is Wasserkopf. Wasserkopf in German means one with a “waterhead,” an eccentric person. He is forty years old, yet he remains unemployed. Wherever he goes, the people tell him that he is fit for nothing. They tell him that he has not learnt anything in his school.

Leaderer’s Advice: One day Wasserkopf meets his friend, Leaderer, in the street. He asks him about his business. Leaderer talks about foreign exchange and Hungarian money. Wasserkopf is not able to understand anything and starts asking questions about foreign exchange. Leaderer says that Wasserkopf has not learnt anything and therefore he should go to his school to get his tuition fees back. Wasserkopf, who is jobless and does not have any finance, finds this idea as something beneficial to him and so he goes to the school where he studied once in order to demand his tuition fees back.

Meeting with the Principal: When he asks for the refund of his tuition fees, the Principal is shocked because after eighteen years he has come to the school thinking that he has learnt nothing worthwhile. The Principal calls for an urgent meeting with all other staff members. They decide to keep a re-examination for Wasserkopf and agree that whatever answer he gives they will prove him right.  

Re-Examination: One by one each teacher questions him and justified his wrong answer to be correct one and they mark him excellent. Though Wasserkopf gives wrong answers and use abuse words to each teacher, they don’t show their anger because they have to prove him as an excellent student. Finally, the Mathematics Master says that he will ask an easy question and a difficult question. The first question is about the speed of light. Wasserkopf gives wrong answer and so the Mathematics Master gets angry and says that he has failed in his examination.  Then he tells Wasserkopf that he deserves the refund of tuition fees and asks him the “difficult” question -- “ How much do we owe you?” Wasserkopf, without knowing that he is going to fall into their trap, says that it is 5682 crowns and 38 heller. Now the Mathematics Master says that was his difficult question. Wasserkopf is declared to have passed the examination.

Conclusion: The play deals with an extraordinarily ludicrous situation. It also shows the ability of the teachers to manage the situation and how they tackle Wasserkopf without spoiling the reputation of their school.

The Walrus and the Carpenter- Essay

The Walrus and the Carpenter

-- Lewis Carroll

“The Walrus and the Carpenter” is a poem which tells a humorous and playful story. It resists rational and logical interpretations. Yet it has a serious theme -- a commentary on political corruption and how the politicians grow fat at the expense of the people. The poem is a warning to innocent people who are misled by the cunning and the shrewd. The rhyme scheme is ABCBDB.

The Walrus and the Carpenter saw the sun shining brightly at midnight and the angry moon sulking. They also realized that the sea was wet and the sand was dry and there was no cloud to be seen. These were odd things that they experienced. These peculiarities and the nonsense dialogues of the characters add beauty to the poem.

The Walrus and the Carpenter are the two greedy characters who get the oysters to trust them and go with them. They invite the oysters to have fun with them. The promise of entertainment does not interest the elder oyster. But the young and the innocent oysters follow the walrus and the carpenter. This is an example of a politician’s call to the people. The politicians make many promises that appeal to the people. Eventually they degenerate into talking about useless issues, such as flying pigs. In the end after the destruction of the innocent people, they will shed false tears of remorse. As the walrus covered his face with his handkerchief to wipe the tears, he gobbled up as much oysters as he could.

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A Town by the Sea by Amitav Gosh- Essay

A Town by the Sea

Amitav Gosh is an acclaimed Novelist, Journalist, Anthropologist and Professor. He is one of the prominent Indian writers in English. In his essay “The Town by the Sea”, Gosh recalls the tsunami that devastated India in December 26, 2004. By disclosing how one of his friends lost his family during tsunami, the writer talks about the inability of human beings against the power of nature.

Gosh’s friend is a malaria Research Director in Car Nicobar. On the eve of December 25, 2004 the director goes to Andaman for an official visit. In the next day morning, he wakes up from the bed by the earth quake. So he runs out of the house to save his life. At that time his wife calls him over mobile, but he disconnects the call thinking that he can call her later. Suddenly, the sea rises and comes towards him. Hence he runs towards the high land in order to protect his life.

Andaman was affected severely by tsunami. He is anxious about his family members after the incident. Later, he comes to know that his thirteen years old son saves his life by clinging to the rafters of a church. When the director contacts his son over phone, he informs his father that his mother and sister disappeared in tsunami. The director tells the writer that his son is a brave boy.

When the director visits Malacca after a few days, they find only the concrete foundation of his house. There were only five structures standing in Malacca: Skeleton of a church, a white washed building, a Murugan temple, the arch of Rajiv Gandhi Memorial Park and a school. Though the town was affected in the sea shore, the interior of the island was not affected.

The director recalls that his wife was an English teacher in the island and she wanted to leave the island long back. Since he did not get transfer, they had to live in the same place. He feels that as a husband he did not provide a better opportunity to his wife. The director discloses that his daughter was a good painter and got prizes for her works. The director thinks that he is defeated as a husband and father by nature. The nature has stolen his family all of a sudden without giving a chance.

While describing the consequences of tsunami, this essay illustrates the supremacy of nature and the uncertainty of human life. Also, it is proved that man is nothing against God and nature.  Acceptance of truth is more important to lead a peaceful life.

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