Make notes of the following passage by using headings and sub-headings

We often come across situations and incidents, which appear quite contradictory to the known laws of Nature, creating doubts about the impartiality of divine justice. For instance, an honest, duty-conscious, morally elevated person is often seen caught in adversities in one form or the other, or is suddenly struck with a great misfortune in life as though he/she were being punished by God for a great sin. On the other hand, we find persons engaged in worst types of corrupt practices living in peace and prosperity. An idler wins a jackpot or inherits a fortune from unexpected quarters, whereas a hard working intelligent person is found suffering endlessly for want of basic necessities. One person achieves great success with little effort, whereas another does not succeed in spite of his best efforts. Such phenomena are popularly ascribed to the role of fate.

Unprecedented natural calamities like famine, epidemics, tornadoes and floods, damage by lightning and earthquakes and untimely death are also commonly attributed to the will of God and called predestined. Such unexpected happenings as financial loss, accidents, sudden mental/ physical disability and physical separation from a dear one are also attributed to fate.

Such unexpected adversities are rare, but they do occur in life. At times, they leave such deep imprints on the psyche, that it is not possible to ignore them. Those who are not familiar with the mysteries of divine justice become very much perplexed by such experiences and form prejudiced opinions, which, in some form or the other, hinder their mental and spiritual progress. Many become resentful towards God, blame and abuse Him for favouritism and injustice. A few even become atheists, considering the futility of worshipping God who does not respond to prayer in distress, despite their prolonged adherence to religiosity. Then there is a class of devotees who serve the saints and worship deities in expectation of some material gains. However, if they are visited with some failure, unfavourable circumstances, or mishap coincidentally, their adoration changes to contempt of disbelief.

There are quite a few believers in this world who correlate people, places and things with good and bad luck. Such superstitions have caused extreme miseries to innocent persons. The root cause for such irrational behaviour is the belief that whatever come to pass is predestined by God and the beings created by Him have absolutely no role in shaping their own destiny. Quite a few persons in this world forsake their responsibility in the mistaken belief that the gain and loss being predestined, there is no necessity of personal effort.

Notes on the Passage

1. Contradictions in Divine Justice

• Observations of Contradictory Events

  • Situations that defy natural laws create doubts about divine justice.

  • Examples:

    • Honest, moral individuals face adversities or misfortunes.

    • Corrupt individuals enjoy peace and prosperity.

    • Idlers gain wealth effortlessly, while hardworking individuals suffer.

    • Unequal outcomes despite effort (e.g., success with little effort vs. failure despite hard work).

• Popular Attribution to Fate

  • Such phenomena are often ascribed to fate.

2. Natural Calamities and Unexpected Events

• Attribution to Divine Will

  • Natural disasters (famine, epidemics, tornadoes, floods, earthquakes) are seen as predestined by God.

  • Other misfortunes (financial loss, accidents, disabilities, separation from loved ones) are also attributed to fate.

• Impact of Rare Adversities

  • These events, though rare, leave deep psychological imprints.

  • They challenge perceptions of fairness and justice.

3. Reactions to Adversities

• Perplexity and Prejudiced Opinions

  • Those unfamiliar with divine justice become perplexed and form biased views.

  • These opinions hinder mental and spiritual growth.

• Resentment and Atheism

  • Some blame God for favoritism and injustice.

  • A few turn atheist, believing prayer and worship are futile.

• Conditional Devotion

  • Some devotees worship deities for material gains.

  • Adoration turns to contempt if faced with failure or misfortune.

4. Superstitions and Irrational Beliefs

• Belief in Luck and Predestination

  • Many correlate people, places, and things with good or bad luck.

  • Superstitions cause suffering for innocent individuals.

• Root Cause of Irrational Behavior

  • Belief that all events are predestined by God.

  • Denial of human agency in shaping destiny.

• Consequences of Fatalism

  • Some abandon responsibility, believing effort is unnecessary since outcomes are predestined.

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Key Themes:

• Divine Justice vs. Human Perception: Contradictions in life challenge beliefs about fairness.

• Role of Fate: Events are often attributed to fate or divine will.

• Human Reactions: Adversities lead to resentment, atheism, or conditional devotion.

• Superstitions and Fatalism: Belief in predestination and luck fosters irrational behavior and abdication of responsibility.

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Reducing Household Garbage: A Realistic Approach

 Reducing Household Garbage: A Realistic Approach

Garbage production is a growing problem that affects the environment and our communities. My family and I can take practical steps to reduce the amount of waste we produce by adopting simple but effective habits. These include minimizing plastic use, composting organic waste, recycling, and being mindful of our purchases. By making these changes, we can contribute to a cleaner and healthier environment while also setting an example for others.

One of the most effective ways to reduce waste is to minimize our use of plastic. My family can bring reusable shopping bags instead of using plastic ones, carry refillable water bottles, and store food in glass or metal containers rather than disposable plastic wraps. Additionally, purchasing items in bulk can help reduce excessive packaging waste. These habits are easy to adopt and require only a small adjustment in our daily routines, making them realistic and beneficial.

Another significant step is composting organic waste. Instead of throwing away fruit and vegetable peels, leftover food, and garden clippings, we can create a compost bin in our backyard. This not only reduces the amount of waste going to landfills but also provides nutrient-rich soil for our garden. Composting is a simple process that requires little effort, and it helps us turn waste into something valuable for our plants.

Recycling is another important practice that my family can adopt to minimize garbage. We can separate recyclable materials such as paper, cardboard, glass, and certain plastics from regular trash. By doing this, we ensure that these materials are reused rather than ending up in landfills. Setting up designated bins for recyclables in our home makes the process easier and encourages every family member to participate in reducing waste.

In conclusion, reducing the amount of garbage we produce is not only beneficial for the environment but also an achievable goal for my family. By minimizing plastic use, composting organic waste, and recycling, we can significantly cut down on waste while leading a more sustainable lifestyle. These small but meaningful changes can make a big difference, proving that responsible waste management is both necessary and realistic for every household.

[What do you think you and your family could do to reduce the amount of garbage you produce? How realistic are your suggestions?  page 192, Patterns for College Writings]

 19 The Scarlet Letter

 

The following passage is from the opening of Nathaniel Hawthorne’s novel The Scarlet Letter. Annotate the passage using the three-step process we have described.

From The Scarlet Letter

NATHANIEL HAWTHORNE

A throng of bearded men, in sad-colored garments and gray, steeple-crowned hats, intermixed with women, some wearing hoods, and others bareheaded, was assembled in front of a wooden edifice, the door of which was heavily timbered with oak, and studded with iron spikes. The founders of a new colony, whatever Utopia of human virtue and happiness they might originally project, have invariably recognized it among their earliest practical necessities to allot a portion of the virgin soil as a cemetery, and another portion as the site of a prison. In accordance with this rule, it may safely be assumed that the forefathers of Boston had built the first prison-house, somewhere in the vicinity of Cornhill, almost as seasonably as they marked out the first burial[1]ground, on Isaac Johnson’s lot, and round about his grave, which subsequently became the nucleus of all the congregated sepulchres in the old church-yard of King’s Chapel. Certain it is, that, some fifteen or twenty years after the settlement of the town, the wooden jail was already marked with weather-stains and other indi[1]cations of age, which gave a yet darker aspect to its beetle-browed and gloomy front. The rust on the ponderous iron-work of its oaken door looked more antique than any thing else in the new world. Like all that pertains to crime, it seemed never to have known a youthful era. Before this ugly edifice, and between it and the wheel-track of the street, was a grass-plot, much overgrown with burdock, pig-weed, apple-peru, and such unsightly vegetation, which evidently found some[1]thing congenial in the soil that had so early borne the black flower of civilized society, a prison. But, on one side of the portal, and rooted almost at the threshold, was a wild rose-bush, covered, in this month of June, with its delicate gems, which might be imagined to offer their fragrance and fragile beauty to the prisoner as he went in, and to the condemned criminal as he came forth to his doom, in token that the deep heart of Nature could pity and be kind to him. This rose-bush, by a strange chance, has been kept alive in history; but whether it had merely survived out of the stern old wilderness, so long after the fall of the gigantic pines and oaks that originally overshadowed it, — or whether, as there is fair authority for believing, it had sprung up under the footsteps of the sainted Ann Hutchinson, as she entered the prison-door, — we shall not take upon us to determine. Finding it so directly on the threshold of our narrative, which is now about to issue from that inauspicious portal, we could hardly do otherwise than pluck one of its flowers and present it to the reader. It may serve, let us hope, to symbolize some sweet moral blossom, that may be found along the track, or relieve the darkening close of a tale of human frailty and sorrow. [1850]

 

 

Step 1: Comprehension (Understanding the Passage)

This excerpt from The Scarlet Letter describes the somber setting of a Puritan colony, focusing on the prison and its symbolic elements. Hawthorne contrasts the harsh, unforgiving nature of Puritan society (symbolized by the prison and its iron spikes) with the unexpected presence of a wild rosebush near the prison door, which represents nature’s pity and kindness. He also references Ann Hutchinson, a historical figure known for challenging Puritan beliefs, adding a layer of historical context. The passage foreshadows the novel’s themes of sin, punishment, and redemption.

Step 2: Analysis (Examining Literary Devices and Themes)

• Imagery & Contrast: The prison, described as “gloomy” and “beetle-browed,” represents judgment and punishment, while the rosebush offers a contrasting image of beauty and hope.
• Symbolism:
• The prison symbolizes the rigid laws and moral strictness of Puritan society.
• The cemetery represents the inevitability of death, showing that the community prioritizes punishment and burial early on.
• The rosebush near the prison door symbolizes mercy, hope, and the resilience of nature in the face of harsh human institutions.
• Allusion: The mention of Ann Hutchinson connects the story to real historical struggles against religious intolerance.
• Foreshadowing: The narrator plucking a rose for the reader suggests that the story will contain both dark and hopeful elements, setting the tone for the novel’s moral exploration.

Step 3: Interpretation (Making Connections and Drawing Conclusions)

Hawthorne’s introduction sets up The Scarlet Letter as a critique of Puritanical judgment and hypocrisy. The passage suggests that while society imposes harsh punishments, nature (symbolized by the rosebush) offers a form of grace. This contrast between law and compassion is central to the novel, as it explores themes of sin, guilt, and redemption. The imagery of the prison and the cemetery underscores the strict, unforgiving nature of Puritan society, which punishes wrongdoing severely and swiftly. At the same time, the rosebush’s presence hints at the possibility of forgiveness and beauty amid suffering.