Upton Sinclair “The Jungle” Essay Example for Free

Upton Sinclair â€Å"The Jungle† Essay Upton Sinclair was a powerhouse of a writer, churning out 90 novels, 30 plays and countless articles, stories and pamphlets during his long life. In 1906, he gained fame and became a rich man after the publication of the muckraking The Jungle, a novel about the horrors of the Chicago meatpacking industry. The book helped convince Congress to pass the first Pure Food and Drug Act later that year. (Sinclair 1906) Nowadays people live in the world of economics and many people are thriving whereas many others are trying to dig through difficulties. Such struggle for survival was constant throughout the history of all societies. Sinclair’s novel â€Å"The Jungle† is one of the examples of such struggle penetrating into the conflicts of socialism, capitalism, natural selection and American dream. The novel involves readers into a journey of recent Lithuanian immigrants to America. It is seen that this journey opens anew world full of unexpected and awful events. (Sinclair 1906) Immigrants have to come to American â€Å"where in the early twentieth century it was said that any man willing to work an honest day would make a living and could support his family†. (Sinclair 1906) Sinclair telling his story stimulates reader to start symbolic war against capitalism. It is apparent that Sinclair really disguises the very idea of capitalism presenting his idea throughout the novel – from cover to cover. Capitalism in the novel is personified in the Jurgis’ desire to work, to earn more money as well as in the corruption of â€Å"the man† at the highest levels of society, etc. (Sinclair 1906) It is obvious that the symbols of capitalism and socialism are seen from the very start of the novel as they are constantly interrelated with the novel progression. Firstly, the author depicts the identity of Lithuanians considering they have the same values such as getting drunk and dancing. Sinclair makes to feel sympathy for those people as they try to preserve and follow traditions which they have brought with them from their native land. For example, everybody had his feeling of everything and strangers were always welcomed and warmly treated. In such a way the author introduces the concept of socialism meaning that everybody is equal in society. Actually the author tries to present socialism as the resolution to hi novel. Sinclair illustrates plight of the workers in Packingtown as the unfairness of capitalism. People were persuaded 5o join socialistic movement due to promised improvements in working conditions. When the main heroes – Jurgis and Ona – took a good luck for the first time, Jurgis said: â€Å"Tomorrow, I will go there and get a Job, and then we can have a place of our own†. (Sinclair 1906) Jurgis is the representative of capitalism: he is longing to work in the plant considering it is the only way to make decent living and his poverty is the main driving force. However, it bore no fruits. The next two ideas involved into novel are concepts of social Darwinism or natural selection and American dream. Upton Sinclair introduced the idea of natural selection into his novel illustrating that only the best suited were able to survive in that environment and weak had to die off. The example is the prevalence of corruption in the town. American Dream is simply ridiculed throughout the story. Sinclair provided the main hero with a strong character having good morals and willing to work hard for family survival. Actually American Dream is embodied in Jurgis – â€Å"I will work harder†. (Sinclair 1906) It is a matter of fact that capitalism is strongly criticized by Upton Sinclair throughout the novel. The author made an attempt to show the misery of capitalism leading immigrants through awful working conditions, unfair social attitude and treatment, impossibility to adapt to new world. It is apparent that Upton tried to open a door to new way of living – so-called socialism. The impact of the Sinclair’s novel on the public is strong and it is possible to suggest the novel’s function is to serve as the propaganda against capitalism. Upton Sinclair wanted people to have equal job opportunities and better living conditions. He understood the difficulties of poor people and thus he always criticized unfairness in society. References Sinclair, Upton (1906) The Jungle. New York: Doubleday, Page.

The Massive Influence On The Indian Society Religion Essay

The Massive Influence On The Indian Society Religion Essay Caste as we have discussed before is a wide area to look into. It has massive influence on the Indian society in its own way. Though it was officially banned in India there still remains a part of it in the minds of Indian people. It has been much seen in rural areas than in urban areas as the people in urban area are more educated. As a part of this there have situations of lower caste being abused even now in certain regions. Practicing untouchability and caste differentiation is legally forbidden in India. Caste system leads to what is called a social exclusion. It means the inability of an individual to participate in the basic political, economic and social functioning of society (Thorat,S,Newman,K.(2007).pg4121). Entitlements to all theses powers become narrower as it moves farther down to the hierarchical levels of the caste system. Jobs usually regarded as degrading are usually done by the lower caste (dalits) and the best example being the manual scavenging. Manual scavengin g is the worst surviving symbol of caste untouchability in India which drives people into degrading jobs just because their birth in particular class. According to one of the leading newspapers in India, The Hindu, there has been an incident of a woman who was born into a family of manual scavenging who physically scraped the human excreta on the latrine floors and carried it away in a basket. While doing her work she slipped from a narrow wooden staircase and broke her foot to which none of her employers were willing to lift her even in this state just because they thought touching her was polluting. She was then picked up by a pincer of logs and her family took her to the local dispensary. Such sickening behaviour of the individuals is as result of the caste system or it can be even termed as evils of caste system. Government of India took steps to outlaw this practice but however these governments have a long tradition of insolently disobeying their own laws if they are pertainin g to uphold the rights of the poor. Finally an extraordinary campaign named the Safai Karmchari Andolan(SKA) used non-violent mass-resistance, community organisation and the courts to force governments to end this centuries old practice.(The Hindu, May 9.2010) In the western countries like United Kingdom, it is commonly found that people end up marrying the people they work with. But this has not been the case with the Indians. In modern corporate India when people enter into an organisation they do not have the intention of getting married with the people they work with. Moreover they share the relation that of a friend. But that does not mean that none of them end up getting married. I come from a state called Kerala which is situated in down south of India and there are people from lower caste who are educated and hold a white collar job. Some of them might end up marrying their colleague who may not be from the same caste or even from the same religion. This change of attitude in people of Kerala is more or less due to the education and knowledge given to them. To go a little deeper into the prevalence of caste in Kerala back in period, I like to bring to notice a saint and a social reformer named Sree Narayana Guru who battled against the discrimination of the lower caste by upper caste. The caste system was rampant in Kerala during the 19th and early part of 20th century. As mentioned before caste was based on the job each one did. A lower caste had to go through a number of rules such as one should not enter temples, not allowed to wear slippers, should not be seen within a certain distance of the upper caste. Anyone defying these rules are subject to hideous punishment s like cutting of hands etc. All this outrageous acts by the upper caste was put to an end by this great soul Sree Narayana guru who led a social revolution against this terrible system. However, this movement by this great soul infuriated only the extremely orthodox but was accommodated by the majority (M.S.Joe,March 18.2010). This revolution was perhaps one of the most nonviolent revolutions the world would have ever experienced. He built temples and wrote hymns which could be used by people in any religion. The government thus changed their legislation wherein the lower castes were allowed to enter temples run by upper caste. This temple entry proclamation was equally accepted by people throughout India including the the Christians and the Muslims(Govt of Kerala. Accessed on 7-7-2010) .Later on he opened the gates of education by building schools where everyone could attend the sessions and thus produced a high proportion of educated people. Though he masterminded this entire peaceful social revolution and achieved freedom for the unprivileged he is little known outside Kerala (Sree Narayana guru Mission of the UK, 1978.accessed on 1-7-2010). Caste does not pose a great problem in the present scenario. These have been situations were a high caste and a lower caste work together without any chaos. In an organisation, a lower caste can be a manager and a Brahmin can be in the lower cadre and this is entirely based on the talent and skill of the employee and caste system does not actually come in the way. This is the case of modern India thanks to the valuable education system. But when it comes to politics within the organization there may be biasness happening between different individuals of the same caste or religion. However this could been seen across the world and not just in India. A question might come up in the minds of Non-Indians regarding the functioning of caste system in India which accommodates people with different concepts and ideas of the same. I would like to throw some light on this issue by illustrating certain events that have been happening in India which shows that the two ideologies of caste being i mportant and unimportant co-exists in this same country. In spite of the proclamation of temple entry made by the Maharaja of Travancore in Kerala sixty years ago, there are still issues happening around relating to the caste system. To bolster this argument, an incident that happened in Kerala, where one of the famous playback singers named Yesudas who is a catholic was denied the entry into one of the famous temples in a district in Kerala. The reason him being a non-hindu and the irony behind this is that the temple authorities still plays the songs sung by him in the temple though they may restrict his entry into the temple. Another such incident was witnessed by the people of Kerala when the Union minister for Overseas Indian Affairs Vayalar Ravi was humiliated or rather saddened due to the fact that a ceremonial purification was done in the temple after he had his grandsons ceremonial first feeding. The reason being his wife who was a Christian is supposed to have polluted the temple by her visit (India today, June 18.2007). This purification was done by the high priests of the temple who are the Brahmins. There are issues happening in northern India as well. There was an issue which dates back to 1936 before India got its Independence from the colonial British rule. An untouchable in a village called Chawara in the Jaipur state was beaten up because of the fact that he gave a dinner to his fellow untouchables where he served Ghee which was considered as a luxury for the rich(Dr.Ambedkar.B.R,(1944).Accessed on 7-7-2010). Such disheartening practices are not to be seen now though a glimpse of it still remains in rural parts of India. It is distressing that such system does exist today to a certain extent due to a certain extremely orthodox section of the society. However this small segment is being alienated in the present scenario because of their conventional attitude. Going back to the caste system and marriages in India, as we discussed before, arranged marriages are accepted more than love marriages. To support the above judgment I would like to bring forth an example of how Indian families find spouses for their children. This is quoted from a matrimony site where a profile of a girl is registered in that particular site for the purpose of marriage. About Me Sangita is my second daughter and a Microbiologist by profession. She is a simple, well mannered girl, with a kind and compassionate nature.Homely and well versed with household responsibilities. She had the best of schooling and college education available here in Bangalore. She is employed in a leading Bio-Tech Company in Bangalore. She grew up under a joint family environment. Primary Information Age 27  Yrs Height 5  Ft  4   In / 163 Cms Weight 54 Kgs / 119 lbs Body Type Average Complexion Fair Blood Group B+ Mother Tongue Malayalam Physical Status Normal Socio-Religious Background Religion Hindu Caste Ezhava Sub Caste Ezhava Star Eating Habits Non Vegetarian Horoscope Match Must Smoking habits Non-smoker Drinking habits Non-drinker Zodiac Capricorn Educational Professional Information Education Category Masters Arts/ Science/ Commerce Education in Detail MSc.Microbiology Employed in Private Sector Occupation Scientist / Researcher Occupation in Detail Microbiologist Annual Income Rs.  1,50,000 Family Details Family Values Traditional Family Type Nuclear family Family Status Upper middle class Ancestral Origin Mayyanad/Kollam Fathers Occupation Retired PSU Manager Mothers Occupation Housewife No of Siblings 1 About My Family The family is settled in Bangalore for more than 50yrs.We have many relatives both here and in Kerala. My elder daughter is married and settled in Perth/Australia along with her husband and their newborn son. We are simple, God fearing and have liberal views. After my VRS from a leading PSU, I am self employed in a Small Business dealing in Watches, Solarlamps and Ayurvedic/herbal products. My wife is a teacher by profession but chose to be a housewife .Sangita is simple and homely girl,well mannered and trained to be a responsible wife. Soft-spoken, systematic and disciplined in her work. Partner Preference Specifications Age 28 33 Yrs Height 5 Ft 6 In 6 Ft Marital status Unmarried Physical Status Normal Mother Tongue Malayalam Educational and Professional Preference Bachelors Engineering/ Computers, Masters Engineering/ Computers, Masters Arts/ Science/ Commerce/ M Phil/ Others, Management BBA/ MBA/ Others Annual Income Any Occupation Any About My Partner A Qualified Professional, with clean habits, good health and a sense of responsibility. Honest and easy going by nature. Having a sense of humour. God fearing ,compassionate and considerate .Focused and hardworking to attain his goals in life. Assistance will be provided to relocate to Australia if interested. Socio-Religious Preference Religion Hindu Caste/Division Ezhava Star Not Specified Eating Habits Doesnt matter Smoking Habits Not Specified Drinking Habits Not Specified (Bharat Matrimony. Accessed on 7-7-2010) The above illustration clearly states that caste does a play its part when it comes to marriages. This phenomenon would be completely alien for a Westerner who does not pass through such stages to find their partner. On the personal front, I come from a Hindu family under the sub caste called Ezhava. Talking about inter- caste and inter-religious marriage, I do have a Christian and a Brahmin members in my fathers and mothers family respectively. This might create confusion in the mind of the reader whether Caste system was not being followed strictly even twenty to thirty year back. Conversely, I do not mind saying that I will not be allowed to marry someone outside my religion. Therefore it can be seen that it is the same family which allows inter caste marriage and also at the same time restricts it. At this juncture, I opine that the existence of caste system to an extent depends on an individuals perception he or she holds. It is not always right to say that Indians are adamant i n following this system. Moving on to the effect of caste system on the corporate world, I would say that it has hardly any effect on the working of MNCs or any other organisations in India. Talking to folks and friends back home, it can be understood that in organisations like Infosys, Wipro etc it hardly matters what caste you belong to as long as you have the talent and skill to perform the job. This changing attitude of the present generations is due to the valuable education being given. This lets them think out of the box and not emulate the traditional practice which was intolerable at that point of time. As a matter of fact, nowadays there is no restriction on the selection of jobs because one belongs to a particular caste. A middle class family or people belonging to the so called Sudra caste can afford to have doctors or engineers or even scientists evolving, provided he or she has the expertise and ability to do it. To bolster the above argument, I would like to quote a s triking example which happened in India few years back when a dalit man named K.R.Narayanan originally from Kerala was elected as the President of India from year 1997 2002(Britannica encyclopedia, Accessed 8 July 2010). He hails from an untouchable family where his father was a traditional healer and could not afford a good education. In spite of this he came up the ladder because of his hard work and talent and occupied the most competent post of becoming the President of a Nation. He was the first dalit member to occupy this post. (BBC news, 9 November 2005).Currently one of the states in India called Uttar Pradesh has a dalit women as the Chief Minister. From the above illustration it can be evidently seen that caste system does not come in the way of a person while choosing his profession in the modern corporate India. However this modern corporate Indian can be caste conscious in various other situations like marriages. The higher caste manager in an organisation may not have any issues in working with a low caste employee but on the other hand he would not allow his children to marry an outcast. Yet, as mentioned before, it differs from one individual to other. Hinduism has a noteworthy effect on the Indian society and spirituality is the base of a majority of Indians. The Holy book of Hindus Bhagavad Gita has the true definition of caste system that prevailed in the ancient India compared to which now the meaning of it have been distorted according to the needs of certain individuals or missionaries. To quote a verse from this Holy text and thereby find out the real meaning to the four fold caste system. Catur Varnyam maya srstam guna karma vibhagasah Tasya kartaramapi maam viddya kartaramavyayam(Bhagavad Gita,ch 4,13 sloka) The above lines says that the four- fold caste which are Brahmins, Kshatriyas,Vaishyas and Sudras have been created according to the ones own Guna(Quality) and Karma(work). They have been divided on the basis of three qualities or Gunas which are mainly Satva(Goodness), Rajas(Passion) and Tamas(Ignorance) and these are attributed to Brahmins, Kshtriyas and Vaishyas, Sudras respectively. These mental temperaments differ from person to person which makes them fall into a particular Varna or caste. However later on the power politics in the early middle ages in India, the communal feeling came up in certain individuals mind and therefore completely disregarded the meaning of the verse mentioned above. The Brahmin, who comfortably interpreted these lines according to his will and thus changed the whole idea of the caste system. The definition of varnas discussed so far not only helps in removing the present misunderstanding but also showers us with some data to recognize its true signifi cance that a person cannot be a Brahmana by mere birth but only with good deeds, intentions and thoughts that he carries along with him. It also says that he alone is a Brahmana whose thoughts are sattvik (goodness) as his actions are. A Kshatriya who is rajasik in his thoughts and deeds. A sudra who is Tamasic(ignorant) is not only one who lives a low life for satisfying his base animal passions and flesh appetites. Hindus also believe in the concept of re-incarnation which says that a persons current incarnation and experiences are at least in part, the fruit of past action (J.R. Milner Murray.1993). According to the Hindu belief, an individual is said to be born as a Brahmin if he had done good deeds in his past life and born as a lower caste if done something bad. The law of karma or merit is what is considered here. But at present there is no firm evidence that people actually live according to such concepts.

What Is a City?

What Is a City? What properties characterizes a ‘city? The definition of the term â€Å"city† is some what ambiguous. Our modern definition merely describes the physical characteristics of a city. However, I believe the definition has passed many ordeals to evolve into the current state as I will explain the few more popular explanations for â€Å"What is a city?† Firstly, a city has the property of proximity where there are educational institutions, entertainment, medical facilities, friends and family etc with a good infrastructure system. Businesses enterprises will often situate themselves in a centralized hub where they have access to labour forces while being close to markets therefore it makes â€Å"daily commuting between residences and workplaces† (Filion Bunting, 2006, pg.5) possible. Mumford, on the other hand describes a city as a â€Å"geographic plexus, an economic organization, an institutional process, a theatre of social action, and an aesthetic symbol of collective unity† (Mumford, 2007, pg.87) by focussing on the social needs rather than physical structure. This means that art, politics, education, commerce only serves to make the â€Å"drama more richly significant, as a stage-set, well-designed, intensifies and underlines the gestures of the actors and the action of the play† (Mumford, 2007, pg.87). Contrasting Mumfords concept with Wirths, one observes a more focused perspective on urbanism and its effect on our quality of life. Wirth defines a city â€Å"as a relatively large, dense, and permanent settlement of socially heterogeneous individuals† (Wirth, 2007, pg.90). His argument is that the greater the number of individuals participating in a interaction process, the greater the potential differentiation is between them. These variations segregate individuals according to color, race, ethnic, social status and preferences. Although we are physically close, our social contacts are distant, which results in the declining significance of the family; the disappearance of the neighborhood and the undermining of the traditional basis of social solidarity. After much consultation from scholars, the question: â€Å"What is a City?† is still difficult to answer. On basic observation, a city can simply be a workplace as suggested by Filion Bunting. However I believe a city is a much more complex combination of hierarchies, both the physically and the socially, as Mumford and Wirth stated. A city is the organized interconnection between the site and structure and its people. Such as, the city needs a water system, different variety of jobs to offer its people, a governing system but these systems cannot operate without the people its accommodating, which is how it all connects and flows like a stage with its actors just like in Mumfords ‘theatre. The city is a mere constitution of the people who reside in it. It is only a city, as long as its residence will give the name and credibility in the social and physical hierarchy. Work Cited Bunting, Trudi. â€Å"Canadian Cities in Transition†, Third Edition. Canada: Oxford, 2006. Mumford, Lewis â€Å"What is a City?† In The City Reader, Fourth Edition, eds. R. Legates and F. Stout, 85-89. London: Routledge, 2007. Wirth, Louis â€Å"Urbanism as a Way of Life.† In The City Reader, Fourth Edition, eds. R. Legates and F. Stout, 90-97. London: Routledge, 2007.

Philosophy and Education Essay -- Education Schooling

In this assignment I will look at the relationship between the foundational disciplines, which are history, philosophy, psychology and sociology, and education and see how they fit in with contemporary society. I will mainly look at how philosophy has made education what it is today and how philosophers would change education to make it better in their opinion. According to the American Sociological Association (ASA) sociology is the study of social life, social change, and social causes and consequences of human behaviour. Sociologists look at the structure of society and how people conduct themselves within society. They look at human behaviour and how people react to certain situations etc. They focus on how society is organised and how we experience it. The sociology of education is an analysis of the relation between society and the education system. They look at the actual institution, the individuals in the institution, the practices, processes and the concepts. Sociologists believe that a person’s life chances are affected greatly by the education they receive and choices they have. Marxists would believe that education was a way of controlling the masses and keeping people in their place. History is looked at in relation to education as it is important to understand hot education started and what events in the past, such as Industrialisation, growth and development in society and globalisation, have influenced the education system and caused change in the way we are educated. The main aims of education according to this key discipline are to train people to the social character or pattern of culture which is dominant at the time; we need to separate specialist training from the education system, this is because we don... ...t-Welfare Society. 2nd ed., London, Open University Press. †¢ ARTHUR, James and DAVIES Ian (2010). Education Studies Reader. Abingdon, Routledge. †¢ KASSEM Derek, MUFTI Emmanuel and ROBINSON John (2006). Education Studies Issues and Critical Perspectives. Maidenhead, Open University Press. †¢ Philosophy of Education Sessions 9 & 10 (2010). [online]. Last accessed 30/11/2010 at: http://shuspace.shu.ac.uk/webapps/portal/frameset.jsp?tab_group=courses&url=%2Fwebapps%2Fblackboard%2Fcontent%2FcontentWrapper.jsp%3Fattachment%3Dtrue%26navItem%3Dcontent%26content_id%3D_2957690_1%26course_id%3D_221563_1%26displayName%3DPhilosophy%2Bof%2BEducation%2BSeminars%2B9%2Band%2B10.pptx%26href%3D%2F%2540%2540%2FC93AC2856BD502D507D1B3CEC6EEC200%2Fcourses%2F1%2F77-4925-00S-A-20101%2Fcontent%2F_2957690_1%2FPhilosophy%252520of%252520Education%252520Seminars%2525209%252520and%25252010.pptx

Atmosphere in Shelleys Frankenstein :: essays research papers

Throughout the novel, Shelley uses a very gothic and gloomy atmosphere partly because she is reflecting her personal life into the novel and also to emphasis on the horror that come when men try to play God. â€Å"As I still pursued my journey to the northward, the snows thickened and the cold increased in a degree almost too severe to support.† (203, Shelley) In the quote, Victor tracks down the monster in the Arctic, Shelley uses such desolate locations to show the isolation of both Victor and the monster. Other desolate places such as the places described by Victor, (locations throughout Europe) were also used. Shelley uses the gothic genre to show the dark side of human nature. Victor became so carried away with his with his experiments that he did not consider that it would be evil to try to play God. â€Å"I had deprived myself of rest and health† (51, Shelley). It can be seen here that Victor what very involved In his studies of the reanimation of life, he does not think of the moral issues that might arise from his experiments. It is Victor that controls the technology and knowledge of life, but he insists on creating the monster. Shelley uses public prejudice showing the evil that society creates through the ever changing personality of the monster. â€Å"Who can describe their horror and consternation on beholding me?† (132, Shelley) The reaction of the De Lancy family towards the monster shows the horridness of the monster’s appearance, even though the monster was once described as â€Å"good spirits†, the De Lancys now detest him. In gothic novels, ideas about the supernatural and the mysterious are often mentioned, â€Å"the characters seen to bridge the mortal world and supernatural world.† (74, Coghill), Victor seems to have a mental bond with his creation, the monster seems to know the whereabouts of Victor wherever he goes. Shelley uses allusions from Rime of the Ancient Mariner to show man’s journey for knowledge through Walton’s expedition. This also links to Victor as he is somewhat similar to the Ancient Mariner, they both seek knowledge though the results of their acquired knowledge is different. The Mariner seeks spiritual knowledge while Victor searches for the secrets of life, Victor is cursed by his acquired knowledge unlike the Mariner who was freed by it. Through the Marina’s curse of killing the albatross, he learns to love all that God creates, Victor does not love what he has created causing the monster to want to kill his creator.

Highlight POVs Essay

Doc. 1 – Churchill wants to use United States as a model to structure a new Europe in order to recover from the World War and give power to smaller nations. Doc. 2 – France obviously does not want to cooperate with Germany; they fear that the new Europe would become an enlarged Germany. Doc. 3 – Vyshinsky is clearly against the Marshall plan, for he fears that the Soviets will lose their influence in Europe under the economic and political control of the United States. Doc. 4 – A Soviet propaganda that the U.S. government will implement a form of capitalist approach in Europe, seizing everything under control. Doc. 5 – Schuman believes the best approach in creating a strong economic market in Europe requires a complete unity with the elimination of any residue of hatred between the nations. Inviting Germany into constructing a new Europe would create a positive externality. Doc. 6 – Coming from West Germany, he wants a merged, democratic Europe with the presence of diverse culture and equality. Doc. 7 – Mcmillan believes the UK will benefit greater from favoring the trade route with its Commonwealth system than joining the EEC. However, as a finance minister, he is more in favor of the country’s economic well-being rather than building a unified European community. Thesis is underlined

Night Train at Deoli Essay

‘The Night Train at Deoli’ by Ruskin Bond is a story of juvenilely extravagant passion exhibiting unbridled obligation of the protagonist endowed with great sensitivity. Love is an emotion interlaced with a web of perplexing components that is very difficult to unravel. Infatuation lacks depth of love, and it is based on appearance and selfish desire. True love is based on commitment, understanding and entering into another’s feelings, and compassion. In this short story, Ruskin Bond recounts his teenage experience during one of his train journeys to Dehra. He tells us that he used to spend his vacation every summer in his grandmother’s place in Dehra and had to pass a small lonely station, Deoli amidst the jungle on the way. This station appeared strange to him as no one got on or off the train there & nothing seemed to happen there. He wondered why the train stopped there for ten minutes regularly without reason and felt sorry for the lonely little platfo rm. Juvenile love is based on appearance; it is distinctly reflected when the author expresses his feelings for the girl at first sight. On his journey to Dehra, the author happens to see a pale-looking girl selling baskets. She appears to be poor, but with grace and dignity. Her shiny black hair and dark, troubled eyes attracts the author. The girl offers to sell baskets to him. He initially refuses to buy and later when she insists, happens to buy one with a little hesitation, daring not to touch her fingers while taking the basket from her hand. Both of them just look at each other for quite some time, just as it strikes a chord of affection between them. He longs to see her, her searching and eloquent eyes, again on his return journey. The meeting helps to break the monotony of his journey & brings in a sense of attachment & responsibility towards the girl. Fondness is a kind of feelings of affection or love. Here, in the story, the author’s fondness for the girl was unreasoning. Generally, fondness for anything in particular drives a man to be gradually desperate for achieving the thing the person is fond of. But, here author’s fondness for the girl is somewhat imaginative, and the writer shows that he is unwilling to discover what has happened with the girl. He does not want to proceed with an enquiry into the cause of absence of the girl, but instead he decides against going into the village adjoining the station to know the truth. Though, apparently, it looks like an infatuation, yet the writer’s feelings for the girl comes out as selfish desire as he wants to live with his imagination only, and the writer ap prehends to get hit with a bare reality. True love seems to be absent in a relation that is not based on commitment, and there was no sign of responsibility shown from the narrator’s part. – See more at: http://aidtoed.blogspot.in/2012/12/isc-english-literature-2013-night-train_12.html#sthash.oI4KPBc7.dpuf