PRETTY UGLY LITERALLY

Literature Project Compiled by Group 3 of Ms. Maliha’s Group

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Plot

Quranic Recitation

Setting

Genre

Conflicts

Themes

Reality Ques.

Personal Connect.

Ques.

Point of View

Significance of Title

Character Devices

Comic Relief

Well you see there was a teacher ..

She taught literature !

One day she gave her class a project

We were forced to wear our bionic thinking caps !!!

It was hopeless …

And this is a true story

Oh the agony !!!The sheer thought kills me …

The torture ! Oh the torture !!!

But to all tyranny comes revolution

And through our loss … learn !! LEARN !!!

This project was what we were forced to complete …

So learn my brothers ! LEARN !!!

Death can not be foughtItis

only

Embraced

Quranic RecitationSurah

Qariya

In the name of Allah, The

Beneficent, the Merciful

O people! The smartest among you is the one who remembers death the most, and the wisest among you is the one who is best ready for it.

The terrible calamity !

What is the terrible calamity!

And what will make you comprehend

what the terrible calamity is ?

The day on which men shall be as scattered as moths,

And the mountains shall be

as loosened wool.

Then as for whom whose measure

of good deeds is heavy,

He shall live a pleasant life

(in paradise).As for him whose measure of

good deeds is light,

His abode shall be the abyss.

And what will make you know

what it is?

A burning fire !

The Prophet (SAW) said

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Setting Time

Late 1920s/Early 1930s

Place

Hiruharama, north of Auckland, New Zealand

SocietySmall isolated, limited communication and transport options

Mood / Atmosphere

The mood initially has nostalgia as Mr. Tanner holds pride in declaring about his family’s accomplished lawyer.

The mood entering the middle phase of the plot develops a slightly sad essence as Tanner is unable to fulfill Kitty’s desire of forming a bond with his sister.The sister’s reply is both an year late and void of any

particular enthusiasm.

An element of desolation also be seen throughout the story as Kitty and Tanner are confined to a very isolated area over 10 – 12 miles from proper civilization.

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Conflicts

Person Vs. Self He fights with himself over trivial matters like staying with Kitty to give her company or finishing chores.

This was a minor conflict, as they never argue with Brinkman, they just ignore him. Their distance from a doctor makes the process of delivering the babies more difficult than it is in normal circumstances. However ,due to racing pigeons, they can communicate with the doctor if needed.

The struggle between opposing forces which the result depends upon.

Person Vs. Self

He fights with himself over trivial matters like staying with Kitty to give her company or finishing chores.

He continues to fret and rush around trying to get things done before the babies arrives.

Person Vs. PersonThe night Kitty goes into labour, Brinkman, their neighbor arrives at their house for dinner.

Brinkman almost demands dinner and refuses to leave without it.

This was a minor conflict, as they never argue with Brinkman, they just ignore him.

Person Vs. Circumstances

All of the characters in the story are relatively calm compared to Tanner.

Tanner and Kitty are relatively poor and isolated.

Their distance from a doctor makes the process of delivering the babies more difficult than it is in normal circumstances.

However ,due to racing pigeons, they can communicate with the doctor if needed.

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Characters

The Protagonist

Tanner Senior; The Protagonist of the story, was an orphan.

He was from Lincolnshire and was sent to New Zealand as an apprentice.

He meets Kitty, his future wife while at work.

As they settle in, Kitty revealed that she is pregnant.

During this period, he becomes much more nervous and fidgety, constantly running around and trying to get things done. As he arranges communication with the doctor.

However, that is out of his determination to help his wife to the best of his abilities.

Mentally he is a very strong person who loves his wife which is proven by his apparent tension which he experiences for her during the pre-pregnancy preparation phase.He also isn’t a person to insult many people around him.

When the doctor terms Brinkman as a crank, Tanner Sr. refers to him as more of a dreamer, which is, in comparison a nicer word to call a neighbour.01

Kitty

Tanner’s wife, she met him while working as a servant.

She persuaded Tanner to learn how to write and formed his base on which he could anchor to. During her pregnancy, she is remarkably

calm and quiet.

BrinkmanTanner’s neighbour, he comes around twice every year to have dinner with them.

However, by a coincidence, his visit is on the day that Kitty goes into labour.

He blatantly refuses to leave without food, complaining that he was counting on this dinner.

Although he is a pest, Tanner and Kitty manage to deliver the baby safely.

The doctorThe local doctor has almost no business due to the low rates of illness in the area.

He is concise and to the point, and never wastes time. He is the one who finds that Tanner had

accidentally thrown away the second baby and manages to save it.

Parrish

A town local who is a pigeon-racing enthusiast, Parrish lends two racing pigeons to Tanner in order to contact the doctor if needed.

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Literary Devices:

Foreshadowing: “...Well don’t ask me if it’s going to be twins.” (409) (by doc)Significance:This example of foreshadowing makes the reader want to read on and find out what exactly happens now that they have a clue or hint.

Simile:“Tanner came out of the bedroom covered with blood, something like a butcher.” (412).Significance:This example of a simile makes the reader visualize how Tanner would look like at this point in the story. It also makes the story more poignant, showing the couple’s tribulations.

Situational irony:“…Often by the time that I arrive I’m not needed.” (409)Significance: The doctor, in his conversation with Tanner mentions that most of the time, he is too late to be of any use. However he is the one that finds out that Tanner accidentally threw out the second twin.

Situational irony:“…I’m going to look after the afterbirth. The father put it out with the waste.” (412)Significance:This example of situational irony supports the theme, ‘throw nothing away’, because he threw away the baby thinking that it was nothing but it ended up being very successful.

Significant Quotations

“Tanner turned over in his mind what he’d said to his wife when she told him she was going to have a child.” (409)Significance:Tanner already feels the strain of being responsible for a child, even though it is months away. This leads him to prepare for the baby hurriedly

2. “Parrish didn’t mind, because Hiruharama, Tanner’s place was on more or less direct line from Awanui to Te Paki, and that was the line his pigeons flew” (410)Significance:Parrish has allowed Tanner to use his pigeons to communicate with the doctor, unknowingly aiding him in saving his second twin’s life.

Main ThemesThrow nothing away.

At the end of the story Tanner makes this his motto after accidently throwing away a baby.

Always be prepared for the unexpected.

When they learn that Kitty is expecting children Tanner has to go into a mad rush to prepare.

Big things may come from small beginnings. The baby they (tanner and Kitty) accidently threw away ended up becoming the most successful person in the family.

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Exposition:The short story starts with Mr.

tanner.

Mr. tanner explains how he had a lawyer in his family.

The background of his orphan grandfather (Tanner Sr.)is discussed .

He was sent as an apprentice to a family in Auckland from Lincolnshire.

But became more of a servant than anything.

Here he met kitty … She thought she was sent

Auckland to become a governess.

But she too was another victim of societies misconceptions.

Soon the weak relations between Tanner Sr. and his sister are as well introduced.

Initial Incident

Soon Tanner Sr. And Kitty run away and get married after Tanner Sr. had saved enough.

Due to the weak financial position after marriage Tanner Sr. and Kitty live in a remote area.

This place is North of Awanui …

This place is Hiruharama … Rising

ActionsSoon it is made known that Kitty is going to have a baby.

Tanner Sr. consults the doctor about this …The doctor advices him to ask a neighbor to mind the house while his wife is unable to …

But the closest thing he has to a neighbor is Brinkman.

The doctor prescribes his wife some medicine.

Tanner borrows some “Blue Chequers” from a man named Parrsih.

He believes he can call the doctor with these when Kitty is unwell.Tanner Sr. at the same time writes to his

sister as well for a book during this difficult period.

Climax

Tanner Sr. sends for the doctor through his borrowed pigeons when Kitty is unwell.

As Kitty is unwell Brinkman arrives for his half yearly dinner.

When Tanner Sr. starts to complain he finds out his hunger shall not be filled here. The doctor does not turn up in time and it

appears that Kitty becomes the mother of a girl ..

Falling action

The doctor arrives with the nurse(his wife’s widowed sister) and the nurse goes to help Kitty .

Meanwhile the Doctor looks into other matters. Brinkman ,still present keeps complaining.

Resolution

The doctor discovers that there was a smaller twin which Tanner Sr. had threw away thinking of it as afterbirth.

Therefore, Kitty had become mother of twin girls!

Conclusion

The tanners learn never to throw away anything !

The second daughter (smaller twin) grew into a lawyer whom Tanner is highly proud of.

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Question time

GenreThe genre of the short story ‘At Hiruharama’ is comedy.

Comedy is a genre of literary composition that uses humor as a driving force.

The aim of a comedy is to illicit laughter from the audience through entertaining stories and characters.

Although the comic composition may take on some serious material, MOST have a happy ending.

There are many instances in the story where humor can be identified clearly and every now and then a smile or laugh crosses the reader’s countenance.

An example of this could be when the doctor assures Mr. Tanner about communication as by the time he arrives, he is no more needed.

Furthermore, towards the end of the story the last comments about Brinkman are humorous.

‘Two more women born into this world! It must have seemed to him that if this sort of thing went on there should be good chance, in the end, for him to acquire one for himself.’

Moreover, Brinkman’s comment of being categorized as one of the perpetually welcome and introducing himself to the nurse, a woman in particular, is also somewhat hilarious.

He tries to get into a conversation with the nurse in the hope of getting intimate but nurse’s response is like a deathblow to him ‘Suit yourself’.

The funny thing here is the lack of interest of nurse in the poor Brinkman, lonely and desperate for a girl.

The whole idea of short story is quite humorous because it is a good example of circumlocution.

The main idea behind the whole story was to give a reason how the Tanner family ended up with a lawyer they could trust in legal matters.

The reader cannot help smiling in the end when one gets to know that the whole composition was just because of such a trivial thing, and sighs.

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Question linking to reality ….

The short story ‘At Hiruharama’ is a well-crafted anecdote which sustains the reader’s interest through realistic portrayal of life’s obstructions and queer human behaviors accordingly, despite its unwinding plot. The tale has no extraordinary characters or a sensual

plot, it just comprises of quotidian, innocent humans essaying against the vicissitudes of nature and a prosaic plot.

The beauty of this story lies in the fact that it provides an insight into the human conditions, feelings and comportments during distinct situations in a simply remarkable manner.

From the very inception, the story comments on real-life incidents and reflects practical occurrences.

Mr. Tanner, being an orphan, was sent to an opulent family as a potential trainee. Instead, he turned out to be their servant doing small household chores.

This illusion prevails in contemporary life as well. Mostly the rural people migrate to urban areas in search of respectable jobs with adequate pay and some for modern education and training, but they are forced to work as servants due to the highly competent urban atmosphere. Thus all their dreams and hopes shatter and they work as

servants while their families in rural areas wrongly perceive them to be a highly trained employee in a prestigious firm, as seen in the case of Mr. Tanner and his sister.

Furthermore, another important fact is highlighted in the story which is marriage between people of same profession who usually meet at a common place, once in a while.

Mr. Tanner and Kitty met at a dry goods store and were of the same profession. This fact can be complimented by incidents from renowned novels. In ‘Eragon’ by Christopher Paolini, the protagonist’s brother meets his love every year during the trading season when there is a carnival in Carvahall where foreign merchants come for trading.

In ‘The Painted House’ by John Grisham, several groups of people are summoned during the harvest season to pick cotton and the two characters from different groups of cotton pickers fall in love like the Mexican and Highlanders.

In what ways does the story remind you of real-life experiences or historical events? What does the story reveal to us about the human condition? Support with solid proof from the text.

Thirdly, in ‘The Inheritance Of Loss’ the girl falls in love with her tutor who came to teach her, but at intervals and not everyday.

This fact is even witnessed in real-life, for instance, artists acting in the same film usually develop love bonds.

This fact is even witnessed in real-life, for instance, artists acting in the same film usually develop love bonds.

Similarly, people working on a common project might get to know each other well and decide to tie the knot.

Thus, the story reflects a very persistent and prevailing fact about marriages in real-life.The writer also comments on the reactions of young couples when they realize about an upcoming guest to their family.

Mr. Tanner is utterly confused what to say or do about the pregnancy. He rushes to the doctor, demands about death statistics, hastily arranges essential things for delivery and communication with doctor.

Some human behaviors never change no matter how advanced the era becomes.

Even now young couples are all hyped up about their first born and make haste for maternal arrangements and stuff.

This haste soon fades away with the passage of time as they become experienced.

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Personal Connection Question

Do you think that the atmosphere and surroundings a person dwells in affect their behavior and activities? What effect do the situational constraints have on a person’s mood, feelings and actions? Explain how you can relate to the short story in this context.

The short story ‘At Hiruharama’ by Penelope Fitzgerald is a sheer example of conflicts amongst humans and surroundings and a person’s struggle for survival through any means available.

The setting and more specifically, the background where a person lives is an integral part of his life, his mood, his feelings, his activities and his comportment. Environmental factors account for numerous changes in

a person throughout life. It is the surroundings which define the level of harshness a person is to face in his life.

His actions and exertions completely depend on the challenges thrown at him by life through obtrusive surroundings and malicious atmosphere.

They define the nature of a person and leave a durable impact on their personality.

They have the tendency to produce cheery people out of the most serious personas and vice versa.

The situational constraints and hindrance from the atmosphere to accomplish one’s goals and tasks has a negative impact on a person. 1. It makes him irritable and vexed and he loses the

vibrancy of his life. The tone becomes harsh, all courtesy vanishes and anger is all that remains. 1. In contrast, if the atmosphere is suitable for a

person’s activities and supports him in every way possible, becomes a bed of roses for him.

He becomes complacent and content. Eyes sparkle with spirit and liveliness and everyone and everything becomes beautiful for him.

The short story is replete with examples of man in conflict with nature and external factors constantly obstructing man’s way to achieve the desired goal.

The most significant of these is the hardships faced by Mr. Tanner while preparing and worrying for Kitty in labor.

1. It is seen that odds are seriously against him but still he manages to stabilize the situation, though not completely.

He owns a vehicle (a dray) which is so threatening and dangerous that the doctor forbids Tanner to bring his wife in that thing.

Furthermore, the area where he lives is well known for its loneliness so nobody is available to take care of Kitty while he is away.

In addition, the whole area has only one doctor and that too, miles away from Tanner’s dwelling to reach on time. Moreover, communication and commuting is very difficult as

seen by the fact that doctor always comes by the time he is not needed and Tanner communicated to the doctor through a chain of messengers: first the pigeons who fly to the second messenger which is the Maori boy who finally conveys the message to the doctor.

1. In addition to all that, Tanner is burdened with all the household chores and preparations for Kitty’s delivery.

It seems that nature is strictly working against Tanner’s interests which affected his behavior in many ways. An element of haste was added to his actions.

Everything he did was in a hurry which even led to the main reason for the whole narration (second daughter) thrown away as an afterbirth.

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Question time

Point of ViewThe narrator tells the story as Mr. Tanner's ancestors where the emotions and feelings of the narrator have not been shown very clearly.

In it, the narrator folds the whole story around the fact that how a lawyer is included in the Tanners family as “at Hiruharama” starts from this fact only.

Then the narrator tells about the Tanner’s ancestry, how they settled at Hiruharama

The difficulty Tanner had to face while living in a remote area and how he coped up with it while his twins were born.

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Significance of Title

"At Hiruharama" signifies that the whole problem/plot and climax of the story is because Hiruharama was a remote place and less help was available there so Tanner did have problem in arranging help for himself and Kitty.

It is basically a medium where Tanner Sr. experiences the latter half of his difficult life.

It gives a rather unique essence to the story. Not only is “At Hiruharama” a main part of the story … it is also a name that give the reader no definite idea as to what lies ahead .

Encouraging the reader to read ahead and in the end have no objections or claims that the title is irrelevant.

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