CBSE CLASS 12 ENGLISH FLAMINGO BOOK CHAPTER 2 LOST SPRING STORIES OF STOLEN CHILDHOOD NEW WORDS, SUMMARY, EXPLANATION, AND QUESTIONS ANSWERS
Lost Spring Stories of Stolen Childhood is chapter 2 in class 12 English book Flamingo. Here you will get the complete studies of Writer, introduction, characters, summary, difficult words and phrases and important questions and answers.
About the Author – ANEES JUNG
Anees Jung is one of the most famous Indian author, journalist and columnist for very popular newspapers of Indian and foreign. She is very observing and realistic author from INDIA. She was born in 1964 in Rourkela , Udisha , India. Her parents were both writers. She has written the following books-
- When a Place Becomes a Person (1977)
- Unveiling India ( 1987 )
- The Song of India (1990)
- Night of the New Moon : Encounters with Muslim Women in India (1993 )
- Seven Sisters : Among the Women of South Asia (1994)
- Breaking the Silence : Voices of Women from Around the World (1997 )
- Olives from Jericho: Peace in Winter Gardens (1999)
- Lost Spring : Stories of Stolen Childhood (2005)
Her works are description of realistic life of women and children in India. Her Unveiling India and Lost Spring are the best examples of it.
LOST SPRING : STORIES FROM STOLEN CHILDHOOD – Introduction
The chapter ” LOST SPRING : STORIES FROM STOLEN CHILDHOOD is an extract from Anees Jung‘s book ” LOST SPRING : STORIES FROM STOLEN CHILDHOOD . It is an ironical document of writer’s observation of grinding poverty and traditions prevailing in Indian society. Due to poverty and traditions, many of children in India are forced to lead lives of miseries and exploitation. They became victims of Child Labour in their premature age. They are compelled to work in hazardous situations for the survival of themselves and their families in spite of going to school, enjoying carefree look of childhood . The author expresses her concern over the miserable life and exploitation of children due to poverty and tradition.
LOST SPRING : STORIES FROM STOLEN CHILDHOOD- Significance of Title
The term ‘ LOST SPRING ‘ here stands for the exploited and miserable life of Children who have lost their carefree look, capacity to dream, pleasure and dignity of life, opportunities of proper growth and development, right of education and playfulness of freedom in their childhood. Spring stands for the best season of year and full of colour, fragrance, freshness, renewal and growth. Here Spring is symbolised for the best season of human life i.e. childhood which is full of charms, energy, growth, pleasure, freedom, play, glamour and glow. Many of children in our society are deprived of enjoying the charms, energy, growth, pleasure, freedom, play, glamour and glow of childhood. They are willingly or unwillingly thrown in the hell of exploitation owing to grinding poverty and tradition. They are forced to involve in some mind-numbing works and then, they lost their precious childhood. And they became unable to enjoy childhood by seeking education, dreaming, leading a dignity of life, freedom of growth and playing. The writer has taken some descriptions from such exploited children and presents before us to initiate.
Theme – LOST SPRING : STORIES FROM STOLEN CHILDHOOD
This chapter deals with the author’s first hand experience with grinding poverty and tradition prevailing in some parts of India. Many children are condemned to live a life of misery and exploitation. Grinding poverty and tradition forces such children to work in the most inhuman and hostile conditions. Children then moves towards the end of enjoying their childhood and utilising their childhood to bloom physically and mentally.
The author raises the voice against vicious circle of politicians, Sahukars, Middlemen, Law Keepers, Policemen and Bureaucrats who are not interested to rescue such children from grinding poverty and tradition, and do not want to help such unfortunate children. The author makes an attempt to catch the eyes of people towards the poor people who lead life in hazardous conditions.
This chapter is divided into two parts –
1. SOMETIMES I FIND A RUPEE IN THE GARBAGE
The is the first part of this chapter and it describes the plight of the poor rag pickers who lives in Seemapuri , a place situated in the periphery of Delhi.
2. I WANT TO DRIVE A CAR
This is the second part of this chapter and it describes the miserable conditions of the bangle makers who lives in Firozabad.
LOST SPRING : STORIES OF STOLEN CHILDHOOD-Characters
There are three major characters in this chapter –
Narrator –
The narrator of this chapter is Anees Jung. She is one of the the characters of this chapter because this chapter is written in conversational form. She is the social worker who emphasises with the slum- dwellers and honestly portrays their pitiable lives.
Saheb-e-Alam –
Saheb-E-Alam is main character in the first part – ” SOMETIMES I FIND A RUPEE IN THE GARBAGE“. Generally, he is called Saheb in the story. He is a rag picker who is living in Seemapuri, a place on the periphery of Delhi, with his parents who left Bangladesh due to storms that swept away their homes and fields , and came to the Big Cities of India in search of good life. He has simple dreams. He believes in promises made to him.
Mukesh –
Mukesh is the main character in the second part – ” I WANT TO DRIVE A CAR “. He is a young son of a bangle maker who lives in Firozabad. He dreams of breaking away from tradition and becoming a motor mechanic.
Sometimes I find a rupee in the garbage
Difficult Words –
- Rag picker – A person who collects and sells rags and other discarded things from garbage.
- Encounter – Come across / meet by chance
- Scrounging – Seeking / Looking for / Searching for
- Dumps – Heaps
- Amidst – In the middle of / during
- Swept away – Destroyed
- Mutter – Speak in low voice
- Glibly – Cleverly but not sincerely
- Hollow – Superficial / Not sincere
- Embarrassed – Ashamed
- Abound in – Filled with
- Roam – Walk aimlessly
- Recognise – Known
- Unaware – Unknown
- Shelf – A flat board of wood …etc. fixed to the wall
- Throw off – Manage to get rid of
- Shuffle – Walking by dragging one’s feet along
- Announce – Declare publically
- Excuse – Reason, either true or invented
- Perpetual – Continuous
- Perpetual state of poverty – Never ending poverty
- Drowned – Overcome or overpowered by
- Desolation – A state of complete emptiness or destruction
- Panting – Breathing quickly
- Acquaintance – A person that you know but who is not a close friend
- Periphery – Outer edge of an area
- Metaphorically –
- Squatter – A person who occupies an unused land or building
- Wilderness – An abandoned place or area
- Devoid – Without
- Drainage – A system used for making water …………etc. flow out of house
- Sewage – A system used for making waste material form people’s bodies run away from house
- Permit – An official document authorising someone to do something
- Tattered – Old and torn
- Transit – Temporary homes
- Lighting up – Shining
- Wrapped – Covered
- Wonder – Surprise
- Fence – Boundary
- Discoloured – Looking dull
- Discarded – Throw something away because it is not useful
- Intently – Firmly
- Bother – Disturb, annoy or worry somebody