The love story with the city of joy

 

                My love story with the city of joy

The city of joy is a tale of human courage. It is a proof that literature can bring both physical and mental changes in human life. It tells the life to the people who live in the slum in Culcutta. One morning in the rainy season, the writer, Dominique Lapierre, went into the slum. He researched painfully there. He learnt how people lived in difficult situation. They lived with insects, hunger, disease, lack of food and medicine, and job. He wrote a novel about their life. He refused with twenty pads of notes and hundreds of hours of tape. This material was enough for him to write a great epic in his life. It took him two years to complete the book. The name of the book was “The city of joy” which was published in thirty-one languages. The book sold well and to help the poor of Calcutta, cheque, jewelry, gold piece, wedding rings, etc. were sent. The writer also gave half of his royalty and utilized all the money properly to support the poor.

Later, the book was made a movie although there were many obstacles to cross. More support was achieved to change the life style and infrastructure of the place. The writer was honored there. While honoring him a little Bangali girl told him that because of him they were not alone in the slum. His experience in the city of joy changed his attitude to life. He learned to be more economical. He also realized that adversity is big but man is greater than adversity. This is his experience of sharing anything to get support.

 

Questions-Answer

 

1. What did the author learn in the city of joy?

Ans. The author learnt so many things in the city of joy. He learnt how people could live with pests, survive on a little food a day, queue up for hours for the latrines, wash with less than a pint of water, light a match in the monsoon share their living quarters- with a group of eunuchs. He learnt the true values of life. He learnt to use everything to the maximum level without throwing it until it could be used.

 

1. What does the proverb ‘ All that is not given is lost’ mean? Explain.

Ans. It means we should share our pain and gain with other. If we share we will be happy. We need to share our things to get support from other. It tries to reflect cooperation, generosity, and helpfulness to other. If we help others by giving something we have, we are being safe from losing but on the other hand, if we keep something with ourselves, we may lose it one day and we have to regret for that action.

 

1. Did the author make any contribution to the dwellers of the city of joy?

Ans. Yes, the author made real contribution to the dwellers of the city of joy by giving half of all his royalties by forming ‘The Action Aid ‘ project. Moreover, he wrote the novel which brought economic support to the dwellers.

 

1. What is the city of joy about?

Ans. The city of joy is about the miserable condition and suffering of slum people of Calcutta. The author wants to call it an epic although it is a fiction in the sense that epics are written based on the action of great heroes, historical context, bravery of life-like characters. This book has more than five hundred pages as epic and it has the characters of the epic. The city of joy also deals with a bravery work of changing the face of Culcutta.

 

1. The city of joy is a proof that literature can bring both physical and mental changes in human life. Discuss.

Ans. See the summary.

1. Read the following paragraph and answer the questions given below. (T.U.2066)

That very fast monsoon morning and walked into it, I knew that this wretched inhuman slum of Calcutta called the city of joy was one of the most extraordinary places on our planet. When I left it two years later with some twenty pads full of notes and hundreds of hours of taps, I knew I had the materials for the greatest book of my career, an epic of heroism, love and faith, a glorious tribute to the human capacity to beat adversity and survive every possible tragedy.

 

Questions

• Where did the fellow walk in?
• What was called the city of joy?
• Why did the fellow go there?
• For how long he stayed there?
• What did he take back with him when he left the place?
• For what purpose would he utilize that information?
• What would be paid a glorious tribute? (7×1=7)

Answer

• The fellow walked in the slum of Culcutta.
• The city of joy was called the wretched inhuman slum of Calcutta.
• The fellow went there to collect materials for the greatest book of his career.
• He stayed there for two years.
• He took some twenty pads full of notes and hundreds of hours of tape back with him when he left the place.
• He would utilize that information to write a book; called an epic of heroism, love and faith.
• The human capacity to beat adversity and survive every possible tragedy would be paid a glorious tribute.