My Old Home | All Solution | NEB English Class 12 | My Old Home Q&A  

 

My Old Home | All Solution | NEB English Class 12

 

Glossary of My Old Home | Vocabulary of My Old Home

alchemy (n): magic or witchcraft

assail (v): to attack violently; to strike

assent (v): approve; say yes

bade (adj): offered

bandit (n) gang; robber

barrel (n): drum; cask

barren (adj): unproductive; infertile

battered (adj): torn; damaged

beancurd (n): tofu; paneer made from soybeans

busy-mother (n): a period of a certain number of months

canopy (n, v): cover; covering; shade

clan (n): dynasty; decedent; family 

clumsy (adj): lacking skill or grace

concrete (): firm; solid

concubine (n): mistress; harlot

dam with (v): obstruct with; jam; block

desolate (adj): sad; uncared; desert

devoid (adj): empty; without; free from

disdain (n): disrespect; contempt scorn

dog-crazer (): 

drab (adj): insignificant; monotony; charmless

emerald (n): a bright green precious stone; panna

enthusiasm (n): eagerness; keenness; passion

exquisite (adj): extremely beautiful (typically delicate); elegant 

famine (n): extreme scarcity of food; shortage of food

faraway (adj): far away; distant

fascination (n): charm; attraction

flabbergasted (ad): feeling or showing intense shock, surprise, or wonder

gentryfolk (n): people of noble birth; good social position

gotta (slang): going to

Guanyin (n): Goddess of mercy in Buddhist 

gush out (v): come out

haul (n): drag; to pull or draw with force

headed (n): going;  having a tip

hedgehog (n): a small nocturnal Old World mammal with a spiny coat and short legs, able to roll itself into a ball for defense Concubine (n): mistress; woman who lives with a man but has lower status than his wife or wives

hedonistic (adj): pleasure-loving; easygoing life

hues (adj): colour tone; colour shade

illumine (v): to give light to

impending (adj): present; about to happen

incumbent (adj; n): necessary for; dependent

inexhaustible (adj): unlimited; limitless

initiative (n): will power; verge; one’s own side

instantaneously (adv): instantly; at once

intercalary (n): a day or month inserted in the calendar to harmonize the solar calendar like 29 February

interim (n; adj): meanwhile; intervening period

irrevocably (adv): in way that cannot be changed; reversed

juncture (n): a place where two things are joined; a junction or joint

kowtow (v, n): to kneel and touch the forehead to the ground in expression of deep respect, worship, or submission

lavish (adj): luxuries; expensive

li (n): traditional Chinese unit of distance measuring 1,640 feet

marvelous (adj): fabulous; unusual

melancholy (adj): unhappy; sadness; depression

melancholy (n, adj): sadness; depression

midst (n, prep): in the middle of

muddle (v; n): confuse; disorganize

nostalgia (n): sentimental affection; process of recollecting past experiences or events

occupied (adj); filled up; official

oughta (slang): ought to

peer (n, v): noble; aristocrat; equal

pervading (v): spreading

plagued (v): continual trouble or distress to

plight (n): unfortunate situation; dangerous

rationalize (v): attempt to explain or justify with logical reasons, even if these are not appropriate

recede (v): go back; diminish; decrease

recesses (n): leisure time; vacation

retrieve (v): get or bring something back from somewhere

rickety (adj): aged, worn, tottering, likely to collapse

sacrificial vessels (n): originally a cauldron for cooking and storing meat. The Shang prototype has a round bowl, set on three legs with two short handles on each side

scattered (adj): loosely distributed; spread

scramble (v, n): straggle, clash, panic or chaotic situation

Sedan (n): car, vehicle

sembalance (): outward appearance; presentation

shimmering (v): sparking; glittering

shivering (n, v): shaking or trembling with cold

shove (v): place or store something roughly

shred (n): tatter; scrap

shudder (n): to tremble from horror, fear, cold or shiver

solemnity (adj) seriousness; solemnity

squeeze (v): press; crush; squash 

stern (adj); tough; hard; firm

stirred (adj; v): mix thoroughly; blend

stupefied (adj): astonished

summon (v): recall; remember

swirl (v, n): to move with a twisting; whirling

talisman (n): an object, typically an inscribed ring or stone, which is thought to have magic powers and to bring good luck

talk a blue streak (phrase): to speak with great rapidity, volume and intensity

treadmill (adj): monotonous or wearisome, giving no satisfaction

well-to-do (adj): wealthy and rich people

whistle (n, v): sign of sound;

withered (adj); dead; dry

wretched (adj): state of distress or misfortune; miserable

zha (n): full form is zhabitin; an animal similar to honey badger

 

 

Characters of My Old Home

Lu Xun

He is the narrator of the story and young Master or owner.

He is considered a miser in the sense he does not want to give away the furniture to the poor rather wants to sell them.

 

Hong’er

Lu Xun’s eight-year-old timid and shy Nephew

Friends with Shu Sheng, the son of Runtu

 

Runtu

He is the former temporary servant of Lu Xun.

He is a shy in nature but ‘high in spirit’

 

Shu Sheng

He is the 5^th son of Runtu; he is also very shy.

He converses only during social ceremonies.

 

Lu Xun’s mother

She greets Lu Xun at his arrival in the Old House.

 

Lu Xun’s father

 

Elder brother Shun

The person who wants to keep some kitchen furniture.

 

Mrs Yang

She is a neighbour who accuses the narrator of being miserly.

People call her the ‘Beancurd Beauty’ because she sits in a bean curd (tofu) shop opposite of Lu Xun’s home.

 

Poor folks

They work in the field but there is no change in their lifestyles.

 

 

About the Author | About Lu Xun

Lu Xun (1881-1936) is the pen name of the writer born as Zhou Shuren.

He was born to a family with a strong Confucian background.

His grandfather served as a high official in Beijing in China and his father was also a scholar.  

Lu Xun has been considered China’s greatest writer in the 20^th century.

He was a short story writer, essayist and translator.

He is commonly considered the ‘father of modern Chinese literature.’

He is known for his satirical observations of early 20^th century of Chinese society.

He is a pioneer of modern vernacular Chinese literature and was one of the most important thinkers of his time.

His popular novels and short story collections include:

A Madman’s Diary (1918)

Kong Yiji (1918), Medicine (1919)

Tomorrow (1920)

An Incident (1920)

The Story of Hair (1920)

A Storm in a Teacup (1920)

Hometown (1921)

 

The story ‘My Old Home’ is taken from the short story collection Hometown.

‘My Old Home’ is a story about Xun’s memories from youth to middle age.

That depicts the conflict between memories and realities.

The story describes how Xun feels while being away from home for many years.

Upon arriving at his long-past home, his memories are forced to come to confront with the realities.

His prior conceptions and understandings of the world come into conflict with his realities.

 

 

 

Summary of My Old Home

This short story ‘My Old Home’ by Lu Xun takes place of a village in China.

It is a story of the conflict between childhood memories and present realities.

The main narrator of this story is the writer himself.

He returns to his childhood home from the city by travelling more than six hundred miles.

He returned to his hometown after thirty years.

 

Lu Xun was heartily connected with his hometown.

He had a deep love for his old home.

But when he saw his hometown under the clouds at his arrival, he started feeling depressed to find its unprogressive, desolate and scattered state.  

For him, his old home was quite beautiful in the past and many people of his clan used to live there.

He even added that his attitude towards his hometown changed as he came to his hometown in an unhappy mood.

He returned to his hometown with the sole purpose to say “Goodbye” that time.

 

When Lu Xun arrived at his old home, his mother welcomed him. He saw his nephew Hong’er for the first time.

He informed his mother about a rented house in his working place where they were going to migrate sooner.

He wanted to sell old furniture items of the house to buy some items for his rented house.

His mother informed him about Runtu and his curiosity to meet him.  

The narrator had a deep longing to meet his childhood friend Runtu too.

The narrator started seeing his childhood memories along with Runtu.

He saw an image of Runtu with a silver necklet and pitchfork in his hand.

He saw Runtu trying to thrust zha with his full might.

But the cunning and fast creature zha dodged and escaped between his legs.

He remembered working-class people and their divisions as full times, dailies and part-timers.

In his memories, the narrator saw himself and Runtu playing on a sandy bank and guarding watermelons against zha.

He remembered all the strange things which Runtu taught him.

After his childhood memories, many relatives as well as people came to his old home.

The narrator described her quite humorously.

He described her as a compass of a geometry box.

The narrator remembered about her later on.

 

Mrs. Yang was neighbour of the narrator; she welcome by holding with her arms.

She was so talkative and funny lady.

In his childhood, Mrs. Yang used to sit in her beancurd shop.

She used to powdering herself; so she was famous by her name as ‘A Beancurd Beauty’.

Mrs. Yang threw her words greedily when she knew the narrator’s intention of selling his old home’s furniture.

 

The narrator met Runtu after many years.

The narrator did not feel good to hear the word ‘Master’ from Rintu’s mouth because they are friends at their childhood.

He knew the reasons about Runtu’s poverty and hardships in his life.

Rintu had many children; it was the main reason.

Other reasons were scarcity, high taxes, soldier’s domination, bandits, government policies, ruling class and social differences.

These various factors led him to poverty throughout his life.

 

The narrator and his mother decided to help Runtu by providing him with some old items of the house.

Runtu selected few items from the old house. Runtu gets two long tables, four chairs, an incense burner, candlesticks and one balance according to his choice.

He even asks for the ashes from the kitchen stove; because ashes are good fertilizer for sandy soil.

Lu Xun laughed behind Runtu’s back in for his selection.

  

 

Understanding the text

Answer the following questions:

(a) How does the narrator describe his feeling at the arrival of his old home?

The narrator describes his feelings in both negative and positive on following ways:

He has many exciting feeling regarding his old home.

But his excitements convert into depression.

He expresses his depressed feelings to see an unprogressive, desolate and scattered village.

He describes his positive feelings regarding the past beauty of his old home.

 

 

(b) What were the three kinds of servants in China then? What does it indicate about contemporary Chinese society?

There were three kinds of servants in China; they were full-timers, dailies and part-timers.

Yearlongs

These types of servants worked whole year services for one family.

They were full-timers servants and called yearlongs.

 

Short-timers

These types of servants worked day time services for one family.

They were hired for the day and called dailies.

 

Busy-monthers

These types of servants worked during the holidays, festivals or rents time.

They were hired only at busy time and called busy-monthers.

It indicates the poverty as well as the feudalistic system of contemporary Chinese society.

Rich people used to keep servants for their different kinds of tasks.

Poor labour was divided according to their tasks.

They had a lot of hardships in their lives.

 

 

(c) What makes the narrator nostalgic? What did he do with Runtu in the teenage?

When the narrator’s mother asks to him to meet Rintu, he becomes nostalgic (sentimental affection).

In his teenage, he passed his time and enjoyed a lot with Runtu by playing and learning various strange things from him.

He played on sandy ground among watermelons by stabbing at the Zha in the teenage.

 

 

(d) How did Runtu hunt a Zha in his young age?

Runtu hunted a zha by stabbing with his pitchfork in his young age.  

He tried his best to thrust zha by using his tricks.

 

 

(e) How does the narrator make a humorous picture of Mrs. Yang?

The narrator makes a humorous picture of Mrs. Yang through his humorous descriptions.

The narrator describes her as a pair of compasses of a geometry box with

Because she is in her pair of trousers, hands on her hips and stands there with her legs wide apart in a balanced way.

He calls her ‘Beancurd Beauty’

 

 

(f) According to the narrator, what were different factors that made Runtu a poor man throughout his life?

According to the narrator, the different factors that made Runtu a poor are:

Rintu had many children; it was the main reason.

Other reasons were scarcity, high taxes, soldier’s domination, bandits, government policies, ruling class and social differences.

These various factors led him to poverty throughout his life.

 

 

(g) How does the narrator help Runtu before leaving the old home?

The narrator helps Runtu by providing old furniture items and other things of his old house.

He asks Runtu to take the things of his needs before leaving the old home.

Runtu takes two long tables, an incense burner, some candlesticks and a set of scales.

 

 

(h) How does the author differentiate two kinds of idols?

The author differentiates two kinds of idols.

He says ‘superstitious idols’ are worshipped for a short time for something but ‘hope’ is not an idol.

He gives examples of Runtu and his own ways of worshipping idols in two different ways.

Runtu worships the idols but he requires hope for a dreamy land.

 

 

 

Reference to the context

(a) While reading the friendship between the narrator and Runtu, Hindu readers remember the friendship between Krishna and Sudama. Which particular description reminds you of the mythological example?

In the Hindu Mythological story of the Bhagawata Purana, there is a story of friendship between Lord Krishna and Sudama.

They were classmate at the school time.

Krishna was a king but Sudama was a poor Brahmin.

Sudama once came to Dwarka to meet his friend Krishna after many years.

As a God, Lord Krishna had known all about the hardships faced by Sudama.

Krishna asked what gift Sudama had brought; Sudama had brought raw rice as a gift for Krishna.

As Krishna took the mouthful of rice, Sudama’s wealth increased.  

His poverty turned into extreme richness.

This amazing help between friends is always remembered by the Hindus.

 

Here, in this story My Old House, we find the same example of friendship between Lu Xun and his poor friend Runtu.

Lu Xun is not a God to miracle change in the life of Runtu.

But Lu Xun helps unselfishly to his friend Runtu.

When the narrator knows about all the hardships and problems of Runtu’s life, he asks him to take away the things of his need from his old home.

Runtu gets two long tables, four chairs, an incense burner, candlesticks and one balance according to his choice.

He even asks for the ashes from the kitchen stove; because ashes are good fertilizer for sandy soil.

 

Both of the stories teach us that we should never expect anything from our friends.

He/she should understand about “a friend in need is a friend indeed.”

 

 

(b) Does the story support the proposition that the relationships of childhood are innocent, impartial and disinterested?

Yes, this story ‘My Old Home’ supports that the relationships of childhood are innocent, impartial and disinterested (unbiased).

In the story, we find their friendship beyond various social barriers.

Lu Xun belongs to rich and noble family while Runtu is a son of the poor servant.

In their childhood, they play and share their ideas being free from bias and without having any concept of master and servant.

Their friendship is so sacred where there are no feelings of class differences.

 

They enjoy each moment freely being innocent.

We only find the true friendship and deep relationship between them.

In most cases, childhood friendship always has similar aspects as seen in the text.

Childhood friendship always remains far away from societal so-called negative aspects.

It is so pure relationship where there are no negative aspects like class differences, biasness, discrimination etc.

Childhood friendship depends on enjoyment, care, love and affection.

 

This story presents various examples of this relationship between the childhood friends Lu Xun and Runtu.  

The narrator hopes to see same relation between his nephew and Runtu’s son.

 

  

(c) After reading the story, what inferences can you make about contemporary Chinese economic and social system?

After reading the story ‘My Old Home’, we can make the following inferences (conclusions) about the contemporary Chinese economic and social system:

Due to feudal system, there was a slavery system.

Feudalists and the government employees were rich and they used to oppress poor people.

The working-class poor people were seen working in rich people’s houses.

They had to face various hardships in their lives due to their poor economic status.

The story describes a complex relationship in the community in the Chinese society at the contemporary (existing time). 

The farmers were in a quite miserable condition in contemporary Chinese society.

They were divided into three classes according to their tasks like yearlongs, short-timers and busy-monthers.

They were exploited by various factors as famines, high taxes, soldiers, bandits, government officials, social indifference etc.

In the story, Runtu is a person who suffered much from hard work and sub-marginal living.

Thus, the economic and social system of contemporary Chinese society was not good for the working-class people at that time.  

 

 

(d) What does the story indicate about the geographical features of the narrator’s hometown?

The story ‘My Old Home’ by Lu Xun is based on realities as well as memories.

The story moves along with the narrator’s description of his hometown.

The story indicates quite a lovely village near the sea in China.

It has been set in 1911 during the overthrow of Qung Dynasty in China.

 

The story opens with the description of nature.

The narrator peeped through the window in a distant horizon, towns and villages under a vast and greying sky.

He visited to his farm with hid friend Runtu which was under a blue-black sky, beneath it a stretch of sandy ground planted with emerald green watermelons stretching.

He also talked about collecting shells near the beach, catching birds and stabbing in animals etc.

The narrator and his friend Runtu enjoyed the beautiful environment of the hometown a lot.

In this way, the story indicates much about the geographical features of the narrator’s hometown.

 

 

 

Reference beyond the text

(a) Human beings are on the road from time immemorial, always migrating to new places. Write an essay on The Trend of Migration in Nepal in about 300 words.

The Trend of Migration in Nepal

Migration means movement of people from one place to another place for residence purpose.

This residence or settlement may be for temporarily or permanently.

Internal migration is within one country while external or foreign migration is for other country.

People may migrate as individuals, in family units or in large groups.

Age is also important for both work and non-work migration.

 

Opportunities for employment, entertainment facilities, better future, secure life, social respect etc are the pull factors.

Needs, poverty, unemployment, lack of facilities etc are the other pull factors.

Besides this, survival, resources, demand and supply, religion and economy are the other factors for migration.

 

People always try to improve their living standard.

They migrate from one place to another for the sake of their betterment.

The trend of migration is seen all over the world.

People keep on changing their living places for different views or opinions.

 

In the context of Nepal, the trend of migration is at its peak.

We can see both the local as well as foreign migration in Nepal.

Most Nepalese people are seen migrating from rural areas to urban areas.

In recent times, most villages are facing a lack of youths.

Youths of villages are leaving villages for the sake of their better opportunities as well as the education of their kids.

We find only old citizens are in the most of the houses of villages.

This trend has brought a kind of negative impact on the relationship among people.

People prefer to live in the cities by leaving peaceful and healthy life in villages.

 

Apart from this local migration, the foreign migration of people is also in trend.

Most Nepalese people and families are seen migrating from Nepal to foreign lands.

Due to the lack of opportunities, people prefer to live their lives in foreign lands by leaving their homeland Nepal.

This trend of migration itself is a big problem for all.

Due to this trend, humans are seen quite away from the concept of their relationships, patriotism and humanity.

This problem has brought a serious problem in Nepal.

 

 

(b) Find one of your relatives or friends, who have migrated to a new place leaving his/her old home. Talk to him/her and prepare a report on what he/she felt while leaving the old home.

 

Do yourself

 

 

 

***** #EPOnlineStudy *****

Thank you for investing your time.

Please comment on the article.

You can help us by sharing this post on your social media platform.

 

Jay Google, Jay YouTube, Jay Social Media

जय गूगल. जय युट्युब, जय सोशल मीडिया