Chapter 1 Abraham Lincoln’s Letter to His Son’s Teacher

Abraham Lincoln’s Letter to His Son’s Teacher

Questions & Answers

1.How is the teacher expected to inculcate honesty and worldly wisdom in the child ?

Abraham Lincoln wrote a letter to the teacher of his son. Hiš letter is filled with a number of suggestions to the teacher. The teacher should prepare the boy to tackle wars, tragedy and sorrow. He should have faith, love and courage in life. A friend should be seen in an enemy. Victory and failures are natural in this world. His behaviour with others should be gentle. Cynicism should not be encouraged. The boy must have faith in himself. He should not blindly follow the crowd. Thus honesty and worldly wisdom4 could be seen in a child.

2. How can the teacher instil faith, love and courage in Lincoln’s son?

Abraham Lincoln wrote a letter to the teacher of his son. His letter is filled with a number of suggestions to the teacher. The teacher should be careful in his dealing with the boy. The boy should be adventurous. He should know that a friend should be seen in an enemy. His behaviour with others should be gentle. Cynicism should not be encouraged. He must be adventurous to tackle wars, tragedy and sorrow. Faith in himself leads to faith in mankind. Thus faith, love and courage could be instiled in Lincoln’s son.

3. What should the teacher do to help the child tackle good and evil in the world?

Abraham Lincoln wrote a letter to the teacher of his son. His letter is filled with a number of suggestions to the teacher. The teacher should prepare the boy to tackle wars, tragedy and sorrow. The world is filled with many things both good and bad. There are enemies but the boy should find a friend in an enemy. There is no shame? in failures. There is mystery in the creation of this world. The boy should not blindly follow the crowd. He should understand good and evil of the things and follow the path of truth. He should have courage to tackle challenges in life. Thus the teacher’s role is important.

Annotations

1. “It is all going to be strange and new to him for a while and I wish you would treat him gently”.

Context : This passage is taken from the lesson “Abraham Lincoln’s Letter to his Son’s Teacher”, written by Abraham Lincoln, the noted 16th President of the U.S.A. It is about his appeal to a teacher in instructing a boy of tender age.

Explanation : In the beginning of the letter, the author introduces the boy to the teacher. He tells that his son is innocent and is going to join the school. The school routine is new to him and thus he is afraid of the new atmosphere. He is happy at home with the parents but he has to accustom to the new life. So, he advises the teacher to treat the boy gently and affectionately. The boy can adjust to the environment slowly. Lincoln expresses his views about child psychology.

General Relevance : It is natural for a child to show aversion to go to school. If there is no encouragement at school, the child shall be spoiled. So Lincoln gives an interesting appeal to the teachers in general.

2. “Teach him to learn how to gracefully lose and enjoy Winning when he does win”.

Context : These lines are taken from the lessson “Abraham Lincoln’s Letter to his Son’s Teacher’, written by Abraham Lincoln, the noted 16th President of the U.S.A. It is about his appeal to the teacher, in instructing a boy of tender age.

Explanation : The author advises the teacher to be careful in his dealing with the boy. The boy should have development in all spheres of life. He should tackle wars, tragedy and sorrow. Victory and failures are natural in this world. The boy must have self confidence. He should not be disheartened when he loses. When he wins, he should feel joy and satisfaction. This will make him honest and self reliant.

General Relevance : In this world, life is a blend of both success and failure. One should take the both equally. It is natural for one to get both these experiences. He should show right response to the occasion.

3. “There can be glory in failure and despair in success”.

Context : These lines are taken from the lesson “Abraham Lincoln’s Letter to His Son’s Teacher”, written by Abraham Lincoln, the noted 16th President of the U.S.A. It is about his appeal to the teacher in instructing a boy of tender age.

Explanation : The author advises the teacher to be careful in his dealing with the boy. The boy should have development in all spheres of life. There are many ups and downs in life. Victory and failures are natural in this world. The teacher should prepare the boy to tackle the situation. The boy should know that a failure is always glorious and success sometimes may lead to despair also. So he should be ready to be practical4 in his life.

General Relevance : The letter is a general appeal to the teachers. The boy should be ready to bear the difficulties and expect a success in course of time. Similarly, he should know that a success may also lead to despair, after wards.

4. “Teach him to have faith in his own ideas, even if everyone tells him they are wrong”.

Context : This passage is taken from the lesson “Abraham Lincoln’s Letter to His Son’s Teacher” written by Abraham Lincoln, the noted 16th President of the U.S.A. It is about his appeal to the teacher, in instructing a boy of tender age.

Explanation : The author advises the teacher to be careful in his dealing with the boy. The boy must become an individual having complete knowledge of the world. He should know the mystery’ in the creation of birds, bees and flowers. He should be a dependent upon himself. He should not blindly follow the crowds. After listening to everybody, he should conclude himself to do whatever he wants to do. Thus he should become an individual with virtue.

General Relevance : It is general for one to consider the opinion of the crowds, but a teacher, according to the author, should guide the boy in the right direction to decide the way for himself. A boy should become resolutet in his decisions.

Comprehension

I. Read the following passage and answer the questions given below.

Bapuji is in prison, but the magic of his message has stolen the hearts of Indians in millions. Men and Women, and even little children, come out of their little shells and become India’s soldiers of freedom. You and I are fortunate to see this happening before our eyes and to take some part ourselves in this great drama. What part shall we play in it ? If we are to be Indian’s soldiers we have to respect India’s honour, and that honour is a sacred trust. It is no easy matter to decide what is right and what is not. One little test I shall ask you to apply whenever you are in doubt. Never do anything in secret or anything that you wish to hide. For the desire to hide anything means that you are afraid and fear is a bad thing and unworthy of yours. Be brave and all the rest follows.

1. What has stolen the hearts of India’s millions?

Bapuji’s magic message has stolen the hearts of Indians in millions.

2. Who have become the India’s soldiers of freedom?

Men, women and little children became soldiers of freedom.

3. Identify the word in the passage that means ‘lucky’.

Fortunate.

4. What is India’s sacred trust?

India’s honour.

5. Why should one not do things in secret?

Doing things in secret means that, we are afraid of doing. Fear is a bad thing.

II. Read the following passage and answer the questions given below.

The capitalist system of society does not foster healthy relations among human beings. A few people own all the means of production and others-though nominally few have to sell their labour under conditions imposed upon them. The emphasis of capitalism being on the supreme importance of material wealth the intensity of its appeal is to the acquisitive intensity. It promotes worship of economic power with little regard to the means employed for its acquisition and the end that it serves. By its exploitation of human beings to the limits of endurance its concentration is on the largest profit rather than maximum production. Thus the division of human family is done on the basis of economic circumstance. All this is injurious to division of human dignity. And when the harrowed poor turn to the founders of religion for succor, they rather offer a subtle defense for the established order. They promise future happiness for their present suffering and conjure up visions of paradise to redress the balance to soothe the suffering and the revolt of the tortured men. The system imposes injustice, the religion justifies it.

1.Does the capital system maintain healthy relations?

No, it does not maintain healthy relrelation.

2.Which promotes the worship of economic power?

The emphasis of capitalism.

3.On what basis is the division of human family done?

On the basis of economic circumstance.

4. What is the antonym for ‘impose’?

Remit.

5.What justifies the injustice imposed by the system?

Religions.