Thinking Activity: ON@TCC

Hello Readers,

                        This Blog is about the classroom activity on the novel "One night @ the call center" given by professor Dr. Dilip Barad sir in which students have to illustrate given points. Here is Professor's link of given task click here

1) What sort of effect of Globalization is found in on@tcc?

What is Globalization?

" Globalization is a process of interaction and integration among the people, companies and governments of different nations, a process driven by international trade and investment and aided by information technology"(wiki). In other words, we can say that Globalization means privatization and privatization somehow absorb employees for their benefit. Similarly, we can see that kind of exploitations in the present novel. For instance, all the characters work hard in the call center though they can't get that kind of value and foreigners insulting Indian people who work in call center. Another sort of effect in the novel is advertisement that how advertisement show fake happiness in the posters. There is huge difference between what is reality and what is showing by advertisement.

2) Narrative structure of the novel and its comparison with 'Life Of Pi'

Ans. In the beginning both novels have somewhat similar narrative structure. In on@tcc we can see that one woman telling real story about a few friends working in a call center. Whereas, in ''Life of Pi" the protagonist himself telling the story. But there is one significant change in narrative structure that is build up characters. For instance, at the end Chetan Bhagat directly presented the idea of God. There is nothing

Like faith and belief on God in the characters. Whereas Yann Martel used this idea of God very faithfully because the protagonist told writer that God saved me hence Yann Martel used the faith and belief of the protagonist in the beginning that the characters grown with idea of God hence at the end he can say that he survived by the God so the readers can easily digest the idea of God. So, in this way narrative structure of life of Pi is convincing than On@tcc.

3) Theme of Nationalism in the Novel:

Ans. There are many incidents in the novel which reflects the theme of Nationalism and anti-American ideas. The characters of Vroom is used to satire on the brutal nature of Americans. He was badly insulted by the Americans because of his Indian accent. Therefore he built a strong disliking for them. When he asked question to God that why they gave much wealth to the Americans than Indians? Then God also gave anti American answer by saying that Americans are not the happiest people on earth because it is obsessed with war. The God also share the Idea to win over Americans. So, in this way Chetan Bhagat do nationalism to praise Indian people and their level of intelligence.

4) How far can this novel be categorized as Cyberpunk?

Ans. Cyberpunk is a subgenre of science fiction. Its characteristics are as follows:

#Sci-fi(scientific fiction)

#Strong sense of helplessness

#Misery

#Dystopic Idea

#Loss of Morality/humanity

# MN corporation control over the life of workers.

These all characteristic we find in the novel. This is absolutely scientific fiction which deals with the innovative side of society. The workers work on computer screen, day and night and conneced with the global world because of the invention of telephones. Despite of this, there is strong sense of helplessness. Misery, loss of morality. All six characters suffers a lot. They are living in dystopic world where no one is happy. All have thier different problem and they do not know how to come out kf these miseries. On the other side, we can find loss of morality in these characters when they blackmailed bakshi and get money to start their new business. All are working under the pressure of multi national companies which ruins their joy of living. MN companies always give more works at low wages

Post-viewing task: The Da Vinci Code

Hello Readers,

                        This Blog is a part of my classroom thinking activity given by Professor Dr. Dilip Barad in which students have to interpret given points. Here is the blog link of professor's worksheet click here.

Brown states on his website that his books are not anti-Christian, though he is on a 'constant spiritual journey' himself, and says that his book The Da Vinci Code is simply "an entertaining story that promotes spiritual discussion and debate" and suggests that the book may be used "as a positive catalyst for introspection and exploration of our faith."

Ans. I disagree to the point of Dan Brown because the novel has anti religion elements like Mary Magdalene. As we all know that Jesus was unmarried and Magdalene is just fictional character why writers like Brown explore his own thought. It is all about nonsense kind of thing. The code and painting is only a piece of art it has nothing like any religious code and symbols. If people are saying that Council of Nicea created whole the thing about Jesus then somewhat they are right because Jesus was only a messenger of God not God himself and Jesus neither married nor had any kind of relation and children. So, here Writer shows Sophie the character in the book as a Magdalene descendant is not true. So, according to me it is anti Christian novel and writers keep on writing about anti religions for limelight and popularity.

 “Although it is obvious that much of what Brown presented in his novel as absolutely true and accurate is neither of those, some of that material is of course essential to the intrigue, and screenwriter Akiva Goldsman has retained the novel's core, the Grail-related material: the sacred feminine, Mary Magdalene's marriage, the Priory of Sion, certain aspects of Leonardo's art, and so on[1].” How far do you agree with this observation of Norris J. Lacy?

Ans. I agree to the observation of Norris J. Lacy that many things in the novel is not accurate and fact like there is no any autheniticity and reliable proofs about the existence of priory of sion and also novel has not show real opes die. Furthermore, there is no such proof about marry Magdalene and so on. And absolutely the screen writer beautiful presented the core of novel to use appropriate materials about secrets and sybmols. And also choose very wonderful places and scenes. I can say that movie is worth watching than books because movie use very wonderful materials.

• (If)You have studied ‘Genesis’ (The Bible), ‘The Paradise Lost’ (John Milton) and ‘The Da Vinci Code’ (Dan Brown). Which of the narrative/s seem/s to be truthful? Whose narrative is convincing to the contemporary young mind?

Ans. According to me the narrative of 'The Paradis lost' is better narrative than ''The Da Vinci Code' because Milton gave the voice to minor characters like Eve and Satan rather than God and Adam. So, somehow it is convince modern mind because they find the discrimination in the Bible. Whereas  'The Da vinci code' narrative look very far away from truth.

• What harm has been done to humanity by the biblical narration or that of Milton’s in The Paradise Lose? What sort of damage does narrative like ‘The Vinci Code’ do to humanity?

Ans. By this kind of narration, people's faith in God can be lost and there is nothing like morality without God. Religion gives us a right path and teach moral lesson. So, if you narrate this kind of story then as Eliot said about spiritual degradation and sexual perversion make waste land. Some People are arguing that people keep on fighting with each other in the name of religion but it is not true because religion is innocent, problem is in humanbieng. These all hatred created by people for their benefit like relegious master and saint for power and wealth. For instance, if we see three major religions: Islam, Christianity and Judaism, they all have one root but different master and saint Divergence people in different religion because of power position and jealous. So, throughout the ages this kind of books and people damage the faith on divine thing.

• What difference do you see in the portrayal of 'Ophelia' (Kate Winslet) in Kenneth Branagh's Hamlet, 'Elizabeth' (Helena Bonham Carter) in Kenneth Branagh's Mary Shelley's Frankenstein or 'Hester Prynne' (Demi Moore) in Roland Joffé's The Scarlet Letter' or David Yates's 'Harmione Granger' (Emma Watson) in last four Harry Potter films - and 'Sophie Neuve' (Audrey Tautau) in Ron Howard's The Da Vinci Code? How would justify your answer?

Ans. There is not much difference among all the female characters. All the characters have different role and different context. But if we see from the movie's perspective then we can realize that director portrayed all the female characters as brain with beauty but not active like male characters. In every works female characters as intellectual as male characters but they unable to show their talent hence directors show just as beautiful actresess who support male protagonist.

• Have you come across any similar book/movie, which tries to deconstruct accepted notions about Hindu religion or culture and by dismantling it, attempts to reconstruct another possible interpretation of truth?

Ans. Yes, there are many books and movies which tried to deconstruct accepted notion. For instance, 'The Satanic Verses' by Slaman Rushdie which deconstruct and blasphemy of Islam. Salman Rushdie wrote about three goddesses before Muhammad and said that prophet Muhammad spoke satanic verses. But that is not fact according to authentic history, Quran and Hadith.

• Do novel / film lead us into critical (deconstructive) thinking about your religion? Can we think of such conspiracy theory about Hindu religious symbols / myths?

Ans. Yes, there are many things and myths in Islam that I do not know how it happened but I will ask this all things with authentic and reliable master or books about Prophet Muhammad's journey to the sky, about prophet Isa(Jesus) that how Mariam(Marry) gave birth to Jesus though she was virgin and pure woman.

• When we do traditional reading of the novel ‘The Da Vinci Code’, Robert Langdon, Professor of Religious Symbology, Harvard University emerges as protagonist and Sir Leigh Teabing, a British Historian as antagonist. Who will claim the position of protagonist if we do atheist reading of the novel?

Ans. From the point of view of mine, if I do atheist reading of the novel the protagonist will be professor Robert Langdon because he himself said that I can not understand the God. Throughout the novel/movie I coudn't find Langdon had any kind of faith in God, he just solves and decoded the symbols and puzzles and I don't find that atheist attacked on religion like Teabibg. Whereas Sir Leigh Teabing seems anti christian in the novel but why? According to me he is not atheist. There are many reason behind his hatred against Christianity. Jaques Saunier and Teabing were known to each other and I think Teabing want to discover Holy Grail. If he is atheist then why very curious about Holy Grail? Jealous or avenge to Priori of sion is may be a reason behind that. So, I think Teabing not atheist but a religious man who want to reveals the secrets because of revenge.

• Explain Ann Gray’s three propositions on ‘knowability’ with illustrations from the novel ‘The Da Vinci Code’.
a.       1) Identifying what is knowable 
b.      2) identifying and acknowledging the relationship of the knower and the known
c.      3) What is the procedure for ‘knowing’?

1. The very first step is to identify that what is knowable. In the novel, things begins from the symbol of pentacle and identifying the codes of Da Vinci who is famous for keeping secrets in his work of art. Each and every symbols, paintings, object which follows Vinci's design is making some secrets which need to be revealed by the protagonist.


2. The second step in the process is to identify the relationship between the knower and the known. Means who is the knower of secrets, who knows the truth behind the codes and how it get connected with the known things of Vinci. In a way Leigh Teabing knows much about the codes and knows how to decodes things. But his relationship with the secret object known in the end. Langdon at the end decodes the cryptex but keep it secret in front of Teabing. Sophie knows everything about her so called grandfather and how he used to keep secrets and make puzzles, but each things connected in the end of the novel.


3. The last thing is to understand the process of 'knowing'. That is how Sophie and Langdon reached to the final truths by decoding each and every object in between. From the symbol of pentacle on the chest of Sauniere till the end to decoding the truth behind the Holy Grail which is the sarcophagus of Mary Magdalene which provides the DNA for living descendent.