GCE A/L English Literature - Made Easy - Novel - The Waiting Earth

Summary, chapter by chapter

CHAPTER TEN:

Sellohamy's hesitation and her fear regarding their son's indifference and disobedience, which she presumes is due to him being possessed by a demon. The exorcism carried out by the kattadiya proves presumption to be baseless.

Upasena remains steadfast and to himself while his sister Isabella and Piyasena, close to one another. The class master, Podimahattaya gains a satisfaction by beating, ridiculing and scolding Upasena. The school master experienced a certain kind of pleasure by humiliating Upasena.

This shows the narrow outlook minus the sense of the psychological effect caused to the person subjected to baseless humiliation.

The strong will power of the little boy and the ignorant, perverse and disgusting attitude of the matured teacher is clearly highlighted by the writer. "-- his mind went back to that day when the teacher in his anger, had held the lighted end of a beedi against his thigh. He remembered the pain and his own screams."

The conflict between father and daughter, father and son, teacher and pupil draw the attention of the reader to his own judgement, while a mother's love for her children remains unchanged.

CHAPTER ELEVEN:

Isabellahamy reaches womahood. The description of her beauty "face fair and full, her lips thrust out even in sleep in rosy stubbornness" and her mother's advice "you must lay eyes on no man until you are free of the flow--" "Child you are a woman now and it is as a woman you must now behave" "-- Besides even the biggest dowry cannot erase a broken chastity--"

Though uneducated Sellohamy's advice to her daughter is far above the mentality of most mothers in so-called modern society. Thus Sellohamy is a SYMBOL OF REAL MOTHERHOOD.

Isabellahamy's reluctance to marry Carohamy's nephew emphasises the strong attitudes of Sellohamy's daughter Isabellahamy. "I will never marry your nephew."

CHAPTER TWELVE:

Podisingho's faith in Rapiel Appu is emphasised in this chapter and the close relationship of the land that belonged to a person, the chain of relationship inheriting the land.

Podisingho getting restless about the land and working too hard recalling to the proverb "When you catch hold of a leopard's tail you are afraid to let it go for the leopard can turn you." The stubborn nature of Podisingho's elder son signalling the cracking of the family bond.

The suspicion caused due to the gossiping women of the village and wife and husband suspecting each other. The shrewd nature of the Mudalali, the cunning tricks of Rappiel Appu shimmer throughout this chapter. Rappiel Appu's endeavour to rouse Podisingho against the Mudalali proves quite effective.

"He's trying to steal the one who belongs to my household" and Rappiel Appu's reaction to the words of Podisingho coming "like a lightening bolt out of a clear sky."

CHAPTER THIRTEEN:

Sellohamy suspecting the behaviour pattern of her husband, Podisingho "something had happened to him to change his whole nature." Each day this conviction grew stronger. "He was not the same man she had married."

Sellohamy leaving with Carohamy, the Mudalali's wife to meet the fortuneteller and the fortuneteller's prophesy: "This evil is buried in the soil of the back compound" and the fortuneteller demanded at least forty rupees for her trouble and the three women set off "on the road, the sun was well on the downward journey of the day."