OU Degree 3rd Sem English – A Wrong Man in Workers’ Paradise Questions and Answers & Summary
Comprehension – I.
Question 1.
What sort of things did the man do on earth?
Answer:
The man, who was the main character of the story, never believed in utility or in doing any useful work. And so, he indulged in mad whims and wishes. He was a painter and sculptor. He would spend his time in making small pieces of sculptures such as men, women and castles, and quaint earthen things dotted over with sea shells. Since he would waste his time on all useless and unnecessary things, people laughed at him. He spent his life on earth in doing such useless work.
Question 2.
What was the ‘mistake’ of the aerial messenger?
Answer:
The man was a painter and sculptor. He wasted his time on all useless and unnecessary things such as painting and sculpturing. People laughed at him. He spent his life on earth in doing useless work. Tagore’s genius as a writer has come to the fore, when he writes, “Some boys never ply their books and yet pass their examinations.”
Similar thing happened to this man. Though he had not done any useful and productive work on the planet Earth, he got invitation to paradise after his death. However, the aerial messenger, who took charge of this man, mistakenly sent him to the “Workers’ Paradise”.
Question 3.
How do people in Workers’ Paradise spend their time?
Answer:
The people in the Workers’ Paradise were busy in their work. For them, time was precious. They exclaimed that they hardly had time to spare. The women in the Workers’ Paradise would complain that they always had handful of work and were making use of every single minute. They would feel happy and exulted in doing work, without wasting a single minute of their time.
Question 4.
Why did the man not fit in with the others in Workers’ Paradise?
Answer:
The Workers’ Paradise was a place for work. The people living there were busy in their work. For them, time was precious and hardly had time to spare. They always had handful of work and were making use of every single minute. They would feel happy and exulted in doing work without taking any rest.
This was the scheme of things in the Workers’ paradise. Naturally, the newcomer (the man-artist)), who had spent his entire time on the planet Earth in doing useless things such as painting and sculptures, did not fit in well with the scheme of things in the Workers’ Paradise. He lounged in the streets absent-mindedly and was jostled by the hurrying men. He lay down in the green meadows, spent near a torrent (running stream) and still he was always in way of the busy farmers.
Question 5.
How is the girl described?
Answer:
The busy girl of the Workers’ Paradise is described as hustling and active. She went to the silent torrent to draw water in her pitcher (pot). The quick movement of her feet were compared with the rapid movement of a skilled hand oh the strings of a guitar. Her hair was carelessly done; a few inquisitive wisps of her hair flew on to her white forehead as if they were trying to peep into her beautiful eyes. Tagore’s artistic genius comes to the fore in the description of the girl in the story.
Question 6.
What was the girl’s initial impression of the man?
Answer:
When the girl first saw the unemployed man, she was filled with pity. Her feeling was like the feeling of a princess who sees a lonely beggar through her window and is filled with pity. The girl of the Workers’ Paradise felt that the man without work was equal to a beggar without food. Hence she showed pity towards him.
Question 7.
What did the girl do after taking home the painted pitcher?
Answer:
After taking home the painted pitcher, the girl held it in light, away from the prying eyes. She examined it from all angles. Even at night, she scanned the painting again, in silence and wonder. For the first time in her life, she had seen something that had no meaning and no purpose. The man’s painting had a profound effect on her behaviour and attitude towards life and work. The hurrying feet of the girl were slowing down. Now she was attracted to the art.
Question 8.
What is the effect of the man’s creations on the girl and others in Workers’ Paradise?
Answer:
The man’s painting had a profound effect on her behaviour and attitude towards life and work. The hurrying feet of the girl were slowing down. Now she was attracted to the art. Next time, the wrong man offered to make ribbons for her hair, the girl eagerly said, “And what for?” After receiving the coloured ribbons, she started spending a lot of time daily in tying the coloured ribbon round her hair.
As her time slid by, much of her work left unfinished. Because of the influence of the art and artist, work in the Workers’ Paradise began to suffer. Many people, who had been active before, were now idle. They were now spending their precious time on unnecessary things such as painting and sculpture.
Question 9.
What was the decision taken by the elders? Were they justified?
Answer:
Since the work in the Workers’ Paradise began to suffer, the anxious elders called for a meeting. All agreed that such a thing had not known in the history of Workers’ Paradise. Then the aerial messenger appeared and made a confession that he had mistakenly brought a wrong man into the Workers’ Paradise and felt that it was due to this man’s influence that the people of the Workers’ Paradise had become idle.
The artist was summoned and ordered to leave. The president justified the decision saying that Workers’ Paradise was not the place for the likes of the man. When the man was about to leave, the girl-of-the-silent-torrent wanted to go with the wrong man. The elders gasped in surprise because they had never seen a thing such as this in the Workers’ Paradise – a thing that had no meaning and no purpose at all.
Question 10.
What was the man’s reaction to the elders’ decision?
Answer:
When the president and elders of the Workers’ Paradise ordered him to leave, the man felt greatly relieved. He collected his brushes and paintings, and was about to leave, the girl-of-the-silent-torrent wanted to go with him. The elders gasped in surprise because they had never seen a thing such as this in the Workers’ Paradise – a thing that had no meaning and no purpose at all.
Comprehension – II.
Question 1.
The man indulged in “mad” whims and “wasted” his time painting. From whose point of view are these terms used? What is the author’s attitude towards the man and his preoccupations?
Answer:
In Rabindranath Tagore’s short story, ‘A Wrong Man in Workers’ Paradise’, the highlighted terms in the given sentence ‘The man indulged in “mad” whims and “wasted” his time painting are used from the point of view of the people who believe in the utilitarian philosophy of life.
The Utilitarianism propagates that every piece of work should have “utility”, “purpose” or “use”. The people who think that it is the utility or purpose that stimulates every human action and without use, there will be no human effort.
From the point of view of such people, the man (artist) did not believe in utility and had no useful work to do. Hence he indulged in “mad” whims and “wasted” his time on useless and unnecessary things such as painting and sculptures. He would spend his time in making small pieces of sculptures such as men, worsen and castles, and quaint earthen things dotted over with sea shells. Since he would waste his time on all useless and unnecessary things, the people who believe in utility laughed at him.
Rabindranath Tagore was a versatile genius and excelled in almost all art forms. Here in this story, he employs irony as a literary device with which he indirectly adorns the man-painter and sculptor- for indulging in mad whims, i.e., for following his heart. Tagore’s genius as a writer has come to the fore, when he writes, “Some boys never ply their books and yet pass their examinations.”
Similarly, after the death of an artist, the gates of Paradise flung open. It means that an artist is always destined to go to paradise, though s/he has not done any useful and productive work on the planet Earth. However, the aerial messenger who took charge of this man mistakenly sent him to the “Workers’ Paradise”. Thus the author shows positive attitude and high regards towards the man and his preoccupations with artistic creation.
Question 2.
Explain the gradual changes that come in the girl’s attitude towards the man.
Answer:
When the girl first saw the unemployed man, she was filled with pity. Her feeling was like the feeling of a princess who sees a lonely beggar through her window and is filled with pity. The girl of the Workers’ Paradise felt that the man without work was equal to a beggar without food. Hence she showed pity towards him.
When she enquired him about his work, he replied that he had not a moment to spare for work. The girl could not understand what he said and offered to spare some work for him. The man told her that he had been waiting there only to take some work from her. Finally, he requested the “girl of the silent torrent” to give him one of her pitchers (pots).
The busy girl enquired him if he would draw water from the torrent. But his reply. surprised her, when he said that he would like to draw pictures on her pitcher. Annoyed, the girl left the place saying that she had no time to waste on such people.
After his repeated persuasions, the girl spared a pitcher for this man. The man drew line after line, put colour after colour. He painted on the pitcher! When the girl stared at ‘ the painted pitcher and her eyes were filled with wonder and amazement. With surprise, she asked him about the purpose of the lines and colours. The man laughed and said that a picture never had any meaning and it never served any purpose.
At home, she held the painting in light, away from the prying eyes. She scanned it again in silence and wonder. For the first time in her life, she had seen something that had no meaning and no purpose. The man’s painting had a profound effect on her behaviour and attitude towards the man and towards her work. The hurrying feet of the girl were slowing down. Now she was attracted to the art.
Next time, the wrong man offered to make ribbons for her hair, the girl eagerly said, “And what for?” After receiving the coloured ribbons-, she started spending a lot of time daily in tying the coloured ribbon round her hair. As her time slid by, much of her work left unfinished. Finally, the elders of the Workers’ Paradise ordered the man to leave the place. She came forward to accompany him, leaving the elders in shock and surprise.
Question 3.
Describe the author’s view of the “.scheme of things” in Workers’ Paradise.
Answer:
Rabindranath Tagore’s Workers’ Paradise was a place for work. The people living there were busy in doing their work. For them, time was precious and hardly had time to spare. The men and women in Workers’ Paradise always had handful of work and were making use of every single minute. They would feel happy and exulted in doing their physical work without taking any rest. This was the scheme of things in the Workers’ paradise.
Naturally, the newcomer (the man/artist)), who had spent his entire time on the planet Earth in doing useless works such as painting and sculptures, did not fit in well with the scheme of things in the Workers’ Paradise.
He lounged in the streets absent-mindedly and was jostled by the hurrying men. He lay down in the green meadows, spent near a torrent (running stream) and still he was always in way of the busy farmers. The main purpose of the author seems to denounce the “scheme of things” of the Workers’ Paradise.
The routine and monotonous work done by the people of the Workers’ Paradise is likeself-inflicted slavery. The life in the Workers’ Paradise is boring and dull. In the absence of any art and recreation, life becomes drudgery. The presence of the artist on the planet Earth and in the Workers’ Paradise has provided some soothing effect on the ruffled minds of the mundane people. The artist represents life of leisure and recreation to human heart. Thus, the author takes the side of “the man”, i.e., the artist.
Question 4.
The man says, “A picture may have no meaning and may serve no purpose”. Explain the sentence in the context of the central idea of the story.
Answer:
The story ‘A Wrong Man in Workers’ Paradise’ illustrates the famous slogan “Art for art’s sake” coined in the early 19th century by French philosopher Victor Cousin. The slogan expresses the idea that true art needs no justification.
It does not need to serve any political, didactic, moral or practical purpose. However, art is valuable as art. The only purpose of art is the pursuit of pure beauty and pleasure. Rabindranath Tagore conveys this complex concept in a simple and humourous narrative. The story also reminds us of a popular proverb, “All work and no play makes Jack a dull boy”.
In the story, the man says, “A picture may have no meaning and may serve no purpose”, but it gives happiness to our senses. An artistic creation such as painting, sculpture, literary work, song, etc., can arouse variety of emotions in human heart.
The aesthetic value of art cannot be measured on utilitarian scale. The central idea of Tagore’s story is “Art for art’s sake”. It means that art need riot have to teach values, give instructions or take sides. Still it can be enjoyed and appreciated even in the absence of its purpose.
The story begins with the line “The man never believed in utility” which means that the man never believed in doing things which are useful and productive. The girl-of-the- silent-torrent initially believed in mere routine work.
Later due to the influence of the man, she evolved into a different person who could appreciate the beauty of art. Finally, she decided to accompany the artist, when he was ordered to leave the Workers’ Paradise. The artist also successfully influenced other people in the Workers’ Paradise who of late developed passion for painting and sculptures, even at the cost of their mundane daily work.
Question 5.
The author presents the man as an idler and calls the other place “paradise”. Are we supposed to take his words literally or does he mean something different? Irony is a way of using words and tone to mean something quite opposite to what is actually being said. Discuss the author’s use of irony in the story.
Answer:
In his present story ‘A Wrong Man in Workers’ Paradise’, author Rabindranath Tagore presents the man as an idler and calls the other place “Paradise”. Since Tagore employs ‘irony’ as-the literary device to convey his message, we are not supposed to take his words literally. Irony is a way of using words and tone to mean something quite opposite to what is actually being said. Hence Tagore does mean something different from what he says in this story.
The man in the story is a painter and sculpture and does not believe in utility. Instead of doing useful and purposeful works, he indulges in mad whims and wishes on the planet Earth. The people who are driven by purpose and utility laugh at him.
Tagore feels that artists deserve paradise after their death. When the man enters the Workers’ Paradise after his death, he doe? not fit in with the scheme of things there. However with his artistic creation, the man influences the girl and other men and women of the Workers’ Paradise. Finally, they start indulging in mad whims and appreciating art.
The story presents two diametrically opposite worlds, i.e., the world of the idler (artist) and the world of the hustlers (people in the Workers’ Paradise). The two worlds are equally important. We can understand from the man’s attitude towards work and life that any work which gives happiness and pleasure to our mind and makes this world appear beautiful is quite significant.
The world of the idler/artist is important because it makes our mind happy and relaxed. In this world, we forget our despair and disappointment. Though the world of aesthetics seems to have no meaning and no purpose, it makes our life colourful. The world of Workers’ Paradise is also equally significant. Here physical work of the people can feed our mouths and helps us survive. Hence the art (mind) and physical work (body) are complimentary to each other and equally important.
Tagore uses the literary device ‘irony’ in order to convey his opinion about the intrinsic value of art. He opines that human beings should not always be driven by utilitarian motives, i.e., use and purpose. We need to have some recreation and know the aesthetic value of art.
Through this simple and humorous narrative, Tagore launches a subtle attack on tired people in die “Workers’ Paradise” who are obsessed with mundane and dull drudgery. Tagore also differs with the writers who believe that art should have a purpose. The author tries to convey the idea that art is valuable as art – Art for art’s sake. According to Tagore, the only objective of art is the pursuit of pure beauty and pleasure.
A Wrong Man in Workers’ Paradise Poem Summary in English
Rabindranath Tagore (1861-1941) was a versatile artistic genius – a poem novelist, playwright, painter, music composer, philosopher and visionary educationist. He won the Nobel Prize for Literature in 1913 for his seminal work “Gitanjali”. He was the first Asian to receive the Nobel Prize. He composed the national anthems of both India and Bangladesh.
As a visionary educationist, he founded the experimental school “Shantiniketan”. Tagore was given the honorific “Gurudev” by Mahatma Gandhi. Tagore was not only a great living institution but also the voice of India’s spiritual heritage in the Western world.
Rabindranath Tagore’s short fictional story A Wrong Man in Workers’ Paradise’ begins with the introduction of the protagonist (an artist). He was a painter and sculptor. The man never believed in utility or in doing any useful works. And so, he indulged in mad whims and wishes.
He would spend his time in making small pieces of sculptures such as men, women and castles, and quaint earthen things dotted over with sea shells. Since he would waste his time on all useless and unnecessary things, people laughed at him. He spent his life on earth in doing such useless work.
Tagore’s genius as a writer has come to the fore, when he writes, “Some boys never ply their books and yet pass their examinations.” Similarly, the man/artist after his death got invitation to paradise, though he had not done any useful and productive work on the planet Earth. The aerial messenger, who took charge of this man, mistakenly sent him to the “Workers’ Paradise”.
The people in the Workers’ Paradise were busy in their work. For them, time was precious. They exclaimed that they hardly had time to spare. The women in the Workers’ Paradise would complain that they always had handful work and were making use of every single minute. They would feel happy and exulted in doing work.
However, the newcomer (the man/artist)) did not fit in well with the scheme of things in Workers’Paradise. He lounged in the streets absent-mindedly and was jostled by the hurrying men. He lay down in the green meadows, spent near a torrent (running stream) and still he was always in the way of the busy farmers.
An active and hustling-bustling girl went every day to a silent torrent (silent since in the Workers’ Paradise even a torrent wouldn’t waste its energy singing) to Fill her pitchers with water. She seemed to be wasting no time at all and so her hair was carelessly done. The girl’s movements were compared with the rapid movements of a skilled hand on the strings of a guitar.
When the girl first saw the unemployed man, she was filled with pity. Her feeling was like the feeling of a princess who sees a lonely beggar through her window and is filled with pity. The girl of the Workers’ Paradise felt that the man without work was equal to the beggar without food. Hence she showed pity towards him.
When she enquired him about his work, he replied that he had not a moment to spare for work. The girl could not understand what he said and offered to spare some work for him. The man told her that he had been waiting there only to take some work from her.
Finally, he requested the “girl of the silent torrent” to give him one of her pitchers (pots). The busy girl enquired him if he would draw water from the torrent. But his reply surprised her, when he said that he would like to draw pictures on her pitcher.
Annoyed, the girl left the place saying that she had no time to waste on such people. After his repeated persuasions, the girl spared a pitcher for this man.’The man crew line after line, put colour after colour. He painted on the pitcher! When the girl ‘. stared at the art and her eyes were filled with wonder and amazement. With surprise, she asked him about the purpose of the lines and colours. The man laughed and said that a picture never had any meaning and it never served any purpose.
At home, she held the painting in light, away from the prying eyes. She scanned it again in silence and wonder. For the first time in her life, she had seen something that had no meaning and no purpose. The man’s painting had a profound effect on her behavior and attitude towards life and work. The hurrying feet of the girl were slowing (down.
Now she was attracted to the art. Next time, the wrong man offered to make ribbons for her hair, the girl eagerly said, “And what for?” After receiving the coloured ribbons, she started spending a lot of time daily in tying the coloured ribbon round her hair. As her time slid by, much of her work left unfinished.
Because of the influence of the art and artist, work in the Workers’ Paradise t regan to suffer. Many people, who had been active before, were now idle. They were m ow spending their precious time on unnecessary things such as painting and sculpture.
The anxious elders called for a meeting. All agreed that such a thing had not known in the history of Workers’ Paradise. Then the aerial messenger appeared and made a confession that he had mistakenly brought a wrong man into the Workers’ Paradise and felt that it was due to this man’s influence that the people of the Workers’ Paradise had become idle. The artist was summoned and ordered by the president to leave.
They justified their decision by saying that this was not the place for the likes of the man. When the president and elders of the Workers’ Paradise ordered him to leave, the man felt greatly relieved. He collected his brushes and paintings and about to leave. Suddenly, the girl-of-the-silent-torrent wanted to go with the wrong man. The elders gasped in surprise because they had never seen a thing such as this in the Workers’ Paradise – a thing that had no meaning and no purpose at all.
A Wrong Man in Workers’ Paradise Poem Summary in Telugu
రవీంద్రనాధ్ ఠాగూర్ ఒక మహ వ్యక్తి. ఆయన శాంతి నికేతన్ని స్ధాపించెను. ఆయన గీతాంజలి అనే గ్రంధాన్ని రచించినందుకు అయనకు నోబుల్ పరష్ఠరం లభించినది. ఆయన ఒక పని లేని వాడుగా గుర్తింపబడిన కళాకకారుడు ఒక పేరడైజ్ అనే ప్రదేశంలో అడుగుపెట్టినప్పుడు ఏమైనవి అనే అంశమే ఈ కధాంశము. ఆ పేరడైజ్లో ప్రజలు భశమించి ఒక నిమిషమైన విశ్రాంతి లేకుండా పనిచేస్తారు.
ఒక కణాకారుడు అక్కడ ప్రవేశించడానికి అనుమతి పొంది కొన్ని కళాఖండాలను చిన్న చిన్న నీది కుండలపై చిత్రిస్తారు. అతను ఆ పేరడైజ్ ప్రజలచేతే గెద్టింపబడతారు. రవీంద్రనాధ్ ఠగూర్ జాక్ అనే అబ్బాయికి పని మాత్రమే తెల్సి ఆటలాడే సమయం లేదటి అది ఆ ఆబ్బాయిని ఒక తెలివి తక్కువ వానిగా చేస్తుందనే హస్య కధాంశమే ఇది. కళ కళ కోసమే గాని దానికి ఎటువంటి నిరూపణలు అవసరం లేదని ఈ కధలో కవి రవీంద్రనాధ్ ఠాగూర్ చక్కగా వర్ణించారు.
A Wrong Man in Workers’ Paradise – Rabindranath Tagore
Glossary:
