raining words: January 2011

The Legend Of Narshay

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Wrote this for a children's story contest...

Once upon a time, there was a small hamlet in England called by the name of Narshay, known for its sweet and enchanting cow’s milk. It was believed that the milk obtained by the Narshay cows had the power to make a person relax and ease his thoughts. People from all over the world visited this village to taste some of this famed liquid.

Twelve year old Jason’s parents were the owner of the village’s cow stable. They were in charge of milking the cows and maintaining the stables. Jason was the quietest of all the Narshanians. He was the only person to never drink the sweet milk. No matter how much he was forced, poor Jason just could not gulp down the milk. Apart from this little trouble, Narshay was an ideal place for dwelling.

However, all was not well in this hamlet of the magical milk. Unknown to everybody, Narshay was ruled by Witches. They were the most ancient habitants of Narshay. With much practice of black magic, they had invented a potion that would put the drinker in a state of trance. The drinker would be completely relaxed, no worries or concern would ever bother him. The witches had developed a novel way of spreading this potion to the entire village. They fed this potion to the cows and the magic transferred to the milk.

Jason was always aloof. He felt he did not belong in Narshay. He never understood the people of his village. They seemed to never have any problems! Jason spent most of his free time walking by the village ruins, he loved exploring. One such day he came across the widower Baxter’s house, or what was left of it. Baxter died the day Jason was born, when the rains had left for that year with a loud bang of thunderstorms. A lightning had burnt down Baxter’s house, and him too, as was witnessed by the terrified McClaren sisters. He poked around the rubble and discovered much to his delight a golden diary, pages yellowed with age. Excited to find something that old, he quickly flipped through it.

The entire diary was blank, except for two lines,

“The witches cursed us Narshanians. We are in a trance.”

“The witches controlled our world this way. By subtle charms.”

Jason dropped the book as if it had caught fire. At the bottom of the page was written the word MILK.

It did not take long for him to realize what was happening. He ran back home, wondering if he should tell anyone about the diary. Unsure about anyone believing him, he decided to take matters in his hand. That night Jason did not sleep. He sneaked out of the house at the crack of the dawn and reached the stable just on time to see the old McClaren sisters leave. After much quiet struggle, he shooed away all the cows to the outskirts of the village. On his return, he found that the entire village was gathered around the stable. All looking awestruck as well as panicky. This was a new strange feeling for them. The effect of the potion was wearing off, and they gradually felt their minds open as they struggled to grasp what had happened. It was then that Jason read out the lines from Baxter’s diary.

Realization dawned and they noticed that except for the two sisters, everybody was present. The stunned villagers were quick to act; maybe their minds had rested enough. They acted swiftly, and soon the sisters were imprisoned in a tall dungeon far from the village.

This was how Narshay was freed from the clutches of evil witches. Jason is still known as the hero of Narshay.

Not a wasted effort!

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According to John Galt, selfishness is both moral and practical. Explain what he means by this and how events of the story illustrate and dramatize his point.

In a society that is run by force, where fear is the motivator, and sacrifice the greatest virtue, John Galt is the Satan incarnate. He defines morality as “a code of values accepted by choice” (927). He refuses to accept sacrifice as the highest moral value. Sacrifice, he says, is the surrender of the right to the wrong, of the good to the evil (942).

He refuses to give up the pursuit of his own happiness for that of others. He is a visionary who believes that the essence of morality lies in the worship of your own values. When the codes of morality demand you to consider the greed of the lazy and weak over your own well being, it is both a survival tactic and an extreme means of rebellion to shun this society with its charlatan values and preachers, and start your own utopia where you can work for progress and your happiness.

The mystics of Spirit and Muscles, who govern and define rules for the world to follow, both use different paths to reach the same destination. They deem sacrifice as man’s greatest virtue and selfishness his greatest evil. They make you feel guilty for not providing for those who demand from you, those needy people who themselves do not have any values except those of a parasite. They try to instill in you right from your birth that it is virtuous to give; however, they take unashamedly. John Galt demands why it is immoral to produce something of value and keep it for yourself, when it is moral for others who haven’t earned it to accept it. “I will put an end to this, once and all, he says” (617), going on the first strike of its kind, the strike of the mind.

John Galt and Hank Rearden, both radical inventors, started out the same way, with creations that had the potential to provide brilliant opportunities for the world’s progress.

However, unlike Rearden, Galt experienced the consequences of providing for an irrational and greedy public. When working at the Twentieth Century Motor Company, he and other company employees were subjected to a policy that the most hardworking should provide for the neediest. The policy was “From each according to his ability, to each according to his need” (608). This later descended into chaos as the messiahs found an increasing number of converts to their creed. John Galt, with his supreme mind that could invent, realized right at the beginning the kind of society that would result out of these radical practices. He simply refused to allow the irrationally selfish world to use his invention for their betterment. This was an act which only justified his rational self-interest.

On the other hand, Rearden—the creator of a steel alloy that would be the cheapest and most versatile of all metals—fought against all odds to prove the usefulness of his metal, effort that in a rational society would surely not be required of him. Soon as the metal came under the public eye, the State Science Institute, a government-funded organization, coerced Rearden into selling them his patent rights to the metal, all the while citing their higher moral purpose of the “public good” as their only motivation. Their rationale here being that a private citizen could not be allowed to hold the sole rights for something of such great value, especially when the State Science Institute with all its publicly funded scientists could not come up with even a remotely close competitor. An outright manipulation of public perception was the aim behind these looter’s actions. It was only with time that Rearden came to realize that he was stuck in a loop where he thought it was his duty to provide for others, even at the cost of his own happiness.

In a society where a person’s dedication and hard work is punished, it is but practical to be selfish and to strive for one’s own happiness.

This is my code - and I will accept no other, he proclaims (445).

Hank and Lillian Rearden had been married for several years. Hank provided for her to the best of his limits, while she always hated him and tried to destroy him. After ten years of unceasing trials, Hank finally invents the Rearden Metal, which is the best of all alloys, and as a symbol of his life’s work, he forges a bracelet of the first heat of the metal and gives it to Lillian as a trophy. She mocks him and comments that the bracelet to her represents bondage. She clearly fails, or does not want, to realize that Hank only wanted to share his pride and success with her.

Dagny, the epitome of rational action, understands perfectly what the bracelet symbolizes. And when at a party, Lillian announces that she would rather have a diamond bracelet, as for her that is more valuable, Dagny proceeds to exchange her diamond bracelet for the Rearden metal chain.

For Lillian, the diamond bracelet is expensive. For Dagny, the Rearden metal bracelet is priceless.

Hank’s relationship with Lillian is very moral, but Hank never finds happiness in her companionship. He does not understand the values she practices, if there are any. But in Dagny, he finds understanding. He notices that they share and practice the same set of values. They both strive for their happiness by working hard. Hank’s relationship with Dagny, under society’s eye, is itself immoral. He judges their relationship with the same moral code and is angry at himself as the code makes him consider their lovemaking as obscene and immoral. It is only later that Hank understands the true value of his love for Dagny, the only moral codes worth following are the ones you devise yourself.

He realizes that it is perfectly moral to love someone for the values that you worship in them.

“Rights are a moral concept and morality is a matter of choice” (972. In one’s choice lay happiness, and in their morality lay a choice—the pursuit of one’s own happiness. And the true morality of life is the essence of John’s oath. “I swear— by my life and my love of it—that I will never live for the sake of another man, nor ask another man to live for mine” (979). And thus it shall be for any rational, practical, and moral being.

Thank you for editing this Swapneel.

Death and its effect.

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I can't imagine a world where I don't exist.
How to!
When the world revolves around me.
Once I leave,
everything will get lost,
without gravity.
Because I am that which holds them all together.
Without me, they will wander
aimlessly to far and beyond, never to return.
Except those that orbit weakly like ghosts of those who went away.

Is this Haiku?

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And in your wake,
I make,
Obvious mistakes.

appeal

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You look appealing or you sound appealing, why is there not both in you?
Why is there no lost look in your eyes, when there can be one in mine?
So what divides us.
What is it that stops us from talking.
Talking about what we want to talk about.

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A lonely ride
devoid of music and fiction
A borrowed pen
solace to this rhthymic friction
So many things to write
easily forgotten by the end of seven days

A minuscle beggar
with eyes that would remind you of twinkling stars
Outstretched palms, grimy faced
A big apple is offered
and this little god of innocense
blesses me with a toothy smile.

Gah!

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I can’t explain my sudden irritation for my old pals and much liked colleagues!

I mean is it really true that the moon has a say in your behavior?

My! This kind of talk totally qualifies me to be a lunatic.

Read Chuck Palahniuk. The movie Fightclub, based on the book written by him, is brilliant. So I was hoping to enjoy his book Diary. But nah, the plot is different but not interesting enough. Also, there are too many unnecessary things happening. And the characters are so unbelievable and boring and fat and negative. Also read (half!) The Time Traveler’s Wife. Liked it enough that I was greatly disappointed to find that the copy had few hundred pages were missing!

Will buy an original copy now (enough of giving preference to roadside vendors.)

But all said, I too want to marry a hip Librarian with a lot of family money! Now reading Sugar Street which won the Nobel prize for literature. Not bad huh. Have another book lined up to read after this one, On the road! I have been waiting to read that book ever since I first came to know of its existence.

Completed 13 months of work. Feeling real proud of myself.

Took a break and visited Grandparents. Much love was revived. Much tears were shed.

Still looking for inspiration.

Adios.

raining words

The Legend Of Narshay

Not a wasted effort!

Death and its effect.

Is this Haiku?

appeal

Gah!

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