Saturday, April 3, 2021

ERI by Pradeepan Pampirikkunnu_ Comprehension Questions

ERI by Pradeepan Pampirikkunnu 


Readings on Kerala

Readings on Kerala (1A02ENG)

I Semester UG Common Course




Comprehension Questions:


  1. Who is Eri?

Eri, the character represents the historically downtrodden people in the Parayan community in Kerala. Eri has an inter-caste identity. He is born to a Parayan father and a Malayan mother. 


  1. Who is the narrator of the novel?

The narrator of the story is a research scholar who belongs to the Malaya caste. 


  1. Why is the character Eri important for the narrator? 

The recovery of the history of Eri is important to the narrator because he was impressed as a subaltern linguist by the legend of Eri. The narrator had heard stories of Eri from his father. 


  1. How did Eri help Raman to find his way home?

Eri applied a medicine from his duppi in his kurya to Raman’s eyes and he was able to see in the dark. 


  1. Did Rama Panikar have a good collection of books in his home library as he claimed? Why?  

Rama Panikar had claimed to have a great collection of books. However, the narrator could only find four palm leaf folders. So apparently, it wasn’t a good collection as he claimed. 


  1. Why did the father use the phrase “white cloth” to describe Eri according to the narrator?

The father told his son that Eri wears a white dress, indicating purity and cleanliness, which is a symbol of upper caste sensibility. 


  1. Describe the mode of teaching practiced by the Ezhuthassanmaar?

Ezhuthassanmaar travelled from one place to another and taught writing. They stayed in a place and taught Amaram (Amarakosham), Kavyam (Manipravalakavyangal), Enjuvadi, etc. to the children there.


  1. What did the Antharjanam want from Eri?

Antharjanam requested Eri to use magic to seduce her out of her husband’s house so that she would be excommunicated. 


  1. What happened to the Antharjanam?

Her husband, who was sixty, had passed away. She was only twenty years old and wanted to experience more from life. However, as per the tradition of the Brahmin community, she would be forced to live inside the house without any contact with the world outside for the rest of her life. 


  1. Why did Eri decline the request of the Antharjanam?

Eri declined the request of the Antharjanam because he believes that it is impossible to live together without love. He said that he lives his life with a sense of justice and God has no role in it. The anguish suffered by the Parayan community is the reality of his home. He asks her forgiveness before leaving her there.


  1. Who was Iringal Kanara Panikkar?


Iringal Kanara Panikkar was a skilled manthravadi. He was also a vaidyan who knew the Sanskrit language. He was an expert in podiatry and the treatment of fits. 

Curing Caste by Sahodaran Ayyappan_ Comprehension Questions

Curing Caste by Sahodaran Ayyappan_ Comprehension Questions


Readings on Kerala
Readings on Kerala (1A02ENG)

  • I Semester UG Common Course 


Comprehension Questions:

  1. What, according to the author, are the two types of cures for the caste disease?

Sahodaran Ayyappan suggests two cures for the caste disease: one is applied from the outside and the other is from the inside. 

  1. Why are external ointments not effective for the caste disease? 

The cures that are only applied externally leave the real causes of the caste problem unsolved. External ointments or solutions applied outside are short-lived. 

  1. What are the symptoms of caste disease according to sages? 

According to sages, hate, gossip, and nationalist rhetoric are symptoms of inwardly drawn caste disease. These symptoms exist dormant in the collective psyche of society. 

  1. Explain the phrase “hate rhetoric”. 

Hate rhetoric is hate speech. Individuals who nurture caste- bias are prone to become successful as politicians who rally masses in the name of caste and hate speech. Politicians exploit caste disease to gather support and secure power. 

  1. How do those who have faith in caste glorify caste? 

Those who have faith in caste glorify caste by equating caste with truth, morality and divinity. For them, breaking caste is forbidden and living casteless in a society is a cause of shame. 

  1. Whom does the “medico” in the poem represent?

The term “medico” indicates a physical or doctor, which here means the doctors who treat society, the social reformers. 

  1. What is meant by the word “dogma”?

The term dogma means blind faith of unquestioned belief. Ayyappan speaks about the importance of exterminating the dogmas of caste in the poem “Curing Caste”.  

  1. What happens when the dogmas and conventions of caste change? 

When change occurs in dogmas and conventions of caste, human beings can appreciate each other fully. 

  1. What is the power gained by those who are cured of the caste disease?

Only those who are completely cured of the caste disease can observe the defects and qualities of a person.

  1. Mere intelligence and learning are not sufficient to gain full human potential. What else is needed? 

Without getting rid of caste, according to Ayyappan, no result shall be obtained by mere intelligence or learning.