🎯 Learning Objectives
- Read and understand Premchand's story 'The Thakur's Well' and its social message
- Understand how social injustice is caused by caste, creed, colour, and gender prejudice
- Use verbs with multiple meanings (take, close, keep, give)
- Use the INFINITIVE (to + verb) correctly in sentences
- Write a newspaper report on a social issue
- Understand Martin Luther King's 'I Have a Dream' speech
- Pronounce the -ed suffix correctly (three different pronunciations)
1.1 Reading — 'The Thakur's Well' by Premchand
📚 Story Background
Author: Munshi Premchand — one of the greatest Hindi writers. Known for stories about social injustice, poverty, and caste discrimination.
Translation: David Rubin (Penguin Books)
Theme: Caste-based discrimination in rural India — a low-caste woman's desperate attempt to get clean water for her sick husband.
Social Issue: 'Double discrimination' — Gangi faces injustice both as a woman AND as a low-caste person.
Characters and Their Roles:
| Character | Who They Are | Role in Story |
|---|
| Gangi | Low-caste woman — the protagonist | Desperately tries to get clean water for her sick husband; faces caste and gender discrimination |
| Jokhu | Gangi's sick husband | Needs clean water; represents the helplessness of the oppressed poor |
| The Thakur | Upper-caste village landlord — the oppressor | Owns a well that Gangi is forbidden to use; has bribed police, stolen from farmers; represents corrupt power |
Scene-by-Scene Summary:
| Scene | Summary |
|---|
| Scene 1 | Jokhu is sick and thirsty. The water Gangi brought smells foul — some animal must have died in the well. She cannot use the Thakur's or shopkeeper's wells — they are forbidden to low-caste people. There is no other well in the village for people like her. |
| Scene 2 | Jokhu begs to drink the foul water — he can't stand the thirst. Gangi refuses. Jokhu warns her: the Brahman will curse you, the Thakur will beat you with a stick, the shopkeeper will cheat you. Nobody cares about people like us. Gangi cannot deny this harsh truth. But she still won't let him drink stinking water. |
| Scene 3 | At night, Gangi creeps to the Thakur's well. She hides behind the wall while the Thakur and idlers gossip about his corruption — how he bribed the police, obtained secret court documents. She reflects bitterly: why are they so high and mighty? She hears two women at the well complaining they are treated like slaves. |
| Scene 4 | When everyone leaves, Gangi climbs onto the well platform 'like a soldier stealing into the enemy's fortress.' She casts the bucket — slowly, silently. She pulls it up swiftly. She stoops to catch the bucket — and at that moment the Thakur's door opens. Terror seizes her. The rope slips. The bucket crashes into the well. She runs home. She arrives to find Jokhu already drinking the filthy, stinking water. |
Comprehension Answers:
| Question | Answer |
|---|
| Why didn't Jokhu drink the water first? | Because the water smelled foul — some animal must have died in the well. |
| The 'harsh truth' Jokhu pointed out? | That upper-caste people ill-treated the low-caste. The Brahman would curse, the Thakur would beat, the shopkeeper would cheat. |
| Why was the Thakur not convicted? | Because he had bribed the police. This shows he was corrupt and used money to escape justice. |
| Why did Gangi go to the well at night? | Her husband was sick and desperately needed clean water. Also, no one could see her at night. |
| Words describing 'high-caste' people? | dishonest, corrupt, rotten, high-handed, cruel, powerful (NOT innocent, kind, or generous) |
| Why did women consider themselves slaves? | They worked non-stop without appreciation, obeyed men's orders without question, received no wages, had no voice. |
| What is Gangi's 'double discrimination'? | She faces discrimination as a WOMAN AND as a LOWER-CASTE person — two layers of oppression. |
| Why did she leave the bucket? | The Thakur suddenly came out. Terrified, she panicked and dropped the rope. |
1.2 Vocabulary — Verbs with Multiple Meanings
| Verb | Meaning | Example |
|---|
| take (carry) | To transport or bring | Gangi would like to take clean water for her husband. |
| take (rent) | To pay for and use temporarily | We will take a room in a hotel for a night. |
| take (occupy) | To sit or use a place | Take a seat and watch the film. |
| take (accept) | To receive something offered | The accountant was accused of taking bribes. |
| take (hold) | To have capacity for | The new bus can take 60 passengers. |
| close (shut) | To shut a door, window, etc. | Please close the door and lock it. |
| close (narrow) | To reduce a gap | These measures aimed at closing the gap between rich and poor. |
| give (cause) | To cause a feeling or result | Go for a walk. It will give you an appetite. |
| give (infect) | To pass on an illness | You are sure to give me your cold. |
1.3 Grammar — The Infinitive (To + Verb)
📖 What is an Infinitive?
An
infinitive is the base form of a verb with 'TO' before it. It usually follows certain verbs.
From the story:
• It was hard for Gangi
to make several trips.
• Are they going
to let you draw water from their well?
• Gangi stooped
to catch the bucket.
| Verb + to | Example |
|---|
| refuse to | He refused to accept my resignation. |
| hope to | Gangi hoped to get a bucket of clean water. |
| arrange to | They arranged to meet after office hours. |
| invite to | My friend invited me to spend my holidays with her. |
| warn not to | The Sherpa warned them not to smoke while using oxygen masks. |
| ask to | The air hostess asked passengers to fasten their seat belts. |
Exercise Answers:
| Original | Answer |
|---|
| Did you remember (lock) the safe? | Did you remember to lock the safe? |
| Gangi hoped (get) a bucket of clean water. | Gangi hoped to get a bucket of clean water. |
| The boss refused (accept) my resignation. | The boss refused to accept my resignation. |
| She refused (go) rock climbing. | She refused to go rock climbing. |
| The women had come (draw) water from the well. | The women had come to draw water. |
| The Sherpa warned them not (smoke). | The Sherpa warned them not to smoke. |
📝 Animals Passage — Completed Infinitives
Many animals can be taught
to solve problems. Rats have been taught
to press a lever to get food. Pigeons have been taught
to peck a disc. Even an octopus has been trained
to find out the difference between a square and a rectangle! Animals in circuses have been taught
to do all sorts of tricks
to amuse an audience.
1.4 Listening — Martin Luther King: 'I Have a Dream'
🎤 Background
Context: August 28, 1963. The 100th anniversary of the abolition of slavery in the USA. Over 200,000 white and black Americans marched to the Lincoln Memorial. MLK gave one of history's greatest speeches.
Core Message: The US government had not yet honoured its promise of equality to Black Americans — like a bad debt they had not settled.
🗣️ I Have a Dream — Speech Excerpt
"I say to you today, my friends, that in spite of the difficulties and frustrations of the moment I still have a dream. I have a dream that one day this nation will rise up and live out the true meaning of its creed: We hold these truths to be self-evident — that all men are created equal.I have a dream that one day on the red hills of Georgia, the sons of former slaves and the sons of former slave-owners will be able to sit down together at the table of brotherhood. I have a dream that my four little children will live in a nation where they will not be marked by the colour of their skin, but by the content of their character....When we let freedom ring from every town and every hamlet, we will be able to speed up that day when all God's children will be able to join hands and sing: Free at last! Free at last! Thank God almighty, we are free at last!"| Question | Answer |
|---|
| What had the government not given to the Blacks? | Their civil rights (Answer: i) |
| What was King's dream? | That there should be perfect equality between whites and blacks (Answer: iii) |
| Was slavery abolished in 1863? | Yes — slavery was abolished in 1863 (Answer: i) |
1.5 Pronunciation — Three Ways to Pronounce '-ed'
| Pronunciation | When Used | Examples |
|---|
| /ɪd/ — extra syllable | After /t/ or /d/ sounds | want-ed, cheat-ed, hate-ed, lift-ed, raid-ed, implement-ed |
| /t/ — sounds like 't' | After /p/, /k/, /ch/, /f/, /s/, /sh/ sounds | stop-ped, stoop-ed, mix-ed, pass-ed, watch-ed, laugh-ed |
| /d/ — sounds like 'd' | After all other consonants and all vowels | fill-ed, dragg-ed, star-ed, brib-ed, muster-ed, tri-ed |
💡 Memory Tip
When you say /t/ or /d/ twice in a row it's awkward — so -ed gets its OWN SYLLABLE: 'want-id', 'raid-id'. With /s/ or /p/ endings, adding /d/ is hard — so -ed becomes /t/: 'stopped' (not 'stopd'). In all other cases, -ed sounds like /d/: 'filled', 'tried'.
1.6 Writing — A Newspaper Report
📰 Features of a Good Newspaper Report
- Informative and educative — gives clear facts
- Laid out clearly and authentically — well-organised, credible
- Expresses facts AND feelings/emotions
- Deals with a social issue in context — relevant and current
- Clear, precise, and objective language
📰 Sample Report
Discrimination Has No Place in DemocraciesNew Delhi: It's a shame that even after 56 years of Independence, women in the country are being discriminated against. Article 14 of the Constitution provides that no citizen shall be discriminated against on the basis of caste, creed, sex, religion, etc. Laws which aim at empowering the vulnerable sections of society must be implemented along the provisions of the Constitution. Women in greater numbers must be allowed to participate in the lawmaking process. This will help plug the loopholes in various laws relating to property, inheritance and other areas.
Practice Questions & Answers
Q1. What is the main theme of 'The Thakur's Well'? What social issue does it address?
The main theme is CASTE DISCRIMINATION in rural India. The story shows how lower-caste people are denied even the most basic necessity — clean drinking water — by upper-caste people who claim to be 'superior' but are actually corrupt, dishonest, and cruel.
The story addresses: Untouchability; Gender inequality (women treated as slaves); The hypocrisy of those who claim moral superiority while practicing injustice.
Q2. What does Gangi's 'double discrimination' mean?
Gangi faces TWO layers of oppression:
1. As a LOWER-CASTE person — she cannot use the Thakur's or shopkeeper's well. 'There was no well for people like herself' in the village.
2. As a WOMAN — the women at the well complain they are treated like slaves. They do all the work, obey all orders, get no appreciation, and are denied even basic wages.
Q3. What is an infinitive? Give 5 examples of verbs followed by infinitives.
An INFINITIVE = the base form of a verb with 'to' before it. E.g. to go, to run, to think, to get.
5 verbs followed by infinitives:
1. refuse: He refused to accept my resignation.
2. hope: Gangi hoped to get clean water.
3. arrange: They arranged to meet after office hours.
4. invite: She invited me to spend my holidays.
5. warn: The Sherpa warned them not to smoke.
Q4. Explain the three ways to pronounce '-ed'. Give 2 examples for each.
1. /ɪd/ (extra syllable) — after /t/ or /d/ sounds: want-ed, cheat-ed
2. /t/ — after /p/, /k/, /ch/, /f/, /s/, /sh/ sounds: stopped, watched
3. /d/ — after all other consonants and vowels: filled, tried
Q5. What did Martin Luther King mean by 'a bad debt'?
King compared the US government's promise of equality to a 'bad cheque' (bad debt) — a promise that had been made but not honoured. The US Constitution promised ALL men were created equal and entitled to liberty. But Black Americans had never received these rights — the government had written the cheque but failed to cash it.
Q6. Rewrite using infinitives: a) The women came and drew water. b) Gangi stooped. Then she caught the bucket.
a) The women had come to draw water from the well.
b) Gangi stooped to catch the bucket.
Q7. Which words describe the 'high-caste' people in the story? Why are they NOT actually better?
Words: dishonest, corrupt, rotten, high-handed, cruel, powerful.
Why NOT better:
• The Thakur BRIBED the police to escape a criminal case
• He STOLE a sheep from a poor shepherd
• The shopkeeper MIXED oil with ghee (cheated customers)
• They LIED in court, cheated in lawsuits
Gangi's reflection: 'Just how were they so high and mighty? It was only a matter of words.'
Q8. Pronounce these — write whether '-ed' is /ɪd/, /t/, or /d/: stooped, wanted, filled, laughed, dragged, implemented, pushed
stooped → /t/ (after /p/ sound)
wanted → /ɪd/ (after /t/ sound — extra syllable: want-id)
filled → /d/ (after /l/ sound)
laughed → /t/ (after /f/ sound)
dragged → /d/ (after /g/ sound)
implemented → /ɪd/ (after /t/ sound: implement-id)
pushed → /t/ (after /sh/ sound)
Q9. What were the key questions raised by MLK in his speech?
1. When will the sons of slaves and sons of slave-owners be able to sit together as brothers?
2. When will people be judged by the CONTENT OF THEIR CHARACTER rather than the COLOUR OF THEIR SKIN?
3. When will freedom ring across all of America — from New Hampshire to Mississippi?
4. When will all of God's children join hands in true equality?
Q10. Why is Premchand's story still relevant today?
1. Caste discrimination still exists in India despite constitutional prohibitions
2. Access to clean water is STILL a privilege rather than a right for millions
3. Gender inequality and women being treated as 'slaves' in homes continues
4. Those with power (money, caste, gender) STILL use it to oppress others
Article 14 of the Indian Constitution guarantees equality, but implementation remains incomplete. Gangi's story is still being lived by millions today.
Let Us Sum Up — Quick Revision
- 'The Thakur's Well': Premchand's story of caste + gender double discrimination. Gangi risks her life for clean water but fails.
- Social Issue: Low-caste people denied basic rights (water) by corrupt, hypocritical upper-caste people
- MLK's Dream: All men are created equal. Judge by character, not colour. Freedom must ring everywhere.
- Infinitive: to + verb base. After: refuse, hope, arrange, learn, want, invite, ask, warn
- -ed /ɪd/: want-ed, cheat-ed (after /t/ or /d/ sounds)
- -ed /t/: stopped, laughed (after /p/, /k/, /ch/, /f/, /s/, /sh/ sounds)
- -ed /d/: filled, tried (after all other consonants and all vowels)