1. My Son Will Not a Beggar Be

Objectives

• Understand an autobiography
• Use modals, adverbs, and adjectives
• Write letters and give/take messages

Section I: Childhood Memories

• Typical childhood includes fond memories of family, toys, and nature.
• Ved lost sight due to meningitis at age three and a half.
• Transitioned from a world of colors to one of sounds, smells, and touch.

Key Questions

1. What did the writer miss losing sight?
   • Colors of birds and butterflies
   • Ability to recognize people
   • Not the love of family or favorite food
2. Initial difficulties in adjusting to blindness were overcome with time.

Section II: Family Reaction

• Family’s mixed emotions: sadness, confusion, lack of hope.

• Moved to a quieter place to avoid sympathizing relatives.
• Father’s medical knowledge deemed futile; recognized permanent blindness.

Key Questions

1. Was the father happy about relatives visiting?
   • No, preferred transfer to avoid them.
2. How did family members react?
   • Mother cried, sisters treated Ved delicately, servants avoided him.
3. Father’s acceptance of blindness and potential of a blind child.

Section III: Mother’s Treatment

• Mother believed past actions caused blindness and sought religious remedies.
• Consulted pandits and hakims (traditional doctors).
• Treatments included prayers and herbal eye drops, which caused pain.
• Father’s intervention stopped ineffective treatments.

Key Questions

1. Mother’s belief in past causes led to religious remedies.
2. Pandits advised penance and intensive prayers.
3. Hakims prescribed eye drops and surmas.
4. Treatments persisted in milder forms with Ved’s consent.

Section IV: Father’s Approach

• Father sought educational opportunities instead of accepting societal norms for the blind.
• Contacted various educational authorities despite discouraging responses.
• Discovered Dr. R M Halder from Dadar School for the Blind who showed keen interest in Ved.
• Convinced mother to allow Ved’s admission into a special school for better future.

Key Questions

1. Mother’s tests for Ved included recognizing hand movements and light switches.
2. Ved’s adaptation to blindness was through enhanced other senses.

Overall Understanding

• Ved had to rely on touch, hearing, smell, and taste after losing sight.
• Story highlights the parents’ contrasting approaches and eventual support for Ved’s future.
• Emphasizes overcoming physical challenges through education.

Grammar and Vocabulary

Modals and Tenses

• Usage of “will” and “shall” for determination and future actions.
• “Would” and “should” indicate requests and obligations.
• “Used to” and “would” for repeated past actions.

Adverbs and Adjectives

• Formation of adverbs by adding “-ly” to adjectives.
• Correct usage of adjectives to describe nouns, quantities, numbers, and order of events.

Writing Skills

• Framework for writing formal letters.
• Example letter from Dr. Mehta requesting admission for Ved into Dadar School.

Conversation and Comprehension

• Exercises on giving and taking messages based on listening skills.

Answers to Intext Questions

• Provided answers for specific sections to facilitate self-assessment and understanding.