A Wedding in Brownsville Summary and Explanation
CBSe Class 12 English (Elective) Chapter 3- A Wedding in Brownsville Summary, Explanation along with Difficult Word Meanings from Kaleidoscope Book Short Stories
A Wedding in Brownsville Summary – Are you looking for the summary, theme and lesson explanation for CBSE 12 English (Elective) Chapter 3 – A Wedding in Brownsville from English Kaleidoscope Book Short Stories. Get Lesson summary, theme, explanation along with difficult word meanings
CBSE Class 12 English (Elective) Short Stories Chapter 3 – A Wedding in Brownsville
Isaac Bashevis Singer (Translated by Chana Faerslein and Elizabeth Pollet)
A Wedding in Brownsville is the story of Dr Solomon Margolin, a survivor of the holocaust. He lost his family and beloved which made him lonely and sad. Despite achieving success, he had a sense of failure and after dying in an accident, his astral body roams here and there to fulfil his unfulfilled love.
- A Wedding in Brownsville Summary
- A Wedding in Brownsville Summary in Hindi
- A Wedding in Brownsville Theme
- A Wedding in Brownsville Explanation
Related:
A Wedding in Brownsville Summary
Dr Solomon Margolin and his wife Gretl, have been invited to the wedding of Abraham Mekheles’ youngest daughter Sylvia. Gretl refuses to attend the wedding because she does not want to eat the greasy feast. Also she does not want to sacrifice the night’s sleep because after the wedding they would reach home by 3 o’clock. Dr Solomon also agreed with Gretel’s opinion about the poisonous food. However, he was happy that this time he would not have to apologize to her as she was not going to the wedding. Of late, they had noticed that the standards of Jewish Americans had fallen and it was a big mess. Finally, he decides to go to the wedding in a cab.
Dr Solomon Margolin is a native of Poland’s Sencimin town. As a child he was considered a prodigy. He loved and wanted to marry Raizel the daughter of Melekh but she married someone else and was later shot dead by the Nazis. His Jewish family was struck by Hitler’s holocaust and he managed to flee to USA. He studied to become a doctor and was successful too. He was a prominent member of the Jewish society in New York. He occupied important positions and ranks in the Sencimin society. However, he had a void inside, a sadness and a feeling of being a failure. He married Gretl, a nurse who worked with him at a hospital in Berlin. She had lost both her brothers and her father lived with her sister in Hamburg. She sent him money regularly. Gretel was a hardworking woman and use to do all the household chores herself.
On the way to the wedding the cab suddenly jolted and came to a halt and the cab driver saw an accident and an injured person being carried on a stretcher. Margolin finds the injured to be familiar but he waives off the thought.
The driver drives on and finally Solomon reaches the venue in Brownsville. The wedding hall is full of guests who are merry making. Everyone meets Solomon and gradually his discussion with a few of them turns towards the Jews who had died in the holocaust. All the Senciminers had this common pain of losing their love ones to the massacre. After sometime, Solomon saw someone who seemed familiar. He realised that it was Raizel whom he was in love with when he had been in Sencimin. He was in a shock because according to him Raizel was dead. On talking to Raizel he experiences the same energy of his youth and became eager to marry her. As he had married Gretl in a civil ceremony so, according to the Jewish law he was still unmarried and could marry Raizel. He searched for his wallet to get a coin so that he could marry her but he failed to find the wallet and he realised that it was missing. Suddenly he felt his body to be very light and he realised that Raizel also looked very young for her age. Solomon realises that it was he who had met with an accident and had died and now it was his soul that was searching for the unfulfilled love of Raizel.
Summary of the Lesson A Wedding in Brownsville in Hindi
डॉ सोलोमन मार्गोलिन और उनकी पत्नी ग्रेटल को अब्राहम मेखेलस की सबसे छोटी बेटी सिल्विया की शादी में आमंत्रित किया गया है। ग्रेटल शादी में शामिल होने से इनकार कर देती है क्योंकि वह चिकना भोज नहीं खाना चाहती है। साथ ही वह रात की नींद भी नहीं छोड़ना चाहती क्योंकि शादी के बाद वे 3 बजे तक घर पहुंच जाएंगे। डॉ सोलोमन भी जहरीले भोजन के बारे में ग्रेटल की राय से सहमत थे। हालांकि, वह खुश थे कि इस बार उन्हें उससे माफी नहीं मांगनी पड़ेगी क्योंकि वह शादी में नहीं जा रही थी। हाल ही में, उन्होंने देखा था कि यहूदी अमेरिकियों के मानक गिर गए थे और यह एक बड़ी गड़बड़ी थी। अंत में, उन्होंने एक टैक्सी में शादी में जाने का फैसला किया। डॉ सोलोमन मार्गोलिन पोलैंड के सेंसिमिन शहर के मूल निवासी हैं। एक बच्चे के रूप में उन्हें एक विलक्षण व्यक्ति माना जाता था। वह मेलेख की बेटी रायज़ेल से प्यार करते थे और उससे शादी करना चाहते थे लेकिन उसने किसी और से शादी कर ली और बाद में नाज़ियों द्वारा गोली मारकर हत्या कर दी गई। उनके यहूदी परिवार को हिटलर के नरसंहार ने झकझोर दिया और वह अमेरिका भागने में सफल रहे। उन्होंने डॉक्टर बनने के लिए पढ़ाई की और सफल भी हुए। वे न्यूयॉर्क में यहूदी समाज के एक प्रमुख सदस्य थे। उन्होंने सेन्सिमिन समाज में महत्वपूर्ण पदों और पदों पर कब्जा किया। हालाँकि, उनके अंदर एक खालीपन था, एक उदासी और असफल होने का एहसास। उन्होंने बर्लिन के एक अस्पताल में उनके साथ काम करने वाली नर्स ग्रेटल से शादी की। उसने अपने दोनों भाइयों को खो दिया और उसके पिता हैम्बर्ग में अपनी बहन के साथ रहते थे। वह उसे नियमित रूप से पैसे भेजती थी। ग्रेटल एक मेहनती महिला थी और घर का सारा काम खुद ही करती थी।
शादी के रास्ते में कैब अचानक हिल गई और रुक गई और कैब ड्राइवर ने एक दुर्घटना और एक घायल व्यक्ति को स्ट्रेचर पर ले जाते हुए देखा। मार्गोलिन को घायल व्यक्ति परिचित लगता है लेकिन वह इस विचार को टाल देता है।
ड्राइवर गाड़ी चलाता है और आखिरकार सोलोमन ब्राउन्सविले में कार्यक्रम स्थल पर पहुँचता है। शादी का हॉल मेहमानों से भरा हुआ है जो मौज-मस्ती कर रहे हैं। हर कोई सोलोमन से मिलता है और धीरे-धीरे उनमें से कुछ के साथ उसकी चर्चा उन यहूदियों की ओर मुड़ जाती है जो नरसंहार में मारे गए थे। सभी सेन्सिमिनर्स को नरसंहार में अपने प्रियजनों को खोने का एक समान दर्द था। कुछ समय बाद सोलोमन ने किसी को देखा जो परिचित लग रहा था। उसने महसूस किया कि यह रायज़ेल ही थी जिससे वह सेंसिमिन में रहने के दौरान प्यार करता था। वह हैरान था क्योंकि उसके अनुसार रायज़ेल मर चुकी थी। रायज़ेल से बात करने पर उसे अपनी युवावस्था की ऊर्जा का अनुभव होता है और वह उससे शादी करने के लिए उत्सुक है। चूँकि उसने ग्रेटल से एक नागरिक समारोह में शादी की थी, इसलिए यहूदी कानून के अनुसार वह अभी भी अविवाहित था और वह रायज़ेल से शादी कर सकता था। उसने एक सिक्का पाने के लिए अपने बटुए की तलाश की ताकि वह उससे शादी कर सके लेकिन वह बटुआ खोजने में विफल रहा और उसने महसूस किया कि वह गायब था। अचानक उसने महसूस किया कि उसका शरीर बहुत हल्का हो गया है और उसने महसूस किया कि रायज़ेल भी अपनी उम्र के हिसाब से बहुत छोटी लग रही थी। सोलोमन को एहसास हुआ कि वह दुर्घटना में मर गया था और अब उसकी आत्मा रायज़ेल के अधूरे प्यार की तलाश कर रही थी।
Theme of the Lesson A Wedding in Brownsville
Impact of the holocaust
At the Jewish wedding Dr Solomon meets fellow Senciminers. All of them are haunted by the past and a sense of gloom prevails over the entire Jewish American community. Despite being a successful doctor, Margolin has a sense of being a failure because he lost his family and his love to the massacre.
Surrealism
It is the use of a writing style in which the incidents seem to be a dream. After meeting with the accident, Solomon dies and his Astral body roams here and there. He takes time to realise this. During this period he meets many Senciminers who were already dead and they discussed about the other Jews who had died in the holocaust. Margolin’s astral body is in search of Raizel because he wants to fulfill the unrequitted love of his youth.
Loss of Identity in a foreign land
Dr Solomon is a native of Sencimin, a town in Poland. During Hitler’s hollocaust, his entire family was wiped out and he managed to flee to USA. Margolin studied and managed to become a successful doctor in USA. Despite being successful he had a sense of sadness because he was lonely. He had lost his family and his lady love in the holocaust. The scars of this massacre were so deep that the wounds never heeled. Although Solomon had a set of wealthy patients and an office at the West end Avenue, still, he had the feeling of being a failure in life. This was because he felt that he was a stranger there.
A Wedding in Brownsville Lesson Explanation
Passage: The wedding had been a burden to Dr Solomon Margolin from the very beginning. True, it was to take place on a Sunday, but Gretl had been right when she said that was the only evening in the week they could spend together. It always turned out that way. His responsibilities to the community made him give away the evenings that belonged to her. The Zionists had appointed him to a committee; he was a board member of a Jewish scholastic society; he had become co-editor of an academic Jewish quarterly. And though he often referred to himself as an agnostic and even an atheist, nevertheless for years he had been dragging Gretl to Seders at Abraham Mekheles’, a Landsman from Sencimin. Dr Margolin treated rabbis, refugees, and Jewish writers without charge, supplying them with medicines and, if necessary, a hospital bed. There had been a time when he had gone regularly to the meetings of the Senciminer Society, had accepted positions in their ranks, and had attended all the parties. Now Abraham Mekheles was marrying off his youngest daughter, Sylvia. The minute the invitation arrived, Gretl had announced her decision: she was not going to let herself be carted off to a wedding somewhere out in the wilds of Brownsville. If he, Solomon, wanted to go and gorge himself on all kinds of greasy food, coming home at three o’clock in the morning, that was his prerogative.
Word meanings:
Zionists: a supporter of Zionism; a person who believes in the development and protection of a Jewish nation in what is now Israel
Scholastic: of or concerning schools and education
Agnostic: a person who believes that nothing is known or can be known of the existence or nature of God.
Atheist: a person who disbelieves or lacks belief in the existence of God or gods
Seders: a Jewish home or community service including a ceremonial dinner
Landsman: a countryman who knows nothing of the seas
Rabbis: a Jewish scholar or teacher, especially one who studies or teaches Jewish law.
Carted off: Transport or remove in an unceremonious way
Gorge: eat a large amount greedily; fill oneself with food
Prerogative: a right or privilege exclusive to a particular individual or class
Explanation of the Passage: For Dr Solomon, attending the wedding had been troublesome since beginning. Although it was on a Sunday, his wife Gretl had been correct in pointing out that Sunday evenings were the only time they could spend together and if attending a wedding, they missed that too. However, most of the weddings were on Sundays. Dr Solomon was an important member of the Jewish community and so, he had to fulfil his attendance at these gatherings. Thus, the time that had been reserved for his wife was also given away. The group of supporters of Jews had appointed him to the committee, he was also a member of the board of the Jewish Scholastic Society and was a co-editor of a Jewish publication which was published every three months. He considered himself to be one who believed that existence of God was unknown and one who did not believe in the existence of God. On the other hand, for the last several years, he had taken Gretl to attend Seders at Abraham Mekheles’ place who was a Landsman from Sencimin town in Poland. He gave free treatment, medicines and even a bed in the hospital to Jewish teachers of Law, Jew refugees and writers. At times, he regularly attended the meetings of the Senciminer society, accepted office and attended theor parties. It was the wedding of Mekheles’ youngest daughter, Sylvia. As soon as they received the invitation, Gretl had declined because she would not allow Solomon to take her to a wedding in the forested outskirts of Brownsville town. If Solomon wanted to eat lots of oily food and return by 3 in the morning, it was his decision.
Passage: Dr Margolin admitted to himself that his wife was right. When would he get a chance to sleep? He had to be at the hospital early Monday morning. Moreover he was on a strict fat-free diet. A wedding like this one would be a feast of poisons. Everything about such celebrations irritated him now: the Anglicised Yiddish, the Yiddishised English, the ear-splitting music and unruly dances. Jewish laws and customs were completely distorted; men who had no regard for Jewishness wore skullcaps; and the reverend rabbis and cantors aped the Christian ministers. Whenever he took Gretl to a wedding or Bar Mitzvah, he was ashamed. Even she, born a Christian, could see that American Judaism was a mess. At least this time he would be spared the trouble of making apologies to her.
Word meanings:
Anglicised: to make or become English in sound, appearance, or character
Yiddish: a language used by Jewish people in central and eastern Europe before the Holocaust.
Unruly:disorderly and disruptive and not amenable to discipline or control
Distorted: changed
Skullcaps: a small, round hat that fits closely on the top of the head, worn especially by religious Jewish men or Roman Catholic priests of high rank
Reverend: respected
Cantor: an official of a Jewish synagogue (religious building) who sings and leads prayers
Aped: copied
Bar Mitzvah: the initiation ceremony of a Jewish boy who has reached the age of 13 and is regarded as ready to observe religious precepts and eligible to take part in public worship
Explanation of the Passage: Dr Solomon agreed that Gretl’s opinion was correct. After attending the late-night wedding, he would also not get enough time to sleep. Also, as he was on a diet, the oily feast was not less than poison for him. Now, these weddings irritated him. The crowd was of Jews who had become more English and the English who had become somewhat Jewish. The music was very loud and the dancers were indisciplined. No one followed the Jewish laws and customs, men wore skullcaps but did not regard Jewish principles. Even more, the Jewish priests and teachers of law copied English ministers. Whenever he took Gretl to any Jewish ceremony, he felt ashamed of how the people were disobeying the religion. Although Gretl was a born American, she could observe that Jews in America were in a mess. This time, she wouldn’t accompany him and he would be saved from the trouble of apologising to her.
Passage: Usually after breakfast on Sunday, he and his wife took a walk in Central Park, or, when the weather was mild, went to the Palisades. But today Solomon Margolin lingered in bed. During the years, he had stopped attending functions of the Senciminer Society; meanwhile the town of Sencimin had been destroyed. His family there had been tortured, burned, gassed. Many Senciminers had survived, and, later, come to America from the camps, but most of them were younger people whom he, Solomon, had not known in the old country. Tonight everyone would be there; the Senciminers belonging to the bride’s family and the Tereshpolers belonging to the groom’s. He knew how they would pester him, reproach him for growing aloof, drop hints that he was a snob. They would address him familiarly, slap him on the back, drag him off to dance. Well, even so, he had to go to Sylvia’s wedding. He had already sent out the present.
Word meanings:
Palisades: cliffs that line the western side of the Hudson River, in New Jersey and in New York, beginning across from New York City in New Jersey and extending north to Newburgh in New York.
Tereshpoler: Inhabitant of Terespol, a border town in eastern Poland on the border with Belarus
Pester: disturb
Reproach: express to (someone) one’s disapproval of or disappointment in their actions
Aloof: not friendly
Snob: a person who respects and likes only people who are of a high social class
Explanation of the Passage: As a matter of routine, Dr Solomon and his wife would go for a walk after breakfast on Sundays. They would either go to the Central Park or the Palisades. However, that day Solomon remained in bed. He had stopped attending the functions of the Senciminer society and the town of Sencimin had also been destroyed. Members of his family who lived there suffered turture, burning and gassing. Survivors escaped to America from the camps but they were mostly the younger crowd while Solomon knew the older generation. On the wedding night everyone would be present. There would be the Senciminers represting the bride, the Tereshpolers representing the groom. Solomon knew they would disturb him and disapprove his ways of being unfriendly and remark that he was a snob. They would try to break ice, hit him and pull him to dance. Still, he would attend the wedding and had already sent the gift.
Passage: The day had dawned, grey and dreary as dusk. Overnight, a heavy snow had fallen. Solomon Margolin had hoped to make up for the sleep he was going to lose, but unfortunately he had woken even earlier than usual. Finally he got up. He shaved himself meticulously at the bathroom mirror and also trimmed the grey hair at his temples. Today of all days he looked his age: there were bags under his eyes, and his face was lined. Exhaustion showed in his features. His nose appeared longer and sharper than usual; there were deep folds at the sides of his mouth. After breakfast he stretched out on the living-room sofa. From there he could see Gretl, who was standing in the kitchen, ironing—blonde, faded, middle-aged. She had on a skimpy petticoat, and her calves were as muscular as a dancer’s. Gretl had been a nurse in the Berlin hospital where he had been a member of the staff. Of her family, one brother, a Nazi, had died of typhus in a Russian prison camp. A second, who was a Communist, had been shot by the Nazis. Her aged father vegetated at the home of his other daughter in Hamburg, and Gretl sent him money regularly. She herself had become almost Jewish in New York. She had made friends with Jewish women, joined Hadassah, learned to cook Jewish dishes. Even her sigh was Jewish. And she lamented continually over the Nazi catastrophe. She had her plot waiting for her beside his in that part of the cemetery that the Senciminers had reserved for themselves.
Word meanings:
Dreary: dull, uninteresting
Temples: part of the head where 4 bones meet
Bags under his eyes: under eye area is puffy
Exhaustion: tiredness
Skimpy: short and revealing
Calves: lower leg
Vegetated: to live in a way that has no physical and mental activity
Hadassah: American religious organization dedicated to preserving and promoting Jewish social and religious values in the United States and to strengthening ties between U.S. and Israeli Jewish communities.
Lamented: feeling sad that someone or something has gone
Catastrophe: a disaster
Explanation of the Passage: At Sunrise, it felt like the Sun was setting with the sky grey and sad. It had snowed all night. Solomon had hoped to cover up the lost sleep hours but he woke up early than usual. He got up and shaved nicely. He trimmed the hair which had turned grey. That day, he looked his age and not younger. Due to lack of sleep, his eyes were puffy and his face had wrinkles and lines. He looked tired. his nose was longer and sharper and the sides of his mouth had deep folds of skin. He ate breakfast and lied on the sofa in the living room. He could see Gretl who was in the kitchen. She was inroning clothes. She had blonde hair, was faded middle-aged woman. She was wearing a short and revealing petticoat and had strong lower legs like dancers have. She had been a nurse in a hospital at Berlin and Solomon also worked there. One of her brothers was a Nazi who died of typhus when he was serving imprisonment in a Russian camp. Another brother was a Communist who had been shot dead by the Nazis. Her father was old and lived a vegetable-like life with her sister in Hamburg. Gretl sent him money regularly. Now in New York, Gretl had almost become a Jew. She had Jew female friends, had joined the Jewish religious group in America and could cook Jewish food. She was Jewish to the core when she even sighed like them. She felt sad for the Nazi-led catastrophe which killed millions of Jews. There was a plot reserved for her grave, next to Dr Solomon’s plot in the part of the graveyard that had been reserved for the people of Sencimin.
Passage: Dr Margolin yawned, reached for the cigarette that lay in an ashtray on the coffee table beside him, and began to think about himself. His career had gone well. Ostensibly he was a success. He had an office on West End Avenue and wealthy patients. His colleagues respected him, and he was an important figure in Jewish circles in New York. What more could a boy from Sencimin expect? A self-taught man, the son of a poor teacher of Talmud? In person he was tall and quite handsome, and he had always had a way with women. He still pursued them—more than was good for him at his age and with his high blood pressure. But secretly Solomon Margolin had always felt that he was a failure. As a child he had been acclaimed a prodigy, reciting long passages of the Bible and studying the Talmud and Commentaries on his own. When he was a boy of eleven, he had sent for a Responsum to the rabbi of Tarnow who had referred to him in his reply as ‘great and illustrious’. In his teens he had become a master in the Guide for the Perplexed and the Kuzari. He had taught himself algebra and geometry. At seventeen he had attempted a translation of Spinoza’s Ethics from Latin into Hebrew, unaware that it had been done before. Everyone predicted he would turn out to be a genius. But he had squandered his talents, continually changing his field of study; and he had wasted years in learning languages, in wandering from country to country. Nor had he had any luck with his one great love, Raizel, the daughter of Melekh the watchmaker. Raizel had married someone else and later had been shot by the Nazis. All his life Solomon Margolin had been plagued by the eternal questions. He still lay awake at night trying to solve the mysteries of the universe. He suffered from hypochondria and the fear of death haunted even his dreams. Hitler’s carnage and the extinction of his family had rooted out his last hope for better days, had destroyed all his faith in humanity. He had begun to despise the matrons who came to him with their petty ills while millions were devising horrible deaths for one another.
Word meanings:
Acclaimed: celebrated, praised
Talmud: The Talmud is a collection of writings that covers the full gamut of Jewish law and tradition
Prodigy: a young person with exceptional qualities or abilities
Responsum: a written reply by a rabbi or Talmudic scholar to an inquiry on some matter of Jewish law.
Spinoza’s Ethics: Baruch Spinoza wrote Ethics, Demonstrated in Geometrical Order, a Philosophical treatise. Written in Latin, it puts forward definitions and assumptions to reach logical conclusions and deductions. Like – “When the Mind imagines its own lack of power, it is saddened by it”
Squandered: wasted
Plagued: to caste trouble or annoyance
Hypochondria: abnormal chronic anxiety about one’s health.
Carnage: the killing of a large number of people
Despise: to feel a strong dislike for someone or something because you think that that person or thing is bad or has no value
Matron: a woman in charge of domestic and medical arrangements at a boarding school or other institution
Devising: planning
Explanation of the Passage: Solomon yawned, took the cigarette from the ashtray lying on the table near him. He started thinking about himself and felt that he had achieved monetary success. He owned an office on West End Avenue and had rich patients. He was respected by his co-workers and he was an important part of the Jews in New York. He had arrived there as a boy from Sencimin and he could not expect anything more than what he had got. He was a self-made man, a son of a poor teacher who taught Talmud. He was tall and had good looks and was charming to women. He still had a liking for women which was more considering his age and ailment of high blood pressure. However, inside, Solomon always considered himself to be a failure.
During his childhood he was considered to have exceptional intelligence because he could learn and speak long verses from the Bible and studied the Talmud and other texts by himself. At the age of eleven, he had sought a written reply from the rabbi of Tarnow who had mentioned in his reply that Solomon was great and illustrious. In his teenage he gained mastery over Jewish texts – the Guide of the perplexed and Kuzari. He studied Algebra and Geometry also. At the age of seventeen, he tried to translate another text called Spinoza’s Ethics from Latin to Hebrew but was unaware that the translation already existed. Everyone who knew him, foresaw that he was a genius. However, he had wasted his talent by changing the field of study, wasted years in learning languages and in wandering to different countries. He faced bad luck with his love, Raizel too who was the daughter of a watchmaker named Melekh. She married someone else and was later shot dead by the Nazis. Solomon had remained troubled by questions all his life. Still he spent sleepless nights trying to understand the unknown secrets of the Universe. He suffered from anxiety about his health and his dreams made him fear dying. After Hitler-led Nazis killed millions of Jews which destroyed Solomon’s family, his last hope to see better days ended. He no longer had faith in humanity. He hated when the matrons came to him with small health issues because he was more concerned about those people who planned to kill others.
Passage: Gretl came in from the kitchen.
‘What shirt are you going to put on?’
Solomon Margolin regarded her quietly. She had had her own share of troubles. She had suffered in silence for her two brothers, even for Hans, the Nazi. She had gone through a prolonged change of life. Now her face was flushed and covered with beads of sweat. He earned more than enough to pay for a maid, yet Gretl insisted on doing all the housework herself, even the laundry. It had become a mania with her. Every day she scoured the oven. She was forever polishing the windows of their apartment on the sixteenth floor and without using a safety belt. All the other housewives in the building ordered their groceries delivered, but Gretl lugged the heavy bags from the supermarket herself.
Word meanings:
To put on: to wear
Mania: mental abnormality
Scoured: cleaned by rubbing hard
Lugged: carried or dragged with great effort
Explanation of the Passage: Gretl came from the kitchen. She asked Solomon which shirt he would wear. Solomon remained quiet and thought that even Gretl had suffered a lot. She had lost her two brothers and also lost Hans. Her life saw several changes and now her face was full of sweat. She was hardworking. Solomon could hire a maid but she wanted to do the work. She washed the clothes too. She was mentally abnormal because she did not hire help for any work. She rubbed and cleaned the oven everyday. She cleaned the windows of their apartment that was on the 16th floor and did not even use a safety belt. She dragged heavy bags of groceries from supermarkets while all other housewives got it delivered.
Passage:
Now husband and wife sized each other up wryly, feeling the strangeness that comes of great familiarity. He was always amazed at how she had lost her looks. No one feature had altered, but something in her aspect had given way: her pride, her hopefulness, her curiosity. He blurted out:
‘What shirt? It doesn’t matter. A white shirt.’
‘You’re not going to wear the tuxedo? Wait, I’ll bring you a vitamin.’
‘I don’t want a vitamin.’
‘But you yourself say they’re good for you.’
‘Leave me alone.’
‘Well, it’s your health, not mine.’
And slowly she walked out of the room, hesitating as if she expected him to remember something and call her back.
Word meanings:
Sized each other up: To make an estimate, opinion, or judgment of someone or something
Wryly: in a way that expresses dry, especially mocking, humour
Blurted: say (something) suddenly and without careful consideration
Explanation of the Passage: Solomon and Gretl looked at each other to form an opinion about each other in a dry manner as if they were making fun of each other. Although they were known to each other, they found the great familiarity to be strange. Solomon was astonished that Gretl had lost her good looks. Her features were the same but some aspect – her pride, hopefulness, curiosity had gone. He spoke mindlessly that it didn’t matter which shirt he wore and he would wear a white shirt. She asked if he was planning to wear a formal suit which is called tuxedo. Then she offered to get a vitamin pill for him but he refused. She reminded that he had said that they were good for him. He requested to be left alone. Gretl said that it was his health and not hers which would get the benefit of the vitamin. She walked out of the room but was reluctant because she thought that there was something for which he would call her.
Passage:
Dr Solomon Margolin took a last look in the mirror and left the house. He felt refreshed by the half-hour nap he had had after dinner. Despite his age, he still wanted to impress people with his appearance—even the Senciminers. He had his illusions. In Germany he had taken pride in the fact that he looked like a Junker, and in New York he was often aware that he could pass for an Anglo-Saxon. He was tall, slim, blond, blue-eyed. His hair was thinning, had turned somewhat grey, but he managed to disguise these signs of age. He stooped a little, but in company was quick to straighten up. Years ago in Germany he had worn a monocle and though in New York that would have been too pretentious, his glance still retained a European severity. He had his principles. He had never broken the Hippocratic Oath. With his patients he was honourable to an extreme, avoiding every kind of cant; and he had refused a number of dubious associations that smacked of careerism. Gretl claimed his sense of honour amounted to a mania. Dr Margolin’s car was in the garage— not a Cadillac like that of most of his colleagues—but he decided to go by taxi. He was unfamiliar with Brooklyn and the heavy snow made driving hazardous. He waved his hand and at once a taxi pulled over to the curb. He was afraid the driver might refuse to go as far as Brownsville, but he flicked the meter on without a word. Dr Margolin peered through the frosted window into the wintry Sunday night but there was nothing to be seen. The New York streets sprawled out, wet, dirty, impenetrably dark. After a while, Dr Margolin leaned back, shut his eyes, and retreated into his own warmth. His destination was a wedding. Wasn’t the world, like this taxi, plunging away somewhere into the unknown toward a cosmic destination? May be a cosmic Brownsville, a cosmic wedding? Yes. But why did God—or whatever anyone wanted to call Him—create a Hitler, a Stalin? Why did He need world wars? Why heart attacks, cancers? Dr Margolin took out a cigarette and lit it hesitantly. What had they been thinking of, those pious uncles of his, when they were digging their own graves? Was immortality possible? Was there such a thing as the soul? All the arguments for and against weren’t worth a pinch of dust.
Word meanings:
Illusions: a wrong interpretation
Junker: a drug addict
Anglo-Saxon: the people who lived in England from about AD 600 and their language and customs
Stooped: bent forward
Monocle: a single eyeglass, kept in position by the muscles around the eye
Pretentious: attempting to impress by affecting greater importance or merit than is actually possessed
Dubious: hesitating or doubting
Smacked: a sharp slap or blow, typically one given with the palm of the hand
worth a pinch of dust: had no value
Explanation of the Passage: Solomon checked himself out in the mirror and left for the wedding. He felt fresh after the thrity minute nap that he had taken after dinner. He was old but he wanted to make a good impression on people with his looks even if they belonged to his native place Sencimin. He interpreted things incorrectly. When he was in Germany, he was happy that he looked like a drug addict. In New York, people would agree that he was an inhabitant of England. He was tall, thin, had light colour hair and blue eyes. His hair was getting lesser and turning grey but he managed to hide these indications of growing old. He was bent forward but straightened his back when he got company of someone. In Germany, he used to wear a single eyeglass, kept in position by the muscles around the eye. Hwever, in New York, wearing it would mean that he was trying to show off. His was of looking had a seriousness which was in European people. He was a man of principles. He had never broken the vow taken by doctors. He was extremely honest with the patients and never refused any request. However, he had refused many doubtful connections which imposed that they could improve his career. As per Gretl his sense of respect was too much. He left his car in the garage. Although his friends would arrive in expensive cars like the Cadillac, he decided to go by a taxi. He was not familiar with the streets of Brooklyn and the snow made driving risky. He waved to a taxi and it stopped by the road. He wondered if it would go to Brownsville which was far, so he turned the meter of the cab without saying anything about his destination. He peeped through the frosted window of the cab. It was a Sunday night of winter seasonbut there was no scene outside, to be seen. Then he leaned backwards, closed his eyes and made himself comfortable. He was going to a wedding. He thought that the world was like the taxi. It was aldo moving towards an unknown divine destination. Then he thought that why did God or any name that people gave him, had created Hitler and Stalin. He thought of the reason for god to create world war, heart attacks, cancer. He took a cigarette and lit it. He tought of his religious uncles who had dug their own graves. He thought if it was possible that men never died. If there was a thing called soul. All reasons maybe for or against his questions were of no value.
Passage: The taxi turned onto the bridge across the East River and for the first time Dr Margolin was able to see the sky. It sagged low, heavy, red as glowing metal. Higher up, a violet glare suffused the vault of the heavens. Snow was sifting down gently, bringing a winter peace to the world, just as it had in the past—forty years ago, a thousand years ago, and perhaps a million years ago. Fiery pillars appeared to glow beneath the East River; on its surface, through black waves jagged as rocks, a tugboat was hauling a string of barges loaded with cars. A front window in the cab was open and icy gusts of wind blew in, smelling of gasoline and the sea. Suppose the weather never changed again? Who then would ever be able to imagine a summer day, a moonlit night, spring? But how much imagination—for what it’s worth—does a man actually have? On Eastern Parkway the taxi was jolted and screeched suddenly to a stop. Some traffic accident, apparently. The siren on police car shrieked. A wailing ambulance drew nearer. Dr Margolin grimaced. Another victim. Someone makes a false turn of the wheel and all a man’s plans in this world are reduced to nothing. A wounded man was carried to the ambulance on a stretcher. Above a dark suit and bloodspattered shirt and bow tie the face had a chalky pallor; one eye was closed, the other partly open and glazed. Perhaps he, too, had been going to a wedding, Dr Margolin thought. He might even have been going to the same wedding as I…
Word meanings:
Sagged: decline to a lower level
Suffused: gradually spread over
Jagged: with rough sharp points coming out
Hauling: to transport heavy goods
Barges: a long flat-bottomed boat for carrying freight on canals and rivers
Grimaced: an ugly, twisted expression of face
Chalky pallor: white colour
Glazed: coated with a shiny surface
Explanation of the Passage: When the taxi took a trun onto the road that led to the bridge across the East river, Solomon could see the sky. It was low, heavy and red like metal in a furnace. Above that there was a violet colour spread over and appeared to be the gateway to heaven. The milod snowfall was giving peace to the world as it had always done. The pillars of the cridge seemed to be fiery in colour as the river reflected the sky’s red colour. A tugboat was sailing and dragging a string of barges that carried cars. It created black waves in the river. The cab’s front window was open which brought in very cold blows of wind. The wind carried the smell of petrol and sea water. He thought what would happen if the weather never change. No one would imagine a summer day or a moonlit night or spring season. Having deep imagination was worthless. Suddenly the taxi stopped. There was an accident. The police car’s siren was wailing. An Ambulance with the siren on, appeared. Solomon’s face looked ugly and twisted. He thought that one wrong turn and all your plans get destroyed. They were carrying a wounded man to the ambulance. He wore a dark coloured suit, the white shirt was full of blood, he wore a bowtie, one eye was closed and the other was half-opened and had a shiny appreance. Solomon thought that it was possible that the injured man was also going to the same wedding as he was.
Passage:
Some time later the taxi started moving again. Solomon Margolin was now driving through streets he had never seen before. It was New York, but it might just as well have been Chicago or Cleveland. They passed through an industrial district with factory buildings, warehouses of coal, lumber, scrap iron. Negroes, strangely black, stood about on the sidewalks, staring ahead, their great dark eyes full of gloomy hopelessness. Occasionally the car would pass a tavern. The people at the bar seemed to have something unearthly about them, as if they were being punished here for sins committed in another incarnation. Just when Solomon Margolin was beginning to suspect that the driver, who had remained stubbornly silent the whole time, had gotten lost or was deliberately taking him out of his way, the taxi entered a thickly populated neighbourhood. They passed a synagogue, a funeral parlour, and there, ahead, was the wedding hall, all lit up, with its neon Jewish sign and Star of David. Dr Margolin gave the driver a dollar tip and the man took it without uttering a word.
Word meanings:
Lumber: wood
Scrap: discarded for reprocessing
Tavern: inn or pub
Incarnation: a lifetime of an individual
Synagogue: place of worship for Jews
Star of David: a six-pointed figure consisting of two interlaced equilateral triangles, used as a Jewish and Israeli symbol.
Explanation of the Passage: After some time they resumed the journey. Solomon was not familiar with the area. It was New York but very different from the one he knew and he thought it looked more like Chicago or Cleveland. It was an industrial area with factories, warehouses of coal, wood and iron scrap. Black people stood on the pavements and their eyes were sad. At times they would cross a pub. Those at the pub appeared to be ghostly, as if they were facing the punishment for sins done in the previous life. Solomon started to think that perhaps the driver who was quiet all through had got lost or was taking the wrong way intentionally. Then they entered a thickly populated area. They passed a Jewish place of worship, a funeral room and reached the wedding hall which was decorated with lights, neon coloured Jewish sign and the Star of David. Solomon tipped the driver with a dollar which he accepted silently.
Passage: Dr Margolin entered the outer lobby and immediately the comfortable intimacy of the Senciminers engulfed him. AII the faces he saw were familiar, though he didn’t recognise individuals. Leaving his hat and coat at the checkroom, he put on a skullcap and entered the hall. It was filled with people and music, with tables heaped with food, a bar stacked with bottles. The musicians were playing an Israeli march that was a hodge-podge of American jazz with Oriental flourishes. Men were dancing with men, women with women, men with women. He saw black skullcaps, white skullcaps, bare heads. Guests kept arriving, pushing their way through the crowd, some still in their hats and coats, munching hors d’oeuvres, drinking schnapps. The hall resounded with stamping, screaming, laughing, clapping. Flash bulbs went off blindingly as the photographers made their rounds. Seeming to come from nowhere, the bride appeared, briskly sweeping up her train, followed by a retinue of bridesmaids. Dr Margolin knew everybody, and yet knew nobody. People spoke to him, laughed, winked, and waved, and he answered each one with a smile, a nod, a bow. Gradually he threw off all his worries, all his depression. He became half-drunk on the amalgam of odours: flowers, sauerkraut, garlic, perfume, mustard, and that nameless odour that only Senciminers emit. ‘Hello, Doctor!’ ‘Hello Schloime-Dovid, you don’t recognise me, eh? Look, he forgot!’ There were the encounters, the regrets, the reminiscences of long ago. ‘But after all, weren’t we neighbours? You used to come to our house to borrow the Yiddish newspaper!’ Someone had already kissed him: a badly shaven snout, a mouth reeking of whiskey and rotten teeth. One woman was so convulsed with laughter that she lost an earring. Margolin tried to pick it up, but it had already been trampled underfoot. ‘You don’t recognise me, eh? Take a good look! It’s Zissel, the son of Chaye Beyle!’ ‘Why don’t you eat something?’ ‘Why don’t you have something to drink? Come over here. Take a glass. What do you want? Whiskey? Brandy? Cognac? Scotch? With soda? With Coca Cola? Take some, it’s good. Don’t let it stand. So long as you’re here, you might as well enjoy yourself.’ ‘My father? He was killed. They were all killed. I’m the only one left of the entire family.’ ‘Berish the son of Feivish? Starved to death in Russia—they sent him to Kazakhstan. His wife? In Israel. She married a Lithuanian.’ ‘Sorele? Shot. Together with her children.’ ‘Yentl? Here at the wedding. She was standing here just a moment ago. There she is, dancing with that tall fellow.’ ‘Abraham Zilberstein? They burned him in the synagogue with twenty others. A mound of charcoal was all that was left, coal and ash.’ ‘Yosele Budnik? He passed away years ago. You must mean Yekele Budnik. He has a delicatessen store right here in Brownsville—married a widow whose husband made a fortune in real estate.’
Word meanings:
Intimacy: closeness
Engulfed: surround or cover
Checkroom: a cloakroom in a hotel or theatre
hors d’oeuvres: small dish served before the meal in Europe
Schnapps: a strong alcoholic drink
Retinue: a group of assistants accompanying an important person
Bridesmaid: a girl or woman, usually one of several, who accompanies a bride on her wedding day
Amalgam: mix
Sauerkraut: a German dish of chopped pickled cabbage.
Snout: the protruding portion of an animal’s face, consisting of its nose, mouth, and jaw.
Reeking: unpleasant smell
Convulsed: recovered
Trampled: walk over
Delicatessen: a shop selling cooked meats, cheeses, and unusual or foreign-prepared foods
Explanation of the Passage: Solomon entered the lobby and was surrounded by the warmth of people belonging to his town. There were familiar faces but he was unable to recognize anyone. He removed the hat and coat at the checkroom and wore a skullcap. The hall was full of people nejoying food and music. There was a lot of food and drink. The music was a mix of American Jazz and Oriental music. Everyone was dancing. People wore different colour skullcaps. Guests kept on coming, some had their coats on, they ate starter and drank Schnapps. There were sounds of people hitting their foot on the floor, screaming, laughing and clapping. Flashlights shined as photographers were busy clicking pictures of guests. The bride appeared suddenly, she was quick and was followed by a gang of bridesmaids. Solomon knew everyone but it seemed that he knew no one. Poeple talked to him, laughed, winked their eye and waved at him and he replied with a smile, nod of the head and bowed to them. Slowly, he felt free, he was drunk and full of the mix of different smells- the flowers, pickled cabbage, garlic, perfume, mustard and the smell of Sencimin. Someone greeted Solomon and said Hello Schlime Dovid. He added that Solomon didn’t recognize him and had forgotten him. They had various memories of the past – encounters, sad incidents and remembrances. Solomon asked if they weren’t neighbours. The person said that Solomon would go to their house to borrow the newspaper in Yiddish language. In the meantime someone kissed Solomon. He hadn’t shaved nicely, his mouth smelled of whiskey and had rotten teeth. One woman was so busy laughing that her earring dropped and she could not get it because people walked over it. The person again asked Solomon to look at him nicely, he was Zissel, the son of Chaye Beyle. He asked why Solomon didn’t eat anything or have a drink. He called him over, to take a glass. He offered him whiskey, brandy, Cognac, Scotch; with soda or coke. He advised him to have some of it because it was good. He didn’t want him to stand but to enjoy himself. The man said that his father had been killed asd that he was the only survivor from his family. Then he spoke of Berish the son of Fevish who starved to death in Russia. He was sent to Kazakhstan. His wife was in Israel and she married a Lithuanian. Sorele was shot dead with her children. Yentl was at the wedding. She had been standoing there a moment ago. She was dancing with a tall fellow. Abraham was burned in the synagogue along with twenty other people. The remains were a mount of coal and ash. Yosele Budnik died many years ago. He clarrified if he was talking of Yekele who had a shop of eatables in Brownsville. and had married a widow whose husband had made a lot of money in real estate business.
Passage: ‘Lechayim, Doctor! Lechayim, Schloime-Dovid! It doesn’t offend you that I call you Schloime-Dovid? To me you’re still the same Schloime-Dovid, the little boy with the blond side-curls who recited a whole tractate of the Talmud by heart. You remember, don’t you? It seems like only yesterday. Your father, may he rest in peace, was beaming with pride…’ ‘Your brother Chayim? Your Uncle Oyzer? They killed everyone, everyone. They took a whole people and wiped them out with German efficiency: gleichgeschaltet!’ ‘Have you seen the bride yet? Pretty as a picture, but too much make-up. Imagine, a grandchild of Reb Todros of Radzin! And her grandfather used to wear two skullcaps, one in front and one in back. ‘Do you see that young woman dancing in the yellow dress? It’s Riva’s sister—their father was Moishe the candlemaker. Riva herself? Where all the others ended up: Auschwitz. How close we came ourselves! All of us are really dead, if you want to call it that. We were exterminated, wiped out. Even the survivors carry death in the hearts. But it’s a wedding, we should be cheerful.’ ‘Lechayim, Schloime-Dovid! I would like to congratulate you. Have you a son or daughter to marry off? No? Well, it’s better that way. What’s the sense of having children if people are such murderers?’
Word meanings:
Lechayim: an expression traditionally used by Jewish people before they drink an alcoholic drink together
Tractate: a treatise
gleichgeschaltet!: (Gleichschaltung) A Nazi term which means “synchronization” or “bringing into line”. The process of Nazification.
Exterminated: completely destroyed
Explanation of the Passage: The man raised a toast to Solomon and called him by his childhood name Schloime Dovid. He remembered his childhood look of blond color side curls when he would recite the complete treatise of a Talmund and make his father proud. Then he recollects Solomon’s brother Chayim and uncle Oyzer. All were dead now. The Nazis took groups of people and killed them in a system that they called Gleichschaltung. he asked if Solomon had seen the bride. She wore a lot of make up and looked like a picture, unreal. It was difficult to imagine that she was the grandchild of Reb Todros of Radzin. That her grandfather wore two skullcaps – one in the front and the other at the back. Then he pointed to a woman who wore a yellow dress and was dancing. She was Riva’s sister, daughters of Moishe who made candles. Riva also ended up in the Nazi concentration camp in Auschwitz along with other Jews. He said that they were really dead and completely destroyed. Those who remained also carried the pain of death in their hearts. Then he was reminded that they were at a wedding and so, should be happy. He raised a toast again and congratulated Solomon. He asked if he had any marriageable chidren. Solomon denied and the person said that it was senseless to have children when they had killers around them.
Passage: It was already time for the ceremony, but someone still had not come. Whether it was the rabbi, the cantor, or one of the in-laws who was missing, nobody seemed able to find out. Abraham Mekheles, the bride’s father, rushed around, scowled, waved his hand, whispered in people’s ears. He looked strange in his rented tuxedo. The Tereshpol mother-in-law was wrangling with one of the photographers. The musicians never stopped playing for an instant. The drum banged, the bass fiddle growled, the saxophone blared. The dances became faster, more abandoned, and more and more people were drawn in. The young men stamped with such force that it seemed the dance floor would break under them. Small boys romped around like goats, and little girls whirled about wildly together. Many of the men were already drunk. They shouted boasts, howled with laughter, kissed strange women. There was so much commotion that Solomon Margolin could no longer grasp what was being said to him and simply nodded yes to everything. Some of the guests had attached themselves to him, wouldn’t move, and kept pulling him in all directions, introducing him to more and more people from Sencimin and Tereshpol. A matron with a nose covered with warts pointed a finger at him, wiped her eyes, called him Schloimele. Solomon Margolin inquired who she was and somebody told him. Names were swallowed up in the tumult. He heard the same words over and over again: died, shot, burned. A man from Tereshpol tried to draw him aside and was shouted down by several Senciminers calling him an intruder who had no business there. A latecomer arrived, a horse and buggy driver from Sencimin who had become a millionaire in New York. His wife and children had perished, but, already, he had a new wife. The woman, weighted with diamonds, paraded about in a low-cut gown that bared a back, covered with blotches, to the waist. Her voice was husky. ‘Where did she come from? Who was she?’ ‘Certainly no saint. Her first husband was a swindler who amassed a fortune and then dropped dead. Of what? Cancer. Where? In the stomach. First you don’t have anything to eat, then you don’t have anything to eat with. A man is always working for the second husband.’ ‘What is life anyway? A dance on the grave.’ ‘Yes, but as long as you’re playing the game, you have to abide by the rules.’ ‘Dr Margolin, why aren’t you dancing? You’re not among strangers. We’re all from the same dust. Over there you weren’t a doctor. You were only Schloime-Dovid, the son of the Talmud teacher. Before you know it, we’ll all be lying side by side.’
Word meanings:
Cantor: an official who leads the prayer in a synagogue
Scowl: frown in an angry or bad-tempered way
Wrangling: Engage in complicated dispute or argument
Fiddle: a violin
Stamped: to bring the foot down heavily on the floor
Romped around: a lively, merry play
Commotion: a state of confused and noisy disturbance
Warts: a small, hard, benign growth on the skin, caused by a virus
Tumult: a loud, confused noise, especially one caused by a large mass of people
Perished: here, no longer alive
Swindler: a person who uses deception to deprive someone of money or possessions
Amassed: gathered together
abide by the rules: follow the rules
Blotches: a large irregular patch or unsightly mark on the skin or another surface
Husky: slightly hoarse
lying side by side: when they die, they will be placed in graves next to each other, thus, they will be lying side by side
Explanation of the Passage: It was time for the wedding rituals to begin but someone hadn’t arrived which was causing delay. Maybe it was the rabbi, the cantor or any in-laws but it was not confirmed. The bride’s father Abraham Mekheles ran here and there, screaming, waving his had and whispering in people’s ears. He wore a tuxedo suit which he had taken on rent. The groom’s mother, from Tereshpol was arguing with a photographer. The musicians played continuously. The drum, violin and saxophone made loud sounds. People danced faster and faster and more and more people joined. Young men stamped their feet on the ground so hard as if they would break the floor. Small boys moved arond the hall like small goats do. Little girls ran and played around. Most of the men were under the influence of liquor. They boasted each other, howled, laughed and kissed any woman they met. There was a lot of noise and Solomon could not understand what others said, he simply moved his head to indicate yes. Some guests stuck to him, didn’t move and kept pulling him here and there, they introduced him to more people from Sencimin and Tereshpol. There was a matron, her nose had warts on it, she called him “Schloimele” and wiped the tears from her eyes. Solomon asked about her and another person told him who she was. In the chaos, he could not understnad the names. He heard the same words repeated several times – died, shot, burned. A man from Tereshpol tried to take Solomon to one side but he was interrrupted by Senciminers who said that he was intruding their space and had no work to be there. Then the late comer arrived, he had been a horse and buggy driver in Sencimin. Now, in New York, he had become a millionaire. His family had died and he got a new wife. She was loaded in diamonds, wore a low cut gown with a deep neck and her back was visible. It had patches till her waist. She had a hoarse voice. Solomon thought about her background and identity because she didn’t appear to be a saintly person. Her first husband had been a cheat who gathered a lot of wealth and then died due to stomach cancer. Solomon thought that first a person does not get food and then when he gets food, he does not have anything (here stomach) with which he can eat. A man works hard but then he becomes the second husband of a woman because both have lost their first spouses. Life is like dancing on the grave of your loved ones. As long as you live, you have to follow the rules of life. Someone asked Solomon why he wasn’t dancing, he was not a stranger, they all belonged to the same dust of Sencimin. Then he wasn’t a doctor, he was only Schloime Dovid, the son of a teacher, in no time they would all be lying together in their graves.
Passage: Margolin didn’t recall drinking anything but he felt intoxicated all the same. The foggy hall was spinning like a carousel; the floor was rocking. Standing in a corner, he contemplated the dance. What different expressions the dancers wore. How many combinations and permutations of being the Creator had brought together here. Every face told its own story. They were dancing together, these people, but each one had his own philosophy, his own approach. A man grabbed Margolin and for a while he danced in the frantic whirl. Then, tearing himself loose, he stood apart. Who was that woman? He found his eye caught by her familiar form. He knew her! She beckoned to him. He stood baffled. She looked neither young nor old. Where had he known her—that narrow face, those dark eyes, that girlish smile? Her hair was arranged in the old manner, with long braids wound like a wreath around her head. The grace of Sencimin adorned her—something he, Margolin, had long since forgotten. And those eyes, he was in love with those eyes and had been all his life. He half smiled at her and the woman smiled back. There were dimples in her cheeks. She too appeared surprised. Margolin, though he realised he had begun to blush like a boy, went up to her.
Word meanings:
Intoxicated: drunk
Foggy: unclear
Carousel: Merry-go-round at a fair
Contemplated: look thoughtfully for a long time
Frantic: distraught with fear, anxiety, or other emotion
Whirl: move or cause to move rapidly round and round
Beckoned: to encourage or instruct someone to approach or follow
Baffled: confused
Braids: a plait
Wreath: an arrangement of flowers, leaves, or stems fastened in a ring and used for decoration or for laying on a grave
Adorned: decorated
Explanation of the Passage: Margolin didn’t think that he drank alcohol but he felt as if he was drunk. The hall was unclear and spinning like a merry-go-round. The floor seemed unstable. He stood at a corner and looked at the dance and the facial expressions of the dancers. God had created people with such varied features and every face was unique. The people were dancing together but each individual had a separate thinking and approach towards life. A man took hold of Solomon and he also danced for a short while. He pulled himself away and stood aside. He saw a woman and wondered who she was. She looked familiar. She signalled him to approach her and he got confused. She was neither young nor old. He kept on wondering where he had met her – she had a narrow face, dark eyes and a girlish smile. She had an old-fashioned hair style and long plaits were wrapped around like a wreath. She represented the gracefulness of Senciminers which Solomon had not seen in the recent past. He realized that he loved her eyes. He smiled partially and she smiled back. There were dimples in her cheeks and she was also surprised. Solomon was blushing like a boy and walked upto her.
Passage: ‘I know you—but you’re not from Sencimin?’
‘Yes, from Sencimin.’
He had heard that voice long ago. He had been in love with that voice.
‘From Sencimin—who are you, then?’
Her lips trembled.
‘You’ve forgotten me already?’
‘It’s a long time since I left Sencimin.’
‘You used to visit my father.’
‘Who was your father?’
‘Melekh the watchmaker.’
Dr Margolin shivered.
‘If I’m not out of my mind then I’m seeing things.’
‘Why do you say that?’
‘Because Raizel is dead.’
‘I’m Raizel.’
‘You’re Raizel? Here? Oh my God, if that’s true—then anything is possible! When did you come to New York?’
‘Some time ago.’
‘From where?’
‘From over there.’
‘But everyone told me that you were all dead.’
‘My father, my mother, my brother Hershl…’
‘But you were married!’
‘I was.’
Explanation of the Passage: Solomon said that he knew her but she wasn’t from Sencimin. She confirmed that she was from Sencimin. Her voice was familiar. He had heard it many years ago. He had loved that voice. He asked her if she was from Sencimin then who she was. Her lips shivered to disclose her identity. She asked if he had forgotten her because he used to visit her father. He asked who her father was and she replied that her father was Melekh, the watchmaker. Solomon shivered because the love of his life, Raizel stood in front of him. He said that perhaps he was out of his mind because he was seeing imaginary things because Raizel was dead. She confirmed that she was Raizel. Solomon said that if she was Raizel and that too in New York, then anything was possible. He asked when did she go to New York and she said that she had gome there sometime back. He asked from where had she shifted and she said from there. Solomon said that he was told that she was dead. Raizel said that her parents and brother and she was interrupted by Solomon that she was married and she confirmed it.
Passage: ‘If that’s true, then anything is possible!’ repeated Dr Margolin, still shaken by the incredible happening. Someone must have purposely deceived him. But why? He was aware there was a mistake somewhere but could not determine where.
‘Why didn’t you let me know? After all…’
He fell silent. She too was silent for a moment.
‘I lost everything. But I still had some pride left.’
‘Come with me somewhere quieter—anywhere. This is the happiest day of my life!’
‘But it’s night…’
‘Then the happiest night! Almost—as if the Messiah had come, as if the dead had come to life!’
‘Where do you want to go? All right, let’s go.’
Word meanings:
Incredible: unbelievable
Deceived: cheated
Messiah: God
Explanation of the Passage: Solomon was shocked by the unbelievable incident and repeated that if that was true then anything was possible. Then he thought that someone had cheated him by saying that Raizel had died. There was a mistake somewhere but he could not identify where. He asked why had she not told him that she was alive. He stopped speaking suddenly and both were quiet. She said that she lost everything but had some pride. He requested her to go with him to a quieter place. It was the happiest day of his life. Or the happiest night. It seemed that God had descended on Earth and brought the dead to life. She asked where he wanted to go and he said that now they should go.
Passage: Margolin took her arm and felt at once the thrill, long forgotten, of youthful desire. He steered her away from the other guests, afraid that he might lose her in the crowd, or that someone would break in and spoil his happiness. Everything had returned on the instant: the embarrassment, the agitation, the joy. He wanted to take her away, to hide somewhere alone with her. Leaving the reception hall, they went upstairs to the chapel where the wedding ceremony was to take place. The door was standing open. Inside, on a raised platform stood the permanent wedding canopy. A bottle of wine and a silver goblet were placed in readiness for the ceremony. The chapel with its empty pews and only one glimmering light was full of shadows. The music, so blaring below, sounded soft and distant up here. Both of them hesitated at the threshold.
Margolin pointed to the wedding canopy.
‘We could have stood there.’
‘Yes.’
‘Tell me about yourself. Where are you now? What are you doing?’
‘It is not easy to tell.’
‘Are you alone? Are you attached?
‘Attached? No.’
‘Would you never have let me hear from you?’ he asked. She didn’t answer.
Word meanings:
Steered: to control the movement of someone or something
Chapel: a small building or room used for Christian worship in a school, prison, hospital, or large private house
Goblet: a drinking glass with a foot and a stem
Pew: a long bench with a back, placed in rows in the main part of some churches to seat the congregation
Threshold: doorstep
Canopy: a cover meant for shelter or decoration
Explanation of the Passage: Solomon held her arm and felt the youthful desire which he had forgotten. He took her away from where the other guests were, he was afraid of losing her in the crowd or if someone would interrupt and spoil his happy moment. He was feeling embarrased, agitated and joyous for he had met his long-lost love. He wanted to take her away, to go in a secret place with her. They left the reception hall and went upstairs where the wedding ceremony would take place. The door was open and inside the hall the wedding place was made on a raised platform. A bottle of wine and goblet of silver were placed there to be used when the ceremony took place. The benches of the chapel were empty and only one light shone which made shadows of people all around. The music on the lower floor was loud but it sounded softer on the upper floor. They reached the doorstep and hesitated to go further. Margolin showed her the wedding canopy and said that both of them could have stood there because he had intended to marry her. She confirmed. He asked where she lived and what she did. She said that it was not easy to tell. He asked if she was alone or attached. She asked attached and replied that she wasn’t. He asked that did she never thought of contacting him and she didn’t reply.
Passage: Gazing at her, he knew his love had returned with full force. Already, he was trembling at the thought that they might soon have to part. The excitement and expectancy of youth filled him. He wanted to take her in his arms and kiss her, but at any moment someone might come in. He stood beside her, ashamed that he had married someone else, that he had not personally confirmed the reports of her death. ‘How could I have suppressed all this love? How could I have accepted the world without her? And what will happen now with Gretl?—I’ll give her everything, my last cent.’ He looked round toward the stairway to see if any of the guests had started to come up. The thought came to him that by Jewish law he was not married, for he and Gretl had had only a civil ceremony. He looked at Raizel.
Word meanings:
Part: here, separate
Suppressed: forcibly put an end to
Explanation of the Passage: When Solomon looked at Raizel he realized that his love for her was strong as ever. He was shaking at the thought of separating from her. He was excited as he had been in his young age. He wanted to take her in his arms and kiss her. However, he didn’t because someone could come any time. He stood next to her and felt ashamed at marrying someone else and that he had not confirmed the news of her death. He questioned himself for ending this load of love that he had for her. He questioned how he had accepted the world without her. He thought about gretl that he would give her all the money he had. He looked at the stairs to see if guests had started walking up. He thought that as per Jewish law, he was unmarried because he had married Gretl in a court marriage and not religious ceremony. This shows his desperation to marry Raizel. Then he looked at Raizel.
Passage: ‘According to Jewish law, I’m a single man.’
‘Is that so?’
‘According to Jewish law, I could lead you up there and marry you.’
She seemed to be considering the import of his words.
‘Yes, I realise…’
‘According to Jewish law, I don’t even need a ring. One can get married with a penny.’
‘Do you have a penny?’
He put his hand to his breast pocket, but his wallet was gone. He started searching in his other pockets. Have I been robbed? he wondered. But how? I was sitting in the taxi the whole time. Could someone have robbed me here at the wedding? He was not so much disturbed as surprised. He said falteringly:
‘Strange, but I don’t have any money.’
‘We’ll get along without it.’
‘But how am I going to get home?’
Word meanings:
Import: the deeper significance beyond literal meanings
Falteringly: hesitant manner
Explanation of the Passage: Solomon told her that as per Jewish law, he was single. She asked if that was true. He said that as per Jewsih law, he could take her to the platform and marry her instantly. She was in thought perhaps pondering on the deeper significance of his words. She said that she did realize that. He added that as per their religious law, he didn’t even require a ring and could marry her with a penny. She asked if he had one. He reached for his wallet in the front pocket of his shirt but the wallet was not there. He searched other pockets but it was missing. He thought that someone stole it but it wasn’t possible because he had been sitting in the cab all the while. Perhaps someone stole it at the wedding. He was surprised but not disturbed and sid reluctantly that he didn;t have any money. She said that they could manage without it. He asked but how would he return home without the wallet.
Passage: ‘Why go home?’ she said, countering with a question. She smiled with that homely smile of hers that was so full of mystery. He took her by the wrist and gazed at her. Suddenly it occurred to him that this could not be his Raizel. She was too young. Probably it was her daughter who was playing along with him, mocking him. For God’s sake, I’m completely confused! he thought. He stood bewildered, trying to untangle the years. He couldn’t tell her age from her features. Her eyes were deep, dark, and melancholy. She also appeared confused, as if she, too, sensed some discrepancy. The whole thing is a mistake, Margolin told himself. But where exactly was the mistake? And what had happened to the wallet? Could he have left it in the taxi after paying the driver? He tried to remember how much cash he had had in it, but was unable to. ‘I must have had too much to drink. These people have made me drunk—dead drunk!’ For a long time he stood silent, lost in some dreamless state, more profound than a narcotic trance. Suddenly he remembered the traffic collision he had witnessed on Eastern Parkway. An eerie suspicion came over him: perhaps he had been more than a witness? Perhaps he himself had been the victim of that accident! That man on the stretcher looked strangely familiar. Dr Margolin began to examine himself as though he were one of his own patients. He could find no trace of pulse or breathing. And he felt oddly deflated as if some physical dimension were missing. The sensation of weight, the muscular tension of his limbs, the hidden aches in his bones, all seemed to be gone. It can’t be, it can’t be, he murmured. Can one die without knowing it? And what will Gretl do?
Word meanings:
Bewildered: confused
Discrepancy: difference between two things that should be the same
Profound: deep
Narcotic: a drug that affects the mood or behaviour and is consumed for non-medical purposes
Trance: a half-conscious state characterized by an absence of response to external stimuli
Eerie: strange and frightening
Explanation of the Passage: Raizel asked why did he want to go home. She smiled with her homely, mysterious smile. He held her wrist and looked at ther. Suddenly he felt that she was too young to be the Raizel whom he loved, perhaps she was her daughter and wanted to laugh at him. He was confused and stood thinking, trying to solve the puzzle. He could not ascertian her age from the facial features. She had deep dark sad eyes. Even she appeared confused as if there was some mismatch. Margolin thought that the entire episode was a mistake but he could not identify it. He wondered where the wallet went. Perhaps he left it in the cab after paying the driver. He tried to recollect the amount of money it had but failed. He thought that he had drunk too much. He stood silently in a dreamless state which was deeper than the semi-conscious state caused by drugs. Then he recolleted the accident that he had seen on the way. He realized that the injured seemed familiar because it was Solomon himself who had met with the accident and now he was dead. He checked himself like one of his patients and realized that the pulse and breathing were not there. He felt deflated as if, he had only two dimensions instead of three. He could not feel the body’s weight, the muscles, the pains. He spoke to himself that this couldn’t be true. One couldn’t die without even knowing that he had died. He thought of his wife who would have to live by herself, now that he was dead.
Passage:
He blurted out:
‘You’re not the same Raizel.’
‘No? Then who am I?’
‘They shot Raizel.’
‘Shot her? Who told you that?’
She seemed both frightened and perplexed. Silently she lowered her head like someone receiving the shock of bad news. Dr Margolin continued to ponder. Apparently Raizel didn’t realise her own condition. He had heard of such a state—what was it called? Hovering in the World of Twilight. The Astral Body wandering in semi-consciousness, detached from the flesh, without being able to reach its destination, clinging to the illusions and vanities of the past. But could there be any truth to all this superstition? No, as far as he was concerned, it was nothing but wishful thinking. Besides, this kind of survival would be less than oblivion. ‘I am most probably in a drunken stupor,’ Dr Margolin decided. ‘All this may be one long hallucination, perhaps a result of food poisoning…’
Word meanings:
Blurted: say suddenly without careful thought
Perplexed: confused
Ponder: think
Hovering: moving around
Astral body: a person’s energy and presence, sometimes called the aura
Clinging: to hold together, adhere, or remain close.
Illusion: an idea or belief that is not true
Vanities: excessive pride in or admiration of one’s own appearance or achievements
Oblivion: the state of being unaware or unconscious of what is happening around one
Stupor: a state of near-unconsciousness or insensibility
Hallucination: an experience involving the apparent perception of something not present
Explanation of the Passage: Suddenly, Solomon said that she was not the same Raizel whom he had known earlier. She asked if not, then who was she. He replied that that Raizel had been shot dead. She was curious and asked who had shot her. She was scared and confused. She bowed her head as if she had got some bad news. Solomon kept on thinking. It seemed that Raizel was unaware that she wasn’t alive. Solomon had heard of the term called hovering in the World of Twilight. It meant that Raizel’s aura was present there, it was separated from her bodily self as she was dead. Perhaps, her soul had not got salvation and was stuck to the ideas of the past which seemed true to her. However, it was a baseless belief because Solomon could not verify it. Solomon thought that he was in a state of wishful thinking which was similar to the state of oblivion when one is unaware of one’s surroundings. He concluded that he was in a state of unconsciousness due to being drunk. Maybe he was suffering from food poisoning which made him perceive things which were not actually present.
Passage: He looked up, and she was still there. He leaned over and whispered in her ear:
‘What’s the difference? As long as we’re together.’
‘I’ve been waiting for that all these years.’
‘Where have you been?’
She didn’t answer, and he didn’t ask again. He looked around. The empty hall was full, all the seats taken. A ceremonious hush fell over the audience. The music played softly. The cantor intoned the benedictions. With measured steps, Abraham Mekheles led his daughter down the aisle.
Word meanings:
Cantor: an official who sings liturgical music and leads prayer in a synagogue
Benedictions: the utterance of a blessing, especially at the end of a religious service
Aisle: a passage between rows of seats in a building such as a church or theatre, an aircraft, or train
Explanation of the Passage: Solomon looked up and saw that Raizel was there. He bent over her and spoke in her ear that it did not mattered till they were together. He had been waiting for that day all his life. Raizel did not answer and he did not repeat the question. He saw that the hall was now full and all seats were occupied. As the ceremony began, a silence prevailed. Soft music played and the holy official blessed the couple. Abraham Mekhles led his daughter down the aisle.
Conclusion
A Wedding in Brownsville story from Kaleidoscope book is in the syllabus of Class 12 English Elective. Students can checkout the summary of the lesson and a detailed explanation alongwith the meanings of difficult words for a better understanding.