The Story Summary and Explanation
CBSE Class 11 English (Elective) Essay Chapter 6 – The Story Summary, Explanation along with Difficult Word Meanings from Woven Words Book
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CBSE Class 11 English (Elective) Essay Chapter 6 – The Story
E.M. Forster
The lesson “The Story” by E.M. Forster gives a discerning account of the important role that storytelling and stories play in novels. The author highlights that at the core of every novel lies a story and a sequence of events arranged in time, that keeps readers curious, engaged and at the edge of their seats. The author uses examples like Scheherazade from One Thousand and One Nights to show how curiosity is a universal human trait. The lesson also talks about how stories are simple but vital and act as the backbone of novels, and how time and sequence are crucial elements that shape a story’s structure and keep the reader’s curiosity.
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The Story Summary
The lesson “The Story ” by E.M. Forster talks about the importance of storytelling in novels. Forster explains in the lesson that every novel must have a story. Without a story, a novel would simply not exist. A story is a series of events told in chronological order, that is the order in which they occur. He believes that even though stories may seem basic and simple, the time lines and stories are the core and structure on which all novels are built. Forster introduces three imaginary people with different views on stories. One does not care about novels, the second loves stories and does not care about deeper meanings, and the third person, who is Forster himself, agrees that stories are important but wishes novels could focus more on deeper things like beauty or truth. He explains that stories are ancient and that even early humans gathered around fires to hear tales. What kept people listening was the feeling of suspense. He gives the example of Scheherazade, the clever and powerful storyteller from The Arabian Nights, who saved her life by telling a story each night and stopping at a cliffhanger, making the king eager to hear more. This shows how powerful the element of suspense is in storytelling. Forster goes on to talk about the difference between time and value. Stories follow time. However, in real life, we also care deeply about moments that feel more important, even if they are short in time. This depicts that value does not always follow time. Still, in a novel, the author must respect time and arrange events in order so the story makes sense in general and also to the readers.
Lastly, Forster reminds us that some writers try to play with time, such as switching back and forth, but they still cannot completely escape it. A novel always needs a sense of time and story to work properly.
Summary of the Lesson The Story in Hindi
ई.एम. फोर्स्टर द्वारा लिखित पाठ “द स्टोरी” उपन्यासों में कहानी कहने के महत्व के बारे में बात करता है। फोर्स्टर पाठ में बताते हैं कि हर उपन्यास में एक कहानी होनी चाहिए। कहानी के बिना, उपन्यास का अस्तित्व ही नहीं रह सकता। कहानी कालानुक्रमिक क्रम में बताई गई घटनाओं की एक श्रृंखला है, यानी जिस क्रम में वे घटित हुईं। उनका मानना है कि भले ही कहानियाँ बुनियादी और सरल लग सकती हैं, लेकिन समय रेखाएँ और कहानियाँ ही वह मूल और संरचना हैं जिस पर सभी उपन्यास निर्मित होते हैं। फोर्स्टर कहानियों पर अलग-अलग नज़रिए वाले तीन काल्पनिक लोगों का परिचय देते हैं। एक को उपन्यासों की परवाह नहीं है, दूसरे को कहानियाँ पसंद हैं और वह गहरे अर्थों की परवाह नहीं करता है, और तीसरा व्यक्ति, जो खुद फोर्स्टर है, सहमत है कि कहानियाँ महत्वपूर्ण हैं लेकिन वह चाहता है कि उपन्यास सुंदरता या सच्चाई जैसी गहरी चीज़ों पर अधिक ध्यान केंद्रित कर सकें। वह बताते हैं कि कहानियाँ प्राचीन हैं और यहाँ तक कि शुरुआती मनुष्य भी कहानियाँ सुनने के लिए आग के चारों ओर इकट्ठा होते थे। लोगों को जो चीज़ सुनती रही, वह था सस्पेंस का एहसास। वह द अरेबियन नाइट्स की चतुर और सशक्त कहानीकार शेहेराज़ादे का उदाहरण देते हैं, जिसने हर रात एक कहानी सुनाकर और एक महत्वपूर्ण मोड़ पर रुककर, राजा को और सुनने के लिए उत्सुक बनाकर उसकी जान बचाई थी। इससे पता चलता है कि कहानी कहने में सस्पेंस कितना शक्तिशाली होता है। फ़ॉस्टर समय और मूल्य के बीच के अंतर के बारे में बात करते हैं। कहानियाँ समय का अनुसरण करती हैं। हालाँकि, वास्तविक जीवन में, हम उन क्षणों की भी गहराई से परवाह करते हैं जो अधिक महत्वपूर्ण लगते हैं, भले ही वे समय-सीमा में छोटे हों। यह दर्शाता है कि मूल्य हमेशा समय का अनुसरण नहीं करता। फिर भी, एक उपन्यास में, लेखक को समय का सम्मान करना चाहिए और घटनाओं को क्रम में व्यवस्थित करना चाहिए ताकि कहानी सामान्य रूप से और पाठकों के लिए अर्थपूर्ण हो।
अंत में, फ़ॉस्टर हमें याद दिलाते हैं कि कुछ लेखक समय के साथ खेलने की कोशिश करते हैं, जैसे आगे-पीछे स्विच करना, लेकिन फिर भी वे इससे पूरी तरह बच नहीं पाते। एक उपन्यास को ठीक से काम करने के लिए हमेशा समय और कहानी के बोध की आवश्यकता होती है।
Theme of the Lesson The Story
The lesson “The Story ” by E.M. Forster revolves around the following themes:-
The Importance of Storytelling
Forster emphasizes that storytelling is the core of every novel. Without a story, a novel cannot simply exist, because it is the story that engages readers and gives structure to the narrative. He explains that the story is like the spine, holding together the many complex parts of a novel.
Human Curiosity and Suspense
The lesson showcases how humans are naturally curious and want to know what happens next in a story. Forster uses the example of Scheherazade, who used suspense to survive by keeping the king eager for the next part of her tale, to delay her execution. This suspense is what drives readers to keep reading.
The Role of Time in Storytelling
Forster points out that a story should always follow a sequence of events arranged in chronological order, that is one event after another. This timeline is important because it helps readers understand the cause and effect in the story and keep track of the events. Even when authors play with time and alter it, they should never completely abandon this order.
The Simplicity of Stories
Foster highlights that although stories might seem simple, they are an integral part of human experience. He describes stories as the simplest form in literature, yet they are present in all novels, making them relatable across different cultures and ages.
The Story Explanation
Passage: We shall all agree that the fundamental aspect of the novel is its story-telling aspect, but we shall voice our assent in different tones, and it is on the precise tone of voice we employ now that our subsequent conclusions will depend.
Word Meanings:
fundamental (adj.): forming the base, from which everything else develops
assent (v): to agree to something
subsequent (adj.): happening after something else
Explanation of the passage: The author begins by stating that everyone agrees that the most important part of a novel is its story, the way it tells a sequence of events. But even though we agree on that, we all say it in different ways or with different feelings and thoughts. Some people may say it casually, excitedly or reluctantly. The way we say it shows what we really think about stories, and that attitude in turn affects what we think about novels later on.
Passage: Let us listen to three voices. If you ask one type of man, ‘What does a novel do?’ he will reply placidly, ‘Well— I don’t know—it seems a funny sort of question to ask—a novel’s a novel—well, I don’t know—I suppose it kind of tells a story, so to speak’. He is quite good tempered and vague, and probably driving a motor-bus at the same time and paying no more attention to literature than it merits. Another man, whom I visualise as on a golf-course, will be aggressive and brisk. He will reply, ‘What does a novel do? Why, tell a story of course and I’ve no use for it if it didn’t. I like a story. Very bad taste, on my part, no doubt, but I like a story. You can take your art, you can take your literature, you can take your music, but give me a good story. And I like a story to be a story, mind, and my wife’s the same.’ And a third man, he says in a sort of drooping regretful voice, ‘Yes—oh dear yes—the novel tells a story.’ I respect and admire the first speaker. I detest and fear the second. And the third is myself. Yes—oh dear yes—the novel tells a story. That is the fundamental aspect without which it could not exist. That is the highest factor common to all novels, and I wish that it was not so, that it could be something different—melody, or perception of truth, not this low atavistic form.
Word Meanings:
placidly (adv): in a calm way
tempered (n): mood or emotional state
vague (adj.): not clearly expressed, known, described, or decided
motor-bus (n): a bus
brisk (adj.): quick, energetic, and active
drooping (adj.): to become depressed or weakened
regretful (adj.): showing that you feel sorry about something
admire (v): to respect and approve of someone or their behaviour
detest (v): to hate someone or something very much
perception (n): a belief or opinion, often held by many people and based on how things seem
atavistic (adj.): happening because of a very old habit from a long time ago in human history, not because of a decision or because it is necessary now
Explanation of the passage: Forster states how different people think about novels. He gives examples of three random people. The first person is calm and does not think too deeply. He simply says that a novel tells a story, though he is not sure how to explain it. Forster respects this man for being honest and simple. The second person is confident but aggressive in his opinions. He says that a novel must tell a good story and he is not interested in any other part of it. He does not care about art or in-depth meaning, but just wants a proper story. Forster says he dislikes this man because he is too aggressive and does not appreciate the deeper or philosophical value of literature. The third person speaks in a soft but sad tone. He agrees that the story is important in a novel but wishes that novels could focus more on other things, such as music or truth, rather than just telling a story. Forster then reveals that this third man is actually himself. He feels that although the story is necessary, it is not the most special part of a novel for him.
Passage: For, the more we look at the story (the story that is a story, mind) the more we disentangle it from the finer growths that it supports, the less shall we find to admire. It runs like a backbone—or may I say a tape-worm—for its beginning and end are arbitrary. It is immensely old—goes back to Neolithic times, perhaps to Palaeolithic. Neanderthal man listened to stories, if one may judge by the shape of his skull. The primitive audience was an audience of shock-heads, gaping round the campfire, fatigued with contending against the mammoth or the woolly rhinoceros, and only kept awake by suspense. What would happen next? The novelist droned on and, as soon as the audience guessed what happened next, they either fell asleep or killed him. We can estimate the dangers incurred when we think of the career of Scheherazade in somewhat later times.
Word Meanings:
disentangle (v): to separate things that have become joined or confused
tape-worm (n): a long, flat organism that lives on or inside another organisms
arbitrary (adj.): based on chance rather than being planned or based on reason
Neolithic (adj.): relating to the period when humans used tools and weapons made of stone and had just developed farming
Palaeolithic (adj.): relating to the period when humans used tools and weapons made of stone
Neanderthal (adj.): relating to a type of primitive people who lived in Europe and Asia from about 150,000 to 30,000 years ago
primitive (adj.): relating to human society at a very early stage of development, with people living in a simple way without
machines or a writing system
shock-heads (adj.): having a shock or thick mass of hair on the head
gaping (adj.): open wide, here in reference to feeling suspense or shock, because of the stories
fatigued (adj.): tired
contending (v): to compete in order to win something
mammoth (n): a type of large elephant, now extinct, that was covered in hair and had tusks
incurred (v): to experience something, usually something unpleasant, as a result of actions you have taken
Explanation of the passage: Forster explains that when we look closely at the idea of a story, just the plot without going into the deeper meaning, it becomes less impressive. He compares the story to a backbone, or even a tapeworm, stating that it is just a simple structure that supports other better and deeper parts of a novel, like characters, emotions, and ideas. He points out that storytelling is extremely old, dating back to prehistoric times when early humans sat around campfires after hunting, listening to stories just to stay entertained and awake so as to not get killed. Their main interest was the suspense, they wanted to know what happened next. If they figured it out too soon, they would either fall asleep or get angry with the storyteller. Forster goes on to add that this is why storytellers like Scheherazade from One Thousand and One Nights had to be clever, because boring the audience could be dangerous.
Passage: Scheherazade avoided her fate because she knew how to wield the weapon of suspense—the only literary tool that has any effect on tyrants and savages. Great novelist though she was—exquisite in her descriptions, tolerant in her judgements, ingenious in her incidents, advanced in her morality, vivid in her delineations of character, expert in her knowledge of three Oriental capitals—it was yet on none of these gifts that she relied when trying to save her life from her intolerable husband. They were but incidental. She only survived because she managed to keep the king wondering what would happen next. Each time she saw the sun rising she stopped in the middle of a sentence, and left him gaping. ‘At this moment Scheherazade saw the morning appearing and, discreet, was silent.’ This uninteresting little phrase is the backbone of the One Thousand and One Nights, the tape-worm by which they are tied together and by which the life of a most accomplished princess was preserved.
Word Meanings:
fate (n): what happens to a particular person or thing, especially something final or negative, such as death or defeat
wield (v): to hold a weapon or tool and look as if you are going to use it
tyrants (n): a ruler who has unlimited power over other people, and uses it unfairly and cruelly
savages (adj.): extremely violent, wild, or frightening
exquisite (adj.): very beautiful and delicate
tolerant (adj.): willing to accept behaviour and beliefs that are different from your own, although you might not agree with or approve of them
ingenious (adj.): very intelligent and skilful
delineations (n): the action of describing or marking the edge of something
Oriental capitals (n): Capital cities of countries in East and Southeast Asia
intolerable (adj.): too bad or unpleasant to deal with or accept
incidental (adj.): less important than the thing something is connected with or part of
discreet (adj.): careful not to cause embarrassment or attract too much attention, especially by keeping something secret
uninteresting (adj.): not interesting
Explanation of the passage: In this passage, Forster explains how Scheherazade, the clever storyteller from One Thousand and One Nights, managed to save her life using suspense. Although she was a great novelist, with many talents like giving detailed descriptions, wise judgments, and a knowledge of different cities, none of these qualities saved her. What truly helped her survive was her ability to keep the king curious about what would happen next in her stories. Every night, she would stop her tale at the most exciting point just as the sun rose, leaving the king eager to hear more. Forster believes that this simple trick of creating suspense was the real reason that she stayed alive. All her other skills were secondary to this one powerful tool, that is suspense.
Passage: We are like Scheherazade’s husband in that we want to know what happens next. That is universal and that is why the backbone of a novel has to be a story. Some of us want to know nothing else—there is nothing in us but primeval curiosity and, consequently, our other literary judgements are ludicrous. And now the story can be defined. It is a narrative of events arranged in their time sequence—dinner coming after breakfast, Tuesday coming after Monday, decay after death, and so on. Qua story, it can only have one merit; that of making the audience want to know what happens next. And, conversely, it can have only one fault: that of making the audience not want to know what happens next. These are the only two criticisms that can be made on the story. It is the lowest and simplest of literary organisms. Yet it is the highest factor common to all the very complicated organisms known as novels.
Word Meanings:
primeval (adj.): ancient; existing at or from a very early time
ludicrous (adj.): stupid or unreasonable and deserving to be laughed at
narrative (n): a story or a description of a series of events
Qua (conjunction): in the capacity of; as being
Explanation of the passage: The author believes that all readers are like Scheherazade’s husband because we are naturally very curious beings and always want to know what happens next. This curiosity is what makes a story so important in a novel. Some readers care only about the storyline and ignore everything else, which Forster finds foolish. He defines a story as a sequence of events arranged in the order they happen, like breakfast is eaten before dinner or Monday comes before Tuesday. A story, by itself, has only one strength that is, if it makes readers excited to know what will happen next. It also has only one weakness that is, if it fails to make readers care about what happens next. According to Forster, a story is the simplest and most basic part of literature, but every novel must have it.
Passage: When we isolate the story like this from the nobler aspects through which it moves, and hold it out on forceps— wriggling and interminable, the naked worm of time—it presents an appearance that is both unlovely and dull. But we have much to learn from it. Let us begin by considering it in connection with daily life.
Word Meanings:
isolate (v): to separate something from other things with which it is connected or mixed
nobler (adj.): moral in an honest, brave, and kind way
forceps (n): a metal instrument with two handles used in medical operations for picking up, pulling, and holding things, here used figuratively
interminable (adj.): continuing for too long and therefore boring or annoying
unlovely (adj.): not attractive or pleasant
Explanation of the passage: In this passage, the author says that if we separate the story from all the deeper, and meaningful parts of a novel, like emotions, or characters and their development, it becomes plain, boring, and even a bit unpleasant to read, like a worm that just keeps moving forward in time. However, even though a storyline might not be interesting by itself, it still has value and can teach us a lot. He therefore suggests that we begin by looking at how storytelling connects with everyday life, to better understand its role and importance.
Passage: Daily life is also full of the time sense. We think one event occurs after or before another, the thought is often in our minds, and much of our talk and action proceeds from that assumption. Much of our talk and action, but not all; there seems something else in life besides time, something which may conveniently be called ‘value’, something which is measured not by minutes or hours, but by intensity, so that when we look at our past it does not stretch back evenly but piles up into a few pinnacles and when we look at the future it seems sometimes a wall, sometimes a cloud, sometimes a sun, but never a chronological chart. Neither memory nor anticipation is much interested in Father Time, and all dreamers, artists and lovers are partially delivered from his tyranny; he can kill them but he cannot secure their attention and, at the very moment of doom when the clock collected in the tower its strength and struck, they may be looking the other way.
Word Meanings:
conveniently (adv): in a way that is suitable for your purposes and needs and causes the least difficulty
pinnacles (n): the most successful or admired part of a system or achievement
chronological (adj.): following the order in which a series of events happened
anticipation (n): a feeling of excitement about something that is going to happen in the near future
Father Time (n): a personification of time referring to the continued progress of existence and events in the past, present, and future regarded as a whole
Explanation of the passage: Forster explains that while time plays a big role in our daily lives, we usually think in terms of “before” and “after” and that there is something more important than just the sequence of events. He calls this deeper element “value,” which is not measured in hours or minutes but in how intense or meaningful a moment feels to the person. When we think about our past, we do not remember everything in an even manner like a timeline. Instead, only a few powerful, important or emotional moments stand out. Similarly, when we think about the future, it does not feel like a neat schedule, rather it often feels uncertain, like a wall, a cloud, or sunlight. He believes that artists, dreamers, and lovers are free from the rule of time. Even when time is about to end everything, they are focused on other things and are often lost in deeper meaning or imagination, ignoring the ticking clock.
Passage: So daily life, whatever it may be really, is practically composed of two lives—the life in time and the life by values—and our conduct reveals a double allegiance. ‘I only saw her for five minutes, but it was worth it.’ There you have both allegiances in a single sentence. And what the story does is to narrate the life in time. And what the entire novel does—if it is a good novel—is to include the life by values as well; using devices hereafter to be examined. It, also, pays a double allegiance. But in it, the novel, the allegiance to time is imperative: no novel could be written without it. Whereas, in daily life, the allegiance may not be necessary; we do not know, and the experience of certain mystics suggests, indeed, that it is not necessary, and that we are quite mistaken in supposing that Monday is followed by Tuesday, or death by decay. It is always possible for you or me in daily life to deny that time exists and act accordingly even if we become unintelligible and are sent by our fellow citizens to what they choose to call a lunatic asylum. But it is never possible for a novelist to deny time inside the fabric of his novel: he must cling, however lightly, to the thread of his story, he must touch the interminable tape-worm otherwise he becomes unintelligible, which, in his case, is a blunder.
Word Meanings:
allegiance (n): loyalty and support for a belief
imperative (adj.): extremely important or urgent
mystics (n): someone who attempts to be united with God through prayer
unintelligible (adj.): not able to be understood
lunatic asylum (n): an outdated and offensive term for a mental hospital or institution that housed people with mental illnesses
cling (v): to stick onto or hold something or someone tightly, or to refuse to stop holding it
blunder (n): a serious mistake, usually caused by not taking care or thinking
Explanation of the passage: The author states that our daily lives are made up of two kinds of experiences, the life in time, which follows the order of events, and the life by values, which is based on how meaningful something feels. He gives the example, “I only saw her for five minutes, but it was worth it,” to show how both time and value can exist together and still be meaningful. A story mainly tells us about life in time, what happens and in what order. But a novel, if it is a good one, also captures life by values, feelings and depth. He explains that a novel must follow the rules of time. Writers cannot ignore the flow of time in a story, or the novel will not make sense. In real life, however, some mystics and dreamers may try to live outside of time, believing that maybe time is not a real concept at all. But if a writer tries to do that in their book, readers will not be able to understand it and would be left confused and that would be a failure. So, while people can live beyond time in some cases, a novel however, always needs to respect time.
Passage: I am trying not to be philosophic about time for it is (experts assure us) a most dangerous hobby for an outsider, far more fatal than place; and quite eminent metaphysicians have been dethroned through referring to it improperly. I am only trying to explain that as I lecture now I hear the clock ticking, I retain or lose the time sense; whereas, in a novel, there is always a clock. The author may dislike the clock. Emily Bronte in Wuthering Heights tried to hide hers. Sterne, in Tristram Shandy, turned it upside down. Marcel Proust, still more ingenious, kept altering the hands so that his hero was at the same time entertaining a mistress to supper and playing ball with his nurse in the park. All these devices are legitimate but none of them contravene our thesis: the basis of a novel is a story and a story is a narrative of events in time sequence.
Word Meanings:
philosophic (adj.): relating or devoted to the study of the fundamental nature of knowledge, reality, and existence
fatal (adj.): very serious and having an important bad effect in the future
eminent (adj.): famous, respected, or important
metaphysicians (n): an expert in or student of the branch of philosophy that deals with the first principles of things, including abstract concepts such as being and knowing
dethroned (v): to beat someone who is the best at something
retain (v): to keep or continue to have something
supper (n): a main meal eaten in the evening
contravene (v): to do something that a rule does not allow, or to break a rule
thesis (n): the main idea, opinion, or theory of a person, group, piece of writing, or speech
Explanation of the passage: In this passage, Forster agrees that he does not want to get too philosophical about time because it is a complex subject and can be risky for non-experts to discuss. Many thinkers have made mistakes when trying to explain time, so he chooses to keep things simple. He explains that in real life, we are aware of time, like hearing a clock tick when giving a lecture. But in novels, there is always an invisible clock running, even if the writer tries to alter, hide or play with it. He gives examples of famous authors who have handled time in their novels. Emily Brontë, for example, tried to hide the presence of time in Wuthering Heights. Laurence Sterne, in Tristram Shandy, flipped the idea of time. Marcel Proust changed the flow of time so that his character seemed to be doing things from different ages at the same moment. Forster believes that these tricks are acceptable, but they still do not change the main rule, which is that for a novel to work, it must have a story, and a story must follow the order of time, even if it plays with it creatively, suggesting that the presence of time and story both are needed for a story to be considered good.
Passage: From Aspects of the Novel : A Note
These are some lectures (the Clark Lectures) which were delivered under the auspices of Trinity College, Cambridge, in the spring of 1927. They were informal, indeed talkative, in their tone and it seemed safer when presenting them in book form not to mitigate the talk, in case nothing should be left at all. Words such as ‘I’, ‘you’ ‘one’, ‘we’, ‘curiously enough’, ‘so to speak’, ‘only imagine’ and ‘of course’ will consequently occur on every page and will rightly distress the sensitive reader; but he is asked to remember that if these words were removed, others, perhaps more distinguished, might escape through the orifices they left and that since the novel is itself often colloquial it may possibly withhold some of its secrets from the graver and grander streams of criticism and may reveal them to backwaters and shallows.
Word Meanings:
auspices (n): with the protection or support of someone or something, especially an organization
mitigate (v): to make something less harmful, unpleasant, or bad
consequently (v): as a result
distinguished (adj.): very successful and commanding great respect
colloquial (adj.): informal and more suitable for use in speech than in writing
backwaters (n): a place that does not seem to know much about the world and its ways
shallows (adj.): not showing, requiring, or capable of serious thought
Explanation of the passage: Lastly, in this note from Aspects of the Novel, E.M. Forster explains that the book is based on a series of informal lectures he gave at Trinity College, Cambridge, in 1927. Since the lectures were casual in tone, he decided not to change that style when turning them into a book. He warns readers that they will see everyday words like “I,” “you,” “we,” “so to speak,” and “of course” throughout the text, which might annoy more serious or sensitive readers. However, Forster defends this choice by saying that if he removed these simple words to sound more refined, the meaning might also get lost. He says that because novels themselves are often informal, it makes more sense to approach them in the same way. In fact, he believes that the secrets of novels might not be discovered through heavy and formal criticism but instead through a more relaxed and personal way of thinking, similar to the tone of his lectures.
Conclusion
This post provides the students with a comprehensive understanding of the Essay Chapter 6 – The Story By E.M. Forster from the CBSE Class 11 English Woven Words Book. It provides the students with the introduction, theme, summary, lesson explanation with word meanings, ensuring that the students comprehend the chapter effectively.