Write the explanation of the essay entitled "Dream Children"

Write the explanation of the essay entitled “Dream Children”. (Part-1)

Ans.

Explanations

(1) Children……………upon it.

Reference to the Context: These lines presenting children’s fondness of listening to the stories of their elders, have been extracted from the essay entitled Dream Children: A Reverie written by Charles Lamb.

Here Lamb presents children’s curiosity to know about their elders’ childhood. They (children) are greatly inclined to know the things and incidents related to the childhood of their elders. Lamb satisfies the curiosity of his dream children, Alice and John by telling them about their great grandmother.

Explanation: According to Lamb, all children of the world are very fond of listening to the stories about their elders. They become very happy to conceive of their elders as once being children. They like to exercise their imagination about them. They picture them with the help of their imagination. They imagine of a grandmother or a great uncle about whom they have only been hearing, whom they have never seen. One day, under this desire, Lamb’s two dream children, Alice and John born to his old love Ann Simmons, came to him to listen to an account of their great grandmother Field who lived in a great house in Norfolk which was considerably more big and spacious than their present house. She was employed there as a housekeeper. (Actually, Lamb’s grandmother was employed as a housekeeper in a house not at Norfolk but Hertfordshire. Lamb only tries to mystify the reader according to his habit.) It was generally believed in the part of country that this place had been the scene of the tragic incidents of the murder of two innocent children. The two children inherited a property from their father. They were under the guardianship of their uncle who wanted to rob them of the property, so hired two ruffians to murder them, but one of the ruffians took pity upon them and left them in the wood. The children wandered in the wood and due to extreme hunger, they died in the wood. Some robins saw their dead bodies uncovered, so they covered them with dry leaves. The children came to know this sad story from the ballad of the Children of the Wood. The tragic ballad was beautifully carved upon the wooden chimney-piece in the great hall of that house. The story, carved out in, remained on the chimney-piece of this house for a long time till a foolish rich man pulled it down and installed a marble chimney in its place on which no story of children was inscribed.

Critical Comments: 1. Element of pathos: Due to being a confirmed bachelor, Lamb always longed to have children.

2. Lamb’s fondness of mystifying the reader.

3. The Children in the wood: This ancient ballad includes in Percy’s Reliques.

4. Lamb’s remarkable understanding children’s psychology.

(2) Here Alice put………………….foolish indeed.

Reference to the Context: These lines presenting great grandmother’s religious spirits, have been extracted from the essay entitled Dream Children: A Reverie, written by Charles Lamb.

Here the essayist tells his dream children about religious spirits and goodness of their great grandmother.

Explanation: When Lamb told his dream children about the foolish rich person who, after pulling down the wooden chimney-piece, set up the chimney made of marble according to modern fashion, Alice tried to show her contempt and anger for the rich Iman. She thought that the rich man gave no importance to the antique thing, i.e.. the wooden chimney-piece on which the tragic story of the two innocent children was inscribed. In fact, Alice showed sympathy for the children who were cruelly murdered. But at this point, Alice looked in the manner of her dead mother. Her face was so tender that the feeling of hatred and anger for the rich man could not get real existence on it. Then Lamb told the children that their great grandmother Field was very good and religious. Her religious conduct and good behaviour influenced everyone. So, she was loved, cared and honoured by everyone. The people living in her neighbourhood had special reverence for her. She was appointed the housekeeper of the great house because the owner of the house handed over the entire responsibility of the house in her charge. But her appearance was so strong that nobody could say her housekeeper. She lived in the great house as a mistress and maintained the old dignity and respectable appearance of the house until she was alive. After her death the house fell into decay and was nearly pulled down and all its ornaments were removed and taken to other house of the owner and set up there. The old ornaments in the new house looked as awkward as if somebody placed the old tombs of the Westminster Abbey in the glittering and showy drawing room of some fashionable lady of wealth and position.

Critical Comments: 1. Too tender…braiding: Lamb interrupts the narration by a vivid and pictorial description of the reaction of the ‘Dream Children’ to the various circumstances of the story.

2. In the adjoining country: Actually the house was in Gilston, near Harlow in the same country. Lamb’s intention here is to satisfy the reader.

3. The Abbey: Westminster Abbey holds the graves of many illustrious sons of England.

4. Lady C. An imaginary rich woman of fashion.

(3) And then I told…………… spread her hands.

Reference to the Context: These lines presenting grand funeral ceremony of great grandmother Field, have been extracted from the essay entitled Dream Children: A Reverie, written by Charles Lamb.

Here Lamb tells his dream children the popularity and goodness of their great grandmother.

Explanation: Lamb told his dream children that when their great grandmother Field died, her funeral was attended by all the poor and some of the gentry of the neighbourhood. Due to being a religious lady, she was honoured by everyone. She had always been good for all. She always wished for the welfare of all. She had never been the cause of trouble for anyone. Her religious conduct left deep impact on everyone. Indeed she was an embodiment of goodness and chastity. She showed great zeal in religious activities. She was greatly fond of reading the spiritual and religious books. She gave much importance to ethical values. She was so religious that she knew all the psalms (holy songs) printed in the Book of Common Prayer. She also knew the great part of Testament. When Alice heard about great religious spirits of the great grandmother, she showed her surprise.

Critical Comments: 1. Psaltery: the Psalms as printed in the Book of Common Prayer.

2. Testament: Old and New Testament, the two divisions of the Bible.

(4) Then I told……………….religious.

Reference to the Context: These lines presenting charming personality, strong will power and high spirits of great grandmother Field, have been extracted from the essay entitled Dream Children: A Reverie, written by Charles Lamb.

Here Lamb tells his dream children that their great grandmother Field was a gracious lady in her youth. She possessed high spirits. She gained popularity as the best danger of the locality.

Explanation: Lamb told his dream children that their great grandmother Field, in her youth, had been very tall, upright and graceful. Her attractive personality influenced everyone. Indeed she had an imposing personality. She was regarded the best dancer in her locality. When Alice heard that great grandmother Field was a reputed dancer, she had lost control over her right foot and it began to move automatically. Perhaps she was over whelmed with the spirit of dancing, so she could not resist the desire of dancing On seeing that her father was taking that distraction seriously, she checked the movement of her foot. Unfortunately, great grandmother Field was afflicted by the cruel disease cancer which bowed her physically but which could never bow down her strong spirits. She was physically disabled from dancing, but spiritually she remained strong and erect. She continued to preserve her spiritual and religious feelings. She did not go aside from her religious path.

Critical Comments: 1. The children’s at various stages of their father’s story are amusing.

2. Lamb’s narrative style reminds one of the style of the stories meant for children.

(5) Then I told………………courageous.

Reference to the Context: These lines presenting the feelings of fearlessness of grandmother Field, have been extracted from the essay entitled Dream Children: A Reverie, written by Charles Lamb.

Here Lamb tells his dream children about the bold and courageous nature of their great grandmother Field. Due to being excessive religious, she had no fear of anything.

Explanation: Lamb told his dream children that their great grandmother lived alone in the big desolated house. Even she had no fear at night. She slept in a room all alone. She believed that the image of two innocent children of the story (in which the two children were murdered by the consent of their cruel uncle), was to be seen at midnight gliding up and down in the air near the staircase where she slept. But she was so good, courageous and religious that she was not afraid of them. She believed that the spirits of these innocent children could do no harm for her. When Lamb heard about the spirits of two children, he was much frightened. When he got opportunity to visit grandmother Field, he could not sleep alone. He slept with his maid. He at once understood the reason of being afraid. He thought that the reason of his fear was the great want of religious and spiritual feelings in him. He had never been half so good and religious as his grand mother. He considered himself fortunate that he never saw the ghost of these two innocent children. After hearing about the spirits of the two children, John tried to look brave and in press upon his father.

Critical Comments: Comments on the children’s reactions to his story give a vivid touch of reality to the essay.