The Telegram On The Table Four Levels
Four levels of the story the Telegram on the Table are:
Literal Comprehension
“The Telegram On The Table” is a story written by Nepali short story writer Parashu Pradhan and later it is translated by Michael Hutt.
This story is about Nepalese youth people who migrated to the city from their village. Here, Mr. Krishna is presented as a youth. Before he lived for 10 years in the city.
He used to guide the tourists and enjoy seeing their blue eyes, way of their speaking, and way of their living because he is too much interested to learn the English language.
He used to dream about foreigners, dream about a large building in New York City. One day his friend came and gave him news about the death of his wife.
After hearing this he seems too happy instead of looking serious. Then he wanted to be involved in a second marriage and invited Mrs. Panday for the dinner.
After some time he was alone in his room, and he felt uncomfortable by seeing his unbalanced room. He was angry with himself remembering his village, family, relatives, wife, friends, and Dashain vacations.
Finally, he came to his reality and start weeping remembering his past life.
Interpretation
This story presents the life and condition of city people who are migrated from their village, and country, where they forget their past life. Migrated people are hypnotized by city life.
Youths have the illusion to go to a foreign country thinking there is more money. It also presents that migrated people have a lack of feeling, lack of sensitivity, they become stone-hearted, it seems when Mr. Krishna has no feelings after hearing about the death of his wife.
Also, it suggests to readers that, what is the reality we have to accept whether we are in a village or a foreign country, or in a high position.
Critical Thinking
This story presents the bitter reality, conditions, and nature of youth people. Here are my unsatisfied statements from this text:
- How can we believe that Mr. Krishna easily forgot his wife?
- Is it possible for the husband to be happy after hearing about the death of his own wife?
- How can we claim that city/ abroad life is always better?
- Is there no type of law against people who are involved in a second marriage right after the death of their wife?
Assimilation
I thought the people who have migrated to the abroad city would make their future bright, they become honest, faithful towards others, they do hard study, they think about their village and development of their country.
But after this text, I knew that some migrated people are senseless and stone-hearted, and they do not think about their past life. I learned we do not forget our past life no matter where we are.