Sunday 11 September 2011

Essay On Cinema - Its Use And Abuses

Essay On Cinema - Its Use And Abuses

Cinema is a changed of expression and communication. It was invented by Edison, an American scientists. The cinema plays on important role in the social, moral, political and economic life. D.G. Phalke produced the first Indian silent film, Raja Harishchandra in 1913.

The era of talkie films started in 1931 with the producing of Alam Ara. India is the largest producer of feature films in the world. The films are certified by the Central Board of Film Certification. Cinema is a source of entertainment, knowledge and employment. However, the sex and violence portrayed contaminate the minds of the people. The objective of films should be to educate, modify and to bring unity and harmony among the people.

Cinema is a film i.e... a story etc. recorded as set of moving pictures to be shown on screen of a theatre house and television. It is a channel of expression and communication. The cinemas one of the most important inventions of modern science. It was invented by Dison, An American scientist. It is a medium of instruction as well as recreation. The cinema plays an important role in the social, political, educational and moral life.

The history of Indian cinema began with the production of Pundalik by R.G. Torney and N.G. Chitre in 1912. This was followed by the production of Raja Harishchandra by Dhundiraj Govind Phalke in 1913. The latter is the first Indian silent film. D.G. Phalke is considered the father of Indian cinema. Women at that time were not allowed to perform in films. So, the female characters were played by men, dressed as women. The films were silent as there was no sound or dialogue. In 1931, the era of talkie films stared with the production of Alam Ara. Women also stared acting in films.

The early years of the 20th century saw a spate of film making by Indians. Hirala Sen, Jamshedjee Framjee Mada, F.B. Thanewala and Abdullaly Essofally were the pioneers who promoted the producing and exhibition of cinema during that period.

The talkie had brought revolutionary changes in the whole set up of the industry. It was during the thirties that attempts were made to produce talkie films in different regional languages. To see and hear a film in one's own mother tongue caused a mushrooming of film industries in all over India.

The cinema is making rapid progress in all counties. It is a visual medium. It has the advantage of cutting across linguistic barriers and age. It has certain advantages over both the press and the radio. The press and the radio require the knowledge of a particular language as an aid for understanding. To some extent film can be understood without any such knowledge.

India is the largest producer of features films in the world. Cinema has become very popular in India. it has become a part and parcel of our life. One can see a film at the theatre house or on one's television set. The video and the cable boom have further fueled the craze. Mumbai, Kolkata and Chennai are the most important centers of film production.

Films can be exhibited in India only after they have been certified by the Central Board of Film Certification. The Board consists of a chairman and a minimum of 12 and a maximum of 25 members. The headquarters of the Board is located at Mumbai. Indian films are also popular in other counties. The export of Indian films is channelised through the National Film Development Corporation.

Cinema is a source of entertainment. it helps us to escape, for a while, form the worries and anxieties of life. It relieves us of tension. It provides us relaxation. It is also a source of employment to many. besides providing entertainment, cinema is also a source of employment to many. This field has become so famous that a large number of courses related to cinema, is being offered by almost all the universities.

cinema enlarges the frontiers of our knowledge. Wee can watch as well as know the culture, dress, language, customs etc. of people of different counties. A good film inspirers us and emboldens us to strive for a better life. we can gain knowledge of the political, social and economic conditions our our country. Educational films can benefit a lot to students in their studies. Films meant for children are also produced every year.

Cinema plays an important role in bringing about social reforms in our society. Social films show the evils of dowry, child marriage, unsociability, drinking, smoking, drug addiction etc. Cinema also highlights against communalism. It portrays how communalism poses a great danger to the unity of the country. The cinema promotes national integration. In a cinema hall, we always find a cross-section of people of all castes, religions, sexes, social and economic status.

Cinema became the most sacred and powerful medium of the modern age. We have an extremely valuable cultural and artistic heritage. The film directors have to explore this, but seldom they do so.
Cinema causes a lot of harm. Most of the films produced nowadays have little social content. They depict a lot of violence. pornographic details, rape scenes, robbery, theft, cheating murder, etc. They create a bad impact on the minds of the people. They contaminate the social and moral atmosphere of the society. They pollute the minds of youth. They initiate the young into the world of crime.

Essay on Female Education

 Essay on Female Education

It is the height of selfishness for men, who fully appreciate in their own case the great advantages of a good education, to deny these advantages to women. There is no valid argument by which the exclusion of the female sex from the privilege of education can be defended.


It is argued that women have their domestic duties to perform, and that, if they were educated, they would bury themselves in their books and have little time for attending to the management of their households. Of course it is possible for women, as it is for men, to neglect necessary work in order to spare more time for reading sensational novels.

But women are no more liable to this temptation than men, and most women would be able to do their household work all the better for being able to refresh their minds in the intervals of leisure with a little reading. Nay, education would even help them in the perfor­mance of the narrowest sphere of womanly duty.
For education involves knowledge of the means by which health may be preserved and improved, and enables a mother to consult such modern books as will tell her how to rear up her children into healthy men and women, and skillfully nurse them and her husband when disease attacks her household.
Without education she will be not unlikely to listen with fatal results to the advice of superstitious quacks, who pretend to work wonders by charms and magic.

But according to a higher conception of woman’s sphere, woman ought to be something more than a household drudge. She ought to be able, not merely to nurse her husband in sickness, but also to be his companion in health.

For this part of her wifely duty education is necessary, for there cannot well be congenial companionship between an educated man and an uneducated wife, who can converse with her husband on no higher subjects than cookery and servants’ wages.

Also one of a mother’s highest duties is the education of her children at the time when their mind is most amenable to instruction. A child’s whole future life, to a large extent, depends on the teaching it receives in early childhood, and it is needless to say that this first foundation of education cannot be well laid by an ignorant mother. On all these grounds female education is a vital necessity.

But it is sometimes urged that the intellect of women is so weak as to be incapable of receiving and benefiting by any but the lowest form of education. Such an assertion could hardly be made by any one who considers for a moment the instances afforded by history of women who have shown conspicuous ability in statesmanship, literature, science, and art.

The list of women who have by their intellectual power won for themselves an eminent position in history is a long one, and would be still longer if in the past they had enjoyed the same educational advantages as were given to men.

The only real danger to be apprehended from female educa­tion arises from an imperfect view of the scope of education. If education is confined to mere book-learning, there is a danger that women may, from physical weakness, succumb to the intellectual strain put upon them in their studies at school and college.
The remedy for this is to remember that physical training is an essential part of education, and to allow women the opportunity of strengthening their physical powers by regular exercise, especially by exercise in the open air, so that they have the good health necessary for the profitable prosecution of their studies.

Essay on Fashion

Fashion

“Fashion” is the name given to the prevailing style of living among the upper classes and the rich. Among the members of the “smart set” of any country, certain styles of houses, furniture, foods and drinks, times of meals, amusements, polite customs, and especially dress, are “fashionable.”

No one in society would dare to take his meals at unfashionable times, or furnish his house with old-fashioned furniture, or, above all, wear clothes that were out of fashion; for to do such things would be considered odd and eccentric, or, as people of that class would say, “quite impos­sible.”

And as fashions in dress are constantly changing, “the fashion” in dress always means the latest fashion; and as it is impossible for any but rich people to bear the expense of discard­ing perfectly good cloths, simply because the style has gone out of fashion, and buying new and up-to-date dresses, only well-to- do people can always be fashionable.

Fashions in all things change from time to time. For example, certain amusements can come into and go out of fashion. Such games, as croquet and bowls, came into fashion for a time and were “all the rage” in the middle of the 19th century; then they went out of fashion, and other games like lawn-tennis and golf took their place.

At one time, all fashionable people rode horses, while now they have taken to motor-cars. The style for furniture changes, and the way in which our grand-fathers furnished their houses would be considered altogether out-of-date and old fash­ioned today.

Even foods and drinks, and the way they are pre­pared and served, change from time to time. For example, a fashionable dinner in a rich house today is quite different from what it was fifty years ago. But the changeableness of fashion is seen mostly in dress, especially in ladies dress, in Europe and America.
One year the dresses will be short and the hats small; the next they may be long and the hats large. Now the prevailing colour may be blue; in a few months, it may be pink; and some time after, everyone will be wearing black.

A fashionable lady will call a beautiful dress, that she worn only once, “that old thing”, and give it away to her maid, because it has gone out of fashion.
Now can we account for these constant and rapid changes of fashion? They are due, partly to love of novelty, and partly to what is called the “herd-instinct.”
Animals that live in herds or flocks (like cattle, sheep or deer) are in the habit of moving together and all doing the same thing at the same time. If one sheep goes in a certain direction, the whole flock will follow. This is called the “herd-instinct.”

Now men are animals who live in herds; and as a rule a man feels uncomfortable if he is not doing, and wearing, just what his equals in society wear and do. So when a few original people begin to wear a different style of clothes, love of novelty, combined with the herd-instinct, impels all the rest to follow their example.

Wednesday 7 September 2011

Essay on Joint Families vs Nuclear Families

 Essay on Joint Families vs Nuclear Families

 
 


Joint families are those families in which two or more generations along with their offspring live together in a single house. There are grandparents and grandchildren with sons and daughters in the middle. The nuclear families on the other hand are comprised of single unit families of one generation with father, mother and their children.


The joint family system has the potential to ensure sustainability of life and natural resources. This system has several benefits and hence needs to be maintained. Our idea of considering it as a possible model for future families is probably right. In countries like India with a great rise in population, while the resources like land and space becoming scarce, the families and individuals are leading life of worry and tension-chiefly because of financial constraints.

The situation in developed countries is similar, albeit for different reasons. In US, Australia and European countries people are stressed because of job insecurity, difficulty in raising children, pursuing career ambitions, young adults having difficulty starting out on their own, relational problems between spouses. Therefore, whether living in developing countries or the developed countries, the model of joint family has the potential to provide a secure, healthy and stress-free life. In the developing countries like India where there is shortage of houses because of rise in population, more numbers can be adjusted in the same house of living in a joint family. The scarce resources like fuel can be used economically by cooking meal for the whole family.

In developed countries, the joint family can provide financial support if one member goes out of work. Young adults can be guided by their grandparents in a number of ways because of the latter’s experience. Elders in the family can provide valuable advice to husband and wife in case of their dispute or differences. They often act as mediators and prevent breaking of families.

Having experimented with nuclear families and experienced its shortcomings we can develop a model that draws on the benefits of both the joint and the nuclear family. We might even be forced to do so when resources become very scarce over a period of time. It has to be done when our survival is at stake. Today, our younger generation, after having lived in the joint family is ready to break out and start a nuclear family. But, fortunately they have come to realise the relative strengths and weaknesses of both the systems.

The nuclear family gives a lot of freedom from traditions, orthodoxy and old ways of life. Hence, wherever the parents and grown up children could not get along well, and if the adult children could afford they prefer to build a separate house and form a nuclear family. There is also an urge to build a house which one may call one’s own. As this happens, with most of the changes in society, initially the people from the old system do not take this change very well. They are saddened to see the disintegration of the family and the erosion of the old values.

The emergence of individualistic nuclear family was viewed by them as dilution in relations between the parents and the adult children. But as the nuclear families tend to become the order of the day, the older generations have come to accept the reality.
The other factor that gave rise to nuclear families is industrialisation. The Industrial Revolution brought with it a phenomenal increase in job opportunities in and around major industrialized cities and towns-whether dominated by manufacturing or trade. This forced men and women to move out of their family home and away from parents. Here, even those parents who are extremely attached to their children preferred to stay at their original house and did not move away along with the moving children.

They accepted, though with a great degree of sadness, that their children have to move away for their career and start a new life away from them. Based on their experience of two fundamentally different models of family, some people have suggested a new model. In it, the basic and underlying concept of the joint family system would remain the same. The changes in which in the members interact with one another shall be incorporated. In the joint family system more than one family live under one roof. In the revised model, the families coming together to live under one roof may not be of same parent family.

The revived model also gives us a chance to analyse the mistakes made in the old joint family system and find ways and means of not repeating them. The joint family system thrives on love and respect. However, the elders in the family need to understand that love regard and respect cannot be demanded as a matter of right, they have to be earned. The seniors should be excessively demanding, meddlesome or fault finders. Each member in the joint family needs love and care. If it is denied, that member may contemplate a break-off.

The young adults in the family need some space. By space, we do not mean physical but mental space-the freedom to think and act according to his dreams and desires though within the permissible limits. Both the elders and the youngsters need to know their boundaries and never try to cross them. Living under one roof does not have to be about transgressing the personal space of the members.

Living under one roof may bring to the fore something which is known as generation gap. It is primarily the duty of the elders in the family, being experienced, that they should not impose their ideas upon the youngsters. They should treat them as their friends not juniors, and should accept the changes that have come about in society and the people including their children. If there is a difference of opinion over some issue, which is quite normal, it should not be allowed to chrysallise into disillusionment between the two sides. Each side should be prepared to concede some ground for the sake of the other. Instead of taking sides, and dividing the whole family into two disagreeing groups, some members should remain neutral so that they remain accessible to both the sides and act as moderators in case the dispute begins to take serious proportions.

It is important that members in a joint family system feel accepted for what they are and as they are. This means there should be an acceptance for a member’s weaknesses and limitations. The acceptance of other members should be realistic. Excessive demands of elders from the youngsters create distaste and ill feelings in the minds of youngsters and discontent and disappointment in the minds of the elders. Another important thing to be kept in mind is that if there are two sons, they should not be compared in terms of earnings or other parameters of success.

If the son earning more is praised at the expense of the one who earns less, this will certainly create hatred and jealousy between the two brothers. Some parents make the mistake of openly criticising their son who is financially weak or is less educated or is lower in status in terms of his job than some other member of the family. This results in either open outburst by that member which is a sign of revolt, or nursing of hatred against the parents. The structure of joint family gets endangered in such case. The parents must realise that in a joint family there are persons of different strengths.

One of the great advantages of this is that different strengths of different members can be potentially enriching to the family and it can provide a sense of fulfillment to the family as a whole. The joint family can become a training ground for the future generations to learn and develop attribute and skills of living in harmony with other citizens in society. If our family model is based on tolerance, togetherness and warmth, it will be reflected positively in society at large.

Thursday 1 September 2011

Essay on My Favourite author

Essay on My Favorite Author
I am a voracious reader. I have read many authors, but my favorite author is Rabindranath Tagore, popularly known as “the Shelley of Bengal.”


Tagore was a Ben­gali, but he belongs to the whole world, not to speak of India. He was a universalistic and a humanist through and through.
Tagore was born on May 6, 1861 in Calcutta. He came from a rich family of land­lords. But he had the milk of human kind­ness for the poor and the downtrodden.

Tagore was not sent to any school, he was taught at home. He was a highly preco­cious child. As such, he was capable of learning more from nature and society at large than from any formal education. His responsibilities regarding management of a vast estate enabled him to interact with and get impressions from a large cross-section of humanity. This enabled him to develop a broad outlook with a healthy blend of realis­tic and idealistic strains.
Even while learning at home, Tagore became a scholar at an early age. He had an inborn poetic bent of mind. He began to write in Bengali at an early age and even started a magazine. In his opinion, a child’s first lan­guage should be his mother-tongue in which he could express himself with better felicita­tion.

Tagore was a versatile genius. He was a poet, novelist, dramatist, short-story writer, essayist, actor, musician, painter, cultural leader, religious reformer and even a politi­cal leader to some extent. Above all, he was a patriot, even while being a citizen of the world. His famous novels are “Gore”, “Wreck” etc. But he is most popular for his book: the “Gitanjali”- a book of devotional lyrics in poetic prose. The book won him the Nobel Prize for Literature in 1913. He wrote this book in Bengali and then himself translated it into English. Our national anthem “Jana- Gana-Mana” is also the creation of Tagore.

No doubt, Tagore is the greatest poet and writer of modern India. His writings are all highly inspiring and touching. He was honoured by a large number of universities of the world with the honorary doctorate degrees. He was the cultural ambassador of India to the world. His poems in particular have a deep impact on my mind and that is why he is my favorite author.

Essay on Fashion

Essay on Fashion

“Fashion” is the name given to the prevailing style of living among the upper classes and the rich. Among the members of the “smart set” of any country, certain styles of houses, furniture, foods and drinks, times of meals, amusements, polite customs, and especially dress, are “fashionable.”


No one in society would dare to take his meals at unfashionable times, or furnish his house with old-fashioned furniture, or, above all, wear clothes that were out of fashion; for to do such things would be considered odd and eccentric, or, as people of that class would say, “quite impos­sible.”

And as fashions in dress are constantly changing, “the fashion” in dress always means the latest fashion; and as it is impossible for any but rich people to bear the expense of discard­ing perfectly good cloths, simply because the style has gone out of fashion, and buying new and up-to-date dresses, only well-to- do people can always be fashionable.

Fashions in all things change from time to time. For example, certain amusements can come into and go out of fashion. Such games, as croquet and bowls, came into fashion for a time and were “all the rage” in the middle of the 19th century; then they went out of fashion, and other games like lawn-tennis and golf took their place.
At one time, all fashionable people rode horses, while now they have taken to motor-cars. The style for furniture changes, and the way in which our grand-fathers furnished their houses would be considered altogether out-of-date and old fash­ioned today.

Even foods and drinks, and the way they are pre­pared and served, change from time to time. For example, a fashionable dinner in a rich house today is quite different from what it was fifty years ago. But the changeableness of fashion is seen mostly in dress, especially in ladies dress, in Europe and America.
One year the dresses will be short and the hats small; the next they may be long and the hats large. Now the prevailing colour may be blue; in a few months, it may be pink; and some time after, everyone will be wearing black.

A fashionable lady will call a beautiful dress, that she worn only once, “that old thing”, and give it away to her maid, because it has gone out of fashion.
Now can we account for these constant and rapid changes of fashion? They are due, partly to love of novelty, and partly to what is called the “herd-instinct.”
Animals that live in herds or flocks (like cattle, sheep or deer) are in the habit of moving together and all doing the same thing at the same time. If one sheep goes in a certain direction, the whole flock will follow. This is called the “herd-instinct.”

Now men are animals who live in herds; and as a rule a man feels uncomfortable if he is not doing, and wearing, just what his equals in society wear and do. So when a few original people begin to wear a different style of clothes, love of novelty, combined with the herd-instinct, impels all the rest to follow their example.

Essay on A Visit to a Book Fair

Essay on A Visit to a Book Fair
 
Book fairs are still in the formative stage of growth and they have not caught the attention of the public. They are an annual feature and even with the grand publicity in the newspapers, in the television and the radio, they have not become popular places of visit.


They do not draw people as some exhibitions on household articles, dress materials, electrical and electronic gadgets do. Books are still far down in the list of preferences of people.

Taste for reading has not caught on with people as their social awareness is low. Even educated people, even academicians do not care to read the latest books that appear in the market now and then. It is a sad state of affairs. This age is a technological age and there is much demand for technical and engineering books. It is said that literary books which cater to the taste of the intellectuals and writers do not sell fast like books on engineering and technical subjects. Most of the publishing houses publish novels, short stories and books of essays. The publishing houses which specialize in publishing technical, engineering and medical books are very few.Book fairs afford us an opportunity to make a selection of the books out of the numerous books published every year.

Students should make it a point to visit a book fair whenever it is organized. In Chennai, a Book Fair is organized annually on the grounds of the Quidde Millet College in Anna Salami near the Spencer building. The Book Fair in 2007 will be held in another venue. A number of publishing concerns in Chennai and some other places set up their bookstalls, small and large. Even publishing concerns in Delhi, Mumbai and Kolkata have their bookstalls. Publishing concerns like Asia Publishing House, Rapa & Co., Emerald
Publishers, Penguin, Harper-Collins, Aries Books International, Kalaignar Pathippagam, Manimekalai Prasuram, Lifco Books, Earthman Pathippagam, Avanti Pathippagam, Thirumagal Nilayam and a number of other publishers set up bookstalls. Hundreds of visitors throng the bookstalls and buy the books they want.
Some writers and publishers are chosen for the annual awards instituted by the organisers of the fair and they are honoured. It is really an exciting trip around the book fair. The number of bookstalls should be great in number, for, it takes at least one or two hours to go round the various bookstalls and buy the books we want.
Book fairs are intended to create among the people an awareness of the wide variety of books published and to create in them the habit of buying and reading books. Books are indispensable to everyone. Books and magazines make us well-informed about the social and political affairs of the country.

I visited almost all the bookstalls. After seeing a number of novels in Tamil and English I was made to think why can’t I try writing novels? I thought I should start writing short stories and when I attain success as a short story writer I can begin writing novels. Getting novels published is difficult. To be known as a novelist takes a long time. Anyhow after having a look at the titles of so many novels I was inspired to try my hand in writing. I have a flair for writing and I wanted to develop it after a visit to the book fair. From the next day onwards I began writing short stories in Tamil and English. Some of my short stories have been published in some Tamil magazines. I am enthused to write more and more stories and even novels.

I saw in a bookstall mini dictionaries, English-Tamil dictionary, Tamil-English dictionary, Tamil-Hindi dictionary Tamil-Telugu dictionary, Tamil-Bengali dictionary etc. These dictionaries may be helpful to many.
In another bookstall I saw biographies of great men and women like scientists, social reformers, political leaders and writers. It is a truth that reading the biographies of great men and women is a great inspiration to youngsters.

In another bookstall there were engineering and medical books and books on many technical subjects like computer science, electronics etc. The books written by experts in many fields were highly priced. Of course technical books cost much.

In another bookstall which specialized in children’s books I found very interesting and useful books for children. There were textbooks for the primary classes.
Another bookstall had an interesting array of books on English grammar, correct use of English and books of model essays.Coming round the book fair I found newer and newer varieties of books.

Some with a flair for writing may become writers after visiting the book fairs and reading the books they buy. One of the important things in life is we should go on developing our knowledge. If we are in a closed world at home without reading any book or magazine we are in blissful ignorance. The book fairs are organized to invite the people to visit the bookstalls, buy the books they want and read them.

Book fairs are held in many parts of the world. The Frankfurt Book Fair held in Germany annually, attracts the publishers all over the world. Hundreds of bookstalls are set up. Great writers are invited for the book fair and they are asked to read from their books. The Frankfurt Book Fair has acquired international importance.

An Essay On My Favorite Book

An Essay On My Favorite Book

I am fond of reading books. I have read a good number of novels, dramas, short stories and poems. Some books merely give enjoyment. There are others which leave a deeper impression on the mind. Some books infuse the spirit of nationalism in the reader. But I have not come across a single book so far, which is so good as the Ramcharitra Manas of Tulsi Das.

Sri Goswami Tulsi Das Ji is the writer of this great epic. Every Indian has read or heard the story of Ram and Sita. The popular story has been narrated in this book in the most beautiful way. The language of the book is avadhi. We are told in it first the reasons for the birth of lord Rama. On the insistence of various gods and goddesses. He came on the earth in the form of a human being to relieve the pain and suffering of the virtuous. This book is divided into various parts. Every part deals with a particular aspect of life or performance of Lord Rama.

Every Indian likes to hear the famous story of Ramcharitra Manas. Some have great faith in it. But my reasons for liking it are quite different. I have found in it, religious, political and social wisdom. It enlightens as well entertains. Indeed, it is a true treasure-house of rare wisdom. I will give here only some of the reasons which have made this book my favourite.

In Hindi Literature it stands at the top. Tulsi Dass Ji has treated all the 'Ras' in it. This is simple. The beauty lies in the fact, that he has not crossed the limit at any stage. The 'Shringar Ras' which makes the poetry romantic, has been used with rare skill. The similes and metaphors stand unparalleled at their own places. The literary Pandits maintain that not a single word of a single line can be replaced by any other word. The superiority of the composition of the book is reflected in this statement.

Hindus accept it as a great religious book. It lays down the rules of conduct for all. It makes everyone believe that the virtuous are always protected by the Lord. The way in which Ravana, the symbol of evil, was defeated is well known to all. How the creator of all, Lord Rama, showered his love on everyone who had a firm faith in him, becomes evident from this book. The stories of poor old Bhilini, "Shavri" and boatman "Kevat", support this statement. Indeed, as a religious book it cannot be surpassed by any other.

The political wisdom of the book is also great. How a good ruler should govern his people becomes clear from the rule of Raja Ram. Even today we aspire to establish Ram Rajya. How a bad ruler becomes the object of contempt of everyone is revealed by the example of Ravana. The way Ram won over the support of Sugriv, Hanuman, and the brother of Ravan, is a good lesson to learn. Many such grains of wisdom are hidden in this great book.

Besides, the book reflects the height of progress which India reached in ancient time. We can be proud of it even to-day. In social sphere we learn the importance of self-sacrifice. The sacrifice of Rama for his father, brother and people is unique. Sita has become the symbol of Indian woman-hood. Lakshman and Bharat are the examples of good brothers. How the voice of the people should be respected above everything else by a king is shown by the renunciation of Sita by Ram. The achievement of science of those days are yet to be matched by the present day scientists. All these qualities make the book a superb piece of literature.
One book may be good from one point of view. Another one may be good from some other point of view. Ramcharitra Manas is the book which is good in numerous ways. It is my friend, philosopher and guide. I always like to read it.

Essay On The Pleasures of Reading

Essay On The Pleasures of Reading

Some people get pleasure from picnics and tours. Others like to discuss various topics and find pleasure in it. But the reading of books provides us with such pleasure as we do not get from any other activity. Great is the blessing of books.

Books are written by learned persons. They contain the best experiences and thoughts of their writers. Literature is said to mirror society. Writers put in their books not only their own ideas and feelings, but also what they observe and find in society. The books of the past reflect the condition of the times in which they were written. By reading books written by great thinkers, we come in contact with their minds. Books enable us to know the best of different countries. So, if we want to keep abreast of the great minds of all ages, we must read books.

When we are alone, books are our best friends. They entertain us in our spare moments. Good novels, books on poetry and short stories, give great enjoyment. At times we become so absorbed in our books that we forget even our important engagements. Loneliness is no trouble for a reader.
If we are in a cheerful mood, our joy is increased by reading. When we are in a depressed and dejected mood, books console and soothe our troubled minds. They provide us with the best advice and guidance in our difficulties. Indeed, books are out best friends as they help us in our need.

Books contain grains of wisdom. They give us sound moral advice. That is why all great men of our country have liked to read the Gita and the Ramayan. The example of Rama and Sita is cited, whenever we want to emphasize noble deeds and their results. We call a bad man by the name of Ravan. It is through the reading of books that we learn to love virtue and hate sin. The reading of good books develops and elevates our character.

Now-a-days the world is changing fast. A man cannot remain in roach with the changes in his own country, or in the world, without reading the latest literature. One who wants to be respected in cultured society must keep himself well-informed. Good magazines, newspapers and other books provide us with valuable upto-date information. It gives us great pleasure to feel that our knowledge is upto-date. We get great satisfaction when we feel ourselves to be well-informed and capable of moving in any educated society. Reading of good books is the key to the store-house of pleasure.

It was the English author Bacon who said that reading makes a full man. No one can question the truth of this saying. But we cannot derive full advantage from reading, if our choice is not good. Some books are such that instead of doing any good, they do positive harm to the readers. Such books must be avoided. Cheap books, not in cost but in contents, should not be read, even if they provide some amusement and entertainment. It is the reading of good books alone which bestows upon us the maximum benefit.