Birthday celebration by middle-class people in Bangladesh

In Bangladesh, most people are quite conservative. Their religious faith or beliefs often influence the celebration of various festivals or events. Birthday celebrations have not been spared from this influence. There might be a debate about whether celebrating birthdays is permissible in religion. However, in this article, I will not speak from a religious perspective but rather from a social point of view. Like in the rest of the world, birthdays are celebrated in our country too. The extravagance of a birthday party depends on a family’s socioeconomic status. Since I come from a middle-class family, I will focus on how people in this social class typically celebrate birthdays.

Since most people in this social class can hardly make ends meet with their limited income, throwing a birthday party seems like a far-off dream. Yet, they are sometimes compelled to do it just to fulfill their children’s requests. To do so, they buy a cake as cheaply as possible, prepare some food items at home, and invite a few neighbors. They try to keep the celebration as simple as possible. Those who are financially solvent tend to arrange it in a more grandiloquent manner.

In rural areas of Bangladesh, well-off families often celebrate their children’s birthdays in a more religious manner. They frequently invite orphans from local madrasahs and organize Quran recitations and prayers as part of the festivities. They also hire a professional chef to prepare delicacies—polao, chicken roast, beef curry, and salad—for hundreds of people. To accommodate this grand feast, they typically set up a tent in the courtyard. The tradition of celebrating birthdays by cutting a cake is not very common. In most cases, the birthday program ends before sunset.

However, in urban areas, we see a completely different scenario. Here, middle-class families who are doing well financially often host birthday parties at home. They start the preparations a few days before the birthday. When the day finally arrives, preparations begin very early in the morning, with the female members and the family’s servant spending a busy time in the kitchen preparing food for the guests. This includes grinding spices, slicing onions, washing and rinsing rice, and many other tasks. To avoid these hassles, some people hire a chef to cook the food items. The variety of dishes usually depends on their financial ability, with around 5 to 6 items being the norm. Older siblings often take responsibility for buying the birthday cake and home decoration items. The cake is adorned with flowers or fun designs featuring the popular words “Happy Birthday to You,” along with the name of the birthday child. One of the rooms is decorated with cartoon-themed decorations and colorful balloons. They even buy funnel-shaped paper caps for the birthday baby and the other kids attending the event.

Though the main event starts in the evening, guests begin arriving early. The main event begins with the cutting of the cake. At that time, everyone gathers in a circle around the birthday child and sings the traditional birthday song, “Happy Birthday to You,” in chorus. The birthday kid blows out the candle while their parents, holding their little one’s hand, cut the cake. Then, they feed the child a small portion of the cake as part of a celebration. The most interesting thing is that kids and youngsters pop balloons after the celebration. Someone might even pop a party popper to commemorate the special occasion as a modern addition to birthday parties. Then, the cake is cut into pieces and given to each guest. After that, the main dish is served.

People with a bit more wealth often host their birthday parties at a restaurant or a community center. It costs them more money but takes the stress out of preparing everything at home. The restaurant arranges the food items depending on how many guests are expected to attend the party. The meal usually starts with some starters, like soup, wontons, and other light food items. Then comes the main course, which typically features fried rice, chicken fry, Chinese vegetables, and either beef or chicken curry. There is a designated area where decorations are made with various decorative items to make the place feel festive.

From my point of view, any event feels like a social gathering for middle-class people. On the contrary, for upper-class people, it is more of a chance to show off or a business meeting among partners or tycoons. 

It is hard to preserve independence with dignity than achieving it

Independence is achieved in exchange for the relentless struggle of countless people and the shedding of immense blood. Great awareness, diligence, and perseverance are required to protect the independence achieved after such sacrifice and hardship.

To stay outside the authority or rule of others is called independence. It is a valuable asset of national life. Achieving independence is considered the result of hard work and unlimited sacrifice. This independence is achieved through many sacrifices and the loss of many lives. It is because powerful rulers never give independence to a subjugated nation. We cannot see the true form of this hard-earned independence if we confine it to achievements only. We must uphold the honor of our independence, and keeping that honor is the most difficult and important task. The days that follow the arrival of independence, after a long struggle and immense self-sacrifice, are considered to be even more terrifying and critical. Therefore, we need more strength to protect the independence because there is no absence of enemies inside and outside an independent country. The struggle to protect a country’s independence from internal and external opposition is indeed a difficult one. The former enemies of an independent nation harm the country secretly. Defeating them is a very difficult task.

If this continues, frustration will arise in public life, enthusiasm for work will decrease, and the path to national progress will become full of obstacles. Then, the question of upholding the importance, significance, and true spirit of independence becomes a major concern. Therefore, to protect independence, all the people of the country have to work tirelessly in the fields, factories, and everywhere with endless efforts and responsibilities. We have to bring about financial prosperity to the country by developing the country in industry and commerce. We have to make our country self-sufficient in food production by developing agriculture. If the country’s economic backbone is strong and if the country is self-contained in food, then we can observe motivation and awareness among ordinary people. Then, there is no fear of the country’s independence being endangered. However, doing that work with people is not that easy.

In 1971, freedom fighters of our country achieved independence at the cost of three million lives. Can we defend this independence with proper respect? After achieving independence, immorality, the tendency of excess spending, anti-social activities, and terrorism in educational institutions are increasing in different sectors of Bangladesh. If this situation continues for a long time, will it really be possible to protect our independence? If we are not aware enough and strong from the economic and political perspectives, it will be very difficult to protect independence.

No one in this world wants to live without independence. As a result, every person has the desire to achieve independence, but we must not forget the importance of protecting it as well. We cannot truly protect the independence without the collective effort of all. 

The role of prophecy in The Aeneid

When the Trojans, under the leadership of Aeneas, set sail for Italy, Juno, feeling vengeful, commands Aeolus to raise a storm that will capsize their ships and drown them all. As she watches her son struggle in the turbulent sea, Venus, the mother of Aeneas, confronts Jupiter on Olympus for allowing her son to suffer like this. Jupiter calms her and reminds her of the many prophecies that promise Aeneas will eventually reach Italy and that his descendants will establish a great empire. This prophecy makes Venus happy. The Aeneid contains numerous prophecies, this being the first one.

To assure Aeneas that everything is going smoothly, Venus shows him the omen of the twelve white swans, symbolizing the twelve Trojan ships that have just arrived in Carthage.

The speeches of Hector and Creusa also contain parts of prophecies, as they hint at the future. When the hidden Greek forces emerge from the stomach of the Trojan Horse and launch their attack on the helpless Trojans, the ghost of Hector, King Priam’s son, who had been killed by Achilles earlier in the Trojan War, appears to Aeneas in a dream. He urges him to flee, take the gods of their homeland with him from Troy, and find a new city across the sea that will thrive.

Dido, the queen of Carthage, provides the only significant prophecy in this epic, foreseeing the animosity that will arise between their nations.

While Aeneas is escaping from Troy with his family, Creusa gets lost. Aeneas bravely returns to the chaotic city to search for her, but instead of finding her, he meets her ghost. In this haunting encounter, Creusa’s spirit prophesies that he is destined to marry again after reaching his new homeland.

When Aeneas sets sail in search of a new homeland, Apollo delivers a prophecy, telling him to find the land that was once home to the Trojan people. However, Aeneas mistakenly interprets these words as a reference to Crete. Soon, the household gods sent by Apollo make it clear that it is not Crete but Italy.

Celaeno, a prophetess and the eldest of the Furies, advises Aeneas to leave the island and pursue his fate in Italy. However, she warns that before they establish their city, they will be forced to eat their tables.

Apollo delivers a prophecy through Deiphobe, the priestess. The Sibyl informs Aeneas about the challenges ahead and the wars he will face in Italy. She warns him about Juno’s relentless opposition to him.

Aeneas descends to the underworld and meets his father, Anchises. Anchises foretells the history of Aeneas’ descendants.

Meanwhile, Latinus has been convinced by Faunus’ repeated prophecies that his daughter, Lavinia, is destined to marry someone from outside their race. This union is said to bring forth descendants who will conquer the world.

After Turnus declared war against the Trojans, Aeneas sought help from neighboring nations. Tiberinus, the god of the Tiber River, appeared to him in a dream, prophesied that the Trojans would receive help, and sent Aeneas upstream. He urged Aeneas to go to Evander and form an alliance.

Aeneas’ shield also carries a prophecy. Vulcan has depicted the story of Roman glory on the face of the shield. The shield features images of Romulus being nursed by the she-wolf, the defeat of the Gauls, and Caesar Augustus triumphing over Antony and Cleopatra at the Battle of Actium, among many other significant events.

Jupiter tells Juno that the Trojans are destined to win and will not be defeated again. In response, Juno tries to get Turnus out of the war.

Concerned for Turnus, Juno fears that Aeneas might kill him. She calls Juturna, Turnus’ sister, and tells her about her brother’s fate. Juno instructs her to keep a close eye on Turnus and break the truce for his safety.

Aeneas’ visit to the underworld

Aeneas wants to visit his father’s ghost by going down to the underworld. Thus, he asks sibyl for help in getting there. The Sibyl informs Aeneas that to gain entry into Dis with a hope of returning, he must collect a golden bough from a special tree. This bough will grant him access to the underworld.

He feels disappointed looking at the size of the forest, but after he says a prayer, a pair of doves descends and guides him to the desired trees. Aeneas realizes that it is his mother, Venus, who has sent these doves to help him find the golden bough.

After collecting the golden bough, he returns to the sibyl. Deiphobë guides Aeneas to the entrance of the underworld. Aeneas makes a sacrifice to the gods of darkness at the threshold of a deep cavern. Once the sacrifice is made, a vast chasm opens up and Aeneas follows the Sibyl.

Aeneas makes his way into the route to Hades accompanied by the Sibyl. They descend through a gloomy region haunted by bodiless and dreadful spirits and monsters and eventually arrives at Acheron, one of the rivers of the underworld.

After arriving at the bank of the river, Acheron, Aeneas sees Charon, the ancient boatman who ferries spirits of the dead across the river. At first, Charon is reluctant to ferry Aeneas, a living man, across the river Acheron, but when the Sibyl shows him the golden bough, he changes his mind and grants Aeneas safe passage.

On the other side of the river lives Cerberus, the snaky, three-headed watchdog. Sibyl feeds Cerberus tranquilizer-soaked meet, which allows her to slip past the gate.

As Aeneas and the sibyl disembark on the other side of the shore, they find themselves surrounded by the wailing souls of dead infants. As they moved forward, they encountered the souls of those who were executed for crimes they did not commit, and then they come across the spirits of those who took their own lives. Eventually, they arrive at the Fields of Mourning, a place for those who died of love. Here, Aeneas meets the ghost of Dido. Knowing that Dido killed herself because of his abandonment, he tries to justify himself to her, saying that he left her unwillingly. Unforgiving, Dido’s ghost turns away from him and turns to the spirit of her husband, Sychaeus, with whom she has now been reunited for comfort.

Both Aeneas and Deiphobe come to the fields where the spirits of men who have won battles reside. There they meet the Trojans and Greek warriors.

As Aeneas travels along the road to Tartarus, he sees the punishments for disobeying the gods and committing sins against men. After that, he and Deiphobe enter the Elysium field, where Aeneas is received by his father, Anchises.

Anchises talks about the idea of rebirth or reincarnation, and, then, shows Aeneas his Roman descendants. The scene ends up with a tragic vision of the funeral of Marcellus, who was Augustus’ nephew and son-in-law. He died prematurely. Aeneas returns to the earth through the Gate of Ivory, which symbolizes false dreams. 

Second Attachments in Sense and Sensibility

In his youth, Colonel Brandon had been secretly in love with a girl named Eliza Williams. After his father came to know about their relationship, he was sent to the army, and his beloved Eliza married his elder brother. This was because a younger brother could not marry before his elder brother. Even if they had married, they would not have been able to inherit property. Thus, it can be said that they were victims of a brutal society. Colonel Brandon takes a liking to Marianne as soon as he casts his eyes on her because she resembles Eliza, the woman he once loved.

Edward Ferrars was initially secretly engaged to Lucy Steele for four years. Their relationship was considered unexpected and was not a good match. For Edward, it was merely an infatuation. However, when he met Elinor Dashwood at Norland, they developed a deep and sincere connection. Unfortunately, Edward had met Lucy Steele earlier and had promised to marry her. Lucy’s older sister accidentally revealed this news to the public. When Edward’s mother came to know about their relationship, she disinherited him and gave all her property to her younger son, Robert Ferrars. After that, Lucy married Robert.

Lucy Steele was engaged to Edward Ferrars, and their relationship was a secret. They were supposed to get married, but after Edward was disowned by his mother, Lucy changed her mind and eloped with his younger brother, Robert.

Marianne Dashwood ironically disapproves of second relationships or double relationships. It is ironic because, at the end of the novel, she had to approve such a relationship by marrying the sensible and constant Colonel Brandon. At first, she fell in love with a handsome young man named John Willoughby, but he was not a good person. Colonel Brandon also fell in love with Marianne Dashwood, but she did not like him. Willoughby left Marianne and chose to marry a wealthy woman named Miss Grey. After being betrayed by her beloved, she accepted Colonel Brandon’s proposal and married him.

John Willoughby is an attractive but deceitful young man who wins Marianne Dashwood’s heart. He liked Marianne and admitted his devotion to her, but their relationship did not last long, as he chose money over love. He greedily abandoned her in favor of the wealthy Miss Sophia Grey. He knew that marrying Marianne would not significantly improve his financial condition or bring him any wealth.

At the beginning of the novel, readers learn that Mr. Henry Dashwood had two wives. After his first wife passed away, he got married again. According to religion, this was not considered wrong.

Elinor Dashwood is perhaps different from other characters. Nearly every character except her falls in love more than once. In her discussion with Colonel Brandon, it seems that Elinor has no problem with second attachments, yet she is the only one who marries the very first man she knows and loves. 

From the beginning of the novel, she loved Edward, and for the sake of her true love, she had to endure many hardships. However, at the end of the novel, she was able to marry her beloved.

The second attachment is a highly focused theme in the novel, leading some characters into the light and others into the darkness. 

Theme of childhood in Songs of Innocence and of Experience by William Blake

William Blake is famous for his collection of poems called Songs of Innocence and of Experience. In Songs of Innocence, there are nineteen poems, while Songs of Experience contains twenty-six poems. Childhood is the central theme of the poems, and at the same time, in Songs of Experience, the real suffering of children in England at that time was portrayed effectively. Childhood is a theme that appears repeatedly in these two sets of poems.

In Songs of Innocence, childhood is depicted in a very innocent and pleasurable way. In the poems belonging to Songs of Innocence, there are not too many negative images or symbols. However, we can see that children still suffer. In fact, Blake has made an effort to show the suffering of children from the poor class. That is why, in his poem "The Chimney Sweeper" in Songs of Innocence, we can see that the chimney sweepers were more or less innocent, and, at the same time, they were child laborers. So, let us take a look at the first four lines:

In the second line of the poem, we can see that the father sold the boy, and the boy became a chimney sweeper.

When it comes to the poems in Songs of Experience, Blake did not try to hide the suffering of the children. In Songs of Innocence, there was a poem called “Infant Joy,” where the child experienced a lot of joy. But when it comes to Songs of Experience, the title of the poem changes to “Infant Sorrow,” and there we can see a lot of sorrow for the children.

In “Infant Sorrow,” we can see that childhood, or coming into this world as a baby, is not always a happy event as we often imagine. Here, the baby has to fight, and especially if the baby comes from a poor class, the struggle continues for many years.

In Songs of Innocence and Songs of Experience, Blake not only talked about the suffering of children but also showed society’s cruelty toward them. The rich and powerful did not care about the suffering and misery of children, which is why thousands of poor children had to suffer in every way. Here, the children are not like the lamb in the poem “The Lamb.” Instead, they suffer under the cruelty of the tiger. This is a sad picture of society that Blake has depicted in his poems. People did not care about the children because they had become accustomed to the idea that children must suffer.

If we look into English literature, we can think of two writers, in addition to Blake, who also wrote extensively about childhood and children. One of them is William Wordsworth, a contemporary of Blake. Wordsworth was a pioneering figure in the Romantic Movement or Romantic poetry in the history of English literature. He portrayed childhood in a very beautiful way, bringing great pleasure to readers. However, Wordsworth also sometimes depicted the suffering and misery of children in contemporary England.

On the other hand, Charles Dickens perhaps took the theme of children’s suffering from William Blake and carried it further. In Dickens’ novels, we can find similar portrayals of children’s suffering as seen in Blake’s poetry. Oliver Twist is the best example of this theme. When you read Oliver Twist, you can find reflections of Blake’s poetry. Oliver Twist’s character and strength remind us of some of the characters portrayed in Blake’s poems.

Blake is no longer a very famous poet in our time, but we should read his poems in Songs of Innocence and Experience so that we never forget the suffering of children. 

The Use of Symbols in Songs of Innocence and of Experience by William Blake

It is hard to place William Blake within a specific time frame, as he was just ahead of the Romantic poets and many years after the Neoclassical poets. However, one aspect that attracts readers to this poet is his use of symbolism. He skillfully employed a variety of symbols, some of which are common but used in very unique or different ways. Blake is famous for his book Songs of Innocence and of Experience, which contains several poems.

Songs of Innocence presents its poems in a more innocent way, while Songs of Experience contains poems that are more complex and often convey a sad and dark tone.

In Songs of Innocence, we find various symbols that are distinct yet easy to interpret. For example, the lamb symbolizes innocence and is also a symbol of Jesus Christ. The figures of the shepherd and the father represent God, who looks after His children or people.

In Songs of Innocence, Blake often highlights the happy side of life. That is why his chimney sweepers initially appear to be relatively less unhappy. The nurse is also not unhappy, and throughout the poems in Songs of Innocence, there is an overall sense of joy and pleasure.

On the contrary, in Songs of Experience, some poems share the same titles as those in Songs of Innocence, but they present a much darker picture of society. For example, The Sick Rose is one such poem. The poem London depicts a very sorrowful image of the people in London. The contrast between the two Chimney Sweeper poems illustrates that in Songs of Experience, the chimney sweeper is portrayed as a boy who endures immense suffering and is utterly miserable. He has no hope and no future. Thus, the chimney sweeper itself serves as a powerful symbol for thousands of poor children who have endured great hardship and lack any prospects.

Blake frequently used religious symbols, but he also incorporated social symbols at times. For example, the shepherd and the lamb are both religious symbols, whereas the chimney sweeper serves as a social symbol.

In the poems of Songs of Innocence, many of the symbols represent goodness, while in Songs of Experience, they tend to symbolize evil.

In Songs of Innocence, Blake used many symbols from the Bible, which is why we see more religious symbols. However, in the poems of Songs of Experience, he uses his own imaginative symbols. As a result, if we do not understand the background of the poems or the background of William Blake, it becomes difficult to interpret these symbols.

Blake’s strong use of symbolism demonstrates his greatness as a poet. Following him, the Romantic poets emerged, and this period is often regarded as the golden age or the greatest age of English poetry. Blake was the forerunner of this age, and his exceptional skill in using symbols explains why he is often ranked among the Romantic poets.

Preserving freedom is harder to obtain than achieving it

 Freedom is a fundamental right of every human. While the concept of freedom is appealing, achieving it is often a challenging endeavor. No matter how sweet the word “freedom” is, it is very difficult to achieve. It is even more difficult to protect this hard-earned freedom. People have struggled for generations to gain freedom. Oppressed and tortured nations struggle to preserve their dignity and achieve liberation. However, achieving this freedom is not the main purpose. The main purpose is to uphold it. After achieving independence, it is essential to always be prepared for the reconstruction and development of the country and to protect it from external enemies. After gaining independence, we must strive to preserve our freedom as a strong and self-confident nation rather than living like the oppressed. Only then will it be possible to protect the freedom we have gained. Otherwise, the desired freedom will be lost. You must justify the desired freedom through your motivation, way of thinking, and sense of discipline. The ultimate purpose of all human activities is to develop a glorious life full of freedom. Subjugated nations achieve independence through great sacrifice, relentless effort, and prolonged struggle. Therefore, it is our national duty to understand the dignity and importance of freedom and to be proactive in preserving it.

The influence of winter in rural Bangladesh

Recently, life has become busier, and we have become more accustomed to modern life. As a result, many of us find it hard to gather as a group and head to the village. Even when we get a vacation suddenly, we often end up having a rooftop barbecue or a quick day trip. However, those who get the opportunity to rush to the village even for a short time, escaping the constraints of their busy lives, can still experience the joy of winter picnics and the warmth of genuine hospitality that they may have left behind.

I have already mentioned the various arrangements made during winter in rural life, but if I do not talk about how winter disrupts the rural people, then the full picture of winter in the village will remain incomplete. In the village, there is no warmth from an electric heater, no softness of a woolen blanket, or the promise of care from Vaseline or glycerin. Instead, the harshest and most intense form of winter is felt there. Village people endure the cold wrapped in handwoven shawls and mufflers. Instead of blankets that smell of naphthalene, rural folks wrap themselves in quilts made of silk cotton, infused with the fragrance of neem leaves, during the winter months. To ward off the cold, they warm their hands by the fire and keep a kerosene lamp or a piece of burning coal in a corner of the house. Since the majority of the people in rural settlements are laborers, and the burden of poverty is a constant presence in their lives, they have to rush to markets, fields, and other places even during the harshest winters. A very familiar sight on a winter morning in the village is Kalimuddin, the boatman, or Hasan from the fishermen’s neighborhood, walking along the edge of the field through the mist.

I mentioned earlier that the villages of Bengal are losing their original form due to the rapid changes taking place. That is why, perhaps, in some well-off households, people ward off the cold with warm blankets and buy winter clothes from stores. However, the harsh reality of the poor suffering during winter is still very apparent in the villages today. Even now, Kolimuddin and Hasan have to ignore the cold and rush to fight for survival. Their profession or means of livelihood might have changed. Kolimuddin might now be operating an engine instead of steering a boat, while Hasan might be considering catching fish with a current net. Yet, they rush along the edges of the fields on their cracked feet on fog-covered mornings.

Shamsur Rahman described the winter in the village as “an ascetic sage.” The poet did not say anything wrong. The bare attire of winter and the motionless nature remind us of meditation. While many things have changed, and some have faded away in the passage of time or the encroachment of modernity, the essence of rural life still carries childhood memories woven into every aspect of winter, a melody filled with affection that has been cherished over a lifetime.