Love and marriage in Jane Eyre

Jane Eyre was written by Charlotte Bronte who was one of the top novelists during Victorian Age. The central character of this novel is Jane Eyre and all the events happened around her. We find Jane from childhood and the novel ends with the happy ending when she marries Rochester and lives happily ever after. So, it can be said that this novel is all about Jane Eyre, an orphan girl. Life was not smooth for her and she had to go through a lot of suffering and all these things have been beautifully portrayed in this novel. It seems that there are some fairy tale elements in the novel but the reality is that it was very complex and sophisticated novel and criticized many of the things of the Victorian Age. The thing that has been highly criticized of the age was the Victorian notion of love and marriage.

Primarily of the bildungsroman genre, Jane Eyre follows the emotions and experiences of its title character, including her growth to adulthood, and her love for Mr. Rochester, the Byronic master of fictitious Thornfield Hall. Jane’s moral and spiritual is also shown in this novel. The novel contains elements of social criticism, with a strong sense of morality at its core. Narrator of this novel is Jane Eyre. She narrates the story.

If we look at Jane Eyre then we will notice that many things of an ideal heroine are absent in her. First of all, she was not a pretty girl. On the other hand, she was not obedient to Rochester. Instead she had some kind of independent mentality and sometimes she used to get angry and sometimes she used to act cold. Jane said, “I am no bird; and no net ensnares me: I am a free human being with an independent will” (Charlotte Bronte 268). In short, Jane Eyre was not at all a romantic heroine, but there are some exceptional qualities in her. First of all, she was a very dedicated person and she was a dedicated woman. She was a pure and good girl who was dedicated to her husband. She always stands by Rochester through thick and thin. If we look at her from this point of view then we will notice that she was better than many heroines of many novels.

In Victorian Age, many people used to consider marriage as an act of duty and responsibility and women used to be considered as a significant in a marriage. The first duty of a girl should have been to become dependent on her father then on her husband and be totally obedient to her husband. So, whatever the husband says she must act or comply. She must not have an independent mentality. However, Charlotte Bronte has challenged this idea in love and marriage in this novel.

Jane could not get married at first because Rochester had a wife who was mad. Because the wife did not die, there was no divorce so Rochester could not marry. Rochester was not a bad husband. We cannot find any indication in the novel that he was bad to his first wife. He became mad for a pretty girl but the girl did not have any good quality. The first wife became mad. Jane Eyre was the woman that Rochester perhaps wanted as such for whole life but never found. So, Rochester proposed Jane, but when the time of marriage came, the first wife came to the scene and the wedding got destroyed.

In this novel, a great deal of emphasis has been put on the idea of morality which was very important to most Victorian people. The Victorian age society was changing and there were new ideas related to morality but many people were traditional or conservative and they wanted to hold on to past ideals. If Jane Eyre wanted, she could have run away with Rochester but she gave importance to morality and that is why she herself left Rochester’s house. However, if she wanted, she could live in Rochester’s house as his mistress, but she did not do it. Later, when she came to know that Rochester’s wife had died and also Rochester had become blind, she came back to Rochester and tried her best to take care of him. Jane said, “Reader, I married him. A quiet wedding we had: he and I, the parson and clerk, were alone present” (Charlotte Bronte 474).

In Victorian Age, the idea was that marriage was mainly related to men. The only work of a woman is to get married and be obedient to her husband in her whole life and the husband or man will control everything. They did not have any freedom in the society. Their life was full of instability. Charlotte Bronte challenged this idea seriously. She showed that getting married does not only mean to take responsibility or take charge of a family. But love and equality are related to marriage. Jane Eyre wants to be loved but she does not want to sacrifice her freedom. She wants to be valued. Thus, Jane says to Helen Burns,

“To gain some real affection from you, or Miss Temple, or any other whom I truly love, I would willingly submit to have the bone of my arm broken, or to let a bull toss me, or to stand behind a kicking horse, and let it dash its hoof at my chest” (Charlotte Bronte 91).

Rochester was a rich man but he was not happy with his first wife and life became miserable for him. As he has already a wife, Jane Eyre refused her seriously. Jane Eyre did not get tempted with the idea that he was a rich man. At the same time, St. John Rivers was a clergyman and he wanted to marry Jane and take her to India. But Jane knew that St. John did not love her and she did not love John either. John only felt that Jane was a good girl and she would have been a good wife to do his responsibility as a missionary in India. However, Jane did not agree to this marriage. St. John used to love another girl called Rosamond Oliver. But Rosamond was not a fit person to become a wife of a missionary. So, John did not want to marry him and even he did not admit that he used to love her.

We see a lot of conflicts in Jane Eyre. Jane loves Rochester but on the other hand, she wants to be a free woman. Rochester was not a bad man and he was a very attractive man too. Jane wants to marry her but she does not want to sacrifice her independence and honor. This conflict is very important for women in Victorian Age. It was time that society was becoming modern in England because of industrial revolution. Economic activities were changing and many girls were becoming educated and at the same time, earning money by working in factories. On the other hand, the society wanted girls to play traditional roles. In Victorian Age, most people wanted to feel that a girl would be obedient to her husband and she will not have any kind of independence. On the other hand, it is a duty of a man to find a good girl who would take care of the house hold matters. St. John wanted to do the same thing. St. John and Rochester both wanted to marry Jane. However, Charlotte Bronte favored Rochester over St. John. The real reason is that St. John was not a bad person and in fact compared to Rochester, he had many good qualities. Still Charlotte Bronte favors Rochester because Rochester really loved Jane Eyre and wanted to become happy. On the other hand, St. John did not bother about love or happiness. All he cared was that Jane would do her responsibility and this way they will have a couple life.

Normally, we can find that heroine is always very pretty. But Jane Eyre was not a pretty woman. On the other hand, Rochester’s first wife and Rochester’s girlfriend both were pretty but they were no match for Jane because Jane had inner quality and inner strength. Charlotte Bronte wanted to say this thing that a man cannot be happy with a pretty woman only. Instead a man should search for a wife who has inner quality and inner strength just like Jane Eyre. Rochester’s first wife was beautiful but he was not happy with her because the marriage was entirely based on passion. Jane had another very good quality and it was that she was a very courageous woman. Rochester’s first wife and his girlfriend Blanche Ingram both were pretty but they were not courageous like Jane. They did not know how to support their husband or boyfriend or lover in time of distress. On the other hand, Jane was very good in it and Charlotte Bronte wanted to say that life is a long lesson and inner beauty and strength are more important than outer beauty or physical appearance.

After reading Jane Eyre, a person can easily understand that love can be a very ordinary thing and it is very easy to fall in love but marriage is a complicated thing. Rochester wanted to marry Jane but in the last moment the marriage broke off. Jane suffered a terrible shock and ran away. St. John wanted to marry her and he was a good man too, but he does not love her. Thus, it is a very complicated novel and the ending has some fairy tale elements, but it is a sophisticated novel. Most of the novels in Victorian Age did not contain so complicated love story like Jane Eyre. Charlotte Bronte portrayed a realistic picture of the society and love and she gave importance to emotion rather than physical appearance and beauty. 

Love and marriage in Pride and Prejudice

Love and marriage are two most important themes that have been dealt with in Pride and Prejudice written by Jane Austen. However, love and marriage not only show love and marriage between fictional characters but also shows the condition of women in the society and their sufferings. These themes cannot be ignored. In one way or another, they played a very important role in shaping the characters. The writer has shown both good and bad reasons of love and marriage in her novel. However, I will discuss about love and marriage of this novel one by one.

Pride and Prejudice is one of the best novels written by Jane Austen. Jane Austen has written only a few novels, but all of her novels are taught at the university level. Her novels mainly talk about the relationship between men and women. Though she is a writer of Romantic Age, we can find elements of the Victorian period. The main reason behind this is she lived mainly inside her house and she did not have that much opportunity to travel. She was not exposed to the other world as much as other Romantic Age writers. Naturally, her knowledge of outer world did not develop to the extent she could write on issues other than those she found in her limited social boundaries. So, she did not find enough of opportunities to associate with many people. She just portrays in her works what she has experienced in her society.

It is a novel that focuses mainly on marriage. As I have mentioned earlier, in the 19^th century England, women did not have any rights. Women were not supposed to go out and earn money like men. They had no ownership over their finances and physical property. After growing up, a woman’s only concern was to find a suitable husband. Here, “suitable” means one who has steady income, who can provide her a good house. The richer a man is the better. The novel opens with the line, “It is a truth universally acknowledged that a single man in possession of a good fortune must be in want of a wife”.

Mr. and Mrs. Bennet lived in Longbourn, Hertfordshire, England. The Bennets have five daughters- Jane Bennet, Elizabeth Bennet, Mary Bennet, Catherine Bennet and Lydia Bennet. Mr.Bennet is a landed gentry. He owns an estate in Longbourn. Mrs. Bennet’s only concern is to get her daughters married. The reason behind this is, after the death of Mr. Bennet, all his property will go to a male heir. In this case, the property will go to the son of Mr. Bennet’s closest relative, Mr. Collins. Mrs. Bennet is afraid that if her daughters are married to a man of lower social status, he will drive her out of the house. Hence, the only goal of her life, after Jane turned 16, to get her married to a man who is “financially secure.” She became very excited when she came to know that a wealthy man named Mr. Bingley, moved into Netherfield Park. Speaking about Mr. Bingley, she said, “Oh! Single My Dear to be sure! A single man of large fortune, four or five thousand a year! What a fine thing for our girls!”.

In the Merryton ball, Mr. Bingley and Jane meets and they fall in love immediately. Jane is beautiful and gentle. Her beauty and gentleness won Bingley’s heart. Since, Jane was the most beautiful of all her sisters, she got a rich husband. There were some minor hiccups. Bingley’s sisters and his friend Mr. Darcy did not like the Bennets. It was Darcy who pursued his friend not to marry Jane. Eventually, Darcy understood his mistake and convinces Mr. Bingley. Jane and Bingley’s marriage was a successful one.

Eventually, we see two more marriages- Charlotte Lucas and Mr. Collins; Lydia Bennet and Mr. Wickham. These two marriages actually revealed the negative aspect of marriage without love. Charlotte Lucas is a close friend of Elizabeth Bennet. Initially, Mr. Collins proposed Elizabeth but she refused to marry him. Charlotte took the opportunity and accepted his proposal. All this comes as a big shock to the readers because the speed in which after Elizabeth's refusal of marriage to Mr. Collins was made, he practically immediately asked for Charlotte's hand. This tells us that Mr. Collins is very interested in getting a wife and his view on marriage does not involve love but only an agreeable woman whom he can call his own, and a woman who is more likely to agree with him on his views, like Charlotte, rather than a fiery woman, like Elizabeth, who would challenge his every high and mighty statement or remark out of pure hatred for him. Mr. Collins has given an idea of his view on marriage in chapter 19. He said to Elizabeth,

“My reasons for marrying are, first, that i think it a right thing for every clergyman in easy circumstances (like myself) to set the example of matrimony in his parish; secondly, that I am convinced it will add very greatly to my happiness; and thirdly-which perhaps I ought to have mentioned earlier, that it is the particular advice and recommendation of the very noble lady whom I have the honor of calling patroness.”

Charlotte immediately accepts Mr. Collins. Ignoring Elizabeth's advice to reconsider, she marries him. Charlotte knows that Elizabeth is not jealous and understands her point of view in marrying the most ridiculous man in Britain. She told Elizabeth, “I am not romantic you know. I never was. I ask only a comfortable home.”

When Elizabeth visits Charlotte after marriage, she could clearly see the lack of love in their relationship. Charlotte lives in a well-furnished house and gets three meals a day but she is not happy. The writer says, “When Mr. Collins could be forgotten, there really was a great air or comfort throughout. And by Charlotte’s evident enjoyment of it Elizabeth supposed he must be often forgotten.”

The marriage between Lydia Bennet and George Wickham was nothing but deceit. There was no love in their relationship. Wickham is an evil person and likes to take advantage of women. He is a military officer with good looks and charm. Initially, he gets Elizabeth’s attention but when she came to know about his affair with another woman named Miss King, she did not see him anymore. However, her younger sister, Lydia, falls in love with his charm. Being the youngest and most stupid girl of the family, she is the most open and willing to be led into any trap. Persistently flirtatious, she is noticed by Mr. Wickham. Wickham runs away with young Lydia. Lydia is obsessed with men. She likes to live the dream of marriage and could not wait for her future to roll out in front of her very eyes. When Mr. Wickham takes her away she definitely believes they will be married. Neither Wickham nor Lydia cared about how it would affect the family. Eventually, Mr. Darcy cleared Wickham’s debts and paid a huge sum of money to him in exchange of marrying Lydia. Lydia and Wickham’s marriage is a bad example. No one should enter such a marriage.

Finally, we come to the marriage of Elizabeth Bennet and Mr. Darcy, the most desired one. Elizabeth and Darcy are the central characters of this novel. Elizabeth is an exceptional woman. Unlike traditional women, she is opinionated, strong-minded, rationale, sensible and intelligent. Elizabeth believes that a husband must be worth of his wife. She believes that one should be in love to get married. Like Jane Eyre, she never compromises with her ideals. In the beginning of the novel, Darcy seems a proud and pompous man, but deep inside he was also very honest person. Like Elizabeth, Darcy also believes that his wife has to be worthy of him. He does not want just to marry a rich girl. He wants a woman who has self-respect and would challenge him in every way possible. This is the reason Darcy fell in love with Elizabeth. Unlike other women, Elizabeth did not care about Darcy’s rich and wealth. She never cared about it. The strength of her character won Darcy’s heart. So he tries heart and soul to prove that.

The love relationship between Elizabeth and Darcy gets much attention of this novel. If we carefully observe this couple then we can see that their relationship cannot be regarded as a romantic one. Both of them develop a negative thought against each other in their poor first impression. When Darcy makes his first proposal to Elizabeth, he was too much pride and acted as if he was offering a prize which no sensible woman can refuse. However, Elizabeth rejects his proposal but accepts it for the second time after Darcy sheds his pride and becomes really gentleman. Darcy wins Elizabeth’s love by acting nobly and generously. Between them developed a mutual affection that shapes the foundation of a sound marriage. She said, “It is settled between us already that we are to be the happiest couple in the world.”

The oldest couple of this novel is perhaps Mr. and Mrs. Bennet. Very little thing has been said about this couple. They are said to be the most unmatched couple of this novel. From this couple, readers come to know that things like fermenting anger, loneliness and madness can explode between two people if they are married without love. Though there is not enough description of how Mr. and Mrs. Bennet get together, it can be assumed of their conversations that their relationship was similar to that of Lydia and Wickham. Mrs. Bennet’s partiality towards Lydia and her comments on how she was once as energetic as Lydia reveals this similarity.

Mr. Bennet marries Mrs. Bennet being seduced by her good looks and youth, but later she realizes that she is an unintelligent woman. Their marriage was lack of love. The outcome of this marriage is that Mr. Bennet isolates himself from his family, finding refuge in his library or through mocking his oblivious wife. This becomes his only happiness. We cannot find them spending some good time together. Mr. Bennet is highly educated. On the other hand, Mrs. Bennet was not that much educated. That is why, we can see a big difference in their culture. This unhappy conjugal life had negative impact in the psychological development of their five daughters. Elizabeth is very strict and practical while Jane is soft and gentle. Mary becomes a vain. Lydia is a stupid and flirtatious girl who elopes with Wickham. Though Kitty was elder than Lydia, she followed her younger sister. Jane Austen has showed the importance of finding a right partner when it comes to marriage. Otherwise, married life will be an unhappy one. 

The Second Coming by William Butler Yeats: Summary

Poem:

Turning and turning in the widening gyre   

The falcon cannot hear the falconer;

Things fall apart; the centre cannot hold;

Mere anarchy is loosed upon the world,

The blood-dimmed tide is loosed, and everywhere   

The ceremony of innocence is drowned;

The best lack all conviction, while the worst   

Are full of passionate intensity.

Surely some revelation is at hand;
Surely the Second Coming is at hand.
The Second Coming! Hardly are those words out
When a vast image out of Spiritus Mundi
Troubles my sight: somewhere in sands of the desert
A shape with lion body and the head of a man,
A gaze blank and pitiless as the sun,
Is moving its slow thighs, while all about it
Reel shadows of the indignant desert birds.
The darkness drops again; but now I know
That twenty centuries of stony sleep
Were vexed to nightmare by a rocking cradle,
And what rough beast, its hour come round at last,
Slouches towards Bethlehem to be born?

Summary:

The falcon is flying around. It is flying in the widening gyre. The falcon is flying in a destructive world. The cycle of destruction is going on. This is the world of lack of trust. This is the world of destruction. This is the world where there is no optimism. It is the world of dystopia or destruction. Everything is getting destroyed. Nothing is under control. The centre of the world is unable to control the world. Nothing is under control. Everything is getting destroyed. There is anarchy everywhere. The world has become a chaotic place. There is no fraternity. There is no innocence. We are losing our innocence. We are doing all sorts of bad things in the world we can so far. The modern people are not protesting. We are just sitting idle; we are just remaining silent; we are not doing anything. On the other hand, the politicians and bad people are destructing the world. They are showing their passion, earning money unfair means. But we are not protesting against them.

He says that there is no second coming. Jesus Christ is not going to come. Nobody is going to save our nation. Rather, he sees a vast image of Spiritus Mundi, a gigantic creature which has the body of a lion and human head. There is no emotion in his eyes. This creature is destructive. He is going to walk slowly towards Bethlehem. Bethlehem is a symbol here. It means earth. The beast walks slowly because its thighs are big and it has a gigantic body. When he walks, the birds are going to fly away. The poet says that there is no second coming and we have been dreamy. He talks about stony sleep. He says that we have been dreaming on earth. What is the dream? The dream is that our God is going to come one day. There will be the second coming of Jesus Christ. Then there will be the judgment day. Either they are going to heaven or hell. But according to the poet, there is no second coming. The cycle of destruction is going to carry on forever. Until the end of the world, destruction will go on. The world will remain a chaotic place. That is why, things will fall apart. Central will never hold and there are anarchies that will always loose upon the world. Chaos will always carry on its way in the world. 

Lutfor Rahman: A One Take Master

Lutfor Rahman is a teacher by profession, but unlike other teachers he has been providing tuition to poor children in exchange of only one take from each student since 1984. It has been 35 long years that the 69-year-old man has devoted himself for the wellbeing of the deprived children inhabiting the villages along the banks of the Brahmaputra River in the district. Because of his philanthropic activity, he became familiar as “One Take Master” to local people.

Lutfor Rahman has been spreading the light of education to those students who are too poor to manage their money for tuition and as a result getting averse to education. Because of his personal initiative, poverty-stricken students in his area can hope for crossing at least secondary level of education. Now, many of his students are doing good jobs in different sectors. 

Lutfor Rahman, who is also a resident of Uria village in Fulchhari upazila, passed his Secondary School Certificate (SSC) examination in 1974, but could not continue his education because of his poverty which forced him to instantly take the burden of his family on his shoulder. 

Lutfor Rahman is neither an employee of an NGO nor an economically solvent person. He has involved himself in teaching poor students in Baburia, Madanpara, Dhulipara, Kangipara, Pulbandi and several nearby villages in his own initiative. He even does not get any kind of support or facilities from any organization or individual to do his humanitarian activity. To lead his own life and run a 4-member family, he has to depend on the earnings from his tuition though it is not enough, but he manages it somehow.

To read the original report, you can visit the below link- http://www.theindependentbd.com/printversion/details/184314

Ten street foods in Dhaka Part 2

If we make a list of street foods then this list will never finish. It is because people’s taste changes continuously. As time passes, new food items are prepared by the street food sellers. I have already written a post about 10 street foods in Dhaka city. You can consider it as a sequel of the previous post. 

Green and ripe tamarind smash: Tamarind is a sour type fruit which brings water to our mouth. When Tamarind smash mixed with green chili, mustard oil, salt, pepper and different types of spices comes to our mind, it gives a different kind of feeling. Small businessmen have installed shops of this alluring spicy green and ripe tamarind smash on bucket, van or at selected places of the city. Keeping the convenience of customers in mind, some shopkeepers keep whole tamarind which is so alluring to see. It has vitamin C, mineral, protein and for having low fat, it is at the top of the choice of health conscious customers. 

Shrimp chop or shrimp fry: Shrimp chop made by lentil and shrimp and shrimp fry made by shrimp dipped into pea-flour and fried into deep oil are familiar foods to pedestrians. Shrimp chop is usually made by using lentil, onion, chili and spices with small sized shrimp. The nutrient rich lentil and the unique taste of the fish of this food bring variation to the taste in mouth. In the same way, the outer beauty and the popularity of shrimp fry with the taste of all-purpose flour and pea-flour is not less in any part. In the making of shrimp fry, big-sized shrimp and various types of spices are used. Aside from tourist attractions of Dhaka city, overflowing crowd of different ages of people in front of the shops selling shrimp fry in crowded areas is worth watching.

Vegetable roll: It is hard to find any person who does not like vegetable. After slightly boiling various types of vegetables including carrot, potato, cucumber, capsicum, peas etc., they are rolled inside the flour bread which looks great and delicious in taste. This business is profitable as vegetables are still comparatively cheap in our country. On an average, almost every vegetable roll is sold at Tk. 30 to 40. After frying it in deep oil, it looks bigger in size and it turns brown which makes it even more tempting and also delicious to eat.

Naan bread and grill: Among the savory and street foods, naan and grill are taking the top place in terms of popularity. Whether it is an afternoon meal or chit-chatting between friends, this food gives a different kind of satisfaction. This bread made inside a large charcoal furnace with white flour, soybean oil and baking powder looks quite bigger than ordinary bread. Grill, which is at the top of the popularity list of youth, is prepared by burning whole marinated chicken in a moderate heat by a machine. Most of the people enjoy naan bread, grill and salad in the afternoon meal.

Kacchi Biryani: “Kacchi biryani” is the name of a traditional food of Dhaka city. When we hear the name of Kacchi biryani, we feel the shiver of eating in our mind. It is a very familiar food among old Dhaka residents, including old, rich-poor and businessman. Kacchi biryani is sold from a large cooking pot in the market areas. During a break from work or at the end of a day’s work, a plate of Kacchi biryani fulfills the need of food. The scent of the biryani cooked with chicken or beef, various types of spices and Polar rice tells the taste of this food. Shopkeepers are doing profitable business by selling each plate of biryani at Tk 50 or more.

Noodles: Whether it is school Tiffin or afternoon meal, it is a name of a popular food in everyone’s favorite list. Using tomato, carrot, potato, capsicum, this inimitable food is cooked with different types of vegetables. For having demand among customers, shopkeepers have kept it in the list of different types of street food of Bengali food lovers. An egg with noodles always increases its nutrition as well as taste. Some people enjoy it very much with sour tomato sauce.

Green mango smear: At the end of spring, especially at the beginning of summer season, mango trees are covered with a lot of mangoes. This fruit filled in vitamin C is preferred by all people, irrespective of gender, race and class. When the view of mango smeared with mustard oil, kasundi, bit salt and green chili comes to our mind, it brings water to our mouth. Besides students of colleges and universities, this spicy food has made its place in the list of favorites of all ages of women. From cutting to smearing the mangoes, shopkeepers do everything throughout the season, and thus, showcasing the skill of their hands, attracting even more customers. This way, they can extend their business to a large extent. Lowest price starts from Tk 10 and sellers can sell in accordance with the customers’ demand. 

Boiled Chickpeas mixture: Among spicy foods, boiled chickpeas are more or less popular to everyone. The main ingredient of this food is boiled chickpeas which are mixed with boiled potato and other spices. The shopkeepers serve it in a different way. After all the ingredients are boiled, the shopkeepers serve it in front of the customer with cucumber, tomato, sliced onion, sliced green chili, sliced boiled egg and coriander leaves. This high-fiber food is beneficial for health because of having carbohydrate and it is also strength-enhancer. Shopkeepers with a small investment can do this business easily roaming from one place to another on a three-wheel van, or on a bucket or bowl.

Juice: Summer season means different types of fruit juice taking a wide possession among street foods. On the one hand, there is terrible heat of summer, and on the other hand, it is just the beginning of the seasonal fruits. Talking to the shopkeepers, it has come to be known that this business is very profitable from March to September of the year. Watermelon, green ripe mango, ripe bael, malta, orange, apple, grape, pomegranate and many other fruits rich in nutrition and mineral have made their place to the juice shops. Considering the demand of the customers, price and quality, each glass of juice is sold for minimum Tk. 20. Other street food shops remain crowded in the afternoon, but when it comes to juice, shopkeepers do good business from morning to night. 

Burger: Among the street foods and fast foods, burger is a very popular food item to all ages of people. This food with the taste of bread, butter, cucumber, tomato, lettuce and chicken fry has got more popularity in the afternoon meal or in the school Tiffin. Compared to famous restaurants, price of burger is inexpensive in the street side shops. That is the reason the crowd of burger loving people in front of these shops are worth watching. The tasty crispy chicken fry with mayonnaise increases the taste of the burger and makes it more tempting. Besides the students of school, college and university, burger is a popular name to people of all professions.

If you have any query then let me know in the comment box.

Ten street foods in Dhaka Part 1

Like many other countries, street foods are also becoming popular day by day in Bangladesh. List of street foods is increasing gradually in our country. Almost all types of foods are sold on the street. Taking health issue into consideration, street food sellers have become more cautious about cleanliness and try their best to provide hygienic food to their customers. Here is a list of 10 most popular street foods in Dhaka city. 

Ice cream: Summer season means exhaustion from overheat. Delightful food like ice cream is found in school, office or in the streets and other crowded places. From children to elders, people of all ages like to eat ice cream. There is hardly anyone who does not like to eat ice cream. Ice cream is one type of sweet liquid food which removes fatigue quickly and makes the mind cool, fresh and lively. It is basically made up of various items, including milk, fruit and chocolate. This awesome food is made by mixing pure drinking water and food color along with various fruit extracts, coconut and milk. It is a popular name among people not only in the country but also around the world. Some shopkeepers store it in an electronic fridge while others keep it in the ice box.

Sugarcane juice: This edible plant food is the only source of producing sugar. Rich in carbohydrate, protein and mineral, this drink is very popular in our country. In rural areas, some people call it ‘Gendari’ or ‘Kusor’, but it is known as ‘Aakh’ in urban areas. Soon after the arrival of spring season after the end of winter, the shopkeepers with the help of engine-run machine on a mobile vehicle extract sugarcane juice in the busy streets. At the end of the day, before returning home, people from all walks of life get their energy back to their bodies drinking a glass of sugarcane juice. It can be realized by seeing from closer. Because of having abundance of energy in sugarcane juice, it is a familiar and tasty drink to almost all classes of people besides the lower-class and middle-class people.

Boiled egg: The importance of egg is most in the list of protein-rich foods. Whether it is home or outside, it has value everywhere. Among street foods in our country, it is also at the peak of the list of favorite foods. If we look, we can see that there are more young students in the list of customers, especially those who come together to gossip after a session of study or the day’s work. It is as if a boiled egg fulfills the body’s protein need. Apart from local and broiler chicken eggs, there are duck eggs in the list of the shopkeeper. Each egg is sold for a price ranging from Tk 4 to 10. The sale and demand of egg is high in the winter compared to the summer season.

Spicy Aloo Dum: Potato is one of the vegetables used to prepare this dish. We cannot think of any curry without potato as an ingredient. Spicy chili aloo dum in the afternoon meal brings different taste to mouth. The taste and demand of this food can be understood seeing the crowd in this shop where all types of potatoes are boiled and fried with various types of spices. Among the tasty foods, this food has much popularity, especially among young people.

Chanachur mixture: Among tasty spicy foods, chanachur mixture is very delicious to eat. Whether it is winter or summer season, this business is a hit round the year. Chanachur mixed with green chili, cucumber, onion and mustard oil is one of the favorite food items among all ages of people. Talking to the shopkeepers, it has come to be known that it is one of the very profitable businesses that can be started with a small capital. As different types of vegetables and chanachur can be easily carried in a big silver plate, this business can be expanded by traveling from one place to another. As its price is affordable, everyone loves to eat it.

Shashlik: It is another popular street food made with the mixture of different types of vegetables and meat. This item is decorated with sliced cucumber and chronologically arranged with carrot, onion and meat pieces, and fried in oil. It is then served to the customers. Each stick or each piece is sold at Tk. 30. This very delicious food brings diversity to the afternoon meal. Generally, chicken meat is more used in Shashlik. Apart from ordinary people, university students are at the center of their target customers.

Corn: The pleasure of eating corn burnt in charcoal on the city streets gives a different kind of feeling. It is one of the most delicious foods rich in carbohydrate. The tendency of eating burnt corn is seen more in the city street compared to village, especially in winter. The taste of corn burnt in charcoal is enjoyed by all ages of people. From the health standpoint, corn is beneficial for human body. This food filled with vitamin C, thiamine, mineral keeps heart healthy, remove anemia, helps in digestion and decreasing cholesterol level of human body. In the evening, the scenery of corn burning in charcoal fire and the popularity of the buyers at Rabindra Sarobar area of Dhaka city looks quite beautiful.

French fry: Potato is one of the most important vegetables of Bangladesh. French fry is a delicious food item made by potato which is very much in demand among the people. The scenario of this food fried in hot oil and served with sour Tomato sauce tells how much popular it is. This quality and nutritious food is widely known not only in Bangladesh but also all over the world. Rich in protein and carbohydrate, and useful to reduce lower blood pressure, this food is beneficial for human body. Because the price of potato is cheap in our country, shopkeepers can easily decide to do such a business with small investment. Fried in oil, the brown color of the French fry increases the temptation of the dish double.

Chicken, beef and various types of meat curry along with rice: Among the heavy dishes including chicken and beef curry and rice is the most important food in our country. But in the busiest city Dhaka, rice with meat curry has made its place in the street food. Rice takes its place in the lunch menu of working people across all profession. People of all classes can enjoy this food for having low price compared to well-furnished restaurant and spicy onion. It feels quite tasty to eat meat curry and lentil with rice. Main customers of this food are work-oriented people, especially those working in the market, office, driver of different types of vehicles and those who do not get enough time to take rest.

Coconut: When fatigue appears in the face of pedestrian and working class people, a glass of coconut water can remove this exhaustion. Among different types of street foods, green coconut water is taking the top position in the popularity list of people from all ages and walks of people. Shopkeepers sell small, medium and large sized coconuts in moveable carts in schools, colleges, university campuses, market areas, bus stands and other crowded places. Price of the coconut depends on size and the price starts from Tk 30 and each coconut is also sold for Tk 70 to 80. In the presence of potassium, magnesium and copper, it causes to refill the energy by rapidly increasing the immunity performance of the human body. Transparent water of green coconut and its soft white part inside bring back the refreshment of the mind and also works well as an antiseptic. 

If you have any query then let me know in the comment box. 

Predicament of Alcestis

Alcestis is such a drama of ancient Greece where female character has got more importance than male characters. Perhaps this was not natural in the male dominated society, but the dramatist Euripides surely tried his best to portray the character of Alcestis. If we look at the predicament of Alcestis, we will notice that this is a very interesting incident to reader or audience. We have to remember that it was a stage drama and we have to think of the emotion and reaction of the stage audience rather than readers of the book. Thus, if we look from the beginning to the end then we will notice that the predicament of Alcestis is interesting. 

At the opening of the drama, we can see that Apollo was talking to the Fates. He cheated the Fates once about the death of Admetus who was the husband of Alcestis. Because of Apollo, Alcestis must take place of Admetus in death. This is like fate for Alcestis. It is not fate because she chose her own destiny. It is her predicament and she was forced to accept the condition. She is a loving wife and even more caring mother. If she lost her husband then she would perhaps be able to marry again. But if the children lose their father then they can never get their father back. A step father is perhaps worse than having no father at all. 

She laments that Admetus’ father did not offer his life instead, since that would have been a highly noble act. By dying for his son, he would have allowed the young married couple to live out their life rather than hang on to his aged life. 

Readers get to know the physical and mental condition of Alcestis through the comment of servant. When chorus asked the servant whether Alcestis is alive or dead, she said, in response to the question, that Alcestis is on the verge of death, both living and dead, a phrase that ironically signifies her imminent shift of fate. The servant also tells the chorus that when she becomes aware that the day of her death has arrived, she bathed herself, put on fine attire, and prayed to the earth goddess that she would watch over her orphaned son and daughter, and when they are older, marry them to noble spouses. She wept uncontrollably when she bade farewell to her marriage bed. She said,

“O marriage-bed, she cried Farewell! Here once I gave my maidenhood to him; And now my life.” 

Alcestis accompanied by guards, husband and her children is taken outside so that she may look upon the light of the day one more time. Alcestis says she can see the boatman Charon. She tells Admetus how Charon is urging her impatiently to get into the boat. It indicates that death is near to her. She told Admetus,

“I now am dying in your place; though I need not have died.” 

So, in the drama, we can see that it was a time for Alcestis to die and all the events focus around this matter. She really loves her children. The sacrifice she made was more for the children rather than for her husband. 

It is clear that everyone loves Alcestis. Her husband respected her and all the servants also honored her. So, when Heracles got drunk, one servant got annoyed and told real story. Heracles fought with Death and saved Alcestis and brought her back. It shows that she was a special woman. She had great personality but in Ancient Greece, women were hardly admired for their personalities. 

Thus, the predicament of Alcestis is like a fairy tale and full of miracle. This is a drama about Alcestis and that is why her qualities are glorified. On the other hand, in the legend of Heracles, it was the mighty action of Heracles that should get more importance. It was the action, bravery and courage of Heracles that changed the predicament of Alcestis. So, the readers may get confused about who is greater- Heracles or Alcestis. To the modern readers, the sacrifice of Alcestis is something exceptional and admirable. 

Alcestis was a brave woman and also was dedicated to her husband. However, in the ancient Greece, good qualities of women were often neglected. They felt that it was a duty of a woman to be dedicated to her husband and it is natural as women were inferior to men. Alcestis was an exceptional person and that is why, she was not worried about her destiny. She could overcome and conquer life and fate. She was not afraid of dying and that is an exceptional quality in any age. She was not even a soldier. It is the job of a soldier to fight and even die if needed. But Alcestis was a mere housewife and she was braver than any soldier. 

The predicament of Alcestis has fairy tale qualities but at the same time Euripides has tried to say that we should honor woman more. We should give value to our wives more and Alcestis was a very good woman. Because she was good in the end, she got saved.