1.5 The New Dress
Title- ‘The New Dress’
The title is ‘The
New Dress’ is the central thing of the story. Though the dress is new, the main
character Mabel considers it as dull and inappropriate. Mabel wears this new dress
in one party. It is old-fashioned. She has taken great care to make it perfect.
But in the end, Mabel Waring feels deeply self-conscious and insecure due to
the dress.
The
Writer- Virginia Woolf
Virginia Woolf
was
an English novelist and essayist. She is considered a
modernist writer of the 20th century. She was the pioneer of the ‘stream of
consciousness’ as a narrative device. ‘A Haunted House’ is her famous short
story collection from which the present story ‘The New Dress’ is adapted.
Story-
The present
story is about a Mabel Waring, who
is constantly thinking about her
new yellow dress in negative terms. She herself has chosen the design, colour
and pattern of the dress. She has decided to wear the dress for a party at Mrs.
Dalloway. However, at that party she
keeps thinking that the dress is old
fashioned and everyone in the party is mocking at her dress. She thinks that
she is a fly at the edge of the saucer, drowning deep and deep, as she comes
seriously under the spell of her own negative mind and in a depression leaves
the party.
To show
Mabel’s suppressed desires, unfulfilled ambitions and meagre financial
conditions of her childhood, Virginia Woolf has employed the stream of
consciousness technique very effectively.
Ice
Breaker activities-
1)
Write in Column 'B' the description of the clothes you would choose to wear for
the occasions given in Column 'A'.
|
A |
B |
|
A birthday party |
|
|
A prize distribution ceremony at school |
|
|
A picnic |
|
|
An entertainment show |
|
Answer-
|
A |
B |
|
A birthday party |
Party wear, attractive, bright, and shining dress |
|
A prize distribution ceremony at school |
Formal dress or uniform |
|
A picnic |
Casual jeans and T- shirt |
|
An entertainment show |
Semi formal and colourful dress |
2) Discuss the criterion of the choice of your clothes with the help of the following points:
(a) Occasion-
Answer-
Celebration,
festival, formal ceremony, fun etc.
(b) Society
(people you may meet at the venue)-
Answer-
Friends,
relatives, college gathering, educational programme, ceremony etc.
(c) Availability-
Answer-
Bought from
Shops or market, get from tailor or borrowing etc.
(d) Fashion-
Answer-
Designer
clothes, Indian traditional clothes, western dress
(e) Your
wish/whim-
Answer-
Get dresses as
per my favourite colour, design, uniqueness and fitting.
(f) A
suggestion or advice by someone (mother, sister, friend etc.)-
Answer-
Takes advice
from mother, father and friends.
(g) Any other
than the above mentioned reasons-
Answer-
I like to
choose my dress that suits me and enhances my personality.
3)
State whether you agree or disagree with the following statements and discuss
the reasons.
(a) A simple
dress makes one's personality look dull.
Answer-
I disagree
with this statement. If a simple dress is suit to me, it will enhance my
personality.
(b) We should
not judge ourselves from the comments we receive from others.
Answer-
I agree with
this statement. We have to keep faith on our selection and thinking. We should
neglect the negative comments of others.
(c) A
fashionable and costly dress makes you look rich, intelligent and beautiful.
Answer-
I disagree
with this statement. It is the self – confidence, mannered behaviour and good suitable
outfit make us look rich, intelligent and beautiful.
(d) We should
choose a dress according to the fashion rather than our choice.
Answer-
I agree with
this statement. Our choice and likes are more important that the fashion.
Sometimes the fashionable clothes may make us uncomfortable.
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See activities on 1.5 The New Dress
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मराठी सारांश:
मेबल वारिंग ही सातत्याने तिने परिधान केलेल्या पिवळ्या ड्रेस बद्दल विचार करत राहते. मिसेस डॅलवेकडून निमंत्रण आल्यावर ती हा ड्रेस घालून गेली होती. श्रीमती बार्नेटने तिच्या हातात आरसा दिला आणि केस व्यवस्थित करण्यासाठी आणि सोंदर्य सुधारण्यासाठीच्या
सर्व उपकरणांकडे मेबेलचे लक्ष वेधले असता, तेव्हा तिला आपल्या ड्रेस बद्दल संशय आला. ती वरच्या मजल्यावर गेली. तिने क्लेरिसा डॅलोवेला अभिवादन केले. आरशात पाहिल्यावर तिला तिचा ड्रेस चांगला नाही असे वाटले. तिला लहानपणापासूनच आपण इतर लोकांपेक्षा कमी दर्जाची असल्याचा न्यनगंड होता.
संध्याकाळी जेव्हा श्रीमती डॅलवेला यांचे आमंत्रण आले तेव्हा तिला जाणवले की ती फॅशनेबल होऊ शकत नाही. तिने निवडलेला ड्रेस तिला जुन्या पद्धतीचा वाटत होता. रोझ शॉ ने पार्टीत तिला सांगितले की तिचा ड्रेस छानआहे. पण मेबेलला ते खरे वाटत नव्हते.
मेबेल पार्टीतील सर्वांवर नजर टाकते. तिला वाटते की सर्व जण बशीवरच्या काठावर रांगण्याचा प्रयत्न करणाऱ्या माश्यांप्रमाणे आहोत. ती स्वत: ला ही एक गबाळी,क्षीण आणि निस्तेज अशी माशी मानत होती.
पार्टीत असलेल्या रॉबर्ट हेडनने हे तिला सहानुभूती दाखवावी असे तिला वाटत होते पण तो अलिप्त राहिला. मिस मिलानने तिच्या हातात आरसा दिला. तिने तयार झालेला ड्रेस घालून स्वत:ला आरशात पहिले. तेव्हा एक विलक्षण आनंदाची लहर तिच्या मनात झळकून गेली. पण तो आनंद फार काळ टिकला नाही. तिने स्वत: ला पुन्हा आरश्याच्या समोर नेले. स्वत:ला आरश्यात पाहून ती निराश होऊन खोलीतून बाहेर पडली. तेव्हा तिला वाटले की जणू भाले तिच्या पिवळ्या ड्रेसवर सर्व बाजूंनी फेकले गेले.
पार्टीत जर चार्ल्स ने फक्त म्हटले असते, " मेबल, आपण आज रात्री मोहक दिसत आहात!"
तर त्यामुळे तिचे आयुष्य बदलले असते. पण चार्ल्सने तसे काहीही म्हटले नाही. तो स्वतःच द्वेषबुद्धी असलेला आहे असे तिला वाटले.
अखेर ती निळ्या सोफ्यातून उठली आणि मिसेस डॅलवेलांचा निरोप घेऊन निघते. ती पार्टीत खूप मजा आली असे खोटे सांगून घरी जायला निघते.
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See Std. XII- Prose Topic
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