Class 8 English Notes Chapter 2 (Children at work) – It so Happend Book

Alright class, let's focus on Chapter 2, 'Children at Work' from your 'It So Happened' book. This chapter offers a stark look into the lives of children who are forced to fend for themselves in a large city. Pay close attention, as understanding the nuances is crucial, not just for your exams but also for developing empathy.

Chapter 2: Children at Work - Detailed Notes

Author: Gita Wolf, Anushka Ravishankar, Orijit Sen (This story is an extract from their book 'Trash! On Ragpicker Children and Recycling')

Central Theme: The chapter highlights the harsh realities of child labour, poverty, and the struggle for survival faced by runaway children in urban India. It contrasts the innocence of childhood with the grim necessity of earning a livelihood under difficult circumstances.

Characters:

1. Velu:

   • An eleven-year-old boy.
   • Runs away from his village (Kannur district) due to his abusive, alcoholic father who would beat him and his sisters and snatch away their earnings.
   • Feels miserable, lost, and extremely hungry upon arriving at Chennai Central Station.
   • Initially hesitant and naive about city life.
   • Represents the vulnerability of children forced out of their homes.
   • Finds the city noisy, crowded, and overwhelming.
   • Reluctant to eat leftover food initially but hunger forces him.
   • Ultimately accepts the reality of his situation and the need to work.

2. Jaya:

   • A girl around Velu's age (though her exact age isn't specified, she behaves older due to her experiences).
   • A ragpicker, collecting plastic, paper, glass, etc., from garbage bins.
   • Street-smart, resourceful, confident, and practical.
   • Knows how to navigate the city and survive.
   • Wears a banian (vest) and shorts; carries a large sack on her shoulder.
   • Finds Velu at the station and takes pity on his condition, offering him food and guidance.
   • She is not sentimental; her help is practical.
   • Lives in a slum made of makeshift huts near a dirty puddle.
   • Represents children who have adapted to harsh urban life and lost their childhood innocence to the demands of survival.

Plot Summary:

1. Arrival at Chennai Central: Velu arrives at Chennai Central railway station after running away from home. He travelled without a ticket. He feels lost, scared, and terribly hungry amidst the noise and crowd. He sits on a bench, feeling miserable.
2. Meeting Jaya: A girl named Jaya, carrying a big sack, notices Velu. She correctly guesses he has run away from home. She is practical and asks him directly if he is hungry.
3. Following Jaya: Velu is initially suspicious but his extreme hunger makes him follow Jaya. She confidently leads him through the crowded, noisy, and polluted streets of Chennai. Velu struggles to keep up and is shocked by the traffic and the sheer number of people.
4. The Search for Food: Jaya leads Velu behind a big marriage hall called Sri Rajarajeshwari Prasanna Kalyana Mandapam. She finds food (a crushed banana and a vada) from a large garbage bin overflowing with leftovers.
5. Overcoming Hesitation: Velu is initially disgusted at the thought of eating discarded food. However, his intense hunger overcomes his reluctance, and he eats the banana and vada Jaya gives him. Jaya eats only a banana herself.
6. Understanding Ragpicking: Jaya explains her work – she collects recyclable materials like paper, plastic, and glass from garbage bins and sells them to a scrap dealer (Jam Bazaar Jaggu). She calls this 'sorting'.
7. Journey to the Slum: Jaya takes Velu along a dirty path, across a canal (Buckingham Canal), to the slum where she lives. The slum consists of strange huts made from materials like metal sheets, tyres, bricks, wood, and plastic.
8. The Offer of Work: Jaya gives Velu a sack and a pair of old shoes without laces, telling him he can help her until he finds a better job. She makes it clear that ragpicking is the only immediate option for survival.
9. Velu's Dilemma: Velu feels uneasy about ragpicking but realizes he has no other choice for food and shelter. The chapter ends with Velu accepting, albeit reluctantly, that he will have to do this unpleasant work, at least for the time being. He hasn't found a 'better' job yet.

Key Settings:

• Chennai Central Station: Represents chaos, anonymity, and the start of Velu's difficult journey.
• Busy City Streets: Highlight the pollution, traffic, noise, and indifference of the urban environment.
• Garbage Bin behind Marriage Hall: Symbolizes the extreme poverty and the desperate measures children take for survival (eating leftovers).
• The Slum: Shows the precarious living conditions of the urban poor, built from discarded materials.

Important Themes & Messages:

• Child Labour: The story directly portrays children engaged in difficult and hazardous work (ragpicking) instead of being in school.
• Poverty and Hunger: These are the root causes forcing children like Velu to run away and children like Jaya to work. Hunger is a powerful motivator in the story.
• Urban Apathy: The city is shown as largely indifferent to the plight of these children. People rush past without noticing them.
• Loss of Childhood: Both Velu and Jaya are forced to shoulder adult responsibilities, missing out on education and play.
• Survival Instincts: Jaya exemplifies how children develop street smarts and resilience to survive in harsh conditions.
• Rural vs. Urban Life: Contrasts Velu's village life (simple, but with its own problems) with the complex, overwhelming, and often dangerous city life.

Possible Exam Focus Areas:

• Reasons for Velu running away.
• Velu's feelings and experiences upon arriving in Chennai.
• Description of Jaya's character and appearance.
• The nature of Jaya's work (ragpicking).
• The significance of the scene at the garbage bin.
• Description of the slum area.
• Velu's final decision and the reasons behind it.
• The underlying social issues highlighted in the story.

Multiple Choice Questions (MCQs):

1. Why did Velu run away from his home?
   a) He wanted to see the city of Chennai.
   b) His father used to beat him and take his money.
   c) He failed his school exams.
   d) He had a fight with his sisters.

2. Where did Velu first meet Jaya?
   a) Inside a train compartment.
   b) On a busy road near a bridge.
   c) At the Chennai Central railway station.
   d) Near the garbage bin behind the marriage hall.

3. What work did Jaya do for a living?
   a) Selling flowers near a temple.
   b) Working in a tea stall.
   c) Cleaning houses.
   d) Collecting and selling waste materials (ragpicking).

4. What food did Jaya find for Velu in the garbage bin?
   a) A half-eaten apple and some rice.
   b) A crushed banana and a vada.
   c) Stale bread and a biscuit packet.
   d) Leftover noodles and a piece of cake.

5. Velu was initially hesitant to eat the food from the garbage bin because:
   a) He was not actually hungry.
   b) He thought the food might be poisonous.
   c) He found the idea of eating leftovers disgusting.
   d) Jaya told him not to eat it.

6. What did Jaya call the garbage bin behind the marriage hall?
   a) A treasure chest.
   b) Her breakfast spot.
   c) A waste dump.
   d) Overflowing bin (implying it was a source of food).

7. The huts in the slum where Jaya lived were made of:
   a) Only mud and thatch.
   b) Bricks and cement.
   c) All sorts of things like metal sheets, tyres, and plastic.
   d) Wood and bamboo only.

8. What items did Jaya primarily collect in her sack?
   a) Food items only.
   b) Old clothes and shoes.
   c) Paper, plastic, and glass.
   d) Metal scraps and wires.

9. What does the story 'Children at Work' mainly depict?
   a) The fun adventures of children in a big city.
   b) The importance of recycling waste.
   c) The difficult lives and survival struggles of poor children.
   d) The efficiency of the Indian railway system.

10. At the end of the chapter, Velu decides to:
    a) Go back to his village immediately.
    b) Find a job at the marriage hall.
    c) Go ragpicking with Jaya, at least for now.
    d) Report Jaya to the police.

Answer Key for MCQs:

1. b
2. c
3. d
4. b
5. c
6. d (While not explicitly named, her actions imply it's a source)
7. c
8. c
9. c
10. c

Study these notes thoroughly. Remember the characters, the sequence of events, and the underlying message of the chapter. Good luck with your preparation!