Class 8 English Notes Chapter 4 (Bepin Choudhury’s Lapse of Memory ; The Last Bargain) – Honeydew Book
Alright class, let's focus on Chapter 4 from your Honeydew textbook. This chapter includes a fascinating story, "Bepin Choudhury's Lapse of Memory," and a thought-provoking poem, "The Last Bargain." Both are important, not just for your class exams but also potentially for competitive government exams where reading comprehension and literary analysis skills are tested. Pay close attention to the details.
Chapter 4: Bepin Choudhury’s Lapse of Memory & The Last Bargain
Part 1: Bepin Choudhury’s Lapse of Memory (Story by Satyajit Ray)
1. Introduction:
This story revolves around Bepin Choudhury, a seemingly well-adjusted, educated man who is suddenly confronted with the possibility that he has forgotten an entire episode from his recent past – specifically, a trip to Ranchi. The story explores themes of memory, identity, psychological distress, and the nature of truth, all wrapped in a clever plot with a twist ending.
2. Summary:
- The Encounter: Bepin Babu, a regular visitor at Kalicharan's bookshop in New Market, Kolkata, is approached by a man named Parimal Ghose. Ghose claims to have met Bepin during his trip to Ranchi in October 1958. Bepin is adamant he has never been to Ranchi and was in Kanpur during that period, attending a Puja with a friend.
- Growing Doubt: Ghose provides several specific details about the supposed Ranchi trip: Bepin's stay in a bungalow, his fall near Hudroo Falls injuring his right knee, his dislike for hotel food, his preference for books, mention of his wife's death and his brother's insanity, and the presence of Mr. Dinesh Mukerji's family. These details deeply unsettle Bepin.
- Seeking Confirmation: Bepin tries to verify the information. He checks his right knee for a scar (finding a faint old one). He then decides to call Dinesh Mukerji. Dinesh confirms the Ranchi trip, further intensifying Bepin's confusion and anxiety. Bepin starts doubting his own sanity, losing his appetite and concentration at work.
- Chunilal's Visit: Bepin remembers an old, down-on-his-luck school friend, Chunilal, who used to visit him frequently seeking help for a job. Bepin had recently avoided him. He writes to Chunilal, hoping he might remember something about the '58 trip. Chunilal visits Bepin. Initially discussing his job situation, Chunilal eventually confirms Bepin was indeed in Ranchi and that Chunilal himself had arranged Bepin's railway booking. This confirmation devastates Bepin.
- Medical Advice: Convinced something is seriously wrong with his memory, Bepin visits Dr. Paresh Chanda. Dr. Chanda is puzzled, as this type of selective amnesia is rare. He advises Bepin to visit Ranchi again, suggesting that revisiting the place might trigger his memory.
- The Ranchi Trip & The Revelation: Bepin takes the doctor's advice and travels to Ranchi. He visits the locations mentioned by Parimal Ghose but remembers absolutely nothing. Feeling hopeless and perhaps mentally unwell, he returns to Kolkata. Upon arrival, his servant gives him a letter marked 'Urgent & Confidential'. The letter is from Chunilal.
- The Truth: Chunilal confesses in the letter that the entire Ranchi episode was a hoax, a practical joke he orchestrated as revenge. Chunilal felt hurt and slighted because Bepin, despite his comfortable position ('affluence'), had refused to help him find a job. Chunilal used his imagination and information gathered over time to create the elaborate story, likely using Parimal Ghose as an actor.
- The Aftermath: Bepin feels a mix of anger and relief. When Dr. Chanda visits him shortly after, Bepin, wanting to save face, lies and claims that visiting Ranchi cured him and he now remembers everything. The doctor remarks it's a unique case and intends to write about it in a medical journal. Bepin asks for a painkiller, attributing his need to a fall he supposedly had in Ranchi (a final lie to maintain the facade).
3. Key Characters:
- Bepin Choudhury: The protagonist. An educated, solitary man working in a reputable firm. He loves reading. He is initially confident but becomes deeply disturbed and anxious when his memory is questioned. He values his reputation.
- Parimal Ghose: The man who first confronts Bepin at the bookshop. Later revealed to be part of Chunilal's plan (likely an accomplice or actor).
- Dinesh Mukerji: An acquaintance whose confirmation of the Ranchi trip adds to Bepin's distress.
- Chunilal: Bepin's former schoolmate. Currently struggling financially and seeking employment. He is revealed as the mastermind behind the prank, motivated by a desire for revenge against Bepin's perceived indifference.
- Dr. Paresh Chanda: A young physician whom Bepin consults about his memory lapse.
4. Themes:
- Memory and Identity: How much does memory define who we are? The story shows how unsettling the loss of memory (even a fabricated one) can be.
- Revenge: Chunilal's elaborate prank is an act of retribution for perceived social slight and lack of help.
- Psychological Impact: The story vividly portrays Bepin's increasing anxiety, self-doubt, and fear of losing his mind.
- Truth vs. Deception: The entire plot hinges on a carefully constructed lie designed to destabilize the protagonist.
- Social Class and Relationships: The underlying tension between the affluent Bepin and the struggling Chunilal fuels the conflict.
5. Important Vocabulary/Phrases:
- Lapse: A temporary failure of concentration, memory, or judgment.
- Incredulous: Unwilling or unable to believe something.
- Utterance: A spoken word, statement, or vocal sound.
- Intimate: Closely acquainted; familiar.
- Deliberate: Done consciously and intentionally.
- Scepticism: Doubt as to the truth of something.
- Composure: The state or feeling of being calm and in control of oneself.
- Retribution: Punishment inflicted on someone as vengeance for a wrong or criminal act.
- Affluence: The state of having a great deal of money; wealth.
Part 2: The Last Bargain (Poem by Rabindranath Tagore)
1. Introduction:
This poem by Nobel laureate Rabindranath Tagore explores the idea of finding true freedom and happiness. The speaker encounters various offers of 'hire' or engagement based on power, wealth, and beauty, but rejects them all. Ultimately, the speaker accepts a 'bargain' made with an innocent child playing on the beach, which offers nothing material but represents freedom and joy.
2. Summary (Stanza-wise Analysis):
- Stanza 1: The speaker is walking on a stone-paved road in the morning. The King arrives in his chariot and offers to hire the speaker with his power. However, the speaker realizes that the King's power is ultimately worthless ("his power counted for naught") and declines the offer. Power represents authority and control, often restrictive.
- Stanza 2: At midday, houses stand with shut doors due to the heat. An old man comes out with a bag of gold (money/wealth) and offers to hire the speaker. The speaker considers the offer ("weighed them one by one") but finds wealth insufficient or unfulfilling and turns away. Material wealth cannot buy true satisfaction.
- Stanza 3: In the evening, the garden hedge is full of flowers. A fair maid offers to hire the speaker with a smile (representing beauty, love, or perhaps fleeting pleasure). However, her smile quickly fades and turns into tears, symbolizing the transient and ultimately sorrowful nature of such attachments. The speaker rejects this offer too.
- Stanza 4: The sun glints on the sand, and sea waves break waywardly. A child sits playing with shells. The child offers to hire the speaker "with nothing." This seemingly empty offer strikes the speaker as the most valuable. Accepting this "bargain," the speaker feels free ("made me a free man"). The child represents innocence, simplicity, freedom from worldly constraints, and pure joy.
3. Themes:
- Freedom vs. Bondage: The offers of power, wealth, and even beauty are seen as forms of bondage or limitation. True freedom is found in simplicity and innocence.
- Materialism vs. Spirituality/Simplicity: The poem contrasts worldly temptations (power, money) with the purity and freedom found in nature and childhood innocence.
- The Search for True Value: The speaker is looking for something meaningful to commit to, ultimately finding it not in external status or possessions, but in intrinsic joy and freedom.
- Innocence: The child's offer, made without calculation or expectation ("with nothing"), is the most liberating.
4. Important Vocabulary/Phrases:
- Bargain: An agreement between two or more people as to what each person will do for the other.
- Naught: Nothing.
- Hire: Employ someone for wages. (Here used metaphorically for engagement/commitment).
- Fair Maid: A beautiful young woman.
- Waywardly: Difficult to control or predict because of unusual behaviour.
Multiple Choice Questions (MCQs):
-
Where did Parimal Ghose first approach Bepin Choudhury?
a) At his office
b) At Kalicharan's bookshop
c) In Ranchi
d) At Dinesh Mukerji's house -
According to Parimal Ghose, what injury did Bepin Babu sustain in Ranchi?
a) A sprained ankle
b) A cut on his left hand
c) A fall injuring his right knee
d) A head injury -
Who confirmed Bepin Babu's Ranchi trip over the phone?
a) Chunilal
b) Parimal Ghose
c) Dr. Paresh Chanda
d) Dinesh Mukerji -
What was Chunilal's primary motive for playing the prank on Bepin Choudhury?
a) To test Bepin's memory
b) To get money from Bepin
c) Revenge for Bepin not helping him find a job
d) To make Bepin visit Ranchi -
What advice did Dr. Chanda give Bepin Babu?
a) To take memory pills
b) To rest at home
c) To revisit Ranchi
d) To consult a psychiatrist -
In the poem "The Last Bargain," what did the King offer to hire the speaker with?
a) Gold
b) Power
c) A smile
d) Shells -
Why did the speaker reject the fair maid's offer in the poem?
a) She wasn't beautiful enough
b) Her smile faded and turned into tears (it was transient)
c) She didn't offer enough money
d) He didn't like flowers -
What does the word "naught" mean in the context of the poem ("his power counted for naught")?
a) Everything
b) Something valuable
c) Nothing
d) A large amount -
Who finally 'hires' the speaker in "The Last Bargain"?
a) The King
b) The old man
c) The fair maid
d) The child playing with shells -
What did the final bargain make the speaker feel?
a) Rich
b) Powerful
c) Sad
d) Free
Answer Key for MCQs:
- b
- c
- d
- c
- c
- b
- b
- c
- d
- d
Study these notes carefully. Understand the plot progression, character motivations in the story, and the symbolic meaning in the poem. Good luck with your preparation!