THE LAGOON
.....Joseph Conrad......
SUMMARY:
on both sides of the river in the land of the Malays in Southeast Asia, not a leaf
rustles in the windless forests as partsmen paddle a sampan eastward, away from the
setting sun, toward the sea .
We will pass the night in Arsats clearing the white man tells the Malay
See Sman.
The steersman plunges his paddle into the water and turns the boat into a narrow
creek running into the thick forest. When the creek widens and the water becomes
shallower, the crewmen pole their way to a wide lagoon. In the distance is a house
restingon piles.
The Malay crewmen would rather break their trip elsewhere, for they befie
pirits haunt the darkness around the lagoon. These spirits do not bother the white ma
the Malays believe, because he and others of his kind are "in league with the Fa
Evil, who leads them unharmed through the invisible dangers of this world."
The boat pulls up at the piles next to Arsat's canoe and a bamboo platform, and he
crewmen shout his name. After the white man climbs a rope ladder to the platform, the
juragan (steersman) tells him that he and the other crewmen will eat and sleep in e
boat. They pass a blanket and a basket up to the white man.
Arsatavoun man with a broad chest, comes out and asks,Have you medicin
Tuan?"
The visitor says no, then goes inside to see what prompted the question. Ona
couch,a woman is lying unconscious undera red sheet. She is burning with a fever.and
her eyes are staring blankly upward. The Malay reports that her illness began when she
heard voices calling her from the lagoon. Now, after spending five sleepless nigits
watching over her. the Malay says she is unresponsive.
"Tuan, will she die?"
I fear so," says the white man.
For years, Arsat had been a faithful friend of the white man, even fighting by a
side when the need arose. The white man likes him 'not so much perhaps as a mার ।
likes his favorite dog.” the narrator says, but well enough to come to Assatsaid,
The whiteman goes back outside. Darkness is overcoming the last of the lightLen
in a short while the lagoon reflects the stars. He opens the basket and eats suppetthe
gathers twigs and builds a fire on the platform to create smoke to repel mosquitoe
While the white mansits smoking, Arsat comes out and reports that his woman continue
to burn with a fever and asks again whether she will die.
পsিuch is her fate, the white man says,
Ansat goes back in and tries to rouse her. She does not respond. He comes had
out, sits by the fire, and speaks of the old days when he and the white man foug
together. After the fighting was over, he recalls, the white man went A
his way, and
and his people lived in peace under the rulership of a rajah. In time, Arst say
love witha young woman namedDiamelenthe servant of the rajahs wife, inch
Diameten retumed his love. One day he cloped with her with the help of his broাকি
Taking with them some rice, they fed to the nearby river and paddled their way to tারি
sea, is brother had the gun that the white man had once given him , Chased by
rয়jahsmen, Arsat and his brother paddাed furiously along the coast through
and into the morning, wear beyond measure, they stopped on the sandy beach of a bay
to take rest and eat rice. While Diamelen kept watch, the brothers lay down to rest Barns
এthey had done so, she crnied out. The rajahmen were approaching in a preunits
bother, who knew well the area along the coast, urged Art tonun into the forরা
Diamele, "I shall keep them back "Arsats brother said, for they have no free
আnd landing in the face of a man with a gun is certain death for some Run with he On
the other side of that wood there is a fisherman's house ~and a canoe, when there
fined all the shots will follow. I am a great runner, and before they can come up we shall
be gone"
with Diamelen, Arsat did as his brother suggested. At length, while hearing the
ing of his brother's gunshots behind. they came to the fisheman's house at the mouth
of a wide riverAman came out of the house. The Malay overpowered him, and he and
Diamelen paddled away in the canoe. When Arsat heard shouting, he numed around and
এw many men chasing his brother. I heard him cry my name twice; and I heard voices
এhouting, K! strike" never turmed back. I heard him calling my name again with a
get shriek, as when life is going out together with the voiceand I never turned my
head. Three times he called but I was not afraid of life. Was she not there in that
anoe? And could not with her finda country where death is forgottenhere death
is unknown. Ansat then says regretifuly, what did care who died? I wanted
peace in my own heart ."
.rsat goes inside to check on Diamelen. As the white man sees dawning ight on
the horizon, he hears a groun. Ansat comes hack out and announces that Diamelem has
died. The white man invitesAsant to come with him, but the Malary declines saying।
shall not eator sleep in this house, butilmust first see my road. Now I can see nothing
see nothing There is no light and no peace in the world; but there is death death for
many, We were sons of the same mother and left him in the midstotenemies,
In a title while I shall see clear enough to strike to strike. But has
she died, and
now a dankness, when the wikite man and his crew leave , the looks back and sees ।
Arat
"llooking through the greatlight otacloudless day into the hopeless darkness of the
world as the plans to avenge the death of his brother.
WORD NOTES:
Lagoon -
Stern- back part of the boat.
Clearing - Clear place for living or vegetation.
Canopy - light weight boat.
Eddies - whirlpool.
Churned up - shaken up.
Enticed - allured.
Prau - long Malayan boat
IMPORTANT QUESTION:
1. Who is Malay?
Steersman of the boat.
2. "The steersman only grunted" why did the steersman grunt?
He want to show displeasure.
3. Who is the white man in the story Lagoon?
An European friend of Arsat.
4. "We will pass the night in Arsat's clearing "- who said this?
The white man.
5. "Astern of the boat the repeated call"-
At the side of.
6. "A cry discordant and feeble "- whose cry is referred to here?
Unknown Bird.
7. "And disappearing from the river like slim and amphibious creature...?"- which disappears from the river?
The boat of Arsat.
8. "The narrow Creek was like a ditch "- here the word Creek means...
A deep strip of water extending into the land from the sea.
9. White man care not for such a thing"- why?
They are in league with the father of evil.
10. "White man care not for such a thing"- for which thing?
Malicious spirits.
11. What did the polers think about Arsat?
He is not afraid to love amongst the spirit.
12. " The man poled in the shoaling water "what does mean by the word shoaling ?
Shallow.
13. Marshy banks refers to ...
Swampy.
14. Arsat's house was perched on...
High piles.
15. Near Arsat's house there were two tall trees. What types of trees were they ?
Nipa palms.
16. Where would the polers have preferred to spend the night?
In the canoe.
17. They dislike Arsat first for ....
Arsat is a strenger.
18. When the big canoe touched the crooked piles below Arsat's house, the polers were murmuring....
Allah be praised.
19. The juragan of the boat said sulkily " we will cook in the sampan"- who is the juragan?
Head of the polers.
20. The juragan of the boat said sulkily ". The word sulkily refers to...
Silently angry way..
21. The juragan of the boat said sulkily ". What is sampan ?
A small and light boat.
22. "He had nothing on but his sarong "- what is sarong ?
A strip of cloth worn by the Malaysians
23. "Pass my blankets and the basket"- who said this?
The white man.
24. Have you medicine Tuan ?"- who asked this?
Arsat.
25. "She speaks not, she hears not"- why?
She is unconscious.
26. "I hear, i see , i wait, i remember..."- who is the person referred to ?
Arsat.
27. "O mara Bahia"- means....
It is a malaya term means O great dengar.
28. "After that cry there was a deep sigh "- why?
Arsat's brother died then.
29. How many times did Arsat's brother call out ?
Three times.
30. "You remember the lady with the veiled face Tuan"- who was the lady with the veiled face?
Inchmidha
31. "We are two like one"- here we refers to....
Arsat and his brother.
32. We are sons of the same mother....Who said this?
Arsat.
33. "The gnawing suspicion that lurks in our heart"- gnawing means?
Overwhelming.
34. "The gnawing suspicion that lurks in our heart"- lurk means ...
Grows.
35. Who was Si Dendring?
Rular.
36. "They beat the gong , and turned the head of the prau into the bay"...Here they refers to...
Men who were pursuing Arsat.
37. "They beat the gong and turned the head of the prau into the bay"- what is prau?
A long Malayan boat.
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