CH – 2
A Fellow Traveller
In this post we have given the summary of the chapter “A Fellow Traveller”. It is the 2nd chapter of the prose of Class 12th Up board English.
written by: – A G Gardiner
About the Author: –
distinguished journalist and an eminent essay writer, born in 1865. Worked in London for 17 years in “The Daily News” as a journalist. Wrote many essays under “Alpha of the Plough”, his important works are priest and kings, pebbles on the shore and leaves in wind. Dead in 1946 but remembered for his unique writings.
About the lesson: –
This chapter is selected from “Leaves in Wind” personal specimen essay. Author described his feeling of affection for a mosquito and regarding him as a fellow traveller and fellow mortal.
About the Chapter: –
Begins with the narrator who was travelling in a stopping train from London to Midland town. Train left outer ring of London, about to empty, narrator and one more person left in the carriage. Narrator thought he is alone in the carriage but he didn’t see others traveller. He was happy to think to be alone in carriage in night. He was thinking that no one can see him. Talk as loud as he wanted, stand up on his head, win imaginary fights, sing, dance, practice of golf stroke or play marbles on the floor without hindrance. Break regulations of D.O.R.A and nobody would know about it. When last human traveller had alighted the train, he stretched himself, walked in carriage, looked out of the windows and sat down back again, started to read his paper. Then a mosquito disturbed him. He came, sat on his nose then bite his neck. Narrator flicked him off but the mosquito disturbing him. He sat, narrator thought to kill mosquito for having annoyed a stranger. “Justice demands and the court awards it. when he tried to kill mosquito, the mosquito escaped the attack swiftly. It insults to the narrator, lunged at him with his hand with his paper. He jumped to kill mosquito; he was thinking to make fool of mosquito. He realised that he could not kill mosquito, Challenging mosquito, he accepted his defeat. He came back to his paper, mosquito sat on the paper. He thought he could kill it but he wanted to be true to his word and expressed the desire of bonding with the fellow traveller, relaised the value. Both were not sure about their journeys, both were mortals and have limited life-span, both were just like apparitions- at once here and next there- coming out in the night, living life as it comes. The porter come and told; it was the narrator’s station. The narrator alighted the carriage and saw the mosquito fluttering round the lamp.
