LAQ from Nobel Lecture

 LAQ from Nobel Lecture 

1.Why did Mother Teresa say that poor people are great people? 

Or, 

In what ways does Mother Teresa appeal to the emotions of her audience? What stories does she share of her encounters with the poor in Kolkata? [1+5 = 6]

Or, “The poor are very wonderful people.” How does Mother Teresa establish this idea in her Nobel Lecture.

 Or,

“And she died with a smile on her face.” – What is the incident indicated herein?

Ans. In her Nobel Lecture, Mother Teresa appealed to the emotions of her audience by referring to the misery and wretchedness of human beings that she encountered while she was in Kolkata.

She gave an account that once in Kolkata , Mother and her sisters picked up four people from the streets. One of them was in a far more critical condition. Thus, Mother gave responsibility of the others in the hands of her sisters and had decided to nurse the fourth one herself. With utmost care she gave her best possible efforts to nurse the lady who was in critical condition. At last, the lady died, holding the hands of the Mother with a beautiful smile on her face, saying “Thank you”. Mother was touched with this encounter as the lady died without a single certain complaint of hunger, poverty or misery. As if she was content that at least she was taken care of in her last moments. 

Mother then cited another similar incident of a man who was brought to home by Mother and her co workers from the drain, half eaten by worms. He too seemed content with the care and love he was given. He said that he had been living on the street like an animal but he was about to die like an angel, loved and cared for. This gratitude made Mother feel overwhelmed.

In this regard, Mother also brought the reference of the empathetic Hindu Mother who shared the rice with the Muslim family as both the families were suffering from the pain of hunger. 

All these experiences made a lasting effect on her mind since nobody was complaining for another or cursed anybody or had any sort of grievances. They all had surrendered to the will of God and felt content with what they were given. Thus, she remarked that “the poor are very wonderful people.”

2. I had the most extraordinary experience with a Hindu family …” – What is the most extraordinary experience of the Mother?

Or, 

What story of neighbourly love does Mother Teresa narrate in her speech?

Ans. Mother Teresa, while discussing the quintessential goodness in human nature in her Nobel Lecture, brought out a reference of a Hindu family. She came to know from a certain gentleman that a Hindu family consisting of eight children are starving for a long period of time. Thus, she went to their home along with some rice. On reaching there, she could clearly see the pangs of hunger and scarcity in the eyes of the children. The mother of the children then kept some rice for her family and went away with the rest to a neighbouring house. When Mother Teresa asked her where she had been, the mother of those eight children replied that she went to give the rice to a Muslim family who too were starving for a significant period of time. This overwhelming gesture of sharing and neighbourly love made Mother deeply moved. Hence, she exemplified this incident to give the message that to love one’s neighbour is equivalent to one’s love for God.

3. “… I feel the greatest destroyer of peace today is abortion.” – Discuss.

  Or,

“And this is what is the greatest destroyer of peace today.” – Explain.

 Or,

Why does Mother Teresa think ‘abortion’ to the greatest destroyer of peace? How does Mother appeal to fight abortion? [3+3=6]

Ans. In her Nobel Lecture, Mother Teresa vehemently opposed abortion and regarded it as the greatest destroyer of peace. She considered a child as a gift from God and by aborting him/ her one declares a war against the will of God. A mother is always conceived to be the safest place for a child. If a mother deliberately wishes to end the child’s life then there is hardly any place left for love and peace. Therefore, this act of abortion is no less than a homicide as it ends the prospect of a life. 

To fight this evil of abortion Mother Teresa came up with two solutions —- one is proper family planning so that any child must not be unwanted, another is to give the child to her. She counselled the virgin mothers to shun their shame and come forward to her. She assured them of all help and homes for their unwanted children through adoption and other possible means. At least, she would provide shelter and a loving roof over the head of these unwanted children.

4. Narrate the experience Mother Teresa had when there was great difficulty in getting sugar. [6]

Ans. In her Nobel Lecture, Mother Teresa narrated an overwhelming experience of sacrifice for a greater cause of humanity by an innocent boy. She narrated as once there was a scarcity of sugar in Calcutta. A little boy, therefore, told his parents that he would not eat sugar for three days as he wanted to collect the sugar and give it to Mother for her children. After three days when his parents brought him to the home of Mother Teresa. They had not met before and the boy could not pronounce her name properly but he knew clearly what he had come to do. He had come to spread his love for the poor children of home with his kind act of sharing. This is, indeed, a great message of humanity that the boy gave.

5. Narrate in your own words the experience of Mother Teresa in an old age home. [6]

Ans. In her Nobel Lecture Mother Teresa had deliberately pointed out the different aspects of humanity and where we should sensitise ourselves a little more. She narrated about her once visit to an old age home. What she noticed there was that despite being provided with all the necessary amenities and commodities for a comfortable living, there was no smile on the face of the inhabitants. Their eyes were looking towards the door, constantly in search of something. This made mother surprised and she asked her fellow sister the reason for their agony. The sister answered that they were waiting for their sons and daughters to come and visit them. But, unfortunately, it never happened as they were forgotten by their near and dear ones. They were hurt and thus not smiling.

6. Bring out Mother’s observation on drug-addiction particularly in the West. [6]

Ans. Mother Teresa in her Nobel Lecture discussed all the grave issues of the modern world including abortion, poverty, hunger, the problematic relationship of parent and child which blocks the progress of society. In this regard, she pointed out how the feeling of loneliness and a desperate want of love and affection leads the younger generation to drug-addiction. According to her, the parents in the modern world are so absorbed in their occupation that they hardly manage time for their children to spend with. Consequently, children are growing without the sufficient care and love from their parents. Instead, the parents are trying to feel the vacuum with material comforts and inessential luxuries. But that touch of affection remains missing. This leads the younger people to drug addiction and on a larger scale affects the overall wellness of the society. Therefore, she suggested the best possible solution to combat the situation is better family understanding and mutual care and love.