Question

Analyse the lesson 'Lost Spring' and the poem 'A Roadside Stand' with reference to social inequality and the indifferent attitude of society. (Lost Spring and A Roadside Stand)

Hint:

Combine narrative and poetic analysis to show how both forms reveal similar truths about social injustice.

Answer 1

Both Lost Spring and A Roadside Stand highlight deep-rooted social inequality and society's apathy toward the marginalized. In Lost Spring, Anees Jung narrates stories of children like Saheb and Mukesh, who are trapped in poverty and forced into child labour. Despite their dreams, systemic neglect keeps them deprived of education and dignity. The cycle of exploitation continues as their potential is lost to harsh economic realities and the indifference of those in power. Similarly, in A Roadside Stand, Robert Frost expresses sympathy for rural dwellers who try to earn an honest living. Yet, the city people ignore them, offering neither help nor empathy. Their efforts go unnoticed, and promises of development are empty. Frost captures their silent suffering, frustration, and longing for a better life. Both texts critique a world where the privileged remain indifferent to the suffering of the poor. They urge the reader to acknowledge social injustice and reflect on the gap between the haves and the have-nots, portraying inequality not just as economic, but as a moral failure of society. These works compel us to introspect, recognize our role in sustaining such inequality, and work towards a more inclusive and humane social order.