Notes For All Chapters – English Class 7
The poem “Double Standards” highlights the unfair behavior of grown-ups towards children. It describes how grown-ups judge the same actions differently when done by a child and themselves. The child in the poem feels hurt and confused by this unequal treatment.
Key Themes:
- Unfair Judgments: The grown-ups criticize the child’s actions but justify their own similar actions.
- Double Standards: The poem shows how grown-ups have one set of rules for themselves and another for children.
- Child’s Perspective: The child questions why grown-ups cannot be fair and why they spoil a child’s happiness.
Important Situations in the Poem:
1. Waking Up Late:
- The child is called lazy for waking up late.
- The grown-up blames the alarm when they wake up late.
2. Saying ‘No’:
- The child is called stubborn for saying ‘No’.
- The grown-up is called firm for doing the same.
3. Raising Voice:
- The child’s raised voice is considered shocking and rude.
- The grown-up’s raised voice is seen as teaching good behavior.
4. Breaking Something:
- The child is called clumsy and careless.
- The grown-up says it slipped and they were helpless.
5. Making Mistakes:
- The child’s mistake is labeled as a terror.
- The grown-up’s mistake is forgiven as a small error.
6. Quarreling:
- The child is considered wild and naughty for quarreling with a friend.
- The grown-up defends their quarrel with a neighbor as fulfilling a duty.
Key Words and Meanings:
- Stubborn: Refusing to change decisions, even if it’s not nice.
- Firm: Making strong decisions that don’t change.
- Clumsy: Lacking skill or neatness.
- Terror: A person who causes great trouble.
- Forgivable: A mistake that is not serious and can be excused.
- Error: A mistake.
- Delight: Joy or happiness.
Important Messages:
- Children feel unfairly treated when grown-ups judge them harshly but excuse their own actions.
- The poem encourages understanding and fairness in relationships between children and adults.
- Grown-ups should avoid double standards and treat children’s actions with kindness and equality.
Moral of the Poem: The poem teaches us to be fair and understanding. It reminds grown-ups not to judge children harshly and to acknowledge their own mistakes with humility.
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