Internal Evaluation_English_BA I (Sem. I)

सूचना

·       DSC इंग्रजी या विषयाच्या अंतर्गत मूल्यमापनासाठी एकूण ४० गुण असतील.

·       AEC/SEC इंग्रजी या विषयाच्या अंतर्गत मूल्यमापनासाठी एकूण २० गुण असतील.

·       १०/२० गुणांच्या एकूण चार टेस्ट तुम्हाला महाविद्यालयाकडे जमा करायच्या आहेत.

·       पैकी ०३ टेस्टसाठीचे प्रश्न सोबत दिले आहेत. त्याची उत्तरे तुम्ही टायटल पेज सोबत दिलेल्या कागदाची प्रिंट काढून त्यावरतीच लिहायची आहेत.

·       टेस्ट लिहिण्यासाठी प्रोजेक्ट पेपर/आखीव ताव अथवा अन्य कागद वापरू नका. फॉरमॅटमध्ये दिलेल्या कागदाचा वापर करा.

·       टेस्ट क्र. ०३ ही क्विझ असेल. त्यासाठी स्वतंत्र प्रश्नपत्रिका दिलेली आहे. टायटल पेजसहित त्याची प्रिंट काढावी. आपली उत्तरे सोबतच्या चौकोनात लिहावीत.

·       आपल्या चार टेस्टचे चार निरनिराळे संच आपल्या विषय शिक्षकांकडे जमा करावेत.

·       टेस्ट जमा करण्याची तारीख : १० ऑक्टोबर २०२५ ते १५ ऑक्टोबर २०२५ (वेळ : सकाळी १०.३० ते ११.३०) 

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             Shri Radhanagari Taluka Shikshan Prasark Mandal’s

RADHANAGARI MAHAVIDYALAYA, RADHANAGARI

(Affiliated to Shivaji University, Kolhapur)

INTERNAL EVALUATION, WINTER EXAM 2025-26

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                                                        Class: BA Part I                                                            Semester: I

Nature of Internal Evaluation: ________________________

(Home Assignment/Class Assignment/Quiz/Midterm Test)

Subject: ENGLISH                                                            Course Code: ______

Paper No.: _____

Course Title: ______________________________________________________

Sl. No.	Student’s Name	PRN	Mobile Number	Signature

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For Office Use only

Name of Examiner
Examiner’s Signature
Marks Obtained/Out of

 

 

 

BA Part I_AEC (ENGLISH)

Test 01: Home Assignment (O5 Marks)

Q.1. Explain any one of the following word-formation processes with suitable examples:

a) Affixation

b) Blending

Test 02: Class Assignment (O5 Marks)

Q.1. Write a short note (Any one)

a) Simple Present Tense with examples

b) Types of Sentences (Declarative, Interrogative, Imperative, Exclamatory)

Test 03: Quiz (O5 Marks)

Choose the correct answers in the following questions.

Q.1. Which of the following is…….a compound word?

a) exam                                              b) laptop

c) pre-war                                          d) smile

Q.2. Which tense is used in the sentence: She has completed her homework.

a) Present Perfect                                    b) Past Perfect

c) Simple Past                                         d) Present Continuous

Q.3. Which of the following is ……..a phrasal verb?

a) run                                        b) put out

c) happy                                    d) smile

Q.4. Identify the type of sentence: What a pleasant day it is!

a) Declarative                                        b) Imperative

c) Interrogative                                     d) Exclamatory

Q.5. Which suffix in the word childhood is an example of…….

a) Prefix                                              b) Inflectional suffix

c) Derivational suffix                         d) Compound

Test 04: Midterm (O5 Marks)

Q. 1 Write the answer to the following question in 100 - 200 words.

Discuss the synonyms and antonyms with suitable examples.

BA Part I_SEC (ENGLISH)

Test 01: Home Assignment (O5 Marks)

Q.1 Briefly explain the Elements of a Good Conversation and the role of Non-Verbal Communication in conversation.

Test 02: Class Assignment (O5 Marks)

Q.1 Write a short note (Any One)

1) Blog Writing

2) Email Writing

Test 03: QUIZ (O5 MARKS)

1.What is ……….considered the primary component of effective conversation?

a) Speaking loudly                                 b) Active listening

c) Interrupting often                              d) Using jargon.

2.Which of the following is a…………. key element of non-verbal communication?

a) Writing an email                              b) Speaking assertively

c) Making eye contact                         d) Drafting a report.

3. In the context of writing, …………are strong writing skills considered foundational?

a) They are only useful in academic contexts

b) They help in avoiding digital communication

c) They are essential for effective communication and critical thinking

d) They replace the need for speaking skills.

4. In a formal letter or email,…………is the main purpose of the Subject line?

a) To provide a long summary of the letter

 b) To act as a greeting

c) To be written concisely and state the letter's purpose

d) To list all the recipients.

5. When using digital resources like the Grammarly app for spoken English, what is a key benefit?

a) It eliminates the need to speak

b) It provides real-time feedback on grammar and spelling

c) It automatically translates all sentences

d) It only checks punctuation.

Test 04: MIDTERM (O5 MARKS)

Q. 1 Write the answer to the following question in 100 - 200 words.

Define Situational Conversation (with a professional example) and describe the structure and significance of Diary Writing.

BA Part I_DSC (ENGLISH)

Test 01: Home Assignment

Marks 10

Q. 1 Explain the elements of Short Story as a form of literature.

OR

Q. 2 Discuss the characteristic features of Short Story as a form of literature.

 

Test No. 02: Class Assignment (Module II)

Marks 10

Q. 1 Write short notes (Any two)

1. Hughie Erskine.

2. End of story ‘Model Millionaire’

3. A beggar from the story ‘Model Millionaire’

4. Ending of the story ‘A woman on the Roof’

Test 03: QUIZ

1. _____ is a main character in the story 'The Serpent Lover'.
A.Kusum	B. Kamakshi
C. Kamala	D. Kavya
2. An old woman gives _____ to Kamakshi.
A. love medicine	B. magical powder
C. magical capsules	D. magical ring
3. The story 'The Serpent Lover' is taken from the collection _____.
A. ‘A Red Tree’	B. ‘A Banyan Tree’
C. ‘A Flowering Tree’	D. ‘A Fire Tree’
4. Which of the following statement is correct?
A. The serpent king fall in love with the old woman.	B. The serpent king was seven hooded.
C. The serpent king stung Kamakshi in the Shiv temple.	D.  The serpent king was the father of Kamakshi's baby.
5. “I will give you some love medicine”, said _____.
A. Kamakshi	B. serpent
C. the old woman	D. Kamakshi’s husband
6. Rosemary Fell is a main character from the story _____.
A. ‘A Serpent Lover’	B. ‘A Cup of Tea’
C. ‘Model Millionaire’	D. ‘A Woman on a Roof’
7. The name of the poor girl who meets Rosemary is _____.
A. Miss Jones	B. Miss Laura
C. Miss Smith	D. Miss Nell
8. Laura Merton was a daughter of _____.
A. a retired professor	B. a retired police officer
C. a retired Colonel	D. a retired post master
9. The poor girl asks Rosemary money for _____.
A. breakfast	B. a cup of tea
C. a sweater	D. a dress
10. Looking at the poor girl, Philip remarks that _____.
A. she is astonishingly pretty	B. she is very poor
C. she is absolutely rude	D. she is exceedingly innocent

 

Test 04: Midterm Test (All Modules)

Marks 10

Q. 1 A) Discuss the character of Rosemary Fell.                                                       (Marks 06)

OR

Q. 1 B) Discuss the plot of the story ‘The Serpent Lover’.                                        (Marks 06)

Q. 2 Write short note. (Any 01)                                                                                 (Marks 04)

A) Nouns

B) Verbs

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Dark Lady of Sonnets

 e-Content developed by Prof. (Dr) Nitin Jaranidkar

जॉर्ज बर्नार्ड शॉ हा विसाव्या शतकातील एक महत्वाचा नाटककार आहे. समाजातील अनिष्ट रूढींवर आपल्या खुसखुशीत, विनोदी शैलीतून त्याने जोरदार आसूड ओढले आहेत. ‘द डार्क लेडी ऑफ सॉनेट्स’ या एकांकीकेतून त्याने सरकारने नाटकाला बळ पुरवण्यासाठी एका राष्ट्रीय संस्थेची स्थापना करणे कसे गरजेचे आहे, हे मांडण्याचा प्रयत्न केलेला आहे.

विल्यम शेक्सपिअर हा एक जगद्विख्यात नाटककार आहे. ज्या काळात त्याने नाटके लिहिली, त्या काळात इंग्लंडवर एलिझाबेथ राणीचे राज्य होते. राणीने शेक्सपिअरला राजाश्रय दिला होता. नाटकांप्रमाणेच शेक्सपिअरने कवितादेखील लिहिल्या आहेत. सॉनेट प्रकारात लिहिलेल्या त्याच्या कविता अत्यंत गाजल्या आहेत. या कविता त्याने एका ‘डार्क लेडी’ला उद्देशून लिहिल्या आहेत. या कवितांमधून त्याने डार्क लेडीच्या सौंदर्याचे अनोखे वर्णन केले आहे. ‘द डार्क लेडी ऑफ सॉनेट्स’ या एकांकिकेमध्ये शेक्सपिअर, राणी एलिझाबेथ आणि डार्क लेडी हे एकमेकांना प्रत्यक्षात भेटतात, अशी कल्पना शॉने केलेली आहे.

एकांकीकेमध्ये सुरुवातीला शेक्सपिअर राजवाड्याबाहेर उभा असलेला दिसतो. तो आपल्या डार्क लेडीला भेटण्यासाठी आला आहे. परंतु प्रवेशद्वारावर सेवक त्याला अडवतो. सेवकाला थोडी लाच दिल्यावर तो त्याला तिथे थांबू देण्याची परवनागी देतो. दरम्यान तिथे एक स्त्री येते. ती झोपेत चालत आलेली असते. तिचे सौंदर्य आणि भाषा यामुळे शेक्सपिअर मोहित होतो आणि तिची प्रशंसा करत सुटतो. झोपेतून जागी झालेली स्त्री शेक्सपिअरच्या वर्तनावरून त्याच्यावर डाफरते. एवढ्यात तिथे डार्क लेडी येते. शेक्सपिअरचे वर्तन पाहून तिच्या मनात असूया निर्माण होते आणि ती त्या स्त्रीच्या अंगावर धावून जाते. त्यावेळी तिला ती स्त्री म्हणजे प्रत्यक्ष राणी एलिझाबेथ कळून चुकते. गोंधळलेली डार्क लेडी राणीची माफी मागते. शेक्सपिअर तिला टोमणे मारतो. राणी डार्क लेडीला माफ करते. डार्क लेडी स्टेजवरून निघून जाते.

राणीला शेक्सपिअरची ओळख पटते. ती त्यालाही माफ करते. शेक्सपिअर तिच्याकडून एक वरदान मागतो. तो तिला राष्ट्रीय नाट्यसंस्था स्थापन करण्याची विनंती करतो. राणी त्याला याचे कारण विचारते. यावेळी नाटक प्रकार जिवंत राहण्यासाठी सरकारच्या मदतीची कशी गरज आहे, याचे महत्व शेक्सपिअर राणीला सांगतो. तथापि, नाटकापेक्षा इंग्लंडसमोर कित्येक महत्त्वाचे विषय असल्याचे राणी त्याला सांगते आणि अशी सरकारी संस्था स्थापन करणे शक्य नसल्याचे सांगते. दरम्यान तू तुझी नाटके सादर करत रहा, असा सल्ला ती शेक्सपिअरला देते आणि नाटक संपते.

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·         Beefeater: इंग्लंडमधील राजवाड्याबाहेर पहारा देणाऱ्या रक्षकासाठी हा शब्द वापरला जातो.

·         Shakespeare या शब्दाचे स्पेलिंग शॉ Shakespear असे करत असे.

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Q 1) Discuss the plot of ‘The Dark Lady of Sonnets’.

Introduction:

‘The Dark Lady of Sonnets’ is a one-act play written by G.B. Shaw. G.B. Shaw is one of the important modern English dramatists. Criticism of social evils, realistic presentation and witty language are the main features of his plays. The one-act play ‘The Dark Lady of Sonnets’ was written in 1910. The main aim of the play was to promote and support the idea of the national theatre. 

Background to the play: 

1. William Shakespeare is a major English dramatist. He was born in 1564 and died in 1616. During his time Queen Elizabeth ruled over England. She had given patronage to William Shakespeare.
2. William Shakespeare has written poems as well. He handled the sonnet form very skilfully. Many of his sonnets are addressed to one unknown lady. He calls her ‘the dark lady’. He celebrated her beauty through his sonnets.
3. In the one-act play, ‘The Dark Lady of Sonnets’ Shaw imagines that William Shakespeare, Queen Elizabeth and the dark lady are really meeting in the present times. 
4. In the 20th century, artists in England wanted to establish the National Theatre to promote activities related to drama. Shaw was a leading figure in this activity. To raise funds for the National Theatre, Shaw wrote this one-act play.

Plot of the one-act play:

The one-act play ‘The Dark Lady of Sonnets’ takes place outside Queen Elizabeth’s palace at Whitehall. The play takes place in the year 1600. It is nighttime. The time is 11.00 O’clock. Outside the palace, one man arrives. He is stopped by the guard. The guard asks him a reason to enter the palace. The man tells him that he wants to meet the dark lady. The guard does not recognise him. He is actually William Shakespeare. The guard does not allow him to enter the palace. William Shakespeare tries to bribe him by giving tickets of his plays. But the guard is not interested in this offer. So, Shakespeare gives him a piece of gold. Now, the guard is happy. About the dark lady, the guard informs Shakespeare that she comes there regularly to meet Pembroke (Shakespeare’s one of friends). So, Shakespeare is upset with the dark lady.

Meanwhile, there enters one lady.  Now, the guard permits William Shakespeare to speak with the lady as much time as he wants. Saying this the guard leaves the stage. The lady who comes on the stage is walking in her sleep. Shakespeare is attracted by the beauty of this lady. She goes on speaking very poetically. When Shakespeare tries to speak with her, she wakes up from her sleep. She scolds Shakespeare about his language and behaviour. Shakespeare goes on praising her beauty. At that time, the dark lady arrives. She becomes jealous of the other lady. She quarrels with them and tries to hit the other lady. But then she realises that the other lady is none other than the queen herself. The dark lady feels very much embarrassed. Shakespeare goes on praising the queen, and criticising the dark lady. The dark lady asks forgiveness from Queen Elizabeth, and the queen asks her to leave.

Now Queen Elizabeth too realises the real identity of William Shakespeare. She forgives Shakespeare’s ignorance. Shakespeare tells her that she is his inspiration and asks one boon from her. He asks her to start the National Theatre so that there should be royal support for this art. People who are engaged in this profession find it difficult to survive this art without support and money. Here, Shakespeare explains the need for the National Theatre. But the queen does not give her approval for the National Theatre. According to her, there are many important issues to be solved than the issue of theatre. Besides this she warns Shakespeare that one day you and I will be forgotten. But Shakespeare replies not to worry about it as at least his works will remain forever. Queen Elizabeth doesn’t take it seriously, and asks Shakespeare to continue to perform his plays meanwhile. She leaves the stage and the play ends.     

 

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Sandbox (II)

e-Content developed by Prof. (Dr) N A Jarandikar

Q. 1) Write a short note on Grandma:

Grandma is the central character in Edward Albee’s The Sandbox. She is an old woman. She is a lively, witty character. Mommy is her daughter and Daddy is her son-in-law who bring Grandma to the beach and place in a sandbox, waiting for her death. 

Grandma speaks directly to the audience. From her dialogues, a light is thrown on her past life. She had been married to a farmer at the age of seventeen. The husband died at the age of thirty. Then she brought up her daughter. Now Grandma is 86 years old and her daughter is married. Her daughter and son-in-law have taken her land, and all of them have shifted to another town. In this new place, Grandma is given a separate place, one army blanket and one dish. 

Family relations and the issue of elderly people remain at the centre of the play. From the dialogues of Grandma, it becomes clear that she had brought up her daughter single-handedly. So she is a capable woman. But as she grows old, she becomes a burden to the family. Her own daughter does not want to take her responsibility.

Grandma, though she is growing old, she expects dignity from her family and society. However, her daughter and son-in-law keep her in a sandbox on the seashore and wait for her death. The whole episode is humiliating (अपमानास्पद) for Grandma. In her past, she had been a fighting woman and had brought up her daughter single-handedly. But she becomes helpless before the age. 

Thus Grandma represents wisdom, honesty, and human dignity. Through her sharp comments and jokes, she exposes the shallowness and cruelty of modern family life. Grandma also symbolizes the old values of love, warmth, and truth, which are being neglected in the modern world. Her dignity in the face of death contrasts with the emptiness of the Young Man (symbol of Death) and the insensitivity of Mommy and Daddy.

Thus, Grandma becomes the voice of truth in the play, reminding the audience about respect for the elderly, the reality of death, and the absurdity of modern family relationships.

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Q. 2) Write a short note on Mommy.

Mommy is one of the central characters in Albee’s one-act play, ‘The Sandbox’. She is the daughter of Grandma. She is 55 years old. Daddy is her husband. 

Mommy is a practical and insensitive kind of person. After her marriage, she grabs Grandma’s land, and shifts her to a separate room. She offers Grandma a blanket and a separate dish. Realising her mother is going to be a burden on her, she decides to leave her on a seashore in the sandbox.

She is a dominating kind of person. She does not take into consideration her husband’s opinion. So her husband always would say, “ Whatever you say, Mommy.” Daddy remains passive and obedient to her. She commands the musician too. She tells him when to play and when to stop the music.

Mommy symbolizes the harsh, practical side of modern middle-class society. She has no respect for the elderly and shows no genuine emotions. Through Mommy, Albee criticizes the cruelty and selfishness of modern family life, where appearances and control are valued more than love and compassion.

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Q. 3) Write a short note on the Young Man.

The Young Man is a symbolic character in Albee’s one-act play ‘The Sandbox’. He is described as handsome, well-built, and attractive. But he openly declares that he feels nothing inside—no joy, no sorrow, no love.

The Young Man is seen throughout the play. He is seen doing calisthenics. At first, he seems like an ordinary character who is observing the act of Mommy and Daddy. Mommy and Daddy too assume him just as an onlooker. 

In the later part of the one-act play, the Young Man comes into action. Grandma talks with him. It is only towards the end of the play, the Young Man explains Grandma, “I am the Angel of Death. I am come for you.” The Young Man kisses on the forehead of Grandma, and she dies.

Thus the Young Man represents Death in the play. When he appears near the sandbox, it is a sign that Grandma’s end is near. His beauty but emptiness also make him a symbol of the American Dream—charming on the outside, but hollow within.

Like Mommy, the Young Man does not act cruelly.  Rather, he performs his role quietly, showing death as natural and inevitable. By presenting him as attractive but emotionless, Albee highlights the emptiness of modern values and the certainty of mortality.

 

Sandbox (I)

एडवर्ड अल्बी हा एक अमेरिकन नाटककार आहे. विसाव्या शतकातील महत्त्वाच्या नाटककारांमध्ये त्याचे नाव घेतले जाते. 

‘द सँडबॉक्स’ ही १९५९ साली लिहिलेली एकांकिका आहे. मॉमी (आई), डॅडी (बाबा), ग्रँडमा (आज्जी), यंग मॅन (तरुण युवक) आणि म्युझिशिअन (संगीतकार) अशी पाच पात्रे या एकांकीकेमध्ये आहेत. ग्रँडमा ८५ वर्षाची आहे. मॉमी ही तिची मुलगी आहे. ती ५५ वर्षांची आहे. तिचा नवरा (डॅडी) ६० वर्षांचा आहे. वयाच्या तिसाव्या वर्षी ग्रँडमाच्या नवऱ्याचे निधन होते. त्याच्या पश्चात ती आपल्या मुलीला वाढवते आणि पुढे तिचे लग्न लावून देते. लग्नानंतर मुलगी-जावई ग्रँडमाची जमीन विकतात व तिला घेऊन दुसऱ्या गावी येतात. तिथे ग्रँडमाला अडगळीत टाकले जाते. 

एकांकीकेमध्ये सुरुवातीला मॉमी आणि डॅडी ग्रँडमाला एका समुद्रकिनाऱ्यावर आणतात आणि एका वाळूच्या बॉक्समध्ये (बॅरल) ठेवतात. मग ती दोघे बाजूला जाऊन वाट पहात बसतात. ते कशाची वाट पहात आहेत याचा उलगडा सर्वात शेवटी होतो. एक तरुण युवक हा सगळा प्रकार बघतो आहे.

 सुरुवातीला असंबद्ध बोलणारी ग्रँडमा आपला सगळा भूतकाळ प्रेक्षकांना सांगते. एवढ्यात मॉमी आणि डॅडी यांना प्रचंड मोठा गडगडाट झाल्यासारखा आवाज ऐकू येतो. ‘ती’ वेळ जवळ आली असल्याचे मॉमी डॅडींना सांगते. मॉमी आपल्याला हे सहन होत नसल्याचे सांगते. पण मग येणाऱ्या भविष्यासाठी आपण सावरले पाहिजे, असे सांगत स्वतःचे सांत्वन करते. मॉमी आणि डॅडी निघून जातात. ग्रँडमा आपल्याला बिलकुल हालचाल करता येत नसल्याचे तरुण युवकाला सांगते. युवक स्मितहास्य करत तिच्या जवळ येतो. तो तिला आपण मृत्याचा दूत असल्याचे आणि तिला नेण्यासाठी आल्याचे सांगतो. स्टेजवरचा संगीतकार संगीत वाजवत राहतो आणि नाटक संपते.

अशा प्रकारे या नाटकाद्वारे अल्बी कुटुंबव्यवस्थेतील ताणतणाव, वार्धक्य आणि सन्मान, माणसाची दांभिकता, जीवनचक्र यावरती भाष्य करताना दिसतो.  

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Q. 1) Discuss the plot of one-act play ‘The Sandbox’.

     

Edward Albee: 

Edward Albee is an American playwright. He is an important playwright of the 20th century. His works are considered as the serious examination of the modern world. He is regarded as the practitioner of the theater of the Absurd. Theater of the Absurd is a major 20th century movement. It rejected conventional plot development. Edward Albee received the prestigious Pulitzer prize three times for his plays. ‘The Zoo Story’ and ‘Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf’ are his major works.

‘The Sandbox’: 

‘The Sandbox’ is a one-act play written by Edward Albee in 1959. ‘A Brief Play, in Memory of My Grandmother’ is a subtitle (उपशीर्षक) of this play. The play powerfully handles the family tensions between two generations. Albee has not assigned any particular names to the characters. That makes the play universal (वैश्विक). The play revolves around a grandmother, her daughter and son-in-law. The daughter and the son-in-law leaving the grandmother lonely to wait for her death is the main event in the play.

Characters in the play: 

There are five characters in the play:

1. Mommy

2. Daddy

3. Grandma

4. The young man and

5. The musician

Grandma is 86 years old. She is thin and weak. She had been married to a farmer. She was seventeen years old when her marriage took place. Her husband died when she was thirty years old. After the husband’s death she brought up her daughter and in due course of time she married her daughter.

Mommy is the daughter of Grandma. She is 55 years old. She is married to a person whom she calls Daddy. Daddy is 60 years old. From Grandma, we come to know that Mommy and Daddy have taken off her land. In the house, they have kept her in a separate room. They have given her an army blanket and one dish to eat. In short, the relationship between Grandma and Mommy is not good.

The young man is seen throughout the play present on the stage. He is seen as doing some exercise. By the end of the play, it becomes clear that he is the Angel of Death. He is there to take Grandma with him. The musician is seen playing one instrument on the stage. No specific instrument is mentioned. There is no dialogue to the musician. He creates the mood and tempo on the stage.

Setting of the play: 

The play takes place at one seashore (समुद्रकिनारा). The name of the city or place is not mentioned. The play begins in broad daylight followed by night time and again daylight.

Plot of the play: 

The play begins with the arrival of Mommy and Daddy on the stage. Mommy informs Daddy about their arrival at the beach (समुद्रकिनारा). Daddy is feeling cold. Mommy makes his fun. According to her, it’s warm there and she shows him one young man doing exercise. She waves in his direction and he responds too. Mommy asks Daddy if the place is suitable for the mother, and Daddy replies it’s your mother, so you take the decision. She sharply makes it clear that it is she who takes all the decisions. So she finalises the place for her mother. With the help of her husband she brings her mother (Grandma) on the stage. Grandma is making some nonsense comments. Mommy and Daddy place Grandma in the sandbox. After that they stay aside and go on observing Grandma. Daddy is impatient, but Mommy asks him repeatedly to wait. Meanwhile, the musician is playing his instrument.

Then Grandma starts to talk with the young man and the audience. She asks the musician angrily to stop the music. From her dialogues, a light is thrown on her past life. She had been married to a farmer at the age of seventeen. The husband died at the age of thirty. Then she brought up her daughter. Now Grandma is 86 years old and her daughter is married. Her daughter and son-in-law have taken her land, and all of them have shifted to another town. In this new place, Grandma is given a separate place, one army blanket and one dish. While talking she is throwing sand away from the sandbox. Meanwhile, the nighttime arrives. 

All of a sudden, Mommy and Daddy listen to a thunder-like rumbling sound (वीज कोसळल्यासारखा गडगडाटी आवाज). Daddy asks her about it, and she says, “It means the time has come for poor Grandma”. She tells Daddy that she can’t bear this moment. She cries for Grandma, and there’s darkness on the stage. Then once again light comes on the stage, Daddy says its daytime. Mommy consoles herself (स्वतःचे सांत्वन करणे) saying, “We must put away our tears, take off our mourning (शोक).. and face the future. It's our duty.” They exit from the stage. Grandma looks in the direction of the young man. She tells him, “I can’t move”, and the young man replies, “I am the Angel of Death.  I am come for you.” Grandma closes her eyes and the musician continues to play. With that the play ends.

Thus everything becomes clear at the end of the play. Mommy and Daddy do not want to take Grandma’s responsibility. They are waiting for her death. They bring her to the seashore and put in a sandbox to die. The young man standing there right from the beginning is actually the Angel of Death, and he is there to take away Grandma. So with the death of Grandma, the play ends. 

Themes of the play:

The tone of the play is dark and serious. But Edward Albee presents it in a very humorous way (विनोदी शैली). Till the last moment of the play, it is not clear why Mommy and Daddy put Grandma in the sandbox, and they are waiting for what. 

Family relations and the issue of elderly people remain at the centre of the play. From the dialogues of Grandma, it becomes clear that she had brought up her daughter single-handedly. So she is a capable woman. But as she grows old, she becomes a burden to the family. Her own daughter does not want to take her responsibility. Albee exposes her hypocrisy (दांभिकपणा) when she feels sorry for her mother in the end and consoles herself that she must face the future. 

The issue of aging and dignity (वार्धक्य आणि सन्मान) is another theme of the play. Grandma, though she is growing old, she expects dignity from her family and society. However, her daughter and son-in-law keep her in a sandbox on the seashore and wait for her death. The whole episode is humiliating (अपमानास्पद) for Grandma. In her past, she had been a fighting woman and had brought up her daughter single-handedly. But she becomes helpless before the age. 

Cycle of life is one more theme of the play. Grandma is 86 years old and her daughter is 55 years old. That means the daughter too is approaching her old age. So aging is a very natural process. Albee considers it as the natural cycle and presents it in a technical way. The play begins with daylight; with the arrival of the Angel of Death, there comes nighttime; and after the death of Grandma, there arrives daylight once again. Mommy consoles herself saying, “ We must put away our tears, take off our mourning.. and face the future. It's our duty.”  

Elderly people face so many social and familial problems. In the present day, the situation is worsening. So Albee’s play is relevant (सयुक्तिक) even today.