From the poem provide evidence for the following: (a) the attempts by the peasants to help alleviate the mother’s pain (b) the action of these same peasants to kill the scorpion (c) the reaction of the rational father (d) the various superstitions ve…

Question

From the poem provide evidence for the following: (a) the attempts by the peasants to help alleviate the mother’s pain (b) the action of these same peasants to kill the scorpion (c) the reaction of the rational father (d) the various superstitions versus the ‘scientific’ (e) evil versus good.

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StagesEvidence (a) Attempts by peasants to alleviate the painThey buzzed the name of God a hundred times and prayed that the poison would purify her; they sat around her on the floor. (b) Action to kill the scorpionThey searched for him with candles and lanterns, but he was not found. (c) Reaction of the rational fatherThough a sceptic and rationalist, he tried every curse and blessing, powder, mixture, herb and hybrid, and even poured paraffin on the bitten toe and lit it. (d) Superstitions versus the ‘scientific’Superstition: the poison moves in her blood with every movement of the scorpion; the holy man’s incantation. Scientific: the father’s powder, mixture, herb and the paraffin. (e) Evil versus goodThe peasants prayed that the sum of evil, balanced against the sum of good in this unreal world, be diminished by her pain.

From the poem provide evidence for the following: (a) the attempts by the peasants to help alleviate the mother’s pain (b) the action of these same peasants to kill the scorpion (c) the reaction of the rational father (d) the various superstitions ve…

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Stages	Evidence
(a) Attempts by peasants to alleviate the pain	They buzzed the name of God a hundred times and prayed that the poison would purify her; they sat around her on the floor.
(b) Action to kill the scorpion	They searched for him with candles and lanterns, but he was not found.
(c) Reaction of the rational father	Though a sceptic and rationalist, he tried every curse and blessing, powder, mixture, herb and hybrid, and even poured paraffin on the bitten toe and lit it.
(d) Superstitions versus the ‘scientific’	Superstition: the poison moves in her blood with every movement of the scorpion; the holy man’s incantation. Scientific: the father’s powder, mixture, herb and the paraffin.
(e) Evil versus good	The peasants prayed that the sum of evil, balanced against the sum of good in this unreal world, be diminished by her pain.