'Strong Roots'- The Beginning of 'Wings of Fire', the Autobiography of Dr. A P J Kalam

Hello Friends...

Sure, we all are doing well... Be careful, we must stay fit and shouldn't fall ill getting our studies affected. We shall eat and drink healthy, exercise regularly, and won't avoid our domestic and social responsibilities. And whatever time we get for ourselves at the end of the day, we must study hard for most of the time, so that we learn to think... and learn. We simply cannot afford to stop thinking, for we are learners, and we are the chosen ones who got the scope to learn... 

Let's learn to think first...

Who May Participate in the Discussion

This is a discussion on the first ten paragraphs from Wings of Fire, the autobiography of Dr. A P J Kalam. Students of Class XII, WBCHSE have to study this text for their final examination. So, it is very likely that they may find this discussion helpful for them. 

However, this discussion may help any learner to develop a strategy suitable for him/herself to study an autobiography as a social as well as an individual documentary. Even those who prefer reading autobiographies for leisure may find this platform suitable to share and discuss their own views of what they read with others.

Learning Objectives

Before we start reading the text, we are required to keep in mind that it is a text written by an Indian author in English. 

Hence, we will look forward to learn to identify some features which maybe typical to Indian authors writing in English as we study the text closely.

Apart from the usual linguistic objectives of consolidating our intensive reading skills along with grammar and vocabulary, we may also choose to use this particular text to learn how to attempt a cross-cultural study-

Here in this particular text, we will find the author trying to remember and evaluate his childhood experience, particularly with his father. Therefore we may choose to examine the father-son relationship closely, in reference to the time and culture it belonged to. We may further study parallel relationship in our times and cultures, if we feel interested to do so. You might find many more such interesting aspects for attempting cross-cultural studies on your own.

Title of the Text

The autobiography begins with the text we are supposed to study here. It is just the beginning of the first chapter, and goes without any tittle in the autobiography. So, the title 'Strong Roots' must have been chosen by the editors who compiled this section into your textbook for you to study. What cue do you get from this title? What may we comprehend more apart from the apparent father-son relationship from the text that we will be reading soon? 

Shall we study the structure of the title for once? We do have a noun phrase with the head-noun 'roots', and an adjective 'strong' describing the head-noun. We all definitely know the meaning of the word 'roots'. What are its possible connotations? Any idea? Let's read the text to find out if our apprehensions are correct, or not.

Strong Roots

Dr A P J Kalam

First Paragraph

I was born into a middle-class Tamil family in the island town of Rameswaram in the erstwhile Madras state. My father, Jainulabdeen, had neither much formal [institutional] education nor much wealth; despite these disadvantages, he possessed [had] great innate [natural] wisdom [understanding] and a true generosity [liberality] of spirit. He had an ideal helpmate in my mother, Ashiamma. I do not recall [remember] the exact number of people she fed everyday, but I am quite certain that far more outsiders ate  with us than all the members of our own family put together.

The Narrative

Shall we start with the narrative itself? Yes, here we do have a first person narrative, as we do commonly expect while reading an autobiography. Right? 

Born into

Maybe you are wondering why use 'into' instead of the usual 'to'. The convention is simple: '...born into a family', whereas, '...born to parents'.

'erstwhile'

Are you wondering about the meaning of the word 'erstwhile'? I am sure, at least some among you have already guessed the meaning even if you haven't come across this particular word before. Yes, it means 'former', or 'earlier'. 

Rameswaram in Madras State

During the childhood of the author, Madras was one of the 17 states/provinces that constituted the country India then. And I would like you to spot the town of Rameswaram on map if you have no idea about this island town of India. Look close into the gulf that lies between the mainland of India and Sri Lanka. If you look for information about the town on the internet, you won't be disappointed; I assure you. This township has got a lot to make you interested to visit it at least for once...

'middle-class'

There is another concept referred to in the very first sentence of the text. The term 'middle-class' is often used by us. However, we must keep this very clear in our mind that the term refers to a wide range of people belonging to widely different economic capacities. If you feel that the author intended us, his readers, to perceive the economic capacity of his family, we must not haste to conclude, but should be looking for further information from the text before we make our conclusions. 

The Characters Introduced

Who are the characters the author introduced in this first paragraph of his autobiography? Yes, they were his parents, to be sure.

The Author's Father

Have you noted the way the author introduced his father to us? How do you think he used to feel about his father from the way he introduced him to us? Would you mind studying the second sentence once again before we speak up?

The Author's Mother

How did the author portray her mother? As an ideal helpmate to his father, right? The author didn't remember the exact number of people Ashiamma used to feed everyday. But he seemed to be certain that she fed more people then they had all total in their family. Don't you find the way the author introduces his mother quite interesting? How do you feel this way of introducing his mother is different from the way he introduced his father, if you feel them to be different at all?

Feeding Outsiders

Feeding people regularly from outside the family may seem to be quiet intriguing to readers today. But it used to be quite common a practice for rich and generous families earlier in India. They used to keep provisions ready to feed guests, invited and uninvited as well, apart from their own family members regularly. Kalam's family, as he had pointed out, was not a rich family. But his father was a generous man. Don't you think Ashiamma was equally generous? In fact, Jainulabdeen had his ideal helpmate in her...

The Structure of the Second Sentence

Now that you have read the second sentence once again, I am pretty sure that you have noticed that the sentence actually consists of two distinct clauses, separated by a semicolon:

My father, Jainulabdeen, had neither much formal education nor much wealth; despite these disadvantages, he possessed great innate wisdom and a true generosity of spirit.

The first clause refers to the fact that Jainulabdeen didn't have much of formal education and wealth. The second clause points out that he had wisdom and a generous or liberal spirit. 

Have you missed the contradiction? 

Commonly, education and wealth lead us to gain wisdom and generosity. Jainulabdeen didn't have much education and wealth. Still, on the contrary, he had true wisdom and a generous spirit. His excellency lied in the fact that he could overcome those challenges in his life to attain wisdom and a liberal mind. And hence, with great respect towards this excellency of his father, the author pointed out the challenges his father had to face first, and then chooses to declare his ultimate victory in attaining wisdom and generosity, just to highlight how great was his achievement. 

Would you like to try to get the difference by restructuring the sentence by changing the order of the clauses in the sentence?-

My father, Jainulabdeen, possessed great innate wisdom and a true generosity of spirit, (though) he had neither much formal education nor much wealth.

Now, tell me if you feel the achievement of Jainulabdeen is treated the same in this sentence as in the original sentence. Do you get the difference? Would you mind reading out both the sentences aloud if you feel confused? Listen to what you read carefully...

Whenever we refer to the challenges first, and then to the achievements made in spite of the challenges, the achievements are more emphasised upon. When do you think a father's achievements grow so important to his son? Yes, only when the son has got enough respect for his father.

Neither-nor Phrases

While discussing this sentence, I would also like to remind you once again that 'neither-nor' phrases are used to refer to two objects specifically to negate both at the same time. I don't have time and reason to discuss this in details right now. I hope you do understand that I have neither time nor reason to elaborate this right here. 

Do I really have a reason, now?

Appositive Noun

Rather I would prefer to discuss how do we use noun in apposition. Such noun is also referred to as appositive noun, and is used to rename the noun phrase next to it. 

'Appositive noun, a noun next to in position, is used to redefine the noun next to it.'- Would you like to study this sentence closely to find out if we have any appositive noun used here? 

I would like you to get back to the paragraph once again before we move on to the next one for the same reason as well...

Second Paragraph

My parents were widely regarded as an ideal couple. My mother's lineage [family] was the more distinguished [honourable], one of her forebears [forefathers] having been bestowed [awarded] the title of 'Bahadur' by the British.

Passive Voice

Why do you think we have the first sentence of this paragraph written in passive voice here? 

Yes, it's simple. It's written in passive voice because who regarded the authors parents as ideal couple is not important here. Rather, the fact that his parents were widely regarded by others as an ideal couple was the author's concern.

If you are looking for a detailed discussion on how voice determines emphasis, click here.

Perfect Participle Phrase

It's quite impossible to miss the use of the perfect participle phrase '' in the second part of of the last sentence, right?-

...one of her forebears having been bestowed the title of 'Bahadur' by the British.

Perfect participle phrases are used to indicate that the action is completed before the action referred to in the main clause. Don't you remember?

'Bahadur'

This might be an interesting point to note that in this post colonial era we might not feel the title 'Bahadur' quite honourable due to its connection with the British imperialism. However, there was a time when it was indeed associated with great honour. So, the fact that Ashiamma had one of her forebears bestowed with the title 'Bahadur', obviously turns her family more distinguished than Jainulabdin's family.

Third Paragraph

I was one of many children- a short boy with rather undistinguished [ordinary] looks, born to tall and handsome [good-looking] parents. We lived in our ancestral [forefathers'] house, which was built in the middle of the 19th century. It was fairly [more or less] a large pucca [permanently structured] house, made of limestone and brick, on the Mosque Street in Rameswaram. My austere [one who has no preference for comfort or luxuries] father used to avoid all inessential comfort and luxuries. However, all necessities were provided for, in terms of food, medicine or clothing. In fact, I would say mine was a very secure childhood, materially and emotionally.

The First Sentence

How would you prefer to read the first sentence of this paragraph? Is the comment that the author, born to tall and good looking parents, was himself short and ordinary looking,- a casual one? 

Or does it sound humorous to you? 

Do you feel that this comment might also be a sad reflection on his ill luck?

The House

The family lived in their ancestral house. It was fairly large a pucca house,- does this information help you to understand the economic capacity of the family?

Would you care to find out what was used to bind the bricks together in a building (as we use cement now) during the middle of 19 century in India?

Austerity

Would you mind sharing your own views about inessential comforts and luxuries? Do you agree with Jainulabdeen here? Do you feel that the author himself agreed with his father's perspective? Do we require anything else than food, medicine, and clothing to secure our childhood materially? And when do you think a child may feel emotionally secured?

Fourth Paragraph

I normally ate with my mother, sitting on the floor of the kitchen. She would place a banana leaf before me, on which she then ladled [served with a deep spoon called ladle] rice and aromatic [flavoured] sambar, a variety of sharp [in taste], home-made pickle and a dollop [shapeless mass] of fresh coconut chutney.

The Dining Culture

Now you get a fair idea about the dining culture of common Indians that was practiced about seven to eight decades ago. Still we have many who use to eat sitting on the floor from banana or other leaves, or from plates stitched out of leaves. 

Studying Across Culture

Do you find the most commonplace typical South Indian menu agreeable to your taste? What do you normally have for your regular meals? Do you think that a cross-cultural study on the eating practices and regular diets of different people across one's country, or the globe might be interesting?

Indian Life in English

Now it's time to discuss something which might be new for most of you. This is an extract from an autobiography which has been originally written in English, but by an Indian (Tamil) author. Since it is an autobiography, it is certainly a reflection upon the Tamil way of living, and hence includes various objects and notions that are very prominent and core to Tamil [Indian] way of living, but are otherwise not included in the standard English vocabulary. The author feels free to use his own native vocabulary to refer to those objects and notions even when writing in English following the English syntax. Don't you think that words like 'samber', 'chutney', or 'pucca', or 'Bahadur' which belong to several Indian languages but do not originally to English, engage the global readers to know a bit more about Indian way of living? At the same time, don't you feel that these expressions also help an Indian reader to get the essence of communication more easily? 

Or, is it that you feel the author should have explained those words in English instead of using them while writing in English?

Whatever be your feelings, I am sure you will be looking forward to more such features as you make progress with the text...

Fifth Paragraph

The Shiva temple, which made Rameswaram so famous to pilgrims [devotees, worshippers], was about a ten-minute walk from our house. Our locality was predominantly [mostly] Muslim, but there were quite a lot of Hindu families too, living amicably [peacefully] with their Muslim neighbours. There was a very old mosque in our locality where my father would take me for evening prayers. I had not the faintest [least] idea of the meaning of the Arabic prayers chanted [sung], but I was totally convinced [sure] that they reached God. When my father came out of the mosque after the prayers, people of different religions would be sitting outside, waiting for him. many of them offered bowls of water to my father, who would dip his fingertips in them and say a prayer. This water was then carried home for invalids [sick people who could not move]. I also remember people visiting our home to offer thanks after being cured. Father always smiled and asked them to thank Allah, the merciful.

The Contemporary Social Life

This paragraph undoubtedly provides us with a glimpse of the contemporary social life at Rameswaram. Shall we examine the way the amazing social mosaic is represented here?-

The First Sentence

The first sentence is a complex sentence:

The Shiva temple, which made Rameswaram so famous to pilgrims, was about a ten-minute walk from our house.

It begins with the noun phrase 'The Shiva temple', functioning as the subject of the verb phrase 'was' in the main clause. It is followed immediately by the relative clause 'which made Rameswaram so famous to pilgrims'. The rest of the main clause comes only after the subordinate relative clause. The main clause tells us that the Shiva temple was very close (a ten-minute walk,- have you noted how the author chooses to use time to denote distance?) to the author's house. 

Why do you think that the author chose to point out the fame of the temple before conveying us the message of the main clause? Is it a way to make the unaware readers aware of the great fame of the temple? But then the author could have pointed out the fame first, and then could have pointed out the proximity between his house and the temple:

The Shiva temple made Rameswaram very famous to pilgrims and it was about a ten-minute walk from our house.

But he chose to express in the other why. Why? What is the difference between the two ways of sharing the information?

Are you clueless? Let's move on... Maybe the answer lies ahead...

The Contradiction in the Second Sentence

It is quite impossible to miss the conjunct 'but' at the beginning of the second clause in the sentence, right? When you know it well that living amicably is difficult even within a homogeneous group [have you ever had a long period without fighting among friends?], heterogeneous groups living amicably is quite a dream to achieve. Hence, the use of 'but'  is a must to highlight the contradiction contained in the statement. 

Don't you feel now that the way the first sentence is told in this paragraph, actually hints to the realisation [referred to in the very next sentence] of what we may often conclude as a remote possibility- the amicable co-existence of a heterogeneous group? That the locality around the Shiva temple,- not any common one, but the world-famous one, was predominantly Muslim, and they lived amicably with their Hindu neighbours? Don't you feel that if the first sentence was structured the other way, the significance of the Shiva Temple would have been less emphasised, and thereby, the triumph of human will to co-exist in spite of differences would also have been a lesser feat?

The Third And the Fifth Sentence

Do you now get the essence conveyed? They actually co-existed together, amicably. There was even an old mosque alongside the famous Shiva temple in close proximity. And people with different religious beliefs respected and lived for each other. Won't you consider this to be an ideal social mosaic?

Contemporary Healers

Are you not ready to believe that water charmed with prayer could actually heal people? Well, I have no intention to argue with you on this point. I myself would certainly visit a medical practitioner if I fall sick, and would not have visited a man of faith.

But, I would like you to stay aware of the fact that before the modern medicinal practices were developed and and made available to common people, in the earlier societies mostly, people used to rely on the men of faith,- like the priests, shamans, or the tribe-leaders or kings. Common people used to believe that these men of faith being the most intelligent people of the tribe, and responsible for the welfare of the community, would come up with a better healing process than they themselves could. And often [not always], the trust helped people to heal themselves psychologically, along with the special care taken by the men whom they trusted with their lives. 

You need not take my words for granted. You may yourself study what the current scientific studies say about the effect of placebo treatment.

The Fourth Sentence

Are you still bent upon the fourth sentence wondering how can one be convinced of something that he doesn't understand? 

That's why it's easy to influence people who often don't care to think at all. The author was just a child then. Don't you note the tense used by the author here? It's past tense,- he was just recounting one of his childhood belief. 

The Last Sentence

Obviously, you won't disagree that Jainulabdeen was a man without any false pride or ego, even if you are not ready to consider him a healer, right? 

Sixth Paragraph

The high priest [chief priest] of Rameswaram temple, Pakshi Lakshmana Sastry, was a very close friend of my father's. One of the most vivid [powerful] memories of my early childhood is of the two men, each in traditional attire [conventional dress], discussing spiritual matters. When I was old enough to ask questions, I asked my father about the relevance [appropriateness] of prayer. My father told me there was nothing mysterious [strange] about prayer. Rather, prayer made possible a communion [friendship] of the spirit between people. "When you pray," he said, "you transcend [go beyond a limit] your body, and become a part of the cosmos [the universe as a whole], which knows no division of wealth, age, caste, or creed."

Appositive Noun

Would you like to care to point out the appositive noun phrase here in the first sentence of the paragraph?

Indian Titles

'Pakshi'

Have you ever come across the title 'Pakshi' earlier? Well, a 'Pakshi' is a classical Indian scholar who is supposed to argue in favour of a particular motion as a part of his/her academic pursuits.

'Sastry'

Likewise, the Indian title 'Sastry' also refers to a group of scholars who particularly study the ancient text books.

The Second Sentence

The second sentence of this paragraph is quite interesting. In spite of its length, it's actually a simple sentence with just a single finite verb phrase [verbs marked with tense] 'is'- 

One of the most vivid memories of my early childhood is of the two men, each in traditional attire, discussing spiritual matters.

I am hopeful that you don't have any problem in realising the fact that the part that comes previous to the verb phrase [One of the most vivid memories of my early childhood] is the subject of the verb [is]. However, the complement is segmented into three parts using comma [of the two men, each in traditional attire, discussing spiritual matters]. It is interesting to note that both the last two segments are actually adjective phrases qualifying the noun 'men' in the first part.

What do you think has been particularly achieved by structuring the message like this? Yes,- this particular structure has earned the sentence the desired brevity and compactness. Why don't you try to rewrite the message in your own way without changing the meaning and see if you sound as neat and compact as this one?

The Third Sentence

Why do you think that the third sentence begins with the adverbial clause? Yes,- it takes someone to be mature enough before he or she learns to ask questions about the relevance of prayer. The author intends to highlight the time when he grew mature here. That's why I feel the sentence begins with the adverbial clause which otherwise, would have been put at the end of the sentence as usual. Do you have any other explanation to this?

The Relevance of Prayer

So, now you have heard that prayer combines the spirit between people. It helps you to go beyond your body and become a part of the universe. And this universe is all unified irrespective of wealth, age, caste, or creed, or any other variable. 

This prayer must be then different from making ordinary requests to superior powers like the principals of your schools and colleges, or the officers in charge of private or public sectors, or to beings whom you believe to exist but may not perceive. 

What is it then? 

It's a way to study and understand the harmony that exists between an individual and others. Now, this concept of 'others' includes everything that you can imagine in your universe. 

Am I being too complex and abstract to understand? Well, I may not be the right person to discuss the philosophy of 'prayer'. But I do think that I get what the author intends to communicate here... 

I feel Jainulabdeen was referring to the great balance and coordination that exist between different biotic/organic and abiotic/inorganic factors in this cosmos/universe functioning as a single ecological unit. We all have definite mutual roles to play to keep the unit run in complete harmony. Whenever we feel a conflict rising between ourselves and other factors, we need to 'pray', or in other words, we need to realise this balance and harmony existing between ourselves, and bring an end to the conflict rising. This supreme realisation that can be attained through a process called 'prayer' helps one to realise that there is nothing different and conflicting that can be divide ourselves. 

I am all ears if you have anything to say...

Direct Speech

I'm quite hopeful that you haven't missed the fact that the author shares the exact words of his father with us via direct speech. Don't you think that it's quite unlikely for somebody to remember the exact words which his father had used long before?

Actually it is not so. We must keep in mind that his father discussed the relevance of prayer with him only when he was old enough, so as to say, it was not as long back as you think. Moreover, the gravity of the discussion must have required his father to repeat his words time and again. Hence it doesn't appear absurd to me that the author was able to remember his father's exact words while writing down his autobiography.

Would you mind reporting the words of Jainulabdeen in you own way? You may click here to get the process of narration change thoroughly discussed, in case you require it... 

Seventh Paragraph

My father could convey [share] complex [difficult] spiritual [religious, or metaphysical] concepts [ideas] in very simple, down-to-earth [common] Tamil. He once told me, "In his own time, in his own place, in what he really is, and in the stage he has reached- good or bad- every human being is a specific element within the whole of the manifest  [obvious] divine Being [spiritual existence]. So why be afraid of difficulties, sufferings and problems? When troubles come, try to understand the relevance [appropriateness] of your sufferings. Adversity [difficulty] always presents opportunities [scope] for introspection [self-analysis]."

The Aesthetic of Simple Linguistic Expressions

Ability to convey complex concepts in simple language is simply enviable, right? The author here certified his father's capacity to make him understand complex spiritual concepts in simple Tamil. Jainulabdeen had the mastery of expression. The author himself translated his father's words into English for us, the readers here. Even if you find the concept discussed challenging and arguable, don't you find the expressions short and simple enough? Shall we read the part once again together?-

'...every human being is a specific element within the whole of the manifest divine Being'- Specific elements refer to the specific roles played by the different factors or components in this universe, or in the whole of the manifest divine being. 

There's no exception to it, whatever be the time, or the place, or the condition of the human beings- 'In his [every human being's] own time, in his [every human being's] own place, in what he [every human being] really is, and in the stage he [every human being] has reached- good or bad-'. 

Hence there's no meaning in being afraid of difficulties, sufferings, and problems. Rather we should try to understand the reason behind a situation which apparently seems to be a difficulty to us. That's how we may introspect ourselves and we may come to know ourselves in a better fashion than before.

Why do you think the speech starts with the different possibilities of the situations of human beings? Just to ironically point out the fact that this wide variety of situations, though might seem to be of huge importance, is actually of no importance because the role of the human beings always stay constant, and therefore, is of real importance.

Parallel Expressions

Without doubt, linguistic aesthetics depends largely upon the use of parallel expressions. 

They may mean almost the same, used to emphasise upon- 'very simple, down-to-earth'. 

They may be structurally similar with no or least variance, referring to a wide variety of ideas, increasing the auditory aesthetics by adding to the rhythm of the speech- 'In his own time, in his own place, in what he really is, and in the stage he has reached'. Aren't all of these phrases prepositional phrases? Would you like to study how these parallel phrases are similar and different from each other on your own? Don't forget to study the phrase that follows immediately as well- 'good or bad'. How do you find the phrase significant in this context? Knock me if you are stuck...

Do you think that the sentence 'So why be afraid of difficulties, sufferings and problems?' is also worthy of studying in this particular context? 

Stay alert to see if you find any such structures in the rest part of the text. Such parallel balanced structures may combine words, phrases, sentences, and even paragraphs. Whenever you think you have noted one, it should be your task to understand the utility of that specific construction...

Eighth Paragraph

"Why don't you say this to the people who come to you for help and advice?" I asked my father. He put his hands on my shoulders and looked straight into my eyes. For quite some time he said nothing, as if he was judging my capacity [ability] to comprehend [understand] his words. Then he answered in a low, deep voice. His answer filled me with a strange energy and enthusiasm [eagerness]: "Whenever human beings find themselves alone, as a natural reaction [response], they start looking for company [others]. Whenever they are in trouble, they look for someone to help them. Whenever they reach an impasse [dead end], they look to someone to show them the way out. Every recurrent [repeating] anguish [pain], longing [want], and desire [wish] finds its own special helper. For the people who come to me in distress [trouble], I am but a go-between [link] in their effort to propitiate  [appease, satisfy] demonic [evil] forces with prayers and offerings. This is not a correct approach at all and should never be followed. One must understand the difference between a fear-ridden  [driven by fear] vision of destiny [fate] and the vision that enables us to seek [look for] the enemy of fulfillment [perfection] within ourselves.

The Counter

"Why don't you say this to the people who come to you for help and advice?" I asked my father.

Doesn't the very beginning of this paragraph proves the fact that the author was old enough to ask questions? Do you have the same question in your mind at this particular point of reading our text? You are most welcome to share if you have some other questions in your mind.

The Second Sentence

He put his hands on my shoulders and looked straight into my eyes.

Can you visualise the the situation referred to in the second sentence? Do you feel that a strong rebuke will soon follow? 

The Third Sentence

For quite some time he said nothing, as if he was judging my capacity to comprehend his words.

Do you find the silence referred to in the third sentence meaningful enough to comprehend? Do you agree to what the author said,- that his father was judging his capacity to understand his words then? Or do you think the author's father had some other intentions in his mind?

The Fourth Sentence

Then he answered in a low, deep voice.

Why do you think this reference to the quality of the speaker's voice was required to point out in the fourth sentence of the paragraph? 

Yes, certainly it refers to the gravity of the topic of reference.

The Answer

Isn't the way the author's father began his speech structurally interesting? The first three sentences refer to what people commonly in a situation as a natural reaction. All the three sentences begins referring to the situation first, and then refers to how people react to such situations. Study closely how each part of the sentences are balanced structurally against the other. Only the first sentence of the speech, however, points out that all these reactions are nothing but natural reactions of human beings.-

Whenever human beings find themselves alone, [as a natural reaction], they start looking for company. 

Whenever they are in trouble, they look for someone to help them. 

Whenever they reach an impasse, they look to someone to show them the way out.

In the fourth sentence of the speech the speaker came up with a theory based upon the three premises he referred to earlier:

Every recurrent anguish, longing, and desire finds its own special helper. 

In the fifth sentence he attempted to explain his own stance, as  to address the actual question asked by the author:

For the people who come to me in distress, I am but a go-between in their effort to propitiate demonic forces with prayers and offerings. 

The sixth sentence is his criticism of natural human reaction to difficult situations.-

This is not a correct approach at all and should never be followed. 

And finally he chose to refer to what he thought was the right thing to do.-

One must understand the difference between a fear-ridden vision of destiny and the vision that enables us to seek the enemy of fulfillment within ourselves.

We must understand the meaninglessness of fear-ridden vision of destiny. If our lives are guided by the fear of destiny, we will never be able to realise our actual potentialities. The fear of destiny is actually the enemy of fulfillment within ourselves.

Don't you find the way Jainulabdeen arranged his argument wonderful? To me, it resembles the pattern of logical syllogism, and is wonderfully efficient to drive a complex idea forward.

By the way, are you too filled up with a strange energy and enthusiasm like the author himself? Or is it that you are filled with queries? May I help you out, then?

Ninth Paragraph

I remember my father starting his day at 4 a.m. by reading the namaz before dawn. After the namaz, he used to walk down to a small coconut grove we owned, about four miles from our home. He would return with about a dozen coconuts tied together thrown over his shoulder, and only then would he have his breakfast. This remained his routine even when he was in his late sixties.

Distinguishing Present Participle Adjective from Gerund

I am sure that you had no problem in realising that 'starting' and 'reading' used in the first sentence are not functioning as verb phrases for we have no auxiliary/helping verbs alongwith them. You must be remembering that a verb phrase in Continuous Aspect [marked by '-ing' at the end of the main verb] must include at least one helping verb.

So, they must be functioning either as a participle adjective, or a gerundial noun,- both being structurally words [that are popularly used as main verbs in other contexts] carrying the suffix '-ing', right? Can you make out how these two words are functioning in the sentence?

Shall we consider the phrase 'starting his day' first? Is it not conveying further information about the author's father? It must be a resent participle adjective then...

Do we find the phrase 'by reading the namaz' functioning the same way? Surely not... Don't you see that 'reading the namaz' here functions as the object to the preposition 'by', and hence must be a noun phrase. So, it is actually a gerund.

Habitual Past

This particular paragraph provides us with an excellent scope to study how to refer to habitual past. Would you like to note how the structure 'used to + verb' and 'would + verb' is used to refer to habitual actions that are past? I may add a further elaboration on this later if you ask me to...

Jainulabdeen

Are you impressed about the man now? Well, disciplined often seems to reward life with many surprises. Don't you agree?

Tenth Paragraph

I have, throughout my life, tried to emulate [imitate] my father in my own world of science and technology. I have endeavoured [tried, attempted] to understand the fundamental [basic] truths revealed [pointed out] to me by my father, and feel convinced [certain] that there exists a divine power that can lift one up from confusion [indecision], misery [unhappiness], melancholy [sadness] and failure, and guide one to one's true place. And once an individual severs [breaks off, detaches] his emotional and physical bond, he is on the road to freedom, happiness and peace of mind.

The Author

Have you felt the presence of the author most strong in this paragraph in comparison to the others? Well, That must be quite normal to feel for in this paragraph only we come to learn about just his actions, his feelings, and his beliefs only...

'I'

Here in this paragraph, for the first time ever, we have two consecutive sentences beginning with the pronoun 'I'. Do you feel it has got some connection with the strong presence of the author in this paragraph?

Perfective Aspect

The use of perfective aspect in this paragraph is also quite noteworthy, isn't it? Obviously it reveals the fact how much effort the author had exerted to shape his feelings and realisation.

His Realisation

This is the part where the author attempted to share his own realisation about the existence of a supreme power that can lead us out of our confusion and help us understand our true roles to play in this universe. He reflected the age old belief of age old philosophies of the world,- that one requires to win over his or her desires  in order to achieve true wisdom.

Well, you need not form your own opinions right now. The author had spent a good share of his own life to realise this. You certainly require at least a length to put your opinion  forth. But, give it a thought, and I hope you'll find a reward for yourself as well...

Back to the Title once Again

Now, certainly its time to get back to the title once again to discuss the connotations of 'roots' as we find appropriate here in the context of the text we have read. Don't you find how the head-noun used in the title leads us to comprehend how the life-time realisation of the author was made possible by the early teaching and guidance he received from his family?- 

Yes, what he had realised only at his ripe age had its anchors deeply rooted [based and anchored] to the primary influence of his family that shaped his earlier age.

We may also say that his ultimate realisation were rooted in the influence he received from his family primarily in the sense that it drew its nourishment from his family-influence just as a tree grows drawing nourishment via its roots.

Would you like to share some different perspectives of your own with me?

The Autobiography

Has this text been successful in inciting you to read the whole of the autobiography? Well, if you are interested to know more about him and his time, you may choose to download the autobiography from here for free. The reading of the full text may provide you with further insight, and clues for undertaking more cross-cultural studies...

Feel free to ask me questions, if you have any, in the space meant for publishing comments. And you are certainly welcome to share your views which are different from mine. An academic argument is always the best way to learn...