Class 11 : English Compulsory – Lesson 15. The Tale of Melon City
EXPLANATION & SUMMARY
BACKGROUND AND CONTEXT
🔵 The Tale of Melon City by Vikram Seth is a humorous narrative poem set in a mythical city.
🟡 It reflects Seth’s modern retelling of traditional folklore, blending satire with wit to critique governance and public choice.
🟢 The poem uses a light-hearted tone to explore democracy, justice, and individual freedom.
🔴 Through irony, Seth invites readers to question societal norms and the qualities people value in their rulers.
THEMES AND IDEAS
🔵 Theme of Democracy and People’s Will
The city’s tradition demands the ruler be chosen according to citizens’ preference.
Shows how a simple phrase—“The king should be just and placid”—leads to an unusual outcome.
🟡 Theme of Justice and Responsibility
The king himself submits to his city’s laws, even when facing execution.
Highlights impartial governance, even at personal cost.
🟢 Theme of Irony and Satire
A king executed for fairness is ironic, mocking blind adherence to custom.
Suggests public opinion can be whimsical rather than wise.
🔴 Theme of Freedom and Non-Interference
The people’s ultimate wish for a “placid” ruler results in a harmless, non-interfering king.
Satirizes societies that prefer peace over active, responsible leadership.
CHARACTER ANALYSIS
🔵 The King
Just and placid, values fairness above his own life.
His literal interpretation of the law leads to self-sacrifice.
🟡 The Citizens
Represent public opinion—fickle, self-serving, yet powerful.
Their desire for a passive ruler indicates a preference for personal freedom over governance.
🟢 The Ministers and Officials
Illustrate bureaucracy’s tendency to follow rules blindly without critical thought.
LITERARY DEVICES AND TECHNIQUES
🔵 Irony
The king’s execution for being just exposes absurdity in rigid traditions.
🟡 Humor and Satire
Light verse and witty tone make political critique engaging and accessible.
🟢 Narrative Style
Folklore-like storytelling preserves oral tradition elements while adding modern sensibility.
🔴 Symbolism
The melon represents a harmless, non-interfering ruler—reflecting the citizens’ ultimate wish.
CRITICAL INSIGHTS AND REFLECTIONS
🔵 Seth suggests that governance should balance freedom with responsibility, not mere passivity.
🟡 The poem implies that democracy can produce illogical results when voters prioritize convenience over wisdom.
🟢 Its playful tone masks a serious warning about civic duty and thoughtless decision-making.
🔴 By ending with a content city under a melon king, Seth wryly underscores humanity’s contradictions.
RELEVANCE / TAKEAWAYS FOR STUDENTS
🔵 Encourages reflection on democratic responsibility and civic participation.
🟡 Highlights satire’s role in addressing political and ethical issues.
🟢 Promotes critical thinking about leadership qualities and public choice.
🔴 Reminds readers that freedom without responsibility can be absurd.
SUMMARY (≈200 WORDS)
🔵 Vikram Seth’s The Tale of Melon City narrates a unique kingdom where fairness and tradition shape governance. A just and placid king insists his subjects be ruled according to their own will. When an arch is built to honor the king, he finds faults with its construction. Holding the builder accountable, he calls for punishment—but public debate shifts blame repeatedly among workmen, masons, and the king himself. Bound by the city’s custom that the ruler must be just, the king declares that someone must be punished—ultimately deciding he, as king, is responsible. He accepts execution to uphold justice.
🟡 The city must now choose a new ruler. Following tradition, citizens are asked their preference. Desiring personal freedom and peace, they respond that they want a ruler who is “just and placid.” A melon is selected as the new king—quiet, non-interfering, and symbolic of their wishes.
🟢 Seth’s playful, ironic poem critiques blind adherence to custom and the capricious nature of public opinion.
🔴 Beneath its humor, the poem warns against superficial democracy, urging readers to value wisdom and responsibility in governance while enjoying personal liberty.
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PASSAGE
Vikram Seth’s poem The Tale of Melon City tells of a king renowned for fairness and calm leadership. He decrees that he will govern according to the people’s wishes. When an arch is built in his honor, he criticizes its construction. A debate among workmen and officials shifts blame until the king himself accepts responsibility. Bound by tradition that the ruler must be just and follow the citizens’ will, the king allows himself to be executed. The city, now leaderless, must choose a successor. The people, valuing personal freedom and non-interference, decide they want a ruler who is “just and placid.” They select a melon—silent and harmless—to be their king. Seth’s witty, ironic narrative critiques blind adherence to custom, the whimsical nature of public opinion, and societies that prefer unintrusive leadership over active governance.
🔵 Question 1 (Short Answer – 30 words)
How does the king’s execution satirize democracy and tradition in the poem?
🟢 Answer:
It mocks blind tradition and fickle public opinion, showing how democracy without critical thought can produce absurd, self-serving outcomes.
🔵 Question 2 (MCQ)
Q: Why do the citizens choose a melon as their king?
They admire its beauty.
They seek wealth and power.
They value freedom and non-interference.
They fear magical punishment.
🟢 Answer:
They value freedom and non-interference.
🔵 Question 3 (Fill in the blank)
The king promised to rule according to the __ of his people.
🟢 Answer:
will
🔵 Question 4 (Fill in the blank)
The arch was built to __ the king for his rule.
🟢 Answer:
honor
🔵 Question 5 (Assertion and Reason)
Assertion (A): The king willingly accepts death to uphold justice.
Reason (R): He believes a ruler must follow his subjects’ traditions, even at personal cost.
A. Both A and R are true, and R correctly explains A.
B. Both A and R are true, but R does not explain A.
C. A is false, but R is true.
D. Both A and R are false.
🟢 Answer:
A. Both A and R are true, and R correctly explains A.
🔵 Question 6 (Short Answer – 30 words)
What broader message does Vikram Seth convey through the city’s choice of a melon king?
🟢 Answer:
He critiques superficial democracy and warns that prioritizing comfort over wise leadership can lead to absurd, irresponsible governance.
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OTHER IMPORTANT QUESTIONS FOR EXAMS
🔵 Question 1: Why was the arch built in the city?
🟢 Answer: It was built to honor the just and placid king for his fair rule.
🔵 Question 2: What fault did the king find with the arch?
🟢 Answer: He declared it was poorly constructed and did not meet expectations for honoring him.
🔵 Question 3: Who was initially blamed for the arch’s construction fault?
🟢 Answer: The chief of builders was blamed for the faulty construction of the arch.
🔵 Question 4: What did the builder say when accused?
🟢 Answer: He shifted blame to the workmen, claiming they failed to follow his instructions properly.
🔵 Question 5: How did the king uphold justice after the debate?
🟢 Answer: Accepting responsibility as ruler, he declared himself guilty and accepted execution.
🔵 Question 6: Why is the king’s decision considered ironic?
🟢 Answer: His fairness leads to his own death, mocking blind adherence to custom.
🔵 Question 7: What did the ministers do after the king’s execution?
🟢 Answer: They sought public opinion to choose a new ruler, following city tradition.
🔵 Question 8: What quality did the people demand in their next ruler?
🟢 Answer: They wanted a king who was just and placid, ensuring their freedom.
🔵 Question 9: Why did the citizens choose a melon as king?
🟢 Answer: A melon symbolized harmlessness and non-interference, reflecting their desire for personal liberty.
🔵 Question 10: What does the city’s contentment under a melon king suggest?
🟢 Answer: It suggests people value peace and freedom over active governance or strict control.
🔵 Question 11: Explain how Vikram Seth uses satire to critique democracy.
🟢 Answer: Seth humorously shows citizens choosing a melon as ruler, satirizing blind democracy and whimsy. The absurd outcome warns readers that careless choices can produce illogical governance, urging thoughtful civic responsibility and awareness of consequences in democratic systems.
🔵 Question 12: Discuss the symbolism of the melon in the poem.
🟢 Answer: The melon symbolizes passive leadership and the people’s wish for freedom. By selecting a fruit, the citizens avoid interference in their lives. Seth implies that societies sometimes prefer harmless, inactive rulers to avoid regulation, even if it means ineffective governance. The melon king represents a satirical take on democracy, showing that public preference may favor comfort over wisdom or responsibility, emphasizing irony and wit.
🔵 Question 13: How does the poem’s ending reinforce its central message?
🟢 Answer: The content city under a melon king underscores Seth’s critique of superficial democracy. It reflects the absurdity of public whim guiding governance without foresight. The humorous resolution makes the lesson memorable: true freedom demands thoughtful participation, not mere desire for convenience. By ending with universal satisfaction, Seth highlights society’s contradictions—valuing liberty yet ignoring responsibility—encouraging readers to balance individual freedom with wise, active leadership in any democracy.
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