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There Will Come Soft Rains by Ray Bradbury

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Summary of There Will Come Soft Rains by Ray Bradbury There Will Come Soft Rains is a futuristic short story set in the year 2026, depicting a fully automated house that continues to function after its human occupants have been annihilated by a nuclear disaster. The story explores the destructive power of technology, the fragility of human civilization, and the indifference of nature to human extinction. A House Without Humans The story opens with a stark and unsettling scene: a voice-clock announces the time—“Seven o’clock, time to get up”—but there is no response. The house stands alone in a city reduced to rubble and radioactive ruins. Despite the absence of people, the house continues its daily routine with mechanical precision, performing tasks it was programmed to do when humans still existed. The automated house prepares breakfast, cooks eggs and toast, pours coffee, and clears the dishes—even though no one comes to eat. This routine emphasizes the emptiness and irony of technol...
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The Medicine Bag by Virginia Driving Hawk Sneve

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Summary of The Medicine Bag by Virginia Driving Hawk Sneve The Medicine Bag is a first-person narrative told by Martin, a young boy living in a modern American city with his parents and sister Cheryl. Martin belongs to a mixed cultural background: his father is a Native American (Sioux/Lakota), while his mother is white. Though Martin is aware of his Native roots, he feels emotionally and socially distant from them and is more comfortable with his urban lifestyle. The story begins with Martin recalling how he and his younger sister Cheryl often boasted about their Sioux grandfather, Joe Iron Shell, to their city friends. Since their friends knew Native Americans only through movies and television, they were deeply impressed by the siblings’ stories. Martin admits that they sometimes exaggerated, making Grandpa and life on the reservation sound far more glamorous than it actually was. During their annual summer visits to the Rosebud Reservation, Grandpa would give them authentic Sioux i...
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The Cookie Lady by Philip K. Dick

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The Cookie Lady  by Philip K. Dick Event-Based Summary of The Cookie Lady  The story is set in a quiet neighborhood where an old woman named Mrs. Drew lives alone in a small, neglected house at the end of Elm Street. The house is shabby, surrounded by dry weeds, with sagging steps and an old rocking chair on the porch. Mrs. Drew rarely receives visitors and leads a lonely life. A schoolboy named Bubber Surle regularly visits Mrs. Drew’s house. The visits usually take place after school. He is attracted by the warm smell of freshly baked cookies, which Mrs. Drew prepares for him. She welcomes him kindly, calls him Bernard, and invites him inside. She serves him cookies and cold milk, which he eats eagerly. After eating, Mrs. Drew often asks Bubber to stay longer and read aloud from his schoolbooks, explaining that her eyesight is poor and that listening to someone read comforts her. Bubber agrees, usually choosing subjects like geography or other school texts. He sits on the co...
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Location: Satna, Madhya Pradesh, India
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Atithi (Guest) by Rabindranath Tagore

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  Detailed Summary of Atithi Atithi is a poignant psychological short story that explores the tension between freedom and social responsibility, restlessness and domestic stability, and the individual’s inner calling versus societal expectations. Arrival of Tarapada The story revolves around a young orphan boy named Tarapada, who is discovered wandering aimlessly by Motilal Babu, a kind and affluent zamindar. Struck by the boy’s gentle manners, intelligence, and musical talent, Motilal Babu brings him home and treats him not as a servant but as an honoured guest—an atithi. Tarapada quickly becomes beloved by everyone in the household. His ability to sing, play the flute, and his calm, thoughtful nature charm both the family and the villagers. However, beneath this surface calm lies a deeply restless spirit. Tarapada’s Nature and Inner Conflict Though Tarapada enjoys affection and comfort, he is fundamentally a wanderer. He feels suffocated by routine, attachment, and permanence. Hi...
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Location: Satna, Madhya Pradesh, India
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