Summary of John Ruskin's Sesame and Lilies Lecture 1 -Sesame or The King’s Treasuries

            John Ruskin opens his essay by apologizing for the ambiguity in the title.  He says that the title is ambiguous and figurative in nature.  By king’s treasuries, he means the best books written by the most brilliant authors and not other material things.  The whole of the lecture is about books and the way to read them.

          He says that modern education is materialistic and it aims at advancement.  This aim is narrow.  The speaker says that love of praise and reputation moves humankind primarily.  On the other hand, duty moves them secondarily.  He says that clever persons wish to become high in status.  To achieve higher status we should have sincere and good friends.

          Best books are said to be best friends.  He divides books into four types:

i)             Good books of the hour – has enlightened talks of some persons.  They could talk about travels or in the form of novels.

ii)           Good books for all life

iii)         Bad books of the hour

iv)          Bad books for all life

          Great authors, statesmen, philosophers and thinkers write books for all life.  Nobody can enter into these unless they stoop.  We must enter into the thoughts of such writers, which is a difficult task.  They write long sentences and serious thoughts are hidden in those sentences.  So we should read them carefully.

          An educated man need not know all things but he must learn a few languages.  He must be aware of words and its origins.  English language is of a mongrel breed.  Their words are deceptive.  For example the word condemn originates from the Greek word “damno”.  It does not have the power of the Greek word in it.  A good scholar must know the vital meanings of words.  Ruskin asks the readers to read Max Muller’s “The Science of Languages” to understand English language better.

          Later Ruskin analyses Milton’s Lycidas.  He considers Milton as a great scholar.  Common minds are full of filth and prejudice.  It should be cleansed.  It is necessary to burn the jungle of bad ideas than to sow the fertile ground among thorns.

          The real gift of great writers is that they kindle passion in us.  Passions are good things but they must be tested and disciplined.  In England, passion means low-headed crimes.  Ruskin attacks English people.  They are under the control of passion.  English people spend a lot of money and time in horse and not in books.

          English people despise science.  There are very few utilitarian inventions in England when compared with other countries.  English arts are far behind other countries.  English people destroy nature and create racecourse.  English economics is also very poor.  There is wide gap between the rich and the poor.  The churches and the cathedrals are also current in England.

          Ruskin concluded his lecture by saying that a nation rich in literature would be the best in the world.  A king must be sympathetic to his people and he should encourage people to read more books.

Summary of John Ruskin's Sesame and Lilies Lecture 2 - Of Queen’s Gardens

Introduction             

            The theme of this lecture is how women can possess kingly power conferred to them by education.  If women get education, they become powerful and prestigious.  There is no difference between man and woman; they are complementary to each other.  Aim of education is to get acquainted with the wisest and greatest people through books.

Women in Literature

            Shakespeare is said to have no heroes but only heroines.  Othello, Hamlet, Julius Ceaser, Merchant and Orlando are all weaker than Desdemona, Cordellia, Isabella, Portia and Rosalind.  Tragedy occurs because the heroes does fatal mistake.  Shakespeare’s women are clever and intelligent.  Among Shakespeare’s women Ophelia is weak and Lady Macbeth, Regan and Goneril are wicked.  Thus, Shakespeare views women to be more capable than men.  He also quotes women characters of Walter Scott, Dante and Chaucer.  Women in these literature are real and not imaginary.

Role of Women at Home

            The view that men are always wiser, the thinker and the ruler is wrong.  Women are not dolls.  They play the role of a lover to encourage and guide men.  The lover has sense of duty towards her man.  Their marriage marks the change of temporary service into eternal affair.  Man works out of his home.  He faces a lot of trouble and he is hardened.  Woman is the mistress of home and she is to maintain peace and good atmosphere at home.  A good wife is a home in herself.

Education to Women

            Women must be educated in physical training.  They should gain good health and beauty.  The best poem that reflects this is Wordsworth’s “Education of Nature”.  A woman’s good nature is reflected in her face.  She should never suffer.  She should have three characters – physical beauty, natural instinct of justice and natural tact of love.  She must read history.  Theology is a dangerous science for women.  It makes her superstitious.  Her knowledge must of general nature.  She need not specialize in a specific field.  She must not read romantic novels and poetry, because they contain falsehoods.  Girls should be left in library.  They must be taught music, because music has healing power.  As boys are courageous, girls are also courageous.  They should not develop any complexities like superiority or inferiority complex.

Women in Society and Politics

            Later he talks about role of women in society and politics.  Man’s public duties are extensions of his duties at home similarly woman’s duty could be extended to public.  Man defends the country and a woman defends the family economy.  A woman is a queen, a queen of her lover, queen to her husband and children.  She can be called the “prince of peace”.  Ruskin is not surprised by the loss of life in war but the wasting of women power surprises him.

Conclusion

            The world is a big garden.  There is war all over the garden.  If women walk in the garden there could be change in war.  Women should come into the garden.  They must help men to get shelter.