45
“Hellados”
Textbook: pp. 254–266
GoalUnderstand the content and idea of the story “Hellados”.
New words
Hellas (Greek name of Greece) · Helladosnarrator · hikoyachiloyalty · sadoqatfeeling of homeland · Vatan tuyg‘usi
Explanation
The events take place in Sukhumi, Georgia. The narrator is a boy called Jamol, who lives with his aunt Nina. Yanguli is a fourteen-year-old Greek boy whom the neighbourhood children fear. At first Jamol and Yanguli fight a lot, and later they become true friends. Yanguli’s father wants to return to Greece, but Yanguli regards Georgia as his homeland. They leave on a ship; the story ends tragically and Jamol loses his friend. According to the textbook’s commentary, the idea is that the homeland is the place where a person grew up, made friends and felt his purest feelings; the father’s longing for his own land is understandable too.
Worked examples
Example: Jamol did not submit to the tough boy – this shows his courage.
Example: Yanguli’s father and son feel two different homelands: one the land of his ancestors, the other the land he grew up in.
Class activity
Read by roles: Jamol, Yanguli, Aunt Nina, Yanguli’s father; find one trait for each character.
Practice
1
Where do the events happen?
In Sukhumi, Georgia.
2
How did Jamol and Yanguli become friends?
First fighting, then coming to respect each other.
3
What does Yanguli regard as his homeland?
The land where he grew up – Georgia.
4
Why does the writer not blame the father’s feelings either?
Because he too misses his ancestors’ land and has the right to.