Back to: Tamil Nadu Class 9 English Guide & Notes
Table of Contents
Introduction
Mother’s Voice is the story about the spirit of discovery that prompts a young astronaut to go looking for another world. While the astronaut wants to explore new spaces, he is saddened by the thought of leaving behind his mother and native planet.
A Walk on The Moon
The story begins with the astronaut’s mother expressing her astonishment at the beauty of the moon. The astronaut was giving his mother a tour of the moon, showing her the endless tunnels of Selenopolis. His mother was a singer and had a ringing voice. She sang enthusiastically for the guests, but when alone, doing chores, her singing was sad. The astronaut found something unusual in her voice even then, but dismissed it as he thought she was excited about her first time on the moon.
She enquired if he would return home for the summer holidays and the explorer almost told her about the expedition, but he did not want her to worry. It is then, when he realized that she was worried for him. Hence, the ringing in her voice. A moving pavement covered with green plastic strips rushed them through echoing tunnels and spacious caves with walls illuminated by quartz lamps.
When they reached the surface, there was an enormous lily-shaped tent over a crater that was at least a kilometre in diameter. That was the ‘The community of Nations Square’. People from different nations came there after work. There were some tourists going for a dive in the lake. According to the astronaut, the swimming experience on moon is exotic, but his mother believes that the lake back home is far superior.
The Expedition
The astronaut told her about an expedition to a foreign galaxy. The mother was unable to understand why people would want to leave their solar system and go into the unknown. She believed that humankind settled well on the moon because of the gravitational field of the earth and the presence of the sun. His mother showed him the beauty of the earth and the astronaut gained a new perspective of viewing the earth. He saw how beautiful his native planet was, a real wonder of nature.
The astronaut feigned being unaware of his next trip to earth, but in reality, he knew that this was the last time he was seeing his mother. One last time, she pleaded with him to come home and meet all their relatives. Just when his mother was informing him about the changes in their home, a voice interrupted. It called the operator on duty to report to the office. The astronaut pushed a button and the screen turned dark, silencing his mother.
All this while, the astronaut was playing a recording of his last meet with his mother. He often played it to feel as if he was walking again with his mother, on the Moon, looking down at his native planet. His group had left the sun and ventured off to a new galaxy. They had left their native Sun, which was now just a 12th – magnitude star, visible through the telescope. And they couldn’t see the Earth at all.
Conclusion
The chapter very beautifully teaches one to live the moment and value it. Once a moment passes, only the memories are left. It teaches one to be grateful for their time with family and loved ones. No matter how far one goes, one will always miss their root and yearn for simpler times.
