“Freedom is hammered out on the anvil of discussion, debate and dissent”

‘Great minds discuss’, quoted Eleanor Roosevelt. On 31 July 2021, Book and Beyond Kumaraguru conducted an online book discussion event named “Tug of Words” between 5 pm and 6 pm. Google Meet was utilised as the online platform. Tug of words is a space where people can come along and share their views, perceptions and perspectives about a specific book or an article or a short story.

The short story that was chosen for our open discussion was “Regret” by Kate Chopin. It was a late 1800’s pro-feminist tale. The event commenced at 5 pm. A brief welcome address was delivered following a recitation of the short story’s summary.

About 15 participants enthusiastically participated and shared their personal vantage points. It was an eye-opening session. We were stunned to grasp how the outlook of the same story differs from one’s point of view from the other. Everyone took turns to express their thoughts and we made sure everybody’s had their chance to speak up. We also expressed our conceptions about the notion of feminism in the late 1800s and the inclusion of the same in the books. To add some spice to the session we also talked about some recent movies like “Sara’s” and “The Queen’s Gambit” which have a connection with our short story “Regret”.

It was an insightful session overall. In conclusion, we all agreed that the bottom storyline was not about the regretful mindset of our decision but the time we take to re-think our decisions and accepting the pros and cons of it. The session came to an end by 6 pm. Feedback forms were circulated and post-event opinions were obtained.