Class 11 English ‘Sharing Tradition’ Complete Guide (NEB New Syllabus) | Notes, Exercise Solutions & Summary | Literature

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Class 11 English: “Sharing Tradition”

Complete Resource Guide: Notes, Solutions & Summaries

Navigate Class 11 English Literature with exact textbook solutions, detailed summaries, thematic analysis, and critical interpretations of Frank LaPena’s ‘Sharing Tradition’.

Welcome to your premier destination for the Class 11 English Essay “Sharing Tradition” academic syllabus. This complete online textbook companion offers fully resolved answers to all end-of-chapter questions and literature context exercises.

Through this comprehensive resource on Frank LaPena’s insightful essay, you will explore the critical values of the oral tradition, how native cultures preserve ancestral knowledge across generations, and the subtle relationships between native art, memory, and writing.

Access our general index for additional chapters here: Class 11 English Notes.

Class 11 English Essay Sharing Tradition study notes

1. Class 11 English: “Sharing Tradition” Essay Summary

“Sharing Tradition” is a thoughtful, culturally profound essay written by the prominent Native American artist, scholar, and writer Frank LaPena. In this essay, LaPena explores the critical importance, preservation, and modern challenges of the oral tradition in maintaining the values, beliefs, and core identity of a culture. Drawing heavily from his experience as a Native American (Wintu), he highlights how oral narratives—passed down from generation to generation through speech, song, and storytelling—serve as the vital lifelines of cultural survival.

The essay establishes that the oral tradition is much more than simply repeating historical facts or stories. It is a highly spiritual, organic process of communication that transmits a community’s worldview, moral codes, religious values, and artistic designs. It is a shared biological trust where the elders of the tribe act as the ultimate guardians of wisdom. The older generation bears the sacred responsibility of passing these narratives down to the younger generation, ensuring that their cultural history is not lost to time.

LaPena also highlights the delicate, irreplaceable role of the “elders”. He argues that becoming an elder is not merely a matter of growing old. True elders must possess deep, specialized knowledge of their community’s past, religious ceremonies, and ancestral values. The loss of a key elder is an irreplaceable tragedy for the entire tribe, comparable to the burning down of an entire library, because much of their unwritten history dies with them.

Furthermore, the essay discusses the modern challenges facing the oral tradition. In our rapidly changing, technology-driven world, younger generations often show a lack of interest in listening to elders, preferring modern digital distractions. Additionally, when academic researchers write down oral traditions, they often misunderstand, misinterpret, or commercialize the sacred context. Once inaccurate information is published, it becomes nearly impossible to correct. Despite these challenges, LaPena concludes that maintaining our oral traditions is absolutely necessary to protect our unique human identity and prevent cultural extinction.

2. Class 11 English: Understanding the Text (Q&A)

Answer the following questions based on the essay.

a. According to LaPena, what is the importance of the oral tradition? To what extent do you agree with his opinions and why?

According to LaPena, the oral tradition is of paramount importance because it is the primary cultural resource that preserves, protects, and maintains the core values, history, and identity of a community across generations.

I completely agree with his opinions because oral traditions allow younger generations to stay connected with their roots, learn their ancestral languages, and understand the social, spiritual, and historical landscapes of their forebears. Our culture is our ultimate identity; preserving oral traditions is necessary to protect communities from losing their unique values in a globalized world.

b. Who preserves and passes on the oral tradition?

The elders, religious leaders, and storytellers of the community are the key guardians who preserve and pass on the oral tradition. Because they possess years of experience and specialized ancestral knowledge, they bear the sacred responsibility of teaching these unwritten values to the younger generation through active, verbal sharing.

c. What is the danger of not passing on information from generation to generation?

The greatest danger of not passing on information from generation to generation is the complete erasure of a community’s history, language, and cultural values. Without this transmission of knowledge, the unique identity of the culture fades away, leading to social disintegration, loss of moral values, and eventually, cultural extinction.

d. What is the difference between oral tradition and literary tradition?

The fundamental difference is the medium of transmission. Oral tradition is a dynamic, fluid, and face-to-face form of communication where cultural values, stories, and beliefs are transmitted verbally through speech, song, and memory. In contrast, literary tradition relies entirely on written documents, books, and printed media to record and preserve information across time.

e. How does LaPena establish a relationship between art and the oral tradition?

LaPena establishes a powerful relationship by presenting the oral tradition as the ultimate source of inspiration for visual art. He explains that listening to oral narratives—hearing the descriptions of sacred characters, mythological events, and ancient symbols—shapes how an artist visualizes designs, selects colors, and creates paintings. Art, therefore, becomes a tangible, physical extension of the unwritten oral tradition.

3. Class 11 English: Reference to the Context (Analytical Deep-Dive)

a. LaPena states that the oral tradition helps maintain the values of a culture. If you believe that the oral tradition is important, how would you maintain it?

If I am given the responsibility to protect and maintain my cultural oral traditions, I would implement several practical and modern strategies:

• Record and Document: I would use modern technology to make audio and video recordings of our tribal elders as they tell stories, recite poetry, and perform traditional songs, preserving their exact voices for the future.

• Listen Actively: I would make a deliberate, respectful effort to sit with the elderly members of my family, pay close attention to their advice, and learn our native folklore.

• Encourage Community Fests: I would help organize local community cultural festivals, storytelling circles, and street plays where youngsters can experience oral traditions firsthand.

• Pass it Forward: In my own old age, I would faithfully pass down all the historical knowledge, customs, and ethical values I received to my own children and grandchildren, keeping the cycle of memory unbroken.

b. “Not everyone is capable of fulfilling the roles of the elders.” Explain this statement with reference to the essay.

This statement highlights the distinction between merely aging and being a true elder in a community. In any society, anyone who survives long enough will eventually become old. However, the title and role of an “elder” carry a profound cultural responsibility that not everyone is capable of fulfilling.

According to LaPena, a true elder must possess deep, specialized knowledge of their community’s unwritten history, spiritual ceremonies, ancestral values, and traditional arts. They must have dedicated their entire lives to studying, practicing, and preserving these customs. An elder who has not paid close attention to their heritage during their youth will have nothing meaningful to pass down to the next generation. Therefore, being an elder is a matter of wisdom, commitment, and specialized cultural training, making it a demanding role that not every older individual is capable of performing.

c. What is the controlling idea or thesis of this essay?

The controlling idea of Frank LaPena’s essay is that the active preservation, sharing, and protection of the oral tradition is absolutely necessary for the survival of a culture’s values, ethical codes, and unique identity. The author argues that in a rapidly globalizing world dominated by written media and modern technology, we are losing our connection with ancestral wisdom. He emphasizes that if we allow our oral traditions to die by neglecting our elders, we risk losing our history, our roots, and ultimately, our human identity. Therefore, we must actively respect, listen to, and support our elders in their mission to pass down cultural values.

d. How do topic sentences guide the reader through the essay? What would be lost without them?

A topic sentence is typically the opening sentence of a paragraph that clearly states its main point or controlling idea. In an essay, topic sentences serve as vital signposts that guide the reader through the author’s logical arguments, showing exactly what each paragraph is about.

Without effective topic sentences, an essay would lose its structural coherence and logical flow. The paragraphs would read like a chaotic, disorganized list of sentences, making it extremely difficult for the reader to follow the author’s line of reasoning. Topic sentences are essential for orienting the reader’s attention and connecting each individual paragraph back to the central thesis of the essay.

e. What are the four major problems developed by LaPena with regard to maintaining the oral tradition? How are they used to structure the essay?

The four major problems developed by LaPena with regard to maintaining the oral tradition are:

1. Irreplaceable Loss of Key Elders: When a highly knowledgeable elder dies, a massive portion of the tribe’s unwritten history and spiritual wisdom is permanently lost.

2. Apathy of the Youth: The younger generation often shows a lack of interest in listening to elders, preferring modern digital distractions.

3. Threat of Modern Technology: The rapid rise of modern technology and written media is replacing the traditional, face-to-face oral methods of communication.

4. Risks of Inaccurate Documentation: When researchers write down oral traditions, they often misinterpret or edit the context, publishing inaccurate data that is nearly impossible to correct.

How they are used to structure the essay:
LaPena uses these four problems to systematically structure his essay. He begins with a positive introduction of what oral tradition is and then introduces these challenges one by one in separate, focused paragraphs. This structure allows him to transition from a theoretical definition to a realistic, urgent appeal for cultural preservation, building a highly persuasive argument.

4. Class 11 English: Reference Beyond the Text (Critical Reflections)

a. Write a paragraph or two explaining your attitude toward the oral tradition of passing along information.

My attitude toward the oral tradition of passing along information is deeply positive, respectful, and appreciative. I view the oral tradition not as an outdated, primitive form of communication, but as a living, highly artistic, and intimate cultural resource. Unlike written texts, which can sometimes feel cold and impersonal, oral storytelling carries the unique warmth, emotion, and physical presence of the speaker. It is a powerful social bonding mechanism that requires active listening, mutual respect, and trust between the elder and the young listener, fostering a strong sense of community.

Furthermore, I believe that our ancestral oral traditions are vital for preserving our unique cultural identity. In our rapidly changing, digitalized world, we are flooded with globalized information that often erases local history. If we do not make a conscious effort to listen to our grandparents, learn our native folk songs, and preserve our local legends, we risk suffering from a severe crisis of identity. The oral tradition is a living, breathing connection to our roots, and we must actively utilize modern technology to record, celebrate, and pass it down to future generations to ensure our cultural survival.

b. Our culture is our identity. Write a few paragraphs explaining how you intend to preserve your culture, values and norms.

It is an undeniable truth that our culture is our identity. The traditions, values, languages, and social norms passed down by our ancestors are the very things that define who we are, shape our worldview, and give us a sense of belonging in the global community. If we allow our culture to fade away under the influence of modern globalization, we will ultimately lose our unique identity, becoming rootless and spiritually displaced. Therefore, preserving our cultural heritage is our primary moral responsibility.

To preserve my culture, values, and norms, I intend to undertake several active and practical steps. First, I will start within my own home by communicating in my mother tongue, respecting our family elders, and actively learning our traditional customs, values, and histories. Second, I will proudly participate in and celebrate our cultural festivals, rituals, and community gatherings, wearing our traditional attire and enjoying our native music, showing the younger generation that our heritage is something to be celebrated with pride.

Additionally, I will utilize the power of modern digital media to preserve and promote our culture. I intend to create educational blogs, record video documentaries of our local elders sharing folklore, and share our unique art forms on social media platforms to educate others. I also plan to actively support and join local community heritage trusts that work to preserve our historical monuments, traditional architectures, and local languages. By combining ancient ancestral values with modern digital tools, we can ensure that our rich culture continues to thrive, grow, and inspire future generations for centuries to come.