Support Material English Class 12

SUPPORT MATERIAL
CLASS XII
ENGLISH CORE (301)
KIRIT CHAUHAN
PGT ENGLISH
KV NO 1 SHAHIBAUG AHMEDABAD
www.englisheclat.com
READING SECTION
Reading Comprehension
TIPS
• Read the section a thoroughly and then answer the questions.

• To complete the paper time management is essential as the paper is
quite lengthy.
• Divide the allotted time as per the sections.
• Do attempt and try to finish sections A and B in the first half of the
allotted time.
• The answers should be precise.
• Answers in section C should be brief and to the point.
• Answers should be logical and should explain only what is asked.
• Be creative and believable in the section B part of the paper.
• Solve previous years question papers or mock question papers in
order to learn time management.
• Attempt the question paper in a sequence.
• Neat and legible handwriting, leaving space between the answers
and underlining value points has a positive impact on the examiner.
• In case of reference to context questions, ensure that there is no
repetition of answers while attempting the various sub parts.
TRICKS
• Converse in English.
• Choose a topic and discuss it in English.
• Make a habit of talking in English and write down difficult words,
understand their meanings and practise to include them in your
speech.
• Talk to yourself in English while standing in front of the mirror and
be confident.
• Watch English movies, news and read English news papers.
• It is also important to write in English regularly to develop a knack
for difficult and unusual words and improving your vocabulary.
• Following these tricks regularly will develop your language power
and you will have a strong command over the language soon.
• Be precise. Be right.
WRITING SECTION
Notice
WHAT IS A NOTICE?
A notice is a written or printed news announcement or information. A

notice may contain news/information about something that has happened
or is likely to happen. It may be a formal announcement of public
importance or an advance warning meant for compliance and information.
A notice can be about a meeting, an event, an excursion/historical trip/a
picnic, lost and found, change of name/address/uniform/timings/venue
etc.Notices are effective means of disseminating information related to
different issues or occasions. They reach to a large number of persons in a
short time. Hence a notice is written in simple and formal language. It is
clear, brief and to the point.
Points to remember
• Stick to the specified word limit.

• You need to write the word NOTICE at the top.
• Do not forge to mention the Name and Place of the school, or
organization or office that is issuing the notice.
• An appropriate heading is required.
• Include the date of issuing the notice.
• State the target group clearly (for whom the notice is to be displayed).
• Write the purpose of the notice.
• Mention other relevant details like date, venue and time.
• State that needs to be contacted for extra information.
• The signature, name and designation of the person who is issuing the
notice should be there.
Format
Since notices are a formal document it should follow a structure or a format.

Keep in mind there is no one correct rigid format. Different formats used by
different people/organizations can show some variations. But it is ideal to
follow a somewhat similar format for ease of understanding and uniformity.
Let us look at the most used format of notices.
1. Name of Issuing Organization/Authority: Right at the very top, you
print the name of the person or company that is issuing the said
notices. This will help the reader identify the notices as important or
unimportant to him.
2. Title: When writing notices we mention a title “NOTICE” at the top.
This helps draw attention to the document. Notices are generally
posted at a public place or published in newspapers. It is important
that they do not get lost in a sea of information. So a bold title clearly
mentioned helps draw the attention.
3. Date: After the tile to the left-hand side we print the date on which the
notices have been published. Since this is a formal document date is
an important aspect of it since these documents stay on record.
4. Heading: Then we move on to an appropriate heading to the notices.
This heading should make abundantly clear the purpose of the
notices.
5. Body: After the heading, we write the brief and to the point body of
the notice. The main content of the notice features in the body.
6. Writer’s Name: At the end of the notices we write the name and
designation of the notice-writer. The notices have to also be signed
by the same person to lend it authority and validity.
NAME OF THE ISSUING AGENCY/AUTHORITY

NOTICE
Date
Title/ Subject of the Event
Body
(Date/Time/Duration/Place/Venue)
Authorized Signatory
(Name, Designation and Signature)
Content
Notices should cover some important points that are to be communicated to

the readers. Let us summarize the five points that the content of the notice
will cover, the five W’s
1. What: What is the notice about? The notice should be clear about what
is going to happen (event), or what has already happened (occasion).
This is the crux of the message and should be written clearly. There
should not be any ambiguity.
2. Where: If the notice is about an event, then the location of such an
event must be written clearly. The venue or the location are important
details, so make sure to include this in the notice.
3. When: This is the time and the date of the event or meeting. If possible
the duration of the event should also be mentioned to people can
schedule their time accordingly.
4. Who: This will be who the notice is addressed to. Who all are suppose
to adhere to the notice should be clearly mentioned to avoid
confusion.
5. Whom: And final detail should be whom to contact or get in touch
with. This mentions who the appropriate authority is to contact.
Q:1 On the occasion of Diwali your housing society has planned a feast
for all its members. As the chairman of your society write a notice inviting
all the members of the society to this gathering. Provide all the necessary
details. You are Rahul Sharma.
Ans:
ABC Co-operative Housing Society

NOTICE
25th October 2017.
Diwali Gathering
On the auspicious occasion of Diwali, the Society has
organized a gathering followed by dinner. All members
of the society are requested to attend the event in the clubhouse of
the society at 8:00 pm on the 30th of
October.
Rahul Sharma
Chairman of ABC Co-operative Housing Society
Q: 2 Water supply will be suspended for eight hours (10 am to 6 pm) on 6th
of March for cleaning of the water tank. Write a notice in about 50 words
advising the residents to store water for a day. You are Karan Kumar/Karuna
Bajaj, Secretary, Janata Group Housing Society, Palam Vihar,
Kurnool.(CBSE 2016)
Answer:
Janata Group Housing Society, Palam Vihar, Kurnool.
NOTICE
March 01, 201X
ATTENTION!
This notice is to inform all the residents regarding

the suspension of water
supply for 8 hours. It is being done to clean the
water tank. The details are
as follows:
DATE- March 6
TIME- 10 am – 6 pm
Thus, It is a humble request to store the required

amount of water beforehand
to minimise the difficulty.
Karan Kumar/ Karuna Bajaj

(signature)
Secretary
Q: 3 You are Ruhi/Rahul, head girl/boy of ABC convent school. Your
school is going to organize an inter-school singing competition. Write a
notice for your school notice board inviting names of all the interested
students.
Answer:
ABC CONVENT SCHOOL
NOTICE
March 01,2019
INTER-SCHOOL SINGING COMPETITION
The school is organising an Inter-school Singing

Competition on March 19, 2019;
Tuesday at 12pm in the school auditorium. More than 20
schools from all over the city
will participate. Interested students may contact
the undersigned latest by March 10,
2019.
Ruhi/Rahul
Head girl/boy
Advertisement
Advertising is a type of communication whereby people promote or
persuade customers to utilize their services. There are two types of
advertisements:
1. Classified advertisements
2. Display advertisements (Commercial Advertisement)
Classified ads will be our subject in this article. Classified ads are
called CLASSIFIED ADS because they are CLASSIFIED into different
type of categories depending on their functions.
Classified advertisements
Classified advertisements are advertisements used by the general masses to

promote or use services. They are generally text-based ads where
newspaper agencies generally charge on the number of words used. So, you
can very well imagine that there is no place for precise English sentences
here and the only concern is to get things noticed with as minimum words
as possible.
Tips for writing Classified Advertisement
1. When you're writing an advertisement, every word counts. Being too

vague or wordy will cause people to skim your advertisement instead
of pausing to read it, so the same writing tenets apply no matter what
type of advertisement you're writing.
2. It should begin with a heading in bold or upper case letters.
3. The language should be according to the audience we are referring to.
For example- If you want to sell something to the youngsters, the
words chosen shall be good enough to attract them.
4. Do not use the same descriptive characteristics for every type of
advertisement. For example- In Situation Wanted case, calling for
receptionist applications, one must use words that are indicative of
the personality and communication skills you are looking for. On the
other hand, for hiring a tech executive, it is imperative you ask for
skills limited to the IT department.
5. Do not make full sentences. The prescribed limit is 50 words and in
order to make your advertisement loaded with information about the
topic, you have to manage your words carefully.
6. Always add contact details in the end either in the form of contact no.,
email id or both. They are generally given in the question.
7. Remember, nowhere in the answer you are required to mention your
own personal details.
8. It should always be in a box made with sharpened pencil.
9. It should be neat and clean with good presentation.
10. Practice a lot of advertisements because, “Practice makes the
man (or woman, for that matter) perfect” .
Word Limit
Classified ads should be very well covered in a range of around 50 words.

Marks will be deducted if the student jumps the word limit. So exercise
caution in this regard.
There are several type of classified ads, which are as follows:

1. Situation vacant
2. To-let
3. Sale and Purchase of Property/Vehicles/Goods
4. Education institutions promotion
5. Missing persons
6. Tour and Travels
Now let’s highlight what to include in each type of classified ad.
1. Situation Vacant types
1. Always begin with WANTED or REQUIRED

2. Name of the organization must be always present
3. Number of vacancies and the post for which advertised should be
clearly stated.
4. The age and gender of the candidate required.
5. Qualification and requisite experience needed for the post.
6. Pay scale, perks and also the mode of applying (E-mail, postal, etc)
7. Contact address and phone number for correspondence
EXAMPLE
SITUATION VACANT
WANTED a smart, confident P.A./Stenographer for a leading export house.
Qualification – graduate, age – 25-30 years. Typing speed 40 wpm, short
hand speed 100 wpm. Preference to those who can handle computer. Salary
negotiable. Apply with complete bio-data by 20th December to Secretary,
Orient Export House, T. Nagar, Delhi. PH: 011-21111111
2. To-Let ads
1. Begin with WANTED or AVAILABLE

2. Type of accommodation should be mentioned.
3. Rent expected
4. Give proximity to markets and also indicate whether it’s sun facing,
etc.
5. Contact address and phone number
EXAMPLE
ACCOMMODATION WANTED
Metals & Minerals Corp. of India needs suitable accommodation on rent to
be used as a guesthouse. Should be located in a posh area with excellent
facilities. Uninterrupted water & electricity. Nearby market must. Owners
please contact R. Lal, Executive Manager, PH: 01123333333.
3. Sale/Purchase of Property/Assets
1. Begin with FOR SALE/PURCHASE/WANTED
2. Brief physical description
1. a. Property – Number of floors, size, number of rooms,
location and surroundings.
b. Vehicles – Colour, model, accessories, year, modifications
(if any), price, mileage and condition.
c. Household goods – Condition, price offered or expected
EXAMPLES
FOR SALE
Mukherjee Nagar, DDA flat, ground floor, two bedrooms, car parking
available, park facing, best location, reasonable price, contact A. B. Singh
#9250556655
FOR SALE
Available Maruti 800, LX, year 1999, self-driven, sparingly used, scratch
less, a stereo, air-conditioned, beautiful upholstery, no expenses, contact C.
D. Kumar #9350556655
4. Educational institutions
1. Name of the institution

2. Past record
3. Courses offered and their durations
4. Eligibility criteria an details of admission test (if any)
5. Facilities and fee structure
6. Scholarship information
7. Last date for registration, etc
8. Contact address and phone number.
EXAMPLE
EDUCATIONAL INSTITUITION
IIFL announces the commencement of its courses in Japanese, French and
German. Duration – 3months. Eligibility – senior secondary. Excellent
faculty. Computerized training. Incentives for early birds. Send in your
applications by 1st June, 2012 or contact secretary #9350556655
5. Missing person
1. Brief physical description of the missing like height, complexion and

built.
2. Name, age and any health related issues about the missing person
3. Clothes, accessories or any other identifying features.
4. Tell about the place last seen
5. Details of reward if any
6. Contact address and Phone number
EXAMPLE
MISSING
GIRL MISSING,Priyanka Khanna, 12 years, 4’3” tall, fair, slim built,
wearing black t-shirt and blue jeans since 2.2.2012 from M. G. Road,
Gurgaon. Speaks Hindi and English. Informers will be suitably rewarded.
Inform M. G. Road Police station #98765432
6. Tours and travels
1. Begin with PACKAGE AVAILABLE

2. Name of the travel agency
3. Destination and duration
4. Price and special discounts, if any
5. Contact address and phone number
EXAMPLE
TRAVEL AND TOURS
Attractive package available for Mauritius. Three nights, four days.
Breakfast and dinner, stay at 3-star hotel, sight-seeing included. Rs. 9999
per person. Special discount for early bookings. Contact Star Travels,
9350556655
QUESTIONS:
Q1. You are General Manager, Hotel Dosa, Gurgaon. You need a lady
Front Office Assistant with sound knowledge of computers. She must be a
graduate and good in communication skills with pleasing manners. Draft an
advertisement in not more than 50 words to be published in Gurgaon Times.
Sol.
Situation Vacant
REQUIRED a female Front Office Assistant with sound knowledge of
computers in Hotel Dosa, Gurgaon. The candidate must be a graduate and
good in communication skills with pleasing manners. Experienced applicant
preferred. Salary negotiable. Interested candidates may submit their Bio-
data before 10th March,2013 at Hotel Dosa Reception. For further details
contact us at 0xx-xxxxxxxxxx
Q2. You have a three bedroom flat in Dwarka, which you want to let out on
rent. Draft an advertisement in not more than 50 words to be published in
'The Times of India', under classified columns. Contact 2758902.
Sol.
For Rent
AVAILABLE for rent a fully furnished, three bedroom flat in Dwarka. A
drawing hall and balconies on both sides. 24-hour water and electricity.
Parking facility also available. Nearest metro station just 1 km away. For
further details contact Mr. RK Sharma, contact number 0xx- 2758902
Q 3. CPR Senior Secondary School, Meerut is looking for a receptionist for

the school. Draft an advertisement in not more than 50 words to be published
in classified columns of 'Hindustan Times'. You are Romola Vij, Principal
of the school.
Sol.
Situation Vacant
REQUIRED a receptionist for CPR Sr. Sec. School. The applicant must
have knowledge of computers and good communication skills. Salary upto
Rs 12,000/-. Interested candidates may contact Mr. Ramola Vij, the
Principal of the school between 10AM to 1 PM, on 11th to 13th March,2012.
For details contact 011-xxxxxxxxx
Q 4. You are Mohan/Mohini, General Manager of PK Industries,

Hyderabad. You need an Accountant your company. Draft, in not more than
50 words, an advertisement to be published in 'The Hindu' classified
columns.
Sol.
Situation Vacant
REQUIRED an accontant at PK Industries, Hyderabad. The candidate must
have a degree in accounts and at-least two years working experience. Salary
upto Rs 20,000/-. Apply with your Bio-Data and 1 passport size photograph
ar PK Industries, 1-C-14 Sitapur, Hyderabad on or before 12th March, 2012
between 10AM to 2PM. Contact Mohit, General Manager, PK Industries.
Q 5. You are Ratan/Rani, General Manager of Hotel Green Park, Lucknow.

You need a receptionist for your hotel. Draft an advertisement in not more
than 50 words to be published in 'Hindustan Time Lucknow', calling for
applications.
Sol.
Situation Vacant
REQUIRED a female Receptionist at Hotel Green Park, Lucknow. The
candidate should be smart, expert in communication skills and must have
knowledge of computers. Salary negotiable. Contact Ratan, General
Manager, Hotel Green Park, Lucknow, 0xx-xxxxxxxxxx
Q 6. Write an advertisement in not more than 50 words for the Lost and
Found column of the daily `National Herald', Lucknow stating the loss of
your wallet containing a DD for Rs. 32500 and some cash, while traveling
by bus from Hazratganj to Nerala Nagar in Lucknow. You are
Raman/Roopa, 22 A Hazratganj, Lucknow.
Sol.
Situation Vacant
REQUIRED a female Receptionist at Hotel Green Park, Lucknow. The
candidate should be smart, expert in communication skills and must have
knowledge of computers. Salary negotiable. Contact Ratan, General
Manager, Hotel Green Park, Lucknow, 0xx-xxxxxxxxxx
Q 7. You want to rent out your newly constructed flat in the heart of the city.
Draft an advertisement in more than 50 words to be published in 'The
Deccan Herald', Bengaluru under classified column Give all the necessary
details. You are Mohan/Mahima of Jayanagar, Bengaluru.
Sol.
For Rent
AVAILABLE for rent a fully furnished, three bedroom flat located in the
heart of the city, Dwarika. A drawing hall and balconies on both sides. 24-
hour water and electricity. Parking facility also available. Nearest Railway
station just 1 km away. For further details contact Mr. Mohan, 1-4-C
Jayanagar, Bangaluru, contact number 0xx- xxxxxxxxxx
Q 8. You are General Manager of Ivry Software Solutions, Agra Cantt Agra.
You need a software engineer for your organization. Draft an advertisement
in not more than 50 words to be published in 'The Times of India' under the
classified columns.
Sol.
For Rent
AVAILABLE for rent a fully furnished, three bedroom flat located in the
heart of the city, Dwarika. A drawing hall and balconies on both sides. 24-
hour water and electricity. Parking facility also available. Nearest Railway
station just 1 km away. For further details contact Mr. Mohan, 1-4-C
Jayanagar, Bangaluru, contact number 0xx- xxxxxxxxxx
Q 9. You are General Manager of EVL company which requires Posh

bungalows on company base, as guest houses. Draft an advertisement in not
more than 50 words under classified columns to be published in 'The New
India Express'.
Sol.
Accommodation Required
REQUIRED a posh Bungalow for rent in the area of Pratap Nagar, Delhi to
be used as company guest house. Bungalow will be rented by EVL
company. Bungalow owner may contact Ashish, General Manager, EVL
Company, Surat Nagar, Delhi. Contact number 0xxxxxxxxxx.
Commercial Ads
On the other hand commercial or display advertisement is prepared by
leading manufacturers, establishments, organisations etc. for the publicity
and promotion of their products, services or some events.
Main characteristics
• It is designed for commercial purpose.

• It takes more space and is more expensive in terms of advertising cost.
• These are visually more attractive with varying font, shape and size.
• There are catchy slogans, punch lines with witty expression with
pictures or sketches.
•
Essential Details to Note
• Do not forget to mention the name of the company / institute /

organisers, etc.
• Mention the detail of the product / event / educational course etc.
• If there is any special discount.
• Mention the address of the company / institute / organisers, etc.
1. On behalf of M/S Success Tutorials, draft an advertisement to be

published in a newspaper to attract the attention of Class XII students who
dream of being successful professionals.
2. Draft an advertisement for South Indian restaurant in your area.
3. Draft an advertisement of an Electric showroom opening shortly. Give
necessary details
Answers:
Click for Answer 1
Click for Answer 2
Click for Answer 3
Invitation & Reply

Invitations form an important part of social dealings. An invitation is a
request to an individual to come or go somewhere, or to do something.
Invitations can be both formal as well as informal.
FORMAL INVITATIONS
Main Characteristics:
1. A formal invitation is normally a single sentence presentation in third

person.
2. Formal invitations are generally printed invitation cards. We use them
to invite guests on some auspicious occasion like birthdays,
weddings, inauguration of shops, houses, etc.
3. The invitation answers the questions who, whom, when, where, what
time and for what, i.e.,
1. the occasion
2. name(s) of the invitee
3. name(s) of the host
4. date, time and venue
4. The other details include name, designation and address of the
organiser, sponsor or host or the name(s) of the chief guest or special
invitees, in case of an official invitation.
5. Printed formal invitations don’t include the name of the addressee.
6. Invitations to VIP to preside over a function do carry the name of VIP
prominently.
7. Length as per CBSE guidelines is limited to 50 words.
Q 1: M/s Shyam Lal & Sons are opening a new general store ‘Galaxy
Novelties’ in Geetanjali Enclave, Dwarika, Delhi. The inauguration
ceremony is fixed for Sunday, the 19th of October 20XX at 11 a.m. Prepare
a draft of formal invitation letter for the purpose.
Answer:
Click for answer
Q 2: Your sister Nivedita is going to marry Akhilesh (S/o Mr & Mrs SM.
Joshi, Nainital) Your father Mr K.S. Bhardwaj has planned to hold the
wedding at Hotel Kunal, New Delhi on 25 May 20XX at 8 p.m. Write a
formal invitation on behalf of Mr & Mrs K.S. Bhardwaj inviting guests to
the auspicious occasion. Give other details. Do not exceed 50 words.
Answer:
Click for answer
Q 3: You are the Principal of Zodiac Senior Secondary School, Ooty. The
school has completed 25 years of its meritorious services to the society. The
Silver Jubilee Celebrations are to be held on Sunday, the 26th October,
20XX. Mrs M. Kamath, the founder Principal will preside. Draft a suitable
invitation to be sent to important dignitaries of the city and the parents of
students.
Answer:
Click for answer
INFORMAL INVITATIONS
Main Characteristics:
Informal invitations are ordinary personal letters. These letters are written
to relatives, friends and acquaintances.
1. These letters are first/second person presentations.
2. Personal feelings and emotions find an expression.
3. The writer’s address is given in the usual place.
4. The salutation is usually “Dear’ plus “Name’.
5. The date of writing is given, but the year is generally omitted.
6. The style and tone are relaxed and informal.
7. Different tenses are used as the sense demands.
8. The complimentary close is: Yours sincerely’.
Q 1: Rahul has got success in CBSE-PMT. He wants to celebrate his

admission to B J Medical College,Ahmedabad by throwing a party to his
friends. Write an informal invitation giving details of venue, time and date.
Do not exceed 50 words.
Answer:
33/427 D Cabin
Ahmedabad
15 July 20XX
Dear Varun
You will be glad to learn that I have secured 80th rank in the CBSE-PMT
competition. I have got admission in a prestigious institution – B J Medical
College,Ahmedabad. I want to share a few happy moments of my life in the
company of my old Mends at a dinner in the Hotel Kanishka at 9.00 p.m. on
23 July, 20XX.
Please join the celebrations and merry-making.
Yours sincerely
Rahul
Q 2: You are Aruna Verma. The wedding of your elder sister Vina is going
to be held on the 15th March, 20XX at Hotel Lake View, Ahmedabad. Write
out an informal invitation to your friend Vinita requesting her to attend the
function.
Answer:
4357, Vasant Kunj

Rajpur
Ahmedabad
1 March, 20XX
Dear Vinita,
You will be pleased to know that the wedding of my elder sister Vina is
going to be held on the 15th March, 20XX at Hotel Lake View, Ahmedabad.
The whole family will move there in the morning. I invite you to join us at
lunch in the hotel on the 15th. The wedding ceremony will take place at 8
in the evening.
I do hope you will join us on the auspicious occasion.
Yours sincerely
Aruna
Q 3: You are Anjali Sharma. Your friend from Malaysia is staying in the
hostel. Invite him to join Diwali celebrations with you at your residence.
Answer:
315/2 Raja Apartment
New Delhi
25 October, 20XX
Dear Surya
You know that Diwali, the festival of lights, is approaching. It gives me
great pleasure to invite you to Diwali celebrations at my residence. We shall
have great fun.
Do join us for the ‘Puja’ and Diwali celebrations.
Yours sincerely
Anjali Sharma
WRITING REPLIES
(RESPONDING TO FORMAL AND INFORMAL INVITATIONS)
A formal reply is short,. brief and to the point. It must always be pleasant.
Even while declining the invitation or expressing inability to attend one
must be polite and courteous. Formal replies demand a formal tone and
treatment. There is no room for unnecessary details. An informal reply or
private letter may, however, express personal feelings or desires in an
intimate style and informal tone.
Main characteristics:
(a) Formal Replies
• Acknowledge the invitation.

• Express thanks in third person.
• Mention acceptance/regret.
• Specify the reason for refusal.
• Be brief and specific.
• Be formal in tone and treatment.
• Do not exceed the word limit (usually 50 words).
(b) Informal Replies

• Acknowledge the invitation in first person.
• Use second person for the sender of invitation.
• Mention acceptance/regret.
• Specify the reason in case of refusal.
• Use warm and simple language.
• Do not exceed the word limit (usually 50 words).
FORMAL REPLIES
Q 1: Draft a formal reply accepting an invitation to be present on the

occasion of the wedding of Arun S/o Mr & Mrs Ram of 24, Green Park
Road, Vadodara. You are Vishal Gujjar of Rani Ki Mandi, Agra.
Answer:
5 May, 20XX
Mr and Mrs Vishal Gujjar thank Mr And Mrs Ram for inviting them on the
occasion of the wedding of their son Arun at 24, Green Park Road,
Vadodara on 15 May, 20XX and assure them that they will be present on
the occasion to wish the newly weds a very happy married life. Mr and Mrs
Gujjar will reach Kanpur by the Agra Mail which leaves Agra at 8.00 a.m.
Vishal Gujjar
Q 2: Write a formal reply expressing your inability to attend the birthday

celebrations of your friend Suresh Magarwadiya of B/6, Vivekananda Marg,
Mehsana. You are Dipak Viashnav.
Answer:
Mr and Mrs Dipak Vaishnav wish to thank Mr & Mrs Suresh Magarwadiya
for extending an invitation to the birthday celebrations of their son Aadi at
their residence 1235, Vivekananda Marg, Mehsana on 20 March, 20XX and
wish the young boy many happy returns of the day but regret their inability
to be present personally on account of some previous engagements.
Dipak Viashnav
16 March, 20XX
Q 3: You are Dr A P Bhalla. You have received an invitation from the

Director, Health Services, Maharashtra, who has invited leading medical
practitioners of the state to attend a workshop on ‘child care’ on 20 May,
20XX at 10 a.m. in Civil Hospital, Pune. Respond to the invitation.
Answer:
Dr A P Bhalla has a great pleasure in receiving the invitation from the

Director, Health Services, Maharashtra to attend a workshop on ‘Child
Care’ on 20 May, 20XX at 10 a.m. in Civil Hospital Pune.
She confirms her presence with thanks.
A P Bhalla
16 March, 20XX
Q 4: You are Namrata/Yogesh. You have been invited to participate in a

seminar on ‘Fundamental Rights of Children’, organised by the Lions Club
of your district. Respond to the invitation by writing a letter to the Secretary
of the club.
Answer:
25, T B Road
Mehsana
5 May, 20XX
The Secretary
Lions Club, Mehsana
Sir
Sub: Acceptance of Invitation

Thanks for your invitation for a seminar on ‘Fundamental Rights of
Children’, and your concern for the under-privileged children. I would like
to utilise this opportunity to share my experiences with other like-minded
enthusiasts and experts.
I hereby confirm my participation in the seminar.
Yours sincerely
Namrata/Yogesh
Or
Sir
Sub: Inability to accept the invitation
Thank you very much for inviting me to participate in a seminar on
‘Fundamental Rights of Children’. I feel honoured and obliged. However, I
shall not be able to accept your invitation due to some previous
commitments which keep me confined to my place on that day.
Thanking you once again for your kind invitation.
Yours sincerely
Namrata/Yogesh
INFORMAL REPLIES
Q 1: You are Satyavrat/Suresh. You have been invited to attend the wedding
of your friend’s sister during summer vacation. Respond to the invitation,
regretting your inability to attend it.
Answer:
205, Vasant Kunj

Palanpur
4 March, 20XX
Dear Neha
Thank you for your cordial invitation on the occasion of your sister’s
wedding. I, however, regret my inability to be with you on this happy
occasion as we shall be leaving for Singapore for summer holidays on 1
May, 20XX. Please excuse my absence. Do convey my regards and best
wishes to the couple.
Yours sincerely
Satyavrat/Suresh
Q 2: You are Manoj /Mini. You have been invited to attend a birthday party
of your closest friend. Respond to this invitation.
Answer:
2 Kedar Flats
Surya Vihar, Ahmedabad
15 March, 20XX
Dear Sahil
I have received your invitation for your birthday party on 25 March, 20XX
at 5 p.m. at Hotel Janpath. I am extremely happy to know that all our old
friends are likely to be there.
I would like to confirm my participation.
Looking forward to the momentous occasion.
With love.
Manoj/Mini
Or
Dear Sahil
I acknowledge with thanks your kind invitation to your birthday party on
the 25th March. I regret to inform you that I will not be able to join you in
the celebrations due to some very urgent and unavoidable prior
engagements that may keep me tied down here on that day.
Please accept my heartiest felicitations and love.
Kindly accept a small gift that I am sending through courier.
Wishing you a very happy birthday.
Yours sincerely
Manoj /Mini
For Practice
1. You have received an invitation from the Manager, Rotary Club,

Mehsana to attend the Premiere of the play called ‘Desh Ki Pukar’.
Write a letter of regret giving at least three reasons for your not being
able to attend the programme.
2. You are Naresh/Madhu. You have been invited by the The
Budding Artists Club of your locality to give a dance performance
on the occasion of its Silver Jubilee Celebrations. Respond to the
invitation.
3. You are the President, Literary Society of your school. You had
requested the famous writer Chetan Bhagat to inaugurate the
Society’s Talent Search Function. Mr Bhagat has consented for the
same. Draft an invitation card.
4. You are the Principal of KV No 1 Shahibaug. Write an invitation to
the parents and other important persons of the city to grace the annual
function of the school. Sh. Kirit Chauhan, Education Commissioner
has agreed to be the chief guest.
5. Write out a suitable invitation to be sent to the parents of all students
inviting them on the Parents’ Day. You are Principal of Divine Child
School,Surat.
6. You are the sports secretary of the Sports Club of Hind Swaraj School,
Rajkot. Invite the famous cricketer Sachin Tendulkar to inaugurate
the new cricket complex recently built by the school.
Letter-Writing
Letter-Writing is an essential channel of communication between people
who are geographically distant from one another. In earlier times, when the
telephone and email were not available, the only means of communication
between people was through letters. It is a skill that has to be developed.
In general, there are two types of letters: formal, that are written to convey
official business and information and informal, which are personal letters to
communicate with friends and family.
Formal Letters
Let us now examine some of the steps in writing formal letters.

1. (i) Introducing oneself if it is the first time you are writing
(ii) Referring to an earlier letter if you are responding to it.
2. Stating the purpose of the letter
3. (i) Stating action/information required from the addressee
(ii) Explaining action taken/supplying information
4. (i) Urging action to be taken
(ii) Offering assistance in future
This is the basic structure of a letter. It has to be modified according to the
purpose for which it is written, and the person to whom it is addressed.
When you write a letter, you should keep in mind the following points.
1. Purpose
2. Person to whom it is addressed
3. The tone you should adopt
4. Completeness of the message
5. Action required
6. Conciseness of expression
A letter has a typical format:
1. Name and address of the sender –

2. Name and address of the addressee
3. Date
4. Mode of address or salutation
(i) Dear Sir/Madam (when you are writing to a total stranger whom you do
not know at all).
(ii) Dear Mr/Ms/Dr/Professor + Surname as in Dear Dr Sinha, (when it is
a formal relationship with the addressee and the writer does not know him
or her personally).
(iii) Dear Sujata (when the writer knows the addressee personally, and the
two share a semi-formal relationship).
5. Reference to previous correspondence, if any. Most official letters carry
a subject line just above the salutation. This is for quick reference to the
subject.
6. Content of letter – The content of the letter begins on the next line and is
arranged in two or three paragraphs.
7. Complimentary close and signature – Letters usually end politely with the
following phrases: Thank you, With regards, With best wishes, Hope to see
you soon, Hope to receive an early reply etc. The complimentary close is
followed by ‘Yours sincerely/ Yours truly’, and the writer’s signature in the
next line.
GUIDELINES
Writing Good Business/Official Letters
1. Be brief, clear, concise and to the point.

2. Use a proper layout/format for these formal letters. The layout may be in
block format or indented format (as in informal letters).
3. Use of punctuation marks is adopted in the indented form but it is
dispensed with in the block format.
4. Do not mix the two formats. It would be better for you to practise and
follow the block format which is in vogue after introduction of computers.
5. Convey facts briefly but impressively. Indicate the theme in the initial
para of the body of the letter. Develop your points in the middle paragraph
and conclude/give suggestions in the final part of the body of the letter.
6. Use simple and direct language. Avoid the use of long and high sounding
words and ambiguous constructions.
7. Be courteous. Even while lodging a complaint or criticising, you should
be polite and charming.
8. Remember the following points about block format:
1. There is no indentation.
2. Each block begins with the margin on left hand side.
3. Extra space should be left between different sections and paragraphs.
4. Omit punctuation marks in address, date or salutation. In case you put
a comma in the address, use it throughout. Do not mix the two
systems.
9 . Golden Rule: Always use
(a) suitable format
(b) well-organised content
(c) appropriate language
Study the formats given below, observe their use in solved examples and
adopt them in the exercises given for practice:
LETTERS TO THE EDITOR AND LETTERS TO SCHOOL/COLLEGE

AUTHORITIES
(i) FORMAT
Sender’s
Address……………………………………………………………………
………
………………………………………………………………………………
……………………….
Pin …………………………………………………………………………
………………………
Date…………………………………………………………………………
…………………….
Address of the addressee
………………………………………………………………………………
……………………….
………………………………………………………………………………
……………………….
Pin …………………………………………………………………………
………………………
Subject ……………………………………………………………………
……………………..
Sir,
Introductory Para
………………………………………………………………………………
………………………………………….
………………………………………………………………………………
…………………………………………..
Main body of the letter
………………………………………………………………………………
……………………………………………….
………………………………………………………………………………
……………………………………………….
Concluding Para
………………………………………………………………………………
……………………………………………….
………………………………………………………………………………
……………………………………………….
(Complimentary close)
Yours faithfully
Signature
(Sender’s Name)
Designation (if needed)
APPLICATION FOR JOB
The application for a job may be written with or without a bio-data. In case
it is written without a bio-data, the main body of the letter should contain
the following information :
1. Personal information, e.g. age, health, sex etc.
2. Educational / professional qualifications
3. Experience / suitability for the job.
The format is the same as that of an official letter.
WHAT IS C.V. / BIO-DATA?
The application for a job is sometimes accompanied by a Bio-data of the

applicant. The Bio-data is also called resume or curriculum-vitae (C.V.). It
contains full information about the candidate pertaining to the job
requirement.
The letter with bio-data will have the bio-data as an enclosure. The relevant
information will be included under the heading ‘Bio-Data’. The covering
letter will be a formal official letter having the same kind of format,
language and style. The following features must be mentioned in the bio-
data:
BIO-DATA
1. Name in full
………………………………………………………………………………
…..
2. Father’s
Name………………………………………………………………………
……….
3. Date of
Birth…………………………………………………………………………
………..
4.
Age…………………………………………………………………………
………………………
5. Permanent Address
………………………………………………………………………………
……………………………………………………….
Telephone Number (if
any)…………………………………………………………………………
………………………………………………………………
6. Educational Qualifications
1. Secondary : School attended, course, examination passed, grades
obtained.
2. Tertiary : College, university, exam., division.
3. Technical/Professional : Degree or Diploma obtained : institution /
university
4. Any other
7. Experience (Name of institution, position held, nature of duties,
duration)
1. ………………………………………………………………………
………………………………………………
2. ………………………………………………………………………
………………………………………………..
3. ………………………………………………………………………
……………………………………………..
8. Present Employment
1. Organisation…………………………………………………………
……………………………………………………..
2. Position………………………………………………………………
………………………………………………………..
3. Salary
drawn………………………………………………………………
………………………………………………..
9. References (Name, designation, official address)
1. ………………………………………………………………………
………………………………………..
2. ………………………………………………………………………
……………………………………………
10. Testimonials from (Name, designation, official address)
1. ………………………………………………………………………
………………………………………………..
2. ………………………………………………………………………
……………………………………………
3. ………………………………………………………………………
…………………………………………….
FORMAT
Marks may be deducted for not using proper layout. Layout should include
date, receiver’s designation and address, salutation, subject, complimentary
close and designation of writer.
However, no marks are awarded for format alone if there is no content or if
the content is wrong.
CONTENT
It includes your creativity in presenting ideas which are relevant to the topic
of the letter. The content of the letter must be well-organised to ensure
clarity and effective communication. The content is divided into three main
parts:
1. Introductory part
2. Main part
3. Concluding remarks
o The introductory paragraph introduces the theme.
o The main part deals with the problem/issue. It is the real
content of the letter.
o The closing part of the body gives conclusions or offers
suggestions.
Some Tips:
— Be brief and to the point
— Mention specific issues only
— Tone : polite but formal
4. In letters to editors state the problem clearly. Try to present both sides
of the picture. In case of a discursive topic or one requiring
argumentative presentation, give the pros and cons of the situation.
Always offer useful suggestions to overcome the problem.
EXPRESSION
(a) Fluency is your ability to present your ideas in a coherent and organised
way. Before answering in the ‘fair’, you must prepare a rough draft and jot
down your ideas. You may follow the process detailed below:
• Think about the letter/topic.
• Collect all the ideas and put them down roughly.
• Organise the ideas by putting common ideas together.
• Arrange them sequentially.
• End on a positive note.
(b) Accuracy involves grammatical correctness as well as structuring of
sentences. Your effort should not be to use complex, long and unwieldy
sentences, but to present your content in simple, straightforward language.
Note the following points about the use of language:
(a) Business/Official Letters :

1. simple and direct
2. formal tone
3. straightforward manner
(b) Letters to Editors :
1. greater flexibility
2. suitable to subject/content
3. formal, direct and pointed
Example
Making Inquiry
You are Shakti Parmar, the Sports Secretary of your school. Write a letter
to A B C Sports, Mehsana, a leading firm dealing in sports goods, requesting
them to supply their trade catalogue. You may mention the items you intend
to buy and ask for a discount on the catalogue prices.
Answer:
ABN School
Mehsana
10 March 20XX
M/S ABC Sports
F-4, Greater Kailash-II
Mehsana
Sub : Trade Catalogue for Sports Goods
Dear Sirs,
We have to buy sports material in bulk for various games and sports for our
school for the new academic session beginning w.e.f. 1st April.
We are interested in cricket bats and balls, hockey sticks, balls, goalkeeper’s
full kit, footballs, volleyballs, basket balls, table tennis balls and bats etc.
We also need items for uniform namely, sports T-shirts, shorts and vests of
different sizes.
Your firm has been mentioned to us as one of the best dealers in sports
goods.
I shall be glad if you send me your catalogue together with quotations for
large quantities. Please do mention the time required to effect delivery and
the terms of payment.
I hope you will facilitate business by quoting the lowest possible rates. I am
confident that you will patronise us by giving some discount also. Please
mention the rate of discount on the catalogue prices.
Yours faithfully,
Shakti Parmar
Sports Secretary
Write a letter to the Manager, Sahara International. Mehsana, to find out the
rates for conducting the wedding reception of your sister on their lawns,
enquiring specifically about the catering cost per head, service and
decoration charges and advance to be paid. You are Shashi/Sahil of
Mehsana.
Answer:
23 Fort Road
Mehsana
15 November 20XX
The Manager
Sahara International
Mehsana
Sub : Enquiry regarding expenses for Wedding Reception
Dear Sir,
Kindly let me know whether your lawns would be available on the evening
of 7th December to hold the wedding reception of my sister. In case space
is available, please enlighten me regarding the following :
1. catering cost per head (Menu no. 3)
2. service charges
3. decoration charges
4. advance amount to be paid.
Please send me point-wise specific reply at the address given above.
Looking forward to an early reply.
Yours sincerely,
Shashi/Sahil
PLACING ORDERS
As librarian, Model Secondary School, Gandhi Nagar, write a letter to M/s

Sohanlal & Bros., Booksellers, Ahmedabad, placing an order for books
(Mention at least 4 titles of the books) to be supplied immediately.
Answer:
The Librarian
Model Secondary School
Gandhi Nagar
29 July 20XX
M/s Sohanlal & Brothers Booksellers
Ahmedabad
Sub: Order for Books
Dear Sir,
Kindly arrange to supply at your earliest convenience the following books
for our school library at the discount rates approved for the year 20XX-
20XX.
1. Advance Learner’s Dictionary of Current English 5 copies
Honey Bee — OUP
2. Elementary Algebra — Dave & David 10 copies
Macmillan
3. Applied English Grammar — M.M. Sharma 10 copies
4. Secondary Physics — S.C. Jain 5 copies
Before despatching the books please ensure that only the latest editions are
being supplied and the books are not soiled or dirty. Also check that
each book has full pages and there is neither duplication of pages nor
insufficiency.
Payment will be released after approval by the library committee.
Yours faithfully,
S S Shrimali
Librarian
Letter of Complaint
Lalit Kumar Shanu of Baroda has purchased a Frost-free B.L.P. refrigerator

of 265 litres from ‘Life Style’, Civil Lines, Baroda. After a month of
purchase, the freezing section of the refrigerator has failed to function. Write
a letter to the Sales Manager of the firm complaining about it and requesting
for the piece to be replaced, since there is a two year warranty.
Answer:
26 Ahmedabad Road
Baroda
15 June 20XX
The Sales Manager
‘Life Style’
Civil Lines
Baroda
Sub : Replacement of 265 litres B.L.P. Refrigerator
Sir,
We purchased a frost-free B.L.P. Refrigerator of 265 litres from you about
six months back, vide your Receipt No. C-1265 dated 10 January, 20XX.
You provided us a warranty letter for two years against any technical fault.
Having used it for about a month, we now find that the freezing section of
the refrigerator is not working properly. We are unable to get even a single
eatable fresh when kept in it. The summer season is in full swing and we are
feeling great inconvenience due to our defective refrigerator.
Under these circumstances, it is requested that the defective refrigerator may
please be replaced at your earliest in order to stop further inconvenience to
us. It will be appreciated if the new set is installed after proper testing.
Thanking you.
Yours faithfully,
Lalit Kumar Shanu
You are Akhar/Amina. Summer months are difficult time for the people,
especially people in the big cities because of the acute shortage of water.
Write a letter to the Municipal Commissioner to make arrangements to store
rain water and utilise it. Also give suggestions to him to create awareness
among the people to save water.
Answer:
A-74, Vasant Vihar
New Delhi
15 June 20XX
The Municipal Commissioner
Delhi Municipal Corporation
Sham Nath Marg
Delhi
Sub : Arrangements to Store Rain Water
Sir,
The residents of Vasant Vihar have faced an acute shortage of water during
summer season. This year was exceptionally hot and a lot of water was
needed for quenching thirst, bathing, cooking and other basic household
needs like washing clothes, utensils etc. The shortage of water caused a lot
of problems and turned people’s life to a virtual hell.
The rainy season is at hand. You are requested to make arrangements to
store rain water and utilise it during the lean periods of water supply.
Moreover, awareness should be created among the people, by distributing
pamphlets, advertisements in
newspaper, T.V. etc. to save water. Practical demonstrations of ‘Rain
Harvesting1 will prove an educative step. Posters on Water is Precious’ and
‘Water is Life’ may be displayed at important places.
I hope my suggestions will find favour with you.
Yours faithfully,
Akbar
Job Application
Unnati Public School, Surat, urgently requires a post-graduate teacher to

teach political science for which they have placed an advertisement in The
Indian Express. You are Sanjay/Sanjana Sharma from 21, Vasant Marg,
Surat. Draft a letter including a CV, applying for the advertised post.(120 –
150 words)
Answer:
21, Vasant Marg
Surat
01 March, 20XX
The Principal
Unnati Public School
Surat
Subject- Application for the post of a post-graduate teacher
Sir/Madam
In response to your advertisement in The Indian Express, dated February
25, 20XX for the post of a
political science teacher in your renowned school, I wish to offer my
candidature.
I am enclosing a copy of my bio-data for your perusal and kind
consideration.
I am available for the interview on any day of your convenience. If given a
chance to serve you, I
assure you that I shall work with utmost sincerity and dedication up to your
satisfaction.
Thank you
Yours faithfully
Sanjay/Sanjana Sharma
Encl.: Bio-data
BIO- DATA
NAME- Sanjay/Sanjana Sharma

FATHER’s NAME- Mithun Sharma
DATE OF BIRTH- 25 July, 1984
ADDRESS- 21, Vasant Marg, Surat
PHONE-98100XXXXX
E-MAIL- [email protected]
MARITAL STATUS- single
AGE- 28 years
NATIONALITY- Indian
ACADEMIC QUALIFICATIONS-
i. B.A. in Political Science
ii. M.A. Political Science
iii. B. Ed
HOBBIES- Trekking and reading
STRENGTHS- Good communication skills, computer literate, proficient in
English, Hindi and German
NAMES AND ADDRESSES OF REFERENCES-
i) Mr. Vijay Mathur, Principal
D.A.V. School, Gurudwara Rd., Ahmedabad
ii) Mr. Satish Arya
Head of Commerce Department
Gujarat University, Ahmedabad
Informal Letters
These are the letters written to friends, relatives and any associate with
whom we share a friendly and close relationship. These can be written
according to one’s style and convenience. The general structure followed in
any informal letter is writing the name of the sender and the name of the
person addressed to, the body of the letter and then closing salutations. The
greetings and salutations can be based on the kind of relationship you share.
You are Kamal / Krishna. Write a letter to your friend describing your
boarding school in about 120-150 words.
Answer:
B-32, sector-11
Gandhi Nagar
April 15, 2020
Dear Mira
How have you been? I hope my letter finds you in best of health and spirits.
It has been almost a month I transferred to the boarding school. I am very
happy in my new school. The classes and dormitories are very spacious.
There are well equipped science laboratories and a library with a great
collection of books. The school has amazing sports facilities such as
swimming pool, horse riding track and archery range.
I believe my life here will be interesting and enjoyable. Although I have
made many new friends, I still miss you and the other friends. Please, pay
my regards to your parents.
Yours sincerely
Kamal / Krishna
Write a letter to your friend Rajan inviting him to spend the summer
vacation at your place in Ahmedabad. You are Soham / Sarala. Do not
exceed 120-150 words.
Answer:
129, Navyug Apartments
Pitampura
Ahmedabad
March 01, 2010
Dear Rajan
It’s been a while since I’ve heard from you. Where have you been? I hope
this letter finds you in the best of your health.
As summers are approaching, I was thinking if we could spend the summer
break together at my place in Mumbai. I will introduce you to all my friends
and close relatives. I will give you a city tour as well. We will spend some
quality time in the afternoons near the sea shore. To add cherry on the cake,
the weather here is very pleasant during those days due to sea winds.
I am excited even at the thought of you and I spending the summer together
after so long. I have to tell you a lot of things and expect the same from you.
Give my regards to aunty and uncle!
Hope to see you soon.
Yours lovingly
Soham / Sarala
Article Writing
Article Writing is usually considered as one of the easy and popular write-
ups. However, if not framed rightly it can come out as a bad attempt.
Students may be asked to write a composition based on a verbal/visual
output (in about 150-200 words). Output may be descriptive or
argumentative in nature. It shall be in the form of an article for a newspaper
or a school magazine. The ‘Verbal input’ may include broad hints, a short
outline or only a suggested beginning. The ‘Visual input’ may be in the form
of a figure, a diagram, a chart or a cartoon. The aim of inserting an input is
two-fold:
1. to lay down a general outline for the development of the article, and
2. to discourage cramming. The students are expected to express their
own views or ideas on a particular topic or issue in their own
language.
Format of an Article
The format of an article is divided into 3 parts and they are listed below:
• Part 1 – Heading
• Part 2 – Byline
• Part 3 – Body
Part 1 – Heading – The heading of the article should be engaging and it

should not exceed more than 5 to 6 words. Make sure your heading doesn’t
have any spelling mistakes or grammar errors. Don’t use unnecessary
punctuation marks in the heading. Heading carries 1 mark in Article
Writing.
Part 2 – Byline – Byline is nothing but the name of the person who is writing
the article. The name of the person will be generally given in the question
paper itself. If the name of the person is not given in the article, then write
details on your own.
Tip – Candidates are not supposed to mention any of their personal details
while attempting the answers in the exam.
Part 3 – Body
The body is the main part of article writing which carries more weightage
of marks. Generally, the body of the article consist of at least 3 to 4
paragraphs.
Paragraph 1 – Paragraph 1 is the introduction paragraph. Paragraph 1 should
be accurate. Precisely explain what the article is talking about. Try giving
some quotations or frightful facts to excite the interest of the readers. Keep
the language simple.
Paragraph 2 & 3– Paragraph 2 and 3 must come with a complete analysis of
the subject matter in question. Paragraph 2 & 3 must include the following
factors:
• Types – Here the writer must analyze and explain what are the
different types of problems that are existing. If any type of problem
exists, they should mention here.
• Current Scenario – Here the writer must explain the current situation
of the problem. What are the actions taken to correct them. This may
include advantages or disadvantages of the problem etc.,
• Cause and Effect Relationship – Develop the cause and effect
relationship by supporting it with facts or data. Here writer may also
write the consequences.
Paragraph 3 & 4 – Paragraph 3 or 4 is commonly known as the conclusion
paragraph. It is important to conclude the article what you’ve started. Never
leave an article open-ended. The conclusion paragraph should speak about
the problems raised and what are actions taken for the betterment of the
problem. Paragraph 3 & 4 should be simple and precise.
While writing an article keep the following points in mind:
1. Study carefully the hints/points given in the ‘Verbal input’.

2. Arrange the hints given in the order you want to develop them for the
article.
3. You may have some new ideas or views about the issue. Note down
your ideas. Organise them properly.
4. Coordinate your ideas with the given hints. Now arrange them in a
logical order.
5. Put your ideas under different main headings.
6. Now add sub-points to the main point.
7. Develop each point in a systematic or logical manner.
8. Substantiate your argument if you are writing on a debatable point.
9. Introduce the topic, main idea or main issue in the first few sentences.
10. Your article must end with your conclusion on the topic or issue.
Example
By 2050, India will be amongst the countries which will face acute water
shortage. You are highly alarmed and terrified of the future world without
water. So, write an article on “Save water- are we doing enough?” for the
local daily in 150-200 words. (SOURCE- SAMPLE QUESTION PAPER
2018-19)
Answer:
SAVE WATER- ARE WE DOING ENOUGH?
(By – XXX)
Paragraph 1 –
Many people are living with less water than they need, whether in the
world's most prosperous cities or in its bountiful agricultural heartlands.
Droughts have also become more frequent, more severe, and affecting more
people around the world. As many as four billion people already live in
regions that experience severe water stress for at least one month of the year.
With populations rising, these stresses will only mount.
Paragraph 2 –
Water is the precious gift of God on earth. Life exists on earth because of
the availability of water. Itself being tasteless, odourless and colourless, it
adds taste, colour and nice smell in the life of living beings on the Earth.
Paragraph 3 –
Here are different methods we can follow to save clean drinking water and
deal with the water scarcity. Rainwater harvesting is one of the most
effective and suitable method among save water techniques.
Conclusion –
Aforestation is also a good method as it reduces surface runoff and recharges
the groundwater. It promotes underground water conservation. By
practising such methods we can conserve more water naturally and ensure
the availability of it for future generations. We should take a pledge and
make it a lifelong motto to preserve water because, “If you conserve water,
it means you conserve life.”
Questions for practice

1. Dipak Viashnav, the president of youth forum of his colony, attends a
seminar on rampant corruption in social and political life in India. He
decides to write an article on the ‘Role of Youth in Combatting Corruption’.
Write his article in not more than 200 words.
2. One day the Value Education Club of your school organised a visit to
the ‘Home for the Lepers’ in your town. There you got the opportunity of
knowing the feelings and problems of the lepers from a close angle. Write
an article for ‘The Herald’ on the problems of the lepers and the role of the
society and the government in solving them.
3. Mrs. Shashi Singh of Jesalmer, Rajasthan feels disturbed to see that in

spite of all possible help from government and voluntary organisations, the
victims of drought in Barmer and other drought affected areas are not
getting sufficient food, water and medicines. She being extremely sensitive
decides to write an article on the need of immediate help to these persons
for publication in The Jaipur Times. Write the article in not more than 200
words.
4. Madhura Thakkar is a social worker. She thinks that all progress and
advancement of the nation is being neutralised by population explosion.
She writes an article for the Indian Express, Ahmedabad, expressing her
concern about the alarming growth of population and suggesting some
concrete steps to check it. Write this article in about 200 words.
REPORT WRITING
Report writing is an attempt to gather information about an event, incident
or accident from the persons concerned, the parties involved, the victims
and authorities. The third person point of view ensures objectivity in report.
A few Tips
The general kinds of reports are--

1. Reporting for a newspaper
2. Reporting for a magazine
3. Reporting in the assembly
The format
1.For newspaper:
Heading, By-line, Place, date, and responses to the questions what, where,
when, who, how
2.For School magazine:
Heading, By-line and responses to the questions what, where, when, who,
how (if it is a description of event)
3. For reporting in the assembly:
Salutation, self introduction and the responses to the questions what, where,
who, when and how
Examples:
“Science holds India’s future” – Kalam

(by Nilesh)
Delhi, Dec 10. It is science that holds the destiny of India’s future says Dr.
A.P. J. Abdul Kalam.
Inaugurating a science exhibition in one of the schools here, Dr. Kalam said
that students will have to study science for its own sake and not for
becoming a doctor or an engineer. “The development of the country much
depends on the Scientists who could help solve problems faced by the nation
in different fields” The dream of every citizen to see India as a super power
will soon be fulfilled if the students’ energy and enthusiasm are properly
channelised.
The exhibition was organized under the aegis of Lion’ Club of Agra. Earlier
during the day, he visited an orphanage and spoke to the children for over
an hour and lunched with them
Exhibition inaugurated
(by Savan)
Ahmedabad, July 10. - A grand ten-day science exhibition was inaugurated
at Kendriya Vidyalaya No 1 Shahibaug here yesterday. Forty Five schools
from different parts of the state are participating in the exhibition. The theme
of the exhibition is “Water Conservation”. “We hope this exhibition focuses
on the need of the hour” said Dr. Natarajan, the convener of this exhibition.
Inaugurating the exhibition Mr. Justice Chauhan (IRS) stressed on the need
of students’ participation in creating social awareness on vital issues. Mr.
Feroz Khan, the Principal had made arrangements for the exhibition.
Reporting for school Magazine:
TREKKING CAMP OF OUR NCC STUDENTS

Reported by- Akash Troop Captain
Forty students of our school NCC unit guided by Mr. Kiran Makwana,
Programme Officer went on a ten-day trekking camp to Forests of Gir
during summer holidays. We set out from our school campus on 10th of
May in a specially arranged bus. We went up to the edge of the forest in the
bus. We started walking from there with the essential things packed in our
hold-all. We reached the wild areas of the forest by evening. We raised our
tent in convenient places near a River . We prepared our dinner, dined in
the moonlight and had a comfortable sleep. For the next 8 days we trekked
around the near by hills. It was a wonderful outdoor experience for the
students. We returned to campus safely on 22nd of May.
HEALTH CAMP AT PARARAPATTI

(By Prakash)
Unjha, March 15, 750 people were benefited in the one-day medical camp
organized jointly by the Lions Club and Apollo Hospitals, Ahmedabad. 50
Doctors with an equal number of Paramedical staff went to Bhandu Village,
12 km from here. The village had recently been affected by Malaria. The
state health department had conducted a similar medical camp ten days ago.
Speaking to the press persons the head of the medical team Dr. Palak said
the lack of basic amenities could be one possible reason for the outburst. He
also said that his medical team would conduct a similar medical camp after
a fortnight.Lt. Dr. Sadanand Yadav, Chairman of the Unjha Chapter of the
Lions’ Club had made elaborate arrangements for the camp.
CAREER COUNSELLING
(by Naresh)
Gandhi Nagar, 28 Dec, 2019. A career-counseling camp was
organized for the students of class 12 of Kendriya Vidyalaya No 1
Shahibaug.
Sri. Aditya Agrawal, Professor of Gujarat University, inaugurated the
counseling session. He expressed his views on the need for career
counseling. He told that for the outgoing students of a school, career
guidance is very essential.
Mr.M R Chaudhary, career counselor, talked to individuals and
clarified their doubts. He explained the career avenues after 12th class. He
briefed about the unknown and unpopular courses and areas and distributed
many pamphlets related to different careers and higher education complied
from various sources.
LITERATURE
FLAMINGO
Poem 1 My Mother At Sixty Six

by- Kamala Das
About the Author
Kamala Das (1934—2009) is one of the most unconventional, free-spirited,

and non-conformist poets of Kerala. In India’s literary sky, she dazzles like
a bright star inspiring fearlessness and defiance among young writers who
venture to write on atypical ideas.
She wrote short stories and poems both in Malayalam and English. For some
time she wrote as a columnist on diverse topics, but her main focus was the
suffering of women, childcare woes, and the burden of orthodoxy which
made her a rebel.
For her defiant, non-conformist writing, she invited derision and wrath from
the feudalistic Brahmin class, but the diatribes made her more defiant. In
frankness, and fearlessness, there is no Indian writer of equal stature.
This poem ‘My mother at sixty six is one of her best short poems that exudes
empathy and love..
Introduction
In the poem "My Mother at Sixty-Six," the Indian poet Kamla Das expresses
her love towards her mother. She describes her love attachment for her
mother who is aging day by day. She realized that her mother has turned
pale and old. The realization of losing her other one day started to hurt the
poet but she was not able to express her feelings to her. When she went
inside the airport she greeted her goodbye and smiled at her continuously so
as to hide her feeling of losing her mother one day. The smile is also a
positive feeling which the poet wants to express at the end of the poem. She
wants to say goodbye to her mother with a smile so that they can meet again
in the future. The poet uses the imagery of a "corpse" to signify the aging of
her mother. The line which denotes the aging of the mother in the poem is:
"her face ashen like that of a corpse"
The poet compared the scene inside the car with the activities going on
outside in the poem "My Mother at Sixty-six." The poet analyzes her
mother's aging and growing old and then when she looks outside she sees
the young trees. These trees looked very happy and fresh and the moving
car was leaving them behind. This highlights the issue that youth and age
have to decline someday.
Theme
My Mother at sixty six is a poem by Kamala Das is based on the theme of

universal truth of advancing age, emotions and the fear of loss and
separation. The poet is feeling guilty of not being able to stay with her
mother in her old age. The poet uses simile and contrast as the poetic devic
to express her feeling towards her mother.
Summary & Explanation
My Mother at Sixty Six by Kamala Das is a moving poem. In this she

laments her mother’s ageing and feels extremely sad at the time her
separation from her ageing mother at the airport. In the car, she notices that
her mother had grown terribly old and that the two would not probably meet
again. She compares her mother with a late winter’s moon. She pretends to
be happy to make her mother happy and departs with a heavy heart.
In this poem, Kamala Das presents a daughter’s anguish (pain) as she is
leaving her ageing mother behind her for a while. She is going to board a
flight and is not sure about her timely return in case something happened to
her mother.
Lines 1 – 4:
Driving from my parent’s

home to Cochin last Friday
morning, I saw my mother,
beside me,
In these lines, the poet recalls a trip back to Cochin from her holiday in her
parents’ house the previous week. It was a Friday, and that morning, she
was driving with her mother next to her on the front seat.
Lines 5 – 10:
doze, open mouthed, her face

ashen like that
of a corpse and realised with pain
that she was as old as she
looked but soon
put that thought away, and
In these lines, the poet says that she was observing her mother who had
fallen asleep on the front seat with her mouth slightly open. Her mother’s
face was pale, and it reminded her of the nearly white faces of dead bodies.
It is then that she comes to realize that her mother was not young any longer,
and that her appearance had caught up with her age. This was very hard for
the poet to accept, and so she was determined to focus her attention on
something else.
Lines 11 – 15:
looked out at Young

Trees sprinting, the merry children spilling
out of their homes, but after the airport’s
security check, standing a few yards
away, I looked again at her, wan, pale
In these lines, the poet says that she turned away from her aging mother and
decided to look outside the windows of the car in which she was driving.
Outside, her eyes fell on the trees that the vehicle was passing by. The car
was moving so fast that by way of relative motion, it seemed to the poet that
all the trees she could see were also running at full speed past her. It seemed
that those trees must have been quite youthful if they had the energy to move
at such a fast pace. The poet’s eyes also feel on the children who were
coming out of their houses, brimming over with their excitement to get
outside. The poet passed all these sights and reached the airport. Till then,
her mind was distracted by the sights. However, after the security check, she
was standing a short distance away from her mother and again she chanced
to notice the old woman. Just as before, her mother appeared very pale and
insipid.
Lines 16 – 20:
as a late winter’s moon and felt that old

familiar ache, my childhood’s fear,
but all I said was, see you soon, Amma,
all I did was smile and smile and
smile……
In these lines, the poet compares her mother’s face with the sight of the
moon on a night towards the end of winter. This made her recall the thing
she had been most afraid of during her childhood – the fear that her mother
would die one day. This was a fear that had plagued her many times before,
and it was plaguing her again now. However, she did not let that fear show
itself on her face. Instead she put up a brave face and waved goodbye to her
mother. She assured her mother that they would be seeing each other again
soon, and all the while, even though she was in great agony, the smile never
left her face.
Question and Answer

Extract Based Questions (4 Marks)
1. Read the extract given below and answer the questions that follow.
I looked again at her, wan, pale

as a late winter’s moon and felt that old
but all I said was see you soon, Amma,
all I did was smile and smile and smile ………
(a) What was the poet’s childhood fear?

(b) What were the poet’s parting words?
(c) What is the poetic device used in these lines?
(d) Why did the poet smile and smile?
Answer. (a) In her childhood, the poet was insecure about losing her mother,
just as all young children often are.
(b) The poet’s parting words were, “See you soon, Amma”, which are
suggestive of the hope that they will meet again.
(c) The poetic device used in these lines is simile, where the mother’s dull
and lifeless face is compared to a late winter’s moon.
(d) The poet smiled and smiled (meaning that she smiled continuously)
because she was trying to hide her real feelings. She feared the fact that she
might not see her mother again, which left her almost in tears.
2. Read the extracts given below and answer the questions that follow.
……….but soon
put that thought away and
looked out at young
trees sprinting, the merry children spilling
out of their homes……………
Set 1 :
(a) What thought did the poet drive away from her mind?
(b) What did she see when she looked out of the car?
(c) How do you know that the joyful scene didn’t help her drive away the
painful thought from her mind?
(d) What are the merry children symbolic of?
Set 2 :
(a) Which thought did the poet put away?

(b) What do the ‘sprinting trees’ signify?
(c) What are “the merry children spilling out of their homes”, symbolic of?
(d) Why does the poet make use of the images of ‘young trees sprinting’ and
‘merry children spilling’? (Delhi 2014; Modified)
Set 3 :
(a) Who looked out at the young trees?

(b) Which thought did she put away?
(c) What do young sprinting trees signify?
(d) Why are the trees described as sprinting?
Set 1
Answer. (a) The poet drove away the painful thought of the distressing
reality that her mother was getting old and she might die anytime.
(b) When she looked out of the car, she saw young trees on the roadside,
which appeared to be moving. She also saw a group of children, merrily
rushing out of their homes to play.
(c) As the poet passed through security check at the airport and happened to
look at her mother, she was again haunted by the same fear of losing her to
death. This shows that the joyful scene earlier didn’t help drive away the
painful thought from her mind.
(d) The merry children are symbolic of the exuberance of youth. The
energetic and lively children present a contrast to the poet’s mother who has
grown old and pale.
Set 2
Answer. (a) The poet put away the thought of the-distressing reality of her
mother getting old and of her impending death.
(b) The ‘sprinting trees’ signify time that has passed at a fast pace.
(c) The merry children epitomise bubbly youth. They represent the
exuberance and liveliness of young age.
(d) The poet makes use of these images to emphasise the contrast between
old age and youth.
Set 3
Answer. (a) The poet Kamala Das looked out at young trees.
(b) Seeing her aged mother, she felt insecure about the fact that she might
be separated from her mother. The poet was also feeling guilty for
neglecting her. She wondered if she would see her mother alive next time.
However, she soon put these thoughts away.
(c) The young sprinting trees symbolise happiness, strength and vigour
which are the characteristics of youth in contrast to the dullness of old age.
(d) As the poet looked outside the window of her moving car, the trees
appeared to be moving fast in the opposite direction. So, they are described
as sprinting.
Driving from my parent’s

home to Cochin last Friday
morning, I saw my mother, beside me
doze, open mouthed, her face ashen like that ‘
of a corpse and realised with pain .
that she was as old as she looked …
(a) Where was the poet driving to?

(b) Why was her mother’s face looking like that of a corpse?
(c) What did the poet notice about her mother?
(d) Why was the realisation painful?
Answer. (a) The poet was driving to Cochin airport from her parent’s home.
(b) Her mother’s face had lost all its glow and colour. It was nearly lifeless.
That is why it was looking like a corpse’s face.
(c) The poet noticed that her mother was sleeping with her mouth open. Her
face looked like that of a corpse. She suddenly realised that her mother had
become very old.
(d) The realisation that her mother had grown very old was painful because
it brought with it the distressing thought that she was also nearing her death,
whose cruel hands would separate the poet from her mother.
…….and
looked but soon
put that thought away and
looked out at young
trees sprinting,
the merry children spilling
out of their homes,………..
(a) Name the poem and the poet.

(b) What did the poet realise? How did she feel?
(c) What did she do then?
(d) What did she notice in the world outside?
Answer. (a) The name of the poem is ‘My Mother at Sixty-Six’ and the poet
is Kamala Das.
(b) The poet realised that her mother was getting old and was nearing her
impending death. She felt afraid of losing her mother, the same fear which
she used to face in her childhood.
(c) The poet at once turned her face away from the harsh reality and looked
out of the window to divert her mind.
(d) The poet.saw green trees sprinting by. She also saw a group of children
who were exuberant, enthusiastic and were merrily coming out of their
houses.
…………….and felt that old

but all I said was, see you soon, Amma,
all I did was smile and smile and smile
(a) What was the childhood fear that now troubled the poet?
(b) What do the poet’s parting words suggest?
(c) Why did the poet smile and smile?
(d) Explain, “that old familiar ache.”
Answer. (a) As a child the poet was insecure about losing her mother and
the same fear has come again now when her mother has grown old.
(b) The poet, while parting, smiled and said to her mother that she would
see her soon. This expression of her suggests that though she was aware that
her mother was quite old and weak, yet she could not do anything about it.
She could not even communicate her true feelings to her mother.
(c) The poet smiled and smiled only because she wanted to hide her fears
from her mother. She was reassuring herself and also her mother that they
would meet again.
(d) “That old familiar ache” refers to the agony and pain of separation from
her mother that the poet felt in her childhood, as she feared that she might
iose her mother.
Short Answer Type Questions (3 Marks, 30-40 Words)
1. How does Kamala Das try to put away the thoughts of her ageing mother?
Answer. Kamala Das finds the thoughts of her ageing mother very painful
and disturbing. It is hard for her to accept the fact of her mother growing
old, as it brings back to her mind her childhood fear of losing her mother.
She makes a deliberate effort to drive or put away such thoughts by looking
out of the moving car, at the trees ‘sprinting’ and the joyful young children
rushing out of their homes.
2. What was the poet’s childhood fear?

or
What were Kamala Das, fears as a child? Why do they surface when she is
going to the airport?
Answer. As a child Kamala Das was insecure about losing her mother just
as all young children often are. The same feelings are evoked inside her
while she is on the way to the airport, as she sees her mother’s pale face,
which is a sign of her old age and impending death.
3. What do the parting words of Kamala Das and her smile signify?
or
What do the parting words of the poet and her smile signify?
Answer. The poet’s parting words and her smile are a facade to hide her
feelings of insecurity. The pale and senile appearance of her mother brings
back her childhood fear of losing her mother. She can definitely experience
the pangs of separation, yet she bids her farewell in a pleasant manner. She
reassures her mother that all will be well and they would meet again.
4. Why has the poet’s mother been compared to the “late winter’s moon”?
or
Why has Kamala Das compared her mother to a “late winter’s moon”?
Answer. The poet has used this simile as ‘the late winter’s moon’ looks too
hazy and lacks brightness and lustre. Similarly, the mother, who is now
sixty-six, is pale and has a shrunken and ashen face. She is devoid of the
effervescence and exhilaration of youth.
5. Why are the young trees described as ‘sprinting’?

Answer. The poet is travelling in a speeding car and the roadside trees seem
speeding past or sprinting in the opposite direction. The poet has contrasted
the ‘young trees’ which are moving fast to her mother, who is old and slow.
6. What were the poet’s feelings at the airport? How did she hide them?
Answer. The poet was torn apart by the feeling whether she would see her
mother alive the next time or not. She hid her feelings by smiling
reassuringly at her mother.
7. What do the parting words of the poet Kamala Das to her mother signify?
Answer. The parting words of Kamala Das to her mother signify her anxiety
and fear about her mother’s frail health. They also express the hope that her
mother would survive till they meet again. .
8. Why has the poet brought in the image of the merry children spilling out
of their homes?
Answer. The young children spilling out of their homes represent the vigour
of youth. They are in complete contrast to the poet’s mother. Perhaps the
poet has used the image to bring out the pangs of old age.
An Elementary School Classroom in a Slum

An Elementary School Classroom in a Slum is a beautifully penned down
poem by Stephen Spender that exposes the glaring gaps and marginalisation
that occurs ever so often in our societies. Spender is publicly a scrupulous
objector and a socialist. The poet aims to portray the conditions of the
youngsters residing in the slum. The poet compares the conditions of the
“haves” (Privileged children) and the “have-nots ‘(Underprivileged children
of slum).
About the poet
Stephen Spender (1909-1995) was a poet and English essayist. Spender had
keen interest in politics and so, he declared himself as socialist and pacifist.
His work concentrated on themes of social injustice and the class struggle.
Rhyme scheme of the poem
The poem has been written in free verse. It does not have rhyme scheme.
Theme
In this poem, Stephen Spender deals with the theme of social injustice and
class inequalities. He presents the theme by talking of two different and
incompatible worlds. The world of the rich and the civilized has nothing to
do with the world of narrow lanes and cramped holes. The gap between
these two worlds highlights social disparities and class inequalities.
Central Idea
Stephen Spender has presented a true picture of the life of the school
children living in the slum of Tyrolese Valley of Austrian Alpine Province.
The children are in a very miserable condition due to their poverty and
illiteracy. They are depressed. Their pale faces express sadness. They look
lean, skinny and bonny. They are like rootless weeds which can’t resist
anything for their existence. They are physically very weak and under
nourished. Spender voices his concern for these children who live all their
life in slums and have no opportunity to enjoy the real blessings of life. He
makes a frantic appeal to the educated and affluent sections of the society
to better the lot of the slum children through education. It will remove social
injustice and class inequality.
Poem and Explanation
Stanza – 1
Far far from gusty waves these children’s faces.

Like rootless weeds, the hair torn round their pallor:
The tall girl with her weighed-down head. The paper seeming
Boy, with rat’s eyes. The stunted, unlucky heir
Of twisted bones, reciting a father’s gnarled disease,
His lesson, from his desk. At back of the dim class
One unnoted, sweet and young. His eyes live in a dream,
Of squirrel’s game, in tree room, other than this.
Word meaning
Gusty waves: breezy winds

Pallor: pale, dull face
Stunted: not fully grown due to malnutrition
Gnarled: Knotted, rough
weeds: unwanted plants that grow on their own
Paper seeming boy: Very thin boy, as thin as a sheet of paper
heir: Successor
The poem describes an elementary school class room in a slum. These slum
children look very pathetic. Their faces are pale and reflect sadness. They
are ‘like rootless weeds’ as they lack proper nutrition. Moreover, they are
unwanted plants which grow on their own without being cared for, totally
neglected. The tall girl has a ‘weighed – down head’ as she is burdened with
the load of poverty. In fact she is so subdued and suppressed that her head
had bowed down with the burden of her misfortunes. The ‘paper thin’ –
extremely thin boy has ‘rat’s eyes’ because the poor undernourished boy is
deprived of all the basic amenities of life. He is timid like a rat and full of
anxiety, he searches for food and security. This unfortunate boy suffers from
malnutrition and his growth is also ‘stunted’ not properly developed. He has
also inherited from his father ‘twisted bones’ – bent and distorted bones. He
has inherited the poverty, disease and despair from his parents. His body is
also deformed because of the twisted bones which he has inherited. He
appears to be as sick as his parents. There is a sweet tender looking student
who sits at the back of the class. This boy is different from the others as ‘his
eyes live’ in a dream – he is dreaming and probably thinking about a better
future. He is lost in his own world, therefore, not sad like the others. This
boy thinks of the ‘squirrel’s game’ (metaphor). He wants to enjoy and play
freely like the squirrel in the garden outside. The squirrel climbs trees and
hides in their holes. The boy also dreams to be free but he cannot as he must
sit in the dull and dreary classroom. In the boys imagination ‘tree room’ –
the hollow in a tree, is full of fun, curiosity and mystery. This is in contrast
to the gloomy classroom.
Literary devices:
Simile: children are compared with rootless weed (like rootless weed)
Metaphor: boy is compared with paper as he is thin (paper seeming boy)
Repetition: use of far to stress on the distance
Stanza – 2
On sour cream walls, donations. Shakespeare’s head,

Cloudless at dawn, civilized dome riding all cities.
Belled, flowery, Tyrolese valley. Open-handed map
Awarding the world its world. And yet, for these
Children, these windows, not this map, their world,
Where all their future’s painted with a fog,
A narrow street sealed in with a lead sky
Far far from rivers, capes, and stars of words.
Word meaning
Sour: unpleasant, here refers to the colour of sour cream -off white or
creamish
Donations: things given or received in charity
Dawn: early morning, sunrise
civilized dome: here, it means rising sun at the horizon which is in the shape
of a dome (semi - circle)
Tyrolese valley: A beautiful ice-free valley in Austria
Sealed: shut or locked
lead: here, dark future of kids
Capes: A large piece of land that sticks out into the sea from the coast
The classroom is not well maintained. The pale cream walls which were
painted long ago with the help of donations, make the place look more
miserable and sad. Probably there is a portrait of Shakespeare on the wall.
This is ironical as it is put up in a place where there is no serious teaching.
‘Cloudless dawn’ and ‘civilized dome’ suggest the monotonous life in the
slum. These slums are surrounded by the civilized city and the children
cannot experience the beauty of the sky at dawn and are unaware of it. All
around them are concrete structures of the cities. The life in the slum
contrasts with the cloudless sky at dawn and concrete structures which
override the cities. There is also a picture of a beautiful valley full of sweet
fragrant flowers and these children of the slum will never be able to
experience this beauty. They are deprived of this beauty as they are
condemned to live in the slums amidst garbage. The ‘open-handed map’ in
the classroom contrasts with their world. The world given to us by god is
full of all the bounties whereas the world of these slum children is full of
poverty and hunger. The world which they see is not the real world. Their
world is confined to the narrow, dusty streets of the slum. The map in the
classroom gives them hopes and aspirations and motivates them to explore
the world but they will never be able to see that world. These children can
get the glimpse of the outside world from the windows and it is far beyond
their reach. They are far away from nature. These slum children have a bleak
and foggy future in store for them. ‘Their future is painted with a fog’ – it
is blurred by hopelessness. There is no hope for the slum children. Instead
of the normal blue sky they live under the ‘lead sky’ – dark and dull, polluted
– shows there is no hope for them. The atmosphere hints at their monotonous
life and the slum children remain confined throughout their lives confined
to the filth and dirt of the narrow slum streets. They are away from the glory
of natural beauty of the rivers, mountains, stars etc.
Literary devices:
Metaphor:
1. Walls are described to be dull as sour cream (sour cream walls)
2. The future of the kids is described as limited (Narrow Street sealed with
a lead sky)
Assonance: repetition of vowel sound ‘e’ (Belled, flowery, Tyrolese valley)
Allusion: Reference to well known person or place ( Shakespeare’s head,
Tyrolese valley)
Repetition: ‘far’ repeated
Stanza 3
Surely, Shakespeare is wicked, the map a bad example,

With ships and sun and love tempting them to stealâ€”
For lives that slyly turn in their cramped holes
From fog to endless night? On their slag heap, these children
Wear skins peeped through by bones and spectacles of steel
With mended glass, like bottle bits on stones.
All of their time and space are foggy slum.
So blot their maps with slums as big as doom
Word meaning
Wicked: evil
Tempted: persuade
Slyly: trickily
Cramped: confined
Slag: weak
Mended: repaired
Blot: to mark with a spot
Doom: disaster
The children of the slum are fighting the battle of life unarmed. They are
troubled by disease and despair. For them Shakespeare is ‘wicked’ and
‘map’ a bad example’. The literary excellence of Shakespeare and the scenic
beauty portrayed in the map cannot relieve them from their despair. For
these slum children, literary excellence is a far-fetched thing and hence
seems wicked. The map on the wall gives them false aspirations as it makes
them aware of the beautiful world given by god. The world of these children
is confined to the narrow streets of the slums. Therefore, map is ‘a bad
example’. They feel cheated in being deprived of the thrilling sensations of
the sun, the ships, and the emotions of love. The ‘ship’, ‘sun’ and ‘love’
symbolize joy and happiness which these children are deprived of. Their
only experience is that of hunger and poverty. To reach out to the world
beyond, these children are sometimes tempted to adopt wrong means even
stealing to fulfill their dreams. These slum children live in cramped holes,
striving and struggling for survival in the small, dirty rooms from ‘fog to
endless night’ – from foggy mornings till long endless nights, trying to meet
both ends. The slum children live on ‘slag heaps’ – piles of waste material.
Their world is full of dirt and garbage. These children are very weak and
undernourished. They look like skeletons as their bones peep through their
thin skin.
They wear ‘spectacles of steel with mended glass’ – discarded spectacles by
the rich, mended (repaired) and worn. Their life is like ‘bottle bits on stones
– shattered and broken like bits of bottle on a stone. They are deprived of
even the basic amenities of life. Their world is comprised of the foggy slums
where they live nightmares. Slums are the reality for these children, their
home, where they spend their life. The maps displayed in their classroom
are no reality for them. They cannot locate their slum in that map. It is
urgently required to give these slum inhabitants means and opportunities to
lead a dignified and civilized life.
Literary devices:
Metaphor: Their homes are very small like holes (cramped holes)
Simile- their repaired spectacles (like bottle bits on stones)
Alliteration: Use of ‘f’ sound (From fog)
Stanza – 4
Unless, governor, inspector, visitor,
This map becomes their window and these windows
That shut upon their lives like catacombs,
Break O break open till they break the town
And show the children to green fields, and make their world
Run azure on gold sands, and let their tongues
Run naked into books the white and green leaves open
History theirs whose language is the sun.
Word meaning
Catacombs: tomb, cemetery

Azure: deep blue
The elementary school in the slum exists for name sake. The infrastructure
is poor with hardly any serious teaching. The school springs in activity only
when a governor, a school inspector or a visitor comes on a round of the
school. The administrative machinery of the school also gears up at that
time. Then the map becomes their window from where they can see the
world beyond their slums. Since they are confined to the slums, these sights
and glimpses are shut upon them as they are deprived of all opportunities
and means. Their lives are shut up in the cemeteries of these slums where
they slither and slog to make both ends meet. The poet hopes that these
children will break free from their morbid life, from the chains of the slums.
He appeals to those in power to liberate these children from the miserable
slums and enable them to breathe in the fresh, beautiful and healthy
environment away from the foggy slums. They should be able to bask in the
open green fields and let them run free on the golden sands. Their world
should not be confined to the horrendous and gory slums. The poet
visualizes freedom for these children. He wants a carefree life where they
get economic and social justice, where they have the right to be happy.
These slum children should be able to enjoy the fundamental right of
education otherwise their lives will be miserable. They should be able to
learn not from the books alone but also from the world, the nature around
them.
The poet ends on a note of positivity and wants opportunities to be available
to these children. The people who strive for knowledge are the ones who
create history. The ones who are let free are the ones who will create history.
People who outshine others, who glow like the sun, who break free from the
constraints of their restricted life are the ones who create history and that of
diseases are ‘twisted bones,
Literary devices
Metaphor: books and nature are expressed in form of white and green leaves
(the white green leaves open)
Anaphora: Use of repeated words in two consecutive lines (Run azure And
Run naked)
Summary
The children staying in slums have a life full of struggle and lack hope and
optimism. They are far away from the velvety world outside. They lack
those amenities which are available to privileged people.. They are as
unwanted as the rootless weed. They can only wish for the velvety and
comfortable life of the world outside. These children have no hope on their
faces. Their faces are tousled and dirty. Their hair is scattered untidily
around their pale faces. They lack stability. The tall girl is sitting with her
head down because she is depressed and overburdened with poverty. There
is a boy who is as lean and thin as paper, his miserable underdeveloped body
with eyes bulging out like rat reflects the greed he has felt for an eternity.
His growth is blocked, and the body appears underdeveloped and
malnourished. He is an unfortunate heir who has inherited the twisted bones
of his father. He is not reciting a lesson from his desk but is enumerating the
diseases inherited from his father. At the back of that unlit classroom, is a
sweet young boy who goes unnoticed. Dreams seem to be alive in his eyes.
His eyes have that spark of dreams to be part of that world outside the
classroom. He dreams of squirrels playing games in the hollow of the tree.
His dreams are of the places other than his repulsive classroom. He is lost
in his imagination creating his own fantasy world where he plays like a
squirrel in its tree room. He is not interested in the monotonous environment
of the classroom.
The poet depicts the critical condition of the pale and dingy yellow walls of
the classroom. He compares the colour of the walls to “sour cream”.
The classroom has a picture of Shakespeare which was probably donated.
The poet further compares the gifts given as donations and the picture of
Shakespeare hung on the unpleasant creamy walls depicting dejection. To
them, they are of no use. Shakespeare and literature have no place in their
lives. There is also a picture of a clear sky hung on the classroom walls
which depicts dawn and a beautiful Tyrolese valley, which indicates beauty
and hope with its bells and colourful flowers representing the world that
celebrates civilization, progress and heavenly splendour. There is also a
world map hung on the wall which is of no use to them as their world is
narrow and stuck in the boundaries of poverty and misery. Their future is
shaky, dark and foggy. Their world is confined within the narrow streets of
the slum enclosed by the bluish grey sky. They are far away from rivers,
seas that resemble adventure, excitement and beauty as well as from the
stars that symbolize wisdom that can brighten their future.
The poet feels that Shakespeare is ‘wicked’ as he is misleading those naïve

children through his words portraying the world of ships, sun and love
which is not only unreal for them, but it has a negative impact on their
minds. He feels that this would instigate them to steal or take unfair means
as they desperately make attempts to escape from their cramped holes. Their
existence is indeed, very sad. These deprived children are so skinny that it
appears that they are ‘wearing’ skins. The spectacles they are wearing have
glass which has been broken and mended. Their entire appearance reflects
their misery and deprivation. The poet shows his indignation by suggesting
that the maps on the classroom walls should show the reality of their life, it
must show the huge slums instead of beautiful scenic graphics.
The poet tries to appease and appeal to the teachers, governor, inspector and
visitor to become aware and sensitive and do something to improve the
conditions of these deprived children. They must try to align the world and
transform their map unlike the map of children with amenities. The poet
hopes that the bureaucrats and authorities understand their moral
responsibilities and free these deprived ones from traps of their graves (A
metaphor for the slum). He wants all the barriers that keep them away from
achieving the true education to be broken down. They should be given an
opportunity to come out of their narrow and shabby lanes and extend to the
blue sky & waves rising over the golden sands. The children must be given
the freedom to experience the wholesome bounties of nature’s fields. These
deprived children must be taught to express themselves freely. He wishes
that all distinctions that separate them from merging with the outside world
be removed from their lives and that they too may have hope of a better,
more secure future.

Question.1. Read the extract given below and answer the questions that
follow.
“ And yet, for these

Children, these windows, not this map, their world,
Where all their future’s pointed with a fog,
A narrow street sealed in with a lead sky Far far from rivers, capes and stars
of words.”
(a) Who are the ‘children’ referred to here?

(b) Which is their world?
(c) How is their life different from that of other children?
(d) Why is the future of these children “painted with a fog”?
Answer. (a) The ‘children’ referred to here are the poor children living in
the slum.
(b) Their world comprises of the dull and unpleasant classroom and its
windows, amongst the dirty surroundings of the slum
(c) The children of the slum are emaciated and poverty-stricken, as against
the other children who are healthy and have all the comforts and luxuries of
life. The life of the slum children is filled with darkness and hopelessness.
(d) The future of these children is dark and uncertain. So, the speaker says
that it is painted with a fog.
follow.
“ And, yet for these .

children, these windows, not this map. their world,
Where all their future’s painted with a fog.”
(a) Which map is the poet talking about in the above lines?
(b) To what do the words, these windows, their world”, refer?
(c) What sort of future do the slum children have?
(d) Why is all their future painted with a fog?
Answer. (a) The poet is talking about the map which depicts only the world
of the rich and the important, the world that comprises civilised domes,
bells, flowers and the scenic beauty of nature.
(b) “These windows” refers to the windows of the school classroom where
the slum children are sitting. “Their world” refers to the world of the
poverty-stricken slum dwellers. It has narrow lanes, small congested houses,
foggy skies and dim classrooms.
(c) The future of the slum children is dark and uncertain. They have no hopes
for their future.
(d) Their future is painted with a fog as it is not clear. They are not well-
educated, and there is no one to guide them.
follow.
“With ships and sun and love tempting them to steal….

For lives that slyly turn in their cramped holes From fog to endless night?”
(a) Who are ‘them’ referred to in the first line? “

(b) What tempts them?
(c) What does the poet say about their lives?
(d) What do you understand by “from fog to endless night”?
Answer. (a) ‘Them’ here refers to the poor, emaciated children of the slum.
(b) They are tempted by all the beautiful things of the world, the luxuries
and the lifestyle that the rich enjoy. The are tempted to steal as they cannot
possess these otherwise.
(c) The children of the slum live amidst dirty surroundings in cramped
houses which are dark and unpleasant. The poet is not happy with the way
these children are compelled to live.
(d) “From fog to endless night” means that from morning till night the poor
children of the slum have a miserable existence; they suffer from morning
to night everyday.
Question.4. Read the extracts given below and answer the questions that
follow.
‘……….The stunted, unlucky heir

of twisted bones, reciting a father’s gnarled disease,
His lesson, from his desk. At the back of the dim class
One unnoted, sweet and young.’
(a) Who is the unlucky heir?

(b) What has he inherited?
(c) Who is sitting at the back of the dim class?
(d) Explain, “reciting a father’s gnarled disease.”
or
(a) Who is the ‘unlucky heir’ and what has he inherited?
(b) What is the stunted boy reciting?
(c) Who is sitting at the back of the dim class?
(d) How has the ‘unlucky heir’ been depicted here?
Answer. (a) The boy with stunted growth and twisted bones is the ‘unlucky
heir’.
(b) He has inherited the gnarled disease of his father, and as a result, his
growth remains stunted.
(c) An unnoted, sweet young boy is sitting at the back of the dim class. He
is dreaming of squirrels playing games on trees.
(d) The boy with stunted growth has inherited a disease from his father,
which makes him a living example of his father’s poverty and suffering.
or
(a) The boy with stunted growth and twisted bones sitting at the desk, is
referred to as ‘unlucky heir’ because he has inherited the gnarled disease of
his father that makes him a living example of his father’s sufferings.
(b) The stunted boy is reciting his lessons, but due to his knotty disease, his
voice is weak and sick.
(c) At the back of the dim class, a boy is sitting who has a sweet nature. He
is dreaming of
squirrels playing games on trees. ‘
(d) The ‘unlucky heir’ has been depicted here as one with stunted growth
and twisted bones.
follow.
Far far from gusty waves these children’s faces.

Like rootless weeds, the hair torn around their pallor
The tall girl with her weighed-down head. The paper-seeming boy, with
rat’s eyes.
(a) What are the children compared to?

(b) Why do you think the tall girl is sitting with a weighed down head?
(c) Give two phrases which tell us that the children are under-nourished.
(d) What is the condition of the boy?
Answer. (a) The children are compared to rootless weeds’.
(b) The girl is sitting with a weighed down head probably because she is
depressed due to abject poverty or family tussles.
(c) The phrases are ‘like rootless weeds, and ‘the paper-seeming boy with
rat’s eyes’.
(d) The boy sitting in the classroom is as thin as paper, due to malnutrition.
He has bulging eyes like that of a rat.
follow.
Surely, Shakespeare is wicked, the map a bad example,

With ships and sun and love tempting them to steal For lives that slyly turn
in their cramped holes From fog to endless night? On their slag heap, these
children ‘ Wear skins peeped through by bones and spectacles of steel With
mended glass, like bottle bits on stones
(a) Why is Shakespeare described as wicked?

(b) Explain, “from fog to endless night.”
(c) What does the reference to ‘slag heap’ mean?
(d) How do they live in their holes?
Answer. (a) Shakespeare has been described as ‘wicked’ because the

children are not aware of his literary genius. In their school, hardly any
learning takes place, as they are troubled by hunger, despair and failed
aspirations.
(b) With reference to the passage, ‘from fog to endless night’ refers to early
morning to late night. It means that every day is the same for the slum
children.
(c) The bloodless bodies of the poor children are referred to as ‘slag heap’.
(d) They live like rats in their cramped little holes. Their houses are small,
dirty and congested. Fog and darkness dominate their lives.
follow.
Break O break open till they break the town

And show the children to green fields, and make their world
Run azure on gold sands and let their tongues
Run naked into books the white and green leaves open
History theirs whose language is the sun.
(a) To whom does ‘they’ refer?

(b) What would they break?
(c) What does the poet want for them?
(d) What other freedom should they enjoy?
Answer. (a) The word ‘they’ refers to inspectors, visitors, governors and
those who are in authority.
(b) They would break the grim walls of the slum children’s world which
shut the children off from our world.
(c) The poet wants that these children should be properly educated, so that
they get the energy and warmth of the sun which is symbolic of light and
knowledge.
(d) The slum children should get adequate opportunity to know the world
and find their place under the sun.
follow.
………On their slag heap, these children

Wear skins peeped through by bones and spectacles of steel With mended
glass, like bottle bits on stones.
All of their time and space are foggy slum.
So blot their maps with slums as big as doom.
(a) Which two images are used to describe these slums?

(b) What sort of life do these children lead?
(c) Which figure of speech is used in the last line?
(d) What does ‘slag heap’ refer to?
Answer. (a) The images used to describe the slums are ‘foggy slum’ and
‘slums as big as doom’.
(b) The homes of these children are very cramped and dingy. They are
almost like holes and these children live in them like rats. They are deprived
of the picturesque beauty and gift of nature.
(c) The figure of speech used in the last line is a simile, ‘slums as big as
doom’.
(d) ‘Slag heap’ refers to the hunger-stricken bodies of the slum children,
which seem to be garbage heaps.
Short Answer Type Questions (3 Marks, 30-40 words)
Question.1. What change does the poet hope for in the lives of the slum
children? Or What does the poet want for the children of the slums?
Answer. The poet wishes for a better life for the children of the slums. They
should have access to education because education is the key to prosperity.
They should be given countless opportunities to explore the world. They
need to break free from the confines of their weak world into a world which
should welcome them with open arms. The self-centred attitude of the
affluent classes should be broken to relieve the children from all misery.
Question.2. To whom does the poet in the poem, ‘An Elementary School
Classroom in a Slum’ make an appeal? What is his appeal?
Answer. The poet makes an appeal to his readers, especially the educated
and well-off people, to help the poor children of the slum come out and get
free from their miserable surroundings. His appeal is that these children
should be given quality education, because education holds the key to their
emancipation.
Question.3. Which words/phrases in the poem, ‘An Elementary School

Classroom in a Slum’ show that the slum children are suffering from acute
malnutrition?
Answer. The words/phrases in the poem which show that the slum children
are suffering from acute malnutrition are “the hair torn round their pallor”,
“paper seeming boy”, “stunted, unlucky heir of twisted bones” and “wear
skins peeped through by bones.”
Question.4. The poet says, “And yet, for these children, these windows, not
this map, their world.” Which world do these children belong to? Which
world is inaccessible to them?
Answer. The children belong to the world of poverty and misery in the dingy
slum areas. The world of the rich, with all the comforts and luxuries of life,
is inaccessible to them.
Question.5. How does the poet describe the classroom walls?
Answer. The walls of the classroom are pale and dirty. They are decorated
with the donated picture of Shakespeare, a scene depicting buildings with
domes, a world map and beautiful valleys, which stand in sharp contrast to
the dingy, dismal and gloomy atmosphere in which these slum children live.
Question.6. What message does Stephen Spender convey through the poem,
‘An Elementary School Classroom in a Slum’?
Answer. The poet wants that the children of the slums should get rid of their
dismal lives. They should be educated and brought out from their ugly
surroundings. He feels that it is the responsibility of the affluent classes to
free these poor children from the life of hunger and misery.
Question.7. Why does Stephen Spender say that the pictures and maps in
the elementary school classroom are not meaningful?
Answer. The pictures and maps in the school are meaningless for the slum
children because they stand in sharp contrast to the dingy, dismal and
gloomy atmosphere in which these slum children live. These things have no
meaning for those who are deprived of the basic amenities of life.
Question.8. What does the poet wish for the children of the slums?
Answer. The poet wants that the children of the slums should break free
from the rut of their dreary existence. They should experience nature at its
best, as well as frolic around in a carefree manner. They should be educated
and be able to transform themselves.
Question.9. Why does the poet Stephen Spender call the map a bad
example?
Answer. The map represents the beautiful and wonderful world outside.
However, this world is beyond the reach of the slum children. Their hopes
and aspirations are confined to their world of despair and diseases. So
Stephen Spender calls the map a bad example.
KEEPING QUIET
About the Poet - Pablo Neruda
Pablo Neruda (1904 – 1973) was the ‘pen name’ and later, ‘legal name’ of
this famous Chilean poet – diplomat – politician. He won the Noble prize
for literature in the year 1971. He wrote in green ink which was his personal
symbol for desire and hope. His writings are simple, wherein lies their
beauty.
Originally written in Spanish, the essence of this poem is based on
introspection and retrospection. The poet feels that some soul – searching is
needed for us to be at peace with ourselves and others.
SUMMARY
The poet talks about the need of silence and quiet introspection and the
importance of tranquillity and calmness. He also talks about creating a
feeling of mutual understanding among human beings. The poet asks us to
keep still and count up to twelve. He also asks us to sit still. For a moment
we should not speak any language. We should not move our arms so
much. It will be a moment of complete silence without rush or worry. This
would be an exotic moment.
Then a sudden strangeness will prevail which we will all enjoy. It will be
bliss. The fisherman would not harm the whales on the cold sea. Even the
man gathering salt would stop working and look at his hurt hands and reflect
at the pain and harm his strenuous task has caused him.
All kinds of wars must be stopped at once. The green wars against the
environment, wars with poisonous gases, firearms, must be stopped at
once. People who are all the time preparing for wars leaving no survivors
behind ought to find time to wear clothes and walk around with their
brothers strengthening the message of peace and brotherhood.
At the same time the poet cautions not to confuse stillness with total
inactivity. Life is an ongoing process and should not be associated with
death. It is to be lived with positive attitude. He does not want us to ruminate
over death. But he feels that if for once we do not focus ourselves single -
mindedly to keep our lives moving but do some introspection or spend some
time in silence doing nothing, we can understand ourselves better and escape
from the threatening calls of death.
The earth can teach us a lesson how everything comes to a dead end and
comes to life again. In the same manner a quiet introspection can bring all
evil thoughts to an end and bring in a new life of peace and tranquillity. Now
the poet will count up to twelve and they should keep quiet and he will go.
Thus the poem “Keeping Quiet” celebrates the necessity of introspection
and the advantage of doing nothing and maintaining silence for some time
and in the vast treasure of deep silence all depression will vanish and peace
would be attained for one would be with oneself at one’s peaceful best.
GIST OF THE POEM

• The poet talks about the need of silence and quiet introspection and
the importance of quietude and calmness. He also talks about
creating a feeling of mutual understanding among human beings.
• The poet asks us to keep still and count up to twelve. He also asks us
to sit still. For a moment we should not speak any language. We
should not move our arms so much.
• It will be a moment of complete silence without rush or worry. This
would be an exotic moment.
• Then a sudden strangeness will prevail which we will all enjoy. It will
be bliss.
• The fisherman would not harm the whales on the cold sea. Even the
man gathering salt would stop working and look at his hurt hands
and reflect at the pain and harm his strenuous task has caused him.
• All kinds of wars must be stopped at once. The green wars against the
environment, wars with poisonous gases, firearms, must be stopped
at once.
• People who are all the time preparing for wars leaving no survivors
behind ought to find time to wear clothes and walk around with their
brothers strengthening the message of peace and brotherhood.
• At the same time the poet cautions not to confuse stillness with total
inactivity. Life is an ongoing process and should not be associated
with death. It is to be lived with positive attitude.
• He does not want us to ruminate over death.
• But he feels that if for once we do not focus ourselves single-mindedly
to keep our lives moving but do some introspection or spend some
time in silence doing nothing, we can understand ourselves better and
escape from the threatening calls of death.
• The earth can teach us a lesson how everything comes to a dead end
and comes to life again.
• In the same manner a quiet introspection can bring all evil thoughts to
an end and bring in a new life of peace and tranquillity.
• Now the poet will count up to twelve and they should keep quiet and
he will go
EXPLANATION OF THE POEM
“Now we will count to twelve

and we will all keep still.”
The poet begins with counting twelve urging everyone to be still. He chose
‘twelve` for several reasons. ‘Twelve’ hints at the twelve hours of a day
which rules our life. ‘Twelve` refers to twelve zodiac signs believed to be
the controlling forces of our lives. ‘Twelve` refers to twelve months of a
year. ‘Twelve` even may be aimed for a preparation for all to be ready to
plunge into the state of silence.
Poetic devices
1) We will = Alliteration (line 1 and 2)

2) Count ................still – Antithesis
“For once on the face of the earth,

let's not speak in any language;”
The poet here urges everyone to break the barriers of language and unite
with one invisible tune i.e. silence. With the word ‘earth` the poet hints at
all the humans living devoid the identity of country creed and caste. Though
language is the identity of a country or race, he affirms that humans are more
important and the identity of being a human of earth is broader realization.
Poetic devices
1) Once on – Alliteration
“let's stop for one second,

and not move our arms so much.”
The poet here urges to stop for one second. Here ‘second’ presents the tiniest
part of time calculation. He ushers us to keep ourselves off for at least one
second from the negative aspects. Here ‘arms’ is with dual meaning. He
apparently indicates ‘arms’ as our hands engaged in several activities and at
the same time refers to the weapons we use for destruction.
Poetic device
1) Arms – Pun 1) Meaning one – hands

2) Meaning two – Arms (weapons )
“It would be an exotic moment

without rush, without engines;
we would all be together
in a sudden strangeness.”
We are always on move. We are all busy in accomplishing our work and go
on rushing in our lives. The poet even urged to stop engines (referring
industrial works causing harms to environment). The poet urges us to stop
our personal activities and stop engines and unite in one tune i.e. silence.
The poet declares silence as exotic because this silence will make us blissful,
strange and will bring complete equilibrium.
Poetic devices
1) Without .................without – Repetition

2) We would – Alliteration.
3) Sudden strangeness – Alliteration
“Fisherman in the cold sea

would not harm whales
and the man gathering salt
would look at his hurt hands.”
`If we be still, we shall be able to introspect the mistakes and wrongs done.
Here fishermen are the representatives of all kinds of tyrants and killers. The
poet wants, them to cease their work and realise their mistakes. The salt
gatherer is explained as the representative of poor and lower section of the
society. They go up to any level to earn their livelihood and often hurt
themselves irreparably.
Poetic Devices
1) Cold sea – symbolised as polar region
2) His hurt hands – Alliteration
“Those who prepare green wars,

wars with gas, wars with fire,
victories with no survivors,
would put on clean clothes
and walk about with their brothers
in the shade, doing nothing.”
The poet here condemns the people with green wars (biological weapon or
creators of pollution) and wars with fire (Atomic war) . They become
victorious but with no survivors left. The poet mocks at the victory of those
people who get victory over destruction. The poet asks them to leave the
path of destruction and join the group of silence. He urges them to put on
white (symbolising – purity and serenity) clothes. And walk with others
doing nothing (meaning anything negative and doing self introspection)
Poetic devices
1) Wars with – Alliteration

2) Wars with – Repetition
3) Clean clothes – Alliteration
“What I want should not be confused

with total inactivity.
Life is what it is about;
I want no truck with death.”
The poet here warns us that his message of silence should not be confused
with total inactivity or inertia. He further clears that his message does not
have any affinity with death even. His message is aimed at the way of living.
He wants us to stop a while and feel the tranquillity so that a positive
introspection is done.
“If we were not so single-minded

about keeping our lives moving,
and for once could do nothing,
perhaps a huge silence
might interrupt this sadness
of never understanding ourselves
and of threatening ourselves with death.
Perhaps the earth can teach us
as when everything seems dead
and later proves to be alive.”
We human beings are single minded. We are always busy in achieving our
goals, completing personal responsibilities. And we never stop a while to
evaluate ourselves and understand ourselves. We never understand that we
shall never be able to come out of these desires and achievements. If we
could stop a while, we would have understood the real purpose of our lives
and ourselves. Rather we go on with the fear of death calculation how much
of our dreams and wishes will be achieved.
Poetic devise
1) We were – Alliteration
“Now I'll count up to twelve

and you keep quiet and I will go.”
In conclusion the poet taught us through the example of earth which at one
season may look as if dead but comes back with life in another season.
Likewise our life will also bear certain meaning when we walk on the right
path i.e. introspecting in silence. In the last two lines the poet leaves us to
introspect as if he himself has gone through the same.
Poetic device
1) dead ……alive – Antitheses.
follow.
“If we were not so single-minded

about keeping our lives moving,
and for once could do nothing,
perhaps a huge silence
might interrupt this sadness
of never understanding ourselves
and of threatening ourselves with death
(a) Whom does ‘we’ refer to in the above lines?

(b) Why does the poet want us to ‘do nothing’ for once?
(c) What is the‘sadness’that the poet refers to in the poem?
(d) How can a huge silence do good to us?
Answer.
(a) ‘We’ refers to the human beings, who are always thinking about their
own progress and advancement.
(b) The poet wants us to ‘do nothing’ for once so that our mind can be at
peace and we are able to introspect and analyse our own actions.
(c) The poet refers to the ‘sadness’ which arises due to the fact that people
fail to understand themselves. They have no time to introspect about their
actions and their consequences.
(d) A huge silence can do good to us because we are able to achieve peace
in this silence. It helps us in analysing ourselves and our actions, interrupting
the sadness of threatening ourselves with death.
Question.2.Read the extracts given below and answer the questions that
follow.
Perhaps the Earth can teach us

as when everything seems dead
and later proves to be alive
Now I’ll count upto twelve
and you keep quiet and I will go.
(a) What does the Earth teach us?

(b) What does the poet mean to achieve by counting upto twelve?
(c) What is the significance of ’keeping quiet’?
(d) What is always alive, even when everything seems to be dead?
or
(a) What does the Earth teach us?
(b) Why does the poet countupto twelve?
(c) What will keeping quiet help us achieve?
(d) How does the Earth teach us that there is activity even in apparent
stillness?
Answer.
(a) The Earth teaches us how new life springs from dead remains, and how
there is life under apparent stillness.
(b) The poet wants to achieve peace by counting upto twelve. He wants us
to introspect in a moment of silence.
(c) Keeping quiet doesn’t mean just not speaking. It means that we should
avoid all activities which hurt nature and, in turn, hurt us.
(d) The Earth is always alive, even when everything else seems to be dead.
There is always some activity going on in nature beneath its apparent
stillness.
or
Answer.
(a) The Earth teaches us how new life springs from dead remains. It gives
us lessons about sustaining and resurrecting life.
(b) The poet is initiating an exercise in meditation. When he counts upto
twelve, the meditator puts away all digressions and experiences bliss. He
wants all meditators to experience that bliss.
(c) Keeping quiet will help us introspect, reflect and experience silence and
peace. This will in turn help us find solutions to our problems.
(d) Though the Earth appears still, there are so many changes that keep
occurring beneath its surface. A seed that seems dead germinates under the
Earth and a new life springs from it.
Question.3.Read the extract given below and answer the questions that
follow.
For once on the face of the Earth

let’s not speak in any language,
let’s stop for one second,
arid not move our arms so much.
(a) Why does the poet want us to keep quiet?

(b) What does he want us to do for one second?
(c) What does he mean by “not move our arms”?
(d) How can this moment of stillness help us?
Answer.
(a) The poet wants us to keep quiet in the hope that the moment of
tranquillity might help us in finding the answers to our problems.
(b) The poet wants us to be silent and motionless for one second.
(c) The poet means that we should be in a state of total stillness with no
physical activity at all.
(d) This moment of stillness can provide us physical and mental rest, during
which our mind will be at peace. We can analyse our actions and their
consequences and avoid rash or thoughtless behaviour.
follow.
It would be an exotic moment

without rush, without engines,
we would all be together
in a sudden strangeness.
(a) What will happen if there is no rush or running of engines?

(b) Why would it be called an exotic moment?
(c) How would we feel at tliat moment?
(d) Name the poem and the poet.
Answer.
(a) It will be an ecstatic moment of tranquillity without rush or running of
engines.
(b) It would be called an exotic moment because it will be an instance of
universal peace and brotherhood. In that moment, all of us would initiate
introspection through meditation and the whole world will be enveloped in
quietness.
(c) We would feel very strange at that moment, because at that time
everyone will have a feeling of oneness with their fellow human beings. It
will be a new feeling altogether.
(d) The poem is ‘Keeping Quiet’, and the poet is Pablo Neruda.
follow.
Now we will count to twelve,

and we will all keep still.
For once on the face of the Earth,
let’s not speak in any language,
let’s stop for one second,
and not move our arms so much.
(a) How long does the poet want to stay still?

(b) What does he hope to achieve by keeping quiet?
(c) What does the poet mean by “not move our arms so much”?
(d) Why does the poet suggest us not to sp,eak in any language?
Answer.
(a) The poet exhorts each one of us to count to twelve and then be quiet,
silent and motionless for a brief moment.
(b) He hopes to achieve and realise the value of quiet introspection. In this
silence, we shall feel that all are together and will experience a strange
feeling of togetherness.
(c) By this, he means that we should not make any physical movement, as
physical activity will stop dr interrupt our introspection.
(d) The poet wants us to simply be silent for a moment and utilise that time
to understand ourselves as well as others. Besides, language differences
often lead to conflict, which the poet, perhaps, wants to avoid.
Question.6.Read the extract given below and answer the questions that
follow.
Fishermen in the cold sea

would not harm whales
and the man gathering salt
would look at his hurt hands.
(a) What does the poet expect of the fishermen and why?
(b) While gathering salt, what will the man do?
(c) What do the hurt hands imply?
(d) How would man and nature benefit in this moment of silence?
Answer.
(a) In the exotic moment of silence and introspection, fishermen will
become conscioi the fact that they are causing harm to the whales. The poet
expects this because he feels that at this opportune moment all evil will
come to an end.
(b) The man gathering salt will stop for a while at that quiet moment and
look at his hurt
hands.
(c) ‘Hurt hands’ means that human beings are oblivious of the pain they are
causing to themselves in the pursuit of amassing more and more comforts.
They have no time for themselves.
(d) In this moment of silence, man will not harm nature, and both human
beings and nature will get some time to attend to and recover from their
wounds.
Question.1. Which is the exotic moment that the poet refers to in ‘Keeping
Quiet’?
Answer. The poet refers to the moment of stillness and quietness as an exotic
moment. It would be an exotic moment, as such a tranquillity will initiate
peace and brotherhood. There would be no movement, no talk, no activity
and consequently, no violence.
Question.2. What is the sadness that the poet refers to in the poem ‘Keeping
Quiet’?
or
What is the sadness that the poet refers to in the poem?
Answer. The poet refers to the sadness which surrounds man due to not
having any time for himself, the pain of not understanding what he or his
fellow human beings want. He has no time for introspection; as a result, he
is unable to analyse his own actions and understand its consequences.
Question.3. Which images in the poem ‘Keeping Quiet’ show that the poet
condemns violence?
Answer. The images of fishermen not harming the whales in the sea and
wars leaving behind no survivors to celebrate the victory show that the poet
condemns violence. The poet wants the warmongers to change their blood-
stained clothes to clean ones. The poet’s refusal to have any association or
dealing with death also shows that he is not in favour of any form of
violence.
Question.4. What symbol from nature does the poet use to prove that
keeping quiet is not total inactivity?
Answer. The poet uses nature as a symbol to explain his idea that there can
be life under apparent stillness. According to him, keeping quiet is not total
inactivity. A seed may appear to be dead and inactive, but one day, the same
seed may turn into a fruitful tree.
Question.5. How, according to Neruda, can keeping quiet change our
attitude to life?
Answer. Keeping quiet and suspending all our activities for a moment will
give us time to introspect and analyse our own actions. We will develop a
new understanding of our surroundings and thus change our attitude to life.
We will check our destructive ways and try to be more positive and
constructive.
Question.6.What are the different kinds of wars mentioned in the poem?

What is Neruda’s attitude towards these wars?
Answer. The poet has written about wars against humanity and nature.
Green wars, wars with poisonous gases and wars with fire are the different
kinds of wars mentioned in the poem. Wars do good to no one. Pablo Neruda
feels that such wars may bring victory, but there are no survivors. It means
that there is heavy loss on both sides.
Question.7. How can suspension of activities help?

Answer. The poet believes that suspension of activities will allow man to
introspect, which can help them in analysing their own actions, and in
solving many of their problems based on caste, religion or nationality. It will
help them develop a new understanding of their surroundings, and thus
make them mend their destructive ways.
Question.8. Do you think the poet advocates total inactivity and death?
Answer. No, the poet clearly states that his asking for stillness should not
be confused with total inactivity or death. He perceives life to be a
continuous process, where man’s activities should not lead to destruction of
fellow human beings or nature, but should be channelised in a resourceful
way.
Question.9. According to the poet, what is it that human beings can learn
from nature?
Answer. Life under apparent stillness in attitude is the thing which man can
learn from nature. The Earth is never in a state of total inactivity. Nature
carries on its work even where there is stillness all around. Winter is
associated with inactivity, but this is not actually true.
Question.10.What will counting upto twelve and keeping quiet help us to

achieve?
Answer. The poet asks each one of us to count to twelve and then be quiet,
silent and motionless. This quietness will create a moment of togetherness
among all; a condition which is foremost for the survival of humanity, which
is indeed an achievement. It will also give us One to analyse our actions and
their consequences.
TEXTUAL QUESTIONS:
1) What will counting upto twelve and keeping still help us achieve?
Answer. -According to the poet, we should stop all our activities for a
moment. Let us give up using all our machines and engines for a short while
because most of our troubles are due to our hurry and becoming rash. We
should do introspection and keeping still will pave our path for peace.
2) Do you think Pablo Neruda advocates total inactivity and death?

Answer. -The poet Pablo Neruda does not advocate total inactivity and
death. We should not confuse total inactivity with stillness. Total inactivity
brings death while stillness entails rest for a moment so that we can have
calm introspection. The poet wants to truck with death. Stillness will keep
us start our activities again in a purposeful way.
3) What is the ‘‘sadness’’ that the poet refers to in the poem?

Answer. -The poet refers to the ‘‘sadness’’ which we form out of our own
thinking and actions. We understand a lot of things but do not understand
himself and his actions. His rush and hurry cause us troubles. He is bent up
creating wars against humanity. He is the creator of all disasters. This is the
‘sadness’ that the poet refers to in the poem. Let us introspect ourselves and
create mutual understanding.
4) What symbol from nature does the poet involve to say that there can be
life under apparent stillness?
Answer. - The poet does not want us to confuse stillness with total inactivity.
There is life under apparent stillness. He quotes the example of the Earth
which is active round the clock. Thus the poet involves the Earth as a living
symbol to prove his point. When everything seems dead, the Earth proves
to be alive Under apparent stillness, the nature remains at work and thus
keeps the Earth alive.
5) What does the title of the poem suggest to you? What do you think is the
poem about?
Answer. -The title of the poem suggest that we must keep quiet for a
moment. There will be silence and all will set together and realise the value
of collectiveness. Here we should not confuse ‘stillness’ with ‘total
inactivity’. Life should go on as it is doing about. Even the nature remains
at work and keeps the Earth alive which remains busy in doing some
activity. The poem stresses the significance of mutual understanding and
necessity of introspection.
A THING OF BEAUTY
About the poet
John Keats was born in London in the year 1795 and died in Rome in 1821
at the young age of 25 due to illness. He is a romantic poet and his poetry is
characterized by sensual imagery in his most popular work which is a series
of odes, (a lyrical poem which is meant for a particular subject). Today, his
poems are one of the most sought after creations in English literature. The
above given poetry is an excerpt from his poem, -Endymion : A poetic
Romance-(1818), considered to be an epic poem.
Background of the poem
Endymion is an epic poem in English. This poem by Keats is based on the

Greek mythology of Endymion, the shepherd beloved by the moon goddess
Selene. We see an elaboration of the original story and the moon Goddess
Selene is named as “Cynthia”.
The poem equates Endymion’s original romantic ardor with a more

universal quest for a self-destroying transcendence in which he might
achieve a blissful personal unity with all creation.
Endymios in Greek mythology is a story of a handsome youth who spent
much of his life sleeping. There are different views related to Endymion.
According to some tradition Endymion was the king of Elis. Several
traditions say that he was offered by Zeus to choose anything he might
desire and Endymionin order to remain young forever chose an everlasting
sleep.
While some tradition says Endymion’s eternal sleep was a punishment

given by Zeus, because Endymion fell in love with Zeus’s wife Hera. Selene
was deeply in love with Endymion, some say Selene had cursed Endymion
into everlasting sleep so that she can enjoy him all by herself.
Selene’s love for Endymion made her visit him every night while he was
asleep. But in the poem Keats emphasizes on Endymion’s love for Diana
rather than on hers for him. Keats transformed this tale into prose to express
the loves that have been felt on imaginative longings.
This theme of love is determined in the adventure of the Endymion quest

by Diana. In the search for Diana Endymion falls in love with an earthly
maiden. But in the end Diana and the earthly maiden turn out to be one and
the same.
Central Idea
Beauty is a heavenly tonic/drink – an endless fountain of nectar. This beauty

comes in different forms– a tale, a poem, a play, a lovely object of nature or
the heavenly bodies. It soothes our spirits and gives us good health, sound
sleep and mental peace. It removes sadness from our lives and gives an
everlasting joy.
Summary
A beautiful thing is a source of eternal joy, its loveliness grows with the
passage of time and its impact never fades away. It is as soothing as a cool
shade. It never passes into nothingness. It gives us good health, sound sleep
and mental peace. It provides the beholder with a haven of tranquility and
solace.
Man and nature are inseparable. It is the beauty of nature that keeps us
attached to this earth. Every morning we collect fresh lovely flowers and
prepare garlands. They refresh our moods and we forget our worries for a
while.
Every person gets a bitter taste of sorrow, suffering and grief. Disease,
disappointments and misfortunes give us mental and physical suffering. It
is the beautiful things that remove the pall of sadness from our lives and
make us happy and hopeful.
All beautiful things of nature are a boon for human beings. The sun, the
moon, the trees, daffodils, simple sheep, clear streams, forests ferns, musk
rose etc. provide us peace and happiness. In addition to these lovely objects
of nature, there are plays and poems to lift our spirits. The glorious
achievements of mighty heroes and magnificent rewards by God on the day
of judgement for those mighty men, lovely tales of olden days are endless
source of everlasting joy. The poet feels that nothing can surpass the beauty
of nature. They are an elixir of life. They are like an endless fountain that
pours immortal drink from the heaven into our hearts. So beauty is a gift of
God and it gives us joy forever.
Main points
• The beautiful things of nature are permanent source of joy and make
our lives sweet.
• A thing of beauty is a joy forever.
• It does not pass into nothingness but its beauty keeps on increasing.
• It gives us sound sleep and good health;
• This world is full of frustrations, disappointments and dearth of noble
people.
• These make our life gloomy and sad.
• But things of beauty remove the pall and sadness from our spirits.
• Nature is a constant source of happiness for human beings.
• The beautiful things are – sheep, daffodils, clear streams, musk roses
and forest thickets.
• These things soothe and make us happy.
• Stories of heroes who have died in peace of war are also things of
beauty and have a stimulating effect.
• But the beauties of nature are lovelier than all the lovely tales and are
like the immortal drink from heaven.
Important Expressions
Bower quite for us: A distinct place in our memory or a separate shelter
which is exclusively kept of the human beings.
Wreathing a flowery band to bind: An accumulation of sweet remembrances

and beautiful experiences which act as a connecting link to let human remain
existed to the world in the time of alienation.
Inhuman dearth of noble natures: Irreparable, inhuman and illogical lack of

virtues and human values which tend to make human beings feel
disheartened.
Made for our searching: All the complications and ordeals of life are quite
obvious for humankind to undergo sometime or other in their life.
Simple sheep: Innocent humankind referred to as flock of sheep in the Bible

and as such, Jesus Christ is shepherd.
Cooling covert: Unexpected and fortunate soothing effect of the fountains

and source of water in desert and hot weather.
Grandeur of the dooms: The magnificence and inspirational vibes of the

martyrdom for some noble cause.
Mighty dead: The great people who laid their lives quite selflessly for the
good of others.
Endless fountain of immortal drink: Ever flowing bounties and pleasure of

life which are no less than nectar. Though human beings have been given a
mortal life span, however there are innumerable things by which it can be
lived immortally.
Heaven’s brink: Ever flowing and ever generating source of the blissful
bounties given by God.
Explanation
A thing of beauty is a joy forever

Its loveliness increases, it will never
Pass into nothingness; but will keep
A bower quiet for us, and a sleep
Full of sweet dreams, and health, and quiet breathing.
Meaning … A thing of beauty is a perennial source of joy. It never

diminishes, and its appeal seldom wanes. Like an eternal source of
ebullience, it soothes our nerves, makes our place of living joyful, and fills
us with beautiful dreams during our sleep. Like a reinvigorating balm, it
makes us healthy, blissful.
Therefore, on every morrow, are we wreathing

A flowery band to bind us to the earth,
Spite of despondence, of the inhuman dearth
Of noble natures, of the gloomy days,
Of all the unhealthy and o’er-darkened ways
Meaning .. Living on earth is never always a bed of roses. Life often gets
mired in sorrows, frustrations, and despair. In order to dispel such dark
clouds of doom, the earth has its oasis. The myriad things of beauty that the
earth is dotted with are like garlands of flower that bind us to the earth.
Without these, life will be barren and insufferable. These beautiful objects
provide us with the much-needed respite and solace.
Made for our searching: yes, in spite of all,

Some shape of beauty moves away the pall
From our dark spirits.
Such the sun, the moon,
Trees old, and young, sprouting a shady boon
For simple sheep; and such are daffodils
Meaning .. Sadly, many of the beautiful things on earth play hide-and-seek

with us. They become elusive when we want to feast our eyes in them. This
is rather tragic. However, they reappear and we can again draw bask in their
bliss. The sun, the moon make themselves visible to us in periodic intervals.
The woods grow from seed to sapling to large trees, eventually weather in
their dotage, and fall. The cycle goes on relentlessly. In a similar way, sheep
grow from their tiny shapes, till they are culled. Again more sheep are born
to graze in the meadows offering us great delight. The daffodils blossom in
thousands filling the landscape in their dazzling yellow, but they too,
weather and fall. Thus, the cycle of birth and death continues.
With the green world they live in; and clear rills
That for themselves a cooling covert make
‘Gainst the hot season; the mid forest brake,
Rich with a sprinkling of fair musk-rose blooms;
And such too is the grandeur of the dooms
Meaning .. The wild flowers and some species of trees thrive near the forest
streams where the water gives them the nourishment. The shady foliage, and
the cool ambience fosters their growth. It provides a shelter against the
summer heat. The inside of the forest becomes awash with musk-rose
blooms.
The power and awe of the Nature’s pang of destruction is inescapable.
We have imagined for the mighty dead;

All lovely tales that we have heard or read;
An endless fountain of immortal drink,
Pouring unto us from the heaven’s brink.
Meaning .. We have all heard and experienced the inexorable dance of

gloom, doom and destruction. It is an integral part of the life on earth.
However, the fountain of life and happiness never dries up. We have all
heard stories of regeneration, joy, and optimism. This is because the Heaven
pours a un-ending stream of nectar onto the earth, to sustain life, vitality and
happiness for we all.
Poetic devices/figures of speech
Metaphor: bower quiet; sweet dreams; wreathing a flowery band; pall;

endless fountain of immortal drink
Alliteration: noble natures; cooling covert; band to bind
Imagery: flowery bands, shady boon, daffodils in green world, clear rills,
cooling covert, grandeur of dooms, endless fountain of eternal drink
Symbol: simple sheep – refers to mankind as Christ is the shepherd
Transferred epithet: gloomy days; unhealthy and o’er darkened ways

Question.1. Read the extracts given below and answer the questions that
follow.
And such too is the grandeur of the dooms

We have imagined for the mighty dead;
All lovely tales that we have heard or read;
An endless fountain of immortal drink,
Pouring unto us from heaven’s brink
(b) What is the thing of beauty mentioned in these lines?
(c) What image does the poet use in these lines?
(d) What is the effect of this ‘immortal drink’ on us?
or
(a) Who are the ‘mighty dead’? How do we know about them?
(b) What images does the poet use to convey that beauty is everlasting?
(c) What is the effect of the immortal drink?
(d) Write the words from the extract which mean
(i) stories
(ii) magnificence
Answer.(a) The poem is ‘A thing of beauty’ and the poet is John Keats.
(b) The thing of beauty mentioned in these lines is the group of stories
celebrating the glory of our powerful ancestors, which we have read or
heard.
(c) The poet uses the image of an ‘endless fountain’ coming down to us from
heaven. According to him, nature and other beautiful things around us are
like a gift from God, which give us infinite delight and Joy.
(d) The immortahtirrnk gives us immense joy, a joy that is everlasting, one
that will never come to an end.
or
(a) Our ancestors, who were great in their own ways and the dead emperors
have been referred to as the mighty dead. We come to know about them by
reading or hearing valorous tales, which speak of their innumerable
sacrifices. They are a source of motivation for all who go through them.
(b) ‘Endless fountain’ of joy is the image that has been used to convey that
beauty is everlasting. Things of beauty are an eternal source of motivation,
a precious gift from heaven which give us infinite pleasure and defight.
(c) The immortal drink that nature’s endless fountain pours on us gives us
immense joy and pleasure.
(d) (i) tales (ii) grandeur
follow.

Made for our searching: yes in spite of all,
Some shape of beauty moves away the pall
From our dark spirits.

(b) Why are we despondent?
(c) What removes “the pall from our dark spirits”?
(d) Explain, “the inhuman dearth of noble natures.” ’
or
(a) What are we doing every day?
(b) Which evil things do we possess and suffer from?
(c) What are the circumstances that contribute towards making humans
unhappy and disillusioned with life?
(d) What removes the pall from our dark spirits?
Answer. (a) The poem is’A thing of beauty’and the poet is John Keats.
(b) Human iife is full of trials and tribulations. We add to our troubles and
make our lives more difficult by following evil ways. We hurt others as well
as ourselves. This makes us despondent.
(c) The various objects of beauty around us remove the pall from our dark
spirits. Beautiful things have the power to make us happy.
(d) The poet here means that the world lacks in men of noble nature or
qualities. There are few people who are noble in character; most of the
people are self-centred and pursue evil ways.
or
(a) The memory of beautiful things remains in our minds and strengthens
our bond with the Earth. Every day, these bonds get strengthened by the
flowery bands that we prepare.
(b) Humans suffer from hopelessness and sadness. Our poor style of living
make us grim.
(C) Hopelessness, sadness and lack of noble ways are a part of human life.
We harm ourselves by following unhealthy and wicked paths. These
circumstances contribute towards making humans unhappy and
disillusioned with life.
(d) Anything beautiful in our surroundings or even the memories of our
beautiful experiences removes the pall from our dark spirits.
follow.
“Some shape of beauty moves away the pall
From our dark spirits,”
(a) How does beauty help us when we are burdened with grief?
(b) Explain; “Some shape of beauty.”
(c) Identify the figure of speech in the above lines.
(d) Why are our spirits referred to as ‘dark’?
Answer. (a) Whenever we look at a beautiful object, we are filled with

comfort and joy. When we are burdened with grief, a thing of beauty comes
as a ray of hope, and makes us forget our sorrow and suffering at least for
some time.
(b) Beauty is an abstract idea and has no specific shape. The poet here means
beauty in some form or some beautiful object which pleases us.
(c) The above lines present an example of metaphor. Our souls are steeped
in sadness and disappointment which are compared to a pall or shroud
covering the dead.
(d) Our spirits are dejected due to extreme sadness and disappointment
which may be the result of our own evil actions. So, the poet refers to them
as dark, because of the hopelessness we feel.
follow.
Therefore, on every morrow, are we wreathing

A flowery band to bind us to the Earth,
Made for our searching
(a) What are the flowery bands that bind us to the Earth?
(b) What message do the above lines convey? (Delhi 2009)
(c) Why is there an “inhuman dearth of noble natures”?
(d) What do you understand by “unhealthy and o’er-darkened ways”?
Answer. (a) Here beautiful and pleasant things have been referred to as
flowery bands. It is only those things which have beauty of some or the other
kind that bind us to this Earth, or in a way, keep us going. The memory of
our beautiful experiences helps us strengthen our bond with the Earth.
(b) The message that these lines convey is that the world is full of sorrow,
sadness and depression. People have become selfish,-and there is a scarcity
of noble people.
Despite this, life is possible because there are some beautiful things around,
which help us to look towards the positive side of life. It is the beauty of
these things which brings a smile on our face and gives us happiness in our
lives.
(c) Today, there are few people who can rise above petty differences and be
generous towards others. These days people are mostly selfish and do not
think about others.
(d) The unhealthy and o’er-darkened ways refer to the trials and tribulations
in our life, and the dishonest and unfair means people adopt to achieve their
goals.
follow.
A thing of beauty is a joy forever

Its loveliness increases, it will never
Pass into nothingness; but will keep
A bower quiet for us and a sleep
Full of sweet dreams and health and quiet breathing
(a) How does a thing of beauty remain a joy forever?

(b) Mention any two sources of joy which a thing, of beauty provides to us.
(All India 2008; Modified)
(c) Explain, “never pass into nothingness.”
(d) What is meant by‘bower’?
Answer. (a) A thing of beauty provides eternal and everlasting joy to us.
Whenever we are in a pensive mood we can relive the joyful experience and
happiness it gave us.
(b) A thing of beauty gives us a quiet bower to rest peacefully, and a blissful
sleep full of
pleasant dreams.
(c) The joy that a thing of beauty give us is eternal. It never loses its
importance, but it only increases with time.
(d) A ‘bower’ refers to a peaceful, quiet place under the shade of trees.
Short Answer Type Questions Marks, 30-40 words)

Question.1. How do beautiful things help us to live a happy life?
Answer. We derive comfort and happiness when we look at objects of
beauty, and the lasting impression they leave on our minds is a source of
permanent joy. Beautiful things bind us to the Earth and help us strengthen
our relationship with nature. They provide us relief from our everyday trials
and tribulations and help us live a happy life.
Question.2. What does Keats consider an endless fountain of immortal drink

and why does he call its drink immortal?
Answer. Keats considers nature’s beauty as an endless fountain of immortal
drink. He calls this drink immortal as the pleasure and delight given by it
never passes into nothingness. It only increases with time.
Question.3. According to Keats, what spreads the pall of despondence over

our dark spirits? How is it removed?
or
What spreads the pall of despondence over our dark spirits? How is it
removed?
Answer. John Keats says that pain and suffering are a part of life. These
bring us sadness and despondence. But still, we can find hope. The hope and
motivation come from nature and remove the pall of despondence from our
spirits. The beautiful sights give us inspiration to continue the journey of
life.
Question.4. How does a thing of beauty provide shelter and comfort?

Answer. A thing of beauty provides shelter and comfort in many ways. It is
like a bower, a place under the shade of a tree where we can rest. It gives us
a sleep filled with sweet dreams. The streams and forests provide a cooling
covert for us in the hot weather.
Question.5. How is a thing of beauty a joy forever?

Answer. A thing of beauty is a joy forever because it is a permanent source
of joy and inspiration and leaves a lasting impression on us. The pleasure
and happiness given by it never fades away but keeps on increasing.
Question.6. What makes human beings love life in spite of troubles and
sufferings?
Answer. Human beings suffer from hopelessness and sadness. Our style of
living often makes us hopeless and grim. We at times also, suffer due to the
self-centred and wicked nature of others. In spite of all our troubles and
sufferings, we are able to derive pleasure from our surroundings. The
beautiful objects from nature help us shed our gloom, give us a glimmer of
hope, and make us love life amidst all troubles.
Question.7. Why is ‘grandeur’ associated with the mighty dead?

Answer. The mighty dead are those who have laid down their lives for a
great or noble cause. Their death is replete with intellectual and spiritual
beauty. Birth, growth and decay, all are inseparable. Each has its own.
beauty. Their death is grand or beautiful because it makes them immortal
through the grand tombs and memorials erected in their honour.
Question.8. What is the message of the poem, ‘A thing of beauty’?

Answer. The message of the poem ‘A thing of beauty’ is that beautiful
things are a source of constant joy and inspiration. They give us eternal
pleasure and leave an indelible image on our minds and, therefore, every
beautiful thing and aspect is worth being treasured.
Question.9. What is the ‘endless fountain’ and what is its effect?

Answer. Here beauty has been referred to as an ‘endless fountain’, which is
an eternal source of motivation, an elixir of life and a precious gift from
heaven. It gives us infinite pleasure and delight, and motivates us to continue
our journey of life.
Question.10.What images does the poet use to describe the beautiful bounty
of the Earth?
Answer. The poet uses the image of an ‘endless fountain’, which showers
bounties on Earth. He calls this an ‘immortal drink’ from heaven. The sun,
the moon, the trees, the daffodils, the lush green forests and streams, all
reflect the beautiful bounties which God has given us.
Textual Question Answers
Question.1 What does the line, "Therefore are we wreathing a flowery band
to bind us to earth suggest to you?
Answer. It means that we get attached to the beautiful things around us and
weave a pretty band which binds us with our life, it becomes the reason for
us to live.
Question.2 What makes human beings love life in spite of troubles and
sufferings?
Answer. The eternal beauty of various things gives us happiness and
relaxation. It makes us love life inspite of life's troubles and sufferings.
Question.3 Why is grandeur associated with the -mighty dead?

Answer. The noble deeds of the brave men who sacrificed their lives are an
inspiration for us forever. The beautiful legacy of their bravery is the
grandeur which is associated with the mighty dead.
Question.4 Do we experience things of beauty only for short moments or do

they make a lasting impression on us?
Answer. According to the poet, a thing of beauty is a joy forever. Even if
we see it for a few moments, it has a lasting impression on us and its
beautiful memory stays with us forever. It inspires us to live, despite the
ruthlessness of life.
Question.5 What image does the poet use to describe the beautiful bounty
of the earth?
Answer. The beautiful bounty of the earth is described by -endless fountain
of immortal drink- which signifies that God bestows us with all his beautiful
creations which help us live despite the sad, gloomy aspects of life.
Aunt Jennifer's Tigers

About the Poet:
Adrienne Cecile Rich ( May 16, 1929 – March 27, 2012) was an American
poet, essayist and feminist. She was called "one of the most widely read and
influential poets of the second half of the 20th century", and was credited
with bringing "the oppression of women to the forefront of poetic
discourse."Widely read and hugely influential, Rich’s career spanned seven
decades and has hewed closely to the story of post-war American poetry
itself. Her earliest work, including A Change of World (1951) which won
the prestigious Yale Younger Poets Award, was formally exact and
decorous, while her work of the late 1960s and 70s became increasingly
radical in both its free-verse form and feminist and political content.
Summary
Aunt Jennifer’s Tigers is an interesting poem which looks at the life of a
married woman, the institution of marriage within which she suffers and
shows how she uses art as a medium to escape the reality she’s in. Divided
into three stanzas of two couplets each, the poem employs a rhyme scheme
of aabbccddeeff. The poem uses the figure of Aunt Jennifer and her
needlework – a tapestry of magnificent tigers in a forest in order to explore
the themes of womanhood, marriage, repression of one’s personality and
the importance of artistic expression.
One look at the poem tells us that the first stanza is all about Aunt Jennifer’s
tigers, the second about the aunt herself and the third stanza brings the two
together where a part of Aunt Jennifer is preserved in the tigers she’s
stitched. In three short stanzas, the speaker demonstrates how marriage as
an institution has failed to allow Aunt Jennifer the full realization of her self,
how the artistic expression through her needlework provides a space where
she can project her bottled-up aspirations and how her art will live beyond
her death as an expression of her identity.
With its striking colour imagery and highly sensory language, Aunt
Jennifer’s Tigers gives a glimpse in the life of a woman who finds herself
weighed down by the institution of marriage and finds her only escape in
the art that she produces.
FIRST STANZA
Aunt Jennifer’s tigers prance across a screen,

Bright topaz denizens of a world of green.
They do not fear the men beneath the tree;
They pace in sleek chivalric certainty.
EXPLANATION
• The poet is talking about a lady whom she addresses as aunt, Jennifer.
• She is embroidering a piece of cloth. It could be a table cloth or a wall
hanging.
• The pattern shows tigers who are moving and jumping around all over
the fabric.
• They are bright yellow in colour like the colour of the topaz stone (use
of metaphor).
• The dense green forest background is their home.
• They are the proud and fearless citizens of the forest.
• Here is a contrast between Aunt Jennifer and her tigers. The tigers are
fearless but this lady, who is embroidering them is not so.
• The tigers look elegant, shining and full of the gentleman’s grace.
The poet is describing a lady whom she addresses as Aunt Jennifer. She says
that Aunt Jennifer is doing embroidery on a piece of cloth which could be a
table cloth or a wall hanging. She has designed it with beautiful tigers which
are running fearlessly in the green forest. She has described their beauty by
comparing them with a precious yellow stone known as topaz. She says that
they appear bright yellow in the green backdrop of the forest. They are
fearless and they are not affected by the presence of men. Here we can sense
the contrast of behavior between the tigers and aunt, though the tigers
designed by her are fearless but she herself is afraid of her husband. Further,
the poet says that the tigers are proud and fearless citizens of the forests.
They are very shiny and elegant.
Rhyme scheme: aabb
Literary Devices
Anaphora: use of same word in two consecutive lines (they do not … and
they pace in…)
Metaphor: Use of topaz to describe the yellow color of tigers (Bright topaz)
SECOND STANZA
Aunt Jennifer’s fingers fluttering through her wool

Find even the ivory needle hard to pull.
The massive weight of Uncle’s wedding band
Sits heavily upon Aunt Jennifer’s hand.
EXPLANATION
• The lady’s fingers are trembling with the fear of her husband.
• She is pursuing her hobby in her free time but probably, she is still
afraid of her husband who could scold her.
• Her fingers are so tired of working endlessly all her life
• The needle is also heavy for her to pull out of the cloth.
• The words ‘uncle’s wedding band’ as the band was bought by her
husband, it is his till today.
• The lady is dependent on her husband .
• She is still burdened by the weight of the ring. ‘weight’ means the
encirclement or trapping that has fallen upon her by getting married
to him, she has been burdened by the obligations of married life, has
become the man’s property.
• She has been living a demanding life due to which she has worn out
in her old age.
Here the poet describes the fear of Aunt Jennifer towards her husband. She
says that while she is doing embroidery, her fingers are quivering (shaking)
with fear of her husband. Her husband doesn’t approve of her hobby of
embroidery. Therefore, she trembles while she is embroidering the piece of
cloth. It has become difficult for her to pull her needle up and down. Then
she describes the wedding ring which was given by uncle to Aunt Jennifer
on their wedding day. She says that it is a kind of burden for her to wear this
ring. She has been tortured by her husband so much that the wedding ring
which could have been a beautiful gift for her seems like a burden to her.
She has faced so many difficulties in her married life that the little ring is
described as a heavy band on her trembling fingers. This means that the ring
is associated with some bad experiences in the form of torture she has faced
because of her husband’s dominating behaviour.
Rhyme scheme: aabb
Literary device:
Alliteration: ‘f’ sound is repeated in finger fluttering
THIRD STANZA
When Aunt is dead, her terrified hands will lie

Still ringed with ordeals she was mastered by.
The tigers in the panel that she made
Will go on prancing, proud and unafraid.
EXPLANATION
• Her wish to live a free, fearless life is indicated by her choice of design
– tigers.
• It shows her innermost desire of being strong, fearless which has been
overpowered by her husband.
• Probably, her ordeal will end upon her death.
• Her frightened, shaking fingers will be put to rest.
• But still, even after death, the ring shall remain on her hand, i.e. her
husband’s rule over her is not yet over!
• After her death, her desire of freedom and fearlessness shall remain
alive in these tigers which she has embroidered.
The poet says that one can easily sense aunt’s desire for freedom and
fearlessness through her design of tigers. Further she says that it is not
possible for aunt to achieve this freedom during her lifetime. She will attain
it only after her death but here also the irony of her life is that still, she will
be tied up with shackles in the form of her husband’s wedding ring. The ring
was the sole proof of the tortures which she had faced from her husband. On
the other hand, there are the tigers designed by Aunt Jennifer which will
always depict her desire of living a fearless life by jumping proudly and
bravely on the piece of cloth.
Rhyme scheme: aabb
Literary devices
alliteration: ‘p’ is repeated in prancing proud
New words
Prance : walk or move around with high springy steps.

Topaz : a bright yellow coloured stone.
Denizens : here, an animal that lives or is found in a particular place.
Sleek : elegant.
Chivalric : being courteous esp. to women, an act of a gentleman.
Ordeals: extremely severe tests or experiences.
Prancing : to move around proudly.
Fluttering : to move in quick, irregular motions as if being agitated.
4 Marks Questions
Question 1 : Read the extract given below and answer the questions that
follow.
Aunt Jennifer’s fingers fluttering through her wool

Find even the ivory needle hard to pull.
The massive weight of Uncle’s wedding band
Sits heavily upon Aunt Jennifer’s hand.
a) Why is Aunt Jennifer doing with her wool?

Answer : Aunt Jennifer is embroidering beautiful images of tigers by using
wool.
b) Why does she find it difficult to pull her ivory needle?
Answer : She finds it difficult to pull her ivory needle as she is terrorised
and traumatised by the constraints of her married life.
c) What does ‘wedding band’ stand for?
Answer : The wedding band stands for her martial responsibilities but she
feels burdened by them as she is not able to express herself.
d) Describe the irony in the third line.
Answer : The irony in the third line is that her marriage instead of proving
blissful has overburdened her with responsibilities and her wedding band
symbolises her bondage to her husband and his overpowering nature.
follow.
Aunt Jennifer’s tigers prance across a screen,

They pace in sleek chivalric certainty
a) Why are the tigers called Aunt Jennifer’s tigers?

Answer : The tigers are called Aunt Jennifer’s tigers as they were being
embroidered on the tapestry of Aunt Jennifer.
b) How are they described here?
Answer : The tigers have been described here as bold and fearless and they
move across the screen with confidence.
c) How are they different from Aunt Jennifer?
Answer : The tigers are different from Aunt Jennifer as they are shown as
symbols of strength, fearlessness and confidence. Aunt Jennifer has been
described as a timid female who is burdened with marital responsibilities
and she is lacking in confidence.
d) What does the word, ‘chivalric’ mean?
Answer : The world ‘chivalric’ means ‘gallant’ or ‘brave’.
follow.
When Aunt is dead, her terrible hands will lie
Still ringed with ordeals she was mastered by
The tigers in the panel that she made
Will go on prancing, proud and unafraid
a) Who is the aunt mentioned here?

Answer : The aunt mentioned here is Aunt Jennifer, the protagonist of
Adrienne Rich’s poem ‘Aunt Jennifer’s Tigers’.
b) Why is she “ringed with ordeals”?
Answer : The ‘ring’ here refers to her wedding band or ring, which has
brought with it a host of family responsibilities. She feels so surrounded
(i.e., ringed) by her marital constraints that it seems like an ordeal to her.
c) What is the difference between her and the tigers?
Answer : Aunt Jennifer is quiet weak and submissive, whereas the tigers are
strong, bold and powerful. She is bound by the constraints of her married
life, while the tigers are free to move about in the green woods.
d) Why has Aunt Jennifer created the tigers so different from her own
character?
Answer : The tigers created by Aunt Jennifer are an expression of her desire
to free herself from the constraints of her married life. She wants to be bold
and fearless like her tigers.
follow.

They pace in sleek chivalric certainty
a) Who are ‘They’? Where are ‘They’?

Answer : ‘They’ refers to the tigers that Aunt Jennifer has knit on the panel.
They are prancing in the forest (across a screen).
b) Why are ‘They’ not afraid of men?
Answer : The tigers are not afraid of men because they are gallant and
fearless creatures who are not afraid of anyone.
c) What is the meaning of ‘sleek’?
Answer : The meaning of ‘sleek’ is ‘elegant’.
d) Who is the poet of this poem?
Answer : The name of the poet is Adrienne Rich.
3 Marks Questions (30 – 40 Words)
Question 1 : What picture of male chauvinism (tyranny) do we find in the
poem ‘Aunt Jennifer’s Tigers’?
Answer : In the poem, ‘Aunt Jennifer’s Tigers’, Aunt Jennifer was
oppressed by her husband. She was confined within the four walls of of her
husband’s house and was not free to do what she wished. She was also
overburdened by her marital responsibilities.
Question 2 : Aunt Jennifer’s efforts to get rid of her fear proved to be futile.
Comment.
Answer : Although Aunt Jennifer tried her best to conquer her fear, she
continued to be traumatised and oppressed by her husband. Her act of
embroidaring fearless, prancing tigers could only give her a temporary
release to her pent up feelings of liberation.
Question 3 : What is suggested by the phrase, ‘massive weight of Uncle’s

wedding band’?
Answer : The weight that lies heavily on Aunt Jennifer’s hand is the
wedding band, which symbolises the harsh and difficult experiences of her
married life. It is associated with her husband as he has traumatised her.
Question 4 : Why does Aunt Jennifer create animals that are so different
from her own character?
Answer : In creating animals that are different from her own character, Aunt
Jennifer found a means of living an alternate life that is denied to her, a life
that is proud, free and fearless.
Through this difference, the poet suggests Aunt Jennifer’s suppressed desire
to become bold and fearless, and free from oppression.
Question 5 : What are the difficulties that Aunt Jennifer faced in her life?
Answer : Aunt Jennifer was probably a victim of oppression at the hands of
the patriarchal society. She was subjugated by her husband and was not free
to do what she wished.
Question 6 : How are Aunt Jennifer’s tigers different from her?

Answer : Aunt Jennifer’s tigers present a sharp contrast to her. While the
Aunt is weak, meek, submissive and bound by restrictions, the tigers are
strong, fearless, confident and free to move wherever they wish.
Question 7 : How does Aunt Jennifer express her bitterness and anger
against male dominance?
Answer : Aunt Jennifer expresses her bitterness and anger against male
dominance silently through her art. She creates tigers on her tapestry;
animals that are unafraid of men and are symbolic of bravery, fearlessness
and strength.
Question 8 : Why has Aunt Jennifer made ‘prancing proud and unafraid’
tigers?
Answer : Aunt Jennifer lived a fearful and restricted life. She expressed her
desire of being free, unafraid and proud by knitting tigers that were
‘prancing, proud and unafraid’.
Question 9 : What will happen to Aunt Jennifer’s tigers when she is dead?
Answer : The tigers created by Aunt Jennifer would live forever. They will
keep on prancing proud and unafraid even after her death.
Question 10 : What kind of married life did Aunt Jennifer lead?

Answer : Aunt Jennifer was confined to live inside her husband’s house and
was not free to do what she wished. She was burdened with her marital
responsibilities and led a traumatic married life.
Question 11 : Why did Aunt Jennifer choose to embroider tigers on the

panel?
Answer : Aunt Jennifer chose to embroider tigers on the panel because for
her, the tigers were the symbols of bravery, fearlessness and strength. Unlike
her, they were not afraid of men around them.
Question 12 : How do the words, ‘denizens’ and ‘chivalric’ add to our

understanding of Aunt Jennifer’s tigers?
Answer : ‘Denizens’ means that the tigers inhabit a green world where they
are free from any boundations. ‘Chivalric’ means that they are brave and
courageous.
Question 13 : What do the symbols , ‘tigers’, ‘fingers’ and ‘ring’ stand for
in the poem, ‘Aunt Jennifer’s Tigers’?
Answer : The ‘tigers’ are symbols of bravery and courage and also of Aunt
Jennifer’s desire for freedom. The ‘fingers’ are symbol of fear experienced
by Aunt Jennifer and ‘ring’ symbolises an oppressive and binding marriage.
Question 14 : How has Aunt Jennifer created her tigers? What traits of tigers
do they reveal?
Answer : According to the poet, Aunt Jennifer’s tigers are golden-yellow in
colour and are prancing across the screen. They live in a forest and are sleek,
chivalric, majestic, elegant and unafraid of men.
The Last Lesson

About the Authour
Alphonse Daudet, (born May 13, 1840, France—died Dec. 16, 1897,
Paris?), French short-story writer and novelist, now remembered chiefly as
the author of sentimental tales of provincial life in the south of France.
Formerly, a schoolteacher, he quit it to make a living as a journalist in Paris.
He took to writing, his poems collected into a volume called “Les
Amoureuses”.
Brief Introduction
'The last lesson ' written by Alphonse Daudet narrates about the year 1870
when the Prussian forces under Bismarck attacked and captured France. The
French districts of Alsace and Lorraine went into Prussian hands. The new
Prussian rulers discontinued the teaching of French in the schools of these
two districts. The French teachers were asked to leave. Now M. Hamel
could no longer stay in his old school. Still he gave the last lesson to his
students with utmost devotion and sincerity as ever. One such student of M.
Hamel, Franz who dreaded French class and M. Hamel‘s iron rod, came to
the school that day thinking he would be punished as he had not learnt his
lesson on participles. But on reaching school he found Hamel dressed in his
fine Sunday clothes and the old people of the village sitting quietly on the
back benches. It was due to an order from Berlin. That was the first day
when he realized for the first time that how important French was for him,
but it was his last lesson in French. The story depicts the pathos of the whole
situation about how people feel when they don‘t learn their own language.
It tells us about the significance of one‘s language in one‘s life for the very
existence of a race and how important it is to safeguard it.
Main points
1. Franz is afraid of going to school as he has not learnt participles.

2. Wants to enjoy the beauty of nature - the bright sunshine - the birds
chirruping in the woods - Prussian soldiers‘ drilling but resisted.
3. On reaching school Franz notices: unusual silence - Villagers occupying
the last benches - teacher well dressed – everybody looked sad.
4. M. Hamel announces: Today is the last lesson in French.
5. Franz regrets and realizes why he had not taken his lesson seriously.
6. Understands the reason why teacher is well dressed and villagers sitting
at the back.
7. M. Hamel realizes that all three, he himself, the children and the parents
are to be blamed for losing respect and regards for the mother tongue.
8. Hamel says: French language – most beautiful, clear and logical language
in the world. Always keep close the mother tongue to your heart as it is a
key to the prison of slavery.
9. Hamel becomes emotional and writes on the black board ―”Vive La
France”
10. Franz remembers the last lesson very well.
Summary
The story is narrated by a French boy, Franz. He is lazy but sensitive and
likes to play. He dislikes studying French and hates his teacher M. Hamel.
After overpowering their districts of Alsace and Lorraine in France, Berlin
has ordered that German language instead of French be taught in the schools
there. It is the last day of their French teacher M. Hamel, who has been there
for forty years. He is full of grief, nostalgia and patriotism. As a mark of
respect to his hard work, the village men also attend his ‘last lesson’. They
are sad as they did not learn their mother tongue, French in their childhood.
Franz is shocked to know that it’s his last lesson, as he does not know
French. Now, suddenly, he gets interested in learning it and understands
everything taught on that day! He develops an instant liking for the teacher,
M. Hamel and respects him for his sincerity and hard work. He feels sad at
departing from him and is ashamed for not being able to recite the lesson of
participles. M. Hamel tells them that they all are at fault for not being eager
enough to learn, putting it off to the next day. He blames himself for not
teaching them sincerely. His patriotism is reflected in his praise for the
French language as being the most beautiful and most logical language in
the world. He tells the class to guard their language as being close to one’s
language is the key to escape from the prison of slavery. It will help them in
getting free from the Germans. They realize the importance of learning their
mother tongue and that they have been defeated by the Germans because of
their illiteracy. Franz feels that it is not possible to take away one’s language
from a person as it is natural to each being, may it be the “coo” to the pigeons
or “French” to the Frenchmen.
The Story Retold
The author was late for school and dreaded scolding from his teacher, Mr
M Hamel who was to question them that day on participles. The narrator
had not learnt his lessons. It was a bright day and he felt tempted to stay
back from school and enjoy the day but somehow he resisted the temptation
to do so. While he was passing by the town hall, he saw a crowd in front of
the bulletin-board. Since the war was on, all the bad news had come from
that board. As he was hurrying past, the blacksmith called out to him and
said there was plenty of time to reach the school in time.
When the author reached school, he was very surprised at the eerie silence
that surrounded the school. It seemed more like a Sunday than a working
day. He had depended on the commotion to enter the class unnoticed but to
his surprise everyone was already in their places and he had to go before
everybody. What surprised him even more was that instead of scolding him
the teacher was kind and told him to take his place.
After settling, the narrator, Franz noticed that the teacher was wearing his
beautiful green coat, his frilled shirt and his little black silk cap with
embroidery on it. This attire was worn by M Hamel only on inspection or
prize days. The atmosphere that day was very solemn and what surprised
him most was when he saw the village elders sitting in the class on the last
benches. Everyone was sad. One of the persons sitting there was old Hauser
who had even brought an old primer which he thumbed at the edges. He
held it open on his knees.
The narrator wondered at the changes when suddenly M Hamel mounted his
chair and announced that it was their last French lesson as the order had
come from Berlin that only German will be taught in the schools of Alsace
and Lorriane. The narrator was shocked to hear this and suddenly those
books which had seemed a burden became very dear to him. He regretted
not having learnt his lessons. Now the narrator understood why Mr Hamel
had put on his Sunday clothes and why the villagers were attending the class
that day. It was their way of thanking the master for his commendable
service of forty years and showing respect to their country. They also
regretted missing the school so often. When the class started, the narrator
heard his name being called out to recite the rules of the participles which
he was unable to do as he got stuck on the first word. He felt very disgusted
with himself at his failure to do so. Mr Hamel said he wouldn’t scold him
for he was, as it is, feeling so bad about it. Everyday learning had been
postponed to the next day and now there was no time left to learn. He further
said that they would be mocked by people for calling themselves French
although they couldn’t speak or write their own language.
Further, Mr Hamel says even many parents had preferred to send their
children to work than to school. Then he confesses that he too was to blame
because many times he had given a holiday when he wanted to go fishing.
Mr Hamel said that French was the most beautiful language in the world. It
was the most clearest and logical. He then opened the book and explained a
grammar lesson to them. The writer was surprised at himself for he
understood the lesson very well. Also Mr Hamel had explained the lesson
more patiently than ever. It almost seemed as if in one go he wanted to give
them all that he knew. The grammar lesson was followed by a writing
lesson. That day Mr Hamel had new copies for them in which it was written
in beautiful round hand — France, Alsace, France, Alsace. They looked like
little flags floating everywhere in the classroom. All the children worked
seriously and quietly. Suddenly, the writer heard the pigeons cooing and
wondered will they be also made to sing in German.
While the class was doing their writing assignment, M Hamel sat motionless
in his chair staring at all the things as if he wanted to remember just how
everything looked in that little school room. Since M Hamel had started the
school forty years ago, nothing had changed except the desk and chairs had
worn off and the trees had grown taller. The narrator wonders that it must
be heart-breaking for him to hear his sister moving the trunks in the room
above, packing to leave the country next day. Mr Hamel is an epitome of
patience that day; a patriot to the core Mr M Hamel was very patient that
day. When it was the chance of the babies to chant the alphabet, even the
old villagers joined in. Their voice trembled with emotion. At twelve all of
them could hear the Prussians returning from drill. At this overcome with
emotion, M Hamel went to the blackboard and wrote, Vive La France (Long
Live France). He then leaned against the wall and dismissed the class with
a gesture. To sum up, we can say that the story is a wake-up call for all those
people who keep on postponing things endlessly. Something like this
happened with the natives of Alsace. They had to forego learning their
mother tongue. In the same vein, the story extrapolates the fact that war
makes man inhuman and insensitive to the feelings of others.
Question answers (short)
Q. 1. Why was the narrator scared of going to school that morning?

Answer. The author was late that morning. He was frightened by scolding.
He did not prepare the Participles which M. Hamel had asked to question
students.
Q. 2. What did Franz see as he passed the town hall?

Answer. When Franz was passing through Town Hall, he saw a huge crowd
there. Franz noticed that the crowd was looking carefully at the Bulletin
board. Franz feared bad news on the bulletin board.
Q. 3. Who were the village people? How did they look?

Answer. There were former mayors, postmaster and many others in the
village. The old Hauser had three corner hat. He came with his old
preliminary book. Everyone looked sad.
Q. 4. Why did Mr. Hamel say that it was the last lesson?
Answer. Mr. Hamel said that this was his last lesson. Because Hamel was a
teacher of the French Language. The order came from Berlin that only the
German language should be taught in Alsace and Lorraine schools.
Q. 5. How did Franz’s attitude towards his books and Mr. Hamel change?
Answer. When Franz heard that it was the last lesson of the French
language. He was in shock. His books suddenly became his old friend.
Franz’s attitude toward books and teachers changed completely.
Q. 6. Why had Franz not been able to learn much at school?

Answer. Franz was unable to learn much in school because he used to waste
his time in finding eggs from birds and sliding on the Saar. He did not like
his book at all.
Q. 7. What did Mr. Hamel say about the French language?

Answer. Mr. Hamel says that the French language is the world’s most
beautiful language. This is the clearest and Justified language. We should
protect it and do not forget it.
Q. 8. How did Mr. Hamel bid farewell to his school?

Answer. When the church is twelve in the clock then Mr. Hamel stood up.
He tries to say something but he becomes emotionally disturbed. He wrote
“Vive La French” on the blackboard. And by the hand gesture, he dismissed
the school.
Question answer (long)
Q. 9. It was the day of surprises for Franz. What surprises did he notice at
school that day?
Answer. For Franz, this school day was a surprise day. There was peace in
school. All the students were sitting on their seats and Mr. Hamel was
walking in the classroom. However, there was a lot of noise in the school
time. Franz planned that he would quietly enter the class without appearing
to anyone. He will enter the classroom to take advantage of the noise during
school time. He was amazed because the school had silence.
Franz opened the door and entered. He felt that today he will be scolded by
Mr. Hamel. But Hamel was very serious and humble, he asked Franz to sit
on the seat.
The people of the village were sitting on vacant seats today. All these things
made Franz wonder.
Q. 10. ‘Franz hated at first but he suddenly began to like it.’ Comment.
Answer. Franz was a poor boy. The parents of Franz wanted Franz to work
on a farm or a factory and earn some money to help the home family. He
himself wanted to stay out of the house. She liked to find the eggs of birds.
The book of Franz seemed to be a headache and it seemed so heavy that it
was difficult to carry the book.
When he came to know that Mr. Hamel was going on forever, he realized
how carefree he was to his studies. Now the school had to be taught only
the German language. He did not learn the French language. Suddenly Franz
began to like his book, teacher and Mr. Hamel.
Q. 11. What ideas of Mr. Hamel’s character do you from after reading “The
last lesson”?
Answer. Mr. Hamel was a teacher at Alsace School. His harsh behavior
towards students made them appear scary. He was unhappy when the
Prussians had occupied a part of France. Mr. Hamel told the people of
Alsace that they all kept holding their language firmly Because this
language can liberate from foreign rule. He loved his language (French) and
also admire. Mr. Hamel says that the French language is the most beautiful
and equitable language of the world. He was a truly honest man. Sometimes
they closed the school when they had to go fishing.
Q. 12. Draw a character sketch of Mr. Hamel.

Answer. Mr. Hamel was a French teacher. He was always dedicated to
school and students. M. Hamel makes fun of children who came late. They
did not like the kids coming late. The students were afraid of them because
they were strict teachers. His voice was grave and humble. They always kept
an iron rod with them. He provided services at Alsace School for forty years.
He was a true patriot. They liked fishing so much. Mister Hamel loved his
language (French) and also admire. Mr. Hamel says that the French
language is the most beautiful and equitable language of the world. He was
very emotional. The people of the village loved Mr. Hamel.
Q. 13. The people in the story suddenly realize how precious their language
is to them. What shows you this? Why does this happen?
Answer: The story was written in the days of the Franco-Prussian war in
which France was defeated by Prussia. In this story the French districts of
Alsace-Lorraine have passed into Prussian hands. M. Hamel is the teacher
of French and a boy, Franz who never serious in the class of M. Hamel. One
day he was late for school. He feared that his teacher would scold as he was
not very sure about participles which the teacher, M. Hamel, is going to test
that day. But finally he decided to go to school. As he entered he saw the
crowd has gathered round the bulletin board. He did not stop there. On
arriving at school, he noted an unusual silence. He entered into the class and
was greeted with a strange sight. The last benches which were always empty
were occupied by the village elders who look grim and solemn. Franz
noticed M. Hamel was dressed nicely and asked Franz to sit so that he could
start his lesson. The teacher made a startling announcement that this would
be their last lesson in French as the new teacher would be arriving the
following day. He said, “ The order has come from Berlin to teach only
German in the schools of Alsace and Lorraine. The new teacher comes
tomorrow. This is your last French lesson. I want you to be very attentive.”
There came a sudden change in the minds of the people and they developed
a new profound love French. Franz was overcome with a feeling of remorse
and regretted for wasting his time in trivial pursuits. He decided to pay
attention to the lesson since school had become very important for him. The
people and Franz himself realized how precious their language is to them.
M. Hamel had been teaching in that school for last forty years. His
dedication, devotion, discipline impressed them. He realizes the real worth
of his school and the teacher whom they have all taken for granted all these
years. M. Hamel in his last address told about the importance of French. He
called that it was the most beautiful language in the world. It is the clearest
and the most logical one. M.Hamel was overcome by strong emotions and
in large letter he wrote on the board ‘Viva La France’ – long live France!
Q. 14. Franz thinks:’ “Will they make them sing in German, even the
pigeons?” What could this mean?
Answer: The Alsace and Lorraine districts were under the regime of France.
During the FrancoPrussian war in which France was defeated by Prussia led
by Bismarck and both these districts have passed into Prussian hands.
Earlier they were learning their own language, French. As per new set up,
an order was passed that German was to be taught in the schools of Alsace
and Lorraine.M. Hamel who had been teaching the French for the last forty
years. In his last lesson he told that from the next day in the schools of both
districts would teach only German instead of French from a new teacher.
They won’t be learning their own most beautiful, clearest and logical
language. He told the importance of their own language, this feeling of M.
Hamel aroused their patriotic feelings. There came a sudden change in
Franz. He disliked learning German. He heard and saw the pigeons. He
immediately remarked: “Will they make them sing in German, even the
pigeons?” It is meant that the German can impose German language on the
people of Alsace and Lorraine but they can’t impose this language on the
birds etc. They can enslave the people but have no authority to compel the
cooing pigeons.
The Lost Spring
As we all know, spring is the season associated with optimism and hope. It
also works as a metaphor for the childhood stage of our life. Right from the
time we’re born until late childhood, every child hopes for new beginnings
and a bright future. The phase of childhood is all about innocence, energy,
and tremendous inclination towards outdoors activities along with fun and
play. And playtime does not have any limits. It is also a time of getting more
skill and knowledge.
The ‘Lost Spring’ written by Anees Jung talks about the national shame of
children being forced to live a life of poverty and exploitation. The main
two protagonists of the chapter, Saheb-e-Alam and Mukesh don’t live their
childhood as they have to carry the burden of poverty and illiteracy. In their
miserable stories of exploitation, the author provides glimpses of fortitude
and resilience.
About the Author
Anees Jung is an Indian female author, journalist and columnist who writes
for major newspapers in India and abroad. She was born in Rourkela and
belongs to an aristocratic family in Hyderabad. Her father, Nawab Hosh Yar
Jung, who was a renowned scholar and poet, worked as the musahib
(adviser) to the last Nizam (prince) of Hyderabad State. And her mother and
brother are also well-known Urdu poets.
Jung hit the headlines with the publication of ‘Unveiling India in 1987’,
which is primarily a travel diary that focuses on interviews with women.
She went on write many subsequent books on the same topic, and talked to
women about their everyday lives, and wrote books like ‘Night of the New
Moon: Encounters with Muslim women in India’ (1993) and Seven Sisters
(1994). Her book ‘Breaking the Silence (1997) includes conversations on
women’s lives from around the world.
Introduction
The story, “Lost Spring” describes the pitiable condition of poor children
who have been forced to miss the joy of childhood due to the socio-
economic condition that prevails in this man-made world. These children
are denied the opportunity of schooling and forced into labour early in life.
Anees Jung gives voice to eliminate child labour by educating the children
and to enforce the laws against child labour by the governments strictly. The
call is to end child exploitation and let the children enjoy the days of the
spring that bring joy under their feet.
Summary
I – Sometimes I find a rupee in the garbage.
The first part tells the writer’s impressions about the life of the poor rag
pickers. The rag pickers have migrated from Dhaka and found a settlement
in Seemapuri. Their fields and homes had been swept away by storms. They
had come to the big city to find a living. They are poor. The writer watches
Saheb every morning scrounging for “gold” in her neighbourhood. Garbage
is a means of survival for the elders and for the children it is something
wrapped in wonder. The children come across a coin or two from it. These
people have desires and ambitions, but they do not know the way to achieve
them. There are quite a few things that are unreachable to them, namely
shoes, tennis and the like. Later Saheb joins a tea stall where he could earn
800 Rupees and all the meals. The job has taken away his freedom.
II – I want to drive a car.
The second part deals with the life of Mukesh, who belongs to the family of
Bangle-makers. Firozabad is best known for its glass-blowing industry.
Nearly 20,000 children are engaged in this business and the law that forbids
child labour is not known here. The living condition and the working
environment is a woeful tale. Life in dingy cells and working close to hot
furnaces make these children blind when they step into the adulthood.
Weighed down by the debt, they can neither think nor find a way to come
of out of this trap. The politicians, middlemen, policemen and bureaucrats
will all obstruct their way of progress. The women in the household consider
it as their fate and just follow the tradition. Mukesh is different from the rest
of the folk there. He dreams to become a motor mechanic. The garage is far
away from his house but he shall walk.
Gist of the lesson:
Sometimes I find a rupee in garbage
• The author examines and analyses the impoverished conditions and

traditions that condemn children to a life of exploitation these
children are denied an education and forced into hardships early in
their lives.
• The writer encounters Saheb – a rag picker whose parents have left
behind the life of poverty in Dhaka to earn a living in Delhi.
• His family like many other families of rag pickers lives in Seemapuri.
They do not have other identification other than a ration card.
• The children do not go to school and they are excited at the prospect
of finding a coin or even a ten rupee note for rummaging in the
garbage.
• It is the only way of earning.
• The writer is pained to see Saheb, a rag picker whose name means the
ruler of earth, Lose the spark of childhood and roams barefooted with
his friends.
• From morning to noon the author encounters him in a tea stall and is
paid Rs. 800 He sadly realizes that he is no longer his own master
and this loss of identity weighs heavily on his tender shoulders.
I want to drive a car
• The author then tells about another victim, Mukesh who wants to be
a motor mechanic.
• He has always worked in the glass making industry.
• They are exposed to various health hazards like losing their eyesight
as they work in abysmal conditions, in dark and dingy cells.
• Mukesh’s father is blind as were his father and grandfather before
him.
• So burdened are the bangle makers of Firozabad that they have lost
their ability to dream unlike Mukesh who dreams of driving a car.
Question.1. To which country did Saheb’s parents originally belong? Why

did they come to India?
or
Why did Saheb’s parents leave Dhaka and migrate to India?
or
Why had the ragpickers come to live in Seemapuri?
Answer. Saheb’s parents belonged to Dhaka in Bangladesh, where they
lived amidst green fields. They and the other ragpickers left their homes
many years ago and migrated to India in search of a livelihood, as their
homes and fields were destroyed in storms. This forced them to come to
India, where they settled in the slums of Seemapuri.
Question.2. What job did Saheb take up? Was he happy?

Answer. Saheb took up work at a tea stall, where he had to perform several
odd jobs, including getting milk from the milk booth. He was not happy, as
he had lost his independence. Though he earned ? 800, and got all his meals
free, he was no longer his own master.
Question.3. In what sense is garbage gold to the ragpickers?

or
Garbage to them is gold; why does the author say so about the ragpickers?
Answer. Garbage is gold to the ragpickers of Seemapuri because it provides
them items which can be sold for cash, which can buy them food and is a
means of survival. Moreover, it is gold also because the ragpickers can find
stray coins and currency notes in it.
Question.4. How is Mukesh different from the other bangle makers of

Firozabad?
Answer. Mukesh has the courage to dream big in spite of all adversity,
whereas the other bangle makers of Firozabad have resigned to their fate,
and have suppressed all their hopes and desires. Mukesh refuses to follow
the ‘God-given lineage’ of bangle making and wants to be a motor mechanic
when he grows up.
Question.5. Whom does Anees Jung blame for the sorry plight of the bangle
makers?
Answer. Anees Jung blames the middlemen, the policemen, the lawmakers,
the bureaucrats and the politicians for the sorry plight of the bangle makers.
These people conspire against and exploit the poor bangle makers. They pay
them meagre wages, do not let them form co-operatives, and compel their
children to join the same trade at an early age.
Question.6. What is Mukesh’s dream? Do you think he will be able to fulfil

his dream? Why? Why not?
or
What was Mukesh’s dream? In your opinion, did he achieve his dream?
or
Is it possible for Mukesh to realise his dream? Justify your answer.
Answer. Mukesh’s dream is to become a motor-mechanic. It is no doubt
difficult for Mukesh to achieve his dream, as he is torn between his desires
and his family tradition, which he cannot escape. Besides, he has to face a
number of obstacles in the form of sahukars, middlemen, bureaucrats, law
makers, politicians etc. However, his will to work hard, and his strong
determination could make him achieve his dream.
Question.7. In spite of despair and disease pervading the lives of the slum
children, they are not devoid of hope. How far do you agree?
Answer. In spite of growing up amidst despair and disease, children who
live in the slum have the desire to achieve something big in life, like
Mukesh. This shows that they are not devoid of hope. Saheb, a ragpicker, is
eager to go to a school and learn. Mukesh, who works in dark, dingy cells
making bangles, dreams of becoming a motor mechanic, which is very much
against his family tradition.
Question.8. Who is Mukesh? What is his dream?

Answer. Mukesh is a child labourer who Works in a glass bangle making
factory that is situated in Firozabad. Though Mukesh belongs to a poor
family which is engaged in bangle making, he dreams of becoming a motor
mechanic when he grows up.
Question.9. Why could the bangle makers not organise themselves into a
cooperative?
Answer. The bangle makers could not organise themselves into a
cooperative because they were trapped in the vicious circle of sahukars,
middlemen, policemen, up bureaucrats and politicians. If they tried to
organise themselves, they would be beaten by up the police and put in jail.
Question.10. Mention any two hazards of working in the bangle industry.

Answer. The glass bangle industry offers a very unhealthy and hazardous
environment to the people working in it. They have to work in the glass
furnaces with high temperature in dingy cells without air and light. Workers,
including child labourers, lose their eyesight at an early age. Slogging for
long, relentless hours also has adverse effects on their bodies.
Question.11. Why does the author say that the bangle makers are caught in
a vicious web?
Answer. The bangle makers in Firozabad are exploited at the hands of the
Sahukars, middlemen, policemen, law makers, bureaucrats and politicians.
They toil day and night, but are not paid appropriate wages and are steeped
in poverty. They cannot form cooperatives for their betterment. Moreover,
their children are also compelled to join the same trade at an early age and
cannot dare to take up any other profession.
Question.12. Is Saheb happy working at the tea stall? How do you know?
Answer. Saheb is not happy working at the tea stall. He is paid a fixed wage
of Rs 800, and also receives all his meals free. But the author notices that
his face has lost its carefree look, which makes it evident that he is not
happy. He has lost his independence, and is no longer his own master.
Long Answer Type Questions (6 Marks, 120-150 words)

Question.1. Give a brief account of life and activities of the people like
Saheb-e-Alam settled in Seemapuri.
Answer. The author’s acquaintance with Saheb and other barefoot
ragpickers introduced her to Seemapuri. It is a slum area located on the
periphery of Delhi. The residents of Seemapuri consist of people who left
Bangladesh in the 1971 War and are basically refugees. Saheb’s family is
among them. The area does not have facilities of sewage, drainage or
running water. About 10000 ragpickers live here. Their only means of
livelihood is ragpicking, and they treat rags as valuable as gold. These
ragpickers have lived here for more than thirty years without any identity.
They do not have permits but have ration cards, with which they can get
their names on the voter’s list and also buy grains at subsidised rates.
Question.2.’Lost Spring’ explains the grinding poverty and traditions that

condemn thousands of people to a life of abject poverty. Do you agree? Why
/ Why not?
Answer. ‘Lost Spring’ is a good narration of grinding poverty and traditions
to which thousands of people have succumbed. The story revolves around
the pitiable condition of poor children who have been forced to live in slums
and work hard in dirty conditions. The story is divided into two parts. The
first part tells the writer’s impression about the life of poor ragpickers who
have migrated froin Bangladesh, but now have settled in the Seemapuri area
of Delhi.
The second part narrates the miserable life of the bangle makers in the town
of Firozabad. The stark reality of these families is that in spite of back-
breaking hard work that they put in, they cannot have two square meals a
day. Besides, they are victims of exploitation by those above them and also
suffer the consequences of blind belief in traditions.
Question.3. The bangle makers of Firozabad make beautiful bangles and

make everyone happy but they live and die in squalor. Elaborate.
Answer. Firozabad is the hub of India’s glass-blowing industry where
families have spent generations making bangles to adorn married women.
The stark reality of these families is that in spite of the back breaking hard
work that they put in, they cannot have two square meals a day.
They work in deplorable conditions and many lose their eyesight early. To
top it all, they live in unhygienic conditions where there is a lack of basic
amenities too.
The sad reality is that the workers cannot organise themselves into a
cooperative. They are devoid of all enthusiasm and do not dare to dream of
anything better. The fear of the police and lack of leadership among
themselves have confined them to a vicious circle of poverty, indifference
and greed. Thus, while they bring happiness to everyone’s life, their own
life is steeped in poverty and squalor.
TEXTUAL QUESTIONS
1. What is Saheb looking for in the garbage dumps? Where is he and where
has he come from?
A. Saheb is looking for any precious thing which he cannot afford to buy.
Things like a rupee, silver coin or a pair of shoes. He has come to the
garbage dump in the writer’s neighbourhood. He lives in Seemapuri in Delhi
and has come from Dhaka.
2. What explanations does the author offer for the children not wearing
footwear?
A. The author says that they do not wear footwear because it is a tradition
in their families to remain barefoot.
3. Is Saheb happy working at the tea-stall? Explain.

A. Saheb is happy that he has got work at the tea stall. He will get eight
hundred rupees every month and his meals too.
4. What makes the city of Firozabad famous?

A. Firozabad is famous for glass blowing industry.
5. Mention the hazards of working in the glass bangles industry.

A. People who work in the glass bangle industry lose their eyesight.
6. How is Mukesh’s attitude to his situation different from that of his family?
A. Mukesh dares to dream and has a way out of his situation. He aspires to
become a motor mechanic. On the other hand, his family does not dare to
dream. They are too tired and scared to do something to come out of their
grim situation.
7. What could be some of the reasons for the migration of people from
villages to cities?
A. People migrate from villages to cities in search of a better life. They want
to earn money so that they can lead a good life and rear their children in a
better way. As cities have more opportunities for work, this makes them
migrate from the villages to these big cities.
8. Would you agree that promises made to poor children are rarely kept?
Why do you think this happens in the incidents narrated in the text?
A. Yes, I agree that the promises made to poor children are rarely fulfilled.
In the story the writer jokingly offers the rag picker boy to join a school that
she would open. In fact, she does not intend to open a school. She speaks
mindlessly but the boy takes it to be true and later asks her if the school has
opened. There are many such hollow promises in the boy’s life because the
person who makes the promise never intends to fulfil it.
9. What forces conspire to keep the workers in the bangle industry of

Firozabad in poverty?
A. The writer tells us that the bangle – makers of Firozabad are poverty –
stricken. They are burdened by the fact of the particular caste in which they
are born – bangle – makers. They have to continue the traditional profession.
Further, the society has formed a harsh circle around them. The money –
lenders, middlemen, policemen, law – keepers, officers and politicians
altogether form a barrier around them and tie them in the grip of poverty.
They cannot escape from it.
10. How, in your opinion, can Mukesh realise his dream?

A. Mukesh dared to dream and wanted to become a motor mechanic. He
wanted to drive cars too. He took the initial step by aspiring to do something
different from the family business. I think that Mukesh can realize his dream
with determination and hard work.
11. Mention the hazards of working in the glass bangles industry.

A. The poor bangle makers in Firozabad work in dangerous conditions. The
furnaces have very high temperatures and no ventilation. Hence, they are
prone to ailments like lung cancer. While polishing the bangles, the dust
harms their eyes and many lose their vision. They remain in dark for long
hours and so are unable to see during the daytime.
12. Why should child labour be eliminated and how?

A. Forcing a child to work is a crime. This is so in order to prevent
exploitation of children. If forced to work, Children cannot enjoy their
childhood. They cannot get proper education. Also, when they are forced
into hazardous works, they get ailments at a young age. This destroys their
future. Their parents overlook all these facts as they need money. So, the
government has to become proactive and take measures to check child
labour and enforce the law strictly.
DEEP WATER
About the author
William Orville Douglas

(1898 –1980)
Born in USA
Douglas was a leading advocate of individual rights. He was a judge at the

Supreme court of USA, retired in 1975 with a term lasting thirty-six years
and remains the longest-serving Justice in the history of the court.
The following excerpt is taken from Of Men and Mountains by William O.
Douglas.
Introduction
In this story, Douglas talks about his fear of water and how he finally
overcomes it with strong will power, courage, hard work, and firm
determination. Once he took courage, the fear vanished. That Shows most
of our fears are baseless. Fear creates dangers where there is none. The
writer’s Experiences further confirm the proverbial truth, “Where there is a
will, there is away.”
Characters & Places
Douglas: Narrator of the story

YMCA Pool: A swimming pool runs by Young Men’s Christian
Association
Yakima: Yakima is a US city located about 60 miles southeast of Mount
Rainier in Washington.
Values Raised:
Determination, optimism, perseverance, diligence, openness to challenges,
courage, persistence, endurance etc.
Bit/Bits
• William Douglas had great passion for water.
• He longed to learn swimming.
• When he was three or four years, he was taken to a Beach in California
by his father.
• While surfing on the shore, a huge wave knocked him. He feared
water. That was his childhood fear.
• After some years he longed to swim in the Yakima River but his
mother warned against that idea. the yakima river is treacherous.
• Then he found the YMCA Pool the safest place for swimming. Its
deepest end was nine feet deep, the bottom was tiled, the drop
towards the deep part was gradual, water was clean and there were
other children swimming.
• He went to the pool and started swimming by imitating other boys.
• One day, while waiting for the other boys to come, a big boy threw
him into the deepest end of the water.
• Douglas had the courage to face the situation. He went down and
down with a hope to reach the bottom to make a big leap upward.
• Three times he went down and on the third time, he lost consciousness
and almost died!
• Douglas gives a vivid description of death which is peaceful.
• Douglas’ ‘body’ floated on the surface. Someone dragged him out of
the water and provided first aid.
• After this incident, Douglas tried to avoid water and water sports as
much as possible.
• When he grew up, water began to tempt him again.
• He got a trainer and learnt swimming.
• After the completion of the training, he went to various rivers, pools,
lakes and swam alone and got rid of his fear.
Instructor
• In October Douglas got an instructor for swimming.

• In three months, his fear began to fade.
• Bit by bit he shed his fears.
• The instructor engaged his feet and hands into swimming.
Getting rid of Fear

•
• After the instructor was done, Douglas started a self training.
• He went to the following rivers and lakes:
• Lake Wentworth (New Hampshire)
• Triggs Islands
• Stamp Act Island
• Tieton – Conrad Meadows
• Conrad Creek Trail – Meade Glacier
• Warm lake
• He conquered the fear of water for ever.
Summary
The story, “Deep Waters” tells us how the writer overcame his fear of water
and learned swimming with sheer determination and will power. He had
developed a terror of water since childhood. When he was three or four years
old the writer had gone to California with his father. One day on the beach,
the waves knocked the child down and swept over him. The child was
terrified but the father who knew there was no harm laughed. The
experience bred a permanent fear of water in the child’s sub-conscious
mind. Still another incident, more serious, increased his terror. The writer
was trying to learn swimming in the Y.M.C.A. swimming pool in Yakima.
One day while he was waiting for other boys, a big boy suddenly played a
dangerous prank and pushed him into the water. The writer was terribly
frightened. He went down nine feet into the water. His lungs were full of
the unreleased air. When he reached the bottom, he jumped upward with all
his strength. He came up but very slowly. He tried to catch hold of
something like a rope but grasped only at water.
He tried to shout but no sound came out. He went down again. His lungs
ached, head throbbed and he grew dizzy. He felt paralyzed with fear. All his
limbs were paralyzed. Only the movement of his heart told him that he was
alive. Again he tried to jump up. But this time his limbs would not move at
all. He looked for ropes, ladders and water wings but all in vain. Then he
went down again, the third time. This time all efforts and fear ceased. He
was moving towards peaceful death. The writer was in peace. When he came
to consciousness, he found himself lying on the side of the pool with the
other boys nearby. The terror that he had experienced in the pool never left
him. It haunted him for years and years to come. It spoilt many of his
expeditions of canoeing, swimming and fishing. It spoilt his pleasures in
Maine Lakes, New Hampshire, Deschutes, Columbia and Bumping Lake
etc.
But the writer was determined to conquer his terror. He took help of a
swimming instructor to learn swimming. The instructor taught him various
actions necessary in swimming part by part. He put his face under water and
exhaled and inhaled raising it above water. He practiced it for several weeks.
He had to kick with his legs a few weeks on the side of the pool. At last he
combined all these actions and made the writer swim. He learned swimming
but the terror continued. So deep goes our childhood experiences! So fearful
is the fear of fear! Whenever he was in water the terror returned. Hence
forward the writer tried to terrorize terror itself. He tried to face the new
challenge. When terror came, he confronted it by asking it sarcastically as
to what it can really do to him? He plunged into the water as if to defy the
fear. Once he took courage the terror vanquished. He faced the challenge
deliberately in various places like the Warm Lake. He conquered it at last.
The experiences of the writer throw some important lights on certain aspects
of life. Experiences of pain or pleasure in childhood remain in the sub-
conscious mind and influence our feelings later too. The fear of water acted
on the writer in that way. Even after being an expert in swimming, the writer
felt terror. There was no reason at all. Once he took courage, the fear
vanished. That shows most of our fears are baseless. Fear creates dangers
where there is none. The writer’s experiences further confirm the proverbial
truth, “Where there is a will, there is a way.”
Textual Question
Q1. What is the “misadventure” that William Douglas speaks about?

Or, What were the series of emotions and fears that Douglas experienced
when he was thrown into the pool? What plans did he make to come to the
surface?
Answer – William Douglas, the narrator recounts a terrifying childhood

experience when he came face to face with death. When he was 10 or 11
years old, he was tossed into a 9 feet deep swimming pool at YMCA by a
bigger boy just for the sake of “fooling” or for fun. Although he was a
beginner, Douglas did not lose heart and planned to push himself with all
his force. He thought once he comes to the surface, he would peddle to the
age of the pool.
Unfortunately, this strategy did not work. He could not pop out of the water
like a cork. His legs failed to support him. Terror gripped him with water all
around him, did not know what to do. His lungs get ready to burst out and
the pounding heart throbbing head made things worse. He could not scream
and was frozen with fear. It seemed that the water around him was still and
no amount of effort helped him. Suddenly, he felt there were tender arms
around him and he was rescued.
Q2. How did this experience affect him?
Answer – After being rescued Douglas had lost consciousness and found
himself beside the pool lying on his stomach and vomiting. This
misadventure left him week and trembling. He shook seriously and cried at
night. He could not eat anything and for days a haunting fear was knocking
in his heart. The slightest exertion trouble him very much, making him weak
from the bottom of his heart.
Q3. Why was Douglas determined to get over his fear of water?
Answer – After some years Douglas desperately wanted to get rid of his
paralysing fear because any activity, bathing or in the water would bring
back the icy horror of the pool. It was a terrible handicapped that had seized
his mind completely. His legs would become paralysed thinking of the
swimming pool incident.
He wanted to overcome it because the terrified fear had removed his fishing
trips and deprived him of the joy of boating and swimming.
Q4. How did the instructor “build a swimmer” out of Douglas?
Answer – Douglas agonising fear was ruining his life. He could not enjoy
even the day to day activities related to water sports. Finally he decided to
get an instructor and learn to swim. The instructor understood the magnitude
and severity of the terror that gripped him. For 3 months Douglas repeatedly
made to go back and forth across the pool. Then Douglas was taught to put
his face underwater and exhale and to raise his nose and inhale.
Later, for mixed together, he was made to kick with his legs at the side of
pool. Then the instructor built a swimmer bit by bit and put each bit together
into an integrated whole. Finally he told the narrator to swim with the
narrator managed to do quite successfully.
Q5. How did Douglas make sure that he conquered the old terror?
Answer – After the instructor completed his training, Douglas wanted to

cross check if he had really conquered his old terror. So he tried swimming
all alone in the pool. Only a slight trace of terror would return which he
managed to tackle well.
Still not satisfied, Douglas went to Lake Wentworth and swam there
practicing all the strokes. Only once he felt that the old terror return. When
he put his face under the water.
Douglas did not want the slightest traces of fear to remain. So he went west
and camped besides the warm lake. He dived into the lake and only when
he swam across to the others shore and back, he shouted with joy. Finally
he was sure that he had defeated his old ally-the phobia of water bodies.
Q6. How does Douglas make clear to the reader the sense of panic that
gripped him as he almost drowned? Describe the details that have made the
description vivid.
Answer – Douglas mention each and every details nicely. Although

panicky, he had his strategy in place – popping up like a cork and then
paddling to the edge of the pool. Unfortunately, His attempt was gone wrong
and terror seized him.
He also tried to grab a rope but his hands clutched only at water. He tried to
yell but no sound came out. His body parts was not supporting him because
his legs were paralysed, lungs ached and head throbbed. His voice was
frozen. The only signs he have were his beating heart and pounding head.
Douglas tried to strike back by jumping hard. This did not make a
differences as there was water all around. He attempted to come out of water
a third time, but in vain. He sucked for air and got water. Finally, he stopped
making efforts and fainted into oblivion. All the above details of his
gripping. The clarity with which he explains is amazing and makes the
reader visualise his dismal condition aptly.
Q7. How did Douglas overcome his fear of water?
Answer – The fear that gripped Douglas after the near drowning accident in
the pool, strike him many times. Finally, one, October he decided to engage
an instructor and learn the art of swimming. He practiced 5 days week, an
hour each day. The instructor understood the magnitude of the problem and
devised noble method by which Douglas waist was attached to a group that
went through a pulley. the instructor held on the rope as the narrator swam
back and forth across the floor. Douglas could feel confident for this.
However he grew panicky every time the instructor loosened his grip or
when he kept his face underwater.
The instructor also taught Douglas to exhale under water and inhale by
raising his nose from water. He made him kick with his legs so that the
narrator could command them. From October to April, Douglas perfected
his swimming. To get rid of his childhood fear, he subjected himself to
rigorous test. After that he used to practice in the pool till July. Still he was
not satisfied and went to Lake Wentworth. liquid filled old traces of air
coming back but he dropped them away by sheer grit and determination. To
be double sure, he dived into the warm lake. His Joy knew no bounds
because he had conquered his fear ultimately.
Q8. Why does Douglas as an adult recount a childhood experience of terror

and his conquering of it? What larger meaning does he draw from this
experience?
Answer – Douglas as an adult recounts his childhood experience of terror

and his ability to conquer his fear which portray that nothing is impossible,
when a person wants to set things possible. Determination is the only thing
that required to overcome any hurdle in life. He faced this thing practically
when a big bully tossed him into the deep end of the YMCA pool. Through
training from an instructor finally made him a swimmer.
Q9. “All we have to fear is fear itself”. Have you ever had a fear that you
have now overcome? Share your experience with your partner.
Answer – Fear is just a state of mind. If we dread things they become

difficult and unattainable and the moment we get determined to overcome
from a particular fear every hurdles resolves. Almost everyone has fear
through which day live. We depend upon us whether we I want to face it or
not.
Like Douglas who had the fear for deep water, I had the fear from height.
Whenever I used to get on some height, I used to feel that I will fall and die.
Tall buildings and hill stations where something I used to keep myself away
from. My fear had lost all the limits when one day I used to climb a ladder
to pull something down and I felt as this was the end of the world for me.
So, my family have decided a trip to Darjeeling, so that I could experience
the beauty of height. Things have a different perception when looked from
above. There, my parents made me climb a particular mountain. As I kept
climbing up my fears soared, but when I finally reached the top and looked
below things started looking beautiful as never before. From that point I
overcome my greatest fear and feel myself to be a better and relaxed person.
Short Answer Type Questions : 3 Marks (30-40 Words)
Question 1 : Why did Douglas fail to come to the surface of the pool as he
hope to?
Answer : When Douglas was drowning in the swimming pool, he tried to
come to the surface of the pool but failed because he was overcome with
fear and could not move his limbs. He felt that he would die.
Question 2 : How did Douglas’ introduction to the YMCA pool revive his
childhood fear of water?
Answer : Douglas’ introduction to YMCA pool revived his childhood fear
of water as , when he had not yet learnt swimming, he was thrown into the
pool’s deep end by a bully and sank to the bottom despite his best efforts.
Question 3 : What shocking experience did Douglas have at YMCA pool?

Answer : One day when Douglas started going to the YMCA pool for
learning swimming, a big bully threw Douglas into the deep-end of the pool
when no one was around. Douglas had a shocking experience as he almost
drowned that day.
Question 4 : What deep meaning did his experience at the YMCA swimming
pool have for Douglas?
Answer : The experience at the YMCA pool had a deep meaning for
Douglas. As he had experienced both the sensation of dying and the terror
that the fear of it can produce, he learnt the will to live in great intensity.
Question 5 : How did his experience at the YMCA swimming pool affect
Douglas?
Answer : Douglas’ experience at the YMCA pool left a haunting fear of
water in his heart. He started avoiding going near water for many years. It
prevented him from fishing, canoeing, boating and swimming, besides
ruining his social life.
Question 6 : ‘All we have to fear is fear itself.’ When did Douglas learn this
lesson?
Answer : Douglas learnt this lesson after he had conquered his fear of water
completely. He went to Lake Wentworth, dived into the warm lake, and
swam across the other shore and back. He shouted with joy at finally having
conquered his fear.
Question 7 : Why did Douglas’ mother recommend that he should learn
swimming at the YMCA pool?
Answer : According to Douglas, the Yakima river was quite deep and there
were several cases of drowning reported there. His mother told him that the
YMCA pool was only two or three feet deep at the shallow end. Though its
depth was about nine feet the deeper end, yet the drop was gradual.
Question 8 : What lesson did Douglas learn when he got rid of his fear of
water?
Answer : After getting rid of his fear of water, Douglas realised that what
one has to fear is fear itself and if he is able to overcome fear, he can achieve
anything he wants.
Question 9 : How did Douglas remove his residual doubts about his fear of
water?
Answer : After the instructor had trained Douglas in the art of swimming,
Douglas felt parts of the fear now and then. So, he went to Lake Wentworth
and swam across to the other shore and back. This way he conquered his
fear.
Question 10 : Which two incidents in Douglas’ early life made him scared
of water?
Answer : Once Doouglas’ father took him to a beach in California where he
was knocked down by strong waves and got breathless. Secondly, a boy
tossed Douglas into the deep end of the YMCA pool. He tried hard to come
out of it but fell unconscious after some time.
Question 11 : What did Douglas feel and do when he was pushed into the
swimming pool?
Answer : When Douglas was thrown into the pool, he was frightened did
not lose heart and planned to push himself up with all his force. He thought
that once he came to the surface, he would paddle to the edge of the pool.
Thrice, he tried to come to the surface, but unfortunately his strategy did not
work.
Question 12 : How did his swimming instructor ‘build a swimmer’ out of

Douglas?
Answer : The instructor adopted a systematic method to turn Douglas into a
swimmer. He first made Douglas shed his initial fear of water by making
him cross a pool suspended by a rope attached to a pulley. Then he taught
him to breathe while swimming, and finally he taught him the leg
movements and other strokes.
Question 13 : What happened when a ‘big bruiser of a boy’ tossed Douglas

into the YMCA pool? How did Douglas plan to come out?
Answer : Douglas landed inside the pool in a sitting position, swallowed
water and went at once to the bottom of the YMCA pool. On the way down
he planned that once his feet would hit the bottom he would make a big
jump to come out.
Question 14 : What efforts did Douglas make to get over his fear of water?
Answer : Douglas engaged an instructor to get over his fear of water. The
instructor built a swimmer out of him. But to confirm that the terror would
not strike him when he was swimming alone, Douglas decided to go to Lake
Wentworth and swam across to the other shore and back.
Question 15 : Why did Douglas go to Lake Wentworth in New Hampshire?

How did he make his terror flee?
Answer : Douglas was not satisfied with his practice so he decided to go to
Lake Wentworth. There he was swimming in the middle of the lake, only
once did the terror return, but he finally overcame it, and it did not return
again.
Question 16 : Why was Douglas determined to get over his fear of water?
Answer : The phobia of water hampered Douglas’ joys of enjoying different
water sports like fishing, canoeing, boating and swimming. He did not want
to live with this handicap and so was determined to overcome his fear of
water.
Question 17 : What did Douglas experience when he went down to the

bottom of the pool for the first time?
Answer : When Douglas was going down to the bottom of the pool for the
first time, those nine feet felt almost like ninety feet to him. His lungs were
ready to burst, but somehow he summoned all his strength and made
desperate efforts for survival.
Question 18 : When Douglas realised that he was sinking, how did he plan
to save himself?
Answer : When Douglas realised that he was sinking he did not lose his wits
and thought to make a big jump when his feet touched the bottom, so that
he could reach the surface and finally paddle to the edge of the pool.
Question 19 : What sort of terror seized Douglas as he went down the water
with a yellow glow? How could he feel that he was still alive?
Answer : When Douglas found himself deep down into the water with a
yellow glow, stark terror gripped him and he had no control over it. He felt
paralysed, stiff and rigid with fear. It was only his throbbing heart that made
him realise that he was still alive.
Long Answer Type Questions : 6 Marks (120 – 150 Words)
Question 1 : “All we have to fear is fear itself”. Describe Douglas’

experiences which led to making of the statement.
Answer : Douglas has experienced both the sensation of dying and terror
that the fear of death can cause. Strong will, determination, courage as well
as honest labour won over all his terrors and fears. The will to live brushed
aside all his fears. In reality all our fears are only psychological , and can be
easily won over, if we can control our mind. This realisation makes Douglas
resolve to learn swimming by engaging an instructor. This instructor, piece
by piece ,built Douglas into a swimmer. However, his first step was to drive
away Douglas’ fear of water, before training him in swimming techniques.
When Douglas tried and swam the length of the pool up and down, small
traces of his old terror of water would return. So, he went to Lake
Wentworth, dived at Triggs Island and swam two miles across the lake to
Stamp Act Island. Finally, he was certain that he had conquered his fear of
water.
Question 2 : “I crossed to oblivion, and the curtain of life fell.” What was
the incident which nearly killed Douglas and developed in him a strong
aversion to water.?
Answer : The incident which nearly killed Douglas occurred when he was
ten or eleven years old. He had decided to learn swimming at the YMCA
pool, and thus get rid of his fear of water. One morning, when he was alone
at the pool, waiting for others, a big bully of a boy tossed him into the deep
end of the pool. Though he had planned a strategy to save himself as he went
down, his plan did not work. Thrice he struggled hard to come to the surface,
but failed each time. He was frightened and got almost drowned in the pool,
lost his consciousness and felt that he would die. Though he was ultimately
saved, this misadventure developed in him a strong aversion to water.
Question 3 : Desire, determination and diligence lead to success. Explain

the value of these qualities in the light of Douglas’ experience in ‘Deep
Water’.
Answer : The terror of water followed Douglas wherever he went. To get
rid of it, he made a strong determination. He decided to overcome his fear
through his will power. He engaged an instructor who would perfect him in
swimming. The instructor first helped him drive away his fear, and then
gave him many exercises besides teaching him how to exhale and inhale in
water.
The practice went on for months together, during which his fear came back
to haunt him, but his desire and firm will made him persist in his efforts. It
was only through sheer determination and diligence that Douglas could not
only counter his terror, but also became an expert swimmer.
He swam across and back large distances to ensure that his fear of water did
not return. Hence, desire, determination and diligence succeeded in
removing his fear of water.
Question 4 : What misadventure did Douglas experience at the YMCA

swimming pool?
Answer : As the timid Douglas sat alone at the side of the YMCA swimming
pool waiting for other people to come, a big boy, probably eighteen years
old came there. He asked Douglas whether he would like to be ducked.
Saying this, he picked up Douglas and tossed him into the deep end of the
pool. Douglas landed inside the pool in a sitting position, swallowed water
and went at once to the bottom of the pool. Though Douglas was extremely
frightened he had his wits intact so on his way down he started to plan. He
decided that when his feet would hit the bottom he would make a big jump,
come to the surface, lie flat on it and then paddle to the edge of the pool.
Question 5 : Describe the efforts made by Douglas to save himself from

drowning in the YMCA swimming pool.
Answer : When his feet hit the bottom of the pool, Douglas summoned up
all his strength and made a great spring upwards thinking he would bob to
the surface like a cork. But when nothing like that happened, Douglas tried
to yell but no sound came out. Now a great force was pulling him under. He
was paralysed under water, stiff and rigid with fear. Then in the midst of the
terror came a touch of reason that he should remember to jump when he hit
the bottom. As soon as he felt the tiles under him he reached out his toes
towards them and jumped again with all his strength. Yet again the jump did
not make any difference. The water was still around him. Stark terror took
an even deeper hold on him and he shook and trembled with fright. He could
not move his arms and legs. He tried to call for help but nothing happened.
Finally he ceased all his efforts and decided to relax as blackness swept over
his brain.
Question 6 : How did Douglas’ experience at the YMCA pool affect him
and how did he overcome his fear of water?
Answer : Douglas’ experience at the YMCA pool had a far reaching effect
on him. He never went back to the pool. He feared water. He tried to avoid
it whenever he could. And whenever he went to a pool, the terror that seized
him in the pool would come back. His legs would become paralysed. Icy
horror would grab his heart. This handicap stayed with Douglas for years.
It ruined his fishing trips. He lost the joy of canoeing, boating, and
swimming. William Douglas used every way to overcome his fear of water
but with little success. It held him firmly in its grip. Finally, one October,
he decided to employ an instructor and learn to swim. He went to a pool and
practised five days a week, an hour each day. Douglas did succeed in his
mission. The instructor made him an expert swimmer.
Question 7 : How did Douglas develop an aversion to water?

Answer : Douglas developed an aversion to water in his early childhood.
When he was three or four years old, his father took him to a beach in
California. The waves knocked him down and swept over him. He was
buried in water. He was frightened and perhaps this was the moment his fear
of water took root inside his mind. Further, when Douglas was ten or eleven
years old, he decided to learn to swim and went to the YMCA pool. Here an
incident took place that finally established his aversion to water as a big
fear. One day when Douglas was alone at the pool sitting on the edge and
waiting for others to come, a big boy threw him into the deep end of the
pool.
What followed was a nightmarish experience for him. Douglas tried very
hard and applied all his knowledge to come to the surface of the water but
to no avail. Somehow he was saved. Thus after this fearful incident, his fear
of water got implanted in his heart and mind permanently.
Question 8 : How did the instructor make Douglas a good swimmer?

Answer : To overcome his fear of water, Douglas finally decided to get an
instructor to learn swimming. The instructor started working with him five
days a week, an hour each day. The instructor put a belt around Douglas. A
rope was attached to the overhead cable. The instructor held on to the end
of the rope and along with Douglas went back and forth across the pool,
hour after hour, day after day, week after week. On each trip across the pool
a bit of panic seized Douglas. It took almost three months before the tension
reduced.
Then the instructor taught him to put his face under the water and exhale
and raise his nose and inhale. For weeks, his instructor made him kick with
his legs. Until, he was able to command his legs at his will. In this way,
piece by piece, his instructor made Douglas a swimmer. When Douglas
perfected each piece, his instructor put them together into an integrated one.
As a result, in nearly six months Douglas was able to swim, dive , crawl and
so on.
Value Based Answer Type Questions : 6 Marks (120 – 150 Words)
Question 1 : The story ‘Deep Water’ has made you realise that with
determination and perseverance one can accomplish the impossible. Write
a paragraph in about 100 words on how a positive attitude and courage will
aid you to achieve success in life?
Answer : Determination and perseverance is a combination of attributes and
abilities that drive people to set goals for themselves and then to take the
initiative to achieve these goals. Douglas was able to overcome his fear of
water by the values of positive attitude and courage. Initially he was afraid
of water but his grit and determination made him get an instructor to train
him and overcome his fear. Determination today leads to our success
tomorrow. It is that innate quality in our soul, which comes to surface when
we face difficult tasks. It is a reflection of our values taught to us by society
and circumstances and enables us to overcome all obstacles.
Question 2 : Roosevelt said, “All we have to fear is fear itself.” Do you

agree? Why/why not?
Answer : The quote, “All we have to fear is fear itself”, by the American
President, Franklin D Roosevelt, it is absolutely true. It is only the fear of
consequences which prevents us from taking an action and hampers our
progress. William Douglas’ fear of drowning makes him develop an
aversion to water. Hence, he avoids going near water bodies or indulge in
water sports. When he is able to overcome his fear with the help of the
instructor, he succeeds. Likewise, there are numerous incidents around us
that show how fear cripples the mind of an individual and society, and acts
as a barrier to growth.
The other lessons in the textbook also support the view. The bangle makers
of Firozabad in ‘Lost Spring’ fear that the police would put them in jail, so
they accept their exploitation, and do not organise themselves into co-
operatives. It is only when we are able to overcome our fear, that we can
step ahead and progress in life.
The Rattrap
About the author
Selma Lagerlof (1858-1940) was a Swedish writer whose stories have been
translated into many languages. This story is set in the middle of the mines
of Sweden which are rich in iron ore. The story is narrated in the manner of
a fairy tale. It gives us the message that the emotions of love and acceptance
can reform others.
Theme
The story is about an old disheartened peddler who is taken in and shown
generosity by a young woman. Her generosity and kindness change his bitter
attitude towards life. The peddler is a man who has fallen upon misfortune
and now resorts to selling rattraps, begging, and thievery. He is very
pessimistic about the world around him and sees the world as merely a “rat
trap”. He believes that society tempts us with riches and fine things, and
when we accept, we are caught in the trap and are left with nothing.
The story conveys a universal message that the essential goodness in a
human being can be awakened through love, respect, kindness and
understanding. It highlights the human predicament. Material benefits are
the traps that most human beings are prone to fall into. Human beings do
have a tendency to redeem themselves from dishonest ways as does the
peddler at the end of the story.
Setting
This story is set amidst the mines of Sweden, rich in iron ore which figure
large in the history of that country. The story is told somewhat in the manner
of a fairy tale.
Characters
• A peddlar with rattraps.

• An Oldman: A crofter
• Master Smith in the Ramsjo Iron Mill in Sweden
• Helpers in the Mill: blacksmiths
• Iron mill owner
• Edla Willmansson – daughter of the Iron Mill owner.
Summary
The story begins with a rattrap peddler who is in a rugged condition. He is

dressed in rags and is very frail and looks starved. We learn he has no home
and sometimes even begs and steals to survive in the world. He leads a
lonely life with no one to care about him. One fine day, it strikes to him that
this whole world is a rattrap itself. If we touch it, it will trap us and never let
us go. He goes on to think that there are people out there who are already in
this rattrap and reaching for the bait. On one cold evening, he reaches at a
cottage to ask for shelter. An old crofter lived in that cottage who took in
the peddler.
The crofter needed company, so he welcomes the peddler. He gives him hot
food and even tobacco to smoke. They play cards and start talking. The
peddler learns that the crofter got thirty kronor for selling his cow which he
keeps in a pouch on the window frame. The peddler leaves the next day but
after seeing the crofter leave his cottage, he comes back to steal the pouch
of money.
After stealing it, he takes the woods to remain unsuspected. In the wood, the
peddler meets an ironmaster who mistakes him to be his old comrade. He
invites him over for Christmas, but he refuses. After that, the ironmaster’s
daughter, Edla visits him and insists him to stay with them. In between, he
feels sorry for stealing the crofter’s money. They help the peddler get a
makeover and dress him in nice clothes and shave his beard off. After this,
the ironmaster realizes he has made a mistake; the peddler was not his
comrade.
Thus, the ironmaster thinks he is a fraud and decides to turn him in.
However, Edla insists on letting him stay and celebrate Christmas with
them. Her father agrees, and they celebrate Christmas together. Next day,
the ironmaster and Edla learn that the peddler was a thief through the church
about the incident at the old crofter’s. They head home in a hurry thinking
he must have stolen all the silver. However, to their surprise, the peddler did
not steal a thing. He left a note for Edla in the form a tiny rattrap. There was
also a note thanking her for her kindness which saved him from the rattrap
he got caught in. Most importantly, he also left the crofter’s money asking
to return it to him.
To sum up, The Rattrap summary, we learn that we can change the world
through kindness and compassion; in addition, it teaches us that materialistic
things never bring inner joy, only love and respect does.
Gist of the lesson:
• The peddler was a vagabond who sold rattraps with a little thievery
on the side to make both ends meet. Had no worldly possession to
call his own, not even a name
• It amused him to think of the world as a rattrap.
• Takes shelter at a crofter’s cottage. The crofter welcomed him, gave
him diner, shared his pipe, played ramjolis with him also confided in
him about his income and showed him where he put it.
• Next morning, the Peddler steals the money and takes the back roads
to keep away from people and gets lost in the jungle at night. While
he wanders in the forest, he realizes that he has also got caught in the
rattrap and that the money was the bait.
• Finally reaches Ramsjo ironworks, where he takes shelter for the
night. The blacksmith and his assistant ignore him, but the master
mistakes him to be an old acquaintance and invites him home.
Though the Peddler does not correct the ironmaster, hoping to get
some money out of him, he declines his invitation.
• The ironmaster then sends his daughter who persuades him to go
home with her. She notices his uncouth appearance and thinks that
either he has stolen something, or he has escaped from jail.
• The Peddler is scrubbed, bathed, given a haircut, a shave and a suit of
old clothes of the ironmaster. In the morning light, the iron master
realizes he is mistaken and that he is not the Captain. He wants to
call the Sheriff. The peddler is agitated and breaks out that the world
is rattrap and he too is sure to be caught in it. The ironmaster is
amused but orders him out. The compassionate Edla convinces her
father that he should spend the Christmas day with him.
• The Peddler spends the whole of Christmas Eve eating and sleeping.
The next day at church, Edla and her father come to know that the
Peddler is a thief who stole thirty kroners from the poor crofter.
• Back home, they found a letter addressed to Edla, signed as Captain
Von Stahl and a rattrap as a gift from the crofter. In the rattrap were
the three ten kroner notes of the crofter.
Textual Questions and Answers
Think-as-you-read Questions
Question 1. From where did the peddler get the idea of the world being a
rattrap?
Answer: The peddler lived a dull and monotonous life. He had no family,
no money and no relatives. He was a vagabond. So, being alone most of the
time, he used to go on thinking. While thinking about the rattrap, he
suddenly got the idea of the world being a rattrap.
Question 2. Why was the peddler amused by this idea?

Answer: The peddler had never been treated well by the world. So he felt
happy thinking ill of the world. That is why he was amused by the idea that
the whole world around him was nothing but a big rattrap.
Question 3. Did the peddler expect the kind of hospitality that he received
from the crofter?
Answer: No, the peddler did not expect the kind of hospitality that he
received from the crofter. He was always refused whenever he asked anyone
for any kind of kindness. Thus, he had expected the same, but, to his
surprise, the crofter treated him very kindly and gave him food and shelter.
Question 4. Why was the crofter so talkative and friendly with the peddler?
Answer: The crofter was a lonely man. He had no one in his house to give
him company. He had no wife, no children. So when he saw the peddler, he
was very happy to get someone to talk to.
Question 5. Why did he show the thirty kronor to the peddler?

Answer: The crofter narrated his story of living a comfortable life and
having a good reasonable income that he made due to his extraordinary cow
that gave a lot of milk. He told the peddler that he had earned thirty kronor
last month. But the peddler expressed his disbelief. In order to make him
believe, the crofter opened the pouch and showed the tramp the money.
Question 6. Did the peddler respect the confidence reposed in him by the
crofter?
Answer: No, the peddler did not live up to the confidence reposed in him by
the crofter. In fact, he abused the trust of the crofter. He returned after some
time, opened the window of the cottage and stole the crofter’s hard-earned
money.
Question 7. What made the peddler think that he had indeed fallen into a
rattrap?
Answer: After stealing the crofter’s money, the peddler avoided the road
and walked through the forest. Soon the night fell and he could not find his
way out. He walked and walked without coming to the end of the wood. He
finally realised that he was walking round and round the same spot. This
made him frustrated and tired. Now he realised that he had indeed fallen into
a rattrap.
Question 8. Why did the ironmaster speak kindly to the peddler and invite
him home?
Answer: The ironmaster mistook the peddler to be his old acquaintance Nils
Olof who was a captain and had resigned from the regiment long back. The
ironmaster thought that the man was going through a bad phase in his life
and so invited him home, especially as it was Christmas Eve.
Question 9. Why did the peddler decline the invitation?

Answer: The peddler declined the invitation, as he had stolen the money and
was afraid of being caught. Accepting the invitation would be like throwing
oneself voluntarily into a lion’s den.
Question 10. What made the peddler accept Edla Willmansson’s invitation?
Answer: Edla Willmansson came to invite the peddler with her fur coat and
a valet. She spoke in a very friendly manner and he felt confidence in her.
She persuaded him to come home and promised him that he would be
allowed to leave whenever he would like to.
Question 11. What doubts did Edla have about the peddler?
Answer: Edla noticed that peddler was very scared. She thought he could
either be a thief or an escapee from a prison.
Question 12. When did the ironmaster realize his mistake?
Answer: When the peddler was given a bath, a haircut and had a shave, the
ironmaster realised at the breakfast table that the tramp did not look like his
regimental comrade and that he had made a mistake.
Question 13. Why did Edla entertain the peddler even after she came to
know the truth about him?
Answer: Edla was a kind lady. She empathized with the poor peddler and
understood how difficult his life had been. She was able to understand his
loneliness and poverty. She entertained him even though she knew who he
was. Moreover, it was Christmas eve and she wanted to extend Christmas
cheer and goodwill to him.
Question 14. Why was Edla happy to see the gift left by the peddler?
Answer: Edla was happy to see the gift left by the peddler because it was
symbolic of the positive change in the peddler. He had left the stolen thirty
kronor in the rattrap along with a letter. He had requested that the money be
returned to the crofter. Edla was happy to know he had realised his mistake
and made amends.
Question 15. Why did the peddler sign himself as Captain von Stahle?
Answer: The peddler was accepted and welcomed to the house as Captain
von Stahle. Edla gave the peddler a kind treatment and in spite of kowing
the reality, she treated him like a captain. This awakened the latent goodness
of his heart and he also behaved in a dignified manner and signed himself
as Captain von Stahle.
Understanding the Text
Question 1. How does the peddler interpret the acts of kindness and
hospitality shown by the crofter, the ironmaster and his daughter?
Answer: The peddler was a vagabond who had no house, no family. He used
to sell rattraps. One evening when he was trudging along the road, he saw a
cottage by the roadside. He knocked at the door and asked for permission
for night stay at the forge. The owner of the cottage gave him shelter, food,
tobacco and his company and confidences. He even showed him the thirty
kronor that he had saved. But the peddler stole the money the next day,
violating the trust of the crofter. Later, the peddler thought that the crofter’s
hospitality was a bait for him to be trapped.
Similarly, the ironmaster’s hospitality also did not impress the peddler much
because he was kind to him only because he thought him to be his old
acquaintance. But, on the contrary, Edla’s kindness and hospitality stirred
up the essential goodness in him because her kindness was without any
selfish motive in it like the crofter who wanted company and the ironmaster
who wanted to help his old friend. Edla wanted to give some comfort and
happiness to the peddler even though she knew that he was a tramp.
Question 2. What are the instances in the story that show that the character
of the ironmaster is different from that of his daughter in many ways?
Answer: The ironmaster was the owner of Ramsjo Ironworks. He wanted to
send good quality iron to the market. He was a very vigilant observer and
hardworking and used to visit his mill even at night for supervision. He was
kind and sympathetic to the peddler. But his kindness to him is due to the
fact that he mistook the peddler to be his old regimental comrade Nils Olof.
That is why when he came to know the truth about the peddler, he got angry
and threatened to call the sheriff.
On the contrary, Edla is more observant than her father. When she saw the
peddler the first time, she thought he was either a thief or a jailbreaker. But
she was unlike her father. She had special sympathy for the unfortunate
people. When her father, knowing the reality of the tramp, asked him to
leave, Edla insisted on him to stay to spend the Christmas with them. She
knew that the peddler, didn’t have any place in the world and so she invited
him to celebrate Christmas with them. It was only her tenderness and kind
behaviour that aroused the essential goodness in the peddler.
Question 3. The story has many instances of unexpected reactions from the
characters to another character’s behaviour. Pick out instances of these
surprises.
Answer: ‘The Rattrap’ deals with human emotions. These emotions, at
times, give rise to unexpected behaviour. One of the most important
unexpected behaviour is of the crofter towards the peddler. When the
peddler asked him for shelter in the night, he welcomed him and gave him
food, tobacco and company. The crofter bestowed so much confidence in
the peddler that he even showed him the thirty kronor that he had saved.
In another instance, the peddler was first persuaded by ironmaster to come
to his home and when he realised his mistake, he got furious and threatened
to call the sheriff. Yet another and the most unexpected reaction is that of
Edla Willmansson. When the peddler was asked to leave immediately, Edla
closed the door and insisted that the tramp stay at their home for Christmas.
She showed extraordinary kindness to him. The most unexpected behaviour
was that of the peddler. Edla’s kindness brought out the essential goodness
in him and he left the home leaving behind a gift for Edla along with the
money he had stolen.
Question 4. What made the peddler finally change his ways?

Answer: It was ironmaster’s daughter Edla’s kindness and empathy that
changed the peddler. Throughout his life, the peddler had never received
such kindness. Initially, when Edla invited him home, she gave him the
freedom to leave whenever he wanted.
Later, when the ironmaster realised his mistake, he wanted to call the sheriff
but out of kindness allowed him to leave. But Edla closed the door and
insisted on him to stay for Christmas. Her kindness brought out the essential
goodness in the tramp. Edla not only served him good food and looked after
him very well, but she also offered him to come to their house every
Christmas. This generous and kind nature worked as a catalyst to bring
about a positive change in the peddler. Thus, by returning the stolen money
along with a rattrap as a Christmas present along with a note for Edla, the
peddler left the house honourably.
Question 5. How does the metaphor of the rattrap serve to highlight the
human predicament?
Answer: The story deals with the metaphor of ‘Rattrap’. It refers to the
theory that life is one big rattrap. It exists for a purpose to set baits for
people. It offers riches and joys, luxuries and comforts, food and shelter,
heat and clothing exactly as a rattrap offers cheese and pork. The moment
anyone lets himself be tempted to touch the bait, it closes on him and then
everything comes to an end. The peddler in the story was caught into the
trap by the hospitality received at the crofter. His extreme poverty forced
him to steal the money. He was at this moment caught into the trap of his
own guilt.
Even at the ironmaster’s house he is caught in his own trap. But it is Edla’s
extreme kindness and generosity which enabled him to come out of this trap
of his and leave the house as a freeman, after confessing his wrong deed and
leaving the stolen money. Thus, the metaphor of rattrap very aptly highlights
the fact that if you take something you want wrongfully, you will usually
get trapped in life.
Question 6. The peddler comes out as a person with subtle sense of humour.
How does this serve in lightening the seriousness of the theme of the story
and also endear him to the reader?
Answer: The peddler is one of the most interesting characters in this story.
His theory of rattrap is an excellent example of humour in the story. The
very idea of comparing a man’s greed for money and wealth to a rat which
hungrily looks around for food and finally gets in the trap, evokes humour.
Moreover, the tramp himself committed the same error by stealing the
crofter’s money is so ironical. The peddler’s attempt not to undeceive the
ironmaster, despite being afraid to accept the invitation, is very comical.
Some of the other funny scenes are when he displayed his smartness after
he was recognised by the ironmaster. The display of his anger and
frustration at the point when the ironmaster threatened to call the police is
also very humorous. In spite of all the things that he did, he came out to be
a very lovable character and endears us when he confessed his guilt and left
the house in an honourable manner leaving the stolen money, a note and a
Christmas gift for Edla.
Talking About The Text
Question 1. The reader’s sympathy is with the peddler right from the
beginning of the story. Is the sympathy justified?
Answer: ‘The Rattrap’ is written in the backdrop of industrial revolution in
Sweden in the second half of the nineteenth century. Many families were
displaced by the growing industry and some people were reduced to a life
of extreme poverty. The peddler in the story was a victim of such an
economic change. He managed his life by begging and stealing. The pitiable
state in which he was living evokes the sympathy of the reader. Even when
he stole the money of the crofter, we don’t consider him to be a criminal. It
was taken as a normal reaction of a poor man when he saw so much money
easily available to him.
Thus, the peddler’s extreme poverty and the circumstances in which he
lived, justifiably make the reader sympathetic to him from the beginning of
the story.
Question 2 . ‘The Rattrap’ focuses on human loneliness and the need to bond
with others. Comment.
Answer: No doubt the story focuses on human loneliness and the need to
bond with others. The protagonist of the story, i.e. the peddler, was a
vagabond who had no family and led a lonely life. As he had no companion
to talk to, he was left to his own meditations. The crofter was also a lonely
man with no wife or children. When he saw the peddler, he was happy to
get someone to talk to. That is why he treated him with good food and
tobacco. Moreover, the ironmaster and his daughter Edla too were leading
a lonely life. The ironmaster’s wife died long ago, and his sons lived abroad.
They had no family and friends to celebrate Christmas.
Thus, the story deals with the loneliness of human beings in different
situations and their struggle to cope with loneliness.
Question 3. The story is both entertaining and philosophical.

Answer: ‘The Rattrap’ has both entertaining and philosophical aspects. The
very title of the story is metaphorical. It refers to the theory that life is a big
rattrap and sets baits for people. Instead of cheese and pork, life offers riches
and joys, luxuries, food, shelter, etc. As soon as a human being gets tempted
to touch the bait, it closes on him. The peddler got trapped in such a situation
when he stole the money of the crofter.
Despite the philosophical aspect of the story, it always remains interesting
and binds the reader till the end. The character of the peddler is so
entertaining. The very idea of the peddler himself falling into the trap is
humorous. The story has a clear and excellent progression of the theme.
There is always an element of curiosity. The climax of the story is
enthralling. When Edla and ironmaster come back from the church with an
idea that the peddler must have taken away all the silver, they find a gift and
the stolen money left by him.
Thus, the story is narrated in such a style that it entertains the reader, besides
providing a philosophical insight into life.
Short Answer Type Questions (3 Marks; 30-40 words)
Question.1. In what sense was the world a big rattrap according to the
peddler?
or
Why did the peddler think that the world was a rattrap?
Answer. The peddler was an extremely poor man who earned his living by
selling rattraps he made himself from the materials he got by begging. His
mind, thus, was always preoccupied with rattraps. One day, he suddenly
thought of the whole world was a big rattrap. He felt that the shelter, food,
clothes, riches and joys that the world provided were all baits set to entrap
man just as a rattrap offered cheese or meat to entrap rats. As soon as one
was trapped, everything came to an end.
Question.2. Why did the peddler derive pleasure from his idea of the world
as a rattrap?
Answer. The world had never been kind to the poor peddler. Wherever he
went, he was greeted with sour faces and was turned or chased away.
Therefore, he derived pleasure from thinking ill of the world in this way.
Moreover, he perhaps envied those whose lot was better than his and was
rather amused to think that someday they too would be tempted by the bait
and be caught in the Rattrap.
Question.3. Why did the peddler knock on the cottage by the roadside? How
was he treated by the Owner Of the cottage?
Answer. The peddler knocked on the cottage by the roadside to seek shelter
for the night. The owner of the cottage was a crofter who lived there alone.
He regarded the peddler as welcome company and treated him quite
hospitably. He not only put him up for the night, but also offered him food
and played cards with him.
Question.4. Why did Edla plead with her father not to send the vagabond
away?
or
Why did Edla still entertain the peddler even after she knew the truth about
him?
Answer. Edla had always thought the peddler to be a poor, homeless tramp.
Therefore, she didn’t feel cheated when his true identity was revealed.
Instead, she felt very bad for him and his miserable condition and pleaded
on his behalf. She and her father had promised him Christmas cheer, and
she felt that it would be wrong to send him away.
Question.5. What conclusion did the ironmaster reach when he heard that
the crofter had been robbed by the peddler?
Answer. It was at the church that the ironmaster and his daughter heard that
the crofter had been robbed by a peddler, who, no doubt, was the one they
had sheltered at the manor house. The ironmaster at once concluded that the
peddler would probably have stolen all his silverware in their absence and
ran away.
Question.6. What was the content of the letter written by the peddler to
Edla?
Answer. The peddler had written that since Edla had treated him like a
captain, he wanted to be nice to her in return. He did not want her to be
embarrassed at Christmas by a thief. He had requested that the crofter’s
money that he had stolen be returned. He further wrote that the rattrap was
a Christmas present from a rat who would have been caught in the world’s
rattrap, if he had not been raised to the status of captain, which motivated
him to reform himself.
Question.7. What were the contents of the package left by the peddler as
Christmas gift for Edla Willmansson?
Answer. The package left by the peddler as a Christmas gift for Edla
Willmansson comprised a small rattrap with three wrinkled ten kronor notes
in it, which the peddler had robbed from the crofter. It also contained a brief
letter for Edla explaining the peddler’s conduct.
Question.8. Why did the peddler decline the invitation of the ironmaster?
Answer.The ironmaster has mistaken the peddler for an old regimental
comrade and invited him home. The peddler declined the invitation because
he was carrying the money he had stolen from the crofter. He knew that if
the ironmaster discovered his identity, he would hand him over to the police.
Therefore, for him, going to the manor house was like walking into a lion’s
den.
Question.9. Who was the owner of Ramsjo iron mills? Why did he visit the
mills at night?
Answer.The owner of the Ramsjo iron mills was an ex-army man and an
ambitious and prominent ironmaster. He was very particular about the
quality of his products and visited the mills even at night to make sure that
good iron was shipped out from his mills.
Question.10.How did the ironmaster react on seeing the stranger lying close
to the furnace?
Answer. When the ironmaster saw a stranger in rags lying close to the
furnace, he went near him and removed his slouch hat to get a better view
of his face. Due to dim light in the forge and the peddler’s dirty appearance,
he mistook him to be Nils Olof, an old acquaintance of his regiment. He was
delighted to see him and invited him home for Christmas.
Question.11.Why did the stranger not tell the ironmaster that he was not
Nils Olof?
Answer. The stranger did not tell the ironmaster that he was not Nils Olof
because he thought that if the gentleman believed that he was an old friend
or acquaintance of his, then he might take pity on him and help him with
some money.
Question.12.Why was the crofter so talkative and friendly with the peddler?
Answer. The old crofter was lonely and leading a dreary existence as he had
no wife or children. He was happy to get someone to talk to and share his
thoughts with, even though it was a tramp. So he welcomed the peddler who
was quite a patient listener, and extended his hospitality to him.
Question.13.Why was the peddler surprised when he knocked on the door

of the cottage?
Answer. The peddler had never been treated kindly by the world. He was
meted out cold treatment wherever he went. He was pleasantly surprised
when the crofter greeted him with warmth and hospitality. Ordinarily, he
always met ‘sour faces’ when he knocked for shelter and food, and was
usually turned away.
Question.14.Why did the peddler keep to the woods after leaving the
crofter’s cottage? How did he feel?
Answer. After stealing the money from the crofter’s, the peddler was
cautious to. avoid the public, highway lest he be identified and caught. He
got into the woods but finally realised that it was a big and confusing forest.
The end of the forest was nowhere in sight and he felt lost. That’s when he
recalled his thoughts about the world being a rattrap and he realised that he
had indeed become a victim of a rattrap.
Question.15.What made the peddler finally change his ways?

Answer. The peddler believed in giving back to the world what he received
from it. He was always treated with contempt and hostility and so he never
did anything good. However, Edla’s kind and caring behaviour finally
changed him. She had treated him with love and respect befitting a captain,
even after realising that he was a poor vagabond. The trust that Edla showed
in him made him change his ways and he decided to live with dignity and
respect.
Question.16.Why was Edla happy to see the gift left by the peddler?
Answer. Edla felt very dejected when she came to know about the theft of
the crofter’s money by the peddler, but the gift left behind, which consisted
of a small rattrap and three wrinkled ten kronor notes, restored her faith in
him. She felt happy because her trust in him had been justified. Her kindness
had finally changed the peddler and brought out his essential goodness.
Question.17.”Edla sat and hung her head even more dejectedly than usual.”
Which two reasons forced her to behave in that manner?
Answer. Edla had shown kindness to the peddler even after knowing that he
was not a captain. This was.the reason why she felt all the more dejected
when she came to know that the peddler whom she had sheltered was
actually a thief, who had recently robbed a crofter. Secondly, she also felt
bad because the peddler had disproved the faith which she had shown in
him.
Question.18. Why did the peddler sign himself as Captain von Stahle?
Answer. The peddler owed his transformation to the kind treatment meted
out to him by Edla. In spite of knowing the truth about him, she had
honoured and treated him like a captain. She had awakened the latent
goodness in his heart. He wanted to repay Edla for her kindness. His signing
himself as Captain von Stahle shows that he wanted to retain the dignity and
respect accorded to him.
Long Answer Type Questions (6 Marks, 120-150 words)
Question.1. How did the peddler feel after robbing the crofter? What course
did he adopt and how did he react to the new situation? What does his
reaction reveal?
Answer. The crofter had treated the peddler with hospitality and had even
reposed his trust in the poor vagabond. Still the peddler robbed him and was
quite pleased with his smartness. However, the fear of getting caught
haunted him. So, he avoided the public highway and turned into the woods.
It was a big and confusing forest, and due to the approaching darkness, the
peddler lost his way. He got exhausted moving around the same place and
was filled with despair. He began to feel that the forest was like a big rattrap
and the thirty kronor he had stolen were like a bait set to tempt him.
His reaction reveals that he was feeling guilty for having stolen the crofter’s
money. His heart was filled with remorse and self-loathing for his act of
weakness. However, his thoughts are perhaps also a way of justifying his
crime.
Question.2. The story, The Rattrap’ is both entertaining and philosophical.

Do you agree with this statement? Why/Why not?
Answer. The story, ‘The Rattrap’ is indeed, both entertaining and
philosophical. The fast-paced narrative in the third person, generous use of
dialogue by the author and different characters belonging to different
mindsets and locales make the story interesting and entertaining. Besides,
the author has managed to keep up the suspense till the end.
The incidents in the forge, with the ironmaster coming at midnight, hold our
attention. The peddler’s incessant refusals to the ironmaster to accompany
him, but his accepting Edla’s invitation in one go, the ironmaster’s
realisation of his mistake, and Edla’s sympathy and generosity, all make the
story quite gripping. While all the above events make the story interesting,
there is also an element of philosophy in the story.
Somewhere, the peddler’s theory of the world being a rattrap is true. One
feels caught up like a rat in the entrappings of the world. Some people fall
into this trap never to come out of it again. The story teaches us that, as
human beings, we are not above temptations.
Question.3. The story focuses on human loneliness and the need to bond
with others. Explain.
Answer. All. the characters in the story suffer from loneliness and are dreary
souls. First, the tramp appears to lead a sad, monotonous existence, left to
his own musings. He is always greeted by sour faces and cold words.
The old crofter’s fate has been somewhat kinder to him. Bereft of his wife
and children, he lives all alone in a cottage by the roadside and is rather
happy to have visitors around.
We also have the ironmaster and his daughter, Edla, who have no company
for Christmas. The ironmaster’s wife is dead, and his sons are settled abroad.
He, with his daughter, are happy to play hosts for his friend. Thus, all of
them have a strong desire for bonding and comradeship. The crofter is happy
to be friends with the peddler, although only for a night. It is the bonding
with the ironmaster’s daughter that transforms the peddler. The love,
understanding and dignity that he gets from the girl makes him leave his
dishonest ways and redeem himself.
Question.4. Give examples from the story, The Rattrap’ to show how the
ironmaster is different from his daughter.
or
Compare and contrast the character of the ironmaster with that of his
daughter.
Answer. The character of the ironmaster was quite different from that of his
daughter. He was an ambitious and arrogant man. When he saw the peddler,
he mistook him for his old regimental comrade, and invited him home, but
this was more out of his sense of pride than out of sympathy or generosity.
When the ironmaster realised that he had been mistaken, he called the
peddler dishonest and threatened to call the Sheriff. When he learnt that the
peddler was a thief, he was ‘ worried about his own silverware.
On the other hand, Edla, the ironmaster’s daughter, was a kind and
compassionate lady who was really sympathetic and considerate towards
the peddler right from the beginning. She treated him with respect and
dignity even after knowing that he was not a captain. It was her generous
attitude which finally changed the peddler, bringing out the essential
goodness of his nature.
INDIGO
About the Author
Louis Fischer was born on 29 February 1896 in Philadelphia,

Pennsylvania, USA. First, he worked as a schoolteacher. Then he served
as a volunteer in the British Army during the First World War and then
he made a career as a journalist and wrote for ‘The New York Times’,
‘The Saturday Review’ and for ‘European and Asian Publications’. As
a journalist he lived through and reported the Second World War. he
was a Jewish-American who was greatly influenced by Gandhiji’s use
of non-violence and spiritualism as political tools. he wrote highly
acclaimed books on Gandhi and Lenin. he died at the age of 73 on 15
January 1970 in Princeton, New Jersey, USA.
About the Chapter
This chapter is an excerpt from Louis Fischer’s famous book ‘The Life
of Mahatma Gandhi’. The writer observed Gandhiji’s work to fight for
the cause of the voiceless, downtrodden Indians who reeled under the
rule of the indifferent, oppressive colonial British rule. ‘Indigo’ is one
of the many episodes of Gandhi’s long political struggle.
The chapter describes the Champaran visit of Mahatma Gandhi which
was undertaken casually on the entreaty of a poor peasant, Rajkumar
Shukla, in the expectation that it would last a few days, occupied almost
a year of Gandhi’s life.
The story describes Gandhiji’s struggle for the cause of the
sharecroppers of Bihar and how he asked the Britishers to leave the
country.
It highlights the leadership shown by Gandhi to secure justice for
oppressed people.
About the Characters
Gandhiji- A prominent political leader of India (The Father of The

Nation.
Rajkumar Shukla- A poor, emaciated but resolute peasant of
Champaran.
Rajendra Prasad- A lawyer who later became the First President of
India.
J.B. Kripalani- A professor of the Arts College in Muzzafarpur.
Malkani- A Government school teacher.
Sir Edward Gait- The Lieutenant Governor.
Mahadev Desai and Narhari Parikh- Volunteer teachers.
Kasturbai- Gandhi’s wife.
Devadas- Gandhi’s youngest son.
Theme
The chapter ‘Indigo’ emphasizes the fact that an effective leadership can
solve any kind of problem without any harm to anybody. This chapter deals
with the way Mahatma Gandhi solved the problem of poor sharecroppers of
Champaran in a non-violent way.
POINTS TO REMEMBER
Rajkumar Shukla- A poor sharecropper from Champaran wishing to meet

Gandhiji.
• Raj Kumar Shukla- an illiterate but resolute hence followed Gandhiji
Lucknow, Cawnpore, Ahmedabad, Calcutta, Patna, Muzzafarpur &
then Champaran.
• Servants at Rajendra Prasad’s residence thought Gandhiji to be an
untouchable.
• Gandhiji considered as an untouchable because of simple living style
and wearing, due to the company of Rajkumar Shukla.
• Decided to go to Muzzafarpur first to get detailed information about
Champaran sharecropper.
• Sent telegram to J B Kriplani &stayed in Prof Malkani home- a
government servant.
• Indians afraid to show sympathy to the supporters of home rule.
• The news of Gandhiji’s arrival spread- sharecroppers gathered in large
number to meet their champion.
• Gandhiji chided the Muzzafarpur lawyer for taking high fee.
• Champaran district was divided into estate owned by English people,
Indians only tenant farmers.
• Landlords compelled tenants to plant 15% of their land with indigo
and surrender their entire harvest as rent.
• In the meantime, Germany had developed synthetic indigo –British
landlords freed the Indian farmers from the 15% arrangement but
asked them to pay compensation.
• Many signed, some resisted engaged lawyers, and landlords hired
thugs.
• Gandhiji reached Champaran- visited the secretary of the British
landlord association to get the facts but denied as he was an outsider.
• Gandhiji went to the British Official Commissioner who asked him to
leave Trihut, Gandhiji disobeyed, went to Motihari the capital of
Champaran where a vast multitude greeted him, continued his
investigations.
• Visited maltreated villagers, stopped by the police superintendent but
disobeyed the order.
• Motihari black with peasants’ spontaneous demonstrations, Gandhiji
released without bail Civil Disobedience triumphed.
• Gandhiji agreed to 25% refund by the landowners, it symbolized the
surrender of the prestige.
• Gandhiji worked hard towards social economic reforms, elevated their
distress aided by his wife, Mahadev Desai, Narhari Parikh.
• Gandhiji taught a lesson of self-reliance by not seeking help of an
English man Mr. Andrews.
SUMMARY
Gandhi had gone to the December 1916 annual convention of the Indian
National Congress in Lucknow where he made a poor peasant named
Rajkumar Shukla who pleaded Gandhi to visit Champaran. Under an old
agreement the peasants of the Champaran district were sharecroppers.
Rajkumar Shukla was one of them who was determined enough to
accompany Gandhi everywhere till he fixed a date to visit his district.
Impressed by the resolution of the peasant, Gandhi agreed to meet him in
Calcutta and go with him to Champaran from there.
After a few months when Gandhi went to Calcutta, Shukla met him there
and took him to Patna with him. There Shukla took him to meet with a
lawyer named Rajendra Prasad who later became the President of the
Congress Party and of India. Rajendra Prasad was not there to welcome him,
but the servants recognized Shukla as a sharecropper who needed help and
let him inside the house with Gandhi who was also considered another
peasant. However, Gandhi was not allowed to draw water from the well as
they thought that he might turn out to be an untouchable.
Gandhi decided to go to Muzzafarpur to gather more information about the
condition of the peasants in Champaran. He sent a telegram to Professor J.B.
Kripalani, of the Arts College in Muzzafarpur. When Gandhi reached the
station, Kripalani was waiting with a large number of students. Gandhi
stayed with Professor Malkani for two days and appreciated him for being
courageous enough to harbour a person like him who was fighting for the
country’s freedom, despite being a government official.
The news of Gandhi’s advent and his mission spread rapidly through
Muzzafarpur and Champaran. Gandhi came to know that the lawyers were
charging a fee from the peasants. Gandhi advised them against taking their
cases to the law court as he felt that all that was needed was to make them
feel liberated from fear.
Most of the arable lands in the Champaran district were divided into estates
owned by Englishmen who employed Indian tenants to work for them. The
peasants were forced to be a part of a long-term contract to plant fifteen
percent of their land with indigo. When the landlords got to know that
Germany had developed synthetic indigo, they compelled the sharecroppers
to pay them compensation for being released from the 15 percent agreement.
When the sharecroppers protested against this injustice and hired lawyers to
fight for them, the landlords hired thugs. Meanwhile, the news of the
synthetic indigo reached the illiterate peasants who had already signed and
wanted their money back.
Gandhi had arrived to Champaran at this point of time and he decided to get
his facts right before proceeding to do anything. He visited the secretary of
the British landlord’s association who refused to give information to an
outsider, to which Gandhi replied that he was no outsider. Next, he called
the British official commissioner of the Tirhut division who advised Gandhi
to leave Tirhut immediately.
Gandhi proceeded to Motihari with several lawyers where he was greeted
by a vast crowd and found out that a peasant had been maltreated. He
decided to pay and visit. On his way he was stopped by the police
superintendent’s messenger who warned him to leave the town. The
messenger served Gandhi an official notice to quit Champaran immediately.
Gandhi signed a receipt for the notice and wrote on it that he would disobey
the order. He was summoned to court the next day. That night Gandhi
telegraphed Rajendra Prasad to come from Bihar with influential friends,
sent instructions to the ashram and forwarded a full report to the viceroy.
In the morning, Motihari was swarming with peasants. They had only heard
that some Mahatma who wanted to help them, was in trouble with the British
authorities. This spontaneous courage to support Gandhi and to stand up
against the British marked the beginning of their freedom from their fear of
the British.
The officials were unable to handle the crowd without Gandhi’s
cooperation. Perplexed by this incident that served as a proof that the British
would be challenged by the Indians, the prosecutor requested the judge to
postpone the trial. But Gandhi protested against the delay and read a
statement pleading guilty. He was in a conflicting state of being. On one
hand, he did not want to set a bad example as a lawbreaker and on the other
hand, he had to follow his conscience to stand up for his people. The
magistrate asked Gandhi to furnish bail for 120 minutes during the recess,
but Gandhi refused. Finally, the judge released him without bail.
Rajendra Prasad, Brij Kishor Babu, Maulana Mazhatul Huq and other
prominent lawyers had arrived from Bihar. Gandhi demanded that the
lawyers should fight against the injustice if he went to jail. They thought
that if a stranger like Gandhi was prepared to go to jail for the peasants then
it would be a shame if they did not contribute their bit. Finally, they assured
Gandhi that they were ready to follow him to jail. The unity and courage of
the people to stand up against the British made Gandhi exclaim- “The battle
of Champaran is won.”
Several days later, Gandhi learnt from the magistrate that the case against
him was ordered to be dropped. For this first time, civil disobedience had
triumphed in modern India.
Gandhi delved deep into the enquiry and collected relevant documents from
the peasants which led the landlords to protest violently.
In June, Gandhi had four interviews with the Lieutenant Governor. The
appointed commission consisted of landlords, government officials and
Gandhi, as the only representative of the sharecroppers.
Finally, the committee agreed to reimburse the peasants as a mountain of
evidence was gathered against the planters. Everyone thought that Gandhi
would ask for the full refund but to everyone’s surprise, he only asked for
50 percent of the money that the landlords had illegally taken from the
peasants. However, he finally settled for only 25 percent. Gandhi felt that
the money was less important than the fact that the landlords had to submit
to the peasants. They had to surrender their self-esteem. Also, the peasants
realized their rights and became more courageous to stand up against
injustice.
Within a few years, the British planters left their estates because of which
indigo sharecropping disappeared. Gandhi saw the cultural and social
backwardness in Champaran and felt like doing something for its
upliftment. He requested twelve teachers to teach the people at Champaran.
Two young disciples of Gandhi, Mahadev Desai and Narhari Parikh and
their wives volunteered for the work. Gandhi’s youngest son, Devadas and
his wife also joined in. Kasturbai educated the village about ashram rules on
personal cleanliness and community sanitation.
Gandhi got a doctor to serve the community for six months. Castor oil,
quinine and sulphur ointment were available. Gandhi maintained
communication with the ashram and sent regular instructions and asked for
financial accounts.
The Champaran movement had a deep impact on Gandhi’s life as it made it
evident that the British could not orders Indians in their own country. It was
not a political agenda to begin a movement by defying the British. The
Champaran movement grew out of an attempt to release the tension of the
poor peasants. Politics, for Gandhi, was intertwined with the day-to-day
problems of the ordinary mass. Gandhi’s attempt was to mould a self-reliant
India. When Gandhi’s lawyer friends thought that it was a good idea to have
the English pacifist, Charles Freer Andrews, stay in Champaran and help,
Gandhi refused. He said that having an Englishman by their side in the time
when every Indian should be strong and self-reliant, would just indicate the
weakness of their minds. Rajendra Prasad proudly comments that Gandhi
had successfully taught everyone a lesson in self-reliance.
Question.1. Why did Gandhiji feel that taking the Champaran case to court
was useless?
Answer. When Gandhiji got to know about the plight of the peasant groups
in Champaran from his discussion with the lawyers, he came to the
conclusion that the poor peasants were so crushed and fear-stricken that law
courts were useless in their case. Going to courts overburdened the
sharecroppers with heavy litigation expenses. What really needed to be done
was to make them free from fear.
Question.2. How did the Champaran peasants react when they heard that a
Mahatma had come to help them?
Answer. When the Champaran peasants heard that a Mahatma had come to
help them, they assembled in Motihari in large number. Thousands of
peasants held a demonstration around the courthouse where Gandhiji was
supposed to appear. The crowd was so uncontrollable that the officials felt
powerless, and Gandhiji himself helped the authorities to regulate the
crowd.
Question.3. What made the Lieutenant Governor drop the case against
Gandhiji?
Answer. When Gandhiji was asked to appear in the court in Motihari,
thousands of peasants held a demonstration around the courthouse. The
officials felt helpless and the government was baffled. The trial was
postponed, as the judge did not want to aggravate the situation. He held up
the sentence for several days, after which Gandhiji was released without
bail. All these events made the Lieutenant Governor drop the case against
Gandhiji.
Question.4. Why did Gandhiji oppose when his friend Andrews offered to
stay in Champaran and help the peasants?
or
Why did Gandhiji object to CF Andrews’ stay in Champaran?
Answer. CF Andrews, an English pacifist, was a devoted follower of
Gandhiji. The lawyers thought that being an Englishman, Andrews could be
of immense help to them in their cause of fighting the battle of Champaran.
Gandhiji, however, was against this because he felt that enlisting an
Englishman’s help showed weakness. Their cause was just, and they had to
win the battle by relying on themselves. This would make them self-reliant.
Question.5. Why do you think Gandhi considered the Champar an episode

to be a turning point in his life?
Answer. The Champaran episode began as an attempt to alleviate the
distress of poor peasants. Ultimately it proved to be a turning point in
Gandhiji’s life because it was a loud proclamation that made the British
realise that Gandhiji could not be ordered about in his own country. It
infused courage to question British authority in the masses and laid the
foundation of non-cooperation as a new tool to fight the British tooth and
nail.
Question.6. What did the peasants pay to the British landlords as rent?
Answer. The British landlords had entered a long-term contract with the
farmers according to which they compelled all tenants to plant 15% of their
holdings with indigo. The sharecroppers had to surrender the entire indigo
harvest as rent.
Question.7. Why did Gandhiji decide to go to Muzaffarpur before going to

Champaran?
Answer. Rajkumar Shukla had given quite a lot of information to Gandhiji
about the indigo sharecroppers of Champaran. However, Gandhiji wished
to obtain more complete information about the conditions than Shukla had
imparted. He visited Muzaffarpur, which was en route to Champaran, to
inquire from the lawyers there about the issue, as they frequently
represented the peasant groups in the court.
Question.8. Why do you think the servants thought Gandhi to be another

peasant?
Answer. The servants knew that Rajkumar Shukla was a poor farmer who
pestered their master to help the indigo sharecroppers. Since Gandhiji
accompanied Shukla and was dressed simply, they mistook him for a
peasant. Gandhiji’s modesty and unassertiveness also led to the assumption
that he was a peasant.
Question.9. “The battle of Champaran is won!” What led Gandhiji to make

this remark?
Answer. The lawyers first decided to return home if Gandhiji. was arrested.
But they soon realised their mistake. When they declared that they would
fight for the peasants’ cause in the event of Gandhiji’s arrest and volunteered
to court arrest for the cause of the sharecroppers, Gandhiji was very pleased
and exclaimed, “The battle of Champaran is won!.”
Question.10. Why did Gandhi agree to the planters’ offer of a 25% refund
to the farmers?
Answer. Gandhiji agreed to a settlement of 25% refund to the farmers to
break the deadlock between the landlords and peasants. For him, the amount
of the refund was not very important. The fact that the landlords had been
obliged to surrender a part of their money as well as their prestige gave a
moral victory to the farmers. Thus, Gandhiji not only made the landlords
accept their dishonesty but also made the farmers learn a lesson in defending
their rights with courage.
Question.11. How was Gandhi able to influence the lawyers? Give

instances.
or
How was Gandhiji able to influence the lawyers?
Answer. Gandhiji’s sincerity towards the peasants’ cause and convincing
arguments and negotiations, thoroughly influenced the lawyers. He chided
them for overcharging the peasants and encouraged them to court arrest for
the peasants’ noble cause. He even rejected their proposal to seek Mr
Andrews help in their battle against the Britishers to be self-reliant and
independent.
Long Answer Type Questions (6 Marks, 120-150 Words)
Question.1. Why is the Champaran episode considered to be the beginning

of the Indian struggle for independence?
Answer. The Champaran episode was one of the major events in the struggle
for independence. It was in the course of this small but significant
movement that Gandhiji decided to urge the departure of the British from
India.
A close examination of the problems of the Champaran peasants opened
Gandhiji’s eyes to the unjust policies of the British. He realised that people
had to be made free from fear and only then could they be freed from foreign
oppression. The spontaneous demonstration of the people proved that
Gandhiji had the nation’s support in his fight against the Britishers. It also
aroused patriotism in the heart of the Indians.
The triumph of The. Civil disobedience at Champaran motivated the
launching of the movement on a large scale during the freedom movement.
Gandhiji’s winning the case of the sharecroppers proved that British
authority could be challenged. Hence, the Champaran episode served as a
steppingstone to the Indian struggle for independence.
Question.2. Gandhiji’s loyalty was not a loyalty to abstractions; it was a

loyalty to living human beings. Why did Gandhiji continue his stay in
Champaran even after indigo sharecropping disappeared?
Answer. After the Champaran battle was won and the land reverted to the
peasants, Gandhiji continued to stay on in the region. His loyalty was,
indeed, to living human beings and he realised that a lot needed to be done
for the upliftment of the peasants in the villages of Champaran. Gandhiji
took the initiative and began the work of eradicating their cultural and social
backwardness. Primary schools were started so that the poor peasants and
their children could be educated. Gandhiji appealed to teachers, and many
of his disciples, including his wife and son, volunteered for the work.
Health conditions in the area were also miserable. Gandhiji got a doctor to
volunteer his services for six months. All this-goes to prove that Gandhiji’s
loyalty was not to abstractions, but his politics was always intertwined with
the practical day to day problems of the millions.
Question.3. Describe how, according to Louis Fischer, Gandhiji succeeded

in his Champaran campaign.
Answer. The Champaran campaign was an attempt to free the poor peasants
of Champaran from injustice and exploitation at the hands of the Britishers.
Gandhiji succeeded in this campaign using his method of satyagraha and
non-violence. He visited Muzaffarpur to obtain complete information about
the actual condition of the sharecroppers. He first appealed to the concerned
authorities, but when there was no positive response, he organised a mass
civil , disobedience movement with the support of the peasants.
Gandhiji’s main objective was to remove the fear of the British landlords
from the heart of the poor peasants and mould a new free Indian, who could
participate in the freedom movement of the country.
He made the peasants aware of their rights and gave them a new-found
confidence for fighting their own battles. He also taught them to be self-
reliant by refusing to take the help of CF Andrews, his English friend.
Question.4. Why did Gandhiji agree to a settlement of 25% refund to the

farmers? How did it
influence the peasant-landlord relationship in Champaran?
Answer. Under an ancient arrangement, the peasants of Champaran were
sharecroppers. The landlords forced the Indian tenants to plant 15% of their
holding with indigo and surrender the entire indigo harvest as rent.
After Germany developed synthetic indigo, the landlords wanted to dissolve
the agreement, as synthetic indigo would be cheaper. They asked the
peasants for compensation to release them from this arrangement. Most of
them signed it willingly but felt cheated after they learned about synthetic
indigo.
Gandhiji fought their case and the evidence that he collected was so
overwhelming that the landlords were asked to repay. When Gandhiji asked
for 50% repayment, the landlords offered to pay only 25%, as they wanted
to create a deadlock, and thus prolong the dispute. To everybody surprise,
Gandhiji agreed to a refund of only 25%. Gandhiji explained that the amount
of refund was not important. What mattered was that the landlords were
obliged to surrender a part of their money and with it, part of their prestige.
Question.5. Give an account of Gandhiji’s efforts to secure justice for the

poor indigo sharecroppers of Champaran.
Answer. During his journey to Champaran with Rajkumar Shukla, Gandhiji
stayed at Muzaffarpur where he met the lawyers and concluded that fighting
through courts was not going to solve the problem of the poor sharecroppers
of Champaran. He declared that the real relief for them was to be free from
fear.
With this intention, he arrived in Champaran and contacted the Secretary of
the British Landlord’s association. The Secretary refused to provide him any
information. After this, Gandhiji met the Commissioner of the Tirhut
division who served a notice on him to immediately leave Tirhut.
Gandhiji accepted the notice by signing it and wrote on it that he would not
obey the order. He was even willing to court arrest for the cause of the
peasants.
After four rounds of talks with-the Governor, an official commission of
inquiry was appointed in which Gandhiji was made the sole representative
of the peasants.
Through this commission Gandhiji succeeded in getting 25% of the
compensation award for the poor sharecroppers from the British
landowners.
Question.6. The Champaran episode was a turning point in Gandhiji’s life.

Elucidate.
Answer. Gandhiji himself accepted the proposition that the Champaran
episode was a turning point in his life. It was then that he decided to urge
the departure of the British from India.
In fact the Champaran episode was the first experiment of civil disobedience
in India. When Gandhiji was on his way to Champaran, he stayed in
Muzaffarpur, where he met the lawyers who were fighting cases for the
sharecroppers. The peasants were so crushed, and fear stricken. that
Gandhiji concluded that law courts were useless. The real relief for them
was to be free from fear. The spontaneous demonstration by the peasants
showed that they were instilled with a new strength and spirit. Gandhiji
showed the poor peasants how to fight the British with ‘satyagraha’. He
made them aware of their power and the power of ahimsa.
All this laid the foundation of his future movements and served as a great
source of strength and motivation for all Indians.
TEXTUAL QUESTIONS
Ques: Strike out what is not true in the following:
(a)Rajkumar Shukla was:

(i)a sharecropper (ii)a politician (iii)delegate (iv)a landlord.
(b) Rajkumar Shukla was:
(i) poor (ii)physically strong (iii) illiterate.
Answer: (a) (ii) a politician
(b) (ii) physically strong
Ques: Why is Rajkumar Shukla described as being ‘resolute’?

Answer: He had come all the way from Champaran district in the
foothills of Himalayas to Lucknow to speak to Gandhi. Shukla accompanied
Gandhi everywhere. Shukla followed him to the ashram near Ahmedabad.
For weeks he never left Gandhi’s side till Gandhi asked him to meet at
Calcutta.
Ques: Why do you think the servants thought Gandhi to be another peasant?
Answer: Shukla led Gandhi to Rajendra Prasad’s house. The servants knew
Shukla as a poor villager. Gandhi was also clad in a simple dhoti. He was
the companion of a peasant. Hence, the servants thought Gandhi to be
another peasant.
Ques: List the places that Gandhi visited between his first meeting with
Shukla and his arrival at Champaran.
Answer: Gandhi’s first meeting with Shukla was at Lucknow. Then he went
to Cawnpore and other parts of India. He returned to his ashram near
Ahmedabad. Later he went to Calcutta, Patna and Muzaffarpur before
arriving at Champaran.
Ques: What did the peasants pay the British landlords as rent? What did the
British now want instead and why? What would be the impact of synthetic
indigo on the prices of natural indigo?
Answer: The peasants paid the British landlords indigo as rent. Now
Germany had developed synthetic indigo. So, the British landlords wanted
money as compensation for being released from the 15 percent arrangement.
The prices of natural indigo would go down due to the synthetic Indigo.
Ques: The events in this part of the text illustrate Gandhi’s method of
working. Can you identify some instances of this method and link them to
his ideas of Satyagraha and non-violence?
Answer: Gandhi’s politics was intermingled with the day-to-day problems
of the millions of Indians. He opposed unjust laws. He was ready to court
arrest for breaking such laws and going to jail. The famous Dandi March to
break the ‘salt law’ is another instance. The resistance and disobedience
were peaceful and a fight for truth and justice…This was linked directly to
his ideas of Satyagraha and non-violence.
Ques: Why did Gandhi agree to a settlement of a 25 percent refund to the

farmers?
Answer: For Gandhi, the amount of the refund was less important than the
fact that the landlords had been forced to return part of the money, and with
it, part of their prestige too. So, he agreed to a settlement of a 25 percent
refund to the farmers.
Ques: How did the episode change the plight of the peasants?
Answer: The peasants were saved from spending time and money on court
cases. After some years, the British planters gave up control of their estates.
These now reverted to the peasants. Indigo sharecropping disappeared.
Ques: Why do you think Gandhi considered the Champaran episode to be a

turning- point in his life?
Answer: The Champaran episode began as an attempt to ease the sufferings
of a large number of poor peasants. He got spontaneous support from
thousands of people. Gandhi admits that what he had done was a very
ordinary thing. He declared that the British could not order him in his own
country. Hence, he considered the Champaran episode as a turning- point in
his life.
Ques: How was Gandhi able to influence lawyers? Give instances.

Answer: Gandhi asked the lawyers what they would do if he was sentenced
to prison. They said that they had come to advise him. If he went to jail, they
would go home. Then Gandhi asked them about the injustice to the
sharecroppers. The lawyers held consultations. They concluded that it
would be shameful desertion if they went home. So, they told Gandhi that
they were ready to follow him into jail.
Ques: “What was the attitude of the average Indian in smaller localities
towards advocates of ‘home rule’?
Answer: The average Indians in smaller localities were afraid to show
sympathy for the advocates of home-rule. Gandhi stayed at Muzaffarpur for
two days at the home of Professor Malkani, a teacher in a government
school. It was an extraordinary thing in those days for a government
professor to give shelter to one who opposed the government.
Ques: How do we know that ordinary people too contributed to the freedom
movement?
Answer: Professor J.B. Kriplani received Gandhi at Muzaffarpur railway
station at midnight. He had a large body of students with him. Sharecroppers
from Champaran came on foot and by conveyance to see Gandhi.
Muzaffarpur lawyers too called on him. A vast multitude greeted Gandhi
when he reached Motihari railway station. Thousands of people
demonstrated around the courtroom. This shows that ordinary people too
contributed to the freedom movement in India.
Ques: Discuss the following:
“Freedom from fear is more important than Legal justice for the poor.”
Do you think that the poor of India are free from fear after Independence?
Answer: For the poor of India means of survival is far more important than
freedom or legal justice. I do not think the poor of India are free from fear
after Independence. The foreign rulers have been replaced by corrupt
politicians and self-serving bureaucracy. Power- brokers and moneylenders
have a field day. The situation has improved in cities and towns for the poor
but the poor in the remote villages still fear the big farmers and
moneylenders. The police and revenue officials are still objecting of terror
for them.
The poor, landless workers must still work hard to make both ends meet.
Peasants and tenant-farmers must borrow money from rich moneylenders
on exorbitant rates of interest, which usually they fail to repay due to the
failure of monsoon or bad crops. Cases of small farmers committing suicide
are quite common. If this is not due to fear, what is the reason behind it?
The qualities of a good leader.
Answer: A good leader has a mass appeal. He rises from the masses, thinks
for them, and works for them. He is sincere in his approach. He is a man of
principles. Truth, honesty, patriotism, morality, the spirit of service, and
sacrifice are the hallmarks of a good leader. He never mixes politics with
religion or sect. He believes in working for the welfare of the nation and
does not think in the narrow terms of class, caste, or region. Corruption and
nepotism are two evils that surround a leader in power. The life of a good
leader is an open book. There is no difference between his words and
actions. Such good leaders are exceedingly rare. What we find today are
practical politicians, who think of achieving their end without bothering
about. the purity of means. The law of expediency gets the better of
morality.
VISTAS
THE THIRD LEVEL

Introduction
The past is a good place to visit, but certainly not a good place to stay. The
Third Level by Jack Finney is an engrossing story set in the 1950s. The
story is studded with numerous undertones of irony. It takes you back in
time. It was a world when people hadn’t seen two of the bloodiest wars in
the history of mankind. The story brings to light the fact that figments of
someone’s imagination can be used for shying away from reality, which in
all fairness, is harsh enough. Let us take a closer look at the story.
Overview
The Third Level tells the story of a 31-year-old guy named Charlie (not
Charlie Sheen). One fine evening, while rushing home, he decides to take
the subway from the Grand Central Station in New York City. He ends up
finding himself on the Third Level of the Grand Central Station (there were
only two levels). There, Charlie observes spittoons lying on the floor. He
observes that people wear wearing derby hats and gold watches, which they
kept in their vest pockets. He also sees a Currier & Ives locomotive.
Realising that he’s gone back in time, Charlie tries to buy tickets to
Galesburg. During the lunch hour, the next afternoon, Charlie withdraws all
his savings (nearly 500 US Dollars) to buy old style currency notes. Charlie
narrates this incident to Sam, his friend who works as a psychiatrist. Sam
concludes that the Third Level is nothing but a mere figment of Charlie’s
imagination. The miseries which the modern world, full of war, worry and
terror, had to offer made Charlie hallucinate about the existence of the Third
Level.
Charlie succeeds in finding an evidence related to the Third Level’s

existence. He discovers a letter addressed to him by his psychiatrist friend
Sam. The letter was dated July 18, 1894. It seemed that Sam wasn’t as
incredulous of the Third Level as he had appeared to be.
The story clearly explores the concept of time travel. Jack Finney explores
the mentality of a common man. He succeeds in exposing the vulnerable
side of a common man. A myriad of problems conspired to corrupt Charlie’s
mind. It further robbed him of his senses, and in his panic induced state, he
hallucinated about the Third Level at the Grand Central Station. Even
though it was hard for Charlie to believe his eyes, he decided to stay there,
in the year 1894.
What stands out in the entire story is the extent of ease with which Jack
Finney was able to bring out a common man’s craving for peace and
security. Like any common man, Charlie too appreciated the so-called
‘pleasures’ of everyday life and the security of the familiar. He wanted to
stay in the past because 1894 was much more peaceful, secure, serene. The
world in 1894 hadn’t seen the repercussions of war. The insecurities that
came with war, terror, and disease had got the better of common folks like
Charlie who wanted a transient relief from the harsh realities of life.
All in all, The Third Level brings us to the conclusion that people find it
hard to make peace with unpleasant things they come across in life. The
story further makes the reader realize that the past and future are real
illusions. They exist in the present, which is all there is.
SHORT ANSWER QUESTIONS
Q 1 What, according to the psychiatrist, was Charley’s problem?

Ans: Charley told the psychiatrist about his belief in the existence of the
third level at the Grand Central Station but was told that it was only a
waking- dream wish fulfillment. The psychiatrist also added that Charley
was unhappy because of the insecurity, fear, war, worry and that he just
wanted to escape just like everyone else.
Q 2. What did the psychiatrist think about Charley’s stamp collection ? Why
did Charley not agree with him?
Ans: The psychiatrist thought that Charley’s stamp collecting was a
temporary refuge from reality .Charley did not agree with him because his
grandfather for whom things were nice and peaceful and who did not need
refuge from reality also collected stamps.
Q 3.How does Charley describe himself?

Ans. Charley describes himself as just an ordinary guy, thirty-one years old.
He wore a tan gabardine suit and a straw hat with a fancy band. He was just
like other men he passed on
the road and he was not trying to escape from anything.
Q 4. Why does Charley feel that Grand Central is growing like a tree?
Ans: In the story, “The third level”, Charley describes the Grand central
station as a huge tree spreading its roots all over.
Charley was rushing back to home on an evening. He decided to take the
subway to reach the Grand Central station. But unfortunately, he became
lost as he found himself in the strange third level. He got to see new
corridors, stair cases, and tunnels.
Everything seems to be so new to him and he finds the station as a huge tree
spreading its roots all over. As he entered the tunnel the reach the station,
he found the path leading to a lobby of a hotel which left him totally
confused.
Q 5. How did Charley make sure that he had actually travelled in the past?
Ans: Charley went to the news stand and looked at the Newspaper ,he saw
that it was ‘The World’ ,a Newspaper that was no longer published . He
later discovered through Public Library files it was printed on June11,1894
Q 6. Describe Galesburg, as it existed in the year 1894?

Ans: Galesburg was a wonderful town with big old frame houses, huge
lawns, and tremendous trees whose branches met overhead and roofed over
the streets. In 1894, summer evenings were twice as long, and people sat on
their lawns, the men smoking.
Q 7 What preparations did Charley make to go to Galesburg?

Ans: He drew 300 dollars out of bank and purchased old style currency.
Q 8 In which context did Charley say, “eggs were thirteen cents a dozen in
1894”?
Ans: Charley had got his three hundred dollars out of the bank and got them
changed into oldstyle currency so that he could go back to the third level
and buy the tickets to Galesburg.
For his three hundred dollars he had got only two hundred dollars old-style
currency but he didn’t mind that. The only consolation was that in the year
1894, the two hundred dollars would have more value, as things were much
cheaper then than they were now.
Q 9 What made Louisa, Charley’s wife, believe that the third level was a
reality?
Ans: Louisa, like Charley’s friends, believed whatever explanations the
psychiatrist friend had given. But later, when she received a mail from Sam
himself from the old Galesburg, Louisa believed that Charley was true to
his claims and even began to search for the third level.
Q 10 What is a first day cover?

Ans: When a new stamp is issued, stamp collectors buy some and use them
to mail envelopes to themselves on the very first day of sale; and the
postmark proves the date. They’re never opened; they just put blank paper
in the envelope. The envelope is called a first-day cover.
Q 11 Who had sent the first day cover and what was written on it?
Ans: Sam had sent the first day cover. Sam wrote that he had discovered the
Third level and had reached Galesburg .He found Galesburg peaceful and
friendly .he advised Charley to keep looking for third level and reach
Galesburg.
Q 12 How did Charley happen to reach the Third Level of Grand Central
Station, New York?
Ans: One day Charley worked for more time at office. So he was late for
home. So he took the subway from the Grand Central to reach the second
level of it. From there he was to catch a train. He started walking quickly.
He reached the second level. But, all of a sudden, he lost his way there. He
entered a corridor that had a left turn. It was also slanting somewhat
downwards. It was like a tunnel. He met no one on the way. There was dead
silence. Even he could hear the sound of his own footsteps. Then the
corridor took a sharp left turn. After coming down a flight of stairs he
reached the third level of the Grand Central Station.
LONG ANSWER QUESTIONS
Q1. Describe the Grand Central Station at the third level ?

Ans: Grand Central Station at the third level looked very different.
There were Fewer ticket windows and train gates . Information booth was
in the center, it was made of wood and was very old looking man in the
booth wore green eye shade and long sleeve protectors. The lights were dim
and flickering as they were open flame gaslights. There were brass
spittoons on the floor.
Men wore Derby hats a black four button suit with tiny lapels and he had a
big ,black handlebar moustache. Men had beards, sideburns and fancy
moustaches .Women wore dresses with leg of mutton sleeves .He caught a
glimpse of a very small Currier &Ives Locomotive with a funnel shaped
stack. He also saw a copy of the “The World’ ,a Newspaper which hadn’t
been published for years.
Q2. What was reaction of the Clerk at the Ticket counter? Why?
Ans: .After Charley discovered that he was on the Third level ,he
decided go to Galesburg with his wife Louisa and turned to purchase two
tickets from the ticket counter the clerk at the ticket counter glanced at his
fancy hatband curiously .However when Charley counted the money and
handed over the currency notes to the clerk ,he started staring at Charley
openly .He felt that Charley was trying to give him fake currency as the
currency used in 1894 were old style bills half as big as the notes that
Charley was using ,he even threatened to turn him to the authorities Charley
did not relish the prospect of going to jail therefore he turned and got out of
the Third level as fast as possible.
Q3 Imagination is a ‘temporary refuge from reality’ Explain.

Ans: Sam Believed it was a waking dream, perhaps wish fulfilment.
He Felt that like many man in the modern world Charley too was unhappy.
Modern world is full of trials and tribulations, worries and insecurities. He
Felt Charley wanted to escape this world. All People indulge in some sort
of hobby to escape the stark harsh realities. According to him, even stamp
collecting was a kind of temporary escape. Charley refuted his contention-
said people do not wander about due to stress. Besides his grandfather had
also collected stamps in the good old peaceful days of eighteen-nineties and
did not need to escape as life was quite stress free in those days.
Q4 Elaborate the theme of the story
Ans: Value Points- The story primarily focuses on the atrocities of the
modern world – full of insecurity, stress, fear, war & hatred – one feels
caged – by modern advancement – leads to tension and worries – leading
people to look for means of an escape. In the story Charlie – creates the third
level to seek refuge – cases his pressure – provide sweet power to relax.
Q5, How is the ending of "The Third Level" by Jack Finney ironic?
Ans: The story is about the notion of "escape," and specifically a kind of
escape from history. Charley, the narrator, is a typical guy—one of dozens
of men who look the same in their straw hats and gabardine suits. The escape
Charley longs for is not a vacation from the city, however: he longs to
escape to the past, to a time before the world wars. The non-existent third
level of Grand Central station offers just such an escape: it is a kind of portal
to the past.
The ending is ironic because it is the narrator Charley's "psychiatrist friend"
Sam who makes it back to Galesburg, Illinois in 1893, not Charley himself.
Charley confided in Sam about the third level, and Sam of course told
Charley that he was experiencing a kind of "waking dream wish
fulfillment." But Sam "got to wishing" that Charley had been right; like
everyone, Sam, too, craves an escape from the twentieth century; he was
able to find the third level (because, it is suggested, he wanted escape so
badly) and buy train tickets to Galesburg. In the end, it is the psychiatrist,
who ostensibly is trying to ground Charley in the present, who escapes into
a past where even his profession does not yet exist.
Textual Questions
1. What does the third level refer to?

A. Third level refers to an additional floor at the Grand Central Station
which originally only had two levels. Charley was hallucinating one night
while going home when he reached the third level.
2. Would Charley ever go back to the ticket-counter on the third level to buy
tickets to Galesburg for himself and his wife?
A. Charley went looking back for the third level that could take him and his
wife to Galesburg because he wanted to go back to his past. He wanted to
go back to the world that has not seen two of its deadliest wars that changed
everything.
3.. Do you think that the third level was a medium of escape for Charley?
Why?
A. Yes, the third level of the Grand Central Station was a medium of escape
for Charley. Modern world offers a lot of challenges and in order to take
refuge from reality, one might resort to day-dreaming or hallucination We
all understand the miseries of the modern world which is full of worry and
pressure, thus, in order to take the burden away from his shoulders and heap
a sigh of relief, Charley resorted to escaping reality, although
unintentionally.
4. What do you infer from Sam’s letter to Charley?

A. The way Charley discovered Sam’s letter was rather peculiar. It was one
of those first-day covers people used to mail to themselves back in time with
a blank page inside. So to begin with, the cover had a letter in it and not a
blank page in it. Secondly, the letter dates back to 18 July, 1894 when Sam
(the writer of the letter) didn’t exist because both Sam and Charley exist in
the present times. Thus, it is sound to conclude that it was just a product of
Charley’s imagination.
5. “The modern world is full of insecurity, fear, war, worry and

stress.” What are the ways in which we attempt to overcome them?
A. One cannot count on fingers the negative aspects the modern lifestyle has
to offer. There is stress, pressure, fear, insecurity and worry. In order to
relieve yourself of all these miseries, one can indulge in creative activities
from time to time. Making time for yourself and what you love without
worrying about a productive outcome is a crucial thing many people tend to
ignore in the hustle and bustle of daily lives. Secondly, one can read a good
book or even meditate. Long walks in the lap of nature are not to be
underestimated because nature has its own healing power. Apart from these,
a short weekend getaway, movie night with friends or even alone at home
can be done in order to dissociate oneself from the routine.
6. Do you see an intersection of time and space in the story?

A. Yes, there are a lot of instances that tell us about the intersection of time
and space in the story. First intersection being the one between the first two
levels of the Grand Central Station and its third level which is based
somewhere in the 1890s whereas the former exists in the present times. Also
when Charley went to buy tickets for Galesburg which existed in 1894 while
he and his wife exists in the present times. Not to ignore the old fashioned
architecture of the third level in contradiction to the modern interiors of the
first two levels. Lastly, the letter dated 18th July, 1982 that Charley found
also throws light upon the intersection of time and space as both the sender
(Sam) and the receiver (Charley) exist in the present times.
7. Apparent illogicality sometimes turns out to be a futuristic projection?

Discuss.
A. While a lot of the world’s greatest inventions were made by people who
were criticised for their ideas. Audiences used to mock at them for being
illogical. Sighting the example of Thomas Edison who invented the light
bulb, no one believed in him at first but all he had was an idea and its
realistic projection in mind. The idea here tells us how important it is to
sometimes follow one’s insight and have hope for it holds the capacity to
change the world through its futuristic projections.
8. Philately helps keep the past alive. Discuss other ways in which this is
done. What do you think of the human tendency to constantly move between
the past, the present and the future?
A. Philately does indeed help in keeping the treasures of past alive. It gives
one a chance to revisit and embrace the past of one’s existence. Some of the
other ways in which it can be done is by keeping a record of all the letters,
ancient manuscripts, things that are discontinued but were a significant part
of the past, images, videos and written records of experiences.
Human beings are a collection of all the experiences they have been through.
Their tendency to connect with the past from time to time helps them stay
connected to the roots while helping them to face the present and future
challenges with more strength. Connecting with the future on the other hand,
is just as important to know the outcome of one’s current actions and
decisions. If one doesn’t seem satisfied with the realistic interpretation of
future, it can certainly help in altering current actions to direct towards a
better future.
The Enemy
About the Author
Pearl S. Buck was born on June 26, 1892, in Hillsboro, West Virginia. In
1930, she published her first novel, East Wind, West Wind. Her next novel,
The Good Earth, earned her a Pulitzer Prize in 1932. In 1938, Buck became
the first American female Nobel laureate. Concurrent with her writing
career, she started the Pearl S. Buck Foundation, a humanitarian
organization. She died on March 6, 1973, in Danby, Vermont.
Introduction
The Enemy is set at the time of the Second World War. It is a heart-rending
portrayal of the conflict between man's head and heart. An American
prisoner of war is washed ashore in a dying state and is found at the doorstep
of a very eminent Japanese surgeon and scientist, Dr Sadao Hoki. Sadao is
torn between his duty as a doctor and as Japanese. His heart is telling him
to save the prisoner while his mind is fighting to turn him over to the police.
It is, indeed, a difficult choice to decide whether one should allow oneself
to be governed by emotion or by reason.
Summary
Dr Sadao Hoki and his Traditional Father
Dr Sadao, a famous Japanese surgeon, and an accomplished scientist lived

in a house on the Japanese coast. The house was set upon rocks above a
narrow beach surrounded by pine trees. As a child, Sadao used to climb
these trees. He often visited the South Sea Islands with his father. His father
believed that the islands were steppingstones of Japan's future to gain
perfection. Sadao's father was a profoundly serious and traditional man. He
never joked or played with him but took infinite pains for his son. Sadao's
education was his chief concern. He even sent Sadao to America to complete
his studies. Sadao's father inculcated in him values of patriotism and
national loyalty when the latter was quite young and Sadao had always
cherished these great virtues.
The Second World War started, but Sadao was not sent with the troops
because he was about to make a discovery which would render wounds
entirely clean. Also, the General, who was old, was being treated by Sadao,
and he might require an operation anytime.
Sadao met Hana in America, waited for his Father's Consent to Marry Her
Sadao had met Hana in America, but he had waited until he was sure that
she was Japanese before deciding to marry her. His father would never have
approved of her otherwise. Sadao recalled that his meeting with Hana was
an accident. Sadao lived in Professor Harley's house and had almost not
gone to the Professor's house that night, where he met Hana, a new student.
After Sadao and Hana had finished their studies, they came home to Japan.
The marriage was solemnized in the traditional Japanese way according to
his father's wishes. They were a happy couple.
The Prisoner is Washed Ashore

One night, Sadao and Hana were enjoying the view of the sea from their
verandah when they saw something black coming out of the mists. It was a
man. He staggered a few steps and then the mists hid him again. When they
saw him again, he was crawling. Sadao thought that he was a fisherman
washed ashore from his boat. The surf beyond the beach was spiked with
rocks. The man might be badly hurt.
They found the man wounded. Hana realized that it was a white man. The
fellow was young and unconscious. The man was bleeding profusely. Sadao
saw that a bullet wound had reopened. Sadao packed the wound with sea
moss. The man moaned with pain, but he did not awaken. Sadao wanted to
throw the man back into the sea as he had now realized that he was an
American prisoner of war.
Hana also agreed. Sadao knew that giving shelter to the enemy would get
them in trouble. He was torn between his moral duty as a doctor which urged
him to save the dying man and his national duty which required handing
him over to the Army as a patriot. Both Hana and Sadao finally decided to
take the man home, as he needed urgent medical attention.
The Servants React Bitterly

They decided that they might tell the servants also. They would tell them
that they intended to give him over to the police. The man had been starved
for a long time and he was light as a fowl. They carried him to Sadao's
father's bedroom. The old man had never allowed a foreign object in his
room.
The American was very dirty and needed to be washed. Hana said that
Yumi, the governess, might wash her. She went to fetch her. When she
returned to the kitchen, she found the other two servants frightened at what
Sadao had told them.
The servants tried to convince Sadao that he must hand over the enemy to
the police. Yumi refused to wash the American and Hana had to wash him
herself.
Sadao Saves the Enemy's Life

Sadao was ready to operate. Sadao was completely absorbed in his work.
He told Hana that she would need to give anesthetic to the man.
Hana probably had never seen an operation and started vomiting. Sadao was
irritable and impatient with his enemy, as he was not able to help Hana in
her distress. The man groaned with pain.
Interestingly enough, Hana was able to assist her husband in the operation.
Hana noticed deep red scars on the neck of their enemy. She wondered if
the war torture stories, she had heard were actually true. She recalled that
General Takima was a ruthless man who did not even spare his wife.
Sadao murmured while operating, as was his habit. He called the enemy his
'friend'. Sadao finally succeeded in taking the bullet out. He was sure that
the man would live in spite of his sufferings.
The Patient gets Better but the Servants Decide to Leave

Hana took good care of the man. She served him, as the servants refused to
enter the room. The man was surprised to see Hana talk in English. Hana
told him that she had lived in America for a long time. The enemy revealed
his name to Hana. His name was Tom. Sadao was still confused about
handing him over to the police.
The servants resented their decision to help the American soldier. Hana told
Sadao that the servants could not live in the house if the enemy was still
present. The servants thought that the couple liked Americans. Sadao tried
to clarify that all Americans were his enemies. They talked about the
consequences of harboring an enemy. Hana could hear what they were
talking about. On the seventh day, the servants left.
The General's Messenger; Sadao Goes to See the General

On the same day, a messenger in official uniform came to Sadao's house.
Hana was so scared that she was unable to speak. She thought that he was
there to arrest Sadao. In fact, the messenger had come to inform Sadao that
the General needed him. Looking at Hana in utter distress, Sadao decided to
get rid of the man.
Sadao told the whole episode to the General. The General knew that Sadao
was indispensable to him. He never trusted other Japanese surgeons. The
General promised Sadao that nothing would happen to him.
The General then planned to assassinate the enemy. He told Sadao that his
private assassins were very competent and would also remove the dead
body. Sadao thought that this plan would be the best for his family.
After that meeting, Sadao spent three restless nights waiting for the
assassins. But they did not come. Finally, the torture became too much to
bear for him. He planned to get rid of the enemy himself.
Sadao Helps the Enemy

Sadao told the escape plan to Tom. He also warned him that he needed to
escape as the news of his presence was not hidden anymore. He arranged a
boat, food, drinking water and clothing for the young man and also gave
him his own flashlight. He told Tom that he should flash the light two times
if he needed something, once if everything was fine. He must do this only
when the sun dropped over the horizon. He further added that Tom could
find many fish to eat but he should eat them raw lest the fire be seen. Even
Hana did not know about this plan. Sadao had told Tom to wait for a Korean
ship.
Sadao went to the General. Sadao had operated on him and he had survived.
The General informed Sadao that he forgot about the prisoner, as he was
unwell. He told Sadao not to leak this information to anybody.
Back at home, Sadao remembered his days in America and the Americans
he met there. He wondered why he could not kill Tom, his enemy.
Gist of the story
• One day Sadao and his wife, Hana, encounterd a strange man on the
seashore. He was badly injured. At first, they thought he was a
fisherman, but when they went closer, they realized that he was a
soldier of the US Navy, a prisoner of war, their enemy.
• Sadao and Hana decide to take him home because he needs help. They
think of ways to avoid leaking his identity.
• The servant when finding out the truth refuses to help him and Hana.
Hana, despite not being a doctor, helps Sadao in treating him.
• Throughout the whole story, Sadao has no idea why he is helping the
man. Hana also agreed because her husband, Sadao, wanted to help
the man.
• As they treat him, they found scars on his body of torture. It evoked
their sympathies with him.
• When Sadao was treating him, he forgot that he is the enemy. He used
to address him as a patient. He used to check him from time to time.
• Hana also took good care of the man by providing him with food.
However, the man thinks that they would hand him over to the
government.
• At last, the servants also left Sadao and Hana because of the man.
Hana was confused about why she and Sadao are not like other
Japanese people.
• One day, the General called Sadao as he got sick. Sadao told him
about the injured man at his place and the General said that he will
send his men to take the men and nobody would get to know about
the incident.
• However, the General forgot his words and never sent any men. Sadao
waited for days in terror but at last, he decided to send the man away
on a boat.
• When Sadao met General again, he told him everything about the
man’s escape. He realized that he was so busy with himself that he
forgot that the nation’s enemy was in Sadao’s place. However, he
covered his mistake by telling him that he will reward Sadao.
• In the end, Sadao was still confused about why he helped him and
could not kill the man.
Textual question-answer
Question 1: Who was Dr Sadao? Where was his house?
Answer: Dr. Sadao was a famous surgeon and scientist of Japan. He was a
sympathetic man who remained loyal to his profession even in adverse
situations. He lived in his ancestral square stone house in Japan, which was
built upon rocks, above a narrow beach, on the Japanese coast.
Question 2: It is the time of the World War. An American prisoner of war is

washed ashore in a dying state and is found at the doorstep of a Japanese
doctor. Should he save him as a doctor or hand him over to the army as a
patriot?
Answer: Humanity and love are the only saving grace in this materialistic
world governed by hatred and chaos. Our lives should be centered on
harbouring these feelings in ourselves and in those around us.
Keeping this in mind, if a doctor gets an opportunity to save a distressed and
wounded person, he should definitely help him. People consider doctors
next to God. Even their profession asks them to help all patients, regardless
of caste, race, religion, or nationality. Thus, keeping humanity superior to
anything else in life, the war prisoner should definitely be saved.
(The above answer is only a sample provided for students’ reference. It is
strongly recommended that students prepare the answer on their own.)
Question 3: Will Dr Sadao be arrested on the charge of harbouring an
enemy?
Answer: Dr Sadao, on humanitarian grounds as well as considering it his
professional duty, tended a wounded war prisoner which was officially a
serious crime. However, he did not get punished for this offence as it was
never revealed to anyone, except his wife, loyal but timid servants, and a
General who was too self-obsessed with his own treatment that he would
never let the doctor leave him.
Question 4: Will Hana help the wounded man and wash him herself?
Answer: The wounded American was in a very bad state and needed to be
washed before being operated on. Hana did not want Dr Sadao to clean the
dirty and unconscious prisoner, and so asked their servant, Yumi, to do so.
However, Yumi defied her master’s order and opted out of it. As a result,
Hana had no other option but to wash him herself. Although this act was
impulsive and dipped in a sense of superiority over her servant, Yumi, she did
it with sincerity.
Question 5: What will Dr Sadao and his wife do with the man?
Answer: Dr Sadao and Hana found an unconscious wounded war prisoner
who posed a huge threat to their own safety. However, Dr Sadao decided to
go with his gut feeling and operate on him. He saved his life even though it
was for the time being. Though half-heartedly, both took good care of the
patient’s health and other needs. Hana even washed and fed him with her
own hands. Although they knew that they would have to hand him over to
the army sooner or later, they did their best to help the injured man.
Question 6: Will Dr Sadao be arrested on the charge of harbouring an

enemy?
Answer: Dr Sadao, on humanitarian grounds as well as professional grounds,
tended a wounded war prisoner which was officially a serious crime.
However, he did not get punished for this offence as it was never revealed
to anyone, except his wife, loyal but timid servants, and a General who was
too self-obsessed with his own treatment that he would never let the doctor
leave him.
Question 7: What will Dr Sadao do to get rid of the man?

Answer: With the injured American’s health gradually improving, Dr Sadao
and Hana were in a fix as to what should be done with him. Their loyal
servants had left them and keeping him in their house could pose a threat to
their lives. As Hana’s impatience and distress grew, Dr Sadao revealed the
matter to the General who decided to send assassins to kill the young
American in his sleep. Keen on getting rid of the escaped war prisoner, Dr
Sadao agreed. However, the matter could not be resolved because the
assassins never came.
Dr Sadao then planned another way to get rid of him which was
overpowered with sympathy and a distant gratitude towards the people he
had been linked to in America. He decided to save his patient one more time.
He secretly sent him to an isolated island with food, bottled water, clothes,
blanket, and his own flashlight on a boat from where he boarded a Korean
ship to freedom and safety.
Question 8: There are moments in life when we have to make hard choices
between our roles as private individuals and as citizens with a sense of
national loyalty. Discuss with reference to the story you have just read.
Answer: Life has many facets. We live it by maintaining a delicate balance
between the various facets it offers to us as part of our existence as an
individual in a society. Living for our own self, family, profession, and country
are just a few of them. However, at times, it becomes difficult to maintain
this balance, and gets overpowered by confusion and dilemmas.
The story about Dr Sadao, Hana and the war prisoner exemplifies this. On
finding a wounded war prisoner washed ashore, Dr Sadao and Hana are
unable to decide what to do. They are confused whether they should save
and tend the injured or leave him to die or inform the army.
Eventually, Dr Sadao strikes a balance by deciding to save him before
handing him over to the army. He and his wife sympathetically tend him but
the pressure, of secretly hiding a war prisoner in their home and going
against the rule of the law, subdue their sympathetic self. In a bid to get rid
of this burden, Dr Sadao reveals it to the General who promises to get the
prisoner killed through assassins. But Dr Sadao’s humane side again pops
up asking him to ply with the voice of his soul, and he goes out of his way
to help the enemy soldier flee to safety.
Question 9: Dr Sadao was compelled by duty as a doctor to help the enemy
soldier. What made Hana, his wife, sympathetic to him in the face of open
defiance from the domestic staff?
Answer: Dr Sadao and Hana knew that their decision to save the enemy
soldier would be questioned by everyone. However, they firmly followed
their sense of duty. For Dr Sadao, this sense of duty came from the profession
he was in; but for Hana, the duty was purely humanitarian. From bearing
the unrest in her domestic staff to being forced to do all the chores of
household herself, she does all with grace and dignity. Hana’s loving,
considerate and sympathetic nature shines out. She washed and fed the
soldier although it was not her job. Her care helped recuperate the soldier
fast. It is also apparent from the story that she respected her husband, and
as a sense of duty towards him, did the needful. This explains why she, even
after feeling sick, comes back to the room and readily does whatever is told
by her husband during the operation.
Question 10: How would you explain the reluctance of the soldier to leave
the shelter of the doctor’s home even when he knew he could not stay there
without risk to the doctor and himself?
Answer: When the American war prisoner came to consciousness and
realized that he was saved by a Japanese family, he feared that he will be
soon handed over to the army. However, as he noticed the amount of
concern and care given to him by the family, he understood that he was in
safe hands. He knew that although he was a threat to the doctor’s family,
his own life might be saved there. Burdened with gratitude towards the
family, he ultimately decides to comply with what the doctor planned for him
– the escape.
Question 11: What explains the attitude of the General in the matter of the
enemy soldier? Was it human consideration, lack of national loyalty,
dereliction of duty or simply self-absorption?
Answer: The General was totally governed by self-absorption. He was a
patient of Dr Sadao and did not trust anyone except him when it came to his
health. He could not take the risk of living unprotected if the doctor were
executed for treachery. He had personal assassins whom he promised to use
for killing the injured soldier. But ironically, he forgot his promise to help the
doctor. Human consideration was not his cup of tea.
Question 12: While hatred against a member of the enemy race is justifiable,
especially during war time, what makes a human being rise above narrow
prejudices?
Answer: News of war is fast becoming a way of life. The moment one picks
up a newspaper, one is bombarded with news of wars between different
countries, directly or indirectly. It is obvious that the countries at war are
enemies and hatred is a part of this enmity. However, the success of
humanity comes when we rise above this enmity and show our love towards
the civilization as a whole. Dr Sadao did the same. He did whatever he could
to save the life of a man whom he knew was a war prisoner. The instant he
saw the injured man, he was filled with concern. Ignoring the fact that he
was the enemy of his country and must have killed so many Japanese and
may kill even more, if alive, he saved him.
Question 13: Do you think the doctor’s final solution to the problem was the
best possible one in the circumstances?
Answer: The doctor tried his best to save the injured soldier as a part of his
duty. But the ultimate question was what to do next. It cannot be said that
he betrayed his country as he told the truth to the General. However, when
he noticed that the soldier was to be killed not for the benefit of the country
but only to save the doctor’s life, he decided to help him flee. In such a
situation, the doctor’s final solution to the problem was the best possible
one.
Question 14: Does the story remind you of “Birth” by A. J. Cronin that you
read in Snapshots last year? What are the similarities?
Answer: The story definitely reminds one of “Birth” by A. J. Cronin. There is
a striking similarity between both the stories. Both revolve around doctors
who try their level best to save the lives of nearly dead human beings. In the
story “Birth” Dr Andrew saves the life of an almost still born baby boy with
lot of effort, while “The Enemy” deals with the story of Dr Sadao who saves
an American soldier from the enemy troops during the times of war. Both
the stories deal with humanity, love, affection, selflessness, and a strong
sense of duty.
Question 15: Is there any film you have seen or novel you have read with a
similar theme?
Answer: The story “The Enemy” is built on the pillars of selflessness, sense of
duty, kindness, and generosity. There have been many films and novels
based on this theme. One such example is the film “My Name is Khan”,
where the protagonist, with a sense of duty and generosity, goes to the
flooded Georgia to save the lives of his friends, Mama Jenny, Joel, and other
natives. He selflessly works to save the town without thinking twice about
the possible dangers to his own life.
(The above answer is only a sample provided for students’ reference. It is
strongly recommended that students prepare the answer on their own.)
Short Questions and Answers
Question 1. How nearly had Dr. Sadao missed marrying Hana?

Answer: Dr. Sadao met Hana at a party at Professor Harley’s house in
America. The Professor and his wife had invited their foreign students
home. Students used to get bored there. Dr. Sadao was not in a mood to go
to the Professor’s house that night because the rooms were very small, and
the food was very bad. Moreover, Professor’s wife was voluble. But he went
and there he met Hana. Had he not gone to the Professor’s house that night,
he would have missed meeting and finally marrying Hana.
Question 2. Did Hana think that the Japanese tortured their prisoners of war?
Why?
Answer: Hana had heard rumours that the Japanese tortured the prisoners of
war. She also remembered that people like General Takima often beat their
wives. She was convinced that if these people could beat their wives and be
cruel to them, then they would certainly torture their enemies. This became
evident when she saw scars on the body of the American soldier.
Question 3. Why had Hana to wash the wounded man herself?

Answer: Hana had ordered her maid Yumi to wash the American soldier.
But Yumi bluntly refused to do so and said that she would have nothing to
do with a white man. She even threatened to leave the job if forced to wash
the American. So, Hana had to wash the wounded man herself.
Question 4. What help did Dr. Sadao seek from Hana while operating on the
wounded man?
Answer: Dr. Sadao needed assistance of Hana while operating. The wound
was so deep that the man was to be given anaesthesia. Dr. Sadao asked Hana
to help him by giving anaesthesia to the man during the operation. Though
Hana had never done this before, she managed to help Dr. Sadao in his
operation.
Question 5. What made a cool surgeon like Dr. Sadao speak sharply to his
wife and what was her reaction?
Answer: When Dr. Sadao asked his wife to help him in operating upon the
man by giving him an anaesthetic, Hana turned pale out of nervousness. She
had never seen an operation before. When Dr. Sadao saw her, he sharply
said, ‘Don’t faint’. It was his dedication to his work as a surgeon. He wanted
to save the life of the man and at this point of time the only concern in his
mind was the success of the operation. Hana knew him well so did not react
rather got ready to give the anaesthetic to the patient.
Question 6. In what context Hana remembers the cruel nature of General

Takima?
Answer: While Hana was helping Dr. Sadao in operating upon the
American, she noticed a red scar. She wondered if this man had been
tortured by the Japanese army. She also remembered that people like
General Takima beat their wives and were cruel to them. She was convinced
that if these people could be cruel to their wives, they would certainly be
cruel to their enemies.
Question 7. What solution did Hana offer to resolve Dr. Sadao’s

predicament?
Answer: When Dr. Sadao and Hana saw the wounded American soldier, at
first, they thought of throwing him back into the sea. But they could not do
so. Finally, Hana resolved the problem by saying that they should carry him
into the house. She suggested that the man should be treated and then given
to the police.
Question 8. How did Hana react when she saw a messenger at the door in
official uniform?
Answer: Hana got nervous and scared when she saw a messenger at the door
in official uniform. Her hands went weak and she could not draw her breath.
She thought that the servants must have told about the American POW and
the man had come to arrest Dr. Sadao.
Question 9. Why did the General not order immediate arrest of Dr. Sadao
who had sheltered a white man?
Answer: The General was very worried about his own health as he was
suffering a lot. He desperately wanted Dr. Sadao beside him and trusted only
him for his medical treatment. If Dr. Sadao was arrested, then there was no
one else who could have operated upon him and saved his life. So, he did
not order for the immediate arrest of Dr. Sadao.
Question 10. Why did Dr. Sadao treat the American soldier even though it
was an unpatriotic act on his part?
Answer: Dr. Sadao was an expert surgeon. He was devoted to his work.
When he saw the wounded soldier, his professional ethics compelled him to
give the man medical treatment and save his life. Though he was a loyal and
patriotic citizen, humanity, and compassion compelled Dr. Sadao to treat
the American soldier.
Question 11. In what condition did Dr. Sadao find the American soldier at
the seashore?
Answer: When Dr. Sadao saw the man at the seashore, he was unconscious
and bleeding profusely. He was in wet rags, had yellow, long hair which
were not cut for many weeks and sported a rough yellow beard.
Question 12. What role did the American professor play in bringing Hana
and Dr. Sadao together?
Answer: It was at the American professor’s house that Dr. Sadao met Hana
for the first time. The professor and his wife, in order to show their kindness
to the foreign students, had invited them to their house. Though Dr. Sadao
did not want to go there, he went and there he met Hana who was a first-
year student.
Question 13. Who did Dr. Sadao think the survivor from the sea was when
he first saw him?
Answer: When Dr. Sadao saw the man on the seashore, he thought him to
be a fisherman from a nearby village who had been washed ashore from his
boat. There were fishing villages, a mile or two away on either side.
Question 14. Why did Dr. Sadao seek Hana’s help to treat the US soldier?
Answer: The US Soldier was badly wounded. He had a deep wound which
was to be operated upon immediately. Dr. Sadao needed some assistance at
the time of operation. The most important task was to give anaesthesia to
the patient at the time of operation so as to stop his movement. Dr. Sadao
could not call anyone from outside as he had to keep the presence of US
soldier in his house a secret. So, he asked Hana to help him during the
operation and give anaesthesia to the patient.
Question 15. On the seventh day, after the American soldier was found by
Dr. Sadao, two things happened. Why did Hana feel scared of the second?
Answer: The second thing that happened on the seventh day was that a
messenger came in official uniform to call on Dr. Sadao. When Hana saw
the official, she got scared. She thought that the servants might have
complained to the police about the white man and so the official had come
to arrest Dr. Sadao.
Question 16. Give two reasons why Dr. Sadao was not sent abroad with the
Japanese soldiers.
Answer: The General was very ill, and he was being treated by Dr. Sadao.
He needed an operation and for that he trusted only Dr. Sadao. Moreover,
Dr. Sadao was doing a research to render ‘the wounds entirely clean’; that
is why he was not sent abroad with the Japanese soldiers.
Question 17. Give a character sketch of Dr. Sadao’s father.

Answer: Dr. Sadao’s father was a traditional man. He was a serious and
stern man and a very concerned father. He never played with Dr. Sadao but
had been very keen in providing the best to him. He was mainly concerned
about Dr. Sadao’s education, that is why he sent Dr. Sadao to America to
study. But at the same time, he wanted him to come back and serve his
people. He had great respect for his culture and traditions.
Question 18. How did the General offer to help Dr. Sadao in getting rid of
the American?
Answer: The General offered to send his private assassins to help Dr. Sadao
in getting rid of the American. These assassins would kill the white man
noiselessly and also dispose of his body.
Question 19. What was the dilemma faced by Dr. Sadao and Hana after
encountering the injured American soldier?
Answer: When Hana and Dr. Sadao saw the American soldier, they were in
a dilemma. They were very loyal to their country and did not want to save
the enemy. They wanted to hand him over to the police. But the man was
wounded and in a pitiable state. Thus, the doctor inside Dr. Sadao urged him
to save his life. Humanity rose above patriotism and they thought of first
treating him and then handing him over to the police.
Question 20. Why does the General not want to be treated by doctors trained
in Germany?
Answer: The General trusted Dr. Sadao deeply. He did not want to be
operated upon by anyone other than Dr. Sadao. The General believed that
Germans were ruthless and quite cruel. So, he was afraid of being operated
upon by them. He believed that the Americans valued life and had
sentiments attached to it. So, he wanted to be treated by Dr. Sadao who was
trained at America.
Long Questions and Answers
Question 1. Why did Dr. Sadao Hoki go to America? Narrate his experience
there.
Ans. Dr. Sadao Hoki was a skilled surgeon and scientist who was working
on his discovery to ‘render the wounds clean’. Dr. Sadao was brought up by
his father who was a staunch Japanese. His chief concern was Dr. Sadao’s
education. He was sent to America at the age of twenty-two to learn all that
could be learnt of surgery and medicine. He returned at the age of thirty and
by that time had become famous not only as a surgeon but also as a scientist.
Dr. Sadao had a tough time adjusting in America as he remembered that
Americans were full of prejudice. It had been bitter for him to live there. He
had an ignorant and dirty old woman as his landlady. The best thing in
America had been to meet Hana, his wife, at one of his professor’s house
who was a dull man and his wife, a silly talkative woman. Her experience
in America had not been so good as he had to adjust a lot there, being a
Japanese.
Question 2. What impression do you form about Dr. Sadao as a man and a
surgeon on your reading the chapter ‘The Enemy’?
Answer: Dr. Sadao was a skilled surgeon and a famous scientist. His
excellence in his professional field was evident from the fact that the
General had full faith in him as regards his health. Dr. Sadao was devoted
to his work and to the cause of the needy. When he saw the American soldier
in a wounded condition, he was torn between the natural human instinct to
save his life and treat him or as a patriot hand him over to the police.
Dr. Sadao saved the life of the man as per his professional ethics as he could
not leave a person to die. It was his duty to save the life of a person as a
doctor. At this point of time, when Dr. Sadao saw this dying man, his spirit
of humanity surpassed everything else and so he saved one life irrespective
of any colour, caste, or creed.
Question 3. Do you think Dr. Sadao’s final decision was the best possible
one in the circumstances? Why/Why not? Explain with reference to the
story, ‘The Enemy’.
Answer: Dr. Sadao saved the life of an American war prisoner as his
professional and humanitarian duty. But he was very loyal to his country
too. He told the General about the white man and the General promised to
send his private assassins to kill him. But due to his self-absorption in his
illness, the General forgot to send them. Thus, finally, Dr. Sadao decided to
help the American soldier escape from there. He gave him a boat, flashlight,
food, and water and asked him to go to a nearby unguarded island. He could
look for a Korean boat and escape.
This could be the best solution in the prevailing circumstances. Dr. Sadao
was in danger of being caught for harbouring a POW. In that case, he would
be questioned for the reason to give this enemy a shelter in his house. So, in
order to save his reputation and the life of the white man, there could be no
better way than what Dr. Sadao had decided.
Question 4. Explain the reaction of the servants in Dr. Sadao’s house when
he decided to give shelter to an enemy in the house.
Answer: The servants did not like the idea of giving shelter to an enemy in
the house. Yumi, the governess of the children, stubbornly refused to wash
the white man and threatened to leave the job if she was forced. When Dr.
Sadao told his gardener about the wounded white man, he got upset and
even frightened. He opposed Dr. Sadao for treating his enemy. In fact, all
the servants in the house were critical of Dr. Sadao’s sheltering the enemy.
They refused to help him. They were superstitious and fearful about the
wrath of nature. They tried their level best to send the white man away.
Finally, when Dr. Sadao did not listen to them and decided to give shelter
to the white man in his house, they left the house.
Question 5. What conflicting ideas arise in Dr. Sadao’s mind after he has
brought the wounded American soldier home? How is the conflict resolved?
Answer: When Dr. Sadao brought the wounded American soldier home, he
was wondering whether what he was doing was right. The conflict was
between his duty as a doctor and as a loyal citizen. As a doctor, it was his
professional duty to help and save a dying man. But as a patriot and a loyal
citizen of his country, he was supposed to hand over this man to the police
as he was a POW, an enemy. The moment Dr. Sadao felt his wound and
found that the man needed to be operated upon immediately, he forgot about
everything else and his humanitarian virtues as a doctor made him operate
upon the man and save his life.
Question 6. How did Dr. Sadao help the American POW to escape? What
humanitarian values do you find in his act?
Answer: Dr. Sadao gave the American prisoner of war a boat, a flashlight,
food, and water. He told him to go to a nearby unguarded island. He should
stay there till a Korean boat passed by and then escape taking refuge in it.
He dressed him in Japanese clothes and wrapped a black cloth on his head.
He asked him to signal him two flashes at the same instant the sun drops
over the horizon. He asked him to signal him once if he was all right till the
time he escaped in Korean boat. He helped the American soldier to escape
and save his life.
This act of Dr. Sadao was an act of humanism and compassion. As a doctor
he had saved the life of a man without of any prejudice. Dr. Sadao had
displayed himself as a man, full of compassion and humanity by this act.
Question 7. Dr. Sadao was a patriotic Japanese as well as a dedicated

surgeon. How could he honour both the values?
Answer: Dr. Sadao was a patriotic Japanese as well as a dedicated surgeon.
He honoured both the values excellently., it, was his duty, as a surgeon was
to save the life of a man irrespective of caste, colour, or creed. For a doctor,
his patient is beyond any prejudice. When Dr. Sadao saw the white man, he
realised that the man would die if he was not immediately operated upon.
So, he took the man to his house and treated him and saved his life. That
was his duty as a dedicated surgeon.
Dr. Sadao was a loyal citizen of Japan and a true patriot. So, when he went
to the General, he told him everything and sought his help. Dr. Sadao had
no pity for the white man and considered him his enemy. The General
assured to send his assassins but forgot. So, at the end, Dr. Sadao had to help
the prisoner of war to escape from there.
Question 8. Good human values are far above any other value system. How
did Dr. Sadao succeed as a doctor as well as a patriot?
Answer: Dr Sadao was an intelligent and a committed doctor, very adept in
surgical skills and was an efficient scientist too. The story ‘The Enemy’
portrays Dr Sadao as true to his profession as it was his primary duty to help
a wounded person without caring for his identity. When tom between loyalty
towards his country and his duty as a doctor to save life, he chose humanity
over patriotism. At the same time, he was not shown as lacking national
loyalty. After saving the American soldier, he wrote a report about the whole
matter but did not send it to the police chief, instead he disclosed everything
boldly to the General. These are the instances in the story that project Dr
Sadao’s humanitarian considerations, his surgical expertise and patriotism.
He showed that good human values are far above any other value system.
Question 9. Dr. Sadao used his skills as a doctor not only to keep the prisoner
alive but also to safeguard himself. Discuss.
Answer: Dr. Sadao was an expert surgeon. He saved the life of the enemy
by operating upon him. But he was in danger of being caught as a traitor for
sheltering an enemy. Very intelligently, he used his skills as a doctor to
protect himself. He knew very well that the General relied on him for his
health and would never let him suffer any harm. So, he told the General
everything and got an assurance from him to get rid of the white man. But
when the General forgot to do so, Dr. Sadao helped the white man to escape.
Knowing that General would never take any action against him he told him
that the. man had escaped. It was only due to his professional skills as a
doctor that he could save himself.
Question 10. At what point did Dr. Sadao decide that it was time to get the
enemy out of his house?
Answer: The General had assured Dr. Sadao of sending his assassins to kill
the white man. Dr. Sadao waited for three nights for those assassins but they
did not come. Every night was full of stress and anxiety for him. Hana was
overburdened with the household work as all the servants had left. They
were in constant danger of being caught for giving shelter to an American.
At this point of time, Dr. Sadao decided that it was time to get the enemy
out of his house. He decided to arrange for an escape of the white man in
order to save himself. So, he arranged a boat, extra clothing, food, and water.
He gave a flashlight to the American and asked him to go to a nearby
unguarded island and from there wait for a Korean fishing boat and escape.
Question 11. Write an article on the topic ‘Humanity is the essence of our
existence’.
Answer: We are human beings—the most superior species on the earth.
Emotions such as empathy, humanity, compassion, love, and devotion make
us superior. Every human heart breathes these emotions. Humanity is the
most important trait in our personality. Humanity is above territories, caste,
creed, and colour. Though we are divided into various countries, continents,
states, etc. we must remember that these territories are constituted on the
basis of ethnicity, formed by the people of some race and creed. All these
are governed by the law, that we have made. But for nature, there is no such
discrimination. For the sea, the sun, the rain, the air we all are the same. We
all must remember the fact that it is the humanity the oneness with each
other, which is the essence of our existence.
Question 12. Which, according to you, is higher — humanity or patriotism?

Write a paragraph on the topic: Humanity vs Patriotism.
Answer:
Humanity vs Patriotism
Humanity is above any boundary or prejudice, whereas patriotism is loyalty
to one particular country or place where we live. Both are essential for
human beings. We should be loyal and devoted to our country and full of
patriotic fervour. Humanity is boundless. It is above any caste, creed, or
race. It includes love for others. Humanity makes one compassionate,
humble, and loving. Humanity is a virtue which unites the entire human race
as one, whereas patriotism is comparatively narrow. It is a set of strengths
focused on tending others. Thus, it is humanity, which acquires the highest
place among all the virtues.
Chapter 5 Should Wizard Hit Mommy?

By- John Updike
About the Author

John Hoyer Updike (March 18, 1932 – January 27, 2009), an American
novelist, poet, short-story writer, art critic, and literary critic was one of only
three writers to have won the Pulitzer Prize for Fiction more than once. John
Updike published more than twenty novels, more than a dozen short-story
collections, as well as poetry, art and literary criticism and children's books
during his career.
Introduction
The story revolves around Jack, a father to two kids- Joanne (Jo) and Bobby.
His wife Clare is carrying their third child. Jack had a habit of telling his
daughter, Jo a story every evening and on Saturday afternoon naps. This
time when he was telling her a story, she interrupts him and asks him
questions whenever she feels that things that are being told are not right. So
jack now finds himself in a fix and doesn't know how to resolve Jo’s
questions. Parents feel that
1. children should do or think exactly what they are told.
2. They should believe whatever they are told by their parents.
But is this the right attitude? This moral question is raised by the story and
left for the reader to decide what should be done.
Theme
The story raises a moral issue if the parents should always decide what the
children should do or let the children do what they like to do. Children
dream and live in their own magical world. They are devoid of despise,
ugliness, and petty differences. They are pure at heart. This story raises a
moral question at this point, “Should Wizard hit Mommy?” Jo feels that he
must. Jack says that it would be wrong because a mommy is always right.
She should be loved and respected.
Characters
1. Joanne: a four year old girl, lovingly called as ‘Jo’.
2. Jack: Father of Joanne
3. Clare: Wife of Jack, mother of Joanne.
4. Skunk: a baby creature with a bad smell.
5. Mother Skunk: Mother of baby Skunk.
6. Owl: a wise creature that solves the problems.
7. Wizard: A magician.
Summary
Jack was the father of two little kids – Jo and Bobby. His wife Clare was
carrying their third child. Jack would tell a story to his daughter Jo out of
his head in the evenings and for Saturday naps. This custom of story-telling
began when Jo was two–year-old and it was continuing for the last two
years. Each new story only differed a bit from the basic tale. There always
was a small creature, usually named Roger, for example, Roger Fish, Roger
Squirrel, Roger Chipmunk etc. He always had some problem and he would
go to the wise old owl. The owl would tell him to go to the Wizard, who
would perform a magic spell that solved the problem. The Wizard in turn
would demand in payment a number of pennies greater than the number
Roger creature had. But at the same time he would direct the animal to a
place where the extra pennies could be found. Then Roger would become
so happy that he played many games with other creatures. Roger then would
go home to his mother just in time to hear the train whistle that brought his
daddy home from Boston. Jack then would describe their supper, and the
story was over.
Jack found this story-telling session especially tiring on Saturday, because
Jo never fell asleep in naps any more. One Saturday Jack asked Jo about
whom the story should be today. Roger Skunk, she said firmly. A new
animal; they must talk about Skunk at nursery school. Jack started the story
of the tiny creature Skunk, who lived in the dark deep woods. His name was
Roger Skunk and he smelled very bad. He smelled so bad that other animals
of the jungle would not play with him. They would run away and Roger
Skunk would stand there all alone.
Roger Skunk went to the wise old owl and told his problem. The owl asked
the Skunk why he did not see the Wizard. Then he went to the Wizard and
told that he smelled very bad and all the little animals used to run away from
him. The wise owl had told wizard that he could help in that manner. The
Wizard took his magic wand and asked Roger Skunk what he wanted to
smell like. Roger Skunk told him that he would like to smell like roses. The
Wizard chanted and Roger Skunk started smelling like roses. The Wizard
asked Roger Skunk to pay seven pennies. Roger Skunk said that he had four
pennies only and he began to cry. The Wizard directed Roger to go to the
nearby magic well and he would find three pennies there. Roger Skunk took
out three pennies from the well and gave them to the Wizard. Now all the
other animals gathered around him because he smelled so good. They played
various games and laughed. It began to get dark so they all ran home to their
mummies. Jo thought that the story was all over.
When Roger Skunk went home his mummy said that the smell was awful.
She asked who made him smell like that. Roger Skunk said that the Wizard
did so. She said that they were going right back to that Wizard. He said that
all the other animals would run away with his bad smell. But his mummy
said she did not care. He should smell the way a little Skunk should have
smelled. So she took Roger with her and went to the Wizard. When the
wizard opened door, she hit him with her umbrella and explained how the
wizard’s magic infuriated her. The wizard spelled another magic and Roger
smelled as foul as he did earlier. But she was displeased with this new
ending and wanted her father to make the wizard hit Roger’s mommy. But
Jack was not ready to make any change as he thought Joe should accept him
without questioning. Jo protested but Jack said that it was daddy’s story. He
said then Roger Skunk and her mummy went home. They had supper and
when Roger Skunk was in bed, Mommy Skunk came up and hugged him
and said she loved him very much. He told her that the story ends there.
Jo asked her daddy if the other animals ran away from Roger Skunk. Jack
said no, they finally got used to the way Roger Skunk was and did not mind
it at all. Jo commented that she was a stupid mummy. He asked her to have
a long nap as her brother Bobby was also sleeping. Jo told him that she
wanted him to tell her the story the next day that Wizard took that magic
wand and hit that mummy, right over the head. Jack said that it was not the
story. The point is that the little Skunk loved his mummy more than he loved
all the other little animals. Moreover, she knew what was right. But Jo
insisted that tomorrow he should say that the Wizard hit that mummy. Jack
said that he would see and asked her to sleep.
He closed the door and went downstairs. Clare was striking the chair rail
with a dipped brush. Above him footsteps vibrated. These were Jo’s
footsteps. He threatened to beat her and then the footsteps slowed down.
Clare observed that it was a long story. He simply said “the poor kid”. He
watched his wife working hard on the wood-work. She was doing painting
work. Thus the writer displays adult authority on one hand and the child’s
inquisitiveness on the other.
Gist of the Lesson

• The chapter captures a very sensitive reaction of a small girl to an
important aspect of the story that her father narrates to her.
• The story reveals the worldview of a little child to a difficult moral
question that shows her mental or psychological richness.
• Jo is a little girl of four years. She is engaged in a story session with
her father.
• Jack, the father used to tell her a story every evening and especially
for Saturday naps jo feels herself involved with the characters and
the happenings.
• The story always had an animal with a problem. The old owl advises
him to visit the wizard who would solve the problem.
• Skunk’s problem- he smelt bad, visited the wizard who changed it to
the smell of roses.
• Skunk’s mother was unhappy with it and took him back to the wizard.
She hit the wizard and asked him to restore the original smell. She
wanted her son to keep his identity of a skunk and wanted his friends
to accept him for himself. So the wizard changes him back to smell
like a skunk.
• After hearing the story of Roger Skunk Jo was not happy with the
ending.
• She wants her father to change the ending. She wants the wizard to hit
the mother back and let Roger be which her father was not ready to
do to establish his authority. This raises a difficult moral question
whether parents possess the right to impose their will on their
children.
• Her father finds it difficult to answer her question.
Symbols And Allegory

Jack's Old Shirt
The old shirt of Jack’s which Clare wears during her maternity time she
paints while he is upstairs telling bedtime stories is symbolic of the shifting
gender roles which are likely to make a man like Jack raised within the
traditional nuclear family uncomfortable. It is another act of rebellion
against that traditional, conservative worldview which Jack has grown
dependent upon and serves to become part of the prison in which he is
suddenly finding himself caged within.
The Golden Book

Jo seems unusually distracted during this particular story and that sense of
distraction has the effect of angering Jack even as he wants to get through
the story fast so he can help his wife with the painting. This distraction is
symbolized by the Golden Book which slips from the bed at one point.
Coincident with this single appearance of the Golden Book is Jack’s
assertion that “Daddy’s telling the story.” All these elements invest the
Golden Book as a symbol of the four year old growing up with the implicit
message that this beloved ritual is about to start drawing to an end. Jo is only
about a year or two away from reading stories herself at which point Jack
will become obsolete at storytime.
Furniture Being Moved
The persistent sound of furniture scraping across the floor from downstairs
as the pregnant Clare is moving it for the purpose of repainting the room
becomes another symbol of how Jack’s traditional view of masculinity is
being threatened by generational changes. His response is always that he
should be down there helping, but he never stops brings the story to abrupt
end to pursue his role as husband.
The Skunk's Debut

Jack has been engaging in his storytelling ritual for nearly two years now
and this is the first time that Jo has ever requested that Roger be a skunk.
The symbolic meaning here is related to the choice of animal itself, but
rather Jack’s assumptions behind the choice. He attributes the origin of this
brand new element into what is otherwise a rather rigidly constructed
template of his own making to the influence of something that is also
apparently new: his daughter attending nursery school. The skunk thus
becomes another symbol of the maturation of his daughter and her rebellion
against his control which we have learned is of vital important to him since
he prefers it when the girls in his life are “hanging on his words” and not
taking anything for granted.
Question and Answer

1. What was Roger Skunk’s problem?
Because of Roger Skunk’s foul smell none of the other little creatures
played with him. He used to face a lot of humiliations from other tiny
animals. They used to call him “Roger Stinky Skunk” and they ran away
from him. Roger was left alone every time.
2. How did the wizard manage to help the Skunk?
The wizard took out his magic wand and asked Roger Skunk what he wanted
to smell like. When Roger said that he wanted to smell like roses, the wizard
chanted some magic words and fulfilled Roger Skunk’s wish. He was happy
that all the other little animals played with him, now that he did not smell
bad.
3. What had upset Jo about the Skunk’s story?
While Roger Skunk was very happy about his own transformation, his
mother felt that her baby should smell like a little Skunk and not like roses.
So, she took Roger Skunk back to the wizard and hit the wizard over his
head with an umbrella. She told him to make Roger Skunk smell bad again.
Jo was worried that now that Roger Skunk smells bad again, no animal
would play with him. She wanted the wizard to hit mommy back and refuse
to change Roger Skunk.
4. How did Roger Skunk find the extra pennies?
The wizard asked Roger Skunk to go to the end of the lane and turn around
three times and look down the magic well and there he would find three
pennies. Roger followed the instructions, collected the money and handed
it over to the wizard as the price for fulfilling his wish.
5. Why was Roger Skunk’s mommy not happy with the change?
Roger Skunk was eager to change his foul smell into a pleasant one. So, he
went to the wizard and asked him to make him smell like roses. This change
made his acceptable to his friends but his mommy felt that he smelt awful.
According to her, a skunk should smell like a skunk and not like roses. Also,
she loved him for what he was and did not want him to change even a bit.
6. Why does Jack insist that the end of the story was justified?
Jo felt bad for the skunk for not having any friends and wanted him to smell
like roses as only then other animals would play with him. She did not want
the skunk to be humiliated and rejected for his foul smell. But Jack wanted
to tell Jo “something true, something she must know”. He was adding
autobiographical details to the story and wished to teach Jo to accept herself
as she is. He had been taught by his mother to be comfortable in his own
skin and that is exactly what he wished to pass on to his daughter. He refused
to change the end of the story as he insisted that the skunk’s mommy loved
him more than all the other animals and accepted him for what he was.
7. What similarity did Jack find with the skunk?
Roger Skunk was humiliated by all other animals because he smelled really
bad. None of the little creatures would play with him and he was boycotted
by his peers. Roger Skunk used to cry as he felt lonely and embarrassed.
Jack had faced similar kind of situations in his childhood. He also defended
Roger’s Skunk’s mother as if he was defending his own mother.
8. What story did Jo want to hear the next day?

Jo wanted to hear the same story with a different end where the wizard hit
the mommy back with his magic wand. She wanted a happy ending in which
Roger Skunk would get to play with his friends.
Long answer type questions
1. Should Wizard hit Mommy?
Whenever a story features a title that is a question presenting two opposing

choices, chances are that the answer is not going to be a simple one. The
most famous example of this, probably, is a story titled “The Lady or the
Tiger?” in which the reader is left to ponder the question as it relates to
which door a character should choose to open. Behind one is a woman
whom will become a young man’s bride, behind the other is a tiger. The
author informs the reader which of the two doors the young man opens, but
leaves unanswered the titular question: we don’t learn whether he was
greeted by the lady or the tiger.
The story sounds simple; so simple that reading a summary of it as presented
above makes it sound more like a gimmick than an actual plot. And so it
would be if the summary above were adequate. In reality, the real question
that the story presents is not whether the door opened to reveal a tiger or a
woman because the decision of which door the young man should open was
not made by him. You will have to read that story yourself to get the details
because the point being made here is that answering the question “Should
wizard hit mommy?” is equally complex and goes much deeper than asking
merely should the wizard strike Mommy Skunk with his magic wand so that
she will accept her son smelling like roses instead of smelling like a skunk.
Way too much is going on in the story to present it here, but suffice to say
that one should take into consideration everything going on before trying to
answer the question posed by the title. Even better: don’t try to answer it. If
the author really want the reader to know the answer to the question, he
would made the answer the title, such as “Why Wizard Should Hit
Mommy!” The very fact that the title is a question is a hint from the author
to the reader that the point is not to arrive at an answer. The point is to arrive
at a logical explanation for both possible answers.
2.What signs indicate that Jack’s irritation with his daughter is manifested
by a fear that his bedtime story ritual may soon be coming to an end?
The narrator indicates that Jack is feeling a little burned out of coming up
with stories after two years, that the intended effect of inducing slumber in
Jo is fading and that he is especially fatigued on some days. And yet, it is
Jack and not Joanne who is responsible for extending the story to the point
that the first thing his wife says when he reappears is “That was a long
story.” Jack somewhat scornfully assumes that the idea of making Roger a
skunk for the first time ever is an idea she picked up since she started nursery
school with the implicit message being that he is unhappy with this outside
intrusion into the ritual he created. Jack’s response to the Golden Book
slipping from his daughter’s bed is instantly to remind her “Daddy’s telling
the story.” The incident in which Jack sees in his daughter’s reaction a
mirror of his wife’s faking interest at cocktail parties seems strangely out of
place and almost forced unless it is connected to these other clues. Joanne’s
fidgeting, interruptions and rebellion all serve as indicators that she is
growing up and growing older. The request for that Roger be a skunk and
the fact that she had been looking through a Golden Book all serve as
reminders that she is not far away at all from being able to read herself, thus
opening up a universe of stories she’s never heard and further cementing
that Jack’s stories are fundamentally the same every time.
3.Is Roger Skunk supposed to represent Jack?

Generally speaking, most criticism accepts as a given that Jack is describing
his own childhood in his story about Roger Skunk. The reference to Jack’s
own childhood humiliation when describing how the woodland creatures
respond to Roger’s bad odor is the most obvious link here, but it is safe to
assume that Jack’s mother was aggressively controlling just like Mommy
Skunk. So the connection makes sense. There is, however, a problem with
simplifying Jack’s story into allegory. The title “Should Wizard Hit
Mommy?” carries an implicit double meaning that seems to be also asking
“Should Jack Hit Clare.” Or, if not Clare, certainly somebody. At the same
time, Jack also seems to be identifying with Mommy Skunk and not just to
the degree that he is defending the actions of his own mother. Jack’s
insistence that Mommy Skunk “knew what was right” can unquestionably
be applied to his own perspective on parenting. Needless to say, the
investment of absolute wisdom within the owl makes it clear that this
recurring character is also a manifestation of Jack’s ego. So, rather than
limiting Jack’s representation in his story to Roger (whatever animal form
he may take) it is really more appropriate to suggest that he has made all the
characters a projection of himself.
3:- What is the moral issue that the story raises?
Although "Should wizard Hit Mommy"? reads like a typical bed time story
elders tell little children, it does raise a moral question - Should parents
always decide what is best for their children and should children always
obey their parents unquestioningly ?. Roger Skunk is a very obedient child
but he feels very sad and upset because he smells so awful that nobody
wants to befriend him and play with him. One day he gets a chance to get
his bad small replaced with the small of roses. He feels excited about
the change for everyone likes his new smell and readily agrees to play with
him. However Roger's mother does not like the change. For her Roger was
better off with his original smell. So, she makes the wizard restore Skunk's
original smell. Roger meekly accepts his mother's decision and other
children get used to Roger's awful smell and don't complain about it
anymore. But the narrow world view of the little girl, Jo likes to spell out
the slogan of equality for all. She believes in the axiom 'Tit for Tat'. She
feels that mother is wrong in getting her son's original smell back and wants
her to be spanked by the wizard for her mistake. Her father, who has
modeled Skunks story on his own story, strongly defends the mother Skunks
decision. Thus the author through this story raises a moral question on how
much authority parents should exercise in teaching their children what is
wrong, what is right, what they should do and what not. Since there is no
single correct answer to the question, he leaves it for the readers to answer
it on the basis of their beliefs, cultures and values. Another question that the
story seems to raise is — Should we, like Roger Skunk's mother believe in
accepting ourselves as nature has made us without being unduly bothered
about what others would think of us.
On the Face of It
About the Author
Susan Hill is an English author of fiction and nonfiction works. Her novels
include the ‘woman in black’, ‘The mist in the mirror’ and ‘I’m the king of
the castle’ for which she received the Somerset Maugham award in 1971.
Introduction
The story is about a teenage boy, Derry, who has a burnt face and Mr. Lamb
who is a disabled old man with an artificial leg made of tin. Derry accidently
enters his garden so that he can hide himself from people who hate him
because of his ugly face. Mr. Lamb not only welcomes him in his garden
but also encourages him to lead a normal life, leaving behind his past.
Summary
On the Face of It by Susan Hill is a socio-psychological story of two invalids

who live with two different views. Derry is a young boy who lived a
miserable life since a bottle of acid deformed his face and Mr. Lamb, a lame
old man who lived a cheerful life even after he had lost one of his legs in a
blast. The interesting thing is that Mr. Lamb himself was not very much of
a happy man although he appeared to be (‘on the face of it’ = outwardly). It
is a story about how one is able to fight a deformity happily. A story that
tells about the triumph of optimism, Mr. Lamb and Derry will definitely
inspire you Welcome to Mr. lamb’s Garden!
Derry
Derry was a teenager, highly pessimistic (feeling low/feeling negative) and

withdrawn (staying away) from the society. He developed this attitude after
one side of his face was disfigured by acid. He avoided company of others
and remained lonely. He believed that no one loved him, and his mother
loved him because she was supposed to. One day Derry accidently met a
man called Mr. Lamb. Mr. Lamb was an old man with a lame leg.
While Mr. Lamb took his impairment as a challenge and tried to overcome
it, Derry believed that he was unwanted and lost. His pain was physical and
mental. Being a child, he was not as strong as Mr. Lamb about suffering. He
could not take the sneering and sympathizing world as taken by Mr.
Lamb. Mr. Lamb was able to sit smart and unaffected as long as he wore
trousers and sat but Derry had no way to hide his face.
Mr. Lamb
After he became lame, Mr. Lamb began to develop a positive attitude with
his deformity. He worked hard to defeat this impairment and learnt to walk
and climb ladders. He was happy to be alive and ignored his lameness. He
made everyone his friend and had a house with no curtains and open doors.
He welcomed anyone who came to him.
Two Invalids
Both Mr. Lamb and Derry had much to suffer yet Derry was the worst
affected.
Mr. Lamb was an old man who had lost one of his legs in a blast while Derry
was a teenager with a burnt face. While Mr. Lamb took his impairment as a
challenge and tried to overcome it, Derry believed that he was unwanted and
lost. His pain was physical and mental. Being a child, he was not as strong
as Mr. Lamb about suffering. He could not take the sneering and
sympathizing world as taken by Mr. Lamb. Mr. Lamb was able to sit smart
and unaffected as long as he wore trousers and sat but Derry had no way to
hide his face.
Social Influence on Derry
Well, Derry cannot be completely blamed for his pessimistic and aggressive
attitude towards the world around him.
• Once he heard two women commenting about his monstrous
appearance. They said only a mother could love a face like his.
• On another occasion Derry heard his parents conversing that he would
not survive after their death because he was deformed. The shock he
received from these words was big.
• Once again Derry heard his relatives saying that his being put in the
hospital where he had been treated after the accident was good for
him. In their opinion a deformed boy like Derry could accommodate
himself with other deformed boys and girls.
Derry had his ears always open for such comments and used to respond to
them in his silent way. He concluded that the world altogether did not need
a boy like him.
The Real Mr. Lamb
Mr. Lamb claimed to have a lot of friends but in fact he appears to have few.
Mr. Lamb is a peculiar person with no complaints about his deformity, but
his heavy, philosophical talks may bore people who run into him. Even
though Mr. Lamb had claimed he had hundreds of friends, he did not know
of those names and no one showed up while Derry was with him for such a
long time. Moreover, Mr. Lamb himself is found telling his bees that human
beings do not keep their promise of returning to his garden. From all this one
can conclude that Mr. Lamb had no friends but the bees and the nature
around him.
Derry and his Mother
After meeting Mr. Lamb, Derry realized how foolish he had been to believe
his parents. For him Lamb was a man who opened the doors of his closed
world. At the end Derry goes back to his house where his mother cross
questioned him. She had instructed him not to go to Mr. Lamb’s garden.
Derry tried to convince his mother that Mr. Lamb was an extremely good
man, but she was not ready to listen. Ignoring his mother’s thoughtless
restrictions, Derry left his home and ran to Mr. Lamb’s garden.
Back Again!
On reaching, Derry found a motionless Mr. Lamb fallen from the ladder. He
had fallen while pulling the crab apples down from the tree. Was Mr. Lamb
dead, we do not know for sure.
Notes-
The play “On the Face Of it” depicts beautifully yet grimly the sad world of
the physically impaired. It is not the actual pain or inconvenience caused by
a physical impairment that trouble a disabled man but the attitude of the
people around him. Two physically impaired people, Mr. Lamb with a tin
leg and Derry with a burnt face, strike a band of friendship.
Derek, a young lad of fourteen was sinking in the abyss of despair and
frustration. He disliked everyone. Once he enters a garden thinking it an
empty place but Finds an old man Mr. Lamb minding the apples. Derek feels
embarrassed and wants to go back. Mr. Lamb assures him that he does not
mind strangers and the gates of garden are open for everyone. Derek has
low self-esteem and thinks people are afraid of him for his burnt face
because of acid and thinks even his mother kisses him only on the good side
of his face. He has bitterness for the world.
Mr. Lamb has a friendly and positive attitude. He tells Derek that he too is
handicapped and loves all creatures made by God because nothing in this
world is worthless, even weeds have their own value. He advises Derek to
think of the beautiful objects of the world and never believe on your eyes
but to believe your ears. Avoid people’s comments and love all mankind
because hatred corrodes us and hurts more than acids. He considers Derek
to be his friend.
Mr. Lamb tells a story to give Derek a lesson. Once there was a timid man
who refused to come out in fear of fatal accident. In his own room a picture
fell of the wall on his head and he died. This changes Derek’s attitude and
he takes interest in Mr. Lamb’s talking and likes to listen more to Mr. Lamb
and wants to help Mr. Lamb in his work.
Derek wants to go home and inform his mother that he would be late. He
promises to come back. His mother stops him, but he is adamant saying if
he does not go now it would be never. When he comes back, he sees lamb
lying on the ground. It is ironical that when he searches a new foothold to
live happily, he finds Mr. Lamb dead. In this way, the play depicts the heart
rendering life of physically disabled people with their loneliness, aloofness,
and alienation. But at the same time, it is almost a true account of the people
who do not let a person live happily.
• The play depicts beautifully yet grimly the sad world of the physically
impaired.
• It is not the actual pain or inconvenience caused by a physical
impairment that trouble a disabled man but the attitude of the people
around him.
• Two physically impaired people, Mr. Lamb with a tin leg and Derry
with a burnt face, strike a band of friendship.
• Derry is described as a young boy shy, withdrawn and defiant.
• People tell him inspiring stories to console him, no one will ever kiss
him except his mother that too on the other side of his face
• Mentions about a woman telling that only a mother can love such a
face.
• Mr. Lamb revives the almost dead feelings of Derry towards life.
• He motivates him to think positively about life, changes his mind set
about people and things.
• How a man locked himself as he was scared-a picture fell off the wall
and got killed.
• Everything appears to be the same but is different- Ex. of bees. And
weeds
• The gate of the garden is always open.
• Derry is inspired and promises to come back.
• Derry’s mother stops him, but he is adamant saying if he does not go
now it would be never.
• When he comes back, he sees lamb lying on the ground
• It is ironical that when he searches a new foothold to live happily, he
finds Mr. Lamb dead.
• In this way the play depicts the heart rendering life of physically
disabled people with their loneliness, aloofness, and alienation.
• But at the same time, it is almost a true account of the people who do
not let a person live happily
Read-and-find-out Questions
Question 1. Who is Mr. Lamb? How does Derry get into his garden?
Answer: Mr. Lamb is an old man who lives in a big house and has a big
garden. He is lame with a tin-leg. He had lost his leg in the war. Derry enters
Mr. Lamb’s garden by climbing the wall He does not come there to steal the
apples like other children but out of sheer curiosity.
Question 2. Do you think all this will change Derry’s attitude towards Mr.
Lamb?
Answer: Derry had a negative attitude to life and people due to his burnt
face. He suffered from an inferiority complex and avoided meeting people.
But after his long conversation with Mr. Lamb, he was able to overcome his
inferiority complex and changed his attitude.
Reading with Insight
Question 1. What is it that draws Derry to Mr. Lamb in spite of himself?

Answer: Mr. Lamb was not scared of Derry’s burnt face. He wanted to be
in his company and talk to him. Mr. Lamb was also handicapped and alone.
He spoke in a friendly manner to Derry and inspired him to think positively.
Thus, Derry got drawn to Mr. Lamb.
Question 2. The actual pain or inconvenience caused by a physical
impairment is often much less than the sense of alienation felt by the person
with disabilities. What is the kind of behaviour that the person expects from
others?
Answer: The sense of alienation caused by physical impairment is no doubt
more painful than the inconvenience caused by physical impairment. This
is clearly proved in the play ‘On the Face of It’. Derry seems to be a living
example of this fact. He got his face burnt due to spilling of acid leaving
scars and infirmity. The attitude of the people towards him gave him more
pain than his physical pain. He was deeply hurt and disgusted when he
realised that his family was anxious about his future. He felt pain when he
overheard two women talking about his ugly face. The insensitive remarks
of the women in which they suggest him to be in the company of people like
him, developed a sense of alienation in him. He closed himself in a shell and
developed a very negative attitude to society and finally to life.
Question 3. Will Derry get back to his old seclusion or will Mr. Lamb’s brief
association effect a change in the kind of life he will lead in future?
Answer: Derry had received a lot of positivity from Mr. Lamb, who
encouraged him to live his life on this own terms. He had motivated him so
much that he had come out of his inferiority complex. So, he would not get
back to his seclusion.
Short Questions and Answers
Question 1. How does Mr. Lamb keep himself busy when it is a bit cool?
Answer: When the weather was cool, Mr. Lamb would take a ladder and a
stick and pull down the crab apples. He would make jelly with the ripened
oranges and golden apples to keep him occupied.
Question 2. As told by Mr. Lamb, why did a man lock himself up in his
room and what happened to him?
Answer: The man locked himself up in his room because he was afraid that
a bus might run him over or a man might breathe deadly germs onto him, or
a donkey might kick him to death or lightning might strike him down or he
might slip on a banana skin and fall and people would laugh at him. But
despite locking himself in the room, he died as a picture fell off the wall on
his head.
Question 3. If you were to give a different ending to the story ‘On the Face
of It’ how would you end it?
Answer: I would have given a happy ending to the story. I would not like
Mr. Lamb to die at the end. Instead Derry would be received by Mr. Lamb
and they both would become good friends.
Question 4. How does Derry interpret the fairy tale ‘Beauty and the Beast’?
What does he feel about himself?
Answer: Derry says Beauty loved the Beast and so she kissed him, and he
changed into a handsome prince. But this would not happen to him because
no one was going to kiss him. Even his mother kissed him on the other side
of the face.
Question 5. Why did Mr. Lamb help Derry?

Answer: Mr. Lamb himself was handicapped. He knew the difficulties faced
by people like him. But he was very optimistic and wanted to motivate and
inspire others. He wanted Derry to look at the things from a different
perspective. It was. His nature of generosity, love and altruism that
compelled him to help Derry.
Question 6. In what sense is the friendship between Mr. Lamb and Derry
fruitful?
Answer: For Derry, his friendship with Mr. Lamb proved very fruitful. Mr.
Lamb changed Derry’s attitude to life and gave him courage to face the
challenges of life bravely. His way of living a life to its utmost productivity
proved to be an inspiration for Derry who finally came out of his inferiority
complex and started living a normal life.
Question 7. Why does Derry’s mother not want him to go back to visit Mr.
Lamb?
Answer: Derry’s mother claims to have heard many things about Mr. Lamb.
She has been told and warned by the people. She thinks he is not a good
person. She asks Derry not to go back there. Derry asks her not to believe
all she hears. But Derry is determined to go there.
Question 8. How does Mr. Lamb react when Derry enters his garden?
Answer: Mr. Lamb introduces himself and tries to make a very casual
conversation, cautions Derry about the fallen fruit so that he does not trip
on it and tries to comfort him putting his doubts at rest.
Question 9. What kind of garden does Mr. Lamb have? Why does he like
it?
Answer: Mr. Lamb has an orchard full of fruit trees. He likes it because
gardening keeps him busy and children also come there to play. He longs
for human company as he suffers from loneliness.
Question 10. How do people react to Derry’s face?

Answer: Derry was a fourteen-year-old boy who had a scarred face. People
were afraid of him and stared at him because he had an ugly burnt face. They
pretended to be sympathetic but actually the attitude of the people, reflected
the callousness of the society towards the physically impaired.
Question 11. How do people console Derry when they look at his face?
Answer: When people looked at Derry’s face, some people were
sympathetic, and some were not. People told him inspiring stories to console
him but not one ever kissed him except his mother. Lamb clarified to Derry
that people with the same deformity were also different. It is incorrect to
judge people by what they look like.
Question 12. Why does Derry tell Mr. Lamb that he is afraid of seeing
himself in the mirror?
Answer: Half of the face of Derry was burnt due to spilling of acid. This left
an ugly scar on his face. He was afraid of seeing his ugly face in the mirror
as it reminded him of his ugliness and made him feel scared and depressed.
Question 13. According to Derry, what did people think and say about him?
Answer: The half of Derry’s face was burnt and disfigured due to spilling
of acid. People’ either ignored him or had pitied him. Some even made fun
of him and called him ugly and the devil. They were scared of him.
Question 14. What did Derry’s mother think of Mr. Lamb?

Answer: Derry’s mother did not have a good opinion about Mr. Lamb as
she had heard many things about him. She did not want Derry to go and
meet him. She believed Mr. Lamb to be a dangerous person who lived alone
in a big home.
Question 15. What qualities of Mr. Lamb attracted Derry to him?

Answer: Mr. Lambs positive attitude attracted Derry to him. He always
looked at life in a positive and realistic way. He was motivating and
inspiring. His zeal to live life fully in all circumstances, brought Derry closer
to him.
Question 16. Why does Mr. Lamb leave his gate open?
Answer: Mr. Lamb was always on the lookout for the company of good
friends. That is why he kept his gate open. He wanted people to come and
meet him any time. This is symbolic of his openness to accept the world.
Question 17. Which peculiar things does Derry notice about Mr. Lamb?
Answer: Mr. Lamb appeared to be a peculiar person to Derry because he
was not able to understand many of the things which Mr. Lamb said. Mr.
Lamb told Derry to keep his ears shut and ignore what the people said. His
positive approach to life, in spite of his handicap, was a peculiar thing for
Derry.
Question 18. “It ate my face up. It ate me up,” says Derry to Mr. Lamb.
What is this a reference to and how does the play bear out the later part of
the statement?
Answer: Derry’s face is scarred and disfigured due to spilling of acid. He is
pitied by others. In fact, the acid ate up his face. It also disfigured his
personality. This led him to self-pity. He was not able to face the people and
their unkind and insensitive remarks.
Question 19. ‘The world’s got a whole face, and the world’s there to be
looked at.’ How does this statement reflect Mr. Lamb’s state of mind and
how does this help in changing Derry’s outlook to life?
Answer: This statement reflects Mr. Lamb’s optimism and positive attitude
to life. He believes that one must face life with positivity and accept
everything courageously. The world is a beautiful place and we must enjoy
its beauty by interacting with people. This positive attitude of Mr. Lamb
changed Derry’s state of mind and he was able to overcome his inferiority
complex and low self-esteem.
Question 20. Despite all that the old man says, he is yet a lonely old man.
How is this brought out in the course of the play? How does Mr. Lamb
overcome this?
Answer: Mr. Lamb is an old man with a tin-leg. He is alone and lives in a
big house with a big lawn. Though, he is very optimistic and accepts
everything very positively, his loneliness is evident from the fact that he
leaves his gate and windows open so that people can come in whenever they
want. He overcomes. this loneliness by getting himself involved in making
toffees, jelly, etc. with the crab apples that grow in his garden. He loves to
talk and spend time with the children who come to his lawn.
Question 21. ‘Because if I don’t go back there, I’ll never go back anywhere
in the world’ says Derry to his mother. How do these words reflect Derry’s
state of mind? How does he come to feel this way?
Answer: These words show that Derry’s state of mind has changed.
Motivated and inspired by Mr. Lamb, Derry has become confident and bold
enough to accept and face the world in spite of his deformity. He is no more
a pessimist and has started taking life as a challenge.
Long Questions and Answers
Question 1. How does Mr. Lamb’s brief association with Derry affect the
latter?
OR
How did Mr. Lamb’s meeting with Derry become a turning point in his life?
Answer: Derry was a fourteen-year-old boy who had his one side of face
burnt due to the spilling of acid. He was dejected. People pitied him. He was
pained due to the horror, disgust, and the pity show for him by the alienated
people. As a result, he had become bitter. He had withdrawn himself from
people and had developed a pessimistic attitude to life.
When he met Mr. Lamb and spent some time in his company, his entire
perspective changed. Mr. Lamb was a person, full of life. He told Derry to
embrace life fully and not to be bothered about what people said about him.
He advised him to keep his ears shut to what was unpleasant to hear but not
to shut himself in. He inspired Derry by keeping himself busy in spite of his
tin-leg and by being open and cheerful.
Mr. Lamb’s advice proved to be a great motivation for Derry, and he came
out from his shell of isolation. Thus, it proved to be a turning point in his
life.
Question 2. What is the bond that united the two—the old man, Mr. Lamb,
and Derry, the small boy?
Answer: Derry is a small boy who has a burnt face due spilling of acid. He
is very withdrawn and defiant. He runs away from the world as he hates
others staring at him. He thinks people are afraid of his deformity. Similarly,
Mr. Lamb, too is a handicapped person. He lost one leg in a bomb explosion
during the war years ago. He lives alone.
The two of them have deformity and are rejected by the people. Both have
a vacuum in their hearts for not having company. Mr. Lamb is a man full of
positive energy. When Derry meets him, he finds himself drawn to him. Mr.
Lamb seems to be the only one who gives him a new line of thought about
his physical disfigurement.
Thus, they both shared a bond that unites the two of them.
Question 3. What benefits did Derry reap from his association with Mr.
Lamb?
Answer: Derry was a fourteen-year-old boy whose face was partly burnt due
to spilling of acid. As a result, he became conscious of his ugly face. He
found that people either ridiculed him or pitied him. He developed a
negative attitude to life. He became frustrated. But when he met Mr. Lamb,
he got inspiration from him to live life as it came. Derry was encouraged by
Mr. Lamb to look at the world and to take interest in things around him. He
found truth, sense, and inspiration in Mr. Lamb’s words. He learnt from Mr.
Lamb to handle his handicap and loneliness.
In fact, it was Mr. Lamb who brought Derry back to life. Derry learnt the
way to live life fully by dealing with his deformity in an appropriate manner.
Question 4. What was Derry’s deformity? How had it made him withdrawn
and defiant?
Answer: Derry was a fourteen-year-old boy. He had half of his face burnt
due to spilling of acid. This made him look so ugly that everyone either
pitied him or ridiculed him. This made him bitter. He detested the world and
suffered from an inferiority complex, lack of self-respect and rejection.
Derry’s deformity made him so frustrated that he evaded people. He came
to Mr. Lamb’s garden because he thought it to be empty. When he saw Mr.
Lamb, he wanted to go away. He was extremely sensitive and even had a
grudge against his mother for kissing him only on the other side of his burnt
face.
Thus, due to his handicap, Derry became defiant and withdrawn. He was
frustrated at his rejection by the people and became so withdrawn that he
did not want to meet and talk to anyone.
Question 5. Justify the title ‘On the Face of It’.

Answer: The title of the story ‘On the Face of It’ seems to be very
appropriate. The idiom ‘On the Face of It’ means from appearance alone or
apparently. In the play, Derry is frustrated and has lost self-esteem due to
people’s attitude to him. Everyone thought that his burnt face was terrible,
and he was handicapped. Similar was Mr. Lamb’s case. He had lost one leg
in a bomb explosion. Apparently both Mr. Lamb and Derry had deformities.
But Mr. Lamb enabled Derry to have faith in himself and look at the bright
side of things and to learn to live with his deformity.
Their physical handicap was an apparent thing for them as well as for the
world. But the most significant thing is the strength of one’s soul. Mr. Lamb
was a mentally strong person who handled his own handicap and loneliness
very effectively. He became instrumental in Derry change his views about
himself and his deformity and start taking things positively. The play deals
with the acceptance of the fact that things are not always as they appear, i.e.
physical handicap has nothing to do with the mental strength and positive
attitude to life.
Question 6. How do Mr. Lamb and Derry differ in their thoughts, traits, and
attitude to life?
OR
Both Derry and Mr. Lamb suffer from handicaps, yet their attitude to life is
totally different. Discuss.
Answer: Mr. Lamb and Derry both are handicapped. Mr. Lamb has lost his
leg in a bomb explosion and Derry has a deformed face due to spilling of
acid. They differ in their thoughts, traits, and attitude to life. Derry is not
able to cope with his disfigured face and people’s uncharitable remarks. As
a result, he keeps himself withdrawn and isolated from the world and has a
very negative attitude to life. Derry keeps to himself and is extremely
sensitive. He cannot stand people staring at him. On the other hand, Mr.
Lamb is not much affected by his handicap. He enjoys reading books,
tending plants and flowers. He has a positive attitude to life and accepts
everything as it comes. He is open-minded and welcomes people. He is not
affected when children call him ‘Lamey Lamb’.
Thus, both Derry and Mr. Lamb are in contrast to each other. Finally, Mr.
Lamb was able to inspire Derry and change his attitude to life.
Question 7. What kind of atmosphere is created by Mr. Lamb to look

welcoming and invite people to him?
Answer: Mr. Lamb has a very positive attitude to life. He keeps the door of
his home open to welcome people into his house. He always speaks in a
positive manner. Many children come to his garden to steal apples. He never
rebukes them but wants to talk and spend time with them to overlook the
mischiefs of others. He never gets annoyed or disturbed over the comments
of children who call him ‘Lamey Lamb’. He accepts life as it comes to him.
He never puts curtains on his windows and makes toffees and jelly for
others. As a lonely man, Mr. Lamb wants to have company. He never
discloses his loneliness to anybody and always speaks encouraging words.
It is due to the welcoming attitude of Mr. Lamb that Derry promised to
return to his garden.
Question 8. Both Derry and Lamb are physically impaired and lonely. It is
the responsibility of society to understand and support people with
infirmities so that they do not suffer from a sense of alienation. As a
responsible citizen, write in 120-150 words what you would do to bring
about a change in the lives of such people.
Answer: Both Derry and Lamb are physically impaired and lonely. It is only
due to the insensitive attitude of the society that they feel alienated and
lonely. Derry, a boy of fourteen years, always gets either pitied or have
uncharitable remarks made against by others and Mr. Lamb seeks to get
some company. In fact, as educated members of society, we need to come
forward to make these people realise that they are also wanted and are
significant for us. We have to change our attitude to such people and realise
that just one deformity cannot affect the other talents and capabilities of a
person. Actually, these people are very sensitive and feel dejected. We have
to give them love and comfort and show our faith in them by providing them
with equal opportunities and responsibilities.
Question 9. ‘Inclusive education’ is a step to bring the people with

deformities into the mainstream so as to build up their confidence and
morale. Write a paragraph on ‘The Importance of Inclusive Education’.
Answer:
The Importance of Inclusive Education
Inclusive education is a step to bring the people with deformities into the
mainstream. It is a step to imbibe confidence in those with deformities. In
fact, one handicap cannot destroy the other qualities of a person. It is time
we understood that persons with deformities are not outcasts. They are one
of us and we need to accept them.
Inclusive education enhances the self-esteem of such people and provides
an environment where they can grow into a complete human being and feel
confident and independent. This is possible only when these people are
accepted, and not pitied. Inclusive education is an effective way of giving
shape to this idea.
Evans Tries an O-Level
About Author
English crime writer Colin Dexter was born in Stamford, Lincolnshire. He

earned both his bachelor’s degree and master’s degree in classics from
Christ’s College, Cambridge. He was a teacher for most of his life and
eventually had to retire due to his worsening deafness. After a stint writing
textbook, Dexter turned to mysteries, eventually penning thirteen mystery
novels. He created the famous detective Inspector Morse in 1975. The
Inspector Morse series soon moved to the small screen, and so did Dexter—
he made frequent cameo appearances on the TV show. Dexter earned two
Silver Daggers, two Golden Daggers, and a Diamond Dagger from The
Crime Writers’ Association of Britain. He was knighted in 2000, honoured
as an Officer of the Order of the British Empire.
Characters
1. James Roderick Evans: a prisoner

2. Secretary of the Examination Board: a higher official of the
examination board
3. Governor: the governor of H.M. Prison, Oxford.
4. Mr. Jackson: a prison officer
5. Mr. Stephens: a prison officer
6. Reverend Stuart McLeery: an invigilator
7. Mr. Carter: a detective superintendent
8. Mr. Bell: a detective chief inspector
Theme
This story depicts a clash of wit between a criminal and the law enforcing
authorities in which the prisoner Evans befools the jail authorities and
manages to escape from the prison. If the government and law enforcing
officials are vigilant, crime can be detected, and criminals can be booked.
But criminals like Evans can hoodwink the authorities and escape
punishment as long as the officials are slow and lack alertness and wit.
Summary
In March, the Secretary of the Examinations Board receives a call from the
Governor at Oxford Prison, asking if one of his prisoners can take the final
exam in O-level German. James Roderick Evans is a jovial, “congenital
kleptomaniac” who’s escaped from various prisons three times, though the
Governor is determined to not let that happen at Oxford Prison. The
Governor and the Secretary decide that Evans will take the test in his own
cell, and that they’ll get a parson to be the proctor.
At 8:45 A.M. one morning in June, Reverend Stuart McLeery makes his
way to Oxford Prison, where he’s scheduled to proctor a two-hour exam at
9:15 A.M. When McLeery arrives, the senior prison officer, Jackson,
searches his briefcase. The officer is baffled by a strange, partially inflated
rubber ring that looks like a child’s pool toy; McLeery irritably explains that
it’s a special cushion he sits on because of his haemorrhoid problem.
Embarrassed, Jackson apologizes and sends the proctor back to Evans’s cell.
After a few more hiccups, the exam finally begins at 9:25 A.M.
The Examinations Board calls the Governor; the Assistant Secretary with a
“special responsibility for modern languages” explains that “some fool”
forgot to include a correction slip in the envelope with the other exam
materials. The Governor wonders if the call is a fake but tells himself he’s
being silly. Since Evans’s cell has been bugged, the Governor listens in as
McLeery reads out the corrections to Evans. Meanwhile, Stephens peers
into the peephole of Evans’s cell every few minutes. At one point, he’s
surprised to see a blanket draped over Evans’s shoulders. Stephens wonders
if this is the kind of “slight irregularity” he should report, but reasons that
it is cold in the prison.
At 11:20 A.M., McLeery informs Evans that there are only five minutes
remaining. Two minutes later, Jackson receives a call from the Governor
asking for Stephens: Stephens is to escort McLeery out of the prison when
the exam is over. When Stephens escorts the man out, he observes that the
minister’s Scottish accent seems “broader than ever,” and that he seems
thinner than before. Once McLeery is gone, Stephens returns to Evans’s
cell—there is McLeery, sprawled out and covered in blood.
Chaos ensues, and the Governor arrives on the scene. McLeery feebly
thrusts the German exam into his hand; there, on the last page of the exam,
is a “cleverly superimposed” photocopied sheet instructing Evans about
how to escape. After having Detective Superintendent Carter taken
McLeery to the hospital, the Governor berates Stephens for ignorantly
letting the criminal go free, but he stutters that he was only following the
Governor’s orders. The Governor screams that he never gave Stephen those
orders—the call was a fake. The Governor calls the hospital to check up on
McLeery, but the hospital says they don’t have any patients named
McLeery. Suddenly, the Governor realizes his mistake: “It had not been
Evans, impersonating McLeery, who had walked out; it had been Evans,
impersonating McLeery, who had stayed in.” Fifteen minutes later, they find
the real McLeery gagged and bound at his flat.
After a pleasant dinner, Evans returns to the Golden Lion Hotel. He thinks
about how the fake McLeery had worn two of everything (two clerical
shirts, two clerical collars, two coats), and Evans had managed to wiggle
into his disguise underneath the grey blanket. Evans enters his room and
instantly freezes there, sitting on the bed, is the Governor. Realizing he can’t
escape; Evans begins telling the Governor about his scheme. He explains
that the most pivotal part was the fake call to Stephens in the last three
minutes of the exam, which gave Evans and McLeery time to use the pig’s
blood, which was concealed in McLeery’s inflatable rubber ring.
A silent prison officer handcuffs Evans and loads him into a prison van.
Evans asks if the Governor knows any other modern languages—he noticed
that the prison was offering O-level Italian in September. The Governor says
that Evans might not be at Oxford Prison come September; Evans agrees
that the Governor might be right. The Governor watches the van pull away.
When the van reaches the main road, the silent prison officer hurriedly
unlocks Evans’ handcuffs and snaps at the driver to drive faster, as “It won’t
take ‘em long to find out.” In a thick Scottish accent, the driver asks where
they should “make for,” and Evans suggests Newbury.
GIST OF THE LESSON
• Evans a kleptomaniac was imprisoned thrice, and all the time escaped
from the prison. Now he was in the prison for the 4th time and all of
a sudden developed curiosity to appear in O-level German
Examination which also was an effort to break the prison.
• The Governor takes utmost care to see that he would not be fooled.
Every care was taken to make Evans prepare for the exam.
• He was tutored by a German tutor for 6 months. The day before the
exam the tutor wishes good luck but makes it clear that he had hardly
any ‘chance of getting through.’ But Evans gives an ironical twist to
the tutor’s observation by saying “I may surprise everybody.”
• On the day of the exam Jackson and Stephens visited Evans cell and
took away everything that may help him injure himself. Evans was
insisted to take away the hat, but he refused saying that it was lucky
charm.
• Evans cell was bugged so that the Governor could himself listen to
each and every conversation in the cell. The invigilator Rev. S.
McLeery too was searched and left him to complete the task. Stephen
sitting outside the cell every now and then peeped into the cell.
• The exam went on smoothly. Stephen escorted the invigilator to the
main gate and took a look into Evans cell and found the invigilator
(actually Evans) wounded, informed the Governor. The latter was to
be hospitalized but informed that he was alright and asked them to
follow Evans. Thus, he escaped the prison.
• When the invigilator was not found in the hospital, they went to the
residence of Rev. S. McLeery only to find him ’bound and gagged in
his study in Broad Street”. He has been there, since 8.15 a.m. Now
everything was clear to the Governor.
• Evan escaped the prison the 4th time. But by taking the hint from the
question paper the Governor reached the hotel where Evans was and
captured him and came to know how he planned his escape and said
that his game was over. Evans surrenders himself to the Governor.
• The Governor tells Evan they would meet soon.
• The moment they are rid of the Governor, the so-called prison officer-
a friend of Evans unlocks the handcuffs and asks the driver to move
fast and Evans tells him to turn to Newbury.
Read-and-find-out Questions
Question 1. What kind of a person was Evans?

Answer: Evans was a congenital kleptomaniac and was in Oxford Prison.
He was an expert at escaping from prisons and was called ‘Evans the Break’.
He was a genius at planning and foresight. He was very clever and had many
friends and contacts who helped him to escape. He was a very good actor
too, as nobody doubted him when he was acting as McLeery.
Question 2. What were the precautions taken for the smooth conduct of the
examination?
Answer: Evans was famous for escaping from prisons. So, all possible
precautions were taken for the smooth conduct of the examination. The
Governor himself supervised all the precautions. Senior officer Jackson and
officer Stephens were very vigilant and worked round the clock. All the
sharp things, including the nail cutter, razor, etc. were removed from the cell
of Evans. His cell was bugged to hear the communication between him and
the invigilator. A vigil was kept on his cell during the course of the
examination.
Question 3. Did the Governor and his staff finally heave a sigh of relief?
Answer: The governor and his staff couldn’t heave a sigh of relief because
immediately after the exam was over, they found the invigilator lying
bleeding in Evans’s cell. It appeared that Evans had hurt him and escaped
from the prison in the guise of McLeery.
Question 4. Where did Evans go?

Answer: Evans went to Chipping Norton and after a stroll around the centre
of Chipping Norton he returned to Golden Lion hotel.
Reading with Insight
Question 1. Reflecting upon the story, what do you feel about Evans having
the last laugh?
Answer: Evans is a genius and a master in planning his escapes. He uses all
tactics-psychology, emotional display, great acting skills, convincing
powers, and amiability—to carry out his plan. The governor, despite being
overcautious, is not able to prevent his escape. However, after a lot of efforts
he is able to trace and capture Evans, arrest him and send him to the prison
house. But at this point also, he is outsmarted by Evans. In fact, the prison
officials are no one else but his friends in disguise. Once again Evans
escapes due to the carelessness of the Governor. He has the last laugh.
Question 2. When Stephens comes back to the cell he jumps to a conclusion

and the whole machinery blindly goes by his assumption without even
checking the identity of the injured ‘McLeery’. Does this show how hasty
conjectures can prevent one from seeing the obvious? How is the criminal
able to predict such negligence?
Answer: When Stephens comes back to the cell, he finds a man covered
with blood in Evans’ cell. He jumps to the conclusion and does not bother
to check the identity of the injured McLeery. Definitely it was a hasty
conjecture on his part which prevented him from seeing the obvious. If he
had identified McLeery then and there, Evans would have been caught as
this man was no one but Evans himself. Evans is able to predict such
negligence because he understood the psychology of the officer. Evans was
smart and very observant.
Question 3. What could have the Governor done to securely bring back
Evans to prison when he caught him at Golden Lion? Does that final act of
foolishness really prove that ‘he was just another good-for-a- giggle,
gullible governor, that was all’?
Answer: The Governor, despite being aware of the fact that Evans was very
clever, did not make any fool proof arrangements to bring him back. He
could have called the prison force instead of police to take Evans back to
the prison house. He should have made more elaborate security
arrangements. He could have cross-checked the identity of the officers who
took Evans away or he would have personally escorted Evans back to jail.
Short Answer type questions
Question 1: How did the Governor, Oxford Prison describe Evans to the
Secretary, Examination Board?
Answer: The Governor described Evans as a pleasant sort of person who
was good at imitating people to the Secretary, Examination Board. He also
mentioned that he was a congenital kleptomaniac and had no record of
violence.
Question 2: What was the German teacher’s opinion of Evan’s proficiency

in German?
Answer: Evans’ German teacher had a very low opinion of his proficiency
in German. He thought that Evans had a very little chance of clearing the O-
level Exam.
Question 3: What could the Governor have done to securely bring Evans
back to the prison from the ‘Golden Lion’?
Answer : The Governor should have travelled himself in the van with Evans
and in case he was unable to do so, he should have checked the credentials
of the guards escorting Evans to securely bring Evans back to the prison
from the ‘Golden Lion’.
Question 4: What important call did the Governor receive when the
examination was going on?
Answer: The important call that the Governor received when the
examination was going on was from the magistrate court. He was asked to
provide a prison van a couple of prison officers for a remand case.
Question 5: What precautions were taken for the smooth conduct of Evans’
O-level examination?
Answer: Thoroughly checking Evans’ prison cell a night before the exam,
removing of all sharp objects from his cell, frisking of the invigilator and
checking his suitcase were the precautions taken for the smooth conduct of
Evans’ O-level examination.
Question 6: What kind of person was Evans? Why did he want to sit for the
O-level German examination?
Answer: Evans seemed to be quiet a pleasant and astute person. He was a
kleptomaniac and had managed to escape the prison thrice. His desire to sit
for the O-level German examination was only a plot to foci the authorities
and escape the prison.
Question 7: How do we know that Evans had no chance of getting through

the O-level German examination? Why did he take the test?
Answer: We know that Evans had no chance of getting through the O-level
German examination as his instructor had commented that he hardly had
any chance of getting through the exam.
Question 8: On the day of the examination, with what excuse did Evans keep
Stephens out of his cell? What was the actual reason?
Answer: Evans gave the excuse of being unable to concentrate on is exam
if Stephens was sitting behind him.
The actual reason was to get Stephens out of the cell so that he could make
arrangements for his escape.
Question 9: What are the contents of the small suitcase that McLeery
carried?
Answer: The suitcase that McLeery carried had a sealed question paper
envelope, a yellow invigilation form, a special authentication card from the
Examination Board, a paper knife, a Bible, the current copy of Church
Times and a small semi-inflated rubber ring.
Question 10: What did the Detective Superintendent inform the Governor
about Evans?
Answer: The Detective Superintendent informed the Governor that
McLeery had spotted Evans in a car and had taken down the car’s number.
They tried to chase the car but lost it after some time.
Question 11: How did the Governor find out where Evans was?
Answer: The Governor thought about the six-digit reference number and
after putting the two numbers, the index and the centre number together and
with the help of the ‘Ordinance Survey Map for Oxfordshire’ he reached the
hotel to find Evans.
Question 12: Who was Carter? What did the Governor ask him to do?
Answer: Carter was the Detective Superintendent. The Governor had asked
him to take Evans, who was disguised as injured McLeery, along
considering that he knew where Evans could be.
Question 13: How did the Governor react to the two phone calls he received
in quick succession?
Answer: The Governor had a sharp presence of mind and wanted to give
Evans no chance to escape. So, he verified the first phone call he received.
However, he did not do so with the second call as he thought he was being
paranoid.
Question 14: How did the question paper and the correction slip help the
prisoner and the Governor?
Answer: The purpose of the cleverly superimposed photocopied sheet on
the question paper and the correction slip was to finalise the details of
Evans’ plan of escape. It also helped the Governor to locate the place where
Evans was hiding.
Question 15: Why did Evans not take off his hat when Jackson ordered him
to do so?
Answer: Evans knew that the duplicate McLeery, who was to invigilate
during the O-level German examination, had short hair. So, he cropped his
hair to pass off as McLeery later and wore a hat on exam day. Hence, he did
not take off his hat when Jackson told him to do so.
Question 16: How does McLeery explain the presence of a small semi-
inflated rubber ring? What did it actually contain?
Answer: McLeery tells Jackson that he is suffering from haemorrhoids
(piles) and the ring helps him when he has to sit for a long time. In reality,
the ring contained pig blood, which Evans would splatter on his head and
escape from the hospital as McLeery who had been injured.
Question 17: What clues did the answer sheet of Evans provide to the
Governor?
Answer: The index number 313 and the centre number 271 on the answer
sheet proved to be the clues for the Governor. Putting the two together and
with the help of the Ordinance Survey Map for Oxfordshire, he managed to
catch Evans in the hotel.
Question 18: How did Evans outwit the Governor in the end?
Answer: Evans outwitted the Governor in the end by escaping again. This
was due to the fact that he knew the prison officer who handcuffed him and
the driver who was driving the van.
Question 19: Who do you think has outwitted the other-Evans or the
Governor? How?
Answer: Evans had outwitted the Governor in the end. This was because he
was able to escape again after being caught by the Governor at the hotel.
Long Questions
Question 1: Describe the precautions taken by the prison officers to prevent

Evans from escaping.
Answer: As Evans had tried to escape before, the prison authorities had
taken all possible precautions for the smooth conduct of the examination.
Evans’ cell was thoroughly checked a night before and all sharp-edged
objects like razor, nail-file, scissors, etc. were taken away from him. The
suitcase of the invigilator, McLeery, was carefully checked before he
entered the cell. Also, the Governor had himself decided to supervise the
examination by listening in through the microphone connected to Evans’
cell. Prison officer Stephens was deployed to observe Evans from the
peephole every minute or so. Another prison officer Mr Jackson was in
constant contact with the Governor on the phone. Both the gates of the wings
of Evans’ cell were locked tightly.
Thus, the authorities left no stone unturned in ensuring the smooth and safe
conduct of the examination.
Question 2: How did the negligence of the prison officers prove to be a boon
for Evans?
Answer: The prison authorities had taken multi-step detailed precautions for
the safe conduct of the examination. However, some lapses on their part at
critical moments proved to be a boon for Evans.
First of all, one tried to verify the identity of the invigilator McLeery and
that turned out to be a key mistake in this case. Similarly, the identities of
the van driver and the officer who handcuffed Evans were not verified. All
of them later turned out to be Evans’ accomplices.
The Detective Superintendent also acted hastily and did not drive the injured
McLeery to the hospital.
This gave Evans the chance to escape. Finally, the Governor, who had a
sharp presence of mind and hawk-eyed vigil, made the greatest blunder.
When he nabbed Evans at the hotel, he did not bring him to the jail with him
and sent him with a driver and a prison officer. Thus, Evans escaped yet
again.
Question 3: Give a character sketch of the Governor of Oxford Prison based

on your understanding of the story, ‘Evans Tries an O-level’.
Answer: The Governor of the HM Prison, Oxford, appears to be a kind-
hearted fellow at the start as he arranges for an O-level exam for a prisoner
renowned for his ability to escape. He was, though, quite sceptical of Evans
and made every arrangement to make sure that Evans had no means to
escape.
He was also very proud and self-conscious. He did not want Evans to
disgrace him by escaping from his prison. He had a sharp presence of mind,
which was clear from the fact that he cross checked every call that was made
to the prison that day.
However, he got over-confident of his arrangements and gave Evans the
opportunity to escape.
Also, he was a person who did not mind showering praise on a prisoner.
When Evans revealed his secret plan to him, he admired him. At last, he
proved to be just another gullible Governor when Evans tricked him again
and successfully escaped. His overconfidence and self-praise let him down.
Question 4: How was the injured McLeery able to befool the prison officers?
Answer: Evans acted really well as the ‘injured’ McLeery. The fake blood
that was supplied to him by his invigilator friend was pouring down from
his head. With a ‘feeble’ hand, he got his handkerchief and held it to his
bleeding head. In fact, in that process, he was able to hide his face from the
eyes of the prison officer. He was in so much pain that he could hardly utter
a coherent word! In this way, he concealed his voice and was able to dodge
the officers.
The moment he heard the suggestion of bringing in an ambulance, he
interrupted and asked them to call the police; he offered them his help in
tracing Evans whom the authorities thought had escaped. This was a part of
his plan in which all the officers got trapped.
Evans acting as the injured McLeery fooled all the officers and hence he got
successful in making them believe that the injured invigilator was really
trying to help them. Thus, by his superb acting of an injured person, he was
completely successful in befooling and confusing the prison officers.
Question 5: What purpose did the question paper and the correction slip
serve? How did they help both the criminals and the Governor?
Answer: The purpose of the photocopied sheet that was superimposed on
the question paper and the correction slip was to supply the details of the
plan of escape to Evans without uttering a single word. It was a well-thought
out meticulous plan. It was also meant to make the authorities believe that
the wounded man was McLeery himself. And at that moment, it worked as
was thought and the authorities got trapped.
However, there is a wise saying ‘iron cuts iron’. Just like that, if that
superimposed question paper and correction slip helped Evans, then the
same also helped the Governor in locating the place where Evans was
hiding.
The six-digit number of the correction slip i.e., the index number and the
centre number 313/271, helped the Governor. He put these numbers
together and with the help of the Ordinance Survey Map of Oxfordshire
reached the hotel where Evans had decided to hide for the day.
Question 6: In spite of the precautions taken by the Governor, Evans was

able to escape. How do you think he was able to do it?
Answer: Evans, the habitual jail-breaker outwits everyone and in spite of all
the precautions taken by the Governor he is able to escape from prison. From
the very beginning when the German teacher enters the prison to the last
encounter between the Governor and Evans in the hotel, the latter outsmarts
them at each stage and proves that they are no match for his crafty scheming.
Evans carries out all his plans ‘right under their noses’, turning tables on
them, making the prison authorities appear as ‘good for nothing’ officers.
For example, he knew that Mr Jackson who used a rough tone had some
compassion for him. He granted Evans’ request to keep the filthy looked red
and white bobble hat on his head during the examination. The hat was
actually to hide his recently cropped hair. Also, he knew that prison officers
will blindly go by assumption. He pretended to pose as ‘injured’ McLeery
in the cell. No one checked the identity of ‘injured’ McLeery as it was
assumed that Evans had hit McLeery and escaped.
In fact, Evans is actually, officially escorted out of jail by the prison officials
themselves. Finally, at the hotel, when the Governor feels that he has been
able to nab Evans, he dodges him and slips away.
Value Based Question
Question 1: When Stephen comes back to the cell he jumps to a conclusion

and the whole machinery blindly goes by his assumption without even
checking the identity of the injured ‘McLeery’. Does this show how hasty
conjectures can prevent one from seeing the obvious? How is the criminal
able to predict such negligence?
Answer: Evans has assessed the weaknesses of the jail officers successfully.
When he saw the injured McLeery in the cell he was so overwhelmed that
he did not even check who he really was and neither did anyone else. It did
not occur to anyone to question how there could be two persons – one in the
cell and the other who had been escorted out by Stephens.
It was for this reason that friends of Evans, who posing as Governor on the
phone, had directed Stephens that he himself should escort the person out
when the exam finished. The Governor and his officers, in effect actually
led Evans out of the prison. The question paper is left behind to further
mislead the Governor. This shows that Evans planned his strategy after
thoroughly understanding the behaviour of the prison officers.
Question 2: While we condemn the crime, we are sympathetic to the

criminal. Is this the reason why prison staff often develop a soft corner for
those in custody?
Answer: ‘Crime’ and ‘criminals’ are usually considered synonymous.
However, our perception changes when we see a criminal suffering or
serving his punishment. This happened with the prison staff also. Noticing
a criminal suffering in the prison, they developed a soft corner for him. They
looked at him as a human being and not as a mere criminal. They started
noticing and appreciating his mental capabilities rather than remembering
his crime.
In the story, Jackson lets Evans keep his hat on after being informed about
it being lucky for Evans. Evans knew of the emotional side of Jackson and
so hit it directly through his talk about ‘lucky charm’ and managed to fool
the stern and practical officer. Even the Governor could not help noticing
his intelligence when caught him in the hotel. Thus, he was not cruel or stern
with Evans, and regrettably, took him leniently.
KIRIT CHAUHAN
PGT ENGLISH
KV NO 1 SHAHIBAUG AHMEDABAD

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Q 3. CPR Senior Secondary School, Meerut is looking for a receptionist for

Q 4. You are Mohan/Mohini, General Manager of PK Industries,

Q 5. You are Ratan/Rani, General Manager of Hotel Green Park, Lucknow.

Q 9. You are General Manager of EVL company which requires Posh

• It is designed for commercial purpose.

• Do not forget to mention the name of the company / institute /

1. On behalf of M/S Success Tutorials, draft an advertisement to be

Click for Answer 1

Click for Answer 2

Click for Answer 3

Invitation & Reply

1. A formal invitation is normally a single sentence presentation in third

Q 1: Rahul has got success in CBSE-PMT. He wants to celebrate his

4357, Vasant Kunj

(RESPONDING TO FORMAL AND INFORMAL INVITATIONS)

(a) Formal Replies

• Acknowledge the invitation.

(b) Informal Replies

Q 1: Draft a formal reply accepting an invitation to be present on the

Q 2: Write a formal reply expressing your inability to attend the birthday

Q 3: You are Dr A P Bhalla. You have received an invitation from the

Dr A P Bhalla has a great pleasure in receiving the invitation from the

Q 4: You are Namrata/Yogesh. You have been invited to participate in a

Sub: Acceptance of Invitation

205, Vasant Kunj

1. You have received an invitation from the Manager, Rotary Club,

Let us now examine some of the steps in writing formal letters.

A letter has a typical format:

1. Name and address of the sender –

Writing Good Business/Official Letters

1. Be brief, clear, concise and to the point.

LETTERS TO THE EDITOR AND LETTERS TO SCHOOL/COLLEGE

APPLICATION FOR JOB

WHAT IS C.V. / BIO-DATA?

The application for a job is sometimes accompanied by a Bio-data of the