GRADE - VII

ENGLISH – II
UNIT 3

HOMESICKNESS
-Roald Dahl-

Roald Dahl
(13 September 1916 – 23 November 1990)

 British novelist, short-story writer, poet, screenwriter, and

wartime fighter pilot.
 Dahl was born in Wales to Norwegian immigrant parents. He
served in the Royal Air Force during the Second World War.
 Referred to as "one of the greatest storytellers for children of
the 20th century".
 In 2008, The Times placed Dahl 16th on its list of "The 50 greatest
British writers since 1945".
 Dahl's short stories are known for their unexpected endings, and
his children's books for their unsentimental, macabre, often
darkly comic mood, featuring villainous adult enemies of the
child characters.
  His books champion the kindhearted and feature an
underlying warm sentiment.
 His works for children include James and the Giant
Peach, Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, Matilda, The
Witches, Fantastic Mr. Fox, The BFG, The Twits, and George's
Marvelous Medicine
 His adult works include Tales of the Unexpected.

HOMESICKNESS
- SUMMARY-
‘Homesickness’ is an excerpt from Roald Dahl’s autobiography
‘Boy: Tales of Childhood’.
(An autobiography is the true story of one’s own life. It is written in the
first person and includes important events in the author’s life. In an
autobiography, the author remains the main character and the narrative is
related from the author’s perspective, expressing their own ideas or
feelings about happenings and the people who have played a role in the
story of their life.)
When he was nine, Dahl was sent to a boarding school called St.
Peter’s. He feels so homesick there that he thinks of a desperate plan to
go back home.
Some time ago, one of his sisters had an appendicitis operation at
their home; Dahl had the opportunity to observe her symptoms closely.
He paints an entertaining picture of that event—how he and his other
sisters lurked outside the nursery, where the operation was taking place.
When they were allowed to see the appendix, the boy asked curious
questions about it to his Nanny. Nanny said that loose toothbrush-
bristles, when swallowed, could stick in the appendix and make it go
bad, thus instilling in him a fear of loose toothbrush bristles.
 In the school, the boy, confident of his plan, goes up to the Matron’s
room and complains of being unwell. He also groans and yells and lies
about being sick. His act is so convincing that the Matron calls in the
school doctor. Eventually, it is decided that the boy will be sent home.
Needless to say, this news delights him, though he has to hide his
happiness in order to pretend to be ill.
Back home in Cardiff, however, when he is examined by Dr Dunbar,
who knew him and his family, Dahl is less successful. Dr Dunbar sees
through his act and also understands why he had pretended to be ill.
However, like a good sport, he decides to help the boy stay at home for a
few days by telling the school that he has a stomach infection. At the
same time, he explains to the child why he had convinced his mother to
send him to boarding school and why the boy needs to be braver and
more patient. Relieved and grateful, the boy promises he will never try
any similar trick again.

-NEW WORDS-
1. seasickness:
a feeling that you want to vomit because of the constant
movement of the ship

2. appendicitis:
 a condition in which the appendix becomes infected and has to
be removed through an operation

3. at close quarters:
from a short distance

4. anesthetist:
a doctor who gives an anesthetic to a patient

5. lurking:
waiting quietly and secretly, especially before doing something
bad

6. spellbound:
fascinated

7. sickly fumes of ether:

strong smell of ether, which is a substance used as an anesthetic

8. stock:
usual, typical

9. matron:
a woman who is in charge of the living and medical
arrangements of the children at a boarding school

10. staggering:
walking with difficulty, as if he was going to fall
11. pathetically:
in a way that would make people pity him.

12. moaned:
made a low sound or spoke in such a way that expressed pain
and suffering

13. ruptured:
brocken or burst

14. prodding:
pocking with a pointed object
15. penetrating:
steady and sharp look, as if looking into the other’s mind

16. inflammation:
a painful swelling caused by an infection

17. stick it out:

face an unpleasant situation with courage and patience
18. persuaded:
made her change her mind through requests and arguments

-TEXTUAL QUESTION AND ANSWERS-

1. Why did the speaker think that he may sound silly? How did
he argue that he was not silly?
ans: The speaker thought that he might sound silly for thinking that as a
nine-year-old he could make a number of grown-ups believe that he had
appendicitis when he did not and thus get sent home from school. He
argued that he was, in fact, not silly, by explaining that not long before,
one of his sisters had actually had appendicitis, and he had observed
closely how she behaved—how she hurt on the lower right side of her
tummy, kept being sick and ran a temperature. So he knew exactly how
to pretend to be ill so that he would be believed.
2. How did the speaker and his sisters react to the event of an operation
inside their home?
ans: The speaker and his sisters were very excited about the event of an
operation inside their home. They lurked in the corridor outside the
nursery while the operation was going on. They stood fascinated outside
the nursery door, listening to the soft murmurs that could be heard from
inside. They could smell the ether through the crack under the door and
imagined what the patient might be looking like.

3. Who are the adults in this story? How did the speaker as a child, feel
towards them? why do you think that he felt that way?
ans: The adults in this story are the speaker’s Nanny, the school Matron,
the school doctor, the speaker’s mother and Dr Dunbar. The speaker, as
a child, admired Nanny as being very wise, and believed everything she
told him. This could be because she had a ready reply for every question.
He was rather afraid of the school Matron. It could be because she was
rather stern with him. He loved his mother and wanted to go home to
her. He also admired Dr Dunbar greatly because Dr Dunbar was a skilful
doctor as well as a wise and kind person. He listened to his advice and
was grateful to Dr Dunbar for helping him.
4. Dr Dunbar taught the speaker a lesson, but he also helped him. How
did he do that?
ans: Dr Dunbar taught the speaker a lesson by pointing out that life is
tough and the sooner he learned to cope with it, the better it would be for
him. He explained why the speaker needed to face his homesickness. At
the same time, he was kind, understanding and sympathetic. He told the
school that the speaker had to stay at home for a few days so that the
speaker’s plan was not a complete failure and he did get to spend some
time with his family.

-B. READ THE LINES AND ANSWER QUESTIONS-

1. For years after that, I used to get nervous whenever I found a
toothbrush bristle on my tongue. (para 16)
a. Why did the speaker get nervous on finding a toothbrush bristle on
his tongue?
ans: The speaker had asked his Nanny what causes an attack of
appendicitis and she had said that if loose toothbrush bristles were
swallowed, then they get stuck in the appendix and turn it rotten. That is
why he would get nervous if he found a loose toothbrush bristle on his
tongue.
b. What can you understand about the speaker’s attitude to his nanny
from this? Which other words support your answer?
ans: From this statement it is clear that the speaker had great faith in his
Nanny’s wisdom. He believed whatever she told him. The other words
that show his attitude towards his Nanny are ‘Nanny, who in my eyes
was filled with more wisdom than Solomon...’

2. I entered the room clutching my stomach on the right-hand side

and staggering pathetically. (para 19)
a. Which room is being referred to?
ans: The Matron’s room in the speaker’s school is being referred to
here.
b. Why was the speaker clutching his hand on the right-hand side?
ans: The speaker was pretending to have an attack of appendicitis. He
had observed his sister, who had really had such an attack, and she had
complained of pain in the lower right side of her tummy. That is why he
was clutching his stomach on the right-hand side.
 c. Why was he staggering pathetically?
ans: The speaker was staggering pathetically because he was pretending
to be in great pain. He was putting on an act of being very ill—so ill that
he could not eat or walk properly.

3. Then I slipped in the clincher (para 25)

a. What was the clincher?
ans: The clincher was the speaker’s (false) report to the Matron that he
had been sick all morning.
b. What do you think the word ‘clincher’ means here?
ans: Here, the word ‘clincher’ means the final argument or statement
that would decide the case. It is because the speaker said that he had
been sick that the Matron finally began to believe him.

4. Life is tough, and the sooner you learn how to cope with it the
better for you. Why did Dr Dunbar say this to the speaker? Do you
think that after this incident he would face a similar situation differently?
ans: Dr Dunbar said this because he had understood that the speaker had
lied and pretended to be sick in order to come back home. He knew that
the speaker may be homesick again, or face other problems at school,
but he had to be strong and face them bravely.