Lost Spring

Notes & Questions by Slmran Sahni

This Is story of. Saheb-e-Alam and Mukesh two httle boys, who are not able to llve and
enjoy their childhood as
they have to carry the burden of poverty and ifliteracy

r uthor's encounter with Saheb

ICKER BOY "- SAHEB SIMRAN SAHNI

GARBAGE saounge
DHAKA.rem home green field stom, destroyed, So they came to big
cities. In search of gold.

Author ask SAHEB 'Wtry do you do this?" He said ·1 have nothing

else to do
•Go to schoor hollow advice
-rhere is no school in my neighbourhood. When they
build one, I will go.•
comer
·1f I start a school wll you author ask. half-joking.
-Yes; he says, smiling broadly.

AUTHOR EMBARRASSED

Few days later SAHEB came to Author and asked

·1s your
school ready?·
•tt takes longer to build a school; embarrassed on making false promises. but it's not new
forSAHEB

AFTER A MONTH OF KNOWING SAHEB

Author ask hin his name.
·Sahe~Alam,· he told he doesn't knew meaning of his name that Is ·Sahet>-e-Alam,·
Otherwise he would be shocked
Unaware roam streets barefoot boys army~ morning birds
and disappear at noon.
Now over months author recognized them all.
BAREFOOT BOYS ARMY

One day she asked

"Why aren't you wearing chappals?
•My mother did not bring them down from the shelf,•
·Even if she did he will throw them off,• adds another
who is wearing shoes that do not match
Other said ·1 want shoes

Author has witnesses children walking barefoot. In

cities, on village roads children walking barefoot, In
cities, on village roads some say its tradition but actually Its
excuse for perpetual state of poverty.

Man from Udipl

Young man father priest. he pray for a pair of shoes.

Now 30 years later.new priest backyard chairs plastic red
white .
Boy school dress shoes
The goddess had granted his prayer. Yomg boys like
the son of the priest now wore shoes. But many others Uke
the ragpickers in my neighbourhood remain shoeless.

Author went to SEEMAPURI

a place on the periphery of Delhi

Bangladesh back in 1971 .
HOUSES ARE structures of mud, with
roofs of tin and tarpaulin, dew>id of sewage, drainage or
running water, live 10,000 ragpickers.
More than 30 years ,without an Identity, without
permits but with ration cards that get their names on voters' •
lists and enable them to buy grain
Food more important survival than Identity

PEOPLE LIVING IN SEEMAPURI SAYS THAT

·tf at the end of the day we

can feed our families and go to bed without an aching
stomach, we would rather live here than in the fields that
gaYe us no grain,•
Food more important survival than identity.

THEIR children BECOME partner In survival.

Survival to THEM was rag picking
Rag picking for elders their daily bread and means of survival for children a treosure of
wonderful things

Elders ragpicking - bread

Children • gold

·1 sometimes find a rupee, even a te~rupee note,·

Seheb says, his eyes lighting up .
In hope of silver cofns scowge more .

Winter morning Au1hor Tennis Club

SAHEB watching two young men playing tennis

·1 llke the game.he go Inside and e~oy swings when

Noone Is around
Gatekeeper allow him
SAHEB wearing tennis shoes hole.- dream come
true
But tennis far from reach

SAHEB NO LONGER MASTER

One Morning
Tea stall
800 rupees and all my meals
Seheb is no longer his own master!
CHARACTER
1. Sah~am: A rag picker

Shaeb-e-Alam was a rag--picker who lived ln Seemapuri.

His family had migrated from Dhaka to India with the

hope of finding better life conditions. Every morning. he

roamed about streets collecting garbage. Many other boys

also accompanied him. His family lived In miserable

conditions. He used to search valuable things in garbage to

eam his llv~ihood but despite being poor, he was full of

hope. Later. he was employed In a teastall. He now became

a labourer and lost his carefree life. He was burdened wtth

responsibility of the job. He lost his childhood due to his

poverty which made him work as a child labour.

Main Theme

The plight of street children forced into labour earty in life and denied the opportunity of
schooling.
Sub-theme
The callousness of society and the political class to the sufferings of the poor.

Issues- Raised :
(a) Ch1ilcHabour
(b) ExploltaUon of chUdren
(c) Corruption by those In power and pos;jtion
LOST SPRING -Anees Jung
0 I WANT TO DRIVE A CAR

AUTHOR MET MUKESH CHILO WHO WORKS IN AROZABAD GLASS INDUSTRY

MUKESH WAS DIFFERENT WANTS TO BECOME HIS OWN MASTER

·1 will be a motor mechanic,-00 you know anything about cars?" I ask.

·1 will leam to drive a car.

Answer spn in eyes .but dream mirage

MlAcesh
Simran Sahni
• the bangle maker of Arozabad
• high temperatwe
• dreams of being a motor mechanic, wants to break the lineage

0 Flrozabad

Famous for glass blowing bangles factory

Most of the family engaged In making bangles ,generating after generation
Working lnear furnaces welding glass making bangles,
MUKESH f amlly ~ same

0 lD LA80UI IN HAZARDOUS ACTMT1ES

NO ONE KNew ILLEGAL to

work In the glass f umaces
high temperatures, In dingy cells without air
and light;

law, If enforced, property will pull out thousand children out those factories.

ChUdren loose eyesight before age because of working In these factories.

AUTHOR WENT TO MUKESH'S HOUSE

MUKESH excited .house rebuild

StJnkjng lanes choked with garbage
Doors no windows,
Crowded family with animals too

MUKESH house
Iron door bang
half-built shack
One side firewood stove,vessel spinach more vegetables In alumnum platter
Young women cook.smoke J smHe
wife of Mukesh's
elder bro1her.not old .but Bat.J .- hold duty of house

Elder bro1her's wife -

In ch•ge of famtly members

When MUKESH father came she hides her face with veil

~ Mukesh fat her worted very hard , tallor,bangle maker

Failed to renovate house and aend his children to school.
Only taught them art of banglecmaldng

MUKESH GRANO MOTHER '\

•. Thmr present state restAt of Karma.

Accepted her t.Jsband's bHndness caused by dust of glass bangles as their destiny.

Thinks art of bangle maldng god given lineage.

Condition of CHILDREN

DARK HOUSE
OIL LAMPWB.DING GLASS BANGLES
Eyes more adjusted to dark
Often end up loosing eyesight
SAVrTA 0

You,g girt pink dress elder woman soldertng glass mechanic hands
Maki,g bangles
~ 1hought etlher lhe know the sanctity of bangles ahe make,
Inclan woman's slilalg, auspiciousness In
marriage.

One day she wll become bride

Bdefwo man
·Ek waqt ser bhar khana bhi nahln khaya,•
Elder woman said Her husband, an old man wt1tt a f l ~ beard, says, ·1 know nothing
except bangles.

Al I have done is make I house fOf' the family to live 1n.•

v Vicious circle of pcM!fty

No p,ogress despite of yen struggle POYerty, ll111eracy disaatlsf action Victms of

middle man and touts

GENERATION AFTER GENERATION

You,g men echo the 1.-nent

of their elders. little h• moYed with tlme, it seem,, in
Firozabad. Yen of mind-numbing toll have kiNed all
lnttlltlve and the ability to dreem.

Author asked to make cooperatives

Even If lhey do THEY WIU BE ARRESTED ~ the police, beaten and

dragged to jail fOf' doing somelhlng illegal,·
Father's we tired,poverty injustice

2 ';: family

, st poverty, tudene d by the

stigma of caste In which they are
born;

2 the other • vicious circle of the 11huk1rs. the middlemen, the policemen. the keepers of
law, the bureeuet1ta Ind lh• politicians.
MUKESH was different •1 want to be a motor mechanic:

Have dfeam to be motor mechanic

Practical does not have dream of aeroplanes.

·0o you also dream of

flying I plane?
•No:
Few airplanes
fly over Flrozabad.

u,iJ,,i§
Plight of street ch1ldrerl_
Forced labour 1n the early life
Denied opportunrty of schooling
Society and political class are responsible for such
s1tuat1ons

Hazards of Wcrtlng In Glass Bangle Factory

• work place - sm■ I and dingy
• long woomg hours In front of hot furnaces
· boys and girts assist parents in the dim light of flickering oil lamps.
• eyes more adjusted to dartt than light.
• dust from polishing bangles affect their eyes, skin and health
• exploited by money lenders, police. bureaucrats, poUticians.
• fear of being lll•treated by police.
• Ive In a state of Intense poverty.
• Ive in stinky lanes
• over crowded place with t.Jmans and animals.
 THE LAST LESSON
CLASS 12 ENGLISH

~.... Notes
Simran Sahni
Bacit Ground - Franco-Prussian War ( 1870-1871 )
Prussia won the War (Prussia = Austria & Poland + Gennany)
Order fran Ben., - only Germen would be taught In the Schools In Alsace and Lorraine

FRANZ LATE FOA SCHOOL

. Franz - - ..l"Ndy 1• & - - afraid of bang acolded by Mr. II. H_,.I, the F,.nc:11 t.N dler.

He w auppoeed ID lw'n • leMon on .-r11clpl• but he w nat prepaNd.

The Day•• brtaht & sunny and he . . . the Pnaalart soldier ctrtll

tt. Wllftlad ID 9IIJp achoal thlll •but lie rNlelld •I llmptlltlons and went ID C:: school

On hit wa y to School :

He . . . • crowd ,_.,. the bu...ln board which contained al th.. lnfu.'fflalicm aboli the••• loet
a.a-. onlera of the CCNllftWncllna ofllcer.

He IMI the lllAC1<1111TH WATCHER, who _,.... him nat to run he hH pten1y of time.

Franz thought he • • making fun of him.

Franz tNdlff Schoel:

. n. achoal . . •qui••• lunday momlng• no ,appllng of rular• on--. ch...., not

,.pea11ng , , _ leMon In unaan, no nofN d opening & c~ng of des Ila.

Franz had planned to tau advantage of the urty momlng commotion and •nt• the school
without bang noticed.

The INcher (II. Hamal) did not scold him, slmpty ailed him ID tall• his .... H qui.ly •
posalble.
 C HANGE S"' CLASSROOM

llr. II. ...... ... apedll y d,_..d , In h6a bNuft, I ..... coat. Ma
frllld ehi,t, and tN ,.....adl S,111
uip, all .,.bnM l. .d . Inspect ion & P'rtcie ~ ,whch fie
normall y
WON Oft lnapect ion dap & pna daplSu ndap.

. The beck INnche e ttllll normal ly ,...nec t empe,, .. ,. occupa d by

VIUAG Ea.
Uu old ....._, fom.r " ' ~ , t o n n e , ~.

........ • • WNft"9 ■ ..,.. polnead hat and w• halcll"9 M old

p,t_, wllldl - - lhtu,. .d ■e ...... .

In The Ct.Mo om: ,Sl artJing Ra-....uon

of Atucie & Lorrain e.

111, II. K....e ■nltOUft cId tt'8I ,IWldl ... no . . . ., be taught In,. . aoool l
ID be atlllftttwe
And ■tao announ ced tt'8I Hw• "'-' I • lwon. ,and •Md a..•po, ,e

. Franz Wt wery bad for n11h Hnu lhe languag e ao much.

The boob ttllll •--d bonng ■ppNr■d to be hlil l a frt■nda.

Evert fie tDtgot hlil .._,_.. cranky rullr

Un d1raeood wlly 11.h■IMI WOf9 apeclal s-■,and viii.... c:ameJ,fler Wt eorry lor MC IWnln t
,,._.1■ ,.....andlD
tll■nll II KAlll!l. ,Oft 44t pars ..vice

111. ..... 1 ■-lied to rec le ,IMlt , , _ fie dllln1 knew Ille p■rtlcl,._
Wt Nd. lt. . . .ed of not INml. .
IHIINO M.

We Mi' ■ greal deal 10 rep,oec h ourNi. es

M. Hamol bLlmu for the neglect of loaming People of Aluce who kept learning for
t omorrowP arants preferred to pul their ch•dren on farm mllls for money .Blames Himself for not
t aking hi• classes Mrlously.Sendl ng students to water hi• pLanta and giving holdays when ho
wished to go f or fishi ng.

11.hafflel IOld lmpcwtance of language

lloet beautlul . . . . . . . . . . . d . . .t and ffloet loglcal,W. ahould ....d tt - ,long - OM . . .

language. lley to wwy prteon.

GRAMMAR ••aon atan.d

Franaw ad undltatood ew.,thlng

E•y . nwy be he wa aaenttw or Sir . . teechlne pallllftt~.
Teach • much • he CM

Writing ••aona at art

II. Hanel brought MW coplea tor aN

To ~ It all • new atart.
On copiN one had to prac::tic4t haftdwrttl ng .
It wa• wrttlen In beautiful round hand--
France, Alaace, France, Al.ace.•..
'It looked Hile lltlte Flaga floating .wry whefw In the achool
room, hw,g from the rod at the IDp of our dNka'
Eve,yone at to work. ew,y thing . . . quiet, onty aound
heard wa• the acratchln g d pen owr the paper..

Frw tNnka,"WII tt-.y .,.._ them •Int In Germen, even the JH9Nft•r

Fran1 saw M H.amet

Sltllne motlonlNa chair pa• c•• ..,.lld to fix c•• In Na hNd •

40 y..,. HAS REN• SAME CLASMO OII

UTTU CHANGES SINCE THEN UKE

. .rden outalde. , walnut t,_ OMW 1811,HOPING PLANT GMW t TALL

.,..., ,-cling trunb . . . . COUMy Mid day

AFTER Writ.I ng 1... ona HISTORY LESSONS atatted baby chanledba , be -,., bo, bu.
Old ......, cry In a tNmblng voice

Ending of the l ast leuon

Church clodl atrudl 12 Anallua trumpela Mldlen Pruulan

returned drll

11.harMI stood u, ........

Illy fNnda ''-·----.Challed
lllckboard tum chalk

Vhf• La franc• 1 1 O.ture .. _.,. "Scnool ls clsfflllted -you

may go.• .
 lllaln lhenw.•

This Ille eon hlthlghta the lfflPCN'111nc• of OM'• own 11,...ge fOf' t,_ emtance
H bri9 out the C O i ~ of Ungul•lc Chawlnl9m

H el90 hlthlthta the lltttlude d po91,ponlng lumlng b)' peapte.

•>IIHalMl•••t.....,
o T..,..t fNndl IDr fofty r-ra , and-• very ud that he had to INY• the pt_..
o W. a atrlct INc:her and a dl9dplnarian

b> II Hamel• • -lot

o final ~ allowed hla low IDr fNnch and chlldNn.

o - paulonate about hi• molher t-.ue

o Told the wt. . . . . about the lll!pOftMCe of """1, MMe of Id• tltlt and palriotlam.

Fnnz•••tudene
I

CLASS 12 ENGLISH

Ill nd l'MIP

Franz l.819 for School

• Crowd al the Town Hal.bulletin board
,Un...... allencealachool
• Lat Lw on Dedared b)' llr II. HAMEL
• A Sudden Change In Frann fo, 11.,,_. FNndl. He NgNbd . •
• ,,.,. re.. on Partldplla
• llllpOftanoe of FIWII La,.._. . hl9hlghlNI b)' II. ..._..,
• II Halnel and hla lat f..nch ._.on.ew•,one studied will conoentralion
• Al the and. Vlwe La France 1 1 (BLACK BOARD>
 Flamingo

Chapter-1 The Last Lesson

Class 12 English Core Notes

• Franz is afraid of going to school as he has not learnt participles.

• He wants to enjoy beauty of nature. The bright sunshine, the birds chirruping
in the woods, Prussian soldiers drilling but resisted.

• Bulletin board:all bad news, lost battles, the drafts and orders of the
commanding officers: wondered what it could be now
• The changes he noticed in the school.

- Instead of noisy classrooms everything was as quiet as Sunday morning

G e teacher does not scold him and told him very kindly to go to his seat
e teacher dressed in his Sunday best.
o
- Villagers occupying the last benches- To pay tribute to M. Hamel for his 40 yrs
of sincere service and also to express their solidarity with France.
• M. Hamel making the announcement that that would be the last French
lesson; realizes that, that was what was put up on the bulletin board.

• Franz realizes that he does not know his own mother tongue
• Regretted why he had not taken his lessons seriously.

• Also realizes the reason why teacher was dressed in his Sunday best and
villagers sitting at the back.

• M. Hamel realizes that all three, the children, the parents and he himself are to
be blamed for losing respect and regard for the mother tongue.

• Always keep the mother tongue close to your heart as it is the key to the
@ n~slaN~

• Atmosphere in class: teacher teaching sincerely and patiently, students and

o
others studying with utmost sincerity.

• Franz wonders sarcastically if Prussians could force pigeons to coo in

German.
• M. Hamel overcome with emotions could not speak and wrote on the black
board "Long Live France".
 Class XII
Flamingo
THE LAST LESSON

1. What was Franz's reaction when he learnt that he was attending his French
lesson for the last
time?

Answer: He felt sorry that he had not learnt his lessons and wasted his time in
seeking birds' eggs and
going sliding on the Saar. He felt that his books, which were such a nuisance a
while ago and heavy to
carry, were now like old friends that he didn't want to give up at all.

2. What did Franz notice that was unusual about the school that day?
Answer: Franz noticed a crowd in front of the bulletin board . Nobody seemed to
be in a hurry to reach
chooL Everything was still. There was no commotion that day and everyt' &
squ1etasona U
ay morning . Even Mr. Hamel was not annoyed when Franz walked into the
classroom late.

3. What was Franz expected to be prepared with for the school that day?
Answer: That particular day, Franz was expected to be prepared with 'participles'
as Mr. Hamel, the
French teacher, was going to question the students on this topic in grammar.

4. What had been put up on the bulletin board?

Answer: The crowd in front of the bulletin board indicated the display of some
important news item on
it. Later, Franz realised that the news was about an order sent from Berlin to teach
only German in the
schools of Alsace and Lorraine. Mr. Hamel announced that he would be teaching
his last French lesson
that day since German language woul•be taught from the next day onward.
 5. What was Hamel's reaction when Franz could not answer his question in the
class correctly?
Answer: Franz was scared of Mr. Hamel's reaction when he was unable to answer
the question. His
heart started beating and he dared not look up. Mr. Hamel, instead, told Franz that
he would not scold
him. He blamed all Frenchmen for not knowing how to speak or write their own
mother tongue.

6.What message does the story 'The Last Lesson' carry? How relevant is it
today?
Ans. The story carries the message of the importance of holding on to one's
identity and culture and not losing it or taking it for granted. It emphasizes the
importance of holding onto one's language as the key to our identity. It highlights
the importance of one's language in preserving our heritage and history. In the
story, the oppressors were using the ultimate weapon of imposing their language
A eir captives in a bid to wipe out their national identity and pride. It, therefc.A
~ strong message for us to take pride in our own language because it giveV
us our identity which once lost cannot be regained.

7.How and why was M. Hamel dressed differently that day? (Board 2019)
M Hamel was dressed differently on that day, wearing his fine Sunday clothes,
beautiful green coat, frilled shirt and the little black silk, all embroidered. He never
used to wear these except on inspection and prize days. He knew that it was his
last
lesson and it was in honor of this last lesson that he had put on his fine clothes.

8.'We've all a great deal to reproach ourselves with". said M Hamel. Comment.
M Hamel reproach,es himself for his student's unsatisfactory progress in studies
because he has given them his own personal work to do during school time.
Besides, he also gave them a holiday when he wanted to go fishing. He also tells
the
villagers that they should repro~co t,bernviye~. fe,r ,1:ot having learnt their
language.
9.Poor man! It was in honour of this last lesson that he had put on his fine Sunday
clothes, and now I understood why the old men of the village were sining there in
the
back of the room. It was because they were sorry, too, that they had not gone to
school more. It was their way of thanking our master for his forty years of faithful
service and of showing their respect for the country that was theirs no more.

i Why does the narrator refer to M. Hamel as 'Poor man!'?

a) He empathizes with M. Hamel as he had to leave the village.
b) He believes that M. Hamel's "fine Sunday clothes· clearly reflected that he was
not rich .
c) He feels sorry for M. Hamel as it was his last French lesson
d) He thinks that M. Hamel's patriotism and sense of duty resulted in his poverty.

ii Which of the following idioms might describe the villagers' act of anending the
last lesson
t accurately?
oo good to miss'
jToo linle, too late'
c) 'Too many cooks spoil the broth'
d) 'Too cool for school'

iii Choose the option that might raise a question about M. Hamel's "faithful
service".
a) When Franz came late, M. Hamel told him that he was about to begin class
without him .
b) Franz mentioned how cranky M. Hamel was and his "great ruler rapping on the
table".
c) M. Hamel often sent students to water his flowers, and gave a holiday when he
wanted to
go fishing.
d) M. Hamel permined villagers put their children "to work on a farm or at the
mills" for
some extra money.
iv. Choose the option that most appropriately fills in the blanks, for the following
description
of the given extract.
The villagers and their children sat in class, forging with their old master a (i)

togetherness. In that moment, the class room stood (ii) _ _ . It was France itself,
and the
last French lesson a desperate hope to (iii) _ _ to the remnants of what they
had known
and taken for granted. Their own (iv) ___.
a) (i) graceful; (ii) still; (iii) hang on; (iv) country
b) (i) bygone; (ii) up; (iii) keep on; (iv) education
c) (i) beautiful; (ii) mesmerized; (iii) carry on; (iv) unity
d) (i) forgotten; (ii) transformed; (iii) hold on; (iv) identity

a- A b-A c-A d-A

1O.M. Hamel went on to talk of the French language, saying that it was the most
beautiful
language in the world - the clearest, the most logical; that we must guard it
among us and
never forget it, because when a people are enslaved, as long as they hold fast to
their
language it is as if they had the key to their prison. Then he opened a grammar
book and read
us our lesson. I was amazed to see how well I understood it. All he said seemed
so easy, so
easy!

i.Which of the following can be attributed to M. Hamel's declaration about the

French
language?
a) subject expertise
ostalgic pride

i f ctual accuracy
atriotic magnification

ii. Read the quotes given below.

Choose the option that might best describe M. Hamel's viewpoint.
(i) Those who know nothing of foreign languages know nothing of their own. -
Johann Wolfgang von Goethe
(ii) (ii) Language is the road map of a culture. It tells you where its people come
from
and where they are going. - Rita Mae Brown

(iii) A poor man is like a foreigner in his own country. - Ali lbn Abi Talib(iv) (iv)
The greatest propaganda in the world is our mother tongue, that is what we
learn as children, and which we learn unconsciously. That shapes our perceptions
for life. - Marshal McLuhan
a) Option (i)
b) Option (ii) • • • • • • • • •
c) Option (iii)
iii "I was amazed to see how well I understood it."
Select the option that does NOT explain why Franz found the grammar
lesson "easy".
a) Franz was paying careful attention in class this time.
b} M. Hamel was being extremely patient and calm in his teaching .
c) Franz was inspired and had found a new meaning and purpose to
learning.
d} Franz had realized that French was the clearest and most logical language.
iv. Franz was able to understand the grammar lesson easily because he was
a) receptive.
b) appreciative.
c) introspective.
d} competitive.

i - d · ii - b · iii - d · iv - a
' ' '
OTES & IMPO UESTION
v Author's encounter with Saheb

Meets rag picker Saheb belonging to a refuge family from Bangladesh.

Question him about his vocation of rag picking and advised him to 90 to school

Promise to open a school

Felt embarrassed at making a hollow promise

v Irony In name and existence

Full Name 'Saheb-e-Alam' meaning 'lord of the universe

But deprived of even basic needs scrounge strut with other rag picker boys

Bare foot boys reflected extreme state of poverty

v Passage of time and degree of prosperity achieved

Reminded of a priest bare foot son In town of Udlpi thirty years ago.

Longing for a pair of shoes

Thirty year later a boy of same age was seen in full school dress with shoes

Rag pickers still shoe less.

v Seemapurl on periphery of Delhi far away from It

Dwelling structures of mud. Tin and tarpulin with no sewage drainage or running water

Only boon valld ration card to get grain

Happy to live In an strange land which provides food grain than In their mother land without
grain

Rag picking for elders their dally bread and means of survival for children a treasure of
wonderful things

v Saheb's longing for childhood

Wish to enjoy pleasures of childhood

Play tennis, wear shoes

Watches Rich boys playing Tennis

v Saheb's New vocation

Work on Tea stall Earns 800 rs 'pm

Appears burdened and forlorn

No freedom now

Tin container was heavier than his rag picking bag

I WANT TO DRIVE ACAR

V Mukesh

A chlld labourer in a glass factory In Flrozabad

Wishes to be motor mechanic

Wants to learn to drive a car

Family unaware that child labour is illegal

v Working condition In glass furnaces

High temperature

Dingy cell

Poorly ventilated

Children lose eye sight at an early age

v Living conditions In Flrozabad

Houses with crumbling walls

Humans and anlmals both live together

Stinking lanes

Mukesh; house half built

For wood stove aluminum utensils

Elder brother's wife -

In charge of famlly members

According to custom cover his face with veil

Mukesh's father

Head of the family

Poverty stricken unable to renovate house or provide education to sons

Only legacy he hand over Is the art of bangle making

v Mukesh Grandmother's view

Their present state result of Karma.

Accepted her husband's blindness caused by dust of glass bangles as their destiny.

Thinks art of bangle making god given lineage.

v Vicious circle of poverty

 No progress despite of years struggle Poverty, Illiteracy dissatisfaction Victims of mlddle
man and touts

Fear of pollce, lack of leadership check their growth

v Irony

Bangle a symbol of Suhaag

Every girl child one day as bride will wear bangles.

become old with bangles In wrist no sight In eyes.

v Children Double victim

First by birth bordered by stigma of caste second

No hope: have to accept family occupation

ruled by Shahukaars, Middle man, police

Little desire to dream snubbed in childhood.

v Mukesh : as exception

Have dream to be motor mechanic

Practical does not have dream of aeroplanes.

Only few planes fly over Flrozabad.

What is Saheb looking for In the garbage dumps? Where Is he and where has he come from?
Ans. Saheb is looking for gold in the garbage dumps. He Is In the neighbourhood of the author.
Saheb
has come from Bangladesh. He came with his mother in 1971. His house was set amidst the
green fields
of Dhaka. Storms swept away their fields and homes. So they left the country.

Bring out the irony In the name of 'Saheb-e-Alam?

Ans. Saheb-a Alam means- 'The Lord of Universe' The irony Is that he doesn't even have a roof
over
his head but his name means, the lord of universe.

In spite of despair and disease pervading the lives of the slum children, they are notdevold of
hope. How far do you agree?
Ans. In spite of growing up amidst despair and disease, children who live in the slums 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.

Docs Savita understand the importance of bangles?

Ans- Savita a girl in drab pink dress is too young to understand the significance of the bangles
she
helps make.

Why had the ragpickers come to live in Seemapuri?

Ans. 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.

What explanations does the author offer for the children not wearing footwear?
Ans. One explanation offered by the author Is that It Is a tradition to stay barefoot. It is not lack of
money. He wonders if this is only an excuse to explain away a perpetual state of poverty. He also
remembers the story of a poor body who prayed to the goddess for a pair of shoes.

Is Saheb happy working at the tea-stall? Explain.

Ans. No, Saheb is not happy working at the tea-stall. He Is no longer his own master. His face has
lost the
carefree look. The steel canister seems heavier than the plastic bag he would carry so lightly over
his
shoulder. The bag was his. The canister belongs to the man who owns the tea-shop.
'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?
Ans ,,Lost Spring" metaphorically means stolen chlldhood .•. a saga 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 llve 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 from 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 labour 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.
CHAR ACTE R SKETCH

Shaeb -e-Ala m was a rag-pic ker who lived In Seemapuri.

His family had migrate d from Dhaka to India with the
hope of finding better life conditi ons. Every mornin g, he
roamed about streets collect ing garbage. Many other boys
also accomp anied him. His famlly lived In misera ble
conditi ons. He used to search valuabl e things in garbag e to
earn his liveliho od but despite being poor, he was full of
hope. Later, he was employ ed in a teastall. He now becam e
a laboure r and lost his carefree life. He was burden ed with
respon sibility of the job. He lost his childho od due to his
poverty which made him work as a child labour.

: Mukesh
Mukesh lived in Firozabad and was born In the family of
bangle makers. He aspired to becom e a motor mecha nic.
Unlike others in Firozabad who were burden ed in the
stigma of caste In which they were born, Mukesh did not
want to follow the traditio nal profess ion. In this way, he
was a path breake r and had a determ ination to change his
circum stance s. Mukesh was born in a very poor family.
To Increase the Income of the family, he also worked
with his father in glass furnace s, making bangle s. There
was a spark of rebellio n In him. He was confide nt and
determ ined to become a motor mecha nic. His dreams and
aspirat ions were practic al. He dreamt only of what he
could achieve or what was within his reach.
1. Developed aversion to water
(I) 3 to 4 years old: father took him to the beach In Callfomla.
(II) waves knocked him down.
(Ill) swept over him.
(Iv) fear of water sets In
2. Yakima River :
(I) dangerous
(II) mother-warned him against It.
(Ill) kept fresh In his mind - each drowning In the river.
3. Misadventure at Y.M.C.A.(safe pool)
(I) Y.M.C.A. pool.,shallow end Is 2-3 feet deep; 9 feet at the deep end
(ii) An 18 yr old bully tossed him Into the deep end
(Ill) Douglas' plan (strategy)-when he hits the bottom of the pool-he would Jump & come
to
the surface.
(Iv) went 9 feet down
(v) falled to rise, suffocated, lungs ached, head throbbed. fear-stricken
(vi) became unconscious, nearly died.
4 . Effect/Impact of Fear :
(i) ruined his fishing trips
(II) deprived him of the Joy of canoeing , boating & swimming.
5. HIRED AN INSTRUCTOR TO OVERCOME FEAR OF WATER :
(I) practised 5 days a week-1hour each day
(II) used belt & rope to teach swimming
(Ill) Taught to exhale under water & Inhale above water
(Iv) Taught Limb coordination
(v) Taught different strokes-crawl stroke, breast stroke, side stroke & back stroke
6. TESTED HIMSELF :
(I) Went to Lake Wentworth In Hampshire-swam 2 miles to Stamp Act Island
(II) Went up to Meade Glacier to swim In warm lake near Gilbert Peak.
CHARACTER SKETCH OF DOUGLAS
adventurous by nature.
had a zest for life.
courageous/bold.
Indomitable spirit-to overcome his fear.
not frightened by crisis-accepted It as a challenge.
• Why was the YMCA pool conaldered Hfer when compared to the Yakima River?
Yakima River waa very deep, treacherous and there were many caaea of drowning but the
YMCA pool only two or three feet deep at the shallow end: and whlle It was nine feet at
the
dNp end. So YMCA pool waa considered safer when compared to the Yakima River.

•
" I had an aversion to the water when I was In It?" says Douglas.
When did he start having this aversion and how?
Ana. The aversion started when Douglas was three or four years old. His
father had taken him t.o the beach In Callfomla. They were atandlng together
In the aurf. He had held his father tightly, even then the waves knocked him
down and swept over him. He was burled In water. His breath was gone. He
was frightened. There was terror In his heart about the overpowering force of
the waves.

Q e 1n what connection does Douglas mention "a big bruiser of a boy ?"
Ana. Douglas mention• him for hla mlaadventure In the Y.M.C.A. swimming
pool In which he had nearly died. It waa this boxer boy who had picked up
Douglas and tossed him Into the deep end. Later on, when Douglu was
reacued, the boy said, "I was only fooling."

.• What w■a the misadventure that happened one day? ••

3/5 ••
William Douglas had Just learnt awlmmlng. One day, an eighteen year old big bruiser ••
picked
him up and toaeed him Into the nine feet deep end of the YMCA pool. He hit the water
surface
In a sitting position. He swallowed water and went at once to th• bottom. He nearly died
In this
mlaadventure.

a.e " I was frightened, but not yet frightened out of my wits," says
Douglas. Which qualltlea of the speaker are hlghllghted here and how?
Ana. Douglas wu frightened when he went down Into the pool and was about
to be drowned. He had an aversion to water and now he was filled with terror.
He had remarkable self-control. He uaed his mind even In the crisis and
thought of a strategy to eave himself from being drowned.

Q e How was the reault of the 'great spring upwards' that Douglas made
on hitting the bottom of the pool for the first time?
Ans. Douglas rose to the surface very slowly. When he opened his eyes he
saw nothing but water with a dirty yellow colour. He grew panicky. He tried to
grab a rope but his hands clutched only at water. He was suffocating. He tried
to shout, but no sound came out. Then his eyes and nose came out of the
water but not his mouth.

Q•• "This handicap stayed with me as the years rolled by." How did It
affect his pursuits for pleasure?
Ans. The haunting fear of water followed Douglas everywhere. He rowed In
canoes on Maine lakes fishing for landlocked salmon. He went for bass
fishing In New Hampshire, trout fishing on the Deschutes and Metolius In
Oregon, fishing for salmon on the Columbia, at Bumping Lake In the
Cascades. Fear ruined his fishing trips. It deprived him of the joy of canoeing,
boating, and swimming .. When did his aversion to water begln?Hls aversion to water
began when he was 3 -4 years old when his father took him to Caltfomla
beach. There the waves knocked him down swept over him.

e what strategy did he remember as he went down the water?

To hit the bottom and spring/Jump upwards, bob to the surface -like a cork and come out

e What effect did the drowning In the YMCA pool have on the Douglas?
-weak and trembling - haunting fear - deprived of the Joy of canoeing,
boating and swimming.

e what method did he adopt to overcome terror?

- Rigorous training (breathing moving of legs ,etc ) - went to lake Wentworth and swam
for two mlles

4/5
• ·"All we have to fear Is fear Itself." Elucidate.
Value points:
*Douglas quotes Roosevett-"AII we have to fear Is fear Itself."
*Instead of running away from fear- we must fight It - Douglas Justifies the statement by
reacountlng his YMCA experience and how It Impacted his adult ilfe.
*fear of water would raise It's ugly head every time ha was near water -trouble Douglas.
* He decided to deal with his fear by hiring an Instructor to teach swimming.
*alone at pool-tiny vestiges (remains) of terror return occasionally.
*challenge fear-
*went to Lake Wentworth-laughed & challenged fear
*remove residual fear-went to Wann Lake-swam across to the other shore &back.
*shouted with Joy-when he experienced no fear.
*overcame his fear by~etennlnatlon, strong wlll-power ,perseverance.

• Give an account of the fears and emotions of Douglas as he

made efforts to save himself from drawnlng In YMCA pool.
Ans. I When the author was flung Into the deep end of the pool, he was
overcome with fear.
I Fortunately, he wa1 able to think rationally.I So, he planned that as soon aa he hit the
bottom, he would
make a big Jump.
I Ha hoped that he would be able to come to the surface.
I but his efforts went futlle.
I Panic groped him when he realised that he had gone deep Inside
nine feet of water.
I He thought he would bob to the surface Ilka a cork
I His limbs were almost paralysed.
I His falling ann failed to find anything to hold on to and he was
again being pulled under.
I His lungs ached and his screams went unheard.
I The mass of yellow water gripped him which produced stark terror.
I When three attempts to rise to the surface failed he fainted. He
experienced a terror which never left him.
B y : SIMRAN S ____
 THE RATTRAP
-Selma Lagerlof
Selma Lagerlof talks about the unlversallty of human goodness that can be awakened
through understanding love, compassion and bellef. Experience Is the best of school
masters and the peddler was able to get a vltal lesson after his encounter wtth
situation and people both. Finally his goodness surfaces and temporary phase of his
bad practices ends. The world turns to be a good place to llve.

!)The story -set- In the mines of Sweden-rich In Iron ore.

2. Tramp- physical appearance: had sunken cheeks; eyes gleamed with hunger-
led a sad &dull life
-lived In rags.
-earned his living by selling rattraps-business not profitable.
-resorted to-begging & thievery.
-Philosophical thought- whole world a big rattrap-attracts people with riches, joy shelter,
food, clothlng Just as cheese & pork attract a rat.
3. Peddler's meeting the Crofter :
One day-dark evening-saw little gray cottage & asked for shelter
Owner old man-alone-needed company- welcomed the peddler.
Old man-Crofter at Ramsjo Ironworks earlier, now-had a cow-by selling milk had earned
about 30 kronor-money hung In leather bag near window frame.
crofter-hospitable- offered porridge to eat, tobacco, played cards'
next morning the tramp left • returned half an hour later-stole the money.
Walked on public highway -went to the forest- lost his way-realised caught In trap.
4. Peddler's meeting the owner of the Iron mlll:
Owner of the mill-rich; on night Inspection-saw peddler-mistook for Nils Olof(Captaln von
Stahle)-lnvited him to the Manor house-peddler refused the Invitation.
5. Owner sent his daughter Edla Wlllmanason:
Edla not pretty, modest, shy, compassionate.
She sensed that either the peddler has escaped from jail or stolen something.
The peddler accepted the Invitation on Edla's assurance that he could go back as freely as he
would come.
6. Christmas Eve:
Peddler-bathed, shaven, wore clean new clothes-owner realized his mistake.
Peddler confessed not being acquaintance; said he had been forced to come to the house;
reacted angrily to threat of calling the police by the Iron master.Edla requested her father to allow
the peddler to stay for Christmas Eve.
Peddler was gifted a suit; treated with warmth,
7. Christmas Morning:
Edla & her father went to church-heard about the theft at crofter's house by a peddler-worried-
return home-peddler had left a package for Edla.
Package contained-small rattrap, three wrinkled ten kronor notes & a letter for Edla -expressing
thanks for raising him to the level of Captain from an ordinary peddler & asking her to return the
ANSWER THE QUESTION wthln 40 words each

How does the metaphor of the rattrap serve to highlight the human predicament?

Ans: The peddler believed this wortd was nothing else but a big rattrap. The only purpose Is to
set
bait for people In the form of luring offers. Peddler lost his way In the forest. It was trapping him
now. He believed stealing was a rattrap In his case. The forest took him as a prison from which
he could never escape. The peddler also told the ironmaster that the world is nothing but a
rattrap
and all the luxuries are the pieces of cheese.

Who was a keen observer: the ironmaster or his daughter? Substantiate your answer.

Ans. It was Edla Wlllmansson, lronmaster's daughter, who was a keener observer than him. The

lronmaster had mistaken the tramp for his old regimental comrade, but Edla had her doubts from

the beginning .She could see fear In his eyes.

What do we learn about the crofter's nature from the story, The Rattrap?

Ans. We learn that the crofter was a talkative and a friendly sort of fellow. He was also lonely and

would welcome anyone to share his lonellness. He was hospitable towards his guests

" The man was just as generous with his confidences as with his porridge and tobacco". What was
the outcome of this?

Ans. The crofter was overgenerous to the peddler. He not only gave him food and shelter but

shared his confidences and showed him the money that he had saved .. Next morning when they

both left the house together, the peddler got tempted, came back and stole the money.
Why did the peddler derive pleasure from his Idea of the world as a rattrap?

Ans. The peddler developed an Idea that the world Is a rattrap. It offers food, shelter, clothlng and
luxuries Just to entrap us In the same way In which the rattrap entraps Its victims through cheese
and pork. The Idea appealed and pleased him when he saw any one getting trapped who had
Insulted and humlllated him.

Why was the peddler surprised when he was offered shelter by crofter?

Ans. Normally, the peddler was not given shelter. The peddler was surprised when he knocked at
the door of the cottage and received a warm welcome there. Moreover, he was offered warmth and
hospltallty. The crofter gave him food and tobacco.

What conclusion did the lronmaster reach when he heard that the crofter had been robbed by the
peddler?

Ans. When, at the church, the lronmaster heard that the crofter had been robbed by the peddler,
he at once concluded that the peddler was the thief. He apprehended that he would have made
away with an their silver of his house by that time.

Why did Edla plead with her father not to send the vagabond away?

Ana. Edla was a kind-hearted lady. When she came to know the reality of the peddler, she

showed her sympathy for him. She knew that he had no home or family. There was no place In

the world where he was welcome and live In peace. Due to her tender and kind nature, she

pleaded with her father not to send the stranger away and allow him to stay at home for

Christmas

The story The Rattrap' exemplifies the notion that the emotional direct bearing on their
behaviour. Elucidate.

Ans. No doubt it Is the emotional needs of human beings have needs of the human beings that

have a direct bearing on their behaviour In fact, our emotions govern our actions and behaviour.

In the story, all the characters depict the same. The peddler's behaviour is all due to the atrocitJes

he had faced in his life. He is treated badly. Starvation and homelessness have made him

emotionally very weak and negative. As a result, when the tramp sees the money of the crofter,

he steals It. Similarly, the crofter being lonely with no wife or children welcomes the peddler and

becomes overfriendly with him and, as a result, is cheated. Even the ironmaster lives a lonely life.

His wife is dead and his sons are abroad. He has no family except his daughter or friends.

Consequently, he invites the peddler to his house, mistaking him for his old friend. Finally, It is

Edla's emotional generosity to serve and make someone happy on Christmas. Her kindness and

empathy make her to treat the tramp with respect and kindness which brings out the goodness In

the peddler.

Describe how the story, "The Rattrag" shows that basic human goodness can be broughj
out ~ understanding and love.
Ans. The story 'The Rattrap' highlights the fact that compassion and concern can awaken
the essential goodness in a man.The peddler, who had been resorting to begging and thievery all
the time, never bothered to clear his identity befooled the lronmaster too.But, Edla gave
him a royal treatment.served him delicioussupper, gifted her father's dress to him.
The kind of unconditioned love and compassion from Edla made him reallse his mistake and he
confessed his guilt too.
This way, she made a lot of difference In his life and he got transformed into a much better
person.
He left the stolen money behind, even a letter and a gift for Edla.

(A mistaken Identity led to a discovery of a new one for the rattrap peddler. How did this Impact
fum1 2

(i) Value Points:

• Gave him the powe .o clear his conscience

 • Brought out his latent goodness

• Lent him conviction to become a better human/a chance at

elevating himself from being a thief

• Allowed him the opportunity to behave In a dignified manner

befitting that of a Captain

) How did the peddler of rattraps manage to survive?

Ans. He made rattraps of wire and went around selling them. He got material for making them by
begging In the big

stores or at big farms. Since his business was not quite profitable, he would beg or steal In order
to survive.

Why did the peddler think of the world as a rattrap? What became his cherished pastime?

Ans. The world had never been kind to the peddler. So, he got unusual joy to think Ill of the world.
His pastime was to

think of people he knew who had let themselves be caught In the dangerous snare of the world,
and of others who

were still circling around the bait.

) What hospitality did the peddler with rattraps receive from the old crofter?

Ans. The old crofter served the peddler hot porridge for supper and gave him tabacco for his pipe.
He entertained his

guest by playing cards with him. He also informed him about his prosperous past life and how his
COW supported

him In his old age now.

The peddler thinks that the whole world Is a rattrap. This view of life Is true only of himself and of
no one else In
the story. Comment.

Ans. The peddler doesn't think kindly of the world and Its people. For him the world is a big
rattrap to trap the people

In. The luxuries of the world are the baits that tempt the people to get trapped. The world has been
very unkind to

him. So It gives him a great pleasure to think Ill of It. Ironically, he finds himself trapped llke a rat
when he steals

the thirty kronor of the credulous crofter. Subsequently It leads him to Edla's home where he
receives nothing

except kindness. It is true that this bitter view of the world Is his own subjective one. In fact the
world has no

dearth of genuinely kind people like the crofter, Edla and even the lronmaster. All treat him kindly.
Edla believes

In compassion and Christian values and eventually touches the goodness In him and helped him
see the world in

a positive light

Extract 1No one can Imagi ne how sad and monotonous life can appear to such a vagabond, who

plods along the road, left to his own meditations. But one day this man had fallen Into a line of

thought, which really seemed to him entertaining. He had naturally been thinking of his rattraps

when suddenly he was struck by the Idea that the whole world about him - the whole world with

Its lands and seas, Its cities and villages - was nothing but a big rattrap.

1. The word 'vagabond' means

a. Businessman

b. Traveller

c. Wanderer

d. Beggar
The peddler thinks that the whole wortd Is a rattrap. This view of life Is true only of himself and of
no one else in
the story. Comment.

Ans. The peddler doesn't think klndly of the world and Its people. For him the wortd Is a big
rattrap to trap the people

In. The luxuries of the wortd are the baits that tempt the people to get trapped. The world has been
very unkind to

him. So it gives him a great pleasure to think Ill of It Ironically, he finds himself trapped like a rat
when he steals

the thirty kronor of the credulous crofter. Subsequently It leads him to Edla's home where he
receives nothing

except kindness. It is true that this bitter view of the world is his own subjective one. In fact the
world has no

dearth of genuinely kind people like the crofter, Edla and even the lronmaster. All treat him kindly.
Edla believes

In compassion and Christian values and eventually touches the goodness In him and helped him
see the world in

a positive light.

Extract 1No one can Imagine how sad and monotonous life can appear to such a vagabond, who

plods along the roa.J!., left to his own meditations. But one day this man had fallen Into a llne of

thought, which really seemed to him entertaining. He had naturally been thinking of his rattraps

when suddenly he was struck by the Idea that the whole world about him - the whole world with

Its lands and seas, Its cities and villages - was nothing but a big rattrap.

1. The word •vagabond' means

a. Businessman

b. Traveller

c. Wanderer

d. Beggar
2. The word 'rattrap' stands for

a. A situation where a person enjoys to be trapped

b. A situation of starvation

c. an unpleasant situation that offers no prospect of Improvement.

d. a pleasant situation that offers prospect of Improvement.

3. Who 'had fallen Into a line of thought'?

a. A man who begs

b. A man who sells rattraps

c. A man who rob

d. A man who runs errands

4. What according to the man Is a big rattrap?

a. the whole world

b. islands and seas

c. cities and villages

d. All of the above

 -

- - · -

I I

, I DI --

N OT ES & IiVIPORTAN T QUES T101\1S

 jj~j,j[C{ej
Louis Fische

'°'Gandhljl's meetings with Shukla

I Gandhljl at Indian National Congress Annual Convention

I Shukla, a poor Indigo peasant, requested him to come to
Champaran
I Gandhljl agreed to do so after completing task In Calcutta
I Visited Rajendra Prasad's place In way to Champaran
I peasants come to meet him at Muzaffarpur
I GandhlJI met lawyers and scolded them for charging fee from
poor peasants.

(" Problems of Peasants

I Landlords forced sharecroppers to grow Indigo In 15% of the
land
I Germany developed synthetic Indigo
I landlords demanded compensation for freeing the peasants from
159/o arrangement
I Some agreed but later demanded money back.

■ Gandhljl Arrived at Champa ran

I wanted to meet Secretary of British Landlord's Association but
was refused
I tried to meet Commissioner of Tlrput region
I was bullied and ordered to leave Champaran but he defied orders.
I Prohibited from meeting peasantsl disobeyed notice to leave Champaran
- was summoned at court
- worked whole night to get support
- peasants gathered In large number to show support to him
- Gandhlji proved that British power was no longer
unchangeable.
- authorities got afraid and postponed the case, Gandhljl,
released on ball.
- lawyers decided to follow Gandhljl
• First Attempt of Civil Disobedience
- case dropped against Gandhljl
- he planned Civil Disobedience
- Commission of Inquiry appointed by Governor
- evidence against landlords found
- Gandhiji agreed for 25% refund as was agreed by landlords
- indigo share cropping abandoned and land given to
peasants.,

Gandhljl's foresight - beyond political & economic solutions

I aimed to improve social and cultural status of Champaran.
I status of Champaran
I aimed at Improving health services
I took help of volunteers
I taught villagers about cleanliners and hygiene and to be self-
rellant and Independent
I frPC'rtom from fear move Important than freedom from legal justice
I rc>af r"'llef for peasants was to be free form fear, courts were
use e!its for fear stricken peasants
I Self reliance, strong will an courage to win battles, must protest
against injustice.
.. How did Shukla succeed In persuading Gandhljl to visit Champaran?
Ans: RajkumarShukla was a tenacious and resolute person. He kept on pressing
Gandhi to visit Champaran till he finally agreed to do so. After meeting Gandhi
for the first time at Lucknow he followed him everywhere right up to Sabannatl
ashram. His resoluteness urged Gandhi to yield•

. Why was Gandhljl Impressed with Rajkumar Shukla'• tenacity and

determination?
Ans. Rajkumar Shukla the Champaran-Sharecropper requested Gandhiji In
Congress Session in Lucknow to fix a date to visit Champaran where the
sharecroppers
were subjected to Injustice. TIii Gandhljl fixed a date he did not leave him rather
he accompanied him wherever he went. Gandhiji was Impressed by his tenacity
and determination and finally agreed to go there from Calcutta.

Who was Raj kaumar Shukla ? why did he went to meet Gandhi?
Ans:- Rajkumar shukla was a poor peasant from Champaran he wanted to meet Gandhi
to complain
about the Injustice of the land lords In Blhar he wanted Gandhi's help.

Q. Why did Gandhi decide to go to Muzzafarpur before going to Champaran? What sort of
reception
did he get there and why was it unusual?
Ans:- Gandhi decided to go to Muzzafarpur to obtain more and complete Information
about the peasants
conditions than Shukla was capable of imparting he was given a warm and grand
reception. The unusual
thing was that a government professor harboured him in his house.

. Why did the British landlords free the sharecropper from growing Indigo? What did they
want
Instead?
The British came to know that synthetic Indigo was developed In Germany and the 15%
of land was
released and In return, the peasants were asked to pay compensation for release from
theagreement
. • Why did Gandhljl agree for the 25% refund by the British landlords?
Gandhljl agreed for 25% refund because the amount was not Important but the landlord's
prestige
was surrendered.

What made the British realize that the Indians could challenge their might hitherto
unquestioned?
Ana :-Gandhi was summoned to appear In the court at Motlharl. Thousands of peasants
crowded around
the courthouse In spontaneous demonstration Gandhi helped the offlclals to regulate the
crowd. The
British then realised the Indians could challenge their might hitherto unquestioned.

.What was the Important lesson taught by Gandhljl to his dlsclples?

GandhlJI taught rules of personal hygiene and cleanliness. He also taught the
-Champarans to win
freedom Independently without any support of British.
Q. Why was Gandhi summoned to appear In the court? How did clvll disobedience
triumph
for the first time In lndla?
Ans. Gandhi had reached Motlhari, the capital of Champaran, to study the problems of the
sharecropper peasants. He was on his way to a neighbouring vlllage, where a peasant wu 111-
treated. On the way, he was stopped by the police superintendent's messenger and ordered to
return to town. When he reached home, he was Hrved with an official notice to quit Champaran
at once. Gandhi wrote on the receipt that he would disobey the order. So Gandhi received a
summon to appear In the court the next day.
Next morning the town of Motlhari was black with peasants. Thousands of peasants demonstrated
voluntarily outside the court. The prosecuter requested the Judge to postpone the trial. Gandhi
protested against the delay. He read out the statement pleading gullty. He asked the penalty.
The Judge announced that he would pronounce the sentence after a two-hour recess. He asked
Gandhi to furnish ball for that period. Gandhi refused. The Judge released him without ball.
After the recess , the Judge said that he would not deliver the Judgement for Hveral days.
Meanwhile he allowed Gandhi to remain at liberty.
Several days later Gandhi received a letter. The case against him had been dropped. Thus, civil
disobedience had triumphed, for the first time In India.

a. How did Gandhi work for rural upllftment during his stay In Champaran?
Hint- Gandhi JI appealed for teachers and doctors
Primary schools were opened
Mrs Kaaturba Gandhi and several other volunteers helped - Narharl Parikh, Mahadev
Desai,
Devdas (Youngest son of Gandhi) personal and community cleanliness stressed.
But Champaran did not begin as an act of defiance. It grew out of an attemP.!,)

to alleviate the distress of large numbers of poor peasants. This was the

typical Gandhi pattern - his golltics were Intertwined with the practical, day-

to-day problems of the mllllons. His was not a loyalty to abstractions; It was a

loyalty to living, human beings. In everything Gandhi did, moreover, he tried

to mould a new free Indian who could stand on his own feet and thus make

India free.

!Choose the option llstlng the sentence that Is the most appropriate example

of an •act of defiance', from the following:

She picked up the telephone terrified of what was about to come. She could

hear nobody on the other side. Meanwhlle, there was a thud at the door loud

enough to scare her. Curious as she was, she wanted to open It as soon as

possible. Her mother tried to stop her several times, but she went ahead,

nevertheless.

a) She picked up the telephone tenifled of what was about to come.

b) Meanwhile, there was a thud at the door loud enough to scare her.

c) Curious as she was, she wanted to open It as soon as possible.

d) Her mother tried to stop her several times but she went ahead

nevertheless.
II Choose the correct option with reference to the two statements given below.

Statement 1: His was not a loyalty to abstractions; It was a loyalty to llvlng,

human beings.

Statement 2: Gandhi was a humanitarian at heart.

a) Statement 1 Is the cause of Statement 2.

b) Statement 211 the effect of Statement 1.

c) Statement 2 can be Inferred from Statement 1.

d) Statement 1 and Statement 2 are Independent of each other.

18111 The given extract DOES NOT talk about

a) details of the dally problems faced by human beings.

Vb) efforts to relieve suffering of the common people.

c) the reason for the occurrence of Champaran.

d) Gandhi's princlples In the field of politics.

 I
·• Class 12 English

Poets and Pancakes :

Notes
. &
\~• Important
, . .,
Questions 1
• •
 POETS AND PANCAKES : ASOKAMITRAN.

The Gemini studio owned by S.S.Vasan was one of the most influential film Producing
ti)
Organizations of India in the early years of Indian film making industry.

ti) The make-up department of studios looked like a hair cutting salon.

ti) Had lights at all angles, half dozen mirrors, incandescent lights ti)

The artists were subjected to misery while application of make-up.

The make-up department, consisting of people from different parts of the country, was a
ti)
unique example of National Integration

~ A strict hierarchy was maintained in the make-up dept.

~ Narrator worked in a cubicle tearing newspapers, thought he was free, people barged in
always. fil

Office Boy:-He is in the make-up Department of Gemini Studios and does the make up the
players in the crowd scenes of films. He aspired to be a top film star, screen writer, director
or lyric writer, but was a ~ The players who played the crowd were the responsibiltty of the
'office boy· in his early forties, a frustrated person, who turned all his anger towards
Kothamanagalam Subbu.

Kothamanglam Subbu:- very close to the boss. in fact No. 2 at Gemini Studio
-ability to look cheerful in spite offaHures
-tailor made for films, film making so easy with Subbu
around
-good poetand could write poems ofa hlgherorder
-chose to write forthe masses
-a novelist. wrote Thillena Mohanambal, created life like
characters
-an excel lent actor but never aspired for lead roles
-charitable and improvident man and ~ t · ad e ~mies
The Lawyer in the Story Department of Gemini Studios

A lawyer(legal adviser) -referred to as 'the opposite'-caused the end of a brief and

brilliant career of a talented actress, looked 'alone and helpless', man of cold logic in a
crowd of dreamers ,close to the Boss, wore pants. coat and a tie, anached to Story
Department, lost his job when the Story Department was closed down .

. @A favorite haunt for poets~ Most people wore Khadi, worshipped Gandhi, knew nothing
about politics.

~ Against communism, believed that a communist was a godless man

A warm welcome was accorded to moral Re Armament Army {MRA) by the Gemini studios.
They presented two plays 'Jothan Valley' and 1he forgotten Factor- which had a great
influence on Tamil drama.

~ THE MRA was a strong countermovement against communism.

·l The Gemini studios again got an opportunity to welcome an English poet or an Editor. But
th e people of Gemini Studio could not comprehend the purpose as well as the language of
the poet or editor, so his visit was a mystery.

~Later on, he came to know that the visitor was the editor of 1he Encounter" and his name
was Stephen Spender.

@The Narrator Buys a Low-Priced book 'The God That Failed

~ Author bought 'The God That Failed' years later - six essays describing the
disillusionment of six eminent men of letters with Communism, Stephen Spender one
among them, author s~ ~l_)W~ i~ !'1e~ 1~ ~ €-~ f F ~ ~ ~emini studios.
SHORT ANSWER QUESTIONS

1.How does the writer describe the make-up room of the Gemini studios?

The makeup room of the Gemini studio had incandescent lights. It also had lights at all
angles, large mirrors. Those subjected to makeup had to face bright light and a lot of heat
there. It was on the upper floor of the o a building that was believed to have been Robert
Clive's stables.

2.How was the make-up room a fine example of national integration?

The makeup room was headed by a Bengali, succeeded by a Maharashtrian, assisted by a-

Dharwar Kannadiga, an Andhra, a Madrasi, Christian and an Anglo Burmese.

3 Who was 'office boy'and why was he disappointed with his job?

Ans . The 'office boy' was enrolled in the make-up department for the make
up of the people who formed part of crowd in the films. He used to mix
his paint in a giant vessel and Slapped the paint on the faces of the
players.He had joined the Gemini Studios years ago, aspiring to become an
actor, or a scriptwriter, or a director, or a lyricist. He was disappointed
with the studio that failed to recognise his talen

4 How did the legal advisor bring a sad end to the brief and brilliant acting career of an
extremely talented in the studios?

The legal advisor (lawyer) quietly switched on the recording equipment when once she blew
over on the sets against the producer. When the actress paused for breath, he played back
the recording. She was struck dumb on hearing her own voice and never recovered from the
shock.That was the end of the brief and brilliant career of the actress.
5 Why is the Englishman's visit referred to as unexplained mystery?

Ans. The Englishman's visit to the Gemini Studios is referred to as an

unexplained mystery because no one could decipher his identity,
whether he was a poet or an editor. Besides, when
he spoke.no one at the studio understood what he intended to say as
his accent was beyond their comprehension.

6.Why does Asokamitran call Subbu • a Charitable and improvident man"?

Ans. Subbu had genuine love for anyone he came across. His house was permanent
residene for dozens of relations and acquaintances. hence the writer calls him charitable
and improvident.

7 What does 'The God That Failed' refer to?

'The God That Failed' refers to a collection of essays by six eminent literary personalities,
about their journey into communism and disillusionment. Stephen Spender was one of the
authors.

~-r,g question answer;

What do you understand about the author's literary inclinations from

the account?

Though the author had a very tedious and unchallenging job at the studios, his Interest in
literature and writing is apparent in his willingness to participate in the short story
contest organized by the British periodical, 'The Encounter'. Moreover, the author
appears to be a keen reader visiting libraries and buying books on wide -ranging topics
whenever he could afford them. The narrative also establishes the fact that the author was
one of the most knowledgeable persons in Gemini Studios. His idea about how prose
writing was not meant for geniuses but for those with patience and perseverance,
highlights his deep thoughts on literature and creative writing .

•
9 Subbu was a many sided genius, who gave definition and direction to the studio in it s
golden years. Elaborate. ?

Ans. Subbu a man of genius had a separate identity at Gemini studio. He was always
cheerful and willing to work for others. He was loyal to the principal and used all his
creativity to his advantages. He gave direction and definition to Gemini studio. he
composed story poems and novels and carved beautiful characters. He was a highly
capable literature writer.

He was an amazing character and actor but never aspired for leading roles.
Subbu was a charitable and important person. He supported dozens of near and dear ones.
He was quite close to the Boss and was taken as No. 2 of the Gemini studio.
CLASS 12 ENGLISH CORE

CH THE
INTERVIEW

\J (_)' 1-,ES L~ l I\ 11)( ) I{_l,. \ ~ 'f () L ES r l O N S ,-

r

By : STMRAN SAHNI
THE INTERVIEW

Part -1

The author talks about the new invention In journalism that Is Interview. It broadly
discusses how
different people or celebrities have multiple views about the Interview and what It does to
their
personality. According to Christopher, Interview had different functions and advantages.
Some people
find it a source of truth and a medium through which the questions of a general public
are answered
whereas some people claim it as an unwarranted intrusion into their lives. The author has
enlisted the
writers who despise interviews like V S Naipaul who feels that ,,some people are
wounded by
Interviews and lose a part of themselves", for Lewis Carroll, it is ,,just horror of the
interviewer" and
therefore refrained from It. Rudyard Kipling says that lt"s Immoral, crime, an assault that
merits
punishment, cowardly and vile. HG Wells referred to ,,the Interviewing ordeal" and Saul
Bellow
described It as ,,thumbprlnts on his windpipe". Despite the drawbacks, Interview Is a
supremely
serviceable medium of communication and ,,the Interviewer holds a position of
unprecedented power
and influence" writes Denis Brian.
Part-2

The second part Is an extract from an Interview of Umberto Eco, a Professor at the
University of
Bologna In Italy, by Mukund Padmanabhan from The Hindu. He had formidable reputation
asa
scholar for his ideas on Semiotics, literary fiction, academic texts, essays, children"&
books, newspaper
articles and had acquired superstardom with the publication of The Name of the Rose,
which sold more
than ten million copies.
Umberto replies that though people might think that he creates a different literary piece
every time but
In reality, he simply does the same thing again and again where he pursues his
phllosophical Interests
through his writings. He also replies in the interview that he tries to fill the empty spaces
which he
ca lls Interstices to his advantage and make use of them.
When Mukund Padmanabhan asks the reason behind the huge success of the novel, he
honestly replies
that it is a mystery even to him. He also replies that It is difficult to trace the success of a
novel
because It may have different responses In different times and era, as he himself admits,
had the novel
come ten years later or earlier, the novel would not have got such success.
Why do most celebrity writers despise being interviewed?
Most celebrity writers despise being interviewed as they consider it as an undesirable
intrusion into their personal lives. Some viewed it an immoral and offensive activity.
Some others feel It would 'diminish' them .

.How Is Umberto Eco's non-fictional writing style different from academic writing style?
Umberto Eco's non-fictional writing style has a certain playful, narrative and personal
quality
about It whereas his academic writing Is depersonalized and often dry and boring.

.How can the importance of Interview be justified In modern journalism?

The Interview Is the most serviceable medium of communication today. It has become a
commonplace
of journalism. We can know about celebrities through Interview.

.What are some of the positive points about an interview?

It Is supremely serviceable medium of communication. It provides a vivid impression of
our
contemporaries. It equips one with the things related to life and progress.

.'Umberto Eco's written output Is staggeringly large and wide-ranging? How?

Umberto Eco Is a versatile Genius, a prolific writer. He has written on wide ranging
subjects such as
literary fiction, academic texts, essays children's books and newspaper articles. He has 5
novels and 40
non-fiction works to his credit.

.How has Umberto Eco become popular among the general public?
Umberto Eco's novels made him popular among the people In general. Ten to fifteen
million copies of
the novel 'The Name of the Rose' were sold.

Why did the American publisher think that the novel 'The Name of the Rose' Won't sell
well In
America?
The novel 'The Name of the Rose' Dealt with a period of medieval history. The publisher
did not expect
very good response in America because the Americans knew nothing about cathedral.
People were
ignorant about the medieval part.

How does Umberto Eco pursue his philosophical and academic Interests? How does he
make
use of 'Interstices? How has he developed a non-flctlonal style?
Ans: Umberto Eco has many philosophical interests. He pursues them through his
academic
works and novels. Even his children' works are about non-violence and peace. They are
the same
bunch of ethical and philosophical Interests. Eco wrote more than 40 scholarly works on
non-
fiction. Eco considers himself 'a university professor who writes novels (only) on
Sundays'. He
prefers to be called an academician.
Umberto shares a secret with the Interviewer. He thinks that If we eliminate the empty
spaces
from the universe, the world will shrink. It will become as big as a fist. Similarly, we have
a lot of
empty spaces or 'interstices' in our llves. He works In these spaces and uses them to his
advantage.
Umberto Eco has evolved a distinct non-fictional style. His scholarly works have a
certain playful
and personal quality about them. It Is different from his regular style which is
'depersonalised and
often dry and boring'. He Is different from other scholars. Eco tells the story of his
research. Even
he Includes his 'trials and errors'. His essays always have a narrative aspect This
narrative style
of his scholarly works was fully developed later on In his novels
 •
~ . "'-
,
NOTES & IMPORTANT QUESTIONS
~
GOING PLACES
by A.R.BARTON

Sophie, a teenager Is filled with fantasies and desires. She comes from a poor flnanclal
background.She dreams of owning a boutique one day or being an actress or fashion
designer but her friend Jansiebelieves that they are from a poor financial background
and have to work in a biscuit factory. Jansle,who Is more realistic, tries to pull Sophie to
reality, but In vain. Sophie lives In a small house with her parents and brothers, Geoff and
little Derek. Though she voices her feelings and desires, her parentsdon't believe her
because they, unlike her, are more mature and know the harsh realities of life.Sophie
finds a sort of fascination for her elder brother Geoff, who Is tall, strong, handsome and
reserved.She envies his silence and often wonders about his thoughts and areas of his
life that she doesn't knowaboutSophie fantasizes about Danny Casey, an Irish football
player whom she had seen playing lninnumerable matches. She makes up a story about
how she met him In the streets and tells this toGeoff. Geoff, who Is more sensible than
Sophie, does not really believe her, even If she wants to. ltseems an unlikely Incident for
Sophie to meet the prodigy In their street, but when Sophie describes themeetlng In all
her details, he begins to hope that It could be true. She tells him that Danny has
promlsedto meet her somewhere again.Sophie gets so pulled Into the story she made
that she herself begins to believe that It's true. She waitsfor the Irish player, but
obviously, he never arrives. Then, she makes her way home, wondering how her brother
would be disappointed on knowing that Danny Casey never showed up. However, Sophie
stillabout her hero, Danny Casey and believes he would definitely come to meet her.
Main points

The lesson explores the theme of adolescent fantasies and hero worship. Sophie and
Jan1le are both In the last year of high school and both knew that they were
destined to work In the biscuit factory as they belong to a working class family.

Yet, Sophie, always dreams of big and beautiful things, glamour and glory. Her
ambitions are not rooted In reality I.e., have no relation with the harsh realities of life

. In contrast la Janale, Sophie's friend, a realistic and practical girl. Sophie lives In
male-dominated family where her mother was only a shadow.

The men were football fans and the conversations around the dinner table were about
Danny Casey, their Hero. Sophie wants some attention from her father and brother and
telling them that she met
Casey, was her way of drawing their attention towards her. But she carries her fantasies
too far when she starts to live them.
Why did Sophie dream of having a boutique after leaving school?
Ans. Sophie wa.1 struck by the glamorous wortd llke most adolescents are. The
glamour of fashion is beyond the reach of middle class girt llke Sophie. So she
dreams of having a boutique, for It Is the most llkely place visited by celebrttles
and brings good money llkely place visited by celebrities and brings good money
also.

.Why does Jansie want sophle to be sensible?

Jansle knew Sophie's family background and flnanclal position, She knew that both of
them were
earmarked for the biscuit factory. Sophie's dreams were big and needed a lot of money
and experience
for their fulfillment. Sophie had neither. So, Sophie asks her to be 1en1lble.

Who was Danny Casey? Why did Sophie talk about him?
Danny Casey was a young Irish player of the first United team. She was Infatuated by
this sportsman
and took him to be her lover and 10 wanted to date with him.

Why was Sophie Jealous of Geoff's silence?

Geoff was grown up and spoke llttle. Sophie was Jealous of him as she wanted to share
his secret
thoughts. She craved for his affection.

Jansle and Sophie, In spite of being friends were poles apart In their approach to ltfe.
How?
Jansle and Sophie were poles apart In thinking and temperament. Sophie was an
Incurable dreamer
and escapist. On the other hand Jansle was realistic and practical she knows big things
require
money and experience money and experience which they didn't have.

"He don't believe you-though he'd Ilk• to." Who says so, about whom and In what
context?
Ans: Geoff says 10 to Sophie about their father. He reacted sharply to her account of
meeting Danny
Casey. Geoff said that she had met him In the arcade and then told him how It had been.
Their father 6/ 9
said aggressively that she was going to talk herself Into a load of trouble. Sophie asked
Geoffto
conflnn that It waa true. It waa then that Geoff uttered these remarks. •.

Q Why do you think, does Goeff tell Sophie the following?

(l)" Casey must have strings of girts."
(ll)"As If he'd ever show up."
Ans: Geoff knows that Sophie Is still very y oung and Immature. She la crazy after Danny
Casey, the
Irish wonder-boy. He tries t.o convince Sophie that a celebrity Ilka Casey must have a
large number of
girts running after him. She says that he doesn't have any. He will give her autograph
next week if she
cares to meet him next week. Geoff Is not convinced. He doubts If he would ever show
up.

Q.Who was Danny Casey? How did the members of Sophie's family react towards
him?
Ans: Danny Casey was a y oung Irish football player. He played for the United. The Irish
prodigy
could easily dodge the defenders and score goals. Sophie's father was a football fan. He
admired old
heroes like Tom Finney and young wonder boy Casey. Geoff had a large poster of United
first team
squad on his bed room wall. There were three coloured photographs of Casey In the row
below It.
Ev ery Saturday they went to watch United play.

Q Why was the visit of Sophie's father and his family to watch United 'their weekly
pilgrimage' ?
Ans: Sophie's father was a keen footfall fan. He took great Interest In the career of Danny
Casey, the
Irish prodigy. Geoff, too was Interested In football. Sophie considered Danny Casey her
personal hero.
She always dreamt of him. Casey was playing for United. The family visited the stadium
regularty to
watch him. So the family's visit was like a religious or holy weekly ritual-a pilgrimage.
What Impression do you form of Sophia on reading the story 'Going Places'?
OR
Sophie has her own dreams and disappointments, but they are all her creations-the
creations of her own mind. Justify the statement
Ans: Sophia la a young school girt. She dreams of big and beautlful things. Some of
these are beyond
her reach or her means. Her ambitions have no relation with the harsh realities of life.
She thinks of
having a boutique. She wants to have the moat amazing shop this city has aver seen.
Then aha
entertains the Idea of being an actress There's real money In that.' Actresses do not work
full time. So
she would nm the boutique as a aide business. If need be, aha can be a fashion designer.
She donn't
realise that her family la not rich enough and her dreams can't be fulfilled.
Sophie develops a romantic fascination for Danny Casey. He Is a young Irish football
player and the
hero of her dreams. She Indulges In hero worship. Sha tells a story that she met Casey.
Her father calls
It another of her "wild stories". Even Geoff does not believe her. Ha tries to caution her.
Casey Is a
celebrity. Many girts run after him. But Sophia Ignores him.
Sha Is an Incurable dreamer. Sha has seen Casey only once, but all the time aha thinks o f
him. Sha sits
alone and waits for his arrival. Sha becomes sad and despondent when Casey does not
coma. Sha
suffers because of her dreams. Thna dreams and disappointments are all the creations
of her mind.

Sophia Is a typical adolescent hero-worshipper who carries her fantasizing too far .Do
you
agree?. Yes, Sophia Is a typical adolescent who worships Danny Casey, the football star.
Sha fantasizes
about meeting him and taking his autograph which Is quite normal for an adolescent But
she
crosses the border of normalcy when she tall her family that she actually mat him and
that ha
wants to take her on a date. And then she actually goes to the place and ltterally waits for
him
to appear which Is abnormal.
Sophie has no touch with reality; Janise'• feet are, however, flnnly planted on the
ground. Discuss.
Value Points:
Both school going girls and Intimate friends - both belong to lower mlddle class family -
but
different from each other. Different approach to llfe - one a romantic, habitual dreamer
and an
escapist. Sophie dreams of things beyond her reach - Jansle has a practical approach to
llfe - dl1courage1 her friend'• wlld dreams - go11lpy.

9/9
Poem 3 : Keeping Quiet"
NOTES BY SIMRAN SAHNI

Import ant Extracts

1. Read the extract given below and answer the question that
follow :
It would be an exotic moment
withou t rush, withou t engines
we would be all togeth er
in a sudden strangeness.
Questions

Q1. Which moment Is referred to here and how will it be?

Ans. It will be a moment of peace and Introspection. It will be a

strange and
attractive moment that will bring us closer.

Q2. How would we feel at that mome nt?

Ans. We will realize a feeling of oneness.

Q3. How will It bring all of us together?

Ans. By keeping quiet and still, we all will feel alike as If we are
together.

2. Read the extract given below and answer the question that
follow :
What I want should not be confused
with total inactivity,
Life is what it is about:
I want no truck with death.
Questions
Q1. What is it that should not be confused with total inactivity?
Ans. It Is the moment of silence that should not be confused with
total Inactivity.

Q2. What Is the life about?

Ans. Life Is about actions and dynamism. It must go on. The
efforts to keep the race alive cannot be suspended even for a
day. Action Is essence of life.

Q3. Explain: "no truck with death".

Ans. Total Inactivity Is a synonym of death and he has no
association with death. This short silence is very much alive and
a preparation for renewed hectic activity.

_' dead the extract given below and answer the question that
follow:
Those who prepare green wa.r:L
wars with gas. wars with fire.
victory with no survivors.
would put on clean clothes
and walk about with their brothers
in the shade. doing nothing.
Questions
Q1. In which wars are there no survivors?
Ans. There are no survivors in the wars of poisonous gases and
the war of firearms.

Q2. Who would put on clean clothes?

Ans. The war-wagers would put on clean clothes
•
. ?
 Ans. ,,Put on clean clothes" signifies the feelings of their mutual
understanding.

4, Read the extra~iven below and answer the question that

follow:
If we were not so single-minded
about keeping our lives moving
and for once could do nothing
perhaps a huge silence
might jnterrupt this sadness
of never understanding ourselves
and of threatening ourselves with death.
Questions

Q1. What will happen if we go on thinking single-minded?

Ans. In case we go on thinking single minded, we will remain
oo sy in worldly
activities, thereby we won•t find time for self-introspection. It will
be a sad situation.

Q2. How can we understand ourselves?

A.ns. We can understand ourselves through self-introspection
•
Q3. In what way can huge silence dispel sadness?
Ans. Huge silence will remove all our tension, violence and
warfare. It will do away
with all our sadness.

Q4.• What Is the ,,sadness• that the poet refers to In the poem?
Ans. The poet Pablo Neruda refers to ,,sadness• which we form
out of our own
thinking and actions. We understand a lot of things but fall to
understand ourselves
and our actions and this becomes the creator of all disasters.
Thia la the ,,sadness•
that the poet refers to In the poem

QS. Why does the poet want us to "do nothing• for once?
Ans .The poet wants to do nothing for once, here he specifies
that we should cease
all our activities In order to have Introspection within ourselves
so that we can realize
the exotic momenl

s~ead the extract given below and answer the question that
follow;
Perhaps the Earth can teach us a
a~en uverything seems dea.d.
and later proves to be alive.
Now rn count up to twelve
and you keep guiet and I will go.
Questions

Q1. What does the earth teach us?

Ans. The earth teaches us how life springs from dead things. It
further teaches us to
realize llfa under stillness.

Q2. What does the poet mean to achieve by counting upto

twelve?
Ans. He wants us to achieve peace by counting upto twelve.

Q3. What Is the significance of ,,Keeping Quiet•?

Ans. "Keeping quiet• means that we should avoid all those
activities which hurt the
nature.

ADDITIONAL QUESTIONS
Short Answer Type Ouastlons (30:40 words)
auestlon,1. Which Is the exotic moment that the poet refers to in
'Keeping Quiet'? (Delhi
2014)

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.

Questlon.2. What Is the sadness that the poet refers to In the

poem 'Keeping Quiet'? (All
India 2014)
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; a a result, he Is unable to analyse his own
actions and understand Its
consequences.
surroundings and thus change our attitude to llfe. We wlll check
our destructive ways and try to
be more positive and constructive.

auestlon.6.What are the different kinds of wars mentioned in the

poem? What lsNeruda's
attitude towards these wars? (Delhi 2013)

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 nosurvlvors. It means that there Is heavy
loss on bothsldes.

wuestlon,7. How can suspension of activities help? (All India

2012)
Answer. The poet believes that suspension of activities will allow
man to Introspect, which can
help them In analysing their own actions, and In solvlng 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.

auestlon,8. Do you think the poet advocates total Inactivity and

death? (Delhi 2011)

Answer. No, the poet clearly states that his asking for stillness
should not be confused with totallnactlvlty 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.

auestlon.9. According to the poet, what ts 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
., 1ot actually true.

auestlon.10.What wlll counting upto twelve and keeping quiet

help us to achieve?
(Foreign 2009)

Answer. The poet asks each one of us to count to twelve and

then be qule~ silent and
motion less. This quietness wlll create a moment of togetherness
among all; a condition which Is
foremost for the survival of humanity, which Is Indeed an
achievement. It wlll also give us One to
analyse our actions and their consequences.
Poem 4 : A Thing of Beauty

NOTES BY SJMRAN SAHNI YOUTUBE

Ques 1 And such too is the grandeur of the doomsWe have

imagined for the mighty dead :
All lovely ta les that we have heard or read:
An endless fountain of immortal drink,
Pouring unto us from the heaven's brink.

Name the poem and the poet.

Who are the 'mighty dead'?
Why is 'grandeur' associated with the ' mighty dead'?
!flP"'tify and explain the poetic device used in the last two lines

Ans: {a) A Thing of Beauty by John Keats

{b) those martyrs who have died bravely for a cause

(c) they will always be remembered for their noble and splendid
deeds and creations/They have left behind a legacy for us to
enjoy.

(d) Metaphor- Endless fountain is indirectly compared to

love/thing of beauty/ Hyperbole. It is an exaggerated statement.
An endless fountain of immortal drink ...... Heaven's brink

Cues 2 List t he things of beauty mentioned in the poem.

Ans: he sun, the moon, old and young trees that provide shade
to 'simple sheep', daffodils, clear streams of rivers, musk-roses
in the forest and the lovely tales of mighty men.

Ques 3 Why is 'grandeur' associated with the 'mighty dead' ?

Ans: The 'grandeur' lies in their noble deeds. Their selfless

sacrifice for their nation and deeds for the welfare of mankind
still continue to inspire us

Ques 4 Do we experience things of beauty only for short

moments or do they make a last ing impression on us?

Ans 4 The poet believes that when we encounter a beautiful

t i\ing, even for a small moment, the pleasure remains with us '
forever. It leaves a lasting impression that inspires us to live llte
with hope and optimism.

SHORT ANSWER TYPE QUESTIONS (ADDITIONAL)

Q1 . How is a thing of beauty a joy forever?

Ans. A thing of beauty provides everlasting joy. Its beauty never

decreases but continues to
increase with the passage of time. It never fades away.

Q2. What do you understand by a ' bower'?

Ans. 'Bower' is the shelter under the shade of trees. It provides
protection from the harsh rays of
03. What are we doing every day?
Ans. Every morning, we are weaving a flowery wreath which
binds us to the beauties of the
earth or we are collecting things of beauty that connects us to
other things of beauty and keeps
us grounded.

Q4. Which evil things do we possess and suffer from?

Ans. Human beings possess qualities of malice, hatred and

disappointment. There is a shortage
of noble qualities and men continue to be evil and unhealthy.

C.. ' ,,hat is the cause of our 'gloomy days' and 'dark spirittt "'

Ans. Our own acts of unkindness, cruelty and malice towards

others, make our days sad and
gloomy. We also get disappointed due to the lack of human
values and nobility around us.

Q6. What is the message of the 'A Thing of Beauty'?

Ans. Keats, an ardent lover of nature, in his poem refers to the

powers of nature. He urges man
to realize that these powers make life enjoyable and worth living.
He tells us how a thing of
beauty provides joy.
Q7. What is the 'grandeur' of the 'dooms' and 'endless fountain
of immortal drink'?

Ans. The 'grandeur of the dooms' is a reference to our mighty

and dead ancestors who have
created beautiful objects for us. The 'endless fountain' is the
everlasting joy provided to us by
the bounties of nature as if in the form of nectar pouring on us
from heaven.

as.. Keats feels that Nature binds us to the Earth, How does he
iustify this?

Ans. Keats feels that man has a strong bond with nature. Despite
r(J e gloom and suffering, man )
is connected to the earth. A flowery band ties us to the earth.
This band is a thing of beauty and
metaphorically made of flowers and brings joy. There is an
affinity between things of beauty in
nature and in man.

09. What rich bounty has heaven given us? [Delhi 201D

Ans. John Keats sees beauty in all the natural things. According
to him, everything of nature is a
source of beauty. In the poem we can see, the sun, the moon, the
trees, daffodils, green forests,
clear rills, masses of fems, blooming musk-rose, lovely tales, etc.
These beautiful sources
provide pleasure and joy to mankind. So do the many beautiful
stories created by man.

010. What does Keats consider an endless fountain of immortal

drink and why does he
call its drink immortal?
Ans. Keats considers the joy provided by nature as a
never-ending fountain which uplifts the
spirits of human beings. The beauty of nature is a constant
source of pleasure and delight to the
human mind and is like an immortal drink from heaven.

Y ·., 1DSI PHRASES AND THEIR CONTEXTUAL MEANINGS

Bower: A shady place under the tree

Morrow: The following day
Wreathing: surround, encircle
Despondence: depressed
Gloomy: sad
Boon : blessing
Rills: a small stream
Brake: a process to slow down
Grandeur: high ran k or socially important
Mighty: enormous
Immortal: never dying
Brink: edge
 CLASS 12 EN~lISH
•

MY MOTHER AT SIXTY SIX

8
MCQ QUESTION
bt SIHRAN SAHNI
 jj - 1 ~•
POEM 1: M Mother at Sixt Six :
Kamala Das

The poet is driving from her parents home to Cochin

by car, her mother by her side-
sleeping - open mouthed very pale, colorless and
frail -like a dead body indicating that h er
end was near.

< >

The poet looks at her and feels intense pain and

agony to realize that soon death will cast
her mother from her.

Tries to divert her mind, looks outside at the young

trees and happy children bursting
out of their homes in a playful mood (a contrasting
image)
After the security check at the airport looked again at
her mother's face- pale and cold.

"Familiar ache-My childhood fear'' - the poet has

always had a very intimate and close
relationship witl1 her mother and she has always felt
~! _, · fear of being separated from her mother hence it
is familiar.

The poet reassures her mother that they will meet

again
Aunt lennifer's' Tire rs
NOTES BY SIMRAN SAHNI YOUTUBE

Questio11-A11swer
Read the stanzas given belo,v and ans~ver the
qt1estions that follow each:
1. Aunt Je11nifer's tigers prance across a scree 11 ,
Bright topaz denizens of a world of green.
They do not fear tl1e n1en be11eatl1 the tree:
,,hey pace in sleek cl1ivalric certainty.

Questions

(a ) Nan1e tl1e poen1 and the poet of tl1ese li11es.

(b ) What are Attnc Jennifer's tigers doing? How do
tl1ey look like?
{c) Wltere do tl1ey Jive? Are they fearless? Give an
exan1ple.
(d ) How do chey pace?

Answers:
(a ) The poem is Aunt Jennifer,s Tigers. The poet is
Adrienne Rich.
(b) They are jumping across a screen or a wall. They
look like shining yellow topaz.
(c) They live in green forests. They are fearless. They
don't fear the men under the tree.
(d ) They run with a well-groomed, honourable
confidence.

2. When Aunt is dead, l1er terrified ha11ds will lie

Still ri11ged ,vith ordeals she ,vas n1astered by.
,,...lie tigers in the panel that she n1ade
•. ✓ ill go on pranci11g, proud and u11afraid.

Questio11s

(a ) Why are Aunt Jennifer's hands called ~terrified'''?

(b ) Wl1at are they still ringed with'?
(c) Where did she 111ake the tigers'?
(d ) What \Viii happen to her tigers after her death?

Answers:
(a) Her hands are called terrified because they passed
through very hard and Lit ter experience of
married
life.
(b) They are still ringed with those hard and testing
difficulties which possessed her dining her
life.
(c) She made the tigers in the panel.
(d ) Her tigers will go on jumping ahead , proud and
unafraid even after her death.

03. Ho,-v do 'de11izens' and ~cl1ivalric' add to 011r

1 " erst anding of the tiger's at ti t11 des'?

Ans: Like all beasts of prey, the tigers are the

denizens of the forest. They live far away front
human settlements. They are called I.chivalric.' This
indicates the majestic and honourable
position that they occupy in the world of animals. So,
the use of the words ~denizens' and
4
Chivalric' adds to our understanding of the tiger's
attitudes.
04. What is suggested bv che in1age 'n1assive weight
of uncle's wedding band'?

Ans: It suggests the weight of the harsh and tough

experience of Aunt Jennifer's married life.
The image is quite suggestive. The wedding hand is
symbolic. It represents the unbreakable bond
of marriage between the husband and the wife.

05. Of ,vhat or \-\'horn is Aunt Jennifer terrified in the

third stanza?

Ans: In the third stanza, the poet refers to Aunt

Jennifer's 'terrified hands'. The old unhappy
memories are still fresh in her mind. She had passed
through many testing and horrible times
during her married life. These ordeals crushed and
suppressed her. Their effect is still visible. So,
she is still ringed with those ordeals that dominated
her life.

06. What are the 'ordeals' Aunt Jennifer is

surro11nded by'? Wll)' is it siinificant that the" poet
uses the ,vord 'rin~ed"! What are the different
n1eanin~s of ~rin~ed' i11 the poen1'?

poem addresses the experiences of marriage

idst of constrictions. The word
s significant. It suggests that the vicious grip
happy married life is still holding
ly. The word 'ringed' has been used in two
st is the conventional use. Here ring
ol of the sacred bond of marriage. The otlter
urative use of 'ringed'. It means
or surrounded.

,viii Aunt ennifer's hands look when she is

en Aunt Jennifer dies, her hands will still

errified. Perhaps she has experienced a
lot of hardships and troubles in the past. Their effect
has left its print on her hands. The ordeals
that crushed her married life had surrounded and
crantped her fingers and hands too.
08. What ,vi ii happen to At111t Jenn ifer's tigers ,,vhen
she is dead?

Ans: Aunt Jennifer's tigers will survive her. She has

created the tigers in a panel. They are made
of wool. These objects of art will survive their creator.
The tigers will go on jumping, proud and
unafraid.

09. Describe the poetic devices used in the poem

f •• tl t Jen n ifer·s Tigers·.

Ans: Adrienne Rich's Aunt Jennifer's Tigers' a

beautiful short poem rich in symbolism and
imagery. The metaphor 'bright topaz' depicts the
shining yellow complexion of her tigers. The effective
use of alliteration in 'sleek, chivalric certainty'
describes the pace of the tigers effectively. 'Tlte
1nassive weight of wedding band' symbolizes ordeals
and hardships of Aunt Jennifer's married life. The
images 'terrified hands' and 'ringed with ordeal'
create the effect of
oppression and terror as well as -:aptivity.
Prance - jump or move in a spirited manner
Screen - here, the wall or the surface of the
tapestry
Topaz - a bright yellow precious stone
Denizens - inhabitants
Chivalric - brave and honourable
r ·~rtainty - confidence
Fiuttering - ntoving with a light irregular of
trembling motion
Massive - heavy
Wedding band - wedding pact, signifying martia1
duties
Ringed - confident of tied up
Ordeals - unpleasant or painful experiences
Mastered - controlled
Panel - flat board
 CLASS XII
ENGLISH
THE THIRD LEVEL;
Question & Answers
BY SIMRAN SAHNI YOUTUBE

The Third Level Summary in English

'Charley is convinced that there are three, not just two, levels of Grand
Central Station. Charley's psychiatrist Sam Weiner and his friends think
his delusion is a 'waking-dream-wish fulfilment' and like his stamp
collection, a temporary refuge from a world full of insecurity, fear, war
and worry' .Charley describes how one evening while hurrying home
from office he decides to take the subway from Grand Central Station,
and gets lost. He eventually finds himself on a strange third level with
spittoons, gaslights, an ancient locomotive and people whose
appearance and clothes look strange. He realizes that he has somehow
gone back in time to 1894, which is confirmed by the newspaper's lead
" )ry on President Cleveland.Charley tries to buy tickets to Galesburg,
't i,1ois, a wonderful town .. . with big old frame houses, huge lawns and
tremendous trees ..., and where summer evenings were twice as long
and people lived in peace and harmony. But the clerk won 't accept his
1950 currency and so he leaves the station.During his lunch break the
next day, Charley withdraws nearly all his savings and buys old-
style currency to buy tickets to Galesburg of 1894. But he can never
again find the entrance to the third level at Grand Central Station.
Charley finds evidence that the third level actually exists when he
discovers a letter dated July 18, 1894 addressed to his grandfather at
Galesburg, Illinois, from his psychiatrist Sam Weiner who it seems was
not skeptical of the
third level as he had appeared.

Q/A
1. What does the third level refer to ?
A. Third level refers to an additional level at the Grand Central Station
which originally only
had two levels. Charley one night ·vhile going home 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
rea tity, one might
res o rt to escape. 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 heave 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 exis~because
both Sam and Charley
exist in the present times.
Ques: ' The modern world is full of insecurity, fear, war. worry and
stress.' What are the ways in which we attempt to overcome them?
Answer: Through participating in some practical and helpful practices,
we can conquer the anxieties and insecurities created through our
unavoidable life in the modern world. Cultivating interests, spending
time with family and friends, going on excursions and vacations,
practicing meditation, and exercises help us lead a happy, safe life.
Reading good books is equal to having great insight into good friends.
Not only do they inspire us with the vast store of wisdom but they also
help us learn from the experience of others and remain rooted in those
essential human qualities. Joining sport or gym lessons, attending
social activities can also help us to ease our anxieties and remain
concentrated and disciplined in life. Easy hobbies such as listening to
music, playing with pets, an occasional dinner out, watching movies or
playing, or going to places such as parks, etc can go a long way to help
us get rid of tension, boredom, and anxiety.

Qt.._ ... : Do you see an intersection of time and space in the story?
Answer: Sure, there are several instances in the story that show a
time-space intersection. Firstly, Grand Central Station's first two floors
were presently located when the third floor existed in the 1890s.
Secondly, Charley and his aunt, Louisa, are living in the present time and
rushing to get old currency to buy two tickets to go to the 1894
Galesburg. Additionally, the platform's old design at the third level is
distinct from the first two levels' new platforms. In fact, the archaic
manner in which people dress, and the journal, The Times, dated June
11, 1984, also contrast with the real-time culture and life of Charley.
Finally, the letter sent to Charley 's grandfather on July 18, 1894, shows
Question
What is a first-day cover?
Answer:
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. The envelope is called a first-day cover. They
are never opened. You just put a blank paper inside the envelope.

Question
DO IT YOURSELF TESY
MULTIPLE CHOICE QUESTIONS
THE THIRD LEVEL
1.Charley was quite an ordinary man from
a) Chicago b)Seattle
c) New York d) Galesburg.
2) The incident that happened with Charlie took
place at the:
a) Central Railway Station b) Illinois Railway
Station,
c) New York Station d) Grand Central Station
3.He was in a hurry to get home to his wife
a) Helen b) Sarah
c) Louisa d) Hannah
4. The third level platform was:
a) well lit and big b) very large
c) very dark d) small and ding
5. The people were dressed in:
a) shabby clothes b) party clothes
c) old fashioned clothes d) torn clothes
6. A man pulled out a ____ from his pocket
a) a watch b) a handkerchief
c) a derby hat d) a pen
7. The area was lit up with _
a) gas lamps b) bulbs
c) candles d) fireplaces
8. There were spittoon made of_
a) steel b) brass
c) wood d) iron
9. A newspaper said it was the year
a) 1859 b) 1589
c) 1894 d) 1855
10. People had got into tunnels in the past that lead
to places such as the
a) Roosevelt Hotel b) Central Park
c) Times Square d) Illinois avenue
 0

NOTES & IMPORTANT QUESTIONS

The Tiger King
By Kalki

•Maharaja Pratibandapuram' s childhood-

- Jung Bahadur born
- The astrologers predict his death due to a tiger
- Was brought up in Royal style -everything was English nanny, food, milk,
tutor and entertainmen

Common man continued to talk about the threat facing the Prince

+ hs 1,ow to kill Tigers-

- When he grows up and is twenty, the State came into his hands
- Took a vow to kill 100 tigers
- Many times he risked his life to fulfill his vow
- He banned anybody from killing tigers and imposed heavy penalty if anybody
disobeyed
- He wanted to kill them himself
- He also risked his throne by not allowing a British officer to hunt for tigers
- He got out of this situation only by spending 3 lakh on rings to pacify the Officer
•Consequences-
- The tiger population started depleting by hunting tigers
- He had to marry a Princess whose Estate had plenty of tigers which he could kill
- Soon the number of tigers in his wife's estate also started depleting
- Finally he killed 99 tigers
- But the hundredth tiger refused to show up
th
- The frustration of the Maharaj a increased as he was not able to kill the 100 tiger
- Officers started losing their jobs as the Maharaj a was angry that they could not find
th the 100 tiger for him

•Dewan's resourcefulness/tactfulness-
- old tiger from bought from Madras
- Left the tiger at a point so where the Maharaja could easily kill the Tiger
- The king takes an aim and shot at the tiger
- He misses the shot
Tr e tiger actually fainted
When the King missed killing the Tiger, the officers chose to keep quiet

- One of the hunters killed it later

•Ironical ending-
- The prediction was that the King would-be killed by the hundredth Tiger.
- The king thought he had killed hundred tigers - became careless
- Bought a wooden Tiger for his son's birthday
- He played with the toy tiger with his son
- Awooden splinter pierced the Maharajah's right hand
-The wound became poisonous
- He was operated by best surgeons but could not survive
- It is ironical that the king spent a life time trying to kill hundred tigers but his death
came due to a toy tiger
 I
,·
••

NOTES & IMPORTANT QUESTIONS

Journey to the end of the Earth
By Tishani Doshi
Past history of Antarctica
- 650 million years ago Gondwana, a giant Southern sub - continent existed
- Much warmer at that time
- The huge landmass was forced to separate into countries
- In one million years India pushed north wards to form the Himalayas,
- South America drifted off to join North America opening up the Drake passage to create a
cold circumpolar current, keeping Antarctica frigid, desolate and at the bottom of the world

Present day Antarctica

- Does not sustain human population
- Has no trees, billboards, buildings
- Blue whales and icebergs as big as countries found here
- There is silence everywhere - only sounds of avalanches or calving ice sheets are heard

Human Impact
- Human civilization 12000 years old
Disturbed the balance in nature
- Dominated nature with villages, towns, cities, mega cities
- Burning of fossil fuels has created a blanket of carbon dioxide leading to increase in the
global temperature
- Climate change has taken place
- Microscope phytoplankton nourish and sustain the entire southern ocean's food chain
- Further depletion will affect the activities of the phytoplankton
- Marine animals and birds of the region will be affected.

'Student on Ice' programme

- Aims at providing students educational opportunities to foster new understanding and
respect for our planet
Walk on the ocean
- Most memorable experience
- Walked on one metre thick ice pack
- Below that was 180 metres of living breathing salt water
- Saw Crab eaters seals stretching on ice floes
APositive Note
- The writer is hopeful that
- Students will make a big difference to save the earth
NOTES & IMPORTANT QUESTIONS
Story is set during World War II
- Japan is fighting America
- It is a story of conflict between fellow-feeling and loyalty
- Shown through the situation between Tom, the American prisoner and the Japanese
couple,
Dr. Sadao and Hana

Important for Sadao Hoki

1.1 His father's statements and priorities
1.2 His wife's background
1.3 American professor Harley

2. The shadow from the sea

2.1 Staggering, Crawling, Falling
2.2 A fisherman perhaps
2.3 A white man!
2.4 Shot and bleeding

-.. What to do next- a dilemma

3.1 Put him back in the sea
3.2 An escaped American POW
3.3 Decision to carry him into the house

4. Taking care of POW

4.1 Refusal of the Yumi, the servant
4.2 Hana washes the man
4.3 Sadao operates
4.4 Hana thinks of his perils

5. Recovery period of POW

5.1 His fears, their problems
5.2 The servants' rebel/condemnation
5.3 The man heals, Sadao confused

6. The seventh day

6.1 The servants left together
6.2 A messenger arrives
6.3 Sadao summoned
7. At the General's Palace
7 .1 Sadao's confession
7.2 General's suggestion

8. Waiting for assassins

8.1 Restless nights for Sadao
8.2 Sadao's decisions

9. The Prisoner escapes

9.1 Arrangements made by Sadao
9.2 The prisoner gone
9.3 The servants return
9.4 The General operated and saved

10. Sada o's final observation about the General

10.1 Lack of dutifulness
10.2 Sadao knows General's weakness upper hand
~ OTES & IMPORTANT QUESTIONS
On the Face of It
Br Susan Hill

Mr. Lamb welcomes Derry

- Welcomes Derry in his garden in spite of him jumping over the wall
- Mr. Lamb tries to make him comfortable
- Tells him he could pick crab apples
- Talks to Derry, without paying attention to his disability
- Derry thinks he is pretending not to be afraid of his burnt face
- Derry tells Mr. Lamb usually people are afraid of his face
- Mr. Lamb asks about it but doesn't probe
- Mr. Lamb tells Derry that he has a tin leg

Mr. Lamb's advice to Derry

- Mr. Lamb tells Derry that in Nature shapes differ but quality is the same
- The plants in his garden are not of the same type. Some are weeds, some are flowers .
There is
no difference. All keep growing
What is inside is important than what is outside.
- Accept yourself first and the fear of others will vanish
- Being called Lamey-Lamb doesn't bother him
- He cannot keep thinking of these things
- Life has many more things to offer
- Isolating himself will not be good
- Inspires Derry to look at things positively

How Derry reacts to Mr. Lamb's advice

- Initially Derry is very suspicious of Mr. Lamb
- Has never had anybody to talk to him and understand him
- Can not believe that he doesn't find him ugly
- Later, Derry is fascinated by Mr. Lamb's talk.
- Is motivated and drawn towards him
Mr. Lamb
-An old man with a tin leg
- Lives alone
- Is lonely
- But has found ways to overcome his loneliness
- Keeps his gate open
- Never curtains his windows
- Imagines kids and people walking all over the place
- Spends his time listening to the bees in his garden
- Has a positive approach to life

Derry's transformation
- Derry has had bitter experiences in the world
- Tells Mr. Lamb how everyone passes sarcastic comments about his looks
- Even his mother kisses him on the other side of the face

So he doesn't trust people and avoids them because they may say cruel things about his
f ~r
- _,ad that even if he grows up he will have only half a face
- Meeting with Mr. Lamb changes his outlook towards life
- Starts talking to Mr. Lamb about himself- his likes, dislikes, fears
- Wants to be loved and appreciated by others
- Wants to break free from the stigma of being disabled
- His going back to Mr. Lamb's garden shows that Derry is a changed person now
NOTES & IMPORTANT QUESTIONS
THE CUTTING OF MY LONG HAIR
·Zitkala Sa
- Her first day in the land of apples was a bitter-cold one
- Discriminated against because of her being a native American, her appearance,
moccasined feet and blanket
- There were native American girls in stiff shoes and tight dresses
- Judewin, the narrator's friend told her that her hair would be cut. She had overheard
the pale face woman saying
- The narrator tried to hide, put up a struggle but was dragged, tied to a chair and her
long hair was cut off
- The forced cutting of her hair makes her suffer tremendous trauma and results in her
losing her spirit
- In her culture only unskilled captured warriors, mourners and cowards had short hair
- The cruelty of the incident makes her feel helpless driven by herder.
- Craves for comfort but nobody is there to offer it

(
·Barna
- Had an innocent childhood -
used to walk back home from school
covered the 10 minutes of walk in long time
watched all the fun and games such as
a performing monkey
a snake charmer
dried fish stall
street play
puppet show
- She experienced untouchability very early in life
- One day she stopped to watch threshing
- She saw an elder person carrying food packet with the help of strings
- Her brother told her that the real reason .
- Got inspiration to fight back from her brother through hard work and studies
- He told her to work hard to win honour and dignity
- Barna studied hard and stood first in her class
 CLASS 12 ENULISI I CORE

CH I
THE
LAS'r
LESSON
'() 11 \ ,\. I\ 11't ) j ' I \ \ I I 11 I ' 11, '

• The Last Lesson

1" You realise the true value of a thing only on losing it." Comment on this
statement in
the light of the story, The Last Lesson .
Or . The Importance of a thing dawns upon us when it is no longer with us". Do
you agree?
Give reasons based on the text?

We realise the true value of a thing only on losing it."The statement Is absolutely
correct.
As we understood in the chapter The Last Lesson, People of Alsace was filled
with regret because Berlin ordered that the language German was supposed to be
taught only In Alsace and Lorraine. This order left Mr. Hamel, the villagers and Mr.
Hamel's students with deep regret,since It was their last French lesson .Earlier
Franz didn't like M. Hamel much because of his ruler and cranky nature and he
would feel fear from him but now all those feelings were entirety changed for M
Hamel.
The message conveyed by M Hamel about the order from Bertin was a
thunderclap for llttle Franz. He immediately felt sorry for not being sincere in the
school and for not learning the French language and other lessons property. His
books, which seemed a nuisance and a burden earlier ere now Franz's old
friends.
The teachers declared holiday when they wanted to go on fishing or sent the
students to

take care of their household duties.

10 "Franz thinks, " Will they make them sing In German, even the pigeons?" What
does this tell us about the attitude of the Frenchmen? (All India 2011 )"WIii they
make them sing In German, even the ~igeons ... ? Bring out the Irony In the
sentence.
Answer:
During his last French class Franz hears the pigeons cooing and wonders if the
Prussians would make them sing in German too. His thought reveals the
Frenchmen's fear of complete domination by the Germans whereby they would
try to enslave even their minds.

11.M Hamel

Gave new copies for us,

written in a beautiful round hand

- France, Alsace, France, Alsace?Comment on this statement in

the light of the story, The Last Lesson.

M Hamel wanted to fill the students with patriotism, self-respect and love for their
culture

and language, he also wanted the readers must aware of the great Importance of
learning their

own language and never forgetting it no matter what the circumstances

12 He had the courage to hear every lesson to the very last." What led Franz to
make this remark?
 • Lost Spring

1 What do we come to know about the author of Lost Spring, Anees Jung,
through her
Interactions with Saheb and Mukesh?

The traits that we learn about the author, Anees Jung, through her Interactions
with Saheb and Mukesh are
Sympathetic, carlng,observer, felt embarrassed when she made hollow promise
to Saheb.Felt helpless after seeing pllght of people of Flrozabad and Seemapuri

2 'Lost Spring'. is a sad commentary on the political system of our country that
condemns

thousands of people to a life of abject poverty. Comment.

Saheb, optimistic and enthusiastic-prospect of finding gold in garbage-likes

going to

school but no opportunity-freedom and joy of childhood to burdens of job at

tea.,stall.

Mukesh, born at Flrozabad (bangle maker)-works under inhuman

condition-dark room,

hot furnaces-caught in web of poverty-vicious circle of sahukars, policemen,

politicians,

bureaucrats and moneylenders-resigned to fate-unaware of child labour

act-stifled
Mukesh as an ambitious person.
Ans- Mukesh Is an ambitious person because he wants to become a
motor-mechanic by breaking free
from the vicious web of generations of famllles being Involved In bangle-making.
He has the courage to
dream of becoming a motor mechanic, thus breaking free from destiny.

6 In spite of despair and disease pervading lives of the slum children, they are not
devoid of hope.
How far do you agree?
Ans -In spite of growing up amidst despair and disease, children who five In
slums have the desire to
achieve something big in life. This shows that they are not devoid of hope. Saheb,
a ragplcker, is eager to
go to a school and learn.
Mukesh, who works in dark, dingy cells making bangles, dreams of becoming a
motor mechanic against
his family tradition.

7 Describe the irony in Saheb's name.

Ans- Saheb is a poor ragplcker who lives In Seemapuri. His full name Is
'Saheb-e-Alam', which means
'Lord of the Universe'.
The Irony lies in the meaning of his name itself. According to his name, he should
be a king and enjoy all
the luxuries of life. But unfortunately, he is a barefoot ragpicker, who lacks even
the basic necessities.

8
"Listening to them, I see two distinct worlds ... " In the context of Mukesh, the
bangle maker's son,
which two worlds is Anees Jung referring to?
Ans - The two worlds that the author refers to are those represented by Mukesh's
parents and Mukesh
respectively. Mukesh has the courage to dream big in spite of all adversity,
whereas the other
banglemakers of Firozabad have resigned to their fate, and have suppressed all
their hopes and desires.
 • Deep Water

The story can also be viewed as a figurative manifestation of life's many

challenges.

Elaborate with reference to the text

The story has been taken from the author's biography 'Of Men and Mountain 'In
this story he tells about his fear of water and how he was overcome of this .

As a child , when he was 3-4 years old , he would go to the beach in California
with his father .He would get scared by the might of the huge waves which swept
over him and it instilled fear in his mind ,

William Douglas developed a fear of water as a child. This fear was further
strengthened by another incident that had happened at a swimming pool that he
had
joined at the age of ten or eleven. The fear remained with him through a greater
part of his
life, despite his strong desire to swim across many water bodies.
Finally one day William Douglas decided to overcome his fear of water. He hired a
swimming instructor who taught him. Gradually, he turned William Douglas into a
trained swimmer.. Douglas recollects that during the training the fear would come
back to him but he would

face it and it would vanish.

This example of Douglas' fear can be used to explain how we can overcome any
challenge

In our life. The key is determination, hard work and patience. If we decide to
overcome

any challenge and work towards it, we will surely get success.
(fhe story Deep Water talks about Douglas' attempts to overcome his fear of
Water.
"I was frightened, but not yet frightened out of my wits." says Douglas. Which
qualities of the speaker are highlighted here and how?
Ans. Douglas was frightened when he went down into the pool and was about to
be drowned. He
had an aversion to water and now he was filled with terror. He had remarkable
self-control. He
used his mind even in the crisis and thought of a strategy to save himself from
being drowned .

. 'I crossed to oblivion, and the curtain of life fell.' How did Douglas experience
the
sensation of dying before he actually crossed to oblivion?
Ans. As Douglas went down the pool the third time, he swallowed more water. All
his efforts to
jump up ceased. His legs felt limp. A blackness swept over his brain and it wiped
out fear and
terror. There was no more panic. It was quiet and peaceful. He felt drowsy and
wanted to go to
sleep.

How did the instructor build a swimmer out of Douglas?

Ans. Douglas was determined to overcome his fear of water because it was
preventing him from
enjoying the pleasures of boating, fishing, and canoeing. For months, he
attended swimming
lessons. The instructor required him to put In a lot of practice time. He learned a
variety of
swimming techniques. Every day, he practised for hours. After taking those
swimming lessons,
he felt a little less afraid. Douglas hadn't finished his swimming lessons yet He
went to various
lakes to practise his swimming skills. He swam from one shore to the other
without assistance.
 • The Rattrap

If the Christmas spirit is about selflessness, forgiveness and becoming 'better"

versions
of ourselves amongst other things, Edla Wlllmansson Is the epitome of this Slm'lt.
Justify with two points of evidence from The Rattrap.

Do you think the story reinforces a stereotype that women are more trusting,
forgiving and less practical
than men? Comment with reference to Edla's actions in the story.

Edla was basically trusting and compassionate. She wanted the peddler to enjoy
and be at peace. She did not want to turn away the guest on a Christmas Eve. It
was her kind gesture to reform the peddler
She and her father had promised him Christmas
cheer, and she felt that It would be wrong to send him away.

In what sense was the world a big rattrap according to the peddler?
Pyq

or
Answer. The peddler was a very poor man who earned his living by selling
rattraps he made
hlmseH 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 wor1d 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.
Edla was basically trusting and compassionate.
 .To be grateful is a great virtue of a gentleman. How did the peddler display this
virtue? (2 MARKS)

Peddler left a rattrap as a Christmas present from a rat-who could have been
caught in the world's rattrap. The present consisted of a small rattrap and three
wrinkled ten kronor notes and wrote a letter of gratitude - heartfelt thanks and a
promise of transfonnation.Edla had honoured and treated the peddler like a
captain inspite of knowing the truth. So he signed himself as Captain von Stahle
to show that he wanted to retain the dignity and respect accorded to him.

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 wasthe 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.

.A mistaken Identity led to a discovery of a new one for the rattrap peddler. How
did this impact him?Cbse Sample Paper 2021

Ans. The mistaken identity gave him the power clear his conscience and become
a better person.It brought out his latent goodness.It gave him a chance at
elevating himself from being a thief. The experience gave him the opportunity to
behave in the way expected of a Captain.
The examiner knows about the mistaken Identity, hence that requires no
elaboration here.
lonely crofter who was very generous. He gave the peddler a meal, talked to him
and even showed him the thirty kronors, he had earned because of his cow.
Tempted by the money, the peddler stole the money from the crofter and headed
towards a forest. The dense forest was like a maze and he soon got lost, realising
that the money was a bait and now he himself was trapped in a rattrap.

•In context of the metaphor of the rattrap, the rattrap peddlar Is a rat. What do the
lronmaster and Edla Wlllmansson stand for?
If peddler ls a rat,

the ironmaster is a larger rat running after larger pieces of cheese/pork;

Edla ls the rescuer,the life changer who rescue the rat.

Who do you think was at fault-the lronmaster or the peddler? Give two reasons .
Answer
I think the ironmaster was at fault because it was he who invited the tramp to his
house for the
Christmas thinking him to be his old acquaintance; but on knowing he was not
his acquaintance he could not oppose his daughter's decision to offer him
Christmas cheer.

Question Despite his philosophical insights, the vagabond fails to resist

temptations. What would you attribute this to? Explain with reference to any
instance from the text.Cbse Question Bank

.. Despite is philosophical insights, the vagabond fails to

resist temptations simply because of his humanness. The
vagabond is a poor and a deprived man who is treated
and unkindly by the social world around him. Just like
every other individual, he is also vulnerable to the baits
of food, shelter, luxury, etc.
Hence, the bait comes to him when the old crofter shows
him his money, Blinded by the bait, he also falls In the
rattrap

Why did the peddler sign himself as Captain von Stahle?

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 t
•M. Hamel

Asincere French teacher

•· Knew his subject well
Is passionate about the French Language.
· Considers French as the dearest the most beautiful and the most logical language In the
world
· Feels that language is the key to a person·s sense of freedom
•· Advises villagers to hold on to French despite the ban on using the language
Is proud of being a French
- Is upset and distressed by the occupation of Alsace by the Germans
•· Is attached to his town. school and people
Is a hard Task Master

· He's particular about discipline and learning on the part of the students
• The students are scared of him
•· Even on the last day he gets the class to do exercises on every aspect of the language
Asensitlve man
• The news of the occupation of Alsace shatters him
• Blames himself for being a linle selfish at times
'"-~ l ,
\ · At the sound of the Prussian soldiers he becomes overwhelmed with emotions and his voice
·chokes

-
An honest man
· That he is also to be blamed for having sen ,tu den ts to water the
• plants.whenever he wanted to go fishing or needed a holiday
•Franz Wishes he had prepared for the class
Sensitive and innocent - Doesn't like being scolded in the class
- Blames himself for ignoring • Wants to impress M. Hamel by his
his lessons. knowledge of Fl'alch but when he fails, he
- Wonders what wil happen is unable to
when the Germans take over •face him
- Wonders if pigeons too wil An observant boy
• He notices all little details on his way to
coo in German
school
• Understands the feetings of • Is quick to observe the changes in his
the old Hauser surrouncl ngs
Loves the outdoors - He obssves M. Hamel's effort to control
... Enjoys the sooshine, his emotions
watching the birds, chasing Empathizes with M.Hamef
the butterflies, coleaing bird's • Franz is quick to understand M.Hamel's
eggs sense of helplessness.
Is conscious of his duties as a • After lea ming about the rm sons for the
student changed atmosphen,. Franz accepts him
with all his
faults
Characters
~ Saheb-~Alam: A rag picker
Saheb is a rag-picker from Seemapuri whose parents migrated from
Bangladesh in the
year 1971 . The writer encounters him fNety morning with barefoot in her
neighbourhood. He
Is scrounging for gold In the garbage dumps.
He Is unable to go to school because there is none in his neighbourhood.
Saheb-~Alam
is his full name though he does not know its exact meaning. It means
• ord of the universe.' It
, ironical as he roams in the streets pidting up the rags.
 -· ·· __

--·-·- _l
Mukesh: Son of a bangle maker
Mukesh lived rn Firozabad & was born rn the family of bangle makers.
He aspired to
become a motor mechan ic. Unlike the others rn Firozabad who were
burrl"'ned in the stigma of
c 1 .:: , which they are born. Mukesh did not want to follow the
t r l'1.1• •al profession. In this
wa 1 , ,1: was a path breaker and had a determination to change his
circumstance s. Mukesh was
born 1n a very poor family. To asset the income of th e fami ly he also
worked wrth his fath er in
gla ss furnaces making bangles. There was a spark of rebellion 1n him.
He was confident and
determined to become a motor mechanic. His dreams & aspirations
were practical. He dreams
only of what he can achieve or what was with in his reach. He had a
wi llingness to work hard
and fulfil his desires.
Write a character sketch of Mukesh.

Ans. Mukesh lived in Firozabad & was born in

the family of bangle makers. He aspired to
become a motor mechanic. Unlike the others in
,I
Firozabad who were burdened in the stigma of V
caste in which they are born, Mukesh did not
want to follow the traditional profession . In this
way he was a path breaker and had a
determination to change his circumstances.
Mukesh was born in a very poor family. To asset
the income of the family he also work.ed with his
father in glass furnaces making bangles. There
was a spark of rebellion In him. He was
confident and determined to become a motor
mechanic. His dreams & aspirations were
practical. He dreams only of what he can
achieve or what was within his reach. He had a
willingness to work hard and fulfil his desires.
Douglas was a positive thinker. He knew that his fear was affecting
his life and he thought he could conquer it.
Douglas very honestly confesses his fear which shows that he was
a brave man. His admission of his terrorised state after being
rescued from the pool reflects his honesty.
He was a very hard working man. Once he has decided to
o vercome his fear he worked day and night to achieve his aim.
He vvas a very determined man with a very strong will power. His
determination to get rid of his fear with an exceptionally strong will
power made it possible for him to achieve his goal.
Douglas was a strategic thinker and planner. Even when he was
pushed in the water unexpectedly, he very clea
HARACTER SKETCH: Instructor
The instructor has no name in the account "Deep water",
but comes across as a man of strong will and determination
who plays an instrumenal role in making Douglas a confident
swi mmer. It was due to his efforts that William Douglas was
able to overcome his fear. The instructor built a swimmer
out of Douglas piece by piece. For three months he held him
high on a rope attached to his belt so that he could go back
and forth. He also taught him the technique of inhaling and
exhaling in water.